《The First Cultivator - Changing Existence》 Chapter 1: The Beginning In Tonton valley, a boy trudged through the wind and rain with only a sled full of wood and the clothes on his back. The wind was so strong that he could barely walk 10 meters every minute. He had long lost count of the times he had almost been blown away by the wind. Every muscle in his body was aching. His skin had cracked and his feet were bleeding. The only thing that kept him moving was the fact that without this wood, he wouldn''t be able to eat for the next 3 days. In fact, even with this wood, he would only be able to afford 2 meals. Even with this realization, he continued forcing his way against the wind. If not to eat, then to prove his resolve to himself. After an hour of fighting bitterly against the wind and the rain, he had made it back to the village. Although small, the village walls provided some much needed protection against the wind. It was much easier to make it home without the wind blowing against him. Closing the door behind him, Zhou Fan collapsed on his bed, gasping from exhaustion. It had been a long time since he had felt this tired. To no surprise, he fell asleep soon after pulling his blanket onto himself. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next day, he awoke at noon to the sound of his own stomach. Crawling out of bed, he made his way to the small yard in front of his house. Miraculously, both the sled and the wood had made it through the storm. Dragging the sled, he made his way over to Old Man Yang''s carpentry store. Since the village was small, it took only 3 minutes to make it to the small store. However, when the store came into view, Zhou Fan saw an incredible sight. Directly in front of Old Man Yang''s store, there was once a tree. It had always been the biggest tree within the village walls. However, now, no tree stood in front of Old Man Yang''s store. Instead, a smoldering tree trunk no more than 2 meters in size replaced the old tree. It was unfathomable to Zhou Fan how this could have happened. After staring in awe at what was once a proud tree, he noticed an old man standing right next to it. The old man was Yang Zhuwei, also known as Old Man Yang. " Old Man Yang, what the he** happened here here?" "Hey boy", he said,"I''m not too sure myself." It seemed he himself was as dumbfounded as I. "Have you ever heard of this before" I asked. Old Man Yang was the oldest and most experienced person in the village after all. " Not at all", he said. Suddenly, the middle aged woman across the street shouted at us," I saw what happened!" Looking over at her, we saw her haggard appearance. "The storm had kept me up all night" she said, "I was looking out the window when all of a sudden, a lightning bolt struck the tree." "Hisssss." Sucking in a breath of air, Old Man Yang''s face paled. It was something too shocking to hear after all. While they had seen and heard lightning strikes before, none of them had ever seen something that had been hit. Later, after we had all calmed down, I sold the wood to Old Man Yang. He handed me 5 copper coins for the entire load. It was a reasonable amount that would allow me to buy three meals. One more than I had expected. Luckily, meals were one of my only expenses. The house I live in was passed down to me by my parents after they died from the disease outbreak years ago. I was only 6 years old then. 4 years have passed since then and I have been surviving on my own. Luckily, there were people like Old Man Yang and Auntie Sung, the lady across from Old Man Yang''s store, to help me before I was old enough to do hard labor. After buying some bread, I found myself once again standing in front of the tree. It was something truly unbelievable. Lightning is something that no one in this village, or perhaps the entire world, understands. Where does it come from? Why does it only come on stormy days? How powerful is it? While asking myself these questions, I found my hand moving towards the tree. Touching it, I felt a zap. For a single moment, it felt as if my mind had become clearer. I felt as if everything in the world had become just a bit more understandable. Just as fast as it came, it went. Even though it lasted a single moment, I felt as if I had understood something of the world. And of myself. Without knowing why, I found myself sitting against the tree, curling up my legs and putting my hands together in a clasp. I felt as if there was something else in the world. Something that I could neither see nor touch. Since I couldn''t see it, I decided to close my eyes. Falling into the depths of my mind, I found my mind had become clear of all thoughts. With the sole intention of sitting and breathing, I could no longer sense the flow of time. After an unknown amount of time, I saw something. Not with my eyes but with my mind. It looked like a speck of dust. Grey and tiny. So tiny one would never see it. However, in the infinite darkness of my mind, it was as glaring as the sun. When I saw it, I instinctually took a breath. Not with my body, but with my mind. The grey speck slowly floated over to me. Although I could no longer feel the passing of time, this brief moment felt like an eternity. Eventually, the speck reached me. Flowing into my body, I felt as if a whole new world was appearing in front of me. Chapter 2: Brains and Brawn Opening my eyes, I noticed that the day had passed and the moon was hanging in the sky. The next thing I noticed was a horrible stench. Looking down, I noticed some sort of black gook sticking to me. It is ,by far, the most disgusting thing I had ever looked at. Even a mangled corpse would be less revolting than this sticky black monstrosity. Jumping into action immediately, I ran to the river next to the village as fast as I could. However, just moments after running, I tripped over my own legs. Perhaps it was the darkness of the night or the incredible speed I instantly accelerated too. Unfortunately, I had no time to pay attention to these occurrences as my senses were completely overloaded with the sight and smell of the black gook. Jumping over the village walls and sprinting towards the river, I was so focused on getting there that I didn''t even notice the astonishing speed I was moving. A journey that should''ve taken 10 minutes from Old Man Yang''s house to the river took only 3 minutes! Seeing the river ahead, I immediately jumped as high as I could to plunge into the river. Once again, I failed to notice the fact that I had jumped from the banks to the center of the 20 foot wide river. Washing the gook off of my body as frantically as I could, I started to think properly again. Once I had got it all off, I sat on the banks of the river and looked up into the stars. My mind was moving faster than it had ever had before. Without realizing it, I had counted all the stars in the night sky after a single minute. 2,875. That''s how many stars I could see this night. While astonished at my thinking ability, I noticed something touching my body. I glanced down to see an average sized water snake had curled around my body. Instinctually, I grabbed it in an attempt to pull it off of my body and throw it into the water. However, when I grabbed its body, I failed to control my strength and squeezed it into a mush. The snake hadn''t even had the chance to realize what was happening before it was killed. Frantically throwing the half mush, half corpse snake into the river, I once again jumped into the river to clean myself off. Pondering how my body was able to easily crush that snake, I realized that I was much too tired to think. Making my way back to the village, the trip took much longer than when I was running. 20 minutes later, I made it back to my small house and jumped into my small bed. Soon after jumping in, I fell asleep. Waking up, I got out of bed and made my way out of the house to grab some bread from Johns bakery. Even after eating 2 slices, enough to fill me up any other day, I realized I was still starving. Spending the rest of my money, I bought 6 more slices of bread in order to satisfy my hunger. Afterwards, I was finally able to sit down and think about yesterday''s events. The grey speck, the black gook, the quick counting of my brain, and the easy crushing of the snake. Deciding to further test my body, I set off to Tonton valley with my axe. Coming to my usual spot, I noticed the destruction that the storm caused. Multiple trees were either bending or completely knocked over. Luckily, there were many more in fine condition. The valley had a fair amount of protection from the wind after all. Finding a relatively unaffected tree, I got in position to cut it down. The first swing lodged the axe fully into the tree. Astonished, I pulled the axe out with surprising ease and swung the axe once again. The second swing mirrored the first one and by the twentieth swing, the medium size tree started falling. I was completely dumbfounded with my own strength. The least swings I had ever needed to knock down any tree was more than 50. Not to mention, a tree of this size often took over 500 swings to cut down. Once it fell and I regained my witts, I started cutting it into sections. I hadn''t only come here to test my strength after all. I also needed money as I had used all of it in order to buy food this morning. After an hour of work, I had cut down and chopped up 8 medium sized trees! The quickest I had ever cut down 8 trees was 10 hours! Not to mention, I barely felt any fatigue after the constant cutting. Turning around, I looked at my sled and realized that it is far too small to carry 8 trees. Loading up as much as I could fit, I dragged it to Old Man Yang''s shop. After 3 trips back and forth, I was 25 copper richer. Repeating the action of cutting down 8 trees and bringing them back in three trips 3 more times, I finally saved up a silver. Unfortunately, it took all day. If it wasn''t for my increased strength and stamina, I would''ve collapsed after the first three back and forth trips. Deciding to pass on dinner tonight in preparation for tomorrow, I went to sleep. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Waking up, I went to Old Man Yang''s store and bought a much better sled from him. This sled could carry 8 trees worth of wood. Old Man Yang was naturally suspicious when he saw that I had brought back 32 trees worth of wood yesterday. However, luckily for me, (since I had no reasonable explanation), Old Man Yang used to live in the Imperial city where asking too many questions is a quick way to get killed. The sled only costed 95 copper, so I had enough to get a couple slices of bread from Johns bakery. Setting off to the valley, I prepared to spend all day cutting trees. Chapter 3: 7 days later "What do you mean I can''t sell anymore wood?!" "You''ve already sold me enough wood to last me half a year, I can''t afford to buy anymore." Zhou Fan was in an argument with Old Man Yang. After 7 days of logging and earning a silver coin each day, he has already filled up Old Man Yang''s yard with wood. Zhou Fan has been cutting down trees and bringing them back every hour of the day for the last week. "Wait at least a month and then you can bring me some more wood. Until then, find someone else''s yard to fill." Realizing that he could no longer win this argument, Zhou Fan decided to head back home and get some much needed and much earned rest. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Heading out to the bakery, Zhou Fan calculated how long his money would last him. If he spends 6 copper a day on bread, his 7 silver will last over 100 days. He practically had no other expenses, therefore, calculating anything else would be pointless. After 10 minutes, he returned home and had a meal that consisted of 5 slices of bread and some water. While to others it may seem like a terrible meal, Zhou Fan has been eating it for the last 4 years. After a meal, Zhou Fan finally sat down and got lost within his own thoughts. Remembering the gray speck from 8 days ago, he contemplated what it could possibly be. Unable to come up with any thoughts, he decided to imitate what he had done the first day. Although he had tried touching the lightning tree over the last week, he could no longer feel anything. It seemed that he had used whatever was in it up. Crossing his legs, he put all his needless thoughts to rest. Zhou Fan clasped his hands together and cleared his mind of all thoughts. After 30 minutes of sitting in that position, Zhou Fan finally fell back into the state he was in when he touched the tree. Much faster this time, he noticed a grey speck. Zhou Fan tried breathing it in but it wouldn''t budge. He tried again and again with no results whatsoever. After an unknown amount of time, he finally decided to stop trying. Looking outside, he noticed the sky was already dark. Hopping into bed and closing his eyes, Zhou Fan decided to try to gather another speck of dust tomorrow. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next morning, after filling himself up with bread, he decided to attempt gather another speck of dust. On second thought, Zhou Fan felt it was inappropriate to continue calling that incredible thing, ''a speck of dust''. After thinking for a while, he decided to call it ''Qi''. He had no reason for calling it that, he just decided to make a random sound and name the speck of dust after it. Isn''t that how all words were made? Recalling the first time he absorbed the Qi particle, he remembered that he had not breathed in with his mouth but with his mind. Although he had no idea how to do that, it was better to try than to not try. Crossing his legs and clasping his hands, he fell into his mind once again. This time, it took only 5 minutes. Within the infinite darkness of his mind, he saw the Qi particle. After 5 minutes of trying to breath in with his mind, he finally saw the Qi particle move a bit! Excited, he frantically continued to bring it in. After 10 minutes, Zhou Fan successfully absorbed it! He felt a wave of energy spread throughout his mind and body. All the fatigue from the past few days were washed away in an instant. Luckily for Zhou Fan, no gook came out of his body this time. Instead of stopping there, Zhou Fan decided to continue absorbing Qi. In just 3 minutes, he spotted another Qi particle! Thanks to his previous experience, Zhou Fan was able to bring it in much faster this time. Once again, Zhou Fan absorbed a Qi particle and felt a wave of refreshment. He continued this cycle for almost 3 hours before, all of a sudden, an audible cracking sound came from his body! If the sound scared him so much he almost jumped, then the sudden influx of Qi particles made him feel like his soul was dragged from his body. Within his mind, the space that had always had no more than 1 Qi particle ,had 10 at the same time! Frantically taking this opportunity, he absorbed the Qi particles at a much faster rate than usual. After 10 minutes, he finally absorbed all of the Qi particles and felt a wave of refreshment much bigger than any other he had felt before! This wave covered every inch of his body! Like the time he had absorbed his first particle, Zhou Fan felt as if the world had opened up a new door. Opening his eyes, Zhou Fan once again smelt the nauseating smell of the gook. "Dam* it!" He shouted, "Not again!" Running to the river at an even faster speed than before, he made it to the river in 3 minutes! Although the first time it happened he took 3 minutes, this time, he was even farther away from the river. Before the lightning tree, it would have took 12 minutes to make it to the river from his house! Bathing in the river once again, he had a nagging feeling that he would be seeing this river for a long time to come. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The next day, he awoke near the river. After taking a bath, he decided to sleep while looking at the stars. 3,123. That''s how many stars he could see last night. Walking in front of the tree, he suddenly decided to punch it. Halfway through his action, he realized what he was doing. Too late to retract it, his hand collided with the tree. BANGG! Instinctually, Zhou Fan closed his eyes. However, after feeling no pain in his hand he decided to open it. Chapter 4: Bandits Opening his eyes, the first thing Zhou Fan saw was a fist sized imprint in the tree. Astonished, he pinched himself to see if he was dreaming. "Oww!" After making sure he wasn''t dreaming, Zhou Fan examined his fist. It was neither bleeding nor in pain. In an attempt to make sure that the fist imprint was really his, he curled his hand into a fist and put it on the imprint. It was! After making sure he wasn''t crazy, Zhou Fan didn''t know what to think. He had never heard of anyone hitting a tree so hard that their fist was imprinted into it, much less without any injury to the hand. At this moment, Zhou Fan realized that this was no dream. By absorbing the Qi particles, he was truly becoming greater. Even after merely 8 days, he was already beyond any human. Perhaps even an ox''s strength couldn''t compare to his. Zhou Fan decided that from now on he will focus his entire life to absorbing these particles. He will become even stronger and rule over the entire world. Then, Zhou Fan''s mind came back to reason. Even if he could become that strong, it would take a long long time. Also, who knows if there is a limit to the particles. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- On his way home, he stopped by the bakery to grab 4 loaves of bread, enough to last him 8 days. Entering his house, Zhou Fan immediately sat down. Crossing his legs and clasping his hands, Zhou Fan entered a calm state much faster than before. Looking into the infinite darkness of his mind he found a pleasant surprise. Instead of a single particle, there were 2. It took a mere 30 seconds to absorb both of them. This time besides a slightly warm sensation, he felt nothing. After 5 hours, Zhou Fan heard a familiar crack. Then, within his mind, he saw 20 particles at the same time. Absorbing them all in a quick 10 minutes, he opened his eyes to find the black gook covering his body. Running to the lake in a quick 2 minutes 30 seconds, he jumped in and cleaned himself before once again sleeping on the river bank. ------------------------------------------------------ Zhou Fan repeated the process of gathering Qi particles, hearing a crack, running to the river, and sleeping on the riverbank for 7 days. Over the day''s, Zhou Fan decided on a name for absorbing Qi particles. He declared it ''Cultivation''. On the 8th day, Zhou Fan woke up like normal and ate a slice of bread. All of a sudden, a foot broke through his door! Startled, Zhou Fan jumped backwards. " Who made this trashy door", the unknown assailant said. "Who cares, open up the door already." "Yes sir!" Said multiple voices at the same time. Calming down, Zhou Fan watched as the unknown assailants broke through the door and looked at him from the outside. "Hey, someone actually lives in this pig sty" one of men''s voices said. "Get to the village square boy", the largest of the 4 men said. "Don''t try to run, the entire village is surrounded." Still shocked, Zhou Fan complied to the mans orders. It took less than a minute to get to the town square from his house. Entering the plaza, Zhou Fan noticed more than 20 armed men on horses. Some carried bows and spears, but most carried a sword. In the middle, the only man wearing armor was barking orders to the villagers. It seemed like Zhou Fan was the last one to arrive. "Let''s make this easy", the man barked. "Men on the left, women on the right, children in the middle." Complying, all the villagers got into the order the man told them. All except Zhou Fan, of course. "Boy, stand in the middle NOW! Looking at the men surrounding him, Zhou Fan felt no fear. He had been cultivating everyday for the past week. Every day, he would punch the same tree he punched a week ago. Just yesterday, he buried his entire arm into the tree from a single punch. If his arm was a little bit longer, Zhou Fan would have pierced through the entire tree. He had experienced 9 audible cracks since the day he had touched the lightning tree. Not only had his strength and intelligence soared through the roof, he was also exceptionally more handsome. If he wasn''t 10 years old, he could surely charm any women. "Or what?" Zhou Fan taunted at them. "Good, I was hoping somebody would resist today." Jumping from his horse, the man who appeared to be the leader strode towards Zhou Fan, sword in hand. Reaching him in a few seconds, he instantly sliced down upon him. From his form, you could tell this wasn''t his first time. He had surely committed murder many times. Slightly moving to the left, Zhou Fan easily dodged the man''s casual attack. "Weak." Zhou Fan mumbled. Before the man could react, Zhou Fans fist had already arrived in front of his chest. Colliding with Zhou Fans fist, the man was instantly thrown back 10 feet. When he landed on the ground, he had already breathed his last. Shocked the surrounding bandits took a step back. Staring at their leaders mangled chest, they all had cold sweat pouring down their face. Even his leather armor was pierced. "W-w-w-w-what the he**!" You could see the fear in not only their eyes, but the villagers eyes. Nobody could remain calm in the face of a mangled corpse. Not even Zhou Fan. This was the first time Zhou Fan had ever killed someone. Based upon his strength, he had assumed the man would die, but upon looking at his bloody corpse, even Zhou Fans'' strengthened mind was shaking. Many of the less experienced villagers even threw up. Slowly backing up, the bandits fear was plastered on their faces. even though they had committed many massacres, the shock from seeing a single punch from a mere boy instantly decimate a grown man wearing armor was too much for them. "R-r-r-run!!" When someone had finally recovered enough to say that, a trigger in all of the bandits minds were set off. Fleeing as fast as their legs could take them, they ran away at an astonishing speed. They even left behind their horses and their chiefs corpse. Chapter 5: A New Realm Staring at the fleeing bandits, Zhou Fan was dumbfounded. Thinking about it, he realized that such a reaction was very reasonable. After all, who in the world wouldn''t flee after seeing such a sight. Turning around Zhou Fan noticed the terrified looks on the villagers faces. Within Tonton village, there were 50 residents. Each one''s family having lived here for generations. Everyone in the village knew everyone and there was nearly no serious conflict. However, none of their previous friendliness could be seen on their terrified faces. Since it didn''t seem like they would break out of their stupor anytime soon, Zhou Fan started walking back to his house. Feeling the stare''s on his back, he had a feeling he would be treated differently starting today. -------------------------------------------------- The next morning, Zhou Fan opened his door to find a pile of weapons and a horse in front of his house. These were naturally the weapons that the bandits had left behind while fleeing. The horse also appeared to be the chiefs horse. Looking past the piles of weapons, he noticed a few villagers. Clearly surprised to see him, they hastily got on their knees and banged their heads against the ground, not daring to look him in his eyes. "We greet the lord", the frontmost villager said. Recognizing him as the village chief, Zhou Fan frowned. He didn''t like the sight of the people who had helped him so much kneeling. "You can stand, there is no need to kneel before me." "We d-don''t dare!" It seemed that yesterday''s performance had struck fear into their hearts. Knowing that they wouldn''t comply, Zhou Fan simply walked past them, heading to John''s bakery. Only after he was out of sight, did the villagers stand up, cold sweat pouring down their face. ----------------------------------------------------- Knocking on the door, Zhou Fan saw John jump back in fright after seeing him. "H-h-here sir", John said while trembling. "I have already prepared your greatnesses meal. Your greatness doesn''t need to pay." Zhou Fan once again frowned. He hated the way the villagers started talking to him. However, knowing that they wouldn''t treat him like they used to, Zhou Fan simply grabbed the bread and left. Making his way back home, he saw that the villagers had already left his yard. Walking past the pile of weapons and the horse, Zhou Fan entered his house and sat on the bed. Deciding to put today''s events at the back of his mind, Zhou Fan crossed his legs, clasped his hands, and started to cultivate. After 10 straight hours, Zhou Fan finally heard the familiar breaking sound. Like usual, multiple Qi particles flooded his vision at the same time. To Zhou Fan''s surprise however, he couldn''t make them budge an inch. Staring at them, he counted exactly 100 Qi particles. All of a sudden, Zhou Fan saw the Qi particles spinning around each other! Once they had formed a sphere, they once again started spinning. Elongating, the Qi particles slowly turned into an ethereal thread! The thread was completely gray like the Qi particles. Looking at the thread, Zhou Fan felt it was appropriate to simply call it ''Qi''. Flowing into his body, the Qi thread gave Zhou Fan a completely different feeling compared to Qi particles. A feeling like a cool breeze in a summer day was felt all over Zhou Fans body. Instinctually raising his hand, Zhou Fan let out a force from his palm. The force blew into the front door and put a hole into it. Astonished, Zhou Fan didn''t put his hand down for a long time. A sense of power and superiority washed over his mind. With this new breakthrough, he felt the power of both his body and mind had consolidated. It was as if his mind and body had created a foundation within his body. Jumping down from his bed, Zhou Fan fell through the floor! His weight had increased 10 fold. Unlike the 100 pounds he used to weigh, his body now weighed about 1000! Even then, his body shape hadn''t changed at all! Looking down, he noticed his entire body was once again covered by the black gook. Deciding to once again give a name, He called it ''impurities'' because it was clearly, ''impure''. These impurities were the most disgusting so far. Shivering like a dog in the rain, Zhou Fan suddenly felt a force shoot throughout his body. Exploding from his skin, the force exploded both his clothes, and his impurities outwards. Looking at the filthy impurities covering his house, Zhou fan had the urge to throw up. Running outside his house, Zhou Fan was surprised to notice the stares of the villagers. They seemed to have gathered outside his house to offer their items to him. Noticing auntie Sung, he strode towards her and grabbed the clothes she had clearly brought as an offering. Quickly putting them on, Zhou Fan loudly cleared his throat. "UHUM" "Please stop staring at me." Recovering from their shock, many of the villagers faces were red from holding in their laughs. Quickly, someone couldn''t hold it in anymore. Old Man Yang laughed loud enough to deafen anyone within a 100 foot radius. As if the flood gates had been opened, everyone else started thunderously laughing. With a face red from shame, Zhou Fan ran away to the river. Astonishingly, he shot off at a pace fast enough to reach the river in 30 seconds. Abruptly, the laughs stopped. Many of the villagers jaws had dropped. ------------------------------------------------------- At the river, Zhou Fan finally had time to think about his breakthrough. Sitting down, he noticed that he could feel an energy in the air. Reaching out his hand, he felt the energy coiling around it. Slamming his hand on the ground, the earth exploded, and a hole a foot deep appeared. Now covered in dirt, Zhou Fan decided to clean himself off in the river. 10. That is how many times he had heard a breaking sound while cultivating. After cleaning himself off in the river, Zhou Fan sat down and started to cultivate. Now, his vision was filled to the brim with threads of energy. Unlike before, he would no longer be limited by the amount of Qi available, but the amount he could absorb. Looking back, he felt that what he was previously doing was merely an introduction into cultivation. 3,236. That was how many stars Zhou Fan counted before heading to sleep. Chapter 6: Leaving The next day, Zhou Fan awoke by the river side. After thinking it over for the night, he decided to leave the village. At this point, he had no reason to stay. The people he once treated as friends, now see him as a monster. It isn''t an unreasonable thought. Besides his abhorrent strength, even Zhou Fan''s mind was less human. Even at the thought of leaving his house, the only thing left of his parents, Zhou Fan didn''t feel any sadness. His emotions seemed to be fading away. Standing up, Zhou Fan took one last walk to the village. Enjoying the view to his home, he saw the looks on the villagers faces that contained more fear than kindness. Deciding it was best not to say goodbye to anybody, Zhou Fan made it back to his house uninterrupted. Zhou Fan had come back to his house for two reasons.To gather some useful items, and to pay respects to his parents grave. Grabbing the bandit leader''s sword and what was remaining of his bread, Zhou Fan hopped on the horse and hastily traveled to the graveyard. Although he had never ridden, nor even touched a horse before, he got used to it extremely quickly. Entering the graveyard, Zhou Fan immediately noticed the familiar site of his parents grave. Although it had been over a year since he last came here, Zhou Fan used to come here at least once a week. Seeing the dirt and leaves on his parents grave, Zhou Fan frowned. He didn''t bring a broom with him and their grave was quite dirty. Coming up with an idea, Zhou Fan closed his eyes and held his palm out. Gathering the surrounding Qi, Zhou Fan concentrated it on his hand. After about 10 seconds, Zhou Fan decided that he had gathered enough Qi. Waving his hand like he was swatting a fly, Zhou Fans hand moved at an incredible speed and made a fairly strong gust of wind. When the wind hit the graves of his parents, much of the built up dirt and leaves dispersed immediately. Although there was still some dirt stuck to it, most of the built up filth was cleaned off. Quickly cleaning the rest off with his hands, Zhou Fan once again blew a gust of wind towards the graves. After the gust of wind cleaned the remaining dirt, his parents'' graves looked brand new. Kowtowing three times, Zhou Fan had finally paid his final respects. "Goodbye." Leaving the graveyard on his horse, Zhou Fan decided to head past Tonton valley into the unnamed forest. Since they had no maps, the villagers'' knowledge of the surrounding terrain was very limited. As far as they knew, the closest city was 50 miles the opposite direction of Tonton valley. Deciding to go through Tonton valley, Zhou Fan was going in a completely unknown area. Making it to Tonton valley, Zhou Fan decided to sit down and eat some of his bread. Quickly eating and cleaning up, Zhou Fan got on his horse and rode into the unnamed forest. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ After around 5 hours of nonstop riding, Zhou Fan decided to set up camp for the night. He had just come across a clearing. Luckily, he had long known how to start a fire, courtesy of Auntie Sung. While starting a fire, Zhou Fan heard a twig snap. Standing up warily, Zhou Fan immediately deciphered which direction the noise came from. Tip toeing up to the nearest tree, Zhou Fan peeked from behind it, looking in the direction the noise was made. Very quickly, he saw a lone boar munching on some grass. Thinking of the last time he ate meat, he recalled that 2 years ago, one of the villagers had caught 5 wild boars. He had decided to share his lucky harvest with everyone in the village free of charge. Although with the silver he had earned from chopping down trees, he could have bought a fair amount of meat. It , however, hadn''t even crossed his mind due to the fact that it had been so long. Focusing himself, Zhou Fan grabbed the bandit chief''s sword. Quietly jumping out from behind the tree, Zhou Fan swung at the boor. With his enhanced speed, Zhou Fan should have easily killed it. Unfortunately, it sensed his leap and booked it into the deep forest. Although Zhou Fan was confident he was faster than it, the path it ran to was layered with so many trees, he wouldn''t even fit through most of the gaps. Deciding to cut his losses, Zhou Fan walked back to the clearing mildly depressed. Starting up the fire, Zhou Fan ate some bread and went to sleep. Sadly, he hadn''t remembered to bring water and could only go to bed parched. ------------------------------------------------------------ Later that night, Zhou Fan was awoken to the sound of growls. Jumping up, he noticed that he was surrounded by 5 wolves. Clearly, they had gathered around him while he was sleeping, preparing to kill him in an instant. Unfortunately for them, Zhou Fan''s hearing had long been enhanced to an unnatural degree. Although wolves likely had better hearing, he was far beyond most other animals, humans included. Jumping at him, the biggest wolf started the attack. The remaining wolves weren''t too far behind. Reacting swiftly, Zhou Fan met the wolf''s claws with an attack of his own. The wolf''s claws instantly shattered from the force of his punch. The biggest wolf jumped back retreating. Sadly, Zhou Fan didn''t have time to punch out again when the wolves attacks reached him. To both his and the wolves surprise ,however, their attacks merely cut his clothes before scraping against his skin, causing little white marks to appear. Realizing that these wolves didn''t have the capability to harm him, Zhou Fan started on the offensive. Ignoring the wolves'' counter attacks, Zhou Fan continued to simply punch at the wolves. When he collided with their claws, their paws broke and their claws shattered. When he collided with their bodies, they instantly fell to the ground, struggling to breath. Like that, Zhou Fan quickly finished the fight. Although he only managed to kill two of the wolves before the rest realized they weren''t his match and scrambled off, Zhou fan still felt satisfied with the outcome. It seemed like he would be having meat tonight after all. Chapter 7: Naming After waking up the next day, Zhou Fan looked at the wolves'' cut-up bodies. Last night, he had decided not to waste any part of the wolves. With their fur, he made himself a nice-looking coat. He also made a water flask with their skin. Since this area was so nice, Zhou Fan decided to cultivate. He hadn''t attempted to cultivate since his last major breakthrough and wanted to see if anything had changed. Crossing his legs and clasping his hands, Zhou Fan immediately sensed an ocean of Qi soaring towards him. It overwhelmed him so much that he fell out of his cultivation state. Starting again, he was much more prepared for the sudden influx of Qi. The previous amount was infinitly lesser than this. If his previous cultivation was like filling a bucket with drops, his current cultivation was akin to a stream filling a lake. In a mere 5 minutes, Zhou Fan felt he had absorbed more Qi than his previous cultivation sessions combined. After an hour, he finally felt a breakthrough. Although there were no longer any surgents of Qi, Zhou Fan felt as if another foundation had been stacked and compressed into his previous one. His current foundation was at least twice as strong and sturdy than it previously was. Zhou Fan felt as if the foundations were within his body, yet not at the same time. As if it existed in a different space. It felt like a square battle stage, yet also formless. It was extremely hard to explain the feeling of it. Oppening his eyes, Zhou Fan didn''t smell a thing. Looking down, he wasn''t covered in any impurities! Waving his hand, he gathered Qi twice as fast. Zhou Fan decided to hit the nearest tree with a sideway''s karate chop. When his hand hit the tree, it immediately collapsed. The tree almost fell on him, but luckily, it missed him by about a foot. On second thought, even if the tree hit him, he wouldn''t be injured. Walking up to another tree, Zhou Fan punched it without using any Qi. This tree mimicked the previous one , collapsing instantly. Unfortunately for Zhou Fan, this tree didn''t miss him. Getting pushed into the ground, Zhou Fan struggled for half a minute before he decided to attempt to imitate the time Qi exploded from his body in his house. Covering his entire body in a quick moment, Zhou Fan weakly released the Qi from his body. Unlike the time in the house, Zhou Fan had control of his Qi. Therefore, his new clothes weren''t instantly destroyed. The tree, however, exploded to the side, finally freeing him. Standing up, Zhou Fan decided to forever forget what had just happened. Suddenly, the bandit chiefs sword caught the corner of his eye. It was actually more appropriate to call it Zhou Fan''s sword since he now owns it. Picking up the sword, Zhou Fan attempted to infuse it with his Qi. Although it was much harder than covering his body, the Qi stuck to the sword in a matter of seconds. Slicing out, a wave of Qi shot at the random direction he swung at. The closest three trees were bisected cleanly by the sword wave before it disipated. Zhou Fan was amazed at his discovery. He hadn''t had much hope when he had this idea. To his surprise, however, it worked even better than expected. If he had infused more energy into the sword, the wave would have both lasted longer and been more powerful! Deciding that he had had enough fun today, Zhou Fan climbed on his horse and rode in the direction he had randomly chosen yesterday. --------------------------------------- 2 days later, Zhou Fan stopped his horse. He had come across a clearing in the forest. ''Civilization should be close'' Zhou Fan thought. Looking closer, Zhou Fan noticed some horse tracks. Based on their direction , Zhou Fan chose to follow them. After a day of riding, Zhou Fan decided to set up camp to the side of the road. Every day, Zhou Fan would set up camp , eat , and cultivate before heading to sleep. Surprisingly, Zhou Fan had only broken through one time in the past 2 days. Zhou Fan felt it was weird because he was used to breaking through once a day. Unlike in the past, the amount of Qi required to go into the next level was 5 times as much. It took him 5 hours to breakthrough into the next level! Despite the immense increase in Qi. On another note, Zhou Fan had named both his current ''realm'' and his previous one. He had also come up with the name ''realm''. Zhou Fan had decided to call his current realm, ''Foundation Establishment''. This was due to the fact that he felt a foundation in his body every time he broke through. He had decided to call the last realm, '' Qi gathering'', due to the fact that he had been gathering Qi. It was extremely simple, but there was no reason for it to be complicated. He had also given each realm 10 levels. Since there were 10 levels in Qi gathering, Zhou Fan assumed that there would also be 10 in Foundation establishment. Worst case scenario, he renamed it afterward. Based upon his naming, Zhou Fan was in the 3rd level of Foundation establishment. With even better news, Zhou Fan felt that his foundation had improved triple when he broke through. It seemed as if his foundation would experience a 4 times increase the next time and so on. After 3 hours, Zhou Fan broke through. This made him relieved. If every breakthrough had multiplied the time required for the next by 5, he didn''t when he would make it to the next realm. Luckily, combining the 7 hours he cultivated last night, it took only 10 hours for his breakthrough. It was also because of the increase in Qi, he could absorb each time. Now in the 4th level of Foundation establishment, Zhou Fans conjuncture was proven correct. His foundations strength increased by 4 times! Zhou Fan then decided to go to sleep. Chapter 8: Lang Yang City Waking up, Zhou Fan continued on his journey. After around 8 hours of riding, Zhou Fan saw a gigantic city wall. It was much bigger than he had heard from Old Man Yang. It seemed this was a different city than the one Old Man Yang used to live in. The dirt trail led to a gate with a small line. Linning up, Zhou Fan continued to look around. It seemed that the walls were made of stone. Above the gate, there was a huge sign that stated, '' Lang Yang City''. Soon, Zhou Fan made it to the gate. "One copper for entry," said the guard. Zhou Fan complied and took out a copper coin before riding inside. It seemed that the security here wasn''t too strict. Looking up, Zhou Fan noticed that the sky was starting to darken. Since he had heard stories from Old Man Yang, Zhou Fan had a minor understanding of the city. He decided to look for an inn to stay the night at. It didn''t take long before he found a nice looking inn. It didn''t seem unreasonably priced. 5 copper per night. Although Zhou Fan could afford to stay here, he couldn''t do it for long. Walking in, Zhou Fan met the nice innkeeper. She was an old lady. Although he didn''t catch her name, he had a good impression of her. It turned out that the 5 copper also paid for breakfast and dinner. They also had a stable that they could keep his horse in. Before he even bothered going up to his room, Zhou Fan decided to have dinner downstairs. Zhou Fan didn''t have high expectations, but the meal turned out to be the best one he''s had since his parents died. It was almost enough to make him cry. Almost. Heading up to his room, Zhou Fan saw that it was pretty basic. A neat looking bed, a small wooden desk, and a wardrobe. After unpacking his few belongings, Zhou Fan started cultivating. He decided to cultivate through the night since cultivation was like a replacement for sleep. Although he did still have to go to sleep after staying up for a few days. ----------------------------------------------------------- Zhou Fan stopped cultivating after about 10 hours had passed. Although he didn''t breakthrough, Zhou Fan felt that he had made large progress.The sun had been up for a little more than 3 hours now. Deciding that it was an appropriate time to get up, he went downstairs to have breakfast. He had paid 20 copper. Enough to stay here for 4 days. Sitting at a table, Zhou Fan asked the lady for some breakfast. She brought out some bread and some oatmeal. Although Zhou Fan had never had oatmeal himself, he had heard Old Man Yang casually mention it. It was an average meal in any city. Zhou Fan had no complaints. While he was eating his meal, some loud men burst into the inn. Based on their tone and movement, they clearly didn''t put anyone in their eyes. It was likely because they were extremely strong. Or at least they looked like it. This likely wasn''t the first time this had happened from the look on the peoples faces. All of a sudden, the three men started walking towards Zhou Fan. "Hey pal." The biggest of the three men said. " Mind if we share your breakfast with you." It was clear to anyone that they didn''t actually want to share, just take. "I mind." Zhou Fan said simply, before proceeding to ignore the newcomers. Zhou Fan could tell their intentions, but he honestly wanted them to mess with him so that he could beat them up. Although it sounded bad, he had all this power and nothing to do with it. Might as well beat up some rude people. When Zhou Fan said that, the three men stopped laughing instantly. "Scram!" The biggest one said, before smashing his hand on the table. Not to be outdone, Zhou Fan hit his hand on the table, making a much louder noise than when the man hit. Of course, he didn''t use his full strength, or it would have broken into pieces. "Scram," Zhou Fan said to them, repeating what the big man had said. "HAHAHAHAHAHA." Suddenly, the three men broke into laughter for half a minute before abruptly stopping, giving Zhou Fan a death stare. "Come outside, boy." Zhou Fan was still 10. Hence, no one took him seriously. "Sure," Zhou Fan said. He didn''t want to fight inside the inn either way. Following the men for a while, they eventually stopped in an alley. Looking at him, the biggest man didn''t waste any time before punching at his face. He didn''t hold back at all! He intended to kill Zhou Fan with this punch! Unfortunately for the man, Zhou Fan wasn''t any other 10-year-old boy. Punching out, Zhou Fans fist collided with the mans. When their fists met, the mans arm instantly collapsed. He himself flew through the nearest buildings wall. Before they could react, Zhou Fan shot a wave of energy at the other two men. Luckily for them, Zhou Fan held back, only breaking most of their bones before they flew through the wall. Looking at the wall, one could see 3 men shaped holes. Stepping through one of the holes, Zhou Fan came upon the sight of 3 men laying on the floor. The biggest man was the only one conscious. What was left of his arms was a mix of blood and flesh combined. It looked like he didn''t suffer too much compared to the other men, however. Their limbs were bent in random directions and foam was coming out of their mouths. They would likely die soon. Walking over to the man, Zhou Fan stepped over the other twos dying bodies. Seeing the 10-year-old boy walk towards him, the man felt an unprecedented fear. Even with his mangled arm, he was trying to back away from him. Deciding to show mercy, Zhou Fan stepped on his right leg, breaking it, before walking away. It wasn''t too long after he left that some guards came into the building. Running out soon after, they came back with some doctors to try to save the men. Their fate would remain unknown to Zhou Fan, however. Making his way back to the inn, the old lady and all the other patrons were amazed to see him in one piece. "What happened young man, are you okay?" "We settled it, but thank you for your concern." Leaving it at that, Zhou Fan made his way upstairs Chapter 9: The Library Later that day, Zhou Fan headed downstairs to eat some dinner. The only difference was the weird looks in the other peoples eyes. Even the old lady was looking at him weirdly. Sitting down with his tray, Zhou Fan heard the other guests whispering to each other. "Lu Zhan, Hu Zhan, and Wu Zhan were found near death in an abandoned building earlier today." "What?! What in the world could have done that!" "Not what, who," said the man, subtly pointing at him. "You mean that kid did it?" "He was the last one seen with them. There''s no other explanation," said the man, clearly suspicious if what he was saying was true. Zhou Fan realized that the three men were the cause of all the weird looks. It seemed a rumor had spread about what had happened earlier. The looks ,however, contained more suspicion than fear. After all, it was quite unbelievable that a 10-year-old kid could hurt men of that size. It would likely stay a rumor ,however. Even if the men woke up, it was unlikely that they would tell people a child beat them up. Quickly finishing up, Zhou Fan chose to explore the town. He planned to stay here for a while, after all. Stepping outside, Zhou Fan felt the 5pm heat, which wasn''t too bad. Choosing a random direction, Zhou Fan walked across the street while noting places that seemed important or useful. He walked past many stores and shops until one caught his eye. It was called ''Lang Yang clothing shop'', clearly named after the city itself. Heading inside, he saw a huge area entirely filled with clothes. A store attendant quickly came up to him after seeing him walk through the door. "Hello. How can I help you?" Despite the fact that his only clothing was some roughly carved wolf skin and he was covered in dirt, the young lady no older than 20 was still nice. "I would like to buy some clothes," Zhou Fan said. "Alright, what is your budget?" Pondering for a second, Zhou Fan decided to spend a good amount on clothes. "1 silver" Clearly, Zhou Fan was a man of many words. "Please follow me." The shopping attendant facial expressions didn''t change a bit after he said that. It seems that spending 1 silver on clothes here isn''t something outstanding. While following the shopkeeper, Zhou Fan asked some questions about the store itself. According to the lady, this shop was a direct asset of the mayor. Hence the name ''Lang Yang clothing shop''. In fact, all assets directly under the mayor had ''Lang Yang'' in the name. Although it wasn''t exactly a shop for commoners, they still sold relatively cheap clothes. After around 30 minutes, Zhou Fan decided on 3 pairs of clothes. Zhou Fan headed to the counter to buy it. On he way, he passed by a miscealanius section and grabbed a water sack. "Thank you for shopping at Lang Yang clothing shop. And welcome to our city." After leaving, Zhou Fan pondered how to earn money. it was clear after a single store that his remaining 5 silver, give or take, wouldn''t last him too long. While thinking, Zhou Fan came to the biggest building in the city. It was a large tower. It was round and pointed up twice as high as the city walls. It also looked about 300 feet long. Zhou Fan was astounded after looking at it. It was huge! Looking at the board above the entrance, Zhou Fan noticed it was the ''Lang Yang library''. Heading inside, Zhou Fan saw the space was just as big as it looked outside. There were a lot of books here! Even with his enhanced brain, Zhou Fan still couldn''t count them all. Plus, this was just the first floor! "Hello, how can I help you?" Hearing a familiar line, Zhou Fan turned around to see a brown haired girl. "I''m just looking around. Can you tell me how this place works?" "Of course! Just grab a book, bring it to the desk, and check it out under your name. If you don''t have a membership card, you can buy one for 1 silver. You''ll need one to check the books out if you want to take them home, or you can read it from the shelf. All it needs is your name and address." Although the load of information was surely helpful, Zhou Fan meant the building itself. "No, I mean the building. How can something this large stand?" "Oh. Yes, it is quite amazing, isn''t it? This library is tied for the biggest library in the entire empire. Only the imperial cities library can compare. The mayor spent hundreds of thousands of gold, and after 10 years of construction by the greatest builders and architects in the empire, the library was created." "Wow!" Zhou Fan was amazed at not only the fact that it was tied for biggest library in the empire, but also the fact that it cost hundreds of thousands of gold coins to build. "Exactly how big is this city?" Zhou Fan asked. "Within the city walls, it is 10 miles from one end to the other. It is also the 5th biggest city in the empire." "Thank you for your help," Zhou Fan said. This girl had given him a lot of information after all. "Your welcome." After saying that, the girl walked off, leaving Zhou Fan to explore on his own. After a while of walking around, Zhou Fan saw a board on the ground. It said, ''Library hiring. 2 available positions. The people with the most knowledge will be accepted. Pay is 3 silvers a week.'' "Incredible," Zhou Fan exclaimed. A job that paid 3 silvers a week was surely one of the best jobs in the empire. However, it looks like the requirements are strict. It seemed like the girl from earlier wasn''t just a pretty face. According to the sign, the hiring would happen in 3 weeks. If it was anyone but Zhou Fan, they would have no hope of gaining such a large amount of knowledge in a mere 3 weeks. However, Zhou fans'' enhanced mind wasn''t just for show. Along with the fact that his mind moved faster. His memory was also many times greater than before. He could memorize almost everything he saw or heard! Deciding he wanted this job, Zhou Fan chose to spend all his time for the next 3 weeks studying. Before that ,however, he needed to buy a membership card. And take a bath. Chapter 10: Studying Getting out of the inns bath, Zhou Fan once again looked at his new membership card. It was completely bronze and contained his name and his temporary residence, the inn. Zhou Fan then ''went to bed'' early in preparation for his intense studying. --------------------------------------------- After cultivating through the night, Zhou Fan broke into the 5th level. He could feel his strength, smarts, and foundation go through a 5 times increase. Zhou Fan was now on his way to the library after having breakfast in the inn. Zhou Fan had decided to spend all the time he could ,studying until the hiring. He believed that if he dedicated himself, he would get the position. Even then, Zhou Fan knew it wouldn''t be easy. It was likely that the other people interested in the job had been studying for years. Finally reaching the library, Zhou Fan asked the girl from yesterday where the books related to history were. Although he didn''t know what would be on the test, the empires history was very likely to be the biggest portion. "History books are on the third and fourth floors. They take up both floors entirely, so start wherever you want. The third floor consists of the empires history, while the fourth focuses on the rest of the world." Thanking the girl, Zhou Fan headed up to the third floor. While paying for his card yesterday, Zhou Fan was informed that the basic bronze card allowed him to go up to the 5th floor. He also learned that the silver card cost 1 gold and allowed him up to the tenth floor. The gold card requires a noble title and 1000 gold. It allowed him to go up to the 13th floor. As for the 14th and 15th floor, access cannot be bought with money. Only kings, the emperor, and the owner himself have access to that floor. The stairs to the 3rd floor were short and posed no problem to Zhou Fan. When he arrived at the 3rd floor, he noticed a few people sitting in comfortable chairs and a few perusing the books. Zhou Fan counted 20 total people in the third floor. Since he had no clue where to start, Zhou Fan walked up to the nearest bookshelf and grabbed the first book. It contained information about the geography of the kingdom. In fact, the entire bookshelf did. It took Zhou Fan 10 seconds to read both pages in front of him before flipping. Not only was his reading speed astounding, he had completely memorized the contents of those pages. It took him about 20 minutes to finish reading and completely memorize the first book. Although the speed was incredible, there were 45 books of that size on this bookshelf alone. Taking a glance around, Zhou Fan counted 500 bookshelves. Each of these bookshelves had around 45 books. Quickly estimating, at his current speed, it would take 450,000 minutes to finish all the books on the first floor alone! Even with his incredible reading speed, it would take slightly less than a year to read all of these books. Thinking that far, Zhou Fan didn''t bother staying any longer at the library. He quickly headed home to cultivate. Since his mind increased every time he broke through, the best idea was to constantly cultivate in order to read faster. Zhou Fan estimated that if he broke through into the 7th level of foundation establishment, he would be able to read the same book he read earlier, in less than half a minute. That would reduce the time needed to sweep the 3rd floor clear to an astonishing 7 days. If all the floors were the same size, he could memorize 3 floors of content by the time the hiring started. Zhou Fan made it back to the inn and started cultivating. Due to the fact that he was cultivating day and night, besides meals, he broke through to the 7th level in 3 days. With the increase in power, Zhou Fan felt rejuvinated. Quickly heading to the 3rd floor, Zhou Fan didn''t waste any time. He started reading from where he left off 3 days ago. As expected, it took him less than half a minute to finish and memorize the book. Quickly moving on, Zhou Fan finished the first bookshelf in less than 20 minutes! The same speed it previously took him to read a single book. By this time, the other guests were looking at him like he was crazy. Zhou Fan was picking up a book, flipping through the pages and picking up another book every half minute after all. Adding to the fact that he was a child, some people thought he was here to cause trouble. "Hey boy. If you want to play around, do it somewhere else." Ignoring the random man, Zhou Fan headed to the next bookshelf and picked up another book. Clearly displeased, the man walked over and grabbed the book from Zhou Fans hand. Zhou Fan ,however, had a limited time to read all these books. Therefore, he didn''t even entertain the man before he backhanded him in the chest. Flying across the library, the man landed on his back in disbelief. Due to the fact that Zhou Fan didn''t want to destroy any books, he held back. Even then, the man still felt an intense aching pain in his chest! If one looked closely, they would see a small drop of blood trickling from the mans mouth. Not daring to stay there any longer, the man ran down the stairs and out of the building. After he left, the rest of the people looked at Zhou Fan in disbelief. Unless they were seeing things, a small child just sent a grown man flying backwards with a light tap. If it wasn''t for the other peoples faces, they would have surely thought they were crazy. Zhou Fan, on the other hand, felt a little bad. Although the man was annoying, he din''t need to injure him like that. In fact, the attack was instinctual. Perhaps it was due to his increasing strength, but Zhou Fan felt more and more disdainful towards ordinary people. Of course, this was subconcious. In Zhou Fans mind, he was still human. Just much stronger. Deciding to forget what had happened, Zhou Fan went back to reading. The spectators ,on the other hand, were still wondering if they were hallucinating. Even after 5 minutes ,their brains still couldn''t process what had just happened. In response, many people got up and left with a confused face, while others started reading again, as if they forgot what had just happened. Chapter 11: The Fourth Floor - 11 After 10 hours, Zhou Fan had finished 30 bookshelves. Although he had only completed around 1 sixteenth of the books on the 3rd floor, he was starting to get tired. Even though he could go 3 days without sleep, Zhou Fan had never read this much. In fact, he had never spent 10 straight hours doing anything before today. Zhou Fan quickly made it to the inn where he didn''t even bother to take off his shoes before hopping in bed. --------------------------------------------- The next day, Zhou Fan ate breakfast before immediately heading to the library to study. It wasn''t long before he was standing in front of the huge tower. Wasting no time, he walked in. While heading to the third floor, Zhou Fans ears picked up an interesting piece of information. His empire, also known as the boundless empire, was close to war with another empire , the truth empire. Thanks to yesterdays studying, Zhou Fan had learned that 10 empires made up the worlds greatest powers. Both the boundless empire and the truth empire were ranked in the top 10 empires. This was the reason the news was so big. Another reason this information was so important was that his kingdom, the wishan kingdom, was bordering the truth empire. Thankfully, Lang Yang city was closer to the center of the wishan kingdom. However, due to the fact that the mayor used to be the kings advisor, it was also a prime target for the truth empire. That was also something Zhou Fan had learned through yesterdays studies. The information he had read yesterday was mostly about the empire as a whole and the wishan kingdom. Later bookshelves consisted of other kingdoms information. Although the war piqued Zhou fans'' interest, he didn''t care too much. The war was unlikely to even happen, much less reach Lang Yang city. He continued his way to the third floor after stopping for a moment. When he entered the 3rd floor this time, Zhou Fan noticed that there were much fewer people. The people who were there looked at him with slight fear. Yesterdays ''fight'' seemed to have an impact on them. Zhou Fan hardly spared them a glance before continuing where he left off yesterday. After another 10 hours of reading, Zhou Fan still didn''t feel tired. It wasn''t until another 10 hours that he started to feel fatigued. Putting up his book, Zhou Fan noted that he had finished 60 bookshelves. He was more than 1 fifth done! Heading back to the inn, Zhou Fan paid 1 silver and 50 copper in order to stay at the inn for another 30 days. That should be more than enough time to get his first paycheck. If he got the job, of course. Since Zhou Fan didn''t feel too tired, he cultivated for 5 hours before going to bed. In fact, Zhou Fan had no concept of day or night recently. He stayed up until he was tired, then went to sleep before repeating. This time, he fell asleep at noon. After a 5 hour sleep, Zhou Fan once again headed to the library. He read for 30 hours before he felt tired and headed home. Like this, 7 more days passed. ----------------------------------------- Contrary to Zhou Fans estimate, it took him 9 days to finish the third floor. Although it took longer than he had estimated, Zhou Fans'' reading speed would only become faster from here. On the ninth day of studying, Zhou Fan broke through to the 8th level of foundation establishment. This meant that he could finish a bookshelf in 3 minutes! At his current speed, Zhou Fan could finish an entire floor in less than a day if he didn''t take breaks! After finishing the 3rd floor, Zhou Fan learned an abundance of information. One has to remember that Zhou Fan wasn''t just reading these books. He was memorizing them. Not only could he name every kingdom in the empire, he could name every noble and king. He could also name their children, relatives, and even their last 5 generations. If the knowledge was deemed important enough to be saved, it was in the library. More specifically, it was on the third floor. Zhou Fan could also name every noble, nobles relative, and nobles ancestor in alphabetical order. Interestingly enough, the first on that list would be the house of count Aaabel. It was weirdly spelled with three A''s. Following closely behind was the house of count Aaaron. Also weirdly spelled with 3 A''s. Zhou Fan felt that even if he had a battle of knowledge with the last 5 imperial scholars combined, he wouldn''t lose out. Only in the history of the boundless empire, however. Throughout the last 9 days, he, of course, was weirdly stared at while flipping through books. Even then, nobody was brave enough to tell him to stop. Zhou Fan decided that his next floor would be floor 4. That floor contained the history of the entire world. Although the information was unlikely to be as detailed as the information on the boundless empire, it had a lot more information than the third floor overall. When he arrived on the fourth floor, Zhou Fan instantly counted 1000 bookshelves. That was twice as much as the third floor! Even though the space was much less, it was still plenty. Looking at the first bookshelf, Zhou Fan didn''t waste any time before he started reading. It took less than three minutes to finish the first bookshelf before he headed on to the next. All of a sudden, Zhou Fan bumped into someone. Due to Zhou Fan powerful body, the man was sent flying with a broken arm. Luckily, he didn''t destroy any books. The fine and penalty for that was no joke. Although Zhou Fan was confident that even the entire kigdoms forces couldn''t keep him imprisoned, he still didn''t want to be labled a criminal. When the man turned over, Zhou Fan recognized the familiar face. it was the man he had hit a week ago. Zhou Fan was about to apologize and help the man up when the man saw his face. Getting up immediately, the man sped off as fast as he could. Zhou Fan simply shrugged before continuing to read. Chapter 12: The 2nd Floor - 12 The 4th floor contained a lot more information than the 3rd floor. It took Zhou Fan 2 days to finish it even with his new reading speed. The most information was on the 10 biggest empires. The boundless empire ranked 5th in the world. The truth empire was ranked 4th. However, even though the truth empire ranked higher, its overall combat strength was not much more than the boundless empire. In fact, except for the first-ranked empire, the top 10 empires were fairly equal. The first-ranked empire, however, was on a different level. The first-ranked empire, also known as the empire of mortaniel, was twice as strong as the other empires. Even if the 2nd and 3rd ranked empires were to combine their strength, they would at best be on par with the empire of mortaniel. Luckily for the entire world, the empire of mortaniel was a peaceful empire. Their main focus wasn''t even battle! Instead, they focused more on knowledge in general. When going to war with the mortaniel empire, the most fearsome thing wasn''t the amount of soldiers, but their strategies and weapons. Each kingdom in the mortaniel empire was said to have a library the size of the Lang Yang city library. They alone ushered in a new era of literature and science. Now that Zhou Fan was done with the 3rd and 4th floor, he went to the inn and went to sleep. When he woke up again he did not take an off day. Instead, he headed straight to the 2nd floor of the library. After asking around yesterday, he knew that the 2nd floor contained knowledge of literature and science while the 5th floor contained the research of science. As for the ground floor, it contained biographies and life experiences of many of the world''s most influential people. When he arrived at the 2nd floor, he counted 450 bookshelves. This time, the floor was split into two sides, or categories. Fiction and non-fiction. They equally took up half of the available space on the floor. Another thing worth noticing was the round table in the middle of the floor. There were a couple people there, arguing about who knows what. They were whispering and Zhou Fan didn''t understand half of the words they were using. Soon, Zhou Fan tuned them out and headed to the non-fiction section. After all, he was here to study for a job. It took 15 hours to read the non-fiction section due to the fact that the books were much larger than before. Of course, throughout this time many people cast weird stares at him. After about 5 minutes, most people just tuned him out and went on with their reading. After finishing the non-fiction side, Zhou Fan headed over to the fiction side. It only took 10 hours to finish that side. Zhou Fan was actually looking forward to the fiction side. He was hoping that it contained some theoretical information on Qi. Alas, not to mention Qi, there wasn''t even mention of a magical energy in the world. Most of the fiction side was fantasies of taking over the world or a kingdom. Even more involved marrying a pretty girl. At some point, it was hard for Zhou Fan to continue reading them. They were mostly about the same two ideas. Zhou Fan had no more interest in another round of reading those fantasy books. While walking out of the library, Zhou Fan noticed that there were much more people at the round table than before. In fact, out of the 150 seats, only 8 were unoccupied. Now that Zhou Fan had read every book on this floor, he was able to understand what they were saying. "It is clear to any intelligent person that wuksen was arguing for peace through war. It would have only caused more harm in the end." "Nonsense! He was arguing that killing the few would have saved the many. If not for those assassins, he would have brought world peace." After listening for a while, Zhou Fan recognized what they were arguing about. In the non-fiction section of the library, there was an entire bookshelf dedicated to one man. Agregot wuksen. Perhaps the most influential writer in the world''s history. He was alive in the biggest war throughout the world''s history, the war for peace. Although it sounds honorable, there was no clear good guy or bad guy. Although they both agreed on war for peace, many disagreed with the idea. Agregot wuksen was the biggest spokesperson for ending the war. He was so influential that the war was almost ended by him alone. However, once he came to power, he immediately sent out an army of a million. Neither of the alliances were expecting the man who was the biggest advocate for peace to send an army. Therefore, the two biggest empires at the time, the rising sun empire and the falling moon empire, were destroyed. If it wasn''t for the assassins, who knows what would have happened. In his last book, Agregot wuksen wrote, " I ended the war in one fell swoop. That one action will bring peace to all who live." Many, however, viewed wuksen as a hypocrite and were close to banding together in order to kill him before the assassins ended his life. Zhou Fan actually agreed with wuksens actions. Every year that the war raged on, millions died. It was estimated that half of the world population was culled during the war. If it wasn''t for wuksens attack, perhaps millions more would have died. Many others believe that even if he didn''t attack, the war would have stopped with his words. It was after that war that the empire of mortaniel took over. Some say that his inspiration formed the empire itself. Walking past the arguing group, Zhou Fan had no more interest in their discussion. Unless time rewinded, no one will know what could have happened. All the knowledge and opinions were purely theoretical. Chapter 13: The Peak of Foundation Establishment - 13 Although their discussion itself didn''t interest Zhou Fan, their topic did. Agregot wuksen. He is considered one of the greatest men who ever lived. Since the entire 1st floor has biographies, there should be one on him. The 2nd floor mostly talked about his works or achievements. Zhou Fan, however, wanted to learn about the man himself. It wasn''t long before he found his book. It was the biggest book he had seen since he started reading in the library. Even still, it only took 30 seconds to finish. After Zhou Fan read it, he understood more about him. The information, however, seemed limited. It was likely that there was more information on the higher floors. It seemed Zhou Fan had to give up for now. Since he was already there, Zhou Fan read through the entire ground floor. It was about the same size as the 3rd floor. Therefore, it took around a day to finish. There wasn''t much important information in any of the books. Most of the people were already mentioned on the 3rd and 4th floors. Although it went a little more in depth, there wasn''t anyone so important that Zhou Fan was interested. With his current access, Zhou Fan only had one more floor available. The 5th floor. Walking up to the 5th floor, Zhou Fan heard a loud noise. Not quite loud enough to cause a jump in shock, but so loud that it shouldn''t be in a library. When Zhou Fan reached the 5th floor, he immediately noticed broken glass on the floor. It seemed someone had knocked it over. Looking up, Zhou Fan finally took in the entire 5th floor. Instead of a library, it looked more like a lab. The outside walls were covered with bookshelves, while the rest of the floor was a lab. Although he had never seen a lab himself, he knew what it was from Old Man Yangs stories. That old man turned out to be so helpful. There was nothing advanced, but the floor and tables were covered in papers, while around 20 old men scrambled from one place to another. This place was intense! Deciding to temporarily ignore the mess going on in the middle, Zhou Fan scanned the bookshelves on the walls. There were about 100. Not wasting any time, Zhou Fan quickly finished up all the books. He quickly came to realize that most of them were research papers. Others seemed to fit more on the 2nd floor. Not bothering the old men, Zhou Fan left the library. Even though they were rushing around like chickens without a head, nothing important or interesting was going on. They were just researching. Zhou Fan had now finished all the floors he could access. Surprisingly, he still had 12 days left. For the duration of those 12 days, Zhou Fan decided to focus on cultivation. After all, there was nothing more he could do to prepare. Although there were more floors, he didn''t have enough money to access them. The next 5 floors cost 1 gold. Zhou Fan didn''t even have 10 silver. Zhou Fan quickly made it to the inn and went upstairs. Since it was already night, Zhou Fan started cultivating. After 8 hours, the sun came up, and Zhou Fan headed downstairs for breakfast. After breakfast, Zhou Fan headed back to his room. There was nothing else left to do in the city until he got the job. Zhou Fan spent another 12 hours cultivating before heading down for dinner. After dinner, he headed back upstairs. ---------------------------------------- Zhou Fan repeated his actions the next day until he broke through. Even then, Zhou Fan didn''t stop. 3 days later, Zhou Fan broke into the 10th level of Foundation Establishment. Zhou Fan immediately felt a big difference. His foundation felt like it was trying to bend. Like it was trying to mold into something new. After breaking through to the 10th level, Zhou Fans'' foundation increased by 10 times. With all the other strengthenings, Zhou Fans foundation contained an unfathomable amount of power. Zhou Fan had a feeling that if he used his entire strength, he would be able to level the entire inn and even the whole block. Of course, Zhou Fan didn''t test it out. Not only was it morally wrong, it would make him enemy number 1. Even with his current strength, Zhou Fan wasn''t confident in taking on the wishan kingdoms army. If the empire got involved, his ending could be imagined. When cultivating, Zhou Fan was both absorbing Qi and molding his foundation. The surrounding Qi acted as a nourishment that helped the foundation mold and grow. In fact, it could hardly be described as molding the foundation. It was more accurate to say he was forcefully bending it. It was like picking up a flat rock and trying to crush it with your hands. Even so, it felt natural. Like it was the correct thing to do. The foundation wasn''t actively resisting the bending. It was just naturally so strong that it couldn''t be easily bent. Of course, there were other factors involved, but Zhou Fan found his vocabulary inadequite. In order to describe it, Zhou Fan would have to make up at least 10 new words. This process continued for 6 days. Only then did Zhou Fan take a step out of his room. The hiring was tomorrow, after all. Even though Zhou Fan wanted to continue cultivating, he couldn''t miss the job. Before Zhou Fan came out, he felt that he was 70% done with the molding of his foundation. At this point, he could tell that it was molding into a sphere. Although his foundation felt huge, the sphere seemed to be able to fit in the palm of his hand. Of course, the sphere, like the foundation, wasn''t tangible. While it felt like it was inside him, he couldn''t physically take it out. Therefore, it was hard to make an accurate judgment on its size. Thinking about it, Zhou Fan felt terrified at the possibility that it could fit in the palm of his hand. His foundation had felt like an unending ocean by the time it reached the 10th level. If it was possible to compress it to the size of his palm, the sphere would contain an ungodly amount of power! All his thoughts halted ,however, when he heard his stomach growl intensely. Zhou Fan quickly ran downstairs to eat some food. Chapter 14: The Hiring - 14 After eating, Zhou Fan headed upstairs to take a long rest in preparation for the hiring tomorrow. When the sunlight fell on him through the window, Zhou Fan woke up. He headed down to have breakfast before leaving the inn. It wasn''t long before Zhou Fan reached the library. Going inside, he walked up to an attendant and asked where he should go. "Go up to the 5th floor and find a seat. The hiring process will begin in 2 hours." "Thank you." When Zhou Fan made it to the 5th floor, it was nearly empty. Contrary to the last time he was here, there were no scientists. Instead, there were 4 people sitting in chairs lined up on the floor. Of the four, 3 were old men, and the other was a middle-aged man. When he walked in, the four of them glanced at him at the same time. When they saw his appearance, they were surprised. Although he had begun to look older, Zhou Fan still didn''t seem a day over 15. In fact, he only started looking like this after reaching the 10th stage of foundation establishment. He could literally feel himself aging while he was compressing his foundation. At first, Zhou Fan was terrified. However, he felt no threat to him. Instead, it felt as though the Qi was helping him. After pondering for a while, Zhou Fan had come to the conclusion that his 10-year-old body was holding him back. He estimated that by the time he finished compressing his foundation, his appearance would change to that of an 18-year-old. Bringing himself away from his thoughts, Zhou Fan noticed that the 4 men didn''t pay any more attention to him. Although a 15-year-old registering for an elite job was weird, it wasn''t the first time it had happened. Of course, the four men had no way to tell that he was only 10. Zhou Fan walked to a seat in the front row and sat down. Since he had two hours to wait, Zhou Fan closed his eyes and started cultivating. Thinking about it, this was the first time Zhou Fan had ever cultivated in front of anyone. After a while, Zhou Fan opened his eyes to see if anyone was showing a reaction. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Zhou Fan turned back around and continued to cultivate. Even after cultivating for two hours, Zhou Fan didn''t feel any noticeable difference. Maybe it was 3% more complete at most. A loud bell suddenly brought everyone to attention. Standing on the table was three old men. They all had grey hair and long beards. "Attention candidates! The hiring will now begin." After saying that, 5 attendants came up with a stack of papers. They started handing them out to everyone along with a pencil. "You will have an hour to finish this test. As long as you get half right, you will move on to the next round of testing." Although Zhou Fan felt that 50% was rather low, he didn''t waste any time before starting the test. The test had 100 questions, and all of them were open-ended. Zhou Fan quickly sped through the test until the 78th question when he finally saw something he didn''t know. Clearly, it wasn''t information that was accesible on the first through the fifth floor. Zhou Fan wrote some random nonsense on the off chance he was right and continued on. Besides the 85th, 91st, and the 99th question, Zhou Fan knew the rest of the answers. Although he had finished in 5 minutes, Zhou Fan waited until 50 minutes had gone by before handing in his test. Even then, he was the first to do so. The head examiner nodded his head while taking the test from Zhou Fans hands. "I hope you turned it in early because you''re finished and not because you gave up." Nodding back at the man, Zhou Fan headed back to his seat and waited until the remaining time was up. The examiners collected the test and said that they would be done grading them in 3 hours. Since he had time, Zhou Fan left the library and found a random stall. He bought a good smelling bun and ate it before he went back to the library. Even with his lunch break, he still had to wait 2 hours before the examiners came back. Of the 25 people taking the test, only 5 passed. Zhou Fan, two of the three old men he saw earlier, the middle-aged man he saw, and a woman that looked around 35. "Follow me," beckoned the head examiner before leading us upstairs. On the way, he mentioned that the highest score was a 96. Although he didn''t say it, it was naturally Zhou Fans. After a few staircases, they arrived at the 8th floor. The 8th floor looked just like the 5th floor. The only difference was that the lab was bigger and seemed more advanced. Instead of an empty lab, Zhou Fan and the others were greeted with the sight of three people on a higher surface. It was like a judges booth. The lady in the middle glanced at them before saying instructions. "Each of us will take turns asking each of you questions. Our questions will only consist of information on the 1st - 5th floors. If you answer incorrectly, you will be removed. We will continue asking questions until there are only two of you left. Any questions?" No one said anything. They then sat in one of the 5 chairs before them. "All right. You in chair number one, this is your question. What is the name of the founder of the wishan kingdom?" "Ling Yangchen" "Correct" The lady continued like that until she got to chair number 4. Chair number 4 was Zhou Fans chair. "What is the name of the author of the book - The Rising Emperor -?" "Jang Hong" "Correct" Zhou Fan and the rest continued in this fashion for 5 more rounds before the first person was kicked out. " Who is the author of - The Black Chairiot-" "Wang Yuan?" The middle-aged man said unconfidently. "Incorrect" The man was then escorted out by the head examiner. When the man failed, the others started getting nervous. Zhou Fan, on the other hand, wasn''t. Since the questions were based on the first 5 floors, Zhou Fan had absolute confidence that he would win. Chapter 15: New Job - 15 The examiner continued asking questions after the first man was removed. After he lost, the questions seemed to get harder. Of course, Zhou Fan still had no problem getting through. It wasn''t too much longer until the next person lost. It was the middle-aged lady. With three people remaining, the tension was high. Finally, the middle-aged man lost. "Who was the 4th emperor of the truth empire?" "Bing Yonshun?" "Incorrect. Please take your leave." With his loss, only Zhou Fan and one of the old men were left. "Congratulations. You two have passed. Please tell us your names" The old man went first, "My name is metor emphilios." ''Sounds like royalty'', Zhou Fan thought to himself. "My name is Zhou Fan." "It is a pleasure to meet you two. Please follow me, and I will lead you two to the registration." Both Zhou Fan and the old man immediately got up and followed her downstairs. While walking, the lady started talking to Zhou Fan. "It''s not very often that someone your age gets hired here. How old are you?" "17," said Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan had chosen 17 because once his foundation finishes molding, he estimated he would look 18. "Really? You look quite young" "I didn''t have time to fix my hair this morning," Zhou Fan said, lying through his teeth. Zhou Fans hair was 2 inches long. He didn''t even have the ability to fix up his hair. Speaking of Zhou Fans hair, something weird had been going on. As his body was rapidly growing older, his hair showed signs of turning grey. Initially, Zhou Fan thought that it was a side effect of his rapid aging. However, when he realized that his hair wasn''t growing longer, Zhou Fan decided that it was unlikely. Instead, Zhou Fan came to the conclusion that it was a result of cultivation. He came to such a conclusion after noticing that his hair was the same shade of grey as Qi itself. Perhaps cultivation isn''t free from side effects? In the midst of his thoughts, Zhou Fan and the other two reached the first floor. Zhou Fan decided to think about cultivation later. They quickly reached the front desk. The lady pulled out a key and inserted it into the door next to it. Stepping inside, Zhou Fan saw a big room. The walls were white, and there were a few other people sitting in chairs around a circular table. The lady who led them to the room turned around and started talking to Zhou Fan and the old man, "Come over here and sign this contract. After signing it, you will receive an advance pay of 10 silver and a silver library card that will grant you access to the 5th - 10th floors." After hearing that he would be able to get a silver card as a signing bonus, Zhou Fan was excited. A silver card cost 1 gold. Even if Zhou Fan saved up every silver he earned at this job, it would take more than half a year to obtain a gold coin. "You should have saw on the sign that you will be paid 3 silver a week. What the sign didn''t say was that based on your contributions to the library, you can gain even more." "How do you contribute to the library?"the old man asked. "You can contribute by either writing books or outstanding performance." Zhou Fan was glad to hear that. Even though 3 silver a week was more than enough to live off of, he would prefer to be richer. Zhou Fan was also interested in writing a book. Although he had no idea what he would write, he could figure that out another day. After reading through the contract and making sure he wasn''t being scammed, Zhou Fan signed it. "All right. Both of you will start next week. Although there is no dress code, please wear something nice." Hearing that, Zhou Fan decided to head to the clothing store and buy something nice with his 10 silver. He didn''t plan to spend it all ,however. Zhou Fan also needed to move out of the inn. Although it was fairly clean and came with breakfast, Zhou Fan preferred privacy. There wasn''t much of that when you could hear through the thin walls. Zhou Fan left the library and made his way to the inn. Zhou Fan hadn''t brought much to the city besides his sword and horse. Remembering the horse, Zhou Fan decided to sell it. He had no plans to venture out of the city for a while, and even if he did, he was much faster than the horse. After asking the patrons of the inn, Zhou Fan found someone willing to buy it for 50 copper. A reasonable price. Zhou Fan chose to keep the sword. It was quite good at wide range attacks after all. After eating dinner at the inn, Zhou Fan started walking to the Lang Yang clothing shop in order to buy some work clothes. When he walked in, he saw the same lady he saw last time. "Hello, how can I help you?" the shopping attendant asked. "Hello, I would like to buy some nice looking work clothes. Something around 5 silver." "Okay, please follow me" Zhou Fan and the attendant soon came to a good-looking section of the shop. "These are all fine noble clothes. Their prices range from 3 silver to 1 gold." Zhou Fan scanned the clothes and quickly found some nice looking blue clothes. 2 of them would cost 6 silver. Although above his initial limit, Zhou Fan decided that it was worth it. The buying process was quick and easy. It wasn''t long before he was back at the inn. After putting his clothes up, Zhou Fan headed out to look for a house for sale. Although he didn''t come across any, he did stumble upon a real estate agency. When he walked in, he noticed five other people were there, forming a line. At the front was a lady behind a desk. Zhou Fan walked to the back of the line and waited his turn. Chapter 16: A Courtyard - 16 It wasn''t long before Zhou Fan made it to the front of the line. "Hello, my name is Fui Rong, how can i help you?" The lady said. "Hello Ms.Fui, I''d like to rent a house." Since Zhou Fan didn''t have much money, he decided to rent a house instead of buying one. "What is your monthly budget?" Fui Rong said while pulling out a 3 inch notebook. "Are there any nice houses under 10 silver a month?" "There are plenty of houses for that price. Do you have any preferences?" "Are there any courtyards for that amount?" Zhou Fan wanted a courtyard because it would not only be more private, but it would also have a walled yard. Hearing Zhou Fans question, Fui Rong had a troubled look on her face. "There aren''t any courtyards for that price, sir. In fact, there are very few courtyards in the entire city." Although Zhou Fan knew that courtyards weren''t very popular in the wishan kingdom, he was quite surprised to hear that there were very few in the entire city. "Can I ask why?" "Of course. Two years ago, the crown prince of the boundless empire declared that courtyards were old and unfit for an advancing empire. Ever since then, many courtyards were demolished and manors rebuilt on them." Zhou Fan was awed that the words of the crown prince were so influential. Of course, his influence was limited to the boundless empire. In other empires, courtyards were still very popular. Especially in the number 1 empire, the empire of mortaniel. There, courtyards were seen as the sign of a scholar. In fact, every other empire still used courtyards. The crown princes statement had no reasoning behind it and could be considered the cries of a child for attention. "Actually, there is one courtyard for sale." Fui Rong suddenly said. "However, it has been abandoned for the last 30 years. A rumor has spread around that all the previous owners have been murdered in the house." Zhou Fan was shocked hearing Fui Rongs words. "How much is it?" "Are you interested? Actually, I wouldn''t recommend it. Many people have investigated the rumors and it has turned out to be true. All the previous owners were killed in their sleep." Hearing this, Zhou Fan was even more shocked. What are the odds that every single owner died in the house. Even so, Zhou Fan was confident that no single thing in this world could harm him. Although it would be a different story if an entire army were to besiege him, it was very unlikely that it would ever happen. "I''m still interested. How much is the house?" Zhou Fan asked. "Well, there isn''t a price on it since no one has dared to buy it. I can ask my manager, however." "Please do." After that, Fui Rong walked into the back of the shop for a while. When she came out, a fat middle aged man was following. "Hello sir, I am the manager of this store. I heard you''re interested in renting the abandoned courtyard?" "Indeed. Do you have a price for me?" "I think that 3 silver a month will do due to its current circumstances. However, we''ll need 3 months down payment." Pulling out 9 silver, Zhou Fan handed it to the manager. 9 silver was basically the rest of Zhou Fans money. It seemed that he would have to use the rest of his time at the inn to eat. The manager went to the back and grabbed a key before handing it to Zhou Fan. "Keep in mind, you will likely die in the courtyard. Are you sure you wish to rent it?" Thanking the manager for his last attempt at persuading him, Zhou Fan grabbed the key and walked to the courtyard. Before he had left, he had asked the manager the location of the courtyard. It was on the edge of the city and was 5 miles away from the library that stood in the center of the city. To other people, that was more than an hour of walking. To Zhou Fan however, it was a minute jog. If he ran, he could make it in 30 seconds. That''s 1 mile in 6 seconds! The only concerns that Zhou Fan had were that he could run into other people, or even buildings. Although his perception and reaction time are just as incredible as his speed, he wasn''t absolutely confident in stopping before he hit someone. If he were to run into someone at full speed, they wouldn''t even know how they died. If he were to run into a building at his full speed, the building might instantly collapse. Even if it was made of steel. In fact, even if he ran into a 5 foot tall cube of pure steel, he was confident that the cube would receive more damage than him. Zhou Fan soon made it to the courtyard. Looking from afar, he could see that the red paint on the walls was peeling away. The double door made from wood looked soggy and old. Zhou Fan ,however, had expected this much after hearing how long it had been abandoned. Putting the key into the lock and turning, Zhou Fan opened the old doors. When he looked inside, he saw that the grass was taller than him. Luckily, he had brought his sword with him. Pulling the sword out , Zhou Fan bended his knees and added a miniscule amount of Qi to his blade. He then swiped out with his sword and a gray crescent appeared. Quickly, the grass was cut to 2 inches tall. Zhou Fan had ,however, underestimated how much power that little amount of Qi held. After cutting the grass, the Qi continued until it hit some slightly higher dirt. The dirt exploded and the Qi dissipated. Now that the grass had been cut, Zhou Fan could see the house part of the courtyard. The house section took up half of the courtyard while the yard took up the other half. Although neither the yard nor the house could be called large, Zhou Fan felt that it was enough for him. Chapter 17: Breakthrough - 17 Zhou Fan walked over to the inside section and pulled the doors open. Looking inside, he saw a bed, a table, a broom, and a chair. Everything was covered with dust. After briefly considering using Qi to blow the dust away, Zhou Fan shook his head. Although it may be faster, there was a chance of destroying the few items in the courtyard, and even the courtyard itself. Instead, Zhou Fan went to the corner and grabbed the broom. He swept the broom with the strength of the average man. While sweeping, Zhou Fan thought about the current state of the courtyard. It was literally falling apart. It needed repairs and maybe even an expansion later on. He also needed to fix up the yard more. The concrete walls were covered with vines and the outside of the courtyard was like a jungle. While lost in his thoughts, Zhou Fan finished sweeping the house. He had also swiped the dust off of the furniture. Surprisingly, the bed was quite nice. Although he would need to wash the sheets, the wood it was built out of was holding up well. It wasn''t moldy or rotting. Zhou Fan grabbed the sheets before leaving the courtyard. He headed straight to the inn and reached it in 2 minutes. Zhou Fan walked up to the lady who ran it and asked if they could wash the sheets. "Yes. It will cost 2 copper, however." Nodding at the price, Zhou Fan pulled out 2 copper before handing it and the sheets to the lady. Zhou Fan then walked upstairs and grabbed his few belongings before walking back to the courtyard. Although he still had a week at the inn, he prefered to live in the courtyard. He quickly made it back to the courtyard and sat his things down. Once again, Zhou Fan left the courtyard and walked around the city. Before long, he had purchased a lamp, a shovel, a paint brush, and a bucket of red paint. He had also gone back to the inn and grabbed his newly clean sheets. When Zhou Fan made it back to the courtyard, it was already getting dark. He reckoned it was around 8 pm. He put the sheets on the bed and lit the lantern with one of the matches it came with. Now that there was light in the courtyard, Zhou Fan opened the paint can and started to paint the walls. He painted the entire outside of the house, and by the time he was done, it was 10 pm. Calling it a night, Zhou Fan went inside and sat on his bed. He decided to spend most of his time cultivating for the next few days. At least until he broke through to the next realm. Since he had nothing else to do, Zhou Fan spent the next 3 days cultivating. The only times he wasn''t cultivating was when he was eating at the inn. -------------------------------------- On the third day of cultivating, Zhou Fan was heavily paying attention to his inside space. The sphere that has been forming was nearly finished. It was at 99.9% completion and could be finished at any moment. The next minute , it completely formed. The moment it formed, all the Qi in the surrounding area poured towards it. The strands of Qi were laying onto it and making it glow. After around 5 minutes, the grey glow had reached a blinding intensity. All of a sudden, the last Qi laid onto the sphere. The bright glow instantly receded and it looked as if the sphere only had a light glow of grey light covering it. When Zhou Fan opened his eyes, he was floating above the bed! Zhou Fan quickly panicked and fell face first onto the ground. When he stood up, excitement was visible on his face. He could fly! Who wouldn''t be excited. Zhou Fan ran outside and tried to fly once again. However, even after 20 minutes, he was unsuccessful. After giving up for now, Zhou Fan focused on the sphere. It was gray in color and currently had no glow. When Zhou Fan focused his mind on it, he felt a load of information pass through his brain. After it passed, Zhou Fan understood what the use of this sphere was. In fact, it was more accurate to call it a core. Zhou Fan had learned that the core was a condensation of all his previous Qi. Although it didn''t hold control over his Qi, it had many uses. Firstly, he could ignore some of the laws of physics with it. The best part was, it barely needed any Qi. Secondly, his Qi was now completely condensed and even the Qi he absorbed from the surroundings would be denser. Finally, he could change the attributes of his Qi! This finding astonished Zhou Fan more than the other two. Deciding to test it, he held out his hand and tried to form a flame. Soon after, a flame formed on his hand! Zhou Fan shaped it into a ball and threw it into the sky. It zoomed up at an incredible speed before it exploded in the sky, sending a shockwave out. The loud boom caused the city to fall into a panic. Of course, Zhou Fan wouldn''t realize that until later. Zhou Fan then tried with everything he could think of. Earth, water, air, metal, and even wood. Then Zhou Fan had an idea that even scared himself. Pushing his palm out, Zhou Fan tried to imagine a lightning bolt shooting out of his hand. BOOOM!! The lightning bolt shot out at a speed that even Zhou Fan couldn''t react to and collided with his walls. The bolt penetrated through the wall and continued on. It didn''t stop until it ran into a couple of trees and sent them exploding into the air. While Zhou Fan was astonished, he inwardly compared the strength of the lightning to the strength of the fireball. While the lightning bolt was clearly much stronger than the fireball, it was nearly impossible to control. It also took up much more of Zhou Fans energy. Luckily, Zhou Fan had been holding back quite a lot. Otherwise, who knew how much damage it would cause. Zhou Fan then flew into the air which was much easier after he realized how it worked. Zhou Fan soared into the air, instantly breaking the sound barrier and sending another boom throughout the city. Zhou Fan played around in the air for an hour before an idea suddenly struck him. Since he could turn his Qi into other elements by removing other parts, what if he shot out the attribute of his pure Qi. Zhou Fan had a nagging feeling that his core wasn''t only able to shoot out elements. While in the air, Zhou Fan put his hand out and aimed it at the random forest below. He had long flew out of the city into and unknown direction. Instead of manipulating his Qi to turn into something else, Zhou Fan urged out the pure grey energy contained in his body. Zhou Fan quickly succeeded and a formless gray energy appeared on his palm. He had used the same amount of energy in this as he had used while trying out the other elements. When Zhou Fan urged it to shoot into the forest below, it instantly disappeared from his palm. Zhou Fan couldn''t even react before an explosion sent him flying into the ground. He hit the ground at such a high speed that he spit out blood! Zhou Fan body after breaking into this realm was 1000 times harder than steel. Even then, he was injured by his own attack. Chapter 18: Snakes - 18 Chapter 18 - Snakes - 18 When Zhou Fan could stand up, he noticed that all the trees around him were gone. Looking in the middle of the site of the explosion, he noticed a grey energy was eating the surroundings. Zhou Fan observed it for a while before he realized that it was leaving nothing behind. He was terrified and instinctually willed it to stop. Only then did the grey Qi stop moving. Zhou Fan willed it towards him and the Qi flew into his body. Only then did Zhou Fan have time to pay attention to the surrounding devastation. In the middle, there was a pit 60 feet deep. If someone didn''t know better, they would have thought a meteor had fallen onto the area. The entire surroundings were absolute chaos! In fact, since Zhou Fan didn''t know of a name for his innate Qi, he decided to call it chaos Qi. Naturally, he named it after what it caused. Since he had no more reason to stay there, Zhou Fan flew into the air and tried to remember which direction he came from. Luckily, he had memorized all those books and knew the geography around here. It didn''t take long before Zhou Fan made it back to the courtyard. He went inside and sat on his bed while thinking about his breakthrough. After consideration, he decided to come up with a name for this realm after he knew what it did. For example, in the first realm, he was gathering Qi. Hence, Qi gathering. In the second realm, he was establishing a foundation. Hence, foundation establishment. Based on that notion, Zhou Fan decided to cultivate for a while before naming this realm. Zhou Fan then got into position and started cultivating. As he was cultivating, he came to the conclusion that it was the same as usual. The only difference was that it was his core that was growing instead of his foundation. After thinking, Zhou Fan decided to name this realm ''Core Formation''. He named it that due to the fact that his core was growing when he cultivated. He had almost considered naming it ''core establishment'', but felt that it was to repetitive. Of course, ''core growing'' was also considered before being immediately shot down. While cultivating, Zhou Fan had completely forgot what Fui Rong had told him. At around 3 am, Zhou Fan heard a slight shattering sound and his eyes shot open. When he looked down, he saw a rainbow colored snake squirming on the ground. Although he had almost instinctively crushed it, Zhou Fan managed to stop himself after remembering what happened last time he dealt with a snake. Instead, Zhou Fan floated in the air above it horizontally. While looking down below, his incredible eyesight spotted the source of the shattering noise. Zhou Fan saw that the snakes fangs were cracked and destroyed. The rest of its fangs were in a pile on the bed. Zhou Fan instantly came up with a hypothesis. It was very likely that the snake tried to bite him while he was cultivating. Due to the fact that his body was already harder than diamonds, the snakes fangs broke off, sending it into a spiral of pain. Zhou Fan decided to observe it further and covered it in Qi before making it float towards him. This was also a nice trick that he learned along with flying. Even after poking and probing the snake, Zhou Fan couldn''t recognize it. The fact that Zhou Fan couldn''t recognize it meant that it was likely a new species. After all, he had memorized all of the known snakes in the world. Of course, there was also a chance that it just wasn''t on the first five floors. since he had no idea about it, Zhou Fan used some wood Qi and formed a cage around the snake. He also put a door on the cage. Although creating something took a lot of energy and was temporary, Zhou Fan didn''t mind. Zhou Fan had decided to take it to the 8th floor and study it. He would also get the help of some of the researchers there. They would surely be interested in a possibly unknown species. Zhou Fan was also curious as to where the snake had come from. Zhou Fan sat outside and fully activated his senses. Normally, Zhou Fan didn''t have his senses at 100%. After all, with his current eyesight, he would be able to see all the dirt on someone''s skin and even their pores. Zhou Fan never wanted to experience that kind of thing. However, he had no problem activating his senses if it was necessary. Even if it was disgusting, Zhou Fan had already partly disconnected with the human species. Luckily, his pores and skin were clean and pristine after he had gotten rid of his impurities. With his hearing expanded, it wasn''t long before Zhou Fan heard sounds of hissing underground. Zhou Fan stood up and followed the sound to the back of his house. When he arrived, he saw a hole hidden under a bunch of leaves and branches. After he cleared it off, Zhou Fan tried to look down it. The hole, however, was the size of a wheel and was pitch black. Zhou Fan created a flame and sent it down the hole. At first, the tunnel just continued on and on. After about 100 feet, Zhou Fan the hole suddenly widden. When the flame reached into the widened part, he saw a scene that sent shivers down his spine. At the bottom of the hole, there were hundreds of snakes. And that was just what he could see from his point of view. Zhou Fan couldn''t be considered scared of snakes, but anyone would feel some fear after seeing such a sight. Even then, Zhou Fans curiosity got the best of him. He decided to jump into the hole and investigate the huge cave down there. Luckily, it looked like his body could fit. He may have to squeeze a little bit. Chapter 19: Dragon - 19 Chapter 19 - Dragon - 19 Zhou Fan decided to fly down instead of fall. Although the was confident his body could take it, he wasn''t sure the cave would. His body already weighed multiple tons. If not for the fact that he could remove part of his weight, he would destroy the ground every step he took. It wasn''t too long before Zhou Fan reached the entrance to the bottom of the cave. Lighting a fire on his finger, he descended into the heavy darkness. When he could finally, see, Zhou Fan realized that the entire cave wall was covered in snakes! There were at least 10 thousand snakes in the small cave. Not to mention, there were other paths that also seemed to be covered in snakes. Zhou Fan was grossed out and didn''t dare touch the floors. He remained hovering in the air, the only place not infested with snakes. Luckily, it seemed that the snakes were ignoring him. Otherwise, Zhou Fan would be exhausted to death before he could kill all these snakes. There were two paths leading from the circular cave. One to the left and one to the right. Since they looked the same, Zhou Fan randomly chose the right path. The path was circular and every bit of it was covered in snakes. Zhou Fan continued on for what seemed like an hour before he reached another circular area. Although the path was quite long, it only took Zhou Fan that long because he was flying at the speed of an average humans walk. Throughout the tunnel, Zhou Fan had twisted and turned and even gone down at some points. He estimated he was about 1500 feet deep at this point. At the new area, the ground was filled with water. The water looked around 20 feet deep and was filled to the brim with snakes. At this point, Zhou Fan was wondering how these snakes didn''t starve to death. It wasn''t long before his question was answered when he saw a group of snakes eating another group of snakes. It seemed that the snakes were in a constant state of killing each other for food. Zhou Fan didn''t stay long at the water area before leaving in another path. He continued down the tunnel filled with lefts, rights, downs, and snakes. Zhou Fan continued on for 2 hours before he saw some light at the end of the tunnel. At this point, Zhou Fan believed that he was more than a mile underground. He sped up and reached the end of the tunnel fairly quick. When he exited the tunnel, Zhou Fan saw an incredible sight. In front of him, a gigantic cave stretched on farther than his eyes could reach. It was multiple miles wide and almost a mile in height. In the middle, a giant, blue crystal gave off the light he had seen earlier. There were no snakes here. Almost as if they weren''t allowed to enter. Zhou Fan flew to the crystal in the middle at a casual, yet incredible speed. When he reached it, he put his hand on it to sense it. The crystal was cool to the touch and to Zhou Fans surprise, didn''t contain Qi. Zhou Fan was almost certain that something like this would contain some Qi, but it contained none. Zhou Fan flew down to the ground below the crystal before his feet finally touched the ground. The moment they did, Zhou Fan heard a loud roar! ROOAAAARRR!! Quickly turning around, Zhou Fan saw an incredibly weird beast running towards him. It had four legs and a skinny body full of scales. Its face was kind of shaped like a triangle and it had whiskers. In fact, the beast looked more dumb than intimidating. Finding it funny, Zhou Fan decided to humor it. Zhou Fan gathered some Qi in his throat and let out a heavy roar. RROOAAARRRR!!! Zhou Fan roar was many times more ferocious than the weird animals and it stopped running, only to slide down and land in front of Zhou Fan. HAHAHAHAHAH!! Zhou Fan let out a heavy laughter at this thing and started to pet it. The feeling wasn''t very pleasant due to the fact that it had scales, but Zhou Fan soon got used to it. "Hahaha, what should I call you little fella." When the dragon heard him, it snapped out of its stupefied state and tried to act intimidating. Zhou Fan once again let out a laugh and could barely stop. If one could see its face, they would also not be able to take it seriously. With a single look, Zhou Fan could tell that this was an undiscovered species. Otherwise, he would have heard about such a creature. Although Zhou Fan was laughing, the thing was big. Huge even. It was easily the size of an elephant and only Zhou Fan could treat it like this. "I''ll call you a dragon." Zhou Fan said after looking at the dragon for a while. Hearing Zhou Fan, the dragon let out a roar before attacking him. Zhou Fan simply waved his hand and shot out a heavy wind. The dragon flew 30 meters away and landed on its head, burying itself in the ground. Zhou Fan once again let out a small chuckle. Zhou Fan walked over towards it and pulled it out of the ground before sitting it down and looking at it again. Although it was big, it was skinny. Its body was shaped like a tunnel and was now slightly coiled around itself. The dragon was no longer acting fierce and was now looking fearful in front of Zhou Fan. "I''ll name you Xiaolong. Because your a small dragon." Although small was maybe the only way not to describe it, Zhou Fan chose to do so. "Follow me." Although Xiaolong didn''t understand his words, it still followed him out of instinct. Zhou Fan continued on in order to discover more about this place. He had a feeling that Xiaolong wasn''t the only secret this place held. Chapter 20: Black Tortoise and White Snake - 20 Chapter 20 - Black Tortoise and White Snake - 20 Zhou Fan continued walking on until he stumbled upon a river. The river was dark blue and it would be hard for an average person to see through it. Too bad Zhou Fan wasn''t an average person. His gaze passed through the river and he saw that it was 100 feet deep. It also looked around 20 feet wide. Since he had gotten quite dirty, Zhou Fan chose to take a bath here. He took off his clothes and jumped into the fresh river. When his skin touched the river water, he realized that it was the cleanest and nicest he had ever seen. He even took a couple of drinks. It tasted incredible! Xiaolong jumped in the pool and played around with Zhou Fan. The dragon was amazingly smooth in the water. He flowed around as if he was a part of it himself. Even though Zhou Fan had superior strength, Xiaolong was easily able to lap him. Of course, if he used his full abilities, Xiaolong wouldn''t be his match. Zhou Fan and Xiaolong swam around for about an hour before they heard a loud rumbling underneath them. The water started churning and the sound of a collision occurred. Looking below, Zhou Fan was astonished to see a giant snake and a giant turtle fighting it out below the water. The turtle was black as night and the snake was as white as a piece of paper. Zhou Fan and Xiaolong hopped out of the water and looked down upon the battle. The snake would squeeze and bite at the turtle while the turtle would chomp at and barge into the snake. Neither had the upper hand and after a while, Zhou Fan decided to intervene. Raising his hand, Zhou Fan commanded the earth around the rivers edges to form a barrier. The barrier would assure that neither the snake, nor the turtle could escape. Then, he and Xiaolong jumped into the water after the two. Zhou Fan headed for the tortoise, while Xiaolong headed for the snake. With their time together, Zhou Fan and Xiaolong had formed an unspoken bond. Therefore, they both worked together to get these two animals. When the two noticed them, they stopped fighting immediately. The tortoise let out a roar while the snake let out a hiss. ROOAARR!! HHIIIISSS! They speedily headed towards the newcomers and attacked with their full strength. The snake attempted to bite Xiaolong while the turtle chomped at Zhou Fan. Xiaolong met with the snakes attack head on and bit at it with its full strength. RROAAARR!! Xiaolong let out a roar many times louder than the snake and bit at its face. The snake instantly lost the head on clash and received a large injury. Xiaolong coiled around it and squeezed the air out of it. The snake quickly lost consciousness and Xiaolong started dragging it above the water. When the turtle saw this, it sped past Zhou Fan and rammed into Xiaolong. Xiaolong dropped the snake and started to battle the turtle. The turtle was a much stronger opponent than the snake and even after a minute, Xiaolong was unable to defeat it. After 2 minutes had passed, the snake regained consciousness and started to assist the turtle. With their combined strength, Xiaolong had his hands tied. Although he had the upper hand, it would take a while for him to defeat them. Even then, he wouldn''t be able to stop them from escaping. Realizing its predicament, the dragon shot a glance at Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan shook his head at Xiaolong and hinted at him to go on. If Zhou Fan wanted to end the battle, the turtle and snake would be powerless to resist. Luckily, he wanted to see the limit of Xiaolong''s strength before he stepped in. As the battle continued on, Zhou Fan was able to gain a better understanding of both Xiaolong and the turtle-snake duo. Xiaolong was ferocious and strong, lacking tactics and wasting opportunities. The turtle-snake duo used sneaky tactics and grasped opportunities. Even then, they were limited by their strength. The battle continued on for an hour and Xiaolong had finally gotten the upperhand. Both sides were laden with injuries, but Xiaolong was still going strong. The duo noticed that they were about to lose and were getting desperate. They were making riskier moves and starting to make mistakes. All of a sudden, the duo looked at if they had an epiphany. The snake and turtle rushed over to each other at full speed. They didn''t slow down as they reached each other and when they collided, they had somewhat merged. Zhou Fan was astonished at this sight and so was Xiaolong. Now, it looked like the snake was the turtle''s tail and they were looking a lot more ferocious. The combined duo once again engaged in battle with Xiaolong. However, instead of slowly being pushed back, they were completely even with Xiaolong. With the snake being able to focus on offense and the turtle being able to focus on defense, their strength was much higher than before. Although Xiaolong wasn''t being pushed back, he wasn''t able to gain ground. Zhou Fan watched on as they continued in this stalemate for an hour. By that time, both sides were starting to become exhausted. At that point, Zhou Fan decided to stop watching from the sidelines. As they were about to clash, he appeared in between them and pushed out a blast of Qi at both of them. The Qi sent both sides flying back and they only stopped when they ran into the walls of earth Zhou Fan made earlier. Both the turtle and the snake looked at Zhou Fan with fear. Xiaolong on the other hand, was looking annoyed that he had moved against him. Zhou Fan wrapped the stunned turtle and snake in Qi before flying out of the water and throwing them on land. He had decided to make these two things his pets. Once again, he had never heard of these things before. Both of them were around the same size as Xiaolong and he would have surely heard of them if they were discovered. Chapter 21: White Tiger - 21 Chapter 21 - White Tiger - 21 Zhou Fan walked towards the beasts and decided to attempt something new. Instead of keeping his Qi in his body, he chose to release it outwards. In its passive state, Qi would remain dormant. Zhou Fan had to act upon it in order to use it. By no longer containing it, his Qi exploded outwards. It was like a waterfall was flowing from his body. The released Qi pressured the surroundings, and the two beasts along with XIaolong, were pushed down by the extreme gravity. When Zhou Fan noticed the beasts bones were cracking, he hastily retrieved the pressure. It seemed like he needed to hold back when dealing with them from now on. Although he had retrieved the pressure, the two beasts still remembered the feeling. They quickly stopped all defiance. Zhou Fan walked towards them and started petting them. When he took a closer look, they had sustained injuries from the previous outburst. Looking at Xiaolong, Zhou Fan noticed the same problem. Zhou Fan frowned. With their injuries, it wouldn''t be easy to move forward. Suddenly, Zhou Fan had an idea. He summoned his chaos Qi and started to filter out the harmful properties. After a while, Zhou Fan held a green light in his palm. Testing it, he shot the green light towards the snake. It hit the snake before it could react and melded into its body. Quickly, the injuries on its body started to heal. Within a minute, the snake was as good as new. Since he had tested it was safe, Zhou Fan used the green light to heal the tortoise and Xiaolong. Afterwards, the two new beasts were much more friendly towards him. Zhou Fan soon realized that he shouldn''t continue calling them snake and turtle. "All right. I''ll call you, Xuanwu. I''ll call you, Hanglu. Any objections?" In response, the two beasts showed no resistance against the names. Zhou Fan had chosen to name the turtle ''Xuanwu'', and the snake ''Hanglu''. Zhou Fan jumped on Xiaolongs back and moved onwards. It wasn''t long before they made it to a forest. The forest was big and lush. It contained many trees and plants. Zhou Fan chose to explore the forest and continued on. Since the animals were so big, they simply trampled over the trees and plants. Before long, they had come to a clearing in the center of the forest. In the middle of the clearing, there was a single tall tree. Under that tree, a giant white tiger slept. Besides the fact that the tiger was the same size as Xiaolong and white, it looked like a normal tiger. Zhou Fan ordered the animals to stop, and he alone walked towards the tiger. Perhaps smelling or hearing him, the tigers eyes snapped wide open. It let out a low growl and bared its teeth at Zhou Fan. ROAAARRR! Its roar was almost as fierce as Xiaolongs, and was quite incredible. In response, Zhou Fan stopped walking. Although he believed he could instantly subdue it with his Qi pressure, he chose to test out how strong it was. Zhou Fan controlled the dirt below him to form the shape of a sword. He also hardened it and made it sharp. This was a trick he had thought of a while ago. All of a sudden, Zhou Fan started running to the tiger. The tiger instantly responded by running towards Zhou Fan. Both Zhou Fan and the tiger jumped in the air and attacked! The tiger swung its claws, while Zhou Fan, who was using a hundredth of his strength, chopped down with the sword. When the attacks collided, sparks flew off the claws as the tiger was pushed back. Surprised, the tiger instantly jumped towards Zhou Fan again. Zhou Fan added a little Qi to his sword and sent a wave out at the tiger. When they collided, the tigers'' claws were chopped off. Luckily, it still kept its paw. The tiger, now scared, jumped behind the tree and stared at Zhou Fan warily. Zhou Fan decided that any further battle between himself and the tiger would be pointless. Instead, he called out Xiaolong to fight the tiger. When it saw the new competitor, the tiger started to slowly back away. Even Zhou Fan had forced it to retreat, if Xiaolong was added, it would surely die here. However, Zhou Fan walked back and disappeared into the forest. Now that it was a 1v1, the tiger stopped backing away. Instead, it puffed up its chest and let out a roar at Xiaolong. ROOOAAARR!! ROOOAAARR!! At the same time, Xiaolong let out a roar. The two ran towards each other and started the battle. When the tiger jumped in the air to attack with its claws, Xiaolong bit at its exposed stomach. Realizing the danger of his attack, the tiger used its back claws to push away Xiaolongs head. It then leaped back and organized a plan of attack. The battle continued in such a manner for an hour. By that time, both sides were exhausted. The tiger had some bite marks and bruises, while Xiaolong was covered in scratches. Although Xiaolong got in fewer hits, the quality made up for it. The tiger had gotten in more hits, but the quality wasn''t as high. It was at that time that Zhou Fan stepped out, followed by Xuanwu and Hanglu. He had come to the conclusion that the tiger was on the same level as the rest of the beasts. As such, he chose to tame it. When the tiger saw him appear, it immediately started to flee. Unfortunately, Zhou Fan released a pressure from his body. Unlike the first time, the pressure was more controlled and wouldn''t severely injure the beast. Even then, it couldn''t move, and its skin started to crack open. The others shared the same fate. Zhou Fan walked over and pet the tiger before stopping the pressure. He then healed it and tamed it. He, of course, also healed the rest of their injuries. Zhou Fan then looked towards the east and started walking to the final destination. The mountain. Chapter 22: Phoenix - 22 Chapter 22 - Phoenix - 22 It wasn''t long before Zhou Fan made it to the foot of the mountain. From the bottom, it seemed that the mountain was a mile tall. The mountain was also quite wide. The entire mountain was sandy and high in temperature. There were few trees and plants on the whole thing. With the animals in tow, Zhou Fan made his way up the mountain. He was riding on Xiaolong like before. They had no trouble getting up the mountain and arrived at the top in 10 minutes. At the top, there was a single tree. The trees leaves were red and full of vitality. On top of the tree, a giant red bird lay napping. As if sensing their presence, the bird opened it eyes and stood on the tree. Zhou Fan looked at Bainu, the white tiger, and sent it to battle the bird. Like the last couple of times, the battle was even. Amazingly, the birds regenerative speed was 10 times that of an average living being. Although it wasn''t at the level of instant regeneration, it was an incredible power to have. After a while, the white tiger was on the losing end. Although the bird had sustained heavy injuries, its stamina was much higher than Bailu. However, the bird couldn''t severely injure Bailu without paying a price. After a while, Zhou Fan ended the battle and repeated the process of taming the bird. He chose to name the bird ''Zhuque''. He also chose to stop calling it a bird since it was the size of Xiaolong and the rest. Instead, he opted to call it a phoenix. After that, he walked back to the center of the underground world. He decided to make a residence here. The area was nicer than any other place he had ever seen, and he didn''t even have to pay rent! Instead of forming the wood with Qi, he used the beasts to build a house with real wood. When he created the elements with Qi, they were very temporary and not good to build a house with. Of course, he still manipulated the area with Qi to make it flat. He also used Qi to help carry and build things. Due to all the help, he finished the house in a couple of hours. Sadly, it was far too small for any of the beasts to stay in. Therefore, Zhou Fan went out and helped them each build their own areas. Xiaolong made a big cave to the east to stay in. Xuanwu and Hanglu made a big lake to the north of the house. Bainu made a forest to the west, and Zhuque made a big tree to the south. Afterward, Zhou Fan and the rest spent the night in their homes. When they woke up, Zhou Fan summoned Xiaolong from his habitat. When he arrived, Xiaolong curled around Zhou Fan and rubbed on him. It seemed that Xiaolong had taken Zhou Fan as his owner. "Xiaolong, I want to try something on you." Xialong nodded, and Zhou Fan placed his palm on him. Then, Zhou Fan sent a small amount of Qi directly into Xiaolongs meridians. At first, there was no reaction. However, after 30 seconds, Xiaolong started crumbling. Yes, crumbling! His very existence was starting to fade. Zhou Fan hastily stopped and sent the healing light into Xiaolong. Although he had stopped and started to heal him, Xiaolong was already severely injured. It took 5 hours of nonstop healing to regrow the chunk of Xialongs flesh. By that time, all the beasts had long looked at Xiaolong with fear. The immense damage done to him was terrifying. He was very lucky to survive. Afterward, Zhou Fan walked back to his room and started to think. His initial goal was to get Xiaolong to be able to use Qi. However, clearly, something had gone wrong. "Perhaps he can''t absorb the same Qi as me?" Zhou Fan asked to himself. Theoretically, it was possible that only humans could absorb chaos Qi. Or perhaps, even they couldn''t. Maybe Zhou Fan was the only one who could. After pondering for a while, Zhou Fan had an idea. Maybe he could branch off certain parts of his chaos Qi and make it absorbable for Xiaolong. Once again, Zhou Fan summoned Xiaolong to the backyard. This time, he didn''t hastily pour Qi into him. Instead, he studied him. After a while, Zhou Fan brought out his chaos Qi. Zhou Fan had realized that it could turn into things besides elements. Perhaps he could make one specialy for dragons. He would call it ''Dragon Qi''. Zhou Fan stood there for an hour, trying to make his Qi imitate Xiaolong. After a while, he had finally done it! In his palm lied a minature version of Xiaolong! The only difference was that it was ethereal, completely blue, and swimming in the air. Every now and then, it would let out a small roar. Zhou Fan sent the dragon Qi into Xiaolongs body. After a while, Xialongs body started to emit light. Suddenly, impurities poured out of his body. Zhou Fan was estatic. It worked! RROOOOAAARR!! Xiaolong let out a roar many times stronger than before. Previously, he had already contained immense strength. Now that he had started on the path of cultivation, his body was much stronger. The other beasts had gathered around after hearing Xiaolongs roar. They were astonished to see him speedily run to Xuanwu and Hanlus''s lake while covered in a disgusting gunk. Xiaolong jumped into the lake and cleaned himself before happily running back to Zhou Fan. While they were celebrating, Xuanwu smacked Xiaolong on the back of the head. Turning around to see who hit him, he noticed the angry galres of Xuanwu and Hanglu. The previously clean lake was filled with impurities. Xiaolong apologized while Zhou Fan grabbed the impurities out with his Qi. They also made a rule to use the river to bathe from now on. After that was settled, Zhou Fan started to create a Qi for each of the beasts. Surprisingly, Xuanwu and Hanglu consumed the same Qi. Chapter 23: Back Outside - 23 Chapter 23 - Back Outside - 23 It wasn''t long before Zhou Fan made a Qi for everyone. Their Qi all looked like smaller and less detailed versions of themselves. Each of the beasts had broken through to the first level and gotten rid of their impurities. However, even after they were introduced to the Qi, they couldn''t absorb it from the world without Zhou Fans'' assistance. Zhou Fan was stumped with this issue. Perhaps the only Qi that existed naturally was Chaos Qi. Thinking further, Zhou Fan pondered what chaos Qi was. It has a light gray color and no single form. At sometimes it acts like a solid, at others, it will act like a liquid or gas. After an hour, Zhou Fan had come up with a few thoughts. "Maybe chaos Qi is the combination of everything?" Zhou Fan thought out loud. Maybe that''s why it can turn into anything by taking parts away. Zhou Fan felt that such a conclusion made sense. However, he couldn''t get rid of the nagging feeling that he was missing something. Either way, chaos Qi wasn''t something he could fathom at this point. Zhou Fan walked to his yard and decided to start cultivating for the first time in a while. He got in position and started absorbing Qi. The speed of absorption was much faster than it was when he was in foundation establishment. As he was cultivating, the beasts gathered around him. Xiaolong curled around his body without touching him while the others lay on or against Xiaolong. They quickly fell asleep and if one looked from afar, they would see a perfect scene of harmony between humongous beasts and a human. ----------------------------------- After two straight days of cultivation, Zhou Fan broke into the second level of core formation. Although he felt an immense difference in power, Zhou Fan had no point of reference. He couldn''t go around blowing up mountains every time he broke through after all. When he opened his eyes, Zhou Fan smiled at the scene of his pets gathered around him. When he opened his eyes, so did Xiaolong. Zhou Fan spent a little bit of time trying to communicate with him before silently floating away. He didn''t want to wake them up just to tell them that he had to leave. He entrusted Xiaolong to somehow get them to understand. While Zhou Fan was hesitant to leave, he did have a job soon. Somehow, four days had passed down there. Zhou Fan exited through the snake-filled path and found himself back at the courtyard. On his way back inside, he saw Fui Rong knocking on his door. "Hello." "AAHHHHHHH." Fui Rong stumbled backwards and fell on the ground. It seemed she wasn''t expecting someone to appear behind her. "You''re alive?!" "Yes? Why wouldn''t I be?" "Well, you bought a house that''s known for dead owners and then disappeared for 4 days. Did you think we would think you''re alive?" Her logic had reason. Zhou Fan had completely forgot about the fact that his house was treated as a place of death. "I might have found the reason behind the murders." Zhou Fan suddenly said. He remembered the snake that he captured. He thought there was a chance that it was venomous and that''s why the owners were dying. "Really! What did you find?" She curiously asked. Zhou Fan walked inside and saw the snake slithering around on the floor. It seemed that the cage had dissipated and it had been locked in the courtyard. Zhou Fan made sure that Fui Rong wasn''t looking and formed another cage around it. "Here, this snake might be venomous. I spent the last few days destroying their nest and this is the last one." Zhou Fan had come up with such an excuse after realizing he had disappeared for 4 days. "Really!? In that case, let''s take it to the lab!" Fui Rong grabbed Zhou Fan by the arm and dragged him to the library. It seemed she was quite interested in solving this decade-old mystery. Since he had to travel at her pace, it took nearly an hour to make it to the library. Fui Rong attempted to drag him to the 5th floor before Zhou Fan pulled out his silver card. "Wow! How did you get that!" Fui Rong was quite surprised to see the silver card. After all, Zhou Fan didn''t seem like someone who could afford a 1 gold card. Even she couldn''t afford one. "I got a job here and they gave me one for free." Zhou Fan said. "Nice." Zhou Fan walked up to the 8th floor and Fui Rong followed. Luckily, Zhou Fan was allowed to take someone who didn''t have a silver card to a research floor. When they arrived, the area was busy as usual. Suddenly, Fui Rong loudly cleared her throat and declared their intentions. "EXCUSE ME! We believe we may have found the solution to a 5-decade old mystery. Would anyone like to assist us?" Everyone stopped in their tracks after hearing her loud voice. After they heard what she said, half the people on the floor rushed over toward her. Something like this wasn''t seen every day after all. "There is also a high chance it is an undiscovered species" Zhou Fan added. When the researchers heard this, a fire lit in their eyes as they ran toward Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan simply threw the cage to the most trustworthy-looking old man. It merely took an hour before the 30 or so researchers compiled a book on the snake. The old man that Zhou Fan threw the snake to walked over and handed him it. "Here. We have confirmed that it is an undiscovered species and that it is venomous. Please decide on a name so we can add it to the library records." Zhou Fan didn''t have to think about it for long before he named it the ''Hidden Rainbow Snake''. He called it this due to the fact that it led him to a hidden underground world and that it was rainbow-colored. Although the old man looked at him weirdly after hearing the name, he didn''t argue with Zhou Fan. After asking his name and writing him down as the discoverer, the old man sent the book down to the main floor for confirmation and revision. Chapter 24: Preparation - 24 Chapter 24 - Preparation - 24 Zhou Fan was walked out of the library by the old man he had tossed the cage to. It turns out that he possessed a high position in the library. He was one of the few head researchers. His name was Muon Erzai. "We''ll reach out to you by tomorrow. As previously mentioned, you will be compensated accordingly." Muon Erzai said. Zhou Fan did recall the examiner girl telling him about that. After some parting words, Zhou Fan walked back to the courtyard. Fui Rong had left earlier after hearing that the snake was indeed poisonous. She must''ve been excited to solve the 50 year old mystery. In fact, Zhou Fan was disappointed that the outcome was so simple. He was hoping for something more interesting. It seems that there is truly little interesting in this world. Actually, the discovery of the underground cave and the beasts was quite incredible. It could be said that Zhou Fan was satisfied with the overall outcome of moving in. Zhou Fan made it back to the courtyard quickly. Instead of going inside, Zhou Fan flew down the hole in the back. It wasn''t long before he made it to the underground cave. When he arrived at the middle, he was greeted by the beasts. Zhou Fan pet them for a few minutes before going inside his house and sitting down on one of the chairs he made. Although he wasn''t expecting any guests or even expecting to eat in here, he still made a dinner table and 4 chairs. It was more pleasing to the eye, after all. While sitting, Zhou Fan started to think. The courtyard he bought was essentially useless now. If anything, it could simply be used as a cover. In the end, he still needed a place of residence for the outside world. Still, it would be a waste of time and resources to fix up the courtyard any further. After all, he had a nicer house down here along with a HUGE yard. He even had an incredible view of the blue crystal. It could be said that kings would fight to live here. Emperors even! There was also the problem of his pets. He couldn''t exactly take them outside. Not to mention the fact that they couldn''t fit through the hole, they were too big to hide. Although he wasn''t exactly aiming to be a near invisible presence, it would drag too much attention to himself by having 5 humongous beasts roaming about. He would also prefer to not be separated from them. After all, they already shared a bond with him. Instead of continuing to endlessly think, Zhou Fan decided to go outside and play with the beasts. After an hour, Zhou Fan was sprawled atop Bainu. Although Xiaolong was his favorite, his scales were harder than steel. Bainu''s soft fur was much more comfortable. Even then, Xiaolong couldn''t be left out. He was laying on top of Zhou Fan. Although he weighed multiple tons, that much was nothing to the current Zhou Fan. In fact, he himself weighed around the same amount as Xiaolong. Bainu was the one that he should be worried about. Luckily, he was strong enough to support them. While staring at the crystal, Zhou Fan fell asleep. --------------------------------- Zhou Fan awoke several hours later. Everyone was still in the same position as when he fell asleep. Zhou Fan stood up without waking anybody and headed to the river. When he arrived, the first thing he noticed was his reflection. His body was now that of an adult. Although he couldn''t be called a grown man, he looked at least 18. He was skinny and had short gray hair. However, no sign of facial hair could be seen on him. Zhou Fan couldn''t decide whether that was a blessing or a curse. Zhou Fan soon decided to leave the underground. He estimated that there was only one day left until the start of his job at the library. When Zhou Fan made it back, he quickly noticed the familiar face of Fui Rongs at his door. "Hello." Zhou Fan said from behind. "AAHHHH." Once again falling on her butt, Fui Rong let out a scream. It seemed that Zhou Fan had scared her again. "WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS SCARING ME!" Fui Rong angrily yelled. She was huffing and puffing and Zhou Fan was worried that she would blow his house down. "Sorry. You should really work on your timing." Zhou Fan said apologetically. Although it was kind of his fault, she was always showing up right before he came home. If she had left 5 minutes later, the situation would have been avoided. "Anyways, I''m here to deliver your payment for your work." Fui Rong said. Only then did Zhou Fan remember that he was getting paid today. Fui Rong reached into her pocket and pulled out two golden coins. "The library decided that your discovery was significant enough to deserve gold coins as compensation. It seems that the venom of the snake is one of the highest recorded. Although two gold may seem small for such a discovery, it was deemed as worthy for your efforts." Fui Rong delivered the speech very formally. It seemed that there is a certain process to the compensation of discovery. Fui Rong didn''t stay behind long after handing the gold coins to him. Zhou Fan didn''t spend the rest of the day idle as he went to the library. Now that he has a silver card, he can explore the sixth to tenth floors. Zhou Fan was quite excited to gain more knowledge. Zhou Fan chose to start at the 6th floor. Since he wasn''t in a rush to learn anything specific, he decided to go from bottom to top. It took Zhou Fan 12 hours to finish the 6th floor. The content it contained was about the same as the previous floors. Although Zhou Fan had broken through and could both read faster and move faster, he was limited by the books themselves. If he read at his full speed, the books would be ripped apart instantly. The 6th floor contained books about history overall, instead of differentiating between the empires history and the worlds history. The information went into more depth and farther back in time. After he finished reading, Zhou Fan went back home cultivated through the night. When he woke up, it was almost time to start his new job. Chapter 25: Librarian - 25 Chapter 25 - Librarian - 25 Zhou Fan didn''t waste any time before heading to the library. He didn''t even stop for breakfast at the inn. When Zhou Fan arrived at the doors, the examiner lady was standing there, waiting. "Hello Zhou Fan. I don''t believe I introduced myself previously. My name is Muon Zhuhai." "Muon? Are you related to Muon Erzai?" "Yes. He is my father. Do you know each other?" "We met yesterday. He examined a species I discovered." "Oh! I heard of that. I was unaware that you were the one who discovered the Hidden Rainbow Snake." As they were talking, the other person who got the job appeared. "Hello, Ms. Zhuhai." He said. "Hello, Mr.Tachi. Now that you''re both here, please follow me." Ms. Zhuhai walked through the doors and led them to the room on the bottom floor they had entered before. "All right. It is time to decide your jobs. We have two positions open as of now. Official researcher and librarian." She explained. She further explained that an official researcher would study specimens and research technological advancements. On the other hand, the librarian would be given an area on a floor. They would be in charge of keeping it clean and tidy. "The librarian position covers the north-east quarter of the 6th floor." She noted. Zhou Fan was familiar with the 6th floor. Just yesterday, he had read through all of its contents. The northeast section had knowledge of the top 10 empires. That did not include his empire, the boundless empire. Before the man could respond, Zhou Fan spoke out. "I would like the librarian position." He had decided to take the easier job. For him, at least. For others, a quarter of a floor would take 10 hours to properly clean. Zhou Fan, on the other hand, felt like he could create an art that would make it take less than an hour. "Do you have any objections, Mr.Tachi?" Ms. Zhuhai asked. "No. I prefer the researcher job." He said. "That''s great! In that case, let me introduce you to your managers. Mr.Tachi, this is head researcher Erzai, my father." She said while pointing at the man that just emerged from the doors. "Hello sir. It is an honor to meet you." The man said with an expression of slight reverence. If one didn''t know any better, they''d think he was meeting the king. "Hello Mr.Tachi, I will be responsible for training you. Follow me." With a slight nod to Zhou Fan, Muon Erzai walked out with Mr.Tachi following behind. Not long after he left, a fat man entered through the door. Although he wasn''t sumo wrestler fat, he was very chubby. "Hello, you must be Zhou Fan. I am the manager of the 6th floor, Lu Chen." The fat man cheerfully said while sticking out his hand for a handshake. "Hello Mr. Chen, nice to meet you." Zhou Fan said while grabbing his hand and shaking it. "Please. Just call me Fatty Lu. It''s what everyone calls me." He said with a smile on his face. Although Zhou Fan found it weird that people would call a manager that, he obliged. "All right then." "Folow me. I''ll show you your area and teach you what to do." Fatty Lu said while walking out of the room. Zhou Fan quickly followed behind him. It didn''t take long before they made it to the 6th floor. Unsurprisingly, Lu Chen was heavily panting. Even then, he seemed used to it. Quickly regaining his breath, Lu Chen brought Zhou Fan to his section. "Firstly, you need to keep the floor clean. Although it''s carpeted, we have a special broom. It will clean it like it''s made of wood. Next, make sure the shelves are clean and in order. Wipe them down at least every 3 days. Since the books are in alphabetical order, you need to make sure they are kept that way. Finally, assist anyone who needs help. Although recommended, it isn''t necessary to memorize everything. There is a catalog on your desk." Fatty Lu said while wiping sweat from his forehead. Speaking of his desk, it was located at what would be the corner of the floor if it wasn''t round. The desk itself was a semi-circle and connected to the walls. The only way to exit it was to move the flap that went up or down. The desk was made of wood and had a nice black leather chair. "That''s about all. Everything else is pretty self explanatory. Just keep the area clean and help people. Oh yes! Come see me at the beginning and end of your shift. My office is on the tenth floor along with everyone else in a position similar or equal to floor manager. My name is on the door so you should be able to find me. Anyway, I have to get back to work. You''re officially started now." Lu Chen said while leaving. Watching him leave, Zhou Fan sat down in his chair and got a feel for the place. He had a feeling that he would be here for a long time. Before long, Zhou Fan got up and got to work. He started to manually sweep the floors and clean the shelves. Although inefficient, he couldn''t exactly use Qi in front of people''s faces. Even so, with his increased strength, Zhou Fan was very quick. By the time the library was closing, he had cleaned his entire section twice. After the first time, he realized that he had nothing to do. Therefore, he decided to check out a book from another floor tomorrow. Although he could read it in a second, for the sake of passing time, he would read it at the pace of a normal human. Since he had already cleaned his entire section, he didn''t bother using Qi to clean it. Instead, he walked up to the tenth floor and found Fatty Lu''s office. Knock Knock "Come in." A voice said from beyond the door. Naturally, it belonged to Lu Chen. Zhou Fan walked in and started to talk with him. "I''ve already cleaned up for the night. I''ll be heading home now." "Okay. Have a good night." "You too." Zhou Fan said while walking away. After arriving home, Zhou Fan didn''t go to sleep and instead cultivated. In fact, Zhou Fan had spent much more time at the library before this. Chapter 26: The Great Escape - 26 Chapter 26 - The Great Escape - 26 Zhou Fan woke up and went to work the next day. Since yesterday was Monday, he had 4 more days before the weekend. Zhou Fan was off on the weekends. Even though librarians didn''t work on the weekend, the library was still open. They have an entire team of people to replace the librarians on the weekends. Zhou Fan soon made it to Lu Chen''s office and announced his arrival. Afterwards, he went to the 7th floor and checked out a book. The book was a philosophy book written by a man named Confucius. It was called the Analects. According to the person he checked it out from, Confucius was a man considered almost on par with agregot wuksen. However, he lacked the ambition to become a truly great historical figure. Instead, he focused on the way he treated himself and others, along with having a pure heart and pure intentions. Someone could make a religion out of that. After checking out the book, Zhou Fan went to his section and officially started his duty. He cleaned up the entire area in around 5 hours. In that time, a couple of people had asked him questions and one of his coworkers had introduced himself. His name was Wagu and he came from another empire. He had chosen to explore the world at a young age and eventually settled down here. According to their brief conversation, he had visited more than 5 empires. That was more than most people would visit in their whole life! Since he was done, Zhou Fan sat down at his desk and started to read the book he checked out at the pace of an average person. After a while, Zhou Fan had to admit that the book was interesting. In fact, it contained many ideas he never thought of. It also contains ideas that you may have thought of, but been unable to put into words or cement into your mind. Either way, Zhou Fan didn''t put too much importance on it. Although it would be better if people listened to his teachings, Zhou Fan had no such expectations. "Hello." A voice sounded out. Zhou Fan looked up and noticed a short girl with glasses standing in front of his desk. She looked to be around 10 years old. "Are you lost?" Zhou Fan asked. "No. But I have a question." She said. Zhou Fan had many questions running through his mind. Is this girl allowed up here? Does she have a silver card? Why is she here alone? After a little while, Zhou Fan simply gave up. He realized he didn''t care enough about this to put any more thought into it. "What''s your question?" Zhou Fan asked the little girl. "Which bookshelf has information on the grot empire?" "Follow me." Zhou Fan said. It was hard to point out where to go since the bookshelves are so close together. "Here. This bookshelf has information on the grot empire, the yuit kingdom, and the Fut tribe." Zhou Fan pointed out. "Thank you." The girl said while Zhou Fan was walking away. Zhou Fan had almost decided to ask what she was doing here. Although he had only been working here for 2 days, he assumed that you didn''t see a 10-year-old child every day. Zhou Fan sat back down at his desk and picked his book back up. It wasn''t too long before he was interrupted by the shouts of a few men. "Hey! Stop right there!" 3 men in security outfits screamed. Zhou Fan once again saw the 10-year-old girl. Only this time, she was running away from the security guards. When Zhou Fan saw that, he inwardly wondered if he would get in trouble for allowing her to be up here. The commotion soon died down and Zhou Fan started to read his book again. Once again he was interrupted. This time, it was by the three security guards from earlier. "Sorry to bother you, but have you seen a little girl about 4 feet tall? We last saw her run into this section." Zhou Fan was surprised to hear that. He hadn''t noticed any such thing happening. "No sirs. I haven''t been paying much attention to my surroundings." Zhou Fan said nicely. "Ok, sorry to bother you." The man said before the three once again ran off. After the consecutive interruptions, Zhou Fan started to pay attention to his surroundings. All of a sudden, he noticed a head peek out from under his desk. Zhou Fan almost jumped in shock when it suddenly came out. "Hello." The familiar face said. It was the girl from before. Zhou Fan was surprised that he didn''t notice her going under there. It seems that he really needs to pay more attention to his surroundings when reading. "Are you a ninja or something?" Zhou Fan asked. He had heard about them in a couple of books he previously read. "No. But I have been sneaking around since I was young." She said. ''You''re still young'' Zhou Fan inwardly thought. "What are you doing?" Zhou Fan inquired. "I''m hiding." "Obviously. Why did you come to this floor in the first place?" Zhou Fan asked. "To read." The girl said simply. Zhou Fan was starting to get a headache. He should''ve known it was a bad idea to try to make sense to a child. "Nevermind. Can you leave?" "Yes sir. Goodbye." She said while sneaking off. Zhou Fan couldn''t help but laugh to himself. It seemed that this job is much more interesting than he thought. After the commotion had actually settled, Zhou Fan stopped reading and started to clean the area in preparation for closing. By the time he finished, the library had closed. Zhou Fan walked up to Lu Chens'' office and bid him farewell before going home. When he made it home, he got on his bed and started cultivating. Although he still felt progress, it is getting much slower to break through into the next levels. However, Zhou Fan wasn''t in a rush. As far as he knew, he would be the only cultivator for a while. There should be no chance for anyone to surpass him. Chapter 27: A New Species? - 27 Chapter 27 - A New Species? - 27 The rest of the week passed by in a flash. Before Zhou Fan knew it, it was already friday. As he was putting the last book back on the shelf, he looked at the clock and noticed that it was time to leave. Zhou Fan said goodbye to Lu Chen before he headed home. When he arrived, Zhou Fan didn''t waste any time. He immediately went down the hole and made it back to his beasts. When they saw him, they all ran to him in excitement. If they were dogs, their tongue would be out, and their tails would be wagging. Zhou Fan had recently come to the conclusion that the beasts were young. Although they were huge, he had a feeling they were almost as young as him. Otherwise, it wouldn''t have been so easy to tame them. He also wondered where their parents were. Maybe they all died after giving birth? Did the beasts come out of an egg? Either way, Zhou Fan wasn''t too concerned. Since he had the weekend off, Zhou Fan decided to further explore the cave with the beasts. Although it seemed like he had explored it all last time, Zhou Fan realized that there were a bunch of tunnels that led to unknown places. Perhaps there were hundreds of caves like this. For a while, Zhou Fan had wondered why no one else had discovered these places. After a short time of thinking, however, he realized that the snakes in the tunnel were enough to kill any trespasser. Even an army. Also, they were even present in the other tunnels. Now that he was on the topic, Zhou Fan was worried that the snakes would attack the beasts. It would be bothersome to protect them all while traveling. However, Zhou Fan was confident that he could do it. After resting with the beasts for a while, Zhou Fan decided to waste no more time. He set off to one of the random tunnels. Specifically, the tunnel most opposite to the one he came in through. When he reached the tunnel, Zhou Fan prepared to test out the snake''s reaction to the beasts. He sent Zhuque in since he had the best healing ability. Contrary to his expectations, Zhou Fan was astonished to see that the snakes had no interest in Zhuque. Even when he stepped on them, they wouldn''t react. Maybe it''s because they were born down here. Although one could come to the conclusion that the snakes simply didn''t attack, Zhou Fan had already tested that. On Thursday, he threw a deer into the pit. The moment it hit the ground, it was covered, killed, and eaten by the snakes. Hence why Zhou Fan was surprised to see that they didn''t attack Zhuque. When Zhou Fan sent in the rest of the beasts, they still didn''t attack. In fact, when Xiaolong stepped in, they started to make a path. Even then, it didn''t seem like they were scared of him. It was more like an instinctual reaction. Since the path was cleared, Zhou Fan lit a fire ball on his palm and walked on the ground with the rest of the beasts. One thing to be amazed at was the fact that there was no poop on the ground. They might just have a poop hole or something. They continued walking on for an hour before they could see some light at the end of the tunnel. They slightly sped up their pace in anticipation. When they finally broke through, they were amazed to see a cave the size of the last one. The most obvious difference was the giant crystal hanging from the center of the ceiling. Instead of blue, it shone a green light. The green was similar to the light of healing Zhou Fan created earlier. However, just like the last crystal, it contained no Qi whatsoever. Another easy to spot difference was that, unlike the previous cave, this one had a single terrain. Forest. It was lush, green, and in the center stood a giant tree. Although the other trees had varying sizes, this one was more than 5 times bigger than the second biggest. It almost touched the giant green crystal hanging from the ceiling. All of a sudden, Zhou Fan noticed a wooden arrow shooting at him from afar. Although it seemed slow to him, it was going quite fast. When it reached him, he grabbed it with his hand and started to look at it. As he was doing so, he shot out a massive ball of water in the direction the arrow came from. It wasn''t enough to kill the attacker, but it will put them out of commission. GLULP! The water hit the area and destroyed a fair amount of trees around it. Zhou Fan was quickly done examining the arrow. It was roughly made, but it could''ve killed a normal human if it hit them in a vital area. Zhou Fan signaled to the beasts to go over to the area of impact as he quickly flew there. When he arrived, he noticed three people knocked out on the ground. 2 men and a woman. In fact, he couldn''t call them people. Or at least in a human sense. They looked like most humans he had met and the only difference was their long pointy ears. Examining them, Zhou Fan saw that once again, they contained no Qi in their bodies. After looking at them for a while, Zhou Fan quickly made up a name, which he was used to by now. "Elves." He proclaimed. Although they seemed similar to humans on the outside, Zhou Fan wondered if their insides were the same. Before anything else, Zhou Fan almost wanted to experiment on them. He wondered if like the beasts, they would need their own special kind of Qi. Or maybe they were similar to humans. At least, what he assumed humans could do. He resisted the faint urge to cut them open and once again splashed water on their faces in order to wake them up. This time, he made it icy cold. Chapter 28: World Tree - 28 Chapter 28 - World Tree - 28 After being splashed with cold water, the elves awoke from their short slumber. When they realized what was happening, they jumped to their feet and backed away warily. "Who are you!?" The leading elf male yelled. Zhou Fan was immediately astonished to realize that they spoke the same language as him. Although the world was mostly unified by one language, english, he had assumed that these elves were cut off from the world. Therefore, they should have spoken a different language. Instead of thinking too much, Zhou Fan theorized that they used to live on the surface. Who knows what happened to cause them to be down here, unknown to the rest of the world. "I come in peace, probably." Zhou Fan said. Although he did mutter the last part under his breath. If they shot another arrow at him, he might just kill them off. "Who are you, no, what are you!?" The elf girl in the back asked in a slightly loud tone. Zhou Fan was confused to hear her question. "What do you mean? Do you not know what a human is?" "Human?" she said, confused, as if he was speaking in a different language. Zhou Fan quickly understood that she had no idea what a human was. In fact, he didn''t know what they called themselves. He had named them earlier because he assumed that they spoke a different language. "Have you ever left the cave?" Zhou Fan wondered. "Of course not! The snakes do not allow it." She said as if it was an obvious fact. "Wait!" The leading elf said. "You wouldn''t happen to be from outside the cave, right?!" He said, almost shouting. Zhou Fan looked at the elfs face and realized that their situation is much worse than he previously thought. "Indeed, I am from the outside world." Zhou Fan said. The elves'' expressions got visibly excited. "Please! Follow us!" They said. When they turned around to lead him, they started to run. Zhou Fan started to ''speed'' walk behind them. It wasn''t long before they made it to a gate. The gate wasn''t exactly made of wood. Instead, it was simply wooden branches forming a natural looking arch. "How did you do that?" Zhou Fan asked. Although he could shape wood like that, he would have to use Qi to manipulate it, and from what he has seen, elves couldn''t use Qi. "The door? Do you not have doors outside?" The girl asked, perplexed. Zhou Fan looked at the girl with a deadpan expression on his face. "Never mind." He said before quietly following them the rest of the way. On the short journey, Zhou Fan came to learn the three elves names. Lily, Mark, and Steve. Lily was the girl, Mark was the leading male, and Steve was the guy who hadn''t said anything since his appearance. Although, Steve has been giving him wary looks the entire way. One minute after passing through the arch, they arrived at the middle of the cave. Here, there was a clearing area and the tallest trees in the cave. Including the huge one he saw earlier. Mark pointed at the big tree and said, "That is the world tree. It is sacred, and no one is allowed to touch it besides the queen. Even then, she can only do it twice in her life. The day she inherits the throne and the day she passes it on." When Zhou Fan heard Marks words, most of his confusions were cleared up. Although sparse, he could see a couple of elves walking around. Some were carrying baskets, while others were simply walking. When they saw him, they all stopped and stared at him for a second. They seemed to notice that his ears were short. Zhou Fan proceded to ignore them and observe the village. Around the world tree, there were many smaller trees. Although small next to the world tree, they were quite huge. On those trees hanged many tree houses. Zhou Fan had read about those before. What really astonished him was the bridges connecting every area. There were even big plazas and other gathering spaces. "Sir," Mark said, interrupting his thoughts. "Please follow us, we are going to take you to the queen." Zhou Fan was surprised to hear that, he didn''t think that he would see the queen so quickly. Zhou Fan walked behind Mark and Lily. Steve had gone off after they reached the village. It was then that Zhou Fan realized he had left the beasts behind. He was so caught up in the current events that he forgot about them completely. ''Meh, they''ll be fine'', he thought. Along the way, Mark talked about the village with Zhou Fan. According to him, there were 129 elves living here. They seemed to have trouble breeding, and one would be lucky to have two kids after 100 tries. Zhou Fan continued to follow the elves, and it wasn''t long before they came to a large palace. Like the other buildings, it was hung up in a tree.The tree it was hung up on was the second tallest tree in the forest. It was also the closest to the world tree. They made their way up the closest stairway and made it to the palace entrance. The palace was completely made out of wood. Even then, its beauty was undeniable. Seeing the two guards stationed at the gate, Mark walked up and talked to them in a hushed voice. However, Zhou Fan could naturally hear them. "We have found an outsider. We must have an audience with the queen." Mark whispered. The guards'' faces instantly changed. Their relaxed and slightly lazy expression twisted in an instant as one of them ran into the palace at his top speed. As they were waiting for him to get back, Zhou Fan observed the remaining guard. He was clearly very on guard, however, he was trying to be discreet about it. Almost as if he was afraid of offending Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan ignored him and continued to wait for the guard to return. Chapter 29: Unbridledly Arrogant- 29 Chapter 29 - Unbridledly Arrogant- 29 The guard returned after just 2 minutes. "The Queen has requested you meet her. Please follow me." The guard said, clearly out of breath. The guard waited another moment to catch his breath before he led Zhou Fan inside. When he got inside, Zhou Fan instantly noticed the queen sitting on the elevated throne in the middle of the room. The hall had long pillars reaching the floor and ceiling by the sides. Once again, everything was made out of wood. "Hello outsider." The queen suddenly said. She looked no older than 30. She had the blondest hair he had ever seen and green eyes. Her ears were also noticeably pointier than the other elves he had seen. "My name is Penny. I am the queen of the valeks." She stated. ''So they call themselves the valeks'', Zhou Fan thought. Although he had no plan to change the name he called them, it was interesting to know. "Hello queen penny, my name is Zhou Fan. I am the strongest human." He said. Since her introduction was so strong, he decided to elevate his status. However, he wasn''t lying. He is by far, the strongest human. When the elf queen heard him, her eyes widened in surprise. However, she fixed her face not soon after. "I didn''t expect a great warrior to come down here. Why did- how did you come down here?" She said, changing her question halfway through. Zhou Fan stood there in silence as he contemplated how he wanted to respond. More accurately, he was considering how he wanted to continue on with the elves. He could either become their friend, or subjugate them. Seeing that Zhou Fan was standing in silence, the elf queen spoke again. "There is a prophecy told among the successors to the valek throne." She started. "It has been passed down since the valeks moved down here. It states that one day, someone will come from the outside. They will either liberate us, or destroy us. While I''m not quite sure how you could destroy us, I would like to remain peaceful with you." Zhou Fan was surprised to hear her words. However, they had no effect on his decision. " I have decided." Zhou Fan said. "From now on, the elf race will submit to me." Zhou Fan emphasized the word elf. Since he had named them as such, it was only natural that their name would change once they went under him. "Preposterous!" The elf queen shouted out in a rage. She immediately stood up from her throne and let out a loud shout. "GUARDS!! KILL THIS MAN!" All of a sudden, multiple guards burst in through the entrances and surrounded Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan stared at them with contempt. Zhou Fan naturally hadn''t gone crazy overnight. There were multiple reasons why he chose to subjugate the elves instead of befriend them. Firstly, he could sense the ill intent oozing off the queen. She never trusted him for a second. Secondly, Zhou Fan had no connection with them. Although they resembled humans, Zhou Fan felt that they were completely different. Finally, he wanted to research the elves. Specifically, he wanted to learn their history. Since they''ve been enclosed for such a long time, they should have ancient records. Watching one of the elf guards suddenly thrusting his spear towards him, Zhou Fan decided to humor them for a bit instead of instantly defeating them. He grabbed the elfs'' spear as it was about to pierce his body and crushed it. He then grabbed the guard by the neck and lifted him in the air. Before the hanging man could pass out from lack of oxygen, Zhou Fan saw a bunch of arrows coming towards him. Instead of dodging, Zhou Fan used the captured man as a human shield. Since the arrows were coming from every direction, Zhou Fan had to swing him around like a ragdoll to block them. By the time arrows stopped being shot, the man resembled a porcupine. Without a doubt, he had died. Zhou Fan didn''t feel anything after killing him. It was weird to him. Logically, since they resembled humans, he should feel something when killing them. However, he felt like he had just stepped on an ant, even with the bloody scene before him. "You shouldn''t have shot, he would have lived." Zhou Fan said out loud. "Bullsh*t!" The queen screamed out. "Continue!" The elves continued their fearless attack after hearing the queens'' order. The queen herself, however, was trying to suppress the growing fear inside of her. ''When he said the strongest human, I didn''t think he''d be so powerful.'' She thought to herself. However, there was no medicine for regret. Seeing that the elves were still attacking, Zhou Fan decided to turn it up a notch. As the closest man neared him, Zhou Fan punched a hole through his chest, killing him instantly. The rest of the soldiers stopped in their tracks. Fear was written on their faces. This scene reminded Zhou Fan of the first time he killed a man. It was when the bandits attacked the village and Zhou Fan defeated the leader in one hit. An eerily similar scene was playing out right now. The look on the elves'' faces resembled those of the other bandits faces back then. " I will ask once more." Zhou Fan said while releasing his Qi pressure. Just enough to make it near impossible to stand. "Submit. Otherwise, I will kill every elf in this room." Perhaps if he had said this without releasing his Qi pressure, they would have continued. However, right now, they couldn''t even stand, much less fight back. After saying his words, Zhou Fan dispersed his pressure. Even then, terror was written on the elves'' faces. It was likely that they would never forget what happened today. The room remained silent for a good 5 minutes. Luckily for them, Zhou Fan was a patient person. After 5 minutes, the elf queen finally spoke up, fear etched on her face. Chapter 30: Hidden Entrance- 30 Chapter 30 - Hidden Entrance- 30 "W-w-what are you?" The elf queen managed to stutter out. "I am a cultivator. No. I am The cultivator." Zhou Fan said, putting an emphasis on ''The''. Although he had no proof that he was the only cultivator, it didn''t matter. He felt it in his soul, he was the first cultivator. If he was wrong, so be it. By the elf queen''s expression, you could tell she had no idea what he was talking about. "... We submit." She unwillingly said. Although she had no idea what a cultivator was, she was intimidated enough to accept her fate. "Kneel to the new king." The elf queen said to her surrounding elves. Although the elves had unwilling expressions, they too didn''t have the heart to resist. However, as they were falling to their knees, Zhou Fan spoke out. "I am not your king," he said. "I have no intention to control or affect you in any way. Just don''t try to fight against me." Zhou Fan looked at the elf queen and spoke. "Do you have a library?" "Yes," she responded. "Take me there," Zhou Fan commanded. The elf queen wasted no time and led him out of the palace. As soon as they left, the elves in the palace let out a breath of relief. "Why was he calling us elves," one of the elf men said. "If you''re asking me, who should I ask," another elf responded. "I believe he has named our race that," the oldest elf in the room commented. "Preposterous!" One of the elves angrily exclaimed. "We are the proud valeks! How dare he change the name of our race!" He angrily shouted. "Oh," the old elf sounded. "So are you going to tell him that? Why didn''t you tell him to his face while he was forcing you to the ground earlier." He mockingly said. The angry elf deflated and lowered his head. Deep inside, he knew that if Zhou Fan called them the elves, no one would dare resist. "Maybe ''elf'' isn''t a bad name," one of the elves said in an attempt to keep some pride. The rest looked at him understandingly and sounded out their agreement. As they were talking, Zhou Fan followed the elf queen to the world tree. "Why are we here?" He said, confused. "You''ll see," the elf queen said, trying to seem mysterious. The world tree had a perimeter of about 300 feet. Therefore, there was a backside that was outside of the elf village. In fact, that entire area is considered a forbidden zone according to Mark. The elf queen made her way to that area. Although the passerby''s were astonished to see the elf queen roaming about, none stopped their journey. It wasn''t long before they made their way to a hill right behind the world tree. The elf queen went to a seemingly normal stone and pressed down on it. "The library is sacred. Even I rarely go to it. Therefore, it has to stay hidden." She said. Zhou Fan was confused why she pressed the stone. After pressing the first one, she went around pressing stones in a seemingly random fashion. On the twentieth stone a creaking noise was heard. All of a sudden, a 4 foot by 4 foot area on the ground opened up like an entrance to an outside basement. Zhou Fan was dumbfounded. This was the first time he had seen something like this. "It works similar to a gate bridge." She said. Zhou Fan recalled that the gate bridge was a bridge that could be drawn upwards and then lowered by a pulley. It was usually featured over a pit of lava in story books. "Of course, it''s 100x more advanced than that." She said smugly. Although Zhou Fan had the urge to slap her, he just stood there and watched as she walked down the stairs under the hidden entrance. He soon followed. Zhou Fan and the elf queen went down about 100 feet before the stairs came to a stop. In front of them, there was a long narrow hallway lit up by torches on the walls. The elf queen grabbed the nearest wall torch and led Zhou Fan down the hallway. They walked around 100 feet before a big door appeared. Zhou Fan now estimated that they were directly under the world tree. The elf queen walked over to the side of the door and pulled a big lever. When she did, the big door opened. "Now this is closer to the gate bridge." She said. Zhou Fan ignored her and walked in front of her. When he entered, he saw bookshelves lining the wall. There was no natural light, yet there were so many torches that the room was without a hint of darkness. There were roots along the ceiling and a giant one pierced directly through the middle. "Wait," Zhou Fan suddenly stopped and said. "How are all these torches lit?" Zhou Fan was confused. The elf queen said that she rarely came down here, therefore, it was weird that both the hallway and this room were lit. "Ah yes." She said. "A long time ago, we elves created a substance that could burn for 2 years before it had to be replaced. We considered the invention of the ages. However, it is extremely hard to make. It took an equivalent of 1 million gold coins to make a batch the size of a barrel. Luckily, the prior elf empire was so rich that they made thousands of barrels. We are still relying on those today. Every two years, I come down here and re-light the torches." She used the word elf instead of valek due to Zhou Fan''s earlier words. 2 years! 1 million gold coins! Thousand of barrels! The more she talked, the more Zhou Fan was amazed. Something that could burn for two years! Who could make something like that? A million gold was more than an average kingdom''s treasury would contain. Also, thousands of barrels meant billions of gold coins! You would need to combine the treasury of 3 or 4 of the top 10 empires to have that amount. "Wait," Zhou Fan stopped. "Elf empire?" He thought he heard her say such a thing earlier. "Indeed. Read through the library, you will find everything about the elves here." Nodding, Zhou Fan looked around. By quick estimations, there were 2000 bookshelves here. Zhou Fan inwardly prepared himself and got ready to read. Chapter 31: The Human War - 31 Chapter 31 - The Human War - 31 Zhou Fan walked over to the left side of the library. "The left side and the middle contain information about the elves'' history. The right side has the elves'' research, the geography at the time, and many many other things." Zhou Fan nodded his head at her and picked up the first book on the first bookshelf. He finished it very quickly and moved on to the next one. It wasn''t long before he had finished the first bookshelf. As he continued on, the elf queen, Penny, had a dumbfounded expression on her face. She had never seen someone flip through a book for a couple seconds then move on to the next. Many thoughts filled her mind. At first, she thought he was playing a joke on her. However, when he didn''t stop she threw that theory away. She then thought that maybe he wasn''t all there. Perhaps his brain had suffered damage as a child. However, she then thought of his incredible acts earlier. ''Perhaps he is actually reading all those books!'' She thought. ''Maybe it is a perk of being a... a cultivator?'' She continued. She had almost forgot the word he had used earlier. After 100 bookshelves, Zhou Fan was feeling surreal. The information he had gained in these few minutes changed his world view. The info dated back to thousands of years ago. The earliest record he had read in the Yang Lang library was 500 years old. Maybe it''s because the older information is on higher floors? Nevertheless, Zhou Fan kept reading. And reading. And reading. Zhou Fan didn''t stop for 33 hours. By that time, the elf queen had taken multiple naps and food breaks. In fact, it only took Zhou Fan that long because the book''s conditions were old and he had to be extra careful. Afterwards, many of his unanswered questions were solved. Firstly, Zhou Fan wondered where the prophecies came from. It turns out, when the elves moved down here, the oldest tribe member said it. However, there was nothing magical about it. It was simply a logical prediction according to her own words. Speaking of the elves coming down here, they did so a whopping 3500 years ago. For reference, the oldest current empire was the war empire ranked 2nd. Although he had seen no records, rumor says that it was founded 1500 years ago. However, that was not all he found in the library. He had also learned about the elf empire and the other empires at the time. In fact, the other empires were also ran by different races. For example, the barbarian tribe ranked 1st. It was composed of a race that called themselves ''Barbarians.'' Each barbarian was at least 6 foot and 200 pounds. However, they suffered from the same problem as the elves. Reproduction rates. It was said for every 100 attempts, 3 babies would be successfully born. Even at their peak, the barbarian tribe only had 100,000 members. In fact, every top race at the time had the same issue. That was the only reason why humans would end up on top. Zhou Fan also learned about what was referred to as the human war by elves. Humans used to be considered as the weakest race due to their innate blandness. However, they had one thing other top races did not. Incredible reproduction rates. Before the human war, the estimated human population was 100 million! The top races, seeing this, decided that they could become a threat and tried to eliminate them. However, they were too late. A human had risen up and secretly inspired the race to revolt. His name was Lu Bing. He was later referred to as the freedom king. Back then, the human race was reluctant to go against the top races. What opened the floodgates was the massacre of humans from fear that they would grow too powerful. Unknown to the top races, they were already far too powerful. The first uprising happened quickly. Humans had taken out the top races'' branches. After the first success, other human settlements started an uprising. The final battle began not long after and the leader was none other than freedom king Li Bing. Although outnumbered a million to 100 million, the top races put up an incredible fight. However, in the end, numbers won. The 10 races were beaten to escaping and fleeing to unknown places, likely assumed to have been killed. Afterwards, the human race ruled the world as the only sentient race left. One question that Zhou Fan had was why hadn''t he heard of this. However, he recalled the records of the greatest human libraries being burnt or destroyed 2500 years ago. Many records had been lost. Also the humans had not spared even a bit of the buildings of the 10 races. Libraries, castles, and houses were burnt to ashes. Then, their ashes were burnt again. Zhou Fan had also learned of the inventor of the 2 year burning substance. However, he died in the war and all records of the substance''s creation were destroyed. Surprisingly, he found no records of the beasts. Not even legends. He had also seen no records of the underground caves. When he asked queen penny, she said that they randomly stumbled upon this place while retreating. The surviving elf members had ran through the snake tunnels since it was their only hope of survival. Most had died, and out of 1000 runners, 30 survived. Just from that, it can be seen how terrifying the snake tunnels are. That sums up the most important information down here. After reading it all. Zhou Fan went back outside the hidden area. However, when the doors were opening up, he saw a familiar face. "Xiaolong!" Zhou Fan said. As soon as Zhou Fan stepped out of the hidden area, Xiaolong coiled around him in what seemed like a hug. Of course, the other beasts weren''t an exception. Queen penny was almost shocked to death when she saw the beasts. It has to be remembered, they were each the size of elephants. It''s actually incredible that she didn''t pass out. At the very least, she was a trained queen. Chapter 32: Uninformed Elves - 32 Chapter 32 - Uninformed Elves - 32 After a while, Queen Penny managed to calm down and accept what she was seeing. After all, she had seen some crazy things recently and was getting used to it. Unfortunately, not all the elves were able to accept what they were seeing. As Zhou Fan and the rest were walking back to the palace, they saw many limp bodies. They were not dead, but simply passed out with fear. It could be concluded that they had seen the beasts earlier. When they made it back to the palace, the elders had the same reaction to the beasts as Penny. At first, they almost passed out, but once they thought about yesterday''s events, they quickly accepted it. Zhou Fan went inside and made conversations with the elves. After a while, they realized Zhou Fan truly had no intentions of taking them over. Soon, all earlier tensions were resolved. Zhou Fan even admitted that he had over reacted earlier. Soon, the elves started asking him questions. "How did you get down here?" The eldest elf from earlier asked. "We went through the tunnels. I''m not sure why, but the snakes don''t attack me or them." Zhou Fan said while pointing at the beasts. "WHAT!" The group of elves collectively exclaimed. "In that case, is it possible for you to bring us out of here?" One of the elves excitedly questioned. "I could, but it would be far too troublesome. Not to mention, you all have no place up there. Although much time has passed, the grudge between our races still exists. Why else would you have prepared for an attack the moment I came here." Zhou Fan said. At first, he had believed that the queen was just naturally wary of him due to the prophecy, however, after reading the books in the library, he came to the conclusion that she instinctually disliked him. After all, the elves alongside the other races ruled over humans like slavemasters for thousands of years. There was naturally some hatred when they were dethroned. Of course, Zhou Fan didn''t exactly hold a grudge against them. It had been thousands of years. And although he believed that few or even no humans knew of the past war, nothing can remain a secret forever. The elves shut up when hearing that. To his surprise, the majority had confused looks on their faces. It was as if they had no idea about the grudge he was talking about. Seeing that, Zhou Fan looked at Penny for an explanation. She had a troubled look on her face as she started to talk. "Well, most elves nowadays don''t know about the cause of our demise. In fact, most of the people don''t even know what a human is. The only reason everyone in this room does is because they were educated. However, they were only taught that there was a war and not what or who caused it." She explained. "In fact, the war is the shame of the elves. To some it is shameful that we lost, to others, the cause is shameful. Either way, it is only passed down to some by their parents. But after all this time, the hatred has mostly disappeared." She continued. Hearing that, Zhou Fan was enlightened. "Well I understand, but other humans may not. In the end, I am only one member of the human race." Zhou Fan said. "However, at some point, I can consider freeing the elf race, but my current residence doesn''t exactly have the capacity for 129 people." "How about one," Queen Penny spoke up. Zhou Fan looked at her with an inquiring gaze, wondering where she was going. "One of us could go up and live with you. We could learn about the current world and understand the human race." She explained. "I guess you could theoretically do it, but I assume you all have close to zero interaction skills with people you don''t know." Hearing his words, the elves nodded their heads. "We''ll have to do it at some point. At that time, wouldn''t it be better to have a guide?" Queen Penny said. "I suppose I could do that, but which of you will come?" Zhou Fan asked. After hearing him, the elves started to talk among each other. Zhou Fan on the other hand started to think. ''It''s been a while, the weekend should be ending and I need to get back so I can work'' Zhou Fan thought. Even though he wanted to continue to explore the tunnels further, Zhou Fan had a job. In fact, Zhou Fan had almost considered quitting. However, he still needed money. ''Even as a cultivator, I am restricted by human needs.'' He thought. "Okay," Queen Penny said. " We have decided on three candidates. Me, Mark, or Yipeng." Yipeng was the name of the oldest elf who had mocked the angry elf from earlier. Without hesitation, he chose Yipeng. Firstly, Mark had a family to take care of. Zhou Fan had found that out as they were walking to the elf village. As for Penny, not only was she the queen and needed to rule over her people, but she also seemed like a needy person. Also, Yipeng looked quiet and calm. Zhou Fan predicted that he could essentially leave him to his own thing and he would make plenty of friends. "Okay then, good luck Yipeng." The elf queen said. After they all wished him good luck, Zhou Fan mentioned that he needed to head back to the surface. After declining their invitation to eat, Zhou Fan left with the beasts and Yipeng following him. He had declined their invitation due to the fact that they were vegetarians. It wasn''t because they refused to eat meat, but because the animals would quickly go extinct if they tried to feed 129 people meat everyday. It was different for the beasts because there were only 5 of them and they ate moderately. They all quickly made it back to the tunnel he had first come through. Although Yipeng had some fear, he was willing to go when the snakes created a path. Before long, they made it back to the beasts cave. Zhou Fan bid farewell as he and Yipeng flew up to the surface. Of course, Zhou Fan was dragging Yipeng along, who was almost fainting from fright. When they made it back, Zhou Fan grabbed a hat and handed it to Yipeng. He would need it to hide his ears after all. Chapter 33: War Is Coming - 33 Chapter 33 - War Is Coming - 33 Zhou Fan and Yipeng didn''t do much since it was already night time. Zhou Fan went inside to cultivate while Yipeng chose to stare at the stars. He had heard stories and seen drawings but he was the only elf in 3500 years to actually look at the stars. The night passed quickly and Zhou Fan even managed to break into the 3rd level of core formation. Although a small difference, there was a huge change in his power level. When Zhou Fan went outside, he noticed that Yipeng was passed out on the ground. Zhou Fan let him sleep since he probably spent all night looking at the stars. He didn''t waste any time as he left to go to the library for work. On his way there, he noticed that the streets were relatively empty. Even though he felt it was weird, Zhou Fan didn''t stop as he continued to walk to work. Zhou Fan quickly made it to the doors, however when he tried to open them, they wouldn''t budge. He then peered through the door but couldn''t see any lit lamps. It was only then that Zhou Fan noticed the piece of paper stuck on the door. ''Library closed due to recent events.'' When Zhou Fan read this, he was utterly confused. ''Did something happen while I was down in the caves?'' Zhou Fan thought. Zhou Fan looked behind him and saw a random person walking on the street. It was an old lady who needed a cane to get around. "Excuse me ma''am. What''s going on around here? Why is the library closed?" Zhou Fan asked. "You don''t know? Have you been living under a rock? The truth empire and the boundless empire have declared a state of war and the closest kingdom is the wishan kingdom. The truth empires troops are on their way here. They''ll be here in 7 days. Naturally, our empire, the boundless empires troops are on their way. They''ll be here in 4 days. Half the town has fled and 90% will probably leave before a week has passed. Not me though. I''ve been here since I was born. I''ll be dam*ed if I leave just because a bunch of whacked-out out hippies decide to attack us." She said. Zhou Fan almost couldn''t hold back his laugh. The truth empire has been known as a hippie-like place since 100 years ago. Although there are few hippies, it''s a common insult used by people of the boundless empire. However, very quickly Zhou Fan became solemn. Such a war is enough to kill millions. Also, there hasn''t been a war between top 10 kingdoms in 200 years. Not to mention that both kingdoms are in the top 5. This news was enough to shake the world! "What?! I know the tensions have been high but it shouldn''t have caused a war. Did anything happen." Zhou Fan asked. "Have you seriously been living under a rock?" She said, confused. "Technically yes." Zhou Fan said. He was a mile underground after all. There was surely one rock that he was under. "Weirdo. Anyway, the 3rd princess was killed while she was visiting the truth kingdom." She stated. !?!? Zhou Fan was dumbfounded when he heard that. No wonder a war is happening. Everyone knew that the emperor doted on the 3rd princess the most. There''s no doubt, this is an all out war! After asking the old lady a couple more questions, Zhou Fan went back to the courtyard. When he arrived, he saw that Yipeng was awake. However, he was just sitting there. Zhou Fan realized that there was nothing to do in his courtyard. Not even eat. After all, he didn''t store any food here. Also, Yipeng didn''t dare go out on his own. After saying hello, Zhou Fan told him about the war happening. After hearing all the details, Yipeng was also surprised. He was also confused. "Why would the truth empire kill the princess? They should know that it would cause an all out war. It''s likely that both sides would suffer devastating losses regardless of who wins or loses." Yipeng asked. Zhou Fan had also thought of that earlier. He also felt it didn''t make any sense. "Perhaps the truth empire didn''t kill her. Maybe someone was trying to start a war?" Zhou Fan sounded out then continued. "Either way, the war is happening. Peace talks were never an option." Putting the war to the back of his mind, Zhou Fan left the courtyard with Yipeng. He checked out his mailbox while leaving and saw some coins along with a note from Lu Chen. It read, ''This is 3 months pay. Sorry you didn''t get to work long before this happened. Most of the higher ups, including me, are evacuating. Take this money and save yourself.'' Zhou Fan nodded after reading the letter and decided to buy food and clothes. Along with the around 50 silver Lu Chen sent and the god from his discovery, Zhou Fan had plenty of money to spend. They went out to the busiest part of the city which now had no more than 10 people in view not counting the vendors. Zhou Fan walked up to one of the shops and spent 15 silver on savable food. Because of the war, everything was much cheaper and Zhou Fan bought 6 months of food. Although 15 silver may seem low, most people only made that in 6 months. After food shopping, they went to the clothes store and bought some clothes for each of them. Zhou Fan also bought Yipeng some hats and toboggans. Afterwards, they walked around while Zhou Fan introduced the city. They ended up at a park where a few old men Yipeng''s age were playing a game called chess. Yipeng walked up to them and became friends in no time. They taught him and Zhou Fan how to play. Although Yipeng was interested in the game, Zhou Fan got bored since no one could beat him after 3 games. SInce Yipeng was having fun, Zhou Fan left him there and went home. He decided to spend the next few days cultivating. Chapter 34: Arrival - 34 Chapter 34 - Arrival - 34 When he reached the courtyard, Zhou Fan put up the items he bought and went straight to his room. He hadn''t cultivated seriously in a while and felt excited to do it again. He decided to spend four days cultivating before the empire''s soldiers arrived. Although he wouldn''t be able to make too much improvement, he could probably break into the 4th level. Not wasting any time, Zhou Fan sat on his bed and got into a meditation position. While cultivating, time flew past and before he knew it, 4 days had passed. --------------------------- Zhou Fan stood up from his bed and stretched his body that hadn''t moved in 4 days. He noticed that it was getting much easier to get into a state where time moves extremely fast. After the four days, he had broken into the 4th level of core formation. Unfortunately, Zhou Fan only made it to around 25% to the next level. It seemed that cultivation was going to keep getting harder and harder. After a couple more realms, it might take 100 years to break through. Thinking that far, Zhou Fan hoped that his lifespan would also increase. Otherwise, his life would end before he knew it. After thinking, Zhou Fan went outside and saw Yipeng. Throughout the last four days, Zhou Fan would subconsciously see him walk past him to get food before leaving for the rest of the day. Zhou Fan assumed that he had been meeting up with his friends at the park. Zhou Fan did tell Yipeng that he would be meditating for four days straight beforehand, therefore, he wasn''t worried for him. After a quick chat, Zhou Fan learned that the army hadn''t arrived just yet but should be here any minute. Hearing that, he walked over to the city gates and saw the people who hadn''t evacuated lining the city walls. Zhou Fan went up the stairs and arrived there in order to see what was going on. When he arrived, he noticed the sudden silence. He looked out of the city and was awed at the sight before him. In the distance, a mass of black dots was making its way to the city. Such a scene would strike fear into anyone''s heart. Looking at them, Zhou Fan wasn''t sure if he could defeat them with his current strength. He estimated that he should be able to win at 6th realm core formation. However, such thoughts did nothing to quell the slight fear in his heart. Even now, he wasn''t invincible. However, he might be once he reaches the realm after core formation. Thinking of that, Zhou Fan was extremely excited. The day when he could walk through the world unmatched is near. It wasn''t long before the ground started to shake. Most people fled from the city walls since they felt it was going to fall down. Some people such as Zhou Fan chose to stay up there because they knew it wouldn''t fall. When the army reached the city, it sent a few people towards it before it circled around the wall. Looking at the army up close, Zhou Fan started to count. Even with his current brain, it still took two minutes before he came up with a number. 10 million! Many were riding horses while many others held a sword or a bow and marched. The army only stopped when they were defending the spot that the truth empire would come towards. It was then that they started to set up camp while a group of 200 rode towards the city. The people who had come earlier were here to deliver news. However, Zhou Fan could tell from afar that this group was different. In the back, 150 men with medals across their uniforms rode. In the middle, 49 crowned men rode. Finally, leading the group, a man with a much more elegant crown rode. When Zhou Fan saw him, he instantly recognized him. The boundless emperor! Emperor of the boundless empire. Behind him rode 49 of the 150 kings of the empire and behind them were the greatest generals in the empire. It didn''t take long before they reached the gate. Everyone within their sight kneeled in respect. After all, they wouldn''t even dare stand in the presence of a king, much less the emperor and 49 kings. Since they were far away from them on the city walls, few people bothered kneeling. Zhou Fan was one of the ones who stood. In fact, even if the emperor were right in front of him, Zhou Fan wouldn''t kneel. Although he wasn''t exactly a prideful person, it seemed shameful to the name of a cultivator to kneel. The emperor passed through the city without stopping and went right to the mayor''s house. The mayor was one of the few people who had to stay behind regardless of their personal reasons or feelings. He greeted the emperor at the manors'' gate and led him inside along with the 49 kings. The generals stayed outside and guarded the area, although unecessary. That was all Zhou Fan could see as he once again looked at the 10 million strong army outside the city walls. By now, they had mostly set up camp. Since the great arriving had finished, Zhou Fan went back to his courtyard. When he got back, he explained to Yipeng what he had missed. Yipeng was awed at the description of the 10 million strong army and the arrival of the emperor. He was also feeling regretful that he didn''t go and instead went to the park to see his friends. After their chat, Zhou Fan went inside and started cultivating. Although he wouldn''t reach the 5th level in the remaining 3 days, Zhou Fan still chose to make some progress. 2 days passed in a flash and Zhou Fan decided to spend the last day before the war looking around the city. He walked into shops he had never entered before and visited the places he hadn''t seen. After all, Zhou Fan had no idea whether the city would still be here after the war. It wasn''t long before night fell and Zhou Fan cultivated once again. Finally, at 10 o''clock in the morning, Zhou Fan felt the ground shake. Chapter 35: God - 35 Chapter 35 - God - 35 Feeling the ground shake, Zhou Fan stood up and prepared himself. He grabbed Yipeng and jogged to the city walls. Of course, his jogging was many times faster than anyone else''s running. On his way, he didn''t see a single resident. It seemed that they had retreated to a safer area. When he made it to the city walls, they were lined with catapults and ballistas. Zhou Fan went up there, unstopped, and laid his eyes on the scene before him. From the distance, an army came. Once again, they looked like nothing but black dots. After looking for a while, Zhou Fan counted 10 million enemy troops! Directly across from them, stood another 10 million troops. At that moment, drums started playing within the army and Zhou Fan heard the empire''s war song for the first time. Not long after, the enemies played their war song. Both sides started marching forward and before long, they clashed! Almost instantly, the armies merged together and fought to the death. Before a minute had passed, Zhou Fan estimated that 100,00 had died. The ground started to turn red and it seemed as though there was a river of blood. Many soldiers cried out, injured in the battle. Many more were already dead. Witnessing the horror of war, Zhou Fan felt fear. Never before did he imagine he would see such a terrible scene. Catapults would crush people into meat paste while ballistas would pierce them through. Zhou Fan didn''t feel fear from the power demonstrated. Instead, he felt fear at the cruelty and evilness of humanity. Every single soldier who fell had a life story. 20, 30, and even 40 years of life, only to die in a single moment. However, Zhou Fan was astonished to see not a hint of fear on most of the soldiers. Even in their dying breaths, they tried to do as much damage to the enemy as possible. On one side, a man who had one of his arms cut off and was bleeding out on the ground grabbed the ankle of one of the enemies, allowing another soldier to kill the man. On the other side, a battered and bloody man bit the flesh off of the enemy who had pierced him with a sword. After 10 minutes had passed, Zhou Fan had started to build up a resistance to these deaths. Millions had died as Zhou Fan stood frozen, watching. At first, he had planned to make a move. Perhaps a fireball that would burn the enemy to ashes, or a giant wave that would drown them. However now, he simply stood there, watching. As time passed, he felt enlightened. As if he had understood the meaning of life. Seeing the endless slaughter, he had realized that both sides were fighting equally. Without their insignias on their armor, you couldn''t tell who was who. Zhou Fan realized that he didn''t want to make a move. He held no allegiance to the boundless empire. He held no hate towards the truth empire. In fact, the only reason they were fighting is because they were ordered to. They believed that dying for their emperor was an honorable death. So much so that they continued to fight even in their last breath. In a way, it was an honorable death. If they didn''t fight, the truth empire would kill their loved ones. However, the cause of the war wasn''t so noble. It was simply because the kings and emperors of each side didn''t like each other. Still watching the war, Zhou Fan''s indifference grew and grew. After 30 minutes, Zhou Fan simply didn''t care. He couldn''t explain why. He saw these people give up their lives and futures with their loved ones. He understood that many would be left without fathers or sons. But he just couldn''t feel any sadness. He couldn''t relate. He had never felt a love so strong that he would die for it, nor an allegiance so honorable he would sacrifice himself. ''Is this the path of a cultivator? To grow beyond mortal worries or affairs? To become the one above all beings?'' Then, Zhou Fan raised his hand towards the sky. Because of the war, not a single person noticed his movement. He felt he had reached enlightenment. A new idea came to his head. At his command, the clouds started moving in. Before a minute had passed, a giant stormcloud appeared above the battlefield. Zhou Fan shot a green light out of his fingers into the cloud. The green light was very similar to the green light he had created to heal Xiaolong. However, there was a difference. When he created the green light before, it was based on trial and error. He kept trying different combinations until something worked ''good enough''. This time, he felt as if he truly understood what he was doing. Instead of calling the green light healing Qi. It was much more accurate to call it life Qi. When the green light disappeared into the clouds, rain began to fall. At first, no one paid it any attention. However, they quickly noticed that their injuries were visibly healing. The bodies on the ground also seemed to be healing! It was almost as if they would come back to life. Unfortunately, they wouldn''t. Although Zhou Fans epiphany was incredible, it wasn''t bring back the dead incredible. Although he could heal their bodies, their soul was gone forever. After both sides realized the rain was healing them. The battle stopped. Yelling men stopped yelling, commanders stopped commanding, and soldiers stopped fighting. Soon, clanking could be heard on the ground. Many soldiers had dropped their weapons while looking at the sky. Many even started to unintentionaly cry. After another minute, people started to fall on their knees. They looked at the battlefield around them and cried. Even the most battle hardened and emotionless men were not spared. At some point, a man uttered out a word. ''God''. A word that none had used before, yet felt so correct to use. As if it was an infectious disease, the word god started to pour out of many peoples mouths. Like that, the war was over. Looking from afar, Zhou Fan indifferently turned away and walked back to the courtyard. Chapter 36: Aftermath - 36 Chapter 36 - Aftermath - 36 As Zhou Fan made it back to his courtyard, the life rain ended and the clouds dispersed. Even then, most soldiers didn''t get up. Many of them stared at the sky blankly. The life rain had not only healed their bodies, but affected their mind. They no longer felt the urge to kill or fight. As if a peace treaty had been established, neither side attacked. The emperor''s also didn''t order any more attacks. Both sides silently retreated until they could no longer see each other. The soldiers of the boundless empire made it back to the area they had first camped in and settled down. Many would go on to pray to god, or what they had named god. ------------------------------- In the emperor''s tent, the emperor sat at the edge of his bed. His hands were put together in a praying motion as he sat there silently. He too had been affected by the life rain. Although terribly sad at the death of his favorite daughter, he no longer sent his people to an unnecessary death. Within the rain, everyone''s emotions were intensified. Even though the emperor had previously watched indifferently as his soldiers died, grief ran through his heart under the life rain. Empathy that he had long lost had once again been planted in his mind. The truth emperor was also sitting in his tent, praying, feeling similar to the boundless emperor. Although he hadn''t unnecessarily sent his people to their death, he still felt grief at the loss of his people. Looking up from his prayer, the truth emperor ordered one of his fastest riders to head to the boundless empire''s camp. As expected, he had nothing to do with the death of the third princess. He sent the envoy to convey that message to the boundless emperor. If they could work together, they could find the culprits of this war and destroy them entirely. -------------------------------- A couple days after the end of the battle, the news of what happened there started to spread. At first, many didn''t believe it. However, every single report was the same. It was undoubtable proof. Many started to consider following this god. However, one had to remember that there was no sort of god, nor prayer, nor worship before. This was a completely new concept to everyone and people needed time to adjust. Even with the proof, many people refused to believe such a fairy tale. Although they had to admit that it would be incredible if someone could make up such a story, it didn''t stop them from attempting to confirm it themselves. Many curious people went to the battlefield while nobles and other people of high positions sent scouts to inform them. It wasn''t long before the first people got there. They were amazed to discover that there were no corpses or blood. In fact, there was no battlefield! In place of the battlefield where the war took place, a forest stood. It was lush, green, and full of noises. Noises from living beings! Seeing the sight, every single person there took out a map and made sure they were in the right place. It wasn''t long before everyone had the same realization. They were in the right place! The scouts of nobles and others with high status quickly rode back in order to report their incredible findings and before long, nobody had any doubt. Many quickly started to join the soldiers who had retired and started to form a group of worshipers of god. ------------------------------ Meanwhile, the dark emperor frowned upon hearing confirmation. Naturally, the dark emperor was the emperor of the dark empire, ranked 8th. Sitting in the silent throne room that was filled with advisors and kings, the darkness emperor spoke from his throne. "The plan has failed. Not only did we fail to destroy both the truth empire and the boundless empire, a so-called god has appeared." The darkness emperor solemnly spoke. "Not a single word of this leaves this room. If the empires find out that we caused this war, we will be destroyed without a doubt, and not single one of you will be spared." Everyone in the room shared a look of understanding and inwardly swore to keep their mouth shut. ------------------------- On a pure golden throne with red cushions, sat a brown haired man with a small beard. The man had on a beautiful gold crown inlayed with crystals and jewels, each so expensive that they could bankrupt a small empire. Anyone looking at him would describe him in one word. Kingly. However, the imposing and dominering man''s jaw was nearing the floor. Hearing the reports and repeated conformation of the battle, even he couldn''t keep himself calm. Looking at the emperor of the mortaniel empire, the reporter had a look of understanding. In fact, he felt admiration from the fact that only the emperors jaw dropped. When he had heard the news, he had almost fainted from shock. Even now, he was still in disbelief of the reports. Finally, the emperor of the mortaniel empire spoke. "Send 10,000 men to the forest where the battlefield once was. Investigate every single thing there. Also, bring the greatest scientists we have." He commanded. The reporter quickly nodded and left. Sitting on the throne alone, the mortaniel emperors mind was in turmoil. As the king of the most powerful empire in the world, he hadn''t lost his composure since he was still a prince. However, the reports he had heard sounded more like a story than a fact. No. Even the greatest story writer in the world couldn''t write about such a thing. Magic? God? Prayer? No such thing had existed before. ------------------- It''s been a month since the battle between the truth empire and the boundless empire. In the cave, Zhou Fan laid in the fields. Ever since the battle, Zhou Fan had been down here cultivating. In the last month, not only has he named the beasts cave, now called Dragon Cave, but he has also broken into the 7th level of core formation. Now, he was confident in taking on the empires entire army. Chapter 37: Exploration - 37 Chapter 37 - Exploration - 37 Since the war ended, Zhou Fan didn''t plan to go back to the surface. He had no interest in the upper world as of now. Essentially, he had faked his death. Of course, he had remembered to bring Yipeng along. Right now, he was in the cabin eating. On his way down, Zhou Fan remembered to bring some food so that they wouldn''t have to go back up. Standing up, Zhou Fan walked into the house and spotted Yipeng. "Hey. Me and the beasts are going to explore the tunnels tomorrow. Do you want to come?" Zhou Fan asked. "I would like to." Responded Yipeng. Hearing his answer, Zhou Fan nodded before heading into his room and going to sleep. Although he could now go longer and longer without sleeping, Zhou Fan hadn''t slept in almost a month. ¡ª-------------------------- The next morning, Zhou Fan, Yipeng, and the beasts made their way to another tunnel. The last time, they chose to go through the tunnel directly across from the exit tunnel, while this time, they chose to go through the tunnel left to the exit tunnel. When they made it to the entrance, Zhou Fan sent Xiaolong in first in order to clear a path. He, Yipeng, and the rest of the beasts followed behind. After what seemed to be an hour of walking, a light shone from the distance. The group picked up their pace and made it to the light in 2 minutes. When they finally exited the tunnel, Zhou Fan saw a familiar, yet unfamiliar scene. In the middle of the sky, a giant crystal once again hung. However, unlike the previous crystals he had seen, this one didn''t make the cave seem like day. Instead, the crystal gave off a black light that emulated the night. There were also small white crystals that were embedded into the ceiling, looking like stars. Looking around, Zhou Fan saw a lamp post standing next to them. Clearly, it had given off the deceiving light from earlier. In fact, there was a path of lamp posts that seemed to create a trail. If not for these, Yipeng and the beasts wouldn''t be able to see anything. Although the beasts can be lightly considered cultivators, they were only in the first stage of Qi gathering. The improvement to their eyesight was minimal. As for Yipeng, he couldn''t see anything past the light the lamps gave off. Looking into the darkness, Zhou Fan spoke. "Do you think that another race like the elves lives here?" He said towards Yipeng. "It would seem so due to the existence of the lamp posts. However, I can only think of one race that could live in such darkness." "Dark elves." Zhou Fan interrupted. "Indeed", said Yipeng, wearing a slight grimace on his face. Recalling the elves'' library, Zhou Fan knew that the elves and dark elves were mortal enemies. If the hatred of humans could be said to have disappeared from the elf population, the hatred of dark elves were the exact opposite. It was as if their sole purpose was to hate each other. Throughout the elves'' history, there had been no less than 20 wars with the dark elves. However, they had always been similar in strength and been unable to kill the other race off. Zhou Fan didn''t admire the big black crystal in the center of the cave for long before he and the rest started to follow the torch path. Although dark elves had near perfect night vision, they could still see more details with light. The group followed the torches for about 30 minutes before they came upon a gate. The gate was made out of wood and was wide open. ''I guess they aren''t expecting intruders.'' Zhou Fan thought. To Zhou Fan, the entire area was as clear as day, but to Yipeng and the beasts, the torches were about as far as they could see. Since he didn''t know if there were any traps, Zhou Fan had Yipeng ride on Xuanwu''s back. After all, there was no way the dark elves would see the beasts and still have the courage to attack. After another 10 minutes of walking, Zhou Fan saw some movement up ahead. Ordering the beasts to stay, Zhou Fan and Yipeng traveled 3 minutes before he found the source. On the ground not far away, stood around 50 houses. Outside of these houses, something similar to elves were walking around. The only difference between them and the elves that Zhou Fan had known is their skin color. Unlike elves, these elves had dark skin. Clearly, they were dark elves. Like Zhou Fan, they saw through the darkness as if it was day. Zhou Fan didn''t observe for too long before he walked into the village, followed by Yipeng. It wasn''t long before the dark elves spotted Zhou Fan and Yipeng. When they looked at Zhou Fan, they felt surprised. However, when their gazes fell upon Yipeng, an immense hatred burst out of their eyes. As for Yipeng, although he couldn''t see too well, he could see the dark elves outline and infer who they were. An equally immense hatred burst out of his eyes. If he had Zhou Fan''s power, he would have already destroyed the entire cave. It was then that Zhou Fan spoke up. "Hello. We come in peace." Zhou Fan tried to say. However, he didn''t even have time to talk before the dark elves started to pull out their weapons. The most common weapon was a bow while a few carried a sword or a spear. "Okay, that seems unnec¨C." Zhou Fan attempted to say. Before he could finish, 30 arrows came flying at his face. Using a small amount of Qi, Zhou Fan created a shield that blocked all the arrows. Assuming that the magical display would bring the elves to a halt, Zhou Fan tried to talk again. However, he was interrupted by another bunch of arrows shooting at him and Yipeng. Looking at them with surprise, Zhou Fan could see such violent hatred in their eyes that they were able to ignore the magical occurrence that just happened. Chapter 38: Dark Elves - 38 Chapter 38 - Dark Elves - 38 Since the dark elves didn''t want him to talk, Zhou Fan didn''t waste anymore words. After blocking yet another bunch of arrows, he waved his hand and used some wind Qi to form a bubble around the group of dark elves. They continued to shoot arrows for about a minute before they realized that their arrows were blocked by the greenish wall in front of them. After a brief moment of confusion, a dark elf fell to the ground. The remaining elves turned around and saw their friend passed out. THUD! Turning back around, they saw 3 more dark elves passed out. Within 20 seconds, every dark elf was passed out on the ground. Only then did Zhou Fan stop siphoning air out of the wind bubble and dispersed it. By now, the dark elf settlement was silent. It seemed that nearly all of the dark elves had gathered to attack Zhou Fan, or more accurately, Yipeng. Looking at the passed out dark elves, Zhou Fan used wood Qi to bind them to the ground before he started to walk around the village. Everything seemed similar to the elf cave, however, they were missing trees. The most obvious difference was the lack of a world tree. In fact, they didn''t have any sort of centerpiece to their village. Not even a water fountain or a statue. One similarity to the elf village is that on the north side of the village, there was a big palace. Like the elf palace, it was made with wood. However, this wood was a much darker type. Since he had previously knocked out the guards, Zhou Fan walked right through the gates of the palace and into the elegant door that led to the throne room. It had to be noted that the entire palace was lit with torches. When Zhou Fan walked through the final door that led into the throne room, he noticed that the sides were lined with metal armors. He then noticed the presence on the throne. "Who are you?!" The dark elf king said with great confusion. However, after a moment, he quickly realized Zhou Fan''s identity. "Human!" He said while frowning. Like the elves, the dark elves had a hatred for humans. Also, they too had slowly lost this hate over time. However, the dark elf king was naturally informed and seemed to hold some hatred for humans. "Let''s not waste any time", Zhou Fan said while looking towards the throne with his hands behind his back. "Take me to the library." The dark elf king looked at Zhou Fan with both a little bit of disdain and a little bit of wariness. "I''m afraid I''ll have to refuse. GUARDS!" The king screamed. However, even after a minute had passed, no guards came. It seemed that every single one had been knocked out by Zhou Fan earlier. "It seems that they''re busy right now." Zhou Fan taunted. Clearly, the king didn''t know about the arrival of an elf. He also didn''t see Yipeng since Zhou Fan told him to wait outside the palace. "Do you want to take me there or do you want me to beat you up then make you take me there?" Zhou Fan asked. Hearing his words, the king let out a small chuckle. "I don''t think you have the ability to make me show you the way." The king pulled out a sword from the side of his throne and lept towards Zhou Fan with a downward swing. Zhou Fan stepped sideways to dodge with his hands still behind his back. The king''s floor hit the sword, but he instantly turned and side slashed at Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan jumped back as if there was little gravity and dodged the sword. When he landed next to one of the armors, he grabbed the sword from it and attacked the king. Since he had decided to use the strength of an average warrior, the king easily parried his downward slash. Zhou Fan found great fun in fights like these. He could both practice his sword skills and fight someone without instantly defeating them. After 3 minutes had passed, the king was looking extremely fatigued. He was gasping heavily and was only able to stand up because he was leaning on his sword. On the other hand, Zhou Fan looked like he was in perfect condition. Looking at Zhou Fan, the dark elf king sighed. "I admit defeat, but I won''t tell you the location of the library. You''ll have to kill me." It was clear that although the king knew he couldn''t win, he felt that he shouldn''t give up the library''s location. "Hahaha", Zhou Fan laughed. He naturally knew that the king would be unwilling to disclose the location if he defeated him like that. He then stopped holding his aura back and released it. BOOM!! A great pressure descended upon the room and the elf king instantly fell on his knees. An immense fear found its way into his mind. In his eyes, Zhou Fan no longer looked human. Instead, he looked like a great devil from the depths of hell. "I-I-I-I''ll show y-you." After a bit of stuttering, the dark elf king was able to agree to Zhou Fan''s earlier words. Hearing him, Zhou Fan stopped releasing his aura pressure. He was slightly disappointed actually. He was hoping that the dark elf king would take longer to crack under the pressure. It wasn''t because Zhou Fan had expectations, however. Instead, it was because he felt more natural when his aura, or more accurately, cultivation, was being released without restraint. In fact, it actually took up a bit of energy to stop it from being released. Luckily, the amount of energy was negligible. "Good. In that case, please lead the way." Zhou Fan said. The dark elf king didn''t dare hesitate before he walked to a seemingly random hallway in the castle. In that hallway, the dark elf king started to pull torches down which surprisingly acted like levers. With a smug look on his face, he started to brag. "Incredible isn''t it? This is one of th¡ª" "Already seen it." Zhou Fan interrupted. Looking disappointed, the dark elf king kept pulling levers until a section of the wall moved like a sliding door, revealing a lightly lit path. Chapter 39: Blood - 39 Chapter 39 - Blood - 39 Zhou Fan didn''t waste any time before he walked into the path. The dark elf king followed him from behind. "Why are these torches lit?" Zhou Fan asked, although he was pretty sure he already knew. "These torches contain a substance created by tulin. Although we hate elves, we have to admit that he was the greatest genius among the 10 races." The dark elf king responded. Zhou Fan nodded at his words. Zhou Fan and the dark elf king continued down the hallway until they came upon a big door. The dark elf king pulled the lever next to it and the door opened. Looking inside, Zhou Fan saw that there wasn''t much of a difference between this library and the elves. The biggest difference is the lack of a giant tree root. Without waiting, Zhou Fan started to read all of the book from left to right. Like everyone else, the dark elf king was astounded by Zhou Fans reading speed. Or rather, the fact that he didn''t even seem to be reading. However, he quickly shook himself out of that train of thought and ignored Zhou Fan''s behavior until he was done reading. It took around 36 hours to read every book here. After finishing, Zhou Fan realized that it was mostly a waste of time. The only new knowledge in this library was about the dark elves. It told a little more about their history and had some random information that wasn''t in the elf library. Zhou Fan walked over to the table the dark elf king was sleeping on and tapped his shoulder, waking him up. "Let''s go." He said, before he started walking out of the library. The dark elf king quickly cleared up his mind and followed Zhou Fan outside. When they got back to the palace, Zhou Fan didn''t stop and walked back to the place he had left Yipeng. When he arrived, he saw a bunch of angry dark elves trying to break free of the wood. He then looked to the side and saw Yipeng eating some carrots. "You were gone for a while so I stole some of their food." He said with a sly grin. Zhou Fan chuckled and waved his hand, releasing the dark elves from their constraints. This time, they didn''t immediately attack and just glared hatefully. It was then that the dark elf king addressed them. "Listen. You will not attack or bear hatred towards either of them." He said. The dark elves looked at him and reluctantly agreed. "Yes king wen." Although they couldn''t completely forget their hatred after a single command, they did tone it down. Afterwards, Zhou Fan didn''t stay for long. After resting for a day, he and Yipeng collected the beasts and left the dark elf cave. When they made it back to the dragon cave, they rested for a single day before they started exploring again. This time, they chose the tunnel that was on the right of the exit tunnel. They imitated the previous experience of walking down the tunnel until they saw a light. This time, the light was red. When they finally made it out of the tunnel, the first thing they noticed was the big crystal hanging from the ceiling. Next, they noticed that there were nearly no trees. As for the few that existed, they were completely without leaves. The group didn''t waste any time before they began to walk towards the center of the cave. The red light that the crystal gave off made the entire cave have a red hue. It was enough to make Yipeng feel chills. As for Zhou Fan and the beasts, they naturally wouldn''t be scared by something like this. While walking, they noticed that the entire cave was nearly devoid of life. There was little to no grass and not a single animal had been spotted. Even in the dark elves'' cave, they still had some animals and trees. There were only two races that could be here. The demon race or the barbarian race. "Who do you think?" Zhou Fan asked Yipeng. He felt no need to elaborate on what he meant since Yipeng was well educated. "It''s likely the demon race. Even the barbarians wouldn''t like to live in this environment. As for the demons, they would probably prefer to live here." He answered. Zhou Fan nodded in agreement before he hopped on Xiaolong''s back and rode the rest of the way. Like before, Yipeng rode on Xuanwu. It didn''t take long before Zhou Fan made it to the gates of the demon races area. He rode through and saw a similar situation to the previous villages. Of course, that only referred to the houses. Unlike the other village, there was a foul stench. An odor that could only come from death. Weirdly enough, Zhou Fan couldn''t see anyone walking around. Flexing his ears, Zhou Fan listened deeply for sounds. Within a moment, he picked up what sounded like cheering a mile or so away. Without wasting time, he rode on Xiaolong towards the sounds. After a certain distance was traveled, even Yipeng could hear the chanting. When they got closer, Zhou Fan could see a coliseum surrounded by the mountains ahead. He could smell the blood and death coming from that direction. Although it didn''t bother Zhou Fan and the beasts too much, Yipeng started to gag. Out of consideration for Yipeng, Zhou Fan used some wind Qi to disperse the smell. It wasn''t but a minute before they arrived at the gates. When they saw that they were unguarded, they welcomed themselves in. By now, the chanting was loud enough to block out other sounds from entering their ears. They rode no more than 200 feet before they came upon an entrance to the arena. When he walked through, Zhou Fan instantly noticed the sight of two men fighting each other to the death in the middle of the coliseum. These men looked different from humans or elves, however. Zhou Fan looked at their horns and small wings and instantly recalled the name of their species. Demons. Chapter 40: Demons - 40 Chapter 40 - Demons - 40 Only a moment after Zhou Fan and the rest entered the arena, one of the fighters pierced through the other with a sword. Zhou Fan could hear the crowd roar in excitement and was mildly surprised. From what he could hear, there were at least 1000 demons in the colosseum alone. That was almost 5 times the amount of dark elves and elves combined. Although they had a higher rate of success when reproducing, it shouldn''t be so exaggerated. In fact, out of the 10 races, the demon race had the highest reproduction rate at 1 in 10, triple that of the elves. Zhou Fan looked at the victor of the battle who was clearly feeling happy with the praise and rode out with Xiaolong. The moment he came into view of the demons, silence descended. Following behind him was the rest of the beasts. Xuanwu, Hang lu, Bainu, and Zhuque looked around with curious eyes at the members of the demon race. At this moment, the fearsome and bloody demons were shivering. Although they had never seen these beasts, they were huge! It seemed as if each beast could trample upon the entire demon race. Looking up, Zhou Fan spotted a white haired demon with red eyes wearing a crown. Even when seeing the beasts, he didn''t seem fearful on the surface. Zhou Fan was surprised at his indifference when the demon king spoke up. "How are you riding the beast of calamity?"He asked while staring straight into Zhou Fan''s eyes. "Is that what you call my dragon?" Zhou Fan responded with the same indifferent face. Looking at the beast, the demon king spoke out. "Dragon, huh. A fitting name." Looking back at Zhou Fan, the king spoke again. "I would like to invite you to my palace." Although Zhou Fan was still surprised at the demon king''s actions, he agreed. Seeing him nodding, the demon king rose from his chair and walked out the back, followed by a middle aged lady with black hair and purple eyes. When Zhou Fan saw her, he felt slight surprise. ''The shadow race?'' He thought to himself. ''What are they doing here?'' The shadow race was ranked 7th. Although when compared to the 3rd rank elf race, 4th rank dark elf race, and the 2nd rank demon race, they seemed low, they were still a terrifying force in the past. Zhou Fan saw them in the coliseums exit and ordered Yipeng and the beasts to follow. When they caught up, the demon king started to lead them to the palace. On the way, Zhou Fan looked at the black haired, purple eyed girl and asked a question. "Are you from the shadow race?" She nodded her head to confirm as the demon king spoke up for her. "Indeed she is. When our races fell into the caves, there was a path between our caves without snakes. At first we were hostile to each other, but we later formed a treaty and have lived in harmony since. As for now, she is my wife and the current queen of the demon race." Zhou Fan nodded, and they walked the rest of the journey silently. When they made it to the palace, they were led to the throne room. Surprisingly, the demon king didn''t sit on the throne and instead stood in the middle of the room. "My name is Cao Lin, and this is my wife Cao Zen. On behalf of the demon race, I can absolutely say that we bear no grudge towards the human race and hope that you can forgive our ancestors'' transgressions." Looking at Cao Lin, Zhou Fan could tell what he was thinking. It''s likely that he recognizes Xiaolong as the beast of calamity and feared for his and the demon race''s lives. "What is the beast of calamity?" Zhou Fan asked. Although he had read the entire elf and dark elf library, he had never heard mention of the beast of calamity. "It''s a legend passed down from one of the demon kings that lived before we retreated to the caves. According to it, the beast of calamity is a terrifying beast that has the power of 10,000 men once it becomes an adult. As for yours, it seems to be no older than 10." The demon king said, finally having a somewhat fearful look surface on his face. Zhou Fan nodded at the demon king''s words. He had previously assumed that not only Xiaolong, but the other beasts were quite young. "In that case, do you recognize the other beats?" Zhou Fan asked. "No. In fact, I only recognized yours because of a drawing contained within the book. According to the past demon king, your beast''s ancestor had almost decimated the demon race before they finally appeased it. When it grows to full size, it is 100 feet long and 5 feet wide. Arrows will only leave a scratch on its scales." He said. "As for the other beasts, I assume that they are either equal or similar in power to the beast of calamity. Their age should be equal or similar as well." Listening to him, Zhou Fan finally spoke up. "You seem like a nice guy, but I''m going to have to ask you to submit. Don''t worry, I won''t take control over anything or affect you in any way." Zhou Fan said. After some brief hesitation, the demon king knelt and submitted to Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan pulled him up from the ground to show him some face, and looked at the shadow queen. "Can you speak for your race?" He asked. "Yes." She responded before imitating the demon king and kneeling on the ground. It seemed they both knew they stood no chance against the beasts. As for Zhou Fan, they had no idea that he was 1000 times more powerful than all the beasts combined. Zhou Fan told both of the rulers to inform their race of what happened here. He also allowed them to take one of the beasts, besides Xiaolong, before they left, in case the citizens didn''t like that they submitted and tried to revolt. The demon king chose the white tiger while the shadow Queen chose the phoenix. Chapter 41: Breakthrough - 41 Chapter 41 - Breakthrough - 41 As expected, the declarations of submission went well with the beasts by their side. Although some people still wanted to voice their unwillingness, a single roar from the beasts shut them up. While the demon king and the shadow queen were talking to their races, Zhou Fan, Yipeng, and the remaining beasts were reading the books in their library. Unlike the dark elf library, the demon races library contained a lot of new information. There was the legend of the beast of calamity and many opinions on how they worked. Some demons said that there was a way to kill the beast of calamity while others speculated that there were more beasts of calamity besides the one they knew. Zhou Fan quickly finished the demon races library and headed to the shadow races library. On his way there, he noticed that they had a giant purple crystal hanging from the sky. Unfortunately, besides more detailed information about their race, there was nothing new. By the time he finished both libraries, 50 hours had passed. However, since he had faked his death, Zhou Fan didn''t need to rush. It was much nicer to live carefreely. Before leaving the demon race, Zhou Fan investigated why they had so many people despite their low reproduction rate. After asking the demon king, Zhou Fan discovered that they found a herb that increases the chances of reproduction. In fact, since the demon races cave was unsuitable for growing anything, it was grown in the shadow races cave. After learning that, it was time for Zhou Fan to leave. However, before he could leave the cave, the demon king requested to join his group. "Don''t you have to lead your people?" Zhou Fan asked. "Not really. I haven''t done much ruling since I became king. They are basically ruling themselves at this point. Also, the shadow queen will be there to make sure nothing bad happens." He explained. Since there was no harm, Zhou Fan agreed on the condition that his strength was sufficient. He didn''t want to be carrying around useless people with no purpose. For example, although Yipeng didn''t have much physical strength, he was incredibly wise and intelligent. He was also quiet and self-sufficient. In order to test the demon king''s strength, Zhou Fan lowered his strength to the same level as him and fought in a battle of swords. When the fight started, Zhou Fan was the one being suppressed. After all, although his increased mind made him a genius at everything, the demon king had been practicing the sword since he was a child. After 3 minutes, Zhou Fan could equally fight the demon king, and after 10 minutes, he was the one sidedly suppressing the demon king. Although the battle ended in the demon king''s defeat, Zhou Fan allowed him to join. Not only was his physical strength far above humans, but he was also much better with the sword than anyone else Zhou Fan had come across. With Zhou Fan riding on Xiaolong, Yipeng riding on Xuanwu, and Cao Lin riding on Bainu, they set off back to the dragon cave. ---------------------- Looking at the new scenery, Zhou Fan nodded his head. After they had gotten back to the dragon cave, Cao Lin, Yipeng, and the beasts started to construct Cao Lin a place to stay. 5 days had passed since then and with the help of Zhou Fan every now and then, the demon king''s castle was built. Although Zhou Fan''s little wooden house couldn''t compare, Zhou Fan prefered it much more. After cultivating for a few days, Zhou Fan was extremely close to breaking through to the 8th level. In fact, he wanted to break through even further before he did anything else. Thinking that far, he sent the beasts, Cao Lin, and Yipeng to scout the other caves and repeat the previous process. Not long after, they had left the dragon cave and Zhou Fan was finally alone again. Looking at his house, he truly felt it was insufficient for cultivating inside. Although he liked to live in it, he felt it was better to make a new place for cultivation. Zhou Fan walked to the side of the cave where nothing but a dirt and stone wall stood. Controlling the Qi around him, he molded the side of the cave into a small, dome-shaped area, and made the entrance just big enough for him to walk through. Looking around inside, Zhou Fan used fire Qi to melt the stone and dirt on one of the sides and created lava to use as a light source. He then made a small stone platform in the center, just big enough for him to cultivate on. Not wasting any more time, Zhou Fan sat on the platform and cultivated. -------------------------- After a single day, Zhou Fan broke into the 8th level of core formation. Without stopping, he continued to cultivate. After 25 days had passed, Zhou Fan broke into the 9th level of core formation. Shaking his head at his progress speed, Zhou Fan didn''t stop and continued. After a month and a half, Zhou Fan broke into the 10th level. By now, the lava pool had cooled down and didn''t produce any more light, Zhou Fan once again melted it and the lava appeared once more. Thinking to himself, Zhou Fan was disappointed with his cultivation speed. Looking at his core now, its size exceeded what he previously thought was possible. If he had to estimate, he felt it would be the size of an entire kingdom. Luckily, it was located in his mind. As he once again started to cultivate, he noticed that the core was shrinking instead of expanding. That didn''t make Zhou Fan stop since it felt less like it was shrinking and more like it was condensing. After a month and a half, the core had condensed to the same size it was when he first broke into core formation. However, he didn''t break through. In fact, he estimated he was only halfway done. As he continued, he noticed that the core was losing its shape. It stopped resembling a core and started to disperse into his mind. However, Zhou Fan felt that when it dispersed, it went into a separate space. After 2 weeks, Zhou Fan suddenly gained another sight. it was as if he had grown another eye. However, instead of seeing in the real world or his mind, it could see into a completely new space. Zhou Fan could feel that the shape of the space was the same as a human, or rather, the shape of himself! Looking at it, Zhou Fan chose to name it his soul. It was slowly being filled up by the gray gas that his core turned into. After another 2 weeks had passed, the gaseous gray Qi filled up the entire space. Unexpectedly, it didn''t stop there and instead started to turn into a liquid. Looking into his mind, he could see that the core was only 33% dispersed. After another 2 weeks, a gray liquid filled his soul space. However, once again it didn''t stop and instead started to condense into a solid form. After 3 months since he started to breakthrough, the entire space was filled with a solid gray matter. Zhou Fan heard a crack and all of a sudden, his entire soul space and the solid matter within it exploded! BOOOMMM! Chapter 42: One - 42 Chapter 42 - One - 42 BOOMM! ---------------- After the explosion subsided and Zhou Fan was able to think again, he opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was the exploded cave behind him. It seems that when his soul exploded, he unconsciously released his cultivation. Luckily, he had also subconsciously moved it towards the back wall so that the dragon cave wouldn''t be majorly affected. Clenching his fist, the air around him exploded and a huge gust of wind poured out towards all directions, shaking the entire dragon cave. Seeing the result, Zhou Fan was astonished. Had breaking into the new realm increased his strength by so much? Not to mention, that was only his physical body''s strength. Thinking to himself, Zhou Fan felt that if he used Qi, a casual slap could destroy a mountain. No! A mountain range! While still feeling astonished, Zhou Fan checked his soul. When he looked, it no longer was filled with gray solid matter. In fact, the size of the soul had decreased tremendously. If it once was the size of a huge mountain, it now fit the size of his body perfectly. Just as Zhou Fan was about to see what it could do, the soul started to pull towards him. Although the soul had been in his soul space the entire time, it looked as if it was a couple feet away. Now, however, it was coming towards him incredibly fast. Before he could finish another thought, the soul collided with his view and he felt an enormous push. FSHSH! When Zhou Fan opened his eyes, he was floating in the air. Or rather, on second look, he was sitting on the ground in a meditative position. Looking down at his hands, he saw an ethereal gray energy in the shape of his arm. Moving his arm around, he saw it acted like a stick on fire, leaving a trail behind where it moved. Coming to a conclusion, Zhou Fan had only one explanation, this was his soul! And that was his body sitting on the ground! All of a sudden, Zhou Fan felt as if his brain was tearing in two. Two ideas popped into his mind. Each one able to set his future path. The ideas were, 1. detached soul. He felt the possibility of going back to his body, yet being able to call out his soul and use it as a puppet. He would also be able to send his consciousness into the soul. The other idea was to fuse his soul with his body. In that case, he wouldn''t be able to call out his soul at all, but he would be one, a single and complete entity. Although he could have sat there and thought for a while, Zhou Fan had long lost the moronic idea of hesitation. He instantly chose the idea that sounded the best, the one that he instinctually liked. His view started to shorten as his soul returned to his body and fused. Clearly, Zhou Fan had chosen the second idea. Although the possibility of moving through walls and sending the soul out instead of going himself sounded cool, Zhou Fan didn''t like the idea of being seperated. The entire idea seemed wrong. Therefore, he had chosen the idea that sounded better. When the soul had fully fused, Zhou Fan felt his strength increase once again. Now, it seemed that he had fully broken through. After feeling his strength, Zhou Fan was convinced he made the right decision. If there was doubt before about being able to destroy a mountain range with a casual attack, there was none now. Of course, the mountain range couldn''t be too big. For example, the world''s biggest mountain range, the endless mountains, were far too big for Zhou Fan to destroy. When he said he could destroy a mountain range, he only meant the smallest ones, with around 20 or so mountains. With his breakthrough finally over, Zhou Fan walked outside the cave he made. Looking at the ceiling of the cave, he noticed that it was fragmented and many pieces had fallen down. Flying up to the center, Zhou Fan dragged the pieces from the ground, reconstructed them with fire Qi, then merged them back with the ceiling using the same method. He then flew back to his house. When he made it back however, he was surprised to see a couple of unexpected guests. Specifically, the elf queen, the dark elf king, the shadow queen, and 6 more people he hadn''t seen before. Even though he hadn''t seen them, he could guess who they were. The 6 foot walking mass of muscle with tanned skin was likely the barbarian king of the first ranked barbarian race, the blond haired girl with small, furry wings was likely the queen of the 5th ranked angel race, the evil looking, red skinned man with a tail was likely the king of the 6th ranked devil race, which were very different from the demon race, the salamander on legs was probably the king of the 8th ranked lizard race, the blond man with a third eye was likely the king of the 9th rank third eye race, and finally, the big green man with a monocle and a wooden crown was clearly the king of the 10th rank hobgoblin race. Besides them, Cao Lin and Yipeng sat on Bainu and Xuanwu respectively. When Zhou Fan flew down from the sky, every member of the 10 races knelt. "We greet sir cultivator." They said in unison, before standing back up. Zhou Fan looked at Cao Lin and Yipeng with a slight smile. "It seems you''ve been busy while I was gone." "Hahaha, indeed." Said Cao Lin with a proud look on his face. Zhou Fan then looked the 6 newcomers up and down with slight surprise. When he envisioned meeting them before, he expected a lot less politeness. It seems that either the beasts or seeing him flying was enough to convince them to behave. "Why did you all come here?" Zhou Fan asked. "We simply came to greet sir." Said the barbarian races king while stepping forward. "Yeah right." Cao Lin interrupted, "You all just refused to believe what we told you about him." After hearing Cao Lin, the barbarian king just stood there with an awkward smile on his face. Chapter 43: The Protected Prince - 43 Chapter 43 - The Protected Prince - 43 Zhou Fan ignored Cao Lin''s words and spent a little bit longer speaking to the kings and queens before he sent them back to their caves. Cao Lin, the beasts and Yipeng still stayed behind, however, Cao Lin went back to his castle, Yippeng went back to his house and the beasts went to their habitats. With everyone gone, Zhou Fan stood in the air alone. Since he had nothing better to do, Zhou Fan went inside his house and ate some food, even though he didn''t need to. Once again, Zhou Fan observed his cultivation. Although he had fused his cultivation and body with his soul, it still felt as if his soul could grow, not in size but in strength. Along with his soul, his body would continue to grow stronger. Of course, this didn''t mean that he would only grow his soul and body''s strength. Instead, it was better to say that along with everything else, his soul would grow stronger. Since Zhou Fan''s soul was in its initial stage, he decided to call this realm, Nascent Soul. After a while, Zhou Fan decided to continue cultivating. He had nothing to do and absolutely no enemies. His current options were to conquer the world, destroy all sentient life on the world, or mind his own business. At least, that was all Zhou Fan could think on the top of his head. Without wasting time, Zhou Fan started to cultivate. ------------------------------ In the mortaniel empire, a boy no older than 16 was sneaking out of a castle window. This castle seemed to be made of pure gold and was many times bigger than any castle in the boundless empire. This castle belonged to the 2nd strongest force in the mortaniel empire, the gautama kingdom. This was the strongest kingdom under the mortaniel empire, and the boy sneaking out the window was the 3rd prince. As for why a prince of a powerful kingdom would need to sneak out, it was because he had been locked up from the outside. Although he was able to look out his windows and hear stories and see paintings, he had never truly been outside alone. Those few times when he went outside, he was surrounded by guards and could only stay within the castle grounds. Finally, at the rebellious age of 16, he snuck out. As he finally climbed down to the ground, the first thing he noticed was how hot the sun was. When he came out before, he was covered by many umbrellas and other cloths. Next, he noticed how rough the ground was. Due to the fact that he never went outside, he got used to not wearing shoes and forgot to put them on. Nevertheless, that didn''t stop him from walking out of the castle, luckily unnoticed. When he made it out of the castle grounds, he noticed how much rougher the concrete was. For a few minutes, he could only slowly walk one step at a time. After just 5 minutes, his unexperienced feet were bleeding. However, instead of focusing on the pain, he was staring at the blood astonished. ''What is this?'' He thought to himself. He had never seen blood before. Nor had he heard of it. After a couple more attempts, Siddhartha was able to ignore the pain and continue walking. As he kept walking, the clean and full streets started to get less full, less clean, and much more sullen. After a certain point, Siddhartha stopped next to an alley, smelling a horrible smell. Walking inside, Siddhartha saw what appeared to be an unconscious man. However, when he stepped close, he saw a hole through the man''s chest. He also saw maggots crawling over his rotting flesh. For the first time in his life, the protected prince learned of death. --------------------------- In the dragon cave, Zhou Fan stretched his body which made many cracking noises. He had been cultivating for 3 months before he finally broke into the second level of nascent soul. As expected, his soul and everything else had gotten much stronger. However, this slow cultivation speed was annoying. Although mature for his age, Zhou Fan was only around 11 or 12. Spending multiple 3 month time periods cultivating was hard. Therefore, Zhou Fan decided to once again leave the dragon cave. This time however, he would not settle down and would instead wander around the world. Unfortunately, that meant that Zhou Fan would have to leave Xiaolong and the beasts behind. After all, he needed to go out in order to experience life. Such a thing could hardly be achieved with humongous beasts following him around. Walking outside, Zhou Fan saw Xiaolong and the rest of the beast sparring. He also saw Yipeng and Cao Ling talking while resting against a tree. While Zhou Fan was watching the beasts fight, he couldn''t help but notice that Xiaolong seemed slightly more powerful than the other beasts. However, it wasn''t such a big difference that Xiaolong could easily win. As he stood there, Cao Lin noticed his presence. He walked over and said hi. "Its been a while." He said while looking at Zhou Fan. Hearing Cao Lin talk, the beasts stopped their battle and looked over. When they saw Zhou Fan, they all rushed over and rubbed against him. After playing around for a bit, Zhou Fan told them the sad announcement. As if they could understand what he said, the beast''s happy faces were instantly changed. "How long will you be gone?" Asked Yipeng. "I''m not sure. It may be half a year or 5 years. Either way, it will be a long time." Responded Zhou Fan. After some convincing and some sad looks from the beasts, Zhou Fan chose to stay for another week before he left on his journey. Over the week, both the beasts and the others tried to convince Zhou Fan to stay. Both the beast''s puppy eyes and Cao Lin''s logic were quite convincing. No matter, Zhou Fan''s mind was made up. He needed to understand the world and nothing could stop him. Chapter 44: The Dao- 44 Chapter 44 - The Dao- 44 The week passed fairly quick as Zhou Fan spent it with the beasts. However, it was now time for Zhou Fan to leave. After saying goodbye to each of the beasts, Cao Lin, and Yipeng, Zhou Fan was ready to leave. He flew up and went to the exit tunnel. As he was leaving the cave, he turned around and took one last look at the blue crystal. ----------------------- As Zhou Fan flew out of the hole, he saw the recognizable courtyard. However, Zhou Fan didn''t stop as he continued to rise into the air. It wasn''t long before Zhou Fan was directly under the clouds. If one looked from the ground, they would only see a black dot in the air. Zhou Fan flew out of the city as fast as he could. Although he planned to experience the world, he was first going to go to another empire. With his perfect memory, he was able to instantly recognize the surroundings. After a couple seconds of indecision, Zhou Fan flew to the east. By going that way, Zhou Fan would first pass through the truth empire, then the 9th rank koi empire, then the 3rd rank sword empire, and finally, the mortaniel empire. After an hour of flying at a speed that exceeded sound by more than 5 times, Zhou Fan landed in front of a big gate. Above the gate, there was a sign that said ''Clarity Kingdom''. This was one of the biggest kingdoms within the truth empire. If he recalled correctly, it was ranked 7th. After paying a fee of 5 copper, Zhou Fan walked into the city. The first area he passed was a middle class area. Here, he could see many different types of people. There were kind and gentle people along with arrogant and rude people.. While walking, he could see a few homeless people around. There weren''t many, but there were a few. As he passed another homeless person, he saw some guards roughly grab him and drag him somewhere. Without stopping, Zhou Fan continued on. The next place he saw was the noble district. Although he couldn''t go far due to the gates and guards, Zhou Fan got a good look at it. Not a single homeless or unhappy person in sight. He did, however, see one person with a suspiciously long mustache. After another round of walking, Zhou Fan made it to an area much different than the rest. In most places, it was referred to as the slums. Here, homeless and unhappy people were just about the only thing to see. Most people were dirty and eating dirty food. There was trash on the ground and at some point, Zhou Fan almost started to fly in order to avoid it. However, he remembered why he came here. To understand life in the world. Although he hadn''t been prosperous as a child, Zhou Fan didn''t have it too bad. Comparing his previous life to any other person in the slums was ridiculous. After all, Zhou Fan had never had to eat dirty bread or sit around with dirt on his face. Stepping on and over the trash on the ground, Zhou Fan almost had the urge to throw up. After a little, he became used to it and his reaction was no longer so intense. Stopping in the middle of the street, Zhou Fan lifted his head up and took a deep breath. Although the smell was revolting, Zhou Fan acted as though he didn''t notice it. All of a sudden, a knife stabbed into Zhou Fan''s body. A pain that he had never felt before started to run through Zhou Fan''s mind. As he fell on the ground, Zhou Fan looked up at the person who had just attacked him. Alongside him were 3 other people. All four of them looked dirty and poor. There was nothing special about these people. There was absolutely no reason why they should have been able to pierce through Zhou Fan. However, as he saw them coming towards him, Zhou Fan sealed his cultivation and returned to the same state that he was before he started to cultivate. Of course, Zhou Fan wasn''t a masochist, but he realized that he had never truly experienced pain. Although he had been worn out and tired, he had never been stabbed or slashed. ''Ouch'' Zhou Fan thought. Since his goal was to experience life, he needed to do it thoroughly. If that meant getting stabbed or beaten, Zhou Fan was willing to accept it. As the boys saw him fall on the ground, they started to kick him and beat him. Zhou Fan was also stabbed 3 more times before they searched him for money, which he didn''t have, and left. As Zhou Fan laid on the ground, beaten and bruised, he passed out. When Zhou Fan woke up, it was still day. Not the same day, but daytime. Getting up, his injuries were fully healed. Although he had sealed his cultivation, he couldn''t be killed so easily. Zhou Fan looked around and frowned. He was in the same exact place. Not a single person or guard woke him up or even moved his body. ''Pathetic'' He thought. After all, he was in the middle of the street! There should have at least been someone to collect his corpse. It was only now that Zhou Fan realized just how bad these people have it. Shaking his head in disappointment, Zhou Fan got up and walked. As he passed out, Zhou Fan felt his understanding become clearer. As for what he was understanding, he couldn''t quite describe. It was as if it both existed and didn''t exist. As if it was life and also death. Since Zhou Fan had neither heard of it or felt it before, he decided to name it. The Dao. It was the first time he came into contact with something ''semi-magical'' besides himself and lightning. As he continued to walk, Zhou Fan exited through the other side of the kingdom. Although he had left it, he didn''t unseal his cultivation and fly. Instead, he continued to walk on the path, now barefoot since the thieves stole his shoes. Luckily, they didn''t steal his clothes. Chapter 45: A Year Later - 45 Chapter 45 - A Year Later - 45 After a month on the road, Zhou Fan had finally made it to the next city on his path. While the previous month couldn''t be called dangerous, it was extremely hard to travel. During the entire duration, Zhou Fan was no different than a mortal. Therefore, after walking across the ground barefoot for 18 hours a day, his feet were nearly destroyed. Luckily, Zhou Fan didn''t have the ability to completely seal up his quick recovery. Along the way, he had run into multiple travelers and even a few caravans. One of the caravan owners was so kind as to give him a robe after seeing the state of his clothes. Although it was everything but elegant, Zhou Fan didn''t mind as he continued his journey. When he made it to this city, the guards looked at him with disgust as he walked past. Since there was no toll, Zhou Fan was able to walk straight through. When he made it inside, Zhou Fan took a rest while sitting against a building. Since this wasn''t exactly a wealthy part of town, no one bothered him. As he rested, Zhou Fan almost fell into his thoughts. However, he managed to stop himself before he did. If he had a chance to think, he would surely talk himself out of his current actions. All of a sudden, the sun that was shining on Zhou Fan''s face was blocked. Looking up, he saw a child holding out an apple. Although he didn''t speak, Zhou Fan knew his intentions. "Thank you." He said as he took the apple and ate it. Although he could have lived without it, it gave a refreshing taste after so many days of struggle. Seeing him eat it, the kid walked back to his parents who patted him on the head. On the road, Zhou Fan had to survive on wild berries and the occasional bread from passersby''s, so it was a nice snack. If anyone who knew him in the past were to see Zhou Fan right now, they wouldn''t recognize him a bit. He was so skinny that nearly every bone in his body was visible. If he were to take off the robe, one could see spiky spinal bones on his back. Although he still looked young, his face seemed as if it had aged a hundred years. After an hour of rest, Zhou Fan stood up and continued to walk. He made it through the city unobstructed, but just as he was leaving, a caravan waved him towards them Seeing them, Zhou Fan walked over. "Where are you going young man?" The owner said with clear pity on his face. "East." He said while pointing towards the almost fully rising sun. "What a coincidence." The owner said. "We''re going that direction too. Would you like to join us?" "If it''s not too much trouble." Zhou Fan responded. "Hop on." The owner said while pointing to one of the wagons without a roof. Zhou Fan gave a quick thank you and climbed into the wagon. Not long after, the caravan started to move out. ----------------------------- In what seemed like a blink of an eye, a year passed. Zhou Fan had long parted with the caravan, and with a few more kind strangers and a lot of walking, he had made it to the last kingdom in the sword empire. Over the year, Zhou Fan had traveled through thousands of cities, 50 kingdoms, and almost three empires if you count the sword empire. At this point, Zhou Fan had grown accustomed, and almost happy, with his new life. His understanding of the dao had reached a much higher level than before. Even then, he still felt as if he only took a small step along an endless river. Right now, Zhou Fan was walking out of the final kingdom between him and the mortaniel empire. The journey through the sword kingdom was one of the hardest due to how tough the people here were. Of course, there were still a few kind people who would give him food on his journey. There was a reason why Zhou Fan didn''t buy any food, besides the fact that he didn''t have money. He had a feeling that when he ate less, he became closer to the dao and comprehended it even faster than before. Therefore, throughout his entire journey, he had not spent a penny on food. Feeling the constant starvation, he felt as though there was no worse pain to be experienced. Although getting a bone or five broken can be considered to hurt more, the pain of starving is a different feeling. It''s as if your body is empty and hollow. The feeling of watching your body decompose was also an indescribable horror, along with actually feeling it decompose. After another month of travel, Zhou Fan finally stepped into the mortaniel empire. Looking at the luxurious city before him, he could tell that this place would be the best to be at. One look and even a cow could tell that it was prosperous. Not to mention, from his memory, this was one of the lower ranked kingdoms within the empire. As he walked through the gates, the guards nodded at him, trying to hide the disgust on their faces. Although such a look may be disheartening for others, Zhou Fan had long gotten used to it. He could still remember when his face would burn up everytime he got such a look in the past. Nodding at the guard, Zhou Fan walked into the city unobstructed. Within the morantiel empire, there were no toll fees. Even the imperial capital was free for all to enter. Of course, everything was much more expensive there and almost every resident was filthy rich. Zhou Fan explored the kingdom and was astonished at how much gold there was. On the walls, on the statues. When he took a look into the rich area, even the walkways were made of gold. Like every other kingdom, Zhou Fan simply wandered through. This time, however, there were many more people who offered him food. For the first time in the last year or so, he felt full. At some point he even had to reject someone offering him food. Chapter 46: Gautama Kingdom - 46 Chapter 46 - Gautama Kingdom - 46 Despite how lovely it was, Zhou Fan didn''t stay in the kingdom for long. The goal of this journey was not to find a nice place to live, but to experience and understand the very essence of the dao. Zhou Fan left the kingdom in the direction of the imperial capital. He was very interested in how the number one place in the world would look. Unfortunately, there was a long way to go. The mortaniel empire was far bigger than any other. For example, traversing from one end of the boundless empire to the other would take around 6 months if he didn''t use a wagon. Traversing from one end to the other in the mortaniel empire, on the other hand, would take around 2 years without a wagon. Not to mention, it was also wider, and the overall surface area was more than 10 times that of the boundless kingdom. Zhou Fan estimated that even if he traveled by wagon the entire way, it would take him 6 months to reach the imperial capital. Based on the path he was taking, he would go through 5 more kingdoms, including the number 1 kingdom, the gautama kingdom. After a couple tries, Zhou Fan was luckily able to hitch a ride to the next kingdom. ---------------------- After 2 weeks, Zhou Fan and the caravan he was riding on were halfway to the next kingdom. In the distance, a line of people blocked the path. A look of fear and realization made its way to the owner''s face. Looking behind, another line of people were similarly blocking the way. Sighing in resignation, the caravan owner moved the wagons towards the people blocking the front. As they moved, the back line of people followed. When they finally made it to the front line, more people came out of the sides and along with the front and back line, a complete circle was formed around the caravan. Hopping off of the head wagon, the owner walked to the leading man. Clearly, these people were bandits. "Hello sir, can I ask why you''ve stopped us." The owner said, despite knowing what was happening. "Well good sir," The bandit leader imitated, "I''ve happened to take an interest in your products here. Tell me, are they for sale?" The bandit leader had a mocking grin on his face as he played this charade with the owner. "For sir, of course. What would you like." The owner said with a resignated smile. "I was thinking.... everything!" The bandit leader said, swinging his sword down upon the owner. The owner closed his eyes in fear, but the pain never came. Opening his eyes, he saw the poor and starving man he allowed to join earlier, stopping the blade from advancing with his hand. As the bandits were surrounding them, Zhou Fan had a decision to make. A: Let these kind people die. B: Unseal himself and save them. Although Zhou Fan was unwilling to unseal himself, and was even planning to let them die at first. He realized he couldn''t as he saw the blade swinging down. In a split second, Zhou Fan unsealed himself and grabbed the blade of the sword. As the bandit leader retreated in surprise, Zhou Fan spoke. "Why don''t we leave it here?" He suggested. The bandit leader stood there for a second, both comprehending what happened and considering Zhou Fan''s suggestion. After a brief moment of hesitation, the bandit leader waved his hand and ordered a retreat. He had no clue what just happened and it didn''t seem like a good idea to continue pushing his luck. As the bandits retreated, the caravan owner took a look at Zhou Fan with cold sweat flowing down his face. Just as he was looking, Zhou Fan disappeared from his eyes and appeared right back on the wagon, sealing himself. When the owner looked back and saw him there, he gave a slight thank you nod and ordered the caravan to continue on. As he expected, Zhou Fan didn''t need a big thanks or to even be talked to. Sitting on the cart, what Zhou Fan feared didn''t happen. Instead of his progress stopping after he unsealed himself, it went forward a large margin. Perhaps his action of saving the man, even at the cost of stopping his progress, is what made him understand the dao even more. ''The Dao is merciful'' Zhou Fan thought. As the journey continued on, 2 more weeks passed in the blink of an eye. Seeing the city gates up ahead, Zhou Fan had some high expectations. He had made it to the Gautama kingdom. The first thing that was noticeable was the gold. So much gold! The walkways were gold, the houses were gold, the city gates were gold. Even the clothes the guards had contained some gold. As they reached the gate, Zhou Fan said goodbye to the owner. With a bow and a thank you, the owner bade him farewell. However, Zhou Fan didn''t enter the city. When they were riding earlier, Zhou Fan saw a man sitting under a tree with many others listening to him talk. Zhou Fan went in that direction and after 10 minutes of walking, he reached the area. When he saw the group up close, his first thought was that they were beggars. Each one of them were as bony as him, including the man talking. Even though he walked up, none of them paid him any attention. Since they were focused on the talking man, no older than 18, he too sat down and listened. At first, Zhou Fan thought that the man would be saying nonsense. However, after just moments, Zhou Fan too fell into a trance while listening to him. Every word the man spoke slightly increased Zhou Fan''s understanding of the Dao. If he was conscious, he would be surprised at its incredible progress. Unfortunately, the man stopped talking after another 10 minutes. As the people woke up from their trance, they bowed and paid their respects to him. Afterwards, the group of 50 people started to talk with each other. Since they were now talking, Zhou Fan went up to the nearest people to ask them some questions. "Who is that man?" He asked as soon as he came to them. "He is Siddhartha gautama. He was the 3rd prince until about a year ago when he left his position. Since then, he has wandered around and meditated, understanding the ways of life. Eventually, people like us started to gather around him and ask him questions, leading to the current state." He said, looking at Zhou Fan. "Thank you." Zhou Fan said before walking over to the man himself. Chapter 47: We Are Not The Same - 47 Chapter 47 - We Are Not The Same - 47 "Hello, my name is Zhou Fan." Zhou Fan said while holding out his hand. "Hello Zhou Fan, my name is Siddhartha Gautama. It is nice to meet you." The man said with a smile on his face. He then shook Zhou Fan''s hand. Zhou Fan sat down in front of Siddhartha and started to talk. "What exactly are you doing?" he asked. "I am practicing the dharma." He answered. "The dharma? What is that?" Zhou Fan inquired. He had never heard such a term before. "It''s normal that you haven''t heard it. As I traveled the empire, I came across an interesting group of people. They practiced what was called the dharma. It is the cosmic law of the world and teaches many things about life." Siddhartha responded. When Zhou Fan first heard Siddhartha describe what he called the dharma, he thought that it was their name for the Dao. However, after some discussion, he realized that it was only a part of the dao, and not the dao itself. The Dao encompasses a much larger idea. "Can you tell me your story?" Zhou Fan asked. The man in front of him was really unique. He had never met another man such as him in all his travels. "It started when I snuck out of the palace. I had always been entrapped, or protected, from the outside world. I didn''t even know what death was. Only after sneaking out did I see it. After that, I told my parents my findings, and after I learned that they knew of such a thing all along, I demanded to leave. Although they didn''t like the idea, they realized they couldn''t stop me for long. Since then, I have been understanding the world, the dharma, and even life and death." He told. "You seem as if you have suffered a lot." Siddhartha said. "Would you like to learn with me, and all the people here?" He asked. "I would." Zhou Fan responded. Just like that, Zhou Fan started to follow the man and learn with him. In what felt like the blink of an eye, 5 years passed. By now, Siddhartha''s philosophy was much more refined. He had also become clearer and clearer on the output of life. After so long, many people had come and gone. However, a few stayed the whole way. After a while, they became known as his five disciples. One of those disciples was Zhou Fan. When he first met Siddhartha, he felt that they were equals, and would have never thought that he would become his disciple. However, as time passed, Zhou Fan realized that the man that sat before him was much much greater than anyone else he had ever met. In fact, Zhou Fan almost felt a sense of inferiority. But before Siddhartha''s teachings, Zhou Fan got rid of such feelings. In another blink of an eye, 12 years passed. Today, Zhou Fan turned 30. To him, it truly felt like the blink of an eye. However, something much more important was happening today. At this moment, Siddhartha was becoming perfect. In his own words, he was achieving nirvana. Freedom from the cycle of rebirth. Only 5 people sat around him. Namely, his five disciples. The rest had left or died along the way. All of a sudden, Siddhartha stood up. As he walked towards Zhou Fan and the other disciples, he uttered a few words that not a single one, including Zhou Fan, would ever forget. "I am the arahant in the world, I am the supreme, I alone am a perfectly enlightened one, whose fires are quenched and extinguished, I go now, to the empire of mortaniel, to set in motion the wheel of the dharma. In a world that has become blind, I go to beat the drum of the deathless." As Zhou Fan heard these words, his comprehension of the Dao shot forward farther than ever before, doubling. If he was previously at the 1/4th point, he was now halfway to the end. Along with the other disciples, Zhou Fan bowed to Siddhartha. They couldn''t help it. Although he wasn''t a cultivator, the aura spilling out of him filled them with indescribable reverence. Zhou Fan and the other disciples soon stood up and followed behind him. In the next few years Siddhartha would teach hundreds of thousands of people the way of nirvana, gaining countless followers and countless fame. However, he never searched for fame or hoped for followers. Instead, he followed his duty, to teach the people of the world how to end the endless cycle of rebirth, and end suffering. He eventually gained the name ''Buddha'' and marked his place in history. -------------------------- In an empty field outside of the entrance to the capital of the kingdom of Gautama, Zhou Fan sat alone. No one would know, but the tree he sat under was the first tree he met Siddhartha under. By now another 40 years had passed, and Siddhartha had passed away. Zhou Fan felt indescribable sadness under the tree. He felt a loneliness that couldn''t be described with words. Every single one of the Buddha''s disciples, and some of his followers, achieved nirvana. However, Zhou Fan was the exception. A couple years ago, he made it to the end of the Dao. Or at least, one step before the end. This step, no matter how understanding Zhou Fan was, was unsteppable. As the buddha died of old age, he took one last look at Zhou Fan, who hadn''t aged a day since they first met, and mouthed one last sentence. "We are not the same." When Zhou Fan heard this, an extreme feeling filled his heart. He couldn''t understand it at all, but it felt like he held the key, but was missing the lock. As Zhou Fan sat under the tree, he repeated the words Siddhartha had mouthed just a month ago. It echoed back and forth in his brain for hours and hours and hours. Days passed and seasons changed as Zhou Fan''s mind was filled to the brim with the same sentence. "We are not the same." Chapter 48: Return - 48 Chapter 48 - Return - 48 5 more years passed, and as the buddha''s last words continuously rang through his head, his eyes shot open. "We are not the same!" His words echoed throughout the empire as an unmatched power shot out from his body. His cultivation at the second level of the nascent soul realm, along with his newfound 100% understanding of the dao was finally displayed in its full potential. A power Zhou Fan never imagined filled his mind as he gathered every single element or concept on the palm of his hand. During his long period of meditation, he had comprehended every single one to the same level as when he comprehended life on that one day. He punched out to the sky and the punch dispersed the clouds and continued into space, eventually dispersing. As his raging power calmed down, Zhou Fan understood much more. After years of repeating the phrase, Zhou Fan understood its meaning. The idea of rebirth and nirvana didn''t apply to him. He was a cultivator. As long as he continued cultivating, he was eternal. It was easy to tell after he turned 75, and didn''t look a day past 20. Although he wasn''t truly immortal right now, he was closer than anyone else had ever been. As he fully unsealed his cultivation, he opened his mouth and absorbed all of the Qi in a 10 mile radius. Although it didn''t literally flow into his stomach, his weak and frail body began to reinvigorate. His bald head grew a long growth of gray hair that reached to his knees. His starving body, plumped up to his old look. His clothes dissolved off of his body as he used earth Qi to form a new layer of cloth. As he sat, he calmed down and investigated himself. His findings shocked him. Like he said, he had comprehended 100% of the Dao. However, looking now, it could only be said that he understood the mortal Dao, and not the eternal cosmic Dao that he was now feeling. The original feeling of the Dao came from deep within the world itself, but now, it came from far beyond the reaches of humans, into the unknowns of space. His understanding of this new Dao didn''t even reach 1%. He also felt that there was a way to better understand the elements and concepts. If his mortal understanding of them was 100%, then his understanding of the new ones, the immortal ones, was at best 5%. Along with his enlightenment, the way Zhou Fan viewed the world changed. After more than 60 years, it was time to go back to the cave. Zhou Fan soared into the sky and shot back to the dragon cave at maximum speed. Even though he was in the same realm as when he left, he was 10 times stronger in every aspect, including speed. After only an hour of flying, Zhou Fan reached Yang Lang city, 4 empires away. When he came back, the city wasn''t too much different. Besides a few more buildings and some renovations, nothing noticeable had changed. When he reached his courtyard, Zhou Fan wasn''t surprised to see that it was empty and abandoned. Although he had discovered the cause of the deaths, there were still more snakes. As he landed behind the courtyard, Zhou Fan remembered the people he left behind. Fui rong, the real estate girl, Moun Erzai, the head researcher, Lu Chen, the manager, and wagu, his co-worker. Although it couldn''t be said that he had a deep bond with any of them, the thought that they were probably all dead was saddening. However, Zhou Fan was able to snap out of it quickly. As someone who was likely to live for a long, long time, the death of mortals wasn''t something that he could grieve about. He also thought about the people within the caves. There was a high chance that most of them were dead. As for the beasts, he already knew that their life spans were much longer than an average humans. Without waiting too long, Zhou Fan flew down the tunnels and arrived at the dragon cave. Seeing the familiar, yet somewhat unfamiliar scenery, Zhou Fan couldn''t help but smile. Although there were a few more new buildings than when he left, that was only natural. Zhou Fan flew directly to the house he lived in. From above, it looked like nothing much had changed. As he landed on the ground, the cabin door opened, and a familiar face walked out. As soon as he saw Zhou Fan, the biscuit in his mouth fell. With his mouth wide open he tried to speak. "Zhou Fan?!" Yipeng asked, exasperated. Looking at him, Zhou Fan was equally stunned. "Yipeng?! How are you still alive?!" While still staring at Zhou Fan with confusion, he answered. "Elves can live to 150. The same can be said for the other races. Wait. How are you alive? We thought you died." "It''s a long story. Where are the beasts?" Zhou Fan asked. Finally regaining his composure, Yipeng stiffly responded. "Probably in their habitats. They don''t leave much any more." Hearing him, Zhou Fan nodded. Then, he raised his head up to the sky. "Xiaolong, Xuanwu, Hang Lu, Bainu, Zhuque!!" He yelled. Within seconds, the entire cave shook as 5 behemoths made their way to Zhou Fan. The first to make it into his sight was Zhuque. She had a major advantage since she could fly. As soon as she saw him, she flew at him like an arrow. She soon crashed into him and started to lick his face. Before he knew it, every other beasts had also arrived and imitated Zhuque. They were so excited that Yipeng had to retreat or he would have been smashed to bits. Looking at them, Zhou Fan let out a sigh. In the 60 years he had been gone, each of them had doubled in size. Even so, he could still see the unwavering loyalty and love in their eyes. Zhou Fan laughed and patted their heads. Chapter 49: Test Subjects- 49 Chapter 49 - Test Subjects- 49 It was only after half an hour that Zhou Fan was able to get the beasts off of him. The entire time, Yipeng didn''t move. He was still in shock that Zhou Fan was alive. Even more surprising was that besides his longer hair, he didn''t seem to age at all. It was only when Zhou Fan stood up that he snapped out of it. Looking at Yipeng, Zhou Fan was inwardly saddened. Right now, he should be 130. In other words, he could drop dead at any time. He even had to use a cane to walk or stand. "Yipeng, go gather the rulers of the various races. Tell them I have returned, and I have a surprise for them." Zhou Fan said. "You can take Zhuque." "Yes sir." Yipeng responded. As Yipeng left on Zhuque, Zhou Fan took a look around the cave with the rest of the beasts. Besides a few more houses and some slight changes to their habitats, not much changed. It''s likely that this place was relatively untouched by anyone besides Yipeng and the beasts. As he wandered around, he wondered if Cao Lin was still alive. Although he would only be around 100 now, there is still a chance he has passed away. After 3 hours of looking around, Yipeng flew towards him on Zhuque and before long, they landed next to him. "Everyone is gathered. Besides the shadow queen and the goblin king, everyone has remained alive." He reported. "Alright. Let''s go." Zhou Fan said as he flew towards his house. The beasts and Yipeng followed right behind. As he got closer, he saw the rulers sitting in a line, waiting for him. Deciding to make a dramatic entrance, Zhou Fan sped up into a blur and unnoticably appeared high above their heads. Controlling some Dragon Qi, Zhou Fan fell down to the ground as fast as lightning. Booom! Roaarr! A loud sound followed by a deafening roar and the shaking ground stunned the unsuspecting rulers. Each and every one of them jumped up as Zhou Fan landed on the ground with an illusory gray dragon surrounding him. The rulers were dumbfounded at the mystical sight until the sound subsided and Zhou Fan dissipated the Dragon Qi. "It''s nice to see that most of you are alive." Zhou Fan said, waking them up from their stupor. "Also, I''m sorry for your loss Cao Lin." He said while looking at him. After all this time, Cao Lin had grown gray hair and seemed like an old man. Hastily responding, Cao lin clasped his hands and bowed. "Thank you sir. She lived a happy life." "That''s good. I''ve gathered you all today to introduce you to something that you may be aware of, but don''t understand." Zhou Fan started. "One day, every month, unless I''m in seclusion, I will transform the surrounding Qi into something absorbable for you. In other words, from today on, you will be cultivators." Zhou Fan said. When he finished, obvious joy could be seen on their faces. Even the new shadow queen and goblin king showed obvious excitement, despite never seeing Zhou Fan before. After all, they had heard amazing tales from their predecessors. Looking at them, Zhou Fan could almost see through their bodies. In the past, he had doubts about whether humans or humanoid creatures could absorb Chaos Qi, but after he secretly sent a tiny speck into their bodies to see how they reacted, he could tell that it was impossible. As soon as the Chaos Qi flew into their bodies, it started to destroy them. Thankfully, Zhou Fan limited the damage and they couldn''t even tell what was happening. Also, as he was flying back, he stopped to test it on an unsuspecting human, who had the same reaction. Another thing to note was that most of the races didn''t need to have their own Qi made for them like Xiaolong and the rest of the beasts and could instead absorb any elemental Qi. In fact, after testing them secretly, he discovered that only the demon race, the angel race, and the devil race could have their own Qi. However, they could also absorb the other elemental Qi''s. It was his understanding of the dao that allowed him to come to these conclusions without any major testings. Another thing his understanding of the Dao would help with is seeing their talent. As he discovered, all living beings have different talents with Qi. Some could better absorb fire Qi while some could better absorb earth Qi. However, he again noticed a huge difference between them and himself. Unlike he who could absorb Qi without any difficulty, they needed something else. As for what that something else was, there was only one way to find out. "Everyone sit down around me and cross your legs." He ordered. Without hesitation, they all listened. As they sat still, Zhou Fan tested all of their talents by sending each and every Qi besides Chaos Qi into their bodies and seeing how they reacted. That also went for Cao Lin and the rulers of the angel and demon races, despite the fact that they had their own Qi. Before long, he was able to tell their affinities. Cao Lin''s affinity was fire and Yipengs was unsurprisingly wood. As for the others, they also had basic elemental affinities such as fire, water, air, earth, wood, metal, etc. Not a single one had an affinity to lightning, and the only one with a slightly interesting affinity was the new shadow race queen. She had a dark affinity which wasn''t too surprising. It wasn''t even a shadow affinity. Although it would be great if they could simply absorb it as Zhou Fan pumped it into them, they couldn''t. The Qi would simply hover around them without being absorbed. Looking at Cao Lin, Zhou Fan decided to make him a test subject. Pushing his cultivation and his understanding of the Dao to its limit, Zhou Fan observed every inch of Cao Lin''s body, in and out. Almost everything had a function, except for a couple of tube-like structures around the body. They seemed as dormant as could be. Impulsively, Zhou Fan poured some fire Qi into it. Chapter 50: Meridians - 50 Chapter 50 - Meridians - 50 As soon as Zhou Fan''s fire Qi came into contact with the tube-like structures, it was absorbed. Looking at Cao Lin, Zhou Fan saw that he didn''t seem to feel anything. Continuing to look at his body, Zhou Fan saw that the Fire Qi was just sitting in the spot where it was absorbed. Instead of saying that Cao Lin had absorbed the Fire Qi, it was more accurate to say he was holding onto it. Since it wasn''t doing anything on its own, Zhou Fan decided to move it around for him. The tube-like structures filled the whole body and even went up to the brain. It branched out like a nervous system throughout every part of the body. A name came to Zhou Fans mind, meridians. Zhou Fan started to move the Fire Qi around Cao LIns meridians and soon, he completed an entire cycle around the body. As soon as the cycle was completed, Cao Lin started to sweat intensely, and before long, impurities started to pour out of him. At first, Cao Lin started to freak out when he saw the unknown, yet disgusting gook coming out of him. However, after Zhou Fan''s reassurance, he once again sat down and let the process be completed. As soon as impurities stopped pouring out, Zhou Fan blasted some water at him that instantly cleaned the impurities off. "Did you feel anything before impurities started to pour out?" Zhou Fan questioned. "Besides the sweat, no." Cao lin answered. After some brief pondering, Zhou Fan decided to try again. "I will repeat the process. This time, try to sense anything going on inside your body." Zhou Fan said. "Ok." Cao Lin answered as he sat in a meditative position. As Zhou Fan once again pushed Fire Qi into his meridians, Cao Lin felt something. The more he focused on it, the hotter the sensation felt. As Zhou Fan pushed the Fire Qi around, Cao Lin attempted to memorize the movements and feeling. After 10 more full cycles, Cao Lin had finally memorized the route. Only then did Zhou Fan stop. "I''ve memorized the route, but what good does that do?" Cao Lin questioned. Since the only Qi in the natural air was Chaos Qi, he couldn''t absorb it. "You''ll see later." Zhou Fan answered. Since Cao Lin had memorized the route, Zhou Fan moved on to the other people. Although their memorization skills varied, it didn''t take too long before everyone, including Yipeng, had memorized the route. They all had the same route since it worked for everyone. Zhou Fan also had no idea as to what is more efficient. He had guessed on Cao Lin and simply repeated on the rest. Before he continued with the next step, Zhou Fan called the beasts over. With Xiaolong in the front and the rest next to him, Zhou Fan observed their bodies the same way he did with Cao Lin. After looking, Zhou Fan wasn''t surprised to see that they didn''t have meridians like the others. Instead, they had a core at the center of their bodies with vein like structures, similar to the others meridians, branching out from the core like a sprouting seed. Since they didn''t need a route like the others, Zhou Fan didn''t waste much time with them and simply got them used to the feeling of their specific Qi''s. Another notable thing was that the beasts could also absorb the other Qi''s. After testing their affinities, Zhou Fan discovered that Xiaolong had an affinity with every basic Qi, and lightning Qi. Zhuque also had an affinity with every basic element, but it was HEAVILY leaning towards fire Qi. She also had an affinity with Life Qi. Bainu, the white tiger, had the same basic affinities, but was leaning heavily towards earth Qi and had an affinity with shadow Qi. Xuanwu and Hang lu shared the same affinity''s which were the basic Qi''s and leaning towards water Qi and an incredible affinity with space! When Zhou Fan discovered their shared affinity with space, he was astonished. He had the most expectations towards Xiaolong, but the turtle and snake out did him. Shaking his head, Zhou Fan got them to sit around with the others and sat in the middle. "In a few moments, I will be changing the surrounding Chaos Qi into absorbable Qi. Prepare to feel and absorb it. Trace it along the path I showed you and all should go well." Zhou Fan said. He then got straight into the action without waiting for a response. As he felt the Chaos Qi, he split it into every conceivable Qi he had comprehended. Although Zhou Fan didn''t have a specific affinity with these elements, they were all parts of Chaos Qi. Since he appeared to have an affinity with Chaos Qi, he could just as well control the other elements. Unless there was some Qi out there that was equal or greater than Chaos Qi, Zhou Fan could control it. Actually, there were some limits for Zho Fan himself. Although he could control everything that was technically a part of Chaos Qi, he didn''t have the strength to control some of them. Qi''s such as space and time were nearly impossible for him to control at this point. At most, he could allow space Qi and time Qi to be split off from Chaos Qi, which allowed the turtles to absorb space Qi. Even so, Zhou Fan wasn''t envious. Eventually, he would be able to control those Qi''s. Not to mention, he could already control Chaos Qi, which is much more powerful than time and space Qi combined. As the Qi was split, everyone was able to sense it almost immediately. As if their body was dying of thirst and had just found water, the Qi''s they could absorb flowed into them and rotated intensely. After 5 hours had passed, only the beasts had made any progress in cultivation. From their previous states of 1st level Qi gathering, every beast had broken into the 2nd level. Unfortunately, not a single one of the others had made progress. After 10 more hours had passed, Zhou Fan was about to give up. All of a sudden, he looked at Cao Lin, who then broke into the 1st level of Qi gathering. When he broke through, Zhou Fan had some more hope and gave the others another 5 hours before calling it quits. Chapter 51: Reach For The Stars - 51 Chapter 51 - Reach For The Stars - 51 As Zhou Fan stopped producing Qi, everyone woke up from their stupor. When they opened their eyes, everyone but Cao Lin and the beasts were confused since they didn''t feel any different. As for Cao Lin, he was feeling excited by the increase of strength. "I''m sorry I got your hopes up." Zhou Fan said, silencing Cao Lin''s celebration. "Besides Cao Lin, it seems none of you have the talent for cultivation." As soon as his words sounded out, he could see the confusion on their faces change to that of sadness. "After my seclusion, I will further investigate cultivation, and see if there is a better way for you all. Until then, continue with the assumption that you won''t be able to cultivate." He continued. Although there was a chance that he could discover better ways to cultivate, Zhou Fan didn''t want to get their hopes up. While they were cultivating, Zhou Fan could see how much Qi they were absorbing, and Cao Lin was the only one going at a fair pace. Besides their cultivation speeds, Zhou Fan discovered that they cultivated differently from him. When he was in Qi gathering, he individually absorbed specks of dust and it was instant, but they had to first absorb the Qi, then circulate it around their body until it was absorbed before they repeated. Also, they didn''t absorb specks, but streams, much like he did in foundation establishment. Perhaps he had to absorb it one speck at a time at first because Chaos Qi was too powerful. Or perhaps he was just different because he didn''t have meridians and his whole body was what absorbed the Qi. After he had finished speaking, everyone besides Cao Lin and the beasts started to leave. When only they were left behind, Zhou Fan spoke towards Cao Lin "Congratulations, you are now a cultivator. I''m not sure how talented you are or how far you''ll go, but I have high hopes for you." He said. "Thank you sir. I feel 50 years younger already." Cao Lin said with a smiling face. "That''s good. Don''t die on me too soon. After my seclusion, I''ll see if I can find a way to naturally produce Fire Qi and Demon Qi." "Thank you again. I''ll take my leave now." He said with a bow before walking in the same direction as the others. With just the beasts left, Zhou Fan put a smile on his face. "Good job guy''s. You did just as good as I expected." Zhou Fan said while petting them. In fact, the only thing that could be improved was Xuanwu and Hanglu''s ability to absorb space Qi. During the session, they didn''t absorb a single speck of it. However, some of the fault lay with Zhou Fan since he didn''t have much control over it and could only barely bring it out to be absorbed. After playing around with them a little bit, they too went back to their habitats. Finally, Zhou Fan was alone. Instead of cultivating in the cave, Zhou Fan flew out of the tunnels and headed to a nearby mountain. Although ''nearby'', it was a couple kingdoms away and it took about a minute for Zhou Fan to arrive. When he got there, he saw a mountain that pierced through the clouds. Zhou Fan had specifically chosen it because it was one of the biggest mountains in the empire and was relatively nearby. At the foot of the mountain stood a couple of villages and even a city. Even so, they weren''t anything impressive. Especially compared to the kingdoms in the Mortaniel empire. Without wasting too much time looking at the scenery, Zhou Fan flew to the peak of the mountain, just 20 feet below the tip, and made himself a makeshift cave. This would be where he cultivated for now. Although he didn''t know how long this would be his cultivation spot, he knew that he didn''t mind it being destroyed instead of the cave. He imitated the previous procedure of shaping a place to sit and making a small pool of lava on the side. Finally, Zhou Fan began to cultivate. The first thing he noticed was the speed at which he absorbed Qi. Compared to before, it was multiple times faster. If his cultivation speed before he comprehended the Dao could be compared to a snail''s crawl, his new cultivation speed would be a cat sprinting. As the day passed, Zhou Fan felt that the effect was equivalent to 3 months of cultivation before he comprehended the Dao. That was a 90x increase. It was like going from struggling to pay bills to living in a mansion without worries. Without a doubt, Zhou Fan felt that the 60 year journey was worth it. With just a single year of cultivating, he would be able to make up for the 60 years spent understanding the Dao and then some. Zhou Fan continued to cultivate and after a total of 2 days passed, Zhou Fan broke into the 3rd level of nascent soul. By now, his soul was 100x stronger than it was when he first broke through. As he cultivated and felt the immense increase of his strength, Zhou Fan couldn''t help but wonder why he felt the need to cultivate. When he first started to cultivate, his motivation was to rule over the world, but now, such a thing felt pointless and without merit. Looking outside the cave, Zhou Fan saw the stars. ''Good. My next goal is to literally reach the stars.'' He thought, deciding to make himself a goal. With a new motivation, Zhou Fan continued to cultivate through the night. As 4 more days passed, Zhou Fan broke through again, reaching the 4th level of nascent soul. Even so, he didn''t stop there. With a goal such as reaching the stars, he needed to be much stronger. Perhaps 4 or 5 big realms further. Maybe even more. He had heard theories of space and what it was. The common idea was that there is no air up there and it is an unsurvivable and infinite darkness, besides the stars and the sun. However, he could test it in the future. Once again, Zhou Fan continued to cultivate. Chapter 52: God Is Back - 52 Chapter 52 - God Is Back - 52 A little more than a month later, Zhou Fan broke into the 8th level of nascent soul. Compared to the first level, he was thousands and thousands of times stronger. Zhou Fan estimated that it would take another month or two to break into the next level. Thinking that far, Zhou Fan was filled with anticipation. All of a sudden, a loud explosion sounded out. Boom! The mountain that Zhou Fan was sitting on started to shake and the temperature began to quickly rise. Before long, the stone walls were starting to melt and Zhou Fan decided to leave the cave. As he floated outside, he could see the entire area shaking. He could also hear the faint screams coming from the city and the villages. Closely observing the mountain, Zhou Fan noticed that it looked like it was about to pop. At first, Zhou Fan was still considering the possibilities, but as soon as he saw some lava flowing from the mountain, he put two and two together. ''The mountain is a volcano! And it''s about to erupt!'' As he watched the pressure build higher and higher, Zhou Fan was excited to see the spectacle. Although he had read about natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions and tornados, he had never gotten to see something like it before. As he was patiently awaiting the eruption, he was interrupted by the screaming of the people below. It seemed that they too had discovered what was happening. At first, Zhou Fan was going to ignore the screams and just make the lava flow away from the villages and the city, but he soon caught a couple of voices amidst the screams. "God help us!" "Oh god!" "God have mercy!" As Zhou Fan listened, he wondered who they were talking about. Who could possibly save them from a volcanic eruption? However, his mind suddenly flashed to the war from long ago. If he recalled correctly, which he always did, a couple of people called him god back then. Curious, he moved extremely fast and appeared above one of the people praying on their knees. "Who is god?" He asked, trying to prove his conjuncture. Opening his eyes, the middle aged man quivered when he saw Zhou Fan in the air. "God? Is it you god?! Have you answered our prayers?!" He screamed with reverence. "I would assume so." Zhou Fan answered. He would wait until later to ask him questions since he didn''t seem like he would answer. "Please god, save us!" The man shouted with whatever hope he had left. As the surrounding people saw him floating in the air and the man praying, they too started to pray towards Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan didn''t talk anymore as he looked around at the people. Since they wanted god, he would give them god. Pointing at the top of the volcano, Zhou Fan controlled the clouds to gather above. When the praying people saw this, their faith was hardened as they prayed even harder. Within seconds, the clouds had gathered above the volcano that was mere moments away from erupting. Using this as an opportunity, Zhou Fan didn''t hold back much. Boom! Snap! At the same time that Zhou Fan snapped his fingers, a giant lightning dragon shot down from the clouds and hit the erupting volcano with extreme force. The collision created a light so bright that everyone within 100 miles had to look away. The sound nearly defeaned anyone near the volcano. Only after a minute passed did the people nearby manage to open their eyes. When they looked at the volcano, their jaws nearly dropped to the floor. Where the mountain once stood, well, ....there was no mountain. All that remained was a small hill that wasn''t but 10 feet tall. With their mouths wide open, the villagers looked at Zhou Fan. Being stared at like that, Zhou Fan rubbed his neck in embarrassment. "Your welcome?" He said, wondering how they responded. "Cool." Said the man in front as he finally was able to react. That was all he could say before he considered his next words. "Uhmm. Could you rebuild the mountain? Without the volcano this time?" He asked awkwardly. While the man was glad that his life was saved, the mountain had protected them from floods and storms many times and was considered a part of their home. It''s likely that the other villages and the city felt the same way. Without wasting any words, Zhou Fan waved his hand and controlled the earth around the nearby area to reform the mountain. Before too long, it looked just like it did before. Without waiting for a thanks, Zhou Fan left. He was inwardly annoyed that they weren''t that happy that he saved them. "To think he had the face to ask me to rebuild the mountain after I saved his life." Zhou Fan muttered indignantly. He once again returned to the mountain peak and rebuilt the cave as it was before. Without hesitation, he started to cultivate. ----------------------- Outside, a storm was sweeping through the world. Not a literal storm, but a storm of news that caused many people to fall from their chairs. God had once again made an appearance. It had been 60 years since he stopped a war between two great empires, and this time, he saved thousands of people from a volcanic eruption. What was most shocking, however, was not that he summoned a lightning dragon from the sky and destroyed the entire mountain in an instant, but that he rebuilt the mountain afterwards. After hearing the news and confirming it, many emperors and kings made godism their new official religion. Some others started to spread fear saying that if god is angered, he may destroy the world. After fear spread, many more people started to follow godism in an attempt to please Zhou Fan. Many others followed godism because they believed it would bring them great luck and fortune. Everyone only assumed that they had pleased Zhou Fan after 2 months had passed since the volcano incident. Chapter 53: Soul Formation - 53 Chapter 53 - Soul Formation - 53 At the peak of the mountain, Zhou Fan was breaking through to the 10th level of the nascent soul realm. 2 months had passed since he saved the surrounding areas from destruction. Since then, Zhou Fan hasn''t stopped cultivating for a moment. Without any trouble, Zhou Fan was able to smoothly break into the 10th level. As he did, he could feel that his soul had reached its peak strength. For this realm at least. Zhou Fan didn''t even bother to get up and stretch before he continued to cultivate. As he did, he felt as if he had hit a wall. Although it felt weird for a moment, Zhou Fan didn''t stop. After 2 weeks, his cultivation was continuously pushing against the wall. Observing it, Zhou Fan could tell that the wall was weakening. After another month, he could tell that the wall would break down at any moment and within a few hours, Zhou Fan''s cultivation broke past the wall and reached a new level. His body and soul that couldn''t grow anymore shot up in power. His soul grew much stronger and was nearing the strength of his body. Although it had been growing in the last realm, Zhou Fan could tell that it lacked strength when compared to his body and mind. At best, it could be called complimentary. Now, however, he felt his soul truly forming. Without much thinking, Zhou Fan decided to name this realm soul formation. He had an inkling that as soon as he reached the peak of this realm, his soul would feel like it was a true part of him, like his body and his mind. At that moment, Zhou Fan felt his cultivation bubbling, and he couldn''t settle it down. Sighing, Zhou Fan looked at the top of the cave and punched out with all his strength. Chaos Qi flooded from his body and turned into a pillar of gray that connected the sky and the ground. As it was night, the people in the surrounding villages got woken up from their sleep. In fact, everyone within 500 miles woke up from the shaking ground. When they hopped up and looked out their windows, they were astonished to see the pillar. ''Is God making a move again?'' They all asked themselves. After so many stories of god were passed around, many people started to suspect him anytime something unusual happened. Back on the mountain, Zhou Fan watched the pillar break through the sky and reach space. Just as it was about to reach the moon, the Chaos pillar dispersed. ''Close.'' Zhou Fan thought. Although he was tempted to go up and try to reach into space, an instinctual feeling warned him that he may not recover if he chooses to do so. As he settled down, Zhou Fan considered whether he should continue to cultivate or go back to the cave for a brief visit before he continued. After coming to the conclusion that he had all the time in the world to cultivate and no reason to rush, he chose to take a visit and experiment with some of the ideas in his head. Zhou Fan had a feeling that cultivation may not be the only use of Qi. Eventually, Zhou Fan decided to wait until day before he left and took a night to sleep for the first time in a while. ------------------ As morning broke, Zhou Fan got up and left the mountain. Before he went back, he fixed the hole in the peak from yesterday. It didn''t take long before Zhou Fan made it back to Lang Yang city. As he was making it back to the courtyard, however, he saw a familiar face. As soon as he saw it, he stopped in the air, stunned. He only stopped for a moment before he looked at the face closer and confirmed who it was. Before anyone realized that there was a man floating in the air, Zhou Fan moved down and descended to an alleyway, unnoticed. As he walked out, he was met with the person from earlier. As soon as she saw him, she stopped and widened her eyes. "Zhou Fan?!" She said, utterly confused. "Fui Rong?" He asked back. Zhou Fan didn''t need an answer however as he could tell from her face that it was indeed her. Although she was wrinkled and gray, needing a cane to walk, the look in her eyes hadn''t changed much. "I thought you died! How are you alive? And why are you so young!?" She asked. "Would you like to talk over some tea?" He countered. "Fine." She said, annoyed that he didn''t answer her. Since Zhou Fan had no idea what was around anymore, he let her lead the way. Although it took exceedingly long due to the fact that she was in her 70''s, they eventually made it to a nice looking place. The building was 2 stories tall and very green. Above the door, a sign that said ''Lou''s pavilion'' hung. When they entered, Zhou Fan could instantly tell that it wasn''t a place for poor people. Besides the nice smelling air and the calm surroundings, the material of the place just seemed expensive. As they walked up to the stairs, a guard stood. According to the sign, only VIP''s could enter the second floor. Unexpectedly, the guard made way as soon as he saw Fui Rong walking towards him. "Good evening Ms.Fui." He said with a slight bow. Nodding at him, she and Zhou Fan walked up to the second floor. ''It seems that she has done well for herself.'' Zhou Fan thought. As they made it to the second floor, Zhou Fan could see that it was much nicer. It also happened to be empty, likely due to the fact that it was 8 in the morning. Fui Rong led him to one of the seats on the balcony as a waiter appeared and took their orders. Fui Rong ordered some hot tea while Zhou Fan ordered some sweet tea. Finally alone, Fui Rong started to ask questions. Chapter 54: Apostle - 54 Chapter 54 - Apostle - 54 "How are you still alive?" She asked. "And why are you young?" After thinking for a moment, Zhou Fan wasn''t sure how to answer her. He was considering making up a lie, but he had no idea what would sound believable. Just as he was about to try to tell her the truth, an idea came to Zhou Fan''s mind. "Have you heard of god?" He asked. "Of course. I''m even a devout believer. What does that have to do with anything?" She said. "Well, when I was about to die not long after the war, he descended upon me and saved my life. He said that I was destined to be his apostle and took me in. Ever since then, I have been following him around and he even made me not age!" Zhou Fan said exaggeratingly. When Fui Rong heard him, she let out a gasp. For a moment, she didn''t believe it, but she soon realized that there was no other explanation. How else could he have lived so long without aging? "What does he look like?" She asked with visible excitement on her face. "He doesn''t look too much like a human. Instead, he seems like a human-shaped ball of light." He answered. Zhou Fan had already formulated a story in his head and made sure that there were no loopholes. After she got an answer, Fui Rong didn''t stop. Instead, she continued to ask question after question, only momentarily stopping to take a sip of her tea which arrived not too long ago. 30 minutes passed before she stopped asking questions. At some point, she had took out a notepad and a pencil to take notes. When she finally ran out of questions, she stood up, gave Zhou Fan a hug and a thank you, and ran out saying she had somewhere to be. It wasn''t much of a run considering she needed a cane, but it was still surprisingly fast. Watching her leave, Zhou Fan let out a sigh and stood up. It was likely that this would be the last time he met Fui Rong. As he looked at her with the Dao earlier, he could tell that her lifespan was coming to an end. She likely wouldn''t last another year. Zhou Fan walked down the stairs and nodded at the guard in passing before he went back to the cave. Meanwhile, Fui Rong had gathered a big group of people in her yard. Her yard was big, yet it was nearly filled to the brim. One could only estimate that 1000 people had showed up after she released a world shaking piece of news. She had met with God''s apostle! Only an hour after she had released it, thousands of people were in her yard, eagerly waiting. When Fui Rong saw that the yard had filled up, she started to speak. "Just a few hours ago, I met with the apostle of God at Lou''s pavilion." She started. "We first met up because he was someone I knew from 60 years ago, yet he hadn''t aged a day. When we started to talk, he revealed that he was an apostle of God and generously told me about him. I have gathered everyone here to share what I was told." As the people listened to her, excitement was visible on their faces. Although they would be skeptical if someone else said such a thing, Fui Rong had a great reputation for helping those in need and being truthful. "He told me that while God has the form of a human, he is made up of light. He also said that God blesses those that are kind and gives bad luck to those that are bad." As Fui Rong continued her speech, more and more people arrived, and by the time she was done, more than ten thousand people had gathered. Many people wrote down what they heard and information started to spread. Before long, the entire world knew of the events at Lou''s pavilion. --------------- In the cave, Zhou Fan floated down to his house, only to not sense anyone nearby. Instead, people were gathered at one of the far sides of the cave. Curious, Zhou Fan flew over. When he did, he saw many elves and the rulers of the various races gathered around the casket. When he saw such a sight, Zhou Fan felt his heart drop. He sped up and instantly appeared in front of the group. As he looked at them, he could see many of the elves crying, while the rulers stood there with sadness visible in their eyes. Zhou Fan didn''t even have to ask who died when he saw the drawing beside the casket. The recognizable face of Yipeng was perfectly drawn on the piece of paper. A single tear fell out of Zhou Fan''s eyes. ------------- A couple days later, the mourning was concluded. As Zhou Fan sat in his room, he couldn''t help but feel a large amount of sadness. Yipeng was the closest thing he had to a friend. He regretted not being there in his last moments. However, he recently learned that Yipeng lived a fulfilling life. While Zhou Fan was gone for 60 years, he gained a wife and even had a few children. Each of them was there at the funeral, and the oldest was already 40 years old. Zhou Fan wasn''t sure how to feel while looking at them. A lifetime had passed him by and he seemed to be the only one who didn''t feel it. Old friends were either dead or old, and Zhou Fan was still the same as he was 60 years, besides much stronger and wiser. He quickly got out of the stupor, however. Countless lifetimes would pass by, and Zhou Fan couldn''t feel sad every time. Finally back to normal, Zhou Fan started to think of what he needed to do before he went back into seclusion. First, he needed to study his current realm. Ever since he broke through, he hadn''t paid it a bit of attention and forgot to see if he gained any new abilities. Chapter 55: Divine Sense - 55 Chapter 55 - Divine Sense - 55 As Zhou Fan sank into his soul space, he got a weird feeling. It almost felt as if his soul could leave his body, but he knew that such a thing was impossible for him. After all, he had the decision during his ascension to nascent soul but chose to have it fused. The thought didn''t stop Zhou Fan from acting on the feeling as he let the feeling out of his body. As he did so, a dome shaped and invisible sensation swept out of his body and covered the house. It felt as though his eyes were focusing on every single inch of the area. Without even opening his eyes, he could tell every detail around him. As per usual, Zhou Fan quickly made up a name for this action. Divine Sense. He named it divine sense due to the fact that he felt like a divine being overseeing the area around him. He pushed his divine sense to the limit and it covered the entire house. Even though he was in his room, he knew that there were 4 ants on the table, 3 mosquitos around the house and a singular grasshopper under the cabinet. As he saw them, an idea came to Zhou Fan''s mind. He attempted to control his divine sense to attack one of the ants. As he tried, the invisible and non-existent divine sense seemed to congeal and push a pressure onto the ant. Without resistance, the ant was smashed and died. The pressure that he could release through his divine sense wasn''t much, but it was more than enough to kill an ant. Zhou Fan didn''t stop with the ant as he killed every pest in the house in order to learn how to better control his divine sense. After the last kill, Zhou Fan was much better at controlling it. It was nearly effortless to control his divine sense now. Even so, Zhou Fan was able to estimate that his divine sense could only exert 10 pounds of pressure. Although he could perhaps focus that pressure on someone''s eye, he still felt that it was too weak to use. Hopefully it would improve as he continued to cultivate. After making sure that he wasn''t missing out on any other new features, Zhou Fan started to focus on the next order of business. He remembered mentioning that he would find a way to produce absorbable Qi without having to be there personally to Cao Lin. Zhou Fan had to sit there and ponder for a while in order to figure out how he could possibly do that. After an hour of thinking, Zhou Fan came up with an idea. Zhou Fan walked out of his house and went to one of the edges of the cave. As he touched the wall, he sensed the area using metal Qi and soon found a fairly big piece of ore. As soon as he felt it, he dragged it towards him by manipulating the earth and was able to see it. It was the size of a house and Zhou Fan used Wind Qi to keep it floating in the air. With the ore in hand, he compressed into a ball no bigger than his head. He then squished it like dough and formed a square metal sheet with a thickness of 2 inches. As he theorized earlier, Zhou Fan infused the metal with a fair amount of Qi and made it much stronger than before. He proceeded to infuse Fire Qi on his finger and draw a horizontal line on the plate, which was infused with the Qi. As he watched the line and waited for it to settle within the plate, Zhou Fan was feeling a bit worried. He had no idea if this would work and didn''t know what to try next if it failed. As he watched on nervously, the line soon settled and became a part of the plate. When Zhou Fan saw this, he was ecstatic. ''It worked!'' Or at the very least, the first part worked. Moving onto the second step, Zhou Fan infused some Qi into the dormant metal plate that instantly lit up. The metal plate acted as a conduit that transferred the Qi to the line which also lit up. When the line lit up, a horizontal flame appeared on the plate. The flame was hot and would have melted the plate if Zhou Fan didn''t enhance it. What was surprising was that the fire that lit up on the plate contained miniscule amounts of Fire Qi that was slightly released into the world. Although it wasn''t even one thousandth of what Zhou Fan could produce, it still marked a major point of success. Looking at it, Zhou Fan named it ''Formations''. He had a feeling that creating a fire wasn''t all it could be used for. As he watched on, the plate burned for 5 minutes before the Qi Zhou Fan put in was used up. Zhou Fan wasn''t disheartened since he put an extremely small amount of Qi into the plate previously. Since he used one ten-thousandth of his Qi the first time, he attempted to activate it with one hundredth this time. As soon as the Qi touched the metal plate, the plate exploded and sent out a burst of flame with it. As Zhou Fan stood there with ash on his face, he shrugged his shoulders. "At least it can be used as a bomb." He said optimistically. Zhou Fan once again found a big ore and repeated the process, this time with Demon Qi. As he tested it with one thousandth of his Qi, the plate trembled, but didn''t explode. Once the line made with Demon Qi was activated, it released a sinister aura that would send a chill through any mortal''s body. Although nothing materialized like the flame, he could sense the invisible existence of the Qi being released. If someone touched the line, they would be slowly drained of their life energy. Now that he knew that both Demon Qi and Fire Qi worked, he needed to try it on a bigger scale and in different ways. Chapter 56: Metal - 56 Chapter 56 - Metal - 56 Zhou Fan spent the next few days experimenting with formations. Throughout that time, he estimated that he used every bit of metal around the cave. After a week, Zhou Fan was confident enough to make a lasting formation that could release a reasonable amount of demon and fire Qi. Zhou Fan had managed to discover that different patterns and different amounts of Qi were able to induce different effects. He had discovered some ways to attack, some ways to defend, and some ways to enhance abilities. Sadly, the formations were not powerful enough to enhance his own abilities, but for someone in foundation establishment or early core formation, they could be very useful. As Zhou Fan prepared to make a much more powerful formation using much more metal, he realized that he had used up all the big metal veins around the cave. All that remained were small deposits. Zhou Fan first thought to go back to the mountain he had stayed on for a while since he guessed that there should be some metal there. However, Zhou Fan didn''t want to destroy the mountain or put the miners out of business. As a result, Zhou Fan decided to go to the sword empire and collect all the metal on the biggest mountain there. He naturally hadn''t randomly chosen the mountain. From the books he read 60 years ago, he recalled that one of the biggest mountains in the world resided in the sword empire, or more accurately, the 2nd biggest. Although the biggest mountain would be nice, it was inhabited by hundreds of thousands of humans. If he took the metal out of it, the mountain may collapse and even Zhou Fan wasn''t confident in saving 100,000 people in an instant. As Zhou Fan confirmed his choice, he flew up and sped to the mountain at full speed. It only took 30 minutes to get to the sword empire, which was 2 entire empires away. Even Zhou Fan didn''t expect to be so fast now that he was in soul formation. At this rate, it wouldn''t be long before he could go around the world in a minute. It only took 10 more minutes to reach the mountain. If his divine sense was bigger, Zhou Fan could quickly check if anyone was living there. Unfortunately, he was still too weak. Zhou Fan inwardly lamented at the fact that he had to manually check the entire mountain. Of course, the option of not caring was there as well, but Zhou Fan wasn''t a monster. There was a 30% chance that the mountain would collapse after he took the metal away, and anyone on it would quickly die. Therefore, Zhou Fan made sure that there was no one around or near the entire mountain, which took another 30 minutes, before he started. Zhou Fan flew to the middle of the mountain where he felt that the metal was at its densest, and controlled some metal Qi to pull all of it out of the mountain. The mountain quickly burst apart as a huge vein emerged. The vein reached from the top of the mountain to the bottom and from side to side. The people in the nearest kingdom were astonished to see the humongous mountain collapse in an instant. It had stood tall since their grandparents'' grandparents ancestors lived in the kingdom, and yet it fell without warning today. They weren''t the only ones alarmed. Zhou Fan too felt astonished at the events. However, he was less surprised about the mountain''s collapse and more surprised about the amount of metal within it. Contrary to his previous estimates, more than 50% of the mountain was made of metal. That was a long shot from the 5% he previously estimated. There was a high likelihood that this was the biggest metal vein in the world! Zhou Fan suddenly didn''t feel so bad about not being able to excavate the biggest mountain. Zhou Fan didn''t waste too much more time before he began to compress the metal. It took a lot more effort due to the fact that it was more than 100 times bigger than any of the other ores he messed with. If there wasn''t a huge sheet of dust from the mountains collapse, the people in the distance would be astonished to see an unimaginable amount of metal being ''shrunk'' into a cube no bigger than an average person''s head. As for Zhou Fan, he was astonished to see that he couldn''t compress the plate anymore. A head sized cube seemed to be the limit of his strength right now. Even so, Zhou Fan didn''t lament. With its current shape, Zhou Fan would be able to draw formations on each of the 6 sides. With the unexpected discovery, Zhou Fan felt a lot less disappointed about his strength. Since he didn''t plan to inscribe upon it here, Zhou Fan let the cube float beside him. As he looked down at the destruction below him, Zhou Fan waved his hand and controlled the earth Qi to rebuild the mountain. Within a minute, it was good as new if you ignored the loss of metal. Once he finished, Zhou Fan disappeared into a blur and moved towards the cave at his highest speed. Not long after he left, the dust cleared up and the people from the nearby kingdom were flabbergasted to see the uncollapsed mountain. As their minds buzzed, a few people were able to connect the unexplainable event with God. Once again, rumors of God spread around the world. The next day, the sword empire announced that they were making godism their official religion. Although somewhat surprising, nobody could say that it was unexpected. Although the sword empire had been stubbornly refusing to ''submit to god'', God had just arrived at their doorstep. In the face of the unexplainable, even they had to kneel. Of course, it was all a misunderstanding. Zhou Fan had no intention to scare them into practicing godism. In fact, he still didn''t know much about the spread of Godism throughout the world. Chapter 57: Spirit Stone - 57 Chapter 57 - Spirit Stone - 57 It didn''t take long for Zhou Fan to make it back to the cave. Once he did, he went to the center of the cave and began to further observe the metal cube. Its weight was as much as a mountain and not even the strongest weapons of humanity could injure it. In fact, even Xiaolong wouldn''t be able to scratch it despite his second level Qi gathering cultivation and the innate strength of the dragon race. Once Zhou Fan got a good feel of the cube, he was ready to create his most powerful formation yet. Since there were six sides, Zhou Fan decided to use three for Fire Qi and the other three for Demon Qi. Zhou Fan coated his finger with Fire Qi. Although he knew that the cube would be much stronger than the previous plates, he wasn''t sure how much strength it could hold. Therefore, he started with one fiftieth of his strength. As he started to carve into the cube, he realized that it could take more, and after a couple more adjustments, Zhoou Fan was able to conclude that the cube could withstand one twentieth of his power. Any more and it would explode. With his increased understanding of formations, Zhou Fan was no longer limited to a single line. Instead, he drew patterns that added together and increased the released Qi. After 50 strokes, Zhou Fan was done with the first side. He repeated his previous actions with the next two sides and switched to Demon Qi on the last three sides. As he finished the last side, the cube released a glow of crimson red. It had been pushed to its limit and couldn''t handle any more formations. Zhou Fan knew his job was done. All that was left was to test it. Zhou Fan first started to infuse it with a hundredth of his Qi. Once he realized that it could take that much, he increased the amount to a ninetieth, an eightieth, and so on, until he reached a tenth of his Qi. At that point it was shaking and light was starting to seep out. When Zhou Fan noticed that it was about to break, he stopped infusing Qi. As it cooled down, Zhou Fan chose to only infuse a fifteenth of his Qi. Although it could handle a tenth, the stress on it would make it slowly break down. As he finished testing, Zhou Fan had one more problem. He couldn''t always infuse his Qi into it. Although he estimated that it could work for 2 weeks with his Qi input, it wouldn''t work after that and he would have to refill it again. As he sat there and pondered, his gaze inexplicably turned to the giant crystal hanging from the ceiling. As if a lightbulb went off in his head, Zhou Fan flew to the crystal. Although he wasn''t sure that his idea would work, he had to at least try. Controlling some Sword Qi, Zhou Fan sliced off a chunk of the crystal smaller than his head. He then carved it into a crystal like shape and began to infuse some of his Qi into it. As he did, the crystal began to emit a soft glow. He continued to imbue his Qi into it and only stopped after half of it was exhausted. Although full, the crystal wasn''t unstable like the cube. Instead, it safely held his Qi within it. Not to mention, there was very little leakage. He estimated that it would take it thousands of years to expire. Even so, the current revelation was good for Zhou Fan. With these crystals, there would always be Qi to refill the formation on the cube. While looking at it, Zhou Fan decided to call it a spirit stone. The name seemed like a good fit. After he was done with the first, Zhou Fan continued to cut down the crystal in the middle and shape it into spirit stones. He only stopped once he used up half of the crystal and created 1000 spirit stones. With these, the formation would be powered up for 2000 weeks, or 38 and a half years. Zhou Fan had fulfilled his promise to Cao Lin. Speaking of Cao Lin, Zhou Fan called him over. After showing him the cube and explaining its functions, Cao Lin was amazed. He then explained the use of the spirit stones and taught Cao Lin how to use them. "Uhhh sir. Couldn''t you just fill up the spirit stones and let me cultivate with them?" Cao Lin asked. Hearing his question, Zhou Fan stood rooted to the ground, frozen. He had never even thought of that. After all, he had only discovered spirit stone after he had already completed the formation. As Cao Lin stared at the frozen Zhou Fan, he let out a small chuckle. Even the almighty make mistakes. It took a good minute before Zhou Fan unfroze. "Well you could, but the spirit stones contain neutral Qi and the Demon and Fire Qi produced by the cube would be much more beneficial." Although he could have just filled up the spirit stones with Fire and Demon Qi, Zhou Fan didn''t want to admit his mistakes. "Oh. Of course sir. How could you make such a simple mistake." He said with a smirk and a sarcastic bow. Seeing that, Zhou Fan had to stop himself from sending Cao Lin flying into the next life. When Cao Lin saw Zhou Fan''s expression, he turned around and ran. By the time Zhou Fan started to pay attention to his surroundings again, he was already gone. "Good, very good." Zhou Fan muttered with an evil smile while rubbing his hands. All that he needed now was a long mustache and he could be a villain. Since he was done with formations for now, Zhou Fan pondered what else he needed to do. After seeing the possibilities of formations, he wondered if there were any other special uses for Qi besides cultivating. Chapter 58: Buddhas Palm - 58 Chapter 58 - Buddhas Palm - 58 Zhou Fan sat in his room and thought for a while. It was a difficult task to think of a new use for Qi. He considered imitating the way he made the formation plates to make a weapon, but he realized that there wasn''t enough metal to forge a sword that would be good enough for him. Instead, he thought of direct uses of Qi. Since he started cultivating, he would have to barbarically release his Qi in order to attack. Instead, he may be able to invent a better way. He would call it ''martial arts''. Although some people already used fighting styles that they named martial arts, the ones he created would be at a whole new level. Since he had the idea, Zhou Fan decided to act on it. He chose to focus first on attack martial arts, then defensive martial arts, and finally, support martial arts. Zhou Fan went outside the cave and in a random direction in order to not destroy the cave with his attacks. He ended up in a place called the dark empire. Right now, it is in a state of civil war. Just 30 years ago, the boundless empire and the truth empire teamed up to eliminate the dark empire, due to the fact that it tried to incite a war between them. Although the mortaniel empire almost stepped in to stop the war, they decided to let it happen after hearing the reason. All that remained now was a couple nobles and a bunch of civilians. Zhou Fan had only heard of the events because they were so world shaking. It was the first time in almost 500 years that a top 10 empire fell. In the end, it could only be said that they were too ambitious. As Zhou Fan flew around, he discovered an uninhabited mountain range in the distance. He flew to the highest peak and sat at the top. As he looked at the incredible view, Zhou Fan began to formulate martial arts in his head. First, he remembered the buddha. From his travels with him, he had comprehended a type of Qi called Buddhist Qi. It had great purifying and enhancement capabilities. It was also the closest thing to a counter of Demon Qi that he had discovered. After 20 minutes, Zhou Fan had an idea. He held his palm out towards one of the mountains not far away and coated it in Buddhist Qi. Once the Buddhist Qi was shaped into his palm, he sent it up in the air and enlarged it thousands of times. It fell to the ground like a meteor at an astonishing speed, covering the entire mountain and even the surrounding mountains. As it made contact, a loud boom shook the entire area, followed by an earthquake and a great amount of wind. The earth split apart and the mountain, along with the 20 mountains surrounding it, were no longer in existence. All that remained was a giant palm print in the ground. When Zhou Fan saw the result, his eyes widened in surprise. That was by far the strongest attack he had ever made. The only way he could think of making a stronger attack was with Chaos Qi. As he thought of Chaos Qi, he wondered what would happen if he coated the buddha''s palm with a layer of Chaos Qi. When the thought came to his mind, he shuddered. The power such an attack would contain probably wouldn''t even spare him. He may be able to flatten the entire kingdom. Chaos Qi was not to be underestimated. If added onto the previous attack, it would likely increase its strength by 100 times, if not more. As Zhou Fan decided not to test it, an idea came to mind. Why did the target have to be earth? Zhou Fan turned his gaze to the sky. Since it was day, there were no stars out, but there was a big blazing ball of flame. Although Zhou Fan knew he couldn''t reach the sun, he could at least send his attack towards it. He raised his palm and started to coat his hand with Buddhist Qi once again. He had previously named the attack, ''buddha''s palm'', but now, it was better to call the new attack ''Choas Buddha''s palm''. Before he released the Buddhist Qi from his hand, he carefully added another layer. This time, it was made out of Chaos Qi. As the two Qi''s touched, they melded into each other, creating a different color. The previous gold Buddhist Qi was added to the gray Chaos Qi, giving it a slight glow. Once he made sure they were stable, Zhou Fan let the Qi go out and expand thousands of times. This time, he didn''t hold back a bit and added every bit of his Qi into the attack. Although he knew it would cause Qi exhaustion, he decided it was worth it. Once the palm expanded to ten thousand times the size, Zhou Fan used his last bit of Qi and propelled it forward. As Zhou Fan fell on his butt, the Chaos Buddha''s palm shot towards the sun. As it traveled, an extreme pressure was given to the surroundings, pushing Zhou Fan and every living being within a thousand miles to the ground. As it traveled through the air, the air started to shake and warp from its sheer power. Once it got to the ozone layer, it completely destroyed it before heading into space. Once it got to space, it met with some natural resistance, but it didn''t even slow down a bit, continuing to go towards the sun at 10,000 miles per hour. It continued to travel for another 1000 miles before it finally dispersed. As Zhou Fan started to pass out from Qi exhaustion, a smile could be seen on his face. The previous attack had exceeded his expectations. It moved at an incredible speed, and without even touching anything, its power radiated across the lands. After seeing this, Zhou Fan knew it wouldn''t be long before he could go out into space. Chapter 59: School - 59 Chapter 59 - School - 59 When Zhou Fan finally opened his eyes again, an entire day had passed. Looking around, he could still see signs of destruction from the previous day. However, he didn''t plan to stop after creating two martial arts. Since a day had passed, Zhou Fan had regenerated his Qi. He once again pondered what martial arts he could make. ''Perhaps a long range attack? Maybe an invisible one?'' He continuously formulated ideas in his head and decided that next, he would create a piercing long range attack. As he considered the possibilities, Zhou Fan pointed out two fingers. On them, a thin, sword-like shape began to form. The Qi was yellow and gave off a feeling that made one feel like they would be cut in half if they looked too long. As he stared at the attack, he named it yellow piercing sword finger. Although quite long, the name couldn''t fit better. Zhou Fan turned his attention to the farthest mountain peak and shot the yellow piercing sword finger towards it. It moved at an incredible speed. Even a core formation cultivator may not be able to see it before they were hit. Once it came in contact with the mountain, no fancy explosion happened. Instead, the yellow piercing sword finger cleanly shot out of the back of the peak and embedded itself into the ground. Although no mortal could see it, a small vertical slice cut through the peak. The yellow piercing sword finger had silently cut through it. Seeing the results, Zhou Fan gave an approving nod. After testing it a few more times, Zhou Fan moved on to the next move. ------------------- After an entire day of theorizing and testing martial arts, Zhou Fan had created 3 more. The first one was the Dao finger. Like the Buddha''s palm, it was shaped after one of Zhou Fan''s body parts. Of course, it was the finger. When he used the Dao finger, it would add many different elements onto it and cause an immense, but focused, destructive power. Although he added all the elements he knew of, he didn''t mix them. Instead, they were patched together like cloth. If he mixed them altogether, the result would be Chaos Qi. Since he already had a move that used it, he needed to create non world destroying moves. Moves that he could use against people weaker than him. Naturally, that was for the future. Since there were no other cultivators, besides the ones he taught, there was no one to use these moves against. The next martial art he created was ''Lightning Dragon''. Although he had previously used this to destroy a volcano, that was a messy and less advanced version of this technique. Now, it was much bigger and much stronger. Finally, he created a defensive spell. He called it ''Impenetrable Bubble''. Although it wasn''t literally a bubble, it was see-through and only slightly tinted yellow. When he used the move, a giant dome would cover the area he targeted. After further thought, he changed it into a sphere so that an underground attack wouldn''t be able to break through the bottom. Now that he had these martial arts, Zhou Fan considered creating a school. Naturally, it would be a cultivation school. He had hesitated at the thought for a while, but the thought of being the sole cultivator sounded extremely boring. From what he could tell, he was extremely talented compared to others. At least, none of the race''s rulers or the beasts could match up to him. At the very least, having some competition would give him some motivation. However, without his assistance, nobody would be able to cultivate. Although there was the issue of Qi, he could create a formation for that now. Before doing all that, however, he chose to first go back to the cave. Although the rulers weren''t talented with cultivation, there might be some members that have a bit of talent. He also needed a location. There, he could build a big school that can house the greatest talents of the world. Unfortunately, all of that sounded extremely tedious for the current Zhou Fan. As such, he decided to first break through to the next realm before starting a school. Since he was already at a nice place, Zhou Fan didn''t bother going to another place in order to cultivate. Instead, he crossed his legs where he was and began. After a month, Zhou Fan broke into the second level of soul formation. Although he frowned at the speed, it was reasonable enough. After 2 more months, Zhou Fan broke into the third level. It seemed that it would take a good while to break through the levels. In the end, he decided against going back to the cave to tell them about his absence. Zhou Fan estimated that it would only take him 5 years to break into the next level. As he cultivated, he could sense the continous growth of the soul. Zhou Fan could tell that once he was done with this realm, he would have a perfect body, mind, and soul. It took him another 3 months to break into the 4th level. As he did so, he became confident that he could destroy an entire kingdom with Chaos buddha''s palm. Another 4 months passed and Zhou Fan broke into the 5th level. As he had cultivated, some explorers climbed the peak he was at, and Zhou Fan gently sent them down. He also used his new martial art, impenetrable bubble, to form a dome so that no more intruders could disturb him. Luckily, maintaining the bubble didn''t take any concentration. After 5 more months, Zhou Fan broke into the 6th level. Compared to the previous level, he felt he was at least 20 times stronger. During the entirety of soul formation, his power had been shooting up exponentially. At this point, he could destroy half an empire with Chaos Buddha''s palm. After 6 more months, Zhou Fan broke into the 7th level. By now, he was confident in destroying 5 empires if they were side by side. As he continued, nothing disrupted him or caused an unusual event. Zhou Fan had absolutely no worries as he cultivated on. Chapter 60: Bottleneck - 60 Chapter 60 - Bottleneck - 60 As Zhou Fan cultivated, 2 more years passed. All of a sudden, Qi shot out of his body and he broke through to the 10th level of soul formation. Finally, his soul was a complete part of him. From now on, there would be no more differences between his mind, body, and soul. They would continue to grow equally and together, unless Zhou Fan purposely cultivated one more than the other. In an attempt to break through to the next realm, Zhou Fan cultivated for another year. However, even after a year, he didn''t break through. Instead, he felt that he was only a quarter there. After feeling that, he decided to postpone further cultivation. Since he was going to create a school, there were many things to set up, and once he got them started, he could go into cultivation for another 3 years as he waited for everything to be ready. Otherwise, he would have to do all of it later and still wait a while. After standing up, Zhou Fan flew out from the mountain. His current speed was nothing like before. If he decided to go in that direction, he would make it back to the cave in 5 minutes. However, he first made a detour to the mortaniel empire. With their help, everything would go much smoother and faster. -------------------- In the throne room of the mortaniel emperor''s palace, the last man was giving his report. Nothing much had changed in the last few years and the emperor was even thinking of retiring. "... And last but not least, the bubble surrounding the Chiha mountain range hasn''t weakened or fallen. Investigations have continued, but nothing else can be examined. It is highly likely that it is an act of god." The man said, finishing his report. "You may leave." The emperor commanded with a neutral face. "Of course, long live the emperor." The man said as he left. Alone in the throne room, the emperor had a troubled expression. While the bubble hadn''t caused any harm or even shown signs of danger, he couldn''t help but worry. "There is no need to worry." A voice sounded out. Hastily turning his head, the emperor looked at the figure that appeared beside him. His long gray hair reached his waist and his clothes seemed to be made of the world itself. Naturally, it was Zhou Fan. He had arrived a couple seconds prior, but decided to listen to the previous conversation before he did anything. "God?" The emperor asked with a fearful tone. "You don''t seem to fit the descriptions." The emperor was referring to the time when Zhou Fan told Fui Rong about god. As for why he seemed so sure that Zhou Fan was god, could anyone else appear beside him? "I come in many shapes and forms. However, I am not here to talk to you about me. Instead, I am here to give you an opportunity. Are you willing to listen?" Zhou Fan asked. The emperor''s eyes discreetly lit up when he heard Zhou Fan''s words. ''According to rumor, God has an apostle. could he be making me one?!'' He thought. "Of course sir, what could it be you are proposing me?" The emperor inquired. "My deal is, submit and prosper, or don''t, and continue on with your short life." Zhou Fan answered. Although it may have sounded rude, Zhou Fan was offering a chance at near eternal life. He could be as rude as he wanted and the emperor would still accept. "What do you mean by submit and prosper?" The emperor asked. Although he didn''t have the courage to decline God''s offer, he at least wanted to know what he was getting himself into. "I will teach you how to cultivate. Cultivation can lead you to a longer life and incredible strength. As for submitting, I simply mean doing what I tell you." Zhou Fan answered. After hearing his words, the emperor had no idea of declining. Although he didn''t know if Zhou Fan was telling the truth, he felt that there was no reason why god would lie to him. "I agree. What should I call you?" The emperor asked after getting up and kneeling. "You can call me whatever you feel like calling me, but my name is Zhou Fan." He responded. "Understood lord Zhou Fan. What can I do for you?" "First, I want you to take these." Zhou Fan said while holding out his hand. In his palm lay a couple of small formations. While he was in the mountain range, Zhou Fan had developed a formation that could detect talent. Of course, the formation that he gave the emperor could only tell the basic information. More precisely, it could tell how good their meridians were. Even though he hadn''t made a ranking system just yet, he had made the formation give out a number 1 to 100. Zhou Fan would take the talents of 95 or above and teach them at the school. As for deeper testing, he would make a more complex formation at the place where he will build the school. "Take these and spread them around the various empires and kingdoms. You will put a spirit stone on it and the formation will enlarge, then, you will put a person in the middle and start it. That will give a number, and you must bring anyone with a 95 or higher to the imperial capital and arrange safe and comfortable residences for them. There are only 5000, but make sure that anyone can test their talent with them." Zhou Fan explained. He further explained things to the emperor until he understood what to do. He also told the emperor that he will bring him 100,000 spirit stones. Since each spirit stone could test 1000 people, 100 million could be tested. After that, Zhou Fan left for the caves and collected the spirit stones like he promised, then filled them up with qi, before delivering them to the emperor. The first part of the plan was finally done and he could start with the next parts. Chapter 61: Terraforming - 61 Chapter 61 - Terraforming - 61 In order to build a school, Zhou Fan needed a plot of land. At first, he had considered using the imperial capital of the mortaniel empire, but decided that he wanted a big area to himself. Since he didn''t have much idea about the world''s terrain, besides the brief and undetailed maps in the Lang Yang library, he stopped by the mortaniel empire''s library. As expected, it was huge. Besides the imperial palace, it was probably the biggest building Zhou Fan ever laid eyes upon. Like the Lang Yang city library, it was a tall, circular tower, only much wider and much taller. Zhou Fan didn''t bother to get a card and simply walked up. Nobody stopped him along the way due to the fact that they couldn''t see him. A simple trick he came up with was to manipulate light Qi to make him invisible. This was the first time he actually used it and it worked as well as he hoped. Zhou Fan didn''t have to ask where the maps and geography books were due to the signs, and it didn''t take him long to get to the right floor. Once he did, he decided to try something. Since Zhou Fan''s divine sense allowed him to view every detail of everything within it, wouldn''t it be possible to read a book like that? Along with his incredible mind, Zhou Fan would be able to read a book in an instant without even moving. With the thought in mind, Zhou Fan released his divine sense. As he broke through, its range increased from a normal sized house to a huge area. Unexpectedly, it covered the entire library! As information flooded into Zhou Fan''s mind, his brain moved at its maximum speed in order to understand it. He only retracted his divine sense after a minute had passed. In that time, he not only read every book in the library, but he also understood the entire structure! With the information he gathered, Zhou Fan was able to pick a perfect place for the school. Although it was a barren wasteland, Zhou Fan was confident that he would be able to turn it into a paradise. Zhou Fan quickly moved across multiple empires in a few minutes and reached the outer empires. The outer empires were essentially their own world. The place where Zhou Fan had stayed was simply the mainland of the world. Only the 10 empires ruled over the area. However, besides the 10 empires, there were many others. In fact there were thousands. The strongest empire in the outer empires was actually at the same level as the 10th ranked empire. However, Zhou Fan''s destination wasn''t within the outer empires. In order to reach the area Zhou Fan had chosen, he needed to go to the farthest place from human colonization. A place where only sand existed. It only took 10 more minutes before Zhou Fan reached the wasteland. As foretold, there was only sand. Even a mile in the sky, nothing else could be seen. Without looking around too much, Zhou Fan waved his hand as an endless amount of dirt fell onto the desert. He made sure the foundations of the dirt and stone reached deep into the world, where even sand didn''t reside. When he was done, 100 square miles were transformed into a plain and some mountains. However, there was no green. Next Zhou Fan poured water Qi out. He didn''t stop until a giant lake and a couple of rivers poured out. At this point, Zhou Fan was starting to feel a crushing sense of superiority. With his own hands, he was basically creating a new world. The feeling couldn''t even be described. He only wished that he had broken into the new realm beforehand, which would have made the terraforming 10 times easier. Once there was earth and water, Zhou Fan formed clouds and let a rain of life Qi nourish the land. Before long, plants started to grow and grass covered the majority of the land. However, Zhou Fan realized that he had forgotten to bring any animals with him. Although he was strong, he wasn''t even close to creating life. Therefore, Zhou Fan made a quick trip back to the 10 empires and picked up every wild and microscopic animal he could see. He collected them in a sphere above his head and suspended them in the air so that there would be no killing. It didn''t take long before he felt that he had enough and went back to the ''wasteland''. Zhou Fan paused in the air when he thought that. Since it was no longer a wasteland, he needed a name for it. After hundreds of ideas flew by his head, he still struggled to find a suitable name. He had considered names like Chaos academy, or Chaos university, but none of them sounded right. After a few minutes, Zhou Fan decided to not name it after anything special. Instead, he would come up with a random name. After a while, the name ''Huang Long academy'' came to him. SInce he couldn''t think of anything else, he went with that. With that, Zhou Fan made it back to the academy and finished terraforming. All that was left was to actually build the school. Since he didn''t know much about architecture, he decided to compress natural metals like he did with the formation cube, and shape the outside before furnishing the inside. Since he needed lots of ores, Zhou Fan dove deep into the earth and traveled as deep as he could. Along the way, he collected every bit of metal, iron, diamond, or gold he saw. After 30 minutes, he made it to the core of the earth. As the entire world believed that the earth was simply a ball of floating dirt, Zhou Fan was surprised to see what appeared to be a mini sun floating in the center. It was astounding and very hot. Although Zhou Fan was able to resist sweating, any mortal would turn to ash by just being near it. Chapter 62: Preparation - 62 Chapter 62 - Preparation - 62 Zhou Fan was extremely curious about the floating object. It was very unexpected to find such a thing. As Zhou Fan moved closer, the core seemed to sense his existence and an explosion occurred on the core. The wave of energy shot towards the unsuspecting Zhou Fan and almost knocked him off his feet. However, Zhou Fan quickly regained his balance as he realized what happened. With a wave of his hand, a shield was formed in front of him, completely blocking the ''attack''. As Zhou Fan looked closer, he understood that the previous action couldn''t be called an attack. Instead, it was more like a natural reaction to something approaching it. For a second, Zhou Fan considered if it was sentient, but the theory was quickly thrown away as soon as Zhou Fan looked at it with the Dao. With the Dao, he saw the Dao itself pouring out of and into the core. It seemed that this was the source of the mortal Dao itself. However, it wasn''t creating, but recycling. If his theory was right, a bit of the cosmic Dao should have hit this planet and formed this core. Perhaps Zhou Fan was staring at the source of all life on earth. Including his own! Once Zhou Fan realized that the core could have been formed from a bit of the cosmic Dao, he didn''t dare approach any further. If he moved against it rashly, there was a chance that the entire planet would explode. Although curious, Zhou Fan didn''t feel like dying today. Therefore, after a bit of internal struggle, he went around the core and continued moving around the inside of the earth, collecting metal and other ores. After 3 more hours of collecting, Zhou Fan had an extremely large amount of metal, each bit condensed to a level more than the previous formation cube. With the current amount of metal, he could create a campus a mile wide. Of course, he didn''t mean a single building a mile wide, but an entire section of the paradise he created. The metal would only be the foundation, however. Zhou Fan also needed to make strong wood and other materials that could be used to build the main building and the rest of the campus As he left the inside of the earth, Zhou Fan estimated that he used around a tenth of the metal on the planet. If he hadn''t condensed it, he may have been able to lay a sheet of metal over the entire world. Once he left, he went to a huge forest. It was one of the forests in the outer empires and it was the biggest in the world. Zhou Fan reached the forest and cut down a few trees with some sword Qi. He then tried to use the same method of compressing in order to strengthen the wood. Unfortunately, the wood fell apart as soon as he tried. It seemed that Zhou Fan would need a different technique in order to make the wood stronger. It wasn''t long before an idea popped into his head. Perhaps if he poured an extreme amount of wood Qi into the wood, the wood would naturally get stronger. Not only would that solve Zhou Fan''s problem, it would also save the forest from deforestation. The first time he tried, the wood instantly exploded. He realized that he had put too much Qi at once and tried again. The second time, he started much slower and the tree was quickly filled to the brim with wood Qi. As it filled, the wood began to absorb the wood Qi. Looking at it, Zhou Fan estimated it would take it a day to absorb it, and even then, he would have to repeat the process. While Zhou Fan would love to find a quicker way, he had no other ideas. Therefore, he made it rain wood Qi all over the forest. Zhou Fan then went off to plan a design for the school. Everyday, he would come back and repeat the process, strengthening the wood exponentially. After a month, the wood had reached its limit. By now, Zhou Fan estimated it could take a full powered punch from an early core formation cultivator. Now he was finally done with preparations. Since the wood had taken so long to grow, he had spent the last few days finding and enhancing other materials needed for construction. All that was left was the actual building, and with Zhou Fan''s powers, it would be a piece of cake. Before that however, he needed to hire people to manage the building. That included cleaners, cooks, guards, and helpers. He decided against teachers since nobody knew cultivation better than him. It wouldn''t be too hard to teach the classes himself. Instead of doing all that himself, he flew to the mortaniel empire and ordered the emperor to do it. Why would he do it himself if he had the most powerful emperor as his subordinate? Naturally, the emperor was delighted to follow his commands and promised to gather them all up in a month. He would prepare the greatest in every category. Zhou Fan felt relieved that his foresight was so good. Who knew how long it would have taken him to gather up good workers by himself. With every bit of preparation done, Zhou Fan was completely ready to build Huang Long academy. After he built it, he would have to put formations around for defense, temperature, and maybe cultivation, but building the academy itself was the biggest and most important task. Zhou Fan made his way to the paradise area. When he made it there, he saw the mountain of materials piled up. With his powerful mind, Zhou Fan didn''t have to move a muscle to build the academy. All he had to do was imagine how he wanted it to look, and the rest would do itself. Zhou Fan pictured a huge castle-like building in the center of the paradise, followed by a side building for things like eating, showering, and living. The main castle would be the school part. Zhou Fan then envisioned an area of commerce. In the future, he would make a merit system where students could buy things with points earned from efforts in studying and cultivation. Before long, the majestic Huang Long academy was built. Chapter 63: Leaving The Cave - 63 Chapter 63 - Leaving The Cave - 63 As Zhou Fan looked upon the Huang Long academy, he was filled with a sense of pride and satisfaction. The Huang Long academy is likely the biggest building to ever exist. After all, not anyone could build such a place, nor find materials that could hold so much weight. However, Zhou Fan wasn''t done. He still needed to lay out some formations. First, he would need a Qi producing formation. Then, he would need a defense formation, and finally, he would need a luxury formation, which would produce cool air, and good weather. As he considered where to get the metal needed, he had an idea. Instead of making a formation on metal, couldn''t he simply write it on the ground. He would call it an array! Zhou Fan immediately got to work on his idea. Since he had no idea if it would work, he started with the least important defense array. Since the ground was already hard from his earlier compression, Zhou Fan didn''t need to do anything to it. He was able to fly around and make invisible lines with his Qi on the ground. The array was much bigger and complex than the formations he made earlier. That was both due to the fact that it was naturally bigger and that he wanted it to be much stronger. In other words, Zhou Fan was putting all of his effort into building the strongest array possible. It wasn''t long before Zhou Fan was about to complete it. However, right before he finished, he had an idea. What if he connected it to the Dao? That would make it both formless and much more powerful. Of course, he could only possibly connect it with the mortal Dao. With the thought, Zhou Fan made an extra long line that reached the core of the earth and absorbed the Dao energy that it was giving off. As he did, the entire array was powered up. Zhou Fan was ecstatic as he realized that it was 10 times stronger than before. With the revelation, Zhou Fan made the Qi producing array and connected it to the Dao. Like the previous array, Zhou Fan made it with all the concentration and every bit of effort that he had. With it connecting to the Dao, it produced an amount of Qi that even Zhou Fan approved of. He estimated that it was a fifth of the amount he would personally give off. As he completed the final array, the luxury array, the Huang Long academy was officially finished. All that was left was to get the staff and the students. Although he finished faster than he predicted, the emperor should have gathered a few already. After all, it''s been over a month. Zhou Fan then left for the empire. Along the way, he paved a road to the wasteland. He also made some ponds and lakes so that travelers could get water on their way. After all, the academy was in the center of the wasteland. Without natural water, it would be hard to survive across the route. Once he made it to the empire, Zhou Fan estimated that it would take even an imperial carriage over a year to make it. After all, it was on the other side of the world. Therefore, before he picked up the students, he made a pit stop and worked on some automatic carriages that worked on spirit stones. 1 spirit stone would be enough to last an entire journey back and forth, so the emperor wouldn''t have to worry about the cost. For the final stop before he reached the empire, Zhou Fan went back to the cave. When he got there, he collected Cao Lin, the beasts, and 3 talented juniors from the 10 races. Each of them had a talent of 95 or more, and the most talented, Cao Mizu, was not only Cao Lin''s daughter, but had a 98 talent. Although it was only a three point difference from the rest, the three points would be a gap the others may never be able to cross. Before leaving, Zhou Fan went to the barbarian race. As he had used the other crystals to make spirit stones, all the other races had moved here. Only the last big crystal hanging from the ceiling provided light to them. Unfortunately, Zhou Fan was going to take it to power the arrays at the academy. Although they were powered by the Dao, the crystal would serve as a slight relief from the Dao''s stress. The good news, however, outweighed the bad news by a lot. Since they didn''t have anywhere left in the caves, Zhou Fan decided to bring them up to the surface. In fact, he would bring them back to the paradise he created. However, except for Cao Lin and the three talented disciples, the rest of the races wouldn''t stay in the academy and would instead stay outside of it. Even though it sounded bad, the area was still a flourishing oasis that they would surely appreciate. If they were willing, Zhou Fan was willing to even give them some working positions in the academy. Zhou Fan didn''t bother to announce his intentions as he surrounded every living being in the cave with an unbreakable bubble. They panicked at first, but they calmed down once they realized it was Zhou Fans doing. With the beasts, Cao Lin, the three disciples, and the rest of the 10 races, Zhou Fan flew off to the mortianiel empire. When Zhou Fan reached it, he didn''t disperse the bubbles around everyone as it would be a quick trip. When the citizens of the mortaniel empire saw the floating bubbles with no humans in them, they started to freak out. As they were doing so, Zhou Fan entered the palace and met the emperor. When he requested the talents, the emperor nodded and ran to get them. As he passed by the chaotic crowd, he calmed them down with a quick speech of how it was God''s actions. Before long, the emperor could be seen entering the palace with 10 men and women behind him. Chapter 64: Welcome - 64 Chapter 64 - Welcome - 64 Zhou Fan, who took it upon himself to sit on the emperor''s throne, looked at the talents as they came in. There were 7 men and 3 women. Their ages ranged from 10 to 30. Confusion could be seen on their faces when they entered the throne room. ''Who is that man?'' Many of them asked themselves. ''How dare he sit on the emperor''s throne.'' However, their confusion only increased when they saw the emperor kneel respectfully before the man. "Lord Zhou Fan, I have brought the talents." He said respectfully. When the talents heard him, they once again stared at Zhou Fan in confusion. They had never heard of a Zhou Fan before. Especially not one that is more powerful than the emperor. However, one of the better dressed men kneeled on the ground along with the emperor. "I greet lord Zhou Fan." He said. Zhou Fan turned to look at the man. By the clothes he was wearing and the way he kneeled, he was clearly nobility. Although the man had no idea who Zhou Fan was, he still kneeled as soon as he saw the emperor do it. Clearly, he was quite smart. "What''s your name?" Zhou Fan asked. "My name is Yao Zen sir, I am 20 years old." He responded. When Zhou Fan heard the name, he was able to conclude that he was indeed a noble. In the mortaniel empire''s books, he recalled a brief mention of a count Yao. Nodding his head, Zhou Fan looked upon the rest. "Do any of you know why you are here today?" He asked. "Somewhat sir. His highness told us that we were talented. He also told us to stay within the imperial capital until further notice. I assume that you are what we were waiting for?" One of the women responded. "Indeed." Zhou Fan nodded. "You are here because of your talent, and I am here to give you an opportunity." He said. The talented people didn''t interrupt him as he talked. "Before I say anything else, I believe that it would be better to show you than to tell you, follow me." Zhou Fan said as he walked out of the throne room. When the people heard him, they looked at the emperor for confirmation. After all, they didn''t dare to ignore his presence, even if he seemed subservient to Zhou Fan. As they looked at him, the emperor waved his hand in a ''follow him'' gesture, with a ''what are you waiting for'' look on his face. The talents didn''t hesitate any longer as they jogged to catch up to Zhou Fan. Once they reached the exit, they saw Zhou Fan standing right outside of the exit while looking in the air. When they looked where he was looking, they saw nothing but a couple of clouds. Just as they were about to ask what he was showing them, Zhou Fan pointed his finger towards the sky. As he did so, a giant, ethereal yellow dragon filled the sky. It coiled around itself and let out a roar that shook the entire empire. The group of talents stared in awe at the majestic dragon. They had never seen nor imagined such a thing. The sheer power it gave off sent chills down their spines. "That is the mascot of my academy, the Huang Long academy. What I''m offering you is a chance to join it. There, you will be given a chance to become strong. Strong enough to destroy a mountain or create a river." Zhou Fan said, interrupting the talent''s awe. When they heard what he said, they were ecstatic. The yellow dragon had a big effect on them and the chance to become powerful seemed more tempting than ever. "Does anyone wish to not join?" Zhou Fan asked. Of course, not a single person rejected. With the talents in tow, Zhou Fan was ready to leave for Huang Long academy. As he did so, he looked at the emperor. "Continue to look for talents. From now on, you can send them to me as soon as you find them. After three or four years, I''ll be back. At that time, I''ll bring you to Huang Long academy with me." He said. Before he left, Zhou Fan talked to the emperor about the road he created and the automatic carriages. The emperor paid attention thoroughly and Zhou Fan quickly finished the conversation With a smile on his face, the emperor sent Zhou Fan off with the workers he had gathered. As Zhou Fan flew back, an army of bubbles filled with humans, the 10 races, and the beasts, followed behind him. Wherever he passed, people pointed in astonishment. Even with the bubbles, Zhou Fan didn''t have to slow down much. It only took an hour before he reached Huang Long academy. When everyone saw the paradise in front of them, they were filled with awe and expectation. After all, that would be where they lived for the foreseeable future. Zhou Fan first dropped the 10 races and the beasts down. With the materials left over from the building of the academy, they would be able to make their own places soon. As for the beasts, Zhou Fan let them build their habitats outside the academy, but they would still attend. Although they couldn''t exactly understand the lessons, they could still use the Qi in the air to cultivate. In fact, not long after Zhou Fan came back, he expanded the Qi array to surround the entire oasis, not just Huang Long academy. That way, the beasts could cultivate from within their habitats. After leaving the beasts and the 10 races, Zhou Fan brought the workers and the talents from both the human race and the 10 races to the academy. When they set foot on the academy, they were once again astonished. Everything seemed so big and comfortable. Even the stone they walked on gave off the feeling of strength, yet gentleness. That was the work of the luxury array. "Follow me, I will lead you to your dorms." Zhou Fan said. Chapter 65: Seclusion - 65 Chapter 65 - Seclusion - 65 As the group followed Zhou Fan they continued to be amazed by everything in the Huang Long academy. The buildings were huge, the air was cool, and everything was neat and clean. As they made it to the dorms, they were appalled by the building that seemed more like a palace than a dorm room. "This is where you will stay from now on. You can freely pick any room you want since they are all the same." Zhou Fan said. The talents eagerly nodded and ran into the building. Although Zhou Fan said that all the rooms were the same, they still tried to find differences. As they looked around, Zhou Fan led the workers to a different building. Although it wasn''t half as grand as the student dorms, it was still the best place they would ever live in. After telling them the basic rules, Zhou Fan told them to meet in the center of the academy tomorrow at 1:00pm for instructions on their job. When Zhou Fan made it to the student dorms, everyone was already waiting outside. It seemed that they were eager to further explore the academy. Therefore, Zhou Fan took them on a tour, showing them all the areas. Afterwards, he told them to come to the main building at 8:00 am tomorrow for their first lesson. With a nod they went into their dorm rooms filled with anticipation. Like that, the night passed. The entire night, Zhou Fan had cultivated within the main building. He only stopped when the group of 10 entered. "Welcome. Take a seat in front of me." Zhou Fan said. The hall they stood in was fairly big, but not massive. It was about the size of a large throne room. Zhou Fan sat at the end of the room on the slightly elevated floor, while the rest of the area was simply floor. Unfortunately, the floor was concrete. Although the luxury array helped slightly, it would still be uncomfortable to sit on for a long time. Zhou Fan had personally designed it this way to help them build up a resistance to sitting for long periods of time, and naturally, they wouldn''t feel any discomfort at all once they broke through a few times. As the students sat in front of him with their legs crossed, Zhou Fan spoke. "Today will be the only time I teach you for a while. Since you all are the only ones here, it seems unfair to teach you about cultivation. Therefore, I will teach you about your duties, and I expect you to teach your future peers what you hear today." Zhou Fan said. "Yes lord Zhou Fan." They all said in unison. "Firstly, there will be a merit system once the school officially starts. You will get points based on how good your results are. You can use those points to exchange for weapons or luxury items. There isn''t too much to say about merit points right now, but they will likely be very important in the future." Zhou Fan explained. "Secondly, you all will have nothing to do for the next three or four years. Therefore, I have created a training area where you can test out different weapons. Once you find one you like, you can train yourself with it and have an advantage when the school opens." Zhou Fan continued. Zhou Fan kept speaking for another hour before he let the students go. In that time, he told them a bit about cultivation, but not how to cultivate. After meeting the workers and explaining their jobs, Zhou Fan led them to a room that was kept cold by a formation and had lots of food. It was an amount that would last them a while even if they decided to wait before hunting. As for the problem of outside food, Zhou Fan used life Qi to speed up the animals reproducing, and with the oasis that takes up an area of 100 square miles, there would be no lack of food even with 1000 students. With everything set up, Zhou Fan was ready for seclusion. This time, he wouldn''t come out until he had broken through to the next level. He made sure to double check that he had done everything he needed to before he moved to the top of the main building. Up there, he had his room. Only he had access to it and knew it existed. Therefore, there was no worry about being bothered. Crossing his legs on the cold floor, Zhou Fan began to cultivate. ---------------- A year passed very quickly. In that time, 100 more students had joined the academy. With the first ten explaining everything, there was no need for Zhou Fan to make an appearance. With the warning words of the emperor, nobody caused a commotion or harmed anyone. The only times there were fights was when the students sparred in the arena. Since there was nothing to do but train your fighting skills or read the books in the library that Zhou Fan had taken form the mortaniel empire, training was the most popular thing to do. At first, the first 10 students rained supreme. But soon, people with backgrounds in fighting and more talented students began to appear. It wasn''t long before they were equal with some of the other students. ------------------------- Another year passed in the blink of an eye. In that time, the academy had reached a total student count of 250. Just a week ago, the academy was in an uproar over shocking news. The first person with the talent of 100 appeared. Although 20 99 talents had appeared, this was the first time a 100 had come. If Zhou Fan heard the news, he would have some interest in the student. After all, although 100 was the max talent that the formations he gave the emperor could read, there were still levels beyond that. Also, 100 was a crossing point into a whole new level of talent. If the difference between a 98 and a 99 could be said to be the distance of a table, the difference between a 99 and a 100 would be the distance of a house. ---------------------- Before long, 2 more years passed and Zhou Fan opened his eyes. Chapter 66: Void Traversing - 66 Chapter 66 - Void Traversing - 66 As soon as Zhou Fan opened his eyes, a bluish Qi covered his body. It wasn''t a Qi that Zhou Fan had comprehended, but a Qi that started being produced by him as soon as he broke into this new realm. Along with the extreme increase in strength, the breakthrough gave him the ability to naturally create this Qi. It wasn''t a Qi that could go outside the body, but a Qi that was slowly changing his human physique. After a day of bathing in the Qi, it stopped covering his body and went to the depths of his soul. Zhou Fan tried to move it, but it remained dormant and unresponsive to his will. Sighing, Zhou Fan gave up for now. More important than the Qi itself, Zhou Fan needed to check out the effects it had on his body. As he felt around his body, he remembered why the Qi looked so familiar. It was space Qi! Zhou Fan soon realized that it had been tempering his body, making it resistant to space! As soon as he made the realization, Zhou Fan shot up from his seating position and flew to the boundary between earth and space. Once he reached it, he nervously put his hand into outer space. He watched with narrow eyes as the space came into contact with his hand. However, even after a few seconds, there was no reaction. Widening his eyes in delight, Zhou Fan flew into outer space for the first time. Besides the lack of wind and sound, it felt the same as earth. "Hello." Zhou Fan said in an attempt to speak in space. Shockingly, he could hear himself speak! It seemed that the tempering of space Qi had also affected his voice. Zhou Fan tried to use Qi in outer space and sure enough, it worked perfectly normal. Thinking back, he should have been powerful enough to go into space long ago, but he was worried that his Qi wouldn''t work in space. Although he couldn''t prove his conjuncture, Zhou Fan was glad that he waited. Otherwise, he would only be able to stand in the endless space. However, with his breakthrough he gained a much faster speed. In fact, he was hundreds of times faster. He was now confident that he could travel around the entire world within a minute. Instead of testing that, Zhou Fan looked at the moon. He was very curious as to what it was made of and what it was like. With his new speed, it only took 10 seconds to arrive. Luckily, he had broken through at night and the moon was directly above his head. Otherwise, he would have to travel to the other side of the world before he could land on it. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he felt a new Qi. It was a Qi he had never experienced before on earth. Since he could feel that it was something unique to the moon, he called it lunar Qi. As he named it, Zhou Fan had a realization. ''I can''t breathe.'' He thought to himself. Since he had entered space, he hadn''t even attempted to take a breath. However, he didn''t feel the need to breathe. ''Perhaps I no longer need to breathe to survive?'' With that thought, Zhou Fan could truly say that he had broken from his human limits. Although he could already destroy mountains and overturn seas, he at least had the function of a normal human, albeit much less. Zhou Fan wondered if one day, he would stop having blood or even a body. The mere thought made him shudder. Instead of thinking further, Zhou Fan changed the subject. ''I should be getting back.'' He thought to himself. Now that he had broken through, it was time to start the school. Before that however, he decided to comprehend the lunar Qi. Due to his comprehension of the other elements and concepts, it only took another four days. By then, Zhou Fan was ready to return to earth. As he was making his way back, Zhou Fan named the new realm ''Void Traversing''. It didn''t take much thinking to understand why he named it that. In a minute, Zhou Fan made it back to his room. It only took him a minute because he had to travel halfway around the world and pick up the mortaniel emperor first. Luckily, he didn''t die yet. He also left a note to the crown prince about his fathers absence from the throne and that he should take over. Since information about the academy had spread far and wide in the last four years, he shouldn''t be too confused. When they arrived, the emperor was disoriented and confused. After all, he had just flown at a speed that neared the speed of light. If not for Zhou Fan''s deliberate protection, he would have been grinded to dust by the friction. "Get up. It is time for the opening of the academy." Zhou Fan said, clearing up the emperor''s thoughts. The emperor, Ao Shi, was woken up from his thoughts by Zhou Fan''s words. "Yes sir." He said. Quickly standing up and getting himself together, the emperor followed Zhou Fan to the window. Using Qi, Zhou Fan made both him and the emperor float in the air. "All students report to the main building." Zhou Fan said. Although he didn''t scream, his words echoed throughout the entire academy. Everyone ran to the main building at their fastest speeds. Meanwhile, Zhou Fan set up a more elaborate talent testing array. It was complete with an affinity tester as well as a new system of testing talent that Zhou Fan had created recently. Instead of giving them a number, it would give a rank to their meridians. The ranks were naturally created and named by Zhou Fan. As of now, he had created 7 levels of meridians, with each one having a smaller rank of one through ten. For example, the worst talent would be a rank 10 trash meridian, and the best would be rank 1 emperor meridians. The specific order went: trash, weak, mortal, great, spirit, king, and emperor. By his estimations, a 95 should be a rank 10 spirit meridian, while a 100 would be a rank 1 spirit meridian. As for higher, their number would have still shown 100, but could have actually been a 101. Chapter 67: Talent Testing - 67 Chapter 67 - Talent Testing - 67 Before long, the entrance to the main building was swarmed by 500 people. They wanted to enter, but the doors were locked and they were unable to open them regardless of how strong they were. Suddenly, one of the students looked up and pointed at the sky. Following his finger, the students surrounding the door looked into the air, only to see two people descend on the air. The one in front was an unrecognizable face, while the one in the back was the most recognized face in the world. In the middle of the crowd, 10 students suddenly kneeled on the ground. As the students looked at them in confusion, they spoke. "We greet lord Zhou Fan." They said in unison. To everyone''s surprise, the one they were greeting wasn''t the emperor, but the other man. It only took a moment for everyone else to come to a conclusion. That must be the founder! Quickly, all the students kneeled. "Please stand. You are students at the Huang Long academy. There is no need to kneel to me." Zhou Fan said. Everyone hurriedly stood up at his words and made way for him. Nobody dared to defy his orders. After all, besides his identity as the founder of the academy, he was also God himself! As Zhou Fan landed on the ground with the emperor, he turned towards the doors and walked forward. "Everyone follow me. I will be leading you to a higher level talent testing array. Now, you will truly know where you stand in the academy." He said. The people following behind him had their faces light up. Although they had known their talent in comparison to their peers, they had no idea what the numbers actually meant. As the group followed behind Zhou Fan, a natural order seemed to form. In the front, three people walked side by side. Those three were the only ones in the academy with a talent of 100. Behind them, 30 people with a talent of 99 followed. The line continued as such until the 95 ranked talents, which took up a majority of the places. It wasn''t long before they came to a large room. It wasn''t the same room that Zhou Fan taught the first 10 students in, but a completely different room. Besides an array, the room was completely empty. The only scenery at all was a couple of windows to the left. "This array will test your talent. It will rank your meridians as trash, weak, mortal, great, spirit, king, or emperor, along with a number 1-10, with 10 being low and 1 being high. It will also tell you your affinities. Also, spirit is the most likely talent for everyone in this room." "Okay. You in the front, come stand on this array." Zhou Fan said, pointing at one of the 100 talents. "Yes sir." He said. He walked to the array with confidence in his steps and soon stood in the center. "What is your name?" Zhou Fan asked. "My name is Wei Qi sir." He responded. Nodding his head, Zhou Fan put some Qi into the array. As soon as he did, the array lit up into a multitude of colors. Wei Qi felt as if his body was being invaded by a parasite. At first, he started to freak out, but he soon calmed himself. After 10 seconds, Zhou Fan opened his mouth. "Spirit root rank 1. Affinities: Fire, Metal, and Buddhist Qi. Congrats, you have great talent." Zhou Fan praised. With a smile on his face, Wei Qi walked to the side and waited. "Next." Zhou Fan said. The next two to be tested also had a spirit rank 1 talent. The first, Chen Zi, had the affinities of earth, metal, and wood. The second, Pin Fi, had the incredible affinities of shadow, flower, and Yin. When Zhou Fan saw Pin Fi''s talent, he was surprised at her Yin affinity. Yin was one of the most powerful affinities there was, and Zhou Fan was excited to see her growth in the future. The rest of the 500 people didn''t have many surprises. Besides a boy with a spirit rank 3 meridian and a space affinity, the rest weren''t that important. The boy''s name was Gu Wu. Once Zhou Fan finished testing everyone, he sent all the students except for Wei Qi, Chen Zi, Pin Fi, and Gu Wu to the dorms. When they were the only five left in the room, Zhou Fan spoke. "You all will be a part of an elite class. In there, I will pass on my martial arts to you. Of course, you will have to become strong enough to use them first." He said. He had the idea of an elite class as he was testing everyone''s talents. He felt that it would be wrong to put everyone in the same class, regardless of talent. If he did that, they may grow slower as a result. Within the class, he planned to have the previous four and the beasts. As he thought of the beasts, the door slammed open as the emperor of the mortaniel empire and five behemoths entered. Luckily the door was big enough to fit them. As soon as the beasts saw Zhou Fan, they ran over and started to lick him. It was a while before he could pry them off. "Guys, get on that array so I can test your talents." He said. The beasts obediently listened after hearing his words. Although he had previously tested their affinities, he had never managed to test their talents. Although they didn''t have meridians and instead had a core, the formation should still theoretically work. As soon as Zhou Fan turned on the array with Xiaolong inside, an explosion occurred. If not for Zhou Fan''s quick acting, the entire academy would have been reduced to dust. Zhou Fan smiled bitterly at the expected outcome. When the array exploded, he managed to confirm his previous theory. Although the array could test beast cores, it couldn''t test THEIR beast cores. That was because their talents were too high. He had previously concluded that after they managed to break through despite the pitiful amount of Qi Zhou Fan produced. While the array could test meridians above emperor rank, it seemed that the beast''s talents were far above that. Chapter 68: New Student - 68 Chapter 68 - New Student - 68 "I guess we will have to skip that part." Zhou Fan said. With that, he led the group of nine to another part of the main building. It was a room near the top, just below Zhou Fan''s room. It was furnished with desks, a blackboard, and a podium. "This is where I will teach you all. While everyone else''s class starts at 8 am, yours will start at 3 pm. Classes will start tomorrow, so go get some sleep." Zhou Fan said. With a nod, the group left and the beasts followed behind. As Zhou Fan was left alone, he went to the cultivation room, where he took the first 10 students previously, and cultivated until 8 am. At that time, he got up and went to the front of the school building and led the 496 students to their classroom. There, he taught them some theoretical knowledge about cultivation. He also told them about the first 4 realms. He didn''t go any further because it would take them a long time to even reach the nascent soul realm. In the last hour of class, Zhou Fan taught them how to cultivate. Those with spirit rank 5 meridians and above were halfway to starting cultivation in that hour. Their speed put Cao Lins to shame. Even he took longer when he first started to cultivate. Of course, he was a little different from these people. It took him about 5 hours to start cultivation because he had to really work for it. As for them, they were basically being spoon fed Qi. Even then, their speed would only last until foundation establishment. At that point, they would slow down immensely. Zhou Fan even estimated that it would take a spirit rank 3 ten years to break into core formation. Although class was over for the day, they would still be able to cultivate in their rooms. It was likely that most of them would break into the third level of Qi gathering tonight. After all, it was an introductory realm. After the first class, Zhou Fan went to the elite classroom. The beasts and the other four students were already there when he arrived. Like the previous class, he went over the basics of cultivation and the realms. One difference he made was that he also told them about the soul formation realm. Although they won''t get there that much faster than the others, it would still be good to tell them. In the last hour, he once again taught them how to cultivate. Since the beasts already knew, they went ahead and started as he told the four students. At the end of the class, everyone had made it 3/4ths of the way to starting. Although the difference wasn''t much, it would start to show in the later realms. Each of the beasts managed to break through to the 3rd level of Qi gathering in that time. It was an achievement that showed just how much greater their talent was. Zhou Fan sent everyone off soon afterwards. That night, a new group of talents arrived. Therefore, Zhou Fan shaved an hour off of the first class and repeated the first day and tested their talents. Since a new group arrived every month, he would do it every time. In the new group, there was yet another person with a 100 talent. His name was Din Ren, and Zhou Fan was looking forward to his results. Since he was in the front of the group, he was the first to be tested. As the array activated, a blinding light shot out. The reaction was much more than anyone else''s. "Din Ren. Emperor rank 3 meridians. Affinities: Space, dark, ice." Zhou Fan said with shock on his face. Although he was expectant, he never imagined that someone with such talent would appear. He was not only a rank above spirit meridians, but two! And he was rank 3 too! His talent made the other hundreds seem pathetic. Although the rest were tested, nobody was paying much attention. All eyes were on the new person who had incredible talent. Some people wanted to see him after the ceremony ended, but Zhou Fan personally took him to the elite class. "Your talent is incredible, but I wouldn''t say you are the most talented here." He said. "What?" Din Ren said. He had heard about the others results and believed that there was no doubt he was number one. "Did you see the 5 big beasts at the ceremony? Each of them have higher talent than you." Zhou Fan said. Although he was bringing the boy down, it was to teach him a lesson. If he believed that he was the most talented here, he may slack off and act arrogant. Zhou Fan decided to nip that in the bud before it even started. "Come to this class at 3 pm." He said before leaving. He had already delayed the first class once. It would be rude to keep them waiting again. Zhou Fan taught the class some more stuff that they hadn''t learned yesterday, but there wasn''t much left to teach. He hadn''t done much research on cultivation and didn''t have any information besides his personal experiences. This time, he spent the entire period talking and sent them off at the end. He then went to the elite class which had its tenth member. Din Ren was looking quite uncomfortable since half of the class space was occupied by the beasts, but there was nothing Zhou Fan could do about it. Xiaolong had even tried to be thoughtful by coiling up like a tower to make more space. Even though there were new students, Zhou Fan still taught things he didn''t teach from yesterday. He simply had the new student stay after class and he personally taught him how to cultivate. He also handed him a pamphlet that taught him the other stuff from yesterday. At the end of the hour, the boy had managed to start cultivation and broke into the first level of Qi gathering. Although he did it faster than when the beasts did it, he was also getting a better supply of Qi. Chapter 69: Changes - 69 Chapter 69 - Changes - 69 10 days later, Din Ren broke into foundation establishment. By that time, the beasts had also broken into foundation establishment. As they continued cultivating, the difference in talent could be seen immediately. It took another 10 days for the beasts to break into the second level of Foundation Establishment, but it took Din Ren a month! Zhou Fan had already stopped holding classes and let the students go free. He had long had nothing more to teach them. Only when they broke into later realms would they need his help. Since he was no longer teaching, Zhou Fan started to research cultivation, formations, and arrays. He also began to look into weapon forging. What would take others a year, Zhou Fan finished in a month and before long he had created an introductory class to weapon forging, formations, and arrays. In the first few classes almost every student attended. As time passed, however, more students began to leave. After a month, there were about 30 students in each class. Most of them had low talent and were looking for another path. A year passed very quickly. In that time, the beasts had managed to break into core formation, which simply upgraded their cores due to the fact that they already had one, and Din Ren had broken into the 5th level of foundation establishment. As for Zhou Fan, he was currently standing in a garden, sprinkling Life Qi onto a bunch of plants. A few months ago, a student had asked a question that got him thinking. "Is it possible to make medicine with Qi?" Since then, Zhou Fan had begun researching the idea and a week ago, he had succeeded. After much trial and error, Zhou Fan concocted a pill that could instantly recover the injuries of anyone below core formation. It was a major success that started a new branch of study in the academy. In such a fashion, yet another year passed. By now, the beasts had broken into the 3rd level of core formation and Din Ren had just broken into core formation. When he did so, Zhou Fan was there. He was interested in seeing what a normal human breaking into core formation would look like. When Din Ren broke through, his elements coalesced and formed a 3 color core. There was a blackish blue for space, a black for dark, and a icy blue for ice. Zhou Fan didn''t notice anything special or interesting during the breakthrough. Everything went smoothly. Before Din Ren even opened his eyes, Zhou Fan disappeared and reappeared in his room. For the next ten years, Zhou Fan cultivated in his room. Although he occasionally went out to take a look, nothing much happened. In that 10 years, Zhou Fan had broken into the 3rd level of void traversing. The beasts had broken into the 6th level of core formation and Din Ren had broken into the 3rd. The entire academy was now running itself at this point. Students would make weapons or pills and sell them for contribution points, and new students would buy them. Even without Zhou Fans interference, the academy would be perfectly fine. Din Ren had taken up the position of grand elder and taught the new students about cultivation. Zhou Fan had also appointed the more talented students in the arts of weapon forging, pill concocting and such to teach the subject. They would also spend their free time researching deeper into the arts. Also, Zhou Fan had passed down a couple of his martial arts which opened up a new section that was dedicated to creating and learning martial arts. Although not a single one could compare to Zhou Fans, there were a couple of good ones. There were now thousands of students. The effect of the academy on the outside world couldn''t be measured. The academy was now the center of the world. Many empires had built themselves on Zhou Fans oasis. Of course, they had permission. The only places left untouched were the beasts territories. A few years ago, Zhou Fan decided to expand. Since he was much stronger, everything was 100 times easier. It only took a day for the entire wasteland to be renovated into an oasis. Thousands more empires popped up and the oasis became the center of the world. 80% of the population now lived there. Looking at all the changes, Zhou Fan didn''t know what to think. 10 years had passed and everything changed. He couldn''t help but feel proud of himself. He even estimated that other cultivation schools would be built in a few years. Those schools would be places for the less talented who wanted to cultivate. Such a thing could only happen because of the formation and array classes he taught. By now, some of the more talented students were able to create Qi arrays. Of course, Zhou Fan had to help them in order for it to be possible. After all, they didn''t have the ability to even sense Chaos Qi, much less break it into lesser Qi''s. Since he had come out of seclusion, Zhou Fan decided to take a tour around the world. It would be quick, but he wanted to see what had become of his old residences. For the first time in a long time, Zhou Fan thought of the village where he was born. He chose to go there for his first visit. In mere seconds, Zhou Fan appeared there. However, nothing was there. It seemed that after almost a hundred years, the village had been destroyed. From the looks of it, it was a tornado. After taking a brief glance at the place where his parents were buried, Zhou Fan disappeared. In an instant, he appeared above Yang Lang city. There wasn''t much change to it. Even his courtyard was still there. It was abandoned of course. The tower was still tall and the area was still large. Zhou Fan then ventured down into the caves. The entire area was now populated by snakes. Perhaps the crystals had somehow warded them off before. Even so, he could still see his old house and the place where Yipeng was buried. After looking around for a minute, Zhou Fan sped off to the tree where he met the buddha. There was no tree, however. Thinking one last time, that seemed to be all the places that mattered to him. With a sigh, Zhou Fan appeared back in his room and began to cultivate. Chapter 70: Chaos Crystal - 70 Chapter 70 - Chaos Crystal - 70 Yet another 10 years quickly passed. In that time, Zhou Fan broke into the 5th level of void traversing. His speed could now be compared to light. The beasts had broken into the 9th level of core formation while Din Ren broke into the 5th level. When Zhou Fan left his room, he first tested his new speed. As he sped up, the surrounding space began to warp and in a second, he traveled around the world 3 times. When Zhou Fan stopped, he couldn''t help but feel astonished. As he was moving at the speed of light, everything seemed to stop existing. At first, the only thing he could see was light itself moving alongside him. As soon as he focused his eyes, however, he was able to once again see the scenery. With his current level, he didn''t follow the laws of physics. Even though a normal human and even other cultivators below his realm would need light to see, he had transcended that. Since he was scared he might destroy the world, Zhou Fan didn''t test his strength. With a sigh, Zhou Fan looked at the stars. It was clear that he would need to leave the world at some point. Not only was it too weak, but Zhou Fan was actually a danger to it. Perhaps the next time he breaks through, he will release a bit of energy. Although miniscule, that bit of energy could cause mass destruction. In fact, the only thing stopping Zhou Fan from leaving was his speed. Although he could move at the speed of light, that wasn''t even close to fast enough to go to another solar system. He had considered moving to another planet in his solar system, but earth was the only one. All that remained was an asteroid belt circling the sun. After some brief consideration, Zhou Fan decided to leave for the asteroid belt as soon as he said his goodbyes. After that, he would move into the vast universe. There was a high chance that once he left, everyone would be dead once he came back. Even if they kept cultivating, there was a limit to their ability, or rather, Zhou Fans. With his current strength, he could only create a Qi producing array that would allow them to get to soul formation. After that, their cultivation speed would be horrifyingly slow. Perhaps a single small realm would take a hundred thousand years. By then they would already be dead. With a single step, Zhou Fan disappeared from where he was standing and reappeared next to the beasts. Although they weren''t gathered before, Zhou Fan gathered them all up in that single step. He also brought along Din Ren and the other talents. Each of them had become successful in the last 20+ years. Besides Din Ren, the other talents had managed to break into core formation not long ago. "I will be leaving soon." Zhou Fan said. Before they could react, he continued. "It will be a long time before we see each other again. In fact, we may never see each other again." He said. He paused after he said that, giving them time to react. "What?!" Din Ren blurted out. Zhou Fan''s words were too sudden and unbelievable. The other talents couldn''t believe it either. To think that he could deliver them such saddening news with such an impassive look on his face. The beasts, on the other hand, had sad looks on their faces. They knew that Zhou Fan wouldn''t lie. Looking at the beast''s faces, Zhou Fan almost clenched his fist. In the end, he simply let a sigh out. Even with all his experience, he couldn''t help but feel sad seeing the looks on their faces. "I''ll be right back." Zhou Fan suddenly said. He then disappeared before everyone''s eyes. The students and the beasts looked where he once stood with dumbfounded expressions. ''What is going on?'' They all thought in unison. ------------------ 8 minutes later, Zhou Fan stood in front of the sun. ''This should be far enough.'' He thought. As he was feeling helpless about the beast''s sadness, an idea came to his mind. The main reason that Zhou Fan knew they were going to die was because they couldn''t split Qi. Only those with Chaos Qi could do it. Since there was no one with Chaos Qi besides him, there was no way for them to grow further than soul formation. Unless Zhou Fan''s power was still there. What if he managed to take a part of his powers and let them use it to split Qi in the future. In that case, they could simply make better arrays and use his power to activate it. Therefore, Zhou Fan went out to the sun in order to try to take part of his power and crystalize it, which would let it be put in a Qi splitting formation. Since he anticipated fluctuations in his power, he had moved out here. Otherwise, he may accidentally destroy the planet. Zhou Fan put his hand in a grabbing motion in the air. His hands were shaped as if he was grabbing an invisible spirit stone. Suddenly, Qi began to pour from the void. Since he didn''t bother to split it, it came out in its pure form. Chaos Qi. With all his power, Zhou Fan controlled Chaos Qi to take the shape of a crystal. After 10 or so minutes, the Chaos Qi had formed a basic outline. Even so, the storm of Chaos Qi was still raging on. If he had moved too close to the sun, it may have very well been injured by the endless Chaos Qi. Suddenly, Zhou Fan removed one of his hands from the crystal and shoved his fingers into his heart. He coughed blood out, but kept reaching his fingers in. He amalgamated some of his cultivation and blood essence within him to form a bead on his fingertips. As soon as the bead was successfully formed, Zhou Fan hurriedly shoved it into the Chaos crystal. BOOM! An explosion that could even be heard in space sounded out, sending a godly power to the surroundings. Just as soon as it came, it went, absorbed into the crystal in Zhou Fan''s hands. Chapter 71: Leaving - 71 Chapter 71 - Leaving - 71 Zhou Fan looked at the crystal. It was completely gray and extremely beautiful. As for Zhou Fan, he was currently pale and seemingly injured. With a closer look, it could be seen that his cultivation went down! His previous state of void traversing 5 had turned into void traversing 4! Zhou Fan didn''t care about the slight decrease in cultivation. He had expected that much before he started. In fact, he had expected it to be a little worse. Zhou Fan disappeared from his spot and reappeared back at the academy. Due to the decrease in cultivation, the journey took him 30 minutes instead of the previous eight. Even so, Zhou Fan was too excited to care about the little things. Without stopping, he gathered the beasts and the talented students. Zhou Fan told them to make the best Qi producing array possible. Although confused, they didn''t hesitate long before they got to work. Since arrays were the most popular category of study, everyone in the room knew at least a little. Chen Zi had even become the greatest master of arrays in the academy besides Zhou Fan himself. With him leading the charge, an incredible Qi producing array was created in an hour. However, it couldn''t produce Qi. Although they had made the structure, they lacked the ability to split Chaos Qi. Just as they were about to ask why Zhou Fan had them do this, Zhou Fan placed the crystal in the middle of the array. With the addition of the crystal, Chaos Qi started to pour into the array. It took a path through the array and eventually went into the Chaos crystal. When it came out the other side, it was no longer Chaos Qi, but more absorbable Qi''s. Although the array wasn''t strong enough to support every type of Qi or produce an amount similar to Zhou Fans, it marked a starting point for other cultivators. Not to mention, they would naturally be able to make stronger Qi producing arrays as they studied deeper and grew in cultivation. As for the Chaos crystal, it didn''t seem to be used up at all. After all, Zhou Fan even sacrificed his cultivation to create it. Instead of a Spirit Stone, it acted like an artifact. As long as there were spirit stones to power it, it would work until it decayed. Speaking of spirit stones, Zhou Fan also taught them how to make them. It was a quick and easy process for someone at their level. With that, all that was left to do was say goodbye. Although they may not die now, it would still be a long time before Zhou Fan ever sees them again. He didn''t plan to come back within a hundred thousand years if he didn''t need to. After hugging the beasts, Zhou Fan silently disappeared from the academy. It would be a long time before anyone outside of those 10 found out he left. -------------------- After an hour-long journey, Zhou Fan made it to the meteor belt. He found a fairly big meteor and sat on top of it. This would be where he cultivated until he gained enough speed to leave the solar system without traveling for a thousand years. The view from the meteor was nice. The scene of the huge sun next to the earth that was tiny in proportion was beautiful. After staring at it for a while, Zhou Fan closed his eyes and began to cultivate. It took 5 years to regain his previous cultivation level of void traversing 5. It took another 7 years to break into the 6th level, and 9 more to break into the 7th. Even with the constant increase in strength, Zhou Fan was no more confident in his speed. It took 10 more years to break into the 8th level. By now, Zhou Fan was more than a hundred times faster than light. It took 23 more years to break into the 10th level of void traversing. Although excited for another realm, Zhou Fan knew it would take a long time. He took one more look at the sun and earth before he went back into seclusion. ------------------------- 60 years passed in what seemed like a blink of an eye to Zhou Fan. Suddenly, Zhou Fan''s eyes shot open as an immense power poured out of him. His full strength was uncontrollably released as space itself started to shake. After a minute, space stopped shaking. Instead, it started to crack! Zhou Fan''s power was destroying space! Within seconds, the meteor below him was grounded to dust. In a minute, half of the meteor belt was gone. Gravity itself was broken as the meteors started to hurl away from their previous path. Just before the entire meteor belt was destroyed, Zhou Fan was able to reign in his power. The cracking space and shaking solar system stopped breaking in an instant. With a sigh of relief, Zhou Fan thought back to how he almost didn''t leave earth. If he had chosen to stay, his breakthrough just now would have destroyed the world. His power was that strong! Instead of thinking for too long, Zhou Fan checked his breakthrough. His power had increased a hundred times compared to his power in the 10th level of void traversing. Even so, he wasn''t sure that he was fast enough. Standing up, Zhou Fan decided to test it. In an instant, he disappeared from where he stood and appeared on top of the sun. To his surprise, he could now travel to any place in the solar system in less than a second. Suddenly, an idea came to Zhou Fan''s mind. Remembering how he had cracked space with his breakthrough, he wanted to try to do it himself. Getting in a punching stance, Zhou Fan powered up his punch before punching out with all his power upwards. Space cracked instantly as a sort of suction force started to suck Zhou Fan in. Unfortunately for it, he was able to resist it with ease. The same couldn''t be said for the sun, however. Zhou Fan quickly waved his hand and used Space Qi to meld the crack in space. ''Wait!'' Zhou Fan thought. ''Did I just use space Qi?'' Chapter 72: Space Shattering - 72 Chapter 72 - Space Shattering - 72 Excited by his discovery, Zhou Fan attempted to control the space Qi which he had always been unable to control before. Zhou Fan held his hand out with his palm facing upwards and tried to gather space Qi on it. Space Qi split off from Zhou Fans Chaos Qi and for the first time he was able to move it. Zhou Fan then formed a ball of Space Qi in his hand. He was finally able to get a close look at it. Although he had seen space Qi plenty of times before, it was different when you were holding it in the palm of your hand. Zhou Fan controlled the space Qi and had it move around in front of him. Unlike elements like fire, it didn''t have a prefered form. Whether it was a ball or a spike, it didn''t matter. Before he began to conduct further tests, Zhou Fan wanted to move a little further away from earth. With the power of his new realm, Zhou Fan was thousands of times faster than light. In fact, there was no point in comparing him to light any further. He was on a whole new level. Thinking of the fact that he broke into a new realm, Zhou Fan needed to come up with a name. After a moment, he chose space shattering. Like void traversing, it didn''t need to be explained. After naming the realm space shattering, Zhou Fan instantly moved out of the solar system. In order to test his new speed, he was going to try to go to another solar system. Thanks to the scientists on earth, he already knew what the closest solar system was. In a flash of light, Zhou Fan sped off towards it. It only took four hours for Zhou Fan to make it there. With the knowledge of earth''s scientist, he was able to calculate that he was about 10,000 times faster than the speed of light. Zhou Fan nodded his head. He was completely satisfied with that level of speed. After all, he didn''t even use Qi the entire journey. Otherwise, his speed would be much faster. Getting out of his thoughts, Zhou Fan looked upon the new solar system. Unlike his, it contained 5 planets and the sun was bigger. The sun was also red instead of orange. With a brief glance, Zhou Fan could tell that there wasn''t a single habitable planet. Every single one was either scorched or covered in ice. Even so, Zhou Fan was curious. He disappeared from where he was standing and reappeared above the ground of the first planet. The entire planet was shiny black with a hint of red. The temperature was so hot that normal water would instantly evaporate. Of course, that didn''t mean anything to Zhou Fan. He wandered around the planet in search of anything interesting. He found a couple of mountains and a couple of valleys, but there was nothing else. After touring the entire surface, Zhou Fan was ready to look at the center of the planet. He pierced through the crust and traveled to the core in a deliberately slow manner. Unlike the earth which had many materials and layers, the entire planet was composed of the same material on the surface. Even the core was the same. No liquid or lava. Just the blackish-red material. As he took a closer look at the material, Zhou Fan gained some interest. It was different from anything on earth, after all. He grabbed a handful and tried to crush it with the strength of a mortal. As expected, it didn''t budge. He continued to increase his strength until he reached the level of a 3rd level Foundation Establishment cultivator''s strength. However, he was only counting physical strength and not using Qi. Even so, Zhou Fan was surprised by the discovery. Even a diamond wouldn''t be able to handle the strength of a 1st level foundation establishment cultivator. That meant that every inch material on this planet is stronger than diamond. Suddenly, Zhou Fan had a crazy idea. What if he condensed the entire planet like he had with some metal on earth. He may be able to create a weapon strong enough to be used by him. Zhou Fan flew to the surface of the planet and put a hand on the ground. The entire planet started to shake as his divine sense covered it. Yes, Zhou Fan''s divine sense had grown to such a point that it could cover an entire planet. Zhou Fan started to condense the entire planet. From space, one would see the planet getting smaller and smaller. From its previous size that was about equal to earth, it quickly shrunk to the size of a continent. Then an empire. Then a kingdom. Then a mountain. Finally, the entire planet disappeared from view. All that remained was a black-red sword in Zhou Fan''s hand. Looking at it, Zhou Fan couldn''t keep the smile off of his face. Although he was sweating from the amount of effort it took, he couldn''t be prouder of his creation. He swung out once and the sword almost cut through space. Unfortunately, it wasn''t at such a level yet. Zhou Fan then poured Qi into the sword. This time, he chose to use space Qi. Even after pouring in a reasonable amount, the sword was still steady. Once Zhou Fan was satisfied with the amount, he swung the sword towards the second planet in the solar system. A thin line of space Qi moved at an incredible speed. In mere seconds, it collided with the planet. Contrary to expectation, there was no big explosion. The line of Space Qi simply went through the planet and exited out through the other before dispersing. There was no disappointment in Zhou Fan''s eyes, however. After watching the planet for a minute, it began to slide apart. Before long, two halves of a planet were moving away from each other. Yet again, Zhou Fan had a huge smile on his face. Chapter 73: Teleportation? - 73 Chapter 73 - Teleportation? - 73 Zhou Fan looked at the sword with pride. An incredible creation indeed. He looked forward to increasing its strength in the future. Unfortunately, condensing one planet was the limit of his ability. Otherwise, he would merge the entire solar system with his sword. It seems that would have to wait a little while. Zhou Fan made the sword float beside him and looked out into the starry abyss. Even with his current speed, it would take forever to get somewhere. Therefore, Zhou Fan decided to try and use space Qi to speed up his travels. Zhou Fan first tried to cover his entire body with space Qi. Although it made him feel more powerful and even a little faster, it wasn''t nearly enough. He then tried applying it to the bottom of his feet. This time, he was sped up quite a lot. However, he wanted to be faster. Zhou Fan continued to try new ideas. Unfortunately, nothing was working better than applying space Qi to the bottom of his feet. Just as he was about to accept his fate, an idea came to his mind. Instead of applying space Qi to himself, what if he used it to manipulate the space! He may be able to cut the distance of the next solar system in half. He tried, but realized that he wasn''t strong enough. Although his power was enough to shatter space, manipulating an entire area in ways that didn''t follow the laws of physics was impossible. He had no choice but to go back to the drawing board. Zhou Fan stood in space with a sword floating by his side for a few minutes before he came up with an idea. Instead of manipulating an entire area of space, what if he only manipulated two points! With his understanding of the Dao, he could theoretically make a small tunnel with only an entrance and an exit. A tunnel with no inbetween. Zhou Fan got right to it and made a circle in front of him. It was so flat that it couldn''t be seen from the side. It would even be a stretch to call it three dimensional. It was like drawing on a piece of paper and trying to see that drawing from the side. Using a lot of Space Qi, Zhou Fan was able to quickly form the first part of a tunnel. He then looked to his destination. Even with his eyesight, it was hard to see the next solar system. Zhou Fan stepped into the tunnel and used all of his Qi to make him appear at the furthest distance possible. He exhausted every single strand of Qi and instantly appeared in a place far away from where he previously was. Before he could even look where he appeared, Zhou Fan collapsed from Qi exhaustion. In his excitement, he forgot that it even existed. Without seeing where he appeared, Zhou Fan lost consciousness. ------------------ 3 days later, Zhou Fan opened his eyes. It had taken a while, but he managed to recover all of his Qi. In fact, he had recovered his Qi 2 days ago, but since he had so abrubtly milked himself dry, he remained unconscious for longer than necessary. ''I probably shouldn''t do that again.'' Zhou Fan thought to himself. He finally managed to take a look at where he appeared and realized that he was five lightyears away from his previous location. Although he had been floating in space for the last three days, he hadn''t really gone anywhere. Therefore, he could accurately guess that he moved 5 lightyears. Although the distance he moved in an instant didn''t sound bad, what would''ve taken 4 or 5 hours turned into a 3 day journey. Zhou Fan decided to simply accept his fate. He also decided to name the previous technique ''teleportation.'' Without waiting for too long, Zhou Fan started to fly to the closest solar system. Since he was done experimenting, he powered himself up with Qi and used Space Qi on his feet in order to move at the fastest possible speed. He named the technique ''Space Walking.'' Using spacewalking, Zhou Fan was able to travel 3 lightyears in 10 minutes. An utterly unbelievable speed. By the time he made it, he had only used up a fourth of his Qi. The new solar system was similar to the previous one. This time, there was a planet made entirely out of diamonds. Zhou Fan couldn''t help but think of how people on earth would react to seeing this. Although it didn''t really matter in the long run. If they ever managed to make it so far, they would either be a cultivator or have some incredibly advanced technology. Either way, it would be useless to them. Zhou Fan traveled to a couple more solar systems before he started to get bored. Although the sights would never get old, it was getting repetitive. Instead of wandering aimlessly, Zhou Fan decided to try and find a destination. Although there was a saying that the journey was more important than the destination, Zhou Fan felt that the person who said that was probably stupid. Although he could somewhat understand it in a different context. If he was given the choice to immediately reach the highest realm of cultivation, if there is a highest realm, or continue to cultivate to it himself, he would choose to make it there himself without hesitation. At this point, his only hobby was cultivation. His only friend was cultivation. Even his only lover was cultivation. If he ever reached a limit, he wouldn''t know what to do. In the current context, the saying was still dumb. Therefore, Zhou Fan chose to try and head in the direction of the Dao. He sat down and crossed his legs. He went into the deepest reaches of his mind in order to try and find it, but he was only able to sense its existence. He was completely clueless as to where it actually was, if it was anywhere. With that, Zhou Fan set out on a journey to find the Dao once again. Chapter 74: Upgrade - 74 Chapter 74 - Upgrade - 74 The first thing Zhou Fan did was not move forward, but to sit down and meditate. As previously stated, he had no clue where the Dao actually was. It may not even have a single area of existence. Also, who knew if he could even reach it with his current strength. There was an entire universe where it could be located. He doesn''t even have the ability to leave the galaxy at this point in time. Therefore, he could only start with trying to find a direction to go in. Zhou Fan went to the sun in the solar system he was currently in and sat above it. He got into a meditation position and fell into the depths of his mind. Zhou Fan spent a long time in there, comprehending the very existence of the universe itself. ------------------------------------ 100 years passed by in a flash. Zhou Fan finally opened his eyes not long after the century had ended. He hadn''t stopped meditating because he had found the location of the Dao, but because he couldn''t comprehend it any further. Once he had reached 1% comprehension, it was like a wall was blocking him. He spent ten years trying to get past it, but failed to even budge it an inch. Zhou Fan could only relent and try to breakthrough before he continued to study the Dao. The more of the Dao he comprehended, the more he wanted to study it. It gave off an irresistible feeling and Zhou Fan was starting to like it. Even with just a 1% comprehension, he could feel that his power increased by at least 3 times. Not to mention that his cultivation speed would likely double. Before leaving the solar system, Zhou Fan decided to cultivate a bit. He wouldn''t spend too long, just enough time to increase his speed by a fair amount. Before he even got up, Zhou Fan started to meditate again. --------------------- 50 years passed by quickly and Zhou Fan had just broken into the 3rd level of space shattering. He had luckily studied the Dao beforehand. Otherwise, he may not have even made it to the 2nd level in 50 years. Standing up and stretching, Zhou Fan couldn''t help but wonder how old he was now. It had been a while since he celebrated a birthday. With some quick calculations, Zhou Fan came to the conclusion that he was around 366 years old. When he came up with the number, he thought he was mistaken and tried again, getting the same result as before. Zhou Fan couldn''t help but feel dumbfounded at his current age. He had lived more years than there are days in a year. He had surpassed three generations at least. Anyone born at the same time as him would probably have great great grandchildren by now. After thinking about how crazy his age was, Zhou Fan let out a small chuckle. His chuckle proceeded to get louder until it could be heard throughout the solar system. Since no one was around, Zhou Fan had already lifted the restraints off himself. It took him a bit of convincing to even keep wearing clothes. Zhou Fan stopped chuckling after a while and shot off from his location. His current speed had reached 50 light years a minute. Therefore, the journey to the next solar system only lasted a couple seconds. Zhou Fan didn''t even bother stopping as he continued forward. He flew past more than 20 solar systems before he finally found one that caught his eye. In that solar system, there was a planet that seemed to be made out of the same material as his sword. Since he had broken through, Zhou Fan stopped in order to try and upgrade the sword. He descended upon the planet and soon discovered that it was exactly the same as the previous one. It was made up of the black material inside and out. Since he had already seen it twice, he assumed that there would be more in the universe. Therefore, he gave the material and the planet a name. Black adamantium. The material itself was named black adamantium while the type of planet was called a black adamantium planet. It was a simple name without meaning, but Zhou Fan liked it. After naming the metal and planet, Zhou Fan got to work. He stuck his sword deep into the ground while still holding onto it. He then started to control the entire planet to enter into the sword. In a moment, the planet started to collapse. The black adamantium started to dissolve into a dust like substance before it flowed into the sword. The entire process only lasted 10 minutes. When it was done, Zhou Fan was closely looking at the upgraded sword. On the outside, nothing much had changed. On the inside, however, the sword was stronger than ever. Zhou Fan waved the sword out like he did when he forged it. The power it gave off was just a tiny bit away from being able to cut space. Zhou Fan estimated that if he found another planet and successfully fused it and the sword, it would be able to cut through space. Of course, whether or not he had the strength was a different matter altogether. Zhou Fan estimated that he would need to break into the 5th level of space shattering before he could fuse another planet. The strength that was needed was no joke. Adding a new planet was like the difference between squeezing dirt together and squeezing a mountain together. Even now, he could only successfully merge the planet and the sword by grinding the material into dust beforehand. Luckily, that didn''t increase the strength any less than the normal method. It just took more time and effort. After upgrading the sword, Zhou Fan moved onto the next solar system. He came upon many interesting things and passed through hundreds of solar systems in only a week. He was almost getting bored, but all of a sudden, his eyes caught a glance at the next destination. There, a cluster of huge stars floated. Chapter 75: Life? - 75 Chapter 75 - Life? - 75 Each of the stars were bigger than any other he had ever seen. In total, there were 15 stars. Shared between those stars were a hundred planets. Although none of them seemed habitable, there may still be some surprises. Zhou Fan continued on and made it to the star cluster in less than a minute. The stars were of many different colors. There were 5 orange, 5 red, 4 yellow, and a blue star. Each one of them towered over him like an unending mountain. His divine sense could barely cover even a single one. Zhou Fan didn''t pay too much attention to them as he went to the planets. There were a hundred of them forming a circle. The distance between them wasn''t even 1000 miles. Zhou Fan looked at them and decided to explore one of the medium sized planets. He didn''t use his divine sense as he wanted to be surprised. He had chosen the planet because it was a multitude of colors. From space, there seemed to be more than a hundred different colored spaces covering the entire area. Zhou Fan descended upon one of the brown areas of the world. As soon as he broke through the sky, he noticed that the entire area was a mountain range. In fact, it was eerily similar to earth''s mountain range, with the only difference being the lack of green. Zhou Fan flew down to the highest mountain and overviewed the entire area. As far as the naked eye could see, there were only mountains. Since the planet was much bigger than earth, Zhou Fan didn''t find it weird. Zhou Fan grabbed his sword that had been floating around him since he forged it, and used it with sword Qi in order to cut open some of the mountains. He didn''t move from his spot on the highest peak and instead sent waves of sword Qi to cut them open. Like earth, there were various metals inside. This planet was by far the most earth-like that Zhou Fan had seen. He even found iron and diamonds after digging deeper. After cutting and digging, Zhou Fan left the mountain range. There wasn''t much there to look at. The next place he arrived at was a desert. There were no interesting sites. Just sand, sand, and sand. He didn''t spend long there before moving on. The next place he made it to was a wasteland. The ground was dry and there were cracks throughout the area. At one point, Zhou Fan even came upon a crack that extended miles into the ground and was almost 1000 feet wide. As he made it to the end of the wasteland, Zhou Fan saw an incredible sight. Directly on the other side of the wasteland, an entire biome of ice existed. The sight of broken and bland dirt meeting with ice was an unnatural fusion. If he was on earth, he would have never seen such a sight. Seeing the ice got Zhou Fan thinking. ''If there is ice, shouldn''t there be water?'' He asked himself. Eager to answer his own question, Zhou Fan dug under the wonderland of ice. He went down a thousand miles before the ice came to a halt. Right below it, there was a cave. In that cave, there was a huge lake. It was an underground lake! Water was something he had only found twice in his entire journey. The first time was on earth. This time, he found it in a cave. ''Perhaps there is life on this planet?'' Zhou Fan thought. In his excitement, Zhou Fan stopped restricting himself and let his divine sense out freely. It immediately covered the planet, but Zhou Fan was left disappointed. After scanning, he discovered that there was no life on the planet. With disappointment visible on his face, Zhou Fan took a closer look at the water. He looked at it with all of his power, including the power of the Dao. He looked deeper and deeper until he finally saw something. Zhou Fan saw microscopic organisms! They were tiny, but they were life nonetheless. Zhou Fan knew that if such a discovery were to happen on earth, the scientific community would be thrown into a frenzy. ''Since there are microscopic organisms in water, are they everywhere?'' Zhou Fan asked himself. Such a question sent him on a journey around the world, looking at everything in order to find other such organisms. However, throughout the entire world, there were no other such things. Even in the ice above the lake, there were no signs of life. Even so, Zhou Fan wasn''t disappointed. There was still technically life on the planet. In that case, he may be able to transform the planet. Like he previously said, Zhou Fan was unable to create life. But since life was already on the planet, he simply had to help it evolve and grow. It may take a while, but he could essentially create his own race. With his knowledge of the Dao, he would be able to change their genetics and traits however he wanted. He may be able to even make them more talented. Increasing their talent may be a bit of a stretch. Either way, this planet could serve as the basis for the next race in the universe. Zhou Fan immediately got to work. He transformed the broken, dried up dirt into soil filled with vitality. From that soil, he grew trees and plants. The entire process only took him a few hours. Next, he melted the ice and transformed the terrain it was once upon. Now, it was a great ocean. He also took some of the surrounding areas and transformed them to make the ocean bigger. Next, he made the microscopic organisms reproduce at insane rates. Although that process would still take a while, it wouldn''t be long before the entire ocean was filled with them. In the meantime, Zhou Fan transformed the entire world, bringing fire, lightning, clouds, and rain. It took 5 years before the ocean was filled with microscopic organisms. By now, the entire planet was filled to the brim with vitality. Chapter 76: Life - 76 Chapter 76 - Life - 76 With the ocean now populated by microscopic organisms, Zhou Fan could move on to the next step. Before that, there was one more thing to do. Create an atmosphere. The planet was completely lacking any sort of atmosphere whatsoever. There wasn''t even air on the planet. If Zhou Fan wanted to make lifeforms similar to humans, they would need to breathe. However, Zhou Fan wasn''t sure how to create an atmosphere. He had seen earths atmosphere, but he hadn''t paid any attention to it. Therefore, he would attempt to make an array that would fulfill that purpose. It would keep space out and keep air in, while still allowing other things to pass through it such as sunlight and humans. Making it like that would also allow meteors to come through, so Zhou Fan considered making the array automatically defend against world ending catastrophes. Zhou Fan wasn''t too sure if he wanted to do that, so he would simply build the array and maybe add a defense function afterwards. Zhou Fan flew into the air and pointed his finger at the ground. As he did so, a blue light flew out of the tip of his finger. As soon as that light hit the ground, it flew apart like a drop of water and soaked into the ground. Once the light was completely absorbed, lines of blue light started to cover the ground, forming a pattern only Zhou Fan understood. It first covered a small area before it expanded to a continent and finally the world. Once the lines of blue light covered the entire ground, Zhou Fan pointed once again, then 5 more times until there were six places he pointed. Those places were the farthest points up, down, north, east, south, and west of the world. A whirl formed at those points and six lights of blue light shot towards the core of the planet. It took mere seconds to reach the molten core of the world. Unlike earths, there was nothing special about this core. The lines shot into the core, piercing it, before they finally came to a stop, sticking out like a sword. With that done, the array was finished. An invisible dome started to form on the world''s surface before expanding upwards. It went past Zhou Fan and eventually stopped around 100 miles in the air. As the final act of the first step, Zhou Fan waved his hand and an unimaginable amount of breathable air filled the world. The trees would recycle the oxygen and a cycle of air would keep the planet liveable. As for what would keep the array powered, Zhou Fan hesitated for a while before he filled his sword with Qi and stabbed it into the planet''s core. Although he liked it, he could always make another sword. It wasn''t unique or anything. With the amount of Qi he put in, the atmosphere array would last a hundred thousand years without any interference. The amount of Qi the array used was tiny. As for after that, if the new species weren''t able to maintain their own planet after a hundred thousand years, they could die for all Zhou Fan cared. It would be shameful to Zhou Fans name if a race he created was so weak. With everything ready, Zhou Fan moved on to step 2. He grabbed out with his hand and lifted up a lake of water out of the ocean. He then made a hole in the center of the land and dropped it there. That area would be where he evolved the microscopic organisms into actual animals. He started off by filling the entire lake with life Qi. The organisms started to reproduce and evolve at an extreme rate. However, they were taking too long. At the current speed, it would take ten thousand years to even get an insect. Therefore, Zhou Fan grabbed a handful of water and retracted his powers. Instead of covering a large area, he would concentrate his Qi onto the water in the palm of his hand. Zhou Fan covered his entire hand with half of all the Qi in his reserve. The amount of life Qi caused the organisms to reproduce at a rate in which a normal person couldn''t even comprehend. In just an hour, they had reached an incredible state of evolution. At that point, they couldn''t improve any further. Zhou Fan stared as they continued to repeat. Even with all his Qi, these organisms would still take another year to get other forms such as an insect or a bird. Therefore, Zhou fan stopped supplying Qi and simply sat there, staring at the water in his hand. After thinking for a while, Zhou Fan got an idea. He made the water float in the air which freed up his hands. He then filled the tip of his left pointer finger with all the life Qi he could muster, and cut it off. The finger, filled with life Qi and Zhou Fan''s vitality, dropped into the floating water. Zhou Fan regenerated his finger and held the water once again. Zhou Fan watched as the previously uncooperating organisms started to devour his finger. He dissolved the finger into the water so that they could do so easier. He then threw the handful of water back into the lake. This action caused his dissolved finger to become a part of the entire lake. Although small, his finger held enough power to destroy an entire planet. Even the tip of it would be more than enough to fill the lake. The evolved microorganisms started to change rapidly with the addition of his finger. They grouped up together and started to form other things. In mere minutes, a fish was swimming in the lake. In an hour, an entire ecosystem filled the lake. It was even expanding. Zhou Fan took a fourth of the lake''s water and threw it into the ocean. Although the lake would be the main point of life creation, the ocean would now be able to do the same. Chapter 77: Lesser Dao Creation Realm - 77 Chapter 77 - Lesser Dao Creation Realm - 77 Although fish started to form in the lake, the evolution didn''t stop there. While some of the fish species started to evolve towards water, some of them started to evolve towards land. It only took an hour for a fish to grow a leg and another hour for it to walk on land. After a month of observation, the sea life seemed to have evolved to its max. There were many different species of fish. There were also sharks, octopuses, eels, and even things that could only be described as mythical. For example, there was a spot in the ocean where a giant octopus lived. It was hundreds of feet big and would easily destroy any ship on earth. It seemed that some micro organisms had better evolving talent than others. Another example was a great big shark. It was perhaps the only other sea creature that could go neck to neck with the giant octopus. However, that was only if you ignored the giant water spider at the deepest depths of the ocean. As for land animals, they were just starting to really evolve. An animal similar to the lion was created not too long ago, but things were still evolving. As he observed this, he realized that all life had talent. And it wasn''t just cultivation talent. Some life had the potential to evolve into huge predators, while some would stay as rabbits and mice. Xiaolong and the other beasts were prime examples of peak existences. Very quickly, a year passed. In that time, the land animals and sky animals stopped evolving. There were many different species with different variations. Some were similar to animals on earth while some were completely different. Like in the ocean, a peak existence had been born on the land. However, there was only one. A giant creature with two wings and a scaly body which dominated the sky and the land. It slept in the world''s biggest mountain and its territory was the entire land. It had once attempted to expand its territory to the ocean, but was stopped by the giant octopus. Even so, it started to defeat it at some point. It only retreated when the giant shark, sensing a threat to its area, cooperated with the giant octopus to push the creature back. While Zhou Fan watched, he decided to call the creature a dragon. Although it was very different from Xiaolong, there were too many similarities. There was no doubt that they were both dragons, just different species of dragons. As for who was stronger, there was no doubt it was this new dragon. After all, it was technically born from Zhou Fan. That caused it to be the size of a mountain. Even the ocean beasts would wipe the floors with the other beasts. It was simply unfair. If Xiaolong had been born from Zhou Fan''s finger, then it would be different. But he wasn''t. That didn''t mean he would never win. With cultivation, their difference in strength would close up. Although Xiaolong would lose if they were both mortal beasts, he may not lose if they were both nascent soul realm cultivators. After all, the advantage of being born from Zhou Fan would be lost as they continued to cultivate. Although everything had evolved, Zhou Fan was disappointed. Even though there were mythical beasts, there was no race like humans. Thinking deeper, it was likely that the reason humans could be born was due to the Dao that resided in the world. In that case, Zhou Fan would need to create a mortal Dao like the one on earth to be able to create a similar race. Unfortunately, that was impossible for the current Zhou Fan. Even if he had fully comprehended earth''s mortal Dao, he wasn''t strong enough to create his own. He may not be too far, however. He estimated that if he broke through one more realm and comprehended the cosmic Dao as far as that realm allowed him, he would be able to create a mortal Dao! It seems that he would be spending a while in the world. Not that he was complaining. The world Zhou Fan built was beautiful beyond measure. Not to mention that it was a planet bigger than earth. In fact, it was 5 times bigger than earth. Since the biggest mountain range was occupied by the dragon, Zhou Fan decided to cultivate in the core of the world. When he saw his sword, he realized that another benefit of the mortal Dao was that it could power the array forever. With that, he would get his sword back. Zhou Fan let out a quick smile before he started to cultivate. 100 years soon passed. Zhou Fan broke into the 5th level of space shattering and his strength increased a lot. He didn''t pause as he continued. Another 300 years passed quickly. Zhou Fan just broke into the 10th level of space shattering and stood up. He didn''t know if there would be a big breakthrough, but he wasn''t going to risk destroying the life he had just created. Zhou Fan shot into space and moved 1000 lightyear''s away before he started cultivating again. 500 years passed and Zhou Fan opened his eyes. He had just broken into a new realm. Because of what he was going to do, Zhou Fan named the realm ''Lesser Dao creation''. There were no fluctuations when he broke through, but his current power was much, much greater. Although he was itching to test his powers, Zhou Fan stayed where he was and started to comprehend the Dao. 1000 years passed by. Such an amount of time was even significant to Zhou Fan. He had spent almost half of his life in his current seclusion. That didn''t even include the previous time spent breaking through realms! Zhou Fan finally opened his eyes. A myriad of colors shot out and Zhou Fan''s body seemed much more majestic than before. That was due to his comprehension of the Dao that reached 5%. Chapter 78: Zhou World - 78 Chapter 78 - Zhou World - 78 With his new breakthrough, Zhou Fan was confident in creating a mortal Dao. Although eager to test his strength, the knowledge of the Dao was filling his entire mind. He was unable to resist the urge to express that knowledge by creating a mortal Dao. He instantly appeared at the core of the world he gave life too. He stretched out his hand and grabbed the core. He then crushed it into dust, maintaining the coreless word with his own power. He then used all of his power and knowledge in order to form a small gray sphere where the core once was. As he poured more Qi and knowledge into it, the gray core started to expand. Before it reached half of the size of the old core, Zhou Fan was nearly depleted of Qi. In a frenzy of desperation and slight madness that the knowledge filling his mind caused, Zhou Fan opened his mouth and started to suck Chaos Qi from the universe. A storm was caused by the rapid absorption of Qi by Zhou Fan. If not for his subconscious protection, the world would have been grinded to dust. Blood started to pour from Zhou Fans'' cracked skin and his eyes as he attempted to form the Mortal Dao. He was almost on his last breath when he finally stopped. In an instant, the cracked space and the storm fixed itself and ceased. Zhou Fan was panting on the ground as he stared at the big gray core floating in the center of the world. He was unable to even heal himself as he slowly slipped into unconsciousness. -------------------- Zhou Fans'' closed eyes snapped open. He had spent the last year unconscious and healing due to his heavy injuries. It was a miracle that his cultivation wasn''t hurt. Zhou Fan stood up and looked at the gray core floating in the air. He felt a connection with it that he had never felt in anything else before. It was as if the core was a literal part of him. Even with just a glance, Zhou Fan was able to tell that he had full control of the core, as if it was his arm. Even so, he let it float there. He had nothing to do with it and even if he did, he would endanger the structure of the world now that it had fused with it. Zhou Fan looked forward to the future of the world now. Since it had fused with his mortal Dao, it was something that would grow as Zhou Fan did. That also meant that he needed to protect the world. If it was ever destroyed, he would be seriously injured. Far more injured than he was previously. Another thing to note was that the core was identical to his. It seemed that he instinctually made it the same. Of course, it was much stronger than his core. After staring at the core for a while, Zhou Fan laid hundreds of formations around it. Although he had said that he would be injured if the world was destroyed, it was more accurate to say that he would be injured if the core was destroyed. Also, as long as the core was intact, the world would live on. Before leaving the core, Zhou Fan decided to name the planet. It would likely be with him for a long time. After thinking, he decided to call it the Zhou world. He then left the core and journeyed to the top. For some reason, the journey up took much longer than before. Zhou Fan even sped up when he didn''t reach the top after a minute had passed. He eventually decided to release his divine sense and teleport to the surface. When he appeared, the sight that greeted him was unexpected. Vast lands expanded past eyeshot. Great trees stood near Zhou Fan. The only problem was that trees that big had never existed on the Zhou World. Zhou Fan once again released his divine sense across the world, this time taking a moment to see what was happening. In an instant, Zhou Fan was dumbfounded. The Zhou World which once could only be considered a medium size planet had grown much bigger. The stars that once towered over the planets were now only equal in size to the Zhou World. With his new breakthrough, such a size wasn''t something too incredible for him. Even so, Zhou Fan couldn''t get over the fact that the planet had grown so much. Naturally, only one thing could have caused it. Zhou Fans mortal Dao. The planet must have grown in size because it wasn''t able to hold that much power within it. Although astonished, Zhou Fan quickly accepted it. Unusual occurrences weren''t uncommon to Zhou Fan at this point. Not to mention, the world getting bigger was the only unusual occurrence. There were still only four great creatures and they hadn''t grown or anything. None of the animals had gotten much bigger, nor had there been any new species. The only difference with the animals was that the populations had increased. The increase wasn''t anything outstanding either. In fact, Zhou Fan would need to personally act in order to fill the world with animals. Most of the current world was empty due to the sudden increase in size. The supreme beasts were having a blast with the increased size, however. After looking around and admiring the beauty of the new world, Zhou Fan got to work. He first tested his new power after breaking into the lesser Dao creation realm. He was now able to move at 10,000 light years a minute! Although tempted to explore the rest of the galaxy, Zhou Fan didn''t. He had too much to do on the Zhou World. As for his strength, Zhou Fan didn''t even test it. He may end up destroying the solar system if he did. The next order of business was to increase the world''s population. Once again, the world was covered in life Qi, sparing only the four supreme beasts. Chapter 79: Celestials - 79 Chapter 79 - Celestials - 79 Due to the fact that Zhou Fan was much stronger than before, the animals around the world reproduced much faster. Although it was hard on the mothers and fathers, they were able to withstand it thanks to the Life Qi. After he finished spreading Life Qi around the world, Zhou Fan went to look at the supreme beasts that had been born in the Zhou World. Although they had previously been able to split up the world between each other, they now didn''t occupy even 1% of it. Even if they spent their entire lives traveling around the world, they wouldn''t make it halfway. One thing Zhou Fan was able to figure out was the lifespan of these supreme beasts. Although thousands of years had passed, this was only the second generation. Not to mention the fact that the new ones were only 100 years old. Zhou Fan expected there to be many more supreme beasts after a couple of years. It would be weird if there wasn''t any more after the expansion of the world. What Zhou Fan was more interested in was creating a human-like race. That had been his goal for a while, but he wasn''t quite sure how to go about it. A major issue was intelligence. The supreme beasts of the Zhou world were about as intelligent as humans, but they weren''t able to reproduce more than one offspring. What Zhou Fan wanted was a race that were able to reproduce like humans while also being much more powerful. Of course, he would introduce cultivation to them, but he wanted them to be born stronger than a normal human. With his current power, such a thing wouldn''t be difficult at all. The biggest matter was how powerful he could make them. Zhou Fan was aiming for them to be born with the strength of core formation, without the use of Qi. With that, they would be much stronger than any other existence in the same realm. The only race that may be able to contend with them was humans. Although they had shown many weaknesses in Zhou Fan''s lifetime, Zhou Fan believed that humans were a one of a kind race. After all, he was born from humans. Although someone like him may never be born again, someone almost as good as him might. Many times, Zhou Fan had thought about whether he was an unnatural creation. He had considered that he could be the son of the universe or a personification of the cosmic Dao. In the end, however, he chose to believe that he was a freak accident. It was likely that he was born from pure chance. He was born without a destiny or reason for life. But he couldn''t be sure. Anyway, Zhou Fan didn''t believe for a second that he could emulate the human race. But he may be able to create a very similar race, and maybe one day they would become similar to humans with their seemingly infinite potential. It seemed that it would rely on chance. As for creating the race, Zhou Fan decided to use a piece of his mind to give them true consciousness. Their intelligence would be even greater than humans. As for the reproduction problem, Zhou Fan had a couple of ideas. Zhou Fan reached into the ocean and pulled out two microorganisms. Instead of crudely applying Life Qi and seeing what happens, Zhou Fan guided them through the process. He guided the form they would take and the traits they would have, all while applying various Qi''s to them. Like humans, they would have the potential to use every type of Qi. After thinking for a bit, Zhou Fan designed them to have a body shape very similar to humans, but to have some of their features different. Instead of the various hairstyles and colors that humans have, the new race would have white hair that would always grow out to be fairly long unless they really wanted it short. The white hair would be pure and beautiful, while being more masculine or feminine depending on the gender. Next, their eyes would only have two colors: red and purple. Red would represent males while purple would represent females. The red would be deep and cosmic, while the purple would also be deep and cosmic. With some slight changes to some unimportant features, Zhou Fan finished designing his new race. He would call them ''celestials''. All that was left was to have them grow out into their forms. With an immense burst of Life Qi, the tiny organisms ballooned up into their celestial forms. One, with red eyes, was a male. The other, with purple eyes, was a female. Before they gained consciousness, Zhou Fan teleported them to a garden that he had set up not too long ago. It was on the other side of the world where animals had not yet been born. All that was there was a bunch of fruits and vegetables. They wouldn''t be a vegan race, but Zhou Fan decided to let them be alone for now. As he sent them away, Zhou Fan implanted the English language and the name of their race into their minds. He also created two books and teleported them onto the ground next to them. That book would teach them cultivation and many different things such as forging, concocting, and formations. They didn''t really need cultivation to survive in the current world due to their bodies which already had the strength of a core formation cultivator, but Zhou Fan didn''t plan to have them as the sole cultivators in the world. He also implanted basic cultivation knowledge into every animal''s mind, including the supreme beasts. Every animal or supreme beast born in the future would have that knowledge in their minds. As for Qi, Zhou Fan quickly set up a Qi producing array that would produce absorbable Qi throughout the world. It would last years and years. Now, all that was left was to wait. Chapter 80: Anna - 80 Chapter 80 - Anna - 80 Zhou Fan spent the next few years observing the world''s growth. Without a doubt, he spent the most time looking at the celestials. Since they were born with adult bodies, they didn''t take long to start reproducing. It was only a year after their creation that they had a child. It was the first natural born celestial in the Zhou World. The baby was a girl that they had named Anna. Zhou Fan developed a great interest in her as soon as she was born. That was because he could feel immense talent from her. Although he was itching to test her talent, he still chose not to interfere with the celestial race. Either way, it would only take five years before she started cultivating. In the last year, the two celestials had long started cultivating. Unfortunately, their talent wasn''t that good. He estimated that they had king rank meridians. While it would be great back on earth, Zhou Fan was disappointed as they were born from his mind. Anna however, shouldn''t be a disappointment. He even estimated that her talent was greater than the beasts. Since he had had free time, Zhou Fan had created more rankings for meridians. Beyond emperor rank meridians, there were now god, supreme god, and immortal rank meridians. He estimated that the beasts were at immortal or supreme god rank while Anna should be even higher than that. 5 years passed by very quickly as Zhou Fan watched Anna grow up. It was this day that she would start to cultivate. Her parents called her from her room and told her to sit down. They then spent the next hour explaining cultivation and even giving her the book that they had long memorized. Anna was stunned at first, but she quickly started to accept cultivation as a natural part of life. After all, she had spent her entire life watching her parents do incredible things. Before she even started to cultivate, her parents taught her how to fly. Since celestials were born with the body of a core formation cultivator, they would be able to fly as soon as they turned five. As expected, Anna learned it in an instant. In the next few years, she started to cultivate. Her pace was much faster than her parents and it only took her a year to break into core formation. Her parents, who were at the nascent soul realm, felt immense shock at Anna''s progression. At her rate, it wouldn''t be long before they were surpassed by their daughter. And indeed, after another year anna had surpassed them and reached the fifth level of nascent soul. In another year, her parents had another child. He had nowhere near as much talent as Anna, but he was still quite lucky since he was born with spirit level meridians. Anna didn''t spend much time with her brother. In that year, she had broken into the 5th level of soul formation and was starting to get bored with her current life. All that existed to her was the garden and her family. She had never seen or even heard of an animal or any other existence beside herself. Therefore, after another 5 years, she decided to set off on a journey. If she had taken such a journey on earth, she would have reached every corner in mere seconds with her new and improved 7th level soul formation cultivation, but in the Zhou World, it would take her many years to even go around. After all, the planet was much bigger than Zhou Fan''s old solar system by many times. One thing that made Anna angry was that her cultivation was slowing down immensely. In 5 years, she had only broken through two more levels. Unknown to her, the only reason she had broken through so fast was because of Zhou Fan. He wanted her to be able to survive in the Zhou World as quick as possible. Otherwise, the celestial race would be wiped out by the ever expanding existence of supreme beasts and the new Spirit beasts. Spirit beasts were animals that had successfully embarked on the path of cultivation. As for supreme beasts, there were now more than 20 of them. The first four still reigned supreme, but they may not for much longer. Although Anna''s strength was incredible, it wouldn''t take long for the supreme beasts to catch up. With all the enhancements Zhou Fan added on to the Zhou World, every realm before void traversing was tens of thousands of times easier to break through than when he was cultivating. Of course, a minimum level of talent was still needed before one could break through all those realms. If Zhou Fan had been born on the current Zhou World, he would have already broken through to void traversing or even higher. Still, he was glad that he had to work from the bottom. it made everything seem much sweeter. As Anna left for her journey, Zhou Fan stopped paying too much attention to her. It was once again time to focus on himself. Although creating a world had been fun, he was ready to keep cultivating. Everything else was only a side mission. Before he went into seclusion, Zhou Fan manipulated the celestials to be able to temporarily inbreed without defects. After all, they had to inbreed for a while. Otherwise, they would never grow beyond the second generation. Zhou Fan didn''t feel like thinking about it too much as he quickly solved the problem. He then flew up to the sky. However, he paused in mid air. Although letting them grow on their own was good, he should make them a goal to stride towards. Otherwise, the only thing to cultivate for would be to rule the world and kill others. That wouldn''t be good for the Zhou World in the long run. Therefore, Zhou Fan quickly constructed a giant floating palace over the center of the world. He made floating steps up towards its entrance. Reaching the palace would be the goal of every race in the world from now on. The steps applied more pressure every step one took. In order to reach the top, they would have to have strength equivalent to a fifth stage space shattering cultivator. That wouldn''t be happening any time soon. Chapter 81: Celestial Lands - 81 Chapter 81 - Celestial Lands - 81 After laying out a future path for the residents of the Zhou World, Zhou Fan went into the palace he had created and got ready to cultivate. The inside of the palace didn''t have much at first, but Zhou Fan put a few pieces of furniture around and then some mystical looking things in case anybody ever made it up the stairs. He would also have to make some prizes so that their journey wasn''t fruitless, but he would do that later. Zhou Fan sat in the middle of the back of the palace and started to cultivate. Along with himself, he could also feel his mortal Dao growing in power. As he cultivated, Zhou Fan realized that his cultivation speed had become terribly slow. It was as if he was taking a step every minute and his destination was the other side of the world. Although his breakthrough speed had slowed down every realm, it had never had such an exaggerated decrease. Without a doubt, the lesser Dao creation realm was the hardest realm he had encountered. Despite the slow speed, Zhou Fan had no idea how to increase his pace. Therefore, he simply sucked it up and kept cultivating. Ten thousand years passed by. Zhou Fan, who was sitting in the floating palace, stood up for the first time in ten thousand years. For the first time in a long time, Zhou Fan frowned. His cultivation speed couldn''t even be called slow anymore. It was as if it was frozen. It took him ten thousand years to break into the second level of the Lesser Dao Creation realm. Ten thousand years for a single increase. That was an astronomical amount of time. He couldn''t even estimate the changes that had happened in that time. Zhou Fan briskly walked to the exit of the palace. He soon arrived and sneakily exited without opening the doors or making any noticeable movements. The sight he saw as he left was something he had never expected to see. The once empty area was now filled with structures and celestials. It seemed that they had built a city directly under the floating palace. At the start of the stairs, there was a palace blocking the way. He couldn''t be sure, but it was likely that one would need the permission of whoever owned that palace to attempt to climb the stairs. As for why people didn''t try to fly up and enter the building that way, Zhou Fan had set up a defense formation that would heavily injure anyone who tried. They had likely learned their lesson very quickly. Zhou Fan took a glance at the city below and was able to tell how many people were there. In total, there were ten thousand people. Within that population, there were 100 core formation cultivators and five nascent soul cultivators. The strongest of them was at the fifth level of nascent soul. Such an amount wasn''t strange at all. Although the celestials were born with bodies at core formation, they still had to start cultivating at Qi gathering. Not to mention, their talents on average were just barely above humans. If one in a thousand humans had the talent to reach core formation, then one in five hundred celestials would have the talent to do the same. That difference wasn''t only because they were born from Zhou Fan, but also because of the density of Qi in the world. As time passed, talent would increase proportionate to the amount of Qi. When Zhou Fan broke through, the size and Qi density of the Zhou World started to slowly increase. It would keep increasing until it reached the limit of his current realm. That was another reason why Zhou Fan left seclusion so early. He decided to let the world grow before he broke through again. After looking around, Zhou Fan sneakily descended to the entrance of the city. Above the entrance, there was a plaque that read ''Floating Palace City.'' It was a basic name, but it fit the city perfectly. After changing his appearance to that of a celestial male, Zhou Fan walked in without any obstruction. He walked around the city that was eerily similar to a human city. There were markets lining the sides and buildings with architecture barely different from humans. There were kids playing around and fresh food being sold. One thing he didn''t see was crime. It was likely that the celestial race had gotten rid of most of it. The only criminals would be powerful cultivators. After walking around for a bit, Zhou Fan stopped at a stall. It was selling freshly cooked buns. Zhou Fan''s hand sneakily traveled through space and took a couple of coins from the city bank. "That will be 4 copper." The owner said. Zhou Fan nodded and took them out. The material that coins were made out of was almost exactly like humans, but the engraving was different. Each of the coins were marked with an oddly familiar face. While eating the bun he bought, Zhou Fan stared at the coin. After a couple of minutes, it clicked. The face on the coin belonged to Anna! Or at least her descendant. Although it was much more grown up, there was no doubt it was her or someone related to her. Curious, Zhou Fan stood up and walked towards a random passerby. "Who is this girl?" He asked him while pointing towards the coin. "Are you an idiot?" The man asked with a genuinely confused look on his face. "That is the emperor of the celestial lands. Were you born in a forest?" Zhou Fan chuckled and asked him another question. "Is her name Anna?" "Of course!" The man answered. "Legend says that she was one of the first celestials ever born." Zhou Fan thanked the man and walked away after giving him a silver coin for his trouble. The man was confused at first, but then thankful for Zhou Fan''s kindness. Zhou Fan started to walk towards the palace under the floating palace. He decided to meet the leader of the city and ask him some questions about the current world. Chapter 82: Past- 82 Chapter 82 - Past- 82 Due to the fact that Zhou Fan was walking at the pace of a normal person, it took him a few minutes to reach the gate of the palace. Despite the fact that everyone had the strength of a core formation cultivator, everything was built close together like a human city. When Zhou Fan arrived at the gate, two guards dressed in armor came forward to stop him. "Speak, what is the purpose of your visit?" The guard asked with a commanding tone. "I have come to see the ruler of this city." Zhou Fan answered neutrally. "And who are you to see our mayor?" The guard asked. At his question, Zhou Fan thought for a moment. He didn''t exactly have a status in the Zhou World. "Nevermind." Zhou Fan said as he turned away and walked off. The guards stood there, stunned for a moment, before they shook their heads and returned to their posts. Zhou Fan continued to walk off until the guards couldn''t see him any more. As soon as he couldn''t feel their looks, Zhou Fan teleported into the palace, right beside the mayor of the city. The mayor, sensing his presence, immediately jumped from his chair and threw an attack of fire at Zhou Fan. In response, Zhou Fan waved his hand and froze the surrounding space, dispersing the mayor''s attack and causing him to be unable to move an inch. "Don''t panic. I have a few questions, then I''ll leave." Zhou Fan said. He then released the restrictions off of the mayor. The mayor stood still and looked at Zhou Fan warily. Although he didn''t dare make another move, he was still worried. "Are you from the beast lands?" The mayor asked. "What are the beast lands?" Zhou Fan asked. This was his first time hearing of such a place. Putting two and two together, it was likely that there were the beast lands and the celestial lands. The mayor was dumbfounded when he heard his answer. There wasn''t a single person over the age of three that hadn''t heard of the beast lands. "If you''re not from the beast lands, who are you?" The mayor asked. "I''m from neither." Zhou Fan responded. The mayor, who appeared to be calming down, suddenly opened his eyes wide. "Are you from the supreme lands?!" He asked in fright. Once again, Zhou Fan had no idea what he was talking about. "Look." Zhou Fan said, putting the pressure of a void traversing cultivator on him, along with some killing intent, "Tell me everything that has ever happened in this world, from the beginning." The mayor who was previously panicking, was now laying on the floor, unable to move from Zhou Fans pressure. "Yes! Yes! I''ll tell you everything!" He said hurriedly. The pressure Zhou Fan put on him was enough to make him stop thinking of where he was from and why he didn''t know anything. Zhou Fan released the pressure and the mayor was finally able to stand again. "It''s a long story, would you like something to drink?" He asked. "No." Zhou Fan answered, gesturing for him to start. "Well... in the beginning, there were two celestials. They didn''t know how or why they were born, but they didn''t care. In the gardens of beginning, they started a family. They started with four children: Anna, Luke, Mark, and John. Of the four, Anna was by far the most talented... Legend says that Anna went out on an adventure..... In the center of the world, she met one of the first supreme beasts and the first battle broke out... Both retreated with heavy injuries. From then on, they were sworn enemies..... After a hundred years, the celestial population reached 1000, and the world was divided into two, the supreme lands of the supreme beasts, and the celestial lands of the celestials...During the third great war, a newcomer came, neither celestial nor supreme beast, he was known as the monkey king... Although his strength was slightly below Anna And the supreme Dragon king, he managed to forge a place for the beasts of the world..... After five thousand years passed, the supreme beasts rarely showed themselves in the world anymore, instead deciding to take a fifth of the world and no longer fight for more, starting the long lasting rivalry between the beast lands and the celestial lands. Uhh, I think that''s it." The mayor finished. Zhou Fan snapped out of his trance and let out a huge yawn. If he knew the story would take two days, he would have accepted the drink. Although he was sleepy at the end, he understood everything. Essentially, the dragon Zhou Fan first saw became the leader of all supreme beasts, and he and Anna fought many battles, along with the rest of their kind. The place he was in was at the very edge of the celestial lands. A place that every race wanted to occupy due to the existence of the floating palace. In the end, the land became the celestials with the agreement that the beasts and supreme beasts could send challengers once every fifty years. Throughout the time of Zhou Fan''s seclusion, only five hundred thousand celestias were born. It seems that their reproduction rate was still lower than humans, but not detrimental to their growth. As for the current peak strength, Anna was rumored to have the strength of level four void traversing, along with the Dragon king. The monkey king is said to be at the 3rd level of void traversing. As expected, progress was slow. They still did better than Zhou Fan who only broke through once in ten thousand years. At this point in time, the supreme lands have ceased conflict with both the celestial lands and the beast lands. It was likely that the dragon king was trying to break through before Anna and then dominate the world. Therefore, Anna had also gone into seclusion in order to break through. The only ruler left was the monkey king, who usually kept to himself. He almost never involved himself in a battle despite the fact that the beast lands and the celestial lands were sworn enemies. Chapter 83: Central City - 83 Chapter 83 - Central City - 83 Zhou Fan was satisfied with the information that he received from the mayor of the city. Some more interesting things were that once beasts broke into the 7th level of soul formation, they could temporarily take the form of a human. As for supreme beasts, it was impossible even for the Dragon King. That was why the mayor mistook him for a member of the beast lands when he first came in. He also learned about the overall strength and numbers of the 3 lands. In the celestial lands, there were 500,000 people. Of those 500,000, 20 have managed to break into soul formation. Anna was the only celestial that had broken into void traversing, although there was someone at the 10th level of soul formation. For the beast lands, there were billions of members across the world. Despite that, only fifteen had broken into the soul formation realm. The monkey king was the sole cultivator at the void traversing level. In the supreme lands, there were five hundred supreme beasts. Of that 500, 50 had broken into soul formation, while the rest were either recently born or at the 10th level of nascent soul. The dragon king was the sole void traversing cultivator. It was truly a miracle that Anna was there. With her talent and strength that was just above that of the dragon king, she was able to hold off all of the soul formation experts alone. Her special talent that put her above the rest was her space affinity. With it, even the dragon king could barely tie with her. With everything he had learned from the mayor, Zhou Fan left the palace in a good mood. Instead of staying at the floating palace city, Zhou Fan left towards the biggest city in the celestial lands where most of the soul formation cultivators and Anna herself resided. It was called the ''Central City''. It was a bit of a basic name, but it was well fitting. Zhou Fan flew at a relatively slow speed towards the city. Relatively slow being the speed of a space shattering cultivator without teleporting or shattering space. He made it to the city in 5 minutes and plopped down at the front gates. Since he was still wearing his celestial male disguise, he was able to get in without trouble. When he walked through the gates, a completely new scene entered his eyes. Unlike the previous city which was fairly small and similar to a human city on earth, Central City was completely different. There were floating buildings all around with a large amount of space in between them and the roads were paved with a material similar to black adamantium. It wasn''t technologically advanced, but magically advanced. People were flying to different destinations and most of them were at core formation minimum. In the distance, Zhou Fan could see a couple of spiraling towers that seemed to pierce into the sky. They were circular like the Lang Yang city library in the past, but much much bigger. Each of the towers were taller than the main building at Huang Long academy. Overall, it was an incredible and mystical sight. It was truly a world of cultivators. Instead of heading directly to the main building, which was clearly the central tower that was bigger and grander than any other, Zhou Fan chose to look around the city first. His first stop was a building similar to the colosseum he had seen in the demon cave. As expected, it was one. In the center of the ring, there were two core formation cultivators battling. One wielded the power of fire while the other wielded the power of earth. A formation around the arena stopped their attacks from hitting the crowd or even stirring the air outside of it. It seemed the battle was about to come to an end as the fire wielder was panting and out of breath, seemingly on the verge of collapse. The earth cultivator jumped in the air to avoid the fire cultivator''s fire arrow and summoned a piercing lance from the ground below. The fire cultivator had nowhere to run as the lance was about to collide with his body. All of a sudden, a formation around his body activated and blocked the attack, signaling the end of the battle. The earth cultivator walked over and helped the fire cultivator up from the ground, holding him up as he limped to the exit. The crowd was cheering as they had the entire battle. Some were happy while some seemed sad. It was likely that bets had been made. As soon as the two battlers exited the arena, a holographic screen popped up in the sky. It showed their names and added a win to the earth cultivators record and a loss to the fire cultivators. Zhou Fan was intrigued at the interesting use of Qi, but quickly figured out the secret. It was just a manipulation of light. He had already done that long ago with his invisibility spell. The only difference was the way light was manipulated. Zhou Fan took a seat in the crows and watched the next few battles. They consisted of a pair of core formation cultivators with light and dark affinities, a pair of foundation establishment cultivators that clearly wanted to kill each other, and another pair of core formation cultivators with water affinities. Just as Zhou Fan was about to leave, the screen showed that the next battle would be between two nascent soul cultivators. Zhou Fan didn''t know how often cultivators of that level fought, but by the crowd reaction he guessed it wasn''t very common. Since he had nowhere to be, Zhou Fan sat down to watch one last battle. The gates on each arena opened as two old men hopped onto the platform in the middle. They were both at the 4th level of nascent soul, but one had an affinity with metal and the other had an affinity with poison. By now, even without looking into the person or at the screen, Zhou Fan was able to recognize their affinities by the color of their robe. For example, it was dark green for poison and gray for metal. Chapter 84: Victor - 84 Chapter 84 - Victor - 84 As the two old men looked at each other, Zhou Fan could feel the killing intent they gave off. It was very likely that they''ve had a feud for a while. "3, 2, 1, START!" The announcer shouted. As soon as he said start, the two old men shot towards each other and punched out. Their fists collided in mid air and caused a wind that stirred up the arena. The man in the gray robes fist was covered with a gray Qi, and the man in a dark green robes fist was covered in dark green Qi. Naturally, they used metal Qi and poison Qi. Moments after their fists collided, they punched towards the other with their free fists, which once again collided in mid air. This started a chain reaction of colliding fists that many spectators couldn''t even see. They both started being pushed back by the force of the other''s punch until they reached the edge of the arena and stopped. They each stared at the other with a gaze full of hatred and moved their fists back once more. This time, their fists didn''t collide. Instead, they both used a martial art against the other. The man in the dark green robe shot out three dark green snakes that released a sinister Qi that seemed as if it could corrode anything. They twisted around each other in mid air as they shot towards the man in gray. At the same time, the man in gray punched forward and a sword formed from metal qi rotated and flew towards the snakes. It gave off a feeling of sharpness that made the audience feel as though they were about to be cut in half. Everything happened in a near instant as the attacks collided in mid air. When the sword reached the snakes, it started to slow down for a moment until it pierced through them, dispersing them, and shot towards the man in dark green. In response, the man in dark green kicked upwards and the sword turned into dust, not because of the strength of the man''s kick, but because the snakes had corroded the sword, making it weaker than ever. The men jumped around the arena, attacking, dodging, defending, and escaping, for 5 more minutes. They remained nearly equal the entire time. The man in dark green had a couple of cuts, one being 2 inches deep, and the man in gray had a couple of dark spots on his skin from the man in dark greens poison. At this point, both of the old men were panting from exhaustion. Staring at each other from opposite sides of the arena, the men came to an unspoken consensus. Their next attack would be their full power. Absolutely nothing would be held back. Like before, the man in gray summoned a sword from his metal Qi. The only difference was that this sword was bigger and gave off a much more dangerous feeling. It would also likely be much more fast. On the other side, the man in dark green used his poison Qi to form a giant snake. It was much more powerful than the previous attacks. The attacks shot forwards towards each other. Like before, they were about to collide until the snake stopped moving forward right as the sword was about to hit it. Instead, it coiled around the sword, effectively dodging its direct attack, and continued towards the man in gray. The sword that flew past was also heavily corroded by the poison Qi of the snake, causing it to slow down and weaken. From a normal person''s point of view, it would look like the man in green was undoubtedly winning. However, the sword QI that the metal sword gave off heavily damaged the snake that had coiled around it. Not to mention the fact that the metal sword, although weakend, was still a force to be reckoned with. In the end, poison cultivators were worse at direct battle. The man in gray stared at the approaching snake with helplessness. His previous attack had used every bit of his Qi. All he could do was put his hand up in an attempt to lessen the blow. The same could be said for the man in dark green. At the same time, the attacks collided with the men. Like before, a formation blocked the attacks that would have most likely killed them both. Zhou Fan expected it to be declared a tie, but the announcer spoke up. "As we wait for the corrosion damage to be calculated, you can look up at the board to see how much damage their final strikes did." Like he said, Zhou Fan looked up at the floating screen. Next to the picture of the old men and their affinities, there was a section that said ''Final damage''. It could be guessed that it meant how much damage they did to the others formation. The man in the gray robes damage was calculated at 9846/300,000. Zhou Fan wasn''t sure how damage was calculated, but he estimated that it was how close the formation was to being destroyed. Whoever had the higher number next to their name would win. On the man wearing dark greens side, the number was at 6078/300,000, but it was still going up. That was due to the fact that the attack was still technically ongoing. The audience stood with bated breaths as they looked at the board. After a minute, the number stopped going up. it had stopped at 9435/300,000. Half of the audience erupted in cheers while the other half were downcast. Perhaps they hoped that the man in dark green won or maybe they had bet on his win. Either way, the result of the battle was the man in gray''s victory. Zhou Fan expected such an outcome, but still enjoyed the fight nonetheless. It wasn''t that the man in gray was stronger than the man in dark green, but that Metal Qi was simply better for direct confrontation. As for poison Qi, its best factor was its long lastingness and its corrosion. Zhou Fan got up and walked out of the colosseum. He would likely be back, but he wanted to see more of the city. Chapter 85: Talismans - 85 Chapter 85 - Talismans - 85 When Zhou Fan walked out of the arena, he was once again greeted by the sight of floating buildings. Since the colosseum was one of the buildings on the ground, Zhou Fan was looking upwards. One of the very highest buildings drew his attention. It was in the shape of a padoga and seemed to have 9 floors. Along with being one of the highest, it was also one of the busiest places. People with varying cultivation levels could be seen coming in and out. There were both people at foundation establishment and people at nascent soul realm coming out. Zhou Fan flew up there and decided to take a look. There were two guards at the entrance, but they just stood still as people entered and exited. Above the entrance was a sign that said ''tinming pavilion.'' Zhou Fan walked in freely and looked around the first floor. The floor was quite big and there seemed to be a hundred people in it. The color theme seemed to be red and gold. There were a few paintings on the walls, but the floor wasn''t too decorated besides some carpet. There were shelves and glass containers that had items, but there were no price tags or anything special. Zhou Fan walked up to one of the glass containers and looked inside. Laying there was a green bottle with a small formation covering the outside and a couple of pills inside. With a brief glance, Zhou fan was able to tell that it was a healing pill. It would be able to quickly heal a Qi condensation cultivator and minorly heal a foundation establishment cultivator. Next to the pill bottle was a bunch of other pills. In fact, it seemed that half of the floor was filled with pills. There were pills that increased Qi absorption for recovery or cultivation and pills that temporarily increased damage, although most of those had side effects. After looking at the pills, Zhou Fan walked over to the other side of the floor. On that side, there were many things besides pills. Zhou Fan walked around and saw weapons, martial art manuals, formation plates, and even a few cultivation techniques. When he saw the techniques, Zhou Fan went over to take a closer look. Although a normal person wasn''t able to look at it before buying it, Zhou Fan used his divine sense to read it without opening it. Contrary to the technique he gave to the first celestials, which could be cultivated by anyone regardless of Qi affinity, these manuals could only be cultivated by people with certain affinities. The ones in front of him were related to the affinities of fire, water, earth, and air. The most interesting thing was that they did not provide a faster cultivation speed, but simply increased the abilities of certain elements or concepts. That meant that if two people had an affinity to fire and were in the same realm, the person who used this manual would theoretically be stronger. However, Zhou Fan found a flaw that must have gone invisible to the creators of the manual. It limited one''s future ability. Since the manual tweaked Zhou Fans, it messed up some parts. Therefore, if one cultivated this manual, they would forever be stuck at nascent soul. That means that anyone who was in soul formation must have either started cultivating using his method, or restarted cultivation after realizing that they couldn''t go any further with the manual. If Zhou Fan created a specific manual, the result would be different. One could get the boost but still be able to go however far their talent allowed. But the creators of the affinity specific manuals were merely copying Zhou Fan and slightly tweaking it. Based on the creator''s strength, there would be a limit to how far someone using the manual could go. Zhou Fan soon lost interest in the manuals and continued to look around the first floor. Just as he was about to leave, something caught his eye. On one of the pedestals, Zhou Fan saw a rectangular piece of paper with a formation on it. Zhou Fan walked over to it and looked at it closely. It was similar to a formation plate, but it was one use and the formation wasn''t on metal. Zhou Fan had never seen nor created such a thing. He looked around and signaled at one of the attendants to come over. "Hello sir, how can I be of assistance?" She asked politely. "What is this?" Zhou Fan said while pointing at the piece of paper. "That is a talisman, sir. It was invented by the celestial lord Anna." She said, not questioning why Zhou Fan didn''t know what it was. "What does it do?" He asked in order to see if there was anything else about it he couldn''t see. "It depends on the talisman. This one will send an attack at whoever the user wants to attack. Since the creator was in the foundation establishment realm, its attack is only at the level of a Qi condensation realm cultivator. On other floors, there are stronger attack talismans and ones with different uses all together." She said. "Can anyone create one?" Zhou Fan asked. "No. In fact, the talent to be a talisman creator is very rare. If a thousand people try to learn it, only one will succeed. Do you have any more questions?" She asked. "Just one. What does it cost?" He asked. Zhou Fan had no idea how payment was made in the celestial lands and this was a good time to find out. "It is 50 spirit stones." She answered. Spirit stones! Although Zhou Fan hadn''t created them on this planet, it seemed that they managed to exist either way. "Where are spirit stones from?" Zhou Fan asked, breaking his promise of one more question. The attendant''s mouth twitched as she almost broke character. "Umm.. They come from spirit stone mines." She answered, trying to keep a straight face. "Ohh, okay. Thank you." Zhou Fan said. The attendant nodded and walked away. ''It seems that spirit stones have naturally formed from the Qi in this world.'' Zhou Fan thought. He had no idea how rare a spirit stone was, but he was going to find out soon. Chapter 86 - 1st to 5th floor - 86 Chapter 86 - 1st to 5th floor - 86 After speaking to the lady, Zhou fan walked over to the counter in the back of the store. When he arrived, he saw a transaction going on between a young man and a clerk. "I want a 1st grade healing pill and a 1st grade fire formation plate." He said, already pulling spirit stones from his bag. "Alright, I''ll go get those for you." The clerk said before she walked into the back. It was only a couple of seconds before she came back with what he asked for. "A first grade healing pill and a first grade fire formation plate will be 10 spirit stones." She said. The man, who had already pulled that many out, pushed them to the clerk and grabbed his stuff. "Thank you for coming, young master mun. Please come again." She said as he was walking out. From their conversation, Zhou Fan was able to tell two things. First, that weapons, pills, and other things sold in the shop were ranked in grades based on their level, and two, the price and importance of spirit stones. With the transaction, Zhou Fan was able to tell how valuable a spirit stone was based on the value of the items the young man bought. Another thing he learned about spirit stones from that transaction was that the spirit stones on the Zhou world seemed to be lesser than the ones he had created. There may be better spirit stones in the world, but it seemed they wouldn''t be used on the 1st floor. After understanding some things, Zhou Fan walked up to the counter. "Hello, how may I help you?" The clerk asked. "I would like to buy that talisman over there." He said, pointing at the talisman the previous clerk showed him. "Yes sir, I''ll get it right now." She said before once again entering the back. While she was gone, Zhou Fan condensed a couple of spirit stones identical to the ones the young man used earlier. By the time the clerk came back, there were already fifty spirit stones on the desk. "That will be fifty spirit stones sir." She said. Zhou Fan responded by pushing the stones towards her. The clerk counted the spirit stones and handed the talisman to Zhou Fan. "Thank you." He said before leaving towards the stairs to the second floor. "You''re welcome. Come again!" She said. -------------- Before long, Zhou fan made it to the second floor. It looked like an exact copy of the first floor besides the fact that there were less people. Zhou Fan walked over to the counters and shelves, examining the items. After looking at a few, Zhou Fan was able to tell that they were still at the Qi condensation realm. However, they seemed to be of much better quality compared to the ones on the first floor. The weapons were sharper and more durable and the pills and formations were more effective. Since there was really nothing new, Zhou Fan didn''t spend long on the second floor. As he left, he bought a weapon worth 50 spirit stones. It was more expensive than any other sword on the first floor. On the third floor, there was a change. Instead of the previous red and gold color, there was now a green and gold color. It was pleasant and even elegant. The layout, however, stayed the same. Another noticeable difference was the amount of people. There were no more than 5 people on the 3rd floor. Zhou Fan looked around and saw pills, weapons, formations and other things at foundation establishment, or rank two. He first went over to the pill counter as per usual. Besides the difference in pill rank, there were also different types of pills. The first one he noticed was a poison pill. Opposite to healing pills which saved lives, these pills would take them. Zhou Fan looked around the pill counter and found a few more new pills, some of which being hydration pills, saturation pills, and stamina pills. He didn''t stay at the pill area long before he went around looking at the other items. There was nothing too interesting, so he headed to the counter quickly. As he arrived, he saw another transaction taking place. "A 2nd rank poison pill and a 2nd rank earth shifting talisman will be two hundred low grade spirit stones or two mid grade spirit stones." The clerk said to the man. The man proceeded to pull out two spirit stones that were different from the ones Zhou Fan had seen before. Unlike the earlier spirit stones, these ones were bigger and purer. The clerk pushed the man the items and took his payment. The man then left the store. After seeing the transaction, Zhou Fan walked over to the counter and repeated the process of buying but with mid grade spirit stones this time. He ended up buying a 2nd rank poison pill and a 2nd rank spear. Zhou fan went to the 4th floor and once again saw foundation establishment items. He didn''t stay long but left with a scythe. On the 5th floor, the items were all core formation. He looked around and saw the colors had changed once again to blue and gold. As he walked around the fifth floor, he saw something new. On a weapon rack, there was a yellow sword. Unlike the swords he had seen before, this one had a formation covering it. It also had what seemed like a talisman wrapped around the handle. Zhou Fan walked up to the counter and asked the clerk about it. This time, the clerk was a man. "What does that formation on the sword do? And what does the talisman on the handle do?" He asked. The clerk looked at it and spoke. "The formation around the sword makes it much faster and stronger once you input Qi into it. As for the handle, it will automatically shoot out and attack whoever you target as long as they are somewhat close. It has limited uses, but you can come back and we will replace it for a small fee." He said. Chapter 87 - 6th to 9th floor - 87 Chapter 87 - 6th to 9th floor - 87 Zhou Fan nodded at the clerk''s words and eventually bought the sword for 15 mid grade spirit stones. He then went up to the 6th floor and repeated the process, this time buying another healing pill. When he arrived at the 7th floor, Zhou Fan saw that the color scheme had once again changed. This time, it was purple and gold. Besides the color change, there was another difference that didn''t show up on the previous floors. In front of the entrance, two male guards stood menacingly. They held spears and wore armor with formations on it. With a brief glance, Zhou Fan was able to tell that they were at the 5th level of the nascent soul realm. Behind them was a rope connected to two poles that stood out of the ground. The rope was red and seemed to be made of fur. It blocked the path past the guards. Zhou Fan walked up to the guards and only stopped when they crossed their spears in front of him. "Unauthorized access is unallowed. Who are you?" The guard on the left said. "My name is Zhou Fan." Zhou Fan said. "What authority is needed to access the further floors?" "In order to access the seventh and eight floors, you must be at the nascent soul realm and pay a fee of 20 mid grade spirit stones every time you enter." He responded. Zhou Fan was surprised at the steep price. It cost the same as a core formation sword with inscriptions just to enter the 7th and 8th floors. "Of course, you must also be a celestial." The guard suddenly said. Zhou Fan was in the perfect disguise of a celestial, so there was no doubt he would pass that check. Zhou Fan reached behind his back and condensed 20 mid grade spirit stones before he handed them to the guards. He then released the pressure of a ninth level nascent soul realm cultivator. Without another word, the guards let him through. As he entered the real part of the store, Zhou Fan saw a different layout than that of the first 6 floors. Instead of the basic store design, Zhou Fan saw a single carpeted line that branched off into other sections later on. On the sides of the carpet were square glass containers with formations on them. Inside the containers were items at the nascent soul realm, this time with a plaque that stated the price of the item. The very first item he saw, a small dagger with formations on it, cost a high grade spirit stone. Although he hadn''t been told the exchange rate, he could assume that 100 mid grade spirit stones were equivalent to a single high grade spirit stone. Zhou Fan continued walking forward on the purple carpet, seeing miscellaneous items throughout, until he came across a fork. There were five paths ahead. Above the paths, there was a hanging sign. The hanging signs said weapons, pills, formations, talismans, and others. First, Zhou Fan went down the weapon path. Unlike before, there were many different types of weapons, but they were categorized in a certain area. There were both weapons that were cheaper than the dagger and more expensive. As he reached the end of the path, Zhou Fan saw two things. One, more paths that likely led to the other areas, and two, a giant weapon that seemed similar to a ballista or a catapult back on earth. Zhou Fan wasn''t sure how they got it in, but it almost reached the roof with its height. Looking at the price tag, Zhou Fan saw the whopping price of 50 high grade spirit stones! Right next to it, there was another sign that said each ammo was a high grade spirit stone. Zhou Fan was about to call one of the workers to ask what the weapon was, but he noticed another plaque that had an entire paragraph of words. It read ''Special weapon of mass destruction created by forgemaster carl. Only ten were ever made before forgemaster Carl passed away. When used, it has the firepower to decimate an area of 100 miles with flames. Can kill nascent soul cultivators if they are unprepared. Can kill innumerable amounts of core formation cultivators even if they are prepared. Use with caution.'' Reading the plaque, Zhou Fan was amazed at its power. It seemed that the technology of the Zhou World had increased a lot in the last ten thousand years. Zhou Fan continued to look around the 7th floor until he saw everything. He bought a strengthening pill this time. He had considered buying the big weapon, but it had no use to him. After finishing up on the 7th floor, Zhou Fan made his way to the 8th floor. At the entrance, he was once again stopped by guards. Although he didn''t have to show his strength, he did have to pay a high grade spirit stone for entry. Like the previous floors, the 8th floor was just an upgraded version of the 7th floor. In fact, the layout was exactly the same. The only difference was the clerks and the items. On the 8th floor, Zhou Fan didn''t see a single other person. It was expected at this point. Even if nascent soul cultivators weren''t extremely rare, they were still an uncommon sight. In the entire celestial lands, Zhou Fan estimated there to be at most 500 nascent soul realm cultivators. After buying another healing pill, Zhou Fan started to walk up to the final floor. As soon as he stepped on the floor, he was greeted by a small dark tent with a single other person. The person behind the counter was dressed in a cloak with his head lowered. "Welcome to the 9th floor. Firstly, who are you?" The man in the cloak asked. His voice was deep and rough. "Zhou Fan." Zhou Fan answered. "There is no soul formation cultivator named Zhou Fan in the celestial lands. In fact, there''s not even an upcoming nascent soul realm cultivator named Zhou Fan. Who are you really?" The man asked aggressively. Chapter 88: Test - 88 Chapter 88 - Test - 88 "My name is Zhou Fan." Zhou Fan once again said towards the cloaked man. "Okay then "Zhou Fan", what is your intention by coming here?" The cloaked man asked with an aggressive tone of voice. "I''m just looking around." Zhou Fan responded without taking his eyes off of the man. "Oh really. So, are you a beast or a supreme beast? I would assume a beast since you''ve changed form, but who knows what supreme beasts are capable of." The man said. "Neither." Zhou Fan answered. "You''re not very cooperative. Guess we''ll do this the hard way." The cloaked man said as he turned his body and swung his arm at Zhou Fan, shooting out an arrow made from water. In response, Zhou Fan pulled out his black adamantium sword just out of its sheath and deflected the arrow without moving an inch. ''A soul formation cultivator huh.'' Zhou Fan thought. It seemed that the store was big enough to have a soul formation cultivator at the top floor. In fact, it was likely that the man in front of Zhou Fan was the owner. After seeing that his water arrow didn''t affect Zhou Fan, the man in the cloak stopped holding back. With his last attack, he had been simply probing Zhou Fan. From now on, he would fight to kill. The man in the cloak pushed his hand forward and a powerful wind transformed into the head of a dragon and attempted to push Zhou Fan into the wall. Zhou Fan responded by creating a barrier, but allowing himself to move backwards and crash out of the ninth floor. It was also to be noted that the man had attacked more with the intention of pushing Zhou Fan back than doing damage. Zhou Fan''s protected body flew through the walls of the ninth floor and stopped around 20 feet away from the store when the wind dragon head dispersed. The cloaked man shot out of the pavilion and towards Zhou Fan like a bullet. Before he arrived he pulled a sword out from his back. As he arrived in front of Zhou Fan, he attempted to pierce him using his momentum. However, Zhou Fan moved a bit to the left and completely dodged his attack. The cloaked man stopped moving forwards and turned around, shooting out a wind blade towards Zhou Fan with his sword. On earth, the attack would have nearly broken space, but in the Zhou world everything was stronger, including space itself. Zhou Fan once again dodged the attack and moved around the cloaked man. They continued to play cat and mouse as the shoppers evacuated the pavilion and the entire city was in a state of alert. Battles between soul formation cultivators were not to be taken jokingly. Especially in the heart of the celestial lands. As the army was dispatched and soul formation cultivators were waking up from seclusion, Zhou Fan started to put some pressure on the cloaked man. Unlike before, where he dodged the mans every attack, the cloaked man was now dodging his every attack. His cloak had many holes and cuts as he frantically tried to dodge Zhou Fans increasingly speedy attacks. Eventually, one of the slashes connected with the man''s hood, revealing his hidden face. Seeing it, Zhou Fan paused for a moment. The man in front had features of a celestial, but his face was messed up. It was as if someone dropped a boulder on it then poisoned it. It didn''t exactly look as mashed up and disgusting, but it was obvious that he had a serious injury. Even his once white hair started to turn a shade of green. His eyes, however, were a dark red that seemed more evil than cosmic. Even after seeing his face, Zhou Fan only stopped for a moment. He slashed out a few more times and caused a couple more injuries. At this point, the man could no longer do anything but try to survive. It was at that moment when Zhou Fan stopped slashing out. The man was confused, but Zhou Fan''s figure suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of his face at a speed he couldn''t fathom. A punch landed on his chest as he was sent crashing to the ground, unable to get up. Zhou Fan stood in the air victoriously. He had stopped the battle because he had already seen what the man had to offer. He had only battled him in order to see the strength of the celestials. The man was at soul formation three, so he was a fairly good target. Although he had tested the man''s strength, he wasn''t done. Now that the army was coming and the soul formation cultivators were awakening, he might as well test the full strength of the celestials. That included Anna. Zhou Fan stood in the air for around 3 minutes before someone appeared in front of him. This time, it was a woman in a green outfit that carried a bow. "Who are you? Why are you here?" She asked with a frown. "I''m here to fight." Zhou Fan answered. "Fine then." She said before she stopped talking. She pulled her bow back and formed a green arrow on it. The arrow was made of both wind Qi and wood Qi. She shot it directly at Zhou Fan eye, but he simply moved away. Zhou Fan looked at the girl and assessed her strength. She was a level 5 soul formation cultivator with at least wood and wind affinities. When she saw her arrow dodged, she moved back and gained some distance before shooting similar arrows at Zhou Fan in succession. Zhou Fan moved around the air and dodged every single arrow that came. As the last arrow reached him, he grabbed it with his hand, did a twirl, and threw it back at the girl. Faced with the unexpected attack, the girl was only able to dodge a part of the attack and the arrow ended up cutting off her ear. Zhou Fan saw that but didn''t feel bad. It wouldn''t take too much to heal the ear. Chapter 89: Death - 89 Chapter 89 - Death - 89 When the girl looked to the ground and saw her ear, she exploded in rage. When had a soul formation cultivator ever had to endure such pain? She instantly shot out thousands of arrows towards Zhou Fan. Each and every one of them had power comparable, if not higher, to the previous arrows. Instead of dodging the arrows like last time, Zhou Fan flicked out with a finger and shot an enormous wave of tumbling wind towards the volley of arrows. The arrows that were heading for Zhou Fan flew in random directions away from him. The girl, who didn''t expect such a defensive move, was stunned. As she stood there stunned, three of the arrows Zhou Fan sent back coincidently flew straight at her body. By the time she noticed them, it was too late. The arrows pierced her stomach, leg, and arm, flying her back into the ground. Zhou Fan quickly made sure she was alive before he continued standing in the air, waiting for the rest of the soul formation cultivators. He didn''t have to wait long before 5 more people appeared in front of him. Each and every one gave off a pressure that screamed soul formation. Seeing the destruction that Zhou Fans battle caused, along with the passed out celestials, the new arrivals felt an extreme amount of vigilance. However, they didn''t speak to Zhou Fan. They simply stared at him until three more people showed up. The three people also gave off the pressure of a soul formation realm cultivator. With a quick look, Zhou Fan was able to tell their strengths. The strongest was a young looking man with the strength of a tenth level soul formation expert. Although he looked young, it was clear to Zhou Fan that he was the oldest of the bunch. The young looking man took a step forward and spoke out. "Who are you and what do you want?" He said those words with a solemn tone of voice. After all, there was a completely unknown threat of unknown strength and it was at their doorsteps. In some ways, such a thing was even more fearsome than if the dragon king himself showed up. A million ideas started to go on in Zhou Fan''s head after hearing the question. Although he could continue his current act, there was a better solution. Such a solution was able to pressure every existence within the Zhou World to increase their strength as much as possible. Otherwise, there would only be oppression and tyranny from the few groups who held power. With a threat to all living beings, tyranny could be avoided and all could grow to their fullest potential. No talent would be killed in fear of them growing too much, but helped even further to reach their fullest in the fastest time. As Zhou Fan continued to think of the idea, he could only consider it full of pros and with only a single con. That con would be the deaths that would need to happen to cause fear. However, Zhou Fan was more than willing to sacrifice the few for the benefit of the many. As he came to the conclusion that the idea would be the best possible plan, Zhou Fan put it into action. "Are you truly curious who I am? Can you handle the truth of my identity?" Zhou Fan asked in a sinister tone. He said it with a rough voice that gave a chill to all who heard it. "What do you mean? I asked who you are!" The young looking man commanded. "Fine. Don''t say I didn''t give you a chance. You could have died peacefully." Zhou Fan said in the same voice as before. As the eight figures wondered who he could possibly be and why he would possibly say that, Zhou fan grabbed his face. Much to everyone''s astonishment, he began pulling on it. Then he pulled it harder and harder until his entire face came off like a mask. Every single celestial shivered in fear at what they saw. Fear could be seen on their faces as they looked at Zhou Fan. Instead of the face that they once saw, they now saw a skull. An empty skull with a green light as his eyes. The skeletal face then donned a robe and a scythe without anyone understanding how. The robe was pitch black and the scythe was eerily silver along with its black handle. "I am death. I am the end. I have come for you and your people." Said Zhou Fan in his new outfit. His voice rang across not only the entire celestial lands, but the entire Zhou World. The sinister and evil voice woke both Anna and the dragon king up from their seclusion, and alerted the monkey king. As for the cultivators looking at Zhou Fan, they nearly sh*t their pants. As they were shivering from fear, Zhou Fan appeared above one of their heads and slashed down with his scythe. Death Qi covered the entire thing and even covered the entirety of Zhou Fan. Due to the fact that the person he chose wasn''t paying full attention, his scythe cut through the girl''s body from shoulder to waist. Since she was a cultivator, a normal cut like that wouldn''t be able to fully kill her in an instant. Unfortunately, Zhou Fan had slashed with Death Qi. She died within seconds of being cut. In fact, even a slight nick would result in a soul formation cultivator losing their life. Zhou Fan felt bad for the person, but he needed to make them fear him or the charade wouldn''t work. As the other cultivators saw their friend and colleague get instantly killed, they scrambled away like rats. The girl Zhou Fan killed earlier was at the 6th level of nascent soul. The fact that she was killed without resistance was enough to make even the most battle hardened person present run away. Of course, Zhou Fan wasn''t going to let them go like that. He once again moved above another person and killed them in the same exact way. He was about to kill another celestial, but a loud voice followed by an immense attack interrupted him. "STOP!" Chapter 90: Battle - 90 Chapter 90 - Battle - 90 When Zhou Fan looked over, he saw a slash of space Qi flying towards him at a speed faster than light. The ground started to rumble and a pressure descended upon Zhou Fan as it came closer. Zhou Fan turned his body towards the attack and slashed out with death Qi, forming a similar crescent that collided with the Space Qi in mid air. Due to the fact that Zhou Fan held his strength back at the level of a level five void traversing cultivator, the attacks stopped traveling when they collided and pushed at each other in mid air. The tug of war lasted for three more seconds before both powers dissipated. As they did so, a woman dressed in light purple robes appeared in the air. Her entire body was giving off an incredible amount of killing intent and her eyes were on the verge of popping. Zhou Fan stood still in the air as the killing intent covered him. He let it drown him for a moment before he released a killing intent of his own. In order to keep up with the character of death, he made sure that his killing intent was more powerful and far more sinister. Even so, Anna simply shivered for a moment before she snorted and blocked the killing intent from even reaching her. "Who are you?" She asked. It appeared that she hadn''t heard the earlier conversation. "I am death. I am the end. I have come for you and your people." Zhou Fan repeated in the same way he had earlier. "When you say "your people", I assume you mean celestials. Are you in cahoots with the other races?" She asked solemnly. "No. I have come for all the residents of the Zhou World. I will decimate all living beings and set sail upon the bones of your kin. In your brief moments of life before I slaughter you, I will make sure you feel absolute despair.I am death. I am the end. I have come for you and your people. I have come for your world." Zhou Fan said. The final goal was not to simply grow the celestial''s strength, but to grow the entire Zhou World''s strength. Even those of the future should have nightmares at the mention of his name. When Anna heard Zhou Fan''s words, her eyes flew open. For a moment she seemed shocked. Then, she started to laugh. "Are you telling me that you think you can destroy the world? With your meager strength nonetheless? Hahahahaha! You and what army?" She asked mockingly. Her words made sense. Before, Zhou Fan could only tie with her. If she were to work together with the whole world, it could only spell ''Zhou Fans'' doom. "What army?" Zhou Fan asked rhetorically. He then let his scythe float beside him as he raised his hands in the air. "RISE!" He said, his words echoing throughout the Zhou World once again. Cracks started to form in the ground around the area where Zhou Fan and Anna were fighting. All of a sudden, a skeletal hand reached out from the ground. It seemed to set off a chain reaction as similar skeletal hands reached out from the ground and pulled themselves up. What crawled out of the ground was not a living being, but a skeleton. The skeletons had not come back to life, but were powered by Qi and had the sole instinct to kill other life. There were two types of skeletons that were "Reanimated". The first type were the ones that had lived in the past. That group was made up entirely from dead celestials. The other type was the one that Zhou Fan had constructed in that second where he raised his hand. They were made completely out of Qi and resembled humans more than celestials. However, they were perfectly disguised and nobody would notice that they were made up from Qi. Zhou Fan was winging the spell, but the results were great. Even the stoic and brave Anna had a face as white as a sheet of paper. She stared at the skeletons and her face became even whiter when she recognized some of the skeletons. Many of them had died by her side in the wars with the other races. She even saw a few of her most trusted generals and students that had died long ago. Besides the emotional effect of the spell, there was another part of the spell that made it terrifying. The skeletons that were raised from the dead had the exact strength they had when they died. That meant that at this moment, more than 10 soul formation cultivators joined Zhou Fan''s side, including the ones he killed not long ago. Once all the skeletons got out of the ground, Zhou Fan looked at Anna. "This army." He said simply. "And as I kill more and more of your friends and family, even your enemies, my army will only grow stronger." Without another word, the army of skeletons started to attack the soul formation cultivators that had been watching in the back since the start of the battle. They were immediately outnumbered in terms of soul formation cultivators and the nascent soul cultivators were just an icing on the cake. For the first time since the start of the battle, Anna was starting to think that she may lose. However, she hadn''t battled for 10,000 years for nothing. As she saw the soul formation cultivators on her side being pushed back, she instantly started to attack Zhou Fan with all her might. She first punched forward with her fist covered in space Qi. Zhou Fan counter attacked with the tip of his scythe and they both pushed each other back. Due to her Space affinity, she was almost equal to Zhou Fan who only used Death Qi and restrained his strength to the fifth level of void traversing, despite being at the fourth level of void traversing herself. Zhou Fan moved around with the scythe and became more and more used to using it. He eventually started to push Anna back. She responded by revealing another one of her affinities. Ice Qi. Chapter 91: Battle - 91 Chapter 91 - Battle - 91 As Anna released her Ice QI, the entire battlefield transformed. The ground froze and snow started to fall from the sky. Giant spikes of ice pointed outwards, blocking the surrounding area from coming in contact with the battle taking place. Zhou Fan paused in the air for a moment and let her play out her move. Anna stared him dead in the eyes as the snowflakes reached lower and lower. Just as they were 10 feet above where Zhou Fan floated, the snowflakes transformed. Each and every one of the hundred thousand snowflakes turned into icicles that pierced towards Zhou Fan and the area around him. The power contained in each icicle could kill a level 1 nascent soul realm cultivator, but Zhou fan merely slammed the bottom of his scythe on the ground and created a shockwave that blew away the first group of icicles. The first round contained 10,000 icicles and another wave of the same amount shot at him again. This time, Zhou Fan raised a barrier with his finger that bounced the icicles back. The barrier lasted against three rounds of icicles before it started to crack, naturally due to the fact that Zhou Fan was holding his strength back immensely. In the middle of the 5th round of icicles, the barrier shattered into pieces. Instead of forming another barrier or making a shockwave send the icicles back, Zhou Fan continued to supply the broken barrier fragments with Qi and turned them towards Anna before he shot them towards her similar to the way the icicles were shooting at him. Due to that, he had to take the icicles with his body which caused some minor damage to his robe. Anna was surprised by the sudden and unexpected attack and had to cancel her attack in order to dodge. Even so, she still got hit by a few pieces and even started to bleed from a cut on her arm. From the moment she released her Ice Qi to the moment she got cut, only a few seconds had passed. Just as Zhou Fan was going to attack during Anna''s moment of weakness, she started to attack with another martial art. Zhou Fan moved towards her in an attempt to cancel the martial art, but she finished just as he was about to make contact. His scythe was inches away from Anna''s head, but a strong wind followed by an icy chill blew him backwards a couple meters. When he looked up, he saw a raging blizzard hundreds of meters in size approaching him rapidly. Zhou Fan only had enough time to put up a barrier before it hit him. The attack was similar to her early icicle attack, but it was more constant and much more powerful. Zhou Fan had to use a large amount of strength to maintain the barrier as he started to make up a move to counter the attack. In moments, the black barrier started to crack. Zhou Fan''s mind moved much faster as he continued to think of a new move that ''Death'' could use. Just as the barrier was about to break, he finally formed an idea. He raised the scythe he had been carrying with his right hand to the right and up a few degrees. He then raised his left hand in a similar way and formed another scythe with Death Qi. Anna saw his unusual movements and prepared for anything unexpected, but wasn''t prepared for what Zhou Fan did next. He held the position of the scythes until the moment the barriers broke down and the wind started to pour in. In that very instant, Zhou Fan slashed out with his scythes in an x-shaped fashion. From the scythes, a deathly red and black wind started forming, then spinning. Right as the blizzard attack was about to come into contact with Zhou Fan, the spinning Qi enlarged and what seemed like a hurricane made of Black and Red Qi started pushing back against the blizzard attack. From a distance, it looked like two different colored tornadoes were pushing against each other. Anna''s eyes widened with shock as she started to pour all her Qi into the blizzard attack, making it stronger than before. However, Zhou Fan''s attack wasn''t weak enough to be defeated so easily. What seemed like screams started to sound out from the center of Zhou Fans tornado of death Qi. The cries weren''t that of a baby or of a person getting a jumpscare, but sounded more like the scream of a man getting his skin peeled off. The screams were filled with terror, fear, and pain. The attacks pushed back at each other for around five minutes before they both started to weaken and eventually disperse. As the raging storms calmed down, Anna was seen panting on the ground from exhaustion. As for Zhou Fan, or ''Death'', he was standing still without a sign of fatigue. "Is that all you''ve got?" He asked with a tone of disappointment. "I expected so much more from you." As he walked towards her and gathered Death Qi in his hand in order to finish her off, Anna reached behind her back and pulled out a green bottle. She popped the lid off with a finger before raising her head and emptying the contents in her mouth. Zhou Fan said nothing and hopped back a couple of meters. With his sight, he could clearly see that those were grade 5, or soul formation, recovery and stamina pills. Although a single one wouldn''t be able to help her much, a bottle that size would be enough to fully refill her strength. Unfortunately, taking so many had side effects. Therefore, she would only be able to use one bottle before they nearly completely lost their effect on her for a while. Not to mention the fact that she probably only had one. After all, soul formation pills were quite difficult to make with the Zhou World''s current resources. Anna stood up and briefly stretched before she readied herself. Her next move would likely be her most powerful and her last in this battle. Chapter 92: Ice Queen - 92 Chapter 92 - Ice Queen - 92 As Zhou Fan and Anna stared at each other, Zhou Fan sensed something. Looking at Anna, he could feel a large amount of her Qi moving. In fact, it seemed that every bit of Qi she had was awaiting an order. All of a sudden, Anna put the bottoms of her palms together and poured out every bit of her Qi to the ground. The process took ten seconds, but Zhou Fan waited and allowed her to use her final move. As soon as she poured out the last bit of her Qi, leaving only enough to not pass out, she fell to the ground, unable to stand. Zhou Fan watched on in anticipation, but nothing happened even after he waited an entire minute. ''Nothing?'' Zhou Fan asked himself. He naturally knew it was impossible that Anna would waste all her Qi for nothing, but nothing had happened so far, and he couldn''t sense anything with his cultivation suppressed. He waited another minute, but the battlefield remained completely silent. Even the background sounds of battle started to seemingly fade away. Eventually, Zhou Fan got tired of waiting. He took a step towards Anna in an attempt to kill her, but as soon as his foot landed on the ground, he sensed something shooting up. Zhou Fan jumped into the air immediately. A millisecond later, a blue sword pierced halfway through the ground. The sword seemed similar to most swords, but it was somewhat rectangular and flat with a slanted end. Zhou Fan took a couple of steps back and distanced himself from the sword sticking out of the ground. He stared at it for a moment, but it didn''t move. Just as he was thinking it was a one time attack, the sword continued upwards. As its hilt showed and it was about to fully leave the ground, Zhou Fan caught sight of something else on it. After a brief observation, Zhou Fan was able to tell it was a hand. The hand was the same icy blue as the sword and seemed somewhat different from a human or a celestial. The unknown thing continued to break through the ground until Zhou Fan caught full sight of it. It was a woman who seemed similar to an ice sculpture. She had features similar to a celestial, but blue, and wore a snow white outfit. In her left hand, she carried the icy blue sword Zhou Fan saw sticking out of the ground. In the other hand, Zhou Fan saw another blue sword. This time, however, the sword was not icy blue, but space blue. Within the blue were dots of white that resembled stars in the night sky. Clearly, this thing was what Anna created with her full power. It was an interesting technique, but Zhou Fan didn''t know how long it would be able to hold him back. Either way, he had full confidence in defeating it. "This is my final move. I call her ice queen. If you can defeat her, you have won." Anna said from the ground. Zhou Fan didn''t have time to respond as the ice queen shot towards him and slashed out with her ice sword. The slash contained more power than any other slash Zhou Fan had ever seen in the Zhou World. Just the speed of the slashing sound made a large noise as it reached near Zhou Fans head in milliseconds. Reacting quickly, Zhou Fan karate chopped the sword after coating his hand with death Qi. The two attacks met in mid air and neither gained the advantage. As the two attacks pushed at each other, the ice queen''s space sword was slashed at Zhou Fan''s torso. That attack was what Zhou Fan was waiting for as he blocked the attack with his scythe coated in death Qi. With both of their hands full, Zhou Fan was about to make a move. All of a sudden, the ice queen opened her mouth and blew towards Zhou Fan''s eye. The blow wasn''t a normal one, but a blow equivalent to her previous sword attacks. An immense amount of ice made its way towards Zhou Fan''s face and he only had time to cover it with a single layer of Qi before the attack hit. Zhou Fan flew backwards and did a couple of backflips before he landed on the air. As he stopped moving, his face was revealed. The previous unblemished and evil skull now had a slight crack in it. The crack was extremely tiny, but Anna couldn''t help but smile looking at it. The crack wouldn''t even cause an egg to weaken, but it symbolized the fact that Zhou Fan wasn''t invincible, that it was possible to defeat him. "Is something funny?" Zhou Fan asked as he looked at her. He feigned a bit of anger to enhance the scene. Anna stopped smiling and looked at him solemnly after hearing his words. The slight crack on his face was already healing up. Zhou Fan started to take a couple of steps towards Anna as he spoke. "I may not be invincible, but I''m like a mountain compared to you." He said, finishing his sentence by forming another scythe in his hand. Before Anna or the ice queen could react, Zhou Fan struck towards anna with another tornado of death Qi. Just as the ice queen wanted to move in front of Anna and block the attack, Zhou Fan moved forwards and clashed with her. "Oh no you don''t." He said with the only smile his skull face could pull off. As the tornado made its way towards Anna uncontended, she pulled a formation plate out from her back. Just as she tried to activate it, she realized that she didn''t have enough Qi. She did the most movement her broken body could muster and curled up in order to protect herself. She had already accepted that she would have to take the blow with her bare body. Just as the attack was about to hit her, a whistling sound that seemed like an object was flying at high speeds sounded out. Chapter 93: The Dragon King - 93 Chapter 93 - The Dragon King - 93 When Zhou Fan heard the whistling sound, he immediately looked up towards the source. However, just as he looked, a giant pillar of flames collided with the tornado of death Qi. In an instant, both attacks dispersed leaving only sizzling air. Zhou Fan was going to check it out, but the ice queen made a sudden attack that he had to defend. As soon as he blocked it, he counterattacked with a ball of death Qi that exploded and pushed the ice queen back, right next to Anna. After that round of attacks, neither group made another move. It wasn''t that they were taking a break, but that they were waiting for whoever shot out that attack to arrive. Moments later, a black blur in the distance appeared. It seemed that it was making its way towards the battlefield, and fast. It took a mere five seconds for the speeding silhouette to become visible. It rushed forwards with two wings and fire Qi pouring out of its body. It had a crown made of gold on its head that was an incredible creation itself. It even reached the 5th grade, or void traversing. Red, almost purplish scales covered its body and its eyes were an unmistakable yellow. Clearly, this being was the dragon king. As for why he had come here, Zhou Fan had no idea. In ten more seconds, the dragon king reached the battlefield and landed next to Anna, releasing a powerful amount of pressure from its body that was thirty feet tall. "What is this thing, and how strong is it?" He asked immediately upon landing. He didn''t speak like he was talking to an enemy, but to a friend. "He is death or something. He is more powerful than either one of us." She answered. "Even my ice queen cannot defeat him." As their conversation happened, Zhou Fan was watching intently. After hearing what they said and how they said it, Zhou Fan put two and two together. Most likely, the two lands had made a truce after battling for a long time. That would explain why the supreme beasts withdrew from the war and why they hadn''t even had minor skirmishes in the past years. "He may be strong, but if you work with my ice queen, we may win." She said. The dragon king was the reason why she hadn''t given up even after losing the fight every time. He had surely felt the aura that Zhou Fan had given off and she knew he would come as soon as possible. Zhou Fan looked at the two next to each other and knew that ''death'' would have to use his full strength in the next encounter. He was actually somewhat expectant. He would get to see the two strongest beings in his world fight together. After Anna''s words, the two stopped talking and looked at Zhou Fan solemnly. Without words, the ice queen and the dragon king moved towards Zhou Fan at the same time. The ice queen slashed out an arc of space Qi towards Zhou Fan and the dragon king let out a breath of fire towards him. Zhou Fan jumped above the attacks, but not before noticing that the dragon king''s fire breath didn''t just contain fire Qi. Alongside it was dragon Qi and Demon Qi. Having an affinity to both Dragon Qi and Demon Qi despite not being a demon was surely rare. In fact, the dragon king could be said to be a demonic dragon. After seeing that their attacks missed, the two prepared for their next attacks. The ice queen sent out another arc of space Qi while the dragon king physically moved towards Zhou Fan and slashed out with his claws. Zhou Fan slashed out a crescent of death Qi that met with the ice arc in mid air and dispersed it, then punched out towards the dragon king''s claw. Despite the fact that the dragon king''s claw was the size of his body, it didn''t overpower him. Instead, Zhou Fan''s punch actually pushed back the dragon king''s claws. After neutralizing their attacks, Zhou Fan pushed his arms that were bent to the back of his body so that his shoulders moved closer to each other, and released the move he had created just moments ago in his head. The skies darkened and clouds gathered in an instant, garnering the attention of the dragon king and anna. Zhou Fan raised his hand and a phantom dragon made of death Qi soared towards the dragon king. The dragon didn''t look like the dragon king, but more like a mature version of Xiaolong. The dragon king, seeing the attack fly towards him, didn''t shy away from the challenge and flew towards the phantom dragon. While they were moving towards each other, Zhou Fan moved extremely quick towards the ice queen and slashed out with his scythe covered in death Qi. She too didn''t back off and met the attack with both of her swords. Both the dragon king and the phantom dragon met at the same time that Zhou Fans scythe and the ice queen''s swords met. The dragon king clawed at the phantom dragon while it simply opened its mouth and accelerated. A loud explosion sounded out as they collided. The phantom dragon instantly disappeared and the dragon king''s claws were bent out of shape from the collision. However, he did not face any major injuries. As for the ice Queen, she underestimated Zhou Fan''s physical strength and got a cut on her right cheek. However, she too had no major injury. Zhou Fan backed away again as the odds of winning the battle seemed slimmer and slimmer. All of a sudden, Zhou Fan saw Anna''s face out of his peripheral vision. On her right cheek, there was a cut. It was exactly the same as the one on the ice queen. He couldn''t even stop himself from smiling as he realized what it meant. As long as he could kill the ice queen, Anna would die too. Chapter 94: Battles End - 94 Chapter 94 - Battles End - 94 Once Zhou Fan made the realization that hurting the ice queen would also hurt Anna, he ran towards the ice queen at full speed. In the middle of his quick travel, the dragon king got in his way and tried to stop him, but Zhou Fan sent spikes of death Qi after him and the dragon king had to back off a bit due to their strength. With a narrow gap, Zhou Fan was able to reach the ice queen and confront her. He didn''t hold back a bit as he threw his scythe at her then summoned a sword made of death Qi and chased in the direction she dodged. Just as she jumped left to avoid the attack, Zhou Fan appeared beside her and sliced at her stomach in mid air. Anna''s eyes widened and the ice queen deployed a frost shield as fast as possible. Due to her hasty creation, the frost shield was very weak and was instantly broken through by Zhou Fan''s death sword. Unfortunately, the ice queen was able to make a bit of ice at the bottom of her feet and push off with it. That very move confirmed that the ice queen couldn''t fly. Perhaps that was the biggest weakness of Anna''s supreme move. Zhou Fan didn''t stop after missing once and instead unrelentingly chased her. As he moved forward to attack the ice queen a second time, the dragon king managed to destroy the spikes Zhou Fan had sent chasing him. Zhou Fan was moments away from attacking her when a sound wave traveled towards him and interrupted his attack. ROAR! The soundwave was caused by the dragon king and even had a fair amount of strength imbued in it. Although he didn''t have to put too much effort into blocking the attack, he now had to restart his chase. The battle continued in such a fashion for 20 more minutes. It caused havoc and destruction upon the area they fought in. Even the air was starting to distort from the pure strength that was radiating from them. However, the battle was going to change very soon. Anna, who had been laying on the ground for a while, had recovered a tenth of her Qi. Although she couldn''t really fight, she was now able to protect herself. Without the burden of protecting Anna, the ice queen and the dragon king could focus all their strength into attacking. Zhou Fan was instantly pushed into a defensive situation. From the looks of it, he would not be able to win. After another 40 minutes, Zhou Fan noticed the silhouettes of 10 giant beings in the distance. With a closer look, he could tell that they were ten of the strongest supreme beasts, each being at the tenth level of soul formation. It was at that point when Zhou Fan finally decided to retreat. His purpose had been fulfilled and the battle was fun. As the ten more fighters were approaching and the ice queen and the dragon king were attacking, Zhou Fan soared into the air and stood there unmoving. All of a sudden, an immense pressure flowed out of his body. It was much stronger than any other move that had been made today. "You may have defeated me once, but I will be back. And I will be much much stronger. There will never be a day that you kill me for I cannot die. I am the grim reaper, and I will destroy your world eventually!" Zhou Fan said before creating an illusion in which deaths body turned to ashes and disappeared. As Anna and the dragon king realized that the battle had ended, they let out sighs of relief. However, they felt a sense of foreboding. They instinctively knew that Zhou Fan wasn''t bluffing when he said that he would be back. They also felt a sense of urgency. They were itching to go back and start cultivating in preparation. Unfortunately, there were far too many things to do in order to stabilize the current celestial lands. The dragon king had it easier, but he still needed to do some things after he exited seclusion. With a goodbye, the dragon king and his ten subordinates left the area. Anna canceled the ice queen and stood alone above the icy battlefield. She then remembered that her subordinates were locked in a battle with skeletons and flew to the location as soon as possible. When she arrived, there were only five people alive. The only reason that those five were even alive was that when Zhou Fan left, the skeleton spell was canceled. Out of the ten soul formation cultivators that were currently in the central city, only five remained. Anna immediately recalled the celestial troops from their borders and ordered that all celestials gather up in what was left of the city for the next period of time. Then, she started to repair the broken city and heal the injured people. -------------------------- Zhou Fan, the true Zhou Fan, appeared above a mountain far from the battle. He had taken his disguise off and let out a sigh of relief. Whoever said acting wasn''t hard was lying. It was extremely hard to stay in character during the battle and he was glad it was over. Next time, he would definitely create a clone that could disguise itself as the grim reaper. He had chosen the name of the grim reaper at the end of the battle when he realized that death would be too confusing. Although he was exhausted and tired, Zhou Fan still felt anticipation for the next battle. After all, that was by far the funnest battle he had ever had. He also knew that next time, they would be prepared. They would also frantically increase the strength of themselves and their people. After getting his mind off the battle, Zhou Fan paid attention to the state of the Zhou World. During the battle, it started expanding at a rapid rate. After a year or so, there would be an entire new section of the world to explore. It would also increase the size of the world by three times. Chapter 95: Fortune Space - 95 Chapter 95 - Fortune Space - 95 In the meantime, Zhou Fan would have to find something to entertain him. At first, he thought about creating another race, but he decided that he doesn''t want to confuse things and instead leave them as they are. The next idea that Zhou Fan had was to make a way for the residents of the Zhou world to increase their strength. After brief consideration, he decided that the best way to do so would be to create rare encounters. They would be reserved for the lucky and the deserving. As for the form they would be in, he soon decided that fruits were his best bet. He could design them in any way he chose and even pick out their effects. After having the idea, Zhou Fan had to choose whether or not he would put the fruits everywhere or in a certain region. After another period of deliberation, he decided that it would be best to do both. He would put fruits in every section of the world, but he would put very few. In a selected region, he would put a denser concentration of fruits. He would also have to populate it with powerful defenders so that you would either have to be strong enough or extremely lucky. As for exactly where he would put them, he chose the very top of the world. Since the residents of the world didn''t pay much attention to the top, he would be able to mess with it freely. Zhou Fan then teleported to the very top of the world, the north pole. There was no flag or anything, and it was very cold. In fact, it was much colder than earth''s north pole due to the existence of Qi. The Qi of the world had interfered with everything and made everything stronger as a result. Cold Qi and snow Qi, along with the many other Qi''s that could apply to the snowy terrain, flourished and dropped the temperature to an extreme degree. Zhou Fan estimated that it was negative 500 degrees fahrenheit. Any mortal or even those at foundation establishment would freeze instantly. The cold didn''t bother Zhou Fan as he surrounded an area of 10,000 square miles with his divine sense to use as his development space. He would call it the fortune space. It would continue to grow with the world like the rest of the planet. Zhou Fan decided to start from the center of the development space and go out from there. The core area would be 100 square miles and be the most dangerous and most fruitious. He would need a guardian of the area and it would need to be as strong as Anna and the dragon king at the minimum. He would make a tiger as the king. However, it wouldn''t exactly be alive. It would be extremely hard to make a living creature with talent equal to Anna and the dragon king, so Zhou Fan decided to make an artificial being. It would be able to think and act like a living being, but its strength and even its life would be completely controlled by Zhou Fan like a puppet. It would still be able to eat, poop, and perform the daily things of a living being, but it wouldn''t truly be alive. Nobody would know, however, since Zhou Fan would mask it as one. Even itself may not know it isn''t truly living. Zhou Fan started by controlling cold Qi, ice Qi, frost Qi, and yin Qi to form the shape of a tiger. He then gave it various features such as a mouth, nose, tail, and other features. In the end, it acted like and looked like a real white tiger. Zhou Fan even considered it a living being after he gave it intelligence despite the fact that it was artificially made. Once it was born, it automatically considered Zhou Fan its father. However, Zhou Fan simply created a cave and threw it in there, softly. He also gave it instructions directly to its brain and explained how it would continue to gain strength for a year straight until it reached the 4th level of void traversing. He then created an invisible link between Anna and the tiger so that whenever she broke through to another level, a signal would take some of Zhou Fans Qi and increase the tiger''s strength. Naturally, Anna would never know the link existed. After he did that, he explained the white tigers'' purpose to him. His sole goal was to kill anybody who intrudes into the center of the core area. If they stayed outside a certain boundary within the core area, they would only be attacked by the other monsters or beasts that lived there. Zhou Fan then created ten more monsters to take care of the core area. They ranged from the first level of void traversing to the 10th level of soul formation. Afterwards, he used 1000 square miles to create an inner area. He once again created beasts, this time with the strength of soul formation 5 to nascent soul 10. The final bit was used as the outer area. He put beasts with various strengths around it. They went from foundation establishment to nascent soul. Overall, the farther you went in, the stronger the beasts were. The next step was to put fruits and other strength increasing items around the areas. Like the strengths of the beasts, their quality would increase the farther they were in the center. He also made sure that every monster and beast knew not to touch the items but only guard them. The first one he added was in the center, near the white tiger. He made a red tree that beared fruit once every hundred years. The fruit had red and black stripes and would give an amazing effect. It would give anyone who ate it a ten times increase in cultivation speed for 10 years. In order for that effect to take place, Zhou Fan had to infuse an extremely large amount of Qi into the fruit. Chapter 96: Opportunities - 96 Chapter 96 - Opportunities - 96 After placing the first fruit next to the tiger, Zhou Fan moved on to the other places in the core area. He put different fruits near the living area of the other beasts. In total, he added 20 fruits. Each of the fruits had an effect of increasing cultivation speed by five times for five years. He then moved on to the inner area where he placed 100 fruits in random areas. This time, the fruits had different effects. Some would increase the damage one does for a period of time, and some would give a poison to whoever ate it. There were also fruits that increased cultivation speed, often by a margin of 2 times for two years. He repeated the process by placing 1000 in the outer area. Every single fruit, regardless of the area it was in, was hidden and guarded completely. Even Anna and the Dragon King would find it difficult to discover a single fruit. Some fruits had puzzles that needed to be completed while others were hidden in buildings with booby traps. Although he had considered it, Zhou Fan ended up not putting anything else besides fruits in the fortune land. However, he would only put non-fruits outside of the fortune land. He thought about putting special weapons or made up inheritances to help increase the strength of whoever was lucky enough to find it. He deliberated with himself for an entire week before he got to work on placing items outside the fortune land. The first place he went to was a big ravine that cracked through the ground and went miles deep. He flew to the bottom of the ravine and discovered that it was quite cold and cool, contrary to what he thought he would see. There were even plants strewn about on the ground. Curious, Zhou Fan walked around the entire ravine in search of the source. He only had to walk through half of it before he saw a hole on the side of one of the ravine walls. Coming out of it was a blue glow that clearly gave off cold Qi. After entering it, he walked through about 200 feet of twists and turns before entering a blue chamber. The chamber was hundreds of feet tall and wide and filled with glowing blue crystals. Each of the crystals gave off frost and cold Qi. They were naturally the source of the coolness within the cave. In the middle of the cave was an icy blue pond that should have been frozen over based on the temperature. However, it simply had a different color from normal water. In a moment of curiosity, Zhou Fan examined both the stones and the pond of water. He was able to instantly discern that the stones were somewhat like spirit stones, but were mostly made up of cold elements such as frost Qi and cold Qi. As for the pond water, it was something that Zhou Fan had never seen before. It was as if being near the group of spirit stones for so long had made it special itself. Zhou Fan estimated that if one were to drink the water in the cave, they would experience a boost in cultivation. In some ways, the opportunity that Zhou fan was planning to artificially place was already here. However, not everyone would be able to venture down the ravine and not many would even if they could. It would take something extremely lucky, like falling from the top and landing on a thick bush at the bottom, for someone to discover the specialness of the ravine. Even if someone was lucky enough to fall down into the ravine and discover the cave, they would still have to have some cultivation to survive the low temperature in the area with the water and stones. Someone at the 7th level of Qi condensation would probably be fine surviving in it. Zhou Fan walked over to the water once he identified it and grabbed a handful before drinking it. As it slid down his throat, Zhou Fan was immensely surprised at how pleasant it was. It was like drinking an icy and refreshing water after sitting in the hot sun for hours. In fact, it was even better than that. After drinking the water, Zhou Fan even considered making his own. He felt it nourish him with Qi, but it was such a miniscule amount that he barely even felt it. Cultivating for a second would have better effects than a cup of the water. For someone at nascent soul or lower, however, it would give them an increase of about a single level. The lower the cultivation, the better the effects. Despite the fact that there was already a naturally formed opportunity in the ravine, Zhou Fan still decided to add something. After having the idea, he jumped into the pond of water and sank to the bottom. The bottom reached only 50 feet, so the journey was quick. As expected, there were no living beings in the pond. As he reached the bottom, Zhou Fan began to look around and make sure he saw the absolute deepest spot. Once he located it, he moved towards it and stood on top of it. He then formed a sword from Ice Qi and connected it to the mortal Dao of the world before sticking it in the ground. Leaving its hilt and half of its blade showing. The sword was a classic sword that could have been seen on earth, but it was very different from any other sword Zhou Fan had seen. The sword he stuck at the bottom would grow with its user unless its user exceeded the strength of the world, or more accurately, Zhou Fan. He had accomplished that by connecting it to the mortal Dao of the Zhou world. Another bonus was that it would be extremely strong everytime it grew. Even if its user was at the 5th level of Qi gathering, the sword would allow him to be equal to a first level foundation establishment cultivator if he was talented. Chapter 97: Shield - 97 Chapter 97 - Shield - 97 After placing the sword at the bottom of the pond, Zhou Fan flew up and exited it. After another brief look at the surroundings, he exited the cave that the pond resided in. As he got back to the ravine, he took another quick look and left it. He would now go to another place in order to create another opportunity. He flew to the left of the ravine and traveled in the sky, looking for good places to put a treasure. After an hour of slow flying, Zhou Fan found a huge mountain. The mountain was not one that had existed in the Zhou World for a long time, but one that had just formed with the expansion of the world. By the looks of it, it may even be the new tallest mountain. An interesting thing about it was the fact that it existed alone. In fact, there was no other mountain for hundreds of miles. Even hills were quite rare. Zhou Fan flew to the top and looked around. The top wasn''t a peak, but a flat land surrounded by walls. The area inside the walls, while flat, had a couple of minerals and ores sticking out of the ground. That made it so you couldn''t see every inch from one point. Zhou Fan landed in the center of the flat area and started to walk around and observe the ores. There were diamonds and iron and even ores that Zhou Fan had never seen before. Those ores had small amounts of Qi in them and could be considered Qi ores, although they were only at the level of Qi gathering. Even so, Zhou Fan believed that they would grow better the longer they existed. As he walked to the other side of one of the ores, he saw two things he hadn''t seen before on the mountain. One was a glowing green ore. With a single glance, Zhou Fan was able to tell that it was emerald ore filled with Qi. It even reached the level of foundation establishment, or grade 2. The other thing he noticed was what surprised him. Sitting on top of the emerald ore was a huge beast a head taller than Zhou Fan and 3 times wider than him if he laid down on the ground. It had small rocky bumps covering its back and on the end of its tail was what seemed like a rock or a bone in the shape of a ball. Zhou Fan had never seen such a beast on earth or in the Zhou world. In fact, he had never even heard of one. As Zhou Fan saw it, the beast saw him. It didn''t immediately attack and instead backed away while guarding itself and sending threats towards Zhou Fan like a rattlesnake. All the while, Zhou Fan was looking at the beast with interest. He could easily tell that it wasn''t a Qi beast, but its tail could kill a tenth level Qi gathering cultivator in an instant. However, what most interested Zhou Fan was that the beast didn''t fall into the category of anything he had ever seen. Although there was one beast lands, there were many races within the beast lands. Even so, none of them were similar to the one he had just run into or any he had heard about. Therefore, Zhou Fan came to the conclusion that the beast was a newly birthed species caused by the expansion of the world. With his expertise in naming over the many years, Zhou Fan quickly found a fitting name for both the species and the specific beast. The species would be called ''dinosaurs'' while the one he saw would be called an ''ankylosaurus''. As he was talking to himself, the beast stayed in its defensive stance, ready to attack. Since it wasn''t going anywhere, Zhou Fan looked deeper into it. He was soon able to tell that it was a vegetarian, or a herbivore. After seeing that, Zhou Fan walked towards it. It continued to slowly back up, but it eventually stopped and swung its tail at Zhou Fan with full force. As it was coming towards him, Zhou Fan put his hand out to the side. The tail collided with his arm and stopped instantly. Not only did the tail not bounce back, but Zhou Fan''s arm didn''t budge. With that, Zhou Fan was also able to tell that it had some intelligence since it started running away with fear clear in its eyes. It was quite fast despite its large weight. The ground shook as it ran down the mountain and disappeared behind some trees. Zhou Fan chuckled and continued to look around the area. There were no more surprises and Zhou fan got ready to put down an opportunity. He also decided to stay in the area for the next couple of days and discover the new species. Zhou Fan stood on the ground and thought about what type of opportunity he would put. Since he was on a mountain, he considered an earth type opportunity. After that, he had no more fitting ideas. Therefore, he chose the earth type opportunity. As for what type, he decided to create a weapon, or more specifically, a shield. Although Zhou Fan didn''t personally like shields, it fit the earth element the best. Zhou Fan gathered a bunch of earth Qi and formed it in the shape of a shield. The shield was ten feet tall and three feet wide. Although it had a handle, it could also be controlled with Qi by anyone at core formation. After all, the opportunities were not specifically made for celestials or other humanoid beings. Zhou Fan tried to make them so that they could fit any race or species. After designing the basic layout of the shield, he started to make the surrounding ores flow into it and strengthen it. They would help with the foundation of the shield and give it some color besides brown. Just like the sword, the shield would grow with the owner. After giving it a few formations and making them invisible, Zhou Fan considered where to put the shield. Chapter 98: Turtle Bosses? - 98 Chapter 98 - Turtle Bosses? - 98 The first place he considered was deep within the mountain. However, he also realized how hard it would be to find if he did that. After a while, he figured that he might as well put it there. However, he would also create a path ''directly'' to it. It would be open to everyone and not hidden, but one would have to complete challenges to reach deeper and eventually reach the shield. He would also make other treasures at the other checkpoints in order to encourage better challengers. Zhou Fan planned the layout out before he sunk deep into the mountain without leaving a mark or any sign that he had been there. He continued to sink down until he reached 100 miles deep. When he reached that point, Zhou Fan pushed the dirt around him backwards until a cube of air 10 feet wide, 10 feet long, and ten feet in height was created. He then created wood Qi to form a podium where he placed the shield. Around the room, he placed many formations and restrictions. They would ensure that nobody weaker than Zhou Fan would be able to break in the room without following the path. He would also have to remember to upgrade the strength of the arrays and formations after a while. Zhou Fan then created a square hole in the walls and the formations. He started to push the square hole back until it formed a hallway. He pushed that hallway on and on, lining the sides with arrays and formations equal in level to the ones in the other room, until he reached one of the mountain sides. On the side of the mountain, and extending far below it, there was a square shaped hallway that defended one of the world''s greatest treasures. After he made the path towards the shield room, Zhou Fan prepared to make the challenge rooms. In total, there would be ten challenges that one had to pass in order to get the final treasure. However, even if one didn''t get past all the rooms, they would still get lesser rewards for passing whatever rooms they passed. In order to make sure someone strong didn''t repeat the challenges over and over again, farming treasures, he put a formation at the entrance that would allow a person to only challenge the entire thing once a month. After making sure that there was no way anyone could cheat their way through, what Zhou Fan decided to call a dungeon, Zhou Fan walked through the halls, expanded them to be 50 feet wide, 50 feet tall, and 50 feet long, and added booby traps and monsters. Among them were skeletons and demonized animals. After that, Zhou Fan went to the one-tenth point of the dungeon and created doors to block the path that led through the rest of the dungeon, forcing everyone to go through them. He also put doors on the other side so that anyone who defeated the boss he was about to put down would be able to leave the room. They wouldn''t unlock until one defeated the boss, however. As he stood in the middle of the room, Zhou Fan thought about what type of bosses to put. Truthfully, he was deciding whether or not he would give the bosses a theme or make them completely different. After thinking for a while, he chose to create a theme. He would make the first nine bosses the sons of the tenth one. They would be a new species, but they would be similar to turtles. The idea of turtles also fit the shield since they were animals who heavily relied on protection. He would also give each of the bosses different affinities, the tenth boss''s being fire. After getting the incredible idea, Zhou Fan got to work with the first boss. Its affinity would be water. It would be the size of three humans, but it would be pretty weak, at the third level of foundation establishment. Basically anyone, regardless of talent, would be able to pass the first boss in due time. That is also why he chose to put a weak reward. The reward would be a bottle of foundation establishment pills that would speed up cultivation. For the second boss, he put the same room layout, but the boss looked different and its affinity was wind. For the third, he did the same, but its affinity was metal. He continued to repeat the pattern until the tenth boss. The ninth boss''s strength was already at the tenth level of void traversing. It would be good to mention that the bosses were artificial beings created by Zhou Fan. As the average and top strength of the world increased, their strengths would too automatically increase, but slowly. He estimated that the tenth boss''s strength would cap at tenth level space shattering and Zhou Fan would just leave it that way. As for now, however, its strength was at the first level of space shattering. That was still much higher than anyone else''s in the Zhou World, but Zhou Fan didn''t want anyone to be able to beat the dungeon at that point in time. The tenth boss was much bigger than any of the other bosses and its main attack was breathing fire, despite not being a dragon. Its back had spikes and it was the most powerful existence in the universe besides Zhou Fan. Its creation proved that Zhou Fan''s power was indeed remarkable. After creating it, Zhou Fan didn''t put a reward unlike the other times. Instead, he simply made it drop a key when it died. The key would unlock the room with the shield. Zhou Fan wasn''t worried about the shield becoming useless once anyone was able to defeat the boss.Since it was a growth type weapon, it would forever be useful, especially due to the fact that only Zhou Fan would be able to create them, ever. After all, growth type weapons were far too dangerous to be allowed. The only reason Zhou Fan was doing it was to create some strong people. Chapter 99: Gigantosaurus - 99 Chapter 99 - Gigantosaurus - 99 After Zhou Fan double checked everything and made sure that the dungeon was finished, he left it and went back to the mountain peak. He stood at the tallest point of the peak and looked below. There weren''t that many trees and there wasn''t a forest for miles, so Zhou Fan was able to find what, or who he was looking for very quickly. About 10 miles away, behind a tree, was the dinosaur that he had run into previously. This time, however, it wasn''t alone. Alongside it were many other similar dinosaurs. They seemed to travel in a herd and go around eating plants. One difference was that the ankylosaurus Zhou Fan saw yesterday was slightly bigger than the others by about a foot. That may be due to the effect of the emerald ore it was laying on. Zhou Fan started floating above the mountain and flew towards the group of ankylosauruses without being noticed. He stopped far above the herd and watched on as they continued their daily lives. Over time, Zhou Fan noted that they didn''t seem to have a home or even make a temporary one. They simply set up camp at night and feel asleep. Another thing that Zhou Fan noted was that the ankylosauruses took turns guarding. That action made Zhou Fan believe that there were more dinosaurs out there. They may be even more powerful than the ankylosauruses. The night passed without another dinosaur even being spotted and the ankylosauruses moved on at the crack of dawn. They traveled for about 6 hours before anything interesting happened. By that time, Zhou Fan was starting to think it would be another uninteresting day, but soon after the ankylosauruses entered the nearest forest, rustling sounds could be heard. Before any of the ankylosauruses could react, a large dinosaur ran out of the bushes and attacked the one in front. The front one happened to be the one that Zhou Fan encountered on the mountain, and it immediately swung its tail at the giant being before it could even see what it was. The tail directly collided with the beings face and made it stumble back a few steps, knocking over many trees in the process. After that, the battle came to a brief pause, within which a staredown occured. The ankylosauruses finally had a good look at the huge beast that attacked them. It was 20 feet tall, 50 feet wide, and stood on two legs. It also had two small arms hanging from its body. In an instant, Zhou fan made a name for the dinosaur. A Gigantosaurus. The reason for its name was obvious, it was huge. Although there were a herd of 10 ankylosauruses, Zhou Fan didn''t know if they would be able to stop the gigantosaurus. Even the first hit made by the leading ankylosaurus was sheer luck, along with the increase in strength from the emerald ore on the mountain. The gigantosaurus stared at the ankylosauruses with a fierce bloodlust in its eyes like they were nothing but food. Although the ankylosauruses wanted to run, they were smart enough to know that they stood no chance like that. ROAR! The gigantosaurus only stared at them for a few moments before it let out an ear shaking roar and ran towards them. Its stomps shaked the ground, but the ankylosauruses stood fearlessly. As soon as they were about to collide, the ankylosaur Zhou Fan saw yesterday swung its tail at the gigantosaur. This time, the gigantosaur raised its head and dodged before biting at the ankylosaur''s shell. Its teeth were thoroughly chomping through the armor of the ankylosaur when another one swung its tail and hit the gigantosaurs body, forcing it to let go and focus on it. Besides the injured ankylosaur, the entire herd surrounded the gigantosaur and attacked it. The fight was long and bitter, but the ankylosauruses managed to force the gigantosaurus to retreat. Sadly, it managed to take one of the ankylosauruses'' lives. The rest of the herd had injuries all over them, but at least they survived. As soon as the ankylosaur Zhou Fan met healed up, they went back the way they came and left the forest in defeat. As for Zhou Fan, he chose to follow the gigantosaur as it ran through the forest. After about thirty minutes, it reached a cave and dropped the ankylosaur before eating it. Zhou Fan watched on as it ate, then slept. The night passed and the gigantosaur only woke up at noon. It gave out a yawn and left the cave, likely in search of prey. Before long, it came upon a group of extremely large dinosaurs with huge bodies and necks. It didn''t even spare them a second glance and walked past them. Zhou Fan assumed that neither group felt the need to make enemies with each other. Of course, that was only because the big dinosaurs were herbivores. Zhou Fan took the liberty of naming them brontosauruses. The gigantosaurus continued to walk around the huge forest in search of prey. It soon came upon a group of dinosaurs similar to itself, but much much smaller. Zhou Fan called them velociraptors. Although they had a brief stare off, it seemed that neither side wanted to fight each other. After all, there were far too many velociraptors and the gigantosaurus wouldn''t be killed without a fight. The gigantosaurus once again left in search of food. Eventually, it found a group of three-horned dinosaurs. It didn''t immediately attack, but instead waited for one of them to leave the pack. As soon as it was far enough away, the gigantosaurus sneak attacked the dinosaur and killed it in seconds from behind. As it carried it to its cave, Zhou Fan named it a triceratops due to its three horns. The Gigantosaurus repeated the process for multiple days. Zhou Fan continued to watch on despite the repetitiveness. During the fifth day of hunting, the gigantosaurus ran into a group of dinosaurus nearly as big as itself, but in a pack. Chapter 100: Apex Predators - 100 Chapter 100 - Apex Predators - 100 There were 5 dinosaurs in total and each of them was around 20 feet tall. They had small arms hanging from their body and a slightly round head. Zhou Fan decided to name them tyrannosaurus rexes, or T-rex for short. The T-rexes were clearly excited when they saw the gigantosaurus. They looked at him as if he was nothing but prey, similar to the way that the gigantosaurus looked at the ankylosauruses. Looking at them, Zhou Fan felt that the gigantosaurus would win in a 1v1, but with 5 t-rexes, it stood no chance. Apparently, the gigantosaurus thought so too as it started to slowly back away from the group of t-rexes. Of course, the t-rexes didn''t let it go far before surrounding it. Sensing its entrapment, the gigantosaurus roared into the air and charged towards one of the t-rexes. ROAR! Once the gigantosaurus reached the t-rex, it bit at its face. Unfortunately, the t-rex wasn''t as helpless as all of its other victims. It fought back without much trouble and seemed fairly equal to the gigantosaurus. It only had to 1v1 the gigantosaurus for a few seconds before the rest of the t-rexes showed up. There was no suspense or unexpectedness as the gigantosaurus soon fell. The t-rexes had killed it without sustaining any major injuries. As they ate at its body, Zhou Fan moved on. The t-rexes were likely the peak predators around the area, so he decided to move on to other areas and see what other existences there were. After leaving the forest, Zhou Fan soon arrived at a swamp. Two foot deep water covered the ground. It was stinky, moldy, and dirty. Zhou Fan truly couldn''t imagine what dinosaurs would choose to live there. After traveling around the area for a few days, Zhou Fan was surprised to discover that many of the dinosaurs he saw in the forest also existed in the swamp. The only dinosaurs he didn''t see were the brontosauruses and t-rexes. Zhou Fan assumed that the brontosauruses didn''t live in the swamp because it didn''t fit their habitat, while the t-rexes didn''t live in it because there was another apex predator more suited to the environment. As for what the predator was, Zhou fan looked forward to finding out. After journeying through a fair amount of the swamp, Zhou Fan finally discovered the apex predator. There was a dinosaur that walked on four legs yet still was 30 feet tall. It had what seemed like a semi-circle fin on its back, however, Zhou Fan could tell that it was actually its spine. Zhou Fan only took one look before he called it a spinosaurus. He watched it hunt with efficiency, despite not living in a pack. Even with its size, it moved faster than any land dinosaur Zhou Fan had seen. Zhou Fan continued to look through the swamp for another day before he left it. Without a doubt, the spinosaurus was the apex predator of that area. Zhou Fan continued to move around the 10,000 miles surrounding the mountain for many days before he found an incredible environment. It looked like a mesh of the many terrains he had seen before, and everything was much bigger. There were rocky areas, mountainous areas, swampy areas, plains, forests, redwood tree areas, and many more. If there was ever a dinosaur haven, this would be it. With the size of the environment, there were sure to be many more dinosaurs and many new species. Perhaps there would even be an apex apex predator. Zhou Fan traveled around the big area, seeing many more apex predators than before. There were t-rexes and spinosaurus fighting each other, and even a much bigger gigantosaurus than the one he had seen before. He also saw many new species of dinosaurs, some big and some small. By the time he had combed through half of the area, he had already named enough dinosaurs to fill up a book. Just as he was crossing through the exit of the redwood area and entering the mountainous/rocky area, Zhou Fan felt the ground tremble beneath his feet. It wasn''t fast as if a big animal was running, but slow as if a mountain was taking a step. Zhou Fan could tell that the source of the sound was behind the mountain that stood in front of him. He quickly climbed up it and reached the peak. The sight he saw over the mountain was something he would never forget. There was a huge oasis surrounded by mountains. In the distance, Zhou Fan could see a dinosaur as big as a mountain itself. It was hundreds of feet tall and covered with what seemed to be a rocky pattern. It somewhat resembled a brontosaurus, but was much much bigger. Even a dragon would find it hard to match up to such a giant being in terms of size. With a single glance, Zhou Fan could tell that it was the true king of dinosaurs. He named it the titanosaurus due to its titanic size. Zhou Fan looked in the rest of the oasis and spotted many different species. He then set off on an adventure to discover every dinosaur species and create a book detailing them. The entire thing took almost a year before Zhou Fan finished. He had enjoyed it thoroughly. After he finished, Zhou Fan silently left the dinosaur area and returned to the skies. Since a year had passed, the expansion of the world would be completed in a few days. Zhou Fan had planned on creating more opportunities, but the dinosaur book had taken up too much time. He planned to go into seclusion soon, but he first decided to publish his book in one of the celestial libraries. He arrived in the celestial lands quickly, where he published the book of dinosaurs and where to find them under the name That_Dinosaur_guy. He didn''t sit around and wait for the results and instead started to look around the new and improved central city. After about a year, the city had been repaired and improved to a much better state than before. Chapter 101: Breakthrough - 101 Chapter 101 - Breakthrough - 101 The first place Zhou Fan looked was the place that he had battled with Anna and the dragon king. Not a single thing had changed and the battle had even become what seemed like a tourist attraction. Many people, old and young, stared at the battlefield and tried to comprehend something. The next place Zhou Fan looked at was the city walls. They were now many times stronger than before and even contained a formation that would both defend the city and increase the strength of someone using it. The other place Zhou Fan looked was the towers that once signified the soul formation cultivators in the central city. He could tell that they had torn down five of them and replaced them with ten others. The ten other towers clearly belonged to the soul formation cultivators that were called back from the battlefield. As for the rest of the city, everything looked about the same but with minor improvements. Zhou Fan looked at the tallest tower and sensed Anna''s presence. Her strength had grown a bit in the time he was gone, but it was nothing crazy. After checking out the city, Zhou Fan teleported back to the floating palace above the now abandoned floating palace city. Nothing had changed in the year he was gone and Zhou Fan sat down where he had previously and started cultivating. As he started to cultivate, he noticed that his speed was faster than before. Despite the fact that he had broken through to the second level of lesser dao creation and it should take longer to advance to the third level, he sensed that it would only take ten thousand years. the same amount of time it took to break through to the second level. Zhou Fan became interested in the change and looked around the Zhou World using the Dao. He was instantly able to discover that the increase was caused by the increased strength of the Zhou World and its inhabitants. The increase was minor, but it still astonished Zhou Fan. Perhaps he would be able to increase his own cultivation speed by increasing the strength of the Zhou World? Zhou Fan found himself excited at the very idea. That meant that the Zhou World would no longer be a fun toy, but a tool to increase his strength. With a closer look, Zhou Fan discovered that the very existence of the Zhou World was tied to its inhabitants. Everything born on it would instantly die if it was destroyed, and if every living being born from it died, then it would die. That being said, Zhou Fan technically counted as a living being, so it would likely never die. Of course, that didn''t mean Zhou Fan would die if the world was destroyed. Zhou Fan was too powerful for that. After making the realization, Zhou Fan decided to attempt to make the world even stronger the next time he came out of seclusion. With that, Zhou Fan fell into deep seclusion and didn''t stop for a long time. ------------------ 10,000 years later, Zhou Fan stopped cultivating. Like last time, he stretched a bit, although unnecessary, and started to walk towards the exit. He had managed to break into the 3rd level of lesser dao creation in his seclusion and his strength had increased greatly. Nothing new had happened to him or his cultivation besides breaking through, however. He teleported right outside the door after making sure that he was invisible. However, he soon realized that that had been unnecessary. Below the floating palace was an endless sea of trees. The only place without trees was a path leading to the stairs that lead to the floating palace. The path was quite a beautiful path with pink trees known as cherry blossoms lining it. After seeing no one nearby, Zhou Fan turned off his invisibility and started to walk along the path. Zhou Fan walked for 20 minutes before he arrived at a small town. It was only a square mile and Zhou Fan could see every inch with a glance. Zhou Fan felt surprised when he looked due to the beings living there. Instead of celestials, there were many humanoid beasts living in the town. Some only had minor differences from humans like a fox tail while some had fur covering every inch of their bodies. What surprised Zhou Fan was not the fact that there were beasts, but that they resembled humans rather than celestials. Zhou Fan even saw a man whose only difference from a human was some fur on the back of his hand. Zhou Fans quickly got over the surprise and started to examine them. From their organs, there was no doubt that they were beasts, but they weren''t transformed beasts. Instead, they were more like hybrids of celestials and beasts. Zhou Fan didn''t even want to think about how that started. Zhou Fan was interested in the town, but first decided to look at the state of the world after he broke through. As expected, the Zhou World was preparing for another major expansion. After this one, the world would increase in size by more than 4 times. Its size was already starting to exceed many things within the universe, but wasn''t even near the level of the biggest. The Qi in the Zhou world was also starting to increase greatly with his breakthrough. Soon, everything''s cultivation speed would be faster. After checking out the state of the world, Zhou Fan turned his attention back to the humanoid beasts. Instead of calling them humanoid beasts, Zhou Fan chose to call them beastmen. After deciding to explore the village, Zhou Fan didn''t even change his form. He started to walk in exactly as he was. Simply Zhou Fan. It was a great feeling that one wouldn''t understand had they not had to change their very looks for a long period of time. There were no gates nor guards and Zhou Fan freely walked into the village without even getting noticed. Chapter 102: Familiar Things - 102 Chapter 102 - Familiar Things - 102 The first thing Zhou Fan saw after walking in was a bakery. It was extremely similar to a human bakery back on earth. Even the food was nearly the same. Seeing the bakery made Zhou Fan think about earth. With the resources he gave them, the strongest and most talented humans should be around the 5th level of soul formation. Their progress was much slower without the direct help of Zhou Fan. Thankfully, they still had the information about the further realms. Therefore, their cultivation speeds wouldn''t stagnate for a long time. Zhou Fan didn''t enter the bakery despite its familiarity. Instead, he continued to walk around the town and explore. Although the town was very similar to one on earth, there were many differences. Even so, Zhou Fan still liked the place. Zhou Fan saw weapon shops and pill shops around the town. There were also furniture shops and restaurants. Zhou Fan even decided to stop and eat at one. It was a buffet style restaurant and Zhou Fan had to pay with an unfamiliar currency. Unlike the celestials coins, the beasts coins had the picture of the monkey king. Even so, they were made out of the same material. The food was quite good, but nothing special. After eating, Zhou Fan looked around the rest of the town. There was nothing else interesting about the place. Therefore, Zhou Fan flew into the air and left towards the celestials'' central city. Zhou Fan made it quick and instantly appeared above the city. One look was all he needed to tell that the city had changed tremendously. In fact, it wasn''t even comparable. There were now palaces filling the sky and many more towers than before. If towers still represented soul formation cultivators, then there were now 50 in the celestial lands. Although it was grand and incredible, Zhou Fan didn''t really like the design. He preferred everything on the ground much more than almost everything in the sky. However, it wasn''t his city. After looking at it, Zhou Fan scanned the entire area. He sensed 40 soul formation cultivators, 2000 nascent soul cultivators, and many more cultivators of a lower level. In total, there were a million people in central city. However, what was most surprising was the void traversing cultivator in the city. Amazingly, it wasn''t anna. In the last ten thousand years, another void traversing cultivator must have been born. Zhou Fan looked at him through many walls and buildings and instantly recognized him. He was the man who was at the 10th level of soul formation during the death battle. He was now at the first level of void traversing and even on the edge of breaking into the second level. That explained why there were two new towers almost as big as annas. After making the connection, Zhou Fan assumed that there was another void traversing celestial cultivator. However, neither the other void traversing cultivator nor Anna was in the city. In order to find out why, Zhou Fan enhanced his ears and listened in on every conversation in the central city. After only 5 minutes, he heard someone speaking about a conference between the leaders of the four lands. Apparently, there were now four lands that existed within the Zhou World. The beast lands, the supreme beasts lands, the celestial lands, and now, the dinosaur lands! The headquarters of the dinosaur lands was the place that Zhou Fan explored for a year and the leader was the titanosaur that Zhou Fan saw. In the years past, the dinosaurs had learned cultivation and rose through the ranks of the beast lands very fast. When the titanosaur broke into void traversing, he took his race out of the beast lands and formed his own lands. Although his strength was the weakest of the void traversing cultivator rulers at void traversing 3, he could still hold his own. After hearing about the meeting, Zhou Fan made his way towards it. He looked forward to seeing both the progress of Anna, the dragon king, and the titanosaur, as well as seeing the monkey king for the first time. The conference was at the point where the four lands met, and Zhou Fan arrived very soon. On the top of a huge mountain that reached through the clouds was a white, circular building with pillars. Zhou Fan saw a couple of different races walking into the building. All the dinosaurs had turned into their humanoid forms, giving a spectacle of colors and shapes. Zhou Fan unnoticeably teleported onto one of the stairs and made his way into the building. He disguised himself in a cloak that prevented anyone from seeing his face or body. Even so, nobody looked at him weirdly. There were plenty of other weirdly dressed people. When he got inside the main hall, Zhou Fan saw 5000 seats, and not a single person below the nascent soul realm had entered the building. Like a colosseum, there were many seats that surrounded a flat area in the middle. In the middle of the flat area was a table with four seats. In each of those seats sat someone extremely important to the Zhou World. The biggest and most notable was the titanosaurus in humanoid form. Despite changing forms, he was still fifteen feet tall and many feet wide. Rocks covered his body like a golem. Beside him sat a humanoid monkey with a staff and a golden headband. He was undoubtedly the monkey king and his name was sun wukong. He was at the fifth level of void traversing after so much time had passed. Next to the monkey king was a familiar face, this time in a humanoid form. The dragon king sat down with red scales covering most of his body. His eyes were fiery red with a hint of demon-like redness. He was at the 6th level of void traversing now. Finally, Anna sat next to him with white hair and purple eyes. She looked as if she hadn''t aged a day, but her cultivation was at the 6th level of void traversing. Zhou Fan sat among the crowd and waited for the meeting to start. Chapter 103: Meeting - 103 Chapter 103 - Meeting - 103 Once every single seat in the hall was filled, Anna raised her hand in the air. In an instant, everyone shut up. "Today we have gathered together to take part in the 15th centennial council of races. We will first make sure that nothing too unruly has been done in the Zhou World before we get to more important matters. Any representatives who have something to speak of on that matter may stand now." She said. The representatives she spoke of were not the rulers of each of the lands, but the ones directly under them. For example, the representatives of the beast lands would be the leaders of each race. The representatives of the dinosaurs would consist of the leader of each species. The representatives of the Supreme beast lands would be a few of the more powerful beasts. The representatives of the celestial lands would be the tower leaders or big city mayors. One thing that stayed consistent was that every representative was at the soul formation level minimum with no exception. As for how many Soul formation cultivators there were, that differed for every race. For example, although the celestial race now had 50 soul formation cultivators, they only brought 10. The rest also had more soul formation cultivators that they didn''t bring. Another thing to note about the meeting was the two people sitting behind Anna and the dragon king. They too had a cultivation of void traversing and sat behind the leaders of their race. As for the representatives, they sat on the first layer of seats. Hearing her words, a few people from each race stood up. They each reported different things, but they each had the gist of, "Someone did something very bad and we cant catch him. We request assistance" or "We need help finding out who did these bad things, we request assistance." It only took a couple minutes for everyone to report and a couple minutes for the leaders of the races to declare actions. After that, Anna once again hushed the crowd and spoke. "Next, we need to speak of the monkey king''s recent infringement upon the dinosaur''s territory. Do you have an explanation Sun Wukong?" Anna asked. "The rabbit race has decided to expand their farm and needs more area. We will compensate the dinosaur race with 1000 gold coins for the land we took." The monkey king said with his gruff, yet arrogant voice. "One thousand gold coins is not nearly enough to cover the losses of the territory you took! Not to mention the fact that it is simply an insult to our race!" The titanosaur said in anger. His voice echoed throughout the entire hall, sending chills through many people''s spines. "Then why don''t you do something about it." The monkey king retorted. Hearing him, the titanosaur stood up from his chair in a rage when immense pressures descended upon them. "Enough!" Both Anna and the dragon king said at the same time. Both of their auras worked to suppress the two parties. The titanosaur fell back into his chair while the monkey king stopped with his arrogant look. "Remember." Anna started. "We all have one common enemy. Death" She said. "Sun Wukong, we all know that you didn''t need to take the dinosaurs'' land in order to expand a farm. You merely did it because you wanted to flaunt your minuscule power. You have plenty of unoccupied room to expand behind your empire. If you take such actions against the dinosaurs again, we will personally intervene." Anna said domineeringly. Everything she said was true. The four lands didn''t even take up half of the world. There was still plenty of land for anyone and everyone to use or claim. The monkey king didn''t retort and simply nodded at her words. "Speaking of death, it has been then thousand years since his last attacks. He could come any minute and attempt to wipe us out. The next time he arrives, we must band together and kill him permanently." Anna siad. It was at this time that the dragon king chimed in. "We''ve already talked about this. Can we even kill him? He is literally death." "No, he is not death, but the grim reaper. He said it himself. In fact, even if he was death itself we could kill him. There are no absolutes in the world." Anna said to the dragon king. The rest of the rulers nodded their heads in agreement at her words. The grim reaper had been a hot topic for the last ten thousand years and not a single sentient being, no matter how weak, had not heard his name. Stories of him had been told to children for many years as if he was some sort of monster under their beds. Parents would say that if they misbehaved, the grim reaper would come get them. After Anna spoke about the grim reaper, the meeting moved on to many different topics. The most interesting thing being a proposal from the dragon king himself to allow the younger generations to spar every one hundred years. It would incite the younger people to cultivate faster while also foreshadowing the future of the races. The battle would only be for those younger than a hundred years, which was treated as fairly young by any cultivators. After a fair amount of time was spent adjusting rules and even just talking about whether it was a good idea or not, the idea was agreed upon and set to start at the next assembly in a hundred years. Each land would bring 5 young talents to compete in the competition and the winner and runner up would both get prizes. After a few more hours, the meeting was almost over. Just as Anna was about to declare the meeting over, her eyes shot wide open. Turning to the crowd, she looked at one person in particular. That person was the cloaked Zhou fan, who had just transformed under his cloak. A scythe appeared in the hands of the man she was staring at and Death could be felt running over everyone in the meeting. Chapter 104: Guess Who鈥檚 Back - 104 Chapter 104 - Guess Who''s Back - 104 Before anyone could react to the sudden aura of death that filled the room. The cloaked man swung the scythe that appeared in his hand towards the four rulers. Only Anna was able to react in time due to her noticing in advance and sent an ice spear shooting towards the slice of Qi that the man shot out. The attacks collided and they both dispersed in mid air, with the man''s attack somewhat overpowering Annas. The man was not Zhou Fan, but a fake body that Zhou Fan replaced himself with. It had the cultivation of void traversing 7 and Death Qi, along with Bone Qi and Blood Qi now. The grim reapers'' new cultivation level one upped both anna and the dragon king, whose cultivation had reached the 6th level of void traversing, and exceeded the monkey king and the titanosaur by multiple levels. Zhou Fan stood in the sky and watched the events unfold. As soon as Anna and the cloaked man''s attacks collided, the other three rulers jumped out of their chairs. They could naturally tell what the cloak man''s aura represented, including the monkey king and the titanosaur who had never seen him. In fact, everyone could tell the moment he released his aura that he was the grim reaper from legend. The four rulers stood in fighting positions while the nascent soul cultivators in the meeting ran away outside. As for the remaining soul formation and void traversing cultivators, they too were ready to fight the grim reaper. As the last nascent soul cultivator scurried out of the building, the cloaked man looked up. His face hadn''t changed a day from the last time they had fought. "Did you miss me?" The grim reaper asked. "Of course. But you came to the wrong place." Anna said before raising her hand in the air. All of a sudden, a formation that covered the entire meeting hall was activated. Power poured into Anna, increasing her strength immensely. The grim reaper''s face got serious as he launched an attack at her in an attempt to disrupt her growing strength. Unfortunately, the dragon king who had been standing at the side in humanoid form expanded back to his dragon form and completely blocked the attack, taking in only minor injuries. He then stared at the grim reaper and spewed out a breath of magma and flames that contained an immense amount of Demon Qi, along with all the other Qi''s that made it up. The grim reaper didn''t counter attack, but shot in the air far above the dragon king''s head and dodged the attack. He then pushed his palm down and a move similar to one of Zhou Fans descended from the air. A giant bone palm made of Bone Qi and Death Qi descended from the sky. The attack hit the unsuspecting dragon king and forced him miles away and into the ground. His body only stopped moving after he took down half of a mountain range. The attack had severely injured him. Zhou Fan commended the dragon king for his increasing size that now dwarfed most mountains, but he shouldn''t have underestimated the grim reaper like that. The grim reaper once again turned his attention to Anna, but she too was now looking at him with a blue aura covering her eyes and her entire body. It seemed like a storm was happening around every inch of her. She punched in an uppercut towards the grim reaper and an arm made of ice Qi shot out from the ground towards him. The grim reaper attempted to dodge, but he realized that the surroundings were locked down by ice Qi and he wouldn''t be able to break through them in time to dodge. The grim reaper repeated one of his old moves and sent a Xiaolong type dragon made of Death Qi to collide with the fist. His attack made the fist slow down and weaken, but the grim reaper still had to take it head on. He punched out with his fist and collided with the giant arm of ice. The grim reaper was sent flying into the air before he fell back down and landed on the ground, surprisingly standing. His bone arm was cracked a bit as he received more of an injury than he did in the entire last fight alone. After attacking, Anna still stood in the air with her aura of multiple blues rumbling around her. "You two, come help me end this fight." She said while looking at the titanosaur and the monkey king. The two didn''t dare disobey her orders at a time like this. The titanosaur expanded back to its dinosaur form while the monkey king grabbed his staff from behind his back. The three started to rush towards the grim reaper, Anna flying and the other two on the ground. The grim reaper also started to run towards the three and met them in the middle. He first reached Anna and slashed down towards her with a Bone sword covered in death Qi. She briefly dodged to the left as the monkey king came from the side and extended his staff now covered with buddhist Qi towards the grim reaper''s hip. His attack reached the grim reaper and pushed him to the other side, where the titanosaur stomped down on him, pushing him deep into the ground with slight injuries. The grim reaper didn''t pause for a second as he shot out from the ground, his bones now cracked in more places, and formed a giant scythe that shot out towards the titanosaur. The titanosaur''s size showed its disadvantage as he couldn''t move away in time and the attack horizontally cut him deeply. It wasn''t enough to put him out of the battle, but enough to keep him away for half a minute. Anna arrived above the grim reapers head and slashed down with an ice sword. The grim reaper was about to dodge when the monkey king shot up from below him and punched him in the gut. The attack made him fly back directly in the path of Anna''s ice sword. Chapter 105: Defeat - 105 Chapter 105 - Defeat - 105 The sword collided with his arm and nearly cut it off. Luckily, the grim reaper was able to use the force of the sword to bounce away from the attack. He moved away from the two and started breathing heavily. His bone body was covered in many cracks and his arm was nearly severed. It seemed like the grim reaper was nearly defeated, but he suddenly raised both of his arms up in the air. An immense amount of death Qi poured out of him and started to form a giant phantom behind his back. Anna and the monkey king wanted to interrupt whatever he was doing, but the immense amount of death Qi pushed them back and they weren''t even able to get within a hundred feet of the grim reaper. The two didn''t know what he was doing, but they made sure that they wouldn''t be unprepared. Anna exhausted all of her Qi to create the ice queen once again, before she started eating pills and meditating to recover her Qi. The monkey king also exhausted all of his Qi, but a giant phantom of a buddha sitting with its legs crossed started to form behind him. It was blurry, but anyone could tell that it was strong. If the monkey king was able to fully do the move, he may be much more powerful than anyone in the same realm as him. They both recovered their Qi while the titanosaur and the dragon king were treating their injuries before the bigger battle began. As for Zhou Fan, he was looking at the new and improved ice queen, along with the giant buddha that was created by the monkey king. The ice queen now had more pieces of armor and she seemed more lifelike than last time. Of course, she was also much stronger than last time. As for the giant buddha, it bore a weird similarity to the buddha that Zhou Fan knew, but that was to be expected since Zhou Fan based Buddha Qi off of him in many ways. The entire sequence from the grim reaper starting to form a phantom only lasted 20 seconds before he was finished and the barrier of death Qi dispersed. Behind the grim reaper was a giant figure that reached through the skies. It seemed like a human had covered himself in black rags and used Death Qi. The titanosaur, Anna, the ice queen, and the monkey king and his phantom stood across from the grim reaper and charged as soon as the barrier dispersed. The ice queen attacked with her sword while Anna shot a bunch of tiny icicles towards the grim reaper. The titanosaurus roared and a bunch of spikes shot out from the earth towards the grim reaper. The monkey king sat on top of the phantom buddha as it attacked towards the grim reaper with its palm. The grim reaper seeing this didn''t panic and instead let out a smile as the attacks came towards him. All of a sudden, the phantom behind him formed a huge sword from death Qi and stepped forwards, slashing out from the bottom up diagonally towards every one of the attacks. A tsunami-like wave of death Qi stopped every attack until, surprisingly, it reached the buddha phantom''s palm. The palm collided with the giant sword of death Qi until a few seconds passed and both attacks pulled back. Anna, seeing this, had an idea form in her head immediately. "Everyone get behind the monkey king''s buddha and supply him your Qi!" She screamed. She then dispersed the ice queen into pure Qi and sent it towards the monkey king. He understood immediately and supplied his buddha projection with all of the Qi she gave him. The buddha projection became more solid and much more powerful. The titanosaur too sent a large load of Qi towards the monkey king that slightly increased its strength. Everyone thought that would be it, but the dragon king who was still laying on the ground and recovering afar surprisingly sent his Qi towards the projection, increasing its strength greatly and almost making it solid. The grim reaper frowned and knew that the rest of the battle would be much harder than before. Buddha Qi was one of the few things that could directly oppose death Qi and all evil or sinister Qi''s in general. The figure behind the grim reaper jumped up in the air and formed another sword of death Qi before it sliced down upon the buddha. The buddha raised one of its palms and pushed it upwards towards the death Qi sword. The sword was instantly stopped in its tracks and dispersed. The figure in the air landed on the ground and twisted it body before forming another sword of death Qi and attempting to bisect the buddha. The buddha''s palm was still in the air, but it moved its other palm to block the new attack, and did so successfully. The grim reaper was getting frustrated when the buddha suddenly opened its eyes. A golden glare could be seen and the grim reaper suddenly felt an immense sense of danger. The palm that had been in the air where the attack was blocked moved down very quickly, at a speed the grim reaper almost could react to, and went towards the figure the grim reaper had spawned. The figure didn''t even get the chance to move before the attack hit it square in the chest and infused a golden light into it. With Buddha Qi invading its body, the figure started to break down and disperse into the ground. The buddha projection was about to attack the grim reaper himself, but he suddenly disappeared and reappeared high in the air. "You got lucky this time. I was unprepared. Next time, such tricks won''t work." He said in the distance. The buddha attempted to slap him out of the air, but the grim reaper turned into pure death Qi and disappeared from view. "DA*NIT!" Anna shouted. The grim reaper had once again gotten away before she could kill him. He still posed a threat to them and they had no idea where to find him. Chapter 106: Afterwards - 106 Chapter 106 - Afterwards - 106 Despite the fact that the battle lasted less than an hour, the damage done had exceeded the last battle by a large amount. Many mountains had been destroyed and there were plenty of holes and cracks in the ground. During the entire battle, the ground had shook enough to kill many core formation cultivators in minutes. Luckily, the only people who came were nascent soul cultivators and above and they had even managed to get far away from the battle. Only the minorest of injuries were sustained by them. The main four battlers, however, suffered some major injuries. Especially the dragon king who was heavily injured during the very beginning of the battle. At first, the soul formation cultivators who had attended the meeting had tried to assist in the battle, but they instantly realized that they would only be killed if they were near it. Therefore, the void traversing cultivators blocked the shockwaves and escorted them away. The void traversing cultivators didn''t even have time to return before the battle was over. Although it could be said to be a victory, no lasting damage was done to the grim reaper while the four rulers all had some sort of injuries. The monkey king, who had summoned the buddha, was now laying on the ground in a comatose state. The battle had taken a lot out of him and caused him to be depleted of all his Qi. Luckily, he would not die. Instead, he would likely wake up in less than a week at full strength. On the other side of the Zhou World, Zhou Fan stared at a new area being formed. The expansion of the world had already started, and Zhou Fan estimated it would take 5 years to finish. As he watched the terrain change, Zhou Fan started to think of ideas to increase the vitality of the universe. He had remembered the other planets in the solar system that the Zhou world existed in and considered giving life to them as well. He could create another new humanoid race like demons or even just recreate humans. However, he wanted to first be able to connect them to his mortal Dao. If he could form a sort of chain that connected all the planets through his mortal Dao, giving life to the worlds would give him many benefits. Unfortunately, such a thing was too complicated for him right now. He would consider trying again once his cultivation reached the 5th level of lesser Dao creation. The expansion of the world would take a bit longer to complete, so Zhou Fan decided to add some more opportunities. He checked earlier and as expected, both opportunities were still there. The sword in the ravine had not been found at all, and the shield protected by challenges had only been recently discovered. A couple dinosaurs had attempted the challenge, but none had gotten past the 3rd level. Zhou Fan estimated that within the next ten thousand years, challenging the cave would be a dinosaur tradition. After all, the people who had made it through the first level had received rewards. Even if they didn''t plan on telling anybody, it would be revealed eventually. After increasing the strength of the formations surrounding the challenge, Zhou Fan went away in order to place a new opportunity. He moved along the Zhou World until he came across an ocean. It was huge and extended farther than the eye could see. Zhou Fan considered putting an opportunity there. However, he had no idea what opportunity would fit the ocean. After thinking for a bit, he chose to make a special whip. He would place it in the deepest area of the ocean and put deadly formations around it. He would still leave a path through, but it would be invisible and one would need to be extremely lucky to get it. Once they got their hands on the whip, they would be able to pass through the formations unharmed. Therefore, they could also use it to hide if they were in trouble. After confirming the idea, Zhou Fan started to move towards the deepest part of the ocean. It was many miles away and Zhou Fan had to look for a while before he found it. The point was 200,000 feet deep and the pressure would be unbearable to anyone below foundation establishment. In fact, even 10th level foundation establishment cultivators would struggle to survive so deep. The only way they would be able to is if they had a water affinity. Zhou Fan continued towards the sea floor, but just as he was about to touch it, his foot fell right through it. Surprisingly, what he thought was a sea floor was actually a layer of dust and debris. When Zhou Fan got below the layer, he saw something incredible. There were glowing lights and swimming fish everywhere. The pressure was still incredible, but they were moving around as if it was nothing. They weren''t even cultivators! The most common sight was worms of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Some were blue and gave off electricity while some were yellow and hid under rocks. There was also coral and unmoving life throughout the area. Some of the things at the bottom even seemed edible and even delicious. Overall, it was as if there was another world at the bottom of the ocean. Zhou Fan started to move around the area in curiosity and found many more interesting things. One finding in particular gave Zhou Fan an immense shock. There was a fishlike being that had a head similar to a humans swimming by. It had a tail of a fish but the upper body of a human. Zhou Fan instantly scanned it and was disappointed to find out that it had little to no intelligence. However, that was something that could be fixed. Zhou Fan decided that before he created an opportunity, he would give the being that swam past him intelligence and make it a new race. Chapter 107: New Race - 107 Chapter 107 - New Race - 107 Zhou Fan followed the fish-like creature as it swam away. It didn''t use its arms to swim and instead flapped its tail like a fish with its arms by its side. The creature continued to swim in a certain direction until it suddenly went downwards. Zhou Fan went to the spot where it descended and found a cave entrance. Zhou Fan went down into it and saw a series of tunnels. Zhou Fan released his divine sense in order to find out where it went and followed it through the tunnels. After swimming for ten minutes, the creature finally exited the group of tunnels and entered a large underwater cave. Zhou Fan entered behind it and was surprised to see such a big place so deep. Zhou Fan even had to change his previous estimate of the deepest spot in the ocean to this cave. As Zhou Fan looked around the cave, he realized that there were many more fish-like creatures in the cave. In fact, there were hundreds. Clearly, this was not a unique animal similar to a supreme beast, but an entire race. Zhou Fan thought for a while and decided to call them mermaids. They slept in the wide open and didn''t build any structures whatsoever, proving to Zhou Fan once again that they were not an intelligent race. Zhou Fan grabbed the mermaid he followed down to the cave with Qi and dragged him over to him. He also freezed all of his movement so that he would stay still. Zhou Fan put his thumb on the mermaid''s head and started to tinker with its brain. He first gave it a bit of his intelligence to essentially start the brain up, then he started to connect what could only be called wires in the beings brain. After basically remodeling the entire brain, Zhou Fan finally finished. The mermaid that had previously swam around instinctually, not following any rules or having any ideas, now stood in front of Zhou Fan with curious eyes. Zhou Fan quickly let it go as it did its own thing. It swam around like a newborn, since it literally was, and studied everything it came across. After he finished the first one, Zhou Fan was able to quickly do the same to the other hundred mermaids that lived in the cave. Luckily, the cave was huge. Even if the mermaid population increased to a hundred thousand, they would still have some moving room. Of course, they would have to live close together like it''s an overpopulated city. After giving them intelligence, Zhou Fan decided not to mess with them anymore. He would let them develop on their own and evolve without assistance or guidance. Next on the list was creating an opportunity. At first, Zhou Fan had decided to make a whip, but he changed his mind after seeing what he saw today. Instead, he would now make a trident. The sole condition to obtain it would be a high talent. The talent requirement would be to have talent at or near the same level of annas. Naturally, it would also accept talent above hers. Zhou Fan grabbed some gold deep in the center of the Zhou World and shaped it into a trident. The gold was a Qi material and was at the level of void traversing, almost reaching the level of space shattering. It was without a doubt, one of the greatest ores in the Zhou World and even the universe. Zhou Fan didn''t stop after shaping it, and infused many types of Qi into it, making it much much stronger than it already was. He added gold Qi and water Qi the most. It was already a weapon fit for a king or an emperor, but Zhou Fan also added formations onto it, making it a growth weapon and a weapon fit for a god. Zhou Fan had to take a break and look at the weapon for a moment after he finished. It was definitely one of the strongest and most beautiful weapons he had ever made. As per usual, it was a growth weapon. The only weapon that may be able to compete is the sword Zhou Fan made from an entire planet. Although the trident was strong, it wouldn''t immediately make the user the strongest. Its full strength could only be unveiled by someone at the space shattering realm. Of course, if they exceeded that one day, the weapon would become stronger and still be the best of its level. With the trident finished, all Zhou Fan had to do was place it somewhere and put restrictions on it that ensured only someone extremely talented could get it. Zhou Fan went to the north part of the cave and found a nice area. There, he stabbed the trident into the ground and put talent restrictions over it. Just as he was about to leave, Zhou Fan decided to put some words down on a stone tablet that he made next to the trident. It read : He who pulls the trident from its place shall be the king of the ocean, not to be harmed by any of his subjects or the wrath of God shall descend. He made it because he was worried that some greedy cultivator would kill the person who took it so that they could own it, although that wouldn''t give them ownership and the trident would only return to its place. Zhou Fan also added a restriction that only mermaids could pull the trident. Otherwise, Anna could simply waltz over and steal a god-level weapon. After finishing that, Zhou Fan left the cave and flew back to the ocean surface. He considered the journey a fruitful one, but wanted to add one more opportunity before he went back to seclusion. As he was looking around for a place to put an opportunity, Zhou Fan checked the fortune space. As expected, it had been discovered and many beings had gotten a fruit by either luck or strength. Anna and the dragon king had teamed up multiple times to take the fruit from the white tiger, but had only succeeded a handful of times. Zhou Fan was glad that his idea was working properly and continued to look for a place to put an opportunity. Chapter 108: Break Time - 108 Chapter 108 - Break Time - 108 After searching for many hours, Zhou Fan found a place he considered suitable. There was a small city on the outskirts of the celestial lands that had a population of less than 500. There was also not a single cultivator above foundation establishment in the village. Luckily, celestials were born with core formation bodies and could easily survive without cultivating even in a cultivation world. Zhou Fan didn''t think that the village was a suitable place because there was a secret or something special, but because of an idea he had. When he made the trident and put it in the ground with the restrictions, he started thinking about doing it to other places as well. One difference, however, would be that he wouldn''t make a legend saying the person that pulled it out was king. Instead, he would allow the villagers to create their own legend about the weapon if they wanted one. Zhou Fan walked to the center of the village and decided to place the weapon there. There were a couple villagers in the surroundings, so Zhou Fan decided to make a spectacle of placing the weapon. He first temporarily made the area around him invisible, then pulled some rock from the earth and into the sky. He also flew to the sky and started to forge a weapon that would be placed in the rock. Like the trident, Zhou Fan pulled gold from the deepest depths of the earth but shaped a sword. The trident and the sword would be made of the exact material. Instead of giving it the power of water Qi and Gold Qi, Zhou Fan gave the sword the power of light Qi alone. He then put many formations on the sword that increased its overall stats and made it a growth weapon. Finally, Zhou fan stabbed the sword into the stone, leaving out only the hilt and a bit of blade. He then added restrictions to who could pull the sword out, but they were different from the tridents. First, the user had to have a high level of talent. Second, the user had to be good and pure of heart. Finally, the user had to have a light Qi affinity. Although the requirements were high, only someone like that would be able to bring out the weapons full potential. After he had completely finished forging the weapon, Zhou Fan stopped making the surrounding area invisible and instead only made himself invisible. The villagers hadn''t noticed the sword in the sky even after a few minutes, so Zhou fan created a light in the sky and the sword started descending to the ground, following a path of a pillar of light. The unaware villagers quickly noticed the descending sword in stone and gathered around where it would land. Before long, the sword had landed and the villagers stared at it in awe. Although they had seen many mystical things in their lives, they had only seen them from afar. After only a minute, someone was trying to pull the sword out. Unfortunately, they completely failed to even budge it. After continuing to try for a while, they felt exhausted and gave up. Someone else then went to try to pull the sword and the process of failing repeated until every single villager had tried. In the meantime, Zhou Fan was making his way back to his palace. The world was still expanding and Zhou Fan had to wait it out somewhere. Once he made it back to the palace, Zhou Fan changed his mind and descended to the ground, walking the path that previously led him to the village of beastmen. Before long, he once again reached the village. Instead of only staying for moments before leaving, Zhou Fan decided he would leisurely spend the next few years there. He first walked around the village, asking anybody about jobs, before he finally found one as a blacksmith''s assistant. The pay would be 3 copper coins per hour, but Zhou Fan didn''t mind. He had to start somewhere. Time sped by and Zhou Fan quickly realized that the blacksmith was an extremely nice person, not only to him, but to everyone in the village regardless of looks or background. Zhou Fan kept working as the blacksmith''s assistant for a year before the blacksmith suddenly became bedridden. Zhou Fan had visited him at the doctors many times, but it seemed he would die soon. Zhou Fan didn''t interfere despite him being a nice person, letting him die peacefully and happily. During the period of work, Zhou fan had long saved up a lot of money and now decided to buy a nice house with some of his savings. After duplicating some coins and making himself 20 times richer than he was, Zhou Fan bought one of the nicest homes in the village, a two story manor with a balcony. The rest of the money he had was more than enough to live peacefully for the next few years. Like he planned, Zhou fan did live a great life for the next four years. As he was sitting in a reclining chair on the balcony while sipping a cold drink and wearing sunglasses, Zhou Fan felt the world finish expanding. He stayed sitting and sighed before he reluctantly put his drink down and got up from his chair. He walked down the stairs and out of the house in the direction of the real estate company. He put the house up for sale and it was sold in a matter of 2 days. Zhou Fan took his money and teleported back to the floating palace. Below the palace, there were a group of people from each race trying to test their ability to move up. Although Anna and the dragon king had stopped coming to the palace for a while, many others tried their luck and tested their strength with the stairs. Zhou Fan went by them unnoticed and entered the palace. He then went to his room in the back and sat down in a meditative position. Chapter 109: Explosion - 109 Chapter 109 - Explosion - 109 Zhou Fan quickly fell into a meditative state and time passed very fast. ----------------------- After only a thousand years, Zhou Fan was woken up from his meditation by an immense shaking that rattled the entire Zhou world. It was as if someone had picked the planet up and threw it as hard as they could. Without sparing a second, Zhou Fan teleported out of the palace and into the sky to see what was happening. After a quick look at the world, Zhou Fan saw that besides shaking, there was nothing else happening. He began to ask himself what had happened, but his questions were answered after a single look into the sky. Zhou Fan could see an energy moving towards the Zhou World at an incredible speed. It was many colors, but the majority of the energy wave was blue. Zhou Fan could instantly tell what had happened after seeing the energy wave. The solar system''s blue star had exploded. Zhou Fan actually believed that the action had a term. Supernova. Some of the cultivators in the Huang Long academy had started theorizing that some stars at the end of their lifespan would explode, or go supernova. It had not been proven, but it was in the starting stages of becoming an official theory. Zhou Fan had only read it casually as he did his yearly reading of the entire library with his divine sense. He never thought he would actually encounter it himself. While thinking to himself, Zhou Fan realized that he didn''t have time to have an inner conversation and instead needed to salvage the solar system. Luckily, the blue star that exploded wasn''t the one that gave heat to the Zhou World. Zhou Fan looked up at space and teleported out instantly. His first action was to lock the space surrounding the supernova down so that it couldn''t destroy every planet in the solar system. However, Zhou Fan left a small space in the lockdown so that the wave of destructive energy could reach the Zhou World. Although he wouldn''t let the planet get hit by the energy wave, even though the planet was strong enough to withstand it, he wanted to see how the people of the world would react. After all, even Zhou Fan had to put in some effort to lock down the exploding star. He wasn''t confident in doing so if he was at the space shattering realm. Thankfully, he had long been in the lesser dao creation realm. After looking around in space, Zhou Fan saw that someone else was coming up. Alongside that person were 3 more figures. Zhou Fan hastily made himself invisible before they could see him and watched, curious as to what they would do. As the figures got closer, Zhou Fan saw who they were. Unsurprisingly, they were the four rulers of the Zhou World. Anna led the group while everyone else traveled behind her. They eventually reached space and stood next to each other while watching the exploded star. "What should we do?" The titanosaur asked after watching the explosion for a while. "What can we do?" Anna asked back rhetorically. "Let''s go back down and try to defend ourselves and our people to the best of our ability." Anna said in a defeated tone. After one look, she already knew that she couldn''t match up to the energy wave. Zhou Fan looked at the energy wave once again when they left and estimated that in only ten minutes, the destructive energy would reach the planet. In the meantime, Zhou Fan decided to double check the array he had put around the Zhou world when he was still giving it life. He had once considered whether or not to create an array for times of peril, but he had eventually decided to. Of course, that was before his mortal dao had integrated with the Zhou World. In the past, he had believed that he would leave the world after a couple of years, but he had stayed after all this time. After looking at the array, Zhou Fan realized that he needed to expand it and make it automatically expand with the Zhou World. In the past, he hadn''t known the world would ever expand and made the array fixed to one point. It was now only covering a small percent of the Zhou world and Zhou Fan had never cared enough to notice. With a wave of his hand, Zhou Fan fixed up the array and even powered it up to his current realm. Now, it would be able to block the supernova with ease, but Zhou Fan didn''t want it to be so easy. He chose to only have it activated at the last moment. That way, he could see what tricks the rulers had up their sleeves. After fixing the array, Zhou Fan started to watch what the rulers did after seeing the energy. Anna gathered the celestials at soul formation and higher and started to frantically create arrays around central city with them. The titanosaur started to lead his species down to the dungeon that Zhou Fan created, an incredibly intelligent move that would allow them to survive even if Zhou Fan didn''t interfere due to the arrays down there. The dragon king led his subjects to the inside of his mountain and started to lay down arrays with them just like anna. Finally, the monkey king and his people went to the floating palace and hid underneath it while creating arrays and formations on the sides, also an intelligent move that may allow them to survive if Zhou Fan didn''t interfere. As the energy wave was a few seconds away from the Zhou World, attacks shot up towards it in order to attempt to slow it down. They came from inside the hiding places as the rulers didn''t want to risk getting injured outside. The attacks were all extremely strong, but they had little to no effect on the raging energy pouring down from the skies. Finally, the energy was feet away from the array that protected the Zhou World. Chapter 110: Effects of a Supernova - 110 Chapter 110 - Effects of a Supernova - 110 As soon as the destructive energy wave hit the array, the array stopped being invisible for the first time in tens of thousands of years and lit up with a golden glow, completely blocking any energy that tried to enter. It looked like a waterfall pushing against a glass ceiling. The rulers, who were preparing for a great amount of damage, were surprised to discover there were no changes. When they looked outside of their hiding places, they were shocked to find out that a golden barrier was protecting them from the energy wave. Every single one of them had their mouths wide open and their jaws hitting the floor with disbelief. The simple fact that such a huge barrier could exist was enough to make them rethink their lives, much less the strength of the barrier. Anna sat down on the ground in disbelief as she watched the energy and the barrier collide. ''Who or what could have made such a powerful barrier?'' Was a thought that ran through her mind many times in the few seconds she had watched. She had long felt that she was at the peak of strength in the universe, but both the power of the supernova star and the power of the barrier put all such thoughts in her head away. She wasn''t even the strongest existence in her solar system, much less the universe. What she didn''t know was that she was, in fact, one of the strongest living beings in the universe. Specifically, she was ranked second, right behind Zhou Fan. That was only because artificial beings like the boss of the shield dungeon Zhou Fan made didn''t count. The rest of the rulers didn''t have reactions any less than annas. The amount of strength displayed in front of them kickstarted their drives for power and strength that they had long lost. The destructive energy continued to batter and strike the barrier for another hour, but it still didn''t show any sign of stopping. At that point in time, the rulers had led everybody out of their hiding spots and continued with their normal lives, while occasionally enjoying the view of the raging energy. A day passed and the energy was still going at it with the barrier. By now, people were going to work and sleeping as if nothing had happened. Of course, there were still some changes that the storm caused despite the barrier. For example, it was day everywhere at all times due to the sun being blocked out. On that point, the color of the light was off since it was coming from a supernova and some weaker people started to feel sick at the sight of it. Another change was that the weather was harsher. There were more hurricanes, tornados, and tsunamis. They were also much stronger than before. After another day passed, the constant daytime was starting to get to some people. Luckily, they were the people who couldn''t cultivate, which was a vast minority of the Zhou World. However, that also proved how dangerous the supernova was. Even though celestials were born with the physical body of a core formation cultivator, they were still getting adversely affected by the supernova. The lack of Qi was a major influence as to why, but it still showed the danger of a supernova. After a week had passed, Zhou Fan attempted to try and push away the supernova from the planet, but realized that it was too strong for him to do without expending almost all of his Qi and strength. It was the first time in a long time that Zhou Fan couldn''t do something with ease, and it felt weird. Like the rulers, Zhou Fan too felt that he had been too arrogant. Although he did indeed spend almost all his time cultivating, taking a few year break after 10,000 years and breaking through, he still believed that he was invincible. However, the supernova was so strong that he would have minor injuries if he went in, although he would easily survive. In the end, Zhou Fan decided that it wasn''t worth the effort and let the supernova continue on. A month passed and the supernova finally started to cool down a bit, losing some strength. Although it would still last 10 - 100 more years if it was left alone, Zhou Fan pushed the energy back and trapped it within his initial bubble. He was glad that he hadn''t tried to fully contain the supernova in the first place and left a hole. Otherwise, his barrier might have dispersed, allowing immense damage to be done to the solar system. Once the energy was contained, the races of the world celebrated. In the center of the world, at the place they held the previous meeting, a feast was held. Anyone who could reach the area in time was invited. The feast had many foods for every race and didn''t discriminate at all, a rare sight to see from the warring races. The celebration lasted 5 days before it was dispersed and everyone returned. Zhou Fan too went back to the palace in order to continue cultivating. He had previously been interrupted and decided to stay out in order to enjoy the view. Zhou Fan returned to his room in the palace and sat down in his meditative pose. As he started to cultivate, he realized that it was a bit faster than before, although by a miniscule amount less than a percent of a percent. Zhou Fan quickly discovered the reason and saw that everyone''s cultivation speed had temporarily increased due to the effects of the supernova. He theorized that the act of dying and exploding was like one last time to shine, and it incidentally gave some Qi to the entire world. The effect on Zhou Fan was miniscule since he was stronger than the star, even after it went supernova. Zhou Fan shook his head and fell deep into his meditative state. His estimated time of completion was sped up by a year due to the effects of the supernova. Chapter 111: The Moon - 111 Chapter 111 - The Moon - 111 9,999 years later, Zhou Fan opened his eyes. Within them was an immense amount of power that couldn''t be matched by any other. Zhou Fan had broken into the fourth level of the lesser Dao creation realm and his power had increased greatly. Zhou Fan didn''t bother to leave the palace and instead scanned the entire world with his divine sense. Nothing much had changed in the past years besides the rulers breaking through a couple levels. Anna is now at the 8th level of void traversing along with the dragon king. The monkey king is now at the 6th level of void traversing. Finally, the titanosaur is at the 5th level of void traversing. Zhou Fan looked at all the opportunities he had placed and saw that not a single one had been obtained. He specifically looked at the mermaids to see if they had progressed as a race, but they had merely started to form an intelligent society. They still knew very little about cultivation and the strongest member of the race was at core formation. Despite their little progress, Zhou Fan was happy to see that they had started building structures like houses and castles. Zhou Fan also saw a building surrounding the area that the trident existed in. It was circular and had walls with arching holes in it. Anyone could freely enter and there were only a few guards to make sure the area was peaceful. Zhou Fan could assume that the place was very popular at one point due to the prophecy on the tablet, but had become less popular as no one had been able to pull it. While the trident would eventually be of great help to the mermaid race, it was only holding them back right now. Until someone talented enough came along, the mermaid race would forever remain unknown at the bottom of the sea. However, once they got a king, their rise to power would be legendary and they would undoubtedly become a new land alongside the beasts, supreme beasts, celestials, and dinosaurs. Zhou Fan moved on from the mermaid race and looked at the shield dungeon he had made. It had now become a legend of the entire dinosaur race, especially when the titanosaur attempted the dungeon and only got to the 7th layer. They had been attempting to keep information from the dungeon under wraps, but eventually, all the races would know about the dungeon and its strength. The rest of the opportunities also hadn''t changed at all and Zhou Fan started to decide whether or not the grim reaper would appear now. The world would be expanding soon and Zhou Fan would have to wait anyway, but he felt that they would become prepared and ready if death came every 10,000 years exactly. Therefore, Zhou Fan chose to have death not appear until the next breakthrough, and instead do something else as he waited 10 years for the world to expand. Zhou Fan thought about adding more opportunities or trying to create another race, but he felt that he should leave things as they are for now. He had to sit and think for a while before he came up with an idea. The Zhou World had one moon, but it was now tiny compared to the size of the planet. The rulers had been up there, but they hadn''t seen any value in caring about the moon and left it alone. Zhou Fan''s idea was to create another moon that would replace the other moon. Zhou Fan didn''t know what material he would use to make it, but he wanted to make it out of the same material the current moon is made out of. Zhou Fan got to action and teleported out of his palace and onto the moon. He grabbed a handful of the material and sensed its properties. The main difference between earth rock and moon rock was lunar Qi. Theoretically, any rock with lunar Qi could be considered moon rock. However, there were also some structural differences that couldn''t be ignored. If Zhou Fan wanted to transform some of the Zhou Worlds rocks into moon rock, he would have to study the differences and carefully make the changes. Unfortunately, Zhou Fan still wasn''t able to make something from nothing. Otherwise, the solution would be much simpler. Zhou Fan held on to a handful of moon rocks and teleported to the core of the Zhou World. He looked around for a bit before he discovered the material with the highest similarity to a moon rock. Before adding lunar Qi, Zhou Fan chose to do the hard part first. He held the rock in his hand and stared at it intensely. What Zhou Fan was doing was changing the very existence of something. After a minute, small changes were happening to the appearance of the rock in Zhou Fan''s hand. After 5 minutes, the rock had completely changed, now bearing much more similarity to a moon rock. Zhou Fan didn''t have to think a second before he added a bunch of lunar Qi to the rock. The rock, which had only had a 90% similarity to the moon rock, now seemed like an exact replica. Since the material was from the center of the earth, it was actually much stronger than the moon rock from the moon. Naturally, the rock that Zhou Fan transformed would be in the moon''s core. Now that he had successfully done it once, the rest would be much easier. Zhou Fan took a couple hundred mountains that no one would miss and transformed them all into moon rock. The process took a single day before Zhou Fan had enough moon rock to create a moon. Zhou Fan flew into the skies and found a nice position within the Zhou Worlds orbit. Zhou Fan wouldn''t replace the other moon, but create a second one. The moon rock that Zhou Fan had condensed to fit in the palm of his hand started to expand larger and larger, eventually becoming noticeable to some eyes below. Chapter 112: New Invention - 112 Chapter 112 - New Invention - 112 In the middle of the night, many people of the Zhou World saw a strange glow from outside their houses. Curious, they looked outside their windows, only to see an expanding circle in the night sky. The people were shocked and many ran inside to wake everyone up. Within five minutes, the moon had expanded to a size that made it proportional to the earth''s moon. Zhou Fan stopped expanding it as it reached that size since he had only planned to make it that big in the first place. The size of the moon was 5 times the earth''s size. Although Zhou Fan had some more plans for the moon, he felt a couple of presences traveling towards the moon. The presences were every void traversing cultivator in the Zhou World. Zhou Fan had no choice but to evacuate the moon and teleport back to his floating palace. from there, he observed what transpired on the moon. At first, the void traversing cultivators approached the moon with curiosity, but they soon got into a heated argument about who owns what. Anna and the dragon king naturally had the advantage in the arguments, but they had made many agreements with the other rulers about fairness. Among them was a rule that said they could not threaten to use their strength in order to get benefits. Although no one could stop them if they broke the agreement, even their own people would look down on them if they did. In the end, the rulers decided to leave half the moon untouched, and split the rest evenly. The argument only ended so nicely because the moon had little to no use. There were no trees and you couldn''t grow anything. Even if they used Qi to make an area habitable to grow things, it would only bear the same result as growing it on the ground. Not to mention the fact that they would have to bring their own dirt since the moon rock was unable to grow anything. The only thing that could be done with the territory on the moon was making a base, but in order for anyone below void traversing to live on it, they would need to make a formation to bring air and have a way to travel from the ground to the moon. Since people below void traversing couldn''t go in space, they would either have to make a very long bridge, which wouldn''t be possible due to the rotation of the planet, or personally take people up there. Of course, that wasn''t Zhou Fan''s problem. He had only made the moon in order to make the Zhou world feel more complete. Right now, he was thinking of an idea he suddenly had. Carrying things around had long become inconvenient to Zhou Fan and he wanted to figure out a way to fix that problem. He had thought about it for a while, but the only thing he felt he could do was create a space pocket to hold his stuff. But that was easier said than done. Although Zhou Fans control over space had been increasing over time, creating a permanent pocket in space would be a bit much for him. He may be able to do it, but it would take an uncomfortable amount of his Qi to keep it working constantly. The only way he could think to reduce the load was to make the space pocket inactive when he wasn''t using it. That would mean making an invisible storage that was around him at all times. As for how to keep it around him, he had an idea. Zhou Fan grabbed at the air, causing the strongest materials in the planet''s core to teleport to him. The fact that he could do such a thing proved he would be able to create a space pocket. Zhou Fan melted all the materials he had taken down and condensed them, eventually forming them into a ring. The ring was silver in color and completely unnoticeable by anyone below his realm. Zhou Fan then moved on to the hard part. He carefully carved a hole in space and began to make it deeper and deeper. It was an extremely hard thing that most people couldn''t even comprehend. After an hour of careful carving, Zhou Fan made it to a different layer of space. It was one that couldn''t be seen normally. Zhou Fan was glad at his success and carved a fine cube out of the space, before imprinting his Qi onto it and taking ownership of the space. However, that wasn''t enough. If he left it like that, the space would remain at that point forever. Zhou Fan had to do one more thing before it could even be considered functional. Zhou Fan reached his two fingers in the space carefully and grabbed the cube he carved out. The space around the cube instantly filled the space it left behind like water would. Zhou Fan carefully held the cube, using an immense amount of Qi so that it didn''t disperse back to the world, and placed it on his ring where the stone would usually go. Still supplying Qi to it, Zhou Fan layed many formations that would uphold the integrity of the space before he finally let go. He watched the ring, waiting for it to either explode or do nothing. After a minute, Zhou Fan felt that it must have been a success. The ring hadn''t changed appearances at all from when it was first forged, but it now carried an invisible space on it. The space was so tiny that a flea could barely fit, although the flea would die instantly due to the environment in there. Zhou Fan once again created a formation that this time made the space calm. Although he hadn''t made it able to hold living things, he could now put items in there without them freezing or being destroyed instantly. Zhou Fan then added a formation that made the ring usable. The formation, when Qi was put into it, would expand the space and make it the size of a mountain. When the formation was deactivated, the space would shrink alongside everything else inside it. Such a feat could only be achieved due to Zhou Fan power level. Now, the ring was ready to be tested. Chapter 113: Spatial Rings - 113 Chapter 113 - Spatial Rings - 113 Zhou Fan sent some of his Qi into the ring''s formation and waited to see what would happen. His Qi slithered through the formation, activating it, as part of Zhou Fan''s mind was drawn into the ring, seeing what was inside, which was nothing. With about one tenth of his mind focused on the inside of the ring and the rest on the outside, Zhou Fan grabbed a rock and willed it into the ring. The rock disappeared from his hand as if it had teleported and reappeared inside the ring, floating unchanged in the large space. It had worked! Zhou Fan felt excitement at the fact that his idea worked. No longer would he have to have everything he owned floating beside him or in some place far away. He could now keep anything he wanted on him at all times. Zhou Fan could have made the storage space without the ring, but it would be too inconvenient for him at his current strength. It would be a bit longer before he could casually do something like that without the ring. Zhou Fan continued to experiment with the ring and stored many of the things he had. He only managed to stop himself after a couple of hours. Zhou Fan still had time before he went into seclusion and came up with the idea to share the joy of the ring with the rest of the Zhou World. Zhou Fan thought of many ideas on how to do such a thing, but the best idea he had was to create spatial stones. They would be like spirit stones but would contain space Qi, much like the cold Qi stones in the ravine the Zhou Fan placed a sword in. Of course, the stones wouldn''t give the same results as Zhou Fans ring. At best, they would be able to be forged into rings with a bedroom of space. Zhou Fan decided to go ahead and try to make a space stone. He first condensed the highest quality spirit stone in the Zhou World, a top grade spirit stone, and then started adding space Qi to it. Although it was simple, nobody but him could do something like change the structure of a spirit stone. The only thing others could do with them was absorb or take away the Qi inside. Only Zhou Fan could change the essence of them since he was the "creator" of the Zhou World. After a few minutes of carefully and steadily inputting space Qi into the spirit stone, Zhou Fan saw its usual light blue color start to deepen and darken. After 10 minutes, the color of the spirit stone was a dark blue like space instself. After 10 more minutes, the space stone was successfully forged. It was still a dark blue, but it had white specks similar to stars within it. Zhou Fan was content with the space stone, but before testing it he decided to make some more. Now that he knew what the spirit stone could handle, Zhou Fan poured space Qi into it much faster. In only five minutes, he was done with another one. After a day, Zhou Fan had created 300 space stones. He spent another week on them and forged 2400 space stones in total. Now, he would experiment on them and see what they could do if forged correctly. Zhou Fan grabbed some materials at the 5th grade, or soul formation and made them into a ring like his, only much weaker. He then took the stone and put it in fire as if he was a real blacksmith. Although he could forge it easily himself, Zhou Fan needed to imitate someone in the soul formation realm. Naturally, he was still the best blacksmith in the universe. He had created the art after all. The stone heated up, and after Zhou Fan used some Qi to increase the fire''s strength, the stones started to slowly condense. Zhou Fan put his hand in the raging fire and helped shape the space stone. Eventually, the space stone had decreased in size enough to fit on the ring. Zhou Fan took it and placed it on the stone holder. The space stone and the ring didn''t do anything even when put together at first, but when Zhou Fan added a couple formations, the ring and the stone seemed to gain a connection. With the forging done, Zhou Fan was able to open up the space ring. The inside was as big as Zhou Fan expected, the size of an average bedroom. After the first forging was completed, Zhou Fan didn''t forge anymore from the space stones he had made. Instead, he got a piece of paper from a grade five tree and wrote the process of forging a space ring on it. After writing the instructions, Zhou Fan renamed the space ring. It was now called a spatial ring. He had formed an idea earlier. Instead of throwing a couple of rings to some people, Zhou Fan decided to make the birth of the spatial rings a spectacle. The first part of the plan was to randomly place the space stones somewhere. Zhou Fan looked around the world and chose an unsuspecting mountain to put them under. He designed it so that the space stones seemed naturally born there. He then made a treasure map that would lead the finder to the mountain. Before he did anything else, Zhou Fan teleported to the center of the Zhou world and created an array that would automatically produce spatial stones every few years. That way, there wouldn''t only be 2400 spatial rings in the world. For the next step, Zhou Fan went into space. He brought along with him a large amount of dirt and ores from the ground. He then formed a big asteroid high above the Zhou World. it wouldn''t destroy much since the Zhou World was naturally tough, but it would shake the planet for a few moments, alerting everyone. In the center of the asteroid, Zhou Fan placed the spatial ring he had forged from the space stone and the instruction on how to make spatial rings with the stones, along with the treasure map that led to the stones. However, he wouldn''t make it that easy to obtain. Chapter 114: Asteroid - 114 Chapter 114 - Asteroid - 114 Along with the spatial ring and the papers, Zhou Fan decided to put an enemy inside the asteroid. Whenever it hit the ground, the asteroid would release the enemies and the people of the Zhou World would have to fight them off in order to get inside. However, Zhou Fan was struggling to think of an appropriate enemy. Something that he had made before wouldn''t be that much of a challenge since almost all the monsters and animals within the Zhou World had been found. Therefore, Zhou Fan decided to make a new type of species. They would be humanoid, but their skin would be gray and their faces would be twisted. They would also have other abnormalities such as long and skinny arms and holes in their chest. In other words, it would be the personification of a nightmare. It would be an extremely scary existence. Of course, they would be a one time thing. Zhou Fan started by putting a thousand core formation level beings in there, along with 100 nascent soul, 20 soul formation and 5 void traversing, with the highest being at void traversing 8. He would call the species corpse walkers since they would look like walking corpses. After putting all the enemies inside, Zhou Fan sent the asteroid hurling towards the ground. As soon as it broke through the atmosphere, every void traversing cultivator sensed it. Not a single one stayed still as they all flew towards it. The first one to arrive was the dragon king in humanoid form, followed by anna, the monkey king, the titanosaur in humanoid form, and the remaining void traversing cultivators. They all huddled around the giant rock and watched it start to crack. Sensing something wrong, Anna and the other rulers sent messages towards their subordinates to come to the area. As soon as they finished, a huge crack appeared in the rock and it split in half, leaving some empty space and a smaller rock in the middle area. The rulers watched as the dust cleared and thousands of silhouettes appeared. At the front was a disgusting humanoid creature with a cultivation equal to that of Anna and the dragon kings. The corpse walkers didn''t waste a moment once they sensed a living being and shot out towards the first person they saw. Anna deployed an ice wall that blocked the first attacks of many of the corpse walkers, but the strongest corpse walker clawed at the wall and immediately shattered it. It then shot towards the closest person, Anna. Anna formed an ice sword in less than a second and slashed towards the corpse walkers claw. They collided and surprisingly, anna was pushed back! The ice sword started to crack, but Anna formed another ice sword in her hand and slashed towards the corpse walker''s neck. Due to it not having much intelligence and being fully focused on eating anna, the sword reached its neck without interruption and went 3 inches deep before it was stopped by an incredibly hard bone. The corpse walker didn''t even react and continued to attack Anna, causing her to have to step back a lot. The fact that it wouldn''t retreat was both an advantage and a disadvantage to the rulers. Luckily for Anna, the dragon king saw her situation worsen and shot up in the air, before dropping down and throwing a spike of fire into the corpse walker''s back. It immediately screamed in pain and tried to reach at its back. Just as it was about to get its hands on it, the spike exploded and caused a condensed sphere of flames to disintegrate anything within it. The sphere of flames stopped right before Anna and she finally was able to catch a breather without the corpse walker chasing her. As she looked around and saw the other void traversing corpse walkers giving the rest of the void traversing cultivators a hard time, she shot off and helped them. As for the dragon king, he stayed and watched until the flames dissipated, revealing a severely injured corpse walker. He walked up to it after sensing it was unable to move an inch, and swiftly put his hand up in the air before throwing it down like he was launching a ball towards the ground. Inches behind his hand was a giant pillar of flames that engulfed the injured corpse walker, burning it to ashes immediately. After another minute or two, many soul formation cultivators showed up and helped finish off the rest of the corpse walkers. The battlefield was quickly cleaned up and the rulers walked towards the remaining bit of asteroid. Anna led them as she made a hole they could walk through. The group entered the center and found flat ground. In the middle of the dirt brown room was a pedestal that seemed like a tree stump made of dirt. On top of it were papers and a ring. Anna walked up and picked up the papers, completely ignoring the ring. That only lasted a second as she read the papers and realized the functions of the ring. "Read this." She said, handing the papers to the dragon king next to her and going up to the ring. She picked it up and put it on her finger. At that time the dragon king had finished reading the papers. "Do you think the ring does what these papers claim?" He asked in a solemn tone, handing the papers to the other two rulers behind him. "I''m not sure, but if they do it will change our world." Anna responded while channeling Qi into the ring as the papers said. The ring didn''t change a bit, but a tenth of Anna''s mind had been transferred to the space inside the ring. ''Wow!'' She thought to herself. This was the first time she had ever seen something like an independant space. "What is it like?" The dragon king asked, bringing Anna out of her stupor. "It looks like space without stars. It''s beautiful, but the ring only contains the space of a single room." She said. It was exactly as the papers said. ''But where did this come from?'' She asked herself, feeling a seed of fear and doubt sprouting within her. Chapter 115: Treasure - 115 Chapter 115 - Treasure - 115 "Let''s follow the map and collect the space stones." Anna said. One of the papers she had picked up had been a treasure map that showed where the treasure was and what it contained. As they walked towards the location of the treasure, Anna couldn''t stop herself from thinking more and more. ''Why is there a treasure map from outer space that leads to a place on OUR planet? It''s completely illogical. It''s as if someone is handing them to us.'' Anna couldn''t shake the feeling that everything that had happened was the doing of someone else. Anna continued to think to herself until the group of void traversing cultivators reached the mountain the treasure was under. "Anna....Anna.....ANNA!" The dragon king screamed, putting his hand on her shoulder with the last call. Anna flinched out of her stupor and realized that they had reached the place the treasure map marked. "Sorry. Lets search around the mountain. If we don''t find anything, we will dig below it." She said, stopping herself from thinking any further and helping the group search for the treasure. Thanks to their divine sense, the search was finished in minutes. Although the mountain could only be described as average compared to the rest of the Zhou Worlds mountains, it was thousands, if not tens of thousands times bigger than the biggest mountain on earth. That was the only reason the search took so long. After they had confirmed that the treasure wasn''t on the mountain, Anna signaled the titanosaur to dig below it. Although he wasn''t the strongest and likely not the fastest at digging, earth was his specialty. The titanosaur transformed back into his original form and dug down a hundred miles before they reached an open space. The titanosaur transformed back into humanoid form and entered the area first, followed by Anna, the dragon king, the monkey king, and the rest of the void traversing cultivators. What they had dug into was a fairly big cave with fully gray walls. Not a single thing other than stone could be seen. There was only one tunnel in front of them and a wall behind them, so the group traveled down the tunnel. After walking for a mile, the group started to see a darkish blue light. Although the titanosaur and the monkey king were unable to determine what the light was from, Anna and the Dragon king had much experience with the Qi it was giving off. Without a doubt, the light was coming from something with space Qi. The only explanation was that the treasure was ahead since the papers had said the treasure was space stones. After another half mile and some twists and turns, the group entered a room full of crystals stuck in the walls. The crystals were space blue and not a single person would have doubt that they were space stones. The non-ruler void traversing cultivators stayed right outside the room as the others entered. Anna was the first one to make contact as she walked up to one of the walls and pulled a space stone out. She sighed in admiration at the pure space Qi inside them. As someone with a space affinity, only she could fully appreciate them. Anna was tempted to try and absorb one as if it was a spirit stone, but she felt her instincts blaring just as she was about to try. She hastily dropped the stone and stepped back. From that point on, she didn''t attempt to absorb space stones. Although the other rulers were startled at her dropping the stone and backing up, Anna waved her hand and said she was fine but had done something stupid. "Don''t try to absorb the space stones. You will probably die." She said as a warning. After her warning, the rulers carefully examined the entire cave in order to make sure there were no traps or dangers before they called in the rest of the void traversing cultivators and carefully harvested the space stones. Due to the fact that there were 2400 stones and each one was removed carefully, the process took 5 hours. With the pile carefully laid out on the ground, Anna went up to each of the stones and held them before transporting them into her ring. By the time she managed to collect all of them, the spatial ring was filled to the brim. With all the space stones safely put away, the group walked back up to the surface and flew to the celestial lands. Although the space stones had been collected, the forging method had not been tested. Anna sent away the non-ruler void traversing cultivators from the other lands at the border and entered the celestial lands. Getting to central city didn''t take too long with their flying speeds and the rulers landed at the doors of annas tower. They had come to her tower in order to use the forging space on the middle floor. As for who was going to forge the ring, there was no doubt it would be anna. Besides her identity as the ruler of the celestial lands and one of the two strongest people in the world, Anna was also known as the greatest blacksmith in the world. If she could not successfully forge a ring, then nobody would be able to. The rulers arrived at the middle floor unimpeded and went into the forge room. The room was extremely large and contained a single anvil, hammer, fire pit, and bucket of water. The bucket of water was special water made from annas own power and Anna would borrow the flames of the dragon king for forging. Although she could make her own flames, since not having an affinity didn''t mean one couldn''t use an element, the dragon king''s flames were special and much more powerful. "Light it up." Anna said as she picked up her hammer. Both the hammer and the anvil were made from the strongest materials Anna could find. They had reached grade 6, or void traversing. Chapter 116: Forging Success - 116 Chapter 116 - Forging Success - 116 The dragon king pointed his finger at the fire pit and red and purple flames appeared. Its heat was immense and it seemed as if it wanted to spread around the entire room. The only reason it wasn''t lighting everything in the room on fire was because the dragon king was controlling it. Once the flame was lit, Anna started to follow the instructions on the paper. First, she got some ore at the 5th level. The paper had said that any ore at the 5th level or higher would work, but since it was a test run anna didn''t go all out in terms of materials. Anna made the ore float and put it in the center of the fire. The fire did its job very quickly as the ore heated up within seconds. Once it was flexible, anna took the ore out of the fire, replacing it with a space stone. The space stone didn''t show any sign of heating up even after half a minute, but Anna knew it would since the papers said so. While the space stone was getting heated up, Anna started to work on the ore. She put it on the anvil and started to shape it with her hammer. After a minute, the shape of the ring was perfect, and all that was missing was a stone. As Anna looked back at the fire, she noticed that the space stone had begun shrinking. It was exactly as the paper said. Anna waited 5 minutes before the space stone had shrunk enough to be dealt with. Anna used Qi to make the shrunk space stone come towards her. She placed her hands around it without them touching it and began to use her power to condense it and make it stronger. After exhausting a fourth of her Qi, Anna had made the stone small enough to fit on the ring. Anna used Qi to place it on the ring and the forging process was finished. Next was the formation laying process. Although there was more competition in the art of formations, Anna was also the greatest at it. She began to follow the steps to lay the formations that would make the ring useful. After an hour of careful work, Anna managed to finish the last formation. If she had done everything right, then the ring should work like the one in the asteroid. Anna put the ring on her other hand and supplied Qi into it. As she did, the formations lit up and the ring was activated. A tenth of Anna''s mind was transported to the ring and she saw inside it. Success! The ring worked! Anna was excited when she saw the inside of the ring and realized she had forged it perfectly. Although it would take a while to use up every single space stone, it would be worth it in the end. She estimated that she could make five a day which would make the total forge time 48 days long. Although it may seem like much, that much time was nothing to someone of her level. Zhou Fan watched on as Anna and the rulers forged every space stone into a spatial ring and split them up evenly. They would likely keep a bunch for themselves and then distribute the rest to their subjects with high contributions. With everything he wanted to do done, Zhou Fan went back to his floating palace and spent the rest of the ten year time period lazily living. He spent much of his time staring up at the ceiling while thinking of martial arts. He also spent ample time thinking of the arts such as blacksmithing, forging, and formation creation. Once ten years passed and the world finished expanding, Zhou Fan went into seclusion. After he broke through, he planned to try and make the solar system a part of his mortal Dao. ---------------------- 12,000 years passed and Zhou fan woke up from his seclusion. He had broken through to the 5th level of lesser dao creation and was feeling immensely powerful. Zhou Fan missed the times when he could go out and test his new strength, but doing so now could bring disastrous results. Whether it was a star or a planet, Zhou Fan could accidentally destroy it with ease at this point. The only reason the supernova was able to push against him was because it was using its lifes entire power. It had likely been a star for millions of years and when it went supernova, it was using the power it had stored up its entire life. Although a star could at best be compared to a space shattering expert, using up its lifespan would give it temporary strength similar to that of a lesser dao creation realm cultivator. Now that Zhou fan had broken through to the 5th level of lesser dao creation, he could try to do something he had planned to do 22,000 years ago. He could try and put the entire solar system under the control of his mortal Dao. The solar system Zhou Fan was in was by far the biggest he had ever seen. It contained fourteen stars, although it used to have fifteen, and a hundred planets. If Zhou Fan could connect his mortal dao to the entire solar system, the benefits would be great, although not life changing. Either way, it would be better to have more planets under his complete control. Zhou Fan teleported to space and first set his sights on the planets closest to the Zhou World. The closest was a small brown planet. Even before Zhou Fan had come to the solar system, it was small compared to the Zhou World. With the Zhou Worlds expansion, it was now completely dwarfed. Luckily, it hadn''t been destroyed due to Zhou Fan interference. As the Zhou World had been expanding, he had been pushing everything back so that the solar system wouldn''t collapse. The planet was still fairly close to the Zhou World and even Anna and the Dragon king had visited it once before leaving after seeing there was nothing there. Chapter 117: Ten Planets - 117 Chapter 117 - Ten Planets - 117 Zhou Fan landed on the surface of the small brown planet and observed its features. It was completely flat with no mountains or valleys. There was no atmosphere or weather. There were not even storms. The planet was a complete wasteland with absolutely no use. Even the moon had more vitality than it. Fortunately, Zhou Fan would be able to fix the environment. With a wave of his hand, a mountain disappeared from the Zhou World and its contents spilled onto the small brown planet. Although it was only a small mountain on the Zhou World, its contents added an entire new layer of soil and ore to the small brown world. With the Zhou Worlds expansion, a small mountain could almost be compared to a small planet. The mountain even brought some living beings with it, and Zhou Fan had to quickly put a bubble around them that would allow them to live. He then started to give the world an atmosphere. The second time, as expected, was much easier than the first and Zhou Fan was able to finish it in seconds. After he added the atmosphere, Zhou Fan added air and released the living beings from their bubbles. After taking a small river from the Zhou World, giving the small brown planet an ocean, Zhou Fan let the planet''s specifics be on their own. Over time, the planet would evolve to have a similar style to the Zhou world. Of course, Zhou Fan didn''t plan on waiting a million years for that to happen. Like he once did with the Zhou World, Zhou Fan put life Qi all over the small brown world and watched it grow and prosper at a significant rate. Before long, the world had its own species and environment almost completely different from the Zhou World. All Zhou Fan had left to do was try and make the world a part of his mortal dao. Also, he would prefer if it was more like a subsidiary of the Zhou World in terms of having his mortal dao.That way, he wouldn''t have to care about the lives of the beings living in the world. Zhou Fan went to the center of the small brown planet and looked at its core. it was different from the way the Zhou Worlds was and was just cold hard rock. Zhou Fan raised his hand and blew it to dust instantly. He then sent a bit of his power where the core was. The planet was going haywire without its center, but Zhou Fan''s power stabilized it. Zhou Fan then sent his understanding of both the mortal dao and parts of the cosmic dao into the area where the center used to reside. After a couple days, the mortal dao core was formed inside the planet successfully. Unlike the Zhou World, the small brown planet was like a secondary subordinate. In other words, the planet would no longer get its power from Zhou Fan, but borrow it from the growing power of the Zhou World. However, he was still in complete control of the planet as if it was the Zhou World. A downside was the fact that he would have to supply the Zhou World more power, but the increase was nothing to him. There was a chain connecting the Zhou World and the small brown planet in the form of an invisible gold thread. Not a single person besides Zhou Fan would ever be able to see it unless they surpassed him in power. After changing the first planet, Zhou Fan went to the second closest, an ice giant that didn''t seem too giant when compared to the Zhou World. In order to transform the ice giant, Zhou Fan simply gave it an atmosphere and melted it. Within hours, it turned from an ice giant to a water planet. After introducing some micro organisms and speeding up the evolution process with life Qi, Zhou Fan connected the world with his mortal dao. He repeated the process on 7 more planets before he could no longer connect the mortal Dao of the Zhou World with them. It wasn''t that it was impossible, but that he wasn''t strong enough. In order to connect more planets, Zhou Fan would need to break through to another realm. As of now, he was left with a terraformed planet and 10 planets, including the Zhou World, that were connected to the mortal Dao. The terraformed planet would have to wait until he broke through before it could connect. Zhou Fan left towards the Zhou World and considered his next course of action. With his mortal dao connected to them, the planets would grow larger and larger until they reached hundreds of times bigger than they were. They wouldn''t grow bigger than the Zhou World, but they would still grow big enough to disrupt the solar system without interference. Although Zhou Fan could temporarily solve the problem himself, he would need a permanent solution eventually. He thought for a while and decided that after his next breakthrough, he would ignore the planets and try to connect the stars to his mortal dao, allowing them to grow and shine over the planets. Right now, however, Zhou Fan separated the unconnected planets from the connected ones in order to ensure nothing happened. He only kept the one sun and positioned the 9 other planets around it, forming a pattern of one sun surrounded by 10 planets. Zhou Fan eventually planned on making the sun a direct connector to his mortal dao like the Zhou World and throw away the other suns. After all, if he could make it big enough to house all the planets, there would be no need for the others. He could even directly transform the essence of the other suns into opportunities or weapons if he became strong enough. However, Zhou Fan still needed to see if the Zhou World would grow beyond expectations. With all the space stuff done, Zhou Fan now focused on the Zhou World. It was time for the grim reaper to appear again. Chapter 118: New Realm - 118 Chapter 118 - New Realm - 118 At the top of the biggest tower in the celestial lands, Anna was cultivating. She could feel that she was inches away from reaching the 10th level of void traversing. Within a day, she would be able to break through and reach new heights. Her slightly superior talent had started showing more and more recently. Unlike her, the dragon king wasn''t close to breaking into the 10th level of void traversing. It would take him another 2000 years minimum. Zhou Fan stood next to her, hidden. For the first time, he decided to see exactly what her talent was. As he had expected, Anna''s talent was higher than immortal rank. Her talent reached the next rank, which Zhou Fan decided to call immortal king. Her specific talent was immortal king 5. The dragon king''s talent was at immortal king 7, and the monkey king was at supreme god 1 along with the titanosaur. Her and the dragon king were definitely the most talented beings in the Zhou World. Since Anna was busy, Zhou Fan went to the supreme beasts land for the first time. He teleported to the main area of the land that couldn''t really be called a city and explored the area. The supreme beasts had a few different layouts within their main area. First, there were the plains. They were the most heavily inhabited and were mostly occupied by weak beings. The second area was a forest. It was the second most populated area and held 5% of the supreme beast population. The forest was home to most of the strongest beings within the supreme beast lands. The only other area was a single mountain taller than any other. It was once the tallest mountain in the Zhou World and it still claimed that title due to the fact that it expanded with the world. The mountain was occupied by only one being. The dragon king. Like Anna, he was cultivating. Zhou Fan floated above his mountain and thought about how death should enter the scene. He didn''t want to destroy the mountain since it was so old, but he also didn''t want to have a lame entrance. Eventually, Zhou Fan decided on an entrance that was both flashy and not too destructive. Clouds gathered above the supreme beast lands. At first, not a single supreme beast paid attention to it. After a while, however, some started to notice that something about it was weird. There was not a single supreme beast that wasn''t a cultivator, so every single member felt something ominous from the clouds. Soon, lightning started to streak across the clouds and within minutes, a terrible thunderstorm was taking place. Although it was only strong compared to normal storms at first, the weather started to escalate and winds started to increase in speed. In only five minutes since clouds gathered, winds were moving at 500 miles per hour, forcing the weakest of the supreme beasts to shield themselves with Qi. Lightning soon started to strike the ground and even hit a few people. The lightning was powerful enough to temporarily paralyze almost everyone below soul formation and even kill those at core formation. Soon, the dragon king woke up from his cultivation. He immediately sensed the situation and decided to end it. From a hole on the side of the huge mountain, the dragon king flew out and up towards the sky. As he was about to reach the clouds, he blew out a breath of flames that covered every inch of the storms. The clouds instantly dispersed and the storm came to an end, but the dragon king didn''t feel relieved. Just as he dispersed the storm, he felt goosebumps on his back and dropped towards the ground as fast as possible. Right as he dropped, a giant bone sword covered in death Qi flew past the place he had been. The dragon king flapped his wings and stayed in the air, looking in the distance in the direction the attack came from. "Lucky." A voice sounded out. Every individual in the supreme beast lands looked up when they heard the booming voice. "I prefer the term skill." The dragon king responded. The grim reaper appeared in mid air and looked at the dragon king. "You are only at the 9th level of void traversing, you stand no chance." He said. "We''ve beaten you before despite you being above us in level. We will do it again. I only need to hold you back." The dragon king said with no fear in his voice. "If that was the case you may win, but i''m no longer just above you in level." The grim reaper said. Just as the dragon king was about to respond, the grim reaper stopped holding his cultivation back and revealed it for the world to see. In an instant, a deadly pressure covered the entire Zhou World, suffocating all living beings. Near the grim reaper, space started to crack as he released his power. "I''m above you in realm!" Without hesitation, the dragon king turned around and fled in terror, leaving everything behind. He didn''t think of anything else as he used every bit of his power and flew towards the celestial lands. Like every other living being in the Zhou World, the rulers felt the deathly pressure and feared the worst. The grim reaper had broken through to another realm. Both the titanosaur and the monkey king hesitated for a while before they flew towards the celestial lands. They knew that if the grim reaper defeated Anna and the dragon king, they would be next. As for Anna, she didn''t move an inch. She felt that within an hour, she would break into the 10th level of void traversing. At that time, they may stand a chance. The grim reaper smiled when he saw the dragon king run away. He broke through space and chased him at a much faster speed, but let him stay in front of him. The grim reaper wanted to take the opportunity to take every powerhouse out at the same time and destroy the Zhou World once and for all. Chapter 119: Injury - 119 Chapter 119 - Injury - 119 The dragon king ran for 15 minutes before the celestial lands came into view. He had long figured out that the grim reaper was playing with him, but chalked it up to him being arrogant. After 3 minutes, the dragon king arrived at the plains in front of central city. He was greeted by an entire army and two of the rulers. He joined the two rulers'' side and looked around for anna. When he didn''t see her, he started to fear the worst. "Why isn''t Anna here?" He asked, hoping that she hadn''t run away after sensing the grim reaper''s power. "We''re not sure, but we can tell she is in her tower." The titanosaur responded. The dragon king nodded and looked at the grim reaper standing across from them. "I''m not sure if we''ll be able to last more than ten minutes without her." He said. The titanosaur and the monkey king didn''t say anything, but they agreed in their heads. They stalled as long as they could, but after a few more seconds, the grim reaper started to run at them. With each step he took, space cracked and the planet rumbled. he had reached a level of strength that almost no other in the Zhou World could match. As he got closer, Death Qi started to gather around him, increasing the momentum he was gaining. Eventually, the death Qi began to form a figure behind him. It was the same phantom he had summoned in the last battle. Now, he could summon it with much more ease. It was also much stronger than before. The monkey king wasted no time by forming the buddha from last time and the other rulers didn''t wait before sending their Qi to help form the buddha. Although Anna wasn''t participating, the other three rulers were much stronger than before. If the grim reaper was at the tenth level of void traversing, the buddha may equally match him. Unfortunately, the grim reaper was now much stronger. As soon as the buddha figure and the death Qi phantoms fists collided, the buddha nearly broke. It was pushed backwards, but the death Qi phantom stepped forward and delivered a punch to its head. The buddha dispersed immediately and the three rulers fell to the ground in defeat. They had used every bit of Qi they had in summoning the buddha figure, but they had been defeated immediately. Not even twenty minutes had passed since the grim reaper revealed his strength. The grim reaper stood above them in the air and laughed at them. With him breaking into a higher realm, the group stood no chance against him. As Zhou Fan watched on in the sky, he couldn''t help but consider intervening. He couldn''t just let the rulers die, they were too important. However, just as he was about to make something happen, an old man stepped out from the city gates and started walking to the battlefield with nothing but a rusty sword in his hand. Although he was old, he was strong. In fact, he was the third strongest person in the celestial lands with the cultivation of third level void traversing. Since not a single person in the entire area was moving, it didn''t take long before everyone had turned their eyes to him. Even Zhou Fan couldn''t help but wonder what he was doing. "Grim reaper." He said. "I have learned a martial art by watching a star explode. Please take my attack." Although everyone found his words to be almost comical, nobody was laughing. It seemed as if the old man was wishing for death or was insane. Even the grim reaper wasn''t laughing at him. Instead, he was looking at him with disdain and disgust. "Go ahead. I won''t even block it." He said. To both him and everyone else, the idea that someone at the third level of void traversing could even scratch someone at the realm above void traversing was ridiculous. The grim reaper then turned away and ignored the old man, staring at the rulers on the ground. The old man didn''t seem upset or disappointed that he was being ignored, but indifferent towards the attitude of the grim reaper. Zhou Fan couldn''t take his eyes off of him. The old man lifted his sword up above his head. It was pointing straight in the air. He held it there for what seemed like an entire minute. Although nobody else, not even the grim reaper, could see what was happening, Zhou Fan was able to tell. The man was focusing everything he had and everything he would ever have into this one strike. A second before the old man dropped his sword down, the grim reaper felt a chill take over his entire body. Although he was death itself, he felt the true fear of death upon him. In that same second, the old man slashed his sword towards the grim reaper. There was no burst of Qi or movement, but neither the grim reaper nor the old man moved an inch. It seemed that the entire world had come to a standstill. All of a sudden, the old man''s body started turning to dust. A wind blew and his body disintegrated. As everyone stared in confusion, the grim reaper''s body started changing. In the center of his chest, a hole a foot in diameter turned into dust similar to the old man''s entire body. The grim reaper fell from the sky and landed on the ground. He clutched the area of the wound in pain and started rolling around on the ground. The rulers and the viewers watched on without a single word, clearly in shock at what just happened. As for Zhou Fan, he too was in a state of shock. What the old man had just done was sacrifice his life. He permanently burned up all of his Qi, his cultivation, and even his lifespan. He had imitated the supernova that had sacrificed its remaining life for one last burst of power. Chapter 120 - 6th - 120 Chapter 120 - 6th - 120 Although the old man had only been at the 3rd level of void traversing, he was able to do that much damage to someone at space shattering! Luckily, only the old man could use that move. It was something born from an unnatural and insane comprehension. Even Zhou Fan had no confidence in doing what he had seen the old man do. In fact, it was likely that no one else in the universe would ever be able to do what he had just done. As the rulers watched the grim reaper roll around on the ground, they started to attack. Each of them used their strongest attacks possible with what little Qi they had left, but the grim reaper didn''t even have to look up as he sent the attacks flying back at them. The rulers hastily dodged and decided to simply watch what was happening, although they couldn''t understand it. Zhou Fan, however, was able to tell. Part of the grim reaper''s very existence had been erased. He was going through a pain ten times worse than any other pain that had ever been experienced in the universe. After twenty minutes, the grim reaper started to regain his wits and try to heal himself. After another 20 minutes, the grim reaper stood up with anger visible on his skull. Although he had no skin or organs, everyone swore they could see him sweating. Just as he was about to use every bit of his remaining power to inflict damage, an ice blue pillar of Qi shot up from the tallest tower in the central city. The grim reaper looked up at it, and decided to retreat. After the damage he had taken and the Qi it took to heal himself, the grim reaper only had 5% of his Qi left. Although it would be enough to deal with the first three rulers, Anna would be too much now that she had broken through. The grim reaper broke a hole in space and retreated at full speed, but a sword shot out from the tower towards his location as he was entering the hole. The grim reaper dodged it and got sucked into the hole, taking him who knows where instantly. Anna flew out from the tower and stood in the air looking at the healing space hole. She knew she may not be able to survive if she went in and she may not catch up even if she did. The space hole healed up and the grim reaper officially escaped. Anna looked around and saw the damage to the area, along with the injured rulers. "That was dangerous. We must not let ourselves fall behind the grim reaper or we will all die." She said simply. If she hadn''t coincidently broken through, the grim reaper would have been able to sweep through the rulers despite the damage done to him. The situation was something they could never allow to happen again. If not for the old man who had comprehended a way to sacrifice his life, the entire world may have died this day. In the next few days, a funeral was held in honor of the old man. Every ruler attended while most of the world showed up. Afterwards, a giant statue was built in the place his tower once stood. On it was a gold plaque that said : In honor of the man that saved the world. Zhou Fan decided to hold back the grim reapers'' progress a bit from then on. Otherwise, he would win the next time he showed up. Now that he was done with the grim reaper for now, Zhou Fan chose to go back into seclusion. He wanted to break through as fast as he could so that the solar system could be in harmony. Zhou Fan teleported to the floating palace and took one last look at the current world before he went into seclusion. The mermaids had stayed in the deep ocean cave since he had first given them intelligence. They had made very little advancements in technology or cultivation. The strongest had only just reached nascent soul. Without a leader, they were doomed to fail. None of the opportunities had been taken. In fact, not a single one had even come close to being taken. The ten planets that Zhou Fan had connected to his mortal dao were still growing and would soon reach incredible sizes. Overall, the entire Zhou World was steady and peaceful. Zhou Fan closed his eyes and started cultivating. ----------------- 13,000 years later, Zhou Fan broke into the 6th level of the lesser dao creation realm. As per usual, his strength had increased greatly. Without even taking a moment to check out the Zhou World, Zhou Fan teleported out into space. The ten planets had finished growing in the time since he entered seclusion. The biggest of them had reached half the size of the Zhou World while the smallest was one twentieth the size of the Zhou World. Although it was only a twentieth, the planet was bigger than the sun it flew around. With his breakthrough, Zhou Fan could sense the planets, including the Zhou World, were about to start growing again. Before then, Zhou Fan chose to try his earlier idea. He would attempt to connect his mortal dao to the sun. Zhou Fan flew into it and traveled towards the center. Although he had no idea if it would be the same as a planet, he figured that there was only one way to find out. Since he was taking in the sight and flying slowly, it took Zhou Fan twenty minutes to reach the center of the sun. Like almost the entire sun, it was in a gaseous state. However, Zhou Fan could feel the vitality it was giving off. Only now did Zhou Fan understand just how much life stars had. If he were to reach his hand into the very center of the sun, a sphere no bigger than a foot in diameter, he may experience heavy burns. Without a doubt, he had reached the sun''s core. Chapter 121: Sixty - 121 Chapter 121 - Sixty - 121 Without thinking too much, Zhou Fan started to input his power into the sun. He could tell that the process would be much harder than when he was connecting the planets. While he was taking over the sun, the sun was also fighting back. Although it didn''t have sentience, it was as if it was instinctually attacking. Nevertheless, Zhou Fan easily took over the sun and connected it with his mortal dao. Like the Zhou World, the sun was directly connected to him. Therefore, it would grow much bigger than the other planets. Since it had already been so big, it will also grow bigger than the Zhou World. If it wasn''t directly connected to him and instead connected to the Zhou World, it would never be able to surpass it. With the addition of the growing sun, the solar system would soon be completely functional. It would have no issues expanding as far as it needed to. As for the other suns, Zhou Fan had ideas for them later. Once he became stronger, he would use their essence to turn them into weapons. The sun''s essence was at its very center within the core. It was the main thing that Zhou Fan replaced when taking over the sun. The core was like the shell of the sun''s essence. Despite adding a sun to his mortal dao, Zhou Fan felt that he could add a couple more planets before he had to break through again. Zhou Fan went around the solar system and added ten more planets to the new solar system he was creating. Now, there were twenty planets surrounding the sun. The next time he came out of seclusion, both the sun and the new planets would have grown as big as they could. Of course, they would also start expanding as soon as he came out of seclusion like the Zhou world was now. While waiting for the Zhou World to finish expanding, Zhou Fan decided to name the solar system he was creating. It took mere seconds before he came up with the idea of the ''Zhou System''. It is a basic and obvious name, but Zhou Fan felt it was fine. It also fit with just about everything else he had ever named. Afterwards, Zhou Fan spent a few years floating in space while looking at the stars. He had no idea what to do and felt too lazy to do the only things he could think of. He could bring the grim reaper out, but that was unnecessary and unproductive. He could also add more opportunities, but he was drawing a blank. As more and more time passed, Zhou Fan started to think less and less. After ten years, Zhou Fan fell asleep for the first time in tens of thousands of years. He didn''t have a dream at all. After a while, Zhou Fan opened his eyes. He felt as if he had time traveled. One moment he was floating in space and the next he was laying in some rock on an unidentifiable planet. He quickly estimated that it had been a thousand years since he fell asleep. Although he was curious, all he had to do was use his divine sense to find out where he was. He was on one of the planets that he had recently added to his connection. In the last thousand years, the planets and the sun Zhou Fan added had fully grown. As expected, the sun was ten times bigger than the Zhou World. Compared to earth and its sun, the Zhou World and the sun didn''t have that big of a difference. Zhou Fan didn''t stay on the planet for too long before he flew up and left towards the Zhou World. He had already sensed the entire area and knew that there was nothing special. After making it back to the Zhou World, Zhou Fan looked around and saw that nothing much had changed. After all, it had only been a thousand years. Since Zhou Fan was unable to connect any more planets to his mortal dao, he decided to go into seclusion and break through. He teleported to his room in the floating palace and started to cultivate. ------------------- 15,000 years passed and Zhou Fan quietly broke into the 7th level of the lesser dao creation realm. Without sparing a second, he teleported to space and went to the closest unconnected planet. As he connected it to his mortal dao, the Zhou World, the sun, and all the other planets within the Zhou solar system began to grow. He spent three days connecting planets to his mortal dao and by the end he had managed to connect 60 planets in total. He then moved them around the sun which increased the size of the Zhou solar system. Zhou Fan was able to guess that with his next breakthrough, he would be able to connect the final forty planets to his mortal dao. At that time, he would be ready to give life to all of the planets and create an ecosystem. Before he did that, he wanted to create one or two structures in the space above the sun. Specifically, he wanted to create a grand hall. It would be a place where the most powerful people of the Zhou solar system would convene. Since it would be in space without any barriers to provide air, only cultivators at the void traversing level would be able to enter. However, void traversing cultivators would soon be the second highest strength within the Zhou solar system. Zhou Fan glanced at Anna and saw that she was extremely close to breaking into the space shattering realm. At that time, her authority would be set in stone for years to come. The dragon king was now at the tenth level of void traversing, but it would take him much longer to break into space shattering. Even so, he would soon be in the space shattering realm. As for the monkey king and the titanosaur, they may never break into the space shattering realm at all. Chapter 122: To Kill or Not To Kill - 122 Chapter 122 - To Kill or Not To Kill - 122 Zhou Fan flew above the sun and looked for the center most point. He planned to create the grand hall directly above the center of the sun, yet far enough that it was hardly affected by the heat. He wasn''t sure how big he would make it, but it wouldn''t be colossal. He didn''t mind how big it was as long as it fulfilled its singular purpose. Being a meeting place. It would serve as the place that all leaders of each of the hundred planets would gather in, much like the palace in the center of Zhou World. Like usual, Zhou Fan got all the materials from the center of the Zhou world. This time, the strongest materials were at the tenth level of space shattering. As Zhou Fans cultivation increased and the Zhou World expanded, the materials it had also grew stronger. Zhou Fan estimated that within the next two breakthroughs, materials at the lesser dao creation realm would start existing. Zhou Fan essentially cleared out every bit of space shattering 10 material within the Zhou World and teleported back to the area that he wanted to create the palace in. The palace would be square shaped and a hundreth of the size of the current Zhou world. It would have a flat area in the front with pillars connecting to an overhanging ceiling and giant doors that ensure even a hundred titanosaurs could get in at the same time. The entire outside of the grand hall would be white like marble. As for the inside, it would have carpets and chairs that looked like thrones. It would have banners hanging from the ceiling representing each of the planets or powerful groups. For example, the Zhou world would have a banner but there would also be banners representing the most powerful groups of the Zhou World like the celestials and the supreme beasts. With everything planned out, Zhou Fan started creating the building. It only took an hour before the giant structure was finished and furnished. It looked even better than Zhou Fan initially thought it would. On the inside were a hundred sections that represented the hundred planets lined up on the sides in the air and a carpet leading towards a carpeted area with a throne. The throne would be sat on by the most powerful person in the Zhou solar system. As of right now, that would be Anna. Zhou Fan walked down the carpeted walkway and reached the throne. He didn''t sit on it but put a book on top of the throne. Once one of the powerful members of the Zhou World discovers the area and finds the book, they would know exactly what was to be done with it. As Zhou Fan was placing the book, a meeting between the 4 rulers of the Zhou World was taking place. They had convened after seeing the major movement within the space around them. Naturally, the movement and growth of planets and the sun hadn''t gone unnoticed in the Zhou World. Even the dumbest of cultivators realized that something weird was going on when a sun appeared and new planets were seen at night. For a long time, the rulers had been convening about the movements, starting from when Zhou Fan first replaced the moon. "Recently, more and more planets have begun circling around the sun. I believe it won''t be long before each of the nearest hundred planets are doing the same. While that alone is not exactly a threat, it remains a question as to what is going on and if it is a threat to us." Anna said at the start of the meeting. "We have also seen more and more evolutions from the 10 other planets with life on them. Luckily, it has only been non-sentient life forms, which pose no threat to us. However, they may soon gain sentient life that may feel the need to go to war with us. Therefore, a course of action needs to be discussed." "I say we kill all the life on the other planets before something unexpected happens. Who knows if they will ever quickly grow under our noses and strike at us. It is not worth the risk it may bring." The dragon king said. Although it sounded dark, what he said was the most logical course of action. Otherwise, unnecessary threats could be born. "It is completely unethical to wipe out life that poses absolutely no threat to us. Although what you said could be true, the odds of someone talented enough to grow faster than us, and without us noticing, being born is incalculable. Instead of killing all of the life on the planets, I propose that we help it grow and increase our own powers in case a real threat ever reaches us. That way, we can avoid the evil act of masacre and instead bring us even more benefits than the massacre would." The monkey king said, arguing against the dragon king''s cruel suggestion. "I have no opinion on the matter and will follow whatever consensus you all come to." The titanosaur briefly said. He hadn''t cared about things outside of the dinosaur lands for a long time. "Although I too am mostly neutral, I believe that the monkey king''s idea is better for everyone." Anna said. " It will also help us increase our power with very little chance of a threat. Remember, we always have a real threat hanging above our heads. We cannot get too caught up in possible threats when we can help alleviate a current threat." Obviously, the threat she was talking about was the grim reaper. He had always been a real and threatening existence to the Zhou World. "Does anyone have anything else to say on the matter?" Anna asked after seeing that no one started speaking. Not a single person moved as they continued to look at her. "In that case, Let''s vote. Raise your hand if you believe that we should follow the monkey king''s suggestion and help the life on the other planets grow." Hearing her, everyone, including the titanosaur and the dragon king raised their hands. "In that case, let''s discuss how we should go about nurturing them." Anna said. Chapter 123: Exploration - 123 Chapter 123 - Exploration - 123 After he placed the book on the throne, Zhou Fan teleported back to the Zhou world. Although he was ready to go back into cultivation, he needed to wait some years before the Zhou Solar System finished expanding. Until that time, he would have to find something else to occupy him. Zhou Fan thought for a while, and since it would take the Zhou World more than fifty years to expand, he could go out and explore the galaxy again. With his current strength and speed, he would be able to travel around the full thing within fifty years even if he took it slowly. In the past years, Zhou Fan had been able to observe and draw a map of much of the galaxy. He had come to the conclusion that it was in the shape of a spiraling circle. The earth was somewhere in the middle section, in between the core section and the outer section of the galaxy. The Zhou Solar System was very close to the earth on the map, but they were still many many light-years away from each other. Although he was somewhat curious about the state of the planet, Zhou Fan wanted to hold off his visit to earth for a bit longer. Perhaps he would visit after he broke through to the realm after lesser dao creation. Until then, he decided to go outwards towards the edge of the galaxy and then circle the peripheral until he had gone around it. After that, he would sweep the entire area by going around until he finally reached the center of the galaxy and found what lies there. At a speed that may have never been seen before in the universe, Zhou Fan flew off towards the edge of the galaxy. Everytime he found a solar system or a lone celestial body, he would stop, explore the area, and write it down on his map. In just a month, Zhou Fan made it to the edge of the galaxy. Behind him was a field of stars and planets while in front of him was an endless darkness with the only thing past it being other galaxies. For the first time, Zhou Fan was getting a clear and uninterrupted view of a galaxy. Just like Zhou Fan estimated his galaxy looked like, the galaxy was a spiral circle with countless stars. One difference was that the other galaxy had an overall red hue to it while his galaxy had a purple hue to it. It was by far the most beautiful thing he had seen. There were also other galaxies within view, but the red one was the closest and most interesting looking. Zhou Fan walked out of the boundary of the galaxy for the first time and felt an immense chill. It was as if his body was encased in absolute darkness, without light or warmth. To Zhou Fan, it wasn''t very hard to withstand, but it was still an uncomfortable and weird feeling. He estimated that someone would have to be at the lesser dao creation realm to even survive in the space between galaxies. He didn''t stay within the area too long before he went back inside the galaxy. Although the galaxy could be considered huge, the space in between them was much much bigger. If you lined up Zhou Fans galaxy side by side in the direction of the nearest galaxy, it would take more than a thousand of them to reach the other galaxy. For that reason, Zhou Fan decided to stay within the bounds of his galaxy for a while. He was in no rush to explore the rest of the universe and as long as he kept getting stronger, he would be able to traverse its entirety in a snap. After his encounter with the area in between the galaxies, Zhou Fan stayed within the galaxy and went around the outside edge. The entire trip took a year to complete and Zhou Fan could say that he had explored 5% of the outer galaxy. After he reached the same place that he had left the galaxy at, he went inwards and explored the next section of the galaxy, writing the entire exploration down and creating a map. After 25 years, Zhou Fan had finally finished exploring the outer section of the galaxy. He had seen many interesting things and even discovered a couple things no one had known existed. Zhou Fan double checked to make sure he had covered the entire area of the outer galaxy and went to the middle section, the same area that earth and the Zhou Solar System existed in. Although he would pass by earth, Zhou Fan decided to stay a thousand light years away from it at all times and even block his vision from seeing the area. He truly wanted to have a surprise when he returned in the future. No spoilers could be allowed. Zhou Fan then explored the entire middle area, discovering a few more new things and mapping the entire area. It took him 15 years to do so. Next was the core area. The core area took up 5 thousand light years of the galaxy and was about 5% of the total area. Even so, Zhou Fan was most excited to explore it. He could feel that within the core area was the secret to how the galaxy was held together. Unlike the solar systems, it wasn''t held together by a sun, but by something producing much more gravity. Zhou Fan slowly swept the outside of the core area and slowly rotated his way towards the center. He took much more time and mapped much more carefully. The planets in the core area were much bigger than the planets in the other areas. Even the suns were much bigger on average. Although there was nothing the size of the Zhou World or its sun, there were some things that came pretty close. After 7 years, Zhou Fan finally made his way to the center of the core area. Blocking his path was a field of debris similar to an asteroid belt but much thicker. It was so thick that he was unable to see past it. Chapter 124: Black Hole - 124 Chapter 124 - Black Hole - 124 Zhou Fan didn''t go out of his way in order to move the asteroid field away, but started flying through the openings within. At first there was a lot of space to move around in and it took no effort to find a path forwards not blocked by asteroids. After Zhou Fan had flown 1000 miles, the asteroids started to thicken and increase. After another thousand, Zhou Fan had to look for a path through, although it was still very easy to find. After ten thousand miles, it was starting to seem less like an asteroid field and more like a cave. After an entire light-year was traveled, Zhou Fan was unable to find a way through. Every inch forward was covered in rock as if it was a wall. Zhou Fan started using Qi to make a hole through the thick wall and continued to fly towards the center of the galaxy. He continued to do so for another light-year until suddenly, there was no more rock. Zhou Fan flew out of the wall and was greeted with a familiar sight. Stars and planets made up many areas in his vision and it seemed as if he had just left a cave and entered a galaxy. However, there was one big difference. In the center of the area was a giant black sphere. It was tens of thousands of times bigger than the Zhou World and its sun combined. Although it could barely be felt where he was standing or in most other parts of the galaxy, Zhou Fan could tell that it gave off an immense gravity that pulled everything towards it. Luckily, the giant black sphere didn''t extend its reach too far and it seemed that only the hundred light-years around it were empty. The rest of the galaxy was happily floating around it as if it was a sun. Seeing the black sphere, Zhou Fan gave it a name. He called it a black hole. He called it that since it was black and looked like a circular hole in space if you didn''t use your divine sense. Using divine sense, however, would show its true form which was that of a sphere. Zhou Fan decided that he would explore it, but he would first explore the surrounding areas. Like in the rest of the galaxy, Zhou Fan ventured around and added everything he found on a map. Throughout his entire journey, Zhou Fan had neither found a planet with life nor a planet capable of having life in the future without his intervention. There was absolutely nothing but rock and ores. It didn''t take too long before Zhou Fan finished with every part of the core area besides the black hole. Zhou Fan floated in the last bit of space not majorly impacted by the black hole before moving forward and entering its domain. He instantly felt a suction force strong enough to pull a tenth level void traversing cultivator towards the black hole helplessly start pulling him. Of course, Zhou Fan ignored the force and started to fly towards the black hole without the help of the suction force. As he got closer and closer, the suction force increased. Once he reached the halfway point between the planet nearest to the black hole and the black hole, the force was strong enough to pull a 4th level space shattering cultivator to their doom. Once he reached the three fourths point, Zhou Fan felt the force increase dramatically to the point that a 9th level space shattering cultivator would be sucked in. As he reached a mile before the black hole, Zhou Fan felt the force become strong enough to injure a first level lesser dao creation cultivator. The black hole''s strength started to seriously dumbfound Zhou Fan at that point. He never expected something that strong to exist within a galaxy. Even the oldest and strongest star going supernova may not be able to scratch someone at the lesser dao creation realm. Zhou Fan couldn''t help but imagine what would happen if the black hole exploded. Perhaps the entire galaxy would be devoured. After all, its strength would likely increase an entire realm. Zhou Fan finally got within inches of the black hole and reached out his hand. Now, the black hole was using enough force to rip a third level lesser dao creation realm cultivator''s hand to shreds, but Zhou Fan''s hand didn''t even move an inch. Once his hand finally touched the black hole, it released a force much stronger than it had since Zhou Fan first saw it. Its strength seemed to soar and it started to try and rip Zhou Fan to shreds with the power of a fifth level lesser dao creation realm cultivator. For the first time in a while, Zhou Fan looked serious. He instinctually clenched his hand into a fist, covered it with chaos Qi, and sent his most powerful attack towards the black hole. The two forces collided and the black hole''s power disintegrated instantly while Zhou Fans power shot towards it and landed on its exterior. As if it was a rubber ball, the black hole deformed and squished. The attack was nearly enough to destroy it. Luckily, Zhou Fan pulled back in the last second and stopped his attack. Although a normal attack at the 7th level of lesser dao creation may not do that much damage, Zhou Fan had used an attack infused with Chaos Qi. Even the black holes Qi paled in comparison to Chaos Qi. Speaking of black hole Qi, Zhou Fan had instantly comprehended it after he saw the black holes attack. It was the most powerful Qi besides Chaos Qi he had seen thus far. After attacking the black hole, Zhou Fan started to observe it closer. He was quickly able to tell that it had a part of the cosmic dao inside it. Zhou Fan hadn''t seen or encountered anything with the cosmic dao for a long time. He had still been unable to comprehend any more than the 5% he had comprehended when he had broken into the lesser dao creation realm. Chapter 125: Pillars - 125 Chapter 125 - Pillars - 125 After sensing that the black hole had a part of the cosmic dao within it, Zhou Fan backed up and didn''t mess with it anymore in case it started attacking him. Although he had become very strong since he had last seen it, he didn''t feel completely safe encountering it. It was something beyond his comprehension and Zhou Fan felt that even a part of it would be enough to harm him. Perhaps once he broke into the next level he wouldn''t have to worry about a fragment and instead just stay away from the main body, although he was unable to find it even if he looked. Although he had backed away, Zhou Fan continued to observe the black hole from afar. Very quickly, Zhou Fan noticed something terrifying. Although very slowly, the black hole was expanding. Its progress was so slow that it was expanding a little less than a mile a year, but it was possible that it would grow quicker as time passed and eventually devour the galaxy. Despite the fact that a hundred thousand years could pass without any major change happening, Zhou Fan still didn''t feel comfortable leaving the black hole to freely grow. Of course, he couldn''t just destroy it. Besides the fact that a piece of the cosmic dao was within it, there was also the fact that it held the entire galaxy together. Even with his current strength, Zhou Fan had no way to hold the galaxy together himself without focusing all his energy on it. He also knew that he would be unable to create a black hole or something similar to control the entire galaxy''s gravity. Therefore, Zhou Fan thought of another plan. It was possible that he could create a formation or array that would stop the black hole from growing any further than it had. It would be the most complicated formation he had ever made since it needed to cover such an immense amount of space and do its job with perfection, but Zhou Fan felt that he could do it. First, he needed to come up with a way to keep the black hole from growing. He considered making a barrier or having an attack formation shave away part of it like it was trimming a beard. After thinking for a while, he felt that the best course of action was using a combination of both methods. He then needed to decide what type of Qi would work best. Although his first thought was to use chaos Qi, it was far too dangerous to use casually. Instead, he could use an element that was calmer than chaos Qi yet still powerful. After a few moments, Zhou Fan came to the conclusion that lightning Qi was the way to go. It was more powerful and stronger than an element like fire, but not as chaotic as chaos Qi. With the use of lightning Qi, Zhou Fan felt there was a high chance of success. The next thing to think about was the exact use of the formation. Zhou Fan felt the best way would be to have a barrier of lightning Qi surrounding the black hole and stopping its expansion, while also having some lightning shave down bits of the black hole in order to completely halt its advances. If what he was doing was compared to a haircut, it would be as if the lightning Qi barrier was a comb that held the hair, or the black hole, and the lightning that attacked was the pair of clippers that cut the hair, or the black hole. Theoretically, the formation was simple, but when tried practically, there were some problems. The biggest was the sheer size that the formation would have to be. The black hole was thousands of times bigger than the Zhou Solar system''s sun, which had previously been the biggest thing he had seen in the galaxy. The formation would span many lightyear''s. The second problem was the Qi needed to power the formation. Even Zhou Fan felt that he was lacking in Qi to support such a powerful and big formation. Therefore, he would need to find another method to power it. For the first problem, Zhou Fan thought that he should link multiple formations and arrays together in order to make one that would cover the black hole. As for how to do that, Zhou Fan felt that four really big pieces of rock would be needed. The four rocks would be almost as tall as the black hole itself and be positioned in the four directions of it. They would be arches and they would be covered from head to toe in formations. After planning it in his head, he felt that the idea should work. The biggest issue would be getting all that rock. Luckily, there were plenty of useless planets in the galaxy that Zhou Fan could use and he could also expand the rocks to their fullest potential, reducing the necessary amount by three times. Zhou Fan started by collecting the planets closest to the black hole. Like every other planet in the galaxy besides earth and the Zhou World, the planets were useless with no potential for life. Since they would have been devoured by the black hole anyway, Zhou Fan didn''t feel too bad. After an entire month of collecting and expanding, Zhou Fan had many light years worth of rock. Luckily, Zhou Fan barely had to pay attention to width and only look at the height of the arches, although they still had many miles of length. Zhou Fan split the rock into four different piles and shaped them how he wanted them. They were like giant pillars with a small curve to adjust to the black hole''s roundness. He didn''t place them around the black holes just yet and instead began to think of solutions to the second problem. After a while, Zhou Fan felt that the only way to power the formations was to use the immense Qi of the black hole itself. Chapter 126: Completed - 126 Chapter 126 - Completed - 126 Although the black hole was weaker than Zhou Fan overall, it had an amount of Qi similar to his. If Zhou Fan was able to collect most of the Qi the black hole was giving off, he would be able to completely power the array. However, taking too much Qi would weaken the gravity that the black hole gave off. Therefore, Zhou Fan could only safely take away enough Qi to power half of the array. For the rest, he would have to find another source. Using his own Qi would be ridiculous as he would be constantly using at least a fourth of his reserves. That would slow down his cultivation speed and decrease his strength. The only possibility would be to harness some of the Qi that the bit of cosmic dao was producing. Although it would be a bit complicated, Zhou Fan felt that it was very possible. The biggest difficulty would be getting the Qi out of the black hole. It was constantly sucking up every bit of Qi the bit of cosmic dao was producing, which was also the main reason the black hole was always expanding. Zhou Fan thought for a while before he had a great idea. Instead of trying to drag the energy out of the black hole himself and risking the bit of cosmic dao attacking him, he could power up the formation with his own Qi and add a formation that would drag the Qi out of the bit of cosmic dao. With the combination of the black holes Qi and the cosmic daos'' Qi, the formation would power itself completely. Now that he had planned everything out, Zhou Fan started to inscribe formations on the four pillars. Along with the attack formations and the barrier formations, he added the Qi grabbing formation that would power the entire thing. It took him many hours since he was focusing heavily, but Zhou Fan quickly got the job done. With the formations done, Zhou Fan placed the four pillars in the four directions around the black hole. He used his Qi to keep them in place until they were activated and Powered them up. The four pillars all shined with a purple light that eventually covered every bit of them. With that, Zhou Fan let go of them and they floated without moving. After a moment, purple lightning shot out from the top of the four pillars towards the center point above the black hole and met. At the same time, the bottom of the four pillars shot out a streak of purple lightning that went under the black hole and met at the bottom. Once the two points were there, the black hole seemed to have a four line cage covering it. The array wasn''t completed, however, as from the two points of collision, four more vertical streaks of lightning covered the space in between the four lines, forming an eight line cage of purple lightning. Still, the formation wasn''t finished. From the sides of the four pillars, more purple lightning shot out and formed a horizontal circle around the black hole. Once that was done, an ethereal purple light filled the space untouched by lightning, creating a perfect barrier around the black hole. Now, the attack section and the barrier section of the array were finished deploying. All that was left was the Qi gathering part. From the four pillars, a suction force grabbed hold of the black holes Qi. It made sure that it didn''t touch enough to affect the gravity it gave off, but it grabbed every bit of energy that wasn''t needed. From the same suction force, some Qi from the bit of cosmic dao was sucked into the array. Zhou Fan stopped sending his Qi into the array and watched on as it functioned perfectly. After a while, Zhou Fan knew that it had worked. He happily sat down and meditated to quickly recover the Qi he used to activate the array. After a while, he opened his eyes and once again looked at the black hole. It seemed like it would stay stable for a long time. Since there was nothing left to do, Zhou Fan checked his map and went back to the Zhou World. It had nearly been fifty years since he had left and it was time to go back. He quickly returned and saw that nothing had changed while he was gone besides the size of the planets and the sun. He quickly made his way back to the floating palace and started cultivating. He was eager to break through so that he could finally finish adding all the planets to his mortal dao. After he did that, he would finally have a complete Zhou solar system. ----------------- 18,000 years passed and Zhou Fan broke into the 8th level of the lesser dao creation realm. He didn''t stay in the floating palace but teleported out into space and started adding planets to his mortal dao. The process was very quick since he had long been used to it and soon, the Zhou Solar system had a hundred planets. Zhou Fan moved the planets to circle around the sun. Looking at the hundred planets, Zhou Fan couldn''t help but feel proud of himself. It took nearly a hundred thousand years of work, but he had done it. The next step was giving life to the planets he had yet to mess with. Although he had done it to the first ten planets he added to the Zhou Solar System, he had decided to wait until he had gotten all the planets to add life to the rest. Speaking of life on the other planets, they were evolving quite well without his assistance. Although they weren''t exactly improving since they had come from the Zhou Worlds own living beings, they were starting to change in looks and gain their own distinct differences. Even so, none of it mattered until the planets gained a sentient race like the celestials or the humans. Chapter 127: Crowning - 127 Chapter 127 - Crowning - 127 Although Zhou Fan would eventually help the life on the other planets evolve faster and gain a sentient race or two, he decided to first worry about giving the planets without any sort of life a way to gain life. Zhou Fan first flew to the planet on the left of the Zhou World that didn''t have any life. Starting there, he would give life to all the planets in the solar system. Like before, Zhou Fan took an entire mountain from the Zhou World and gave the planet a layer of dirt, along with living animals and eventually an atmosphere. He then went to the next planet and repeated the process. Due to the immense size of the Zhou world, a hundred mountains were barely noticeable. Therefore, Zhou Fan had no trouble filling up every planet in the solar system with dirt and life. Some planets were ice planets, so instead of putting a bunch of dirt on it he simply melted away the ice and created a big water planet. Afterwards, he took a bunch of water from the Zhou World and gave the dirt planets oceans and rivers. Everything went so smoothly and Zhou Fan felt lucky that the planets were still so small compared to the Zhou World. All of them combined would only have the surface area of a thousandth of the Zhou world. However, that would eventually change as Zhou Fan broke through and the planets would one day become around half of the size of the Zhou World before staying at that mark. After he gave each of the planets dirt, water, and life, Zhou Fan was ready to help the life on every planet in the solar system besides the Zhou World evolve. Although he had done it before, Zhou Fan had never used life Qi on such a wide radius. In order to cover the expanded solar system completely, Zhou Fan would have to expend a lot of effort. Even so, Zhou Fan felt that there was little to no difficulty in the process. Zhou Fan released a dome from his body that expanded throughout the entire solar system, excluding only the Zhou world and its sun. After the dome covered everything else, Zhou Fan filled it up with all the life Qi he could produce. A green mist covered every single planet besides the Zhou world and all the life on those planets felt energized down to their cells. Changes quickly happened and Zhou Fan watched as life changed at a rapid rate. After a year of constantly receiving life Qi, the life on the planets had changed rapidly. One of the planets had even shown signs of having sentient life. It was still too early to tell, but Zhou Fan had hope. After five more years, the life had changed and grown even more. Now, 10 of the planets had gained sentient life. They mostly had humanoid features like the celestials and humans, but there were plenty of differences. After ten more years, fifty of the hundred planets had gained some sort of sentient life. As more planets gained it, Zhou Fan saw many more variations exist. From one planet, there were bee looking beings that had become sentient. They were yellow with stingers, yet wore clothes and carried bags. It was weird to even look at, but Zhou Fan quickly got over it. In the future, he guessed that much weirder life would appear. After another twenty years, every single planet in the Zhou solar system had sentient life. The weirdest to Zhou Fan were still the bees, but there were plenty almost as weird. In the last twenty years, the dragon king and the other rulers, besides Anna who was breaking through, had discovered that the planets had gained some sentient life. They were shocked as they expected it to be hundreds of thousands of years before such a thing happened, but they quickly started to venture out and meet the new species. While they were doing that, Zhou Fan was looking at the deepest part of the Zhou World''s ocean. Down there, a coronation ceremony was happening. On a throne made of gold sat a young looking mermaid male. Zhou Fan decided to start calling male mermaids merman to avoid personal confusion. An older merman was walking towards the young merman with a scepter while tens of thousands of other mermaids watched it happen in silence. Once the older merman reached the boy, he knelt on the ground and held up a crown of pure gold inlaid with many rare jewels. "Countless years have passed since our mermaid race was first born, yet we have stayed in our place without daring to go too far. We have long been too cowardly to explore the world and it has started to seep into our very bones. With you, however, we can enter a new era for the mermaid race. Finally, we have a king!" The old merman said while kneeling. The surrounding mermaids erupted into a cheer after hearing the old mermans declaration. However, the young man suddenly stood up, silencing the crowd. He took the crown from the old mermans hands and put it on his head. The boy picked up the golden trident standing against the throne and raised it up in the air. "I solemnly swear that the mermaid race will never hide away at the bottom of the ocean again." He said with hope in his eyes. The surrounding mermaids once again erupted in cheer. Eventually, they seemed to band together and started a chant. "Long live the king! Long live the king! Long live the king!" Their combined chants were so loud that the ocean floor shook and the ground above experienced slight movement. If any of the rulers were still on the planet, or if Anna was paying any attention to the outside world, then they would have all felt the tremors and instantly understood what was going on. Coincidently, however, they were each occupied with their own business. Chapter 128: Jack - 128 Chapter 128 - Jack - 128 Before the new mermaid king could set off on his journey to become the king of the ocean, he needed to start cultivating. Since cultivation had never been a big priority of the mermaid race, it was very rare for someone below the age of eighteen to start cultivating. Therefore, the new mermaid king, who was only ten, was a complete mortal. He didn''t even have the strong body that all celestials had. In other words, he was near the very bottom in terms of strength in the Zhou World. The only reason he was excluded from the absolute bottom ranks was because the mermaids naturally had strong bodies so that they could resist deep sea pressure, but they didn''t have much and instead relied on their biological structure to survive the heavy pressure. After the ceremony ended, the old merman led the new king to the palace of the mermaids. Although there had been a previous king, he had immediately relinquished his position to the merman boy after he heard the news of him pulling out the trident. Once they reached the throne room, the old king, along with a few of his most trusted generals and advisors, were kneeling on the ground. "We greet the mermaid king and the royal teacher" They said in unison as they kneeled. The matter of the mermaid boy pulling out the trident was not to be underestimated. It had long been engraved into the minds of all mermaids that the one who pulled it out was the rightful and true king. Even the old king, who was now kneeling, didn''t feel any resentment at losing his position. He whole-heartedly believed that the boy was the rightful ruler and he was just warming the seat. "Stand, we must make plans for the future." Finley, the old merman said. The old king and the rest of the group stood up and sat at the seats at the side of the throne room. The mermaid boy, Jack, went up to the throne and sat upon it while Finley stood beside him. Finley was both the most knowledgeable merman in the entire mermaid cave and Jack''s mentor. Until Jack became old enough to rule wisely, Finley would teach him everything he needed to know and advise him on all of his choices. Zhou Fan watched on, invisible. "Hello. It is nice to meet you all. As you know, I, Jack, am the new king of the mermaid race." Jack said. "It is our honor to meet you, your highness." The old king said from his seat, followed by a quick nod from the others in the group. After saying that, Jack looked to his side at Finley. Finley knew that Jack didn''t know what to say and spoke up. "Before we do anything else, I will teach Jack cultivation and he will cultivate until he has reached a level of strength that can hold our race up. Until then, we expect you all and every other mermaid to cultivate with all your efforts. We must not drag King Jack down." He said. "You are absolutely right sir Finley." The old king said. "Under you and King Jack''s supervision, we will implement cultivation to all corners of the mermaid cave." Finley nodded at the group and dismissed them, leaving only him and Jack. "We must act in haste, Jack. Who knows what is happening in the outside world. You are the only one who can give our race safety and peace." Finley said. "Come. I will teach you the ways of cultivation, although I''m sure you will quickly surpass me." Finley was only at the 5th level of nascent soul, although that did make him one of the strongest mermaids. He led Jack to one of the rooms in the back of the castle and spent a week teaching him everything there was to know about cultivation. Jack absorbed all the knowledge he was told the first time he heard it and was able to quickly understand it all. As soon as he learned the necessary knowledge, Jack was urged into seclusion by Finley. He was told to not come out until he reached the nascent soul realm. In five and a half years, Jack got out of seclusion. His body had clearly grown, but he mostly had the mentality of a ten year old. The biggest change was that his patience was at a whole new level. Of course, patience was something every cultivator gained. Jack swam all the way up to the top floor of the tower and knocked on one of the doors. "Who is it? What do you need?" An old voice asked. "It''s me Finley." Jack responded. As soon as Jack spoke, a crash was heard, along with a groan and hasty footsteps. The door swung open and Finley looked at Jack with his jaw dropped. "I expected you had more talent than any other, but I didn''t think it would only take five and a half years for you to reach the same realm as me." Finley said after closing his jaw. "Let''s go. I have much to teach you." Jack followed Finley down the many steps of the castle and arrived in the same room he was first taught cultivation in. "Now that you have reached my realm, there are some things to teach you." He said. " First, as soon as a mermaid reaches the core formation realm, they can transform their lower body and grow legs. Although most places in the mermaid cave have been created for people with fins, you have probably noticed that places like the castle are built with legs in mind." Jack nodded as all of that was common knowledge. Although there weren''t many people in the core formation realm, those who were often traveled on foot. Finley continued to teach Jack things about cultivation as well as things about mermaids. Some of it was common knowledge while some was brand new, but Finley didn''t miss out on a single detail. A week of talking passed and Finley sent Jack back into seclusion until he reached a brand new realm that no mermaid had ever seen. Chapter 129: The Difference - 129 Chapter 129 - The Difference - 129 Jack stayed in seclusion for another year before he came out. This time, there was a group waiting for him. As Jack exited the room, they all stood with held breaths. Even Finley was looking at Jack with hope and excitement. Jack was first stunned when he looked at the crowd, but he soon regained his wits and looked back at them. "I have broken through to the soul formation realm." He said victoriously. When the group of mermaids heard his words, some jumped in the air while some smiled uncontrollably. Regardless, every single person there showed joy at Jack''s breakthrough. He was the first mermaid in history to ever break into the realm. The only reason they even knew what the realm was called was because all living beings of the Zhou World automatically knew that information. Otherwise, they would have taken wild guesses at the name of every realm. Zhou Fan watched the mermaids closely. Specifically, he was watching Jack. Jack had shown talent similar to Annas, and Zhou Fan felt that he had even more affinities than her. After seeing him break into the soul formation realm, he decided he was finished watching Jack for now. The journey from soul formation would get slower and slower regardless of Jack''s talent. It wasn''t only due to lack of talent, but lack of Qi. Despite Zhou Fan''s best efforts, the ratio of absorbable Qi''s to chaos qi was 1:50. This meant that someone like Zhou Fan would cultivate much faster than others. That didn''t mean that Zhou Fan was untalented without his chaos affinity, but that he wasn''t held back like others. In fact, with Jack''s talent, even if he could absorb chaos Qi he would be thousands of times slower than Zhou Fan. After all, Zhou Fan too was held back. Unlike everyone else, Zhou Fan had to create the path ahead. People like Jack and Anna were simply following a path he created. It was like the difference in speed between someone cutting a path through a forest and someone going through that path. It would obviously be many times easier for the person going through a path already there. Not to mention the fact that inventing new realms couldn''t be compared to cutting a path in a forest. It was more like the difference between carving a tunnel through a mountain with a pebble and walking through that path. Zhou Fan flew away from the deep sea and went to Anna''s tower. Once he arrived, he entered through the wall and looked at her. Naturally, he was invisible. Zhou Fan could tell that Anna was close to breaking through to the space shattering realm. She would successfully do it in around a thousand years. At that time, she would become the absolute being of the Zhou Solar system. Sadly, that wouldn''t last long with the dragon king not too far behind her and Jack starting his journey that will eventually lead him to catching up with her if he doesn''t die. Thinking of Jack dying, Zhou Fan had no intention of giving him any more help. If he was unable to survive and prosper with some of the greatest talent the universe has ever seen and a god-level weapon, Zhou Fan didn''t care if he died. He had already been given enough. After looking at Anna for a while, Zhou Fan left and checked out the situation in space. The rulers had spent the last few years making contact with the new sentient species, only to realize that they didn''t even know what cultivation was. Unlike people and things born on the Zhou World, the life born on other planets didn''t have cultivation information implanted into their minds. Therefore, it would be up to the rulers to teach them cultivation. Of course, they could also raise them like cattle without ever letting them know that something like cultivation exists, but Zhou Fan felt that doing that was bound to go wrong. Even on earth there were stories of the weak rising up to the strong, much less in a place with something like cultivation. All it would take was one being to learn too much and he could teach every other member of his race. As time passed, they would eventually give birth to a talented person who would fight back and usually win. However, it seemed that the rulers didn''t plan on taking the oppression path. Once they realized that the new life didn''t know cultivation, they wrote a book similar to the first book Zhou Fan gave the first celestials and gave it to them. They then realized that the sentient beings couldn''t read their language. Luckily, the rulers were high level cultivators and language was no issue. Within a day, they had a full grasp of the speaking and writing of the new races language. They then started to teach the new race the Zhou world language. It would take them a while, but they would learn quicker as their cultivation grew. Until then, they translated their book into the new races language and gave it to them. When Zhou Fan first saw the new race, he was shocked. Although there were slight differences, they had a striking resemblance to the demon race from earth. In fact, they even had a natural affinity with Demon Qi, so it would be weird to call them anything but demons. Once the dragon king sensed their affinity and their natural tendency towards demon Qi, he started to become closer to them. Eventually, he and the other rulers decided that the dragon king would take care of the demon race, which is what they also called them. The dragon king was satisfied since he had a high affinity with Demon Qi and he himself could be called a demonic dragon. That didn''t mean that he would tenderly care for them, however. The demons would still get very little interference since the rulers had decided together that the life on other planets should be left to grow mostly on their own. Chapter 130: Freedom - 130 Chapter 130 - Freedom - 130 After seeing the demon race, Zhou Fan went around to the other planets. There were many different species and some of them looked like species from earth. There were also species that weren''t even humanoid like the bees. Zhou Fan didn''t bother with them for long as he had already seen most of the species. There would be no more evolutions or species that weren''t already on the planet for a while since Zhou Fan had canceled the life Qi barrier. After taking another look around the solar system and seeing that nothing had changed, Zhou Fan went to the grand hall. He arrived quickly and walked through the entrance, but there was nobody there. With a single glance, Zhou Fan was able to tell that it had been explored, but not really used. The book was gone from its place on the throne and some of the couches had clearly been sat on. Whoever had visited had clearly been in humanoid form, or a celestial since the only couches that had been sat on were the small ones and not the huge ones. Despite the size of the grand hall, it was designed for existences in humanoid form or existences simply small enough to walk around normally. Even the biggest furniture would only hold someone the size of a house. One issue was that the throne was too small for existences like the titanosaur that had huge humanoid forms. It probably wouldn''t matter since the only person with enough talent to maybe take the throne from Anna would be the mermaid boy, who was far too young. Overall, the grand hall was a comfortable and luxurious place, and Zhou Fan decided to rest there until enough time had passed for things to become interesting. As of now, all the interesting people were either in seclusion or wandering around the solar system and talking to the new sentient species. To Zhou Fan, all of that was boring enough for him to want to enter seclusion himself, but all the interesting things would pass before he came out. Anna would have broken through, the mermaid boy would have probably reached the 3rd level of void traversing, and the other rulers would have probably finished everything with the new species. Therefore, Zhou Fan planned on relaxing in the grand hall for a year or two. Once that time passed, the mermaid boy would have started exploring the upper world and he could watch that. Zhou Fan spent the next three years living in the grand hall. He would often look at the Zhou World and watch people go through their life journeys. Sometimes, he wished he hadn''t been the first cultivator. If he hadn''t, he may be able to work up from the bottom and eventually reach the peak instead of starting from the top and staying there. Of course, Zhou Fan wouldn''t actually prefer that. It was just a thought that crossed his mind every now and then. At some point in the third year, Zhou Fan saw Jack at the entrance of the mermaid cave. He looked much more mature than before and only carried his trident with him as he left the mermaid cave for the first time. Not a single person followed him. By now, Jack had reached the 9th level of soul formation. Despite Finley''s persuasion, he decided that it was time for him to leave the cave and explore the world, and he wanted to do it alone. Zhou Fan teleported above Jack and started watching him on his journey. As Jack left the cave, he started swimming around the bottom of the ocean. It was much darker than the mermaid cave that was lit up by many glowing stones and other light producing things. Luckily, Jack was at the soul formation realm and even if he didn''t use his divine sense, he would be able to see just fine. Jack spent a couple of days swimming around the bottom section of the ocean, seeing many species he had never even heard of and also many types of ores and rocks. Despite the fact that he was a mermaid, Jack preferred to use legs. Therefore, instead of swimming up, he transformed his fins into legs and flew up. He broke through the bottom layer very quickly and arrived at the middle, then the top, and finally, Jack broke through the water and arrived in the air. At first, he was completely unprepared and started to struggle to breathe. However, he soon got used to it and put his arms out, enjoying the air. Since he had been born, he had never once been out of water. To him, the air felt so free and peaceful. After relishing in the air for a bit, Jack started to actually look around. For thousands of miles, there was no land whatsoever, so Jack started flying in a random direction. He started off slow, but sped up faster and faster until he was going thousands of miles per hour. Since he had never even left the cave before, he had never been able to move fast without running into a wall. Flying in the endless air gave him a feeling of freedom that was hard to describe. His initial homesickness was quickly replaced by happiness. With his speed, it didn''t take long before Jack saw land. What he saw was untouched land that was only occupied by roaming beasts, not to be confused with the beasts from the beast lands since most of the beasts at the place Jack arrived didn''t have any real sentience, and those that did had very little of it. Even so, Jack, who knew nothing of the world outside the cave, excitedly landed on the ground. He walked around the terrain, which was a forest, and looked at all the new things. The first thing he interacted with was the ground. The dirt was so dry and hard, unlike the little bit of dirt in the mermaid cave. The next thing he was interested in was the trees. Chapter 131: Exploration - 131 Chapter 131 - Exploration - 131 Jack flew to the trees and started to observe them. After he made sure they were safe to touch, he started to feel them. Jack continued to explore the small area and felt excited with all the new things. He found plants and even bushes with fruits. He ate a couple of them, but they didn''t taste very good since they were all poisonous. Luckily, Jack was unaffected by them due to his strength. Jack was only satisfied with his exploration after five hours passed and he had looked at everything, from the worms in the ground to the clouds in the sky. Even the sun and the heat it gave off was new to Jack, since the sun didn''t reach the bottom of the ocean. As the sun started going down, Jack began to move inwards, away from the ocean. He walked for an hour until he looked up and saw the moon. He was in awe at it and looked for 5 minutes straight before he snapped out of it. To Jack, the moon was even more shocking than the sun because of the glow it gave off. He could also actually look at it while the sun just seemed like a ball of flames in the sky. Just as he snapped out of his trance, he was caught in another trance when he saw the stars. Eventually, Jack was able to regain his wits and continue his walk. After another three hours, Jack suddenly heard a branch snap. He stopped, but before he could release his divine sense, a tiger leaped at him from behind one of the trees. Seeing a beast that he had never seen before, Jack instinctually pointed out with his trident and shot an extremely strong attack at it. The tiger didn''t even have a chance to react as it disintegrated and the land behind it was turned into a crater. When Jack saw the damage he had done, he was extremely surprised. Despite being so strong, he had never actually attacked anything or anyone. Therefore, when he saw the changes his power brought to the land and how quickly the tiger was erased, he was genuinely surprised. The attack made him realize how strong he was, and how fun using his Qi to its fullest extent was. Jack flew up in the air and looked down upon the land. The crater he had made was a mile in diameter since he hadn''t actually used his full power. Now, however, Jack wanted to attack with all his strength to see just how strong he was. He held his trident out and pointed it towards another big piece of land with trees. He then started to power up his trident with his favorite Qi. Gold Qi. It covered the golden trident and made it shine more than it already was. He continued to power it up until he could tell that using any more Qi would cause him to suffer the effects of Qi exhaustion. He then released the attack. The attack was a condensed golden beam that shot towards the ground at an extreme speed. It reached its target almost instantly and a huge explosion ensued. Jack, who wasn''t expecting such a thing, was unprepared and was hit by his own shockwave, causing him to fall out of the air. Luckily, he wasn''t injured at all and was just a little shaken up. Jack quickly got up from the ground and flew to the point of the explosion. He didn''t fly for more than a second as he saw a huge crater up ahead. It was twenty miles in diameter and reached a mile down. Jack''s jaw fell to the floor when he saw the crater. He never once imagined that he could do such damage. However, Jack was unaware just how strong his attack was. With the constant upgrades of the Zhou World, the ground got harder and the space shattered less easily. If Jack had done such an attack on earth, he had a good chance of blowing up a tenth of the planet. After he had stopped staring at the attack, Jack continued to move inlands. After a while, Jack felt no progress and started to fly at very fast speeds. He eventually accelerated to his max speed, but he still wasn''t really getting anywhere. This time, Jack resigned to his fate and continued to fly. After a day of flying had passed, Jack saw a small village ahead. He was excited at first, but he then saw a giant palace floating in the skies near it. The palace gave off an oppressive atmosphere that he had never felt before. It was floating in the sky as if nothing else was important. After Jack stared for a while, he looked down at the village near it. It was occupied by half beast-half humanoid creatures. Although he had never seen such a species before, Jack quickly got used to them and assumed that they were the beings that ruled over the lands. Instead of flying towards the floating palace, Jack decided to first stop at the village and hear what the people had to say about it. Since he had already transformed into his legs, Jack didn''t even have to change his appearance before he entered the village. Although he fit in perfectly, there were still a few people that looked at him since it was rare for newcomers to enter the village. Jack walked around the village until he saw a friendly looking guy with the body of a humanoid creature, but the ears and nose of a wolf. "Hello sir, do you mind if I ask you something?" Jack said. Luckily for him, there was only one language in the Zhou world. "Go ahead." The wolf-man said. "What is that floating palace?" Jack asked. As Jack and the old man started to talk, Zhou Fan was moving to the floating palace. If Jack had the courage, Zhou Fan planned on lowering the difficulty of the stairs so that he could enter the palace. He was doing it both because he wanted to talk to Jack face to face, although he would be using a different face, and because Jack''s talent and affinities fit the floating palace perfectly. Chapter 132: Stairs - 132 Chapter 132 - Stairs - 132 After Jack and the old man finished talking, Jack decided to try and climb the stairs to the floating palace. He didn''t think he would be able to reach the top, but he wanted to see how far he could make it. At first, Jack was a bit frightened to do so, but the old man explained to him that severe injuries on the stairs were uncommon, while deaths were one in a thousand. And out of those who get killed, 99% were weak idiots. Therefore, Jack didn''t see a problem in trying to climb the stairs. Jack started walking towards the south of the town and quickly found the path that led to the floating palace. The path was completely empty and even birds couldn''t be seen. Jack walked through it pretty quickly and made it to the floating palace. The first thing he noticed, besides the stairs and the palace themselves, was the abandoned buildings near them. Although none of them looked like houses, there were plenty that looked like shops or stalls. Jack guessed that at one point in time, the floating palace was a good tourist attraction. However, it seemed that as time passed nobody was interested in it. It was likely that people realized that only the strongest people in the Zhou World had a chance to reach the top, but even they barely got halfway when they tried to climb it many thousands of years ago. Since there was nothing else to look at around the floating palace, Jack walked up to the stairs. They seemed to be floating in the air without any assistance and they were a transparent light blue. Despite them being called stairs, they were just flat rectangles that you stepped on. After seeing that there was nothing else on the stairs, Jack stepped on the first step. A pressure instantly washed over him, but it was so weak that a 7th level core formation cultivator could handle it. It was right before he took his first step that Zhou Fan lowered the pressure needed to reach the top. Instead of strength at the 5th level of the space shattering realm, the stairs could now be cleared by someone at the first level of void traversing. Even so, Jack would have to struggle immensely to reach the top. As someone at the 9th level of soul formation, reaching the strength of a first level void traversing was nearly impossible. Zhou Fan, however, believed that Jack could do it. His talent was too big for him to fail such a challenge. As Jack took his second step, the pressure once again increased. Looking ahead, he could see that there were 998 more steps to go. After his twentieth step, Jack felt the pressure become strong enough to knock off a 8th level core formation cultivator. Jack didn''t waver as he continued up. After the hundreth step, the pressure was enough to knock off a 2nd level nascent soul realm cultivator. Once again, Jack shrugged it off and kept walking up. At the 500th step, Jack felt the pressure become strong enough to knock off a 4th level soul formation cultivator. He was starting to feel suspicious after seeing that he could reach a height that the oldest cultivators had been unable to, but the pressure was starting to burden him and he had to focus. At the 900th step, Jack felt the pressure reach a level that could knock off someone at the 9th level of soul formation. For the first time since he started climbing, he had to use 100% of his strength. After another fifty steps, Jack felt the pressure become strong enough to knock off a tenth level soul formation cultivator. He was now under so much pressure that he couldn''t even look up. Every step he took exhausted all of his strength. It took 10 hours for Jack to reach the 990th step. By then, he was nearly dead from the immense pressure, yet it increased one again. Jack almost instantly fell off, but he pulled his trident from his back and attacked towards the palace in a desperate attempt to decrease the pressure. Unfortunately, the old man had forgotten to tell him what happened to the last group that attacked the palace. To Jack''s surprise, the pressure pushing on him instantly disappeared. After he comprehended that it stopped, he happily ran up the next nine steps, before an aura of death covered his entire body. In the next second, a lightning dragon appeared above his head. Before he could process what was happening, he was already attacking it with the trident as it shot forwards with the power of a full power strike from a first level void traversing cultivator. Instinctually, Jack covered his trident with every type of Qi he had an affinity to. First was Gold Qi, then Water Qi, then Light Qi, then metal Qi, and finally, Space Qi covered the trident as it shot forward towards the lightning dragon at an incredible speed. From the forming of the lightning dragon to the throwing of the trident, not even a second had passed, but their attacks reached each other. BOOM! A loud boom, followed by a large shockwave shot out. The sound reached the edges of the beast lands, while the shockwave seemed to not even leave the confines of the floating palace''s stairs. The lightning dragon, instantly dispersed at the point of collision, while the trident was sent flying off in an unknown direction. As for Jack, the shockwave hit his body so hard that he didn''t even get pushed back. Instead, his skin was instantly ripped off and in some sections, his bones were visible. Jack fell forward and landed on the small flat platform in front of the giant golden door of the floating palace. His blood instantly poured onto the floor, and Jack didn''t move an inch. He stayed like that for 5 minutes, his lifeforce slowly depleting. Just as he was nearly dead, his hand went up and fell in front of him. He started to drag himself to the golden door of the floating palace almost instinctively. Just as he was inches from death, he touched the golden door and a golden light covered him. Chapter 133: Old Man - 133 Chapter 133 - Old Man - 133 After an unknown amount of time passed, Jack opened his eyes. He felt like he had just woken up from a nap as he stood up with a groggy look on his face. The look was quickly wiped away as he looked at the unknown surroundings. He had never seen such a place throughout his entire life. The walls were white and there was a red carpet leading down a hall to an unknown location. Jack held his head as he tried to remember how he had gotten there. Eventually, a look of realization came to his face. He remembered trying to climb the stairs to enter the floating palace, but attacking it after he started to struggle. He then remembered the lightning dragon attacking him and him attacking it. That was the last thing he remembered before he ended up in this place. Jack spent another ten minutes trying to remember, before he gave up and started to look around the room. Based on its color scheme, Jack felt like he must be inside the floating palace. As for how he entered, he came to the conclusion that the attack must have knocked him into it. Since the room he was in was completely empty, Jack started to venture down the hall in front of him after grabbing the trident next to him. He kept walking for what seemed to be a fourth of a mile before he reached a golden door. He pushed against it, but it didn''t budge. He tried to pull it, assuming that it opened the other way, but it remained still. Getting frustrated, Jack was about to attack the door and try to force it open, but he remembered the lightning dragon and calmed down. He eventually ran out of ideas and walked up to the door to knock. BANG! BANG! BANG! Jack knocked three times, not expecting anything. "Come in." A voice said from behind the door, making Jack flinch in surprise. As the words were said, a crack appeared in the doors and Jack pushed forward on them. As he pushed forward, a blinding white light seeped through the crack, causing jack to cover his eyes. When he removed his hand and looked up, he was in a completely different place. A trail led forward, surrounded by trees. Jack was absolutely confused at what had just happened. Shaking his head, he stopped thinking and walked forward. Zhou Fan watched from far away, sitting on a rock in front of a waterfall. He had done everything he could to make himself seem mysterious, including dressing up as a wise old man. He had long gray hair that piled up below him and a beard that reached his crossed legs. What he had done to Jack was a new idea he wanted to try out. Ever since he had invented space rings, he started to wonder what else he could do with the power of space. While Jack was climbing the stairs, he had been experimenting with creating a separate space within the floating palace. Clearly, he had some success. The entire square area, that was about a mile from one end to the other, was a completely separate space. Zhou Fan was glad he had broken into the 8th level of lesser Dao creation, or he would have never been able to sustain such a space. Even now, he was struggling with all his might to keep it up. At the current rate, he would only last 2 hours before his Qi was gone. Thankfully, Jack was coming towards him pretty fast. ------------------------- After walking past a collection of trees, Jack saw a waterfall in front of him. The mountain it came off of was pretty small compared to the Zhou Worlds mountains, but it was the tallest thing Jack had ever seen. Slightly in front of the bottom of the waterfall, an old man sat on a flat rock. "Welcome. Take a seat in front of me child." The old man said to Jack. Although hesitant at first, Jack made up his mind and walked towards the old man. After floating above the water and landing on the rock, Jack imitated the way the man in front of him was sitting. "Are you the one that brought me here?" Jack asked. "Yes." The old man said. "I am also the one that saved your life." "What?" Jack responded. He had no idea what the old man was talking about. "You don''t remember?" The old man said while raising an eyebrow. "Here." The old man pointed to his left, and Jack turned his head to see a holographic screen. He watched himself climb up the stairs easily, before struggling at the 900th and the 950th. He then watched himself attack the floating palace, before a lightning dragon appeared. He watched on as he and the lightning dragon collided. That was where his memory ended, but the video kept playing. Jack saw the shockwave hit him and the skin fly off his body. He then watched himself fall forward and slowly crawl towards the golden door, before touching it and disappearing. He then looked at the old man silently. "I''m the owner of the floating palace, and the one who let you in and healed you." He said. Jack was silent for a while before he spoke. "Thank you sir." It was a weird experience seeing yourself in such a state, and Jack was still shocked by it. "No need to thank me. I only let you in because of your talent. Since you did reach the top despite me lowering the difficulty, I''ll give you a reward." The old man said. Jack looked up at him and waited for him to continue. "Pick a number between one and ten. Depending on the number you choose, I''ll teach you a martial art." "One" Jack said. "I had a feeling you would pick that." The old man said before he pointed a finger at Jack''s head. Before Jack understood what he was doing, a video started playing in his head. Chapter 134: Space Shattering - 134 Chapter 134 - Space Shattering - 134 In Jack''s mind, a man was standing on the edge of a city wall. He was looking in front of him at tens of thousands of troops running towards him. Despite the immense number of enemies, the man seemed confident and calm. Jack could tell that the man was at the same level as him. All of a sudden, the man lifted his right arm and pointed it at the sky. Jack looked at the area he was pointing, only to see many streaks of light Qi form in the air. "Rain of judgment." The man on the wall said, before the streaks of light Qi formed into thousands of swords that rained upon the battlefield. In an instant, the army was defeated. Although the move looked simple, it contained many intricacies that Jack was unable to comprehend. Luckily, the video restarted and Jack watched it again. He continued to watch it ten times, then a hundred, then a thousand. Finally, after 3 days had passed, Jack opened his eyes. He had managed to comprehend the martial art that the old man showed him. "Thank you sir." Jack said as he stood up. The move that the old man had taught him was by far the greatest martial art Jack had seen. After all, most of the martial arts he had seen before were weak techniques that someone had clearly thrown together. In fact, even if they had been strong techniques, the one Zhou Fan created was much stronger. "Alright, It''s time for you to leave." The old man said to Jack. He then raised his hand and waved it, causing Jack to appear at the bottom of the stairs that lead to the floating palace. With more confidence than before, Jack bowed at the floating palace and walked back towards the village. Meanwhile, Zhou Fan had removed the disguise and sat there sweating. Since Jack had taken three days to comprehend the move, Zhou Fan had been forced to remove the separate space and return to the floating palace room. He made sure that Jack stayed focused on the illusion and remade the separate space as soon as he comprehended the move. Since he had to do it in a hurry, Zhou Fan had used a lot more Qi than before, causing the sweat. Luckily, he was finished with Jack for now. He would now wait for Anna to break through before he went into seclusion again. Next time he came out, there would be many surprises waiting for him. After he broke through again, he would only have two more breakthroughs before he reached a brand new realm. Even he was excited when thinking of it. As of now, he didn''t have a clue as to what the next realm would hold. Perhaps he would have a clue once he broke into the 10th level of the lesser dao creation realm. Until then, he could only guess. For the next couple years, Zhou Fan sat around in the floating palace and experimented with the separate space concept. After twenty years had passed, Zhou Fan sensed a disturbance in the world''s Qi. It seemed as if it was being sucked in a certain direction. Although he was able to tell what was happening without even looking, he was surprised it was happening so fast. Zhou Fan looked out of the floating palace in the direction of the celestial lands'' central city, or more specifically, Anna''s tower within central city. Inside it, Anna was in the process of breaking through to the space shattering realm. From the strained look on her face, Zhou Fan was able to tell that she was using all of her effort. After ten minutes passed, the suction force seemed to slow and the world''s Qi seemed to calm down. All of a sudden, power started to pour out of anna. Although it wasn''t as big as Zhou Fan''s breakthrough to space shattering, she was still shattering the space within the tower, and even a little bit on the outside. Shock and panic covered the city for a moment, but the cracks quickly repaired themselves and everyone was left wondering what had happened. Luckily, the walls had been made to withstand such attacks, although they were on the verge of crumbling. If the rulers were on the planet, they would have arrived at the tower, but they were busy with the other races. Zhou Fan continued to look inside the tower as Anna opened her eyes and stood up. She smiled to herself before clenching her fists in order to see her strength. As her fists clenched, the space near them broke. However, it didn''t break as much as it could have. There were multiple reasons why Anna couldn''t break space on a large scale after breaking through. The biggest one was that the space within the Zhou world and all the other worlds had been strengthened as they grew. Otherwise, the space would have shattered within the entire room just from her fists clenching. Looking at the destruction around her, Anna looked annoyed and quickly cleaned it up. She also quickly repaired the walls with some of the materials she had stored. Due to an array that automatically healed the walls, all Anna had to do was put the materials in the correct place and they quickly fixed themselves up. After cleaning up, Anna decided that she wouldn''t cultivate on the Zhou world anymore. Like Zhou Fan had realized a long time ago, she had realized that it was very dangerous to break through near things. Zhou Fan estimated that she would start cultivating in the great hall since it was one of the only places in the galaxy that could resist her space shattering power. Zhou Fan stopped paying attention to Anna once she started to leave her tower and went back to the floating palace. He would once again enter seclusion and breakthrough. He decided that after he did that, he would bring the grim reaper out and let Anna fight him again. Chapter 135: Return - 135 Chapter 135 - Return - 135 Within the floating palace, Zhou Fan sat with his legs crossed. He was preparing himself for seclusion. Once he finished breaking through, he would be two steps away from an entirely new realm. Zhou Fan calmed his breath and cleared his mind before he started to cultivate. -------------------- 20,000 years later, Zhou Fan opened his eyes. He had reached the 9th level of the lesser Dao creation realm. Although the difference in strength was immense, it hardly mattered to Zhou Fan. There wasn''t anything that he needed more physical strength to do. The best part about breaking through would be the increase in Qi. Even so, it too didn''t matter much. Since so much time had passed, Zhou Fan was ready to take a look outside. He hadn''t expected to take 20,000 years to break through, so Jack''s cultivation would have likely gone past the 3rd level of void traversing. Zhou Fan appeared above the floating palace and scanned the entire Zhou World with his divine sense. Surprisingly, neither Jack nor Anna was on the planet. Once noticeable thing, however, was that the mermaid race was no longer living at the bottom of the ocean. In the center of the ocean, at the farthest place from land on the Zhou World, there was an entire oasis of buildings and mermaids. The population exceeded a million and the buildings were uncountable. Overall, the city took up ten thousand square miles of land, with even the ground having multiple caves for mermaids to live in. Although there were no city gates, there was a giant floating sign that said: The City of Atlantis. It was inlaid with many powerful gems and ores. Some had even reached the tenth level of void traversing. Such a luxury was hard to find within even the richest areas of the Zhou World. After looking over the rest of the Zhou World and seeing that, although there were some changes, nothing much had truly changed, Zhou Fan expanded his divine sense to cover the rest of the Zhou Solar system. Only then did he find Anna, Jack, and the other rulers. Anna was still at the 1st level of space shattering, but the dragon king was too. Both the monkey king and the titanosaur were at the 9th level of void traversing. Finally, Jack had reached the 4th level of void traversing. As expected, his speed was still incredibly fast. While the rulers were currently dealing with other races, Jack was on one of the water planets that Zhou Fan had made. After watching him for a bit, it seemed that Jack hadn''t revealed himself to the Zhou Solar System. It was likely that he had spent the last 20,000 years quietly cultivating. Now, he was much more mature and less flashy. He walked around one of the underwater cities wearing a dark cloak and the trident was underneath it. Although he gained some attention by walking instead of swimming, it was a somewhat common thing for high level cultivators to walk on the water planet. Therefore, people minded their business and avoided him. After so many years, Jack''s appearance had changed considerably. He was still devoid of facial hair and his hair was now short and brown. He was 6 foot and 5 inches tall, muscular, and overall seemed like a king. Although appearance was easy to change for a cultivator at Jack''s level, Zhou Fan was able to tell that it was his natural appearance. Of course, all beings looked good once they started cultivating, but it was still good that Jack looked more kingly than handsome. Zhou Fan watched as Jack entered an inn and headed to his room. He then laid down and slept. Zhou Fan didn''t look at him for any longer and turned his attention to anna. Right now, she was in a meeting with a couple of other races on one of the bigger planets, Zhou Fan had terraformed. It was soon to get bigger once it started expanding, but everyone had long been used to the planets expanding seemingly without reason. Zhou Fan eavesdropped on their conversation and heard nothing but boring political things. He listened in on the other rulers'' conversations and discovered that they were talking about the same things. After he had checked up on everything, Zhou Fan summoned the grim reaper. He thought of how to introduce him, and quickly got an idea. In one of the gaps between planet and sun in the Zhou Solar system, a giant blue portal appeared. It sat there for a minute, but not a single person had noticed it. All of a sudden, a ship that appeared to be made of bones sailed out from it. It resembled a pirate ship without the masts or the flags. Although it seemed somewhat small from a distance, the ship was 10 miles long, and each foot was packed with skeletons. Some skeletons were carrying weapons, some wore cloaks, and some were weaponless and cloakless. However, one skeleton that stood at the front of the ship, not surrounded by any other skeleton, stood out. Obviously, it was the grim reaper, wearing a cloak and carrying a scythe. Now, it had reached the second level of space shattering. Although the difference in strength between each small breakthrough increased as the realm got higher, the Grim Reaper at the second level of space shattering was much easier to defeat with two level one space shattering experts than a 1st level space shattering grim reaper and bunch of void traversing cultivators. Even so, it wouldn''t be an easy battle. It was also a battle that Jack would be unable to participate in with his current strength. Although the ship had gone unnoticed at first, it was eventually noticed by a nearby planet''s void traversing cultivator and reported through the use of communication talismans. Word quickly spread that the grim reaper had returned, and he had come with an army. His destination was undoubtedly the Zhou World. As soon as the news was reported, the rulers flew towards the Zhou World at top speed. Chapter 136: Grim Reaper - 136 Chapter 136 - Grim Reaper - 136 In the skies of the Zhou World, a white dot suddenly appeared. At first, it was so small it was nearly unnoticeable, but it soon expanded until nearly half of the planet could see the grim reapers ship. Since news of the grim reapers movements had long reached the Zhou world, panic started to spread. As the panic increased, the strongest people left on the Zhou World began to gather all their people in the main area of their lands and activated the formations covering them. Although many would be left outside of the formations, there wasn''t enough time to save everyone. Of course, they only gathered in case the rulers failed to return before the Grim Reaper started his attack. Five minutes passed in the Zhou World before something happened. From the bottom of the giant bone ship, a hole appeared. From that hole, an endless horde of skeletons jumped down. It seemed more like a white waterfall than a bunch of skeletons, but the aura of death was too obvious to ignore. After many minutes of pouring, the skeletons formed four different groups. At a very fast speed, those groups went towards the main location of each race''s land. It took another ten minutes for the rulers to arrive. By then, the armies had almost reached the main location of each of the lands. Despite the rulers strength, the Zhou Solar system had become too big to instantly travel around. As the planets expanded, the space between them did too. Therefore, even a space shattering realm cultivator like Anna took a while to go through the entirety of it. The rulers prepared to attack the armies traveling towards their lands, but quickly stopped once a familiar skeleton appeared in front of them. There were no words exchanged between the rulers and the grim reaper as the battle instantly started. The monkey king and the titanosaur backed up to provide support, while anna and the dragon king launched towards the grim reaper to attack. Anna arrived first as a sword made of ice Qi condensed in her hand and pierced the space in front of it to reach the Grim reaper. The grim reaper grabbed the front of the sword with his bone hand and stopped it in its place. His other hand, covered with death Qi on the fingertips, shot towards Anna''s stomach in a claw shape. Anna moved her body to the side and jumped backwards, but not before sending a shower of icicles towards the grim reaper. In the split second their exchange lasted, the dragon king had arrived near the grim reaper. He transformed into his dragon body and breathed demonic flames onto the grim reaper. In return, the grim reaper sent a tornado of death Qi towards the dragon king that dispersed the attack and kept moving forwards, although weaker. The dragon king covered his claw with dragon Qi and sliced it towards the tornado. Like the grim reapers attack, the dragon kings attack pierced through the tornado and kept going towards the grim reaper, only to be countered with a swipe of his hand. Before the grim reaper could attack the dragon king, Anna once again appeared next to him, holding a mini blizzard in her palm, and shoved it towards his chest. Unable to react in time, the grim reaper didn''t block and instead sent a bone sword towards the point in between Anna''s eyebrows. In order to dodge the fatal attack, Anna had to twist her body, which made the mini blizzard miss its target. Anna backed away and the dragon king appeared right next to the grim reaper with another attack. Anna and the dragon king continued their technique in order to tire out the grim reaper, receiving healing whenever they backed off from the monkey king, while the titanosaur helped the monkey king with the burden of Qi. Despite their best efforts, the grim reaper hadn''t slowed down a bit after ten minutes. Also, the skeleton armies had reached the capitals of the lands and began attacking the barriers. Although there were plenty of strong people among the races, there were far more strong skeletons among the armies. Therefore, even the strongest members of the four lands only attacked with the formations on the barrier instead of going out themselves. Thankfully, the barriers would last another 24 hours before they began to weaken, and 48 hours before they broke at the current rate of attack. The back and forth between the rulers and the grim reaper continued for 5 more hours and not a single thing had changed. The sun was starting to go down while the moon had begun rising, but the grim reaper didn''t seem tired at all. Instead, the rulers were starting to feel fatigued. The only good news for the rulers was that the skeleton armies were being thinned out by the formations, but it was only a small amount compared to the total population of the armies. After another five hours passed and the sun had completely gone down, the rulers realized that they needed to change their strategy. If they didn''t they would end up losing. For the first time since the start of the battle, both Anna and the dragon king backed away from the grim reaper. Thankfully, he had started to feel a small amount of fatigue after that much time and didn''t attack. While they were all together, the monkey king and the titanosaur used up nearly all of their Qi, leaving only enough to protect themselves, and helped increase the strength of Anna and the dragon king. Although it wouldn''t have much of an effect due to the difference in strength, anything was helpful against the grim reaper. They then took a very short breather and shot towards the grim reaper at full speed. They would no longer take turns attacking, but use their entire strength to hopefully defeat him. As soon as the grim reaper saw them coming towards him, he formed a sword out of pure death Qi and got into his battle stance. Chapter 137: Plasma Attack - 137 Chapter 137 - Plasma Attack - 137 Anna and the dragon king arrived at the grim reaper and attacked at the same time from opposite sides. Anna slashed out with a sword made of of space Qi that sent an arch of sword Qi and space Qi flying towards the grim reaper, while the dragon king, still in dragon form, used his claws to slash at the grim reaper causing a phantom claw to shoot towards him. In response, two black arms formed from death Qi and Bone Qi punched towards the two rulers'' attacks. By the time the attacks collided, Anna and the dragon king had changed places and attacked again. From the first collision, it was clear to see that the arm technique was stronger than the two rulers'' attacks. While the ruler''s attacks dispersed quickly, the arms sustained very little damage and were repaired instantly. The rulers attacked from two other opposite directions and were once again blocked by the arms. After a couple more rounds of that, the two rulers were ready to completely go all out. Since they had broken into the space shattering realm, they had gained new ultimate moves. Very quickly, Anna and the dragon king used their new ultimate moves. On Anna''s side, an immense amount of cold Qi and space Qi seeped into her skin, turning it snow white. With just a glance, Zhou Fan could tell that she had converted all her strength into physical strength, increasing her power greatly. Unfortunately, it came with a price. Although slowly, cracks had started to spread on her skin. If she kept the form up for too long, she would break like an ice sculpture. Zhou Fan estimated that she had 5 hours before she died. On the dragon king''s side, his body, which had been kept fairly small by him, started to expand swiftly. From the size of one of the towers in central city, to a mountain, he kept expanding bigger and bigger. His skin became a much more purplish and purple flames covered his skin. He had started to burn his Qi in order to pull off the move, and Zhou Fan estimated that he had 7 hours before his cultivation dropped. Although the side effect seemed lesser, a major drop in cultivation like one from space shattering to void traversing could heavily injure and likely kill anyone. The two rulers transformed in just moments, but the grim reaper didn''t stay the same either. Although he looked the same on the outside, Zhou Fan knew that he had enhanced his consumption of Qi and would end up suffering from the side effects of Qi exhaustion in around five hours. With each of their transformations finishing, the battle could last at most another five hours before one side was defeated. The grim reaper was the first to move this time, teleporting and appearing next to Anna instantly. Since none of the rulers had discovered teleportation, Anna was extremely surprised by the grim reaper''s sudden appearance, and was hit by his palm attack, sending her flying back. On her stomach was a dark palm print that seemed to be trying to corrode her skin. Luckily, her new transformation helped her resist both the impact and the lasting effect with nearly no damage. As soon as the grim reaper''s palm hit Anna, he teleported above the dragon king, who was also surprised by his sudden appearance. However, since he had seen it happen to Anna, he was slightly prepared and shot a breath of flames towards the spot that the grim reaper appeared in. The flames met with the grim reapers piercing attack as they went past each other and attacked their targets. The dragon king''s flames hit the grim reaper, but barely did anything, while the grim reaper''s white and black piercing attack had hit the dragon king''s skull and done heavy damage. Luckily, it wasn''t enough to hurt him and barely slowed him down. As the grim reaper teleported next to Anna and started having a slightly long exchange with her, the dragon king internally reflected on his attack. ''My flames aren''t doing anything to him. It must be because they are covering such a large range. It may be possible to instead compress my flames and create an attack that could seriously injure him.'' The dragon king thought to himself. Once again, the grim reaper hit Annas back and teleported to the dragon king''s side, expecting to easily deal with his attack of flames. The grim reaper shot out a bone spear towards the dragon king''s eye, but instead of dodging, the dragon king coated his eye in Qi in preparation for impact and shot out an attack of his own. The dragon king opened his mouth and a whistling sound started to sound out, followed by a purple glow in his mouth. It sounded as if the dragon king''s attack was charging up. The grim reaper, partly due to arrogance and mostly due to the fact that he expected another flame attack, simply put up a barrier and looked towards anna. If he could teleport without a brief cooldown, he would have already been over there. As soon as the whistling sound from the dragon king stopped, the grim reaper felt a wave of danger cover him. Since he was no stranger to such a feeling, he instantly turned towards the dragon king and attempted to put more barriers. Unfortunately, the dragon king''s charged attack left his mouth at a speed that matched moving through cracked space. What left his mouth wasn''t flames, but a purple plasma that moved with a whistling sound and instantly shattered the barrier upon impact. As soon as it broke the barrier, the plasma attack exploded and caused a sphere of condensed plasma to engulf the grim reaper. Everything happened in an instant, and the plasma soon disappeared, leaving a scorched grim reaper barely standing. Without hesitation, the dragon king switched to his human form, dodging the grim reapers attack, and created a sword, while Anna used her space sword, and both arrived at opposite sides of the grim reaper. Anna pierced the back of the grim reaper, while the dragon king pierced his front, leaving two swords going through different spots on his chest. Chapter 138: Zhou Sect - 138 Chapter 138 - Zhou Sect - 138 After being stabbed through the chest by two different swords, the grim reaper''s body started to slowly collapse and turn into particles of light. Anna and the dragon king watched it happen silently. Just as about half of the body had been turned into particles of light, a black ball of light shot outwards from the body at a speed that anna and the dragon king were unable to react to. As it zoomed past their faces and shot into outer space, Anna caught a slight glimpse of it. From that glimpse, she was able to tell what it was. "That''s his soul! His soul is escaping!" She yelled before she broke space and followed it as fast as she could. The dragon king, who had just comprehended her words, followed behind quickly. Unfortunately, Anna and the soul were so fast that they had disappeared from his view by the time he had reached outer space. Anna was still following the soul, but it was slightly faster than her, causing it to pull away after a period of time. Eventually, it flew into the sun and Anna could no longer sense it, even after using her divine sense. "DAM*IT!" She screamed. She had no idea how he had disconnected his soul from his body and managed to flee. She did, however, have a feeling that he would survive and be back. Anna''s feeling was correct. After he had escaped pursuit, Zhou Fan grabbed the grim reaper''s soul and looked at it. Although he had come up with the move, this was the first time it had been used. It was also the first time Zhou Fan had seen a soul. Although it was different from a normal soul since the grim reaper was a being made by Zhou Fan and was closer to being a puppet than being considered a living being, it still was likely to be similar to a normal being''s soul if they hadn''t gone through the nascent soul stage. In other words, Zhou Fan was looking at what a soul looked like from someone who was below the nascent soul realm. He estimated that someone who had reached the nascent soul realm had a different looking soul, as well as someone in the soul formation realm. He didn''t plan on testing the technique out himself since it was actually very dangerous and could cause someone to lose an amount of their cultivation, but he assumed that Anna and the dragon king would try to replicate the move. They would also try to replicate teleportation since it was such a large part of the grim reapers strength in the battle. Along with them replicating moves, they would also have to try and create something. The best idea would be to create a formation that blocked souls from leaving an area, since they can go through most solid matter, or create a technique that would do the same thing without a formation. They had plenty of time to do that, however. After all, Zhou Fan had no plan to release the grim reaper until he broke through to the next realm. He didn''t know how long it would take, but Jack may have reached the space shattering realm at that time. Before he did anything else, Zhou Fan created another body for the grim reaper. It was identical to the last one. That was the worst part about the soul escaping technique. The price was destroying your body, and without someone''s help, recreating your body with only your soul was nearly impossible. Without your body, you would lose the harmony between body, mind, and soul, and experience a decrease in power. Perhaps someone that had chosen the second path when they broke through to nascent soul would have it easier, but since Zhou Fan hadn''t chosen it, no one else has had the ability to. After all, they were only following Zhou Fans path. It would take another person like Zhou Fan in order for someone to choose the second path of the soul. Until then, every cultivator would have their soul, body, and mind together. Since everything with the grim reaper was finished, Zhou Fan started watching Jack. Right now, he was at a side branch of a place called the Zhou Sect. It was a sect that had a presence in every corner of the Zhou Solar system. It was under the ownership of each of the rulers and was basically a ruling power of the entire solar system. Its main location was in the Zhou World, but there were thousands on every planet. Inside the Zhou sect''s branch, Jack had accepted a mission. The compensation would be the main currency in the entire solar system. Spirit stones. The mission that Jack accepted was one of the most difficult, ranked at S-rank. The ranks started from the lowest FFF, to the highest, EX. In order, the ranks were FFF, FF, F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, SSS, and EX. FFF-rank missions could be completed by even the weakest cultivator, while Ex-rank missions were missions only the rulers would do. Of course, no EX-rank mission had ever been posted, but it was still a theoretical rank. Cultivators were ranked based on their strength and their rank decided what missions they could take. S-rank is for cultivators at the 1st - 3rd level of void traversing, SS-rank is for cultivators at the 4th-6th level of void traversing, SSS-rank is for cultivators at the 7th-9th level of void traversing, and EX-rank is for anyone above that. Jack is at the SS-rank, while the monkey king and the titanosaur were actually at the SSS-rank instead of the EX-rank like Anna and the dragon king. Even so, there were only three people at the SSS-rank and 100 at the SS-rank. Therefore, Jack was one of the most powerful people in the solar system. Also, you didn''t have to join the Zhou Sect to take a mission. You just had to sign up. After grabbing his mission, Jack left towards the most dangerous place on the water planet. Chapter 139: Jacks Adventure - 139 Chapter 139 - Jacks Adventure - 139 100 years ago, a void traversing cultivator from the demon race snuck into the spider king''s palace and stole a very important weapon. Since then, he had been hunted down by every single spider race member in the Zhou solar system. Since he had broken the treaty of the hundred planets, even the demon race had no plans to protect him. However, it seemed as if he had disappeared into thin air. Surprisingly, a sighting was reported just a month ago on the planet Jack was on, causing a mission to be produced at the Zhou Sects branches in the water planet. The mission that Jack had accepted was to capture the demon dead or alive, and return the weapon he stole. The reason the mission was so highly rated was not only because of the 2nd level void traversing cultivation of the person, but because he was spotted at the lair of the strongest being on the water planet, a 3rd level void traversing squid, who was known to attack anything he saw in his territory. As for why he didn''t attack the demon race traitor, nobody knew. After he had traveled around a fourth of the planet, Jack arrived at a red corral field. The coral field surrounded the squid''s entire domain and acted as a warning sign to wanderers. Jack didn''t bother with it and passed it quickly, officially entering the squids domain. Before he had even walked a mile, a giant being was seen in the distance quickly moving towards him. Without a word, Jack took his trident out and readied it. Due to the squid''s low strength and Jack''s talent, he knew it would be a quick battle. As soon as the squid reached Jack, it shot a blast of water towards him. The blast would have reduced any 1st level void traversing cultivator to a pile of meat, but jack moved to the left and let it go right past him. A shockwave was caused by the blast, but Jack didn''t move an inch. At that moment, Jack took out a formation plate and put some Qi into it before dropping it on the ground. As soon as he did, a barrier extended and covered the area within ten miles. "Do you think that a formation would give you a chance to defeat me? Prepare to d..." The squid attempted to talk, but a spear of light Qi formed above his head and shot down on him, pinning him to the ground and killing him instantly. "I can sense your presence. Come out now and I''ll kill you quickly." Jack said. Even after he talked, nothing in the area changed. "Fine." He said before he pointed his finger at a sudden area and shot a thin beam of light Qi towards it. The beam pierced through a rock before a loud shout was heard. "OUCH!" Jack swiftly moved to the area behind a rock, only to find a demon with a head full of gray hair rolling on the ground while clutching his shoulder. On his shoulder was a small hole that was burning from the power of light Qi. "Where is the weapon?" Jack calmly asked. "I''ll die before I tell you!" The demon screamed at him. Not responding to him, Jack grabbed the old man by the arm and used his free hand to grab the man''s wounded shoulder, before he squeezed. "AHHHHH!" The old demon screamed. Still, he looked like he wouldn''t tell Jack a thing. Sensing his defiance, Jack grabbed his trident and pierced a hole in the old demon''s left leg, then his right, and finally, Jack cut off his foot. "Fine...Fine... I''ll tell you." The old man said after enduring Jack''s interrogation methods. "Just promise you''ll kill me instead of turning me in." "Agreed." Jack said before letting the old demon down. "Go to that direction for a mile, then dig down and you''ll reach a base. The weapon is there." He said while pointing. Jack extended his divine sense towards that direction, but saw nothing. Just as he was about to interrogate the demon again, the demon spoke. "It''s hidden by a divine sense blocking formation. Only those at the 5th level of void traversing and above can sense it." Jack nodded, then chained the old demon to the ground with Light Qi and moved towards the direction the old demon had pointed him in. Just as he had said, there was a small base exactly a mile away and a thousand feet deep, hidden by a formation. Jack was able to quickly find the weapon, a greatsword that had reached the level of a 5th level void traversing weapon. Despite its power, Jack had no interest in it and returned to the demon after grabbing it. Without any words, Jack used the great sword to decapitate the demon and brought his body back to the Zhou Sect branch. When he walked into the building and returned the weapon, along with the demon''s body, he received a round of applause from the members of the Zhou Sect. The receptionist asked him to stay in town for a couple days and wait for the spider king to personally visit in order to reward him and thank him. Since he wasn''t busy and had no plans, Jack agreed and waited ten days for the spider king to arrive. In that time, news of the grim reaper''s defeat had spread and Jack gained even more respect for the rulers of the Zhou World. Even now, he was excited for the day he could reach their level and bring his race up to new heights. After eating dinner with the spider king and receiving his reward of ten top grade spirit stones, Jack left the planet and headed to the one next to it. He planned to go around every planet in the Zhou Solar system, and by the time he returned he would be strong enough to be considered a ruler. After watching the quick journey, Zhou Fan stopped watching Jack and got ready to enter seclusion. Chapter 140 - 10th Level - 140 Chapter 140 - 10th Level - 140 Before he officially entered seclusion, Zhou Fan checked the solar system one more time. As expected, nothing important was happening with Anna, Jack, or any of the rulers. In fact, the most interesting thing in the solar system was the expansion of the planets. Zhou Fan quickly stopped watching and entered seclusion. ------------------------------------ 17,500 years later, Zhou Fan felt that he was about to break into the 10th level of the lesser dao creation realm. From his experience, he knew that it would happen in seconds. As expected, Zhou Fan felt himself breakthrough 20 seconds later. As he did, a new feeling entered his body. It was similar to when he created a separate space, but also much different. It was as if the separate space was within him. As if it was a part of his body, mind and soul. However, it wasn''t complete. It was as if it was almost completed, but needed an entirely new thing to finish. Even with his breakthrough, Zhou Fan was unable to determine what the next realm would be. He understood that an independant space was starting to form inside of him, but he had no clue what its final form would be. No matter, Zhou Fan was excited to find out. He would do everything he needed to do, but like last time, he wouldn''t wait for the worlds to expand before going into seclusion. That decision was partly because he was looking forward to the next realm, and partly because the world''s expansions were taking too long for Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan had almost decided to watch the solar system before he cultivated again last time, but felt that it would be dangerous to bore himself to death. Therefore, he would do what he needed to do this time before he hurried back into seclusion again. Firstly, Zhou Fan looked at Anna and Jack''s cultivation level. Surprisingly, Anna was still at the 1st level of space shattering, and she had barely made any progress. It seemed that with her talent, reaching the lesser dao creation realm would prove to be hard, at least in the current environment. As for Jack, he had reached the 6th level of the void traversing realm. He was also very close to reaching the 7th level. Despite the similar progress, Zhou Fan came to the conclusion that Jack''s talent was higher than Annas. Not only his cultivation talent, but even his affinities were better than Annas. Both had a space affinity, anna also had ice Qi, cold Qi, and snow Qi as her affinities, but they were mostly the same. Jack, on the other hand, had Gold Qi, Light Qi, Water Qi, and metal Qi, along with his space Qi. Each of Jack''s affinities were different, while Annas complemented each other. Even so, Jack''s affinities overtook Annas in both usefulness and number. Right now, both Anna and Jack were in seclusion. As for the Dragon king, he seemed to have stopped cultivating too much and instead focused on taking care of the solar system. Therefore, many of the planets saw Anna as a placeholder and the dragon king as the true ruler of the Zhou solar system, although not in a rebellious way. Overall, the dragon king''s life was much more relaxing than annas. She had to constantly improve and make sure she was number one, but the dragon king had long known that he would never be number one. In fact, he had given up his passion for power a while back. Everything he did now was for his people. Compared to tens of thousands of years ago, he had become a better king. Still, he was conflicted. In his mind, the supreme beats deserved a powerful and ambitious king, but he was no longer that. Although none of his subjects had said anything, he could tell that they missed the old days of power and war. Unfortunately, there had never been someone even close to the dragon king''s talent in the supreme lands. Otherwise, he would have nurtured him to become ruler and he would take a position as a grand elder or something similar. At this point in time, the dragon king was on a journey to have offspring. Perhaps they would have enough talent to take over his throne. The biggest problem, however, was that supreme beasts couldn''t have offspring. It wasn''t a lack of power, but the fault in their genetics. After looking for thousands of years, the dragon king was starting to turn to miracles. He had been scrounging the Zhou World for something that could help him. Just by looking at him, Zhou Fan felt pity. Therefore, he decided to intervene. As the dragon king was searching a cave, he felt an instinctual pull. It wasn''t like someone was dragging him, but more like he felt that he had to go in that direction. After resisting the urge for ten minutes, the dragon king gave in and flew out of the cave, heading in the direction he felt he needed to go. After flying for a minute, he had gone around half of the Zhou World and saw a building he had nearly forgotten. The building was the floating palace. After so many years, the village next to it had stopped existing, and the only thing below it was a forest. The dragon king prepared to fly past it, but he soon felt the feeling pulling him towards it. Cautiously, the dragon king transformed into his humanoid form and landed in front of the stairs. Despite the overgrown forest, the floating palace and its stairs were completely untouched. Therefore, the dragon king had a clean view of the entire thing. Just as he was about to start climbing it, he saw an old man appear at the bottom of the steps. The dragon king, who was unable to tell how the old man appeared, jumped back and created a barrier in front of him. "Who are you?" He asked. "I am the only one who can help you." The old man responded. Chapter 141: Loss of Cultivation - 141 Chapter 141 - Loss of Cultivation - 141 "What do you mean?" The dragon king asked. Hearing the old man''s words, he felt confused. He had never seen the old man in his life. ''How could someone like him help someone like me?'' He asked himself. After all, he was still the second most powerful being in the Zhou Solar system, as far as he knew. "You''ve been searching for a way to reproduce, right? What if I told you I have a way to help you." The old man said with a smile. "???!" The dragon king was shocked hearing the old man''s words. How could he possibly help? Despite his confusion and wariness, the dragon king was desperate enough to listen. "And how would you do that?" He asked. "Not me, I won''t personally help you. Instead, I have an item that will help you. More accurately, a drink." The old man said. "And you''re willing to give it to me?" The dragon king asked, suspicious of the old man''s intentions. "No, not give. I am willing to make a trade." The old man said. Naturally, Zhou Fan wouldn''t give him it for free. If he wanted it, he would have to earn it. "Regardless of what you want from me, how do I know that the drink will actually help me?" The dragon king asked. As he finished speaking, the old man put his hand behind his back, before bringing it back out. Now, a golden droplet was floating above his hand. It gave off waves of light and an intense amount of life energy. As soon as the dragon king saw it, he felt that it was special. "This drop is free. It won''t give you the ability to reproduce from just this drop, but I''m sure you will be able to feel something change inside of you." The old man said. Then, the floating golden droplet flew towards the dragon king. "It''s up to you if you want to drink it. I''m sure you can feel that it will not harm you, but if you don''t want it, I won''t force you." He continued. Hearing him, the dragon king hesitated and struggled in his mind. He didn''t want to risk it being poison since the old man in front of him was clearly powerful, but he felt that this would be his only chance to have an heir. After just a few moments, the dragon king finally decided and swallowed the droplet. As soon as he did, he felt his body changing rapidly. Specifically, he felt his genetics changing. As the transformation continued, it suddenly stopped. "That''s all you''ll get from a single drop. Are you interested in hearing my proposition?" The old man asked. The drop was something that Zhou Fan had created while the dragon king was traveling towards the stairs. Although it was simple to him, it required an immense understanding of life and a high cultivation level to be able to create the drop. If he drank the entire thing, the dragon king would not only be able to have an heir, but be able to permanently reproduce. "I am willing." The dragon king said after he felt the effect. Naturally, he was unable to resist the temptation of the drop. "What do you want?" Hearing his question, the old man smiled. "I want your cultivation." The old man said. As the dragon king comprehended his words, his face turned unsightly. "What do you mean!? How dare you ask such a thing!" The dragon king yelled. Still, the old man didn''t react and stood there smiling. "Fear not, I do not want all of your cultivation. I just want to take enough to bring you back to void traversing. With my special powers, I will be able to do it cleanly so that you will be able to reach the space shattering realm once again. Still, I simply want to see how determined you are." The old man explained Zhou Fan was doing the dragon king a favor. If he wasn''t willing to sacrifice some of his strength for the ability to reproduce, he wasn''t deserving of Zhou Fans help. After hearing the old man''s explanation, the dragon king calmed down. From his words, the dragon king felt that the deal was actually quite reasonable. It''s not like he had much room to improve anyways. It might actually be fun breaking through again. However, he had just one question. "What are you going to do with my cultivation?" The dragon king asked. "Nothing really. Your cultivation is too little to affect me in any way whatsoever. I will most likely just let it disperse in the air and increase the quality of the Qi in the Zhou World, although I doubt it will have even a .001% effect." The old man said. Although many of his words were hurtful, the dragon king didn''t ask any more questions like how powerful he was or how he knew so much, and agreed to the deal. Both the old man and the dragon kin reached out to shake hands. As soon as they did, the dragon king felt something leave him, then he felt himself weakened to the tenth level of void traversing. Although the dragon king felt sad at the loss, the feeling was replaced by excitement and hope when a bottle of golden liquid appeared in his hand. He looked at it with happiness, but as soon as he looked up, the old man had disappeared. "Thank you." The dragon king said before bowing his head and walking off with the potion. As he left, Zhou Fan appeared inside the floating palace. Since he had helped the dragon king with a major problem of his, he felt quite happy with himself. Also, he didn''t reveal too much about a higher strength being present in the Zhou World. After all, he didn''t want Anna and the rulers, including the dragon king, to start getting too suspicious. At most, the dragon king would keep the event to himself and have some slight suspicions. Luckily, he hardly cared about cultivating anymore and wouldn''t feel any pressure regardless. Chapter 142: Supreme Beasts Future - 142 Chapter 142 - Supreme Beasts Future - 142 Inside the floating palace, Zhou Fan extended his divine sense and looked around the solar system. Despite its size, it seemed as if the entire thing was in a state of calm. There were no wars and very few uncontrolled battles. If it was a bit smaller, Zhou Fan guessed that there may not even be a single death within the solar system. Looking away from everyone else, Zhou Fan paid attention to the dragon king. Since they had separated, he had reached his home. As Zhou Fan looked at him, he took the lid off of the potion and poured it down his throat while in humanoid form. As soon as he did, a major change was felt in his body. His entire genetic structure was transforming, changing nothing but his ability to reproduce. After being bathed in a golden light for five minutes, the transformation stopped. After it, the dragon king seemed exactly the same as he was before he took the potion, but he felt much different. As soon as he felt the feeling, he ran outside and found his wife. She was a giant butterfly supreme beast, but she too had a humanoid form. Although she didn''t have the ability to reproduce, the dragon king''s new genetics would bypass that problem. It was at that point that Zhou Fan stopped watching. By the time he left seclusion, he assumed that the entire supreme beast race would have changed their ways. After all, the dragon king''s genes would pass on to his children, giving them the ability to reproduce. After enough time, only the few supreme beasts that were naturally born by the world would be unable to reproduce. The change would result in the overall quality of the supreme beast race going down, but the numbers would make up for it. It wasn''t absolute that the supreme beasts born from the world would be more talented, but they would be so on average compared to the supreme beasts born by other supreme beasts. The ability to reproduce would also change the very structure of the supreme beast race. There would likely be royal families or nobles, along with commoners and supreme beasts that only had a portion of their bloodline. However, the increased number of supreme beasts would also give rise to new versions of bloodlines. Therefore, there would no longer only be a single dragon bloodline, but many types like fire dragons, water dragons, earth dragons, and lightning dragons, alongside weirder versions like golden flame dragons or something similar. Luckily, it would give the Zhou solar system a much needed increase in different races. Zhou Fan even estimated that the supreme beast lands would eventually break up and things such as the dragon lands and the giant shark lands would appear. However, that would be long in the future when the Zhou solar system had changed drastically. Now that everyone was doing their own thing, Zhou Fan was ready to do some things that he personally wanted to do. Firstly, he wanted to create a new base for himself. Although the floating palace was great, he wanted something newer. After all, it was still made out of materials from when the Zhou World was just terraformed. Despite that, Zhou Fan had never really considered upgrading it because nobody was strong enough to do anything, especially with the formations and arrays around the palace. Even now, nobody was strong enough to do anything, but Zhou Fan still wanted a better place. Perhaps he could make it more comfortable or nicer looking, but he wouldn''t completely abandon the floating palace, however, he would still change his main residence. After thinking for a while, Zhou Fan decided that the best place would be inside the sun. More specifically, the center. Firstly, it would never be reached since the temperature of the sun increased everytime it expanded. In its current state, even a tenth level space shattering cultivator would be reduced to ashes before they got to the center. As for a first level lesser dao creation realm cultivator, they would struggle, but would likely make it. Even if they did make it that far, they would never be able to actually enter Zhou Fans building. It would be covered in arrays at the strength of the tenth level of the lesser dao creation realm since Zhou Fan was laying them. As for what the building would be made of, Zhou Fan would grab some materials from the center of the Zhou World, which were surprisingly still only at the tenth level of space shattering, and upgrade them to become materials at the lesser dao creation realm. Then, he would shape them to become the building he wanted, which was a nine story pagoda. It would be red, gold and black, and be built using the basic style of a pagoda. From the bottom to the top floor, the floor space would get smaller. Each of the floors would be enclosed beside the top floor which would have four openings and could be used as a sightseeing area, although there wasn''t much to see in the sun. Luckily, Zhou Fan could easily see through it and look at the entire Zhou solar system. After he finished planning, Zhou Fan teleported to the Zhou worlds center and took most of the materials from it since the pagoda would be fairly huge. After he did that, he used some of his Qi in order to increase the materials strength. The process only took a few minutes and Zhou Fan was ready to construct. After teleporting to the center of the sun, Zhou Fan moved the materials to their positions with Qi and permanently colored them red and black, with a little bit of gold, mostly in the form of dragon ornaments. Once he finished, he backed up and looked at his creation. It was definitely the greatest and most powerful building ever created. Now that he was done with constructing it, he needed to lay some formations and arrays around it. Chapter 143: Entering Seclusion - 143 Chapter 143 - Entering Seclusion - 143 Zhou Fan started with a defensive array. He covered his entire pagoda and the space a hundred miles away from it with the array. Since Zhou Fan layed it with all of his strength, it had the ability to block attacks from a tenth level lesser dao creation realm cultivator. Next, Zhou Fan layed out an attack array. Like the defensive array, it covered the entire pagoda and the space within a hundred miles of it. Also like the defensive array, Zhou Fan layed it with all his power, giving it the ability to injure tenth level lesser dao creation realm cultivators. After the attack and defense arrays, Zhou Fan layed out a couple more arrays that provided the pagoda with things such as a air conditioned interior and a mystical feeling. After he had laid out all of the arrays, Zhou Fan activated them. Instantly, a barrier appeared that covered the entire pagoda and the space within a hundred miles of it. The barrier was caused by the defense array, but the attack array took a different form. Inside the barrier, two golden dragons that Zhou Fan had used as ornaments seemed to come to life and circled the pagoda. From afar, the appearance of the red and black pagoda being circled by two giant golden Xiaolong type dragons was beautiful and domineering. Even if someone managed to reach the center of the sun without Zhou Fan noticing, they may not have the guts to try and enter it with its new appearance. After proudly looking at the pagoda for a while, Zhou Fan went inside and sat on the top floor, overlooking the entire solar system. As expected, nothing important or interesting was happening. Zhou Fan wasn''t sure what else he could do before entering seclusion. He had been trying to delay the seclusion as much as possible since he didn''t have any idea how long it would take him to break through, and he absolutely wouldn''t stop cultivating until he broke through. Although he wasn''t sure, Zhou Fan guessed that it would be longer than 50,000 years, and perhaps even longer than 100,000. Although he could easily deal with any threats or happenings within the solar system, Zhou Fan didn''t want to stop cultivating until he reached the new realm, even if that meant letting everything he had created be destroyed. Therefore, if a black hole were to suddenly appear in the center of the solar system and start devouring, Zhou Fan wouldn''t stop cultivating. Unless he actually looked outside of the barrier, he wouldn''t even notice that such a thing was happening due to the defensive barriers strength. In fact, even if the sun disappeared he wouldn''t notice it due to the array regulating temperature. Overall, Zhou Fan didn''t know of a single thing that could possibly break through his barrier and disturb him, and he wouldn''t be coming out of seclusion early unless something did destroy his barrier. After making himself comfortable, Zhou Fan closed his eyes and started to cultivate. ------------------- 10,000 years later, Zhou Fan felt the separate space within him start to grow. From being the size of a small dot, it quickly expanded to become the size of a fingertip. ------------------- Another 10,000 years later, the separate space within Zhou Fan had expanded and reached the size of three fingertips. ------------------- Another 10,000 years later, the separate space had grown to become the size of a child''s fist. --------------------- After 20,000 more years passed, Zhou Fan felt the separate space move. It, which had reached the size of two palms, started to wriggle around within him. Technically, the separate space wasn''t within him, but within his soul, along with his core. The separate space didn''t really look like a separate space, but more like a ball of golden light. Suddenly, the ball of golden light that was the separate space started to have ripples within it like it was made of water. Then, the separate space dispersed into specks of golden light, before quickly reforming into a thread of golden light. Suddenly, that thread of golden light moved around the space of his soul and wrapped around his core. Seconds after that, it turned from a golden light to gray light, taking on a similar shade as his core and his hair. Clearly, the separate space had been influenced by his Chaos Qi. After a moment, the core within him started to change. Like the thread, it turned into a sphere of gray light, unlike its previous self which was just a gray that gave off no light. Eventually, the difference between the core and the thread wrapped around it disappeared. From that moment, his core and the thread had turned into a ball of gray light that was his separate space. However, Zhou Fan hadn''t broken through. He could feel that he was at most halfway done with his cultivation, so he continued on. ------------------------------ After 10,000 years, Zhou Fan was able to tell why he hadn''t broken through. His separate space hadn''t really finished growing. Although it barely increased in size, the separate space had started to grow stronger and denser. Despite his strength, Zhou Fan had no idea what the separate space was changing into. However, he was able to tell that it was affected by both his affinity and his talent. Therefore, he could assume that if others ever broke into the realm, their separate space would take the color or colors of their affinity and be stronger or weaker depending on their talent. Overall, Zhou Fan had no idea what was happening. ---------------------- Another 10,000 years later the separate space continued growing stronger without delay or interruption. Besides that, nothing else was happening. ------------------------------- 10,000 years later the separate space didn''t stop becoming stronger and nothing new had happened. ------------------------------- After another 10,000 years, nothing had changed. ------------------------- Despite his best guesses, Zhou Fan''s separate space did not stop growing in power after another 10,000 years had passed, reaching a total of 100,000 years since he had entered seclusion. Although he seemed like he didn''t care about the solar system earlier, he was hoping that nothing bad had happened after 100,000 years. Chapter 144: Inner World Realm - 144 Chapter 144 - Inner World Realm - 144 After another 8,000 years had passed, Zhou Fan finally felt a change within him. The separate space, which hadn''t stopped growing in power for the last 58,000 years, suddenly stopped. Then, a sound that could only be described as the distortion of space sounded out. Hearing it, Zhou Fan widened his eyes. He had a bad feeling about the next few seconds. As expected, his premonition was right. From the ball of gray light within the space of his soul, an immense amount of power shot out. Instantly, Zhou Fan knew he had no ability to stop it. A gray shockwave poured out from his body like an atomic bomb and instantly destroyed the pagoda he had worked hard to create, before reaching the barrier and instantly going through it as if it was air. Everything the explosion passed by was crumbled to atoms immediately. As it went past the barrier, it quickly expanded, covering the entire sun and nearly destroying it in seconds. Luckily, Zhou Fan had been able to move some of his power in order to prevent the sun from facing complete destruction. Still the shockwave continued outwards, absolutely decimating the space it passed by and heading towards the hundred worlds. It was at that point that Zhou Fan got angry. For the first time in a long, long time, Zhou Fan was genuinely angry. How dare his own power destroy his own creations. Right before the explosion reached the hundred planets, Zhou Fan roared out and used 100% of his Qi and power, which now exceeded the lesser dao creation realm, in order to lock down the explosion. Immediately, gray chains covered the entire surface of the explosion, not only stopping it from advancing, but rapidly pulling it back towards Zhou Fan. As it did so, Zhou Fan instinctually used some of his new power in order to repair the destruction caused by it, which included the very fabric of space, the sun, the barrier, and even the pagoda, before Zhou Fan forced it back into his separate space, ending the entire fiasco. As soon as the explosion was contained, Zhou Fan sprawled out on the floor, panting. He had never put so much effort into something as he just had. He had also never used such an incredible amount of power before. Naturally, that power came from his increase in cultivation. Although he had no idea what it did or what to name it, he could clearly feel that he had broken through to the next realm. After regaining his Qi and his stamina, Zhou Fan observed the separate space within him. Surprisingly, it had not changed from before the explosion. It was still a ball of gray light. However, Zhou Fan could feel that the ball of gray light was a separate space that could now be entered. Therefore, Zhou Fan entered it. Inside, there was no space or skies or ground or life, but simply an endless gray. It was as if nothing existed but the gray light. Like the entire universe untouched by Zhou Fan, the space only had Chaos Qi. Unlike the entire universe, there was nothing else, besides Zhou Fan himself. Despite that, Zhou Fan felt that he could draw enormous power out from his separate space. Actually, Zhou Fan felt that he should call it an inner world, a world inside him. After he thought that, Zhou Fan even decided to name the realm after it. He would call it the Inner World Realm. After thinking for a while, Zhou Fan came to the conclusion that this was his inner world, and the grayness would not change as he cultivated. He guessed that the reason it was like this was due to his affinity with Chaos Qi. if someone else were to reach the realm, they may actually have some sort of system happening. For example, a person with only a fire Qi affinity may have infinite flames filling up their inner world, or someone with only a water affinity may have endless water filling up their realm. Perhaps someone with many affinities could organize their inner world to form an actual planet. In fact, Zhou Fan could do that, but why would he? He could already tell that no life would be able to live in his inner space no matter what he did. If someone with a life Qi affinity were to form an inner world, they wouldn''t be able to actually have life either. Although he had only had it for moments, Zhou Fan could tell that an inner world was not meant to share. Instead, it was for a single person''s use and only a single person. Although Zhou Fan could change his inner world by splitting chaos Qi, he would absolutely not do that. Despite all he had done, he had always felt the most comfortable within Chaos Qi. As for splitting the Chaos Qi in the solar system, that was for the benefit of the life within it, which Zhou Fan kind of considered his children. Still, he would always surround himself in Chaos Qi. After taking another look at the inner world of chaos Qi, Zhou Fan found that there was actually a limit to the inner world''s size. At some point, he could only stop moving. Although there was only Chaos Qi in front of him, he couldn''t actually move forward. It was as if the chaos Qi was forming a wall to stop him. Soon, Zhou Fan left his inner world. He knew that as he cultivated, his inner world would expand and the power he could draw from it would increase. Despite the aspect of drawing power, the inner world was one with him like his body and soul. It was similar to how he drew Qi out from himself, except he was drawing it out from his inner world. Now that Zhou Fan had broken into the first level of the inner world realm, he could check up on the Zhou solar system''s progress, and also finally visit earth to see how it had grown without him. Chapter 145: Changes - 145 Chapter 145 - Changes - 145 For the first time in more than 100,000 years, Zhou Fan stood up. After taking a couple of deep breaths and stretching, he teleported outside of the sun. As he took his first look at the solar system in more than a hundred thousand years, Zhou Fan couldn''t help but be slightly disappointed. From his single look, he could tell that no extreme progress had been made by the habitants of the Zhou Solar system. At the very least, there were no new structures like the grand hall that were visible within the solar system. Still, Zhou Fan couldn''t say whether or not there had been zero progress until he expanded his divine sense around the entire solar system, which he promptly did. Instantly, Zhou Fan caught sight of all the rulers and Jack, along with a couple thousand others, all gathered within the grand hall. After the explosion had torn apart much of the sun and the space around it, including the grand hall, before it receded and everything went back to normal, every void traversing cultivator within the Zhou Solar system ran to the grand hall as fast as possible. Since Zhou Fan had spent a while recovering, most of them had been able to reach it before his divine sense expanded. The only ones that didn''t were those at the first and second level of the void traversing realm, although they were still rushing. Inside the grand hall, everyone was looking at the figure on the throne. Even after a hundred thousand years, Anna was still sitting on it. Now, she had reached the 3rd level of the space shattering realm. As for the dragon king and the other original four rulers, the dragon king had reached the second level of the space shattering realm, while the titanosaur and the monkey king were stuck at the tenth level of void traversing. Surprisingly, Jack was only watching from the sides, in one of the hundred viewing boxes. A cloak covered his body as if he didn''t want anyone knowing of his existence. After so much time, Jack had led the mermaid race to become the fifth land of the Zhou world. Despite that, everyone was under the impression that he was at the same level as the monkey king and the titanosaur. It seemed that after a hundred thousand years, Jack had become somewhat of a hidden master. He only revealed enough of his strength to deter others from looking down upon him or his race. What the others in the room, besides Anna who kept quiet after sensing his strength, didn''t know was that Jack had reached the 2nd level of space shattering. Based on his talent, he was even stronger than the dragon king! For the first time since the creation of the Zhou world, the second place position had been switched! What was even crazier was that not a single person besides Anna seemed to even notice the change in hierarchy. As for why Anna kept quiet, she simply didn''t want to offend Jack. From what she had seen, his talent was at the very least equal to hers. In fact, there was a good chance his talent was higher. Therefore, it would be foolish to antagonize him by revealing his secrets. As for killing jack before he overtook her in strength, such a thought never crossed the righteous annas mind. After a moment of waiting, Anna spoke. "People of the Zhou World, you may be under the impression that I know something you all do not. Unfortunately, I must admit that I am as clueless as you all are as to what happened." She said. "If it was just an explosion, we could attribute it to a reaction from the sun, but what followed is unexplainable." Around her, every single person was silent. "Therefore, I can only assume that this was some mystical event. Perhaps it was some sort of reaction from the galaxy, or even the universe itself. Regardless, there is no point in trying to figure it out. Let''s just be grateful we are alive." She said before standing up and teleporting to her room within the grand hall. After the grim reaper battle long ago, she and the other rulers had managed to recreate teleportation, along with other techniques like the soul escaping technique and the soul trapping technique. After Anna left the main area of the grand hall, the room was filled with voices. Despite Anna saying that there was no point in talking about it, they couldn''t help themselves. Still, some disappeared after Anna did. Among them was Jack, the titanosaur, the monkey king, and the dragon king, who had attended with his son. The son the dragon king had brought with him wasn''t his first child. In fact, the child had hundreds of older brothers and sisters. The problem was that none of them had enough talent. Even breaking into the space shattering realm within ten million years would be a miracle for any of them. Luckily, the dragon king had finally gotten a good heir just a hundred years ago. His talent was one rank higher than his fathers at immortal king 6. Although he would never surpass Anna or Jack, he would surpass his father and likely become a better king, while the dragon king could just hang back and spend his years relaxing. The dragon king''s son, Ao Tu, was also a dragon like his father, but slightly different. While his father could be called a demonic dragon, Ao tu was a pure fire dragon. As of now, he was at the void traversing realm. It would take him a while, but it was inevitable that he would reach the space shattering realm. Besides the changes in the important people of the Zhou solar system, there were also changes at the lower levels, along with changes in the lands. Within the Zhou Solar system, there were now 10,000 void traversing realm cultivators. 9,000 were within the first three levels, 800 were at the fourth to sixth levels, 195 were at the seventh through ninth levels, and five were at the tenth. As for space shattering cultivators, Jack was the only new addition. Chapter 146: Return to the Huang Long Academy - 146 Chapter 146 - Return to the Huang Long Academy - 146 After the meeting dispersed, Zhou Fan stopped using his divine sense. Since he had made sure that the entire solar system wasn''t destroyed and that the people within it hadn''t changed that much, Zhou Fan was ready to leave the solar system for a while. After so many years, he was ready to visit earth again. Although he wanted to make guesses on its state, Zhou Fan didn''t. Instead, he started to fly towards earth. Since he was controlling his speed, it would take him a minute to reach it. Of course, he was still moving at a speed that was much faster than light. Now that he had broken through to the inner world realm, he felt that he had completely exceeded the galaxy. Although the energy within it slightly outclassed his Qi, it wasn''t by much. He estimated that he would exceed the galaxy in overall Qi by the time he reached the third level of the inner world realm. Still, he had already become fast enough to reach other galaxies in a timely manner. Although it may take a month of traveling to reach other galaxies, even with his current strength, the closest galaxy was actually easily reachable. If he started flying towards it at his full speed right now, he would reach it in around 3 hours. Although he could shorten the travel time by teleporting, he wasn''t strong enough yet. If he tried to, he would suffer from Qi exhaustion before he even reached the halfway point. While he was thinking about galaxies, Zhou Fan felt himself nearing earth. He braced himself for the worst, and eventually saw the earth and the space surrounding it. After seeing it, Zhou Fan''s first reaction was awe. Floating around the earth, which was still intact, were many giant buildings. If average humans were to live in them, the buildings could comfortably house millions. Floating around earth were hundreds of such buildings. Some were shaped like circular towers, while some took the form of dragons or even mountains. Regardless of the design, there was a big entrance leading to each of them. A bridge extended outwards, and eventually, what seemed like a bubble wall led into the buildings. That bubble wall was clearly there to separate the air and the harsh space. After his initial feelings of awe, Zhou Fan started to feel excited. The main reason he felt so excited was because one of the buildings was designed to look like a yellow dragon. It was the biggest among all of them by many times, and above the entrance was a plaque that read "Huang Long Academy". Seeing it, Zhou Fan couldn''t help but feel nostalgia. It had been a long time since he had even thought about the Huang Long academy. Although the time he spent there was miniscule compared to the time he spent on the Zhou world and in the Zhou solar system, the huang long academy still had a small place in his heart. After all, it was one of the first things he had ever created. After looking at it, Zhou Fan looked at the other buildings. A common theme among them was the word sect. It seemed that all of the buildings belonged to important people or organizations. He had already guessed that such things would form after he left, so Zhou Fan wasn''t that surprised by it. Despite all his happy feelings, he also felt sad. It was clear that the cultivators of the Zhou world were too weak to reach other solar systems, but too strong to be contained on the tiny planet of earth. Before he did anything to change their situation, Zhou Fan wanted to visit the Huang long academy. He flew down to the dragon structure''s mouth, which had a tongue sticking out, and landed on the tongue. The tongue happened to be the entrance to the entire Huang long academy. He started walking down the tongue and into the mouth, but as soon as he passed the bubble that separated space and air, Zhou Fan was met by a group of five guards dressed in golden armor holding spears that were pointed at him. "Who are you, state your name and reason for entry." The one in the middle of the five said. Although the guards were acting brave, they were secretly sweating. One had to know that very few people had reached the void traversing realm in the time Zhou Fan had left. Specifically, only 111 had. Therefore, only a hundred and eleven people had the ability to fly in space without any special armor or vehicle. That meant that Zhou Fan was either one of those hundred and eleven people, who were easily recognizable since they were all sect masters, or someone unknown. "My name is Zhou Fan. Does that ring a bell?" Zhou Fan responded. Out of the five guards, four of them looked confused and shook their heads. The one in the middle, however, widened his eyes when he heard the name. Although it was difficult to believe him from a few words, the guard didn''t believe that someone at the void traversing realm would stoop so low as to impersonate their founder. "Sir, please wait here. I will call down one of the grand elders." He said before pulling out a talisman. Zhou Fan was surprised when he saw the talisman since he had never invented it before he left, and the people of the Zhou world had also invented it, but he didn''t say anything. It seemed that formations and arrays would naturally inspire someone to create talismans, no matter the race or location. Just seconds after the guard used the talisman, a powerful presence at the 3rd level of void traversing descended. "Who dares impersonate our founder!?" The voice roared. Although Zhou Fan had never heard the voice before, he couldn''t help but smile. Soon, an old man dressed in yellow robes with a gray mustache that reached his knees and a gray beard that reached the floor barged through the door into the big hallway. He was seconds away from screaming in anger, but when he saw Zhou Fan''s face, his anger deflated in an instant. "....!?!?" Chapter 147: Divine Physiques - 147 Chapter 147 - Divine Physiques - 147 "Father!?" The old man in yellow said. Hearing him, Zhou Fan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. He had never expected that Xiaolong, who he had treated like a pet, treated him like a father. "Don''t call me that." Zhou Fan responded before he held his arms out. Without hesitation, Xiaolong ran forward and gave him a hug. Although it was weird having an old man hug him, Zhou Fan felt less weird after remembering the old times with Xiaolong. "We thought you would never come back. Where have you been?" Xiaolong asked. "Not too far, but not that close for you all." Zhou Fan responded after thinking for a bit. "How have you all been while I was gone?" Zhou Fan asked. "Would you like to know everything or just the basics?" Xiaolong asked before he responded. "Tell me everything, I''ve got plenty of time." Zhou Fan responded. "In that case, I''ll lead you to a more comfortable place." Xiaolong said. He then moved at his full speed and almost instantly appeared in a room. He looked behind him to see if Zhou Fan was able to follow him, but was surprised to see Zhou Fan directly next to him. ''I guess he hasn''t been idle.'' Xiaolong thought. "Take a seat." He said before he took one. Zhou Fan looked around the room. It was a carpeted room with a chimney not far away. There were two red seats and a table in between them. Zhou Fan sat down across from Xiaolong and got comfortable. "When you first left, everything stayed the same. After around a hundred years, the sect era started. Old Students from the Huang Long academy would open up sects across the world, eventually ending the mortal era. Each of the top ten empires kept their land and simply renamed their empires to sects. The other empires, however, were replaced by sects. As time passed, some sects stayed while some were forgotten or even destroyed. However, there were some sects that remained. The Huang long academy was one of them, of course. Some others were the demon sect, the barbarian sect, the fire sect, the water sect, and many others that represented races or elements." Xiaolong said. "While some were stronger than others, the Huang long academy always remained at the top. Even if there were wars, we never interfered, unless we were provoked to do so. Eventually, people got stronger, and the earth stopped being big enough. Thanks to the chaos crystal you gave us, we were able to provide Qi for both the earth and the space surrounding it, but we all had our limits. Around 50,000 years ago, many who had reached bottlenecks or limits started to research other things. One of the greatest inventions was the floating buildings, which is what all the top sects live in above the earth, and the transportation ships that let those below the void traversing realm reach them. Since then, we have all been cultivating. Some died from exhausted lifespans, like din ren and the other first generation huang long academy students, but a couple people like me and the other three, survived." Xiaolong continued. "Wait." Zhou Fan said before Xiaolong could continue. "What do you mean the other three?" "Ohhhh. Right." Xiaolong started. "You weren''t here for that. Instead of explaining, I''ll let you see it yourself." After saying that, Xiaolong pulled out a communication talisman and sent three messages. Soon after, 3 people entered through the door. The first to reach, a woman with red hair and a fiery aura, looked at Zhou Fan with shock. "Father?!" She said. Once again Zhou Fan didn''t know whether he should laugh or cry. "Don''t call me that. Come here." He said before opening his arms. Zhuque imitated Xiaolong and gave him a hug. By that time, two more people had entered the room. One was an old man with a head full of white hair. The other was a fairly young looking man with a head of half white and half black hair. "Father?!" They said in unison. This time, Zhou Fan was too stunned to respond. He was instead looking at the fairly young looking man. "You have combined!" Zhou Fan said "Also, don''t call me that." It only took a couple of seconds, but Zhou Fan was able to tell that Xuanwu and Hanglu had combined into a single entity. It made sense since they had always stuck together and even had the same talent and affinities. It seemed that they were destined to end up this way. "Indeed they have." Xiaolong said. "We don''t know why, but they woke up like this one day. They have each other''s memories, but are one person. Still, we just call him Xuanwu now." "I think I know why." Zhou Fan said incredulously. After he had looked at them for a while, he sensed something special. It wasn''t quite affinity or talent, but something different within him. After a minute, Zhou Fan appeared next to him and looked closer. He couldn''t believe his eyes. After so long, he had discovered a new variable to cultivation. He decided to call them "divine physiques". They were something similar to talent and affinities, but also different. After he saw Xuanwus divine physique, he couldn''t help but question if he had one. "I think I know why they combined." Zhou Fan said, gathering the attention of everyone in the room. "It is the first one I have ever seen, but I believe they had a divine physique." "What is a divine physique?" Xiaolong asked. "I believe it is something like talent and affinity, but is more like a unique talent. Theirs should have been some divine physique that combined their minds, bodies, and souls into one." Zhou fan explained. After hearing him, all of the beasts nodded. It was the first time they had heard an explanation that made sense. As for what use the divine physique had, Zhou Fan was unaware for now. He could only guess that it increased fighting power or something similar. Chapter 148: Planning - 148 Chapter 148 - Planning - 148 After getting over the initial shock of discovering the divine physique, Zhou Fan and the beasts sat down and talked about the past. Although there were some things that happened in between, what Xiaolong had said was basically all that had happened. In the present, there were 108 top tier sects. Each of the sects had a building floating around the earth, and each either had a sect master at the void traversing realm or a grand elder at the void traversing realm. Zhou Fan also talked with them about the invention of the space flying ships. They were the main reason that buildings could be built around the earth. He was also told about how the chaos crystal he had given them was in the center of the earth, but they were unable to improve the formation around it any further. After talking for a bit longer, they came to the subject of the original members of the Huang Long Academy. Besides the beasts, everyone had died from old age. After all, not a single one had the talent to become a void traversing cultivator besides din ren. In fact, even din ren had a very low chance of it, which was why he died. His lifespan had ended right before he could break through. Speaking of lifespan, Zhou Fan hadn''t really paid much attention to it before. The known and proven lifespan times were, 3000 years for a nascent soul realm cultivator and 100,000 years for a soul formation cultivator. As for those before that, they were too insignificant to care about. Although Zhou Fan could guess that a void traversing cultivator could survive for ten million years, he had no way to prove it. As for above that, Zhou Fan had no clue. He could only feel that he had used up less than 0.1% of his lifespan. After hearing that Cao Lin, Cao mizu, Din Ren, and the rest of his students died peacefully, Zhou Fan was satisfied. From then on, the conversation moved from the events of the past to the events of the present. For about an hour, the beasts complained about the lack of Qi, which had severely limited them. Otherwise, around 200,000 years would be enough for them to at least be in the 10th level of void traversing, if not the 1st level of space shattering. They may even be higher. Now that he was stronger, Zhou Fan could more clearly sense the beast''s talent. Before, he had said that Annas and the dragon king''s talent should be higher than theirs, but now, he felt he was wrong. If Anna''s talent was immortal king 5 and the dragon kings was immortal king 7, then the beasts were at immortal king 1. After sensing their true talent, Zhou Fan was both surprised and proud. Unsurprisingly, they all had the same talent level. After an entire day of conversing, Zhou Fan was ready to change the earth''s situation. "I have a question for all of you." Zhou Fan said, causing the beasts to listen up. "Would you rather the earth be moved into another section of the galaxy that has cultivators and entire planets of different races, or would you rather I change the earth and create a separate area for you?" Zhou Fan asked. After hearing his words, the beasts were both shocked at the fact that there was another area with cultivators, and serious. The decision they made would affect the entire planet and everyone on it. "Before we make such a decision, can we see what the other place looks like?" Xiaolong asked, speaking for the entire group. "Sure." Zhou Fan said. "Hop into this." As Zhou Fan said that, a bubble appeared with a couple of chairs. Although the beasts were confused at first, they eventually got in without asking questions. Before they could react, both Zhou Fan and the bubble appeared in a different area. The beasts were shocked, but soon realized that they were moving through the galaxy at an astonishing speed. Although Zhou Fan was holding back, they reached the Zhou Solar system in a matter of seconds and appeared above the grand hall. Only then did Zhou Fan let the beasts out of the bubble. As the beasts looked at the solar system and the grand hall, they couldn''t be more shocked. They couldn''t believe that there was an entire civilization near them. "Would you like to see the planets, or is this enough?" Zhou Fan asked. After thinking, the beasts spoke. "Let''s see the rest before we decide." In less than a second, the beasts were in the Zhou World. They had seen its sheer size earlier, but they were still shocked. Not only was the Qi thousands of times more abundant, but the planet was many more times bigger. After adventuring around and discovering the celestial lands, they came to a conclusion. "We would like the earth to be moved to this area, but we would like to be outside of the solar system if possible." Xiaolong said. "Of course it''s possible. You said there are 108 top sects right? I''ll give you guys a star and a hundred and eight planets." Zhou Fan said. He had still not done anything with the remaining 13 stars from before the Zhou solar system and was ready to use them now that he had found a use. After hearing him, the beasts couldn''t help but awkwardly laugh. It was as if a rich man told his poor friend that he was giving him a mansion and 108 houses. "Unfortunately, it will take a while for them to be ready. I''ll let you guys stay in the earth''s area for around 500 years. By then, everything should be fairly sized." Zhou Fan said. Since he had just broken through, the planets and the sun in the Zhou solar system had started expanding once again. This time, it would take them around 350 years. He was also upgrading a new sun and another 108 planets. They would take about 500 years in total. He also planned to expand the earth and make it like the Zhou world, while the other planets would be under it like the rest of the planets are to the Zhou world. He would bring in the earth after the other 107 planets and the sun were done upgrading, before he let the earth upgrade among them. After it grew, he would make the planet''s subsidiaries to the earth. Chapter 149: Earths Expansion - 149 Chapter 149 - Earths Expansion - 149 After planning out the new solar system, Zhou Fan informed Xiaolong and the other beasts of the future changes before he sent them back to the Huang Long Academy. Although it felt sad to part with them so quickly after just seeing them again, Zhou Fan knew that it had to be done. He wouldn''t stop cultivating now that they were near him. Therefore, they would go hundreds of thousands of years without seeing him every time he broke through. Eventually, that time would get longer and longer. After sending them back to earth, Zhou Fan moved out of the solar system and quickly reached the area that he had placed the other stars in. After thinking for a while, he moved one of the yellow ones to an area a lightyear away from the Zhou solar system. After making sure it would stay in place, Zhou Fan connected his mortal dao to it. Instantly, the sun started expanding. After dealing with the sun, Zhou Fan went out and found a bunch of desolate planets. None of them were ice planets, so there wouldn''t be a water world, but each of them had the potential for many environments. Due to his new realm, Zhou Fan found it easy to connect his mortal dao to each and every one of the 107 planets. Like the sun, they started growing rapidly. Although they had to go through all the stages of growth that the planets and the sun in the Zhou solar system had gone through, they went through them faster since Zhou Fans cultivation was higher. Of course, they still had to expand after going through the stages of growth since Zhou Fan had broken through. After he finished connecting them to his mortal dao, Zhou Fan sat to the side and waited. ------------------ In Zhou Fan''s perspective, five hundred years passed in an instant. By now, the planets in the Zhou solar system had finished expanding, while the planets in the new solar system were nearly finished. Despite them being a few years away from completion, Zhou Fan decided to go ahead and bring earth over. Over there, a bubble enclosed both the earth and the space that the floating buildings floated in, before zooming through space and reaching the new solar system. The process had only taken a minute and most people on earth didn''t even realize it was happening since there was no effect besides the change in the sky, and most people had been sleeping or indoors. The people in the floating buildings, however, saw every moment of the journey. Surprisingly, none of them had a huge reaction seeing the new sun and planets. When Xiaolong and the beasts had returned, they had already told the sect masters of the top sects about the change, and how each of their sects would get their own planet. Although they were somewhat sad they were leaving earth, they were much more excited that a better future awaited them. Therefore, as soon as they saw the new solar system, the members of each sect used all their Qi to help propel the buildings towards the planets they wanted. Of course, each of the planets was now tens of thousands of times bigger than earth, and the space between them was also bigger. They had failed to realize that they would take years to reach the planets since the buildings were moving slower than a normal void traversing cultivator, so Zhou Fan helped move them. Very quickly, the top sects arrived at their new planets. By that time, the only floating building was the big yellow dragon. Xiaolong and the other beasts came out, while the building started descending back to earth. Before he spoke to the beasts, Zhou Fan teleported to the earth''s core. Now, Zhou Fan looked at it in a different light. Previously, he had been somewhat fearful of it, but now, Zhou Fan was confident that the tiny bit of cosmic dao in it couldn''t harm him at all. Despite that, Zhou Fan didn''t want the actual cosmic dao to sense a bit of it had been destroyed. After all, he was unconfident in resisting it. Therefore, Zhou Fan decided to try a new method. He still took over the planet''s core with his mortal dao, but once it reached the bit of cosmic dao Zhou Fan let it merge with his mortal dao. Although it was a very risky move, Zhou Fan''s luck was good. The bit of cosmic dao didn''t fight against his mortal dao for control, but cooperated and became a part of it without losing its original form. However, the bit of cosmic dao still caused a change within the mortal dao Zhou Fan had put on the earth. Unlike every other planet, the earth started to grow extremely quick. In just seconds, it grew to ten times its old size. On the surface of the earth, terrible earthquakes and other disasters were happening as a result. Luckily, most people were cultivators or were able to be protected by them. The beasts that had been standing in space, suddenly found themselves back on earth. Despite their confusion, they stayed put and watched the growth. In just an hour, the earth had experienced a hundred fold increase. In a month, the disasters stopped and the earth had finished expanding. Now, its size was comparable to the Zhou World. Like all planets, and the space around them, under Zhou Fan''s mortal dao, the earth started producing Qi''s naturally. Due to the influence of the cosmic dao, there was even 10% more than the other planets. In the earth''s center, the chaos crystal that had been constantly working for the past 200,000 years or so exploded, finally ending its work and resting forever. From an upper view of the entire earth solar system, there were 107 huge planets, and one extremely huge planet that nearly reached the sun''s size. Like he had planned before, Zhou Fan made the other planets be a subsidiary under the earth. The solar system now looked like the Zhou solar system. 108 planets surrounded the sun like a ring. Chapter 150: The New Huang Long Academy? - 150 Chapter 150 - The New Huang Long Academy? - 150 After the expansion finished and the earth was settled in, Zhou Fan appeared next to the beasts. "What do you all think?" He asked them. The beasts didn''t respond and instead kept looking around. Clearly, they were stunned by the earth''s changes. After a couple moments, the beasts came back to their senses. "It is very good!" They said in unison. Zhou Fan nodded his head and started speaking. "You all can divide the earth up however you want. It will be a while before you all gain the strength to freely travel around the solar system without taking days, but you will reach that point eventually." "Do you want to come back to the Huang Long academy?" Xiaolong suddenly asked. "It has been weird without you there." "I''m not sure. I just built a new pagoda and it would seem like a waste to not use it." Zhou Fan responded. "If you ever decide to, there will always be a place for you there." Xiaolong said. Zhou Fan nodded, appreciating his words. "I don''t need to leave immediately. I can help you settle down first." Although he knew he wouldn''t be able to stay forever, Zhou Fan didn''t want to leave just yet. "That sounds good." Xiaolong said, to the agreement of the other beasts. After that, Xiaolong, Zhuque, Bainu, and Xuanwu, traveled around the new earth with Zhou Fan in order to look for a good place to build another huang long academy. They had decided to restart the building process instead of using the yellow dragon and the old buildings. Before long, Zhou Fan and the beasts found a huge mountain range. Since Zhou Fan hadn''t looked at the Zhou World after it expanded, these were the biggest mountains he had ever seen. Yet, the best part was the flat land in the middle. The flat plains were thousands of miles long and wide, and surrounded by hundreds of mountains thousands of miles high. While the beasts were considering what materials to use, Zhou Fan disappeared. In the core area of the new earth, Zhou Fan grabbed some materials. While they were discussing, Zhou Fan appeared back next to them with a mountain of ores behind him. "How do these seem?" He asked rhetorically. The beasts turned around, only to be surprised by the materials. "Where did you get these?" Zhuque asked. "The center of the earth. These materials are actually the strongest I''ve ever seen." Zhou Fan said. If the beasts were strong enough, they would be able to tell that the materials were actually at the lesser dao creation realm! Zhou Fan was glad that materials at that level started to naturally exist. That meant that the planets were getting stronger. After all, even the basic dirt that covered the surface of the planets had reached the nascent soul realm. Only someone at the core formation realm would be able to dig it. However, that was also a problem that Zhou Fan had. The worlds were becoming too strong for mortals to live on. Nowadays, mortals couldn''t even cut down trees or pull out grass. They were basically fed by cultivators. Although Zhou Fan wanted more advanced worlds, he didn''t think that those without the talent to cultivate should just die. Unfortunately, he wasn''t quite sure what to do with mortals. He had thought of making a planet for them, but mortals were born everywhere. Although the average talent had increased and the talent of offspring was likely to be higher based on one''s cultivation realm, 10% of people across the Zhou solar system and the earth were born without the talent to cultivate. Eventually, even those with talent to cultivate wouldn''t be able to survive. It seemed necessary to create a place for those with less talent, and a place for those with talent. Sadly, there were too many variables that Zhou Fan couldn''t control with his current strength. He had already thought of a solution, but he would need much more strength. At the very least, he would need power on a universal level. Zhou Fan shook his head to get himself out of the distant thoughts. Power on a universal level was still much too far for him. Even thinking about it was useless since he couldn''t truly comprehend it. "How do you all want to build the academy? This time, the structure is up to you all." Zhou Fan said. After pondering for a moment, Xiaolong spoke. "I think it would be best to build it in the shape of a dragon once again." "Of course you do." Zhuque said. "You''re a dragon. I think we should build it in the shape of a phoenix if we are building it in the shape of a living thing." "Let''s step away from designing it like one of you all." Zhou Fan said. "Instead, think of a good place for every type of living being." Since the beast''s experience in creating things was very limited, Zhou Fan tried to guide them. Who else was a better fit? "I think we should make a city rather than a single building." Bainu said, joining the conversation. "It would be like the entire city would function as the academy. I saw some sects do it back in the days, and we''re basically a sect." Zhou Fan nodded at his words. That was the best idea so far. "I say we make the entire planet the Huang long "sect", while this place just serves as an academy." Xuanwu suggested. Hearing his words, the beasts thought about it. "That does seem reasonable. The other top sects are getting an entire planet, shouldn''t we also get one?" Xiaolong said. "Earth is different from those places." Zhou Fan said. "Don''t be a follower, you guys are the strongest life from earth besides me." Zhou Fan intended to remind them that they were the leaders of the entire earth solar system. There was no need for them to rule over an entire planet. After some more talking, the beasts decided that Bainu''s idea was the best. They would build an entire city between the mountains Chapter 151: Comprehending - 151 Chapter 151 - Comprehending - 151 Since the beasts were unable to actually affect the material that Zhou Fan brought from the center of the earth, Zhou Fan had to personally build the structures. Besides that, however, the beasts did everything else. They planned out the entire city, from its walls to its walkways and buildings. Half the city would be a residential area, while the other would be the academy buildings, along with shops and restaurants. Of course, many things from the original Huang Long Academy were used as reference. Once they had finished planning, Zhou Fan used the materials to build the city. Despite the variation of colors in the materials, Zhou Fan changed them to fit the city. Therefore, the walking paths were still gray and most of the buildings were gray, black, white, or something similar. The entire process only took a single day, and most of it was spent on the planning. Afterwards, the Huang Long City was finally built. Soon after, the members of the academy were brought from the yellow dragon building to the city. Once everyone was settled in, Zhou Fan was ready to leave. After some hugs and some goodbyes, Zhou Fan teleported back to his pagoda. Although there was no rush, Zhou Fan felt that the grim reaper should make an appearance. Therefore, he sent him down and for the first time, let him do his own thing. Although he could hardly be considered sentient, he had directives that would make sure nothing bad happened. His strength was at the 4th level of space shattering, so there would be no problem with both Jack and Anna there. After making sure that the grim reaper could escape once defeated, Zhou Fan stopped paying attention. Next, Zhou Fan decided to focus on comprehending the cosmic dao. Since he had broken through, he was able to start comprehending it again. Although he had no clue how long it would take, Zhou Fan sat down and started comprehending. ------------------ 10,000 years later, Zhou Fan had only comprehended another 5%. As he moved forward, the cosmic dao seemed harder and harder to understand. He didn''t know how long it would take to reach his limit, but he kept going on anyway. --------------------- 20,000 years later, Zhou Fan comprehended another 5%. He still wasn''t at his limit, so he continued. ----------------------------- 30,000 years later, Zhou Fan finally stopped. He had comprehended another 5%, but he hadn''t reached his limit. He simply felt that he was spending too much time in seclusion. After all, he still had to worry about the Zhou Solar System and the Earth solar system. In total, he had comprehended 20% of the cosmic dao. It was a rough guess, but Zhou Fan felt that the remaining 80% would be thousands of times harder than the first 20%. Still, the benefits of his comprehension were huge. Not only had he felt new ways to use his power, he felt his overall strength increase by a lot. Zhou Fan felt that many impossible things would become possible once he reached 100% comprehension of the cosmic dao. Since 60,000 years had passed, Zhou Fan looked at the strengths of everyone. Jack had reached the 3rd level of space shattering, while Anna had reached the fourth. The dragon king''s son had reached the 10th level of void traversing after so much time had passed. His speed was both due to his talent and the increasing Qi in the air. After Zhou Fan had broken through to the 1st level of the inner world realm, the Qi his mortal dao produced had increased by two times. That was also the reason Jack and Anna had reached so high so quickly. Jack was very close to reaching the 4th level of space shattering, while anna was almost close enough to be considered close to breaking through to the 5th level of space shattering. The dragon king had rarely been cultivating, while the titanosaur and the monkey king just weren''t that talented, causing them all to stay at the same level. As for the beasts, they had broken through to the 2nd level of space shattering. They hadn''t spent a single moment out of seclusion since Zhou Fan saw them, besides the occasional appearances to ensure the academy they were alive. After sending the grim reaper out to the Zhou Solar system, now at the 5th level of space shattering, Zhou Fan made his way to Huang Long academy. In the last battle with the grim reaper, Jack had actually made an appearance. After all, Anna was basically alone when it came to defending against him now. As Anna was being pushed back, Jack appeared behind the grim reaper and stabbed him through with his trident. Since he had been so unprepared, the grim reaper was instantly injured, and then beaten up by both Jack and Anna before escaping with his soul. Zhou Fan had to repair his body before sending him back out. Although Anna had tried to use the soul trapping technique, the grim reaper exploded his body, causing the barrier to be broken, allowing him to escape. After that battle, Jack had been forced into the spotlight, increasing both his and his race''s prestige. When the meetings occurred at the grand hall, he now stood next to anna. Soon, Zhou Fan reached the Huang Long academy. As soon as he did, the beasts came out to greet him. Once they did, Zhou Fan and the beasts went inside and drank some tea. They also talked a bit, but neither the beasts nor Zhou Fan had any new stories to tell, besides the grim reaper battle. After hearing the tale, the beasts were interested. Even though they had broken through to the space shattering realm, they had never visited the Zhou solar system or heard about the people''s strength there. "If you all are interested, you''re free to go whenever. I believe the grand hall meetings have even spoken of you, although they haven''t decided to come to the earth solar system yet." Zhou Fan said. Chapter 152 - 400,000 Years Later - 152 Chapter 152 - 400,000 Years Later - 152 "I think we should go." Zhuque said. "It''s not like they can harm us even if we go. Plus, it would be good to establish a relationship with them." The other beasts nodded in agreement at her words. Since they wanted to go to the Zhou solar system, Zhou Fan brought them back with him. "I''ll be going back into seclusion now. Goodbye." Zhou Fan said before leaving them on a mountain in the Zhou world. The beasts were surprised that he was leaving so soon, but they only said goodbye and watched him leave. Soon, Zhou Fan reached the pagoda. Although he enjoyed spending time with the beasts, he felt an urge to enter seclusion every second he was gone. He wasn''t sure if he had an addiction to cultivation or a dedication. Regardless, he went back into seclusion in order to comprehend the cosmic dao. -------------------------- 90,000 years later, Zhou Fan''s comprehension of the cosmic dao had reached around 30%. He planned on continuing, but sent down the grim reaper beforehand. Once he got another chance, he would take a look at how the battle took place. --------------------- 60,000 years passed, and Zhou Fan''s comprehension had reached around 35%. Since he had a break, Zhou Fan used his divine sense to gather information of how the battle happened. The grim reaper had appeared at the 5th level of space shattering, but was quickly ganged up on and defeated by the combined efforts of the beasts, Jack, and anna. After seeing how everything had progressed so smoothly without his assistance, Zhou Fan used his divine sense to send a message to the beasts. "I will be entering seclusion for an extremely long time. Until then, stay safe." After sending the message, Zhou Fan quickly entered seclusion. He was feeling that he could pay attention and interfere less and less as time moved on. -------------------------- 240,000 years passed by. Even Zhou Fan could feel the effects of such a long seclusion. Now, he had reached 50% comprehension of the cosmic dao. Also, he was unable to move forward in it. He had once again reached a bottleneck in his cosmic dao comprehension. Ever since he had parted with the beasts, nearly 400,000 years had passed in total. By now, he assumed that everyone he had known would have reached almost their peak strength. As per usual, Zhou Fan used his divine sense to cover both the earth solar system and the Zhou solar system. Unsurprisingly, everyone''s increase in strength was obvious. Anna had reached the 7th level of space shattering. She was one of the most powerful beings in the solar system by far. Now, however, Jack was stronger. He had reached the 8th level of space shattering. He had taken over one of the water worlds within the Zhou solar system and made it the home of the mermaids. Among the other rulers, the dragon king had given up his title to his son. He was now simply Ao Ling. His son, Ao Tu, was now the dragon king and had reached the 5th level of space shattering. Most of everyone''s improvement was thanks to the increase in Qi, but their talent was equally important. The titanosaur and the monkey king had finally reached the 1st level of space shattering. Now, they had retired and given up their thrones to their own sons. As for the beasts, they had reached the 9th level of space shattering. Although it would be nearly impossible for them to reach the lesser dao creation realm with the current state of Qi and the limit of their own talent, they would undoubtedly live as some of the strongest. What surprised Zhou Fan the most was that the beasts had started creating legacies of their own. Each and every one of them had given birth to at least one child. Although he figured they would eventually, and actually gave them the ability to, he didn''t expect them to do it so soon. After they started having children, they split up the earth into four sections. Each section would be ruled by one of the beasts races, while the huang long academy was in the middle of them. After seeing the changes, Zhou Fan was ready to come out and see the beasts. Although there were a few rising stars that had talent that surpassed the titanosaur and the old monkey king, Zhou Fan wasn''t too interested. As he arrived at the Huang Long Academy, Zhou Fan sat in the main room and sent a voice message to the beasts. Despite the earth''s size, the beasts arrived less than a second after getting the message. After they exchanged greetings and talked for a while, Zhou Fan demanded that they bring their children to meet him. Since he was basically their father, he felt he should see his grandchildren. The beasts laughed before they disappeared and reappeared with their children in hand. So far, Xiaolong had only one. He was his successor and was named after him. His full name was Xiaolong Fan. Of course, he was named after Zhou Fan. He was a yellow dragon that looked similar to Xiaolong. Zhuque had 5 children, and four of them were girls. They each had fire colored feathers and looked similar to her. Bainu had 3 children. 2 boys and a girl. They were also the spitting image of their father. Finally, Xuanwu had 5 children. There were 2 boys and three girls. In their tortoise form, they were a combination of black and white. Although they didn''t have a divine physique like their father, they seemed to have some effects from it. Overall, each of the beast''s descendants looked similar to them and had good talent. At the very least, the most untalented of them would reach the void traversing realm. After playing with them for a while, the children fell asleep. At that time, Zhou Fan stood up and looked at the beasts seriously. After a moment of silence, he spoke. "It is about time I leave the galaxy." Chapter 153: Red Galaxy - 153 Chapter 153 - Red Galaxy - 153 Hearing Zhou Fan''s words, the beasts turned serious. "Why?" Xiaolong asked after a moment of silence. "Staying here will only hold me back and hinder my cultivation. Also, I want to explore the rest of the universe." Zhou Fan said. Worrying about the beasts and the rulers and the solar systems was causing Zhou Fan to cultivate less and have more interruptions. Although he never planned to stay in seclusion forever, he would like to cultivate longer. "I suppose you aren''t going to change your mind. At least you''ve said goodbye." Xiaolong said. After giving the beasts hugs and telling them he would be back eventually, Zhou Fan left earth and flew towards his pagoda. Before he officially left, there were some things he needed to do. After entering the pagoda, Zhou Fan went to the top floor and released the grim reaper. Before he left, he wanted to give the grim reaper consciousness. That way, he could still be a threat to the Zhou world. However, there were also some things he needed to do in order to make sure that he would never become too weak or too strong for the people of the Zhou Solar system. First, he sent a message to Xiaolong and the others, asking them to not interfere with the grim reaper. Next, he made a tool and put it in the grim reaper''s heart. The tool would scan the Zhou solar system and detect the strongest person in it. After it sensed the strongest person, it would automatically upgrade the grim reaper''s strength. The tool was no weak or simple tool. Since Zhou Fan had made it with a lot of Qi, it would be able to upgrade the grim reaper until the 7th level of the lesser dao creation realm, although it would likely never get to that point. Depending on the Zhou solar system''s strength, the tool would either give the grim reaper the same level or a cultivation one level higher. If the grim reaper were to somehow be completely killed, the tool would disintegrate into dust. After he was finished giving the grim reaper the tool and intelligence, Zhou Fan sent it out into the Zhou solar system. From now on, it would no longer appear then disappear, but make its own place to stay. There may even be a huge war involving the entire Zhou solar system. Sadly, Zhou Fan wouldn''t be there to see that. Since he was done with the grim reaper, Zhou Fan was ready to upgrade the pagoda. With the use of spatial rings, Zhou Fan would be able to take it with him. It was even easier with the ones he could make with his new strength. As for a separate space that could be used without the ring, Zhou Fan felt that he could do it, he just didn''t see a point in doing it. It''s not like the ring is going to fall off or be destroyed. After a couple hours, the pagoda was fully upgraded and ready to go. Zhou Fan put it in his spatial ring and flew to the top of the grand hall. Even after thinking for a while, Zhou Fan couldn''t think of anything else he needed to do. After so long, the cold sword that Zhou Fan had created had been picked up by someone. It was a talented person from a small village that chanced upon the sword. "Goodbye." Zhou Fan said to no one in particular, before flying off towards the nearest galaxy. -------------------------- Although Zhou Fan hadn''t been moving at full speed, he reached the end of his galaxy in seconds. He stopped at the edge once again and started to look out at the clear space ahead. In his opinion, the nearly empty void with the occasional galaxy was much more beautiful than the normal view of space. Of course, there were many things that Zhou Fan couldn''t even recognize farther back, but the galaxies were his main focus. After all, a galaxy was the sign of a black hole, which Zhou Fan was still interested in. After looking for a while, Zhou Fan flew towards the nearest galaxy, a red one similar to his, at full speed. Despite the fact that he could travel through the entire galaxy in a second at his current speed, he was still a distance away from the galaxy after a minute. Luckily, the coldness couldn''t affect him whatsoever. After five minutes of flying, Zhou Fan reached the boundary of the red galaxy. From what he could tell, it was at least twice as big as his galaxy. There were still many different colors of stars, but the very space seemed to give off a red glow, although just slightly. Still, the slight red glow was enough to affect how the galaxy looked from far away, just like his galaxy''s purple glow was enough to change the way it looked from far away. After looking at it for a while, Zhou Fan entered. Despite the difference in looks, the galaxy gave off the same feeling as his. He wasn''t quite sure what to do, so he went to the center of the galaxy. As expected, there was a black hole. Like the black hole in his galaxy, there was a bit of cosmic dao in it. In fact, with his new strength, Zhou Fan was able to tell that the bits of the cosmic dao were more like strands of Qi. However, the Qi was so powerful that it was able to give off mystical effects. Still, it could only be called a bit of the cosmic dao. Zhou Fan was also able to tell that the black hole was slowly devouring the galaxy. This time, Zhou Fan didn''t plan on stopping it. He had already covered the entire galaxy with his divine sense and was able to tell that there were no planets with life on them. Therefore, he had very little interest in this galaxy. However, there was a planet that seemed to have the potential for life. It was similar to the Zhou world before Zhou Fan transformed it. Chapter 154: New Sword - 154 Chapter 154 - New Sword - 154 Instead of creating another Zhou World, Zhou Fan simply evolved some of the microorganisms into actual animals. After that, he connected the planet to his mortal dao, which gave it usable Qi''s, and threw some of his cultivation manuals around that could be read regardless of language, and left it alone. The planet would be able to freely evolve without any outside interference now. As Zhou Fan traversed the universe, he planned on doing that to any planet with potential for life. After a moment of thought, he also connected the sun next to the planet to his mortal dao. Otherwise, there would eventually be no heat or light in the world, since Zhou Fan wasn''t interfering. Now, the sun and planet would be able to grow without worry. Zhou Fan left the planet and sun alone after that. He also soon left the galaxy. Although the travel to the others would be long, he had a plan in his mind that he couldn''t get rid of. It involved the possible destruction of an entire galaxy! After looking around the universe, Zhou Fan made his way to the nearest galaxy that wasn''t his own. Still, the distance was ten times more than the distance between Zhou Fans galaxy and the red galaxy. After an hour of travel, Zhou Fan reached the galaxy''s edge. Unlike the other two, this galaxy wasn''t mostly a single color. Instead, the galaxy was a combination of blue, dark blue, and yellow. It was as if someone took a dropper and randomly dropped drops of paint on different areas. Along with its new colors, the galaxy was quite small. It was twice as small as Zhou Fans galaxy. After entering it, Zhou Fan quickly reached its black hole. Unsurprisingly, it had a strand of the cosmic dao within it. It was the smallest strand he had ever seen, leading Zhou Fan to believe that a galaxy''s size depended on its cosmic dao strand size. After studying the black hole for a bit, Zhou Fan covered the galaxy with his divine sense and scanned it for planets with life or with potential for life. Luckily, there were none. Although Zhou Fan would normally be disappointed, no life and potential life meant that he could do what he wanted with the galaxy without feeling bad. Zhou Fan went to the edge of the galaxy and held his arms out as if he was going to give it a hug. As he did so, an immense amount of Qi poured out of him. It traveled around the entire galaxy and encapsulated it. A barrier also appeared in the center of the galaxy, blocking anything from touching the black hole. Although Zhou Fan didn''t have enough Qi to cover his galaxy, he was able to cover this smaller one. Zhou Fan commanded his Qi to start and shrink. Eventually, the barrier of Qi collided with a planet, but it didn''t stop. It pushed the planet towards the center of the galaxy, destroying it in the process. The barrier of Qi continued going towards the center and smashing everything in its way. Soon, the barrier was layered with debris from stars and planets. The barrier continued shrinking, leaving an empty void at places where a galaxy once was. After 30 minutes, the entire galaxy, besides the black hole that was still protected by a barrier, was crushed into debris by Zhou Fan. Once it was, he released the Qi squishing the things and brought all of the debris towards him. The debris formed a ball as it traveled, and it eventually reached Zhou Fan. Since it hadn''t really been compressed, the ball was 5 lightyears in diameter. However, Zhou Fan wasn''t done. Like he had done with planets long ago, he started to compress the entire galaxy. The five lightyear in diameter ball shrunk to 3 lightyears, 2 lightyears, one lightyear, and even smaller. Eventually, the ball was only as big as a small planet. Zhou Fan continued compressing it from there, but it was no longer as easy. He soon had to use his full force to compress it any further. Even after he had nearly fallen from Qi exhaustion, the galaxy had only been compressed to the size of a house. Still, Zhou Fan felt it would be possible. After recovering his Qi for an hour and reaching full capacity, Zhou Fan continued compressing. Even after using his inner worlds strength, he was only able to compress it a few feet before having to recover again. The ball''s looks were hard to describe. It was blue like the color of space, but contained some stars within it. It was like the night sky if the night sky was a sphere. After once again recovering, Zhou Fan repeated what he had done. After using his Qi and recovering and using his Qi and recovering for almost 3 years, Zhou Fan made the ball become the size of his head. Finally, he was done compressing it. Now, he needed to shape it. After using the full power of himself, his inner world, and his Chaos Qi, Zhou Fan managed to shape the ball into a sword in one go. The sword looked like the night sky if it was in the shape of a sword. Zhou Fan felt the power of an entire galaxy within it. The sword''s power seemed to slightly surpass even his own. After holding it for a while, Zhou Fan couldn''t help but fall in love with it. It was comfortable to hold and even more comfortable to swing or slash. It was the first time he had held a weapon that could handle his full power. In order to test just how strong he was with it, Zhou Fan held it above his head and faced towards a relatively empty part of the universe. He used all of his Qi, the strength of his inner world, and his full talent, before swinging the sword down on the empty space. Chapter 155: Immortal Elements - 155 Chapter 155 - Immortal Elements - 155 As soon as the power within the sword was released, the space cracked and tore, turning into fragments and being utterly destroyed. The space within a thousand lightyears was utterly broken, while the next ten thousand lightyears of space were jumbled up and cracked. With this single strike, Zhou Fan had the ability to nearly decimate an entire galaxy. After a moment, Zhou Fan stopped flying and started floating in the decimated space since he was completely out of Qi. Luckily, he recovered fairly quickly. Unluckily, the space didn''t. It remained shattered and fragmented. It didn''t even look like it was healing. Zhou Fan wasn''t sure what effect the shattered space would cause if he left it there, so he decided to fix it. Using space Qi, the healing process was quite easy. Due to the size of the shattered space, however, Zhou Fan took nearly a day to fix it all. Afterwards, he looked at the black hole. He had intentionally left it out of the strike zone since he was unsure what the strand of cosmic dao would do if it was destroyed. Now that it had nothing to devour, it stopped growing. Zhou Fan soon ignored the black hole since it wasn''t changing at all and left to other galaxies. Unfortunately, the three galaxies he had visited were by far the closest of them. The next galaxy would take an entire day of travel to reach at minimum. Despite that, Zhou Fan didn''t mind. He set off towards the nearest galaxy at his top speed. -------------------------------- A day later, Zhou Fan reached the boundary of another galaxy. It was pink and about the size of the red galaxy. Besides a single planet with the potential for life, there was nothing interesting about it. After giving them what they needed to evolve and cultivate Zhou Fan left the galaxy. ------------------------- After around a week of travel and two new galaxies, Zhou Fan arrived at the third. Of the three, there was only one planet with potential for life. Now that he had reached the third galaxy, Zhou Fan planned on staying for a while. Instead of mindlessly wandering, he would enter seclusion for a bit. He would spend that time comprehending the elements and concepts since he had broken through and could do that again. Comprehending the immortal level elements and concepts had been similar to comprehending the cosmic dao, so Zhou Fan assumed he would get to 50% yet again. After finding a random planet, Zhou Fan crossed his legs and started his comprehension. ------------------------- After 60,000 years, he had comprehended around 20% of what he could comprehend. His strength in using elements and the ways he could use them increased drastically. He was already starting to defy the basic knowledge of them. -------------------------------- After 90,000 more years, Zhou Fan reached 30% comprehension in immortal level elements. His flames could now be cold and his ice could melt things. ------------------------ After 130,000 more years, Zhou Fan had reached 40% comprehension of immortal level elements. His lightning Qi could now heal people and his life Qi could now turn someone into ashes. ------------------------------- After 170,000 more years, Zhou Fan reached 50% in his comprehension of the immortal level elements. Although mortal level elements could only be used one way, immortal level elements had many usages. His dark Qi could light up a room while his light Qi could make things dark. Of course, he would probably never do that. Unless there was some sort of restriction of using light Qi, there would be no need to use dark Qi to light something up. There would also be no need to use life Qi to harm someone or Lightning QI to heal them. Overall, comprehension of immortal level elements was almost useless to someone with affinity to all elements. If one had a flame affinity, using flames to freeze something may be useful, but they could also use Ice Qi if it was something at a lower level. Not having an affinity didn''t mean you could not use that element. It would just be weaker than your level. Despite the new usages of elements being useless, the increase in their power wasn''t. His flames now burnt at higher temperature, while his gravity Qi applied more pressure. Now that he had finally comprehended all he could, Zhou Fan left the galaxy. This time, he wasn''t flying towards another galaxy. Instead, he was going towards what seemed like a cloud in space. It was made up of gasses. Zhou Fan decided to call it a nebula. Despite being even smaller than the current Zhou World, the nebula was huge, spanning 5 light years. As he reached it and entered it, Zhou Fan felt a new type of environment. It felt like he was in a low air quality area with high humidity. It was the equivalent of a rainforest in space to Zhou Fan. Sticky. Despite its uncomfortable feeling, Zhou Fan explored it. He felt that the nebula was in the process of becoming something, but he didn''t know what. Above all, the nebula was beautiful. It was like a cosmic spider web made of stars and gasses. Zhou Fan looked at it for a while before moving on. He started to fly towards the next galaxy at full speed. He reached his destination soon after. The galaxy was the biggest he had seen so far. It was almost 5 times bigger than the red galaxy. It was a basic blue color that one would expect to see in space. After looking around with his divine sense, Zhou Fan was surprised at the amount of planets with the potential for life. Every other galaxy he had been to had one at most. This time, however, there were 3 planets with the potential for life. This time, Zhou Fan not only gave them what they needed to evolve and cultivate, but also put their planets together. That way, they would be able to work together or fight or do whatever they wanted to. Despite it being interesting, Zhou Fan left soon after helping the planets out. He had found a destination he wanted to head towards. Many Many lightyears ahead, what seemed like a giant nervous system filled up a huge space in the universe. It wasn''t quite a nebula, but more like a cluster of galaxies. Chapter 156: The Great Attractor and Runes - 156 Chapter 156 - The Great Attractor and Runes - 156 The thing that Zhou Fan called a galaxy cluster was bright yellow. In the darkness of space, it seemed like a world light. Zhou Fan divided it into two parts based on its looks. One was the main part, which seemed like a cylindrical capsule. It was solid yellow without a single bit of space in between. The other part was lines that seemed like they were being sucked towards the main part. It almost resembled a centipede. Although he couldn''t accurately calculate from his distance, it seemed to contain millions, or hundreds of millions of galaxies. What Zhou Fan could guess, however, was that something was in the center of it. Otherwise, there was no reason so many galaxies would be in one spot, or be being attracted towards that spot. Zhou Fan considered a black hole, but the galaxies on the main part didn''t seem like they were moving. For now, Zhou Fan would call it the great attractor, despite not knowing what it was. While moving in that direction, Zhou Fan didn''t plan on ignoring the galaxies he saw along the way. As usual, when he saw a planet with potential life, he would evolve the lifeforms, connect the planet and sun to his mortal dao, and give them a way to cultivate. In around a year of travel, Zhou Fan helped more than a thousand planets with potential for life. Despite all the traveling, there was not a single planet with life already on it, if you exclude the micro organisms. Zhou Fan was starting to feel like earth was the creator of the first life in the universe. In that year of travel, Zhou Fan had barely gotten closer to the cluster of galaxies despite moving at speeds that far exceeded light. Therefore, Zhou Fan decided to take a break from traveling and break through. That way, he could travel much faster. Zhou Fan took the pagoda out of his spatial ring and let it float in the empty void. Thanks to its strength, even the space outside the galaxy was unable to hurt it. Zhou Fan flew to the top floor and started to cultivate. He didn''t plan on stopping until he reached the next level. ------------------------------ 120,000 years later, Zhou Fan successfully broke into the 2nd level of the inner world realm. He carefully observed his inner world in order to see what happened. As expected, the boundary of the inner world expanded, while its power increased and its Qi multiplied. Since the inner world was a part of Zhou Fan like his organs, his power increased and his Qi multiplied, although it already did that anyway. Not much else changed besides the inner world''s expansion and his increase in strength. Luckily, his speed increased with his strength. After putting the pagoda back into his spatial ring, Zhou Fan used his full power and Qi in order to move forward as fast as possible. His speed had increased by almost 4 times and he soared through space much faster. After another year, he had helped more than a thousand planets once again. The process hadn''t changed and his mortal dao hadn''t even reached a cap, surprisingly. Despite his new speed, Zhou Fan had barely shortened the distance from the cluster of galaxies ahead. He had accepted that the trip would take a while no matter what he did, so Zhou Fan took another break. Instead of breaking through, which would probably take longer than reaching the galaxy cluster, Zhou Fan started experimenting with the usages of Qi once again. He believed the last time he had done so was at the original Huang Long academy before he had even left earth. With his new strength and comprehension of the Dao and elements, he felt that he should be able to discover another use. After nearly a hundred years of experimenting, Zhou Fan finally found it. When he infused a certain amount of Qi, along with an understanding of the cosmic dao into his finger and wrote symbols in the air, different things would happen as a reaction. It was similar to formations and arrays, but could be done without any sort of foundation whatsoever. It also had much higher requirements and much higher power. Even Zhou Fan struggled at first, but he soon got the hang of it. He decided to call them runes. When used the correct way, for example, runes could produce stronger fire for less Qi. The substitute would be one''s understanding of the dao. Of course, an understanding of the cosmic dao couldn''t be consumed. It was more like a catalyst. After a while, Zhou Fan was also able to use his mortal dao to make runes, although they were both weaker and not cost efficient. Like formation and arrays, the runes would last until they decayed or were used. However, its longevity was longer. Therefore, he could draw an invisibility rune with a fireball rune and set it to attack the first person it senses. It would send an attack as soon as someone came near it. It was a great trap. Another use for runes that Zhou Fan came up with was a restrictive wall. Using a special combination of runes, a milky white wall would form that blocked any entering from someone weaker than the runes. However, Zhou Fan was able to make an exception that allowed those who comprehended the runes on the wall to enter. Therefore, the wall could be used to block out unworthy people while allowing worthy people in. That was just one of the many uses Zhou Fan came up with for runes. The best part was that the more you comprehended the cosmic dao, the more powerful your runes were. With Zhou Fan''s current strength and understanding of runes, along with his comprehension of the cosmic dao, he could create an attack that could destroy nearly a half of a very small galaxy. Although it was weaker than his full strength with his sword, especially now that he had broken through, that was only because he hadn''t practiced with runes very long. Runes were very hard to fully comprehend. Simply the precision required would take thousands of years to master. Chapter 157: Collision - 157 Chapter 157 - Collision - 157 Due to his recent boredom, Zhou Fan decided to take a couple thousand years to fully master runes before he continued traveling. -------------------- 7,000 years later, Zhou Fan was finished. Both the strength of the runes and the speed at which he created them had increased drastically in the last seven thousand years. He had also discovered more runes during the time. Since he had done all he could do with runes for now, Zhou Fan continued traveling towards the cluster of galaxies. After a thousand years, Zhou Fan felt some progress. He had helped an uncountable number of planets evolve life and let that life cultivate. After so long, Zhou Fan felt that he had traveled at least 5% of the journey. Still, he had a lot of traveling ahead of him. After 10,000 years, Zhou Fan confirmed that he had reached the halfway point. Now, the cluster of galaxies had become much bigger and clearer. He had long lost count of how many planets he had helped. He only knew that it surpassed ten thousand. Despite that, it would take a while for the planets to gain true sentient life that could actually cultivate. Without stopping, Zhou Fan continued forward. After another ten thousand years, Zhou Fan had finally reached the cluster of galaxies. Although he called it a cluster, the galaxies were not directly next to each other. They only looked that way from far away. However, the galaxies were extremely close compared to other galaxies. The average distance was the same as the distance between Zhou Fans galaxy and the red galaxy. The craziest part was that he hadn''t even reached the center point. He had only arrived at one of the many legs of the main part of the galaxy cluster. At the main part, the galaxies would be much closer. Perhaps some would have even collided. Zhou Fan was excited to see such a spectacle once he arrived. Therefore, he didn''t stop despite reaching the lesser part of the cluster. Instead, he followed along the leg. During the travel towards the main body that took 3 thousand years, Zhou Fan helped more planets then he had on his entire earlier journey. Soon, he had arrived at the main part. As expected, the place was chaotic. Everywhere you looked, there was another galaxy. Even colliding galaxies were not uncommon. After looking around for a bit, Zhou Fan saw two galaxies that had been colliding for a while. The collisions were not a quick process, but one that took hundreds of thousands, if not millions of years. However, the collision in front of him was at its peak stage. Zhou Fan estimated that the black holes in the center of the galaxies would collide in the next thousand years. Despite being curious about the rest of the galaxy cluster, he couldn''t help but want to see the collision of black holes. Since he was unsure how dangerous the collision would be, Zhou Fan stayed extremely far away. He was so far away that a thousand galaxies could fit between him and the galaxies he was watching. In fact, three galaxies were actually in that space. Luckily, Zhou Fan could see through them. After a hundred years of watching them get closer, Zhou Fan realized that they were speeding up. The black hole''s gravities must have touched each other, causing them to pull towards each other. After 200 years, the galaxies were moments away from colliding. The rest of the black holes galaxies were in shambles. Half of each of the galaxies were already destroyed in the process of the black holes simply moving towards each other. After just a couple seconds, it happened. BOOM! The moments the black holes touched each other, they moved at a speed that exceeded even Zhou Fans in an instant. They fully collided and an enormous wave of energy and Black hole Qi shot out from it. Instantly, the rest of the two colliding galaxies remaining stars and planets were disintegrated. In fact, all the galaxies within a million lightyears, were instantly destroyed. Even from farther away, Zhou Fan felt the impact shake his body and injure him. Although he may be able to destroy a galaxy, he did not have the durability of one. He instantly spat out a large amount of blood and shot away. He traveled at extreme speeds before he collided with a planet in a galaxy millions of lightyears away from the explosion. After the planet was destroyed by his body, he stopped flying backwards and floated in space. In just a minute, he had healed himself back to nearly full health. Although he was heavily injured by the impact of energy and the black hole Qi, it was nothing too major. Unless his entire body and soul were destroyed, he would be able to quickly heal. Still, he was very close to death for a moment. He had luckily shielded himself with chaos Qi, causing most of the damage to be blocked. However, the slight amount that got through was able to do that to him. Looking at where the black holes collided, Zhou Fan saw a new one, much bigger than the other two. Zhou Fan was able to quickly understand what had happened. The two cosmic dao strands, along with the black hole''s power, had instantly attacked each other with their full power. During the attack, the two black holes, as well as the cosmic dao strands, merged, causing the ensuing explosion. Zhou Fan estimated that the power of the explosion reached either the 10th level of the inner world realm, or a whole new realm. After seeing it happen and being injured by it, Zhou Fan decided to put off visiting the center of the galaxy cluster. Just the power of two colliding galaxies was more than enough to kill him. If he found something dangerous at the center, he may not even know how he died. Despite everything that happened, the collision of the black holes gave him a couple new ideas for the future. Chapter 158: Upgrades - 158 Chapter 158 - Upgrades - 158 Since there were many galaxies that could collide at any moment, Zhou Fan decided to temporarily move out of the main area of the galaxy cluster. He would stay far away from any galaxies that would collide within a hundred thousand years. After a bit of traveling, Zhou Fan reached a fairly empty part of the universe. There was no galaxy within ten thousand lightyears, and the ones that were past that were far away from each other. Zhou Fan felt some shame hiding away, but the power difference between him and colliding galaxies was ridiculous. He could always grow stronger as long as he was alive. If he was dead, there was obviously no chance he could grow stronger. Zhou Fan took the pagoda out from his spatial ring and let it float in space. It still had the arrays and formations Zhou Fan had created floating around it. Even the two yellow dragons were still there. Since he had some free time, Zhou Fan decided to add some runes to his pagoda. He first created a white wall that had runes flowing within it. The wall was strong enough to stop anyone below the inner world realm from entering. However, it would freely let anyone that comprehended all the runes on it in. Although he had no plans to let someone in, it was a feature of runes he wanted to try out. After the white wall was finished, Zhou Fan added some attack runes to the pagoda. He blended them in with the white wall. Therefore, anyone who tried to enter without comprehending the runes would be both stopped and attacked. After that, Zhou Fan was done with adding runes. Although they could do many things, Zhou Fan didn''t want to add too many unnecessary things. Zhou Fan went to the top floor of his pagoda and started to cultivate. ------------------------ After 150,000 years, Zhou Fan reached the third level of the inner world realm. Nothing crazy or new happened, but his inner world and his overall strength increased greatly. Still, there was no chance of surviving a collision between black holes. Therefore, Zhou Fan continued to cultivate. ------------------------- After 200,000 years, Zhou Fan broke through to the 4th level of the inner world realm. Once again, his strength increased greatly. At the distance he was previously at, Zhou Fan was confident in not taking any damage from the two black holes collisions. Of course, he would still be decimated if he was too close. However, his talent gave him strength exceeding his own realm. At the least, he could be compared to someone at the 6th level of the inner world realm. At best, he could probably defeat someone at the 7th level of the inner world realm. Of course, it also depended on their own talent. For example, the black hole collision gave off black hole Qi, which was one of the strongest Qi''s Zhou Fan had ever encountered. If it was simply an explosion containing fire, it wouldn''t do half as much. Sadly, most things within the universe were extremely strong within their realm. The idea of being able to exceed his own realm could only really apply to living beings. Therefore, if the black hole''s collision produced power at the 10th level of the inner world realm, Zhou Fan would have to be at the ninth or tenth level to survive it. Despite all of that, Zhou Fan didn''t immediately go back into seclusion. Now that he had broken through so many times, he could upgrade his sword. He estimated that he could fit an entire other galaxy into his sword. He would also have to use less strength than the last time. Zhou Fan left his pagoda and flew to the nearest galaxy. He had looked at it before he left and determined that it would be a good addition to his sword. Its size was also perfect for his current strength. After he arrived, Zhou Fan put a barrier around the black hole in order to protect it, and imitated the same process he had used on the last galaxy. He put a barrier around it and started bringing everything together. Soon, he once again had a ball of stars and planets. Like last time, Zhou Fan began to compress it. He didn''t have any trouble whatsoever until it reached the size of his sword. The hard part was compressing it into the sword without letting the sword lose its original shape. Zhou Fan inserted the sword into the center of the ball and compressed the ball equally on all parts Despite his increased strength, the ball was barely compressed. Zhou Fan had to use up nearly all of his Qi 5 times before he finally completed the compressing. The sword almost looked the same, but there were now more stars on its space-like surface. The sword''s strength had also increased greatly. In order to test it, Zhou Fan moved far away from his pagoda. He traveled at his full speed for an entire day before he stopped at another mostly empty part of the universe. Even if he used his full power, nothing would be affected. Zhou Fan once again held the sword above his head. He used all his strength, power, and talent before he swung down on the empty space. Immediately, the entire area around him shattered. Even Zhou Fan could barely see anything but shards of space. It was as if he was in a mirror maze. After attacking the space this time, something new happened. It seemed his attack had broken through the last layer of space. In a spot no bigger than three feet, where his sword struck down directly, was something with no color or feeling. It was completely different from the emptiness of space. Zhou Fan felt that if he touched it, he would simply disappear from existence. He couldn''t completely understand the feeling, but it overwhelmed him to the point of nearly running away. Fortunately, he quickly came back to his senses and used his full power to add space to cover up the hole. Unfortunately, the power he had left was all used up, causing him to pass out from Qi exhaustion. Chapter 159: The Unknown - 159 Chapter 159 - The Unknown - 159 After 30 days of floating, Zhou Fan woke up. He had recovered all his Qi and had healed from the effects of Qi exhaustion. After looking around, he realized that the cracked and shattered space was still there. Luckily, the hole in space was patched up. Zhou Fan wasn''t quite sure what it was, but he realized the danger it posed. In places like the Zhou World and the entire Zhou solar system, the space had been strengthened by his mortal dao. Therefore, it would require more strength than Zhou Fan had in order to completely break it. In other places, however, the space was in its original form. It could be broken by almost any attack that focused on one point if it was from something or someone powerful. One thing that confused Zhou Fan was that the black hole''s collision didn''t break past all the layers of space. In fact, it didn''t hurt the space at all. After thinking for a while, Zhou Fan could only come to two conclusions. First, his chaos Qi was the reason he could break through all the layers of space with his current strength. Second, something that was born and created by space, such as galaxies, black holes, planets, and nebulas, could not break it as easily. In fact, it seemed that space had a certain resistance to the things born in it. Zhou Fan and other living beings didn''t count since they were born on a planet with an atmosphere instead of space. As for breaking through the final layer of space, it seemed that only Chaos Qi could do it. To those without chaos Qi, either they couldn''t, or their strength would have to surpass the entire universe. If the normal layer of space was the equivalent to the skin of the universe, and the rest of the layers were equivalent to bones, blood, veins, and organs, then the final layer of space would be the very existence of the universe. In a more understandable way, the final layer of space was its soul. It is also what separates the rest of the universe from whatever that blankness was. ''Chaos Qi is far too dangerous. Unless I must, I should not use Chaos Qi. At the very least, I must wait until I am strong enough to survive that thing.'' Zhou Fan thought to himself. Before leaving his galaxy, he had thought himself invincible. Only now did he realize how foolishly arrogant he was. In the time that he had left, he had discovered three things that could easily kill him. Colliding black holes, the thing beyond the final layer of space, and the great attractor at the center of the galaxy cluster. Although he had yet to confirm the danger of the great attractor, he had no doubt it could kill him if it wanted to. Not only did Zhou Fan need to increase his own strength, he needed to increase the fabric of spaces'' strength. Otherwise, he may accidentally destroy everything. In that split second that the thing beyond space was exposed, it seemed as if it was growing by devouring space, similar to a black hole. His patching up had only stopped it enough for the final layer of space to regrow. If the final layer of space didn''t grow back, the very universe may have been destroyed by him. The strength of the thing beyond the final layer of space also had Zhou Fan thinking of something else. ''Could my Chaos Qi have won against that? Could it compare?'' Zhou Fan asked himself. His entire life, he was under the impression that everything was below Chaos Qi. The blankness beyond the final layer of space, however, made him think otherwise. It may have been on the same level as Chaos Qi! Unfortunately, he didn''t know. He hadn''t even thought of using his Chaos Qi to go against the thing beyond space. Even if he did, it may not have been an even match. It seemed that the thing beyond the final layer of space was much higher level than him. After finally calming down, Zhou Fan decided to name the thing beyond space '' The Unknown''. He had considered both the unknown and the blank, but the unknown seemed more fit since he didn''t know if it was actually blankness, or just another form of space. Although he had planned to go and explore more at first, Zhou Fan was too restless. He decided to bring out his pagoda and cultivate some more after he had healed up the surrounding space. Since he had fully recovered, the healing process was quick. It only took around an hour to clean the entire thing up. Afterwards, Zhou Fan stayed in the same area and brought out the pagoda. On the top floor, Zhou Fan cultivated. --------------------------- 250,000 years later, Zhou Fan reached the 5th level of the inner world realm. As usual, his strength and the inner worlds power increased greatly. After so much time had passed, he had completely calmed down from the incident. He was now ready to go back out and explore some more. Zhou Fan left the pagoda soon after breaking through. Although he didn''t go to the center of the galaxy cluster, he went around it. He helped every single planet with potential for life, even if the galaxy they were in was on the verge of destruction. In ten thousand years, Zhou Fan had been to almost every galaxy on the main part of the galaxy cluster. Although there were other planets and galaxies still moving in, it would be a waste of time to go to them. Although Zhou Fan was unaware how many planets he had helped, he knew that if they all successfully evolved into cultivation worlds, there would be trillions and quadrillions of living beings within just years. Eventually, he would involve the Zhou World and the rest of the solar system with them, but they would remain on their own for now. By the time the Zhou Solar system connected with them, there would very likely be many more people more talented than anna, jack, and the beasts, simply from the sheer numbers. Chapter 160: Starfield - 160 Chapter 160 - Starfield - 160 Despite helping so many planets in so many galaxies, there were some that Zhou Fan avoided. Those were the galaxies closest to the center. They were so close and piled up that Zhou Fan couldn''t even see beyond them. Of course, that wasn''t all they were doing. Zhou Fan could normally see through any solid object with either his divine sense or just his normal eyes. However, there was a force blocking either thing from seeing past the galaxies. It didn''t feel intentional. Instead, it felt as if whatever was behind the galaxies held so much power that he wasn''t worthy of even seeing it. Zhou Fan had pondered over what it could be. The biggest possibility would be the cosmic dao. The great dao. But that seemed unlikely the more Zhou Fan thought about it. With his comprehension, Zhou Fan had a feeling that he would at least be able to somewhat sense the cosmic dao. However, he didn''t exactly feel that from within the galaxies. He did feel something like the cosmic dao, but it gave off a feeling similar to the strands within black holes. Perhaps the strand was the cause of the galaxy cluster, or perhaps it was simply coincidently there. Regardless, Zhou Fan would only know in the future. After lingering near the wall of galaxies for a while longer, Zhou Fan left the packed together area. Although he couldn''t enter the center of the cluster of galaxies, Zhou Fan wasn''t forced to stop doing things until he was strong enough to. Zhou Fan flew to the clearest place he had found so far and looked upon the many existences. Far away, there were other galaxy clusters and even things bigger than that. Farther away, there were things bigger than the things bigger than the galaxy cluster Zhou Fan was in. His galaxy cluster consisted of many galaxies, but a single percent of some of the things far away may consist of more galaxies. He wasn''t sure if they were galaxy clusters, or clusters of galaxy clusters, or anything else. All that mattered was that there is more. Even with Zhou Fan''s strength, the universe could only be called infinite. He had been focusing on a small group of things, but there were many more out there. Although some spots in the universe seemed empty, Zhou Fan knew that even more lied beyond the darkness. He wasn''t sure quite how long it would take, but Zhou Fan knew that, unless he died, he would transcend all of it. After thinking, Zhou Fan decided to fly to the nearest thing. Otherwise, he would spend millions of years traveling. With his full speed, Zhou Fan flew to what seemed like a field of stars. ------------------ 10,000 years later, Zhou Fan reached the 10% point between the field of stars and the galaxy cluster. Although the distance was far, Zhou Fan didn''t mind. ----------------------- 90,000 years later, Zhou Fan reached the entryway to what he had named the starfield. Ahead, Zhou Fan only saw a mixture of gasses and stars. It seemed that there were no black holes, planets, or galaxies within the entire thing. Zhou Fan could only guess that the starfield was held together by the stars within it. The star''s gravity acted as a chain that connected to other stars, stopping them from moving away. As for what was in the middle, Zhou Fan would only find out by going in. After entering, Zhou Fan felt the difference from the empty void. Without being within a galaxy, everything was colder and darker. Now that he had entered a starfield, Zhou Fan felt better. It seemed to share some of the same effects as a galaxy. As Zhou Fan ventured through the starfield, he came across many unique things he had never seen before. The first was a pink star. The second was a green star. The third was a weirdly shaped star. It slightly resembled a snake or tube. As he continued to move towards the center of the starfield, Zhou Fan saw more and more weird stars. Overall, the amount of normal stars still outnumbered the weird stars by a lot. After a year of travel, Zhou Fan felt that he was getting closer to the center. Although the starfield was small to him, it was still bigger than many galaxies combined. Before long, Zhou Fan saw what was in the center of the star field. In front of him, a giant red star much bigger than any other he had ever seen was floating in space. Its gravity was the main reason why the entire starfield was held together. To put it into perspective, if the Zhou solar system''s star was multiplied by a thousand times and put next to the star in front of him, it would barely reach 1% of its size. Even Zhou Fan almost felt himself being affected by the gravity despite being more than a lightyear away from the star. It was burning with a heat that Zhou Fan was unconfident in resisting. The giant star completely outclassed the current Zhou Fan. He didn''t even have the guts to get too close to it without using Chaos Qi, which he couldn''t do. Once again, Zhou Fan felt just how weak he was compared to something in the universe. After admiring the star for a bit longer Zhou Fan used his comprehension of the cosmic dao to look at the space around him. With it, he was able to see how the gravity of all the stars linked up and formed a chain. As for the big star, it was the main link. It personally connected to the gravity field of more than ten thousand stars. As for the others, it still affected them in some ways. The giant star acted as the ruler of all the other stars within the star field. Zhou Fan couldn''t help but admire it more than he feared it. After all, his fear was nearly non-existent. As long as he stayed away, the star wouldn''t harm him at all. Chapter 161: Tree-Like Galaxy Cluster - 161 Chapter 161 - Tree-Like Galaxy Cluster - 161 Eventually, Zhou Fans'' admiration died down. Although it was great, it was only a star. It would not grow and it would eventually die. That didn''t make it less great, but it couldn''t be compared to someone like Zhou Fan. After exploring the rest of the starfield and making sure he hadn''t missed anything, Zhou Fan left. He headed in the direction of another interesting thing. He wasn''t quite sure what it was, but it looked like a golden tree from where Zhou Fan looked. It was likely a coincidence, but Zhou Fan still wanted to check it out. Luckily, it was one of the closer things to Zhou Fan. After only ten thousand years of travel, Zhou Fan reached it. As he had gotten closer, he had realized that it was another galaxy cluster. Unlike the other galaxy cluster that looked yellow from afar but contained many different looking galaxies, the tree shaped galaxy cluster only had golden and yellow galaxies. When Zhou Fan first saw them, he felt amazed. He hadn''t seen so much gold and yellow since the time he had visited the gautama kingdom. The galaxies gave off the feeling of elegance and royalty. If there was ever a cluster of galaxies solely for the rich in the future, this would undoubtedly be it. After getting used to its looks, Zhou Fan started to explore it. Compared to the other galaxy cluster, it was much smaller. Zhou Fan estimated that it contained only 100,000 galaxies in total. Since they were all so close together, the galaxy cluster barely reached 30 billion lightyears in size. Although difficult for others to traverse, Zhou Fan had long reached an ungodly speed. It only took him ten years to explore the entire thing. Of course, that also included the time it took to connect the planets with potential for life and their suns to his mortal dao. Even after he had finished, Zhou Fan didn''t leave. The galaxy cluster was so beautiful, he wanted to create a base. Although he couldn''t do it in the center since whatever held the galaxy together was there, he could settle for a branch of the tree-like galaxy cluster. Like his galaxy cluster, the attractor in the center of the tree-like galaxy cluster was covered by a thick layer of galaxies. He had also avoided them in order to stay safe. Compared to the amount of galaxies that covered the great attractor in his galaxy cluster, the amount covering the attractor in the tree-like galaxy cluster was very small. Zhou Fan estimated that it was only covered by 5,000 galaxies. As for his galaxy cluster''s great attractor, it was covered by more than a hundred thousand. More galaxies than the entire tree-like galaxy cluster had. That was why he only called whatever was in the center of the tree-like galaxy cluster an attractor, while he called the thing in the center of his galaxy cluster the great attractor. After looking for a bit, Zhou Fan decided to make his base in the center of one of the galaxies on the very edge of the tree-like galaxy cluster. Since it didn''t have any planets with potential for life, Zhou Fan assumed that it would remain untouched for a very long period of time. After all, Zhou Fan was the only person who had the ability to even leave a galaxy, much less go to another one. It would be many millions or even billions of years before any sort of life explored beyond galaxies. Although one could leave a galaxy at the lesser dao creation realm, they wouldn''t be able to reach another one without many years of travel in normal circumstances. The red galaxy and the Zhou galaxy were exceptions since they were much closer than ordinary galaxies. The distance between the galaxy he chose and every other galaxy was many times bigger than the distance between even normal galaxies, much less close galaxies like the Zhou Galaxy and the red galaxy. Zhou Fan quickly reached the galaxy he had chosen and went to its center. Naturally, there was a black hole. Zhou Fan planned on building his residence over it. He got the materials from a couple thousand nearby planets. He compressed them all, although not to the same density as his sword, and increased their level. After getting a few more thousand of such planets, Zhou Fan had enough materials to build a good residence. Although he had focused on single building houses in the past, Zhou Fan decided to build more of a manor instead. It would still be one structure, but it would contain many side buildings and land. Zhou Fan first started with the array to prevent his manor from being sucked in by the black hole. It was pretty important in the construction process. After he had completed it, Zhou Fan went ahead and created attack and defense arrays around the place his house would be. Once all the arrays were finished, Zhou Fan started with the actual construction. He started with the foundation. He used dirt and grass, shaping them into a square. The square was fairly large, although miniscule when compared to the black hole, and 50 feet deep. Next, Zhou Fan used wood and stone for the buildings. In the center of one of the sides, he built a small house with only a bedroom and a small living room. After the main building was done, Zhou Fan created paths and other buildings within the space of the dirt square. He had a small creek, a waterfall, and even a couple living trees. By the time he was done with construction, he had a garden, a small pond with a waterfall flowing into it, three side buildings, and a tiny cave. Decorated with plants he had evolved, the place was quite good looking. Of course, he had created a bubble to keep air in for the plants. The next thing he needed to do was make a way the place could stay nice and clean while he was gone. Chapter 162: Stupid Chicken - 162 Chapter 162 - Stupid Chicken - 162 Zhou Fan first thought of an array, but that would be so complicated it wouldn''t even be worth it. A better idea that he had was to create some sort of robot or puppet to do it. It would have basic intelligence and would be able to deal with unforeseen situations. In order to keep his manor natural, Zhou Fan used some of the dirt from the ground and shaped it into a human looking sculpture. As he was no newbie, he quickly gave it slight intelligence and a basic set of rules to follow. The gist of the rules was, keep the place in a state similar to how it is now. With its commands and its low intelligence, the manor was as good as preserved. Zhou Fan didn''t feel that the thing in front of him fit the description of life, so he decided to call it a golem. It wasn''t mechanical, so it wasn''t a robot, and it wasn''t directly under his control, so it wasn''t a puppet. He had seen some things like robots and puppets being developed on earth and in the Zhou solar system before he left, but they were basically useless for any sort of advanced task. Perhaps they would have perfected the art by the time he returned. The golem was basically a dirt sculpture that could move and do actions. Gaining intelligence didn''t affect its looks at all. Since Zhou Fan had used very strong dirt, it would be able to exist without interference for many millions of years. Still, Zhou Fan created an array that would heal it whenever it was injured or decayed. After that, the manor was officially complete. Although he wouldn''t stay for too long, he had no plans to instantly abandon the manor he had just created. For the first time in a while, Zhou Fan slept. He didn''t need to, just like he didn''t need to eat or drink, but he did anyway. Otherwise, he would have made a bed for no reason. The bed he had made was white and comfortable. If a mortal slept on it, he may die from how comfortable it was. The reason it was so comfortable was the material it was made out of. It was made out of feathers from an extremely powerful chicken. Zhou Fan had created it when he first started adding plants to the manor. It had normal intelligence at first, but it quickly became smarter as its cultivation increased. By the time Zhou Fan had finished with it, it had reached the 5th level of void traversing. Without a doubt, it was the 2nd strongest existence within the tree-like galaxy cluster. It was also the only other existence with any sort of cultivation within it. As Zhou Fan stayed at the manor, he and the chicken had actually started talking. In the middle of his second night, the white feathered chicken burst through the door, startling Zhou Fan. "Brother Fan! Brother Fan!" He squaked urgently. "What?" Zhou Fan asked, confused. "Some punk stole my spot at the waterfall and won''t give it back!" He clucked. "Have you considered beating him up?" "I would, but it''s a girl." The chicken said with a conflicted face. "So beat her up?" Zhou Fan said, wondering what he meant. "You said It isn''t good to hit girls unless they are really rude." The chicken responded innocently. "She sounds like she''s being rude." "Yes, but she''s really pretty." The chicken responded. Zhou Fan couldn''t help but wonder to himself why such a strong chicken was so stupid. "Fine, lead me there." He said. The chicken waddled out of Zhou Fan''s bedroom and led him down the path towards the waterfall. Despite its cultivation, it still traveled like a mortal chicken. Perhaps that was due to the size of the manor. Soon, Zhou Fan and the chicken arrived. The chicken stepped out of his way and moved one of his wings in a ''go ahead'' gesture. Zhou Fan looked where his wing was pointing and saw a red fox curled up on a rock in the middle of the small pond. As soon as she sensed Zhou Fan and the chicken, she opened her eyes and looked at them before hissing in a fox''s language. Because Zhou Fan was so powerful, he understood her words. "Did you bring your dad to get me out of the way fatty?" She said spitefully. Zhou Fan was stunned by her rude words. "He''s not my dad, he is my brother. He created you punk!" The chicken said. "And? I''ll beat him up too." The red fox said. ''You let this mortal fox beat you up?'' Zhou Fan said in his head while looking at the chicken. ''At least I know you''re not violent.'' "She seems pretty strong. I would just give her the spot." Zhou Fan said to the chicken. The chicken looked at him, feeling betrayed. "Fine, since you have abandoned your own brother, I''ll deal with her myself." The chicken said as he walked towards the water. If he had sleeves, he would undoubtedly be rolling them up as he walked forward. Just as he reached the edge of the pond, he stopped and turned around to Zhou Fan. "I can''t swim, can you help me?" He said with a sad face. Zhou Fan was unable to stop himself from kicking the chicken in its behind. "You''re more powerful than a planet! If you can''t swim, I''m a dog! Stop shaming me!" The stupid chicken flew above the pond and landed on the rock as a result of Zhou Fan''s kick. He also landed on the fox, who proceeded to beat him up and throw him off the rock. Eventually, Zhou Fan had to help the chicken out of the water as he looked like he was actually going to drown. The fox once again curled on top of the rock. As Zhou Fan followed behind the defeated chicken, he secretly gave the fox some cultivation, although he stopped at the 5th level of space shattering. He also upgraded the chicken''s cultivation to space shattering 5. Chapter 163: Learning Instruments - 163 Chapter 163 - Learning Instruments - 163 The next morning, Zhou Fan was once again awoken by the chicken. "Brother Fan! That mean fox can speak now!" He said, looking out of breath. "She''s even more rude now, you have to stop her!" Zhou Fan got out of bed and followed the chicken into the yard without a word. There, the fox was sitting on the ground licking her paws. "If it isn''t the stupid chicken" She said, now in clear english. "If it isn''t the ugly fox." The chicken said without much confidence. Zhou Fan walked past the chicken and the fox without saying anything. He would let them argue until they got tired and fell asleep. In the meantime, Zhou Fan took a stroll around the manor. Although it wasn''t too big, it was more than big enough for a walk. As he arrived at the same pond as yesterday, Zhou Fan took a closer look at the water. After a while, the chicken''s actions from yesterday made much more sense. Since the entire manor had been strengthened by Zhou Fan, everything had changed. The water was now equal to the chicken in strength. That meant that it was equivalent to a normal chicken getting into normal water. As far as Zhou Fan knew, chickens couldn''t swim. Besides the water, everything else had also changed. Even with the chickens and the fox''s strength, they couldn''t cut down a tree. They may be able to dig a bit, but not too far down. They also wouldn''t be able to fly since the gravity had increased. Before, Zhou Fan hadn''t even paid that much attention to it. After seeing how the chicken and the fox made the manor so much more lively, Zhou Fan intended to create some more animals. His first thought was deer and rodents. He would stay away from insects, but a mole or a rat didn''t seem that bad. On second thought, a butterfly seemed like a good addition. After thinking for a while, Zhou Fan decided to create a mole, a deer, and a butterfly, just to see how they fit in with the fox and the chicken. The mole was small and brown with a white belly and claws. Zhou Fan gave it cultivation equal to the fox and the chicken, and it burrowed into the ground and moved away in order to develop its intelligence. The deer was white and female. She didn''t have antlers, and even Zhou Fan found her a bit cute. She was still a young deer, but she frolicked off in the distance once Zhou Fan gave her some cultivation. The butterfly was the colors of a rainbow. Zhou Fan also found her somewhat cute. She flew off in the same direction as the deer once Zhou Fan gave her some cultivation. It would take them about a day to fully develop their intelligence, so Zhou Fan headed back to the yard in front of his house. Right where he had left them, the fox and the chicken were arguing. 30 minutes had passed and they were still at it. As soon as the chicken saw him, he tried to bring him into their argument. "Brother Fan, this fox just called me fat. Are you going to let her talk to your brother this way?" He said smugly. "Yes." Zhou Fan said as he walked towards the chicken. Before the chicken could react to what he said, Zhou Fan scooped him up and walked towards the side of the square yard in front of his residence. "Me and this chicken are going to learn music, you''re free to come with us." Zhou Fan said to the fox as he walked. The fox didn''t respond, but she followed him from afar. Just a few tens of feet from where the chicken and the fox were arguing, there was a table and some chairs. The table was rectangular and big enough to seat 16 people. Off to the side, there were a couple of stools and a big instrument. Zhou Fan went to the big instrument known as a harp. He had been interested in trying to use Qi with music. He was also just interested in learning how to play instruments. As he reached the stool and the instrument, Zhou Fan sat the chicken on the ground and took a seat. The chicken had calmed down from his earlier argument and obediently sat to the side, watching Zhou Fan. Soon after, the fox arrived and calmly sat next to the chicken and licked its arms. It was more of a cat than a fox. After he got comfortable, Zhou Fan started from the edge of the instrument and played the strings in order. Ding! Ring! Ting! Fing! The harps strings let out a slightly different sound each time. It went from high pitch to low pitch. Dong! Rong! Tong! Fong! Eventually, Zhou Fan had played all of the strings once. The chicken and the fox were still watching him silently. Once Zhou Fan had thoroughly memorized the strings'' sounds, he began to play a song. At first, it was slightly out of tune and offbeat, but Zhou Fan fixed his mistakes almost instantly. Soon, a calming and soothing song that gave off the feeling of spring was heard all throughout the manor. As he continued, Zhou Fan got more of a feel for the instrument. After only ten minutes, he began to implement Qi into his song. As he did so, the sound got clearer and the song felt more pleasant. Before they knew it, the fox and the chicken were moving their heads along to the melody. Zhou Fan got better and better at playing the harp as time passed. After around an hour, some leaves shook and a new visitor made its appearance. It was the deer that had yet to completely gain intelligence. Even so, it was attracted to the open land by the music. On the white deers head, the rainbow butterfly rested. The way the deer walked towards Zhou Fan was in beat with the song. The butterfly on top of the deer''s head was also moving its head to the melody. Chapter 164: Dinner - 164 Chapter 164 - Dinner - 164 As the deer walked towards Zhou Fan while moving its head, the chicken and the fox finally noticed them. Despite the new people, the chicken and the fox were too attracted by the music to pay them any attention. The deer and the butterfly on its head were the same, ignoring the fox and the chickens presence. Once she had come within ten feet of Zhou Fan and the harp, the deer curled up its legs and layed on the ground while listening. The butterfly remained on its head. As the deer and the butterfly listened more and more, they seemed to be gaining intelligence faster. Zhou Fan could only guess that the song was clearing their minds and speeding up the intelligence-giving process as a result. Instead of almost an entire day, the deer and the butterfly''s eyes cleared up within an hour. Still, they simply sat and listened to the music. Not long after, what seemed like moving dirt made its way towards the harp. As the dirt reached within ten feet of Zhou Fan, it stopped moving. Then, a head popped out of the dirt pile. The mole left its lower body below the ground while its head moved to the rhythm of the song. It too gained intelligence within an hour. By that time, Zhou Fan was ready to stop for the day. He soon struck the last note of the song and stopped moving his fingers. After a minute, the animals around him left their trance. "Wow, that was really good!" The deer said, speaking her first words. "I agree!" The high pitched voice of the small butterfly said. "Same." Said the deep voice of the mole that gave the illusion it was bigger than it actually was. "It was okay." Said the fox. "I think it was absolutely enthralling." Said the chicken. Although Zhou Fan wasn''t much for flattery, he couldn''t help but enjoy hearing the chickens'' words. "Thank you all. Would you three like to stay for dinner?" Zhou Fan asked while looking at the newcomers. "Sure!" "Sure!" "Sure." The three newcomers spoke at the same time. Zhou Fan walked through the path that led towards the waterfall with the 5 animals following behind him. "Here is some water. I will go prepare some food for each of you." Zhou Fan said before walking back through the path and heading to his main house. Although he could have instantly brought it over, he wanted to let them get to know each other. While he was gone, the five animals started speaking to each other. "My name is chicken. You all can call me Big Brother Chicken." The chicken said proudly. "Ok big brother chicken." The deer and the butterfly said in unison. The mole simply nodded. "My name is fox. You all can call me Miss Fox." The fox said arrogantly. "Yes miss fox!" The deer and the butterfly said in unison. Once again, the mole merely nodded. "We don''t have names, do we make them ourselves?" The butterfly asked after realizing that they couldn''t introduce themselves. "Just ask brother Fan when he returns. I''m sure he has a name for all of you." The chicken said. "That sounds good! Should we also call him brother Fan?" The deer asked. "Just call him whatever you want. I''m sure he doesn''t mind." The fox responded. "What do you call him miss fox?" The butterfly asked. "I just call him mister Fan." The fox said. The deer and the butterfly thought about it for a while, but they eventually spoke. "I think Brother Fan sounds good." The deer said, speaking for both of them. After some chatting, Zhou Fan returned with two plates. One was full with meats, while the other was filled with plants. Naturally, Zhou Fan had avoided using the meats of certain animals such as chicken or deer. "Here you go. Try some of both." Zhou Fan said. Although butterflies weren''t usually meat eaters, these animals were different. They had yet to choose between meat and plants, or both. It wasn''t in their genes like it was in most animals. As the butterfly came up to try the meat, Zhou Fan cut it into tiny pieces so that she could fit it in her mouth. Before she took a bite, she asked Zhou Fan a question. "What''s my name?" Zhou Fan thought for a second before he answered. "Your name is butterfly." The butterfly nodded happily and ate the meat bits. The other animals also came up, with the mole and the deer asking for their names. "Your name is deer, and your name is mole." He had said. After a couple minutes, the animals had eaten their fill. Surprisingly, every single one of the animals liked both meat and plants. He didn''t know why some animals on earth had evolved to not like meat, but he assumed that it was because it was hard to get for them. Before they left, Zhou Fan grabbed the chicken and forcefully cleaned it with the water. It struggled for a while until it realized that it was hopeless. If Zhou Fan hadn''t strengthened the space, it would have been shattered from his resistance. Afterwards, he grabbed the fox, who hissed at him, and forcefully gave her a bath as well. She struggled much less, but the brief anger on her face showed how mad she was. Sensing their impending doom, the butterfly, the deer, and the mole started to run away. Sadly, Zhou Fan caught them all and dragged them back. He first gave a bath to the deer, who accepted her fate. Next, he cleaned the mole. It was by far the dirtiest since he had been digging underground before. He too accepted his fate and got cleaned. As for the butterfly, Zhou Fan simply gave her a couple drops of water since she wasn''t dirty at all. He only did it to be fair. By the time he was finished, there were 5 wet and upset animals glaring at him. Chapter 165: Waterfall - 165 Chapter 165 - Waterfall - 165 Near the waterfall, Zhou Fan was forced to make a fire in order to calm the animals down. Otherwise, they would have all attacked him at once. Once he had gathered sticks and leaves, Zhou Fan started the fire. If the fire was anywhere else, it would have burned an entire planet to ashes before possibly stopping. Within Zhou Fans manor, however, the fire could only burn the sticks and the leaves as if it was a normal fire on normal wood and normal leaves. The animals and Zhou Fan sat on the ground around the fire. They did it to dry off, while he just looked at the fire. Although they didn''t say a word, Zhou Fan could tell they were angry at him. The butterfly dried the fastest, while the deer took the longest to dry. Once they were all dried, Zhou Fan led them back to the yard. Before he entered his room, he turned around and spoke. "You all can sleep wherever you want. There is a cave that way, and a hill that way." Zhou Fan said while pointing. Before they could respond, he entered his room and closed the door behind him. "I can''t believe he didn''t apologize!" The butterfly said with her high pitched voice. The rest of the animals nodded their heads in agreement before heading off in different directions. The mole went towards that hill, while the deer and the butterfly went to the forest. The fox traveled to her cave following a path, and the chicken slept near the house on the open ground. In the morning, Zhou Fan opened his door and saw the chicken laying against a wall. He walked up to the chicken quietly and picked him up softly. The chicken moved slightly in his sleep, but he never woke up. Zhou Fan carried him to the waterfall. The sound of the crashing water woke the chicken up once they arrived. He was surprised to see himself being held like a stuffed animal, but he didn''t move. "Why are we here?" He asked, still in a weary state of mind. Zhou Fan didn''t answer, but walked forwards. As he reached the water, Zhou Fan''s feet walked on it like it was ground. The chicken was surprised, but not as surprised as when Zhou Fan walked through the waterfall and entered a cave hidden behind it. The cave was small, square, and well lit by a lantern on a wall. Besides the lantern, there was only a desk with some papers and a seat. Zhou Fan walked up to the desk and sat the chicken down on one of the clear spots. "From now on, you are my research partner." He said to the chicken. The chicken was both surprised and confused, but he nodded his head. "Once you completely wake up, we will talk about some of the things I''ve been thinking of." Zhou Fan said. As the chicken sat there still regaining its consciousness from its sleep, Zhou Fan wrote on some of the papers. He had started to treat the chicken as both a pet and a friend. He felt that he could keep quiet if he was asked, not that there would be any important secrets. After a few minutes, the chicken spoke. "I''m awake. What have you been doing." The chicken asked while watching Zhou Fan write on some papers. "Right now I''m pondering runes, but that''s above your knowledge level." Zhou Fan said. "What you can help me with is ideas. You''re so stupid that you might accidentally say something that I haven''t thought of." Rather than feeling insulted, the chicken felt somewhat excited at Zhou Fan''s words. He instantly started saying random things despite not knowing how runes worked. As expected, every single one of his thoughts were stupid. For a couple hours, he didn''t stop talking and ended the session with zero good ideas. "Nevermind runes. Just sit there and be good company next time." Zhou Fan said. The chicken was a little disheartened, but he accepted it easily. By the time Zhou Fan and the chicken left the waterfall, it was 10 am. The other animals had just started waking up from their slumbers. The fox was the first to wake up. She made her way from the cave to the land. When she arrived, she saw the chicken and Zhou Fan playing a card game. The game was something that had been invented on earth before Zhou Fan had ever started cultivating. The chicken was picking up cards with his beak and struggling to look at his cards without showing them. To Zhou Fans surprise, the chicken was actually quite good at card games. He was even better once he got used to it. As they were in the middle of their 5th game, with the score being 4 -1 and Zhou Fan leading, the fox came to the table and sat on one of the chairs. The table was circular and newly added. Zhou Fan had created it just minutes ago. "Can I play?" The fox asked. "Of course." Zhou Fan said before he explained the rules. The fox understood the game quickly, and joined in on the next hand. They played for three rounds, with Zhou Fan winning them all, before the deer, the butterfly, and the mole showed up. They too asked if they could play and Zhou Fan explained the rules. After an hour of playing, Zhou Fan had won 20 times, the chicken won 5 times, the fox won twice, and the deer, the mole, and the butterfly had won once each. As they kept playing, they got better and better, evening the odds since Zhou Fan wasn''t cheating or using any tricks. They ended up playing all day, with a hundred more games being played. Of them, Zhou Fan won 45, the chicken won twenty, the fox won 15, the mole won 5, the butterfly won 8, and the deer won 7. In the end, yesterday''s incident was forgotten and completely forgiven. They all ate dinner together happily. Zhou Fan didn''t even give them a bath afterwards. Chapter 166: Two New Animals - 166 Chapter 166 - Two New Animals - 166 The next day, Zhou Fan once again brought the chicken to his hidden base within the waterfall. This time, he did not plan on creating runes or listening to the chickens'' ideas. The only reason he brought the chicken was for company. He sat the chicken on an empty part of his desk and sat down on his chair. He was thinking about adding new animals to the manor. The deer, butterfly, and mole fit in well with the chicken and the fox, leading Zhou Fan to believe that adding more would be successful. After thinking, he felt that adding some diversity among the animals would be good. Instead of only ground animals, he would add some water and air animals. This time, he would add a fish and a bird. As for what type of fish and bird, he decided on a koi fish and a crow. He picked those two because they looked good compared to others of their species. Although he didn''t mind the chicken knowing anything, he still threw him to the edge of the waterfall while he created the new life. He created the koi first. Once it was there and received its cultivation, it swam out into the waterfall pond. When the chicken saw it, he was confused. He quickly understood that Zhou Fan was creating more life after thinking for only a second. Next, Zhou Fan created the crow. Once it was alive and Zhou Fan gave it cultivation, it flew out of the waterfall and into the skies. Yet again, the chicken was surprised. He had never seen such animals after all. Once he was finished with creating the animals, Zhou Fan came out of the waterfall. "What were those?" The chicken asked. "That one is a koi." Zhou Fan said while pointing at the fish now resting at the bottom of the pond. "The one that flew away is a crow." "Can I fly?" The chicken asked. "You can fall slowly. But I don''t believe you can fly. Feel free to prove me wrong." Zhou Fan said before picking up the chicken and holding him in his arms as he walked deeper into the woods. "Where are we going?" The chicken asked. "I''m not sure." Zhou Fan said as he aimlessly walked around the manor. He spent a while walking around, not finding anything interesting but enjoying the scenery. Eventually, the chicken also quieted down and enjoyed the scenery. As he walked, Zhou Fan thought about what other animals he should add. He soon realized that he would need more environments in the manor if he wanted to add certain animals. For example, he thought of adding a bearded dragon. It wasn''t quite a dragon, but it was cute and human-like. Bearded dragons lived in deserts and there were no desert in the manor. Therefore, Zhou Fan walked with the chicken to a small part of the forest that remained unused and was unnecessary. There, he grinded up rocks and dirt to create a new layer of sand. Underneath the sand was a layer of rock so that it didn''t spill out. The desert was fairly small and was more like an area with sand, but Zhou Fan felt it would be good enough for a bearded dragon. The chicken had watched in amazement as he made the desert area, but he stayed silent. He really couldn''t be bothered with such mystical things. ''Perhaps all humans can do this?'' He thought to himself. Once Zhou Fan had finished the desert area, he walked back through the forest and reached the land in front of his house. There, he finally let the chicken go. The chicken wandered off towards the forest. He may be going to look at the koi. Since he was alone, Zhou Fan sat on the ground and thought about runes. When he first finished learning runes, he had thought that he had learned everything there was to learn. However, the art of runes had remained in the back of his head. Over time, he couldn''t help but think more and more of them. He seemed to instinctively think that there was more to them. He had been using the runes straightforwardly for a while, but there were likely more ways to use them. Runes may even be more diverse than arrays or formations. Regardless, Zhou Fan had to be able to write the runes in those ways. It was a process requiring mostly trial and error, but also some understanding of runes. After a couple of hours, Zhou Fan stopped messing with runes. He would do that again another day. No matter how many hours he spent on it, it wouldn''t change anything. It requires years of work in order to make a new rune. Since he was done with runes for the day, Zhou Fan went back to the area with instruments. Even from a distance, Zhou Fan could see all of the animals, besides the crow and the koi, playing music. When he arrived, he sat down and watched. This time, the fox was playing a song. Although the animals could only be said to be normal physically, they were still extremely intelligent. Despite the fact that she had little practice, the fox was playing the instrument very well. The song was similar to the one Zhou Fan had played, but there were a few obvious differences. When she was done, everyone, including the chicken and Zhou Fan, clapped. She gave a nod before hopping down from the chair. Zhou Fan was more surprised that she could play the music with her paws than the fact that she was good at the instrument. Next, the butterfly went up and played a song on the harp. It was a slow song since she had to fly to every string individually, but it was still surprisingly good. When she was done, another round of applause sounded out. "Would you all like new instruments?" Zhou Fan asked, knowing that some of the animals were unable to play the harp due to their body. Chapter 167: Chicken Soup - 167 Chapter 167 - Chicken Soup - 167 When Zhou Fan asked the question, all of the animals, besides the fox, nodded immediately. They had been feeling jealous that the fox and the butterfly could play the instrument, but they couldn''t. Even the butterfly wanted something else. Zhou Fan just planned on giving her a smaller harp. After looking at the animals and thinking about what instruments would suit them best, Zhou Fan started creating them. For the butterfly, Zhou Fan gave a tiny harp. She wouldn''t have to fly around with its size and could play it like the fox. For the deer, Zhou Fan gave a tambourine and a pair of maracas. Anything else would probably be too hard for her. The maracas and the tambourine, however, would be able to fit in her mouth. For the mole, he gave four drums. He would be able to play them with each of his legs and since he walked on all fours it would work perfectly. Finally, he gave the chicken a guitar. Although he couldn''t play the harp since his legs were too small, the guitar strings were much closer together. He would be able to stand on the guitar and play it easily. Now that he had given them new instruments, Zhou Fan had an animal band. The fox played the harp, the chicken played the guitar, the mole played the drums, the butterfly played a small harp, and the deer played the maracas/tambourines. After creating the instruments, Zhou Fan taught the animals how to play them. It didn''t take long for them to learn and within five minutes, Zhou Fan and the animals were playing a song that required multiple instruments. Since they had little practice, they were somewhat clumsy at first, but they soon got the hang of it. From the land in front of Zhou Fan''s house, a pleasant song with many different instruments was playing. If there was anyone else to hear it, they would surely call it the greatest musical piece of all time. After more than three hours of playing many songs, Zhou Fan and the animals stopped. They were all happy and satisfied with their results. Since it was about dinner time, Zhou Fan brought the animals to the area beside the waterfall. He left them there once again, before soon bringing back food. He had changed the menu a little bit, but the food was the same for the most part. After they were done, Zhou Fan heard resounding praises. Afterwards, he gathered the animals in front of the pond. Zhou Fan could see the curiosity in their eyes, but they were bound to be disappointed. "Come here chicken." Zhou Fan said while holding his arms out and squating. "Yes brother Fan?" The chicken asked while walking towards him. "What do you need?" Once the chicken was in Zhou Fan''s arms and he picked him up, Zhou Fan looked him in the eyes. "I''m sorry my friend." Before the chicken could react, he was flying into the pond. "I trusted you!" He screamed as he fell into the water. Just as the other animals were about to run away, Zhou Fan quickly grabbed them and threw them in one by one. From the look on their faces as they ran, you would think their lives were being threatened. Just as Zhou Fan thought he was done, he realized he had missed a person. The fox was standing on the opposite edge of the pond. "If it has to happen, at least let me go in on my own terms." The fox said. She then fell into the pond facing upwards. Her expression made it seem like she was facing an inevitable death. After around 30 seconds, Zhou Fan pulled them up from the water. They were angry, but unharmed. Once again, Zhou Fan started a fire while surrounded by angry glares. After he was done, he left before the animals tried to kill him. Soon, it was night, and Zhou Fan fell asleep. The next morning, Zhou Fan woke up. Surprisingly, there was no chicken barging through his door. Zhou Fan felt it was unusual, but he let it go. He opened the door to step out, but as soon as he did, he felt his instincts go off. Sadly, it was too late. Zhou Fan stepped on a net that pulled upwards and had him hanging from his roof. "Hahahaha!" Zhou Fan looked around after hearing laughter, and found each of the animals pointing and laughing while rolling on the ground. "Good prank, but it isn''t that funny." Zhou Fan said before he freed himself from the net. Later at dinner, the animals were surprised to see that they weren''t getting only meat or vegetables this time. Instead, a big pot of soup was prepared. "What are we eating Brother Fan?" The butterfly asked. "Nothing special. Where I come from, we call it chicken noodle soup." Zhou Fan said with a smile. The chicken was confused for a second, but soon remembered his name. "What do you mean chicken noodle soup?" He asked nervously. "Well. It''s noodles... and chicken." Zhou Fan responded. As he responded, he grabbed a spoonful of the soup and took a bite. "Yum." He said while staring at the chicken. Before anything else happened, the chicken was running away at full speed. Zhou Fan laughed as he did so. The rest of the animals, however, didn''t find it so funny. "I''m only kidding." He told the rest of the animals. "It''s beef soup." Only then did the rest of the animals feel safe and begin eating. In the middle of their dinner, the chicken quietly snuck back to see what was happening. However, he was greeted with a horrible sight. "Mmmmmm! This soup is good brother fan." The deer said. The other animals nodded in agreement. "Is that so? I''ll be sure to make more next time. I know just where to find the ingredients." Zhou Fan said while staring directly at the chicken that believed he was hiding. As he had not heard about it being beef soup, the chicken started running as soon as Zhou Fan laid eyes on him. As he ran, Zhou Fan once again broke into a fit of laughter. Chapter 168: Bearded Dragon - 168 Chapter 168 - Bearded Dragon - 168 The next morning, Zhou Fan walked outside of his door and picked up the chicken. After a little bit of time had passed yesterday, he had told the chicken that the chicken soup was just a joke. He was mad for a bit, but he soon got over it. Like normal, he slept outside of Zhou Fan''s house. He woke up when Zhou Fan picked him up, but stayed silent and watched as they walked towards the forest. Zhou Fan kept walking until he reached the spot that he had previously changed. It was the desert that had no animal to live in it. Zhou Fan sat the chicken to the side as he walked up to the desert area. The desert area was a hundred feet wide and a hundred feet long. It wasn''t too big, but it wasn''t that small. Zhou Fan went to the center of it and sat on the ground with his legs crossed. Then, he recalled what a bearded dragon looked like, although he had only seen them in books. First, they had sand colored scales covering most of their body. The stomach was the most uncovered part of their body. Their body consisted of four legs, a tail, a head, and a slightly long body. On their sides, the bearded dragons had spikes poking out. Also, their beard was usually gray or black, with mini spikes. The spikes on both a bearded dragons beard and its sides were not very sharp or dangerous. From what Zhou Fan had gathered, they were mostly used to scare off predators. Soon, Zhou Fan had a mental image in his mind and created a bearded dragon in his lap. Of course, the process still required micro organisms since Zhou Fan was unable to create life out of thin air, but there were microorganisms everywhere within the manor. With Zhou Fan''s current strength, guiding micro organisms to evolve in a way he wanted was as easy as running and jumping. Zhou Fan had once wondered if everyone could create life at the lesser dao creation realm, but he had a feeling that his chaos Qi played a big part in his ability to do it at his current stage. As soon as the bearded dragon opened its eyes and saw that it was on someone''s lap, it jumped away like a flying squirrel and attempted to bury itself in the ground. Unfortunately, Zhou Fan had yet to give it cultivation and it simply hit the sand with a thud. The only reason it wasn''t crushed by the gravity in the manor was because Zhou Fan had been protecting it since its birth. While the bearded dragon was stunned from the impact, Zhou Fan gave it some cultivation. Once it came to its senses, it successfully buried itself under sand, although poorly since they weren''t made for digging. Regardless, Zhou Fan didn''t plan on forcing it to face him yet. Zhou Fan walked out of the desert and grabbed the chicken. He then walked back to his yard. Once he reached it, he grabbed the harp and walked back to the desert area. Once he reached its edge, he set up the harp and let the chicken down. He then started playing the same song he had played on the harp the first time. Before long, the bearded dragon had come out of the sand and watched him play in a stupor. The chicken had run off when he heard the harp play. Zhou Fan didn''t know why, but he ignored it. After half an hour, Zhou Fan was surprised by some guests. Each of the animals, the chicken, the deer, the butterfly, the mole, and the fox, showed up with each of their instruments and set them up near him. As for the crow and the koi, he hadn''t seen much of them. First, the chicken joined in with his guitar. Then, the fox with another harp that Zhou Fan had made her, along with the butterfly''s mini harp. The mole played his drums and the deer shook her tambourine. At first, the bearded dragon had only been listening to the music. However, once the animals joined in, the bearded dragon started to dance. It shook back and forth, hopping from one set of a leg and an arm, before switching to the other set. Eventually, an expression that seemed like a smile graced his face as he danced. As time passed, he also rotated around in a 360 while dancing. After an hour, the bearded dragon dropped to the floor exhausted. As he did so, he finally completely gained intelligence. "That was fun!" The bearded dragon said. Zhou Fan nodded before looking at the other animals. "His name is bearded dragon." He said. Once he spoke, the butterfly flew past him and landed on the bearded dragon''s back. "Hello brother bearded dragon, I''m sister butterfly. That is sister deer and sister fox, and that is brother chicken and brother mole." She said while signaling at the animals. Once the introductions were over, Zhou Fan walked over to the bearded dragon and picked him up. He was slightly bigger than a normal one, but he could only take up Zhou Fan''s forearm. Zhou Fan had taken a liking to the bearded dragon, so he sat him on his shoulder while he carried the chicken. For a single occasion, the butterfly also sat on Zhou Fan, landing on his head. Zhou Fan walked over to the waterfall area and set up some food. Since the chicken hadn''t eaten last night, he jumped at the food and ate it quickly. The bearded dragon also enjoyed the combination of meat and plants, along with the rest of the animals. Once they were done, Zhou Fan did not give them a bath, much to their thanks, and let the animals go to bed. The bearded dragon went to the desert to sleep. Zhou Fan only carried the chicken on his way back, placing him near his sleeping spot by the door. "Goodnight stupid chicken." "Goodnight Big Brother Fan." Chapter 169: Search Party - 169 Chapter 169 - Search Party - 169 The next morning, Zhou Fan picked up the chicken and walked towards the forest. He had a mission for today. He would find the crow that he had created and given intelligence to. He didn''t know if the crow had encountered an accident or had just been hiding, but it hadn''t made an appearance since the day of its birth. As for the koi, it had remained in the pond. Zhou Fan hadn''t checked if it had gained intelligence yet, but it had just been staying there without speaking or trying to grab anyone''s attention. Although Zhou Fan could easily find the crow using his divine sense, he hadn''t used it since he created the manor, and he didn''t plan on ever using it within the manor. "Hey chicken." Zhou Fan said while flicking the chicken''s head. "What?!" The chicken said as he felt the pain from the flick. "Do you remember the day I created the koi and the crow?" He asked. "Yes." The chicken responded. "I need you to keep an eye out for the crow. He hasn''t shown up since that day and I am starting to worry about him." Zhou Fan said. "Alright. But stop flicking me." The chicken said before looking around and scanning the area for the crow. First, Zhou Fan walked through the forest path. He and the chicken kept an eye out, but they never saw him, even after walking through the entire area. Next, they visited the cave. The cave was on the side of the forest, and they just so happened to finish their forest search near it. Zhou Fan and the chicken looked around the cave, but they didn''t find the crow. Therefore, they entered the cave to look for him. The cave was fairly small and after walking through about ten feet of tunnel big enough for Zhou Fan to not have to crouch, Zhou Fan reached a dome shaped area. In the middle of the dome-shaped area, the fox was peacefully sleeping. Zhou Fan tried to tiptoe around her and look for the crow, but she was woken up just as he confirmed the crow wasn''t there. "What are you two doing here!" She yelled as she saw them. "Sorry. We are looking for a crow. He''s black, probably goes caww. Have you seen him?" Zhou Fan asked after apologizing. "No." She said. "What happened to him?" "We don''t know. That''s why we are looking." The chicken said, responding for Zhou Fan. "Do you want to help look?" Zhou Fan asked. "Sure, I have nothing else to do." The fox responded, before getting up and following them out of the cave. Zhou Fan decided that the next best place to look would be the hill. As he walked towards the hill, he passed his yard and saw the butterfly and the deer playing in the yard. "Hey!" Zhou Fan shouted from afar. "Do you two want to help us find a missing animal?" The deer and the butterfly turned around after hearing him and nodded. They then ran over and joined the search party. "What does he look like?" The deer asked after arriving. "He has black feathers and can fly." Zhou Fan responded. "That should be all you need to spot him." Zhou Fan and the group walked through the yard and continued towards the mole hill after the deer and the butterfly had asked him some more questions. Once they reached it, they walked around its base. Unfortunately, they once again failed to find the crow, even among the tallgrass. After they made a complete circle, they made their way to the top of the hill just in case. At the peak, there was no crow, but a hole in the ground leading down. "Hey!" The deer screamed down the hole. After waiting a couple seconds, the mole popped its head out of the ground and looked at the search party. "Am I in trouble?" He asked. Zhou Fan laughed and explained their goal. Afterwards, the mole agreed to join the search party. Zhou Fan, along with the mole, the chicken, the butterfly, the deer, and the fox, made their way to the only area left. The desert. On their way, they passed through the forest and made sure they didn''t miss anything. Soon, they arrived at the area where the bearded dragon stayed. They entered the desert and looked around for a while. Since its size wasn''t that big, the search was pretty quick. Sadly, there was once again no crow. This time, Zhou Fan was really confused. ''Did I actually make a crow?'' He asked himself. Despite being so powerful, he couldn''t help but question his memories. "Hey! Bearded Dragon!" Zhou Fan yelled into the desert. Not a minute after he yelled, the bearded dragon came running towards the search party. "Join us for dinner." Zhou Fan said. He had given up looking for the crow. They had searched the entire place after all. The entire search party unhappily walked towards the waterfall, where they ate everyday. Zhou Fan quickly got the food from his house and they ate quietly. "Sorry for getting your hopes up." Zhou Fan said. "It''s ok brother fan. What matters is not the journey, but the destination." The chicken said. "That''s backwards." The fox responded. "Oh." The chicken sighed sadly. "Mmm. What''s that smell." A sudden voice said from the direction of the waterfall. Everyone, including Zhou Fan, was confused for a moment, until a winged animal flew out from behind the waterfall. It was the crow. Zhou Fan stared blankly at him. He and the other animals had spent the whole day searching, but he had been behind the waterfall the entire time. Perhaps Zhou Fan had made a mistake when he created the crow and the koi in the room behind the waterfall. Soon, Zhou Fan shook his head and tried to forget the entire thing. The animals, however, weren''t so easily forgetting. "Is there something behind the waterfall?!" All of the animals, besides the chicken, asked. Chapter 170: Freeze - 170 Chapter 170 - Freeze - 170 In the morning three days later, Zhou Fan woke up silently. He stared at the ceiling for a while and his thoughts drifted off. ''I can''t stay here much longer. I''m becoming too content. It isn''t good. But how can I leave? Their lifespans may be long, but leaving them for hundreds of thousands of years is bound to change them. I want them to stay as they are.'' Although he knew his desires were selfish, Zhou Fan couldn''t help but have such thoughts. He couldn''t stay forever. Even if he spent a hundred years with them, he would have to leave for a much longer time later on. By then, he would be even more attached to them. He knew that he could technically bring them on his cultivation journey, but intelligent beings changed when so much time passed. They tended to be much more independent and much less lively. Zhou Fan knew that if he took the animals, nothing would ever be the same. At the very least, they wouldn''t be as immature and funny as they are currently. Regardless, Zhou Fan knew that something had to happen. He didn''t plan on leaving soon, but when he did, he needed to know what the best course of action was. ''Whatever. I''ll spend the next few years thinking about it. I have plenty of time.'' Zhou Fan thought to himself. -------------------- In what felt like both the blink of an eye and an entire lifetime, five years passed. Throughout those years, Zhou Fan had repeated the daily life with the animals. Surprisingly, it never once got boring. He had not added any more animals, keeping only the chicken, the fox, the deer, the butterfly, the mole, the crow, the koi, and the bearded dragon. After around a year, the crow became more friendly and social, but he oftentimes disappeared for days. As for the koi, it never left the pond. It had the intelligence to speak, yet it never did that either. He had been living the most boring and consistent life of all living beings within the manor. Zhou Fan had lived the life that many would dream of in the last five years, but as more time passed, he felt more and more anxious. He was becoming soft. He smiled whenever he saw the chicken, and laughed at all of his terribly unfunny jokes as if they were crowd killers. It was the same with the other animals. He not only felt happy, but he felt fear. He knew that time was coming for him to leave, and he wasn''t sure how he would leave everything and everyone behind. After dinner and a bath, Zhou Fan grabbed the chicken and laid him in front of the door like he had been every day for the past five years. This night, however, something changed. For the first time, Zhou Fan had a dream. It wasn''t something cast upon him by another, but something he had instinctually done to himself. In the middle of the night, Zhou Fan woke up panting and sweating while staring at the ceiling. ''Is it really possible?'' He asked himself. ''Can I really do it, or would it kill everyone and everything within the manor?'' ''Maybe, just maybe, everything can stay the same.'' He thought to himself. He was breathing heavier than earlier, and his nervousness had reached its peak. In what could only be described as a maniac episode, Zhou Fan''s breaths were becoming faster and faster as he thought. Suddenly, it stopped. "Freeze." He said calmly. His voice echoed around the manor, the galaxy, and the very tree-like cluster that he had first visited. Then, it froze. Not everything, but the manor. it was perfectly encapsulated in ice. Not quite pure ice, but ice infused with life Qi. Zhou Fan had a dream about it. If his theory was true, then the ice would freeze everything and everyone within the manor, but keep them alive. It was almost the same concept as freezing time, but much much different. Still, if Zhou Fan was correct, it had nearly the same effect. The animals would remain in the same state as they were when he said freeze, until nearly a billion years had passed, or someone stronger unfroze them. Right before it had frozen, Zhou Fan teleported outside of the manors barrier. The amount of power he had used was no joke. His Qi reserves were completely emptied in a millisecond despite the ice only covering the manor. Normally, he could freeze an entire galaxy with all of his Qi. Yet, with the ice Qi and life Qi he used, and him multiplying their already incredible base power by thousands of times, his reserves were cleaned out. Zhou Fan was only able to get one look at the manor, now perfectly frozen like an ice sculpture, before he passed out from Qi exhaustion. -------------------- This time, the Qi exhaustion was different than before. Normally, using all of his Qi would still leave small bits behind, as if they were stains on a wall in a room once filled with water. This time, however, he had scraped even those stains off the wall in order to perfectly freeze everything. He spent an entire year in a state of near death. Only after a year passed did Zhou Fans Qi start recovering. After a week, it was completely recovered, and Zhou Fan woke up. He hadn''t drifted too far. He was now just outside the black hole. Despite its gravity, he weighed more than many planets combined. He normally used Qi to lighten his weight, but he was unable to do that while his Qi reserves were absolutely empty. It was close, but the black hole had yet to even touch his skin before he woke up. Once he was fully conscious, he looked at the manor. He was feeling less crazy, but he didn''t feel any remorse. The animals wouldn''t like being separated or forced to live non-mortal lives just as much as Zhou Fan wouldn''t like them to. Now, he could come back when he was bored and stronger. Perhaps by then he would be able to control the power of time, making the process much easier. Chapter 171: Silver River Galaxy Cluster - 171 Chapter 171 - Silver River Galaxy Cluster - 171 After staring at the manor for a little while longer, Zhou Fan started flying away. He had spent plenty of time within the tree-like galaxy cluster and was ready to leave. After going so long without using his powers, it felt a little weird at first, but he soon got used to it again. As usual, he flew at an astonishing speed. He soon exited the tree-like galaxy cluster. Despite spending what felt like a lifetime inside, it hadn''t changed a single bit. Even with his superior mind, he couldn''t spot even the tiniest difference from when he entered the galaxy cluster. Perhaps it was because he was too far away, or perhaps it was because it truly hadn''t changed a bit. Zhou Fan flew off towards the closest thing to the tree-like galaxy cluster. From afar, it looked like a silver river of stars. It seemed to be bigger than the tree-like galaxy cluster, and nearly as, if not as big as his galaxy cluster. He flew forward at full speed. Once he got closer, he started to see more details of what Zhou Fan decided to name the silver river galaxy cluster. It appeared that the silver river galaxy cluster was flowing away from him. In other words, he would arrive at the entrance to the silver river galaxy cluster, and going forward past that he would travel down the theoretical river. 200,000 years later, Zhou Fan arrived. Although he had spent more than a thousand times the time he had spent in the manor flying towards the silver river galaxy cluster, Zhou Fan felt it was much faster. It seemed that he would naturally fall into a sort of unconscious state while endlessly flying. In just a few moments, Zhou Fan floated near the first star of the silver river galaxy cluster. It had no planets around it, but it gave off a silver hue. In fact, the entire galaxy gave off a natural silver hue like the red galaxy gave off a red hue and Zhou Fans galaxy gave off a purple hue. The hue is what made the silver river galaxy cluster more than a river. That star was one of the rare cases of a lone star outside a galaxy. Past that star, there were endless silver colored galaxies forming the river shape. Zhou Fan traversed through them, while adding the planets he came across to his mortal dao. Even after he had added so many planets, he hadn''t reached his limit. He had added two entire galaxy clusters worth of planets with potential for life, and was now starting on a third, without ever having to stop. Zhou Fan didn''t question it and continued forward. He had planned on going through the galaxy cluster like he had the other two, but after going through just 10% of the galaxies, he finally felt his limit. Until he broke through, he would be unable to add a single planet to his mortal dao. After thinking for a moment, Zhou Fan took out his pagoda and placed it in the middle of nowhere. He wouldn''t continue moving through the galaxy cluster until he broke through. Zhou Fan sat on the top floor and began to cultivate. --------------------- After 350,000 years passed, Zhou Fan broke into the 6th level of the inner world realm. Yet again, his strength increased greatly in many ways. The most important one in his current situation, his mortal dao, also increased. As if nothing had happened, Zhou Fan put away the pagoda and began to once again add planets to his mortal dao. After a long time, he had moved through what appeared to be a third of the silver river galaxy cluster. Only after so much time did he finally find anything interesting. Although there were different shapes for different galaxies, they rarely went outside of a circle or sphere. The galaxy he had come upon, however, was one of the very few that didn''t conform to the normal standards. The galaxy had a black hole at its center like all galaxies, but the galaxy wasn''t fully around it. Instead, the stars, planets, and other space things were lined up on both sides of the black hole. It was like the ends of two swords were forged onto opposite sides of a ring, making a spinning stick with a hole in the middle. In this case, the hole was the black hole and the swords were the planets, stars, and the other things. Also, the parts of the galaxy were spinning faster than normal galaxies. Normally, the parts that made up a galaxy would slowly spin around a black hole, but it would be so slow it was nearly unnoticeable. In this galaxy, however, the non black hole parts were spinning ten times faster than normal. While still nearly unnoticeable, it made quite a difference in the grand scheme. Zhou Fan looked around the galaxy and tried to discover what was special about it, but he failed to find it. It seemed that it was simply a natural occurrence. At least, it was as natural as most other things within the universe. Zhou Fan continued through the silver river galaxy and soon found another abnormality. Floating down the theoretical river was what seemed like a huge cloud. It was made up of debris from stars and planets, and looked somewhat like a nebula. The most special thing about it, however, was its color. It was the exact same color that the galaxy looked like from afar. Although he had seen other things that were silver, none of them were so similar to the galaxy''s color as the space cloud. Zhou Fan decided to go in and at least sight-see. As soon as he entered, he felt that the environment was similar to the nebula that he had visited. Somewhat sticky and dense. It was as if one was walking through a cloud of syrup, but likely a little less sticky. It wasn''t enough to hinder Zhou Fans, or most anythings, movement speed, but it was quite uncomfortable. Chapter 172: The Only One - 172 Chapter 172 - The Only One - 172 Zhou Fan made his way through the silver space cloud, but found nothing interesting about it whatsoever. It seemed that it was just another thing within the universe. Zhou Fan quickly walked through it and continued to move around the silver river galaxy cluster. After 100,000 years passed, Zhou Fan was just three galaxies away from being done with it. Although it was a rough guess, Zhou Fan assumed that there were 900,000 galaxies in the silver river galaxy cluster. It was less than Zhou Fans galaxy cluster and more than the tree-like galaxy cluster. Zhou Fan quickly found the planets with potential for life in the last three galaxies and added them to his mortal dao. Finally, he stepped out of the other side of the river. With the 100,000 years he had spent inside, he had come up with a plan for his next actions. The three galaxy clusters he had visited were essentially the only things that held planets for a long long distance. While the gap between each of the galaxy clusters was huge, the size was nothing compared to the size between the three clusters and the rest of the clusters in the universe. Everything else was so far away it couldn''t even be put into words. He may have to travel tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions of years to reach another galaxy cluster. It felt like enough of a blessing that the three were so close together. Therefore, Zhou Fan planned on finally going into a long time seclusion. He had been holding it off in fear that everything he knew would change, but he had come to accept that now. Some things were simply not meant to be forever. One day, regardless of his interference, the people he knew on the Zhou World would die. Even the Zhou World itself would crumble to pieces eventually, even if it took trillions or quadrillions of years. At the very least, for the foreseeable future, he had the chicken and the rest of the animals in the manor. He could always visit them for a day or two before refreezing them. That would make them last millions of years at least. He planned to start his seclusion at the farthest point from each of the galaxy clusters and any other sort of space thing. There he would spend so long in seclusion that when he came out, he would be able to crush a billion of his current self in an instant. Such power would allow him to not only traverse the rest of the universe, seeing its untold mysteries, and go into the center of the galaxy clusters, but it would also make so much time pass that the Zhou World and all the other worlds he had created would have reached their true peak. As he broke through, the Zhou World and all the other worlds, along with the sun near them, would continue to grow. Perhaps they would have occupied the entire galaxy they were in by then. Of course, the black holes were a problem, but he may be able to take a break from his seclusion in order to deal with them when the time came. His life within the manor had finally given him a true taste of freedom and love, but it also pushed him to let go of everything he had been holding on to. After closing his eyes for a moment, Zhou Fan opened them and began to fly out of the silver river galaxy cluster. It would be a fairly long journey, but Zhou Fan knew it would feel like an instant. He was heading to the darkest and emptiest place within his small area of the universe. There, he could cultivate undisturbed and unburdened. After 150,000 years, Zhou Fan had just flown past the entrance to the silver river galaxy cluster. He was about a third of the way to the place he had pinpointed. After a quick glance at the mouth of the river, Zhou Fan flew on without looking back. After another 150,000 years, Zhou Fan was closer. He had reached a point that was already very dark and desolate compared to the rest of the area within the confines of the three galaxy clusters. After thinking for a bit, Zhou Fan decided to call the area that contained the three galaxy clusters and the space within it, a supercluster. More specifically, he decided to name it the Zhou supercluster. This would be where he spent a long long time, so it only made sense to give it a name. The silence around him was deafening, but Zhou Fan ignored it and flew forward. As he left the reach of the three galaxy clusters, the space kept getting colder and bleeker. It seemed that the farther away from activity, the darker the space gets. Zhou Fan couldn''t tell why even after looking with all his power and might. It wasn''t as if the galaxy clusters gave off heat. Still, they must have some effect on the space within and around them. He had many questions, but Zhou Fan kept moving forward. He knew that all of them would be answered as he became stronger and more powerful. As he continued flying, he began to think of the realm beyond the inner world realm, and the realms beyond that. He was moving forward completely blind when it came to cultivation. After thinking about that, he felt that the dark and desolate space was much more comfortable. He still had no clue as to whether or not he could make a mistake and die from a mistake in cultivating. However, he still had his instincts. Although carving a path in an endless mountain gave the danger of being crushed, he knew that there would be nobody who could do it if not him. Not a single soul alive or yet to live within the Zhou world or its galaxy or its cluster or the supercluster or in the infinite universe could possibly imitate what he was doing. ''I am.... The Only One.'' Chapter 173: Seclusion - 173 Chapter 173 - Seclusion - 173 After a while longer, Zhou Fan reached the point he had previously chosen. From any galaxy or galaxy cluster or space thing, this was the farthest point from everything. Although space was usually silent, Zhou Fan couldn''t help but feel that the silence he was in was much more so. Just a few feet ahead of Zhou Fan was the point he had chosen. Whether or not he cultivated directly in that spot didn''t really matter as it wasn''t special, but Zhou Fan wanted to sit exactly there. He thought for a moment, and brought out the pagoda from his spatial ring and looked directly at it. It was something he had made within the Zhou solar system, and was by far his greatest creation. Even the manor wasn''t built with half the effort. Only his sword could possibly compare. Yet, after staring for just a moment, Zhou Fan squinted. In that second, the pagoda was decimated. Not even its ashes or debris remained. ''This will mark a new beginning. Nothing of the past will remain.'' At that thought, Zhou Fan took off his spatial ring and crushed it like the pagoda. All the materials and random things he had brought were crushed as a result, but his sword survived. It was floating directly in front of him. He had some sentimental feelings about the sword as well, but after a moment, he crushed it into nothing. A slight explosion ensued, but Zhou Fan''s gray clothes didn''t even move. Zhou Fan walked towards the point at the speed of a mortal. As he did, his clothes were instantly destroyed like the pagoda, the spatial ring, and his sword. He stood naked in the point of emptiness he had chosen. He then sat down, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes. --------------------------------------- 500,000 years later, Zhou Fan broke into the 7th level of the inner world realm. Like it had every other time, his inner worlds strength increased greatly, along with its internal size. Since he had just broken through, Zhou Fan decided to once again enter his inner world. He had only done it once ever since he broke through to the inner world realm, and he had no idea what its current state was. When Zhou Fan went into the inner world, his body didn''t change a bit. The inner world wasn''t really that much of an independent space. It was actually quite similar to the mind in some ways. Therefore, his mind and soul entered his inner world, but his body remained outside. When Zhou Fan entered, he saw nothing but gray. It wasn''t unexpected, but from the first view, it seemed that it hadn''t changed at all. Zhou Fan started flying in a random direction in order to try and reach the end of his inner world. He expected to reach it fairly quickly like last time, but he was sorely mistaken. After an entire hour of flying, not a single thing had appeared to change. Although he found it weird, Zhou Fan continued forward without thinking too much. After a day, however, Zhou Fan started to really think. He hadn''t expected that his inner world had grown so much. He wasn''t exactly moving at his top speed, but he was moving fast enough to go around an average star in a week. That meant that his inner world, the world inside of his small body, had become extremely huge. Zhou Fan didn''t move any faster in fear that using too much power would cause something to go wrong. In the end, it took a total of a week to reach a wall. It wasn''t exactly a wall since he could see further, but he couldn''t move any further. That didn''t mean that his inner world was as big as an average star, but bigger. He assumed that he started at the center and moved straight towards the nearest wall. If he thought of his inner world as a circle, its radius would be the size of an average star''s circumference. If his math was correct, that meant that his inner world was six times bigger than an average star. That was despite the fact that he hadn''t even reached the highest level in the inner world realm. Zhou Fan couldn''t help but laugh as he left his inner world. He was way too powerful. Once again, Zhou Fan went into seclusion. ------------------------------------- 600,000 years later, Zhou fan broke into the 8th level of the inner world realm. If his inner world was six times the size of an average star before, it was most likely at least three times that size. His power had increased greatly even if you only looked at the size. His inner world had also increased in strength, not just size. And since the inner world was a part of him, his strength had increased greatly. Zhou Fan didn''t go into the inner world again and started cultivating. ---------------------------------------- 750,000 years later, Zhou Fan broke into the 9th level of the inner world realm. His strength had increased greatly as usual. As he took his slight break, he couldn''t help but wonder how big the Zhou world, and all the other worlds he had added to his mortal dao, had become. Earth would have increased in size as well. They surely hadn''t reached the size of a galaxy, and probably wouldn''t for many more breakthroughs, but Zhou Fan couldn''t help but think of the huge issue they had. Eventually, they would reach the black holes in their galaxies. By then, would they be able to resist? If black holes were just black holes, Zhou Fan could surely solve the problem with ease. However, there were the cosmic dao strands. Zhou Fan didn''t know if he would be able to handle the cosmic dao by the time his worlds reached the black holes. He also wasn''t going to take the risk of going against a strand in hope that the cosmic dao''s main body wouldn''t retaliate. It was, without a doubt, a sticky situation that Zhou Fan had to worry about. Chapter 174: The God Realm - 174 Chapter 174 - The God Realm - 174 Although it was a problem, it could only be solved once he was stronger. Zhou Fan stopped thinking about it and once again started cultivating. -------------------- 800,000 years later, Zhou Fan reached the tenth level of the inner world realm. The overall increase in power couldn''t even be compared to the previous times he broke through. He was many times stronger. Before he had reached the tenth level, he had hoped that it would give him a hint about the next realm. Luckily, his expectations were met. As he reached the level, he felt something within his inner world change. It was hard to describe, but it felt more complete. More final. He wasn''t sure why, but it gave off a familiar feeling. He thought long and hard, but still struggled to remember. No matter how good his memory is, sifting through millions of years of existence was extremely difficult. Finally, it clicked. He had felt a similar feeling in the core formation, nascent soul, and soul formation realms. His inner world was going to assimilate with him! It was just like his soul had long ago. He wasn''t sure if it was because of the decision he had made to keep his mind, body, and soul as one, but there was surely some reason. Perhaps if he had chosen to not make his mind, body, and soul one, he would be able to take out his inner realm and have a whole world of chaos Qi with incredible power at his command. He wasn''t sure which would be better. Although his inner world could only be described as a part of him, it could still be distinguished. It was much like his heart was a part of him, but it was still a heart. If he and his inner world truly became one, however, that would change everything. His inner worlds power would no longer grow, but Zhou Fan''s power would. The decision he had made long ago may have chosen his entire cultivation path. Although Zhou Fan was able to deduce that his inner world would become one with him, he didn''t believe that merging would be the only part of the new realm. It would be more like something that happened when he broke through. The new realm would be something else entirely. He thought for a while, but he would likely only find out when he got there. Zhou Fan then closed his eyes and fell back into cultivation, ready for the change. ------------------- A million years later, Zhou Fan hadn''t broken through. ''This is ridiculous.'' He thought to himself. ''I''ve just reached the 10% point! My inner world has just begun to move. How long is this da*n realm going to hold me off.'' Despite it being his longest seclusion time ever, he had only reached the ten percent point of his breakthrough. Not only had his inner world not combined with him, it had just moved for the first time. ''Perhaps it is because such a large change is about to happen?'' Zhou Fan thought. ''Whatever, I''ve got plenty of time to waste.'' Another million years later, Zhou Fan reached the 20% point. In the last million years, his inner world began to crack. It had started shaking and was being destroyed. Zhou Fan didn''t know if everything was going ok, but he didn''t plan on stopping. 500,000 years later, his inner world finally broke. The very essence of the Chaos Qi within it had begun to seep into his body. As it did, it became one with him. The power was slowly increasing his strength. After another 3 million years, the Chaos Qi within his inner world was almost completely within him. His power had increased by more than ten times, and his breakthrough was only 55% over. After 2 million more years, the Chaos Qi within the inner world had been completely absorbed by him. Now only its shell was left. Zhou Fan was confused as to how the breakthrough was only 75% finished, but he cultivated patiently. He soon got the answer to his question. The shell, or walls, of the inner world began to collapse and be sucked into him. He felt his strength once again increasing. 2.5 million years later, the inner world was completely gone. Now, only Zhou Fan remained. He had completely become one with his inner world and it was no more. However, his breakthrough wasn''t finished. He had thought it would be over, but it seemed that he had miscalculated. Before he could think for too long, a change happened within him. Like space Qi had, once he reached the void traversing realm long ago, he felt a new power being produced by him. It filled his body, mind, and soul. Zhou Fan couldn''t tell much about it, but he could tell that like every other thing about him, it was gray. It wasn''t Chaos Qi, but it took the color of it due to his affinity. It also gave him a feeling. It was a feeling of superiority, and he almost couldn''t control it. The only word he could think of was ''Divine''. It gave off a similar feeling to his divine sense. He decided to call the new power within him ''Divinity''. As he started looking at that power, he felt something else change. It was his realm. He had finally broken through once the divinity spread through his entire existence. He didn''t know why, but he started remembering the past. It was a weirdly specific memory. He recalled the time when a war between the truth empire and the boundless empire was ongoing. He also remembered when he stepped in and ended the battle, although not with strength. Out of everything he remembered, he recalled standing on the city walls and hearing the people in the battle say something. It was a name for him. ''God''. Perhaps it was because of the divinity, but he felt that the name god was actually very good. Therefore, he decided to name the realm after it. After breaking through, Zhou Fan reached the first level of the god realm. Chapter 175: Divinity - 175 Chapter 175 - Divinity - 175 Although he had planned to remain in seclusion for a long time, he felt it would be a waste to not explore the god realm. It gave off a much different feeling compared to the inner world realm. Even if one ignored the obvious gain of divinity, the powers he could exert changed. He decided to go and test his new strength and power out somewhere else. If he did anything too crazy in his spot, he would disturb its peacefulness that had lasted for so long. After thinking, he felt the best option would be to go to a galaxy cluster. Not one of the ones too far away, but one of the three he had already been to. Out of the three, the least important to Zhou Fan was the silver river galaxy cluster. He didn''t wait long before he flew off towards it. As he flew there at speeds that exceeded any speed he had ever gone before, he created more clothes out of chaos Qi. Although Chaos Qi was dangerous, Zhou Fan felt that he could at least make himself some clothes from it. The clothes were gray and looked like normal pieces of clothing. Most people wouldn''t be able to tell them apart from any other piece of clothing. With his breakthrough to the god realm, Zhou Fan''s speed was many many times faster. Reaching the galaxy cluster was a matter of less than ten thousand years. ----------------- 7,000 years later, Zhou Fan arrived at the silver river galaxy cluster. It hadn''t changed much despite all of the time he had been away. Zhou Fan didn''t worry about it too much. He continued flying into the silver river galaxy cluster. He planned to perform his tests around a fourth of the way through it. That way, he was both far away from the entrance and far away from the center of the galaxy cluster. In what felt like a short time, he reached his destination. There was nothing familiar around since he had simply chosen a random area, but there weren''t that many galaxies around. As usual, the galaxies within the silver river galaxy cluster were mostly silver. Now that he had reached a fairly good place, Zhou Fan began to experiment. First, he had felt that he could use his divinity, but he wasn''t quite sure how. He tried grabbing onto it with his Qi and dragging it out of his body, but it didn''t work. Next, he tried a more patient approach. He sat on the ground and crossed his legs. He then closed his eyes and tried to sense the divinity within him and focus on it. While the divinity was technically taking up his entire existence, it could only be found in a small area within his body. After just a moment, Zhou Fan was able to focus on it. Drawing it out was likely to be similar to trying to learn how to use a new body part. Zhou Fan tried many things to get it to move once he focused on it, but none of them worked. After around a hundred attempts, Zhou Fan finally felt it move a little bit. He remembered the exact sensation and tried it again. Once more, the divinity moved. After he was sure that he had full control over the feeling, Zhou Fan dragged some of the divinity within him out of him. The area he had dragged it out on was his palm. The divinity seemed very similar to Qi, but it had a few different properties that made it something slightly different. Still, it bore a 99% similarity to Qi, so Zhou Fan felt that there wasn''t any need to worry about the 1% too much. Zhou Fan tossed the divinity around on his palm for a little bit before he threw it out into space. It had no reaction whatsoever, so Zhou Fan brought it back to him. He really couldn''t figure out the use for the divinity. After a couple more experiments, Zhou Fan chose to try a different approach. Perhaps the divinity would have more of an effect on life. It just so happened that he was near one of the galaxies with a planet with potential for life. Zhou Fan quickly flew over there and arrived at the planet with potential for life. Actually, it should just be called a planet with life now. Looking down, Zhou Fan saw a couple of small things moving around. Although the most advanced life on the planet was worms, it had life at least. Zhou Fan flew down to the planet and landed next to one of the worms. Not only was it not big, but it was even smaller than a common worm back on earth. Still, life was life. If it affected non sentient life like the worm, then his divinity should affect sentient life such as celestials or humans. At the very least, it was worth a try. Zhou Fan picked up the worm and let it move around on his palm. As it was doing so, Zhou Fan covered it with some of his divinity. After a minute, Zhou Fan stopped and observed the worm. First, its color had slightly changed. Instead of just being the brownish pink it was before, it now had some lines of gray on it. The lines were extremely bright and eye-catching. They were also very rectangular and uniform. As for its behavior, it seemed to stop mindlessly moving around. It raised its upper body and looked around, seemingly observing its surroundings. Seeing it, Zhou Fan couldn''t help but be disappointed. ''This breakthrough is hardly for me. Others won''t have Chaos Qi and can''t really change or affect life too much, but this divinity gives them the ability to start messing with life. In other words, this divinity may be useless to me.'' Zhou Fan thought. He was hoping that there were other uses, but it didn''t seem likely. Zhou Fan threw the worm back on the ground and flew back to space. He still had more to do before he started to purely cultivate again. Chapter 176: Increasing Comprehension - 176 Chapter 176 - Increasing Comprehension - 176 Once Zhou Fan got back into the same area within the silver river galaxy, he began to consider what he should do next. The obvious answer was to increase his comprehension of both the cosmic dao and the immortal elements. He didn''t know if he would be able to find the position of the true cosmic dao once he did, but he was sure to at least get a clue. At least, he hoped so. Zhou Fan crossed his legs and started to comprehend the dao. He could have gone back to his previous area between the galaxy clusters, but he decided that it would be a waste of time. ------------------------------ 200,000 years later, Zhou Fan''s comprehension increased by 5%, reaching a total of 55% comprehension. While it increased his strength a fair amount, it wasn''t really worth mentioning or even thinking about. ---------------------- 250,000 years later, Zhou Fan''s comprehension reached 60%. His strength had increased once again, and this time it was worth mentioning. Still, it didn''t really change his entire power level. He could also feel his understanding of life, the universe, and mostly everything else increasing steadily. After all, the Dao, especially the cosmic dao, was literally everything. -------------------- 300,000 years later, Zhou Fan''s comprehension reached 65%. It wasn''t that much different from the other increases, but his strength increased more than the last 5%. ------------------------- 750,000 years later, Zhou Fans comprehension reached 75%. This time, he felt a qualitative change within his overall power and understanding. Once he reached 100% understanding, his strength would likely increase by five or ten times. That would be an extremely huge power gain. ---------------------------- 2.1 million years later, Zhou Fan''s comprehension of the eternal, cosmic dao had reached nearly 100%. there was only 5% more to go before it happened. Now, every time his comprehension increased by 1%, it was the equivalent of 5% when he was at 85% comprehension. Zhou Fan was glad that he decided to comprehend the cosmic dao before doing anything else. ---------------------------------- 600,000 years later, Zhou Fan was 1% away from fully comprehending the cosmic dao. He felt he was inches away, but he also felt like he had not gotten any closer. It was a hard feeling to explain, but he felt it would be a bit longer than expected before he could comprehend the final 1%. ----------------------------- 500,000 years later, Zhou Fan felt that he was truly close to reaching 100%. In fact, he believed that it could happen any second. After a while, Zhou Fan felt something. ''Here it comes!'' He thought to himself. Clink! In an instant, he reached 100% comprehension. However, in that very same instant, he felt something horrifying. His excitement was instantly replaced by indescribable fear. Perhaps it was his body moving for him, or his instincts taking over, but he sealed his memories of that final 1% before emptying his Qi in order to teleport as far away as possible. He wasn''t even sure how it had happened, as if it wasn''t him that did it. Yet he knew it was him. Before he passed out from Qi exhaustion, Zhou Fan only had time to think one more thought. ''Why?'' ---------------------- 10,000 years later, Zhou Fan opened his eyes, fully recovered. He sat for a while, trying to remember, but he couldn''t no matter how hard he tried. ''Wait, I sealed myself. I''m sure I can unseal it.'' He said to himself. Just as he was about to try and unseal his memories of that final 1%, he realized something. ''Wait! If I''m the one who sealed my memories, then there is surely a good reason why. It''s not like I''m an idiot or something.'' Zhou Fan thought to himself. He wasn''t sure what happened or why he needed to seal his memories, but he had absolute trust in himself. After thinking for a while, Zhou Fan found something etched within his body. He hadn''t noticed it before, but it seemed like his handy work. Zhou Fan used his divine sense to read it. ''WAIT UNTIL YOU ARE MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH STRONGER BEFORE YOU UNSEAL THOSE MEMORIES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO INCREASE YOUR COMPREHENSION OF THE COSMIC DAO BEFORE THEN. DO NOT REMEMBER!'' The etching read. Now, Zhou Fan was feeling truly creeped out and worried. Not only was he afraid of what was supposed to happen when he unsealed those memories, but he was scared of whatever could have possibly scared him into moving so fast just to avoid it. In fact, it didn''t have to be something. Zhou Fan had absolutely no clue what happened, but he planned on heeding his warning. Although the etching warned against comprehending the cosmic dao, it said nothing about comprehending the elements. They too were sitting at 50%. Although the cosmic dao was mysterious and dangerous, the elements were a little more straight forward. Still, he would exercise caution just in case. He did not want a repeat of the previous events. Zhou Fan crossed his legs in the same spot and began to comprehend the immortal elements. --------------------------- After 200,000 years, Zhou Fan''s comprehension of the immortal level elements increased by 5%. -------------------------- After 250,000 years, the immortal elements increased by another 5%. ------------------------ After a couple million years, Zhou Fan''s comprehension of the immortal elements had reached 99%. Once again, he had felt that the next 1% would take a very long time. ----------------------------- As expected, it took 500,000 years for it to happen, but Zhou Fan was extremely close to reaching 100%. After a few days, Zhou Fan felt it was about to happen. He was feeling a mixture of excitement, worry, and fear. He still wasn''t sure that nothing would happen. In an instant, it happened. As it did, Zhou Fan felt more fear than anything else, but nothing bad happened. Instead, he felt his comprehension of everything going through a drastic change. He would go so far as to say it was a metamorphosis. In his vision, it seemed he was flying down a rainbow tunnel with every single color to ever exist. Even ones that Zhou Fan hadn''t seen. Many of the colors were impossible to see for even space shattering cultivators. Chapter 177: Understanding of Creation - 177 Chapter 177 - Understanding of Creation - 177 After what felt like both an eternity and an instant, Zhou Fan''s vision returned. He felt an immense amount of power flowing through his veins. It wasn''t that his cultivation had become stronger, but he could now do many things he hadn''t been able to before. As for what exactly he could do now, Zhou Fan was about to test it out. Far in the past he remembered creating a wooden cage for a snake, but that snake escaped because he couldn''t truly create wood from nothing but wood Qi. Zhou Fan moved his arm outwards with his palm facing upward. On it, a wooden cage slowly formed. It was an exact copy of the cage he had made that day. This time, however, it was true wood. It would last nearly forever. It would last until it decayed from erosion, and since it was made out of Zhou Fans wood Qi and was much more powerful than any other wood in the universe, it would take billions, if not trillions of years to erode away. That was the power that comprehending the immortal level elements gave him. He could now truly create something from nothing but himself and his power. Along with his new power, he felt something else. It wasn''t technically something gained from reaching 100% comprehension in immortal level elements, but something gained from having the power to truly create. Zhou Fan understood true creation. Although he was still unable to create life from non-life, this understanding allowed him insight into all of the creation he had encountered. More specifically, the life. He understood the limits of normal life, cultivator or not, that he had surpassed. For example, even if a normal cultivator reached the god realm, they would never be able to comprehend the immortal level elements to 100%. In fact, they would be lucky to reach 10%. Zhou Fan was special, and in more than one way. With his understanding of creation, he knew that it wasn''t only chaos Qi that made him who he was, but also something else. He had only seen it once before despite all the life he had encountered. A divine physique. It was the main reason why he didn''t have meridians, but could still cultivate. He realized he had the ability to name the physique since it had never existed and would likely never exist again. He decided to name it simply, ''Chaos Physique''. It wasn''t fancy or flashy, but the name fit its use. Zhou Fan wasn''t sure exactly what it did, but he knew that it acted as if his entire body was meridians, and without any negative side effects. Yet another use of his understanding of creation was the ability to tell the lifespans of other things, besides himself. It wasn''t really a magical ability that predicted when someone would die, but when someone''s natural lifespan would end. In other words, it could tell the age that someone would die of old age at. Now, he knew the lifespans of cultivators at different realms. A void traversing cultivator could live for ten millions years. A space shattering cultivator could live for 500 million years. A lesser Dao creation realm cultivator could live for five billion years. Finally, an inner world cultivator could live for an astonishing 100 billion years. As for a god realm cultivator like himself, he could only tell that he would find out when he broke through to the next realm. That seemed to be it for the understanding of creation that he had obtained besides the increased clarity he had gained, but that wasn''t really special. It just seemed like he had polished his eyes so that he could see clearer. Although he had finished with the things obtained from his understanding of creation, he was nowhere near finished with what he had obtained by reaching 100% comprehension in the immortal level elements. Although he hadn''t obtained another new power, the rainbow tunnel had opened his horizons. He realized just how many different Qi''s there were. He had been under the assumption that he knew every Qi for the longest time, but he was now going to try again. Zhou Fan sat down in his spot in space and started to increase the power of the space surrounding him. If he didn''t, his experiment may be disastrous. He took special care and used all his might to strengthen the space before finally being ready. Every millimeter of space around him for 100 light years was strengthened. Only then did he produce a bit of chaos Qi. It had been a while since he had used it in fear of accidentally breaking through the final layer of space, but as long as he didn''t try and use it to attack, he should be perfectly fine. Once he had the Chaos Qi floating above his palm, he closed his eyes and began to try and find insight into the various Qi''s he had missed last time. He used the myriad of colors in the rainbow tunnel as he tried to create new Qi''s. After just a day, he had created a new Qi that he had missed a long time ago. He called it golden blood Qi. There were many weird types of Qi, but not a single person could say that there was not a right Qi for a certain situation. From demonic buddha Qi to poop Qi, there was absolutely everything. In a year, Zhou Fan had discovered about 365 different Qi''s. In a hundred years, he had discovered 36,500 different Qi''s, with each one being weirder than the last. He spent a long amount of time comprehending the new Qi''s. Although progress slowed down as he moved on, he still spent only ten thousand years to truly master all of the Qi''s. He wasn''t quite sure how many Qi''s he had learned, but it was surely in the millions. He had spent a long time doing that, but he didn''t feel tired or fatigued at all. In fact, he hadn''t felt so energetic in a while. Next, for the first time in a long time, he wanted to test out his martial arts. Chapter 178: Testing Martial Arts - 178 Chapter 178 - Testing Martial Arts - 178 Although he obviously couldn''t use chaos Qi or moves that required chaos Qi, he could still test out his other moves. If he was still within his galaxy, he wouldn''t have even dared to consider it. In the vastness of the universe, however, there was plenty of space to test out his strength and martial arts. He didn''t plan on doing it within the silver river galaxy cluster, so he started to fly away at his top speed. After a couple thousand years, he left the silver river galaxy cluster. Surprisingly, he didn''t leave through the entrance of the river, but the exit. If he moved forward, he would not reach the area between the three galaxy clusters, but a whole new section of the universe. He still wasn''t ready to go to another galaxy cluster since he didn''t feel like wasting too much time unnecessarily, but he planned on leaving the silver river galaxy cluster far behind him when he tested his moves out. Zhou Fan proceeded to fly into an extremely empty and silent part of the universe for ten thousand years before he finally stopped. The silver river galaxy was now extremely far behind him, and he had reached a point so silent and cold that it felt like his cultivation spot in between the galaxy clusters. That didn''t mean that if he flew out he would find a better spot, however. A big part of the peacefulness of his spot between the galaxies was the fact that the three galaxy clusters he had essentially made his own were surrounding him. That way, he could keep watch over all of his creations. Also, it would be harder for an area to naturally be colder and more silent than his spot. Now that he was far away from the three galaxy clusters, Zhou Fan took a look ahead at the endless universe. Within his vision, there were hundreds of galaxy clusters and thousands of other space things. It was a better sight than he had ever seen before. There were many colors and shapes that he had never seemed to think of. Zhou Fan quickly snapped out of it and got prepared to test his martial arts out. It had been a while since just about everything he had encountered was either so weak that he could deal with it without any sort of effort, or so strong that even the greatest martial art wouldn''t make a difference. He was truly an unlucky person. He thought for a while and decided that his favorite move would be the best to use first. Zhou Fan held his palm out in front of him and uttered a phrase. "Buddha''s Palm." As he said those words and moved his Qi, a giant palm made up of buddhist Qi descended upon the universe. It was big enough to completely cover hundreds of galaxies side by side, but it seemed much less domineering in the middle of nowhere. Still, the buddha''s palm shook and broke space down to its final layer with ease. Since the martial art didn''t have any chaos Qi, the final layer held up against the buddha''s palm with absolute ease. After moving for a while, the palm dispersed. Zhou Fan was extremely satisfied with the result of his martial art. If there was anything around to destroy, then the move would have been much more impactful. Sadly, he had chosen the middle of nowhere. Although he knew his decision was the best, he couldn''t help but feel slightly disappointed. Zhou Fan thought of the next move he was going to do. He remembered the Buddha''s palm with chaos Qi, but he obviously couldn''t do that. With his current strength, he would probably rip a hole in the final layer of space as big as the buddha''s palm. Ignoring the Chaos buddha''s palm, Zhou Fan remembered the yellow piercing sword finger. It was quite a simple move that didn''t rely on any special Qi and could be easily changed according to his wishes. He decided against that, however, and simply used light Qi and yellow Qi to form it. Zhou Fan pointed two of his fingers towards a random direction, and what looked like a piece of the top section of a normal sword formed from light Qi and yellow Qi. "Yellow piercing sword finger." Zhou Fan said before releasing the martial art. It moved at an incredible speed and pierced all the layers of space without making any sort of big commotion. If not for his powerful eyes, the yellow piercing sword finger would have been perfectly hidden behind every layer of space besides the final one. If someone were to be an assassin and have this martial art, they may become invincible. Of course, Zhou Fan didn''t plan on passing his move down any time soon. He couldn''t recall if he ever put his moves in the Huang Long academies library or not, but they were surely gone by now even if he did. Eventually, the yellow piercing sword finger stopped moving forward and dispersed. In the short span of an hour it had existed, it moved past millions of light years. Zhou Fan was under the impression that it was his fastest martial art. Next, Zhou Fan remembered a move he called the dao finger. It was probably the most powerful among his moves, although it wasn''t his favorite. It combined his understanding of the dao, his understanding of the elements, and the power of his Qi into one giant finger. The finger crushed anything in its path and moved at fairly fast speeds. With his new upgrades and understandings in both the Dao''s and the elements, along with the large amount of Qi''s he had discovered, he was sure that he would be able to exert a power incomparable to before. Not wasting any time, Zhou Fan pointed his finger out into space, at a different direction than the yellow piercing sword finger and the buddha''s palm went. He gathered his understanding of the Dao''s, both cosmic and mortal, the elements, both mortal and immortal, and his overall power onto his finger and pushed it forward. Chapter 179: New Moves - 179 Chapter 179 - New Moves - 179 A few feet in front of his finger, Qi gathered from all directions and met at one point like a spider web. His comprehensions and understandings were then added to it. In an instant, a finger made of every element and comprehension that Zhou Fan had ever made came out of the spider web-like gathering of everything. It was a combination of every color Zhou Fan had ever seen, including the ones within the rainbow tunnel. The only Qi Zhou Fan didn''t use with his Dao finger was Chaos Qi. That was because it would definitely tear a hole in the final layer of space. The moment the Dao finger started moving forward, space shattered completely. In an instant, the final layer of space was the only thing left. The Dao finger continued to move forward at an astonishing speed, breaking every single millimeter of space it encountered. It was, by far, the greatest move that Zhou Fan could ever do without the use of Chaos Qi. If he were to ever take a successor or disciple, this would be the move he taught him. Of course, he wouldn''t need it as much if he also had a chaos Qi affinity, but Zhou Fan didn''t see that ever happening. As far as Zhou Fan could tell, having a chaos Qi affinity wasn''t simple. If you were simply born with only an affinity to chaos Qi, you would die in an instant. It would destroy your body and soul before you could even breathe your first breath. In order to survive with a chaos Qi affinity, you would also have to have the Chaos physique that Zhou Fan has. That meant that along with the one in a gazillion chance that you have a chaos affinity, you would also have to have the Chaos physique, which was another one in a gazillion chance. As far as Zhou Fan was concerned, that simply wouldn''t happen. Even in the one in a grizillion bazillion chance it did, it would be far in the future. Zhou Fan may have reached the peak of cultivation by then, if there was one. Even with all of his strength and his understanding of creation, he had no clue if there was a final destination in cultivation. In fact, he didn''t even know what the next realm would be. It was like trying to predict the birth of the universe before the birth of the universe, it simply wasn''t happening. The Dao finger eventually dispersed after moving an extremely long distance, although it was slightly shorter than the distance that the yellow piercing sword finger traveled. With that, Zhou Fan was finished practicing all the moves he remembered. Now, he was ready to try and make some new martial arts. He stood in the middle of space and began to think. He was considering both single target attacks and area attacks. His first idea was a rain of swords. He tried it out in space using metal Qi, and it worked just fine. Still, it wasn''t all that useful or interesting compared to his other moves. Since it didn''t really matter what moves he had as he was the strongest, he felt he should naturally go for the flashiest and most powerful moves. Otherwise, he might as well just crush every enemy he came across with his divine sense. After thinking of ways to revise the rain of sword martial art, he came up with another idea. It would still be an area attack and it would still have many things raining down, they just wouldn''t be swords. Instead, he would use gold Qi, light Qi, and yellow Qi in order to make arrows that flew down and decimated everything. The arrows would be quite big and not in the shape of a conventional arrow, but that was the best description he had. It was clear to Zhou Fan that the most flashy and interesting moves would be the ones with brighter Qi''s such as Buddhist Qi, light Qi, and yellow Qi. Therefore, he decided to try and make a flashy move that didn''t use brighter Qi''s. ''This may be the biggest challenge I have ever faced, but I will not give up.'' He told himself. After around a hundred days of sitting and thinking, Zhou Fan finally had an idea. Also, it only used dark Qi and death Qi. In order to best showcase his move, he would need to go to a planet. Luckily, there were plenty. After a short period of flying, Zhou Fan entered a galaxy and found a barren planet. Although the wasteland wasn''t exactly the best land to showcase his martial art on, it definitely wasn''t the worst. Zhou Fan looked at the flat ground in front of him and executed his martial art. He tried to think of a cool or interesting phrase to say, but he couldn''t think of anything. It was times like this when he needed the chickens stupid ideas. As the martial art commenced, the silent and barren wasteland seemed to gain a solemn and deadly atmosphere. All of a sudden, long arms made of death Qi and Dark Qi reached out from the ground. Realizing they had no target, Zhou Fan created a couple thousand statues. From right in front of one of the statues feet, a dark and deadly hand extended out of the ground and quickly grabbed the statues face. The Death Qi and dark Qi eroded the statue''s face as it dragged it to the ground. In an instant, the same thing happened to every other statue, although the attacks were all around them and not only directly in front of them. Within seconds, the dark arms receded and the wasteland was again peaceful, devoid of any statues, movement, or noise. Zhou Fan was satisfied with the results of both of the martial arts. He decided to call the first one, rain of light, and he couldn''t come up with a name for the second one. Once again, he wished he had the chicken near him. Once he was finished with the showcasing of the death Qi/Dark Qi arms move, he flew back to the spot he had been in for a while and started to ponder. Chapter 180: Testing Divinity - 180 Chapter 180 - Testing Divinity - 180 While he thought of many things, the most common thought was of testing his divinity further. He felt that he had only scratched the surface of it. ''It surely can''t be a tool that can only be used on life.'' He thought to himself. If that was so, it would be far too cruel to someone like him. Despite his thoughts on divinity, he was hesitant to do so. He felt he was getting sidetracked from cultivation when there was really no need. The divinity wasn''t going anywhere and he had all the time in the world to test it out. After thinking for a while, he realized that cultivation wasn''t going anywhere either. Even if he did spend a while testing out divinity, he would surely spend many times longer than that cultivating. After a few minutes of hesitation and laziness, Zhou Fan got up and prepared to test out divinity. Since he had no interest in using it out on life, he didn''t go to any sort of planet and stayed in the same area. He decided to start out by testing the amount of divinity he had and how long it took to regenerate. First, he tried to bring all of the divinity within him out into the open. He felt it within him like before and started dragging it out. Luckily, there were no issues and he was able to bring all of it out. The amount of divinity within him was around a hundreth of the amount of Qi within him. Still, it was an extremely large amount. In fact, it was even bigger than 99% of planets. The other 1% being planets he had connected to his mortal dao. Speaking of his mortal dao, it had never stopped growing stronger. Although it couldn''t be compared to something like the cosmic dao, it was many many times closer to the cosmic dao than before. Zhou Fan actually had aspirations like making his mortal dao stronger than the cosmic dao. By the time he did that, he would probably be as powerful as the universe itself. Once he had all of his divinity out in front of his body, Zhou Fan started to feel a little dizzy. It wasn''t even close to the feeling of Qi exhaustion, but it seemed that depleting his divinity would also come with side effects. Since he hadn''t used it for anything or changed its form, Zhou Fan brought his divinity back within him and regained his senses. The next test was to test how fast it regenerated. Zhou Fan brought one percent of it out of his body and let it disperse into space. Although he wasn''t even thinking of testing anything, the dispersing divinity had an abnormal effect. With his comprehension of the cosmic dao, he was able to sense that when the divinity dispersed, the cosmic dao was slightly attracted to the area and changed the space in front of him. It suddenly felt much more vibrant and life-like. However, Zhou Fan felt that it gave off the feeling of being restricted. He didn''t know why. It was simply an instinctual feeling. After thinking of multiple possibilities in his head, he had an epiphany. ''I nearly forgot. The entire natural universe only has Chaos Qi.'' He thought to himself. Although the mortal dao he put on the planets turned the chaos Qi into the many types of Qi''s, now even more with Zhou Fan''s recent comprehension of the many Qi''s, its effect only reached the edges of the galaxy at best. It was quite a large area of effect considering the planets'' size, but it still only reached the edges of the galaxies. Since Zhou Fan was currently outside the galaxies, he was surrounded by only chaos Qi. As one could tell from the very fact that things existed, Chaos Qi can take many forms. For example, on earth before Zhou Fan started turning Chaos Qi into the many Qi''s, tree''s didn''t have life Qi or wood Qi, but only chaos Qi. That was the same for water, fire, earth, metal, air, and everything else. In the area he was sitting in, the space was also made up of Chaos Qi and not space Qi. However, the chaos Qi imitated the space to a 99% accuracy. The main point is, the cosmic dao, despite its incredible and nearly unfathomable power, could not control or really affect Chaos Qi. Within the universe, only Zhou Fan could do that. Therefore, whatever the divinity was trying to do was failing. The only thing that could change the effect was turning the chaos Qi into the myriad Qi''s. Zhou Fan proceeded to do just that. In the surrounding mile area, Zhou Fan turned the Chaos QI into the myriad Qi''s. While space Qi was the most dominant existence, like wood Qi would be in a tree, there were trace amounts of everything within space. With everything ready, Zhou Fan used 50% of his divinity and let it disperse into the space. In an instant, an immense amount of the cosmic dao started to be attracted to the area he had dispersed the divinity at. At first, it gathered evenly over the entire area that he had dispersed the divinity at. After Zhou Fan saw that its progress was stopping, however, he began to make the dispersed divinity move in towards its center. As it did so, the concentration of the cosmic dao increased. Once it reached the size of a kick ball, the cosmic dao started reacting heavily. Still, Zhou Fan continued to condense it more. Eventually, the divinity and cosmic dao began to condense to a microscopic level. Zhou Fan had no problem condensing it this much, but he was confused as to where this was going. ''Was I thinking too much?'' He asked himself. After a moment, he shook his head and continued. As the cosmic dao and divinity got smaller and smaller, something eventually happened. Out of nowhere, the cosmic dao and divinity gave off an extremely bright light. Chapter 181: Finally - 181 Chapter 181 - Finally - 181 Although Zhou Fan was not blinded by the sudden light, he was unable to see through it for a moment. He tried to use some power to see what was happening behind the light, but he could only see a blur despite him putting in an immense amount of effort. Eventually, Zhou Fan gave up and watched the light shine. After around 20 seconds, the light started to recede. Zhou Fan felt that he could look through it now, but he decided to wait until it completely revealed itself. As the light faded away, his divinity and the cosmic dao that had combined with it started to disperse into space and fade away as well. After fading for a minute, the light finally cleared. Seeing what was behind it, Zhou Fan couldn''t help but widen his eyes. It was hard to see at first, but Zhou Fan couldn''t have mistaken the feeling it gave off. it was undoubtedly a microscopic organism. It had died off in an instant from being in space, but what remained of it was still there. After a moment, Zhou Fan realized that he had just created life. Although he relied on the help of the cosmic dao, it could still be considered his creation. It was a pity that it died instantly, but Zhou Fan knew he could create many more in the future. In order to get a good testing environment, Zhou Fan started flying back to the silver river galaxy cluster. As he did, he observed his divinity reserves and discovered that it replenished one hundred times slower than his Qi. Since his divinity reserves were as big as 1% of his Qi reserves, they replenished at the same rate in terms of percentage. After thousands of years of flying, Zhou Fan reached the first galaxy on the edge of the silver river galaxy cluster. Coincidentally, it had a planet with potential for life in it. There, he would be able to better test his ability to create life. Zhou Fan quickly made his way into the planet and settled atop a flat mountain peak. Due to his mortal dao, the planet was not only huge, but had an atmosphere and plants. At the top of the mountain, he would be able to create some life without any sort of disturbance whatsoever, not that he would face any. He had observed that this planet, like the last he had visited, had also only evolved some worm-like creatures, but it seemed that it was nearing the phase of creating insects and other tiny life. It didn''t matter all that much to Zhou Fan right now, however. Usually, he would be eager to look at how life was developing naturally. Now, however, he was able to create life. Zhou Fan sat down and crossed his legs on top of the mountain peak. Since it had recovered during his travels, he once again released 50% of his divinity out into the area in front of him. One minor change he made was that he had confined it to a smaller area. The area was around the size of a small house. As he released some of his divinity, the cosmic dao far outside of the planet began to make its way inwards. Usually, the cosmic dao left the area that Zhou Fan''s mortal dao took up, staying an entire planet the same size and length away from the planet. It wasn''t that it was running away, but that it instinctually moved out of the way when sensing another of its kind. After all, the area his mortal dao took up was miniscule compared to the rest of the universe that the cosmic dao took up. It was equivalent to moving an inch out of the way when someone is walking by you. Now, the cosmic dao sensed the divinity and made its way towards it despite the mortal daos existence. Zhou Fan wasn''t 100% sure why the cosmic dao was attracted towards divinity, but he was not complaining. If it wasn''t, he wouldn''t be able to create life. As the cosmic dao came closer, it began to become seeable to the naked eye. Usually, it was invisible. By the time it reached the divinity, it was like a small, colorful waterfall pouring into it. Once they were completely intertwined, Zhou Fan started to condense them. He had no need to change the Qi''s around him since they were already changed from Chaos Qi due to the mortal dao, so the process went smoothly. Eventually, the divinity and the cosmic dao were condensed to the microscopic level and a bright light shone. Zhou Fan waited for it to disperse, which it did, and he saw the micro organism. Surprisingly, it was different from last time. Instead of being blue, it was more of a brownish green. Zhou Fan was confused as to why for a while, but he soon realized why. In space, the space Qi was most abundant. Therefore, when the divinity and the cosmic dao mixed, it took the form of the most common Qi. Now, however, earth Qi and rock Qi were the most common. Therefore, it was brown and green. Zhou Fan decided to test that out further later to make sure it wasn''t a coincidence. As for now, he was focused on the micro organism in front of him. Even after looking at it for a while, nothing interesting seemed to happen. It was simply existing. After a while, he got tired of waiting and started heavily inputting life Qi into it. He made sure not to overdose it, but he gave it the most it could handle. Quickly, the micro organism began to evolve and change. It grew from its micro size to the size of a fly. Now, it looked like a statue of dirt. Zhou Fan wasn''t sure why it looked like that, but he simply shook his head and ignored it. After more life Qi, the not so micro organism began to grow more. Soon, it reached the size of a rat. Now, Zhou Fan could see its form better. Chapter 182: Green Tiger - 182 Chapter 182 - Green Tiger - 182 The animal was in the shape of a cat-like or dog-like creature. It walked on four legs and had a tail, along with two eyes, a mouth, and a nose. It didn''t have fur like cats or dogs, but its body bore some similarity with dirt. At the very least, it had a dirt like color and what seemed like a dirt like texture. Along with its dirt colored body, it seemed to have lines of green flowing across its body. They seemed to be like veins. The green was very bright and could be described as neon. It made the four legged animal go from dirt-like to mystical. He didn''t know if this would change, but he was looking forward to finding out. The animal didn''t make too many movements since the life Qi was still flowing into it, so Zhou Fan was unaware of whether or not he was aggressive or peaceful. After a bit longer, Zhou Fan sensed that the animal, or rather, beast now, had reached its final form. Now, it was less in the shape of a cat or a dog and more in the shape of a lion or tiger. In fact, it was even bigger. Its height reached 8 feet and its length reached 25 feet. It was, without a doubt, a monstrosity worth fearing. In its current state, its power could hardly be called strong, but that was only because it had yet to start cultivating. Its base strength was actually near the level of a foundation establishment human. Whether that was because of Zhou Fan''s divinity or the cosmic dao was yet to be tested. Zhou Fan looked at the beast in front of him as it slowly gained consciousness. At first, it looked at him confusedly. All of a sudden, it roared as loud as it could directly in front of his face. It didn''t sound like the roar of a normal animal, but the roar of an angry giant. Seeing that his roar didn''t affect Zhou Fan, the beast attempted to leap towards him and bite his head off. As it flew towards him, Zhou Fan observed its new body. Instead of the dirt-like color with green veins, it could now be described as a green tiger. It had green fur and black stripes on its body. Once the tiger got close enough, Zhou Fan moved his head to the left a fair amount. That caused the bite to miss, but the tiger didn''t give up. With its head over Zhou Fan''s shoulder, it tried to swing its head down and head bump Zhou Fan. Once again, Zhou Fan dodged his move, this time by side stepping to the right, barely dodging the tigers blow. Now, with Zhou Fan below the tiger body, the tiger jumped up 20 feet and fell back down with all four of its paws ready to land on Zhou Fan. Like the past two times, Zhou Fan side stepped to the right and caused the tiger to hit the hard mountain top. Since the mountain was in a world with Zhou Fan''s mortal dao, it was much stronger than the tiger, causing the tiger to splatter onto it painfully. Luckily, it hadn''t been moving with too much force. After a moment, it got back up and snarled at Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan was having fun playing with the aggressive tiger. It had been a while since something was so naturally aggressive. As the tiger jumped towards him to attack again, he perfectly dodged the attack and sliced off half of one of its nails with his finger nails. The tiger didn''t notice at first since the process was so smooth, but before it could attack again, it felt a slight pain in his right front paw. As it held it up to look at it and noticed its missing nail, it roared at Zhou Fan louder than the first time. However, the roar was tinged with a slight bit of wariness. That didn''t stop it from attacking as it charged forwards in Zhou Fans direction. It reached him in a moment and seemed to attack him with a right paw swipe. Just as Zhou Fan was about to dodge it, however, the tiger stopped its attack and flipped around, attacking Zhou Fan from a different direction with one of its back paws. Naturally, Zhou Fan saw it and ducked down, not forgetting to take another half of a different nail again. The process repeated itself, with the tiger realizing it was missing a claw and roaring in rage. The next time it attacked, Zhou Fan slapped away its paw and punched it in the chest, sending it flying backwards. Of course, he had held his strength back immensely. Still, the tiger struggled to get up. Finally, it was showing hints of fear. Seeing the thought of giving up flashing past its eyes, Zhou Fan secretly increased its cultivation. All of a sudden, the tiger felt an increase in strength that it couldn''t describe even if it could speak. It went from an abnormally strong mortal tiger, to an abnormally strong tenth level core formation tiger. It seemed to let out a little chuckle of arrogance as it once again charged towards Zhou Fan, this time simply attacking with a clumsy paw attack. This attack, however, was thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of times stronger and faster than his other attacks. To its utter shock, the tiger watched as Zhou Fan once again dodged its attack, taking another two nails with him. The tiger, now down to 16 nails, suddenly felt much less arrogant and proud. Due to its high intelligence, it managed to realize that Zhou Fan was simply playing with it, not even taking it seriously. It lowered its head and tried to limp off of the mountain top, but Zhou Fan didn''t plan on letting him leave. "Where do you think you''re going fatso." Zhou Fan said, somewhat imitating the chicken. Although it couldn''t understand English, the tiger was able to feel the intent behind Zhou Fan''s words. Chapter 183: Second - 183 Chapter 183 - Second - 183 Hearing Zhou Fan''s words, the tiger was conflicted. It was feeling both an immense amount of rage and an immense amount of anger. Turning its head around, the tiger let out an extremely loud roar of rage. However, it did not fully turn around and run towards Zhou Fan. Unwillingly, the tiger began to sprint towards the edge of the mountain top as fast as it could in order to get away from Zhou Fan. Watching it try and leave, Zhou Fan couldn''t help but feel disappointed. He didn''t expect the tiger to give up already. Since he was making his exit, Zhou Fan felt that he should at least give him a goodbye gift. Just as the green tiger made it to the edge of the flat mountain top, Zhou Fan appeared behind it and gave its behind a great kick, sending it flying to the distance. By the time it landed, it would be halfway around the world. Zhou Fan did make sure it wouldn''t die, however. Since he was done with the tiger, Zhou Fan planned on leaving the planet. He also planned on postponing any more life creation experiments. It simply wasn''t as fun or interesting as he had hoped it would be. The life created by divinity seemed to be quite strong, but it still couldn''t peak Zhou Fans interest. He didn''t know how talented the tiger was, but he assumed that he would be able to at least reach the space shattering or the void traversing realm. Otherwise, it would really be an insult to him. Regardless, it would likely die or be killed long before Zhou Fan ever saw him again. Luckily, he hadn''t exactly left a good impression. Zhou Fan flew out of the planet and left the galaxy it was in. He even began to leave the silver river galaxy cluster. After spending a fair amount of time playing around, it was time to go back to his spot in the middle of the three galaxy clusters and once again breakthrough. On his way back, he began to think about how exhausting freedom is. He had to make all of his decisions for himself and couldn''t simply go with the flow. Also, most of what he did didn''t make too much of a difference. Of course, something like creating the Zhou World and giving life to so many planets was surely important, but he could have done it at any time and not much would have changed. Even now, he could take a million year nap and nothing would change. In fact, even a hundred million year nap wasn''t ridiculous. ''Having so many possibilities to choose from is truly exhausting.'' After a while, Zhou Fan reached his old spot. Naturally, nothing had changed. It would be really weird if something did change. Zhou Fan sat down, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes. --------------------- Ten million years later, Zhou Fan reached the halfway point. ''This is getting ridiculous.'' He said to himself. He truly couldn''t fathom how much time he was starting to spend in seclusion. How much longer would it be until he was spending a billion or a trillion years in seclusion at once. It was hard for him to even think of how the universe would change in that time. Perhaps if he waited a trillion years now, there would be people in the inner world realm. As for the god realm, it was simply impossible. Unless they had the same level of talent and had an affinity and divine physique similar to Zhou Fans, they would never be able to. Their entire cultivation journey had been laid out by Zhou Fan and they had never even experienced the difficulty of pioneering a new realm. Even if they did reach god realm, trying to get to the 2nd level while Zhou Fan is on the first would be like going from level one difficulty to level 1,000,000,000 difficulty in an instant. They wouldn''t even know where to start. Even if they could magically find a way to go past Zhou Fan, the cultivation difficulty would go from walking down a road to building it. In the end, it was better left to the professionals, or the professional. After shaking his head to clear his mind, Zhou Fan continued cultivating. ---------------------------- Another ten million years later, Zhou Fan felt himself breaking through to the 2nd level of the god realm. As he did, he felt his overall strength and his divinity''s strength increase. It not only increased in amount in proportion to his Qi, but it became purer and more condensed. Zhou Fan assumed that this meant his divinity''s effects would be better. If he made the green tiger now, it may have the strength of a foundation establishment cultivator from the moment it''s born. Of course, that was without Zhou Fans interference and simply letting it be born with only divinity and the cosmic dao. If he personally stepped in and changed its genes around like he had for the celestial race, it could be born with an even stronger strength. The increase in divinity wasn''t the only thing worth mentioning with his breakthrough. His overall strength and Qi increased by more than ten times in one go. He couldn''t remember if he had ever had such an increase in strength from a single level. He would expect it, and even more, if he was breaking through a realm, but gaining so much strength from a single level was incredible. Since he had just broken through, Zhou Fan didn''t plan on immediately going back into seclusion. Twenty million years was simply too long to go without moving or doing anything. If he sat still and continued, he may actually turn into stone. During his slight break, he planned on testing out his divinity more and trying to come up with more attacks, as well as delve into the arts such as formations, forging, arrays, and pills once again. It had been far too long since he had even thought of experimenting with those again. As for runes, he would slide some time in there for them. Chapter 184: Center of a World - 184 Chapter 184 - Center of a World - 184 After stretching his arms a bit, Zhou Fan stood up and started flying towards the silver river galaxy cluster. Although he could have gone to any of the galaxy clusters for his break, the silver river galaxy cluster had somewhat become his testing ground. That was mainly because nothing interesting was within it and nothing he cared about was within it. In just a thousand years, Zhou Fan reached the silver river galaxy cluster. He was extremely surprised at his new speed. He hadn''t expected that he would reach the silver river galaxy cluster in such a short amount of time. He could fly back and forth to his spot almost five times before his old self would have reached the silver river galaxy cluster once. He wondered if he would always get such an increase in speed when he broke through. If he did, he might be able to reach the silver river galaxy cluster in a hundred years at the 3rd level of the god realm. Unfortunately, the odds of getting such an increase every time he broke through was small. It would be far too overpowered. If he did, he would have increased his power by a billion times from the first level of the god realm to the 10th level. That was absolutely nonsensical and he imagined that such an increase was absolutely impossible. As Zhou Fan stepped into the silver river galaxy cluster, he spotted an extremely huge planet in a galaxy not too far away. That was undoubtedly one of the worlds under his mortal dao. With his last breakthrough, the planets were now bigger than the biggest planet he had ever seen in any galaxy. The planets were still smaller than 99% of black holes and smaller than 1% of suns, but it wouldn''t be long before they caught up. By his next breakthrough, there may only be ten thousand suns in the entirety of the three galaxy clusters that could outshadow the planets under his mortal dao. Zhou Fan quickly made his way over to the planet and landed on it. He already had a plan in mind, so he quickly found a big mountain and walked towards its base. As he got close to the first increase in slope, a power suddenly activated around him and the mountain seemed to clear a hole through itself for Zhou Fan to walk through. It was an easy technique with zero burden to Zhou Fan. After walking at a slow pace for around an hour, he came across an opening on the floor in the base of the mountain. He turned off his digging technique and curiously jumped down into it, landing on a hard rock similar to the rock he had been walking through before. As he looked around the cave, he saw many familiar sights. He had coincidently stumbled upon one of this world''s reserves of spatial stones. The odds were extremely low, but it had clearly happened. Zhou Fan let out a little chuckle and ignored the space stones. Even before he had an understanding of creation he was able to create them. Now, it was nothing but childs play. In fact, he could have just created the material he was going down to get, but he felt that doing that would be much more boring. If he wanted to sit in a corner and create everything he would ever need, he wouldn''t have left his spot. Zhou Fan re-activated his technique and began to go deeper into the mountain''s base. Since the only material at its base point was space stones, he decided to just go to the center of the world. There, he would find all the materials he needed. He would also find out what level of materials are being produced by his worlds now. As the dirt, stone, and ore was dug out in front of him, Zhou Fan watched the heat increase as he walked. He could not only tell the heat was increasing because it was getting hotter, but because the walls were turning redder. Since he had decided to walk a little faster, he reached the world''s center in only an hour despite the fact that its length was thousands of times more than the mountain''s base. Like the earth''s core, there was a bit of empty space and a floating sphere of magma. Within the sphere was a part of Zhou Fan''s mortal dao. It was more in the form of a chunk than a strand, so it couldn''t be said that it was nearing the cosmic dao. Although there would technically be materials within the floating core, the materials within the walls closest to it were the same level and it wouldn''t mess up the world at all. If he did decide to take some material from the world''s core, it might collapse without intervention. Although there were many different worlds, those with the potential for life had relatively the same materials as each other. Therefore, Zhou Fan found many familiar materials there. After some brief observation, he could tell they had reached the 7th level of the lesser dao realm. Although it wasn''t the inner world realm, it was still pretty good. Of course, Zhou Fan planned on fully experimenting and increasing his comprehension of the arts. Therefore, ores at such a level simply would not do. He would have to increase their strengths, but the journey was still fun and he hadn''t exactly wasted a trip. Zhou Fan walked up the path he had created after deactivating his technique. It was less deactivating and more simply not using it. It was difficult to describe, but the technique was so low level that it could basically be completed without a thought. It was like breathing. Getting technical was pointless, but he had a lot to think about on the two hour journey back to the surface. Once he got out, he didn''t leave the planet. He actually found it quite beautiful and wanted to rest there for a little while. Of course, he would be practicing as he did so. Chapter 185: Formation Master - 185 Chapter 185 - Formation Master - 185 At first, Zhou Fan was tempted to find a tall mountain and sit on its peak. However, he remembered that he almost always did that. In fact, he couldn''t remember the last time he hadn''t chosen a mountain. While the saying did go "If it ain''t broke don''t fix it", Zhou Fan felt that he should at least try another place. After flying around the world for a while and passing oceans, deserts, and mountain ranges, he finally found a worthy area. It was a tall tree in the middle of the jungle. It was almost suspicious that it was so tall compared to the other trees, but Zhou Fan thought that it would be a struggle to find a better place. While it was kind of like the mountain in the sense that it had a great view, it was still very different. For example, Zhou Fan had to strengthen it a bit so that it wouldn''t suddenly collapse during one of his experiments. After he did that, he sat below the top bush of leaves and on top of a log. It was a little smaller than he was used to, but at least he had shade. Since he was hard pressed to move, Zhou Fan decided to work on formations first. They wouldn''t require any movement since he already had the materials. Right now, they were being kept within a pocket dimension that he had created. He had finally reached a level where he didn''t need a spatial ring and could simply create a separate dimension without losing any Qi. It wasn''t because it was suddenly a Qi free process, but because his Qi recovery speed was much faster than the amount of Qi it took up. Zhou Fan held his hand out and a chunk of emerald ore at the 7th level of the lesser dao creation realm fell into it. It was the size of his head and oddly round. Zhou Fan decided that this would be the first material he used. Of course, he had to enhance it before he used it. He imputed some of his Qi into the emerald and made sure that it didn''t explode. After a while, the emerald was much brighter and greener. It was also much stronger. Now, the emerald reached the first level of the god realm. He originally wanted to upgrade it directly to the second level with him, but he realized that he wasn''t strong enough after he tried. It was the first time he had encountered such a situation. Because of his superior talent, he had yet to be unable to upgrade something like an ore or wood to the same level as him. While he believed that he would be able to craft a weapon that reached the same level as him with the ore, it was quite surprising that the ore itself couldn''t be upgraded to his level. Zhou Fan eventually ignored it and continued what he was doing. Now that the ore was strong enough, he put one hand on top of it and one hand below it before he began to squeeze down. After using nearly all of his strength, he was able to make the emerald ore flat. After another show of strength and Qi, he managed to condense it down to a flat plate the size of his head. What was actually harder than the strength part was trying to keep the emerald intact while he was squishing it. If he didn''t it would have exploded and been ruined. With the flattened and condensed emerald plate, Zhou Fan was ready to carve formations. He began to use his mind and think of the different types of formations. The ones he was using to this day were invented when he was extremely weak. Although it may take a bit of time, he was sure that he could create better and more complex formations. After thinking a bit more, he attempted to write an attack formation that he had visualized in his head. He coated the tip of his finger with Qi and began to carve the formation into the plate. As soon as he took the last stroke, the formation plate exploded. Zhou Fan was both surprised and disappointed, but he knew that he would need to take his time in order to create better formations. He once again took out another material, this time iron, before imitating the plate forming process. After he did, he coated his finger with Qi and tried to inscribe upon the plate. This time, it worked. However, it was only so easy because he was making formations at the level of void traversing. He had long surpassed that realm and he only failed the first time because it had been a while. After successfully carving the first formation, he could be considered a 6th rank formation master. It was a term he had just created off the top of his head. He had heard of formation master ranks in the Zhou world, but they were stuck using the formations he had created a long time ago. They only measured the formation master level by how strong the formation was. Once he passed this new knowledge on, however, they would be able to truly rank themselves. On his first try every time, he made higher level formations for every cultivation level below void traversing. Next came the hard part. Although it would be fairly quick, creating formations for the space shattering realm wouldn''t be an easy feat. As expected, the first hundred attempts failed. As Zhou Fan learned from his mistakes and comprehended more, he succeeded after ten hours and his five hundredth try. He was now a 7th rank formation master. Next was an even harder challenge. The lesser dao creation realm. He wasn''t sure how long it would take, but it would surely surpass ten hours. Zhou Fan took materials out from his spatial pocket, made them into plates, carved them, and failed until he ran out of materials. Without playing around again, he teleported to the nearest thousand planets under his mortal dao and took a good amount of materials before upgrading them. "Looks like I''ll be here a while." He said to himself. Chapter 186: True Formation Master - 186 Chapter 186 - True Formation Master - 186 After ten years, which seemed both like a short and long time to Zhou Fan, he succeeded in creating a lesser dao creation level formation, successfully becoming an 8th rank formation master. However, he didn''t immediately move on from the lesser dao creation level formations. The formation he had created was only an attack formation. There were still plenty of formations at the lesser dao creation level that he had yet to make. Therefore, the term formation master was barely applicable to him. Even saying he was an 8th rank formation amatuer wouldn''t really be wrong. He hadn''t cared much about making the other types of formations for the previous levels, but the lesser dao creation level reached the level that he thought he needed to become a true master at it. It would help lay a foundation for the inner world and god realm formations. Otherwise, he may have to spend a much longer time trying to reach the 9th and 10th rank. Although he had done one type of attack formation, there were many many more. The one he had created shot out a ball of fire in a straight line. Even just a formation that shot a ball of fire could have many different iterations. For example, one formation could have the ball of fire explode before it even reached a target, and another could have a ball of fire do a loopty loop before it exploded and its explosion made a sword shaped explosion. There were many different ways to do a formation and a true master should be able to do all of them. Therefore, Zhou Fan started working on every single variety and type of formation he could think of. After a thousand years, he finally finished. While lesser dao creation level formations became much easier after the first one, the sheer number of variations made the process take an extremely long amount of time. At least, it felt like an extremely long amount of time since it was only on a lesser dao creation realm scale. As he made new formations for different levels, their base power shot up, but it really didn''t change too dramatically. The power of a formation was completely based on its makers power, and a higher rank formation could only slightly increase its power. Still, it was something worth learning to someone like Zhou Fan with nearly infinite time and almost nothing to do with it. The exact amount of power increase so far was about two times. It was definitely a great difference in power, but it seemed lackluster when you realized that the rank of the formations shot up by so many realms. Regardless, Zhou Fan didn''t really care. Since he was done with the lesser dao creation formations and could finally be called an 8th rank formation master, he was ready to move on to the 9th rank. He grabbed some materials from his spatial pocket and began. 10,000 years later, he ran out of materials once again. He teleported through multiple galaxies, taking a rest from time to time, and ended up stealing materials from more than ten thousand planets. That alone took nearly a thousand years, but Zhou Fan got back into the pace once again. After another thousand years, he finally made his first inner world realm formation. He felt it was ridiculous that he spent so much time making a single formation, but he got over it pretty quickly. In the 10,000 years that followed, Zhou Fan learned every single inner world realm formation that there was. The time it took to invent a single inner world level formation was actually ten times what it took to invent a lesser dao creation level formation. At first, he felt that it didn''t really matter, but he realized that not only had his inventing speed slowed, but the actual creation of the formations had slowed. It wasn''t as exaggerated as a ten times increase, but it reached a two times increase. Zhou Fan felt that if he was going to consider himself a master, he should also be able to create formations quickly. Currently, it took him 3 seconds to create an inner world level formation and 1.5 seconds to create a lesser dao creation realm formation. If his training worked, he hoped to be able to make both ranks of formations in less than a second. As for how fast he could end up doing it at his current realm, only time would tell. He ended up training his speed by constantly making formations for an entire ten thousand years. The speed increase was so slow it was nearly imperceptible, but Zhou Fan eventually realized the speed increased and continued. By the time the ten thousand years had passed, Zhou Fan could create both rank eight and rank nine formations in half a second. Only now did Zhou Fan consider himself a true 9th rank formation master. Finally, the final challenge was in front of him. He wasn''t sure if he even had the ability to become a rank 10 formation master at his current realm, but he sure would try until all hope was lost, and then he would continue for another million years if he must. Perhaps it was the increase in his formation mastery, but he had been feeling particularly noble and heroic recently. Hopefully, the feeling would disappear before too long. After cracking his fingers, and getting ready to study the tenth rank formations, Zhou Fan realized that his supply of materials was getting low once again. Out of the more than ten thousand planets worth of materials, he only had around five thousand planets worth of materials left. Unless he suddenly and magically understood tenth rank formations, the amount of materials would not be nearly enough for him. Luckily, the materials had likely regenerated after so long. Zhou Fan teleported around for a bit, grabbing every bit of materials that he could grab without harming the planet. He only stopped after grabbing a hundred thousand planets worth. Chapter 187: Array Master - 187 Chapter 187 - Array Master - 187 Zhou Fan hoped that a hundred thousand planets worth of materials would be enough, but he wouldn''t be that surprised if it wasn''t. He was confident that it would take more than a hundred thousand years just to discover the first god realm formation, but he wasn''t sure how long it would take to comprehend all of the god realm formations. If it was like the previous ranks, he believed that it would be another hundred thousand years, but there was no way to be sure. After thinking a bit more and taking a deep breath, Zhou Fan was ready to continue his study of formations. He proceeded to sit down, cross his legs, and bring out the first ore. 150,000 years later, Zhou Fan invented the first god realm formation. It merely created a water shield, but it would now set the tone for the rest of the god realm formations. He was about halfway through his reserves, so he hoped that the remaining materials would be enough to become a 10th rank formation master. Regardless of whether or not it was enough to become a master, he could be considered a tenth rank formation amatuer from the moment he created his first god realm formation. After 260,000 more years and another round of collecting materials, Zhou Fan finally comprehended the last god realm formation. It was definitely a great struggle considering his cultivation level, but he was now a full fledged 10th rank formation master. Although it wasn''t worth throwing a party over, he was definitely proud of himself for reaching such an achievement. While it wasn''t really that important considering no one else could compete with him, he was also the first person in the universe to become a 10th rank formation master. Although he was done growing in rank, he was not done with formations quite yet. He had skipped many formations earlier on and needed to go back and fully understand them as well. He still had some materials left over from his last collection, and he assumed that it would be enough to master the other ranks. After a total of a week passed, Zhou Fan had mastered every single rank of formation from Qi gathering to the god realm. After 200,000 years and another round of collecting materials, he had practiced his speed until he could carve god realm formations in half a second. Compared to the strength of his old formations before he started to study them again, the tenth rank formations were three times stronger. Although he was finished with formations, he wasn''t done with the arts. He still had alchemy, runes, forging, arrays, and talismans to study. He hadn''t even made a single talisman before, so that was sure to be a fun experience. As for the other arts, they should be relatively fun to do as well since, besides arrays, he hadn''t really paid that much attention to them. After some considerations, Zhou Fan decided to start with arrays since they were somewhat similar to formations and he already had a fairly good background in them. One good thing about them is that they didn''t have material requirements like formations. However, they were also often much more complicated and taxing. Until he got to god realm arrays, he wouldn''t even notice the loss in Qi, but at least he would expect it. For the first time in a while, Zhou Fan jumped off of the tree and began to look around the world. He didn''t plan on staying in a single place since the arrays would be written wherever he could write them. He felt that, by the time he reached the tenth rank in arrays, the entire planet may be covered in them. After flying for a while, Zhou Fan found a good place to start. It was in the middle of some plains with no animals or obstructions whatsoever. Zhou Fan landed on the ground and began to think of arrays. Unlike the formations, he planned to start from the Qi gathering realm, or first rank, and work his way up from there. There was a very limited number of arrays at the first rank and Zhou Fan had to think long and hard before he could think of even one. It was an extremely small array that covered an area of about a foot. Within the area, wind Qi would be gathered slightly denser. As a result, wind attacks would cost slightly less Qi and be slightly stronger. Even slightly was actually a fairly large overstatement. It was somewhere around a 1.01x increase. As he had said, there was barely any use to arrays at the Qi gathering realm. It would actually be impressive if someone at the Qi gathering realm could even make an array. The Qi gathering realm was simply a basic introduction stage. At the very least, Zhou Fan hadn''t even understood enough to think of arrays or formations. Perhaps it would happen when such knowledge is common, but it hadn''t happened to Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan spent three days inventing every 1st rank array, which wasn''t many, before he was finished. Next was a foundation establishment array. It had slightly more use than a Qi gathering array, but it was still pretty useless overall. If the 1st rank arrays gave a 1.01x increase, then the foundation establishment arrays gave a 1.35x increase. Regardless, these measurements were not set in stone and could be changed fairly easily by a more powerful person like Zhou Fan. However, he was simply creating the arrays at the most basic level without using his superior realm. Therefore, they had the same effects as if they were created by a Qi gathering or a foundation establishment cultivator. After 2 weeks of work, which was much longer compared to the formations since he didn''t have the same amount of mastery, he invented the last foundation establishment array. He had also made sure that his speed was fairly quick. Since arrays were harder, he was satisfied with a speed of one array a second. Chapter 188: Array Master - 188 Chapter 188 - Array Master - 188 Although one second would be an extremely long amount of time in a battle for someone like him, Zhou Fan didn''t plan on using such things in battle anytime soon. Even if he really was going to use them in battle, he would pre make them so that he could activate them in a second. As he continued to think down that road, he began to have ideas about different ways of using formations and arrays in battle. After a while, he simply shook his head and focused. He was becoming a master in arrays now. Thoughts about the use of formations and arrays in battle could wait until later. Besides, talismans were already a way to use formations in battle, although there were some flaws. Zhou Fan was now ready to start studying core formation arrays. It was at that level that arrays started showing their various uses. Zhou Fan spent exactly a month studying core formation arrays. After that month, he had completely mastered them. As he had said before, arrays started showing their use at the core formation level. Not only were they stronger, but there were more ways to use them. For example, there were now flying formations that assisted you in flying. If you weren''t a celestial that could already fly as a child without core formation cultivation, then such an array was very useful. Not only could they help you fly faster, but they could help you get used to flying and learn at a faster rate. Despite their new uses, Zhou Fan knew that the arrays one could learn at nascent soul would be much stronger. Before that, however, he needed to increase his speed in making rank 3 formations. It only took two days before he got them to the standard speed of one second. Once again, this was not his speed at his current cultivation level, but his speed when only using the power of a core formation cultivator. Therefore, a one second creation speed was very useful. Naturally he would be millions of times faster when using the power of his 2nd level god realm cultivation. As he was done with core formation arrays, Zhou Fan moved on to the nascent soul level arrays. He had quickly comprehended them when it came to formations, but it took two months to comprehend them now. He was a full fledged 4th rank array master. There were many new arrays that were not only stronger than the core formation arrays, but had different uses. The best example was the talent testing array. Since the nascent soul realm was the first time one''s true soul bloomed, it was only natural that core formation arrays couldn''t fully detect talent. That didn''t mean that one had to be at the nascent soul level to have their talent tested. In the situation where there were only nascent soul arrays were available, one may have to be at the nascent soul realm, but even a soul formation array or a void traversing array could test the talent of anyone. Even a newborn child. Therefore, the nascent soul talent array wasn''t all that useful, but it was still able to do some things that core formation arrays and below couldn''t do. There were other uses of the nascent soul arrays, but Zhou Fan moved on to his speed training. The speed training was less about speed, and more about familiarity with the arrays. It was the same with formations. It''s not like he would ever be back at the nascent soul realm. Why else would he upgrade his speed? Once he reached the one second mark, Zhou Fan moved on to soul formation arrays. Like he had previously mentioned, there were things that the soul formation arrays did better than nascent soul arrays. The main example was the talent testing array. Before, it could only test a nascent soul realm cultivator''s talent, but it could now test anyones. That included newborn children. It had taken Zhou Fan around six months to become a master in the soul formation arrays. He was now a 5th rank array master. After a bit longer, he had also increased his 5th rank array creation speed to one second. The qualitative changes from a 4th rank to 5th rank array master wasn''t limited to talent testing arrays. There was also a great change in soul attack arrays. Although there were some soul attack arrays at the 4th rank, they were extremely limited in what they could do. Even if a tenth level nascent soul cultivator who was also a 5th rank array master tried to make a soul attack array, an average 3rd level nascent soul formation cultivator would be relatively unharmed. It was only at the 5th rank and the soul formation realm that the soul attack arrays did true damage and were actually dangerous. For example, even when limiting his cultivation to the 10th level of the soul formation realm and only using the knowledge of a 5th rank array master, Zhou Fan was able to produce a soul attack powerful enough to severely injure an 8th level soul formation cultivator in a single second. If he spent a really long time on it, around three days, he would be able to create a soul attack array strong enough to kill even a ninth level soul formation cultivator and injure a tenth level soul formation cultivator. Under the right circumstances, even killing a tenth level soul formation cultivator wasn''t out of the picture. Even if you ignored the difference in talent testing arrays and soul attack arrays, there were still many other much better arrays. Even the basic ones like fire attack arrays were much stronger. Arrays such as soul healing arrays and soul boosting arrays were only possible once one broke into the soul formation realm. That was because they required immense knowledge of the soul. While it was technically possible to create one as a nascent soul realm expert, it was extremely hard and nearly impossible. After becoming a 5th rank array master, Zhou Fan was ready for another step up in his rank. Chapter 189 - 7th Rank Array Master - 189 Chapter 189 - 7th Rank Array Master - 189 After five years, Zhou Fan mastered the void traversing level arrays. The biggest difference between them and 5th rank arrays, besides their overall strength, was the fact that void traversing arrays could work in space. Unlike 5th rank arrays and below, they could survive the harshness of space due to the bit of space Qi in void traversing cultivators body''s. Besides their ability to survive in space, 6th rank arrays also had some ability to manipulate space. While it was very minor, it was still something that 5th rank arrays could not do. Unless, of course, someone who had already reached the void traversing realm and had a high comprehension of space was setting up the 5th rank arrays. Despite the 6th rank arrays'' ability to survive in space, Zhou Fan had practiced by laying them out on the world like he had with all the other arrays. Since many of the arrays got bigger as they ranked up, although many also remained small, a thousandth of the world was now covered in arrays. It was as if an artist grabbed a world and started painting on it. While it was a tiny fraction of the world, that tiny fraction was many times bigger than the earth before Zhou Fan mortal dao evolved it. Now that he had reached the 6th rank arrays, Zhou Fan was starting to experience the same increase in power as he had earlier. Although arrays power increased majorly as their realm increased, the realm was based on the cultivator and not the array. Therefore, like it was with formations, the difference between a 6th rank array and a 10th rank array made by the same person was around three times. Since he had basically been using nascent soul and soul formation rank arrays before, his overall array power had increased by a slight amount since he had reached the 6th rank. It wasn''t really worth mentioning since it was around 0.1x so far, but that increase would grow higher as his array rank increased. Without taking any sort of break, Zhou Fan trained his array creation speed until his 6th rank array creation speed reached one second. It hadn''t taken nearly as long as mastering the 6th rank arrays had, but he could feel the lengthening time as he continued to practice. Zhou Fan was ready to continue forward to the 7th rank arrays, but he was starting to feel tired from the constant learning that he had been doing. He was by no means physically tired, but somewhat mentally tired. Rather than mentally tired, Zhou Fan was feeling bored since he had been doing essentially the same thing for so long. In his personal opinion, spending so much time learning and inventing was much harder than spending all that time working or cultivating. He didn''t plan on taking an extremely long break or anything, but he simply wanted to rest for a day. ''I''m somewhat human after all.'' He said to himself. Zhou Fan began to walk around and explore the world once again. Since he was doing it at a mortal speed this time, he wasn''t getting very far. Thankfully, he didn''t need to look far to find a refreshing area. It was about a two hour walk from the last array he had created before reaching one second creation time of 6th rank arrays. In front of him was a long and rushing river. Every now and then, a fish would jump out of it and land back in the water. This not only made for the area to seem more peaceful, but it also surprised Zhou Fan. He had not expected that the world would have already made fishes. They were a little different from the most basic fishes on earth, but they were pleasing to the eye since they were a mixture of red and yellow. The rushing river was about thirty feet wide and 6 feet deep, which would have made it hard to relax in if not for the rock in the middle of it. It wasn''t sticking out of the river, but it was only two feet below the water. Therefore, Zhou Fan would be able to sit and relax on it as the water rushed past him. Zhou Fan dissipated his clothes before he jumped up in the air and landed directly on that rock in the river. Once his feet were planted, he sat down on the rock and crossed his legs. He didn''t exactly plan on cultivating at the river, but simply meditating. It would allow him to rest and clear his mind at the same time. The last time he had simply meditated without cultivating was when he was under the tutelage of the buddha. Back then, it allowed him to reach an extremely high understanding in the mortal dao. Even now, he incorporated some of the buddhas meditation lessons into his normal cultivation. ''That man was truly transcendent.'' He said to himself, admiring the Buddha even now. As Zhou Fan meditated, he felt the water rushing past him, the fishes jumping out of the water and landing back in, and what felt like the very breath of the world. It was an extremely peaceful moment that Zhou Fan had rarely ever had the opportunity to encounter. After exactly a day had passed, Zhou Fan stood up from his meditation position. Both his skin and his soul were feeling better than ever. As for his mind, it was naturally feeling better. After forming some more gray clothes, Zhou Fan walked back to the last array he had created before taking his break. Without thinking too much, he began his comprehension of 7th rank arrays. After 50 years, Zhou Fan became a 7th rank array master. After another 3 years of practicing his speed, he was a full fledged array master. The space shattering arrays, sticking to their name, began to be able to break space. It was simply a stronger level of manipulating space, but it was still a clear upgrade. While he could have always made arrays that could shatter space, these arrays were able to shatter space even when only being created by a first level space shattering expert. Zhou Fan was barely confident that he could have done that when he was at the first level of space shattering, although his chaos Qi slightly changed things. Chapter 190: Forever in my Shadow? - 190 Chapter 190 - Forever in my Shadow? - 190 Zhou Fan had been laying down formations for so long, but he had yet to activate even a single one. He had now covered nearly a fiftieth of the entire planet in unactivated arrays. The arrays also didn''t have an automatic power source like most arrays that were made. That was because Zhou Fan had no use for them besides laying them down. Taking the extra effort to give them a power source would not only not increase his understanding of arrays, but it would waste unnecessary time. Although it wasn''t like they couldn''t be activated. They simply needed someone to directly input Qi into them. In other words, they basically functioned like normal arrays, they simply needed to be personally activated. Along with the arrays that could break space, there was now a new array that Zhou Fan had never used before. It was called a teleportation array. He had never even thought of creating such an array since he had nobody he needed to teleport that he couldn''t teleport personally. However, the teleportation array was definitely possible to create and theoretically very useful. It simply wasn''t that useful to Zhou Fan. The only reason the people in the Zhou world and the other places hadn''t created teleportation arrays was because Zhou Fan had never invented them. They were limited by the knowledge Zhou Fan had given them. Once he thought of that, Zhou Fan realized that even if he left the Zhou World and all the worlds he had connected to his mortal dao alone, they would be limited without his help. Although he had given the celestials information in the back of their mind and had made it so that anything born in the mortal dao would also have such information, the information was old. It basically stopped at the lesser dao creation realm. Zhou Fan thought it would be a big problem for a second, but he soon realized that he could simply make the changes to his mortal dao within him and it would automatically change his mortal dao everywhere else. In other words, it only took a thought to give the things born within his mortal dao access to knowledge. Although it was technically giving them direct knowledge, it wasn''t like they were born omniscient. What he was giving them was the possibility to advance further. There were surely many out there that had thought of a teleportation array before him, but they couldn''t create it. The only reason for that was that Zhou Fan had never created it. Therefore, it was impossible for them to create. It was less a matter of thinking and more a matter of Chaos Qi. Zhou Fan didn''t wish such a fate on them, but it was the price of their creation. Once he was stronger, he hoped to truly make life that could advance without having to follow in his footsteps. Sadly, that was impossible for the current him. All life in the universe was connected to him. As far as he was aware, the only life that wasn''t was the people on earth before he was born. In the ways of creating life, he could only admit his inferiority to the cosmic dao. At least it could create life with true potential. Like the cosmic dao once was, he was the father of all life. Unfortunately, he seemed to be a much worse parent. As of now, the life he had created was completely within his shadow, and they were completely unable to move forward unless he too took a step. Zhou Fan decided to upload all the information about arrays, and formations that he had learned as soon as he was done with all of the arts. That way, the people of the Zhou Galaxy would get the information all at once. As for going there personally, Zhou Fan had no plans to. He still wanted them and the rest of the three galaxy clusters to develop on their own so that they could surprise him. As for the planet he was currently messing with, he would clean it up once he was done so that there was no trace of him or his arrays left behind. As thoughts flew through his head, Zhou Fan shook and cleared his mind. He was so close to finishing arrays. No need to get distracted now. The next rank was 8th rank arrays. Now, he was truly stepping into a new realm of learning. The lesser dao creation realm felt like a much bigger leap than all of the other realms before it. After an astonishing hundred and fifty years, Zhou Fan mastered the 8th rank arrays. He then spent ten years making sure his speed was up to date. Like the arrays before it, 8th rank arrays had some new uses. One of the biggest was that some 8th rank arrays could somewhat manipulate the mortal dao of its creator, but only if the creator allowed it. There were a couple of rules for such arrays, but they could do a lot of a lesser dao creation realm cultivators work for him. To Zhou Fan, and anyone at the inner world realm, such an array was simply useless, but he was sure that 9th rank arrays would be more useful for inner world realm cultivators. Even 9th rank arrays that could manipulate the mortal dao of its creator would have more uses. Still, even a tenth rank array that helped manipulate its owner''s mortal dao was useless to Zhou Fan. Anything it could do he could do better and faster. For someone more pathetic, however, it may have some uses. The word pathetic seemed harsh, but if one hadn''t outgrown mortal dao controlling arrays by the time they reached the god realm, they truly were pathetic. Some arrays simply faded into uselessness after a while. A prime example was flight arrays. Anyone at the space shattering realm, or even the void traversing realm, had zero use for them. They would hardly increase flying speed at all. Simply useless. Chapter 191: There鈥檚 Always An Exception - 191 Chapter 191 - There''s Always An Exception - 191 Even if flight arrays did give a good boost, who in the world would continue to use them. Flight arrays worked at a hundredth of their usual effectiveness in space, and 99% of travel worth building an array to speed it up happened in space. Perhaps that would change once the worlds under his mortal continued to grow more and more, but they truly were useless now. Eventually, Zhou fan stopped thinking about flight arrays and continued onto the next rank of arrays. 9th rank, or inner world arrays. Based on the previous ranks'' array effects, he assumed that the inner world level arrays would have something to do with his inner world, but he wasn''t sure what they could possibly do. After 5,000 years, Zhou Fan mastered the 9th rank arrays. It was an extreme leap in time, but he didn''t care too much. He was more worried about how long 10th rank arrays would take, but he sucked it up and looked at the 9th rank arrays he mastered. Out of all of them, there was only one array that had anything to do with the inner world, and it was essentially useless. It increased the speed that one could take power out of the inner world. There was no major increase, but an increase of 1.001x. Zhou Fan even felt disgraceful learning it, but he did it anyway. Besides the inner world manipulating array, if you could call it that, another new array was the star connecting array. This was the first time an array really really interested Zhou Fan. It seemed that once someone reached the inner world level arrays, extremely magical things would be possible. Formations were slightly different in that aspect, as they continued to focus on the basics, but arrays were essentially another version of formations. It was like how both English and Demonic were languages. They fell under the same category, but they were completely different in many ways. If he had to give them a definition, formations were smaller and focused on the basics, while arrays were bigger and connected to things such as water, air, earth, space, and now stars. The star connecting arrays could be linked from five to 1000 stars. From those stars, it would draw out the star''s power and shoot a laser in a pre decided direction. Due to it being a 9th rank array, the amount of stars was limited to the thousand, but it could still exhibit great power. It may not seem like it, but if the full life span of a thousand stars was used up by the array in an instant, the array would produce an amount of power similar to that of a galaxy. Of course, the array would be completely destroyed after that. To Zhou Fan, this was simply an interesting array. However, this would shake the entire Zhou Galaxy if information about it was released. Sadly, this was an array most could not create. A horrid amount of Qi, similar to that of an average 1st level god realm cultivator, was needed to set up the array. As for activating it, don''t dream of it without a god realm cultivator. If one wanted to be able to instantly drain the life of a thousand stars and use the power of an entire galaxy, they would need strength similar to the current Zhou Fans. Zhou Fan was not only a 2nd level god realm cultivator, but an extremely strong one. A second level god realm cultivator as powerful as him would never exist again. Therefore, this array was mostly useless unless there were extremely special circumstances. For example, if a large number of tenth level inner world cultivators were to sacrifice their lives, the array may be able to be fully activated. All that mattered was the amount of Qi. If someone were to find a way to store Qi somewhere and then use it all at the same time to activate the array, even a lesser dao creation level cultivator could activate it. Unfortunately, that was an extremely hard task due to the natural dissipation of unrestrained Qi. Besides the star connecting arrays, there were a couple of similar arrays, but none were quite as interesting. However he felt that if he were to break into the 11th realm, he would be able to create more arrays at the lower levels, so it was possible that he wasn''t truly discovering all the 9th rank arrays. That was only a theory regardless of the truth, but he always seemed to find that there were no absolutes in the universe. There was always an exception. After raising his 9th rank array creation speed to one second, Zhou Fan began to start on tenth rank arrays. It was highly likely that he had gotten lucky with comprehending the first formation at the god realm before, because it took 700,000 years to fully master the tenth rank arrays. Also, like formations, he had barely mastered them. There were many theoretical arrays that he was yet to be able to lay out due to his low strength. Of course, they were only theoretical. Zhou Fan practiced for an entire hundred thousand years before he was able to create god realm arrays in a second. They were much harder since they were on the same level as him, but he was still a genius regardless of cultivation level. After so long, Zhou Fan was finally a complete master of all the arrays. There was always more when he grew stronger, but they would have to wait. The next thing Zhou Fan decided to study was talismans. He assumed that they would be very easy since they were not exactly an entirely new art. If one looked closely, even a child could tell that talismans were simply one time formations on paper instead of ores. They were also usually weaker than normal formations or arrays, but they required little Qi to activate and their effect could be seen instantly. However, the best use of talismans was that weaker cultivators could use talismans above their level, although they couldn''t create them. Chapter 192: The Power Of Talismans - 192 Chapter 192 - The Power Of Talismans - 192 The process of making a talisman was extremely easy. Zhou Fan simply created a rectangle piece of thin, yellow paper on his palm. That piece of paper contained Qi throughout it. The next, and also last step, was to add a formation onto the piece of paper. He did this with some ink and a brush, both with his Qi within them. There was really no point in starting from the lower levels and going higher, but he did it anyway. Since there was nothing to really comprehend, it only took a month for Zhou Fan to master god realm talismans. As for creation speed, it did take a while. Zhou Fan took almost ten years to create talismans in half a second, similar to his formation creation speed. In order to test the talismans out, Zhou Fan flew around the world until he found a large mountain. There, he took out one of the talismans he had created and threw it out into the air in front of him. Once the talisman reached ten feet away from him, it suddenly dissolved into thin air, leaving only a floating formation behind. That floating formation didn''t stay in the air for long. In less than a second, a dragon made of fire shot out from the formation. It headed straight forward, in the direction of the mountain. Once the full body of the dragon had left the formation, the formation dissolved like the talisman had. The dragon of fires'' body was a hundred feet long and 8 feet wide. At a fairly fast speed, it charged towards the far away mountain. Despite it being hundreds of miles away, the fire dragon reached the mountain in only three seconds. As soon as it made contact with the mountain, the fire dragon exploded, leaving behind an extremely large amount of flames that covered the entire mountain even when the mountain was thousands of times bigger than the fire dragon. In about twenty seconds, the mountain had been reduced to a pit of lava and the flames finally ceased. Zhou Fan looked at the pool of lava with satisfaction. Despite the fact that his mortal dao made the mountain extremely strong, the space shattering level talisman was able to easily burn it into lava. The only reason the flames didn''t spread any further was that the talisman slightly reduced the strength of the formation. The slight amount was around 50%, but it was still a fair amount considering that the talisman could be carried around easily and deployed instantly. Deciding to test one more talisman, Zhou Fan flew around the world once again until he found another mountain. This mountain was twice as big as the first! After thinking for a moment, Zhou Fan decided to once again use a space shattering level talisman to level this mountain. While the formation on the last talisman was average among the space shattering level formations, the one he planned on using now was one of the strongest. Zhou Fan rummaged through his spatial pocket and found the one he planned on using. Without hesitation, he threw the talisman out towards the big mountain. Like last time, the paper part of the talisman dissolved as soon as it reached ten feet from him, but the attack didn''t come out instantly. Instead, another formation written on the talisman took effect. That formation shot the main formation to the sky above the mountain before it collapsed. Once the main formation reached the sky above the mountain, its effect started to show. Clouds seemingly gathered from nowhere in an instant, and the formation ominously dissolved into the air. The instant it did, a giant lightning bolt shot down from the clouds and collided with the peak of the mountain. It completely disintegrated the peak without even stopping and continued down to the base of the mountain. As the lightning went through every bit of the mountain, a shockwave shot out. That shock wave destroyed much of the mountain, leaving behind only a slanted crater where the mountain once was. The crater wasn''t at ground level, and was instead made up of what was once the outer layer of the mountain. Zhou Fan flew into the air and looked down upon the crater. The entire center part of the mountain had been destroyed. The only thing left was the walls of the crater created by the shockwave. Its performance that seemed lesser than the fire dragons was expected because it was a single, focused attack, while the fire dragon was a wide ranged attack. Perhaps if it was a normal formation and not a talisman, the mountain would have been completely destroyed without even an inch of it left. Still, the talisman was undoubtedly a powerful tool for any cultivator and it had clearly proved that with those two testings. Now that he was done with talismans, Zhou Fan went to a non-destroyed mountain peak and prepared to study the next art on his list. Pills. His next art to practice was the art of pill making. Back on the Zhou World, pill concocters were somewhat rare and treated with respect. That was because pill creators were both the holders of great wealth and the holders of great power. They were second only to talisman creators in terms of status. Most of that power had come from the alchemy union, but that was irrelevant to his current situation. Another reason for the power was the abilities that the pills had. One was to speed up the process of cultivation or rather the speed at which one attracted Qi, and the other main one was the ability to heal. While there were healing formations, arrays, and talismans, none were as easy to use and create as pills. The hardest requirement that pill creation required was herbs. Powerful herbs with Qi were needed to make pills, and certain types and amounts needed to be merged perfectly in order to create a pill. Overall, the difficulty was fairly high and use was fairly great. Sadly, like many good things, they were mostly useless to Zhou Fan. The first use of pills, drawing in Qi faster, was impossible for him to have due to the fact that no pill could draw in chaos Qi. Pills could not even be created with Chaos Qi. Chapter 193: Pills - 193 Chapter 193 - Pills - 193 The second use of pills, healing, also didn''t have too much of an effect on Zhou Fan. Not only did pills not work on him as much due to his Chaos physique, a fact he found out just recently, but he rarely ever needed to be healed. Even the collision of galaxies wouldn''t be able to do much to him now. The only danger he would face was danger from being too arrogant and confident in his abilities. Since Zhou Fan was no fool and had plans to become one, he was essentially completely safe. Along with the obvious definition of healing, there was another that wasn''t really automatically thought of. That was the replenishing of Qi. While such a pill would be useful to Zhou Fan, his Chaos physique still lessened its use. As someone who was constantly suffering from Qi exhaustion, he found that fact rather saddening. However, quality could be countered by quantity. Although there were usually some side effects from taking too many pills due to their impurities, Zhou Fan''s chaos physique was made up of Chaos Qi which would completely destroy any foreign impurities. Also, he didn''t have meridians. There was absolutely no way that impurities could effectively stop him from cultivating unless they clogged up his entire body. If that happened, he would be too dead to worry about cultivating. Regardless of the pill''s effects, Zhou Fan wasn''t going to ignore pill making. It was another art that would be useful for him and other future cultivators. He naturally couldn''t ignore it. On top of the mountain, Zhou Fan formed a fire in his hand. While there were many ways to make pills, fire was not only the easiest and most well-known, but simply the best. Other methods were equivalent to choosing to not swing a sword but drop it and hope it cuts whatever is in front of you. While there were many ways to make pills, most were stupid. Zhou Fan could simply put the flame in the space in front of him, but 99% of cultivators needed to use a cauldron in order to make pills. It was a lesser way, but Zhou Fan relented and decided to do it that way. He manipulated the stone below him to form a cauldron before he enhanced it to the god realm level. Such a thing was something that only he could do. He chalked it up to him being the creator of the very world he was in. It was either that or his chaos Qi. With the terribly made cauldron in front of him that didn''t really imitate a cauldron in any way but its shape, Zhou Fan threw the flame down and let it burn as hot as it could without destroying the so-called cauldron. While it was burning, he left the mountain and found a random patch of flowers and other grasses. Within the world, herbs with spirit Qi had yet to begin growing, so he was forced to make some himself. With the completely normal flowers, grasses, and other plants, Zhou Fan sent Qi into them. Soon, they became Qi gathering level herbs. Since he felt he would need more in the not so distant future, he began to make it rain life Qi across the entire world. That would help all the normal plants become herbs. Naturally, they would stop at a certain level and he would have to manually enhance them once again, but the rain of life Qi would help in the starting stages. With the handful of plants, Zhou Fan returned to the cauldron. He grabbed one piece of each of herbs he had picked and placed them in the cauldron. To absolutely no surprise, they soon burnt and turned into waste. Clearly, he had failed to make a pill. It was most likely due to the incorrect amount of materials being put in. Perhaps the rules would be somewhat looser as he grew in rank, but he had to follow them strictly at his current state. That meant correct material amount, correct timing of putting the materials in, correct fire control, and correct Qi manipulation. ''Such an annoying process.'' He thought to himself. If not for the fact that he had slightly learnt some alchemy in his days at the huang long academy, a time when people could still learn and create without him having to do it first, then he would have no clue where to start. Only due to his previous knowledge, Zhou Fan''s trial and error didn''t take as long as thought. He learned every single first rank alchemy pill in only a year. That was after he had found and created every herb he could think of. If there were any more herbs at the Qi gathering level that he hadn''t discovered, he would have to once again learn more recipes. Luckily, they would likely be easier with his new knowledge. Zhou Fan didn''t bother stopping to complain about the length of time he was spending and moved on to the 2nd rank pills. He had to create new, higher level herbs, and trial and error once again. Luckily, his knowledge of first rank alchemy recipes made 2nd rank pills even easier than he had imagined. It only took three years to master. In those three years, he had not only mastered all the recipes, but had also increased his pill creation speed, although it varied from pill to pill. Within the world he was in, there was a constant life Qi rain that helped grow new herbs. They grew extremely fast and were plucked just as quickly. The world was not suffering from this, but evolving much faster. In the last four years, it had progress that would have normally taken it four hundred years. A hundred times increase! Not only would the world not be upset, but it should logically be thrilled in Zhou Fans pill making. Zhou Fan continued on to the third rank pills. Once again, a whole new batch of herbs was needed and the amount of life Qi rain increased dramatically. Chapter 194: World Of Plants - 194 Chapter 194 - World Of Plants - 194 After ten years, Zhou Fan mastered 3rd rank pill making. In those ten years, the amount of materials he had used was enormous. Now, even the plains were filled with so many plants that they could be called a jungle. As for what was once jungles, they were nothing but great tangles of plants taking over an area. The most unaffected places were the mountains. Still, one could tell from the layer of grass that covered them like hair that they were not untouched. Despite the immense amount of plants, the world was not really harmed. Instead of resisting the change brought about by the plants, it seemed to go with it. Animals were now evolving into more jungle-like creatures and insects were becoming more common. One problem that the world was facing was the water shortage since every body of water besides the oceans were completely taken over by algae and other water plants. By now, the fish population that lived in freshwater had gone extinct. The worst part is that the lack of water would have a bad effect on the plants since they naturally relied on it to survive. Luckily, the role of water was being carried out by Zhou Fans life rain, but it wouldn''t be there forever. It seemed that the planet was creating more and more natural rain in order to make up for the losses of water, but there was only so much water it could take from the ocean. Also, at the current rate, the ocean would too be taken over by water plants. While Zhou Fan was thrilled to see the increase in plants, he was not thrilled to see that one of the planets under his mortal dao was facing a possible future extinction. Therefore, after some thinking, Zhou Fan manipulated the world a little. Instead of going in the normal direction of growing plants, it would now work on evolving plants to be able to survive on only air, and sunlight instead of water. It would definitely be a major change, but Zhou Fan saw no other way out for the world. Now that he had settled that issue for now, he could continue on to 4th rank pills. With the world''s overgrown plantage, finding 4th rank herbs was absolutely no problem. After 30 years, Zhou Fan managed to master 4th rank pill making. His pills still had little to no effect on him, but like formations and arrays, new types of pills were becoming possible as the rank increased. He was now at nascent soul level pills and pills that messed with the soul were now somewhat possible, although barely. He had thought that he would struggle to make soul type pills due to the fact that it seemed unlikely the world had any soul type plants, but he managed to find an entire growth of them in an underground cave system. As the rank of plants increased, their variations did as well. On the top of some mountains, there were flaming plants and at the bottom of the ocean, there were freezing plants. Due to the world''s diverse environment, there were many types of plants in many types of places that made many things possible. Another example was the poison plants that usually took over swamps. They could be used to make poison pills. The poison pills were fairly powerful, but it took really rare materials to create one that could kill an 8th level nascent soul realm cultivator and higher. As he moved on to 5th rank pills, Zhou Fan experimented and developed a way to store pills. An issue he had earlier had led him to such a creation. He noticed that after around ten years, most of the 1st rank pills began to rot and become useless. With his new invention, a jade bottle with formations covering it, storing pills was now easy and simple. The jade bottles extended the first rank pills lifespans largely, but the exact amount was yet to be seen. It took Zhou Fan 100 years to master 5th rank pill creation. There were now more pills dealing with the soul in one way or another, and the effect of those pills was much better on average. Many more elemental and non-consumptive pills were also available. For example, there was an awfully powerful pill that simply exploded as soon as it was either swallowed or met with an intense force. Without paying too much attention to the 5th rank pills, Zhou Fan was ready to move on. Sadly, there was once again an issue of plants. Zhou Fan felt that if he pushed it more he may actually end up hurting the planet, but he decided to risk it. Either the planet would evolve with the once again increased life rain and the increased amount of powerful plants, or it would become a wasteland incapable of housing any sort of life whatsoever. After making even more life rain, Zhou Fan collected the rare 6th rank materials that managed to evolve on the planet. They would only last him about a month, but that would be more than enough time to tell whether or not the planet would fail or succeed. As Zhou Fan used the last void traversing level plant, he looked around at the world. Directly adjacent to his mountain, which had been untouched by plants due to an array he set up, there was what seemed like a mountain covered in plants so thick that one couldn''t even see the stone. Not only was it weird that a mountain magically appeared out of nowhere, but it was also weird that, when one looked closer, they would realize that there was no stone beneath the plants. In fact, the entire mountain was actually just a gathering of plants. Covering the mountain was an extremely large amount of 4th rank, 5th rank, and 6th rank plants. In some places, there were even some 7th rank plants. Also, this was only a mountain. The plants found on it were usually of the most basic quality. Clearly, the world had successfully evolved. Chapter 195: Living Plants - 195 Chapter 195 - Living Plants - 195 After looking at the mountain of high grade plants, Zhou Fan turned his gaze to the rest of the planet. He hadn''t expected such a successful evolution. There was no longer any ocean or any body of water left on the planet. From head to toe, with not a single blind spot on it, the planet was covered in plants. As he stared at the entire world with his divine sense, he noticed an abnormality. Covering what was once a plain was a 15 foot deep pile of vines and other plants. However, interrupting the flat layer of plants was a slight curve. It only poked up a few feet, but it was clearly noticeable. Even more odd, the curve was perfectly symmetrical. It seemed as if some sort of dome was in the middle of the plants. Zhou Fan sent his divine sense deep into the little hill of plants that poked up. As soon as he reached a depth of three feet through the walls, the space opened up into a dome like area. Astonishingly, there were houses and tents within the little dome. Zhou Fan covered the entire dome with his divine sense, and was shocked by what he saw. Within the houses and tents, there were living plants. Not living in the sense that all normal plants were, but living in the sense of an animal or human. They took many shapes and forms, but they were undoubtedly sentient beings. That much could be guessed from the houses they lived in. Needless to say, this discovery shocked Zhou Fan. He had never expected the evolution of the world to lead to an entirely new species that Zhou Fan had never seen before. After looking at them for a while, he noticed that they didn''t survive on water. It was expected since the entire world had evolved to not need water, but it was still weird to Zhou Fan. Eventually, he stopped looking at the plants and withdrew his divine sense. The planet''s evolution had far exceeded his expectations. Besides the living plants, Zhou Fan had also been able to tell what rank and how many plants there were in the world. The majority of plants were at the fifth rank, but there was no shortage of 6th rank, 7th rank, and 8th rank plants. As for 9th and tenth rank, Zhou Fan still found few of those. Those that did exist lived at the deepest depths or the highest peaks of the world. The living plants he had seen were actually the weakest of all the plants in the world. They did not know how to cultivate and were born at the Qi gathering realm. Luckily, they had an innate ability to manipulate most plants at the 5th rank and below. That was the only reason they were able to survive so long. Now, with more materials, Zhou Fan started to work on 6th rank pills once again. After 300 years, he mastered 6th rank pill creation. 6th rank pills had many different uses compared to the 5th rank pills. One of them even allowed a non-void traversing realm cultivator to survive in space. That was one of the most interesting pills in the 6th rank. There were still some others, but Zhou Fan didn''t waste any time with them. Despite the fact that the world had evolved, Zhou Fan was still using an immense amount of plants each and every day. Therefore, the life Qi rain had continued. Luckily, the life Qi wasn''t an actual liquid. If it was, the entire world would have surely flooded by now. Zhou Fan reached through space and grabbed a couple of 7th rank plants before he continued with his pill making. A thousand years later, he had finished with 7th rank pills. The pills were largely similar to 6th rank pills with only a few new ones. Even though there were new ones, they were extremely boring and Zhou Fan didn''t even bother thinking about them too much. After grabbing a handful of 8th rank plants through space, he continued on to eight rank pills. Mastering the 8th rank pills took five thousand years. For the first time since the start, the three times increase rule was broken. There were more new pills in the 8th rank than there were in the 7th rank. For example, one helped temporarily improve the fine control of one''s mortal dao. Of course, like the formation, it was useless to Zhou Fan. There were a couple more new pills that were interesting to Zhou Fan. He had named one the self destruction pill. Although it had technically existed in the lower ranks of pills, it went through an entire metamorphosis in the 8th rank. Previously, it would simply burn up all the Qi inside a person or animal''s body, causing an explosion that was bigger or smaller depending on their cultivation. The new self destruction pill, however, would do more than simply blow someone up. It would take up all their Qi, but a giant flower, its color or colors depending on the person''s affinities, would instantly bloom from them. Before that flower exploded itself and dealt damage like the previous pill, it would let out a burst of life or death Qi depending on the user''s intentions. This made the pill not only a self destruct pill, but possibly a self sacrifice pill. Theoretically, if there was someone to contain the explosion that followed, this pill could be used to revive someone from a near death state. In fact, depending on the users and the receivers strength, it could revive thousands of people from near death. Sadly, it was unable to actually bring back the dead. Now done with 8th rank pills, Zhou Fan was ready to move on to the 9th rank pills. Unfortunately, the issue of plants was once again present. While there were technically 9th rank plants in the world, they could be counted in the hundreds. That would last Zhou Fan less than a day. Therefore, it seemed that he would have to personally strengthen the plants once again. While it would cause him to take more time, it was necessary. Chapter 196: New Arrays/Formations - 196 Chapter 196 - New Arrays/Formations - 196 Zhou Fan reached through space and grabbed a large amount of 8th rank plants before strengthening them. They were still fairly common within the world, so he had gained more than enough. After twenty thousand years, Zhou Fan mastered the 9th rank, or inner world rank, pills. It felt like a much more arduous and time taking process than the previous ranks, but Zhou Fan was still relatively good. The hardest part was now directly in front of him. Not only would gathering the materials needed be harder, but the level of difficulty would finally reach the same realm as him. He expected it to be twenty times harder at least, but who knew what would happen. A million years later, Zhou Fan completely mastered tenth rank pills. As he had expected, it was quite a bit more difficult. It was much more than twenty times more difficult. If not for his talent, he doubted that he would ever be able to comprehend pill making to the tenth rank as a 2nd level god realm cultivator. As expected, there were new pills at the tenth rank. The most interesting of the new pills were the ones that involved divinity. While the main focus was recovering divinity faster, there were also some that could speed it up. There was little use to speeding it up since it was already fast enough to handle just about anything in the universe, but the pill would be there if someone ever needed it. Of course, even a god realm cultivator would find it difficult to make or acquire such a pill that involved divinity. One must not underestimate the amount of skill and plants it took to make a pill that involved divinity. One of the main ingredients was actually one''s own divinity, so only a god realm or above cultivator could even fulfill the requirements. As for the plant requirement, it required around a hundred tenth rank plants in order to successfully attempt to make it. Since even Zhou Fan sometimes failed when making a tenth rank pill, although that was only once every hundred attempts, others were sure to struggle to make such high grade pills. Now that he was done with pill making, Zhou Fan could move on to the last art he planned on practicing. Although there were many sub arts such as poisoning, cloth making, and designing, they were really just branches of the five main arts. Those arts were formations, arrays, talismans, which could also be called a sub art, alchemy, and forging. He planned to go through forging which would likely be extremely easy due to his experience in other arts, but he first wanted to go through what he had learned in the last long years. As he planned, Zhou Fan spent the next hundred years digesting all of the information that he had learned during his studies of the arts. When he came out, he did not come out without gains. After remembering all his experiences with arts, he actually came up with a few more formations and arrays. They were ones he had overlooked or simply not thought of. One example was the hidden void piercing arrow. As soon as it was released from its array or formation, it would hide behind the layers of space it was strong enough to hide behind, and silently sneak up on the target. Once it was inches away, it would unhide itself and instantly defeat the enemy. While some parts of it required more strength than void traversing or space shattering, so that it could hide behind more layers of space, it was still possible to create at the void traversing realm. Another one that he had overlooked was a god realm array that could only be created by someone at the god realm. It would take your divinity and the element of your greatest affinity, although Zhou Fan hadn''t allowed it to use his chaos Qi, and combine them to make an extremely strong attack. The best part of the attack was that, while it utterly destroyed all sorts of buildings, materials, and other non living things, it would deal no damage once it hit a living thing. Instead, it would cause them a great deal of pain in an instant, the type of pain depending on the affinity. For example, a fire element and divinity combo would give them the feeling of their very soul burning. Yes, this array gave the soul pain. Any self respecting cultivator should know that soul pain was thousands of times worse than any other pain there was. Even damage equivalent to a papercut on the soul would cause pain equivalent to your entire arm being slowly shredded to pieces. Therefore, this array that only causes pain, and soul pain at that, was an extremely useful tool. It could kill beasts from the pain alone, allowing you to fully harvest their materials without a single bit of damage happening to them. While killing beasts without harming their physical bodies could also be done via soul attacks, the array was naturally a much better torturer than any other array he had. While he definitely wouldn''t call it the greatest array, it was a very interesting and possibly useful array. Regardless of its usefulness, Zhou Fan had no plans to use it. It simply wasn''t his way of conducting himself. He would much rather use the million swords array or the great explosion array than use such a pathetic method that could only be used for torture unless the opponent was many realms below you. Next, Zhou Fan was ready to forge. He had previous experience in creating weapons, but compressing a galaxy into a sword shape and forcing it to stay that way wasn''t exactly the proper way. The proper way usually included fire of some sort, although, like pills, there were many ways to forge. Forging wasn''t limited to swords and other weapons, but it could also be used to create armor or other metal/ore made things. Nevertheless, he had no interest in clothes or weapons that were not swords. Chapter 197: Forging - 197 Chapter 197 - Forging - 197 Before he began to forge, Zhou Fan decided to change locations. He had been on the same mountain top for more than a million years and felt that a change of scenery was natural. After wandering around for a while, Zhou Fan found a nice looking cave. As he went in, he discovered that it went extremely deep into the ground. Even after walking for a thousand miles, he had not reached the end. After walking what he estimated to be a hundred thousand miles, Zhou Fan found the cave''s end. Surprisingly, it ended with a little dome shaped room that had only a pillar going through the middle. Zhou Fan estimated that he was around thirty thousand feet deep. It wasn''t much compared to the distance between the surface of the world and the core, but it was definitely one of the deepest caves on the planet. Zhou Fan knocked down the pillar in the middle of the dome shaped cave and left only the stub of it. The stub was about the same height and length of a tree stub. Zhou Fan removed some of the stone in the middle of the stub, enhanced the rest of the stub to the god realm, and put some fire in it. The fire was enough to melt many god realm ores, but it wouldn''t melt the stub since not only was the stub very strong, but he was controlling the fire to have minimal effects on the stub. The next thing Zhou Fan needed were ores. He still had many god realm ores left over from when he was practicing formations, but there was no were near enough to last him the entire tenth rank. Even if he did have enough to last him the entire tenth rank, he didn''t have any other rank ores on him. Therefore, Zhou Fan needed to go collect ores. He almost directly teleported out of the cave system himself, but he remembered the fact that he had an array he had never used that could do that for him. In a very little amount of time, Zhou Fan set up a teleportation array. He wanted to use it, but there was still a problem. There was no exit from the teleportation array. He still needed to make a receiving teleportation array that would mark the place he would teleport to. Since he still wanted to teleport out of the cave, Zhou Fan shot his divine sense outwards and let it build the array for him. Since he had never used his divine sense to do such a thing, despite it having the ability to many realms ago, it took a while for him to build the array. The process took him about a minute before the teleportation array was finally finished. Using some of his Qi since there was no power source on the arrays, Zhou Fan stepped into the teleportation array. In an instant, he appeared on the surface of the world. Well, he wouldn''t exactly call it a surface since he was essentially standing on a pile of vines, but he was outside of the cave. As he looked around at the world, he was struck by a hint of genius and came up with a name. "The Plant World." He said out loud. Such a name perfectly described it without missing a single detail. Zhou Fan proceeded to fly out of the plant world and teleport around nearly the entire silver river galaxy cluster before he finally came back. A long time had passed, but the life Qi rain had never stopped and nothing had really changed. Speaking of life Qi rain, it didn''t really need to exist for Zhou Fan to get materials anymore. He was only keeping it to help the planet out. Before he left, he planned on seeing whether or not the planet had evolved enough to survive without the life rain. If it wasn''t able to, then that was a pity. Zhou Fan found the same teleportation array buried under a couple tens of feet of plants. He dug it up and cleared the area around it with Qi before he used it again and returned to the cave. Unlike the other teleportation array, the cave teleportation array hadn''t changed at all. Not only had the array not changed, but the entire cave had stayed the same. The fire was still burning and it was still a dome shape with only a teleportation array to the side and a stub in the middle. Zhou Fan went over to the stub and stood near it. He then took out a ball of ore from another world. The ore was already at the Qi gathering realm, so he didn''t have to worry about upgrading it at all. Zhou Fan threw the ore in the fire and controlled it to slowly burn it. Once the ore was red hot and easily mendable, Zhou Fan took it out without touching it by using his Qi. He let it float in the air and used some more Qi to hit it, which slowly turned it into the shape he was hoping for. After a minute, the ore took the shape of a sword. Zhou Fan created an upside down dome in the ground and filled it up with cold water. He then stuck the sword in the water, cooling it down and finishing the first part of the forging process. The sword was completed once it was cooled, but there were still some optional steps to make the sword stronger. One of them was the process of adding formations to the sword. In his study of formations, he had found that there were some formations specifically meant for forged items. Some that fit on the sword were the sharpening formation, the strengthening formation, which increased the hardness of the sword, and some elemental formations that would add some sort of elemental effect to the sword. Zhou Fan decided to add first rank sharpening, strengthening, and flame formations to the sword. While it would be harder to add formations as the amount increased, Zhou Fan could put thousands of first rank formations on a sword with no difficulty. Chapter 198: Forging Master - 198 Chapter 198 - Forging Master - 198 After adding the three formations he had decided upon, Zhou Fan looked at the sword. The metal it was originally forged out of was gray, but due to the fire element formation on it, it had a slight red hue. It was very slight, but it was still noticeable to a normal human. The sword was now completely finished since Zhou Fan didn''t plan on adding anything else. In order to see how good the sword was, Zhou Fan swung it a couple times. He didn''t swing it very hard, but it made a sound of cutting the air. After swinging it around a couple more times, Zhou Fan turned around and threw the sword at the cave wall. The tip of the blade perfectly collided with it, causing a slight and miniscule white scratch that could barely be seen to be etched onto the cave wall. Not only was Zhou Fan not upset at the result, but he was thrilled. He never expected a mere 1st rank sword to leave a mark on cave walls that had reached the 5th rank. There were only a few reasons why it had. One, the sword had a sharpening and strengthening formation, along with the fire element formation. Although the arrays were only first rank, it greatly increased the sword power. Two, the wall was very weak despite being at the 5th rank. Its power was spread out to a thin area and it only really had enough durability to resist a core formation attack before being destroyed. That meant that the sword, when thrown fairly fast, could leave a scratch on a core formation cultivator. It wasn''t a bad result at all, but Zhou Fan quickly ignored it and continued with the rest of the first rank forging skills. In a week, he had become a first rank forging master. It only took that long because he had to completely master the manipulation of the heat, material, and hammering. Also, he had to learn different techniques for different weapons. Zhou Fan increased the flames'' heat and the water''s coldness in preparation for the 2nd rank materials. The first ore he threw in was some obsidian at the second rank. It quickly got hot, and Zhou Fan picked it up with Qi before he began to shape it. While normally obsidian could not be melted and was a somewhat fragile rock, Zhou Fan''s comprehension of the dao and the elements changed everything. Even something like obsidian acted like common steel in his hands. It wasn''t really anything to be proud of since even a nascent soul realm cultivator with some skill in forging could do it, but Zhou Fan still felt it was something worth being proud of in the end. Once again, the first weapon Zhou Fan was making was a sword. Like before, even the hilt would be made up of the ore, which was obsidian in this case. He felt no need to make some sort of handle since the weapons were so low rank and that technically wasn''t even a part of forging. That fell under another sub category of forging, leather making. It was unnecessary to practice it since he would naturally have some skill in it once he mastered forging completely. Once the sword was completely shaped, Zhou Fan dropped it in the cold water and let it cool. While he could have immediately cooled it himself, he was still trying to do it the basic way. After a couple of seconds, the sword cooled down and completely solidified. Next, Zhou Fan needed to add formations. Once again, he added the sharpness formation and the strengthening formation. Instead of a fire formation this time, he decided to add a water formation. It would make the sword sharper and flow better. After adding the formations, Zhou Fan looked at the sword to make sure that he hadn''t missed anything. Once he confirmed that he hadn''t, he tossed the sword at the exact same speed at the exact same wall, just inches away from where the first one hit. This time, the sword left another mark. The mark was wider by about an inch and deeper by about half an inch, but there was no serious damage and the wall was nearly completely unharmed. Despite the fact that the mark was barely bigger, Zhou Fan wasn''t surprised. The second sword actually had more than twenty times the power of the first one, but the wall wasn''t weak at all. The first mark was so small it nearly didn''t exist. The fact that the second one actually left a noticeable mark was quite impressive. Once he stopped looking at the wall, Zhou Fan left the second sword on the ground, where it landed next to the first that had been sitting there. It took him just about a month to become a second rank forging master. He had done nearly the same thing as before, with only a few variations and a few new techniques. What took so long was that the difficulty was higher. He still hadn''t failed a forging yet, but that could all be chalked up to the fact that he was in the god realm, although he was lowering his overall power, and his immense talent. He didn''t wait long before he moved on to the first third rank ore. He took it out randomly, and the ore turned out to be a piece of gold. Zhou Fan increased the flames'' heat and the water''s coldness before he threw the piece of third rank gold into the fire. It quickly melted and Zhou Fan picked it up with Qi, beat it into shape, and dipped it in water. As per usual, he made a sword. It looked exactly like all the other swords he had made, besides the fact that the color and material was different. After adding the sharpness and strengthening formations, Zhou Fan decided to make the elemental formation a gold formation. It perfectly fit with the sword and its power was great. Chapter 199: Activating The Arrays - 199 Chapter 199 - Activating The Arrays - 199 With the formation added, the sword was completely finished. Zhou Fan turned around and threw the sword at the same wall at the same speed in a spot a foot away from the other two. This time, when the sword hit, the tip went through the cave wall completely. It continued forward until half of the sword''s body was lodged in the wall. It stayed like that, leaving the sword as a permanent ornament on the wall. Zhou Fan felt that the result was natural and didn''t stop for a moment before he continued forging. In three months, Zhou Fan mastered 3rd rank forging. In a year, he mastered 4th rank forging. In five years, he mastered 5th rank forging. In twenty years, he mastered 6th rank forging. In a hundred years, he mastered 7th rank forging. In five hundred years, he mastered 8th rank forging. After a long five thousand years, Zhou Fan mastered 9th rank forging. All that remained between him and his return to cultivation was the mastery of tenth rank forging. Like he had for the past thousands of years, Zhou Fan increased the heat of the fire and the coolness of the water. He took out an ore and manually strengthened it to the god realm. He then put in the flame and let it burn. Unlike before, the flame took a while to heat up the ore to a good level. After waiting for a while, the ore finally heated up. Zhou Fan took it out of the stub with his Qi and beat on it. The mending of the ore took a while longer than before as well, but he soon had a good sword shaped ore. Next, Zhou Fan dipped it in the water. After an entire day, the sword cooled down. Zhou Fan picked it up and put some formations on it. This time, he added a lightning elemental formation, along with the usual strengthening and sharpening formations. Once he was done, he looked at the sword. Now, he was truly proud with the results. He wasn''t dumb enough to throw the sword at the wall since it would very likely destroy the entire planet, and instead put it in his spatial ring. He had stopped throwing the sword at the wall once they reached the lesser dao creation realm. Looking behind him, there was still a long tunnel that went down millions of miles left behind from his casual throw of the space shattering realm sword. Zhou Fan turned back around and began to practice with god realm forging. In a million years, Zhou Fan mastered god realm forging. Realizing that he was finally done, he let out a breath of relief. While he wasn''t upset that he had spent so much time mastering the arts, it got repetitive after a while. It was also physically and mentally demanding. Now that he was done, he felt like he was free. Before he did anything else, he decided to take a week long vacation. It wasn''t that he was lazy, but that he had too much free time regardless. Zhou Fan''s first thought was to go to the same river he had been to before, but he realized that it had been overrun by plants and no longer existed. Zhou Fan walked over to the teleportation array and decided to travel around and try to find something good to do. When he teleported through the array, he appeared under a large pile of plants. Zhou Fan quickly cut them with some sword Qi and flew up. Looking around, he felt he had underestimated the difficulty of finding something relaxing to do. The entire world was completely covered with plants. Even the mountain seemed like a small hill of plants. There were no rivers, no oceans, no cliffs, just plants. Zhou Fan was so stunned that he decided to temporarily halt his idea of finding a relaxing activity and extended his divine sense to cover the entire planet. Besides the addition of many more plants and the removal of many terrains, everything seemed similar to the time before he started forging. The living plants were still there, and they seemed to be thriving in the new environment. Zhou Fan could tell that the planet would be completely fine and safe without his life rain from the simple sweep of his divine sense. Everything had evolved to be able to survive without water. It seemed that Zhou Fan''s time on the planet was completely over since there was nothing to do but exist among plants. Before he left, however, there were a couple things he wanted to do. One, activate all the arrays that he had placed around the world long ago. Although there were now many plants, the arrays had been created solely with Qi. In other words, they were like an intangible existence that wouldn''t decay for millions of years. Zhou Fan covered the entire world with his divine sense once again. This time, he covered the living plants and their homes with Qi before he inputted Qi into every single array on the giant planet. Boom! Krshhh! Pop! Many sounds suddenly sounded out and many colors dyed the planet. There were explosions, rips, and humming sounds that covered everything. Zhou Fan saw one section of the planet get hit by a god realm explosion array, only for it to be stopped by a god realm protection array. On another side, he saw a giant tree bloom to the sky and rain down life Qi. Next to it, a dry and dead tree imitated it, only releasing death Qi. On other sides, there were collisions of light and darkness, water and fire, healing and destroying, creation and destruction, soul and body, and many other types of opposites colliding. As everything calmed down, Zhou Fan saw that the planet had suffered gravely. Luckily, he had protected the living plants and their homes from everything. Zhou Fan waved his hand, and the plant world seemed to patch itself up, having only less plants covering the world. Such an act was fairly simple to Zhou Fan with his current strength and the fact that the planet was under his mortal dao. The next thing he needed to do before leaving was upload the information on the arts to his mortal dao. Chapter 200: New Possibilities - 200 Chapter 200 - New Possibilities - 200 For a second, Zhou Fan struggled to upload the information to his mortal dao. After a couple seconds, he successfully did it. It only took a second for the information to be completely uploaded. ---------------------------------------- Back in the Zhou World, a random old man was pondering arrays in the cave of a mountain. He had never heard of someone inventing a new array, but that didn''t stop him from trying. The old man was known as the space master. That was because he was one of the strongest people with a space affinity within not only the Zhou World, but the entire Zhou solar system. While there were some people stronger than him with more attainments in space, he was by far the strongest in the section of the Zhou world he lived in. He had been angered countless times over the fact that he simply could not create anything new. He had many ideas. Thousands of them, but they were all useless. Sometimes, he simply screamed at the sky in rage. He was a space shattering cultivator. He belonged to the highest echelons of cultivators in the entire universe, yet he could not invent. As he was once again filled with a helpless rage towards nothing, something clicked in his mind. He emptied his spatial ring of materials and began to scramble around while grabbing spatial stones. As soon as he had gathered ten, he flew out of the cave and fell to the ground below him without a bit of hesitation. Ignoring the pit he created, he quickly flattened an area and began to use his Qi to set up an array he had never seen before. It was not recorded in any array book, nor existing anywhere near the Zhou solar system. As soon as he made the last line, he put ten spatial stones and ten spirit stones in equally distant areas from each other. Once the last spirit stone was placed, he hurriedly sent a wisp of Qi into a certain area in the formation. Once the formation took in the Qi, the entire thing lit up a blue that seemed similar in color to space. As his face was lit up by the light, the man had a near insane smile on his face. "I''ve done it! I''ve truly done it! After all this time!" He screamed out into the world. Around the entire Zhou solar system, similar scenes were being played out by various powerhouses. On one of the worlds within the Zhou solar system, an area was bathed in flames. It was as if they and the ground were all that existed. Suddenly, within the flames, a lady no older than 25 with red hair and an arrogant look on her face opened her eyes. For the first time in thousands of years, the indifferent look on her face disappeared, replaced by complete shock and a hint of enthusiasm. She suddenly pulled a cauldron out of her spatial ring and raised her right hand. In an instant, every single flame surrounding the entire hundred mile area was sucked into her palm, forming a much stronger, much more dense single red flame. She threw the flame in the cauldron and began to grab materials out of her spatial ring. After pulling out twenty different plants, each at the space shattering level, she sat nineteen of them to the side and threw one of them in the cauldron. After a few moments, she picked up another and threw it in. Such a process repeated for 5 minutes before the last material was used up and the flame stopped heating the cauldron and floated above the lady''s head. The lady reached inside of the cauldron and grabbed out a bright red pill. She stared at it with her eyes wide open. "I''ve done it?... I''ve done it!" ------------------------------- Back on the plant world, Zhou Fan let out a sigh of relief. Now that he was done adding the information to his mortal dao, he could completely leave the silver river galaxy cluster and cultivate once again. Before he left, he deactivated the life Qi rain covering the entire plant world. As he began to fly away, clouds formed all over the plant world. After a moment, a green rain containing life rain began to fall. It was nowhere near as effective as Zhou Fan''s life rain, but it was an incredible imitation. Zhou Fan looked behind him while he was flying and let out a small chuckle. As he flew, he didn''t even realize he forgot to take his vacation. After a thousand years passed, Zhou Fan was once again at the spot between the galaxy clusters. After taking in the familiar environment for a moment, he sat down, closed his eyes, crossed his legs, and began to cultivate. --------------------------------- After fifty million years, Zhou Fan broke through to the 3rd level of the god realm. His power and his divinity increased greatly. ----------------------------------- After a hundred million years, he once again broke through, this time to the 4th level of the god realm. Like last time, he felt his strength and divinity increase greatly. Due to the fact that he had been doing nothing but cultivating, Zhou Fan felt like his strength was constantly increasing. He was extremely glad that he had come back to cultivate. There weren''t many experiences in the entire universe that could compare to it at all. ------------------------------------- After two hundred and fifty million years, Zhou Fan broke through again. He was now at the fifth level of the god realm. The previous feelings of breaking through were now much less exciting. Spending the last 400 million years unmoving was a really interesting feeling. It wasn''t exactly a good one, but it was absolutely interesting. After thinking for a while, he decided to take a little break. He didn''t want it to be as long as the last one, but he felt the urge to do something more. After a while, he came up with a big project idea. However, the length and size of it would far exceed not only the previous time he had spent in seclusion, but it would probably take more time than anything he had ever done. In fact, there was no chance that he would be able to finish it at his current cultivation level. It was a project on a universal scale. Chapter 201: Universal Consciousness? - 201 Chapter 201 - Universal Consciousness? - 201 Zhou Fan''s plan was to make some sort of consciousness that would rule over the entire universe. It would not only keep order, but it would also make sure that nobody destroyed everything. Zhou Fan had only developed a rough idea of his plan. His first thought was arrays and formations. Theoretically, he could create a bunch of arrays or formations that would be able to accomplish his goal. After thinking for a while, however, he realized that the success of such a thing was very unlikely. Even if he did succeed, it would have to be very poorly made. After he continued thinking, he suddenly had an idea. He could use his mortal dao as the foundation of the universal consciousness. Once he became strong enough, it would completely overthrow the cosmic dao and control the universe. As for how to manipulate his mortal dao to begin such a process, Zhou Fan had no idea. He would have to try a couple things, but he was sure that he could do it. Zhou Fan continued sitting in the middle of the three galaxy clusters and began to sense the mortal dao within him. Like always, it was a mix of gray and orange. Zhou Fan assumed that the orange was based off of the center of the world, while the gray was obviously due to his Chaos Qi. Zhou Fan had manipulated his mortal dao so many times before that he was actually quite used to it. Unfortunately, he was trying something completely different today. First, Zhou Fan dragged his mortal dao out of his body and held it in his palm. It sat on his hand similar to a sun. For the first time, Zhou Fan tried to send his divine sense into it. As soon as they connected, Zhou Fan felt as if a bunch of options were laid out in front of him. The options held a sense of familiarity, but Zhou Fan didn''t know why. There were hundreds of thousands, if not millions of them, so he randomly picked one. As soon as he did, he felt as if he had grown a third eye. Although he could see the nearly empty space of the void between the three galaxy clusters, he could also see a new area. It seemed like a stony and barren planet. He could view it from any point within a thousand mile radius of the planet''s edge. As he looked closer, he noticed that his mortal dao had taken over the random planet. Instantly, he understood why the options were so familiar. Each of them were different planets that he had connected to his mortal dao. Zhou Fan felt stupid that he hadn''t previously guessed what they were at first, but he then realized that he was looking at a planet so far away that it would take him at least a thousand years to reach it. Well, a thousand years before he broke through, but regardless, it was a very far away planet. For a second, Zhou Fan was thrilled by this discovery. Then he realized that it had little use to him as of now and it wouldn''t help him complete his idea. ''However, it may have some sort of use in the future.'' Zhou Fan thought to himself. As he was thinking of possible future uses, he remembered that he had used his divine sense to use his mortal dao and look at the planet. Based off of that, it was possible that he could manipulate the planet, despite being an uncountable number of miles away from it. It felt ridiculous to even try, but Zhou Fan attempted to use his divine sense to affect something on the planet. He tried, but he didn''t get the sensation of anything moving. For a second, he was disappointed, until he realized that his mortal dao covering every inch of space throughout the planet suddenly moved. Zhou Fan was confused for a second, but he once again tried to manipulate his divine sense, this time paying more attention to the mortal dao. As he moved his divine sense, he noticed that a bit of his mortal dao seemed to extend a tendril in the direction he was trying to use his divine sense. He then realized that he was trying wrong. The next time he used his divine sense, Zhou Fan used it to reach the mortal dao on the planet. Once he did, he felt a new connection. From that point, he was able to use his mortal dao covering the planet as if it was his divine sense. Zhou Fan was shocked by the discovery. This meant that not only would he have full vision of whatever was going on in the planets, but he would also be able to silently manipulate anything in the planet. Now this was useful! Zhou Fan immediately made his mortal dao hit a mountain with force. The mountain immediately tumbled down without resistance. He tried to use it to produce some sort of elemental attack, but it wasn''t working well. Still, he felt that it was possible, just not now with his current strength. With his new discovery, Zhou Fan felt the idea of making a consciousness to control every planet under his control, and eventually the universe was possible. However, there was one big problem. He could not always control his mortal dao, and using it at the same time on millions of planets was far beyond his current power. In order to do that much, he would need something else. A central controller that completely followed his commands and had very little will of its own. Something like a robot, but a robot would not fulfill his needs without direct order. He needed something that could adapt to an unknown situation without any sort of command. In other words, he needed some sort of living thing completely under his control. Zhou Fan only had one idea. No living thing that he could create now, and possibly for a long long time would have the ability to control so many planets simultaneously. The idea he had theoretically worked, but it fell under the category of pure evil. Chapter 202: Idea鈥檚 - 202 Chapter 202 - Idea''s - 202 Zhou Fan''s idea was to somehow combine a large number of souls into a greater soul. He wasn''t quite sure how to do it, or if it was even possible, but it was the only idea he had. He didn''t want to do such a thing since he would need to kill living things in order to collect the souls needed, but he had no other ideas. If he hadn''t thought so deeply about the idea of a universal consciousness, then he wouldn''t have too much of a problem with simply giving up and not doing it. However, as he thought about it more and more, he realized that such a thing would change everything. It could help manipulate the universe itself under Zhou Fans command. He would also be able to completely ignore everything for an immense amount of time and still have the worlds be intact. Zhou Fan thought of the problem for a very long time, but he still couldn''t think of any other way. Eventually, he simply accepted that he may need to use the soul combining method in order to create the universal consciousness. However, that problem was not without its own issues. The souls that would be merged could not be weak, mortal souls. Even the souls of void traversing cultivators wouldn''t be enough. If he truly wanted to create a universal consciousness, something with the power to watch over the entire universe and simultaneously do millions of things at once, he would at least need billions of god realm souls. Also, he would need to completely wipe each and every one of those souls to a blank slate. In other words, it was simply impossible with his current strength. Before completely giving up, Zhou Fan continued to think of other possibilities. After a while, he felt that it was possible that the cosmic dao could give him some sort of understanding towards a different possibility. After all, it was essentially doing what he wanted to achieve with less interference. Sadly, he didn''t know how long it would take for him to understand something from the cosmic dao. The only thing left was reaching 100% comprehension, but he wasn''t confident in facing whatever he had faced the last time. Another possible option was getting much stronger and using or cutting off a part of his soul in order to control everything. It seemed much less evil than killing a bunch of people, but, once again, he didn''t know how long that would take. There was also the possibility that his mortal dao would naturally gain a consciousness, or he may be able to influence it in that direction. So far, that seemed to be the most preferable option, but that may also be impossible. Regardless of the method, it would have to wait until he was stronger. The only thing he could do to start making a universal consciousness is lay out a sketch. After thinking about the things he could do, he decided to first expand the range of his mortal dao on the planets. So far, the mortal dao was only taking up the space that the planet and the sun was within and the immediate area around them. The Zhou solar system was a bit of an outlier since it had an entire space containing multiple planets and a sun. The mortal dao there had the biggest size out of any mortal dao area in three galaxy clusters. Since his mortal dao would have to fully cover the entire universe at some point, he decided that he might as well start expanding them now. The mortal dao''s size would grow to cover the entire galaxy they were in. Even if the galaxy had two planets connected to the mortal dao, it would still only reach the edges of the galaxy. That would also cause the chaos Qi in almost every galaxy in the three galaxy clusters to be turned into the various Qi''s. The only reason Zhou Fan didn''t expand the mortal dao''s area past the galaxies was because he feared that the cosmic dao would not sit by and allow it to happen. He felt that he was already taking a big risk by pushing it this far. Any more and the chance of danger shot up. He would have to wait until he grew stronger to expand anymore. Although he still may not be strong enough to contest with the full power of the cosmic dao, he was gambling that the cosmic dao would sense his increased power and feel that giving up such a small amount of territory was fine. After all, it had an entire universe under its command. What''s three galaxy clusters compared to everything else in existence? Of course, he was simply speculating that the cosmic dao was in control of the entire universe and not just a certain section. He had never had any way to prove whether it did or not, but he assumed that it did. Otherwise, he felt that it wouldn''t be so unmoved when someone like Zhou Fan began to exist. Thinking about it, Zhou Fan had also been assuming that it had some sort of consciousness. In reality, the likelihood of it being similar to a non sentient being was also fairly high. After all, it had never really provoked him. The only time he had ever sensed danger was when he was pushing himself too far. For example, messing with the bit of the cosmic dao in the center of earth before he was strong enough, or nearing the center of a galaxy cluster. When he wasn''t doing anything crazy, the cosmic dao seemed to think of him as nothing more than a rowdy ant. That was also one of the reasons Zhou Fan felt he could get away with expanding the size of his mortal dao to the edges of the galaxies. Based on his personal opinion and experience, Zhou Fan believed that the cosmic dao had some sort of consciousness, but was in a constant state of hibernation or something else. After all, it had most likely been existing since the beginning of the universe. He felt that was likely because it was a part of the universe like his mortal dao was a part of him. Chapter 203: Pushing Its Limits - 203 Chapter 203 - Pushing Its Limits - 203 With caution, Zhou Fan sent the message through his mortal dao for them to start expanding. If he commanded them to move at their maximum speeds, then they would be able to cover the entire galaxy they were in after about a year. Due to his caution, however, his mortal dao would take around ten years to completely cover the galaxies. Even when he was done, there would still be galaxies free of his mortal dao''s control, but he would soon be able to fix that. It would take a little bit of travel, but it was definitely doable. Zhou Fan watched on, using his divine sense connected to his mortal dao, as the bubbles covering the worlds began to expand. He paid special attention to the Zhou galaxy''s situation. From a glance, nothing much had really changed. Despite millions of years passing, it was highly unlikely that anyone had broken through to the lesser dao creation realm. It was simply an entirely different playing field that could not be compared to the space shattering realm. It was especially hard due to the fact that they lived within Zhou Fans mortal dao. In order to reach the lesser dao creation realm, they would have to have a deep comprehension of the cosmic dao. The requirement was 1% comprehension. Although that number didn''t seem like much, it was a giant hurdle for many of the Zhou galaxy''s cultivators. Even if a cultivator did reach 1% comprehension of the cosmic dao, they would struggle to break through under Zhou Fan''s mortal dao. Within someone else''s mortal dao, breaking through to the lesser dao creation realm was 5 to 10 times harder. Although Zhou Fan had broken through outside of earth, even within earth he wouldn''t have had to deal with increased difficulty. After all, the earth was not a person. Its mortal dao had been naturally formed in some unknown way. Even if a cultivator gained 1% comprehension of the cosmic dao and successfully broke through to the lesser dao creation realm, they would not be able to create a mortal dao in the same way that Zhou Fan did. Naturally, two mortal dao''s couldn''t exist in the same area. In order for someone to successfully create a mortal dao, which was a requirement before they could break through any further, they would have to create it within themselves and keep it there. They could still use the power of their mortal dao, but they could never expand it to planets or other things unless they were outside of Zhou Fan''s mortal dao. However, if Zhou Fans mortal dao were to truly surpass the cosmic dao, that would be completely different. After all, it would evolve from a mortal dao to something else after a certain point. Zhou Fan didn''t know if that would be after it expanded throughout the whole universe or sometime before then, but if it was sometime before then he would have to keep it inside his body like the people under his mortal dao would. One thing Zhou Fan barely noticed was that the lesser dao creation realm shouldn''t have had the requirement of a mortal dao in order to progress. It seemed that when he chose to form one, the very path of cultivation changed to follow it. That led Zhou fan to many other questions. ''What is the path to cultivation? Did it exist before me? Am I the creator of cultivation itself? What is Qi? What exactly is the cosmic dao?'' Many such questions flew by Zhou Fan''s mind, but it was far too early for him to be able to answer them. He continued to watch as his mortal dao expanded. He could only watch about ten thousand mortal dao planets at the same time before he wasn''t able to focus on them as well. As his mortal dao started to reach about a fifth of the way through the galaxy, Zhou Fan felt a slight feeling of danger flicker through his body. It wasn''t much at all, but it clearly made its presence known. It was as if he was walking near the lair of a sleeping dragon. Clearly, the only thing that could give off such a feeling was the cosmic dao. Although Zhou Fan didn''t halt expansion or even slow it down, he paid much more attention to the cosmic dao. After a while, his mortal dao covered around 50% of the biggest galaxies. As soon as it reached the halfway mark, he sensed more danger appearing. If he was simply walking near the dragon''s lair before, he was now standing at its entrance. Luckily, this particular dragon seemed to have a good temper. Once again, Zhou Fan merely increased his caution and let the mortal dao continue expanding. His mortal dao continued to expand. After five more years, his mortal dao was only a mile away from reaching the edge of the biggest galaxy any planet connected to his mortal dao was in. All the other galaxies had been completely covered and the mortal dao stopped expanding at the edge. Zhou Fan was able to fully focus himself on this single galaxy near the center of the tree-like galaxy cluster. As his mortal dao crept closer and closer to the final edge, he started to feel as though some sort of pressure was building up around him. If he pushed the pressure too far, it would immediately explode. This was the first time Zhou Fan felt an actual threat from the usually silently existing cosmic dao. Clearly, he had started to push its limits. Still, he was no coward. He decided to finish what he started and let his mortal dao push towards the edge of the final galaxy. Just as the pressure felt like it was going to explode, Zhou Fan''s mortal dao reached the edge of the galaxy and he immediately stopped its expansion. In an instant, the pressure disappeared. By now, Zhou Fan was sweating bullets. He felt a slightly similar feeling to the time when he tried to fully comprehend the cosmic dao. He wasn''t sure exactly what had happened then, but he was now sure it had something to do with the cosmic dao. Chapter 204: Manor鈥檚 Return - 204 Chapter 204 - Manor''s Return - 204 After a moment of caution, Zhou Fan looked at the new areas of his mortal dao. Each and every one was now at least a thousand lightyears in diameter. As for the last one, it was a million lightyears in diameter. Zhou Fan was extremely satisfied with the expansion. While it was nowhere near enough to completely form a universal consciousness, it was a much better starting place than before. Expanding the range of his mortal dao wasn''t the only thing that Zhou Fan wanted to accomplish in preparation for the true creation of the universal consciousness. Before he actually formed it, he planned on doing a test run. He would pick a random galaxy that had his mortal dao throughout it and build a mini consciousness. That would not only allow him to figure out how he was going to build a universal consciousness, but it would allow him to test for flaws in advance. The mini consciousness definitely wouldn''t be as strong as the universal consciousness, meaning it would not be able to do as much, but it would be a great prototype. Zhou Fan thought of testing it out with the Zhou galaxy, but he decided to randomly pick a galaxy through the use of his mortal dao and see where that led him. Zhou Fan connected his divine sense to his mortal dao without even bringing it out, and metaphorically spun a wheel containing all of the galaxies connected to his mortal dao. After a moment, the chosen galaxy was revealed to be one on the edge of the tree-like galaxy cluster. It wasn''t near the place where he had made the manor, but on the other side. Despite being on the other side of the tree-like galaxy cluster, Zhou Fan would pass by the manor if he went straight. Since he was going by it, he decided it wouldn''t be a bad idea to have some dinner with the animals before he continued on his journey. Once he made up his mind, Zhou Fan shot up from his position and soared to the tree-like galaxy. His speed was ten times faster than the last time he had moved throughout the galaxy clusters. In only a hundred years, he reached the edge of the tree-like galaxy cluster. That edge was fairly close to the galaxy where the manor resided. Zhou Fan excitedly flew forward and reached the manor in three days. As the third day passed, he saw the manor in the distance. He flew even faster, and arrived in front of the giant block of ice in only an hour. Once he got there, Zhou Fan first covered the entire manor in his divine sense. In just a moment, he was able to confirm that the animals were still alive and in a state of complete freeze without any sign of issue. Zhou Fan let out a sigh of relief before he got himself ready for the next part. Despite his much higher strength, unfreezing the manor would be a somewhat difficult process. That was because he had to do it in a very specific way so that none of the animals would die from the sudden heat or the aftereffects of being frozen. Luckily, with his higher strength, the failure rate was nearly zero. Zhou fan focused all of his attention on the ice in front of him, before instantly heating up the entire area to an astonishing temperature. The heat lasted less than a nanosecond, but the entire block of ice instantly unfroze. Zhou Fan was left panting while standing in space. ----------------------------------- Within the manor, a very stupid chicken was looking around in confusion. It was only a slight feeling, but he felt like he had just woken up from a long nap. He thought he was going crazy for a minute, but the other animals soon poured into the yard in front of Zhou Fan''s house. "Do you all feel like you just woke up from an extremely long nap?" The chicken questioned. "Kind of." The fox responded. "But I would describe it as a very long dream passing in an instant." "I agree with sister fox." The butterfly said. "Her explanation seems more accurate." The rest of the animals nodded in agreement. Ignoring the fact that his words had been rebuked, the chicken turned around and knocked on the door behind him. "Brother Fan! Are you awake!" The chicken loudly squaked at the door. After not receiving an answer for a while, the chicken started to feel a little worried. "Are you ok brother Fan?! Did something happen?!" He said, his worry clearly increasing. "If you don''t answer me in five seconds, I''m breaking down this door!" "5!" "4!" "3!" "2!" "1!" "Here I come!" The chicken said, winding up his feet for a starting boost. Just as he was about to move, he heard a voice from above. "I''m here, don''t worry." He said as he descended from the sky. "Brother Fan! Did you go out last night? How come you didn''t take me?" The chicken asked. Hearing his words, Zhou Fan couldn''t stop himself from cracking a little smile. "Yeah, something like that." He said. As he touched the ground, the butterfly flew up to him and landed on his shoulder. "Where did these new clothes come from Brother Fan?" She asked. Only then did Zhou Fan remember that he had created new clothes for himself. "I made them while I was outside. The old ones got destroyed somehow." He responded. "Did something injure you?" The fox asked. "No, the clothes just disappeared. I''m not quite sure what happened to them." Zhou Fan said, lying through his teeth. "Who cares what happened to the clothes." The chicken said. "At least we know that brother Fan is safe and sound. I thought that something had happened when he wasn''t answering the door." Zhou Fan let out a little chuckle under his breath and walked towards the chicken. Once he reached the chicken, he instantly scooped him up and started walking towards the instruments. "It feels like it''s been a while since I played. Care to join me?" He asked with a smile. As he and the animals started playing music, they all seemed to forget the feeling they woke up with. Chapter 205: Chutes and Ladders - 205 Chapter 205 - Chutes and Ladders - 205 After playing music with the animals for about an hour, Zhou Fan stood up from his seat. As he did so, the other animals also got up and came towards him. "Do you guys want to play a board game?" Zhou Fan asked. "What''s a board game?" "It''s a game played on a board. Follow me, I''ll make one and show you." Zhou Fan said while he walked towards the forest. The animals followed him in curiosity. Once Zhou Fan reached a tree, he put his palm flat on it. As he did, a green light shone. The animals looked at the light with bright eyes. Once the light had shown for a minute, Zhou Fan pulled his hand off the tree and a flat board followed with it. The board was a light wood color and completely square. It was also two inches thick. "What sounds more interesting?" Zhou Fan began to ask. "Chess or chutes and ladders?" The chicken was the first to speak up. "Chutes and ladders!" After he spoke, the other animals all nodded in agreement. Zhou Fan wasn''t surprised at their answers. It was more likely that they would not only like the name of chutes and ladders more than the name of chess, but they would also probably enjoy playing chutes and ladders more than playing chess. After all, each of the animals had the mindset of a child. The fox was the most mature of them all. "Okay then. Pay attention as I carve the board and I will explain the rules of the game." Zhou Fan said. "First, you will create your own characters, or pieces." He said while he carved a ten by ten square checkerboard. "They will have to be the same size. While you make them, imagine them fitting inside one of these squares." "Then, you will roll a dice." Zhou Fan said as he pulled some stone out of his spatial ring and carved it into two cubes with dots on the six sides. "You will move your piece to the right for every dot on the top side of the dice after you roll them." He explained. The animals continued to watch with concentration. "If you reach the right-most side, you will move your piece up and start going to the left." He explained while using his finger as an example piece. "Now for the reason it is called chutes and ladders." He said, making sure that each and every one of the animals was paying attention. Before he continued speaking, Zhou Fan drew pictures of slides and ladders on the board. "If you land on the square on the bottom of one of these ladders, you will go up that ladder and get a boost. If you land on the top of one of these slides, or chutes, you will go down and land on the square the bottom of the chute is on." "The goal is to reach the very top of the board and leap off of it onto this circle." Zhou Fan said as he carved a circle out of wood and put it above the chutes and ladders board. "Any questions?" Zhou Fan asked. "No." The animals said in unison. "Good, then get to carving your pieces." Zhou Fan said while handing out blocks of wood and chisels. He also got one for himself and began to design himself a piece. After finishing his, he helped out the butterfly since she was too small to use the chisel. As for the rest of the animals, he watched them struggle. Although they were all at the space shattering realm, so was the wood and the chisel and the board. Therefore, they spent a while struggling before they succeeded. Excluding the koi that slept in the waterfall pond all day, each of the animals had finished making their pieces. Zhou Fan put his on the board first. His piece was a ship. There was no deep meaning behind it. He just thought it looked kind of cool. The chicken arrogantly carved himself a crown as a piece. Zhou Fan had the urge to slap him, but he held back. The fox simply carved herself a mini fox. The deer, the mole, and the crow also just carved mini pieces of themselves. The butterfly, or rather Zhou Fan, carved her a flower piece. She was very satisfied with his workmanship. Finally, the bearded dragon carved himself a mountain. It was actually a very detailed mountain that left Zhou Fan surprised. ''Perhaps the bearded dragon has some talent in wood carving.'' He thought to himself. Once all the pieces were on the board, Zhou Fan picked up the die and rolled them. They landed on a three and two. Zhou Fan moved his piece five to the right and happened to land on a ladder. That ladder directly took him up to the fifth level. The animals were clearly distraught by his luck, but they didn''t rage quit. After around ten minutes, Zhou Fan was declared as the first winner. "No fair! You hit a ladder every single time you rolled! You''re a cheater!" The chicken said in hatred. Although the animals didn''t say anything, they were clearly feeling the same way. "Sorry. Sorry. My luck is just too good. There is nothing I can do about it." Zhou Fan responded. "Let''s play again." He said. The animals were clearly upset, but they had fun playing the first time, so they played again. "It''s been a while since I played. I think I got beginner''s luck." Zhou Fan said while he rolled the dice again. This time, he didn''t land on a ladder. Seeing that, the animals got over their bad mood and started seriously playing again. After almost twenty minutes, the chicken won the second game. "Yes! I knew there was a reason I carved a crown. I''m better than each and every one of you losers." He said while pointing out his chicken wings. The other animals were clearly provoked by his gesture, leading to another game being started instantly. Chapter 206: Leaving - 206 Chapter 206 - Leaving - 206 The animals and Zhou Fan spent the entire day playing chutes and ladders. The victor of the final game was the butterfly who had only won twice the entire day. The only reason the animals stopped playing was because Zhou Fan had stood up and announced that dinner would commence soon. Unlike before, Zhou Fan could create life and would be able to make food without going to another galaxy, finding a planet with potential for life and speeding up an organism''s evolution until it became big enough to eat. He wouldn''t have had to go to another planet regardless since there were microorganisms already in the manor, but they had died while being frozen since Zhou Fan hadn''t protected them. Zhou Fan told the animals to wait outside his house while he began the process of creating an organism and evolving it. In the meantime, the animals sat outside of his door and talked while waiting. "What do you think he is doing in there?" The mole asked. His question got the other animals thinking. "I bet he has a room filled to the brim with food somewhere in the back. He may not want us to know that it is there due to fear that we will eat everything." The chicken said with confidence. "That''s a stupid theory." Said the fox. "He must be simply creating it by using his immense powers." The rest of the animals, excluding the chicken, nodded at the fox''s theory. "What if he is doing something evil back there?" The butterfly asked. "Yeah right. Brother Fan is great and righteous." The chicken instantly spoke up, defending Zhou Fan. "Only weak and cowardly people are evil. Are you saying that brother Fan is weak or cowardly!?" Hearing the chickens aggressive questions, the butterfly shrunk back. "Of course not! I was just saying it''s a possibility. You don''t have to be so mean!" She said sadly. Seeing the poor and innocent butterfly with tears in her eyes, the rest of the animals felt the urge to beat the chicken up. Before they could, Zhou Fan walked out holding two plates with six more plates and a piece of raw meat floating behind him. "Sorry for the wait. I''m back." Suddenly forgetting the previous interactions, the butterfly and the other animals curiously looked at the food. "Who''s that piece of raw meat for?" The deer asked. "It''s for the koi." Zhou Fan answered as he walked towards the waterfall area. The animals all followed behind him. Once they reached the area in front of the waterfall, Zhou Fan gave the animals their plates and threw the meat in the pond. The koi thankfully took the meat and swam back down to the bottom of the pond. "What food is this?" The chicken asked curiously while looking at the plate of food in front of him. "It''s called a burrito. I''ve never had it either, but I casually saw someone create it a long time ago and remembered how to make it." Zhou Fan responded. The specific time he had seen it being created was when he was at the celestials central city and covered it in his divine sense. It was only a piece of casual information he had picked up, but he remembered it even now. Not even Zhou Fan himself could remain unsurprised at such a great memory. The animals wouldn''t have been that unsurprised if they heard the entire story, but they simply took it as a somewhat recent event. Therefore, without questioning his words, they quickly devoured the burrito. Zhou Fan looked down at his burrito and retrieved a fork and a knife from his spatial storage. His was specially made with queso cheese on top, so he needed to use a fork to pick it up and a knife to cut it. Once they were all done, they gave Zhou Fan resounding praises for the good meal. Zhou Fan himself felt the same way. As they went their separate ways and Zhou Fan and the chicken walked back to the house, Zhou Fan looked at the starry sky. He didn''t know how long it would be before he saw the animals again, but he knew he was sad to leave them regardless. As he made it to the door, Zhou Fan patted the chicken on the head and said goodnight. The chicken responded in kind and laid against the wall next to the door. As Zhou Fan closed the door, he stood still and closed his eyes, preparing to freeze the manor. "Freeze." In an instant, the entire manor froze and Zhou Fan teleported out of it. As he began to fly away, he took one last look at it. --------------------------- After only ten years, Zhou Fan finally made it to the randomly selected galaxy. It was one of the bigger galaxies connected to his mortal dao, but it wasn''t that huge. Zhou Fan connected his divine sense to his mortal dao and got a really good view of the entire galaxy. The galaxy was one of the very few that had two planets with potential for life in it. Now that the entire galaxy was covered in his mortal dao, however, it hardly mattered. Soon, every planet within the galaxy would have life on it unless it was a complete wasteland. By wasteland, he did not mean unliveable, but completely dead and useless. Even a planet covered in ice or lava would be useful. Only dead planets would be completely useless. Zhou Fan first decided to take a look at the two planets with some life on them. They had been developing well since he had put his mortal dao on them. The first planet''s most advanced lifeform was a lizard. Its biggest was a fish similar to a tuna. The first planet seemed similar to earth in terms of habitat, but the second was quite different. As far as the eye could see, it was covered in mountains and valleys. There was very little green on the entire surface. It wasn''t quite a wasteland, but it sure seemed like it. Chapter 207: Heaven - 207 Chapter 207 - Heaven - 207 The second planet was so similar to a wasteland that Zhou Fan had to use his divine sense to find any living creatures. The only animal level race was a large group of mole-like animals deep below the surface. They survived off of the sole body of water on the entire planet. Just using his divine sense, he was able to find out everything about the mole like creatures and their home. The mole-like creatures were surprisingly intelligent for non-humanoid creatures. They had managed to develop basic architecture skills. The mole-like creatures lived in individual caves that were extremely small, but they seemed to be contained to a certain area solely for housing. The cave they lived in gave Zhou Fan a slight sense of deja vu. It seemed quite similar to the caves back on earth that contained the many races. On the ceiling of the cave was not one big crystal, but a bunch of small, yellow rocks that glowed. After processing the rest of the information, Zhou Fan took his divine sense off of the mole-like creature''s cave. In just a moment, he developed a plan to bring life to the entire universe. First however, he would deal with the mini consciousness. Zhou Fan flew outside the edge of the galaxy and stood above it. It was hard to tell even for him, but there was a clear dome of light orange covering the entire galaxy. First, Zhou Fan connected to that dome, which was his mortal dao. Then, he split his own consciousness, or soul, into two. The two parts were not even, but the part that had been chipped off was about one percent of his consciousness. If it had been split in two equal parts, Zhou Fan would likely die, or some other unforeseen event would happen. Regardless, he was not stupid enough to carelessly mess around with his consciousness. If he wanted to test theories about it, he would use other people first. Despite his high cultivation, Zhou Fan felt an immense amount of pain as the consciousness was cut off. Luckily, he had become strong enough to heal most wounds to his soul without consequence. Fighting through the pain, Zhou Fan grabbed the cut off part of his consciousness and wrapped it in his Qi, preventing it from dissipating. He kept it in a non moving state until the wound to his soul had been fully healed. Luckily, there was no issue and he could continue on as normal. Zhou Fan closely examined the part of consciousness in his hand. It was completely gray without any hint of another color. Such a color was normal to Zhou Fan since it was based off of his Chaos Qi affinity, but he needed the small bit of consciousness to be completely wiped. He mobilzed all of his power and instantly crushed the bit of will in the bit of consciousness, causing a bit more pain to him, but not as much as last time. Next, he wiped the fragments'' memories, intelligence, and every other thing about it related to Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan luckily did not lose any memories or anything. The bit of consciousness was so small that his mind had no issue ignoring the fact that it was gone, except for the pain. Once Zhou Fan was done clearing the bit of his consciousness, it became a completely white color without any sort of blemishes. It was by far the purest white Zhou Fan had ever seen. Although it may not work on a universal scale, cutting off a bit of his consciousness would be enough to make a mini consciousness that covered a galaxy. Still holding the white consciousness, Zhou Fan imprinted a seal onto it. The seal was a completely gray circle, representing Zhou Fan. It did not affect the white consciousness in any way besides giving Zhou Fan complete control over it. Next, Zhou Fan was going to try and separate the mortal dao covering the galaxy from the rest of his mortal dao. That would cause the chain between all the areas of his mortal dao to be broken, but they would heal in an instant. It was a momentary struggle, but Zhou Fan was able to easily cut off the section of mortal dao from the rest once he understood what he needed to do. The next part was the real challenge. Zhou Fan was planning to make the disconnected section of his mortal dao have a sub owner. That sub owner would be the white soul. It would have complete control over the mortal dao, minus a very small amount of features. 1. It wouldn''t be able to change the mortal dao''s size. That meant that it could not expand or shrink the mortal dao like Zhou Fan could. 2. Its powers could be taken away by Zhou Fan in a single instant. Those were the main and most important differences in control between the white soul and Zhou Fan. In order to appoint the white soul as a sub owner, it needed some sort of knowledge or intelligence. Since Zhou Fan had been covering it in Qi, it had not experienced anything at all. Zhou Fan gathered his power over the section of the mortal dao into a circle with an empty space in the middle. He then threw the white soul into the empty spot. In an instant, the slight orange glow of the mortal dao shined bright and became visible to anything or anyone looking at it. As it glowed, Zhou Fan stepped back into the galaxy and the mortal dao. Just a second after entering, a small white glow about the shape of a human shined in front of Zhou Fan. It seemed to imitate his appearance. Then, it suddenly spoke. "You... Are you my father." It said in words no language covered. Zhou Fan managed to understand the light despite that. "I suppose I am." He said in english. "And who am I?" It asked in no language. "That makes you my child. Does it not?" "Yes..... But who am I?" That question made Zhou Fan think for a moment. He was no newcomer to making names. "You are....." Zhou Fan said, contemplating a name. "Heaven." Chapter 208: Heaven鈥檚 Form - 208 Chapter 208 - Heaven''s Form - 208 Heaven stood there, floating, its form changing every single second. At one point, it seemed like a drop of water that had splattered on the ground, and at another, it had a human-like form. Zhou Fan watched as it stood there in silence. After almost an entire minute, heaven''s form stopped changing. It had settled into a somewhat familiar form. It had taken the form of an eye. The eye''s color was blue, and it was huge. It would be about the size of Zhou Fan if it was vertical instead of horizontal. "What do you think of my form father?" The eye asked. Zhou Fan paused for a moment after hearing the question. "To be honest. Kind of weird." He said honestly. In just a moment, the entire scene turned awkward. "Umm... I can change it if you really don''t like it." Heaven said. "No no. It''s only weird because you''re calling me father." Zhou Fan said while waving his hands. "Here." Zhou Fan said as he pointed his finger towards heaven. Next to heaven, a human body appeared. It wasn''t made up of only living matter, but also some extremely strong materials that Zhou Fan threw together in an instant. "What''s that?" Heaven asked. "A body for you. Only your soul form is an eye. You are yet to have a body form. This can be your body until you grow up. We can change it then." Zhou Fan explained. "Alright. How do I get in?" Heaven asked. "Just walk into it. You should feel something reach out towards you. Grab it when you feel it." Zhou Fan explained. "The combination of your body and soul will also birth a brain. It won''t have much use to you besides helping you control the body since you are already so powerful in soul form. But you will need to make sure it doesn''t accidentally get harmed or you will be injured." "Ok." Heaven said before he went inside of the body. Zhou Fan watched closely as it happened. He wanted to make sure he understood everything about a new soul connecting to a body as well as possible. As expected, heaven connected to the body smoothly and formed a brain. Once the body opened its eyes, Zhou Fan felt it was much more full of life. "Hello again father." Heaven said. Zhou Fan nodded before he decided to get down to business. "Do you know why you were created?" He asked. "No. I don''t." Heaven answered. "You were born to watch over and control this section of the mortal dao." Zhou Fan said. "You will ensure the development of all life and strive to keep this galaxy intact." Heaven listened on patiently. "You will almost never directly interfere, but you will make sure that nothing too evil or destructive plans to take over the galaxy. Or at least, you will do what you can without directly interfering." Zhou Fan explained. Before he could continue further, heaven spoke. "How would I do any of that without directly interfering?" Heaven asked. "Good question." Zhou Fan said. "There are some ways to do it, but the most likely to succeed would be to create someone special. A hero specifically." "You would help them chance upon powerful weapons or pills, and subtly help them speed up their cultivation as much as possible." He explained. "However, that may not always be enough. Perhaps the leader of the evil is too powerful or talented. Then, you will give him bad luck and make sure he doesn''t have too many good encounters." Heaven interrupted again. "And what if that doesn''t work?" "If even that doesn''t work, I suppose it would be a situation you cannot deal with. While you are not evil yourself, you cannot simply go around purging all evil. Evil is necessary sometimes." Zhou Fan explained. "If nothing else works, I will look over the situation personally and decide what to do next." He said. "Wait. You said I should almost never use direct power to influence anything. In what case should I if even evil winning doesn''t constitute it?" Heaven asked. "The only situations you should use direct power in are, when someone directly challenges you and wants to destroy you, or when they have the ability to destroy nearly everything and plan on doing it." He said, making sure that heaven heard him. Although there would always be unforeseen situations, these were the most likely and important ones to understand. "I understand father." Heaven said. "But what is my power?" He asked. "That would depend on your affinity." Zhou Fan answered. "Your power, or cultivation, will depend on the strength of those within the area you control and, of course, me." Heaven''s power would change depending on the number of people in each cultivation realm and the power that Zhou Fan deemed him necessary to have. There was a possibility that a single cultivator could gain strength above heaven since heavens power increase wouldn''t be that much from one person, but such a situation was unlikely. As of now, heaven''s power depended solely upon the power that Zhou Fan gave him. His current power was at the 1st level of the inner world realm. It would be higher if Zhou Fan hadn''t completely erased everything off of the fragment of his soul, but since he did, the fragments'' cultivation was also completely erased. Before he spoke further, Zhou Fan checked heavens affinity. It wasn''t the same as Zhou Fans since, once again, he erased everything off of the soul fragment. "Your affinity is lightning, life, and death." Zhou Fan said. Heaven simply nodded as he didn''t have much understanding of what lightning, life, and death were. "Before I set you off on your own, I will explain some things and help you understand what you need to do to succeed." Zhou Fan said. Zhou Fan then grabbed heaven by one of his arms and teleported above the first planet. Although heaven''s power was enough to almost instantly travel around a single galaxy, Zhou Fan still dragged him around. This planet should be pretty easy. You just need to give it some life rain and introduce cultivation to the life on the planets. Your first goal should be to develop a humanoid or very intelligent species Chapter 209: Heavenborn Race - 209 Chapter 209 - Heavenborn Race - 209 Heaven stood still and nodded while Zhou Fan continued to talk about what he should do. Heaven''s body was the size of a 5 or six year old child. His head reached Zhou Fan''s waist. He had white hair and blue eyes, similar to his soul form. The rest of his body was mostly the same as normal human children. Despite looking the same, the power hidden beneath his skin was countless times higher than any other human child. As for his brain, it was countless times more powerful than anyone else''s in the entire universe, besides Zhou Fan of course. "....the life born inside of this galaxy will be essential to your growth and my experiment. Do you understand everything I just told you?" Zhou Fan asked, finishing up his lecture. "Yes father. I will get right to it." Heaven responded. "Not yet." Zhou Fan interrupted. "There is still another planet." Before heaven could react, Zhou Fan grabbed his arm and teleported him above another planet. This planet was much less full of life and seemed to be a wasteland. Without Zhou Fan needing to say anything, heaven released his divine sense and covered the planet with it. He was then able to see and understand everything about the world''s structure and the life inside it. He even mentally developed a plan. Once Zhou Fan explained what he should do, he would see how close it was to his idea. "This world seems a lot more difficult on the surface, but it should be fairly simple to fix up. I''ve temporarily given you some of my ability to evolve and control the evolution of life. SInce you don''t have divinity, you''ll be using some of mine." Zhou Fan said. "Here are some microorganisms." Zhou Fan said as he handed heaven a bottle with a nearly clear liquid in it. "You will use this to create more variations of life. As for the state of the world, you will need to use life rain and some water. There is water and ice on many planets in this galaxy. Just grab some from them. You can always repay it back later." Heaven continued to nod as Zhou Fan spoke. The plan he had developed earlier was somewhat similar to Zhou Fans. Unfortunately, he hadn''t known about the microorganisms or divinity before he made his plan. "Now. Implement these ideas and add a twist of your own. I''ll be watching until I can trust that you understand your duties." Zhou Fan said before seemingly fading into the darkness. Although heaven could not sense or see Zhou Fan, he still let out a yes sir and got to work. The first thing he did was cast life rain on the two planets. Since he was strong enough to easily travel the galaxy, the time it took to move around was negligible. After a day of waiting, he brought some ice from an ice giant not too far away and put it on the wasteland planet. After some thinking, he made three giant lakes that could be described as oceans. They were perfectly circular and took up half of the surface area of the planet. He then left the second planet alone for a while. It needed some time before he could move on to the next part of his plan. At the first planet, heaven manipulated the genetics of many of the species. Unfortunately, he was nowhere near the level of Zhou Fan. He was unable to easily create any sort of humanoid species. ---------------------------------- A hundred thousand years later, Zhou Fan lazily watched heaven move around while in the void. He had to admit that he was surprised by his ability. It seemed he had a natural talent for such things. Although a long time had passed to some, both Zhou Fan and heaven were very powerful beings. The time seemed to pass in an instant to both of them. All of a sudden, heaven shouted out in victory and raised both of his arms. Zhou Fan paid a little more attention to his progress on the first world and couldn''t help but internally clap. After so long, heaven had managed to create a humanoid race. They were very intelligent and their talent was on par with the celestials. Although Zhou Fan was much weaker than heaven when he had created the celestials, it was still an achievement that he could match the lesser dao creation realm Zhou Fan, even if he was using the god realm Zhou Fans powers to achieve it. --------------------------------- It didn''t take too long before heaven came up with a name for his newly created race. "I shall call you the heavenborn race." He said triumphantly. He then decided to do something Zhou Fan had never done with the early celestials. Show himself. Although he had thought of descending in his body, he felt that it wouldn''t give as much of an impact. He truly was Zhou Fan''s child. --------------------------------------- On the first planet, an elegant looking middle aged man was staring at his hands. He was still in the very beginning stage of life, despite being fully grown. Naturally, he couldn''t have been born as a baby due to the fact that he was the first heavenborn. He was just beginning to have thoughts such as who am I, and what am I, but a sudden energy gathered far above his head. Despite being a mortal, although his body was as strong as a golden core cultivator due to the power of the heavenborn race, he was able to sense the energy above him. It wasn''t that he was very special, but that the energy fluctuation was just so strong. As he looked up, he saw an unforgettable scene. A giant blue eye floated in the sky. It seemed to cover up the sun and the clouds. It peered down in the manor of a god. "My child." It said in a deep and dignified voice. "You are a heavenborn, created by heaven. You are the first. Your duty is to serve heaven and the beings under heaven. Do you accept." Naturally, there was no room for negotiation. Chapter 210: Tian Ren - 210 Chapter 210 - Tian Ren - 210 Although the man had no idea what was happening, he still fell to his knees and gratefully accepted heaven''s call. "Yes my lord. I shall serve you well!" He said instinctually, despite not knowing any language. "Then I shall grant you power and the ability to obtain power. Gain strength and do not fail me." The giant eye said before slowly disappearing. The man sat confused until a book appeared in front of him. He wasn''t sure what to do with it, but he reached out regardless in an attempt to grab the book. Just before he could, he heard a crack in the skies above him. He hurriedly shot his head up and saw dark clouds gathering above. They seemed to fill the entire sky. Although ignorant, he felt immense fear at the storm forming above him. He was just about to grab the book and run, but a lightning bolt hit him in the center of the forehead before he even had the time to react. In an instant, he fell to the ground, seemingly lifeless. All of a sudden, a small lightning bolt began to form on the center of his forehead where the lightning bolt hit. It formed a picture of a blue lightning bolt. As soon as the picture formed, he opened his eyes. Now, a hint of knowledge could be seen behind them. The lightning bolt had transmitted many pieces of information to him. Among them was the English language, basic knowledge such as reading and writing, and most importantly, how to open a book, among other things. Not only had information been transmitted to him, but a bit of cultivation had, courtesy of Zhou Fan. Before the lightning bolt struck, heaven had requested that he give the man some cultivation as the bolt hit him. Zhou Fan agreed and did just that. Although heaven was somewhat disappointed that he didn''t have the same ability to give something cultivation, he ignored it soon enough. The man had been given the cultivation of a tenth level foundation establishment cultivator. Zhou Fan didn''t want to give him too much of an advantage. As the man opened the book and began to read, he found knowledge of cultivation, as well as knowledge of many arts such as forging and pill making. He religiously read the book for three days straight before he finally finished it, memorizing it all. "Oh heaven!" He said, shouting at the sky. "Bear witness to the glory I bring to you!" After the echo of his shout died down, the man got up and began to adventure around the world in search of a suitable place to create the first establishment of the heavenborn. ----------------------------------------------- "You sure know how to make someone worship you." Zhou Fan said as he appeared next to heaven. They stood above the planet, hidden by the atmosphere. "I''ll take the compliment." Heaven said. "Father? Do you think I''m old enough to upgrade my body?" Heaven asked all of a sudden. "Not even close." Zhou Fan responded. Heaven''s face contorted a little at his response, but he simply sighed and accepted it. He wasn''t feeling that much different from when he was born anyways. "What''s the next part of your plan?" Zhou Fan asked. "Well I''ve got to give the heavenborn the ability to reproduce, but I don''t think I''ll be able to create another one just as good as him" Heaven responded. "Then don''t." Zhou Fan interrupted. "Take his cells and create a female clone before altering the genes a little bit. After that, there will be plenty of heavenborns on the planet." Heaven nodded hearing Zhou Fan''s words. It would have taken him a bit longer to think of that since he still lacked experience. "By the way. What do you plan on calling the world? You can''t just call it first world since that is both a bad name and incorrect." Zhou Fan asked. "I plan on calling it heaven world." Heaven responded. "About as original as me. Makes sense." Zhou Fan said as he laughed. He then once again faded into the layers of space. Getting used to his sudden appearances and disappearances, Heaven nodded and got to work. ----------------------------------- Around three thousand years later, heaven had finished meticulously creating the female clone for the sole heavenborn on the heaven world. Although it really couldn''t be called a clone anymore since nearly every bit of genetics had changed, it was still originally the man''s genes that birthed the woman. For the first time in a while, heaven sent the giant eye down to the world and peered upon it. The man, who had been waiting for such a moment, immediately came out of the building he was living in. "Heaven!" He said excitedly. "Hello child." Heaven said in a deep voice. "I am here to give you a gift and see how you are doing." "I am great, lord heaven." The man responded. "In the time I have spent down here, I have even made a name for myself." "And what is that?" Heaven asked. "My name is Tian Ren." The man responded with a smile on his face. "Interesting." Heaven said. "I have created a great city for you, heaven. I have also created a statue." Tian Ren shouted. "I can see." Heaven said as he looked at the city that was built for him. For the first time since he showed himself again, he was truly surprised. The city was ten miles long and wide. Ignoring the 40 miles left to the land and the perimeter surrounded by a wall, there was an entire sixty miles of city built by one man. More surprisingly, the city was stunningly beautiful. Marble and gold lined the buildings in the center, including the castle that Tian Ren was living at. In the middle section, the houses were made of marble and gold still, but there was less of it. As for the outside houses, they were made from high quality wood and ores. Regardless of any perspective or point of view, the entire city was beautiful. The only thing made out of pure stone was the walls. As for the gates, they too were made of marble, gold, and other metals. Directly in front of the castle, a giant eye made out of gold was held up by three long golden beams. Chapter 211: Female Heavenborn - 211 Chapter 211 - Female Heavenborn - 211 "I have also not slacked off in my cultivation either." Tian Ren said. Heaven took a deeper look at him and found his words to be true. Despite surely spending a long time to build the gigantic city, he had managed to reach the first level of the void traversing realm. Sadly, such a realm no longer meant too much. With the size of the worlds under Zhou Fans mortal dao increasing, even a tenth level void traversing realm cultivator would take many years to simply circle around a world. As for doing something incredible like destroying a world, that was only slightly possible for lesser dao creation realm cultivators. With Zhou Fan''s mortal dao now covering the entire galaxy, every planet in the galaxy could technically expand and reach a huge size comparable to the heaven world and the other planet. Unfortunately, such an expansion would make the galaxy also expand. As previously experienced, the cosmic dao would not allow such a thing. Therefore, Zhou Fan had decided to let heaven pick a few planets and those would grow while taking over the planets near them. "Your increase in power and this city has exceeded my expectations." Heaven stated. "I am proud of you my child." Hearing heaven''s words, how could Tian Ren not be happy? "Now. I will give you the gift I have prepared." Heaven continued. Without Tian Ren understanding how, a bunch of small blue dots started moving around near him. He watched as they gathered together and formed something. Once the blue dots were completely aligned, they shone so bright that Tian Ren had to shield his eyes despite being in the void traversing realm. As he managed to finally open them again, he saw something, or someone, similar in looks to him. However, there were a few differences. The person had long, white hair and black eyes. She also seemed to have a different physiology compared to him. "This is the first female heavenborn." Heaven announced. "With her, you shall increase the population of heavenborns throughout the heaven world." Although he was unsure of much of what heaven had said, Tian Ren nodded eagerly. He was feeling excited at the thought of following heaven''s commands. "I shall take my leave soon. Before then, have you decided on a name for this city?" Heaven asked, curious of Tian Ren''s naming ability. "Yes heaven. With your permission, I would like to call it the heaven sect." Tian Ren said. "I learned of the existence of sects from the book you passed down to me and aspire to create one for you." "Very well." Heaven said before he faded away. As he watched heaven leave, Tian Ren finally paid attention to the woman near him. "Hello. What is your name?" He asked curiously. Unfortunately, the lady had no idea what he was saying as she had only been thinking for a total of 2 minutes. ------------------------------------------ Above the heaven world, heaven appeared once again. He had decided to add some animals to the heaven world before focusing more on the 2nd world. He had not added animals because the heavensborns could survive just from Qi even at foundation establishment due to their special body. Now, however, he felt that it was time for the heavenborns to gain some sort of awareness that other things do exist. Using a tiny amount of the microorganisms Zhou Fan had lent him, heaven created a hundred animals of fifty different species. He also implanted knowledge on beast cultivation that he had also borrowed from Zhou Fan. Within ten thousand years, most of the planet would be filled by cultivation beasts. In the meantime, Heaven decided to focus on the 2nd world. When he arrived, he found that it was much more lively than before. There was nothing living on the planet besides the native species still residing in the caves below, but there were many plants and trees. Heaven began to make thousands upon thousands of animals, belonging to the land, sky, and sea, and threw them all around the world. He didn''t plan on making a humanoid race within the second world until it was fully developed. However, he did already give the beasts the ability to cultivate like he had on the heaven world. After some trial, error, and luck, Heaven even managed to create some supreme beasts. There were three in total. One giant shark, one giant bird, and a giant lion. After thinking for a while, heaven decided to do two things with the supreme beasts. One, give them the ability to reproduce like Zhou Fan had, and two, make a couple more and add them to the heaven world. It only took a month for heaven to crack the code of giving the supreme beasts the ability to reproduce. He then realized that he wouldn''t have to make some more as the ones on the second world would already create more. As time passed, there would also be more variations and species. Heaven patiently waited a thousand years for the first child of a supreme beast to be born. It was extremely similar to the dinosaurs on the Zhou World long ago. Instead of traveling to the heaven world again, heaven threw the supreme beast inside of a giant rock and threw the rock at the heaven world. He made sure that the supreme beast would survive the explosion and that the heaven world wouldn''t suffer too much damage from the rock. He then once again paid attention to the 2nd world, completely ignoring the rock he threw. ------------------------------------------ Back on the heaven world, Tian Ren was standing on the highest balcony of the castle. He had spent the last month teaching the woman heavenborn everything he knew, but he wasn''t even close to done. Just as he was about to turn around and go inside, he saw a flaming ball of fire appear in the sky and start crashing down to the heaven world. Tian Ren was stunned for a moment, but simply chalked it up to heavens doing. He watched as it hit the ground and a giant silhouette roared at the sky. "What in the world???" Chapter 212: Heavens Descent - 212 Chapter 212 - Heavens Descent - 212 Heaven stared at the second world with his full attention as he watched it grow and change. He stayed sitting for an entire ten thousand years before he moved. His previous calculations were extremely far off. In the ten thousand years that had passed, the animals had only occupied a third of the world. He would have preferred to continue his watch as it gave him knowledge about living beings and was quite interesting, but he needed to go take a look at the heaven world. Between the two worlds he was focusing on, the heaven world was by far the more important one. Heaven quickly arrived at the heaven world and began looking at it from afar. After a few moments, he felt satisfied at the current progress. He decided to once again meet with Tian Ren. ----------------------------------------------- In the heaven world, Tian Ren was sitting on a throne of marble and gold. In front of him were three old men kneeling on the floor. As they were in the nascent soul realm, their lifespans were nearly over. They were each born 2,800 - 2,600 years ago. Nascent soul realm cultivators had an average lifespan of 3,000 years, but it wasn''t rare for one to die at the age of 2,800 "You three have served the Heaven sect well." Tian Ren stated. "Unless you wish to be buried elsewhere, I will honor your work by burying you in the elder burial field despite your low cultivation." Hearing him, each of the three men were joyful. It was a rare honor for someone to be buried in the elder graveyard at all, much less with such a low cultivation. They had already made funeral arrangements with their families, but they would much prefer to be buried in the elder burial ground. "We wish to be buried in the elder burial ground." The three men said in unison. "Very well." Tian ren responded. "As of now, you three will officially retire and can relax with your loved ones until the end of your lifespan." "Thank you lord sect master." The three men said while standing up. "We will be forever grateful." "Long live heaven." The three men and Tian Ren said together. Such a saying had long become a standard farewell. As the three men left the throne room, Tian Ren looked up at the night sky. In order to feel more connected with heaven, he had the roof removed. When it rained, an array blocked it, but that was the only thing there at all. ''There are too few talents in the heaven sect.'' Tian Ren said to himself. In the last ten thousand years, he and his wife had populated the heaven world to 300,000 people. Naturally, most were not directly from them, but the numbers were still a result of their work. The only reason the number wasn''t in the high millions was the fact that heavenborns could not reproduce as easily as humans. Especially those with more powerful cultivation levels. ''Of the 300,000 heavenborns, only 100,000 have reached or have the talent to reach the core formation realm. As for nascent soul realm cultivators, there are only ten thousand.'' The expansion of the heavenborn race was still a burden placed upon Tian Ren''s shoulders. He had recently broken through to the 10th level of the void traversing realm, but the second most powerful heavenborn, his wife, was only at the first level. With her talent, the hope for reaching even the 8th level of void traversing seemed unlikely. If he had more time to cultivate, he may have reached the space shattering realm, but he simply didn''t have that much time. Ignoring the 8 hours of cultivation that replaced sleep, he only had four hours of cultivation a day. Managing an entire sect took way too much time. Luckily, he had some elders to assist him. As he continued to look at the sky, he seemed to see it ripple like still water that had just been touched. He was about to look closer, but an eye suddenly appeared. In an instant, Tian Ren was on his knees. Not only him, but the entire population of the heaven sect fell to their knees. They had long been told of heaven''s form. "Hello my child." Heaven said while looking at Tian Ren. As for the other heavenborns, they were left ignored for now. "Heaven!" Tian Ren shouted. "Can you see it? I have bred heavenborns onto your world!" "Of course. You have not disappointed me." Heaven responded. "I have only come to check up on you this time. Are there any troubles you are experiencing? You can feel free to tell me." Tian Ren hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should bother heaven with such trivial matters, but he eventually decided to speak. "There are some minor troubles. Nothing that you need to worry about dealing with. Would you like to hear about them?" Tian Ren asked. "Hmm." Heaven considered his offer, but talking out loud in front of so many people seemed weird. "Yes, I would my child. I trust you enough now. Close your castle and I shall personally descend upon you." Heaven decided. Hearing him, the excitement Tian Ren felt could not be described. It was as if everything he ever dreamt of was happening. With his full power, he pulled materials out of his spatial ring and patched every single hole in the castle besides the door. Not ignoring the door, he put an array on the entire room that would ensure that nothing got in or out. Not even sound. Everything was completed in a matter of seconds, and Tian Ren jumped off of his throne and onto a seat below it. The throne was elevated slightly above the rest of the floor. As he waited eagerly, a figure appeared in the middle of the throne room. Tian Ren stared at it with so much focus that he felt his eyes were going to pop. When he finally faced the figure of his dreams, he ignored the childish form. "Heaven! Finally!" He said with tears nearly streaming out of his eyes. Chapter 213: The Beast World - 213 Chapter 213 - The Beast World - 213 Zhou Fan sat hidden behind space as heaven and Tian Ren met each other. Although it wasn''t something that he had done or would do with his creations, it was much more interesting to see heaven go down his own path without strictly following Zhou Fans. He continued to watch what was starting to feel like a story with interest. ------------------------------------------------------ "Heaven! Finally!" Tian Ren said in reverence. Heaven stood there, his child form with white hair and blue eyes looking like the statue of a god to Tian Ren. "Get up child. We have much to talk about." Heaven said. In a few moments, Tian Ren was able to stand up and clear his mind from the overpowering reverence of heaven. "Go ahead. Speak about your troubles." Heaven stated as he sat on the throne. "Yes. My biggest worry is that the heavenborn race has disappointed you. Each and every one of their talents are little to none. I''ve been wondering if I''m doing something wrong." Tian Ren said. "It''s nothing that you or I can control. Although being such a high ranking race gives a better chance to get higher talent, it still takes time for someone with true talent to be born." Heaven responded. "Do you mean that not even you can control talent?" Tian Ren said with his eyes widening. "No I cannot." Heaven answered. "In fact, as far as I am aware, nobody in the entire universe can. Well, there may be one but I''m not too sure." "What?! Is there someone even more powerful than you?" Tian Ren said with his jaw dropping. "Yes there is. I also have troubles of my own. I often wonder if I will be able to live up to his expectations." Heaven answered. In just these brief moments, Tian Ren''s entire world was turned upside down. He felt no less reverence for heaven, but the revealing of someone greater than the one he thought the greatest was truly overwhelming. After digesting the shocking information, he felt that heaven''s situation was similar to his. He too wanted to live up to someone''s expectations and wondered if he could. "Do you think there is a chance you become greater than him?" Tian Ren asked curiously. "No chance." Heaven said, sounding defeated. A sudden silence took over the room after that. "Anyway, is there anything else you''re feeling troubled about?" Heaven asked. "Not really. Talking to you has helped me feel a bit clearer. Thank you heaven." Tian Ren said while bowing. "Goodbye then Tian Ren. I shall see you again." Heaven said as his body turned into light and he disappeared. ---------------------------------------- Above the second world, heaven was watching everything closely. After a long amount of time, 99% of the 2nd world had become occupied by beasts. The rest of the planet was too dangerous to occupy. In the last tens of thousands of years, Heaven had watched as the world''s inhabitants grew more powerful and knowledgeable despite being beasts. At some point, he even decided to call the planet the beast world. He would no longer introduce a humanoid race to the planet and would instead let it continue as it is. One of the most interesting developments was the creation of language by the beasts. Although there were many types, there had also been one universal language developed that all beasts used to speak to each other. While heaven could understand them, he decided to mess with the entire planet''s minds and unknowingly make the universal language they spoke english. He found it funny that they didn''t even notice. The planet had been split up into three main sections for each type of animal and many different smaller sections. Each smaller section represented a certain species of animal or beast. The lions had their land, the sharks had theirs, the birds had theirs, which was also the biggest and most united, and the tigers had theirs. Occasionally, wars would break out between the planet''s inhabitants. The biggest rivalry was between the lions and the tigers. Among the part of the world belonging to land beasts, those two were considered the strongest. Although at one point the lions had the only supreme beasts among all the species, the tigers had gotten theirs soon after. Although he had some interest in the world''s affairs, heaven decided not to interfere. The planet would be left to evolve on its own and its inhabitants with it. This was not only the best decision in heaven''s mind, but also an experiment. He wanted to see the differences between a planet left to its own troubles and a planet with an overseer. The results would be an interesting thing to see. As far as heaven was concerned, the initial development plan for the beast world was finished. Once the heaven world followed, it would be time to expand everything. Heaven arrived back at the heaven world and began the final observation. ----------------------------------------------- Still hiding behind space, Zhou Fan stood up. Heaven seemed to have gained enough intelligence in the last few thousands of years to handle the galaxy''s situation on his own. He planned on watching the rest unfold, but he was getting bored sitting around all day. He decided to begin a further study of cultivation itself. If he could find every single tiny detail and tune it to bring out its maximum potential, cultivation would be easier and bring better results. However, that was not the main goal of his study. He had noticed his ability to manipulate cultivation itself once he received the understanding of creation. As he had previously mentioned, the lesser dao creation realm was completely changed by him instinctually. Zhou Fan wondered if that was the only thing changed by him. He also wondered if the correct term was changed. He had once spoken of his difficulty being equivalent to carving a path through a mountain, but perhaps he had been creating the mountain all along. Regardless of the possibilities, he knew that he needed time and effort to achieve his goal. Unknown to heaven, heaven had just become a slightly more grown up child in Zhou Fan''s eyes. Chapter 214: Expansion Of The Worlds - 214 Chapter 214 - Expansion Of The Worlds - 214 In order to study cultivation in peace, Zhou Fan decided to build a building outside of the galaxy. Although heaven would technically be able to reach him, heaven''s eyes had been glued within the galaxy for so long that he barely even looked outside of it. The building Zhou Fan was going to build was a simple and easy building. For him at least. He brought out a bunch of materials before teleporting right outside of the galaxy. Just a few feet behind him was the orange glow of the mortal dao sphere covering the entire galaxy. He moved a few miles forword before he manipulated the wood in his hands. The wood expanded and created a small, single room shack. The shack didn''t look too shabby, but it also didn''t look good at all. Once the shack was built, Zhou Fan put a silencing array around it that would stop all sound not exceeding the god realm from entering the room. It was easily turned on and off so he could always hear what was going on if he wanted or needed to. That was everything that the shack needed, so Zhou Fan entered and closed the door before activating the array and beginning his studies. While Zhou Fan studied and heaven watched over the heaven world, fifty thousand years passed. Zhou Fan had made little to no progress in that time, but he felt he was about to go somewhere with his studies. As for heaven, he had much more interesting developments on his side. In the last fifty thousand years, the heaven world and its inhabitants had finally finished the initial stage of development. The heavenborn were even more in number and 99% of the entire planet had been populated. The 1% was made up of areas too dangerous to inhabit. Heaven was sitting with Tian Ren in his castle for the first time in 25,000 years talking about the future developments of the heaven world. "Soon, I plan on giving the people on the heaven world access to other planets. I was able to increase the size of one hundred planets that will be occupied by the heavenborns and other races." Heaven said to Tian Ren. After such a long period of time, Tian Ren was looking a lot more mature. He wasn''t quite old, but he had the looks of a middle aged man with his beard. He was nowhere near the middle of his lifespan with the lifespan of a space shattering cultivator, however. "Since you are the only space shattering cultivator among the heavenborns with your space shattering level five cultivation, I expect you to lead the charge." Heaven said. Heaven too was looking a little more mature, although very slightly. At some point, Zhou Fan had secretly increased his body''s age to ten years old. He was still a child, but he was taller and bigger. "Of course I shall." Tian Ren responded. "How will we access these worlds?" "Teleportation array. I will give you the instructions on how to set them up and I will do you a favor and set the array up on the other planets as well." Heaven responded. He planned to not only set up arrays for the heavenborns on the other worlds, but he planned to get the members of the beast world to build some arrays that would connect to the other worlds as well. He, of course, would also build the arrays on the other worlds for them. "As you will not be alone on the other worlds, I would recommend you set up a defense around the area you teleport to. The arrays on the other side will be indestructible by anyone weaker than me, but that does not mean they cannot make a trap around the array and kill anyone who enters." Heaven added. "Yes heaven." Tian Ren answered. "I have other matters to attend to, so I will be leaving for now. Here is a book containing the instructions on how to build a teleportation array. It also has the specific input that will allow you to connect to the arrays on the other worlds." Heaven said as he handed Tian Ren a book. "Since there will be a hundred other worlds and the heaven world will be connected to ten of them, you will need to build ten teleportation arrays. Good luck." Heaven said before disappearing. He had set up twenty planets with teleportation arrays leading to either the beast world or the heaven world. On each of those twenty planets, there were ten more arrays that led to ten other planets. Those arrays were within small pagodas he had already built. After many teleportations and arrays, each side would be led to a main planet. It was much bigger than the heaven world, the beast world, and the other 99 planets he had expanded. That would be the main world for the main races. Naturally, more arrays could be set up on other planets later since they would have the method to make teleportation arrays. Before any of that, heaven needed to give the beasts the technique to create teleportation arrays and the inputs to connect to the specific ones on the planets. To do that, he simply planned to drop a stone stele from the sky that had all the instructions on it. As he arrived above the beast world, he did just as he planned and dropped the stone stele on a random place on the planet without even looking. --------------------------------------- In the center of the biggest city on the beast world, a meeting was happening between every single race. Land beasts, air beasts, and sea beasts gathered in the middle of the biggest city where all violence was strictly prohibited. As for how it was enforced, there was an extremely powerful beast of unknown origin and race that watched over the city. He was also the city''s creator. The antelope race once defied his will and went against him, only to be completely decimated to the last antelope. From that point on, his prestige had spread throughout the entire planet and no one dared to offend him. As every single race''s leader was in the middle of their meeting, a stone stele suddenly fell from the sky and landed in the very center of the meeting area. Chapter 215: Preparing The Arrays - 215 Chapter 215 - Preparing The Arrays - 215 Before any of the beasts could react to the sudden appearance of the stone stele, a figure appeared in front of it as if he had teleported. He seemed to have the figure of a human or a humanoid creature. However, his race was unable to be determined as he was covered in black cloth that did not expose a single inch of his skin. The humanoid creature reached out what seemed to be a hand and rubbed the stele as he appeared to read the contents. By now, the beasts in the room had all comprehended what had happened, but none had spoken or even moved. Although he had never been seen before, his aura was undeniably there. The man in front of the stele was the mysterious being that created the city. The entire room was so silent that a single breath would seem like a loud roar. Only the sound of the humanoid beings hand rubbing against the stone stele was heard. "Yes. Yes I see. So that''s what I was missing." The man said to himself. He was speaking in the beast''s universal language, or english, in a dry voice that gave off a sinister feeling. He had been learning the art of arrays through personal testing and had worked on an array that could teleport through space. He was nearly finished with it, but he was missing a few more parts. Unfortunately, he was struggling immensely to understand those remaining parts. While success was almost guaranteed, the time it had taken him was annoying him. Luckily, the answer literally fell from the sky. "It''s slightly different from mine, and it probably works much better as well." The man continued. "And these must be coordinates. It appears we will be busy for the next few days." The man said. The last sentence was said with the intention of talking to the beasts within the room. Only once he finished looking at the stone stele did he turn around and directly address the leaders of the beast races. "I will not force you to collaborate with me as I am sure I can do anything myself, but if you are interested in the exploration of a new area, perhaps a new world, then you will meet me 50 miles west of here in two days." The man, or beast, said before disappearing into the shadows below him as if he was ink. A minute after he left, the beasts let out a breath. They all needed to think seriously about the man''s words. If what he said was true, then the beast world would undergo huge changes and those that didn''t participate would be left in the dust. ------------------------------------------ Two days later, both Tian Ren and the mysterious man had finished setting up the arrays. Their speeds were eerily similar to each other. As he had some insider information, Tian Ren brought a bunch of materials in order to build more teleportation arrays once they got to the worlds. Before exploring, their first goal would be to set up teleportation arrays linking every other one of the first ten planets together. They would continue to do so as they went to further planets. Although it may be possible for a void traversing cultivator to set up a teleportation array, it would be very difficult and time consuming, and the finished product would be very inferior. Therefore, Tian Ren, the sole space shattering cultivator of the heavenborns, needed to set up every single array. A simple calculation let him know that 99 arrays needed to be built before he was finished. 90 leading to other planets, and 9 leading back to the heaven world. He simply sighed and teleported to the first world with a legion of soul formation heavenborns. -------------------------------------------------- On the beast world, the mysterious man stood on top of a hill as he stared at the army of beasts in front of him. As he had expected, each and every single race had sent at least a hundred beasts. The most powerful races had sent tens of thousands. "While I must say I appreciate your enthusiasm, we do not have an infinite number of spatial stones." The man said. His words were said lightly, but they reached the ears of every single person there. "Until we find more space stone mines, we will need to limit the number of people using the teleportation arrays. The only people entering will be me and the beasts at the soul formation realm and above." "Those of you that fit that description can come inside and have a talk with me." He said as he turned around and walked into a building he had built over the last two days. It housed every single teleportation array he had created. The building was square as if it was a warehouse and two floors tall. The only material it was made out of was high grade iron. As he finally entered, around a thousand people stepped out from the ranks of the beast armies. Although there were more soul formation and above beasts, some had to stay behind to defend their territories. Luckily for their peace of mind, the leaders of each of the beast races had made a temporary agreement that would stop the leaders from attacking other races'' bases. The main way that was done was by sending the leader of each race with the mysterious man. As the near thousand beasts walked through the doors, they were greeted by a large, empty, white room with only two doors and a platform halfway up the far wall. On that platform stood the mysterious man. "20 void traversing cultivators. Very good." He said as he took in their numbers. "The first thing we will do is send in a test subject to see exactly what is on the other side of these teleportation arrays, although I do have a fairly good idea as to what that is." The man spoke. The beasts tensed up, worrying that they would be chosen, but the man raised his hand and continued. "I have already gathered my test subjects. Come out children." He said loudly. From each of the two doors, five young beasts came in, totaling ten. Disgustingly enough, each of the children were spiders. Chapter 216: Exploration of the New Worlds - 216 Chapter 216 - Exploration of the New Worlds - 216 Despite seeing many different races throughout their entire lives, the spider race was by far one of the few stuck in the beasts memory. They were known for their cruel and downright disgusting methods. Examples were using corpses as incubation grounds, eating their own children, and generally depriving any area they were in of any sort of clean feeling. A thousand years ago, the spider race was jointly exiled from the main area of any part of the beast world and pushed to a dangerous and desolate area by a combined army of many races. That was how much the spider race was hated. However, despite everything, the mysterious man called members of the spider race children. While they knew that there was a 0% chance he was a member of the spider race as the spider race gave off an instinctively disgusting feeling, they still felt less reverence for the mysterious man after seeing him so affectionate with spiders. As the beasts watched in silence, the mysterious man put his hand on the wall behind him and the wall, as well as the balcony, disappeared. The mysterious man remained floating in the air before slowly lowering himself down. He then proceeded to walk forward. In front of him were ten blue colored arrays with so many intricacies that it gave most of the beasts a slight headache. Without words being shared, the ten spiders walked onto different arrays and stood still in the center. "This will be the first demonstration of the teleportation arrays." He said as he sent a bit of Qi into the arrays. They shone a space-like blue and the spiders disappeared in an instant. Turning back around, the mysterious man continued to speak. "When they come back, they will inform us of what is on the other side. That way, the risk will be minimized." Although the arrays couldn''t be built by anybody, they could be activated by anyone above the nascent soul realm with permission of the owner. They could also simply overpower the owners Qi in the array, but in this instance it was naturally impossible. After a minute passed, the arrays once again shone. The spiders once again appeared. They didn''t speak, but they seemed to have the ability to telepathically communicate with the mysterious man. "Alright then, you ten are free to go." He said as he turned around once more, facing the beasts. "As expected, an entirely new world, or should I say worlds, are on the other side." He stated. For the first time since the spiders walked in, the beasts reacted. They remained silent, but the interest on their faces was obvious. "Only the ten strongest will come with me into the first array. I will build nine arrays there and we will come back afterwards. As for the rest of you, enjoy the rooms in the building. I expect you all to stay here until business is finished." He said. Soon, the ten strongest people were picked out. Each of them were in the void traversing realm. A lion, a tiger, a bear, a shark, a whale, a dolphin, and four large birds of different colors. The weakest was in the 5th level of the void traversing realm, while the strongest were at the 9th level. They entered the array and disappeared with a glow. As they were gone, the remaining people awkwardly stood around. ----------------------------------------------------- In around 2 days, Tian Ren had finished setting up the nine arrays he needed to set up. Although all of them were nonfunctional as he had yet to build other arrays to connect them to, the first part was finished. WIthout resting a moment, Tian Ren brought the heavenborns that had built a structure around the arrays while he was creating them and headed back to the heavenborn world. On the other side of the galaxy, the beasts had just finished up the building around the arrays and the mysterious man had just finished up with the last array. "You may be feeling some sort of fatigue, although I doubt it, but we must keep going until the starting process is done. I have an eerie feeling that we aren''t the only ones exploring new worlds." The mysterious man said before he brought the beasts back through the teleportation array. -------------------------------------------------- After 17 days, a day shorter than predicted due to the increased mastery of spatial arrays, both planets had finished putting arrays on the ten planets. The next part was likely to be much more time consuming. They would have to spend a long time exploring the planet to continue forward. The planet''s sizes were no joke. ------------------------------------------------- It took an entire three thousand years for the heavenborns to finish taking over the first ten planets. In that time much had changed, but the ambition to explore had never died down. From the heaven world, more than the heavenborns began exploring and taking over land. With a couple of treaties and agreements of peace, the beasts and supreme beasts of the heaven world had explored the worlds separately but on peaceful terms. As for the beast world, similar changes had taken place. The supreme beasts that usually secluded themselves from the world as they belonged to no race had gotten wind of the other planets. Despite having the title of supreme in front of their names, the supreme beasts could only be said to be inferior to the current beasts. When their order of giving up the arrays didn''t scare the beasts of the city away, they formed a very temporary alliance and charged in through the front gate. They made it about a thousand feet into the city before an array activated and an unknown creature in black cloth appeared in the sky. In an instant, a darkness seemed to envelop everything. A minute later, the darkness was removed, allowing anyone to see, and the supreme beasts had disappeared. A couple years later, an alliance that seemed to be one member short and limping came back, negotiating a peace treaty in order to explore the new worlds. Still wary of the feeling he had, the mysterious man agreed. Chapter 217: The Last World - 217 Chapter 217 - The Last World - 217 Within just days of each other, the beast world and the heavenborns began to explore the next set of ten worlds. Each force was now many times stronger than before. Ignoring the amount of time spent on cultivation between Tian Ren and the mysterious man, just the number and strength of their subordinates had greatly increased. If one ignored the mysterious man, the supreme beasts were much stronger than the beast race. Therefore, their addition was very much welcomed. There were also supreme beasts on the heaven world, and they too had formed an alliance. Their alliances formation with Tian Ren had been a lot less violent than the formation of the beast worlds alliance, but that was mostly due to the fact that they already knew Tian Ren''s status and power. As the sole person who directly spoke to heaven, how could the supreme beasts dare to even attempt and fight him. The exploration and setting up of arrays of the ten new worlds was much quicker for both sides. Perhaps it was due to increased personal strength or manpower. After another quick two thousand year time period, the next set of ten worlds was explored and teleportation arrays were added. Instead of staying behind and consolidating their strength on the new planets, two beings decided to see just how far the worlds went and what was on the other ones. After all, ignoring a few wild beasts with very little intelligence every now and then, there were very little new things on the planets they had teleported to. There were no more living beings coming from other worlds, nor previously unknown materials. As those two beings wandered around searching for more arrays, they also hoped to discover something new or at least interesting. Within three days, the mysterious man found an array that led him to another world. He didn''t go back and try to find the other teleportation arrays, but continued to explore the new and seemingly uninteresting world in search of more arrays. Tian Ren too found another array just a day later. While the two strongest beings on each of their planets neared each other, heaven was standing above the biggest world he had created. It was the planet that would be the final destination. As he had never expected the exploration of new worlds to take so long, he found himself bored. Instead of just sitting there and rotting, he pondered some issues and changed some things about the later planets. Now, there were only 99 planets. 40 of them had been colonized by the two worlds, and some of the others were currently being scrutinized by Tian Ren and the mysterious man in order to find more teleportation arrays. As for why there were only 99 planets now, heaven had decided to move one far away and take the teleportation array off of it. He had realized that with one hundred planets, one of the two sides would have an extra world before reaching the final planet. It wouldn''t slow them down much, but in the event that they had a war, one side would have more resources than the other. It would have had a minor effect, but it might have changed the scales of the battle unfairly. Although there wasn''t a one hundred percent chance of a battle happening, heaven had long been paying attention to the mysterious man. With his strength, finding out all of his information was easy as could be. Heaven had completely seen through him. He knew that the likelihood of a battle breaking out was at least 99%. He watched solemnly as the two beings came closer to each other. Much farther away, Zhou Fan had just finished up the round of studying. Now, his progress was noticeable. Still, he would need much more time and effort to achieve everything he wanted. As he looked outside the shack and inside the galaxy, he noticed that Tian Ren and the mysterious man were nearing each other. Like heaven, he had also started paying attention to the mysterious man a while ago. However, he noticed some things that heaven had not. It wasn''t that heaven was too weak, but that he had not been given enough information. Zhou Fan could see that the mysterious man had a divine physique. The discovery had thoroughly shocked him when he had first seen it. This was one of the first encounters he had made with a divine physique holder. They were simply far too rare. If one knew what the mysterious man was and knew what a divine physique was, it wouldn''t be too hard to put the pieces together even if they didn''t have the ability to sense divine physiques. Sadly, heaven was simply disadvantaged. Zhou Fan decided to temporarily leave the shack so that he could watch the upcoming battle. He too was confident that a fight would happen. ----------------------------------------------- After a few more days, two people appeared on a humongus planet that''s size was matched by no other within the galaxy. The moment they entered it, they were shocked. Not only was Qi more dense on the planet, albeit just slightly, but with a single glance they could see many new plants and even some new ores. The two people didn''t teleport to the same area. There were two teleportation arrays on the planet, one on each side. As they had no clue about the other, they began to explore the planet. After a while, they realized that the planet could only be described as a paradise. There were many beasts and even supreme beasts on it, but they were clearly just entering their initial stage of development. The best thing about the planet was its nature. The planet seemed so green and natural that it instinctively made both the people who had reached the planet feel relaxed. After a couple of days of enjoying the scenery, both people decided to find a good place to make a base. One was looking for a new area to place the heaven sect, while the other was looking for a new place to build a city. Coincidentally, they both traveled towards each other around the equator of the planet. It took many years, but eventually, a giant mountain like no other came into view. Chapter 218: Battle - 218 Chapter 218 - Battle - 218 The mountain was not in the shape of a typical mountain. Instead of starting with a big base and becoming smaller until there was a peak, this mountain resembled a cut down tree trunk. It went up around 3,000 miles before it became a flat, stony land that was millions of miles large. Despite its ground which was obviously unsuitable for farming in any way, Tian Ren and the mysterious man felt that it was the best place to settle down. After all, dirt could always be added later, but such a significant and striking mountain was likely the only one on the entire planet. At the same exact time, both men flew up to the flat top of the mountain. They reached past the mountain''s walls at the exact same time as well. The first thing each of them noticed was how truly flat the mountain was. The next was each other. Both Tian Ren and the mysterious man paused when they saw each other. Neither person expected another being to be on the mountain. A wild beast wouldn''t have been hard to believe, but a fellow sentient being wasn''t even considered. The mountain seemed to have a slight wind as it blew past both of the men staring at each other. Eventually, Tian Ren raised his hand and waved it. The mysterious man did the same. ------------------------------------------- Tian Ren had never been so wary as he had in this moment. The appearance of another sentient being was out of all his considerations. It would have been easier to accept if it had been another humanoid being with skin and eyes, but the man in front of him, while seemingly humanoid, appeared to have cloth for skin. There was no indication of eyes or ears, and the man''s arms gave off a weird feeling. In fact, his entire body gave off a weird feeling. Despite his wariness, Tian Ren decided to be friendly until aggression was shown. --------------------------------------------- The mysterious man was in a situation similar to Tian Ren. The closest thing he had ever seen to him was a monkey. Even then, the man on the other side of the mountain was clearly different. He gave off a cleaner and purer feeling than any beast the mysterious man had come across. He didn''t like it. Yet he also decided to be friendly. At the very least, he would make his decision after talking to the thing in front of him. --------------------------------------------- After waving at each other, Tian Ren and the mysterious man began to move closer to each other. It wasn''t anywhere near their top speeds as they didn''t want to come off as aggressive, but they were nowhere near slow. The mountain was far too big for any sort of slow movement. Once Tian Ren and the mysterious man were within a hundred feet of each other, they stopped moving and touched the ground with their feet. They were now in the very center of the mountain. "Hello. Do you speak english?" Tian Ren asked. "English? I suppose." The mysterious man said. He simply assumed that they called their languages different names. "Are you a native of this world?" Tian Ren decided to ask after a moment of silence. "No. And I assume you aren''t either." The mysterious man responded. Another pause ensued. Both began to realize that they were likely going to be enemies if they were on the planet for resources. After a while Tian Ren spoke. "Have you heard about our lord and savior Heaven?" He asked. "I do not know of any heaven." The man responded seriously. "Oh..." Silence ensued. "My name is Tian Ren. I am a heavenborn, the race of the children of heaven, and I have come to occupy this world, this mountain, and all the resources on them in the name of Heaven." Tian Ren said. He knew that his words were equivalent to declaring war on the man, but he decided to not back down. "My name has been long forgotten by all. I have decided that this world, this mountain, and all the resources on them are mine." The mysterious man responded. "Then so be it." Tian Ren responded. A final moment of silence ensued as clouds gathered above the mountain. In an instant, Tian Ren raised his hand and a lightning bolt struck it. From the lightning, a sword formed. It was made out of the pure power of lightning Qi. At the same exact time as Tian Ren, the mysterious man put his palm to his side and it seemed as if all the darkness in the surroundings gathered on his palm, forming a whirlpool of darkness Qi. The two men moved at the same time, reaching each other in a moment. Tian Ren struck down with his lightning sword, another strike of lightning from the clouds above following its downward motion. The mysterious man raised his palm to meet with Tian Ren''s sword and collided with it. An extremely powerful force shot out in an instant, putting a large crater in the huge mountain. The two men used all their strength to push against the other, forming a gravitational force that harmed the surroundings even more. After a moment, the two men''s hands were knocked back from each other. That seemed to start the high pace battle that followed. Tian Ren moved to the mysterious man''s side and sliced the lightning sword horizontally. The mysterious man read his move and sent a large blast of darkness Qi towards Tian Ren and his sword. The blast of darkness Qi was big enough to hit Tian Ren''s entire body, but he did not falter and continued the swinging motion of his lightning sword. The mysterious man, lacking in experience of battling with an individual of equal strength, did not expect Tian Ren to take the blast head on. Due to the large surface of his attack and the small focus of Tian Rens, The mysterious man''s darkness blast was cut through, allowing the sword to make contact with his hand. A small cut formed and he backed away a bit. As the attack of darkness Qi faded away, he saw Tian Rens disheveled clothes from taking an area attack without any defense. ''He can''t afford to do that too many times. Regardless, I won''t make the same mistake again.'' The mysterious man thought to himself as the cloth healed nearly instantly without spilling any blood. Chapter 219: Heaven鈥檚 Eye - 219 Chapter 219 - Heaven''s Eye - 219 If the mysterious man was able to tell that Tian Ren couldn''t do the same thing again, then Tian Ren naturally knew the same. Tian Ren was trying to get a feel for his opponent before fully going all out with the intention to kill. With less than a second passing, Tian Ren and the mysterious man moved again. They appeared in front of each other and the mysterious man sliced horizontally with his hand as if he was holding an invisible fan. At the same time, Tian Ren sliced straight down with his sword. The mysterious man''s Darkness Qi and Tian Ren''s lightning Qi clashed, pushing both of them back. Once again, they moved speedily, clashed, got knocked back, and repeated. Slash, slice, upward thrust, downward slice, over and over again as they moved around the mountain. The mountain was hard and resilient, but the constant clashes of the two men had made it seem more similar to the moon with its many craters than a flat area. After many clashes, both men were ready to fight to the death. They had understood their opponent as much as possible. Both backed up farther away than before and moved their hands. Tian Ren was up in the sky and raised his hand high, using an immense amount of lightning Qi. In just a moment, Tian Ren had formed a lightning dragon that shot down towards the mysterious man on the ground. At the same time, the mysterious man raised his hand from a lower position and a dragon of darkness Qi shot out of the ground. The two dragons clashed with each other, sending a horizontal burst of energy that shot into the distance. In the moment that the dragons were forcing each other back, Tian Ren and the mysterious man didn''t wait. Tian Ren collapsed his lightning sword into pure lightning Qi that covered his fist as he flew down towards the mysterious man. The mysterious man covered his fist in darkness Qi and struck out at Tian Ren''s descending fist. In the instant their fist clashed, ten thousand lightning strikes flew from behind Tian Ren, each of them aimed at the mysterious man''s body. Meeting those lightning strikes was ten thousand birds of darkness Qi flying at Tian Ren''s body. Both the fists and the secondary attacks met at the same time. A giant curtain of dust from the extremely sorry mountain blocked the outcome of the collision. In just a moment, the dust cleared as the two dragons dissipated at the same time and caused a wind to move the dust away. Flying opposite to each other, Tian Ren had an injury on his arm that trailed from his pinky fingers knuckle to his inner elbow. It wasn''t quite bone deep, but the injury seemed severe. The mysterious man stood on the other side, completely unharmed. If he had a face, Tian Ren supposed it would be one full of mockery. "The victor is clear. Just this once, I''ll allow you to live if you leave." The mysterious man stated. A staring match ensued. "Did you think that that was everything?" Tian Ren suddenly said, a hint of arrogance reaching his face, slightly shocking the mysterious man. "I am the creation of heaven! From the moment I was born, his words echoed in my ear! My power is his! My life is his! Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the son of heaven!" Tian Ren shouted. In an instant, he appeared high in the sky, his arms spread out. "HEAVEN!" He shouted once again. In a second, the lightning bolt imprint on his forehead snapped open, revealing an eye. The moment it opened, a giant eye formed in the sky, giving a horrid pressure to the mysterious man. He was nearly forced to his knees in an instant. While it seemed like heaven had made an appearance, he hadn''t. The giant eye was formed from a special power that heaven had given Tian Ren the moment the lightning bolt struck him. It seemed unfair, but the power was not without drawbacks. Firstly, the Qi consumption of Tian Ren would shoot through the roof. If he fought with his full power, his Qi would last thirty minutes maximum. Secondly, even if he won the battle unscathed, he would be severely injured for a period of time. Among the injuries he would receive was temporary blindness. The blindness would not only blind his eyes, but even his divine sense would no longer work until the injuries healed. As the mysterious man struggled not to kneel on the ground, Tian Ren formed another lightning sword in his hand. It was clearly much more powerful than before. Increasing Tian Ren''s strength was another power of the heaven eye. Deciding not to waste any time in order to limit his injuries, Tian Ren shot forward at his top speed and sliced down upon the mysterious man''s head. Suddenly, the mysterious man, who was almost kneeling, moved slightly to the side, causing the sword to miss his head and lodge itself deep into his shoulder, reaching even his upper stomach. Tian Ren tried to move the sword out in an instant, but it seemed stuck in something. "Damn you! Heaven!" The mysterious man shouted as he punched up at the side of Tian Ren''s head with his arm that still functioned. Tian Ren was caught off guard by the sudden attack and was directly hit in the temple. With his increased strength, it should have simply made him stumble backwards, but he went flying to the side, leaving his lightning sword to dissipate in the man''s injured body. With a single look, one could tell why the mysterious man''s attack was so powerful. Raging off of his fist like a flame was a reddish, flame-like power with thousands of stretched out faces. Only two black eyes and a black, screaming mouth could be seen on each of the thousands of faces as they flowed by. This was one of the mysterious man''s trump cards, the hundred thousand soul flame. In order to create the power, he had to kill a hundred thousand beings and entrap their suffering souls. Tian Ren recovered from the ground and looked at the power. His face turned into a frown. The screeching screams and the power that the power gave off was horrifying. Even with the heaven eye above him, the mysterious man was able to stand up and move. As Tian Ren was about to move forward to attack, something fell out of the mysterious man''s cloth body. Chapter 220: Bi Chong - 220 Chapter 220 - Bi Chong - 220 At the same time, both Tian Ren and the mysterious man turned their heads to look at whatever fell out. It took Tian Ren a second to comprehend the situation, but he was quickly able to tell what it was. It was a worm. A pink worm that was now rolling around on the ground, seemingly in pain from leaving the mysterious man''s body. A moment after it fell out, a couple more worms began to fall out. Then, they started falling out even faster. Tian Ren was so stunned and confused that he didn''t even attack. He watched as the mysterious man covered the wound to prevent any more worms from falling out and a large amount of Qi was infused into the area. By the time the mysterious man removed his hand, no more worms were falling out. For some reason, however, the cloth on the mysterious man''s body was not healed. "Since it has come to this point, I might as well just show everything. It''s been a while since I''ve breathed fresh air anyway." The mysterious man said, talking to himself as he reached for his head and scrunched up the cloth on his scalp by grabbing it before fully pulling the cloth off, revealing his true body. Tian Ren''s eyes widened even further as he saw the man, no, the worm''s true body. A bunch of worms were crawling around together while maintaining the shape of a human body. Tian Ren couldn''t see through the pile of worms, but he quickly assumed that the man''s personal body must be under the worms somewhere. "My name is Bi Chong. I am the first and last patriarch of the worm race." He stated. If anyone from the beast world were to be present, they would be extremely shocked at the revealing of Bi Chong''s true identity. The worm race, while not particularly powerful, used to be one of the top one hundred races in the entire beast world. However, it had suddenly disappeared many years ago. Nobody knew how it happend, or even when it happened as it went unnoticed for a long time. When the main area of the worm race was investigated, no traces of anything were found whatsoever. Now, the patriarch of the worm race had been revealed to be the strongest existence of the beast world. "From the moment I was born, I was able to feel a connection with the members of my worm race. It wasn''t the type of connection one feels with fellow members of a species, but the type of connection one feels when they are one with another." Bi Chong started saying. Tian Ren didn''t know why he was yapping, but he silently listened on, healing from his earlier injuries. "It wasn''t until I reached the void traversing realm and became the first patriarch of the worm race that I understood what the feeling was. I literally was connected with all of the worm race. By exerting my superior power, I was able to erase their minds and connect them with me. A bit of memories still lingered in order to protect their souls, but the entire worm race became a part of me." He said before finally taking his gaze off of the distance and looking at Tian Ren. "Sorry for all the monologing. I''ve never told anyone my story before, and since you will be dead in a few minutes, I supposed that you wouldn''t mind me rehearsing." Bi Chong said. "I did mind. Your voice isn''t exactly pleasant without your filthy little costume on." Tian Ren responded. He felt nothing but disgust for the worm in front of him. Without another word, Tian Ren and Bi Chong moved. Tian Ren once again reached his hand in the air and used a bolt of lightning to form a lightning sword as he moved towards Bi Chong. At the same time, Bi Chong moved his right hand to his left side as if he was going to pull a sword out of his sheath. As he did so, some of the worms on his body moved and formed a sword in his hands. He then began to swing it forward. As he did so, he covered the sword in darkness Qi, solidifying and sharpening it, before finally covering it with the hundred thousand soul flame. Only then did Tian Ren and Bi Chong''s swords connect. A much more powerful force than before exploded out, creating a crater in the ground much bigger than before. Tian Ren pushed the heaven eye to its limit, increasing the pressure it gave off as well as increasing his own strength, and Bi Chong with his new and revealed form was able to fully show off the power of his divine physique, its exact effect unknown to anyone but Zhou Fan. Despite Tian Ren''s power being gifted by heaven itself, both people only tied in the first clash. In a second, a hundred more clashes followed. They flew around the mountain wildly, teleporting everywhere despite the Qi it took. In the next second they clashed a thousand times. Then ten thousand, before finally averaging a hundred thousand clashes in a second. In only five seconds, the mountain was severely damaged and on the brink of falling apart. Finally gathering the maximum momentum, both Tian Ren and Bi Chong were ready for the final move. Tian Ren teleported directly below the eye again with his sword raised straight up. The eye of heaven sent an immense amount of Qi into the sword, still remaining in the air and providing pressure, but not having much of its previous power. It would only stay for another second, but that was more than enough. Next, a hundred thousand lightning strikes struck Tian Ren''s sword, completely sucking every bit of Qi out of the clouds formed from his power. Everything happened in less than half of a second. Tian Ren''s sword was now releasing a power it never had before. On the ground, Bi Chong was also preparing his move. All the darkness within ten million miles gathered on his sword of worms. The power of the hundred thousand soul flame was giving off also increased higher. In a fourth of a second, it turned an even darker red. Bi Chongs final trump card had arrived. The million soul flame. Chapter 221: The Battle鈥檚 End - 221 Chapter 221 - The Battle''s End - 221 As the million soul flame covered his sword, Bi Chong also gave off a level of power that he never had before. The next part was simple. Tian Ren swung his sword downwards with all of his might and Qi as he fell towards Bi Chong. Bi Chong swung his sword up at the descending Tian Ren with all of his might and Qi. As the two swords were inches away from each other, space shattered all around them. There had been many fluctuations in space during the whole battle, but due to the increased strength of the space within Zhou Fan''s mortal dao, it had never so much as cracked. Now, however, the space was actually shattering. Both people were at the 6th level of the space shattering realm, and others at that level would usually not be able to even crack the space in Zhou Fans mortal dao, much less shatter it. Different from many others in the 6th level of the space shattering realm, both Tian Ren and Bi Chong had talent that rivaled anyone else''s in the universe. Tian Ren was the first heavenborn and had been gifted a lot of power by heaven, while Bi Chong had a divine physique. As the space shattered, the two mens attacks reached each other. There was no push or pull between the two men as their attacks had used up every bit of their Qi. Regardless of their attack strength, neither of them had the ability to move another muscle in their bodies. When the swords finally displayed their power, Tian Ren''s sword was cut through and Bi Chongs attack reached him. Bi Chongs Qi went through half of his body from the part of his shoulder closest to his neck to half of his leg, cleanly cutting through him. While Bi Chong managed to cut through Tian Ren''s sword, not all of the power on the sword was able to be neutralized. Tian Ren had much better aim and his attacks'' Qi went from Bi Chongs head to his stomach. As much of the power was dispersed, however, Bi Chong was not completely cut through and only a deep, large mark was left on his body. Many worms were also killed and a slight rainbow color could barely be seen within the center of his stomach due to the cut. With the explosion and the shattering of space, along with the depletion of Qi, both Tian Ren and Bi Chong were launched backwards into the air like rockets and began to fall to the ground at a great speed. While the fall wouldn''t truly kill either of them, it wouldn''t be pleasant. As Tian Ren was halfway through his fall, a hand grabbed the back of his neck and carried him. If Tian Ren was not unconscious, he would be happy to see Heaven. Not in a very good mood, Heaven had a rare frown on his face. He had grown quite close to Tian Ren and did like the state was in. After all, nearly half of his body was completely cut off and he was on the verge of death. Although he tried to maintain neutrality, he didn''t plan on letting Tian Ren die unless he was killed by another person''s direct attack, not just from the injuries he suffered from an attack. As for Bi Chong, Heaven let him fall into an unexplored forest below the mountain. He had no intention of saving him, but he knew that Bi Chong had a 95% chance of survival despite being passed out and in a state of Qi exhaustion like Tian Ren. Holding Tian Ren, Heaven left the world and brought Tian Ren back to the heaven world. He wouldn''t fully treat him, but he would make sure that he didn''t die. ---------------------------------------- Above the mountain within the final world, Zhou Fan appeared. In just a moment, he disappeared and reappeared next to Bi Chongs body. It was still mostly intact, but the worms which once constantly moved were now completely still. Heaven may have not had any intention of saving Bi Chong, but Zhou Fan had a use for him. Therefore, he would not let him die for now. As he did not know too much about divine physiques even to this day and didn''t want to experiment on himself, he decided that Bi Chong would be the perfect subject. After all, nobody would really miss him even if something went horribly wrong and he died. The beast world may be in trouble, but Zhou Fan would rectify his mistake one way or another. As he didn''t feel like touching Bi Chong for obvious reasons, Zhou Fan wrapped him in his Qi and took him to his shack. Meanwhile, on a planet far far away, a worm with gray lines running through it suddenly started to squirm. It didn''t know why it had squirmed in the first place, but the worm felt as if something bad was happening far away. Soon, the squirms calmed down and the worm continued with its daily life. ----------------------------------------------- For both the members of the beast world and the heaven world, the next thousand years passed slowly. For the members of the beast world, their leader had disappeared. The alliance was starting to falter and the sense of unity between them was slowly fading. As for the members of the heaven world, things weren''t quite as bad. Tian Ren had technically returned, but he was seriously injured and had been passed out for a while. Even when his injuries were healed he had remained passed out without anyone being able to tell why. In any other situation, other groups would usually take advantage of the situation and try to kill Tian Ren or demolish the things he had created at least, but the existence of heaven was known and proven. Any idiot that tried to do something like that would quickly be killed as to avoid heaven''s wrath. As the thousand years passed, Tian Ren finally woke up. He had only stayed passed out due to Qi exhaustion, so he had been physically fine for a long time. Others couldn''t regenerate quite like Zhou Fan, so the stronger they were, the worse the effects of Qi exhaustion. A space shattering cultivator''s recovery time from Qi exhaustion could rival the current strength Zhou Fan''s recovery time. Chapter 222: Galactic Assembly - 222 Chapter 222 - Galactic Assembly - 222 Both the heavenborns and the other races on the heaven world were thrilled that Tian Ren finally woke up. Now, the exploration of the other worlds could continue. While everyone else was excited about Tian Ren''s awakening, Tian Ren himself was feeling worried. He wasn''t sure what had happened after the final clash or how he appeared back on the heaven world. He assumed that heaven was the reason he was in the heaven world, but he was more worried about the outcome of the final clash. If both him and Bi Chong were incapacitated, then it could be considered a draw, but if only he had passed out and heaven had saved him, he would feel too much shame. Meanwhile, above the beast world, Zhou Fan appeared holding Bi Chong by the back of the cloth covering him. He had finished his experiments with Bi Chong and Bi Chong had survived them without issue. In order to properly experiment on him, Zhou Fan had to heal him, so Bi Chong was currently in a perfectly healthy state and would wake up from his passed out state as soon as Zhou Fan willed it. As a bit of compensation for the experimentation on the passed out Bi Chong, Zhou Fan had also rebuilt the cloth that had covered him. After considering the best approach to dropping Bi Chong off, Zhou Fan decided to simply place him in his house. Although tensions had been rising ever since he disappeared, no one had gained the courage to enter Bi Chong''s house without permission. Thanks to that, Zhou Fan was able to quietly return him without a single soul noticing. With Bi Chongs matter finished, Zhou Fan went back to the shack, preparing to continue his studies. The studying of Bi Chongs divine physique had given him some insights that could be used to help him in his study of cultivation. After a while, Bi Chong woke up and made his presence known. He too was unaware of what had happened after the final clash. What confused him the most was how he ended up in his house. After racking his brain for a long time, he eventually gave up and prepared to continue the exploration of the worlds. Once he had discovered all of the planets before the final world, he would once again return, hopefully with more strength than before. 50,000 years passed very quickly. Both Tian Ren and Bi Chong had colonized every single world before the final world, but they had yet to take another step into the final array. Every now and then, they would stand in front of the array and stare at it for a while. Still, they had yet to step in again. They both wanted to reach a much higher level of strength before going back in. At the very least, they wanted to reach the tenth level of the space shattering realm. Such a step seemed to be close by as they were at the 9th level, but in reality, it would take an extremely long time for them to take that step. Both men continued to increase the power of their organizations, until one day. Both had been cultivating in seclusion, but something suddenly teleported on top of their laps, making them jump in fright for a moment. The objects that fell into their laps were the same. Both men got letters. The letters read "Dear Tian Ren / Bi Chong, you have been invited to join the first meeting of the galactical assembly. As the strongest member of your race, your presence has been formally requested." Below the words were coordinates that led to places on their original worlds and a time a year from now. It didn''t take much thinking for them to agree. Not only were they curious, but they were also worried that whoever sent the letter would be offended if they didn''t join. By their logic, someone able to teleport a letter into their room without being noticed whatsoever would be immensely powerful. The letters were also confusing as they had never heard about anyone in the galaxy but themselves, but they decided to assume that they were ignorant. Tian Ren had already felt that his people and Bi Chongs people were not the only ones in the universe from Heaven''s words. Preemptively, both Tian Ren and Bi Chong made their way to the coordinates on the paper. As they had to pass through multiple arrays, it took a good amount of time to reach the location, but they made it in time. Surprisingly, they weren''t the only ones at the location. Bi Chong saw the patriarchs of the ten strongest races in the beast world, as well as the strongest supreme beast, while Tian Ren saw a couple patriarchs of some races and the strongest supreme beast. After some conversation, everyone got along and waited until the time on the letter came. At the exact moment of time on the letter, both groups on both worlds saw a blue light all around them. Without any of their knowledge, a teleportation array had formed! Soon, both groups disappeared. ------------------------------------------------- As Tian Ren opened his eyes, he was shocked by what he saw. Around him were giant pillars and clear walls that allowed him to see that they were on a building floating in space. Next, he turned his gaze to the left and was surprised to see Bi Chong appearing, along with many other beasts. Bi Chong also noticed him, but they did not speak or even fight. They simply nodded their heads at each other, coming to a temporary agreement. As they looked away from each other, they both looked forward. Far in front of them was a set of stairs with red carpet that led to two men sitting on thrones. Tian Ren clearly recognized the first one. It was a child dressed in a black and white robe. However, the person next to Heaven was completely unknown to either Tian Ren or Bi Chong. It was a man dressed in a gray robe with gray hair and gray eyes. Despite knowing that Heaven was almighty, Tian Ren still had a feeling that the man next to him was much more important. Chapter 223: Learning The Hard Way - 223 Chapter 223 - Learning The Hard Way - 223 "Welcome to the first galactic assembly." Heaven said as he stood up. "First off, I would like to inform everyone that there is a no fighting rule in place. If anyone wants to experience the consequences of breaking that rule, please do it now rather than later." After a moment of silence from both groups, heaven continued. "Good. As there are only two sections of the galaxy with life in them, you all are the only ones who will be attending this assembly." While he spoke, everyone started to look around and take in the room. Only Tian Ren and Bi Chong gave their full attention to heaven. "Before we introduce ourselves, I will ask you all to relocate to the next room. There, we will continue." Heaven said as he waved his hand and a section of the invisible wall on the right disappeared, replaced by an arched doorway leading to a much bigger room. As the archway appeared, Heaven started to walk down the steps and into the new room. Soon after, the man in gray followed. Once those two entered the room, Tian Rens group entered, then Bi Chongs group entered. The room was much bigger than the last. There was nothing but a floor, a circular stone table, and chairs. There were no walls or ceilings in the room, revealing the endless space outside. Despite there being no walls, it was clear that an invisible array blocked the space from entering and kept the room filled with air. Heaven and the man in gray sat side by side on one section of the circular table, while Tian Ren''s group eventually settled in the seat nearer to heavens side and Bi Chong''s group sat nearer to the man in gray. Bi Chong and Tian Ren ended up sitting next to each other on the opposite side of the table from heaven and the man in gray. There were a perfect number of seats around the table. "Now, my name is Heaven. Some of you have heard of me, and some of you have not." Heaven said, dropping a bomb on the people from the heaven world and confusing everyone from the beast world except Bi Chong, who remembered the name from his battle with Tian Ren. Despite gaining a bit of fear as he sat across from someone much more powerful than him that he could be considered minor enemies with, Bi Chong did not change his face or posture, continuing to sit with respect. "As for the man beside me, he is Zhou Fan, my father." Heaven stated, dropping a bomb on everyone from the heaven world, including Tian Ren, whose mouth was literally on the floor. "The purpose of this meeting is simple. To promote peace and increase prosperity." Heaven said. "I do not expect absolute peace from you two", he said while looking at Bi Chong and Tian Ren, "But I am giving you the chance to at least be more diplomatic about your approach and possibly not involve your people." "We will not really need to use this room right now, but it will be more useful in the future." Heaven said as he stood up. "Now, if you don''t mind, I would ask that Tian Ren and Bi Chong pick two of your people that you trust the most and come to the next room with me. As for the rest of you, my father will take you to a different room and give you all some pointers." Heaven said as he began to walk to another room on the right. As he did so, Bi Chong and Tian Ren signaled to two of their people before entering the room on the right that had appeared. Left alone with the man in gray, the leftovers seemed somewhat uncomfortable. Suddenly, Zhou Fan stood up. "There''s no need to feel too stressed or worried. I was dragged here by Heaven. I don''t really want to be here regardless." Zhou Fan said as he stretched his arms. "There are only twenty of you, follow me into the room behind us." He said as he turned around and walked into the arch that had appeared. As the twenty people got up and walked to the arch, they were able to tell that, unlike the last arch, this one used spatial Qi. It appeared that the one Tian Ren and Bi Chong entered was the same. As the group entered, they saw a huge and completely white room with black lines that made squares. "As heaven had said, this assembly is to promote both peace and prosperity. He is dealing with peace, while I am dealing with prosperity. Those guys should take a while, so I''ll guide you all in fighting techniques and cultivation." Zhou Fan said. Only now did the group of people feel an emotion other than nervousness. They were excited to learn something from an extremely powerful existence. "Everyone get in a cultivation position." Zhou Fan said. "I will walk around while you cultivate and adjust your imperfections." Although he was dragged to the assembly by heaven, he didn''t feel upset as he would be able to put his increased knowledge of cultivation to good use. "If you guys can listen properly, some of you at the tenth level of the void traversing realm may just be able to break through to the space shattering realm when you get back on your planets." Zhou Fan stated, increasing the excitement they felt. "OWW!" One of the members in the group suddenly said. Hearing him, everyone slightly opened their eyes in order to see what was happening. At some point, a yardstick had appeared in Zhou Fan''s hand and he had smacked the man on the arm. "A little to the left... Whack. Now a little to the right... Whack. Are you stupid or something?" Cries of pain echoed out of the room for the next 5 hours. Meanwhile, Tian Ren and Bi Chong were looking at a map of the final world laid across the table. They were in a candle lit room with walls of bookshelves filled with books and rolled up papers. Chapter 224: You Have Suffered - 224 Chapter 224 - You Have Suffered - 224 "In order to best promote peace on the final world, we will now decide what area will be claimed by both of your groups." Heaven said. "Each of you will pick 10% of the planet near your arrays and establish initial bases there. From that point, everything is in your hands and I will not interfere." After listening to his words, both Tian Ren and Bi Chong nodded. Neither of them could find a reason as to why peace wasn''t an option. Although they fought, they didn''t exactly have an irreconcilable grudge with each other. At least for now, under the suggestion of Heaven, both people decided that a temporary peace treaty was the best possibility. That way, they would be able to at least live on the final world without worrying about battles for now. The arrays on the planet were on opposite sides, so the picking of an area didn''t cause any sort of strife whatsoever. Tian Ren settled on a mountain range with normal but big mountains, while Bi Chong settled on a huge valley area. The area contained ravines and other subterranean things. Next, a peace treaty was drafted. The process ended up taking multiple days, but an agreeable peace treaty was written and signed under the watch of heaven. There were many small bits, but the main idea was that the heavenborns, as well as Tian Ren, would not fight, battle, or harm any member of the beast race and other races of the beast world unless first provoked. The same went for the beast world. The treaty, while not omnipotent, ensured that no large-scale organized battles would happen between the two groups. There were always rule breakers that may attack heavenborns or beasts without being provoked, which was the reason the first part of the treaty was added, but they would be hunted down by both residents of the heaven world and residents of the beast world. The rest of the treaty made sure there were no loopholes or forgotten additions to the treaty. In the end Tian Ren and Bi Chong shook hands before walking out of the room with heaven and the two people they had picked to come with them. As they entered the room with the round table, they were confused to see the seats empty. "Where did they go?" Tian Ren asked. He wasn''t worried since he was sure that heaven wouldn''t harm the people of the heaven world, but he was confused. "Oh yes. I forgot to mention that my father has been giving them pointers. You all should probably join in." Heaven said as he walked around the table and led the group to the entrance of the training room. As they got closer, Tian Ren heard the sound of fighting and felt even more confused. As they entered, they were astounded to see everyone they had brought with them was laying on the ground from exhaustion and slight pain. "All right. Five minute break. Next time, you get six more people. No, make it seven." Zhou Fan said as he looked at heaven. Heaven, who had been initially calm and collected, even arrogant and aloof, suddenly felt fear envelop him. "Are... Are you sure? I''m pretty busy." Heaven stammered out as he backed away slowly. "Don''t make me chase you. Get in and face fate." Zhou Fan said with a kind smile on his face before he sat down and began to meditate. "Well. It''s over." Heaven said dejectedly as he started stretching. Despite his words, he was actually quite excited to fight Zhou Fan. Although losing was the only possibility, it would undoubtedly be an interesting experience. During the next five minutes, heaven gathered all of the participants of the battle and planned a strategy with him. Eventually, Zhou Fan hopped up and created a barrier around the walls so that they weren''t destroyed in the upcoming battle. "Whenever you''re ready." He said as he looked at the group in front of him. Heaven stepped forward and moved his Qi. Everyone in the group suddenly felt their power increase by at least 3 times. Luckily, they were informed of it before and weren''t too surprised. Next, Tian Ren led the people from the heaven world and circled around to the other side of Zhou Fan, while Bi Chong did the same on another side. Then, the battle began. Heaven fully displayed his power at the 1st level of the inner world realm. Lightning Qi, Life Qi, and Death Qi covered his entire body as he quickly powered up. As soon as he was ready, he moved towards Zhou Fan in an instant. He arrived, fist pulled back and ready to punch, in front of Zhou Fan before anyone could even react. Suddenly, Zhou Fan ducked and the swung fist missed him. He was moving so fast that heavens body couldn''t react as a finger touched his forehead and he went flying backwards into Zhou Fans barrier. Although still stunned, the two groups moved in as soon as they saw heaven move. They used varying Qi''s to attack Zhou Fan, and they made sure to not hold back a bit. Chuckling a little, Zhou Fan decided to have some fun. Tian Ren''s fist was the first to reach him, with Bi Chongs not far behind. Zhou Fan grabbed Tian Ren''s elbow and swung him around like a weapon and hit him against Bi Chong, sending them both flying. After those two were dealt with, a beast that used demonic Qi was about to claw him, Zhou Fan covered his hand with Buddhist Qi and hit the beast in the chest, sending him flying. The same process repeated itself many times as Zhou Fan used opposing Qi against others. After 10 seconds, everybody was out of commission. "Five minutes." Zhou Fan said before he once again meditated. "This is nonsense." Tian Ren said as he flipped himself over. "How do you think we feel? We''ve been doing this for 5 hours straight." One of the people that had followed Zhou Fan into the room retorted. "Apologies. You have suffered." Chapter 225: Fiendcelestials - 225 Chapter 225 - Fiendcelestials - 225 For the next week, Zhou Fan beat up the group of people invited to the galactic assembly, as well as heaven himself. Once a day for an hour, he would also help them cultivate better. On the 7th and last day, everyone was gathered around Zhou Fan once again. Nobody had managed to survive a single move or land a single hit on Zhou Fan the entire time, but they all felt their battle prowess constantly rising. They held no hope of hitting Zhou Fan even now, but they would continue to try with all of their efforts. "Start." At Zhou Fan''s words, Heaven shot out towards him and covered his fist with life Qi, lightning Qi, and death Qi. He punched out with all of his strength at Zhou Fan''s stomach. Zhou Fan twisted the space around heaven''s fist and made it hit the barrier, before he kicked heaven in the chest and sent him flying backwards. He had yet to go easy on anyone besides holding back his strength and had no plans to do so. As Tian Ren and Bi Chong closed in together, now showing off more teamwork than before, Zhou Fan grabbed their faces and threw them into the barrier. For the rest of the people, Zhou Fan created spikes out of earth Qi that stopped every single one from moving unless they wanted to be pierced. "Good job. I can see that every single one of you has improved greatly in the last week. I feel that this is more than enough training. See you at the next galactic assembly." Zhou Fan said as he walked out of the room. Phew. A collective sigh was let out by every single person in the room, including heaven. The torture was over. Although they were complimented at the end, they somewhat felt that the words were mocking. "Well. You heard him. Time to leave." Heaven said as he patted off his clothes and tidied his appearance. "Be in the throne room in five minutes or you''ll be left here to die alone." Within a minute, everybody was in the throne room and ready to leave. "It was nice seeing you again Tian Ren." Heaven said as he waved his hand a teleportation array activated. Before Tian Ren could respond, he reappeared back on the heaven world. In the throne room, heaven turned around and saw Zhou Fan drinking tea. "Is what you said true? Are you going to come to every galactic assembly?'' Heaven asked. He found it hard to believe that Zhou Fan of all people would get involved. "It allows me to put some of my studying to good use. Plus, I haven''t been doing anything important recently. This can be considered a short break every now and then." Zhou Fan responded. Although the galactic assembly would be a rare occurrence, he would be free for the foreseeable future. "I should be getting back now. See you later." Zhou Fan said as he disappeared from the hall, leaving heaven alone to think. In the following years, Tian Ren and Bi Chong colonized their areas on the final world. It didn''t take very long as they didn''t have to worry about surprise attacks, but it wouldn''t be a short process due to how much bigger the final world was compared to the other planets. At the very least, there was a thousand times difference in size. While Tian Ren and Bi Chong were getting busy, Heaven was not idle. ''As far as I''m concerned, the heavenborn race is fully developed. As for the beast race, it is good on its own. The question is, what should I do now?'' Heaven thought to himself. it didn''t take him long to come up with an answer. The goal was never to have the heavenborn or the beast race dominate the galaxy. It was to make the galaxy prosperous and filled with life. More importantly, it was to test Zhou Fan''s ideas for the universal consciousness, although heaven was mostly in the dark about that. Heavens decided that the next thing he would do is create more races. They wouldn''t have to be carefully crafted like the heavenborns, but they would need to at least be functional. Heaven quickly got to work. In just 10,000 years, he had managed to create 5 new races and thirty new planets. The planets would be used to introduce the new races to the final world. As he had conferred with Zhou Fan on some of the ideas for the races, he had created 3 races already existing in the universe but slightly different. First were the demons. Second were the elves. Third were the barbarians. As for the other two, Zhou Fan had taken a special interest in them and helped heaven create them in earnest. The 4th race was called the spirit race. They did not have physical bodies or brains, but existed only in soul form. Completely physical attacks had no effect on them, but any sort of Qi use did. They also had a natural weakness similar to the demon race. That was buddhist Qi, Light Qi, lightning Qi, and any other Qi that shared similar properties. The spirit race did not need to eat food to survive, and instead were born at the Qi gathering realm in order to survive off of Qi. The fifth and final race was also special. Zhou Fan had specially named the race the fiend celestials. They were somewhat similar to celestials and heavenborns in terms of talent, even somewhat surpassing them, but it was extremely hard for them to reproduce. A thousand attempts may still result in failure. There was also another special thing about them. Due to their high talent and potential, Zhou Fan had specially requested that only 3000 of them are allowed to be alive at once. They looked somewhat humanoid, but their skin was gray and they were abnormally tall from birth. As a mortal adult, they would reach 15 feet in height. As they grew stronger, their heights would increase greatly. Luckily, they would be able to control their height once they reached the void traversing realm. Finally, they were born with an abnormal affinity to fiend Qi. Chapter 226: Change - 226 Chapter 226 - Change - 226 Out of the thirty new worlds heaven had created, he decided to put the 5 races on five different ones. The other twenty five would be split evenly by the 5 races until they finally met in the final world. Therefore, the demon race for example, would go through their homeworld and five other planets before reaching an array that lead to the final world. Naturally, the five races arrays would be spread out across the world. They would also be far away from the heaven worlds and the beast worlds arrays. Like he had with the beast world, heaven decided to not play a major role in the five races'' development. He had added multiple species of beasts across the worlds and everyone born under Zhou Fans mortal dao naturally had some basic knowledge of cultivation, so there would not be any major difficulties in reaching the final world. In order to minimize the chances of difficulties even more, Heaven would distribute five books on the main world of the five races to a single member that had even more information. Despite not intending to interfere greatly or directly, Heaven planned on watching how the races built themselves up and arrived at the heaven world. With a wave of his hand, ten living beings landed on five different worlds, finally awakening their intelligence. ------------------------------------------------------- On a planet with a red sky and red dirt, a red skinned man and a red skinned woman appeared. Their bodies were filled with Demon Qi. They looked around with confusion, but they were unable to understand anything at all. For an entire day, they sat and looked around. Gradually, they began to blink and breathe. After a while longer, the man stood up and started walking. On a planet full of nature and life. A woman with pointed ears stood up from the ground. She had blond hair and light green eyes that looked at the beautiful nature around her. She was attracted by the sound of flowing water and began to walk towards it, ignoring the man still in a daze behind her. On a planet that seemed like either a wasteland or an endless desert, a man 7 foot tall stood up. He had a body full of muscles and a full face of hair. After a moment, he looked at the sun without shielding his eyes. Despite the immense burn, he continued looking as if he took the pain as a challenge. On a planet that seemed to be halfway between an illusion and reality, a spirit "stood" up and began floating around. Although the basic things on a normal world were around, everything seemed slightly different. On a planet similar to earth, with some nice nature, but not quite as lush as an elven planet, and big, empty wastelands, but not quite as big and empty as a barbarian world, a 15 foot tall man stood up. His entire body was gray and filled to the brim with Fiend Qi. He solemnly walked around, his footsteps echoing, as his female counterpart stood up behind him. In a trance like state, they both began to walk around, looking at everything there was to be looked at. ------------------------------------ In a shack on the edge of a universe, Zhou Fan made a breakthrough in his study of cultivation. What he had discovered seemed so obvious that he wanted to bang his head against a wall until it broke. He realized that he had made an error in his previous judgment. At one point, he believed that a being needed to comprehend one percent of the cosmic dao before being able to break into the lesser dao creation realm, but he recently realized his mistake. How could every being imitate him? Chaos Qi could be considered the base that all Qi''s came from, so of course Zhou Fan would need to comprehend all the Qi''s, and by association, the cosmic dao. However, not everyone could do that. Most people only focused on one or two elements or concepts when honing their powers. The elements or concepts they paid attention to were usually the ones they had the greatest affinity with. What he was trying to say was, the comprehension of the cosmic dao was not only an unnecessary requirement to reach the lesser dao creation realm, but actually impossible for most people. Instead, other cultivators would only need to comprehend an immortal element to 1% in order to break through. Not all of the immortal elements like Zhou Fan had to, but a single one! His misunderstanding had caused the people of the Zhou galaxy to be held back for no reason. Of course, forming a mortal dao was still required, but a cultivator only had to comprehend one percent of a mortal dao, or theorize it to such a level in order to do that. Although that would cause a lesser dao creation realm cultivators strength to be much lower than Zhou Fans in the same realm, when had that not been the case? With a new fire lit within him to rectify his past mistakes, Zhou Fan studied much more seriously than before. As he did so, he made a subtle change to his mortal dao, sending an instinctual message to all and unlocking something. ----------------------------------------------- In the Zhou World, a man sat under a tree. The tree had been known as the world tree for millions of years and was the treasure and guardian of the elf race. The man under it was the current patriarch of the elf race. Although there were some legends about old ancestors being alive and kicking somewhere, he was commonly accepted as the oldest and strongest elf. He had spent nearly a millions years trying to break into the lesser dao creation realm, but had been stopped at every turn. He had long comprehended the immortal element of plant Qi to 1%, and the mortal dao covering the galaxy to one percent, but he could not even touch the cosmic dao. He wasn''t sure if the requirements were fully true, but they were far too harsh for anyone to ever accomplish. Chapter 227: Lesser Dao Creation Realm Breakthroughs- 227 Chapter 227 - Lesser Dao Creation Realm Breakthroughs- 227 Suddenly, the elf in cultivations'' eyes snapped wide open. "T - This!" He stammered out. Out of nowhere, he had suddenly felt the air around him change. Then, he had felt something change within his cultivation. It was as if cultivation had gone from impossible mode to easy mode in the blink of an eye. Although he felt he could make many more improvements before breaking through, such as comprehending more immortal element Qi''s to 1% or trying to reach the impossible goal of comprehending the cosmic dao to 1%, which would increase his power and ability to move further in the future, he was far too thrilled to think about that. Not only was he aware that his potential was too limited, but he was too excited knowing that he could finally break through after so much time had passed. He quickly calmed himself down and settled into a meditation state. Due to his overwhelming accumulation, it took ten minutes to start his breakthrough. In an instant, Qi shot out of his body and pressured the surroundings. Every living being within a ten million mile radius could feel the overwhelming pressure and were unable to stand. Then, an explosion of Qi came from the man''s body. As it was about to reach a mile outward, the world tree behind him moved its leaves and formed an incredibly strong barrier. It was able to successfully block the explosion of Qi after using all its power and wasting millions of years of accumulation of Qi. The barrier the world tree had created was also able to eliminate the pressure in the surroundings, allowing the pressured people to stand once again. Despite being able to freely move, the most anyone did was stand up and look in the direction of the world tree which was visible from nearly anywhere in the surrounding billion miles. After twenty minutes, the Qi flowing out of the elf man''s body receded back into him. After so long, the world tree was horribly exhausted, but it was unable to not pay attention to the elf man below it. He had clearly experienced a breakthrough, but he was already at the tenth level of the space shattering realm. It should have been impossible for him to breakthrough further, especially since older people with greater talent had long been unable to. The world tree had been alive so long that it had also reached the tenth level of the space shattering realm and had even gained sentience. Despite its wisdom, it could come up with no other possibility besides a breakthrough into the lesser dao creation realm. For a moment, it was seriously confused at how such a thing could happen. Suddenly, it felt a change in the air. Then, it felt a change in its cultivation. ''Uh oh.'' It thought as a pressure was released from its body, pushing everyone but the elf man under it into the ground. As the elf man opened his eyes with glee, he was faced with an explosion of Qi coming from the world tree behind him. "What the hell?!" -------------------------------------------- Around the entire Zhou galaxy, similar breakthroughs were taking place. Although on average only one person among all those in the Zhou Galaxy would reach the tenth level of the space shattering realm every hundred thousand years, millions of years had passed and more than a hundred breakthroughs were occuring at the same time. Luckily, most had other strong beings or arrays that were able to defend the things around them from being decimated. Sadly, some areas were still completely destroyed due to bad preparation. Regardless of the damage to the surroundings, anyone who broke through felt much more excitement than disappointment. After so many years, reaching the lesser dao creation realm was nothing but a fantasy in the eyes of everyone. Now, the fantasy became a reality in front of their very eyes. When it came to overall power in the lesser dao creation realm, it was determined by a few things. First, the comprehension of immortal elements. The more elements that one had comprehended to one percent, which was the limit of the space shattering realm, the more powerful that person would be after breaking through. For example, the world tree had comprehended life Qi, wood Qi, and plant Qi to 1%, meaning it would be much stronger than the elf man. Second, the comprehension of the cosmic dao. Although reaching one percent comprehension was only something that could be done by Zhou Fan or someone comparable to him, which didn''t exist, there were some very old space shattering cultivators that had reached 0.001% comprehension or some other number around there. Their strengths were at a completely different level compared to the others. In an ocean world, a merman named Jack was one of the few experiencing the benefits of cosmic dao comprehension. He had also comprehended multiple immortal elements to 1%, causing his strength to reach even higher. For the first time in a while, he stood up and grabbed his trident which had remained his greatest weapon, even when now breaking into the lesser dao creation realm. He felt a great urge to battle, something which had gone missing after so many years had passed and every member of his species he had known as a young man had turned to dust. For the next few years, terrifying battles took place throughout the many worlds. If not for the increased strength of the planets, many would have been destroyed. -------------------------------------- Back in heavens galaxy, Heaven was watching as the new races developed. They had yet to understand the concept of an array, much less gain the power to use the teleportation arrays, but they were developing faster than expected. It was mostly due to the information they already had and the information heaven passed on to them, but their own talent could not be doubted. Besides the fiendcelestial race, none of the other races had potential equal to the heavenborns. They were more equal with the beast race, excluding exceptions like Bi Chong. Despite their lower talent, they may surpass a majority of the heavenborn race if the heavenborn race did not produce another person similar to Tian Ren. Chapter 228: Heavenborns Issue - 228 Chapter 228 - Heavenborns Issue - 228 The birth of zero talents within the heavenborn race had been worrying to Heaven for a long time. If a thousand years, or ten thousand years had passed before someone with talent was born, then he could understand it, or at least accept it. However, it had been much more than ten thousand, or even a hundred thousands years since the heavenborn race was created. After a certain amount of time, Heaven began to feel that either his luck was the worst in the entire universe, or there was something wrong with the genetics of the heavenborn race. Therefore, hoping that his luck wasn''t that bad, heaven began to search for anything in the heavenborns genetics that prevented them from giving birth to those with talent. Unfortunately, even after searching through every individual gene with all his might, he was unable to find any issue with the heavenborns races genetics. In the end, he sighed with resignation and began to walk towards the edge of the galaxy. Since he was unable to find any issues, he needed to go talk to the big boss in charge. On his way, he remembered to grab a heavenborn so that Zhou Fan could see the full genetics. The heavenborn remained alive, but in a sleeping state. It didn''t take long for heaven to reach the edge of the universe and knock on Zhou Fan''s shack door. "Who is it?" Zhou Fan jokingly asked before unlocking the door with Qi. As heaven entered, he saw Zhou Fan sitting on the floor, surrounded by an endless number of papers and scrolls that seemed to fill the room up to his chest. "Sorry about the mess, my spatial pocket was getting too messy with all of the papers, so I had to leave some of them out." He said as he waved his hand and put them in his spatial pocket. "Is something wrong?" Zhou Fan asked. "Yes. The heavenborn race has still not produced a talent like Tian Ren after so long. I was going to ask if you could take a look at their genetics and see if I did something wrong." Heaven answered. Heaven then exited the shack and came back in with the body of a heavenborn. "Here." Heaven said as he handed the heavenborn to Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan covered the heavenborn in his Qi and had him float in front of him as he looked over the heavenborn with his divine sense. After a preliminary examination, he used his understanding of creation to help him out some more. Before long, he was able to spot the issue. "I almost forgot that you have never seen the genetics of a human. That is what I had based the celestial race upon, only making slight changes to enhance the genes that made humans so great and changing the appearance. Since you had no such reference point, you ended up removing the most important genes in all living things." Zhou Fan said as he looked at heaven. "It is this tiny gene that allows all living things to be born with infinite potential and talent." Zhou Fan said as he created a gene and showed it to heaven. "While the gene may sound powerful, it is essentially useless on its own. Everything needs to be connected and resonate in order to connect living things with talent. By removing such a gene from the equation, you have limited the potential of the heavenborn race." Zhou Fan explained, taking the opportunity to teach heaven something. "In simpler terms, no Heavenborn is able to have talent surpassing that of Tian Rens without this gene. Go ahead and fix that." Zhou Fan said, shooing heaven away before he could respond along with the heavenborn. As heaven was about to say thank you, the door closed. ''Well, at least it wasn''t bad luck.'' Heaven said to himself as he walked back to the heaven world, Heavenborn in tow. It wasn''t long before the heavenborn race was changed. It would still be a bit longer before any super talents were born, but heaven was willing to wait knowing that it was going to happen. In the meantime, he turned his gaze back to the 5 new races. Now, they were developing their first form of government, which was really just a king ruling over people deemed lesser, but everyone started somewhere. After a long period of development, they would have overthrowings and democracy, until cultivation became much bigger and took over the world. As for now, it was still in its starting stages of development. The strongest person of most races was at the first level of the foundation establishment stage. While they followed a general trend, one could easily see the differences in races. The demons were extremely cruel, while the elves were extremely kind. The barbarians were the ones who believed that strength decided all, despite the importance of cultivation being relatively low to them. Once they discovered body cultivation, that would all change pretty quickly. As for the spirit race, they barely had a government at all. It was more like a super strong spirit commanding a few others every now and then, but most were roaming around the world with little intelligence. Finally, the fiendcelestial race. They had reached their limit of 3000 despite the low birth rate. While fights were common, they were never fatal. They all lived together between a mountain range that fully surrounded them, and they were much more advanced than any of the other races. The strongest member of the fiendcelestial race was at the 10th level of foundation establishment, but he was one of the few that discovered the usefulness of cultivation first. As they had skipped the tyranny era and the major war era due to low numbers, the fiendcelestials were all friendly and welcoming, despite their slightly evil looking appearances. Heaven had his eye on one fiendcelestial in particular. He seemed to have incredible talent in just about everything cultivation wise. It took a little bit, but heaven was able to recall his name. ''It was Pangu, right?'' Chapter 229: The Chaos Era - 229 Chapter 229 - The Chaos Era - 229 The fiendcelestial named pangu had actually been born later than all of the other fiendcelestials. However, despite being only seven years old and starting cultivation just a month ago, he had managed to reach the first level of the foundation establishment realm. Due to everything Zhou Fan had set up within the mortal dao, such a speed of advancement had never been seen before in heavens galaxy. Speaking of setting up things within the mortal dao, Zhou Fan was actually starting to work on an outline for cultivation. As it currently is, cultivation is unpredictable and it was hard to tell if reaching the foundation establishment realm in a month was even impressive. Therefore, he was setting up the outline. By the time he was done, everyone would keep their current cultivations, but future cultivation would be very different. This was the first step to setting up a universal consciousness. Bringing order to the most important thing in the universe, cultivation. Otherwise, unpredictable changes would occur that would likely end up causing mass destruction. Once he was finished, the first era of true cultivation would be unleashed upon the universe. Before that, he would need to test it out on heavens galaxy. Naturally, nobody else knew about such changes happening. Even heaven himself had ended up being kept in the dark. Zhou Fan decided to only tell him once the outline was actually complete as he had no idea how long such a thing would take. For the next five years, Heaven continued to watch the five races develop, while still keeping an eye on the heavenborn race and the beast race. In those five years, not much had happened with the races as a whole, but Heaven was still paying attention to pangu. Now, Pangu had reached the age of 12. Just a year ago, he had decided to use an axe as his main weapon. Heaven felt that it was weird that he didn''t choose a sword like most people, but he felt that he must have had his reasons. In those five years, pangu had also reached the 5th level of the nascent soul realm, once again proving the chaotic state of the current path of cultivation. Even at a glance, Zhou Fan could tell that his talent was higher than Anna''s from long ago, yet he took much longer than her to cultivate. It was as if cultivation speed was based on pure chance with little regard to talent. Zhou Fan had also taken an interest in pangu, but it was mostly to help him progress in his building of the outline of cultivation. Pangu could be used as a reference for extremely talented cultivators. Of course, the speed of cultivation would be nowhere near the same. Zhou Fan felt that reaching such a high level in only five years was a little unnatural for multiple reasons. In order to bring order to cultivation, he would need to make it slow and steady for everyone, with talented people only being somewhat faster than everyone else, but not reaching the nascent soul realm in five years fast. The exact speed would have to be decided later, but the observation of Pangu would surely help. After another 5 years, Pangu was able to break into the 10th level of the soul formation realm. According to the previous experiences, the difficulty of cultivation would increase greatly and the journey from void traversing and upwards would be hundreds of thousands of times longer. This was the prime example of what Zhou Fan wanted to avoid. From nascent soul to the tenth level of the soul formation realm in just five years was ridiculous. At that point, Zhou Fan stopped paying attention to pangu. Any further growth would take extremely long and he wanted to focus his efforts on fixing cultivation. Heaven also stopped paying much attention to pangu, as well as the rest of the races. He knew that getting a space shattering cultivator would take an extremely long time and he could do many more things instead of lazily watching. He didn''t have that much interest in pangu anyway. ''How could someone like him possibly reach the same level as me.'' Heaven thought to himself. As everyone focused on their own things, ten thousand years passed quickly. Even now, none of the five races had a space shattering realm cultivator. Pangu was the closest at the 7th level of void traversing, and the other 4 races all had someone at the 3rd or 4th level. Within the final world, Tian Ren and Bi Chong had started to slowly expand their territories after fully occupying them. They were going so slow that it would take a million years for them to occupy another ten percent of the world, but they were satisfied knowing that progress was taking place. Both Bi Chong and Tian Ren were at the 10th level of the space shattering realm. Despite the much lower requirements to reach the lesser dao creation realm, it was still no easy feat at all. It would likely take them at least 500,000 years. Zhou Fan and heaven were still doing their own things, hardly affecting much on the surface, but below it, major changes were brewing. Unknown to anyone besides Zhou Fan himself, the greatest change that had ever happened since the birth of the universe and the birth of Zhou Fan was about to finish. Naturally, it was caused by Zhou Fan''s outline of cultivation. For millions of years, the universe and cultivation itself had been in a chaotic state with little order. The universe had some order due to the cosmic dao, but it rarely changed anything whatsoever. As for cultivation, Zhou Fan was the first one to embark upon it, and he was going to be the first to change it. With his knowledge of cultivation, the universe would experience great change. Even Zhou Fan was unaware of how big that change may be. Finally, the Chaos era was ending. Chapter 230: Explanations - 230 Chapter 230 - Explanations - 230 150,000 years later, Zhou Fan held a light in his hand. The light was multiple colors. In fact, it was every color to ever exist. Each color was made up of a different Qi. In total, every single Qi ever, excluding chaos Qi, was present upon Zhou Fan''s hand. Even the light of time Qi, which he had zero ability to use even now, was contained on Zhou Fan''s hand. Obviously, the light was the physical form of the outline of cultivation. For a better name, Zhou Fan referred to it as "Cultivation 1.0". It had taken a lot of thinking to build such a thing, but order would finally be brought to the universe. Well, the galaxy for now. Zhou Fan made sure that it was stable in place and sought out Heaven. Before he changed cultivation, he decided to find him and explain the process to him so that he was both knowledgeable of the changes and prepared for them. After finding Heaven, Zhou Fan dragged him to the shack so that he could multitask. "So... Just to be clear... You are saying that you are about to change cultivation, right?" Heaven asked, reasonably confused. Zhou Fan answered while setting up arrays around the room. "Yes. In case you haven''t noticed, it isn''t exactly stable." Zhou Fan explained. "I''ll explain everything in a moment. Just let me finish with these arrays." Zhou Fan said as he continued to quickly move around the room. Heaven recognized a couple of arrays and had some questions, but he decided to wait in silence and let Zhou Fan finish his work. After 3 minutes, Zhou Fan was finished. "Before you ask, the arrays are for you. Before I reset cultivation, I am going to temporarily take yours away and was setting up arrays that ensured you would survive in the middle of space. Don''t worry, you''ll get it back once I''m finished." Zhou Fan explained. "As you are heaven, the ruler of everything in this galaxy, and hopefully more if you work out, I should explain what is going to happen and the changes that will take place." Heaven nodded and began to seriously listen. "The most important thing you understand is that everything is variable. Nothing, especially not cultivation, is set in stone. If I did something like remove the randomness of cultivation, I would ruin its entire purpose." Zhou Fan said, emphasizing his words heavily. "Just remember, nothing I am about to tell you is absolute and you may often see things happening differently from the way I explain them." "Now, everything will be centered around you, the galaxy consciousness. At least, it will seem that way. In the eyes of a cultivator, heaven will be limiting them. That may change in later versions of cultivation, but we will see." Zhou Fan explained. "Cultivation will be limited in order to stop ridiculous growth rates from occuring. For example, no matter how talented one is, excluding the exceptions, if a person sits in a cave and cultivates in order to breakthrough, the fastest one can breakthrough each level of the Qi gathering realm has been decided. Ignoring reaching Qi gathering in the first place, reaching the second level from the first will take one day. From the 2nd level to the 3rd it will take two days. From the 3rd level to the 4th level it will take 3 days, and so on. It can be longer, but not shorter." Zhou Fan explained. "A similar rule applies to the foundation establishment realm. Now, no matter how much talent you have, it will take 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, and so on. As for how talented one would be to have to reach such speeds, it would be emperor level meridians." "For core formation, the rule goes by a month increase, nascent soul, a five year increase, soul formation, a 20 year increase, and at the void traversing realm, anything is fair game." Zhou Fan explained. "Of course, to reach such a high speed, much higher than emperor rank meridians would be needed." Zhou Fan explained. "Any questions so far?" Zhou Fan asked heaven. Hearing him, heaven raised his hand, indicating he had a question. "So are you saying that no more rules or limits are at the void traversing realm?" Heaven asked. "No. Not quite. It is just that there is no upper limit to speed. Mostly because there is no need for such a limit. I have never seen talent that would be able to casually zoom through the void traversing realm. Especially not with the new rules in place." Zhou Fan explained. "What rules?" Heaven asked. "The difficulty of cultivation in the void traversing realm and past it has also changed. A person with King rank meridians would take from ten thousand to fifty thousand years from the first level to the second level. It slightly increases further through the realm, but not quite as mathematically as before." Zhou Fan said. "Once again, I am excluding exceptions. Remember, exceptions exist and always will exist." "What about further realms?" Heaven asked. "Cultivation 1.0 only allows cultivators to reach the first level of the inner world realm before they reach a blockade. Once someone reaches that high, or possibly before then, I will update it. For the space shattering realm, someone with emperor level meridians could take anywhere from 500,000 year to a million years to go from first level to second level. Higher talent is going to be more of a requirement in cultivation 1.0." Zhou Fan explained. "What about the highest talent?" Heaven asked. "The highest talent I have categorized is immortal king. They would take around 30,000 to 70,000 years from the first to second level of space shattering. As for someone with immortal king meridians in the lesser dao creation realm, going from the first level to the second level would likely take 1 million to 5 million years. Naturally, thats ignoring however long they take before reaching the lesser dao creation realm from the space shattering realm." Zhou Fan explained. "That''s all I''ll explain for now. It is time to put these changes to the test." Chapter 231: The River of Cultivation - 231 Chapter 231 - The River of Cultivation - 231 Finally done speaking, Zhou Fan walked away from where heaven sat on the floor. In just a few steps, he was in front of the glowing light. "Although I don''t have enough strength to affect the entire universe even if I want to, affecting every galaxy covered by my mortal dao should be no problem. Regardless, your galaxy will be the only one affected right now." Zhou Fan said as he cupped his hands under and around the light. As he grabbed the light, Zhou Fan disappeared. Heaven was shocked, but he simply sighed and remained sitting, awaiting the loss of his cultivation. As soon as Zhou Fan grabbed the light, he teleported himself to an area that he had previously made. The area was far outside the galaxy and was once the most desolate place in the entire tree-like galaxy cluster, which also happened to be near enough to heavens galaxy that Zhou Fan could teleport to it. In what was once the most desolate place in the tree-like galaxy cluster, a giant river created by Zhou Fan flowed. The river was not made up of water, but of every single Qi besides chaos Qi itself. The giant river was not actually there, however. Instead, it was in an isolated space. The space worked similar to Zhou Fan''s pocket space that he stored items in. Zhou Fan stood at the start of the river that seemed to flow on forever. He had decided to name the river, "The river of cultivation". Essentially, this was where the physical and spiritual manifestation of cultivation would be. Any changes that Zhou Fan made would affect the river and the space it was contained in. Besides the river, everything seemed to be an endless black with no light or distant stars. Only the sound of the flowing river and a faint twinkle that resembled wind chimes could be heard. Around the entire isolated space were arrays that even Zhou Fan would struggle to get past. They made sure that the cultivation river was fully protected both defensively and offensively. The arrays were mostly a formality since nobody outside of the god realm could even sense the isolated space, but Zhou Fan planned to take absolutely no chances. The river was not just a random symbolic symbol that Zhou Fan had chosen. He wanted cultivation to take some of the characteristics of a river. An endless group of water drops moving unpredictably and nonstop, yet contained within the walls of river banks. Despite the river banks, a water drop or two might occasionally splash out. That was Zhou Fan''s design. One must not misinterpret the importance of the river''s creation, as well as its function. The river was the first physical and spiritual manifestation of cultivation to ever exist. Such an achievement could not be replicated or understood. Zhou Fan planned to give control of the river of cultivation to the universal consciousness once it was completed. Of course, the changes it would be able to make would be extremely limited and, even if it tried, it would be unable to harm the river in any way. As for the last important detail, any great event that was so important or big that it could have a major impact on the future, such as heaven being born or someone with incredible talent being born, would also slightly affect the river. The level of the event would change the level at which the river reacted. For example, if another Zhou Fan was born, then the river would shake and spill as if a 10 magnitude earthquake was hitting it. If someone with talent exceeding the immortal king rank was born, a slight starlight may momentarily appear over the river, or some event of similar level. It was just another feature that Zhou Fan had thought of. After taking in the beauty of the river of cultivation, Zhou Fan kneeled down in front of it. As he did so, he lowered his arms and gently placed the light he held inside the river. As he did, the light began to diffuse into the river as if it was a ball of sand. In a couple of seconds, the ball of light was gone and the river was even brighter than before. The ball of light had been the main component of the river that would make the biggest changes. Now that it was inside the river, only the key step remained. Before that, Zhou Fan waved his finger and cut off Heavens cultivation, essentially turning him into a mortal for a moment. Once he did that, he was ready. The next step was the simplest, but theoretically the most dangerous yet. Zhou Fan drew out some of his Chaos Qi that had remained locked away for a while. He knew that Chaos Qi was extremely dangerous, but it was the final component needed to finish the river. Only with Chaos could order be born. Zhou Fan formed the Chaos Qi into a ball. The density and power of it actually took half of Zhou Fans Qi to form. Luckily, that was the last step that required Qi until the river of cultivation was activated. Like he did with the light, Zhou Fan slowly lowered the ball of Chaos Qi into the river. As it dissolved, the color of gray momentarily took over the entire river. Luckily, it receded after a moment, forming a definite and fine gray strand that covered the span of the entire, seemingly infinite river. As the last bit of Chaos Qi dissolved, a major change seemed to shake the entire galaxy, its significance almost shaking the entire universe. Every living being in the three galaxy clusters, whether it was a human, a celestial, or a worm, as long as it had intelligence, it instinctually looked towards the heaven galaxy without knowing why. The same went for even those that had reached the lesser dao creation realm. As for those within the heaven galaxy, they all felt the shaking of the galaxy. Panic took over at first, but everyone seemed to suddenly stop moving. Those on the ground began to slightly float in the air, and everyone''s eyes turned into a myriad of colors. Chapter 232: Effects of Cultivation 1.0 - 232 Chapter 232 - Effects of Cultivation 1.0 - 232 The eyes of everyone had temporarily changed into a myriad of colors due to the change in cultivation. Technically, anyone who had ever absorbed a tiny bit of Qi would experience this, and every living being naturally absorbed Qi, regardless of whether or not they cultivated. For a moment, the entire heaven galaxy was silent. From within the river, Zhou Fan swiped his finger and wiped out all the cultivation of every member of the five races. The only people that would not have their cultivation changed would be the beings born on the heaven world and the beast world. It had taken some thought, but Zhou Fan felt that the cultivators of the five races had not spent enough time cultivating to really feel the effects. He also just wanted to see pangu''s growth after cultivation 1.0 was established. While resetting every member of the 5 races cultivation sounded bad, it actually brought many major benefits. Those who had been stuck at the same realm would be able to recultivate and not make as many mistakes as before. After resetting all members of the five races cultivation, Zhou Fan waited as cultivation 1.0 permeated throughout the heaven galaxy. Replacing cultivation was not a simple process. It had taken more than a hundred thousand years to plan such a thing out, and that was after Zhou Fan had accumulated more than hundreds of thousands of years of knowledge. At any moment, something could go horribly wrong, and Zhou Fan needed to stay alert for that very moment. Luckily, he was a genius. For the next three days, everything went smoothly. On the dawn of the fourth day, the beings suspended in the air fell back down into their original positions. Many didn''t even realize that something had happened until they checked their clocks and noticed the position of the sun. Some people, those at the void traversing realm and above, were able to tell that something was about to happen moments before it did. Despite that, they had no idea what had happened until they started cultivating. A difference could be felt immediately. Naturally, this was the situation of those in the heaven world and the beast world. Members of the five races were facing a much bigger and more obvious problem. Within a day of cultivation 1.0 being implemented, even mortals were aware that cultivation had been reset for everyone. Some people felt burdened and saddened as they had to work many years and used to enjoy their superiority over those with more talent but less time to cultivate. Many of the younger cultivators were overjoyed at the news, knowing they would no longer have to bow to anyone with lower talent than them. Even pangu was thrilled hearing the news. He had been born late and was suppressed by others due to his talent, causing him to cultivate even slower than he should have. He wasn''t exactly looking for revenge as he wasn''t directly suppressed and only lost opportunities and pills, but he was not going to let anyone get off scot free. In the last day, Heaven had gotten his cultivation back and was going over the worlds within his galaxy. He did not enjoy the feeling of being a mortal. While the five races'' entire history had been overturned, the beast world and the heaven world were testing out the new cultivation, and heaven was enjoying being powerful again, Zhou Fan was thinking hard, still within the river of cultivation. As of now, he was in a state of recovery. The entire process of changing cultivation had taken his Qi. He nearly fell into Qi exhaustion, but everything stopped before then. Most of his thoughts were filled with heaven. Although he wasn''t disappointed with heaven, he was disappointed with himself. While Heaven had definitely been a partial success and was doing the best he could with what he had, he wasn''t quite what Zhou Fan had originally wanted him to be. To start off with, he had a personality. Zhou Fan had envisioned an indifferent, neutral, and almighty ruler. Secondly, he was not powerful enough. Zhou Fan had wrongly assumed that Heaven would be able to completely see the entire galaxy at once. Sadly, a major miscalculation was made. Heaven was not Zhou Fan. He had neither the talent of Zhou Fan nor the power. If Zhou Fan was at the 1st level of the inner world realm, being able to fully see an entire galaxy at one would be no issue. But, once again, heaven was not Zhou Fan. If Heaven was going to see the entire galaxy at once, he needed to at least be in the god realm. As Zhou Fan was in the god realm, that was not possible. It was annoying, disappointing, and could almost be considered a failure at testing a universal consciousness, but all the blame rested on Zhou Fan''s shoulders. He was too weak and too soft. At any moment he could have or could eliminate heavens personality and make him similar to a robot with a human mind. However, Zhou Fan hadn''t thought of such a thing at the beginning, and liked heaven too much to do it now. As for the lack of power, that should explain itself. Zhou Fan sighed before standing up, fully recovered as his thoughts were spanned over multiple days. The only course of action was to continue letting things play out and hopefully be surprised. In the worst case scenario, he would make another heaven when he was stronger and make the current heaven his subordinate or something. That was only in the absolute worst case. As Zhou Fan exited the isolated space that the river of cultivation was contained in, he took in a deep breath of fresh space. Although the new cultivation had zero effect on him, it was still pretty nice to be around it. He would continue cultivating as normal since he obviously couldn''t change cultivation on the same realm as himself. Even if he did, it would once again not affect him. He was one of the exceptions that he had told Heaven about over and over again. Although not all exceptions would be able to bypass cultivation 1.0, there was a possibility of one being born. Chapter 233: Providence - 233 Chapter 233 - Providence - 233 Zhou Fan thought for a while and decided to watch pangu cultivate. He would use pangu as proof that cultivation 1.0 worked properly before he began to think of new ideas. While Zhou Fan was recovering, Pangu had managed to reach the 3rd level of the Qi gathering realm. Zhou Fan had spent three days recovering, and as pangu''s talent easily reached the threshold of the fastest possible cultivation within the Qi gathering realm, he was doing well. He wasn''t the only one doing well. Within each of the 5 races, there was at least one person who had reached the maximum cultivation speed in the Qi gathering realm. It wasn''t an extravagant requirement as one only had to have emperor realm meridians or above, but it was still unlikely based on the odds. Within the Fiendcelestial race, there were three people who could cultivate with the maximum speed. Both of the other two had god realm meridians, which was undoubtedly good, but they were far away from pangu. At the very least, Pangu had immortal king 1 meridians. It also wasn''t unlikely for them to be higher, but Zhou Fan wanted to feel some entertainment. Otherwise, he would have long known what level Pangu''s meridians were. Just in case, he decided to name another rank of meridians. Above immortal king rank meridians would be immortal emperor meridians. Seeing pangu''s talent had sent Zhou Fan into a wave of thought. It wasn''t hard for one to notice how at least one member of every race had extremely high talent. Anna from the celestials, Jack from the mermaids, the dragon king from the supreme beasts, Tian Ren from the heavenborns, and so on. At some point, it could no longer be called a coincidence. Especially with the odds of someone with even immortal rank meridians being born, much less immortal king rank meridians. If Zhou Fan''s calculations were correct only one in a quadrillion people would be born with immortal rank meridians. One could imagine how rare immortal king rank meridians were. As he thought about it more and more, Zhou Fan''s focus wavered from Pangu to the subject of talent. There was simply no way that it was coincidental. ''Fine! I''ll figure it out.'' Zhou Fan said to himself as he felt his inability to keep his mind off of the topic. In an instant, he disappeared from his spot and reappeared next to the cultivating pangu. Before Pangu could open his eyes, Zhou Fan put him to sleep. He then grabbed one of the other fiendcelestials with god rank talent through space and put him to sleep next to pangu. Then, Zhou Fan studied them intensely. As he wasn''t sure what he was looking for, he went through every individual possibility and compared the two. Once Zhou Fan reached the talent and Qi sector, he found something interesting that he had simply put off before. Radiating off of Pangu''s meridians and Qi was a slightly golden and hard to see mist-like substance. Long ago, he had seen it radiating off of people like Anna and Jack, but he casually dismissed it as a testament to their power. However, Pangu was at the Qi gathering realm, and he happened to share something in common with Anna and Jack. Talent. More specifically, the highest talent in their races. Odds are that it isn''t a coincidence. On another note, Zhou Fan felt that the only reason he could sense it so long ago was due to his Chaos Qi. Otherwise, one would likely have to be in the god realm to sense it even slightly. Now that he had sensed and paid attention to the energy, Zhou Fan felt it was time to attempt to manipulate it. After trying a couple of different methods, Zhou Fan got the golden energy to move. He didn''t take it away from Pangu as he wasn''t sure what affects it would have, but he cut of a miniscule snipet so that he could observe it. Perhaps it wasn''t sentient or it felt that Zhou Fan was far too powerful, but the golden energy did not react after a part of it had been snipped off. Holding it in his hands, Zhou Fan closely examined it with his eyes and his divine sense. It took a few minutes, but Zhou Fan eventually was able to sense two things in the golden energy. One, part of the entire Fiendcelestial race was contained in the golden energy. He wasn''t sure how to describe it. Two, he was able to feel a bit of the cosmic dao. Not only that, but it felt like that bit of the cosmic dao was somewhat mixed with a power that seemed to originate from Zhou Fan. It was a slight part of Zhou Fan''s mortal dao. If Zhou Fan was only interested before, he was now extremely interested. Now that he had sensed it, he could control the part of his power, but he had no idea it was in existence before this very moment. He assumed that the bit of cosmic dao was the same. It was so miniscule that it wouldn''t react instinctively and had little power. It seemed that the golden energy was secretly in existence, as if it had silently existed all these years. Zhou Fan decided to name the golden energy. It would be called "Providence". It seemed that a providence was born each time a race was created and grew in power and effect based on the number of members, the talent of those members, and the amount of time the race had existed. That providence would attach to a member of the race it was born from and have an effect similar to high luck. In fact, luck was just one of its features. The most important feature in Zhou Fan''s opinion was one that had not been proven, but he could assume it existed. The ability of providence to increase talent. It was the only explanation as to why there was always an extremely talented person in a race. Additionally, although he could sense that it had no effect on him, Zhou Fan seemed to contain the providence of the human race. Chapter 234: The Human Race鈥檚 Providence - 234 Chapter 234 - The Human Race''s Providence - 234 Zhou Fan was surprised that he had never noticed it before. He wasn''t one to observe himself that often, but he assumed that he would be able to detect if a foreign substance attached to him. A possible explanation was that the providence was so similar to Zhou Fans Qi and humans that it couldn''t be considered a foreign substance. If he had to estimate, he would guess that it had attached to him after he started teaching humans about cultivation. That allowed it to be born in the first place. Knowing that he had the human''s providence and that it had no effect on him, Zhou Fan was tempted to give it to another human. Without the providence of the human race, the humans in the Zhou galaxy were probably struggling a fair bit. In order to prevent a huge detour in his study of pangu, Zhou Fan decided to transfer the providence through his mortal dao to a random human in the process of being born in the Zhou Galaxy. Even if that person were to die, the providence would just find another human as Zhou Fan was too far away. With pangu and the other fiendcelestial still unconscious, Zhou Fan ripped the providence of the human race off of him and transferred it through the mortal dao. -------------------------------------------------- As expected, the human race had been struggling. Without an extremely talented being leading their race, the humans were essentially among the weakest of all races in the galaxy. For a while, humans had been treated with some sort of respect as the eldest race in the galaxy. They also didn''t exactly lack talents. However, as time passed and the history of humans was forgotten by others, other races began to push humans back and back. Eventually, they were contained in an area similar in size to the original earth. Although it used to be considered fairly sized, it was now similar to a dog cage that contained 50 trillion humans. The strongest member of the human race was at the 1st level of the space shattering realm, but his talent was not high enough to go any further. Essentially every race had at least one person in the space shattering realm, so the man wasn''t exactly that good of an asset. On a throne in a castle, the man sat there. He had long white hair and white facial hair. Although he always put on an act of indifference in front of anyone, he couldn''t help but feel immense sadness when alone. He felt disappointment towards himself. The human race had once ruled the world. The Huang Long academy had been populated by almost entirely humans, and was now the strongest academy in the galaxy. However, there was no longer a single human in attendance. If not for a couple of old, powerful beings that remembered the old human race and respected them, the last of them would have been snuffed out. As he remembered the legends of humanity in the past, the old man could help but silently tear up. Although he was stronger than any of them could have ever imagined, he wasn''t even half of Lu bing the freedom king, the Buddha, or even a simple philosopher like confucius. Just as he was about to cry to himself, a golden light appeared in one of the territories of the human race. In an instant, the old man, assuming the human race was under attack, sped out of his castle and appeared in the skies. Just as he was about to rush forward, he realized what the golden light was. As he looked forward, he saw a thousand golden buddhas of varying looks surrounding something. In the middle of them, a golden beam shot down. In an instant, the man''s tears dried off of his face and he traveled towards the golden beam. As he arrived, he saw that the three void traversing cultivators of the human race had arrived before him and were speechlessly looking in front of them. Turning his gaze, the old man saw a baby bathed in gold. It was clear that it had been born no more than seconds ago, but it seemed to contain more potential than anything the old man had ever seen. "Finally!! A talent appears in our human race!! God has finally shown himself!!" He said as he looked at the sky, tears going down his face. Despite all the hardship, the humans continued their belief in god, never once wavering. Towards someone that hadn''t appeared in millions of years, it was an unprecedented amount of faith. ----------------------------------- Just as Zhou Fan sent the providence through the mortal dao he sensed a change in the river of cultivation. In an instant, he appeared at its base. As he looked, he saw a water droplet momentarily fly up as if someone had thrown a small stone in a river. "Oh. I didn''t expect it to have that much of an effect." Zhou Fan said as he watched the water droplet fall back down. Despite the terribly small movement of the river, the water drop signified that a talent at least similar in talent to pangu had appeared. It surprised Zhou Fan, but it was the obvious outcome. The longest existing race that had given birth to someone like Zhou Fan was bound to have an extremely great providence. Even with the fiendcelestial races providence, the birth of someone like pangu was extremely good luck. Just the fiendcelestials providence alone wasn''t nearly enough to make someone like pangu. For the human race''s providence, however, someone on the level of pangu was expected. In fact, it was the lowest possible threshold. If Zhou Fan was to know about the human race''s suffering over the last millions of years, he would have felt immensely guilty. Luckily, they seemed to be on the uprise. After chuckling a little bit, Zhou Fan returned to the knocked out pangu and the other fiendcelestial. He woke them both up before making himself invisible. After so many detours, he could once again put his plan of watching pangu into motion. He still needed to see the effects of an extremely talented person under the influence of cultivation 1.0, and there was nobody better than Pangu to watch. Even Tian Ren and Bi Chong were below him. Chapter 235: Pangu - 235 Chapter 235 - Pangu - 235 As Pangu woke up, he noticed another person next to him. The person was not unfamiliar, but he didn''t know why he would be in the same room as him. The last thing that Pangu remembered was cultivating, until he woke up laying on the ground. "Why are you here?" Pangu asked the man next to him. "I don''t know. I just woke up here." The man responded. After a bit more talk, they both realized that the same thing had happened to them and they were both victims of the unknown. Eventually, the man went back to his house and Pangu stayed as he was in his house. Although Pangu had a bit of suspicion, the man was known for keeping to himself and had always been neutral in any matter. Ignoring the previous event, he began to cultivate. He didn''t want to fall behind anyone. He was already at the third level of the Qi gathering realm, a realm he had sped through extremely quickly the first time. In fact, he barely had any memory of the realm because it had taken him less than two days to reach foundation establishment. This time, he would fully experience it. From the 3rd level to the 4th level, pangu took 3 days. From the 4th to the 5th, he took four days. From 5th to 6th took 5 days. Every time he broke through, Pangu would test out his cultivation and fully understand the realm. This way, he was able to further his comprehension of the Qi gathering realm, and by relation, cultivation. From the 6th to the 10th level, pangu took 41 days. 40 days were spent cultivating, while one day was spent experiencing his cultivation. Zhou Fan had been watching him cultivate while invisible. He nodded his head while watching Pangu experience the Qi gathering realm thoroughly. It would likely help him in the long run. As Pangu reached the 10th level of the Qi gathering realm, he decided to gain some battle experience in the realm. He felt that, once he did so, he would finish the necessary comprehension of the first realm. The only two other people that had reached the tenth level of the Qi gathering realm besides pangu were the two fiendcelestials with god rank meridians. Pangu was well aware of both of their personalities. The one that had been in his house was calm and cautious, but the one he planned on fighting was the exact opposite. He was also the previous leader of the fiendcelestials and had been the main person responsible for Pangu''s slower ascent to high cultivation realms. As Pangu reached the man''s house, he knocked on the door. He wanted to break it down, but the materials were still at the soul formation realm. Only the living beings had their cultivations reset, not the materials. Within a few seconds, the man came outside of his house. Seeing Pangu, he eyed him warily. "What do you want, brat?" He asked. Despite their equally low cultivations, one had been born long before the other. "I want to fight you. We should be at the same realm. Get out here Dave. You big f*cker. Unless, of course, you''re too scared." Pangu said, using taunts to enrage the man. Dave, as expected, was enraged. As the previous leader of the fiendcelestials, he had arrogance. That combined with his natural temper allowed pangu''s taunting to work. Dave fully pushed open the door and stomped outside. Pangu slightly backed up into the yard in order to set the stage. Without saying any words, they already knew this was a no weapon fight. None of them had ever even held a weapon at the Qi gathering realm, much less owned one. Dave charged towards pangu with a face red from anger. Pangu watched him cautiously. Cultivation talent was one thing, battle talent was another. Although they often went hand in hand, Pangu had never really fought anyone before. He had been involved in sparring, but even that was occasionally. This battle would have two effects. It would allow Pangu to discover his battle talent, and it would help him experience the Qi gathering realm. In a few seconds, Dave arrived in front of Pangu. Without slowing down, he threw out a fist. The inexperienced pangu decided to simply match him. He punched out towards Dave''s fist with his own. As they collided, Pangu was sent flying back a bit due to Dave''s momentum. Nodding, Pangu understood and got up. The fight was very slow compared to every other fight that either of them had experienced, but it gave a sense of tranquility. Despite fists hitting face, it seemed like children playing around despite both of them being grown. Both were only 15 feet tall. Before cultivation was reset, they could be tens of thousands of feet tall, but that had changed. As they fought, their gray bodies showed they still had red blood. After around ten minutes, both Pangu and Dave were nearly passed out on the floor. They had severe injuries, but they also viewed those as child play. In the beginning of the battle, Pangu was steadily losing, but he turned that around halfway through and displayed a talent for combat. Seeing any more talent would have to wait until he grew stronger, but as usual for those with high cultivation talent, it was likely that he would have very strong battle talent. After thirty minutes, both Pangu and Dave were healed. The bodies of fiendcelestials healed quite fast. Without exchanging any more words, they walked in opposite directions, Dave entering his house and Pangu going towards his. Pangu considered the battle a tie, but it was just the start of their future battles. When they reached the peak of the foundation establishment realm, Pangu would go back to Dave''s house. It wasn''t long before pangu reached his house. Looking at it, he knew that it wouldn''t last him much longer. The house had been built when pangu had finally reached the void traversing realm. At that point, he was able to control his size and hovered around 20 feet. That meant he would need a bigger house once he reached the core formation realm, but it would still work in the foundation establishment realm. Chapter 236: Mountain - 236 Chapter 236 - Mountain - 236 As pangu entered his house, he ate a piece of bread and began to cultivate. Although he would no longer need to eat at the foundation establishment realm, he needed to eat at the Qi gathering realm. Most of his hunger was supplemented by Qi even now, but he ate the bread just in case. After two weeks of constant cultivation, Pangu entered the foundation establishment realm. As he still had nothing to do, he continued to cultivate. Even his weakest weapon was at the nascent soul realm, and it was only a sword, which meant he could not practice with weapons. Starting at the soul formation realm he would finally have an axe once again. After one week, Pangu broke into the 2nd level of the foundation establishment realm. From the 2nd to 3rd level took 2 weeks. From the 3rd to 4th level took 3 weeks, and so on. While cultivation for others would be more random and variable, Pangu was simply being held back in speed. Therefore, the consistent increase in cultivation speed of an additional week was not too hard to accept. After reaching the 5th level of the foundation establishment realm, Pangu stood up. At some point, he realized that he was doing the same thing all over again. Experiencing each realm in a simple spar would not equate to much growth. Even the occasional break to digest his learnings wasn''t worth much. Pangu was unaware how strong a foundation establishment cultivator really was. Therefore, Pangu decided to leave his house and go explore. It would be a short experience, but it would help him understand more. Theoretically, leaving the fiendcelestial village would be a bad idea for someone at the foundation establishment realm due to all the powerful beasts around, but their cultivations had also been reset. Pangu was aware of that because some of the fiendcelestials had kept beasts as pets, and their strength was lower as well. Before leaving, Pangu decided to walk through the fiendcelestial village. If he was lucky, he would be able to find a foundation establishment realm axe in the ownership of one of the smiths. Just because some of the fiendcelestials were talented didn''t mean that all of them were. There was no lack of foundation establishment fiendcelestials, although they were somewhat rare. Therefore, most of the smiths sold that level of weapons. Pangu was aware of three smiths in the fiendcelestial village. Although he would be bothering them while they tried to regain their cultivation, Pangu didn''t care. After walking for five minutes, he knocked on the door of a house. This was where one of the smiths lived. "What?" A female voice said as the door began to open. "I''m looking for your husband. Is he here?" Pangu asked. Since everyone in the village knew everyone, everyone was familiar with everyone. "He was outside the village when everyone''s cultivation was reset. He won''t be back for a while." The lady said before shutting the door. Pangu had never really liked her. In only a minute, Pangu reached another door. Knock Knock Knock "What?" An old man''s voice said from behind the door. Hearing him, Pangu knew he was in luck. It was definitely the blacksmith''s voice. "I need a weapon." Pangu said a little loudly so that his voice traveled through the door. "You should be regaining your cultivation, Pangu. You can get a weapon then." The old voice said. "I need one now. I''ll repay you in the future. You know I''m talented." Pangu said convincingly. Finally, the blacksmith opened the door. "Fine, but I want you to pay me what a nascent soul weapon would cost for the inconvenience." He said. Pangu didn''t really mind as even nascent soul weapons were cheap for him. Especially back in the day. Pangu agreed and the old man showed Pangu in. "I''m not strong enough to pick it up in my current state. Grab it yourself." He said as he pointed to an axe. The axe was greenish, but it was mostly black. Pangu grabbed the axe, let out a thank you, and walked along the desolate streets until he reached a mountain. Before the reset, anyone strong enough to leave the mountain and survive could easily jump over the mountain. Due to that, there were no stairs or any sort of help. Sadly, Pangu didn''t quite have the capability to jump over it. Therefore, he turned to the left and walked until he was in front of a lower exit between two peaks. He then proceeded to climb the tall mountain, using the axe every now and then to pull himself up. The axe was a one handed axe, meaning that Pangu didn''t struggle to carry it up the mountain that much. After an hour of nonstop climbing, Pangu reached the top. The mountains were extremely tall since they surrounded and protected the village. They were also strong. A core formation cultivator was needed in order to even chip them. Looking down, Pangu sighed and sat on his axe. He knew it was a bad idea, but he couldn''t stand to waste any more time. Once he was comfortable, Pangu pushed off of the ground and began to slide down the mountain. In around twenty seconds, he was halfway down. Then, as expected, tragedy struck. A single pebble hit the axe at the right angle, causing pangu''s axe to get pushed up and outwards. Pangu froze as he saw the mile long freefall below him. "Welp." He said as he began to plummet. He was falling so fast that he would probably hit the ground in ten seconds. Hurriedly, pangu threw the axe away and gathered his Qi on his forearms. He then balled up so that it seemed he would land on his forearms. Right before he hit the ground, Pangu pushed down with all his Qi, leaving only a little to reinforce his arms. A burst of wind shot out that slightly slowed pangu''s fall, and he hit the ground forearms first. Even the common ground on the fiendcelestial world was at the foundation establishment realm. Therefore, pangu only caused a small crater to appear. After a moment, he stood up with blood dripping out of his mouth. Luckily, he had survived. Chapter 237: Array - 237 Chapter 237 - Array - 237 After meditating for a while, Pangu managed to recover his Qi and heal himself up a bit. Since he was at the foundation establishment realm, completely healing himself would take an entire day, if not two. Therefore, after getting rid of most of the external injuries and making sure that the internal injuries weren''t life threatening or too hindering, Pangu continued forward. In front of him was a large forest. The trees were around a hundred feet in height, but they didn''t seem too big next to Pangu''s 25 foot body. After walking forward just a few steps, Pangu saw his axe. It had collided from above with one of the trees and had bounced off, sticking itself in the ground. Luckily, it was completely unbroken. Pangu grabbed the axe and walked into the forest. The trees were essentially the only plants around except for a tiny layer of grass on the ground. That made it easier to see further. After walking in search of beasts for 5 minutes, he heard a branch snap above him. As he looked up, he saw a 8 foot gorilla standing on a thick tree branch. With a single glance, Pangu was able to tell that it was at the 5th level of the Qi gathering realm. If not for the fact that things like trees, ores, and dirt did not have their cultivation erased, the branch would have snapped under the gorilla''s weight. Thinking about it, most trees could not grow in strength. It was only natural that such a thing''s cultivation wasn''t reset. After staring at each other for a moment, the gorilla jumped off of the tree branch, attempting to land on Pangu''s face. Pangu simply turned his axe''s head around, facing the sharp part up, and swung. In that single slash, the gorilla was completely cut through. With the strength of Pangu and the weapon, the gorilla couldn''t even survive a casual and weak hit from him. Despite how easy the battle was, Pangu was barely happy. Although he came out to experience the power of the foundation establishment realm, he had also wanted to increase his understanding of combat. After a moment of silence, Pangu sighed and continued walking. He would increase his combat knowledge with dave. There was very little chance that a beast with god rank talent was just walking around. As Pangu treaded deeper into the forest, he recounted his knowledge of beasts. While beasts could technically cultivate, there was a faster way for them to advance. That was consuming other beast cores. In that way, their own core would strengthen. While Pangu was walking around and thinking, Zhou Fan decided to help Pangu out. He still owed all of the five races for resetting their cultivation, but he would try to solve that with time. For now, he could repay the fiendcelestials. On the face of a small hill that Pangu was walking towards, Zhou Fan created an entrance to a cave. Inside that cave was a teleportation array that could be activated by anyone because of the way it was set up and the fact that the power source was already there. If Pangu decided to activate the array, he would be teleported to a bunch of trials that Zhou Fan had just set up for him. He would fight beasts on the same level as him, but they would have increasingly higher combat talent and rarer affinities. If Pangu cleared all the beasts, he would get a reward that Zhou Fan had only given to a few so far. -------------------------------------------- Pangu continued walking forward through the forest. He had gone thirty minutes without seeing a single beast. He was just about to turn around and give up, but he spotted a cave ahead. He wasn''t sure why, but he felt like it would be a good idea to enter it. And that is what he did. As he walked through the cave for a few seconds, he saw something overhead. On a piece of wood read "Trial room". Pangu was both confused and surprised, but he simply assumed that it was created by another fiendcelestial before the cultivation reset. Curious, Pangu continued walking until he found a cave room. It was circular, and in its center was an array. Pangu blankly stared at the array for a moment before he began to look around with confusion. He was once a void traversing realm cultivator, yet he could not recognize the array. That meant that it was likely above the void traversing realm. That also meant that it was not something created by a fiendcelestial. The strongest cultivator before the reset had been Dave, and he had been at the 9th level of the void traversing realm. Pangu was yet to see anything that could harm him or feel a sense of danger, so he simply looked around the cave room with confusion. Other than the array, there was a big red button that said press me. The entire situation was so weird and stupid that Pangu wasn''t sure how to react. After a moment, he simply stepped in the center of the array and pressed the button. He was a curious person. After the array lit up, Pangu disappeared from the cave room. He hadn''t gone far. He had only been teleported to an isolated space created by Zhou Fan. It was connected to the same room that Pangu had pressed the button in, so, in a way, he had yet to leave the room. As the light cleared and Pangu looked around, he saw that he was in a much smaller and square room. It was twice his height and around 90 feet from one wall to another. On one wall were words. On another was a door. Naturally, Pangu began to read the words. After a moment, he nodded his head. The words had simply described what would happen next. He would fight a beast equal to him in cultivation, get the option to go into another room with a more talented beast if he won, and repeat until he beat them all or lost. Another thing it said was that, even if he died, he would not die. That just meant that Zhou Fan would save him in the last nanosecond before his death. Chapter 238: Trial - 238 Chapter 238 - Trial - 238 The last thing it said was that, depending on how many rooms he cleared, he would be given a reward. While Pangu found everything about his current situation incredulous, he was in a weird state of mind. In essence, he was currently going with the flow. Alongside that, he had also begun to think of the possibilities of life beyond his planet. After cultivation was reset, it only seemed logical. At the very least, there was an extremely powerful being in control of everything. Pangu stretched for a moment before walking through the first door. He still had his axe in hand. As Pangu entered the room, he first observed it. The room was hundreds of feet tall and thousands of feet wide. With his current power, there would be no reason that such an amount of space wasn''t enough. Pangu also noticed a door on the opposite side. In front of that door was a green wolf. The wolf was 7 feet tall and fairly long. It was obvious that it used wind Qi from both its color and the feeling it gave off. Five seconds after Pangu entered the room, he heard a chime and the wolf seemed to exit its frozen state. The moment it saw Pangu, it growled before charging aggressively. It used some Wind Qi to increase its speed, but foundation establishment beasts were extremely limited with Qi use. Pangu stood still as the wolf got closer and closer. As it reached striking distance, the wolf jumped towards Pangu with its mouth open and its claws pointed. At that moment, Pangu sidestepped the beast and cut it in half as it flew past him. Although his battle strength was fairly undeveloped, the wolf was one of the weakest foundation establishment beasts in the world. With his talent and the body of a fiendcelestial, it was too easy. A moment after the beast died, Pangu heard a click and the door on the other side of the room slightly cracked. Pangu walked towards it calmly and pushed it open as he reached it. He saw his opponent as soon as the door opened, but he walked a couple more steps forward before stopping. As he stopped, the door closed behind him. In front of Pangu was a Lion beast. From its red fur, he could guess that it used Fire Qi. Although the wolf and the lion were similar in size, Pangu knew the fight would not be as casual as before. Wolves were considered powerful in a jungle, but lions were the king of it. Of course, wolves very rarely lived in forests, but the comparison worked. A few seconds after the door closed, Pangu heard a chime and the lion opened its eyes. As soon as it saw Pangu, it covered its body in Fire Qi and charged. Unlike the wolf before, the Lion was fast and Pangu felt a threat from it. Before the lion could fully reach him, Pangu charged forward as well. Seeing Pangu come closer, the lion lightly jumped in the air as he shot directly at Pangu. Just as they were about to collide, Pangu slid on the floor and turned his body. As he passed the lion, he raised his axe and dragged the axe through its side. Due to the awkward position he had been in, he had not been able to put too much force into the axe as he dragged it. Therefore, the lion was only severely injured, but not quite dead. Before the lion could recover, Pangu jumped in the air and dug his axe in the lion''s spine, killing it almost instantly. Before entering the next room, Pangu took a deep breath. When the next door cracked open, Pangu walked through it. As the door closed behind him, he saw the next room. It was different from the previous two. The walls were nearly a mile apart, and the ceiling was a mile high. As he saw his opponent, Pangu wasn''t very surprised. In front of him was a 15 foot tall eagle. Just by looking at it, Pangu could tell that its wingspan would be huge. As Pangu heard the chime, the eagle''s eyes burst open and it flew up. If Pangu was in the core formation realm, he would be a much better match up, but as of now, he could only rely on it swooping down and him jumping up. As the bird reached the ceiling and circled around, it gathered lightning Qi on its beak. It then looked down at Pangu and let out a squak. As the squak was let out, a beam of lightning Qi shot at Pangu extremely quickly. With no intention to block the blow, Pangu jumped to the side in order to dodge the attack. Although the attack was fast, it was also extremely far away. Pangu had jumped a hundred feet to the side, but as the lightning beam hit the ground, it dispersed and coils of lightning Qi covered the ground. Pangu had not expected the beam to turn into an area attack, and unluckily, he was barely within its range. Zap! Luckily, Pangu had minimized the damage by being so far away and his insides just seemed a little queasy. The eagle shot a few more beams down, but Pangu was able to dodge them perfectly after the first one. After the 5th shot, he realized that the eagle could simply continue doing the same thing all day. In order to win, he needed to go on the offensive. For the first time since he entered the trial ground, Pangu raised his axe with both hands and gathered Fiend Qi on it. On the tip of the greenish black axe was what seemed like an unstable, gray current. After holding the position for a moment, Pangu slashed the axe down. As he did so, the Fiend Qi shot towards the eagle. Surprised by Pangu''s sudden attack, the eagle only had time to redirect before its left leg was cut off. The slash of Fiend Qi had simply been too fast and surprising. Although it would have likely been able to dodge more attacks if it was uninjured, its balance was thrown off by its missing leg and the eagle was in pain. Chapter 239: Metal Armadillo - 239 Chapter 239 - Metal Armadillo - 239 In a normal situation, even with its leg being cut off, the eagle should have still been able to dodge pangu''s attacks. However, Fiend Qi was much more dangerous than it looks on the surface. As if it was poison, the Fiend Qi had begun to deteriorate the rest of the eagle''s leg. Alongside the constant deterioration, the eagle was in pain. Those were the two main effects of fiend Qi. Another was that it made someone''s mind unstable, but that required too much Qi and Pangu was only at the 5th level of the foundation establishment realm. While, due to his low realm, the deterioration and pain the eagle was feeling was much lower, the eagle was also only at the 5th level of the foundation establishment realm. As the eagle struggled to stay in the air, Pangu readied another attack and slashed at the eagle with Fiend Qi. This time, only a portion of the bird''s feathers were cut off. The next slash cut off a chunk of meat on the eagle''s body, while the next slash managed to cut off 30% of one of its wings. Now, the eagle was so unbalanced that it was unable to stay up in the air. As it descended, Pangu readied one more attack at the eagle. Once the Fiend Qi was fully coating his axe, he waited until the eagle got closer. Just as it was about to reach the perfect spot, Lightning Qi covered the eagle''s body. In an instant, it shot towards Pangu consumed by rage and pain. Before, it had been unable to properly dodge or attack due to the Fiend Qi causing pain, but as it realized it was about to die, it decided to take down the cause of its pain with it. The eagle was five times faster than it had been before due to using all of its Qi in its final charge, and Pangu was barely able to react in time. Luckily, he was able to react. Just as the eagle arrived in front of him, Pangu slashed the axe down. Not only did it physically touch the eagle, but the Fiend Qi also shot into it, extending the attack. The eagle was split in half as its two parts went around Pangu and hit the wall, splattering. Pangu stood in the same place, breathing heavily. His last attack had used around 30% of his Qi and he needed to recover. His stamina was also low. Pangu stood as he saw the door crack, but he did not enter it. It seemed he would not have to rush to the next opponent. Pangu sat on the ground and meditated as he recovered his Qi and stamina. In 20 minutes, he was fully recovered and stood up again. As he walked through the door and it closed behind him, he saw that the room was the same size as the previous one. In front of him, an armadillo covered in metal stood. It was 25 feet tall, the same height as Pangu. It was also much wider than Pangu. As he heard the chime sound, the armadillo looked at Pangu for a moment before rolling up into a ball. It then started rolling on the ground towards him at incredible speeds. Pangu had to literally dive out of the way to avoid it. The armadillo hit the wall, but it quickly turned around and rolled towards Pangu again. This time, Pangu jumped in the air and let the armadillo roll under him. Just as it went under him, however, the armadillo stopped and exited its ball form. It jumped up towards the mid-air Pangu and bit at him. In a panic, Pangu put his axe below him and stepped on it as he fell. The armadillo''s teeth met with the axe, but they were only slightly cut. From the force of the armadillo''s attack, Pangu went flying to the side. In an instant, the armadillo was rolled back into a ball, charging at Pangu, and Pangu was now multiple feet away from his axe. Pangu quickly assessed the situation and decided that there was no other way but a direct confrontation due to the speed the armadillo was coming towards him at. Luckily, the fiendcelestials were born with naturally strong bodies. After covering his fist with Fiend Qi, Pangu punched at the metal ball rolling towards him. The fist and the ball collided, causing Pangu''s fist to break, but the armadillo was not unscathed. Pangu''s body along with the fiend Qi had hit it with quite a force, causing it to stop in its tracks and crack in multiple places. The crack also allowed the Fiend Qi to enter the armadillo''s body In an instant, the armadillo started rolling around in pain. Taking the opportunity while it lasted, Pangu ran over to his axe and grabbed it with his left hand since his right was broken. He ran up to the armadillo and covered his axe with Fiend Qi before slashing at it multiple times. He knew that Fiend Qi was not unstoppable and it was likely the armadillo would get rid of its effects soon. Pangu was able to slash for 10 entire seconds before the armadillo got rid of the pain. Unfortunately for it, Pangu had completely gotten through its shell and cut its insides. As its insides were cut, the armadillo stopped moving. Just as it did, Pangu jumped into the air and backwards. Below him, three spikes of metal poked out of where he had stood. Those three spikes were the revenge attacks of the armadillo before it died, and they contained all of its Qi. As the spikes poked out, the armadillo died. Pangu sat down and began to recover as the next door cracked. Pangu didn''t plan on entering it any time soon. He decided to fully heal himself before then. Just as he was calculating how long that would take, a pill fell from the ceiling and landed next to him. Pangu picked it up and observed it. He also looked at the ceiling, but there was no indication of where it came from. Pangu shrugged and consumed the pill. He was able to tell that it was a healing pill. Chapter 240: Dragon - 240 Chapter 240 - Dragon - 240 Due to the healing pill, it didn''t take long before Pangu was fully healed. It did take a little bit longer to recover his Qi, but that didn''t take too long either. In around thirty minutes, Pangu was walking through the door to the next room. For the first time since he started the trials, the first thing he looked at was not the room. In front of Pangu was a giant beast. It was 200 feet tall and much wider than that. It had two wings, a tail, scales, and an arrogant expression. Pangu had only seen such a beast a few times in his life, but he was sure that it was a dragon. Some dragons fell under the category of a beast. Examples were earth dragons, flood dragons, and weaker versions of superior dragons. Most dragons, however, could only be classified as supreme beasts. He had never seen a dragon supreme beast, but it was impossible for the thing in front of him to be a normal beast. At first, Pangu was terrified, but he soon realized that the dragon was still in the 5th level of the foundation establishment realm. Usually, dragons were born in a realm higher than that, but it seemed that the trial''s creator was able to find one that was not. After paying further attention, Pangu felt that the trial was not as hopeless as he realized. While the dragon was undoubtedly a powerful opponent, it was only in the 5th level of the foundation establishment realm. There was no way it could instantly crush Pangu without him being able to put up a fight. Perhaps a normal fiendcelestial would feel hopeless and would be crushed in an instant, but Pangu was the farthest thing from a normal fiendcelestial that could still be considered a fiendcelestial. After gaining some courage, Pangu looked around the room. The ceilings were now 10 miles high and the walls were 10 miles apart. Pangu looked back at the dragon and analyzed it while he still could. Although a height of 200 feet was insane for a normal humanoid creature, fiendcelestials were not normal humanoid creatures. Pangu was 25 feet tall. That meant the dragon was less than ten times his height. It was as if a 6 foot human stood in front of a four or five story building. While intimidating, one wouldn''t really be impressed by a 4 or 5 story building. All of Pangu''s thoughts spanned over 5 seconds before a chime was heard. The dragon opened its eyes, but it didn''t move. Its intelligent eyes were staring at Pangu with disdain. Casually, the dragon slightly opened the front of its mouth. A tiny flame exited, which quickly turned into a large fireball shooting at Pangu. The fireball was as big as Pangu was tall. Annoyed by the dragon''s arrogance, Pangu covered his entire axe with Fiend Qi and jumped in the air. As he rose up, he met the fireball and cleanly sliced it in half. Luckily, it didn''t stop his ascent. In just a second, Pangu was staring the Dragon in the eyes at an equal level. While the dragon looked at him in surprise, Pangu slashed his axe sideways and the Fiend Qi covering his entire axe left it, shooting towards the dragon in a crescent. The dragon''s disdain disappeared, replaced by focus. The dragon fully opened its mouth and spewed a wave of fire at the Fiend Qi While it was doing that, Pangu fell towards the dragon''s body. Quickly, he was near one of its legs. Putting more Fiend Qi on his axe, this time to enhance its strength instead of releasing a ranged attack, Pangu dug his axe in the dragon''s leg and fell down, cutting it open. The dragon that had just shot a breath of fire at Pangu''s attack felt the pain and looked down. The focus was now replaced with rage. Unfortunately, the dragon was in a difficult position. As a being in the foundation establishment realm, its natural dragon powers were severely limited. It had lost access to many things that would likely end the battle quickly. Instead of instantly striking back at the bug below it, the dragon bent its legs and jumped, soaring into the sky quickly. Due to the unexpected turn of events, Pangu was knocked backwards by the wind. The dragon''s starting position had been fairly close to the entrance, but it now backed up. As it remained in the air, it was now 8 miles away from Pangu. Pangu was annoyed, but he knew that he did not have the ability to traverse 8 miles before the dragon flew away again. He would have to let the dragon recover, but he would also do the same. Knowing that playing the long game would only hurt him, Pangu decided that, at the next opportunity, he would put everything into one attack. He cautiously watched the dragon as he recovered the Qi he had lost earlier. After ten minutes, the dragon took to the sky again and flew towards Pangu. They were both fully recovered. As the dragon got closer, Pangu covered his axe with Fiend Qi. Once it was fully covered, he added something else. It was axe Qi. An affinity for a weapon Qi was extremely rare, and simply put, Pangu didn''t have that. Luckily, not having an affinity for a weapon Qi was not as bad as not having an affinity for any other Qi. Even without the affinity, weapon Qi''s could be used to an extremely high degree. Pangu''s current axe Qi was no weaker than his Fiend Qi. Although he hadn''t had time to train it since the cultivation reset, he still had many useful memories. The power was not great, but combined with Fiend Qi, it may give Pangu the power he needed. As Pangu readied his attack, the dragon got closer. Due to the limited powers it could use and the fact that its breath would be spread out too evenly, the dragon decided to coat his claws with fire Qi and smash the ant with a single attack. As the dragon reached Pangu and smashed down its claw, Pangu also slashed out with his axe. Chapter 241: The All - 241 Chapter 241 - The All - 241 Pangu''s axe and the dragon claw collided. A cut was made on the dragon''s claw, and the cut was extremely deep. Although he had caused great damage, Pangu did not come out of the collision unscathed. He was launched back by the dragon''s claw and hit the wall behind him at an extremely fast speed. Many parts of his body ruptured, but Pangu immediately launched off the wall and towards the dragon. He knew that the dragon was no joke and although he had made a deep cut that had been infected with Fiend Qi, the dragon would be able to attack again quickly. Just as he had expected, a dragon claw smashed the wall that Pangu had been pushed up against. The dragon had attacked the wall with its left claw since its right claw was in great pain. Thanks to Pangus quick movement, he was now below the relatively unguarded dragon''s belly. He instantly slashed up with Fiend Qi and axe Qi as he jumped in the air. Not only did his axe make direct contact with the dragon, but it also released the Fiend Qi and axe Qi on it as a wave that traveled through the dragon''s stomach. Now, the dragon was severely injured. In an instant, it decided that its best course of action was to drop on Pangu and crush him with its weight. Luckily, Pangu had somewhat expected that. He crouched and put the axe above his head so that it would cut anything above it. As the dragon collided with the ground, Pangu was pushed in its stomach. In just seconds, Pangu released several devastating attacks that turned the dragon''s insides into mincemeat. If the dragon had expected such a thing, it would have had a way to deal with it such as flooding its body with Fire Qi, but it simply wasn''t prepared. In a few moments, the dragon was dead. Pangu had been very lucky. One wrong move would have spelled his loss. As Pangu saw the next door, he was surprised. He had expected the dragon to be the last beast in the trial due to how powerful it was. Every new room had a qualitative change in difficulty, but there was a room after the dragon. That meant that something much stronger than a dragon was behind the next door. Before walking through that door Pangu had to recover. Pangu crossed his legs before looking at his axe. It was chipped. Sure enough, the dragon had been powerful. As another pill fell from the ceiling, Pangu started to meditate. ---------------------------------------- Zhou Fan was watching Pangu take the trial, and as he looked at the next door, he felt some excitement. The beast behind it was a completely new beast that he had invested some time into creating. The most important aspect of it was its affinity. Time. Even now, Zhou Fn didn''t really have the ability to use Time Qi. Luckily, he had just enough strength to move it. However, that led to the question, why can a foundation establishment beast use time while Zhou Fan couldn''t. That was also connected to the question, why can''t Zhou Fan use the power of time. Simply put, the cosmic dao did not allow the power of time to be used. While Chaos Qi was too powerful for the cosmic dao to sense or restrict, Time Qi was not. The moment any sort of time Qi was used, it would obliterate everything in that area. Although Zhou Fan had felt like he could not use the power of time Qi before, that was simply his instincts refusing to allow its usage. Otherwise, Zhou Fan would not exist. He had comprehended the reason just before he had created cultivation 1.0. As time passed, Zhou Fan began to dislike the cosmic dao more and more. At first, it had simply been a mystical existence far away from him. Later, it began to suppress him and every single thing that could endanger Zhou Fan was related to it. However, the cosmic dao was also the only reason life existed. In fact, it was very likely the only reason the universe existed. Zhou Fan would decide on what to do with it once he surpassed it in power. Now, for why the beast could use time Qi. In a simple way, Zhou Fan had grown strong enough to somewhat avoid the theoretical eyes of the cosmic dao. By creating a separate space with all of his power, he was able to hide some things from it. However, those things could not exceed a certain power level. For example, the river of cultivation could likely be seen by the cosmic dao, but it was still somewhat hidden. It was like looking at a lamp light through heavy fog. A foundation establishment beast using the power of time, however, was like trying to look at a firefly through heavy fog. As long as it was below the core formation realm, just about anything could be hidden from the cosmic dao by Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan had managed to design a beast perfect for using time Qi and slightly control some time Qi in order to give it an affinity. While giving out affinities was not something Zhou Fan could casually do, he had managed to make the existence not have the possibility of gaining any other affinity due to its structure. Therefore, after a few attempts, the beast was created and put in the fifth level of the foundation establishment realm. Due to the increase of difficulty, Zhou Fan planned on giving Pangu the same reward whether he won or lost. Naturally, against the beast that Zhou Fan had named, "The All", Pangu stood little chance. Looking at the beast, Zhou Fan''s face slowly let out a weird smile. ------------------------------------------ As Pangu finally recovered, he stood up and slowly entered the room. If before, Pangu was still able to observe the room after seeing the dragon, he now had no will to. In front of him was something that could only be described as an abomination to creation. It had eight legs, similar to a spider, but its body looked like something mashed together by a child with playdough. Even that, however, was not the focus point. Covering every inch of the beast''s body were yellow, moving eyes. Chapter 242: Time - 242 Chapter 242 - Time - 242 As he stared at the beast, Pangu felt a sense of dread wash over him. It was as if he was standing in front of something that should not exist. Before he even had time to collect his thoughts, he heard a chime. The chime snapped Pangu out of his fear, but just as he was about to move, the beast instantly appeared in front of him. Pangu jumped away, but he noticed that he was moving many times slower than before. Despite that, the beast just stood still as its thousands of eyes stared at him with ridicule. Pangu didn''t know if the beast had intelligence, but he was feeling far too much fear to care. He felt as if there was absolutely no escape from the existence that stood in front of him. For a moment, he wasn''t sure what the beast''s affinity was, but he could now guess it despite it never having appeared before. It was clearly a time affinity. That would also explain what was happening. The beast had sped up its own time and slowed down Pangu''s. As Pangu''s slow moving body finally hit the ground ten feet away from the beast, he jumped off of the ground away from the beast in order to test his theory. As he reached 50 feet away from the beast, he felt like everything returned to normal. Although he was simply guessing and hoping he was correct, Pangu felt that the beast should not be able to directly slow down his time, but slow down time in a certain area. Moving his hand in and out of the 50 feet mark in different places, he confirmed that it must be a domed shaped area in which the time was slowed down. As for whether or not there was a dome that sped the beast up or if it could do that to its entire body, Pangu would have to guess. The entire time Pangu was moving around, the beast was looking at him with ridicule and other emotions that were hard to decipher. It was as if it was looking at an ant trying to defeat it. In a way, Pangu agreed. He had no idea how he was going to beat the thing in front of him. Well, he had one idea, but it was a long shot and Pangu had no idea if it would work. It would depend upon just how strong the power of time Qi is. He would put all his power into one strike that would hopefully manage to break the time barrier and hit the beast. Based on its arrogance, as long as the time barrier was broken, then it would be too careless to dodge in time. Just as Pangu was thinking, the beast appeared in front of him once again. This time, Pangu instinctively swung his axe towards it. The beast watched as the axe came towards it and stepped back as it let the axe pass. Luckily, this allowed Pangu to confirm something. It was also slowed within its barrier. However, the speed up it placed on itself seemed to be at the same speed as the barrier, making it seem like it was moving normally. Despite that, it was clearly not a slow beast. Even without its time affinity, it may be faster than Pangu. Pangu guessed that the barrier slowed down time by ten times, while the beast sped itself up by ten times. Luckily, Time Qi seemed to lack offensive attacks. At the foundation establishment realm at least. Seeing his axe miss, Pangu once again jumped back, and the beast let him. As every other idea was hopeless, Pangu decided to rely on his earlier one. He raised his axe up directly above his head and covered it with all the Fiend Qi and axe Qi he could muster up. He held it above his head for a few seconds, putting his physical power into it as well, before finally slashing down. He had named this skill "Sky Breaker". A large line of Pangu''s Qi''s slashed down, reaching the entire room in the direction he was slashing at. It was a thin line that could almost not be seen. As the slash hit the time barrier, Pangu saw it go through it without harming it as if it didn''t exist. The time barrier had slowed down his attack, but it was still going extremely fast. Despite its speed, the beast should be able to dodge it, but it was clearly taking its time due to its arrogance. Suddenly, a green dome became visible to the eye as it shook. Then, the dome cracked and the slash sped up instantly. Before it could react, the beast was cut directly in half. Clearly, its defense was not very high. After a moment, Pangu fell to the ground barely conscious. Only his will to see if he won kept him awake. The beast looked like a bubble of a thick, disgusting, black liquid had been popped and its contents were leaking out over the floor. Suddenly, the pile of mush moved. All the mush was slowly moving towards one place as the beast reformed itself. In just a few seconds, it had recovered and began to slowly walk towards Pangu with its eight legs. Suddenly, Pangu heard a disgusting, evil sounding voice. "You nearly killed me, trash." The voice said. "Yet, you are so incredibly lucky that I am only at the foundation establishment realm. Otherwise, I would be able to see bits of the future." As it spoke it reached directly above Pangu. "Bye." It said as one of its legs pierced through Pangu''s brain. Or so it happened in Pangu''s mind. In reality, Zhou Fan had stopped the being in the last instant and knocked Pangu out. "Good job." A voice said behind The All. As it hurriedly turned around, it stopped existing. ----------------------------------- After what felt like forever, but was only an hour, Pangu woke up in the cave room with the teleportation array. He quickly jumped up, his face covered in cold sweat and his mind feeling immense fear. As he recognized his surroundings and remembered the board with words, he calmed down and relaxed. He looked at the ground where he had woken up and saw two items. A completely green, two handed axe different from his old one, and a pamphlet. Chapter 243: Rewards - 243 Chapter 243 - Rewards - 243 Pangu tried to look around for his old axe, but it had disappeared. It had likely broken after shouldering the burden of Pangu''s last attack. Pangu shrugged and inwardly hoped that the new axe in front of him was better. He bent over and picked up the axe. It was a lot heavier than his last axe, but that was to be expected due to its size. Although he didn''t know much about weapon forging, Pangu had a feeling that this axe was much better than his old one. In order to test it out, Pangu ran his finger over the sharp part of the axe. In an instant, it broke through his skin and a drop of blood fell onto the axe. After coming in contact with the blood, the axe began to emit a green glow. Pangu was nearly blinded for a moment, but the axe''s glow quickly calmed down. Immediately, Pangu could feel a connection with the axe. It was as if it was a part of him. After swinging the axe a few times inside the cave, Pangu nodded. It was many times better than his old axe. As expected from such a mystical trial. After getting used to his axe, Pangu bent over and picked up the pamphlet. As he lifted it off the ground, he saw a ring under it. Pangu had never seen such a thing, but he picked it up and wore it before going through the pamphlet. On one side, there was a picture of a green axe on the top half and a picture of the ring he had picked up on the bottom half. Underneath those pictures were explanations of what the axe and the ring were. The pamphlet stated that the axe was a growth weapon, something that would grow stronger as Pangu did. All it needed was a drop of blood, which it had coincidentally got. The pamphlet even stated that, if Pangu willed it, the axe would grow in size as he did. Pangu once again nodded his head as he realized how good the axe actually was. Below the picture of the ring, there was an explanation that shocked him more than the axe. Apparently, the ring was called a spatial ring. It contained a separate space that could be used to store anything that wasn''t living. Any item that could be put inside would need to be light enough to be lifted by Pangu. Pangu felt more excited about the ring than the axe, although the axe could easily be considered a greater reward. Just as Pangu was about to leave the cave, he remembered that he saw some words on the other side of the pamphlet and flipped it over. On the top of the pamphlet was a picture of a spider-like creature with yellow eyes covering its entire body. As Pangu read it, he learned that it was named, "The All". Apparently, it was a beast that currently only existed at the foundation establishment realm, causing its abilities to be severely limited. According to the pamphlet, at a level that it could display its full power, it could slow down and speed up time by many more times than it had shown in the trial. Its speed up ability would only work on its own body, but it could release a domain of time that slowed down anything, including itself. There was also one more ability, and just reading about it was enough to terrify Pangu. Once it reached an extremely high cultivation realm, it would be able to see parts of the near future. Due to the future never being set in stone, it would see thousands of possible futures, allowing it to make the best move, even if it can only see a few seconds into the future. As he learned about the ability, Pangu also learned a bit of how time worked. ''It seems that there is no such thing as a single, set in stone future, and any action could create a new future. While the all''s ability sure sounds overpowered, it cannot be considered unstoppable.'' Pangu thought. In other words, the future was a nearly pointless concept to consider. It would take someone incredibly powerful to actually see a true future, if there even was such a thing. As for the idea of time travel, such a thing was ridiculous. Zhou Fan had thought of it, and if he was right, one would need the power to create an entirely new existence in order to do such a thing. Going back in time was simply impossible. After finishing the pamphlet, Pangu sighed. It seemed he was right to guess that there was a wider universe. He was only glad that the all was likely to be some powerful beings experiment. That was what he was able to guess from the words. If such beings were able to freely run rampant and reproduce, nobody would stand a chance. Now finished with his trip, Pangu stuffed the pamphlet and his axe in his spatial ring and walked back to the fiendcelestial village. The journey was short and the mountain climb was treacherous, and Pangu got home safely. Without making any pit stops, he entered the house and began to cultivate. After 5 weeks, he reached the sixth level. After 6 weeks, he reached the seventh level. After six months, he reached the tenth level of the foundation establishment realm. As soon as he did, he walked towards Dave''s house. He kept the axe in his spatial ring as he knew Dave would fight with his fists. Pangu stopped in front of Dave''s door and banged on it with his fists. His fists rang after that, but he ignored the pain and stepped back. "Took you long enough. I broke through yesterday and was expecting you to already come." Dave said as he walked through his door. Although he spoke calmly, fire Qi was already covering his fists. Pangu and Dave ran towards each other, Pangu jumping in the air and coming down with force as Dave let out a punch. Chapter 244: Break Time - 244 Chapter 244 - Break Time - 244 As their fists collided, Both were pushed back an equal distance. Pangu had a couple of burns, but he was relatively fine. Both of them charged towards each other once again. This time, Pangu covered his fist with Fiend Qi. In response, Dave did the same, adding the Fiend Qi to his fire Qi. As they collided again, Dave was pushed back a few more steps than Pangu was. The outcome of the second clash was something they were both surprised at. It was even more surprising when one realized that Pangu wasn''t using two affinities. While he did have another affinity besides Fiend Qi, he was unable to use it in any good capacity at his current strength. That was also why he had omitted it during his fight with the all. It was known as Sky Qi, but not that much was known about it by anyone besides Pangu. It was one of the rarer Qi''s that did not follow a standard scale. It was most closely related to wind Qi. Before the cultivation reset, it had allowed him to fly much faster than anyone else and it also displayed a special strength when using his final move, SKY breaker. Obviously, the sky part was named after his affinity. When Sky Qi is added into the sky breaker, it ruptures everything near it as if the sky is falling down. Unfortunately, it was unable to show any of its strength until the core formation realm when Pangu can fly. Even then, he will have to wait until the nascent soul realm before it is able to be used in the sky breaker attack due to unknown reasons. As the fight progressed, the playing field eventually evened out. Dave had still been unused to the foundation establishment realms power, but as the fight progressed, he got more used to it. Before the cultivation reset, he had been the fiendcelestial with the greatest battle experience, which only added to his current combat power. In the end, they tied again. It would take a while before Pangu could overwhelm Dave due to his battle experience. Although Pangu walked back to his house disappointed, Dave was actually angry. Although it had been closer to a casual spar than a full on battle, he should have won with ease. Dave retreated into his house with humiliation apparent on his face. Luckily, there was nobody else to witness the battle besides Pangu. As Pangu began to cultivate once again, Zhou Fan took a look at the rest of the galaxy. Although it somewhat felt like a good amount of time had passed since he started observing Pangu, it had been less than a year. As far as the galaxy was concerned, that was about equivalent to the time it took to sneeze. In other words, nothing had changed and nothing important happened. After taking another glance at Pangu, Zhou Fan recalled the rules he had set in place. Due to Pangu''s talent exceeding the maximum, his cultivation speed would once again be limited at 1 month per level. That meant that, from the 1st level to the 2nd level of core formation would take Pangu 1 month. From 2 to 3, 2 months, and so on. Going from the 1st level to the 2nd was actually faster than going from the 5th level of foundation establishment to the 6th. It was quite weird and unnatural, but cultivation speed was not supposed to be naturally suppressed regardless. Assuming that Pangu would stop at the 5th level before going out exploring again and adding the time it would take to go from the 10th level of foundation establishment to the 1st level of core formation, Zhou Fan had a year and four months of free time. That amount of time was not enough to do anything substantially important, so Zhou Fan thought of something unimportant to do. He could just silently watch Pangu, but that would unnecessarily waste time. Zhou Fan thought of a bunch of things, but he eventually remembered the time when he had sat in the middle of a river on the Plant world. That period of time was pleasant and relaxing. ''I would like to do that again.'' Zhou Fan said to himself. Naturally, the best place to do that would be the elf world. It had the best nature, which included bodies of water. Zhou Fan casually traveled to the elf world and reached it in around an hour. Since he had free time, he took his time on his journey. As he reached the elf world, he cut off his senses and randomly let himself fall down. He only reactivated his senses after thirty minutes had passed. As he opened his eyes, he discovered that he was in a crater. Naturally, it had been caused by his heavy body. His weight had never stopped increasing as he broke through, and he had to use a fair, yet miniscule amount of Qi to limit it. Despite limiting his weight, he was still able to create a sizeable crater. Before doing anything else, Zhou Fan limited his divine sense so that he could enjoy his break time more. It was limited to ten feet around him. Although the ground technically limited divine sense, Zhou Fans was so powerful that it easily passed through it. Zhou Fan didn''t even need to put any sort of effort in. Zhou Fan eventually got off of his back and walked up the side of the crater. Due to him limiting his weight, it was only ten feet deep and twenty feet wide. As he exited the crater, he noticed two things. One, he was on elevated ground, most likely a hill of some sort, and two, there was a village not too far from him and there seemed to be a group of people walking towards him. They had likely been attracted by the sound of his impact with the ground. "Great. People." He grumbled to himself before walking out of the crater. The elf group was only a mile or so away, and it seemed they would reach his location in around 15 - 20 minutes. Although he could have gone somewhere else, Zhou Fan decided to go with the flow for the next year and 4 months. Chapter 245: High Elf? - 245 Chapter 245 - High Elf? - 245 As the group of elves came up the hill, they paused for a moment. Just appearing in their vision was what seemed like a dirty homeless man. He wore gray robes, had gray hair, and his eyes were closed. Mist of his body, including his clothing, was covered in dirt. Even weirder, he did not look like an elf. His ears were round and not pointed, and as previously mentioned, he had gray hair, yet looked young. The group of elves looked at each other, seemingly communicating with their eyes, before they nodded and walked towards the homeless man. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" The lead elf asked. The lead elf was a sturdy looking man that seemed to have a lot of life experience. He had blond hair and leather armor, along with everyone else in the group. "I don''t know. I just woke up here." Zhou Fan said, lying. Once again, the elves looked at each other. They had no idea what to do with the man in front of them. "Alright then. Follow us. The village head will choose what to do with you." The lead elf said. As two of the elves in the 5 elf group walked up to Zhou Fan and picked him up to his feet, the lead elf momentarily examined the hole. "Did you see what caused this hole?" The lead elf asked after his examination. "No." Zhou Fan briefly responded. The lead elf nodded and began to walk towards the elf village. The other 4 elves, including the two holding onto Zhou Fan, followed him. The journey from the crater to the village took around 30 minutes. The village looked more like a temporary camp than an actual village. Surrounding a small area was a small wall of dirt. It was so small that even a child could get over it. It was likely meant more as a marker of territory than a defense. Within the wall were a few stone houses, a walkway, and what seemed like a tree house in the center of it all. There was also the occasional campfire that was being used to cook. As the group of elves walked through the village, the others stared at Zhou Fan. They were curious as to who he was. Soon, the elf group reached the tree house in the center of the village. It had only taken around 20 seconds of walking. The two elves holding Zhou Fan let him stand on his own as he had never tried to run away or resist, while they and the rest of the group stood respectfully as the leader knocked on the ground floor treehouses door. He too stood slightly in front of the villagers respectfully. As the door opened up, an old looking elf with dark blond hair opened the door. He calmly looked at the group of elves until he saw Zhou Fan. Then, his eyes slightly widened with confusion and what seemed like worry or fear. "Who is this?" The old elf asked. "We don''t know. He was in a crater which was likely the source of the earlier sound. He said he had no idea how he got there, so we brought him here." The lead elf explained. "Move out of the way. Let me see him clearer." The old elf said. The members of the elf group respectfully complied. As the elf examined Zhou Fan, he began to speak. "What is your name?" "Zhou Fan" "Where are you from?" "I don''t know. I''ve lost all my memories except for my name." Zhou Fan responded. After another moment of silence, the old elf spoke. "Come inside Zhou Fan. All of you can go back to wherever you were before." The old elf said as he shooed the elves away. As Zhou Fan entered the room, he looked around. It wasn''t much, but it gave off a certain feeling of peace and tranquility. "Sit down Zhou Fan. I''ll make you some tea." The old elf said as he pulled one of the seats from the table out and gestured to Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan nodded and sat. ''It seems that this elf man is quite nice.'' He said to himself. "So." The elf spoke as he was preparing some tea. "Can you truly not remember anything besides your name?" He asked. "It is the truth. I can only remember my name." Zhou Fan responded. "Well. Call me crazy, but you may be elf royalty. The only feature of yours that differs from their look is your ears." He explained. "However, the lack of ears can be explained in a few ways. If you don''t mind, I would like to take you to the elf capital. There, you will be tested and if you are in fact a high elf, you will find your people and I will have one heck of a payday." The old elf explained. Zhou Fan nodded along to his words. "What is a high elf?" Zhou Fan asked. He had met elves before, but there hadn''t been such a thing as a high elf. "The name may make it seem like they are a different species, but they aren''t. Essentially, they are elves with a noble bloodline. On average, their talent is higher." The old elf answered. "One thing that they all have in common is their silver hair. While yours is gray, there is still a chance that you are at least 25% high elf." By now, the tea was done and the old elf brought two teacups over to the table. He poured the tea in the cups and gave one to Zhou Fan. "If you don''t have any objection, I would like to set out tomorrow morning. It will take 4 days of travel to reach them." He said while sighing. "If only I still had my cultivation." After they finished the tea, the old elf let Zhou Fan stay in one of the unoccupied houses. Zhou Fan decided to actually let himself sleep that night. He was woken up at dawn by a knock at his door. Chapter 246: Carriage - 246 Chapter 246 - Carriage - 246 Zhou Fan opened his eyes and quickly got off of the bed. He hadn''t changed his clothes or taken a bath sunce the fall, so he was still covered in dirt. As he opened the door, he was met with the same elf group as before. "We are here to show you to the bath and wash your clothes." The elf in the lead said. Zhou Fan wasn''t surprised as it would be weird if they presented someone who could be elf royalty while he was filthy. "Alright." Zhou Fan said as he walked out the door and followed the man. The rest of the group stayed behind near a bunch of carts. After walking for three minutes, Zhou Fan and the elf man reached a pool of water. It was clean, but it still had traces of dirt in it. "We drew this bath up specially for you. If you are willing, would you change into these clothes so that I can wash yours?" The elf man asked. Zhou Fan nodded and went behind a tree where he changed his clothes. Naturally, his clothes were formed from Qi, but they could still technically be washed if he willed it. As the elf man walked back to the village with Zhou Fan''s clothes, Zhou Fan laid down in the pool. In an instant, all the dirt and grime from the fall disappeared from his body. He let some of it be absorbed by the water to avoid suspicion, but most of it was directly erased. For thirty minutes, Zhou Fan laid on the pool floor while staring up. Although this wasn''t quite what he had in mind when he thought of sitting in a river, it was a start. ''This may end up being interesting.'' Zhou Fan thought to himself. As the thirty minutes passed, Zhou Fan sensed the elf man returning and stood up. Zhou Fan''s lower body was hidden by the pool walls, so the man simply handed him a towel and his clean clothes before walking away towards the village. Zhou Fan discarded the towel and dried himself on before snapping his fingers. The clothes dispersed and were reformed as he did so. Then, he began to walk to the village in silence. The walk was much nicer than before despite the path being in an open area. As Zhou Fan arrived at the village, he saw that the carts and wagons seemed to be fully loaded with whatever the group was bringing. As Zhou Fan was spotted, the old elf walked up to him. He led Zhou Fan to the only carriage as he spoke. "We will be leaving in three minutes. I decided to bring the five you met before with us for a few reasons, but mostly to make the journey less work for us." Zhou Fan and the old elf sat in the carriage for the next three minutes until they felt it begin to move. Zhou Fan looked around the carriage. It was fairly big with enough space to hold him, the old elf, and 6 more people, although the elf group would not enter. The seats were comfortable and there were windows, although they were closed right now. Zhou Fan and the old elf sat on opposite sides. They were just about as far apart as one could be on the carriage. As the journey to the elf capital progressed, the old elf struck up some conversations with Zhou Fan. In order to be polite, Zhou Fan talked with him. They talked about many pointless things, but some important things came up eventually. On the way, Zhou Fan learned about some of the elves'' history. Within the entire world, there was one elf empire. Within the empire were three kingdoms and the imperial kingdom. If one ignored the Imperial Kingdom, then they were heading to the biggest kingdom''s capital. The three non imperial kingdoms were known as the elf kingdom, the tree kingdom, and the plant kingdom. Zhou Fan was in the elf kingdom. The plant kingdom was filled with many plants, the tree kingdom was filled with many trees, and the elf kingdom had the biggest population of elves. Even the imperial kingdom, while much more prosperous and powerful, had a lower population. The three kings had been at the 4th level of the void traversing realm before the reset, while the emperor had been at the 10th level. Without needing to think too much, it was obvious who the holder of the elves'' providence was. Zhou Fan had heard a lot more interesting information, but that had been the most important piece. During the 4 day trip, the old elf had fallen asleep a few times, while Zhou Fan had remained awake with his legs resting on the seats across from him. He spent most of the time looking outside of the window. Eventually, Zhou Fan could see the silhouette of a giant wall appearing in the distance. It was so far away that it was actually foggy, but it signified that the journey was soon to end. Zhou Fan woke the old elf up and told him that they were nearing. When the old elf looked at the distant walls, he laughed and said that they were still five hours away. Zhou Fan nodded and continued waiting. Surprisingly, after only two hours, the carriage came to a sudden stop. The stop knocked the old elf out of his sleep. He was about to storm outside angrily, but he suddenly heard a shout. "Bandits!" The old elf''s eyes widened as he began to rush out of the carriage. "Who the hell has time to rob? Why aren''t they cultivating? Idiots." The old man muttered to himself as he was rushing out. Zhou Fan just sat there with an amused expression on his face. ''What a trope.'' He said to himself. He looked outside and saw fifteen archer bandits with their bows pulled back. Zhou Fan reminisced as he saw such a scene. His last run in with bandits had been so long ago it was hard to remember. If he was right, he had only been at the foundation establishment realm and scared them away with a quick attack. As the elves fought for their lives, Zhou Fan stared at the sky with a fond look on his face. Chapter 247: Capital - 247 Chapter 247 - Capital - 247 Although the elves had been at a slight disadvantage, they were able to defeat the bandits. Zhou Fan was actually surprised as he had assumed he would need to intervene, but they managed to deal with it with no casualties. Twenty minutes after the battle ended, the old elf got back inside the carriage. Some cuts were visible on him, but they were healing very quickly. "We dealt with them, but we unfortunately had to use some expensive healing pills." The old elf said. Zhou Fan nodded in response and continued to look out the window. The old elf sighed and did his best to fall back asleep. Before he could, the group finally reached the capital. It was even more impressive up close than it was from afar. The walls were two hundred feet tall and at six equally distanced points on the wall were floating crystals. As the old elf noticed Zhou Fan''s gaze, he began to speak. "Those crystals used to function as powerful weapons in case of a large-scale attack from other elves or beasts, but since the cultivation reset, nobody has become strong enough to activate or use them again." He explained. Zhou Fan nodded in understanding as he exited the carriage. Despite the clear prosperity of the capital, there was no line to enter. The only thing between them and the entrance were two guards. Before Zhou Fan could ask, the old elf explained. "Not many people have left the capital or any other place since the cultivation reset. I assume that the capital will be like this for the next 5 years at least." He explained. Zhou Fan nodded once again. Cultivation had become such an important thing to everyone that even the most pathetic peasants cultivated. While there were still those that had no meridians, they were getting rarer and rarer as time passed by. After all, the more powerful the cultivator, the more likely their descendants are to have higher talent. As those with no talent died off and those with talent had children, the number of those with meridians increased greatly. Now, only around 1% of people are born without meridians. Of that 1%, 99% are peasants and villagers. Zhou Fan believed that one day, having no meridians would be rarer than having king rank meridians. Cultivators may even adapt a mindset that makes them throw those with no meridians away before they even grow. As Zhou Fan and the old elf walked up to the two guards, the rest of the group stayed behind them with the carriage and the carts. "Halt." A guard stated. "Present your citizen ID." The old elf raised his arm and showed it to the guard. As Zhou Fan had learned in the carriage, nearly every elf born had some sort of citizen ID inside their skin. Those who didn''t were either born secretly or had a ID in the form of a card. "My friend here does not have a citizen ID." The old elf said to the guards. The guards looked at each other in confusion before one of them entered a door on the side of the wall. "He is requesting a superior. In the meantime, I will verify all of your citizen ID''s" The guard said as he pulled out a glowing crystal. Zhou Fan had also learned of the tool in the guards hand on the way to the capital. The citizen ID was placed in an elf at birth and melded itself to seamlessly mold with the elf''s body. As for the tool, it contained a database of every elf with an ID. Zhou Fan was considerably impressed with the elves'' invention. He had never seen such a thing before. The group taking care of the carriage also had their IDs scanned before the man who went away came back. Following him was a man in silver armor. "I heard you don''t have a citizen ID." The imposing elf said as he stood in front of Zhou Fan. "Yes. I also lost all of my memories until I met these people." Zhou Fan said. The guard looked at him suspiciously for a moment, likely trying to tell if he was lying. "Well, this is a complicated situation." The guard explained. "Firstly, you don''t have an ID. That is very rare. Second, your ears are weird. If you are not an elf, you are a beast that can transform into a humanoid creature. However, cultivation had been reset. If you were a beast, you would be stuck in beast form." "In all honesty, I have no idea what to do with you." The guard said. Suddenly, the old elf chimed in from the side. "Sir, I have a suspicion that he is a high elf." "Hmm." The guard answered in response as he scrutinized Zhou Fan. "In that case, I will escort you to the High elf residence. There they will test if you are a high elf. If you are, you can stay. If not, I''m afraid that I will have to ask you to leave the city. Does that sound good to you?" The guard asked. "Yes." Zhou Fan responded with a nod. "Then it is settled. You follow me." He said to Zhou Fan. "As for you." He spoke while looking at the old man. "You will be properly rewarded if he turns out to be a high elf." The old elf enthusiastically nodded as the guard walked away and Zhou Fan followed. Zhou Fan paid attention to the old elf as he walked away. As expected, the old elf didn''t even spar him a second glance. Zhou Fan wasn''t surprised. He had known the old elf only treated him as possible money from the moment he met him. Zhou Fan took his attention off of the old elf as he walked through the big city. As he traveled behind the elf guard, he noticed that some of the children playing outside pointed at the guard and looked with admiring glances. "Are you popular?" Zhou Fan asked. "It may not seem like it, but I was the fourth strongest person in the capital before the reset." The elf guard said. "My silver armor recognizes me as the vice leader of the capital guard, the most prestigious group in the kingdom." Chapter 248: Bloodline - 248 Chapter 248 - Bloodline - 248 Zhou Fan nodded as he heard the guards'' explanation. He hadn''t expected him to be such an influential figure. The rest of the journey continued quietly and smoothly. Although the hot sun may affect mortals, both Zhou Fan and the guard were perfectly fine. As time passed, Zhou Fan realized they were closing in on the center of the city. Just as they were about to reach the castle in the middle, they took a right. The closest thing to the castle was a giant purple dome. Although it made the things inside it slightly blurry, Zhou Fan was able to make out the outline of some trees. He also noticed that the inside seemed pretty dark. "We are here. Inside the dome is the high elf domain. Word has been sent that you are coming. Once you enter, a high elf will meet you. Follow her." The guard in silver explained. Zhou Fan nodded in understanding. "The domains shield has temporarily been deactivated. Hurry up and enter." The guard said. Zhou Fan nodded and walked into the dome. As he entered, it was like day shifted to night. The sun was no longer in sight and a moon could be seen in its place. Zhou Fan was easily able to see through the illusion array, but he ignored and looked around the dark forest. Luckily, he could see no matter how dark it got. Not long after he began looking, he spotted a woman with silver hair and long ears halfway hiding behind a tree. "Hello." Zhou Fan said. Due to the domain''s silence, his words easily reached the elf''s ears. When the elf realized Zhou Fan was looking at her, she stepped out from behind the tree. "Follow me." She said before turning around and running. She was quite fast, but she was only at the 2nd level of the Qi gathering realm. Zhou Fan easily kept up with her, maintaining a distance of 15 feet. The elf woman looked behind her and nodded as she saw that he could keep up. After just thirty seconds, the elf woman stopped running. Zhou Fan appeared beside her and looked forward. In front of them was a large tree with purple leaves. At the trunk of that tree was a doorway shrouded in light. "Go inside." The elf woman said before going somewhere else. Zhou Fan didn''t pay attention to her departure and entered the tree trunk doorway. As he entered, he finally received some light. Looking around, it seemed that he had entered some sort of bar. There were around 20 high elves chatting around the place and barrels of wine were lined on the walls. The light was coming from a chandelier on the ceiling inlaid with spirit stones. As Zhou Fan entered, the 20 people stopped speaking and turned to look at him. The smiles and laughter on their faces was replaced with a cold silence. On the other side of the bar, a door opened and a 40 year old looking elf woman wearing a crown on her head entered the room. "Come boy." The elf woman said before turning around and walking back through the door she had just exited. Zhou Fan nodded and walked forward, ignoring the gazes of every person in the building. As he opened the door, entered, and closed the door behind him, he saw a long tunnel extending deep underground. As the elf woman continued to walk forward, she spoke. "You will have to forgive my fellow high elves. Since you have yet to be proven a high elf, they look down on you." The elf woman said. "I am the queen of the high elves, second to only the emperor himself." "The kings of these kingdoms consider themselves above me, but they have no idea the importance of me." She talked as she continued down the tunnel. "This domain is the place that all high elves reside. In total, there are a hundred high elves. The high elves outside of this domain can be counted on one hand." As she spoke, they reached a door. Zhou Fan estimated that they were past the domain walls and under the actual city. Zhou Fan was getting tired of doors and entrances, but he quietly walked through. The room behind the door was simple and not that large. The only thing besides the wall, ceiling, and floor was an altar. "Prick your blood on the spike. Contrary to what you''ve been told, if you are not a high elf, you will be killed." The high elf queen said. Zhou Fan nodded and walked towards the altar. Naturally, he was not stupid. As he walked through the bar, he observed every person''s bloodline and comprehended the high elves in their entirety. They were simply elves with a mutated bloodline and average talent on par with the celestials or the heavenborns. In other words, they were not that special. With the high elf queen''s high elf bloodline as a final reference, Zhou Fan was able to perfectly imitate the high elf bloodline and condense a drop of high elf blood. In order to prevent himself from being seen as some sort of high elf king or high elf god, he toned down the quality of the blood drop. When the drop of blood landed on the spike, the altar lit up and presented a percentage in the air. It read 80%. Seeing it, the high elf queen''s eyes opened slightly. "Incredible. Your bloodline''s purity is second only to mine and equal to only a few." She said. Suddenly, her face seemed a lot more friendly. "We high elves have statuses based on our bloodline purity. 1% to 24% is a dirty blood. We usually kill them for shaming our bloodline. From 25% to 49% are what we call high elf commoners. We accept them, but they don''t enjoy much special treatment. Regardless, they get much more than any normal elf." She explained. "From 50% to 69%, we call them noble high elves. That is where special treatment starts. From 70% to 89%, we call them high elf dukes. That is what you and 5 others are. From 90% to 99% we call high elf kings/queens, and at 100%, that would be a high elf god." Chapter 249: Racists - 249 Chapter 249 - Racists - 249 "I am the purest and strongest high elf alive. The kings of the kingdoms are about equal to me in strength, or were, and the emperor was stronger than us all." The high elf queen explained. Zhou Fan nodded in response. Naturally, the elf bearing the elf races providence would be stronger than a high elf. Since the elf race on the elf planet is different from the other elves back in the Zhou galaxy, they would be considered different races, which meant that there would be two providences for two different elf races, although the high elves were still in the same category as the elves of the heaven galaxy. "Now that it has been shown that I am a high elf, what happens next?" Zhou Fan asked. He had been going with the flow since he got here, but he had no idea what the endpoint was. "That''s up to you. As a high elf, you can enjoy life inside the high elf domain without having to be near lesser elves. You can cultivate or enjoy the high elf domains attractions." She said. Zhou Fan was confused by her words. Since he was restricting his divine sense, he had no idea if there was actually anything good in the high elf domain. "What exactly is there?" Zhou Fan asked. Hearing his question, the high elf queen put her hand on her chin and thought. "Well, since you are a high elf duke, I suppose I can give you a personal tour." After she spoke, she began to walk back through the way they came. "First, I''ll give you a badge. If you had a Citizen Id inside your arm, I could update it, but a badge is required regardless." She spoke as she walked back up the tunnel. Zhou Fan followed behind her. Before long, they entered the bar again. Silence took over the place until the high elf queen spoke. "This is Zhou Fan. He is a high elf duke. Treat him worthy of his status." She exclaimed to the entire bar. In an instant, everyone''s gaze changed from suspicion and slight disgust to interest and astonishment. "Wait here. I''ll be back with the badge." The high elf queen said before walking off. Zhou Fan looked around and it seemed that the entire bar was focused on him. Now, however, there were conversations going on. Before Zhou Fan even attempted to listen in on what they were saying, an aged butler walked up to him. He was wearing a badge with a moon in the center and one purple star above it. Using basic deduction, it could be assumed that he''s a high elf commoner. He spoke with a calm and experienced expression on his face, his head lowered and his eyebrows covering most of his eyes. "Good evening lord duke. It is an honor to meet you. Would you like to enter the vip section?" Zhou Fan nodded while speaking. "Yes I would." The old butler bowed before walking away. Zhou Fan assumed he was meant to follow him and did so. On the same side of the bar as the entrance door was a stairway. It was on the left and went up into an arched frame with purple lights coming out of it. The old butler went up those stairs and stopped right before going through the arch. He turned around and gestured for Zhou Fan to enter. Zhou Fan nodded and entered. In front of him was a fairly long hallway. At some point, it seemed to turn to the left. Zhou Fan briefly walked down the carpeted hallway until he reached the turn. He then entered the room in front of him. In the room, he saw five couches, with only one having a person sitting on it. He was facing the wall to Zhou Fans'' right that he could not see and chuckling. As he saw Zhou Fan enter, he frowned for a second. "Stop. Who allowed you to enter?" "My name is Zhou Fan, a new high elf duke." Zhou Fan answered. "The elf queen is getting my badge right now." "Oh." He said as his frown disappeared. "Hurry and come over before the show is over." He said while gesturing to the couches around him. Zhou Fan walked in and sat on one of the couches before finally paying attention to the right wall. It was a wall of glass and behind it were two normal elves. "I hope you don''t mind the sight of blood." He said with a chuckle. "These two monkeys should make a good show." Zhou Fan understood what was happening in an instant. Seeing the occasional trembles of the elves facing each other, it was even easier to understand. The high elf duke, or whoever was managing the entertainment, had captured two elves and forced them to fight each other to the death. ''These guys sure are racist.'' Zhou Fan said to himself before paying attention to the battle. Although he wasn''t a fan of what was happening, he didn''t plan on stopping it. He was no enforcer of justice. As far as he was concerned, the two elves, as well as all of the high elves on the elf world, along with all the elves on the elf world, along with all the living beings in heavens galaxy, along with all the beings of the universe, would end up dying and turning to dust regardless of whether or not he saved them. Only he would live forever. Such an attitude had caused Zhou Fan to feel distant from everything happening. It was as if he was reading some sort of book. ''Whatever.'' He said to himself as he watched the fight. The two elves clearly were forced to fight, but they seemed to be going all out. "This show is fairly rare. There are plenty of others, but you just so happened to come during the best one." The high elf duke spoke. "By the way, my name is Richard. Nice to meet you Zhou." The high elf duke said casually. Suddenly, from the dukes vision, he saw Zhou Fan head turning towards him slowly. "What did you just say?" Zhou Fan asked. Chapter 250: Erasure - 250 Chapter 250 - Erasure - 250 "Sorry? Is there some sort of problem?" The high elf duke asked. Before he could even comprehend what was happening, millions of tiny sword Qi''s appeared around him and disintegrated his body into atoms. Then, every single trace of his existence was wiped off of the planet, before he was finally erased from the memories of all beings in the elf world. Everything happened in an instant, and Zhou Fan had turned around, looking at the two elves fighting. He had already had a bad impression of the high elf duke from his character and actions, but calling him Zhou was something that could not be forgiven. It would be different if the high elf duke had asked permission, but he had immediately called him Zhou without thinking twice. Naturally, Zhou Fan knew he had over reacted. He just didn''t care. It was one thing if a ladybug landed on him, and another if a spider landed on him. The lady bug would be a normal and ignorant human being calling him Zhou, and the spider would be a disgusting and evil living being calling him Zhou. After a moment of watching, Zhou Fan waved his hand and teleported the fighting elves back to their homes. Zhou Fan was irrationally annoyed. The high elves acted disgusting, and they would be treating him the same way if he didn''t fake his bloodline. He had come to the elf world for a brief break, not to be indoctrinated into a group of arrogant filth. As he thought about it more, the elf world had no need for high elves. They only lounged around arrogantly and likely did nothing besides harming innocent elves. The five races were meant to be introduced into the heaven world and help it flourish so that Zhou Fan could test out the idea of a universal consciousness. Having a plague, aka the high elves, harm the elves and lessen their development was akin to letting a test subject get infected and die. As he thought, Zhou Fan came to a decision. The high elves were a burden on the galaxy''s future development. Arrogant nobles in a world meant for commoners. As unwanted existences, only one thing could be done. Just as the elf queen was turning the corner into the lounge, Zhou Fan disappeared. He did not reappear, but above the high elf domain next to the castle, a giant, golden palm appeared. In an instant, it fell down, crushing the entire high elf domain and every section under the normal capital. Naturally, the entire city felt the impact, as well as saw the giant palm and fell into a state of panic. The king rushed out of his castle, but he could not even fly. As he reached the high elf domain, the only thing he saw was a deep pit in the shape of a hand. In other places around the world, the few high elves outside of the domain suddenly stopped existing. That not only included the men, but the women, and the children too. Although it seemed evil, there was no reason to even feel pity. When pulling out a weed, even the roots had to be removed. Otherwise, they would grow back. The evilness was also lessened by the fact that the high elves had surely killed plenty of innocent elf children. Meanwhile, Zhou Fan appeared next to a small stream. The water was moving quite fast and the bottom was only four feet below the water. That meant that Zhou Fan could easily reach the bottom while sitting without sinking too far. As he undressed, entered, and felt the cold water run over him, he had time to think. He had entered the elf world expecting a relaxing vacation but had only found annoyance. Although he would do the same thing again since it led to the removal of a plague, it was still an unpleasant experience. After seeing the one unpleasant experience, Zhou Fan began to wonder if there were more on the other worlds. Luckily, as he thought about it more, it seemed unlikely. First, the fiendcelestials could be ignored due to their low population. Even if there was a plague, it would include the entire race. The elves'' matter had been handled, leaving only the barbarians, the demons, and the spirits. While the elves were a kind and easygoing race, the others were not. The devils were their own sort of plague if one only looked at good and evil, but overall, they did as expected. There was no deviation or suppression from a certain group. In the barbarian world, only strength mattered and bloodline would never matter. Even the child of an emperor would be treated the same as a commoner''s child. Finally, the spirit race didn''t have blood or any sort of bloodline hierarchy. Like the barbarians, they relied on strength, just in a different way. Zhou Fan quietly relaxed in the river, his worries quickly fading away. Soon, a month passed. While Zhou Fan was casually chilling in the river, the entire elf world was losing their minds. Despite a reset in cultivation, a giant palm descended from the sky and eliminated the high elf races domain. This caused fear in everybody. The fact that the outside high elves seemed to disappear simply added to everyone''s fear. Many theories had been formed by skepticists. Since the palm seemed to be made of buddhist Qi, some elves claimed that a buddha was tired of the high elves'' evil ways and removed them from the world. Some people thought that an attack from two powerful beings fighting coincidentally landed on the elf world, killing the high elves. Some simply didn''t believe that a palm had fallen at all and that the strongest people in the world had jointly eliminated the high elves. Usually, to counter others arguments, people would simply mention the cultivation reset to shut others up. Eventually, most just thought that the high elf race finally got what they deserved and lived their lives no differently from before. Chapter 251: Demon World - 251 Chapter 251 - Demon World - 251 There were still a few that thought further into the matter. Namely, they were the three kings and the emperor. The king of the elf kingdom had a good relationship with the high elves, leading to him being the main person who worried the most. The emperor also had an interest, but he was more aligned with the common peoples'' thoughts. The high elves got what they deserved. The other two kings, while still curious and fearful, hated the high elves. They too preferred the possibility of retribution. Although fear and worry were rampant among the more important people, the world did not change all that much. In total, Zhou Fan spent three months in the river before coming out. He felt refreshed. He had decided in the river to go experience the other worlds before returning to Pangu, causing him to leave the river so early. He still had an entire year and a month before it was time to leave. With a jump, Zhou Fan flew out of the elf world in the direction of the demon world. Demons had been a recurring race throughout his time in the universe, and Zhou Fan had begun to wonder how many different providences they would have. Zhou Fan knew that, once the different races met each other, they would probably give their races new names. If the two elf races met, they may become the heaven elf race, since they were in heaven''s galaxy and the origin elf race, since the elves on earth were the first. Naturally, it was unlikely that they would choose those exact names, but Zhou Fan was simply guessing. As Zhou Fan closed in on the demon world, he first noticed its red color. He would have expected nothing less from a demon world. It was equal in size to the elf world. This time, Zhou Fan had no intention of randomly falling on the planet and going with the flow. These people were demons, not elves. Firstly, Zhou Fan would have to change his appearance as the difference between humans and demons was not simply ears, but skin color and other obvious features. Secondly, the demons were completely different from any peaceful race in the universe. When appearing homeless in a human or elf world, it would be expected to be taken in and sheltered by the good in someone''s heart. In a demon world, however, it would be luckily to not be killed or tortured on the spot. The societies were simply completely opposing. Zhou Fan descended on a mountain. Near it was a large city with walls. With a glance, Zhou Fan could tell how the demons of the heaven galaxy differed from those on earth. Firstly, they had a single horn on the center of their foreheads curving upwards. They had no wings on their bodies at all. If not for their red skin and their horns, they could theoretically pass as humans. They also had fangs in their mouths. The fangs seemed to be designed for eating creatures alive. The fangs didn''t extend out of their mouths, but they took up their mouths from top to bottom. As Zhou Fan surveyed the city, he saw the most important structures. The first would be the mansion in its center. It was not quite a castle, as that would be disrespectful to the king, but it was very close. In the middle of the north, east, south, and west of the city were towers. In total there were four. With a single glance, Zhou Fan could tell their use. Unlike the elves'' crystals which were used for offense, these towers were surprisingly used for defense. In synergy, they would create a giant shield that protected the entire city. Like the elves'' crystals, they could not be used without someone of a certain strength. These in particular needed either one person in the soul formation realm, or 4 in the later levels of the nascent soul realm. That was what was needed to control it, but to activate and maintain it, spirit stones were required. Overall, it was a pretty good defense. As Zhou Fan continued to survey the city, he noticed many things that the elves did not have. There were guillotines all around, shackles that held prisoners, and what seemed like a few public torture chairs. Zhou Fan was not too surprised since the demons were naturally evil and vile. The public torture chairs were the equivalent of a playground on earth. Aside from that, there was only one other thing that garnered Zhou Fans attention. Below the city, inside a giant cave nearly the size of the city, was a sleeping dragon. Right now, it was regaining its strength. The dragon was extremely large. It was likely a species of giant dragon since it kept its size even with the cultivation reset. Although nothing about it was truly interesting, Zhou Fan couldn''t help but be interested in dragons. During his time in the universe, dragons were the only beings that were consistently powerful. Xiaolong was one of the supreme beasts of earth. The dragon king, Ao ting, had been the king of all supreme beasts in the Zhou world, and the current leader was likely to be his son, Ao tu, or one of his descendants. So, despite the fact that it was sleeping and extremely weak, Zhou Fan had an interest in the dragon. More importantly, he wondered if its existence was known to the demons. Instead of asking someone, Zhou Fan teleported to the library of the city. It was even smaller than the Lang Yang city''s library from long ago, but it held enough information. Using his divine sense, Zhou fan learned that, either the dragon''s presence was unknown, or it was kept a secret by the higher ranked people within the city. Giving in, Zhou Fan teleported to the city mayor''s house, directly next to him. The cultivating mayor snapped his eyes open, but Zhou Fan knocked him out before he could understand anything. Then, he read some of his memories. To the current Zhou Fan, such a thing was extremely simple. Especially for someone not even in the foundation establishment realm. It was simply a matter of covering the mayor''s mind and soul with his divine sense and fully analyzing it using extremely profund concepts. In order to not have to go through the mayor''s entire life story, Zhou Fan just went through his thoughts since the cultivation reset. If he knew about the dragon, he would have definitely thought about it at least once. Chapter 252: Worlds - 252 Chapter 252 - Worlds - 252 After reading the mayor''s mind, Zhou Fan was met with a surprise. He had no idea that there was a huge cave or a dragon below his city. Zhou Fan had felt that there was a 99% chance the mayor would know about it considering that the cave was so huge that it was the size of half of the city. But he had no clue. Zhou Fan could only look at the cave again and think about the possibilities. The cave was completely enclosed, leaving no room for the dragon to escape, so it must have formed the cave itself. Such an event would easily cause a huge earthquake that could ravage the entire city. Therefore, it was likely that the dragon had been living in the cave before the city was even created. If that was the case, then the dragon should have been immensely powerful. Zhou Fan had learned in the library that the city was 5,000 years old, outdating even a few of the kingdoms in the demon world. The city had gone through multiple mayors and multiple battles, but the dragon had remained under it the entire time. 5,000 years without moving an inch. Not every existence could do that. Although Zhou Fan was interested in the dragon, he decided to leave it be without looking into it any further. The dragon was clearly reclusive and Zhou Fan had no reason to bother it. Zhou Fan flew above the demon world and circled it a few times, taking into account most of what he saw. In the end, he left after only three days. He had severely overestimated how interesting the demons were. Next, he made his way to the barbarian world. Even from afar, it was clear that the planet was nothing more than a giant wasteland with few plants, rivers, and oceans. It was a miracle that the barbarian race could even survive. Luckily, they had evolved to need little food, and they did not need that food to be healthy. There were a surprisingly large amount of animals in the barbarian world, giving them all the meat they needed. Even with the cultivation reset, food was easily taken care of. Of course, once the barbarians reached the core formation realm, the worry of food was completely irrelevant. Even at the foundation establishment realm food could be mostly ignored. It was nothing more than a delicacy for those who liked to eat. Unlike most other races which did not follow a certain style of cultivation, the barbarians focused on their bodies. Earth and metal affinities were the most common and the most useful to barbarians. Fire gave explosive strength and movement, giving barbarians good fighting ability, and water allowed the barbarians to move flexibly. They were quite a unique civilization. They focused little on combat style and put everything into a few punches. If the battle did not end there, it was usually called a draw. There was not much politics in the barbarian world. Although, in a way, strength ruled in all worlds, it was even more so for the barbarians. Even the son of an emperor would be treated as a commoner unless proved to have great strength. Talent was essentially disregarded when considering someone''s position. Even if the holder of the barbarians'' providence were to show talent that could allow them to exceed someone else''s strength in a few days, they would still be treated worse than that person, until their strength was higher. Zhou Fan considered the barbarians to be the most straightforward and honorable race. He even liked them a bit. Lying was extremely uncommon and tricks were not only frowned upon, but illegal in some areas. If Zhou fan felt like it, he could start as a nobody and show more strength, eventually becoming an emperor, not out of fear, but out of respect and merit, in just a few days. He would not show off godly power, nor a high level background, but the barbarians would wholeheartedly accept him as their leader despite not knowing him a week ago. Such was the allure of a true strength based society. Sadly, there were always bad things to match the good. In return for a great mindset and good body talent, the barbarians were extremely stupid. While a genius would emerge every now and then, he would eventually become dumb as he was influenced by those around him. The odds of a barbarian focusing on arrays or formations was one in a million. Luckily, a space shattering realm barbarian would still be able to use the teleportation array. All the array required was the Qi of such a cultivator and it would automatically activate. Otherwise, the barbarians may never leave their home planet. After going around the planet a few times, Zhou Fan left it as well, heading to the final planet containing the most unique race among the five. The spirit race. As he came towards it from afar, he saw the foggy planet. It seemed like a giant, ethereal cloud covered the entire world. This was the spirit race world. Zhou Fan descended on the world and landed on a foggy hill. The ground was half real and half illusory. The laws of physics seemed to barely apply to such a place. Occasionally, he saw spirits roaming around the place. They seemed to have essentially zero intelligence. Spirits were actually more similar to beasts than humanoid creatures. They were born with little intelligence and gained power by unconsciously absorbing the Qi in the surroundings, or by devouring other spirits. Once they reached the foundation establishment realm, they gained a bit of intelligence. It wasn''t much, putting them on the same level as a 5 year old human. At the core formation realm, they would have intelligence similar to that of a 10 year old child. At the nascent soul realm, they would truly develop their intelligence, having above average intelligence for an adult human. From there, it shot upward, although not quite at the level of a normal cultivator. Chapter 253: Failure - 253 Chapter 253 - Failure - 253 Instead of creating cities or kingdoms, Spirits had a much more primal way of grouping together. To form a group, a spirit would have to be at least at the nascent soul realm. Since there was no such being in the spirit world due to the cultivation reset, every single spirit was busy wandering around aimlessly. Once a spirit reached the nascent soul realm, it instinctually had two options. One, it could continue wandering around alone, or two, it could form a group of spirits. Option one needed no explanation, a spirit would simply continue to become stronger until death or reaching a bottleneck. Option two, however, was a little complicated. Due to the power of the nascent soul realm spirit, other, weaker spirits would be drawn to its vicinity. At that point, the spirit would use its innate ability that Zhou Fan called subordination. On a willing spirit one realm below the strong spirit, subordination would mark them and allow them to be commanded by the strong spirit. This would also allow the spirits to communicate through their minds. On spirits two realms below or more, the subordination mark could be forced, unless there was already one on it. This is the only hierarchy present on the spirit world. As for having children, spirits could only be born from the world unless two spirits reached the void traversing realm. While the subordination mark sounded bad, it was not without benefits. For the spirits one realm below the main spirit, they would gain some Qi from the main spirit every now and then depending on the main spirit''s strength and number of willing subordinates. This Qi was only the natural excess, not causing the main spirit any loss unless they had a lot of willing subordinates and needed to personally offer Qi. The innate ability of subordination was something that had been personally created by Zhou Fan. If not for it, spirits would very rarely group up unless very intelligent, causing them to develop slower as a whole. There was not much to look at or pay attention to in the spirit world. Everything was the same everywhere. Spirits did not make buildings, so there was no history to check out. If not for the fact that Zhou Fan knew the spirits had once had void traversing realm cultivators, he would have thought they were a newly created race. With his overseeing of the planets done, Zhou Fan still had plenty of time for his break. He decided to simply wander around the worlds and possibly give opportunities to people he came across. His first destination would be the heaven world. The heavenborn race had spread out, but the heaven world was still the main planet. Even Tian Ren spent most of his time on it. In just a few seconds, Zhou Fan appeared on a path in the heaven world. He had disguised himself as an old man and pulled a small cart with him on the path. He had a bamboo hat and long facial hair. Even his clothes seemed to be old and dirty. Not disgustingly dirty, but with a couple dirt stains. He began his walk on the path, not using his divine sense to instantly tell where he was or where he was heading towards. As he walked on the path, he came across many people. There were some young people, some middle aged people, and a few old people. Zhou Fan seemed to always sigh as he walked past them. They were called old people, but he was their senior by millions of years. It seemed as if everyone was in a world of their own, far away from his. One day, after around a month of walking, Zhou Fan''s path led into a forest. The forest was filled with cherry blossom trees, and the weather was perfect. It was clearly the peak of spring. As he walked under the shade of one of the cherry blossom trees and a leaf landed on his nose, he sighed again. He was feeling an unnatural amount of melancholy. Surprisingly, he was more at peace than he had been in a long long time. Even the river could not compare to the beauty of spring. Suddenly, Zhou Fan stopped walking. It was as if all of his experiences were combing together and he was beginning to finally understand. Heaven was a failure. He had thought it before, but he knew it now. All things with emotions age. Even Zhou Fan felt the effect of age, despite not looking a day older in the last millions of years. "If Heaven has emotions, it too will grow old. The universal consciousness must be emotionless and impartial." He said to himself. He finally understood. He could present the rules, but he could not overly enforce them. Otherwise, the very aspect of cultivation was pointless. In Zhou Fan''s opinion, the reason to cultivate was power and freedom. The freedom to do whatever you want, whether it be kill, steal, oppress, help, give, or clean. Power was necessary to protect yourself from the backlash of your actions. If you kill the son of an emperor, you just had to be stronger than the emperor or whoever was behind him and you would not be judged. If you wanted to heal someone that a demonic overlord wanted to kill, you just had to be stronger than that demonic overlord or whoever was behind him. In the cultivation world he had observed, there was always someone behind someone. Kill the son, the father would come, kill the father, the grandpa would come, kill the grandpa, the ancestor would come, kill the ancestor, a god would come. In some instances, even killing a mortal could result in a space shattering realm cultivator being offended down a long chain. Zhou Fan always found that funny. Luckily, he was the biggest fish in the biggest pond. As for the cosmic dao, it was the pond itself. Zhou Fan understood that Heaven could not be the universal consciousness. Luckily, he had thought about that long ago. He had ways to make Heaven useful. Chapter 254: Young Man - 254 Chapter 254 - Young Man - 254 Although Heaven could not fill the role of the universal consciousness, it could still oversee some area in the universe. Depending on its power, Zhou Fan would adjust the size of that area when the time comes. Of course, he was still a long way away from creating a universal consciousness. Zhou Fan had already developed a good idea. Once his mortal dao evolved, he would be similar in level to the cosmic dao, although he wasn''t sure that is what he would call it. At that point, mortal dao''s would be able to exist within his dao''s domain. Since heaven was at the 1st level of the inner world realm, he had a mortal dao, although it was sorely undeveloped. Heaven would be able to create a domain of his mortal dao. It could be called the heaven domain or the heavenly dao or something similar. That would be where heaven ruled. It would likely take up multiple galaxy clusters if everything went right. Still, there would be much more room outside the heavens mortal dao than inside. That would be where Zhou Fans evolved mortal dao would be. He would create the impartial and emotionless consciousness there, which would rule over the universe. It was a very simple plan, similar to what he had done with heaven but on a bigger scale. The area within heaven''s mortal dao would be more lawful, but protected. Outside heavens mortal dao would be essentially lawless, allowing anyone to do anything, with more freedom and the ability to release a mortal dao. There would be both benefits for being inside heavens mortal dao and being outside. Zhou Fan gradually formed a plan in his mind of what the future of the universe would look like. As he was deep in thought, he was awoken by a pat on the shoulder. Opening his eyes, Zhou Fan saw a young man with blond hair looking at him worriedly. "Are you ok sir? You''ve been standing still for a while." The young man asked. Zhou Fan could practically see the goodness in his eyes flowing out. "I am fine." Zhou Fan spoke with his old man voice. "It''s just been hard on the path and I''ve become tired." As Zhou Fan finished, he could see the young man look deep in thought and seem to be hesitating. "Well..." He said after a while. "If you wouldn''t mind, I can take you the rest of the way. If I go fast, we will reach the nearest city in 5 hours." "Would you really do that?" Zhou Fan, the old man asked. "Yes yes. Don''t worry. Hop on the cart." The young man said as he helped Zhou Fan walk. Before long, Zhou Fan was riding on top of his small cart as the young man strugglingly ran on the path. He was clearly in a hurry. As Zhou Fan rode, he remembered one of the reasons why he had come to the heaven world. "Young man. Your kindness is truly unmatched." He spoke in his old man voice. "Don''t sweat it." The young man responded. "I just try to help out whenever I can." "Haha. You are a good young lad. Would you answer this old man''s question?" Zhou Fan asked. "Sure!" The young man said with a smile as he struggled to pull the cart. "If you had the option, would you rather live a peaceful life of no worries as a mortal, or get the opportunity to become the strongest cultivator, although there would be a high risk to your life?" Zhou Fan asked. The young man didn''t answer for a moment, likely deeply thinking about the question. "It would be a hard choice, but I think that I would choose to become the strongest cultivator." The young man responded. "Could I ask why?" Zhou Fan asked. "So that I can help more people." The young man stated simply. Zhou Fan nodded at his answer. The young man seemed to have great resolve. Sadly, the young man was still a mortal. His meridians were trash rank. If he spent all his life cultivating and chanced upon some great opportunities, he may become a foundation establishment cultivator at the end of his lifespan. Clearly, the young man hadn''t decided to do such a thing. When Zhou Fan saw that the young man at least had some meridians, he sighed in relief. He was not very confident in creating meridians yet. Even if he could, they would not be very good. Even just upgrading the rank would normally be difficult, but things had changed since the past. The current cultivation used by the everyone was Zhou Fan''s invention. He had full control over it. Although meridians were something naturally created in humanoid life forms, Zhou Fan could easily change them with the help of the river of cultivation. Zhou Fan pointed two fingers at the young man''s head, and a golden beam of light hit the young man''s head. Instantly, the young man passed out. He fell face first on the ground and the cart came to a stop. Zhou Fan hopped off of it and teleported himself and the cart elsewhere. As the young man woke up, he felt changes within himself. Zhou Fan had given him god rank meridians. Naturally, that would not be enough to let him reach the level of Tian Ren, so Zhou Fan gave him a little something else. Although only Zhou Fan could see it, a golden aura was surrounding the young man. The light was given off by providence. Zhou Fan had become able to emulate the effects of providence. He had specially made this one so that when the young man died, the providence would forever disappear. While the providence was on him, his meridians would slowly be upgraded. After ten thousand years, he would have immortal rank meridians. Those, along with providence, would allow the young man to at the very least become the strongest below Tian Ren in the world. Zhou Fan had teleported to another area of the heaven world. It was essentially on the other side of the world from where he met the young man. Chapter 255: The First Heaven Defying Cultivator - 255 Chapter 255 - The First Heaven Defying Cultivator - 255 Zhou Fan planned to give at least one more person an opportunity before leaving the planet and either going back to the fiendcelestial world or, if he had time, go to another planet and repeat the process of giving out opportunities. On this side of the planet, he spent a while in the same disguise as before. Surprisingly, he had not met another person worthy of an opportunity. There were only three days until Pangu stopped cultivating, and Zhou Fan was about to call it quits and go back to the fiendcelestial world. Suddenly, something happening off the path he was traveling down caught his attention. On the side of the road, a group of bandits held two people. Both of them were slowly being tortured. The two being tortured were a man and a woman. Based on the young looking man not far from them, they were likely parents. The bandits were slowly cutting the two parents up. There were already a hundred shallow cuts on them, but they were still alive. Zhou Fan recalled hearing something about a group of bandits that enjoyed torturing people on his journey. They were unofficially called the horror bandits. As they cut the two people up, they seemed to be enjoying the look on the young man''s face. Zhou Fan continued walking while looking, but he could not see the young man''s facial expressions as he was facing the other direction. As Zhou Fan walked further down the path, he saw the look on the young man''s face. He was clenching his teeth so hard that they actually had cracks on them. His hand was clenched so hard that his nails were almost reaching his bones. If looks could kill, the entire world may have already died. Zhou Fan had never seen such a rageful expression on the face of anyone. Much less on the face of a mortal. If given the opportunity, it looked like the young man would rip his own skin off and suffocate the bandits to death with it. Unfortunately, the bandits were all cultivators. There was nothing he could do but watch. Zhou Fan disappeared on the path. Just as the young man''s teeth were about to completely shatter from his clenching, a voice was heard in his head. "Do you want power?" The voice asked. The voice sounded like a dehydrated old man was speaking. The young man would have normally looked around confused, but he was in such intense rage that he directly skipped that part. He did not even answer the voice, but the voice seemed to understand his silence as a yes. "What would you be willing to do for power?" The voice asked. Once again, the young man did not respond, but his eyes seemed to speak for him. ''ANYTHING!'' "Even if I ask you to kill your parents?" ''ANYTHING!'' His eyes responded again. "What if I told you to destroy the world?" "ANYTHING!" He screamed out loud. "Even if I tell you to kill yourself?" "ANYTHING!" "Then kill yourself." The voice said. The young man, without even thinking, grabbed a nearby stick and stabbed it in his eye. He dug with all his might, trying to reach his brain. At that point, a normal person, even consumed by unimaginable rage, would snap out of it. This young man, however, was special. No matter the pain, he continued to dig. Just as he was about to reach his brain, the stick disappeared. "Good!" The voice said. Suddenly, the young man''s face healed, but it was not the same as before. In place of his old eye, a dark red eye, surrounded by black where the whites of his eyes once were, appeared. From that eye, red cracks on the skin appeared, covering his entire face. His face looked as if it was glass hit by a metal ball, cracked everywhere. Suddenly, the eye moved, and a wave of red flames appeared in front of the young man, devouring everything. The forest, the bandits, his parents, the wild animals. Everything. As the young man was about to pass out, the voice was heard once again. "You are hereby the first demon king of the Heavenborn race. What is your goal?" The voice asked. The young mans mind moved at the speed of light. ''To kill. To destroy.'' He responded with a hazy mind. "To kill what? To destroy what?" The voice asked. ''To kill all living things. To destroy HEAVEN! The creator of all suffering!'' He screamed in his mind. "In that case, lay low, grow strong, and defeat Tian Ren. Heaven cannot personally act. In honor of your conviction, I hereby give you a second title. The First Heaven Defying Cultivator." The voice said. Those words were the last thing the young man heard before passing out. As he passed out, Zhou Fan, in his original form, appeared next to him. ''I didn''t expect to find someone like him.'' He thought to himself. ''Sorry heaven. Sorry Tian Ren. I found you both a worthy opponent.'' He chuckled to himself. He then changed the young man''s meridians, instantly to immortal rank. He refrained from giving him providence since he was going against heaven. Heaven was known as the creator to all of the people in the heaven galaxy. If that was so, then they would also likely believe that Heaven controlled luck. Giving the young man luck would only go against his purpose. "I suppose I can call it a day." Zhou Fan said to himself as he teleported to the fiendcelestial world. A while after he appeared, the young man woke up. For the first time since the bandits came, he had a clear mind. "I am no longer Lu Tyan. He died with his parents. From now on, I am Yao Mun. The first Heaven defying cultivator, the first heavenborn demon king!" He spoke with conviction. In Zhou Fan''s opinion, his determination to succeed would likely result in him surpassing the other young man and possibly even Tian Ren. While they would spend time helping others or managing things, the demonic young man would spend every second of his time getting stronger. For the first time, a true threat appeared in Heaven''s galaxy. Chapter 256: Training - 256 Chapter 256 - Training - 256 Zhou Fan watched Pangu stand up while he was invisible. Pangu had finally broken into the 5th level of the core formation realm. As he had for the foundation establishment realm, he planned on going outside the fiendcelestial village. He doubted that he would find anything worth fighting, so he planned on simply testing his new power against the world itself and training. With the growth weapon axe, he would be able to train his weapon skills as well. He also needed to find another place to live. His current house was too small for his new size and building a new house would waste too much time. Pangu figured that, if he could find a good sized mountain and build a cave in the side of it, that would be the best case scenario. As he stepped out of his house for the first time in a while, carelessly banging his head on the sturdy door frame as he walked out, Pangu saw that the village was flourishing much more than before. It seemed that most people had adjusted to life after the cultivation reset. Instead of staying inside and madly cultivating, they were now beginning to live their old lives and only cultivate in their free time. Of course, that was mainly the people whose jobs did not rely on strength or power. Those such as warriors and guards were still training, and hunters rarely went outside of the village in case the beast''s strength surpassed theirs due to laziness. Pangu walked through the streets that were now as lively as before. Of course, it was still rare to see more than ten people in one place due to the low population of fiendcelestials, but it was what Pangu was used to. Pangu reached the side of the mountain fairly soon. Instead of climbing with extreme effort, Pangu began to float off of the ground. Before the cultivation reset, he and others would usually just jump over the mountain in a single leap, but he was still too weak for that. Pangu effortlessly flew over the mountain, much to the surprise of the villagers in the village, and landed on the other side. He briefly took in his surroundings before flying up again towards a certain direction. In that direction was the closest mountain range to the Fiendcelestial village. That mountain range was once home to powerful beasts that made most fiendcelestials tread carefully, but now, Pangu could force his way in there without the slightest bit of resistance. Unlike before the cultivation reset, where he was born along already powerful fiendcelestials and beasts, Pangu was able to experience the feeling of starting at an equal time to others. Instead of fighting from the bottom, he was walking along the top. Such an experience resembled Zhou Fans, except for the fact that Pangu had years of experience and there were actually those before him. As if he was playing life on easy mode, Pangu reached the center of the mountain range and ran the beast off before beginning his training. He started by punching large mountains to test his pure strength. Most fiendcelestials, similar to the barbarians, fought physically. Pangu was no exception. When his fist connected with a mountain, a large hole was blown into it. The hole was about Pangu''s size, which reached 75 feet tall. Like he had in the past, it was about time to make a house outside the village regardless. Due to size, there was a rule that stated all nascent soul and above fiendcelestials would live outside of the village, unless they reached the void traversing realm. Pangu punched the mountain a few more times, making a mess out of the mountain''s face. Luckily, it was made of materials at the foundation establishment realm. Even if Pangu used Qi, he would not be able to completely destroy it without large amounts of time. Once he was satisfied using his physical strength, he tested his Qi''s. His fiend Qi had become much stronger, and he had already tested his sky Qi when flying over to the mountains. Next, he grabbed his axe out of his spatial ring, both of which had become bigger with him, and swung it a bunch. His axe training routine had become, stand still, swing the axe a thousand times, comprehend the experience of swinging, repeat. As day turned into night and night turned into day, Pangu stood still and practiced with his axe. In total, he spent 7 days on his first axe training session. He had previously lost his skilled use of axe Qi due to the reset, but he was building it up again. Using weapon Qi well required much more practice than normal Qi''s. It was quite unusual, but Pangu had gotten used to it. Zhou Fan, however, began to think. He had been constantly looking for ideas to improve cultivation. It seemed that weapon Qi was something he should consider changing. Zhou Fan considered making it different from other Qi''s. Instead of absorbing sword Qi or other weapon Qi''s from the atmosphere and into your body, it could be something based off of comprehension and practice. Instead of being treated like a main part of cultivation, it could be the same as forging weapons, making arrays, and concocting pills. A side practice. Zhou Fan liked the idea as he thought of it more, so he began to really consider adding something like that. Meanwhile, Pangu was heading back to the village. He didn''t want to spend too much time practicing and slow down his cultivation. He stopped just in front of the walls. Instead of causing destruction in front of the village, he decided to fight Dave elsewhere. They were getting too strong to fight around others. Pangu let his aura out and made it cover daves house. The intention behind it was clear, and Dave soon flew out of his house and out of the walls. Before fighting, Pangu began to fly away. "We will fight at the ice land." He said, not needing to explain. The ice land was a stronger area in the fiendcelestial world. Chapter 257: Traitor - 257 Chapter 257 - Traitor - 257 Since both Dave and Pangu were at the 5th level of the core formation realm, the ice lands, which was made of ice at the core formation realm, was the perfect place to fight. Before long, both of them landed next to a giant spire of ice. The ice lands were mostly uninhabited, so it was silent. Dave paid attention to Pangu''s axe. "Where did you get that?" Dave asked. "No need for talk. This will be the last time we fight. I will completely win." Pangu said without moving his gaze. Dave stopped talking as he and Pangu''s gazes clashed one more time. Then, Pangu launched forward. His first step created a dent in the layer of ice, but the ice was extremely thick and strong. As he reached Dave, he was met with his fist covered in Fire Qi and fiendcelestial Qi. Pangu flew into the air and moved around Dave. Sky Qi covered his body, causing him to be much faster than expected. Dave only managed to turn around and see an axe covered in Fiend Qi in front of his body. He managed to put his arm covered by fire Qi in the way of the axe, and the two collided. With little resistance, the axe cut Dave''s hand off. Then, the axe buried itself in Dave''s chest. Both Pangu and Dave stood shocked for a second. Dave fell onto the ice below him and stared at his injuries. The cut off arm, along with the axe in his chest, would likely prove to be fatal. "I didn''t expect you to be so weak." Pangu said as he looked upon the bleeding out Dave. After the initial shock, Pangu did not feel much for Dave. He hated Dave. Dave was the cause of all his suffering before the cultivation reset. In a way, Dave hated Pangu. It was mainly the closeness of all fiendcelestials that stopped him from killing Pangu. He also had to watch out for his reputation. After twenty seconds, Dave''s giant body was laid out on the ice. He was dead. It was sudden and pathetic. Despite his hatred of Dave, Pangu was feeling a little worried. The fiendcelestials loved Dave. Pangu was essentially the only one who had any hatred for him. He was a strong and charismatic leader, but Pangu had killed him. Pangu was not scared of the villagers attacking him, but he was worried about how they would react. Besides Dave, there was no other suitable leader. The other fiendcelestial with god rank talent was reclusive, and Pangu had no interest in leading. He considered not going back to the village, but he decided to let them know about the events that took place in the ice lands. With his Sky Qi, the journey back to the village was quick. As he arrived, he stood in the middle of the village square. Luckily, it had been made huge, so his body did not take up that much space. "All fiendcelestial report to the village square." He said, his voice traveling through the entire village. Within a few moments, people were making their way to the village square. Making such an announcement was not a small matter. It was only permitted if a serious or threatening event had taken place, something that the entire village needed to be quickly notified about. After 3 minutes, not a single fiendcelestial within the village was outside of the village square. Pangu and the other fiendcelstial with god rank meridians towered over everyone else. There were very few foundation establishment realm fiendcelestials, and the rest were Qi gathering fiendcelestials. "Why have you called us here, Pangu?" The other fiendcelestial with god rank meridians asked. Pangu looked at his fellow fiendcelestials one last time before speaking. "Dave is dead." He spoke. In an instant, all movement ceased. Everyone stood still, dumbfounded by Pangu''s words. Even the other fiendcelestial with god rank meridians was silent with widened eyes. "How did he die!?" One of the fiendcelestials shouted in a panicked voice. "Are we in danger?!" Another voice asked. "Calm down, there is no danger." Pangu said, silencing the village square. "I killed Dave." He said. Another silence descended upon the fiendcelestial village. Not long after Pangu spoke, faces of rage appeared on the fiendcelestials faces. "How dare you?! How could you?! Why would you kill the leader of us all, a fellow fiendcelestial! He had been nothing but a brother and leader to us all!" One of the fiendcelestials at the foundation establishment shouted. Even his voice was soon drowned out by the other fiendcelestials angry words. "Quiet." The other fiendcelestial with god rank meridians, Leonardo, spoke. His voice instantly quieted everyone. He looked at Pangu with a calm face, though anger was behind his eyes. "Is there a good reason as to why you killed Dave?" He asked. He knew that Pangu had been suppressed by Dave, but he felt that it was an event in the past and should be looked over for the good of the fiendcelestials. "It was an accident. You may have noticed we had sparred, and we did that again, this time in the icelands." Pangu began to explain with a calm face. "We fought, and in one move, I accidentally killed him." Suspicion was present on the faces of every Fiendcelestial. Dave had been the strongest and talented. It was unlikely that Pangu could kill Dave in one move and on accident. "Yeah right!" One of the fiendcelestials shouted. "You probably sneak attacked him, or cheated." Hearing his words, the fiendcelestials felt enlightened. "That must be it! You filthy traitor!" Another fiendcelestial said. Soon, voices once again filled the village square. "Quiet." Leonardo spoke again. SIlence descended. "You know that you cannot stay here." He said. Pangu nodded. It was expected. "But you will not take away my name and status as Pangu and a fiendcelestial." Pangu added. In the case of a traitor, there were rules set in place. Although only 2 traitors had existed before, the rules on it were strict and serious. Removing someone''s name and status as a fiendcelestial was one of the worst punishments besides death. "If you truly swear that Daves death was an accident, you can leave unblemished." Leonardo spoke. "Then follow me to the ice lands." Pangu said, turning away and flying to the sky, Leonardo close behind. Chapter 258: Oath - 258 Chapter 258 - Oath - 258 The flight to the ice lands was very quick. Leonardo stood in front of the battlefield. There were very few signs that a fight was even fought, but Dave''s corpse showed that the battlefield was not tampered with. After examining for a few minutes, Leonardo stood up and sighed. He had completely confirmed that Dave had died from a single blow. He had also confirmed that there were no cheating attacks with the intent to kill. Dave had died fair and square. "You are free to go. Don''t let me catch you near the fiendcelestial village ever again." Leonardo said before flying away. He took Dave''s corpse with him. Pangu watched as Leonardo flew off. ''It seems that my time with the fiendcelestials is over.'' He thought to himself before flying towards the opposite direction of the fiendcelestial village. He had a pretty good understanding of the fiendcelestial world and was heading towards an area that he would have not stepped foot into before the reset. After journeying for three days and three nights, he reached his destination. In front of him was a sinkhole so wide and deep that neither the other side nor the bottom could be seen. Pangu jumped into it and ran down the near vertical wall. His footsteps created holes in the sturdy wall, scaring off any living thing that was in the occasional cave. As he went deeper, the sinkhole got darker and darker. After 5 minutes, light appeared. Yellow crystals lined the sinkholes walls, providing very good lighting. After 10 minutes, Pangu saw the opposite wall on the other side of the sinkhole, but it was still many miles away. After 20 minutes, the sinkhole''s other wall was ten miles away from Pangu. At the same time, a floor appeared. He had arrived at the sinkholes bottom. There were no more light crystals, so the surroundings were difficult to see. Pangu landed on the ground and waited. After 3 minutes, Pangu heard movement not far from him. "Why are you here fiendcelestial?" A snake-like voice asked. "My name is Pangu. I have come to meet the beast emperor. I have no ill intent." Pangu said. He was looking in the direction of the beast that spoke. "Well well well, if it isn''t Pangu himself." The snake-like voice spoke sarcastically. "Why should the beast emperor meet with you?" "That is between me and her." Pangu answered. "If she doesn''t want to see me, I will leave, but do ask her." "Fine." The snake-like voice responded before more movement was heard. Then there was silence. The beast talking to him had once been the 3rd strongest beast in the Fiendcelestial world. Unfortunately, his talent was one rank below god rank, causing him to only be at the foundation establishment realm right now. The beast was a half snake half humanoid beast. His upper body was similar to that of a human, with fangs, snake eyes, and a long tongue. His lower body was that of a snakes. The sinkhole was the main area of the beasts, equal to the fiendcelestial village for the fiendcelestials. After a minute of silence, a large door appeared on a wall and opened in front of Pangu. It had been hidden by an array. The door was a thousand feet tall and golden light was spilling out of it. Pangu easily fit inside and entered a hall. In that hall was a red carpet, a throne, and a few seats by the side. The walls were completely made of gold. Only the throne was occupied. The hall was thousands of feet tall and thousands of feet wide. Even Pangu didn''t seem that big in it. After a moment, Pangu looked at the throne and clasped his hands with respect. "Pangu greets the beast emperor." He said. "Hello Pangu, we meet again." The beast emperor, a common gray house cat, answered. Compared to Pangu, she was a thousand times smaller, but her power was equal. Not only was she at the 5th level of the core formation realm, but her talent was at the supreme god rank. Luckily, she had only had enough time to reach one level above Dave before the cultivation reset due to being born later. In a battle between the Fiendcelestial village and the beasts long ago, she had fought Dave and Leonardo at the same time before retreating only due to deaths on the beast''s side. The beast king sat in her cat form and stared at Pangu. Her face looked innocent, but she was undoubtedly a threat. "Hello Mira. I have come with an offer." Pangu spoke. "And what would that be?" The beast king asked. "I am willing to join the beasts." Pangu said. Mira was clearly stunned at his words. "Why?" "Because I killed Dave." Pangu answered. Mira was once again shocked. She did not know the extent of Pangu''s talent. "Well that is something. Let me guess, you are joining for safety?" Mira asked. Pangu nodded. "If the supreme beasts learn that I killed Dave and was kicked out of the fiendcelestial village, they may all surround me and kill me before I become stronger." Pangu said. There were more supreme beasts with god rank and above talent than any other race. Luckily, every major site had some sort of defense. The fiendcelestial village had a powerful shield that only needed to be activated with spirit stones, while the beasts had many unknown arrays on the way down the sinkhole, although many could not be activated without a powerful person. If Pangu was away from the village, he could be surrounded and killed without worrying about anything. "Then this is your best move. However, if you join, you must make an oath. Before that, I will ask you, would you be willing to kill another fiendcelestial?" Mira asked. She knew that Dave and Pangu didn''t get along, but killing someone you hate and someone you don''t is an entirely different matter, especially when of the same race. "Yes I can." Pangu responded. "Then raise your hand high and repeat after me." She said. "I Pangu, swear to you know who that I will not betray the beasts for a thousand years." Mira said. "I Pangu, swear to Heaven that I will not betray the beasts for a thousand years." Pangu repeated. Although nobody knew of the existence of heaven, the fiendcelestial world had accidentally learned about the oath system after some insane person went rambling on and was struck by lightning. Chapter 259: Heavens Issues - 259 Chapter 259 - Heavens Issues - 259 After thousands of tests and trials, resulting in hundreds of dead prisoners and hundreds of lightning strikes, an understanding of the oath system was established. Essentially, by making an oath to something called heaven, an unbreakable vow would be formed. One had to be completely willing in order to make the vow, shown by a slight bit of lightning appearing in front of the person that made the oath. As Pangu finished his words, a little bit of lightning appeared in front of him. There was just enough lightning to notice it was there. "I look forward to working with you, Pangu." The cat on the throne said with a nod. "I don''t need you to do anything now, so feel free to do whatever you want around here. We will spread the news that you have joined the beasts to prevent any reckless fools." "Thank you." Pangu said as he returned back through the door. For the next few years, he planned on doing nothing but cultivating and practicing with the axe. Getting battle experience would have to wait for a while. Next to Pangu, Zhou Fan sighed. It seemed that his entertainment was over. He had gotten most of what he needed from Pangu, and the rest could be casually observed from afar. It was about time for him to go somewhere else. Zhou Fan teleported into space and flew around the galaxy as he thought. There were two courses of action he could take. He could once again start studying cultivation, or he could cultivate again. After a moment, Zhou Fan realized that cultivating wasn''t really an option. His last breakthrough had taken 250 million years. If he spent that long breaking through once again, the entire Heaven world would go through a revamp. By the time he came back, who knows what could have happened. Therefore, the only option was studying cultivation or doing something else. Zhou Fan decided to study cultivation, but not in an attempt to improve the river of cultivation. Instead, he would study cultivation in order to cut down his cultivation speed. He had no idea if it would work or not, but he wasn''t going to give up without trying. Zhou Fan still cultivated the same as before, despite the river of cultivation. The river of cultivation was created for everyone else, but Zhou Fan was doing the same thing he had been doing. Zhou Fan talked to heaven for a minute with his mind, before heading to the shack and disappearing in it. Heaven was sitting on his throne in his newly created palace when he heard from Zhou Fan. After they talked and he learned that Zhou Fan was entering the shack again, Heaven decided to focus on his work as well. He had spent the last few years on what could be considered a break, but he was ready to focus on business again. Heaven had to think for a moment to consider what to do, and just moments after closing his eyes, he opened them again. Ever since the first galactic assembly, the Heavenborns and the beasts had lived separately, but in peace. The next galactic assembly was far away, and new races would show up there. However, although there was peace on the surface, there were still many happenings taking place away from the normal person''s eyes. More specifically, a group of supreme beasts were planning an uprising against the beasts. The supreme beasts of the heavenborn world were still subdued due to the existence of Heaven, but they may not remain that way forever. But that was not all. Heaven had recently noticed the emergence of two new talents in the heaven world. One, a young man named Guang Fu, was a good and kind person, helping out others whenever and wherever he could. He had affinities with light, earth, and water Qi''s. The other person was much more troubling. His name was Yao Mun, and he was the opposite of Guang Fu. He was evil, cruel, and killed a lot. His affinites were Darkness Qi, Demon Qi, Fire Qi and Metal Qi. He went around killing Heavenborns and absorbing their lifeforce with his unnatural eye. Heaven assumed that it was what Zhou Fan called a divine physique. Little did he know that Zhou Fan had created it. Yao Mun''s eye was extremely powerful. His talent was also better than Guang Fu''s, although Guang Fu''s talent seemed to be somehow increasing. Both were still extremely weak, but they showed extreme talent. While Heaven was somewhat indifferent towards Guang Fu, he was worried about Yao Mun. Although Tian Ren had immortal king rank meridians, the difference between his talent and Yao Mun''s talent was not that far away. Yao Mun had immortal 1 meridians, while Tian Ren only had immortal king 10 meridians. Therefore, the difference in talent would be easily breached by Yao Mun''s evil methods and insane work ethic. When Yao Mun absorbed someones lifeforce, his cultivation speed slightly increased for a period of time. But Yao Mun''s eye did not only increase his cultivation speed. With a period of cooldown after each use, the eye could instantly release attacks slightly above Yao Mun''s level. Also, with a bit of personal sacrifice, it could release a huge and powerful attack. An example would be sacrificing his arm, which would not be able to grow back for a month, in order to release an attack 3 or 4 levels above his strength. And that was based on his battle strength, not just his cultivation level. As far as Heaven could tell, despite Bi Chong having immortal king 10 talent like Tian Ren, Yao Mun was a much bigger threat. Although Heaven had been specifically reminded by Zhou Fan not to personally intervene too much, Heaven felt he could do a little to help the situation. First, he had Tian Ren go out and recruit Guang Fu. He was a heavenborn that would surely prove useful to the Heaven sect. Heaven wished he could order Tian Ren to kill Yao Mun, but he knew that Zhou Fan did not want that. Although Zhou Fan treated him like a child, Heaven had a feeling that Zhou Fan would harshly punish him for doing such a thing. He may even create another Yao Mun afterwards. Chapter 260: Hydra - 260 Chapter 260 - Hydra - 260 There was not much Heaven could do to deal with the Yao Mun situation besides ordering Tian Ren to find Guang Fu. Most other courses of action would be too direct. After telling Tian Ren to make sure the Heaven sect was watching the world, Heaven turned his attention to other matters, while keeping a bit of his attention on Yao Mun. Heavens usual job was to keep watch over the Heaven world, the beast world, and all the other worlds in between. Although it sounded easy, it was quite difficult. Heaven was barely able to fully focus on each of the worlds, but he could not look with too much depth due to just how big the worlds were. Aside from those worlds, Heaven also needed to pay attention to the five worlds of the other races. Luckily, they had yet to move on to other worlds. Most of Heaven''s attention was on the Final world, the planet where all the planets lead to. Its importance is second only to the Heaven world and the beast world. On the final world, it seemed as though another war was brewing. Although the existence of Heaven was known, it was also known that he could not directly interfere in most matters. This gave courage to not only the beasts, but the supreme beasts of the beast world. As more time passed since the first galactic assembly, the beasts and the supreme beasts, as well as the Heavenborns, slowly paid less attention to the treaty. It had been a long time. Still, there was nothing Heaven wanted to do or could do, so he sat back on his throne and continued to watch the worlds. In the beast world, a group of supreme beasts stood behind tempered glass and looked inside of a room. The supreme beasts were in humanoid form, but different, non-humanoid features could be seen on each one of them. On one, there were gills. On another, a colorful pair of wings sprouted out her back. On another, cat ears were on top of her head. They all stared silently at the creature behind the glass, in a room of metal so strong that even they could barely affect it with their full strength. These supreme beasts were unknown to nearly everyone in Heavens galaxy. Right now, they stood in a secret base, thousands of feet below the surface of a desolate area in one of the 98 planets that lead to the final world. They were the secret research squad of the supreme beasts. Each and every one of them had a cultivation of 10th level soul formation. Besides one. He stood in front of all of the supreme beasts, his aura undeniably greater. "So this is the creature that will defeat Bi Chong." He said to himself while looking at his reflection on the glass. Although Bi Chongs name had once been a secret, through the years, he had become more known and his name was revealed, although his exact identity remained unknown. "Yes sir. If he cannot, then no supreme beast can." One of the soul formation realm supreme beasts behind him answered. "Do you understand just how much this means?" The man asked. "Yes sir. He will grow to be the first supreme beast emperor." The same supreme beast answered. "Indeed. Then you know that he must remain a complete secret until he grows strong?" The man asked. "Of course, sir." The same supreme beast responded. "Then... you understand why you have to die, right?" The man spoke. Before any of the supreme beasts could react, they were hit by a single fire arrow each, burning to ashes in a second. They had no ability to resist in front of Chin Hong, a 10th level void traversing supreme beast, and the 5th strongest supreme beast alive. "Sorry." The supreme beast mumbled as he walked around to the right side of the glass window and entered a door. That door led to the room that the young supreme beast was in. Even the powerful supreme beast, Chin Hong, couldn''t help but sigh as he looked at the child. On the floor, playing with some toys was a supreme beast named the nine headed hydra. The nine headed hydra''s lower body was similar to that of a dragons without the wings. Each of the nine heads was a different color, representing a different affinity. The nine headed hydra in front of Chin Hong had nine affinities. Nine affinities. "Nine affinities." Chin Hong couldn''t help but mutter to himself. The idea was insane. Before the nine headed hydra''s birth, there was no record of any beast, heavenborn, or supreme beast with nine affinites. It was an incredible sight. The hydra''s affinities were, Fire, symbolized by a long red neck with a red head at the end, water, with a blue color, earth, with a brown color, air, with a green color, light, with a bright yellow color, darkness, with a deep dark color, poison, with a purple color, lightning, with a lightning blue color, and ice, with an icy blue color. Even more, aside from the hydra''s affinites, the nine headed hydra had nine minds. Each of them was slightly different in personality, but they could still be considered as one entity. As the nine headed hydra took notice of Chin Hong, he looked over. Each of the nine heads swayed as they starred at the powerful man. The hydra barely reach Chin Hong''s knees. Despite the hydra''s young age, there was hardly a hint of childishness in it when faced with another being. Only when alone would it act its age. "Hello young master Lernean. I have come to see you again." Chin Hong spoke with a soft bow. The nine headed hydra, Lernean, waved one of his four legs, although it seemed to be moving weirdly. Although it was likely that the young hydra could talk, he never spoke. The supreme beasts figured it was a mind thing. Having nine differing personalities was sure to have some side effects. Such could be seen in the way the hydra moved. It was as if nine people were trying to walk with one body at the same time. Chapter 261: Secret Facility - 261 Chapter 261 - Secret Facility - 261 As Lernean, the nine headed hydra, looked at Chin Hong, Chin Hong continued to speak. "The initial tests are finished. We would like you to come back to the main beast world and enter the secret training facility. There, you will become truly strong. Although cultivation has become different, it is not impossible for you to become the strongest under heaven." Chin Hong said. He did his best to convince Lernean that what he said was the best course of action. Since cultivation had changed and become more difficult, along with other changes, the cultivation of most of the strongest people in the worlds had stagnated. Both Tian Ren and Bi Chong had remained at the tenth level of the space shattering realm since the cultivation change. Even with immortal king 10 meridians, breaking into the lesser dao creation realm was not easy. In fact, it was still insanely difficult. For both Bi Chong and Tian Ren, it would probably take around a million years, if not more. Most of the people in the Zhou galaxy that had broken through had at least immortal king meridians, along with millions of years of unprogressed cultivation. Tens of thousands of space shattering cultivators at the 10th level had risen and fallen, with only a few remaining alive for more than 50 million years. Just in Zhou Fan''s last cultivation session, 250 million years passed. It was an incomprehensible amount of time. Even for space shattering cultivators. Of course, someone with immortal king meridians without providence being born was something incalculably rare. If a person of the elf race, for example, was to be alive with the elf race''s providence since Zhou Fan left, the odds of another person with immortal king rank meridians being born was 1 in 100. Perhaps 1 in 10 if the elf race reproduced as fast as they could. That''s how rare immortal king meridians are. In the Zhou galaxy, 99% of space shattering level 10 cultivators had providence. Having immortal rank meridians was already 1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000, or one in a quadrillion. In less talented races that reproduced faster, it would be closer to one in a hundred quadrillion. Although more than a hundred trillion beings could be born in a galaxy in one year, many of them would die. Even with immortal king rank meridians, reaching the pinnacle of the galaxy would prove extremely difficult without a sufficient background. How many of the 100 trillion beings had a significant background? Probably less than ten thousand of them. All in all, if ten 10th level space shattering cultivators reached that level in a million years, it was an extremely good million years. Unfortunately, that would be on the scale of an entire galaxy. In the Zhou Galaxy, most of all life was living in the Zhou solar system. Although some planets had been colonized, they were few in number since the planets outside the Zhou solar system and the earth solar system were much worse in quality. Therefore, it would be lucky if a trillion beings were born in one year in the Zhou galaxy. Bi Chong and Tian Ren, along with Heaven himself, had no idea just how big and wide the universe actually is. After being in thought for a moment, Lernean nodded his heads. He had accepted Chin Hong''s advice. "Thank you, young master. Please follow me into the teleportation formation." Chin Hong said as he walked outside of the room. Lernean followed and they soon came to an array. It was a teleportation array. The only space shattering supreme beast had built it specially for the young hydra. Chin Hong stepped onto it, followed by the young hydra. With the infusion of some Qi, the array activated and they disappeared. In an instant, they appeared deep underground in another base. This base was on the beast world. It was much deeper and more hidden than the last base. Right now, they were in an enclosed room. Chin Hong and the young hydra exited the room, greeted by a long, furnished, carpeted hallway. It was as if they had entered a luxury hotel. Lernean, who was only three years old and had only known the other base, looked around in wonder. Each of his heads paid attention to different things. After five minutes of walking, Lernean and Chin Hong entered a wide open space. There, a group of young beasts stood. In front of them was a man whose aura did not lose out to Ching Hong. The different young supreme beasts watched the beast in humanoid form as he read them a story. Chin Hong whispered to the young Hydra. "Sit down and listen to the story. It is based on a true event." The hydra nodded and silently joined the group. Another stare fell on him, but the young hydra did not notice it. "Tian Ren, the first Heavenborn, raised his lightning sword to the sky and swung down upon Bi Chong. Numerous lightning strikes followed the attack. Still, Bi Chong did not lose out. His attack collided with Tian Ren''s... In the end, the battle''s result could be called a tie." The man said as he finished the book and closed it. Although the young Hydra had only arrived for the last bit of the story, he had been entranced, and all nine of his heads stayed still. The other young beasts around him did not seem to be any less entranced than the young hydra as the story finished. "Now, you all go train. There is a new member here." The man spoke as he looked at the young hydra. The young beast''s gazes followed as they weirdly looked at his nine heads. "Now!" Yelled the man, getting the young beasts to scramble to the other side of the large, open room. As the man reached Lernean, his demeanor changed greatly. "Hello young master. I have heard much about you. Please, follow me as I tell you about this place." He said with a smile on his face. It was as if he was talking to his boss''s child. Chapter 262: Growing Seeds - 262 Chapter 262 - Growing Seeds - 262 The young hydra curiously looked around as the supreme beast led him around the room. Behind them both, Chin Hong followed silently. While Chin Hong was the 5th strongest supreme beast, the man leading the young hydra was the 3rd strongest. Although they were both at the 10th level of the void traversing realm, Chin Hong had absolutely zero confidence in killing the supreme beast war general himself, Hei Nan. Besides the supreme beast king himself, Hei Nan was the oldest supreme beast alive. He had led so many wars that the number could not be counted on the hands of a hundred octopuses. Within the large open room, there were 5 sections. The one they were just in was the instruction area. That was where all knowledge and theoretical things were taught. Besides that, there was the sleeping section, the training section, with lots of room and heavy things all around, the battle section, where all spars were fought, and the martial art section, where martial arts and such things were taught. The hydra asked about the rooms and the hallway before the room, and Hei Nan said that they were rooms that led to teleportation arrays, as well as some storage. The tour did not take long at all, and Hei Nan led the young hydra to the sleeping section once he was finished with the tour. "The young master has traveled all the way here, as well as used a teleportation array. You must be tired. Please, take a rest and we will start tomorrow." Hei Nan said. The young hydra nodded as he fell asleep on one of the carpeted sections of the room. As he fell asleep, Hei Nan and Chin Hong walked around the facility. They spoke about various matters for a couple of hours before stopping in front of the training area. They both watched as the young supreme beasts trained. Although they all showed great talent, there were three that stood out. One was a young lion with an icy blue body that seemed to give off coldness. Another was a blue pig that gave off a feeling of lightning. The last was a large bat that seemed to have a darkness affinity. This facility was specially made for the young hydra, but it was also used to train the young hydra''s future comrades. Each one of them was extremely talented and guaranteed to reach the soul formation realm if no lethal accidents happened. Chin Hong nodded as he spoke. "It is time for me to leave. Remember, the hydra will be the savior of our supreme beast race. If need be, sacrifice all of these supreme beasts'' lives, as well as your own before letting him get scratched." Without a second passing, Hei Nan responded. "Naturally. I know his worth just as much, if not more than you." "I''m just making sure." Chin Hong chuckled as he walked away. He then entered the hallway and left through a different teleportation array than before. Hei Nan looked at one of the walls solemnly. There were many things that Chin Hong was unaware of. But nothing was left out of Hei Nan''s information. As Hei Nan turned his gaze to the sleeping young hydra, his look of solemness became even deeper. ¡ª----------------------------- In a red galaxy, in the Zhou galaxy cluster, on a planet near the edge of the galaxy, a world with plants and trees silently existed. Many millions of years ago, plants, trees, and rivers were born on it. However, no true life had been born. This planet was the first one that Zhou Fan had ever touched with his mortal dao outside of the Zhou Galaxy. On this planet, a leaf fell from a tree, slowly descending to the ground. In a few seconds, it reached the ground and stayed there. Suddenly, the leaf moved a bit. Yet, there was no wind anywhere near the leaf. After a moment, the leaf slightly moved again. Then, a moving thing moved from under the leaf. It was an ant. To be more specific, an ant queen. A living, breathing, eating thing. It moved around the ground, living. Not too long later, on another planet, this one filled with sand as if it was an endless desert, a bit of sand fell and formed a hole. From within that hole came an insect with three pairs of wings and a thin body. It was some sort of dragonfly. On another planet, this one made up of an endless ocean, a tiny plankton moved around the bottom of the ocean. These three planets, all within a somewhat small time frame, gained their first life. After millions and millions of years, Zhou Fan''s seeds of life had begun to germinate. Meanwhile, on one of the few planets outside of the Zhou solar system that had a name, two people were playing chess. They were the only living beings on this planet. Out of all the beings in the Zhou galaxy, both of them were in the top ten. Both of them had reached the lesser dao creation realm long ago. As they played their game of chess, they spoke. "I heard the human race gave birth to an incredible talent." One of them said. By her looks, it was clear that she was a celestial. "I heard something about that as well." The man across from her said. He too was a celestial. "I was thinking. Should we intervene at all?" The celestial woman asked. She was conflicted. "You know that our relationship with the human race is good. We naturally shouldn''t hurt the kid." The man said. "Regardless, we have all the time in the world. Even if he reaches the 10th level of the space shattering realm, it doesn''t matter. Everyone below the lesser dao creation realm is an ant." The woman nodded in agreement. "At the very least, we can observe his personality and protect him from other lesser dao creation realm cultivators. If he proves to be unlikeable, we can simply stop guarding him. The others won''t be able to stop themselves from killing him at that point." The woman added. Chapter 263: Ying Xiong - 263 Chapter 263 - Ying Xiong - 263 As the two lesser dao creation realm celestials were talking, a group of people on earth were staring at a two or three year old child. Whether it was the strongest member of the human race or the wisest elder, each and every individual''s eyes were locked on this child. The child''s name was Ying Xiong. He was born a few years ago, and his very birth caused a thousand buddha phantoms to appear. No such event had even been theorized. Throughout the entire history of the Zhou galaxy, not a single birth had caused such a thing. Despite being around three years old, the child was completely bald. It was likely that he would be bald his entire life. The child stared at the men and women around him. Despite his great talent, he was nothing but an innocent child. Any one of the people in the room had the power to end his life a thousand times in a single second. Of course, not a single person would do that. As the child played around on the ground, the strongest human, a first level space shattering cultivator, walked up to him and put a talisman on the child. The talisman glowed before disappearing and imprinting on the child''s skin, making a slightly visible golden circle. "That is the protection talisman we spent the last years creating. If this cannot stop someone from hurting him, then nothing we have can." The strongest human sighed. The others in the room nodded. Although they tried to hide the existence of the child, a thousand buddha phantoms were impossible to cover. Luckily, they still had some protection from being eradicated. As the child played around on the ground, the people in the room looked at the thing on his back. From the moment the child was born, there was what seemed to be a painting on his back. The painting was of a giant golden tree with a thousand bald men in silk clothes meditating around it. Not a single person in the room had any idea why the painting was there or what it did, but none of them bothered to try and find out too much. This was the only thing that had remained unknown to the outside world. If it became known, someone who knows something may try and kill the child. Although they had no clue if it was anything special, it was better to leave it be. After a few more minutes, a woman in the group dressed in a purple robe walked up to the child and began to carry him. This was the child''s mother. Before the child was born, she and her husband were nothing but ordinary commoners. Although all members of the human race with any sort of talent had to cultivate due to the dangerous circumstances, they were of the weakest besides the complete mortals. Yet, with the birth of the child, the woman and her husband''s status shot through the air and became equal to the strongest member of the human race in status. Despite the great increase in the women''s lifestyle, she cared for nothing more than her child. It was absolutely clear just from the look in her eyes. It was unknown if she had always been a true loving mother, or if the child''s providence had affected her. Regardless, it was good luck. Sadly, the child''s father had died not too long ago. He had already been at the end of his lifespan for a while, but a year after the child was born, he finally passed away. He had only been at the Qi gathering realm with 200 years of lifespan. The fact that he lived to 204 was quite lucky. The child''s mother, however, was only around 50. Due to the resources provided by the people around her after her child''s birth, she was able to reach the foundation establishment realm, but she still only had 300 years of lifespan. That meant, in 250 years, she would die. Even with all the luxury around her, knowing she only had 250 years was enough to make her ignore them. She would much rather be a good mother and watch her child grow at the speed of light. The people in the room silently watched as she took the child and exited the room. Once she left, they began to speak. "How has the accumulation of resources gone?" The strongest member of the human race asked. He was old and had gray hair. "Good so far. We have ten times the necessary resources for the child''s journey from Qi gathering to the nascent soul realm." A lady spoke. "As for resources at the soul formation realm, we have five times the necessary resources. For void traversing, the expected amount. And little to nothing for the space shattering realm." She finished. The old man nodded. "Work on getting more resources at the soul formation and the void traversing realm. As for the space shattering realm, I will take care of that once he reaches the soul formation realm." The old man said. After a little more conversation, the group left the room and the old man was alone. Although he seemed calm on the surface, he was a little worried for the future. ''To get those resources, I will probably have to work as a bounty hunter or do some things for other space shattering cultivators.'' He thought to himself. Despite the hardship he would have to face, the old man was ready to do it in a second. The sole hope for the human race was depending on him. When they had tried to test Ying Xiongs talent, it was unable to be detected. That meant one of two things. The child''s talent was at the immortal king level, or the child''s talent was above the immortal king level. ''If his talent is truly above the immortal king level, which would not be ridiculous based off of the buddha phantoms his birth created, then he would likely be the first in the entire Zhou galaxy.'' The old man said to himself. Chapter 264: Youth Galactic Assembly - 264 Chapter 264 - Youth Galactic Assembly - 264 To just about everyone in the universe, 10 years passed very quickly. Both Ying Xiong and the young hydra had recently turned thirteen. Following the normal standards of the universe, they both began cultivating at the age of 7. That meant that they had spent the last six years cultivating. Both were at the first level of the nascent soul realm. They had been at the first level for 1 and a quarter years. The limit of cultivation speed in the nascent soul realm was, from 1st to 2nd level, 5 years, from 2nd to 3rd, 10 years, and so on. It would take both of them a long time to reach the soul formation realm. Besides those two, Guang Fu and Yao Mun had also been cultivating. Yao Mun had been 15 when Zhou Fan found him. He had become 25. In the last ten years, he had reached the 2nd level of the nascent soul realm. Sadly, the limit had stopped him from growing much higher. As for Guang Fu, he had turned 21 just recently. His cultivation was also at the 2nd level of the nascent soul realm. His cultivation was currently fast enough to reach the limit of cultivation 1.0, but if his meridians didn''t grow better soon, then he would not reach the limit at the soul formation realm. For everyone mentioned except for the current Guang Fu, the realms before the void traversing realm were nothing but a time taker. Only at the void traversing realm would all limits be removed and they would be able to truly compete. Between the current 4, both Heaven and Zhou Fan felt that Yao Mun would currently win in a fight. His eye was simply too much of an advantage in combat. Ying Xiong had also not been able to truly display his thousand buddha talent, so he could not compete. Recently, Heaven had come to Zhou Fans shack with an idea. When Zhou Fan heard it, he became interested. Although the next galactic assembly was extremely far away, Heaven felt that a youth galactic assembly would be a good idea. Instead of seeing the strongest of the galaxy, one would see the future talents of the galaxy. "That is a good idea, but I can make it even more interesting." Zhou Fan told Heaven. Heaven was confused when Zhou Fan said that, but Zhou Fan refused to elaborate and simply said that heaven would understand on the day of the assembly. After a bit of thinking, they decided that the youth galactic assembly would be held in a week. Like last time, letters were sent out to all invited. Those invited would be the stronger people who would be invited to the normal galactic assembly, as well as the youths themselves. With a mysterious letter appearing in front of them, likely sent by an unknown and powerful being, every single person invited decided to come. Unlike last time, there was a teleportation array on the letter. As long as someone was holding it, they would be teleported at the specified time. During the week, Zhou Fan and Heaven designed another venue, different from the last one. There were two rooms in this venue. One, a large room filled with many four person tables, which could be combined to make bigger tables, and a stage. The other was where the fighting between the youths would take place. It was similar to an indoor coleseum. In the middle was a square stage of marble, and after an empty space, there were two seating sections. One on top and one on bottom. The strongest would likely sit on the top, while the people who could still be called strong but not the strongest would be on the bottom. After a week, Zhou Fan and Heaven stood on the stage in the first room. There were two sections of tables, one on the left and one on the right. In between the two sections was a long red carpet leading to a white door. As Zhou Fan and Heaven stood waiting, the time came. Out of the door, a woman in an elegant red dress appeared. She walked smoothly and quickly. Heaven looked at her, and his eyes went wide. He had never seen such a person. More importantly, she was at the lesser dao creation realm. Heaven looked at Zhou Fan, but he just smirked. "Welcome Fairy Hong Yun, take a seat anywhere." Zhou Fan said. The woman looked at him while trying to see if she knew of such a person, but failed and silently sat at one of the tables on the side. Seconds after she came out, a man in golden armor with a golden trident walked out of the door. "Welcome Jack. Please take a seat anywhere." Zhou Fan said. Jack, now at the lesser dao creation realm, nodded and sat at a seat. Zhou Fan had a slight smile as he remebered jack. Soon, 12 more people, all at the lesser dao creation realm, walked through the white door and sat at tables. They instinctually sat at two different tables with 7 people each. They corresponded to the demonic faction and the righteous/neutral faction. Fairy Hong Yun, Jack, the two chess players from earlier, and three more people sat at one table. On the other side, 7 more sat, the most known being demon Yu An. These were the fourteen lesser dao creation realm cultivators of the Zhou galaxy. Sadly, besides Jack, there was no one else that Zhou Fan remebered. He figured that Xiaolong and the other beasts had waited to break through in order to comprehend more elements and parts of the cosmic dao, if they were still alive, but he was surprised to not see Anna. Who knows what could have happened since he left. A couple more people from the Zhou Galaxy came, all at the tenth level of the space shattering realm. That was not every single one, but a few of the randomly selected ones. In total, from the Zhou Galaxy, there were 14 people at the lesser dao creation realm, and 10 at the tenth level of space shattering. Once all the strong people from the Zhou galaxy appeared, the first person from the Heaven galaxy exited the white door. Chapter 265: Banquet - 265 Chapter 265 - Banquet - 265 Zhou Fan, Heaven, and the 24 people from the Zhou Galaxy watched as Tian Ren exited the white door. He quickly walked up to the stage before bowing to Zhou Fan and Heaven "Tian Ren greets the two sirs." He said. Heaven nodded at him while Zhou Fan waved his hand and spoke. "Sit anywhere you want." Zhou Fan said. Tian Ren nodded and, for the first time, took a good look around the room. When his gaze fell onto the tables occupied by those of the Zhou Galaxy, his expression turned into one of shock and confusion. Although he was shocked, he decided to wait in silence out of respect for Zhou Fan and Heaven. The next person to exit the door was Bi Chong. He too bowed to Heaven and Zhou Fan before sitting at the same table as Tian Ren. They exchanged glances of shock among each other. Next, a few different beasts and supreme beasts came out of the white door. There were many enemies and friends, but everyone shut up and sat down without argument. As expected, everyone was in humanoid form. After the last person came out, the white door disappeared. "Hello everyone." Zhou Fan began to speak. "Welcome to the youth galactic assembly, although I guess it should be called the youth galaxies assembly." Zhou Fan said with a chuckle. He was the only one who laughed. "My name is Zhou Fan, and this is Heaven. To those from the Zhou galaxy, my name may seem unfamiliar, but if you really think about it, I''m sure you can make a connection." Zhou Fan said, much to the confusion of the people from the Zhou Galaxy. After a moment, a couple of them widened their eyes, followed by a few more, until everyone seemed to have understood something. Naturally, Zhou Fan had never really shown himself, causing his name to be lost in time, but it only took a moment for people to connect the "Zhou" Galaxy with the name "Zhou" Fan. They had always wondered why it had been named that. Now, the age-old mystery was solved. "To those from the Heaven galaxy, I am familiar. We met at the last assembly." Zhou Fan said. Everyone from the heaven galaxy who had attended last time let out a slight shudder before paying attention again. "You two groups are from different galaxies, far far away from each other. Before the youth competition begins, I wanted to give you all the opportunity to get to know each other." Zhou Fan said. The people from the two galaxies looked at each other curiously. "Anyway, the youths themselves, as well as their escorts, will arrive once the real competition begins. In the meantime, help yourselves." Zhou Fan said as he waved his hand. From his spatial ring, thousands of foods and drinks spread out across the room, a large buffet appearing in place of some empty tables. Zhou Fan and Heaven went behind a curtain on the stage, disappearing from others'' eyes. Despite the food appearing, silence prevailed in the room as the groups from different galaxies awkwardly looked at each other. The situation was at a stalemate for around five minutes until Tian Ren slowly got up from his seat and made his way towards the direction of the two tables of lesser dao creation realm cultivators. Despite the demonic faction and the righteous/neutral faction usually being at odds, they sat one table away from each other. Tian Ren stopped in front of the two tables and bowed. "My name is Tian Ren. It is nice to meet you seniors." He said, introducing himself. Once he finished speaking, Fairy Hong Yun got up and held out her hand. "My name is Hong Yun, but I am called Fairy Hong Yun, nice to meet you." She said with a smile. Tian Ren shook her hand. As Tian ren made the first move, others followed. Soon, voices were heard all throughout the room. Most of the conversation was around the lesser dao creation realm cultivators tables. Nearly everyone had gathered around them. "How did you break through to the next realm?" Tian Ren asked, causing the others to stop speaking. "That is quite the story." Fairy Hong Yun responded. "I was born 15 million years ago, and spent a majority of my lifespan at the tenth level of the space shattering realm. Many around me were the same. One day, however, everyone seemed to be able to break through." "There are a couple requirements. I''ll tell you about them. First, you must comprehend some of the mortal dao. The mortal Dao is all around us in the Zhou Galaxy, but we don''t know about yours. Second, you must comprehend at least 1% of an immortal element. The more you comprehend, the stronger you are. Naturally, most of us spent many years waiting and comprehended more than one. The last requirement is simply accumulation, like all the realms before" Fairy Hong Yun summed up. "Of course, comprehending bits of the legendary cosmic dao would help, but only a few of us have. Actually, there are only 5 of us." Fairy Hong Yun turned around and pointed out some people. "Him, her, Demon Yu an, me of course, and Jack, the strongest among us all." She said. Hearing her mention the strongest, everyone looked at Jack who had remained silent. "Sir, what is your story?" One of the beasts in humanoid form asked. Jack looked over for the first time and briefly spoke. "Lived for hundreds of millions of years. Watched the rise and fall of countless civilizations, including my own. I am essentially the oldest being in the galaxy, save for a few people who may not even be alive anymore." After speaking, Jack slowly got up and walked to the buffet. Silence filled the area that Jack left. Not even those from the Zhou Galaxy knew much about him. As Jack was grabbing a cup and filling it with the tea at the buffet, a man walked up to him. "Long time no see Jack." Zhou Fan said. Jack looked over and scrunched his eyebrows. "I don''t recall knowing you. Should I?" Jack asked. "We never really met in person. I am just the person that created the trident you hold." Zhou Fan said. Chapter 266: Zhou Galaxy - 266 Chapter 266 - Zhou Galaxy - 266 Hearing Zhou Fan claim to have created the trident, Jack''s eyes widened. He had been using his trident since his birth. It had outlasted both him and the entire mermaid race. He had experienced many hard times, but his trident had always been there. It was Jack''s most treasured possession. If he were to lose it, he would feel more grief than when he found out the mermaid race had been eradicated. As Jack stared at him dumbfounded, Zhou Fan inwardly chuckled. "Anyway, I''m sorry to hear about the mermaid race. As the person who gave them intelligence, it upsets me as well." Zhou Fan said with a smile, casually dropping another bomb on Jack''s mind. As of now, Jack was barely registering anything going on outside of his brain. He was connecting many dots that never seemed to make sense. In just an instant, he created many theories about just who Zhou Fan was. "Are you the creator of the Zhou Galaxy?'' He asked. His eyes were still wide with shock even while asking the question. "In one way, yes. In another, no. I didn''t create the galaxy itself, but I created just about everything in it." Zhou Fan answered. He had stopped caring about existing secretly a long time ago. In the past, it was more instinctual. He just felt better that way. Now, however, he had truly grown up. As the strongest person in the universe, why would he need to hide himself or anything about him. "Fun fact. I am also the one known as god by humans." Zhou Fan said as Jack was lost in his thoughts. Just that single sentence caused Jack to think of many things once again. He had become quite knowledgeable about just about everything there was to know. For example, he knew that the legends of an existence called god dated back to when humans were the only race in the universe, a fact that was discovered when the celestials and the humans met and talked about their history. "Oh yeah. Do humans still believe in god? It has been a long time." Zhou Fan asked Jack. Jack nodded in response. "They do." He added. Eventually Jack broke himself out of his stunned state and gave Zhou Fan a bow. "Thank you." He said simply. While the sentence was short and basic, it contained the emotions of hundreds of millions of years behind it. Jack was truly grateful to Zhou Fan. "Don''t worry about it. If you really want to repay me, just answer some of my questions." Zhou Fan said. "Of course." Jack responded. "How is Anna?" Zhou Fan asked. "Dead." Jack responded. "A few hundreds of millions of years ago, she and the grim reaper fought their final battle. Anna had been long fed up with him wreaking havoc across the Zhou solar system. You may not know, but at one point, the grim reaper established his own domain, giving birth to billions of skeletons and waging a war against the entire solar system." "In the final battle, three planets were completely wiped out of life. Eventually, only Anna and the grim reaper remained. Perhaps it was in a moment of rage, but Anna burnt up all of her life force in exchange for a single attack. With it, an iceberg spanning multiple lightyears entrapped him and her. It gave off Ice and Death Qi so dense that nobody dared to go near it until quite recently." Jack explained. "The attack using up her lifeforce was no joke. Only when Fairy Hong Yun broke into the lesser dao creation realm was the iceberg explored and their remains found. She melted the iceberg and gave them both a true resting place." Jack finished. Zhou Fan nodded. It was a fitting end for one of the first celestials. Naturally, Fairy Hong Yun had given Anna a proper resting place. Anna was essentially her ancestor. "In case you are interested, more such places were formed almost every time a tenth level space shattering cultivator died. Since nearly every single one died in battle, many self-destructed, taking down others with them and creating what is known as a forbidden area." Jack added. Zhou Fan appreciated the information as he had no idea. There had not been many tenth level space shattering cultivators, and those who reached that realm had not self-destructed. "What about the beasts?" Zhou Fan asked. "Who?" Jack asked in confusion. "Oh right. Xiaolong, Xuanwu, Bainu, and Zhuque?" Zhou Fan asked. "You mean the legendary four divine beasts. I''m not sure. They disappeared long ago. They could be dead or in hidden seclusion." Jack responded. "Regardless, the human race has survived this long because of the four divine beasts friendship with the humans." Jack added. Jack''s words had Zhou Fan confused. "What do you mean? Is the human race in trouble?" Zhou Fan asked. Although Jack had no part in it, he couldn''t help but feel a little guilty hearing Zhou Fans question. "Very much trouble. For a long long time, they had been suppressed to just a section of earth. Luckily, it had expanded enough for their area to be considered ok." Jack said. For the first time since their conversation, Zhou Fan frowned. "Luckily, a great talent was born among them. In the future, they should soar to the sky." Jack hurriedly added. Hearing Jack, Zhou Fan remembered that he had given the human race''s providence away and returned to his old expression. "It''s ok. I''m not upset. If anything, I would be mad at myself." Zhou Fan said. "Enough talk. Why don''t we go and join the party?" Zhou Fan said as he walked away with a chicken leg in hand. Jack followed with a nod. If everything went right, then Zhou Fan would be able to see the new talent of the human race soon. As Zhou Fan walked to the table, it got quieter. Luckily, Zhou Fan was very friendly and soon sat down with the group. After a moment, he started getting asked questions. Fairy Hong Yun was the first to speak. "What realm are you in, Sir Zhou Fan?" Chapter 267: The Start - 267 Chapter 267 - The Start - 267 "There is no need for me to hide anything from you. I am at the god realm. Above the lesser dao creation realm is the inner world realm, and above the inner world realm is the god realm." Zhou Fan answered. Everyone had suspicions about Zhou Fan''s strength, but hearing him actually say it, they couldn''t help but be stunned. He was two entire realms above them! It was something they could not even comprehend. "Once you reach the inner world realm, you can travel to any place within the three galaxy clusters, which I named the Zhou supercluster. At the god realm, traveling becomes much faster and easier. Of course, this is using me as an example. I''m not sure how much weaker you all would be compared to me back then." Zhou Fan added. The others nodded at his words. As someone so powerful, it would be weird if he was the same as them. "So how long did it take you to become so strong?" Another person asked. "I lost track of time long ago. My breakthrough from the 4th level of the god realm to the 5th level took 250 million years. I assume that I''ve been alive for more than 600 million years, but who knows." Zhou Fan answered with a shrug. A few more questions were asked, but none were as interesting as the others. "Who were your parents?" Fairy Hong Yun asked after a while. This question caused Zhou Fan to think. No matter how hard he thought, only two silhouettes popped up. Their faces were unclear and unimportant. "Back when all life was mortal, I was born. My parents died when I was young. Even before everything began, I had gotten over their deaths. Now, I cannot remember them at all. Nor do I want to or need to." Zhou Fan said. Others may care about their parents'' lives, but Zhou Fan''s parents had never really influenced him at all. Even when he was young, they mainly fed him and clothed him. At every other time, he was free to do whatever. It was not an unusual situation then, and it isn''t one now. Many people in the group agreed, especially those from the demonic faction. As far as the demonic faction was concerned, only oneself mattered. In that aspect, Zhou Fan agreed. "If you are so powerful, how come you can''t remember them?" One of the people asked. "Although my memory is powerful, I tend to eventually forget things deemed completely unimportant. Ever since I started cultivating, the number of times I thought of my parents could be counted on one hand. You all are powerful as well. Do you remember every single speck of dust you see?" Zhou Fan countered. With his explanation, everyone understood. "It''s about time for the actual youth galactic assembly to begin. One more question and we will start." Zhou Fan said. "Have you ever had a wife or lover? If so, what happened?" One person asked. "No I have not. Let''s go." Zhou Fan said before standing up. Everyone looked in anger at the man who wasted the question. Instead of asking about the secrets of the universe, he actually dared to ask such a stupid question. Without a doubt, he would be beaten up later. As Zhou Fan got back on top of the stage, Heaven appeared next to him and everyone got quiet. "Next, the real youth galactic assembly will begin. In the same place you entered from, another door will appear. It will take you to a colosseum. Please enter the white door now." Zhou Fan said as he waved his hand, causing a white door that looked exactly like the last one to appear. Without wasting time, everyone entered the white door. As they opened their eyes again, they found themselves in a colosseum stand. All of the seats were white marble and there were two sections, a top and bottom row. Without having to converse, the ten 10th level space shattering cultivators from the Zhou Galaxy, and most of the people from the Heaven galaxy went to the lower level. It still gave a perfect view. Among those who came, only the 14 lesser dao creation realm cultivators from the Zhou galaxy, Tian Ren, and Bi Chong sat on the top row. Although the row was big, there were only a hundred seats in equal distance from each other circling around the colosseum. Tian Ren and Bi Ching sat next to each other, although they were a distance away, and the 14 lesser dao creation realm cultivators did the same. The colosseum was completely enclosed, and all of the walls were perfectly designed. The walls themselves were jade green, with multiple pillars reaching the jade ceiling. At some places, there were also gold ornaments. The stage was a perfect square with a clear, but seeable barrier around it. In between the stage and the seats was a lower section made with stone. It would be where those that were in the competition but were not currently fighting would stand and watch. On one end of the oval shaped colosseum, a large platform stood. It was not where people would fight, but where people would enter the colosseum. It was hugging one of the colosseum walls. After a moment of quiet, a white door similar to the one they entered through appeared. Out of it walked two people. Fairy Hong Yun, and another woman in red, much younger in age. Seeing Fairy Hong Yun appear, everyone looked over to where she had sat down. The once filled seat was now empty. Even Fairy Hong Yun was confused for a moment, but she regained her wits and walked the person beside her out. "The first contestant, the child of Fairy Hong Yun, Hong Yen!" A voice said from the sky. It didn''t seem to come from anyone''s voice, and was somewhat robotic. The requirements for being a youth in the competition was simple. Have great talent, and be under 1,000 years of age. Hong Yen was 950 years old, but she was still considered young in the Zhou galaxy. She barely made it into the competition. Chapter 268: Attendees - 268 Chapter 268 - Attendees - 268 After walking out of the white door, Fairy Hong Yun and her daughter, Hong Yen, walked across the entrance stage and down a flight of stairs to the area in between the battle arena and the stands. "Next, from the dragon race, Ao wen, and his escort, Ao ling! The first dragon king!" The voice exclaimed as two people walked out of the white door. Coming out of the door was a familiar face and an unfamiliar one. Ao Ling, the first dragon king, and the person second only to Anna at one point, was quite familiar to Zhou Fan. The youth, Ao wen, was naturally of Ao lings bloodline. Zhou Fan remembered giving Ao Ling the ability to reproduce long ago. It had been so long that, except for him, there was likely no one else from the supreme beast race that remembered a time when having descendents was impossible. The first dragon king and his son looked around the stadium. When the first dragon king, who was only at the tenth level of the space shattering realm, saw the lesser dao creation realm cultivators, he bowed his head and walked down the stage. Zhou Fan and Heaven were nowhere to be found. "Next, the nine colored divine phoenix king, as well as his child, Bai Hun!" The announcer said. Exiting from the white door was a middle aged man, whose hair was many different shades. Along with him was a child who looked like a similar version of him. Zhou Fan did not recognize these people. With a glance, he could tell that they were unrelated to Zhuque. It was similar to how Xiaolong had nothing to do with Ao Ling. The nine colored divine phoenix king and his son walked down the stage. As the nine colored divine phoenix king and Ao Ling''s gazes met, there was a hint of some battle intent. Luckily, it was very small. Ao Ling had long been retired when the nine colored divine phoenix king was born. From the white door, more people came out. Not a single one compared to the first three, but they were all people with very high talents. It was worth noting that, while not every youth had reached the soul formation realm, everyone had a humanoid form. This was due to a formation Zhou Fan put on the letter he sent. It was all explained to the contestants within. Five more people came out from the Zhou Galaxy, before someone Zhou Fan was interested in came out. "Next, from the original planet, earth, representing the human race, Ying Xiong, and his mother, Ying Tui!" The voice announced. All heads turned at Ying Xiongs arrival. Every single person had heard of the commotion when Ying Xiong was born, but this was the first time a lot of people were seeing him. Ying Xiong and his mother looked around curiously. Everything around them was extremely elegant. They were unused to it. Suddenly, another figure appeared next to them. "Hello, allow me." Zhou Fan said as he grabbed Ying Xiongs hand and led him down the stairs. Ying Xiong and his mother were surprised by Zhou Fan''s sudden appearance, but Ying Xiong listened and grabbed Zhou Fan''s hand. Not only was he young, still at the age of 13, but he felt a sense of kindness and familiarity radiating off of Zhou Fan. As Zhou Fan held his hand and walked him down the stairs, he inwardly decided to repay the human race for their suffering in his absence. He wasn''t usually sentimental, but he figured that he might as well be. Zhou Fan allowed some of his Qi in Ying Xiongs body, intending to upgrade his talent, but what he saw shocked him so much he could only smile. ''Nevermind.'' He thought to himself. He would limit his repaying to accompanying Ying Xiong during the tournament. As they walked down the stairs, Zhou Fan thought about what he had seen. ''He should be the first throughout the entire universe right?'' Zhou Fan asked himself. ''I suppose I should name them immortal god rank meridians.'' He decided. Ying Xiongs talent was something never seen before. Zhou Fan hadn''t even decided a name for the rank. Above immortal rank meridians were immortal king meridians. Above immortal king meridians were immortal emperor meridians. Now, above immortal emperor meridians are immortal god meridians. Ying Xiongs talent was immortal god 3. That alone was crazy. Yet, his divine physique was just as amazing. Zhou Fan looked forward to seeing what it was capable of in the tournament. As Zhou Fan, Ying Xiong, and his mother reached the ground, another name was called out. This one was the first outside of the Zhou Galaxy. It was someone with talent comparable to the unnamed ones to before, but everyone who had already exited the door was shocked. Although not a single person would claim to know every powerful being in the Zhou Galaxy, they could already tell that this person was from somewhere else. That also confirmed why they saw so many powerful yet unfamiliar faces in the crowd. After 3 people came out, someone interesting exited the white door. "Next, the nine headed hydra, Lernean! Along with his escort, one of the strongest supreme beasts in the Heaven Galaxy, Hei Nan!" The voice exclaimed. Lernean''s appearance drew everyone''s attention. Especially the enemies of the supreme beasts in the Heaven galaxy. Naturally, Zhou Fan was going to deal with that later. Lernean in humanoid form was a young man wearing nine different colors on his robe. In a way, he seemed similar to the nine colored divine phoenix. The next person was also someone Zhou Fan found interesting. "Next, from the Heaven world, Tian Ren, the first Heavenborn! Along with him, Guang Fu!" The voice exclaimed. The name of Tian Ren, the first Heavenborn, gained attention from everyone. Being the first of a race was always something great. Guang Fu also received some looks. The next person that came out was another person who, while quite talented, wasn''t a star of this show. The final person from the Heaven Galaxy soon exited the white door. "Finally, concluding the attendees of this competition, Yao Mun, the first Heaven defying cultivator!" The voice announced. Yao Mun received a lot of looks. He was walking out alone, covered by an aura of hatred and evil. The smell of blood was clear. He was the first and only youth from the Demonic faction at the youth galactic assembly. Chapter 269: First Fight - 269 Chapter 269 - First Fight - 269 Yao Mun''s appearance was dirty to say the least. There was blood visible on his clothes and skin. Aside from the blood on the clothes, there were also many cuts. His shirt should have been a perfect fit, but many cuts extended its length far below his waist. In Yao Muns right hand was a longsword. It too was covered in blood. His most striking feature, despite everything else, was one of his eyes. It had a red pupil with black surrounding it. From that eye, red cracks extended across his face. Everyone watched in silence as he made his way down the stairs and reached the floor. Although everyone was paying attention to Yao Mun, the announcements did not stop. "These are the sixteen most promising youths in both the Zhou Galaxy and the Heaven galaxy. Now... let the youth galactic assembly commence!" As the voice finished speaking, a cube wooden box with a hole on top appeared. "In the order that you came through the door, please walk up to the box and draw out a token. The number on it will decide when and who you fight." The voice spoke. After a few seconds, Hong Yen walked up to the box and picked out a token. It had the number 5 on it. In order, everyone grabbed a token and returned to where they were standing before. Even Yao Mun did not make a scene. After numbers were drawn, the voice spoke again. "The rules of the competition are as follows. Firstly, everyone''s cultivation will be suppressed or raised to the 1st level of the nascent soul realm in order for the fights to be fair. Fear not, special techniques gained from your talent or race that cannot be used until realms after the nascent soul realm will be unlocked." This rule would allow a being such as Pangu, who could not use Sky Qi to attack until later realms, able to use it even at the foundation establishment realm. "Finally, there will be no deaths on this stage. Even if you were to use techniques that use your lifeforce, you would be stopped just before dying and fully healed. There will be no unfair disadvantages or advantages in the youth galactic assembly." "Now, officially, let the youth galactic assembly begin!" The voice spoke once again. As the voice stopped speaking, two tokens floated in the air. The number one and number two tokens. The first people up were Bai Hun, the nine colored divine phoenix, and one of the unnamed people from the Zhou Galaxy. They both jumped on the stage at the same time and faced each other. Then, the previously deactivated barrier appeared once again. It was a thin and clear membrane. Suddenly, to both the people in the stage and those outside, the arena inside of the membrane seemed to expand. From a simple length of 50 or so feet, to a wide stage miles wide. A number 3 appeared in the middle of the stage, floating off the ground. After a second, it went down to 2. Then 1. Then fight. Both Bai Hun and the other person burst out with their power immediately. Bai Hun held a nine-colored flame on the palm of his hand, while his opponent held a wooden spear with golden lines designed on it. Bai Hun used three fingers to form a claw and swiped his hand towards the person on the other side of the stage. His action formed a fast moving nine colored flame in the shape of a claw that reached his opponent almost immediately. For the vast majority of people in the Zhou Galaxy and the Heaven galaxy, this simple move would have defeated anyone at the same level. However, the man, while his name was deemed unimportant by Zhou Fan, was one of the top 16 most talented people under the age of a thousand in two galaxies. Any other time, he may be remembered, but there were too many special talents born in the last thousand years. Bai Hun''s opponent moved to the side quickly, dodging the claw, before shooting as fast as he could towards Bai Hun. He quickly reached Bai Hun and thrusted his spear at Bai Hun''s face. Bai Hun let out an explosion of flame from his stomach, pushing him backwards so fast that the spear missed him. Then, a green light in the shape of the spear shot out of the spear and followed Bai Hun. Bai Hun let out another blast of flame and moved to the side, dodging his opponents first attacks. As he stopped moving from the explosion, Bai Hun shot yet another explosion of flame out of his back, propelling him towards his opponent. Although he was more of a ranged fighter in humanoid form, he preferred being as close as possible. As he reached within 20 feet of his opponent, he shot out another nine colored flame claw. With the much closer distance, it essentially reached the opponent before he could react. Luckily, he had seen Bai Hun coming towards him and formed a defensive barrier of wood. The nine-colored flame was only halted for a hundredth of a second before it broke through the wood barrier, but another wood barrier greeted it. Although wood usually countered fire, and this was a special fire at that, the wood was enhanced with both water Qi and Life Qi, triggering a great change in the wood''s resistance against fire. The man fighting Bai Hun had four affinities. Wood, Life, Water, and Gold. After the fifth barrier, the claw broke through without having another barrier behind it. Sadly, Bai Hun''s opponent had already ran out of its way. The opponent went around the wood barriers that had been broken through and charged at Bai Hun again. This time, Bai Hun let out a much bigger blast than before and charged towards the man as well. Just as they were feet away from each other, Bai Hun''s body changed. From humanoid form, it turned into a small phoenix. Bai Hun''s opponent hadn''t expected him to suddenly transform, and the phoenix successfully rammed into his chest. In an instant, the man and Bai Hun, now once again in humanoid form, appeared outside of the stage, unharmed. "First fight winner, Bai Hun!" Chapter 270: Ying Xiong鈥檚 Fight - 270 Chapter 270 - Ying Xiong''s Fight - 270 Bai Hun''s opponent and his escort walked away from the section between the stands and the stage, and sat somewhere in the stands. This was a one elimination competition. A single loss would eliminate you. Although Bai Hun''s opponent was very talented, he could not be compared to Bai Hun. After a minute of waiting, two more tokens flew up. They were the number 3 and 4 tokens. The number three token belonged to Ying Xiong, while the number four token was in the possession of one of the other unnamed youths. Ying Xiong nervously got on the stage under the encouragement of Zhou Fan, while his opponent hopped on in a leap. As soon as they were both on, the barrier covered the stage and numbers appeared. From the second they stood on the stage, it was clear that Ying Xiong had a disadvantage. Firstly, he was only 13 years old. His opponent was 250 years old. While his opponent was considered a young woman, he was essentially a toddler. Luckily, Ying Xiongs talent was helpful. He immediately adopted the plan of defending until he got used to fighting. After all, he had never been taught how to fight. He had only sparred a few times with a few people. As for his techniques, they were all from the human race. The human race''s current status was that of one of the weakest races in the Zhou Galaxy. The techniques he had were no better. Even those from his ancestors were still in the Huang Long academy, far away from the human race. As Ying Xiong continued to think, the numbers lowered. Eventually, the numbers turned into the word fight, and he jumped backwards. The arena''s space had already expanded. As he jumped backwards, he used his Buddhist Qi to create a barrier. Despite his immense talent, he only had one affinity, Buddhist Qi. His opponent on the other end did not chase him. Instead, she pulled out a bow and pulled back on it. As she released the string, a fire arrow formed and shot towards Ying Xiong. Ying Xiong barely moved to the side before it reached the round sphere of buddhist Qi surrounding him and bounced off. In an instant, Ying Xiongs combat talent was shown. Seeing how the sphere barrier would block attacks that wouldn''t have even hit him, wasting Qi, Ying Xiong shrunk the barrier to only cover his body. Now, he was shrouded in a golden light. It seemed as though there was no barrier at all. As his opponent pulled her bowstring back again, Ying Xiong ran towards her. He knew that he couldn''t fight long range with a bow user. Another fire arrow came, but this time it also had bow and arrow Qi on it. Ying Xiong attempted to dodge, but the arrow was faster than before, hitting him and pushing him back 50 steps. Luckily, he was unharmed. He ran towards her again, this time in a random pattern. As another arrow came towards him, he successfully dodged. His opponent responded by sending three arrows at the same time. Ying Xiong managed to dodge two, but one hit him, sending him far back again. This continued for multiple minutes until finally, Ying Xiong felt he was ready. He was now 50 feet closer than when he started running towards his opponent. It could be seen as a gain, but he had lost half of his Qi defending. The barrier he was using was the human race''s most used technique. The barrier would take very little Qi to sustain and only truly activated when hit. Depending on the power of the attack, an amount of Qi would be used. It could be seen as a technique that could drain every speck of his Qi, but it was very practical. The next time he was hit with an arrow, Ying Xiong decided to go on the offense. After using a lot of Qi, a bell formed around him. This bell was a defense technique. The bell would help him resist getting knocked back every single time he was hit. Ying Xiong charged forward with the bell covering his body, but as a result, he could not dodge. His opponent let out hundreds of arrows every second knowing that Ying Xiong could no longer avoid her attacks. Each attack was weaker than her earlier arrows, but they used up a similar amount of Qi for a lot more damage in total. As Ying Xiong was within 50 feet of the woman, she ran around him and extended the distance again. Ying Xiong hadn''t even thought of that possibility. His battle experience was truly too little. After realizing that he was back where he started and only had a third of his total Qi left, Ying Xiong decided to perform an all out move. It would use up all of his Qi in a single attack. Once again, he ran towards the woman. The bell now had many cracks across its surface. It was different from his other defense technique. The bell took a certain amount of Qi at activation and remained until it was destroyed or the user willed it to go away. Now, it was on the verge of breaking. As Ying Xiong got within a hundred feet of the woman, the bell was a few arrows away from being shattered. Only then did Ying Xiong make his move. He jumped up in the air and pulled his fist back as far as he could. "BUDDHA''S FIST" He yelled out as he punched forward. Every single bit of his Qi was drained from his body in that moment. As his fist fully extended, a giant golden fist appeared and shot towards his opponent at an insane speed. This was where Ying Xiongs talent was truly shown. Before the girl could even react, the buddha''s fist had reached her. Her entire body was smashed by the gigantic buddha''s fist as she and Ying Xiong were teleported out of the stage. Her underestimation of Ying Xiong had led to her loss. If she was even slightly wary, she would have put up some defenses in advance. "Second fight winner! Ying Xiong!" Chapter 271: First Round Finished - 271 Chapter 271 - First Round Finished - 271 As Ying Xiong realized he had won, he jumped up in the air with his hands out. He hugged his mom and gave Zhou Fan a high five. Eventually, he settled down and the loser of the battle walked into the stands. After a minute passed, two more tokens flew into the air. They were the number 5 and 6 tokens. Hong Yen walked on to the stage as her opponent nervously followed. While Bai Hun had not been out in public much and Ying Xiong had never been seen fighting, their opponents weren''t nervous. Hong Yen, the daughter of Fairy Hong Yun, was much different. Her reputation was known throughout the entire Zhou Galaxy. As expected, the battle ended in just a single minute. Although Hong Yen''s opponent was able to resist for a while, it was clear he had no chance from the beginning. Hong Yen won her battle and the number 7 and 8 tokens floated up. The number 7 token was held by Ao Wen, while the number 8 was held by an unnamed person. From the moment the battle began, Ao wen held a slight upper hand. Despite that, his opponent was able to struggle for 5 entire minutes before falling to a surprise dragons breath. The next fight was between Lernean and someone from the Heaven galaxy. Lerneans fighting style was different from the others. The moment the countdown finished, he transformed into his supreme beast form. Without hesitation, his giant body breathed down 9 different breaths of different elements. His opponent struggled to even react properly. When he used a water barrier to block the fire, ice froze the barrier and earth shattered it. When he used a wind barrier, lightning and dark Qi attacked it. Even when he tried to use a barrier made from non elemental Qi, the nine breaths rained down upon him at the same time. Before even showing any offensive methods, Lerneans opponent was defeated. Lernean was different from those like Yao Mun, Ying Xiong, and Guang Fu. From birth, he had been trained in battle. Even before his birth, he was meant to be a powerful weapon. Every youth attending the assembly immediately put Lernean near the top of their danger list. He struck first, fast, and powerfully. The next battle was between Guang Fu and one of the unnamed people. Zhou Fan payed a little more attention to this battle. Despite Guang Fu''s attendance, he was one of the more untalented people. Even now, his meridians were only of god rank. Only later would they grow stronger. Guang Fu put up an unexpected resistance, almost defeating his opponent, but he unfortunately lost. The next battle was between two unnamed people. Surprisingly, the battle was quickly won by one of them. He was essentially a perfect counter to his opponent. The next battle was the final battle in the first round. Finally, Yao Mun got to fight. As the sole person of the demonic path attending, many paid attention to him. As the number 15 and 16 tokens floated up, Yao Mun and his opponent jumped on stage. As the numbers counted down, Yao Mun stared at his opponent with his eyes wide open. Even the talented opponent felt chills go down his spine as he looked into Yao Mun''s unmoving eyes. The moment the 1 turned into fight, Yao Mun exploded with power towards his opponent. He arrived in front of his opponent in an instant and leaped towards him with his sword raised high. His body was completely horizontal. Yao Mun''s opponent quickly took out a sword from his spatial ring and swung upwards at the sword. The moment he did, Yao Mun''s eye activated, sending a piercing flame directly at his opponent''s stomach. Within a few seconds of the battle starting, they were both teleported out of the ring. Silence filled the stadium as even the announcer''s voice seemed to be silent for a second. Yao Mun had absolutely decimated his opponent without even giving him a chance to retaliate. Soon, the announcer spoke. "The first round of fighting is over. The 16 contestants have turned into 8. After 30 minutes of break time, the second round will begin." After he finished speaking, another white door appeared. After seeing the cultivators in the stand entering the white door, the newcomers followed. They were greeted with the same banquet hall as before. Everyone got some food, found a seat, and sat down. After spending some time with Ying Xiong, Zhou Fan excused himself and walked over to Yao Mun''s table. He was sitting alone and in the process of eating what seemed like an entire beast of food. As Zhou Fan sat across from him, Yao Mun looked over for a moment before he continued eating. Zhou Fan had no intention to talk with him. He simply stared at Yao Mun to see what he had become so far. "Do you need something?" Yao Mun asked after a while. "No. But you are quite interesting." Zhou Fan answered. Zhou Fan didn''t talk to Yao Mun like he talked to others. When speaking to someone else, he would often act kind and even smile in order to make them feel better around him. For Yao Mun, however, all pretenses were dropped. Zhou Fan looked at him with absolutely no emotion in his eyes. Even when speaking, it was the most flat and basic voice. Yao Mun didn''t speak afterwards, so a long moment of silence passed. Eventually, Zhou Fan spoke again. "I heard you want to kill Heaven." Zhou Fan said. "He is right over there." As he spoke, Zhou Fan pointed at Heaven. Heaven was sitting with Tian Ren and Guang Fu as they ate. His words got Yao Mun''s attention as he looked over. After staring for 30 seconds, he looked away and continued eating. Zhou Fan laughed and got up from his seat. He could tell that Yao Mun, while seemingly calm, had an immense amount of rage boiling inside him as he looked at Heaven. The moments he spent staring were actually him memorizing Heaven''s face. ''This level of hatred is quite irrational.'' Zhou Fan said to himself. ''But he was never meant to be rational. That''s the point.'' Chapter 272: Ying Xiong vs Bai Hun - 272 Chapter 272 - Ying Xiong vs Bai Hun - 272 The 30 minute break ended quite quickly. As the white door appeared once again, everyone quickly entered and came back to the arena. The first fight was between the holder of token 1 and the holder of token 3. Those two were Bai Hun, the nine colored divine phoenix, and Ying Xiong. They both got on the stage as the countdown began. This time, Ying Xiong was more nervous than before. Although he had gotten a bit used to fighting in his first fight, he was now fighting against a much stronger opponent. The worst part was, Bai Hun did not underestimate him like the last person. ''If I want to win, then I must not make any mistakes.'' Ying Xiong thought to himself. Meanwhile, Bai Hun just reminded himself to be careful. As the numbers turned into the word fight, both Ying Xiong and Bai Hun launched towards each other. Ying Xiong didn''t use the body protection technique he used in the first round since he wasn''t planning on being passive, and simply used the bell technique from before. Along with the bell, a golden light covered his body. This was the basic technique of using Buddhist Qi to enhance his body. Buddhist Qi was usually best used this way. On the other side, Bai Hun covered himself in his nine-colored flame and ran even faster towards Ying Xiong. As they reached each other, Ying Xiong stopped and punched out with all his strength. From behind him, a phantom of a buddha with his legs crossed appeared and punched as well. The buddha phantoms fist seemed to perfectly encase his own. At the same time, Bai Hun sensed the danger of his opponent''s attack and stopped holding back immediately, transforming into his phoenix form. Unlike before, he didn''t limit his size. Bai Hun''s true form immediately appeared in all its glory. A hundred feet tall nine-colored phoenix with a wingspan of multiple hundreds of feet soared towards Ying Xiong. The similarly sized buddha phantom was similarly imposing. The buddha''s fist and the nine colored phoenix''s beak collided. In an instant, the nine colored flame on the phoenix spread across the buddha phantom''s entire body. At the same time, an incredible force pushed back the force from the beak and punched the nine colored phoenix in the face, sending it flying away. Although Ying Xiong seemed to be the winner, the nine colored flame was rapidly injuring the buddha phantom. Ying Xiong thought about dispersing it, but that would cause the flames to get off of the buddha phantom''s body and directly attack to his body. Ying Xiong stood inside the buddha phantom, his mind rapidly moving, as Bai Hun shook off the pain from the punch and flew back towards the buddha phantom. As Ying Xiong saw Bai Hun coming back, he made a split second decision and hoped it would work out. Instead of trying to disperse the flame, which would be extremely troubling, Ying Xiong decided to defeat Bai Hun before the flames destroyed the buddha phantom and killed him. Ying Xiong pushed off of the ground and ran towards Bai Hun at his full speed, the buddha phantom following as he stayed in the middle of it. As he was about to reach Ying Xiong, Bai Hun took a page from the book of dragons and let out a breath of the nine colored divine flame. Ying Xiong saw it and decided to try his unfinished technique. While the buddha phantom was just a highly advanced buddhist Qi technique, Ying Xiong, in all his talent, managed to partially make his own technique. Ying Xiong jumped in the air and arrived at the true center of the buddha phantom, not just inside its crossed legs. As he reached the center, the buddhist aura that the giant buddha gave off increased greatly. The buddha phantom''s eyes snapped open wide and its legs uncrossed. It jumped up from its sitting position and copied the position of Ying Xiongs body. Now, every move that Ying Xiong made would be made by the buddha phantom. Ying Xiong unfurled his fist and met the nine colored flame breath with his palm. As the palm met with the flame, some of the flame dispersed, while the rest attached to the buddha phantom''s body, speeding up the process of its burning. With the addition of more flames, Ying Xiong inwardly calculated that the buddha phantom would last three more seconds before collapsing. After breaking through the flame breath, only the rapidly approaching Bai Hun was left. In the three seconds remaining, Ying Xiong decided to use all of his Qi to make three moves. In the first second, the buddha phantom''s hand grabbed at Bai Hun and grabbed his neck. Bai Hun scoffed and tried to break out using his immense force, but was surprised to feel that the density of Buddhist Qi in the grabbing motion was far too strong for him to break out of without multiple seconds. In the second second, Ying Xiong moved the buddha phantom''s arm and slammed Bai Hun to the ground. Bai Hun was helplessly pushed down as his face slammed into the arena''s hard floor. The floor did not even crack. In the third and final second, the buddha phantom lifted its hand high and balled it into a fist. Then, it came smashing down onto Bai Hun''s face. As soon as the fist hit Bai Hun, the buddha phantom collapsed from the flames. Bai Hun''s face was knocked into the ground and heavily bleeding. Instinctually, Bai Hun transformed into humanoid form and fell on the arena ground. He laid on the floor, his face bloody. After a second had passed, he realized that he had not been teleported out and smiled. That, along with the burning mass on the ground the size of a human not far from him, made him believe that victory was his. ''He is fighting the flames'' power right now. He can''t last too much longer.'' He thought to himself as he struggled to get up from the arena ground. He was in immense pain, but his willpower had always been high. He slowly limped over to the burning mass a few feet away from him. Ying Xiong was feeling immense pain from the constant burning. Every second that passed, he felt like he would die. He barely had any will to resist as he was slowly and painfully burned. Suddenly, through his nearly destroyed eyes, he saw a blur limping towards him. Chapter 273: The Human Race鈥檚 Secret Supreme Technique - 273 Chapter 273 - The Human Race''s Secret Supreme Technique - 273 Ying Xiong could barely think at this point. Only the blurry silhouette and the nine colored flames seemed to exist in his vision. Despite his ability to think essentially being gone, his instinct was not. As he saw the silhouette getting closer, he raised two fingers towards the being. ¡ª--------------------------------------- Most of the people outside of the barrier watched in horror as Ying Xiong was being burned alive. His mother was the worst, immediately trying to run up to her child. Zhou Fan had to knock her out to get her to stop. Most people watched with neutral faces, but most were feeling a brief sense of horror inside. They were all extremely old and experienced. They knew the pain of being burned. As everyone saw Bai Hun getting closer, they suddenly saw Ying Xiong raise two fingers and point towards Bai Hun. Zhou Fan''s eyes slightly widened and a smile appeared on his face. ¡ª------------------------------------------ As Ying Xiong raised his two fingers, memories surfaced to his mind. One day, when he was a few years younger, the strongest member of the human race took him to a hidden cave deep below the ground. There, he showed him records of times so long ago that they were nearly unknown to the galaxy. Among them was a record of the first leader of the Huang Long academy. His name had been forgotten, along with many other things, but a single one of his ingenious techniques had lasted throughout the millions of years. As Ying Xiong raised two fingers, a name graced his mind. ''The human race''s secret supreme technique! Yellow piercing sword finger!'' From his two fingers, a small yellow light in the shape of a sword tip came out at a horrifying speed. Before Bai Hun could even react, his brain was pierced and he appeared outside of the arena. "Second round first battle winner! Ying Xiong!" The announcer said. For the first time since the start of the tournament, clapping filled the arena. Even those at the lesser dao creation realm were clapping. Bai Hun stared blankly at the stands. He didn''t even know what had happened. In one second he was walking towards Ying Xiong, about to finish him off. In the next, he appeared outside of the arena and heard the announcement of Ying Xiong winning. Meanwhile, Ying Xiong jumped up with his two hands high in the air. He turned around to hug his mom, only to see her passed out on the ground. He confusedly looked at Zhou Fan and Zhou Fan explained what had happened. While he was explaining, Bai Hun went back to the stands and two more tokens flew up. The number 5 token holder, Hong Yen, vs the number 7 token holder, Ao Wen. They both hopped on the stage as the countdown began. As soon as the time ended, Ao Wen transformed into his dragon form. He knew that the odds of him beating Hong Yen were low, so he went all out from the beginning in order to increase his chances. He turned into a giant red dragon with two wings and scales covering his body. He flew towards Hong Yen as fast as he could and released the dragon race''s signature move. Dragon breath. Hong Yen stood still as the dragon breath came towards her. The moment it reached within 30 feet of her, she raised her hand and a reddish translucent barrier was formed around her. As the dragon''s breath poured at the barrier, she calmly stood there. The flames from Ao Wen''s dragon breath ended after 5 seconds. Ao Wen remained flying in the air, while Hong Yen stood calmly. Despite her appearance of casualness, Ao Wen smirked. He knew that she couldn''t have blocked his attack so easily. It was simply an act. Without hesitation, he flew straight down towards Hong Yen''s barrier. It seemed he was going to drop onto the barrier with his body. Seeing him coming down, Hong Yen finally moved. Covering her body with Fire Qi, she quickly dashed out of the barrier. In the area she dashed away from, the barrier disappeared. The Qi from the barrier sprinkled down, and with her manipulation, formed multiple spikes. She had changed from defense to offense while barely using any Qi. Ao Wen clearly saw the spike, and he naturally didn''t plan on falling on them. As he was about to reach the ground, he transformed back into his humanoid form and floated in the air. While floating, he took in a deep breath. Just as he was about to release the dragon''s breath, the spikes below him shot up. Ao Wen''s eyes widened as he hastily moved out of the way, barely evading the spikes. Just as he reached his destination and stopped moving, Hong Yen appeared behind him. Ao Wen sensed her and flipped his body immediately, forming a fire sword and swung down. Once his vision reached behind him, Hong Yen was no longer there. Unable to stop the momentum of the sword, Ao Wen hurriedly looked around as it fell. Suddenly, he sensed an intense heat behind him. A punch from a fist covered in fire Qi directly hit his spine, sending him flying into the distance, only stopping when he hit the barrier. He limply fell onto the ground, but the battle didn''t stop. Ao Wen''s face was contorted in pain as he tried to sit up. Unfortunately, his spine was nearly destroyed. It was rapidly healing, but it would take an entire minute even if he poured all of his Qi into it and used the dragon race''s secret techniques. Like Bai Hun had in the last fight, Hong Yen slowly walked towards the paralyzed Ao Wen. Once she was ten feet away from him, she flicked her finger and a flame needle flew out, piercing Ao Wen''s head and ending the battle. They both appeared outside of the arena and the winner was announced. "Second round, second fight winner! Hong Yen!" The voice said. After Hong Yen shook Ao Wen''s hand, he went back to the stands. Hong Yen''s first opponent sighed in relief that she had held back against him. Chapter 274: Ying Xiong vs Hong Yen - 274 Chapter 274 - Ying Xiong vs Hong Yen - 274 The next two battles results were not surprising. In the third battle of the 2nd round, Lernean attacked ruthlessly and harshly, defeating his opponent in just 30 seconds. The next battle was between Yao Mun and an unnamed person. Yao Mun defeated his opponent in just a single move, similar to before. Yao Mun''s battle concluded the second round of fighting. What remained were the last four competitors. Ying Xiong, Hong Yen, Lernean, and Yao Mun were the last contestants remaining. After another brief break, Ying Xiong and Hong Yen walked up to the stage. Both stood still with confidence as the numbers counted down. Ying Xiong was no longer as nervous as before, but he was wary. Hong Yen had never been nervous, but she too was wary of Ying Xiong. The very moment that the number one turned into the word fight, Ying Xiong burst across the stage. A golden light covered his body as he moved. Hong Yen did the same thing, a bright red flame bursting from behind and a layer of red covering her body. As they reached each other, they both punched out. A bright flame covered Hong Yen''s fist, while a golden light covered Ying Xiongs. When their punches collided, a strong wind burst out from between their fists. In that moment, both got the first taste of each other''s power. They continued to push their fists together, trying to force the other back. After a few seconds, both repelled from the others fist. In just a moment, they came towards each other again. This time, Ying Xiong punched at the stomach, while Hong Yen aimed at the face. Without dodging or adding extra defense, their fists hit their targets. Ying Xiong was sent flying backwards, doing a few flips in the air, and Hong Yen was sent to the ground as she rubbed against it. Both had been protected by their Qi''s touching their bodies, but there were still slight injuries on both of them. As soon as they regained balance, they launched at each other again. As they collided, multiple fist were thrown in an instant. They were pushed back again, then came back again, repeating this brutal scene of brute strength for an entire minute. Eventually, they stood across from each other, injured to different degrees in different areas. Ying Xiong had a bloody and broken nose, while Hong Yen was clutching her stomach. After a moment, they began to fight again, but this time with intelligence. Ying Xiong activated the buddha phantom. He stood where its legs crossed, still on the ground. The flames covering Hong Yen''s body suddenly expanded with an explosion. In an instant, she seemed to be set on fire as an immense heat covered the arena. Ying Xiong charged forwards at her, but Hong Yen moved backwards and kept her distance. As Ying Xiong tried to charge towards her, she used multiple techniques, sending out things such as fireballs and flame waves. Ying Xiong struggled to advance the entire time. He was constantly dodging and defending. As he slowly got closer, Hong Yen used different and stronger techniques. One of them sent a flame phoenix soaring towards Ying Xiong. Another created a flame giant that contended against his buddha phantom for a few moves. As time passed, Ying Xiong slowly got more and more frustrated and annoyed. Hong Yen''s fighting style had done a complete 360. She went from crudely contending against him, to evading him and attacking from a distance. The Qi usage of the buddha phantom was no joke. There had been multiple times where Ying Xiong had to deactivate it in order to regenerate some Qi. Unfortunately, he could barely even defend himself against Hong Yen without the buddha phantom. Her casual attacks were nearly enough to overwhelm him. Just as Ying Xiong was thinking of giving up, he saw her breath falter for just a moment. ''She is getting exhausted as well!'' He thought to himself. All he could do was hope that he was right. He started to push Hong Yen harder in an attempt to make her more exhausted faster, but it was also taking a burden on him. By the time he was nearly on the ground from stamina loss, Hong Yen was starting to heavily pant. Her long range attacks took a lot more Qi than close range attacks. The only reason she was outlasting Ying Xiong was because the buddha phantom truly cost too much Qi. Ying Xiong rapidly tried to think of different moves. The yellow piercing sword finger was the entire human race''s trump card, but it was truly too profound. Even Ying Xiong could barely show a thousandth of its true power. Since Hong Yen knew about it, she had surely kept a defense in mind. Even if he used it, he may not harm her. As for the Qi expenditure, it was more terrifying than the Buddha''s phantom. A single attack would drain 25% of his Qi. He had only successfully used it before by squeezing his body dry. While Zhou Fan had originally created it to expend a relatively small amount of Qi, he had only kept in mind his amount of Qi. Compared to others of the same realm, Zhou Fan had much more Qi. He was the most talented for a reason. Although Ying Xiong had more Qi than Hong Yen, he did not have as much as Zhou Fan would at his level. Therefore, he could only try some more theoretical techniques. Ying Xiong deactivated the Buddha phantom and used all his stamina to dodge Hong Yen''s attacks. He did so in order to replenish some of his Qi before his final strike. After 5 minutes of recovery, he could not hold on any longer and jumped in the air. Seeing his actions, Hong Yen warily watched. Ying Xiong held out his palms and a face with a wide open mouth appeared. It didn''t quite look like the face of a buddha, but similarities could be seen. Hong Yen was confused until a roar was heard from the mouth of the head. Then, a soundwave hit her and sent her flying. She quickly grabbed onto the ground and ran towards the head. She knew that she could not survive under its roar for long. ''I need to destroy it now!'' She yelled inside her mind. The soundwave was rupturing her insides and causing blood to pour out of random places on her skin, as well as her mouth, eyes, and nose. Chapter 275: Fight - 275 Chapter 275 - Fight - 275 Ying Xiong was barely doing any better. Under the backlash of forcefully using such a technique, he too was bleeding everywhere. He tried his hardest to enhance the technique, ignoring the harm to his body. Despite that, Hong Yen slowly made her way towards him. Ying Xiong could do nothing more than watch as she approached and hope that she would fail to reach him. He was not even able to move while using the unfinished technique. Hong Yen was forcefully advancing by grabbing the arena ground with all of her grip strength. Eventually, Hong Yen was within striking distance. She put all of her strength and some Qi into her legs before blasting off of the arena ground towards the head. As she was in the air, she suddenly spotted Ying Xiong smiling. Then, from within the head, a golden dragon made of buddhist Qi charged towards her. Hong Yen looked at Ying Xiong, who had a victorious smile on his face. Suddenly, she smiled as well. In that moment, Ying Xiong had a bad feeling. Then, a fire dragon flew up from behind Hong Yen and collided with Ying Xiongs. He was shocked as they canceled each other out and Hong Yen continued to fly towards him. ''She had expected it! It''s a trap!'' He thought to himself as he stood in place, still unable to move. Hong Yen barely reached the head and broke it with a large fireball. As the soundwave disappeared, her body sped up and collided with Ying Xiongs knocking both of them down from the sky. Neither had the strength or Qi left required to fly. As they fell to the ground, they wrestled in the air. Neither of them would be able to survive the fall in their current state. Both of them had used up even the Qi naturally in their bodies. For a few minutes, their bodies would be weakened significantly. What remained was a contest of who could make sure the other hit the ground first. They wrestled back and forth, but eventually, Ying Xiong was on top as Hong Yen''s head touched the ground and both were moved out of the arena. "Third round first fight winner! Ying Xiong!" The announcer said. Both Ying Xiong and Hong Yen were in perfect condition now. As if the fight before was a dream. After a moment, Hong Yen shook Ying Xiong''s hand. "I look forward to seeing your future achievements." She said before walking to the stands with Fairy Hong Yun. As usual, Ying Xiong celebrated with Zhou Fan and his mother until the next fight began. The number 9 and 15 tokens flew up in the air and Yao Mun and Lernean jumped on stage. The numbers counted down, and as soon as the word fight appeared, Yao Mun charged. Like in the previous fights, Lernean immediately transformed into his nine headed hydra form. His size did not lose out to the buddha phantom or Bai Hun''s phoenix form. As Yao Mun ran towards him, all nine of Lernean''s head breathed down breaths upon him. With no intention to dodge, Yao Mun continued forward. Soon, he was bombarded with nine different Qi''s. The poison Qi poisoned his body, causing blood to seep out of his mouth and his skin to shrivel, but Yao Mun continued running forward. The fire Qi burnt him severely, but he kept going. The ice Qi caused his body to slow and he was pierced by icicles, but he continued forward. Everyone outside the barrier watched in awe as Yao Mun, with his bare flesh, resisted the attacks of nine different Qi''s from a being at the same level as himself. As he continued forward, only the light and darkness Qi''s were left. As the light Qi surrounded him, he was blinded and his senses were interfered with. Yet, Yao Mun did not need eyes or a sense of direction. With blood pouring from his eyes, Yao Mun kept going forward, directly towards Lernean. When the darkness element hit him, he was casted into a world of darkness with no ability to feel and senses. Along with that, his lifeforce was being continuously drained. Yet, for some unknown reason, Yao Mun''s heart never wavered, his resolve never faltering. Even unable to see and sense, he continued to walk. As he passed the breath of Darkness Qi, he was met with the simultaneous attack of all nine Qi''s. In an instant, his body was burned, bruised, frostbitten, and weak. Eventually, Lernean realized that breath attacks weren''t doing anything. His nine heads stopped breathing out at the same time. Then, simultaneously, nine spears from the nine different elements appeared and shot at Yao Mun. Now being able to see and sense, Yao Mun knew that he could not react in the same way as before. The breath attacks were mostly formless, similar to gas. Now, the attacks were solid. No matter how firm Yao Mun''s willpower was, he would simply be obliterated by the attacks without a proper defense. Seeing the spears almost directly in front of him, Yao Mun covered his body with Qi. it was actually the first time he had done so in the fights. A dark reddish hue covered his body perfectly, as if he was under a waterfall. It was the effect of Yao Mun''s demon Qi. He continued to run forward without stopping as his defense met Lerneans offense. As the fourth spear hit him, the barrier around his body broke and Yao Mun had to dodge. He moved the perfect amount to perfectly dodge the attacks as he continued to run forward. Although Lernean tried a few more methods, Yao Mun eventually reached within a hundred feet of him. Then, he went on the offensive. Yao Mun moved his arm, which was holding his sword, behind his back as far as it could go. Then, as if he was angry, he swung his sword down as fast as he could. Nothing came out from his sword, but a light shone in his eye as a giant sword Qi 20 feet long appeared in the air above Lernean. Chapter 276: Sacrificial Technique - 276 Chapter 276 - Sacrificial Technique - 276 Lernean felt the power of the sword strike above him and without hesitation he transformed back into his humanoid form and dodged out of the way. The moment he left the area, the sword strike hit where he was standing. Seemingly unfazed, Lernean began to run towards Yao Mun. Yao Mun''s eye had the ability to display an attack above his combat strength every now and then. There was a cooldown, but the ability was incredibly powerful. Without sustaining injuries, the attack would have to be only one level above his combat strength. Anything higher than that would cause injuries ranging from a cut on his body to the complete decimation of his body and soul. Yao Mun had just displayed an attack one level above him when he attacked Lernean. At the very least, Yao Mun''s combat power was at the same level as Lerneans. It was likely to be higher. Therefore, the sword attack could have very likely killed Lernean. As Lernean ran towards Yao Mun, he once again transformed, this time slightly limiting his size. Although he was half the size as before, he still towered over Yao Mun. As Lernean was about to use an attack, Yao Mun looked at him with disdain. Although Yao Mun''s lesser increase ability was on cooldown, he still had the ability to display an attack much higher in level than him, just with a price. Since he completely healed after every battle, so what if he lost an arm or two? As Lernean was about to attack, Yao Mun swung his sword in a similar way to before, a light in his eye shining. The instant his sword hit the ground, a giant sword wave made out of demon Qi appeared and flew towards Lernean. Before Lernean could even react, he was sliced in half and appeared outside the stage. Outside the stage was silence. Everyone was in shock at Yao Mun''s attack. It was simply far too overpowered in this setting. For an instant, everyone outside saw Yao Mun''s arm disappear, but when he appeared outside the barrier, he was perfectly fine. Eventually, the announcer spoke. "Third round second fight winner! Yao Mun!" "The finals will be after one more brief break. In that time, may both finalists fully prepare." The voice spoke. Once again, the white door appeared. Once again, everyone entered the room from before. Yao Mun sat in the same place as before, eating the delicious food. Meanwhile, Ying Xiong was nervously eating with Zhou Fan and his mother. "There is no possible way that I can win. Did you see his last attack? How is that fair? What kind of bullsh*t is that?" He said as he sweat profusely. "Language." His mother spoke. Zhou Fan laughed as he looked at Ying Xiong. "There is no way that you can win unless you are willing to die for it." Zhou Fan spoke. Ying Xiong looked up at him confused. Zhou Fan continued to speak. "If you couldn''t tell from before, Yao Mun had to sacrifice his arm in order to have strength far surpassing his ability. He only had to sacrifice that little because of his special ability. For someone like you, you would have to sacrifice your life in order to match him. With your life, you could match him even if he sacrifices two arms and a leg." Zhou Fan explained. "I don''t know any life sacrificing techniques. There was never any good reason or time to learn them. How would I go about sacrificing my life?" Ying Xiong questioned Zhou Fan. "There are three main ways to sacrifice your life for greater power. One, have a special ability like Yao Mun does. Two, use a special technique like most people would. Finally, three, the hardest, be so full of resolve and will that you momentarily are able to expend even your own life." Zhou Fan explained. He then continued. "Naturally, you don''t have the will to sacrifice yourself for a competition. That would require a life and death situation or plain insanity. Obviously, you don''t have a special ability like Yao Mun. Therefore, in order to even the playing field, even just slightly, I will impart an ability that allows you to sacrifice your life in order to increase your power." Although he avoided using specific words like divine physique, Zhou Fan planned to give Ying Xiong a technique that would sacrifice his life in order to temporarily allow him to display the power of his divine physique. Under normal circumstances, he would only be able to use the divine physique''s power at the void traversing realm. Although Zhou Fan had allowed all abilities to be used even if they needed to be unlocked at a higher level, Ying Xiong had never used his divine physique. He likely didn''t even know that he had one. Even if a mortal was given the power of god for a moment, he would need to learn in order to create life. It was not something instantly known. As Zhou Fan stopped speaking, he took out a talisman he had just created and stuck it on Ying Xiongs forehead. The talisman then burst into a golden light and shot into Ying Xiongs body. This would allow him to sacrifice his life and use his divine physique a single time. "Go get em tiger." Zhou Fan said before the white door appeared. 30 minutes had already passed. Once everyone was back in the arena, two tokens floated in the air. The number 3 token and the number 15 token. Ying Xiong and Yao Mun jumped on the stage and looked at each other. As the numbers counted down, Ying Xiong seemed to calm down. He was no longer nervous or sweaty. Everything seemed to be much clearer. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, a golden light seemed to be within. The moment the battle started, Yao Mun burst towards Ying Xiong. Meanwhile, Ying Xiong did not waste any time. In an instant, he used the technique. A golden light flooded out of his body! Chapter 277: Back Painting - 277 Chapter 277 - Back Painting - 277 The moment that the golden light burst out, Yao Mun stopped moving. Although he was evil and insane, he was not stupid. The golden light overflowing from Ying Xiong gave him a sense of overwhelming power. Alongside that, there was a feeling of repulsion. It was as if what he was looking at was the very opposite of him. After a moment, the golden light changed. Yet, instead of becoming weaker, it became much stronger. Ying Xiong''s upper clothes ripped to shreds while his pants seemed to expand. As the shirt came off, everyone in the arena saw the cause of the golden light. On Ying Xiong''s back, a painting of a thousand meditating bald men surrounding a golden tree shone with light. It drew the attention of the entire room towards it. Suddenly, the painting seemed to slightly change. The thousand men''s mouths seemed to be moving. Then, a sound was heard. It was quiet at first, but it soon increased to the point that everyone could hear it. It was the sound of a thousand chanting bald men. Each of them was saying something different, yet every person in the room heard what each man was saying clearly. "Life in any world is unstable, it is swept away. "Life in any world has no shelter and no protector." "Life in any world has nothing of its own." "Life in any world is incomplete, insatiable, slaves of craving." "There are four kinds of loss, loss through aging, loss through sickness, loss of wealth, and loss of relatives." "These, monks, are the eight streams of merit." "For I am the arahant in the world, I am the teacher supreme, I alone am perfectly enlightened, the one whose fires are quenched and extinguished." Many varying sentences, some related and some unrelated, filled the stands. While many were confused, only one understood what they were. ''The teachings of the Buddha.'' Zhou Fan thought to himself. To Zhou Fan, the Buddha was the only being he had ever truly respected in life, the only being he had deemed superior to him. The honored one, the teacher supreme, the one who is perfectly enlightened. Throughout all of time, only one man had gained such titles. The Buddha''s teachings, so powerful and impactful on Zhou Fan himself, seemed to have integrated into the universe. A testament to his greatness. Zhou Fan had still yet to figure out whether buddhist Qi had always existed, perhaps under another name, or unnamed considering that Zhou Fan named all of the Qi''s, or if the Qi was brought into existence by the Buddha''s existence. The second possibility seemed unlikely to Zhou Fan, but if cultivation existed, then who knows what is possible. Eventually, the chanting stopped sounding, and the golden light receded, staying only on the tattoo itself. Ying Xiong stared at Yao Mun, his face showing signs of wrinkles and old age, and his hair slowly turning gray. He looked at Yao Mun with a calm face, as if he was staring at a tree or a rock. "I only have thirty seconds." He spoke to himself. "I must make it count." Then, Ying Xiong disappeared from his spot. Yao Mun''s eyes widened as he dodged to the side. In the same moment, Ying Xiong appeared and grabbed at his arm. His arm seemed to move slowly as his golden eyes stared calmly, yet the arm moved faster than Yao Mun''s dodge and successfully took hold of his arm. Feeling Ying Xiong''s touch, Yao Mun made the split second decision to sacrifice his arm. Just as Ying Xiong was about to pull, which would have resulted in Yao Mun''s arm being ripped away, the arm turned into a pile of mush and Yao Mun''s eye shined. Then, faster than Ying Xiong could react, a fist hit him in the side of his head, sending him flying. Ying Xiong only went flying for a hundred feet before stopping. He landed on his feet. He had the same calm look, but the left side of his face was slightly drooping and very bloody. Without hesitation, he moved again, appearing behind Yao Mun. Yao Mun turned around and kicked him in the face, sacrificing the leg he did not use to kick. Ying Xiong went flying again, but the situation repeated itself. Now, both the left and right sides of his face were injured. However, knowing he was on a time limit, Ying Xiong appeared in front of Yao Mun again. Yao Mun, who had given an arm and a leg to this fight, decided to think instead of continuing to sacrifice his body parts. Unfortunately, Ying Xiong was too fast. The moment that Yao Mun hesitated, Ying Xiong punched him in the face, causing a nearly fatal injury. Yao Mun went flying back hundreds of feet and only stopped when he fell to the ground. His face was almost completely obliterated. He had no skin on the front and his skull was missing pieces and dented in. In an instant, Yao Mun realized how serious and dangerous his situation actually was. A single punch had nearly instantly killed him. Ignoring the injury, Yao Mun stood up and flew into the air. Although he was missing an arm and a leg, flying required neither. He could be nothing but a torso and still technically fly fine. He held his remaining hand in front of his face. It was clenched in a fist and his thumb was on top. Then, his eye lit up again. His remaining leg disappeared as four Qi''s flew out of his body and formed a sword. It was held by the hand in front of him. The sword''s base was metal Qi, and added onto it was Demon Qi, Dark Qi, and Fire Qi. Meanwhile, Ying Xiong prepared his defense down below. Although he could have gone offensive, he knew that he likely did not have enough time due to the speed that Yao Mun was going, along with the fact that after this strike, Yao Mun would be incapacitated. A bell similar to before, but now covered in runes and many times stronger than before, covered his body as Yao Mun''s eyes snapped open. Yao Mun held the sword up while looking at Ying Xiong, before raising the sword and slashing down. Chapter 278: Thousand Buddha鈥檚 Palm - 278 Chapter 278 - Thousand Buddha''s Palm - 278 The sword was swung down at an incredible speed. The moment the full motion was completed, Yao Mun''s remaining arm disappeared and a crescent shot at Ying Xiong. The crescent was extremely thin and made up of four colors. Gray, orange, red, and black. Although the crescent was thin, Ying Xiong did not underestimate it. He used all of his effort to make the bell surrounding him stronger. As the attack got closer, the space around it began to shake. It was the most powerful attack showcased in the tournament so far. Yao Mun had used two body parts in order to form it. His leg to form the sword itself and his arm to attack. In less than a second, the attack collided with the bell. The moment they met, a ringing bell sound resounded across the stadium. Yao Mun''s attack cut through the bell, but it was much weaker than before. It could now only display 5% of its previous strength. Despite that, when Ying Xiong was hit by it, the entire left side of his body was cut off. His left arm and leg, as well as his left nipple were separated from his body. The injuries did not stop Ying Xiong from moving. Even his expression did not change from the attack as he jumped in the air. Yao Mun was falling from the sky as a result of the attack. Along with sacrificing two body parts, he had used up all of his Qi in the final attack. When Ying Xiong leaped in the air, he ended up twenty feet away from Yao Mun and a few feet above. Yao Mun could barely even look in Ying Xiongs direction as he fell. Then, Ying Xiong attacked. With only the right side of his body remaining, he put out his right palm and spoke three words. "Thousand buddha''s palm." As soon as he spoke, a thousand phantom buddhas, all equal in size to the one he had used earlier appeared. They were not physical like the other one, and would not interact with the physical plane. The thousand buddha phantoms were not part of an attack, but made as a result of Ying Xiong using the full strength of his divine physique, the "thousand buddha divine physique." The real attack appeared in front of Ying Xiong and shot down towards Yao Mun. At first it seemed like a single, smaller version of Zhou Fans buddha''s palm, but as it moved, phantom-like palms appeared behind it and moved much faster than it, going directly into the main palm. This caused the main palm to become stronger and faster. As the phantom palms moved, it sounded as if a giant laser gun was being powered up. Each palm that entered the main one made such a sound. Just as the main palm was about to hit Yao Mun, the final phantom palm merged with the main body, forming the thousand buddha palm. The palm hit Yao Mun, but Yao Mun had not been idle as it came towards him. Although from the moment that the main palm first appeared to the moment that it reached its final form only half a second had passed, that was more than enough for Yao Mun to react. He did not even need to be hit by the palm to feel its might overwhelming him. "Damn you!" He screamed as his entire body seemed to disappear. In the place that Yao Mun once was, a heart, some organs, and a brain remained. Everything else had been sacrificed. Although Yao Mun would only survive a second in such a state, his attack may be able to kill Ying Xiong in such a time. An explosion came from where Yao Mun was, colliding with the thousand buddha palm. Although the fight between the palm and the explosion lasted only an instant, it was by far the most powerful clash in the tournament. In an instant, both the palm and the explosion disappeared. A second later, Ying Xiong and Yao Mun appeared outside the stage. "Final battle winner! Ying Xiong!" The voice spoke. Claps resounded across the colosseum at the announcement. Although the final attacks canceled each other out, Yao Mun only had a second of life remaining in the end. He died soon after the clash. Although he lost, the power of the last explosion was incredible. It was equal to Ying Xiong''s thousand buddha palm, which was insanely powerful. Even if he was fully healed and detonated his entire body, the explosion may not be much more powerful. By sacrificing the entire middle section of his body and his head, the explosion reached unprecedented degrees. It would only be much more powerful if he sacrificed his brain or heart. He would have done so, but he would have died instantly, ending the fight. Without even glancing at Ying Xiong, Yao Mun got up and silently walked towards the stands. After a minute of celebration between Ying Xiong, his mother, and Zhou Fan, another white door appeared. As everyone entered, they realized they were in a new room. The new room was a long hall with seats on the side and a red carpet going along it. At the end of the hall was Zhou Fan and heaven, standing on a stage. At the other end were all the contestants. In the seats along the side, everyone else sat. "With the final battle ending, the youth galactic assembly is over. As the final part, we will be handing out rewards." Heaven spoke. His voice clearly resounding in everyone''s mind. Everyone was shocked at his words while all the contestants showed joy. With such strong hosts, even the worst reward was sure to be great. "For last place, Guang Fu, ...." After calling all the names of the people who got out in the first round, those whose names were called walked down the hall. It was a minute long walk, but nobody minded. They formed a line below the stage and came up when their names were called. Guang Fu was the last person in the first group to go up. Zhou Fan spoke to him. "For you, Guang Fu, I shall speed up the time required for your meridians to fully reveal themselves." Nobody understood what he meant, but Guang Fu could guess. Zhou Fan pointed at his forehead, and cut the necessary time for his meridians talents to reach completion from ten thousand years to a hundred years. Chapter 279: Reward Ceremony - 279 Chapter 279 - Reward Ceremony - 279 After Guang Fu walked down and the people in last place went to the sides, the next group was called. "Bai Hun, Ao Wen, ..." Four more names were called by Heaven as the four people walked towards the stage. "For Bai Hun, a set of growth armor. As you become stronger, the armor will get stronger with you. This will work until the tenth level of the space shattering realm. Whether you are in humanoid form or phoenix form, it will fit perfectly." Zhou Fan said as he handed Bai Hun a spatial ring. Bai Hun thanked him and walked down from the stage. "For Ao Wen, a special dragon breath technique." Zhou Fan spoke as he handed Ao Wen a book. Ao Wen thanked him and walked back down. Two more people also received awards before they went to the side and the next group was called. "Hong Yen and Lernean." Heaven spoke. They walked down the hall and arrived below the stage. "For Hong Yen, the crown of excellence. When wearing this, you will naturally give off an air of superiority. It is also covered with defense arrays that will act when your life is threatened." Zhou Fan said as he handed Hong Yen a crown. Hong Yen thanked him and walked down. "For Lernean, a unique technique designed specifically for you that will allow you to temporarily merge your nine heads and release a breath combining their power." Zhou Fan said as he handed Lernean the technique. Lernean thanked him and walked down the stage. After Lernean and Hong Yun walked to the side, the 2nd place competitor was called. "Yao Mun." Heaven spoke. Yao Mun walked down the hall, receiving applause from only those of the demonic path. "For Yao Mun, you shall receive a technique that allows you to regrow parts of your soul." Zhou Fan said. Hearing him, everyone in the hall had their eyes widened. Healing the soul was something incredibly hard. Even a lesser dao creation realm cultivator would struggle to heal a nascent soul realm cultivator''s soul. The soul was extremely deep and profound. What they did not know was its true value to Yao Mun. Although Yao Mun had the ability to sacrifice his soul for an attack, he had never done so before. That was simply because he had no way to regrow or heal the soul. Each bit of soul cut off would cause detrimental damage. Even if it was just the fingertips of the soul it would nearly kill someone from the pain or the effects. Pain was no problem to Yao Mun, but he was not willing to permanently injure himself or even die for an attack unless he was going to die anyway. Even in the arena, he dared not to sacrifice his soul in fear that Zhou Fan would be unable to heal it. Unfortunately, it seemed he was worried for nothing. The soul''s sacrificial value was much higher than the body''s. Sacrificing the right arm of his soul would be the equivalent of sacrificing all of his limbs. Yao Mun thanked Zhou Fan and walked down the stage. Even he could not help but regard Zhou Fan as a superior. "Finally, Ying Xiong, the champion." Heaven said. Ying Xiong walked down the hall towards the stage. He did not have to wait below it and immediately walked up. "For you." Zhou Fan began. "The Buddha''s teachings." Ying Xiong looked confused as he looked at the book in Zhou Fan''s hands. Zhou Fan naturally explained. "The name Buddha should sound familiar to you. He is the very basis upon which Buddhist Qi exists. Your Buddha phantoms all look different, yet none look like the one and only Buddha." Zhou Fan explained. "Even as a mortal in a world of mortals, he had understood the world like nobody else. He was the one who taught me the mortal dao despite not truly knowing of its existence. Each sentence in this book was spoken by him and has immeasurable value. Whether you want to keep it to yourself or follow the Buddha''s ways and teach others is up to you." Zhou Fan finished. Ying Xiong, along with everybody else was surprised and stunned, but Zhou Fan got Ying Xiong off the stage and spoke for the final time. "This marks the end of the Youth galactic assembly." He said as a blue light shone below everyone. "When you are teleported away, everyone''s identity will seem fuzzy and you will be unable to remember them clearly. In this way, those who wish to remain unknown will remain unknown." Zhou Fan said as the light intensified. "May all of you have a good life. Goodbye." Zhou Fan said as everyone disappeared, leaving him and Heaven in the hall alone. "What did you think?" Zhou Fan asked Heaven. "My idea was pretty good." Heaven said with a smug look. "But your addition made it many times better." He added. "At least you recognize my superiority." Zhou Fan said as he laughed and disappeared. Heaven was left alone in the hall as he went around and cleaned up the messes made, bringing the three rooms to their perfect state. After he finished cleaning Yao Mun''s table, he developed a grudge. Back on earth, Ying Xiong sat in his room with a book in his hands. He read the title, "The Buddha''s Words". Then, he decided to flip to a random page. He ended up on page 73 and saw some words and a poem. Sitting on his bed, he read it. "A respectable and honorable man, firm in will and clear of evil, saw the Buddha''s greatness and asked the blessed one a question. "Under whom have you gone forth, friend. Who is your teacher?" The Blessed one replied in stanzas "I am the one who has transcended all, a knower of all, unsullied among all things, renouncing all, by craving''s ceasing freed. Having known this all for myself, to whom should I point as teacher? I have no teacher, and no one like me exists in all the world with all its kings and emperors because I have no person for my counterpart. For I am the arahant in the world, I am the teacher supreme, I alone am the perfectly enlightened one, whose fire''s are quenched and extinguished. I go now to the empire of mortaniel, to set in motion the wheel of the Dharma, in a world that has become blind, I go to beat the drum of the deathless" The man replied, "By your claims, you ought to be the universal victor" "The victors are those like me, who have won the destruction of taints, I have vanquished all evil states, therefore, friend, I am a victor" Chapter 280: Rules of War - 280 Chapter 280 - Rules of War - 280 While Ying Xiong and the other contestants were enjoying their rewards, Zhou Fan headed back to his shack on the edge of the galaxy. He had only briefly come out due to his interest in Heaven''s idea. The most important matter was still to speed up his own cultivation. He had made some progress, but he was still very far away from having any major results. What he was doing was comprehending cultivation. The river of cultivation was the result of his comprehension so far, but he needed to go much further for more results. From what he understood, cultivation was similar to how living beings can breathe or exercise. It''s a natural part of the universe. However, it is much harder to use and understand than other parts. Before Zhou Fan had interefered and changed the Chaos Qi into the other Qi''s, it was simply impossible to cultivate. Even if there was someone who had understood how to cultivate and tried, they would have instantly died, their bodies turning to mush or disappearing entirely. Only one with an affinity towards Chaos Qi, as well as a Chaos divine physique would be able to truly begin cultivating before Zhou Fan. Naturally, there had never been someone like that. Even in all of the universe, which now held more than a million times more life in a year than earth did in its history before Zhou Fans birth, had not had a single person born with an affinity to Chaos Qi. And if they did, they would instantly die when cultivating without the corresponding Chaos physique. Zhou Fan''s comprehension of cultivation had always been going up, but the concept was much more profound and in depth than anything else he had ever made contact with. If the concept of space and time were to be considered as deep as a river, and the concept of Chaos was to be considered as deep as the ocean, then the concept of cultivation was deeper than an entire planet made out of water. Despite its extreme depth, Zhou Fan was getting closer to the bottom. He quickly began focusing on his task as the outside universe continued to function. Soon, ten years passed. Yao Mun turned 35, Guang Fu turned 31, and both Ying Xiong and Lernean turned 23. Each of their cultivation levels had slightly increased. Yao Mun and Guang Fu reached the 3rd level of the nascent soul realm, while Lernean and Ying Xiong reached the 2nd level of the nascent soul realm. Not a single one of them was doing anything but cultivating in seclusion and using their rewards from the Youth galactic assembly. Ying Xiong had read the book Zhou Fan had given to him multiple times, and had already decided to spread it across the human race. In the last ten years, multiple groups were formed, calling themselves buddhists, that adhered to the buddha''s teachings and followed his way of life. Most of them slept outside and meditated under trees, only not doing those when eating, teaching others, or using the restroom. They meditated normally, while also cultivating a lot. It seemed that, in a certain amount of time, the human race would have an entire percentage of it following the buddhist ways. Lernean and Yao Mun were practicing their techniques, while Guang Fu gleefully watched his talent go up. Soon, twenty years passed. Everyone''s age increased by twenty years while their cultivation went up a single level. In a mortal world, they would all be considered middle aged men, while Yao Mun could even be called old. While they continued growing older and stronger, the tension between heavenborns and the beast world continued to rise. Although the supreme beasts had backed off due to Lernean, the Beasts and Heavenborns were still technically competitors. As five days passed, Tian Ren and Bi Chong met on top of the mountain from long ago. They had come with two of their most trusted aides. As they met in the middle, arguments broke out. Populations had been increasing, especially for the beasts, and everyone wanted more land. They had negotiated before, and had usually come to agreements, but this time was different. Even after five entire days of arguing, there was no compromise. "Fine. War it is." Bi Chong said as he turned around and flew off with his aides. "Good. Let''s see just how strong you think you''ve become." Tian Ren snorted as he too left. In the next few days, the lives on all planets were shaken by the declarations of war. For the first time in a long time, armies formed and marched out. Borders were guarded more tightly than ever as letters went out to many, calling for strong youths to join. Neither Bi Chong nor Tian Ren were fools. They were not going to fight a ridiculous war that destroyed large amounts of resources. Instead, they opted for an organized war that seemed more like a competition. A fourth of the remaining unclaimed territory of the world would be split into 1000 squares. Those squares, on the agreement between both sides, would be categorized as fight zones for people of different cultivations and groups/individuals. 100 squares would be for groups, while 900 would be for 1 on 1 fights. Of the 1 on 1 zones, 50 would be for core formation cultivators, 500 for nascent soul, 250 for soul formation, 98 for void traversing, and 2 for space shattering cultivators. As part of the war agreement, neither Tian Ren nor Bi Chong would fight in zones. Of the group battle zones, 5 would be for core formation, 50 for nascent soul, 25 for soul formation, and 20 for void traversing, although there weren''t that many void traversing cultivators. In the beginning, both sides would equally split the territories, but when the war started, cultivators could attack squares to claim for their side. When battles started, a great barrier would arise that would protect each 1 on 1 fight from interference. Only space shattering cultivators would be able to break the barrier, but there wasn''t anyone stupid enough to do that. These would be the basic rules until all hell broke loose at least. Chapter 281: War Begins - 281 Chapter 281 - War Begins - 281 Over the next few days, many different beings on the side of the Heaven world received letters requesting their assistance. There were famous cultivators, up and coming geniuses, and hidden old men. Even beasts and supreme beasts in the Heaven world were called to action. On the side of the beast world, only beasts were involved. The supreme beasts and the beasts had never once seen eye to eye. Despite the disadvantage in terms of numbers of races, there were many more strong fighters in the beast world. While Heavenborns dominated the Heaven world and the Heaven worlds territories, many different species of beasts dominated many different areas. The most important and powerful places were usually under the rule of Bi Chong, but there were many places only slightly less powerful than the cities with one species ruling. Along with the much higher reproduction of the beasts, the Heaven world was highly outnumbered. Luckily, the rules of war slightly alleviated that concern, but more beings meant higher chances of talents. In the next few days, camps were established on the edge of the Heaven worlds and the beast worlds territories. Both sides created a single, huge camp at their respective edges. Then, Bi Chong and Tian Ren met to discuss the allocation of squares. They kept the 500 squares closest to them at the beginning. After a few minutes of arguments, they agreed over the placement of different level zones. The group battle zones would mostly be on the outermost squares. In the middle sections, individual zones would rule. Both Bi Chong and Tian Ren went to their camps. Then, the official announcement of the war, along with a wall of rules placed in the camps, were set out. The war would last a thousand years. At the end of that time period, the war would end and the squares held would be considered the world''s territory. The war started in ten days. Over those ten days, more and more known faces appeared. There were an equal amount of equally powerful unknown people. "Is that flame lord Nu Hen? I heard he once killed three people on the same level at the same time." One person pointed out as a man in red robes flew into the camp. "What about the old man beside him? He seems familiar, but I can''t give a name." One asked. "You fool. That is flame lord Nu Hen''s father in law. In his youth, he shined just as bright as flame lord Nu Hen." An old man scolded. Among the new arrivals, a relatively unknown person by the name of Guang Fu appeared. No commotion broke out when he arrived, nor did anyone specifically point him out. Although he moved around a lot, he mostly spent his time helping out mortals. Although he became known among mortals as a result, very few cultivators ever interacted with mortals. Those who did were lowly Qi gathering cultivators. Guang Fu did not mind at all. He quietly sat down in a chair and watched as more famed people arrived. He also occasionally took glances at Tian Ren. Although Tian Ren may not remember him due to Zhou Fan''s memory blurring technique, he could clearly remember Tian Ren. Of course, he had always known Tian Ren, the sect master of the Heaven Sect and the first Heavenborn. Guang Fu did not know that he had been spotted by both Heaven and Tian Ren long ago. Tian Ren occasionally glanced over with his divine sense. He felt a sense of familiarity from Guang Fu, but after being unable to place it, he just assumed it was because he had been keeping tabs on him. On the eighth day before the war, a presence much greater than those before her appeared. "Is that the wife of Tian Ren?! Even she is participating in this war?!" A man yelped out in shock. Tian Ren''s wife had always been out of public sight due to her own enjoyment of peace, but she was literally the mother of all heavenborns. It was impossible to not know her as much as it was impossible to not know Tian Ren, the father of all heavenborns. Tian Ren''s wife warmly smiled at her descendants as she flew over to Tian Ren and stood by his side. She had reached the 3rd level of the space shattering realm and was a valuable asset in the war. Although many more famed people arrived, none compared to Tian Ren''s wife. The 10 days soon passed as the first people were called to war. Although there were many many powerful cultivators that had arrived, only those just below the most powerful per realm were sent out in the first wave. Those that were the most powerful in their realm would be trump cards. Although there were many in the realms leading up to the soul formation realm, the number of void traversing and space shattering realm cultivators were very limited on both sides. On the heaven worlds side, they had 100 void traversing cultivators, which was surprisingly good, and 7 space shattering cultivators, Tian Ren, his wife, and 5 more. On the beast worlds side, they had 500 void traversing cultivators and 20 space shattering cultivators. Their numbers were overwhelming. Although only half of the 98 void traversing realm squares in total were defended on each side, both of the sides'' single space shattering realm square was defended. These squares were important, but all of the current focus was on the nascent soul realm squares. Guang Fu did not go yet. He was assigned an offensive role. As both sides'' defense got settled in, the first waves of offense were released. The group battle areas were quickly filled with fighting. They each had a certain number of people allowed, but anyone could join at any time. Most of the cultivators were stationed there. Only the talents or those extremely powerful in their realm remained near the individual squares. One or two people at a time were sent forward to go attack. Eventually, Guang Fu received an order and moved out. Chapter 282: Guang Fu鈥檚 Attack and Defense - 282 Chapter 282 - Guang Fu''s Attack and Defense - 282 Guang Fu moved forward and arrived at a teleportation array. The planet was so big that traveling it as a nascent soul realm cultivator was nearly impossible. Luckily, Tian Ren and Bi Chong had set up teleportation arrays every few thousands of miles for easier travel. While the squares on the map were huge, the actual place where combat took place was less than a thousandth of the squares size. Guang Fu went through one teleportation array, arriving at the combat zone of one of the nearest squares. He ran through it, giving and receiving a wave from the defender, before reaching another teleportation array. He ran through yet another square, greeting another defender, before reaching another teleportation array. After repeating the process 2 more times, he arrived at an enemy square. Guang Fu stopped running along the side of the combat zone and ran towards the middle. There, he saw a beast laying on the ground. When Guang Fu entered its vision, the beast stood up. It was a large lion with traces of dirt and some slight brown on its body. It was at the 6th level of the nascent soul realm. Zones were not only divided by realm, but there were also three sublevels. The first was from the 1st level to the 3rd level. The second was from the 4th level to the 6th level. The last was from the 7th level to the 10th level. This was to add more fairness to the war and was agreed upon by both sides. The lion beast looked at Guang Fu with pride, and when it saw his cultivation level, arrogance. Once the moving Guang Fu reached the point ten thousand feet away from the lion, a circular dome barrier appeared and covered the surroundings. Guang Fu did not stop moving and soon, the lion began to move as well. Very quickly they were within a hundred feet of each other. ROAR! Seeing Guang Fu get closer, the lion roared out loud as earth spikes pierced the ground and moved towards Guang Fu. Guang Fu did not stop moving as a sphere of water appeared around him. When the earth spikes hit the water sphere, they immediately turned to mud and crumbled. The lion jumped back in surprise and formed a wall of earth Qi in front of him. Guang Fu did not stop moving as a light spear appeared in his hand. HUAHH! He stopped moving and used the momentum to throw the light spear with all of his might, letting out a small grunt of effort. The light spear moved extremely fast and pierced the earth wall. Without stopping, it continued forward and pierced the unexpecting lion. The lion was hit in its side and was moved back, only stopping when it hit a large wall of rock. The lion shortly hung there from the light spear until the light spear dissipated and the lion fell to the ground. Guang Fu did not stop or hesitate as an earth spike came out of the ground and pierced the lion''s head. Soon after the lion died, the barrier disappeared and Guang Fu sat in the middle of the combat zone awaiting orders. ''Just as expected.'' He said to himself. As someone able to participate in the youth galactic assembly, he was naturally much more powerful than any youth of his level. It would take a talented person at the tenth level of the nascent soul realm to defeat him. As Guang Fu waited for orders, he cultivated. Unlike Zhou Fan, even a day of cultivation had some use. It would only take him 20 years to breakthrough, ignoring his previous accumulation. A day after he started cultivating, he felt the talisman in his pocket move and took it out. "Guang Fu. I repeat. Guang Fu, are you there?" A mechanical voice asked. "I am here." Guang Fu responded. "You have been directed to defend the square you are in. I repeat. You have been directed to defend the square you are in. Do you copy?" The mechanical voice asked. "Defend my square. Understood." Guang Fu said. Hearing his words, the talisman shut off and Guang Fu put it back in his pocket. He continued to cultivate as he waited for a challenger. This was a thousand year war, so it was expected to last a long time. It was possible that nobody would attack him for an entire year. A week later, the barrier formed as a challenger stood across from Guang Fu. This challegener was a lion with dirt on it, similar to the one before. "Guang Fu! You have killed my little brother! Today, I shall avenge him!" The similar looking lion yelled. Like the one before, he was at the 6th level of the nascent soul realm. Roar! The lion roared out as he ran, summoning earth Qi and water Qi. Then, a wave of mud formed as it rushed towards Guang Fu. Guang Fu jumped in the air and went over the wave, but was greeted by multiple spears of water and earth Qi. He formed a barrier of earth Qi around him that perfectly blocked the attacks. Although he was lower in level and was using a single element, his talent was much above the lions. He could put in half the effort and get double the effect. When the water and earth Qi spears were blocked, the enraged lion seemed to understand why his brother had died. He nearly admitted defeat, which would have caused him to be allowed to leave the barrier and retreat, but his brother was killed by the man in front of him. Roar! He angrily roared once again as many more water Qi and earth Qi spears appeared, shooting at the approaching Guang Fu. Sadly, the lion over estimated himself. Before he could react, a tiny dagger of light Qi pierced through his forehead, killing him instantly. The attacks moving towards Guang Fu fell apart in mid air and he was met with a residual wind from their dissipated force. Without much emotion, Guang Fu went back to the center of the battle zone and began cultivating. Chapter 283: Contribution Points - 283 Chapter 283 - Contribution Points - 283 As Zhou Fan''s favorite proverb goes, defeat the son, comes the siblings, defeat the siblings, comes the parents, defeat the parents, comes the grandparents, defeat the grandparents, comes the ancestor, defeat the ancestor, comes a god. Luckily for Guang Fu, this was a competition with strict rules. Although the elder of the lion race was furious, there was nothing he could do. The two brothers from before were the only ones in the family that had a cultivation between nascent soul 4 and nascent soul 6. The elder had thought about lowering their fathers cultivation realm, a very painful and statistically improbable procedure, but he soon gave it up. As a wise old man, even enraged, he decided to cut his losses for now. Back in the zone Guang Fu was in, a year passed. In that year, only a single opponent came for Guang Fu. It was some deer race member, but she fell quicker than the first two. After three defeats, the beast race temporarily held off on Guang Fu''s square. They had 999 more years to worry about it. As the time came and exactly a year had passed from the time when Guang Fu first arrived, he felt his talisman shaking. "Guang Fu. I repeat. Guang Fu, are you there?" "Here." Guang Fu replied. "A year has passed. I repeat. A year has passed. You will be relieved of your duty and get a month off of defending before coming back. Your replacement will arrive shortly. Take care." The mechanical voice spoke before shutting off. Guang Fu put the talisman back as he waited with expectations. Naturally, nobody expected to fight in a war risking their lives for free. Every time you successfully attacked or defended a square, you would receive contribution points. In the current stage of war, which was quite lax, one would be recalled once a year in order to use their contribution points or simply relax. In order to make it more fair, the stronger you and your opponents were, the more contribution points gained for defeating them. After waiting for three hours, Guang Fu saw a heavenborn coming from the distance. Guang Fu got up and rushed over to him. After a brief and unimportant conversation, Guang Fu went to the teleportation array that his replacement came from and entered it. He traveled across many battle zones until he finally reached the Heaven world''s base of operations. As he entered, the place seemed much more desolate and happier than before. While there were fewer people, those that were at the base were mostly those like Guang Fu who had come back and were ready to spend their contribution points. After walking around the gigantic base that could be called a city, Guang Fu found the city center. There were no benches or wildlife, just a tall white wall with many black words moving and changing. At the top in a large font were the words, "Contribution Wall". The first name, ranked number one, was Tian Ren''s wife. She had only fought a single battle so far, but she managed to kill a 1st level space shattering realm cultivator. She was in front by a large gap. After some looking around, Guang Fu found his name at the 558th rank. He had 1,617 contribution points. 500 were from each of his enemies, while the other 117 were from staying stationed there. Enemies from the 4th level of the nascent soul realm to the 6th level were defined as Nascent soul tier 2 enemies. They gave 500 points each. Guang Fu saw his points and nodded. Neither too much nor too little. It was a fair amount. Guang Fu walked out of the city center and entered a long and wide street with hundreds of shops on each side. While the earlier area seemed empty and desolate, this place was so packed that everyone was nearly touching shoulders. This was the exchange area for contribution points. It worked similar to a large market, but contribution points were the only currency accepted. Just about everything could be traded here. From great tasting foods to good weapons. Spirit stones could also be exchanged for contribution points, but that was something only an idiot would do. The things in the exchange area were much cheaper than normal considering the spirit stone exchange rate. Guang Fu wandered around the exchange area, looking for things that caught his attention. He didn''t have anything specific in mind. He directly looked over brothels and other such immoral things. After wandering for a while, he saw a narrow and dark alleyway. It was barely wide enough for two people to walk shoulder to shoulder in. Guang Fu, being a curious person, entered the dark alley and walked into it. After a while, he saw an old man sitting on a carpet at the end of the alley. "Hello young man, would you like to buy any of my wares?" The old man asked with a smile. He had a few missing teeth. Guang Fu looked at the carpet and saw nothing but mediocre and even rusty goods. He wanted to turn around, but he felt pity for the old man. He did not know why, it was just his nature. "Fine, give me that." Guang Fu said as he pointed at a random object without looking. "That would be ten contribution points." The old man replied. Guang Fu gritted his teeth, paid the man, took his item, and speed walked away as he mourned the waste of ten contribution points. He put the item in his pocket without even glancing at it. He spent a few more hours walking around before buying a good spatial ring for a thousand contribution points. After buying a good meal for 10 contribution points, he slept at one of the free hotels. After waking up, he finally took a look at the item he bought from the old man. It was a rusty old emblem in the shape of a small shield. Guang Fu sighed and turned it around. There, he saw a metal point. Guang Fu figured it was meant to be put on a shirt, but he naturally didn''t wear it. Just as he was putting it away, he carelessly touched the point and it pierced his skin, drawing blood. Chapter 284: Unknown Emblem - 284 Chapter 284 - Unknown Emblem - 284 Guang Fu flinched from the sudden prick and dropped the emblem on the ground. After a moment, he realized in shock that the emblem had pierced him. Somehow, a trashy piece of rusted metal managed to pierce the skin of a nascent soul realm cultivator. Such a thing was hard to believe. Guang Fu glanced at the emblem on the ground and saw that it seemed to be vibrating. As it vibrated, rust started to fall from it onto the floor. At first, the emblem was vibrating so softly that it was barely detectable, but after a few seconds, it began making a noise. Guang Fu watched quietly as the emblem continued to vibrate for an entire minute before a light could be seen coming out of an area where a piece of rust fell off. The light was soon on other areas as the final bits of rust fell off of the emblem. The light stopped shining and a completely different looking emblem was revealed. It was completely gold with bits of red in the shield''s center. Guang Fu cautiously picked the emblem up off the ground. As he touched it, he felt the power coming off of it. It was no normal emblem. Guang Fu felt that, at the very least, it was at the void traversing realm. Without much hesitation and with much excitement, Guang Fu ran outside of the hotel and came to a large facility. In order to stop cultivators from going away during the war, the people who set up the city sized camp added just about everything anyone could want. Among those was a training facility. Each use of it only cost 10 spirit stones. Such an amount was pocket change for any core formation cultivator. Guang Fu entered a private room and sat in the middle with the shield emblem. Despite his attempts, even after a day passed he had no idea how to use it. Eventually, Guang Fu gave up and went back to the hotel room. He spent the rest of his break time attempting to figure out how the emblem worked, but was unsuccessful. As the time passed, he felt the talisman in his spatial ring moving and took it out. "Guang Fu. I repeat. Guang Fu, are you there?" "I am here." Guang Fu responded. "Break time is over. I repeat. Break time is over. Head back to your square." The mechanical voice said. "On my way." Guang Fu said as he put the talisman into his spatial ring and moved out. As he ran, he took the emblem out and pinned it on his chest. In just a few hours, he arrived at the teleportation array that led to his square. As he stepped in, he was teleported away. When Guang Fu opened his eyes, he was shocked and surprised to see a dome barrier not too far from him. ''The square is under attack!'' He thought to himself before taking out his talisman and reporting his finding. "Stay calm soldier. In the case that he wins, nothing will change. If he loses, immediately retreat without giving the enemy a chance to spot you. Good luck." The mechanical voice spoke in a tone stricter than usual. Guang Fu nodded and waited outside of the barrier. The barrier was white and impossible to see through. Guang Fu could only patiently wait as the battle inside raged on. After an entire hour of waiting, the barrier disappeared. Looking inside, Guang Fu was upset to see an injured crane standing over the corpse of his replacement. Guang Fu was about to retreat, but he suddenly stopped. The reason he was told to retreat was because the replacement had been at the 8th level of the nascent soul realm. The zone was for nascent soul realm cultivators, but it did not differentiate between the three tiers. The tiers only stopped someone from a higher tier from attacking someone from a lower tier. Naturally, the coordinators did not believe that Guang Fu had the ability to defeat someone a tier above him. He was only regarded as a high tier talent. Not quite a top tier talent. Tian Ren did not let them know much and Guang Fu had not displayed much. Seeing such a heavily injured opponent that was only at the 9th level of the nascent soul realm, Guang Fu was tempted to go in. ''With my talent, it will be a quick and easy battle.'' He said, convincing himself. After just a moment of hesitation, Guang Fu jumped in the battle zone and a barrier appeared. The opponent looked up at him and sneered when seeing Guang Fu. Guang Fu did not waste any time and launched an attack at the crane. He covered himself with light Qi and created a sword of light Qi before shooting towards the crane. His attack would be able to cause trouble to even an uninjured 8th level nascent soul realm cultivator, much less a severely injured 9th level nascent soul realm cultivator. The opposing crane had bloody streaks on its body, likely from a sword. It was panting heavily but calmly watching Guang Fu. Guang Fu did not think anything of it. All cultivators were arrogant towards those of a lower level or realm. It would be weirder if the crane wasn''t arrogant. Guang Fu reached the crane and jumped in the air. His sword was just about to reach the crane''s head, but the crane suddenly launched to the side at an extremely fast speed. Out of the corner of his eye, Guang Fu saw the crane. It was standing tall with no injuries on its body. ''An illusion! It''s a trap!'' Guang Fu thought to himself as his sword continued to fall on the empty space. Guang Fu hurriedly stopped his sword and swung upwards, but the crane was faster. It dashed next to him and moved its wing covered in wind Qi. Without a doubt, Guang Fu would be pierced by the full force attack of a level 9 nascent soul realm cultivator. Chapter 285: Stationed Indefinitely - 285 Chapter 285 - Stationed Indefinitely - 285 Guang Fu watched in horror as the wing got closer and closer. He instinctively closed his eyes, not willing to watch his death happen before his own eyes. After some internal conflict, Guang Fu''s eyes opened again. He decided to die brave and courageous instead of acting like a coward. Guang Fu watched the wing reach within a few inches of him. Suddenly, the shield emblem on his chest began to glow. Then, a golden barrier appeared around Guang Fu, stopping the wing in its tracks. Guang Fu''s mind raced as the crane stood shocked. In less than a second, Guang Fu''s slash cut the crane''s head off. Its head flew far away and landed on the ground, its eyes still opened wide. Guang Fu fell on the ground and sat there. He too was shocked by the development. He hurriedly took the shield emblem off of his chest and looked at it. It was similar to before, but the gold on it was more dim. Guang Fu spent the rest of the day staring at it. After a day had passed, the gold was looking the same as before. This proved a few conjunctions that Guang Fu had made in the last day. First, the shield emblem was very likely a special defensive weapon. From its brief performance earlier, it seemed to at least be of the void traversing realm. Second, it seemed to automatically activate when its user, or Guang Fu, was about to die. Third, it seemed to have the ability to recharge. If Guang Fu guessed right, the emblem was something that could be used a few times in a day before it stopped working. After a day, it would recharge. Guang Fu couldn''t help but be amazed at his luck. The providence he had been given by Zhou Fan was showing its effect. An item owned by a poor beggar and sold for cheap actually turned out to be a defensive weapon that would be expensive anywhere in the world. Guang Fu had gone out searching for silver and found diamond! As the day ended, Guang Fu regained his composure and reported his situation to the talisman. After a few "Are you insane"s and some "Who do you think you are"s, Guang Fu was given the order to stay put as previously planned. Naturally, the events were reported to higher ups. Most of the information was concealed by Guang Fu, only mentioning that he took down an injured cultivator a tier above him. Luckily, he was barely punished. Instead of giving him contribution points for killing a third tier nascent soul realm cultivator, he was given the contribution points for killing a second tier nascent soul realm cultivator. Despite the punishment, he was given compliments by the higher ups. After taking his replacement''s body to the teleportation array and having it collected, Guang Fu waited in his location for 6 months. Only after 6 months did a new challenger walk into the square. As the barrier formed, he spoke. "I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is, if you win this, you will be left alone for quite some time. The bad news is, I am one of the strongest talents of the beast world." The one speaking was a large hippo twenty feet tall. He was purple and fat. He was at the 6th level of the nascent soul realm, two levels above Guang Fu. Despite his declarations, Guang Fu smiled. He had a trump card that guaranteed his victory. Without allowing the hippo to speak further, Guang Fu got up and ran towards him recklessly. The hippo was surprised, but laughed and charged forward. Guang Fu formed a sword of light Qi using all of his power without even caring about defense. "Fool!" The hippo said as a water needle came out of its mouth, shooting toward Guang Fu at an incredible speed. Guang Fu laughed and got closer before swinging down. As he swung down, the water needle hit him, or rather the golden barrier that appeared, and bounced off. The hippo''s eyes widened as a wave of light Qi hit the hippo full force, knocking it back into a tree. Despite its great size and incredible defense, it was on the verge of death. Guang Fu did not waste time as a large landslide earth Qi crushed the hippo to death. The barrier fell down and Guang Fu was declared the victor. He took the hippo''s corpse and roasted it over a fire. Luckily, the hippo was dead and its defense had fallen greatly. Otherwise, Guang Fu with no fire affinity and no experience in using or practicing fire techniques wouldn''t have been able to enjoy the meal. Guang Fu reported his victory to the talisman which had previously received word of the hippo''s challenge. "Congrats on the victory. The hippo was one of the great talents of the beast world. As previously shown on the wall, you will get rewards equal to that from killing a 3rd tier nascent soul realm cultivator." The talisman informed him. Guang Fu nodded as he calculated his points. Ignoring the points from simply staying stationed, he now had 2,097 contribution points. When his break time was up and he went back, he would be able to lavishly enjoy his time. As six months passed and Guang Fu was waiting for a notice from the talisman, he received new orders. "Due to the beast world deciding to leave the square guarded by you alone, it has been requested that you keep your post. In order to compensate you, we will triple the contribution points gained from staying. Along with that, we have given a heavenborn the job of buying items for you and bringing them to you. He will be available once a year and will arrive soon. Apologies and good luck." The mechanical voice said. Guang Fu wasn''t sure what to think. On one hand, he got more contribution points and a personal shopper. On the other hand, he was forced to stay in a constant state of battle readiness. Eventually, Guang Fu sighed and waited for his personal shopper to arrive. Chapter 286: Personal Shopper Yuo - 286 Chapter 286 - Personal Shopper Yuo - 286 After waiting for another hour, Guang Fu saw a figure appear on the teleportation array. He carried with him a large book the size of his chest. Seeing Guang Fu, the shopper walked over and introduced himself. "My name is Yuo. Nice to meet you Mr.Guang Fu." The shopper said. "Hello Yuo. Nice to meet you." Guang Fu responded. Without wasting any time, Yuo took the book and placed it on the ground. "There are some more convenient ways of transmitting the information, but I prefer to go by the classic way. In this book is a list of every single item that can possibly be bought with contribution points. It is quite a lot, but you should have no issue memorizing it." Yuo said. "Alright." Guang Fu responded as he flipped over the cover and looked at the first page. The first page was filled to the brim with items, prices, and descriptions. The text was so small that a mortal would need a magnifying glass to read it. Guang Fu quickly read over the page and saw a bunch of low level items that he had no use for, along with spirit stones. In total, the book had 4,000 pages. It took Guang Fu nearly an hour to read and memorize everything. There were thousands of items he could not afford or even use, and tens of thousands of items he would not use. Luckily, there were plenty he could find a use for. For example, on a page regarding core formation items, there was an item called the automatic house creator. It was a one time use item that, when injected with Qi, would form a house. It came with furniture, but nothing too fancy. Guang Fu thought for a while and realized that he would be staying a while. He decided to buy the automatic house for a hundred contribution points. After that, he bought a couple of snacks, all adding up to twenty contribution points, and some expensive clothes with formations on them for a thousand contribution points. The formations would activate a defense in times of peril. While Guang Fu had the emblem, there was no problem with being too cautious. Also, in the case that he was ever seen using the emblem, he may be able to claim the clothes did it. Guang Fu spent 1,120 contribution points, bringing his total to 1,050 due to the contribution points received from staying stationed. After telling Yuo his choices, Yuo wrote them down and left, saying that he would return in around a week with Guang Fu''s items. In the meantime, Guang Fu cultivated. After a week and one day, Yuo returned with Guang Fu''s items. He handed them to Guang Fu and left quickly. Guang Fu looked at his items one at a time. He put the snacks he had bought in his spatial ring and looked at the clothes he bought. He had bought a shirt and pants. The shirt was similar to a vest and opened up in the middle. It could be clipped together with buttons as if it was a jacket. It was red and yellow. There was a design of a golden dragon coiling upwards and a silk red background. There were also dragons going down the sleeves. It was a very elegantly made shirt. The pants were a plain white color with no design. It was very simple, but it matched the shirt and his blonde hair. Next, Guang Fu turned his attention to the automatic house. In its current state, it looked like a square block of wood. Guang Fu could have looked deeper into it to see how it was made, but he did not care. He inputted his Qi into the block of wood and backed away, waiting for the show. The first thing that happened was the block of wood expanded in size. At first, it could fit in a normal person''s palm, although it was quite heavy. Now, it was as tall as Guang Fu and its width was equal. Next, it turned into a vertical rectangle with a piece of wood going upwards. Then, two more rectangles extended out of the sides of the cube. Then, the wood expanded again, growing thrice as big. Afterwards, the wood extended backwards. Then, from the vertical rectangle, two more cubes burst from the side. Finally, windows and a door appeared. The house in front of Guang Fu could only be described as a mansion. Disregarding its outside size, Guang Fu walked inside and saw a completely unexpected scene. Unlike the outside, which was completely wood, the inside of the house looked no different from a normal house. There were white walls, a living room, many other rooms, and a master bedroom. The master bedroom was the only room on the top floor and had a balcony. Guang Fu entered and saw that, like the rest of the house, it was completely furnished. There was a large bed and a dresser, along with windows and curtains. Although Guang Fu did not mind it, he didn''t pay too much attention to the details. After wandering around, he figured that the best place to cultivate would be the balcony. Guang Fu walked onto it and sat down before beginning to cultivate. Time passed and seasons changed as Guang Fu remained on the balcony. As expected, he was left alone by the beast world. While the amount of time he would be left alone was unknown, Guang Fu knew that he should at least have ten or so years. A year soon passed and the personal shopper came back again. He walked up to Guang Fu''s house, but Guang Fu did not want or need anything this time. "Go back. I do not need anything right now." Guang Fu said to the man below. "Alright." Yuo Responded. "Have a good year." Yuo then ran back to the teleportation array and disappeared. Guang Fu took out some snacks and had a bite before going back to cultivation. Chapter 287: Yao Mun鈥檚 Playground - 287 Chapter 287 - Yao Mun''s Playground - 287 As Guang Fu continuously cultivated, 5 years passed. Yuo had just come and left when Guang Fu sensed something. He opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the teleportation array that he had never used. Not long after, a figure appeared in it. A giant bearded dragon, 10 feet big and 50 feet long. Guang Fu''s face turned solemn in an instant. He got up and ran to the battle zone in order to defend. As he ran, he analyzed his opponent. ''A bearded dragon. Not quite a dragon, but a relative of the species. Any bearded dragon is powerful, but for the beast world to send this one, he must be above and beyond normal bearded dragons.'' Guang Fu thought. Dragons were considered the number 1 supreme beasts. This was not only in the heaven world and the beast world, but also the Zhou Galaxy. Bearded dragons were one of the beast species closest related to the dragon, along with earth dragons and flood dragons. Earth dragons, flood dragons, and bearded dragons were one step away from being supreme beasts. Supreme beasts were usually much more talented than beasts. Therefore, the bearded dragons, earth dragons, and flood dragons were the most noble beasts in both worlds. While the numbers of the beasts made up for the talent gap between them and supreme beasts, the three sub-dragon races were still considered very important. Guang Fu''s opponent, a bearded dragon at the 6th level of the nascent soul realm, was as worrying to him as a fully healthy beast at the 9th level of the nascent soul realm. He had trouble with the crane due to the trap it had set. In Guang Fu''s mind, there was a high chance of victory against the bearded dragon even without the emblem. With the emblem, victory could be considered guaranteed. Guang Fu had only worried instinctually. By the time he arrived at the combat zone, he was confident as could be. ¡ª----------------------------- At the same time that Guang Fu was sizing up the bearded dragon, Yao Mun was taking care of a fortress deep in a mountain range. In a small hallway made completely of stone blocks, he ran forward unhindered by the hundreds of men in front of him. His black hair had grown long and spiked down to his waist. Due to the hallway''s size, two men at most could come at once. Yao Mun ran down the hallway, cutting everybody in his path down. Blood covered his armored body, his face, and his hair. He ran on the ground, the walls, and the ceiling, instilling terror into the once courageous men in front of him. The blood covering face and his demonic eye helped in that aspect. After cutting around 40 men down, the first one finally cracked. He turned around and scrambled away while shouting. "Somebody stop this demon! He''ll kill us all!" After scrambling past ten men, the retreating warrior''s face was grabbed by a large hand. In an instant, the hand squeezed and his face turned into mush. "Any cowards who retreat will be killed on the spot." A man said, his voice resounding through the hallway. His words gave the men courage as they rushed forward. Yao Mun looked at the man who had spoken. ''One of the three leaders of this fort. The second strongest of them, reaching the 2nd level of the soul formation realm.'' Yao Mun thought. In theory, the man had the right to maintain a courageous look in front of the 4th level nascent soul realm Yao Mun. Unfortunately, reality was not always the same as theorized. As Yao Mun cut down 20 more men, he was met face to face with the courageous leader. Without sparing a second glance, Yao Mun''s left arm disappeared and his sword flickered. In the next second, the courageous leader was cut in half and an explosion destroyed the stone hallway''s wall. The remaining men, seeing one of their three leaders cut down in a single slash, lost their courage immediately and ran. Yao Mun did not stop his actions, catching up to them and killing ten more before the stone hallway ended. Outside of the hallways exit was a large grassland. Yao Mun had just left one of the exits of the fortress. Waiting on the grassland was a gigantic army 10,000 people large. Floating above the standing army were the remaining two leaders of the fortress. They had set an ambush to put an end to Yao Mun. Yao Mun finally stopped moving as he looked over the army. Over the past few years, Yao Mun had finally shown signs of maturation. He was no less insane or crazy, but he was temporarily able to stop and assess a situation before charging in. After a moment, he made a decision. ''I can take them. It will take a while to recover in the worst case, but there is no chance of failure.'' He thought to himself. "Demon. Surrender now and ¡ª-" Before he was able to finish, Yao Mun took a deep breath in and exhaled a sea of flames. It was based off of the dragon''s breath, but was far less powerful. In addition to the technique, Yao Mun used his lesser increase ability to make it stronger by a single level. It was now cooling down, but he didn''t plan on using it for the rest of the battle. Yao Mun launched forward as the flames engulfed a large portion of the battlefield. He ran through the flames, stepping on heads and bodies before coming out of the flames and being greeted by the remaining 5,000 soldiers. They came forward like a tidal wave, but Yao Mun needed to only wave his sword a single time to kill ten, and use a single darkness technique to blind a hundred. He ran through the army unchecked and unstoppable. As the army was reduced by another 500, the two flying above finally realized that nobody but them would be able to do a single thing. As Yao Mun sent out a ring of flames and turned the soldiers near him to ash, both of the remaining leaders fell to the ground, causing the ground to shake. Chapter 288: Join? - 288 Chapter 288 - Join? - 288 Yao Mun was able to sense the two leaders'' cultivations in an instant. ''One at the 1st level of the soul formation realm, and another at the 4th.'' He thought to himself. Without hesitation, his left leg disappeared and his sword flickered, severing the head of the 1st level soul formation cultivator before he could react. The last remaining leader saw this and jumped backwards, attempting to get out of Yao Mun''s attacking range. Yao Mun flipped his sword and held it like a throwing spear, before his right leg disappeared and the sword was launched at the remaining leader. The leader, who was the strongest of the three, saw a shadow and hurriedly moved to the right. Unfortunately, he was too slow. The sword managed to hit his shoulder and completely cut off his arm. The remaining leader almost fell to the ground from the pain, but managed to stand strong and retreat. "Hmph." Yao Mun snorted. He reached out his hand and his sword came flying back to him. He floated as a body with only his right arm, instilling terror into every soldier on the battlefield. His incredible display of power, along with his horrifying appearance, managed to scare away the soldiers. They ran away from him in random directions, fleeing like flies. Yao Mun did not bother with them and looked towards the fleeing leader. He grabbed his sword in a throwing position once again as his left arm suddenly regrew, completely normal. At the same time, Yao Mun''s Qi was fully depleted. In the next instant, Yao Mun''s left arm turned limp. Yao Mun gritted his teeth with a pain filled face, and managed to aim on to the fleeing leader again. He then launched the sword with a power and speed incomparable to before. It was similar to the attack of a 6th level soul formation cultivator. Without being able to dodge, the fleeing leader was pierced in the back as half of his body crumbled. By the time he fell to the ground, he was dead. Seeing his target fall, Yao Mun too fell to the ground. He sat down and observed his left arm. His arm was purple and unmoving no matter how he tried. In order to launch the final attack, Yao Mun had sacrificed the left arm of his soul. As the arm became useless, it wouldn''t have hurt to also sacrifice the arm, but Yao Mun kept it in order to study the effects of a soul sacrifice. He also wanted to get used to the pain. If he had sacrificed the arm, he would have felt a dispersed pain throughout his body. Since he kept the arm, the pain was condensed and was mostly felt in that arm. If he kept doing that, he would gain even more resistance to pain. After a while, Yao Mun stopped gritting his teeth and only closed his eyes as he tried to tolerate the pain. The pain was like no other. Even being skinned alive over a hot fire was not comparable. Nowadays, the most famous torturers were those who knew soul damaging techniques since there was no better form of torture. After a bit longer, Yao Mun decided to stop his pain resistance training and heal his soul''s left arm. Since he had recovered his Qi, he used the technique that Zhou Fan had given him as a reward from the youth galactic assembly. After using up all of his Qi, the soul''s left arm was 2% healed. The healing of the soul was a very tedious and time consuming process. Yao Mun spent a few hours recovering his Qi before repeating the process. After a few days, the soul''s left arm was halfway healed. The pain was also much more manageable. Only now did Yao Mun get up. For safety reasons, he decided to relocate underground until he was healed and could display his strength again. He had long healed the rest of his body. Although others would struggle to regrow a limb, Yao Mun had spent a lot of time taking down fortresses, castles, and base''s in order to find healing techniques. The one he had used to regrow his left arm was a technique made from the combination of hundreds of quick healing techniques. Using many other combined healing techniques, he was able to regrow his two legs without suffering the side effects of instantly regrowing a limb. The side effects weren''t noticeable on his left arm since his left arm''s soul had disappeared causing many side effects that coincidentally coincided with the side effects of the instant healing technique. Yao Mun''s intention for attacking the current fortress, besides the fact that he enjoyed it, was because it was rumored to have the healing technique that Yao Mun was missing. He would pillage the fortress after he was fully healed due to the likelihood of there being powerful traps. As Yao Mun stood up, a presence appeared above him. He instantly retrieved his sword and looked up. Above him was a masked man wearing white robes. "Do no fear, Yao Mun. I have come with an offer." The masked man said. Only two purple eyes were visible behind the white mask. "I''m not interested." Yao Mun stated. "Even if I am offering you one of the three supreme healing techniques of the beast world, as well as a chance to deal a huge blow to the Heavenborns, and as a result, Heaven itself?" The masked man asked. Yao Mun paid more attention as his interest was grabbed. "Speak." Yao Mun said. "You must have heard of the war. In simple terms, I am asking you to join the beast world''s side." The masked man spoke. Yao Mun lowered his head in thought for a moment. After thinking, he agreed. "Deal." Yao Mun said. "Good. Consider this a beginning reward." The masked man said as he threw a book at Yao Mun. "You came to this fortress for this technique, but it was in a different location. I retrieved it for you. If you truly want to cooperate, I expect to see you at the beast world camp sometime in the next ten years." The masked man spoke as he slowly vanished. Yao Mun was left in the bloody field as he looked at the book. Chapter 289: Healing Techniques - 289 Chapter 289 - Healing Techniques - 289 Yao Mun dug into the ground below the battlefield and made himself a makeshift cave. Once he was finished and settled in, he opened the book and studied the technique. After a week of studying, he had fully understood the technique. In the next week, he combined the technique with his hundreds of other healing techniques. As the two weeks passed, Yao Mun had finally created a complete healing technique like no other. Its power and usefulness could be increased and other things could be added, but it was a fully complete technique. Yao Mun activated the technique and felt its power. It was twice as good at healing compared to before. For the next period of time, Yao Mun went back to healing his soul. It took much longer and he could not increase the soul healing techniques effectiveness, but the job was soon done and Yao Mun was back in his peak state. Yao Mun left the cave and arrived at the surface once again. He looked around the battlefield, but all he saw was corpses and dried blood. Yao Mun clicked his teeth as he flew away. He hated absorbing dried blood. It was hundreds of times better fresh. As he flew away, Yao Mun thought about the masked man''s offer. ''I have ten years until the offer is void. To be safe, I will make my way there in 9 years. Until then, I should look for more healing techniques and cultivate.'' Yao Mun thought to himself. Although he hated working with others, the three supreme healing techniques of the beast world were far too tempting. For the Heaven world, the number one healing technique was held by powerful Heavenborns and few even knew of it. The beast world, however, held great pride in their healing techniques. Everyone knew of them. The three supreme techniques of the beast world were all equal or greater than the Heaven worlds greatest technique. They were the supreme beast phoenix clans rebirth technique, the water fish clans flowing healing technique, and the earth mole clans egg healing technique. The phoenix clans rebirth technique could only be used to its full potential by phoenixes. Otherwise, even with a fire affinity, the effect would only be at the level of a top grade healing technique. It wasn''t exactly powerful enough to cause a rebirth, but it could essentially heal any phoenix as long as it wasn''t dead. Even if Yao Mun got that, it would be useful since he would only be pulling information and inspiration from it. The water fish clans healing technique could be used by anyone, but a water affinity would greatly help. The earth mole clans technique was the same but an earth affinity would help a lot. None of these techniques would be of much use to Yao Mun alone, but with his new healing technique that could be ranked just below the three supreme techniques, they would be very useful. Unfortunately, all of these techniques were out of his reach. He wouldn''t dare burst into the phoenix clans territory if he had a hundred times the gut. As for the water fish clan and the earth mole clan, they were just below the top tier beast clans in terms of strength and were valued and protected by all of the beast clans. Yao Mun may be able to enter and steal the technique, but he would never make it out alive. As for the Heavenborn healing technique, it was stupid to even consider going. After looting the fortress and finding some spirit stones, as well as some materials, Yao Mun flew towards a certain area that held a certain tavern that had a certain secret organization''s branch held within it. After flying for an entire day, Yao Mun saw a small city not too far away. It was out in the open in the middle of a plains without any walls. This was the peace held by the Heavenborns. The only places with walls were those that had enough money for decorations. Whether it be beasts or supreme beasts, they had no thought of attacking a Heavenborn city. As for other Heavenborns, a wall would not stop them anyways since they could just slip right on in. Yao Mun freely entered and walked towards a tavern in the south side of the city. The area was considered just above the slums, but below a middle class area. As he walked in, Yao Mun walked to a table in the far right corner and sat down. Next to this table was a wall with a vent. Yao Mun knocked on the vent 7 times before a voice was heard. "Good evening Yao Mun. The shadow information sect greets you." An old voice spoke. Yao Mun knew it was a disguised voice but ignored it. "I need more information on possible locations for healing techniques." Yao Mun said. "We already have that information ready. Did you happen to grab the material we requested?" The old voice asked. Yao Mun didn''t speak and took a yellow horn out of his spatial ring. It was one of the things looted from the fortress. "Just to let you know, your information turned out fruitless." Yao Mun said as he opened the vent and tossed the horn in. Luckily, the vent was affected by a formation, so the horn made no noise when colliding with it. "As we said, our unconfirmed information comes with a certain risk of wrongness. I do apologize, but you know how this works." The voice said. Yao Mun snorted but didn''t speak. He had worked with the shadow information sect for a long time and a lot of information had turned out correct. After a moment, a letter in an envelope was handed through the vent. "Good working with you." The voice said. Yao Mun got up and walked out of the tavern. After renting a night at an inn, he opened the letter in the room. ''An underground fortress 10,000 miles from here has a small chance of holding a mid tier healing technique.'' Yao Mun read. There was also a map inside with a certain area marked with a red X. Yao Mun memorized the letter and the map then burned it. Healing techniques were divided into 6 basic levels. Trash, low, mid, high, top, and supreme. At the supreme level, the power could vary. Supreme merely referred to the greatest techniques around. Chapter 290: On The Offensive - 290 Chapter 290 - On The Offensive - 290 While a mid tier healing technique did not sound too great, it would be highly valued by most individuals at or below the soul formation realm. It was even more attractive to Yao Mun due to his need for healing techniques. Even just a 1% increase in effectiveness was worth it. High tier, top tier, and supreme tier healing techniques were usually kept and guarded by one clan or group, so even hearing of one was rare. Although he had been working with the shadow information sect for years and had bought hundreds of pieces of information, only three of them were about high tier healing techniques. The fortress from before was rumored to have a high tier healing technique, which was why Yao Mun was willing to make such losses and waste so much time. Yao Mun set off, following the map for a long time, before finally finding the area marked with an X. Yao Mun instantly started to dig below the surface. ¡ª-------------------------------- Guang Fu''s battle with the bearded dragon did not last long. With the ability to abuse the item he had bought, winning was too easy. Technically, Yao Mun was not breaking the rules by using the item. Bi Chong, Tian Ren, and every other cultivator at or above the void traversing realm was forced to take an oath to Heaven. Anyone who joined later was made to take the same oath as well. Simply put, the oath was to follow the rules written on a piece of paper. Among those rules was the rule, "No weapons, armor, talismans, etc, at or above the 6th rank are allowed to be given out to those below the void traversing realm, nor is one allowed to knowingly permit or incentivise another, an outsider, or outside force to do so". The punishment for breaking the heavenly oath was death, regardless of being a heavenborn or a beast. Since Guang Fu did not get his emblem from someone at the void traversing realm or above, he would be one of the few, if not the only person in the war below the void traversing realm with such a high level item. Even if the beast world were to find out such a thing, they would have no grounds to oppose it. Guang Fu took the corpse of the dead bearded dragon and brought it to the teleportation array. He then spoke of what happened to the talisman. Instantly, he received an excited response. "Check under the bearded dragon''s beard. If you see a symbol similar to a triangle with wings, let me know." The voice said. Guang Fu did so and found the symbol imprinted on the skin. "It''s here." Guang Fu said. "Congratulations. That bearded dragon was one of the top ten nascent soul realm cultivators on the beast''s side. The fact that you could kill him proves not only your talent, but also serves as a great merit towards the Heaven world. As a reward, you have been given 10,000 contribution points." The voice on the other end said. Guang Fu was stunned by the revelation. "What rank was he?" Guang Fu asked. "Number 7." The voice responded. "It is safe to say that you will be unbothered for the next 880 or so years." "So what until then?" Guang Fu asked. "In order to find that out, I will need to hear from the superiors. However, based on my personal judgment, I assume that you will be ordered to attack in the near future." The voice said. "But feel free to sit around and wait. Even if you do attack, it will only be after a few years." "Alright." Guang Fu responded. The talisman stopped shining as the person on the other end deactivated his. Guang Fu decided to go back to what he was doing and went to his balcony. The next time that Yuo came, he would sell the bearded dragon''s corpse. A year later, Yuo returned. Guang Fu did exactly as planned and sold the corpse for 200 contribution points. Without buying anything, he sent Yuo off. There was more than enough time later when he actually needed something to spend his contribution points. Peacefully, five more years passed. It had been 14 years since the war started. For the first time in a while, Guang Fu felt his talisman move. He took it out of his spatial ring and activated it. "Time for offense. I repeat. Time for offense. The square directly in front of you is for the taking. Move out within the next day." The voice said before hanging up. Guang Fu sighed and got up. One of the problems with the auto house was that it could not be moved once it was set. In order to do so, one would have to uproot the entire area it was on, and the teleportation array simply couldn''t take that. It was designed for singular person travel. Before leaving, Guang Fu used some earth Qi to cause the entire ground below the house to roll. The house soon collapsed and was buried in the ground. Guang Fu took off and soon entered the teleportation array. As soon as he entered, he ran towards the center of the square. Unexpectedly, nobody was around. Guang Fu took out the talisman and activated it. "There is nobody here. What am I to do?" Guang Fu asked. "It seems they got wind of you moving out. It was somewhat expected. Take the square for yourself and stay put until further notice." The voice said. "Alright." Guang Fu said before deactivating the talisman. Without a house, he sat on the ground and began to cultivate. He was close to breaking through. After a year, Yuo appeared. Guang Fu got some more snacks and another automatic house. He had a feeling that he would be waiting longer than last time. Yuo came back pretty quickly with Guang Fu''s requested items. This time, the automatic house was at the nascent soul realm, or rank 4. Instead of being a block of wood, it was a block of marble. Guang Fu inputted some Qi into it and backed away. Chapter 291: Casual Beating - 291 Chapter 291 - Casual Beating - 291 As Guang Fu backed away, the marble block began to expand. It was much faster than before, and in just a moment it turned into a two story mansion. The house was many times more elegant than before. Leading up to the house was a flight of marble stairs. The porch had marble pillars holding up an overhead and a large area. As Guang Fu entered through the door, he was met with a large lobby. If he moved forward, he would walk on a long flight of stairs that split into two, leading to left and right hallways. The entire lobby, including the stairs, were carpeted. The hallways were carpeted as well. At the end of the stairway that split into two was a single door. It was on the wall where the stairway split. Guang Fu ignored the rest of the house and entered that room. The room was fully carpeted with three windows in the back. There was also a desk with a chair and some empty bookcases by the sides. After a moment, Guang Fu went to the center of the room and sat down. He then began to cultivate. After 5 years, Guang Fu finally reached an awaited moment. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes. He had broken through to the 5th level of the nascent soul realm. He was now 71 years old, but still considered a young person by a lot. In a mortal world, he would be lucky if he was able to walk. Just as he had broken through, he felt his talisman move. "Guang Fu. Are you there? I repeat. Are you there?" A voice asked. "I am here." Guang Fu responded. "It is time to move out once again. This time, head to the square on your right. It was recently taken from us. There should be nobody special guarding it, but be careful. Good luck. Not that you''ll need it." The voice said before the talisman silenced. Guang Fu stood up and exited the house by breaking through one of the walls. He then repeated what he did last time by destroying the house and burying it under the ground. After that, he moved to the square on the right of his and attacked. Without even using the emblem, the defender had his head cut off in just a few moments. He then bought another house and stayed guard. This time, the silence and peace lasted a lot longer. 30 years passed and Guang Fu broke into the 6th level of the nascent soul realm. It would be around 25 years before he broke through again. It had been 50 years since the war began. Of those 50 years, Guang Fu had spent thirty in this square. Only now did his talisman move. "Guang Fu. It is time to move out. Move one square to the right, then one forward. Some unknown defender had been causing us trouble. In the unlikely case that you can''t win, retreat and give us all the information you can." The unfamiliar voice said. "Alright. Did my old supervisor get replaced?" Guang Fu asked. He did not recognize the voice. "He died in battle three years ago." The new voice said before the talisman deactivated. Guang Fu nodded and headed out. After going past a friendly square on the right, Guang Fu entered an unfriendly square in front. As he entered, Guang Fu noticed an eerily silent atmosphere. There was a lot of blood on the ground, and the area was without sounds of animals. Not even crickets or birds. Guang Fu walked forward towards the combat zone, but he did not see anyone. As he entered, the barrier suddenly formed and Guang Fu saw a dark light shine from his right side. Before he could react, the emblem shone and the attack was blocked. Without hesitation, Guang Fu shouted. "I concede!" He yelled, causing the barrier to fall. Without waiting a second, he ran towards the teleportation array. When he was halfway there, another attack hit him before he even saw what it was. The emblem lit up again and Guang Fu ran even faster. Just as he was about to reach the teleportation array, a humanoid figure wielding a sword sped in front of him and slashed. Once again, the emblem lit up, becoming dimmer than ever. At that time, Guang Fu finally reached the teleportation array and disappeared. A confused humanoid figure remained. "Hmm? Who in the world is this guy?" Yao Mun said to himself. He was utterly surprised that the man had managed to escape. He floated there with only his right arm remaining. "Whatever. I defended the square." He said to himself before moving to the combat zone and going underground. Meanwhile, Guang Fu fearfully arrived at his ally square. He was breathing heavily and fell on the ground. After a moment, Guang Fu hurriedly took off the emblem and looked at it. It was now completely normal, without the slightest shine to it. Luckily, Guang Fu managed to tell that it was recharging. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. He then took out the talisman and yelled into it. "Were you trying to kill me!? Did you send me into a soul formation zone or something you fu*king dic*!?" He yelled. "What are you talking about? Did you lose? I have the information here. There is no mistaking it. You were sent into a tier 2 nascent soul realm zone." The voice said. "Yeah right! That guy absolutely fu*ked me! I didn''t even stand a chance! Do you know how close I was to dying!" He yelled. "I will send an investigator, but I can assure you that I am right. You need to calm down and tell me what you remember about him." The voice said. After thinking for a moment, Guang Fu answered. "He was humanoid. His attacks seemed to be made of darkness Qi. Also, he is at least a hundred times stronger than me!" Guang Fu said. After a moment of silence, he was spoken to. "In that case, we might have a serious problem. Return to the Heaven world base immediately." The voice said before the talisman deactivated. Chapter 292: What to do? - 292 Chapter 292 - What to do? - 292 A few minutes after the talisman was disconnected, Guang Fu managed to calm down. He had never really experienced such a life and death scenario. The only other time was with the crane, but the crane was not half as terrifying. His opponent, who was so fast that he was undetectable, and the fact that he could not even be seen clearly was terrifying. Guang Fu eventually calmed down and made his way through a bunch of teleportation arrays. Soon, he arrived at the Heaven world''s main base. Even though he did not venture to the base center, he was able to see the contribution wall from where he was standing. He found that he now had 13,000 contribution points. Gunag Fu''s attention only lingered on the wall for a moment before he continued walking. It was not long before he made it to a large building. It was a hundred feet wide and hundreds of feet tall. Guang Fu walked up to the door and entered without the interference of the guards in front. As he entered the lobby, Guang Fu saw a man waving at him, signaling him to come over. Guang Fu walked over and the man spoke. "Welcome. We have a meeting room upstairs waiting for you. Follow me." The man said as he turned around and walked through a door. Guang Fu followed him and saw that the door led to a stairway. He walked up the stairs for a while until he finally stopped on the 48th floor. He followed the man in front of him and walked past a couple of doors before entering a normal looking room. In the room was a long oval table filled with around 15 people. "Welcome Guang Fu." A man walked up to him saying. "I''m the person you talked to through the talisman. Take a seat." He said as he pointed to a chair on the end of the table. Guang Fu sat down and a tall, broad man spoke. "We need you to tell us everything you know about the person who defeated you." The man spoke. "I already said everything I know, but I''ll say it again. He was humanoid, he used darkness Qi attacks, and he was overwhelmingly powerful." Guang Fu said. "Yes. You said that he was hundreds of times more powerful than you. In that case, how exactly did you survive?" The same man asked suspiciously. Guang Fu looked around the room for a moment before taking the emblem off of his chest and putting it on the table. "I came across this powerful item. I''m not sure how strong it is or where it''s from, but it is at least at the 6th rank." Guang Fu said. He knew that there was a risk in telling people this in case of greed, but he decided to show it anyway. Otherwise, he would have suspicion laid upon him without any way to refute it. As he spoke and showed the emblem, the room quieted completely. Before Guang Fu could react, the man from before appeared next to him and grabbed the emblem. Guang Fu wanted to say something along the lines of, ''Put that down it''s mine'', but he knew he couldn''t do anything even if it was stolen from him. The man looked at the emblem, flipping it around, before speaking. "This is a peak 6th rank defensive item. From what I can tell, it can block three attacks up to the 10th level of the void traversing realm before it stops working. After a day, it will fully recharge." He said as he looked at Guang Fu. "You were lucky to find such a powerful thing. At this time, your suspicion can be somewhat cleared, but I am curious. Can you explain where you got this?" The man asked. After he spoke, he tossed the emblem back to Guang Fu. Guang Fu put the emblem back on his chest and began to speak. "When I came to the city to exchange contribution points, I wandered into an alley and met an old man. He was selling pathetic items, and I felt bad for him. I randomly bought one and it turned out to be this." He explained. He received plenty of doubtful and disbelieving looks, but he stayed firm. "Well. I guess you are free to go. Stay in the city for the time being. You''ve earned some time off." The large man said to him as he patted Guang Fu''s shoulders. Guang Fu nodded and stood up before leaving the room. A few minutes later, the room was empty, excluding the large man. He pulled out a talisman and spoke into it. "Lord Tian Ren. He had a powerful defensive item that saved him. He said he found it from some old man. As for the enemy, odds are it is Yao Mun." The man reported into the talisman. "That''s probably the worst news possible. Regardless, let Guang Fu stay in the base for a while." Tian Ren said as he hung up. The man nodded and exited the room. Tian Ren was left standing in a building with his hand on his forehead. Even without Heaven, he had long gotten wind of Yao Mun. ''Simply put. There is no way to defeat Yao Mun.'' He thought to himself. He already knew it was hopeless. No matter how confident he was in Guang Fu, there was simply no chance of victory. ''Unless he can get his hands on an attacking item at the void traversing level.'' Yet even then, he probably would not be able to use it. Items like the emblem were extremely rare. It was able to be used without the user''s Qi. Such items were 1 in 10,000. There was also the rule about not handing down powerful weapons which stopped Tian Ren from using such methods against Yao Mun. Tian Ren sat down in his chair and thought hard. After a while, he finally scraped together the only plan he had to stop Yao Mun. ''I must train Guang Fu. With his defensive item, he would only need to worry about offensive measures. As long as he can defeat Yao Mun before Yao Mun releases a fourth attack, there would be nothing to worry about.'' Chapter 293: Yao Mun鈥檚 Threat Level - 293 Chapter 293 - Yao Mun''s Threat Level - 293 After a few days of rest and relaxation, Guang Fu felt his talisman move. He took it out of his spatial ring and listened. "Guang Fu. Report to the mission building. A special assignment has been posted for you." The voice said before hanging up. Guang Fu put the talisman back in his spatial ring and walked towards the mission building. The mission building was, as easily guessed, a place where missions were handed out and assigned. Not every single individual was fit to participate in the war. Those who were weak, those who focused on things like forging and healing, and those who there were too many of. Instead of wasting their time lazing around, they could go to the mission building and take missions for contribution points. Healers could heal people, blacksmiths could make weapons for people, and unimportant people could do miscellaneous tasks. The building was completely wooden and only one floor, but it was extremely big. Guang Fu walked inside, and immediately saw the front desks. He walked up to one of the twenty stations and talked to the receptionist. "My name is Guang Fu. I was ordered to receive a mission here." Guang Fu stated. Without speaking, the black haired lady went in the back for around half a minute and brought back an envelope. "Follow the map. That is all the mission states." The lady said as Guang Fu received the envelope. Guang Fu nodded and headed to one of the tables in the room. The tables were usually used for team meetings, but they were also briefly used to open information. Guang Fu opened the envelope. It held only a map and some words describing where to go and certain landmarks. After a moment, Guang Fu shrugged and got up. He was ordered to do the mission, so he would do it regardless of its weirdness. It took only a few minutes for Guang Fu to leave the city-sized base. He followed a dirt trial for 30 miles, before turning onto another one for 50 miles. He then walked through a valley, took a detour around a mountain, walked for more than 100 miles on a single trail, and accidentally wandered into a cave, before finally reaching the foot of a large mountain. The mountain was covered with pink cherry blossom trees. From afar, one could also see a few waterfalls. Where Guang Fu stood, there was a trail upwards. Decorating that trail were red torii gates and a lining of purple wisteria trees. The mountain looked straight out of a painting. It seemed like the type of thing you would hear of, but never actually see. Guang Fu began to walk up the mountain trail, admiring the scenery along the way. After a few minutes, the upward slope flattened. The mountain sloped up all the way, except for one point that seemed to be carved off. It was the sole flat area around. As Guang Fu reached that point, he saw a large yard and a small wooden house. Sitting on the porch of that house was someone that any person in the Heaven world and the Beast world could recognize. Tian Ren. Seeing Tian Ren himself, Guang Fu was stunned into stillness. As he stood there, dumbfounded, Tian Ren opened his eyes. "Welcome. Come, sit next to me." He spoke evenely. Tian Ren had a slightly mystical look, but the most noticeable thing was the lightning bolt on his forehead. After a moment, Guang Fu shook his head and walked through the yard to Tian Ren. After a moment of hesitation, he sat next to him. "Do you know why you were called here?" Tian Ren asked. "I do not." Guang Fu responded. "Because of the person who defeated you. Simply put, there is nobody in the Heaven world at the nascent soul realm who stands a chance of defeating him. Except you." Tian Ren spoke. "Why me?" Guang Fu responded with a confused look on his face. "Because you too are special. Also, it seems like you two share an entwined fate." Tian Ren spoke. Before Guang Fu responded, Tian Ren continued. "In a way, me and Bi Chong share an entwined fate, but that is only because we are the strongest among our worlds. You and Yao Mun, the man who defeated you, however, are different. Almost at the same time, you and him appeared from nowhere. Both of you can be considered once in a hundred thousand years talents, but appeared so close to each other. As a final hint, you are both basically opposites." Tian Ren finished. Guang Fu thought about his words for a while and nodded. He had no understanding of Yao Mun, but he understood what Tian Ren was saying. "With my defensive item and my talent, I have a slight chance of defeating Yao Mun." Guang Fu said before Tian Ren needed to. "Indeed. Until you reach 10th level of the nascent soul realm, I will train you in offensive techniques with all of my ability. At that time, he should also have superior speed, so I''ll add in some detection techniques." Tian Ren said. "Alright." Guang Fu said. He would never pass on the opportunity to receive training from the strongest and first heavenborn. "Before we start, can you tell me who this Yao Mun is? You said he was the opposite of me, but how so?" Guang Fu asked. "I''ve had my eye on you for a while. I have seen how you are. You are kind, well intentioned, and overall, good. Yao Mun is none of those things. He is evil, he lives to kill and harm. Yet, he is powerful. Too powerful to be left alive. It is known that he wishes to kill Heaven. At first, I laughed it off as a joke. However, he may be able to achieve it. He is a horrifying talent with a horrifying combat ability. For the sake of the entire world, he must be killed." Tian Ren explained. Guang Fu was shocked hearing his words. "You expect me to kill someone so talented that he poses a threat to Heaven itself?" Guang Fu asked. "I do not expect anything. It simply must happen. One way or another, Yao Mun cannot live." Tian Ren said. Chapter 294: Training Guang Fu - 294 Chapter 294 - Training Guang Fu - 294 After Guang Fu and Tian Ren''s talk, Guang Fu was brought to a room. "This is where you will be sleeping. Rest well. There is a high chance that you will not enjoy the next few days." Tian Ren said as he walked away. Guang Fu entered the room and sat on the bed. At his level, sleep had no benefit. He sat on the bed and began to cultivate. As the night passed and the morning sun rose, Guang Fu heard a bell ring. He immediately got off of the bed and walked outside. In the front lawn, Tian Ren stood with a sword. The sword was blue. Not blue like the ocean or blue like ice, but blue like lightning. Tian Ren pointed towards a weapon rack with his sword and spoke. "Choose any weapon from that rack. It will be yours from then on." He said. Guang Fu nodded and walked over to the rack. The rack was as tall as himself and 5 times wider. There were hundreds of weapons on it, all at the peak of the nascent soul realm. Guang Fu looked over swords, spears, nunchucks, bows, poles, and many other weapons before coming to a conclusion. He grabbed at a yellow longsword and held it. He felt as if the sword was calling out to him, likely because of his light affinity and personality. "Good. Now come over here." Tian Ren said as he pointed at the ground across from him. Guang Fu nodded and began to walk over. Just as he was 20 feet away from Tian Ren, Tian Ren swung his sword. A blue arc came out of it and hit Guang Fu before he could react. Two more arcs followed behind it, wearing out the shield emblems abilities. "I almost forgot. Take that off, you won''t be needing it." Tian Ren added. Guang Fu nodded stiffly. ''He seems so much different than he was yesterday.'' Guang Fu thought to himself as he sat the emblem on the porch and walked back towards Tian Ren. Yesterday, Tian Ren seemed calm and graceful, only seeming solemn and serious when speaking of Yao Mun. Today, Tian Ren seemed even more serious than when speaking of Yao Mun. Guang Fu walked over until he was ten feet in front of Tian Ren. "I don''t believe in following swordsmanship styles." Tian Ren said. "The only thing you should take from a book is martial arts such as the arc I created before. Swinging the sword is different for everyone. A sword style would only hold a talented person back." Tian Ren held his sword horizontally in front of his chin as he stared down at his sword. "The way I swing my sword was learned through centuries of practice and thousands of battles. Unfortunately, we don''t have that much time for you. Therefore, I shall take a much more extreme approach." Tian Ren said as his eyes turned and locked on Guang Fu. "I am going to slice you up until you are on the verge of death. Perhaps through those experiences, you will learn something." Tian Ren said as he took a step forward. Guang Fu opened his mouth to speak, but a sword appeared in front of him before he could say a word. Guang Fu ducked and swung his sword upwards, but a foot hit his face and knocked him onto his back. Then, from above, a sword shot down and stabbed into his arm. Ahhh! Guang Fu let out a scream, but a foot kicked him backwards and took the air from his lungs. "Get up." Tian Ren said. Guang Fu looked upwards, about to say something, but he saw Tian Ren''s eyes. Fearfully, he stood up and grabbed his sword. Tian Ren disappeared and a sword came slashing at his face from the side. Tian Ren barely blocked it before it slashed his face open. "You must learn to deal with an opponent faster than you. You must also learn to deal with an opponent stronger than you." Tian Ren said as he attacked Guang Fu from different angles. Guang Fu was barely able to block the attacks. "Make no mistake, there is no world where you fairly beat Yao Mun. He is faster than you, stronger than you, he has better defense than you. Heaven knows that his offense is better than yours!" Tian Ren said. Guang Fu''s arm was slowing down as time passed. The injury seriously impacted him. "Before you specialize in countering Yao Mun, you must first realize your true genius. With your talent, you can be tens of times stronger in your realm than you currently are." Tian Ren said As his sentence finished, Guang Fu''s right arm was completely cut off. "But first, above all. You must know pain." Tian Ren said as Guang Fu''s remaining arm was also cut off. AHHHH!!! Guang Fu was screaming from the pain. He considered himself good at resisting pain, but he had never felt such pain before. As Guang Fu was screaming, Tian Ren crouched next to him and held him still. "Do you think this hurts? What if I told you that Yao Mun feels at least this much pain every time he fights. And boy does he fight a lot. As far as I can see, the only thing you beat Yao Mun in is kindness. Oh right. And being a pathetic weakling." Tian Ren said as Guang Fu''s screams died down. "I''ll leave you here for a few minutes. Don''t worry, your arms will be regrown." Tian Ren said as he walked to the house and sat on the porch. He meditated as Guang Fu laid in a pile of his own blood, in too much pain to even scream. After an hour, Guang Fu passed out. Tian Ren walked up to him and used some life Qi on his body, as well as the Heaven worlds supreme healing technique. As Tian Ren dragged Guang Fu''s body to his room, he couldn''t help but worry. ''Can this moron actually beat Yao Mun. If he can''t, then I''m stuck.'' Tian Ren thought to himself. He wanted nothing more than to kill Yao Mun himself, but he was restricted by the rules of war, which were followed with an oath, as well as Heaven itself. ''Why won''t Heaven just allow me to kill him?'' He questioned as he walked back to his spot on the porch. Chapter 295: Growth - 295 Chapter 295 - Growth - 295 The very next morning, Guang Fu''s eyes snapped open at the sound of the bell. He instinctively got out of bed and stood up, but paused as he began walking. The memories of yesterdays events ran through his mind once again, as he began to slightly tremble. ''I don''t know if I can handle that again.'' He thought to himself. After a moment, the image of Tian Ren popped in his mind. He realized that his fear of Tian Ren was even greater than his fear of the events likely to take place. ''Who knows what he will do if I don''t show up?'' He thought to himself. Guang Fu forced himself to grab the sword he had chosen yesterday and walked down the hallway. As he walked, there was a very perceptible tremble in his steps. Soon, Guang Fu exited the house and walked on the yard. He saw Tian Ren, and the fear in his eyes was clear. Sigh. Tian Ren sighed as he saw Guang Fu. "Do you fear me?" He asked. After a moment, Guang Fu answered honestly by nodding. "Why do you fear me? Because I inflicted pain upon you? I did it in your best interest, you know." Tian Ren said. Guang Fu nodded. "I know, but I can''t help it." "Because you also fear what is about to transpire here? No?" Tian Ren asked. "That as well." Guang Fu said timidly. "Do you know how pathetic you look right now, trembling at my very presence? What is wrong with you? Do you think that Yao Mun would act like this?" Tian Ren asked angrily. "I never asked to fight Yao Mun! Why don''t you try to stop comparing me to this so-called monster!" Guang Fu yelled back. "Because if you can''t stop him, nobody will." TIan Ren sighed. "Listen. Yao Mun has hurt many people. Innocent people. Good people. You are a good person. Better than me and most I know." Guang Fu nodded at his words. "I understand, but still..." "But still nothing. Think of it like this. Stop fighting for yourself. It''s unlike you. Fight for the countless lives you will save by defeating Yao Mun." Tian Ren said, trying a different approach. This sentence sent Guang Fu into a train of thought. He pictured the kind elderly people, the young children, the kind parents, and every other person he came across. These were people that he had saved and had thanked him sincerely. He remembered the day that he woke up and had talent for cultivation. He also remembered the goal he had in mind, the question he had been asked by the old man long ago. ''Would you rather live a happy life as a mortal, or have the opportunity to become the strongest cultivator, although there would be a high risk to your life.'' At that time, he had said he would want to be the strongest cultivator. Why? To help more people. As Guang Fu''s eyes opened, he seemed to be a different person. "One more piece of advice. Remember, suffering is temporary, but what is gained from that suffering will last forever." Tian Ren said. Guang Fu nodded as he took out his sword and held it in front of him. There was no tremble in his grip. He locked his eyes on Tian Ren''s position. In an instant, Tian Ren disappeared and appeared right next to him with his sword swinging. Guang Fu moved his sword faster than before, perfectly blocking the strike. Three more strike followed, but they were all perfectly blocked. ''He may be a little idealistic and perhaps immature, but I can work with this much better.'' Tian Ren thought to himself. Earlier, he had said what Guang Fu needed to hear to become more firm in will. However, Tian Ren did not believe a single word. ''In the end, the mindset of righteousness will only limit someone. For now, however, it will provide Guang Fu with a great boost.'' Tian Ren thought. With his vast experience, he had ranked the three major mindsets of a person based on how far it will allow them to go. The righteous mindset, one of protecting others even at the cost of yourself, was ranked lowest. The evil mindset, one in which you enjoy taking from others or harming others, was ranked second, only slightly above the righteous mindset. Finally, the neutral mindset. Without an inclination towards this or that, only striving towards the goal of strength, was number one. It was a mindset that Tian Ren strove for, but even he could not fully achieve it. If it came down to it, he may sacrifice his life to save the Heavenborns. If it came down to it, there was no doubt that he would sacrifice his life to serve Heaven even just slightly. While Guang Fu had kept up well compared to yesterday, Tian Ren simply sped himself up. There was only so much that Guang Fu could take. Soon, he was on his back with both of his arms and a leg missing. This time, he did not yell. He simply bit his lip and handled the pain like a man. Still, his willpower only went so far. After an hour, Guang Fu passed out from blood loss. Like the day before, Tian Ren dragged him to his room and healed him. Over the next month, the same exact routine followed. At the end of the month, Guang Fu layed on the ground without any limbs. Despite that, his face had hardly changed. It was clear he was in pain, but he was neither biting his lip nor making any noise. After 5 hours, he passed out from blood loss and Tian Ren dragged him to his room. ''Good. He has clearly grown.'' Tian Ren thought. ''It should be time to teach him offense.'' The next morning, Guang Fu woke up to the bell and walked outside. Different from the first week, there was no sign of fear or worry on his face. Chapter 296: Techniques - 296 Chapter 296 - Techniques - 296 "Congratulations. You have finished the introductory training. I now believe that you bear the necessary will to fight Yao Mun." Tian Ren spoke. Guang Fu stood in front of him silently and still. He listened closely. "Next, we will focus on offense. This is the most necessary aspect to defeat Yao Mun. His sacrificial ability only increases his offense as far as we know. In terms of defense, he should be considered average at his level." Tian Ren explained. "I will teach you three offensive techniques. Hopefully, you will be able to kill him with these before running out of protection. In the case that you do not kill him, or at the very least, incapacitate him, then I shall teach you a self detonation technique." Tian Ren added. He looked for Guang Fu''s reaction, but Guang Fu did not react. "I understand that you may be hesitant to self-destruct, but I can assure you, if you cannot kill him before the emblem stops protecting you, he will kill you. That may be the only thing I can 100% assure you of in this mission." Tian Ren spoke. "I have a question." Guang Fu interrupted. "Speak." Tian Ren responded. "I have amassed a good amount of contribution points and still have some spirit stones. In the case that I die, I would like this wealth to be split among the mortal villages throughout the Heaven world." Guang Fu said. He knew that even .01% of his wealth would be enough to completely change a village. "Specifically, I would like a couple villages to receive a lot, as well as protection paid for with the money." Guang Fu added. Without protection, the money given would be useless. Any wandering cultivator could steal it on a whim. After a moment, Tian Ren spoke. "Fine. It shall be so." He said. Hearing Tian Ren''s confirmation, Guang Fu was even more resolved than before. Whether he lived or died, he would be protecting his people. "Let''s start." Tian Ren said as he created a sword from lightning Qi. Guang Fu held his yellow sword that he had chosen on the first day. "First, the light space cutting technique. This technique''s true power, the ability to cut space, can only be shown at the space shattering realm, or the void traversing realm if you''re talented. Despite you not having a space affinity, this is one of the three best techniques for your nascent soul realm self in terms of offense." Tian Ren explained. "In the battle, this should be the second technique to be used, if the other does not work." Tian Ren added. It was very likely that this would be the 3rd best offensive move Guang Fu would learn in the training session. "Hold the sword high above your head and close your eyes. We will work on a quick release version of this move, but you first need to be able to actually use it." Tian Ren explained. Guang Fu followed Tian Ren''s words and held the sword high above his head. "Next, input light Qi into the sword, but only the edge of the blade." Tian Ren said. "This is also where you would normally move space Qi, but you obviously can''t do that." Guang Fu followed his instructions. "Since this is your first time, use your imagination to imagine the thinnest possible line. This is the line that your sword will shoot out." Guang Fu did as he said. "...Finally, bring your sword down and release the line." Tian Ren said after a few more complicated instructions. Guang Fu kept the thinnest line he could imagine in his head as he swung the sword down and released his Qi. A thin, almost unnoticeable line flew towards Tian Ren. Tian Ren did not move as the line hit him. He was completely unaffected, but the rest of the line traveled past him and hit a wall of the mountain. There was no explosion, but a thin line only travelable by water was created. "Good. You have reached the initial stage of the technique. Over the next few years, we will increase the line''s power and speed, as well as its release speed." Tian Ren said. Guang Fu nodded with anticipation. Over the next twenty years, Guang Fu trained nothing but that single technique. His cultivation speed did not slow down since most of the time in a day was used to cultivate. Only after those twenty years did Tian Ren decide to perform a final test. "This test will show if you have mastered the technique as far as you can in your realm." He spoke. "Regardless of whether or not you have mastered it, we will move on." "Now, attack!" Tian Ren yelled. Before half a second had passed, Guang Fu''s sword was down and a line was flying. It hit Tian Ren and did not affect him at all, but the power was much greater than the first time. "Well done. We will call that mastery." Tian Ren said. "Next, another technique. This one should be the last move that you use. That is because it will sacrifice your sword." Tian Ren spoke. After his words, Tian Ren grabbed a random sword from the rack and held it normally. "I made this technique and called it the sword explosion drill. Simply put, you will quickly launch your sword in a rotating fashion. When it reaches the target, it will explode." Tian Ren explained. As he did so, his hand that had been holding the sword at his side flung up and launched the sword straight into the air at a speed that Guang Fu could not follow. After reaching 100 miles in the sky, the sword exploded in a condensed fashion. "This will be a surprise attack. It should be fast enough to hit Yao Mun, but aim well." Tian Ren said. "Naturally, we will not be using the swords on the sword rack for practice. They are quite valuable and bring no benefit that a weaker sword cannot in practice." As he spoke, a mountain of swords twenty feet high appeared from his spatial ring. "When all of these swords are gone, we will move on to the next technique." Chapter 297: Formless Sword - 297 Chapter 297 - Formless Sword - 297 Guang Fu walked up to the pile of swords and grabbed a random one. Just a few moments ago, he had finished receiving specific instructions on using the technique from Tian Ren. Aiming at the sky, the sword began to twirl while floating above his hand. After a few seconds, it shot upwards. The sword traveled a mile before exploding. "We will practice using the technique for a while and speeding up your usage, before beginning to practice with moving targets." Tian Ren said. Guang Fu nodded and grabbed another sword. 10 years passed quickly. Halfway through the 10 years, Guang Fu broke into the 7th level of the nascent soul realm. Guang Fu stood in the field while holding another sword from the pile. Despite his constant practice, the mountain of swords had only gone down about halfway. Guang Fu held the sword up and pointed it at the sky. The sword quickly shot out of his hand while rotating. It went 5 miles before exploding in a condensed fashion. "Good." Tian Ren said. "We will now practice with moving targets." Another 10 years passed by. Guang Fu stood in a field as 20 flying golems the size of Heavenborns weaved around. Guang Fu had three swords next to him. Occasionally, a few of the targets would line up or bunch together. Guang Fu watched carefully for these moments as he picked up one of the three swords and aimed its point at the sky. Time ticked by, and all of a sudden, Guang Fu moved fast enough to blur. Three swords were shot out and exploded almost simultaneously, destroying all twenty targets. "Once again, well done." Tian Ren said. "The next move will be the hardest for you to comprehend. It has been named the formless sword." Guang Fu listened attentively. "This is not like most techniques. It will require you to attain a certain personality or feeling. You will train and hone that feeling until you can burst out with it. Only then will you touch a sword." Tian Ren explained. "This is one of the reasons that this mountain was chosen as a training spot. It is peaceful, serene, and full of nature." Tian Ren said as he looked at the mountain peak. "I will not lie or hide things from you. The war is taking a turn for the worse. Yao Mun has recently started an offensive campaign. Most of the talents have been killed by his hands. Now, there is even a flee on sight order. It may not help you in your training, but please, hurry up." Tian Ren spoke. Guang Fu did not respond, but Tian Ren knew that he understood. "There." Tian Ren said as he pointed up. "You will meditate on the mountain peak. You can cultivate while meditating, but focus on the outside world. You must become formless, a part of nature. You will know that you have succeeded when birds treat you as a resting point and grass begins to grow on you. This is as much as I can help you with this." "I understand." Guang Fu said as he stood up and flew to the mountain peak. Without wasting time, he began to follow Tian Ren''s instruction. He meditated, and he attempted to become a part of the world itself. What Tian Ren did not inform Guang Fu of was that only three Heavenborns had ever succeeded in achieving the formless state required to use the technique. Even Tian Ren failed as he was held down by worries and desires concerning the Heavenborns. Tian Ren had fueled Guang Fu''s desire to help the people of the world, but it may have had a countering effect. Sadly, it was necessary. Yet, despite his old age and wisdom, Tian Ren underestimated Guang Fu. He did not know just how much his words had affected him. Knowing that, even in death, the mortal villagers he cared about would be protected, Guang Fu was ready to die. In fact, he expected it. The hope of defeating Yao Mun was slim to none. It would take a miracle. After 50 years, Guang Fu stood up. The birds perched on him and the grass covering his legs went away. He jumped off silently and landed in front of the house. "I am finished." He whispered. The next second, Tian Ren was beside him. Tian Ren stayed silent and handed him a manual. Guang Fu had already exceeded any expectations from before. "You should understand this better than I." Tian Ren said as he walked back into the house. Seeing Guang Fu show so much talent was making him emotional. He never thought he would see a day where another Heavenborn besides Yao Mun showed talent comparable to himself. Guang Fu opened the book and memorized it in one go. He understood what needed to happen and how he needed to train himself. 20 years later, Tian Ren watched as Guang Fu''s hand rested on the yellow sword strapped to his side. Then, Guang Fu grabbed the sword and pulled it out in a swinging motion. As soon as the sword fully exited the sheath, the sword seemed to disappear. Of course, Tian Ren could see it, but any nascent soul realm cultivator couldn''t. Even most soul formation cultivators couldn''t. The sword produced no wind or sound, and could not be seen. It was the ultimate surprise attack. Yao Mun''s strength was only in his offensive ability. He was above average in everything, but even if he was at the tenth level of the nascent soul realm, he would not have another aspect at the soul formation realm besides offense. "Good." Tian Ren said once again. "This is the core of your fight against Yao Mun. Everything else will be additional." Guang Fu nodded. "Thank you." He said to Tian Ren. "No. Thank you. You have allowed me to see hope once again." Tian Ren responded. "We will work now on your detection techniques, followed by movement techniques, and finally creating your own sword style." Tian Ren added. Chapter 298: The Battle Arrives - 298 Chapter 298 - The Battle Arrives - 298 Over the next 30 years, Guang Fu was taught powerful detection techniques and movement techniques. Each of the techniques he learned was one of the greatest in the world. They would ensure that Yao Mun would not be able to hide from him or completely outclass him in speed. "Remember, Yao Mun will likely still be faster than you. This will only make it fairer." Tian Ren said. Based on what Tian Ren had said, Yao Mun spent a lot longer practicing movement techniques than Guang Fu. "Next, we will create your own sword style. As I said before, I believe this is best learned by yourself." Tian Ren said. "Soon, you will reach the 10th level of the nascent soul realm. Soon after that, the battle will take place." Guang Fu solemnly nodded. He was ready to practice with all of his effort. After setting themselves up in the yard with their swords, Tian Ren came forward. Guang Fu had already started making his own sword style during the first months of training. He was only going back to it now. This time, Tian Ren did not cut limbs off. He only left light scratches where a painful or fatal blow would have landed. After 50 years, Guang Fu stood in front of Tian Ren as he had for a lot of his lifespan. "It is time." Tian Ren said. On the surface, Tian Ren looked neutral and stern, but he had grown attached to Guang Fu over their training. He almost saw him as his son. "You have not disappointed me. Are you prepared?" Tian Ren asked. "I am more prepared than ever." Guang Fu responded. Guang Fu was 291 years old, still considered young by the cultivation standard. Now, he was ready to fight to the death. "Then let us move out." Tian Ren said as he hopped on his sword and flew. Guang Fu looked at his yellow sword and did the same. The flight was silent. Guang Fu had a brave face, but he could not help but feel nervous deep inside. More than the fear of losing, he felt fear that everything he had gone through was for nothing. That he would die without fulfilling his purpose. Luckily, he knew that his fear would dissipate when the time came. Soon, Guang Fu and Tian Ren flew down onto the Heaven world base. The air seemed a lot more solemn than before Guang Fu left. "What happened here?" Guang Fu asked. "I''ve been out of the loop for a while myself." Tian Ren said. A second later, he noticed someone flying from afar. "Hello husband." Tian Ren''s wife said as she landed beside them. "Good to see you. I would love to hang around, but we have an appointment soon. Quickly tell me what''s going on." Tian Ren spoke to his wife. "Alright. Morale around the base has been low since we had to take Yao Mun counter measures. A few years ago, he started to rampage around and kill any 3rd tier nascent soul realm cultivator he could get his hands on. Ignoring the bunch that we lost, the rest are guarded by 1st tier and 2nd tier nascent soul realm cultivators. Despite that, the beast world is operating normally and pushing us back." His wife explained. "Alright. Tell me where Yao Mun is." Tian Ren said. His wife looked confused for a moment as she scrunched her eyebrows. After a moment, she finally registered Guang Fu. "Don''t tell me you mean too..." Before she could finish, Tian Ren interrupted her. "We don''t have the time to speak. Tell me." He said. "Fine. Here." She said as she handed him a location pinpointing talisman. Tian Ren took it and flew into the air, followed by Guang Fu. Before they took off, Tian Ren stopped in mid air. He was now high enough to see the entire base, and everyone in the base could see him. They were all staring in wonder at the first Heavenborn. After a moment, Tian Ren spoke, his voice resounding across the base. "Beside me stands Guang Fu. In just a few moments, he will battle Yao Mun." Tian Ren declared, shocking all those below. Yao Mun''s name was widely known by both worlds now. "Regardless of whether he wins or loses, remember his face. This is one of the most talented Heavenborns ever. He is the only one among us who may be able to defeat Yao Mun. I do not ask you to applaud or cheer, but memorize this man. He is what we should all strive for." Tian Ren said, allowing all his emotions built up over the years to be let out. His will to sacrifice against Yao Mun, his pride in Guang Fu, and his dreams for all Heavenborns. A moment later, he and Guang Fu flew away. It was not long at all before they reached the first teleportation array. After a few more, they entered an enemy square. They stood still on the ground as they looked ahead. After a moment, Tian Ren spoke. "No matter how this turns out, even if it means nothing to you, know that I am thankful and proud of you." Tian Ren said. "Thank you." Guang Fu said as he walked forward. Tian Ren watched with mixed feelings as the barrier shot up, enclosing Yao Mun and Guang Fu behind a white dome. ¡ª-------------------------------- Inside the barrier, Guang Fu saw nothing but empty plains. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. He felt the emblem on his chest. When he exhaled and his eyes opened, he was ready to fight to the death. He immediately deployed a detection technique, but as he did so, Yao Mun burst out of the ground from far away. "You again? Are you lost or something?" Yao Mun laughed mockingly. "Don''t tell me you are here to fight me." Yao Mun said after looking into Guang Fu''s eyes. As Guang Fu stepped forward, he grabbed the sword in his sheath. "I was a coward then, but I am a coward no longer." He spoke full of resolve. "Then let me see just how far that bravery takes you." Yao Mun smiled. Chapter 299: Fight to the Death - 299 Chapter 299 - Fight to the Death - 299 Guang Fu grabbed the sword in its sheath and moved it at a speed 99.9% of nascent soul realm cultivators would not be able to follow. At the exact moment that the tip of the sword left the sheath, the sword seemed to disappear, not only from eyes, but from the world itself. Guang Fu''s hand, still in a position as if it was holding a sword, swung upwards at Yao Mun from afar. Yao Mun watched with interest and confusion. Then, his right arm detached from his body. Yao Mun''s eyes widened as Guang Fu did a flip and turn in air before bringing the hand down. After an extreme amount of training, Guang Fu managed to make his formless sword technique allow for two attacks before needing to enter the sheath again. Yao Mun quickly moved to the side, almost completely dodging the second attack. Only a few of his fingers were cut off. ''As expected, his instinct is incredible.'' Guang Fu thought as he held the sword high above his head. The formless sword technique would take too long to use again in the fast paced battle about to happen. As expected, Yao Mun''s face immediately turned serious as the sword now in his left hand swiped up and his leg disappeared. Guang Fu could not even react as a sword wave smashed at the golden barrier that appeared in front of him. Although he was slightly pushed back, Guang Fu did not stop as the raised sword seemed to have its sharpened part turned a deeper yellow. As Yao Mun was swinging his sword for a second attack, Guang Fu''s sword had released his. Yao Mun''s other leg disappeared as he sacrificed it, but his eyes widened as he saw a thin line in front of him. He hurriedly canceled his attack and jumped to the side. If he still had legs, they would have been cut off. ''Dam*it.'' They both thought at the same time. ''I wasted a leg for nothing.'' Yao Mun thought. Seeing Yao Mun, Guang Fu hesitated to sacrifice his sword for the third attack. ''If I am fast, he won''t be able to attack while I reset my sword. Plus, the emblem has only been used once so far.'' Guang Fu thought to himself. In the few milliseconds that Guang Fu spent thinking, Yao Mun came to a decision. Before Guang Fu could react, two arcs shot out of Yao Muns sword, colliding with the barrier stronger and faster than before. Guang Fu''s eyes widened as he realized that the emblem was used up, yet Yao Mun did not lose any body parts. Contrary to Guang Fu''s shocked state, Yao Mun was biting his lips and clenching his teeth to near destruction. He had just sacrificed both legs of his soul. ''If I use anymore of my soul, I''ll die regardless of this fight''s outcome!'' He thought. The soul was very different from the body. Although Yao Mun could heal the soul when it was harmed, there was a point where he would die immediately. The soul contained the memories, personality, and the very existence of a being. If Yao Mun used up more than 50% of his soul, he would die. He had used up two of his legs already. In order to be safe, he would need to have at least 60% of his soul remaining. 50% was the absolute theoretical limit, but he could die starting from only having 59% of his soul left. That meant that he could only use up 40% of his soul in one fight. The soul''s head made up 30% as it contained the eyes, ears, tongue, and nose, making up 4 of his 5 senses, and the mind itself. The upper torso and lower torso contained 10% of his soul combined. The arms and legs each made up 15% of the soul. He had already sacrificed 30% of his soul, sacrificing another body part would put him in a very likely death situation and sacrificing a bit of the soul''s limb would be an incomplete sacrifice. The power would go down immensely. Therefore, the soul was basically off limits unless he was going to die regardless. Guang Fu hastily stopped his sword from entering the sheath and prepared the sword explosion drill technique. ''Goodbye.'' He said to his sword as it shot off of his hand and straight at Yao Mun Despite its speed, Yao Mun was able to catch a glimpse of it and sacrificed his last limb, his left arm, while swinging the sword. Yao Mun''s attack destroyed the sword and caused it too explode, before continuing on towards Guang Fu. The power had been lessened by the sword''s explosion, but Guang Fu could barely dodge. He could only move a little bit to the side and his left leg and left arm were cut off. Guang Fu and Yao Mun stared at each other for a moment, seemingly out of moves. Then, Yao Mun smiled. Bloop! Yao Mun''s right arm regrew out of nowhere. He flew towards Guang Fu arrogantly as he held his sword. "You truly were strong. In the nascent soul realm, besides me, I declare you the strongest." Yao Mun arrogantly yelled. Guang Fu watched as Yao Mun stopped a hundred feet in front of him and held the sword high. "A pity that you have to die here. I would have liked to fight you more" He said as the sword started to move. Guang Fu closed his eyes as he prepared to use the self destruction technique. He was not confident that it would reach, but he would die anyway. Shoom! Suddenly, the sound of wind being cut was heard and a foot appeared in front of Yao Mun''s face. The foot seemed to be stopped in mid air by an unknown force, but Yao Mun was sent flying backwards so hard by the following shockwave and wind that he popped the barrier and was lodged in a tree, nearly killed. Chapter 300: Outcome - 300 Chapter 300 - Outcome - 300 Guang Fu''s eyes widened as he saw the person stopped in mid air. "What are you doing!" He yelled at Tian Ren. Tian Ren, stopped in mid air, looked at Guang Fu with a slight smile. "I don''t know. My body moved before I could even react." He said sadly. Guang Fu was about to speak, but Tian Ren interrupted. "I don''t have much time. The only reason I can talk now is... well..." Tian Ren stuttered to a stop. "Goodbye Guang Fu. Yao Mun should be alive, barely. Kill him. Do not let my actions be in vain. I expect a lot from you. You better surpass me or I''ll look like an idiot." He laughed. As a lightning dragon began to form above him, he looked up happily. "What will we do without you now! Bi Chong is still alive!" Guang Fu yelled emotionally. Tian Ren chuckled. "Luckily, we have a man in the sky to take care of that." No more words could be spoken as the lightning dragon descended upon him at an unimaginable speed and turned his body to ashes. "Dam*it!" Guang Fu yelled as he slammed his fists on the ground. ¡ª---------------------------------- Up above, in an unknown area, a see-through, ethereal version of Tian Ren appeared. His upper body seemed normal, but his legs were replaced by a thin, curling line. He looked around, but all he could see was whiteness. The entire area seemed to be made of clouds, from the ground to the sky. He could feel immense comfort and pleasure throughout his entire body. "Where am I?" He said to himself, surprised to hear that he could actually speak. "The Heaven domain." Heaven answered. Tian Ren looked at the person who appeared with joy. "I was hoping I would see you again!" He said. "Yeah Yeah. Well good job dying." Heaven said, annoyed. "Sorry. Couldn''t help myself." Tian Ren responded. "Well. You haven''t technically died. With the help of Zhou Fan, from the gatherings, I was able to create this area." He said as he gestured around. "This is where my favorite subjects will come after "Death." He said, using air quotes while saying the word death. "Here, you can watch what goes on around the Heaven galaxy, and live until the lifespan earned by your cultivation goes out." Heaven explained. "For you, that would be around 500 million years." Heaven added. "You can truly die at any time if you want. Just speak out loud and I will fulfill the wish." Heaven said. "Alright then. Sounds nice." Tian Ren responded. "I''ve got things to do. Feel free to watch what happens now." Heaven said as he walked away. "Alright." Tian Ren said. "And I am sorry I can no longer be in your service." He added. "I know. I know." Heaven waved as he disappeared. Tian Ren got comfortable and looked at a screen in front of him. ¡ª--------------------------- After only a few moments of grief, Guang Fu stood up and slowly walked, still injured, towards Yao Mun. As the barrier popped, the rain outside had begun to fall. Guang Fu slowly walked, his grief turning into anger. By the time he reached Yao Mun, he didn''t plan on killing him easily. Consumed by rage, Guang Fu grabbed the limbless Yao Mun and threw him to the ground, forming a pit. That woke Yao Mun up, but there was nothing left to sacrifice besides things that would cost him his life. Guang Fu got on top of him and punched him in the face. Left fist. Right fist. Left fist. Right fist. He kept beating Yao Mun until his face was bloody and almost unrecognizable. Yao Mun began to speak through the pile of blood and mush with much difficulty. "I''ll give you one warning. Get off and leave before I self detonate." Yao Mun spoke. Before he could say anything else, a powerful force hit his face, unexpectedly knocking him out. Guang Fu, now in control of his actions. Rolled over off of Yao Mun, completely exhausted and injured. His left leg and left arm were still gone. After a brief second that Guang Fu used to catch his breath, Guang Fu got up and grabbed his sword. He held it over Yao Mun''s skull. He wanted to say a final line, but nothing came to mind. "Dam* you!" He simply yelled as his sword fell down. Just as it was to reach Yao Mun''s forehead, a force stopped it. "Have you gotten your anger out now!" A voice asked from behind him. Guang Fu wanted to turn around, but the force stopped him from moving. Soon, a person appeared in front of him. The person had a mask and purple eyes. "I''ve been watching since the barrier popped. I thought of saving him before you beat him, but I decided to wait until you tried to kill him." The beast in humanoid form spoke. "Let me kill him!" Guang Fu yelled. For some reason, he could talk. "No." The person answered as he picked up Yao Mun. "The only thing stopping me from killing you now is the rules. Wouldn''t want to end up like Tian Ren." The man laughed. Guang Fu was angry, but he realized that there was nothing he could do. "Let me tell you what happens now. You are going to go back to the Heaven world base and tell them what happened. Quickly, the Heaven base will be cleared out and all of the beings from the Heaven world will clear out of the final world, as well as the world''s following it. Only the Heaven world will remain as a sanctuary for your kind." The man explained. "Luckily for you, Heaven will likely protect the Heaven world from being invaded. This war is over. Once everyone is evacuated, your kind will officially declare your defeat, and we, the beast world, will own all of these planets for ourselves." The man said. "Never did I expect that Tian Ren would sacrifice himself. I sure am glad that I came to watch the battle. Anyway, later. I am sure that we will meet again." He said as he flew off carrying Yao Mun. Guang Fu could only move an hour after he left. He immediately fell to the ground and passed out. Chapter 301: The Following Days - 301 Chapter 301 - The Following Days - 301 Guang Fu woke up 3 hours after passing out. As his eyes opened, he did not move. He laid face first on the ground. He was defeated. ''We''ve lost.'' Guang Fu thought to himself. After all that training and hard work, not only was Yao Mun alive, but Tian Ren was dead. It was as if they went into battle expecting to lose at most 100%, or the worth of Guang Fu, and left after losing 100000%, or the worth of Tian Ren. Only after silently staring at the ground while the rain fell onto him and around him did Guang Fu get up. As he looked up into the sky defeated, he could only think of one thing. "Yao Mun. That masked man. No, the entire beast world. I''m going to kill you all." He said softly. A moment later, Guang Fu started to move. He quickly made it to the next teleportation array where he met one of the defenders on his side. "Hey!" He yelled, getting the defenders attention. "Retreat with me. Now!" He yelled. "Unless there are direct orders from the higher ups, I will stay here." The man responded. Guang Fu shook his head, wondering why he even bothered, and continued on. Through the rest of the squares, he didn''t say anything and flew through. Soon, he arrived at the Heaven world base. He sighed to himself as he saw the crowd waiting for good news. After Tian Ren''s declaration, they were hoping for good news. Guang Fu only stood there as he watched the crowd in front of him. How was he even going to break the news? Some people in the crowd began to cheer, although they were surprised at his injuries, but a few of the stronger ones sensed the atmosphere around him and looked solemnly. Yet, even they were not prepared for the next words that came out of Guang Fu''s mouth. "Tian Ren..... Is dead." He said. It was as if the entire world stopped moving. Some had shocked looks, but some were so shocked that their faces did not even change. "We need to retreat." Guang Fu said amidst the silence. Nobody was paying attention. Guang Fu, at a loss of what to do, flew past the crowd and into the Heaven base. He was still extremely tired and injured. He needed to rest before starting the long journey. He also needed to regrow his arm and leg, but he would survive for now. Guang Fu found a room and slept in it. When he woke up, the news had spread across the entire Heaven base. It had even been transmitted back to the Heaven world and the worlds between. Along with that, the order to retreat to the Heaven world was sent out. As Guang Fu got up and walked out his door, he was met with a single woman standing in front of him. "We went to investigate yesterday, and can essentially confirm what you said. However, you need to tell me what happened to my husband immediately." Tian Ren''s wife said. Guang Fu nodded and was about to speak, but was interrupted. "Not here." She said as she grabbed his arm and flew at a speed he could not comprehend. He opened his eyes and found himself in a meeting room. Contrary to the last time, every single individual inside was able to rank at the very top of the entire Heaven galaxy in terms of strength. Without waiting, Guang Fu explained everything as it happened. He also talked about his training with Tian Ren and everything else he could think of. The room was in a gloomy silence. Only Tian Ren''s wife began to speak. "Before anything else, we need to get the hell out of here. Everyone occupying a square is already back. We will take the flying ship as instructed in the emergency code." She said. The flying ship was a space shattering realm item that flew in the air. With its size, it could carry a billion people if they were squeezed together and stacked on top of each other. Luckily, there weren''t that many at the base. Tian Ren''s wife disappeared, soon followed by the others in the room, leaving Guang Fu alone. Guang Fu soon exited as well, albeit many times slower. Before long, the Heaven base had been fully evacuated onto the flying ship. The flying ship was as big as the Heaven base itself. It soon raised into the air and flew away at a speed equal to those first level space shattering realm cultivators. After a week and a lot of teleportation arrays, the ship was much more packed than before. Along the way, the ship stopped at another planet and evacuated a lot more people. The world was not fully evacuated, but a lot more trips would start once the current group got back. They would evacuate all of the worlds leading to the final world. Once the group reached yet another teleportation array, the same exiting procedure was followed. The ship was far too big to enter the array, so they had to individually leave every time. This time, however, the ship would not be following. The array led to the heaven world. Once they entered, they would be free to go wherever, but most would go to the Heaven sect. Guang Fu entered the array following the line, but not before Tian Ren''s wife handed him a talisman. "We will reach out to you soon." She said. Guang Fu nodded and disappeared into the array. ¡ª---------------------------------- In the final world, on a flat mountain, a single humanoid creature that seemed like a cloth bag stood. In front of him was a wooden grave. He had personally made it. "We had our ups and downs, and even worked together for a while, but it seems our time ends now." Bi Chong said to the grave. "While I can''t say I liked you, I wish we could have battled again. Goodbye forever Tian Ren. Don''t worry, I''ll be sure to take care of the Heavenborns for you." He said with a chuckle. Suddenly, a lightning strike shot down and destroyed the grave. "Hahaha." Bi Chong laughed as he walked away. Chapter 302: Return - 302 Chapter 302 - Return - 302 Three years later, a knock was heard on a wooden door. Standing outside of the shack, knocking on the door, was a silver haired woman. Even after knocking for three minutes straight, she received no answer. "I know you are in there. I can literally see through these walls." She said in an annoyed tone. Still, there was no answer. After another minute of knocking, she decided that was enough. "Fine then." She said as she backed up two feet. Then, she kicked down the door, turning it into dust. Inside, she saw a blond haired man with a tired face meditating. "The sect master has demanded your arrival. Get up so that we can go." She said. After a moment of silence, the man opened his eyes. "There is no reason for me to go. There is nothing that I can do there." He said. "Tell your sect master that I kindly refused." "As if that''s an option. The fact that she hasn''t sent someone to beat you up for your disobedience is a miracle in itself. Also, it''s OUR sect master." She responded. The man put his hand to his forehead as if he was exhausted from her presence. "Can I at least hear why I must come back. I already described everything that happened that day." "I don''t know. She said it was beyond my information level." The woman honestly responded. "There''s no need for you to stay here in solitude. Do you not want to repay Tian Ren''s kindness and sacrifice?" "Of course I do. But there is nothing to do until I am stronger. I find no point in bothering with the Heaven sect." Guang Fu responded. The woman let out a heavy and annoyed sigh. "From what it sounded like to me, they may even give you techniques that can increase your strength. Just get up and come back." The woman said. "I could practice techniques later. What I need is cultivation." Guang Fu responded. "We both know that it won''t matter if you spend a few hours a day practicing techniques. You are being lazy. Stop feeling sorry for yourself." She said. "Fine. Fine. You are right. I''m coming." Guang Fu relented. ''I guess I have been doing nothing but feeling sorry for myself and mourning. That needs to be over right now. No more slacking or lazing around in self pity.'' Guang Fu thought to himself as he got up. For the first time since he returned to the Heaven world, his eyes brightened again. Three years had passed since Tian Ren''s death. Just a month ago, the final Heavenborn entered the Heaven world. Now, there was not a single one elsewhere in the entire universe. A week ago, the Heaven world declared their defeat. Now, the entire Final world was in the grasp of the beast world. Tian Ren flew behind the woman as they sped to the Heaven sect. Since Tian Ren had died, his wife took up the position of sect master. "Wait a minute." Guang Fu said. "How did you know that it wouldn''t matter if I spent a few hours a day practicing techniques?" It had been discovered by Guang Fu when he first started training with Tian Ren, but his cultivation speed was no faster when he cultivated 24 hours a day than when he cultivated 18 hours. At the time, he and Tian Ren assumed that it was some form of compensation for cultivation speed being limited no matter the talent. Naturally, they were right. "I''m a god rank talent. Back in the nascent soul realm, I experienced it myself." She answered. "Makes sense." Guang Fu responded as they kept flying. A while ago, Guang Fu''s meridians stopped growing and halted at the immortal 3 rank. It was back when he and Tian Ren were training, but there was no obvious difference. After a few days of flying, Guang Fu and the silver haired woman arrived at the Heaven sect. As per usual, they stopped flying at the gate and began to walk. Nowadays, it was seen as disrespectful to Heaven to fly in the Heaven sect. Despite the rule, it was rumored that Tian Ren was annoyed at his view being impeded and declared such. Naturally, it had never been confirmed, but the rumor was as old as the rule. ''Not that it matters anymore.'' Guang Fu thought. As they reached the center of the city, Guang Fu was met with a surprise. Underneath the giant eye statue that represented Heaven, a new statue was built. The statue was as old as the Heavenborn race itself, so it was surprising to see something change around it. As Guang Fu got closer, he was able to make out its appearance. Below the giant eye, a man sitting on a throne raised his hand high and supported the giant eye, along with the three golden beams. Naturally, that man was Tian Ren. "It''s fitting isn''t it. As the greatest follower of Heaven, it''s just right. The whole Heaven sect voted and the decision was unanimous." The woman said as she admired the statue. "That is the man you are living up to. Good luck." She said with a chuckle. Guang Fu could tell he was being mocked, but silently followed the woman as he observed the statue. Behind the statue was the Heaven sect castle, where Tian Ren once lived. Guang Fu followed the woman into it and saw a woman standing near the throne while facing it. Although there was no dust on the throne, it was clear that it had not been sat on in a while. "So you finally came. I don''t know who you think you are, ignoring my talisman, but you are lucky I haven''t beaten you up." She said with feigned anger. "I apologize ma''am." Guang Fu responded. The woman shook her head and waved her hand. "Go now. Me and Guang Fu must talk alone." She said to the silver haired woman. "Of course sect master." She said as she left the castle, closing the doors behind her. Chapter 303: Deals - 303 Chapter 303 - Deals - 303 "Do you have any idea why I''ve called you here?" Tian Ren''s wife asked. "No clue." Guang Fu responded. "I expected. To make it short, we need you to succeed Tian Ren." She said. Guang Fu didn''t move for a while as he took in her words. "Huh?" He asked. "Pretty simple, there is no Heavenborn more talented than you besides Yao Mun." She explained. "Naturally, the death of a leader has never happened before, but we can assume what he would have wanted done in such a situation. According to his words, you are the ideal person." "That makes sense, but what are the details?" Guang Fu asked. "We decided to keep Tian Ren''s legacy ongoing. I can explain more details later when we meet with the rest of the space shattering realm cultivators, but in a few months, we plan to declare you the young master of the Heaven sect. In other words, once you reach a high enough strength, you will become the sect master." Tian Ren''s wife explained. Guang Fu held his head as he felt a headache coming on. "I don''t think I can." He said. "There is something I need to do, and I may die doing it." "We likely have the same idea. There is a requirement besides reaching the space shattering realm for you becoming the sect master." She added. "To become the sect master of the Heaven sect, you must kill Yao Mun. That should align with what you have in mind right?" "Yes. Then I agree. However, I have a question." Guang Fu said. "Why don''t you kill Yao Mun?" "Because he would now be protected by space shattering realm cultivators. According to our very little intel, he has become the student of Bi Chong. They have the same goals, to crush the Heavenborns and, if ever possible, destroy Heaven." She explained. "Then I suppose I have to kill Bi Chong as well." Guang Fu said with his eyes closed. A faint strand of killing intent leaked out of him. "That brings us to the second point of you coming here." Tian Ren''s wife said as she clapped her hands. "It seems that you won''t have to take care of Bi Chong. Not alone at least." "What do you mean?" Guang Fu asked. "Recently, a mysterious organization reached out to us. They said that we shared a common goal, and only together could we reach it. In order to even meet, we have to sign a contract of secrecy. You may have to sign it too. If it goes as planned, we will have a meeting in a month. We would like you to attend." She explained. After a moment of thinking, Guang Fu nodded. "Fine. Taking on Yao Mun and Bi Chong working together would be too much no matter how strong I get." "I''m glad you think that way. Our discussion will continue on in a meeting room with the others. Just know that your training will be done by you alone unless you request otherwise. Complete access to all of the Heaven Sects techniques had been given to you." She said as she tossed over a metal token. "That will be your entry and exit pass. Follow me." She said as she walked away. Guang Fu followed. ¡ª---------------------------------- A month later, Guang Fu sat in a room away from the Heaven sect and deep underground. He, Tian Ren''s wife, and one other space shattering cultivator sat on one side of the table. The rest of the table was currently empty. Guang Fu had signed a lengthy contract and took an oath, but it had no nonsensical clauses. It was meant to keep both sides quiet about everything that happens in the meeting room. Guang Fu looked around the huge room as he waited. The ceilings were a thousand feet high and the walls were a thousand feet apart. He guessed that it was meant for meetings between non-humanoid transformed beasts. After looking around for a few more minutes, a giant door on the opposite side of the room opened. What walked through were two flying men and a large beast behind them. "I apologize in advance for my friend here''s size. He has yet to reach the soul formation realm." The man in front said. "No worries. I''ve worked with plenty of supreme beasts and can understand your troubles." Tian Ren''s wife said. Guang Fu was enlightened. ''So they are supreme beasts. She likely just figured that out.'' He thought to himself. "Yes. Luckily, he is not one of the super gigantic kind." The powerful supreme beast laughed. The supreme beast was at the space shattering realm, while the man behind was at the void traversing realm. The lead man and the other man sat down while the beast stood behind them. "Let''s get down to business. Us beast world supreme beasts may be struggling to even survive and are countless times weaker than the beasts or the Heavenborns, but we have an incomparably valuable asset with us." The man explained. "And what is that?" Tian Ren''s wife asked. "Talent. The beast behind me, Lernean, is a nine headed hydra. He has nine affinities and can be considered one of the most talented beings in the galaxy." He explained. As time passed, many things were discussed between the two. "We spent a lot of resources, time, and power building a teleportation array to this planet. Luckily, we had the help of you Heavenborns." The man said. "It was quite the job to build one big enough for lernean." "Indeed it was. I hope it was worth it." Tian Ren''s wife said. Building a teleportation array usually required people on both ends. "You will see." The man responded. "So, I would like to move our supreme beast race to the Heaven world. That way, we would be able to develop our strength. In the beast world, we are heavily suppressed. Growing is simply impossible." "I can imagine so. Let''s cut to the chase, I want your lernean to fight our Guang Fu. They are at the same cultivation level. Afterwards, the final call will be his." She said as she gestured to Guang Fu. "That''s fine with me. Lernean, don''t kill him." Chapter 304: Friendly Spar - 304 Chapter 304 - Friendly Spar - 304 Lernean and Guang Fu stood in a field. They were no longer underground. Above them was a large white dome shaped barrier, similar to the ones used during the war. It was quickly set up by the supreme beast leader and Tian Ren''s wife in order to stop anyone besides them from seeing what was going on inside. Guang Fu and Lernean stood across from each other. Lernean was already standing tall, ready to display his full power, while Guang Fu was holding a sword he had borrowed from Tian Ren''s wife. Without a word needing to be spoken, both Guang Fu and Lernean moved at the same time. Instantly, Lernean spat out 9 breaths containing different Qi''s. Not willing to get hit by them, Guang Fu dodged by moving far to the sides. The breaths continued moving forward without any sign of changing directions. ''He cannot control his breaths once they leave his mouth.'' Guang Fu noted. He was neither glad nor sad. On one hand, his future ally had a weakness. On the other hand, his current opponent had a weakness. Guang Fu''s speed was extremely fast. He moved so quickly that Lernean could barely react. Nine different spears appeared above Lernean''s heads and shot toward the quickly moving Guang Fu. Guang Fu had no trouble dodging them at all. He was simply much smaller and much faster. ''This guy clearly doesn''t compare to Yao Mun. Can he really beat Bi Chong?'' Guang Fu asked himself. Guang Fu was just about to feel dejected as Lerneans heads moved together. It only took a moment for all nine of them to be touching, forming a circle. Then, they continued moving inwards. For some reason, it was as if they were in separate spaces. Before Guang Fu could reach Lernean, the heads had all layered over each other. Then, a light appeared. It almost blinded Guang Fu''s eyes, but he was able to see through it. He watched as the nine heads formed one, multicolored head. Then, Lernean opened his mouth and roared. Guang Fu felt danger for the first time since the battle started and put his sword in his sheath. He held his hands out and two hands twice as big as his body appeared in front of him. They were made of Light Qi. It was a Light Qi defensive technique heavily based off of Buddhist Qi techniques. A breath made of nine colors and nine Qi''s reached the hands before Guang Fu could react. The hands resisted for a second, but quickly broke down from the breath attack. ''His nine heads merged to form one. Different from that, the nine breaths retained their own individuality instead of combining. The power increased by about ten times, but what if they merged? Is there some reason they aren''t?'' Guang Fu thought as he jumped upward quickly. He had already spotted Lernean''s weakness and easily evaded the breath. ''Perhaps if I stood still and took it with my bare body, that would have killed me. He seems talented, but he doesn''t feel all that strong. Maybe it''s because I fought Yao Mun. Am I getting arrogant?'' Guang Fu casually thought to himself as he grabbed his sword''s handle. As he began to pull the sword out of its sheath, he continued to think. ''No. No. This guy is the one who is arrogant. He really thought such a subpar mastery was acceptable? I can''t be arrogant compared to this guy. I''ll just consider this teaching him a life lesson.'' Guang Fu thought as the tip of the sword exited the sheath. At that moment, the sword disappeared. Then, a giant hole formed in Lernean''s one-headed body. He hadn''t even had time to see that Guang Fu dodged. Lernean fell to the ground as nine heads appeared once again. Guang Fu sheathed his sword since the battle was clearly over. He flew towards Lernean''s laid down body as the supreme beast and Tian Ren''s wife watched carefully. "You seem subpar, but you have talent. If you can control that breath of yours, you may become an actual threat. Before that, stop thinking you have a chance to scratch Bi Chong. If you two were at the same level, he would kill you ten times before you attacked once." Guang Fu lectured. "So what will it be?" Tian Ren''s wife asked. Both she and the space shattering realm supreme beast were shocked by Guang Fu''s performance, but they did not let it show on their face. "He can work with us. At the very least, holding back Bi Chong may not be an issue. Of course, that is assuming he gets much better." Guang Fu said. "Let the supreme beasts relocate here. If me and Lernean train together, he may improve much more than when alone. Sparring with each other may even help me." "Then it is settled." Tian Ren''s wife said as she clapped her hands with a smile. She and the space shattering realm supreme beast went off to discuss details of their cooperation further while Guang Fu came closer to Lernean and started healing him. "Thanks." Lernean said. His voice was gruff and deep, but the tone was quite kind. "Don''t thank me yet. I''m not much of a healer. At the Heaven sect, we have better healers. Come with me." Guang Fu said as he stabilized Lernean''s condition. "No need. I heal quickly." Lernean responded. "The point is to get to know each other a bit. Come on." Guang Fu said. "Are you sure we can just go out without saying anything?" Lernean asked with a confused tone. "Hah. Let me introduce you. Welcome to the Heaven world. A world of peace and freedom. Nobody here goes asking for a fight with people like us." Guang Fu laughed. He made sure that Lernean could move well before they began flying back to the Heaven sect. The world was huge, but they hadn''t gone that far away from the Heaven sect. It was only a day of travel before they arrived at the Heaven sect''s gate. At first, Lernean''s huge body put them on edge, but Guang Fu fetched an item made specifically for these occasions. He put a talisman on Lernean and Lernean''s big body became smaller until it was only twice as big as a normal Heavenborns. "This will temporarily shrink you, but don''t get into any fights or bump into anything too hard. It will lose its effect." Chapter 305: Doctor Ket - 305 Chapter 305 - Doctor Ket - 305 Guang Fu and Lernean walked down the streets of the Heaven sect side by side. At first, people would be wary when seeing Lernean, but when they saw Guang Fu, they sighed in relief and went back to what they were doing. As they walked around, Lernean could not help but look around in wonder, despite his age. It was his first time ever seeing such grand and elegant things. "I assume you''ve spent most of your life hidden underground or something. Welcome to a much better world." Guang Fu said as they walked. Soon, Guang Fu and Lernean reached a large palace. Hanging above the entrance was a sign that said, "Doctor Ket''s". Guang Fu walked in, followed by Lernean. The first floor of the large palace was set up like a shop. In little containers were healing pills and potions, as well as other types of medicines and pills. Guang Fu directly ignored them as he found a staircase guarded by two guards and walked up it. The guards did not stop him, but they warrily eyed the following Lernean. Luckily, both the second floor and the first floor had high ceilings with wide walls. The second floor, unlike the first, contained only a few hallways and a few doors leading to rooms. Normally, few people were allowed to come up, but Guang Fu was known due to his fight with Yao Mun. After a few turns, Guang Fu knocked on a door. Next to the door was a plate that said, "Doctor Ket''s". "Come in." A voice said. Guang Fu opened the door and entered, but Lernean was too big. His nine heads floated down and peered into the room. "Guang Fu! Good to see you. Did you need something or did you just drop by to say hello?" He asked with a smile. "Hi Doctor Ket. I''ve come to heal my friend here." Guang Fu responded. Doctor Ket took a look at Lernean who was peeking from the doors as his eyes showed a green light temporarily. "Well he doesn''t seem that injured. Appears to heal fast." Doctor Ket mumbled as he pointed two fingers at Lernean and a green beam of light shot out. "There you go. Don''t worry about paying, it''s on the house." Doctor Ket said with a smile. "Thanks Doctor." Guang Fu said as he turned around and exited the door. He and Guang Fu soon exited the palace. "Who was he? I didn''t think of it much when it happened, but that green light was too fast for me to react to." Lernean asked when they exited the building. "That was Doctor Ket, one of the eldest Heavenborns, as well as the greatest Healer we have. According to rumor, he had practiced medicine and healing so much and so intensely that he suddenly gained an unknown ability. It allows him to see the entire body of any person with a glance. Along with that, his healing ability went up ten fold." Guang Fu explained. "He is also at the 6th level of the void traversing realm." Guang Fu added. "Wow." Lernean said. "Someone at the 6th level of the void traversing realm would be very powerful in our supreme beast race. But here, he is just a doctor." "Yeah. Peace can help a lot. But soon, we are going into war. Unlike the supreme beasts from your world, we will fight back, and we will grow even faster than now. No offense." Guang Fu said. "None taken." Lernean said as they continued to walk around. "You will probably need to leave soon." Guang Fu said. "Before you go, here." Guang Fu handed Lernean an envelope. One of Lerneans'' heads bit it and held it. "That is an invitation to a ceremony taking place in two months. If you can, you should attend." Guang Fu said. "I will try." Lernean responded. As they reached the gate, Guang Fu waved Lernean off. He then headed off to his house. Until the ceremony two months later, he would mostly be left alone. Guang Fu''s residence was close to the castle. It had a main house and a large yard. Both were surrounded by walls twenty feet tall. Over the next 2 months, Guang Fu cultivated for 18 hours, then practiced techniques for 6 hours without a single break in between. As he practiced, his eyes showed determination that they never had before. After 2 months, a familiar face appeared in the yard Guang Fu was practicing in. "It is time." Tian Ren''s wife said. "Let''s go." Guang Fu said without wasting any time. After a short walk, they made it to a large park. Usually, the park was left alone as an eyepiece, but today there was a stage and tens of thousands of seats. While the park was very large, taking up a noticeable portion on the map, it was nowhere near big enough to host the entire Heaven sect. Therefore, due to the special occasion, the no flying rule was temporarily lifted. Ten thousand people sat in seats covering the flat park, while the rest were flying in the skies. In the seats closer to the stage, one could see important people such as Doctor Ket and many space shattering cultivators. The viewers got more and more unrecognizable as you looked back. With a quick glance, Guang Fu estimated that the entire Heaven sect was in attendance, as well as some other Heavenborns not technically part of the sect, although all Heavenborns were considered disciples in some ways. Soon, Guang Fu and Tian Ren''s wife got on the stage. Besides a single altar, on which a carved eyeball was held, they were the only things on the stage. Seeing them get on, the entire crowd quieted down. Even the wind stopped moving. "Ever since Tian Ren''s death, I have been given the title of the ruler of Heavenborns, as well as the sect master of the Heaven sect." Tian Ren''s wife began. "But I am unworthy to sit where he sat. Although many would say otherwise, we all know it deep down. So today, we have gathered in hopes of declaring someone worthy of the title. I believe that this man, Guang Fu, is the only one who could possibly be considered." Chapter 306: Young Master - 306 Chapter 306 - Young Master - 306 The crowd watched silently as Tian Ren''s wife spoke. "As we all know, just a few years ago, Guang Fu fought Yao Mun. Not only did he fight him and survive, but he even fought him at the same cultivation. I don''t believe that there is another alive that could do so." Tian Ren''s wife said. "Along with his incredible feat, he was also personally selected by my husband, Tian Ren, to be his disciple." As Tian Ren''s wife spoke, Guang Fu looked around the crowd. A little bit in the back, in order to not block everyone''s vision, was Lernean. Guang Fu had not noticed him before due to him being behind so many people. "With Guang Fu as our Heaven sects young master, we will be able to rise to our full potential. Now, the ceremony will begin." Tian Ren''s wife said. As she said that, clouds began to gather above. Guang Fu turned around and looked at the altar on the stage. The altar seemed similar to a fountain in the middle of some city squares, but without water or anything in it. On top of a pillar in the center of the altar was an eyeball, representing Heaven. Guang Fu picked up the knife sitting on the altar and held the blade on his palm. "Naturally, the Heaven sect does not only consist of Heavenborns. Most importantly, there is Heaven, our creator." She explained. "In order to crown a young master, the approval of Heaven is naturally required. If he is deemed unworthy, then he will not be the young master of the Heaven sect." She said. "It is now time. Guang Fu, begin." Tian Ren''s wife gave the go ahead. Guang Fu sliced open his palm and dripped the blood into the altar. The origin of the altar was no mystery. Tian Ren had made it long ago in case he died. According to unconfirmed information, he and Heaven had come to an agreement that the altar would be used to help select a successor in case of his death. As Guang Fu''s blood dripped, the clouds above began to spiral. Everyone quietly watched as time passed and the clouds grew more concentrated above. After a minute, an eyeball suddenly formed above everyone''s heads. It silently floated as it examined Guang Fu. All beings attending hurriedly stood up and kneeled to Heaven. Even Tian Ren''s wife did. Only Guang Fu was still standing. His nervousness, as well as his astonishment, was enough to make him not think straight. After thirty seconds, the eye disappeared. Just as everyone was confused, a lightning strike shot down faster than anyone could react and hit Guang Fu''s forehead. In the next second, Guang Fu opened his eyes and found that he seemed to be floating in space. Below him was the Heaven world. In front of him floated a giant eyeball. Now, it spoke. "You are to succeed Tian Ren?" It asked. "Yes I am." Guang Fu resolutely confirmed. Although he put up a brave front, he was more nervous now than he ever had been. His very creator was in front of him. "Do you believe that you can?" The eye asked. "I do." Guang Fu responded. "Then why aren''t you kneeling already?" The eye asked. Guang Fu''s eyes widened in realization as he hurriedly kneeled. Despite having pride, he did not find the act shameful. Heaven was the very core of all Heavenborns. Their lord and creator. Not kneeling in his presence was enough to get beheaded and hung on the city walls. After a moment, the eye spoke. "Then succeed him well. Do not disappoint me, nor him." The eye said as it faded away. On the stage, Guang Fu opened his eyes. Only an instant had passed since the lightning had struck him. Soon, the clouds dispersed and the sun shone down on the park. As Guang Fu turned around, everyone could not help but notice the lightning bolt mark on his forehead, similar to Tian Ren''s. Everyone was already kneeling, but they internally kneeled again. "We greet the young master." They said in unison before sitting back down or flying back up. Even Tian Ren''s wife and the other space shattering cultivators had done so. Guang Fu''s status, as someone approved by Heaven, was far beyond theirs. Soon, the scene was like before, with everyone sitting and Tian Ren''s wife speaking. "Clearly, Guang Fu has become the young master and the future sect master, but that is not all we came here for today." Tian Ren''s wife said. "Almost everyone is unaware, but Tian Ren, long ago, was the person who named himself. This was back when he was the only Heavenborn on the Heaven world and single handedly created the Heaven sect." She said. "Behind the name Tian Ren, there is another meaning. The word Tian, stands for Heaven, while the word Ren stands for man. In other words, Tian Ren means Heaven man, or as we call it, Heavenborn. The name Tian Ren stands for much more than many understand. That is why no other Heavenborn has the word Tian in their name. It represents a being connected with Heaven." She said. "Although Tian Ren is dead, his legacy continues. From today on, Guang Fu is no more. What remains is Tian Fu, the second ruler of the Heavenborns!" She exclaimed. As she finished speaking, applause broke out. Tian Fu had already been informed of such a thing beforehand. The name change would feel weird for a while, but the honor it brought would last forever. Soon, a feast was held in Tian Fu''s honor. The most delicious food was presented to each person attending. The entire Heaven sect, as well as the visitors, moved away from the park and entered a large building outside of the sect where the food was. The large building was more than enough to hold the amount of people attending. An uncountable number of people walked up to Tian Fu and greeted him. Everytime, he greeted them back. At some point, even Lernean came up. "Nice to see you again Gua¨C I mean, Tian Fu." Lernean said, correcting himself mid way. "Good to see you too, Lernean." Tian Fu responded. Chapter 307 - 1,000 Years - 307 Chapter 307 - 1,000 Years - 307 It took three days for the banquet and feast to finally end. Just about every single Heavenborn and visitor greeted him at some point. At its end, Tian Fu was preparing for seclusion. Playtime was over, he needed strength as soon as possible. First, Tian Fu went to the library. He spent most of his time in the deepest level, accessible by less than a hundred people in the entire sect. He looked around it, but found only two techniques that interested him. Tian Ren had been right, the techniques he had chosen were the best of the best and suited towards Tian Fu. As he left the library, Tian Fu decided that he would begin creating his own techniques once he mastered the two new ones. He would also hone the ones chosen by Tian Ren farther. As Tian Fu entered his house and shut his doors, a long period of seclusion ensued. ¡ª---------------------------------- Two giant doors opened, a golden light shining out of them. Ying Xiong walked through the doors that blocked the deepest area in the Buddhist sect from others. He entered a large hallway and looked around. In front of pillars that held up the ceiling were bald men dressed in robes. All of them were meditating. Ying Xiong nodded at the scene. He was used to it. Although he entered the room and everyone had sensed him, there was no reaction. In most sects, status was extremely important and showing respect to those with higher status was expected. In the Buddhist sect, however, there was no such thing. Although a sect master like Ying Xiong was very important, no respect needed to be shown. Ying Xiong exited the Buddhist temple and walked through the streets of mankinds greatest imperial capital. Soon, he came upon an area surrounded by gates, but with an open entrance. He walked through the gates and ventured around, soon coming to a stone grave. Near the end of her lifespan, his mother had fallen due to a sickness. She died happy, a thing that made Ying Xiong very glad. Ying Xiong knelt down and honored his mother. A while later, he got up and returned to the buddhist temple, entering the deep doors. ¡ª----------------------------------- In a deep sinkhole, in a room at the very bottom, a giant man with grayish skin cultivated. He had not moved for a long time, but he constantly gained strength. The fiendcelestial world, as well as the other races worlds, were still gradually recovering from the cultivation reset. ¡ª-------------------------------- 1,000 years passed. Tian Fu, Yao Mun, Ying Xiong, and Lernean had all reached the peak of the soul formation realm. Their strengths soared leaps and bounds in that time, but soon, the tutorial was going to end. Upon entering the void traversing realm, the smooth and predictable journey they had lived through would finally end. From then on, their individual talents would truly shine on the world. For the first time in a thousand years, Tian Fu stepped out of his house. Despite so long passing, nothing seemed to change. Ever since the retreat, there had been no outside conflict. Still, the new lack of resources had greatly stunted the growth of the Heaven sect and Heavenborns in general. As time passed, the talent requirement for joining the Heaven sect had been gradually increasing. Although the Heaven sect''s size had not been expanded due to the fact that it was personally built by the first Heavenborn, there were new cities outside of the current Heaven sect in order to allow more people to join. In the first 500 years, Tian Fu honed his techniques to perfection. Even the ones he had gotten from the library had been fully perfected. The first three techniques he had gotten from Tian Ren, the formless sword, the light space cutting technique, and the sword explosion drill, would continue to be useful through most of his cultivation journey. The new ones, however, would barely be useful in the void traversing realm. He had learned them more as a reference point for creating techniques. In the later years, Tian Fu worked on creating his own techniques. Once he reached the void traversing realm, the bonus from being restricted would disappear. The difference between cultivating for 24 hours a day and 18 hours would once again exist. Luckily, he still had nearly a thousand years before reaching the void traversing realm was possible. If he wanted to, he could wait to breakthrough, but he would not progress in cultivation at all that way, so it would be stupid to do so. Tian Fu had some success with creating his own techniques, but nothing incredible yet. After many trials and errors, he had finally created the framework for two techniques he was excited for. In terms of usefulness, they were comparable to the formless sword, and above the light space cutting technique and the sword explosion drill. The first was a very simple looking technique that held a lot of complexity and power within it. It could only be used in a downward sword strike, but its power was incredible. He named it "Unparalleled descent". The second technique was not a sword technique. It was a fist technique. Once he reached the void traversing realm or the space shattering realm, he would be able to break space with a punch using the technique. When punching, it created a tunnel shaped force that was so powerful and fast that it should theoretically break space. It was wishful thinking breaking space in the void traversing realm with his techniques, but it was not impossible. Tian Fu called the second technique "Tunnel force". He was not good at naming, but the names sounded reasonable to him. The techniques were still in the beginning stages of creation, but they were likely to be finished in the next thousand years. Mastery would come after that. Tian Fu had thought about it and decided that when he reached the void traversing realm, he would spend 23 hours a day cultivating, as it was the very foundation of all his power, and would spend an hour practicing techniques. It would be less efficient in both ways, but it was what he had to deal with. He only hoped that Yao Mun''s cultivation talent was not greater than his. Although Tian Fu came out, it was only to fight battles. The first person he looked for was Lernean. Chapter 308: Movement Technique - 308 Chapter 308 - Movement Technique - 308 After a moment, Tian Fu decided to look in the supreme beasts domain. It was more than likely that Lernean and the rest of the beast worlds supreme beasts had begun living there. After a few days of travel, Tian Fu arrived. He wasted no time and flew down to the main castle of the supreme beast race. As he landed in front of the doors, the guards kneeled in front of him and greeted him. Tian Fu asked to enter and they naturally allowed him entry. Soon, Tian Fu was face to face with the supreme beast king of the Heaven world. He asked where the beast world supreme beasts were, and was directed to a location just a day away. Tian Fu soon reached that place and found Lernean training. Lernean was surprised to see him and flew up, now in human form. Lernean, who looked like a normal person with nine different hair colors, greeted him. "Hello Tian Fu." He said. "Hi Lernean. I''m here to see how much you have improved." Tian Fu said. Since Lernean was his ally, he needed to know if he could be relied on. Lernean and Tian Fu moved to a large field after a few minutes of conversation. At the start of the fight, Lernean transformed into his beast form and breathed out nine different Qi breaths. Tian Fu dodged to the right, but the breaths followed him. Tian Fu nodded in approval. Lernean was not his match, so he was holding back immensely. He didn''t even use any techniques and just dodged. Soon, Lernean combined his heads into one and breathed out the one breath containing nine Qi''s. It too could now move after being breathed out. Unfortunately, Tian Fu had put a lot of time into increasing his speed. Besides offense, it was his most highly trained aspect. Soon, Tian Fu held a giant sword of light Qi to Lerneans neck. Lernean quickly admitted defeat, and Tian Fu gave him a bunch of pointers on what to improve in. Then, he returned back to the Heaven sect. The only other person he visited was Tian Ren''s wife. There, he sparred with her many times. Of course, she was holding back greatly, but it helped Tian Fu continue to be good at fighting and avoid getting rusty. Their sparring lasted 6 hours a day for a month before Tian Fu returned. Once again, he entered his yard and began training in seclusion. ¡ª----------------------------- On another planet, Yao Mun was sitting at the end of a long table. Facing him was Bi Chong. "Soon, you will break into the void traversing realm. Things will change a lot then, but I assume it will get better overall for you." Bi Chong said. "It should. At that time, I will be able to increase my cultivation speed by absorbing others'' blood thanks to my eye. Sadly, that will only work by absorbing the blood of people of a higher cultivation than me. I will also have to kill them myself or it won''t work." Yao Mun sighed. "Yes. Good. Have you thought any further about the Heaven world and what to do with it?" Bi Chong asked. "Since I am a Heavenborn, the restriction set by Heaven does not affect me. In other words, once I reach the 10th level of the space shattering realm, I can kill all the Heavenborns." Yao Mun responded. "I don''t think you would even have to wait until the 10th level." Bi Chong laughed. "Perhaps not, but I would advise against underestimating the Heavenborns. They are still the children of Heaven. Who knows how many powerful defensive arrays Tian Ren set up. He might have even made some specially against me." Yao Mun said. "It may have been fortunate that Heaven restricted others from entering." Yao Mun continued. "Otherwise, the casualties would have been off the charts." "No matter how many weaklings die, it won''t affect us." Bi Chong responded. "I know, I''m just making excuses. Really, I''m just hoping that Guang Fu is getting stronger. Otherwise, waiting would have been pointless. I can only hope he does not disappoint me." Yao Mun admitted. "Was he that interesting?" Bi Chong asked curiously. He hadn''t made it to the battlefield in time to see the fight or Tian Ren''s death. "He is the only person to have ever nearly killed me at the same cultivation." Yao Mun responded. "He may be the only person to ever be so strong against me again. Therefore, I have to make sure to enjoy our fight to its fullest." "I get that. Somewhere inside me, I wish that I could have fought Tian Ren again. Unfortunately, he was killed by the thing he loved most." Bi Chong said with a sigh. "Then you should understand the feeling of fighting an equal." Yao Mun said. "Indeed." Bi Chong responded. ¡ª------------------------------------- In the courtyard, Tian Fu got up from an 18 hour cultivation session and began practicing a new technique he had thought of. Although his other techniques still need a lot more work and practice, he had a sudden inspiration and decided to see if he could make a movement technique. After a few attempts, Tian Fu''s body seemed to flicker in the air and appear a hundred feet away. It was almost as fast as teleportation. Even he was stunned by the speed he was moving at. The technique was too complex for him to understand, but he was instinctually able to do it. ''This may be the key in defeating Yao Mun.'' He thought to himself. Tian Fu had spent zero time on defensive techniques. He was already good enough at everything to outclass anyone else on his level. Only Yao Mun was left. Therefore, practicing defensive techniques was pointless. Movement techniques, however, had a different situation. Although the speed of Yao Mun''s attacks were still boosted by sacrificing his limbs, it was not boosted as much as the pure power and strength of the attacks. Therefore, evasion was the best countermeasure. Of course, nobody could dodge Yao Muns attacks at the same level. ''Yet, with this movement technique, there is hope.'' Tian Fu thought to himself. Chapter 309: Void Traversing - 309 Chapter 309 - Void Traversing - 309 Once again, a thousand years passed by. Tian Fu stood in his yard as he practiced his movement technique. Around a hundred years ago, he had managed to reach the 1st level of the void traversing realm. From then on, everything seemed to change. At first, cultivating seemed like gliding along a predestined path. But now, it was as if he was thrown into an infinite world and had to find his way himself. With all the time he had spent practicing techniques before, Tian Fu had already mastered all of his self created techniques. What remained was practicing and refining the techniques themselves. Only then would he be able to increase his mastery. As Tian Fu practiced, he noticed that his speed of mastering techniques, as well as his speed of refining them and creating them seemed to speed up. He could only attribute it to his incredible drive and motivation to increase his strength. From what he had heard and seen before, Lernean''s talent was above his. Yet, for some reason, he was so much stronger than him in the same realm. ''Once again, it must be my drive and motivation. If Tian Ren hadn''t died to save me, or if I did not want to kill Yao Mun so badly, then my technique training speed would likely be much slower.'' He thought. Unfortunately, his drive and motivation didn''t seem to increase his overall cultivation speed. Tian Fu sighed and continued to train. He didn''t see a need to leave his house until the space shattering realm, so he would not. ¡ª---------------------------------- Compared to Tian Fu, Yao Mun was experiencing a different boost. ''Now, my eyes power has been fully unlocked. By absorbing the blood of others, my cultivation speed will temporarily increase. That way, I can spend a few hours a day going around killing beings and practicing my techniques on them, while spending the rest cultivating and achieving the same result as I would if I sat down in a room all day.'' Yao Mun thought. Although the power of his techniques would not increase like Tian Fu''s, Yao Mun only used a few basic offensive techniques anyway. His eye did all the work for him when it came to offense. He mostly focused on healing techniques and defensive techniques, although defensive techniques were practiced 1% as much as healing techniques. ¡ª--------------------------------- Compared to them, Lernean didn''t have any special booster, but he was still excitedly cultivating. His cultivation speed was higher than Tian Fu''s since his talent was higher. Sadly, even though he had a higher talent than Yao Mun, Yao Mun''s eye allowed his cultivation speed to surpass Lerneans. The gap was not that hard to bridge since Yao Mun had immortal rank 1 talent, while Lernean had immortal king rank 8 talent. Compared to them, Tian Fu''s immortal rank 3 talent seemed low. ¡ª--------------------------------------- Above each and every one of them was a bald man sitting in a buddhist temple. Upon reaching the void traversing realm, Ying Xiong was able to fully display the power of his talent and divine physique. The painting on his back provided an even greater boost in power than Yao Mun''s eye. Upon reaching the void traversing realm, Ying Xiongs cultivation speed shot up as if it was on a rocket. It was incomparable to the other three. Ying Xiongs talent was so much higher than theirs that it would cause all three to helplessly laugh in despair. Zhou Fan had given names to all meridian ranks so far. From bottom to top, there was trash rank, weak rank, mortal rank, great rank, spirit rank, king rank, emperor rank, god rank, and supreme god rank. Then, the rank which Yao Mun and Tian Fu were on, the immortal rank. Then, the rank which Lernean, Tian Ren, and Bi Chong were on, the immortal king rank, although they were all low immortal king rank meridians. After that was the immortal emperor rank meridians. If one were to ask an unknown being how many immortal emperor rank talents there were, the answer would be one. Yet, unbelievably, it was not Ying Xiong. That title belonged to Pangu. He had immortal emperor rank 5 meridians. Now, if a person were to ask the being if there was a person with talent even higher than that, the being would shudder before saying yes. Two people had talent above that. Zhou Fan, whose talent was unknown. And Ying Xiong, with immortal god rank 3 meridians. Silently existing among those who could only be called lesser beings in comparison was an existence who, when ignoring Zhou Fan, could proudly proclaim, "I am the most talented throughout all of the universe". Along with his unfathomable talent was a divine physique to match. When ignoring Zhou Fan, the man could proudly proclaim, "I have the greatest divine physique throughout all of the universe". Comparing the man, Ying Xiong, to the other three any further would be a lost cause. ¡ª-------------------------------------- In his yard, Tian Fu was once again practicing his techniques. His speed was so fast that he seemed like a blur. Unfortunately, practicing the offensive techniques was more troublesome. Luckily, the issue had long been solved. Taking up half of his yard was a large translucent cube surrounded by formations. Inside was where Tian Fu practiced his techniques. When Tian Ren''s wife created it for Tian Fu, it was hastily made without much thought in mind. Still, it could easily trap any void traversing 10 cultivator for a thousand years. Yet, as Tian Fu walked inside, he noticed several cracks on the cube. His techniques, which far surpassed his realm, had damaged the cube over time. It had been less than 200 years since he broke into the void traversing realm, but it was already on the verge of collapse. Although the previous calculation was for an average void traversing 10 realm cultivator, it was still incredible that Tian Fu showed so much strength. Tian Fu held his sword up high and used his movement technique to almost instantly move forward 50 feet. Then he swung his sword down. ''Unparalleled descent!'' He shouted in his mind as his sword fell. BOOM! Suddenly, a loud sound reverberated through the entire Heaven sect. Many people were shocked so badly that they jumped a hundred feet in the air, while others grabbed their weapons. Many eyes moved near the center of the city. "Sorry!" Tian Fu yelled as he stood in the middle of a collapsed cube. "That''s my fault!" Chapter 310: Space Shattering 10 - 310 Chapter 310 - Space Shattering 10 - 310 After receiving another, more carefully crafted barrier from Tian Ren''s wife, Tian Fu continued his lifestyle of technique practice and cultivation. It took around a thousand years for Tian Fu to go from the 1st level of the void traversing realm to the 2nd. From there, it took around three thousand years to get to the 3rd level, and around 100,000 years to get to the 10th level. Surprisingly, not much had changed in that long time period. Many had died and many had been born, but Tian Fu was left alone. Despite being left alone, his reputation did not go down. In fact, it even went up. As Tian Fu stood in the yard, he could hardly comprehend how much time had passed. His entire life before was around one fiftieth of one seclusion. Such was the life of cultivation. Under Zhou Fan''s cultivation 1.0, a lot about cultivation had changed, including the time it took to breakthrough. One thing that never changed, however, was how much time cultivation took up of one''s lifespan. Even many mortals had spent more time living than cultivators had spent not cultivating. Not only Tian Fu, but Yao Mun and Lernean were in the same realm. Of the four, only Ying Xiong was in the space shattering realm. Still, he was only at the first level. The space shattering realm was also much harder than the void traversing realm, just as the void traversing realm was much harder than the soul formation realm. Despite spending over 100,000 years in seclusion, Tian Fu only planned to leave his house for a short while. That was in order to spar Tian Ren''s wife. He was curious about Lerneans progress, but he did not feel the need to waste time. Tian Ren''s wife and the space shattering realm supreme beast leader were surely making sure he was fulfilling expectations. Not long after leaving his house, Tian Fu met Tian Ren''s wife. Luckily, she was in the Heaven sect. After a brief conversation, they both moved to an area far away from the Heaven sect. Then, as Tian Fu had requested, they fought. The fight was brief, ending in Tian Ren''s wife''s victory, but she was shocked at just how much stronger Tian Fu had become. "This will be the last time you see me weaker than you." Tian Fu laughed. Tian Ren''s wife could not help but agree. He would likely become stronger than her the moment he broke into the space shattering realm. At the very least, they would be equal. Tian Fu arrived at his house and once again entered seclusion. ¡ª----------------------- The space shattering realm proved to be much harder than expected. It took 80,000 years for Tian Fu to reach it. He felt a surge of power incomparable to before, but he did not leave his house or yard. Without stopping, he continued to cultivate and train his techniques to absolute perfection. He had stopped creating techniques as his could be considered the greatest in the space shattering realm. His time was spent much more wisely by simply honing them further. More than 2 million years later, Tian Fu arrived at the peak of the space shattering realm. At the same time as he opened his eyes, Zhou Fan stepped out of his shack. ¡ª------------------------- ''I probably missed a lot, but my results speak for themselves.'' Zhou Fan thought. He had finally managed to increase his future cultivation speed by an extremely large degree. Sadly, his time at the Heaven galaxy seemed to be nearing its end. His experiment had proved everything he had needed it to. Any further watching would be pointless. Besides cultivating, what he needed to do was help establish life in the many other galaxies in the 3 galaxy clusters. Zhou Fan casually looked through the Heaven galaxy and found some interesting information. ''It seems that Guang Fu, or Tian Fu now, and Yao Mun''s final battle will happen soon. Probably in the next year. Glad I didn''t miss that.'' He thought. Long ago, he had sowed the seeds that were Tian Fu and Yao Mun. Now, they would finally blossom. Even better, he would be able to witness it. Zhou Fan teleported next to Heaven and watched on. Heaven did not speak despite the long period that Zhou Fan was gone. He too was very interested in the battle. ¡ª----------------------------------- Tian Fu left his house and moved through the heaven world. He did not feel like wasting any time with unnecessary conversation, so he did not even say goodbye to Tian Ren''s wife. He could finally kill Yao Mun once and for all. He was so excited that he could barely control himself. Tian Fu, upon appearing in front of Lernean, observed him. Lernean had changed a lot. A million years was enough to change anyone. "It is time." Tian Fu said. "Since this is a battle to the death concerning the future of the entire Heaven world, I sent a letter to Tian Ren''s wife that told her what''s happening. She should be in the process of setting up a viewing array so that the Heaven sect can watch the battle. Do you want one for the supreme beast race?" Tian Fu asked. "No. There''s no need for that." Lernean said. His fate was finally about to be fulfilled. From the day he was born, he was meant to defeat Bi Chong. Now, the time was arriving. "I won''t test your progress. You need to hold back Bi Chong even if you need to self-destruct. Do you understand?" Tian Fu asked. "It won''t be necessary, but I understand." Lernean responded. "Then let''s go. We both have a date with destiny." Tian Fu laughed as he flew away. Lernean, still in humanoid form, followed him. Before long, they arrived at an array. The teleportation array led to another planet. It had not been used in ages, but it was still pristine. Unknown to them, on the other side of that array were two newly arrived enemies. Chapter 311: The Final Battle - 311 Chapter 311 - The Final Battle - 311 Bi Chong looked over at Yao Mun, who was currently floating over a teleportation array. "Are you sure you''ll be able to handle the entire Heaven world alone?" Bi Chong asked. "As long as I don''t invade the Heaven sect and activate the arrays that Tian Ren likely set, then nothing can stop me." Yao Mun laughed. Despite their talk, Yao Mun still stood over the array. "Are you hesitating?" Bi Chong curiously asked. "No. I''m savoring the last moments in which I have a match in the galaxy." Yao Mun responded. "With Guang Fu dead, there is not another with even a 1% chance of defeating me. Ignoring you of course. You have a 5% chance of beating me." "Sure pal." Bi Chong responded. Yao Mun took one last deep breath. "Alright. See you later." He said as he descended. Suddenly, the array lit up. Bewaring the possibility of a trap, Yao Mun backed away. Bi Chong followed. Two humanoid silhouettes appeared in the light of the array as they walked out. The silhouettes then revealed themselves. Lernean in humanoid form, and Tian Fu. All four present were experiencing the same amount of surprise. Tian Fu was the first to speak. He wore a yellow robe with a powerful yellow sword resting on his shoulder. They both matched his blond hair. The sword had been forged by Tian Ren''s wife and some other space shattering realm cultivators over the course of ten thousand years. It was a masterpiece like no other. "What a coincidence. To think we would meet so soon." Tian Fu said, narrowing his eyes. "Perfect timing I suppose." Lernean added. Lernean was wearing a multi-colored robe with multi-colored hair, but the robe was soon to be destroyed by his transformation. "Guang Fu! To think you would come to me!" Yao Mun shouted. Yao Mun was wearing blood red clothing, literally colored by the blood on it. The clothing was torn in multiple places. Yao Mun also held a silver sword with a blood red handle. Naturally, his eye was the same as always. "My name is no longer Guang Fu. I am Tian Fu." Tian Fu responded. "Do you think I care? Guang Fu or Tian Fu, you''re about to die." Yao Mun laughed. Tian Fu didn''t respond. "And who might you be?" Bi Chong curiously asked while looking at Lernean. "I never heard of a cultivator like you in the Heaven world." Bi Chong looked like a cloth bag shaped as a humanoid being as usual. "Not surprising. My name is Lernean, a supreme beast. Coincidentally, my purpose in being born was to kill you, Bi Chong." Lernean responded. "Huh. Looks like we''ve got quite the fateful gathering here." Bi Chong laughed. He was the calmest one among the four. He was actually amused at the situation. Before any more speaking could go on, an unimaginable killing intent shot out from Tian Fu''s body, startling everyone present. Just a second later, in response, an even greater killing intent shot out of Yao Mun''s body. Although they nearly felt the same, Yao Mun''s killing intent was from killing an unimaginable amount of beings over millions of years, while Tian Fu''s killing intent was created from unimaginable hatred for a single person. Naturally, that person was Yao Mun. Lernean and Bi Chong instinctually backed far away as Yao Mun and Tian Fu shot towards each other with unimaginable force. The moment that their swords collided, the space around them was torn. The ground collapsed into a giant crater and a storm began to form overhead. A large force of multiple Qi''s shot out, forming a tornado of pure power. Yao Mun had yet to use his eye''s power. The clash had been so sudden he hadn''t even thought of it. Soon, both Tian Fu and Yao Mun were pushed back from the force. Yao Mun was pushed back twice as far as Tian Fu since he never practiced offense. Neither side had injuries. The real battle then began. Off to the side of the real battle, Lernean and Bi Chong began to clash. Compared to the battle not too far from them, however, their battle was not half as impressive or flashy. Yao Mun raised his sword up as his left arm disappeared. In an instant, a force exceeding the space shattering realm moved at a speed exceeding the space shattering realm towards Tian Fu. It was a blood red sword arc, Yao Mun''s most used move. However, in the next second, Tian Fu appeared in a different location. He had not grasped the art of teleportation, one of the hardest techniques to learn in the universe, but used his own movement technique that came from a bout of enlightenment. It was so fast that most space shattering 10 cultivators would think it was teleportation. Yao Mun was genuinely surprised, but he was not the same as before either. Almost as if it was never gone, his left arm appeared again. He did not seem fatigued or even slightly tired. "If only you knew that move before!" Yao Mun yelled. "Now, I have created the greatest healing technique in the entire Heaven galaxy!" In an instant, three more limbs disappeared, and three more attacks shot at Tian Fu. Tian Fu dodged quickly, but he was not teleporting. Three attacks made towards different angles were nearly impossible to dodge. When Tian Fu appeared, all of the fingers on his left hand were gone. Upon looking at Yao Mun, he was shocked to see a completely healed body. Logically, he should have thought of a way to counter Yao Mun or at least devise a better movement plan. Unfortunately, his hatred outweighed his reason. Before Yao Mun could attack again, Tian Fu raised his sword. A yellow line speedily shot at Yao Mun, but Yao Mun managed to get out of the way. Only his left arm was cut off. Then, his arm appeared again. "I suppose I should have learned movement techniques, but who would have thought that you could come this far!" Yao Mun yelled. The battle did not cease for a second despite his yelling. Tian Fu''s sword reached its sheath as three of Yao Mun''s limbs disappeared again. Tian Fu dodged two, but the third managed to sever his left arm. Tian Fu did not pay it any attention. Instead, he prepared his attack. Chapter 312: The End of Their Story - 312 Chapter 312 - The End of Their Story - 312 In an instant, Tian Fu''s sword was pulled out of its sheath. The moment that the tip of the sword left the sheath, the sword disappeared. Over the millions of years, Tian Fu had practiced the formless sword technique as much as his two self created techniques. Its power and range of usage had changed dramatically. In an instant, Yao Mun''s head flew up away from his body. Then, one of Yao Mun''s arms grabbed the head out of mid air and placed it back on his body. Before Tian Fu could even swing his sword again, the injury that should have killed anyone in the Heaven Galaxy was completely healed. Tian Fu was shocked, but he did not stop. On the other hand, Lernean and Bi Chong''s battle completely ceased for a moment. They stood bewildered as they looked at the battle. Not only were their minds completely blown by Yao Mun''s healing ability, but they were also shocked at Tian Fu''s attack that would have instantly killed either one of them. Tian Fu''s sword, which had never stopped moving, sliced up again. This time, Yao Muns torso was diagonally severed. However, the two separated pieces seemed to be dragged to each other in an instant and the injury was fully healed. Tian Fu sent his sword straight down, vertically bisecting Yao Mun from his head to his feet. Then, the same thing happened again. Tian Fu attacked ten more times before the sword returned to its sheath. He was extremely exhausted, but Yao Mun proudly floated uninjured. Both Tian Fu and Yao Mun stopped for a moment. Tian Fu stood panting on the ground, injured, while Yao Mun floated above. "What did I say? This is not AN ultimate healing technique. It is THE ultimate healing technique." Yao Mun laughed. "Over the years I spent with Bi Chong, he eventually told me his story and showed me his body. One consciousness, but so many worms. Can you tell what I did?" Yao Mun asked. Tian Fu only stared, although his mind was moving. Yao Mun laughed at his silence. "Combined with my healing technique, the new technique I created allows me to survive for a few minutes, even if my head is severed from my body. Sadly, I cannot fully replicate Bi Chong. After a few minutes, I''ll still die." Yao Mun said. "The question is, are you even able to keep my head and my body apart?" Yao Mun taunted. Then, three limbs disappeared as three attacks shot at Tian Fu. Tian Fu, who had never let his guard down, moved out of the way. The attack would have hit his left arm, but his left arm was gone. Yao Mun wildly sent out attacks without a single interval in between. Tian Fu began to think again as he moved. ''It should be impossible for him to infinitely heal without any sort of negative effect. At the very least, it must take up a substantial amount of Qi, but he is not even panting.'' Tian Fu thought. The area around their battle had long turned into a giant abyss. No ground could even be seen. Even on a planet within Zhou Fans mortal dao, lesser dao creation realm level attacks could not be stopped. Bi Chong and Lernean were still fighting, but they were so far away they could not be seen. Tian Fu flew, dodging most of Yao Mun''s crazy attacks due to his left arm being gone, but he was still hit three times. His left leg, a chunk of his torso, and his left ear were gone. It was difficult to live, but he was alive. Yao Mun only stopped after a hundred attacks. Now, he was beginning to pant. "Guang Fu! No! Tian Fu! This battle was decided the moment it began! I am giving you a chance of survival. Join me! Battle me for all of eternity!" Yao Mun yelled. Tian Fu panted in the air. Anyone who had not seen the battle would assume they fought thousands of feet above the ground. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I only became this strong due to my hatred for you and my desire for revenge. After this battle, no matter how it ends, my growth will not be the same. You are simply more talented than me." Tian Fu said while panting. Yao Mun took a deep breath and raised his head. "Fine then. It is your honor to be killed by me. But I will give you more." Yao Mun said as he inhaled greatly. He then screamed into the air. "Throughout all of Heavenborn history, I, Yao Mun, declare you the strongest." He declared to the world. As Yao Mun did not consider himself a Heavenborn, his words were true. Even compared to Tian Ren, the current Tian Fu was simply stronger. Perhaps if he used the powers given to him by Heaven, then Tian Ren would be the strongest, but that was not his own strength. As for Tian Fu, he had not earned the right to meet Heaven again. Tian Fu continued panting while flying. He was trying to buy as much time as possible. ''At this point, I can only rely on my two self-created techniques. But they are very demanding of Qi. If I use them both, then I will be out of Qi.'' Tian Fu thought. ''But that seems to be the only choice.'' Just as Tian Fu was preparing himself, Yao Mun spoke again. "In truth, I created a technique just to give you an honorable death." Yao Mun said as he held his sword up. Three of his limbs disappeared, but regrew. No attack came. "I finally grasped charging my attacks through multiple heals and sacrifices, but the technique has drawbacks. Simply put, you win if you can dodge this attack." Yao Mun said. His three limbs appeared and disappeared 15 times before he seemed to be reaching a limit. "But that won''t happen." Yao Mun said as his sword fell. Just as the sword fell, Tian Fu charged directly at Yao Mun using his movement technique. And then, the greatest attack to ever appear on the group of planets moved out. Voom! An attack similar looking to a giant red paint stroke, reaching the 5th level of the lesser dao creation realm obliterated everything in its path, including the layer of space. Tian Fu''s body was completely covered. Yao Mun sighed as he watched the attack and his consciousness seemed to fade. ''This is the end, Tian Fu.'' He thought. Then, a single severed arm holding a sword flew out of the explosion. ''Unparalleled descent.'' A consciousness thought as the sword went down. Yao Mun''s eyes widened as a giant explosion fell right on top of him. ¡ª----------------------------------------- On stone millions of miles below where the ground once was, two near dead bodies layed near each other. Tian Fu''s body consisted of a horribly injured torso, leg, arm and head, all looking like swiss cheese. Yao Mun, not far away, was missing half of his body. The rest was as injured as Tian Fu''s. During Yao Mun''s last strike, Tian Fu managed to use the true nature of his movement technique to survive. His movement technique temporarily turned his body into something like light. It allowed him to move many times faster, but it was not made for passing through attacks. However, by timing it right, Tian Fu was able to find a small gap where he pushed some of his light like body into. Still, he was on the verge of death. After an hour, Tian Fu''s eyes opened. He was only severely injured. Yao Mun was also severely injured, but also taking the backlash of his technique. Tian Fu inched his body towards Yao Mun''s like a caterpillar. Soon, he slightly raised his head and was face to face with Yao Mun. Through all of the injuries and Qi exhaustion, Tian Fu managed to miraculously stand up. Absorbing the Qi around him and injuring himself even further, Tian Fu was able to use a lesser version of his self created technique. ''Tunnel force.'' He barely thought as his fist moved out and he collapsed. Yao Mun''s body, only half remaining and extremely weak, was crushed into dust. Although he was not the main character, the hero managed to win. Chapter 313: Goodbye Heaven - 313 Chapter 313 - Goodbye Heaven - 313 When Tian Fu opened his eyes, he was staring at a white ceiling. Tian Fu recognized the room as a hospital room in one of the Heaven sects hospitals. From his right, a familiar face stepped forward. "You''re finally awake." Lernean said. Tian Fu attempted to nod, but he could not move his body. "Don''t try to move. You were beyond seriously injured on the battlefield. In fact, there should be no chance of you surviving, but you did." Lernean said. Tian Fu blinked in response. "Let me explain everything that has happened. First, you killed Yao Mun. He is gone for good. Sadly, Bi Chong and I were equally matched, with him even slightly overpowering me. Luckily, he retreated upon sensing Yao Mun''s death." Lernean explained. Tian Fu forced his mouth to open so he could speak. "Don''t worry. I''ll take care of him soon enough." Tian Fu strugglingly said. Lernean''s face seemed to say, ''Sure you will'', confusing Tian Fu before he spoke. "Did I not mention that you are beyond seriously injured. Look down." Lernean said. Tian Fu struggled to look, but he soon saw that his left arm was completely gone. "That is a permanent injury. Not even Doctor Ket could heal it. Don''t know why, but that''s how it is. Besides that, you are too weak to feel it now, but your body has been permanently weakened. I assume it is because you forcefully used the technique that killed Yao Mun despite not having any Qi left. By the time I arrived, you were bleeding from every inch of skin on your body." Lernean explained. "You may not even be able to beat me anymore, much less Bi Chong." Lernean laughed. Tian Fu felt sadness at his words. Without strength, he would not be able to lead the Heaven sect. "However." Lernean said. "You will recover some of your strength as a lot of time passes. According to Doctor Ket, when you are fully recovered, you will be able to display a strength similar to Bi Chong and Tian Ren. Although you had far surpassed them during that battle, being as strong as Tian Ren was should be enough to lead the sect, right?" Tian Fu managed to nod in relief. "Well, I''ll go now. Get well soon." Lernean said as he left. Soon, Tian Fu fell asleep. Over the next year, he steadily recovered from the battle. Soon, he was able to get up and walk. His battle strength was barely at the nascent soul realm, but he would get stronger. Once he got to cultivate again, that would also help. Not long after being able to walk again, Tian Fu left the hospital for the first time since the battle. As he arrived outside, he saw thousands of people looking at him with admiration and respect. Along the streets was a huge festival held in his honor. For the first time since Tian Ren''s death, Tian Fu was able to truly smile from the bottom of his heart. After 100 years, Tian Fu''s strength had recovered to the void traversing realm. After 500 more years, Tian Fu''s strength finally finished recovering. He was equal in strength to when he was previously at the 5th level of the space shattering realm. In other words, he was as strong as Tian Ren of the past. Following his recovery, a ceremony was held giving Tian Fu the title of the sect master of the Heaven sect. He was also finally allowed to meet with Heaven again. Bi Chong and the beast race ended up retreating to ten planets, one of them being the main beast world. Of course, they did not leave without taking every resource they could, and even destroying some that they could not. Those ten planets were highly guarded and set up with teleportation arrays that allowed Bi Chong to quickly move over. Pushing the beast race any farther would be near impossible, even with Lernean and Tian Fu. But they would deal with that in their own futures. Zhou Fan stopped floating in space and began to fly. He had just finished up watching the Heaven galaxies story. ''A good ending this time I suppose.'' He said to himself. He was ready to finally depart from the Heaven galaxy. Everything he needed to do had been done, and wasting any more time was pointless. Before leaving, he decided to give Heaven a visit. Teleporting, he soon arrived in front of Heaven. "It''s about time for me to go." Zhou Fan said. "I figured." Heaven said reluctantly. Zhou Fan had allowed heaven''s body to be manipulated by Heaven from now on, so Heaven was currently in the appearance of a wise old man. "Will you ever come back?" Heaven asked. "At some point yeah. But a lot of time will pass between now and then. At least hundreds of millions. Maybe billions of years." Zhou Fan said. "Then can I ask you a question? I''ve always been curious." Heaven asked. "Sure." Zhou Fan said. "Do you think you will reach the peak of the universe in terms of strength? If you think you will, how long would that take?" Heaven asked. "That''s a good question. I''ve never thought of it." Zhou Fan answered while holding his chin. "I don''t know if I can give you an exact answer since I don''t know how big or powerful the universe is, but I can tell you that it will happen. There is no chance of failure." Zhou Fan replied. "Perhaps 5 or 6 more realms, maybe more, maybe less, I really don''t know." "Well that makes me feel like an ignorant ant, but I appreciate the answer." Heaven said. "Don''t worry about it. On a grand scale, you''re about as much of an ignorant ant as I am." Zhou Fan said. After a moment of silence, Zhou Fan spoke again. "Goodbye Heaven. Make sure to not be too overbearing with your beings." Zhou Fan said. "Goodbye father. May we meet again." Heaven said as Zhou Fan flew into the distance. Chapter 314: New Divinity - 314 Chapter 314 - New Divinity - 314 Zhou Fan leisurely left the Heaven galaxy. Once he did so, he began to fly through space at an incredible speed. He flew through the tree-like galaxy cluster and past the manor. After only a hundred years, Zhou Fan was back in the center of the three galaxy clusters. Zhou Fan took a deep breath as he enjoyed the silence and peace. Currently, he was at the 5th level of the god realm. Although he had estimated the increase in cultivation speed, he decided to test it out in order to get the exact numbers. Zhou Fan crossed his legs and closed his eyes while floating in space and began to cultivate. 2.5 Million years later, he opened his eyes. He was now at the 6th level of the god realm, and the increase in strength was not little. One breakthrough of Zhou Fans was comparable to an entire realms progress for Tian Fu, but it was incredibly fast to him. Zhou Fan floated in space as he thought of what he should do in the future. A huge part of him wanted to do nothing but cultivate until he became strong enough to destroy the universe, but that would be boring. After a moment, he decided to try and reach the next realm before doing anything else. After that, he would go around and check on the progress of life in the three galaxy clusters. ''Perhaps I should even try and visit something outside of the three galaxy clusters?'' Zhou Fan thought. There were millions of times more in the universe than the three galaxy clusters. However, they were all extremely far away. ''Maybe there are even other universes?'' Zhou Fan thought to himself. He soon shrugged, knowing that the answer would be learned eventually. After thinking a bit more, Zhou Fan began to cultivate once again. After 6 million years, he reached the 7th level of the god realm. 14 million years after that, he reached the 8th level of the god realm. 30 million years after that, he reached the 9th level of the god realm. 70 million years after that, he reached the 10th level of the god realm. Zhou Fan could feel the overwhelming power coursing through his very being. His divinity had increased in volume and was many times more effective. Zhou Fan excitedly began to cultivate again. He did not have any idea what the next realm would be about. Not even the slightest hint. He could only find out along the way or once he got there. 50 million years later, Zhou Fan still had no clue as to what the breakthrough would be about. 50 million years after that, Zhou Fan was in the same boat as before. However, he had felt his divinity slightly react to his cultivation. Zhou Fan was able to think of many ideas from that. Finally, 50 million years later, after a total of 150 million years, Zhou Fan felt the signs of a breakthrough. As usual, his entire body was changing and upgrading overall. However, out of all the things in his body, his divinity seemed to be going wild. It even layered itself over his entire body and began to seep into his very existence. Before long, Zhou Fan could tell what was happening. The power of Zhou Fan''s mortal dao that was within his entire body was being affected by the divinity. It wasn''t quite upgrading into an immortal dao or anything, but it was greatly changing. At the same time, through the three galaxy clusters, many galaxies were being shrouded with a golden glow. On planets where it was night, the golden glow could be seen in the sky. Even in the Heaven galaxy there was a great change. After a thousand years of the golden glow, it faded from all of the galaxies affected by Zhou Fan''s mortal dao. While there were no apparent changes to the places covered in Zhou Fans mortal dao themselves, Zhou Fan was feeling two great changes. First, his increase in strength, as expected, was incredible. However, the changes in his mortal dao and divinity were much more interesting. First, his mortal dao''s power was strengthened greatly. Zhou Fan could also tell that the area it could influence increased, but that was not useful until he went beyond the three galaxy clusters. There was no great qualitative change. More interesting was the change in his divinity. It was essentially the same as before the breakthrough in terms of how it was housed within him. However, there was a change in the divinity itself. Instead of being gray like the color of his Chaos affinity, it was now a radiant gold. It also seemed similar to providence, but it was different. Zhou Fan decided to try something and pointed out a finger into the empty space. "Tunnel force." He said, replicating a move created by Tian Fu. He limited his overall strength to the same that it was when Tian Fu used it, but also infused some of his divinity into the attack. An invisible, yet somehow golden force shot out and broke space, forming a long and wide tunnel of destruction. Zhou Fan had accounted for everything when matching the condition in which Tian Fu used the technique. That included calculating how his own talent would affect it. Therefore, the fact that the power of the technique increased a hundred times compared to when Tian Fu used it could be attributed to the sole addition of divinity. "Incredible." Zhou Fan said. Zhou Fan felt as if divinity had many more uses than before. It was now a weapon in his arsenal with usefulness nearly comparable to Qi. There was one more thing that Zhou Fan wanted to test. Zhou Fan melded some of his divinity into a sphere and let it float in space. He then did the same by slightly manipulating cosmic dao. The sphere''s layered over each other and began to condense. Soon, a bright light shone, but Zhou Fan could see through it. As according to his will, a butterfly formed, surrounded by a temporary bubble of air. The butterfly, however, was different compared to what it would have looked like when created with the old divinity. Chapter 315: True God Realm - 315 Chapter 315 - True God Realm - 315 The butterfly, without any manipulation from Zhou Fan besides its creation, was already at the foundation establishment realm. And that was without fully using the power of divinity. It was just a casual use. The new divinity that Zhou Fan had was much better at creating and enhancing life compared to before. Overall, it had received major upgrades. Zhou Fan destroyed the butterfly and moved on from divinity. Next, he wanted to test his strength. He didn''t plan on causing any wide scale destruction since there was no target. Zhou Fan held out his palm and clenched his fist as hard as he could. Instantly, the space surrounding him shattered and all that remained was the final layer of space. Zhou Fan looked closely and noticed that the final layer of space seemed to be shaking. "That is a serious issue." He said aloud. If he could already shake the final layer of space, then he may be able to break it without even using Chaos Qi in 2 or 3 more realms. If he wanted to increase the power and durability of the space, then he needed to expand the influence of his mortal dao, but he was not sure how much the cosmic dao would let him do. At the very least, there was no chance he could cover all three galaxy clusters and the space between them entirely. Zhou Fan would do his best to expand his mortal dao and promote the growth of life, but it would take a lot of time to expand his mortal dao a major amount. Next, Zhou Fan decided to think of a name for his new realm. Since it was not much of a change from the god realm, Zhou Fan considered naming it the supreme god realm, similar to the meridian rank. After a moment of thinking, Zhou Fan decided against it. Getting to name a realm was not that common. Especially in recent years. Zhou Fan decided to name the realm, the True God realm. After he finished naming the realm, Zhou Fan flew away from his spot. The speed at which he flew was incomparable to before. Just by flying at his full speed, the space around him was shattered. It didn''t reach the final layer, but a few layers were broken. In 5 years, Zhou Fan arrived at the silver river galaxy cluster. The silver river galaxy cluster was the one that showed the least development. The Zhou Fan galaxy cluster contained the Zhou galaxy, while the tree-like galaxy cluster contained the Heaven galaxy. The best that the silver river galaxy cluster had was a planet full of plants. Many of the galaxies in the silver river galaxy cluster were enshrouded by Zhou Fans mortal dao, but not many of them had much life. Zhou Fan flew through the galaxy cluster at a high speed and looked around. Soon, he stumbled upon an unexpected location. In front of him was an entire planet covered by worms. Half of them were mortals, but some had cultivation. Among them, there was a surprisingly high level cultivator. It was at the 10th level of the space shattering realm, and it seemed on the verge of advancing to the lesser dao creation realm. The planet was by far the most advanced in the silver river galaxy cluster, comparable only to the plant world. "Worms seem to be a common occurence nowadays. Is there something special about them?" Zhou Fan mumbled to himself. He spent a few moments trying to remember the planet and if he had ever encountered it before. After a moment, he had a realization. ''Isn''t this where I first tested divinity long ago?'' He thought to himself. The memories were somewhat blurry, but he could recall imbuing a worm with divinity and discarding it. He also remembered that the planet had worm creatures on it due to his mortal dao long ago. It was one of the fastest planets at creating life. It was no wonder that he felt that the worm seemed familiar. It contained traces of his divinity''s influence. Now, it seemed to be undergoing an evolution of some sort, likely caused by his breakthrough and change in divinity. It was currently in a glowing cocoon no bigger than a normal worm, but what came out would likely be one of the most advanced lifeforms in the universe. Zhou Fan did not set foot on the planet as it was literally covered by worms that had evolved to survive with only air and Qi. Zhou Fan soon flew away from the planet. His goal was to help contribute to the growth of life, not interfere with already flourishing life. Who knew, soon, the worms might begin conquering other planets or their entire galaxy. Life in the Heaven galaxy didn''t often leave the planets due to the size of the planets and how far away others would be. Heaven had moved the planets he was not using to the outer edges of the galaxy, which helped to keep cultivators on the planets. In comparison, the worms were about to have a lesser dao creation realm cultivator. The worm would be able to easily move throughout the galaxy if it wanted to. Zhou Fan flew out of the galaxy and continued observing the galaxies of the silver river galaxy cluster. He had obviously lowered his speed in order to not destroy anything. Soon, Zhou Fan arrived at the center of the galaxy cluster. There, a high concentration of galaxies were slowly moving inward. Zhou Fan was tempted to go in and see how powerful he was in comparison to the center of galaxy clusters, but he decided against it soon. ''No point in risking my life for something I will inevitably surpass.'' He thought. He continued to fly around before finally deciding on a suitable planet. It had minor signs of life, but was still one of the worst planets in the galaxy cluster that had life. Zhou Fan did not plan on influencing things on a galactic scale. He had already been there and done that with the Heaven galaxy. Chapter 316: Rats and Cats - 316 Chapter 316 - Rats and Cats - 316 Zhou Fan descended to the planet''s surface. He floated a few feet above the ground and sent out his divine sense. He instantly got all of the information he needed. ''The most advanced lifeforms here are rat-like creatures.'' He thought to himself. This rat species usually had gray fur with spots of different colors. Some had red spots, while some had yellow spots, and others had green spots. There were also a few with rarer colors. Zhou Fan guessed that it was related to their affinity, and upon examination, he was correct. Those with brown spots had an earth affinity. Those with blue spots had a water affinity, and so on. Some interesting ones that Zhou Fan found were two rats with space-like spots. The spots were deep blue with white dots. They had a space affinity. Upon further examination, Zhou Fan found that the rats would only have one color or design no matter how many affinities they had. It seemed the most compatible affinity would show as a color. The strongest rat was only at the earlier levels of the foundation establishment realm. In other words, it could be considered a mortal planet. Even earth when Zhou Fan was young was a stronger force in terms of overall combat ability thanks to weapons and higher intelligence. It didn''t take long for Zhou Fan to decide to make the rat race the greatest race of the planet. The other species would follow later. Zhou Fan''s divine sense quickly checked the talent of all the rats on the planet and brought the most talented hundred to him. Unsurprisingly, the two rats with a space affinity were present. There was no rat with a particularly high talent, but one had king rank meridians. It really wasn''t much, but it would at least lay the foundation for the more talented ones to come after. Although beasts didn''t technically need a cultivation technique to cultivate, it was much more efficient if they had one. Zhou Fan used the technique that he had specially created for beasts, supreme beasts, and other non-humanoid creatures, the technique that all beasts throughout the universe used to cultivate, much like the humanoid species used Zhou Fans technique. The beast technique was just the counterpart to Zhou Fan''s cultivation technique, so there was no difference in effectiveness. Although there was once a surge of other cultivation techniques on the Zhou world, it was quickly realized how inferior they were in every possible way and they were no longer used. Zhou Fan didn''t need to directly impart the cultivation technique since all beings in his mortal dao would automatically have it in their minds, but he needed to temporarily give the rats higher intelligence so that they could actually use it. Usually, they would have slowly evolved to be able to understand and use the technique, but Zhou Fan was skipping that step. Once they grew in power, their descendants would have higher intelligence. Soon, the entire rat-like race would naturally understand and be able to use the technique. Zhou Fan raised the rats'' intelligence and focused their thoughts to the technique in their minds rather than the world which they had previously unthinkingly lived in. At about the same time, all of the rats understood the technique. Zhou Fan took away their intelligence and threw them in a man made cave he had quickly created. In that cave, due to many arrays, the urge to cultivate overwhelmed them. Zhou Fan created a tunnel in the cave that led to the outside, but the rats would continue to non-stop cultivate until they reached at least the nascent soul realm. Only then would they have a good amount of intelligence, which they needed to grow as a species. After creating the cave and the tunnel, Zhou Fan set off to look for another planet. The rats were set to grow at a much faster pace due to Zhou Fan''s casual intervention. Doing any more for them would require personally sculpting their growth, and Zhou Fan had enough fun with the Zhou world and the Heaven galaxy. Zhou Fan wandered around the galaxy cluster for a while before finding another planet similar to the rat world. Instead of rats being the most advanced lifeform, cats were. ''If they ever meet, will they be natural enemies?'' Zhou Fan thought to himself as he landed on a mountain. Below the mountain was the most dense group of cats. While the cats were much more intelligent than the rats, they were still in the stage of animal intelligence. Cultivating wasn''t something they understood. As a result, the strongest cat in the world was only in the middle levels of the foundation establishment realm. Like the strongest rat from before, it had naturally grown stronger by absorbing the Qi unconsciously. It was a feature that Zhou Fan was a little jealous of. Of course, he could probably figure out a way to give himself that feature, but there were a few reasons he did not. First, the human body was not naturally suitable for such a thing. Although Zhou Fan''s body, mind, and soul had far surpassed what could be described as human, his foundation''s blueprint was the same. His meridians were as well. Secondly, it would be an annoying amount of work. He would have to mess with life concepts and creation techniques. It would probably take millions of years if he wanted to permanently alter his body so that he could absorb Qi naturally. Finally, it would have a very tiny effect. The effectiveness of naturally absorbing Qi to absorbing Qi when cultivating was around 1 to 100. In other words, a hundred million years of floating around doing nothing would be equal to a million years of actual cultivation. There would also be no boost while cultivating. Although small things could add up to help, it was ridiculously unnecessary. Zhou Fan rarely went a long time without cultivating anyway. Zhou Fan stopped thinking about altering his body, which had remained fairly similar to how it was since he turned 100 or so, and focused on the cats. Chapter 317: Mortal Dao Projection - 317 Chapter 317 - Mortal Dao Projection - 317 Zhou Fan, like he did with the rats, used his divine sense to find the most talented cats, give them temporary intelligence, guide them to using the technique, and created a place where they would feel the urge to cultivate until they reached a certain realm. He then left the planet and went around the galaxy cluster looking for more. After around 5 years, he had repeated the process with almost 5,000 planets. There were around 100,000 galaxies in the silver river galaxy cluster. Since Zhou Fan had helped almost 5,000 planets, that meant he had gone to almost 5,000 galaxies. At first, his requirements were stricter, but he loosened them as time passed. That was the reason that so many planets had been affected. Next, Zhou Fan wanted to do the same thing to the other three galaxy clusters. However, instead of traveling there himself, he wanted to try a new idea that he had thought of. Zhou Fan crossed his legs while floating in space and focused his mind on his mortal dao. As he connected with it, he felt all of the galaxies and planets within it. Zhou Fan''s idea was to create some sort of projection of himself in those areas. Like that, he would be able to affect all 3 galaxy clusters from anywhere. Zhou Fan picked a planet that fulfilled his requirements and focused on it, wiping thoughts of all the other places out of his mind. He then focused on the peak of the tallest mountain. It was as if he was seeing the world through a puddle of water. Zhou Fan heavily focused in an attempt to move his mind to that mountain. He was trying to use the mortal dao''s power to create a temporary body for himself that he could split his mind with. The mortal dao''s power reacted many times, but creating the form from so far away was extremely difficult. ''I couldn''t have done this at the god realm.'' Zhou Fan thought to himself before immediately wiping the thought from his mind so that he could focus. After around ten thousand attempts, Zhou Fan successfully created a temporary body. It was much weaker than his normal self, equivalent to him at the inner world realm, but it would do for his purposes. The body seemed like it was made of orange glass or energy. It was see-through, and at certain times some parts lost its form. After creating the body, Zhou Fan easily split his attention and focused a bit of his thoughts on the body. All of a sudden, a part of his vision changed. It was as if the part of him that had been looking in the third person view moved to the first person view. Although it was slightly awkward, Zhou Fan managed to control both of his bodies at once. Unfortunately, the orange body was not able to hold on for long due to his power. Zhou Fan quickly did what he needed to do on the world, just in time before the body broke down. Zhou Fan''s mind was once again one. Back in his body, he began to heavily pant. ''Even with all of my immense power, it seems I can still struggle.'' Zhou Fan laughed to himself. He quite enjoyed not being able to easily and instantly do something. Over the next few years, Zhou Fan repeated the same thing with all of the suitable planets in the three galaxy clusters. It took him twenty years due to its difficulty, but as time had passed, Zhou Fan was much more proficient with the ability compared to his first attempt. The body was still unstable and weak, but it could be formed with more ease and would last longer. With that done, Zhou Fan floated through space as he considered his next actions. All of the life he was concerned with was dealt with for now. Therefore, as far as Zhou Fan was concerned, there were two options. One, go beyond the three galaxy clusters. There was much more to the universe, and he could now reach it within a reasonable amount of time. He did not know all of the things in the universe. Perhaps the three galaxy clusters were the most calm and normal part of the universe. He would not know until he found out himself. Two, do something to increase his strength or experiment. This idea was more appealing to Zhou Fan. That was because he had an idea that he wanted to try out. Zhou Fan decided to do the second option in order to fulfill his idea, and revisit the first option later. In the silver river galaxy, Zhou Fan looked for a useless galaxy. A useless galaxy would be a small one with no planets currently capable of housing life. Galaxies like that were rare in theory, but there were around a hundred that perfectly fit the description. Zhou Fan found the closest one and went over to it. The galaxy was similar to the Zhou Galaxy with its purple color, but it was quite small and feeble. Zhou Fan quickly made his way to the black hole. He quickly sealed off that section as it was not worth messing with anything related to the cosmic dao. Next, Zhou Fan mapped out the entire galaxy on a fairly big circular piece of paper. The paper was as big as an average house of a mortal. It did not take Zhou Fan long. Although the galaxy was not covered in his mortal dao since it did not have a planet capable of having life, that actually made Zhou Fan more comfortable. Being around Chaos Qi always made Zhou Fan feel calmer and more relaxed. Other Qi''s weren''t annoying to be around, but they weren''t pleasant either. With his divine sense, the map of the galaxy was fully drawn. Zhou Fan paid attention to every celestial body. Not only the stars and planets, but even comets and asteroids. There was nothing really unusual in the small galaxy. With the map in hand, Zhou Fan began his immensely difficult calculations. Chapter 318: Galactic Array - 318 Chapter 318 - Galactic Array - 318 When it comes to array making, math is necessary. Every single angle and line needed to be completely calculated, from the width and density to the length. Everything needed to fit together almost perfectly in order to get a satisfactory product. What Zhou Fan was doing was making an array. A giant array. An array the size of a galaxy, powered by a galaxy, with the power of a galaxy, or even exceeding it if Zhou Fan did well. Zhou Fan spent an entire year perfecting the array plan. Not only was he inventing an entirely new array, but it was also an unprecidentaly huge one. While formations and arrays were very similar in terms of usage, the difference could be clearly seen now. Formations could not get very big. Even if Zhou Fan tried his hardest over a thousand years, he may only be able to create one the size of a house or a mansion. An array, in comparison, could be as big as the creator''s power would allow. If everything went well and Zhou Fan felt it could be bigger, he could also connect the array to other galaxies. With the perfected array in hand, Zhou Fan began to go around the galaxy, leaving lines of Qi, among other things, in order to build the array. Planets, stars, and more planets were connected and interwoven by lines. Everything in the galaxy had its own purpose. As Zhou Fan continued working, his mind seemed to fade and he found himself in a trance. As he set the array, it seemed as if he was dancing with the universe itself. Every single movement was perfect, and by the time Zhou Fan noticed the passage of time, the array was finished. ''How pleasant.'' Zhou Fan thought to himself as he looked below. The entire galaxy was filled with lines, each serving their own purpose. In the center, four thick black lines seemed as if they were cut short just shy of the area where the black hole was sealed. Although Zhou Fan didn''t initially plan to incorporate the black hole, he had changed the plan in his immersed state. Zhou Fan unsealed the black hole, freeing it from its cage. Nothing changed besides the fact that the path was open. Zhou Fan carefully drew lines connecting the four lines to the black hole. The black hole tried to react to something touching it by bursting out with a power, but Zhou Fan released a pressure that instantly calmed it down. Back in the lesser dao creation realm, the black holes could be seen as a threat. In the inner world realm, an exploding black hole could possibly be a threat. In the god realm, it was not impossible to be injured by the collision of multiple black holes if they were huge. In the true god realm, however, black holes were essentially irrelevant. Zhou Fan drew multiple lines on the surface of the black hole, adding it to the array. Zhou Fan was wary of the cosmic dao, but not wary to the point of purposely weakening his array in fear. Soon, the galactic array was fully completed. Its purpose was to send out a concentrated beam from the center. The power, which would be equivalent to the power of an entire galaxy and more, would be quite the thing to witness. Zhou Fan estimated that it would reach the 1st level of the god realm. That was because it would instantly use up all of the energy in the galaxy, turning it lifeless. The only thing left would be a weak black hole floating in space. Of course, the array itself also increased the power. Zhou Fan flew out of the galaxy and stood in a certain position. Once the array was activated, it would charge up for 3 seconds. Then, it would directly launch its power at Zhou Fan. Already having the goal of being hit, Zhou Fan had put in a part of the array that would manage to condense the power from the galaxy into a human sized beam. Zhou Fan stood in the perfect position and sent some of his Qi into the array from afar. Looking at the galaxy, it seemed as if the light from the edges was being pulled inwards. As the light from the outer part of the galaxy reached the center in the first second, the light from the rest of the galaxy, excluding the black hole, also moved to the center in the second second. Finally, during the third second, the black hole''s power charged up. As soon as the third second passed, a beam that instantly broke through space traveled at a speed impossible for anyone in the universe besides Zhou Fan himself to comprehend. Zhou Fan held his arms out as if he was going to give a large hug as the beam hit him. The Qi of the entire galaxy traveled through his body for an entire second before disappearing. Zhou Fan let out a large sigh of comfort. He had never been hit with such a strong attack. It almost reached the second level of the god realm. Unfortunately, the price to pay for the attack was quite high. The entire galaxy, excluding the black hole, turned to dust within the next 5 minutes. Zhou Fan was satisfied. He considered spending time creating an array combining three galaxies, but that would take an extremely long time, and the power would not increase that much. If he was lucky, it would reach the third level of the god realm. He would have to move multiple galaxies, which requires more than a wave of a hand for even him, and design an array based off of the one he had already created. To him, it would feel more like work than fun at that point. ''Besides, I''m really itching to go beyond the three galaxy clusters.'' Zhou Fan thought. He wanted to take his time and make the most of the exploration of the universe, but it was time to explore the next nearby region. Zhou Fan looked outside of the silver river galaxy at his destination. Chapter 319: Purple Star Sea - 319 Chapter 319 - Purple Star Sea - 319 It did not take a lot of calculation to pinpoint the nearest thing to the three galaxy clusters. Although a wide gap of empty space sat between them, some giant celestial body was above and to the right of the silver river galaxy. It seemed to be made out of a near infinite amount of stars and gas. The celestial body was purple with no discernable form. That was the closest celestial body. Despite being very close, it was farther away than Zhou Fan had ever traveled. Even a hundred of the three galaxy clusters would not be enough to fill the space. Zhou Fan was ready to set off, but stopped for a moment. With the power of the true god realm, he finally had enough Qi to power a teleportation array between the three galaxy clusters. The farther away something was, the more Qi a teleportation array would require before teleporting. Within a galaxy, the cost was no problem to almost anyone who was strong enough to create a teleportation array. Within a galaxy cluster, there was a pretty high cost, but it was something that a peak inner world cultivator could somewhat cover. Between the three galaxy clusters, however, the cost was extremely high. Only now would Zhou Fan be able to do it. As for creating a teleportation array between the three galaxy cluster area and the far away celestial body, the amount of Qi would be far too much for him. Zhou Fan found a random area in the silver river galaxy cluster that seemed rather empty and added a teleportation array. Over the next few years, he traveled to the other two galaxy clusters and put teleportation array''s at the entrance of them. Now, he had a quick and easy way to travel between the galaxy clusters, although they were not even close to as useful as they would have been long ago. From the tree-like galaxy cluster, Zhou Fan teleported to the silver river galaxy cluster. The silver river galaxy cluster happened to be much closer to the closest celestial body than the other two galaxy clusters. Before long, Zhou Fan exited the galaxy cluster and began to make his way out of the three galaxy cluster area. As he was leaving, Zhou Fan decided to finally name it. ''The Zhou Supercluster.'' He thought to himself. After traveling a distance that would have taken him halfway to the center of the Zhou supercluster from a galaxy cluster, Zhou Fan felt as if he left the area. The space around him suddenly seemed much more desolate and empty than it had a few seconds ago. Looking back, he seemed to notice a faint barrier that separated the Zhou supercluster from the rest of the universe. Zhou Fan also had similar feelings when he left planets, galaxies, or galaxy clusters. It was as if it was a declaration of leaving an area. Zhou Fan shrugged it off and continued flying. After 250 years of flying at a speed that would allow him to travel from one end of the Zhou supercluster to the other in 10 years, Zhou Fan felt he had arrived at the one fifth point. Zhou Fan sighed and continued flying. 1,000 years later, he was finally a single galaxy cluster distance away from the celestial body. Before long, Zhou Fan stood a few feet away from the almost completely unseeable barrier that officially marked the entrance to the celestial body. Taking a few normal steps, Zhou Fan once again felt as if the space around him had changed. From cold, peaceful, and desolate, the space seemed to be filled with warmth and activity. It was surprisingly different from the Zhou superclusters feeling. Zhou Fan assumed it was because of the incredible number of stars. Unlike the Zhou supercluster, everything besides stars, including galaxies and planets, seemed to be a rarity. There was nothing like a galaxy cluster around. Despite looking at a large portion of the celestial body''s area, he only spotted 5 galaxies. Within those galaxies, there were only around ten planets. Although a lot was blocked off by what seemed like walls or layers of stars, plenty was seeable. After a few more glances, Zhou Fan decided to name the entire area the purple star sea. The purple star sea was about as big as the Zhou supercluster, but from where he stood, there seemed to be no area without a bunch of stars. At the very least, there was no spot like the gap between the three galaxy clusters. Without needing to think for a while, Zhou Fan began to venture around the purple star sea. As he moved around, he came to the conclusion that the purple star sea was an area with very little gravitational influence. What held the galaxy clusters together was some sort of great attractor in the center of the galaxy clusters. The purple star sea seemed to be lacking something like that at first, but as he moved deeper in, Zhou Fan began to sense something very similar. Zhou Fan abandoned the plan of going around the entire area and began to fly towards the very center of the purple star sea where he sensed the thing. After 4 years, Zhou Fan flew through a large wall of stars that seemed to cover the entire purple star sea from top to bottom. As he got through them, his eyes widened incredibly. Far away, around a year of travel away, Zhou Fan saw a giant purple ball. It''s surface seemed solid and unmoving, but as a bunch of stars came near it, what seemed like giant lightning bolt''s shot out and instantly destroyed everything before the purple balls gravitational pull brought what remained in. It only took an instant for Zhou Fan to tell that the giant purple ball was the thing that gave him the feeling of a great attractor. "Is this what is in the center of the galaxy clusters?" Zhou Fan said aloud for a second before shaking his head. The glowing purple ball was the size of half of a galaxy cluster. It was impossible for the great attractors in the center of galaxy clusters to be so big. ''But at the very least, this gives me some sort of hint.'' He thought to himself. Chapter 320: Purple Planet - 320 Chapter 320 - Purple Planet - 320 After staring at the purple ball for a while, Zhou Fan decided to not go anywhere near it. He was not sure of its exact power, but he could sense that it was somewhere in the early levels of the true god realm. He didn''t think that it had the ability to kill him, but there was a good chance that it could injure him. Along with that, there was likely nothing interesting about it besides what it was made of. Everything else in its vicinity had already been reduced to particles. Zhou Fan added the purple ball to his mental map of the purple star sea and continued to wander around. His curiosity had been fulfilled, so he began to more thoroughly comb through the area. After around 50 years, Zhou Fan had seen every part of the purple star sea. he had made a complete map in his mind, and could create a physical copy at any time. The purple star sea consisted of an uncountable number of stars, the majority of which were purple. There were also around 50 galaxies across the entire thing, which also meant 50 black holes. On average, the galaxies were bigger than 99% of the galaxies in the Zhou superclusters galaxy clusters, but they weren''t exceedingly huge. The 50 galaxies were mostly filled with stars, but there were also exactly 10 planets in each galaxy. That meant that, across the entire purple star sea, there were only 500 planets. Among the 500, not a single one was suitable for life. Of course, that did not matter much to Zhou Fan anymore. He mainly worked with such planets in the Zhou supercluster, but he did not technically have to ever since he entered the god realm. Zhou Fan planned on covering every single galaxy in the purple star sea with his mortal dao. He would also make sure that all 500 planets could host life and would have life. Why did Zhou Fan do it? Because the purple star sea was far too beautiful to ignore. One could comb the entire Zhou supercluster and may only find a hundred spots as beautiful or peaceful as a random area in the purple star sea. It was as if he was constantly surrounded by glowing butterflies and glowing trees. Many people in the Zhou supercluster would have dreams of such a place. Coincidentally, Zhou Fan happened to be near a galaxy as he filled in the final part of the map. It took no more than a day to arrive at the galaxy. The galaxy, like all of the others, was aimlessly floating through the purple star sea without any sort of cluster. Zhou Fan covered the entire galaxy in his mortal dao without any response from the cosmic dao. As usual, the chaos Qi within instantly split into the myriad of Qi''s. Zhou Fan then entered the galaxy and soon came upon one of the planets. While the planet was devoid of life and unsuitable for life, it was no ball of dirt. From afar, it seemed as beautiful as some of the stars. The ground was made with purple and pink crystal that gave off a light reflected from the nearest purple star. There was not a speck of dirt on or within the entire planet. Even non colorful metals only showed up at the deepest points. If it had been before Zhou Fan entered the god realm, he would have been utterly helpless in the face of such a planet when it came to creating life. Now, in the true god realm, it was a matter of waving a hand. With one movement, the uneven surface of the planet was transformed into a completely flat land. With another wave, pink and purple trees with a slight bit of yellow burst out of the ground. They too were made of crystals. With another wave, purple and pink water formed an ocean and rivers. With another wave, mountains were formed and valleys were dug. Zhou Fan could have done everything with a single wave, but he wanted to see the process as it moved along in order to make any judgments. The only remaining thing to add to the planet was an atmosphere and living creatures. Zhou Fan soon added the atmosphere before he began thinking of what life he wanted to create. Matters of design were no issue. Only by giving a race innate talent or special characteristics would Zhou Fan need to spend some time working. Soon, Zhou Fan decided to put three races on the planet. They would be born at the Qi gathering realm and have slightly above average intelligence for such species. One was the crystal butterfly race. Unlike beings made of flesh and blood, the only thing the butterfly was made of was a crystal like material and a core at the center of its see-through body. The core would function as a sort of heart as well as a cultivation core that all beasts had. Creating unconventional life was quite interesting to Zhou Fan. He began to wonder what all he could do, but that was for later. The next race was the crystal firefly race. It was exactly the same as the crystal butterfly race, but with the shape of a firefly and the ability to create a bright glow. Finally, the last race was the crystal fish race. The same as the other two, but a fish. None of the three race''s had any real combat ability or great talent. The species were essentially designed to look pretty. They were all born at the Qi gathering realm, which solved the food problem, although that was a little different for species without flesh or blood. Soon, Zhou Fan set 10 of each race out across the world. In no time at all, they would reproduce and give birth to more and more of their kind. As Zhou Fan wandered around the planet, he began to have an idea. He had many bases throughout the Zhou supercluster, but none in the purple star sea. The planet he was on felt so much like a paradise that he decided to create a place for him there. Different from the cold and empty void that he enjoyed, he felt a different kind of peace and solitude. He was the only being truly intelligent, but not the only being. The planet was also much more beautiful than the void in some ways. Chapter 321: Space Dust - 321 Chapter 321 - Space Dust - 321 Zhou Fan looked around the world for the best possible location. Before long, he discovered a beach area. Calling it a beach area was a bit of a stretch since there was no sand and only finely crushed crystals, but sand was basically crushed rocks anyway. The biggest difference, besides the color, would be that stepping on the crushed crystals would actually hurt a bit to a mortal. It would be like stepping on glass. ''Since glass is just heated up sand, it may be closer to a beach than I thought.'' Zhou Fan jested to himself. While he was standing on the purple and pink sand, Zhou Fan stared out into the purple ocean. Coincidentally, a sunset was taking place, only adding to the planet''s beauty. It was hard to describe how beautiful the scene was, so Zhou Fan stopped thinking and enjoyed it. Before long, the sunset was over and Zhou Fan was thinking of a house blueprint. He didn''t want the house to be big at all and it would probably never be used. It was only there to fill the scene. With a wave of his hand, Zhou Fan created a one story wooden house that was not too big. It was not luxurious or fancy, but fit perfectly with the atmosphere of the planet. After creating the house, Zhou Fan did not even enter and created a lawn chair in front of the ocean. Over the next few days, Zhou Fan silently laid down and stared at the ocean. The sight never got old no matter how much time passed. After a few days, Zhou Fan forced himself to get up and continue his mission with the planets of the purple star sea. Before leaving the planet, he decided to claim it for himself. ''It''s not likely that the life here will ever birth even a void traversing cultivator. Even if they do, it would be a once in a ten million years situation.'' He thought to himself. ''Whatever. I''ll make this planet mine and personally ensure that the life here can never exceed a certain strength or intelligence.'' He thought. With intelligence and power came conflict and destruction. Even for races like butterflies and fireflies that were supposed to be beautiful and peaceful. By ensuring that the life only ever has an animal level of intelligence and, at most, a soul formation cultivation, the worry of his planet being destroyed would never happen. After all, the race''s he had created were naturally calm and peaceful race''s. Before long, there were two giant arrays surrounding the planet. One array was specially infused with Zhou Fan''s power. It allowed the array to stop anyevek 10 soul formation realm beast from cultivating or even absorbing Qi beyond the point of replenishing themselves. For a minute or two, Zhou Fan felt a little guilty at the idea of limiting an entire planet of species from experiencing all of cultivation, but then he realized that, not only would they never be so intelligent, but he was also their creator. Without him, they wouldn''t even be alive, much less be able to cultivate. In fact, without him, all life in the universe would be on a single planet. Earth. As far as he was aware at least. A lot more conflicting idea''s entered Zhou Fan''s mind, but he shoved them away. ''Why should I be burdened with worry and guilt over these things.'' He thought to himself as he completely ignored the matter. The second array covering the planet was an array that stopped anything from entering or exiting. It would also provide an invincible defense against anything in the purple star sea besides the great attractor at its center. Luckily, the galaxy was far enough away that it would not be an issue for an extremely long amount of time. An extremely long amount of time being at least a quadrillion years, likely more. Movement on a space scale was extremely slow. Otherwise, all of the galaxies in a supercluster would quickly be devoured. After enjoying a few more views, Zhou Fan left the planet. He was moving towards the nearest planet in the galaxy, when suddenly a bunch of space dust caught his attention. Random space dust was common around galaxies and within superclusters. He had even seen many within the purple star sea. They were never attention grabbing or interesting. It was essentially dirt floating through space. This space dust, however, was interesting. It was closely compacted and was moving together slowly. It seemed to be in its final stages of moving. Zhou Fan curiously watched on as the last bit of space dust moved in with the rest, forming a compact sphere. Suddenly, the sphere of space dust let out an explosion that shocked Zhou Fan into moving a back a step. The power of the explosion was nearly at the lesser dao creation realm. Very few people in the entire heaven galaxy would be able to survive such an explosion. Yet the explosion had randomly occurred in space. After a moment, Zhou Fan realized that the explosion never calmed down. Instead, it seemed to be suspended in space. All of a sudden, a heat began to come out of the sphere and Zhou Fan realized what had happened. "Is that how a star is formed?!" He said out loud. He had never even asked himself the question of how a star, or even planets or galaxies had formed. But thinking of it, it had to come from somewhere. If it just randomly appeared from thin air, or thin space, that would be quite weird. There was a lot of space dust throughout almost every area of the universe that Zhou Fan had been in. The only big exceptions would be the area in between the three galaxy clusters in the Zhou supercluster and the space outside of the Zhou supercluster and the purple star sea. "I guess that explains a lot." Zhou Fan said to himself. If stars were formed in such a way, then galaxies and planet''s likely weren''t very different. Then, Zhou Fan remembered something he had always ignored. ''There seemed to always be space dust near the black hole''s.'' He thought. Chapter 322: Continuity - 322 Chapter 322 - Continuity - 322 By remembering that space dust always seemed to be around black holes, Zhou Fan came up with a theory. ''There''s a possibility that when a black hole devours a certain amount of matter, it will spit the matter back out in the form of space dust.'' Zhou Fan thought. That made a lot more sense than assuming that black hole''s completely destroyed everything they sucked in. If that was the case, then it would mean that the universe would eventually cease to exist as all the matter would be completely gone. However, if the black holes expelled space dust in one way or another, then the universe was simply recycling the materials that would later create something new. The new enlightenment seemed to stimulate Zhou Fan''s understanding of creation. Before, the understanding of creation had focused on the aspect of life and permanently creating things. With his new realization, the understanding of creation extended to things such as rebirth and continuity. He suddenly felt as if he could destroy anything and create something else with its remains. He could crush a star only for it to be reborn in the next moment. It didn''t give Zhou Fan that much of a power boost since he could already destroy most things and create almost anything out of the remains, but it was a valuable comprehension he had made. Seeing that star''s creation was interesting to Zhou Fan, but it also gave him more questions. How was a galaxy formed? What about a galaxy cluster? A supercluster? What about black holes? The universe itself? He had always been curious, but had never really voiced his curiosity. Then, Zhou Fan had a realization. ''Can I create black holes with my current power?'' He asked himself. Zhou Fan immediately tested it out. He waved his hand towards the star and manipulated some black hole Qi. On the surface of the star that was millions of times bigger than Zhou Fan himself, a small black swirl no bigger than a human head appeared. In an instant, the nearby surface of the star began to be pulled. As more and more of the star was sucked into the black hole, the black hole grew in size, not due to the star it was absorbing, but from the increasing amount of Zhou Fans Qi it was receiving. Soon, it was thousands of times bigger than Zhou Fan and halfway through absorbing the star. Before long, the star was gone, replaced by a black hole a hundredth of its size. Surprisingly, Zhou Fan did not see the black hole expel any space dust. However, in his mind he sensed that the black hole he had created was sending him some sort of signal. The signal informed him of what was inside the black hole, which was almost an entire star of space dust. Zhou Fan could freely move the space dust in or out at will since the gravitational pull of the black hole was controlled by him. This was not the result that Zhou Fan wanted. As the black hole was created in a fashion similar to a technique, it was not a real black hole. Without Qi, it would eventually disperse. Zhou Fan needed to use the understanding of creation to create an actual black hole in order to see its effects. Zhou Fan took the space dust out of the black hole and had it shrink to its original size before dispersing the black hole. Then, with the understanding of creation, he easily recreated the star forming process. The addition to the understanding of creation surprisingly helped a lot in the process. Before long, an equally sized star was in the same place as before. Then, Zhou Fan waved his hand and another black hole appeared that looked exactly the same as the earlier one. This black hole, however, was slightly different. It was created with Zhou Fan''s understanding of creation. In other words, it was like a real black hole had just been created. Unlike before, Zhou Fan got no feedback from the black hole and could not control its gravity through a direct connection. Of course, he could easily halt its gravitational pull with his own power. The black hole was easy to create since it was so small, but it was also not very powerful at its size without Zhou Fan''s Qi. At best, it would be able to kill a lesser dao creation realm cultivator. The black hole began to devour the star, but it was clearly slower compared to before. Still, before long, the star was gone and the black hole was a hundreth of the star''s size. Surprisingly, there was no release of space dust. Zhou Fan flew in space confused until he felt some fluctuations in the distance. He looked to an area a hundred thousand lightyears away, which wasn''t that much to him, and saw space warp for a second. Then, a small amount of space dust appeared. Zhou Fan''s eyes widened as he realized what happened. Before he could think, he felt more fluctuations and saw more space dust appear far away in different areas. After a week passed, Zhou Fan saw half of the matter that had been swallowed by the black hole expelled as space dust. The black hole had also gotten noticeably smaller. Now, it showed no more signs of expelling any more space dust. Zhou Fan was able to conclude how space dust was expelled from black holes. Teleportation. Somehow, black holes were able to teleport space dust away from their gravitational reach. By expelling half of the space dust that the black hole devoured, the universe could continue growing. The matter that did not leave the black hole increased its size and would be released if something ever happened to the black hole, such as a collision with another black hole or being sucked in by a great attractor. A lot was explained by the experiment, except for how the black hole was able to teleport the space dust. Zhou Fan decided to inspect the black hole. Although the black hole looked 2D from the light it reflected, Zhou Fan had enough power to see that its true form a sphere. Zhou Fan tried something he had never done, which was entering the black hole. Chapter 323: Black Hole Experiment - 323 Chapter 323 - Black Hole Experiment - 323 Zhou Fan walked up to the black hole and placed his hand flat on it. It was not his first time coming into direct contact with a black hole, but it would be his first time entering one. By exerting a little bit of force, Zhou Fan''s hand went through the black hole as if it was a sticky goo. Zhou Fan had to focus on stabilizing his surroundings at all times while slowly entering the black hole. If not, the moment he tried entering, the black hole would do something ridiculous like explode or begin to twist and turn. A black hole''s very existence was defined by attracting things, yet when a power it could not break down touched it, it would do everything in its power to get away from that power. Unfortunately for the black hole, Zhou Fan''s power had surpassed it in every way possible. Even the bit of cosmic dao within the black hole was insignificant to Zhou Fan due to its relatively weak power and size. Soon, Zhou Fan''s entire body was engulfed by the black hole. The black hole was in no way small. Its size could be compared to earth from long ago, before Zhou Fan ever left it. Therefore, once he got the hang of moving through it without disrupting it, Zhou Fan increased his speed. Before long, he was flying at a satisfactory pace. Without much time passing, Zhou Fan felt that he was about to enter the core area. Whether or not there was something in there, Zhou Fan did not know. Of course, he could have used his divine sense at any time to instantly tell what was going on. His divine sense had become strong enough to easily ignore the power of a black hole. However, Zhou Fan usually refrained from doing such things. If he simply used his divine sense to do everything, there would be nothing to do for himself. He could have also just teleported to the center if he wanted. Zhou Fan''s hand was still held out in front of him when he felt it reach a different area. Before long, his head also entered. Surrounding Zhou Fan was complete darkness. There was not a single ray of light anywhere near the area he was in. Luckily, cultivators quickly transcended the need to use light to see. As a true god, it would be shameful if he had to rely on such a thing to see. The area Zhou Fan was in was around as tall as himself and about twice his height in width. In the very center of the small area was a tiny pebble made up of every color there was. Of course, it didn''t actually give off any light due to the black hole, but the fact that its color could be seen regardless was testament to how powerful it was. Zhou Fan was immensely surprised at its presence. He did not even feel anything happen. He was unaware of how it got there. Naturally, it was a piece of the cosmic dao. A solid piece. It was tiny, but Zhou Fan could sense that it was very powerful. He could also detect an invisible and undetectable string that likely connected the tiny piece to the real cosmic dao. Sadly, although he knew there was a string, Zhou Fan could not tell where the string actually was. Despite seeing the cosmic dao piece, Zhou Fan did not forget his original purpose. He created a wooden plank inside the black hole and teleported it just outside. Soon, the black hole sucked the wooden plank up and Zhou Fan felt it traveling through the black hole. As it traveled, it was being ripped apart down to its deepest components. By the time it made it to the area where Zhou Fan was, it was no longer a wooden plank, but a completely dismantled substance that Zhou Fan referred to as space dust. As it entered the area that Zhou Fan was in, Zhou Fan felt a sliver of Qi come from the cosmic dao piece and the space, which had already been extremely weakened by the black hole''s gravitational pull, was easily broken. In an instant, the space dust was teleported away. Zhou Fan understood what was happening. It was a surprisingly smart and efficient process. The black hole would pull things from outside to its core, dismantling it completely along the way. Also, just by existing it would weaken the space within it due to its gravity. Then, once the dismantled space dust entered the black hole, the piece of cosmic dao would take advantage of the weakened space and teleport the space dust away for very little cost requiring very little power. Of course, along the way the black hole itself devoured some of what it pulled in, allowing it to increase in size. It was a very interesting process. Now satisfied, Zhou Fan destroyed the black hole, and the piece of cosmic dao with it. The cosmic dao had entered his black hole without his permission, so Zhou Fan felt that it was very reasonable for him to destroy it. In an instant, Zhou Fan felt a little bit of power surround him. However, once the power sensed his strength, it dissipated. Although the cosmic dao exhibited beast-like tendencies, there was a very clear difference. The difference was that the cosmic dao did not have any emotions such as pride or greed. As long as Zhou Fan was strong enough, he could take up a large amount of area with his mortal dao without the cosmic dao caring. Still, Zhou Fan had a feeling that at some point, it would see him as a threat and attempt to eliminate him. Luckily, it was not doing so yet. Just based off of the fact that Zhou Fan could not tell where the string was or how the piece of cosmic dao even appeared showed that he stood no chance against it. For now of course. Zhou Fan always planned on elevating his mortal dao further. Doing so would naturally put him against the cosmic dao at some point. It was only a matter of when, not if. Chapter 324: Ten Planets - 324 Chapter 324 - Ten Planets - 324 Now done with his black hole experiment, Zhou Fan continued to move through the galaxy. He very quickly made his way to the 2nd planet of the galaxy. It was in a very similar state to the previous planet before Zhou Fan''s changes. Zhou Fan waved his hand a few times, and an ocean planet appeared in front of him. He had decided to go for a variety through the 50 galaxies and 500 planets. Different from a normal ocean planet, the water covering this world was a mix between purple and pink. Also, the sea life within it was not organic life. Like the species on the last planet, they were made up of a crystal like substance and had a core in the center. Once again, the crystal fish race made an appearance on the planet. In addition, there was also a crystal octopus race, a crystal shark race, a crystal whale race, and a crystal shrimp race. Zhou Fan did not add a lot of variety to the planet, but he made sure that the species would be able to evolve, eventually forming a bunch of different species. This time around, Zhou Fan did not limit the species'' intelligence. They would be free to grow like any other planet in the universe. Only the 1st planet would be limited by Zhou Fan. Even if life evolved throughout the galaxy and other planets tried to enter the 1st one, they would be unable to. Zhou Fans array was so strong that only a true god could possibly get past it. The odds of a true god being born in the universe''s current state were literally zero. Even the odds of a god realm cultivator appearing were zero. Until Zhou Fan upgraded cultivation 1.0, the strongest a being could possibly be would be the 1st level of the inner world realm. It was also a form of limit, just like the one on the planet, but Zhou Fan''s limit on cultivation was much more reasonable. Throughout the entire universe, the only person that really had a chance of reaching the inner world realm before Zhou Fan upgraded cultivation 1.0 would be Ying Xiong. Even then, it would be a very long and difficult journey for him. Of course, without Zhou Fan''s interference, Ying Xiong would have likely never been born, much less be able to cultivate. The only life would be on earth and only Chaos Qi would exist. Zhou Fan was already showing the ultimate selflessness by essentially gifting cultivation to the universe in one way or another. Zhou Fan did not stay on the ocean planet for long. He very quickly moved to the third planet. This time, he made the planet completely flat. The species he put on the planet also fit that sort of style. Crystal cows, crystal horses, and crystal deer were the species he had put on the planet. For the fourth planet, he created a planet consisting of only forests and some rare lakes. The species were crystal monkeys, crystal lions, and crystal tigers. Like the last two planets, they had the ability to evolve, or even devolve in order to create more species. For the 5th planet, Zhou Fan created a desert planet. The only thing one would be able to see at any time was purple, sparkling sand. On the entire planet there were only 5 oasis with water. The species added were the crystal lizard race, the crystal bearded dragon race, the crystal camel race, and the crystal iguana race. On the 6th planet, all the land of the world consisted of twenty giant crystal pillars. This was a world of sky. The species were the crystal bird race, the crystal hawk race, the crystal wyvern race, which was a lesser form of the dragon race that Zhou Fan had invented, and the crystal cricket race. The 7th planet was a world of purple snow and pink ice. The species were the crystal snowman race, a race of intelligent snowmen, the crystal penguin race, the crystal polar bear race, and the crystal elf race, a lesser version of the elves that were basically dwarves with pointy ears. The crystal elf race had intelligence equal to the other race''s and beast-like species, but they were much gentler in nature. The 8th planet was a swamp planet. Of course, even a swamp was beautiful in the purple star sea. The race''s were the crystal mosquito race, the crystal mudfish race, and the crystal leviathan race. Crystal leviathans were fish-like humanoid creatures. They were the opposite of the mermaid race. Their bottom half was human-like with legs, while their upper half was fish like, although still humanoid. The 9th planet seemed flat from afar, but underground were endless caves. The crystal''s in the cave walls created a beautiful scene. The species on the 9th planet were the crystal spider race, the crystal bat race, and the crystal miner race. The crystal miner race was a race of dwarves with beast-like intelligence. They enjoyed mining and collecting crystals. Finally, the 10th planet was an invention that Zhou Fan called a space planet. It was something Zhou Fan had created on the spot. A thin film surrounded a large area of space, replacing the planet''s atmosphere. The film was where the planet''s bounds ended. Within the film was a bunch of space, not air. Throughout the planet sized film, there were tens of thousands of floating islands, all varying in size. The plants on these floating islands were specially created by Zhou Fan. Even without cultivation, they easily survived in space. The species for this special planet were also designed by Zhou Fan. There was the space wyvern, which was a lesser dragon race. Unlike normal wyverns, the space wyvern could survive in space, or at least the space within the thin film. It would still need to be in the void traversing realm to leave the planet. There was also the space bird race. They were simply birds that could survive in the planet''s space. The last three were the space dog race, the space cat race, and the space fish race. They did not need an explanation to be understood. These were the ten planets within the first galaxy of the purple star sea. Chapter 325: Star Gods - 325 Chapter 325 - Star Gods - 325 After finishing with the ten planets within the first galaxy, Zhou Fan did not rest or take a break. He quickly continued on to the rest of the planets in the entire purple star sea. It was not long at all before all 500 planets had life on them. Throughout all 500 of them, the only thing that remained constant was the purple and pink theme. There were some planets that followed one thing to the extreme, such as an ocean planet or a snow planet, while there were also those that mixed and matched a bunch together. While a lot of evolution would happen on the planets in the future, there were only 3-6 different species on each planet. Zhou Fan looked forward to how it would turn out one day, but that would be far in the future. For the next few days, Zhou Fan sat on his lawn chair and tried to figure out if there was anything left to do in the purple star sea. Everything reasonable seemed to be completed already, so if he wanted to find something to do, it would have to be something new and slightly unreasonable. His first thought was to create another humanoid race. However, the atmosphere of the entire purple star sea simply didn''t give off a feeling similar to a humanoid race. In a way, humans would only sully its beauty. Even celestials wouldn''t be much different. If he was going to create a humanoid race for the purple star sea, it would have to match with the purple star sea. From what Zhou Fan could think of, it would have to be a race that was not organic, such as the crystal butterflies and so on. Zhou Fan began to think of plans, and soon, a great idea struck him. The issue would be its difficulty. It would be beyond difficult for him to realize his idea. At the very least, it would take a lot of time. Luckily, Zhou Fan did not lack time. He had more time than everyone in the universe combined, in fact. Zhou Fan got off of the chair and left the planet. A lot of experimenting would have to go into what he was going to do. Over the next hundred thousand years, Zhou Fan spent all of his time thinking and planning. Then, another hundred thousand years was spent experimenting. Finally, a final hundred thousand years, for a total of three hundred thousand years, he spent actually creating the race and designing its features. Zhou Fan had expected to spend at least a million years for each stage, but cultivation 1.0 made things a lot easier. For any being under its effects, which was every being except him, Zhou Fan had complete control. He could create meridians and give away talent as if it was candy. He could also immediately increase anyones cultivation realm to the inner world realm with a snap of his fingers. It was the greatest perk about cultivation 1.0, to him at least. However, even with that, creating the race was difficult. The race would have natural talent beyond any race he had ever created, including the fiendcelestials. However, everything needed balance. Balance was one of the reasons for cultivation 1.0 in the first place. Therefore, unless he wanted to change cultivation 1.0, things had to be balanced. So although the race had the greatest natural talent of all the races in the known universe, the race was limited to ten members. The members also had no ability to reproduce. There were also many other restrictions on them. Of course, there was also an equivalent amount of benefits. Zhou Fan named the race, "Star Gods". A big part of the name was the fact that they could only be born from multiple stars. Once Zhou Fan put the changes into effect, whenever there were less than 10 star gods alive, thousands of stars would begin to be pulled together. They would condense, and under Zhou Fans power, be turned into star gods. Star gods were born at the void traversing realm. They all had an affinity to star Qi and space Qi. In other words, there would be very few in the universe who would ever be able to beat one at the same level. The star gods were born with the height of a star, but they could freely change their height from birth. They were also born with very high intelligence. One of the sacrifices made was that the star gods had no mouth. They could only speak telepathically, although Zhou Fan didn''t really see that as a sacrifice since it fit their image. The star gods were all born with at least supreme god rank meridians. The one that got the providence of the race would be born with at least immortal rank meridians, but very likely higher. They were very powerful, but if one really thought about it, the star gods would probably be the weakest humanoid race in the known universe. After all, there were only ten of them. Although they would almost never lose a 1v1 against someone at the same level, what about a 500v1, or a 1000v1. At their starting power at least, the star gods could be easily crushed. Also, no matter how talented a species was, the limit was usually the 10th level of the space shattering realm. Even with all the space shattering level 10 cultivators in the Zhou galaxy, how many had actually reached the lesser dao creation realm. Not a single person in the Heaven galaxy had. It would take a lot of time for the star god race to build up a respectable and fear inducing power. With all the specifics worked out, Zhou Fan set his plan into action. The only issue was that his mortal dao did not cover a large enough area. Zhou Fan decided to push his luck with the cosmic dao and see how far he could extend his mortal dao before it reacted. Chapter 326: Galaxy Expansion - 326 Chapter 326 - Galaxy Expansion - 326 Within the purple star sea, the only areas that Zhou Fans mortal dao covered were the 50 galaxies. Besides a tiny bit of space outside of the galaxies, the rest was outside of his mortal dao. Zhou Fan had considered whether or not expending space for his mortal dao in the purple star sea was worth it or not, but in the end, he decided that it was. However, one thing that surely would be impossible would be connecting the 50 galaxies. Zhou Fan only had two options. One, put all the star gods in a single galaxy, or two, spread them out. Zhou Fan only had to think for a moment before he came up with a solution that had been used before, though only within a galactic scale. Teleportation arrays. There was no doubt that Zhou Fan could connect the 50 galaxies, even if they were spread out within the purple star sea. The issue was the cost. No beings Qi would be able to activate such a long distance teleportation array. Luckily, it didn''t take Zhou Fan a long time to come up with an idea. ''There are an awful lot of stars around here. I''m sure that the purple star sea could spare some.'' He thought to himself. His idea was to make the teleportation array partially powered by the stars Qi, although partially was about 99%. Regardless, that would have to wait until after he expanded his mortal dao. Zhou Fan stood in a space outside of the galaxies and concentrated. Slowly, the mortal dao covering each of the galaxies began to expand. Slowly to Zhou Fan at least. After a day, the mortal dao had expanded its inner space by three times for each of the galaxies. After a week, the inner space had expanded by a total of twenty times. Zhou Fan decided to stop there. He could expand it more, but he did not want to waste all his potential expansion on the purple star sea. With the new space, there was an empty area within his mortal dao for each of the galaxies. Anything that had been directly outside had long become part of the galaxies, so despite the area expanding by twenty times, no new celestial bodies such as stars were added. Zhou Fan took this chance to allow the 500 planets to expand even more than they already had. While he had the idea, Zhou Fan connected to all of the galaxies within the three galaxy clusters in the Zhou supercluster. For the galaxies where only a single planet was covered in the mortal dao, he expanded it to cover the entire galaxy. Then, he slowly began to expand the mortal dao''s size, going past the reaches of the galaxy. Although he seemed to be doing the same thing, he was doing it to many more galaxies than before. The rate at which he was expending the potential area was many times faster than before. When every area had expanded past the galaxies by 3 times, Zhou Fan felt a familiar pressure. "You think that this is enough? I don''t accept that." Zhou Fan said as he continued to expand the mortal dao''s reach. Once the mortal dao sizes were 5 times as large, Zhou Fan felt a much heavier pressure than before. ''6 times is probably the safe limit.'' Zhou Fan thought as his mortal dao expansion soon stopped. Now, the galaxies themselves could grow in size. A long time ago, planets were the only thing covered in Zhou Fans mortal dao. Previously, he had expanded it so that galaxies were covered. Sadly, the galaxies could not expand as the planets did, simply because there was not enough space covered by his mortal dao. Now, everything in the galaxies would begin expanding, as well as the planets. The Zhou world was incomparably bigger than a normal world even before. Now, it would once again expand by 6 times. It may even reach a size that was as big as the galaxy before the 6 times expansion. By far, the Zhou world had experienced the most transformation. Only space shattering realm cultivators could possibly explore the entire planet. Soon, Zhou Fan took his mind off of the Zhou supercluster and focused back on the purple star sea. The 50 galaxies would soon expand to 20 times their previous size. That included everything from planets and stars to black holes. Until then, Zhou Fan decided to focus on other issues. The first was the teleportation array. Zhou Fan decided to lessen the burden slightly. Moving galaxies was annoying but not impossible. Zhou Fan used his mortal dao to push every single galaxy in a certain direction. Once they reached their spots, all 50 galaxies would be within the same tenth of the purple star sea, although there would still be a large distance between them. While the galaxies were moving, Zhou Fan had to expend a large amount of Qi to make sure that nothing bad happened at all. Therefore, for any other work, he would be working with about half of his Qi. Zhou Fan decided to work on a teleportation array method that was different from the normal one. It would be much more elaborate and complicated, while possibly costing more Qi, but it would also be more natural. Zhou Fan looked at the galaxy he was just outside of, the only one that was not moving somewhere since all the other galaxies were joining it. He took control of an outer area of the mortal dao where the galaxy would grow to reach in the future. It was about a hundreth of the total size, which was no doubt extremely large. Before, it would have been 20% of the entire galaxy. Under Zhou Fans manipulation, a dark black mist pervaded the entire extremely large area. Within that mist, Zhou Fan started working on one of many arrays. The first array was a hiding array. All of the arrays would be hidden due to Zhou Fans plan. Zhou Fan covered half of the dark black mist in hiding arrays in order to disguise the rest of the arrays. Chapter 327: Star Creation Array - 327 Chapter 327 - Star Creation Array - 327 After finishing putting hiding arrays, Zhou Fan began to create more arrays behind the hiding arrays. The arrays he was creating now were new inventions by him that hadn''t existed before. Zhou Fan would create ten arrays in a circle. All of them would be altered teleportation arrays. When someone, most likely a star god, flew through the dark mist, they would eventually find themselves in another galaxy. That was the way that intergalactic travel would be done. When Zhou Fan was done placing arrays, they would randomly lead to different galaxies. There would be no way to specifically enter the galaxy that you wanted to enter other than by chance. It would be annoying, but that was the price to pay for such a convenient moving ability. After Zhou Fan was finished placing teleportation arrays, he began to create arrays that would take the Qi away from stars and use it to power the teleportation array. Although there were many stars in the purple star sea, they were not infinite. When a star supernovas, it would disperse its Qi and space dust over a long distance. In that way, it was easier for a star to be born from that exploded star. In comparison, when Zhou Fan or an array took the Qi from a star, causing it to die off, it would be many times harder for another star to form. Luckily, Zhou Fan had a 2 part plan. The first part was to use his understanding of creation to create an array that would be able to create stars from the space dust they left behind after their Qi was drawn out. The issue with that was where to get the Qi to power such an incredible array. Zhou Fan would definitely not support such an array on his own constantly. That would be far too much expenditure. The only other thing in the purple star sea that could compare to Zhou Fan was the great attractor at the center. Zhou Fan felt that there was a good chance he could create an array that would take the excess Qi it was giving off and use it to power the star creation array. Zhou Fan moved as fast as he could and eventually arrived in front of the great attractor. He planned on going closer than before in order to see the range that it began to attack at. Soon, Zhou Fan was three galaxy lengths away from the great attractor. He could feel its power seem to sense him, but it did nothing. As Zhou Fan reached 2 galaxy lengths away, it finally acted. A giant bolt of what appeared to be purple lightning shattered space as it shot towards Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan barely had time to react, but with a slap of his palm, the purple lightning dispersed. Zhou Fan was not a normal true god realm cultivator. Like in all the previous realms, his battle strength was multiple times higher than a normal persons would be. Zhou Fan turned around in order to go away, but the giant purple ball seemed to take his casual dispersion of its attack as a threatening maneuver. Another purple lightning bolt shot at him. The lighting bolt was 5 times stronger than the last one. It was clear that the great attractor was fully displaying its strength. Zhou Fan turned around and flicked his finger. His attack used his full strength, except Chaos Qi and his divine physique. A flaming arrow shot out from his finger and instantly destroyed the lightning bolt before continuing on even faster than the lightning bolt had. In almost an instant, the flaming arrow hit the great attractor and greatly distorted it. A large amount of Qi rushed out in order to defend the purple ball, but each bit was thoroughly crushed before the flaming arrow finally stopped due to Zhou Fans command. "Know your place, ball." Zhou Fan said as he began to walk away again. This time, no lightning bolt shot out at him. The great attractor had instantly changed its aggressive attitude. Of course, it didn''t actually have enough intelligence to understand what was going on, but it had enough instincts to let Zhou Fan go. Zhou Fan began to set up the Qi gathering array 4 galaxy lengths away from the great attractor. At that distance, the purple ball would completely ignore the arrays and the efficiency of gathering the great attractors Qi would not diminish much. Although Zhou Fan was stronger than the great attractor, they had a similar amount of Qi. If anything, the purple ball had more. Therefore, the excess Qi that flowed away from its body as a result of it not properly controlling it was about a tenth of Zhou Fans Qi reserves. It would very likely be more than enough to power the star creation array as long as the amount of stars being created was somewhat low. On his way back to the first galaxy, Zhou Fan grabbed some stars by covering them entirely with his Qi. Moving galaxies was annoying, but moving stars was easy enough. Zhou Fan brought a hundred stars with him and placed them outside of where the galaxy would eventually expand. They were hidden behind the dark mist from the view within the galaxy. Zhou Fan then started with the harder part, infusing his understanding of creation into an array. He wasn''t sure if it was possible at all. Possible for him now at least. Anything was possible. Zhou Fan planned out the array from scratch. It was by far the most complicated array he had ever created. For a second, he was worried that he would have to input some understanding of creation everytime it was activated, but he quickly realized that he could simply create the foundation of the array with his understanding of creation and that problem would be solved. After an entire year of planning and creation, a giant array, powered by a giant line that extended into the distance, was locked in place under a hundred stars. The stars were also locked in place, and even the space dust would stay still once the Qi was extracted from the stars. Chapter 328: The Ten Star Gods - 328 Chapter 328 - The Ten Star Gods - 328 The only thing left to do was to test out the array. Zhou Fan sent a bit of his Qi in to activate it, and a burst of Qi quickly came from the great attractor. The hundred stars floating in space suddenly had all of their Qi drawn out of them and pushed into an area next to the array. Since the array had yet to be connected to what it would power, the Qi was just pushed aside without being used. The stars very quickly collapsed into space dust. The Qi received from the great attractor then activated the array under the stars. In just a few seconds, the hundred stars were exactly how they were before. Unsurprisingly, the Qi from the great attractor had not been completely used. 5 more cycles followed before more Qi was needed from the great attractor. Regardless, Zhou Fan stopped there. He was simply testing it. Any more would be pointless. The amount of Qi being taken from the great attractor each time was a very small amount compared to its total, so it would not be hard for the great attractor to support the process thousands of times. Now that Zhou Fan knew the array worked as planned, the next issue was doing something similar to the other 49 galaxies. Yet, Zhou Fan did not plan to do that. Creating a star creation array was an annoying and tedious process, and the great attractor may not be able to constantly support 50 of them being used at the same time. Therefore, Zhou Fan decided to do the obvious. He would simply directly connect the great attractors Qi to the teleportation arrays. It was absolutely unnecessary to create a star creation array to power the teleportation arrays. Zhou Fan had merely done it for fun and out of a slight interest. Before doing such a thing with the other galaxies, Zhou Fan decided to wait until they finished moving. In the meantime, he would fully finish setting up the first galaxy. Zhou Fan took the array line that would direct the Qi taken from the stars and dragged it with him to the inside of his mortal dao, where the galaxy had yet to expand to. Inside the black mist, Zhou Fan connected the line to the ten teleportation arrays forming a circle. The next time that someone attempted to pass through the circle of teleportation arrays, the teleportation arrays would activate and be powered by the Qi of the stars. Of course, that was not all that Zhou Fan had planned. Everything he had created was still hidden by the hiding arrays, so no person or star god would be able to find anything. Of course, the black mist was also impossible to see through. Next, Zhou Fan created confusion arrays that would directly stun the mind, misdirection arrays that would take advantage of the confusion and lead the traveler in circles or in random directions, and finally, a mind attack array. Not just anyone would be allowed to travel through the black mist. At the very least, they would have to be at the tenth level of the space shattering realm, while having a mind that was above average compared to most in the same realm. Luckily for the star gods, they were born with very strong minds. Afterwards, Zhou Fan created an array outside the area covered by his mortal dao that would drag new stars from outside of the galaxy that would replace the stars that were used to birth star gods. Only after a while was Zhou Fan done. Despite the time he had spent creating the arrays, the moving galaxies had not yet reached their positions. Therefore, Zhou Fan went ahead and created the ten star gods in the first galaxy. Only in the future, when they achieved greater strength, would they be able to enter other galaxies. With a single wave of his hand, the pre-prepared star gods officially came into existence. Ten beings the size of stars appeared in front of Zhou Fan. In order to communicate with them, Zhou Fan increased the size of his body until he was towering over them. Despite just being born, the star gods did not give off a childish feeling. They had humanoid figures, but from head to toe their bodies looked like the purple star sea from afar. It was as if they were made of stars, which they were. The star gods eyes were completely purple with a tinge of pink. Like butterflies and fireflies, star gods were a peaceful race. As the only humanoid race in the purple star sea, there was no need for fights or war. The star gods would simply keep the peace of the 50 galaxies. What implications that had would be a matter for the future to deal with. Only a few minutes after being born did the star gods look at Zhou Fan. The first thing they noticed was how different Zhou Fan looked compared to them. He wore gray clothes and had white skin. It was very easy for anyone to spot the difference between them. The star gods could not speak with their mouths, but Zhou Fan felt transmissions coming towards his head. He did not stop them and allowed them to enter his mind. "Are you our creator?" The voices all asked at the same time. "Yes." Zhou Fan responded. Different from the star gods, he used his voice to speak and his words rang throughout the entire galaxy. "Why have you appeared in front of us?" The star gods asked. Zhou Fan pointed his giant finger beyond the galaxy, towards a place that the star gods could not see. "Far from here lies a black mist. Beyond the mist lies a whole new world. When the time comes, traverse that mist." Zhou Fan declared, his voice echoing for dramatic effect. "I understand." The star gods replied. Zhou Fan disppeared, leaving the star gods to their own devices. He spent the next few years watching them from afar, his body back to normal size. Before long, the other 49 galaxies reached their positions. Chapter 329: Blackhole Area - 329 Chapter 329 - Blackhole Area - 329 With all 50 galaxies in place, Zhou Fan could finally finish the 1st galaxy''s teleportation array. After all, it would not currently activate since it was not connected to another teleportation array. Over the next 5 years, Zhou Fan traveled around the 50 galaxies and set them up exactly the same as the first galaxy, minus the star gods. Zhou Fan flew through the dark mist that had been placed in another galaxy. The tricks didn''t work against him and didn''t even activate, so he swiftly made it through and entered the circle of teleportation arrays. For anyone else, the teleportation arrays would randomly transport them to one of the other 49 galaxies. Luckily, that did not happen to Zhou Fan. As he exited another circle of teleportation arrays, he found himself back at the first galaxy. Zhou Fan planned to make the first galaxy the last place he checked out before leaving the purple star sea. The star gods had not changed much. They spent most of their time cultivating, and when they weren''t cultivating they were staring at the ten planets. Zhou Fan also glanced to the star god that had received the races providence. He had been the first star god to be born, but his talent was only at the supreme god realm, along with his fellow star gods. Their luck had not been too good in the talent department, and the star god with providence received nothing since the star god race had just came into existence. After a few generations of star gods, or perhaps during the next, the providence would actually be helpful. Of course, star gods would not die easily. They were essentially guaranteed to reach the space shattering realm, and a space shattering realm cultivator had a lifespan of around 500 million years. There were other ways to die for star gods, such as becoming too curious and going too close to a black hole, or being hit by a supernova, but as long as the star gods were careful, they would be able to peacefully live out their lives. During the following week, Zhou Fan spent his time relaxing on his planet. The star gods occasionally glanced at him, but they could not affect the planet in any way since Zhou Fan had claimed it and protected it with arrays. After the week leisurely passed, Zhou Fan got up and flew out of the first galaxy. He then made his way to the edges of the purple star sea. Since he was already close to one of the exits, it took him less than a year to leave the purple star sea. While floating in space, Zhou Fan began to think of his next course of action. He felt that there were only a few possibilities. He could try to reach another place like the Zhou supercluster and the purple star sea, or he could return to the Zhou supercluster and do something else such as cultivate or upgrade his mastery over the arts to the high god realm. The decision did not take long, Zhou Fan felt like his exploratory urges had not been completely fulfilled. He wanted to enter another area full of interesting things. From where he was standing, he had a few choices. There were three in particular that were equally far away from his current location. One was a large area of many colors. Green, yellow, and red were the most dominant. Another was fully blue. It seemed to be in the shape of a bird, but only if he stretched his imagination very thin. The final area, and the one that Zhou Fan was the most interested in, was an area so black that it could almsot not be noticed if you blurred your eyes. Zhou Fan could not hold his curiosity back and really wanted to go there. Since nothing was stopping him, he did just that. The journey was quite peaceful but also long. 1,300 years after setting out, Zhou Fan arrived in front a familiar barrier. It still felt as if it both existed and didn''t. Zhou Fan didn''t pay much attention to it and flew through it. The feeling around him changed and Zhou Fan was fairly surprised. The air around him seemed to be one of danger and darkness. Of course, he was not in danger nor did he feel in danger, but it was as if the space around him was so used to danger that it naturally gave off that air. Zhou Fan looked up ahead and understood why. Not far away was the blackness he had seen earlier. At first, he had assumed that there was some sort of black stars there, but it seemed that there were as many black holes in this area as there were stars in the purple star sea. This fact genuinely surprised Zhou Fan. The space ahead seemed to be distorted by the many gravitational pulls, and unless he used some Qi, it would be difficult to tell where he was going or what direction he was going in. Before long, Zhou Fan flew past the first black hole and entered what could be called the danger zone. He could tell that the area was about as big as the purple star sea, so he planned on flying through until he found something that caught his attention. As he flew through, he encountered a few black holes colliding and exploding, but they did not do anything to him. After around 6 months of traveling through the area, he paused as he saw an interesting sight. 7 black holes were quickly closing in on each other. Each and every single one was bigger than an average black hole, and the biggest could even be put in the top 1%. After staying still for three days, Zhou Fan watched them all collide with each other at the same time. They all exploded and a shockwave with power reaching the 3rd level of the god realm tore through space and hit Zhou Fan. He simply stayed still and watched the center of the explosion. Chapter 330 - 2nd Great Attractor - 330 Chapter 330 - 2nd Great Attractor - 330 From within the center of the explosion, Zhou Fan watched an unprecedented amount of space dust shoot into the surrounding area. It was more in one place then he had ever seen, which was not unexpected due to the size and amount of black holes colliding. When the explosion finally stopped sending out shockwaves, a single, tiny black hole remained. Zhou Fan could tell that there was nothing interesting about the black hole. It was simply a tiny fragment of one of the black holes from before that luckily managed to survive. It was only about the size of Zhou Fan''s head. Zhou Fan did not pay any attention to the black hole. Instead, his gaze was focused on the space dust that shot out. He had seen many black holes in the area, but never stars or space dust. Zhou Fan could feel something different about the space he was in, but he was not sure how that caused so many blackholes and no stars to appear. Zhou Fan watched the space dust for a day, and he noticed that it was moving faster than other space dust he had observed in other areas like the purple star sea and the Zhou supercluster. In fact, it seemed that the space dust was forming 6 gatherings, and each would be completed in just a few weeks. The space dust had been shot away an extremely large distance due to the explosion that held god realm power. In other locations, the space dust was so far apart that it may never join together again. Still, despite such reasoning, the space dust was moving. Zhou Fan patiently waited 5 weeks for the 6 gathering spots to reach full capacity. He could feel that something unexpected was going to happen. Almost at the exact same time, the 6 gatherings of space dust began to be condensed inwards. Soon, after the condensation reached a certain point, an explosion happened. Just as a star was about to be formed, the explosion seemed like it began to get sucked in. Zhou Fan watched as the explosion quickly condensed and exploded outward again, this time in a dark form. ''Is that how black holes are created, or is it simply something that happens in this place?'' Zhou Fan thought to himself. It seemed unlikely that space dust could only form stars from the beginning, so it creating a black hole, while somewhat surprising, was not completely unexpected. The only question was why it was never seen anywhere else and only in this specific area. One theory was that the space in this area was different, which he had been able to feel, but it didn''t explain how black holes were created outside of the black hole area. It was more likely that space dust that came out of a black hole due to a collision with another black hole would form a black hole, but Zhou Fan was not sure. As for thinking any deeper, he would have to begin asking questions like how was the universe created, and he wasn''t ready to start thinking about all of that. Zhou Fan started towards the depths of the blackhole area once again. As he continued flying, he began to think of a name for the area. He had a couple of ideas, but decided to wait until he saw everything. After thinking of names, he began to think if he could add living beings in such an area. Obviously, they would have to be quite special and powerful. Soon, Zhou Fan began to feel a familiar feeling. It was the feeling of a great attractor. To Zhou Fan, seeing this one was just as important as the first. He was not sure if all great attractors looked the same or acted the same. The second great attractor would answer that question. Zhou Fan continued to fly, and soon, he felt closer than before. Just as he passed a black hole bigger than any he had ever seen before, the space opened up. Far ahead was a giant black dot. It did not seem spherical like black holes, but as if it was truly 2D. An orange color could be seen on the edges of what could only be described as an unparalleled black hole. Surprisingly, there was no suction force coming from it. Even normal great attractors had a suction force, so it would be weird for a normal black hole to not have one. Zhou Fan took a step forward, but immediately stopped. He realized why it seemed as if there was no suction force. Only by infusing an extremely large amount of Qi into his eyes could Zhou Fan see that the space ahead was so twisted and shattered that it seemed normal. It defied all logic and confused Zhou Fan, but he shrugged his shoulders. The great attractor ahead gave off a much more dangerous feeling when compared to the great attractor of the purple star sea. Zhou Fan even estimated that it held power equivalent to the middle levels of the true god realm. It gave him a feeling of danger, but for some reason, Zhou Fan wanted to go near it and feel its power. He had never really run into anything stronger than him directly. Just as he took another step towards it, he opened his eyes and mouth in shock. ''It''s even attracting my thoughts and emotions towards it!'' He shouted in his mind. He was thoroughly impressed by the great attractor. Yet, with a clear mind, he still decided to go up to it. After reaching the halfway point, Zhou Fan entered the obliterated space and finally felt the great attractor''s power. It was impossible to move through the space unless you could handle the destruction with your own power. There was no other way such as dodging or teleporting. Speaking of teleportation, Zhou Fan felt it was much more difficult in the area. He could still teleport, but it was much harder. Controlling the direction was also harder. As he got closer, he felt teleportation getting even harder than before. Chapter 331: True God 3 - 331 Chapter 331 - True God 3 - 331 It was Zhou Fans first time ever feeling such a thing. He had destroyed space beyond recognition many times, but the current space seemed like an endless maze. It was as if it was jumbled up and mixed together, with only a few parts actually being considered broken. Before long, Zhou Fan was 4 galaxy lengths away from the black hole. In the same second that he took a step, a great suction force focused on him. Even with his power, he felt as if it almost couldn''t be resisted. Only after his body burst out with Qi was he able to resist the great attractor. As if it took offense to his actions, an orange and black bolt struck at him. It was similar to the previous great attractor''s attack, but also much different. Zhou Fan crossed his arms and covered them with Qi as the bolt hit him. His Qi was pierced and his clothes were torn through, but only a slight redness was visible on his arms. Despite the attack seeming similar to a lightning bolt, it did not have any of a lightning bolts properties. They just had the same shape. When he was hit, Zhou Fan felt like he was being hit with a blunt force, before it started to pull at him. If he took it with his bare body, he may not be able to stand without injuries. Despite likely being in danger, Zhou Fan felt excited at the prospect of a powerful attack. Besides Chaos Qi and his divine physique, Zhou Fan began to use all of his power. An amount of Qi that could instantly cover multiple galaxies burst out of his body and formed around his finger. As he pointed it at the great attractor, the great attractor formed 9 bolts that hit each other before turning into a single bolt that struck towards him. ''Dao Finger.'' Zhou Fan thought as a multi-colored finger many times bigger than himself formed and moved straight forward. The Dao Finger and the great attractors bolt collided, but the Dao Finger was not a casual attack. Out of all of Zhou Fans martial arts and techniques, it was the strongest without using Chaos Qi. The Dao Finger was only halted for half a second before it continued forward. A few more bolts shot towards it, including two as strong as the first, but it barely slowed down and only slightly dimmed as it hit the great attractor that resembled a black hole. Zhou Fan saw some of the Qi on the outer layer of the Dao Finger being redirected by the black hole''s gravitational pull, but it barely reduced the power of the attack by 10%. It was simply too powerful. The Dao Finger struck the great attractor, causing it to move back an entire galaxy length, as well as twist and turn, before the Dao Finger dispersed. Zhou Fan was surprised that it had managed to survive his attack without his interference. "Well done." He said out loud, although the black hole did not respond. No more action came from the black hole, that was all there was to it. Zhou Fan was satisfied, so he turned around and walked away. Over the next 30 or so years, he explored every area of the place. Nothing was present except for black holes and twisted space, along with the occasional space dust that soon disappeared. Zhou Fan considered taking on the challenge of creating life that could fit in the area, but he didn''t believe that he could do it. His life creating abilities were incredible, but not quite creating a race that can survive black holes incredible. Once he was done mapping out the place, Zhou Fan decided to officially name it. Based on its contents, he felt that the name "Forbidden Land", fit it well. After all, to anyone except him, entering was a death sentence. Soon afterwards, Zhou Fan left the forbidden land. He did not go anywhere else, but floated above the barrier on top of the forbidden land. Although the two areas similar to the forbidden land and the purple star sea seemed interesting, Zhou Fan had set his sights on another area. Unfortunately, that area was a bit out of his reach. It would take too long to be worth it if he tried to make that journey. Therefore, he decided to breakthrough a bit. He crossed his legs while floating in space and began to draw in Chaos Qi. 350 million years later, he broke into the 2nd level of the true god realm. He sighed as it seemed the length of time had reached an unreasonable amount again. In that single span of time, who knows what changes could have happened. By the time he reached the third level, all space shattering realm cultivators who had not reached the lesser dao creation realm would have died from lifespan issues. That meant that, besides a very select few, all the life in the universe had just reset. Only at the lesser dao creation realm did lifespan truly begin to increase incredibly. At the lesser dao creation realm, the lifespan was 50 billion years. At the inner world realm, it was 5 trillion years. It continued to increase greatly from there. 500 million years was a lot for any cultivator, so if one could not reach the lesser dao creation realm in that time, it was not unreasonable to die. All Zhou Fan surely knew was that Ying Xiong was at the lesser dao creation realm, and probably in the upper levels. Going to the next realm would pose a problem, but if he could not do it, nobody could. After 450 million years, Zhou Fan broke into the 3rd level of the true god realm and stopped there. ''The increase in speed should be enough.'' He thought. After a thousand years, Zhou Fan stopped in front of the barrier leading to his destination. Not too far ahead were twenty giant balls of dirt that could hardly be described as planets. Chapter 332: Great Earth Area - 332 Chapter 332 - Great Earth Area - 332 The area in front of Zhou Fan was half the size of the purple star sea. In front of him were 20 giant balls of dirt so big that even the biggest galaxy he had ever seen could not compare. There was a large amount of space between each ball, but each one was a tenth the size of a galaxy cluster. In the center, there was another ball of dirt that didn''t seem different from the rest, but it gave off the distinct feeling of a great attractor, though all the balls of dirt seemed to attract in one way or another. Even from afar, Zhou Fan could see large amounts of dust and debris being sucked onto the balls. Despite being in the shape of a sphere, they really could not be called planets. Each one was simply a ball of dirt with nothing else. There was no grass or atmosphere. Nothing. Zhou Fan quickly flew onto the closest "planet" and checked it out. The moment that he landed on it, he could feel a large gravity bear down on him. It was a hundred times the gravity of normal planets like earth. There was also a formless suction that reached out from the planet and brought any space dust or floating dirt down to the planet and layered it on the rest. Based on the rates that the planets were growing, they were likely ancient. Each one should be as old as earth, if not older. Zhou Fan had yet to see anything in the universe that had been in existence that much longer than earth, leading him to believe that the universe was fairly new. That would also explain why there was no other life. Zhou Fan covered the entire planet in his divine sense, but it truly was nothing more than a clump of dirt pushed together by gravity for many years. Zhou Fan could not cover such a large landmass that was bigger than any galaxy with his mortal dao, but the 20 planets had much potential in Zhou Fan''s eyes. It did not take him long to come to a decision. ''When I break into a new realm, I will come back here and cover all of these planets in my mortal dao.'' He declared. Zhou Fan flew around the entire area that contained 20 planets, but there was nothing unexpected. Every now and then there was a star, but no other planets. After just a year, Zhou Fan flew to the center planet. He got the same feeling of power as the great attractor in the purple star sea, but he was not attacked no matter how close he came to the planet. When he landed on it, he realized that the great attractor was at the core of the planet. He flew down, and soon came upon an empty space. Not far away, in the center of the space, was a large clump of dirt. Zhou Fan could tell that it was the great attractor. This one bore the appearance of a planet. Despite coming close to it, it still did not attack. Only when Zhou Fan touched it with his hand did a spike of earth shoot at him. Zhou Fan dodged and backed off. Since the great attractor did not seem to want any trouble and acted like a turtle, Zhou Fan left it alone and flew away. He soon left the center planet, and before long, the large area that he had named the Great Earth Area. Off to the side was another large area. Zhou Fan decided to create a map of all of the surrounding areas. The closest area seemed like a rainbow river. As Zhou Fan entered and investigated, he discovered that the river-like scene was made from flowing energies. The entire area was covered in soft and colorful energy that acted like water but was more or less a liquid form of stars. He decided to name it the rainbow river. Near to that was another dark area that seemed to be in the shape of a horse. It was like the purple star sea but with black stars, and interesting sight to see. Over the next 800,000 years, Zhou Fan explored many large areas in the universe. Some were the size of the Zhou supercluster, while some were ten times smaller, and others were twice bigger. Zhou Fan wanted to see if they would stop at some point and there would be a large gap like at the end of galaxy clusters, but there were far too many places to explore. Even on the map, there was a large to be continued area. Zhou Fan had explored in a cube around the Zhou supercluster, and in total had went through 163 of such areas, each one having a great attractor, though none was more powerful than the one in the forbidden land and there was no area with 3 like the Zhou supercluster. Zhou Fan floated above the Zhou supercluster as he looked around. Now, everything did not seem so unfamiliar. Unlike before, when he looked into the sky, names would appear in his mind and he would think of the interior of those areas. From his searches, he had discovered that great attractors essentially embodied the area they were in. Some looked like giant balls of magma, while others took the shape of a cylinder or black hole. While they were not fixed to look like sphere''s, they definitely seemed to lean towards such a configuration. Now, with all of his exploration done, the Zhou supercluster could be considered the most unexplored area in the surroundings since he had never seen its great attractors. Now, Zhou Fan was ready. He had seen many other great attractors, but never the ones he was born closest to. He hoped nothing bad happened, but in the absolute worst case scenario, such as the great attractors exploding, Zhou Fan would protect the surrounding areas. At the very least, he would not be harmed. Zhou Fan stopped sitting and flew straight down, in the direction of the tree-like galaxy. Chapter 333: The Human Race鈥檚 Creation - 333 Chapter 333 - The Human Race''s Creation - 333 It did not take Zhou Fan long to reach the most concentrated point of the tree-like galaxy cluster. Although the entire trunk had many galaxies, there was one point that was clearly more concentrated. Zhou Fan could not see into it due to the thousands of galaxies crowding around it, but he knew what was behind it. Zhou Fan flew into the galaxies. Soon, he had traveled past a few of them and entered the most concentrated area, where collisions between space objects was an every hour occurrence. Before long, Zhou Fan broke past the last point and entered into a large spherical space. Not too far away was what appeared to be a giant golden tree. It looked exactly like the tree-like galaxy cluster from afar. Even though Zhou Fan had seen many great attractors, this one still shocked him. He had never seen such an interesting looking one. Surprisingly, the great attractor was in the lower levels of the true god realm. Since there were three in the Zhou supercluster, he had expected them to be weaker than normal ones. However, the first one did not disappoint. Zhou Fan went near it, and one of its branches grew in size and lashed at him. He caught the golden branch, and the great attractor pulled its branch back. After that, it no longer attacked him and simply floated in space. Since his curiosity was fulfilled, Zhou Fan flew out of the tree-like galaxy cluster and headed to the silver river galaxy cluster. He soon found the greatest concentration of galaxies and entered the deepest part. Another spherical space seemed to be carved out, and in the center was a silver great attractor that seemed to be flowing like water. It seemed like an endless wave locked in place. Zhou Fan went near it, and a large amount of water Qi and metal Qi shot towards him in a spike. Zhou Fan swatted it away, and the great attractor settled down. Zhou Fan soon left the silver river galaxy cluster and entered the place where it all started. The Zhou galaxy cluster seemed the same as always. Zhou Fan found its most concentrated point, the area at its center, and entered it. Another spherical space was empty of anything, and in the center was a shocking great attractor. A giant humanoid figure many times bigger than Zhou Fan himself floated. It seemed to have normal skin, but it had no eyes, mouth, or any other distinguishing features. It floated in space with its arms slightly away from its body and its legs slightly spread apart. On its back was a golden spine-like thing that seemed attached to its neck. Zhou Fan never expected the great attractor to look like that. Seeing it made him want to ask a lot of questions. Were humans based off of it, or was it based off of humans. In order to answer such questions, he would have had to go back in time and see, but he naturally did not have such capabilities. Zhou Fan began to near it, but even after reaching a point that usually caused a great attractor to react, nothing happened. Soon, Zhou Fan was standing a few feet away from it. The humanoid figure was twenty times bigger than Zhou Fan, but it was the smallest great attractor he had ever seen. When it was first created, it was probably the size of a normal human, but it likely grew in size as it sucked things in, like a black hole. Zhou Fan reached out his hand and touched it, but even then the great attractor did not lash out. Suddenly, a tree branch grew from the hand of the humanoid figure he was touching, and it wrapped around Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan could feel no ill intent coming from it, so he stayed still. The great attractor wrapped around him as if it was hugging him. It almost felt motherly to Zhou Fan. ''Is it because I was born in the Zhou galaxy cluster?'' Zhou Fan asked himself. Despite not being injured, he could feel the great attractor sending life Qi through its branches in an attempt to heal him, as if it was worried he was injured. The motherly aura it gave off covered Zhou Fan as he grew his body size to match the great attractors. Sensing his increase in size, more tree branches shot out from the great attractors "skin" and wrapped around him. It then pulled him into a full embrace, although its limbs did not move. Zhou Fan was thoroughly stunned. He had only grown his body size out of interest, but did not expect such a reaction. The great attractor seemed almost intelligent. It seemed to truly believe that it was his mother. Based on its looks, it was not impossible that it was what created humans. Zhou Fan''s curiosity reached new peaks. He felt as if he had to know what was going on. There was no chance that it was some simple coincidence. It was an impossibility. Somehow, human beings were connected to the great attractor of the galaxy cluster. There was literally no doubt. Zhou Fan took some of his divinity and tried to cover the humanoid figure. He was going to attempt to give it intelligence. Perhaps then he could find out the truth behind everything. Unsurprisingly, trying to give intelligence to a being no less powerful than himself was a struggle. Luckily, he was able to temporarily give it the smallest amount of intelligence and ability to speak. "Child?" A voice echoed through space. "There is not much time." Zhou Fan said. "What is the relation between me and you?" The humanoid figure struggled, but soon, its left hand was held up. It seemed like a normal hand, but half of its pinky was gone. It looked like an action figure that had its finger ripped off. "Long ago, a few particularly large galaxies entered my space at the same time. I began to devour them, but they all collided and powerfully exploded." The voice slowly said, taking breaks every now and then. "My finger snapped off and flew far away. I tried to search for it, but it entered a small galaxy on a small planet. It came into contact with some colorful fragment in the center of that planet." It explained. ''A piece of the cosmic dao.'' Zhou Fan identified. "My finger changed. It dissolved, and in its place were two tiny beings similar looking to I". It explained. Chapter 334: Superiority - 334 Chapter 334 - Superiority - 334 "They were what you would call the first humans." The great attractor said. "They grew and became smarter, and over the years, many things were developed and grown. I believe it was about 50,000 years after them that you were born." The great attractor explained. "How do you know when I was born?" Zhou Fan interrupted. "How could I not have. I could feel you were different from birth, but I did not know why. I watched you grow. Before long, it became clear to me." The great attractor said. "When I started cultivating?" Zhou Fan asked. "Indeed. Now look at you. Even stronger than I, and without any limit." The great attractor said almost nostalgically. Zhou Fan pondered over the great attractors words for a moment. "When you said I seemed different, were you referring to my talent? Or could you somehow sense my future?" Zhou Fan asked. "I naturally had no idea you would become so strong. I think it was the way you acted that drew my attention." The great attractor responded. "Explain." Zhou Fan said. "Well. Do you remember when you learned of your parents death?" The great attractor asked. "Not really. It was a long time ago. Even then it did not change much for me." Zhou Fan answered. "Exactly. When a young child''s parents die, how many of them react like that? When a child''s parents die, their world and everything they know crumbles around them. They are forced into the real world to work instead of play and fight to survive. But what about you?" The great attractor said. "What about me?" Zhou Fan asked curiously. "When you learned that your parents had died, I could not sense any sadness within you. Instead, you gave off a sense of superiority. It seemed as if the fact that they died disgusted you. You felt disdain for them." The great attractor explained. "Really?" Zhou Fan asked. He could not remember such a thing. "You may not have noticed it back then. There seemed to be no basis for you to feel superior before, but once you began to cultivate, you were truly superior to everyone around you. Feeling superior was the natural response then." The great attractor said. "That''s interesting." Zhou Fan said with a hand on his chin. Before he could ask anything else, the great attractors given intelligence fell apart. Zhou Fan moved and flew not too far away from it. Although the great attractor watching him long ago was interesting, he was more curious about the answer to the human race''s creation. ''If its finger was able to mix with the cosmic dao and form life, then are the great attractors made from divinity? It would not be ridiculous since they have power equivalent to the true god realm, but they don''t seem like they cultivated.'' Zhou Fan thought to himself. The great attractors were different from cultivators. They simply had pure and raw power, similar to a black hole. The fact that they could even slightly use Qi was interesting. Zhou Fan had never noticed it before, but upon looking closer, he could see that the branches that came from the great attractor were not giving out true life Qi, but an imitation made from Chaos Qi. It was similar to how, although trees were made of Chaos Qi before he split the Qi''s, they were still trees, not Chaos. Zhou Fan took a much closer look at the humanoid great attractor with his divine sense, but he could not feel any divinity. ''It must have something to do with this particular great attractor. I can''t mess with it too much since I might destroy the galaxy cluster by accident, but I should be able to take a closer look.'' Zhou Fan thought as he got closer. Before Zhou Fan even reached his target, he slapped his hand on his forehead. ''Like black holes, these things are also made from the cosmic dao.'' He thought to himself. He had become so used to the cosmic dao''s presence that he had overlooked it. If the cosmic dao could not create life, then what could? Zhou Fan turned around and exited the center of the galaxy cluster. Since he was so close to the Zhou galaxy, he decided to stop by for a visit. When he arrived, he was not surprised to see that its size had increased greatly. Even from far away, the Zhou world was clearly visible. Zhou Fan flew into the galaxy, but soon stopped when he saw a flash of green light on one of the planets he had flown past. Zhou Fan descended down to the planet in interest and soon stumbled upon an interesting scene. Two cultivators at the lesser dao creation realm were playing chess on a giant chessboard. The chessboard took up a tenth of the space on the entire planet. One of the cultivators was a woman wearing jade clothing, while the other was an elegant looking man wearing white clothing. As Zhou Fan floated above them, they looked up. "Is that a new lesser dao creation realm cultivator? We''ve been away for a while, but I''m surprised to see a new one so soon." The woman in jade said to the man in white. "He probably saw us down here and wanted to say hi. Let''s not be rude." The man said before looking at Zhou Fan. "Hello friend. Come down, let''s talk." He yelled. Zhou Fan descended and floated on the same level as them. They were far apart to the eye, but for cultivators at their level, it was whispering distance. "I''ve never seen you before. Who are you and where are you from?" The man asked. "My name is Zhou Fan. I was born on earth." Zhou Fan said. "Oh. Another lesser dao creation realm cultivator from earth. That''s 3 now. They really are making a comeback huh." The man said with a laugh. "You said you were born on earth, but are you a part of their faction?" The woman interrupted. "I''m more of a wandering cultivator." Zhou Fan responded. "So only 2 still. Guess that keeps things more equal." The man said. Chapter 335: Chess Games - 335 Chapter 335 - Chess Games - 335 After speaking, the man focused on Zhou Fan''s face. "How long ago were you born? Even though it''s been more than five hundred thousand years since I left, I had kept note of all those with the potential to possibly reach our realm. You weren''t one of them." He said. "Would you claim to know everything that happens in this galaxy?" Zhou Fan asked. "Of course not, I was just curious since you are from earth and there shouldn''t have been anyone hidden there." The man shrugged Zhou Fan''s question off. "I''ve been alive a lot longer than you, that I can say." Zhou Fan said. "When the universe first changed, only 14 lesser dao creation realm cultivators broke through. If you claim to be one of them, I would know you. If you were to become one after them but before me, I would still know." The man said. He didn''t seem aggressive, but genuinely curious. "If I said I broke through before any of the other 14, would you believe me?" Zhou Fan asked. "No." The man answered with a smile. "Then I can''t help you." Zhou Fan said. "Whatever. It doesn''t matter that much. Just one question, do you want to kill me?" The man asked. "No." Zhou Fan responded. "Then I''m sure we can get along. Do you want to play?" The man asked as he pointed at the chess board. "Sure. If I win, would you mind answering some questions?" Zhou Fan asked. "That seems reasonable. However, that means if I win you have to honestly answer one of my questions." "Sure." Zhou Fan agreed. The woman to the side waved her hand and her green chess pieces made of jade Qi dispersed. The man waved his hand and his white pieces made of sound Qi dispersed. They then reappeared back at their starting positions. Zhou Fan waved his hand and chess pieces made of metal Qi appeared on the board. The man made the first move as he spoke. "So is Metal Qi your main affinity?" He asked. "No, but I like it more than many others." Zhou Fan responded as he moved a piece. "Is it at least one of your affinities?" The man asked. "Sorry if I''m being nosy." "I don''t mind. You could say that I have an affinity towards metal Qi." Zhou Fan responded. "That sounded ambiguous, but I''ll ignore it." The man laughed. The game continued on, but the man in white soon realized that he was completely losing. With an open mouth, he asked Zhou Fan a question. "Do you play chess a lot?" "Not really." Zhou Fan responded. Before long, the man in white had completely lost. It had to be noted that the chess they played was completely different from mortal chess. The board was a hundred squares by a hundred and there were many different pieces compared to normal chess. This changed the possibilities and made it much harder to calculate. "I accept my loss. Ask away." The man said in dismay. "Alright. Do you know of Ying Xiong?" Zhou Fan asked. The man looked at him as if he was stupid. "Of course I have. He is the strongest cultivator without a doubt. Not too long ago he even defeated Jack in three moves." The man said. "Can you tell me where he is?" Zhou Fan asked. The man was about to respond, but the woman off to the side spoke up. "I''ll tell you, but you have to beat me in chess." She said. Zhou Fan nodded and the board reset. The woman in green did not believe it when Zhou Fan beat the man in white. It had to be known that their last game had lasted 5 days, and was still going on when Zhou Fan interrupted. Then, in just a few hours, Zhou Fan had completely defeated the man. She simply did not believe that he had lost so easily. In around the same time as the last man, she lost miserably. It was not her fault, Zhou Fan''s mind was simply on a completely different level. "If nothing has changed, then Ying Xiong should be at the buddhist temple on earth." She answered while still in shock. "Alright then. I''ll get out of your hair." Zhou Fan said as he flew away. The man spoke as Zhou Fan flew away. "Wait a moment. I''m known as the sound immortal Bai. She is the Jade immortal Chen. Can I ask for your title?" The man yelled. "Calling yourself immortal is quite arrogant. I am the first cultivator, Zhou Fan." Zhou Fan said as he left. Soon, Zhou Fan appeared in front of a familiar planet that had grown in size. Compared to the Zhou world, it was only half the size, but it was still huge. As he floated above the planet, Zhou Fan could see a beam of light below. The beam was made of Buddhist Qi. Assuming that the beam led to where he wanted to go, Zhou Fan flew down to earth. In the center of a large plain even bigger than the original earth''s size was a large temple. It was a fourth of earth''s original size. Surrounding the temple was a makeshift city, but there were no permanent buildings. Instead, there were only tents, teepees, and such. Zhou Fan walked through the makeshift city and towards the entrance of the Buddhist temple. All around him were buddhists. Half of the people he saw were meditating. Soon, Zhou Fan''s feet touched stone. He walked on the busy platform that led to the entrance of the Buddhist temple. As he walked up the stairs, less and less people were around him. Soon, he alone stood in front of a giant door with two guards. "Halt. Do you have permission to enter?" The guard asked. Despite being a door guard, he had a cultivation of the 1st level of the space shattering realm. "I should." Zhou Fan answered, although he did not know how he could prove it. Without words, the guards moved their spears and stopped blocking the way. Zhou Fan assumed that not a single person would dare lie to enter as they would suffer a terrible fate. Zhou Fan walked forward and pushed the doors open with his Qi before entering. Chapter 336: Explanation - 336 Chapter 336 - Explanation - 336 A faint golden light and some buddhist Qi came out from behind the doors as he pushed them open. As he walked inside, the doors closed behind him. In front of him was a long hallway with pillars on each side. In front of each pillar was a cultivating buddhist. Even the weakest among them was in the space shattering realm. Even as Zhou Fan walked down the hallway and his footsteps echoed, the cultivating buddhists remained still as if they were statues. Soon, Zhou Fan saw another large pair of doors in front of him. Before he could even reach them, they began to open. A familiar face, that of Ying Xiongs, greeted him. His bald head was shining with light from the background. "It has been a long time since we last met." Ying Xiong said to Zhou Fan. "Indeed. I''m surprised you remembered me since I messed with your memories." Zhou Fan responded. "You clearly didn''t put that much effort into it. Although everything is still blurry, I remember most of it." Ying Xiong said. "I was nearby, so I came to check in on you. You sure are overwhelmingly strong." Zhou Fan said as he stared at Ying Xiong. Not unexpectedly, Ying Xiong was at the peak of the lesser dao creation realm. "I wonder what the term nearby means to you. Even now, I cannot sense your power. Could you please come in and at least satisfy my curiosity?" Ying Xiong asked. "Sure. It''s not like I''ve ever attempted to hide it." Zhou Fan said as he walked forward. Ying Xiong walked away and they both entered a nearly empty room. The walls were white and in the center was a small table and two mats on each side. Ying Xiong sat on one and gestured for Zhou Fan to sit on the other. When they were both sitting, Ying Xiong began to speak. "First, can you explain who exactly you are? I still don''t understand it. Did you come from a place far away? Beyond our imaginations?" Ying Xiong asked. "I did not. In fact, I too was born on earth." Zhou Fan said. "Please go into depth." Ying Xiong urged. "I was born on earth more than a billion years ago, when it was just a tiny planet that any space shattering realm cultivator could easily destroy. It was also a time when earth was a mortal world. A time when cultivation did not yet exist." Zhou Fan said. "Incredible. We have some ancient records, but a time like that was not recorded. Please continue." Ying Xiong said with interest. "One day, I simply began to cultivate. It was as if everything was suddenly clear and I simply began to do it. Along the way, I named all of the realms you used. Eventually, I ran into some special areas that contained other races such as dragons, phoenixes, and elves." Zhou Fan said, keeping the fine details to himself. "After a while, I created the Huang Long academy and spread cultivation. Unfortunately, I soon realized that everyone''s potential for growth was vastly inferior to my own. They simply could not reach the same heights." Zhou Fan explained. "You see, in the beginning, there was only Chaos Qi. Only after I personally split it, something that only I can do, were the many Qi''s brought into existence." Zhou Fan said. "Chaos Qi?" Ying Xiong asked. Zhou Fan raised his palm and a gray sphere formed. Ying Xiong studied it intensely. "I try not to use it that much anymore since it is too dangerous, but it is my affinity." Zhou Fan said. "Fascinating!" Ying Xiong said. "If this was split into the many Qi''s that we all know today, then is Chaos Qi simply a combination of everything?" "In a way yes, but it would be more accurate to say that everything is a lesser and incomplete version of Chaos Qi." Zhou Fan explained. "Interesting. Please continue." Ying Xiong said. "Soon after creating the Huang Long academy, I left earth and began to explore the galaxy. There was nothing much outside, besides a single planet that I became interested in. It is now known as the Zhou World." Zhou Fan said. "Zhou Fan. The Zhou World! It''s so obvious, why did I not make that connection!" Ying Xiong shouted. "I may have a basic naming sense. I eventually created a race you know as celestials." Zhou Fan said. "You mean you created life?!" Ying Xiong interrupted. "Indeed. I suppose you cannot do such a thing despite being in the same realm that I was back then. I guess it is another benefit of Chaos Qi." Zhou Fan said. "For you, creating life would only happen in the god realm." "The god realm?" Ying Xiong asked. "After the lesser dao creation realm is the inner world realm. After the inner world realm is the god realm. Finally, the realm I''m at is the true god realm." Zhou Fan said. Ying Xiong merely remained silent this time. "Unlike you, I was able to release my mortal dao from my body and cover an area with it. In that area, Qi was automatically split for you people. At this point in time, my mortal dao has expanded to cover the entire galaxy and multiple galaxies surrounding this one." Zhou Fan said. Ying Xiong nodded. "How far have you gone? In terms of space." Ying XIong asked. "Beyond the galaxy are many other galaxies. The large group of them is called a galaxy cluster. There are 3 galaxy clusters, and the 3 of them together is a supercluster. I''ve explored more than a hundred areas as big as this supercluster." Zhou Fan explained. Ying Xiong nodded blankly. After a while, he spoke. "So you truly don''t mind telling me all this?" Ying Xiong asked. "Well you don''t seem like the type to spread it. Even if you do, what does it matter? Regardless of how talented you are, you will end up dead. Not long after, the entire universe will undergo a reset of life and all the records of the past will eventually fall to time. Nothing you do will ever affect me in any way." Zhou Fan said. "So I am nothing but a bug to you?" Ying Xiong chuckled. "It sounds harsh, but in a way, yes. Even if you reach the inner world realm, then the god realm, and even the true god realm, what will it matter. By that time, I will still be far beyond you, and you will reach your limit eventually." Zhou Fan said. "I understand." Ying Xiong nodded. Chapter 337: Instant Win - 337 Chapter 337 - Instant Win - 337 After a bit more chatting, Ying Xiong brought up the idea of sparring. "I''ve been the strongest in the galaxy for a good while. Nobody can match me, even if they all come at once. Can I spar with you before my arrogance gets too high?" Ying Xiong asked. "Sure. Do you have any place in mind?" Zhou Fan asked. "I have a general area in mind, but it''s a bit far away from here." He responded. "If it''s in the galaxy, we can reach it in an instant." Zhou Fan said. "Well then, let''s just go to the outer edges of the galaxy." Ying Xiong said. Before anything else was said, they both appeared in space. They were at the edge of the galaxy where Zhou Fan entered. "Truly god-like." Ying Xiong said with a chuckle, although a faint feeling of fear blossomed within him. Zhou Fan put his hand on his chest and sealed his cultivation until he was at the peak of the lesser dao creation realm. The seal could be broken at any time, but it limited his power for the fight. "I''ve sealed my cultivation and am now at the same level as you." Zhou Fan said to Ying Xiong. "Then let''s begin." Ying Xiong said with a smile as the clothing on his upper body ripped to shreds and a glowing tattoo was shown on his back. "Buddha''s palm." He said as he held his palm out. He did not hold a single thing back from the start. The attack used the full power of his talent and divine physique. Zhou Fan held his palm out and uttered the same words. Another buddha''s palm shot out and collided with Ying Xiongs. Unsurprisingly, Zhou Fan''s buddha''s palm soon fell apart and Ying Xiong''s buddha''s palm continued forward. Zhou Fan had only casually released the buddha''s palm, but that would have been enough to shatter any attack made by someone on the same level, besides Ying Xiong. "You don''t disappoint." Zhou Fan said as he held his palm forward again. This time, he spurred his meridians and talent with the buddha''s palm. This time, the palms were equally matched. Soon, they both dispersed. Ying Xiong stood there surprised. "Without even using a divine physique''s power, you managed to match my full strength. I admit that I must be inferior, but I will not give up. After all, if you do not have a divine physique, then that may be the limit of your power." Ying Xiong shouted as a cross legged buddha appeared and surrounded his body. Then, a few more appeared and layered over the first one. "Thirtyfold buddha phantom." Ying Xiong said. Not only was his buddha phantom much more powerful than before, but it was also layered thirty times, increasing its power 30 times. "Thousand buddha palm." He then said. A shocking power burst out, layered by the equivalent of 30,000 buddha phantoms. Even Zhou Fan could feel its power. If he continued to not use his affinity or divine physique, then Zhou Fan may only draw in the battle. Of course, he could not allow such an outcome. Zhou Fan considered using Chaos Qi since it would not pose any threat to the final layer of space at the lesser dao creation realm, but he had never used his divine physique in battle. As the buddha''s palm stacked 30,000 times, although it did not display a power 30,000 times a normal buddha''s palm, quickly made its way towards Zhou Fan, he closed his eyes and clenched his fists. "Chaos divine physique." He said as he activated his divine physique. He immediately felt an immense power bubbling within him, and he punched out without using any technique or talent. In an instant, a gray fist popped Ying Xiongs attack like a balloon and instantly appeared in front of him. Zhou Fan''s attack had reached the peak inner world realm in terms of power! As the attack collided with Ying Xiongs buddha phantom, he was knocked back and the phantom broke like an egg. He spat out blood and broke space as he flew away. Zhou Fan hurriedly unsealed his cultivation and caught Ying Xiong, healing him as he was on the verge of death. Zhou Fan had not expected that his attack would be so powerful with his divine physique. The punch he had thrown out was a casual one, and he could easily throw out thousands of them a second. "Perhaps my talent is far beyond what I thought." Zhou Fan muttered to himself as he teleported back into the buddhist temple room with Ying Xiong. He could have awoken him, but he allowed him to remain knocked out as he left. He was fully healed, of course. With his mortal dao surrounding it, Zhou Fan was able to understand everything in the galaxy. He thought about where he should go next. Sadly, the four beasts had died. They never managed to reach the lesser dao creation realm. Their lifespans ended long ago. Zhou Fan felt slight sadness, but he had accepted death long ago. Even if they had reached the lesser dao creation realm, they would have still died eventually. Zhou Fan decided to go see Jack. He was at the deepest part of the ocean planet within the Zhou solar system. He seemed to be drinking, perhaps due to his loss at the hands of Ying Xiong. Zhou Fan teleported just outside his cave and knocked on the wall. Inside, Jack almost fell from his chair as he coughed up some of his drink. He had his divine sense extended outward a bit, but he still could not sense what or who caused the knocking sound. As someone in the lesser dao creation realm, the thought that someone could hide from him never crossed his mind. A few figures entered his mind, but only one remained after a second. "Come in." Jack said out loud. Soon, as he had expected, Zhou Fan entered. "I assumed that it was you." Jack said with a slight smile. He was sitting on a large chair that could nearly be called a throne, a cup in one hand and a trident touching the ground in the other. In front of him was a small table. His face had a full beard and he seemed extremely aged, which of course he was. "Good to see you again." Zhou Fan said. Chapter 338: Meeting With Jack - 338 Chapter 338 - Meeting With Jack - 338 "What''s brought you all the way out here?" Jack asked. "I just happened to be in the area." Zhou Fan responded. "Alright then." Jack said as he took a drink from his cup. "I heard you lost to Ying Xiong." Zhou Fan said as he created a chair and sat down across from Jack. "Indeed. And in just 3 moves." He said with a sigh. After a moment of silence, Zhou Fan continued to speak. "Are you gonna try and defeat him?" Zhou Fan asked. "Why would I? There would be 0 chance of success. I''m so much older than him, yet I still lost in three moves. His talent is far too high." Jack said. "Talent isn''t everything, you know." Zhou Fan said. "That''s rich coming from you. Tell me, have you ever met anyone more talented than yourself?" Jack asked. Zhou Fan didn''t need to think of an answer, but he considered Jack''s words. "Of course I haven''t." Zhou Fan said. "Then how could you possibly understand the feeling of seeing someone work half as hard and get 10 times the results?" Jack asked. "I couldn''t understand, but I''ve seen someone far less talented than his worst enemy defeat him." Zhou Fan said. "That''s just it, I don''t have that sort of motivation. Defeating Ying Xiong and becoming the strongest in the galaxy would be nice and all, but it would only be nice, nothing else. He is not my mortal enemy and I don''t crave revenge." Jack said. Zhou Fan nodded in understanding. "My life has been a long one full of loss." Jack said. "First my race, then my pride as one of the strongest, and even my greatest comrade." Jack said as he held up his trident. Zhou Fan didn''t pay it any attention before, but there was a clear crack going down the trident''s shaft. Zhou Fan held his hand out and spoke. "Let me see that." Jack nodded and handed it to him. "It was cracked during my battle with Ying Xiong. He did not mean to do it, that much was clear. Afterwards, he even apologized and offered to repair it, but he could not. It was beyond him, and I figured that only the creator could possibly fix it." Jack said as he watched Zhou Fan. "Couldn''t this provide as motivation for defeating him?" Zhou Fan asked, although he already knew the answer. "Motivation over a true accident? I am not so petty. Either way, defeating him would not fix my trident." Jack said. After looking at it for a while, Zhou Fan waved his hand. The trident was repaired and its maximum level was upgraded to the inner world realm. "Thank you." Jack said sincerely. "It is not difficult for me." Zhou Fan said. "I do have an offer for you." "What would that be?" Jack asked. "I want to try out a possible technique. It would bind the soul of you and your weapon. If you died, so would your weapon, and if your weapon broke, you would die." Zhou Fan explained. Jack put his hand on his chin as he thought. "Of course, it is not a meaningless procedure. Your weapon would display much more power in the same realm and would even feel much more connected to you. Even if it was lost on the other side of the galaxy cluster, you would know where it is." Zhou Fan said. Jack did not need to think much longer. "That sounds good to me." Jack said. Zhou Fan grabbed at Jack and took part of his soul. Since Jack''s soul was much weaker than his, Jack did not even feel a thing. Zhou Fan implanted his soul into the trident. It was almost as if he was creating life. It was also similar to the creation of Heaven. Soon, as Zhou Fans hands moved, Jack felt like a string appeared, directly connecting him to his trident. After a short amount of time, Zhou Fan took Jack''s blood and smeared it on the trident. He then handed it back to Jack. "It won''t have intelligence or anything, but it will now feel like an extra limb to you." Zhou Fan said. "Thank you. Do you think this will allow me to defeat Ying Xiong?" Jack questioned. "No. He is on an entirely different level in terms of talent. The words I spoke earlier were not completely false, but it would require a level of will that even I do not possess to catch up to him." Zhou Fan said. The difference between Tian Fu and Yao Mun was one thing, but a much wider gap existed between Jack and Ying Xiong. Even Pangu would find it nearly impossible to bridge the gap, though his talent was second only to Ying Xiong. "Now, Jack, would you want me to recreate the mermaid race for you?" Zhou Fan asked. This time, Jack looked at Zhou Fan suspiciously. "Why are you offering me so much? I''m not in danger am I?" Jack asked jokingly. "It doesn''t take any effort from me. I''m just feeling nice I suppose." Zhou Fan said. Zhou Fan thought to himself. ''I suppose that realizing the beasts were dead has caused me to be a little sad.'' "No, there is no need." Jack shook his head. "Really. Are you sure?" Zhou Fan asked. "The mermaid race perished long ago. Even if you brought them back, I would not be attached to them since everyone I know died. It''s best to just let me live the rest of my life peacefully." Jack said. Zhou Fan stood up with a smile. "I understand. I hope you manage to achieve that." Zhou Fan said as he turned around and walked out the cave. Just before he left, he turned around. "This may be the last time we meet. You are the oldest person I know that is alive as well. Goodbye Jack." Zhou Fan said with sincerity. As he left, Jack mumbled goodbye as well. As Zhou Fan stood in space once again, he looked upon the Zhou galaxy. "It seems that once again, another thing connecting me to this place will soon be gone." Zhou Fan said to himself as he flew away. Chapter 339: Robot Creation - 339 Chapter 339 - Robot Creation - 339 Zhou Fan flew just outside of the Zhou Galaxy. As he looked inside, a serious expression could be seen on his face. "People are getting very strong. Even now, it would not be impossible to destroy the Zhou Galaxy, especially if they all teamed up." Zhou Fan said to himself. Although they were not at his level when he was in the lesser dao creation realm, it was not impossible for a group of the lesser dao creation realm cultivators to destroy the Zhou Galaxy. Of course, that was only if someone like Ying Xiong or Jack did not interfere. The issue was that it was even possible. Although the galaxy had increased in size, it was still possible, although it may take a while. To Zhou Fan, this warranted concern. "This is the place where I was born. I cannot let it be destroyed too easily." He said to himself. Even if the amount of lesser dao creation realm cultivators was low and there were people like Jack and Ying Xiong defending it, the future would be different. What if, a long time in the future, a bunch of evil cultivators decided to combine their power and destroy, at the very least, a part of the galaxy. It was simply not a good idea to let such a risk exist. Although Zhou Fan may not care if there was the possibility in other galaxies, the Zhou Galaxy was named after him. It also contained earth, as well as the history of many of the people he knew. Zhou Fan decided to put in a small counter measure. He waved his hand, and a humanoid figure appeared in front of him. It was a random cultivator from one of the many places in the Zhou Galaxy. He had no talent or motivation, and as far as Zhou Fan was concerned, no importance. The man wanted to speak, but he was not even in the nascent soul realm. The space around him almost instantly killed him, although Zhou Fan interfered. The man tried to speak again, but all of his memories were wiped in an instant. Essentially, he was dead. Zhou Fan began to change the man''s mind. Soon, the equivalent of a robot was in front of him. Zhou Fan elevated the man''s strength to the peak of the inner world realm. As the man''s body was an insufficient material, it could not go any higher than that without augmentations, but it did not need to go any higher. Zhou Fan placed the man above the galaxy and gave a powerful spear, along with a single directive. "In the case that a person or group of people attempt to cause major destruction in the Zhou Galaxy, warn them, or eliminate them." The man nodded and stood his post. With the amount of Qi he had, as long as he spent most of his time standing still, he would last nearly a trillion years. Of course, that was both because he could somewhat absorb Qi, and could also not be considered alive and therefore did not have a lifespan. Zhou Fan soon left the Zhou Galaxy in a certain direction. Unknown to him as he left, the random appearance of an imposing looking man standing still above the galaxy garnered the interest of many. Almost every single lesser dao creation realm cultivator appeared, and a few in the space shattering realm arrived at the top of the galaxy. The man, who was dressed in an imposing robe with a mask, was just outside of the galaxy, while those who arrived were just inside it. Soon, even Ying Xiong arrived. At his arrival, everyone turned to him. He looked at the man, and immediately guessed the situation. "I would recommend that we stay away from this. It doesn''t seem alive, and it likely has no ill intentions for us. In fact, it may have even been placed here to help." Ying Xiong said to the crowd. Most of the people there nodded and agreed with his words, but there were always a few that did not. Among the few lesser dao creation realm cultivators that followed the demonic path, one stepped out and spoke. "You''re just saying that in order to take whatever opportunity that thing is for yourself. If your words are true, then why don''t I go over and test the water?" The man asked. "So even the darkness "immortal" has come." Ying Xiong mocked. Like Zhou Fan, he too looked down upon those that dared to call themselves immortals. "Please, by all means, go mess around and find out." Ying Xiong chuckled. The darkness immortal seemed confused at his words, as if they were unexpected, but soon decided to move towards the man. Although lesser dao creation realm cultivators could theoretically leave the galaxy, they rarely did so. Not only was there no destination that they could realistically reach without many years of travel, but that feeling that space gave off outside of the galaxy was cold and desolate. Most importantly, they could not use or absorb Qi from the surroundings. Even demonic cultivators hesitated to leave under normal circumstances. Perhaps only someone like Zhou Fan could leave the galaxy at the lesser dao creation realm without feeling a change. The man left the galaxy and flew up to the man. "Hey! Are you alive, or are you just some corpse?" The man asked. After getting no response, the man assumed that the standing man was not alive. He walked up to him, but as he looked in the man''s helmet, a pair of red eyes met his. The demonic cultivator took a step back out of shock, but soon realized that the man appeared alive. "Hey! You think you can just ignore me!" The man shouted. Water Qi and Darkness Qi appeared in his hand, forming a wave of dark water. "Pay for your disrespect!" The man shouted as he waved his hand and a giant wave of dark water appeared in space and quickly hit the man from the side. The spear-wielding man stayed still even as the wave covered him and moved through the space. Chapter 340: Determination - 340 Chapter 340 - Determination - 340 The water was dark, so it was hard to see what was happening inside, but Ying Xiong could make out a shadow of a man standing absolutely still. It was at this exact time that Jack arrived. He had gotten the news as well. He looked up just as the wave ended and the spear-wielding man appeared once again, completely uninjured by the attack. Even Ying Xiongs face changed. He would have to use Qi to resist the attack at least, but the spear-wielding man simply stood there. The darkness immortal felt a cold sweat cover his entire body as the spear-wielding man moved for the first time. "Threat detected. Self-defense protocols activated." A robotic voice sounded out. The spear in the man''s hand was simply waved at the darkness immortal, yet the moment that the spear completed its movement, a horrifying amount of Qi shot out and formed a giant black spear. The spear moved just like the man''s real spear, and a large amount of Darkness Qi instantly obliterated the space outside the galaxy. The destruction only stopped moving when it reached the entrance to the galaxy. The darkness cleared and the space slowly healed. Soon, a robot-like man could be seen standing the same as before, but no trace of the darkness immortal remained. There was no lack of shock from any person that had watched the scene. Even Ying Xiong could not help but feel that he would lose in a fight against the man. Among the crowd, only two people could guess where the robot-like man came from. ¡ª-------------------------------- ''I should probably cultivate to the next realm soon.'' Zhou Fan thought to himself. There was not much left that he could do in the true god realm. Only in the next realm would things really have a possibility of changing. Before that, Zhou Fan wanted to mess with cultivation 1.0. It would not take Ying Xiong long to break into the 1st level of the inner world realm, and that is where he would stay unless cultivation 1.0 upgraded. Zhou Fan had thought of many possible additions and changes he could make, but actually adding and changing things would take a very long time. In the millions of years at least. Luckily, Zhou Fan did not have much to attend to at the moment. Zhou Fan flew to the river of cultivation and began to make changes to it. Those changes would heavily affect the future. ¡ª----------------------------------------- 350 million years later, Zhou Fan was still making changes. However, in the Zhou galaxy, a grand event was taking place. To mortals, this was a once in a million generation spectacle. To cultivators, it was no less incredible. At the top of the Zhou Galaxy, far below the robot-like man, a group of lesser dao creation realm cultivators, space shattering cultivators, void traversing cultivators, and even a few cultivators at lower realms who had powerful relatives or backers were standing far away from a single man cultivating in space. For the first time in the history of the universe, as far as the general galaxy was aware, a cultivator was attempting to break through to the realm after the lesser dao creation realm. Although they had never seen or heard of a cultivator on that level, they all instinctively knew the name of the next realm. The inner world realm. As for what that meant, only the man in front of them would know, if he successfully broke through of course. Even Jack watched from afar with an accepting expression on his face. He had accepted his inferiority long ago. After an entire year of waiting, movement could be seen around Ying Xiong, a sign that he was breaking through. Due to Zhou Fans river of cultivation, breakthroughs no longer caused damage to the area around the person breaking through, no matter the realm. Still, faint bits of Qi could be seen moving around Ying Xiong. After 5 years of watching, a miniscule amount of time to almost any cultivator, Ying Xiong stood up. The moment that he did, a horrifying pressure burst out of his body. It did not cause any sort of damage, but the vast difference in strength was clearly displayed just by the amount of Qi he possessed. The pressure only lasted a second before it disappeared, and the bald Ying Xiong smiled at those around him. "Since everyone is here, please listen to my announcement. I will be leaving the galaxy soon. I leave the buddhist sect to my disciple. I will return, but it may be far in the future. Please, out of respect for me, do not move against the buddhist sect." Ying Xiong said, the threat behind his tone clear. Not a single person around dared to act pompously around Ying Xiong even before, but especially now that he was an entire realm above them. Be it demonic cultivators or righteous cultivators, or even Jack, every single person''s head lowered as they stated their agreement. It could be said that at this time, nothing could stop Ying Xiong from killing everyone present in an instant. After 100,000 years passed, Ying Xiong departed from the galaxy. He had hesitated for a while, but he eventually gave in. His disciple was at the lesser dao creation realm, and he had many allies that would help defend the buddhist sect, as well as earth. Not only had he repaid the past actions of the people who helped him, but he had done it with high interest. There was absolutely nothing tying Ying Xiong to the galaxy. Only his own emotions attempted to. Surprisingly, the thing that gave him the final push was Zhou Fan''s words. The feeling of hearing someone call you a bug, and knowing that they are absolutely right was a feeling not easily forgotten. Ying Xiong decided that he would prove Zhou Fan wrong. He too would become someone so legendary that their name was not even recorded in history. The biggest hurdle would be the fact that he could feel he could no longer increase his cultivation, but he would either wait for something to change, or change it himself! The second biggest hurdle was that, outside the galaxy and the reaches of Zhou Fans mortal dao, Qi could no longer be absorbed. Only the Qi previously stored inside the body would remain, so he would have to hop from galaxy to galaxy that Zhou Fan had covered with his mortal dao. Chapter 341: Cultivation 1.1 - 341 Chapter 341 - Cultivation 1.1 - 341 300 millions years later, Zhou Fan stepped out of the river of cultivation. He had already made the changes, but he had yet to activate them. This time, nobody would lose their cultivation, and the way of cultivation would not change. The first difference between cultivation 1.0 and what Zhou Fan named cultivation 1.1, was the upper limit of cultivation. Changing that took the longest time due to all the fine details, but he eventually raised it to the first level of the god realm. Even Ying Xiong would struggle to reach such a height, though he was the main reason that Zhou Fan decided to make the change so soon. The second change was the renovation of weapon type Qi''s. He would use sword Qi as an example. Unlike before, one could not simply cultivate using sword Qi. Instead, sword Qi would be an extra path, similar to weapon forging and alchemy. Sword Qi would be honed and practiced to improve its power, though, if one used a sword, it would naturally increase in power as their cultivation did so. In addition, there were new talents that Zhou Fan added. This was also one of the aspects that took the most time. It would not be very common, but now, instead of just being born with cultivation talent or divine physique, one could also be born with a weapon Qi talent. Even a person with no such talent could easily use a weapon, but they would find themselves being weaker with the same weapon as those with a weapon Qi talent. There were only 6 levels of talent for weapon Qi''s. Basic, which was 1 in 100, great, which was 1 in 100,000, king, which was 1 in 10 million, emperor, which was 1 in 10 billion, god, which was 1 in 1 quadrillion, and immortal, which was 1 in 1 decillion. To put the god rank weapon talent into perspective, there were probably around a quintillion people in the entire universe, give or or take some. That meant that only a thousand people at once would have god rank weapon talent. To put the immortal rank weapon talent in perspective, there likely had not been 10 decillion living beings even if one combined all the lives born throughout the universe''s history. Those were the only two changes made, but they were greatly profound. All that was left was to put it into action. Naturally, the upper limit change would affect everyone, but the weapon Qi change would only affect those born after it was implemented. Zhou Fan raised his hand in the air and snapped it. At once, the great changes took place. ¡ª----------------------------------- Inside of a galaxy fairly far away from the Zhou galaxy, Ying Xiong was panting. He had just had a very close call in terms of Qi. After hesitating and calculating for a while, Ying Xiong bit the bullet and attempted to cross into a galaxy farther away than he had ever tried to. It would be the 450th galaxy he had managed to enter. He had nearly run out of Qi before arriving, but just managed to make it. He was not looking forward to the return journey. He took out his map and looked at it. It contained many galaxies, but only a few were circled with red lines connecting them to other galaxies. There were very few galaxies left which he could possibly make it to. The risk he took was not without its reasons. Still, he enjoyed exploring more than he had ever expected. Nothing in the Zhou Galaxy had been unexplored, but there were suddenly 449 unexplored galaxies just like it. Of course, exploring was not without its dangers. Ying Xiong had made mistakes that almost cost him his life more than once. Luckily, Zhou Fan had covered all of the galaxies in the 3 galaxy clusters with his mortal dao while he was in the purple star sea. Otherwise, Ying Xiong may have entered the galaxy, only to find that the Qi was not split. As Ying Xiong stood up, he felt something within his body suddenly change. It only took him a moment to realize that he could progress in cultivation once again. Without hesitation, he crossed his legs and began to cultivate. Within the Zhou Galaxy and the Heaven galaxy, many were surprised to discover that some newborn babies seemed to have something new attached to their meridians. Before long, they would find out what they were and what use they were. Of course, the names for the new talents would be instinctively named the same way that Zhou Fan named them. In the center of the three galaxy clusters, Zhou Fan dragged an independent space with him as he moved. He decided to move the river of cultivation to a more private and safer location. He flew upwards, and soon left the Zhou supercluster. He stopped above the supercluster and tied the independent space down. He would have preferred to take it farther away, but it still needed to be close to the Zhou supercluster in order to affect the entire thing. It was very useful that the river of cultivation could use his mortal dao as checkpoints, otherwise it may not be able to affect Ying Xiong when he was outside of Zhou Fans mortal dao. After placing many powerful defense, attack, and concealing arrays, Zhou Fan was satisfied with the protection surrounding the river of cultivation. Just as he was turning around to leave, Zhou Fan heard the sound of a drop of water leaving the river. Zhou Fan looked behind him, and saw a dark black drop in the air, before it soon fell back into the river. Zhou Fan was shocked by the event. That level of movement was on par with when Ying Xiong was born. He tracked where the drop originated from, and his gaze soon fell upon an average sized galaxy, but it was not the Zhou galaxy. Surprisingly, Zhou Fan saw a man cultivating not too far from the planet where the disturbance was created. ''What a coincidence.'' Zhou Fan thought to himself as he saw Ying Xiong open his eyes and move towards the same planet that Zhou Fan was paying attention to. Chapter 342: Tong - 342 Chapter 342 - Tong - 342 In the depths of a small cave, a group of bears that seemed exactly like the brown bears from earth surrounded a bear that was laying down on a bed. In her paws was a weird looking creature. Although one would not know it if they were not present, that creature had just been born from the female bear. Each of the bears in the cave were at the core formation realm, and boasted an intelligence similar to that of a mortal human. They were all scratching their heads as they looked at the newborn child. Unlike the surrounding bears, the newborn had white skin with only a few patches of fur in random areas. Although they had never seen a human before, the newborn bear was undoubtedly a humanoid creature. "Is this some sort of deformity?" One of the bears asked after a moment. "How dare you speak of my child like that!" The mother bear screamed at the bear that had spoken. "He is just special. A little different from us." "Uhhh. Whatever you say, sister." The bear responded. At this time, Ying Xiong silently and invisibly arrived above their cave. He had felt an unnatural disturbance on the planet while cultivating, leading to him going towards the planet. As he looked at the scene and observed the planet, he was shocked. The boy just born seemed to be the first humanoid creature ever born on the planet, a sign of a great evolution. Despite that, Ying XIong felt slightly worried. He could feel what the bears could not, and that was a vile and dark aura within the child, although he seemed to be an innocent kid for the moment. Since he had spare time, he decided to wait a few years and watch the child grow. He would only make his decision at that time. Eventually, the child was given a simple name, Tong. Despite the bears being animals, they were one of the most naturally intelligent races on the planet. They had almost perfectly imitated a human society, with houses, schools, restaurants, and such. As expected, the child, Tong, grew up while being treated differently from other children. Although some children would occasionally pick on him or call him names, the worst came from some adults. When he was alone, they would often throw things at him or call him horrible things. As he grew older, the child began to only feel a connection to his mother, the only person that seemed to love him. Even his father only acted. At the age of 7, he finally began to go to a school, but not a normal school. It was a martial arts and cultivation school. Unsurprisingly, his life got even worse. At the martial arts school, fighting was not forbidden and even encouraged. The child did not show any promising talent, and was in the bottom 10% of the entire school. Only getting beat up 5 times in a day was considered lucky. Still, despite feeling rage, humiliation, and loneliness, the child remembered his mothers words. As long as he was kind, he would be the happiest one in the end. He could only painfully wait for that day. Then, a few days after his 11th birthday, he received a letter from his father. His mother had been killed as a bystander in a robbery. He stayed in his room, a room for four bears, but with only one person living in it due to his weirdness. Only after a week did he step out again. Not a single person had checked in on him in all of that time. Only a few moments after he left his room, a common face appeared in front of him, followed by a bunch of his lackeys. "Hello Tong. It''s so good to see you again. For our reunion, why don''t we have a little spar?" The boy, Jared, asked. For the first time since he entered the martial arts academy, Tong ignored the boy. He attempted to walk past him while muttering his mothers words, but a hand reached out and pushed him to the ground. "You think you can ignore me?" Jared said as he watched Tong stand up. "I heard your mother died. Thank god she didn''t give birth to another you before she did. Isn''t that just a miracle?" Jared taunted. Ying Xiong, silently and invisibly floating above, finally began to pay attention again. He could feel a faint movement within the boy''s body. Standing across from Jared, Tong clenched his fists, but he remained silent. "Since you don''t want to fight here, why don''t you come with us. We can go to your mothers grave, and we can fight there. Wouldn''t that be fun?" Jared asked. Tong''s anger continued to build. He was about to make a decision, but he suddenly heard a voice in his head. "Release me now!" The voice screamed. causing Tong to crouch to the ground while covering his ears. "How dare they talk to us like that! Why are you cowering you pathetic fool! Kill them!" The voice screamed in a rage, but nobody besides Tong, and Ying Xiong who was spying on his mind could hear. ''Where is this voice coming from? Is it inside? An innate talent?'' Ying Xiong asked himself. Jared continued to blaber on, insulting Tong and his mother over and over again, until the voice inside Tong''s head finally exploded. "Fine then! I''ll take care of this myself!" It screamed. Suddenly, Tong felt like his body was not his anymore. He felt like his soul was disconnected, and he was merely watching from the side. Tong''s body stood up. "Finally decided to do something? What will it be?" He taunted. Tong''s body raised his hand up and punched down at the ground. Surprisingly, nothing happened. Even if he was only at the foundation establishment realm, something should have happened. Just as Jared was about to taunt him again, the ground began to shake, and then break apart. Not just the surrounding people, but the entire martial arts school and everyone in it was forcefully pulled underground and buried by the sudden earthquake. When Tong felt like his body was his own again, he could see nothing around him but cracked ground. Chapter 343: Master Iroh - 343 Chapter 343 - Master Iroh - 343 Just a few moments after finally regaining control over his body, Tong passed out and fell to the ground. Above him, Ying Xiong was stunned. If he had a beard, he would be stroking it. "This boy''s talent is nearly comparable to mine. And his divine physique, truly mysterious." He said to himself. Perhaps a normal cultivator could not understand the boy''s talent, even a lesser dao creation realm cultivator may not. But Ying Xiong was not only in the inner world realm, but also had nearly unparalleled talent. He could just barely understand everything about the boy. "It truly is a pity. If your meridians weren''t so blocked up by impurities, then you may not have suffered this much." Ying Xiong sighed. He then began to think of what he should do. "This boy has a great darkness within him in the form of his divine physique. It is as if he has two souls in his body. He also had a great connection to Earth Qi." Ying Xiong said to himself while thinking. "Alright. I shall accept this boy as my disciple, even if just for the sake of stopping him from causing destruction." Ying Xiong said with resolve. He looked around at the destruction around him, and then at the cultivators flying towards him in the distance. Although martial arts academy taught future cultivators, the strongest among them had only been at the nascent soul realm. Even among the entire bear race, the strongest was only at the peak of the soul formation realm. And they were one of the peak race''s on the planet. Still, it was amazing that the foundation establishment child was able to do such damage. He was truly too talented. Ying Xiong scooped up the boy from the ground and took him to a cave far away. When the child woke up, he saw a bearded and wise looking man not too far from him sitting cross legged. It was naturally Ying Xiong in disguise. For fun, he had decided to take the wise old master approach. "Good morning young child." He said in a wise and calming voice. The child was confused seeing him, a combination of Ying Xiongs unnatural looks and the situation that had happened before. "Ummm. Who are you? Where am I?" THe boy asked. "Please. Calm down child. Here, have some tea." Ying Xiong said as he pulled a teapot and a cup out from behind him. The boy, confused as to what tea was and what cups were, silently listened. He found the old man''s voice unnaturally calming. Ying Xiong guided the child, showing him how to drink tea. Soon, the boy calmed down. "Now we can begin. I am a wandering master traveling the cosmos. You can call me.... ummmm.... Iroh!" Ying Xiong said. "Iroh? Alright." The boy responded. "I have sensed great talent within you, but there is also great darkness." Ying Xiong, or Iroh, said. "Talent? You must have the wrong person. I am not talented." The boy responded sadly. "But you are, child. You have simply been unlucky and are following the wrong path." Iroh said. "What do you mean sir?" The boy asked curiously. "It seems that you were born with many impurities. They have blocked your meridians, not allowing you to display even 10% of your cultivation talent. In addition, you are trying to cultivate like a beast, but you are a humanoid creature." Iroh explained. "These have caused your cultivation to be horrifyingly slow. It is amazing that you have even come this far." "Really! Can you help me!?" The boy shouted in excitement. "I can clear your meridians, but the rest can be fixed by you." Iroh said. Ying Xiong waved his hand and cleared the impurities from the child''s body. "There. Now, the rest is up to you. Before that, I would like to ask you, would you accept me as your teacher?" Iroh asked. "If you are as powerful as you say, it would be my honor." The boy said. "Good." Iroh smiled. "Please! Help me understand, Master Iroh." The boy bowed. "Of course. Sit and cross your legs." Iroh said. The boy followed as told. "You have followed the ways you have been taught, but they were never meant for you. Look deep within yourself. Only there will you find the answer you seek." Master Iroh explained. The boy meditated and looked into his mind. It only took moments for the humanoid cultivation technique to appear in his head. "I''ve got it, Master Iroh!" The boy exclaimed in excitement. "Good good. Have some tea to celebrate." Master Iroh said as he poured more tea that seemed to come from nowhere. The boy didn''t question it and gulped the tea in an instant. After jumping around in excitement for a while, he seemed to remember something and his happiness turned into sadness. "What is wrong young Tong?" Master Iroh asked. "My mother. She died. I nearly forgot after meeting you, but the only person who had ever cared about me is gone." Tong cried. "Tong. Take a seat." Master Iroh said. Although tears were pouring from Tong''s eyes, he followed his instructions. "Master, can you revive her?" Tong asked with hope. Master Iroh revealed a sad expression and sighed. "I''m afraid that I cannot. I, and perhaps the whole universe, am not capable of that." Tong heard him and seemed to become even sadder. "Do not sulk, young Tong. Life is long and full of possibilities. We must cherish it." Master Iroh said wisely. "There is nothing to cherish. My mother is gone! Everyone who had taunted and hated me is still out there, completely fine!" Tong shouted. "Tong. Life is much like a tree. When leaves fall, they cannot be reconnected. Yet still, they are the most beautiful when they do so. You must thank and appreciate your mother, and then you must move on. Your hatred is not worth holding." Master Iroh said. "I don''t know if I can do such a thing, Master Iroh. All I feel is hatred right now." Tong said. "There is no wound that cannot be healed. We will work on it together. You will grow stronger, wiser, and you will learn to spread love and forgiveness among the world." Master Iroh said, causing Tong to finally calm down. "Come, Tong. Let us begin your training." Master Iroh exclaimed. Chapter 344: Without Qi - 344 Chapter 344 - Without Qi - 344 With his meridians cleared and the correct cultivation technique, Tong''s cultivation quickly soared as fast as possible, reaching the limit of speed set in place. It took him a month to reach the core formation realm, but Tong felt as if he could cultivate faster. He asked Master Iroh, and received an answer. "You are greatly talented, Tong, but the universe must have order. When you reach a certain speed of cultivation, the universe will naturally slow you down. It is what leads to balance. Luckily, it is not without its merits, but that will be for later." Master Iroh explained. "Starting now, we will leave this cave and explore the world. You will begin to follow your own journey, and I will be there to guide you along the way." Master Iroh said. "I understand, Master Iroh." Tong said with a bit of excitement. Despite being a cultivator, he had never spent such a large amount of time in one place. The next day, after a few hours of cultivation, Master Iroh and Tong left the cave. "This area does not seem familiar. Where are we?" Tong asked. "We are on the other side of the world right now. Although your bear race is not bad on the planetary scale, there are many places equal to it." Master Iroh said as he began to walk into the nearby forest. Tong hurriedly ran and caught up to him. The forest was long and filled with tall grass, but Master Iroh seemed to have a built in map with him. Along the way, it became clear that they were traveling the perfect path the entire time. Tong looked at Master Iroh in admiration from behind. After nearly an hour of walking, Master Iroh stopped walking and looked ahead. Tong soon caught up and looked in the same direction. They were on the peak of a cliff, and in front of them was a long drop off. "Did you make a wrong turn, Master Iroh?" Tong asked. "Of course not. Look ahead." Master Iroh said while pointing. Tong looked ahead, but all he could see was a large mountain. "I see! You came to look at the view. It is beautiful." Tong exclaimed. Master Iroh shook his head and chuckled. "That would be a good reason, but it is not why we have come today. I have seen your talent, and have connected it to two aspects. One, your inner self. It is as if you have two souls in your body, but one is suppressed. Along our journey, I will teach you to not only resist that soul, but will even help you learn to control it for your own benefit." Master Iroh explained. "The second aspect is heavily connected to Earth. It appears you have some sort of innate connection with it. I can guide you in some matters, but this will mostly be done by you. Look at that mountain, reach out to it, and connect with it." Master Iroh said. Tong took in his words, and then did as he said. He crossed his legs and sat on the edge of the cliff while staring at the mountain. It only took him a few seconds to feel a connection with the mountain. Curious as to how far he could push the connection, he tried to expand it to the surrounding land. After a moment, he felt a scene play in his head and jumped up, stumbling backwards in surprise. Luckily, Master Iroh caught him before he fell down. "What was that Master Iroh?" Tong asked. "Do not rely on a teacher for everything. I can tell you that it is beneficial and not harmful, so try it again, but don''t be startled this time." Master Iroh said as he pulled out a teapot and began to boil water. Tong nodded and tried it again. Soon, he saw the same scene, though seeing was not the correct way to explain it. He was seeing, but not with his eyes, with his mind. Through his connection with the earth, he could essentially see what it saw, similar to a bats echolocation. All around him for multiple miles, he felt as if everything was within his grasp. "It holds a similar principle to divine sense." Master Iroh said from the side. "Due to many circumstances in the future, that will become less useful, but I can imagine that it will also have its own uses." "It is incredible, Master Iroh!" Tong said. "Indeed. Now try to control the earth." Master Iroh said. Tong listened seriously and attempted to make the earth around him move, but was unsuccessful in doing so. "Master Iroh, I can feel my connection, and I know that it CAN be moved, but it is not doing so no matter what I do." Tong said sadly. Master Iroh had been observing him very carefully, and managed to sense a few things. "Do not be impatient Tong. I can sense that the possibility is within you, but you cannot command the earth. The earth is but your companion. It will only move if willing. Try to do movements as you attempt to move your surroundings. Also, do not use Qi." Master Iroh said. Tong doubted that anything would happen without using Qi, but he followed Master Iroh''s suggestion. He felt the earth and sensed it. He felt his connection, and then he instinctively lowered his stance and stomped on the ground. He was immediately balanced. He then moved his right arm outwards, curving it upwards as he did so, and stomped his right foot. As he completed the motion, a rough piece of the ground below him shot up, creating a long and thin pillar of earth. Tong was surprised, and so was Master Iroh behind him. What Tong had done was something he had never seen before. Without Qi, he had just moved the earth without touching it. It wasn''t as if the planet was sentient, but the ground had just moved. Even Zhou Fan, who was watching from afar, was stunned. Although he could do such a thing, and so could Ying Xiong, they were perhaps the only two in the universe who could do so. Doing something like that without any sort of QI required an entirely new comprehension of the universe, but they had both seen a boy in the core formation realm do it. Chapter 345: Peak True God - 345 Chapter 345 - Peak True God - 345 Master Iroh looked at Tong. "Very very good. You have exceeded my expectations." He said while stroking his beard. "Really?!" Tong said in excitement. "Indeed. To control earth without Qi should normally be impossible. You have great potential. Now, try doing the same thing, but add Qi during the process." Master Iroh said. Tong nodded and got into position. He repeated the same movements as before, but this time, attempted to put Qi into the earth during the process. Unfortunately, he miserably failed. Tong turned around, scared that Master Iroh would be disappointed. "Do not worry, Tong. It is not unexpected to fail on your first try. It is the effort that you put in afterwards that shows your true character." Master Iroh said. Tong nodded with glee. Over the next 24 hours, Tong practiced under Master Iroh''s instruction until he successfully added Qi to his earth manipulation. The size of the pillar of earth that came out did not change, but it was many times stronger than before. While Tong was still excited, Master Iroh led him away from the cliff and back to the cave. When they arrived, Master Iroh sat across from Tong and began to speak. "I have seen the earth side of your talent. It is incredible, and in the future, we will continue to hone it." Master Iroh said. "Now, we will begin the spiritual part of your talent. Drink this." Master Iroh held out a cup of tea for Tong to drink. "I''ve made this with special methods. Consuming it will allow you to essentially enter your mind. Inside there, you will find the answers we seek." Master Iroh explained. Tong nodded and quickly gulped down the tea. Then, under Master Iroh''s guidance, he began to meditate against the cave wall. Soon, he fell into a trance, and moments later, he woke up in an endless dark void. Although he was in an unfamiliar place, he felt calm, as if he was at a loving home. As he looked around the endless void, he spotted what appeared to be a boy his age sitting down and covering his head with his hands. His knees were also covering his face and his body was turned away from Tong. Out of curiosity, Tong began to walk towards the boy while speaking. "Hello. Can you hear me?" Tongs voice echoed. There was no response. As he got closer, he could make out some mumbling from the boy. Soon, Tong was within touching distance, and put his hand on the boy''s shoulder. "Hello. Who are y¡ª-." He began to say, until the boy quickly turned around and screamed at Tong. The boy''s face was full of blood and rage. Tong jumped in shock, and suddenly appeared back in the cave with Master Iroh. "Welcome back, Tong." Master Iroh said. Tong had cold sweat on his body as he spoke. "What was that, Master Iroh? The boy''s face was exactly the same as mine, but he did not feel like me." "That was a part of your talent. Simply put, you have two personalities, or souls. One, you. The other, that boy you saw. He has the same memories as you, but he is filled with hatred and rage." Master Iroh said. "Master Iroh, if he is another me, then can we bring him out. Even if he is filled with rage, we can just calm him down, right?" Tong asked. "Perhaps I misspoke. He is not exactly filled with hatred and rage, he is hatred and rage. There is no saving him, for taking away his hatred and rage would cause him to cease to exist. If you do not control him, then he will take over your body. Like everything else, he hates you as well." Master Iroh explained. "I understand, Master Iroh, but I would still like to try. Both you and my mother have told me that kindness is the way. I feel I should not simply abandon a part of me because he was born bad." Tong said. "Haha. It seems you truly are a good soul. Fear not, as long as I am around, nothing can harm you." Master Iroh said, assuring Tong. For the next few days, Tong and Master Iroh practiced his earth talent at day, and his spiritual talent at night. And so began the journey of Ying Xiong and his most talented disciple. Meanwhile, Zhou Fan was still doing his own thing. "It''s about time I begin to cultivate again." Zhou Fan said to himself. He was interested in the growth of another cultivator with talent almost at the same level as Ying Xiong, but he could not watch forever. He still had his own duties to attend to. Zhou Fan crossed his legs and began to cultivate. As expected, the length of each session was extremely long. Zhou Fan only stopped cultivating 8.1 billion years later, his longest seclusion yet by far, after reaching the peak of the true god realm. Perhaps only Ying Xiong could somewhat disregard such a long amount of time. His one seclusion lasted nearly a fifth of a lesser dao creation realm cultivator''s lifespan. Ying Xiong had successfully nurtured Tong to success and cultivated for a long time. He had reached the 3rd level of the inner world realm, as cultivating took even him a large amount of time now. If not for the river of cultivation, he may have gone faster, but that was the price he had to pay. Ying Xiong had also created the Cosmic sect. It was a sect exclusively for those with talent that Ying Xiong would consider worth nurturing. So far, the only other member was Tong, who had reached the peak of the lesser dao creation realm. Tong had become an old man himself, but he still treated Ying Xiong as his revered Master Iroh, although he had discovered the truth long ago. Ying Xiong was satisfied with the "youth", as he was perhaps the most loyal person in the universe. On this day, the cosmic sect welcomed a visitor. Chapter 346: The Cosmic Sect - 346 Chapter 346 - The Cosmic Sect - 346 The cosmic sect was an extremely beautiful place. It was based within the biggest galaxy that Ying Xiong had found in his journeys. It was a sect that floated in space, as its name hinted. Just from a single glance, it was clear that Ying Xiong must have spent an extremely large amount of time designing it, and another long length of time gathering the materials and building it. The cosmic sect was surrounded by a large ring, similar to some planets. On the large ring were a bunch of buildings. The place seemed like a city, but it was many times bigger than a planet. Within the large ring was a much different scene. The only thing inside were a few large halls, many of which could be compared in size to a continent. Multiple stars rotated around the cosmic sect. There were also many floating orbs that gave off different colors. Each building seemed to be made out of space and stars, although that was just how they were designed. Inside the centermost building of the cosmic sect, its only two members were cultivating silently. It was hard to call it a building, as it was just a platform with a few starry pillars and a roof. It was completely open to the outside. Suddenly, Tong jumped as he had just heard footsteps outside the building. Ying Xiong''s eyes snapped open in surprise, before he realized that he had a familiar visitor. Tong looked around, and soon spotted Zhou Fan walking towards the building. Tong did not speak, and only looked at Ying Xiong in confusion. "It has been a long time since we last met, Zhou Fan." Ying Xiong said. "Really? It felt like yesterday to me." Zhou Fan joked, although he was somewhat serious. "I suppose time would move faster for stronger people. This is my disciple, Tong. I don''t believe that you''ve met." Ying Xiong said. "Hello." Tong said. Although he was very clearly an old man, he gave off a feeling of childishness. "Hello, Tong. Just before I went into seclusion, I was watching you two start your journey. A pity that I missed out on most of it." Zhou Fan said. Hearing his words, not just Tong, but even Ying Xiong was momentarily surprised. "Your methods are truly incredible. I didn''t sense a thing the entire time." Ying Xiong said, while Tong stayed silent in shock. Zhou Fan nodded and spoke. "I saw what you were doing here and came to take a look. I must say that I admire you. I could never settle down like this." Ying Xiong laughed, not knowing if he was truly being complimented or accidentally insulted. "It took me a while, but I''ve realized my true passions. Exploration, teaching others, and tea." He said as he lifted a tea cup. "Well I''m glad you managed to discover that. I almost forgot to mention, I''ve come with gifts." Zhou Fan said as he took out two large rectangle gift boxes with ribbons on top. "Gifts? You never seemed like the type." Ying Xiong chuckled as he got up and walked over. He could have dragged them over or used Qi, but it was a sign of respect to equal or superior cultivators to manually do some things. As Ying Xiong pulled the wrapping paper down, he was surprised to see two 10 year old children in a rectangle block of ice. "While I was in seclusion, I detected these two people''s births, and thinking of you, I took them and put them in cryostasis until today." Zhou Fan explained. In his freetime, he had mastered the art of cryostasis, which was what he had done to the manor long ago. Different from then, his control and ability was on a different level. The manor''s cryostasis was imperfect, and Zhou Fan had fixed it once he had mastered the art. Once he entered the true god realm, mastering the art took only a few seconds, which was why he had never mentioned it. It was difficult to put someone in cryostasis, and even for mortals like the two in front of him, it took a large amount of Qi. Only a void traversing cultivators could produce enough Qi to keep them in cryostasis. The only person that Zhou Fan could not put into perfect cryostasis with his current strength was Ying Xiong. He could do it to Tong, but it would require the constant use of nearly a fourth of his Qi, an unacceptable expenditure. "These two are incredible talents, even I must say that. The boy on the right is only slightly less talented compared to Tong, and the girl on the left is in between Tong and you in terms of talent." Zhou Fan explained. "I see. I have mixed feelings about the process, but I suppose it would be different for people like us." Ying Xiong said. As a Buddhist and the strongest member of the righteous path of the Zhou Galaxy, human trafficking and slavery were not something he liked. Still, there was a vast difference between that and Zhou Fan''s actions. "Don''t worry about it too much. They''ll live much better lives here than wherever they would have." Zhou Fan said. "Anyway, let me describe these children''s talents. The boy has a great affinity with dragon Qi, and some sort of dragon divine physique. The girl has a great affinity with Ice Qi, and also has some sort of Ice divine physique. You''ll have to go over the specifics, I couldn''t be bothered to check." Zhou Fan said. Ying Xiong and Tong, who had come to accept the situation, studied the two with great curiosity. They could almost sense the talent radiating off of them. Ying Xiong put his hands on the ice and began to melt the two blocks. Soon, two children were standing confused. The girl had long white hair and wore white clothes, while the boy had dark black hair and wore yellow clothes. Luckily, the two of them were born as orphans, so Zhou Fan did not need to bring any parents or relatives. "Hello you two. I am Ying Xiong. Nice to meet you." Ying Xiong said in a gentle voice. Chapter 347: Lu Zhong and Feng Liu - 347 Chapter 347 - Lu Zhong and Feng Liu - 347 The two children looked around their surroundings in amazement. How many people would be able to see such a scene in their entire lives? The cosmic sect truly was beautiful. Luckily for the mortal children, Ying Xiong had made sure that they could survive properly within space. Only after a few minutes of pure amazement did the girl look at Ying Xiong. "Did you kidnap us? I''ll have you know that my father is the emperor of an entire planet. You better back off." The girl said threateningly, although she was lying through her teeth. Hearing her words snapped the boy out of his amazement and caused him to recognize the situation. "Me too. My mother is the empress of the entire galaxy, so you better watch yourself." He said, following the girl''s lead. Ying XIong was suddenly stifled and did not know how to react. Both Tong and Zhou Fan silently chuckled while watching. "I''ll explain everything, but before that, would you like some tea?" Ying Xiong asked as a teapot mysteriously appeared in his hand. Normally, the children would continue to be suspicious, but Ying Xiong''s voice carried a feeling of trustworthiness and kindness. It was both something he naturally had and something he manually changed. "Yes!" The two children said in unison. Ying Xiong pulled out five mats, enough to seat everyone in the cosmic sect. Tong moved over to sit down with an expectant look in his eyes, while Zhou Fan did not refuse and sat down himself. As all five of them drank tea, the girl child took in everyone''s appearances. She then pointed at Zhou Fan and spoke. "You look fairly young. What are you doing around these old people?" She asked. Zhou Fan touched his face as he thought of an answer to her question. He had not seen his appearance in a long time and wondered what he looked like. "Do I look young? It''s been a while since I saw my face. Does anyone have a mirror I can borrow?" Zhou Fan asked, although he could of course solve the problem himself. Tong nodded and pulled out a mirror with a handle. The metal around it was made of meteorite. Zhou Fan held it in front of him and looked at his appearance. His face was essentially perfect. He had gray eyes and black eyebrows, but had no facial hair. It was obvious why the girl had said that he seemed young. His gray hair had also grown unexpectedly long. He hadn''t noticed it, but it had spiraled into a pile behind him. "I do look young." Zhou Fan said. "I think I need a haircut." Zhou Fan reached behind his head, when suddenly the girl and boy spoke at the same time. "Stop!" They both said at the same time. "Your hair looks extremely cool! Worthy of an emperor!" The boy said with a thumbs up. "I think it looks elegant. Cutting it would be a waste." The girl said. From the side, Ying Xiong and Tong silently nodded in agreement. "Well if everyone thinks the same thing, I suppose it wouldn''t hurt to keep it. I never noticed it before anyway." Zhou Fan mumbled. He was feeling a bit weird since he had never discussed his appearance with anyone before. It seemed that even the oldest being in the universe could experience new feelings. "Back to my question, why are you hanging out with these old people?" The girl asked. Zhou Fan glanced at Ying Xiong and Tong. They both indeed had the appearance of old men. "I''m afraid I''m short on friends. These guys are the only people I know." Zhou Fan joked with the child. "I see. That would explain it." The girl nodded with the boy. Tong and Ying Xiong silently endured the insults while drinking tea. "Anyway, what are your names?" Zhou Fan asked. "It''s polite to introduce yourself before asking another person to do so." The boy said. Zhou Fan sighed and spoke. "My name is Zhou Fan, a cultivator." He said. "Good. My name is Lu Zhong, a mortal I suppose." The boy said. "And I am Feng Liu." The girl chimed in. "Nice to meet you." Zhou Fan said. Since the children seemed more relaxed talking to him, he decided to take the leading role. "These two are Ying Xiong and Tong, two highly respectable individuals." Zhou Fan said. "How could they be respectable? They kidnapped us." The girl said. The boy nodded in agreement. "Actually, that was me. Sorry about that." Zhou Fan said. "Hmmmmm. Alright, I forgive you." The boy said. Although he did have a life on his planet, nothing seemed to go well for him. He didn''t like it that much anyway. The girl also forgave Zhou Fan for similar reasons. "These two will be your masters. They will train you as you grow, and you will hopefully grow to be as great as them." Zhou Fan said. "Why not you?" The girl asked. "I tend to be busy with other things." Zhou Fan said. "Alright." The girl said with slight disappointment, which could also be seen on the boy''s face. "I''ll turn you over to these two now. Here, take these as an apology." Zhou Fan said as he handed the girl and the boy a book each. The girl''s was ice blue, while the boy''s was yellow. They, along with Tong, looked at Zhou Fan in confusion. Only Ying Xiong was able to see what they were at the first glance. "Those are powerful techniques, one for each realm up to the inner world realm. If you go farther than that, you can personally seek me out and I will present you with another gift." Zhou Fan explained. "Are you saying we''re going to become cultivators!?" The boy asked in excitement. "Indeed, but I''ll let the other two handle that." Zhou Fan said. The girl and boy turned to Ying Xiong and Tong with expectant glances. Ying Xiong chuckled, while Tong seemed to slightly back off. He had never had much human interaction. "Zhou Fan, how about you stay for a few years and get a taste of being a teacher. I''m confident you''ve never taught such talented people." Ying Xiong suddenly proposed. Chapter 348: Fishing - 348 Chapter 348 - Fishing - 348 Zhou Fan looked at Ying Xiong in surprise. He hadn''t expected that he would request for him to become a teacher. "I suppose I could but only for a few years." Zhou Fan responded. He did not have any pressing matters to take care of, and even if he spent a hundred thousand years as a teacher, it wouldn''t matter much. "Good. I''ll be the main teacher, and you will be the side teacher." Ying Xiong said. He knew that the students would excel with Zhou Fan''s guidance, and by making him the side teacher, he would not have to teach them all the tedious parts. Zhou Fan nodded in agreement with Ying Xiong. Soon, Tong and Ying Xiong took the two children to another area where they would be taught the basics. It would likely be a few days before Zhou Fan saw them again, so he decided to go around the cosmic sect and find a place for him to stay. The inner part of the cosmic sect had buildings where people would cultivate or be taught, while the outer part was filled with empty houses that gave off a desolate feeling. As he was going around the outer part of the cosmic sect, he heard a voice transmission from Ying Xiong. "I nearly forgot to mention it earlier, but as a guest teacher, you should create your own building in the inner section of the cosmic sect. Make sure that it is to your liking, and don''t worry about taking up space, we have plenty." Ying Xiong said. Zhou Fan stopped his search of the outer area and entered the inner area once again. Ying Xiong was right about its extensive free space. Even a planet would not take up a single percent of the area in the inner part of the cosmic sect. Zhou Fan decided to create himself a mountain. It would be surrounded by the equivalent of a space wallpaper that would make it seem like a pyramid of stars and space from the outside, but once one entered within a certain distance, it would look like a normal mountain. Zhou Fan created some earth from his Qi and the mountain was soon formed. As designed, there was a river flowing down it, spiraling down the mountain to the bottom. There were also many trees and a few lakes, although there was no life. The mountain was many times larger than a normal mountain, and a portion of it was completely flat. On the flat portion was a small pond that was within a courtyard. Zhou Fan sat on the ground and watched the lake. Within it were many fish. Although there had been no life at first, Zhou Fan had simply created some. When Zhou Fan got bored of looking in the lake, he leaned against a nearby tree and enjoyed the surroundings in peace. As he sat in peace, a great idea popped into his head. He instantly focused on his mortal dao and connected to the Zhou galaxy. There were many extensive lakes and oceans there, as well as many exotic water creatures. Zhou Fan chose a handful of lakes and oceans, each containing many rare species, and set up an invisible and random teleportation formation in them while still within the cosmic sect. He then set up a random teleportation formation in the pond in his courtyard. Simply put, when he casted a fishing rod into the pond, it would randomly choose one of the bodies of water he had chosen and teleport the fishing line there through a portal. The portal made it so that the teleportation array was constantly active. It cost more Qi, but it was nothing to Zhou Fan. The random teleportation array in the bodies of water that he had chosen would create a portal to a random area within the bodies of water. In other words, Zhou Fan''s small pond connected to many oceans and lakes within the Zhou galaxy, and at any time, he could fish from any of them. Over the next few days, he lost track of time as he fished from the pond. He would often catch a fish, and then throw it back into the pond as he had nothing to do with them. At one point, he had even caught a space shattering realm fish that looked at him stunned until Zhou Fan threw it back. Although the fishing equipment did not have any showy effects, it was extremely powerful. Anything hooked by it below the inner world realm would not be able to resist at all. However, besides that, it worked as a normal fishing rod. One day, as he was fishing, the doors to his courtyard burst open and two children, followed by two old men, ran in and came towards Zhou Fan. "Uncle Zhou Fan, you have to help us! These old men locked us in rooms for multiple days, forcing us to learn and study!" The girl in blue complained. "It''s true! Those despicable old coots took away our freedom! If I knew what would happen, I would never have wanted to cultivate." The boy in yellow cried. Zhou Fan chuckled at the children. It seemed that they had decided to call him uncle, though that was better than old man or a coot. "Please seek justice for us." They said at the same time. Ying Xiong and Tong calmly looked from behind the children, though they too seemed a little worn out. For a moment, Zhou Fan could not stand their expressions, and decided to play along. "How dare those two bully my niece and nephew. They''re just asking for a beating. You two, let''s go spar." Zhou Fan said as he stood up. Ying Xiong and Tong''s calm expressions instantly disappeared and were replaced with shock. Meanwhile, the two children''s eyes lit up and they taunted them. "Haha. Now you two will know the same suffering as us." The girl said, while the boy quickly nodded in agreement. Zhou Fan grabbed the two childrens hands and flew them up. "Let''s go you two. Don''t think about escaping your punishment." Zhou Fan said as he flew away. Ying Xiong and Tong sighed before reluctantly flying behind them. Chapter 349: Death Qi - 349 Chapter 349 - Death Qi - 349 Zhou Fan stretched his arms and legs unnecessarily while Tong and Ying Xiong solemnly waited. Far far behind them, the two children were standing in a bubble. The bubble was strong enough to protect them even in front of a great attractor. Zhou Fan, Ying Xiong, and Tong had moved to the opposite side of the galaxy in order to fight. Otherwise, the cosmic sect would have ended up being destroyed. While Zhou Fan stretched and the children watched from inside the bubble with a built-in telescope, Ying Xiong solemnly whispered to Tong. "Do not hold anything back. Immediately use your full strength." Ying Xiong said. "Everything? Are you sure?" Tong asked. Asking him to use everything signified how incredible the future battle would be. "Yes. Absolutely everything. I will do the same." Ying Xiong said. Tong nodded, and Zhou Fan finally spoke. "To make this fairer, I''ll limit myself to the first level of the inner world realm. I also won''t use my divine physique. Instead, I''ll just use my talent." Zhou Fan said. In his last battle, it seemed that he had been evenly matched with Ying Xiong until he used his divine physique, but that was not true. He had not fully utilized the power of his talent, or Ying Xiong would have been defeated without the divine physique even appearing. "I''ll also limit myself to only 1 type of Qi." Zhou Fan said as a wheel appeared in front of him. It had many colors on it, each one representing a different Qi. Tong felt he was being looked down upon, but when he looked at Ying Xiong, he still saw the same expression of deathly seriousness. This caused Tong to instantly abandon all thoughts of underestimation. Zhou Fan spun the wheel, and watched as it landed on a dark black color. "Death Qi it is." He said as he held his hand out and formed a black scythe. The children watched on in amazement and excitement as the battle began. Tong instantly began to wave his hands and arms around, while Ying Xiong charged at Zhou Fan and used his full strength. A giant phantom of a buddha appeared around his body as his shirt ripped apart and his back painting glowed. "Fiftyfold Buddha phantom." He said as the buddha phantom covering him was layered 50 times. He jumped up in the air and slammed a palm down at the unmoving Zhou Fan. "Thousand fold cosmic buddha''s palm." He said. A familiar scene of layering buddhas palms repeated itself, but this time, there were stars surrounding and moving around the buddha''s palm as it fell towards Zhou Fan. As expected, the cosmic sect was not just a name, Ying Xiong had created techniques to go along with it. As the giant palm fell towards him, Zhou Fan finally moved. "Death God''s slash." He said as he waved his scythe towards the falling palm. A giant dark line that seemed to absorb the very space surrounding it shot towards the buddha''s palm, slowly growing in size to match it. When the two attacks collided, the Death God''s slash began to absorb the Qi that made up the buddha''s palm, before their brute force collided and canceled each other out. Although it seemed that Zhou Fan had never bothered much with creating techniques, he had spent billions of years alive, and even if he only casually created techniques every now and then, it still piled up to him having an uncountable number. Ying Xiong focused on improving the power of a few techniques, but Zhou Fan''s talent extended to everything, so he practiced everything. Ying Xiong only showed small amounts of surprise before he prepared another attack, but it was at that time that Tong finally made a move. As he had waved his hands and arms, multiple desolate planets seemed to collapse and come towards him. Before long, he had a near endless amount of earth circling around him. But that was not all. In his mind, there seemed to be two existences. "It''s been a while since I''ve come out. What''s happening?" The new existence spoke. "I wish we could talk, but we''re in a serious spar. We need to go all out." Tong said. "Good. What else would I wish for. Let''s go!" The voice said as Tong''s body seemed to burst out with a large pressure and his Qi doubled. At that moment, Ying Xiong''s attack ended and Tong moved forward. The endless amount of earth surrounding him was infused with nearly all of Tong''s doubled Qi and formed a large spear that moved towards Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan was surprised by its power, but even Ying Xiong''s attack was stopped, much less an attack from someone in the lesser dao creation realm. Zhou Fan waved his hand, and the earth spear shooting towards him turned mushy and deathly, instantly losing its form and dripping down. Even planets lived and died in some way, so earth could be easily affected by death Qi. Tong could not even react before Zhou Fan appeared in front of him and reached out. Tong watched as the hand grew bigger in front of his eyes, until a yellow slash of buddhist Qi covered by moving stars stopped the hand from advancing. Zhou Fan spun his body and shot a death gods slash at Ying Xiong, who hastily dodged and appeared behind Zhou Fan with a straight palm. Zhou Fan ignored Tong and turned around to fight Ying Xiong, but Tong launched a sneak attack with the very little amount of his remaining Qi. A needle of earth Qi appeared and shot towards Zhou Fan. It was weaker than most attacks, but Zhou Fan could not afford to ignore it unless he wanted to get pierced. Still, Zhou Fan ignored Tong and a black mist surrounded his body that easily blocked the needle of earth Qi. Ying Xiong''s stretched out palm launched a tiny buddha''s palm with stars moving around it, but Zhou Fan met the mini palm with his actual hand covered in Death Qi. Chapter 350: Bullied Old Men - 350 Chapter 350 - Bullied Old Men - 350 When the two palms collided, Ying Xiongs mini cosmic Buddha''s palm was dispersed, and Zhou Fans hand stopped moving forward. Zhou Fan and Ying Xiong flashed around space, leaving Tong behind. It seemed as if they came to an agreement as they only fought with their palms. One was covered in Buddhist Qi, while the other was covered in Death Qi. After thirty seconds of fighting in such a way, the two moved back and launched more powerful techniques. Unlike Ying Xiong, Zhou Fan was severely limited with the techniques he could use, as even a tiny bit of another Qi would be considered cheating. Soon, Zhou Fan made a bigger move. "Deathly silence." He said as Death Qi burst from his body and covered the entire area. Zhou Fan had never bothered much with techniques that affected a large area, but he still knew some. A giant cube formed with Zhou Fan and Ying Xiong in it. Inside, Ying Xiong felt suppressed by the death Qi and it constantly attacked him. Soon, he responded with his own large area technique. "Field of palms." He said as a bunch of golden palms began to appear on the walls of the cube of Death Qi. It did not give Ying Xiong an advantage, but it managed to cancel out the disadvantage. Zhou Fan was impressed and began to put in even more effort. "Death''s grip." He said as arms extended from the ground and grabbed at Ying Xiong. Ying Xiong could sense the danger coming from the arms and decided to dodge. The entire time while they were inside the cube, they had been moving around at incredible speeds and clashing with each other. The appearance of the arms caused quite a bit of trouble to Ying Xiong, who was hit in the shoulder and launched into one of the walls of Death Qi. Arms extended out and wrapped around him, but the golden palms layering the walls flew off and dispersed the arms. Ying Xiong turned around and decided to try to escape the cube of death created by Zhou Fan''s technique, even if he had to get injured. Ying Xiong held his hand out like a sword and sharp Buddhist Qi covered it. He slowly cut down the wall like a laser cutter, but Zhou Fan appeared and attacked him from behind. Ying Xiong decisively covered himself with a bell, using a large portion of his Qi, which blocked Zhou Fan''s scythe attacks. In an instant, Zhou Fan had launched hundreds of thousands of attacks, causing the bell to quickly crack. Only half a second before the bell was destroyed did Ying Xiong create a hole large enough for him to escape the cube of death. He instantly shot through the hole. Zhou Fan dispersed the Death cube and chased after Ying Xiong. Surprisingly, just a few moments after escaping the cube, Ying Xiong turned around and used another area technique. "Field of stars." He said as a large amount of mini stars formed from his Qi appeared. They did not entrap Zhou Fan like Zhou Fan''s death cube had Ying Xiong, as Zhou Fan would not even want to escape, but it provided Ying Xiong a slight boost in power, and even better, a special attacking method. Zhou Fan entered the field of stars, but just a moment after he did, one of the stars close to him mini-supernova''d and pushed Zhou Fan back. Although the star was small and not a real star, its supernova was comparable to a normal star. As he had lowered his cultivation to the 1st level of the inner world realm, it was not something that Zhou Fan could casually ignore. Zhou Fan had a thousand solutions to such a move, but none of them included death Qi. Zhou Fan lamented his bad luck in not getting to use black hole Qi and stepped out of the star field. He decided to use even more power. He raised his hand in a grabbing motion and a giant arm of Death Qi, bigger than a solar system, reached out towards the star field, covering it entirely. Ying Xiong burst out with an upward thousand fold Cosmic Buddha''s palm, but even it only slowed down the arm for a moment. The Deathly hand closed its grasp over the starfield, and Ying Xiong quickly used all of his defensive measures. Suddenly, he appeared in a large bubble and backed up. He tripped over an outstretched leg and fell backwards into a pre-prepared pool of water. The leg, which was owned by the girl in blue, retracted and laughter was heard. Not far from Ying Xiong, Tong was upside down with his head stuck in a large vase. A hand reached out and Zhou Fan pulled Ying Xiong out of the pool of water. "You''ve improved." Zhou Fan said with a chuckle. "Thanks." Ying Xiong said after a moment. He tried to rid himself of his wetness, but discovered he was unable to. He could only stand there soaking wet while two children laughed at him. He felt his situation was bad for a moment, but when he looked at Tong, he felt that it could have been worse. "Remember, that''s what happens when you bully my niece and nephew." Zhou Fan said with feigned elegance. "Now." Zhou Fan said as he turned around to the children. "Let''s go back to the cosmic sect, and I''ll teach you some cool techniques." "Awesome!" "Let''s go!" They said as Zhou Fan held their hands and flew away. They had a new level of respect for Zhou Fan after witnessing the fight, and felt he was much cooler than before. As they flew away, Ying Xiong walked over and pulled Tong out of the vase. When he saw Ying Xiong, Tong''s eyes started to well up. "Master! I am indignant." He said, stopping himself from shedding tears. "We''ll get over it." Ying Xiong said as he tried to maintain an air of elegance and wisdom despite being soaking wet. Chapter 351: Weapon Selection - 351 Chapter 351 - Weapon Selection - 351 Back in the cosmic sect, Zhou Fan and the two children stood inside of the same building that they were melted out of their ice blocks in. "You two only recently reached the Qi gathering realm, so you won''t be able to do anything very cool just yet, but once you reach the foundation establishment realm, I''ll be able to show you a couple of cool things." Zhou Fan said. "First, you two will practice a basic technique. Once you enter the foundation establishment realm, the practice from training this technique will help you with the next technique." Zhou Fan explained. The two children listened quietly and seriously paid attention. "You will go first, Lu Zhong." Zhou Fan said as he gestured for the boy to come over. Zhou Fan created a sphere of dragon Qi in his hands and showed it to Lu Zhong. "Imitate that." Zhou Fan said. Lu Zhong struggled for a few minutes as he had never interacted much with Qi, but he soon managed to form the sphere. "Now, try to move it around. You don''t have a lot of Qi, but you should be able to make it rotate around your hands for a few minutes." Zhou Fan said. While Lu Zhong attempted to do that, Zhou Fan gestured for Feng Liu to come over. He taught her that same thing, but with Ice Qi. Zhou Fan walked to one of the pillars holding up the ceiling and sat down against it. "Come over when you''ve managed to rotate it around your hands for 5 minutes." Zhou Fan said. After speaking, he fell into a light sleep. A few minutes later, Zhou Fan was awoken from an ice sphere to the skull. He looked at the girl who was holding in her laugh and shook his head. Zhou Fan stood up and stretched before speaking. "I can''t really teach you two anything else for now when it comes to Qi, but why don''t we visit a weapon storage. You two will pick your own weapons, unless you don''t want to use one." Zhou Fan said. He remembered when he used a sword, but weapons had quickly lost any meaning to him. Zhou Fan had spoken to Ying Xiong and gotten a very short explanation about the cosmic sect. There were the houses on the outer ring, teaching buildings, a weapon storage, and a few other places that barely had any use for now. The weapon storage was made with weapons that Tong and Ying Xiong had made in their spare time, but each one was incredibly powerful, beautifully designed, and masterfully crafted. There were tens of thousands of weapons in the weapon storage. All of them were far too powerful for the children, so Zhou Fan just planned on allowing them to see the weapons. Zhou Fan entered one of the few walled buildings in the entire cosmic sect. Although it was merely a weapon storage, it seemed more luxurious than an emperor''s bedroom. Longer weapons such as swords, spears, and poles were put up on the buildings walls, while smaller weapons such as needles, daggers, and small swords were put on top of pedestals. The moment that the children entered the storage area, they were filled with awe. The weapons put on display only amounted to about a thousand. They were the better ones among the weapons, but there were still tens of thousands of weapons piled up in a back room. After all, even if Tong and Ying Xiong each made a weapon every million years, 8.1 billion years had passed since Zhou Fan had last seen them. That would amount to 16,200 weapons. Of course, that was just an example, they surely made more than a single weapon in a million years. An uncountable amount of weapons had likely been discarded due to them not being up to standard. As they ran around the storage area, the differences between the two could be seen. Feng Liu seem to carefully look at every single weapon, while Lu Zhong ran to the flashiest weapon in the room and vowed to make it his. Zhou Fan made his way over to Lu Zhong while Feng Liu was picking her weapon. "Here, uncle Zhou Fan!" Lu Zhong shouted as he pointed at a weapon just out of his reach. It was a golden spear with dragon scales etched into the staff part. The head of the spear was made with a dark black material. The spear was at the 8th rank, or the lesser dao creation realm, and was one of the most powerful weapons in the room. "That one is no good, take this." Zhou Fan said as he created a spear in a few seconds. The spear was exactly the same as the one on the wall in terms of appearance, but was only at the 1st rank, or the Qi gathering realm. "This is a growth weapon. It will get stronger with you as your cultivation realm increases. It won''t be hard for it to surpass the one on the wall in the future, and it is much more suitable for you." Zhou Fan said. Lu Zhong nodded in excitement and held the spear. Zhou Fan secretly took a drop of his blood and put it on the spear, causing the spear to glow and Lu Zhong to feel a connection with the spear. It wasn''t on the same level as Jack''s connection, in which he could find his weapon anywhere, but it would still be much more useful in battle, and mastering it would be easier. Lu Zhong looked funny holding the large spear despite being short, but with the connection he felt, it didn''t feel awkward to him at all. As he was holding in his laugh, Zhou Fan heard Feng Liu announce that she had chosen her weapon. Zhou Fan and Lu Zhong walked over and saw her pointing at an ice blue fan. She had tried to pick it up, but it did not budge. Like Lu Zhong''s spear, it was at the 8th rank, or the lesser dao creation realm. Chapter 352: Incredible Talent - 352 Chapter 352 - Incredible Talent - 352 Zhou Fan repeated his actions and created a fan for Feng Liu that looked exactly like the one on the wall. He then explained what a growth weapon was and how it worked. Before long, Zhou Fan and the children went back to the same building with the pillars. When they arrived, they saw Ying Xiong and Tong, now back to their normal appearances. "This is all I can teach you right now. Now, go to Ying Xiong and Tong and cultivate more." Zhou Fan said as he patted the children''s backs. Unwillingly, they went back to Tong and Ying Xiong. Ying Xiong ignored their reactions and brought them away once again to begin another session of cultivation. Zhou Fan expected that they would be in the foundation establishment realm the next time he saw them. Zhou Fan went back to his mountain and entered his courtyard. As he was walking back to his fishing spot, he sensed something and reached out with his hand. As he pulled back, a ten year old child was held by the arm. When the child saw Zhou Fan, he kicked at him and twisted his body skillfully to escape, but his strength accomplished nothing. Zhou Fan flung the child to the ground, and the child soon stood up at him, looking at him with cold eyes. "Who are you?" The child asked with caution, and what seemed to be a bit of arrogance. Zhou Fan ignored him and asked a question of his own. "What''s your name?" Zhou Fan asked. "Don''t have one, now answer my question." The child said, acting threatening. Zhou Fan had experience dealing with this type of person, so with a backhand, the child crashed into one of the courtyard walls. Of course, everything except for the child was unharmed. The child rubbed his wrist, it was broken. Still, despite having a broken bone, the child did not appear to be in pain. "Tell me about who you are and where you are from." Zhou Fan said. The child, no longer daring to act arrogant, nodded his head unwillingly and sat down. "I was born as a part of an assassination organization. There, one only gets a name after killing someone. I''ve spent the last 3 years honing basic techniques, and only began to cultivate a little more than a month ago. My teacher, the leader of the assassination organization, said that my talent was unparalleled throughout the universe." The child slowly explained. "He was right. It was as if you were born to be an assassin." Zhou Fan agreed. The child silently watched with wariness and coldness. "With your talent, staying in an assassination organization with a leader only at the space shattering realm would be a waste of your talent. Join the cosmic sect." Zhou Fan said, leaving no room for negotiation. He would not usually act in such a way to a child, but the child had essentially 0 emotions, and no hint of childishness was anywhere around him. Although he said that a person in his organization only got a name when killing someone, that was not technically correct. After all, it was clear that the child had killed more than 1 person before. It was more accurate to say that one only got a name after completing a mission. Although the child''s eyes were filled with wariness and coldness, he actually did not mind the situation. For someone to grab him in front of his master, they had to be incredibly powerful. Coincidentally, he had been talking with his master right as Zhou Fan grabbed him. Joining such a person''s sect was something that he was not necessarily opposed to. Although the assassination organization had already trained the emotions out of him, they had not had time to brainwash him into loyalty. "Are you one of those lesser dao creation realm cultivators?" The child asked Zhou Fan. "You''re thinking too small. Have you heard of Ying Xiong?" Zhou Fan asked. "That legend? I''ve heard the same thing as everyone else. Unparalleled, unmatched, and so on." The child responded. "I could kill him with a thought." Zhou Fan said. The child did not fully believe him, but he did not really care either. Even someone at the lesser dao creation realm would be enough for him. "Pick a name for yourself. Quickly." Zhou Fan said. The child thought for a moment before responding with the first thing that entered his mind. He did not care about a name. "Hei Ren." He said. Zhou Fan nodded. He reached behind his back and pulled out a dagger. "This is a growth weapon. It suits you. Put a drop of blood on it." Zhou Fan said. The child nodded and poked his finger with the dagger. It was soon his. "You will be my personal disciple for the foreseeable future." Zhou Fan said. He was only a half teacher to the other two children, but Hei Ren was more in line with Zhou Fan''s personality, and not to mention, mature. The child nodded. Zhou Fan canceled his fishing plans and began to instruct the child. "Firstly, you should know exactly what you are. Your affinities are Darkness Qi, Clear Qi, Shadow Qi, and incredibly, Black hole Qi." Zhou Fan explained. "Your meridians are at the immortal god 10 rank, 2nd in the universe if you don''t include me." The child nodded. He had received more information in a few seconds than he ever had from his master, or his old master. His old master only noticed his affinity to Darkness Qi and Shadow Qi, but he could not even tell the rank of his meridians. "You also have a divine physique. It will help you on your assassination path. Along with all of that, you have an emperor rank dagger talent. Consider me completely impressed. I will thoroughly train you until your fellow cosmic sect members come here again." Zhou Fan said. Seeing that Zhou Fan had stopped speaking, the child spoke. "Master, what exactly is the cosmic sect?" He asked. He had never heard anything about a cosmic sect, but his master was clearly extremely powerful. "A sect founded by Ying Xiong. I came to visit recently." Zhou Fan shortly introduced. "You''ll see more of it later, but that will be after we train." Chapter 353: Hei Ren - 353 Chapter 353 - Hei Ren - 353 Ying Xiong, Tong, Lu Zhong, and Feng Lie were walking up Zhou Fan''s mountain in the direction of his courtyard. Despite being in his own sect, Ying Xiong did not use his divine sense to look at Zhou Fan, mostly out of respect. Tong was the same. He also did not fly with the children, and instead walked up most of the way. Of course, his walking speed was incomparable to a normal cultivator''s full speed, but the children walking with him did not sense anything abnormal. It had been a little more than a month since Zhou Fan and the rest of them had gone their separate ways, and the children were now at the 1st level of the foundation establishment realm. As they got closer to Zhou Fan''s courtyard, they heard the sound of metal clashing. Not a single person in the group was uninterested in what was making the sound, and they soon reached the doors. The two children went ahead and opened the doors with excitement. As they looked inside, they saw two black blurs flashing around the courtyard, occasionally meeting, causing the clashing sounds. When the two children were noticed, Zhou Fan appeared in front of the lake and the tree, while the child, Hei Ren, appeared behind him with sweat covering his entire body. Hei Ren was wearing custom made black clothes, and his black pupils intimidated Lu Zhong and Feng Liu for a moment. Suddenly, Hei Ren''s facial expressions changed and they saw what seemed to be an innocent child behind Zhou Fan. Over the past month, Zhou Fan had not only taught Hei Ren techniques and fighting skills, but also how to act. Zhou Fan did not mind Hei Ren''s personality, but the children would. With Hei Ren''s intimidating looks gone, Lu Zhong and Feng Liu began to approach Zhou Fan with excitement. They seemed so energetic that Zhou Fan feared they would begin to climb on his body, but they became interested in Hei Ren behind him. "Who is this, Uncle Zhou Fan? Is he a new disciple?" Feng Liu asked. "Indeed. He will join the cosmic sect, but he is my personal disciple." Zhou Fan said. Both Feng Liu and Lu Zhong instantly showed faces of jealousy. "Why is he your personal disciple, but we aren''t?" They asked. "He''s a little bit different from you. I don''t know if Ying Xiong could handle him." Zhou Fan said with a laugh. He gestured for Hei Ren to step out in front of him, which he did. "Hello. I''ve heard a lot about you. My name is Hei Ren." Hei Ren said with a smile. Feng Liu felt a slightly uncomfortable feeling when Hei Ren spoke, but Lu Zhong did not. Feng Liu called herself crazy and acted normal again. "Hello Hei Ren. My name is Lu Zhong. This is Feng Liu." Lu Zhong excitedly introduced. Hei Ren shook his hand, and then Feng Liu''s. Only then did he turn his attention to Ying Xiong. He could instantly recognize him, although he seemed different from the paintings he had seen. In the stories, he seemed domineering and arrogant, but the man in front of him seemed like a peaceful old man. As for Tong, Hei Ren instantly considered him on the same level as Ying Xiong. Over the past month, he had begun to believe what Zhou Fan had told him, but only now did he finally lose any doubt. "Go and greet them. They can also be considered your teachers." Zhou Fan said with a nudge. Hei Ren hurriedly trotted forward and slightly bowed his head. "Student Hei Ren greets teacher Ying Xiong and teacher Tong." He said with respect. "Hello Hei Ren." Ying Xiong said. "It seems you found a respectful and calm student. I wish I could say the same." Zhou Fan chuckled. "You kids go out, me and uncle Zhou Fan are going to talk for a little bit." Ying Xiong said to Feng Liu and Lu Zhong. Zhou Fan said the same to Hei Ren, and the three went out on the mountain to do who knows what. Only Ying Xiong, Tong, and Zhou Fan were left in the courtyard. "I don''t think I like that kid." Ying Xiong said. "Me neither." Tong agreed. "Don''t worry, I won''t let him corrupt the other two. He is my personal disciple. If you don''t want him to, he doesn''t even have to join the cosmic sect." Zhou Fan said. "Don''t worry about it. It''s just a personal thing, he can join." Ying Xiong assured Zhou Fan. "I expected so." Zhou Fan said. "Still, I am interested. Can you explain his talent?" Ying Xiong asked. Tong was also curious. "Sure." Zhou Fan said as they walked over to a table with chairs. Ying Xiong even brought out tea. They spent around 10 minutes talking about Hei Ren before leaving the courtyard to go find the children. The children had gone up the mountain, and Zhou Fan, Ying Xiong, and Tong soon found them next to a river, sparring. Both Lu Zhong and Feng Liu were teaming up on Hei Ren, but Hei Ren was effortlessly fighting them off without counter attacking. They had only cultivated and barely learned a few techniques, but Hei Ren had been undergoing harsh training with Zhou Fan. When he saw Zhou Fan arrive, Hei Ren helplessly glanced at him. Zhou Fan gave him a signal, allowing him to defeat the children, though not harshly. The battle was mostly being fought with weapons, but there was no intent to kill or seriously harm. Only a little bit of Qi was occasionally being used. When Hei Ren saw Zhou Fan''s signal, he suddenly fell into the ground as if he had been turned into water. Both of the other children were confused, and as they were looking at where Hei Ren disappeared, he silently came out of the ground behind them. Another knife had appeared in his hand, and he held both of them to the other children''s throats. "I win." He said. Chapter 354: Manor Visit - 354 Chapter 354 - Manor Visit - 354 As the two children stood stunned, clapping was heard from not too far away. They turned around and saw Ying Xiong clapping his hands while Tong nodded in approval. The two children were suddenly overcome with embarrassment and quickly moved away from Hei Ren. "He truly is talented." Ying Xiong said as he stopped clapping. "I wouldn''t have brought him here otherwise." Zhou Fan responded. Hei Ren hurried over to Zhou Fan''s side and stood there silently. Meanwhile, the other two children''s anger had finally built up. "He only beat us because he was specially trained by Uncle Zhou Fan. It''s unfair, and his win should not count." Feng Liu said. "I agree. If our situations were reversed and that punk had to be trained by two old men, then we would have beaten him easily." Lu Zhong added. Ying Xiong sighed and suddenly felt jealous of Zhou Fan. "Alright you two. Stop whining, it''s embarrassing for me." Ying Xiong said. "Your uncle Zhou Fan and I decided that he would take all of you on a trip to gain experience among other cultivators. One of my biggest regrets was that I did not do so for Tong, though he luckily turned out fine." "A trip? Where?" Feng Liu asked in excitement. "I don''t know, but your uncle said that it was very far away." Ying Xiong said. "No time to waste! Let''s go!" Feng Liu and Lu Zhong said as they ran down towards Zhou Fan and circled him in excitement. Zhou Fan said his goodbye''s to Ying Xiong and Tong before creating a giant sword with a dome bubble around it. Zhou Fan, Feng Liu, Lu Zhong, and Hei Ren stepped on the sword and it flew away at an astonishing speed. All three of the children watched in amazement as the universe sped past them. Soon, they exited the galaxy. Luckily, they were within Zhou Fan''s bubble, so nothing seemed to change for them. It took around an hour of traveling to reach the teleportation array. Before the children even noticed it, they were in the tree-like galaxy cluster and flying towards the Heaven galaxy. Suddenly, Zhou Fan remembered something and took a slight detour. After a while, the sword began to slow down and a giant dome covered in ice appeared in front of the children. They looked in amazement as the ice melted and the manor was shown in its full glory. As the sword began to land on the manor''s ground, it shrank until it was barely big enough to hold all 4 passengers. As everyone''s feet touched the ground, the sword disappeared. "Brother Fan. Did you leave without me again?" The chicken asked as it ran towards him. "Sorry. I found some strange children and brought them here." Zhou Fan said. "I see. If you were saving children, then you are forgiven." The chicken said. The children did not say a word as they were shocked. After all, they had never seen a talking chicken. "Brother Fan, these poor children must have brain injuries. Look at the way they''re looking at me. It''s as if they''ve never seen an elegant chicken before." The chicken said. "Indeed, it must be so. Outside, there are no chickens as incredible as you. They must be adjusting." Zhou Fan said while stroking an imaginary beard. "I see. I see. In that case, this chicken will forgive their rudeness." The chicken said with what could only be said to be a smirk. Soon, the other animals came from various directions and surrounded the children. "Big Brother Zhou Fan, did you bring guests?" The butterfly said excitedly. "It seems so." The deer said. "H-Hello. I''m Feng Liu." Feng Liu said with some hesitation. "So she can speak!" The chicken shouted at the revelation. "In that case, hurry up and greet this chicken." The chicken said arrogantly. "Hello Mr.Chicken?" Feng Liu said questioningly. "It needs some work, but it''s ok for the first time." The chicken said. As they spoke, Lu Zhong curiously went to the bearded dragon and picked him up. The bearded dragon seemed to like him as it climbed up his arm and sat itself on his head. Lu Zhong did not mind. Hei Ren stayed near Zhou Fan quietly, but the crow landed on his shoulder and sat there. Hei Ren unconsciously began to pet him as he stayed silent. After all the animals introduced themselves, Zhou Fan led them all to the pond with the waterfall. They set up a table for everyone and Zhou Fan soon served breakfast as the animals had just woken up. Everyone ate in harmony, and the children soon got used to the animals. "So where exactly are we?" Feng Liu asked once everyone was back in the yard. "In a different galaxy cluster. I just call this place the manor." Zhou Fan said. The animals had no concept of planets, galaxies, or even space, so they just listened with confusion. "Wow! We must be the first humans to ever arrive here." Lu Zhong said in excitement. "Arrive here, yes. But not the first humans to ever be in this galaxy cluster." Zhou Fan said. "Alright. This chicken cannot understand what you are talking about. Change the subject." The chicken commanded. Zhou Fan karate chopped his head lightly, but did indeed change the subject. "On my travels, I found a beautiful place, but it''s too far for me to take any of you there." Zhou Fan said. "How beautiful?" The butterfly asked curiously. "Perhaps the most beautiful place I''ve ever seen. It''s a place called the purple star sea. You don''t have to worry about it, I''ll take you all there eventually." Zhou Fan said. They would remain in cryostasis for a long time. He may even have set up teleportation arrays between the Zhou supercluster and the purple star sea by the next time he visited. It did not feel like a long time passed as they talked, but night soon fell and Zhou Fan set up a place for the three children to sleep. He then said goodnight to the chicken and entered his room. Chapter 355: Field Trip - 355 Chapter 355 - Field Trip - 355 The next morning, Zhou Fan, the children, and the animals played some board games. After having dinner and wishing the animals a goodnight, the group of 4 left the manor. As they left, Zhou Fan once again put it in cryostasis. "Was that where you were taking us for the trip?" Feng Liu asked as they flew through space on the giant sword. "No, that was just a detour I made." Zhou Fan said. "What was that place, and why was it just floating in space?" Lu Zhong asked. "It''s a place I found a long time ago, you don''t need to worry about it too much." Zhou Fan said. The children occasionally spoke for the next 5 hours, until they arrived at their destination, the Heaven galaxy. Back when they were first unfrozen, Ying Xiong had put a formation on the two childrens backs that allowed them to stay within space unharmed. Zhou Fan had done the same thing to Hei Ren. Just as the sword entered the Heaven galaxy, an old man appeared in front of them. Zhou Fan put away the sword and he and the 3 children floated not far away from the old man. "It''s been a while. I didn''t expect to come back so soon." Zhou Fan said. "Welcome back, father. Much has changed." Heaven said. "I brought these children here on a field trip. They''ll go around and interact with the people of the Heaven galaxy, if you don''t mind." Zhou Fan said. "Of course not. Please, come in." Heaven said. Zhou Fan and Heaven moved towards the heaven world, where Zhou Fan soon met an old acquaintance. "Tian Fu greets Zhou Fan." Tian Fu said with a bow. He had entered the lesser dao creation realm, and was now at the 4th level. "Wow. I didn''t expect you to reach the lesser dao creation realm. Good job." Zhou Fan praised. "Thank you. I am afraid I am the only person to do so from when I was younger." Tian Fu said. "In that case, I guess all the planets were taken by the Heaven world?" Zhou Fan asked. "It had seemed that way, but the addition of other races changed that. One named Pangu was truly terrifying, though we are both mostly retired now." Tian Fu said. "I nearly forgot about Pangu. Where is he?" Zhou Fan asked. "I''ll take you to him." Tian Fu said as he led the group towards the Fiendcelestial world. As they got closer to it, a person appeared in front of them. "Tian Fu, Heaven. Good to see you." Pangu said. His body was only the size of a normal humans. He then turned to Zhou Fan and the children. "I''m afraid I don''t know you, sir." Pangu said. "I''m Zhou Fan." Zhou Fan said. "Oh! I''ve heard about you from Tian Fu and heaven. It is an honor to meet you." Pangu said as he bowed. "No need to bow. You seem to be doing well for yourself. The peak of the lesser dao creation realm is not easy to reach. It also seems that you''ll be able to reach the inner world realm before dying of old age." Zhou Fan complimented. "I do indeed hope to." Pangu said. "Sorry to poach your residents, heaven, but would you like to leave the Heaven galaxy?" Zhou Fan asked Pangu. Pangu fell deep into thought at Zhou Fan''s words. He did not have many attachments as he had left the fiendcelestial race long ago, and there was no one who even remembered his name anymore. "I suppose there is nothing left for me in this galaxy. I''ll go with you if it is not an inconvenience." Pangu said. "Good. I know just the place for you." Zhou Fan said. "Since you''ve come from so far away, we should hold you a banquet." Heaven said from the side. "I would like to meet all the lesser dao creation realm cultivators in your galaxy, so I won''t reject that offer, though I need to take care of some business with you first." Zhou Fan said. "What do y¨C" Heaven began to say before disappearing. Pangu, Tian Fu, and the three children were left alone in space. In an area far away, Zhou Fan appeared with Heaven. "Your strength is barely sufficient anymore." Zhou Fan said. He then raised Heaven''s strength to the god realm. Before Heaven could speak, they reappeared next to Pangu, Tian Fu, and the three children. "Sorry about that, let''s go to this banquet." Zhou Fan said. Heaven did not waste any time and sent invitations with teleportation arrays to everyone. By the time that they reached the banquet location, 7 lesser dao creation realm cultivators were waiting for them. Heaven introduced them all. "These 7, along with Tian Fu and Pangu, make the 9 lesser dao creation realm cultivators of the Heaven galaxy." Heaven said. A lot of time had passed, so it was not surprising to see so many lesser dao creation realm cultivators. It even felt a bit low. "There used to be 3 others, but a great battle broke out and they died." Heaven added. Zhou Fan greeted everyone and spoke to them. Soon, the banquet had ended and Feng Liu was patting her full stomach. Lu Zhong was doing the same. Even Hei Ren had eaten as much as he could due to the food''s incredible quality. Even Zhou Fan had to admit that it was some of the best he had ever eaten. Once they arrived at the Heaven world once again, only Heaven and Tian Fu were with the group of 4. Tian Fu handed the children three jade slips that would allow them to go anywhere without any trouble, and Zhou Fan threw them in a random street, giving them the instructions to explore and have fun. Naturally, they all had defensive measures to prevent any harm from befalling them. Only after a week did the short field trip end. Zhou Fan stood on a giant sword at the edge of the Heaven galaxy, which now contained an extra person. "It was nice to see you again. We''ll meet again." Zhou Fan said. Heaven said his goodbye''s and silently watched as the giant sword faded away. Chapter 356: Pangu vs Tong - 356 Chapter 356 - Pangu vs Tong - 356 Pangu watched silently as the space around them moved at incredible speeds. He could not even begin to comprehend the speed that they were traveling at. Zhou Fan was at the peak of the true god realm, and there was no place in a galaxy cluster that he could not reach in a day if he moved at his full speed. As they flew on the giant sword, Feng Liu and Lu Zhong began to ask Pangu questions about his life. He told stories of how he grew up, how his cultivation was reset, how he found a mysterious trial, how he reached the peak of the galaxy, and so on. The children were enthralled by his story and silently listened until they were back at the cosmic sect. Pangu looked at the cosmic sect with interest and a little bit of awe. The giant sword entered the inner portion of the sect and landed on the same platform as usual. Ying Xiong and Tong were there waiting. When Pangu saw Ying Xiong and Tong, excitement filled his eyes. "Let''s fight." He said to both of them. "You two can go ahead." Ying Xiong said as he gestured for Tong to go. The two flew far away to the other side of the galaxy for their fight. Only then did the children step off of the sword and walk onto the platform. "Teacher Ying Xiong, that was fun. Let us do it again sometime." Feng Liu said. "Perhaps. That will depend on Zhou Fan." Ying Xiong said. Feng Liu and Lu Zhong turned to Zhou Fan with excitement in their eyes, and Zhou Fan nodded a little bit. "We will, but only after you all get stronger." Zhou Fan said. There were not many places that he could take them. The Heaven galaxy was without a doubt one of the best. The children began to talk a lot, but both Zhou Fan and Ying Xiong were paying attention to the battle on the other side of the galaxy that was taking place. Tong was controlling the debris of multiple planets, but Pangu was chopping through every defense that Tong was putting up. They seemed to be at a stalemate, until Tong used his divine physique and his power doubled. When Pangu sensed his increased power, a horrendous amount of fiend Qi burst out of his body, and the battle was taken to an entirely different level. After a few minutes, both Tong and Pangu were getting tired due to the high intensity of their battle. They both began to prepare a final attack. Tong used all of the earth under his control and condensed it into a giant spear. Pangu raised his axe high and coated it with nearly all of his Qi. His body then expanded until it was 20 times bigger than a planet. "Skybreaker." He shouted as his axe fell. At the same time, the spear of earth attacked. Pangu''s skybreaker quickly broke through Tong''s earth spear and sent him coughing up blood. Ying Xiong shook his head and paid attention to the children again. Zhou Fan did the same. He was not surprised by Pangu''s victory. "Alright. You two have had enough fun. It''s time to begin training again." Ying Xiong said as he took the children away. They protested, but in the end were forced to begin training again. Zhou Fan looked at Hei Ren. "It''s also time for you to train again." Zhou Fan said. "It''s about time. I''ve been waiting." Hei Ren said as he nodded. Zhou Fan felt satisfied with his disciple and took him back to the mountain. Within the courtyard, Zhou Fan began to instruct him on cultivation. Almost a year later, Hei Ren entered the peak of the foundation establishment realm. Pangu had come to visit once, but upon seeing Zhou Fan with his disciple, had left. Half a year later, Hei Ren entered the core formation realm. Then began another half a year of harsh training. Not a second passed by where Hei Ren had a break. Despite being a core formation cultivator, he was in a near constant state of exhaustion. However, the results proved that everything was worth it. Hei Ren was incredibly strong for a core formation realm cultivator. 2 years after bringing back Pangu, Zhou Fan''s doors were smashed open and two children ran in, nearly crying. "Uncle Zhou Fan, I thought we were going to stay there forever. Who in the world would make us cultivate for so long." Feng Liu said with tears. "Please Uncle, punish Ying Xiong, this is unforgivable." Lu Zhong added. "It''s okay. You guys did not suffer alone, Hei Ren also went through training for two years straight." Zhou Fan said as he tried to calm them down. "How is that the same, he got to be here on this nice mountain with Uncle Zhou Fan, we had to stay in a bland school room with a couple of old farts." Lu Zhong cried. "I know. I know. Trust me, you won''t regret it in the future." Zhou Fan said. He truly did not understand why they were complaining. His greatest urge was to lock himself in a room and cultivate until he could not cultivate any more, but he could not. He could only chalk it up to them being children. "Why don''t you guys spar?" Zhou Fan suggested. It would be a 2v1 against Hei Ren. Of course, the outcome was predetermined. Hei Ren beat both of them up with ease, although he did not actually harm them. Zhou Fan had hoped that it would inspire them to cultivate harder, but the two pitiful children became even more upset. Eventually, Zhou Fan had to promise to take them somewhere in order to calm them down. He had never imagined such whiny cultivators. He looked pitifully at Ying Xiong before taking all 3 children away. Over a week, they stayed in the Zhou Galaxy on one of the planets. The children enjoyed themselves and were soon willing to return to the cosmic sect. Chapter 357: Catching Delicacies - 357 Chapter 357 - Catching Delicacies - 357 When they once again arrived at the platform in the inner section of the cosmic sect, three people were waiting for them. Pangu had fallen into his role as a teacher, though he still had ambition for the future, the same as Ying Xiong. Feng Liu and Lu Zhong went up to speak to the three teachers, while Hei Ren continued to silently stand next to Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan looked around the platform and felt a slight appreciation. On this single platform were the most talented cultivators to be born over the period of around 10 billion years. And all of them would die in the future. It was a thought that Zhou Fan couldn''t stop himself from thinking. As always, he found a new appreciation for the flow of time and the everlasting cycle of the universe. ''Perhaps only I can truly exist forever.'' Zhou Fan thought to himself. He never thought about attaining immortality, as it was something he considered guaranteed. Yet, standing next to everyone managed to make him think about it, although for just a moment. Zhou Fan returned to his mountain with all 3 children in tow, and even Pangu. Feng Liu and Lu Zhong were not willing to begin cultivating again for the time being, and although Hei Ren wanted to, he had to wait. As for Pangu, he came to receive Zhou Fan''s teachings. "I heard from Ying Xiong that you were not only the first cultivator, but are also the strongest." He said. "I would like you to teach me something." Pangu asked. Zhou Fan nodded and began to look at Pangu''s body. There were no secrets that could be hidden from him, and Zhou Fan soon found something that could help Pangu. "Your skybreaker technique is slightly flawed." Zhou Fan said as he stood up and created an axe. Fiend Qi and Sky Qi covered his body and the axe as he slashed down. There was no collision or damage done, but the technique was clearly laid out for Pangu. "Thank you, sir." Pangu said as he hurriedly left. He had to go and practice the technique while it was clearly in his memory. Zhou Fan turned his attention to the children, but they were just running around and playing. Like Hei Ren, Feng Liu and Lu Zhong had also entered the core formation realm. Therefore, their games also involved flying. They were playing tag, and Hei Ren was soon kicked out since he was too good. He came next to Zhou Fan and sat down. He had never wanted to play the game in the first place. Zhou Fan had begun fishing, and Hei Ren asked why he was fishing in such a small pond. "It may look small, but this pond is connected to thousands of lakes extremely far away. Through this pond, I can catch fish anywhere I want." Zhou Fan said. "That sounds interesting. Can I try?" Hei Ren asked. "Sure, but I''ll have to give you a special fishing rod since you are too weak." Zhou Fan said as he created a fishing rod. The fishing rod would make anything hooked by it powerless, unless its cultivation realm surpassed the space shattering realm. The best part was that even Hei Ren, a core formation cultivator could use it. He threw the hook into the pond and it naturally floated down. When Hei Ren looked, he could still see the hook, but it seemed to be in a different space. "Does it not need any bait?" Hei Ren asked. "No. Chanel your Qi through the line and it will attract sea creatures." Zhou Fan responded. Before Hei Ren could catch anything, the other 2 children saw what was going on and came over in interest. "Can we try?" They asked. Zhou Fan nodded and created 2 more fishing rods for them. Soon, 4 people were fishing in the small pond. Hei Ren was the first person to catch something. When he yanked his rod up, a golden angler fish came out. Hei Ren wanted to keep it, but Zhou Fan denied him. "Many of these fish are rare species. If we keep one everytime we find it, they may end up going extinct." Zhou Fan explained. The children nodded in disapointment and understanding. "However, there are also a few fish that are not very rare but taste good. If you catch one of those, we can eat it." Zhou Fan said. This inspired the children to catch fish even more than before, and Feng Liu soon pulled her rod up. On her hook was a small fish with many colors covering it. "That is a fruit fish. It is rare, but not so rare that we cannot eat it." Zhou Fan said. Feng Liu happily sat it to the side before continuing to fish. They spent the next 5 hours fishing. Zhou Fan had only caught 3 since he was simply relaxing, but the children eagerly fished and caught 20 in total. Of those, 4 were set aside to eat. As night fell over the mountain, the 4 sat next to a campfire and ate cooked fish. "This is amazing! It doesn''t taste like fruit at all, but I can''t describe it!" Feng Liu shouted. They had caught 2 fruit fish. She was eating one and Lu Zhong was eating the other. He agreed with her as he took a bite. Hei Ren was eating a white ghost fish. It was not too rare, and although it did not seem that apetizing, it tasted like marshmellows after being cooked. Zhou Fan ate a normal fish that he had caught. It wasn''t anything special, but Zhou Fan liked it. As the campfire died down, Lu Zhong and Feng Liu soon fell asleep, leaving only Zhou Fan and Hei Ren. They sat in silence for a while before Hei Ren asked him a question. "Do you understand how these people think?" He asked. Zhou Fan shook his head. "Not really. I suppose it is simply because they are children." Zhou Fan answered. "But so am I, and I don''t act like them." "You are clearly different. Don''t worry about it." Zhou Fan said, reassuring Hei Ren. "Alright. I was just curious." Hei Ren responded as slience once again took over the courtyard. Chapter 358: Leaving - 358 Chapter 358 - Leaving - 358 The next month was entirely composed of the children playing around or relaxing on Zhou Fan''s mountain. Ying Xiong was beginning to get impatient, so Zhou Fan sent the two children away. When he was alone with Hei Ren, he began to speak. "I doubt that I will stay here much longer. I am getting both complacent and bored." Zhou Fan said. "The question is, do you want to go with me, or stay here?" "I would like to go with you." Hei Ren said without any thought. "Let me explain it first. I will likely be in seclusion for the next 10 billion years after leaving. That means that, aside from occasional guidance, you will sit in a void and be completely alone." Zhou Fan explained. "But it would benefit me more to go with you, right?" Hei Ren asked. "I suppose. In the long run, it will likely help you more, but you only have a single life, and if you come with me, your entire youth will be wasted." Zhou Fan said. He was aware that Hei Ren didn''t really care, but he would still feel somewhat bad if he made him spend so much time away from other beings. "Let me put it this way, would you mind if you faced such a situation?" Hei Ren asked. "No. It would actually be pleasant, but I''m not like normal humans." Zhou Fan answered. "Do I seem to be like normal humans?" Hei Ren questioned. Zhou Fan sighed and patted Hei Ren''s head. "I know, I was just making sure." Zhou Fan said as he stood up. "Now, let''s train." He said as he pulled out a sword. ¡ª-------------------------------- Nearly 10 years later, 2 children burst through Zhou Fan''s doors. Both Zhou fan and Hei Ren looked over. When Feng Liu and Lu Zhong saw them, they didn''t even seem that excited. They dropped to their knees, before falling face first onto the ground. "Uncle Zhou Fan, I really can''t take it anymore." Feng Liu said as her face was planted on the ground. "Please, Uncle Zhou Fan, Teacher Ying Xiong deserves death." Lu Zhong said. Ying Xiong just sighed and shook his head from behind them. He didn''t even know why he was the only one who deserved to die. Tong and Pangu were there as well. "Alright, get up. You are free now." Zhou Fan said. "Just let me sleep right here for a moment." Feng Liu said. "Same." Lu Zhong said. Zhou Fan just shook his head and looked at the two. They could no longer be called children. They were fully grown cultivators. Hei Ren was as well. Feng Liu still had long white hair and wore a blue dress, while Lu Zhong still had long black hair and wore yellow clothes. Although they seemed to grow, they didn''t change much. Feng Liu had grown up to be very pretty, while Lu Zhong had grown up to be very handsome. Zhou Fan looked at his own disciple, and Hei Ren did not lack compared to them. He had short black hair that seemed to absorb the light around it and wore black clothes. Zhou Fan let the two sleep until they recovered, and a year passed by as they relaxed on the mountain. After seeing their exhausted state, Ying Xiong was not in a hurry to make them cultivate again, so he did not bother them at all. As they spent a day fishing, Zhou Fan broke some news. "I''ll be leaving the cosmic sect soon, and I won''t be back for a long time." He said. Lu Zhong and Feng Liu both dropped their fishing rods and froze in disbelief. "WHAT!" They shouted at the same time. "I''m sorry, but I have my own things to do. I would love to accompany you all more, but I must go." Zhou Fan explained. "Y-You can''t leave us. What would we do?" Feng Li said. "I simply must go. Perhaps, as you continue to follow the path of cultivation, you will one day understand." Zhou Fan said. Lu Zhong suddenly stood up and bowed his head. "I understand Uncle. Thank you for staying with us all this time." He said with maturity. Neither Hei Ren nor Zhou Fan expected such a reaction from him, so they both sat shocked for a brief moment. Feng Liu looked unwilling and desperate, but she soon sighed and did the same thing. Neither of them wanted to burden Zhou Fan, even if they were selfish and greedy. "Don''t worry. I''ll stay for another half a year." Zhou Fan said. Time flew by as half a year passed. On the outer ring of the cosmic sect, Hei Ren and Zhou Fan floated in space. "We''ll miss you, Uncle." Feng Liu and Lu Zhong said. "I''ll miss you guys too." Zhou Fan said as he turned to Ying Xiong. "I''ll come back once I exit seclusion. Make sure these two cultivate hard." Zhou Fan said. "I will." Ying Xiong solemnly nodded. Zhou Fan turned to Pangu and Tong. "You two cultivate well. I expect both of you to enter the inner world realm by the time I return." Zhou Fan said. "We will not disappoint you." Pangu and Tong responded. "Alright. I''ll make sure to capture any talented youths I find." Zhou Fan said. "Please do." Ying Xiong chuckled. "Goodbye." Zhou Fan said as he put his hand on Hei Ren''s back and the two of them disappeared. ¡ª-------------------------------- When Zhou Fan finally stopped moving, he was at the edge of the Zhou Galaxy cluster. "I thought we would never leave." Hei Ren said. "I''m not one for all that sad goodbye stuff." Zhou Fan said as he began to fly to the center of the Zhou supercluster. It did not take long for them to arrive. As soon as Hei Ren felt the space around them, he shuddered. "Don''t worry, the formation on you will last until you enter the lesser dao creation realm. I also split the Qi in this area so that it is possible for you to cultivate." Zhou Fan said as a large bubble, bigger than a galaxy, appeared. "Thank you master." Hei Ren bowed. "Don''t worry. I''ll be cultivating up there. I''ll check on you after a hundred years." Zhou Fan said as he disappeared and reappeared outside of the bubble. He crossed his legs and began to cultivate. Chapter 359: Outer World Realm - 359 Chapter 359 - Outer World Realm - 359 100 years later, Zhou Fan momentarily put his cultivation to a freeze. He entered the bubble and saw Hei Ren training. Zhou Fan had already explained that he only needed to cultivate for 18 hours a day to get the full effects, so 6 hours a day were spent training. Clearly, Zhou Fan had stopped cultivating during one of those 6 hour periods. Zhou Fan watched Hei Ren move around for a moment, but he soon moved forward and began to guide him. If he spent too much time away from his cultivation, it would be difficult to keep his cultivation''s momentum going. After an hour, Zhou Fan returned to his spot above the bubble and began to cultivate again. 1000 years later, he momentarily left once again. 10,000 years after that, the same thing repeated. 100,000 years later, the same thing repeated. A million years later, Zhou Fan once again stopped cultivating to guide Hei Ren, who was becoming stronger and stronger. Ten million years later, Zhou Fan stopped cultivating and guided Hei Ren. He could now look upon the once child with some pride. A hundred million years later, Hei Ren''s personality hadn''t really changed that much. Despite being alive for so long, he was simply in an endless dark space with the only things visible from afar being galaxies, galaxy clusters, and distant lights far far away. It seemed like time was flowing by fast for him, and his maturity had hardly increased, though he was mature enough already. A billion years later, Zhou Fan guided Hei Ren once again. Three billion years later, Zhou Fan momentarily stopped cultivating to watch as Hei Ren entered the inner world realm. He couldn''t watch it from start to finish, but he could tell that Hei Ren was going to successfully break through. After all, breaking through was not much of a challenge for someone with high talent. After 3 billion more years, Zhou Fan felt signs of his breakthrough. He could feel a violent energy build up and sent Hei Ren far away while surrounded with a bubble. Hei Ren was confused, but as he saw Zhou Fan''s body burst with Qi, he watched on in excitement and curiosity. The violent feeling continued to bubble within Zhou Fan for 3 hours, before the three main energies of his body seemed to float out of him. On one side was his Qi, another his divinity, and the last the energy of his mortal dao. They spun around each other before mixing and forming a gray sphere. The gray sphere simply floated for three more hours, before it collapsed and the three energies, each more refined than before, re-entered his body. The gray sphere had shrunk when the energies left, but about half of it still remained, a completely new energy. The gray sphere slowly moved towards Zhou Fan''s chest, before entering his body and stopping in the very center of his chest. Zhou Fan was about to check what the energy was, but it suddenly burst, and a gray field extended from his body, destroying anything and everything around him besides the final layer of space. Still, the final layer of space was cracking and trembling, ready to be destroyed at any moment. The gray field continued to extend faster than Zhou Fan could previously fly. It only stopped when its size was comparable to a galaxy cluster. Hei Ren was within the field, but Zhou Fan''s bubble that was made with his full power was able to withstand it. Still, sweat poured out of Hei Ren''s body and an instinctual terror filled his very being. Soon, Zhou Fan regained control and de-activated the gray field, causing it to instantly disappear as if it teleported and return to the center of his chest. He looked over at Hei Ren, but focused on looking at the changes before going over to him. Firstly, there was the gray sphere in his chest. It resembled his inner world from when he was in the inner world realm. The only difference was that it was not an inner world anymore, but an outer world. Truthfully, he felt like the god realm and true god realm were simply preparing for him to enter this new realm. He decided to name it the outer world realm. He would have to test it more, but he knew that it was capable of much more than it had shown when he broke through. That had been it in its passive state, without any of his Qi supporting it. He felt that it could completely change once he inputted Qi. Besides the change which was his "Outer world", there was also the incredible leap in power that came with every breakthrough. Every single aspect that made him up had been strengthened immensely. It even felt like it proportionally strengthened him more than any other realm before it. His Qi, divinity, and mortal dao had also been strengthened. He felt like an entirely different being. Zhou Fan was ready to test it out, but he remembered that Hei Ren was still floating in the bubble. Zhou Fan appeared in front of him and examined him. "You''ve grown." Zhou Fan said. "Thank you master. You too have tremendously increased your power." Hei Ren complimented. "Indeed. I need to test out my new power on my own. I''ll send you to the cosmic sect for now, but I''ll be there soon." Zhou Fan stated. Hei Ren nodded and Zhou Fan grabbed him. The next thing Hei Ren knew, he was in the cosmic sect. With Zhou Fan''s new power, he could instantly teleport throughout the entire Zhou supercluster. Even just flying, he would be able to move from one end of the supercluster to the other in less than an hour. If he decided to fly to the purple star sea, it would take him around 3 months. His strength had increased greatly. Now alone, Zhou Fan was ready to test his strength. He was about to start, but decided that he should leave the supercluster before that. He teleported to the edge of the Zhou supercluster and soon flew far away from it. Chapter 360: Outer World - 360 Chapter 360 - Outer World - 360 Once he was far away from the Zhou supercluster, Zhou Fan prepared to test out his strength. He focused on the gray sphere in his chest, and released it passively. A gray sphere burst out of his body and moved even faster than he could if he did not use teleportation. It only stopped after covering a space as big as a galaxy cluster. It was only in its passive state, but without Zhou Fan holding its power back, it would almost destroy the final layer of space. As his outer world remained extended, he felt that he was much closer to his surroundings. It was as if, within his outer world, he was unstoppable. Without any delay, he could form an attack anywhere within his outer world. In other words, he could form an arrow of fire a galaxy cluster away from him without losing control of it or having any delay. It was a godlike ability. Surprisingly, that was not all. He could feel the Chaos Qi within his outer world resonating with him, as if it was itching to do something. Zhou Fan could feel that, once he fully used the power of his outer world, the Chaos Qi around him and within him would cause a great change. Zhou Fan did not want to do anything dangerous like breaking the final layer of space, but he did not have the reservation to simply not use his outer world''s power. He was worried, but he refused to limit himself due to the final layer of space. He felt the sensation within him and fully released the power of his inner world. Zhou Fan''s mind immediately entered a blurry and confused state. It was as if he was completely focused on something he didn''t even realize was happening. Instinctually, Zhou Fan was designing his outer world. It would not be something he created logically, but something that revealed his deepest thoughts and personality. It would essentially be a materialization of everything about him. After nearly a minute, Zhou Fan snapped out of the confused state. It took him a moment to realize what had happened, but he soon managed to put the pieces together and understand. ''I wasn''t prepared for that. I can only hope that my outer world is useful.'' Zhou Fan thought to himself. He felt a little helpless, but also excited. He hadn''t felt so curious in a long time. His outer world was still in its passive state since he was only designing it when he activated it last time. Only now would the first true activation of his outer world commence. He felt that feeling inside him, and fully released his outer world. Instantly, outside of the gray sphere that made up his passive outer world, a giant humanoid figure appeared. Its body was even bigger than Zhou Fan''s outer world, which was as big as a galaxy cluster. It held out its hand and covered the outer world with it. It seemed as if the entire outer world was within its grasp, completely subdued by it. The giant figure was a perfect replica of Zhou Fan, with gray clothes and gray hair. However, where the face should have been was just a few horizontal lines and an empty grayness. It was like a statue without a face. Zhou Fan was confused as he looked at the giant figure, but all of a sudden, a horrendous pressure descended, covering the entire outer world. Zhou Fan was not affected, but he could still feel the immense power of that pressure. The universe around him could as well. Instantly, all layers of space shattered and what laid beyond the final layer of space appeared. It was a hole as big as a galaxy cluster, the size of Zhou Fan''s outer world. When Zhou Fan saw it for the first time in a while, he felt that it seemed different, or rather, he could understand it more. Whatever was beyond the final layer of space began to devour everything around it. With all the space shattered, that was Chaos Qi and Zhou Fan''s outer world. Zhou Fan could not even resist as his outer world was being devoured and destroyed. It was consumed and what laid beyond the final layer of space began to grow as if it was a black hole. Whatever was beyond the final layer of space was also attempting to devour Zhou Fan, but his outer world was able to slightly protect him. As he watched his outer world be devoured, for some reason, a feeling blossomed within Zhou Fan. He didn''t know how to describe it. Indignance? Hatred? He did not know. Still, he instinctively put his hand out and imitated the figure''s form. As soon as he did, Zhou Fan could feel that he was wrong before. He had not truly activated his outer world. Only now did he do so. The suppressive feeling given off by his outer world began to suppress even what laid beyond the final layer of space. Zhou Fan could not completely push it back, but he was able to stop it from growing any further. As he suppressed it, the name for whatever he was feeling sprung up in his mind. ''This is pure arrogance.'' He thought to himself. Unfortunately, his slight victory only lasted for a while, before an even stronger force bursted out. Zhou Fan was helpless in front of it. Suddenly, threads of an infinite amount of colors descended, and the final layer of space began to reform. The cosmic dao was taking action. Zhou Fan felt that he could sense the cosmic dao struggling, but the final layer of space was soon sewn together by the threads, and the cosmic dao disappeared. Zhou Fan deactivated his outer world and began to pant. Using so much power had thoroughly exhausted him. Despite his exhaustion, the emotion that he was feeling the most was not fatigue, but relief and a slight bit of fear. He was glad that he had not foolishly attempted to do something like challenge the cosmic dao. He would not even know how he died. As he began to recover, Zhou Fan could not help but think about his outer world. Chapter 361: Return to the Cosmic Sect - 361 Chapter 361 - Return to the Cosmic Sect - 361 His outer world in its passive state was exactly the same as his inner world from long ago, just bigger. However, when he fully activates it, a figure even bigger than a galaxy cluster appears and puts his hand over the outer world, as if it was signifying its superiority and domination over the entire world. That figure not only gives off a gravitational pressure, but also a pressure on the mind and soul. It was a pressure that could only be felt from a creature superior in every single aspect. And that figure represented Zhou Fan. ''Am I really that arrogant?'' Zhou Fan couldn''t help but ask himself. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head. "No. I am clearly a very humble person." He said out loud to himself. After recollecting his thoughts, Zhou Fan teleported right outside of the cosmic sect. He moved inside the sect and towards the platform. There, he saw a group of people surrounding Hei Ren. There was Ying Xiong, Pangu, Tong, Feng Liu, Lu Zhong, and one other person that he did not recognize. As soon as he landed, he was recognized. "Uncle Zhou Fan!" Lu Zhong and Feng Liu shouted as they ran towards him. Zhou Fan stood stunned at the two middle aged looking cultivators dived onto him and hugged him. He had not expected such a familiar welcome. Feng Liu was all grown. Her white hair went down to her knees and she wore an ice blue dress. Lu Zhong has also fully grown. He had long black hair and wore yellow clothes. To him, they had not changed all that much. The only true difference was that their bodies had become fully accustomed to the looks of a cultivator, and that they seemed much more mature. Of course, that impression only lasted until they had dived on him. Zhou Fan hugged them and patted them on the back. To him, it felt like they had just met yesterday, but to them, an entire lifetime had passed. "We did it uncle! Both me and Feng Liu reached the inner world realm!" Lu Zhong proudly announced. Zhou Fan continued to hug them and nodded. "I see. Good job." He said as he finally managed to get them off of him. He looked around to observe the cultivation of those around him. Surprisingly, everyone except for the newcomer was in the inner world realm. The newcomer was at the 9th level of the lesser dao creation realm. Both Feng Liu and Lu Zhong were in the 1st level of the inner world realm. Tong and Pangu were at the 2nd level of the inner world realm. Hei Ren was at the 3rd level of the inner world realm due to the guidance Zhou Fan had given him and his superior talent. Finally, as expected, Ying Xiong did not disappoint. He was at the 8th level of the inner world realm. "All of you have improved, but so have I." Zhou Fan said. Ying Xiong looked at him curiously. "Have you reached a new realm?" "Indeed. I named it the outer world realm." Zhou Fan said. "Like the inner world realm?" Feng Liu questioned. "Indeed. It is like the inner world, except that it gains a new feature, it can be expanded outside of your body, and is much bigger." Zhou Fan said. "I won''t tell you too much. You''ll see when you break through." Although he had said that, he personally believed that nobody except for Ying Xiong had a chance. Even Ying Xiong had about a 1% chance of reaching the realm. "That''s fair. By the way, this is another disciple I found. His name is Wu Lin. He has a water affinity and immortal emperor 10 meridians." Ying Xiong said, introducing Wu Lin. Wu Lin walked forward and bowed to Zhou Fan. "I''ve long heard of senior''s greatness. It is an honor to meet you." He said sincerely. "Thank you. I look forward to knowing you." Zhou Fan said. When Zhou Fan looked at Ying Xiong, he saw that the man had turned his body slightly and was whistling nonchalantly. Zhou Fan was confused for a moment, but then saw Ying Xiong''s hand behind his back. He was rubbing his thumb and his fingers together, as if he was asking for money. Zhou Fan thought for a moment, until he remembered what Ying Xiong meant. "How shameless." Zhou Fan said out loud before he dropped 5 ice blocks out of his separate space. Although living beings could not usually be put in cosmic rings or separate spaces, they were considered inanimate objects when they were in perfect cryostasis. As expected, Ying Xiong looked at the 5 children frozen in ice with excitement. "It has truly been too long since I''ve found someone with talent. One day, you must teach me how you find them." Ying Xiong said as he began to melt the ice. Zhou Fan looked at him weirdly. He had never seen someone so excited to teach others. "Don''t get too excited yet." Zhou Fan said as a few more ice blocks came out of his separate space. These contained many variations of people. Some were cultivators, while others were mortals. Some were young, while some were old. "Some of them had a family, so I brought them as well. They are your responsibility." Zhou Fan said. Ying Xiong lost some of his excitement but retained a lot. "Whatever. They can be outer disciples. I''m sure they will be thrilled to be able to join the greatest sect in the universe." Ying Xiong mumbled. Soon, 5 more children had joined the cosmic sect. Zhou Fan did not interact with them much as he had no interest in staying within the cosmic sect for a while. He had other things to do. Ying Xiong sent Tong off with the children and kept the other frozen people in his spatial ring for the time being. He also sent Feng Liu, Lu Zhong, Pangu, and Wu Lin off. Zhou Fan also sent Hei Ren off. "So, do you plan to stay or leave?" Ying Xiong asked once they were alone. "I''ll leave soon. With my new cultivation, I''ll be able to explore much more of the universe." Zhou Fan said. "Alright then. Make sure to send me a map. Still, you should stay for a few years. Feng Liu and Lu Zhong have missed you." Ying Xiong said. "I will." Zhou Fan responded. Chapter 362 - 25 Patch Great Area - 362 Chapter 362 - 25 Patch Great Area - 362 Zhou Fan spent 5 years with Feng Liu and Lu Zhong, before once again departing from the cosmic sect. This time, he left Hei Ren behind. "Sorry about this, but you won''t be able to cultivate while I''m moving and you''d probably be a burden." Zhou Fan said as he patted Hei Ren''s shoulder. "I don''t mind. It''s been a while since I''ve fought others anyway. I''ll be fine." Hei Ren said. "Alright. Good luck." Zhou Fan said as he began to fly away. Soon, Zhou Fan appeared outside of the Zhou supercluster. He was excited to explore the wider universe. Unlike before, his speed was unbelievably faster. Going to and from the purple star sea would take merely 3 or so months. He felt that he would even be able to draw out a region of the universe. After thinking for a moment, Zhou Fan departed at top speed. His first stop would be the purple star sea. As calculated, the trip took 3 months. He soon arrived outside of the purple star sea, and did not stop moving until he arrived at the first galaxy. Unsurprisingly, he found a single lesser dao creation realm star god. They had likely all broken through that realm, and moved around different galaxies. He did not know if even a single one from the first generation remained, but it was extremely unlikely. He did not bother the star god and simply went to his personal planet. Nothing had really changed at all, despite the passing of so much time. It was just as Zhou Fan had predicted. He spent nearly a year simply relaxing at the planet and taking in its beauty. As he did not want to delay his journey too much, he soon moved out and flew towards another large area. The next few places that he visited were ones that he had already been too. He had already explored 163 large areas, so getting to new ones would take a little bit of time. Luckily, it did not take long before Zhou Fan found another large area. This one could actually be called another supercluster, as it looked somewhat similar to the Zhou supercluster. There were many galaxies and a few galaxy clusters. The biggest difference was that there was far less empty space. Zhou Fan went inside and explored the galaxy clusters, but there was only a single great attractor in the entire supercluster. It seemed that his Zhou supercluster did stand out. The galaxy clusters in this supercluster were much smaller and mostly the same shape. It was clear even from afar that what held them together were large blackhole''s. They were comparable in size to the bigger ones that he had seen in the forbidden land. Soon, he left that supercluster and continued exploring. Over the course of nearly 20,000 years, he had visited 5,000 large areas. Each one had its own specialty, and each one was extremely large. As Zhou Fan added the 5,000th to the map, he found that the ones he had marked so far seemed to form a large region in space. Zhou Fan felt that it was time for a new category of size. With the Zhou supercluster at its center, he called the surrounding 5,000 large area''s a filament. The Zhou Filament. Despite establishing the Zhou filament, he still could not see the edge of the universe. He even began to ask himself if there was an end. Despite his questions, he was determined to continue his exploration of the universe. He left the Zhou filament and continued to map the surroundings. For some reason, he felt as if he was finally making major progress. It was as if he had finally explored at least a single percentage of the universe. After nearly 30,000 years, he mapped out another filament. They would not need to have exactly 5,000 large areas, but that was the least amount required. Zhou Fan figured that once he mapped the entire universe, he could make distinctions between areas more clearly, and did not worry about it too much. There were a lot of interesting things in the universe. Zhou Fan stood not too far from one of them. The area in front of him was the largest that he had ever seen. It was actually 5 times bigger than the now second place. However, there was barely anything within it. There were only a few large patches of dirt rotating around a star-like great attractor, and a couple of stars rotating around the patches of dirt. Although they seemed small from afar, that was mostly due to the size of the large area. Each patch of dirt was at least bigger than a galaxy. A near infinite amount of humans could live on each one, especially if it was treated like a planet. He could just imagine countless cities and houses covering nearly the entirety of one of the patches. The number of humans that could live on it truly could not be estimated. Zhou Fan decided to name it the 25 patch great area since there were 25 patches of dirt. He almost cringed at his naming skills, but he had never claimed he was good, so nobody could put it against him. He decided to remember this area as a possible place for a large number of cultivators to live. If he ever covered it in his mortal dao and allowed it to grow, it was unknown what heights it would reach. Despite having a great interest in the 25 patch great area, Zhou Fan moved on after seeing its great attractor, which was at the middle levels of the true god realm. Zhou Fan wondered if he would ever find a large area with an outer world level great attractor, but that was unlikely as he had never even seen a great attractor in the high level of the true god realm. After around 30,000 years, Zhou Fan marked in another filament, making three. Despite finding so much, his thirst for exploration and adventure had not been quenched, and he continued to move forward. Chapter 363: Changes in the Mortal Dao - 363 Chapter 363 - Changes in the Mortal Dao - 363 Zhou Fan continued to explore the universe, marking down any large areas he came across and their great attractor. It took him around 30,000 years to explore what he marked as a filament. Before long, he had marked down 5 filaments, and his desire to explore was gradually calming down. He decided to take a brief break from exploring and attempt to expand his mortal dao. He had not done so since he broke through, and he felt that he would be able to expand it much farther than before. Zhou Fan found a random large area and sat down on what resembled a planet. He crossed his legs and connected to his mortal dao. He could feel that his mortal dao was big, but it was not nearly big enough. Zhou Fan felt that way even more as he mapped out larger areas of the universe. His first goal was to cover all three galaxy clusters. With his current strength, he felt that he should be able to easily cover such a large area. Unsurprisingly, all three galaxy clusters were soon covered. Then, surprisingly, even the entirety of the Zhou supercluster was covered. Zhou Fan stopped his mortal dao''s expansion once it reached that point. Covering any more would be covering pointless space. Instead, he decided to try to cover the entire purple star sea. As he watched it expand, his jaw nearly dropped. Without any issue, the entire purple star sea was covered. Even Zhou Fan had not expected such a large change. As he had not covered any area in any of the other large areas, he needed to return to the Zhou filament to continue expanding his mortal dao, something that he did not even hesitate to do. Although he had traveled far, it would not take that long to once again return to the same area. After all, he had not been traveling in a straight line, but instead a spiral that extended outwards. In his mind, it did not take long to return to the Zhou filament. From there, it did not take long to arrive at the great earth area. This was a place that Zhou Fan had always found interesting. He put some of his mortal dao inside of it, and it soon expanded to cover the entire great earth area. Like the Zhou supercluster and the purple star sea, the great attractor in the center of the great earth area did not even react. Zhou Fan covered the forbidden land and 3 other large areas before he finally felt some pressure and stopped expanding his mortal dao. Unlike usual, he prevented anything within the 7 large areas from expanding. It would cause too much destruction to allow them to do so. Instead, he planned on personally dealing with such things. He went back to the Zhou supercluster and felt that having so much empty space between the galaxy clusters was pointless. As if he was a god, which he essentially was, he instantly put the 3 great attractors under his control, preventing them from affecting anything. He then spread out the many galaxies around the entire Zhou supercluster. Within one galaxy, Ying Xiong and everyone from the cosmic sect felt as if an overwhelming power was covering them and everything around them. As they looked around, the far away space began to shift and move. Nearly everyone was panicking inside. Ying Xiong was the only one who was completely calm. He stood with his hands behind his back and sighed. "You truly are almighty." Ying Xiong mumbled under his breath. With Zhou Fan''s outer world realm power, it only took a thousand years to put everything into place. To mortals, many generations would have passed, but to any powerful cultivators, it was as if a single year had passed. Zhou Fan looked upon the Zhou supercluster. In those thousand years, he had not only moved things around, but allowed many things to expand in size. The Zhou galaxy had been taken out of the Zhou galaxy cluster and placed in the upper center of the entire supercluster. It was thousands of times bigger than before, and the planets in it were also thousands of times bigger. The Zhou world was now especially huge. As a single planet, it was bigger than any galaxies before Zhou Fan had expanded them. Even lesser dao creation realm cultivators would struggle to explore it all. The 3 galaxy clusters had changed as well, but Zhou Fan had not changed their base properties. The tree-like galaxy cluster, which was once condensed and golden, had spread out far. Its trunk was countless times larger and its branches were no longer confined to a certain area. Instead, its branches were long and moved around the entire Zhou supercluster. The silver river galaxy cluster was no longer so small, and its river of galaxies moved around the entire Zhou supercluster. As for the Zhou galaxy cluster, it still had the same golden spine-like look , but was many times larger. Altogether, the Zhou supercluster was much more beautiful, similar to a painting. The only issue was that, with so much of the Zhou supercluster being taken up, it was natural that there were large spaces in between galaxies that did not look right. In order to change that, Zhou Fan would need to create galaxies, something that he did not believe he had the ability to do. It would be one thing to have the materials to create a galaxy, and another to create one from nothing. He was not nearly strong enough. The Zhou galaxy was so much bigger than any other that it did not matter if there were galaxies near it. As he finished designing and expanding the Zhou supercluster, he began to make its space much stronger. He did not know how much more time would pass before someone was capable of breaking through the final layer of space. He spent a lot of time and Qi strengthening the space, but after nearly 100,000 years, he managed to make the space so strong that only a 3rd level true god would be able to break the final layer without Chaos Qi or immense talent. This was under the expectation that the 3rd level true god was someone with great talent. Ying Xiong would be able to do it at the second level of the true god realm, but he would need a long time to reach that far. Chapter 364: The Center of the Universe - 364 Chapter 364 - The Center of the Universe - 364 Although he had made great changes in the Zhou supercluster, he did not plan on changing anything within the other large areas. After all, they barely had any life in them, and that was if they had life at all. Zhou Fan planned to once again leave the Zhou supercluster in order to continue exploring the universe, but he decided to go back to the cosmic sect for a moment before that. He didn''t plan on staying too long, it would just be a brief visit. As soon as he returned, Ying Xiong appeared in front of him and began to ask questions. Most of them were concerning the changes in the Zhou supercluster. When Ying Xiong learned that the Zhou galaxy had been moved far away from him, his face changed a bit. Although he had spent a lot of time at the cosmic sect and considered it his home, the Zhou Galaxy was still where he was from. There was also the Buddhist sect. "Don''t worry about that. I''ll set up a teleportation array so that you can travel back and forth." Zhou Fan said when he heard Ying Xiong''s concerns. Only then did Ying Xiong manage to stop worrying about the changes. Since Zhou Fan had asked him before he had left, Zhou Fan handed the man two maps. One was a map of the new Zhou supercluster, while the other was a map of the now explored universe. "I don''t think that you''ll be able to do anything with the universe map, but since you were interested, here." Zhou Fan said. "Also, the entire supercluster is now explorable if you are interested." Ying Xiong nodded, thanked him and walked away, allowing everyone else to finally meet with Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan talked with all of them for a while, including Hei Ren, before sending them away and leaving the cosmic sect once again. It wasn''t long before he was standing far away from the Zhou supercluster. He liked looking at it before, but it was much more beautiful now. Zhou Fan was able to reflect on his cultivation journey thus far. He had started as a simple mortal, became the first cultivator, and grew stronger and stronger. He had gone from someone who could not even destroy a tree with a punch to someone who could rearrange an entire supercluster, and if he put in a bit of time and effort, destroy it as well. "Cultivation truly is a wonderful thing." Zhou Fan couldn''t help but say to himself. After a few minutes, Zhou Fan flew away from the Zhou supercluster and made his way towards more unexplored regions of space. An unexplainable feeling had been welling up within him. It was as if he was being urged to continue, as if he was nearing the end of all known things. Although he felt that there was a possibility of the universe being infinite, the urge within him seemed to be informing him otherwise. After nearly 40,000 years, he had marked down yet another filament of space. As he continued moving, he suddenly began to feel an attraction. One could even call it a great attraction. No, beyond even that. Zhou Fan shot forward at full speed. Within him, the urge was saying that he was going the wrong way, but Zhou Fan could not resist himself. The attraction he felt was similar to that of a great attractor, but clearly much different. Much stronger. He flew past what he imagined to be another filament before it finally came into sight. A giant white sphere, similar to a star, but bigger than anything Zhou Fan had ever seen. As he laid eyes on it, Zhou Fan knew. "This is the center of the universe." He said in wonder. There was no other way to describe the feeling. It simply felt as if the giant white star was the center of it all. It gave even Zhou Fan a feeling of danger, but not quite a feeling of death. If he was correct, it would be in the lower levels of the outer world realm in terms of power. As Zhou Fan stared at it and got used to the majestic feeling it gave off, he finally realized that while he was right, he was also wrong. The giant white star was, with no doubt, at the very center of the universe. Nothing could tell Zhou Fan otherwise. However, it was not the peak of all power. There was no special feeling that the cosmic dao gave off. The cosmic dao was the true supreme existence of the universe. Still, there was no doubt that the giant white star was the single greatest celestial body that Zhou Fan would ever come across within the universe. Its size was similar to that of an entire filament. It was truly unimaginable. Still, the universe could survive without it. The cosmic dao was the hidden ruler of the universe, and the white star was merely its false appearance. Of course, that was all metaphorically speaking. The cosmic dao was not sentient or intelligent. At best, it was like a wild beast running off of instinct, but Zhou Fan felt that it was more like a program or a robot. Otherwise, it would have already killed Zhou Fan due to his potential and strength. Zhou Fan decided to name the white star, "The Greatest Attractor". It was a simple name, but it accurately described it. He did not plan on doing too much with the greatest attractor at this point in time. After all, the feeling within him had not been quenched at all, and had instead grown stronger. Zhou Fan turned around from the greatest attractor and began to travel in a straight line, taking only the minimum amount of time to note down the areas around him. Since the feeling within him was not quenched when he saw the center of the universe, perhaps he needed to reach the end of it. Zhou Fan traveled at his peak speed. Chapter 365: The Edge of the Universe - 365 Chapter 365 - The Edge of the Universe - 365 It took nearly 100,000 years of Zhou Fan flying at his fastest speed before he finally began to sense something. When he looked ahead, he saw a continuing expanse of endless space, but his divine sense, which he had fully extended, had acted as if it had hit a wall. As he got closer and closer, his divine sense still did not go any further. Eventually, he was just a foot away from where his divine sense had stopped. In front of him was an endless expanse of space, but when Zhou Fan put his hand out, it was stopped by what seemed to be a wall. "This is simply some sort of advanced wallpaper." Zhou Fan said to himself. The cosmic sect had designed itself with similar wallpaper, but Zhou Fan could see through that in an instant. This wallpaper, however, was not removable, and if Zhou Fan hadn''t touched the wall, then he never would have suspected it was a wallpaper. "This is the end of the universe." Zhou Fan said softly. He wasn''t sure how to feel. He had finally reached the end of everything, but he now felt like he was trapped in a cage. He had no proof, but instinctually, he felt that there was nothing beyond the universe. This was the end of all things. It was a hard concept to think about. Nothing was a concept that even Zhou Fan could not truly comprehend. There was no empty space, but nothing. In fact, there was not even nothing. One could not go beyond the universe, because there was nothing beyond it. He felt like, behind the wall that was the edge of the universe, there should be something, even if that something was nothing. But there was nothing, not even nothing. Perhaps English simply needed a few new words to describe it. Zhou Fan pushed his hand out and light Qi dispersed along the wall. He had not put any strength into it, he just wanted to be able to estimate the size of the universe by the curvature. The light Qi only stopped moving when it went farther away than a supercluster in size. Despite seeing nearly nothing, Zhou Fan was able to tell a lot from it. The universe was a sphere. It was huge, but not huge to the point where there was no hope in exploring it all. Zhou Fan made a mental map and divided the universe into 8 universal sectors. Within them were filaments, within filaments were superclusters or large areas, within them were galaxy clusters or other objects, within galaxy clusters were galaxies, and within them were planets and stars. The only mysteries were what was within the universal sectors, but the universal sectors themselves had already been mapped out. Zhou Fan put his hand back on the wall and used some strength. He could see the wall visibly crack, but it was soon repaired. The wall was another form of space, and he had cracked the final layer of space. He could understand that what was behind the final layer of space was nothingness, or blankness. It really did not matter what one called it, but it marked the end of all things. Zhou Fan hoped to be able to increase his power to the point where he could go beyond the edge of the universe, even if nothing existed beyond it. That simply meant that he would have to create something. However, that was far, far beyond him in every way imaginable. Even the almighty cosmic dao could not compare to the nothingness. Zhou Fan turned around and began to fly away from the edge of space. There was nothing more to see, and the feeling within him was gone. He would usually have the urge to explore what still remained unexplored, but knowing the size of the universe had ended that urge. He would eventually see it, there would be nothing new added. As Zhou Fan flew back to the Zhou supercluster, he was feeling a bit down. He wanted to do nothing more than lock himself in a room and cultivate. For the first time in forever, he was actually feeling a bit of sadness. Luckily, it was only temporary, and by the time he reached the Zhou supercluster again, he was as good as new. "If I can''t go beyond the edge of the universe now, then I will when I get stronger. After all, it is only a matter of time, and nothing could possibly stop me." Zhou Fan said, his vigor renewed. Zhou Fan did not go back to the cosmic sect, but sat down above one of the branches that made up the new and improved tree-like galaxy. He needed to think of his future goals, since exploring was now crossed out. First, he could focus his efforts on empowering civilization and continuing to upgrade cultivation 1.1. If he chose to prioritize that, he would need to go into seclusion and increase his realm a bit. Otherwise, he would be very limited. He could also choose to prioritize pure cultivation. That would mean cultivating until he broke through many realms. He wanted to get used to every realm as he felt like he was simply ignoring the strength that came with it, but there was no place in the universe that he could safely use his full strength. Sometimes, he wished he was more like the greatest attractor. It resonated with the universe, so the space around it would only break if it were to attack or something similar. Otherwise, it could float in space while radiating immense power, and not even the first layer of space would break. It would not even tremble. Zhou Fan could also choose to go down into the mortal world and experience it. He could choose to "reincarnate", though not actually, and experience life from the perspective of a modern cultivator. Zhou Fan sat in space and thought of the endless possibilities. ¡ª---------------------------------- One year of writing and 365 Chapters have passed. I look forward to another. I appreciate everyone who has read this far. For anyone interested, I will put a very rough sketch of the universe in the Chapter comments. Chapter 366: Practicing the Arts - 366 Chapter 366 - Practicing the Arts - 366 After thinking for a long time, Zhou Fan decided to first upgrade his mastery over the arts. All of them were still at the 10th rank, and his cultivation was now at the 12th rank. Not only did he feel the need to increase his mastery over the arts simply for the sake of increasing his mastery, but it would also help him with any future projects. He had still not forgotten about his idea of creating a universal consciousness. It had seemed very far-fetched before, but now that he was aware of the full size of the universe, it was only a matter of time. Zhou Fan went to the cosmic sect and picked up Hei Ren without meeting anyone, before settling above the Zhou supercluster. Hei Ren did not ask any questions and cultivated within the bubble that Zhou Fan had made for him. Since he was already in the outer world realm, reaching the true god realm in formations was a very easy task. Once he focused on outer world realm formations, however, the required time extended by a large amount. He spent a full billion years mastering 12th rank formations. A similar amount of time was spent mastering 12th rank arrays. Although there weren''t many new arrays with different effects, many previous arrays had upgraded versions. The same was true for formations, and it would be the same for talismans, alchemy, and forging as well. In total, Zhou Fan spent 5 billion years mastering all 5 of the major arts to the 12th rank. As expected, all of his ideas just became a lot more feasible. Next, Zhou Fan needed to reach a new cultivation realm. He felt it was a pity that he would not be able to fully experience the outer world realm, but such was the reality of being the first cultivator. There was simply no being who could possibly match him and no place where he could freely use his power The first step was to cultivate to the peak of the outer world realm. The only issue with that was the fact that he would likely spend more than 100 billion years cultivating. That was longer than the lifespan of even a lesser dao creation realm cultivator. There were many things he wanted to do before going into seclusion for such an extended amount of time. The first would be to start lowering the importance that he held within the cosmic sect. As of now, he was the main supplier of all the talents that went there. Ying Xiong could sense the birth of a talent if he was exceptionally close and not too focused on other things, but he would require a lot of luck to find even ten new disciples in 100 billion years. He could either put a system in place that automatically detected new talents and alerted Ying Xiong, or he could create an alternate system that wasn''t so.... forceful. Upon remembering Ying Xiong''s actions and expression when dealing with talents, Zhou Fan decided that it would be better for the entire universe if he simply created an alternate system that would grant those with talent the choice to join the cosmic sect. Otherwise, Ying Xiong would surely pick the entire Zhou supercluster dry. Zhou Fan made his way to the cosmic sect with Hei Ren and quickly arrived. His arrival was met with greetings from an entire group of people, including now grown up disciples from Zhou Fan''s last delivery. It took him a while, but Zhou Fan eventually got to talk with Ying Xiong alone. They sat in one of the few rooms in the entire cosmic sect. In front of them was a table and tea. "I''ve decided, for the sake of the universe, to not give you a way to track all the talented people born in the Zhou supercluster." Zhou Fan said to Ying Xiong. "What! This is ridiculous. You know that I''m good for it!" Ying Xiong said in a pleading tone. "No means no. You are a scourge that needs to be stopped." Zhou Fan said. "Then how is my cosmic sect supposed to function? You''re basically ending any future lineage." Ying Xiong said. Zhou Fan shook his head. "I didn''t say I was going to stop you from getting new disciples, and I even plan on continuing to help you. The only difference will be that the talents will have to be willing." Zhou Fan said. "Alright then." Ying Xiong said begrudgingly. "So what exactly do you have planned?" "I have a way to automatically detect talents, and upon them reaching the age of ten, a letter will be sent to them. When they open it, a display of power will be shown, and they will have the choice to join the cosmic sect. If they refuse, they will be sent one more letter, this time when they reach the peak of the space shattering realm." Zhou Fan explained. "So they''ll come here by teleportation array?" Ying Xiong asked. "Indeed." Zhou Fan responded. "Since you''ll be setting up a teleportation array, I have a request." Ying Xiong said. "Feel free to ask." "Can you create teleportation arrays to the Zhou Galaxy and the other two galaxy clusters?" Ying Xiong asked. "You can go there yourself now." Zhou Fan said. "I know, but it would take me a long time, and I am asking for the sake of the students now and future students. We will even put a plaque of your name and contribution on the teleportation hub." Ying Xiong said. "The teleportation hub?" Zhou Fan asked with confusion. "I forgot that I never mentioned that. I plan on creating a hub of teleportation usable by the entire supercluster. It would connect the entire Zhou supercluster." Ying Xiong explained. "We''ve even just finished the initial construction. Do you want to come see it?" "Sure." Zhou Fan responded. Ying Xiong and Zhou Fan left the room, before going to the other side of the galaxy. Even from far away, Zhou Fan was able to see the structure floating in space. It had a circular platform, with curving pillars and a roof. There were no walls, indicating that it was a place meant for those at the void traversing realm or higher. Chapter 367: Teleportation Art: Replacement - 367 Chapter 367 - Teleportation Art: Replacement - 367 The building was very big. Bigger than an entire city. Despite its size, there were only a few teleportation arrays. "Although construction is complete, we have only added 5 teleportation arrays. One in each of the four directions of the galaxy: East, South, West, and North, and one that leads just outside of the cosmic sect." Ying Xiong explained. "If you look underneath the building, you''ll see an uncountable number of spirit stones. Those are a temporary power source until I manage to set up a greater one." Ying Xiong explained. His words lead Zhou Fan to thinking. Spirit stones, although they had begun to naturally form on almost all planets, were essentially useless for stronger cultivators. Even as simply money, they could no longer be used in transactions, especially between those above the space shattering realm. Zhou Fan made a mental note to create a new type of spirit stones in the future. "The teleportation hub will be especially useful in the future due to how spread out galaxies are now." Ying Xiong added. Zhou Fan stopped and thought for a moment, before deciding that it wouldn''t hurt him to help Ying Xiong. He did not need much time. He connected to his mortal dao and created 3 teleportation arrays leading to the silver river galaxy cluster, the tree-like galaxy cluster, and the Zhou Galaxy. He placed all three in the teleportation hub. "There you go. I expect that plaque to be pristine and constantly clean." Zhou Fan said. Ying Xiong nodded, happy that he did not need to make a long journey. "As for a power source, you can figure out that yourself. I can''t do everything for you." Zhou Fan said. "I know. Most of the Qi cost will be paid by the people who use them anyway. Still, we will be making a great profit no matter what." Ying Xiong said. Zhou Fan did not know how he planned to get money since spirit stones were useless to Ying Xiong, but he just assumed he was thinking about items or techniques. "Oh right." Zhou Fan said before grabbing inside his separate space and pulling out a large piece of paper. "Here''s a map of the universe. Though most of it remains unexplored, I know the size and have divided up the sections. Feel free to make this common knowledge." Zhou Fan said. Ying Xiong looked at the map, and stood stunned for a while. "I think I''ll just make a map of a single filament public. If people see how big the universe truly is, they may begin to despair." Ying Xiong said. Anyone who dreamed of reaching the peak, even Ying Xiong himself, would feel a bit disheartened at seeing just how far away they were. "I understand. It''s up to you." Zhou Fan said. Once Zhou Fan was finished touring the teleportation hub, Ying Xiong brought him back to the cosmic sect. "It''s been a while, but can I request that you spar with everyone and give them some pointers?" Ying Xiong asked. "I don''t mind, I''m not exactly in a rush." Zhou Fan said. Ying Xiong nodded and ran off to collect everyone in the cosmic sect. Meanwhile, Zhou Fan went to the eastern side of the galaxy. Everyone in the cosmic sect had long reached the void traversing realm, so there would be no issue fighting in space. Although space was becoming stronger, Zhou Fan made sure that the first layer could always be shattered by a space shattering cultivator. Otherwise, the space shattering realm would be reduced to an empty name. Before long, Zhou Fan was staring at multiple people. "All those below the inner world realm, come at me now." Zhou Fan said. Many of the new disciples charged towards Zhou Fan at the same time. He limited his cultivation to the peak of the lesser dao creation realm, but none of them could match him. For people who qualified to enter the cosmic sect, reaching the lesser dao creation realm was no issue, and each of them were in that realm. After around 5 minutes, the group of beaten and bruised disciples moved away. Despite being injured, they were all clearly excited. Zhou Fan''s casual pointers would help them a lot. They were also eagerly waiting for everyone else to be beat up. "Feng Liu, Lu Zhong, both of you attack at the same time." Zhou Fan said as he increased his cultivation from the peak of the lesser dao creation realm to the 1st level of the inner world realm. They did not hesitate, and immediately attacked at the same time. Zhou Fan condensed a ruler from sword Qi and moved forward. Feng Liu waved her fan, and millions of tiny icicles were launched at Zhou Fan. "Sloppy. The range is too large. Are your eyes working? Do you see multiple of me?" Zhou Fan asked. He then waved the ruler. It cut through space and slapped Feng Liu''s wrist. By that time, Lu Zhong was stabbing his spear at Zhou Fan''s side. Zhou Fan easily moved the ruler next to the spear''s tip and casually moved it away. "Are you holding back because I''m your uncle, or did you simply forget to practice with your spear?" Zhou Fan mocked. Before he even realized what happened, a red mark in the shape of a rectangle appeared on Lu Zhong''s face, knocking him backwards. Although Feng Liu and Lu Zhong treated Zhou Fan as their uncle, they were truly enraged at the moment. Lu Zhong charged forward, stars covering his body, while Feng Liu raised her fan and held it so that the edge was facing Zhou Fan. Stars began to revolve around her body, as well as her fan. She swung down, and a blade of ice surrounded by rotating stars fell onto Zhou Fan. At the same time, Lu Zhong was closing in fast. Zhou Fan sneered. "You two have only fought straightforward opponents in your life. It''s about time that you fight someone with tricks up their sleeve." In the next second, Zhou Fan disappeared and reappeared where Lu Zhong had been standing. Likewise, Lu Zhong appeared where Zhou Fan had been standing. He looked up and hurriedly blocked the attack with a spear thrust covered in rotating stars. "Teleportation art: replacement." Zhou Fan said as the two attacks clashed. Chapter 368: Beating Up Students - 368 Chapter 368 - Beating Up Students - 368 Lu Zhong was knocked back and injured due to Feng Liu''s attack. He had not been prepared and had not had enough time to mount an adequate defense. Feng Liu quickly turned around to see Zhou Fan approaching. She did not have any time to worry about Lu Zhong. With her fan, she blasted out a wave of icicles, but Zhou Fan disappeared and reappeared right next to her. Her fan, on the other hand, appeared where Zhou Fan had been. "It doesn''t just work on living beings. Isn''t it truly magical?" Zhou Fan questioned as he kicked Feng Liu in the face, softly of course. In those brief moments, Lu Zhong had gotten back up and silently attacked Zhou Fan from behind. Zhou Fan used the teleportation art: replacement on Lu Zhongs spear, but he had expected such a thing and punched with his fist. Zhou Fan once again disappeared, and Lu Zhong''s fist punched his spear. Lu Zhong clenched his teeth in pain as his fist turned red. He turned to look at Zhou Fan, but all he saw was a piece of familiar looking hair. He was then hit in the back of the neck and fell unconscious. Although using the teleportation art: replacement on a strand of hair would not usually work, Zhou Fan had cut it off of Lu Zhong''s head before, making it a separate object. Otherwise, Lu Zhong''s entire body would have been replaced with Zhou Fan''s. Feng Liu was the only one left, but Zhou Fan just picked her up and threw her away. She had already been defeated. Zhou Fan smacked his hands and called Tong up. Tong was nervous, and his fears were right. When he walked back to the group of spectators, he had a black eye and a fat lip. "What a bully." He mumbled under his breath as he sat down. Hei Ren came up next. Zhou Fan was looking forward to his disciple''s strength. Although Zhou Fan had taught him a lot, he had made sure that Hei Ren knew the importance of self creation. Although he had shown some to Zhou Fan, Hei Ren should have already created many of his own techniques. As Hei Ren walked up to Zhou Fan, his body blurred before disappearing entirely. This was his divine physique. Zhou Fan called it the invisibility divine physique, although the true name would be made by Hei Ren. Zhou Fan''s cultivation had been suppressed to the same level as Hei Ren''s, the 3rd level of the inner world realm. Due to that, even he could not sense Hei Ren, normally of course. If he truly tried, he would probably be able to, but he was simply sparring. It would be good to give Hei Ren the upper hand. As Zhou Fan thought to himself, he suddenly moved to the left. Although he could not see Hei Ren, he had felt the hair on his body get touched, and instinctually moved. While Hei Ren''s divine physique would stop someone''s sight, hearing, and smelling from sensing him, his attacks could still be felt, as could his body. Zhou Fan shot a water whip at the spot he had been standing at, but Hei Ren had already moved. As Hei Ren was indeed Zhou Fan''s apprentice, Zhou Fan already knew how to completely counter Hei Ren''s divine physique. A bubble of water expanded out from his body and covered the entire area. Hei Ren appeared outside the bubble and looked in. "Cheater." He said before disappearing again. Despite countering Hei Ren''s divine physique, Zhou Fan did not expect victory to be achieved so easily. If Hei Ren only had an invisibility divine physique, then Zhou Fan would have never accepted him as a disciple. Invisibility was a terrifying power, but it was not the most terrifying power that Hei Ren held. At the same time, 6 swirling dots of blackness appeared in the 6 directions of the water bubble. All the water began to be sucked into the black holes at a fast pace. Naturally, Zhou Fan was not going to sit and watch. He pointed his finger and a cage of light appeared, covering a black hole. He pointed his finger 5 more times quickly, and all the suction force coming from the black holes had stopped. "Black holes are the natural nemesis of light, and as a result, they are both strong and weak against each other." Zhou Fan said to his disciple. "Unfortunately for you, I have more Qi than you. After all, your divine physique takes quite the hefty price." Zhou Fan said. As if agreeing with his statement, the black holes disappeared and the cages of light collapsed. Hei Ren appeared far away again. "You''re really not even going to let me use my strongest attack." He stated before disappearing. "This is a real fight. I''ve shown leniency so far in order to see what you can do, and now it''s time to suppress you." Zhou Fan said as he pushed his hands together. "Pay attention, you should learn something." He said. Then, a black hole extended from his body and grew quickly, covering the entire battlefield. Although Hei Ren could not be seen or heard, he could be felt. Zhou Fan connected his senses to the black hole he created, and instantly found Hei Ren. Zhou Fan disappeared, and an invisible Hei Ren appeared where he had stood. "I''ll steal your technique since you wanted to show it off so badly." Zhou Fan said. The usually indifferent Hei Ren''s eyes widened in horror as the black hole collapsed and exploded with a force that Hei Ren could not even begin to handle. As a last resort, his body turned into what appeared to be black ink and fell down, disappearing. His body shot up behind Zhou Fan, leaping out of his shadow, before a hand grabbed his neck and kicked him in the stomach, sending him to the spectators location. Zhou Fan''s gaze found Pangu, and his finger gestured for him to come over. Chapter 369: Physical Strength - 369 Chapter 369 - Physical Strength - 369 When Pangu first saw Zhou Fan gesturing for him to come over, he became nervous. It was clear just by looking at his face. As he flew over, his face slowly changed until it seemed ready. He had not fought in a long time, causing him to get used to peace. He had needed to close his eyes and remember the past before he returned to his old self. Soon, he entered the battle area. Without hesitation, his body expanded. It instantly reached the size of a planet, before expanding even further. Eventually he reached the size of multiple solar systems put together. Even Zhou Fan was impressed. The solar systems he was referring to were solar systems that had been expanded due to his mortal dao. Otherwise, his size may reach a hundredth of a normal galaxy. Pangu grabbed his axe that had grown with him and covered it in sky Qi. "Skybreaker." He shouted as his axe fell down immediately. Zhou Fan observed his axe as it fell down. It was an attack much different than before. The last time he had seen it, Pangu had yet to even enter the inner world realm. Now that he had, Skybreaker seemed much stronger. It even incorporated the power of space as it slashed down. Zhou Fan could not help but re-evaluate his impression of Pangu. ''He holds a lot more potential than I had believed.'' He thought to himself as a sword appeared in his hand. Sword Qi covered his sword and he slashed it upwards. Pangu''s axe and the sword met in a cross section, similar to an X. Surprisingly, Pangu''s axe easily shattered the sword Qi and continued downward. When Zhou Fan''s slash of sword Qi was slashed through, the fragments of it suddenly pieced back together and continued forward. Pangu''s axe would hit Zhou Fan first, but Pangu''s eyes would suffer damage. Pangu''s mind moved as fast as it could, analyzing the possibilities of the battle. He then suddenly remembered the battle between Zhou Fan, Feng Liu, and Lu Zhong. At the moment that everything clicked, Zhou Fan appeared in Pangu''s hands, and Pangu''s axe appeared where Zhou Fan had stood. "It takes a lot more effort to replace something so big, but it is not too hard for me." He casually said as his sword Qi nearly blinded Pangu. Pangu fell back while covering his eyes with one hand, and bringing his axe towards him with another. Unfortunately, Zhou Fan had no plans of going easy on him. He raised his hands in the air and formed a long sword of Day Qi, Night Qi, and Sword Qi. The sword extended in the air until it was even bigger in size than Pangu, though it was still as thin as a normal sword. "Daynight Sword slash." Zhou Fan said as the sword fell down onto Pangu. The arm covering his eyes was slashed through and his head was nearly cut through, before he instantly appeared away. Zhou Fan had saved his life. "Finally." Zhou Fan said as he increased his cultivation to match Ying Xiongs and turned towards him. "It''s your turn." Ying Xiong flew over with his hands behind his back. At the moment that he entered the battle area, he instantly activated his divine physique and used all of his stacking powers to produce a cosmic buddha''s palm. Zhou Fan watched it fly towards and applauded. "You never disappoint. Even now, you''ve increased in power. In fact, this attack has nearly reached the god realm in terms of power. Unfortunately, the power of the god realm is not so easily achieved." Zhou Fan said. He then disappeared and reappeared near Ying Xiong. He had not used replacement, but had simply teleported. He smacked towards Ying Xiong, but Ying Xiong had disappeared, reappearing not too far from Zhou Fan. "I expected nothing less. Few have the talent to master teleportation." Zhou Fan said. Although he had mastered teleportation long ago, when he was very weak, it was not a simple thing to do. Teleportation was one of the most complicated techniques in the universe, and very few people could ever learn it. Usually, even the most simple requirement was a space Qi affinity, which was extremely rare. Ying Xiong did not have such an affinity, but managed to master teleportation regardless. "Even you can underestimate someone." Ying Xiong said before smashing down with the buddha''s palm. Zhou Fan attempted to teleport away, but it felt as if a pair of hands were holding him down, stopping him. "Space Lock." Ying Xiong said, arrogance appearing on his face. Zhou Fan was impressed once again. Not only had he mastered teleportation, but he had also learned a way to prevent teleportation. Zhou Fan was getting excited. Nobody besides Ying Xiong could possibly give him a good fight. After hesitating for a moment, Zhou Fan decided to go all out, excluding the offensive and defensive use of Chaos Qi and his divine physique. "Don''t disappoint me." Zhou Fan said as his hands moved together. "Chaos Qi Technique: Anti Qi Zone." Zhou Fan said. Suddenly, all of the Qi within the designated battlefield dispersed, including Ying Xiong''s attack. Qi simply stopped being present. Ying Xiong looked at Zhou Fan with solemnity and surprise. Cultivators, no matter how strong, would always cover their body with Qi for the purpose of lightening themselves. Otherwise, their sheer weight would be too much for their surroundings to handle. Even Zhou Fan had done this long ago, and had rarely removed the Qi since. For many cultivators, and even Zhou Fan, this became an instinct. Even when using every last drop of Qi, a cultivator would naturally ignore the Qi which was lightening themselves, especially since the amount was so little. Now, however, both Ying Xiong''s and Zhou Fan''s Qi were trapped within their bodies, unable to be used in any way, including lightening themselves. Their true physical strengths were revealed. How could a cultivator possibly have a weak body? It never stopped getting stronger, but 99% of cultivators completely ignored it. In an instant, Zhou Fan and Ying Xiong blurred, their fists meeting in between where they had stood. Chapter 370: Fight - 370 Chapter 370 - Fight - 370 The space surrounding them shattered and began to peel back, but neither Zhou Fan nor Ying Xiong moved back an inch. Without pause, they threw out a volley of punches, numbering millions every single second. It was hard to even describe how much the space surrounding them was suffering from their fight. Blood began to appear on both of their fists. Although Zhou Fan''s body talent was great, it was not nearly as incredible as his other talents. As for Ying Xiong, his body talent was equal to his other talents. Due to that, both were evenly matched. Of course, that was only because Zhou Fan had lowered his realm, which had also lowered his physical strength. After an entire minute of constant punching, both Ying Xiong and Zhou Fan''s arms were destroyed. Their fists did not even exist, and all that remained of their forearms were bloody bones and pieces of meat. Still, neither stopped punching. For people like them, willpower came naturally in the form of superiority. Although he was below Zhou Fan, Ying Xiong was above everyone else. How could someone like that feel pain? It was not very logical, but nobody would question it. After nearly 20 minutes of constant punches, both men finally pulled back. Their arms were no more. Although they were visibly healing, it was going very slow without Qi. It would likely take up to a year. Zhou Fan was forced to cancel his Anti Qi zone, and his arms instantly healed. Ying Xiong''s arms similarly healed in an instant. Though it cost a large amount of Qi to heal so instantly, both men were very willing to do it. As for the healing techniques they had used, of course they had them. Ying Xiong used a fully powered cosmic buddha''s palm with layers, and a large amount of fiend Qi burst out of Zhou Fan''s body. Pangu''s eyes immediately focused much harder than before. Fiend Qi swirled around Zhou Fan''s body and formed a giant in the middle of a smacking motion. Ying Xiong''s cosmic buddha''s palm was on a different trajectory, so the giant''s smack landed on Ying Xiong at the same moment that Ying Xiong''s cosmic buddha''s palm landed on Zhou Fan. Ying Xiong shielded himself with a golden bell, and Zhou Fan sneered. He instantly disappeared, the giant made of fiend Qi replaced his body and collided with the buddha''s palm. Zhou Fan had appeared right in front of Ying Xiong''s bell and punched out, his body enhanced with Qi. Ying Xiong''s eyes widened as the fist collided and his bell was sent flying away, multiple cracks covering it. It took an instant for Ying Xiong to understand what had happened. He immediately locked down the space around him, but Zhou Fan was far away holding a giant flaming arrow in his hand. The giant flaming arrow had water wrapped around it in a spiral, wind forming a current below it, and earth hardening its tip. "Four elements arrow." Zhou Fan said as he threw it with all of his strength. Ying Xiong was unable to react to the arrow''s speed and his bell was pierced. Luckily, his defenses weren''t so easily defeated. The arrow had pierced through the bell''s wall, but stopped a few inches from Ying Xiong''s face. Ying Xiong dispersed the bell, causing the arrow to fall down and dissipate. Zhou Fan and Ying Xiong stood in space, silently staring at each other. "I''m curious." Zhou Fan said. "What is that technique called? The one with the rotating stars." Zhou Fan asked. "The cosmic support art. It has no offensive or defensive properties itself, but it will enhance any technique it is used with, though it usually takes a lot of practice to be able to use it with another technique." Ying Xiong explained. "Interesting." Zhou Fan said as metal Qi began to wrap around his body in a spiral motion. "I suppose you truly are worth me going all out. Get ready." Zhou Fan said as he finally completely stopped holding back, ignoring Chaos Qi and his divine physique. Zhou Fan blurred and immediately disappeared. When he reappeared, his hand was grabbing at Ying Xiong''s face. Ying Xiong hurriedly released a blast of fire Qi, propelling him away, but Zhou Fan''s hand turned into two fingers and pointed at Ying Xiong. Ying Xiong quickly covered himself with his bell technique. In an instant, a sword tip that seemed like the yellow piercing sword finger appeared in between Ying Xiong''s eyebrows. It had pierced the bell instantly, although it had slowed down quite a bit. Ying Xiong moved his head, but the left side was instantly pierced through. Luckily, it had missed the brain. Zhou Fan did not relent. His finger and thumb opened, and giant hand made of metal Qi appeared and pinched at Ying Xiong. Ying Xiong was instantly caught and his body began to get crushed. He barely escaped by using teleportation, but surprisingly, just moments later, the hand appeared in the same place and pinched down again. Ying Xiong tried to teleport away, but Zhou Fan locked down space this time. As his body was being crushed, Ying Xiong used his last resort. Zhou Fan watched as buddha statues began to appear on the metal hand like a rash. The Buddha statues were surrounded by rotating stars and began to corrode the metal hand. For a moment, the hand weakend and Ying Xiong escaped. As he turned around, all he saw was Zhou Fan right in front of him, coldly staring into his eyes, palm stretched out. "Buddha''s palm." Zhou Fan said. A giant buddha''s palm appeared in space, and Ying Xiong''s body was instantly broken. The next thing he knew, he had woken up on a platform, all the members of the cosmic sect surrounding him. "Are you okay?" Some of them asked. Ying Xiong simply laid there, his limbs spread out, and began to slowly laugh. The members of the cosmic sect, including Pangu, Hei Ren, Feng Liu, and Lu Zhong slowly backed away. They had never seen Ying Xiong like this. Soon, Ying Xiong''s laugh was loud enough for the entire galaxy to hear. "I admit it." He said quietly to himself. Chapter 371: Leaf - 371 Chapter 371 - Leaf - 371 Over the next year, Zhou Fan spent his time in the cosmic sect. He created the system that would allow great talents to receive Ying Xiong''s invitation, and helped add additions to the teleportation hub. He also spent more time with Ying Xiong. Ever since their last battle, Ying Xiong had sought out Zhou Fan more. He had asked many questions and received help many times. As a result, Ying Xiong''s strength was undergoing drastic changes. For others, Zhou Fan may not be willing to help them so much, but Ying Xiong was different. He was truly talented, and he deserved respect from even Zhou Fan. Unsurprisingly, when everyone else saw Zhou Fan helping Ying Xiong so much, they began to seek him out more. At some point, Zhou Fan barely had a moment of peace. He ended up putting down rules that someone could only visit him for help once a year, excluding Ying Xiong. This caused Zhou Fan to once again live peacefully in his courtyard. Once, Zhou Fan pulled up a fish in the lesser dao creation realm. They awkwardly looked at each other for a moment before Zhou Fan lowered his rod and put the fish back where it came from. Zhou Fan got up and left the mountain. He felt that the fish was a sign for him to leave. He left the cosmic sect with waving people behind him. He had chosen to leave Hei Ren in the cosmic sect, and not take him with him anymore. Although he was satisfied with his disciple, he had essentially reached his peak. It was highly unlikely for him to reach the god realm, and even if he did, he would stop there. Zhou Fan needed to think about requirements for accepting disciples in the future. At the very least, they would have to have talent beyond Ying Xiong''s. Yet, even after so much time had passed, Ying Xiong was still the most talented person in the universe besides Zhou Fan. It would likely be a very very long time before Zhou Fan was able to accept another disciple. Zhou Fan moved out of the cosmic sects galaxy and went to the top of the Zhou supercluster. He took a deep breath and prepared to enter seclusion for the foreseeable future. Hopefully, someone truly talented would be born during that time. If that happened, he would take them before the cosmic sect did. Just short of 700 billion years later, Zhou Fan''s eyes opened. He was at the peak of the outer world realm. He was not yet ready to reach another realm, and planned to do some things before that. Excitedly, Zhou Fan took out a block of ice. In it was a single 5 year old child. This child was not human, or even humanoid. Zhou Fan laughed to himself as he looked at it. Not only was it not human, but it was not beast either. In fact, many people would debate whether or not its species was even truly alive. Inside the ice block was a tiny sapling, a young tree, just 5 years old. It had 0 intelligence. It simply existed and grew. Still, this tree had meridians. And they were not low level meridians. It was a level of talent that was an outlier amongst the entire universe, just how Ying Xiong was. Zhou Fan instantly moved to a planet in the nearest galaxy. It had produced many species, and the environment was similar to earth. Zhou Fan carefully melted the ice and created nutrient-filled dirt beneath the saplings'' roots. The roots quickly took place in the floating dirt and absorbed nutrients. Zhou Fan created a dome around him and the sapling that prevented any living being from interacting with him or the sapling. He carefully poured life Qi out and nurtured the tree. It slowly experienced an increase in cultivation and intelligence. Over the period of nearly 10 years, Zhou Fan spent every moment perfectly caring for the tree. One day, the tree, which was still a sapling that looked no different from before, began to wave its small branches. It acted as if it was searching for something, or someone. When it touched Zhou Fan the branches wrapped around him and embraced him as if he was the saplings parent. In some way, he was. Zhou Fan decided to name the sapling "Leaf". Leaf''s cultivation had not increased by much. It was only at the peak of the foundation establishment realm. Zhou Fan had spent most of his effort carefully nurturing its intelligence. Although it was easy for him to grant things intelligence and cultivation, there were many side effects, especially once it reached the higher realms. Although it would have a miniscule, or even 0 effect if he raised Leaf''s intelligence and cultivation to its current state speedily, he did not want to take any risks. Instead of forcefully giving it intelligence and cultivation, he had simply guided it and did very little himself. In its current state, Leaf was essentially a human child in terms of intelligence. His talent was above the immortal god rank. It was a new rank, named the immortal Godking rank. He was not low leveled within the immortal Godking rank. Leaf had immortal Godking 1 ranked meridians. Even Zhou Fan found such a level of talent completely shocking. Leaf also had many affinities, all of them relating to nature in some way, and a divine physique, though Zhou Fan had almost no clue what it did. Within the dome that Zhou Fan created, Leaf happily entwined around him, showing its affection in a way that plants apparently did. Although Leaf could not speak or understand words, Zhou Fan still felt an urge to speak to it, just like a parent spoke to a newborn. "There was a joke that Ying Xiong told me. I can''t remember most of it, but the punchline went, "Leaf me alone, I''m bushed!"" Zhou Fan said. Leaf could not understand him, but it seemed happy to hear him speak at all. As he played around with Leaf, Zhou Fan could not help but think of how he would take Leaf with him in the future. After all, he would absolutely not leaf him alone. Chapter 372: Mini-World - 372 Chapter 372 - Mini-World - 372 As he thought more and more over the matter, Zhou Fan''s thoughts began to reach a conclusion. The best thing to do would be to create some sort of mini-world. It would be a world contained in a very small area, something that Zhou Fan would be able to take with him anywhere he went. With his mastery of space, such a thing would not be very difficult. In some ways, it shared similarities with creating a spatial ring, although it was much more complicated than that. Zhou Fan thought for a moment before creating a sword. The sword was very powerful. Zhou Fan managed to enhance the metal until it was at the true god realm, though that took a bit of time and Qi. Zhou Fan planned to make the mini-world within the sword, or rather, the mini-world itself would be the sword. He chose a sword since it was easy to carry around and didn''t stand out too much. He could simply put the sword on his back and he would never be far away from Leaf. The process was complicated without a doubt, but explaining it was simple enough. The outer shell of the sword, which everyone would see, would be essentially the atmosphere of the world. Inside the sword would be compressed space. By entering that compressed space, one would see a large world. Zhou Fan first excavated the inner parts of the sword, leaving only the outside shell. Then, he grabbed some space and locked it within the sword. He then added more space to that space, compressing it. With a couple arrays and formations, a large and stable space could be entered just by charging your Qi through the sword. That space would be empty and the only thing one would see would be far off walls, or the inner wall of the sword. Zhou Fan temporarily left sapling alone, putting a large amount of natural dirt, water, and air into his separate space before entering the sword mini-world. He created a large layer of dirt covering the bottom half of the sword''s mini-world. The mini-world was extremely large, taking up as much space as earth before Zhou Fan ever expanded it, just flat. Next, Zhou Fan added rivers within the mini-world, using the extra dirt to create some hills. Finally, he released air, bringing vibrance to the mini-world. He had brought in natural dirt and water so that he did not have to create the tiny creatures and nutrients within them himself. Next, Zhou Fan used sun Qi in order to form a sun in the air that gave off heat, light, and a feeling of life. After that, Zhou Fan made a blue sky and created a natural system of clouds and weather. Finally, he created some trees to accompany Leaf. After all, he would have to spend large amounts of time alone, although he would likely not feel it much as he was a tree. Zhou Fan was done with the creation process. Next was the enhancement process. He did not need to enhance it, but he wanted the best environment for Leaf. He spread out his divine sense, and every single part of the ecosystem was perfectly refined in a way that only a top tier cultivator could do. He also spread out life Qi all around him in order to help Leaf grow. Naturally, there was already Qi inside the mini-world. Zhou Fan left the mini-world and appeared next to Leaf. Sensing his presence, Leaf began to sway and reach out for him. Zhou Fan played around with Leaf for a bit before bringing him to the sword''s mini-world. When they appeared, they appeared in the very center of the mini-world. Feeling the environment, Leaf''s roots began to move in a bout of excitement. Zhou Fan sat him down, and Leaf instantly rooted himself in the ground before beginning to breathe Qi. Plants cultivated differently from humans, and while somewhat similar to beasts, their systems were also completely different. As he had said, plants would breathe Qi instead of absorbing it. They would naturally take the Qi into their bodies, and it would flow within them, before finally leaving. During the process, they would absorb a tiny amount of Qi. This would make their cultivation much slower, which was why powerful plants were a rarity on most planets. This meant that talent was usually unimportant to plants. After all, they would cultivate slowly no matter what. Even Leaf, with immortal godking meridians, would cultivate slower than a normal, untalented human. However, Leaf''s talent would allow him to almost never reach a bottleneck, which plagued many cultivators. Even Ying Xiong suffered from them. Only Zhou Fan was an exception. With Leaf''s talent, even Zhou Fan did not know how far he would go. Regardless, it would take an overwhelming amount of time. Zhou Fan even had a feeling that Leaf''s divine physique would cause him to cultivate slower, though that was only an instinctual feeling. Luckily, plants'' lifespans were also different from humans. In the same realm, they could live from hundreds of times longer to millions of times longer than a human. The exact amount was unknown and random. Zhou Fan watched as Leaf happily absorbed the Qi around him and was relieved. If Leaf didn''t enjoy the process of cultivating, then Zhou Fan had no idea how he would feel when Zhou Fan spent billions of years in seclusion. Zhou Fan exited the swords mini-world, and Leaf appeared next to him. Leaf could uproot at any time, so leaving the mini-world was never an issue. With Zhou Fan''s guidance, Leaf moved onto his back, before wrapping around him. Wherever Zhou Fan went, Leaf would follow. Zhou Fan moved through space, while protecting Leaf of course, and soon arrived at the cosmic sect. He instantly noticed how much it had changed from before. The outer area of the cosmic sect was bustling, and the inner section also seemed to be active, although less so. There were more buildings in the inner section, as there must have been a lot of new students over the last 700 billion years. Zhou Fan was soon spotted, and a few people flew towards him. Chapter 373: Complaints and Suggestions - 373 Chapter 373 - Complaints and Suggestions - 373 Three people flew towards Zhou Fan. One held a spear and seemed like a guard, while the other two seemed younger and looked like students. "Halt. Who are you to enter the inner area of the cosmic sect?" The man who looked like a guard asked. "Zhou Fan." Zhou Fan said. The guard did not seem to recognize the name, but the two people behind him certainly did. One put a hand on the guard''s shoulder to stop him from speaking further, while the other bowed to Zhou Fan. "Our apologies for not recognizing you, Sir origin god." The student said. Zhou Fan looked at him with confusion. "Origin god? Do you have the right person?" Zhou Fan asked. "Of course. Zhou Fan, the origin god, the first cultivator. Now that I take a closer glance, it is obvious." The student said. "I''ll go get the sect master." Zhou Fan waited. He assumed that the origin god was a title given to him. He just did not know who would give it to him. Soon, Ying Xiong arrived in front of Zhou Fan. "The origin god, huh." Zhou Fan said. "Lu Zhong and Feng Liu decided to give you that title. There is also a statue of you. Your disciple Hei Ren created it." Ying Xiong said. "Whatever." Zhou Fan said as he began flying towards the center of the Cosmic Sect. "Let me see the statue." Ying Xiong nodded and brought Zhou Fan towards a large building. It was a temple. As he entered through two large doors, he saw a marble floor and white walls. There was gold everywhere, lining everything within the temple. Far ahead was a statue of Zhou Fan made out of stone. He had to admit, it looked just like him. Still, he was dumbfounded by the design of the temple itself. He did not even consider that Lu Zhong and Feng Liu would do such a thing. He did not know how to feel, so he decided to just ignore it. "What is that plant wrapped around you?" Ying Xiong finally asked after staring at Leaf for an entire minute. "His name is Leaf. You can consider him my disciple, though he seems to treat me like a father." Zhou Fan said. Ying Xiong was confused, but like Zhou Fan had with the temple, he decided to ignore it. "Call Hei Ren over." Zhou Fan said. Ying Xiong nodded and sent a message to Hei Ren. In just a second, Hei Ren appeared in front of Zhou Fan and knelt. "Hello master." Hei Ren said. "It''s good to see you again. This is your junior brother." Zhou Fan said as he pointed to one of Leaf''s branches. Hei Ren looked stunned and confused as Leaf waved at him. "Um. Hi." Hei Ren said. "Anyways." Zhou Fan clapped his hands. "I have a request." "What do you need, master?" Hei Ren asked. "Look at me closely." Zhou Fan said. Hei Ren lifted his head and did so. "Remake the statue, but add Leaf." Zhou Fan said seriously. Once again, Hei Ren was stunned. "Alright." He said as he left the temple. "And make him colored!" Zhou Fan shouted. His statue was made out of gray stone and did not have any color, so he made sure to tell Hei Ren that Leaf should have color. Soon, Hei Ren returned and replaced the statue in the temple. Zhou Fan looked the same, but there was a brown and green sapling wrapped around his body, just how Leaf was. Zhou Fan nodded, the statue was much better than before. "Alright, I did not come here to play around. Tell all of the sect''s disciples, and even everyone in the outer area, to gather." Zhou Fan said before he disappeared. He floated in space, waiting for everyone to gather. Soon, there were around 20,000 people in front of him, the entirety of the cosmic sect. Few were disciples. Many were wearing some suits that allowed them to be in space without being in the void traversing realm. Some were descendants of disciples and some were family members descended from the group once brought with the shipment of disciples from long ago. With the new system in place, families would no longer be brought, but the damage had already been done, causing many ordinary cultivators to live in the cosmic sect. As Zhou Fan surveyed the people, it was clear that they all recognized him as the origin god. There was probably more than just a single temple. "Alright. I have a serious request for all of you." Zhou Fan said as a wooden box appeared in front of him. Painted on its side was the phrase, "Complaints and suggestions". Zhou Fan waved his hand, and a large amount of paper appeared around everyone. "If anyone has any complaints or suggestions, or even something that could be refined, about cultivation or the universal structure, please write it down and put it in this box." Zhou Fan said. Everyone present was stunned, including Ying Xiong and the disciples of the sect. "I will leave boxes around the cosmic sect. At any time that an idea occurs to you, please write it down and put it in a box. Thank You." Zhou Fan said as he disappeared, leaving a box floating in his place. Zhou Fan did not believe that he alone could perfectly design cultivation and the universe. He was not that creative. It would be interesting to see what others thought about the matter. He did not concern himself with what happened around the cosmic sect for the next year or so. He spent his time relaxing on his mountain and watching Leaf grow. It seemed that, no matter how much time passed, Leaf never grew or increased its cultivation. It would take a very long time for changes to occur within Leaf, especially due to his divine physique. Finally, after around 5 years passed, Zhou Fan collected all the papers within the boxes. He piled them into a small mountain in his yard and began to read them. Chapter 374: The Sage Realm - 374 Chapter 374 - The Sage Realm - 374 Zhou Fan grabbed the first piece of paper and read it. "I want my son to love me again." Zhou Fan looked at the letter, stunned for a moment, before tossing it away. "I want Daisy to fall in love with me." Zhou Fan tossed the piece of paper away again. "I want to find my lost necklace." Zhou Fan threw the paper away. ''I may not have been clear enough.'' He thought to himself. Still, he did not stop reading the papers, hoping to find a few good ones. "I think it would be cool if cultivation was easier." Zhou Fan was relieved to finally find an ok piece of paper, but he did not plan on putting it into effect. After 10 more useless papers, Zhou Fan pulled out another one related to cultivation. "I would like it if there were more people to kill. There seems to be no enemies anymore." ''Probably because you''re living in the cosmic sect.'' Zhou Fan thought before tossing the paper away. Many more useless papers later, another one on the topic of cultivation was found. "I wish there were ways to get talent without being born with it." This one interested Zhou Fan. He felt that it had some merit. After all, there was essentially no way for someone without talent to reach a high cultivation realm. That was why the cosmic sect had all of the inner world cultivators in the universe. Talent was the basis for reaching such a realm. Zhou Fan noted the last paper down and continued. None of the remaining papers gave too many good ideas. Around 95% of them were unrelated to cultivation at all. Zhou Fan waved his hand and collected the suggestions boxes. They would not be of much further use within the cosmic sect. It was about time for him to continue cultivating. With Leaf around him, he said goodbye to the people within the cosmic sect. Soon, he was far away from the Zhou supercluster, floating in the endless dark space. He put Leaf in the sword''s mini-world, but made sure that he could enter and leave any time he wanted. Luckily, Leaf was still a plant. The passing of time did not affect him that much. Zhou Fan crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and began to cultivate. 500 billion years later, Qi pulsed out of his body in waves. Its power was enough to completely obliterate space, but for some reason, it did not. Zhou Fan opened his eyes. He had entered "the sage realm". Besides the increase in everything that naturally came with a breakthrough, there was only one new thing. He called it, one with the universe. Now, unless he had the intention of doing so, his attacks, no matter how strong, would not break space. It was a very useful ability, and he was glad that it existed. Along with the excitement of having such an ability, he was also excited by the possibilities that such an ability would add when used with arrays. He immediately began to practice the 5 main arts to the 13th rank. Each took 20 billion years, for a total of 100 billion years. The first thing that Zhou Fan did when he finished his seclusion was to check on Leaf. When he looked inside the mini-world, he saw Leaf happily swaying while breathing Qi. He was in the nascent soul realm. Zhou Fan was astonished to see just how slow his growth was. It was actually terrifying. He would be less shocked if someone cultivated to the inner world realm in 1000 years than he was right now. Zhou Fan shook his head and sobered up from his shock. He looked around, and the plants near Leaf were also swaying, following his movements. Most of them did not have intelligence, but it seemed that Leaf still managed to affect them. Zhou Fan walked up to Leaf, who happily greeted him and wrapped around him. Zhou Fan played with Leaf. He realized that Leaf cultivating slowly may not be a bad thing. It likely signified that Leaf''s lifespan would be horrifyingly long. After all, he had lived for 600 billion years in the nascent soul realm. That was as shocking to Zhou Fan as the fact that he was only in the nascent soul realm. Zhou Fan left the mini-world with Leaf wrapped around him. He planned on going to the cosmic sect, but he first wanted to expand his mortal dao. He felt that it could increase in size, and not just slightly. From the large areas that his mortal dao covered, it began to expand. It expanded fast, and went far without any sign of slowing down. Zhou Fan watched in amazement as the entire Zhou filament was covered. It was a level of growth he did not expect, not even for a second. Covering all 5000 large areas in the filament was one thing, but all the space between them was incomprehensible. It was not as if the large areas were next to each other, or even near each other. The difference between the space between the large areas and the large areas was more than a ratio of 1000 to 1. While he was shocked, Zhou Fan did not stay shocked for too long. He did not even know what to do with so much space. Soon, he and Leaf arrived at the cosmic sect. Just as he arrived, Ying Xiong met him. It seemed that he had been waiting for him. "I am ready to make a breakthrough." Ying Xiong said. "To the god realm?" Zhou Fan asked. "Yes." Ying Xiong replied. "I was waiting for you so that I could avoid any possible complications in my breakthrough. Now that you are here, I can finally start." Ying Xiong explained. "Sure, I don''t mind that, but let me do something first." Zhou Fan said as he turned to leave. With the new abilities of 13th rank arrays, he needed to change something. Firstly, he reverted all the space that he had ever strengthened to its natural state. Every cultivator at the space shattering realm and above felt the change, but it vanished quickly. Zhou Fan had affected the entire Zhou supercluster with a 13th rank array that incorporated the special ability of the sage realm, "One with the universe", as well as the power of his mortal dao. Chapter 375: Tribulation - 375 Chapter 375 - Tribulation - 375 In essence, the array did not truly change much. It only made things more natural. Instead of forcibly increasing space''s strength, it simply increased the resistance that space had against attacks. Each layer of space had a certain level of resistance, and it was nearly impossible for anyone to even reach the final layer. Even Ying Xiong would be unable to. Soon, Zhou Fan returned to the cosmic sect. Ying Xiong had been waiting, and upon seeing Zhou Fan give a nod, flew out of the galaxy and began to breakthrough. Zhou Fan was the only one near him, watching him start his breakthrough. As he watched, Zhou Fan felt that it was too easy. It would be much more logical if there was some sort of interference or challenge to breaking through. Zhou Fan sent Ying Xiong a voice transmission. Ying Xiong''s face changed, but he nodded in agreement. As he went through the process of breaking through, lightning began to flash above him. Ying Xiong looked up, ready for it, and a lightning bolt struck down. It hit Ying Xiong, but he did not even react. The next bolt began to flash, and Ying Xiong felt power from this one. He covered himself with his bell before the bolt struck down. Bang! His bell was struck and rang out, but it was only slightly charred. Another, and the final bolt began to prepare to descend. Ying Xiong felt some danger to this one, and as the bolt fell down, a cosmic buddha''s palm met it. The two attacks dispersed each other. Soon, Ying Xiong successfully broke through. "What was that for?" Ying Xiong asked immediately. He did not even check out his new strength or test out the divinity within him, but instantly questioned Zhou Fan. "I''m considering adding "Tribulations" during certain breakthroughs. It would finally create a challenge to prevent anyone with talent from breaking through." Zhou Fan explained. "But that was pretty weak." Ying Xiong stated bluntly. "I''m still working out the specifics. Plus, do you think everyone who reaches the god realm would be as talented as you?" Zhou Fan asked. "Probably." Ying Xiong responded. Zhou Fan relented. "Fine. In that case, prepare for a real tribulation." Lightning began to flash above Ying Xiong, who immediately broke through space and ran away. "Just kidding." He said shamelessly. Zhou Fan shook his head and returned to the cosmic sect, Leaf still wrapped around him. As he returned, he saw Ying Xiong telling all of his disciples about his breakthrough. They looked at him with clear admiration. Zhou Fan was about to ignore the group and go past them, but someone suddenly pointed at him. "Is that the origin god?" He said. Everyone''s attention turned away from Ying Xiong and focused on Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan waved and began to walk away, but before he could, he was surrounded. Everyone surrounding him bowed and greeted him. "It''s an honor to meet the origin god." The majority of them said. Others said a variation of that. Zhou Fan assumed this was the part where he acted cool. "It is an honor for me to meet the future cultivators of our universe. I hope that each and every one of you can reach the god realm." Zhou Fan said. Many of the disciples were excited by his encouragement. It made for a weird sight considering that many took on an elderly appearance fitting for their age. Luckily, there were a few people that kept young faces. Zhou Fan soon excused himself and entered his mountain, where he rested with Leaf for the next few days. Soon, he left the mountain. It was time to change cultivation society, and Zhou Fan had many ideas. He had considered testing his power, but there was really no point. He would experience nothing interesting. Zhou Fan left the Zhou supercluster and entered the forbidden land. Long ago, he had considered creating a race that could survive such conditions, but not only would it have been difficult, but he did not have much interest at the time. Unfortunately for humanity and all other races, he had understood something while staying within the cosmic sect. There was really no point in cultivating for most people. At some point, it would likely be better to just give up. Increasing lifespan was one of the few benefits, and authority was as well. However, some could argue that there was truly no need for cultivators to exist within the universe. They lived for one simple reason, to live. People like Ying Xiong stopped others from doing bad things out of boredom or desire, but that only served to once again lower the incentives of cultivating. Zhou Fan did not really consider himself a part of humanity. That allowed him to look at everything from a much different point of view. A neutral point of view. Long ago, for the Zhou Galaxy, he had created the grim reaper. What he planned on doing now would be for the same purpose, but much different than before. This time, he would not do it for the sole purpose of creating a common enemy. This time, he would create a true race with free will, just as humans, celestials, beasts, and others did. In other words, he would not stop these beings from destroying humanity, as long as they earned it. He would not prefer such a thing, but if it happened, he could only blame humans and other such races. Within the forbidden land, Zhou Fan began to design the race. Technically, there would be multiple races, but the first one would be the race that signified destruction. In simple terms, they would be humanoid black holes. This was one of the only ways that Zhou Fan could create a race that could survive in the forbidden land. Each member of the race would be born at the void traversing realm. Luckily, they would have a low reproduction rate, but not too low. There would be plenty alive. First things first, creating the first member of the race. As he moved his fingers, he felt nostalgia. Long ago, Tian Ren was the first Heavenborn. There were also the first celestials. This time, he would be creating a race that could be considered polar opposites of those two. Chapter 376: The Destruction Race and The Great World- 376 Chapter 376 - The Destruction Race and The Great World- 376 Soon, a humanoid figure stood in front of Zhou Fan. He was the first among the race of humanoid blackholes. His entire body was one big swirl, with black lines and gray background. As the first of its kind, this one would be different. It would be very intelligent. Still, it would have the urge to destroy and harm, but it would be smart about it. Even to the point of making long plans in order to cause the most damage. It stood still, floating in space as Zhou Fan created other members. The next one looked exactly like the previous one, but as soon as it was born, it began to run around and attempt to cause destruction. "Silence." A voice said, causing the new creature to become stiff and still. The one who had spoken was the first humanoid blackhole. As an intelligent being, he held absolute control over those of his species without intelligence. "I, Lin Zhenwu, the first member of the destruction race, hereby command you to kneel." The voice said. Without thought or hesitation, the 2nd member of the destruction race knelt down in the first member''s direction. Soon, more and more began to pop up, and every new one would kneel. Creation of the destruction race only stopped when their total numbers reached 100. Among those 100, only 1 was intelligent. "I, the king of the destruction race, Lin Zhenwu, hereby command each and every one of you to reproduce." The first member of the destruction race announced. Without thought or hesitation, the members of the destruction race listened. They were different from humans when it came to reproduction. The members of the destruction race ran into blackholes at full speed and self detonated. The explosion, although weak, seemed to resonate with the blackhole, which then shrunk. When it finally stopped shrinking, there were two humanoid blackholes. Members of the destruction race reproduced by dying in a blackhole. They had to choose their blackhole''s carefully, as ones too powerful would only devour the members of the destruction race. Only the king did not reproduce. As long as there were blackholes, members of the destruction race would be able to reproduce. Even if they one day ran out of blackholes, if even a single member gained the ability of understanding of creation, there would be no end to the amount of destruction race members that could be created. As the creation process was taking place, the king left. As he was not far away from it, he soon saw the great sight of the great attractor. It was a blackhole. "One day, I shall surpass you." He said before turning around and returning. The king sat back on his self created throne and solemnly watched as new members were created. Soon, he began to cultivate. The king''s talent was not to be underestimated. He had immortal god 1 rank meridians, though his only affinity was blackhole Qi. He also had a blackhole divine physique. Meanwhile, Zhou Fan had returned to the cosmic sect. He had considered creating other races, but he had outdone himself with the destruction race. They would be plenty of a threat all by themselves. He soon left the cosmic sect, ready to create another thing. After traveling for a while, Zhou Fan arrived at his destination. The 25 patch great area was right in front of him. With a wave of his hand, all of the dirt that made up the great patch area began to deform and flow towards Zhou Fan. Soon, a giant ball of dirt was formed from 50% of the dirt and other minerals from the 25 patch great area. The rest was still coming towards him. At this time, the great attractor flared up. A giant burst of flame was sent towards Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan flicked his finger, and the great attractor was erased from existence. He found it a pity to do so, but he had always wanted to see what would happen. Space destabilized, and a great explosion ensued. Even bits of cosmic dao could be seen. That was all, just an explosion. Zhou Fan soon left with all of the dirt. As he moved, he collected every bit of dirt he came across, though it was not too much compared to what he gained from the 25 patch great area. Before long, he arrived outside of the Zhou supercluster. He waved his hand, and the dirt flattened out and formed a giant piece of land. It was essentially a flat world. Although it seemed very thin, the depth of the dirt went down farther than a galaxy in every area. Its total land size was even bigger than an entire galaxy cluster in size, even including the space between galaxies. A few people noticed the giant landmass appear as it was very hard to miss. Zhou Fan waved his hand again, and life blossomed on the planet. Grass and trees grew rapidly, mountains formed and sea''s quenched the ground. An atmosphere soon formed and a giant artificial sun began to slowly revolve around the flat world. Before long, the piece of land was completely suitable for human life. Zhou Fan grabbed through space, his hand reaching the Zhou galaxy. He took a hundred random people and spread them across the edges of the circular flat world in pairs of two. They would reproduce, and their children would eventually fill the land. Zhou Fan named this place "The Great World". Although he had created it on a whim, it would be the place of gathering for all of humanity, as no space blocked people from traveling, despite it being bigger than an entire galaxy cluster. The outside of the great world, around which he had thrown the humans, was the safest area with little danger. Even mortals could survive with minimal luck. Zhou Fan planned on making the center of the great world desirable, which would cause all the strongest beings to get as close to the center as possible. The first thing that came out his mind was Qi density. Chapter 377: Ways to Increase Talent - 377 Chapter 377 - Ways to Increase Talent - 377 Well, not exactly Qi density, but cultivation speed. There was no lack of Qi in the universe. The purpose of cultivation pills was to enhance the rate at which you absorb Qi, not the amount of Qi around you. Zhou Fan split the great world into 4 regions. The mortal realm, the outer realm, the inner realm, and the core realm. The core realm was the biggest, and took up a third of the entire great world. The inner realm and outer realm were equally big. Each took up a fourth of the great world. Finally, the mortal realm took up a sixth of the great world. While the mortal realm sounded small, it was so big that a mortal could not even dream of traversing it. It would take them billions of years to do so. The core realm was the biggest since the most powerful cultivators would live there. The entire core realm was on a higher altitude. In other words, the entire core realm was on top of a flat mountain. The mountain was so high that mortals could not see the top, either because their sight did not reach that high or the clouds blocking their view. It was as tall as a galaxy. For the mortal realm, cultivation would be at the same speed as everywhere else. Within the outer realm, cultivation would be 1.1x faster. Within the inner realm, cultivation would be 1.3x faster. Within the core realm, cultivation would be 1.5x faster. This would only take place once a cultivator reached the void traversing realm. The effects would be in place until one reached the peak of the god realm. Next, Zhou Fan scattered beasts and normal animals around the great world. They would grow, reproduce, and eventually cultivate. Zhou Fan planned on giving the world plenty of time to naturally develop. By the time mass migration took place, the world would be inhabited by beasts, plants, and the few humans. Zhou Fan left the great world, intent on coming back in a few billion years. As he was leaving, he saw Ying Xiong standing at the edge of the supercluster, curiously looking at him and the great world. Ying Xiong had become strong enough to traverse the supercluster fairly quick, especially with the many teleportation arrays in place. "You can leave the supercluster now. Anywhere you can reach with your cultivation has already been covered by my mortal dao." Zhou Fan said from far away. "I know, but it would take me too long to reach that new piece of land even if I left." Ying Xiong said. "Would you be interested in adding a teleportation array nearby?" "You can do that yourself. As a god, you should do things without asking others for help." "Well said." Ying Xiong agreed. "This place is off limits for now. You can create a teleportation array near it, but don''t go inside." Zhou Fan said. "Alright. It sure looks interesting." Ying Xiong said. "It won''t be too late for you to learn about it later." Zhou Fan said as he disappeared. "Whatever." Ying Xiong said as he made his way towards the great world. Zhou Fan had a lot of free time for the next billion years or so. He was startled when he realized that a billion years felt like a short time, but that would only increase when he got stronger. As he moved, Zhou Fan remembered the suggestion he had gotten. A way to increase talent. The biggest question that a person could ask would be, is life fair? In a cultivation world, the answer was absolutely no. Talent was more important than anything else. Luck was a close second. It could actually be considered number 1 if you believed that luck decided talent. Zhou Fan planned on creating some way to increase talent, whether through a legendary fruit or a cultivation technique. There would still be a degree of luck necessary, but it would not be a one time chance like when talent was decided. Zhou Fan connected to his mortal dao. For every region that had life, such as the Zhou galaxy or the Heaven galaxy, he set up a chance of a talent increasing fruit appearing. Every 1000 years, there was a 0.1% chance of such a fruit appearing. At most, three could exist in one area. The fruits would appear in a completely random location each time. It could be in the middle of space, or in a deep undiscovered cave. He did the same thing with a special technique. By absorbing the blood of people a realm stronger than you with higher talent, you could increase your talent. The technique had the same odds of appearing as the fruit, though the technique could be taught to others. He did not know what sort of evil the technique could cause, but he did not care either. This was a way for people to defy luck and fate. Those born without talent would finally have a chance of increasing that talent and becoming strong. Such techniques would be very useful, especially with the incoming enemies. It should also be noted that neither the fruit nor the technique could be found with divine sense. For a while, Zhou Fan spent some time floating in space and staring at the distance. Occasionally, Leaf would want to play around, and Zhou Fan would oblige. Before he had even realized it, a thousand years had passed. He snapped out of his trance and moved. He left the Zhou supercluster, bringing with him 4,997 pairs of humans, one man and one woman. He planned on throwing some of them in the remaining large area''s and seeing what would happen. He had left the great earth area alone when collecting dirt in order to not have to destroy anymore large areas. As he passed by, a pair of people found themselves in a dome. Outside was an inhuman environment where they could not survive, but the dome kept them safe. It had trees, animals, and everything else that they and their descendants would need to survive. Hopefully, they would give birth to a talented cultivator that would lead them out of the dome. Such a process was repeated 4,996 times. Nearly every large area in the filament had two humans living on it. He had done it to introduce an element of the unknown. Who knew what would happen to those people. Chapter 378: City - 378 Chapter 378 - City - 378 With everything he could think of done, Zhou Fan returned to the Zhou supercluster. He had at least a billion years to waste, and he did not plan to go into seclusion or cultivate. He had spent the vast majority of his life cultivating, and he wanted to spend an extremely long time actually living. He began to wander around the Zhou galaxy. Eventually, he found himself at city gates. After waiting in line, he was asked to prove his identity, but he could not. "I''m a visitor from another kingdom." Zhou Fan said, hoping that kingdom''s and empire''s were still in fashion. "Alright then, here''s a temporary pass. It will allow you to stay in the city for a week. After that, you can either pay a fee weekly, or buy permanent residence in the city." The guard explained before waving him through. Zhou Fan walked into the city and saw bustling streets with carriages and humans. The streets were lined with either shops or other streets. Farther away were houses, inn''s, apartments, and so on. Zhou Fan felt that nothing much had changed over the last hundreds of billions of years. This place was almost exactly the same as Lang Yang city from long long ago. "In that case, I wonder if there is a library." Zhou Fan muttered to himself as he walked along the roads. Soon, he really did find himself a library, though it was much smaller and more humble than the large library he had known before. The library had three floors, and each floor was only a hundred feet wide and long. While it was still one of the larger buildings, this was the only place where knowledge and books were stored in the entire city. "Are you looking for a job?" Someone suddenly said behind him. Zhou Fan turned around and was greeted by a woman holding a stack of papers. One of the papers was being held out towards Zhou Fan. He nodded, grabbed the paper, and read it. It was a job advertisement. The library needed librarians. As long as one had the most basic of knowledge, they would get the job. It felt different than before, but still very similar. If he recalled correctly, there seemed to have been some sort of competition for the librarian positions in the Lang Yang library. In this city, it seemed that the library had to hand out papers to even get people to think of having such a job. "Sure. I''ll take the job." Zhou Fan said. His current appearance was different from his usual one. His hair was shorter and his face seemed rougher. After all, he would easily stand out with his previous long hair and face. His hair was still gray, which stood out as he was not old, but it was simply a single unusual thing. In the past, cultivators had not existed. Now, someone who had bright red hair would simply be considered a fire Qi cultivator. Although cultivation was widespread, few people in the city had cultivation bases at all, and those who did had low cultivation. Even the current city lord was no doubt below the core formation realm. "That''s great!" The woman said. "Follow me." She walked quickly into the building and led Zhou Fan to a front desk. An old man with wrinkles and short gray hair was reading a book. He was a librarian, perhaps the head librarian. "Is this young man applying for the librarian position?" He asked after briefly raising his head. "Yes!" The woman answered with unnecessary excitement. "Alright." The old man said before asking a few questions to Zhou Fan. Luckily, they were all common sense questions. Soon, Zhou Fan was a librarian. He was in charge of half of the 2nd floor. He would start working tomorrow. As Zhou Fan wandered out of the library, he began to walk around again. He saw many food stalls serving unique foods and stores selling things from mortal weapons to low quality healing potions. As the sun fell down and was replaced by the moon, he wandered across a forested area within the city. He did not have a house, and did not plan on buying one. He went into the forested area and slept on the grass. It was a surprisingly refreshing sleep. When he woke up, birds had landed on him and a few spiders were crawling across his body. When he moved, the birds flew away. He smacked the spiders off of him and walked to the library. He did not know what time it was or when he was supposed to start working, so he could only hope that he was not late. It seemed he had woken up early, as the streets were nearly empty and a morning fog still covered the surroundings. Zhou Fan came across the library, but it was not open yet. He sat down and leaned on a wall near a door and closed his eyes. When he came to, the old man from yesterday was tapping on his head. "You''re early, I like your commitment." The old man said jokingly. "Come inside. I bought a little extra breakfast when I saw you here." The old man said as he unlocked the door to the library. Zhou Fan nodded and followed the old man through the door. They entered and sat down at one of the many tables on the first floor. Out of a brown bag, the old man pulled a tray and 4 white buns. "Hot Buns. Bun outside, meat in the middle. Believe it or not, I''ve eaten one of these every morning for the last 12 years. And it''s only twelve because I woke up late once. Ha!" The old man said. "Thank You." Zhou Fan said as he grabbed one of the buns and ate it. It seemed familiar, but he couldn''t remember if he had eaten one before. "You don''t seem to be from around here. Where did you come from?" The old man asked as Zhou Fan ate. "I came from Lang Yang city." Zhou Fan answered. "Never heard of it." The old man commented. "It''s in another kingdom." Zhou Fan said. "That makes sense then." The old man nodded. Chapter 379: Mundane Life - 379 Chapter 379 - Mundane Life - 379 After a few minutes of silent eating, the old man spoke again. "So, why did you leave this Yang Lang city?" The old man asked. "I''m a wanderer. Even Yang Lang city was nothing but a brief stop." Zhou Fan answered. "I see." The old man nodded. "In that case, I''ll have to bother you and ask about your travels some day." "That''s fine." Zhou Fan answered. Zhou Fan''s first workday went well, though there weren''t many people who even entered the library. "It seems that as time passes, fewer and fewer people read books at all, much less come to a library." The old man said at lunch one day. "Why?" Zhou Fan asked. "It''s just that nobody cares about in-depth knowledge of the mortal world. I bet you this place would be packed if it held martial arts or techniques, but it merely holds mortal knowledge." The old man sighed. "Even fewer people come at this time of year, when the blue flower sect begins to recruit people." The old man added. "The blue flower sect?" Zhou Fan asked. "It is the sect that oversees the surrounding kingdoms. It takes up a third of the entire empire. When the blue flower sect begins recruitment, thousands of young people, from 5 years old to 20, pour over there, hoping to join." The old man explained. "It''s rumored that the sect master of the blue flower sect recently broke into the soul formation realm, but there is no actual evidence. If it is true, then the blue flower sect will not merely span a third of the empire. In fact, it may even begin to oversee more than a single empire." The old man added. "The girl you met yesterday will soon set off to participate in the selection exam." The old man remembered. "Will she enter?" Zhou Fan asked. "This old man doesn''t dare to claim I can accurately guess, but in my opinion, she won''t." The old man said. The old man looked Zhou Fan up and down. "You seem pretty young yourself. Do you plan to try and enter the blue flower sect?" The old man asked. "I''m a bit older than 20." Zhou Fan said. "I see. I had guessed so." The old man sighed before standing up. "Time to get back to work." He said as he left. Zhou Fan got up and began to do his job. When he had nothing to do, he would sit down and read some of the books. He limited himself to a mortal''s ability since he planned on staying in the city for a while. Even after an entire day passed, he had not finished an entire book. A week passed. Nothing changed around Zhou Fan and within the library. He had been getting paid, though not much, and had needed to find a bank to put his money in. He did not plan on buying a house or living anywhere for the time being. He would continue to sleep in the small woods. A month passed, but nothing seemed to change. Zhou Fan had completely settled into his job. "Hey. We have a room in the library that''s been empty for a while. Since you seem to enjoy your work, I was wondering if you''d want to live there." The old man stopped by and asked one day. He did not know about Zhou Fan''s living situation, but felt that Zhou Fan was worthy of living in the room. "Sure. How much would it cost?" Zhou Fan asked. "It''s not much. I''ll just take it out of your paycheck. It is a completely empty room, so you''ll have to bring or buy all the things you want in it." The old man answered. "Alright, I''ll move in tonight." Zhou Fan said. "Good." The old man smiled before walking back to the first floor. Zhou Fan left work early in order to purchase items for his room. He bought some carpet, as the floor in the room was concrete, a bed, pillows, blankets, a chair, a desk, and a lamp. It did not take him long to move in, especially since he paid someone to move his stuff in the room. The room was on the first floor of the library in the back. It was reachable by going through a storage room, though only people who worked at the library would enter the storage room. Thus, Zhou Fan spent his first night on a bed in a long time. The next morning, Zhou Fan went to his station early. He had a key to the library now, but he did not plan on opening it early. There was no reason to. Even at its current opening time, nobody came for nearly 3 hours. When the old man arrived at work, Zhou Fan was reading a book. "Up and early I see. Admirable." He chuckled as he walked past the second floor. The day, the week, and the month went by smoothly and calmly. At some point in that time period, the girl that introduced Zhou Fan to the library returned with dejection. She had gone to the blue flower sect, but did not pass the examination. "The blue flower sect mostly consists of girls, with very few boys. Even then, I still failed to get in". She complained to Zhou Fan with her head on the table. Zhou Fan nodded and continued to read. "Are you even listening? Why are all you nerds like this? Always reading books. Can''t you at least comfort me. Offer to take me to dinner or something." She said angrily. Zhou Fan nodded and continued to read. "Was that a nod? Do you want to take me to dinner?" She asked excitedly. Zhou Fan nodded and continued reading. "Do you have a girlfriend?" She asked. Zhou Fan nodded and continued reading. "What? Then why are yo¡ª." She said before pausing. She got up and smacked the book out of Zhou Fan''s hand. "What was that for?" Zhou Fan asked. "I''ve been talking to you." She said. "Oh. Sorry, I tuned you out." Zhou Fan said before grabbing the book and sitting back down. The girl angrily went downstairs without even speaking a word. Chapter 380: Hidden Sword King - 380 Chapter 380 - Hidden Sword King - 380 In what felt like the blink of an eye, a year passed mundanely. There had been no interesting events or occurrences, simply a normal and constant life. As he was eating lunch with the old man, the old man suddenly spoke. "Did you hear about the war?" He asked Zhou Fan. "No." Zhou Fan said as he shook his head. "Apparently, tensions between our kingdom and the neighboring kingdom, one from a different empire, have been rising, and war is expected to break out at any time." The old man said. Zhou Fan felt that this was familiar. ''Isn''t this like what happened back in Yang Lang city?'' He thought to himself. "Our city wouldn''t happen to be on the border of the kingdom, right?" Zhou Fan asked. "It is indeed. If war breaks out, our city will be the first to be attacked." The old man said. Suddenly, the ground shook and the earth was overturned. Zhou Fan and the old man nearly fell out of their chairs. The old man looked out of one of the library''s windows, but the city wall blocked his view of the outside. Zhou Fan could tell what was going on. War broke out. With cultivators, an entire army could be transported underground without anyone noticing. Outside of the city walls was a huge army, numbering in the millions. Among the army were many cultivators. In particular, three were floating in the skies. They were at the core formation realm, and one seemed to be at the peak of that realm. Any core formation cultivator could easily destroy the city. Even the city lord was only at the foundation establishment realm. In the entire kingdom, only the king would be at the nascent soul realm. The emperor himself was only at the peak of the nascent soul realm. The old man looked at the towering walls and sighed. "War never ceases, no matter how many countless years pass. Humans kill humans constantly. It never ends." He said sadly. "Luckily, there are those who are not interested in political power or authority. Those who are truly kind and worthy of being called humans." The old man said. As he spoke, his hand formed two fingers under the table. If Zhou Fan was a mortal, he would not notice it. The old man swiped his two fingers, and outside of the walls, a giant crescent of sword Qi descended. The army was instantly obliterated, down to the last cultivator. A giant ravine was all that remained. Zhou Fan was not surprised. The old man was a soul formation cultivator who lived as a mortal. "I was born and grew up in this city, rarely ever leaving. I''ve never even been to another kingdom before. Even then, I am satisfied. I cannot understand what some people think." The old man shook his head. "It seems it was just an earthquake." Zhou Fan commented. The old man nodded. "Indeed, it must have been an earthquake. I was worried for a moment. This old heart can''t handle so much excitement." As the old man walked down the stairs, Zhou Fan could not help but admire him. The old man was insanely talented. If he had joined a sect, he would have reached the space shattering realm at least. On this small planet, he would have been the strongest by a lot. However, he had always hidden his power and cultivation, simply living, never exploring, never showing off. Few could even understand how the old man could live in such a way. ¡ª----------------------- Although a commotion was caused by the arrival and destruction of the army, the city soon fell into its normal habits again. The only difference was a large ravine outside and the legends of a hidden sword king within the city. Every time the old man heard mention of this, he warmly smiled before quickly regaining calmness. Another year passed quietly and normally. Occasionally, a few powerful cultivators would enter the city, likely searching for the "hidden sword king", but the old man had created a cultivation hiding technique so well made that only a peak void traversing cultivator would be able to sense it. Those who had that cultivation were just below the absolute peak of the planet''s power, as the world ruler was a 1st level space shattering cultivator, according to the old man. They would not bother with such a small thing themselves. "You know, you don''t seem to age much." The old man commented one day. "I suppose I aged a lot when I was younger due to my lifestyle. My face will likely only change in my 50''s." Zhou Fan said. "I see. That makes sense." The old man nodded. He was not suspicious of Zhou Fan. He had not even considered that Zhou Fan was also a hidden cultivator. Also, he had developed a good impression of Zhou Fan and saw him as a true fellow librarian. The girl from long ago had quit and moved on to bigger pursuits. In fact, aside from Zhou Fan and the old man, every other person who had worked in the library had changed. The years seemed to always pass by in an instant to Zhou Fan. Before he had realized it, 3 more years had passed. Although he had not aged a day, neither had the old man. The old man was not suspicious even now. He would only begin to feel like something was wrong in around 20 years or so. An exciting thing happened this day. The old man had not come to work even when it was opening time. Zhou Fan opened the library, and the old man came in 2 hours later with a solemn look on his face. "It happened again." He said when he saw Zhou Fan at the front desk. "What?" Zhou Fan asked curiously. "I woke up late, and no more hot buns are being sold. My streak has ended again." He said, sadness apparent in his voice. "Truly a pity." Zhou Fan said as he left the front desk and went to the second floor. Chapter 381: Lu Wei - 381 Chapter 381 - Lu Wei - 381 3 more years passed quickly. As always, everything had remained constant and steady. At least, until the blue flower sect was destroyed overnight. "Those damn demonic cultivators. They always hide away like rats, only to strike when it is unexpected." The old man said as he read the newspaper. "It is said that half of the people in the sect, including the sect master who had reached the soul formation realm, died. Luckily, the sect master did not go down without a fight. She self-destructed, destroying the soul formation realm demonic cultivator and the rest of the army. Sadly, the blue flower sect will decline, but it will not disappear." The old man sighed. "It''s tragic." Zhou Fan agreed. "Actually, this is one of the better outcomes. Most demonic cultivators fear death and will only attack with absolute confidence. They did not expect the blue flower sect master to be willing to die for her sect. We lost a truly admirable cultivator." The old man said while shaking his head. "Are the demonic cultivators strong?" Zhou Fan asked. "Of course. If not, they would have been wiped out long ago. If I recall correctly, they have 3 void traversing cultivators, with one at the peak of that realm. They are also very good at hiding and running away." The old man said disdainfully. "Have you ever encountered one? You seem to have a personal dislike for them." Zhou Fan asked. "Not in my life, no. It is easy to personally dislike worthless cowards." The old man said. Zhou Fan nodded and did not speak of the subject again. 3 more years passed slowly. The blue flower sect had been rebuilding, but their status was even lower than when Zhou Fan first heard about them. The only thing stopping them from being wiped out or replaced was the achievement of the dead sect master. By sacrificing her life to kill a powerful demonic cultivator, the blue flower sect was granted protection by the ruling power of the world, which Zhou Fan learned to be the tri-sect alliance. Their protection would last 300 years, enough to re-establish themselves. Over the last years, Zhou Fan and the old man had gotten closer. They could even be considered great friends. The old man was more than happy to be friends with a calm and steady person like Zhou Fan. 5 years later, Zhou Fan noticed that the old man was looking at him differently. Along with the usual friendliness, there seemed to be some appreciation and an unspoken understanding. Zhou Fan assumed that the old man had finally realized that he was a cultivator. It would be kind of weird if he had not after so long. Zhou Fan had not aged a day, and not a single feature on his face changed. No facial hair, no change in hair growth, no wrinkles, and no signs of age. Despite the old man making such a realization, the way things went never changed and the old man never spoke of it. Nobody was a regular at the library. Only the old man and Zhou Fan had stayed for so long. "As the seasons change, so do the pursuits and the hearts of humans." The old man sighed. "I''ve met many people, yet all of them eventually go their own ways. It is appreciated to have a long time friend." The old man said as he passed Zhou Fan and patted him on the shoulder. Zhou Fan was used to such behavior. For a few days every 5 years or so, the old man would become melancholy and recite poems or quotes. Everyone seemed to have their own weird behaviors. Ever since he had come to the city, Zhou Fan had brought Leaf out every night. Leaf had no issue with Zhou Fan''s daily absence. He swayed happily in the sword''s inner world. As for the sword, it just sat in the corner of his room. Nothing would happen to it even if Ying Xiong were to attack it with his full strength. 10 years later, Zhou Fan saw the old man walk into the library holding a newborn child in his arms. "I found this child in a basket outside the library. I suppose I can at least understand the thought behind not being ready to have a child, but who in the world decided to leave it in front of a library?" The old man said with confusion. "What do you plan on doing with it?" Zhou Fan asked. "Well. I suppose for now I''ll take care of it here. Either someone from the city government or its mother will come and get it eventually." The old man said. After a long time, the steady life within the library finally changed. Unexpectedly, neither the city government nor the mother came back to claim the child, and after a year, the old man became too attached to let the child leave. As they were sitting down and eating lunch, the old man mentioned that he was planning to adopt the child. "You seem capable of raising a child." Zhou Fan said. He had no opinions on the matter. "I know. I just need to figure out what to name him. Do you have any ideas?" The old man asked. "If you''re adopting him, then name him after you." Zhou Fan said. "He will naturally share my surname, but I still need a first name." The old man said. "How about Long." Zhou Fan said. "No. That is too domineering." The old man rejected. "Tian." "Too arrogant." "Wei?" Zhou Fan asked. "Hmmm. That''s good. Lu Wei." The old man said. Zhou Fan did not have many interactions with Lu Wei for a year, but once he turned two, he began to follow the old man around the library. Lu Wei seemed like a respectable young man. He had black hair and dark brown eyes. He always seemed happy and was always respectful. Even Zhou Fan did not mind Lu Wei. Once he turned four, Lu Wei began to read books often. Sometimes, he would read near Zhou Fan. Once again, Zhou Fan was given the name, Uncle. Chapter 382: Lu Wei鈥檚 Talent - 382 Chapter 382 - Lu Wei''s Talent - 382 As Lu Wei reached the age of 5, he became more curious about the world. "Uncle Zhou Fan, what do you think of cultivators?" Lu Wei asked. "They''re powerful and dangerous. The vast majority are selfish and do not care about the lives of mortals. It is not bad to become a cultivator, but most cultivators are bad." Zhou Fan said, giving his honest opinion. "What if I wanted to become a cultivator?" Lu Wei asked. "Then I suppose I would do my best to help you." Zhou Fan said. "Your father would as well." Lu Wei nodded and thought seriously for a moment. Zhou Fan went back to reading as Lu Wei thought. A few minutes later, Lu Wei spoke again. "If I were to become a cultivator, should I join a sect?" Lu Wei asked. "If you want to become as strong as possible, yes." Zhou Fan said. "The only sect around here is the blue flower sect. Would I really need to join it?" Lu Wei asked. "Unless you have a cultivator to take you elsewhere, I suppose you don''t have a choice." Zhou Fan said. "I see. I''ll go talk to my father." Lu Wei said as he ran downstairs. Zhou Fan shook his head and continued reading. Nearly a week later, the old man brought up the subject. "Lu Wei told me that he wants to become a cultivator. I won''t restrict him, but it is truly dangerous out there. That I''ve heard at least." The old man sighed. "If you can''t stop him and won''t stop him, then don''t worry about it." Zhou Fan said. "I know. The blue flower sect is the only sect around here, but very few men are allowed to join. I don''t want him to feel sad and dejected." The old man explained. "If he can''t even join the blue flower sect when it''s at its lowest, he doesn''t have enough talent to go out and freely live in the world. In that case, you might as well persuade him to stay at the library, and if he wants to cultivate he can cultivate by himself." Zhou Fan suggested. "That makes sense. I suppose an outside perspective helps." The old man mumbled as he got up from his seat. Zhou Fan chuckled to himself as he walked away. The old man did not understand what a gem he had picked up. Until Lu Wei reached the age of 12, the old man helped him train his body and fighting techniques. As the old man and Zhou Fan saw Lu Wei off, he looked more like a 16 year old than a 12 year old. "I hope he does well, even if I want him to live a peaceful life." The old man said. "We''ll see." Zhou Fan said as he went back inside. Once every year, a large string of carriages took any youth who wanted to join the blue flower sect to the gate''s of the sect. Traveling there took a month by mortal carriage. Around a month and a half later, the old man nearly fell out of his chair after receiving a letter. He ran up to the second floor and showed it to Zhou Fan. "Dear father and Uncle Zhou Fan, it seems that my talent is fairly good. As soon as my group finished the talent testing portion of the entrance exams, the grand elder of the blue flower sect accepted me as her personal disciple. I will visit soon, goodbye!" The letter read. "Wow." Zhou Fan said. "Not just "Wow", my son must have some incredible talent for such a thing to happen. What if he is schemed against? What if someone hurts him? What if the grand elder has evil intentions?" The old man asked with worry apparent in his voice. "In that case, it is fate. What can you do about it?" Zhou Fan asked. "Plus, I''m sure he''ll be fine." The old man only calmed down after nearly an hour. "These old bones can''t handle all of this excitement." He said as he took the day off early. Zhou Fan shook his head as the old man walked away. There was no way that a mere blue flower sect would see the extent of that child''s talent. ¡ª--------------- At night, within the blue flower sect, Lu Wei was sitting on the floor of a dark room with faint moonlight coming in through the window. He held out his hand, and a three sided dice appeared on his palm from thin air. After the grand elder had helped him become a 1st level Qi condensation cultivator, he had felt as if there was something in his body. He had kept it hidden from the grand elder, and was only testing it now. "A three sided dice?" He asked himself. He threw the dice on the ground and watched as it landed on a 1. All of a sudden, a large amount of Qi appeared out of nowhere and poured into Lu Wei''s body. In that instant, Lu Wei had absorbed an amount of Qi he could only get after cultivating for 24 hours. The dice turned blurry and disappeared, while Lu Wei panted from exhaustion. Half of his stored Qi had disappeared. He could still cultivate and did so to refill his Qi reserves, as well as regain his stamina. Although it was a roundabout method, Lu Wei had just broken the rules set in place by Zhou Fan pertaining to cultivation speed. With this, he could cultivate twice as fast as anyone else in the same realm in the entire universe. That, with his immortal god 7 rank meridians, there was no telling how far he would be able to go. With his talent, he should have received a letter at the age of 10, but Zhou Fan had stopped it. Now, he would only receive the second letter when he broke through to the space shattering realm. It was about a year later that Lu Wei returned to the library. Of course, he did not return quietly. He came with the grand elder of the blue flower sect on the back of a core formation realm eagle. Chapter 383: Innate Gifts - 383 Chapter 383 - Innate Gifts - 383 The people in the streets dispersed like ants as the eagle came down and landed in front of the library. Excited, Lu Wei jumped off of the eagle, hurriedly rushed to the library''s entrance and burst through the doors. As soon as he entered, he saw the surprised look on the old man''s face, which soon turned to happiness at seeing his son. As Zhou Fan came down the stairs and entered the first floor, he saw the two separating after hugging. "Dad, I''ve become a cultivator. I''m at the 7th level of the core formation realm." He said with excitement. The old man looked at him with confusion. "The 7th level of core formation. After a single year?" He asked, confused. "Indeed. It is truly amazing." A voice said as a woman entered the library. "I can''t comprehend how he does it myself. I''ve never even heard of someone breaking the universal limits for cultivation speed." Seeing the grand elder of the flower sect, the old man bowed, as a mortal usually would to a non-cultivator. "No need." The grand elder said. "The father of my disciple does not need to bow." As she said that, she looked at Zhou Fan leaning against a bookshelf at the side. He averted his gaze when he saw her looking and acted as if he hadn''t noticed her. She took her attention off of Zhou Fan as Lu Wei spoke. "As you know, this is my father." Lu Wei said. He then looked over at Zhou Fan. "This is uncle Zhou Fan." The grand elder nodded. "It is nice to meet you both. This disciple of mine has been begging me to let him return for a while. While we are here, I hope that he can get it all out and return to the sect for a longer period of time." Clearly, the grand elder was hinting at something. As far as she was concerned, Lu Wei was the hope for the future of the blue flower sect. With his talent, they would ascend to heights they would have never even imagined before. After merely a year, he was already in the core formation realm. The Grand elder herself was only in the nascent soul realm. She had only heard of such talent in legends. It was as if Lu Wei did not face bottlenecks. Bottlenecks plagued all cultivators in the universe. It was as if they could not advance, and it would usually only be resolved after a long period of time. The higher someone''s talent, the less resistance they face with bottlenecks. As far as Zhou Fan was aware, he was the only cultivator in the universe to not have bottlenecks. Lu Wei spent a lot of time with his father, and a little bit with Zhou Fan. It was soon made clear to the Grand elder that Lu Wei did not plan on leaving anytime soon. She rented an entire hotel out and would stay in it for the foreseeable future while Lu Wei was visiting. That night, Lu Wei gathered Zhou Fan and the old man in the dusty basement of the library. It was hardly even used for storage and had not been cleaned in a long, long time. Zhou Fan was the last one to clean it, 10 years ago. "Father, Uncle Zhou Fan, there is something I need to show you. You two are the only ones I can completely trust, not even my master knows this." Lu Wei said as he held his hand out. Soon, a three sided dice appeared. The old man looked at it with confusion and closely observed it, while Zhou Fan looked from afar. It would be a complete lie to say that he was not interested in Lu Wei''s innate talent. This innate talent was somewhat different from divine physiques. Divine physiques were as they sounded, physiques. They affected the body, and usually nothing else. Innate gifts were different. They could come in many more variations, and Zhou Fan had spent a good deal of time observing them. Lu Wei''s innate gift was the most outstanding example he had seen so far. Although they hardly existed long ago, they seemed to become more common as time passed, though they were still even rarer than divine physiques. Innate gifts usually came in an unnoticeable form, such as an innate gift of ice that allowed someone to have a greater control over ice, or an innate gift of fire, that did the same thing with fire. After looking at Tong for a while, Zhou Fan understood that he had an Innate gift of earth manipulation. It made sense, though it was not necessarily outstanding. So far, Zhou Fan had seen 5 examples of truly outstanding innate gifts. One person had an innate gift of control, which allowed him to have increased control over Qi''s, as well as control people''s bodies. Another had an innate gift of ink, which led him to creating the ink art, which used drawings as attacks. Another had an innate gift of music. Her music had been enchanting and could even control others. She had only died after a space shattering cultivator imprisoned her to have her make songs for him for the rest of her life. Another was someone with an innate gift of disintegration, which allowed him to disintegrate anything he touched, with a Qi cost of course. He had tragically died after accidentally using the innate gift on himself. Finally, there was Lu Wei, who far outshined the others. "The first side gives me an amount of Qi that I could normally only obtain after 24 hours of cultivating. The second side gives me double the attack power for ten minutes, and the third side makes me invincible to attacks for 10 seconds." Lu Wei said. The old man was so stunned after hearing Lu Wei''s words that he seemed to have forgotten how to speak. "It is a great blessing. Use it wisely." Zhou Fan said from the side. "I know uncle. I will not let you or father down." Lu Wei said righteously. Chapter 384: Youth Tournament - 384 Chapter 384 - Youth Tournament - 384 Before long, the old man finally regained his bearings. "Haha! What a blessing! With this, you will become a grand cultivator, far surpassing others!" The old man said. Initially, he was not sure if he was happy for the boy or worried for him, but decided to be as supportive as possible, even if the child went on a different path than his. It was clear that Lu Wei was happy to see his father so excited. "How invincible are you in those 10 seconds?" The old man asked. "I''m not sure. Logically, it should not be true invincibility, but I am sure that I would not be easily killed." Lu Wei explained. "I see. Well as long as you stay safe. I''d actually rather that you never have to find out." The old man said. "Thank you father. Thank you as well uncle." Lu Wei said. Soon, they returned above the basement and Lu Wei stayed with the old man and Zhou Fan for a few weeks before finally returning to the blue flower sect. As the day''s passed, Zhou Fan could tell that the old man was far less worried and more relaxed. 10 years passed before Lu Wei returned to the library once again. This time, he was fully grown and in the nascent soul realm. Unfortunately, even his cultivation would take a long time to progress from such a point. While he stayed at the library, Lu Wei told Zhou Fan and the old man about a tournament for all cultivators under the age of 50. He was planning to participate, and gave them two tickets. He also said that if they wanted to go, the grand elder would take them with him. The old man and Zhou Fan agreed. A month later, they were on the back of a flying eagle that soared through the sky. "This competition will have all of the talented youths on this third of the world. If I win this, then I''ll represent our third in the final tournament." Lu Wei said. "That''s good. As expected of my son." The old man said. The grand elder looked at him weirdly, but did not speak. Lu Wei''s cultivation level was nearly the same as hers. She did not have the right to criticize his grandfather anymore. "As expected of my father''s son." Lu Wei agreed. Even Zhou Fan felt that the two were shameless. After a week of flying, a giant mountain appeared up ahead. On top of the mountain was a stadium with loud noise coming from it. "Wow. The sound reaches us from this far. Are you sure we won''t need earplugs?" The old man asked. "You''ll be fine." The grand elder said. It was only a few seconds before the eagle descended in front of a large entrance. Concrete blocks made a beautiful white floor, and a fountain with a statue on it sat in the center. All around, cultivators could be seen. Nascent soul cultivators suddenly became common. Only soul formation cultivators were worth any real attention. The old man, Zhou Fan, Lu Wei, and the grand elder got off the eagle before walking along the path. Lu Wei looked at the statue with interest while they walked past it. After going through a large arch, hundreds of thousands of seats could be seen. Down below, the arena could be clearly seen. A few foundation establishment cultivators were fighting before the tournament began. The grand elder led them to seats in the upper rows. Lu Wei left on his own, while the old man, Zhou Fan, and the grand elder sat down and watched. It was a few hours before the tournament began. Above the stadium, a cultivator flew in the air. He was a void traversing cultivator and the host of the event. Once he started speaking, the stadium quickly quieted down. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it is an honor to have you here tonight. The once every 50 year tournament of youths will soon begin. There are ten thousand competitors from all around the world. 10 of them have even reached the nascent soul realm. I ask that you all watch peacefully and patiently as the battles commence." The cultivator said, signaling the start of the event. Down below, in the huge arena section, 10,000 cultivators under the age of 50 stood. Not far from them was a giant square stage that was made out of the same material as the walkway at the entrance. 10,000 badges were given. The number 1 fought number 2. Number 3 fought number 4, and so on. Lu Wei had gotten number 7564. It would be a long time before he fought. "I''ve never left the city before. The outside world sure is big." The old man said as he looked around with a twinkle in his eyes. "Has this trip changed your mind about staying within the city?" Zhou Fan asked. "Of course not. My ideals cannot be so easily changed." The old man laughed. It took almost an entire week before Lu Wei went on stage. His opponent immediately admitted defeat. After all, Lu Wei was one of the 10 nascent soul realm cultivators at the event. "Isn''t that the blue flower sect''s participant? How interesting. To think that a sect on the brink of destruction could gain such a talented disciple. They should be on the rise soon." A voice not far from them said. "Indeed. There are even a few youths from the earth mountain sect participating. Perhaps we will get a good show." The person next to him responded. The earth mountain sect was one of the 3 members of the tri-sect alliance that governed the world. It was also the place that the host of the competition came from, as well as the owner of this third of the world. Zhou Fan did not know how Lu Wei would fare. He was talented, but he was limited by the blue flower sect''s techniques. He did not have a divine physique, so it would take a lot of luck to win the tournament. ------------------------------- Created a new trial book. Will see if I will create more Chapters for it. Name - The 13 Heroes Chapter 385: Tournament - 385 Chapter 385 - Tournament - 385 3 more days passed before the first round finally concluded. The 10,000 participants were reduced to 5,000. The same format occurred once again. Lu Wei''s number was 4593. Once his time came, his opponent admitted defeat again. The second round lasted a week. The third round followed the same format, but with 2,500 people. Lu Wei''s opponent immediately gave up. 1,250 people remained. "The final elimination round will soon begin." The host said as tokens flew into the air. Lu Wei received token number 600. As he stepped onto the stage, his opponent did not give up this time. "You must be from the blue flower sect. I am a core formation cultivator from the lower sky sect. Let''s fight." The opponent said before charging out. Clouds wrapped around Lu Wei''s opponent, and Lu Wei punched out with a fist. Light shone and a fist made of light Qi shot out, piercing through the clouds and knocking his opponent off of the stage. Lu Wei had a light Qi affinity, as well as a metal Qi affinity and a water affinity. As the final elimination round concluded, there were 625 participants left. Tokens flew up again, but the numbers on them ranged from 1 - 25. The ground shook and 25 square arena''s came from underground, while the original arena went underground. Lu Wei had gotten the number 1 and went to the arena with a 1 inscribed on it. In his arena were 24 other people, and one of them was in the nascent soul realm. It was clear that the other nascent soul realm cultivator was a physical fighter by the way his muscles moved around even as he stood still. He eyed Lu Wei as if he was going to demolish him in the next second. Lu Wei felt a little intimidated, but he did not show it. He put his hands into one of his pockets and prepared to create the dice. He did not want anyone to see it, but he felt he would need to use it to win. Unfortunately, he could not control what number the dice landed on. It would be a matter of luck. This round was a free for all round within the 25 arenas. The last person standing in each arena would move on. As the bell rang, signaling the start of the round, the other nascent soul realm cultivator turned his gaze away from Lu Wei and looked at the other cultivators. "We will fight after I clean up the trash." He said as he moved so fast that the other competitors could not even react. Only a single core formation cultivator managed to take a single strike, but the second one knocked him out. In less than a minute, Lu Wei and the other nascent soul realm cultivator were the only ones in the arena. Lu Wei nervously gulped as he looked at the opponent. Even he had barely been able to see the man when he moved earlier. After briefly staring at Lu Wei, the man''s figure blurred as it shot towards Lu Wei. Without hesitation, Lu Wei rolled the dice in his pocket while moving away. The dice rolled, but the physical fighter did not waste time. Lu Wei only stalled for 2 seconds before the fist was in front of his face. Suddenly, a clear barrier appeared over his body. When the man''s fist hit the barrier, it instantly broke. Lu Wei watched in surprise as the man''s bones became clearly visible. Despite being a physical fighter, the man was still considered young. His body shook as he suffered the pain of the injury and crouched down. "To think it could be used like this." The old man laughed hysterically. Even Zhou Fan chuckled a little. A lot of things could be said about Lu Wei but none could deny that he was naturally funny. Lu Wei quickly attacked his opponent and kicked him off of the stage. Lu Wei''s win was definitely the weirdest and least understandable win, but he won in the end. He was the only nascent soul realm cultivator that had encountered another nascent soul realm cultivator. Before long, 25 people stood on the ground. "Before the next round starts, I would like everyone here to admire these 25 youths. On this side of the world, they are the greatest of their age." The host said as people cheered. "Now, the next round. Everyone come onto the stage and pick a slip." He said as he pulled a box out from his spatial ring. All of the remaining contestants did as he said. Lu Wei received a red slip. "12 colors on 24 slips have been drawn. Whoever got the white slip gets a free pass to the final round." The host said. "Remember, luck is a part of your strength as well." A nascent soul realm cultivator stepped off to the side and stood. He had gotten the white slip. Lu Wei''s opponent was a core formation realm cultivator. Although there was a slight struggle, he had won without using his dice. 13 cultivators were left, an uneven number. 10 tokens numbered 1 - 10 flew into the air and landed in 10 of the 13 participants'' hands. Lu Wei did not receive one. "Those who got the tokens, as of now, are the top ten. Any of the other 3 can freely challenge the top 10 to receive that spot. In addition, anyone who participated in the competition but got eliminated can come down and fight for a place." The host explained. The old man shook his head. "Just moments ago, he was talking about luck being a part of cultivation. Now look at him." Lu Wei looked at his opponents, but decided to wait until he was clear of their strength before challenging them. 10 cultivators who had participated earlier came down. One of them, Lu Wei''s defeated opponent, managed to grab the number 7 spot. Of the 3 that did not receive a token, one of them took the 5th spot. At this point, Lu Wei was the only nascent soul realm cultivator without a top 10 token. Chapter 386: Loss - 386 Chapter 386 - Loss - 386 Lu Wei looked at the core formation cultivator in the number 10 spot. He was the last remaining core formation cultivators. Since he was not too confident in beating the nascent soul realm cultivators, he decided to challenge a core formation cultivator. Although he was only in spot number 10, there would be one more round after this one. The core formation cultivator walked onto a stage when Lu Wei officially challenged him. At the start of the fight, he shot forward and let loose a volley of fire arrows. Lu Wei created a screen of water that blocked them, before attacking the cultivator with a water whip. The core formation cultivator managed to dodge, but Lu Wei turned the water that had splashed onto the ground below the cultivator into ice, causing him to temporarily lose his balance. Taking advantage of that, Lu Wei hit him with a water bullet, sending him flying out of the stage. As Lu Wei took the number 10 spot, he was not challenged again. Soon, the round ended, and the final round began. "This signifies the start of the final round. The cultivator in spot 1 will challenge the cultivator in spot 3. The cultivator in spot 2 will challenge the cultivator in spot 4. Spot 5 will fight spot 7, spot 6 will fight spot 8, and spot 9 and 10 will fight." The host said. The ground below turned flat, before a single, larger stage appeared. The nascent soul realm cultivators in spot 1 and 3 walked up to the stage. The battles continued on, with spot 1, 2, 7, and 6 winning their battles. The final fight was between Lu Wei and a nascent soul realm cultivator from the platinum fist sect. Lu Wei was not very confident. As soon as the battle started, his opponent jumped up and punched towards him. A platinum fist formed and shot like a bullet towards Lu Wei. Lu Wei barely managed to dodge, only to see 3 more fists coming towards him. He put his hand in his pocket and rolled his dice as he managed to dodge the first two fists. The 3rd one hit his left shoulder and cracked the bone there. Lu Wei clenched his teeth as the dice finally landed on a 2. At the same time, 5 fists were sent hurling towards him. Lu Wei took a step and his figure blurred. Although only his strength had increased by 2 times, he was faster as a result. He easily dodged the platinum fists and punched at his opponent. His opponent punched back at Lu Wei, his fist coated with platinum Qi. It was at this time that Lu Wei regretted not focusing on more body cultivation. Although he was twice as strong as usual, his was forced to take 3 steps back. His opponent did not let up, stepping forward and punching at Lu Wei. Although Lu Wei could roll his dice 3 times a day, each attempt took half of his Qi. As he had been fighting and spent half of his Qi rolling his dice, he had less than half of his Qi remaining. After barely surviving for 2 more minutes, Lu Wei was eliminated from the tournament. His only fault was perhaps not training in the right thing. It could also be blamed on his sect. He had barely used the blue flower sects techniques the entire fight since they were lacking so much. The dead sect master had been the first soul formation cultivator in the sect''s history, and she was not alive long enough to create any good techniques. Lu Wei sullenly went and sat with his father and Zhou Fan. "There''s no need to be down. It was a good result for you to get within the top 10." The old man comforted. "I know. I just feel that I could do better." Lu Wei said. "You will do better in the future." The old man said before whispering into Lu Wei''s ear. "The blue flower sect cannot help you. You must seek a greater sect. Any sect should be absolutely willing to let you join them." The old man whispered. "But could I really abandon the blue flower sect like that?" Lu Wei whispered back. "Don''t think of it like that. When you reach greater heights, you can repay them in any way. With your potential, I''m sure it won''t be difficult." The old man whispered. Zhou Fan agreed. It would benefit both Lu Wei and the blue flower sect for Lu Wei to join another sect. If Lu Wei were to stay, he may end up resenting the blue flower sect for limiting him, but if he joined a greater sect, he would be grateful to them for helping him start his journey. How the blue flower sect felt was another thing, but it was not something to be concerned with. They watched the rest of the tournament, and to nobody''s surprise, a cultivator from the earth mountain sect won. The next day, Lu Wei returned with the old man and Zhou Fan to the library. After a week, he once again returned to the blue flower sect. He had decided to wait until entering the soul formation realm to leave the blue flower sect. With his potential, it would not be very long before he did so. Once he surpassed both the soul formation realm and the void traversing realm, he would very likely join the cosmic sect. Zhou Fan wondered what his reaction would be when he saw the statue of the origin god. That would be an interesting day, though it was far in the future. The peaceful and mundane life returned to the library, and before he even realized it, 10 more years had passed. At this point, even if Zhou Fan did not sense the old man''s cultivation, he would know that he was a cultivator. The old man''s suspicions were also confirmed as Zhou Fan did not age. Chapter 387: Wandering Cultivators - 387 Chapter 387 - Wandering Cultivators - 387 In the middle of spring, a large caravan entered the city. Along with foreign goods and unknown items, they brought a rather big piece of news that excited the entire city. It seemed that a traveling group of cultivators had been wandering around the world, teaching people, and they were headed towards this city. It had to be made clear that in order for it to be said that the group was wandering around the world, it meant that they were at least void traversing cultivators, if not higher. No void traversing cultivator had ever set foot in the city. In fact, as far as everyone knew, not even a soul formation cultivator had entered. Throughout the city''s entire history, only a few nascent soul realm cultivators had entered. The caravan said that the group of wandering cultivators would make three more stops before arriving at the city. They would arrive at the end of the spring. Zhou Fan heard all of this from the old man. According to him, Lu Wei would also be returning to the city at that time in order to learn from the cultivators. Time passed, and the end of spring soon came. Every day and night, people would expectantly wait for news, until finally, a large carriage pulled by a bull entered the city. The carriage was rather ordinary with no gold or jewels adorning it. It was almost entirely wooden. Nobody in the city even noticed that the bull pulling it was a nascent soul realm creature. The carriage wandered around and stopped right in front of the city park. 3 ordinary looking people walked out of the carriage and walked towards a tree. On the way, they passed by a person in the park and asked if he wanted to learn about cultivation. A few hours later, the entire city learned of the cultivators'' arrival. They sat underneath a tree and held lectures every few hours. After the lectures, they would answer any personal questions. On the third day after their arrival, Lu Wei, the old man, and Zhou Fan left the library early in order to go and see the cultivators. As they reached the park, they noticed that it was filled to the brim with people. All of the people were completely quiet and had sat down with their legs crossed. Zhou Fan could tell that the 3 cultivators were buddhists at a glance, despite them having hair. It made sense now that he thought about it. Who else would go around teaching people for free. Lu Wei, Zhou Fan, and the old man sat down at the edge of the park and listened in. Lu Wei paid the most attention, while the old man and Zhou Fan casually listened. This level of lecture could not help them that much as it was for lower level cultivators. Although the old man could not see through the 3 cultivators'' cultivations, Zhou Fan could. He was surprised. One space shattering realm cultivator, the one who was speaking, and two peak void traversing realm cultivators. Soon, the current lecture ended. As it finished, the space shattering realm cultivator surveyed the crowd. Upon seeing Lu Wei and the old man, he spoke out. "It seems we have some honored cultivators with us. Why don''t you guys come up here." He said. The people at the front of the group turned around. Zhou Fan saw 3 soul formation cultivators and 6 nascent soul realm cultivators. Although nobody else could see through the old man''s disguise, the space shattering cultivator could. Surprisingly, the other void traversing cultivators could not. Lu Wei, the old man, and Zhou Fan walked past the crowd and sat near the front row. The cultivators at the front nodded and focused on asking questions. Lu Wei, the old man, and Zhou Fan stayed silent. Before long, the space shattering realm cultivator spoke out loud again. "Since we have many powerful cultivators here, the next lecture will only help those at or above the nascent soul realm." He said. Most of the people in the park got up, but around a quarter stayed anyway. The lecture soon started, and even the old man began to focus on it. Zhou Fan was the only one not paying attention, but since he was seen as a mortal, it was not unexpected. The lecture finished after 30 minutes, and all of the cultivators seemed to make a gain. This time, Lu Wei asked questions, while the old man stayed silent. He had only come for the sake of Lu Wei. They stayed for a few more lectures before finally returning to the library. Lu Wei felt as if he had made a great gain, as he understood many things he had not before, and even the old man felt a bit enlightened. The library remained closed all day and Zhou Fan sat in his room reading. From what he had heard in the lecture, everyone seemed to be over complicating cultivation. Perhaps they were trying to help them on their path as they lacked talent, but as far as Zhou Fan knew, the only thing necessary was simply to cultivate. Unfortunately, it seemed that others needed much more aid in the course of cultivation. This caused Zhou Fan to think a bit. He was always considering how to change cultivation, ever since he created the river of cultivation. The lecture could be considered a way to help people understand the mortal dao, but it was also very different from that. As he had said, it was as if the cultivators were trying to alter their path in order to make it easier and faster. Perhaps if there was another buddha, he would be able to truly help cultivators while still maintaining the original path. Unfortunately, Zhou Fan had never seen another person like the buddha. He had even searched all of the living beings in the universe occasionally, but there was never another. Zhou Fan wondered if the buddha had a divine physique or had an innate gift. Perhaps so, but perhaps not. Zhou Fan would just await the day that he could see through time, and maybe he would find out then. Chapter 388: Questions - 388 Chapter 388 - Questions - 388 Ten years passed without any interruption. Then ten more. And another ten more. It was about at this time that Lu Wei began to become suspicious. In fact, he was less suspicious and more certain. One day, he invited Zhou Fan and the old man into the library''s basement and seriously asked them. "Father, Uncle, are you two cultivators?" He asked seriously. The old man sighed. It was a sigh of relief. "It''s been hard to hide it from you all these years. Let me explain it to you." The old man said. "I was born in this city a few hundred years ago. At a young age, I began to cultivate. At that time, due to multiple events, I had already come into contact with the cultivation world, and I did not like it a single bit." The old man said. "I had seen the cruelty and competition that others went through, a constant struggle for more and more power. I did not wish that for myself. On one side, I saw an old couple peacefully living their last days together, and on another, I saw cultivators killing endlessly for the slightest gain. Even those who are self proclaimed as righteous have killed thousands of people intentionally. Unintentionally, they have probably killed hundreds of thousands. Those were not exactly accidents, but the results of not caring." The old man explained. "It did not take long for me to choose to hide my cultivation. Although I wanted to live a peaceful life, I must admit that I am somewhat of a hypocrite. I continued to cultivate, wanting to see how far I could go. I do not know if I have reached my limit, but here I am today." The old man finished. Lu Wei took everything in. "I don''t blame you for hiding it from me. But I am curious, what is your cultivation?" Lu Wei asked. "3rd level soul formation." The old man answered. Lu Wei''s jaw literally dropped. "Wow." He said after a moment. "I know it is quite good, but don''t tell anyone." The old man said jokingly. Lu Wei nodded and turned to Zhou Fan. "And what about you uncle? If father is that strong, then you must be as well." He said with excitement. "My cultivation is okay." Zhou Fan said. "What level?" Lu Wei asked. The old man paid attention as well. He had always been curious. "Somewhere around the levels of cultivation." Zhou Fan answered. "But what realm?" Lu Wei asked. "Above the 1st realm." Zhou Fan answered. "And below the space shattering realm?" Lu Wei asked. "Perchance." Zhou Fan said. "You can''t just say perchance, uncle." Lu Wei said. "Alright, this is obviously a sensitive topic. Not everyone likes to share their cultivation." The old man said. Although he was curious, he respected Zhou Fan enough to stop it there. "I understand, father." Lu Wei said before turning to look Zhou Fan in the eye. "One day, I will become strong enough to see your cultivation." He said seriously. "Good luck with that." Zhou Fan chuckled. After discovering that his father and Zhou Fan had a high cultivation base, Lu Wei felt much more relieved. He had always worried that something would happen to them, but it seemed that his worry was unnecessary. 50 years passed calmly. Despite living in the same city without changing their appearance, nobody got suspicious of them or even mentioned cultivation. Firstly, they were just two minor characters. Nobody would pay too much attention to librarians. Secondly, it was not uncommon for a mortal to become a Qi gathering cultivator. It would simply be assumed that they had just barely treaded upon the path of cultivation if anyone ever noticed it. As a whole new generation was born, the old man began to start sighing. It was different from the usual. It was a sigh mixed with a bit of relief. "I am glad that I get to see new generations bloom with time. Perhaps some random child from this city will one day become the ruler of this world. Nothing is impossible." The old man said. "I agree." Zhou Fan said. If Lu Wei''s innate gift could exist, then it seemed that anything was truly possible. 30 years passed quietly, before another crisis overcame the city. On a normal day, the sky suddenly seemed to turn red as a giant array covered the city. From beyond the city walls, laughter could be heard. "Demonic cultivators." The old man said. From the sky, a great pressure descended. "A soul formation realm demonic cultivator!" The old man exclaimed as his eyes widened. A woman appeared above the city, dressed in red robes. "I''ve heard legends of a... what was it again, hidden sword king? Whatever, you come out and fight me, or this city will be destroyed." The woman said. Zhou Fan tossed the old man a piece of black cloth. The old man tied it over his face and flew into the sky. No matter what, he could not allow the city to be destroyed. "Are there so many soul formation demonic cultivators that you can send them to die in any city?" The old man asked, attempting to stop any sort of fight before it happened. "I like the way you talk. Take my attack!" The unreasonable woman shouted before pointing a finger at the old man. A normal sized finger formed from blood Qi appeared and shot towards the old man at a fast speed. The old man took out a sword from his hidden spatial ring and covered it in sword Qi and air Qi. He sliced it and a crescent formed that sliced through the finger and continued towards the woman. The woman shot out ten fingers in succession. 3 fingers were blocked before the crescent dissipated. The old man began to rapidly slash at the woman while the woman shot countless fingers towards him. Meanwhile, other demonic cultivators began to enter the city. The old man noticed this, and some of his attacks focused on the weaker demonic cultivators. They were killed instantly, but this allowed the woman to pierce the old man''s shoulder. The old man, suffering from the injury, had his combat strength lowered. Without hesitation, the woman was about to kill the old man. Suddenly, she backed away at a speed she hadn''t shown before. A black hand pierced through the void and grabbed the back of her neck, ripping her spine out of her body, before disappearing. Chapter 389: Monarch of Blood and Poison - 389 Chapter 389 - Monarch of Blood and Poison - 389 The old man stood in the air stunned while panting. The demonic cultivators moving around the city also stopped, staring blankly at the sky. They were all completely shocked by the demonic cultivators sudden death, though a few focused on the important point, the hand. Without hesitation, the old man killed all the demonic cultivators in the city, who were powerless to stop him, while thinking about the hand. He first considered the possibility of the hand coming from Zhou Fan. He instantly dismissed that possibility, as there was no way that Zhou Fan was so terrifying. In fact, he was right. The hand was not from Zhou Fan. He soon found that out as a figure wearing red and black robes appeared in front of him without warning. The old man backed off and held his sword up, but the cultivator raised a hand in the air. "Do not fear me. I am not a demonic cultivator, nor do I have the intention to harm you." The cultivator said in a rough voice. The old man nodded and stopped retreating. There was no way he could survive if the man wanted to kill him. The man''s body, the parts which were not covered by the robe, had patches of black on it. One of his hands was completely blackened. "I am the monarch of blood and poison." The cultivator spoke. "I am from a respectable and powerful sect, and I will not do anything evil." The old man nodded. "I have had my eye on your son. I want to take him as a disciple." The monarch of blood and poison stated. The old man nodded again. He was not very surprised. "I seek the permission of you and your son. If you want to know my strength, understand that few people currently in the Zhou galaxy can fight me equally. Of those who can, nobody would." The monarch of blood and poison stated. The old man nodded. "As long as Lu Wei agrees to go with you, I have no issue with it." He said. "Good. Where is he now?" The monarch of blood and poison asked. "He returned a few days ago. He should be in the library right now, though he is in deep cultivation and did not notice the events that took place." The old man explained. Lu Wei was in a formation that had been set up by him and the old man to stop outside distractions. None of the noise had been loud enough to pierce through the formation. "I will return soon." The monarch of blood and poison said as he almost instantly appeared in front of the library''s doors and walked in. He entered the library and looked around. He did not use his divine sense or Qi to search. After clearing the second floor, he stepped onto the second floor and walked around. As he passed by a bookshelf, a hand reached out in front of him and stopped him. "You dare. Get your filthy ha-" He said as he came to a sudden stop. A face he had never imagined he would see here was staring right at him. "You are not qualified to take Lu Wei as a disciple. When he reaches the space shattering realm, he will likely enter the cosmic sect. You can speak to him then." Zhou Fan said. "I understand, Origin God. Please forgive my insolence. I will leave immediately." He said as he disappeared. The monarch of blood and poison had been a disciple of the cosmic sect. He had reached the 1st level of the inner world realm, and Zhou Fan knew that all those at that level would recognize him. He had not been trying to be rude. He was simply telling the truth. With his innate talent, it was not impossible for Lu Wei to reach the god realm, something that was completely out of reach for the monarch of blood and poison. After a few minutes, the old man entered the library confused. He did not understand why the monarch of blood and poison had not come back yet. When he found Lu Wei on the third floor, he was still undisturbed and cultivating. The old man deactivated the formation, causing Lu Wei to stop cultivating. "Is something wrong, father?" Lu Wei asked with confusion. It was not normal for the old man to disturb him. "Did a man come and talk to you recently?" The old man asked. "No. Why?" Lu Wei asked. "No reason. Don''t worry about it." He said as he reactivated the formation and sighed with relief. He did not want Lu Wei to have such a master. After all, Lu Wei did not use blood or poison. Still, it was a pity for such a powerful person to end up not taking Lu Wei as a disciple. "Perhaps he changed his mind and felt that they were not fated together." Zhou Fan answered when the old man asked him for some wisdom on the situation. "But would such a powerful person really make such a random decision, only to change his mind later?" The old man asked. "I bet you that most powerful people are no better than us. I''m sure that they too feel fear and make mistakes, they are just on a higher level than us." Zhou Fan said. "Perhaps you are right." The old man nodded. "It''s just a theory. Who knows how powerful cultivators act. For all we know, they could walk right by us and we wouldn''t even notice." Zhou Fan said. "Yes. That makes sense. You sure are wise." The old man said as he walked away satisfied. 30 years later, a grand funeral took place in the heart of the city. The city lord, who had ruled over the city for nearly 200 years, had passed away last night. Everyone in the city attended. Not even the old man, Zhou Fan, or Lu Wei was an exception. "He was a good man. He had been the city lord for a long time. He loved this city more than even I." The old man sighed. Chapter 390: New Library - 390 Chapter 390 - New Library - 390 The funeral procession went on for a good amount of time. Hundreds of people walked up to the podium in order to honor the city lord''s death. Hundreds of stories were told about his kindness and greatness. Although he had been helpless during the major events in the last few years, such as the sudden underground invasion and the appearance of the demonic cultivators, people remembered him as the city lord during those times. He received no less praise than the hidden sword king himself. Finally, at the end of the ceremony, his wife and children went up to the podium and thanked everyone for their kindness while holding back tears. It was dark when Zhou Fan, the old man, and Lu Wei returned home. They went to bed and continued the cycle of peace. It was nearly 100 years later that an interesting event happened. On the other side of the world, an empire was destroyed overnight. Luckily, it had nothing to do with the library or the city. It was simply a shocking piece of news. For something as big as an empire being destroyed overnight, even the old man could not get involved. It would take the void traversing cultivators of the world to investigate it. 200 years passed, and a person that the old man and Zhou Fan knew long ago entered the library. The girl who introduced Zhou Fan to the library stood shocked as she looked at the old man. When Zhou Fan came down the stairs, her shock increased. "You two are cultivators!" She said loudly. "Quiet down. You are in a library." The old man said. "Welcome to the cultivation world. Is being a cultivator that shocking?" The old man asked rhetorically. "Sure, anyone can be a cultivator, but to not have aged a single day in so long. You two must be more powerful than the city lord." She said. "You don''t look to have aged that much." The old man said. "Well I am a core formation cultivator. I attended one of the lectures of the wandering cultivators from long ago and managed to enter the foundation establishment realm. After wandering around for many years, I managed to luckily enter the core formation realm. On the other hand, you two have been in that realm at least for a long time." The girl shouted. "Do you know who my son is?" The old man asked simply. "I''ve never heard of your son. Why would I?" The girl asked. "Go ask around. Nobody would find it surprising that the father of such a person has a cultivation base. People would assume that he helped me out." The old man said. Ever since his son had joined the blue flower sect, the old man had known that his secret would get out eventually, even if it did not get fully revealed. Cultivators who had met him long ago, such as the grand elder of the blue flower sect, had long realized he was a cultivator. Based on the fact that she could not see his realm, she even assumed he was at least in the same realm as her. By putting two and two together, it was not difficult to guess that he was the hidden sword king. In other words, the grand elder knew that the old man was a soul formation cultivator. There were very few people who would bother him if they knew, and those who did not would naturally not bother him. After leaving for a few hours, the girl did not come back. It seemed that she had found the answer and understood. After that brief encounter, time passed quickly. In the next 300 years, the old man casually saved the city once. Besides that, the only interesting thing was the growth of the city. With a new ambitious city lord, the economy of the city grew. With the rumor of the hidden sword king that had long become a known fact, the city was growing at a rapid pace. Houses were built everyday and the city walls had been moved far away from where they had once stood in preparation. The library had experienced a higher rate of customers, though there had still been few. On this day, the city lord visited the library. The new city lord was a core formation realm cultivator, a noble of the empire. As soon as he saw the old man, he managed to understand that he was a powerful cultivator, at least in the core formation realm. He had known that the old man had to have been a cultivator from the city records, but he hadn''t thought that he would be so powerful. "This city lord greets the librarian." The city lord said, slightly bowing. "Don''t bow to an old man like me. It is an honor for the city lord to come to my humble library." The old man said with a bow. "Thank you. I have come with a proposition. How would you feel about the creation of a new and greater library?" The city lord asked. "Really? After all this time?" The old man asked. "Indeed. With a greater city, we should naturally have a bigger library. The new library would have martial arts and techniques, as well as many more books like the ones currently in here." The city lord explained. "In the plans, we even want to have a field for people to practice martial arts in and receive guidance." The city lord added. "I see. It is a good idea." The old man nodded. "I believe that you would be the perfect person to head the library. You and workers of your choice." The city lord proposed. "It would be my honor." The old man bowed. "Haha! In that case, the library will begin construction and finish in a few months. I look forward to your work." The city lord said. "Thank you." The old man said as the city lord left. After calling down Zhou Fan, the old man explained what he had been told. Chapter 391: Finished Construction - 391 Chapter 391 - Finished Construction - 391 "Interesting." Zhou Fan said when he heard the story from the old man. "I never expected to see the city grow like this." The old man sighed. "Are you upset?" Zhou Fan asked. "Not really. It is good to see the city grow. This way, it will be safer, even if it is not the city I once knew." The old man answered. "Anyway, I wanted to know if you would join me at the new library." "Naturally. Otherwise, what else would I do?" Zhou Fan answered. "Good. Good." The old man said. It was about 6 months later that the old library shut down and the books within it began to be moved. 3 months later, Zhou Fan and the old man journeyed to the new library. Along the way, Zhou Fan finally took in the new city. He had very rarely left the library, almost always staying within. The old man was different, though he lived quite close to the library and had not seen the city in its full glory for a while. Carriages that ran on spirit stones were a common sight. Buildings were at least two floors everywhere they walked, with plenty being nearly 10 floors tall. Unlike before, mortals were harder to find than cultivators, though most of the cultivators were only in the first realm. After going past nearly half of the city, Zhou Fan and the old man finally arrived at the new library. This library was a far cry from the old one, and even the Yang Lang library from long ago could not compare at all. Surrounding the giant tower were multiple fields, most of them currently empty as the library had yet to open. The tower, which was the new library, was 20 floors tall, and each floor was many times bigger than the entire old library. LIke in the Yang Lang library, not everyone could enter every floor. The higher one got, the more sensitive the information. There were also floors with martial arts and techniques. There was one thing that Zhou Fan was sure of. The creation of this library, as well as the changes in the city, were not something that a simple core formation cultivator could accomplish. This was the effect of the hidden sword king, as well as the effort of whoever was supporting the new city lord. Soon, it seemed as if the city would be comparable to the greatest cities in the entire world. As the old man and Zhou Fan reached the door of the library, they were greeted by a group of people, as well as the city lord. "Welcome, Head librarian." The city lord said with a smile. "And to you, Zhou Fan." The old man slightly bowed while Zhou Fan nodded. "Come in, I''ll give you all a tour." The city lord said. As they entered, Zhou Fan and the old man were amazed. It seemed less like a library, and more like a sacred location of knowledge. "We went all out to build this place. There are even some arrays in some places and outside of the building." The city lord said. The entire floor was carpeted, and on the first floor alone were hundreds of thousands of books. Zhou Fan and the old man followed the city lord and he introduced them to the library. The 6th floor was the first floor that required special access. It did not hold any martial arts or techniques, but rather special information. Secrets of the cultivation world, as well as hidden history and information about the empire''s inner workings began to slowly show themselves. That continued until the 16th floor. From then on, the floors held mostly martial arts and techniques. They were extremely basic, to the point that any sect, even of the lowest level, would have them. Still, they were something that the majority of independent cultivators would not have any access to. The 16th to 19th floors were much smaller, with plenty of room left for walking. The martial arts and techniques were mostly written on tablets, not books. On the 20th floor was a dark room that made it seem as if one was floating in space. On the sides of the rooms were six techniques floating around. They were not basic techniques like the others within the library. The six techniques came from the six most prominent sects in the empire. They were not the supreme techniques of the six sects, but were still at the higher level. Anyone who could reach the 20th floor would not be disappointed with them. Of course, they did not interest Zhou Fan or the old man. "As the head librarian and the vice head librarian, both of you have free access to the entire library. That includes these techniques." The city lord explained. "We''re thankful for your kindness." The old man said. "Don''t worry about it. It is enough that you both have decided to work at this library." The city lord smiled before turning around and descending the floors. He soon left the library. As he walked away, he took a talisman out of his spatial ring. "Sir. There is a high chance that the old man is the hidden sword king." He spoke into the talisman. "How high?" A voice came out from the talisman. "Nearly 50%. Even when he saw the techniques at the top of the library, he did not show any reaction. Of course, there is a chance that he was once a member of a good sect, but he doesn''t seem like the type." The city lord responded. "I see. Continue watching. No matter what, we should make sure to keep tabs on this hidden sword king." The voice said as the talisman''s light faded. The city lord put the talisman back into his spatial ring and continued walking. Neither Zhou Fan nor the old man had realized that the city lord was watching the old man on suspicions of him being the hidden sword king. Of course, Zhou Fan simply hadn''t cared enough to pay any attention. Chapter 392: Imperial Scholar and Princess - 392 Chapter 392 - Imperial Scholar and Princess - 392 A week later, the grand opening of the library commenced. As he stood on a stage next to the old man, Zhou Fan wondered how everything had turned out like this. He had simply wandered into a city and became a worker at a library. Now, he was standing on stage looking down at tens of thousands of young people eager to enter the library. He was seen as a mentor and a strong cultivator. That was despite not once ever using his power. The old man spoke to the children in the crowd, as well as the many others below him. There were scholars that had come from afar just to enter what was now one of the greatest public libraries on this side of the world. The libraries that could compare were in sects or other private organizations. The speech soon ended, and the old man cut a red ribbon, symbolizing the opening of the library. He and Zhou Fan entered, followed by a large number of young people and scholars. Luckily, there were nearly a hundred workers in the library. It was unknown if they would all stay as the excitement went down, but they were necessary for the first few days. Zhou Fan and the old man stayed on the upper floors. They did not expect anyone to come up so far. It required a certain status or price in order to, and while the library was technically public, not everything was freely accessible. It was also possible to enter the higher levels with some sort of contribution to humanity such as killing demonic cultivators or helping in a war against some of the other races in the Zhou galaxy. Surprisingly, after a few hours, Zhou Fan and the old man saw an old looking man in white robes enter the 15th floor where they were staying. Zhou Fan and the old man recognized him as they were always reading books and he was a well known person. "Greetings, Imperial Scholar." The old man bowed. Zhou Fan stayed sitting down. "No need to bow. My status is not too high." The Imperial Scholar said as he raised his hand. "It is not a bow to status, but a bow of respect." The old man retorted. "Haha. In that case, I will not refuse." The imperial scholar laughed. As his title said, he was the imperial scholar of the empire that Zhou Fan and the old man lived in. He was also a powerful cultivator in the nascent soul realm. The old man did not respect him because of his cultivation, but because of the quantity and quality of books he had written over his many years of life. It was also said that he may enter the soul formation realm before his lifespan ends. "I''m just here to look around the library. I must say that I am impressed so far." The imperial scholar said. "Do I qualify to enter the top floors?" The imperial scholar asked. "No need to joke. If you could not enter, then who could? Still, I am afraid that you will not be impressed." The old man said. "Don''t worry about it. The only libraries that could truly impress me are the ones in the tri-sect alliance." The imperial scholar said. The old man nodded and began to lead the imperial scholar around. Zhou Fan was left alone on the 15th floor. He had assumed that he would be left alone for the rest of the day at least, but he soon saw a young woman no older than 20 entering the floor. Zhou Fan saw her and recognized her. The 5th princess of the neighboring empire. The neighboring empire was an ally of the empire that Zhou Fan was in. Otherwise, this empire would have been easily destroyed. It is said that the emperor of the neighboring empire is in the soul formation realm, and very near to the peak of that realm. There was no doubt that he could defeat the old man. "You must be the vice-head of the library. Do you know me?" The princess asked. "I do." Zhou Fan responded. "In that case, we can skip introductions. Care to show me around the next few floors? If you''re not too busy of course." The princess laughed. Zhou Fan was currently slumped in a chair and staring at the ceiling, so he could not make an excuse. Zhou Fan showed her around the 15th and 16th floors, meeting the old man and the imperial scholar on the 17th floor. The imperial scholar was sitting down at a table, reading a book. As soon as he saw the princess, he stood up and bowed. "Greetings 5th princess. It is an honor for my empire to host you." He said. "Of course it is. Don''t worry about me, I''m taking a tour." The princess said with a smile. She seemed much more arrogant than when she spoke to Zhou Fan. The imperial scholar nodded and sat back down to read. Zhou Fan briefly introduced the 17th floor before moving to the 18th floor. As he was halfway through the tour, the princess suddenly turned around and shot an icicle at Zhou Fan''s head. Zhou Fan did not react or move, but when the icicle hit him, it immediately shattered into fragments. "Hah! I knew it. They said that the vice-head of the library was young and weak, but you seem strong." She said happily as if she had won a bet. Zhou Fan ignored what happened and continued on with the tour. The princess shot more icicles at him from behind, but Zhou Fan acted as if nothing was happening. Finally, after the 145th icicle, Zhou Fan acknowledged what was happening. "If you throw another icicle at me, I''m going to slap your father in the face." He said before turning around. The princess stood stunned for a second, before laughing loudly. She then shot another icicle at Zhou Fans back. Zhou Fan instantly grabbed her by the neck and disappeared. He and the princess appeared in a nearly empty throne room. Only a single middle aged man was sitting on a throne. Chapter 393: City by City - 393 Chapter 393 - City by City - 393 The man sitting on the throne only reacted after a moment. "What the h¨C" He started before stopping. "Esteemed cultivator? Is something wrong?" He asked. He did not know who Zhou Fan was, but could at least understand that he was a powerful cultivator. "Raise your daughter better. She may offend someone that she cannot afford to." Zhou Fan said. The king flew into the side wall with a red mark on his face as his daughter watched. She hadn''t spoken a word since Zhou Fan had grabbed her. She was still in shock, and only fell into deeper shock as she saw her father slapped. Zhou Fan disappeared, leaving the princess behind. He really couldn''t stand such arrogant brats. He did not want to use his powers, but he was already technically doing so as the icicles were hitting him. If he was a mortal, he would have been killed by the princess. She did not care about the lives of others, and Zhou Fan decided to educate her. As for what would happen as a result, it was not his problem at all. If the emperor dared to make a fuss, the problems would simply be dealt with. A week later, to the surprise of many, the neighboring empire, one of the strongest empires around, declared its support for the city. Nobody could understand the decision, not even the emperor of the empire that Zhou Fan and the old man were in. The neighboring empire also directly funded more upgrades for the library, as well as donated some techniques and martial arts. As a result, 10 more floors were added to the library and it became even more popular. 10 years later, everything had calmed down. Zhou Fan and the old man did not need to do too much work, the same as in the old library. There were only a few visitors that would reach the 25th floor where they were staying. Zhou Fan and the old man even had rooms in the library. Zhou Fan looked out of the window and saw a group of nearly 1,000 young cultivators being taught a martial art. They came once a day and were taught by one of the library''s hired instructors. Although nothing had changed for Zhou Fan besides having more books to read, everything around him had changed greatly in a short period of time. To his surprise, time still passed quietly. Until 50 years later, when the strongest cultivator in the world visited the library. He was at the 1st level of the space shattering realm according to rumors. To say that people were surprised by his visit was an understatement. Many wanted to come and greet him, whether they were emperors or peasants, yet he said that he wanted to visit while it operated as usual. He walked around the library while seemingly looking for something. As he reached the 25th floor and saw Zhou Fan reading a book, he turned around without a word and left. Zhou Fan chuckled when he saw the panic hidden on the cultivator''s face. It seemed that the emperor that he had slapped had made a request for the cultivator to check it out. The rest did not need to be explained. He had seen that he could not see through Zhou Fan and decisively left. There was no point in him taking a risk for a mere emperor. He was the owner of a world. 100 years of peace and quiet later, Lu Wei joined one of the three sects of the tri-sect alliance. He had reached the soul formation realm, and was valuable to even the three sects. He celebrated with Zhou Fan and the old man that day. The entire library, as a matter of fact, threw a big party that day. It was around this time that Zhou Fan felt that it was time for a change of scenery. He went to the old man. "I want to retire from the library." He said simply. The old man was stunned and did not speak. "Fear not, we will meet again someday, probably. Maybe. Perhaps not." Zhou Fan said as he realized that his seclusion lasted a very long time. "Regardless, here. Open it when Lu Wei receives a mysterious letter." Zhou Fan said as he handed the old man a letter. It was a letter to the cosmic sect. Though Zhou Fan did not know if he would see the old man ever again, he was confident that Lu Wei would survive. Although the old man could be considered a friend, he was just a passer-by in Zhou Fan''s infinite life. Zhou Fan had one last chat and hot bun with the old man before leaving. He did not bother trying to find Lu Wei since they would naturally meet again. He wandered around and settled in the city next to the city he had been staying in. As he walked around, he found a job as a waiter. He worked there for a few years before becoming a manager of the restaurant. The job remained stable and constant for nearly 30 years before the restaurant closed down. Zhou Fan decided to move to the next city over. He worked as a metalworker. The next city over, he worked as a gardener for some rich people. He met a lot of people as the years passed. He was a janitor, a carriage driver, a clerk, a seller, and many other jobs. He slowly moved around, city by city, as the years stacked onto each other. Many events happened. Some of them even caused the city he was staying in to be destroyed. He had encountered many demonic cultivators, and weathered many natural disasters, though the natural disasters seemed to naturally avoid him for the most part. By the time Zhou Fan realized it, he was on the other side of the world. It was hard to estimate just how much time had passed. He had averaged 100 years in each city he stayed in, with his longest lasting a thousand years. He had slowly moved, city by city, to the other side of the planet. The planet was unspeakably huge as well, though nowhere near the size of the Zhou World. Chapter 394: The Old Man - 394 Chapter 394 - The Old Man - 394 When Zhou Fan finally checked how much time had passed, it had been 30 million years since he had entered the first city and met the old man. Plenty of time had passed, and Zhou Fan understood that a lot had changed in the universe in that time. In this world, the ruler was now only at the peak of the void traversing realm due to multiple events taking place. The old man may or may not be alive now. If he had gone to the cosmic sect with Lu Wei, then there was a good chance he was alive. Zhou Fan left the planet and returned to the cosmic sect. He still had plenty of time to freely pass, but he felt like moving to a different planet regardless of whether or not he returned to the cosmic sect first. He entered without being stopped this time. Compared to his usual distance between visits, almost no time had passed. There was a chance that no new disciples had even been added. He made his way towards the center of the cosmic sect, and came across Lu Zhong and Feng Liu. They were excited when they saw him and hurriedly came up to him. They talked for a little while before Zhou Fan asked about Lu Wei. "Is there a disciple named Lu Wei here?" Zhou Fan asked. "The youngest disciple? Indeed." Lu Zhong answered. "Do you know him?" Feng Liu asked. "I do. Do you know where he is right now?" Zhou Fan asked. "He may be at the temple. He likes to cultivate there." Feng Liu answered. "Alright. I''ll see you guys later. Tell Hei Ren I said hi." Zhou Fan said as he flew towards the temple. As he stepped on the ground before the temple''s entrance, he saw Ying Xiong waiting for him. "Back so soon. I suppose you are here to meet Lu Wei." Ying Xiong said. "He made quite the commotion when he saw the statue of the origin god for the first time." "I wish I was here to see it. Do you want to come with me?" Zhou Fan asked. "I''ll just watch from the sides." Ying Xiong replied. Zhou Fan nodded and entered the temple. The first thing he noticed was a middle aged man meditating in front of and below the statue of the origin god. Seeing the statue made Zhou Fan remember Leaf, who he pulled out of the sword and allowed him to wrap around his body. He walked up to Lu Wei, who seemed to ignore the footsteps, until Zhou Fan stood right in front of him. Lu Wei opened his eyes in annoyance, but only saw the bottom part of a gray robe. "My eyes are up here." Zhou Fan said jokingly. Lu Wei''s eyes widened and his head jerked up. Zhou Fan had regained his appearance, and although he seemed slightly different, Lu Wei was able to instantly recognize him. "Uncle?" Lu Wei asked. "I suppose." Zhou Fan said. Lu Wei jumped up and hugged him. "I was hoping that the statue was truly you. It seems that you are a lot stronger than I ever expected." Lu Wei laughed. "Don''t you remember claiming that you would become strong enough to see my cultivation? I''ve awaited the day you would surpass me." Zhou Fan joked. "Haha. Let''s just forget about that, uncle." Lu Wei laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. "It seems I shouldn''t have gotten my hopes up." Zhou Fan said. "It seems that you are in good health. Where is the old man?" "He is in the outer section of the cosmic sect. We can go see him now. He should be happy to see uncle." Lu Wei said. Zhou Fan and Lu Wei left the temple. Soon, they arrived at the outer section of the cosmic sect. They went to a more desolated area where a large tower stood. Zhou Fan and Lu Wei entered the tower. It was a library that was very similar to the one long ago. The old man was sitting at the front desk reading a book. He looked up and saw Zhou Fan, with Lu Wei following behind. "You''re a couple million years late. I''ll be docking your pay." The old man said seriously. Zhou Fan and the old man looked at each other in silence for a moment, before they began to chuckle. "It''s good to see you again Old man." Zhou Fan said. "You truly are the origin god. I suppose I should bow." The old man joked. "Please don''t. It would not be worth it to lose a friend and gain a follower." Zhou Fan said. "In that case, I''ll have to stand." The old man said. Lu Wei and the old man said hello to each other as it had been a long time since they had last met as well. The old man was in the space shattering realm, though only in the first level. That seemed to be the limit of his talent. He would end up dying before even a billion years passed. A true pity, though he seemed content. There was a reason that Zhou Fan considered him a friend. He was an admirable person, fearless in the face of even the end of his lifespan. Perhaps only he and Ying Xiong could be considered Zhou Fan''s friends. Luckily, Zhou Fan had become numb to the deaths of those he knew a long time ago. It was nice to meet the old man again, and after staying in the library for a year, Zhou Fan left with Lu Wei. He may never meet the old man again, so their goodbye''s were truly profound. Lu Wei and Zhou Fan returned to the temple. After Zhou Fan left alone, he saw Ying Xiong again. "Allow Lu Wei and the old man to enter my mountain as they please. Also, treat the old man well. He is a friend." Zhou Fan said as he turned to leave. "I truly don''t know how you do it." Ying Xiong said, making Zhou Fan stop. "I don''t know if I would be able to watch those I know die so casually." He said. "I don''t find it casual at all. I''m quite sad." Zhou Fan said as he wistfully stared at the stars in the distance. "Perhaps that is what makes us so different." Chapter 395: Boredom - 395 Chapter 395 - Boredom - 395 Zhou Fan left the cosmic sect and flew towards the Heaven galaxy. He entered quietly, and Heaven did not even notice him. He soon found a random planet and descended upon it. As he fell, he found himself in a large plains. The grass had grown up to his shoulders and he could barely see a hundred feet away without using his power. He wandered around the grassland for a while before finally exiting the area of large grass. He found himself in a shaded environment with many trees. He wandered around, and night soon fell. Using the power of a mortal, Zhou Fan made a sharp stick and killed a boar. He slowly skinned it and cooked it over a self made fire, before eating his food and going to sleep. He continued to wander around the world for nearly a hundred thousand years. There were no human or humanoid species on the planet. The smartest animals were nothing but wild beasts as well. Luckily, there was not much cultivation in the world. The strongest existence had barely entered the foundation establishment realm. After a hundred thousand years, Zhou Fan had reached the highest peak and descended to the lowest depths. He had seen and explored every inch of the world. It was an interesting feeling, wandering around with no purpose whatsoever. Zhou Fan went to another world, and another, and another, and another, experiencing different situations each time and living different lives. Soon, 70 million years passed. Zhou Fan had visited tens of thousands of worlds. It had only been 100 million years since he had decided to wait a billion years. Even Zhou Fan felt bored. There were truly not many interesting things to do. Zhou Fan found Heaven and got him to play chess against him. The chess board was many times bigger than a normal chess board used by mortals. After Zhou Fan beat him 30,000 times in a row, Heaven refused to play again. He said he had things to do, and Zhou Fan left. Zhou Fan found a random empty planet and decided to test just how bored he was. He stood still, and every time the sun reached its peak, once every 24 hours, he took a step. It took him many years to go around the entire world. He then left that world, and after many failed attempts to find something interesting, admitted defeat. He entered the sword mini world and sat next to Leaf. He sat there and meditated while Leaf absorbed Qi. With him there, Leaf was much happier than usual. Zhou Fan continued meditating for 880 million years. It was then that the billion years officially passed. Zhou Fan returned to the great world once again. Over a billion years, it had changed immensely. There were many beasts populating the world, as well as supreme beasts. There were some that were intelligent, and many that were not. The humans gave Zhou Fan quite the surprise. They had established themselves rather well in the world. Although they could only stay in the inner realm due to lacking strength, they were surprisingly considered just another race of beasts, even though they cultivated differently and were smarter. The strongest human cultivator was at the void traversing realm, while the strongest beast, a supreme beast known as the sky devouring python, was at the peak of the space shattering realm. It was not surprising to find no inner world realm cultivator. The great world had not had enough time to naturally develop to that level. As a result, very few creatures had ever left the Great World, and those who did returned after realizing everything else was unimaginably far away. Zhou Fan created a teleportation array in the mortal realm of the Great World. He then teleported to the cosmic sect and created a teleportation array in the teleportation hub. Soon, Ying Xiong appeared. He had sensed Zhou Fan''s creation of the teleportation array. He looked around and recognized the area. "The Great World, is it?" He asked Zhou Fan. "That is what I named it when I created it." Zhou Fan said. "I assume we can freely enter now?" Ying Xiong asked. "Go for it." Zhou Fan responded. "Alright. I plan on creating a branch of the cosmic sect in this world since it seems so important. I was thinking of calling it the earth sect." Ying Xiong said. "Covering both the sky and the ground, huh. Seems interesting. Good luck." Zhou Fan said as he disappeared. He would sit back and watch the development of the Great World from afar. In the first years, mass migration of humans took place. Those who came first were the members of the cosmic sect. They came into the Great World like a hurricane, clearing a path to the center of the world in a few tens of years. It only took them that long because the Great World was bigger than a galaxy cluster and they did not have any teleportation arrays. Of course, they naturally left some behind as they traveled. Before even 100 years passed, the Earth sect had established itself in the center of the Great World. They did not immediately establish dominance over the world. They allowed the beasts and supreme beasts to mostly live freely, while also helping to protect the humans who lived on the Great World. The humans did not know if they should celebrate or worry about the invasion of foreigners. The world had been relatively peaceful, and the human race had even established good relationships with many beast races and even a few supreme beasts. That indecision only lasted until they realized that even the most casual help from the cosmic sect, or rather, the earth sect, would cause them to improve beyond their wildest dreams. After all, even the weakest official member of the Cosmic sect was in the lesser dao creation realm. Soon, the Heaven galaxy gained access to the Great World as well, and their people entered it. While the cosmic sect was without doubt the most powerful sect, the Heaven galaxy did not lack experts. The cosmic sect and Heaven sect were allied as well, so the Heaven sect soon created a place for themselves in the core realm along with the cosmic sect. Chapter 396: Cultivation 1.2 - 396 Chapter 396 - Cultivation 1.2 - 396 After the Heaven sect, many other sects and organizations throughout the Zhou Supercluster began to either move to the great world or create a branch there. The Buddhist sect managed to get a place in the core realm due to its connection to Ying Xiong. A few other organizations that had connections to members of the cosmic sect managed to get into the core realm, but compared to the amount of space in the core realm, it was essentially devoid of sects. Ying Xiong personally traveled all around the great world in order to set up many teleportation arrays. Otherwise, not many people would be able to travel around. Most of the teleportation arrays were free to use as long as a person had enough Qi to activate it. It was a charity from Ying Xiong. There were also teleportation arrays that led to the teleportation hub, which also held many other teleportation arrays that moved to the great world. Like the other arrays in the teleportation hub, however, these required a price to use. Ying Xiong had essentially taken over the core realm, and only those he allowed to enter dared to. After all, he was the sole god realm cultivator in the universe if you ignored Heaven. Other than the core realm, the rest of the world was a free for all. Some sects tried to fight against the native beasts and supreme beasts, but others tried to co-exist with them. Ying Xiong only cared about the core realm, and there were only a few beast races and supreme beasts that he had allowed to live there. They were the races with great potential and those who were friendly to the native humans. One of the reasons that Ying Xiong cared so much about the core realm was due to the appearance of a resource that Zhou Fan had made. He called them godly stones, a higher version of spirit stones. They had more condensed Qi inside them. They were useful to even inner world realm cultivators. Ying Xiong had no clue if they were useful to god realm cultivators as he was unable to cultivate any further ever since reaching the god realm. He had recently gone to Zhou Fan and complained. "Sorry about that. I completely forgot to increase the upper limit. Give me a bit of time, I may completely update cultivation again." Zhou Fan had responded. Ying Xiong nodded his head and returned to the core realm. Zhou Fan seriously thought about it and began to implement cultivation 1.2. It would just be a minor update. After nearly a billion years of work, cultivation 1.2 was released. The change that Ying Xiong cared about the most was the increase of the upper limit of cultivation. It was now possible to reach the first level of the true god realm, though Zhou Fan did not know if even Ying Xiong would be able to. The 2nd change was the only other change. It was the addition of tribulations upon trying to break through certain realms. Zhou Fan did this so that talented cultivators would no longer be able to simply coast through realms. It was a change that affected all living and even non-living things in the universe. After all, if a tree could cultivate, perhaps a rock could. There would be tribulations upon trying to break into the soul formation realm, the void traversing realm, the lesser dao creation realm, the inner world realm, the god realm, and the true god realm. With this addition, many cultivators were extremely surprised. An uproar went through all cultivation worlds. Those at a lower level believed that cultivation had simply changed for some reason. Only those in the cosmic sect or with connections to the cosmic sect understood that it was the work of the origin god, even though nobody understood why. One of the reasons that the Heaven sect was so close to the cosmic sect was the fact that the origin god was revealed to be the creator and father of Heaven itself. This caused them to feel a sense of closeness. With their connection, the Heaven sect was immediately able to understand what was going on. The sole inner world cultivator of the Heaven sect, the Tian of the current generation, went so far as to ask Heaven about this. Heaven had come to the great world as well since he was not actually restricted to the Heaven galaxy. It was later reported that the Tian was slapped in the face for daring to question the origin god''s actions. Despite that, Heaven did indeed go find Zhou Fan, almost at the exact same time as Ying Xiong. Ying Xiong was truly curious as to Zhou Fan''s reasons, though he did not really care about the implementation. Any truly talented cultivator, not just in cultivation, but in battle, would be able to pass the tribulations. On the other hand, Heaven mostly just wanted to see Zhou Fan again. They managed to find Zhou Fan sitting on a cloud above the core realm. He had been thinking about a few things, including future cultivation updates. He had also been observing the great world as he had been away for a billion years. "Father." "Zhou Fan." Heaven and Ying Xiong said at the same time. They looked at each other before looking back at Zhou Fan. "Hello." Zhou Fan said without turning around. "Is there something that you two need?" "Not really." Ying Xiong said first. "I''m just curious as to why you created tribulations." "Mostly for fun. Also to make the cultivation journey less smooth." Zhou Fan said. "Alright. Since Heaven is here, I won''t bother you too much." Ying Xiong said as he turned around and left. "Hello father." Heaven said. He still had the appearance of an old man with black and white hair, which made Zhou Fan feel slightly weird, but he ignored it. "It''s good to see you again. Did you also come here to ask about the tribulations?" Zhou Fan asked. "Just as an excuse. I wanted to see you again after so long." Heaven said after a moment. "I see. It seems that I have ignored you. Let''s hang out for a few years." Zhou Fan said as he got up and turned around. "Just one condition, change your appearance." "Alright." Heaven said as he made himself younger. He looked about Zhou Fan''s age. He did not care about appearances as his true appearance was literally an eye. Chapter 397: Impending Battle - 397 Chapter 397 - Impending Battle - 397 Zhou Fan and Heaven descended down to the core realm. More specifically, they descended down to the Heaven sect. As soon as the members of the Heaven sect saw Heaven and Zhou Fan flying down, they trembled and prostrated themselves on the ground. They never even imagined seeing Heaven descend one day. They had never seen him before, but one glance was enough for them to feel it. Zhou Fan and Heaven entered the palace in the middle of the Heaven sect. There, they met the current Tian, named Tian Yer. They only briefly exchanged greetings before Zhou Fan and Heaven entered the back of the palace. Heaven had led Zhou Fan there to show him something. Far below the ground, in an underground prison, a man was locked up by immensely powerful chains. The chains were made up of the most powerful natural metal Zhou Fan had ever seen, as well as infused with a bit of Heaven''s power. The man being held was at the 1st level of the inner world realm. "Who is he?" Zhou Fan asked curiously. He had never seen an inner world realm cultivator locked up. "He is the one who killed the 3rd generation Tian, the one after Tian Fu." Heaven said. "Why not just kill him?" Zhou Fan asked. "Because of some things he said. I''ll let you see for yourself." Heaven said as he walked into a cell where the man was chained up. Only then did the man''s gaze leave the floor. When he saw Heaven, immense rage bursted out of him. "Anything you''d like to say now?" Heaven asked. "Just the same old. I am the one who carries the mandate of Yao Mun. His will has led us this far. He will return." The man said. "Who is us? How will he return?" Heaven asked. "I am the one who carries the mandate of Yao Mun. His will has led us this far. He will return." The man repeated. "Answer." Heaven said. "I am the one who carries the mandate of Yao Mun. His will has led us this far. He will return." The man repeated. Heaven slapped him unconscious and left the cell. "See. I don''t know if he is insane, but he claims that Yao Mun is leading him and other people, and that he will return one day." Heaven said. "Have you looked for Yao Mun?" Zhou Fan asked. "I have, but could not find anything whatsoever. Not even records of his existence, which is even more suspicious as the man in the cell seems to know him. What if you look?" Heaven asked. "Why would I do that? It would spoil any interesting developments." Zhou Fan responded. There seemed to be something going on, and Zhou Fan was absolutely interested in how it would play out. He and Heaven left the underground prison, which even the current Tian seemed unaware of. They left the Heaven sect and went to the cosmic sect. Zhou Fan was quickly recognized, though no one seemed to recognize Heaven. That was until Ying Xiong arrived. "Why aren''t you all greeting Heaven?" He asked. The members of the cosmic sect were stunned for a moment, before greeting Heaven. Only one person around them was unknown, and if Heaven was around, then it was obviously him. Heaven just nodded. He had only come because Zhou Fan had led him to the cosmic sect. Zhou Fan slipped away from the crowd with Heaven and entered his mountain. As he returned, he received a surprise. Near his courtyard, there was a grave and a man cultivating near it. "Lu Wei." Zhou Fan said. Lu Wei opened his eyes and looked at Zhou Fan. He seemed happy, before his eyes were filled with grief. "Father is dead." Lu Wei said. "People die on the path of cultivation. You must move on." Zhou Fan said. "I know. But that does not stop me from mourning." Lu Wei said. "I see. This is my son, Heaven." Zhou Fan introduced. Heaven nodded at Lu Wei. Lu Wei looked at Heaven before speaking. "He may not understand it. Do you? How would you feel if he were to die?" Lu Wei asked curiously. He naturally knew who Heaven was. "I too would mourn, though I may actually die if he dies, I''m not sure." Heaven said. "What do you mean?" Lu Wei asked with confusion. "I am made from a part of his soul. Who knows what the effects of him dying would be. At the very least, I know that I would lose my cultivation." Heaven said. "That would naturally lead to my death." "Then perhaps you couldn''t relate. Anyway, it is nice meeting you." Lu Wei said. He turned to Zhou Fan and nodded. "Good day, Uncle." He said before beginning to cultivate again. Zhou Fan nodded and entered his courtyard. It truly was a pity that the old man died. He and Heaven relaxed in the courtyard, bonding as father and son like they never had before. They fished together and ate together for years before finally leaving the courtyard and parting ways. Zhou Fan sighed. It was good to see his son. He once again sat on a cloud above the core realm as he thought. There was a lot he wanted to do before breaking into the next realm. That was because, as soon as he broke through, he planned to fight the last difficult fight of his life. A fight against the cosmic dao. He had a gut feeling that, even if he did not provoke it, it would come for him when he broke through. No matter how passive it was, would it really just watch as Zhou Fan became able to completely overpower it? He only knew that it was still beyond him now due to the fact that he could not find it. As far as he could see, there was no battle for him beyond the cosmic dao. That would be the last time, and perhaps nearly the first time, that he actually fought a difficult battle. He was excited. Chapter 398: The Era of Infinite Growth - 398 Chapter 398 - The Era of Infinite Growth - 398 After thinking for a while, Zhou Fan understood that he desired to see the entire universe enter an unprecedented age of cultivation and expansion. He wanted the universe to truly develop until its very boundaries were reached. If he let it slowly move by himself, it would take an uncountable number of years. However, if he acted actively, then the amount of time would only be a fraction of the natural time. Zhou Fan silently began to plot. 30 years later, high above the core realm, Zhou Fan sat with Ying Xiong and Heaven. Behind them were thousands of representatives from powerful sects and other organizations. Right now, the scene was being transmitted to every single corner of the universe. Whether it was mortal or inner world realm cultivators, they were all watching or participating. Zhou Fan spoke, the entire universe''s attention on him for the first time. "My name is Zhou Fan. I am also known as the origin god. I am the creator of cultivation, as well as every place with life in this universe besides earth. I was born countless years ago and have risen to become an unparalleled cultivator. Today, I declare my intentions unto the universe. An unprecedented era of cultivation will emerge. Mortal or god, all will receive teachings and all will have fair treatment. I will now usher in the Era of Infinite Growth." Zhou Fan said. Not to mention the entire universe which had just entered an uproar, even Ying Xiong and Heaven were completely shocked by his words. They had known he was planning something huge, but this... Zhou Fan had publicly declared himself as the creator of cultivation and said that he would help all life cultivate. It was an incredible promise. Zhou Fan had no plans to hold back either. He would truly do his best for the cultivation world, no strings attached. He was itching to develop the universe, and this was the only way. Zhou Fan opened his mouth and began to preach the mortal dao and the cosmic dao at the same time. Only those who had comprehended the mortal dao would be able to hear the cosmic dao. At the same time, his voice naturally increased the speed of cultivation by 10,000x. Those with lacking talent also felt as if a clear path was showing them the way. Even mortals with no meridians suddenly felt a warm feeling appear in their bodies. When Zhou Fan said no holding back, he meant no holding back. The restrictions of the river of cultivation were lifted, allowing people with incredible talent to freely grow. With the 10,000x boost, they were soaring to the peak every step they took. Cultivation bases soared unrestricted. Even Ying Xiong felt the effects. Only Heaven could not cultivate, but Zhou Fan raised his cultivation to the 1st level of the true god realm. Still, Heaven began to comprehend the cosmic dao under Zhou Fan''s words and fell into a trance. For the first time in history, the entire living universe stopped and cultivated. Only once a person reached the absolute peak that their talent would allow did they wake from their trance. Some tried to attack those still in the trance, but felt an overwhelming horror envelop them at the mere thought. This caused peace to be present throughout all worlds. The changes did not affect just humanoid species, but beasts, supreme beasts, and even plants. Leaf was in floating soil next to Zhou Fan, cultivating at 10,000x the speed, though he was still going slow. Over the years, countless powerhouses were born. Right now, the equivalent of a billion years of cultivation would take 100,000 years at most. Zhou Fan stopped a billion years later. As soon as he stopped speaking, the entire world exploded again. Countless people had been born and lived as the voice continued. To many, it was a natural part of life, but it had suddenly stopped. At the same time, the cultivators stopped cultivating and stood up, bowing towards the sky. Not a single person had been under the effects the entire time. Generations had passed as people cultivated. People only stopped when reaching the limit of cultivation or when reaching the limit of their talent. Zhou Fan looked behind him. All those now present were at the true god realm. There were 1,000 people. Zhou Fan''s release of the restrictions had squeezed every last drop from people''s talent. Therefore, even people that would have normally struggled to reach the god realm could reach the true god realm due to Zhou Fan. Ying Xiong looked around at the cultivators. He had no doubt he was the strongest among them all, as there were very few faces that he did not recognize. The rest had come from the cosmic sect, and only 1 person had been born with enough talent to be accepted into the cosmic sect after all this time. Most of the cosmic sect''s disciple''s had entered the true god realm. Ying Xiong himself had nearly reached 100% comprehension of the cosmic dao, though the river of cultivation stopped him at 99.9% completion. Zhou Fan got up and looked around. All those who saw him, besides Ying Xiong and Heaven, looked at him with absolute reverence. They had complete faith in him, more than any parent or teacher would receive. It was accurate to call him their god. As their god, he gave an order out. "Go and create worlds. Ask me for all of the materials you need. Each world should be huge, and each one will be personally completed by my power. Those who create worlds will receive great rewards. It is also possible for you to borrow my power to create worlds." His words were heard by all those in the god realm and the true god realm. To get materials, approval, or use a bit of his power, all one had to do was use a special technique imparted to them by Zhou Fan. They would get on their knees and pray. With the system that Zhou Fan had set up, his mortal dao would automatically filter them all and give what was necessary and approve what was good. Zhou Fan nodded at Ying Xiong and Heaven before disappearing and appearing at the top of the Zhou supercluster. He wanted to do multiple things. One, observe the universe''s development, and two, create a new change in cultivation. It all started with techniques. Chapter 399: Technique Pathways - 399 Chapter 399 - Technique Pathways - 399 What were techniques? This was a common question asked by all and answered by many. The most common answer was, "A way to display strength". However, what if a person went deeper into it. To Zhou Fan, most techniques were simply different ways of shaping Qi. There was hardly any actual difference if one ignored size and Qi cost. However, there were many variations with different uses, and many could do things that others couldn''t. Some people could also display greater power with certain techniques due to resonating with them or having an affinity. Only techniques that were created with the profoundness of the mortal or cosmic daos had any true difference in them. Otherwise, most were just different ways to use Qi. What Zhou Fan wanted to create was a true way for techniques to be different in their very essence. As for how, his inspiration was from meridians, the most important organ in humans. Meridians were like tunnels in the body, and he planned on creating billions of tiny branches of these tunnels. They would be called technique pathways. This was not a short term project, and its effect would nearly be on the same level of the creation of the river of cultivation, which it would be a part of. These technique pathways would have to perfectly resonate with both the bodies of all creatures, as well as the universe and Qi itself in order for the project to be successful. The most important part was making sure that this was not an outside power, but a power that a human truly controlled and could not simply be taken away from them. It would also need to be possible for people to use techniques the same as now. The technique pathways would simply be a deeper study into the usage and creation of techniques. In short, Zhou Fan was creating what could be called an organ on the level of meridians. Zhou Fan closed his eyes as his mind moved rapidly. At the same time as he closed his eyes and thought, a portion of his thoughts had been split off in order to observe the creation of worlds. Even Ying Xiong and Heaven moved out in order to create worlds. Although they were his friend and son respectively, he had no plans to freely reward them, especially after helping Ying Xiong reach the true god realm, something that he may never have done himself. As for what the rewards were, they could be anything. Increased talent, weapons, materials, techniques. The possibilities were endless with Zhou Fan. A billion years passed, and Zhou Fan realized just how big the projects he was taking on were. The creation of worlds was naturally something huge and incomparably far reaching. Progress would take forever. He would also need to populate those worlds, though that could be done at a later time. At some point in the last billion years, he also began transporting true god realm cultivators around the filament using his power. This way, the creation of worlds would spread out in an even greater size. As of now, he was containing it to the filament, but it would absolutely expand in the future, though it would be very very far in the future. As for the creation of technique pathways, he had made essentially zero progress. He was not making something loosely. This was going to be one of the masterpieces he would be proudest of for all of eternity. Therefore, every part had to be perfected by him. As his strength increased, he would also update the technique pathways with the river of cultivation and the expansion of his mortal dao. Their profundities would always be on the same level as his cultivation. 100 billion years passed and Zhou Fan felt that he was 1% complete, though he had no idea if that was accurate. He could be done in another billion years, or it could indeed take 10 trillion years. The creation of worlds was going well. Having a thousand true god cultivators was indeed useful. There were also 50,000 god realm cultivators helping as well, though they mostly designed the worlds after their creation. With just a little effort from Zhou Fan, the universe could indeed become a completely different place. From 2 god realm cultivators to 50,000 in a billion years. Imagine if someone had invested in god realm stocks before that. As of now, the total land created was multiple times more than the great world, though it was simply many much smaller areas. Despite being called small, all of them could compare in size to a galaxy. Most were desolate, with simple dirt, water, and a star or two around them. Some had grass and basic life. Some had been completely turned into a new world with beasts and some humans. All of them would be completed later. As of now, the foundation of it all was being completed like a wave. Zhou Fan closed his eyes as a trillion years passed. Much had changed, but to all the god realm cultivators and above, it was but a small fraction of their lifespan. God realm cultivators could live for a quadrillion years, while true god realm cultivators could live for a quintillion. In comparison, a trillion years was a thousandth of a god realm cultivator''s life span and a millionth of a true god realm cultivator''s lifespan. At this time, Ying Xiong and Heaven came to see him with a suggestion. Most of the worlds all stood on the same level, and they both believed that there should be a sort of higher realm for god realm cultivators and above. Zhou Fan had this idea as well, though he had imagined it on a larger scale. He personally moved out, and soon, at the top of the filament, endless clouds appeared. Inside those clouds was a whole different world with 5x the cultivation speed. It was the size of a galaxy cluster, just like the great world, though it was almost entirely made from clouds. The only way to enter was by being in the god realm. Zhou Fan gave this place a name. "The upper realm." Chapter 400: Lu Wei鈥檚 Challenge - 400 Chapter 400 - Lu Wei''s Challenge - 400 Zhou Fan appreciated the hard work that all of the true god realm and god realm cultivators had put in over the years. As a result, he brought all of them together for the grand opening of the upper realm. For now, it was more of a lounge area and cultivation area instead of a higher world, but it was simply a hastily made prototype. After all, around 90% of the ground was made of clouds. That did not mean that there was no dirt. The size of the land in the upper realm was bigger than multiple galaxies. All of the cultivators marveled at the upper realm. After a few years of relaxing, they all got back to work. There was no point in any of them cultivating. Before leaving, Ying Xiong made a branch of the cosmic sect. He named it the upper cosmic sect. As they all left and continued creating, Zhou Fan sat far above them all and watched while working on technique pathways. Leaf had been wrapped around him the entire time. After cultivating during the era of infinite cultivation with a 10,000x boost and the time since then, he had reached the peak of the nascent soul realm. Just the nascent soul realm. Zhou Fan could barely comprehend the speed given Leaf''s talent. Throughout all of time, no cultivator, whether human, beast, or plant, had ever taken as long to cultivate as Leaf. Not even a fraction. Zhou Fan had a feeling that Leaf''s lifespan was even greater than his. He played with Leaf for a while while observing the creation of worlds. Soon, he was working on the technique pathways once again. He had truly thought of a great idea. A trillion years passed. Zhou Fan felt as if he was getting closer to the end, but it was hard to put a percentage on it due to the many different sections of development. Some were completed in a few years, while some may take even longer than a trillion years. The comprehensions that went behind this were not something that a normal person could comprehend. Many great talents had been born in the trillions of years that the worlds had been created, though they did not experience the era of infinite growth. Ying Xiong had halted his work on worlds every time that a new student joined the cosmic sect. Sadly, Zhou Fan had not seen any talents worthy of becoming his disciple. Perhaps once the creation of worlds finished and creatures were spread throughout the entire filament it would be easier to find worthy disciples. It would also be easier for the cosmic sect. After all, if the creation of worlds went as planned, then countless living beings would be born every single second. It would be a difference of millions of times, billions of times, or even greater. Another trillion years passed, and another, and another, for 3 trillion years. The cosmic sect had gained many more disciples, not many of which would ever reach the god realm. Lu Wei came and met Zhou Fan at this time. Lu Wei had been one of the people who had entered the true god realm during the era of infinite cultivation. Today, he came to challenge Zhou Fan. "Uncle, I''ve been waiting a long time for this day. I challenge you to break my barrier." He said with a smile. "If you insist. Start." Zhou Fan said. Lu Wei rolled his die, and received a bunch of Qi. "Sorry. Next time." Lu Wei said as he rolled his die again with the Qi he had regained. His muscles bulged as his physical strength doubled. "Sorry. Next time." Lu Wei said as he cultivated for a few minutes to get his reserves above the halfway point. "Alright. Here we go." Lu Wei said as he rolled his die again. This time, a barrier appeared around him. As a cultivator in the true god realm, it was extremely sturdy. Zhou Fan reached out and put his finger on it. He used the strength of a peak true god realm cultivator, but there was not even a reaction. Next, he used the physical strength of a peak outer world realm cultivator. The barrier rippled and began cracking, but it seemed as if it would hold for a while. "You may have the greatest innate gift ever. It provides the most incredible defense I''ve ever seen, as well as doubled strength and instant Qi." Zhou Fan said, complimenting Lu Wei. He then used the basic physical strength of a 1st level sage realm cultivator, and the barrier around Lu Wei shattered into pieces. He had not even used Qi. Lu Wei seemed saddened, but he had expected it. "As long as you know how great I am." Lu Wei said as he left happily. As Lu Wei left, Zhou Fan wondered how powerful he was. He was now in the sage realm, and he had never truly tested his strength. In fact, he had not done so in a while. If he had not strengthened space, then any of the true god realm cultivators could have completely destroyed space, much less him. Due to the changes at the sage realm, he could use infinite strength without breaking space, but there had never seemed to be any reason to test his strength. He sighed and shook his head. He would test his strength when he fought the cosmic dao. A few years later, a report reached Ying Xiong''s ears. In a far off supercluster, a god realm cultivator had died. He was shocked beyond understanding and went off in that direction. He headed towards the forbidden land, the home of the destruction race. Long ago, during the era of infinite cultivation, they had not been excluded at all. However, instead of seeking Zhou Fan, they hid within the forbidden land and waited for one moment. The moment that the king of the destruction race faced the great attractor of the forbidden land. The king of the destruction race did not reproduce by going into the black hole, but had instead shown power greater than it, although he did not attack or destroy it. Ying Xiong and the other true gods and the gods had never entered the forbidden land as it was not in the direction they had first begun developing in. Chapter 401: Ying Xiong vs The Destruction Race - 401 Chapter 401 - Ying Xiong vs The Destruction Race - 401 Ying Xiong stopped moving right outside of the forbidden land. In front of him, the king of the destruction race stood. Ying Xiong sized him up seriously. He could feel that the king of the destruction race was extremely powerful and in the true god realm. "What are you exactly?" Ying Xiong asked. "We are the destruction race, human. Are you the leader of the human race?" The king of the destruction race asked. Although he had no mouth and his entire body was a humanoid shape made of swirls, he could still communicate. "It could be considered so. I am Ying Xiong." Ying Xiong said, as Zhou Fan never really interfered with the human race in general. "It seems that I have underestimated your race. Good, it would be no fun without a challenge." The king of the destruction race laughed. Before Ying Xiong could speak, the space in front of him shattered and an arrow made of black hole Qi shot at him. He reacted quickly and a bell covered his body. The arrow of black hole Qi hit the bell, and to Ying Xiong''s surprise, his bell cracked. His eyes widened and he grew serious. His shirt ripped as the painting on his back glowed. At the same time, the king of the destruction race''s face grew gloomy. He did not expect to face such an opponent. "Cosmic buddha''s palm." Ying Xiong said as he pushed his palm down. Layers appeared and phantoms covered the attack as it fell. The king of the destruction race''s eyes widened as he burst with all of his power. Strands of black hole Qi attacked the falling palm like whips as it fell. The king of the destruction race was barely able to disperse it, but Ying Xiong had already appeared behind him and punched out. Their battle completely shattered space and tore it to pieces, attracting the attention of other cultivators. The true god realm cultivators of the humanoid races felt Ying Xiong''s power and rushed towards the forbidden land. As they rushed over, 21 destruction race cultivators leaped into the fray. They were known as the 21 destruction lords. Each of them was at the true god realm and surpassed ordinary cultivators in the same realm by a large margin. Ying Xiong''s situation changed, and instead of pushing back the king of the destruction race, he was being pushed back. At this time, his eyes displayed an emotion that even Zhou Fan had never seen. He had understood the destruction race, and they could only be called a horrible calamity to humanity. In his mind, the destruction race needed to be put down this very day. Otherwise, humanity could very well be destroyed. At the same time, the king of the destruction race was also experiencing an unfamiliar emotion. He felt humiliated. From birth, he had never been matched, but now, some random human was forcing him to team up with the 21 destruction lords, and they were only pushing him back. Ying Xiong steeled his resolve and his painting grew even brighter. Behind him, a phantom of a giant golden tree appeared with a thousand bald men meditating around it. A giant buddha with its legs crossed appeared in the sky with stars revolving around it. Ying Xiong''s entire body was filled with an unparalleled killing intent. The giant buddha waved its hand, and ten of the destruction race lords shot back with their bodies cracking. At the same time, Ying Xiong''s arm cracked and blood fell. His single arm wave had completely collapsed space. With another arm wave, the other 11 destruction race lords were pushed back with injuries. Ying Xiong raised his hand high, and a palm fell down on the destruction race king. The destruction race king shouted in rage and a storm of black hole Qi surrounded him. A sword appeared that attempted to bisect the giant buddha, but the giant buddha''s free hand grabbed the sword, cracking slightly. The palm fell on the king of the destruction race, who was pushed back into the forbidden land while spitting out the equivalent of the destruction race''s blood. Ying Xiong''s giant buddha waved its hands and caused endless destruction to the entire forbidden land. Thousands of god realm destruction race cultivators ran out at Ying Xiong, but he reduced them to dust with a wave of his hand. The king of the destruction race and the 21 destruction lords charged out again, but Ying Xiong single handedly repelled them. Hordes of mindless destruction race members charged out of the forbidden land. Some destruction race members had intelligence like the king, but the vast majority did not. Ying Xiong killed billions of destruction race members every time he waved his hand. He was like divine judgment passed upon the destruction race. The king of the destruction race and the 21 destruction lords charged out again, but were repelled. At the same time, Ying Xiong''s giant buddha shattered and he stood in space, injured and panting. Blood poured from cracks in his body from over using his power. After all, he was single handedly facing 22 true gods of the destruction race. None of them were ordinary either. Ying Xiong slowly recovered as the destruction race king and the 21 destruction lords charged out, this time with another 78 true god realm cultivators. Ying Xiong''s eyes narrowed. At this time, 3 true gods appeared behind him. "Cosmic sect, reporting to sect master Ying Xiong." The 3 said. "Pass down my order. We fight this destruction race to the death." He said, shocking the 3 behind him. They quickly fulfilled his order and pulled out talismans. The true god realm cultivators already rushing over sped up after they received the message. The king of the destruction race gritted his teeth at the appearance of more human cultivators. He had miscalculated. The human race was not as simple as it appeared. That one being which had ushered in the era of infinite cultivation had yet to even appear, though the destruction race king had been betting that he would stay neutral in this matter. He believed this based on the fact that they had received benefits from the era of infinite cultivation, as well as the fact that they were still alive. Chapter 402: Retreat - 402 Chapter 402 - Retreat - 402 At the same time, from all of the true gods in the battle, divinity burst out of their bodies. Ying Xiong''s divinity began to heal him as everyone charged forward. Although the 3 true gods that had shown up could each take on one of the destruction race''s true gods, it would not do much. One of the human true gods took on a normal true god from the destruction race, while the other 2 each fought one of the 21 destruction lords. Ying Xiong opened his arms and countless palms appeared on the battlefield, grabbing at the members of the destruction race. The king of the destruction race created black lines out of black hole Qi that raged around him like a tornado, destroying many of the palms. Ying Xiong did not expect any great change to happen, he just needed to get the king of the destruction race alone. Unfortunately, the palms were destroyed too fast. Ying Xiong single handedly fought against most of the destruction race as time passed. The true gods who had arrived first were filled with admiration and pride. After all, he was their sect master. The number 2 below the origin god in the entire universe. Soon, more true gods from the human race showed up. Ying Xiong''s teleportation arrays were showing their usefulness. As the battle continued, the destruction race was being pushed back more and more. Ying Xiong was like a madman, and Lu Wei, who had just arrived, was taking on 5 of the destruction lords with ease. They were already nearly dead. The king of the destruction race gritted his teeth and waved his hand. "All members of the destruction race retreat to the supreme black hole." He shouted, his voice echoing through the forbidden land. The true gods of the destruction race began to slowly move back as the weaker destruction race members pulled back to the great attractor. "Do you truly think you can leave? Today will be both the reveal and the end of your race." Ying Xiong said as more and more power burst out from his body. The king of the destruction race looked at Ying XIong with unmatched hatred as he moved back. "Do you think you can stop us? This humiliation will be repaid. I, Lin Zhenwu, king of the destruction race, swear it upon my life." He said as he finally entered the area of the black hole great attractor. Suddenly, the space in front of Ying Xiong distorted and a giant array manipulated all the black holes of the forbidden land to form a barrier around the great attractor. Ying Xiong attacked it, but the force of his attack was dispersed. On the other side, all of the members of the destruction race at the god realm or above were using their power to strengthen the array. It was a masterful array that would not be broken so casually, especially not by a first level true god. Ying Xiong sighed and relaxed. He would wait for all of the members of the cosmic sect to arrive before attempting to break through the array. As he waited, he contacted Heaven, asking for assistance. "I do not participate in such matters." Heaven responded simply. Although his power was at least equal to Ying Xiongs and would make the possibility of breaking through the array a certainty, he was still Heaven. As the prototype for the universal consciousness, he very rarely interfered in any matters at all. Especially as he grew older. The members of the Heaven sect, on the other hand, were not restricted at all. Only the current Tian did not come. Ying Xiong left what was once the forbidden land and soon found Zhou Fan. "Did you create the destruction race?" He asked bluntly. "I did." Zhou Fan answered. He had expected this day to come. "Why would you create a race that carries the sole purpose of destruction?" Ying Xiong asked calmly. "If you cannot understand why, then I won''t waste my breath telling you." Zhou Fan responded. After a moment, Ying Xiong spoke again. "I understand, but I don''t believe that this is the way." He said. "If you can show me an alternate path that accomplishes the same result, I will personally destroy the destruction race." Zhou Fan said. "Fine. Then I hope you keep your promise." Ying Xiong said as he left. Soon, the thousand true gods, excluding the Tian and Heaven, had gathered in front of the array. Not all of the true gods were humans or humanoid, and there were many beasts and supreme beasts as well. There was even a dragon with the first dragon king''s bloodline. The cosmic sect did not decline any race, they only looked at talent. The lineup included humans, Heavenborns, celestials, and many beast races. "Let us all work together to destroy this race. They are a threat to not only humans and humanoid species, but to all living creatures. Their sole purpose is to destroy." Ying Xiong said. Below the thousand true gods was an array. It was a god realm array, though it was created by a true god realm cultivator. It would help condense the combined strength to produce a slightly better result. "Now!" Ying Xiong shouted as he attacked with a stacked cosmic buddha''s palm. The people behind him let loose their most powerful attacks as well. When they hit the black hole array, it shook and seemed on the verge of collapsing, but it did not do so. On the other side, the destruction race king was clenching his teeth as the equivalent of their blood spilled out. "Ying Xiong! I Hate You!" On the other side, more and more attacks were released. Unfortunately, although the array shook and seemed on the verge of breaking, it never did. Ying Xiong sighed and retreated. Both his side and his enemies were in the true god realm. It was very hard to decide victory and defeat while in the same realm, especially with such a masterful array guarding the destruction race. "We will retreat for now. Decide among yourselves, but there needs to be at least 1 god realm or true god realm cultivator keeping watch from afar in case they attempt to escape." He said as he left. Chapter 403: A Worm - 403 Chapter 403 - A Worm - 403 With the matter of the destruction race over, the universe once again fell into its usual pace of world creation. Zhou Fan kept watch over it as he worked on the technique pathways. A trillion years later, all of the god realm and true god realm cultivators gathered in the upper realm. After many trillions of years of work, they were finally getting rewards. Their efforts were turned into contribution points, and they were all informed of what they could get. Among the top of the list was even an instant upgrade in cultivation level, though it would be artificial like Heaven''s power. There were also techniques and temporary arrays that would boost the cultivation speed of anyone they wanted to use it on, without conforming to the rules of cultivation 1.2. All of the god realm cultivators came up first. Many spent the vast majority of their contribution points on an increase in level, taking them a single level up, and some others bought materials, instructions on how to increase the art ranks, and cultivation speed up arrays. After all of them were satisfied, the true god realm cultivators came up. They had many more contribution points, but the things in the true god realm were more expensive. The true god realm cultivators could not increase their cultivation with rewards, so Zhou Fan created an alternate way. He offered them stones that increased the power of their attacks an entire level one time. Many bought this. Ying Xiong was one of the few who did not. He spent the vast majority of his contribution points on materials and techniques for the cosmic sect. Heaven was the same, though for the Heaven sect. Everyone left the upper realm satisfied and got to work. Zhou Fan went back to his usual spot and oversaw them once again. His work on the technique pathways was getting closer. As he watched, he saw an interesting scene. A worm with a familiar power challenged Ying Xiong to a duel. Somehow, this worm seemed to have some of Zhou Fan''s divinity from long ago within him. It had transformed the worm completely. Zhou Fan remembered that long ago, when he was testing his divinity, he had thrown a worm to the ground after infusing it with divinity. Although the vast majority of the true gods in the universe had joined Zhou Fan when they broke through, he was one of the very few who did not. It seemed that he had always held high ambitions. Zhou Fan did not expect much from the worm, but he was surprised as the battle started. ¡ª---------------------------- Ying Xiong looked oddly at the worm in front of him. All around them were many of the true gods and gods from the cosmic sect, as well as the few beasts that had broken through. The worm was mixed with the color of gold and gray, and Ying Xiong felt as if the power around him was familiar. "Start." The appointed judge of the battle shouted. Although Ying Xiong and the worm seemed close, they were nearly an entire galaxy apart. The spectators were even farther away. At the voice, the worm and Ying Xiong moved. Ying Xiong used a simple buddha''s palm, intending to quickly defeat the arrogant worm, but the worm did not react in the expected way. Instead of defending itself, it flicked its tail and the buddha''s palm was cut in half as a strong power approached Ying Xiong. Ying Xiong got serious. A bell surrounded him that rang out when the worm''s power hit it. The bell instantly cracked. The worm''s power was on par with the king of the destruction race. Ying Xiong wanted to speak, but before he could, the worm moved again. It wriggled its body and moved through space at a speed second only to teleportation. It headbutted the bell and sent Ying Xiong flying. A giant buddha appeared around Ying Xiong''s body as his shirt ripped and his painting glowed. He used a full powered cosmic buddha''s palm with as many stacks as he could and it fell towards the worm. The worm grew serious as well, and it teleported away to Ying Xiong''s surprise. A teleportation battle ensued. Few attacks were made as they tried to out teleport each other. Soon, more contact began and Ying Xiong was slowly gaining an upper hand despite not using the absolute power that he had shown against the king of the destruction race. After all, that was a power he only used when his life was in danger or when he was truly filled with killing intent. Suddenly, the worm rapidly teleported away multiple times and created a distance. Ying Xiong did not follow. "I assume you are admitting defeat." Ying Xiong said. "I admit you are strong, but you have not seen everything yet. Prepare yourself." The worm said as the gray and golden colors surrounding his body moved. Zhou Fan watched closely. "This power is both my power and not my power, but in the end, I control it. Behold, my power, the power of the origin god." The worm shouted as its tail flicked. Ying Xiong felt a sense of dread overwhelm him as the colors on the worm''s body shot towards him in a vertical crescent. For the first time in a long time, he smelled the stench of death. He fully activated his back painting and formed a defensive cosmic buddha''s palm with more layers than he could handle while a bell appeared around his body. He had felt this feeling before. "Chaos Qi!" He shouted as the layered cosmic buddha''s palm was shattered and the bell around his body cracked. The void distorted as Ying Xiong used all of his power to defend. He had only felt so powerless against a single person before. The bell shattered and Ying Xiong''s body was almost fully cut in half before the power dissipated. Ying Xiong was barely conscious, but as he looked at the worm, he realized that it was in as bad, if not a worse state than him. The worms skin was once again pink and his body seemed to be slowly crumbling to dust. It eventually stopped, but the worm was completely out of commision. The battle ended in a draw. Chapter 404: Merely a Worm - 404 Chapter 404 - Merely a Worm - 404 The spectating cultivators were all shocked. All of the surrounding space was quiet for a long time after the battle ended. Many were worried about Ying Xiong, while others were thinking of what they had seen and heard. "Did he say the power of the origin god?" A true god realm cultivator asked after a while. "I think so, but what does it mean?" "Could it be that the origin god gave the worm the power to defeat Ying Xiong?" "No, impossible. It is said that Ying Xiong and the origin god are friends. Why would he want to get rid of Ying Xiong? Even if he did, he could do it himself with the flick of a finger." "It must be that the worm had somehow stolen the origin god''s power!" "Of course! Brother, you are truly intelligent." "In that case, should we beat him up?" "Wait wait wait. Are you all saying that the origin god''s power can be stolen. That seems like an insult to the origin god, does it not?" "Fellow daoist, calm down. You''re going to get us killed." ¡ª------------------------------------ Far away from the battle and the spectators, Zhou Fan looked at the worm with surprise. To think that it could use Chaos Qi to attack, even if it was not its own power. Anything was truly possible. It seemed that his divinity had evolved it and somewhat fused with it long ago, and when his divinity upgraded upon reaching the true god realm, it experienced another evolution and fused some more. Although that would very likely be the end of the worm''s evolutions even if his divinity was upgraded again, to be able to fuse with Zhou Fan''s power was not something casual. "To think that such a casual action long ago would affect the future of today." Zhou Fan sighed and chuckled. It did not matter if the worm was able to somewhat use the power of Chaos Qi. It could barely do so at the cost of risking its life, and after Zhou Fan had strengthened the final layer of space, Chaos Qi was no longer a huge threat. Above all else, if the worm continued to use the power, it would eventually fully die. Chaos Qi itself was a poison to cultivators both with an affinity and without an affinity for it. Only the combination of the Chaos Divine physique and the affinity was enough to support the power of Chaos Qi. While Chaos Qi existed everywhere that Zhou Fan''s mortal dao did not, it did not pose a danger to cultivators unless they somehow managed to absorb the Qi. The Chaos Qi, fueled by their own power, would completely destroy them. Of course, it was currently impossible for any cultivator to absorb Chaos Qi. Zhou Fan stopped paying attention to the battle area and focused on the technique pathways again. Many many years later, Ying Xiong and the worm privately met on a barren planet. By now, they were both fully healed and back to normal. Ying Xiong looked deeply at the worm. "With that power, along with mine and all the other true gods, we could break past the formation of the destruction race." Ying Xiong said. "It could, I am confident, but I refuse. I do not care about the destruction race. Even you could not kill me if I did not want to die." The worm responded. "The destruction race''s goal is to destroy, it is obvious from their name. What is the point of living in a universe with nothing?" Ying Xiong asked. "There is no point in trying to convince me. You know not the struggles of an untalented animal. The only reason I got here today is due to the divinity of the origin god. Even my meridians were upgraded due to that divinity. Perhaps if the origin god were to ask me, I would, but he clearly doesn''t care about the destruction race. As for you, you are nothing more than outdated trash. Your era will soon pass." The worm said spitefully, as if letting out all of its grievances. "You cannot hate me for my talent. I was born with it, and I came this far without dying. You should at least understand that and be reasonable." Ying Xiong attempted to convince. "It''s a good thing I''m merely a worm. I''m not a reasonable person." The worm said as it turned around and left. Ying Xiong simply sighed and continued creating worlds. As the worm had said, it was unreasonable. It was far too difficult to convince such a person. "In that case..." Ying Xiong''s eyes flashed as he thought. After a moment, he shook his head. Killing the worm would not be an easy task. He just hoped that it would not harm the human race. Otherwise, he would have to truly act. 3 trillion years passed as Zhou Fan continued working. He felt that he was getting close to the end. Even he could not help but feel some anticipation. "Soon." As Zhou Fan continued to work and work, the creation of worlds was showing great results. The space in the filament was not as simple as a flat area. There was left, right, forward, backward, up, and down. It was the difference between 1000x1000 to get 1,000,000, and 1000x1000x1000 to get 1,000,000,000, but on an even more exaggerated scale. Many things were considered in the creation of worlds, and planets were not the only thing created. Using Zhou Fan''s power was a great benefit. Some people surrounded supercluster size multi-layer creations behind barriers and had hidden them away. Entire civilizations equal in population to all of the living beings in the universe could live in those creations without even knowing that there was a wider universe. Along the way, many low-visibility screens were added. Low-visibility screens were meant to essentially "Fog Up" the universe and stop cultivators from seeing everything from far away. After all, in space, a cultivator could look in any direction almost infinitely. These were just a small few examples of the various creations that had been built over trillions of years. Chapter 405: Cultivation 1.3 - 405 Chapter 405 - Cultivation 1.3 - 405 Some creations were designed in the shape of giant beasts such as dragons or phoenixes, while others maintained a traditional form. Some creations seemed completely random no matter how you look at it. One of the creations that Zhou Fan found the most interesting was a creation made up of multiple galaxy sized creations that resembled his statue in the cosmic sect. Zhou Fan''s favorite was a creation in the shape of a winding yellow dragon surrounding a giant mountain. Each scale gave off a degree of luxury. Although Zhou Fan had not been confident in creating a galaxy before, that had changed after entering the sage realm. It would still take a lot of time, up to thousands of years, but it was not even close to impossible. Some cultivators had borrowed his power to create galaxies, though that had taken them millions of years for each galaxy due to not being able to use all of Zhou Fan''s power. 3 trillion years later, Ying Xiong sat in front of Zhou Fan with his legs crossed. Zhou Fan''s hand seemed to have pierced through Ying Xiong''s body, but he was currently changing his meridians. "Technique Pathways? A new creation I assume." Ying Xiong said. "Indeed. The technique pathways are so small that it is impossible for anyone below the god realm to use their full potential, but it will increase the strength of everyone who uses them." Zhou Fan said. "What is the theoretical maximum increase of power?" Ying Xiong asked. "Around 10 times if you perfectly use them. They can affect any technique, and certain pathways can only be used with a certain type of technique or Qi." Zhou Fan explained. "Interesting." Ying Xiong said as Zhou Fan''s hand left his body. "I''ve divided technique''s into 3 types. Normal techniques, which are basic techniques that anyone can use that may also use technique pathways. Comprehension techniques that are based on the comprehension of the mortal dao or cosmic dao. Finally, special techniques, which can be unique, unusual, or out of the ordinary. The cosmic support art can be considered a special technique." Zhou Fan said. "I see. I''ll try to make this common knowledge. Can you explain technique pathways?" Ying Xiong asked. "Technique pathways are intertwined and connected to your meridians. There are billions of them. By channeling Qi through some of the technique pathways while using a technique, the technique''s power will be affected. Some pathways can cause harm alone, but show great effects when paired with other pathways. Only god realm cultivators would be able to use individual pathways, while anyone below that would only be able to use a group of them at once due to lesser control." Zhou Fan explained. "That''s about all." "Alright. I''ll test these out and see what I can do." Ying Xiong said before leaving. Ten thousand years later, he came back. "There are too many different combinations to try, but I''ve luckily managed to increase the strength of one of my techniques by 2x by following a pathway." Ying Xiong said as he sat down. "Consider yourself lucky to have already gotten that much. It will be harder as you progress." Zhou Fan said. "Are you going to give them to all other life?" Ying Xiong asked. "In due time. I need to make sure of some things." Zhou Fan said. "Then I will await the day." Ying Xiong said as he bid farewell. Zhou Fan began to think about things as he waited. His thoughts were mostly focused on updating cultivation 1.2. A million years later, cultivation 1.3 rolled out to the universe and the river of cultivation churned. The upper limit of cultivation was made the 10th level of the true god realm, and technique pathways were added. Of course, the upper limit did not mean much. There was not a single person alive besides Leaf who had the talent to continue cultivating in the true god realm. Even Ying Xiong would be very unlikely to see the 2nd level of the true god realm. Zhou Fan increased Heaven''s cultivation to the limit and had no worries. Heaven did not go around playing with his power. He was responsible to the point that Zhou Fan felt pride that he was his son. More important than the upper limit increase was the addition of technique pathways. The cosmic sect let fliers rain down to all worlds with living creatures in order to inform them. With the words, "Quotes by the origin god" on the cover, nobody felt it was unbelievable. In an instant, the focus of the universe, especially cultivators at the end of their talent, seemed to shift to technique pathways. There were many combinations possible, to the point that it was nearly incalculable, but with almost all life focused on it, there were naturally some who got lucky and immediately achieved success. The luckiest among them actually matched Ying Xiong''s power increase at 2x. No two techniques would use the same pathways, nor would two people have the same pathways in the same order. This was hardly a legacy that could be passed down. Although seeing the way another person used their pathways for a technique could inspire some, it would not always help. The only shortcut would be to have someone far more powerful than you deduce some things from your pathways, though even a god could only barely help a person. Zhou Fan watched over all the worlds as the technique pathways were being trained. He wondered how they would affect the future. A few billion years later, there were many who had comprehended technique pathways to a satisfying level, but nobody had yet to even increase the power of a technique by 3x. That was a good thing. If it could be mastered so easily, then Technique pathways would not mean much. Zhou Fan crossed his legs as he considered what to do next. The creation of worlds were still ongoing as it was not even a slightly quick process. Still, Zhou Fan could see that the universe was becoming much more lively. Chapter 406: Reincarnation - 406 Chapter 406 - Reincarnation - 406 Zhou Fan quietly thought as 10 trillion years passed. In that time, many assemblies had taken place in the upper realm and contribution points were spent. Surprisingly, Ying Xiong had yet to buy anything ever since the first meeting. He had also stopped working with technique pathways and instead began to frantically create worlds. It was clear that he had a large request for Zhou Fan that was not something listed in the exchange. Zhou Fan did not pay much attention to it. As usual, the creation of worlds was not yet finished, and it would not be for a long time despite many advancements in the area. For example, some people had created techniques to speed up their creation. When using them with Zhou Fan''s power, they were able to boost their speed greatly. Unsurprisingly, Ying Xiong was the number 1 pioneer in this area. Zhou Fan slowly stood up and stretched. He decided to explore the rest of the universe since he had nothing better to do. Even for him, moving around the universe was a long task, but after a billion or so years, he had mapped out everything. There were not any surprises. The greatest attractor was the only thing that Zhou Fan really paid attention to in the entire universe. With the entire universe mapped out, Zhou Fan finally had an accurate view of all of existence. There were 8 universal sectors. Within them were filaments, and within filaments were superclusters or supercluster-like areas. Universal sector 1, where the Zhou filament was located, held 11 filaments. Each one was about the size of the Zhou filament. He did not name them. He was satisfied with the Zhou filament. He would leave the rest to future cultivators. Since he seemed to have a theme, he went ahead and named the universe, "The Zhou Universe". It would take a long time for the universe to be populated, as seen by the current creation of worlds. At the current rate, it would be a nearly infinite amount of time. Zhou Fan wished that he had found some sort of bump in the sphere that was the universe, but there was none. The universe was a perfectly enclosed sphere. There was nothing special out there, just the universe. The cosmic dao was not found, but Zhou Fan had long guessed that he could simply not see it. Zhou Fan returned to the Zhou filament and began to cultivate. Since he had so much free time, it would not hurt to go ahead and reach the peak of the sage realm. 3 trillion years later, Zhou Fan entered the 2nd level of the sage realm. 61 trillion years later, Zhou Fan stopped cultivating. He had underestimated the sage realm. It had taken him this long to simply reach the 5th level. This was by far the longest he had ever cultivated at once. A lot had changed, but at the same time, nothing had. The creation of worlds was still ongoing, and progress had definitely been made, but it was not yet finished. It was soon after he stopped cultivating that Ying Xiong came up to Zhou Fan and requested something with his contribution points. "Really now. What a great idea, but do you really think that your current contribution points are enough for such a thing?" Zhou Fan asked. "I don''t know how difficult it would be for you." Ying Xiong asked. "If you want everything, work hard for another hundred trillion years, as well as create more techniques to speed up the creation of worlds. Then, although the contribution points would still be too low, I will make an exception, just for you." Zhou Fan said. "Thank you." Ying Xiong bowed solemnly and left. When he was out of earshot, Zhou Fan laughed. "As expected of Ying Xiong." Zhou Fan shook his head and began to cultivate again in order to pass some time. Nothing needed his attention. 160 trillion years later, Zhou Fan stopped cultivating. He had entered the 7th level of the sage realm. He had cultivated a bit over the hundred trillion year mark, but he was sure that Ying Xiong would understand. Especially since this was more of a favor than a reward. When Zhou Fan descended from the sky, he saw Ying Xiong waiting for him. "I''ll assume you''ve taken care of everything you need to do." Zhou Fan said. "I have. Everything will be handled upon my death." Ying Xiong said in a serious tone. "Alright. Just to be clear. You want me to reincarnate you with better talent?" Zhou Fan asked. "Yes." Ying Xiong responded. "Alright. For that, I will set meridians ranked immortal god 2 and above on a scale and it will be randomly chosen from there. Second, you want to keep your divine physique?" Zhou Fan asked again. "Yes. It is a part of me." Ying Xiong nodded. "Alright. And finally, you want your memories. No can do. That''s barely even reincarnation. How about this? You will be born with the name Ying Xiong and have a buddhist affinity. Upon reaching the god realm, and under the condition that you do it without my help, you will receive pieces of your memories." Zhou Fan negotiated. "That works for me." Ying Xiong said. "Alright then. Well. I guess this is goodbye." Zhou Fan said as he held out his hand. Ying Xiong reached out his hand and firmly shook Zhou Fan''s. "It was nice knowing you. Thank you for all you''ve done." Ying Xiong said with a smile. Zhou Fan smiled and a green spiraling portal appeared at his side. Ying Xiong continued to smile as his body was dragged into the portal and he "Reincarnated". He was born on a random planet, and his birth caused a phenomenon, though it was unseen by anybody who would recognize it as the painting on Ying Xiong''s back. Just like that, Ying Xiong died and was reborn, all in the pursuit of greater cultivation. Chapter 407: New Ying Xiong - 407 Chapter 407 - New Ying Xiong - 407 Zhou Fan admired Ying Xiong''s dedication to cultivation. He was even willing to die for a chance to grow stronger. Although the Ying Xiong that Zhou Fan knew was gone, he would return in not too long. The reborn Ying Xiong would have pieces of the old Ying Xiong''s memories, though he would have merely pieces and would be a different person. Zhou Fan closed his eyes and began to cultivate. A trillion years later he opened his eyes. "Ying Xiong" was right in front of him. "Zhou Fan. The origin god." Ying Xiong said as he looked at Zhou Fan. "That''s me. It seems you don''t remember much." Ying Xiong''s gaze was different than before. It used to be familiar and, on some level, the gaze of looking at an equal. Now, Ying Xiong was looking at him like everyone else. Like he was a god. "I don''t have that many memories. I came to greet you." Ying Xiong said. "I see. You have hair now." Zhou Fan stated as he looked at Ying Xiong''s head. "I suppose I was bald before then." Ying Xiong said. "Alright. You can leave." Ying Xiong nodded and left. Ying Xiong had gotten quite lucky. His meridians were immortal godking rank 10. He was the second being to ever receive godking rank meridians, right after Leaf. Still, he was currently one of the weakest members of the Cosmic sect. It would take him a long time to reach the true god realm. Zhou Fan wondered how his strength compared to the old Ying Xiong at the same level. For one, he no longer had the yellow piercing sword finger that he had used to defeat Yao Mun. He had already re-learned the Buddha''s palm and the cosmic support art, but it would take him a while to fully re-learn everything he had learned in the past. Before reincarnating, Ying Xiong had left behind instructions for the cosmic sect. They had long received Ying Xiong and fueled him with all of their resources. Even a large amount of the true gods had come back to the cosmic sect in order to help him. He had never understood this until he regained some memories. He would regain more upon entering the true god realm, but it would still be a tiny fraction of his life. He would never be the Ying Xiong that he had been in the past. Zhou Fan sighed at the last of his friends gone. Only Heaven and Leaf remained, but they were more like his children. Zhou Fan refocused and considered going into seclusion. However, he realized that, if he went into seclusion until he reached the peak of the sage realm, all of the god realm cultivators would have died of old age. He sighed again as he realized that they had spent so many years of their life working for him and his goals. He sent a notice to all of the gods, besides Ying Xiong, to go to the upper realm. 10 years later, he appeared in front of them. When he looked down, he saw all of the gods'' excited gazes. Their belief, respect, and reverence in him had only grown over the years. Zhou Fan did not even understand why or how himself. "You all have worked hard over the many years, yet I feel that I have neglected you. As many of you know, inner world realm cultivators have a lifespan of 5 trillion years, and gods have a lifespan of 1 quadrillion years. Believe it or not, that time will soon be upon us. Therefore, I have decided to change that. With my power, the lifespan of inner world realm cultivators has been extended to 100 trillion years, and the lifespan of god realm cultivators has been increased to 10 quadrillion years." He declared. The god realm cultivators were all old, so they did not cheer or jump for joy, but they were all excited and thankful. Each one of them bowed their heads to Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan nodded and spoke again. "Do not feel the need to work for me any longer. You will still get rewards if you want to work, but I request that, unless it is truly what you want, you go and live your lives freely. Otherwise, I will not be able to help but feel immense shame." Zhou Fan attempted to reason with them and get them to relax and enjoy their lives. Each of them had spent nearly a quadrillion years working for him. He was unspeakably thankful and could only show it in this way. The god realm cultivators nodded and showed that they understood. Zhou Fan left the upper realm, and the god realm cultivators dispersed. Many continued to work, while others went out and enjoyed near invincibility. Zhou Fan sat in the Zhou filament and watched the people below. He had begun to enjoy simply overseeing the universe as it moved, even if he had nothing to do but cultivate. A few trillion years later, alarm bells rang within the cosmic sect, the heaven sect, and any other organization that had a true god realm cultivator. Ying Xiong''s biggest worry about reincarnating had come true. The destruction race had attacked, and he was no longer enough to protect the Humanoid races. In an instant, all of the true gods moved towards the forbidden land. The destruction race had just left, so many would be able to catch them before they destroyed anything. When Lu Wei arrived, 10 true gods were waiting back while watching the destruction race travel. There were a hundred true gods, with the king of the destruction race being nearly as powerful as Ying Xiong. Lu Wei spoke as soon as he arrived. "We can stop them from advancing if we move out now. There are plenty of people just behind me." The 10 true gods looked at each other with firm gazes before unconcealing themselves and shooting towards the hundred true gods of the destruction race. Chapter 408: War - 408 Chapter 408 - War - 408 Lu Wei shot towards the king of the destruction race. Not only among the present true gods, but throughout the entire cosmic sect, he was at the top of strength. Very few could even compare to him. As he shot towards the king of the destruction race and the destruction race reacted, Lu Wei rolled his dice. It landed on 2 pips, doubled strength. Lu Wei had trained his body until his physical strength was second to only Zhou Fan in the universe. Even Ying Xiong could not compare. Lu Wei''s muscles bulged as he punched at the king of the destruction race. The king of the destruction race calmly reacted and held out a hand. "Destruction palm." A giant palm made of destruction Qi fell down. It was very similar to the Buddha''s palm. Lu Wei felt disgust seeing the imitation. He strengthened his body with Metal Qi and punched out at the approaching palm. Far away, the 10 true gods of the humanoid races were fighting a defensive battle. They were retreating and not causing any damage, but the destruction race had been stalled. It was a dangerous situation for all of them. One mistake would have caused them to die. Luckily, a new arrival soon came. A dragon roar sounded out as Lu Zhong thrusted his spear, piercing through one of the 21 destruction lords and grabbing the attention of the other 20. They moved away from the 10 true gods of the humanoid races and focused on Lu Zhong. While the 10 true gods faced less pressure, it was not much less than before and any mistake could cause death. Lu Zhong was also in a dangerous situation. He felt he could possibly take on 10 of the destruction lords at the same time, but 21 was too much to handle. Unfortunately, he had underestimated the destruction race. Even among the 21 destruction lords, there were differences. With Ying Xiong suppressing them all, nobody else had been able to tell, but now, their individual strengths were shown. Among the 21 destruction lords, there were 3 high lords. Their strengths were higher than the other 18 lords, but lower than the kings. Lu Zhong was steadily beaten back, and soon spat out blood. His body began to crack. From behind him, a rain of icicles avoided him and shot at the 21 destruction lords. Lu Zhong sighed. "Good thing you came. I was about to die." Feng Liu appeared and the situation was slightly changed. Although the two were being pushed back, they were not in extreme danger of death. On the other hand, the 10 true gods that came with Lu Wei were suffering much more. Lu Wei and the king of the destruction race were fighting to a near draw, though Lu Wei was slightly inferior. As 10 minutes passed and his physical strength lowered, he was in an even worse situation. He was about in as much risk of dying as Lu Zhong and Feng Liu. The situation continued as more true gods from the cosmic sect came. Some beasts had come as well. Soon, an unexpected guest appeared. The worm that had fought Ying Xiong. The king of the destruction race sensed him and frowned. "Worm. Ying Xiong is gone. Our victory is certain. Are you going to help the humans?" The king of the destruction race asked. The destruction race was not stupid. They had managed to plant spies in some organizations, though not the cosmic sect or the Heaven sect. It was by coincidence that they had managed to uncover Ying Xiong''s disappearance. "Before Ying Xiong left, we made a good deal. I''m afraid that, in this battle, I will partake." The worm said as it flicked its tail at the king of the destruction race. The king of the destruction race shook his head. "You all don''t seem to understand. Our destruction race has given birth to an unparalleled array master talent. Did you think we came unprepared?" One of the high lords of the destruction race heard the king of the destruction race''s words and smacked the ground with his hand. As there was nobody to stop him, he was able to freely move. Line''s appeared, connecting 99 true gods of the destruction race, ignoring only the king. As if planned out, the 99 true gods of the destruction race formed a diagram of a large dragon head. They all shot forward at once. Lu Zhong, Feng Liu, and the now 12 other true gods of the humanoid races were hit and flew away while spitting out blood. A few of the 12 true gods died instantly, while Lu Zhong and Feng Liu were heavily injured. It was at this moment that the 3 high lords of the destruction race bursted out with an aura at a higher level than before. Each of them were equal in strength to Lu Zhong and Feng Liu, but only at this moment did they show it. The heavily injured Lu Zhong and Feng Liu were unable to even resist as the 3 high lords focused on attacking them. Just before the killing attacks were released, a true god appeared, and with him a god. This appearance made all of the fighting stop and the king of the destruction race''s head snapped up. His eyes widened as he looked at the familiar person. The god realm cultivator was Ying Xiong, though he seemed different. It only took a moment for the destruction race to realize his cultivation, but that moment was enough to save Lu Zhong and Feng Liu. "HAHA! I see! You aren''t dead, but different! I don''t know what happened, but since you came and are so weak, you can forget about leaving!" The king of the destruction race shouted as rage filled his body. Suddenly, a crescent appeared and hit the king of the destruction race, stopping his actions. "You seem to have forgotten that I am here." The worm said as it moved forward with shocking speed. Chapter 409: Array: Black Battle Fortress - 409 Chapter 409 - Array: Black Battle Fortress - 409 A tendril made of black hole Qi slashed at the worm like a whip, but the worm easily evaded it and headbutted the king of the destruction race. The king of the destruction race was sent flying backwards and realized that the worm was at the same level as him. The combination of the worm and Lu Wei made the king of the destruction race wary. He looked around and shouted, his voice echoing throughout space. "Destruction race, kill Ying Xiong at all costs." Nobody dared to disobey the order of the king of the destruction race, and all focus was diverted to Ying Xiong and the ordinary true god that had appeared. The high lords abandoned Lu Zhong and Feng Liu to go after Ying Xiong, but the two instantly followed despite being injured. Nothing could happen to Ying Xiong no matter the cost. Luckily, more true gods on the side of the humanoid races showed up. As time passed, the number would become greater and greater. In fact, it was very likely that the rest would arrive in less than an hour due to all of the teleportation arrays. 7 of the 12 true gods had survived the array, and 15 more showed up together. Although they were fighting a losing battle due to having to protect Ying Xiong, their advantage would grow when more true gods showed up. Ying Xiong had only come in order to distract the destruction race, which had clearly worked. Lu Wei and the worm teamed up on the king of the destruction race, forcing him back. There was almost 0 threat to his life, but it would be hard for him to contribute anything else to the battle. Crescent slashes and physical punches were met with black hole Qi and destruction Qi. Suddenly, the king of the destruction race felt a chill and hurriedly ducked. A knife passed over his head, coming from seemingly nowhere. Hei Ren had arrived. The king of the destruction race felt a sense of familiarity from Hei Ren, but since he was unable to see him at all, he could not put any pieces together. In addition, he did not have the freedom to think about it any longer. His life, which had been under nearly no threat, was now in serious risk. One wrong move could spell death. Hei Ren was only slightly weaker than the worm without borrowing Zhou Fans'' divinity''s power and Lu Wei. The king of the destruction race sent out a voice transmission, and 2 of the 3 high lords of the destruction race stopped sieging Ying Xiong and moved towards the king of the destruction race. Those protecting Ying Xiong felt slightly less pressure, but they were still barely resisting. Another batch of true gods appeared, this time with 30 new arrivals. The situation was much better for those protecting Ying Xiong, but there was still a threat of death, especially with the high lord still attacking them. The high lord that had stayed behind was the one that had mastered arrays, and he was the biggest threat besides the king of the destruction race. Nobody knew when he would strike, but they were all wary. The king of the destruction race was doing much better with the assistance of the 2 high lords, but the 2 sides were now even in terms of strength. After all, the worm, Lu Wei, and Hei Ren all surpassed the high lords, even if Hei Ren just barely did so. The king of the destruction race looked around. He saw very little hope of winning the battle, especially with the reinforcement of the humanoid races arriving. He sent a voice transmission to the array high lord, who nodded in response and backed off of the battlefield. Nobody seemed to notice him moving, as if his existence had been pushed away from their thoughts. He began to move his hands quickly and materials appeared around him. Once Qi began to pour out of his body, Lu Wei snapped out of some sort of trance and noticed what he was doing. He yelled out loud. "Stop him!" As he yelled, the king of the destruction race and the other true gods retreated near the array high lord and poured their Qi into an array at certain points. Hei Ren, Lu Wei, Lu Zhong, Feng Liu, and the worm charged over, but it was too late. "Array: Black Battle Fortress." The array high lords voice sounded out. Array lines expanded and everyone hurriedly backed away due to wariness. A giant fortress began to appear from the bottom up. It was created in less than a second. It was a shade of black only seen in black holes and stood majestically, asserting its presence in space. Everyone assumed that the array was done, but all of a sudden, array lines began to burst out from many different spots. Lu Wei spoke. "They set up arrays on the way here. That explains their slow speed. I had thought that they were wary of trouble." When Lu Wei arrived, they had only moved a supercluster away from the forbidden land. It had been weird then, but he had not thought about it. From the array lines, dark black walls were built. The walls protected a large area from the black battle fortress and around what remained of the forbidden land to form an oval shaped defense. The walls covered all six directions of up, down, left, right, forward, and backward, with only small holes in some areas. As the walls were quickly completed, pre-prepared teleportation arrays began to form on the walls. It was a complete defense fortress. Lu Wei was about to command the attack, when more array lines appeared. At this point, he was completely shocked. He had never imagined such an intricate array. On the outside of the walls, attack arrays began to form. At the same time, god realm cultivators left the forbidden land and used teleportation arrays to guard the walls. It seemed like an impenetrable fortress. If the last array was used as a standard, then it seemed that this one was not going to be any weaker. Still, Lu Wei waited for the arrival of the thousand true gods in order to attempt one last siege. Chapter 410: The Righteous Faction - 410 Chapter 410 - The Righteous Faction - 410 As expected, it was less than an hour later that the vast majority of the thousand true gods arrived. The only ones who had yet to arrive were those who were not coming. Lu Wei turned to the worm. "Are you going to assist us in breaking the array?" "I won''t. As far as I am concerned, this battle is over and my side of the deal has been completed." Lu Wei nodded. "I appreciate your help." The worm left and Lu Wei focused on the black battle fortress array. Standing atop it was the king of the destruction race and the rest of the true gods. Lu Wei focused on the array high lord. He was the greatest contributor to the destruction race''s successful retreat. While the king of the destruction race was the strongest, the array high lord was the one that Lu Wei wanted to kill the most. After a few moments, a god realm array converged the power of the thousand true gods, although poorly, and multiple attacks hit the black battle fortress. Unfortunately, the expected outcome took place. It was impossible to destroy it. No matter how long they attacked, the fortress would remain standing due to the reserves of the hundred true gods of the destruction race. Lu Wei thought for a moment before commanding the scene. It was not long before, borrowing Zhou Fan''s power, a fortress was built far away from the destruction race. Lu Wei and the remaining true gods and gods, excluding those who were not participating in the war efforts, sat in a meeting room. Lu Wei began to speak. "We are facing a clear threat. Not much needs to be said about them. I believe that we need to gather under a single banner in order to reduce this threat to mere background noise. We should be ready to exterminate them whenever they leave their shells. Are there any objections?" Nobody made any objections. "Alright then. Now, we need to think of a name for our allied forces. These will be the forces of not just humanity or humanoid races. but of beasts, supreme beasts, and all other living creatures." Lu Wei said. A large discussion took place. Most of the gods remained silent while the true gods spoke. The only exception was Ying Xiong. Although he barely had any memories of the past, everyone still remembered him. He had also seen scenes of his past shown through these people, including the scene of him sweeping the destruction race away. When asked, Ying Xiong''s response was simple. "I am merely a god realm cultivator. It should be up to the true gods." Everyone in the room understood his situation and continued speaking. Eventually, a name was chosen, and Lu Wei was unanimously voted as the alliance leader. "I, Lu Wei, declare the creation of the righteous faction, which keeps the peace and order of the universe. I swear that, as long as I remain alive, the destruction race will be destroyed." That was all that was needed. Under Lu Wei''s command, Tong and Pangu were chosen as vice-leaders and stationed along with him in the righteous faction''s fortress. Along with them were 1,000 gods and 20 true gods. A decree was also let out to connect the teleportation hub to the righteous faction fortress so that True gods could arrive much quicker than before. With Lu Wei and Pangu, it was unlikely that the destruction race would dare move out, especially if they had received adequate information from their spies. While Tong was slightly lacking in strength, Pangu was a monster at the same level as Lu Wei, or perhaps even stronger. He was also one of the oldest existences in the current universe, even older than the past Ying Xiong. The war finally stopped and calmed down, though tensions were higher than ever. It was only a million years later that people really calmed down. The war was over for now. Lu Wei, Pangu, Tong, 20 true gods, and 1,000 gods still stayed in the fortress in preparation of an attack. Lu Wei also tried to get an array master to reach the 11th rank, or the true god level, but none were even close. There was only a single 10th rank array master in all of the righteous faction. ---------©\------------------------ Zhou Fan sat above everything while playing with Leaf. There was too much going on to enter seclusion. Instead, he began an experiment. He first arrived at the river of cultivation, which was hidden behind many layers of space and protected by impenetrable arrays. Although the river was in a state of both existence and non-existence, Zhou Fan could still view it as a line. He found where the river marked the nascent soul realm, and under his power, a diversion appeared. It was the same as a very small river flowing away from the main river. This mini-river left at the beginning of the nascent soul realm and flowed alongside the river. It was much smaller and inferior in every way, but it was still a mini-river of cultivation. Once the mini-river reached the lesser dao creation realm point, it pooled into a small lake. This represented the end of that path.There was only a thin line connecting back to the main river of cultivation, representing the possibility of following the main river of cultivation to continue advancing. Zhou Fan took a group of 100 mortal humans and brought them to one of the finished creations in the world creation project. He changed their bodies and gave them meridians, while also taking the entire creation into a separate layer of space, inaccessible by the people of the universe. These 100 humans would have to follow a different path once reaching the nascent soul realm. It was the path that Zhou Fan had chosen not to take long ago. He called it the path of soul disconnect. It was the path of disconnecting the soul and the body. Chapter 411: Progenitor Ke - 411 Chapter 411 - Progenitor Ke - 411 The cultivation method used by all beings in the universe would not work well for the hundred people following the different path once they reached the nascent soul realm. Luckily, Zhou Fan was so powerful that creating a cultivation method for the soul disconnect path was a matter of seconds. He sat in space and watched as the hundred humans developed. The world that they were in, although called a world, was not a planet. Instead, it was essentially an entire supercluster of its own. Many of the cultivators in the universe, as well as Zhou Fan, had taken to calling one ecosystem or large area a world, no matter how big it was. In a way, even the universe was a world. The most notable "Worlds" were the Zhou supercluster, and at a lower scale, the Zhou Galaxy and the Heaven galaxy. Still, most things would be called by what they were, such as "Galaxies", or "Superclusters". The difference between them and "Worlds" was that the "Worlds" were all connected on a close basis. From afar, the world that the hundred people were in looked like three layers of dirt shaped into disks and stacked on top of each other, but it was the size of an entire supercluster. It was obvious that this world was one of the masterpieces of the universe, likely taking trillions of years from more than one true god to build. Without guidance and only a cultivation method, the people below were taking a long time to grow. They had mortal disputes, and fights, before some sort of hierarchy was established. Even after generations passed, the strongest cultivator in history had been at the foundation establishment realm. Every single human seemed to focus only on status, and almost completely neglected cultivation. Although only 10,000 years had passed, many talents had died due to the constant wars. The current population was about 200,000 people. There would have been millions if not for the wars. Eventually, Zhou Fan realized that he either needed to step in, or wait for possibly millions of years before things changed. He waited another 10,000 years, and just a few years before he was going to step in, someone emerged from the civilization. At this point, the strongest cultivator was at the peak of the core formation realm. After being born, he quickly cultivated to the peak of the foundation establishment realm. It had to be noted that, due to the people in the world not caring about cultivation, there was almost no help along the way. In the Zhou Galaxy, even planets with the strongest cultivator at the foundation establishment realm had a much greater foundation and cultivation history. Although this person was only at the peak of the foundation establishment realm, he soon found the strongest cultivator and challenged him. Zhou Fan watched as he not only won with a single attack, but humiliated the opponent without even moving. The battle could be described like this. The cultivator at the peak of the foundation establishment realm, a very skinny boy at the age of 20, stood still as the peak core formation realm cultivator attacked him. Every time he was attacked, his body would grow a little bit more buff. After nearly 10 attacks, the skinny boy had transformed into a huge, buff cultivator. The now not so skinny boy grabbed the hand of the peak core formation realm cultivator as he was attacking him, and punched out. When his punch connected, the peak core formation realm cultivator was sent flying back like a ragdoll with a big hole in his chest. After punching out, the skinny boy became skinny again, but this time, nobody looked down on him. Everybody thought that he would take reign over the world, but he did not. Instead, he created a sect. He advertised cultivation, and the world''s standard began to increase. The skinny boy called himself "Progenitor Ke". His special technique was called store and release. It was created by him when he was only in the Qi gathering realm, a feat that surprised even Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan watched as Progenitor Ke stepped into the nascent soul realm. Once he did so, he was able to disconnect his soul from his body and move it around. Due to nobody being in the nascent soul realm or above, he was completely undetectable in that state. Zhou Fan could disconnect his soul from his body, as could any true god or god, or some even lower. What was interesting was that he could do it at the nascent soul realm, a cultivation level considered not enough to even truly touch upon the aspect of affecting a soul. Along with that, Progenitor Ke''s soul abilities would grow even greater as he advanced. Over the years, he managed to use techniques while in soul form, although they were slightly different and only affected the soul. Progenitor Ke was a great talent in both body and soul, but his meridians would limit him. He made it to the void traversing realm, passing down many inheritances and preaching cultivation to others, before finally reaching a plateau. He would no longer be able to advance with his talent. Of course, that relied on whether Zhou Fan would allow such a genius to die. As Progenitor Ke stopped cultivating altogether, he one day disappeared from the world. That same day, he appeared in front of Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan took the form of a wise and powerful old man. It always seemed to work the best, especially with people who did not have any connection to the outside universe. At this point, Progenitor Ke was merely 100,000 years old. He still had 9.9 million years before the end of his lifespan. As an old man, Zhou Fan spoke. "You are Progenitor Ke." Progenitor Ke looked around confused before finally focusing on Zhou Fan. "That is me. Where am I? And why am I here?" "I am the origin god. I have come to offer you a chance at growth." Zhou Fan said. "Growth? As in cultivation?" Zhou Fan nodded while stroking his beard. "Yes. I can give you better meridians and take you to a new place with countless race''s and cultivators. Many are powerful enough to kill you with the wave of a hand, or even a simple thought." As Zhou Fan and Progenitor Ke spoke, Progenitor Ke''s entire world was being flipped over. Chapter 412: Peak Sage Realm - 412 Chapter 412 - Peak Sage Realm - 412 After speaking for a while, Progenitor Ke looked at Zhou Fan and spoke. "So you''re telling me that everything I''ve known is just an uninhabited corner of the universe meant as some sort of experiment?" Zhou Fan nodded. "Exactly. Your cultivation style is different from the outside world''s. You will understand that when you leave. I didn''t expect someone like you to appear, so I will have to further your path of cultivation, but that is something you don''t need to worry about." "Alright then. What rank of meridians are you going to give me?" Progenitor Ke asked. Zhou Fan began to think. "Hmm. Ying Xiong had immortal god 3 rank meridians. That should be enough for you." Zhou Fan waved his hand and Progenitor Ke''s meridians were completely replaced. "Alright. Enough questions. You''ll see "me" again if you enter the cosmic sect." Zhou Fan said as he sent Progenitor Ke down to the great world. Afterwards, he began to improve the mini-river of cultivation. After a few thousand years, he carefully furthered it to the god realm, enough for Progenitor Ke to reach his peak. The mini-river would still pool into a lake and have a thin line connecting it back to the main river, but there was now not much point in the thin line since Progenitor Ke would likely never reach the true god realm. Currently, there was not a single person in the universe at the 2nd level of the true god realm. The true god realm was something that was nearly untraversable in its current state. Only the new Ying Xiong and Leaf stood a chance. Suddenly thinking of Leaf, Zhou Fan looked down. Leaf was still there, wrapped around his body, slowly cultivating. He had almost forgotten about him. Leaf was at the peak of the Soul Formation realm. Zhou Fan did not make him face tribulations. At this point, nothing shocked Zhou Fan. He could still be in the nascent soul realm and Zhou Fan would just shrug. Leaf''s lifespan was unparalleled. If Zhou Fan did not advance in realm, he may die before Leaf. Zhou Fan took his attention away from Leaf and focused on Progenitor Ke. He watched as he quickly cultivated and made a name for himself. When he reached the space shattering realm, he received a letter from the cosmic sect and decisively joined. Although Zhou Fan had made himself look like an old man, he had not looked that much different from his normal self. Leaf being wrapped around his body was also quite the giveaway. Surprisingly, as he advanced, Progenitor Ke did not show off his soul talents, though he secretly practiced them. Despite that, his talent with the Store and Release technique, which nobody could successfully cultivate, made him stand out from even other cosmic sect members. There was a key reason why only progenitor Ke could practice the store and release technique. He had a divine physique. Zhou Fan had named it the Store and Release physique upon seeing his self created special technique. Lu Wei took an interest in Progenitor Ke and took him as a disciple. Before long, in Zhou Fan''s eyes at least, Progenitor Ke reached the inner world realm and became the strongest in that realm. Although many of the cosmic sect members had been turned into gods and true gods, recruitment had never ceased, and few members after that point had managed to enter the god realm, though there were indeed a reasonable amount. After all, nearly a quadrillion years had passed. Surprisingly, Ying Xiong and Leaf were the only ones born with immortal godking rank meridians. Even Zhou Fan had expected more. After reaching the peak of the inner world realm, Progenitor Ke challenged every inner world realm cultivator and, after many tough battles, was crowned the number 1 cultivator under the god realm in the universe. Once again, this was without him even using his soul techniques. He was a masterfully talented cultivator. Zhou Fan took his eyes off of Progenitor Ke and crossed his legs. Enough time had passed. He was ready to reach the peak of the sage realm. A little bit more than 800 trillion years later, he was done. He had reached the peak of the sage realm. As he looked upon the universe, he saw that progress was made. Surprisingly, the destruction race had yet to leave the black battle fortress. It seemed that they were waiting for the righteous faction to lower their guards, while also increasing their strength. Unfortunately, Lu Wei did not intend to make the same mistake again. He, along with Tong, Pangu, were not only defending the same as before, but were also making plans to attack. Over the years, a true god realm cultivator had mastered 11th rank, or true god realm arrays. It was likely lower in level than the array high lords, but it was enough. Progenitor Ke had been recruited to join the righteous faction and guarded against the destruction race. Unfortunately, he was unable to make any big contributions. He was merely at the 5th level of the god realm and slowly growing. On the other hand, Ying Xiong was at the 10th level of the god realm. It seemed that he would be able to breakthrough after some time. Zhou Fan looked around the universe and saw many talented people that would very likely never breakthrough to the true god realm. It was a pity. Zhou Fan thought about it, and realized that he had some more time before surpassing the sage realm. He decided to create an opportunity for those without immortal godking rank meridians to reach the true god realm. Of course, it would not be easy. He stepped out and appeared in the upper realm. Only peak god realm cultivators with immortal god rank meridians would be able to participate. He created a large arena, sturdy enough to defend against any true god. He also created a timer above the arena. It read, 5 quadrillion years. He named the arena the "True God Ascension Arena", carving the name into the arena''s side. Chapter 413 - 10 Quadrillion Years - 413 Chapter 413 - 10 Quadrillion Years - 413 The true god''s ascension arena had a very simple purpose. It would allow those at the peak of the god realm to reach the true god realm. If a cultivator could reach the god realm, then it was very likely that they could reach the peak of the god realm, but becoming a true god was an entirely different thing. The true god ascension arena would host a free for all battle once every 5 quadrillion years. The winner would reach the true god realm via Zhou Fan''s power and the river of cultivation. It was created for the simple purpose of allowing cultivators to continue growing. Those of the righteous faction were not the only ones allowed to participate. Even those of the destruction race could participate, but only if they could actually reach the true god ascension arena. It was unknown how the true god ascension arena would be governed over. There was no lack of evil people among the righteous faction, and the righteous faction was only called righteous as nobody in it wanted everything to be destroyed. It was not impossible for some of the evil cultivators to be excluded by the good cultivators. However it went, it did not concern Zhou Fan. He had already given those of the universe the chance to advance. Zhou Fan left the upper realm and returned to his spot in the Zhou filament. Once the creation of worlds was finished, he would break through to the realm beyond the sage realm. He silently honed himself and his battle techniques as he waited for a long, long time. When he finally looked at the universe again, the first generation of gods were at the end of their lifespan. Quadrillions of years had passed in a flash. 1 person had become a true god. Naturally, it was Progenitor Ke. Ying Xiong did not even qualify to participate due to his higher ranked meridians. However, he did not need the true god ascension arena. It had taken him more than 3 quadrillion years, but he had broken into the true god realm. In just a few hundred trillion more, he would likely break into the 2nd level. Zhou Fan held a farewell banquet for the god realm cultivators before they passed. Luckily, they were all satisfied with their long life, even if it was just a blink to Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan waited for a while before the next competition on the true god ascension arena took place. There was no lack of peak god realm cultivators in the universe. The cosmic sect had grown to unimaginable heights, and Ying Xiong had taken back the title of sect master. Although he had gained some memories, it was not much different than before. Zhou Fan spectated the battle on the true god ascension arena. So much time had passed, and it was only natural that a nearly uncountable number of talents had joined the cosmic sect. In fact, after so many years, there were more than a million members. A million. It was ridiculous, but not unexpected. Lu Zhong and Feng Liu had been found within 8 billion years, and 10 quadrillion years had passed since Zhou Fan had created the true god ascension arena. The minimum requirement to join the cosmic sect was now immortal king 5 rank meridians, lowered from before. As an example, Lu Zhong had immortal emperor 7 meridians, close to the immortal king rank meridians. Anyone with immortal king 5 rank meridians could theoretically reach the god realm, though only if another era of infinite cultivation took place. Otherwise, they would at most reach the inner world realm. Lu Zhong had actually been quite lucky to reach the true god realm with immortal emperor 7 rank meridians, but it had been done. Participating in the true god ascension arena battle were 100 cultivators at the peak of the god realm. They were not all of the cultivators in the peak of the god realm, but they were the best of the best and had a chance of winning. Even progenitor Ke had struggled to win his fight. In fact, he had needed some luck to do so. Eventually, a woman won. Zhou Fan had no impression of her and did not know anything about her, nor did he feel the need learn anything. Around a hundred trillion years later, Ying Xiong broke through to the 2nd level of the true god realm, and for the first time in an extremely long time, the full power of the righteous faction moved. There was nothing that could stop the group of cultivators this time. With Ying Xiong, Lu Wei, Pangu, and many others, the black battle fortress was destroyed without any destruction race members appearing. They soon found out why. The forbidden land was empty. No destruction race members could be seen. Not even the black hole great attractor was present. Ying Xiong frowned and Lu Wei became so angry that he nearly spat out blood. He had been guarding for so long, and had failed to even see the destruction race escape. The headquarters of the righteous faction army was dismantled and rebuilt near the cosmic sect''s infamous teleportation hub. In case of the appearance of a destruction race member, the righteous faction army would be able to respond quickly. ¡ª-------------------------------- "My lord. They have finally broken through the black battle fortress." The array high lord reported. Around him were black bricks with no sign of light. Only a cultivator could imagine seeing in the room. The king of the destruction race sat on the throne as he looked at a black hole in his hands. Around his hands, containing the black hole, was a powerful array. The black hole was actually the great attractor of the forbidden land. The destruction race''s greatest plan had been fruitful, and the great attractor could now be transported. The great attractor was basically a last resort option. In the worst case scenario, the king of the destruction race would self-destruct inside of the great attractor and give birth to two new beings. They would be even greater than him, a fact that he himself admitted. Lin Zhenwu laughed. "About time." Chapter 414: The Destruction Race鈥檚 Plotting - 414 Chapter 414 - The Destruction Race''s Plotting - 414 Lin Zhenwu, the king of the destruction race, looked around the room. Inside were the 21 destruction lords, and farther away were the other true gods of the destruction race. The king of the destruction race spoke. "As of now, we are at a disadvantage against humanity, but our odds of truly losing are small. With high lord Hui''s new array, we will be able to trap black holes and bring them back here. This will ensure that more and more talents will be born. Remember, talent mostly comes from chance. Even the weakest member of the destruction race self-destructing in the weakest black hole can produce another high lord. We must never stop reproducing." The king of the destruction race stressed this point the most. There was no chance of victory if no new true gods were born. He spoke again. "From some of our spies, we have learned of the existence of the true god ascension arena that the human race is monopolizing. It can allow a peak god to become a true god. While useless for us individually, it is a necessity for the future of the destruction race" For the destruction race, creating spies was an easy task. The key point was to find someone''s greatest secret and use it against them, forcing them to betray the righteous faction. Although it would be hard for normal cultivators, there was one person in the destruction who excelled at it. The high lord of shrinking. She was born with a shrinking divine physique and could shrink so small that even a true god may not be able to detect her unless they were expecting it. The king of the destruction race spoke once again. "We must plot to use the true god ascension arena. I look forward to the outcome." The king of the destruction race smiled. Nobody was as good at coming up with plans as the destruction race. This was not only due to their natural instinct to do so that they had gained ever since being defeated, but also because of the final high lord, the high lord of thought. He had a divine physique of thought. In short terms, it sped up the rate at which he thought. There was also no lack of other intelligent people such as the array high lord. Even the king of the destruction race himself was very intelligent. ¡ª---------------------------------- Over the next trillion years, the people of the righteous faction, which was everyone in the universe excluding the destruction race, noticed that random attacks had been occuring. There always seemed to be no culprit, and no matter what level the attack was on, it always impacted a large number of people. Eventually, the righteous sect headquarters understood what was going on. The destruction race was acting. Under the order of the king of the destruction race, many places began to be destroyed down to the last molecule. The righteous faction had to become much more active and split up members to keep watch. Over time, as the attacks continued, spies began to be caught, and even a member of the destruction race had been captured, though he had killed himself immediately. The destruction race''s attacks slowed down due to the righteous faction''s better responses, but they never stopped. The entire universe was on a mad hunt for the destruction race. Many things were happening, but to Zhou Fan, it was all meaningless background noise. As long as the creation of worlds continued, there would be no issue. The destruction race, as smart as they were, understood that the creation of worlds was started and had continued due to the will of the origin god, someone that even they had to respect and fear. They did not make any actions against the people or places involved in the creation of worlds. Time passed by and conflicts continued. As more and more time passed, there were even large scale battles between the destruction race and the righteous faction, though there was never a time that the destruction race could not retreat. Luckily, like the righteous faction, they had also suffered losses. Around 25 quadrillion years passed. Zhou Fan was watching the true god ascension arena battle as he always did, when the skies around it went dark. It was only for a moment, but when the skies regained color, there were 10 members of the destruction race in the arena. Everyone watching jumped to their feet, but the true god ascension arena could not be affected by anyone above the god realm until the battle ended. Inside the true god ascension arena, the righteous faction members ganged up on the members of the destruction race, but there was little progress. After so many years of reproduction, the destruction race had sent out the 10 most talented people. Even among the cultivators participating in the true god ascension arena, they were top notch. Of course, being ganged up on did not bode well for most of the destruction race. 9 of the 10 destruction race members died, with 7 of them self-destructing and killing multiple others. It was all to help the true chosen one to succeed. There had been a battle exactly like the one that takes place in the true god ascension arena, but within the destruction race. The winner was the one alive. The other 9 members had always been meant as cannon fodder. In the end, the final member of the destruction race won and was promoted to the true god realm. As the barrier surrounding the arena fell, he was faced with thousands of attacks, each one strong enough to injure him if he did not defend, and some strong enough to kill him no matter how hard he resisted. Luckily, as the barrier began to fall, using items containing others'' power was no longer restricted. A ball appeared in the destruction race member''s hand, and an array instantly formed around him. It was a miniature version of the black battle fortress. It did almost nothing but buy the cultivator and instant, but once that instant had passed, he was already gone. Teleportation arrays had been inside the mini black battle fortress. Normally, the black battle fortress would have been instantly decimated and the destruction race member killed, but the ball had been powered by all of the true gods in the destruction race, including the king of the destruction race, for many many years. Chapter 415: The Path of Rebirth - 415 Chapter 415 - The Path of Rebirth - 415 Even with Ying Xiong''s current strength, it would be impossible for him to instantly kill the king of the destruction race, even though he would absolutely win. The destruction race had gained a new true god. When news of this spread, the righteous faction could not help but feel humiliated. It had happened right under their noses, but they had never imagined that the destruction race would be so bold. After this event, the area around the true god ascension arena was heavily fortified and layered with arrays. Still, as always, the universe continued on. Ying Xiong spent most of his time cultivating in the core realm of the great world, but on this day, he came to see Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan looked at him as Ying Xiong spoke. "I keep having a feeling that you are going to do something big soon. I don''t know what will happen, but I would like to request something before you do anything crazy." Ying Xiong was still very respectful, much more so compared to before his reincarnation, but he seemed more relaxed on this visit. Since he had gained more memories upon entering the true god realm, it was not surprising. "And what would that be?" Zhou Fan questioned. "I would like to be able to reincarnate whenever I want. The same conditions would still apply." He asked. Zhou Fan looked at him funny. "And why do you think that you have earned such a thing?" He was genuinely curious as to why Ying Xiong would ask for such a thing. "I can follow any condition or order that you have for me. I can also accept any limitation you put on the ability. This is my path, I can feel it." Ying Xiong said seriously. Zhou Fan thought for a moment before speaking. "Your path? You believe that reincarnating over and over again is your path?" "I do. I have done many things and have had many passions. Buddhism, the cosmic sect, teaching others, but this is different. I can feel that this may be the final destination of my growth." Ying Xiong said with passion. Zhou Fan fell into thought. "Leave for now. I''ll call you when I''m ready." As Ying Xiong left, Zhou Fan fell even deeper into thought. To be honest, he was quite interested in what Ying Xiong could achieve through this path, but it would naturally need restrictions. After a few days, Ying Xiong was called and met Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan looked at him seriously. "I have come up with a possible path for you, but you must choose to accept or not accept now, without knowing anything about it." "I see." Ying Xiong fell into deep thought. After a while, he steeled his resolve. "Can you at least tell me the name of this path?" "The path of rebirth." Ying Xiong closed his eyes and made the difficult decision. "I agree." Zhou Fan looked at him with a rare moment of indifference in his eyes. "I hope you won''t regret this path. As long as I live, so too will you." Zhou Fan waved his hand, and Ying Xiong felt his body shoot far away. His mind went blank as he was shot off. When he finally cleared his mind, his body felt different. Then, information poured into his mind. "The path of rebirth. Upon dying, everything achieved, including impact on the universe, good or bad, and especially cultivation, will be turned into points upon judgment by the river of rebirth. The next reincarnation will be based on the points obtained. Talent can increase or stay the same, but never decrease. Keeps the thousand buddha divine physique. Obtains few memories at god realm and true god realm. Eternal life has been achieved." This was the gist of the information in Ying Xiong''s mind. It would be very difficult to increase talent upon rebirth. As for what a river of rebirth was, Ying Xiong had no clue. ¡ª--------------------------------- The river of cultivation was a large and constantly moving river with an end, yet no end. To the side was a small path of water. It was the soul disconnect path. Also to the side, branching off of the main river, was a new path. The path of rebirth, reserved for only one person, Ying Xiong. He would cultivate like all others who followed the main river, but there was a new set of rules applied to him. It also signified Ying Xiong''s eternal life, whether he wanted it or not. Lifespan could not kill him anymore. Only two things could kill him, and only one seemed possible. One, Zhou Fan could kill him. Two, someone in the future, who surpassed Zhou Fan, could kill him. But would such a day come? Although this was asked for by Ying Xiong, would he truly be willing to live an eternal life? At the very least, it would be a help to take away most of his memories upon death. While Zhou Fan had not surpassed lifespan, he was able to stop Ying Xiong''s soul from losing its lifespan as long as it was younger than he was. Naturally, it would always be younger than him. This was not an ability that could be cultivated by an ordinary cultivator, whether in the same realm as Zhou Fan or above. This was an ability that only Zhou Fan wielded. Another example was creating life. How many had successfully done so, despite being gods and true gods. It was not as simple as, high cultivation = being able to do something. It seemed on an entirely different level. Even Zhou Fan did not understand why he could do so many things that others could not. He could only make guesses. Being the first cultivator, Chaos Qi, etc, but it was all just a guess in the end. As Ying Xiong stood in space silently and thought about the changes, Zhou Fan shifted his attention away from him. The creation of worlds first stage was more complete than before, though it was unknown when it would finish. Most created areas had simply been created. There was still a need for life and balance in the worlds. Chapter 416: Yao Mun鈥檚 Return - 416 Chapter 416 - Yao Mun''s Return - 416 The goal of the creation of worlds was not to simply create things, but to create life and spread it throughout all of the universe, to develop and grow all cultivators. In its truest form, it was meant to speed up development, create more possibilities, and make things more interesting. Perhaps even someone like Zhou Fan could be born. Zhou Fan watched as 10 trillion years passed, before something very interesting began to happen. ¡ª------------------------------------- In the Heaven sect, the current Tian was looking at a man with a blood red eye and cracks around his entire face. The man was holding a sword. He had suddenly appeared in the backyard, before instantly moving to the main hall of the Heaven sect. Before the current Tian could speak, the man raised his sword and slashed down. The slash contained the power of the god realm, but the current Tian was in the true god realm. The current Tian broke the sword slash, but the man had disappeared, leaving behind only a single sentence. "Let Heaven know that Yao Mun has returned." The current Tian was confused by the entire situation, which was why he did not act, but upon hearing the man''s words, he reported to Heaven. In just a second, Heaven appeared in the main hall and looked around. "As expected. No trace. Only the prisoner has gone missing. I have no clue what''s going on." He said before disappearing. Far from the Heaven sect, outside of the Heaven galaxy, Yao Mun stood on a desolate and bleak planet filled with cracks and with no life in sight. In his hand was a blood red book. "One has finally been found. It seems that the culprit behind everything has been revealed since my "Death". The origin god. You were the one who spoke to me that day, the one who gave me my power. There was no other who could. I swear that I will find you, and when I do, only then will I know how to feel." Yao Mun said to himself. In his hand was a technique that Zhou Fan had created many years ago. It was the technique that raised talent by absorbing the blood of those with higher talent and a realm above you. Although the extra requirement of having to kill the person whose blood you are absorbing with your own hands made many despair, who was more suited for this than Yao Mun? As for how he was reborn, that was his own story. Perhaps he would tell it one day. He was already at the peak of the inner world realm. It would not be long before he would step onto the world stage again. A few hundred years later, Pangu visited Zhou Fan. It was rare for someone besides Ying Xiong and Heaven to visit him, but he did not dislike Pangu. "Hello." Pangu said as he met Zhou Fan. "It''s good to see you, Pangu. I''ve always liked you." Zhou Fan said. "Thank you. I''m afraid I''ve come with a request today." "And what would that be?" Pangu pointed in a certain direction. "There is a manor over there, frozen in ice. From the strength of the arrays around it, I assume it is yours, just like that planet in the purple star sea. Anyways, it seems that time is almost frozen there. I would like to be able to imitate that." Zhou Fan nodded. "Indeed. It is mine. It is cryofrozen right now, stopping all action inside. Unfortunately, even I can''t do such a thing to a true god. How about this?" Zhou Fan waved his hand and three pods appeared. They were like beds, but completely covered in a cylinder of metal. "This is a cryopod. If a true god were to stay inside it and activate it, it would slow down their aging by ten thousand times, though both their thoughts and bodies would be frozen as well. Nothing could be accomplished besides existing longer, which is what I assume you need it for, right?" Pangu nodded. "God realm cultivators have died. True god cultivators will die too, it is just a matter of time. With this, we can preserve the power of the righteous faction. Mostly in response to the destruction race, but there could also be other threats, either now or in the future." As a member of the righteous faction army, Pangu did seem to at least have passion about it. Zhou Fan waved his hand. "You can go now." Pangu nodded and left. Zhou Fan had used some of Pangu''s contribution points in the creation of worlds in order to justify giving him the cryopod. As for what he would do with the cryopod, it was none of Zhou Fan''s business, though he could imagine its great usefulness. It could be used to freeze cultivators near the end of their lifespan and release them when they were needed to fight at least one last time. Zhou Fan moved to the purple star sea. He had nearly forgotten about his planet until Pangu mentioned it. From afar, it seemed the same as normal, besides a few people outside of the barrier. It seemed that they were seeing if the Zhou Fan, the origin god, would come. It was too bad that he entered without allowing them to see him. They could see through the barrier, but they weren''t even at the inner world realm. They would never notice Zhou Fan unless he wanted to be noticed. Zhou Fan sat back and relaxed on the planet. Although quadrillions of years had passed, nothing much had changed on the planet, just as Zhou Fan had designed it. A few trillion years passed as Zhou Fan watched the creation of worlds progress. He was watching Yao Mun''s situation with interest. Yao Mun could not do things casually with the unified existence of the righteous faction. At least, that was until he came into contact with the destruction race. Chapter 417: Joining The Destruction Race - 417 Chapter 417 - Joining The Destruction Race - 417 It was on an ordinary planet that Yao Mun first came into contact with a member of the destruction race. The member of the destruction race was hiding far below the ground and planning a large-scale attack on the planet. He was at the peak of the inner world realm and would not be noticed by anyone on the planet. Of course, that was only if Yao Mun had not coincidentally arrived. Yao Mun watched the member of the destruction race move about as he began to remember what he had heard about them. After a few days of observation, Yao Mun appeared in front of the member of the destruction race. The member of the destruction race instantly reacted when Yao Mun appeared, but Yao Mun simply stood there, causing the member of the destruction race to stop moving as well. "I am Yao Mun, someone from the same time period as Ying Xiong. I need you to send a message to the king of the destruction race. Tell him that I, Yao Mun, request to join the destruction race as an enemy of Heaven and all life in the universe." Yao Mun said. This member of the destruction race was one with intelligence, and although he was ready to self-destruct if needed, he contacted one of the 21 destruction lords, who connected to the king of the destruction race. At this time, Yao Mun seemed much different compared to before. His eye still gave off a sense of horror, but he was calm, eerily calm. Nobody could guess his thoughts after being reborn. Eventually, the member of the destruction race spoke. "One of the 21 destruction lords is coming. He will check you out and decide to take you or not. The king has allowed the possibility." Although the destruction race had infiltrated almost everywhere with spies, they had also been infiltrated themselves, or at least, there had been attempts. All those who had joined them had been killed before taking any traitorous action. There were very few cultivators strong enough to join the destruction race who were able to maintain a true relationship. Yao Mun quietly waited for multiple weeks before a force surrounded him and dragged him away. When he was finally able to use any of his senses again, he was in a large black throne room. Around him were a few of the 21 destruction lords, and in front of him was the king of the destruction race, Lin Zhenwu, sitting on a throne, looking at him curiously. "Yao Mun. From Ying Xiong''s era? But why have I never heard of you? Someone who can live this long should be well known." Lin Zhenwu said. Yao Mun responded "The only ones who would know me would be Ying Xiong, Heaven, and the origin god." The king of the destruction race''s eyes widened upon hearing the name of the origin god. "You say that the origin god would know you?" His tone was not understandable, but contained repressed emotions. Yao Mun nodded. "He would. After all, he is the one that gave me my power." The king of the destruction race became even more serious than before. "So not only would the origin god know you, but you''ve met him?" Yao Mun shook his head. "No. I''ve only heard his voice as he offered me power." The king of the destruction race sneered. "So how would you know that it was he who gave you your power?" Yao Mun looked up and swung down with his arm. His arm disintegrated as it lowered and an attack with the power of the 3rd level of the god realm was released. The king of the destruction race easily destroyed it, but there was now shock on his face. "Who else could have given me such talent, especially so many years ago?" The king of the destruction race nodded. "It seems so. You want to join the destruction race. Why?" Yao Mun took a book from his spatial ring and sat it down. There was no need to open it. Almost all powerful people knew of its existence. It was useless for anyone at the true god realm as the condition of killing someone a realm above was impossible, and who at the god realm could kill a true god? Even if they could, they would likely have talent at the immortal godking rank, the peak of the universe. The technique was usually only useful for those in the lower levels, but what about Yao Mun? "I am confident in killing someone at the god realm, but if I start a fight, it will attract too much attention and I will be surrounded and killed. I need the help of the destruction race." Lin Zhenwu nodded. "And what can you give in return?" From a common viewpoint, it was better to not let such a person live. Yao Mun lowered his head and kneeled on the ground. "I can serve the destruction race." The king of the destruction race seemed satisfied at his actions. "Alright then. I, Lin Zhenwu, declare you a member of the destruction race. I will raise you as far as you can go. Come, tell me about the past." Yao Mun walked to a different place with the king of the destruction race and chatted. The entire time, he seemed like a servant. It seemed a far cry compared to the Yao Mun of before. A few trillion years later, the destruction race caused a great commotion, grabbing the attention of many true gods of the righteous faction, as well as Ying Xiong. Ying Xiong was no longer simply a threat to the destruction race, he was a calamity. With his current cultivation level, he could single handedly destroy the destruction race. Naturally, the destruction race had completely vanished by the time he arrived. At the same time, he got a report of a god realm cultivator being killed. His anger shot into the skies. With the death of the god realm cultivator, killed by Yao Mun himself, whose battle style seemed much different compared to before, Yao Mun''s meridians reached the peak of the immortal king rank. He had already managed to increase his talent a bit from his immortal 1 rank meridians of the past while reaching the inner world realm. As for how he could reach the inner world realm at all, his eye was a great contributor. Chapter 418: Yao Mun鈥檚 Revival - 418 Chapter 418 - Yao Mun''s Revival - 418 There was also the inner world realm cultivator that had been imprisoned. The prisoner had been draining his blood, and with Yao Mun''s special methods, he had been able to use that blood to grow. The final method involving his growth was actually the power of Heaven. When fighting against Tian Fu, Tian Fu had used every last ounce of power in his body to "Kill" Yao Mun. As the successor of Tian Ren and the number 1 follower of Heaven, his body had contained the power of Heaven, even if just slightly. When Tian Fu used all that power, some of Heaven''s power had mixed with the Qi used to destroy Yao Mun. Yao Mun had managed to use the Qi in a split second to help preserve some of himself. It had taken unfathomable luck, methods, perseverance, and talent for Yao Mun to revive and cultivate to such a level. When it came to reviving, a technique that Yao Mun had created with the combination of mere chance and inspiration from Bi Chong made the greatest contribution. He had been able to preserve his energy inside of a ball and put it into multiple cultivators around the world. The ball contained his Lifeforce, and with the mystical technique that even he did not truly understand, he had been able to preserve a copy of almost everything in the balls. The balls had been passed down through generation and had absorbed energy from millions of cultivators, once again contributing to the growth of Yao Mun''s cultivation. All in all, to revive, it had taken the use of a technique created by chance and some inspiration, the Qi of Heaven, and incredible luck. He had finally revived through the blood of the prisoner. All in all, in order to reach the peak of the inner world realm, he had needed the combination of his eye, the Qi from millions of generations of cultivators, an inner world realm cultivator that had had one of the balls passed down by his ancestors, and most recently, the talent increasing technique. Even then, Yao Mun was still missing a few memories, but it was nothing compared to Ying Xiong. He was also not missing anything that important. He remembered everything he needed to. His change in personality had been as a result of being defeated by Tian Fu and, at one point, truly dying. For Yao Mun, even with all of his talent and luck, breaking through to the god realm with immortal king 1 rank meridians was still impossible. He needed to go up another rank at least. For the king of the destruction race, Yao Mun had clear value, especially since he had once almost defeated Ying Xiong at the same level. Understanding that it would be nearly impossible to hunt down more god realm cultivators within a quadrillion years, he made a sacrifice. In 1 on 1 battles to the death, Yao Mun killed 50 destruction race god realm cultivators, each with more talent than the last, before finally achieving immortal god 7 rank meridians. Yao Mun kneeled. "Thank you lord. This is enough." The king of the destruction race waved his hand. "As long as you can reach the true god realm, anything is ok. I''m even considering sacrificing a true god to help you raise your meridians in the future." Yao Mun lowered his head even more. "This one will loyally serve the destruction race for quadrillions of years, even if it causes my death." The king of the destruction race laughed. "I wish everyone was like you. Cultivate well. Come back when you reach the peak of the god realm." Yao Mun nodded and left. Trillions of years passed, but to the current powerhouses of the universe, it was as if a minute had passed. Far below the hideout of the destruction race, a tribulation came and went. Yao Mun entered the god realm, but he did not leave. He cultivated diligently, only leaving to kill for blood and, as he did so, practice his techniques. The blood was basically useless as it was from those below the god realm, but Yao Mun simply enjoyed killing. It was around 4 quadrillion years later that Yao Mun once again met the king of the destruction race, now as a god realm 10 cultivator. The king of the destruction race clapped his hands. "Even with talent, not many can reach such a level. I have an opportunity here, and it will only be if you choose to risk life and death that you will receive it. Fight to the death with the one of the weakest true gods of the destruction race, one with immortal god 3 rank meridians." Yao Mun did not need to think for a second before nodding his head. Lin Zhenwu clapped again. "Brave and bold. Come out." From the curtains of darkness surrounding the room, a true god realm cultivator came out. At the sides, almost all of the true gods of the destruction race were watching, including the 3 high lords. A sword formed from Qi appeared in Yao Mun''s hand as the true god realm cultivator launched at him with killing intent. After all, they were both fighting for their life. As Yao Mun held the sword up, three of his limbs, excluding only his right arm, weakened and seemed to deflate. He had sacrificed the souls of three of his limbs. Long ago, he could only sacrifice up to 50% of his soul if he was absolutely risking death. Now, after so many years of practice and creating techniques, he could safely sacrifice up to 60% of his soul, though any more would kill him instantly. Yao Mun moved forward and brushed past the true god realm cultivator, who''s eyes widened. His head flew off of his body. He would not have died so quickly if he did not underestimate Yao Mun. Even cultivators of the destruction race could be careless and arrogant. The king of the destruction race, Lin Zhenwu, clapped his hands with glee as Yao Mun absorbed the true gods blood. ---------------------------------- Authors note: Chapters 427, 428, and 429 will be released at the same time for a better reading experience. Chapter 419: Exchange - 419 Chapter 419 - Exchange - 419 With the blood of the destruction race cultivator, Yao Mun''s meridians reached immortal god 4 rank. Although only a small increase, it would allow his combat strength to grow. As Yao Mun finished the blood, the king of the destruction race had him join the ranks of the now 99 true gods of the destruction race. Before the last one''s death, there had been 100 as one had died long ago and one had been added with the true god ascension platform. The final plot intended to grow Yao Mun began to be created in the room. ¡ª----------------------------- As time passed, yet another meeting in the upper realm was taking place to exchange contribution points earned from participating in the creation of worlds. Although it rarely took place, it was a common event in comparison to the true god ascension arena battle. Enemies saw each other as they entered, but nobody dared to fight during the event as it was prohibited by the origin god himself. The only exciting part was the appearance of the origin god. He was visible during every event unless he was in seclusion, even if it was merely a projection or even just a fake body controlled by him. As everyone waited, the event started. For the first time in a while, Zhou Fan truly came to the contribution point exchange event. This caused Ying Xiong and Heaven to pay more attention, while everyone else got excited. "Alright. Let''s start now. Gods go first." Zhou Fan said. The gods came up and exchanged contribution points for items, cultivation, techniques, or any of the other many things available. It was not long before the gods were finished. Many were saving up contribution points. "True gods, it is your turn." Only 3 true gods came up to exchange anything. Most of the true gods saved their contribution points for quadrillions of years before spending them. Just as it seemed that another casual meeting would end, a dark spiral appeared above the crowd of god realm and true god realm cultivators. Nobody needed more than an instant to understand who was coming. As 99 true gods and a god came out, thousands of attacks were shot out. Surprisingly, they were all dispersed before they could leave a 5 foot radius of the people who attacked. This stunned many people as they looked at the only person in the universe who could possibly do such a thing. Zhou Fan met their gazes. "This is a contribution exchange. No attacks are to be made. This is the only warning." Although it seemed like an offhand comment casually made, nobody dared to make a second attack. "It''s good to see you all. Ying Xiong, Lu Wei, is that heaven over there? What a pleasant surprise. Progenitor Ke, the pain himself." The king of the destruction race spoke as he and the others landed on the ground and walked towards the stage. Ying Xiong was looking at the members of the destruction race and saw an unfamiliar face that, for some reason, seemed familiar. Although the effects of the youth galactical assembly from back then that restricted memories had long faded away, Ying Xiong had reincarnated and his memories were vastly incomplete. On the other hand, Heaven looked at Yao Mun with wide eyes. They did not show surprise or hatred, but a sense of looking directly at him, through him. Yao Mun nodded to Heaven and Ying Xiong while faithfully following behind the king of the destruction race. Although the king of the destruction race had an arrogant expression on his face as he walked and taunted everyone he saw along the way, his entire demeanor changed when he finally reached the stage and looked at Zhou Fan, the origin god. The king of the destruction race slightly lowered his head. "I, Lin Zhenwu, greet the origin god." In the current universe, nobody dared to be presumptuous to the origin god. He was in a category of power and ability all by himself. Zhou Fan nodded at the king of the destruction race. "Lin Zhenwu. We should spar sometime. What do you plan on exchanging for?" Zhou Fan''s words stunned all of the members of the righteous faction present. Exchange for? "This is still for the creation of worlds, not the destruction of worlds, right?" "Have I been doing this wrong?" "When have the members of the literal DESTRUCTION race ever created anything?" Many whispers and murmurs were made among the crowd, though nobody dared speak too loudly. Unbeknownst to everyone besides the destruction race, the destruction race had been plotting ever since learning that Ying Xiong had reincarnated and could still cultivate in the true god realm. No matter how much the king of the destruction race did not want to admit it, he could only admit that it was impossible for him to cultivate after reaching the true god realm. Without the era of infinite growth, his limit would have been the god realm. There was only one way to grow stronger, the origin god. Naturally, the origin god did not give out power for free, not since the era of infinite growth at least. The only possibility was contribution points, and while secretly hiding their creations, the destruction race had been creating and creating for years and years. "First, I would like to transfer all of the destruction race''s contribution points to me. Is it possible?" The king of the destruction race asked. There was no precedent of such a thing in the past, and everyone was shocked by his words. "The contribution points can be used by the owner however they want, even if that means transferring them to another." Zhou Fan responded. "Then I request that it be so." Zhou Fan proceeded to individually ask for confirmation from every true god of the destruction race that had come. When he was finished, what Lin Zhenwu held was the greatest amount of the contribution points in history. Zhou Fan asked Lin Zhenwu. "Would you like to exchange for anything?" LIn Zhenwu smiled. "I would like to increase my realm as many times as my contribution points allow." Chapter 420: Yao Mun鈥檚 Ascension - 420 Chapter 420 - Yao Mun''s Ascension - 420 Zhou Fan pointed his finger at the king of the destruction race. "It shall be done." The river of cultivation moved and Lin Zhenwu''s cultivation rose. By the time that Zhou Fan lowered his finger, Lin Zhenwu was at the 4th level of the true god realm, an entire level above Ying Xiong. Ying Xiong looked at him warily, wondering what he was planning. "Are there any others who wish to exchange contribution points?" Zhou Fan asked. Nobody came up. "Then this marks the end of the contribution exchange." Zhou Fan said as he disappeared. As soon as he left, the rules he set in place disappeared. Ying Xiong, along with every other true god and god in the righteous faction, excluding those like Heaven, attacked the king of the destruction race. The king of the destruction race waved his hand, and he and everyone he had brought with him disappeared. With a cultivation above Ying Xiong''s and a combat power not much lower, it was impossible for Ying Xiong to stop him from leaving. An emergency meeting was soon held at the headquarters of the righteous faction''s army. Lu Wei led the meeting with Ying Xiong and Pangu by his sides. "A clear threat has been presented, one which we must prepare for immediately. If the destruction race chooses to attack us now, especially if they had prepared for this, then the outcome will be uncertain. Everyone get ready. Stay near teleportation arrays for the foreseeable future." Lu Wei said. The meeting did not stop there, but continued with many specifics being hammered out. Beside Lu Wei, Ying Xiong was thinking about Yao Mun, or his appearance. While Yao Mun seemed familiar, he could not put his finger on who he was, an unsurprising event ever since his reincarnation. He considered sharing the info with Lu Wei, but upon thinking further, decided not to. Not only was there no point in doing so as they had no information, but the man he had seen was only at the god realm. It was around 5 trillion years later that the true god ascension arena battle was about to begin. The destruction race had chosen that contribution point exchange due to the fact that it was so close to the next true god ascension arena battle. As the participaters of the true god ascension battle entered the stage, the members of the righteous faction were much more alert than usual. The destruction race was once again a force that may be able to fight most of the righteous faction head on. With their tricks and schemes, it was hard to say what would happen if they attacked. As the countdown for the true god ascension arena battle was about to end, a black hole appeared on the stage and a participant was added. Before anyone could react, a barrier enclosed the stage and the battle started. All of the participants had seen the black hole appear and stared at the person who came out of it. Around half of the contestants shot at the man in an instant. As the man''s arm and one of his legs disappeared, half of the contestants'' heads flew into the air. There had never been so many casualties in the true god ascension arena battle, not even when the destruction race first attacked. After all, participaters could give up at any time and would be teleported outside of the barrier. Unfortunately, the requirement was to be able to say, "I give up." Those who had charged in did not even have the chance. Although they were the strongest below the true god realm, and all of them were incredible talents, they had carelessly charged at Yao Mun, the first heaven defying cultivator, given a divine physique by the origin god himself. Upon seeing heads fly, everyone outside the barrier was instantly silenced. Within the barrier, many gods instantly gave up, though a few were too late and their heads went flying. Before anyone could react, the man on stage disappeared. Many had barely even caught a glance of him. He had won in record time, with record death rates. Yao Mun had reached the true god realm. Ying Xiong had seen Yao Mun again, and upon understanding what had happened, he met Lu Wei and told him about his feeling. "I see. So you may have met him before. That doesn''t help much, but we may be able to investigate him." Lu Wei said. Unfortunately, they were destined to not find a single thing. All information on Yao Mun had long disappeared. Surprisingly, the destruction race seemed to go quiet. That peace and quiet lasted for a quadrillion years, though nobody let their guard down. It was not until all of the true gods in the destruction race silently appeared near the remnants of the forbidden land that they were seen again. They did not move out or do anything crazy. They simply stood there, waiting. They gave off an aura of confidence that seemed to entwine the entire universe in fear. Ying Xiong was the first to arrive, and he silently stood across from the king of the destruction race. They looked at each other with killing intent, but neither moved. Ying Xiong was holding himself back not in fear of Lin Zhenwu, but worried that he would be able to escape. "Why so serious. Don''t you want to catch up?" Lin Zhenwu taunted, though he was just as serious. Ying Xiong ignored him and waited. Soon, Lu Wei, Pangu, and hundreds of true gods began appearing. Ying Xiong could not wait for everyone to come as he shot out at Lin Zhenwu and used his full power. The king of the destruction race bursted out with power that matched his. "Ying Xiong! Today is the day that the human race is wiped out!" Lin Zhenwu yelled. The king of the destruction race and Ying Xiong seemed evenly matched as they clashed, though everyone could see the king of the destruction race''s slight disadvantage. Still, it was not enough to mean anything. Without Ying Xiong or the king of the destruction race being able to decide the outcome, the battle of those below them finally mattered once again. Lu Wei shot towards the three high lords, who, under many set up arrays, managed to keep him fighting them alone. The destruction race had been preparing for a very long time. Chapter 421: Yao Mun vs Pangu - 421 Chapter 421 - Yao Mun vs Pangu - 421 Pangu moved towards Lu Wei in order to assist him, but a red slash blocked his path. He stopped moving forward and stepped to the side, avoiding the slash. "I remember you. You are the one who won the true god ascension arena battle. You killed a lot of good people." Pangu said. "So be it. If they weren''t prepared to die, they shouldn''t have joined." Yao Mun responded. Pangu''s face turned dark. "Unfortunately, one of those people was my disciple." Fiend Qi bursted out of Pangu''s body as rage filled him. "My name is Pangu. You killed my disciple. Prepare to die." Pangu pulled out his axe as his body grew countless times bigger. As a true god, how big could a fiendcelstial grow? The answer was around 100 galaxies in height. Although each person or group fighting was extremely far away from others, Pangu''s expanding body still made all of the battlefields move back. His giant axe fell onto Yao Mun, who was genuinely surprised. "Skybreaker." Pangu announced to the universe. Unlike long ago, his attack used space Qi along with sky Qi. At the true god realm, having an affinity or not having an affinity meant not as much as it did in the earlier realms. Only Chaos Qi required an affinity to use. Yao Mun waved his sword up as one of his arms disappeared. As the attacks clashed, Yao Mun hurriedly added in a leg in order to block Pangu''s attack. "Incredible. As expected of someone even older than me." Yao Mun said as his limbs regrew. Pangu was surprised. His signature attack had done almost nothing. Pangu wasn''t one to waste time, so he moved on to the end pretty quickly. "Fine then. Take my ultimate move. It''s a pity I''ll have to showcase it on you." Pangu''s voice resounded across the skies. He raised his axe high, and Yao Mun''s heart palpitated instinctively. All battlefields seemed to stop for a moment, and even Ying Xiong and the king of the destruction race slowed down in order to pay attention. "Heavenbreaker." Pangu announced as Qi covered his axe. Technique pathways moved as Pangu''s ultimate technique fell. While Skybreaker was modeled in order to break a sky, Heavenbreaker seemed different. It was as if it was modeled to not only break the sky, but the sky that was the universe itself. This was an attack meant for Heaven, the true owner and ruler of the Heaven galaxy, as well as the strongest existence under Zhou Fan. Yao Mun''s eyes widened as he sacrificed 60% of his soul and all of his limbs. He slashed upwards at Pangu''s attack, but Pangu''s attack was demonstrating a power far above his own level, something that should have not been normally used by a true god at the first level. Nobody went unsurprised as Yao Mun''s attack was shattered, and a long green slash appeared in space, seemingly severing the universe itself. Pangu stumbled back and coughed as his body shrank down. That attack was so powerful that he, a true god, could hardly use it. Many looked at the long green slash that seemed to sever the universe itself. It was bigger than even 1,000 galaxies stacked on top of each other. The most common thought was, "Is Yao Mun alive?" A few moments later, they got their answer. Space unfolded as Yao Mun stumbled out coughing blood. Although he could instantly heal his self-caused injuries from sacrifices, it seemed as though another person''s attack was not so casually healed, especially one like Heavenbreaker. Pangu stood, up ready to fight despite being injured, but Yao Mun raised his hand in a "wait" motion. After coughing up a bit more blood, he spoke. "Let''s not fight. We''re both out of commission. Would you like to become sworn brothers?" Anybody still paying attention to their scenario was dumbfounded to the point of jaws dropping mid clash. Pangu looked at Yao Mun confused. Yao Mun sat down across from Pangu, and although they were separated by space the size of a galaxy, each of them could traverse it in an instant. It was as if they were next to each other. After a moment, Pangu sat down. His injuries were worse than they seemed. Yao Mun turned his head to the side and watched Ying Xiong and the king of the destruction race fight. Everyone''s battles continued on as this was still a life and death battlefield with hatred infused into it. Only Pangu and Yao Mun sat down. Before long, Yao Mun turned his head. He was very injured and parts of his soul had been sacrificed. It would logically take a long time to heal. Pangu was just as out of commision. "I heard the name of your technique. Heavenbreaker. I think you and I could get along." Yao Mun said with a smile. Pangu snorted. "I am not as vile or disgusting as you. My Heavenbreaker is filled with respect and honor towards Heaven, to defeat him as an equal, but you are simply vengeful and rageful. Anybody can tell beneath that calm surface of yours." Yao Mun shook his head with a smile. "Nobody that has not seen me before I first "Died" can see through my rage and hatred. I used to display it openly. Since you only think so much about my hatred, it is clear that you cannot see the depth of it. You are looking at a lake, but hidden below is an ocean." Pangu looked at him silently. Yao Mun spoke. "Although I did indeed sacrifice 60% of my soul, the full power of my attack was not displayed, which is why you are alive. You cannot comprehend how much I''ve changed since my loss, fighting wise at least. I must keep my true power concealed from everyone. Only Heaven and the Origin God can see it, for now at least." Pangu''s look turned more solemn. Yao Mun gave off no sign of lies. Yao Mun looked at him, his eyes no longer concealing the emotions inside him, the true emotions that had been hidden away. "Today will be the day that everything changes. No matter what, there is only one person I truly respect, and he has already killed me." As Yao Mun finished talking, the king of the destruction race and Ying Xiong backed away, taking a very brief breather and regrouping. Yao Mun joined the destruction race and stood right behind Lin Zhenwu, directly next to the three high lords. The destruction race and the righteous faction looked at each other from afar. Chapter 422: Remnant Power - 422 Chapter 422 - Remnant Power - 422 The king of the destruction race looked at Ying Xiong while panting. "You should understand the gravity of your situation now, right?" Ying Xiong just stood silently as he regained his strength. While the righteous faction had expected the battle to be rather easy, the preparation of the destruction race had gone far deeper than shown. It had been an equal battle so far, and only due to the fact that the righteous faction had been preparing for the day that they fought the destruction race. The end result of the battle was unknown to everyone, and everyone would fight with their lives on the line. Luckily, the battle was only fought by true gods and there had yet to be a single casualty. "Say. How have...." The king of the destruction race stopped speaking, and the battlefield fell to a deathly silence. Not even hearts could be heard beating as all sound seemed to be removed from the universe. The king of the destruction race slowly looked down, and the gaze of every single person present followed his own. As his gaze reached his chest, he saw a sword poking out of it. Behind him, holding the sword, Yao Mun''s expression and posture completely changed. His calm eyes seemed to be filled with hatred as he looked at everything around him. He had suddenly healed from all of his injuries obtained in the battle against Pangu. Yao Mun''s right arm, as well as its soul, disappeared as the king of the destruction race, Lin Zhenwu, was horizontally bisected. Everyone''s eyes finally widened in recognition of the events as Lin Zhenwu''s body fell. There was no movement in the battlefield, and only Yao Mun seemed to make any sound. "From now on, I, Yao Mun, am the king of the destruction race. Are there any objections?" He said as he turned around and looked at the destruction race. None of them dared to react. The king of the destruction race had just been slaughtered. That was until Yao Mun swung his sword down and a true god of the destruction race was instantly killed. Yao Mun had not even sacrificed his body parts. "I asked, any objections?" He restated. This time, the members of the destruction race numbly shook their heads. Ying Xiong and the righteous faction were still quietly watching in shock until Yao Mun''s gaze suddenly snapped over to them. Yao Mun ordered. "Attack!" As Yao Mun''s arm regrew and disappeared, Ying Xiong was faced with a descending blade. He finally snapped out of his trance and shouted. "Attack!" A cosmic buddha''s palm flew out and blocked the sword strike, but a hundred more followed as Yao Mun''s body lost and gained parts rapidly. There seemed to be no end to his regeneration. Thousands of cosmic buddha''s palms flew out to match thousands of sword attacks as the battle between the destruction race and the righteous faction continued on, only with a new leader. The members of the destruction race soon refocused, and accepted Yao Mun as their leader. He did not have a racial superiority like the king of the destruction race, but he had just killed the king of the destruction race, gaining their approval. Even if it was just a sneak attack. Ying Xiong''s cosmic buddha phantom appeared once again and fought against Yao Mun. Unlike in the past, during the time of Guang Fu, Lernean, and Yao Mun, Yao Mun had changed. He no longer ignored attack techniques, but practiced them. His attack power was even greater than it would have been, and by a lot. He was able to fight against Ying Xiong''s cosmic buddha phantom and layered cosmic buddha''s palms while only sacrificing two limbs for each attack. He also focused on many other things. His defense and speed had changed incomparably, and his regeneration had only grown greater. He fought like a talented and powerful genius whose attack''s were amplified greatly. Ying Xiong''s back painting made its grandest appearance, but by sacrificing three limbs for every attack, Yao Mun was able to match him. Ying Xiong began to tire, but Yao Mun seemed as normal as ever. Yao Mun spoke. "Perhaps if the Ying Xiong of the past with your cultivation faced me, I would lose, or at least struggle, but you are not the same. I can see the difference clearly. You are weak." Ying Xiong barely listened to him as he fought with all of his might. He had also felt naturally weak as he fought compared to before, yet he did not understand why. There was almost no difference compared to before. Despite being 2 levels above Yao Mun, he was being pushed back. Ying Xiong''s eyes narrowed as he began to consider using absolutely everything, but a hand appeared in front of him and pushed him back, while another hand dispersed Yao Mun''s attack. Yao Mun paused as he looked in front of him. "Yao Mun. I have come to finish this." Heaven said. He stood there tall and confident. "You should have died long ago. As the Heaven''s will it, you shall die here." Yao Mun laughed. "Heaven participating in mortal affairs now. Are you even allowed? Regardless, do you think you can stop me?" Heaven stood calmly. "Staying away from mortal affairs was a suggestion, and it is how I live my life. How about this, if you can escape, I will not pursue you." Yao Mun did not answer as rage bursted out of him. Among all life in the universe, Heaven was the person he had always hated most. Ever since he cultivated, he had been a Heaven defying cultivator. He held his sword up and sacrificed all his limbs and 60% of his soul, but did not slash down. His body, and now soul, seemed to heal instantly, though it had clearly taken a heavy toll, and he sacrificed them again. A third time and a fourth, Yao Mun was now sweating and weakened, but his sword was held high, bursting with a red aura. Ying Xiong felt that this attack could kill him, and even Heaven could feel some sort of threat. As the sword slashed down and Yao Mun screamed in rage, Heaven took a step forward and held his arms out. "Remnant power." A long hallway seemed to appear in front, behind, and under him. To his sides were figures of the past. The past Tian''s. This was a power that Heaven had created not too long after creating the Heaven domain, a place where his chosen could live after "Dying" until their lifespan was used up. Tian Ren had gone, as well as Tian Fu, and all of the Tian''s after them. Remnant power stored their techniques and part of their mind, while Heaven''s power used them. Chapter 423: Heaven鈥檚 Aggresion - 423 Chapter 423 - Heaven''s Aggresion - 423 Yao Mun''s eyes widened as he saw Tian Fu, but nothing changed. His sword continued falling as all of the past Tian''s raised their hands using Heaven''s power. "Tribulation descent." Their mouths said at the same time. A thin strike of lightning formed and shot at Yao Mun''s attack. Although Yao Mun''s attack was large and overwhelming, when the attacks collided, they were equally matched. Space cracked and crumbled, when all of a sudden, a large array appeared behind Yao Mun''s attack. Heaven instantly understood that this was the escape attempt. Even Yao Mun was not foolish enough to think he could win against Heaven. Heaven personally attacked as Life and Death Qi wrapped around his palm. "Reincarnation palm." Ying Xiong was surprised by the name of the attack and paid great attention. The reincarnation palm was similar to a buddha''s palm, but much smaller, only slightly bigger than a normal hand. It also moved like a normal hand. In fact, it was not similar to the buddha''s palm in any way besides the fact that it was a hand. The black and white reincarnation palm waved its finger and the array was undone. With a few more waves, the power from the colliding attack was dispersed. Then, with the point of a finger from the reincarnation palm, space was pierced and an attack was made. The reincarnation palm was a very versatile attack. Unfortunately, when all the smoke cleared, Yao Mun and the destruction race was nowhere to be found. At least, that''s what everyone else saw. Heaven waved his hand. "Life and Death tribulation." A giant black and white bolt of lightning made from Life Qi, Death Qi, and Lightning Qi struck down, tearing space like a piece of paper out of a book. A shout was yelled as true gods appeared from seemingly nowhere. One of them, a high lord, seemed to be severely injured. Heaven spoke as he stepped forward and gave chase. "The high lord of shrinkings ability is useful for both escaping and spying, but I had already expected such." Heaven''s words shocked the entire righteous faction. "So there was a high lord of shrinking." Ying Xiong commented. This was previously unknown information. Only the high lord of arrays had been exposed. "I had been meaning to say something about it." Lu Wei said from the side. He had fought with all three high lords and they had not been able to hold back anything. He had already seen the shrinking ability. Yao Mun and the destruction race fled to the best of their ability. With the high lord of arrays already making preparations before the battle, there were many teleportation arrays. They just needed to get to one, but would Heaven let them? "Heavenly imprisonment." A giant cage of lightning Qi almost as big as Pangu''s maximum size appeared around the destruction race and Yao Mun. "Give it up. You cannot escape from me." Heaven said. Yao Mun could not do anything at the moment. He was fully out of commission and would not be able to heal for a while. It was mostly up to the destruction race to escape with Yao Mun. Although they weren''t sure how to feel about him killing the king of the destruction race, they would not survive without someone on that level. Regardless of their feelings, they needed Yao Mun. The destruction race had many teleportation arrays on them that could be laid down, but in almost all battles, they were not useful. Anyone at the god realm could easily lock down space and prevent someone from using a teleportation array. While the technique of teleportation itself was different, it was possible to restrict even that. The high lords looked at each other, almost instantly making a decision. The high lord of shrinking turned around while all of the other true gods focused on escaping. Heaven did not pay attention to the approaching high lord until she took out a formaton. Within that formation was a black hole. "It has been an honor serving the king of the destruction race." She said before the black hole expanded and covered her. As she self-destructed, her power entwined with the black hole and an even larger explosion shot out. Even Heaven could not ignore it and was stopped for a second. Although it was just a second, it was more than enough time for true gods to move incredible distances or do incredible things. When Heaven once again saw the destruction race, they had stepped outside of the cage. The destruction race was now down one king, a high lord, a true god killed by Yao Mun, and from the looks of it, they had sacrificed 3 true gods in order to break through the cage. Along with 94 true gods, there were 8 children that had appeared. This was the result of reproducing through the black hole. Each of these children were likely to have very high talent, especially the ones born from the high god of shrinking. Heaven continued chasing, but it was too late. As the destruction race stepped on a certain area in space, they disappeared and an array shattered. Heaven stopped moving and sighed. "I have done all I will do. Even if Yao Mun appears again, I will remain neutral." After speaking, Heaven left towards the distance. Ying Xiong and the righteous faction were disappointed, but the battle had already had great results. Although there was no lack of heavy injuries, there had been no true gods of the righteous faction that died. On the other hand, the destruction race had lost a king, a high lord, and 4 true gods. Even if they had Yao Mun, was it worth it? The righteous faction did not know. As Ying Xiong thought of the king of the destruction race, he looked around, but did not find a corpse. ¡ª------------------------------------ On a planet far far away, the top half of a body was laying in a large crater with blood flowing from it. While everyone had stopped paying attention to him, he had escaped via teleportation array. Although being cut in half may not kill a true god under normal circumstances, Yao Mun''s power had seeped into his body. There was no chance of survival. Lin Zhenwu sighed and looked up at the sky, but he seemed more peaceful than ever before. "My children. Return to the destruction race. If you get the opportunity, kill Yao Mun." Lin Zhenwu said as he held the great attractor in his hand. He let his words echo for his children as the array was broken and the great attractor enveloped him. Chapter 424 - 1st Stage Complete - 424 Chapter 424 - 1st Stage Complete - 424 Zhou Fan looked away and stood up. It had been an interesting scene to watch with even Heaven participating. He was also surprised that Yao Mun had the ability to come back after being dead, even if it was by using a bunch of tricks. He was really talented. Zhou Fan wasn''t concerned about the matter. As long as the creation of worlds was not majorly affected, he would not get personally involved. Zhou Fan looked at Ying Xiong from where he stood. Ying Xiong was a pitiful person, even if he did not realize it yet. The Buddha''s main message had been to escape a "cycle of reincarnation", even if it hadn''t actually existed, yet Ying Xiong had gone the opposite direction without even thinking about it. Zhou Fan had even given him a hint by telling him that its name was "the path of rebirth". In the far future, Ying Xiong would understand why the Buddha sought to escape the "cycle of reincarnation", especially since he would keep some of his memories. Zhou Fan returned to the empty space he usually sat in and looked around. The Zhou filament was filled with vibrancy and colors. There were countless creations built up over countless years. Zhou Fan decided to speed the process up a bit. He waved his hand, and a screen appeared in front of him. At the same time, all living beings with a cultivation of the inner world realm or above had a screen pop up in front of them. "I, the Origin God, hereby declare that, in response to the large-scale wars between true gods, all conflicts involving cultivators at the inner world realm or above are to be ceased until the initial stage of the creation of worlds is complete. Anyone who violates this will be punished severely." When he finished speaking, the screens disappeared. Although Zhou Fan felt a little overbearing for ordering cultivators around like that and even stating that he would punish them for disobeying, he had given all of the true gods, excluding Ying Xiong, the cultivation that they had today. Whether it was from the era of infinite growth or the true god ascension arena, they were all him. In fact, upon thinking further, even Ying Xiong''s meridians and path of rebirth were something given by him. Nobody had a right to complain for countless reasons, the biggest of which being the fact that earth would be the only place with life in the entire universe if not for him. As the screens disappeared in front of countless people, all conflicts ceased. What followed would be a period of great growth. During the next quadrillions of years, even the destruction race went out and created things. Inner world cultivators were low level laymen, while god realm cultivators were small scale supervisors. Only true gods could plan out and put into action a plan for a large creation. Zhou Fan silently watched everything below him as time passed quickly. He himself began to create things to speed up the process, though he limited himself greatly. If he simply wanted to fill empty space, then it would not take him more than a few trillion years to fill the entire Zhou filament. However, he wanted various creations made with countless ideas. No matter how strong a person became, they could not think of absolutely everything. It would take many people with great creativity to create a truly interesting universe. 250 quadrillion years later, Zhou Fan stood in an empty region of space. Behind him were countless cultivators ranging from the True God realm to the Lesser Dao Creation realm. Leaf was wrapped around Zhou Fan''s waist as Zhou Fan pointed out with a finger. In the empty region of space, a giant plant pot appeared. Zhou Fan looked at Leaf. "When I leave to breakthrough, I''ll leave you here in case of accidents. You won''t be able to withstand our power and I might not be able to protect you." Leaf wiggled in acknowledgement. Zhou Fan turned around and looked at the cultivators. There were humans, celestials, beasts, elves, demons, fiendcelestials, the destruction race, supreme beasts, and countless other race''s that had been born over the many years. "The first stage of the creation of worlds has been finished. In a trillion years, restrictions against conflicts will be broken, though I still want the creation of worlds to continue. This time, the goal is to spread life to all creations that can hold it. Contribution points will be doubled in this period." Zhou Fan said as he disappeared. During the second stage, he planned on interfering more. Life would naturally diversify as time passed. Of course, he would still make various creatures attuned to different environments. He was also the only one who could affect life in terms of cultivation or talent, so he would have to personally do a lot more, though everyone else participating would still give ideas and suggestions on their own creations. In the second stage, cultivators would get contribution points for either creating life, although few would succeed and would take a long time just to create a mediocre race, or moving life from different areas like Zhou Fan had done in the past. Since there was a lot less creativity necessary, this stage would hopefully take way less time. Unfortunately, with the restrictions on fighting removed, it could be expected that massive battles would take place, many of them destroying creations. Although he had not spent all of his time cultivating, Ying Xiong had reached the 6th level of the true god realm. It was more difficult for him since he would not use the contribution points method of obtaining a higher cultivation level. That would affect him once he tried to cultivate higher. On the other hand, after spending a large amount of the destruction race''s contribution points, Yao Mun had reached the 5th level of the true god realm. Increasing cultivation level with contribution points got more and more expensive as the level increased, which was why Yao Mun''s cultivation was lower than Ying Xiong''s. Zhou Fan found an empty space and sat in it. Although the creation of worlds had created a lot, he had purposefully left vast empty spaces. Zhou Fan planned on waiting until conflicts shot up and died down before continuing to the second stage of the creation of worlds. Chapter 425: Twins - 425 Chapter 425 - Twins - 425 As the trillion years before the restrictions were lifted finally passed by, there was no obvious movement from the destruction race. On the other hand, the righteous faction moved out in full force. Plans set up over hundreds of quadrillions of years were played out as they hunted down members of the destruction race. Although the righteous faction managed to kill billions of destruction race members and cultivators who were working with them, no gods or true gods of the destruction race were killed. If the righteous faction could think of a plan, so could the destruction race. While the members of the righteous faction were out searching, millions of explosions took place, wiping out large areas and many people. However, this was the only movement from the destruction race. The righteous faction was completely unaware of the internal conflict that had been going on within the destruction race. As the restrictions fell, chaos broke out in the destruction race. It was all on account of the two new true gods not ascended from the true god ascension arena. They had cultivated to the true god realm by themselves, and as a result, could go even further, just like Ying Xiong. These two were living beings with immortal godking rank 10 meridians. They were two twins who went by the names Lin and Zhenwu, the children of the king of the destruction race. They had arrived long ago, and Zhou Fan''s order had allowed them to reveal themselves without being killed or even harmed in any way. Yao Mun had simply watched as allegiances changed. After all, the two were the rightful leaders of the destruction race. They even have off a pressure similar to the king of the destruction race''s, though it was much weaker and did not demand complete subservience like Lin Zhenwu''s had. In Yao Mun''s mind, it didn''t matter what the twins did. Once the restriction fell, he would simply kill them. It would not be difficult. He was at the 5th level of the true god realm, while both of them were only at the 2nd level of the true god realm. Even if they were a level above him, it would not take that much effort to kill them. However, when the restrictions had passed, Yao Mun found that they had suddenly disappeared along with almost half of the destruction race. Only 10 of the 21 destruction lords had stayed behind, with the high lord of arrays being one of them. When Yao Mun discovered this, he laughed. While he went out to search for them, he did not try too hard. Still, many plans could no longer be put into motion. "Dogs can run away, but whether or not they can seek revenge is another question." Yao Mun had stated. He did not take them seriously at all. The biggest loss was the high lord of thought. He had been a very valuable asset, but the high lord of arrays was even more so. The entire destruction race was intelligent, not just the high lord of thought. The only people who could not be replaced was Yao Mun and the high lord of arrays. Yao Mun would need to spend a while changing things, and the righteous faction experienced a nice moment of peace, though that made them feel even warier despite not knowing anything. It was hard to operate in the open when the enemy could hide in the dark. During the 250 quadrillion years, there had been 50 true gods raised by the true god ascension arena. Along with them, there had been two beings born with immortal godking rank meridians. One had immortal godking rank 10 meridians, while the other had immortal godking rank 9 meridians. They had already cultivated to the 2nd level of the true god realm by themselves. They were also the disciples of Ying Xiong. Zhou Fan looked down, and around him was leaf as usual. Leaf was now at the 5th level of the space shattering realm. Zhou Fan was not fazed by the fact that he had only increased by a realm and 5 levels in around 300 quadrillion years, or by the fact that a space shattering realm cultivator had lived for more than 300 quadrillion years, but he was shocked by the fact that Leaf had not gained too much intelligence. While his thinking capacity was similar to a childs, he was still a plant and lived like it. He was content around Zhou Fan or swaying in the wind. Zhou Fan had no idea how powerful Leaf was and never bothered finding out. As long as he was alive, Leaf would never need to fight unless he wanted to. After all, Leaf was his greatest disciple. Even Heaven could not compare in his opinion. Thinking of Heaven, Zhou Fan''s idea for a universal consciousness had not changed. He still wanted it to happen, but he had decided to postpone it until the fight against the cosmic dao. He had wasted so much time he could have spent cultivating just sitting around and honing himself in preparation for the battle. He had created countless techniques in addition to his previously countless techniques. Unfortunately, he had no clue what he was going up against. The cosmic dao was not some beast or humanoid creature. It was an existence that had likely existed since the creation of the universe, and he had no clue what form it would take. He also had no clue if it could even think. It was a complicated thing to think about, and Zhou Fan was not a member of the destruction race. He did not like plotting or planning for battles or against others. His only planning was put into the creation of worlds. Once again changing his thought process to the creation of worlds, Zhou Fan felt like it was time to move to the second stage on account of the righteous faction''s inability to find any major members of the destruction race and the destruction race''s internal conflict. Chapter 426: Preparation - 426 Chapter 426 - Preparation - 426 Zhou Fan sent out a message to all cultivators that the 2nd stage of the creation of worlds was beginning. Contribution points were doubled, and more contribution points were earned per task. For half of the creations in the Zhou filament, Zhou Fan threw microscopic organisms out and allowed them to develop on their own. For a quarter of the creations, he placed already developed life in hopes that they would either populate the creations or evolve and undergo changes. Only a fourth was left as a free for all for true gods and gods creations. Although gods and true gods could indeed make life with the use of divinity, they could not even match Zhou Fan when he was in the lesser dao creation realm, though he hadn''t really been creating life at that time. Still, none could do what he had done back then. No race comparable to celestials had been created besides the Heavenborns, and Zhou Fan was responsible for a big part of their creation. After thinking for a while, Zhou Fan did not plan to majorly help the true gods and gods during the second stage when it came to them creating their own life. He would only make sure that the life they created had the potential to naturally evolve. Of course, few cultivators would end up taking the route of creating their own life. Although Zhou Fan had reserved three fourths of the world for natural growth and already developed species, true gods and gods could still do the same and get contribution points for it in the remaining fourth. The second stage of the creation of infinite worlds lasted a much shorter time. Zhou Fan silently watched as 50 quadrillion years passed by. Perhaps due to the creation of worlds taking place or some other reason, almost no conflicts had happened between the destruction race and the righteous faction. After all, Yao Mun needed contribution points to increase his realm. It was the only way to increase his strength. The twins born from the king of the destruction race needed to spend almost all of their time cultivating. As for the righteous faction, they had searched for the destruction race, but after a few quadrillion years they had given up. Most of their manpower was spent on the creation of worlds in an attempt to stop Yao Mun from gaining too many contribution points. At the end of the second stage, Yao Mun had reached the 8th level of the true god realm due to how much easier it was to get contribution points. Of course, he also had help from half of the destruction race. The two twins of the destruction race were at the 4th level of the true god realm. As for Ying Xiong, he was the same as Yao Mun at the 8th level of the true god realm. With the second stage of the creation of worlds completed, the creation of worlds could be considered finished. All that remained was waiting for life to evolve, but that could be done without intervention. As Zhou Fan looked into the distance, he almost felt his stomach tighten in excitement. He had been waiting so long. "Cosmic Dao. You won''t have to wait much longer." Zhou Fan returned to the cosmic sect for the first time in a while. To be honest, he had nearly forgotten about it after so much time. When he looked into the distance, he saw Lu Wei occupying his mountain, as well as the old man''s grave. In another direction, he saw Lu Zhong and Feng Liu. As he looked around, he even saw Ying Xiong, Tong, and Pangu from afar. He took a step and appeared inside of the temple. Seeing the statue of him made him rub Leaf a bit. Leaf happily squirmed. Above the cosmic sect, a giant bell appeared and rang. Its sound traveled through the cosmic sect, alerting everyone in it. More bells appeared all around the Zhou filament, set up in advance. The bells carried only one message that anyone at or above the god realm could hear: "All life report to the cosmic sect." None questioned the order as it could only come from one person. Through the use of teleportation arrays, the temple in the cosmic sect was filled with various beings, both enemies and friends. There was the human race and the destruction race, but nobody dared to attack each other. The temple inside the cosmic sect was huge, more than enough to contain millions of people, though there weren''t that many cultivators at or above the god realm. Zhou Fan stood in front of the statue silently, turned away from the entrance. He closed his eyes, only moving to play with Leaf. When the last living being entered the temple, the doors closed and Zhou Fan turned around. "Today can be considered both an exciting day and a worrying one. On one hand, I may not be alive soon, but on the other, I may fight and win the greatest fight I could ever imagine." Zhou Fan said, shocking the room. Although everyone managed to remain silent, hearing the origin god, the one above all understanding, speak about possibly dying to an enemy shocked them to the core. "Everyone here has more or less comprehended the Cosmic Dao. I can feel that once my mortal dao expands, it will no longer be accepted by the Cosmic Dao, and I will become its enemy. Either I will die or it will lose, the outcome is unknown. I can''t even fathom its strength." His words shocked more, but he continued speaking. "I have selfishly gathered all of you here today in order to inform you, and in the case that I die, to give all life a gift." As Zhou Fan spoke, he held out his hand and a small wooden chest appeared on it. "This chest can be a blessing or a curse. If I do not return in a long long time, long after your lifespans are over, then this box will open. It will undo all restrictions upon cultivation, and perhaps, just maybe, someone like me may be born again." Zhou Fan placed the chest down. "There is more inside. It is my inheritance containing all of my battle techniques, arrays, formations, and many other things. I can only hope that the universe I have painstakingly created can go on." Zhou Fan was done speaking. He had said all he would say, though there was a lot left unsaid. After all, if he died, his mortal dao would disappear and Qi would no longer be split. Cultivators would not be able to recover Qi any longer. Many things he had set up would go haywire. Perhaps even Heaven would die. He only hoped that everything he had created would remain in the end. He had a special fondness towards it, the fondness of a creator. Zhou Fan took steps and walked. He was excited again. He put all of the talk and the what ifs in the back of his mind. He waved to Heaven and Lu Wei as he walked. He had never been so excited. He was finally going to fight a true battle of equals. Perhaps, just maybe, he would even be of a lower strength. Chapter 427: The Form of the Formless - 427 Chapter 427 - The Form of the Formless - 427 The mere thought of it was making his blood boil. Long ago, he could not even have imagined fighting an equal fight, not to mention a true battle where he may even lose out. At one point, what was inside of Galaxy clusters had scared him, but there had been no reason to fight. They were like rocks, unintelligent no matter how strong or dangerous. But now, he was going to a true fight. Even Zhou Fan could not stop the smile from appearing on his face. As his excitement increased, his Qi began to spill out uncontrollably. Every step he took, it was like he was gaining momentum. He took Leaf off of him and planted him in the pot he had prepared. Then, he began moving. He walked towards the other side of the universe, and every step he took began to shake the sky as his speed increased. The true gods and gods of the universe watched as he departed. At first, his steps could be comprehended by everyone, but by the tenth step, each step was shaking the Zhou Filament. None could even comprehend the level of power he was showing. He was not doing it completely on purpose. Though he was letting himself go in anticipation, he did not truly mean for his steps to be so powerful. It was just that, as he walked, he randomly comprehended a movement technique, and as he understood it, he had to admit it was incredible. He called it the final battle steps. It was a comprehension technique that came from his understanding and anticipation. As he moved faster due to the final battle steps, he soon disappeared from the Zhou filament and his power stopped shocking everyone as they could no longer see him. As for Zhou Fan, he was traveling to the other side of the universe. His steps were surprisingly fast. The final battle steps moved him at a speed he would have never thought of. As he walked, he began to breakthrough. He had long fulfilled the Qi requirement. All that remained was starting the action of breaking through. He also stopped restricting his comprehension of the cosmic dao. The remaining bit was understood, and Zhou Fan finally calmed down from his excitement. He was back to his usual self. As he looked around, he understood everything. "I see. Incredible. Truly incredible." He couldn''t help but admire everything around him. The universe seemed to be finally understood in its truest form. All around him, freely flowing around, occupying the entire universe, were colorful threads. These threads had every color. This was the cosmic dao. "I could never find the Cosmic Dao because there was not quite anything to find. The Cosmic dao is everywhere at the same time." He looked around, but everywhere he seemed to look, the Cosmic dao was there. In the truest sense, the Cosmic Dao was the universe. Zhou Fan never stopped walking as he looked around and surpassed the sage realm. He felt a danger descend upon him, but he ignored it. "I can see you. No need to act, let''s start." Although it could be said that the Cosmic Dao was the universe itself, that was not the entire truth. The Cosmic Dao had no form, or rather, from Zhou Fan''s understanding, it was the form of the formless. However, as something formless, he just had to give it form in his mind. He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, the Cosmic Dao was no longer so formless. In front of him was a giant, colorful ball. It held all colors in existence. Swirling around it were threads. These were like the Cosmic Dao''s arms and legs, though there were countless of them. As Zhou Fan looked at the ball, he could not help but feel a little pressured. "It seems I''m a bit out of my league." Although the Cosmic Dao was not a cultivator and had no cultivation, it held power. Unfathomable power that Zhou Fan could not truly understand. Zhou Fan chuckled "Regardless, it''s too late to turn back now. At least I didn''t try to fight it back then." He remembered when he first tried to reach 100% comprehension of the Cosmic Dao, though that in itself was wrong. The difference between 100% comprehension and 99% comprehension was infinitely greater than the difference between 0% comprehension and 99% comprehension. Even now, it was not as if he fully understood the Cosmic Dao. Zhou Fan arrived on the other side of the universe, and although the Cosmic Dao had no intelligence, it was as if it had been waiting for him. A thread moved. It was simple and it felt slow. Zhou Fan raised his hand and punched out with Chaos Qi, but the thread simply dispersed. The thread and his punch were equally matched. Zhou Fan knew this would not be easy at all. Many of the countless threads merged as an attack countless times greater than the last swept towards him. Zhou Fan felt an immense sense of danger and stopped holding back at all. This was not a sparring match, he truly went all out. His Chaos divine physique bursted out as Chaos Qi seemed to fill this area of the universe. He punched out, and the thread was pushed back and dispersed, but countless threads the same size followed. There were no fancy techniques used. At this level, techniques had no effect. The Cosmic Dao was simply an existence. It just attacked without any thought at all. Zhou Fan''s entire body was covered with Chaos Qi as he moved around. Their battle did not harm space. The Cosmic Dao could be considered the universe, and the universe would not injure itself. Zhou Fan did not either. He had already been at the sage realm and gained "one with the universe". Now, he was in a new, unnamed realm. Zhou Fan circled around the Cosmic Dao while fighting. He wore a cloak of Chaos Qi and used a level of power he could not comprehend. Yet, for some reason, it was not enough. Chapter 428: Chaos Qi - 428 Chapter 428 - Chaos Qi - 428 There were no flashy effects, just a pure fight of power versus power. As Zhou Fan fought, he fell into deep thought. He needed something to change, or he would lose. Chaos Qi was the only Qi he could fight with. All of the other Qi''s were simply inferior products no matter their specialty. Chaos Qi was the combination of all of it. Zhou Fan studied the Cosmic Dao while fighting. He gradually began to understand it. He began to mutter to himself. "The Dao that can be understood is not truly the Cosmic Dao. It is just like an idea that can be expressed in words is not an infinite idea." "This Cosmic Dao is the source of all things. The mother of all." "It is the mystery of mysteries." "The Cosmic Dao seems constant and never exhausted. It never loses power or shrinks. Is it truly infinite?" Zhou Fan was struggling to understand. He needed Qi to fight, and he was running out of Qi. Yet, for some reason, the Cosmic Dao did not seem to lose anything as it fought. He just could not understand it. Why? As he fought, he began to comprehend more. "The Cosmic Dao dulls its own sharpness. It breaks its own bonds. It dims its own brightness. It is peaceful, it is eternal. Where did it come from? It is older than everything." As he muttered, Zhou Fan seemed to fall into a trance. At some point, he failed to even understand what he was talking about. "A room has four walls, but its usefulness is in the empty space between them." "That which weakens was once strong. That which falls was once high." "It is all colors, but it is also colorless. It is the form of the formless. The image of the imageless. Its face cannot be seen from the front, nor its back from behind. Where did it come from? Where is it going?" Suddenly, Zhou Fan stopped moving and all sound seemed to vanish from the universe. "What?" He suddenly said. His body was hit by a thread and launched backwards. He had fallen into a trance. He understood it. It was the Cosmic Dao''s trap, or rather, the trap was the ability to comprehend it. Perhaps, if he had not snapped out of it, he would have assimilated into the Cosmic Dao without even realizing it. Zhou Fan moved and dodged the next thread. He was severely injured. There was a deep horizontal cut along his stomach. Zhou Fan dodged again. He had been in a trance, but he had felt as if he had also understood something. It was the amalgamation of his comprehensions which went far beyond 100%. It was something that could only be understood through interacting with the Cosmic Dao itself. "I will name this after you." Zhou Fan said as he stepped forward. In an instant, he seemed to change. The gray of the Chaos Qi surrounding him seemed to fade. It became unseeable, colorless, formless. "Supreme technique: The Dao." Zhou Fan raised his arm and all of his Qi moved to it. For the first time, it was as if the Cosmic Dao reacted. It was like a twitch, but Zhou Fan saw it. "The Dao begets one." Zhou Fan brought his arm down. An endless, vertical sheet of Chaos Qi appeared. It seemed to split the universe from top to bottom, though not going out of its boundaries. ''The Dao begets one, or rather, the Dao begets the beginning, Chaos Qi.'' The endless sheet of Chaos Qi had also split the Cosmic Dao. Perhaps only because he had given it form, but Zhou Fan felt as if he had heard a large roar of anger and pain. However, he wasn''t done. "One begets two." The endless sheet of Chaos Qi seemed to split. The one turned into the two as two lines seemed to split the universe up and down. The Cosmic Dao was "Split" into three pieces, though the giant ball did not seem to truly move or be affected. Yet, Zhou Fan could hear it. Once again, the Cosmic Dao had made a sound. He was harming it. ''The two represents opposites and balance. Yin and Yang. Fire and water. Life and death. Light and Dark. Everything has an opposite, no matter how obscure.'' Zhou Fan continued. "Two begets three." This time, the two split into three, but not three endless sheets. This time, one was below, it wad green. One was above, it was blue. One was in between, and it vaguely held the form of a human. Three represented the earth, the sky, and life. This time, the cosmic dao was not even touched, yet it seemed to roar even louder in Zhou Fan''s ears. This was an attack of the essence of an existence. As long as something existed, it would be harmed by the three. "Three begets all things." The three collapsed as Chaos Qi turned into the countless Qi''s that all cultivators used. Each Qi was like a rain of incomparably sharp drops. Zhou Fan''s outer world, as well as his divinity were released and used to the fullest extent. The Cosmic Dao truly screamed. The entire universe shook and even true gods and gods could hear it, though they passed out bleeding from every hole in their body. Zhou Fan was not affected, it was only a scream. The giant colorful ball that was the Cosmic Dao seemed to change at that moment. Suddenly, it spoke. "You filthy unfilial trash." Zhou Fan understood. It was the Cosmic Dao, and all life existed within it. If it wanted to, it could easily take on the attribute of intelligence. It was now no longer simply a formless energy. It had intelligence. "I am the mother of all things, yet you dare to oppose me! I am the creator! I am responsible for everything you''ve ever created! Even that cultivation of yours was a result of me! You couldn''t have done it without me!" It screamed in anger. Zhou Fan shook his head and attacked, yet, nothing came out. Zhou Fan''s face warped into shock. "Didn''t I just say it. Chaos Qi. You are truly a fool. I AM CHAOS QI!" The Cosmic Dao seemed to scream as Zhou Fan was shot backwards without being able to resist. Chapter 429: The Power of Cultivation - 429 Chapter 429 - The Power of Cultivation - 429 Zhou Fan could not resist as he shot back, piercing through stars, galaxies, planets, and countless other space things. He only stopped after an unknown time. He did not die. He still had his cultivation, but he did not have any Qi. Wait! Zhou Fan''s eyes lit up. Suddenly, the Cosmic Dao appeared. It had truly taken the form that Zhou Fan had imagined it in, though it was now smaller, about the size of Zhou Fan. "You should have died with dignity. Upon breaking through, you could have been peacefully absorbed, but now you must die like this. So pitiful. Let me ask, what is it like to lose everything you have ever worked for?" The Cosmic Dao asked. "For someone who just gained intelligence, you sure are annoying as hell." Zhou Fan said as he stood up despite his body being covered in blood. The Cosmic Dao was about to speak, but Zhou Fan spoke first. "You are misunderstanding something. I have not lost what I have worked for." The Cosmic Dao Laughed. "Then go ahead. Do something, anything." Zhou Fan shook his head. "I''m afraid it doesn''t work like that. You see, I was also mistaken, let me enlighten you." "I never worked for Chaos Qi, I merely comprehended it. It was simply a talent. Given by chance. What I worked for was cultivation, and no, it is not the same." The Cosmic Dao stayed silent. "I created cultivation, I did not explore it. It was not there before me, I understand it now. Meridians were an organ from the beginning, I simply chose to use it as a vessel for cultivating. It could have also been the liver, or even the kidney. I can''t say how I did it, but I created cultivation as I moved along. It did not exist before me. It can not exist after me. Chaos Qi was the electricity, but Cultivation is the machine." Zhou Fan paused. The Cosmic Dao opened its "mouth" to speak, but just before it spoke, Zhou Fan opened his mouth. The Cosmic Dao stopped what it was about to say, but words never left Zhou Fan''s mouth as it closed again. The Cosmic Dao waited for a moment, before opening its "mouth" once again, but the same thing repeated. After the fifth time, the Cosmic Dao exploded. "Are you trying to play some sort of game!? Either speak or die!" Zhou Fan made a "wait" motion with his hand. "Finally, I grasped your weakness, or rather, perhaps you did." The Cosmic Dao stopped and looked at Zhou Fan. "You gained intelligence, and intelligent beings aren''t in a rush to kill someone that they deem unable to resist. You''ve given me time. Thanks." Before the Cosmic Dao could react, Zhou Fan smiled and power burst out of him. To its great astonishment, the Cosmic Dao was pushed back far away. "Impossible! I took away your Qi." It shouted as it looked in Zhou Fan''s direction. Zhou Fan walked forward, revealing himself. Rotating around him was a river. It seemed endless, but in Zhou Fan''s hands, perhaps it had an end. "Without Chaos Qi, my cultivation is an empty shell, but what if I used cultivation to power my cultivation?" Zhou Fan said. "That makes no sense!" The Cosmic Dao shouted as it attacked with countless gray threads. These threads were made from Chaos Qi and far more powerful than before. "It''s paradoxical, but it works! I got the inspiration from you!" Zhou Fan shouted as he pointed out with a finger. "Cultivation finger!" He shouted. The river of cultivation surged around him as a giant finger appeared and moved forward. It had no color, but was not clear. The threads were instantly dispersed, but the finger continued forward. "THIS IS MY POWER! THE POWER OF THE ORIGIN GOD, THE POWER OF ZHOU FAN, THE POWER OF CULTIVATION!" He shouted as the finger continued forward. The ball that was the Cosmic Dao was hit, and it fell back. Now, there was a visible crack in it. Zhou Fan stepped forward. "I am no longer reliant on Chaos Qi, or anything from anyone else. This power is mine alone. A power that started with me and shall end with me. This is the power of cultivation." Another finger shot out and, without being able to put up resistance, the Cosmic Dao was pushed back again and cracked. Although the finger seemed simple, each one was the most powerful attack that Zhou Fan could muster up. The river of cultivation seemed to be growing smaller after each attack, but it seemed as if it would outlast the Cosmic Dao. The Cosmic Dao screamed and resisted, but Zhou Fan was now above even it. Nothing could match him. Eventually, it turned to reasoning. "You don''t understand. I am everything. If I am gone, the nothingness outside will devour everything. We are the only two things. Everything and Nothing. You can''t resist the power of nothing." It shouted. "We''ll see. You should have stayed without intelligence. You talk too much." As Zhou Fan pressed on and attacked with one finger at a time. His body began cracking. He was severely injured beyond understanding. He was also not recovering, but fighting with everything he had. Every second that passed, his injuries were growing. Still he knew that he could not simply leave the Cosmic Dao. It needed to end. There was no alternative. At this point, nearly a fourth of the universe had been destroyed. Zhou Fan''s strength was incredible, and although the Cosmic Dao was being suppressed, it was still nearly of equal power. There was no more suspense or surprise. As Zhou Fan pressed on, the Cosmic Dao slowly shattered. As the ball finally cracked and turned to dust, Zhou Fan waved his hand and it disappeared from the world. He stood silently for a moment as injuries plagued him. His entire body was cracked like a shattered mirror, but he had never felt more peaceful. Suddenly, the walls of the universe seemed to begin breaking, slowly moving inward. Zhou Fan sighed. "I really can''t catch a break to heal. I have to deal with this now. At this point, it will be a miracle if I survive." Zhou Fan moved the river of cultivation, now much smaller, and siphoned off a bit of it. He turned it into the various Qi''s and spread it throughout the universe. "Since the Cosmic Dao isn''t here, Qi won''t be automatically recycled." Under Zhou Fan''s control, the Qi that he had spread would cycle with life and death, but eventually, the amount of the Qi would decline. There would likely be a very small amount of high realm cultivators who could exist at one time. Zhou Fan was preparing to go into deep seclusion to heal. Without him or the Cosmic Dao active, this needed to be done. Zhou Fan siphoned off some cultivation from the river of cultivation again, this time turning it into Chaos Qi. He felt as if the river of cultivation, now a part of his power, had endless possibilities. The Chaos Qi went to the wall of the universe and reinforced it. It was shabby work, but Zhou Fan was so injured he was about to die. Luckily, it would likely hold on for a while. Hopefully, he would recover. Suddenly, his mind went blank and he began to fall. His injuries had become too much. Chapter 430: A Wooden Ring - 430 Chapter 430 - A Wooden Ring - 430 Zhou Fan''s mind was completely unconscious as his body floated in space. After an unknown amount of time, he briefly gained consciousness, but he could not move a muscle. He could only tell that he was about to fall unconscious again before he did so. An unknown amount of time passed as Zhou Fan remained unconscious. His mind was completely blank. ¡ª-------------------------------------- As clouds covered the sun, a boy around the age of 12 carried a basket of freshly picked apples down a path. To the sides of the path were endless plains with many trees. The boy continued to walk through the peaceful surroundings with a sense of calmness. Suddenly, an exposed wooden stump caught his foot and brought him down. The boy was instantly pushed out of his peaceful mood and cursed at the ground. "Damn lousy path. Who could have screwed up a path so badly. It''s not as if it''s a hard thing to create." The boy grumpily picked up apples, but realized that there were only a few around him. "Damn hill." The boy looked to the side and watched as apples rolled down a hill. "I can''t lose these. I''ve already lost baskets a few times, if it happens again, I''ll be fired." The boy mumbled to himself as he carefully walked down the steep hill. Downwards, there was a more forested area. It seemed that the forest was where the apples had ended up. The boy was annoyed, but went down to the forested area. Losing another batch of apples would cost him his job, which would likely get him kicked out of his house. Again. The boy mumbled as he entered the forested area and picked up apples. "Damn lousy parents, making their 12 year old son pay rent. What a joke." Suddenly, a cave caught the boy''s eye. "Was there a cave down here?" He asked himself. The cave was going downwards into a small hill not too far away. Since he was already going to be a little late, the boy decided to enter the cave. After all, he had never seen it despite being in the forested area before. The boy mumbled to himself. "Perhaps a cultivator is inside. Maybe he''ll accept me as a disciple. Imagine that." He did not hold any hope, but the sudden appearance of an unknown cave gave him the idea at least. The boy walked up to the cave and looked inside. The entrance was half his height, but inside, it seemed to expand. The boy looked around before crouching down and crawling through the hole. "Was this cave revealed by that earthquake?" The boy suddenly remembered the shaking of the ground not too long ago that shocked the village. When the boy finally entered the expanding area, he was shocked by the inside of the cave. On the walls were sparkling blue crystals that lit up the interior. The boy''s eyes widened as he went up close to the crystals and seriously examined them. "This... This couldn''t be a spirit stone mine could it!?" The boy was shocked, before fear settled in. Cultivators would kill for a spirit stone mine. It could invite calamity to the entire village. Although it was just a small possibility, the boy was worried that it would happen. After all, he had heard many stories of such things. The boy wanted to turn around, but he hesitated. He had always wanted to cultivate, but he had never been taught by another. Although Zhou Fan had put the basic cultivation technique in the minds of all life, it gradually faded to the back of the mind as cultivation society grew. It was still relevant for beasts, but humans would usually need to either be guided or meditate deeply. The boy longingly looked at the cave walls before deciding to move further in. At the very least, he could take a look. The boy walked as he admired the spirit stone mine. There seemed to be hundreds of thousands, though he could not count them. And this was only on the surface. It was also unknown what grade the spirit stones were. Eventually, the number of spirit stones began to lessen. The boy was surprised. Although he did not know anything about spirit stone mines, he knew that they were usually full to the brim. "Perhaps a normal cave is connected to it?" The boy had no idea and could only guess. Eventually, normal stone walls replaced the spirit stone, but the boy went deeper in curiosity. As he turned a corner, he jumped back shocked. It was hard to believe what he had seen. He looked again, and saw the same thing. Leaning against the end of the cave was a person wearing gray clothes. He had gray hair as well, and blood seemed to form a small puddle under him. After a moment, the boy spoke. "Hello?" There was no response. "Sir? Are you dead?" Once again, no response or even movement. The boy gained the courage to stop hiding behind the wall and moved towards the person. As he got closer, he could see an imprint on the ground and the wall that the person was leaning against. It was clear that he had been there for a long, long time. The boy gained courage as nothing happened. "A cultivator?" The boy got closer and closer, but suddenly, it looked like a finger on the person twitched. The boy looked down in shock, but his attention was grabbed by the sudden opening of the person''s eyes. The person''s eyes were wide as he looked at the boy. He reached out and touched the boy on the hand before his eyes went limp and his body fell backwards. The boy finally reacted and jumped backwards, falling onto the ground. He breathed heavily for a few minutes as he stared at the person. As everything returned to normal, he calmed down. He turned around and ran out of the cave. As he did so, he couldn''t help but look down at the wooden ring that had suddenly appeared on his finger. Chapter 431: Soul Form - 431 Chapter 431 - Soul Form - 431 When the boy finally returned to the village, he was promptly fired. The boy didn''t care that much due to the day''s events and returned to his house. He blankly looked at the floor while his parents scolded him, and soon entered his small room. He did not say a word of the cave in fear of the body inside, as well as the spirit stone mine. It was unknown what such a calamity would bring, and the boy had no intention of ever finding out. He fell asleep while looking at the wooden ring that had appeared on his finger. He had tried earlier, but he couldn''t take it off no matter how hard he tried. The next morning, the boy left the house on a "Job Search". In reality, he had simply given the excuse to his parents in order to leave. His curiosity had gotten hold of him. He wanted to enter the cave again. He had been struck with fear at first, but he soon realized that this was the opportunity he had always dreamed of. A possible spirit stone mine, as well as the body of a cultivator. Perhaps he could even find the universal cultivation manual on his body. It was said that, long ago, there had been only one cultivation technique that all humans used. It was said that all truly powerful cultivators practiced it. After a short travel, the boy once again crawled through the entrance of the cave. He looked around, still astonished by the crystals embedded in the walls. Although he did not have any actual proof that they were spirit stones, he automatically assumed it so. The boy walked up to one of the crystals and attempted to grab it. As he felt it in his hand, it suddenly disappeared. The boy looked at his empty hand stunned. There was also an empty hole in the wall where the spirit stone had been stuck. It was the only physical evidence that proved he was not hallucinating. The boy grabbed another crystal and the same thing happened again. This time, he was sure that he was not crazy. The boy walked up to another crystal and touched it with the tip of his finger. Nothing happened. He added another tip and another, but even when all five of his fingertips were on the crystal it did not disappear. The boy''s gaze drifted to the ring on his ring finger. He clenched his hand into a fist and touched the crystal with the ring. The crystal disappeared again. He looked at the ring, then the walls, then back at his ring. "It must be spirit stones! And this ring must be some sort of cultivation treasure!" He said to himself. "Perhaps it needs to absorb spirit stones in order to activate!" With this thought, the boy walked around the cave, touching every single spirit stone with the ring, watching it disappear every time. The boy continued for multiple hours, consuming thousands of spirit stones, more than enough to buy his entire village a thousand fold, but nothing changed. Instead of being discouraged, the boy got even more excited. "To use up so many spirit stones, this may be a high-level cultivation treasure." He said excitedly. He continued on, but as night fell, the ring had still not done anything. There were still many spirit stones left, and the boy returned to the village. He could not just disappear, and he was also getting tired. He was still a mortal after all. His parents did not ask any questions or say anything all night, and he returned to the cave the next day. He continued to feed the wooden ring spirit stones, until after what felt like the millionth, the ring seemed to shake. The boy stopped moving and stared at the ring in excitement. Suddenly, the air around him began to swirl as if a tornado was forming. A green river seemed to appear from nowhere, and the silhouette of a human began to form from thin air. As the wind stopped moving, a floating, see-through body appeared next to the boy. It was a small body, the size of a doll, but an air of power surrounded it. The boy stared in excitement as the small human figure sat on his shoulder and took in a deep breath. "It''s about time. I feel like it''s been forever since I could think clearly." The human figure looked around. "My situation isn''t quite good. In fact, I''m lucky to be alive." "Hello? Sir?" The boy said. Zhou Fan turned his head and looked at the boy. "Hello. My name is Zhou Fan. I seem to be in quite the situation." The boy scratched his head. "Yes, it appears so. You look familiar." Suddenly, the boy''s eyes lit up. "Of course. You are the body in the cave." The boy began to walk while looking at Zhou Fan. "Yes. It seems that I am in soul form, forced out of my body due to weakness and as a method of self preservation" Zhou Fan mumbled. Zhou Fan looked around his tiny body as the boy moved forward. Although his soul form was currently tiny, he had needed to condense his soul in order to sustain its existence. His injuries sustained in the battle could not be explained with words. When he said that he had nearly died, he meant that even a fly could have killed him by simply landing on him. The river of cultivation was still moving around him, though it was also weak and small. Luckily, no matter how weak or small it was, it was still able to keep cultivation going smoothly. All of the rules and changes Zhou Fan had made were still firmly in place. The river of cultivation did not consume energy simply by existing and functioning. Zhou Fan had a lot to think about, especially with the creation of his own power, cultivation. It was different from the idea of cultivation, but an actual energy similar to Qi, though, in his opinion, far superior. Chapter 432: Injuries - 432 Chapter 432 - Injuries - 432 Like Qi, the simplest way to recover cultivation energy was to cultivate, but unfortunately, that possibility was off of the table. Zhou Fan''s physical body and soul were disconnected. Perhaps in the past he would have been able to instantly create a method to cultivate while only in soul form, but now, he could not. He was far too injured, and even his mind was greatly affected. As for regaining his body, it would be very difficult. As it was his body, it would recognize his own soul, but the difference in power was too great. Perhaps if his soul form recovered to the true god realm it would be possible. Until then, what he could do was very limited. He could not even move the river of cultivation and could only let it idly flow around him. He had luckily discovered a way to recover. Qi, or rather, spirit stones. Spirit stones were pure Qi unaffected by any cultivator, which was why Zhou Fan would be able to recover with them. Chaos Qi would be countless times better, but he had no access to it. For now, the only way to recover his strength was spirit stones, and perhaps in the future, godly stones. With godly stones, he may be able to recover to the god realm, but with only spirit stones, he would require unending amounts. Luckily, this boy had found his body. Zhou Fan had been able to connect a ring to the boy''s soul, before connecting his soul to the ring. It had been thought of in a single instant, so it was not the most thought out plan, but it was all he could have done in the timeframe he was given. The boy soon reached Zhou Fan''s body and pointed it out. "See. You look exactly like that body." The boy said. "Yes. This is my soul form. I was severely injured in a battle and passed out from my injuries. When I regained consciousness, you were the first person I saw." Zhou Fan said. "Soul form. Wow. You must have been powerful!" The boy exclaimed. Zhou Fan nodded. "You could say that. How would you feel about helping me regain my strength? I can even take you in as a disciple." The boy nodded excitedly. "I''ve always wanted to cultivate. I''ll help you as best I can." The boy had never been so excited. He had finally come upon a fortuitous encounter. From the looks of it, he may soon become a cultivator. "Good. You are my third disciple. What is your name?" Zhou Fan asked. "My name is Zhu Yi, master." "Good name. Now, I have a few questions." Zhou Fan had no clue how long it had been or what was going on in the world. He could only feel relieved that the cultivation world was still intact. Zhu Yi nodded. "Whatever you need to ask, master." He gave a thumbs up while nodding his head. Zhou Fan spoke. "Have you heard of the name, Zhou Fan?" "Is that your name? I''ve never heard of it." Zhu Yi shook his head. "How about the Origin God?" "Nope." "The cosmic sect?" "Nope. Sounds strong." "Anything with the name Zhou?" Zhou Fan asked. It seemed that the boy knew nothing. This time, Zhu Yi paused for a moment. "Ah! Yes!" He exclaimed. "What?" Zhou Fan asked curiously. "There''s a girl named Zhou Hen I used to know." He said with a thumbs up. Zhou Fan sighed and shook his head. "Alright. What about the destruction race?" "Nope." "Ying Xiong?" "Nope." Zhou Fan put his hand on his chin as he thought seriously. "Do you know anything outside of this village?" "Not really. Just some local stuff and the closest sect, as well as some fairy tales." Zhu Yi said. "What are the fairy tales about?" Zhou Fan asked. He knew that there was often some sort of truth behind a story, even if he did not recognize it. "Well there''s the one with the princess in the castle, one about a frog in a well, one about animals stalking each other. There are also some cool ones like the sky pillar, the paper crane, Pangu splitting the Heavens, Car...." "Wait." Zhou Fan exclaimed. "What was that about Pangu?" "It''s a classic throughout the world, or at least I''ve heard. It was said that in a battle long ago, a powerful cultivator named Pangu was fighting a powerful, unknown enemy. His words echoed throughout the world, "HeavenBreaker". We assume that his enemy was some other powerful cultivator named Heaven." Zhou Fan nodded. As expected, a story had some sort of truth. The fairytale might have been referring to the battle he had with Yao Mun long ago, or some other time. At the very least, Pangu''s name had not been lost as history passed. It was a sign that not too much time had passed. Zhou Fan asked about more fairy tales, but nothing else was familiar. He also asked for any information that Zhu Yi knew about the world. He didn''t know much outside of the village at all. The closest sect was named the "Heart Scalp Sect", a weird name, but from Zhu Yi''s words it was a good sect, not an evil one. "Alright, Zhu Yi. In order to help me recover, you must absorb Qi from spirit stones." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi looked around, but almost all of the spirit stones in the mine were gone. It had already taken that much to simply allow Zhou Fan to exist in soul form. How much would it take for him to recover? Zhou Fan saw Zhu Yi''s worried face and reassured him. "Don''t worry too much. This is a low quality spirit stone mine. When I help you cultivate, I can also help you find spirit stone mines." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi looked up and nodded. At the mention of cultivation, he was excited once again. "Master. When will you teach me how to cultivate?" Zhu Yi asked. "We can start now if you want." Zhou Fan acted calm on the surface, but he was worried inside. Zhu Yi had no talent. With the river of cultivation, Zhou Fan could still passively see talent. Zhu Yi luckily had meridians, but unfortunately, they were weak rank meridians. One rank above the lowest rank meridians. Chapter 433: Zhu Yi - 433 Chapter 433 - Zhu Yi - 433 Zhou Fan gestured to the ground. "Sit down and cross your legs. I will explain the cultivation technique." He knew that all life had the cultivation technique inside of their heads, but he had long known that many humans could not access it without reaching the depths of their minds. "What''s your cultivation technique called, Master?" Zhu Yi asked. "Huh?" Zhou Fan was confused. "The name of your cultivation technique." Zhu Yi said again. "It''s just the cultivation technique. Do you know of other techniques?" Zhou Fan asked. "Of course. Every sect has their own cultivation technique. It is fabled that the greatest cultivation technique is called the universal cultivation technique. Don''t you know all this? Even I do." Zhu Yi was also confused. Zhou Fan didn''t like the sound of that. Before the battle, there had been no other cultivation techniques. People had not even thought of creating another one. The only time in history where cultivators made their own techniques was a brief period of time in the Zhou World. Yet, that history was so long ago that it had faded away. If this world had different cultivation techniques, then quintillions of years had likely passed at least. "Alright. Just listen up." Zhou Fan said. He only had to say a few words and affect Zhu Yi''s mind before the cultivation technique in the back of his mind showed itself. It was only a few minutes after sitting down that Zhu Yi began to cultivate. Zhou Fan watched him. He had never been so close to such a slow cultivator. Wait, no, it''s not just his fault. Zhou Fan took a deep look at the world around him. He had not noticed it before, but the Qi here was thin, very thin. It was a tenth of the density that Qi had been before the battle. Had so long passed that even Qi was beginning to thin out? It seemed unlikely unless he had been unconscious for septillions of years. But if that was the case, he would have felt such a great change. It was likely something else, even if the Qi density in the entire universe had indeed lowered. Zhou Fan had guesses, but they were meaningless. He turned his gaze back at Zhu Yi. With Zhou Fan''s help, he would be able to reach the core formation realm, even with weak rank meridians. However, it would take a long time. It was not enough to matter in Zhou Fan''s eyes, but the issue was the lack of future potential. It would be no issue if he could switch to another person, but for now, he was connected to this boy, even if not directly. If the boy died, the ring would shatter, and if the ring shattered, Zhou Fan would either die, or his soul would be severely injured. In its already injured state, he would likely die from those injuries. In other words, nothing could happen to Zhu Yi. Zhou Fan could only think of raising his talent. With the river of cultivation still by his side, it would not be impossible, but its difficulty level would be immense. It would require lots of Qi and for him to have recovered greatly. Night fell before Zhu Yi entered the Qi gathering realm. He had only done so in a single night due to the spirit stones around. Zhou Fan decided to delay his own recovery in order to speed up Zhu Yi''s cultivation speed. This would be a long process, and he was only just beginning. When Zhu Yi returned home, he was berated by his parents for being out so late. "Mother, Father, I won''t hide it. An old man accepted me as his disciple. I am now a cultivator." Zhu Yi said once he got tired of their scolding. His parents paused for a moment before giving him unbelieving looks. "Come outside, I''ll show you." Under the night sky, Zhu Yi punched the ground and created a fist sized hole. This was all the evidence needed. His parents no longer scolded him. Although they had not wanted him to become a cultivator, it was mostly because they believed he had no talent like them. Now that he had successfully cultivated, they had no issues with it. "When can we meet this master of yours?" His mother asked. Like Zhu Yi, she had light brown hair and brown eyes. "You can''t. He is cultivating in seclusion and only accepted me by chance. He ordered me to make sure that his existence didn''t spread, so you must keep it a secret." Zhu Yi said to his parents. His parents reluctantly nodded and Zhu Yi entered his room. Zhou Fan had watched all along, but they could not see him. Although he was injured, his soul was still the soul of a cultivator above the sage realm. It would take a god to see his soul even in his current state. The next day, Zhu Yi set out to the same cave. Now that he was a cultivator and had told his parents, he would not have to return every night. His mother only ordered him to report back once a week so that they knew he was not dead. Zhu Yi entered the cave, grabbed a spirit stone from the wall, and began to cultivate. Zhou Fan sat on his shoulder and watched. As he had said, this was not a short process. It would take a while for Zhu Yi to reach the foundation establishment realm, and Zhou Fan could not even help him until he reached that at the very least. After absorbing spirit stones through the ring, there were only around 300 spirit stones left in the cave. When Zhu Yi cultivated for an entire day, he used up a single spirit stone. And after 300 days, they were all used up. Zhu Yi fell backwards in relief. "Finally. I thought I would have to cultivate in this cave forever." Zhu Yi was happy at his accomplishment, but Zhou Fan''s face was dark. 300 days of cultivation. 300 spirit stones. 300 days of having the first cultivator literally sitting on his shoulder. And what did he have to show for it? Qi gathering level 5 cultivation. Chapter 434: Four Robbers - 434 Chapter 434 - Four Robbers - 434 Zhu Yi looked at Zhou Fan in excitement. "So, what''s next, master?" He asked. Zhou Fan assessed the situation. "With your cultivation speed, cultivating without spirit stones is more or less a death wish, in terms of lifespan at least. What you need to do is find another source." The current spirit stone mine was extremely small. In fact, it could not even be called a mine, only a small vein. Zhu Yi kept looking at him. "How should I do that? Can you find spirit stone mines at this time?" Zhou Fan shook his head. "Not without recovering more. I suggest you try to join that sect that you mentioned." "The heart scalp sect?" Zhu Yi asked. "Yes, that one. Perhaps they can help you access spirit stones." Zhou Fan did not know how the sects in this world worked, but they should not be too much different from the sects he knew, just on a much smaller scale. He had also seen small sects such as the blue flower sect that Lu Wei had joined. Zhu Yi nodded and walked out of the cave. He had grown in the past year and was now 13 years old. Due to being a cultivator, he seemed older and looked stronger than others his age. After returning home, he spoke to his parents about leaving to join the heart scalp sect. "Are you sure?" His mother asked worriedly. "I am. If I don''t go, my future will be limited." Zhu Yi said. Zhu Yi''s father nodded. "As long as you make us proud." The next day, Zhu Yi set off. His parents had asked him a lot of questions before letting him leave, but he had finally escaped. He walked in the direction of the heart scalp sect. Using a map he had bought before, he knew how to get there, though the journey was indeed a long one. Before setting off, he had thought about using some sort of cart, or at least a horse, but he soon realized that his running speed was much greater than a horse''s, and his stamina was high as well. Zhu Yi got into a sprinting position and ran. As he ran, he looked at his shoulder to see if Zhou Fan was holding on, but Zhou Fan was still sitting as normal. This gave Zhu Yi confidence. He ran as fast as he could. Every hour or so, he would sit down for a few minutes and cultivate. This was both to increase his cultivation and regain his stamina. After two days of this repeated process, Zhu Yi finally felt the urge to go to sleep. He moved to the side of the path and, with skills acquired since young, created a campfire. As he laid down next to it, he spoke to Zhou Fan. "Master, will you ever teach me techniques?" Zhu Yi asked. "Naturally, but only once you''re stronger. You have a fire affinity, so I can teach a few technique''s. Before then, you must think about what type of techniques you want." Zhu Yi was confused. "Master, I don''t fully understand what you''re saying." Zhou Fan had almost forgotten that Zhu Yi had never met another cultivator and had no knowledge of cultivation outside of what Zhou Fan had told him. "Well, you can practice weapons and learn weapons Qi, you can focus on movement techniques, you can focus on a certain attack technique like fire arrows and practice it to absolute mastery, you can explore a wide range of techniques, essentially any path you want to take can be taken. As for me, just treat me as a technique library." Zhou Fan explained. Although he was injured, creating techniques for anyone below the lesser dao creation realm took nothing but a thought. After all, he still had his memories even if his mind was slower. Zhu Yi nodded and fell into deep thought. Falling into deep thought caused him to quickly fall asleep. Zhou Fan sat next to Zhu Yi. He did not need to sleep, and he could do nothing but sit and wait. A few hours after Zhu Yi fell asleep, he was awoken by cracking sounds. He quickly sat up and looked around. Surrounding him were 3 men and a woman with half face masks on. They were wielding weapons and in an attacking stance. "Morning punk. Give us all of your money." One of the men said. Zhu Yi had just woken up and was a little confused, but answered the man. "I don''t have any money." "Huh? Then what are you doing out here? There''s no civilization nearby. Stop lying and give us the money." The man said with anger. Zhu Yi finally cleared his mind and looked around. "You guys wouldn''t happen to eb cultivators, right?" "Stop playing around. Have you seen cultivators going around robbing people?" The man said. Zhu Yi just laughed internally. "I''m a cultivator." The four people paused before laughing. "Yeah, and I''m a dragon." One said. "Why else do you think somebody so young is in the middle of nowhere without money or a cart, or even a horse?" Zhu Yi asked. The four robbers paused before looking at each other. They nodded and turned around. No point in risking it since his words made sense. "Did I say you could leave?" Hearing this, the four bandits stopped. If they were unsure before, they were now pretty confident that Zhu Yi was a cultivator. Why else would he stop them? "Young sir, we had no intention of hurting you. We''re just desperate for money. Why don''t you let us leave?" The woman said. "Take off your mask." Zhu Yi said. The woman was confused, but did as he said. "Wow. Prett¨C Oww!" Zhu Yi said as he held his head. The four robbers looked at each other but did not move. Is this kid crazy? Zhu Yi looked to the side where Zhou Fan had smacked him. "Lust has no place in a cultivator''s heart." Zhou Fan lectured. "Sorry master. But the women in the village are so ugly. I was just curious." Zhu Yi said, feeling indignant. "Whatever. Be a good cultivator and rob these people before sending them on their way." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi paused, wondering if he had heard correctly, before nodding. What a great idea. As expected of master, he is smart. Chapter 435: The Heart Scalp Sect - 435 Chapter 435 - The Heart Scalp Sect - 435 Zhu Yi stood up and yawned. "Alright. Hand over all of your valuables." The four robbers, thinking they had not heard him correctly, looked confused. "You heard right. Hand everything over besides the clothes on you." Zhu Yi observed the robbers'' states and assessed that they were likely to try and attack him. After all, they were not 100% sure that he was a cultivator. Zhu Yi raised his hand and punched the ground. Cracks spread and the ground shook. Although there really wasn''t that much damage, it was much more than any mortal could cause. The robbers lost all doubt and began to take everything they had out. "Why did we have to run into some insane child cultivator?" One of the robbers mumbled under his breath. Zhu Yi heard it but ignored it. He was already robbing these people, it would feel shameful to beat them up as well. Zhu Yi shooed the robbers away. They ran as fast as they could, not wanting to remain behind for a single second. Zhu Yi looked at four weapons and four pouches on the ground. He ignored the weapons and looked at the pouches first. Inside of them was money. Zhu Yi poured them out and counted it up. In total, 10 silver. It was more than he had ever seen at once, but he was a cultivator so it did not mean much. He had also used spirit stones, which could not be bought with almost any amount of money. Coins were for mortals, spirit stones were for cultivators. Zhu Yi, now fully awake, began to run down the path again. As a cultivator, he did not need to sleep much. As he ran, he turned to Zhou Fan, who was still sitting on his shoulder. "Master, I''m curious. Why did you say to rob them?" Although Zhu Yi thought it was a good idea, his master seemed indifferent to money. "I''m preparing you for the future. To recover, I need spirit stones, and to cultivate, you need spirit stones. In other words, no matter how many spirit stones you have, it won''t be enough. In order to gain more, you may have to rob cultivators." Zhou Fan explained. Zhu Yi nodded. "I see. But shouldn''t cultivators be above such things?" "Of course not. Cultivators are really just mortals with power. They still rob, kill, hate, create, love, and destroy all the same. Just on a larger scale." Zhu Yi nodded and fell into thought. After a few minutes, he spoke again. "So what about you master? Have you robbed, killed, hated, created, loved, or destroyed?" Zhu Yi asked. "I don''t think I''ve robbed anyone, or not too many people at least. It''s hard to remember all that. I''ve killed plenty. I''ve not hated that much. I''ve created an awful lot. I''ve loved a few, such as the 4 beasts, Heaven, and Leaf. I''ve also destroyed a large amount." Zhou Fan answered honestly. Zhu Yi nodded and asked about a few of the individual things such as what he created, destroyed, who the 4 beasts, Leaf, and Heaven were, and a few other specific questions. Zhou Fan answered them all vaguely without giving any hint of his power level. He did not want Zhu Yi to get arrogant with him as a backing, especially since he could not do too much. As Master and Disciple spoke, time passed. After a few days, a large black gate with a red heart in its center appeared. Zhou Fan was curious. "Are you sure this is a good sect?" Zhu Yi nodded. "From what I''ve heard, but I don''t actually know." Looking at the gate, both he and Zhou Fan felt that it gave off a weird feeling. Not quite the feeling of danger, but an uneasy feeling. There were no guards in front of it. It was just a big, black gate with a heart drawn in the center. Zhu Yi looked at Zhou Fan, but Zhou Fan shrugged his shoulders. He had no idea what was going on with this sect. Zhu Yi walked up and knocked on the door. Due to being a cultivator, his knocks were very loud, especially on the metal door. Zhu Yi backed up and waited. After a few moments, a smaller, previously unseeable door opened up. It was a part of the gate and blended in with it perfectly. This door was only the size of a normal door. An older man with red hair stepped out. Zhu Yi looked at him and was so shocked that his nerves nearly jumped out of his body. Even Zhou Fan was surprised. The older man bowed. "Welcome to the heart scalp sect. How can I help you?" The old man smiled kindly, but to Zhu Yi, it was an evil smile. "S-s- sorry. Wrong address." He said as he turned around and ran. The old man laughed before going back through the door. Zhu Yi ran faster than ever and only stopped when he could not see the heart scalp sect anymore. "I suppose you don''t plan on joining that sect?" Zhou Fan asked. Zhu Yi nodded as he panted. "What was that?" He asked. "I suppose there is a reason why it''s called the heart scalp sect." Zhou Fan said. When the old man had walked out, a beating heart had been protruding from his chest. Zhu Yi had been so scared by the unnatural sight that he ran away immediately. Zhou Fan did not blame him at all. "So, where to?" Zhou Fan asked. Zhu Yi shook his head. "I don''t know. That was the only sect I was aware of. If we want to find out the location of any other sects, we''ll have to find a big city. Luckily, I know of one not too far from here." Although they had spent a while running, Zhu Yi had met a few people along the journey. One of them was a merchant. Zhu Yi bought a map off of him. That map only had a single sect shown, but there was also a big city not too far away. Chapter 436: White Palace City - 436 Chapter 436 - White Palace City - 436 Zhu Yi began to run in the opposite direction of the Heart scalp sect. After a few days, there was a four way intersection. Instead of going back the way he came, Zhu Yi went a different direction. After one more day of running, Zhu Yi saw the city from afar. Zhou Fan sat on his shoulder silently as Zhu Yi approached. There were no city walls to this city, but in the middle of it was a shockingly large building. There was no doubt that this city had cultivators. The building was white and seemed to take all of the shine away from the rest of the city. It stood imposingly, surrounded by a fog that made it mystical. Zhu Yi was intimidated by its mere sight. Not to mention Zhu Yi, even Zhou Fan was shocked. In all of his years, he had never seen such an imposing building. Although he had seen majestic and grand creations, this building simply gave off an incredible feeling. The feeling seemed to be dominance. The building gave off a feeling of unparalleled dominance. Of course, this did not affect Zhou Fan at all. He was simply admiring the feeling it gave off. He could easily recreate the city, and even increase its dominance by a million times. Zhu Yi on the other hand was heavily affected. He barely even had the spirit to run after seeing the grand building in the distance. He slowed down to a jog and stared at the distance. It took him a while to reach the city with his slower speed. There was no gate or guards. What thief would dare to come? The dirt path turned into one of bricks and buildings began to line the streets. Zhu Yi stopped jogging and walked. All the time, his gaze was on the building. "Ahh." Zhu Yi suddenly fell backwards after bumping into someone. His gaze finally left the building and looked at the man standing in front of him. "Sorry about that." Zhu Yi said as he got up. The man shook his head. "Don''t worry about that. We''re all like that the first time we see the white palace." "What exactly is this place?" Zhu Yi asked. The map had given no indication of such a grand city, and the first man that he bumped into was a cultivator even stronger than him. "Sorry, but I''m in a bit of a hurry right now. There is a building not too far from here that has the history and information of the entire white palace city." The man said. He then gave directions to Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi thanked the man and followed his directions. Before long, he saw a large, square, black, one story building. On the side, printed in fancy letters, was the word "History". Zhu Yi entered and came upon a front desk. "Welcome to the white palace history records. Please take a tag and record your information. The first time you visit is free." The receptionist said with a smile. Zhu Yi nodded and grabbed a tag out of a very obvious tag dispenser. It was large and had a red arrow pointing at it with the word "tag" written on it. Zhu Yi looked down at the paper slip. It asked for his name and cultivation. Zhu Yi filled it out honestly and put it in a designated box before truly entering the building. In front of Zhu Yi was a large downward staircase with many people on it. Zhu Yi was stunned by the building. It was so fancy and modern. Compared to his village, it was an entirely different world. Zhou Fan was still sitting on his shoulder, looking around. After going down the staircase, Zhu Yi entered an area with countless words written on walls. He read everything and walked through the history records that seemed more like a museum. After nearly an entire day of moving around, Zhu Yi finally left the building. Looking back at it, it seemed so small, but 99% of it was underground. Zhu Yi needed a moment to digest everything he had learned. Firstly, the white palace city, while famous, was not very populated. This was for the simple fact that no cultivator above the foundation establishment realm was allowed to enter. As for who enforced this rule, it was a nascent soul realm cultivator who lived nearby. He was a nascent soul realm cultivator, one of the strongest in this world, but he was reduced to a guard for the city. Although a nascent soul realm cultivator was the guard, the white palace city held a special place in the hearts of everyone in the world. Any cultivator would defend it and its rules. After all, the greatest genius ever born on the planet was born in the city and built the white palace. He was also the first and only space shattering realm cultivator in the world''s known history, according to the history records. At a young age, that man was invincible, and the only thing that slowed him down was the rules set in place by Zhou Fan. The cultivator had never lost a fight. He had never kneeled down or taken a master. He single handedly killed a space shattering cultivator from another world in a single move. This was all recorded down in the history records, though Zhu Yi barely comprehended half of it. That man''s name was Chen Jie, and his name was synonymous with the term "Invincible". It was unknown where he had gone, but no person in the world would claim that he had died. As far as they were concerned, he was undefeated throughout the universe by now. The story of Chen Jie made Zhu Yi''s blood boil. He also wanted to be like this. The mere story of Chen Jie was enough to inspire anyone. Even Zhou Fan wanted to see him. He turned his head towards Zhu Yi. If everything went well, perhaps they would both see this Chen Jie one day. Chapter 437: Chaos Beasts - 437 Chapter 437 - Chaos Beasts - 437 After leaving the history records of the white palace city, Zhu Yi walked around the city some more. Under the orders of Chen Jie, no person above the Foundation Establishment realm was allowed to enter the city. Along with that, no person at all was allowed to enter the white palace, under any circumstances. As Zhu Yi walked around, Zhou Fan thought of another piece of information shown in the history records of the white palace city. It mentioned that Chen Jie, without injury, defeated a "Chaos Beast" on the same level. While Zhu Yi simply saw it as another piece of information on Chen Jie''s long list of victories, Zhou Fan saw the word differently. The word "Chaos" in Chaos Beast gave him a bad feeling. It could be called intuition, but he felt that Chaos Beasts were not as simple as they seemed. After all, in the history records, it stated that defeating a Chaos Beast on the same level was a great achievement of Chen Jie, but Chen Jie was known as invincible. He had never known defeat, much less to someone on the same level. Yet still, it was listed there. The feat of defeating a Chaos Beast on the same level also had a surprising lack of information. It was as if something was being hidden from low level cultivators. While Zhu Yi walked around, Zhou Fan spoke. "Ask some of these people if they know anything about Chaos Beasts." He said. Zhu Yi nodded and proceeded to do just that. However, not a single person knew what he was talking about except for an avid Chen Jie fan that had memorized Chen Jie''s accomplishments. "I''ve also wondered what a Chaos Beast was, especially for it to be labeled as a great achievement of his." The man had said. Even Zhu Yi became suspicious at the lack of information on the topic, but he was doing his best not to pass out on the street. After all, he had gone too long without sleeping while in the history records. Zhu Yi found an inn which charged a silver a night. Zhu Yi was stunned, but chalked it up to the fact that they were all cultivators. The next morning, Zhu Yi awoke to a knock on his door. After a few moments of stretching and rolling around, Zhu Yi got up and answered it. Outside was a man with a gray hood covering his head. His body was covered in robes. "My lord wishes to speak with you. Please follow me." Zhu Yi looked at him in confusion. "Who is your lord?" "My lord is a nascent soul realm cultivator. It has been heard that you''ve been asking about Chaos Beasts. My lord handles such matters." The hooded man said. Zhu Yi''s eyes widened and he looked at his shoulder. "Go ahead." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded. The hooded man took that as a yes to following him and led the way. Zhu Yi silently followed. It was early morning, but the streets were still as active as ever. Even Qi gathering cultivators could go a few days without sleeping, and there was no lack of them in the white palace city. After all, it was like a historic monument that a person could only visit when younger and weaker, though very few would ever reach the core formation realm. This seemed to be a relatively low level cultivation world. Zhu Yi took twists and turns before heading out of the city. Regardless of the situation, core formation realm cultivators and above were simply not allowed in the city. Shortly after leaving the city, Zhu Yi was led to a thick tree with a door. "Wait here." The hooded man said as he knocked on the door and left. A few moments later, Zhu Yi heard a voice. "Come in." Zhu Yi twisted the doorknob and entered the tree. Inside was a relatively cozy environment. The walls were lined by books and an old man was sitting behind the desk, writing something. Zhu Yi closed the door behind him and quietly waited as the old man wrote. "I hate people who act like this." Zhou Fan said on his shoulder. It was clear that the old man was trying to establish some sort of superiority by making Zhu Yi wait. After nearly three minutes, the old man finally looked up from his paper and stopped writing. "I am the protector of White Palace City, and it has come to my attention that you''ve been asking around about Chaos Beasts." The old man said without giving Zhu Yi any room to speak. "I''ll put this very simply. Do not even think about Chaos Beasts until reaching the core formation realm. Don''t speak to anyone about Chaos Beasts before reaching the core formation realm. It is restricted information. The only reason it is on the wall of Chen Jie''s achievements is to give credit for the fact that it happened. We occasionally get someone like you who asks about them. However, they all die if they do not heed this warning. Get." The old man said before making a shooing motion with his hand. Zhu Yi silently and calmly turned around and left. Both he and Zhou Fan were abnormally silent until reaching the city. Only then did Zhu Yi''s fists clench into a ball. "How dare some old man talk to me like that!" He said with clenched teeth. To both Zhu Yi and Zhou Fan, it was an unfamiliar feeling. When had they ever been talked down to like that. As if they were some sort of ants. "Master! I want to beat that old man up until he is begging for his life!" Zhu Yi said quietly through his teeth. "Don''t worry." Zhou Fan said. "If you don''t beat him until he is begging while you''re in the core formation realm, my name isn''t Zhou Fan." Zhou Fan was equally angered. There was a sense of powerlessness he had never felt. There had been times when he had been outmatched in terms of power, such as when first feeling the great attractors long ago, but he had never been looked down upon by an intelligent lifeform and been unable to do anything about it. Although it was not actually happening to him, it was happening to his disciple. It was no less humiliating. Chapter 438: The Beast Core Possibility - 438 Chapter 438 - The Beast Core Possibility - 438 Zhu Yi stopped playing around in the city and found an information broker. He cheaply bought information on nearby sects. Besides the heart scalp sect, the only other two sects that could be considered nearby were the Water Lotus sect and the Great Fire sect. Zhu Yi remembered Zhou Fan''s words about his affinity. "Master. Do I only have a fire affinity?" He asked. "Yes. That is your only affinity." Zhou Fan responded. Zhu Yi nodded. The choice was not a difficult one, he chose the Great Fire sect without too much thought. The only real issue left was whether or not he could actually join the sect. After buying some basic information on the sect, Zhu Yi spoke to Zhou Fan. "Master. This Great Fire sect is a level higher than the Heart Scalp sect. It is said that there is a nascent soul realm cultivator within it. What if I can''t join?" "It doesn''t matter. We''ll find a way." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded before falling into deep thought. After a moment, he spoke. "Master, what if I postponed trying to join the Great Fire sect until I am stronger?" Zhou Fan didn''t speak for a moment after hearing Zhu Yi''s question. "What about, instead of waiting until you are stronger, we wait until you are more talented?" Zhou Fan asked. "What do you mean master?" Zhu Yi asked. "I can increase your talent if I recover more or have access to a large amount of untainted Qi." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi was confused, but he was far too weak to understand what raising talent truly meant. "It sounds like you were really strong before being injured, Master. In that case, I suppose that we can indeed wait." Zhu Yi said. The surrounding 3 sects were the only ones that Zhu Yi could reasonably travel to. Out of the three, the Heart Scalp sect was a no-go zone, the Water Lotus sect was unsuitable for him, and the Great Fire sect was too high level. Zhu Yi''s talent was not enough to join. Without Zhou Fan, he would have likely never reached the Foundation Establishment realm, especially without the true cultivation manual. If he had practiced with one of the other cultivation manuals going around, then his future would have been even more limited. In combination with the low density of Qi, Zhu Yi had been destined to fail to reach the foundation establishment realm. Luckily for him, that had all changed due to Zhou Fan. The only issue was finding spirit stones. "Actually, there may be a way to get untainted Qi without needing spirit stones." Zhou Fan said. He had been thinking about the possibility, and although he had never tried it, it seemed as if it would work. "What would that be?" Zhu Yi asked. "Beast cores. After dying, the beast core of beasts still contains Qi. It is used for many purposes, but unfortunately, it is tainted since it came from the beast." Zhou Fan explained. All Qi that had been inside a cultivator''s body had been tainted, but if a cultivator died and left behind a coagulation of Qi, or in this case a beast core, then it may be possible to untaint it. "With my power, I may be able to untaint Qi from a dead beast''s beast core." Zhou Fan said. The Qi of a person contained a trace of their will, even when they died. It was what made it their Qi, but in the case that the owner of the Qi was dead, then the will could theoretically be removed. Although it sounded simple in theory, only Zhou Fan, who had the river of cultivation, would be able to do it. "In that case, I just need to find Beast cores, right?" Zhu Yi said. "Not really find. You''d likely need to kill the beast. After the death of a beast, the vast majority of the Qi quickly dissipates. What remains afterwards is at best 1% of the original amount. In order to have any substantial effect, the beast needs to have been dead for no more than 30 seconds." Zhou Fan explained. In other words, Zhu Yi could not simply go and buy beast cores from the market to help Zhou Fan recover. With everything understood, Zhu Yi headed to the place that all low-level, sectless cultivators gathered to survive and continue cultivating. The rogue cultivator guild. This was a place that accepted all, though much different from a sect. First, there was not simply a single place that it existed. The rogue cultivator guild had many branches everywhere throughout the entire world. Also unlike a sect, the rogue cultivator guild would not protect you or help you freely. You would also not have to fight for the rogue cultivator guild. The rogue cultivator guild simply acted as a place of transactions between sectless cultivators, whether it be monetary or service. Zhu Yi walked into the branch that existed within the city. Inside, there was no lack of cultivators, each of them sectless. In a city like this, where around 50% of the people were low-level cultivators, the rogue guild experienced its highest traffic. In addition, although a foundation establishment realm cultivator could join almost any sect they wanted, whether it be as a disciple or a guest disciple, there were no lack of them in the rogue cultivator guild and white palace city. Some had offended powerful people, some had stolen items, some had killed and run, and the white palace city was the sanctuary for all such people, especially if they were at the peak of the foundation establishment realm and fairly strong. As Zhu Yi walked up to a front desk, he looked around. The entire place seemed to be made out of wood, and there were posters everywhere, as well as a technological innovation of cultivators known as the crystal pad, the recent successor to the crystal ball. There were a few crystal pads in the rogue cultivator guild with lines of cultivators in front of them. The crystal pads, as well as the outdated crystal balls, were connected to a network that held a large amount of information. Chapter 439: Crystal Pad Network - 439 Chapter 439 - Crystal Pad Network - 439 The network behind the crystal pads and crystal balls spanned the entire world, or at least that was what was said. While the crystal pads in the rogue cultivator guild could only be used to find missions within a certain area, it is said that there are higher level crystal pads that could freely browse the network, though not all information could be freely seen, or seen at all. Zhu Yi looked forward to using the crystal pads, but first, he needed to actually sign up. After waiting in a line for a while, Zhu Yi finally reached the front desk. "Welcome to the rogue cultivator guild. How can I help you?" The lady behind the desk asked in a tired voice. "I''d like to join the guild." Zhu Yi said. The lady nodded and pulled out a clipboard from under the desk. "We need your name, cultivation, and blood." Zhu Yi nodded. They did not need too much information. "Your blood will be kept on standby in case you lose this card. In the case that you lose the card, the blood test will be taken." The lady said as she handed Zhu Yi a card. The card had nothing special about it, or at least not to the naked eye. According to what Zhu Yi had heard, there was some sort of special mark on the card that only core formation realm cultivators could see. At the core formation realm, simply having a card did not mean anything and there were different forms of identification, but below the core formation realm, the card and blood were the only two means used. Zhu Yi took his card and lined up near the pads. His information was uploaded into the crystal pad network almost instantly after receiving his card. When Zhu Yi reached the crystal pad, he scanned his card on the top of it. A screen popped up that read, "Welcome Zhu Yi." Zhu Yi looked over the screen and attempted to understand how it worked. He tapped on it, and the words went away. With a blue background, there were 3 icons. One read, crystal web. Another read, missions. The final one read, personal information. Zhu Yi clicked on the crystal web icon in curiosity, but a screen asking for a username and password appeared. Zhu Yi helplessly clicked out of it and clicked on personal information. On it was his name and cultivation, as well as rank within the rogue guild. The rank of a cultivator was increased by completing missions and gaining mission points. Even a nascent soul realm cultivator could be at the F rank. Zhu Yi was also at the F rank. The ranks in order were posted on the wall. It went: F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, SSS, X. There were apparently benefits gained with a higher rank, but Zhu Yi did not know what they were. Finally, Zhu YI clicked off of personal information and tapped on the missions icon. A long list of missions appeared, but a button at the top that read, "Find fitting missions" made everything easier. Zhu Yi clicked on it and countless missions disappeared. What remained were basic F rank missions within the vicinity. While anyone could take a mission of any rank, it was more or less better to focus on missions within the same rank unless you entered the rogue cultivator guild already powerful. The missions were sorted from F to X based on importance, and although it was theoretically possible for a Qi gathering cultivator to reach X rank, X rank missions were more or less impossible for anyone below the absolute peak of the world, which was why there were probably few. Of course, as an F rank member, Zhu Yi could only see missions up to A rank, which were already far out of his league. Zhu Yi found an F rank mission to retrieve Qi gathering realm beast tendons. There were countless shops around the entire world that used such things. This mission was perfect for Zhu Yi. He could find where beasts were and absorb their core while also making money. It was a win-win-win situation. Zhu Yi took a mission and the location where that specific beast resided popped up. Zhu Yi grabbed a piece of paper that was next to the crystal pad and wrote it down. Naturally, it was quite far away from the city. He would need to travel for a few days even while running at his fastest speed. Luckily, the mission paid a fair amount. In general, only Foundation Establishment realm cultivators could touch spirit stones, so this mission paid in gold. It would seem like a lot to mortals, but cultivators found metal coins more or less useless. The Inn that Zhu Yi stayed at was still a mortal inn, though the prices were sky high due to being in a cultivator city. Zhu Yi soon left the rogue cultivator guild and walked towards the exit of the city with a loan backpack on his back. With his hatred for that arrogant old man, Zhu Yi had a newfound motivation to get stronger, and waiting even a single day was impossible. Zhu Yi began to run out of the city, Zhou Fan on his shoulder as always. Traveling on the path was uneventful as usual, besides the flying cultivator that Zhu Yi saw. It was his first time seeing a person fly, not including Zhou Fan in his soul form. "I guess I''ll be able to do that eventually, right master." Zhu Yi said with a tone of longing. "You better." Zhou Fan said. He still needed Zhu Yi to beat up that old man. After around 4 days of running and resting, Zhu Yi finally entered the "Lizard Beast Forest". As for why it was called the lizard beast forest, it was not hard to comprehend. Zhu Yi looked up as he walked along. He moved quietly and carefully. Although there were foundation establishment realm lizards in the forest, they would stay in the inner portion. Zhu Yi only needed to worry about peak Qi gathering realm beasts. After all, he was only at the 5th level of the Qi gathering realm. Chapter 440: Lizard Beast Cores - 440 Chapter 440 - Lizard Beast Cores - 440 Zhu Yi walked deep into the forest while staying alert. Zhou Fan was on his shoulder, acting as an additional lookout. This was all Zhou Fan could do in order to help before he recovered more. As Zhu Yi walked, he suddenly fell into a crouch. Up ahead, laying on a tree, was one of the lizard beasts that inhabited the lizard beast forest. "3rd level Qi gathering." Zhou Fan said. This was another way that Zhou Fan could assist Zhu Yi. After all, no matter what, he still had the river of cultivation. Zhu Yi, who had been unable to estimate its cultivation, nodded and crept forward. He got closer and closer, but after entering a range of about 20 feet, the lizard beast''s head snapped up. It jumped off of the tree and launched towards Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi hurriedly dodged its sharp claws and punched it in the side. The lizard hit the ground hard, and Zhu Yi took a dagger out from behind him. He had made a stop in white palace city to buy that dagger. After all, he needed to cut out the beast cores. He used the dagger as a weapon and stabbed the beast multiple times before it died. Without being able to wait or rest for a moment, Zhu Yi began to cut into the beast. Luckily, the dagger was quite sharp. Soon, Zhu Yi held a beast core in his hand. He touched it with his ring, and Zhou Fan tested his theory. The river of cultivation moved, and like a river washed away dirt, the will of the dead beast was washed away. The beast core was then absorbed into the ring. Zhou Fan felt a very slight amount of recovery. It was about equal to half of a low quality spirit stone. It was a very small amount, but there were countless Qi gathering realm beasts around the world. In addition, once Zhu Yi could hunt foundation establishment realm beasts, everything would be much better. Qi gathering beasts, as well as Qi gathering cultivators, had very little Qi. Zhu Yi moved around the edges of the forest. After digging out the beast core, he would also take the tendons out. After nearly two days of nonstop hunting, Zhu Yi camped in the forest. The mission had requested 1000 Qi gathering realm beast tendons, and Zhu Yi had already gathered 900. He only needed 100 more, but he was too exhausted to continue. He fell asleep while Zhou Fan kept watch. The night passed by safely and Zhu Yi soon woke up. "Let''s start another day, Master." Zhu Yi had gained a lot more confidence and did not even hide himself any longer since he felt so safe. Zhu Yi soon gathered the remaining hundred, but just as he turned around from the corpse of a beast, Zhou Fan spoke. "Dodge." Zhu Yi did not hesitate and leaped to the side. Where he was previously standing, a lizard''s claws were buried into the ground. Zhou Fan assessed the threat. "It is at the 7th level of the Qi gathering realm. Run." He did not need to tell Zhu Yi. From the moment he heard the number 7, he had began running as fast as he could. In the wider universe that Zhou Fan knew, humans and humanoid creatures almost exclusively held the advantage over beasts of the same level. This was due to passing down techniques and the large amount of battle experience accumulated while cultivating to a high level. In this world, however, there was no such advantage. If 100 random humans and 100 random beasts on the same level were to spar, the beasts would win 90 out of 100 times. This was not only due to the relatively low strength in this world, but also due to the lack of inheritances passed down. There simply wasn''t as much of a foundation in a single world as in the wider universe. Of course, even in this world, there were exceptions. A prime example is Chen Jie. However, there were also exceptions among beasts, such as dragons and phoenixes, or rather, most supreme beasts in general. Zhu Yi was not a dragon, phoenix, Chen Jie, or a person from the wider universe. Therefore, rightfully so, he ran away. No matter where, beasts had an advantage in the Qi gathering realm, a time when Qi was barely accessible. Their stronger body''s made an obvious gap. Zhu Yi ran, and the lizard beast followed. Zhu Yi had already been close to the exit of the forest and soon ran past it. The beast did not stop chasing simply because Zhu Yi left the forest. It ran after him, slowly catching up. Zhu Yi focused on running away from the beast while Zhou Fan made a plan inside his head. A short time later, Zhou Fan had an idea. "Run to the open plains. Forest beasts can feel uncomfortable without any cover. It may stop chasing you." "May!?" Zhu Yi asked. "You got a better idea?" Zhu Yi shook his head and took a turn. He bursted through some leaves and ran into a plains. Looking from behind his shoulder, Zhu Yi saw the lizard stop for a moment, clearly hesitating. Then, the lizard continued chasing him. "What now?!" Zhu Yi asked desperately. "I suppose you''ll just have to fight to the death. Ready your weapon. I''ll try to guide you." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded and gripped his dagger. Just as he was about to stop and turn around to face the lizard, he tripped and fell down face first. "Oww." He heard a voice. It was the voice of a girl. Zhu Yi got up and turned around. Behind him, he saw an approaching lizard and a girl no older than 16 rubbing her head. "What is a girl doing out here? Damn girl!" Although Zhu Yi cursed, he ran in front of the girl. He could not let some innocent get hurt because of the lizard. Just as Zhu Yi was about to charge, Zhou Fan spoke. "Don''t worry about her. She''ll be fine." Zhu Yi was about to question him, but an icicle shot past his face and into the skull of the lizard. Chapter 441: Bai Wei鈥檈r - 441 Chapter 441 - Bai Wei''er - 441 Zhu Yi slowly turned his head and looked at the girl behind him. She was standing with her hands on her hips while staring at him. "Wow. What a hero. You tried to save me." Although her words were nice, her face made it clear that she was being sarcastic. Zhu Yi did not know how to respond. "Aren''t you going to apologize? You stepped on me." The girl said. "Sorry." Zhu Yi said before ignoring the girl. "She seems obnoxious." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded. He went up to the beast and began cutting it open. It hadn''t been long since the beast had died, so he would hopefully be able to get the core before the Qi in it dispersed. "Hey! Aren''t you going to thank me?" Zhu Yi nodded without looking at the girl. "Thanks." With a beast core from a beast at the 7th level of the Qi gathering realm, it would be more useful than the other beast cores he had used. Still, it wouldn''t be much due to still being in the Qi gathering realm. Just before he ran out of time, Zhu Yi got the core and had Zhou Fan absorb it. "What did you just do?" A voice asked from right behind him. Zhu Yi almost jumped. He stood up and faced the girl. "Zhu Yi thanks senior for saving me. But I must be on my way now." He said with a bow. Zhu Yi began to jog away, but an icicle shot past him, drawing blood from his face. Zhu Yi came to a stop and sighed. "It seems you chanced upon a spoiled brat. Unlucky." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi turned around and looked at the girl again. "Take that back." Zhu Yi was confused. "Senior. How dare you call me a senior. I''m only 16 years old. Take it back!" Zhu Yi politely bowed again. "I apologize. I was only referring to you as a senior in terms of cultivation. Forgive my rudeness." Zhu Yi then turned around and began sprinting away. He really couldn''t deal with this abnormally strong child, even if she was older than him. "Stay." Zhu Yi stopped again, almost falling to his knees this time. "For the love of god let me escape." Zhu Yi mumbled to himself. When Zhu Yi turned around, the girl was right next to him. "My name is Bai Wei''er of the Celestial Ice Sect. What is your name?" "Zhu Yi. No sect." Zhu Yi responded. "No wonder you''re so weak and have no backbone. Have you heard of my sect?" The girl asked. "No." Zhu Yi responded. "Haha. Of course not. You''re just a lowly Qi gathering realm cultivator." The girl chuckled, acting as if the answer was obvious before even asking the question. "Should we create a list of people you need to beat up in the future?" Zhou Fan asked. Zhu Yi nodded imperceptibly. "Alright. How about this? You can become a servant, or perhaps a slave of my sect. Would you like to?" The girl asked. "No." Zhu Yi responded. "Are you sure? Everyone in my sect, even the slaves and servants practice the universal cultivation manual. Also, even as a slave or servant, nobody in this world would dare treat you rudely." She said. Zhu Yi shook his head again. Although he was now interested in her sect, he would not be a slave or a servant. No cultivator would. "Whatever. What can be expected from some brat. Go away now." The girl said as she "Dismissed" Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi ran away again, this time managing to finally leave. Only after a while did Zhu Yi stop and sit against a tree trunk. He wasn''t sure how to feel about that interaction. Since everything had been said by some mere brat, he did not take it to heart or really care that much, but she still could not be ignored. Zhu Yi grabbed a piece of bark off of the tree and began to write names into it. The first was, "Nascent soul old man". The second was, "Bai Wei''er of the Celestial Ice Sect". "Do you think that girl was being honest in her words?" Zhu Yi asked. "It seemed like it, though it was hard to tell if she was being completely literal about everything." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded. "She made it sound like she was from another world. Could that be true?" "It can be true, but it''s hard to say if it''s actually true." Zhou Fan responded. "No point in thinking too much about it." Zhu Yi said as he got up. All grudges would be repaid when he was stronger. Not just Bai Wei''er, but the entire Celestial Ice Sect would need to be put in their place. Zhu Yi began to run back to White palace city. "What do you think that Chen Jie would have done in that situation?" Zhu Yi asked as he ran. "From the stories, he probably would have crossed realms to beat her up, but realistically, he probably would do the same as you. Endure and repay it in the future." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded. Zhou Fan spoke again. "That reminds me of a saying I''ve heard somewhere. "Endure today, freedom tomorrow." I can''t remember where I heard it from, but it makes sense in this situation." Zhu Yi continued running for a few days before finally returning to White Palace City. Immediately upon returning, he went to a building off to the side of the rogue cultivator guild. That was where materials for mission completion were handed over. It was a large warehouse. Zhu Yi entered through the front door with a large backpack on his back. It was filled to the brim with lizard tendons. After scanning his card at a desk, Zhu Yi was directed to a large room for examination of materials. A woman with a monocle and a mustache entered, and while Zhu Yi tried not to stare, she examined the beast tendons. The monocle seemed to be some sort of item, and the woman was done counting and examining the beast tendons rather fast. She told Zhu Yi to return to the crystal pad and use it to have his information updated. Zhu Yi nodded and left. He left behind the bag as it had been a loan from the Rogue cultivator guild. Chapter 442: Impartiality - 442 Chapter 442 - Impartiality - 442 Zhu Yi entered the rogue cultivators guild and queued up at the crystal pad line. Not much time passed before his turn came. Zhu Yi took out his card and scanned it on the screen. The words, "Welcome Zhu Yi", popped up on the screen. Zhu Yi tapped on the screen and the words went away, soon followed by three icons. Zhu Yi clicked on the personal information icon. In addition to his name, cultivation, and rank, there was now a small, partly filled up bar below the rank letter. This was what showed how close a person was to increasing their rank. Zhu Yi clicked off and went to the missions icon. His mission was completed now and he could accept money in one of three ways. One, store it in the crystal network instead of receiving gold, receive the gold, or a combination of both. Zhu Yi chose a combination of both. He took out a few gold to survive with and kept the rest of the reward in the rogue cultivator guild network. Zhou Fan sighed at the convenience of it all. Cultivators had truly changed the world. Although the crystal pad network was a good system, there was one reason that no similar system had appeared that covered the filament. This sort of thing was more or less useless to higher level cultivators. Firstly, it would take a lot of resources and energy to maintain it across the entire filament. Secondly, there were too many strange abilities. It would not be ridiculous for someone to be able to mess with it with some sort of technique, divine physique, or innate gift. They could use it to steal information or, if there was a banking system like in the crystal pad network, rob others. Thirdly, nobody had ever really cared about such a thing. Sure, it was a convenience for lower level cultivators, but higher level cultivators had countless methods to communicate when necessary, such as communication talismans, which did not need much of a network at all. Just a connection to another talisman. Zhu Yi received his money at the counter and left the rogue cultivators guild. After a good night of sleep, he returned again and found another mission. On the way towards the mission location, Zhou Fan spoke. "Are you sure you don''t want to join a sect and increase your cultivation more? At this rate, it will take an extremely long time to achieve anything." Zhu Yi nodded. "I''ve already thought about it. If I go to a sect now, I''ll be more or less worthless. If I wait until I have more talent, I''ll be valued much more and receive more. If I join a sect talentless and become more and more talented, wouldn''t they get suspicious? In that case, it''s too risky. And all of that is based on the possibility of actually being accepted." Zhou Fan nodded. "It''s your life. You live it however you want." Zhu Yi felt reassured and continued running at his pace. Everytime he took a break, he would cultivate, but he was not getting much anywhere. Even with spirit stones, he had taken 300 days to reach the 5th level of the Qi gathering realm, much less without them. It had been many days since he had met with the nascent soul realm old man and Bai Wei''er. Zhu Yi had had a lot of time to think about things, and the more he thought about it, the calmer he became. He understood that the nascent soul realm old man had looked down upon him for his inferior cultivation and little to no potential. He also understood that Bai Wei''er looked down upon him for his inferior background and little to no potential. However, would they act the same when he was stronger? If he was the strongest in the world, would they dare to disdain him? Would they even think about looking down upon him? Would they even dare to breathe loudly in his presence? No, they would not. Zhu Yi understood this. He understood that both the old man and Bai Wei''er were pathetic people. They were people that would act arrogant or superior in front of him, but would not dare to do so in front of someone else. This reminded Zhu Yi of a saying he had read from a fairy tale. Bully the weak, fear the strong. It was the motto of pathetic people. Zhu Yi did not want to become like them when he was stronger. He would not look down on someone because they were weaker or had a worse background. He would not fear everyone who was stronger or had a better background. While taking a break, Zhu Yi had told all of this to Zhou Fan. "It is good to think that way. While comprehending the Cosmic Dao, I thought of many phrases in my head. One of them went like this: The earth and the stars do not take sides. They are impartial. They regard all individuals as insignificant, as though they were playthings made of straw. The wise are also impartial. To them, all people are equal and alike." Zhu Yi nodded. "So I am right." "Sort of. There is no one correct mindset. For example, if you were to treat all people equal and alike, then wouldn''t a saint be treated the same as a mass murder? If you helped both survive a dangerous situation, one would go and help others, while the other would spread more harm." Zhou Fan said. "What is correct is living like you want to live, and living in that way firmly." Zhou Fan added. Zhou Fan''s words gave Zhu Yi a lot to think about. Zhu Yi laid down and thought about how he wanted to live. As for Zhou Fan, he did not need to think about it too much. He did not interact with others much and his only true goal was to increase his cultivation. Everything else was having fun along the way. He did not bully the weak, and if there was someone stronger than him, then that would mean he is dead. Either that or everything he knew was false, like fish in a fish tank, and he had no reason to live. Chapter 443: Giant Bees - 443 Chapter 443 - Giant Bees - 443 Zhu Yi continued running, and without a hitch, completed the mission. He carried with him more beast parts and got more money. He was not yet even close to ranking up in the rogue cultivators guild. As cultivators, everything seemed to take much more time. To cultivators, time was mostly ignorable. Perhaps it was a side effect of Qi, but no matter how much time a cultivator spent cultivating, they were almost never tired or bored of it. Zhu Yi took another mission and soon left the rogue cultivator guild. Every time, Zhu Yi would give Zhou Fan another 1000 beast cores to absorb, but its effect was not as great as Zhu Yi had hoped. While running to complete the 6th mission, Zhu Yi sat on a log and complained. "Master, this is taking forever. How much do you need to recover more?" Zhou Fan sighed. "I can''t tell. Recovering seems to be different from cultivating. It isn''t necessarily defined by realms. I can feel my power increasing slightly with every core, but I haven''t felt a great recovery since waking up from the ring. I can''t say how hard it will be for me to recover, but you should be patient." Zhu Yi nodded and calmed himself. He mumbled "The wise are not conspicuous in their actions or given to much talking. When troubles arise, they are not irritated." Zhou Fan watched as he mumbled. Zhu Yi seemed to enjoy hearing about Zhou Fan''s Cosmic Dao comprehension. During the fight, innumerable phrases had popped up in his head. He occasionally told them to Zhu Yi. Not everything within the sayings was applicable, but it all felt right and made sense. Even if not living in such a way, the phrases could give inspiration to anyone. Zhou Fan enjoyed living freely and would never change, but Zhu Yi was at the bottom of the entire universe. Learning about different ways to live, such as following the philosophy of the Cosmic Dao, could be considered helpful. Zhou Fan would make sure that Zhu Yi would live how Zhu Yi wanted, but he could at least occasionally impart some wisdom into him. After a rest, Zhu Yi stood back up and continued running. After a while, Zhu Yi took his ninth mission. "Are you sure? This can be considered an unnecessary risk." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded. "I am sure. Cultivators cannot live in too much peace or they will become content." This time, Zhu Yi was taking a slightly more dangerous mission. It was still to gather body parts from Qi gathering beasts, but the location was less structured than the other places. In other words, it was not impossible for a foundation establishment realm beast to roam around the area that Qi gathering realm beasts usually stayed at. Used to going out, Zhu Yi ran on the long path. Every time he did so, he gained a new respect for those who created the path. It was so much more convenient to run on a path than in the forest. He could simply zone out without running into trees or tripping over tree roots. "Damn trashy village pathmakers." After a few days, Zhu Yi arrived. There was no marker or sign, just a change from path to forest. Zhu Yi looked at his map, confirming he was in the right area, and entered into the forest. Along the way, it was eerily quiet. So quiet that not even crickets could be heard. Zhu Yi had studied what he was hunting and knew why. Compared to his other hunting missions, this one was more dangerous not only because of the possibility of Foundation establishment realm beasts appearing, but because his target lived in groups. Suddenly, Zhu Yi''s head snapped over and he pulled out a sword. He had bought one after the first few missions. The sword was the weapon of the cultivator, or at least that was what Zhou Fan had said. Even Zhu Yi could sense his master''s bias. Zhu Yi put his back to a tree and calmly waited. As time had passed, he had also gained some courage when hunting. The buzzing sound was getting closer and closer. As Zhu Yi saw a shadow to his right, he swung his sword. A large bee was cut in half. Zhu Yi charged out and waved his sword around with little experience. Luckily, the beasts were not intelligent themselves. Before the group of bees could react, half of the 8 were dead. Giant bees, in comparison to normal bees, traveled in smaller numbers. If they were to travel in the hundreds, they would no longer be something that Qi gathering realm cultivators could deal with. The giant bees were a fourth of the size of a human, and their stingers were horrifying to anyone who saw them. Getting stabbed would be like getting poked by a needle the size of two regular pencils end to end. As 4 bees came, Zhu Yi managed to slash one and roll away from the others. The bees were fast, but not intelligent. Zhu Yi repeated, letting them charge, slashing one, and rolling away. Before long, he was cutting open 8 corpses. Unfortunately, the first four had already lost the majority of their Qi before Zhu Yi could get to them. "Is it worth it?" Zhou Fan asked. "I can hunt faster and get paid more. I think so." Zhu Yi responded. Zhou Fan nodded. He let Zhu Yi make his own opinions. After all, he could barely help at all in his current state. Giant Bees traveled in groups up to 8, and often smaller. Zhu Yi only ran into a few such groups. Before the day ended, he had already completed the mission. Around the 500 mark, he had heard much louder buzzing from afar and retreated intelligently. Luckily, that was the only close call. As night fell, Zhu Yi was running on the path. In his loan bag were 1000 needles. "Not bad for a single day. Around 700 cores. Will you keep doing these missions?" Zhou Fan asked. Zhu Yi shook his head. "Placing myself into constant danger is not smart, but stupid. I''m not talented enough for that. I''ll just do it occasionally." Zhou Fan chuckled and nodded. Chapter 444: The Assassination Guild - 444 Chapter 444 - The Assassination Guild - 444 Zhu Yi returned to White Palace city and turned in the mission as usual. Besides the slightly higher pay, there was not much difference. He soon took his tenth mission, but upon entering White Palace city after completing it and walking towards the rogue cultivator guild, he saw a man in an alley wave him over. "That''s not suspicious at all." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi looked at the man, thinking deeply, before walking over. "Are you sure you want to take that risk?" Zhou Fan asked. "Nobody dares to kill within White Palace city. I should be fine." Zhu Yi said. Zhou Fan sighed. "The young are truly brave." Zhu Yi walked up to the man and the man went deeper into the alleyway, leading Zhu Yi from afar. Zhu Yi followed while gripping on his sword. Before long, the man entered a door at the side. The door remained open and Zhu Yi entered. Inside, there were downward stairs. A red light gave the place an eerie feeling, and while Zhu Yi considered leaving, he eventually walked down. The stairs did not go too deep before turning, and Zhu Yi saw an Iron door. Looking around, Zhu Yi walked up and knocked on the door. A slit in the door slid open. Eyes looked at Zhu Yi before the slit closed and the door made a noise. As Zhu Yi stepped back, the door opened. What entered his eyes was what appeared to be a large tavern. "You must be Zhu Yi. Follow me." The man who opened the door said. The man had a scar covering his face that garnered Zhu Yi''s attention. Half of his face seemed to have suffered some sort of burn mark. Zhu Yi did not stare, and followed the man through the room. There were many tables in the room, and a large amount of them were filled. Everyone in the tavern-like room seemed to wear dark clothes and/or have a large scar. A few stared at him for a moment, but most ignored him and continued their conversations. After walking across the room, Zhu Yi was led through a door and up a flight of stairs, before the man leading him knocked on a door at the end of an otherwise doorless hallway. "Enter." The man turned and walked away. Zhu Yi walked forward and entered the room. Inside it was what appeared to be an office. Behind a desk was a man wearing both dark clothes and with a scar. He had a cigar in his mouth. To the side was a fireplace and strewn around the room were papers. As he walked towards the desk, Zhu Yi also noticed a crystal pad laid down. "A big shot." Zhou Fan said. "You are Zhu Yi." The man said after a moment. "I am." "We''ll get straight to it. We''ve been observing you for a few days and want you to join us." The man said, only pausing to take a puff of his cigar. Zhu Yiwas confused. "Join who?" "The dark side of the rogue cultivator guild, the Assassination guild." The man said. Seeing Zhu Yi silent, the man continued. "The light side of the rogue cultivator guild is the rogue cultivator guild that you know. It operates by killing beasts, trading, exchanging information, or any other way to make profit." "Then, there is the dark side, the assassination guild. We are the same, but deal with stuff that would better remain unknown to the general public, though there is no lack of people who know of us." Zhu Yi asked a question. "What do you mean by stuff that would better remain unknown to the general public?" "Assassination, beast slavery, though human slavery is illegal throughout the world, spying, poisons, kidnapping, essentially anything that makes a profit without going too far." The man explained. "And why would you want me to join you?" Zhu Yi asked. He felt that he didn''t fit the character at all. Not to mention that he was not wearing dark clothes and did not have a scar. "As I said, we''ve been observing you, and we have no lack of experience in recruiting. I won''t say we have a 100% recruit rate, but it''s in the high 90''s." "I still don''t understand. Why me?" Zhu Yi asked. The man sighed. "There is a lot of stuff that can be observed in secret. You met the "Doorman" of White Palace city, so you should know about those beasts. Since you''ve met him, you should have felt his arrogance. Do you remember that well?" Zhu Yi nodded. It was still fresh in his mind. "Not many can simply accept such treatment. They may go out and attempt to secretly spread the information of those beasts, or they may start plotting to get revenge, but they always end up dead. You have met that old man and are alive. That is the first sign." The man said. He continued. "Next, you are faithfully working for no apparent reason. Perhaps you don''t have a purpose, perhaps you have no ambition and are saving up to retire, though that seems unlikely based on your ninth mission. Maybe you owe a large sum of money. There could be any reason, but it should stand that you need something from those missions, and we, the assassination guild, can help you." "How about that? Do you need more?" The man asked, leaning back in his chair. "You say that you can provide me what I need?" Zhu Yi asked. "Almost anything." Zhu Yi paused and thought. "Even live foundation establishment beasts?" The man looked at him calmly. "Enslaved? You don''t have the ability to do anything worth that." "Not enslaved, just alive and captured." The man thought. "That changes things. It is possible. Do you need it to be weakened?" "No. Just trapped and alive so that I can kill it from outside the cage without being in danger." "Such a thing is not too much to ask. I won''t ask why you need it, but you''ll have to earn it. You''ve seen the benefits. Now, let me introduce you to the work." Chapter 445: Assassination - 445 Chapter 445 - Assassination - 445 The man seemed to sit up slightly as he spoke. "At your level, the only thing that can be reasonably done is assassination. This makes the question, have you ever killed someone?" "No." Zhu Yi responded. "Are you willing to kill someone?" Zhu Yi did not speak immediately but thought. "All cultivators kill. Even if you try to be a saint, it is almost impossible. You need to choose how you''ll live right now. Are you willing to kill, or not willing at all?" Zhou Fan spoke. Over his many years of life, he had observed much more than anyone could comprehend. He had seen countless people, no lack of which had tried to cultivate without harming anyone else. These people usually ended up dead or killing someone. Very few could happily live their lives without ever killing someone. Out of all the gods and true gods that Zhou Fan knew, none had never killed. A few had tried, but none had succeeded, especially with the destruction race present. Zhu Yi continued to think, and the man across from him waited patiently. After a while, the man spoke. "In case you''re curious, there will be no distinction between good and evil people. You may get a mission to kill a murder, or a mission to kill a saint. Regardless, it is expected that you carry it out." Zhu Yi nodded. "If it''s someone who truly lives selflessly, I don''t believe that I''d be willing to kill him." "You don''t need to worry too much. We don''t accept missions to simply kill anyone. The people we kill need to go through a checklist. For example, if someone hired us to kill a very talented cultivator, like another Chen Jie, who would be able to help all of humanity, we would not do it. We do not kill mortals. We do not kill people who live honestly unless the pay is very high. If you ever get a mission to kill a saint, you can be assured that they have a dark side to them." Zhu Yi continued thinking. "I believe I''d be willing for the most part." Zhu Yi finally said. The man nodded. "In that case, we naturally need proof. Here is your first mission. It will pay triple what such a mission would normally pay due to it being your first time." The man slid a piece of paper to Zhu Yi. "Good luck, and welcome to the assassination guild." Before long, Zhu Yi was once again walking the streets of the White Palace City. Looking at the paper, his target was someone around the age of 20. He was a 3rd level Qi gathering realm cultivator. The information about him was not very large, but it said that when returning from a mission, he would stay in the city for two days before leaving once again. It also gave his home address. As the sky dimmed, Zhu Yi wandered to the house and looked inside from the street. Inside, the man was sitting at a dinner table with what appeared to be his family. A wife, a daughter, and a son. Zhu Yi stared for a while before leaving. As he walked towards his inn, he spoke to Zhou Fan. "Master. Is it wrong to kill those with a family?" "Only if you believe it to be wrong. I don''t have an opinion, disciple. Long ago, I helped an evil person gain talent and strength. He brought harm to many, and I knew that he would when I did it, yet I still did it. Perhaps I too am evil." Zhu Yi did not know how to respond. Zhou Fan had indirectly killed a lot of people, and he had done so without caring. He had known that Yao Mun was evil, and it was why he had given him power and talent. He had known that the destruction race would destroy and kill, and that was why he had created them. "I am above good and evil. I am supreme." Perhaps, if the theorized karma truly existed in an undetectable form, someone would eventually kill Zhou Fan. "What?" Zhu Yi asked. "Nothing." Zhou Fan shook his head. Zhu Yi rubbed his ears and returned to the inn. The next morning, he did not go to the rogue cultivator guild, but sat in a tea shop, drinking. Across from the tea shop was the house of his target. Zhu Yi sat in the tea shop for three hours before his target left the house. Zhu Yi paid for his overpriced tea and followed the man from afar. The man entered the rogue cultivator guild, and Zhu Yi waited outside. When the man came out, Zhu Yi followed him. The man soon left the city, and the assassination was a go. Zhu Yi stayed hidden behind trees and gripped his sword. When the man eventually entered a heavily forested area, Zhu Yi ran parallel to the path hidden behind many plants. He eventually got ahead of the man, and on top of a tree branch, he waited. "Isn''t there an easier way to do this?" Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi was confused. "What way would that be?" "Alright. Listen up..." A few minutes later, Zhu Yi entered the man''s line of sight. The man looked at him. Zhu Yi was sitting on the ground, one of his arms covered in blood as he held it. After a moment, the man realized that Zhu Yi was just a child, though mature looking for his age, and ran up to him. "Hey kid. Do you need medical assistance?" Zhu Yi looked up at the man. His eyes seemed so kind. Why did such a good person need to die? A man with a family? "You seem like a truly good man. I''m sorry." The man looked at Zhu Yi confused, before a sword pierced his throat. As the man understood his situation, the way he looked at Zhu Yi changed. His face crumpled up and he roared in anger. Killing intent could be felt from him, and it was not light either. "Perhaps he''s not as good as you thought." Zhou Fan said as Zhu Yi backed away from the man. The man fell, but even as he bled out, his killing intent was focused on Zhu Yi. Chapter 446: Reward - 446 Chapter 446 - Reward - 446 Zhu Yi blankly looked at the man''s corpse. He knew what he had to do, but he did not know if he had the will to do it. "You''ve come this far. What remains is simply finishing the job." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded and walked up to the corpse. He pulled his sword out of the dead man''s throat and slashed at his neck in a quick motion. A head fell and Zhu Yi wrapped a brown bag around it. He put the head in the larger backpack he wore and returned to the city. "If you ignore the moral issues, then this short trip is the most profitable mission yet." Zhou Fan said as they walked back. Zhu Yi nodded but did not speak, he was in deep thought. It did not take long to return to the assassination guild. Upon knocking on the door, he was let in and led to the same person as before. Standing across from the man, Zhu Yi opened his bag and took out the smaller bag. He placed it on the table. The man looked at it and nodded. "So, how did it feel?" Zhu Yi looked to the side. "I did it. What was up with this man?" The man behind the desk sighed. "He was a demonic cultivator hidden among ordinary people. His goal was to find talents and either recruit or kill them. Although we are a part of the dark side, we are not evil or against humanity. In fact, what we do is for humanity." Zhu Yi nodded. "Since you''ve completed your first mission, and it is worth three, you''re finally getting your reward. I calculated, and 3 low level missions like this is worth 1 captured Foundation establishment realm beast, not weakened or enslaved." The man stood up and held out his hand. "I, the guild master of the white palace city assassination guild branch, welcome you. I hope we work together more in the future. Bernard outside will take you to the beast." Zhu Yi stood up and shook the guild master''s hand before being led to a lower level by the man called Bernard. He walked in a small hallway with many metal doors, before Bernard stopped at one of them. Bernard put in a key and the door was opened. After flicking up a light switch, they entered. Inside was a concrete room, no doubt made of special materials, and in the center of the room was a tiger-like beast inside of a cage. "How does the assassination guild get these beasts in here?" Zhu Yi asked. "Secret tunnel systems. Don''t ask too much." Bernard said before turning around. "I''ll wait outside. Do as you please." When the door shut, Zhu Yi turned his attention to the beast. "How much more will this help compared to a thousand Qi gathering realm beasts?" Zhu Yi asked curiously. "It should be around the same level of usefulness as 5,000 Qi gathering realm beasts. For beasts in the Qi gathering realm, their cores have so little Qi that it is usually not usable. Only special beasts or supreme beasts will have a reasonable amount of Qi. Luckily, I was able to cleanse the Beast cores before the Qi dissipated. Otherwise, we would have been in trouble." Zhu Yi was astonished. "So you''re saying that there is 5,000 times more Qi in foundation establishment realm beasts than Qi gathering realm beasts?" "Of course not. That''s a foolish thought. There is a qualitative difference in the Qi as well. Don''t ask me to explain it, you wouldn''t understand." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded. He walked up to the beast and looked at it. It had remained silent all this time, only staring at Zhu Yi with a faint killing intent. The beast seemed like a tiger without its stripes, and although there was likely a technical name for it, neither Zhu Yi nor Zhou Fan knew it. Zhu Yi lacked knowledge, while Zhou Fan couldn''t care less. Zhu Yi took out his sword and got ready. "Is there anything I should know about foundation establishment realm beasts?" Zhu Yi asked. "Not really. Just hope it can''t use Qi to attack." "Huh?" "If it can use Qi to attack, then it will likely kill you even if it can''t break out of the cage." Zhou Fan explained. Zhu Yi was stunned and stood still. "Isn''t that a piece of information you should have mentioned earlier?" "I was considering making you learn from your mistakes. You are the one who said it didn''t have to be weakened." Zhu Yi stood still while thinking. "Don''t worry too much. If it could attack with Qi, you would already be dead after standing still for so long. Plus, those types of beasts are far more valuable than 3 low-level missions. I just wanted to scare you so that you learned your lesson." Zhou Fan said. "Oh. Alright." Zhu Yi moved towards the beasts once again. He held his arms straight out and extended his sword. He ran forward, using it as a spear. The beast jumped back, but the cage was barely large enough to hold the beast. Zhu Yi''s sword stabbed into it, but stopped after an inch. "Your sword may be too weak. In addition, you are too weak." Zhou Fan said. "Too late to go back now." Zhu Yi backed up and rammed forward again. A pitiful scene ensued of Zhu Yi ramming towards the beast, drawing blood, and repeating. After an hour, the beast was so injured and bloody it was basically dead. Knock Knock. A knock was heard on the door and a voice outside it. "Are you good in there?" "Yes. Sorry, it is taking longer than expected. I''m nearly done." Zhu Yi picked up the pace and continued. After 5 more minutes, Zhou Fan spoke. "It''s dead. Hurry." Zhu Yi, prepared for this, ran up to the cage and quickly unlocked it. He stabbed his sword near the center of the beast. In preparation for this moment, Zhu Yi had tried to stab the beast in the center of its body the entire time. Otherwise, it would be too strong for him to easily cut it open. His work paid off and his sword slid in smoothly. Chapter 447: Sky Sparrow Sect - 447 Chapter 447 - Sky Sparrow Sect - 447 Zhu Yi moved his sword in a circular motion, using it as if it were a saw. After completing a circle, he pulled the sword back and a chunk of meat fell to the ground. Zhu Yi reached his hand inside of the beast and pulled out its core. Zhou Fan quickly used the river of cultivation to clean and absorb it. In an instant, Zhou Fan felt a change. Although it was not really a leap, it was a clear boost. With only a few more, or perhaps even a single one, he would make a qualitative change in recovery. Zhu Yi looked at Zhou Fan, waiting. Zhou Fan spoke. "Good stuff. If you get a few more, I''ll be able to help a bit. Have you decided to work with the assassination guild?" Zhu Yi nodded. "It''s too profitable. Cultivators kill, I might as well benefit. Either way, it seems that the assassination guild isn''t all that bad." The person he had killed had been a bad person, and if the assassination guild only killed such people, were they really that bad? "Zhu Yi." Zhou Fan said in a serious tone. Zhu Yi turned and looked Zhou Fan in the eye. "Do not trust people so easily. Especially those who kill for profit. I would bet everything I own that this assassination guild is much much worse than you think." Zhou Fan''s words caused Zhu Yi to go into thought, but Zhou Fan interrupted him. "You''ve been in this place long enough." This reminded Zhu Yi that he was still in the assassination guild. He began to cut up the rest of the beast. A foundation establishment realm beasts corpse could be sold for a lot. After bagging everything up, he left the room and saw Bernard. "Is everything you need settled?" Bernard asked. Zhu Yi nodded. "Thank you for waiting." Bernard waved his hand. "I''ll only wait this once. You are on your own from now on. You will also no longer meet the guild master yourself. We have crystal pads to accept missions. Don''t worry, all information is kept only by the assassination guild." Zhu Yi nodded and Bernard led him to the tavern room. Bernard said his goodbye''s and returned upstairs. In the room were many people, and Zhu Yi seemed to stick out like a sore thumb due to his youth and unscarred skin, as well as his clothes. However, nobody seemed to pay attention to him. He was now a member of the assassination guild. Zhu Yi walked over to an open crystal pad and clicked on it. Everything was the same as he knew it, but the background was darker. Zhu Yi found missions, but they were not specific. Perhaps to guard against traitors, there was only basic information about the targets such as gender, cultivation, and affiliation. Low-level missions were what Zhu Yi had done. They involved those below Qi gathering 6. Mid-level involved those between Qi gathering 6 and Qi gathering 10. High-level involved those between Foundation Establishment 1 and Foundation Establishment 5. Top-level involved those between Foundation Establishment 6 and Foundation establishment 10. Unlike the rogue cultivator guild, there was no information or missions from branches outside of white palace city. As a result, the highest level mission was only at the 10th level of the Foundation Establishment realm, though Zhu Yi could not see those. Naturally, Zhu Yi scrolled through the low-level missions. Even if he was above the 5th level of the Qi gathering realm, he may not take mid-level missions. Assassinations were very dangerous, as could be seen by the amount of scars in the tavern. Zhu Yi found a mission to assassinate a 3rd level Qi gathering realm man. He had no sect affiliation, though most of the targets were like that. Just as he was about to accept the mission, the screen went black and all of the talking in the assassination guild stopped. A voice sounded out through the room. "All proceedings are to stop for 5 days. The sky sparrow sect''s disciples are visiting White Palace city." Zhu Yi was confused, but most of the people in the guild seemed to understand. Many voices spoke. "Another one comes." "As expected of White Palace City." "Have any of you heard of the Sky Sparrow Sect?" "No." "Nope." "I have." Everyone''s attention turned to the man who spoke, including Zhu Yi. He was one of the smaller and less scarred people in the assassination guild. He was holding a book as he spoke. "The Sky Sparrow sect is the 4th ranked sect in our world." The room fell even more silent than before. Even Zhu Yi was shocked. A door opened and the Guild master stepped out. "It''s nothing too surprising. The greatest sect in the world has visited more than once in the past. This is White Palace City after all. You all take a break. You''ve worked hard." The tense air seemed to move again as the guild master spoke. Still, everyone seemed to be slightly worried. If the disciples of the Sky Sparrow sect wanted to do something in the White Palace City, as long as it did not affect the White Palace city itself, nobody could stop them. Even if they didn''t use their status, nobody had enough strength to stop them. They were, after all, disciples from one of the world''s top sects. Zhou Fan spoke. "There shouldn''t be too much to worry about as long as you mind your own business." Zhu Yi nodded. It seemed that he would be taking a few rogue cultivator guild missions, unless, for some reason, they were stopped as well. Zhu Yi left the assassination guild and walked to the rogue cultivator guild. When he entered the building, he heard many people talking about the visiting sky sparrow sect, but it seemed that, as expected, the rogue cultivator guild would continue operating. Zhu Yi also heard another type of conversation. How to please those of the sky sparrow sect. Some talked about serving them like servants, while others mentioned gifts. Anything to get into their good graces. Zhu Yi unconsciously found himself disdaining those people. Unlike in the assassination guild, these people thought about becoming servants to live better. Zhu Yi wondered if those at the assassination guild were more willful, but he soon realized the difference. The rogue cultivator guild was about living, while the assassination guild was about surviving. Chapter 448: A Homeless Cultivator - 448 Chapter 448 - A Homeless Cultivator - 448 Zhu Yi shook his head and got in line to use the crystal pads. After 10 minutes, he was up. He quickly found a fitting mission and set out, bringing the guilds loan bag and his weapon as usual. Zhu Yi ran along the path and soon reached his destination. The next day, he returned to White Palace city after finishing his mission. As he saw it in the distance, he noticed a grand scene. Floating just outside White Palace City was a giant flying ship. The ship was in the shape of a sparrow. "The sky sparrow sect has arrived." Zhu Yi mumbled. As he got closer to the city and saw some buildings, he saw many decorations, as if a festival was taking place. This was White Palace City, perhaps the greatest historical monument in the world. All sects wanted their disciples to visit it, and if any sect could send people to visit, White Palace City would constantly be filled with sect members. However, in order to keep White Palace City as a true city and not just a landmark or monument, the top ten sects of the world had created a system of visitation. This was all Zhu Yi knew. He did not know how the system worked, but he knew that it was the reason why White Palace City was not filled to the brim with sect members and was instead a gathering place of rogue cultivators. All he knew was that one of the top ten sects of the world visited once a year. As for sects not in the top ten, they could only send their disciples in without using the name of their sect or going with them. Zhu Yi walked towards the rogue cultivator guild. As he walked further and further into White Palace City, there were more and more decorations. Although all of the decorations were spotlessly clean, Zhu Yi could still spot some signs of aging on a few. It seemed that they did not make new decorations for every visit. Just as Zhu Yi was about to reach the rogue cultivator guild, he noticed a large number of people standing on the side of the road, looking in the same direction. Zhu Yi made his way to the side and watched. After a few moments, a group of people a little older than Zhu Yi, but not yet adults, passed by while sitting on the top of a fancy carriage. As they passed by, many people clapped their hands. The atmosphere was truly like a festival. As the carriage passed by, Zhu Yi made his way to the rogue cultivator guild to turn in his turtle claws. He did not face any more issues and walked out of the rogue cultivator guild slightly richer. Inside his room in the Inn, Zhu Yi spoke to Zhou Fan. "Master. If you break a recovery threshold, how high will you be able to raise my talent?" Zhu Yi asked. Zhou Fan answered. "I''m not sure. I''ll have to find out when it happens." Zhu Yi nodded, his curiosity satisfied, and soon fell asleep. Days passed normally until the Sky Sparrow Sect finally departed from White Palace City. Zhu Yi sighed in relief and walked to the assassination guild. He had completed three missions since the assassination guild closed down, and he had made three fifths of what he could have made with three missions from the assassination guild. Zhu Yi entered the assassination guild and everything seemed normal. He walked up to one of the crystal pads and found a similar mission to the one he had seen before, though this one paid three times as much. Male, no sect affiliation, Qi gathering three. Zhu Yi accepted and received information on the mission. White Palace City, while merely a city, was actually huge. Zhu Yi stayed in one of the most popular areas as it held the rogue cultivator guild and the history records, but what he had seen was only a hundreth of the city. More than tens of millions of people lived in the city. Zhu Yi''s mission was to kill someone on the other side of the city, a less populated area with cheaper and lower quality everything. Although White Palace city was huge, it was not difficult to traverse even for a mortal. A mortal could walk from end to end in around two days, even if they had to spend around 48 hours of nonstop walking to do so. Zhu Yi jogged on an express path, a place reserved for only travel. Here, no shops lined the sides and instead there was a bit of nature. The express path covered White Palace City like grid lines, and it was easy to reach almost any area from them. They were not hard to traverse at all, and Zhu Yi soon reached the point where he got off. He walked past many buildings, taking many twists and turns, before stopping in an alleyway. There was a group of homeless people here, and Zhu Yi''s target was one of them. Zhu Yi did his best to remember the target''s description. "Mid length brown hair, scar diagonal to right eye, wears a heavy hood, no beard." There were 20 homeless people, and Zhu Yi soon spotted his target. He stood far back and stared at the man. A homeless cultivator? Unlikely. Whatever reason the man was acting as a homeless man for, Zhu Yi had no intention of finding out. The biggest difficulty of this mission was getting the man out of White Palace City. No matter where, killing was absolutely forbidden. This homeless man had stayed in White Palace City for many years without leaving. In order to complete this mission, Zhu Yi would need to set up some sort of bait or trap. "No wonder it paid triple. Are you even smart enough to complete this mission?" Zhou Fan asked. Zhu Yi responded. "Master. There is no need to insult me." Zhu Yi sat and watched the target from afar while thinking about what sort of plan could possibly lure him out of the city. Chapter 449: Intelligent Moves- 449 Chapter 449 - Intelligent Moves- 449 After a few minutes, Zhu Yi had made many possible plans, but it all hinged on what the homeless cultivator wanted to gain by acting homeless. Zhu Yi could not think of anything that wasn''t evil, and had no issue with killing the man. Zhu Yi observed the man for a few more hours before finally noticing something. The target, who had been curled up on the ground and dirty, slowly moved towards another homeless man who was sleeping. It was gradual and slow. So slow that Zhu Yi only noticed it after he was halfway there. When the target reached the homeless man, he spoke. Zhu Yi could not hear the words, but the target spoke for a while before returning back to his previous position. Zhu Yi waited for another hour before the homeless man that was spoken to got up and walked somewhere else. Zhu Yi wanted to follow, but needed to keep his eyes on the target. "What could it be?" He mumbled to himself. On his shoulder, Zhou Fan spoke. "Perhaps they work with some sort of intelligence gathering organization." Zhu Yi''s eyes lit up. It made sense. Zhu Yi kept watching the man, but even as night fell, he did not move again. Zhu Yi eventually returned to his inn and slept. The next day, he returned to the alley, but the man was not there. Zhu Yi was confused until Zhou Fan spoke. "How much information can be gathered in one location? Perhaps he moved somewhere else." Zhu Yi felt that it made sense. As Zhu Yi thought, he had an idea. "If the target is a member of an information organization, then perhaps the person who made the mission is from a rival organization. There''s a chance that they''re tracking him." Zhu Yi returned to the assassination guild and checked the mission information. As he had guessed, the information on the target''s whereabouts had changed. "So is our guess basically confirmed?" Zhu Yi asked. Zhou Fan shook his head. "Nothing is ever 100% confirmed, but there is a very high chance of it being the case." "So, in order to lure him out, he needs to hear about information on the edge of the city. Then, perhaps, we can take him by surprise and knock him out of the city boundaries?" Zhou Fan shook his head again. "I highly doubt that will work, but we can try. If it doesn''t work, then we should probably give up on the mission." Although giving up on a mission did give penalties, as long as one had a reasonable excuse, it would be very minor. Not being able to get the target out of White Palace City was a great excuse. Zhu Yi found his target and watched him for a while before coming up with a plan. As a person walked past the alley, Zhu Yi walked up from behind and put his arm around the person''s shoulder. He whispered. "Bear with me for a second. I''ll compensate you." The person slightly nodded, surprisingly calm. Zhu Yi spoke loudly. "What''s up brother! Did you hear about that possible hidden group at the north-eastern edge of White Palace City. It''s just a rumor, but I heard they had an underground base right near the city lines. Don''t tell too many people about this. I heard that they had very valuable information hidden somewhere around them. In a few days, me and my pals are going to search and see what we can find." When Zhu Yi finished talking, they had already walked through the alleyway and arrived at the other side. Much to the random person''s surprise, Zhu Yi slipped in a gold coin and patted him on the back. The person quietly thanked him and went on his way. Zhu Yi circled around and spied on the target once again. Surprisingly, his plan worked. The target soon got up and walked to a person. After speaking for a bit, he began to walk away. He was heading to the north-eastern part of the city. "Yes!" "That actually worked." Zhou Fan was surprised. Zhu Yi was very excited. He had not expected it to work either. "Of course it did! I am Zhu Yi. My plots span thousands of years! My record is unblemished!" "Like when you had no plan to escape that lizard?" Zhou Fan asked. Zhu Yi quieted down and began following the target from afar. The target got on the express path and cleaned up his appearance slightly. This was Zhu Yi''s first time seeing his target''s true features. He seemed like a slightly young middle aged man. He gave off a feeling of indifference. "He may have been raised from young to serve the organization." Zhou Fan said. It was rare for a person to grow up and become indifferent without being raised that way. "A meaningless life. Maybe killing him is a favor." Zhu Yi sighed. He continued to follow the target as he arrived at the north-eastern most area in the city. He did not stop and soon arrived near the city lines. This was where the city officially stopped. The target looked around for a while before moving closer to the city line. He seemed to be investigating the surrounding area. After nearly an hour, he was only 20 feet away from the city line. "He doesn''t seem to plan to get any closer." Zhu Yi commented quietly. Zhou Fan nodded and Zhu Yi charged. He moved quietly and quickly, but the target had been alert from the start. He turned around, but by the time he saw Zhu Yi, Zhu Yi rammed his shoulder into the target. With his superior strength as a 5th level Qi gathering realm cultivator, the man was barely pushed out of the city. Zhu Yi did not stop moving and jumped in the air, unsheathing his sword. As the sword descended, the target blankly stared at Zhu Yi''s figure. Pierce. Blood fell as Zhu Yi''s sword pierced his target''s forehead. He was dead, and only a few feet from city lines. Zhu Yi pulled his sword out, and slashed, severing the head and quickly putting it in a bag. Chapter 450: Sword Intent - 450 Chapter 450 - Sword Intent - 450 There were not many people in the surrounding area and Zhu Yi was able to safely move the headless body behind a bush. The assassination guilds cleanup crew would take care of it. Zhu Yi returned to the assassination guild. This time, he did not meet the guild master, but instead walked up to a front counter and declared his mission completed. The lady at the front counter was not like the girls at the rogue cultivator guild. She was middle aged, seemed grumpy, and had scars on her face. As she took the bag and looked at the head, Zhu Yi spoke. "Why does everyone here have scars? Is it a fashion choice?" The lady barely glanced up at him before responding while examining the head. "You''re new here. We don''t get too many newbies. Killing people is not a safe business practice. Humans are unpredictable. Consider yourself lucky to not have been injured so far. You''ll understand in the future." Zhu Yi just nodded. Although higher level cultivators often got injured, they could almost always perfectly heal themselves. Only the weaker cultivators would retain scars from normal injuries. Before long, the woman approved the mission completion and Zhu Yi returned to the crystal pad. Upon logging in, he found that the mission was completed. As the mission paid three times more, he would already get his reward. The screen told him to come back tomorrow. Zhu Yi spoke as he walked out of the assassination guild. "I guess we get to relax until tomorrow." There wasn''t enough time to take a rogue cultivator guild mission or an assassination guild mission before his reward would be given out. Zhou Fan shook his head. "Why do you think you have the right to relax?" Zhu Yi looked at him confused. "Your work is to kill people. No matter how smart you are, they can also kill you. You need to train and cultivate. This is the path that you have chosen. There is no more relaxation." Zhu Yi silently looked at him. "Don''t look at me. Relax once you are the strongest. Until then, get to work." Zhu Yi sighed and nodded. He returned to the inn and packed his stuff, which did not amount to much. He made a stop at the rogue cultivator guild and turned his crystal pad money into real money. With plentiful gold, he bought a house on the outer reaches of the city. It had a courtyard, one which could be used to train. Zhu Yi held a sword as Zhou Fan spoke. "Although I cannot do much right now, this is something simple. Hold your sword out straight." When Zhou Fan had asked Zhu Yi what weapon he would like to use, Zhu Yi chose the sword. Zhou Fan still had all of his memories, even if his mind was now extremely slow. It was simple to teach Zhu Yi some low-level swordplay. Although it was low-level to Zhou Fan, to almost anyone in Zhu Yi''s world, it was beyond comprehension. Luckily, with Zhou Fan''s guidance, Zhu Yi''s proficiency with the sword soared. It was only a single day of practice. A single day of practice with a student of average comprehension and talent. Yet, the next, when Zhu Yi walked into the assassination guild to get his reward, everyone in the building looked at him. They could feel a vast change in him. It was as if a sword was being held to their necks. Most of the people in the assassination guild simply felt it, but it did not affect them. Only those below the 5th level of Qi gathering actually felt a real feeling of danger. "Sheath your sword intent." A voice said. This voice seemed to calm down Zhu Yi''s surroundings and the feeling disappeared. His sword intent, a sort of aura similar to killing intent that one gained with a certain mastery of the sword, was suppressed. Both Zhu Yi and Zhou Fan looked up. On the second floor of the pub-like assassination guild, a young man, seemingly no older than 18, was looking at them. "Apologies. I''ve been trying to stop it from pouring out, but I''ve struggled to do so." Zhu Yi said. The young man spoke. "You must have gained some sort of enlightenment. Lucky you, but if you can''t control your sword intent, then you should stay at home until you can." Zhu Yi nodded. "Thank you for the advice." The young man turned away and focused on whatever he was doing again. Although Zhu Yi still could not control his sword intent, it was temporarily suppressed and would not show again for a while, similar in nature to a beaten beast. "We''ll practice sheathing it in the room." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded and walked up to the front desk. After some brief talking, he was led to a room with a similar beast to the last one inside. This time, nobody was outside and Zhu Yi could spend an entire day inside the room before leaving. Zhu Yi unsheathed his sword and walked forward. His suppressed sword intent came out once again with the unsheathing of his sword. Even the beast felt it, but it was not a threat to the beast. Zhu Yi moved forward and slashed with his sword. He had become much more familiar with the weapon. His first cut, despite using the same strength and same sword as the last time, on a beast with similar body strength as the last one, cut three inches deep, three times as deep as last time. Zhu Yi moved around the cage as if he was dancing, cutting the beast through the gaps in the bars. The beast could only helplessly back into a corner as Zhu Yi attacked it. "This is good training I suppose." Zhou Fan said. He began to give Zhu Yi guidance as he slashed, and after 10 minutes, the beast was dead. Zhu Yi unlocked the cage and grabbed the beast core. Zhou Fan absorbed it. "Almost. I can feel that the next one may do it." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded with excitement. He was very interested in the change it would bring and how it would affect him. Chapter 451: Fitting In - 451 Chapter 451 - Fitting In - 451 Zhu Yi spent the next few hours learning to sheath his sword intent under the guidance of Zhou Fan. Most wouldn''t face this issue, but Zhu Yi''s sword intent had appeared and grown so rapidly that it was hard to control it. Once he managed to sheath his word intent, Zhu Yi left the room with the beast''s body parts and returned to the main area of the Assassination guild. Without hesitation, he went to the crystal pad and began to look for another mission. He was excited that his master was nearing a recovery threshold. Just as Zhu Yi was about to accept a low-level mission that paid three times as much, Zhou Fan spoke. "That''s not a good idea. If it pays more, then it is very likely to be more dangerous. Last time, it was because you needed intelligence. Next time, you may not be so lucky." Thanking Zhou Fan for his words of wisdom, Zhu Yi clicked off the mission and found one that paid normally. Qi gathering 3, no sect affiliation, Male. Zhu Yi accepted it and received information. His target was a member of the rogue cultivator guild. There was not much information at all, save for descriptions of his appearance. Luckily, the target had a few scars that made him findable in the city of more than ten million people. Zhu Yi left the Assassination guild and entered the rogue cultivation guild. Instead of finding a mission, he sat at one of the many tables and watched the entrance. He had no other information on his target besides his appearance. This was the only way. Zhu Yi sat and watched for more than 17 hours before his target walked through the door. Zhu Yi didn''t move and kept the same position that he had for the past 17 hours. Only when his target left did Zhu Yi get up and follow him. After taking many twists and turns, his target left White Palace City. Zhu Yi followed the man, but briefly after leaving White Palace City, the man ventured off the path and into an area of dense trees. Zhu Yi was confused. He had memorized the layout surrounding White Palace City, and there was nothing in this area at all. "Careful." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded and ventured into the forested area. Suddenly, he heard a snap from his side. "Die Assassination Guild scum" A voice said as Zhu Yi dodged. A blade stabbed at him, but Zhu Yi barely managed to move. He unsheathed his sword and threw it, but the attacker''s blade pierced his face, going directly through his cheek. "Ahhhh!" Zhu Yi heard a scream. He fought through the pain and looked ahead. His sword had perfectly pierced through the center of his target''s chest. It was a combination of luck and skill gained from practicing with Zhou Fan. As the man fell, bleeding, Zhu Yi turned his attention away from him. Zhou Fan spoke. "Are you okay?" Zhu Yi didn''t answer and crouched while clutching his face. Although there was not too much blood, he was in great pain. Although the target''s blade had been thin and smaller than a normal blade, his cheek had a hole from right below his eye to next to his lip. "Endure." These were Zhou Fan''s last words before he went silent and allowed Zhu Yi to handle his situation. After a while, Zhu Yi stood up. With a rare bout of hatred and anger, he grabbed his sword and took the target''s head off of his body. He put the head in his bag and sheathed his sword before walking towards White Palace City. "So people know about the Assassination guild." Zhu Yi said. "It appears so. I guess no secret can be kept perfectly. Perhaps you''re not the first person to try and assassinate that man." Zhou Fan said. "That''s annoying." Zhu Yi said. His cheek had completely stopped bleeding and began to heal. He was a cultivator after all. However, at his level, a scar would remain. "Consider that a warning. Don''t be careless." Zhou Fan commented. Zhu Yi nodded in agreement. It wasn''t long before they returned to White Palace City. Zhu Yi headed directly to the assassination guild. There was, after all, a head in a sack inside of his backpack. Zhu Yi made it inside and arrived at the front desk. The lady looked up and saw Zhu Yi. "Hah." She chuckled. "Everyone give it up for fresh meat. He''s finally begun to fit in." She said. Zhu Yi heard a few short claps and brief cheers. He shook his head and smiled helplessly. Zhu Yi put the sack on the counter and the lady confirmed his mission completion. As she did so, Zhu Yi asked her a question. "My target knew about the Assassination guild. Is that common?" "Of course. Not everyone, but plenty of cultivators know about our existence. How else would we gain customers?" Zhu Yi nodded, this made sense. As his mission was officially completed, Zhu Yi returned to the crystal pad. Night was beginning to fall, but he wanted to work again. He accepted another mission. Qi gathering 3, no sect affiliation, male. Before he set off, Zhou Fan spoke. "You need some dark clothes. After all, it blends in with the dark." Zhu Yi realized that he had never assassinated someone during the night and praised his master''s intelligence. He made a brief stop at a clothes shop and bought black clothes before going out to scout. This mission had more information than the last, but not much more. Luckily, with the information, Zhu Yi confirmed that his target was outside the city on a mission. "I can either wait for him to return or sleep." Zhu Yi said. "It''s not as if the paths are rarely used. You''ve been lucky so far, but if you keep killing on or near the main paths, you''ll be seen eventually." This enlightened Zhu Yi. After some thinking, Zhu Yi returned to his house and slept until morning. Chapter 452: Time - 452 Chapter 452 - Time - 452 After a night of sleep, Zhu Yi told his idea to Zhou Fan. "You can sense people''s cultivation, right?" Zhu Yi asked. "Indeed." "And how far is that range?" Zhou Fan responded. "I''m not sure. I''ve never tried it out." Zhu Yi spoke. "Can you try it out right now?" Zhou Fan nodded and began to sense the people''s cultivation around him. After a moment, he spoke. "I can sense about half a mile away." Zhu Yi was excited. "In that case, you can help me make sure that nobody else is around when I assassinate someone." Zhou Fan nodded. "Good idea." Zhu Yi left his house and made his way to the rogue cultivator guild. He would use the same tactic of waiting for his target to enter and following him. As he waited, Zhou Fan spoke. "Don''t you think this is a bit conspicuous?" Zhu Yi was confused. "Huh?" "You''re just staring at the entrance. I feel that it would be easy to pinpoint you as an assassin after a few times. At least sit in a different building." While Zhu Yi felt it was unnecessary due to the large number of people inside at all times, he left the rogue cultivator guild and moved to a restaurant across the street. Although it was expensive, it was still a mortal restaurant. That meant that if night fell, Zhu Yi would have to leave and watch the entrance somewhere else. Zhu Yi sat in the restaurant all day, but he saw nothing. He sat in the rogue cultivator guild while night passed, and sat in the restaurant for another day. At this point, he was wondering if he had been scammed and returned to the assassination guild. He looked at his mission profile on the crystal pad, but the mission had been canceled. Apparently, his target had been killed during a mission. Only now did Zhu Yi remember that the rogue cultivator guild missions were not safe either. They were just safer compared to the assassination guilds missions. Zhu Yi found another mission with the same specification as the last one. 3rd level Qi gathering, no sect affiliation, male. This mission had precise information on the target''s habits. Clearly, someone valued the target''s death very much. Zhu Yi waited outside the city on a specific path. According to the information, the target would pass by here soon. The information was so specific that it made Zhu Yi worried that it was a trap. As a result, he hid himself while the time passed. Luckily, it was not a trap. His target walked by and Zhu Yi cleanly decapitated him from behind. As he put the head in his sack and the sack in his bag, Zhu Yi turned around and saw a figure from afar. For a second, Zhu Yi was worried he was caught. The figure in the distance solemnly bowed. His eyes were bloodshot as he looked at the headless body. Although the figure was a mortal, he gave off a feeling of pure hatred. "Thank you." The figure mouthed before turning away and leaving. Zhu Yi hid the body and returned to the city. Everyone had their own story, and although Zhu Yi was interested in that mortal''s, he had his own job to fulfill. "One more mission." Zhu Yi said in excitement. If Zhou Fan''s words were right, one more Foundation Establishment realm beast core was enough to create a qualitative change in recovery. Zhu Yi accepted another mission. This one was easy and quickly fulfilled without issue. In a room below the assassination guild, Zhu Yi stared at a Foundation Establishment realm beast. He excitedly stabbed and sliced at it. When everything was done, he held the beast core and Zhou Fan cleaned it with the river of cultivation. Touching the ring with the core, it was sucked into the ring. Zhu Yi expectantly stared at his master. Zhou Fan waited for a moment, and after a second, he felt as if his mind had entered a different state. Only his mind and soul remained, but if he had been in his body, it would have been an out of body experience. He instinctively felt possibilities all around him as he broke through a recovery threshold. Using a sudden burst of energy, much like when someone broke through, Zhou Fan began to use that energy to increase Zhu Yi''s talent. Suddenly, his mind moved and an idea popped up in his mind. Zhou Fan laughed. "Haha. I almost forgot about that. I suppose it will work now. I should have thought about it earlier. Sorry Zhu Yi, your talent will not increase as much as I hoped." Zhou Fan used the remaining energy and activated the river of cultivation in one last burst. Then, everything receded. Zhou Fan found himself on Zhu Yi''s shoulder. Only a moment had passed. Zhu Yi was about to speak when a warm feeling appeared inside his body. "Master?" He asked with excitement. "Your meridians have been upgraded to mortal rank." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi''s excitement suddenly lowered and dwindled out. "Well. I guess it''s an upgrade." He didn''t want to be ungrateful, but he was expecting more. Meridians went: Trash, Weak, Mortal, Great, Spirit, King, Emperor, God, Supreme God, Immortal, Immortal King, Immortal Emperor, Immortal God, Immortal Godking. Although Zhu Yi did not know about anything above emperor rank, he was still disappointed. Zhou Fan laughed. "Don''t feel disappointed yet. It could have been higher, but I suddenly had an idea that will benefit you much more." Zhu Yi felt excitement once again. "What did you do?" "I gave you an affinity." Zhou Fan smiled. Zhu Yi questioned. "An affinity? A good one I hope." Zhou Fan could not stop himself from laughing. Zhu Yi had no idea. He wanted to play around a little more, but cut to the chase. "I gave you an affinity to Time Qi." Zhu Yi paused and his face became blank. He felt as if the entire world had stopped moving. Chapter 453: Foundation Establishment Realm - 453 Chapter 453 - Foundation Establishment Realm - 453 Although Zhu Yi had never even heard of Time Qi, it wasn''t hard to understand what it meant. Fire Qi represented fire. Ice Qi represented ice. In that case, then Time Qi represented Time. "You mean Time as in... you know... Time, right?" Zhu Yi asked. Zhou Fan nodded. "Although you won''t be able to do much before the foundation establishment realm, I''ve given you a great opportunity." Zhu Yi was very excited. This affinity would redefine his entire life. Zhou Fan continued. "Now, just focus on cultivating. Once you reach the Foundation Establishment realm, I have a few ideas." Although the power of time was incredible and affected everything in the universe, it was also weak. There was nothing that strengthened the power of time, and theoretically, it could be affected by any strong cultivator as easily as space. Luckily, the Cosmic Dao had forbidden its usage, and Zhou Fan''s river of cultivation had done the same. In Zhu Yi''s case, Zhou Fan was the owner and creator of the river of cultivation and was naturally exempt from the rules. As a result, Zhu Yi would be able to use Time Qi, and he would be able to use it very well. After calming down, Zhu Yi took the beast parts and left the room. He soon returned to his house and began to cultivate. Before, he had focused on increasing his talent through Zhou Fan. Now, he could focus on getting stronger. After all, once he entered the foundation establishment realm, he would be able to hunt foundation establishment realm beasts on his own. After recovering, Zhou Fan also gained the ability of increasing Zhu Yi''s cultivation speed, even if not greatly. Zhu Yi stayed inside and entered seclusion. Every week, he would go out and participate in an Assassination guild mission. He now completed missions for spirit stones to increase his cultivation speed. His life continued in this fashion for 2 years before Zhu Yi reached the absolute peak of the Qi gathering realm. He had enough Qi to break through at any time, but he faced an issue that Zhou Fan had never encountered. A bottleneck. It was a natural phenomenon that limited the advancing of a cultivator. Many would need to cultivate for a long time or gain an enlightenment before breaking through the bottleneck. Zhou Fan sneered. "Nonsense." He waved his hand, and Zhu Yi''s bottleneck vanished. Doing this much was without issue. Zhu Yi bowed to his master, extremely grateful, and cultivated again. In a few minutes, he easily surpassed the Qi gathering realm and entered the Foundation Establishment realm. Zhu Yi opened his eyes. He stood up and bowed to his master. His master had completely changed his life and he was eternally grateful. "Don''t bow at me." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi stood up. "Can I use Time Qi now, Master?" Zhou Fan nodded. "Although I''ve never used Time Qi myself, it shouldn''t be too much different from space Qi, in terms of difficulty at least. The effects, on the other hand, will differ greatly." Zhu Yi nodded and played with time Qi in his hands while his master thought. Although he could not currently use Time Qi, he could still control it. It was like moving wind around but not actually using it for anything. Zhu Yi watched his master think. Zhu Yi had a lot of questions. His master seemed unfathomable and shocked him more and more every day. He sometimes did things that did not make sense to Zhu Yi, such as clearing away someone''s bottleneck or giving Zhu Yi an affinity and increasing his talent. He wanted to ask questions, but decided to hold his tongue. His master would tell him when he wanted to. He could only confirm that his master had been far more powerful than he could understand. After a few hours, Zhou Fan spoke. "Alright. Try this." Zhou Fan spoke while Zhu Yi listened. Zhou Fan had not created an offensive or defensive technique, but a supporting technique. It was what he had had in mind when giving Zhu Yi Time Qi. Zhu Yi used his Qi according to Zhou Fan''s words, and a bubble appeared around him. At the same time, he saw a bird fly over his house. He looked at the bird, and it was clearly moving slower than usual "This is the Time bubble, a technique so advanced that very few people could have created it even with access to Time Qi. Inside the bubble, Time passes faster. Within, you can cultivate faster." Although the Qi in the world was about one tenth of the Qi from Zhou Fan''s time, it was still all pervasive. In other words, no matter how time was affected, unless Zhu Yi could use all of the Qi within the world in an instant, he could always cultivate at the same speed within the bubble. If the Qi was not all pervasive, then he would cultivate slower due to cultivating too fast in the Time bubble. "The Time bubble speeds up Time by two times. In other words, 2 days inside the bubble is one day outside." Zhu Yi was impressed as usual, but he was getting used to his master''s unfathomableness. The only issue with the Time bubble was that it used Qi to maintain itself. "You need to learn arrays." Zhou Fan said. If Zhu Yi could implement Time Qi into arrays, everything would be much better. Due to using up Qi maintaining the Time bubble, Zhu Yi could only technically cultivate 1.5x faster in the environment. Still, it was a great boost. "Where can I get materials for arrays?" Zhu Yi asked while scratching his head. "You''re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?" Zhou Fan responded. Only then did Zhu Yi remember that Zhou Fan was not omnipotent. He had gotten too used to his unfathomableness. Zhu Yi moved to the Assassination guild. After spending so much time, he had ranked up to E rank. Like the Rogue cultivator guild, the Assassination guild had the same rankings. This gave him minor access to the crystal pad network. If he needed information, then the crystal pad network was the place to go. Chapter 454: Secret Inheritance Grounds - 454 Chapter 454 - Secret Inheritance Grounds - 454 Zhu Yi clicked on the crystal pad and entered the crystal pad network. Upon clicking on the icon, all that Zhu Yi saw was a search bar at the top. Below it was an empty white screen. Zhu Yi had an idea of how the crystal pad network worked after living in White Palace City for so many years. He searched, "Is there a place to learn arrays in White Palace City?" After a moment, a few links popped up. Zhu Yi clicked on one of them. It led him to some sort of "Forum". Whatever that was supposed to mean. He saw a discussion in the past asking the same question. "Is there any place to learn arrays in White Palace City?" "There isn''t. As a place with nobody at the core formation realm or above, it is mainly just a tourist attraction. If you want to learn arrays, join a sect or find some sort of inheritance." It was a short conversation, but it had everything that Zhu Yi needed to see. It was only a few years old, so it was very likely that there had been no changes in the city since then. Zhu Yi got off the crystal pad and walked up to the front desk. He needed some information. Although some things could be found on the crystal pad network, there was not much, especially at his low rank. "I''d like to buy information from the Assassination guild." Zhu Yi said. The lady at the front desk nodded and turned around. She went through a door and came back a moment later. "Go to waiting room three." She said as she pointed towards a hallway. Zhu Yi thanked her and walked towards the room. He entered, and inside was a small room. It was completely enclosed besides a small, rectangular slit in the wall. Zhu Yi sat down on the only chair inside and waited. After a few moments, he heard an upbeat voice. "Welcome, Zhu Yi. First time having you here." Zhu Yi did not recognize the voice, but as a member of the Assassination guild, it was not weird that this person knew him. "Hi. I need information on where I can learn arrays." Zhu Yi said. There was no response for a moment. "That''s quite the request. I assume you don''t intend to join a sect or other organization, which makes this almost impossible. There is one possibility, however. You are under the age of 20, right?" Zhu Yi nodded. "I am." "And it seems that you''ve entered the Foundation Establishment realm, am I correct." Zhu Yi nodded again. "Indeed." The voice was envious. "Your talent is great." To most people, weak rank meridians were already quite good. It was not common. However, it did not usually allow someone to reach the foundation establishment realm before the age of 20. The bottleneck was what stopped a vast majority of cultivators. "Anyway. I have some great information, and even an opportunity. Of course, it isn''t free." The voice said. "How much?" Zhu Yi cut to the chase. "I want 30 low-level spirit stones." "Can I take that on debt?" "Of course. A talented cultivator such as yourself would have no need to scam little old me." Zhu Yi used all his spirit stones to cultivate, leading to a lack of money. Luckily, as a foundation establishment realm cultivator, he had more options than before. "Thank you." "Alright, listen up. In White Palace City, there is a secret inheritance grounds." The man''s first words shocked Zhu Yi, but he continued without stopping. "There are only two conditions to participate. One, be at the foundation establishment realm. Two, be under the age of 20. Although this applies to many people in the world, the leaders of our world have created their own limitations. They control who enters and exits, real scummy work. Anyway, as the branch of the Assassination guild in White Palace City, we get special treatment. We have two spots available. One is already set in stone, while the other is fought for among everyone else. I can get you in that competition." "And there is information on arrays in there?" Zhu Yi asked. "Hah!" The man suddenly burst into an uncontrolled laughter. "Arrays! Hah! That inheritance ground was created by countless powerhouses of the past, and the leader of them was none other than Chen Jie. Not to mention information on arrays, you could get the opportunity to become the number one array master in the world. In fact, arrays aren''t even important compared to some of the other stuff I''ve heard of, though those are just rumors." Zhu Yi was amazed. If even Chen Jie had participated in the creation of the inheritance grounds, then was it not the number one in the world? "You were truly lucky to be born so close to this city." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded in agreement. "Please sign me up for the competition." Zhu Yi said. "Of course. In fact, here." Through the slit in the wall, the man handed him a letter. "Everything you need to know is inside." Zhu Yi thanked him again before leaving. He walked to his house before opening the letter. After some words describing what was going to happen, a tournament between every cultivator in the foundation establishment realm below the age of 20 in the White Palace City Assassination guild branch, Zhu Yi got a location and time. "A month. We need to train." Zhu Yi said. "This is a great opportunity. I can''t help you too much due to lack of materials, but if you can find them in the inheritance, we''ll be fine." Zhu Yi naturally did not need a teacher to teach him arrays with Zhou Fan, but there were a couple of issues involved. First, there was no explanation for why Zhu Yi would suddenly learn arrays. If anyone found out, it could lead to big trouble. Some may think he had found an inheritance and would attack him. The results of such an issue were unknown. Secondly, he needed materials. Array materials could not be casually found in White Palace City and were usually hoarded by sects. Chapter 455: Instant Completion - 455 Chapter 455 - Instant Completion - 455 Under Zhou Fan''s suggestion, Zhu Yi opened up the time bubble. Due to Zhou Fan''s optimization of the time bubble technique, as well as giving Zhu Yi the perfect technique pathway to enhance the technique, Zhu Yi was able to recover more Qi while using the time bubble than he used. Unfortunately, Zhu Yi''s power level was too low to use the true perfect technique pathways for the technique. He would need to reach the god realm to do so. Within the time bubble, Zhu Yi had two months to prepare for the tournament. Zhou Fan''s plan was to train him in the sword while creating an offensive time Qi technique. It would be difficult to create an offensive time Qi technique. It was not because Zhou Fan would struggle, but because it could not obviously be the power of time. Showing off time Qi would be a perfect way to get captured and used in lab experiments. Zhou Fan had to create a Time Qi technique that could be misinterpreted as something else. While Zhou Fan thought, he also gave Zhu Yi instructions on the art of the sword. For anyone else, two months would not be enough time to improve. Zhu Yi, however, had Zhou Fan sitting on his shoulder. Although Zhu Yi usually focused on cultivating to get stronger and speed up Zhou Fan''s recovery, when he practiced under Zhou Fan''s guidance, even a day could provide qualitative changes. A month and a half soon passed in the time bubble. All this time, Zhu Yi had been practicing the sword, and his strength had completely changed. At first, Zhou Fan had expected Zhu Yi to need to use Time QI to win the tournament, but he had underestimated just how greatly Zhu Yi would increase his strength under his guidance. The initial plan of making a Time Qi technique that didn''t seem like a Time Qi technique was thrown out the window. "For the next half a month, you will practice a Time Qi technique. This is a technique you should only use when you are absolutely alone or in danger of dying. Otherwise, if someone notices the power of time, nobody can save you." Zhou Fan explained. Luckily, he would be able to detect if anyone was nearby as long as they were not very far away. Upon breaking through a recovery threshold, he was now able to sense cultivation 10 miles away from him. Zhu Yi sat down and listened as Zhou Fan explained the technique and its usage. "I call this one, "Instant Completion". Imagine swinging the sword at someone." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded. "Now, imagine swinging the sword at someone, but as soon as you begin swinging, the slash is already completed." Zhu Yi was shocked. "So this is the Time Qi technique." "Yes. To be honest, it is something far more advanced than you can handle. If you use it, you will instantly be drained of all your Qi and will suffer great injuries. That''s assuming that you use it with a full power slash. The stronger your attack, the more Qi it will take to use this technique." Zhou Fan explained. "And that''s why I''m even able to practice it." Zhu Yi said. Zhou Fan nodded. He then explained the technique pathways best suited to the technique at Zhu Yi''s level. Before anything else, Zhu Yi dispersed the time bubble and bought a bunch of mannequins at a cultivator store. Each of them had the bodily defense of a level 3 Qi gathering realm cultivator, though that was not very strong. It was quite expensive despite being so weak, so Zhu Yi only bought 15. He returned to his yard and put up the time bubble. Luckily, his courtyard had rather high walls and not many cultivators lived in this area. Inside the time bubble, Zhu Yi held his sword and looked at the mannequin. He ran up to it and waved his sword while using the Instant Completion technique. Before he even noticed it, the mannequin was cut in half. It had only been a weak cut, barely a tenth of Zhu Yi''s power, but it had used up a fourth of his Qi. By that logic, using two fifths of his power would drain all of his Qi. Using his full power would naturally severely injure him. Zhu Yi practiced with mannequins, taking time to recover his Qi after 3 attempts before recovering to maximum capacity again. The mannequins did not last long, but they had served their purpose. Zhu Yi was now able to practice Instant Completion without any sort of mannequin. After a week, Zhou Fan taught Zhu Yi a basic sword technique, but one that had been refined greatly. It was the "Sword Wave" Technique. Even in Zhu Yi''s world, this was one of the most common sword techniques. Zhu Yi was able to use it with instant completion, which gave him a long range attack. For each technique that he learned, Zhou Fan gave him the perfect Technique pathway, transforming his power. Finally, on the last day, Zhu Yi took down the Time bubble and rested. The next day, Zhu Yi arrived at the location. It was in a private building with strong walls. When Zhu Yi walked in, he saw 7 people. One was the guild master of the Assassination guild. Another was Bernard. One more was next to them, clearly not a participant. Near them, but not in the guild masters group was the young man who had calmed down Zhu Yi''s sword intent. Finally, in the center of the building were three people. These were the other participants. It seemed that the young man off to the side was the one that had gotten the spot without fighting for it. "The last one is here. Let''s get started." The guild master said. Zhu Yi walked up to the other three and stood next to them. They were all silent and looking at the guild master. "As all of you know, I am the guild master of the Assassination guild. Next to me is Bernard, and next to him is the guild master of the rogue cultivator guild." The guild master of the Assassination guild said. Zhu Yi was shocked that the guild master of the rogue cultivator guild was here, but it made sense. He naturally knew about the Assassination guild. From what Zhu Yi understood, the rogue cultivator guild branch in White Palace City also had two spots. Chapter 456: Simple Victory - 456 Chapter 456 - Simple Victory - 456 The guild master of the Assassination guild continued. "He will simply exist as an observer due to some rules. The challenge will be conducted in the most basic tournament format. You four come up and pick your lots." Bernard held a box out. Inside were pieces of wood with numbers engraved on them. Zhu Yi walked up and picked out the number 4. He was paired to fight with number 1, while 2 and 3 fought their own battles. He and number 1 were up first. There was no arena and they simply stood across from each other in the center of the dim room. Zhu Yi observed his opponent. He had scars, to no surprise. There was one surprise, which was that he was under the age of 20. He looked like a middle aged man. He was bald and wore leather armor. He carried a spear. Despite his middle aged look, Zhu Yi did not underestimate him. It was simply something he had been taught by Zhou Fan. What Zhu Yi failed to understand was just how strong he had become under Zhou Fan''s guidance. He soon learned that he had the right to be arrogant. The man charged with his spear pointed forward. It looked basic, but Zhu Yi was sure that it was some sort of technique. He moved forward and thrusted his sword. To Zhu Yi, it felt like a basic thrust that he had practiced a thousand times. It was quick and strong. To his opponent, however, it felt as if a snake was coiling around his weapon. He was unable to even react as the sword pierced him. Luckily, Zhu Yi had not been aiming at his vital spots. His opponent fell to the ground, bleeding out. The room was silent. It had always been, but now, everyone was shocked. Although the foundation establishment realm was low in the world of cultivation, everybody in white palace city was at or below this level. Neither of the guild masters, nor anyone else in the room were able to fully understand his attack. Even the talented young man who had calmed Zhu Yi''s sword intent stood up in shock. He was very talented, as was clear of his treatment, yet he was merely a low level cultivator in white palace city. He did not even belong to a sect. Although Zhu Yi had only practiced for two months with Zhou Fan, even with his low talent, perhaps only the geniuses in the top ten sects could fight him on the same level at his current state. Zhu Yi sheathed his sword and looked over at the guild masters. For the first time in a long time, they felt a sense of pressure. It only lasted a moment. Zhu Yi quickly sheathed his sword intent. The guild master of the Assassination guild spoke. "Winner of the first round. Zhu Yi. Do we need to continue this?" Of the two remaining contestants, neither of them spoke up. Zhu Yi not only outmatched them, but even the young man who got in automatically. "Then we''ll call it a day. The opening of the inheritance is tommorrow. Come here at 6 in the morning." Zhu Yi left the building and walked towards his house. Zhou Fan spoke. "This could bring trouble." Zhu Yi nodded. He was not an idiot. He had noticed their shocked expressions. They could only hope that it was not misinterpreted as Zhu Yi having gained some sort of incredible inheritance, though in a way, he had. Zhou Fan himself was the inheritance. Luckily, any inheritance that Zhu Yi could have gotten, at least in this worlds peoples minds, could not compare to entering an inheritance that Chen Jie was involved in. "Try hiding your strength more. In the future at least. You''ll be fine now." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded. He did not know what plans his master had for him, but he expected that they were beyond even this world. As Zhu Yi was returning home, he was stopped by a familiar person. Zhu Yi turned around and saw the young man that had supressed his sword intent. Even though it had been a while since he had seen Zhu Yi fight, there was still obvious shock on his face. It was as if a normal person had seen something incomprehensible, something that they had never even imagined could exist. "I don''t believe it. I want to fight you." It was all that he said, but it expressed his feelings. He was surpassed, and he already knew it, but he needed to fight. "Let''s go to my house." Zhu Yi said. The young man nodded and followed him. "My name is Wu Qin." The young man said. "My name is Zhu Yi." Zhu Yi responded. They ran in silence until Zhu Yi reached his house. Zhu Yi began thinking. He felt silly for resting before the tournament. He hadn''t expected it to be so simple and easy. He turned around and looked at Wu Qin. "Do you want to attack first?" Zhu Yi asked. "Let''s just fight." Wu Qin said. He grabbed his sword and pulled it out of his sheath. He stepped towards Zhu Yi at a great speed. He was in a small courtyard while in the foundation establishment realm. It could basically be instantly traveled. Zhu Yi instantly felt the difference between Wu Qin and the man from earlier. Surprisingly, it did not feel all that great. Zhu Yi slashed down and his sword intent fell. Sword intent was like killing intent. It was a sort of aura that the body gave off. There was a major difference, however. Killing intent was usually the same at any level. It depended on intent to kill. Only a few could actually make any use of it for anything besides intimidation. On the contrary, sword intent could be used as an actual power. It would strengthen the power of a weapon. In the past, it had been called Weapon Qi. Swords had sword Qi, spears had Spear Qi. It was only when Zhou Fan had changed everything that it became called weapon intent, sword intent, spear intent, and so on. It was not practiced by cultivating, but by practicing. Chapter 457: The Top Ten Sects - 457 Chapter 457 - The Top Ten Sects - 457 As Zhu Yi''s sword fell, Wu Qin knew that he had lost. Zhu Yi''s sword made him feel as though he was fighting against a core formation realm cultivator. Only a sword cultivator like him could truly grasp the difference between them. Zhu Yi''s sword shattered Wu Qin''s sword and pushed him back. When the slash was completed, Wu Qin stood with blood dripping down. Luckily, he was not severely injured. Out of respect for his opponent, Zhu Yi had used his full ability in that attack. Although Wu Qin had done well at enduring it, Zhu Yi had actually pulled back a little at the end. Otherwise, it was unknown whether Wu Qin would even be alive. "I''ve lost." Wu Qin said while staring at the ground. "Cheer up. You''re still young, I''m sure that you can go far." Zhu Yi said. He felt a little bad. After all, he had no talent. It was only because of Zhou Fan that he had won this fight. Wu Qin bowed. "Thank you for fighting me. I''ll take my leave." Zhu Yi nodded his head and Wu Qin left. Zhu Yi rested for the rest of the day. This time, the rest would be worth it. No matter how strong Zhu Yi thought he was, could he compare to those in the top ten sects? He did not know. The next morning, Zhu Yi made his way to the same building as yesterday. When he entered, he saw Wu Qin, the two guild masters, and two other people under the age of 20. Zhu Yi looked around, wondering why he was always the last to arrive. He had come exactly on time. Was it common courtesy to be early? "You''re here. Let''s go." The guild master of the Assassination guild said. Although Zhu Yi could not tell 100%, the guild master seemed to be nervous. As they walked on the street and looked into the distance, it became slightly more obvious. "He is worrying about meeting those from the top ten sects." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded. He had come to the same conclusion. Zhu Yi had some questions, but when he looked around, it seemed that everyone was feeling a bit of nervousness and fear. Zhu Yi was confused. Zhou Fan explained. "I suppose this is some sort of fear that those who live in the cultivation world develop towards those at the peak. You aren''t experiencing it because you know me." Zhu Yi nodded and simply remained silent. Though they were walking, they were moving very fast. Despite it being early morning, the streets were as busy as ever. They fit in well with the crowd as they moved. They were moving towards the center of the city, where the White Palace itself resided. As they reached the center, they went around the White Palace and continued towards the edge of the city. The city was huge for a mortal, but it did not take long to reach the end for them. They soon reached the official city line. On the other side were 40 individuals. 20 of them seemed to be under 20, most likely the participants, while the other 20 were older. Of the older 20, ten of them gave off a powerful and dangerous feeling. "All ten of them are nascent soul realm cultivators." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi was shocked, but it was not unexpected. They were the top ten sects after all. The other older 10 were all at the peak of the foundation establishment realm. It could be inferred that they were bodyguards or servants. When looking at them, Zhu Yi felt as if the odds of winning a fight were very low. For the younger 20, each of them gave off the same feeling as the 10 older Foundation establishment realm cultivators. The older ones seemed to just be a formality. When the nascent soul realm cultivators saw the guild masters, they nodded. Both of the guild masters bowed deeply. One of them turned. Although it was slight, he seemed to be in the highest position of everyone here. He addressed everyone, including Zhu Yi and the other three participants from White Palace City. "The opening of this inheritance is a once in a hundred year event. You are all both lucky and talented to get the opportunity to participate. This inheritance is something that even I would want to enter. Cherish this opportunity and make the most of it." He said. Zhu Yi was able to guess this man''s identity. He was from the number 1 sect in the world. A sect known as the Frost sect. When Zhu Yi had first learned of this, he had connected them with the Celestial Ice sect. Although there was no obvious connection, it made sense. Still, it was unknown what connection they actually had, even if Zhu Yi could infer it. When the nascent soul realm cultivators'' words finished, 30 of the 40 people entered White Palace City. They stood in one big group near Zhu Yi and the other three, though they seemed to have no intention of communicating. It was not unreasonable. With any logic, there was no way that some rogue cultivators from White Palace City would be able to match them. Wu Qin''s gaze turned to Zhu Yi. Perhaps only he could match them. The two guild masters were the same. Although they were subservient, they were still proud. They were guild masters after all. They were far from ordinary. Zhu Yi''s guess seemed to be right about the older cultivators. They worked as servants to the disciples of the top ten sects. The young cultivators all talked to each other while ignoring Zhu Yi''s group. Zhu Yi waited to leave, but the guild masters stood still. "We''re still waiting for some people." They said. A few minutes after the nascent soul realm cultivators left, a group of 20 people under the age of twenty arrived. The guild masters explained as they walked over. "They are from the rest of the world. There was a tournament, and they all won." Although the disciples of the top ten sects ignored those from White Palace City, they at least paid attention to the arrival of 20 new participants. Chapter 458: The Inheritance - 458 Chapter 458 - The Inheritance - 458 These twenty newcomers could be from various backgrounds. They could be from sects just below the top ten, or even rogue cultivators, though that was unlikely. With the last group arriving, 44 participants had gathered. They seemed to form three groups. One, those from the top ten sects, showed the most arrogance and disregard. Another, the new 20, were arrogant and disregarded those from white palace city, but were very wary of those from the top ten sects. Finally, there were those from White Palace city. Among them, only Zhu Yi stood calm and steady. The other three had already begun to feel inferiority. Still, few even looked at those from White Palace City. The two guild masters spoke. "Welcome to White Palace City." Although the 40 participants were arrogant, they had to at least show some respect to the guild masters of the branches within White Palace City. They quieted down and allowed the guild masters to speak. "We will be heading to the White Palace from here. When we arrive, I''ll explain everything regarding the inheritance. Let''s depart." The guild masters set off with Zhu Yi and the other 3 behind them. Behind them were the rest, walking slowly and unconcerned. However, as they got deeper into White Palace city, everyone quieted down. Zhu Yi followed their gazes. As they were all extremely talented and most likely from high level sects, they had hardly reacted to the White Palace. Initially, they had only taken a glance. After all, cultivators could build giant and elegant buildings anywhere. Yet, as they got closer, a feeling began to press down on all of them. The source was the White Palace, or rather, Chen Jie. No matter how talented the cultivator, they would never say that they could compare to Chen Jie. An overwhelming feeling pressed down on all 40 newcomers. The other three from the guilds felt a little better seeing their reactions. No matter who they were or where they came from, they could not match Chen Jie. The group soon arrived near the White Palace in silence. Nobody was allowed inside of the White Palace. This was a rule that applied to all life in the world. However, there were no rules saying that a person could not go below White Palace City. Near the White Palace, the guild masters led the group of 44 participants and 10 servants to a hole in the ground. Leading down this hole were stairs. The guild masters stopped. "This is as far as we will take you. Now, listen closely. As you are walking down the stairs, your mind will start to fog up. Before you realize it, you will have been randomly placed inside an area within the inheritance grounds that lies below the White Palace. Although there have been many accounts of the inside, many are different. It is hard to know what you will see or find. Understand that it is possible to die inside the inheritance grounds. There is nobody who would be able to save you. Be cautious and careful. Now, in around three minutes, the inheritance will open. You can leave earlier if you find an exit, but if you stay, you will automatically be moved out after a year. Good luck." The two guild masters moved and sat off to the side. The ten servants also moved to the side. Only the 44 participants silently waited. When three minutes passed, the guild master of the rogue cultivator guild nodded. Everyone began to walk down the steps. Zhu Yi paid attention to those around him, though everyone was keeping a distance from each other. Soon, Zhu Yi''s mind clouded up. He tried to resist, but he was soon unable to think. Around him, everyone else was in the same situation. Only Zhou Fan observed them all. He soon saw a light below their feet. "Teleportation array, huh." All 44 participants disappeared. When Zhu Yi opened his eyes, he looked around. He had expected to see some sort of cavern, or at least a ceiling above his head, but there was none of that. Around him was the most beautiful environment he had ever seen. Above were clouds and even a sun. Zhu Yi felt as if he had entered another world. He looked at Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan noticed his gaze and spoke. "Some space expanding arrays to make the area below the White Palace larger. The clouds are real. The sky and the sun are fake, though impressive imitations." He said. Zhu Yi naturally did not understand. "Space expanding arrays?" "You can''t understand the specifics right now. Focus on your surroundings." Zhu Yi nodded and looked around. He seemed to be in a flat grassy area. The grass sparkled with dew, though the air did not feel humid. In the distance, Zhu Yi saw large mountains, a waterfall, a bright light, a floating palace, and many other mystical looking things. He looked around and saw a giant sword. "Should I go there?" Zhu Yi asked Zhou Fan. "I doubt that there''s anything here I can''t teach you. Your priority here should be finding material things. Treasures, materials, weapons, armor, or anything like that." Zhu Yi nodded. Although he did not know much about his master, it was safe to say that he wouldn''t lie. Zhu Yi turned and began to run towards a giant mountain in the distance. For ores, there was no better place than a mountain. Besides a ravine or large cave, but the mountain was more obvious. Although the space was big, it was at most the size of White Palace City. Zhu Yi quickly arrived at the mountain. After all, it was not at the edge and only around 10 miles away from him. As he ran, he looked around. Yet, he did not see anything. He continued forward and ran up the mountain. The mountain was large and tall, but not steep. There were a few other mountains in the inheritance, but the one Zhu Yi ran towards was the biggest. As he ran up, he spotted someone, his first interaction in the inheritance. Chapter 459: Kill - 459 Chapter 459 - Kill - 459 From the side, the person Zhu Yi spotted waved his hand. A wave of earth Qi shot towards him, breaking trees as it traveled. Zhu Yi took out his sword. "Sword Wave." He swung his sword vertically and sword Qi broke the wave of earth Qi, quickly traveling towards the attacker. Zhu Yi finally made out his attackers figure as the attackers eyes widened. From his clothes, he was from the high boulder sect, the 10th ranked sect in the world. The attacker waved his hand and a shield of earth Qi came up. "Wait. We can talk. Who are you?" He said as the sword Qi broke the shield before dissipating. As the fragments of the shield broke, the disciple of the High Boulder sect saw Zhu Yi. "White Palace City trash?" He said unconsciously. Hearing his words Zhu Yi waved his sword again. He did not want to talk anymore. "Wait! I misspoke!" The High Boulder sect disciple said. "You want to kill him?" Zhou Fan asked. Zhu Yi nodded as he attacked and the High Boulder sect disciple defended. "There won''t be any consequences, right?" Zhu Yi asked. "Probably not. This is an inheritance made by this world''s strongest after all. Nobody can see inside." Zhou Fan answered. Although Zhu Yi had not shown it, he was annoyed at being ignored and belittled. Who wouldn''t be. He had planned on allowing the High Boulder sect disciple to speak, but when he called him White Palace City trash, Zhu Yi decided to vent his anger. As an Assassin, he was no stranger to killing. It didn''t even affect him anymore. The disciple of the High Boulder sect tried to talk while defending, but Zhu Yi ignored him. He increased his strength and severed the High Boulder sect disciple in half. Although he had been strong compared to anyone else Zhu Yi had fought, he had not been anything special. "Even for the top ten sects, I''m sure it''s hard to produce disciples under the age of twenty that can reach the foundation establishment realm. Among them, how many are still under the age of twenty during the once in a hundred year opening? There are bound to be some weaker ones." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi agreed. He ran past the body and continued to climb up the mountain. If his guess was correct, then at the very least there would be one more person on the mountain. It would be the other disciple of the High Boulder sect. After all, to Zhu Yi''s knowledge, they were a sect that practiced with earth Qi. What better place was there to go than a mountain? Zhu Yi continued to run up. Although the mountain was large, it was rather easy to traverse. There were no cliffs that needed climbing, just a constant uphill slope. After running for an hour, Zhu Yi finally saw the peak. At the same time, he saw two others not too far below him. One was a woman wearing the same clothes as the person Zhu Yi killed, while the other was someone else. Zhu Yi had memorized the clothes of the top ten sects, but this person was not wearing them. He was one of the twenty that had joined last. When Zhu Yi had seen them, they had seen him. Zhu Yi read the man''s lips. "White Palace City trash again. What''s up with these people?" Zhu Yi said. "Arrogance. You''ll get used to it. You should already be." Zhu Yi also looked at the woman, but she did not say anything, though she was clearly a little confused. Zhu Yi faced forward and saw the top of the mountain. It did not come to a peak, but a flat area. It was as if the peak had been cleanly sliced off. The flat top was around a mile in area. When Zhu Yi stepped on it, something appeared in the sky above the mountain. "1/4" Zhu Yi said. It seemed that he would have to wait for 3 others. He suddenly regretted killing that person back there. He sat down and waited. Soon, the woman stepped on top of the mountain. The number changed to 2/4. She looked at the number for a second before walking towards Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi did not pay her too much attention and slightly pulled the sword out of his sheath. She stopped walking and sat down. "You are from White Palace City, right?" She asked. "I am." "How did you get up here so fast?" "I ran." Zhu Yi sheathed his sword back into his sheath. She didn''t seem to be a danger. "Did you see my little brother along the way?" She asked. Zhu Yi shook his head. "Nope." She nodded and waited. Not too long later, Zhu Yi saw the man step on top of the mountain. The number changed to 3/4. The man looked at the number before looking at Zhu Yi. He looked confused. "How did you get up here so fast?" Although he had said White Palace City trash earlier, he did not seem too arrogant. It must have been a reflexive action. "Do you people look down on White Palace City so much?" Zhu Yi asked. The man looked slightly embarrassed. "Did you notice that? Sorry. I just got used to those from the top ten sects saying it. I didn''t mean to insult you." Zhu Yi internally forgave him. "Forget about it. I got up here by running." Zhu Yi said. "Are you really from White Palace City?" He asked. "I am." The man fell silent and sat down. This time, they had to wait longer. After a few minutes, the girl ran around the perimeter of the mountain. She came back with a frown. "Did you see my little brother?" She asked the man. The man shook his head. The girl frowned even harder. "If one of you met my brother, please tell me the truth. I, Tin Ih, will be grateful. Even if you harmed him, I would like to know." Neither Zhu Yi nor the man said anything. The girl sat down and closed her eyes, deep in thought. Chapter 460: Heart Like a Boulder - 460 Chapter 460 - Heart Like a Boulder - 460 As the three waited silently, an entire day passed. Just as they were about to consider leaving, another person made it to the peak of the mountain. He was another one of the 20 that did not belong to the top ten sects. Zhu Yi stood up as the numbers turned to 4/4. So did the other two. Suddenly, lines formed around the flat mountain peak and fell vertically like pillars. They surrounded the mountain peak as a boundary and words appeared in the sky. "Body like a rock, Heart like a boulder." Zhu Yi did not understand, but before he could think, a pressure descended upon him. It felt as if he was holding up a mountain, not only in body, but in spirit. Along with the bodily pressure, Zhu Yi felt a pressure descend upon his heart. It felt like it covered his willpower and pushed down upon it. Zhou Fan spoke. "The body strong and firm like a rock. The heart unmovable like a boulder. This test is one of resistance and willpower. I''m not sure that you can succeed." These words hurt Zhu Yi''s spirit. Although it was true, it hurt to see his master not believe in him. His master had always been above him, like a god. No matter how strong he became, he could not see Zhou Fan in any other way. He, the disciple, was lacking. Zhu Yi resisted the pressure. He was fueled by the desire to prove his master wrong. Zhou Fan nodded outside of Zhu Yi''s vision. Willpower could be trained and built up, but it could also temporarily skyrocket under certain circumstances. Zhu Yi was experiencing a temporary boost. As for his body, although he did not specifically practice strengthening it, this trial focused less on the strength of the body and more on the strength of the heart. It was clear that not only Zhu Yi, but the other three participant''s eyes were unfocused. The body pressure was simply to allow one to feel it everywhere and fall into an unfocused state, but the pressure of the heart was the only test that truly mattered. Zhou Fan was impressed by the creator of this inheritance. He had talent and was firm in will. Yet, in the vast universe, there were countless that were the same. Perhaps a genius in a village was an ordinary person in a city. Perhaps a genius in a city was an ordinary person in a country. Perhaps a genius in a country was an ordinary person in the world. Perhaps a genius in a world was an ordinary person in the wider universe. As far as Zhou Fan had seen, only Chen Jie had the potential to be a genius even in the wider universe. Zhu Yi silently endured the pressure. At one point, his only thought was to prove his master wrong. The first person to fail was the last person to come. He collapsed and rolled off of the mountain peak. None of the remaining three even noticed. They were all too focused on enduring. Zhu Yi lasted longer than Zhou Fan expected. The second person to fail was the third person that had come up the mountain. All that remained on the mountain peak were Zhu Yi and the girl. Although Zhu Yi was doing well, it seemed as if he was about to lose. Zhou Fan spoke to him. "At this rate, the girl will beat you." "I know, but I will endure." Zhou Fan laughed. "Then why don''t we cheat?" Zhu Yi was confused. He could not think much under the pressure. "Speak to her. Tell her that you killed her brother." Zhu Yi was shocked at Zhou Fan''s ruthlessness. "Are you sure, master?" Zhu Yi asked. Zhou Fan nodded. "If you''re not cheating, then you''re not trying your hardest." Zhu Yi agreed and strugglingly spoke. "You-You''re looking for your brother, right?" Although the girl wouldn''t have usually heard Zhu Yi in her current state of mind, the word "brother" had caught her subconscious attention. She did not speak, but she was listening. "Down on the mountain, we met. I killed him with my bare hands while he begged me to stop. While I was ripping out his organs, he was saying something about a sister." Zhu Yi ruthlessly lied. To say he didn''t feel evil was a lie, but he needed to win. As expected, Zhu Yi''s ruthless words were heard by the girl, and her mental state temporarily shook. The pressure hit her heart full force and knocked her down. As soon as she fell, the pressure disappeared. Zhu Yi opened his eyes and looked around. The mountain was the same, but only he and the girl were left on it. Above, a light was shining, but Zhu Yi did not look at it just yet. Lying on the ground, staring at him with bloodshot eyes, was the girl, Tin Ih. Zhu Yi ran up to her and unsheathed his sword. "For the record, it was a quick death." Tin Ih saw a sword wave traveling towards her and a wall of earth Qi blocked it. Unlike her brothers, this wall blocked the sword strike, though it collapsed with it. "As expected, she''s the stronger of the bunch." Tin Ih was moving in pure anger with unrivaled hatred. A spear of earth Qi condensed in each of her hands and stabbed towards Zhu Yi. To say the least, it was clumsy. An attack fueled by rage was usually messier. Zhu Yi dodged each with a spin and slashed his sword towards Tin Ih. Tin Ih ignored it and stabbed at him. She was truly fighting without caring for her life. Zhu Yi mumbled. "Let the siblings die together." He flipped up and moved his sword. Tin Ih''s head flew and fell. Zhou Fan spoke. "She would have been a more challenging fight in different circumstances." Zhu Yi shook his head. "Regardless, let''s focus on the reward." He looked up and saw a floating key. It was high enough that a mortal wouldn''t be able to reach it, but Zhu Yi jumped casually and grabbed it. Chapter 461: Spatial Ring - 461 Chapter 461 - Spatial Ring - 461 When Zhu Yi''s feet touched the ground, something moved. A piece of stone with a door on its front came out from the ground. Zhu Yi walked towards it, and the key in his hand turned into specks of light. By the time he reached the door, the key was gone and the door was open. Inside was a dark staircase that led down. Zhu Yi began to walk down. After a few minutes, the stairs stopped and a long, dark hallway appeared. Zhu Yi took a step forward, and a pressure appeared on his body, and most importantly, his heart. He felt as if a voice resounded in his head. "Heart Like a Boulder. Unmovable, unaffected." Zhu Yi understood that he needed to walk down the hallway. Although he had won, it did not mean that he had the will, or the heart to accept the inheritance. The previous competition was only for the right to enter. Zhu Yi began to walk. Every step he took, the pressure hit him harder. "It does not appear that you will be able to reach the end of this inheritance." Zhu Yi heard his master''s voice, and he agreed. He could not even see the end of the hallway, and he was already struggling to walk. Still, he would not give up. He continued to move forward. At some point, he could feel his will wavering. Although Zhou Fan could teach anything, some things were better learned by oneself. It would not be difficult for Zhou Fan at his peak to create some sort of technique that artificially strengthened willpower, but he had never done so. Willpower was something that should be naturally gained and trained. Artificial willpower, while useful, would prove detrimental to a cultivator''s growth. As Zhu Yi struggled to walk, he eventually crumbled and fell to the ground. Far away, he could see the end of the hallway. However, there was no chance of him reaching it. Just as he was about to curse in anger, the floor beneath him opened. He fell down, and when he opened his eyes, he saw many things around him. Among them, there was one that instantly caught both Zhou Fan and Zhu Yi''s attention. "Spatial ring. Grab it." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi did not waste any time and grabbed it. They did not know if there was a time limit or if Zhu Yi was only allowed to receive one item. All around them were other items, and while Zhu Yi ran to collect them, Zhou Fan pointed. "Array material. Array material. Array material. Spirit stones. Array material. Formation material. Array material." Through Zhou Fan''s guidance, Zhu Yi snatched up a large amount of array materials, spirit stones, and even a few formation materials. As Zhu Yi began to collect another item, a light shone on him and dragged him up. He could not resist, and through a hole, he was brought back to the mountain peak. The hole closed and Zhu Yi was left with an empty peak and a corpse. Zhu Yi used some fire Qi to burn the corpse and walked around the mountain. As he went to one side, he saw something in the distance. To him, it looked like a bunch of lines and a circle, but Zhou Fan was more knowledgeable. "That''s a giant array. You should probably head to it." Zhou Fan said. Obviously, Zhu Yi agreed. This array was hidden behind the mountain. From where he first entered, Zhu Yi had not seen it. Luckily, they still had plenty of time. Zhu Yi slid down the top of the mountain and ran towards the giant array. Meanwhile, not long after he left, a person arrived on top of the mountain. He wore a scholarly robe and carried with him both a piece of paper and an ink brush. He first noticed a burnt corpse. Although Zhu Yi had burned it, his fire was not very hot. Some of the girl had survived. "Let''s see. That girl from the High Boulder sect. What was her name again?" After a second of thinking, the person shook his head. "Regardless, it''s too dirty up here. I should clean up before leaving." The person made a few lines on his piece of paper, and the charred corpse scattered into the wind like dust. "This place has probably been looted. Regardless, it doesn''t fit my style. I just came for the view." The person mumbled. He looked around the mountain, and a giant array caught his attention. "I suppose that will work. Perhaps our founder didn''t leave anything here? After all, nobody has mentioned it. We''ll see." The person walked down the vertical mountain top, his body perfectly horizontal, in the direction of the giant array. ¡ª------------------- As Zhu Yi ran, he made fast progress. The giant array was closer to the mountain than the mountain had been to his starting location. After about 5 miles of running, Zhu Yi arrived at the giant array. Surprisingly, there were a few people standing around it. They were walking around and observing it closely. Zhu Yi wanted to ask what was going on, but he was not familiar with anyone. He felt that if he walked up to someone and they called him White Palace City Trash, he may not be able to stop himself from beating them up. As he watched, Zhou Fan spoke. "The challenge is probably to manage to get past the array and enter." Zhu Yi nodded. "But how do I do that? I know nothing about arrays." "If only there was someone on your shoulder that knew arrays." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi coughed a few times and nodded in understanding. Just as he got up, he heard a voice behind him. "Someone from White Palace City? Do you know about arrays?" The voice asked. Zhu Yi turned around and saw someone around the age of 18, wearing scholarly robes and carrying a brush and paper. "I know a little." Zhu Yi said. The person nodded. "My name is Wen Si, from the writing sect. Who are you?" Zhu Yi had guessed his sect from his clothes. The writing sect, the 2nd ranked sect in the world. "My name is Zhu Yi, from White Palace City." Chapter 462: Wen Si - 462 Chapter 462 - Wen Si - 462 Wen Si nodded. "Zhu Yi. So you say you know a bit about arrays. How did you learn?" "I found a book. Unfortunately, it burned after I read it once." Zhu Yi responded. Wen Si laughed. "Wow. It must have been some book. You''re from White Palace City, so you don''t know much about this place. I can say that in the history of top ten sects entering this inheritance, very few have ever made it past the array." Zhu Yi responded. "I can handle it. Can you?" Wen Si nodded. "I can." "Even though so few people in history have successfully done it?" Zhu Yi asked. He was curious as to why Wen Si was so confident. "Among the few who have made it past, 90% were from my writing sect. In addition, I''m a little different from those today and even in the past." Zhu Yi was curious. "How so?" Wen Si smiled. "I comprehend the true inheritance of the writing sect." Zhu Yi didn''t understand what he was saying, but it was probably impressive. "For context, in the known history of the writing sect, only 3 people have successfully done so. I am the third." Put into perspective, this shocked Zhu Yi. Zhou Fan spoke for the first time since their conversation started. "Ask him how powerful the inheritance is." Zhu Yi imperceptibly nodded. "How powerful is your inheritance?" "I''m not quite sure. It comes from the founder of the writing sect, but we don''t even know who that is. You wouldn''t know, but our writing sect is the oldest sect in the world." Zhu Yi was becoming more and more shocked. He also became wary. This person sounded strong. Wen Si spoke again. "Oh. Well nevermind. I probably shouldn''t mention that. I almost got lost in bragging." "Mention what?" "Something about legends of the founder, but that''s inside knowledge. Anyway, would you like to try to break through the array? While we spoke, I was solving it. If you''re not ready, I''ll go ahead." Zhu Yi shook his head. "No. I''m ready." He got up and walked towards the array. Zhou Fan told him many specific movements to make and how to manipulate his Qi. Although Zhou Fan spoke as simply as possible, Zhu Yi still struggled to follow his instructions perfectly. After all, he had never practiced arrays. Surprisingly, he was soon standing in the middle of the array. Around the array, all eyes were on him. "Impressive." A voice said from behind. Zhu Yi turned around and saw Wen Si. "I thought you were bluffing." Wen Si smiled. "I thought the same." Zhu Yi turned around and stepped forward. He fell down and landed in a carpeted circle. Wen Si landed right next to him. "You know, you''re the first person not from the writing sect to break through the array in 2000 years. In addition, you are the second person in history to do it while not from a top ten sect. The only person not in a sect at all. You are shocking." "Thank you, but you don''t seem shocked at all." Zhu Yi said. Wen Si had been calm the entire time. "You''ll need more than that to move me, no matter how shocking you are." After speaking, they both looked around. Zhu Yi spoke again. "Do you know anything about this place?" Wen Si shook his head. "Just the background info. The elders say to leave it to fate. After all, I''m the hope of the writing sect. If nothing goes wrong, I''ll ascend." "Ascend? As in leave this world?" "Yep. It''s quite hard to do it here." Zhu Yi didn''t ask any more questions. The room they were in was quite nice. It had a red carpet and elegant windows. The light flowing through them seemed straight out of a story. Zhu Yi felt as if the room was so nice that he shouldn''t be there. The ceiling was taller than any building he had been inside of. "This is the library of arrays. According to the elders, it had every array that was in the world at the time that this inheritance was created." Wen Si said. "Are there any array materials?" Zhu Yi asked. Wen Si looked at him weirdly. "I almost forgot that you''re, pardon my rudeness, poor. Logically, if you can find array knowledge, you should find materials, but I never heard explicit mention of them." Zhu Yi nodded. Zhu Yi began to walk down the hallway. It matched the large room in terms of design and elegance. There had been nothing in the room. Wen Si followed behind him, though he soon caught up and walked shoulder to shoulder. Wen Si seemed to be curious about him. He asked many questions as they walked, and so did Zhu Yi. "Are you from an ordinary mortal family?" "I am. Are you the child of some powerful cultivator?" "In my sect, both my father and mother are only at the mid levels. They are both at the core formation realm. Do you not have any sort of teacher or master?" Zhu Yi had thought of an answer to this question long ago. He had already told his parents that he had a master, and if someone were to investigate him one day, they would probably find out about his words. "I have a master, but we don''t meet often. I met him in the woods and he taught me some things. He occasionally meets me outside of White Palace City." "Interesting. Do you know how strong he is?" "No. I can''t fathom it." "That''s interesting. My masters are the grand elder and the sect master. Your master seems much more interesting than them." "To me, he is." As they walked and talked, they soon came upon a large double door. "This should be the entrance to the library. Inside, I''ll take my leave. It was nice meeting you, Zhu Yi." "Likewise, Wen Si." They walked forward and pushed on the doors. Zhu Yi saw a flash of light, and when he opened his eyes, he saw endless books and bookshelves as tall as mountains. Chapter 463: The Calamity of Chaos Beasts - 463 Chapter 463 - The Calamity of Chaos Beasts - 463 As he looked around, Zhu Yi refused to believe that every single book had information on an array. After all, there were literally millions of books here. He walked up to the nearest bookshelf and grabbed a random book. Opening it, he saw a lot of words. This book seemed to be the history of some sort of old city. "It isn''t all arrays." Zhu Yi said. Zhou Fan spoke. "Since that Wen Si said that it was up to fate, then the array books are probably randomly scattered around." Zhu Yi agreed. He walked around the library, occasionally taking a random book. There were many books up higher, and Zhu Yi had to use the ladders to reach them. He found a lot of information, but none of it was about arrays. As he walked around, he spotted a different area. So far, everything had more or less been of the same structure. This place was different. There was a wide open space, and leaning on a stand was a giant book. The book was multiple times bigger than Zhu Yi. It seemed as if the stand was specially made for it and the book could not be removed. Zhu Yi flipped it open and read the title. "The calamity of Chaos Beasts." Zhu Yi remembered the mention of Chaos Beasts, and so did Zhou Fan. "Read this book. It''s more useful than any array or array materials you can find here." Zhu Yi agreed and began to flip pages. Despite being giant, there was not too much information in the entire book. As Zhu Yi read, he found that it was in the form of a diary. "At an unknown time in the past, Chaos Beasts descended. In all of my life and within all of my memories, Chaos Beasts had always existed, but according to master, there was a time without them. Master spoke of a cosmic sect, a god of all living beings, and an era of creation. For a long time, I could not truly believe Master''s words. Only as I grew did I understand the possibilities within the universe." Zhu Yi stopped reading and looked at his master. "Is this familiar to you?" Zhou Fan nodded. "Continue." "According to the timeline I have inferred, Master was born in a time period known as post-origin god. This time period is signified by the fact that the origin god disappeared. For a long, long time, life had continued. Humans had fought the destruction race and grown stronger. That was until the start of the most recent era. The era of Chaos Beasts. When Master spoke of the ushering in of this era, I could see faint fear. It is incomprehensible to me that Master could feel fear. I didn''t understand until Master''s residence was attacked. As always, Master''s might shook the universe. His words flowed, creating untold possibilities. Yet still, everything was broken through. The singular Chaos Beast broke through everything with just a single power. The power of Chaos. Me, Master, and my fellow disciple''s escaped. We traveled through many great creations. Along the way, Master dropped off disciple''s, leaving with them his inheritance. That is how I came to this world. I lived quietly, cultiving, hoping for the day that I saw hope once again. Humanity stood strong, but all was defensive. I was not strong enough to contribute a single thing. That was, until I met a young man. His name was Chen Jie, and he was invincible. If you are reading this, then you should know of the Chaos Beasts. I, the founder of this world''s writing sect, ask that you grow strong. The Chaos Beasts are a threat to all life in the universe, not just all life, but all things. Contribute towards the war, and your life has had purpose. Defend the World Tree, and all beings will sing your praise. " Zhu Yi flipped the page. The book was over. He was shocked at its contents. A lot of things he could not even truly understand. He looked at his master, but his master was unprecedentedly serious. Zhou Fan understood. To keep it short, it seemed that he had not successfully eliminated every bit of the Cosmic Dao. It seemed that, from fragments of its power, the Chaos Beast were born. They wielded the power of Chaos and seeked to destroy everything. Most likely to return it all to Chaos, or Chaos Qi. As for the World Tree, Zhou Fan could not help but think of Leaf. As long as Leaf was alive, everything was good. Zhou Fan looked at Zhu Yi. "Things are serious in the outside universe. I need you to help me recover so that I can return." Zhu Yi nodded. "I have always planned to." As Zhu Yi moved on and continued looking for arrays and array materials, Zhou Fan calmed his mood. Life had survived for so long, likely quintillions of years, they could survive for a bit longer. Zhu Yi continued as he had, occasionally pulling out a book and seeing if it was useful. He had yet to spot anything that looked like array materials. Suddenly, as he pulled out a book, the book pulled back. It was connected to the bookshelf, which suddenly started to rumble. A small part of the bookshelf moved back, revealing a room behind it. "Classic." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi entered and looked inside. The room was quite small. Zhu Yi could feel his hair brushing against the ceiling as he walked. Inside, it was dim, but not dark. Zhu Yi saw what appeared to be stone on the ground. "Pick it up." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded and used his spatial ring to collect the material. Zhu Yi looked around, but there was nothing else inside. At the very least, he had got something. Zhu Yi walked around for more than 5 months, almost reaching 6, before he ran into Wen Si. Wen Si seemed to be rushing, but when he saw Zhu Yi, he stopped for a moment. "Follow me." He said before turning around. Chapter 464: The Golden Palace - 464 Chapter 464 - The Golden Palace - 464 Zhu Yi hesitated for a moment before following him. He ran and quickly caught up to Wen Si. Wen Si ran as fast as he could, but he was slow. "We don''t have time for this." Wen Si said. For the first time, Zhu Yi saw him use the paper and brush he held. He quickly made a few strokes. "Jump." Zhu Yi listened and jumped at the same time as Wen Si. As they fell down, a boat that seemed to be made of Ink appeared. The ink outlined the edges and structure of the boat, but most of the boat was actually invisible. Zhu Yi could only see a faint movement of Qi that suggested it was there. The boat shot forward and moved through the library faster than Zhu Yi could run. Wen Si sat down and looked at Zhu Yi. "Half a year into the opening of the inheritance, Chen Jie''s inheritance appears." Zhu Yi instantly understood. No wonder he was in such a rush. It was nearly the time of the six month mark. "Is Chen Jie''s inheritance obvious?" Zhu Yi asked. Wen Si nodded. "It creates a very obvious phenomenon. By simply expressing your desire to enter, it will take you to it. However, be careful. More people have died inside Chen Jie''s inheritance than in any of the others combined." Wen Si was very good at expressing the importance of certain points. Zhu Yi remembered. "Of course, it''s hard to say if it''s truly dangerous. I hear that as long as you shout your intention to exit, you can immediately leave, but most people are too stubborn. They simply refuse to give up such a chance." Wen Si added. "Did your sect say anything about Chen Jie''s inheritance?" "Of course. Unfortunately, it is different every time. Luckily, while the theme changes each time, everyone experiences a slightly different trial attuned to their greatest ability." Zhu Yi nodded. The boat moved for a few hours before they reached the room they had arrived at. They stood in the middle and an array appeared. Before they realized it, they were back in the center of the giant array. This time, nobody was here. "They all left, we need to go." Wen Si wrote again, and a boat appeared. It seemed that his best transportation method was the boat, even if they moved on land. The boat treated the ground like water. As they traveled, Wen Si seemed more relaxed. "There''s actually no need to move anymore, but I want to see the appearance of the inheritance myself." The boat traveled up the mountain that Zhu Yi had come from. Zhu Yi remained silent most of the way. He anticipated the opening of Chen Jie''s inheritance. Still, most of his mind was focused on the giant book he had read. Chaos Beasts, the founder of the writing sect, the world tree, all of it. He looked at Wen Si. "Is there information on the founder of the writing sect? You said you don''t know who he is, but is there really no information?" Wen Si seemed confused. "Why? Are you interested now?" Zhu Yi shrugged. Wen Si spoke. "Considering how well we''ve got to know each other, I suppose it can''t hurt to say a bit. All we have left are legends and stories. It was said that the founder was incomparably powerful. At the time of his known existence, the writing sect was completely unmatched, yet still restrained. We''ve always been scholars." "What about the Frost sect?" Zhu Yi asked. "They came later." "What about the celestial ice sect?" Zhu Yi said, trying to pry information from Wen Si. Wen Si turned to look at him with a serious expression. "You seem to have stumbled upon something you shouldn''t have. The Frost sect is a lower branch of the celestial ice sect. We don''t know much about the celestial ice sect. They were only truly active after Chen Jie''s era. Still, from the stories and legends, the celestial ice sect would not have dared to act presumptuous in front of the founder." "What happened to the founder of the writing sect?" Zhu Yi asked, though he already knew the truth. "Unknown. He probably left this world. As for when, it was far before I know." From his words, it was unlikely that he knew that the founder of the writing sect left with Chen Jie. Chen Jie, while his legend was nearly ancient, was considered known history. As for exactly how long ago Chen Jie existed, Zhu Yi did not know. Zhu Yi was tempted to ask if he knew about Chaos Beasts or about information on the celestial ice sect, but decided to stop. He couldn''t completely trust Wen Si. Soon, they made it on top of the mountain. On the top, there were many other people. They were all looking towards the distance, near the area where Zhu Yi had first come in. "We''re just on time." Wen Si said as the boat dispersed. He walked to the edge of the mountain and Zhu Yi stood near him. Everyone around looked at Wen Si with admiration. As for Zhu Yi, he was ignored. Nobody had seen him arrive with Wen Si. A few minutes passed as Zhu Yi looked into the distance. Suddenly, a small golden light appeared. From the distance, it looked as if a golden dot was rolling around itself. Strands of golden light slowly uncoiled from it. It was a whirlpool of light. As the golden light unfurled, Zhu Yi saw it take form. He felt an oppressive pressure that seemed familiar. As the light took form, he understood why. In front of him was a floating Palace. It was exactly like the White Palace, but golden. There was no doubt that this was Chen Jie''s inheritance. Around him, Zhu Yi heard people speak. "I wish to enter." "I wish to enter the Palace." "I wish to enter." As people spoke, golden light shot out from the Palace. It formed a bridge under the peoples feet. When the person who spoke stepped on the golden bridge, the bridge retracted, bringing them towards the Palace at an incredible speed. Zhu Yi spoke. "I wish to enter." A golden bridge shot out. It arrived just in front of Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi stepped on it. Chapter 465: Chen Jie鈥檚 Inheritance - 465 Chapter 465 - Chen Jie''s Inheritance - 465 When Zhu Yi''s feet touched the bridge, it began to retract at an incredible speed. Zhu Yi had never moved so fast in his life. Before he could fully understand his current speed, he was already in front of the Golden Palace. The Golden Palace was huge, and nobody was near Zhu Yi. He looked at the floor below his feet. It seemed to be made of the same material as the Golden Palace, if it could be called a material. Whether it was looking at or feeling the golden light, it did not seem solid. It was as if wind had solidified into a form that Zhu Yi could stand on. He began to walk forward. He saw golden light all around him, forming long paths, trees, grass, flowers, everything that one would expect to see when just outside of a palace. The only difference was that everything was made of a golden light. Before long, Zhu Yi arrived at a wall of the Palace. "Can I enter?" Zhu Yi asked. He was speaking to himself, but Zhou Fan answered. "There should be a way to enter from here. Try touching the wall." Zhu Yi followed Zhou Fan''s suggestion. As his hand touched the wall, it suddenly formed an archway. Inside was completely covered by fog, but the fog was golden as well. Zhu Yi walked into the fog. He was unable to even see his hands as he moved. As he walked deeper and deeper, the golden fog around him began to change. Before he realized it, he was on empty, barren land. The sky above was red and in front of him stood a man holding a sword. The man had long black hair and long facial hair. His eyes gave off a feeling that he was ancient. Zhu Yi understood that this was his trial. The man in front of Zhu Yi took a step. As soon as his foot touched the ground, his figure blurred. Zhu Yi immediately turned around, his sword intent bursting out of his body. His sword clashed with the man''s sword, but the man''s figure blurred again. Zhu Yi turned around and slashed out. His sword was met with the man''s. The man did a 180 before disappearing. When he appeared, his sword was directly in front of Zhu Yi''s face. Zhu Yi felt a grave sense of danger. Already, he was about to lose. Luckily, his master had taught him a Time Qi technique. Although the sword had been less than an inch from Zhu Yi''s face and was moving at an incredible speed, the man''s sword suddenly stopped. Zhu Yi''s figure had essentially teleported, or rather, skipped time. His sword was now directly in front of the man''s chest and he pushed forward. With this, instant completion used much less Qi. If he had used instant completion to both move and attack, he would have been drained of Qi. This way, he had some to spare. Although the man was fast, he was unable to react to Zhu Yi''s move. His heart was pierced. With a confused look on his face, the man''s body turned into specks of golden light, as did the surroundings. Zhu Yi expected to complete the inheritance like that, but he was wrong. Nothing happened afterwards. Eventually, Zhu Yi continued walking forward. "Master. What was his cultivation level?" Zhu Yi asked. If not for the time Qi technique, he would have lost. He may have even died. "Same as you." Zhu Yi stopped walking and looked at his shoulder in shock. He did not believe it. "Isn''t your sword technique the greatest? How could he defeat me like that?" Zhu Yi asked in shock. "First of all, the sword technique is the greatest, not you. You''re still an amatuer with the technique. Secondly, he was using a movement technique to completely outclass you. You have no counter for that. Finally, he was much older than you. His years of experience allowed him to completely outclass you." Zhou Fan explained. Zhu Yi understood, but he could not hide his shock at all. No matter what, the man could have only been 300 years old at most. To be able to not only compete with his Masters passed down sword arts but completely outclass him, the man must have been a genius. "I can tell what you''re thinking. Don''t overestimate yourself. In the wider universe, there are billions of people younger than you that can kill you with a flick of a finger. Hell, back in the old days, I watched over a kid named Anna who reached the soul formation realm when she was younger than you. Things are different now, but still." Zhu Yi was shocked again. His master had revealed insane information. It went against everything that Zhu Yi knew. That girl must have been a genius of unknown proportions. Zhu Yi was curious. "Master, what happened to that girl in the end?" Zhou Fan was silent for a moment. "She perished with her greatest enemy. Don''t worry about it too much. It''s ancient history." Zhu Yi nodded and refocused. He was still in Chen Jie''s inheritance. As he moved deeper into the golden fog, the surroundings changed once again. Zhu Yi found himself sitting cross legged on the ground with thousands of others. Ahead, there was a woman speaking to all of them. Everything about the scene was peaceful and gave off a feeling of education. Suddenly, the sky darkened and a black finger descended. The woman''s head snapped up. "Arrogant!" She lifted her hand, and a palm rose from the ground. A giant black finger descended from the skies and a giant golden palm rose to match it. The clash shook the sky, shattering space, and forced Zhu Yi to fly back while spitting blood. Luckily, most of the force had been contained within the clash. Still, to Zhu Yi, this scene shocked him to the core. He had never imagined that he would see space shatter. Suddenly, an unknown black Qi swirled around his body. Zhu Yi felt as if death itself was grasping him. Chapter 466: Sword Princess - 466 Chapter 466 - Sword Princess - 466 Zhou Fan spoke with urgency. "Death Qi. Use instant completion with a movement technique to escape." Zhu Yi instantly understood and did just that. The Death Qi fell and Zhu Yi was unharmed, but from afar, the clash was still ongoing. Thousands of hooded creatures wielding scythes flew to the ground and fought countless cultivators. One of them flew towards Zhu Yi. "Core formation! Run away!" Zhou Fan shouted. Zhu Yi''s face paled and he ran as fast as he could. Unfortunately, it was futile against a being that could fly. "What kind of inheritance is this!? Who the hell could possibly pass this?!" Zhu Yi shouted as he ran faster. Even Zhou Fan was shocked by the contents of this inheritance, much less Zhu Yi. Perhaps in the wider universe, there were some people who could pass it, but they were very few. A scythe covered in death Qi flew down in front of Zhu Yi. He used sword wave in an attempt to deflect it, but it was futile. Five more sword waves followed before Zhu Yi pushed the scythe back. "Giving up is possible." Zhou Fan reminded. Zhu Yi nodded and focused. In front of him, the hooded figure landed on the ground. Death Qi burst from him and an aura of death filled Zhu Yi''s surroundings. He understood that he could not win. This was not just an average core formation realm cultivator. Even among those at his level, he would be a top elite. Luckily, he was only at the first level. Otherwise, Zhu Yi would already be dead. The figure took a step, and Zhu Yi immediately wanted to give up. The aura of death pressed down on him. Zhu Yi gritted his teeth and stood his ground. He had killed people and was not a good person. It could be said that he was cruel. From Zhou Fan''s words, he had heard a saying. "Cruel to others and cruel to oneself." Zhu Yi was cruel to others, and in order to be more than an evil person, he had to be cruel to himself as well. This was a part of his philosophy that dictated his life. He held his sword ready to attack. The figure slowly walked over, the aura of death growing every step. It entered attacking range, and Zhu Yi pulled his sword out of his sheath. Suddenly, everything around him turned into golden light. He had completed the trial. Zhu Yi fell down sweating. He was lucky that it was a trial that tested the will to fight even in the face of death. Otherwise, he may have died there. "Perhaps I was wrong about you. You actually seem like a good disciple right now." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi gave him a thumbs up and walked deeper into the golden light. He walked, and before he realized it, he was in another area. This time, he was in space. Zhu Yi was shocked. He panicked for a moment before realizing that he was in a contained area. Looking around, the walls were only slightly visible and could be seen through, leading to his misunderstanding. He seemed to be in a cube. Across from him was a girl wearing a blindfold and holding a thin sword. Outside of the cube, he heard a voice. Paying attention to the outside, he saw a few people, all of them old, watching them. "How many moves can this brat last?" "I bet 3. He seems confident." "He won''t survive one." "I think he can survive 4." The old people seemed to bet on his survival. Zhu Yi questioned the trial in his head. Why did it always create scenarios? At first, he thought that it was experiences of Chen Jie, but Chen Jie was never in space as a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator. It was hard to make sense of. "Enough talking. You two. Fight." An old man said. As soon as he spoke, the girl moved. She took a step... and Zhu Yi lost track of her. He could not sense or hear her at all. It was as if she had disappeared. All his thoughts were completed in an instant as Zhou Fan spoke. "Behind." Zhu Yi tucked and rolled to the side. He heard no sound and sensed nothing, but from the corner of his eye, a thin sword silently moved before disappearing again. Zhou Fan seemed to read Zhu Yi''s mind as he spoke. "She has the same cultivation as you." Zhu Yi was shocked, but had to focus on the battle. He swung his sword and managed to block the sword that moved from behind him. He rolled and turned around, but a sword came from behind him again. He could not understand the fight at all. He dodged and attempted to block, but as time passed, he was gaining injuries, all while never seeing the girl. The old people from the side seemed surprised. "He can fight well, but he''s still a punching bag." "Who could fight back against the sword princess?" "Nobody said someone could. It is merely surprising that someone can live this long. Though he''ll die soon." Zhu Yi heard the words and agreed. If not for his trump card, he would not even be able to retaliate. He still had nearly all of his Qi and decided to bet it all on two uses of instant completion. He once again thanked his master for the incredible technique. As the sword came from behind, Zhu Yi used a movement technique. Instant completion. It was as if he teleported. He saw the back of the girl. He swung his sword, using his remaining Qi. It was a simple swing. Instant completion. The girl was cut in half. Off to the side, an elder shouted in rage. "You dare!" The world collapsed, but before it could affect Zhu Yi, everything turned into golden light once again. This time, Zhu Yi layed on the floor. He had many minor injuries from the fight and almost no Qi. Luckily, the girl''s sword was light. He had not even been able to see her. He could barely react. If not for instant completion, he didn''t even have the qualifications to fight that girl. And she was in the same realm as him. Chapter 467: Chen Jie - 467 Chapter 467 - Chen Jie - 467 Not just the same realm, they were even at the same level. Zhu Yi laid down for a while while recovering his Qi. It took a few hours, but he eventually fully recovered his Qi. He got up and walked deeper into the golden light. After a while, the golden light seemed to slowly thin out. Soon, Zhu Yi was able to see his hands, then his entire body, until finally, he stepped into a throne room. The floor was covered in red carpet and there were many seats to the side. In front of Zhu Yi, where a throne should have been, there was an unfamiliar man sitting on a rock. He was faced away from Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi''s ears perked up as he heard footsteps. Looking to the side, a familiar face stepped through the golden light. "Zhu Yi?" "Wen Si?" They spoke at the same time. Wen Si was shocked to see Zhu Yi, while Zhu Yi was shocked to see Wen Si''s arm, or lack thereof. Wen Si had many cuts and a lot of blood covering his body. He was missing an entire arm. He now held his paper and brush in one hand. "Eh?!" Both of them turned to look at the man sitting on a rock. He had turned around and looked at them with confusion, shock, and bewilderment. He seemed like a completely ordinary person. "Not just one, but two! What kind of era is this?" The man said. Zhu Yi and Wen Si looked at the man in confusion. Wen Si spoke. "Are you another trial?" The man shook his head. "Uh. I''m Chen Jie." Zhu Yi and Wen Si completely paused. "Well, technically I''m more like a clone left behind. I''m basically him at the 1st level of the Foundation Establishment realm, but with a lot more knowledge and control over the palace." Chen Jie explained. Zhu Yi and Wen Si blankly nodded. "Anyway. Here." Chen Jie waved his hand and a golden light wrapped around them. All the injuries suffered during the trials were healed, though old injuries such as scars were kept. Wen Si switched his paper back to his other hand, looking just as he had when Zhu Yi first met him. "Ever since this inheritance was created, two people have never entered at once. A person usually only enters once every million years." He looked at Wen Si. "You carry the "true" inheritance of the writing sect, so it''s not too unbelievable that you came here, but you..." He looked at Zhu Yi with confusion. "You seem to be using some sort of Space Qi technique, but that appears to be teleportation. Still, it''s slightly different. It doesn''t make sense that you can teleport at such a low level. In fact, it breaks all known knowledge. Do you have some sort of divine physique or innate talent?" Zhu Yi responded. "I have a good master." Chen Jie nodded. "I won''t make you explain anything." Chen Jie waved his hand and a bunch of items appeared on the floor. "Pick one. Then, I''ll give you the true final test." Zhu Yi looked at the floor, and so did Wen Si. Some things were contained in spatial rings, while others were just laying around. While they looked around, Zhu Yi asked Chen Jie a question. "What is the true final test?" Chen Jie spoke. "Fight me at the same realm. For the record, nobody has ever passed the trial, and neither will you." Zhu Yi nodded in agreement. He didn''t even have such a ridiculous idea. That sword princess alone could have killed him without instant completion. After picking up many spatial rings, Zhu Yi found another and looked inside. He widened his eyes as he looked at the contents. It was spirit stones. So so many spirit stones. All of them were of high quality as well. Imagining Zhou Fan''s recovery after using them, Zhu Yi instantly chose it. "I want this." Zhu Yi said. Chen Jie nodded. Zhu Yi stepped to the side and sat in one of the seats. After a while, Wen Si stopped looking. "Do you have anything from the founder?" Chen Jie nodded and pointed to the side. Wen Si picked up a spatial ring and looked inside. "I want this." Chen Jie nodded and took the remaining things away. Wen Si took a golden brush out of the spatial ring and held it in preparation for the final test. Chen Jie stood in the center of the room with his arms crossed. "Both of you can come at once." As he spoke, he no longer felt like an ordinary person. He gave off the same feeling as the White Palace. Zhu Yi and Wen Si did not stand on occasion. They nodded at each other and moved. Wen Si wrote on his paper and Zhu Yi shot out a sword wave. Chen Jie looked at Zhu Yi and stepped forward. He leisurely dodged the sword wave and grabbed at Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi jumped back, but Chen Jie''s hand felt as if it was impossible to dodge. Zhu Yi used instant completion with a movement technique to appear behind Chen Jie and stabbed forward. At the same time, a diagonal line of ink appeared on Chen Jie''s back. Chen Jie turned around and the ink line shattered. Zhu Yi''s sword was grabbed and Chen Jie threw him and his sword across the room as if he was a ragdoll. He stepped forward and reached at Wen Si. Wen Si was still in shock at his ink line breaking, but wrote on the paper. A barrier appeared, but Chen Jie pushed forward and it was shattered. Zhu Yi did not know how strong Wen Si was, but he managed to get through the trial without a time Qi technique. It was likely that Chen Jie was just so overwhelmingly powerful that they both seemed weak. Zhou Fan spoke. "He is using the power of a divine physique." Zhu Yi did not know what a divine physique was, but he listened while charging towards Chen Jie. "It is a divine physique related to momentum. Nothing can stop him without being countless times more powerful. I have suggestions, but there''s nothing you can do here. Just his divine physique is going to defeat you both." Chapter 468: Just A Scratch - 468 Chapter 468 - Just A Scratch - 468 Zhu Yi had accepted defeat from the moment that he knew he was fighting Chen Jie, but he wanted to at least injure him. No, not injure. At least scratch him. As Zhu Yi charged, chains formed around Chen Jie and wrapped around him. With a single step, Chen Jie broke the chains and continued moving his hand towards Wen Si. At this time, Zhu Yi arrived and used a sword wave at Chen Jie. Chen Jie looked behind. He could either continue attacking and take the attack, or he could stop pursuing Wen Si. These were the only two possibilities in Zhu Yi''s mind. However, Chen Jie simply used one hand to attack Wen Si, and the other grabbed Zhu Yi''s sword wave with two fingers. Zhu Yi shot out another sword wave, but Chen Jie sent his sword wave back towards him, colliding with the second sword wave. Chen Jie''s actions defied all of the logic Zhu Yi understood, but for some reason he was not shocked. It was Chen Jie after all. Zhu Yi continued forward, but Wen Si was still facing Chen Jie''s other hand. He wrote on his paper, but no matter what appeared, Chen Jie broke through it all. He was an unstoppable force. As Wen Si retreated, struggling to survive, Zhu Yi reached Chen Jie. He slashed down, but without looking, Chen Jie made Wind Qi go around his body and hit Zhu Yi in the side. It was directly in Zhu Yi''s blind spot, causing him to not defend and be sent flying across the room. As Zhu Yi flew, Chen Jie finally paid full attention to Wen Si. "Let''s finish this up." He put his hand down, which gave Wen Si a chance to stop writing. Chen Jie spoke. "Use the true inheritance of the writing sect. I know this is not it." Wen Si''s face turned completely serious. He adjusted himself, and even the way that he held the pen changed. The paper spread out and floated in front of him. Zhu Yi was going to come over and assist, but Wen Si spoke. "Let me face him myself. We won''t win regardless." Zhu Yi nodded and crossed his legs. He would recover his Qi while waiting for his turn. Chen Jie took a deep breath and stepped forward. As his foot hit the ground, he disappeared. Wen Si moved his entire body and instantly drew tens of lines on the paper. It was not any language that Zhu Yi knew, perhaps something made for this technique. 30 arrows made of flame Qi appeared and shot out. Chen Jie stopped and waved his hand, a blast of WInd Qi sending them away. Yet Wen Si never stopped writing for a second. His entire body moved back and forth as he constantly wrote. Arrows made of various Qi''s, slashes, swords, spears, countless attacks made by countless techniques appeared and attacked Chen Jie. Chen Jie seemed to finally start trying. He moved around, though still casually, and fought against the onslaught of attacks. As he did so, he spoke. "I''m going all out now, use what you''ve got." Chen Jie''s body gave off a different aura and he charged forward, breaking through every attack that came. Wen Si stopped writing and shook the ink off of his brush. He spat out blood onto his paper and dipped his brush into it. "Writing sect technique: Writing the World." Wen Si spoke. He made one long line on his paper. He was not writing in a language this time, but the line expressed everything he wanted to do. Zhu Yi faintly saw what appeared to be a tiny planet appear. It charged towards Chen Jie like a fireball. Chen Jie punched out, and they collided. The room shook and Chen Jie took a step back. Then, the tiny world dispersed and Wen Si collapsed. He coughed up blood while looking at Chen Jie. Chen Jie stopped moving and looked at him. "If you ever leave this world, find the true writing sect inheritance. What you have is only a part of it." Wen Si was shocked. "What is the true writing sect inheritance?" "Writing the universe. Anything can be created. Even life." Chen Jie said simply. He turned to Zhu Yi, who stood up. Chen Jie did not have a scratch on his body. Zhu Yi took a deep breath, and Chen Jie moved. As he got closer, Zhu Yi took action. Instant completion. Instant completion. Zhu Yi moved and attacked, using two instant completions. He fell down, suffering from Qi exhaustion. Chen Jie stopped moving and looked at Zhu Yi. On his arm, a cut an inch deep let out a few drops of blood. "Not bad. I have no idea what that is, but if you could use it with your full strength, you''d be unmatched." These were the last words that Zhu Yi heard before falling unconscious. When he woke up, he first saw a beautiful sunset. Looking around, he was on the mountain with the flat peak. Wen Si was sitting next to him. "You''re awake." Zhu Yi sat up. Wen Si spoke. "Congrats, you cut Chen Jie, causing blood to spill." "That''s all I hoped to do. Did he even use a technique against us?" "It didn''t feel like it." Wen Si said. Zhu Yi looked at Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan spoke. "He only used a movement technique and the technique that sent your slash back at you. Besides that, he used pure power and his divine physique." Zhu Yi sighed. Ever since learning instant completion, he felt that he would never lose again. Who knew that someone like Chen Jie would exist. Well, he did, but he never thought that he would meet him. Wen Si held out his hand. "This is for you." Zhu Yi looked at the sword in confusion. Wen Si explained. "This is the prize for causing him to spill blood. You are apparently the second person to ever do so." Zhu Yi grabbed the sword and felt that it was completely different from anything he had ever felt before. Wen Si continued to speak. "Chen Jie said that the sword was specially crafted for him when he was younger. It should last until the Nascent Soul realm." Zhu Yi nodded and mentally thanked Chen Jie. After all, he didn''t have to give him the sword. Chapter 469: Recovery Thresholds - 469 Chapter 469 - Recovery Thresholds - 469 After looking at the sword for a moment, Zhu Yi put it up in the sheath it came with. "How long have I been asleep?" He asked Wen Si. "A few days. There is still plenty of time left to find inheritances if you wish to." Zhu Yi thought for a moment and got up. "I''ll see you later." Wen Si nodded. "See you later." Zhu Yi got off of the mountain and walked towards the giant array. He needed some privacy. It didn''t take him long before he was inside the room. Not too far away was the door to the library, but Zhu Yi did not intend to enter it. He crossed his legs and examined his rings. He had three rings. One was the wooden ring that he had gotten. It connected him and Zhou Fan. The second was the ring he had gotten in the mountain trial. It contained array materials, formation materials, and spirit stones. The third was the one he had received from Chen Jie. It was filled with an incredible amount of high quality spirit stones. He ignored the spirit stones in the second ring and took out a bunch from the third ring. "Let''s start." He said. Zhou Fan nodded and prepared. Zhu Yi rapidly touched the spirit stones on the ring, absorbing hundreds every single minute. Each of them was at least a high-quality spirit stone. The value of each one was something that Zhu Yi could hardly imagine. While the market price between a low quality spirit stone and a high quality spirit stone was only a difference of 10,000, a high-quality spirit stone could not necessarily be bought for 10,000 low grade spirit stones. A high-grade spirit stone contained a higher density of Qi that was incomparable to that of a low quality spirit stone. After absorbing around 1,000 high-quality spirit stones, Zhou Fan felt a change. "Stop." Zhu Yi stopped and looked at Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan felt the same sensation as the last time he broke through a recovery threshold. He felt bursts of energy and used the excess to activate the river of cultivation. He began to change Zhu Yi. After a while, Zhou Fan stopped. Zhu Yi watched him return to normal. Zhu Yi spoke first. "What did you do this time?" Zhou Fan answered. "I increased your talent by two levels. You now have spirit rank meridians." Zhu Yi was excited, and became even more excited looking at the endless spirit stones in his ring. "Continue." Zhu Yi added more and more spirit stones to the ring. It took a long time, but after almost 300,000 high-quality spirit stones, Zhou Fan felt the same sensation. He went into the same state as before and recovered. Using the excess energy to use the river of cultivation, he changed Zhu Yi once again. Zhu Yi saw Zhou Fan return to normal and asked the same question. "What did you do this time?" Zhou Fan answered. "Your talent increased by 1 rank. You now have king rank meridians. I also gave you another affinity. Along with Fire Qi and Time Qi, you now have an affinity to Space Qi." Zhu Yi was extremely excited. Yet still, there were more spirit stones. He could only hope that another recovery threshold could be passed. As Zhu Yi poured spirit stones onto the ring, Zhou Fan considered what to do next. For this world, Zhu Yi''s talent could be considered good enough. Reaching the void traversing realm was not only possible, but an eventuality with Zhou Fans help. Although increasing Zhu Yi''s talent would be very beneficial, and giving him a new affinity would help a lot, Zhou Fan had a different idea. He wanted to give Zhu Yi either a divine physique or an innate talent. He would have to see when he broke through the next recovery threshold. Zhu Yi absorbed countless high-quality spirit stones, but he eventually ran out. All that remained were top quality spirit stones. In this world, they were basically impossible to find. Luckily, Chen Jie had managed to find nearly a thousand of them and put them in this spatial ring. Zhu Yi grabbed them and used them on the wooden ring. At the market price, top grade spirit stones were a thousand times more expensive than high quality spirit stones. In total, there were 879 top grade spirit stones. After absorbing 868 of them, Zhou Fan felt a change. Zhu Yi excitedly put the remaining 11 in the other spatial ring. He now had an unfathomable amount of wealth. As soon as possible, Zhou Fan used the excess energy to try and activate the river of cultivation. He successfully did so, but to his disappointment, he did not have enough energy to give Zhu Yi either a divine physique or an innate talent. "On to the backup plan then." Zhu Yi watched as Zhou Fan returned to normal. "What did you do this time?" He asked. Zhou Fan spoke. "I gave you weapon talent. God-level sword talent." Zhu Yi was confused, but the word god made him feel that it had to be incredible. Indeed, it was incredible. Zhou Fan was surprised he had been able to increase it to god rank in the first try, but it was something that he had created after all. It was slightly different from increasing talent or adding divine physiques. "What exactly does that mean?" Zhu Yi asked. Zhou Fan laughed. "Swing a sword." Zhu Yi unsheathed his new sword. Weapon talents were usually looked over on lower level worlds. They were easier to miss compared to meridians. Zhu Yi swung his sword. As the motion was completed, he stood silently for a moment. After 5 minutes, he blinked again. He looked at Zhou Fan with awe. It was as if he had seen an entirely different world. "Master. Let''s train with the sword." Zhu Yi said. Zhou Fan nodded. He began to teach him his sword style from the very beginning. Zhu Yi was countless times faster in learning. At this rate, it seemed like even Chen Jie would eventually be surpassed. As if he was a dehydrated man stumbling upon an oasis, Zhu Yi madly practiced the sword until the inheritance closed. Chapter 470: The Formless Sword - 470 Chapter 470 - The Formless Sword - 470 A golden light touched Zhu Yi in the middle of a sword swing. Before he realized it, he was in the middle of a large group of people. He recognized a lot of the faces around him. "It seems the inheritance has closed." Zhou Fan said. Instead of feeling sad, Zhu Yi was excited. After practicing the sword for so long, Zhou Fan had promised to teach him an actual technique once the inheritance closed. It would be his second technique after sword wave. Everything he had learned so far had simply been a sword style. When they came out, the remaining people split into three groups. Zhu Yi was with the white palace city group. Only he and Wu Qin remained. It seemed that the other two had died in the inheritance. Looking at the other two groups, there seemed to be a fair amount of casualties. Of course, no group was missing half like the white palace city group. As the other two groups walked away, Wen Si nodded at Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi nodded back and returned home. Nobody discussed what was received inside the inheritance. It was private information. Zhu Yi soon returned home. As soon as he did, he grabbed his sword and looked at Zhou Fan expectantly. Zhou Fan sighed and jumped off of his shoulder. His soul form grew until it was the size of a normal human. This was something he was now able to do after recovering three times inside of the inheritance. "I''m going to teach you one of my favorite sword techniques. It was actually not created by me. It is called the formless sword." Zhu Yi listened closely. "Before learning the sword part, you first need to experience formlessness. Usually, this would take many years. However, you have something that Tian Fu didn''t. You have god level sword talent. As long as you practice formlessness with the intention of learning the sword technique, you should be able to master it quickly." Zhu Yi found it hard to understand, but he nodded. Zhou Fan spent a while explaining the specifics before Zhu Yi began. He sat cross legged in the middle of the yard. While cultivating under the assistance of Zhou Fan, he did his best to experience formlessness. In order to help him, a sword was laid across his lap. Zhu Yi spent a while sitting like that. With king rank meridians and Zhou Fan''s assistance, the Foundation Establishment realm was like a joke. It took a year for Zhu Yi to reach formlessness. This was under the condition that he had god level sword talent and Zhou Fans assistance. Otherwise, it would be impossible for Zhu Yi to ever succeed. In that same year, Zhu Yi reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm. Before caring about that, however, Zhu Yi stood up and grabbed a sword. Zhou Fan, in his full body form, taught Zhu Yi the true formless sword. Zhu Yi caught on pretty quick and learned the formless sword in just a day. He would have to train in order to fully master it, but he could now do that by himself. Zhu Yi unsheathed his sword and did a flip-like movement in the air. Without any noise or sound, a mannequin''s head flew off. The formless sword did not even need instant completion since almost nobody at the same level could detect it. Almost anyone who could would be able to instantly defeat Zhu Yi regardless. Zhu Yi needed to practice the formless sword more and cultivate, but there was one problem. He was at the 10th level of the Foundation establishment realm. If he advanced any further, he would no longer be able to enter White Palace City. This really wasn''t a huge issue, but White Palace City was Zhu Yi''s home. It was essentially the only place in the world that he knew. He asked his master for guidance. "It''s just a city. We can wander the world rather freely once you reach the core formation realm. Before we leave, however, you need to beat up that old guy." Zhu Yi knew who Zhou Fan was talking about. His hatred had mostly faded over time, but he was still very willing to beat that old man up. Zhu Yi put a stop to practicing the sword for now and focused on cultivating. The missions at the Assassination guild did not have anything he was interested in any more. With his king rank meridians, spirit stones, and Zhou Fan''s help, he was nearly at the limit of cultivation speed in the Foundation Establishment realm. Although Zhu Yi had forgotten to set up a time bubble before, he did so now. He still hadn''t learned arrays, but he would have plenty of time later. Zhu Yi exited the time bubble after 4 months. He packed up his stuff, which was just a sword and his spatial ring that was already on him, before heading towards the exit of White Palace City. He walked slowly and enjoyed the scenery for the last time. Still, he eventually made it out of the city. Zhu Yi did not go straight out in search of a new place to live, but took a detour. Before long, he was in front of the nascent soul realm cultivators house. Around 10 feet away from it, he sat down and cultivated. After a minute, the old man came out and saw Zhu Yi. "What the hell are you doing here brat?" Zhu Yi didn''t answer. Moments later, he broke through. The nascent soul realm cultivator noticed it and stopped speaking. "It''s finally time." Zhu Yi opened his eyes and looked at the old man. The nascent soul realm old man noticed the intent within his gaze. "Who do you think you are?" Zhu Yi did not answer. He grabbed his sword and his figure blurred. The nascent soul realm cultivator''s eyes widened and Water Qi burst out from his body. It formed a perfect protective sphere around him. Zhu Yi appeared above the bubble and unsheathed his sword. "Sword Wave." Chapter 471: Giving Out A Beating - 471 Chapter 471 - Giving Out A Beating - 471 Like a tree falling into an ocean, the water sphere was almost completely cut through with a single sword wave. Zhu Yi''s swordsmanship was on a completely different level compared to before. He had even considered fighting the old man as a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator, but eventually decided against it. The nascent soul realm old man was clearly shocked by Zhu Yi''s single attack. He began to use water Qi wildly. Zhu Yi simply disappeared. After so long, he had mastered a movement technique that complimented his swordsmanship. Zhou Fan called it the sword walk. Spears of water Qi shot around, but Zhu Yi was nowhere to be seen. He quickly reappeared to the side of the bubble and used a sword wave once again. This sword wave popped the water bubble, but the old man remained undamaged so far. The old man gathered water Qi on his palm and slammed the ground. Many thin spikes shot out, but Zhu Yi was up in the air. Sword wave. This time, there was no water sphere. The old man shot out 50 spears of water Qi, but they only slowed down the sword wave. Just as the sword wave was about to hit the old man, he used another water Qi technique. This technique formed armor around his body. Unfortunately, this was not enough to completely protect him. The water Qi armor shattered and the old man was forced deep into the ground. Suddenly, the area began to shake. So far, the battleground had been confined to a reasonably small area, at least for core formation and above cultivators. Now, the old man was going all out. He floated up from below, six rings of water spinning around him. Only a faint drop of blood had seeped from his lips. "Did you ever imagine that such a thing would happen?" Zhu Yi asked. Flying for the first time, Zhu Yi flew across from the old man. The nascent soul realm old man looked at Zhu Yi deeply. "I regret nothing." The six rings around him expanded and sliced out. Zhu Yi sheathed his sword as one of the rings flew towards him. Formless sword. Zhu Yi unsheathed his sword, and the six rings collapsed. Zhu Yi moved in front of the old man with a single step and punched out. The old man, unable to react, was helplessly smashed into the ground. Zhu Yi used Qi to grab his body and bring it out from underground. He held the old man''s robe and looked him in the eyes. "Let me ask you now. What are Chaos Beasts?" The old man sighed in resignation. "Fine." Zhu Yi threw him over to his house. The old man pierced through it, destroying the entire house. Zhu Yi stood across from the old man. The old man sat with his back against a tree and spoke. "Keep in mind that I only know what I''ve been told. Chaos beasts are far above my level. From what I know, Chaos Beasts are a disaster that the entire universe faces. The war is mostly focused in one direction, but space has a left, right, forward, back, up, and down. While most intruders can be spotted, some manage to slip through. That is what our world faces. Breaking through space with the power of Chaos, Chaos Beasts can occasionally appear in random locations. About once every hundred years in our world, a soul formation Chaos Beast appears. On its body like parasites are many lower level Chaos Beasts." The old man explained. "A Chaos Beast cannot be defeated by someone on the same level. This is not only a saying, but a rule, a part of logic. Yet, Chen Jie had broken that rule. Of course, both the Chaos Beast and him were only in the core formation realm. Chaos Beasts cannot grow, they are born with their cultivation. The higher the realm of the Chaos Beast, the stronger it is in its realm. Perhaps Chen Jie could defeat a Chaos Beast at the core formation level, but the same can not be said for a Chaos Beast at the soul formation level. Of course, I''ve never heard anything further. Perhaps someone else knows." The old man stopped speaking. "Is that all you know?" Zhu Yi asked. "That''s the gist of it. Everything else is only stories or legends." The old man said. "Tell me the legends." Zhu Yi said. The old man nodded. "Apparently, the world tree is the main part of the defense against Chaos beasts on a universal level. Although it is said that the world tree''s cultivation is actually low, it apparently has a restraining effect on the strongest Chaos Beast of all." "How is that possible?" Zhu Yi asked. From what he had heard, Chaos seems to be the strongest power of all. Zhou Fan was similarly interested. The old man hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Well. Remember, this is just a legend. It could be false. Apparently, the world tree was raised by the Origin God, and the Origin God wore clothes made of Chaos Qi. He also wielded that power. From the legend, the world tree was wrapped around the Origin God, and constantly made contact with his clothes. The world tree somehow evolved to have a restraining effect on the Chaos Beasts as a result." Zhu Yi found it laughable, but on his shoulder, Zhou Fan was laughing. It was such a stupid reason, a mere coincidence, and yet it was the reason that the universe had survived. He had always known that Leaf was talented, and the world tree was undoubtedly Leaf. Zhu Yi was surprised that Zhou Fan found the legend so funny. "Are there any more legends?" Zhu Yi asked. The old man nodded. "It is said that there is a race called the destruction race. All of the life in the universe used to be their enemies, but when Chaos Beasts came, they formed a treaty of non interference." That info didn''t seem useful, and Zhu Yi asked about any more legends. "There is one more, but it is also useless. Apparently, the world tree is fond of elves, and elves are fond of the world tree. As a result, all elves live on the world tree and take care of it. That is all I''ve heard." Chapter 472: Learning Arrays - 472 Chapter 472 - Learning Arrays - 472 It truly was useless knowledge. Zhu Yi kicked the nascent soul realm old man in the head, knocking him out. He then grabbed the ring off of his finger and left. As he walked away, he looked inside of the ring. There were a few mid quality spirit stones and a high quality spirit stone, but they were nothing compared to Zhu Yi''s fortune. Still, Zhu Yi took the spirit stones out of the ring and threw the ring away. There were a few other things in there, but they were useless to him. "He was a 1st level nascent soul realm cultivator. You did good." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi thanked him and began to fly. "Where do you plan on going?" Zhou Fan asked. "I can go just about anywhere. Even joining the top ten sects is not something impossible." Zhu Yi said. In this world, core formation realm cultivators stood near the top level. From what Zhu Yi had inferred, the strongest level of cultivation in this world was the void traversing realm. Otherwise, the world would be destroyed by a single soul formation realm Chaos Beast. He did not have any idea how many void traversing realm cultivators there were, but there were likely very few. As Zhu Yi thought, Zhou Fan suddenly spoke. "After hearing about Chaos Beasts, I believe that they may be a shortcut to recovery." Zhu Yi paused and looked at Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan continued. "Chaos Qi is something completely different from any other Qi. It would be hard for me to give you the ability to use Chaos Qi unless I am able to reconnect my soul with my body and more or less be considered recovered. It can be considered purer than any other Qi, and while a deadly poison to others, it may be the greatest healing tonic to me. I''m not sure if you can defeat a Chaos Beast at the same level right now, but defeating one a level below you should not be impossible. We should at least try it." Zhu Yi listened and agreed. The faster Zhou Fan recovered, the better. Either way, there was nothing else in this world that could help Zhou Fan recover. Top grade spirit stones were too rare, and Zhou Fan would need a large amount to recover. "For now, focus on increasing your strength. A Chaos Beast seems to be able to match an average cultivator two realms above it. In other words, a core formation realm Chaos Beast could fight a soul formation realm cultivator. You, on the other hand, would be nearly instantly killed. At best, you could run with instant completion." Zhu Yi nodded. Luckily, anybody who could reach the void traversing realm in this world was talented. Otherwise, a soul formation realm Chaos Beast would still be able to destroy the world. Even for Zhu Yi, it would have been hard to cultivate to the 10th level of the Foundation Establishment realm in a year without the assistance of Zhou Fan and the usage of spirit stones. Actually, he never used an entire top grade spirit stone while cultivating. It had simply lost about half of its Qi. All of this was due to the low Qi density. It had a horrible effect on all cultivators. Zhu Yi continued to fly around while thinking about what to do next. Eventually, he decided to get a bit stronger. At his current strength, he would probably be able to defeat a Foundation Establishment realm Chaos Beast, but would that really help Zhou Fan? It was unlikely, no matter how mystical Chaos Qi was. Zhou Fan agreed. After flying for a few days straight, Zhu Yi settled down in a forested valley. There were a few beasts around, but Zhu Yi scared them off. He sat in a slight clearing and began to learn arrays under the guidance of Zhou Fan. As a core formation realm cultivator, he didn''t have to worry about as much as before. In the worst case scenario, he could live in the woods. He did not need to eat or drink. Qi was his food and water, figuratively. Unlike his newfound talent in swords, Zhu Yi was still untalented in everything else. It took him nearly 2 weeks, while inside the time bubble, to learn an array that could help power the time bubble. All he needed was a power source and a connection to his own power. It could not be fully automatic as there had never been an array made using time Qi, and Zhou Fan''s mind was still too injured to do anything that complicated. That and he did not want to imagine how long Zhu Yi would take to learn it. He suddenly regretted not making array talent a tangible thing like weapon talents. Luckily, it was no burden for Zhu Yi to be connected to the array. He was now able to cultivate within the time bubble using its full efficiency. With Zhu Yi in the core formation realm, Zhou Fan was able to help him increase the speed of the time bubble even more. There was now a three times time difference. Of course, it consumed more Qi, but Zhu Yi had top grade spirit stones. A single one would last a long long time. Inside the time bubble that now had a three times time difference, Zhu Yi cultivated for a year. The entire time, he had the help of Zhou Fan''s river of cultivation and top grade spirit stones. When the equivalent of three years passed in the time bubble, Zhu Yi had reached 3rd level of core formation. He was disappointed with this result. Zhou Fan explained. "Don''t worry about it too much. The Qi here is really too thin. Even with my help and top grade spirit stones, you cultivate as if you had spirit rank meridians, a rank below your king rank meridians. That makes you about as fast as someone with emperor rank meridians in this world." Zhu Yi nodded, but he was still a little down. "Cultivation is a long experience. You have to get used to it." Chapter 473: The Nascent Soul Realm - 473 Chapter 473 - The Nascent Soul Realm - 473 Zhu Yi wanted to cultivate fast and become as strong as he could as fast as possible, but he understood that it was impossible. Without anything else to do, Zhu Yi entered the Time bubble and continued cultivating. Outside the bubble, 5 years passed. Inside the bubble, Zhu Yi had cultivated for 15 years. Every now and then, he took time to practice the sword, but 99% of the time inside was dedicated to cultivation. He was now at the 7th level of the core formation realm. He had not stopped cultivating. After so long, he had simply taken a step out of the time bubble and breathed in the fresh air. And that was when the world shook. Zhu Yi did not even need a moment to understand that whatever was happening was far beyond his comprehension. It didn''t only feel as if the world was shaking, but as if the entire universe was being affected. Of course, Zhu Yi could not tell such a thing. It was simply a feeling. A voice came from above. "Chaos. It''s been nearly 10 quadrillion years since we last fought. What took so long?" Zhou Fan instantly recognized the voice. "Heaven. I was hoping that your lifespan would have been gone by now. You are truly abnormal." Heaven laughed. "I could say the same about you. I suppose we have great fathers." The existence known as Chaos responded. "Father? More like creators. And like our creators, we too shall fight." "And like my father, I will defeat you." "The Origin God is dead. If he was alive, would we be talking?" Heaven retorted. "If my father was dead, I would not exist." "As I said, no real proof. You cling to false hope." Another voice chimed in. "What if I agreed with Heaven?" Zhou Fan once again recognized the voice. Although it was different, it gave off the same feeling as always. "Ying Xiong. You continue to live as well. I don''t know why a being such as you exists. You should simply die." Chaos spoke to Ying Xiong much more harshly than Heaven. Ying Xiong laughed. "A blessing and a curse. At the very least, I get to protect everything from you." "Enough talk. Let''s see if I can''t win today. My creator lost because he wielded only one power. I wield both the power of Chaos and Cultivation. Try and defeat me." Chaos spoke. There was no more noise. Nothing more could reach Zhu Yi''s world. Zhu Yi held his head as blood poured out of his ears and eyes. Although he was in the core formation realm, he was no different from a mortal against the simple existence of those voices. Luckily, even mortals had survived the voice. It seemed that everyone would sustain the same minor injuries regardless of cultivation level. Zhu Yi quickly healed up and sat on the ground in shock. He did not know much, but he knew that whoever had spoken was at a level beyond his comprehension. He ignored Zhou Fan, who stared at the sky. He was glad that not too much had changed. At the very least, everything would be safe for a few quadrillion years. By then, he would probably return. "Why are you sitting around like an idiot? Hurry up and cultivate." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi snapped out of his trance and looked at Zhou Fan in confusion. His master seemed to be talking differently. After a moment, Zhu Yi shook his head and re-entered the time bubble. He began cultivating once again. 35 years later, Zhu Yi prepared to break through. His core transformed into a nascent soul. Zhu Yi had finally reached the nascent soul realm. He felt much safer than before. Even if a soul formation realm cultivator attacked him, he was confident in escaping alive. Before cultivating any further, Zhu Yi took down the array, grabbed his sword, and flew over towards the writing sect. It was time to figure out the truth of this world. As a nascent soul realm cultivator, Zhu Yi''s speed had increased by a large amount. It took him three days to reach the writing sect. From afar, the writing sect seemed to exist on a giant, open book. The words were either scribbles, or written in the language that Wen SI''s technique used, if there even was a language. Zhu YI was only guessing that there was. As he flew closer, someone met him in the sky. It was a core formation realm cultivator. He could clearly sense Zhu Yi''s nascent soul realm cultivation, but he showed no fear. In fact, he was a little arrogant. "Who dares to come so close to the Writing sect?" He asked with his arms crossed. Zhu Yi did not waste any time with him. "I''m here to meet Wen Si. Tell him Zhu Yi has come." The core formation realm cultivator stared at him for a moment before pulling a talisman out of his spatial ring. Zhu Yi could not tell what was happening, but a minute later, the core formation realm cultivators attitude changed. "So you''re a friend of Wen Si. I apologize. I''ll lead you there now." The core formation realm cultivator said. Zhu Yi nodded, and he flew below the clouds. The writing sect seemed to simply be a city built on a giant book. As they flew to a large building near the center, the Core Formation realm cultivator began to speak. "The book that the Writing sect is written on was supposedly left by the founder. If one looks in a certain area, they would find the basic inheritance of the writing sect. Of course, such a section is covered by buildings." Zhu Yi listened to the Core Formation realm cultivator talk about the history and power of the Writing sect. He was essentially flexing on Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi did not mind it. He was learning about the Writing sect every second. The flight was short and Zhu Yi eventually reached the entrance of a large building. The Core Formation realm cultivator sent him inside and left. Chapter 474: Reuniting - 474 Chapter 474 - Reuniting - 474 Inside the building, a Qi gathering realm cultivator led Zhu Yi to the top floor. Entering through a door, Zhu Yi saw Wen Si cultivating. From the feeling he gave off, he was at the 1st level of the core formation realm. As Zhu Yi entered, Wen Si opened his eyes. "Why are you here?" He asked simply. "I want to know about the celestial ice sect." Zhu Yi responded. Wen Si shook his head. "Do you have something to offer, or do you just expect me to tell you for free?" "What if we sparred?" Zhu Yi asked. He found the current Wen Si unusual. Wen Si thought for a moment and agreed. "Fine." He took out his brush and paper without wasting a single second. As soon as he drew on the paper, he stopped. Zhu Yi held a sword to his throat. "You of the writing sect aren''t all that threatening if you don''t have time to write." Zhu Yi''s comment clearly made Wen Si annoyed. "What do you want to know?" Wen Si quickly accepted his defeat. "I want to know everything." Wen Si looked at him deeply. He seemed different from before. "You think too much of our friendship. You don''t get to know everything you want unless you want to fight the entire sect as well." Zhu Yi somewhat expected such a response. They had both been younger back then. "Tell me what you can." "Alright. The celestial ice sect is powerful. Very powerful. They do not exist in this world. No matter how much I speak, I cannot accurately describe them. They are on a different level. If you wish to truly understand, leave this world." Wen Si said. "And how will I find the celestial ice sect?" Zhu Yi asked. "You''ll understand in the future. Our world is just one of many. The world above can be considered a true world where the strong gather." Wen Si said. Zhu Yi did not understand a lot, but that seemed to be a common theme. He could either accept it, or beat Wen Si until he shared more information. Unfortunately, they were inside the writing sect. He would probably die if he tried to do something like that. Zhu Yi sighed in disappointment and walked away. All of his worries would be solved by increasing his strength, and gaining strength was what he planned to do. He planned to go into seclusion and cultivate for a long time. Many cultivators did so. There was only one thing remaining before he did so. He needed to visit his parents. Cultivation was a long path, and they would die long before he did. it would be best to see them one last time. Zhu Yi remembered where he lived and flew to the village. As a nascent soul realm cultivator, he had no issue doing so. He soon returned and flew down into a valley. Waving his hand, the cave he had entered long ago was blown open. Zhu Yi waved his hand, and Zhou Fan''s body was stored into his spatial ring. Zhu Yi then turned around and, with a single step, arrived at the village. Looking around, both a lot and nothing had changed. The people had changed greatly. Many shops had shut down and been replaced, while others grew larger and had new owners. However, the atmosphere remained the same. Mostly vibrant. Such was the life of mortals. There were a lot less worries. Zhu Yi walked around. He spotted his house and knocked on the door. An old lady opened the door, leaning on a cane. Seeing her, memories flew through Zhu Yi''s mind. It felt like the time he had spent here was so short, yet so long. The old lady paused and tears poured from her eyes. Zhu Yi seemed young, though much different from himself when he left. However, he was still easily recognizable, especially by his own parents. The old lady dropped her cane and hugged Zhu Yi tightly. "I never thought I''d see you again! Look at you! You''re a real cultivator." Although Zhu Yi had not thought much of his parents, he still felt warmth from them. Perhaps he, more than many cultivators, had an appreciation for mortals. As Zhu Yi''s mother cried, his father soon came, joining. Zhou Fan stood away from them. He didn''t quite understand it all. He couldn''t quite remember having such intense familial emotions. At most, he liked Leaf and the animals at the manor. It was hard to say if he truly loved them like this, however. He couldn''t help but think to himself. He had never even thought about crying after not seeing Leaf for so long. Even if they met again, he would just smile. ''Have I ever felt love?'' Everything he thought was love seemed so fake in front of Zhu Yi''s family. It was at this moment that Zhou Fan finally realized a long obvious truth. He wasn''t built for such emotions. He remembered seeing someone''s funeral and feeling somewhat sad. It was so long ago that he couldn''t remember. It must have been when he was younger and more emotional. He thought back to the beasts. He hadn''t even felt that sad when he found out that they were dead. Even for Zhu Yi, he merely felt proud at some times. He would be upset if Zhu Yi died, but that''s all. Zhou Fan seriously looked back at every part of his life. Countless figures flashed through his mind. The beasts, the buddha, the animals at the manor, Heaven, Lu Wei, the old man from the library, Ying Xiong, Anna, all of humanity, all of his creations, all life within the universe. He felt no love, neither kinship, familial, the love of a teacher, a mentor, a friend, a lover, nothing. At most, he liked things. And most interesting of all, he didn''t care. Right now, he was simply curious as to why he had never felt things that all humans seemed to feel. Was he even human? There was no doubt that he was. He had checked long ago. ''The time when I felt the most emotions? That would have to be when I fought the Cosmic Dao. That was fun.'' Zhou Fan seemed to be lost in his thoughts as Zhu Yi cried with his parents. Chapter 475: Lifespan Issues - 475 Chapter 475 - Lifespan Issues - 475 No matter how much he thought about it, Zhou Fan simply could not grasp why he was different from normal humans. Of course, he didn''t particularly care, but he was quite curious. There were many types of humans, some of which actually seemed similar to him. However, that was because they were weak or had suffered some sort of trauma. For him, however, he was just like that. Zhou Fan''s thoughts soon came to a conclusion. ''I''ve been holding onto humanity for so long, but I don''t have to be a human. Perhaps I should change myself?'' The only way he seemed to be human was in terms of looks, but he could still look the same after changing his race. It also seemed like it would increase his powers as long as he created the race correctly. He still had some lingering attachment to humanity, which was to be expected after being human for so long. He was the oldest human, and it was hard to think of someone who could replace his status within the human race. As Zhu Yi walked inside, Zhou Fan decided to save his thoughts for later. Once he fully healed and regained his power, he could think about such things. Zhou Fan went inside of the house and sat on the couch while Zhu Yi experienced the happiness of meeting his parents. Zhu Yi stayed for nearly an entire year. Zhou Fan found it a waste, but it was only a year. Zhu Yi left the house with tears, knowing he would never see his parents again. After a few hours, Zhu Yi seemed to return to his old self and put all of his thoughts behind him. "Where to next, Master." He asked. "Cultivate." Zhu Yi nodded. He flew into the air and only stopped once he was deep inside of a forest. There were some powerful beasts here, but he would be fine. He set up the array and cultivated within the time bubble under Zhou Fan''s assistance and spirit stones. Now, the time bubbles time had a 5 times time difference. After spending 100 years within the time bubble, equivalent to around 20 outside, just to get to the 2nd level of the nascent soul realm, Zhu Yi looked at Zhou Fan with wide eyes. "Shut up and cultivate." "Master, I hate to defy you, but what the hell is this?" Zhu Yi was genuinely flabbergasted. "I''ll break it down for you. First, you have king rank meridians. Ignoring bottlenecks, a cultivator with king rank meridians would usually take about 25 years to advance 1 level. You, however, have my help and top grade spirit stones. In a normal situation, you would only spend about 10 years per level. Unfortunately for you, the low density of Qi in this world causes you to cultivate 10 times slower. Hence the hundred years it took, though only 20 in the outside world." Zhu Yi still looked at him like everything was crazy. Zhou Fan was annoyed. "I''m helping you break universal laws here brat. If you consider the fact that it took 20 years for you to reach the second level of the nascent soul realm in an environment where you cultivate ten times slower, it means that without that, you would have done such a thing in merely two years, three years faster than universally allowed. Stop staring and get to work." Zhu Yi understood and sighed. He continued to cultivate within the time bubble. Time passed, and though Zhu Yi desperately wanted to stop, Zhou Fan kept pushing him on. After a thousand years in the time bubble, Zhu Yi finally lost it. "I''ve been cultivating for a thousand years straight and I''m only at the 6th level of the nascent soul realm! Can I now just go spend some time outside?" "And do what?" "I don''t know, fight a Chaos Beast! Socialize! Do anything besides sit in a bubble and cultivate! Please master!" Zhu Yi was truly desperate. Zhou Fan sighed. "Fine. You can go outside. Find someone with talent and give them the wooden ring since you don''t wish to cultivate." Zhu Yi finally paused. He looked at the wooden ring on his finger and fell into his memories. In the first few years of his life, he had been a much different person. He had assassinated people and felt that cultivating any amount of time was nothing. However, after meeting his parents and going into seclusion for more than a thousand years, everything had worn away. Zhu Yi sat down and sighed. "I''m sorry master. I''ll work hard." Zhou Fan shook his head. To be honest, something was off about this world. Zhu Yi''s king rank meridians were rare. Very few in this world had them. Yet still, there were soul formation realm and nascent soul realm cultivators everywhere. Usually, this wouldn''t be weird, but a nascent soul realm cultivator only had a lifespan of 3000 years. Zhu Yi himself was already more than a thousand years old. How could there be so many nascent soul realm and soul formation realm cultivators when even Zhu Yi''s talent might barely allow him to reach the soul formation realm before his lifespan ended. In fact, he probably wouldn''t even make it. Although the time bubble sped up cultivation speed, it had an effect on lifespan as well. From the looks of it, Zhu Yi would die before reaching the soul formation realm, and it was not due to a lack of talent. After a while, Zhou Fan spoke up. "Zhu Yi, stand. We are going to find out the truth of this world." Zhu Yi was surprised. "Didn''t you say I needed to cultivate?" "I wanted you to be a bit stronger before finding it out, but it is not unreasonable to leave now. Have you felt yourself aging?" Zhu Yi looked down. Unknowingly, he had become a middle aged man. "Your lifespan will very likely end before you even reach the peak of the nascent soul realm. Something is wrong, and you need to find out." Zhu Yi finally felt a spark of excitement. He could leave and find out the truth. However, he had a question. "If there is a truth to the world, wouldn''t Wen Si know it? Would he really hide it from me?" Zhou Fan explained. "It may not be that simple. However, he could have indeed hidden it from you. It''s hard to tell since I wasn''t paying much attention back then." Chapter 476: Searching - 476 Chapter 476 - Searching - 476 Zhu Yi and Zhou Fan discussed a lot of the possibilities. Most likely, there were some areas in the world with higher Qi density. They could be secretly occupied by the sects around the world. Still, it would be surprising if that was the truth and Zhu Yi did not know. He first decided to go towards the Writing sect. Perhaps he could get some info from Wen Si. He flew very quickly, as expected of someone at the 6th level of the nascent soul realm. He soon arrived at the Writing sect. A core formation realm cultivator came up and the same situation as last time repeated. For Zhu Yi, more than a thousand years had passed. However, for those in the Writing sect, it had only been a little more than 200 years. Zhu Yi explained that he was here to meet Wen Si, and the man led him to the same building as before. As soon as Zhu Yi saw Wen Si, he could tell that he was deep in the Core Formation realm. Wen Si spoke to him naturally. "Hello! You''ve entered the nascent soul realm? Congrats. We haven''t talked since the inheritance. I was wondering why you hadn''t found me." Zhu Yi paused. He felt a sense of horror. Whatever was happening, it was far beyond his understanding. He instantly decided to hold all questions. It didn''t feel safe here. Zhou Fan also became serious. "Hello Wen Si. We meet again. You too have progressed." "Indeed. My talent is not too bad." "But, Wen Si, how did you do so well with the Qi density in this world?" Wen Si paused. He stopped moving completely. Not even his heart was beating. It was as if time had been stopped. Zhu Yi felt another sense of horror. After a full minute, Wen Si showed a confused look. "What did you say just now? I don''t think I quite heard it." Zhu Yi did not dare say anything else. "I asked how you''ve been living." Wen Si smiled. "I''ve been doing great." "That''s good. Actually, I''ve just remembered that I have some business to attend to. Later." Much to Wen Si''s confusion, Zhu Yi turned around and left. He soon flew out of the Writing sect. Once he was out of their sight, he immediately flew as fast as he could. He only stopped after an entire day had passed. He looked at Zhou Fan. He had experienced true fear today. "Something horrifying is happening in this world. It has to do with changing memories, so someone extremely powerful must be involved. In order to successfully reach the soul formation realm, you need to find a place with a higher density of Qi, but I don''t think you can get involved with such a thing." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi agreed completely. Whatever was happening was something beyond his understanding. "But, what else is there to do?" Zhou Fan also had this question. They both thought long and hard on this matter. They said ideas to each other, but hardly anything was even slightly feasible. Even after multiple days passed, they could think of nothing. Demonic methods, arrays, using the river of cultivation, etc, everything just seemed impossible or so highly unlikely and dangerous that it was not worth considering. "I think we need more information. Everything we can try to do now is impossible." Zhou Fan eventually said. Zhu Yi nodded. He began to travel around the world. As he did so, Zhou Fan thought. His number one idea had been an array that could solve the Qi density issue. Unfortunately, even ignoring Zhu Yi''s horrible array talent, he simply did not have the cultivation to set up such an array. And, even if there was a nascent soul realm array that could do so, it would not be very effective. It would use up more spirit stones than it was worth for a tiny increase. And, once again, doing that was already impossible. Zhou Fan wished that Zhu Yi was born in the great world. Rather, it would be better if he had at least been born in an area with greater Qi density. Zhu Yi, though fast, moved around the world slowly. Every village or city he came across, he would try to find rumors or stories that foretold of special places. Upon hearing them, he would go and look for them, but never find them. Then, he would continue to the next place. No matter how small the hope was, Zhu Yi tried it. There was no other option. Like this, Zhu Yi moved around for 50 years years. One day, he came upon a small village. It was independent from any nation or higher organization. It was in the middle of nowhere. Zhu Yi did not even understand how it was formed. Still, no matter how low the possibility, Zhu Yi walked around. Night fell, and a group of kids gathered around a campfire. An elder held a book and told them a story. "Long ago, there was a man named Chen Jie..." It was a classic fairytale involving Chen Jie. While it was surprising that such a random and small place knew about his existence, it was not anything too abnormal. However, as Zhu Yi listened, he heard a detail that had never been mentioned. "It is said that Chen Jie built the White Palace over a legendary spring of Qi. This spring allowed him to cultivate faster, propelling him forward..." Zhu Yi''s eyes widened. If this was true, then it was exactly what he needed. He listened to the rest of the story, but nothing else seemed abnormal. Zhu Yi thought about everything, and decided to take the risk of entering White Palace city. Otherwise, he would probably end up dead regardless. Zhu Yi flew towards White Palace City for the first time in a long, long time. He had never thought that he would return. He stood outside it, but did not enter. First, he needed a stealth technique. Chapter 477: Meeting Again - 477 Chapter 477 - Meeting Again - 477 Zhu Yi formed a time bubble and practiced a stealth technique under Zhou Fan''s guidance. He spent a year within the time bubble, and a little more than 2 months passed outside. Although he wasn''t very talented when it came to stealth techniques, he still had Zhou Fan''s guidance. His mastery was very high and, unless someone was seriously observing White Palace City, he would be able to freely enter and exit. He did not know if there was some sort of array set up or how much White Palace City was actually valued, but he could only hope that it was not valued too greatly. Zhu Yi activated the stealth technique and stepped forward. His stealth technique was a very basic one, albeit highly powerful since it was made by Zhou Fan. Zhu Yi''s body did not change, but his presence lowered until he could walk directly in front of someone without being noticed. As long as he was not being searched for, it was unlikely that he would be found. He stepped into White Palace City without any issue. Although his speed could be great, he took it slow in order to avoid attracting any attention. Still, his slow was very fast, and it wasn''t long before he arrived at a blocked off area. Beyond this was the White Palace. Nobody was around him despite being in the very center of the city. After all, nobody could even get too close to it. Zhu Yi took one last glance around him and dug into the ground using Qi. Above him, the ground repaired itself as if nothing had happened. Zhu Yi quickly dug 100 feet down before moving in the direction of the White Palace. He looked at Zhou Fan with worry, but Zhou Fan could not help him here. It was a single chance. Zhu Yi''s life depended on whether or not he could reach the White Palace, or rather, what was under it. As he moved forward, he suddenly saw a blue light. The dirt in front of him was cleared and a cave appeared. It was a rather small cave. Half of it had a gray, stone ground, while the other half was occupied by a blue spring. As Zhu Yi breathed in, he felt that the Qi around him was much denser. He stepped forward and entered the cave. "So it was true." He mumbled as he started at the spring of Qi. "It was." A familiar voice said behind him. Zhu Yi jumped. He turned around and saw Chen Jie. Zhu Yi''s eyes widened. "Are you..?" Before he finished, Chen Jie spoke. "Like in the inheritance, I am a projection of Chen Jie. I have his power when he was in the void traversing realm." Zhu Yi felt as if all hope was extinguished. "So, are you going to kill me?" There was a reason why nobody could enter the White Palace after so long, and it wasn''t because the sects of the world had some sort of honor or respect for Chen Jie. It was because they couldn''t enter even if they wanted to. "It depends. Give me a reason why I shouldn''t." Chen Jie said. He seemed ordinary, like when Zhu Yi first saw him in the inheritance. Zhu Yi thought for a moment before answering. "Because I have no hope to reach another realm regardless if I cant use this spring. Something is wrong with this world, and I want to figure it out." Chen Jie turned his head. "What exactly is wrong with this world?" He seemed genuinely curious. Although Zhu Yi did not want to say anything about it in fear of being killed, his life was in Chen Jie''s hands. He told him about his meetings with Wen Si, as well as the changes in his cultivation and the issue with his memories. Chen Jie''s brows furrowed. "It wasn''t like this when I was here. If what you say is true, then there is something wrong with this world indeed." "Was the Qi density lowered in your time as well?" Zhu Yi asked. Chen Jie looked at him with suspicion. "How do you know about that?" Zhu Yi realized that he had made a mistake. Normally, a person in this world shouldn''t know about such a thing, especially someone not part of any sect. "I learned about it from someone I met in the inheritance. The same Wen Si I told you about." Chen Jie nodded. "Yes. That child. I remember him now. In my time, the Qi of this world was around two sevenths of the outside universe." "Two sevenths? It''s a tenth now." Zhu Yi said. Chen Jie nodded. "Well, there is a reason why the Qi here is lowered, but you don''t need that information right now. As for why it lowered farther, I suppose someone got greedy." Finishing his sentence, Qi began to move around Chen Jie. Suddenly, he looked at Zhu Yi in confusion. "What do you mean a tenth? Although it is lowered more, it is a seventh of the outside universe now. Where did you get your information?" Chen Jie asked. Zhu Yi turned and looked at his shoulder. "Say it was from an untrustworthy source." Zhu Yi did as Zhou Fan said. Zhou Fan was able to come to a conclusion through Chen Jie''s words. The outside universe now had seven tenths of the Qi it had before he left. A lot more could be inferred from that, but Zhou Fan did not mention anything to Zhu Yi. It did not matter even if he did. Chen Jie shook his head. "Anyway, we should focus on the main point. If everything is as you say and memories are being tampered with, then I need to entrust you with a message. In return, you can cultivate here." Zhu Yi nodded without hesitation. Chen Jie spoke seriously. "Go to the World Tree and find the rule enforcement office. Inform them that memories are being tempered with in square 16, the four element gathering." Chapter 478: Tribulation - 478 Chapter 478 - Tribulation - 478 Zhu Yi was curious as to what Chen Jie''s words meant. He nodded his head in agreement before asking. "What does that mean?" Chen Jie responded. "It is simply the area of our universe that this planet is in. You''ll understand more later. Don''t worry about it too much." Zhu Yi nodded. "Alright." Chen Jie disappeared from where he stood. Zhu Yi turned to look at the spring of Qi and set up a time bubble. A spring of Qi that sped up cultivation speed was something that would not normally exist. Before Zhou Fan was injured, the Qi of the universe was as dense as it needed to be. Even if it was denser, it wouldn''t have really helped. Only a very slight boost would have been given. However, in this environment with a tenth of the Qi from then, a spring of Qi that increased cultivation speed could form under strict conditions. As Zhu Yi cultivated, he noticed that his cultivation speed had increased by two times. With this, breaking through to the soul formation realm was not so impossible. Around 1,300 years passed within the time bubble, and Zhu Yi reached the 10th level of the nascent soul realm. He was around 2,300 years old. Luckily, it seemed that breaking through was going to happen rather easily. Even without Zhou Fans help, he would not have much of a bottleneck due to his king rank meridians. And with Zhou Fan''s help, there was no bottleneck. 400 years later, at the age of 2,700, the old man that Zhu Yi had become broke into the soul formation realm. Above the White Palace, clouds formed. Zhou Fan had a realization and spoke. "Get out of here first." Zhu Yi did not hesitate and left White Palace city, now sitting right outside of it. Luckily, such a movement was simple for a person at the peak of the nascent soul realm. Zhu Yi looked up and saw the clouds forming. "What is that? I feel like I''m being targeted." "I forgot about it until now. It is a tribulation. You face one in order to enter the soul formation realm, and most of the realms after that." Zhou Fan responded. "That''s stupid. Whatever." Zhu Yi stared into the clouds as lightning formed. "You might want to get farther away from White Palace city, unless you don''t mind killing everyone in it." Zhu Yi agreed and took a few steps to the side. Those few steps took him very far, enough to avoid affecting White Palace City. The clouds followed him without even the slightest delay. Zhu Yi stared at the sky and waited. There was a flash of light, and Zhu Yi drew his sword. The lightning clashed with his sword and was dispersed. The clouds, however, remained. "Is there more than one?" "Should be three." Zhu Yi nodded and waited. Another bolt came down and Zhu Yi slashed it with his sword. This time, his sword felt great resistance. Still, he successfully broke the lightning bolt. Zhu Yi got serious for the final one. He waited for a moment, and a larger lightning strike fell down. This strike shook the ground as it fell. The rumbling even reached the White Palace City, which had long taken notice of the disturbance. Zhu Yi sliced his sword up, using a sword wave. The sword wave struggled for a moment, before slicing through the lightning bolt and continuing into the sky. The sword wave dispersed the clouds, and Zhu Yi reached the soul formation realm. "How many people can successfully stop that?" Zhu Yi asked. He had to put in some effort, and anyone else would struggle just to survive. "It gets slightly harder for those with higher talent, but not that much harder." Zhu Yi nodded. Now in the soul formation realm, he changed his body back to how it was before his lifespan began to age him. He now looked like he was in his early 20''s. "What next. Should I keep cultivating or try and help you recover?" Zhu Yi asked. "King rank meridians are rather insufficent for the void traversing realm, especially in your current situation. It would be much better to find a way for me to recover more." Zhu Yi nodded and got up. The soul formation realm gave the first huge boost in lifespan. He now had 100,000 years of lifespan. Only 2,700 of that had been used up Zhu Yi sighed, glad that he had much more time to figure everything out. The first thing to try and test were the effects of Chaos Beasts on Zhou Fan''s recovery. If the effects were truly great, then there was hope of recovering another stage. Otherwise, there was very little hope at all. As Zhu Yi began to fly, he felt a presence approaching from afar. It sped towards him extremely fast, stopping only a few feet in front of him. Zhu Yi could tell in an instant that it was a soul formation realm cultivator. "Who are you? How did you reach the soul formation realm, and why so close to White Palace City?" "I am an independant cultivator. You can ask the writing sects Wen Si if you don''t believe me." Although it had been a very long time to Zhu Yi, not nearly as much time had passed for everyone else. It had only been around 340 years since he arrived at the spring of Qi. Even if Wen Si was at the nascent soul realm, he would be alive right now. The soul formation realm cultivator slightly relaxed upon mention of the writing sect. "So you''re involved with the writing sect. So be it." He said as he turned around, intending to leave. Zhu Yi hurridely stopped him. "I want to participate in the fight against Chaos Beasts." The soul formation realm cultivator turned around and looked at him in confusion. "Alright. Head to the Writing sect. It is actually their turn to lead the second group." Saying that, he turned around and left. Zhu Yi, now with a direction, headed towards the Writing sect. Chapter 479: Breaking Through All Things - 479 Chapter 479 - Breaking Through All Things - 479 Zhu Yi very quickly arrived. He stood above the writing sect and made himself known. This time, no Core Formation realm cultivator greeted him. Instead, a soul formation realm cultivator flew up. He looked at Zhu Yi in astonishment. "Where did you come from? I don''t recall having any information on you." "I am an independent cultivator. I''m also a friend of Wen Si''s and would like to participate in the fight against Chaos Beasts." The soul formation realm cultivator seemed to need a moment in order to take in everything he was told. The shock of Zhu Yi being an independent cultivator was not small. "An independent cultivator reaching the soul formation realm? I haven''t even heard of anyone besides Chen Jie reaching such a level." The man said. "Was Chen Jie an independent cultivator?" "When he reached the soul formation realm, yes. A lot had happened before that, but nobody knows the specifics. Regardless, it is incredible that an independent cultivator could reach this realm. If you want to participate in the fight against Chaos Beasts, you can join my squadron, as long as you believe you can hold yourself against a nascent soul realm Chaos Beast that is." Zhu Yi nodded. "I''m sure I can." The soul formation realm cultivator shook his head. "You must have never fought a Chaos Beast. You can never be sure about anything when it comes to them. Just be cautious since you''ve never fought one before." Zhu Yi nodded. "Since you say you''re a friend of Wen Si''s, you''re free to meet him." The soul formation realm cultivator said before leaving. Zhu Yi flew down to the same building as always and walked up. He soon met Wen Si. Wen Si looked confused upon seeing him. "I can''t clearly see your cultivation realm right now. You must be high in the nascent soul realm." Zhu Yi looked at Wen Si. It seemed he was at the 1st level of the nascent soul realm. Since he had broken into the soul formation realm, Wen Si could not clearly sense his strength anymore. "I''m in the soul formation realm now." Wen Si was naturally shocked. Zhu Yi expected it and did not dwell on it too much. He had only come to check in on Wen Si''s progress. He wanted to know how effective the secret of the world was at raising strength. Of course, no matter what, it was already beyond his understanding. Wen Si would not participate in the fight against Chaos Beasts. He was considered too important to the sect and too weak to properly protect himself. After an hour or so, Zhu Yi left Wen Si''s building and was led by someone waiting outside to the largest building in the sect. It was a large castle that seemed to house most of the strong people of the sect. Zhu Yi was given the title of guest elder and given a grand room. He stood in the middle of it and practiced his sword while waiting for the day to come. He hadn''t used a sword in a while, instead spending all of his time focusing on cultivating. After all, his life had been at stake. It took him a day before he got used to it again, and from then on, he progressed at an unimaginable pace. Besides practicing Zhou Fan''s basic sword style, he focused on the formless sword. He could tell why Zhou Fan praised it. It was truly an incredible technique, and it was fun to use as well. It made a person feel invincible when using it. It was a year before Zhu Yi heard a knock on his door. His progress, as someone being taught by Zhou Fan and a person with god-level sword talent, was far beyond reasoning. Few in the entire universe could experience such growth in a single year. Zhou Fan had also created a sword technique for Zhu Yi. He made the condition that he would teach it once Zhu Yi was able to use the formless sword a thousand times without sheathing his sword again. Zhu Yi had thought that it would be easy, but it got harder and harder as he progressed. He had been stuck on the 978th consecutive attack for an entire day. Zhu Yi opened the door. A core formation realm cultivator stood outside and spoke. "We will set out in three months. Please be prepared by then." Zhu Yi nodded and the core formation realm cultivator left. He had not expected to get a warning so far in advance, but this was the world of cultivators after all. Zhu Yi practiced as hard as he could for the next month and a half before finally reaching the 1000th consecutive attack. If he was surrounded by three thousand soul formation realm cultivators right now, he felt confident that he would win. This was the power of the formless sword, and the feeling of power it gave. With a month and a half left, Zhu Yi looked at Zhou Fan, clearly expectant. Zhou Fan jumped off of his shoulder and formed a sword. It was not using Qi, but manipulating the power of the soul. Sadly, the real world remained unaffected. Zhou Fan explained things clearly while making only two movements with the sword. A vertical downwards slash, and a vertical upwards slash. "With your talent, I made things a bit more advanced. I call this technique, "Breaking through all things"." The name alone made Zhu Yi excited, and seeing its potential made him even more so. However, he didn''t quite expect just how advanced Zhou Fan had made the technique. As the remaining month and a half passed, he had barely reached the most basic mastery of the sword. "If Chaos Beasts truly use the power of Chaos Qi, then this technique may help you more than you think." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded and sheathed his sword. It was still the one that Chen Jie had given him. He really needed a new one. Chapter 480: First Encounter - 480 Chapter 480 - First Encounter - 480 Since three months had passed. It was now time to gather. Zhu Yi left his room and walked towards the location where he could feel the most people. He was led to a large room holding a meeting and promptly joined. There was a lot of strategy, and Zhu Yi was placed in the 2nd squadron with another soul formation realm cultivator. Although Zhu Yi did not know a lot of the specifics, all he needed to do was fight. He was also to be given a reward in the case that he killed a nascent soul realm Chaos Beast. The meeting did not last long and they set out. With soul formation realm cultivators in the lead, they moved far away from the writing sect. While the writing sect was the meeting place, 5 of the top ten sects were participating in this fight. Nearly all of their soul formation realm and nascent soul realm cultivators were here. While they flew, Zhu Yi asked a question to the captain of the 2nd squadron, the other soul formation realm cultivator. "Are there not going to be any Void Traversing realm cultivators fighting?" He had yet to see or even hear mention of them. The captain of the second squadron nodded. "All three of them participate in every fight. You will see them at the beginning of the battle." Zhu Yi nodded. There were three known void traversing realm cultivators in the world. One from the Frost sect, one from the Writing sect, and one from the Grass Sect, the third ranked sect in the world. They flew slowly in order to let the nascent soul realm cultivators keep up. However, they soon arrived at an inconspicuous location. They set up camp here. Zhu Yi was curious as to how they knew that Chaos Beasts would appear here, but he didn''t ask. He didn''t want to seem prying. Looking around the camp, Zhu Yi saw many colors. Participating in this fight were the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 9th, and 10th ranked sects in the world. They were the Writing sect, the grass sect, the sky sparrow sect, the fire spirit sect, and the High boulder sect. Zhu Yi waited for three days before he heard a loud shout. He flew out of his tent and looked a few miles in the distance. This was his first encounter with a Chaos Beast. A giant gray beast that seemed to barely have a fixed form. It had four legs, tusks, and spikes around its head like a lion''s mane. It stood tall, its form reaching the skies. Zhu Yi could not feel the slightest hope in defeating it. Around it, more Chaos Beasts appeared. Some looked similar to the giant one, but every single one was at least slightly different. These ones did not give Zhu Yu as much pressure, though he felt like he was facing a strong opponent. Cultivators flew towards the Chaos Beasts as three colors appeared above the biggest one. The colors of blue like ice, black like ink, and green like grass formed a sphere around the biggest Chaos Beast that stopped it from leaving. The three colored sphere slowly moved away while extremely loud sounds came from within. Zhu Yi charged forward and met with what he assumed was a nascent soul realm Chaos Beast. These were now the strongest existences on the battlefield. Zhu Yi''s target was fairly far away from others, and Zhu Yi could fight as hard as he wanted. He unsheathed his sword and used the formless sword technique. The Chaos Beast saw him moving and charged, but cuts appeared on its body. Truthfully, Zhu Yi did not feel much of a threat from the Chaos Beast. Although he wasn''t quite near the level of fighting a Chaos Beast on the same level, he could be said to be in between fighting a Chaos Beast on the same level and fighting a Chaos Beast a level below him. And he was only at the first level of the soul formation realm. Despite suffering from an increasing amount of cuts, the Chaos Beast did not once falter or stop charging. It seemed like a wild, angry beast with no intelligence. As it charged, a gray color began to appear around it. Zhou Fan sighed in awe. It truly was Chaos Qi. Luckily, this beast was not intelligent enough to actually use it well. Otherwise, Zhu Yi would not live to see tomorrow. Once the Chaos Qi appeared around it, Zhu Yi''s attacks cut way less deep. Like this, he would only be able to slowly use up its Qi or bleed it out. However, the formless sword was not meant for a head on attack. It was more or less a sneak attack. Zhu Yi now had another attack for breaking through things. He stepped forward and charged, he held his sword up and prepared to attack. "Stop you fool!" Zhou Fan shouted. Zhu Yi cut his attack short, hurting his arm, and backed away. As he moved away from the charging Chaos Beast, he looked at Zhou Fan in confusion. "That''s Chaos Qi. That beast uses it like a fool, but if you carelessly touch it like that, you''ll die without knowing how." Zhu Yi was shocked. He did not know that Chaos Qi was that powerful. "Chaos Qi is like a poison to cultivators. Don''t be careless. If you''re going to attack it head on, at least make sure that you don''t touch the Chaos Qi." Zhou Fan said. Zhu Yi nodded and unsheathed his sword again. He charged forward and held up his sword. Although it seemed the same, his body stopped as his sword swung down, preventing him from coming into contact with Chaos Qi. "Breaking through all things." Zhu Yi''s sword came down like a hammer, creating a vertical slash that cut through all things. The Chaos Qi resisted it a bit, but just the residual power alone cut the Chaos Beast deep in the face. It stopped charging for a moment, blood pouring out of its face. Chapter 481: Chaos Mist - 481 Chapter 481 - Chaos Mist - 481 The Chaos Beast shook its head like a wild dog. Chaos Qi began to pour out of its body wildly, before being dragged back within its body. Zhu Yi felt as if some sort of sphere was forming. He ran around the Chaos Beast, circling it while waiting for another opportunity to strike. Suddenly, he heard a booming shout from afar. "Retreat!" Zhu Yi looked over and saw that the man who yelled was looking at him. Suddenly, Zhu Yi felt danger descend. He moved away at the fastest speed possible before the sphere formed inside the Chaos Beast broke with an explosion. Zhu Yi had gotten far, but the self-destruction using Chaos Qi was powerful and had a wide range. Zhu Yi was hit by an aftershock and spat out blood. He was sent flying far away, colliding with a mountain before finally stopping. He laid down, bleeding for a few minutes before finally regaining his thoughts. With a cough, he spat out blood and stood up. Zhou Fan examined him and spoke. "You were lucky to not be hit with the direct explosion. Otherwise, Chaos Qi would be destroying you from the inside out." Zhu Yi, with blood covering his body, nodded. "Why didn''t they tell me about any of this?" Zhu Yi was confused. Were they trying to kill him? "I think they tried, but you never answered the door." Zhou Fan said. "Hmm?" "You were so focused on training that you missed a couple of door knocks. On the way here, I guess they assumed that you had already known everything." Zhu Yi understood. He was glad that his life was not being targeted. Zhu Yi looked into the distance and saw a rapidly decreasing gray mist. It seemed to be rolling into itself, slowly vanishing. Zhu Yi charged towards it. This was his spoil of war, and he wanted to see if Zhou Fan could use it to recover. He soon arrived and stood at the edge of the mist, not daring to enter. It only took a single fight before he had gained a fear of Chaos Qi. Zhou Fan jumped off of Zhu Yi''s shoulder and walked into the mist. After a moment of waiting, the mist began to rapidly decrease as it rolled onto itself towards the middle. In a span of a minute, the gray mist was gone. Zhou Fan stood there silently. Zhu Yi watched. After another minute, Zhou Fan sighed. "Good stuff. With this, recovering more is not impossible." Zhu Yi was relieved. Once again, there was a clear path forward. The worst moments of his life had been the time when he was wandering the world, trying to find even the slightest hope of cultivating faster. Every second that passed had felt like a blade inching towards his neck. Only when he had found a solution did he finally feel any sort of relief. After breaking through, he had once again felt that same despair, though not nearly as seriously. Luckily, he had found another clear path. Zhou Fan got on Zhu Yi''s shoulder and Zhu Yi flew into the sky. He looked around for another target before hearing a voice. "Assist the nascent soul realm cultivators against the core formation realm Chaos Beasts." Zhu Yi nodded and flew back a bit. There were many more battlefields here, with thousands of core formation realm Chaos Beasts. There had been just as many foundation establishment realm Chaos Beasts, but they had been quickly wiped out. Zhu Yi flew through the battlefield and used the formless sword. He very quickly killed 50 Chaos Beasts and Zhou Fan absorbed the mist that they produced upon death. Nobody suspected a thing and thanked him for the help. He would not take any of their credit and, to them, was helping for free. By the time he had killed 50 core formation realm Chaos Beasts, the core formation realm Chaos Beasts were gone. The mist that the Core Formation realm Chaos Beasts produced was about a tenth of the nascent soul realm Chaos Beast. In other words, Zhu Yi had absorbed the equivalent of 6 nascent soul realm Chaos Beasts. Zhou Fan clearly felt a boost. Zhu Yi flew over to the battlefield with soul formation realm cultivators in order to help, but the fight was over. Although there had not been that many Nascent soul realm Chaos Beasts, some soul formation realm cultivators had to team up in order to win a fight. Only a small minority like Zhu Yi were able to single handedly fight a nascent soul realm Chaos Beast. Among all those that had participated, only a single nascent soul realm cultivator had perished. After so many years, the top ten sects had become rather efficient at fighting and surviving against Chaos Beasts. It was a good thing that these Chaos Beast had no intelligence. Over many years, techniques and strategies could be created and used against them. Zhu Yi relaxed and stood on the ground. The battle was over, and the next one would be in a hundred years. The captain of the 2nd squadron walked over and patted Zhu Yi on the shoulder. He was one of the few that was able to fight a nascent soul realm Chaos Beast alone. "You were good out there. Even I can''t compare to you. If you want to join the Writing sect, you''re always welcome." The captain said with a grateful look. "Thank you, but I''ve always been more of an independent cultivator." Zhu Yi responded. Perhaps before, he would have joined. However, after seeing Wen Si''s memories go missing, he didn''t dare get too close. The captain of the 2nd squadron nodded in understanding and left to go see others. After an entire day, three colors appeared in the sky once again. Although he didn''t see any figures, Zhu Yi heard a voice. "The fight is over. Everyone can return and claim their rewards." These words came from the void traversing realm cultivator of the Writing sect and signified the end of the fight against Chaos Beasts. Zhu Yi left with those from the writing sect, intending to claim a reward. Chapter 482: Lava Smelt Sect - 482 Chapter 482 - Lava Smelt Sect - 482 The journey back to the writing sect was much livelier than the journey to the Chaos Beasts. Although the Nascent soul realm cultivators slowed them down a bit, the group that was a part of the Writing sect soon returned. Zhu Yi briefly returned to the room he had been given before finding a soul formation realm cultivator of the Writing sect. After a brief conversation, he was told where the sect master stayed. The sect master was not a void traversing realm cultivator. The void traversing realm cultivator was the grand elder of the Writing sect. The sect master, while quite powerful, was not at that level. Zhu Yi soon arrived at the room of the sect master. It took up the entire highest floor. The grand elder stayed elsewhere. Before Zhu Yi even knocked on the door, he heard a voice. "Come in." Zhu Yi opened the large door and walked inside. Looking around, the room was a giant library. Such was expected from the Writing sect. Even his room had a large amount of books. There were also arrays and formations that seemed to be messily placed around the room. When he walked in, the sect master was sitting in the middle of the room drawing on a talisman. Zhu Yi was unsure of what any of the arrays, formations, or talismans around were. He only knew the formation that supported the Time Bubble. Unfortunately, he had not been able to use the Time Bubble inside his room for fear of being found out. After all, there was a void traversing realm cultivator here. After a moment of drawing on the talisman, the sect master looked up. "Apologies for the wait. I believe you''re here to claim your reward." Zhu Yi nodded. "I am. I''m looking for a sword. I''d like to use all of my contributions in exchange." Although there was no point system in place, his contribution could be somewhat used like a currency. "Our writing sect does not have many swords that would satisfy you. Instead, let me hand you this." The sect master of the writing sect took out a blank piece of paper and wrote some words on it before sealing it with a stamp. He tossed it towards Zhu Yi. "Hand it to the sect master of the Lava Smelt sect." "Thank you." Zhu Yi bowed and left. He then left the writing sect and flew towards the Lava Smelt sect. It was the 7th ranked sect in the world, and the number one forging sect. If there was a sword that would satisfy Zhu Yi, it would probably be there or in the hands of someone more powerful than him. As for Chen Jie''s sword, it had barely resisted breaking from the last fight, and only because the formless sword did not physically use the sword. The Lava Smelt sect was not that far from the Writing sect, and Zhu Yi soon arrived. The sect, as expected, was built inside of a large volcano. It was the largest volcano in the world. Even many cultivators would be unable to resist the eruption that it could create. As usual, Zhu Yi made his presence known and was greeted by a soul formation realm cultivator in the skies. On his back were a sword, a shield, and a spear. "Who are you? I''ve never seen you before. There shouldn''t be an unfamiliar soul formation realm cultivator." The man said. Zhu Yi explained that he was an independent cultivator and had just participated in the fight against Chaos Beasts. He also explained that he was sent by the sect master to meet the sect master of the Lava Smelt sect. The man clearly did not believe Zhu Yi was an independent cultivator, but when Zhu Yi showed him the letter, he sent him to the sect master. Zhu Yi flew down into the volcano and arrived in front of two giant steel doors. There were engravings of dragons on the doors, although there didn''t seem to be any dragons in this world. Still, like many places, dragons were considered to be the peak form of beast and were depicted in countless stories and fairy tales. Zhu Yi knocked on the door, and a loud metal clang rang out. A female voice came out from behind the door. "If you''re that weak, you''re not worthy to enter." Zhu Yi raised his brow. He had knocked lightly due to common courtesy, but if this was the case, so be it. Zhu Yi increased his strength and hit the door with a hard knock. The metal bent and a slight dent was left in the door. Zhu Yi was surprised. He had nearly used his full strength, but the door had only made a body sized dent that did not go back far. Zhu Yi heard a female voice, but ignored it as he got into a punching position. As he prepared, he noticed the door seemingly healing. In a few hours, it would go back to how it was before he punched. He used his full strength and punched out as hard as he could. "Wait!" Too late. His fist hit the door and it bent as if he had just drop kicked a child. It nearly flew off of its hinges and changed its shape from a rectangle to a cone. Behind the door, Zhu Yi saw a room with lava flowing around it. Tilting a bit more, he saw a frail looking woman staring at him with a twitching eye. Realizing that he had gotten ahead of himself, Zhu Yi was about to apologize before a hand smacked at him. Zhu Yi quickly reacted, but failed to move out of the way. He was hit on the head and smacked face first into the lava below him. A loud sound rang throughout the sect, and countless people sighed. Zhu Yi stood up out of the lava and rubbed his head. The frail looking woman looked at him sternly. "What is wrong with you punk?" "I said sorry." "You nearly destroyed my door." "You taunted me." The girl shook her head before regaining her composure. She held out her hand and spoke. "Give me the letter." Chapter 483: A New Sword - 483 Chapter 483 - A New Sword - 483 Zhu Yi took the letter out of his spatial ring and handed it to the sect master of the Lava Smelt sect. She tore it open after looking at the seal and read its contents. After a moment, she spoke. "Take this to deputy sect master Che. That''s not enough contribution points for me to make something." Zhu Yi received the letter and went on his way. After asking a random person, he found the deputy sect masters residence. As expected, it was only above the sect master''s residence. The deeper into the volcano a residence was, the higher the owner''s status was within the Lava Smelt Sect. Zhu Yi knocked on a normally sized door and heard a voice from behind it. "Come in. Please don''t break the door." Zhu Yi turned the doorknob and entered the room. There, he saw what a real forger looked like. Old with gray hairs, but a body full of muscle. In comparison, the sect master looked like a girl of below average physical strength, though Zhu Yi knew looks did not necessarily determine strength. The deputy sect master had a friendly smile on his face. "I''ve already learned the contents of the letter. All I need from you are the specifics of the sword and I''ll make it as strong as the contribution points you have allow." Zhu Yi nodded and sat across from the man. After a few minutes of discussion, he left and stayed in a guest room. He practiced the sword for three days, focusing most of his effort on the Breaking through all things technique. Finally, his sword was completed. He went down to the deputy sect masters residence and looked at his sword. It was green, similar to the color of Time Qi. It was a basic longsword, and next to it was a similarly colored sheath. Zhu Yi could tell at a glance that the sword was far stronger than Chen Jie''s had been. "Thank you." Zhu Yi said as he took the sword and the sheath. "No. Thank you for participating in the fight against Chaos Beasts." The old man said. Zhu Yi soon took his leave. He kept Chen Jie''s sword in his sheath. Perhaps he would give it to a museum later. There was no need to return to the writing sect. For the next hundred years, he planned to practice the sword. Actually, he would make it a thousand years with the time bubble. Although he was hesitant to use the time bubble due to his limited lifespan, he was willing to do it this time. Perhaps he would even be able to fight a Chaos Beast on the same level. Zhu Yi flew until he found a random spot in the woods. After spending a few weeks increasing his understanding of the supporting array to the soul formation level, Zhu Yi used the time bubble. Now in the soul formation realm, the time bubble sped up time by ten times. Although he still had to spend some time learning the higher level of the time bubble technique, it was negligible. Within a month of leaving the Lava Smelt Sect, he was practicing the sword within the time bubble. With his god-level sword talent and Zhou Fan''s guidance, Zhu Yi''s speed of growth was incredible. When 99 years had passed outside and 990 years inside of the time bubble, Zhu Yi stepped out. In an instant, an unstoppable sword intent burst out of him. The surroundings were cut to shreds for a hundred miles, and he had only released that bit accidentally. Countless beasts had died without knowing how. Zhu Yi took a deep breath, and the sword intent retreated. He was incomparably powerful compared to his past self. Now, when fighting a Chaos Beast on the same level, he felt as if there was hope. However, the question was, how would he. Only one soul formation realm Chaos Beast appeared every time, and the three void traversing realm cultivators took care of it. On second thought, he was probably over estimating himself. He was still in the 1st level of the soul formation realm. Over confidence would get him killed without even knowing how. Perhaps he would try and fight multiple Nascent soul realm Chaos Beasts. Inside the Time Bubble, Zhou Fan had not been idle. After a long time, he had finally decided what Divine Physique to give Zhu Yi. Although he could not create some incredible Divine Physique in his current state, he could create the one he had in mind. His only worry was that it may have some drawbacks, so he would have to see what would happen when he recovered again. He also would not be able to create the divine physique yet. Zhu Yi first required better talent. After getting used to the fresh air, Zhu Yi flew towards the frost sect. If he was right, this was a place with a clear connection to the celestial ice sect. He didn''t quite know how connected the frost sect was to the celestial ice sect or the incident that he noticed at the writing sect, but he should be safe. It didn''t take long to arrive at the frost sect. The entire sect was built on and within a giant spiky glacier. He made himself known, and a soul formation realm cultivator flew up to meet him. "What have you come here for?" Zhu Yi noticed a difference in this person compared to the others he had met. This person was much more arrogant from a glance. "I''m here to participate in the fight against Chaos Beasts." "You must be that independent cultivator I''ve heard about. We''ll set you up to fight a nascent soul realm Chaos Beast. Stay in one of the guest rooms." The man who had greeted him turned around to leave when Zhou Fan spoke again. "I was wondering if I could fight multiple nascent soul realm Chaos Beasts?" The man stopped and turned around. He had a confused look on his face. "Are you trying to sabotage us?" Chapter 484: Kind Old Man - 484 Chapter 484 - Kind Old Man - 484 Zhu Yi understood why the man was confused. It was hard to believe that Zhu Yi could possibly fight against multiple Chaos Beasts only a single level below him. "I can do it." Zhu Yi said. The man shook his head. "It''s not that simple. If you die to the Chaos Beasts, it could cause a collapse in the strategy. If you want to fight against multiple Chaos Beasts of the same level, you have to prove your strength." Zhu Yi nodded. "I can do that. How will it be tested?" The man shrugged in response. "I don''t know. I''ll go ask." Even among soul formation realm cultivators, there was a clear difference. Zhu Yi watched as the man left and entered a hole in the giant structure of ice. After a few minutes, a different person came out. He was older, and seemed wiser than the last man. "How many do you want to fight against?" He asked Zhu Yi. "I think I can handle 3." Zhu Yi responded. He didn''t want to be too careless. The old man thought for a second before speaking. "I am at the tenth level of the soul formation realm. I could theoretically fight two at the same time, though I don''t, but I feel that three is a stretch for even me. If you can defeat me in a fight, you can fight three Chaos Beasts." Zhu Yi agreed and they moved far away from the Frost Sect. Once they were far enough away that it was impossible for them to even shake the Frost Sect, they stopped. Before fighting, the old man spoke. "Perhaps in the wider universe, it isn''t too crazy to fight against multiple Chaos Beasts a level lower than you, but I truly don''t believe that you can fight three." Zhu Yi was surprised. It seemed that this old man knew about the wider universe. "You know about the wider universe?" Zhu Yi asked. "I do. I know that in the wider universe, fighting a Chaos Beast at the same level below the void traversing realm, while shocking, is not a unique achievement. When looking at the vast amount of people born with extreme talent, at least a few born every now and then can fight a Chaos Beast at the same level." The old man paused for a moment and spoke again. "Yet, everything changes when the void traversing realm is involved." He looked at Zhu Yi. "How much do you know about Chaos Beasts?" Zhu Yi responded. "Not much." "Many notice it after fighting the first few Chaos Beasts, but a Chaos Beasts strength is completely dependent on its realm, not its level or talent. Every single nascent soul realm Chaos Beast has around the same strength. It is also the same for Chaos Beasts at the soul formation level. It is when a Chaos Beast is born in the void traversing realm that there becomes a possibility of difference. Simply put, there is a chance for a Chaos Beast to gain intelligence. Although so small in the void traversing realm that it is not worth mentioning, it is still possible. Chaos beast born at a higher realm have a higher chance of having intelligence. With intelligence, the threat of a Chaos Beast is variable and can change. Intelligent Chaos Beasts cannot grow their realm like all other Chaos Beasts, but they can increase their power." Zhu Yi had a question. "So only intelligent Chaos Beast''s are a real threat above the soul formation realm?" "No. You should know that the higher the realm of the Chaos Beast, the stronger it is on the same level. In other words, a genius who can fight a foundation establishment realm Chaos Beast at the same level may not be able to do so against a nascent soul realm Chaos Beast at the same level. This trend continues steadily until the void traversing realm. The strength of a Chaos Beast on the same level is then far, far stronger than before." The old man paused before once again looking at Zhu Yi. "In the history of our world, there have surely been multiple geniuses that can fight a Chaos Beast at the same level, but only at the Nascent soul realm or below. It is unlikely that there was one who could fight a soul formation realm Chaos Beast at the same level." "Now, knowing all this, why do you think that even billions of years later, Chen Jie is hailed as the greatest geniuses of our planet?" Zhu Yi did not know. "It is because he killed a void traversing realm Chaos Beast at the same level." After hearing so much from the old man about Chaos Beasts, Zhu Yi was surprised to hear this about Chen Jie. He also noticed that the old man had said billions of years. In other words, Chen Jie was on this planet at least 2 billion years ago. This was an amount of time that Zhu Yi could hardly believe. After saying all this, the old man formed a ball of ice in his hand. "I told you all this because you are clearly a genius. It is said that I''m testing you to make sure that you don''t disrupt the battle strategy, but I don''t want you to die due to arrogance. For this purpose, I will fight you with everything I have." As the ice ball fully formed, the old man clenched his fist and punched at Zhu Yi from afar. Condensed icicles shot past Zhu Yi''s head as he moved to the side. He put his hand on his sword and spoke "Thank you for your concern. I truly appreciate it." He spoke both slow and fast. His words were clear, but barely any time was passing as he spoke them. He began to pull his sword out of his sheath. The sword seemed to disappear as it came farther out. "But my name is Zhu Yi, disciple of Zhou Fan, and I must never lose." Formless sword. Without knowing how, the old man felt his leg get cut. The first cut did not go too deep, testament to his great defense and Zhu Yi holding back, but an instant later, another cut came, deeper and stronger. Chapter 485: Fighting Chaos Beasts Again - 485 Chapter 485 - Fighting Chaos Beasts Again - 485 The old man jumped in the sky and flew, but he kept being attacked. He was unable to sense where the attacks were coming from. He only knew that they were from Zhu Yi. In just a few moments, he had nearly 500 cuts on his body. He formed a shield of ice Qi around him and charged towards Zhu Yi, but was forced to stop moving as the shield of ice Qi began to break. In just a few seconds since the first attack, Zhu Yi had used a thousand attacks. He sheathed his sword, which once again became visible. "This was my kindness. Next time, I won''t hold back." Zhu Yi said. Without a word, the old man charged towards him. Zhu Yi unsheathed his sword again. It turned invisible and Zhu Yi swung. The first attack proved to be different from the others. The shield of ice Qi was instantly cut halfway through. Although the formless sword did not focus on attack power, it was still an extremely powerful technique. Its attack power was far more than when Zhu Yi attacked without using any technique. It could almost be called an undetectable sword wave, though it was much more advanced and simply different. In an instant, multiple attacks hit the shield of ice Qi. It broke in just a moment and the old man, without even being able to resist, was sent flying. If Zhu Yi had intended to, he could have cut his head off. The old man stood up from the ground after a moment and looked at Zhu Yi. "I hope you don''t get killed. You will be set up to fight with three nascent soul realm Chaos Beasts." The old man waved goodbye as he returned to the frost sect. Although Zhu Yi had not focused on the formless sword technique all this time, he had still practiced with it quite a bit. In all ways, he was incomparable to a thousand years ago. Zhu Yi entered the frost sect and waited in one of the guest rooms. A few days later, someone knocked on his door. Zhu Yi opened it and saw a core formation realm cultivator. "We set out in 3 months. Be prepared." Zhu Yi nodded and the core formation realm cultivator left. Over the next three months, he practiced with the formless sword. There was no point in cultivating for now since he was still far too slow. When it was time to leave, Zhu Yi left his room and flew into the sky. A few minutes later, he joined an assigned group and was led to the battle grounds. He didn''t talk much. He was only here for the Chaos Beasts. After waiting for a day at the battlegrounds, he felt the same sensation as before. A giant Chaos Beast appeared, nearly identical to the one from before. Like last time, three colors dragged the Chaos Beast away. When Nascent soul realm Chaos Beasts were all that remained, Zhu Yi attacked three of them with sword waves and led them away. Once he was far enough away to not affect anyone else, he turned around. The three Chaos Beasts came at the same time. Zhu Yi grabbed his sword and immediately used the Breaking Through All Things technique. The first Chaos Beast was completely cut through. As if automatically, it began to self-destruct. Zhu Yi turned around and saw two more Chaos Beasts blocking the closest path to move away. He charged towards the other Chaos Beast, and with a single use of the Breaking Through All Things Technique, a second Chaos Beast was cut in half. He once again moved away from the self-destructing Chaos Beast and charged towards the last one. One more use of Breaking Through All Things, and the battle was finished. Zhu Yi felt a little drained of Qi, but he began to recover it while Zhou Fan absorbed the Mist of the three Chaos Beasts. He nodded, and Zhu Yi stood up. He had not recovered his Qi much, but every bit would help. Without hesitation, he charged towards the other fights among soul formation realm cultivators and Nascent soul realm Chaos beast. As he launched over at an extreme speed, he flashed by a soul formation realm cultivator and cut the Chaos Beast he was fighting in half. The soul formation realm cultivator was extremely surprised, but hurriedly moved away from the self-destruction of the Chaos Beast. This battle was fought by the 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th ranked sect of the world. They were the Frost Sect, the Beast Taming Sect, the Bleed Sect, the Lava Smelt Sect, and the Sound Sect. Zhu Yi had helped a soul formation realm cultivator of the Sound Sect. They fought with instruments as weapons. Their Qi was sound Qi and was usually used in the form of waves. Zhu Yi was most interested in the fighting styles of the Sound Sect and the Beast taming Sect. There were even sayings that the Beast Taming Sect was a lesser branch of a Beast Taming Sect that was big even in the wider universe. It was also said that this beast taming sect was a forgotten branch with no contact higher up. After regaining his Qi for a minute while Zhou Fan absorbed the mist from the Chaos Beast, Zhu Yi shot forward again. Sending himself flinging above a battle at his maximum speed, he timed his attack and perfectly cut the Chaos Beast in half. This person was a member of the Frost Sect and was equally stunned by Zhu Yi''s actions. Once again, Zhu Yi rested for a minute before moving again. When all was said and done, Zhu Yi had killed 8 nascent soul realm Chaos Beasts. Zhou Fan said he was on the edge of a recovery threshold, but not quite there. Luckily, it seemed that the next time, he would be able to increase Zhu Yi''s meridians. Just as Zhu Yi was recovering in his tent, he had an extremely surprising and unexpected visitor. Chapter 486: The Sword Sect鈥檚 Offer - 486 Chapter 486 - The Sword Sect''s Offer - 486 As his tent flap was pulled open, Zhu Yi looked forward. Walking inside was a man that gave off a scholarly aura like no other that Zhu Yi had ever met. He had ink black hair and carried an ink brush in his hand. In his other hand was paper. Clearly, this man was from the writing sect. But, why would someone from the writing sect be here at this time? Zhu Yi was able to understand from a glance. This person had participated in the battle. With the feeling he gave off, there was no doubt that he was above the soul formation realm. Zhu Yi stood up and paid his respects. "Zhu Yi pays his respects to the grand elder of the Writing sect." The man held up his hand. "No need for that. I''ve come to meet you in admiration. When Wen Si mentioned that someone else had met Chen Jie, I was surprised. Yet, when I saw your performance, I was more than surprised. You have an immense amount of talent and skill." "Thank you." Zhu Yi said. "I even watched you when you came to meet Wen Si those few times. So, what conclusion have you come to?" The Grand elder of the writing sect asked. Zhu Yi blanked for a moment. He understood what the Grand Elder was asking. Helplessly, he could only state the truth. "I believe that someone is tampering with the memories of many of the people in this world." The Grand Elder nodded. "Technically not someone, but an array created by someone. You see, it is actually not a bad thing. Without the help of the higher world, nobody in this world would ever become strong. It is because the higher world must siphon Qi from this world and the others in order to maintain the maximum level of Qi density. In this way, we can continue to protect the universe from the Chaos Beasts. This is something widely accepted in the universe." The Grand Elder spoke, but Zhu Yi suddenly remembered Chen Jie''s words. Tampering with memories was not something allowed. The Grand Elder seemed to either be conveniently withholding that information, or simply unaware. Regardless, Zhu Yi did not dare mention it. As for the information told by the Grand Elder, he made sure to memorize it. "What do you think of this?" The Grand Elder asked. Zhu Yi responded. "I believe that it sounds necessary to protect the universe." The Grand Elder nodded. "It truly is. As for the memory thing, it''s to keep order in the world. I''m sure you understand." Zhu Yi nodded. After a moment of silence, the Grand Elder spoke again. "I''ve come here with an offer. Information from the lower worlds is often transmitted above. As someone who can single handedly fight multiple Chaos Beasts a level below you and cultivate to the soul formation realm without a sect in a world with such a low Qi density, you had already sparked the interest of some. I was told to see how much you improved and to create a profile on you. After this battle, a sect in the higher world wants to take you as a disciple." Zhu Yi was shocked. He knew almost nothing of the higher world. "This sect is known as the Sword Sect. They are a somewhat special sect, and you will understand if you are willing to leave this world and join the Sword Sect." "I need to think about this first, Grand Elder." Zhu Yi said. The Grand Elder nodded. "I understand. We will meet when you return to the writing sect. Please have an answer by then." After speaking, the Grand Elder turned around and left. Now alone, Zhu Yi turned to Zhou Fan. "What should I do?" "It seems like a good idea to accept the offer and join the Sword Sect. With such a simple name, it must be one of the best sects for using Swords in the universe. With your god-level sword talent, you will be accepted without a doubt." The odds of having god-level sword talent was as rare as having immortal rank meridians. They were both one in a quadrillion. Within the entire universe, there were almost countless people. Therefore, having god-level sword talent was both rare and not rare. What was truly special was having god-level sword talent and adequate meridians. The only worry was that Zhu Yi''s meridians were too low rank. The sword sect may not value him upon seeing them. Luckily, Zhou Fan would be able to hide the rank of Zhu Yi''s meridians from anyone under the god realm in his current state. Although they would find it weird, it would probably make Zhu Yi more valued if anything. There was another good thing about this. If Zhu Yi could find someone in the god realm, then Zhou Fan could get ahold of someone who would be able to help him recover. Zhu Yi agreed with Zhou Fan''s words. In addition to likely being a powerful sect, just the density of Qi in the higher world would dramatically increase his cultivation speed by ten times. Although the wider universe only had seven tenths of the Qi density that it had before Zhou Fan fought the Cosmic Dao, it seemed that the higher world increased the density of Qi to the level it had been in the past. With Zhou Fan''s words, Zhu Yi made up his mind to join the sword sect. After everyone''s injuries had healed up, everyone returned to their sects. Zhu Yi returned to the ice sect before making his way towards the Writing Sect. When he arrived, he felt a wind guiding him. He turned away from the giant book that held the writing sect and was led to a nearby mountain. The wind guided him to a cave on a steep side of the mountain. As he entered, he noticed that the entire mountain was hollowed out. As if it was a secret missile base, there was a giant brush standing in the middle. It seemed that the book that the writing sect was built on had also come with a brush. Chapter 487: Four Element Gathering World - 487 Chapter 487 - Four Element Gathering World - 487 Floating cross legged in front of the giant brush was the grand elder of the Writing Sect. As Zhu Yi stepped into the mountain, he opened his eyes. "Have you made your decision?" He asked. Zhu Yi nodded. "I wish to join the Sword Sect of the higher world." The Grand Elder nodded. "It is the Sword Sect of the Four Elements Gathering. That is the name of the higher world you will be going to." As he finished speaking, the Grand Elder took out a map and threw it to Zhu Yi. "Go to the marked mountain. Someone from the Sword Sect will come and pick you up soon." Zhu Yi thanked the Grand Elder and left. After a day of traveling, he landed on top of a lush mountain. There was a powerful nascent soul realm beast here, but Zhu Yi sent it flying and waited. He practiced his sword for a month while waiting. He did not go into the time bubble. His lifespan was still an issue. He was around 3,800 years old. Although he had plenty of time to grow, it was not enough in this world. Hopefully, such an issue would be solved in the next world. As he practiced, the sky above him suddenly began to crack. Cracks spread out and the blue sky was replaced with space. Within that space, a man stood with his arms crossed, looking at Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi silently stared back. After a moment, the man reached out with his hand. His hand seemed to move through space and grab Zhu Yi. Upon grabbing him, the man shot up. The universe moved past Zhu Yi at a speed he could hardly see. Everything was blurry. He was wrapped in a coat of Qi by the man carrying him so that he would survive. When he was able to see clearly once again, he was standing in what appeared to be some sort of old temple. There were no walls and only pillars, yet the harsh space outside did not enter. Zhu Yi was able to naturally breathe. Looking around, he saw multiple people moving around the area. Most notably, there were blue arrays on the ground circling the outside of the temple. The man leading Zhu Yi walked on the ground like everyone else. This seemed to be a place that even he was not too special in. Instead of walking towards the many arrays circling the outside of the temple, Zhu Yi was led to the center of the temple. There were around ten arrays here, and the man stood on one of them. "Stand here." The man said. Zhu Yi nodded and stood on the same circle as the man leading him. The man took out a card and threw it to a person wearing a blue robe. Without a word, the person wearing the blue robe turned the card into specks of light and waved his hand. Once again, Zhu Yi felt as if he could not feel anything around him. Just a moment later, he was hit with a breath of fresh air. He felt the intensely dense Qi around him. It felt as if he had gone from hell to Heaven in just a moment. As he opened his eyes, he saw a sight he would likely never forget in this life. An endless gray metal ground surrounding him, a sky that seemed bluer than anything else he had ever laid eyes on, a burning sun that felt more intense than his birth worlds by a thousand times, and in the distance, four floating balls of color representing the four elements. On each of the balls was some sort of design or creature. The man who led him silently watched Zhu Yi get used to the surroundings. After a moment, Zhu Yi shook his head and regained clarity. He looked at the man that led him. "Welcome to the Sword Sect branch of the Four Elements Gathering." Now with clarity, Zhu Yi looked at the ground again. He felt a clear sword intent coming from it at all times and in all areas. He looked at the man curiously. "What are we standing on?" "The sword of the sect master of the Sword Sect. Expanded millions of times of course." Zhu Yi was amazed, but the man interrupted his thoughts. "We need to get you registered. I am elder Chit of the Sword Sect. Until you find a master or teacher, I will be guiding you." Zhu Yi nodded as elder Chit took out a large sword from a spatial ring. He sat it on the ground and stepped on it. "This is the main mode of transportation of the Sword Sect. Step on." Zhu Yi was amazed and stepped on the sword with elder Chit. As he did so, the surroundings suddenly whizzed past at an indescribable speed. In an instant, the sword stopped and Zhu Yi got off. In front of him was a large metal building. Like the ground around them, it constantly gave off a feeling of sword intent. There was no door, just a wide open arch that Zhu Yi was led through. All around him were people. Some were young and weak, while others were young and strong. There was also no lack of older cultivators. Without exception, each one had a sword on their body. Looking around as they walked, Zhu Yi saw five colors of clothing. Red, brown, blue, green, and gray. Looking backwards, Zhu Yi saw the four giant balls that represented the four elements. The color of the clothes and the balls matched up. As they walked, elder Chit noticed Zhu Yi looking at the four balls. "Those represent the four elemental sects of the world. They are the Celestial Ice Sect, the Heavenly Phoenix Sect, the Mountain Earth Sect, and the Godly Wind Sect. Those are the four rulers of the four element gathering world." Zhu Yi nodded. "What is the status of the sword sect?" Elder Chit seemed to smirk with pride. "We aren''t counted. Our sect is a universal sect. We are just a branch. We don''t interfere with them, and they don''t dare interfere with us." Chapter 488: The Sect Master - 488 Chapter 488 - The Sect Master - 488 Zhu Yi''s assessment of the Sword Sect was increased due to Elder Chit''s words. As they continued walking, he spoke again. "Why are there different colored clothes?" Elder Chit looked around. "There are 5 colors of clothing that the people in the Sword Sect wear. Gray is the color of those who are the main disciples of the Sword Sect. The other colors you see means that the person is part of one of the four sects and came to the Sword Sect because they use a Sword. You can think of them like exchange students." Zhu Yi nodded in understanding. Before long, they reached a large room with around ten young children waiting in line. Zhu Yi looked at Elder Chit, and Elder Chit spoke. "This is where talent is tested. These children were found around the Four Elements Gathering world and seemed to have talent. You will be tested here, but you don''t have to wait in line." Saying this, Elder Chit walked past the line of people and stood directly in front of an array on the ground. Zhu Yi followed him. As soon as the child on the array was done, a man with glasses spoke. "Great Rank meridians. Basic rank sword talent. Fire affinity. Can be accepted as low-rank member. Next." The child walked off of the array and Elder Chit signaled Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi stepped on the array and Zhou Fan took action. As the array lit up, Zhu Yi felt as if something was viewing every part of his body. When the light died down, Zhu Yi saw the man with glasses, now without glasses. His jaw was dropped. "Meridians undetectable. God-level Sword talent. Unknown Affinity, Space affinity, Fire affinity." After speaking, he did not say anything else. He did not have the authority to decide on Zhu Yi. Elder Chit appeared from behind Zhu Yi and grabbed him by the collar with a serious face. Zhu Yi felt as if the world around him moved at an impossible to understand speed. When he could see clearly, he was in front of a large door. Sitting on a chair to the side was an elderly man. His gray hair was so long that it bundled up on the floor. Upon their arrival, he looked up. Elder Chit bowed. "High Elder Jue. I request to see the sect master." High Elder Jue looked at him seriously. "Is it because of that child?" Elder Chit bowed again. "Yes sir." High Elder Jue thought for a moment and nodded. The door behind him opened. "You know the consequences of bothering the sect master without a proper reason." Elder Chit bowed once more before walking into the room. Zhu Yi silently followed. None of this was unexpected. As the door behind them closed, Zhu Yi looked around. It was as if he had entered another world. There was another sky, a mountain, large fields, and even another sun. Elder Chit walked fast towards the mountain. Upon arriving at it, they walked up. They did not fly, most likely because it was not respectful towards the sect master. Although they walked, it was not slow, and instead extremely fast. They arrived near the top of a mountain and saw a courtyard. This sight reminded Zhou Fan of his residence at the Cosmic Sect. Elder Chit stopped outside and bowed. "Elder Chit requests to meet the Sect Master." After a brief moment of silence, they heard a voice. "Come in." Elder Chit led Zhu Yi through a door and saw a man sitting on the ground cultivating. There were many spirit stones around him, all of them top-grade. The Sect Master opened his eyes. "What''s the matter?" Elder Chit responded. "This child here was brought up from a lower world. We tested his talent, and the results were surprising. Unknown meridians, God-level sword talent, unknown affinity, space affinity, and fire affinity." As Elder Chit spoke, the Sect Master eyes widened. By the end, the Sect Master waved his hand. "Take your leave Elder Chit. I will talk with this boy." Elder Chit bowed and left. The Sect Master looked at Zhu Yi. He immediately asked questions. "In what mortal world were you born in?" "I don''t know the name of it. Do you know a Chen Jie?" Zhu Yi asked. The Sect Master nodded. "Chen Jie''s world. I see. When you were young, did you ever receive something from the Cosmic Sect?" Just as Zhu Yi was about to answer, Zhou Fan spoke. "Say yes." "I did. Was that something important?" The Sect Master nodded in realization. "So you rejected it." "Say yes." Zhou Fan said again. "Yes." Zhu Yi responded. The Sect Master fell into thought for a moment. "How would you like to accept me as a teacher? Not a master, but a teacher." Zhu Yi looked at Zhou Fan. "I don''t mind." Zhou Fan responded. "I accept." Zhu Yi said. The Sect Master smiled. "That''s good. You see, our branch of the sword sect isn''t doing so good compared to the others. In the wider universe, we are considered to be one of the weakest branches in terms of disciples. I am an inner world realm cultivator, like many of the other branch masters, but the disciples that come from here are always lacking. How would you feel about representing the sword sect in a competition?" "I can do that." Zhu Yi responded. The Sect Master clearly had high hopes for him. "That competition decides a lot for the branches of the sword sect. If you win, it will also benefit you. You will be able to join the main Sword Sect, which resides on the world tree." Zhu Yi was surprised. The competition seemed extremely important. "This competition is for anyone in the void traversing realm that has been a member of the Sword Sect for more than a hundred thousand years. It is considered a youth competition since even the oldest Void Traversing realm cultivator is only ten million years old. I will teach you to the best of my ability on the condition that you do your best in the competition." Zhu Yi agreed without hesitation. Chapter 489: Teachings - 489 Chapter 489 - Teachings - 489 Although Zhu Yi had Zhou Fan to teach him, Zhou Fan''s guidance was limited due to not having a body. Zhu Yi could still see him do things, but there was no feeling. It was simply an imitation. With the help of the Sect Master of the Sword Sect, Zhu Yi would be able to train faster with the sword, especially since Zhou Fan would still be helping him. In addition, the Sect Master could provide him with many Spirit Stones. There was only one more thing that Zhu Yi needed. He asked the Sect Master of the Sword Sect. "I need to fight Chaos Beasts. Can I do that here?" He had only arrived recently and did not know much about this world. "I suppose you can. Do you want to fight a nascent soul realm Chaos Beast?" The Sect Master responded. "I want to fight as many of them as you can give me." Zhu Yi said. "How does five at a time sound? Can you handle that?" "I can. That works for me." Zhu Yi responded. The Sect Master nodded. "Wait about five hundred years. Chaos Beasts arrive on our world once every thousand years." Zhu Yi nodded and asked a question. "What is the strongest Chaos Beast that comes here?" "A lesser dao creation realm Chaos Beast. It''s never fun to fight. Luckily, all the intelligent ones are at the frontlines." The Sect Master said. Zhu Yi recalled what the old man from the frost sect had said about Chaos Beasts and asked yet another question. "Can you handle that Chaos Beast alone?" The Sect Master shook his head. "I can barely survive alone. If we''re lucky, every inner world realm cultivator of this world combined can defeat it. Sometimes, the overseer must intervene." He did not know who or what an overseer was, but Zhu Yi decided to refrain from asking any other questions. He would learn in the future. "Do you need to rest or are you ready to start training?" The Sect Master asked. Zhu Yi was prepared. "I am ready." The Sect master grabbed a branch from a tree within the courtyard. His sheath was empty. "First show me what you know." Zhu Yi nodded and unsheathed his sword. He first used the formless sword. The sword wave was so common it was not worth mentioning. Zhu Yi smoothly used the formless sword a thousand times before sheathing it. The Sect Master was already amazed. "What kind of advanced technique is this? I''ve rarely seen anything so incredible in all of my life!" The Sect Master exclaimed. "I found it after falling into a hole." Zhu Yi explained. "Incredible. That should be your strongest technique right?" Although the Sect Master could see the formless swords, it was only because Zhu Yi''s cultivation was so low. If Zhu Yi was even at the realm below his, it would be nearly impossible for him to sense them at all. "Not quite. This one is called, "Breaking through all things." Zhu Yi focused and held his sword. He used breaking through all things and slashed down. An unstoppable power shot out of his sword and struck the air in front of him. Although there was nothing to hit, the sword technique was clearly displayed. This time, the Sect Master didn''t even speak. Although its complexity was not high to the Sect Master due to his high realm, it was still an unfathomably strong sword technique to him. "Where did you get this one?" He asked seriously. "The same hole." Zhu Yi responded. He didn''t know what else to say. The Sect Master took out a talisman and spoke into it. "Go into the mortal world that birthed Chen Jie and search it in its entirety. If the celestial ice sect has anything to say about it, tell them that it is not a request, but a command." After saying that, the Sect Master put away the talisman. "Sorry about that. If techniques like that are on that world, then who knows what else we could find. I can help you train in either of the techniques for now. I''m afraid I won''t be able to help you much in the future." It seemed that the Sect Master was thoroughly shocked. "I want to train in the Breaking Through All Things technique." Zhu Yi said. The Sect Master nodded and showed him using the technique. It was a mere imitation of the technique, but Zhu Yi could feel something when the Sect Master did it. To Zhou Fan, the sect master was quite sloppy. However, he could at least give Zhu Yi a little bit of help. Only when he recovered more would he be able to help Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi learned from the Sect Master for nearly a year straight before he stopped training the sword. Although he had progressed faster due to the Sect Master, most of the credit went to Zhou Fan. While the Sect Master taught Zhu Yi in the real world, Zhou Fan stood next to him and explained what the Sect Master was doing wrong. It was quite comical to Zhu Yi, but he never laughed. He respected the Sect Master. After the year passed, Zhu Yi was ready to cultivate. He had only two requests for the Sect Master. Not to spy on him, and to provide spirit stones. The sect master gladly accepted. The next day, Zhu Yi was given a thousand top grade spirit stones. He was also told that he could ask for more at any time. In addition to the thousand top grade spirit stones used for cultivating, he was allowed to buy anything around the Sword Sect for free. Although he was not the Sect Master''s disciple, he was the Sect Master''s student. News seemed to get out that the Sect Master of the Sword Sect had accepted a student. Besides participating in the competition in the future, the Sect Master only had one more request for Zhu Yi. Every now and then he needed to beat up some people that were jealous. Zhu Yi agreed to this request. It was good to fight and not lose his edge. Chapter 490: Fighting Chaos Beasts - 490 Chapter 490 - Fighting Chaos Beasts - 490 With the Sect Masters agreement that he would not spy on Zhu Yi, he could cultivate in the time bubble without worrying. Zhu Yi set up the time bubble and the array and began to cultivate. The time bubble affected time by ten times. With ten times more Qi, Zhu Yi cultivated a hundred times faster than others. When 200 years passed outside and 2,000 inside, Zhu Yi reached the 2nd level of the soul formation realm. When 300 years passed in the outside world and 3,000 inside, Zhu Yu heard a knock on his door. 500 years had passed. It was time to fight Chaos Beasts. Zhu Yi stopped the time bubble and stood up. Although his cultivation speed would seem slow for someone with unknown meridians, he could say anything to explain himself. Most likely, the sect master wouldn''t end up asking questions. Zhu Yi stepped outside and met the Sect Master. The Sect Master noticed his cultivation level, but didn''t say anything. Everything would be better after fighting Chaos Beasts. The Sect Master took out a giant sword. "We''ll fly on this." Zhu Yi nodded and stepped on the sword. They flew out of the Sect Master''s residence and eventually flew above the Sword Sect. All around, there were countless flying swords. "The Sword Sect sends out every member to fight the Chaos Beasts every time." Zhu Yi could guess why based on what he heard from Elder Chit. The Sect Master held out his hand, and the now empty Sword Sect rumbled. It shrank and within a few seconds entered the Sect Master''s sheath. "Let''s go." He said, his voice reaching everyone of the Sword Sect. The flying swords of everyone in the sect suddenly glowed. They seemed to be connected by nearly invisible lines. As the sect master moved at an incredible speed, so did all of the other flying swords. This was the reason that flying swords were the main method of transportation in the Sword Sect. Zhu Yi could not comprehend his current speed on the Sect Masters sword, but he had gotten used to this. Before he knew it, every member of the Sword Sect was in a large field. Similarly flying were other people away from the sword sect. There were many different colors and designs, but four colors stood out the most. Red, brown, blue, and green. While all the other sects flew below, the members of the Sword Sect and the four elemental sects stood the highest. Although the Sword Sect was not the only universal sect that had branches all around, only the sword sect had a branch in the four element gathering world. There was no conversation at all in the surroundings. Everyone was silently waiting. Zhu Yi felt many gazes from both the Sword Sect and the other sects. Still, nobody talked. After an entire day of waiting, the Sect master, the leaders of the four elemental sect, and a few others looked up. "You''re on your own. Elder Chit will make sure that you get your five at a time." The Sect Master said. He flew up, leaving his flying sword behind. At the same time, a few others did as well. A few moments later, more and more people flew up. In the end, the strongest people left on the planet were those at the void traversing realm. Then, space cracked and Chaos Beasts began to pour out. Zhu Yi attacked five. Elder Chit was in space fighting and if he could fight five without an issue, then Elder Chit would not need to assist him. Zhu Yi led five nascent soul realm Chaos Beasts away. The strongest here were soul formation realm Chaos Beasts. The void traversing realm cultivators were here to deal with them. When they were far enough away from any others, Zhu Yi began to attack. There was no issue at all. Unless he was mobbed by thousands of self-destructing nascent soul realm Chaos Beasts, he would be completely fine. He only limited himself because Zhou Fan needed time to absorb the mist. Five quickly died, and Zhu Yi meditated to recover. Zhou Fan absorbed the mist. After five minutes, Zhu Yi saw five more nascent soul realm Chaos Beasts coming towards him, courtesy of Elder Chit. Zhu Yi attacked and soon killed all five. This time, as Zhou Fan absorbed the mist, he began to break through a recovery threshold. Zhu Yi held his hand up. Elder Chit would not send any more. Regardless, he had done his share on the battlefield. After a brief period of time, Zhu Yi felt a warm feeling. Zhou Fan spoke. "You now have god rank meridians." Zhu Yi was overjoyed. Still, he had a question. "Wouldn''t it make sense if God rank meridians were good enough for someone to reach the god realm? Why are they called God rank meridians?" Zhu Yi''s question was not unique. There was an extremely simple answer that all cultivators seemed to overlook. "The person who named them had no idea what the future realms would be. He simply named the meridians something that sounded better than emperor. God was the next step." Zhu Yi nodded. "The person who named them must have lived long ago." "Indeed. He''s commonly known as the Origin God. You''ll learn about him in the future." At mention of this, Zhu Yi looked at Zhou Fan. "I still can''t tell how strong you were when you were alive. Even the Sect Master could not detect you. How strong were you exactly?" Zhou Fan wasn''t sure how to answer. He hadn''t even named the realm he had reached at that time. "You''ll find out about that as well I assume." When Zhu Yi saw a statue of the Origin God, he would understand. Zhu Yi nodded. Since Zhou Fan was done, he decided to join the fight once again. More of the mist wouldn''t hurt. Since Elder Chit was no longer paying attention to him, Zhu Yi went to the main battlefield and attracted five more Nascent soul realm Chaos Beast towards him. After killing them, Zhou Fan absorbed the mist and the fight on the world was over. In the sky, however, the fight was ongoing. It was hard to see it up there, but Zhu Yi saw flashes of light. As he watched, someone approached him. Chapter 491 - 8th Level of the Soul Formation Realm - 491 Chapter 491 - 8th Level of the Soul Formation Realm - 491 Zhu Yi noticed a person approaching and looked over. The person coming seemed young, but based on his cultivation level he was far from it. "You are Zhu Yi, correct? The Sect Master''s student from a lower world?" Zhu Yi nodded. "I am. Are you here to fight?" The person once again nodded. "I am the strongest soul formation realm cultivator of the Heavenly Phoenix sect''s sword sect disciples. Zhu Yi had been able to tell he was part of the Heavenly Phoenix sect just from his clothes "Can you fight a soul formation realm Chaos Beast alone?" Zhu Yi asked. The person in front of him was clearly at the tenth level of the soul formation realm. "Not quite." The person said, shaking his head. Zhu Yi agreed. "In that case, I''m willing. I''ve never fought someone from one of the four sects." Zhu Yi pulled out his sword, as did the person across from him. There was no need for any sort of official duel. One just had to beat the other up. Fire wrapped around his opponent''s sword as he slashed upward. A wave of fire Qi shot towards Zhu Yi. As someone both from this higher world and at the tenth level of soul formation realm, Zhu Yi would struggle to win. He decided to make a statement here in order to avoid more difficult fights in the future. Instant completion. Since every powerful person was currently fighting, there was no need for Zhu Yi to hide it at all. Even if it was found out he was using time Qi, he was the Sect Masters student. Even in the absolute worst case scenario, he would probably be taken to the world tree and examined by someone more powerful. Perhaps that person would even be able to see and recognize his master. Zhu Yi instantly appeared behind his opponent and used a powerful sword wave. His opponent was not even able to react. It was as if he had teleported. He was hit in the back and sent flying. The duel was over. Zhu Yi could have easily killed him there, but obviously didn''t. The person was shocked beyond words. He eventually got up and walked away without saying anything. Even if he knew it was going to happen, he didn''t have any confidence in winning. Nobody challenged Zhu Yi after seeing the result of the previous battle. Zhu Yi simply waited for the fight up there to be over. As a year passed, cultivators slowly returned. First was the space shattering realm cultivators. Elder Chit came down at this time. He set up a much larger camp for the Sword Sect disciples. He also heard of Zhu Yi''s victory in the duel and gave him a thumbs up. After the space shattering realm cultivators were the lesser dao creation realm cultivators. Much less people came down, but with everyone combined there were a good few. Zhu Yi saw High Elder Jue descend at this time. He nodded in Zhu Yi''s direction. Finally, at the end of the year, the sect master and the other inner world realm cultivators returned. Although none had any injuries, it was only because they healed fast. They were all clearly exhausted. The sword sect finally returned to the sect. The sect master''s sword was once again used as the base of it all. Zhu Yi returned to his cultivation room and began cultivating within the time bubble once again. Now with god rank meridians, he was countless times faster. After 125 years within the time bubble and only 12.5 outside, Zhu Yi reached the 3rd level of the soul formation realm. 10,000 years passed within the time bubble. Almost exactly as Zhu Yi broke into the 8th level of the soul formation realm, it was time to fight Chaos Beasts again. This time, Zhu Yi decided to go big. He would attempt to fight a Soul Formation realm Chaos beast. Luckily for him, the thousand years it took for Chaos Beasts to come was merely an estimate. This time, they took around 1001 years, giving Zhu Yi enough time to become even stronger. Zhu Yi met with the sect master. This time, the sect master seemed to be pleased with his cultivation speed. It was unknown what the sect master was thinking. Zhu Yi was not exactly as fast as the maximum cultivation speed when using the time bubble, but it was a great improvement from before. The Sect Master''s thoughts were unknown, but he seemed to believe in Zhu Yi a bit. The same scene as before appeared. Zhu Yi rode with the Sect Master to the predicted battlefield. Zhu Yi still had no idea how they predicted the location. He was so curious that he asked. "How does everyone get information on the location of Chaos Beasts?" Even in his birth world, they had been able to predict it. "It''s all information from the World Tree. Even I''m not sure how it''s done. They give out information to every single world that suffers from the attacks of Chaos Beasts." Zhu Yi understood. It was probably some sort of special method. It didn''t matter to him anyway. He was only curious. As they flew towards the battlefield, the Sect Master turned to Zhu Yi. "Are you one hundred percent sure you want to do this? Fighting a soul formation realm Chaos Beast on the same level is extremely rare even in our world." Zhu Yi nodded. "I''m sure. If I can''t do it now, then I''ll never be able to do it." The Sect Master agreed and let him fight a soul formation realm Chaos Beast. They waited in the air once again. Around them were familiar faces. After waiting for a month, the sect master looked up. "Take care of yourself. Don''t die." Along with some others, he flew up. As time passed, more and more people flew into space. When the strongest people left on the world were void traversing realm cultivators, space broke. Chapter 492: Same Realm Chaos Beast - 492 Chapter 492 - Same Realm Chaos Beast - 492 As space broke, Zhu Yi instantly spotted a soul formation realm Chaos beast and sent a slash at it. His slash hit it and cut it. The soul formation realm Chaos Beasts attention was instantly locked on Zhu Yi. It charged forward with a power that was incomparable to a nascent soul realm Chaos beasts. Zhu Yi hurriedly backed away and brought it to a different location. Feeling its power, he wasn''t sure if it was actually possible to win. Regardless, he didn''t have a choice anymore. Now in a far away location, the Chaos Beast charged at Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi took out his sword and slashed down. Breaking Through All Things. Directly colliding with the Chaos Beast, they were both sent flying back a few hundred steps. The Chaos Beast was far larger than a Nascent Soul realm Chaos beast. It was also much stronger. Seeing the Chaos beast immediately charge back at him, Zhu Yi once again used breaking through all things, this time slashing up. They were both sent flying back again. Zhu Yi felt his arms hurt from the sheer force of the Chaos Beast. Meanwhile, the Chaos Beast had some deep cuts on its face. There was nothing else to do but charge forward. Breaking through all things only had two forms. Slashing up and slashing down. It was his strongest technique and the only way he could possibly go head to head with a Soul Formation realm Chaos Beast. He could possibly slowly kill it with the formless sword, but that was risky and would take far too long. They charged forward again. And again. And again. And again. For an entire day, they fought back and forth. Both of Zhu Yi''s arms were broken. So were his shoulders and part of his chest. The Chaos Beasts face was nothing but a pile of bloody mush. It had been cut countless times. Zhu Yi''s Qi had thinned out long ago. His attacks were far weaker than before. He had to use less Qi in order to even continue fighting. In the distance, he saw a few void traversing realm cultivators watching him. Since this was his battle, they wouldn''t interfere unless he was going to die. Zhu Yi could only hope that the Chaos Beast would die before him. They collided again and again. Another day passed. Now, most of the people below the void traversing realm were watching him. Normally, such a fight would not attract much attention. However, this was a soul formation realm cultivator versus a soul formation realm Chaos Beast. Everyone was interested. At this point, Zhu Yi was nearly completely out of Qi. Even as his attacks weakened and he absorbed Qi from the surroundings, he was still about to completely run out. This needed to end, and he needed to end it. "Remember everything you''ve learned about Breaking Through All Things. Your mastery is still only at the surface level." Zhou Fan suddenly spoke. The Breaking Through All Things technique was extremely powerful, and even with his talent, Zhu Yi had only reached a sort of initial mastery, even if it was already very powerful. Zhu Yi held his sword high and remembered everything. He poured all of his Qi into this one attack. He charged forward once again. "Breaking Through All Things!" He slashed down at the Chaos Beast. This slash felt different from every other one he had ever performed. It was as if he had a greater understanding of the technique, and what it truly meant to break through all things. Zhu Yi hit the Chaos Beast. His slash cut through it, severing it into two pieces. He hurriedly moved away as the creature self-destructed and fell on the ground. The people watching were naturally amazed. How many people got to see someone fight a Chaos Beast on the same level and win. Zhou Fan moved over and absorbed the mist from the Chaos Beast. He took a minute to absorb it. He walked back over to Zhu Yi. "Its effect is about thirty times that of a nascent soul realm Chaos Beast." Zhu Yi could only slightly nod. He was on the verge of suffering from Qi exhaustion. Some people from the sword sect came over to give him some spirit stones in order to help him recover. Even void traversing realm cultivators offered some. "Thank you, but I have enough." Zhu Yi said as he pulled out a top grade spirit stone. He began to absorb the Qi out of it and recover. After a few days, he was completely fine. Most of the battles within the world were wrapped up. Zhu Yi stood up after recovering. As soon as he did so, he saw a familiar face. The last remaining name on his beat up list. Bai Wei''er. She also saw him. She was staring at him in shock. As the daughter of the sect master of the celestial ice sect, she had come to watch the Chaos Beast fight. She had heard of someone fighting a Chaos Beast on the same level and wanted to come over. Unfortunately, although she was in the soul formation realm, she was not even close to strong enough to get close to such a battle. She could only stay away. She decided to wait and gathered information on this person out of curiosity. He came from a lower world, something she found admirable. He was also the student of the Sect Master of the Sword sect. There was no information on his name that she could find. On this day, she finally came to see him, only to find Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi remembered her clearly, even after so many years. She had tried to tempt him with the universal cultivation manual. This was something that all of the top ten sects freely taught. Although some people in the lower world couldn''t use it, it could be considered widely available. It was no wonder that everyone in this higher world used it. Zhu Yi walked over to her. He was ready to take revenge. "Bai Wei''er. I challenge you to a duel." Chapter 493: Bai Xun - 493 Chapter 493 - Bai Xun - 493 Bai Wei''er was still shocked at seeing Zhu Yi and did not respond. Although she had never thought about him again, a cultivator had a great memory. She recognized him at a glance. Around her, her servants were shocked as well. They too had heard about Zhu Yi''s feat. They had no idea why he would challenge Bai Wei''er to a duel. A void traversing realm cultivator from the celestial ice sect heard Zhu Yi''s words and came over. "Zhu Yi. Someone as respected as yourself shouldn''t stoop to bullying others." Ever since Zhu Yi had won the fight against the soul formation realm Chaos Beast, nobody could look down on him. He was one of the most talented people in this world without a doubt. "It is simply revenge from the past. I must duel Bai Wei''er." Although it had been a long time and Zhu Yi had nearly even forgotten about it all, he still needed to beat up Bai Wei''er. He was getting revenge for himself of the past. At this time, Bai Wei''er finally spoke. "I apologize for our past. I was young and rude back then. If I had known that you were so talented, I would''ve never been so rude. Please forgive me." Bai Wei''er spoke in an apologetic tone, as if she had really changed and regretted her actions. However, she was literally sitting on a throne being carried by servants. Has she changed at all? She was only speaking to him like this because of his power and talent. "It doesn''t matter even if you''ve changed. I have to beat you up. If you don''t want to accept a duel, then I apologize in advance." Zhu Yi stepped forward. Instant completion. Appearing behind Bai Wei''er, he smacked her in the back of her head. Not even the void traversing realm cultivator could react. Zhu Yi was much stronger than Bai Wei''er. Without being able to even resist, she fell face first onto the ground in front of everyone. Seeing how she put herself above everyone else, Zhu Yi found this a fitting revenge. With that, his grudge was over. If Bai Wei''er or the Celestial Ice Sect wanted revenge, that would be a separate matter. Zhu Yi made a tent at the Sword Sects camp and waited for the Space Shattering realm cultivators to return. Logically, it should not be long. However, he was disturbed before he could even rest. "Zhu Yi. Get out here now." A male voice said. Zhu Yi grabbed his sword and walked out of the tent. Standing with Bai Wei''er behind him was a 10th level soul formation realm cultivator. He seemed around the same age as Zhu Yi if Zhu Yi did not use the time bubble. In other words, he was actually younger than Zhu Yi, but with a higher cultivation level. At the very least, he was thousands of years old. He had some arrogance in his eyes as he looked at Zhu Yi. "You insulted the entire celestial ice sect with your actions yesterday. Since you wanted a duel, here I am." Despite knowing that Zhu Yi could fight a soul formation realm Chaos Beast, this person still came to fight him. This could only mean that he could do the same thing. Zhu Yi didn''t bother saying anything and put his hand on his sword. He had confidence in winning no matter what this person could do. His fighting style was actually more fit for fighting humans than Chaos Beasts. After all, Chaos Beasts had extremely strong defense and two of his three greatest techniques were useless on them. "I, Bai Xun, shall take revenge for miss Bai Wei''er." Zhu Yi''s opponent announced in an arrogant fashion. Without saying anything else, Bai Xun pointed his finger at Zhu Yi. A giant explosion of Ice tore towards Zhu Yi at an incredibly fast speed. Everyone in the surroundings hurriedly backed away. Zhu Yi slashed upwards. Breaking Through All Things. The explosion of Ice was parted, leaving a clear opening between Zhu Yi and Bai Xun. Before Zhu Yi could attack, snow began to fall. Zhu Yi instantly noticed something wrong with it, but he couldn''t avoid it without leaving the battlefield. Instead, he sheathed his sword and grabbed it. Formless sword. Bai Xun felt a sense of danger and dodged to the side. However, this technique was once used to counter someone that could nearly be described as immortal. It was not so simple as dodging. Despite moving quickly, Bai Xun felt a deep cut on his arm. Zhu Yi did not stop with one. Countless attacks constantly hit Bai Xun. He created a ball of ice in order to defend himself, but it was quickly cut through. He formed another, and another, and another, until Zhu Yi''s thousand attacks were over. Bai Xun''s ball of ice collapsed as he panted. Zhu Yi did not give him a moment to rest and shot towards him. At this moment, Bai Xun, covered in blood, pointed at Zhu Yi again. "Snow coffin." The snow had never stopped falling. Many flakes had piled on Zhu Yi, but he had put it in the back of his mind. Now, as if they were mini bombs, each snowflake exploded with an accumulated power. Zhu Yi was instantly trapped within a condensed "coffin" of ice spikes. It seemed that Bai Xun had won. This was Bai Xun''s special move. Something passed down to him from the Sect Master of the Celestial Ice Sect. It was how he was able to kill a same level Chaos Beast. Without this move, he was not strong enough to win such a fight. Zhu Yi''s entire body was a bloody mess. Nearly every part of his body had been impaled. Even Zhou Fan was worried that he would die. Zhu Yi could barely think as of now. He focused his mind onto one thing. Breaking Through All Things. Although he could not move his body, and could not grab his sword, Breaking Through All Things was more than a sword technique. It was an ideology. With or without a sword, Zhu Yi would break through all things. Breaking Through All Things. Chapter 494: Bai Xun and Bai Wei - 494 Chapter 494 - Bai Xun and Bai Wei - 494 Everyone was watching this battle. As Zhu Yi was trapped within the Ice coffin, there seemed to be no doubt he had lost. Bai Wei''er was gloating, while the people from the Sword Sect were worried that Zhu Yi would die. It was then that Zhu Yi used Breaking Through All Things. The ice around him shattered in an instant. Zhu Yi burst out, now a bloody mess, and grabbed his sword. Breaking Through All Things. Instant completion. Although Zhu Yi couldn''t use Breaking Through All Things at its full strength with instant completion, it was unnecessary. Before Bai Xun could fight back, he was sent flying away, his chest completely broken and nearly severed into two pieces. Zhu Yi was barely standing on two feet as Bai Xun fell unconscious. He had won this duel. Zhu Yi''s favorite sight was Bai Wei''er''s expression. She went from joy to horror in a second. Although he had had his revenge, he still didn''t like her. It was good to see her suffer a bit. Although the Sword Sect members didn''t know much about Zhu Yi or have any connections to him aside from the sect, they still cheered when he won. It was an unexpected and astonishing finish. Even the void traversing realm cultivators couldn''t see that last move. Moments later, as if they had been waiting, space shattering realm cultivators descended from space. Elder Chit clapped as he descended next to Zhu Yi. He helped him walk and brought him back to the Sword Sects camp. Meanwhile, the space shattering realm cultivators from the Celestial Ice Sect looked at him coldly, though there seemed to be some surprise and admiration. While they looked over, Elder Chit raised his hand and rubbed his thumbs on his fingers. It was a gesture that meant something about money. A few of the Space Shattering realm cultivators from the Celestial Ice Sect seemed more downtrodden after seeing it. Zhu Yi was brought to the Sword Sect camp and healed with many medicines, pills, and healing techniques. It took him nearly a month to fully recover. Before seeing anyone else, he saw his master. "You''ve reached the 2nd and 3rd level of the Breaking Through All Things technique in quick suggestion. You''ve become surprisingly talented and strong." Zhu Yi thanked his master sincerely. Once again, he was reminded that he would be nothing without Zhou Fan. It was unknown how far they would go, but even if he died here, Zhu Yi would still be satisfied. "If I can attain the Dao in the morning, I can die peacefully in the evening." He mumbled. As he stood up and left the room, he saw Elder Chit once again. "Well done. I''m proud to say that you''re a member of the Sword Sect." Zhu Yi thanked him and walked outside. He took a breath of fresh air and looked around. Everything was normal. Over the next few months, everyone returned. Nearing the end of the year, the Sect Master returned. He heard about the duel and congratulated Zhu Yi. "As expected." He said simply. Zhu Yi didn''t see much of the Sect Master of the Celestial Ice Sect. He didn''t know if he just didn''t care or if he simply didn''t feel the need to get involved. Zhu Yi returned to the Sword Sect with the Sect Master. Just as he was about to enter seclusion, the Sect Master stopped him. "Just wait a few days. If I know anything about that guy, it''s that he loves to come and complain." Zhu Yi didn''t know what he was talking about, but just practiced the sword while waiting. He focused on his new understanding of Breaking Through All Things. Now, it was not only much stronger than before, but could be released without a sword. This was the first time that Zhu Yi realized the truth of the Breaking Through All Things Technique. It was not only a sword technique, but an ideology. Zhu Yi asked Zhou Fan about it. "How many levels are there to this technique?" "There are four levels, but the fourth is harder to reach than the other ones by far." Zhou Fan answered. "How strong is the fourth level?" Zhu Yi asked. "If you mastered it right now, you would probably be able to fight Chen Jie at the same realm equally." Zhu Yi was amazed. The Breaking Through All Things Technique was not a simple or weak technique at all. Zhu Yi practiced the third level of the technique while waiting. He already knew that there was no hope of comprehending the fourth level in a short amount of time. After just a few days, Zhu Yi was led somewhere by the Sect Master. He entered a luxurious room he had never seen before and saw three familiar people. Bai Wei''er, Bai Xun, and the Sect Master of the Celestial Ice Sect, who he had only seen from afar. Something about the Sect Master seemed different from everyone else Zhu Yi had ever met. His hair was long and white and his eyes were red. The Sect Master of the Sword Sect introduced the Sect Master of the Celestial Ice Sect. "This is the Sect Master of the Celestial Ice Sect. He is not a human, but a race known as celestials. They were the first non-human, humanoid race in the universe." Zhou Fan had been able to tell at a glance. It had been a long time since he had paid attention to a celestial. There were far fewer of them than humans, and among the righteous faction, there had only been a few at the god realm or above. The Sect Master of the Celestial Ice Sect spoke. "My name is Bai Wei. Zu Nu, shouldn''t you introduce your student to me." The Sect Master of the Sword Sect, Zu Nu, snorted. "You know exactly who he is. Isn''t that why you came here? What exactly do you plan to accomplish?" Bai Wei simply smiled. "I was just curious to see such a talented person. After all, he didn''t kill my son in law after defeating him. In fact, I''ve considered thanking him." The Sect Master of the Sword Sect nudged Zhu Yi. "Here it comes." He whispered. "However, he knocked out my Bai Wei''er and pushed her to the ground. This is unforgivable." Chapter 495: Fruit of Life Divine Physique - 495 Chapter 495 - Fruit of Life Divine Physique - 495 The Sect Master of the Sword Sect snorted. "She didn''t even inherit your celestial bloodline, and yet you seem to value her so much. What exactly is it that makes her so important to you?" The Sect Master of the Celestial Ice Sect shook his head. "Without being a father yourself, you could never understand. Whether or not she is a celestial, she is still my daughter." This time, the Sect Master of the Sword Sect chuckled. "You have plenty of children, yet only she is treated well. You can drop the nonsense, I don''t really care. Now, what exactly did you think you would accomplish by coming to my Sect?" The Sect Master of the Celestial Ice Sect remained calm. "I expect a simple apology." "Not happening." The Sect Master of the Sword Sect instantly denied it. "In that case, I request a deal. I heard that Zhu Yi is going to participate in the Sword Sect''s competition for Void Traversing realm cultivators. How about this, if he fails to reach the top ten, he apologizes to my daughter and works as her servant for a million years." It seemed that the Sect Master of the Celestial Ice Sect had finally revealed his intentions. "Naturally, he would have to follow her orders completely." The Sect Master of the Celestial Ice Sect added. "Why would he accept such a thing?" The Sect Master of the Sword Sect asked. "Let me finish. If he wins, I will personally owe him a favor. In addition, my daughter will publicly apologize and work as his servant for a million years. Now, if he gets in the top ten but doesn''t win, then we''ll act as if nothing happened and call it even." The Sect Master of the Celestial Ice Sect said. Zhu Yi was about to speak, but he was nudged by the Sect Master of the Sword Sect. "Me and my student will discuss this. Wait here." Zhu Yi followed the Sect Master of the Sword Sect to the other side of the Sword Sect and spoke in a room that prevented anyone from hearing. "I was going to reject the offer. Is something wrong?" Zhu Yi asked. The Sect Master of the Sword Sect seemed to be in serious thought. "Bai Wei''s goal in this is to obtain and use you, possibly even killing you. This would appease Bai Wei''er and get rid of a talented threat." Zhu Yi nodded. He had thought the same. "However, he also proposed such large stakes. Even willing to give up on his daughter if you win. I can tell you with confidence that there is something up with Bai Wei''er. Bai Wei wouldn''t care about anything unless it had value. Bai Wei''er is not a celestial, so she could not inherit the sect. That means there is something extremely useful about her." The Sect Master once again fell into deep thought. At this point, Zhou Fan spoke. "She has a Divine Physique." Zhu Yi looked over in surprise. "I noticed when we first encountered her, but I figured she would be irrelevant and didn''t pay attention then. This time, I took a closer look. Her divine physique is not one that increases combat power. From what I could see, I named her divine physique The Fruit of the Self physique. Essentially, once she becomes far stronger, she can create a fruit that contains all of her life within it. Her memories, cultivation, talent, even her Divine Physique. She could either use it to tremendously assist someone else, or theoretically live eternally." Zhou Fan''s explanation shocked Zhu Yi. "It is unlikely that anyone knows what exactly her Divine Physique does. Her father should only know that she has one. If you were to take this deal and win, you could make her create a Fruit of Self and cut it up into pieces. Doing that, you could avoid receiving memories or her personality, only taking good things. Perhaps we could use it to help restore some of my power as well." Zhu Yi could hardly even believe how weird this Divine Physique was. "To be honest, it''s probably the most unusual one I''ve ever seen in my life as well." Zhou Fan said. Noticing Zhu Yi staring into the distance, the Sect Master of the Sword Sect spoke. "Are you okay?" Zhu Yi nodded. "I am. I think I want to take this deal, with some changes." The Sect Master of the Sword Sect could hardly believe it. "You want to take the deal? Are you crazy?" Zhu Yi shook his head. "I think I know something. I encountered her in the lower world long ago, and I believe I saw something on her that can help me tremendously." The Sect Master of the Sword Sect looked at him suspiciously. "If you''ve taken some sort of fancy to her, there''s no need to hide it." Zhu Yi denied it immediately. "Absolutely not." After thinking for a little, the Sect Master nodded. "It''s your life. Plus, I suppose you planned to win the competition regardless." Zhu Yi nodded. He refused to not win. He wanted to go to the main Sword Sect on the World Tree. Zhu Yi was led back to the room with the Sect Master. Upon entering, he once again saw the Sect Master of the Celestial Ice Sect, as well as Bai Xun and Bai Wei''er. It was hard to read Bai Wei''er and Bai Xun''s faces. Zhu Yi sat down with the Sect Master and spoke. "I want to accept your offer, but change some of the terms." Zhu Yi said. The Sect Master of the Celestial Ice Sect seemed surprised that he was talking instead of the Sect Master of the Sword Sect. "What do you want to change?" He asked as he leaned forward. "If I don''t reach the top ten, then I will be Bai Wei''er''s servant forever. The same applies for her if I win." The Sect Master of the Sword Sect widened his eyes as his head snapped over to Zhu Yi. He had forgotten to ask what changes Zhu Yi wanted to add. He didn''t expect it to be something so ridiculous. Bai Wei, the Sect Master of the Celestial Ice Sect, leaned back in surprise and laughed. Bai Wei''er''s eyes widened as well. Chapter 496: The Overseer - 496 Chapter 496 - The Overseer - 496 After a while, the Sect Master of the Celestial Ice Sect stopped laughing. "If you fancy my daughter, we can arrange a marriage. I''d be willing to accept it. There''s no need to go this far." Zhu Yi shook his head. "I''d rather not. Do you agree to my terms or not?" As far as Zhu Yi was concerned, Bai Wei''er at her current cultivation was probably useless for his master''s recovery and him. Only if she could become stronger while still being under his control would Zhu Yi find this deal worth it. The Sect Master of the Celestial Ice Sect thought for a moment before speaking. "That sounds good to me. Do we have a deal?" Zhu Yi nodded in agreement and they shook hands. Although the Sect Master of the Sword Sect wanted to stop Zhu Yi, he eventually decided to let it happen. Zhu Yi seemed firm in this matter. Bai Wei''er and Bai Xun were shocked that Bai Wei had agreed. Bai Xun was especially worried since he had always wanted to marry Bai Wei''er. After all, they were not blood related. The Sect Master of the Sword Sect soon sent the Sect Master of the Celestial Ice Sect off. "While I can''t agree with your decision, I believe in you. You must win." Zhu Yi agreed. "I always planned on it." After a bit more conversation, Zhu Yi started cultivating again. He would still come out for the fights against Chaos Beasts despite the fact that Zhou Fan probably wouldn''t break through a recovery threshold for a while. He set up the time bubble and began to cultivate with Zhou Fan''s assistance and top grade spirit stones. After around ten thousand years inside of the time bubble, Zhu Yi reached the 10th level of the Soul Formation realm. Zhu Yi left with the Sect Master to participate in another Chaos Beast battle. He once again fought a Soul Formation realm Chaos Beast. It was easier this time, only taking an entire day to win the battle. He didn''t feel much of a threat of death the entire time. It was by no means casual, but Zhu Yi felt good about it. When the Sect Master returned, Zhu Yi began cultivating immediately. This time, he would not leave until he broke through. Zhu Yi did not participate in the next fight against Chaos Beasts. A hundred years after that fight against Chaos Beasts, clouds began to form above the Sword Sect. The Sec Master smiled and opened a large hole in his residence. The fake sky was torn apart and the clouds revealed themselves to Zhu Yi. A lightning strike came down, but it was casually dispersed. It had been 11,000 years for Zhu Yi. Only now was he breaking through. Another lightning bolt came down. It too was dispersed with ease. A final, much stronger lightning bolt came down again. These things were challenging for some, but not for Zhu Yi. All three were easily taken care of, and Zhu Yi reached the Void Traversing realm. Zhu Yi had not even used up half of his lifespan this time. The Sect Master of the Sword Sect reformed the fake sky and came down to greet Zhu Yi. "Congratulations on your advancement." He said. "Thank you." Zhu Yi responded. "You can now theoretically participate in the tournament, but it is in 2 million years. You have plenty of time to increase your realm before that. Now, with the restrictions on talent released, your cultivation level should soar for a while due to your talent. I only request that you stay in the void traversing realm for this tournament." Although the Sect Master was excited, Zhu Yi was worried. He really didn''t have an excuse for his cultivation being slow at this point. He looked at Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan was thinking. Eventually, Zhou Fan spoke. Zhu Yi listened carefully and spoke to the Sect Master. "Teacher. There is actually something I should tell you." Zhu Yi said. The Sect Master nodded. "Go ahead." "I have a Divine Physique called the God body. It slows my cultivation speed until I reach the God Realm, where my power will be immeasurable." The Sect Master was shocked. Naturally this is a lie. Zhou Fan only needed to think for a while to make it up. There were many unexplainable things in the universe, adding one more wouldn''t mean much. "If that''s the case, I need to take you to the overseer immediately. This is something that could help all of humanity." Without being able to react, Zhu Yi was grabbed by the shoulder and flown up. Zhou Fan had overlooked the situation that humanity was in. If someone with a Divine Physique were to exist such as Zhu Yi, they needed to be nurtured immediately. Zhu Yi could only make sense of the surroundings when he arrived in space. Now, he could move in space freely. The Sect Master had stopped moving. They had arrived in front of a giant palace. It was not like the White Palace, but seemed to be made of ice. Unlike normal ice, it was not see through at all. The Sect Master seemed more reserved than ever as he knocked on the door. After a moment, they heard a voice. "Come in." Zhu Yi walked in, and Zhou Fan sat on his shoulder. As they walked forward, Zhu Yi saw a classic palace room. Inside was a man wearing blue robes. He sat on an ice robe and looked into the distance. He was not looking at Zhu Yi or the Sect Master at all. "Why have you come here?" He asked. The Sect Master spoke. "Not too long ago, a boy from a lower world became my student. Today, he revealed that he has a Divine Physique called the god body. It supposedly slows his cultivation speed until the god realm. Upon reaching the god realm, his power will be greatly increased." The overseer seemed interested now. He turned his head and looked at Zhu Yi. As he did so, he furrowed his brows. Why was a small person sitting on his shoulder, and why had he not been able to detect him? Chapter 497: The Disciple of the Origin God - 497 Chapter 497 - The Disciple of the Origin God - 497 Seeing the overseer furrow his brows at Zhu Yi, the Sect Master of the Sword Sect became worried. However, he did not dare to say anything. After a moment, the overseer spoke. "Who is that on your shoulder?" The Sect Master was confused. Zhu Yi looked at Zhou Fan. "You can see my master!" Zhu Yi exclaimed. The overseer moved a bit closer as he looked at Zhou Fan. "Why is he so familiar looking? What is his name?" The overseer asked. "He is my master. His name is Zhou Fan." The overseer''s eyes instantly widened in disbelief. He moved so fast it seemed like he teleported in front of Zhu Yi. When he finally got close to Zhou Fan, he recognized him. The overseer knelt on the ground. "Sir Origin God! You live!" The overseer was extremely excited. The shock his words brought to Zhu Yi and the Sect Master was unprecedented. As a god realm cultivator, it was expected that he had heard of the Origin God at least a few times. "It is me. I am alive." Zhou Fan said. It felt weird to finally be acknowledged by someone besides Zhu Yi. "This is my disciple, Zhu Yi. He will participate in the Void Traversing realm tournament of the Sword Sect. When he wins, we will arrive at the World Tree. Everything will be settled then." Zhou Fan said. The overseer nodded profusely. "As you wish sir. Should I keep your existence a secret, or can I inform the World Tree?" "You can tell Ying Xiong to come to the tournament. Tell him to bring Heaven as well. It''s been a while." The overseer nodded without hesitation. "Please, Sir Origin God, save humanity from the Chaos Beasts!" He asked while still kneeling. "It will naturally be done." Zhou Fan said. The overseer understood Zhou Fan''s intentions. He wanted to help Zhu Yi win this tournament as Master and Disciple before he would focus on healing with help from all of the life in the universe. Only then could the threat of Chaos Beasts be solved. Although he could have returned immediately, he wanted to do one last thing with his third disciple before parting ways. When the overseer once again stood up, he sent Zhu Yi off with countless cultivation resources. He even gave him some god stones, the higher level of spirit stones only found on the great world. The Sect Master looked at Zhu Yi weirdly as they returned to the Sword Sect. He still wasn''t completely sure as to what was going on. He only knew that nothing bad could ever happen to Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi began to cultivate under the time bubble. Although he supposedly only had 2 million years to prepare, within the time bubble he theoretically had 60 million years to prepare. Now at the Void traversing realm, the time bubble sped up time by 30 times. Of course, he actually only had 10 million years regardless due to the lack of lifespan. He hoped that his talent was still enough to break through this realm. With Zhou Fan''s help, the time bubble, and the new god stones, Zhu Yi was ready to cultivate as fast as he possibly could. It took him a thousand years to reach the 2nd level of the Void Traversing realm. Now, Zhou Fan''s help was even more effective, and the god stones help could not be ignored. It took three thousand years to reach the 3rd level. 10,000 years to reach the 4th level. 40,000 years to reach the 5th level. 120,000 years to reach the 6th level. 400,000 years to reach the 7th level. 1.3 million years to reach the 8th level. 3 million years to reach the 9th level. For lifespan reasons, he had to stop there. It would take at least 5 million years to reach the 10th level. Luckily, there wasn''t too much of a difference between the 9th and 10th level. Without Zhou Fan, he would never reach the space shattering realm. This was while cultivating with speed equal to a person with supreme god rank meridians. Of course, such a person could also use things like spirit stones to speed up cultivation. Outside the time bubble, only a little bit more than 150,000 years had passed. The time bubble was truly a miracle technique. For the next 1.85 million years, Zhu Yi would hone his sword techniques. He would make sure to practice the formless sword. It was nearly impossible to even improve on Breaking Through All Things for now. The Sect Masters guidance, in addition to Zhou Fan''s, would help Zhu Yi''s formless sword improve greatly. Before that, he requested a stronger sword. The current one was no longer strong enough at all. He quickly received an identical sword that was many times stronger than the last one. Now, Zhu Yi practiced the sword. 1.8 million years somehow seemed to pass in a flash. Zhu Yi had participated in many fights against Chaos Beasts. Zhou Fan had even recovered once. Zhu Yi now had supreme god rank meridians. Unfortunately, it was too late to reach the tenth level of the Void Travering realm. Zhou Fan had wished to give him a Divine Physique or something, but this recovery wasn''t enough. He would help Zhu Yi more once he was greatly recovered. Zhu Yi had changed a lot in these years. A million years of experiencing life would change anyone. He was no longer a child in heart or soul. He was a mature man. Zhu Yi grabbed his sword and entered a room. Inside were the two people who would be coming to the competition with him. The overseer, and the Sect Master of the Sword Sect. Those of the Celestial Ice Sect would also end up watching. Of course, now, the deal could be considered invalid. Bai Wei''er would be taken for her Divine Physique''s ability to help heal Zhou Fan regardless, and Zhu Yi, the disciple of the Origin God, would never be a servant. Still, Zhu Yi wanted to win fair and square. He was the disciple of the Origin God, and he would never lose. Chapter 498: Tournament Start - 498 Chapter 498 - Tournament Start - 498 The overseer flew with Zhu Yi and the Sect Master of the Sword sect. His speed was far faster than either of theirs by a large margin. He had heard about the bet between the Celestial Ice Sect and Zhu Yi. Although he favored the Celestial Ice Sect out of all the Sects in the Four Element Gathering world, Zhu Yi was far more important to him and all of humanity. It did not take any time at all before Zhu Yi found himself in a familiar looking place. It was the same type of building that Elder Chit had taken him through long ago. Since Zhu Yi was stronger, he was able to sense the strength of those around him far better. Almost everyone here was at the same realm as him or higher. There were very few cultivators at the Soul Formation realm, and none below. The overseer was different from Elder Chit. He was clearly a VIP here. Without paying or having to talk, they went through a teleportation array. They arrived at a similar building. After a few more teleportations, they finally arrived at a location. This place was a huge arena. From a glance, it seemed as if it was ancient and often used. "This is an arena where a lot of famous tournaments happen. Its history is old, but relatively unimportant if you ignore who fought here and what they accomplished in the future." Zhu Yi nodded as they walked through. There were a lot of people here. It seemed as if everyone had come early. The tournament started in around 50,000 years, not a lot for anybody that qualified to participate in this tournament. Zhu Yi remembered the Sect Master mentioning that the Four Element Gathering world Sword Sect branch was not all that high in the rankings. Perhaps if he had only come here with the Sect Master of the Sword Sect, he would have been treated like a normal person. With the overseer here, however, they were given the top rooms. The vast majority of god realm cultivators in the universe were at the World Tree. Even here, only the host was at the god realm. The overseer''s appearance was unexpected and shocking. Nobody bothered them at all while they waited for the tournament to start. Zhu Yi continued to practice the sword. Just a few years after coming to the giant arena, Zhu Yi heard a knock on the door. He stayed in a large penthouse with the overseer and the Sect Master of the Sword Sect. The overseer got up and opened the door, wondering who would knock on their door. As soon as he opened it, his entire body was drenched with cold sweat. Without a word, he grabbed the Sect Master of the Sword Sect, bowed, and exited the penthouse. Zhu Yi exited the training room just in time to see them skedaddle. He looked at the unfamiliar man that walked through the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his master hop off of his shoulder and grow to normal human size. "It''s been a while." The man said. "Not for me. It felt like it was only yesterday that I fought the Cosmic Dao." Zhou Fan said. "Do you remember me?" "I started to store memories at the end of my lives. When I reached the god realm, I would restore them myself. Of course, they were limited. It would cripple my soul to take in even 1% of a True God realm cultivator''s memories, especially one at the end of his lifespan." Zhou Fan nodded. "Why are you here?" The man sighed. "I just needed to see you. I didn''t want to get my hopes up just for it to not be you. Now that I''ve confirmed it, I''ll be on my way. See you after the tournament." The man left and Zhu Yi looked at his master. Zhou Fan explained to Zhu Yi. "That was Ying Xiong, an old friend. If you haven''t heard of him yet, you will once you reach the World Tree." Zhu Yi just shrugged. At this point, it would be weird if he didn''t notice that his master was a supreme hotshot. The overseer cautiously returned and everything became normal again. No one came to see them until the tournament began. There were 1,024 cultivators participating in this tournament. One from every major branch of the Sword Sect throughout the universe. The tournament was done in an extremely classic manner. One on one duels until one person remained. There were no exceptions, no second chances, and no 2nd place prize. Besides being considered a better branch of the Sword Sect, there was only a prize for first place, getting to go to the main Sword Sect on the World Tree. A god realm cultivator of the Sword Sect was sent out to oversee this tournament. He sat next to the overseer, a surprise guest. Random numbers between 1 and 1,024 were given to each of the contestants. Zhu Yi received the number 7. His opponent was number 8. 3 fights took place before his. Only one of the people seemed to be enough to challenge Zhu Yi. His opponent was not a difficult one. A single strike of the formless sword was enough to render him unable to continue. He sat back and watched as the rest of the fights happened. He spotted some people that were troublesome, and some that had weak opponents, causing him to be unable to determine their strength. He sat with the Sect Master of the Sword Sect in the stands. It took nearly an entire day for the first round to end, and that was only because there were few even fights. The second round started, and Zhu Yi fought number 5, the winner of his first fight. Zhu Yi easily defeated him, once again, with a single formless sword. The next opponent he would fight was one that seemed challenging at least. That person was the only winner that fought before him. Chapter 499: The Sword Princess鈥檚 Daughter - 499 Chapter 499 - The Sword Princess''s Daughter - 499 Zhu Yi waited for the rest of the fights to finish. This time, he waited two days. Although there were less fights, there were more even matchups. The longest fight took an hour, which was still considered short considering that they were both Void Traversing realm cultivators. Round three soon started, and Zhu Yi was the first fight. His opponent walked onto the stage confidently. At the starting signal, his opponent slashed his sword towards him with flames covering it. Zhu Yi flipped backwards and unsheathed his sword. The formless sword. The first formless sword knocked away the opponent''s blade. The Second sent him flying back. The third was met with a lucky resistance. The fourth ended the fight. Although his opponent was far stronger than his others so far, he was a user of the formless sword technique and had god rank sword talent. Finding a worthy opponent was extremely challenging. Zhu Yi watched the rest of the fights as usual. Some people won in a single strike, while others fought for a long time. Zhu Yi had to wait a week for the fights to end. One fight had taken an entire day to finish. For the rest of the tournament, Zhu Yi would fight the first match. His next opponent was at the same level of strength as his last one, and he quickly won. As Zhu Yi watched this time, he saw more of the people that had previously only used a single strike to win. They seemed to pose a threat, but Zhu Yi still could not get an accurate grasp. As the fourth round came to an end, a week break was called. This was mostly unnecessary since they were cultivators, but the Sword Sect had another purpose for this break. Over the next week, all of the contestants would be living in the same building. Since only 64 remained, it was not cramped at all. The goal was to let those of the Sword Sect get to know each other and scout out future opponents. Zhu Yi planned to stay in his room that entire time, but heard that there was supposedly extremely good food being served everyday. Although he didn''t believe it could be that good, Zhu Yi entered the cafeteria to give it a try. There was no line, and only around 20 people were eating. No matter who it was, every single person was eating as if they had never eaten anything in their life. Zhu Yi grabbed a tray and found that the meal was lobster. He had never been much of an eater, but grabbed a lobster and sat down with it. As he looked at it, he realized he didn''t know how to eat it. "Whatever." He mumbled as he took a bite out of the back. The shell was hard, but it did not stop his teeth. He took out a large bite and swallowed. To put it simply, it was the greatest thing he had ever tasted. Zhu Yi ended up eating it whole, not leaving claws or a shell behind. He felt some weird stares, but ignored them. After finishing, he began walking back to his room. It was a worthwhile trip. Just as he was about to leave the cafeteria, he heard a voice behind him. "Um, sir. That''s not how you eat a lobster. I can teach you." Zhu Yi heard a girl''s voice. She sounded shy. He turned around and was shocked. His memories seemed to fly by as he remembered his time inside of Chen Jie''s inheritance. There was one person in particular that Zhu Yi remembered. The sword princess. He had not even been able to see her as she beat him. Only with instant completion had he survived. Somehow, the girl that spoke to him seemed almost identical to the brief glimpse he had caught of the woman after winning the fight. "Sword Princess?" Zhu Yi asked. The girl''s eyes widened and she hurriedly put a finger over her mouth and moved away. Zhu Yi followed her. They found themselves in an empty room. "How do you know the sword princess?" The shy girl asked. "I saw her fight someone long ago." Zhu Yi said. "That''s my mother. Nobody knows that I''m related to her, and nobody is supposed to find out. Please keep it a secret." She asked. Zhu Yi nodded. He didn''t know the Sword Princess personally either way. Seeing Zhu Yi agree, the girl sighed in relief. "Did you see a recording of my mother''s fight?" The Sword Princess was probably ancient, so it would be weird if he had seen her personally. "I did. I only heard her name and saw her fight. Can you tell me about her?" Zhu Yi asked. He was curious. He also wanted to know why this girl had to hide her identity. "When my mother was younger, she could easily defeat anyone in the same realm. She was born in the Main Sword Sect, and even there she was unbeatable. At one point, the elders of the Sword Sect even searched for someone who could possibly defeat her on the same level. However, nobody ever did. This is a commonly known legend. She is now the vice-master of the Sword Sect. However, as her only daughter, I happen to know more. Do you want to hear?" She asked. Just like Zhu Yi was curious, the girl seemed excited to talk about her mother. Zhu Yi nodded. "When my mother reached the Space Shattering realm, she met a man that had climbed up from a lower world. He was born from a mortal family, but he alone managed to reach the stars. They were at the same realm and the same level. Like my mother always had, she challenged him to a fight. He refused, but my mother was young and immature. Countless victories had grown her arrogance. She did not bow even in front of god realm cultivators. She attacked without another word." After this she paused for a moment. "My mother did not fully describe the fight to me, but she told me that this was her first defeat. She told me one line. His name was Chen Jie, and he was invincible." Chapter 500: Round 6 - 500 Chapter 500 - Round 6 - 500 It seemed that Chen Jie had made his appearance as invincible even in the wider universe. It was no wonder that the Sword Princess had been a part of the White Palace City inheritance trial. "I was actually born in the same world as Chen Jie." Zhu Yi said. The Sword Princess''s daughter''s eyes lit up. "Do you know more about Chen Jie? I''ve only heard a bit about him." "On my world, he created an inheritance under a place called White Palace City." The Sword Princess''s daughter interrupted. "White Palace City? I''ve heard of that place. It is where Chen Jie lives on the world tree." So Chen Jie had created another White Palace City off of the world. "I''ve always wanted to visit it, but never got the chance." At this time, Zhu Yi and the Sword Princess''s daughter heard a shout. It was calling an unfamiliar name. "That''s me. Gotta go." She said before leaving. "So she is Lei Cen, daughter of the Sword Princess." It seemed that Zhu Yi had an opponent he had to look out for. He returned to his room and practiced the sword for a day. The next day, he returned to the cafeteria and found a new food. It was known as caviar. Zhu Yi tried it, and once again, it was good. Luckily, he could just eat it whole this time. He repeated the same thing the next day and over the rest of the week. He never again interacted with the daughter of the Sword Princess. She was a nice girl, but he wasn''t that type of cultivator. Some cultivators spent their entire life dedicated to cultivation, while some pursued things such as love. He was the former. The competition started again. Zhou Fan stood in the crowd instead of next to Zhu Yi. Otherwise, he would be noticed. There were 64 people remaining for the 5th round. From here on, only the elites remained. It seemed as if it was rigged to make sure that luck didn''t play a factor. All the weak people were gone. Almost everyone that remained was at the tenth level of the void traversing realm. Only Zhu Yi and a few others weren''t. Zhu Yi was the first to go up. He faced a grown man with a full beard. He used a great sword. As soon as the battle started, the man with the greatsword began to spin around while holding the greatsword out. Wind Qi gathered around him and quickly formed a tornado. Zhu Yi used the formless sword, but it was canceled out by the tornado of Wind Qi. The tornado weakened a bit, but clearly grew stronger as the man kept spinning. Zhu Yi didn''t waste any more time with the formless sword, even though he knew he could win with it. The tornado was strong enough to distort space, but Zhu Yi charged forward and slashed down. Breaking Through All Things. The tornado was split, and the space within the arena cracked. The man was instantly sent flying without resistance, only surviving due to protection mechanisms. Although he wasn''t in the Space Shattering realm, Zhu Yi could somewhat break space. It wasn''t too rare within the universe, but also not at all common. Nobody went unsurprised. With that, Zhu Yi won his fight. He still hadn''t even used Time Qi. The next few fights took on average a day each. Only a few like Zhu Yi''s were much quicker. The daughter of the Sword Princess, Lei Cen, was one of the few that quickly defeated her opponent. She moved fast and gracefully. Although the Sword Princess had only been at the Foundation Establishment realm in the inheritance, Zhu Yi still felt as if the Sword Princess''s daughter was lacking something in comparison. Zhu Yi paid more attention to the contestants this round. It took around 20 days for this round to finish up. Without another break, Zhu Yi went up to fight again. Although his previous opponent was good, this opponent was the first real challenge of the tournament for Zhu Yi. He had quickly dealt with his opponent, similar to Zhu Yi. He did not use an elemental technique, but pure swordsmanship and sword intent. Not wanting to reveal any trump cards just yet, Zhu Yi decided to have a good fight. At the sound of the start, Zhu Yi used the formless sword. Although his opponent could not see or sense a thing, he moved wildly and unpredictably. His movement technique was annoying. He closed the gap, only getting hit a few times, and slashed horizontally at Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi used the Sword Walk movement technique and appeared behind him. His opponent turned and swung, but Zhu Yi used his opponent''s sword as a stepping stone and launched himself into the air. While flying, he released countless formless swords. Although he had not increased the number of formless swords past 1000, this was a choice. He focused on quality instead of quantity. Each sword was now stronger and harder to detect. Using a much faster speed than before, Zhu Yi launched 1000 formless swords and sheathed his sword. Although his opponent moved weirdly, he could not avoid the powerful formless swords. Perhaps if he was a person focused on defense or pure movement speed, he would be able to survive. However, this was a sword sect competition. Such people were far and few. HIs opponent instantly received countless cuts as if he was thrown into a blender, but he moved forward. He was resolute in his actions and strong. Zhu Yi respected him. It was not that his opponent was weak, but that Zhu Yi was too strong. Perhaps this man was able to defeat a Chaos Beast at the same level when he was in the Soul Formation realm. Just as he thought he was about to finish his opponent, two more swords seemed to appear to the sides of his opponent out of nowhere. They were faint and illusory, like weak holograms. As his opponent charged forward, two illusory people grabbed the sword and charged with his opponent. Chapter 501: The Final Four - 501 Chapter 501 - The Final Four - 501 Zhu Yi used the formless sword on the two illusory bodies, but it went straight through them as if they weren''t even real. In that case, Zhu Yi attacked his opponent with the formless sword. As he did so, the two illusory bodies used their sword to defend against the formless sword. Zhu Yi used multiple, but it was as if their bodies had suddenly become real. They were hit directly with the formless sword, but not injured. All the while, his opponent continued charging. He and the two illusory bodies were getting uncomfortably close to Zhu Yi. He didn''t know what more his opponent had planned, and he didn''t plan to find out. He charged forward as well. Breaking Through All Things. At the same time that he attacked, his opponent and the two illusory bodies swung their swords in sync. Whatever technique they used, it was inferior to Breaking Through All Things. Without too much resistance, Breaking Through All Things broke through their attacks and sent his opponent flying, completely incapacitated. The two illusory bodies were dispersed and Zhu Yi won. His fight would end up the quickest out of all of them. Some fought for multiple days. There were only a few that were about as fast as Zhu Yi''s. One was the Sword Princess''s daughter''s fight. There were also two other fights that didn''t last as long as the others. It seemed that one of these four were most likely to win. It took 3 months for the 16 fights to end. Only 16 people remained. From their numbers, it seemed that Zhu Yi would only end up meeting one of the other three potential winners in the ninth round, the round between 4 contestants. The 7th round soon started. Zhu Yi fought first as always. His opponent was stronger than the last, but not by too much. The last opponent and his current one had basically reached the peak of normal strength seen in this tournament. After some back and forth, Zhu Yi used Breaking Through All Things to quickly end the fight. The next fights passed by faster than the last round. Of the 8 fights, four were finished quickly. The other four took a total of a month to finish. With 8 contestants remaining, Zhu Yi fought first. As expected, this opponent was only slightly stronger than the last two. He won with a single Breaking Through All Things. This round was the quickest in the tournament. It did even last a single day. At the end of the 8th round, four people remained. Each one was one of the four that finished their fights quickly the entire tournament. If Zhu Yi was seeing right, then the tournament was more filled than for any of the other rounds. It seemed that some people were only interested in the best fights. Looking at their numbers, Zhu Yi''s opponent was an older looking man. He was nearing ten million years of age, despite having enough talent to break through long ago. From the looks of it, he had been waiting for this tournament, making sure that he had the highest chance of winning. There were a few older people in the tournament, but only this one had made it this far. As they waited for the round to start, Zhu Yi spotted Bai Wei and Bai Wei''er in the crowd. There was a hint of nervousness on the face of both of them. They had never once thought that Zhu Yi could come so far. At this point, Zhu Yi could not lose the bet even if he lost. It would only end up a draw even if he failed here. What they worried about was the possibility of him winning. Zhu Yi focused his attention back on his opponent. The round was soon to start. "Good luck." The old man said. "You too." Zhu Yi responded. Zhu Yi did not plan to hold back. He knew that this old man was strong. As soon as the round officially started, Zhu Yi shot forward and swung up. Breaking Through All Things. This old man had watched Zhu Yi''s fight, and was extremely wary of this technique. He weirdly moved to the side, perfectly avoiding the attack and stabbing at Zhu Yi with a rapier. His sword only moved forward once, but it felt as if tens of thousands of tiny shadows were following it. Zhu Yi did not risk getting hit at all. He swung his sword down. Breaking Through All Things. The sword shadows were decimated, but the old man dodged yet again. He repeated the same attack, and Zhu Yi responded the same. After dodging once again, the old man jumped back and stabbed his sword into the ground. Shadows seemed to form on the ground and shot at Zhu Yi like tentacles. This was the old man''s first time showing this move. Breaking Through All Things. The tentacles were broken through and the old man had to dodge. Breaking Through All Things only had one goal. To break through all things. All things meant everything. Unless the old man could overpower Zhu Yi or hit him with an attack he was unable to react to, Zhu Yi would inevitably win. The old man twitched as everything he threw at Zhu Yi was broken through. His only hope was to use a great speed, but he wasn''t sure if he even had the ability to bypass Zhu Yi before he could release that technique. The Breaking Through All Things technique was truly disgusting to fight against. The old man circled around the arena while attacking Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi did not get too offensive yet. He still had enough Qi for now. Zhu Yi saw probably a hundred different techniques used by the old man, but none could bypass Breaking Through All Things. Eventually, the old man seemed to resolve himself. He launched himself forward with his rapier pointed directly at Zhu Yi. Shadow Spike. Breaking Through All Things. Chapter 502: Lei Cen vs The One-Line Swordsman - 502 Chapter 502 - Lei Cen vs The One-Line Swordsman - 502 The Breaking Through All Things technique was not a small technique. The area it affected could be changed at will, but Zhu Yi usually used it at the same size as his body. The shadow spike technique was the smallest technique that the old man had. It focused everything into a single point even smaller than a needle. Since he did not have enough speed or raw power to break through the Breaking Through All Things technique, he could only attempt to focus his power onto a single point and hope that he could bypass it, causing Zhu Yi severe injuries. Unfortunately for him, he failed. Zhu Yi''s Breaking Through All Things broke through the shadow spike and attacked the old man. The old man sighed. He knew he had lost. He dodged around and threw more attacks in the hope that Zhu Yi would tire out. However, it never happened. After fighting for an entire day, the old man conceded. There were few concessions in this tournament, and most of them were looked down upon. However, nobody felt this way for the old man. Fighting any more would only cause him to humiliate himself. Zhu Yi began to recover his used up Qi as the next fight began. This was the fight between the daughter of the sword princess and a man known only as "The One-Line Swordsman". If Zhu Yi was betting money on this fight, he would put it on the daughter of the sword princess. However, there was a reason why the One-Line Swordsman was able to come this far. Zhu Yi could only wait and see. The fight began, and Lei Cen took a step forward. Her figure blurred and she appeared behind the One-Line Swordsman. Zhu Yi was reminded once again of the Sword Princess. The One-line Swordsman wore a blindfold over his eyes. He carried a longsword similar to Zhu Yi''s in a sheath on his side. It seemed as if he hadn''t reacted to Lei Cen''s appearance at all. Lei Cen''s sword quietly and quickly slashed at the neck of the One-Line Swordsman. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a black line appeared. In an instant, Lei Cen''s hand was cut off. The One-Line Swordsman turned around and pulled out his sword, swinging at Lei Cen. Lei Cen''s figure seemed to blur as she appeared in the spot she started the battle in. She stared at the One-Line Swordsman with wide eyes. Her hand had been completely cut off in an instant. The One-Line Swordsman put his sword back into his sheath and began to walk towards Lei Cen. He walked at the normal pace of a mortal. The arena was large, but he was slowly closing in on Lei Cen. Even Zhu Yi felt intimidated by the One-Line Swordsman at this moment. Lei Cen was in a far worse situation. It was unknown if the daughter of the sword princess had ever felt such fear in her life. It was clear that the One-Line Swordsman had completely instilled fear into her. She was in such fear that she seemed to forget the idea about hiding her identity. A large, illusory figure appeared behind Lei Cen. The figure looked like her, but more mature and far more imposing. The figure held a thin sword pointing downwards. Lei Cen grabbed her nearly identical sword and stood in the same position. In the stands of the arena, many people were shocked, while others looked at them in confusion. "That''s the sword princess. The girl must be the daughter of the Sword Princess." Someone shouted. Many people were still confused, but others seemed to have a realization. It seemed that the Sword Princess was a well known figure. As if the figure behind Lei Cen had taken control and began to move Lei Cen like a puppet, a dance ensued. Lei Cen and the figure appeared behind the One-Line Swordsman. A similar strike to before came. Another line came, just as before. This time, however, Lei Cen disappeared again, appearing right in front of the One-Line Swordsman and stabbed forward. Zhu Yi felt as if he was experiencing deja vu. It was the same dance that had nearly killed him in Chen Jie''s inheritance. The Line behind the One-Line Swordsman disappeared and a new one attacked Lei Cen again. Still, Lei Cen once again disappeared and attacked from a different angle. The One-Line Swordsman was the most amazing in the battle. He simply stood still, seemingly unfazed, as Lei Cen danced around and attacked. Only a single line defended, or rather, attacked so efficiently that Lei Cen had to repeatedly dodge. This was the One-Line Swordsman, an unknown contestant with no apparent lineage or background. A contest of pure offense continued for hours. Not a single person was hurt or even slightly injured, but at this point, Lei Cen''s entire body was covered in sweat. Meanwhile, the One-Line Swordsman remained unfazed. An entire day passed by, and the illusory body behind Lei Cen started to weaken. Every now and then, it flickered, disappearing for a moment before returning. Lei Cen had exerted so much effort that blood was coming out of her pores. Half a day passed, when the figure behind Lei Cen flickered again. This time, the One-Line swordsman attacked. A line appeared and knocked Lei Cen''s sword away. However, she did not move away. It was unknown how he had predicted it, but the One-Line Swordsman seemed to know that this would happen. He took out his sword in an instant and stabbed forward. Lei Cen barely moved, avoiding getting stabbed through the heart. Instead, the area close to her heart, below her shoulder, was pierced through. The One-Line Swordsman did not let up. A line appeared. Although it moved extremely fast, Zhu Yi caught a glimpse. It was moving directly as Lei Cen''s head. If nobody intervened, the One-Line Swordsman would kill Lei Cen. Of course, that wasn''t going to happen. Lei Cen disappeared from the arena and the One-Line Swordsman was declared the winner. All that remained was the championship. There would be enough of a break for the One-Line Swordsman to recover his Qi, and then it would start. The difference was, Zhu Yi did not have confidence any longer. It seemed like a 50 50 chance of winning. Chapter 503: The One-Line Swordsman - 503 Chapter 503 - The One-Line Swordsman - 503 The One-Line Swordsman''s fighting style was unpredictable and apparently unstoppable. The move that Lei Cen used was clearly something extremely advanced, most likely created by the Sword Princess herself. Perhaps even the Sword Princess at the same level as the One-Line Swordsman would lose. Zhu Yi still had Time Qi, and he had learned a few Space Qi techniques as well. Space Qi techniques were very good at cutting. However, it would likely fail to do anything that Breaking Through All Things and the Formless Sword could not accomplish. Zhu Yi''s most important trump card was still Instant Completion. No matter what level he was at, it was still an incredible technique. If he truly struggled to win, then he would use it. It took a day for the One-Line Swordsman to fully recover his Qi. No matter how powerful he was, he still had to use Qi to maintain his technique. They stood on opposite sides of the arena, facing each other. Zhu Yi waited, and the battle officially began. Zhu Yi launched forward, and unexpectedly, so did the One-Line Swordsman. He seemed far more enthusiastic to fight Zhu Yi from the start. They met in the middle of the arena. Breaking Through All Things. Zhu Yi''s strongest attack swung at the One-Line Swordsman. The One-Line Swordsman slashed back with an unknown technique. At the same time, Zhu Yi felt the presence of a black line behind him with his divine sense. Although it was indeed fast, Zhu Yi was able to respond. Unlike Lei Cen, he didn''t have to dodge. The third level of the Breaking Through All Things technique. This technique can be used without a sword, anywhere. Breaking Through All Things. The line was broken through, and Zhu Yi''s forward slash did not halt for a single moment. The One-Line Swordsman, seemingly unfazed, continued swinging. It felt as if time slowed down. A black line appeared on the sword of the One-Line Swordsman. He directly clashed with Breaking Through All Things, a foolish move. However... Both Zhu Yi and the One-Line Swordsman were pushed back. Breaking Through All Things had failed to break through the One-Line Swordsman''s attack. For the first time since entering the tournament, the One-Line Swordsman briefly smiled before returning back to his expressionless face. Zhu Yi''s mind was in a buzz. It was truly impossible to believe it. Breaking Through All Things had failed to break through something. After a moment, he strengthened his resolve even further than when the battle first started. If the third level of Breaking Through All Things could not do it, then he would reach the 4th level. This was an opportunity at its finest. Where else could he find such a powerful opponent? Zhu Yi charged forward again, as did the One-Line Swordsman. As he moved forward, Zhu Yi jumped in the air and used the formless sword. As if he could see them, the One-Line swordsman dodged some and blocked others with the line. For someone wearing a blindfold, he could actually see the Formless Sword, though it was clear that even he struggled to see it. Zhu Yi got even more excited. Whoever this was, he was the greatest opponent that Zhu Yi had ever fought. In the stands, Zhou Fan sat in the crowd like a normal person. Even if a god realm cultivator saw him, he would simply look like a strong viewer. The seats around him were empty, until a man came and sat next to Zhou Fan. "Your disciple is strong." Ying Xiong said. He was no longer bald, perhaps a product of countless reincarnations. "I believe he can reach any heights given the tools." Zhou Fan said. Ying Xiong agreed. "But my disciple isn''t too bad either, is he?" As Zhou Fan had predicted, the One-Line Swordsman was a disciple of Ying Xiong. Otherwise, why would such a strong person be involved in a Sword Sect tournament. "Believe it or not, he''s only my disciple in theory. I''ve given him cultivation resources, but he always refused most of my help. Like me, he believes that everything should be earned by oneself. His One-Line Divine Physique was not always so incredible. It was him that created a technique to complement it, making him one of the strongest void traversing realm cultivators in the entire universe, and he did it without any help from me." Ying Xiong said. It was clear that his disciple was a great source of pride. "My disciple isn''t bad either. Although everything he has was given by me, I feel that nobody but him could have possibly brought me this far. Even today, I feel that it is impossible for him to lose." Zhou Fan said. "Because of Time Qi?" Ying Xiong asked. Although almost nobody in the universe could even sense Time Qi, Ying Xiong could. Who else had experienced so much time. Perhaps only Heaven. "No. Not because of Time Qi. It was how he grew. He came into contact with invincibility from the start." "Chen Jie." Ying Xiong interjected. "Exactly. It changed how he grew, whether he realized it or not." Zhou Fan looked at Zhu Yi fighting with pride. "I can proudly say that his name is Zhu Yi, and he will never lose." Zhu Yi clashed with the One-Line Swordsman once again. It felt as if Breaking Through All Things had gotten stronger. He was only sent flying back a few steps, but the One-Line Swordsman was sent back even farther than before. Once again, the One-Line Swordsman briefly smiled, slightly longer this time. Zhu Yi pressed on. He had the advantage. Breaking Through All Things was used as he chased the One-Line Swordsman. The One-Line Swordsman did not back off. He continued to charge, his line always causing Zhu Yi to be distracted. Perhaps the One-Line Swordsman felt Zhu Yi becoming stronger and stronger, but when he was sent flying, he seemed to purposely go back farther. He flew in the air as he "looked" at Zhu Yi. "You are good. Very good." The One-Line Swordsman spoke. Chapter 504: Zhu Yi - 504 Chapter 504 - Zhu Yi - 504 Zhu Yi waited. He only stopped in respect of his opponent. The One-Line Swordsman grabbed at his blindfold. After a moment, he ripped it off. Behind the blindfold, there were two unique eyes. Both had a single, vertical, black pupil that looked exactly like the line the One-Line Swordsman used. The One-Line Swordsman charged forward, and so did Zhu Yi. Three black lines appeared, rotating around the One-Line Swordsman, whose name was no longer fitting, from top to bottom. They formed an endless spiral that covered the One-Line Swordsman''s body. The One-Line Swordsman slashed down, while Zhu Yi slashed up. Breaking Through All Things. As soon as the One-Line Swordsman''s sword and Zhu Yi''s sword collided, the three lines left his body and coiled around his sword. For the first time since learning Breaking Through All Things, Zhu Yi not only did not break through all things, but was sent flying back. Without a word, the One-Line Swordsman followed. Zhu Yi used the formless sword as he violently rolled backwards from the attack, but the One-Line Swordsman''s lines had returned to his body the moment their swords stopped touching. They were completely stopped. The One-Line Swordsman was right above Zhu Yi, slashing down, as Zhu Yi came to a halt. Zhu Yi pulled out his trump card. Breaking Through All Things. Instant Completion. His attack instantly completed, however, the One-Line Swordsman''s descent only halted for a single moment before he hit Zhu Yi again. This time undefended, Zhu Yi went flying. The three lines around the One-Line Swordsman''s body formed a perfect and constant defense. No matter how much time was skipped, the attack still only hit the defense. It seemed as if everything was hopeless. Zhu Yi now had a large cut on his body. He was also drained of half of his Qi. Since Instant Completion was too consuming to use with a full power attack, it was no wonder that the One-Line Swordsman simply shrugged it off. Zhu Yi''s left arm was nearly cut off, and a large gash remained on his chest. He could only continue fighting back. The One-Line Swordsman did not let up for even a single moment. For a moment, Zhu Yi despaired. He had used all of his moves. He could try to time Instant Completion to when the One-Line Swordsman attacked, but that would leave him completely defenseless. He would either die or lose the battle if he defenselessly got hit with another attack. In addition, due to low Qi, the attack he could use with Instant Completion would be extremely weak. Zhu Yi fought back his hardest, but he was only beaten further and further back. He could not break through all things. It was clearly proven here. Or rather, perhaps, just maybe, the third level was too weak. He needed the fourth level. And to reach the fourth level, he needed to break through all things. Zhu Yi charged forward, his fighting spirit at an all time high. With every slash, even though he was always beaten back, a single thought echoed through his body. "I will break through all things." It was unnoticeable at first, but Zhu Yi was slowly being beaten back less and less. Minor improvements, over the course of time, built up. After an hour, it was finally noticed by the One-Line Swordsman. He was amazed by Zhu Yi. No matter how many times he was beaten back, he continued to charge forward without any demotivation. He seemed insane. Zhu Yi''s body was bruised and black, but he only had one thought. "I will break through all things." The One-Line Swordsman was fed up. He put all of his strength into his next attack. Zhu Yi was sent farther back than ever before, coughing up blood. Somehow, this made him even more insane. A wind seemed to pick up around him. The One-Line Swordsman charged again. Zhu Yi Charged back at him. "I will break through all things." He was pushed farther back. If the arena wasn''t manipulated with Space Qi, he would have hit a wall long long ago. He charged again. "I will break through all things." And again. "I will break through all things." As the wind around Zhu Yi picked up further, the One-Line Swordsman began to sweat. It was not from exhaustion, but from a feeling sprouting within him. "Why does this maniac feel... what''s the word? Why does he feel... invincible?" How could he seem invincible to the person constantly beating him back. Zhu Yi was beaten back again, and as he flew forward, something changed. Nearly mimicking the One-Line Swordsman, three strands of Sword Qi, or Sword Intent, began to rotate around him. The fourth level of the Breaking Through All Things technique was not fixed. It depended on what the user believed could break through all things. The One-Line Swordsman jumped back as Zhu Yi stopped charging and floated in the air. His arms were close to his body and his teeth were clenched. He looked into the sky. A shockwave that shattered space shot out from his body as three strands of Sword Intent rotated around his body. His entire being seemed changed in an instant. He looked at the One-Line Swordsman and charged. A feeling sprouted from Zhu Yi, stronger than ever. The One-Line Swordsman could only describe him as invincible. He charged forward and met Zhu Yi. His three lines wrapped around his sword. Zhu Yi''s three Sword Intents wrapped around his sword. "Breaking Through All Things!" Zhu Yi declared. And so, he broke through all things. Far harder than Zhu Yi was ever sent flying, the One-Line Swordsman''s lines were shattered, and he was sent flying back. It was a defeat decided in only a single move. If it was not for the intervention of the God in charge of the tournament, the One-Line Swordsman would have died from that attack. It was an unstoppable and invincible move that broke through all things. This was Zhu Yi, and he would never lose. Chapter 505: The World Tree - 505 Chapter 505 - The World Tree - 505 The tournament was over, and Zhu Yi had won. With Zhu Yi alone standing inside of the arena, the god realm cultivator of the Sword Sect stood up and silenced the audience. "Zhu Yi has won the Sword Sect''s void traversing realm tournament and will be admitted to the main Sword Sect on the world tree. I thank everyone who came and everyone who participated in this astonishing tournament." Done speaking, the tournament officially ended. Many watched Zhu Yi with admiration and awe as he returned to the stands and met up with his master and the Sect Master of the Sword Sect. "I did it, Master." Zhu Yi said. "You did. It was truly incredible. I look forward to what you can accomplish in the future." Zhu Yi felt excited at his master''s praise. He was now truly worthy of it. "I''ll take everyone to the World Tree so that this Chaos Beast situation can finally be settled." Ying Xiong said as he stood up. Zhu Yi recognized him as the man that had come to the penthouse and spoke to his master. Zhou Fan nodded. "Let''s go. Take that girl with us." Zhou Fan pointed at Bai Wei''er. Ying Xiong nodded and disappeared with everyone. Without knowing how, Bai Wei''er disappeared from Bai Wei''s side. Zhou Fan and the rest soon arrived at the place with teleportation arrays. Ying Xiong went into a secret room with a hidden array. This was a direct array to the World Tree. In just a moment, they had entered a similar place. It was another area with teleportation arrays, but this place was not in space. Looking around, this place was built on giant tree branches. Zhou Fan walked out of the building and looked up. There was a giant tree rooted in space. It was far bigger than anything Zhou Fan had ever seen. As soon as Zhou Fan looked at it, the World Tree shook. Countless people living on it opened their eyes in shock and surprise. Standing on Leaf, Zhou Fan felt some sort of power flowing towards him in an attempt to heal him. He spoke. "There''s no need for that. Everything will be settled soon enough." The power seemed to reluctantly stop flowing towards him and the World Tree calmed down. Ying Xiong walked out next to Zhou Fan. Zhu Yi followed soon after. Zhou Fan looked at Zhu Yi. "Take out my body." Zhu Yi nodded and took out a body from his spatial ring. Without a doubt, it was Zhou Fan''s. Ying Xiong saw it and let it float next to Zhou Fan''s soul. "What is the most efficient way to heal you?" "The mist from Chaos Beasts." Ying Xiong nodded and turned to leave. "Give me a few days to announce your return. I will wake everyone up and begin an attack on the Chaos Beasts." Zhou Fan nodded, and Ying Xiong left. Zhu Yi, Zhou Fan, the unconscious Bai Wei''er, and the Sect Master of the Sword Sect were left alone. The overseer did not come as his job was to oversee the four element gathering world. Perhap thinking about the four element gathering world at the same time, Zhu Yi looked at Zhou Fan. "Should we go to the rule enforcement office?" Zhou Fan nodded. There was only one issue, they had no idea where it was. At this time, perhaps sent by Ying Xiong, a person came over. "You''re Zhu Yi, and you must be the Origin God. I find it odd that I was sent to lead you, but I will be your guide for the time being." Before even seeing him, Zhu Yi felt as if the voice he heard was familiar. As he looked at the person speaking, he was amazed. "Chen Jie!" Chen Jie nodded. "That''s my name. Do you know me?" Zhu Yi nodded. "I was born in the same world as you and met you in your inheritance. Later on, I met you again and you gave me a mission." Chen Jie nodded. "I understand. What mission did I give you?" "To go to the rule enforcement office and report that square 16 - the four element gathering world, was tampering with memories." Chen Jie nodded. "That is indeed a serious crime. Let''s go." Chen Jie led them back to the teleportation area. The ground was made of roots, each root being thicker than even a planet. The world tree itself was the size of many galaxies. It was only natural that using teleportation arrays was the fastest mode of transportation. Chen Jie was in the god realm. He was at the peak of it. It was hard to say if he was going to break through to the true god realm himself, or if he was going to participate in the True God Ascension Arena battle. Chen Jie occasionally looked at Zhou Fan as he navigated through arrays. His eyes seemed to hold admiration. After only three teleportations, they arrived at the rule enforcement office. Chen Jie led them inside and got someone to talk to. He was clearly known around the World Tree, despite acting like an ordinary person. Everything was reported and the rest was out of their hands. "So. We can go anywhere for now. From what I understand, It''ll just take a few days before we''re finally ready to launch a counter attack on the Chaos Beasts." Chen Jie clenched his fists in excitement. "Finally. With the Origin God back, a hundred quintillion years of suffering and war can be avenged. The countless human powerhouses who gave their lives for the sake of defending humanity will be able to rest in peace." It was finally known that a hundred quintillion years had passed since Zhou Fan''s fight. This was a hundred times the lifespan of a True God realm cultivator. In other words, it seemed that nearly everyone Zhou Fan had known was long dead. Only someone like Ying Xiong, who could reincarnate, and Heaven, who would remain alive as long as Zhou Fan did, and even Leaf, whose lifespan was probably longer than Zhou Fan''s, could survive this long. Chapter 506: Exploring The World Tree - 506 Chapter 506 - Exploring The World Tree - 506 Chen Jie''s words confirmed a lot about Zhou Fan''s absence. It was possible that some others from back then had survived, such as Yao Mun who could theoretically repeat the same process as before when he was revived. However, it was extremely unlikely. After thinking for a while, Zhu Yi decided on the next location. He wanted to visit the Sword Sect. "The Sword Sect exists in the most populated area of the World Tree, World Tree city. I''ll take you there now." They once again followed Chen Jie through many teleportation arrays until they reached some city gates. Not much could be said about World Tree city. It seemed like a small mortal city, but Zhou Fan could sense the power of some of the people inside. There were more than a few True Gods. The city gates were wide open and Chen Jie freely walked through it with them following. After all, this was the World Tree. Nobody would ever even imagine sneaking in with evil intentions. Chen Jie led all of them down a large street and stopped at one of the buildings at the side. On a glass door were the words, "The Sword Sect". It looked like it was some sort of small mortal dojo that taught basic self-defense. However, this was the greatest place to practice swords in the universe. Chen Jie walked in without knocking. As soon as they entered, Zhou Fan heard shouts of effort. In the middle of a matted floor, a few young cultivators were practicing the sword. Although young, each of them was at the Void Traversing realm or higher. In addition, each of them were clearly displaying powerful techniques in this small area. Perhaps with some array, the attacks were extremely small and did no damage to the surroundings. They all waited an hour until the session was up. As the students were dismissed, the person who had been teaching them came up and saw Zhu Yi. "You must be Zhu Yi, winner of the Void Traversing realm competition. It''s good to meet you. I heard this year was especially tough." Zhu Yi thanked him. "It is nice to meet you as well. Who are you?" The person introduced himself. "I am an elder of the Sword Sect. I''m at the god realm and usually teach those at the Void Traversing realm and the Space Shattering realm." Zhu Yi. "It''s nice to meet you." The elder nodded and looked at Chen Jie. "Why are you here, sir?" Clearly, Chen Jie had a high status. "I''m a tour guide for now." The elder seemed confused, but nodded. They soon left. Zhu Yi would likely end up staying in this city and attending the Sword Sect in the future. It depended on how long it took Zhou Fan to fully regain his cultivation. The next place Zhu Yi chose to visit was the Elf Kingdom. He had heard that Elves took care of the World Tree, and he wanted to see them. Chen Jie brought them over. Zhu Yi wasn''t too amazed by the Elves. There weren''t many strong one''s. What he was most interested in was their method of taking care of the World Tree. They often used life Qi, and other less mainstream Qi''s such as grass Qi and Tree Qi to take care of the World Tree''s health. Though unnecessary, it was more like a form of worship than anything else. Perhaps nobody but Zhou Fan knew that Elves had faith in trees even before Cultivation itself. Next, Zhu Yi asked Chen Jie about places to see. Chen Jie mentioned the home of the destruction race. Once enemies of all life, they now had a ceasefire with the righteous faction in order to defeat Chaos Beasts. After all, the Chaos Beasts wish to destroy even destruction. They did not stay on the world tree, but a bit closer to the main battlefield. Zhu Yi heard about the city of Celestials, Fiendcelestials, Heavenborns, Demons, and many other races. Humans main location was at the World Tree city. Zhu Yi also heard about many beast clans and supreme beast clans. There were a lot of things to hear about, and Zhu Yi only visited a few. Nearing the end of the day, Chen Jie led them to where they would stay for now. White Palace City. Although only the disciples of Chen Jie lived here, an imposing White Palace stood in the center of it. "As someone extremely talented, they gave me some land and told me to build a home. Here it is." Chen Jie explained. It was nearly identical to the White Palace City that Zhu Yi knew. After all, the White Palace city on his world was protected and preserved over time. Zhu Yi explored it and even found the assassination guild headquarters, though it was empty without anything like it was in the past. Unlike in the past, Zhu Yi was allowed to enter the White Palace. It was where he was staying. The White Palace was as intimidating as usual. In fact, it was far more intimidating since it could affect him even with his current strength. He felt invincible within the same realm after winning the tournament, but compared to Chen Jie, he felt lacking. No matter what, Chen Jie was a unique genius throughout the entire universe, perhaps even the greatest genius of this era. The inside of the White Palace was extravagant, but nothing too crazy. It was just as comfortable as possible. Although they did not need to sleep at all, Chen Jie rested on a couch while watching TV. A big battle was coming soon, and relaxation would help anyone. The next day, news spread through the entire World Tree. The Origin God had returned. An attack would be led on the Chaos Beasts. The effect of this news was far beyond any one person''s comprehension. Just a single announcement completely changed the atmosphere of the entire World Tree. Every single corner heard this news, and sleeping ancients awoke. Under a building in World Tree city were three cryopods. Zhou Fan had casually given them to Pangu long ago. They would extend the lifespan of a true god by ten thousand times, or to 10 sextillion years. Chapter 507: The Start of a War - 507 Chapter 507 - The Start of a War - 507 Over the last hundred quintillion years, three people had slept in these pods, only coming out to defend the world tree once every few quadrillion years. Sleeping inside were Pangu, Progenitor Ke, and Lu Wei. Pangu was an ancient being among ancient beings, chosen specifically for his talent and pure battle power. Progenitor Ke had proven himself to be an extremely powerful cultivator, revealing soul techniques that even Chaos Beasts feared. Lu Wei was chosen due to his unique talent and connection to the Origin God. These three had been protecting all life in the universe for countless years, giving up any hope of peaceful living. All they knew was sleeping and fighting. At this moment, they were woken up again. Somewhere in the World Tree, a gathering of Blood Qi cultivators lived in a city small enough to be called a village. As a young man was walking on the street, he suddenly clutched his throat and began choking. Blood poured out of his throat. The cultivators watched in horror as a hand reached out of the young man''s throat. A body pulled itself out. A demonic eye clearly signified that Yao Mun had returned. After doing it once, the next time was far easier. This time, he was even reborn at the true god realm due to his previous cultivation. Before anyone could react, he disappeared, leaving a destroyed corpse. Elsewhere, Heaven, who Ying Xiong had failed to get into contact with, finally learned about Zhou Fan''s return and immediately left his place of seclusion. Of all the ancient cultivators, only a lucky few could survive such a long time. An army was gathered up in a day. Only those at the god realm and above were here, but there were truly countless. Zhou Fan saw more than 200 true gods, not including the ancients from before. The sheer number of gods made them seem ordinary, but their combined power struck fear into anyone and everyone. Ying Xiong stood at the lead, with Zhou Fan''s body and soul near him. Zhu Yi could only watch from afar, less a stray attack instantly kill him. Chen Jie was near him. As the greatest genius of this era, he was seen as a leader to all. Others showed up soon. Zhou Fan saw the destruction race form a separate army, yet still standing on the side of the righteous faction. Countless beast clans joined not long after. Soon more people joined Ying Xiong at the front. Zhou Fan saw Pangu, Progenitor Ke, and Lu Wei. They also saw him. They were shocked by his current state, but they needed to focus on the battle ahead. Zhu Yi saw from afar that another person was coming towards them. He soon identified him as Yao Mun. Ying Xiong spoke with clear disgust on his face. "So you still survived." Yao Mun answered. "Mere time could never kill me." He didn''t speak further after that. Zhou Fan soon saw an old man with black and white colored hair join. "It''s good that you are alive, father." Heaven said. Zhou Fan nodded back. "Hardly alive, but it''s good to see you." This was the main force of the universe. Besides Chen Jie, everyone here would fight against the only True God realm Chaos Beast, an existence named Chaos. Ying Xiong reached through space and brought out a passed out Bai Wei''er. Qi flowed through Ying Xiong''s body and overflowed into Bai Wei''er''s. By any logic, she should have completely fallen apart, but Ying Xiong stabilized her. It was a horrifying sight to see, but it was a necessity for Zhou Fan to recover. Soon, the amount of Qi in her body was equal to that of a god realm cultivator. "Progenitor Ke." Ying Xiong said. Progenitor Ke stepped forward and controlled Bai Wei''er''s soul. She instantly used her Divine Physique, The Fruit of Self, and as her body collapsed, a blinding fruit appeared. Ying Xiong cut it like an apple, cutting off a tiny fraction of the fruit. That represented everything about her. The rest signified the Qi in her body that overwhelmed everything else. Ying Xiong sent it towards Zhou Fan. The river of cultivation appeared around him, and the fruit was absorbed. He instantly felt himself recover through multiple stages. Connected to Zhu Yi even from a distance, Zhou Fan upgraded him. There would be more where that came from. With his massive recoveries, Zhou Fan''s soul had transformed. He could interact with the physical world with ease, but he needed to reconnect with his body before anything else. "We''ll get you the Chaos Qi soon. Recover as fast as possible." Ying Xiong said. Zhou Fan nodded. He moved his soul and carried his body along with the army as they moved into the distance. This was where Chaos and the Chaos Beasts stayed. A commotion was made by Ying Xiong as a giant cosmic palm fell into the area. Space was obliterated and some stray Chaos Beasts died without knowing how. Ying Xiong was at the peak of the True God realm. Even Chaos could not easily kill him alone, much less him with everyone else. Unfortunately, Chaos had Chaos Qi, along with intelligence and talent comparable to someone like Ying Xiong. Zhou Fan heard a roar as a gigantic Chaos Beast as big as the World Tree itself appeared. Chaos Qi instantly attacked the entire army. This was when Leaf intervened. Countless tree roots appeared and decreased the strength of the attack by nearly half. Leaf was only at the inner world realm even after so much time, and likely only because he forcefully matured, but his strength was unimaginably strong. Still, this was about all he could do. Yet, it was enough. The group with Ying Xiong shot out, while Chen Jie stayed with Zhou Fan and his body. "I''ll be giving you your next meal. Let''s start with an intelligent inner world realm Chaos Beast." Chen Jie said. Taking Zhou Fan with him, he instantly appeared in front of an intelligent inner world realm Chaos Beast. Logically, especially at this level, fighting an inner world realm Chaos Beast at the god realm should take the max strength of anyone. However, this was Chen Jie, and he was invincible. Chapter 508: Recovery - 508 Chapter 508 - Recovery - 508 The Chaos Beast sensed a presence and looked up. It was currently fighting a God realm cultivator. As soon as it saw Chen Jie, its eyes widened and it ran away. Chen Jie used a single hand and grabbed the spine of the Chaos Beast. He dragged it over to him and Zhou Fan. The Chaos Beast self-destructed without even fighting back. Chen Jie backed up and let Zhou Fan handle the mist. Zhou Fan entered, and a minute later the mist was gone. Although the mist was far denser, it was the same size as before. Zhou Fan instantly recovered multiple levels, but it was not quite enough. At this time, a god realm Chaos Beast descended on Chen Jie. It was intelligent, making it a fight on the same realm with an intelligent Chaos Beast. Looking around, it took multiple true gods to fight a single God Realm Chaos beast due to them almost all being at the 1st level of the realm. However, Chen Jie was not intimidated. Chen Jie raised his hand and took a step forward. The intelligent God Realm Chaos Beast was sent flying away. Although it wasn''t injured, Chen Jie''s only goal was to heal Zhou Fan. He instantly killed a few more inner world realm Chaos beasts and let Zhou Fan start the process of absorbing the mist. The god realm Chaos Beast soon came back, and Chen Jie began to fight. Away from Zhou Fan and Chen Jie, Chaos was single handedly fighting against Ying Xiong, Progenitor Ke, Pangu, Lu Wei, and Heaven. Yao Mun was a new addition, but he was currently at the 1st level of the True God realm due to just being reborn. Although he contributed greatly, he could not direct the flow of the battle. Heaven and Ying Xiong were the main fighters. Leaf occasionally weakened a powerful attack. Chaos was annoyed, but that was all. Every step it took rained down Chaos Qi. Chaos Qi was simply too powerful. "Why start a war so soon after the last one. Are you beginning to get impatient? Perhaps you''re covering for something? Since you all even added a new fighter, then something must indeed be up." While fighting, Chaos began to look around the battlefield. He first noticed Chen Jie. He was worried that when Chen Jie grew up, he may actually end up defeated. Luckily, he had his means to survive. It''s not as if he had never lost before. Not only had he lost in the past, but even the World Tree had lost. Multiple times throughout the years, the World Tree was pushed back. There were even times before the World Tree itself was strong enough to do a thing. Although Chaos was powerful, he could not fully look at everything while fighting with so many powerful beings. He had looked over Zhou Fan completely. "Fine. Whatever you have, I''ll see later." No more talking took place, and all focus was on fighting. Besides Zhou Fan''s fight against the Cosmic Dao, this was one of the greatest fights of all time. The full force of the entire universe was against the Chaos Beasts. Ten minutes after Chen Jie killed ten inner world realm Chaos Beasts, Zhou Fan absorbed all the mist. He felt a faint connection with his body. He was close. "Ten more." He said. In the endless battle with countless sounds, Zhou Fan''s was like a flies buzz. Only Chen Jie, who was focusing on him, heard him. He pushed back the God Realm Chaos Beast and instantly killed ten more inner world realm Chaos Beasts. Zhou Fan began to absorb them. Ten more minutes quickly passed. In a battle involving gods and true gods, ten minutes was absolutely nothing. Zhou Fan could have taken ten years without anything changing. However, this was all he needed. For the first time in a long time, Zhou Fan''s soul entered his body. In an instant, a pressure appeared that covered the entire occupied universe, which was the Zhou filament. All battle''s ceased, and Chaos''s eyes widened in horror. Although he couldn''t move, he finally noticed Zhou Fan from the corner of his eyes. He knew who it was at a glance. The Origin God had returned. Suddenly, the pressure lessened a bit. It was still enough to prevent any movement, but it was weaker. Then, it weakened again. The strongest True Gods, such as Ying Xiong, Heaven, and Chaos could move, but they could feel an overwhelming power that they were helpless against. Once again, the power lessened. They could move freely, while normal True Gods and Chen Jie could now move as well. Then, it lessened again. Even Gods could move. Finally, the pressure lessened one more time. Everybody on the battlefield could move, but everyone was looking at Zhou Fan. Everybody here recognized him. Zhou Fan spoke, and the overwhelming silence heard him. "Inner World realm, huh. Lower than expected." He had recovered and gained his body, but he was only at the Inner World realm. Chaos let out a huge sigh of relief. "The Origin God returned. I almost died of shock. Luckily, it means nothing now. Even the Origin God can''t fight a true god at the Inner World realm. Much less me." Many in the battlefield felt disappointed, while the Chaos Beasts were relieved. The Origin Gods return was horrible news, the worst possible, but at least they had time. Chaos let out a roar. "We must destroy the World Tree here and now! Before the Origin God recovers! Fight!" All Chaos Beasts charged without regard for their life. Zhou Fan looked at the battle above. There were two options for him. He could either cultivate for about ten minutes and reach the god realm, or go fight now. Chaos seemed to look over that Zhou Fan was the most talented person in not only history, but all of cultivation itself. Simply put, talent was how close someone was to being like Zhou Fan. A higher talent meant that a person was more suited for the path of cultivation, a path created by Zhou Fan for Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan did not truly have meridians because meridians were only an attempt to be more suited for cultivation. Now, although he could almost instantly break through, or perhaps even simply take away Chaos''s cultivation, he wanted to fight. Chapter 509: Fighting Chaos - 509 Chapter 509 - Fighting Chaos - 509 For a moment, the battle continued, with everyone now fighting far harder than before. Although everyone seemed to ignore Zhou Fan, they all had an eye on him as they fought. Zhou Fan looked around for a moment. He saw Chaos Beasts and humans fighting around him, but none dared to approach. He stretched his body around, getting used to it for a while, before looking at the World Tree. "Let''s go, Leaf." The World Tree suddenly shook, stopping the entire fight. Throughout countless years, the World Tree had always stayed steady, a fortress for all life in the universe. The World Tree suddenly began to shrink, causing countless cities and bases to remain floating in space. Everyone saw as the World Tree came towards the Origin God and wrapped around him. "I never thought we''d be in the same realm. What do you say we handle this?" Leaf shook on Zhou Fan''s body. As Chaos stared at him, Zhou Fan looked up, meeting his gaze. "The first time was nice. Good thing I get to do it twice." Zhou Fan''s figure blurred as he shot upwards. Chaos let out a loud roar, perhaps the loudest it had ever let out. Ying Xiong and the rest that were fighting Chaos tried to intervene, but Heaven held them back. He shook his head. "Let''s see how powerful my father, the Origin God, truly is." Chaos shot towards Zhou Fan as Zhou Fan shot towards him. As they approached, Zhou Fan held his hand out. "Chaos Buddha''s Palm." A Buddha''s palm made out of Buddhist Qi and Chaos Qi fell towards Chaos far faster than any attack made by an Inner World realm cultivator ever should have. Regardless, Chaos did not even consider dodging. It was the most powerful existence in the current universe. The closest thing to matching him was the Greatest Attractor that existed in the center of the universe. Chaos and other Chaos Beasts could travel that far since they were able to use Chaos Qi. He had visited it once when he had retreated from the World Tree long long ago. As said before, he had won sometimes, and he had lost sometimes, even if 999 out of 1000 battles ended in a tie. However, he was even stronger than it, the greatest attractor. Although it didn''t have any sort of cultivation, its power was at the lower level of the outer world realm. So how could Zhou Fan, even if he was the Origin God, beat something stronger than an Outer World level existence at the Inner World Realm. Logically, he couldn''t. However, if Chen Jie was invincible, and Zhu Yi would never lose, then Zhou Fan was unmatched throughout all of time, space, and existence. As the Chaos Buddha''s Palm hit Chaos, it paused for a single instant. Someone below the Space Shattering realm would not have even noticed the instant, but it was visible to everyone on the battlefield. It wasn''t much, and Chaos wasn''t injured, but it gave people the idea of a possibility. Could the Origin God actually win? Chaos was shocked as well, but in its rage, it did not stop to think. It hated the Origin God more than anything, and it hated the fear it felt from him just as much. However, Chaos was not stupid. It had fought the greatest cultivators in the universe for countless years, and was prepared for any trick. Most notably, it used a spatial lock. Although its only affinity was for Chaos Qi, it was eventually able to use Space Qi to such a degree that it could use the spatial lock. Ever since then, it had not lost to the cultivators of the World Tree. This was how the Chaos Beasts affinity differed from Zhou Fan''s. Zhou Fan had an affinity to all Qi''s due to his Chaos Qi affinity, while the Chaos Beasts did not. With the Spatial lock on Zhou Fan, Chaos could comfortably attack with brute force and Chaos Qi. However, in the next moment, Zhou Fan appeared behind Chaos. "Instant Completion." Chaos''s attack was wasted, and Zhou Fan attacked again. "Chaos Buddha''s Altar." Zhou Fan finally had a battle where he could display the countless techniques he had invented over the years. A giant Buddha statue with its hands clasped together appeared. Suddenly, Chaos Qi appeared from the Buddha statues eyes, forming a river of Chaos Qi that appeared to be tears. The Buddha statue had spots of gray all over it. This was a technique of opposites. The Buddha, who represented calmness and peace, and the power of Chaos that represented Chaos. Chaos felt a chill as it turned around. As it saw the giant Buddha statue it instinctively shivered. Without waiting, Chaos shrunk. With Zhou Fan''s ability to instantly move, size was only a bigger target. Chaos charged forward as a puddle of Chaos Qi formed under the Buddha statue. Suddenly, Chaos stopped moving and spat out the equivalent of a Chaos Beast''s blood. At the same time, Zhou Fan felt his Qi reserves fall by half. His amount of Qi was far greater than any others in the same realm, but this move cost even him a lot. This was a special technique that ignored space and directly struck at the heart of an existence, or at least the equivalent of a heart. Still, it was a minor injury for a creature as powerful as Chaos. Chaos charged forward after the brief pause. Zhou Fan moved away again and spoke. "Leaf. Lend me some Qi." Although his Qi reserves were massive compared to any other cultivator, Leaf was the exception. It''s Qi was double even Zhou Fan''s. In addition, it could freely transfer it. Zhou Fan felt his Qi reserves fill up as Leaf began to suck Qi from the surroundings at a speed matched only by Zhou Fan. Leaf''s recovery speed was incredible as well. "Warm up finished. Let''s go all out." Chaos Qi wrapped around Zhou Fan''s body as he activated his Divine Physique. Chapter 510: Fighting Chaos - 510 Chapter 510 - Fighting Chaos - 510 Zhou Fan charged towards Chaos as Chaos Qi filled his entire body. Chaos charged towards Zhou Fan as he had for the entire battle. They met, and Zhou Fan punched out. A space shattering spiral slammed against Chaos, sending both him and Zhou Fan flying back. Chaos was once again shocked by Zhou Fan. Being pushed back in a one on one fight had never happened to it before, especially not against an Inner World realm cultivator. Zhou Fan did not charge again, but used a technique. "Work with me on this one, Leaf." He put his hands together, and Wood Qi moved around him, shooting upwards and forming a giant sword. Plants and trees grew from the wooden sword as Zhou Fan and Leaf used a dual user technique. At the tip of the sword, a giant tree grew. Suddenly, from the plants, trees, and the giant tree, fruits began to grow. These fruits were in the shape of tiny swords. Then, Chaos Qi wrapped around these fruits and the wooden sword descended. All of this happened in a single instant. As it descended towards the charging Chaos, the fruits fell, creating a rain of swords imbued with Chaos Qi. Everything focused on Chaos, who was now smaller, yet bigger than a normal mortal''s house. Chaos''s charge was stopped once more and he was pushed back. Now, there were tiny cuts that barely broke skin on him. Nearly no damage was being taken, yet still, Chaos was more or less being helplessly beaten with no ability to hit Zhou Fan, who could instantly move away. As a Chaos Beast, it lacked diversity of attack. Its use of Chaos Qi was greater than any other Chaos Beast, but it was still lacking to fight Zhou Fan. From afar, Chaos formed a cannon of Chaos Qi that quickly shot out a condensed beam of Chaos Qi. However, Zhou Fan simply moved away. To say it was hard to react would be an understatement. No matter what, Chaos was at the True God realm, while Zhou Fan was only at the Inner World realm. There was a massive realm difference that should have never been crossed. Zhou Fan moved around Chaos and used countless techniques. Some of them even used Time Qi, which Zhou Fan had never used before. "Boat of Time." A green boat appeared, and without being able to react, Chaos was hit by it. It sent him flying back, but not injured at all. Zhou Fan continuously experimented with Time Qi, getting used to it and mentally creating countless techniques. As he did so, he occasionally reappeared next to Chaos and punched him with his Divine Physique before moving away. At some point, Chaos stopped using the Spatial Lock technique. It figured that, since Zhou Fan seemed to teleport regardless, it was not worth the Qi it used. This gave Zhou Fan the ability to use a technique he had theorized. "SpaceTime technique: Instant Completion, Teleportation." Zhou Fan instantly appeared far away from Chaos on the other side of the battlefield. Chaos turned, only to cough out more blood than ever before. It felt a combination of two Qi''s inside its body causing havoc. The two Qi''s were protected by a thin film of Chaos Qi, stopping them from instantly dissipating in Chaos''s body. As soon as Chaos noticed it, he destroyed it, but a small bit of damage was done. "Stop Playing These Games!" Chaos roared. "I''ll stop playing with you when I want." Zhou Fan responded as he moved using Instant Completion again. Now above Chaos, he raised his finger in the air. Nine suns appeared above his finger, and next to them nine moons. A dragon made of Dragon Qi and Chaos Qi appeared and swallowed all nine suns and nine moons. It looked down on the now reacting Chaos and let out a breath. A condensed beam of Sun, Moon, Dragon, and Chaos Qi shot down onto Chaos pushing him back again. Zhou Fan moved again. From all six directions, different techniques attacked Chaos at the same time, each one imbued with a bit of Chaos Qi. From below, a giant figure made of Fiend Qi smacked at Chaos. From above, a giant sword made of Sword Qi fell. To the right, a ball made of the four basic elements shot towards Chaos. To the left, a leg made of Time and Space Qi kicked at Chaos. In front, a rotating sun and moon moved towards Chaos, forming an eclipse. Behind, the Dao Finger, made of all Qi''s, attacked Chaos. Chaos sensed everything around him and roared. "ENOUGH!" Something burst out from within him. "False Outer World: Chaos Beast." Chaos shouted. A giant Chaos Beast appeared around him. This was a replication of an Outer World. Being in the True God realm for such a long time, it was not unexpected. Chaos could be considered half a step into the Outer World realm, but blocked from it as it was not yet allowed. No matter what, Chaos''s power, unlike the Cosmic Dao''s, came from cultivation. Like all cultivators, it existed under the rule of the River of Cultivation. This was why Zhou Fan never considered the possibility of actually losing. As the Outer World burst out, the six attacks were weakened. Each one hit Chaos, but they did not even move it. The giant Chaos Beast around Chaos was powerful. "I wonder if I can still use an Outer World, considering I had already reached that realm?" Zhou Fan wondered. "Only one way to find out." Zhou Fan held out his hand as if he was going to use a Buddha''s palm, but didn''t. "Outer World." Shocking Chaos, a giant statue appeared with its hand out. It seemed as if it was grasping the entire universe in its hand. The statue clearly represented Zhou Fan, but its face was gray with just a few vertical dark gray lines. Chaos felt a pressure push down on him. It was much weaker than ever, scaling to Zhou Fan''s current realm, but an Outer World was something that was above any sort of technique below the Sage Realm. Chapter 511: The End of Chaos Beasts - 511 Chapter 511 - The End of Chaos Beasts - 511 Quickly clearing his mind, Chaos shook his head and charged forward. As it did so, the figure around it, its Outer World, charged with it. Chaos once again returned to its original size as it neared Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan watched Chaos and moved forward. He held out his hand and fully activated his Outer World. The statue''s clothes seemed to wave in the wind as a pressure descended upon the charging Chaos Beast. It instantly felt pressured. Chaos''s charge came to a near halt, hardly moving any further, as the pressure of Zhou Fan''s Outer World covered it. Zhou Fan began to slowly close his hand, and Chaos felt as if the pressure pushing down suddenly began to squeeze him. Zhou Fan''s entire mind was replaced by the desire to squish Chaos to death like an ant. Chaos struggled and roared as the Outer World behind him moved. With a giant roar, Zhou Fan''s Outer World was pushed back. Chaos had an Outer World nearing that of a true Outer World realm cultivator, while Zhou Fan''s was only at the level of an Inner World realm cultivator. However, Zhou Fan was not willing to lose in a battle of Outer Worlds. He continued to press down, even as his arm began to tear apart and bleed. His Chaos Divine Physique instantly healed him, but he was instantly injured again. A nonstop cycle of injuries tormented his body as the battle of Outer Worlds continued. After a five minute stalemate, Zhou Fan put everything into one last shove, pushing Chaos far away from him. With an instant completion, he appeared behind Chaos and his Outer World deactivated. From the start, he knew he would never win in such a battle if all he used was Qi and some other means involving it. No matter what, it was simply an impossible gap to cross. Or at least, if he only used Qi. With a sudden appearance, a river began to flow around Zhou Fan. Chaos saw it, and through some sort of passed down instinct, fear overwhelmed it. With its Outer World fully activated, Chaos charged. Zhou Fan pointed a finger out. Although the River of Cultivation had yet to truly recover, he did not need much from it. An unseeable finger moved out. This was the power of Cultivation, and no cultivation could contend against it. Chaos was not the Cosmic Dao. It could not even sense the approaching of the finger. The power of cultivation had no color, but when Zhou Fan gave it color, it could appear green. Zhou Fan did not give it a color this time. Chaos was hit, and without even understanding anything, it paused. Then, it collapsed into Chaos Qi. The true form of a Chaos Beast was more or less Chaos Qi, the Cosmic Dao, and Cultivation all mixed together to form a beast. The finger of cultivation took away all of Chaos Beasts cultivation, and destroyed the Cosmic Dao. All that remained was Chaos Qi. From the cultivation of Chaos, Zhou Fan actually felt the River of Cultivation recover a bit despite using the finger of cultivation. Zhou Fan looked at the remaining Chaos Beasts, who were all looking at him. "The species of Chaos Beasts has existed for long enough." His voice traveled to everyone nearby and where the World Tree once was. With the World Tree wrapped around him, and all eyes on him, Zhou Fan pointed a finger. Countless unseeable mini fingers moved at every Chaos Beast on the battlefield. "With my last act as the Origin God, I declare the Chaos Beasts extinguished." After this, Zhou Fan planned to stop being a public figure. He would once again focus on cultivation without being known, as he had long ago. As all watched, the Chaos Beasts turned into Chaos Qi. With countless piles of mist, Zhou Fan waved his hand. The Qi density of the universe began to soar once again to its peak as the Chaos Qi was split into the countless Qi''s. With everything finished, Zhou Fan sat down cross legged as a green bubble appeared around him. Zhu Yi would recognize it as the Time Bubble. At the Inner World realm, the Time Bubble sped up time by 3,000x. With Leaf around him, Zhou Fan did not have to worry about maintaining the Time Bubble himself. As all life watched, still in shock, Zhou Fan began to cultivate. In a few seconds to the outside, Zhou Fan reached the God realm. No tribulation even appeared. As an hour passed, Zhou Fan reached the True God realm. This was not only due to his talent, but due to reaching the True God realm in the past. As he had said many times before, the difficulty in cultivating was due to him constantly forging his own path. Otherwise, his speed would be unmatched. A week passed, and Zhou Fan reached the Outer World realm. At this time, he stood up, took a look at everyone around him, and disappeared. When he stopped moving, he was already outside of the Zhou Filament. Zhou Fan quickly moved through the Outer World realm and reached the Sage realm. However, this was not his peak. After a while of cultivation, totaling to about a hundred thousand years in the time bubble, Zhou Fan regained his old cultivation, finally reaching the High Sage realm, as he now called it. Now at the High Sage realm and without the Cosmic Dao''s interference, Zhou Fan could expand his mortal dao. It moved out of the Zhou Filament, quickly covering the first universal sector and expanding onwards. Without the hindering of the Cosmic Dao, Zhou Fan had just enough ability to cover the entire universe. Now, everything was his. Of course, this was not the end. There was still a lot more to do. He had a grand vision for not only this universe, but all of existence, even if he had to carve every inch out himself. Now, it was time to get comfortable. ---------------------------------------------- Not much of a volume guy, but this can be considered the end of the first major part of the story. Chapter 512: Questions - 512 Chapter 512 - Questions - 512 Zhou Fan went to the top of the universe. The universe was a sphere, and the top seemed no different from the rest of it. Zhou Fan drew a line that extended throughout the entirety of the top of the sphere. Although it was only a small amount of the universe, not even being a percent of a percent, this was the area he had claimed and would stay at until he was able to either leave the universe or expand it. For the first time in a long time, he decided to build a residence, and this one would be near permanent. A giant mansion with a green roof and many plants. He built it like a rich person''s mansion on advanced mortal planets, but that was only its basic appearance. Countless arrays and formations made this the most advanced residence in the universe by far. In addition, with his newfound control over his power, the power of cultivation, his cultivation speed would be completely different from before. The Time bubble could also not be ignored. Leaf sat in the center of the garden that was attached to Zhou Fan''s house. Zhou Fan sat down inside. Finally, after a long time, it was time to look over everything he had and organize it. Firstly, the River of Cultivation had completely transformed from before. In the past, it had been a placeholder that exhibited rules over the cultivation universe and prevented too much Chaos. Now, it had become one with Zhou Fan, a part of him that was inseparable. It was the source of Zhou Fan''s power, and as long as he lived, it could not be destroyed. This also changed how he cultivated. He no longer cultivated using the power of Qi, but the power of cultivation. How this worked, he wasn''t quite sure himself. He needed to figure it out. The best way to test it was to actually test it. Zhou Fan sat down and began to cultivate, but not using Qi. As he cultivated, he felt a power flow towards him. It was not a power that existed, but one that he created as he cultivated. So, simply put, it seemed like he created the power of cultivation by cultivating. Sounds simple enough, even though it felt like some sort of paradox. Now, he needed to test his cultivation speed. Zhou Fan activated the time bubble, which was completely maintained by arrays around his house and fueled by the power of cultivation turned into Qi. The exchange rate was such that even a drop from the river would last nearly an infinite time. Time was also something he needed to address after this. Within the Time Bubble, Zhou Fan spent a million years cultivating. With the time bubble speeding up time by 3 million times in the High Sage realm, Zhou Fan had spent less than a year cultivating on the outside. It was an incredibly fast cultivation speed. Zhou Fan felt that he had reached the maximum limit in the 1st level of the High Sage realm. He could no longer permanently absorb the power of cultivation. Any more that he absorbed would dissipate into nothing after a period of time. Zhou Fan observed the River of Cultivation. Different from before, it was now raging, filled with the power of cultivation. It too had reached its limit, as its limit was the same as Zhou Fan''s. Before, when Zhou Fan reached this point, all he needed to do next was breakthrough. However, with the realization of his power, the power of cultivation, it was no longer so simple. There was no more unconscious carving of the path of cultivation. He had exited the tutorial stage, and now, he had to do everything manually. Zhou Fan sat cross legged and looked within himself. What was breaking through? There were countless questions that Zhou Fan needed to ask himself before he could continue breaking through on his cultivation journey. Perhaps he would even need to change how cultivation worked. Zhou Fan envisioned cultivation like the process of water moving through a tunnel. For each level, there was one tunnel. Every ten levels, there was a new type of tunnel, different from before. Blocking these two tunnels was what was known as a bottleneck. A bottleneck''s strength depends on the talent of a cultivator. For someone like Zhou Fan, the bottlenecks simply didn''t exist. He still needed a certain amount of accumulation to reach the newer tunnels, aka, breaking into a new realm, but there was no trouble. He felt this clearly while recovering. Now, what happens when all of a sudden, the tunnels end? The first thought that popped into Zhou Fan''s mind was, of course, digging further and creating more tunnels. It seemed simple, but this was just a metaphor. In reality, he could not simply build more tunnels. What he could do was take inspiration from this. But he was stumped. For now, he would move on. Zhou Fan stopped cultivating, hoping that he would gain some sort of inspiration by the time he came back to it. Now, he looked at time. What was time? Zhou Fan felt he was asking too many questions now, but they needed to be answered. Time is what dictates the flow of the universe. Space is just as important. Without time, there would be no movement, and without space, there would be nowhere to move. Zhou Fan could see time. It was like space, but unseeable to others. Zhou Fan felt like time could not affect him any longer, as long as he willed that it couldn''t. In other words, if time had no meaning, then was he immortal? It didn''t feel like he was truly immortal, even if he could separate himself from time. It was more like delaying life. In addition, Zhou Fan could see past time. He watched events over the course of the last hundred quintillion years. He saw many geniuses, and many fights. Zhou Fan felt as if he was in a space of his own now. To put it simply, he felt like a god capable of doing anything. It was at this time that a thought sprang up within Zhou Fan. "What if I created my own universe?" Chapter 513: Chest Universe - 513 Chapter 513 - Chest Universe - 513 This thought made Zhou Fan''s mind move in a different direction. Looking through time, Zhou Fan could even see the formation of the universe itself. The very origin of all time began when the universe appeared into existence. There was no logic behind how it existed. It simply did. To cultivators, this was an acceptable answer. To create a universe, Zhou Fan needed space. Technically, there was the nothingness that existed outside of the universe, but that was currently untouchable. Instead, Zhou Fan felt that it was more logical to make a universe inside of his body. With his current power, space was like a toy that could be played with. Zhou Fan began this little experiment. Firstly, he used Time and Space Qi to create an area in the center of his chest. He then covered it in a film of Chaos Qi. It was about the size of a heart, but inside it was about the same size as a filament. This process took a while, totaling about 10 years. Then, using his understanding of creation, Zhou Fan turned the Time and Space Qi that formed the universe into genuine Time and Space. Combined with the power of Chaos, Zhou Fan now had an empty universe in his chest. It sounded extremely simple, but it was only due to Zhou Fan''s overwhelming power that it could be done at all. In this universe, there were no stars or planets. It was just empty space. Zhou Fan used star Qi and his understanding of creation to create stars. Over a period of a year, countless stars were born. He then used Earth Qi to create planets. These were not diverse planets like in the current universe. He had no plans to do too much to the universe within him. He was merely testing everything out. Next, he created black holes. These created Galaxies. Next were Great Attractors. These needed to be made one by one, something that Zhou Fan had no desire to waste his time on. So, if he did not do it, he would get someone, or something to do it. One of Zhou Fan''s oldest projects was the creation of a universal consciousness. This idea was no longer impossible, or even necessarily difficult, at all. In fact, Zhou Fan could do it in a few ways. He could create it like a robot that followed commands and only responded to predicted situations, or he could do one of many other things. Considering this was an experiment with no consequences, Zhou Fan decided to go with the idea of creating something close to life, but had no emotions or desires at all. It was similar to a robot with intelligence. Naturally, giving it emotions was out of the question. This wouldn''t be another Heaven, but a governing system. With no life to govern over yet, this universal consciousness first task would be to create diverse great attractors throughout the universe. As for how exactly to create it, Zhou Fan had a few ideas. After deliberating to himself, Zhou Fan created a new lifeform, the likes of which had not really been seen. This beings form was that of a green, ethereal light. From afar, it looked similar to the northern lights in the arctic regions of earth from long ago. This being had intelligence, but no emotions at all. There was no instinct and no will to live or exist. It simply sat in space floating, going wherever the universe would take it. While it could freely think, it had no reason to think. Zhou Fan gave it purpose. As if some sort of machine being given power, the universal consciousness moved. Zhou Fan had given it power over the universe within his chest. It knew its objective and it had the means to complete it. Zhou Fan would wait and see where this experiment would take him. In the meantime, there was more to do. Zhou Fan stopped paying attention to the universe within his chest and began to instead look at himself. During his time with Zhu Yi, he had questioned his identity as a human. After much thinking, he concluded that he no longer felt the need to be human. It was simply of no help to him. Instead, he decided to create his own race, and he would be the only member. It didn''t take long before Zhou Fan knew what he wanted to do. All he needed now was to figure out how to do it. Unlike interacting with the outside universe, Zhou Fan''s body was as great as his power. Not only his body, but his mind and soul as well. Changing any of these was no small task at all. Even with his power, he needed to find a way. He first examined the essence of a human. Skin, blood, bones, muscles, veins, organs, etc. He looked at all of it and decided that it was a great design. Instead of making himself inhuman, he could simply base his new race off of the form he was most familiar with, the human form. He started at the deepest level, the bones. The River of Cultivation became visible and flowed through his body. Its only target was Zhou Fan''s bones. It washed over the bones as if it was cleaning them. As it did so, it changed the essence of them. No longer were there pure white bones, but bones pulsing with the power of cultivation. They were still somewhat white, but gave off a permanent green glow. The River of Cultivation came out of the other side of Zhou Fan''s body, carrying with it a white powder. Although it seemed as if it was simply washing over, Zhou Fan''s bones had been ground up and replaced. It was painful, but Zhou Fan could endure it. Next, Zhou Fan looked at the muscles and veins in his body. The River of Cultivation entered his body once again, and a similar situation repeated. Everything was destroyed and created anew. Zhou Fan felt his body resonating with the River of Cultivation even further as it came out the other side. Similar to his bones, his muscles and veins now had a green glow to them, made with the power of Cultivation. Chapter 514: A New Body and a New Realm - 514 Chapter 514 - A New Body and a New Realm - 514 The River of Cultivation entered his body once again. This time, it targeted his organs and the other parts that allowed a normal body to function. They gained a similar green glow. The River of Cultivation entered again, targeting his inner skin. It received a similar transformation, just as every other part of his body. Everything that came now would alter Zhou Fan''s appearance, which he did not really want. He had spent countless years in this body, and even though he had changed it a bit, it still felt that same. Changing his appearance, however, would be different, and entirely unpleasant. Luckily, it was his power and his body. The River of Cultivation enlarged and submerged Zhou Fan''s body. As it did so, the River of Cultivation began to affect his mind and his soul. After an entire year, the River of Cultivation shrunk again and rotated around Zhou Fan''s body. He looked the same as always, the only difference being that he now had green pupils. His body, mind, and soul had now been completely transformed. With this, Zhou Fan had reached true perfection. One loss was that he no longer had the Chaos Divine Physique, but Chaos Qi was something he could now control regardless. In addition, he now had a new Divine Physique, the Cultivation body. Everything about Zhou Fan had now become focused on cultivation. Zhou Fan once again began to focus on increasing his cultivation. Since he was simply increasing the level and not the realm, Zhou Fan felt that it was not too hard. After a few years of thought, Zhou Fan attempted to reach the 2nd level of the High Sage realm. The power of cultivation began to move wildly within his body as he attempted to forge a path forward. Soon, the power of cultivation covered his entire body and began to sink into his mind, body, and soul. At the same time, the power of cultivation violently rotated around him. It stopped after a few weeks of breaking through. The power of cultivation once again returned to Zhou Fan''s body as he took a deep breath. He had increased his cultivation to the 2nd level of the High Sage realm. With his breakthrough, the River of Cultivation was also affected. It could absorb much more of the power of cultivation compared to before. Zhou Fan''s mind, body, and soul had been strengthened greatly, and his upper limit of absorption had also increased. He was now confident in breaking through levels without any issues. Looking at the vast universe, Zhou Fan saw his hastily made reinforcements to the universe''s boundary slowly being eroded. If left for a long time, it would collapse and the universe would be devoured by the nothingness. This was not a difficult problem to solve. With just a little bit of the power of cultivation, the boundary became countless times stronger. The universe would be fine for a long time. Zhou Fan could not think of anything else that he needed to handle for now. He could focus on cultivation in the time bubble. He cultivated for three million years inside of the time bubble before breaking through to the third level. It took around ten million years to reach the fourth level. 30 million years to reach the fifth level. Nearly a hundred million years to reach the sixth level. It took around 350 million years to reach the seventh level, and a billion to reach the 8th level. 3 billion to the ninth level and finally, 10 billion years to reach the 10th level of the High Sage realm. All together it took him around 14.5 billion years to reach the peak of the High Sage realm. Outside of the Time Bubble, less than 5,000 years had passed. It truly was an incredible technique. Now, Zhou Fan needed to understand how to break through a realm. It shouldn''t be too hard, but it was a hurdle that would take some time to jump. A realm was an entirely different thing than a level. Here, a transformation could occur. Zhou Fan already had a transformation in mind, he just needed to successfully break through. Zhou Fan first began to accumulate the power of cultivation. It took him nearly 30 billion years to fully fill his cultivation to the limit. He then began to work out the breakthrough process. For the most part, it seemed that it would be similar to breaking through a level. However, as it completed, he would use the power of cultivation to create a change. Zhou Fan didn''t waste any time, instantly beginning the process of breaking through. Like in all of the other breakthroughs in the High Sage realm, the power of cultivation began to surround Zhou Fan''s body. It filled his body, mind, and soul. Zhou Fan felt himself transforming, reaching a higher realm. He had already named this realm in advance. The Great Dao realm. Like the Outer World realm accompanied the Inner World realm, the Great Dao realm accompanied the Lesser Dao Creation realm. Zhou Fan felt his breakthrough stabilize as his Mortal Dao began to change. Everyone in the universe could feel it clearly. For a moment, all movement stopped. The Mortal Dao that had existed, covering all life for countless years, was changing. Even someone like Ying Xiong could not tell what was happening. Heaven, due to his connection with Zhou Fan, was able to guess a little bit. All of a sudden, as if a useless organ was suddenly gaining function, countless cultivators felt a new possibility within their bodies. Ying Xiong used this new power, and a Mortal Dao burst out of his body, covering a large area. Now, with Zhou Fan''s Mortal Dao evolving, Mortal Dao''s could exist within his Great Dao. It created countless possibilities for cultivators all over the universe, but Zhou Fan did not care much about it. It didn''t concern him any longer. As Zhou Fan''s Mortal Dao evolved, the universe seemed to be filled with the vibrancy of life, as if a worthy ruler had taken power. Within his Great Dao, Zhou Fan felt even more invincible than before. He felt as if he could instantly crush the entire universe in an instant. Chapter 515: Peak of the Great Dao Realm - 515 Chapter 515 - Peak of the Great Dao Realm - 515 As he reached the Great Dao realm, Zhou Fan could clearly feel that many new possibilities had opened up. Unfortunately, he could instantly tell that he was still unable to leave the universe. The nothingness was still something far beyond him. With his breakthrough finished, Zhou Fan looked at his chest universe. Many years had passed by within the Time Bubble, and the universal consciousness had created enough Great attractors. Superclusters and other similar structures were strewn throughout the universe. At this moment, Zhou Fan essentially had a perfectly formed universe within him. Over the time within the Time Bubble, Zhou Fan had made many ideas. He created new life within his universe. Each one was like Chaos Beasts, simply an accumulation of a certain type of Qi, mixed with the power of cultivation. Countless beings were created, with every single Qi being involved, including Chaos Qi. Of course, without the power of the Cosmic Dao, Chaos Beasts weren''t created, but something different entirely. Each of these beings were huge, made up of countless amounts of one Qi and bigger than any galaxy. Each being had a divine Physique attuned to its Qi. Watching over all of these beings was the universal consciousness, who had received a new order from Zhou Fan. Direct each of these beings to gain complete mastery over their Qi. This would of course be assisted by Zhou Fan''s power. Zhou Fan didn''t quite have a perfect goal or idea for these beings, he was just trying some things out seeing where they would take him. Zhou Fan watched as Mortal Daos burst out from each of these beings, creating their own territory. Each being was at the Sage realm and immensely powerful. In giving these beings such power, Zhou Fan had also opened a path of advancement for the rest of the universe, the peak of it being the Sage realm. Whatever this caused, Zhou Fan didn''t pay any attention to it. His Great Dao did not only cover the universe, but also the universe within his chest. In other words, he had an instant method of control for whatever he wanted to do in the future. These beings were also able to somewhat sense the existence of his Great Dao, letting them know in advance that there was an existence above them. As the universe filled up with countless colors, Zhou Fan stopped paying attention and let it develop on its own. Zhou Fan began to cultivate again. Under the influence of the Time Bubble, time moved extremely fast. After around 1.4 quadrillion years within the Time Bubble, Zhou Fan reached the 10th level of the Great Dao realm. After another two quadrillion years, he was theoretically ready to break through. However, it was here, where for the first time, he reached a true limit in his cultivation. With the Time Bubble now speeding up time by ten million times, Zhou Fan had only spent 340,000,000 years cultivating to the outside world. It seemed like a lot, but it was just the blink of an eye. Zhou Fan was truly confused this time. Before, he at least had the idea of what to do, but now, something was wrong. It was as if he simply could not advance any further, as if his mind, body, and soul had reached their absolute limit of growth. With cultivation, this was something that was simply not supposed to happen. It was created with the purpose of allowing infinite growth, but all of a sudden, it ended here. It was not like before. This time, it felt just like trying to go past the universe. There was nothing beyond it, and so he could not go past it. This was more than a simple bottleneck, or some sort of simple blockage, he had reached the end. Of course, he refused to accept this. Calmly, he began to study within the Time Bubble. As long as he understood just a bit, he would be able to surpass this hurdle. A quadrillion years passed inside of the Time Bubble. However, Zhou Fan was still lost. A quintillion years passed within the Time Bubble. Nothing. A sextillion years passed by. "Damn It!" Zhou Fan shouted as he slammed his hand down. In his rage, half of universal sector 4 was decimated. His power shook the universe, but still, this one hurdle was unsurpassable. He had studied every atom in his body. Every individual proton, neutron, and electron. He had learned knowledge that nobody else could even fathom. Even if he was a mortal, he could create a weapon capable of decimating a supercluster given enough time. However, nothing made this seem any more possible. There wasn''t fault with the human body, nor the mind or soul. There wasn''t fault with any species, including the Cultivation race. All could theoretically reach this point, but beyond it, there seemed to be nothing. Around 111 trillion years had passed outside. Zhou Fan began to wonder if his path was somehow wrong, or flawed. Perhaps it was his state of mind. Maybe it was an error to cut connection with the life of the universe. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance that changing would help solve this problem. Zhou Fan thought, but he knew deep down that none of these were the reason. He was simply insufficient, or perhaps the time he had spent was insufficient. In a fit of anger and slight madness, Zhou Fan began to bend time. The Time Bubble was an application of time, but with his current power, Zhou Fan could do whatever he wanted to do with time. All the time in the universe came to a halt. There was no difference between Ying Xiong, Heaven, a random mortal, or the universe in his chest. Everything stopped. Although Zhou Fan did not care about the life of the universe any longer, there was a miniscule chance that he would receive some sort of inspiration from any of the countless beings. In that case, it was better to keep things as he was familiar with them. Time moved for nobody except Zhou Fan. He spent countless years, far beyond the life of the universe, thinking and theorizing. He was truly a god, and the universe simply a toy. Chapter 516: The Buddha - 516 Chapter 516 - The Buddha - 516 A truly uncountable number of years passed as Zhou Fan thought. In the end, time began to move again as if nothing had happened. Nobody could sense that anything had happened at all. Zhou Fan sighed as he sat down. He did not have an answer as to how to advance. In the end, he could only think of a few ways to find a way. He needed to make new paths. His path, and the path of the rest of the universe, was cultivation. Progenitor Ke represented a slight difference, but it was still cultivation in the end. What he needed was a new path to growth, one different from cultivation. In fact, he needed not just one, but many. The issue was, creating paths artificially was not going to help. He had spent countless years thinking, and almost everything he could possibly think of had been thought. In order for new paths to experience true difference, Zhou Fan could not be the one to traverse them. Besides, he was meant for cultivation. On other paths, he may not even grow that fast. This could of course be overridden by his power of cultivation, but once again, that would be artificial growth. The first thing to do would be to create the path. There was nobody in this universe that had the potential to do such a thing. Even Zhou Fan''s creation of his path was more or less a freak accident. Zhou Fan would like to do it himself, but he faced the same problem as before. It would be artificial. He couldn''t break through like this. In order to breakthrough, he needed someone, at least one person, like him. And to do that, he would have to once again get involved with the affairs of the universe. Zhou Fan sighed and looked over. Everyone with a high cultivation level was rushing towards the new realms. Their progress was slow, of course, and not many would ever leave the True God realm, but they were still excited at the prospect. Zhou Fan paid attention to Zhu Yi after so long. As he had recovered, Zhou Fan had granted a lot to Zhu Yi. Zhu Yi had God King rank 1 meridians. He also had the Three Qi Divine Physique. This increased the reserves of his Qi by three times in the same level, all while keeping his cultivation speed the same. With this, instant completion was much more useful. The River of Cultivation still had a ban on Time Qi. Zhu Yi was the only exception. Zhu Yi was going strong and Zhou Fan did not plan to stop him. His gaze focused on his original planet, the planet earth. Gazing through time, Zhou Fan saw a specific figure, and even himself. ¡ª------------------------------------- As Zhou Fan meditated, the Buddha, his mentor, walked away, leaving behind only a few words. "We are not the same." Seeing Zhou Fan reach some sort of understanding, the Buddha smiled and left. It was his time to die, and he was satisfied. In the distance, he saw a beautiful tree. "A great place to breathe my last." Suddenly, as he walked, a green and blue circle appeared in front of him. The Buddha stopped in shock. Looking through the circle, he saw a familiar, yet unfamiliar face. Countless years apart, Zhou Fan looked at the Buddha. "I need your help." The Buddha quickly calmed down and sighed. "So be it." Without hesitation, he walked through the circle. As soon as he did, Zhou Fan closed it. He panted. Even for him, opening a portal so far through Time and Space was extremely difficult. The Buddha looked around, finding himself in a lavish yard, far greater than any he had ever seen, even in his prince days. In the distance, he saw stars, but the distance was so far even they were blurry. He looked at Zhou Fan, who was meditating under Leaf. The Buddha was about to speak, but Leaf moved. The Buddha stared shocked as Leaf moved one of its branches to touch him. He looked at Zhou Fan. "You''ve got a lot of explaining to do." Zhou Fan nodded. "It seems I do." The Buddha sat across from Zhou Fan as he spoke. Zhou Fan briefly described everything that had happened in his life, emitting unimportant details, as the Buddha listened. "With all this power, what exactly do you need my help for?" The Buddha asked. "I''ve reached a limit like no other. My path is the path of cultivation, but I feel that you may be able to create your own path. In doing so, perhaps, even if there is just a tiny chance, I can see something." The Buddha thought for a moment and nodded. "I am willing. What exactly do you need me to do?" Zhou Fan thanked him and waved his hand. A blue circle appeared. Beyond it was a random place on earth. "I need you to go and do what you do. And I need you to do it without cultivating. I''ve managed to give you a few thousand years of lifetime without influencing your path. You can use Qi, but in order to help me, you must never cultivate. Of course, if you are going to die and wish to traverse the path of cultivation, I have no issue with it." Zhou Fan said. The Buddha nodded. "And about meridians..." "You are a mortal without the ability to cultivate. To you, meridians are like a useless organ. Perhaps you can use them for whatever your path is." Long ago, there were countless people with no cultivation talent like the Buddha, but they had become rarer and rarer as time passed. Now, it was nearly impossible to find someone without the ability to cultivate. The Buddha understood and stood up. Without a word, he walked through the circle. Zhou Fan hoped that the Buddha would find his own path. There was nobody else with even a slight chance. The time and effort Zhou Fan would need to put in for just a slight chance to produce another person like him and the Buddha was unfathomable. Chapter 517: The Buddhist Path - 517 Chapter 517 - The Buddhist Path - 517 Zhou Fan silently waited five hundred years. He did not watch in this time, only waited patiently. To say he was not anxious would be a lie. This was extremely important, and if the Buddha couldn''t succeed, then perhaps nobody could. After five hundred years, he finally decided to check in. A blue circle appeared in front of him, showing the Buddha. He was sitting under a tree, meditating. Around him, there were thousands of people. Some were cultivators, even up to the Core Formation realm, while others were mortals. Others could not see, but Zhou Fan could tell at a glance that the Buddha had succeeded. Zhou Fan heaved a sigh of relief. He took a closer look at the Buddha. Within his body was a golden heart. Around his body was a visible golden color. This was the color of Buddhist Qi. Using Buddhist Qi as a medium, the Buddha had done something that no other had ever done. He had created a path. He was the only one that could lead this path. Even Zhou Fan could not properly help him. This path seemed similar to some techniques, but it was in fact completely different. Even without cultivating, the path that the Buddha had created could be endlessly grown, perhaps even reaching the same level as Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan looked at the Buddha''s meridians, but they were untouched. Zhou Fan was surprised. By not utilizing the meridians, even cultivators could follow the Buddha''s path. Zhou Fan stood up and stepped through the circle. He soon sat next to the Buddha. The Buddha opened his eyes. "You''ve succeeded." Zhou Fan said. Surprisingly, the Buddha shook his head. "In my opinion, yes, but my path is different from cultivation, but it lacks Lifespan." Zhou Fan took an even deeper look. As the Buddha had said, practicing this path would not increase the Lifespan of an individual. Zhou Fan thought about this for a moment. "If practiced with cultivation, do you believe that your path could reach the same heights as without cultivation but with a high Lifespan." The Buddha shook his head. "Although this path can be cultivated along with cultivation, there will be a limit. My path requires absolute dedication to it alone. It is the Buddhist path." Zhou Fan began to calculate. After experiencing a near infinite amount of years with the universe''s time stopped, he felt as if everything that could possibly be done was much clearer. After a moment, he spoke again. "Your path has strength enhancing properties, but no life enhancing properties. You can change this rather simply. It''s more like a matter of essence." Although the Buddha''s path utilized Buddhist Qi, it created a completely different type of power within him, much like the power of cultivation to Zhou Fan. "I understand what you say, but would you change the path of cultivation to simply fix a simple shortcoming?" The Buddha said. "My path of cultivation doesn''t have any shortcomings. On the other hand, your Buddhist path has a flaw that can be clearly seen. Even if you change it a bit, it will still be perfectly suited to you, much like cultivation to me." Zhou Fan explained. "In my mind, your path of cultivation''s lifespan is a flaw. Living so long, doesn''t it all become meaningless at some point." Zhou Fan shook his head. "You are misunderstanding something. As incredible as it is that you created your own path, the precursor of its existence is still me." Zhou Fan snapped his finger, and all the Buddhist Qi surrounding him disappeared. Those who had been in deep meditation around the Buddha woke up in confusion. "I am the one who split the Qi''s and I can merge them back together. Your path has flaws, this is yet another one. My path doesn''t." The Buddha remained unperturbed. "How long did it take you to be able to produce the power of cultivation? At some point, I believe that I will be able to freely produce my power as well. It is simply a matter of time." The Buddha said. Zhou Fan returned the Buddhist Qi to the surroundings. "Sorry. I didn''t catch that last part. What was that again?" "It''s a matter of time." The Buddha repeated. "I see. And how much time do you have left compared to how much you need?" The Buddha remained silent without changing his expression. Zhou Fan laughed and stood up. "I''ll call this one my win. You need help changing your path?" The Buddha sighed and the golden glow around him disappeared. It also disappeared from those in the surroundings. "I''ll handle it." Zhou Fan nodded and left. The Buddha would have to restart his path, but at least he would be able to live long enough to complete it more. The Buddhist path was one that could be created through belief, resolve, enlightenment, and will. It would probably be much easier for the Buddha to create his own power from nothing than it was for Zhou Fan. That was since the power of cultivation only became a true thing later on. Before, it had simply been the act of cultivating. The Buddha already had his power within him. As he sat down, Zhou Fan looked at the universe within his chest. Perhaps he could experiment on the Buddhist path with another universe later on. It would naturally be impossible for anyone to surpass the Buddha, a great feature that came with creating your own path, but he could see if changing it in any way would help. Of course, the Buddhist path had a long way to go before then. Zhou Fan sat and waited for the Buddha to progress. While he did so, Leaf wrapped around him. The Time bubble did not only affect Zhou Fan, but the whole manor. In other words, Leaf had been cultivating for more than a sextillion years, up until Zhou Fan completely stopped time. Leaf was now at the True God realm, and its power was incredible. Zhou Fan had big plans for Leaf in the future. For now, he upgraded his meridians. Above immortal GodKing was Immortal venerable, and above Immortal Venerable rank meridians were Peak meridians. These were the Final meridians until Zhou Fan reached a new realm. Leaf had Peak rank 1 meridians. Chapter 518: Development - 518 Chapter 518 - Development - 518 500 years passed, and Zhou Fan left Leaf to cultivate as he met the Buddha. The Buddha was still in the same spot, though the people around him had changed a bit. Some were no longer there, while many others had joined. The Buddha had succeeded in making a lifespan factor with his path. However, it was nowhere near the amount of lifespan that cultivation gave. In addition, this lifespan factor did not affect cultivators. Luckily for the Buddha, it was faster to progress on his path than it was for cultivation. Cultivation was the slow accumulation of Qi, while the Buddhist path focused on tempering the heart and the will of a person to reach enlightenment. Different from the Buddha''s original buddhism, this would also strengthen an individual''s body through the use of Qi and eventually the Buddha''s own power. Seeing that the Buddha did not need his help, Zhou Fan left. It seemed that the Buddha would be able to create a new path for the universe. Of course, despite leaving, Zhou Fan had left defensive measures in case anyone tried to kill the Buddha. Since the Buddha''s path was now being developed, Zhou Fan needed to continue. There was no guarentee that the Buddha alone would be able to help him. There was a high chance that he would need to see others develop paths, however so they would do it. And for that, it was time to reappear. Leaf wrapped around Zhou Fan as Zhou Fan stepped through space. He arrived at the Cosmic sect. It had been abandoned long ago, but with the war over, it was once again the strongest force in the universe. Here, Zhou Fan found Heaven and Ying Xiong. Heaven was here to see Ying Xiong, while Ying Xiong was cultivating. Seeing Heaven reminded Zhou Fan that he couldn''t cultivate. As Heaven sat and waited for Ying Xiong, he suddenly felt a new level of power build within him. He instantly reached the peak of the Outer World realm. Although the limit was the Sage Realm, nobody would be going near that anytime soon. Feeling his cultivation rise, Heaven understood that Zhou Fan was here. Ying Xiong, feeling the uncontrollable burst of power from Heaven, was able to guess the same thing. Ying Xiong came out of seclusion and stood next to Heaven as Zhou Fan appeared. "No need to focus on cultivation for now. Increase the population of all life in the universe and spread it around. Fill up the entire universe." Zhou Fan said before leaving. Ying Xiong sighed. He wanted to cultivate, but Zhou Fan''s orders were absolute. He got to work. Heaven did as well. Zhou Fan, meanwhile, went to the other side of the universe. One universe wasn''t nearly enough for his future plans. Although he couldn''t expand the universe, he could infinitely produce space. With just a little bit of work, a gate appeared in space. Walking through it, one would enter a small, unseeable universe similar to the one in Zhou Fan''s chest. It was the size of a filament, but did not take much space in the Zhou universe. Zhou Fan once again reappeared in the Zhou Filament. Over countless years, many weird and unusual creatures had been born. Many were defective, unable to either think properly or cultivate, but they showed a new possibility. Zhou Fan grabbed a bunch of them and threw them in the new universe. He repeated his actions, sometimes with weird creatures and sometimes with humanoid or intelligent life. He only stopped after creating a thousand mini universes each the size of a filament. Even for him, it was taxing work. Thousands of years had passed since he started, but time was becoming increasingly more ignorable to Zhou Fan. Taking a break, Zhou Fan began to manipulate his Great Dao. In an instant, it pervaded throughout all of the universe and the mini universes. As it finally covered the last universe, Zhou Fan sensed his limit. He had almost forgotten about it. The Great Dao couldn''t cover an endless disatance. Zhou Fan sighed and continued to do what he planned on doing. The Great Dao covering the universe began to slightly change. A feeling of desire and lust pervaded every single thing that could reproduce. This would help a lot in the efforts of increasing the population of the universe. With more beings born, there was a higher chance that someone like Zhou Fan and the Buddha was born. Efficently, this was all that Zhou Fan could do. Any more created would not be covered by his Great Dao. However, after thinking about it for a while, perhaps an element of unknown was needed. Perhaps something that Zhou Fan did not interfere with needed to be born. Zhou Fan stood up again. After a long time, he created a thousand more mini universes, throwing random beings into them, and letting them develop completely outside of his control. Perhaps something interesting would appear. Zhou Fan returned to his manor and let Leaf off. Everything now was a matter of time. He sat against the now Tree sized Leaf and fell asleep. He had never been so carfree before. He could not do anything else to increase the probablity of a new path appearing. While making countless new mini-universe might help, Zhou Fan would not be able to keep an eye on all of them. There was a chance that a being would create a path, and die without ever being known. As it is, this was the best way to do things and keep them within control. Thoughts slowing down, Zhou Fan drifted into sleep. In his dreams, he seemed to watch the entire universe develop. He watched as Zhu Yi developed into an even more invincible being. He watched as Zhu Yi achieved his life long dream of defeating Chen Jie at the same level. He saw Chen Jie laughing, feeling the joy of finally being defeated. He watched as Heaven and Ying Xiong worked tirelessly to increase the population of the universe. They biased humanoid races, but Zhou Fan''s mini universes took care of that aspect. Chapter 519: Completed Buddhist Path - 519 Chapter 519 - Completed Buddhist Path - 519 As he slept, Zhou Fan only saw the events happening in places within his Great Dao. He watched as countless beings lived and died. Zhou Fan only woke up countless years later when the universe was now full. Of course, some areas were far denser than others, but each universal sector had a large population. Looking at time, a sextillion years had passed. Zhou Fan looked at the Zhou Filament, and saw a few familiar people. Heaven, Ying Xiong who had reached the Outer World Realm, Zhu Yi who had reached the Outer World Realm, Chen Jie who had reached the Outer World Realm, Progenitor Ke, Pangu, and Lu Wei who had preserved themselves in cryopods in case of future wars, and Yao Mun was probably hiding somewhere. Elsewhere, there were also other powerful beings. With such a large universe, countless incredible talents had been born. Among the entire universe, not including Heaven, Ying Xiong, Zhu Yi, or Chen Jie, there were 7 other Outer World Realm cultivators. It seemed that a new era was starting. And this was only in the Zhou universe. In the Mini universes, countless beings had been born, and countless new species existed. Of course, without cultivation, these beings were all rather weak. However, they were developing. Some could even exist in space and destroy planets despite being mortals. Zhou Fan looked forward to the future development. As for the remaining universes not covered by his Great Dao, there were plenty of unique species, far weirder than anywhere else. Zhou Fan decided to leave them alone. Finally, Zhou Fan looked at the Buddha. Sensing his gaze, the Buddha looked back. The Buddha could not see Zhou Fan, only sense him. Although the Buddhist path was a path, it was nowhere near as versatile as cultivation. He could hardly manipulate any space, and time was forbidden even for him. The Buddha was at Rank 9 of his path. This was one rank below Rank 10, the equivalent of the Great Dao realm for cultivators. The Buddha had progressed fast. Theoretically, he could have already reached Rank 10, but he was always going around teaching others and helping out. Even Ying Xiong and Heaven treated him with as much respect as Zhou Fan. Countless beings practiced the Buddha''s path along with cultivation, though not many could get far. Ying Xiong, due to his past abandonment of Buddhism and constant reincarnations, couldn''t even get past the 3rd rank of the Buddhist path. Heaven did not bother with it at all. Zhou Fan created a circle and invited the Buddha to his residence. The Buddha stepped through and looked around again. He could sense a far different feeling from the last time he was here. Every single array here posed a serious threat to him. He was once again reminded of Zhou Fan''s power. "Are you ready to reach Rank 10 of the Buddhist path?" Zhou Fan asked. The Buddha nodded. He had been waiting for Zhou Fan before breaking through. After all, he had been guided by Zhou Fan, giving him a chance to actually create a path. Thinking of this, the Buddha bowed to Zhou Fan. "Thank you for this opportunity." Zhou Fan waved him off. "Don''t worry about it. You''re helping me more than I''m helping you." The Buddha nodded and sat down. Crossing his legs, a golden glow shone on his body. This was the power of the Buddhist path, Buddhism. Taking literal form, the Buddha created the power of Buddhism. It wrapped around his body. Zhou Fan could hardly tell what was going on, but he paid attention. He needed all the information he could get. After a few years, the golden glow died down. The Buddha stood up, his power much greater than before. He had entered rank 10, the peak of the Buddhist path. His power, theoretically, was equivalent to Zhou Fan''s. Of course, Zhou Fan still felt as if he could kill the Buddha, it would only be slightly challenging. Zhou Fan had waited for this moment for a long time. The Buddha closed his eyes for a moment before opening them. "I see nothing further than this." Zhou Fan sighed. As expected. He never had hope for the Buddha to see something new. This was only to widen his horizons, and it had. Many new ideas popped into his head while watching the Buddha''s path. There was only one thing that Zhou Fan found faulty. The Buddha''s lifespan. Despite reaching the equivalent of the Great Dao realm on his own path, his lifespan was only a nonillion years. For reference, this is less than the lifespan of a sage realm cultivator. In order to stop the Buddha from dying while he was still useful, Zhou Fan handed him a pendant. The Buddha looked at it, but could not tell what it was. "You do not have the ability to manipulate time. Wearing that will essentially stop you from aging, and your lifespan from affecting you." The Buddha sighed but nodded. If it was up to him, he would rather die eventually, but he owed Zhou Fan this much. "When I''m no longer useful to you, let me know. I would like my story to have a conclusion at some point." The Buddha said. Zhou Fan nodded. He admired the Buddha''s willingness to die. To be honest, he did not want to die. The thought made it seem that everything he had done would be useless. What was the point of it all if he was dead? The Buddha returned to earth, where he had never really left. His lifestyle would probably not undergo any major changes. Meanwhile, Zhou Fan meditated while waiting for someone special to appear. The Buddha''s path had already given him a new direction of thinking. If more new paths could appear, Zhou Fan felt as if breaking through was a definite possibility. Countless years passed by as he thought. Meanwhile, in a universe not covered by Zhou Fan''s Great Dao, a yellow triangle was born. Chapter 520: Will Decipher - 520 Chapter 520 - Will Decipher - 520 After countless years, Zhou Fan still sat under Leaf, thinking of everything he was able to learn from the Buddha. Suddenly, a crack in space formed near him. Zhou Fan looked over in shock. From beyond it, a yellow triangle with one eye and a top hat flew through. "Well Well Well. What do we have here?" The triangle''s voice was weird, somewhat sort of a high pitched, synthesized sounding voice. He looked around, and then at Zhou Fan. "Woah! What a strong guy. And this place sure seems interesting. What''s your name fella?" Being looked at by this triangle, Zhou Fan felt nothing but excitement. There was no power of cultivation in this existence''s body. With no doubt, it had created a new path. "My name is Zhou Fan. What is yours?" The triangle spoke. "The name''s Will. Will Decipher, but you can call me your eternal overlord for the rest of time." "Interesting. I suppose you must''ve come from one of the random mini-universes. Welcome to the true universe." Zhou Fan said. Will was surprised and looked around. "Hmm. Yes, this is quite big. There is also some sort of energy here. You know what, nice to meet you." Will held out his hand to shake Zhou Fan''s. As he did, a blue flame appeared, covering his entire arm. Zhou Fan wasn''t stupid. Whatever this was, it was a part of his power. Seeing Zhou Fan not shake his hand, Will put it down. "Well aren''t you unfriendly. I suppose I''ll go and conquer this universe. See you later." Another spatial crack appeared, but Will was suddenly unable to move. His head snapped over, his careless expression replaced by shock. Will yelled. "What are you doing? Let me go. Now!" Will''s body turned red as an incredible power bursted out from within him. He had reached a level of power equivalent to the Great Dao realm. However, it was not enough. Zhou Fan''s outer world appeared, and Will was unable to move within the formless pressure. "Wait! Wait! Wait! We can talk this out. No need to kill me!" Will shouted. "Don''t worry. You''re too interesting to kill. And trust me, we will be talking this out." Zhou Fan said. Will held out his hand, the blue flame appearing again. "Is it a deal?" "Stop trying that stupid trick. Put away your hand." Will dejectedly lowered his hand as the pressure disappeared. "Why don''t you talk about yourself." Zhou Fan said. Will sighed and began to talk. "When I was born, I won an award for cutest baby ever... They were just holding me back... I destroyed everyone in my home universe... Opening a rift, I found myself in a new universe... Path? I guess my path is the path of deals. That is how I gain my strength anyway... I had to nearly destroy that last universe to get out, and here I am today." Will explained. A lengthy story, clearly showing that Will was insane. Whatever kind of mental disability Will had to make him so crazy, Zhou Fan wasn''t interested in it. After a bit more talking, Zhou Fan understood Will''s power of deals. He couldn''t imitate it. Different from cultivation and the Buddhist path, Will''s path was unique. It was more like a Divine Physique or innate talent. However, without cultivation to guide it, Will was able to use it to create his own path. Despite Will being insane, Zhou Fan admired him, just like he admired the Buddha. Will''s power of deals seemed to have a path to grow higher by making more deals, but Will felt nothing further either. However, by making more deals, and with access to cultivators, Will''s strength would be able to grow, even if he couldn''t technically make a breakthrough. Zhou Fan looked forward to this. "Alright, you can go now. Don''t do too much, or I''ll have to kill you." Will nodded in understanding, but Zhou Fan had come to understand that he was clearly insane. Regardless, there was no damage that Zhou Fan couldn''t fix. As Will left, so did Zhou Fan. He found Will''s home universe, cleaned it up, and created a new one in its place. Otherwise, it would simply be an uninhabitable space. After this, he returned to his residence. With Will as an example, Zhou Fan felt that it wouldn''t be bad to create some more mini-universes. Setting out, Zhou Fan created a thousand more universes. He wanted to create more, but the universe began to shake. Zhou Fan could sense the issue. It seemed that there was some sort of weight limit to the universe, or the equivalent of that to adding space. Simply put, creating more universes was not the best idea. Zhou Fan destroyed a hundred universes to make room in the universe''s "Storage". This was because other beings could create spatial rings, or even mini universes like Zhou Fan''s, which would possibly harm the universe. Will was the most likely to try and create his own universe, though Zhou Fan didn''t know if he had the ability. With this, the universe was at full capacity. All that remained was to wait. He hoped that it wouldn''t be long before more path creators like him, the Buddha, and Will were born. Luckily, he had a lot to do. While Will had talked, Zhou Fan had been looking at him and observing his path. Along with the Buddha''s path, Zhou Fan still needed to think. Returning to his residence and sitting under Leaf, Zhou Fan began to think as time passed. Only a quadrillion years later, Zhou Fan heard a voice being transmitted to his brain. It was a distress message from Will. Zhou Fan looked over just in time to see Will killed with a single punch. Surprisingly, he had been killed by a mortal, on earth, in some place called "Ore Is Gone". Zhou Fan was so shocked that he didn''t even know how to respond. Looking through time, Zhou Fan saw that Will''s death had been caused by an invention called a memory gun. One of Will''s abilities was to enter the mind, and using this weak gun, Will had been killed by the person''s mind he was in being erased. Zhou Fan shook his head and ignored the death of Will. What kind of almighty being would lose to mortals? It was ridiculous. Chapter 521: Yao Mun - 521 Chapter 521 - Yao Mun - 521 Will''s death was not something that anybody mourned. He had actually made many enemies, but due to his strength, nobody ever dared to actually attack him. Will could have caused a lot more damage, but Zhou Fan''s words made sure that he didn''t go overboard. Although Zhou Fan had been somewhat impressed by Will''s path of deals, it was also what gave him the weakness to lose. Zhou Fan continued to think about the Buddha and Will''s paths. Each slight difference branched off into countless inspirations, but none were able to truly enlighten Zhou Fan. Still, this was the only path he could take. Zhou Fan continued to think as time passed by. Nearly a septillion years passed, and many from the past were near the end of their lifespan. Zhou Fan waved his hand, and a circle appeared. At the same time, within a vast empty space, two cultivators were battling. "Outer World: White Palace City." Behind Chen Jie, a white palace appeared, its elegance and invincibility unmatched. "Outer World: Breaking Through All Things." Behind Zhu Yi, an unstoppable attack fell. This battle had started long ago, and there was no plan to finish it. Nearby, Ying Xiong was watching while sipping on a drink. He too was reaching the end of his lifespan. There was no more point in cultivating until the next life. He experienced a rare time of relaxation. Heaven too was present. He did not have much to do nowadays. There were probably some other Outer World realm cultivators, but none of the four cared to check. Most of their old friends had died. Lu Wei, who Zhou Fan had seen briefly at the end of his lifespan, Progenitor Ke, and Pangu had perished, leaving behind only legends that would be passed down. The end of an era was truly approaching. This could be considered the first truly powerful era of the universe, including Pangu, Heaven, Ying Xiong, and even Yao Mun who seemed to have grasped a way to live forever. Lu Wei, Progenitor Ke, Zhu Yi, and Chen Jie had come later, but they were more or less similar. As the two fought, a blue circle appeared. It wasn''t big, but the feeling it gave off attracted everyone''s attention. Zhu Yi, Chen Jie, Heaven, and Ying Xiong moved near it. "One last time, why don''t we talk?" Zhou Fan''s voice said. Zhu Yi was instantly nostalgic. He walked into the portal without waiting. Chen Jie, Heaven, and Ying Xiong followed. Quickly, a few Outer World realm cultivators appeared, but they were not allowed to enter. Only a being even weaker than an Outer God managed to enter the blue circle behind the first four. The blue circle closed, leaving curious faces remaining. Inside Zhou Fan''s residence, five people appeared. The other four instantly recognized the fifth to enter. "Yao Mun. Always sticking by like a scum on the floor." Ying Xiong said distastefully. However, Yao Mun did not react at all, surprising everyone. His temper had existed for ages. Seeing everyone looking at him, Yao Mun stepped forward. He would go first, then. He stepped towards Zhou Fan. "Yao Mun. You were always one of my favorite creations." Zhou Fan said. Yao Mun bowed. As he did so, he reached into his eye. With a pull, he grabbed his demonic eye and held it in his hands. He held it out with both hands towards Zhou Fan. "I have lived countless years, but I don''t believe I''ve ever had the opportunity to truly express my gratitude to you. You made me what I am, you are the most important person to me, even if I am an insignificant thing." Yao Mun said. His words stung deep into everyone else. Was this really Yao Mun? "I have truly grown old and tired. I no longer hate, and I no longer destroy. In losing my hate, I''ve lost my meaning." Yao Mun paused for a moment. "I would like to end my life as it started, with you. Zhou Fan... no." Yao Mun knelt down, far more sincerely than any other ever had. "Master Zhou. I thank you for everything. I, Yao Mun, request that you end my life." Zhou Fan looked deeply at Yao Mun. Despite being described as an inhuman monster, Yao Mun was perhaps the most human of everyone here. He had felt Yao Mun''s pure appreciation since long long ago. "Yao Mun." Zhou Fan said. He pressed down his hand, and Yao Mun''s body began to turn into red orbs of light with his demonic eye. "You are the being that has impressed me most throughout all of time. No matter what, even when all else ends, I will always remember you." Yao Mun''s body turned into light as he smiled. It was ridiculous. The being with the most hatred in all of history, dying with a smile on his face. He was Yao Mun, and despite being an inhuman monster, hated by all and hating all, he was the most thankful and appreciative existence throughout all of time and space. Zhou Fan would truly remember him forever. To him, Yao Mun was the greatest human to ever live. Ying Xiong, Heaven, Zhu Yi, and Chen Jie remained silent and dismayed as Yao Mun turned into specks of light, soon dissipating. They knew that this was not some trick. Anybody could be fooled, but not Zhou Fan. If he was going to kill someone, they would surely be dead. Zhou Fan''s residence remained silent for a few days, everyone taking everything in. "Yao Mun, huh." Zhou Fan muttered as he stood up. "There''s a reason why you all are here. Mostly Chen Jie and Zhu Yi, but you two are welcome." Zhou Fan. Ying Xiong shook his head. "I think I need some time." Zhou Fan nodded, and Ying Xiong left. Heaven followed soon after. He too had always more or less hated Yao Mun. With the two leaving, all that remained were Chen Jie and Zhu Yi. They did not truly know Yao Mun that well, and were not heavily affected. Chapter 522: Changes - 522 Chapter 522 - Changes - 522 Zhou Fan walked around while Zhu Yi and Chen Jie followed. "It''s been a while. How have you been?" Zhou Fan asked. Zhu Yi began to talk about his experiences, while Chen Jie later did the same. Even among those like Ying Xiong and Heaven, they were some of the strongest cultivators in the universe. However, this was the end of their life. An Outer World realm cultivator has a lifespan of a septillion years. It was both extremely long, and extremely short. "Seeing you one last time, Master, I am content." Zhu Yi said. "I too am glad to see you again." Chen Jie said. Zhou Fan nodded. "I don''t have much to say. I suppose I''ll send you off." Zhu Yi and Chen Jie bowed deeply before leaving. With this, Zhou Fan''s newest disciple was on his death bed. In only a short amount of time, he would no longer be alive. As the two went back to fighting, enjoying the strength they had spent their whole lives honing, Zhou Fan once again sat under Leaf. He thought countless thoughts as time passed. Soon, another septillion years passed. The only people alive that Zhou Fan knew were Heaven, Ying Xiong, and the Buddha. Time seemed to pass much quicker without any sort of time limited connection. An octillion years soon passed. Zhou Fan had been finished thinking for a while. He was only waiting for a new path maker to appear. There really wasn''t much he could do any longer besides wait. The universe, after so much time, had been filled with living beings and organizations. In fact, the cosmic sect was no longer the absolute peak of strength. A new organization had emerged, rivaling them. They were known as the Outsiders. Each member had come from one of the mini universes. Although the Mini universes initially did not have anything to do with cultivation, cultivators had entered and taught it to many. With the mini universes being under the Great Dao, Qi was automatically split and cultivation was possible. It was different for the Mini universes not covered by the Great Dao. Cultivators rarely entered due to only Chaos Qi existing within. Over time, countless powerful beings had emerged from the Mini universes with access to cultivation. Different from the Cosmic Sect, there were no humanoid beings. The Outsiders were not really opposed to the Cosmic sect. There was no need for any wars at this time. Even if there were fights, they were only for fun. Since he had nothing to do, Zhou Fan simply watched and waited. Soon, ten octillion years passed. This time period became notable. No path creators were born, but an extremely talented cultivator was. He outshone even those like Ying Xiong and Heaven. All watched as he progressed along the path of cultivation. He was now known as Sage Fushang, the first Sage realm cultivator. Seeing a sage realm cultivator appear, Zhou Fan gave Heaven 1st level sage realm strength, but only on the condition that Heaven did not interfere in much. Heaven had never really interfered, and he agreed easily. For a long, long time, Heaven had owned a filament, now filled with Heavenborns that he watched over. He was somewhat like a weaker Zhou Fan, though he had much more interest in the Heavenborns than Zhou Fan did in other life. Sage Fushang was a well respected being throughout the universe. He simply built the Sage palace and taught others. He had helped many cultivators break through bottlenecks, including Outer World realm cultivators. Although ages had passed, there were still a few beings that knew of Zhou Fan''s existence. Three exactly. Ying Xiong had become quite close to Sage Fushang, even guiding him a bit in his earlier years. After all, Sage Fushang was a human. Eventually, Ying Xiong told Sage Fushang of an existence known as the Origin God. It was hard for Sage Fushang to believe, but it answered the question of how so much came to be. This is where Zhou Fan is now, watching as Sage Fushang sat right above the Greatest Attractor. Sage Fushang had been trying to contact him for a while, trying many different methods. Zhou Fan decided to speak to him. A circle appeared, and Sage Fushang quickly entered. As he walked through, he saw the residence, Leaf, and Zhou Fan. "You must be the Origin God, right?" Sage Fushang asked. "Just call me Zhou Fan." Zhou Fan said. Being called the Origin God felt outdated. Sage Fushang nodded. "So, do you have a request you want me to fulfill?" Zhou Fan asked. Sage Fushang nodded. "I know that you control cultivation. I request that you finish the path." Zhou Fan understood that Sage Fushang wished for more realms. After all, there was currently nothing after the 1st level of the Sage realm. "I suppose there''s no harm in it." Zhou Fan said. The River of Cultivation appeared, shocking Sage Fushang. He could feel the power coming off of it. Zhou Fan began to extend the River of Cultivation for others. Previously, there had been something akin to a dam there. Now, it was released. Cultivators could now, theoretically, go so far as to the peak of the Great Dao realm. Sage Fushang bowed deeply and excused himself. He did not want to bother Zhou Fan any longer, especially not after making such a request. As Sage Fushang left, Zhou Fan looked at the River of Cultivation. He had not changed it in a while. Since he had already done this much, he decided to make some more changes. First, he allowed people to comprehend his Great Dao, just as the Cosmic Dao had allowed back then. This would help a lot of cultivators. Second, he added a bloodline system. Powerful cultivators that reached the Sage realm could pass down talents, techniques, divine physiques, ect, through their bloodline. Of course, this had some restrictions and chance played a role. Finally, he made it so that all cultivators could choose their path at the Nascent soul realm. They could stay to the normal cultivation path, or be like Progenitor Ke and choose the soul disconnect path. This path could also reach the Great Dao realm. Chapter 523: Snake-like Creature - 523 Chapter 523 - Snake-like Creature - 523 With these changes in place, cultivation was more or less fully designed. He could change it more in the future, but that would probably be when he reached a higher realm. Although some of the changes were grand, they didn''t affect much for now. Only Sage Fushang could use the bloodline system. Nobody was going anywhere past the Sage realm any time soon. That which affected the most people would probably be the change to the nascent soul realm. Still, this would only affect those who reached the nascent soul realm after the change. Zhou Fan continued to wait as the universe advanced. As he watched more and more, and time passed, Zhou Fan began to understand more about the universe. The way things were currently growing was ineffective and wasteful. Some talents died before fully developing, while others never got to express their talent. While an element of the unexpected and uncontrolled was necessary, the mini worlds seemed to cover that. After a few octillion years, Zhou Fan decided that this was all too slow. Looking at the universe in his chest, he decided to temporarily make things faster. This would be yet another experiment to speed up the creation of those who could make paths. For the first time, the universe in his chest was changed. The powerful beings within came out. As they did so, the entire Zhou universe shook. Countless beings realized that the Qi''s were going out of their control. Only Sage Fushang had any success in controlling his own power. Colossal beings appeared, each one representing a single type of Qi. After honing the control over their Qi for countless years, they were second only to Zhou Fan. The Buddha, who didn''t use Qi, was naturally excluded. Due to the difference in power, even Ying Xiong was helpless to control his Qi. As the giant beasts appeared, so did the Universal consciousness of the chest universe. It directed the following events. Each being set up a domain. This domain could be freely entered by absolutely anyone, mortal or Sage. These beings would freely teach and guide all existences to greater power. All beings born in the universe would enter one of these domains as soon as they became adults. This would naturally change for each species. This is how Zhou Fan decided to bring out the potential of all beings, while still giving them a chance to grow on their own and develop their own paths. As soon as the domains were created, all existences at adulthood were brought to the domain that suited them most via teleportation. This was naturally done by the universal consciousness using Zhou Fan''s power. Even Sage Fushang could not resist this process. And so began an era of teaching. None could resist the power of these beings that had honed control over countless years. Although many were upset at first, they soon realized how great of an opportunity this was. Some would leave as soon as they were allowed, while others would remain and learn even more. Zhou Fan watched as a quintillion years passed by. The entire universe had changed. More and more Outer World realm cultivators had appeared. Almost every single power individual was someone who had spent countless years under the teachings of one of the beings. There were a few of them that may even reach the Sage realm. This was a far faster pace than before, and by a lot. The Qi beings were able to bring out the full potential of any being. As a septillion years passed by, there were now 8 Sages, including Sage Fushang. Some did their own thing, while others would continue to study under the Qi beings, hoping to learn some more. Although no new paths had been created, Zhou Fan felt that there may be a way for someone to create their own path after reaching a high realm of cultivation. It would probably be harder than creating a path before cultivating, but it was definitely possible. Zhou Fan continued to wait as more and more beings were born. Countless race''s rose and evolved. After waiting an octillion years, Zhou Fan finally sensed something. On a small, barren planet with almost no life, a snake-like creature was developing. In just a year, it grew from a tiny snake that even a mortal could kill with a single step, to a 20 foot long apex predator of its region. It did this without any sort of cultivation or big snake genetics at all. This was through its path, something unconsciously developed. Zhou Fan called it the path of devouring. By eating living or non-living things, this snake-like creature was able to assimilate it with its body and grow. It also seemed to be able to gain special characteristics. For example, since this was a barren planet, there was hardly any life at all. The snake-like creature, with its path of devouring, had eaten a lot of dirt and rocks. After a while, it developed a rocky pattern on its back. It was a great defensive measure. Zhou Fan could also sense that the snake-like being had developed intelligence. Its intelligence was more or less equivalent to that of a human child. Zhou Fan watched as the snake-like creature continued to live. It steadily grew, rarely facing any sort of adversity due to the barren planet it was born on. After a few years, it began to eat entire hills. After nearly a hundred years, it ate mountains. After three hundred years, the snake-like creature devoured its own planet. It had the ability to exist in space, and began to slither around looking for other planets. The nearest planet was a planet much bigger and livelier than its home planet. The planet not only had life, but cultivators. Unfortunately for the planet, the strongest cultivator was only at the peak of the nascent soul realm. As the snake-like creature arrived, it swallowed the entire planet without much resistance. Afterwards, it curled up into a ball and slept for a few years. Chapter 524: The Devouring Path - 524 Chapter 524 - The Devouring Path - 524 As the snake-like creature slept, its body visibly changed. From being able to blend in with a wasteland, its body gained many new colors and patterns, making it seem as though it were filled with life. After a few more years, the bright colors died down a bit. The rocky patterns that covered its body now had grass, and the snake-like creature''s skin color was green. At this point, the snake-like creature was far bigger than a normal planet. It soon woke up and moved along space. Not once had it ever touched the power of cultivation. It continued moving until it came across another planet. This one was more desolate than the last, but not nearly as desolate as its home planet. For some reason, as though it was outside of the rules, the snake never once was brought to one of the Qi beings that enlightened the universe. This was of course due to Zhou Fan''s interference. This snake-like creature would be able to grow and evolve without being affected by what he had set up. The snake-like creature instantly devoured this planet as well. It slept for a few years before getting up and moving again. There was no clear evolution from that planet, proving that it grew and evolved incredibly fast. This time, as the snake-like creature was moving to another planet, it came across a powerful cultivator in space. This cultivator was at the void traversing realm, but it was a fairly strong threat to the snake. Seeing the snake-like creature, the cultivator only briefly paused, looking in admiration, before moving on. To that cultivator, it was just an abnormally interesting species that could exist in space without being a cultivator. Back in the era of the World Tree, this would have been unprecedented. However, with the connection to different universes, this was just an uncommon sight. Seeing the cultivator leave, the snake-like creature sighed in relief and continued on its devouring journey. The next planet it reached was a bit different from the ones before. It was far far bigger, making the other planets seem more like bits of dirt. This planet was so big that a mountain on it was as big as a planet. This was not too surprising in the current universe. The snake-like creature entered the planet, feeling a once lost sense of ground. Its first course of action was to eat the mountain it landed near. It then began to eat the dirt as if it was the most effective shovel ever invented. When only a giant hole the size of multiple planets remained, the snake-like creature took a nap in it. Although it had caused major damage, it had only destroyed a small part of the world. It had also done it so quietly that nobody noticed. As the snake-like creature slept, it evolved more. The snake grew larger and stronger. Before sleeping, the life on the world would have been able to handle it. Now, as it woke up from its sleep, it was much more powerful than before. It took a bite out of a large portion of the world, this time attracting the notice of many cultivators. The strongest of the world came to face it. The strongest on this world was at the void traversing realm, though there was only one of them. As a group of powerful cultivators reached the snake-like creature and attacked it, the snake-like creature faced the first real battle of its life. Countless injuries were inflicted on it, but the snake-like creature was fast. When it attacked, only the void traversing realm cultivator was able to dodge. All others were immediately devoured. After devouring all of the soul formation realm cultivators, only the void traversing realm cultivator remained. After fighting nonstop for three days, the void traversing cultivator was not even able to escape. It was devoured by the snake-like creature, causing it to go to sleep once again. As it did so, it gained new looks and abilities. When the snake-like creature awoke, the grass on its back now had a shimmer to it. The snake-like creature began to devour the planet. This time, there was nobody to resist. Although the planet was huge, it was not much of a cultivation hub. Still, the planet being huge, it took a long time for the snake-like creature to fully devour it. Its size had grown even larger. Repeating the same process, the snake-like creature continued to move. Anything it could devour, it would devour. After encountering a few more planets, the snake-like creature grew big enough to attempt to eat a star. Unfortunately, it was underestimating the power of a star. Its mouth was burned and the snake-like creature retreated. By this time, the snake-like creature had begun to understand its path. It searched around for hot things to devour. It lucked out after finding a planet with a large amount of fire Qi cultivators. This one had a space shattering realm cultivator, but by this time, the snake-like creature was strong enough to face even it. After a fierce fight, the planet and the cultivators were devoured by the snake-like creature. With this, it took a long sleep, lasting almost a thousand years, before waking up. The inside of its body, especially its mouth, had become extremely heat resistant. The snake-like creature once again found a star to devour, this one smaller than the first one it had tried. It successfully swallowed the star and entered a deep sleep. Thousands of years later, it woke up looking and feeling completely different from before. First, the grass on its back had been replaced with a star pattern. Second, it had evolved a new ability. In order to test it out, the snake-like creature found a planet. Seeing it from afar, the snake-like creature opened its mouth and blasted a beam at it. The planet was completely obliterated. Seeing this, the snake-like creature was excited. It had a new means to fight cultivators. As usual, it once again moved along after eating the bits of planet left. Chapter 525: Evolving - 525 Chapter 525 - Evolving - 525 Zhou Fan watched as the snake-like creature continued to grow and evolve at a rapid pace. From his observations, it seemed that most paths were created on accident or through chance. Only the Buddha had actually intentionally made his own path. Even Zhou Fan had not created his own path consciously. Zhou Fan did not fully understand what this could mean. He needed to see more paths in order to understand everything clearly. The snake-like creature smoothly grew without much interference. After all, there wasn''t too much fighting in this era. Even the destruction race had kept to their own domain. It would be different if the snake-like creature was involved with a group of other creatures or lived in some sort of domain, but it minded its own business and moved around. The only beings it affected were those that it devoured. After a long time, Zhou Fan watched it face its next big challenge, devouring a black hole. This was something extremely difficult for the snake-like creature, and it only had confidence after a long time. Eventually, the snake-like creature devoured a black hole. This caused it to enter an extremely deep sleep for a long time. When it woke up, it had a new ability that perfectly complimented it. After all, like the snake-like creature, black holes also devoured. Now, the snake-like creature could use some sort of gravitational pull in order to attract the things around it. This increased its devouring ability and could even be used to devour more living things. As the snake-like creature continued on its travels, it unknowingly entered the domain of one of the Qi beings. It noticed a stark difference almost immediately. There was no variability here. Everything seemed the same. Everything was white and puffy. After all, it had entered the domain of the Cloud Qi being. Regardless of how everything looked, the snake-like creature devoured it. It quickly evolved, gaining cloud patterns on its body and even gaining the ability to create clouds to conceal itself. At some point, the Cloud Qi being noticed it. After all, what creature dared to do anything in the Cloud Qi domain? This was the first time something of the sort had ever happened. The Cloud Qi being was about to move towards the snake-like creature when it received a message from the Great Dao. Nodding, it stopped and simply watched the snake-like creature from afar, wondering why the Great Dao was protecting it. The snake-like creature continued to devour things in the Cloud Qi domain, even being noticed by some of the beings that lived there. However, the snake-like creature soon left. After a few thousand years, it was slowly becoming too cloud-like. It stopped devouring anything to do with Cloud Qi and left the Cloud Qi domain. As it entered the normal universe once again, the snake-like creature happily devoured rocks, stars, and black holes. Entire solar systems were gulped up in a single bite. After spending so long in the Cloud Qi domain, its strength had increased a lot. After many many years, the snake-like creature ended up entering the domain of another Qi being. It was able to tell immediately. This time, it had entered the domain of the Sand Qi being. It once again devoured countless things that existed within the Sand Qi domain. It naturally attracted the attention of the Sand Qi being. This once again forced the Great Dao to stop it from doing anything to the snake-like creature. At this point, the Sand Qi being communicated with other Qi beings. With the Cloud Qi being seconding it, all Qi beings soon learned of a snake-like creature protected by the Great Dao. After a while, the snake-like creature left the Sand Qi domain for the same reason that it left the Cloud Qi domain, there was not enough variety. It didn''t mind devouring the same thing over and over again, but it instinctively felt as if it was evolving into something too focused. Entering the normal universe, the snake-like creature devoured more and more. At this point, its strength was equivalent to that of an Inner world realm cultivator, and an extremely powerful one at that. It wouldn''t be long before it reached God realm strength. With this, it began to attract the attention of some existences. It was just a small bit, but it was slowly becoming a known existence within the universe. After a while, the snake-like creature evolved once again. At this point, it reached god realm level strength. The snake finally had the confidence to devour something even greater than a black hole. After slowly snacking on an entire galaxy, all that remained was the great attractor in its center. Chomping through black holes, the snake-like creature soon saw it. It was in a 7 sided shape and did not resemble anything natural. The snake-like creature opened its mouth and ate it with a chomp. As the Great attractor was slowly devoured, it released a tremendous amount of power. The snake-like creature quickly spit it out, realizing that it had underestimated the power of a Great Attractor. It would have been at least severely injured if it had not evolved the inside of its body to be able to resist powerful things. Leaving behind only the Great attractor remaining in this galaxy, the snake-like creature continued on its way. It often devoured galaxies, rarely running into any trouble. There had been a dragon that had chased it away once, but it had survived. After devouring so many galaxies, the snake-like creature had become known in its area. Even True Gods paid attention to it. The snake-like creature was growing quickly, and with its tendencies, some started to fear it. Some even considered gathering to kill it before it grew up, but the snake-like creature soon entered the domain of a Qi being. This stopped anyone from even paying attention to it any longer. This time, the snake-like creature entered the domain of the Death Qi being. This was one of the most feared Qi beings out of them all. Chapter 526: Devouring Domains - 526 Chapter 526 - Devouring Domains - 526 Like in all of the Qi domains, the life in this area had changed when the Death Qi being descended. All of the celestial bodies in this area were dark and shrouded in Death Qi, while the only life here were living skeletons. The snake-like creature instinctually tensed up as it entered. After all, it was life, and the opposite of life was death. Still, it did what it had always done. As it passed by celestial bodies, it used its gravitational pull to suck everything into its mouth and devour it. Like always, the snake evolved. After waking up from a particularly deep sleep, the snake-like creature felt something on its back. Looking, it saw a creature shrouded in Death Qi. As it always did, it launched at the creature to take a bite. However, it suddenly felt itself unable to move. This creature looked humanoid. It held in its hand a scythe that instilled fear into the snake-like creature. This was the Death Qi being, the being that resembled a humanoid creature the most. It took the form of the grim reaper from long ago, just much more powerful and much more intimidating. The creature stood on top of its slanted scythe as it looked at the snake-like being. "I''ve heard about you before. A being that grows through devouring, without ever touching cultivation. You are very valuable, you know." The snake-like creature was powerful enough to transcend language, and it understood everything. However, it didn''t care too much. It was feeling enough fear to simply hope to survive. The Death Qi being was a curious one, perhaps as a result of it taking a more humanoid form. Seeing no response from the snake-like being, the Death Qi being soon left. The snake-like creature heaved a sigh of relief. Then, it began to devour everything once again. More important than fear was the feeling to devour. Nom Nom Nom. The snake-like creature soon forgot about its encounter with the Death Qi being and continued to eat. It stayed in the Death Qi domain for a long time before leaving. It had nearly eaten a hundreth of the vast Death Qi domain, attracting even more attention than before. Many were curious as to why this was allowed by the Qi beings. Some even thought that the Qi beings were misunderstood and did not care about their territory. This misunderstanding was quickly resolved when a few beings were erased from existence. This led others to questioning what was special about the snake-like creature. However, seeing as it was treated highly, nobody who knew about it did anything to it. The snake-like creature''s strength had once again grown tremendously, and it now had dark patterns on its body. It had True God realm strength now, and with its speed, it could easily seek out other Qi domains. From afar, the snake-like creature spotted another Qi domain. It slithered towards it. Before long, the snake-like creature arrived. This was the Qi domain of the Life Qi being. It was the opposite of the Death Qi domain. The snake-like creature once again began devouring, without any interference whatsoever. In such a place, countless living beings were devoured. The snake-like creature tasted a variety like never before. From a bunch of all you can eat buffets with only one food, it suddenly found one with every food. Of course, Life Qi was still abundant here, but the snake-like creature felt that the life here was more devourable than the life Qi. Like in all other Qi domains, the snake-like creature stayed for a long time. It stayed far longer than it did in the Death Qi domain. Although the snake-like creature was not evil, it was not good either. It simply existed to devour, and devour it did. After eating a fifth of the entire Life Qi domain, the snake-like creature finally had its fill. It soon found another, the Yin Qi domain. This felt similar to the Death Qi domain, but it was also different. The snake-like creature stayed for a while before leaving. It traveled around the universe, devouring everything in sight. After a while, it was known to every powerful being. It was a terrifying creature with the sole intent to devour. Before long, it was at the peak of the Outer World realm. If the Chaos it caused before was bad, then this was disastrous. It began to devour great attractors, gaining many new abilities. Those such as the Buddha, Ying Xiong, and Heaven, even considered stepping in. It was around this time that the snake-like being entered the Qi domain that suited it most. This was the Black Hole Qi domain, and the snake-like creature was ecstatic. It rampaged around, wildly devouring. This domain was also the home of the destruction race, and they were very unhappy to see the snake-like creature. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do to stop it. Even the Outer World realm member of the destruction race was helpless against the snake-like creature. It devoured countless Black Holes before falling into a deep sleep. When it woke up, it was at a completely different level. Its size had also drastically changed. It began to devour everything in sight. It reached the 10% point, and the 20% point. The Black Hole Qi being was watching, and expected it to stop there, but it didn''t. The snake-like creature continued. 30% of the Black Hole Qi domain vanished, then 40%. The Black Hole Qi being was confused. He looked to the Great Dao for answers. The being was not angry. It did not care for its domain, it was simply something it was supposed to set up. Instead, it was confused. The Great Dao simply told it to wait. After a while, nearly the entire Black Hole Qi domain was devoured. All that remained was in the center, where the Black Hole Qi being resided. Fearlessly, the snake-like creature barged in. The living beings that were under the teachings of the Black Hole Qi being were confused, but the Black Hole Qi being teleported them back to where they came from and simply watched. Chapter 527: Monty - 527 Chapter 527 - Monty - 527 In the core area of the Black Hole Qi domain, everything was much denser, and as a result, much better to devour. The snake-like creature did not even hesitate as it continued devouring everything. Soon, all that remained was the giant building in the center. The snake-like creature felt a serious threat from within. After hesitating for a moment, it opened its mouth. Something within it seemed to charge up, and an extremely powerful blast hit the building. This nearly presented an immediate issue. Although the snake-like creature had sage realm power, it was not a cultivator. This meant that it had not gained the ability of "one with the universe". In other words, the snake-like creature''s blast had the ability to break through the final layer of space. Luckily, Zhou Fan had thought of this long ago and strengthened the universe''s space to resist anything below the Great Dao realm. Otherwise, a serious issue would have taken place. The building was shattered by the blast, revealing the Black Hole Qi beast. Its form was simply that of a Black Hole. It looked at the snake-like creature curiously. The snake-like creature charged and bit it. The teeth went into it, but not through it. Meanwhile, the Black Hole Qi being simply watched with interest. This had never happened before. Seeing the Black Hole Qi being not resist, the snake-like creature wriggled around, trying to take out a bite. The universal consciousness spoke to the Qi being. "Just let it happen. You won''t actually die even if it eats you." The Black Hole Qi being nodded. The snake-like creature was strong, but the Black Hole Qi being was ancient and powerful. At some point, the Black Hole Qi being purposefully weakened itself so that the snake-like creature could take a bite. The snake-like creature quickly swallowed it and ran away. Not too far from the Qi being, the snake-like creature entered a deep sleep. Countless years later, the snake-like creature awoke and returned. The Black Hole Qi being sent away the cultivators that had returned after so long and let the snake-like creature try again. This time, the snake-like creature successfully ate it all. It began evolving rapidly as it fell asleep. This sleep was by far the deepest yet. Many many years later, the snake-like creature woke up. Looking around, it seemed to be in a garden. Its body felt small, but also big. It was reminded of the days when it just started life. It felt as if many of its abilities were unusable for some reason. It didn''t question it much. It looked around for something to devour. In the distance, it saw a tree and a man cultivating under it. What drew the snake-like creatures attention were the apples hanging from the tree. The snake-like creature slowly slithered over. It climbed the tree and ate one of the apples. This apple was the most nutritious thing it had ever eaten. It fell into a deep sleep while laying on one of the tree branches. Zhou Fan stood up and walked over to it. He looked at it closely. "I''ll call you Monty." Zhou Fan said. "Take good care of him, Leaf." Leaf shook, acknowledging Zhou Fan''s words. Using Zhou Fan''s power, it had created apples for Monty, the snake-like creature. Otherwise, Monty would need to devour the entire universe before reaching the Great Dao realm equivalent. There was no harm to Monty''s path by doing this. Monty''s path was its own, and nothing could break it. Leaf had reached the 1st level of the Sage realm after such a long time. Both Leaf and Zhou Fan had become accustomed to this sort of lifestyle. Zhou Fan only needed to wait, as he had been doing for a while. Monty would eventually fully mature and perhaps a new path creator would be born. Regardless, Monty had already left his name in this current era. Although the Black Hole Qi being had not resisted and had not really died, it had indeed been devoured. Some had seen this spectacle and would remember it their entire lives. Zhou Fan sat under Leaf while waiting for a new path creator to be born. Every now and then, Monty would wake up, eat an apple, and fall asleep. Life passed like this for around a nonillion years. Only after that long did Monty reach the equivalent of the Great Dao realm. Its strength could still increase by devouring, but it would eventually reach a limit, equivalent to the peak of the Great Dao realm. Without talking, Zhou Fan was able to understand Monty''s path after observing him for so long. It was interesting to say the least, and complicated as well. Monty had yet to create his own power, lacking only the thought or care to do so. Monty wasn''t stupid, but it was more like a wild animal than a civilized being. It simply existed for one purpose, to devour. While thinking about Monty''s path, Zhou Fan waited for a new path creator to appear. Another nonillion years passed. Monty had reached the peak of its path, the equivalent to the peak of the Great Dao realm. This was marked when it ate an apple, containing more power than an entire universe, but didn''t feel anything from it. The power was not devoured, but instead slowly released into the surroundings. This caused Monty to no longer want to devour anything around it. Only when it felt the sensation of advancing would the desire to truly devour come back. For the first time since arriving, Monty left Leaf. Curiously, it slithered around the residence. Here, it was equivalent to a normal garden snake. Of course, if it truly wished, it could easily use its power, but Monty didn''t feel the need to. This place felt nice, and he didn''t have the ability to truly devour anything anymore. After a long long time, Monty came back and slithered onto Zhou Fan. For some reason, it felt as if Zhou Fan was naturally similar to it. It wrapped around him and, after a long time, fell asleep. Time passed like this. Chapter 528: Yoha - 528 Chapter 528 - Yoha - 528 Zhou Fan waited and waited as countless years passed by. A nonillion years passed, and then 10 nonillion years, before Zhou Fan sensed the existence of a new path creator. He looked into the distance and spotted a god realm cultivator. This cultivator had just come into contact with the power of divinity. For most cultivators, this power was more or less ignored. Only those who attempted to create life would really focus on it. Otherwise, it was used as a power enhancer that increased the strength of a cultivator''s attacks. However, this cultivator was different. As soon as he touched the power of divinity, he felt an extremely close connection to it. Without hesitation, the cultivator did something that no other had ever had the courage to do. He destroyed his cultivation and dispersed his Qi, leaving only divinity remaining. Somehow, this triggered a change in the cultivator. The Divinity seemed to fuse with him and change his entire being. Now, he was no longer a cultivator, yet divinity existed within him. This is exactly what Zhou Fan had hoped for long ago, the very reason he had let out the Qi beings. This Heavenborn had created a path after following the path of cultivation. Although he could not sense it himself, he was now among the most unique existences in the universe. However, this was not a path that the Heavenborn could traverse without help. At the end of the day, he had not truly created the divinity within him, it had come from the path of cultivation. He needed help from Zhou Fan, or it would be impossible for him to progress along his path. Zhou Fan did not plan to let him try it out on his own. A circle opened and pulled the Heavenborn through. The Heavenborn looked around, clearly confused. "That took a lot of guts, destroying your cultivation and dispersing your Qi." Zhou Fan said. The Heavenborn looked over and saw Zhou Fan. He nodded. "Such a feat of insanity, what could have caused it?" Zhou Fan asked. The Heavenborn looked at the sky. "The god realm is my limit. I could have lived comfortably, but I wanted to be more than that. I want to walk into the sky and personally meet Heaven." Zhou Fan nodded in understanding. "What is your name?" "My name is Yoha." The Heavenborn responded. "Well then, Yoha, I will be guiding you for now. How does that sound?" Yoha bowed. "I will graciously accept your guidance, senior. May I ask your name?" "My name is Zhou Fan. Come over and sit in front of me." Yoha nodded and walked over. Looking around, he was surprised by the beauty of this place. "Where is this, senior?" "This is a place beyond the reaches of others. Don''t worry about it too much." Yoha agreed and sat down. He noticed the snake curled around Zhou Fan, but didn''t ask about it. Zhou Fan spoke. "Have you noticed the changes within you?" Yoha nodded. "Although I destroyed my cultivation and dispersed my Qi, I still feel strong, I suppose because of the divinity within me." Zhou Fan nodded. "Indeed. The only thing preventing you from becoming a mortal is the Divinity still within you. However, although you are strong, your Divinity is very limited and you do not know how to progress any further, am I right." Yoha nodded. "I cannot create your path for you, but I can help. Take this." Zhou Fan held out his hand. A golden ball formed, and Yoha held it. "This contains all the Divinity you should need for a long time. Whatever you can do with it, it will be up to you." Yoha bowed deeply as he stood up. "Stay anywhere you''d like. If you need help, I''ll always be here." "Thank you." Yoha said as he walked into the distance. He stayed away from the mansion. Even Zhou Fan rarely entered the mansion anymore. Instead, Yoha walked over a hill and built himself a wooden house. It was within eye distance of Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan patiently waited. Yoha had a lot of time. Although he didn''t have any cultivation, he had Divinity within him. His lifespan was extremely long. Zhou Fan sat under Leaf as nearly a million years passed. Only then did Yoha come and sit in front of him once again. "Are you troubled?" Zhou Fan asked. "A little. I''ve begun to absorb Divinity as though I was cultivating, but it feels wrong to me. It''s as if I''m simply following the wrong path." Yoha said. Zhou Fan nodded. "Because you are. Cultivation is not truly your path. Instead of using Divinity as a replacement for Qi, make your own use." Yoha struggled. "I can''t even begin to imagine inventing my own use." Zhou Fan spoke. "That is what I cannot help you with. This is your path, not mine. It is different from cultivation." Yoha nodded. After sitting for a while, he stood up and left. Time continued to pass as Zhou Fan waited. The only real movement in his entire residence was that of Leaf cultivating and Yoha experimenting. After a few million years, Yoha ran out of his house, clearly excited. He stopped in front of Zhou Fan and bowed before speaking. "I''ve done it." Zhou Fan opened his eyes and looked. On top of Yoha''s head was something like a halo. It was the source of Yoha''s power, and the core of his path. "Well done. You''ve stepped onto a unique path throughout the universe." Zhou Fan said. Yoha himself didn''t quite understand just how unique he was. After talking about his power, Yoha bowed and returned to his house, much eagerly than before. Not too long after, Yoha''s strength began to clearly increase. Like the Buddha''s path, his growth speed was faster than the usual cultivators, but different from the Buddha''s, lifespan was heavily affected. The lifespan of Yoha was nearly equivalent to a cultivator on the same power level. After reaching the equivalent to a Space Shattering realm cultivator, Yoha struggled once again. He sat in front of Zhou Fan, not speaking, but simply thinking. Chapter 529: The Divine Path - 529 Chapter 529 - The Divine Path - 529 Yoha stayed silent, sitting in front of Zhou Fan while thinking deeply. It seemed that he felt comfortable here, his mind more active here than anywhere else. After a while, Zhou Fan took the initiative to speak. "Long ago, there was a race known as angels. They went extinct at some point, but I''m sure they exist in some form somewhere now. One of their symbols was the halo, very similar to the golden ring above your head. They had white wings on their back. The wings weren''t very useful, but a symbol of their race." Yoha seemed inspired, and he left. Many many years later, he came back. In addition to the golden ring of divinity above his head, he now had 4 pairs of wings on his back. At this point, he was equivalent to a cultivator of the true god realm. He had hit another snag on his path. He sat down in front of Zhou Fan to think. After a few thousand years, Zhou Fan spoke. "Instead of relying on the divinity within that golden ball, why don''t you try to create your own power. Something that can be endlessly created by you." Yoha was surprised. "Is that possible? Where would I start?" "Try and truly understand your path. Only then will you be able to create your power." Zhou Fan said. Yoha bowed and left once again. After a long time, Zhou Fan felt something new from Yoha''s house. He soon came out and showed it off. He had created his own power, Divinity. It shared the same name as the Divinity from cultivation, but it was different. Yoha had a question. "Since the name Divinity is already taken, should I think of another name for my power?" Zhou Fan waved his hand. "No cultivator really uses Divinity. I''m sure it''ll be fine." Yoha nodded and entered his house once again. He began to cultivate using his own power, and he felt that it was much easier than before. The next time Zhou Fan saw him, Yoha was at the equivalent of the High Sage realm, almost to the Great Dao realm. He just needed one more push. Yoha didn''t really need Zhou Fan''s help for this. He simply came over in order to pay his respects. Next to Zhou Fan, Yoha began to transform himself. His Divinity began to circle around his body and change it, similar to when Zhou Fan changed his race. Yoha''s body glistened as his Divinity wrapped around him. When all was said and done, Yoha majestically stood in front of Zhou Fan. Compared to others of the universe, he seemed as if he was simply a higher being. He had four pairs of wings and a halo with points on his head. Yoha sincerely bowed to Zhou Fan. "Welcome to the equivalent of the Great Dao realm of cultivation. Once you reach the peak of this, you are done until I find a way to breakthrough." Yoha nodded. Although he didn''t know much about Zhou Fan to this day, he understood that he was someone beyond all understanding. After reaching the highest realm, Yoha continued to practice with his power until he reached the absolute peak of his power. At this point, Zhou Fan began to ask him questions. Yoha answered them all faithfully. Yoha named his path the Divine path. After a while, Yoha made one last deep bow and left the residence. After seeing Yoha off, Zhou Fan had time to think. He felt as if he finally had some sort of inspiration from Yoha''s path and all the other paths combined. He could nearly see something, but he wasn''t sure if it was enough. Luckily, he had all the time in the world to think. A few octillion years later, Yoha came to the edge of the residence and requested to see Zhou Fan. He had experienced a lot in this time, and like Zhou Fan, he wanted his own area. "Would you mind if I took over one of those mini-universes not touched by your Great Dao?" Yoha asked respectfully. Although he was at the same level as Zhou Fan, he felt as if he was in great debt to him. "Sure. That would actually be preferable if anything." Yoha thanked Zhou Fan and set off. This was Zhou Fan''s first time giving someone territory. The Buddha simply existed within the main universe, Will Decipher was dead, and Monty was still sleeping on him. Zhou Fan was curious to see what Yoha would do. Yoha arrived at one of the Mini universe gates and took control of it. The design instantly changed and it was now filled with Divinity. Next, Yoha brought his created race with him through the gate. Perhaps taking inspiration from Zhou Fan''s tale, Yoha had created a race called angels. They had Halos and white wings. They were extremely well suited to the power of Divinity. After clearing out the inside of the Mini universe, Yoha created a home for himself and all of his angel race. He filled the Mini universe with Divinity, much like the Main universe was filled with Qi''s. The angel race only followed his path. From around the Main universe, many came to the gate of the Mini universe. However, after realizing that there was no Qi inside, they all lost interest. It would be difficult to live in such a place. Perhaps they would visit later. On the contrary, the angel race was attuned to Qi and could even survive with it alone. After all, Qi was the most basic energy of the universe. With this, technically, the angel race had an absolute advantage over the Main universe if there was ever a war. Luckily, the angel race did not like conflict. After seeing Yoha get settled in, Zhou Fan looked at the cultivators of the universe. There was now a High Sage. This individual was the strongest cultivator below Zhou Fan, even above the Qi beings. He was similar to the still living Sage Fushang, just much more powerful and talented. Ying Xiong was in the Sage realm after steadily progressing through many reincarnations. A Sage realm cultivator had a lifespan of a decillion years. Ying Xiong wouldn''t be reincarnating for a long time. Chapter 530: Monty鈥檚 Curiosity - 530 Chapter 530 - Monty''s Curiosity - 530 After so much time, a few of the Sages now had descendants. With the bloodline system in place, there were some events of success in passing down talents and techniques, though there had yet to be a successful passing down of a Divine Physique. The most likely descendants to inherit something were the direct descendants of the Sage themself. Going down the lineage, the odds of inheriting something decreased. In other words, the children were most likely to inherit something, the grandchildren were less likely, the great grandchildren even more unlikely. This would continue as the family tree branched out until either a new sage was born in the family line, or the bloodline inheritance completely faded away. In addition to the passing down of innate talents, Divine Physiques, and techniques, the descendants of powerful cultivators were already likely to have higher talent. Still, due to the sheer majority of living beings, it was unlikely for a descendant of a Sage to truly be the most talented of their time. However, it was likely that as time passed, there would be a higher and higher importance on bloodline. Zhou Fan could foresee internal problems of the cultivation world with this, but it wasn''t his problem. Everything would solve itself. Zhou Fan stopped looking at the universe and simply sat under Leaf while waiting. A few septillion years later, Zhou Fan was surprised to learn that the Buddha had half crippled the high sage realm cultivator. Apparently, he had become extremely arrogant and even attacked the Buddha. After all, nobody knew of the Buddha''s strength besides Zhou Fan. With his injuries, the High Sage only had the strength of a Sage. This would probably be a permanent injury. While this event shocked the cultivation universe, many began to understand that there were beings among them that surpassed all known strength. Nobody understood that the Buddha wasn''t even a cultivator. Later, Yoha found the Buddha and had a conversation with him. It seemed that Yoha had come prepared to fight, but left with everything seemingly resolved. That was Yoha''s first real chat with the Buddha, and they came to learn that both had interacted with Zhou Fan. Neither felt the need to fight, and considering a fight would destroy the universe without Zhou Fan''s intervention, neither thought it was a good idea. In Zhou Fan''s residence, Monty woke up for the first time in a while. He slithered around Zhou Fan for a moment before looking him in the eye. At this point, Monty was more or less Zhou Fan''s pet. "Do you want to go out for a bit?" Zhou Fan asked. Monty nodded its head. "That''s ok, but don''t devour too much or kill too many." Monty agreed and left through a circle. As soon as he left the residence, his body enlarged by countless times. Replacing the sky, his body blocked out the view of countless stars from countless places. His body was as long as the universe itself. He instantly attracted the attention of many, including the Buddha and Yoha, who was out of the Mini universe at this time. Monty''s body had changed a bit since he was brought to the residence. He was very similar to a normal garden snake from afar, but with his size, nobody could focus on how harmless he looked. Yoha and the Buddha immediately prepared to fight if necessary, but Monty just looked around curiously. Everything was smaller than it remembered. Monty''s gaze was attracted to the Black Hole Qi being. The Black Hole Qi being remembered Monty very clearly. Monty''s tongue flickered, and the Black Hole Qi being entered its mouth. After chewing for a while, it spit it out. Even that didn''t taste good anymore. Next, Monty looked at the Greatest attractor. It quickly stopped caring about it as well. Finally, Monty noticed the Buddha and Yoha. Recognizing Yoha, it got closer and sniffed. Yoha suddenly remembered the snake-like creature on Zhou Fan and relaxed a bit. He pet Monty, though Monty threw him away unharmed. Monty sniffed the Buddha as well, his tongue reaching out and licking him. The Buddha simply let it happen. After all this, Monty lost interest and returned to the residence. Countless beings had felt extreme fear, but it was over just as quickly as it happened. When Monty returned, he wrapped around Zhou Fan and fell into a deep sleep again. Zhou Fan continued to sit under Leaf as time passed. The Universe constantly changed, but none of it affected Zhou Fan. This was until one day when a unique being was born. It initially did not have a form, but as it gained consciousness, it was in a human world. Instinctively, it took a human form and lived as a human. However, this being was unique throughout the whole universe. It was seen as a defective offspring of a powerful non-humanoid race and cast far away through a tear in space. Unbeknownst to those that had cast it away, it was not defective, but an evolution. This being lived as a human. It started at the age of four. It was an orphan from the start, being brought to an orphanage by a passing couple. This being grew up in the orphanage. After a long time, it participated in a mandatory talent testing, but found that it had absolutely no talent for cultivation. Among humans, this was more shocking than if it had godly talent. However, living in a small area, it was simply seen as defective once again and ignored. Like many other humans, it grew and lived as a mortal. This was until it reached the age of 20 and adopted a stray cat into its home. This was the first time that the being had felt love. The cat relied on it, and as it did so, an unseeable golden thread left the cat and entered the body of the being. This was where Zhou Fan started paying attention. That golden thread was a part of the beings path, something it had unknowingly created. Days after the golden thread entered the body of the being, it felt its strength increase. It was as if he had become a cultivator, but he had no cultivation. Still, with his newfound strength that reached the peak of his mortal area, he found an even greater job. Things started looking up for him. Chapter 531: Yhwh - 531 Chapter 531 - Yhwh - 531 With this new job, the being never struggled to live again. He had money and strength. Around the age of 25, the being fell in love. At the age of 27, he got married. As he said his vows and they were wedded, another unseeable golden thread entered his body. His strength increased yet again. He felt as if he could do anything. At the age of 30, the being had a child. Despite not being human, he had perfectly copied the human body. Even he himself didn''t know that he was inhuman. As the child grew and began to rely on him, a third golden thread entered his body. At the age of 35, he had another child. Later, yet another golden thread entered his body. He raised these children well, and they loved him. He had a happy family. Time passed happily for him, but he soon noticed something was off. His wife, his children, and everybody around him had aged, but not him. He was as young as the day he first met his wife. This confused him and his family. At the age of 65, his wife grew sick. He stayed by her side as she died. He mourned for a while, before finding a new purpose in life. With his children grown up and his wife passed away, he retired and volunteered at the orphanage. He helped many children. However, no matter how much time passed, he never aged. At the age of 75, he began to adopt animals. As each one got comfortable around him, another unseeable golden thread left them and entered his body. His strength grew further, to the point that he did not know his own limits. At the age of 80, his second child left the village and began his own life. All alone, his pets around him aging, he gave himself a new purpose. He spent his days going around helping people. One day, he saved a 9 year old child''s life, catching a wooden log that was falling onto his head. From that day on, the child followed him around. Unknowingly, another golden thread entered his body. He was the child''s role model. It was already talked about around the village that he was a cultivator, so the child''s parents trusted him. Around here, cultivators were seen in a good light. The child grew up, and the being taught him a lot. Eventually, the child grew up. He was now an adult, but insisted on being like the being. He began to volunteer at orphanages and take care of pets. He even honed his strength and worked the same job that the being used to. One day, the child asked the being a simple question. "Mister. You''ve never told me before, but what is your name?" The being paused. "Name?" He had to think deeply. When was the last time he was called by his name? He had always been sir, mister, husband, father, or some other title for as long as he could remember. "Oh, right." He remembered. "My name is Yhwh." "How do you say that?" "They pronounced it, Yahweh." "Alright. Mister Yhwh? I think I''ll just stick to Mister." Yhwh laughed and continued to cut down a tree. Time continued to pass, and the child truly lived in Yhwh''s shadow, following everything he did. He too was seen as a proud product of the village. Around 30 years later, a storm appeared on the horizon. It was approaching fast, lighting flickering. When the winds hit, the village was sent into panic. This was a record breaking storm. In the distance, tornadoes began to form. Surprisingly, a group of the village people did not hide. Instead, they found the orphanage and knocked on the door. Yhwh answered in surprise. "It''s dangerous out here. Go hide somewhere." Around 20 villagers were at the door, and they all kneeled down. "Please, sir, save the village from this disaster." Yhwh was confused. "What do you want me to do? I''m just a normal guy." The villagers were resilient. "Please, sir, save the village." Yhwh was truly confused, but he couldn''t bring himself to ignore these people''s needs. "What would you have me do?" He asked. One of the villagers spoke up. "Sir, what if you blew the storm away?" Yhwh found it as ridiculous as the rest of the villagers, but it was the only clear option. "Well to do that, I''d need a big fan. How fast can we make one?" Yhwh just went along with it. He was guided to a tailor''s shop. Although the village had a population of nearly ten thousand, the tailor was in the group of 20. In haste, they constructed a large fan. It was so heavy that it took ten villagers to pick it up off the ground, but Yhwh managed to hold it in one hand. They ran to the edge of the village and looked at the storm. The approaching villagers kneeled again. "Please, sir." They said. Yhwh sighed and looked ahead. He didn''t believe in himself, but for the village people, he could try. He stepped back and prepared himself. For the first time in his life, he used all of his strength. A strong wind approached, but as the fan swung, it instantly moved backwards. A wind far stronger than that created by a tornado shot at the storm and redirected it completely. The villagers laughed happily as Yhwh looked at his hands in disbelief. Only he knew that he wasn''t a cultivator. The villagers kneeled even deeper, and a golden thread left each of their bodies and merged into Yhwh''s. He clearly felt his strength grow, but did not understand why. Soon, the tale of Yhwh''s feat spread throughout the village. Although it was hard for many to believe, many were convinced by the villagers. Unbeknownst to Yhwh, a simple building was constructed, and a wood carver carved his statue. A hundred villagers came to this building at least once a week and prayed to Yhwh. One day, around the same time, 80 golden threads entered Yhwh''s body at once. Although he did not see clearly, he could have sworn that he saw a flash of gold before his strength increased. Chapter 532: Faith - 532 Chapter 532 - Faith - 532 Although Yhwh clearly felt his strength increase, he still didn''t understand how. Now more curious than ever, he began to look back at his life. His memory had become weirdly good, and he remembered every time he had felt his strength increase. It seemed to involve helping people, or people believing in him. "Could it be faith?" Yhwh wondered if his strength increased every time someone had faith in him. He decided to test it out. He walked to the center of the village and stopped in front of a large stone statue. Along the way, everybody recognized him. Even if not everyone had faith that he had accomplished the feat of blowing away a storm, most believed that it was at least partially true. All of the villagers that saw him stopped and watched as he lifted the stone statue of the village founder and jumped into the air nearly 20 feet high. This astounded everyone. In an instant, Yhwh felt his strength increase, and he understood. Faith in him gave him power. Some had to see to believe, while others would believe as long as others did. Excited, Yhwh lifted the statue and jumped even higher, reaching a hundred feet into the air. Even more strength came to him. As he landed, a loud boom sounded. People came out of their homes or workplaces and saw Yhwh jumping hundreds of feet into the sky with a statue that no mortal could ever lift. Before long, Yhwh''s strength had increased beyond that of his imagination. Every single person in the village, elderly or child, had seen him jumping. They all believed in him. Time passed in a blur, and he became the village''s protective deity. Statues of him were erected and buildings dedicated to him were built. In ten years, the village turned into his worshiping ground. He went around helping people fulfill their dreams and desires. However, there came a day when he was asked to cure a sick child. Yhwh didn''t know if he could do it. He had never truly done anything magical. Everything so far had been feats of great strength, even if that strength was magical in itself. Yhwh asked everyone to leave and was left alone. Hopeful, he held his hand over the child''s forehead. "I can''t promise anything. If this doesn''t work, I''m sorry." Yhwh reached deep within himself, hoping to feel something. He desperately wanted to help. "After all, I''m a human." As Yhwh held his hand over the child''s forehead and hoped to help her, a golden light fell from his hand onto the child''s forehead. In an instant, her complexion healed. She opened her eyes. "Lord? Is that you?" She said with confusion. "Do not worry. You are better now." Yhwh said with hidden glee. He had done it. Even this he was capable of. The child brightly smiled as Yhwh left. People had even more faith in him after this, although no more golden threads appeared. Eventually, with people growing up and leaving the village, Yhwh''s name was spread. Some mortals came and believed, but after a while, a cultivator came. He descended upon the center of the town and spoke. "Yhwh. You should know that cultivators are not allowed in this area. Come with me and leave at once." The cultivator was a Core Formation realm cultivator and spoke to the entire village. Yhwh came out and responded. "But I am not a cultivator." The Core Formation realm cultivator looked at him and squinted. "It seems not, but there are many methods of hiding your cultivation. Come now." The Core Formation realm cultivator shot at Yhwh and grabbed at him. Yhwh stood still in confusion. Why was this cultivator so slow? Yhwh smacked the cultivator''s hand away and grabbed him by the shoulders. He sat him down on the ground and looked at him. "I have never cultivated a day in my life. Please do not resort to violence in my village." The cultivator was stunned and looked at Yhwh in fear. He was unable to resist even slightly at Yhwh''s force. It was a level of power far above that of a Core Formation realm cultivator. The Core Formation realm cultivator nodded quickly. "I understand. My apologies. I can go and find a superior to talk to you, sir." Yhwh nodded. "That would be appreciated." The Core Formation realm cultivator hurriedly left as the village cheered Yhwh''s name. With their faith, they hadn''t worried for a second. It was an unusual amount of faith. Logically, their faith shouldn''t be this deep. It was a little unnatural. The village continued as it had for a few days before another cultivator came. This one did not appear publicly, but instead acted like a normal person, knocking on Yhwh''s door. It should be noted that Yhwh had never abused the faith others had in him. Even now, he has lived in the same house since he was married. Yhwh answered the door and saw the cultivator. He was able to sense that this was a powerful being and welcomed him in. The cultivator sat down across from Yhwh and spoke. "My name is Fult. As I''m sure it was mentioned before, cultivators aren''t supposed to be in this part of the world. I can''t sense your cultivation, but it is obvious that you''re a cultivator. Can I ask why you are here?" Yhwh nodded. This one''s attitude was better. "My name is Yhwh. I was born here and have never left. I have also never cultivated. I believe that there is some sort of misunderstanding going on here." Fult sighed and pulled out a piece of paper. "We understand that you are strong. On this small world of ours, a fight with someone like you could cause great damage. We are willing to give you this village, as well as the three surrounding cities, as long as you do not cause any trouble." Yhwh nodded. This was reasonable. Fult sighed and asked Yhwh to sign. Yhwh did, and Fult left. With this, Yhwh now officially owned not only this village, but three surrounding cities he had never heard of. He owned all of this in a big circle. He left to tell the villagers the news. Chapter 533: Three Cities - 533 Chapter 533 - Three Cities - 533 The villagers were surprised to hear that Yhwh had more or less been donated the land that they and three surrounding cities lived on. They were excited, not because of gaining some sort of power, but because they could spread the faith of Yhwh. Yhwh, who understood his power was related to faith, supported this idea. In a few days, everyone in the village was packed up and ready to go on a trip. All ten thousand villagers rode on varying carts or wagons towards the nearest of the three cities. After a day or so, they arrived. Their arrival brought great shock and stress to the city. It was as if a bunch of immigrants had arrived at one time. The city itself barely had a population of 200,000. There simply wasn''t enough space. They were surprised when the villagers set up a large camp outside the city and began to preach about Yhwh. Yhwh still felt weird about being praised like this and trying to get others to do so, but he willed himself to continue. Since beings like cultivators existed, there was an always present threat of random extermination. The only way to prevent this was to grow more powerful. Those within the city were initially confused and unsure, but as they heard stories about Yhwh, they gradually understood the villagers goal. "So you''re saying that he''s just a cultivator? We have plenty of cultivators. They may not be strong, but what is so special about this "lord" that he is worth praising?" Many of those within the city shared the same thoughts. The villagers explained that Yhwh was not a cultivator, but he was still powerful enough to defeat any cultivator. They also explained how he helped and cared for them. After a few days of constant storytelling, the people within the city gradually opened up to the idea and began to ask to see for themselves. Yhwh entered the city and constantly produced incredible results. He healed incurable illnesses, lifted things that even cultivators could not, and gave off a feeling of trustworthiness that no other had ever given off. Over time, hearts were swayed and golden threads appeared. It was slow at first, but as more and more of the city people heard about Yhwh and saw his achievements, the speed of golden threads appearing sped up. Before long, Yhwh had received as many golden threads from the city as he had from the village. And the golden threads did not stop or slow down, but came faster. As more and more came, Yhwh was able to see more and more glimpses, until finally, he reacted and grabbed a golden thread between his fingers. As soon as he did, he felt a drastic change occur. His entire body lit up, receiving the attention of the entire city. Everyone watched in awe as Yhwh was bathed in a golden light. The golden light gave off a feeling of majesty, awe, and most importantly, faith. Golden threads numbering in the tens of thousands rapidly appeared, strengthening the golden glow. When all 200,000 of the people that lived in the city had given a golden thread, the golden light finally receded and Yhwh landed on the ground. He looked at his hands silently. He felt enlightened, as if this power of his was finally understood. This was HIS power of faith. Those who gave him a golden thread were forever connected to him. Every being was connected to him by a golden thread, and he could affect every single one of them instantly. Testing it out, all 210,000 beings that had given him a golden thread felt a warm feeling within them. They all instinctively knew that it came from Yhwh. All 210,000 kneeled and said his name. Their faith was overwhelming. Yhwh was happy. He truly felt good, as if he was among all of those that loved him. This feeling was addicting, both for Yhwh and those that believed in him. Yhwh looked onwards. It was his duty to spread his name so that others could feel this glorious feeling. "To the next city." He said. Although he spoke normally, perhaps enhanced by the golden threads, the entire city heard him. Without hesitation, everyone packed up and followed Yhwh. This left behind an empty city that did not give off a feeling of desolation, but one of warmth. It took three days to arrive at the next city. This city was almost equally sized to the last. Like in the last city, there were also cultivators. Perhaps due to having a group as big as the city itself, spreading Yhwh''s name was much easier. Within a week, Yhwh had received a grand total of 410,000 from the village, the 1st city, and now this city. Leaving behind yet another empty city, Yhwh and 410,000 thousand others traveled to the next one. The last of the three cities was a bit different. Here, a core formation realm cultivator presided over the city. As a result, the population was also higher than the other cities, reaching 700,000. Regardless of its size, the entire city was astounded to see the arrival of 410,000 people. When they began to learn of their goal, they were even more surprised. The core formation realm cultivator met with Yhwh once, and after doing so, declared that he would follow the group. The city was easily influenced after this, and many more beings gained faith after Yhwh healed sick and injured people. After a month, the group following Yhwh had reached 1,110,000 people. The amount of golden threads that Yhwh had collected had given him so much power that he didn''t even know how to test it out. He mostly used this power to connect to those connected to him and grant their wishes or help them. Of course, he couldn''t do everything, but he helped as much as he could. With all three cities completely following him, Yhwh decided to continue to the rest of the world. At this rate, it seemed hard to stop the growth of his group even if he wanted to. Chapter 534: Entire World - 534 Chapter 534 - Entire World - 534 Although he had made a deal to not cause any trouble, this wasn''t really trouble. Joining was optional, it was just that everyone wanted to do it. With 1,110,000 people following, some of them cultivators, Yhwh set off outside of his owned land. He and the large group slowly moved towards the nearest city, which resided in a kingdom. Food was not an issue, as some of the cultivators went out and brought back plenty. After a few days, the gathering of people was finally noticed by some powerful cultivators. As the million marched forward, a cultivator appeared in the sky. This one was a nascent soul realm cultivator. This cultivator had already learned about the deal between Yhwh and Fult. "What is going on here? Wasn''t there an understanding between us all?" The cultivator said. He looked at Yhwh, who led the group, as he spoke. "I am not causing any trouble, I simply want to help others." Yhwh said. "With an entire army? Cut out the nonsense and disperse. Don''t make me kill all of these people." Yhwh was shocked by the words of the cultivator. He would kill millions of innocent people just to stop them from traveling around. None of them were threats to him, even the strongest was only a single Core Formation realm cultivator. Yhwh felt anger building up within him. "You would kill so many innocent beings for no reason?" He shouted. The cultivator looked at him with disdain and confusion. "Would? How about I do?" The cultivator said. He moved his hand and a wind started picking up. The powerful wind began to blow over many within the group, and this was only the very smallest gust from the powerful wind the cultivator had just caused. Yhwh was truly angered. Such disregard for these people disgusted him. In a rage, he instinctually reacted. Punching out, his raw power was shown. The wind was stopped before it truly reached anyone, and the cultivator was sent flying back without being able to resist. He only stopped after hitting his head on a mountain and passing out, nearly dead. Needless to say, this action inspired all of the people within the group. Yhwh was almost ashamed by his outburst of anger, but understood that it was necessary. Ignoring the dying cultivator, Yhwh and his group of more than a million continued towards the nearest city. News of Yhwh''s actions reached the strongest sect on the planet, simply referred to as the world gathering. This planet had hardly come into contact with the outside universe. It was just a small planet, the strongest cultivator reaching the Soul Formation realm. This sect had a monopoly over the world and its strongest cultivators. Upon hearing news of the Nascent soul realm cultivators defeat, Fult, who had met with Yhwh, sighed and headed out. He was one of the Soul Formation realm cultivators, as well as the oldest being on the planet. He soon arrived. After all, it was truly a small world. He saw Yhwh and came down. Yhwh saw him and waved. Fult unenthusiastically waved back. Yhwh stopped the group and talked with Fult. "Didn''t we agree you wouldn''t cause trouble?" "This isn''t causing trouble. I only beat up that last guy because he attacked this group." Fult sighed. "What exactly are your goals?" "I just want to help others." Yhwh said. After a moment, Fult sighed and nodded. "You''re probably too strong for anyone on this world. Do what you want, just don''t hurt others." Yhwh nodded. "I wouldn''t." Fult left after their brief talk. Yhwh was glad that there was someone like Fult, who was easy to talk to. With this, Yhwh was more or less free to roam the world. He soon reached the target city, and similar scenes to the last appeared. As Yhwh''s group grew, time passed. With this world being even smaller than Earth originally, Yhwh soon traversed the entire world. At some point, his group had gotten far too big and dispersed. Only those from his village followed physically, but spiritually, everyone was connected to Yhwh. There was one place left on the world that remained unvisited by Yhwh, the headquarters of the world, World Gathering. Of course, after so much time, Yhwh''s influence had spread on its own. When he arrived at World Gathering, he was greeted by many faithful followers. He walked into the main building and when he left, everyone in this world that would follow him was following him. There were outliers anywhere, people who simply refused to have faith. There were also evil people that Yhwh would never accept. Fult was one of the few, and the only Soul Formation realm cultivator that fell into the first category. Yet, though he was known as a Soul Formation realm cultivator, Yhwh felt something off about him. "Why do you give off a feeling different from the other Soul Formation realm cultivators?" Fult looked at him tiredly. "Why do you go walking around in that form?" Yhwh was confused. "What?" Fult sighed. "Nevermind. It seems that you yourself are unaware of what you are. I don''t know either, but whatever it is... well, it''s not my problem." Fult continued. "I''m not a Soul Formation realm cultivator, but a fallen inner world realm cultivator." Yhwh looked at him with confusion. Fult explained. "Inner World is the realm below the God realm, something you haven''t heard of. I failed my tribulation to reach the God realm and was severely injured by an angry beast. It was bad timing. Although my strength is that of a Space Shattering realm cultivator, I''ve given up and retired. Since I passed out and woke up on this world, I''ve been staying here." Yhwh nodded. It was no wonder that Fult felt different. Surprisingly, he didn''t feel stronger than Yhwh. Yhwh only felt that he was stronger than others. With the golden threads of an entire world connected to him, Yhwh''s strength was at the Space Shattering realm, and stronger than even Fult. Chapter 535: The Ipth - 535 Chapter 535 - The Ipth - 535 As a few years passed, Yhwh sat at the edge of a mountain. The view from here was beautiful. Every now and then, he would see golden threads enter his body. These were from beings that became old enough to actually produce any sort of faith. As the world population grew, so did Yhwh''s golden threads. Many of the people that had given him faith had died, but their golden threads remained. Yhwh considered it a way to stay with him even after death. Yhwh played with a golden thread while looking at the stars. This particular golden thread was his very first, coming from a stray cat. Yhwh liked to help others, and he understood that this world was not the only one in the universe. It seemed incomprehensible to him, but the universe appeared endless. He could help an infinite amount of beings if he left this world and continued his journey. The only trouble was, being so far away, it would be hard to help the people on this planet. He could only do it through golden threads, and even then, he couldn''t monitor the countless living beings that had faith in him at once. Yhwh felt saddened and confused. He sat and thought for a long time. The possibility of being able to constantly monitor the billions of people that believed in him was not even entertained. It was impossible and he knew it. Perhaps if he could create some sort of overseeing consciousness that could sort these things out for him, then he would feel satisfied. In the residence, Zhou Fan nodded his head. "Yeah. That''s what I would have done." Yhwh thought for a while before getting up. He couldn''t focus on the sad parts forever. It would be better to continue to expand his influence. To do that, it was time to leave this world. A few years later, Yhwh held a gathering for all of those that had faith in him. Humans, beasts, even normal animals, all were welcome. He spoke at this gathering, explaining that he would soon leave the world to help more people, but that he would always be connected to them. Unexpectedly, nobody was sad. They always felt a closeness to him, no matter how far he was. They were excited that more beings would be able to have faith in Yhwh. After a few more years, Yhwh, who had long known how to fly by manipulating golden threads, ascended into the sky and disappeared amongst clouds. Cultivators and mortals alike sent him off. Ever since he had been born on this world, it had begun to change for the better. Crime was nearly non-existent, and everyone had at least one thing in common, faith. Fult watched Yhwh go off with a solemn expression. "Whatever you are, you are not human. At the very least, I hope you are truly a good person." As Yhwh reached space, he saw sights he hadn''t imagined. His power was the power of Faith, and the golden threads were faith taken form. By manipulating the golden threads, he could do many things. Flying and existing in space was just one of them. As he stepped forward, golden threads formed a river under him that swept him away at an incredible speed. Before long, he arrived at another planet with human life. After all, he was in a human area. He descended to this world, and after a few years, he left it as well, countless new golden threads connected to him. Yhwh''s path was somewhat like Monty''s. It was very simple and easy to follow, but it could not be replicated. Will, Monty, and now Yhwh had all created powers and paths unique to them. Even Zhou Fan could not truly follow these paths. Yhwh''s tale continued smoothly, finding planets and sects, gaining countless followers, gaining more golden threads and more faith. As he continued to grow, he changed as well. From a rather average human in terms of looks, he became elegant and divine. Mortals would gain faith by looking at him, and cultivators were much easier to convince. One day many years later, Yhwh''s strength was nearing the true god level. He was well known throughout the universe as an incredibly famous religious figure. Suddenly, without any warning, he felt something above him. Looking up, he saw a gelatinous creature. It was dark green and was in the form of jelly. "This aura. A member of our species, and so strong?" The gelatinous creature said as it looked at Yhwh. Yhwh looked at it coldly. "Who are you and what do you want?" The gelatinous creature looked at him up and down. "Yes. No doubt about it. Child, you are of our species." Yhwh was surprised by the nonsense coming out of this pile of jelly''s mouth. "You may be a true god, but do not come openly insulting me. I am human." The dark green gelatinous creature was silent for a moment before moving away. "It seems something has happened to you. I will fetch the patriarch." Yhwh did not understand what the being was saying, but did not stop it from leaving. He acted as if it was some sort of chance encounter with a mentally ill individual and continued to focus on his connection with the golden threads. A few million years later, Yhwh felt a powerful aura above him. It was another gelatinous creature, this one blue, and far more powerful than the last. "Indeed. It is you, child of agrogoria. Cast away from young due to the battle of inheritance, yet here you are now, so powerful and incomprehensible." Yhwh recognized this aura. This was a sage realm cultivator. He prepared to escape. As he stood up, he felt a pang in his heart. He felt a connection, not from a golden thread, but from the being above him. "Do not fear me, young one. It is one of my greatest regrets that they cast you away without my knowledge. Please, come with me." Yhwh hesitated. He felt a warm feeling from this being, as if the nonsense it was saying was true. "I am human." He said. "No, child. You are a member of one of the most powerful races among the Outsiders. The Ipth will always be where you belong, and nothing can change that. I swear that I will not harm you, just follow me to the Ipth universe." The being said. Chapter 536: The Patriarch - 536 Chapter 536 - The Patriarch - 536 After hesitating for a while, Yhwh looked at the powerful being above him. "Do you have any proof whatsoever?" The being disappeared and reappeared in front of Yhwh. Yhwh did not resist. He knew that if the being wanted to kill him, he would not survive. A tendril came out from the beings body and touched Yhwh''s. Yhwh felt some sort of resonance, and his arm seemed to turn into liquid. A pink gelatinous substance replaced his entire arm for a moment before returning back to its usual form. "Pink. Yes, unique throughout our species, just like me. You see, there have been cases of defective births throughout our species history. With our small population and difficulty increasing it, these were all noticeable. Upon your birth, you showed low compatibility with our species. Combined with your unique color, you were considered a risk during a time where your parents were attempting to inherit the throne of our species." The gelatinous being said. "Such an incident could disqualify them, used against them as a sign that they are unable to birth an heir. I was far away at that time, and only learned after returning of their actions." All his words were like background noise to Yhwh. The shock of seeing his arm turn into a pink gelatinous substance was immense. He could hardly think. Spending his entire life having pride as a human, this was unthinkable. He looked at the gelatinous being. "Why care about a random one of you?" The gelatinous being responded. "Our race has extreme difficulty reproducing. Every single member is valued. I couldn''t stand the thought of a member of our species living horribly in a random area, but it seems I was wrong." The gelatinous being seemed sincere, as if he truly cared about every member of the Ipth. "You say I''m unique?" The being nodded. "Yes. It can be clearly seen by your color. The Ipth are born one of five colors. Red. Orange. Yellow. Green. Blue. Your parents didn''t understand the significance of you being born a different color. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have been cast away." Yhwh looked at him suspiciously. "You said that you are unique. How so?" Without responding, the dark blue color of the being faded, revealing a pure white color. "I am the most talented being in Ipth history. Before me, our race was just one of many, a little rarer and more talented on average, but that was all. It was me who brought the Ipth race to a universal level race. This is technically something that even humans have failed to do." Although humanity as a whole was the most powerful race without a doubt, they did not own an entire universe, instead living in a large portion of the Main universe. This was a technicality because humans owned far more space than any mini universe had. Yhwh had another question. "What is the difference between me and the rest of the Ipth." He had unwillingly accepted that he was not human. "I can''t tell. As a pure white Ipth, I have the Cleanliness Divine Physique. Although it sounds weak, I have used it to clean the stains from our universe and claim it for the Ipth''s. Whatever you have, it must be special. Just come with me to the Ipth universe. You will meet your race, and we will discover what is special about you." Yhwh knew what was special about him, his golden threads, but he did not know if the golden threads were the result of his race. It seemed unlikely. Hesitantly, Yhwh agreed. Even if there were bad intentions behind this invitation, he was willing to go and see it. He needed to understand, and a sage would help more than any other. The gelatinous being was delighted and moved with Yhwh at speeds Yhwh couldn''t comprehend. Soon, they arrived at a large gate. Yhwh saw two Ipth''s standing outside of it. Both were true gods. They bowed at the gelatinous being and eyed Yhwh as they entered. When Yhwh entered the universe, he saw a grand city. It was in a human style. "No matter what, I''d say humans are the best at designing buildings." The gelatinous being commented as they descended into the city. It was a small city, only a bit bigger and more open than the three cities Yhwh once owned. Importantly noted, Even though he was in a different universe, Yhwh was glad to feel the golden threads that connected him to those with faith in him. It reassured him. As they descended, Yhwh noticed that the entire city was filled with Ipths. "This is where all Ipths live, and where you belong." The gelatinous being said. Those within the city took notice of them. They were alarmed to see a human coming in. Since the Ipths truly rose to power, no being other than Ipths had entered the main city. The gelatinous being raised his hand at those watching. "This is an Ipth, simply taken humanoid form." This seemed to quell doubts, but there were more questions in others minds. Why was there an unknown Ipth outside in humanoid form? The gelatinous being took Yhwh into a castle, the biggest building in the city. As they entered a throne room, the doors burst open. Yhwh saw two red colored Ipths pause when they saw him. "Son?" They said in unison. Yhwh could feel it as well. These were his parents. All of his doubts were quelled. He truly was an Ipth. Although Yhwh could not read the body language of an Ipth, he could feel that these two were experiencing countless emotions. "I have found the child that you shamelessly threw away." The gelatinous being said. Quickly, the two kneeled, though it looked like a slight movement to Yhwh. "We are sorry patriarch." Before they could say more, the patriarch held up his hand. "This matter was settled long ago. Though I can''t say I am not upset, we''ll act like I am not for now." The two nodded and got back up. The patriarch looked at Yhwh. "For the foreseeable future, I designate Yhwh as heir to the Ipth universe." Chapter 537: Human? - 537 Chapter 537 - Human? - 537 The two were stunned into silence. Yhwh himself was surprised. "But patriarch! As the rightful heir to the throne of..." "Silence!" The patriarch shouted, quieting the two instantly. "Rightful heir?! I alone am the Ipth! As long as I remain alive, the only rightful heirs are those I deem worthy of such a title! You disgusting brats are lucky I didn''t execute you the moment I discovered of your treacherous deeds! Yhwh. What shall I do with them!" Yhwh looked at the patriarch. Although he could not read the body language of an Ipth, even he could see the rage coming from the patriarch. It was clear that he had held it in before, but could no longer do so now. "I have no relation to these people. I was raised in an orphanage. They stopped being my parents the moment they discarded me." Yhwh said. The patriarch seemed to smile sinisterly. "Yes indeed. And if you two are not the parents of the rightful heir, then you must be commoners!" In an instant, something seemed to be taken away from the couple. They fell to the ground in silence. "From now on, you two are no longer my descendants, but commoners. Don''t worry of course. At least I let you remain Ipth''s." The patriarch said. Yhwh watched, but didn''t feel anything. This was not him venting his anger or unwillingness, but the patriarch doing so. He was actually glad he had been thrown into a spatial rift at birth. He couldn''t think of a better situation than being born in a human world. Thinking this, he reaffirmed his ideals. Though he may not be a human in terms of race, his heart was human, and therefore he was far more human than Ipth. As for his so-called parents, he didn''t care about them at all. Although he was glad that they had thrown him away at birth, they still deserved to be punished for their actions. He could have just as well died on a random barren planet or be disintegrated by a star. Yhwh watched as the two were escorted out of the building. From the start, they had never shown remorse for their actions, only regret that they had not hidden it better. They were truly scum. "I''m sorry you even had to see those trash. Not even apologizing, their parents must be punished for raising such brats, and to think they were part of my lineage." The patriarch said as he sighed. Yhwh did not mind. "I understand." The patriarch got up and stepped outside in a flash. "Let''s go announce your appointment as rightful heir." Just as he was about to speak, Yhwh interrupted him. "Sir patriarch. While I am truly grateful for the kindness you''ve shown me, I am human." The patriarch paused and looked at him. Despite not being human, he could see unwillingness and sadness on the patriarch''s face. "I feared this." The patriarch sighed. "Raised as a human, living among humans, it would be ridiculous if you simply changed your thoughts in the blink of an eye. It would even have caused me to dislike you. Perhaps there was not truly a path where you became a rightful heir." If Yhwh had simply changed his allegiances in an instant, the patriarch would have been disappointed at his weak will. But as it is now, Yhwh was unwilling to not be human. It was a lose lose situation, one where the patriarch could not truly win. The patriarch sighed deeply before speaking unwillingly. "Those damn fools." After a moment, he entered the throne room again. After sitting down for a while, he spoke. "How firm are you?" It was a simple question, and quite vague, but Yhwh had an answer. "Unshakeable." The patriarch truly regretted everything. "I understand. At the very least, let''s find out what your special ability is." Yhwh respected the patriarch. For a sage who wielded immense power throughout the entire universe, no, even owning a universe, he was not going to force Yhwh. Yhwh would remember this. After a few days, Yhwh was brought by the patriarch into a large underground laboratory. In it were 10 Ipths. The patriarch spoke. "We will test out your ability on these Ipths. Of course, we first need to understand what your ability is. Think hard, what have you always been good at? Perhaps it is a passive ability. Yhwh thought back. Ever since he had begun gaining faith, he felt that something was a little off. Even if he showed incredible feats, there were already cultivators. None of it was that surprising. So why did people follow him so faithfully? He hated the idea, but what if it was unnatural. Yhwh told the patriarch. The patriarch sank into thought for a while. After a while, he spoke. "The color pink, and the natural ability to instill trust, or faith into others. Try this." The patriarch waved his hand, and Yhwh''s right arm reverted into its Ipth form. A pink gelatinous arm replaced his skin and bones. "Go touch one of them." Yhwh nodded and walked forward. The Ipth he chose did not move, watching curiously. After all, the patriarch was right there. He would never let them get hurt. As the pink gelatinous substance touched the Ipth, the Ipth stopped thinking for a moment. When it started thinking again, it knelt down and a golden thread flew towards Yhwh. Although countless golden threads were constantly coming towards him at every moment, he was able to distinguish them by now. Yhwh didn''t know what to feel. All along, he had been unnaturally influencing others. This was why he had managed to gain so many golden threads so easily. He was a cheater, a scammer, and a manipulator. Yhwh''s heart nearly shattered. He couldn''t believe it. He was no human, he was a horrible monster, one that wore human skin and influenced humans to place their faith in him. He was not the greatest savior of humanity, but the greatest enemy. The patriarch panicked as Yhwh''s will began to slowly shatter. He hadn''t expected such an intense reaction. Uncontrollable power burst out from Yhwh. The patriarch formed a barrier around it, but a hole had already been blown in the ground of the city, attracting the attention of many Ipths. Chapter 538: Because I am Human - 538 Chapter 538 - Because I am Human - 538 Ipths gathered around the large hole as visible golden threads burst out from Yhwh''s body, forming an uncontrollable tornado of power. At this moment, even the patriarch felt helpless to stop it. Something about the power made him feel fear. Yhwh was in an intense situation of inner turmoil. His thoughts went wild as he began to doubt everything he had ever done. He began to feel that living was a mistake. All he had ever done was force humans, the people he cared about most, to follow him. And it wasn''t just humans. Animals, pets, beasts, other humanoid races, other races in general, his followers consisted of everyone. Yhwh''s body began to crack and golden light slowly spilled out. "Since it''s come to this, I''ll die to make up for my sins." Yhwh closed his eyes, his last thoughts being full of endless sorrow. Suddenly, he felt something on his leg. When he opened his eyes, he seemed to be in an endless void of darkness. He looked down and saw a cat. This was no random cat, but his cat. This cat had given him his first golden thread long ago. Yhwh looked at it with sadness. He couldn''t shake his thoughts. The poor thing, manipulated unconsciously to have faith in him. As the cat rubbed on his leg, Yhwh seemed to feel its emotions transferred through to him. They felt warm, and somehow, despite everything, genuine. Around him, people appeared. Among them were animals, each having been taken care of by Yhwh. They gave off a feeling similar to the cat. A person walked forward. Yhwh recognized him as the boy from long ago, who he had saved from a falling log. This boy had done everything to be like him. "Mister. Do not doubt yourself, nor us. We all truly believe in you. At most, you made it easier to do so. Nobody has regretted the decision to have faith in you. You have helped all of us more than we could have imagined." The boy faded away as another person stepped forward. Another familiar face, a tailor from long ago. He had built him a fan to blow away a storm. "What nonsense! You think that such an ability could truly be the only reason we believed in you. You blew away a storm with a fan! To me, you will always be the trustworthy lord." As the tailor faded away, another person came. "You are my husband. You were nothing but kind and helpful your entire life. No matter what, my faith in you is unwavering, and I am glad that I married you." Yhwh''s wife faded away, and one of his children came forward. An eternity seemed to pass as countless beings, far surpassing trillion, quadrillions, or quintillions, each came up and spoke about their faith. Each one caused Yhwh to feel true care. Another person came up. "You believe you are an Ipth, but that is not true." Yhwh was confused. This was a mortal speaking, how much could he know? The mortal continued. "Regardless of your body, being a human is far more than skin and bones. The human will must live within you. Only then are you human." Behind him, a powerful cultivator came up. This cultivator had reached the god realm. "Skin? Bones? Flesh? Blood? What about that is human? None of it. Beasts and animals have it as well. Only the human heart is unique." Two vastly different beings, but both spoke the same. Another mortal came up. "Human? Is a cultivator truly human despite having a body vastly different from that of mine? The answer is yes. Why? Because he is human." As the last being came up and spoke, Yhwh finally calmed down. Only a few minutes had passed, but within his mind, it felt like an eternity. He bowed to the endless darkness, now lit up with golden light. "Thank You." Simple words, but it conveyed everything. Outside, the storm of golden threads stopped. Yhwh stood there, seemingly no different from before. However, the patriarch could see more than the body. He could see the heart. He could tell that something had changed. Yhwh opened his eyes and looked at the patriarch. "I must go now. I am not fit to be with the Ipth." He began to leave. As he left, the patriarch spoke. "Why? You are my descendant, heir to one of the most powerful races in the universe. At least explain. Why must you leave?" Yhwh turned around as he moved. He spoke more resolutely than he had ever spoken in his life. "Because I am Human." With that, he left the Ipth universe through the nearby gate. The patriarch sighed unwillingly before returning to his palace. Yhwh entered the Main universe and sensed his connection through the golden threads. Across the universe, no matter where, no matter mortal or cultivator, all beings with faith in Yhwh looked towards the same direction. Countless golden threads connected from every direction. Yhwh felt them all. His ability to influence others was not actually that strong in human form. At best, it gave a good impression and made him seem more followable. He understood that now. In his Ipth form, it was powerful, but he was not an Ipth. He was Human, and he would remain so until the day he died. He owed everything to his believers, those who gave him faith, and no matter how powerful he became, he would never forget them and their grace. Time still passed as always, and Yhwh''s strength steadily increased. His number of believers continued to increase at an astonishing rate. One day, while cultivating above a star, he saw a visitor. Yhwh sensed a powerful aura and thought that the patriarch had returned, but upon looking up, he saw a humanoid being shrouded in a golden glow. Yhwh felt it. It was truly Divine. The being stood across from Yhwh. "Truly? I truly stumbled upon such a being?" The being said. Yhwh did not understand. The being looked up. "Can I talk to this guy?" Yhwh was genuinely confused. Who was he talking to? After a while, the being nodded. "Alright. Keep it simple and short." The being walked forward. "My name is Yoha, and I think me and you could get along." Chapter 539: Karma - 539 Chapter 539 - Karma - 539 "Hello?" Yhwh said. The being in front of him had something akin to a halo on his head and four pairs of white wings on his back. Yhwh recognized him as a member of the well known angel race. They were a race that owned an entire universe, similar to the Ipth, but far more powerful. It was said that their most powerful being was beyond any known cultivator. Yoha walked up to him. "It seems you practice a power different from cultivation. Mind if I take a look?" Yhwh was shocked. No matter how powerful, nobody had ever recognized that he was truly not a cultivator. He had also avoided saying that he wasn''t as time passed. The fact that this Yoha could tell at a glance showed that he was even stronger than a sage. Yhwh''s thoughts tracked back as he remembered the legendary figure of the angel race. He spoke his thoughts aloud. "Are you that legendary being of legend from the angel race?" Yoha nodded. "That should be me." Yhwh stood up and bowed. This was a powerful person that he could not compare to. Yoha stopped him. "Just treat me like a curious bypasser. I can recognize that you''re a good person and have no ill intentions towards you." Yhwh nodded. If Yoha wanted to harm him, nobody could stop him. Answering Yoha''s earlier question, Yhwh held out his hand. On it were a few golden threads. Yhwh didn''t know if Yoha would be able to see it, but Yoha''s eyes lit up immediately. "Incredible. As expected, I can''t hardly understand it." Yoha said. Yhwh stood still as Yoha looked at it. After a while he sighed. "That''s enough. I''ll have to ask you if you can talk to me about this once you reach my level." Yhwh nodded. "If I ever were to reach such a level, I''d be glad to talk to you." Yoha thanked him. "You belong to a special category of beings throughout the entire universe. As long as you do not die or forsake your path, you are destined to reach the absolute peak." Yhwh thanked him for his words, though he didn''t quite understand everything. Since he didn''t ask any questions, Yoha didn''t plan to explain himself. After this, Yoha excused himself. "I don''t want to interfere with your path too much. I''ll go now." Yhwh did not stop him, and Yoha left. As he left, Yhwh secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Although Yoha seemed trustworthy, it was still hard to relax around such a powerful being. For the Ipth patriarch, at least he could tell that he was overwhelmingly powerful. Yoha, on the other hand, seemed like a mortal no matter how much Yhwh looked at him. In the residence, Zhou Fan was watching Yhwh from above. Suddenly, to his great shock, he felt something and averted his gaze. "Impossible. Another path at the same time. Such a thing, its probability is basically zero." He mumbled. Yhwh had not even fully grown yet, but another path creator had been born. And this one seemed far different from Yhwh. The last two, Yhwh and Yoha, had created paths aligned to good, but this one had a deep darkness to it. Despite this deep darkness, there also seemed to be a light within, and Zhou Fan could barely see through this power at all. ¡ª------------------------------- Ye Li had been born on a mortal planet. This planet truly contained nothing but mortals. He was human, but he didn''t feel human. The technology level on this world was barely enough to go to space, and most of the innovation in this world was for money making purposes or entertainment. This forgotten world had no access to the cultivation manual and no contact with any other beings outside of the planet. For all they knew, they were alone in the universe, despite having many stories of alien creatures. At this time, Ye Li was still technically a child, though he was soon to be an adult and his maturity level had far surpassed that of any adult. Ye Li felt inwardly disgusted at human emotions, and usually maintained an emotionless facade. He simply lived from day to day, but as he lived, he always felt as if there was something more. Inside, he felt that there must be some sort of existence, human or nonliving, that existed above the world and the universe itself. After a long time, he began to live by an imaginary existence. He called this existence Karma. As he lived, he always felt that things were predictable. Everything seemed to be dictated by this imaginary existence he called Karma. People would take actions and be surprised at the results, while he would have known them from the moment the actions were taken. This Karma of his was described as cause and effect, and as he grew, he began to believe more and more in this imaginary existence. As he reached the age of 25, living a boring life, he felt that it was his duty to take care of Karma. This was when he took his first human life. The person was horrible, but the law protected him as long as he was not convicted. Ye Li knew that he would be thrown in prison for killing this man if it was discovered, but he knew it wouldn''t be. From the Karma, this man deserved to die. If anything, he would receive a good result, a good effect from this cause. This was when Ye Li truly separated good Karma and bad Karma. By doing bad things, bad things would happen to you. By doing good things, good things would happen. There was Karma in everything, and it was not often based on good and bad. For the vast majority of the time, Karma was neutral. Ye Li understood this and rarely partook in good or bad Karma. Everything in life was dictated by Karma, or cause and effect. By working out, one got stronger. By jumping, one would fall. By breathing, one would live. As he lived by this imaginary existence, Karma, a faint, invisible silhouette began to appear above him. Chapter 540: Ye Li - 540 Chapter 540 - Ye Li - 540 This silhouette was unseeable by almost all beings in the universe. Only the path creators would be able to see it, and only those that had reached the peak. The fact that a simple mortal could create something invisible to even sage realm cultivators was a feat that may never be repeated. Of course, Ye Li himself could not see it, but even if unintentionally, he had in fact created it. Ye Li began to age, and as he lived by Karma, the silhouette above him slowly strengthened. At the age of 80, Ye Li was on his deathbed. His lifespan was reaching its end, earlier than plenty of others. However, Ye Lie did not feel any fear. He had seen through this world long ago. He laid on his deathbed, completely alone. His path was his alone, and he would not walk it with anyone, regardless of whether someone wished to join him or not. Ye Li''s consciousness began to fade in and out. In his final moments, he thought of Karma. He reaffirmed everything he had understood in his life, merging it into one thing. There was another reason that Ye Li did not feel any fear. It was because he knew that he would not die here. His Karma did not end now. As all of his thoughts and beliefs seemed to merge, his body began to change. His aged body filled with wrinkles began to clear up. His hair grew back onto his head. His consciousness seemed to awaken again. He stood up, looking the same as he did 60 years ago. Without waiting, he walked out of his room and left the hospital. There were no surprises, only Karma. He began to go around, living anew. Now, he had made Karma tangible. Around his finger, a gray spiral rotated. Karma was ever moving and ever changing. Now, it was time to grow his Karma. To Ye Li, there were two ways to do this. One, continue living and experience Karma. Like he had done his entire life, his Karma would slowly grow through his own karma. However, there seemed to be another option now. He could take Karma. Not just from humans, or living beings in general, but from rocks, or grass. Everything could have Karma, even if living beings had far more. For example, if a rock was used in a murder, it would have Karma. Ye Li walked along a crowded street and saw a man that caught his attention. He could feel it clearly. This man deserved to die. Ye Li tapped him with his finger as he walked past. The man stopped, and his life seemed to flash before his eyes. He fell, and before he hit the ground, Ye Li had taken all of his Karma. By doing so, there was nothing left of the man. Ye Li''s Karma had visibly strengthened through this person. Although he could not compare to Ye Li''s Karma on a time for time comparison, it was still useful. The street cleared up as people yelled in shock. As Ye Li walked away, he saw police show up, and some people, presumably his Wife and daughter, cried while looking at him. Ye Li left, unremorseful, and found others. He mainly focused on killing those with immense bad Karma, but he did not discriminate too much. He took every opportunity he could to take someone''s Karma without being caught. Regardless of whether or not he was stronger than anyone on this world, he felt that there was something higher than this. The universe had to be bigger, and if it was, it would be best to maintain a low profile throughout all of his life. After all, he believed in Karma, in cause and effect. If he never revealed himself, then he could never be found. Ye Li spent twenty years taking Karma. His world had begun to fear some sort of disease going around, but nobody suspected for even a moment that these people were all being killed. After twenty years, Ye Li felt that he was ready. His Karma had increased by a lot. The invisible silhouette, though as unseeable as ever, had grown clearer and more powerful. Ye Li let the Karma spiraling around his fingertip begin to spiral across his body. His Karma was being rapidly consumed, but his body was changing. It was growing more powerful, and capable of more things. When Ye Li''s transformation had ended, he was countless times stronger than before. Even if there were cultivators on this world, most could not match him. This was only a growth in overall physical abilities. The only thing magical about him was Karma. Living in the shadows of his world, Ye Li increased his consumption of others'' Karma. Now, the world truly began to panic. Tens of people would randomly die everyday. In public, in their homes, or working, they would simply fall over and be dead by the time they hit the ground. After his transformation, Ye Li was able to take Karma from afar. All he needed to do was shoot out a spiral of Karma at a person. With his enhanced eyesight, he could do this from tens of thousands of feet away. The growth of his Karma seemed slow, but it was actually incredibly fast. A hundred years later, Ye Li had transformed a few times and had grown to be a completely different individual. It was time to get rid of this world''s Karma. Ye Li raised his hands high and slammed them down. With a smack, his Karma spiral moved at the speed of light, moving through all living beings of this world, and even the world itself. After one minute, the Karma spiral returned. Ye Li looked around. There was nothing left. All humans or other living things had no more Karma, all of it taken away by Ye Li. Even the planet itself had died. It turned into a truly dead planet, filled with nothing but Karmaless dirt. Ye Li remained, the only living being. His Karma was boiling, increasing immensely in an instant. Chapter 541: The Path of Karma - 541 Chapter 541 - The Path of Karma - 541 Ye Li sat still for a moment as the boiling Karma slowly settled down. When it finally settled, he opened his eyes and looked around. The world he knew was gone. Even the atmosphere had collapsed, leaving him without air. Luckily, he could survive at this point using Karma. It had strengthened his body to the point where he defied all logic. He could fly and breathe in space. Thinking this far, he shot up into the air and left the planet. He didn''t know if there was truly other life in the universe, but he imagined there was, and he would find it. His speed was rather slow, but good enough to traverse space. After a few hundred years of traveling, he found another planet. From afar, it seemed like his world. However, only by descending upon it could he truly know if there was life on it. He fell from space and landed in a grassy meadow. This was enough to prove that there was other life in the universe, and based on the fact that the first planet he discovered had life, there was probably a lot. As he looked around, he suddenly felt something ethereal. He had never felt such a thing on his planet. He turned around and saw a large beast looking at him with red eyes. This was his first time experiencing killing intent, as nobody on his world had it. As he locked eyes with the beast, it jumped forward extremely fast and attacked Ye Li. Ye Li''s body had been strengthened so much that this beast posed no threat to him, but it was something beyond that which he had ever seen. Curious, he moved to the side and pointed his finger at the beast. A spiral shot through it, not hurting it, but stripping away its Karma. It was dead before it hit the ground. When he felt the increase in his Karma, Ye Li was stunned. It was more than a hundred thousand humans worth on his home planet. Suddenly, from beyond some trees, three beings with large ears wielding bows jumped out, bows drawn. They paused, stopping their shot, as they saw the beast dead. They looked at Ye Li. "You killed the beast?" Ye Li looked at them curiously and nodded. The three looked at each other for a brief moment before suddenly lunging towards him, bows once again drawn. Before they could react, Ye Li pierced them with Karma. They were dead before they hit the ground. Ye Li once again felt a stunning increase in his Karma. Compared to his total amount, it was still tiny, but it was stunning that all of this came from three humanoid creatures and a beast. Ye Li studied the three humanoid beings but did not quite understand them. Their bodies were incredibly powerful, but they did not seem to have anything special about them. He could only come to the conclusion that the life on this planet had evolved incredibly. He looked in the direction of where they came from and began to walk. He moved quickly, but silently. This planet was bigger than his home planet, but not by too much. After an hour of slowly moving, he saw a city of trees in the distance. The trees appeared to have been made into some sort of odd housing. Bridges were connecting nearly every single tree. These beings seemed to be aggressive, but they could speak English. Ye Li had a headache wondering about them. He slowly moved, keeping himself in the shadows. After a while, a person wielding a spear moved into the forest and walked down a path. Ye Li followed him and studied him. He began to think as he followed the man, and eventually had an incredible idea. He pointed his finger, and a spiral of Karma shot out. This man could not sense it at all, and it pierced him. He paused for a moment, feeling off, but eventually kept walking. Meanwhile, Ye Li was viewing scenes in his mind. That Karma spiral had been produced with the intention of reading Karma, not taking it. It was a complete test and Ye Li did not know if it would work, but it did. He saw scenes of this individual''s past, random bits that only helped a little. The scenes soon ended and Ye Li followed the being. He used another Karma spiral to read the beings'' Karma, but he intended for this one to be more specific. He gave it the directive of understanding the world and the universe through this humanoid beings'' past. He saw many scenes. This time, they were helpful. He could not read the beings thoughts or hear sound through this method, but he could see mouths moving and see events happening. He began to actually understand everything. There was a power in the universe. It was known as Qi. It existed everywhere and in all things. Throughout the entire universe, they did something called cultivation to use this Qi. It strengthened their body and gave them unimaginable abilities. It allowed one to reach unimaginable levels of power, flipping stars with a glance and changing the weather with a thought. Ye Li was excited. These cultivators could live for an extremely long time. The Karma he would receive from them would be enormous. In addition, with cultivation, their Karma was far more valuable than a mortals. Even Karma was somewhat affected by this cultivation. Ye Li considered cultivating, but he felt an intense rejection from within him. He did not force it. After piercing the humanoid creature, a being known widely as an Elf, with more Karma spirals, Ye Li had all the information he needed. With a final Karma spiral, the Elf was dead before he hit the ground. Ye Li wore his clothes and covered his ears with a hat. He understood that the cultivation universe was another form of government, just like on his world. If he went around massacring for Karma, someone he could not handle would show up, this he could see. So he would not operate in the open, he would hide in the dark. This was his path, the path of Karma. Chapter 542: Mayor - 542 Chapter 542 - Mayor - 542 Ye Li entered the Elf city without any sort of issue at all. Truthfully, this world did not pose too much of a threat to him. From what he had seen through Karma, the strongest being of this world was at a realm known as Space Shattering. He should be more or less equivalent to a void traversing realm cultivator. Also, with Karma, he may be able to escape a space shattering realm cultivator. When he said he''s equivalent to a void traversing realm cultivator, it was only because of the ability to travel through space and power. If he actually had the power to fight a space shattering realm cultivator, then he would be equivalent to a Space shattering realm cultivator. It had nothing to do with cultivation, just pure battle strength. Instead of worrying about Space Shattering realm cultivators, he was worried about those above this world, cultivators far beyond his understanding. Who knew the structure of this world? He would not find out the hard way. Ye Li entered the city under the guise of an elf. He spent his days wandering around, piercing elves with Karma, not to strip it away, but to read their Karma. After a while, he figured where to start. In this city, the most powerful cultivator was a peak soul formation realm cultivator. As he left the city, traveling above the forest, Ye Li followed him. As he followed, he tested his theory. Since Karma could be stripped and read from a person, perhaps he could also change that Karma. A Karma spiral pierced through the cultivator, and in an instant, he fell down screaming. The screaming soon stopped, and Ye Li came out from the shadows. The Elf looked at him in horror. Out of nowhere, it saw its greatest fear appear in front of it. It was just a moment, but it felt like forever. It must have come from the man in front of him. Ye Li had a gray mask covering his face. He looked at the man for a while, not saying a word. The man could not tell that Ye Li was reading his Karma. After a few minutes, Ye Li spoke. "Do you know who I am?" The Elf shook his head quickly. "I am the Unknown, and I call for your use." The Elf was confused, but scenes began to fly by in its mind. It was as if repressed memories were unsealed from within. Ye Li had essentially made up a past through the use of Karma. The Elf saw a giant tree, as well as multiple powerful beings all kneeling to the masked man in front of him. It made sense now. This was the ruler of the Unknown, the most powerful hidden force in the universe. The Elf got up and bowed. "I apologize, Lord Memory. Please forgive my insolence." Lord Memory was the fake name that Ye Li had created. He did not know what his future held, but he made sure that he was hidden behind as much of a curtain as possible. Although he had only created a little bit of fake Karma, the Elf believed him. It could not explain the existence of these memories otherwise. Ye Li gave the Elf orders. In just a few days, Ye Li held an official position in the Elf City. He was the new Vice mayor, an elf from afar. Nobody questioned this new Vice mayor since the politics of this city had been a bit shaky. Ye Li always wore a green hood. It was rumored that his face had been disfigured long ago. For now, Ye Li truly intended to help the city. He had killed many beings, and he could sense bad Karma. Of course, it was a bit different for him. Karma both affected him the least and affected him the most. It was difficult to explain, but Ye Li was able to. He was under the direct watch of Karma, so the good things he did were seen clearly, and so were the bad. However, he was also the "Messenger" or "Apostle", whatever you wanted to call it, of Karma. This made him somewhat exempt. At the very least, this was how Ye Li was able to explain it in words. Although he was exempt, Ye Li feared Karma more than anything else. In fact, all he feared was Karma. Therefore, it was good to gain good Karma when he could. Of course, he didn''t expect good things to happen to him. The exemption went both ways. However, this way, he could at least wash away some of the bad Karma following him. He both feared Karma and revered it. As far as he was concerned, he was Karma. Ye Li helped a lot of people and gained a lot of good Karma over a few tens of years. Naturally, it hardly helped considering he had killed countless individuals on his planet. There seemed to be two other ways to get rid of the effects of bad Karma. One was time. As time passed, both good and bad Karma would slowly dissolve. The second was growing more powerful. The stronger an individual was, the more bad Karma they could handle before it spilled over. Over these tens of years, Ye Li had killed many cultivator elves in secret, hidden by the mayor, the soul formation realm elf. Each of the elves he had stripped Karma from had been at the Core Formation realm. He was different from when he first came to this world, but not by too much. He would need a void traversing realm cultivator to truly experience a massive change. Ye Li had been biding his time, waiting for the right moment. This moment began now. The Mayor stepped down, and he became the Mayor. This changed everything. He had access to a higher level of information, though this was not too important since the last Mayor had told him what he needed to know. What truly made a great change were the meetings that took place once every hundred years in this world. All of the strongest attended, and as a Mayor, he now had that right. Chapter 543: Hidden Karma - 543 Chapter 543 - Hidden Karma - 543 Ye Li donned his hood and set out with the previous mayor of the city. It didn''t take long to arrive, and Ye Li saw the grandest scene so far in his life. A giant mountain, and on top of it a giant palace. It seemed like a place of gods. As usual for elves, trees were placed all around the mountain and even within the palace. Ye Li flew up to the entrance with the previous mayor. This was where the mayor left. "I cannot go any farther, Lord Memory." He said quietly. Ye Li waved him off and entered. He instantly stood out, but most only looked for a second and ignored him. He did not talk to anyone and stayed in a corner while the event was preparing to begin. As he stood in the corner, he constantly used Karma to read the Karma of these individuals. Nobody here could detect Karma, and Ye Li was not sure that anyone besides him in the entire universe could. Although each person pierced by Karma felt off, the feeling only lasted for a moment. After waiting a few days, everyone gathered in a large room. There was a section of stands where all of the soul formation realm cultivators sat. They were the most ordinary beings that were allowed into the palace. Down below, there were around thirty void traversing realm cultivators. Leading this meeting were two space shattering realm cultivators. Ye Li ignored the contents of this meeting and began to act. His Karma pierced through the two strongest beings repeatedly, seeing countless scenes through them. He saw space, powerful beings beyond his comprehension, and one particularly powerful elf that had accepted these two as disciples. Above that elf was a powerful organization. Perhaps that elf had even been accepted as a disciple. Ye Li sighed, understanding that the cultivation world had many layers. If you kill a son, expect the father to seek revenge. If you kill the father, wait for the grandfather. If the grandfather is killed, wait for the ancestor. It seemed to go on and on to the top. Ye Li was glad that he had not impulsively acted so far. Although it was unlikely that he would ever be caught, he did not fully understand the universe. As the two space shattering realm cultivators spoke, Ye Li pierced one of them with Karma. Ye Li''s Karma was consumed heavily, but he succeeded. One of the two elves was now under the same impression as the mayor. Thinking this, Ye Li silently snapped his fingers. Outside the palace, the waiting previous mayor that had brought Ye Li felt something pierce through his heart. Without fully understanding how, he silently died. His dying body was stripped of Karma by a spiral. This was Ye Li''s first physical attack using Karma, an ability he had developed during his time as vice mayor. He called it the Hidden Karma. He hid a sword made out of Karma inside of the previous mayor''s Karma. When the time came, the sword made of Karma instantly pierced through his heart. It was impossible for the mayor to resist. Ye Li would not leave anyone like that alive. He didn''t need that Karma existing without being useful. At the same time, within the city he had been vice mayor of, spirals of Karma burst out and pierced through every living being. Every single one was stripped of Karma and died. With the previous mayor and all of these people combined, Ye Li had already recovered from the loss of Karma due to changing the Karma of one of the space shattering realm cultivators. This instant culling within the city would undoubtedly attract the attention of many, but it would only happen later. Ye Li would discard this identity soon. The meeting soon ended, faster than many of the meetings before it but nothing obvious. Everyone began to leave the palace, but Ye Li stayed behind. In private, he met with the elf he had pierced. This one was a woman, while the other was a man. This also fell into Ye Li''s plan. She kneeled upon seeing him. "Lord Memory. It is an honor to see you." Ye Li spoke. "Set up a trap for your fellow disciple. We will kill him, and I will assume his identity." The elf seemed to hesitate, but only for a moment before nodding. "As you wish, Lord Memory." The next day, news about the massacre of the city spread. At the same time, the previous mayor was found dead in the same fashion. Everyone searched for the current mayor, only for him to be found dead. None had seen his face clearly before, so Ye Li had picked out a random powerful elf and made him the scapegoat. On that same day, the elf under Ye Li''s control invited her fellow disciple for tea in a secluded area. Her fellow disciple was excited, only to be stabbed in the chest with a surprise attack from her. He bled while looking at her in shock. From behind, Ye Li came up and pierced him with a Karma spiral, finishing the job. For the current him, defeating a space shattering realm cultivator on his own was difficult. Luckily, he did not need to do it on his own. He felt himself evolve due to a surplus of Karma once again as he assumed the identity of the space shattering realm cultivator. High above, Zhou Fan looked at this with a distant look. In his mind, gears were turning. He was close, very close. Something was obvious, but he couldn''t quite catch it. Seeing Ye Li, he could feel something within him changing. This was not solely due to Ye Li, but the accumulation from every path creator so far. "Good. Good, Ye Li. Let''s see how else you can help me." Zhou Fan said. After assuming the identity of the space shattering realm cultivator, Ye Li lived in the same way he had as vice mayor. He helped out many beings, only occasionally killing a bunch that had bad Karma. He was able to grow and keep his bad Karma in check this way. Chapter 544: The Master - 544 Chapter 544 - The Master - 544 Ye Li still wasn''t 100% sure what effect bad Karma would have on him, but it was a much better idea to keep it low than to ignore it. Ye Li bided his time, waiting for the master of the two space shattering realm cultivators to appear. He had devoured endless amounts of Karma from cultivators. He had already far surpassed the total Karma that stripping his entire world and all the life on it of Karma had given, and by multiple times. His body strength had increased as a by-product of increasing his Karma, but as usual, almost all of his strength was in Karma. Having his body strengthened only helped do basic things like fly and enter space. While waiting, he thought of offensive techniques that he could use with Karma. After three hundred years, the female elf whose Karma he had changed came to him and said that their master was visiting in just a day. Ye Li nodded and prepared. So did the elf. As the master silently descended, not drawing attention from anyone in the world, Ye Li took out some Karma he had stored. This was the space shattering realm cultivator''s Karma, the one he had killed. It swirled around his face, changing it. After just a moment, he was a perfect look alike of the space shattering realm elf. Although it would be difficult to imitate him perfectly, it would be fine to only deceive the master for a moment. Ye Li and the elf watched as the master descended and looked at them. The elf ran up to her master for a hug. The master seemed surprised but hugged her back with a smile. She spoke with a smile. "It was nice knowing you, Master." The Master looked confused for a moment, before the elf''s body exploded with a hidden Karma sword. This killed her instantly, and pierced through the master. The Master was stronger than expected, but Ye Li had prepared for this. It seemed that the master was either in the Inner world realm or had strength of that level. He was left momentarily stunned as he looked at the spot where the elf had stood moments ago. Ye Li stood up and ran in for a hug. The Master looked into the sky. "Who is manipulating my disciples?!!!" He screamed in rage. He backed away from Ye Li, but a Karma spiral suddenly pierced him. He looked down at his chest. His Karma was being rapidly drained, but it was not instant. He jumped back extremely far, but he could not rid himself of Karma. He continuously weakened as he ran around. He flew into space to try and escape from whatever was happening, but Ye Li followed. The Master, whose face was now pale and filled with anger, looked at Ye Li. "It is you! What have you done?!" Ye Li did not answer. He shot out another Karma spiral. The Master could not see it. This one did not devour Karma, but read it. Ye Li saw scenes flash by. He only got to look for a few moments before the Master turned around and attacked. Ye Li dodged to the side, and the Master''s chest burst open. The Hidden Karma sword that first hit him did not only injure him, but planted another Hidden Karma sword within. It slowly nurtured and exploded when Ye Li needed it to. This time, the Master was nearly killed. Weakened from his Karma being devoured, he slowly fell. Ye Li did not kill him quickly, but began to read his Karma. This Master did not have a Master, but was an elder of a powerful sect. After gaining a large amount of information, Ye Li stripped the Master of his Karma. He preserved a tiny bit to use as a mask in the future. This one Master caused his Karma to boil over, reaching never before seen heights. Although his combat power did not technically reach the Inner World realm, he was able to defeat the Master through multiple surprise attacks. Such was the use of Karma in combat. Ye Li had completely evolved, and now, this world was no longer of use to him. He turned around and faced it. The strongest left on this world was at the void traversing realm. With his current strength, it meant nothing. He raised his hands high. This always felt like a solemn event. Bringing his hands down, a Karma spiral shot out. At the speed of light, it pierced every being in the world, undetected. It stripped away their Karma, and then the Karma of the world itself. The Karma of this world was particularly dense, perhaps as a result of housing so many cultivators. It alone provided him with an immense amount of Karma, honed throughout countless generations and years. Ye Li imagined what would happen if he found the oldest planet in the universe and stripped it of Karma. He couldn''t even imagine what heights he would reach. The increase in Karma was not small at all, propelling Ye Li''s power to another level. With this, his Karma to this world was no longer there. He could move on freely, and he had a destination. From the Master''s mind, a powerful sect within the universe. This was known as the Star harmonization sect. The Sect Master, who was the strongest of the sect, was said to be at the level of a peak God. His strength would increase by countless times if he could strip the sect master and the entire sect of Karma. The path of Karma was one of the fastest growing so far, but only because Ye Li was able to strip Karma from others. If he was to try and create Karma by himself, it would likely end up one of the slowest growing paths in the universe. At this rate, he would soon catch up to Yhwh, and perhaps even surpass him. It was hard to tell for now. Zhou Fan watched as Ye Li traveled towards a teleportation hub. Chapter 545: Karmic Shackles - 545 Chapter 545 - Karmic Shackles - 545 Before completely destroying the Master''s body, Ye Li had taken a card from his corpse. This was one of the main methods of using a teleportation array. These cards could be bought, and they had a specific distance on them. This distance could be traveled through teleportation arrays at any teleportation hub throughout the universe. Although it was bound to the Master, Ye Li was able to manipulate the card into working for him with Karma. To do so, it had taken a large amount of effort, but now that it was done, he knew how to do so forever. Countermeasures had naturally been put in place of such fraud, but they had not accounted for the power of Karma at all. With his newfound power, Ye Li was able to reach the teleportation hub quickly. He wore a hood to cover his head and face. Using the teleportation arrays was simple. He walked inside of the hub and found the teleportation array he wanted to use. Then, he handed the card to the guard/activator of the teleportation array. "I need to see your face to confirm your identity." The guard said. Ye Li removed his hood, revealing the face of the master. Without another word, the guard used a talisman. It lit up for a moment and faded away with no reaction. The guard nodded and Ye Li stepped onto the array. In just a moment, he had reached another teleportation hub. After one more teleportation, he arrived at his destination. The Star Harmonization Sect. As its name somewhat hinted, it was built in between a collection of stars. Ye Li marveled at the sight for a moment before focusing. From the Karma he had read, he knew how to get a chance to strip the Karma of a being as powerful as the Master. An elder that the Master had been quite close to. Ye Li found a building and sent a letter to a certain location. This letter had a stamp on it. It could not be imitated by any other and was unique to the Master, but with Karma, this rule was broken. To that other elder, Ye Li had sent an invitation to meet up. He would not strip this other elder of Karma, but implant Karma into her. After nearly a year passed, Ye Li used the teleportation hub to reach a medium sized planet. This planet was completely filled with trees. Not a single inch was untouched by roots or wood. There were oceans, but only under the surface of the world. All the roots gathered to form one giant root. It was rumored that this planet was actually a living being, but that was all. It did not receive much attention and could be used as a secluded meeting spot. Ye Li descended upon a pre-determined location and saw someone already there, waiting for him. As he came into sight of that person, a Karma spiral secretly entered them and began to charge up. "Elder Ou. It is not common for us to meet. What is the reason for this?" She said. Ye Li did not speak. He waited. His face was that of the Masters, but that was all. After a moment of silence, the woman''s face scrunched up. "That posture. You''re not Elder Ou. Who are you?" That should be enough, Ye Li thought. Piercing through her stomach from seemingly nowhere, a Hidden Karma sword severely injured the woman. Without hesitation, she ran. Ye Li did not stop her, only sending a Karmic spiral up. After a few minutes, the woman came back and kneeled. "Lord Memory. Forgive my insolence." Ye Li did not speak. He began to read her Karma. After five minutes, the woman spoke again. "Lord Memory. If I may..." Before she could finish, a Karma spiral stripped her of Karma. "Useless." Ye Li mumbled as he left. The woman, unlike the Master had, did not give him any opportunity to silently meet up with another elder of similar strength. She could not help him. Using the Master''s face once again, Ye Li stayed in the Star harmonization sect. He was moving too fast, and he needed to slow down for a moment. He had grown so fast that his thoughts about Karma were in disarray and he needed to sort them out before disaster struck. Spending an extremely long amount of time living in the Star Harmonization sect compared to the length of his life so far, Ye Li spent a million years thinking about Karma and inventing ways to use it. When he came out, he had transformed. Briefly describing his comprehensions, stripping Karma with the Karma spiral no longer increased his bad Karma. He had simply needed to ask himself, was using Karma bad? No, it was Karma. He should not receive bad Karma for using Karma, even if it hurt others. This was a simple belief. It hardly made sense, but this was Ye Li''s comprehension of Karma. Living under Karma, his thoughts were naturally different from an outside perspective. In addition to this, Ye Li had accidently created a supreme move. He had a feeling that this would be one that followed him to the end of his path, and perhaps even beyond that. He called it the Karmic shackles. All actions created Karma, and only time could wear that Karma away. Ye Li was excited to fight someone and test this ability out. After a million years, his bad Karma had greatly degraded. Although it seemed like he had done a lot of bad things, on a grand scale, he had really not. What were a few planets to the universe? After thinking for so long, Ye Li left the Star Harmonization Sect. He felt something amiss here, and this instinct was based on his power, Karma. Something bad would probably happen if he stayed. He left, and using the teleportation hub, randomly entered a different part of the universe. The Masters teleportation card was nearly used up, and Ye Li could not return to the Star Harmonization sect for the time being even if he wanted to. Chapter 546: Sect Master - 546 Chapter 546 - Sect Master - 546 The goal of this journey is to increase his Karma. Since he was not in the best situation to find powerful cultivators at the Star Harmonization Sect, he would try his luck elsewhere. Leaving the teleportation hub by foot, Ye Li moved in a random direction. When he saw a planet, he used the Karma spiral without waiting a moment. The entire planet and all the life on it was stripped of Karma. He continued onward. He soon came upon a star. Ye Li wasn''t sure if it had much Karma, but it definitely had some. He pierced it with a Karma spiral. It took a few moments, but the Star exploded with an incredibly dangerous power. Ye Li could barely withstand it. The Star had supernovaed. Luckily, with his current power and after making some distance from the explosion, he was able to resist it without any injury. His Karma had increased, but not by too much. It was about the same if he used Karma on a planet with no life. Ye Li continued to move throughout this section of the universe, stripping Karma from everything possible. He continued to do this for a hundred thousand years. In this time, his Karma grew massively. The universe was so big that nobody of importance noticed, but a section of an entire galaxy had gone dark, all the stars and planets within it gone. Ye Li had met a fair share of cultivators and cultivating beasts, which only grew his Karma even further. Although none of the cultivators could compare to the Master, they all added up to give far more Karma than the Master. After the first million years, he continued for another million years before someone actually noticed. Going up a chain of command, a powerful cultivator soon learned that a large section of a galaxy had simply become desolate. Without too much expectation, that cultivator set out to investigate, as was his job. Through the teleportation hub, he quickly arrived at his destination. He saw the desolate planets and star residue. He traveled around the entire area before finally seeing Ye Li looking at a planet from afar. The cultivator approached. "You. Have you seen what caused the desolation here?" Ye Li did not need to respond. A Karma Spiral appeared and stripped the Inner World realm cultivator of Karma in an instant. "I''ve been spotted. It is time to return to the Star Harmonization Sect." Ye Li mumbled as he took a teleportation hub card from the corpse. As he had done before, he easily passed through the teleportation hub and arrived at the Star Harmonization sect once again. This time, his strength had at least reached the God Realm. He did not waste time and directly snuck into the Sect Masters abode. The Sect Master could not detect him at all. This was due to a new usage of the Hidden Karma technique. Ye Li was able to hide his own Karma, and as a result, his entire existence was basically completely invisible. He set up an intricate trap around the Sect Masters abode and activated it in one fell swoop. The Sect Master had only been able to release one large burst of power before he was severely injured and stripped of Karma. This single burst of power alerted the entire sect. Elders and Grand elders rushed to the abode and saw the Sect Master sitting calmly. "I have reached the True God realm." He stated simply. The Sect was thrown into an uproar. Nobody even noticed the lack of a tribulation. Ye Li, disguised as the Sect Master, announced his entrance into seclusion to consolidate his breakthrough. Ye Li''s overall power had truly reached the True God realm after devouring the Sect Masters Karma. With his unfathomable abilities, he posed a real threat to any True God. His Karma mask technique had been developed, and now he could perfectly imitate almost any humanoid being. With his disguise and knowledge of the Sect Master through Karma, Ye Li planned to stay as the Sect Master for the time being. The Sect Master didn''t really have any superior, though there were many cultivators more powerful than him. After a few years, the Sect Master announced that the Sect would begin to expand itself and establish itself as a powerful force in the universe. They would start by completely taking over a large section of space, consisting of multiple galaxies. Coincidentally, there was another unique being there. As Ye Li had been choosing a location, he felt his Karma stir. It seemed undecided. It was as if, in this area, there was something that could either benefit him greater than anything else, or completely end his path. His Karma could not directly tell the outcome, it could only sense great opportunity and great risk. The Sect had mixed reactions to this announcement, but the prevailing sentiment was excitement. The Sect was ready to reach greater heights than ever. After a few years of preparation, the Star Harmonization Sect set out. They began ruthlessly, using Star Qi to wipe out multiple planets and stars. All beings in their way were either captured or decimated. Ye Li did not take any action, not even stripping Karma away. He was waiting for the opportunity to appear. Until then, he likely did not need to act himself. The Star Harmonization Sect made themselves known, and known they became. A large section of this universal sector became aware of their movements and the Sect Masters breakthrough. This area had a predominately elf population, but the Star Harmonization Sect had a mix of elves and humans, with the Sect Master being human. As a result, this expansion was not taken kindly. Two True Gods were sent out to order the Star Harmonization Sect to return back and cease expansion. When Ye Li saw the two True Gods, he was excited and acted himself. Hiding the battlefield from view, it was soon reported that the Two True Gods had been killed, shocking many. Even after so many years of development, True Gods were not as common as grass or trees. It was the peak level of theoretically attainable power for countless cultivators. Any higher and one would be a legend. Chapter 547: Setting Traps - 547 Chapter 547 - Setting Traps - 547 Soon after this battle, news leaked that the Sect Master had been severely injured in the battle. He had apparently sacrificed some of his lifespan to produce a sneak attack. With this news spreading out, those who had sent out the two True Gods first investigated the legitimacy. Even when using countless methods, it was determined to be a truthful leak of information. After a moment of brief hesitation, 5 more True Gods were secretly sent out to assassinate the Sect Master. Ye Li was prepared for this. He set up many things in advance for this battle. When the 5 True Gods secretly entered, one of them was pierced by a Karma spiral. After using a large amount of Karma, Karma was implanted. One of the cultivators stopped moving for a moment, catching the attention of the other four. One of them whispered. "What''s wrong?" Before he could receive an answer, five Hidden Karma swords shot out. The first pierced the heart of the True God that they had been implanted in. He spat out blood in an instant. The other four beings were also hit, but had put up defenses after seeing the first True God get injured by something invisible. Of the 5, one was severely injured, two had been injured, and the other two were only lightly harmed. However, this wasn''t the only thing that Ye Li had set up. The 5 warily looked around, but could not sense anything. From the Shadow''s, hiding his Karma, Ye Li snuck up on the most injured True God. Nobody was focused on each other, but on the surroundings. It was as if he was walking in a different universe from them. He was there, but he could not be detected. Of course, the moment he made a move he would be noticed, but he had a chance until then. Reaching the most injured True God, Ye Li directly sent another Karma spiral into him. Implanting Karma, the beings mind momentarily went blank. This moment was all that Ye Li needed. After an hour, the 5 True Gods looked at each other. "He doesn''t seem to be near." "How sure are we that that was the Sect Master taking action?" One asked. The 5 glanced at each other unsure. "Perhaps the Sect Master is not the only True God here." Another commented. After silently thinking, four of the True Gods looked at the most injured one. "What do you say?" Since he was the most injured, he could make the decision. After hesitating, the injured True God spoke up. "No matter what, that sneak attack should have been a one time thing. He might have run away already. Let''s look for him. In the worst case scenario, we can escape later." The other four agreed with this after a moment. They continued to move throughout space quietly. They slowly grew closer together as they searched for the Sect Master. All this time, they were hidden from the massive army of the Star Harmonization Sect. After a few days, they found the Sect Master on a nearly barren planet. Dried blood was clearly apparent on his mouth. He was hidden by an advanced hiding array, but they had come prepared. Using talismans, they saw through the array and surrounded it. In just a single instant, all five True Gods bursted with their most powerful strike and broke through the array. The Sect Master did not move an inch. His body broke on contact, as if he was dead skin left behind by a snake. The True Gods were momentarily confused until they heard a loud scream. They had not noticed, but one of the powerful strikes had not been aimed at the barrier, but at one of the other True Gods. The one who had struck was the most injured one. The True God that had been attacked was defenseless and had been incapacitated. This was enough. Ye Li could directly take on three True Gods. All pretenses were dropped as the three directly attacked Ye Li. Ye Li looked at them calmly. "Karmic Shackles." ¡ª---------------------------------- With four corpses stripped of Karma left behind, Ye Li left the destroyed section of the Galaxy, once again disguised as the Sect Master. It had been a difficult battle no doubt, but he was destined to win from the start. He wouldn''t have fought otherwise. News did not go out that 5 True Gods had died. After all, it had been a secret operation this time. However, those behind the True Gods undoubtedly knew, and they were too worried to send an Outer World realm cultivator. They recognized that this could not be the Sect Master alone taking action. Perhaps an Outer World realm cultivator was behind this, no it was almost impossible for it to be anyone below the Outer World realm. They cut their losses for now. True Gods, though important, were not the backbone of their group. Outer World realm cultivators, however, were inexpendable. No matter what, they could not risk losing one. In the worst case scenario that the Star Harmonization Sect pushed too far, they had others behind them. Ye Li was able to guess that those behind the True Gods would not send anyone else for now. The area he was going to take was acceptable to them. Now, he could find the opportunity within this area. Elsewhere, Yhwh sat on a large meteor that moved at a slow speed for a being of his strength. His strength had reached the True God realm as well. He had never been much of a fighter, but he had some techniques just in case. This was a relatively new area of the universe to him. He naturally had to travel around a bunch to increase his faith. Yhwh silently pondered while looking at the stars. He imagined what level of power he would reach if the entire universe had faith in him. At the very least, he would be unmatched. Although he was heading in a random direction, Ye Li just so happened to be heading towards him, and him heading towards Ye Li. The odds of them meeting were miniscule and unbelievable, yet, somehow, these two were destined to meet. Chapter 548: Karmic Dao - 548 Chapter 548 - Karmic Dao - 548 Ye Li patiently waited for ten thousand years to pass. It felt like the blink of an eye to the current him. Suddenly, he felt his Karma move. It was not caused by him, but some sort of natural reaction. It seemed to point to the distance. Without hesitation, Ye Li moved in that direction. He did not alert anyone of his movement. The Star Harmonization Sect continued in a straight line, moving towards a different direction than Ye Li. Yhwh still sat on a meteor, unaware that he was being approached. Unlike Ye Li''s power, the power of faith did not have any instinct or divination like ability. He only sensed Ye Li when Ye Li finally laid eyes on him. He moved forward. Ye Li still wore the Sect Masters face with no intention to reveal his own. Although Yhwh did not have any detecting ability, he had instinct. He could tell that something was different about Ye Li. As Ye Li approached, Yhwh spoke. "My name is Yhwh. Who are you?" Ye Li spoke in a low voice as he approached. "A wandering cultivator looking for a worthy opponent. Would you be so kind as to have a friendly spar with me?" Yhwh pondered for a moment before speaking. "My abilities are rather unique. I can spar, but you may not gain anything from it." Ye Li bowed. "All I ask is for an opportunity. Thank you." Yhwh smiled and conjured up golden threads. He assumed Ye Li would be unable to see them as no other could without him purposely showing them, but Ye Li''s eyes subtly changed. He could not see much, but there were blurry golden threads appearing from this Yhwh. Ye Li charged forward, seemingly having the intention to punch. Yhwh calmly stepped forward and manipulated the golden threads. As Ye Li and the golden threads were about to collide, Ye Li rolled, slightly avoiding being touched. He pointed out a finger and a Karma Spiral shot forth. Yhwh''s eyes widened as he dodged to the side. He too could faintly see the power of Karma. The Karma spiral did not move in a straight line. As Yhwh dodged, it turned and pierced him from the back. Hidden Karma began to be implanted into him, but golden threads ravaged the Karma, destroying it. Both of them paused standing in space. Yhwh was faintly panting, both from a sudden exertion and excitement. "You can see my power?" Yhwh said. Ye Li looked at Yhwh, his face betraying no emotion, yet inside, he too was excited. This was his opportunity to completely transform. Yhwh''s face hardened as he looked at Ye Li. "You don''t have good intentions do you. Lying about being a cultivator, faking a spar. You are like me, unique, but you are also unlike me. You are an enemy, right?" Ye Li did not speak, and Yhwh did not need an answer. He had met someone like him, but it was as enemies. Yhwh did not hesitate, countless golden threads bursting out from within. "I cannot allow an evil being like you to exist. Die for me." Golden threads seemed to form a waterfall that roared towards Ye Li. Ye Li, of course, did not simply stand still and accept this. This was a different fight from any other he had experienced. As he dodged to the side, he unleashed all of his Karma from his body, forming something akin to an Outer World or a mortal dao that formed around him. This was a power he had formed, something only inferior to the Karmic Shackles Technique. Within the Karmic Dao, he was in control. Yhwh was unable to instantly react. He was within the Karmic Dao. He instantly felt oppression. He released his golden threads and they formed a palace around him. He was instantly isolated from the Karmic Dao. The golden palace and the Karmic Dao directly clashed, the Karmic Dao encompassing from all directions and the golden palace unwaveringly standing against it. Yhwh stepped in front of the palace on a golden path made of threads. He was more serious than ever before. Ye Li was excited, and also more serious than ever before. Multiple Karma spirals shot out from him and attacked Yhwh. The golden palace formed an impenetrable defense. It was as if countless beings were holding up these walls in spirit. Ye Li constantly attacked, but he lacked true direct offensive measures. Yhwh, on the other hand, had already created many. Neither power was directly suited to offense, but Yhwh''s power was more so than Ye Li''s. Golden threads wildly danced as Ye Li relied on Karma to dodge. He was instantly put in a passive position. His Karma could not even reach Yhwh. Luckily, Yhwh had no chance of hitting him like this. Karma was great at evasion. This stalemate continued for years. Although it seemed like a pointless dance, both of them were highly talented. Every moment, they were comprehending that other. Finally, Yhwh attacked in a different way. Fists were formed by the golden threads and punched towards Ye Li from all directions. These fists were all encompassing and it was almost impossible for Ye Li to dodge, normally at least. This was within the Karmic Dao. Where there was a cause, there was an effect. Karma descended upon the fists. They didn''t even have the chance to touch Ye Li before dissipating. Where there was usage, there was consumption. This was the unreasonableness of the power of Karma. Ye Li moved forward directly in front of the Palace. He too had gained something from this time. Karmic Sorrow. Ye Li had stripped the Karma of countless beings, and this Karma, even if just a tiny fraction, stayed with him. He had thought of this upon seeing Yhwh''s walls that gave off a feeling of spirit defending against Karma. He too had parts of countless beings. Perhaps we aren''t so different, Yhwh. A finger appeared, pushing against the walls, causing them to shake. Karmic Sorrow. Mournful wails appeared, covering the entire Karmic Dao. Yhwh''s face changed. This was more than an evil being. He could tell, this man had killed quintillions at least. Chapter 549: Escape - 549 Chapter 549 - Escape - 549 Karmic Sorrow formed a finger that directly pushed against the palace walls. Unlike before, the walls began to shake and crack. Karmic Sorrow was in no way a weak technique. Naturally, Yhwh did not just stand there and let it happen. Golden threads appeared infinitely, fighting against the Karmic Sorrow. Faith and Karma directly clashed. This clash only lasted a moment before both attacks ended. Ye Li pushed forward without a moment of hesitation. It was time. As Yhwh began to strike out at Ye Li, something appeared on his wrists. Karmic Shackles. These shackles made of Karma took form. Even a mortal could clearly see them. Yhwh felt as if these shackles did not physically affect him, but affected him in some way he could not understand. These shackles appeared as tattoos on the wrist, an outline present but the inside not filled in. Yhwh continued to strike out at Ye Li. Ye Li responded with a finger of Karmic Sorrow. Both attacks clashed and dispersed. Yhwh looked down at his wrist for a brief moment and noticed a change. Although only slightly, the outline of shackles on his wrist had been filled in. Yhwh was clueless, but he felt a sense of dread. He knew that if these shackles were fully filled, he would likely lose. Yhwh closed his eyes for only an instant, but when he opened them again, he had completely changed. Whatever this was, it would go away if Ye Li was killed. Yhwh pointed his finger in the air, and golden threads gathered above it. You have a supreme move, let''s see if you can withstand mine. Countless golden threads gathered above the finger, forming a thin line, and eventually an arrow. Ye Li felt an immense threat from this arrow. He pointed out seriously, and multiple fingers of Karmic Sorrow appeared, heavily draining his Karma. At the same time, the arrow was sent flying, tearing through space and hitting the first finger of Karmic Sorrow. Surprisingly, it seemed to slow down to a mortal arrow''s speed after hitting the first finger of Karmic Sorrow. For an instant, Ye Li thought that he had been mistaken, but suddenly, from behind the arrow, countless golden hands appeared. They pushed the arrow forward. It sped up, now even faster than it initially was. Another finger of Karmic Sorrow was hit. The arrow slowed again, then sped up faster than the previous two times. This repeated, piercing through a total of 6 Karmic Sorrows before reaching Ye Li. In this time, Ye Li had tried to dodge, but no matter what, he could not. Only a few moments had passed from when it was first fired. Ye Li, helpless, formed a dense shield from Karmic Sorrow and braced for impact. Suddenly, Yhwh appeared behind him, and the arrow split in two, the golden threads forming it moving around Ye Li and into Yhwh''s palm. A tiny sun appeared on Yhwh''s palm. Ye Li''s eyes widened in horror as the sun hit his hastily protected back. Ye Li was sent flying, and the Karmic Dao collapsed. Ye Li, in the last instant, had used the Karmic Dao to shield him from that attack, but the Karmic Dao had never been for defense. Ye Li only stopped flying after crashing into a few stars and landing on an abnormally powerful and large meteor. Yhwh was right behind. And punched out with a golden fist. Ye Li could barely move and watched as the punch approached. He sighed. It wasn''t finished, but this would have to do. On Yhwh''s wrist, the 1/3 finished Karmic Shackle suddenly disappeared. Yhwh''s golden fist disappeared as cracks appeared on his body, coming from his wrist. He coughed out blood. Ye Li watched, still not moving. The power of Karma was rapidly healing him, and a miniature version of the Karmic Dao surrounded him, increasing his healing exponentially. It was a pity that the Karmic Shackles weren''t completed. He would have won no matter what. Unwillingly, Ye Li took one last look at Yhwh before leaving. Yhwh attempted to stop him, but Ye Li used Hidden Karma to hide himself and the power of the Karmic Dao to leave. Yhwh could not catch up, especially without healing his injuries a bit. Ye Li successfully escaped, though he was even more injured than Yhwh. After a few years of recovering, Yhwh began to search for Ye Li. He even contacted the Ipth. His relationship with them was good. Even if he refused to become an Ipth in heart, the patriarch did not take it personally and instead maintained contact with Yhwh and occasionally helped him out. This was the first time that Yhwh had truly asked for complete help, and the patriarch obliged. Unfortunately, they were destined to come up empty handed. If Karma was good at two things, they were hiding and erasing traces. Just a day after the fight with Yhwh, Ye Li had stripped Karma from the entire Star Harmonization Sect to aid in his recovery. This was also in order to avoid Yhwh''s tracking. As a True god level being, he had access to plenty of the universe and could go just about anywhere he pleased. After pondering, he decided to hide in the safest place. A place where, even if Yhwh found him, he could not act. The lightning Qi domain, one of the countless domains in the universe. Ye Li picked this randomly, though, with Karma, there was definitely some benefit for him there. He would wait and see. As a True God level being, he was exempt from having to use teleportation cards to go most places. However, entering Qi domains required a teleportation card for anyone, and it required a special version and a steep price. It was one thing to naturally enter a Qi domain, but to enter through teleportation array, one had to have the consent of the teleportation hub. However, Ye Li simply pierced an overseer with Karma and temporarily implanted Karma into him. This overseer was a god realm cultivator. Chapter 550: Lightning Qi Being - 550 Chapter 550 - Lightning Qi Being - 550 It used up a bit of Karma, but it was nothing he couldn''t ignore. Ye Li hardly needed to look around for a moment before confirming his arrival in the lightning domain. Outside of the teleportation hub, Ye Li saw constant flashing lights and booms. No matter how much time passed, lightning was always ongoing. The Lightning here never stopped, and it formed one of the most dangerous Qi domains in the universe. Unless brought here automatically, no being under the God realm dared to enter this place. Although extremely rare, random strikes of lightning could be strong enough to injure even a god realm cultivator. Even the weakest lightning strike here could kill an unprepared Void Traversing realm cultivator. This was another reason that Ye Li wanted to stay here. Ye Li officially entered the Lightning Qi domain after leaving the teleportation hub, which sat on the very edge of the Domain. Ye Li felt eyes on him the moment he entered. Although he didn''t seem to have any cultivation, this was more intimidating than if those looking at him could see through him. Ye Li moved forward at a speed befitting that of a True God realm cultivator. He traveled very far, only stopping when he found one of many planets made of pure lightning. Rather than be called a planet, it could be better described as a ball of lightning. Living on this ball of lightning were living beings, though each one was made of lightning and hardly had any real form. Ye Li did not do anything to this ball of lightning just yet. Instead, he simply entered the planet and stayed on it, hidden from the beings on it. Here, he began to fully recover. Although he had long recovered his surface injuries, he still had a bit of a way to go before he could recover fully. He stayed here for a few years before recovering. Upon doing so, he left the planet and began to increase his Karma. The countless strikes of lightning each had Karma, the stronger it was, the more Karma it had. Ye Li became a sort of lightning rod, attracting lightning towards him and stripping it of Karma. This method worked even better than he had thought it would. Every single second, multiple lightning strikes would come near him and be stripped of Karma. Seeing its effectiveness, he stayed in the same spot for a hundred thousand years. Suddenly, the lightning seemed to slow. Ye Li ws confused. Wasn''t this lightning all natural? If so, then it should be able to continue forever, just as it had for countless years in the past. Meanwhile, inside of the main area of the Qi domain, the lightning Qi being opened its eyes. Something was wrong. It immediately checked the most important thing, and its eyes widened in confusion and fury. The lightning ball, a treasure it had nurtured for countless years, had developed a crack. This lightning ball was so small that a mortal human could theoretically hold it in his hand. However, it was extremely important to the Lightning Qi being, and extremely powerful. This lightning ball contained a vast amount of its power. Although Qi beings did not really have desires or a need for greater strength, they still experimented with different things, somewhat to pass time and somewhat to develop new possibilities. It was said that if they could go so far as to create their own path, they would meet the creator of the Great Dao, the one above all beings. Of course, the Lightning Qi Being didn''t have any hope to accomplish that much, it simply regarded the Lightning ball as an experiment, hobby, and holder of power. Now that it had a crack in it, the Qi being''s power would weaken for a long period of time. If the crack continued to develop without the Qi being taking action, it could receive permanent injury. The Qi being looked around. It instantly noticed the source of the commotion. A being attracting lightning. Somehow, it had managed to harm the lightning ball. The Qi being did not immediately attack or react aggressively, but simply moved towards the being. As Ye Li continued to attract lightning, the lightning suddenly stopped. Before Ye Li could even form a thought, lightning appeared in front of him. He initially thought that it was another strike, but the bolt of lightning remained still. Ye Li could feel a gaze, and understood that this was a living being, and a powerful one at that. A Karma spiral moved towards the being, but upon hitting it, the Karma spiral stopped. It couldn''t pierce through the being. The Qi being suddenly felt a sense of discomfort and moved to the side. The Karma spiral moved past, and Ye Li dispersed it. "No cultivation. Could it be?" The bolt of lightning mumbled, catching Ye Li''s attention. He felt an intense gaze, though this being did not have eyes. "Do you walk the path of cultivation?" Ye Li thought for a moment before shaking his head. He didn''t feel any hostility or killing intent, and Karma didn''t warn him about danger. Ye Li felt curiosity coming from the being. "Alright then, use your power on me. I will weaken myself." The Qi being said. Ye Li was surprised, but agreed. "Alright." The Qi being did as he said and weakened himself. Ye Li sent out a spiral of Karma, not to strip the being of Karma, but to read its past. The Karma spiral smoothly entered, and Ye Li caught a glimpse at the Qi Beings past. Ye Li searched for the earliest memories. After all, he knew that Qi beings were some of the oldest living beings in the universe, and this creature was most likely the Lightning Qi Being. Ye Li saw a brief sight of a small universe, when he suddenly felt dread. Even his Karma began to act wildly, as if it could feel fear. Ye Li''s mind was replaced with an image, transmitted through Karma. This image traversed Time and Space, locking on to him. It was a pair of calm eyes. These eyes replaced the entire universe, and everything in existence. It looked down as if the universe was a game, as if everything was a small speck to it. These eyes only existed for a moment, but it was thoroughly ingrained into Ye Li''s mind for the rest of his life. Ye Li understood that the "fear" he had experienced before, even the "fear" of Karma, was a mere joke. Seeing those eyes, Ye Li felt true fear for the first time in his life. Chapter 551: Karma From Qi Domains - 551 Chapter 551 - Karma From Qi Domains - 551 The Lightning Qi Being watched Ye Li spit out blood and take a few steps back, fear apparent in his eyes. Ye Li took a moment to compose himself before looking at the Lightning Qi Being. "I tried to view your earliest past. I nearly saw something, but it seemed that a powerful being prevented me from seeing it." The Lightning Qi Being was stunned hearing Ye Li''s ability to view the past, but he focused more on the being Ye Li was talking about. Even for the Lightning Qi Being, it was difficult to remember its first memories. It tried to do so, and it clicked. "You saw the creator." Ye Li was confused. "The creator of what?" The Lightning Qi Being responded. "The Creator of the Great Dao. The Great Dao is an existence that watches over us Qi Beings." Ye Li found it hard to believe. The Qi Beings themselves were second to only a few in the entire universe. The Great Dao already seemed to be an unfathomable thing, but there was a creator even above that. Ye Li began to feel as if the universe he knew was only the surface. The Lightning Qi Being spoke more. "I actually don''t know too much. After all, I''ve only seen him that once, and I didn''t even remember until now." Ye Li asked a question. "Is there any being older than you Qi Beings that may know of this creator?" The Lightning Qi Being thought for a moment before speaking. "Ying Xiong. Human." "Who''s that?" "One of the oldest living beings in the universe. Every time he dies, he is reborn. You can find him at the cosmic sect." Ye Li noted this, but such a thing was not a priority. First, he needed to grow his strength. He looked at the Lightning Qi Being. "What happened to the Lightning from earlier?" Hearing his words, the Lightning Qi Being remembered why he had come. "Yes. The Lightning here is a phenomenon produced by my Lightning Ball. Theoretically, even absorbing the lightning should not drain anything, but you somehow managed to crack it. What exactly is your power?" Ye Li did not answer, and the Qi Being understood. "Alright. Regardless, don''t absorb any more lightning here." Before Ye Li could say anything else, the Lightning Qi being was gone. Ye Li sighed and left the Qi domain. Regardless of what he wanted, he could not face a Qi Being at this time. However, when the time came, he would be sure to strip their Karma. As the most ancient beings in the universe, each one''s Karma would be immeasurable. Ye Li did not enter the normal areas of the universe, but entered another Qi domain, the poison Qi domain. Like the Lightning Qi domain, it was nearly impossible for any beings to survive here that weren''t in the main area where beings were taught. Throughout this entire Qi domain, there was poison gas. Even a God realm cultivator would feel uneasy within at certain areas. The only living beings below the God realm were beings made of poison. They were much like the lightning beings in the Lightning Qi domain, suited only to this environment. Ye Li found a location and began to take the Karma from the poison mist. It was thinner than the Karma from the lightning, but still very effective. Ye Li continued to consume the Karma of the poison mist for nearly 100,000 years. As that much time passed, he felt the poison mist thin. Not too long later, he met the Poison Qi Being. He did not interact too much, only saying that he would leave after being told to do so. There were a few Qi domains that were considered forbidden zones like the last two. Ye Li visited the next one, the Heat Qi domain. Since its formation, an intense heat has constantly plagued this area. Even a God realm cultivator would feel parched in some areas under this heat. Ye Li began to strip the Karma from this heat. In some way, all Qi domains had a Qi that covered the entire area, but these few forbidden zones had them constantly affecting the domain. Ye Li moved to a few more Qi domains before he stopped going to only forbidden zones. Next, he went to one of the most interesting Qi domains, the Death Qi domain. The only living beings were skeletons, but there were skeletons of many beings. There was also Death Qi that took form in the shape of planets and stars. The Death Qi domain was known for the feeling of sheer power it gave off. The Death Qi made it seem as if, at any time, any being could be drowned to death. There were also legends that the Death Qi being had been growing stronger, something unique to it. He had naturally learned this through reading Karma. Other Qi beings had stayed with the same strength their entire lives, but the Death Qi being had supposedly broken that rule. Specifics were unknown, but the Death Qi being rarely made an appearance. This was one of the reasons that Ye Li had come here. Not being seen often, it was reasonable to assume that the Death Qi being would have a higher tolerance to the consumption of the surrounding Death Qi than other beings. Regardless of whether such a conjecture was true or not, none of the other Qi beings had harmed him, and Ye Li didn''t see why the Death Qi being would be any different. Ye Li moved around the Death Qi domain, piercing planets formed from Death Qi and all the life on them, stripping away their Karma and increasing his strength. He continued in this way for ten thousand years. Suddenly, his Karma warned him. Ye Li dodged to the side, but all he saw was an approaching black stick hitting his forehead and knocking him unconscious. When he woke up, he found himself wrapped up in black chains. Looking around, he was in some sort of jail cell. The walls were tainted with blood and bits of flesh. Ye Li couldn''t understand what was going on. Outside of the jail cell, he heard approaching footsteps. He looked up, and a humanoid being wearing a cloak of Death Qi stepped into his vision. Chapter 552: God of Death - 552 Chapter 552 - God of Death - 552 Ye Li regretted entering the Death Qi domain. Having not been attacked by any of the Qi beings before, he thought that he was safe, but it seemed that he was completely wrong. Seeing the Death Qi being right in front of him, Ye Li felt that death was closer than ever before. The Death Qi being spoke. "Don''t worry. I won''t kill you. You''re far too special. However, I need a bit of assistance, and you''ve come at the perfect time." One of the chains, the one binding his right arm, dispersed. The Death Qi being spoke again. "Attack." Ye Li hesitated for a few moments before he shot forth a Karma spiral, attempting to strip the Karma from the Death Qi being. The Karma spiral, as expected, failed to pierce the Death Qi being. The Karma spiral futilely spun, but it could not pierce through the cloak of death. The Death Qi being moved to the side. The Karma spiral flew past, but turned around and continued. The Death Qi being could not sense the Karma spiral in the slightest. For multiple years, it simply dodged once it felt something. Ye Li continued with the hope that maybe he could succeed. As multiple years passed, the Death Qi being began to control its Death Qi to attack the Karma spiral. Although it could not see it, it could sense an uncomfortable feeling where it was hit, and it used Death Qi on that spot. Ye Li could not read the Death Qi beings mind, but it seemed as if the Death Qi being was learning every second. It seemed to be growing as well. Ye Li was imprisoned for a million years. Halfway through, the Death Qi being let Ye Li pierce him with Karma. Ye Li instantly attempted to strip the Karma, but to his immense shock, the Death Qi within the Death Qi being actually pushed the Karma spiral away. As the million years passed, the black chains wrapped around Ye Li dissipated. A Karma spiral shot at the Death Qi being, but Death Qi cut it in half before the Death Qi being was even touched. "Finally." The Death Qi being laughed. Ye Li watched as Death Qi began to swirl around the Death Qi being. Somehow, the Death Qi began to change. Ye Li felt the bones within his body tremble, and his very life began to wane like a flickering candle. This was inside of the main area of the Death Qi domain, and Ye Li was not the only one who felt this sensation. The clone of the Death Qi being that had been teaching those who automatically came dissipated. There were trillions, if not quadrillions of beings learning from the Death Qi being, staying inside of the main area of the Death Qi domain. At this time, they too felt their bones tremble and their lives flicker, but unlike Ye Li, they were not protected by the Death Qi being. Bones pierced through every living beings skin, and all the living matter on their bodies began to die and fall off of their bodies. Only a single sage managed to react and run away, but a spear that seemed to be made of Death Qi, yet was not, pierced through his back. Unable to run away, his bones pierced through his skin and all the living matter on him died, falling to the ground. The Death Qi being stepped into the universe. Within the Death Qi domain, the only remaining normal life form was Ye Li. All other living beings had become living skeletons. Something resembling Death Qi, yet different, gave them a new form of life. They were now completely under the command of the Death Qi being. A boat of bones formed under the Death Qi being as it moved forward, bringing along a few powerful living skeletons. The Bone boat moved, and the Death Qi beings'' cultivation was destroyed. Yet, in an instant, the Death Qi that filled the entire Death Qi domain poured towards the Death Qi being. It began to be refined and entered the Death Qi beings body as a new power, the power of death. By the time the Bone boat left the Death Qi domain, there was nothing left besides a few normal buildings, some weak bones, and Ye Li. No more Death Qi remained. The Death Qi beings'' strength had not only recovered to the same level, but had surpassed it. At this point, he was invincible against any cultivator. Only fully realized path creators were above him. He took the Bone boat upwards, reaping death as he did so. The entire universe seemed to see him, including Ye Li and Yhwh. The Death Qi being spoke. "I have fulfilled my role. No longer the Death Qi being, I am the God of Death, a path creator. Ascending to the skies, I shall meet the creator." Leaving behind these words, the Death Qi being, now the God of Death was let into the residence by Zhou Fan, fulfilling his promise to meet any Qi being that could create their own path. Not one, not two, but three paths had now been created in such a small time. Although the God of Death had been working on his path for countless years and it only finished now due to Ye Li''s help, he still only officially became a path creator now. The words he left behind inspired the entire Main universe and all that heard them. On his simple journey to Zhou Fan''s residence, he had already killed more than a sextillion beings, turning them into living skeletons. All of these living skeletons traveled to one place, a gate that led to another universe, one not under Zhou Fan''s great dao. Years later, the gate that led to that universe changed. It became completely black, emanating the power of death. All of these living skeletons entered what was now known as the death universe. A few path creators, such as the Buddha and Yoha, visited the universe of death, leaving not too long after. Far up above it all, the Great Dao, formless as it was, looked down indifferently. The Qi beings had not been created for this purpose, but there had always been hope that one of them could do this. No new Death Qi being was created. From now on, the path of death was the God of Death''s dominion, even if Death Qi still existed. Chapter 553: Good and Bad Karma - 553 Chapter 553 - Good and Bad Karma - 553 Ye Li was still in the empty space that was once the Death Qi domain. He wasn''t 100% sure what had just happened, but it seemed that the Death Qi being had evolved after using his Karma to hone itself. At the end, it gave him the same feeling as Yhwh. Ye Li was actually not upset about being captured by the Death Qi Being, or the God of Death as he had announced. There had been a reason his Karma had not warned him in advance. This had actually not been bad for him at all. Training with the God of Death for so many years, he had gained a lot. Especially at the end, when the God of Death''s own power began to form. Although his Karma had not increased in quantity, it seemed to have grown in quality. The last few Karma spirals alone gave him an incredible boost in quality, and overall, he was far stronger than he was before. There was nothing left in the remains of the Death Qi domain, only space itself. All the stars, planets, and other space stuff had been covered with Death Qi for many years and had become Death Qi. When the God of Death left, he had taken all of this with him. After moving for a while, Ye Li left the Death Qi domain. He did not go to any other Qi domains, and instead returned to the normal universe. Being held captive for so many years, he had a lot of time to think, and had thought of a better way to increase his Karma than simply stripping it from every being he could. Since beings could create Karma through living, he would let people live. He would not blindly strip their Karma, but take the Karma they created through living and only strip their Karma right before they died. He would also manipulate their lives to produce more Karma. To do this, the Death Qi domain was actually the best place to build at. After all, it was newly vacated. He only needed to leave in order to find life. He quickly stumbled upon a few planets, most of them housing humans or other humanoid creatures, and a few housing beasts. With a few quadrillion beings in tow, their planets wrapped in Karma, he quickly returned to the Death Qi domain and used a technique he had created. "Karmic Cage." A cage made of Karma, one that looked as if it would trap birds, formed, covering an extremely large area. He could naturally not use quadrillions of Karma spirals, each one staying around one life. Instead, he created the Karmic Cage. This did not have much use in battle, besides trapping someone for a moment, but it was not meant for battle. It was meant to take the naturally formed Karma from beings and even non life such as planets and weapons. He had taken a total of 100 planets. He put 50 on the left side, and 50 on the right. This was where a split occurred. Two colors filled the cage, one on the right and one on the left. On the right was a bright light, as if the sun was shining down upon all beings, and on the left was a darkness, as if all beings had been forsaken. The right side represented Good Karma, and the left side represented Bad Karma. As time passed, those on the right experienced happiness, their lives constantly influenced by Karma, pushing them all towards success and love. On the right side, there was constant war, hatred, and suffering. Karma pushed all these beigns to experience the most torturous lives possible. Each of these two Karmas formed extremes. Ye Li sat in the middle, watching it all. He could feel his Karma growing no slower than when he went around stripping beings of Karma. Some of the beings in the Karmic Cage were mortals, but most were cultivators. The strongest among them had reached the Space shattering realm, but Ye Li planned to add even stronger cultivators. Leaving behind the Karmic Cage, he once again left what was once the Death Qi domain and captured more planets and more life. He returned to the Karmic Cage with all of this in tow, and left again. He repeated this process for a long, long time, until the Karmic Cage was filled up on both sides. The size of the Karmic Cage was no smaller than a galaxy cluster, supported by the power of his Karma. Inside, beings could not tell that they were in a cage, even when the strongest beings reached the Lesser Dao Creation realm. They also could not tell that there was another side just next to them. After filling up the Karmic Cage, Ye Li crossed his legs and in between both. He was not only receiving vast amounts of Karma every single second, but he was also comprehending Karma by watching these beings live. On one side, he saw a happy family with smiles and without worries. On the other side, he saw an 11 year old child rip his entire family in half due to being accidentally infused with immense killing intent by a powerful being. On one side, he saw an introverted boy with difficulty forming connections grow, fall in love, and live a happy life. On the other side, he saw a similar boy kill everyone around him to survive. There was so much to learn here, even from mortals. There was one particular mortal on the bad side that caught Ye Li''s attention. His entire life had been filled with nothing but negativity and despair, yet he remained firm in his life. Ye Li focused on him. Karma had killed everyone around him in horrible ways. Everything he had valued had been taken or destroyed. Everything he tried to do went wrong. Like all others, he had at first despaired and nearly given up, but he seemed to see through something one day. He no longer felt despair or got angry. He tried things knowing they would fail. He formed connections knowing that everyone would die. One day, Ye Li saw something within him. Through his influence and being influenced by Karma his entire life, this boy had comprehended Ye Li''s path. He had learned Karma. Chapter 554: Bad Karma #1 - 554 Chapter 554 - Bad Karma #1 - 554 This boy could naturally not use Karma like Ye Li, but he had indeed begun to walk the path of Karma. Ye Li had never really even thought about teaching other beings his path. It seemed impossible, as one would have to comprehend Karma themselves. Although it was countless times easier due to Karma influencing their lives every single second, it was still difficult beyond words. Ye Li watched on as the boy lived. As time passed, he noticed that the boy''s path of Karma was different from his. He had comprehended bad Karma. After all, that was all he had ever experienced. However, perhaps even with Ye Li''s manipulation of Karma, there was still all sorts of Karma within the Karmic cage. After all, although trapped and forced to endure bad Karma for a lifetime, the beings in the Karmic Cage had been given the opportunity to comprehend Karma. No matter who or what, everything had Karma, and even Ye Li could not control it all. If he could, then he would be even more powerful than Zhou Fan. Perhaps Karma had a clearer path beyond the Great Dao realm than cultivation. Still, despite all Karma existing everywhere, the boy had only comprehended bad Karma as it was far more present than any other. He had no idea that he had comprehended any sort of power or path and continued on as a mortal, suffering his entire life. As he neared death from old age, the rarest way to die in the bad side of the Karmic Cage, Ye Li brought him out. Ye Li saw use in him. The boy was confused, but did not show much emotion. It knew that, regardless of what happened, it would always end up bad. Ye Li did not put on any show, simply sitting in space the same way as he had always done while watching the inside of the Karmic Cage. The boy, now a man, looked at Ye Li. "No matter who you were in the past, you are now Bad Karma #1, understand?" Ye Li said. The man did not respond, looking at Ye Li blankly. Ye Li waved his hand, and a scene appeared in front of the man. It was a random scene going on in the good Karma side of the Karmic cage. Ye Li let it play for a few minutes and removed the screen. The man, previously indifferent, now had tears pouring out of his eyes. He was not sobbing, but he felt as if everything was wrong. He was envious, he was hateful. He was able to understand that not everyone suffered as much as him from that one scene. Much less emotionless than before, he looked at Ye Li. "Go out and work for me. If you are satisfactory, this can be you." The man, moved, kneeled. "Bad Karma #1 greets senior." Ye Li taught Bad Karma #1 how to strip Karma. Bad Karma #1 failed, and Ye Li had to attach some of his Karma to Bad Karma #1 in order to allow him to use the Karma spiral and strip Karma. Besides this, he also gave Bad Karma #1 something he had been experimenting on. A ball of Karma was implanted into Bad Karma #1''s chest. This contained a fair amount of Ye Li''s power, and it allowed for a few things. First, Bad Karma #1 would be able to travel the universe quickly, a little bit slower than a god. Second, if Bad Karma #1 were to ever die, this would strip all of his Karma before his death and send it back to Ye Li, ensuring no loss. Finally, it allowed the power and speed of Bad Karma #1''s Karma spiral to increase when necessary, reaching a maximum of the peak of the Inner world realm, and possibly able to affect a weak god realm cultivator. After all of this, Ye Li planted Hidden Karma into Bad Karma #1. This would stop him from spreading any information in the worst case scenario. Finally, Ye Li threw Bad Karma far away. He would travel throughout the universe, stripping as many beings of Karma as possible. Just one Bad Karma #1 was not enough to have any great effect, but if one could come, it was not impossible for others to do so as well. Ye Li watched the inside of the Karmic cage for a long time, nearly forgetting about Bad Karma #1. Meanwhile, after many years, Bad Karma #1 had been captured. Standing above him, Yhwh. "Yes. This is similar to that guy''s path. Patriarch, we need to interrogate him." Yhwh said. Bad Karma #1 looked up in unwillingness. He needed to strip Karma so that one day, he too could experience good Karma. However, he knew that his life was in these peoples hands. He had already been defeated. Yhwh looked down towards him. "Let''s try this the easy way. Who are you?" Bad Karma #1 sighed. He thought to himself, ''in the end, you were right, Karmic Master.'' He opened his mouth, intending to say the word Karma, but what he had known would happen indeed happened. The Hidden Karma within him silently moved. His power had been granted by Ye Li, and it took nearly nothing for Hidden Karma to completely change his Karma. Bad Karma #1 spoke. "The unknown shall never reveal themselves. Lord Memory shall take it all." Saying this, the Karma within Bad Karma killed him instantly, leaving Yhwh and the patriarch stunned. They looked at each other, their gazes turning solemn. They did not doubt what Bad Karma #1 had said, not because it made sense or because there was evidence supporting it, but because of the look on his face. Completely resolute, and looking at them mockingly. This sort of look could not be faked or forced. "The unknown. Perhaps there is something behind Ye Li. Perhaps something bigger than we can currently understand is going on." Yhwh said. Back at the Karmic Cage, Ye Li received the Karma of the now dead Bad Karma #1. It had increased by a lot, more than double. No doubt, it was a benefit. However, compared to the gains he had made from the Karmic Cage, it was small. Chapter 555: Requesting Help - 555 Chapter 555 - Requesting Help - 555 He was not far from reaching the equivalent of the sage realm. Nobody like Bad Karma #1 had been born since him, but it was not as if Ye Li had expected many of these beings to be born. If the path of Karma was so easy to practice, then he would not be the path creator, someone else would have long created it before him. Ye Li did not need to investigate how Bad Karma #1 had died, he already knew. Everything was included in the Karma that had been sent back. It was a pity. If he had truly brought Ye Li a great gain, then he may have truly been allowed to live on the side of good Karma. Ye Li sat between the Good Karma and Bad Karma side while accumulating Karma. Meanwhile, Yhwh arrived at the Cosmic sect. As in the past, Ying Xiong was still the Sect Master and most powerful being of the Cosmic Sect. Although the Cosmic Sect was no longer unparalleled, it could still be considered the strongest human force. In addition to the many humans, even some non humans had joined the Cosmic Sect. As Yhwh arrived, he was able to immediately meet Ying Xiong due to the patriarch''s presence. Yhwh and the patriarch waited in a room for Ying Xiong to arrive. "This Ying Xiong can never be underestimated. He can be considered the oldest living being in the universe. His knowledge transcends everything we understand." The patriarch warned Yhwh. Yhwh nodded. He had also heard of such stories. Even when there had been a High sage, before he had been crippled, he had not dared to be rude to Ying Xiong. There had been no High Sage since, and Ying Xiong was one of the strongest sages in the universe. There were some ancient sages, but none could even compare to Ying Xiong. After a moment, Ying Xiong entered the room. He sat across from the two and spoke. "What brings you two here?" The patriarch looked at Yhwh, and Yhwh opened his mouth. However, before he could say a word, Ying Xiong interrupted. "Ipth patriarch. Leave the room for a moment. I would like to talk to him alone." The Ipth patriarch looked at Ying Xiong for a moment, hesitating. "If I wish to harm him, you being here or not being here won''t make a difference. I simply want to talk to him about something he may consider personal." Ying Xiong said. The Ipth patriarch agreed. "Fine." He left the room, leaving Yhwh and Ying Xiong alone. Yhwh looked at Ying Xiong, inexplicably looking kind of nervous. Ying Xiong leaned in. "You''re not a cultivator, are you?" Yhwh shook his head. "No." Ying Xiong leaned back and nodded. "You know, I''ve met someone like you once." Yhwh was shocked and listened intensely. "It was harder to understand then, but I think I get it more. He had created his own path, and that path is what you know today as cultivation." Yhwh was silent, and his mind was blank. He couldn''t believe it. Although he had been creating his own path, and he suspected the guy he fought to be the same, he had never even thought about cultivation being someone else''s path. It had always seemed like Qi, something naturally created and a part of the universe. After a few minutes of silence, Yhwh spoke. "Is he still alive?" Ying Xiong laughed. "Of course. How could he be dead? I may not have seen him in a long time, but even I can understand that it is impossible for him to die. Even if he somehow were to die, we would all know it." "So what is your path?" Ying Xiong asked. He had a minor understanding of path creators since he had also met the Buddha and had interacted with Will Decipher. However, Yhwh did not answer. Ying Xiong scratched his head. "I suppose you don''t want to freely share that information. Different from the past, but I guess times are changing. Zhou Fan was quite open about it." Yhwh had some questions, but Ying Xiong called the patriarch back in. "Alright. What did you two come to me for?" Hearing this, Yhwh remembered why he had come here. "We encountered someone that needs to be found and killed. We would do it ourselves, but there seems to be an organization behind him called the Unknown." Ying Xiong tilted his head. "Why would we help you?" Yhwh explained the significance of the enemy. "He is like me, about what we talked about earlier." Yhwh said. Ying Xiong''s eyes widened. "Interesting. Anything else to add?" "He gains power by killing people or something like it. He is also extremely talented, and I''m not confident in defeating him alone after our last battle." Yhwh said. Ying Xiong nodded. "You''ve fought before? How''d that turn out?" "I barely defeated him, but he was able to run away after hitting me with some inexplicable move. That move is what I fear most." "Were you able to see his face?" Yhwh shook his head. "There was something stopping me from fully analyzing him. All I can say is that if he fully matures, we will all regret it." Yhwh thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright. We will try to find this person and kill him." Yhwh released a sigh of relief. Ying Xiong continued. "However, we have no knowledge of him or his whereabouts, so it is not going to be easy." Yhwh nodded. He had never expected it to be easy, he was only hoping for a chance. "In fact, it is basically impossible. But..." Ying Xiong trailed off. He stood up and walked out of the room. "Follow me." Yhwh and the patriarch followed Ying Xiong towards an area of the Cosmic sect. Here, the houses were elegant beyond measure, and each residence came with a yard the size of planets. As they walked, Ying Xiong spoke. "Have you ever heard of Chaos Beasts?" Yhwh shook his head. He had not had access to much history, especially since much had been lost. Neither had the Ipth Patriarch, as most knowledge was kept by humans in buildings known as libraries. Chapter 556: Third Eye Star Seer - 556 Chapter 556 - Third Eye Star Seer - 556 "Well, they were a universal calamity at one time..." Ying Xiong explained the history of Chaos Beasts and how they were the greatest enemies of all life for a long, long time. He focused on one point in particular. "Although Chaos beasts could break through space and randomly appear in different locations throughout the universe, we were able to predict it. Can you guess why?" Neither of them were able to guess. "A man with a Divine Physique. His contributions were so great that his descendants were set for life. However, one day, long after he had died of old age, we discovered that one of his descendants had inherited this Divine Physique. This was before Bloodline inheritance became a thing, and either way, he wasn''t a sage. This descendant was extremely talented, and today, he is one of the sages of the human race." Something seemed to click in the patriarch''s head and he spoke. "Third Eye Star Seer." Ying Xiong nodded. "That is his nickname." Yhwh looked at the patriarch with curiosity. The patriarch explained. "As a member of the outsiders, we had fought humanity before. Even now, there are occasional skirmishes, though we are not mortal enemies. I fought on a few battlefields, and there was one human that stood out among others. He was known to us as Third Eye Star Seer, based on the third eye on his forehead. It has always been hard to understand his Divine Physique, but on the battlefield, he had never once been hit, and his vision was far greater than anyone else''s. He was a commander for many of those battles." Yhwh looked at Ying Xiong, hoping to receive a more detailed explanation. Ying Xiong indeed explained. "Since we are not enemies anymore, I can explain what I understand of his Divine Physique, though it is mostly based on his predecessor''s Divine Physique. After all, Third Eye Star Seer keeps to himself." "His predecessor''s ability had been some sort of predicting, combined with seeing extremely far. He could somehow sense where things would happen before they happen. Our guess is that his Divine Physique tapped into the power of time and/or some other sort of unknown power. Regardless, if Third Eye Star Seer can''t find this enemy of yours, it will be extremely difficult to even find his traces." As he finished speaking, they stopped in front of a luxurious house. Ying Xiong knocked on the door, and some sort of butler answered. "I''m looking for Third Eye Star Seer." Ying Xiong said. The butler bowed before speaking. "The master is sparring with Star Spear Sky as of now. As for where, I don''t know." Ying Xiong sighed. "Of course he is." He turned around and led Yhwh and the patriarch to a teleportation hub. "Luckily, I know where they like to fight." As they moved, Yhwh asked who this Star Spear Sky was. The Patriarch answered solemnly. "I never fought Third Eye Star Seer, but Star Spear Sky, on the other hand, I''ve personally fought." The Patriarch paused and Yhwh waited for him to continue. "I was not and am not Star Spear Sky''s match. We only fought for ten moves before he severely injured me. I had some other unfortunate encounters, nothing I want to talk about." Yhwh nodded. It seemed that this Star Spear Sky was quite a powerful figure. Ying Xiong spoke as they left the teleportation array. "It is always nice to see the powerful figures of humanity grow. In the past, there were those even more talented in battle than Star Spear Sky. Unfortunately, their cultivation talent didn''t allow them to reach the Sage Realm. If Chen Jie or Zhu Yi was still alive, humanity would completely own the Main Universe. Maybe if that High sage hadn''t been a fool, it would have been the same." Yhwh heard the lament in Ying Xiong''s tone and did not respond. Neither did the patriarch. After a few teleportations, they arrived in a desolate teleportation hub, with only a single worker. As soon as they stepped outside, they felt this area of the universe shaking. In the distance, two human sages sparred. One held a spear with stars revolving around it, while the other perfectly maneuvered around every attack. The Third Eye Star Seer''s power reminded Yhwh of the person he fought. Ying Xiong stepped forward and disappeared. He arrived in the center of the battlefield, between two powerful attacks. With one finger, he moved the spear to the side, and with another, he tapped Third Eye Star Seer''s forehead. The Spear shot out a torrential power in a different direction, while Third Eye Star Seer grabbed his forehead in pain. The battle stopped. "Really! The Third Eye! You know how much that hurts!" Third Eye Star Seer said. Ying Xiong apologized. "Sorry, I forgot." "You forget everytime you ancient dust in human form." Third Eye Star Seer cursed. Star Spear Sky didn''t say anything, putting his spear away through a tear in space. Ying Xiong spoke. "Third Eye Star Seer, I need your help." Third Eye Star Seer moved his hand off of his forehead. On his forehead was naturally a third eye. Third Eye Star Seer seemed to embrace his age, unlike many other sages. He had long, old gray hair and a beard to match it. He had wrinkles on his face. However, his behavior towards Ying Xiong was like that of a young person. After all, Ying Xiong had been alive longer than even Third Eye Star Seer''s ancestor. Hearing Ying Xiong''s words, he regained his bearing as an old Sage. "What exactly would cause you to come and find me?" "There is a being I need you to find. He is unique, powerful, and a threat to all living things. There is also some sort of organization behind him called the Unknown, and some being known as Lord Memory." Ying Xiong said. Third Eye Star Seer nodded. "I have spare time. Take me to a place where he has been before." Ying XIong looked at Yhwh. Yhwh spoke. "I can take you there." Chapter 557: Trap - 557 Chapter 557 - Trap - 557 After a few teleportations, Yhwh led the patriarch, Ying Xiong, Third Eye Star Seer, and Star Spear Sky to the location of his battle with Ye Li. There were not many traces of battle besides a few broken planets. After all, they had fought in a rather desolate area. Third Eye Star Seer sat down with his legs crossed. After a day, he stood back up. "There is nothing here. Are you sure this is the right place?" Third Eye Star Seer said. Yhwh nodded. "Absolutely. There is no doubt." Third Eye Star Seer''s expression changed. He looked at Ying Xiong. "Absolutely nothing. I can''t sense a thing." Ying Xiong''s expression changed as well. "Impossible. It is one thing to fail, but nothing at all... This has never happened." Yhwh spoke up. "This may have to do with his power." Ying Xiong nodded and thought. With the power of Karma, all traces were erased. No matter who tried, there was absolutely zero chance of finding anything if Ye Li did not want it to be found. "I can only take the long shot." Third Eye Star Seer said as he sat down again. He sat still for an entire year before jumping up. "I saw two words. Death Domain." Ying Xiong did not need to think for a moment. "Come." Not wanting to risk anything, he personally took everyone at maximum speed, accessing a private teleportation network owned by him. With a single teleportation, they arrived as close to the past Death Qi Domain as possible. The closest teleportation hub was destroyed when the God of Death left, so they were actually not that close. However, Ying Xiong took the lead, and after a brief travel, they arrived at the Death Qi Domain. By now, Ying Xiong thoroughly believed that this enemy was a threat. He covered the entire past Death Qi Domain with his power, ensuring that nothing could escape undetected. They entered, and in the distance, they saw a giant bird cage. Yhwh took one look and recognized it. "That was absolutely created by his power." Although everyone could see it, it was blurry for everyone except for Yhwh. It was made from a combination of Karma and powerful materials, which is why it could be seen by sages at all. Everyone arrived outside of it and stepped through the giant gap between the bars. Just as they stepped through, the cage began to shrink. With a single move, Ying Xiong shattered it, but he was only able to affect the materials. He could not even see the Karma that continued to shrink. Yhwh saw it, and forgetting about hiding the fact that he was not a cultivator, golden threads poured out of his body. Of course, nobody could see these threads, but everyone saw that he was bursting out with power. Ying Xiong solemnly looked at Yhwh, understanding that something was happening. Although the Buddha''s power could be seen normally, even Zhou Fan had to give his power a color for others to see it, much less Yhwh and Ye Li with such formless powers. Yhwh''s golden threads battered against the cage, but it was not a hastily created attack. The birdcage seemed to have been prepared long ago. With a few attacks, the birdcage suddenly lost form, and as it gathered towards Yhwh, took the form of a sword. Meanwhile, Ye Li sat in front of a giant cage, holding two fingers out like scissors. Surrounding the cage was fog. This was the Fog Qi domain. "There is a reason why you will not win against me." He mumbled to himself. "Because you must bathe in the light, while I can hide in the shadows." He closed his fingers, and at the same time, Yhwh, who was defending the Karma sword in front of him, felt a chill on his back. Another Karma sword, perfectly hidden, sliced his back. There was no resistance, but suddenly, a body appeared, blocking the Karma sword. Ying Xiong, who saw Yhwh''s body tear apart, teleported in his spot and pushed him away, taking the Karma sword with his body. A slight cut remained on his abdomen as the two Karma swords lost their power and dissipated. Yhwh panted, a large cut visible on his back. If not for Ying Xiong, he would have either died or been near death. A prepared attack, layered with Karma and hidden. Yhwh''s eyes narrowed. You truly are a scourge. In the Fog Qi domain, Ye Li was a little disappointed. "How lucky. If only he had failed to protect him. Ying Xiong. I wonder if you''ll be able to reincarnate after I strip your Karma. Consider yourselves lucky it will take a bit longer to reach the Sage Realm." After capturing a few members of the Cosmic sect while traveling to hide in the Fog Qi domain, Ye Li read their Karma and learned quite a lot about the Cosmic Sect and the outside universe. It could be called a lucky encounter, or Karmic intervention. Regardless, he had long known that he would be tracked, and he had set up a trap in advance, even allowing Third Eye Star Seer to see his past location. A perfect plan, one only executable through the power of Karma. "And the unknown have yet to reveal themselves." He said as he looked at the Cosmic Sect members he had captured, now implanted with Karma and members of the "Unknown." "Return to the Cosmic sect and wait." The Cosmic Sect members bowed and left. Ye Li did not plan to make any more moves until he reached the sage realm. This could be considered revenge against Yhwh. Far away, Ying Xiong and the other two from the Cosmic Sect returned, while the Patriarch also returned to the Ipth. They would be actively looking for the enemy, but it seemed futile to anyone. They had been led into a trap without even realizing it. Yhwh had become more serious after the event. He began to focus heavily on increasing his faith once again, something he had been slacking on. He had nearly forgotten, but he was still Yhwh, and to countless beings throughout the universe, he was their God. Chapter 558: Karmic Shackles - Backlash - 558 Chapter 558 - Karmic Shackles - Backlash - 558 Yhwh was glad that his path was so straightforward. For the next million years, he spread his faith farther and wider than ever before. The only issue was that he usually needed to make a personal appearance at a world or an organization for there to be any quick effect. Otherwise, it would be harder for his power of faith to grow. After ten million years of expansion, Yhwh neared the sage realm. His name was known throughout the entire universal sector. Even outside of it, he was known, there was just not as much faith. Unknown to the oblivious Yhwh, at the Cosmic Sect, something was happening. There were countless members of the Cosmic Sect after so much time, and even a million was a small number, much less a thousand. However, a thousand beings, each at least at the God realm, gathered at the center of the Cosmic Sect. They did not gather with good intentions. All thousand formed a tight circle, and from within their bodies, Karma spirals shot out. One thousand Karma spirals swirled around inside of the circle, eventually condensing into a giant Karma spiral. At the same time, these thousand beings shouted out loud, their voices alerting the entire Cosmic Sect. "The Unknown had arrived!" As they shouted, the giant Karma spiral expanded to an even greater size, directly surpassing the size of an entire galaxy. It shot into the distance, able to be seen by every being in the Cosmic Sect. As it traveled, it directly collided with a large portion of the Cosmic Sect, tearing a large hole and stripping countless beings of Karma, many of which had great talent or cultivation. A long and large path of shattered space and desolation was left as a circle formed. Stepping out of the circle and into the Cosmic Sect was a man with an indiscernible face. Looking at him, it was as if his face was made of static. From each of his sides, two beings walked out, their faces also blurred, but a visible number on them. The numbers were three and four. As they walked along the destroyed path, many beings appeared. The weakest among them was at the God realm, and there were multiple sages. Ying Xiong stood among them, looking at the three with clear anger and solemnity. At the same time, around the universe, countless experts of the Cosmic Sect received summons. Using teleportation arrays, they quickly made their way to the Cosmic Sect. Ye Li, the man in the middle with an indiscernible face, looked around unfazed. Only Ying Xiong posed a true threat. Of course, there were others that were extremely dangerous, but only Ying Xiong was unpredictable. "Three and four, clear the weaker beings." Ye Li spoke out loud. Those of the Cosmic Sect heard him as well. Three and four moved out, each at the True God realm, but displaying a terrifying unseeable power granted by Ye Li. Their purpose was not actually as combat power, but as evidence of the Unknown''s existence. Ye Li''s path would not end here, win or lose. The idea of the Unknown was still useful. None of the sages moved, all staring at Ye Li. Coming here, it was clear that he was extremely confident. Ye Li didn''t waste any time. This was only a part of the plan. He stepped forward, blurring into oblivion. At the same time, Karmic shackles appeared on all of the Sages'' wrists. Ying Xiong was wary. This was what Yhwh had told him about. Ye Li appeared again, behind one of the Sages. A Karmic Sword shot out. The Sage turned around to face Ye Li, but was hit by an unseeable power and injured. Ying Xiong yelled out. "He uses an invisible power different from ours. Attack him now, don''t bother defending. Killing him is the only way to win. Full Offense!" Hearing Ying Xiong, the Cosmic Sect did not hesitate. All 33 Sages of the Cosmic Sect, including Ying Xiong, Third Eye Star Seer, and Star Spear Sky attacked at full force. Ye Li did not falter. From within, something akin to an outer world or Mortal Dao burst out from him. The Karmic Dao revealed itself, unseeable to anyone here. Where there was a cause, there was an effect. Ye Li vacated the space, and as a result, someone else had to fill in for him. A random sage appeared where he had been, taking the attacks, including his own, while Ye Li appeared next to another Sage and shot out a Karma Sword. Suddenly, from behind, Ye Li barely reacted to a punch. He twisted his head and moved away. Ying Xiong''s fist nearly scraped him. Where there is a cause, there is an effect. Ye Li took a step, and as a result, he moved. As if he had teleported, he appeared behind Ying Xiong. Ying Xiong attempted to teleport. Where there is a cause, there is an effect. Ye Li could not teleport. As a result, it was fair that nobody else could. The Karmic Dao was extremely unreasonable to fight against, and nobody here could directly resist it. Ying Xiong was struck by a Karma Sword, but only suffered a small cut, his body enhanced by Star Qi and Buddhist Qi. Ye Li thought to himself. "As expected. Winning right after reaching this level is impossible." He began to focus on dodging attacks from the Sages. The fight seemed to shake the universe, space only not being destroyed due to the natural ability of sages, one with the universe. However, the Cosmic Sect was not so lucky. It was reduced to shreds. Luckily, the countless beings here had escaped through teleportation arrays, Ying Xiong and the Cosmic Sects specialty. A battle between so many sages had never been recorded in the history of the universe before. From all over the universe, countless beings began to watch. "It is time." Ye Li thought. Looking at the wrists of these beings, the Karmic Shackles were half full. "Before leaving, might as well kill a few." Ye Li held his arms and legs out wide, his Karmic Dao condensing into his body. All 33 Sages felt a chill. Karmic Shackles - Backlash Chapter 559: Cracking Sky - 559 Chapter 559 - Cracking Sky - 559 Crack. Simultaneously, the wrists of each Sage cracked. They had all been fully participating in this battle with all of their might. Even with such a brief battle, the Karmic Shackles had been half filled. The cracks stopped all of the Sages in their tracks. The cracks began to travel up their wrists and crack their entire body. Even Ying Xiong could hardly resist using all of his power. They had no time to focus on Ye Li. Ye Li appeared behind a Sage while he was distracted, quickly stripping his Karma. He was able to do so for two more Sage before the effects of the Karmic Shackles disappeared, and so did Ye Li. Ying Xiong looked around panting. The Painting on his back began to fully shine, but Ye Li had left. Winning against 33 Sages was never part of the plan. With someone like Ying Xiong here, it was impossible. Instead, it had merely been a way of attracting all of the Sages of the Cosmic Sect away from his true target. The three Sages he had stripped of Karma were a lucky gain. Ye Li left the scene, and using a pre planned teleportation array, arrived not too far from his true target. He walked forward. There were no longer any guards here as all gods and above had returned to the Cosmic Sect. Nobody below that level would be sent to guard here. Ye Li looked forward. He saw his target clearly. There had been two options. One had been Earth, the oldest planet with the greatest Karma in the universe, besides maybe the universe itself. However, through reading Karma, he learned that a powerful being known as the Buddha lived on Earth. He was able to guess that the Budhha was not a cultivator either, even if other cultivators believed him to simply have a unique technique or training method. This is what remained. An unnamed place with unknown origins. However, it had existed longer than almost anything in the universe and its Karma was abundant. Since he was not in a hurry, Ye Li shot out a Karma spiral, not to strip, but read Karma. Far above it all, Zhou Fan looked down, unsure of how to react. Ye Li stood in front of the Manor, frozen in time to this day. Ying Xiong had been able to guess that this was related to Zhou Fan and had a few Sages nearby at all times. The Manor represented a time of emotional instability in Zhou Fan''s path, a time when he was unsure of things. However, ever since abandoning his identity as human, he had no longer felt attached to the Manor and had not returned. But would he let Ye Li strip its Karma? He was not sure. Ye Li investigated the Manor. However, when his Karma got too close, it seemed to be frozen, unable to move. It could only disperse. There wasn''t some path creator''s power here, but the level difference stopped the Karma from doing anything. It was like if Ye Li at the level of a True God tried to strip Ying Xiong''s Karma. However, after a few tries, Ye Li found that he could wrap around it and have his Karma slowly grind away at the defense in place. The Sages of the Cosmic Sect would not be returning any time soon. As for Bad Karma #3 and #4, they had traveled back to the Fog Qi Domain. After a year, Ye Li''s Karma entered the Manor. When the Karma Spiral entered, it slowed down due to the stopped time, but the stopped time was not able to fully affect it. Ye Li saw past the defenses and looked into the Manor. Inside were animals. Ye Li was confused. What exactly was going on in here? His Karma Spiral slowly moved and entered the Chicken. Ye Li began to read the Karma of the chicken, which was quite short, abnormally short. He saw a being from the past. It was a cultivator, but none that Ye Li had ever known of. Zhou Fan looked down from above. To save the animals, or to abandon his past emotions? The thought only took a moment. "Only children choose. I want it all." He pointed down. Ye Li, not gaining anything from the Karma he had read, was about to strip the Karma of the Chicken, which was abnormally vast for a being frozen in time. It was even greater than a Sage. Suddenly, the sky cracked. It was not a sky like the blue sky on a planet, or even space. The sky that cracked was that of the entire universe, a barely visible giant finger fell down. The entire universe saw this barely visible finger. Even in Mini Universes, space seemed to fold and show the scene. The power of this finger was incomprehensible. There were fully realized path creators watching, but even they understood at this moment that they were not the strongest path creator. Yoha watched in awe as his teacher took action. Yhwh watched in amazement. The Buddha looked on curiously. The God of Death stood still in shock. Ying Xiong sighed, long understanding the vast difference between him and Zhou Fan. And Ye Li felt the power concentrated on him. It was as if the universe was collapsing on him. Suddenly, something clicked. The figure he had seen when looking at the Qi beings'' Karma and the figure he saw in the Chickens'' memories seemed to line up. The Giant finger silenced the universe as it fell, hitting the Manor. The Manor cracked, and everything within it was sent flying. "We had a good time back then. Go out and live your own lives. Don''t worry, they will be fulfilling." The animals, now not frozen in time, heard these words before shooting out to random spots within the universe. With their cultivation, they would be able to survive even in space. Ye Li stood rooted in fear as the finger dispersed, never touching him. He didn''t even know what to think. It seemed as if all of the oldest history in the universe was connected to this being. He needed to know who this was, and to start, he only thought of one target. Ying Xiong. Chapter 560: Meeting - 560 Chapter 560 - Meeting - 560 Yhwh looked into the distance in shock. The universe no longer had a crack, but he could not forget the power he had just witnessed. A few years later, he received news that the Cosmic Sect had been attacked and had suffered losses. This shocked not only Yhwh, but the rest of the universe. Yhwh received a letter from the Cosmic Sect. An assembly would be taking place between all of the universe''s dominant powers. Each power attending had at least a single Sage. Yhwh was invited on behalf of the Ipth patriarch, a member of the Outsiders. Yhwh had also been informed that the person he had fought was most likely the person who had attacked the Cosmic Sect. He quickly made his way to the meeting place. Although his strength had not quite reached the Sage realm, his power was definitely at the top of the Outer world realm. He was at least qualified to attend with a Sage. Using teleportation arrays, it didn''t take long to reach the meeting place. It was in a small, quiet area. This was not a public meeting. Yhwh descended upon a small dark planet that looked like a black dot from afar. As he went down, he flew past a layer of ink before seeing the real scenery of this world. The true form of this world was a crumpled up paper ball. Yhwh had already heard of this place from the letter. This was the ruins of the Writing sect, an ancient sect that once existed within the universe. It is said that the most talented member of the Writing sects history reached the Sage realm, and after displaying an attack that nearly surpassed the Sage realm, died with three Sages from the Outsiders. The Writing sect ended that day as well, dying with their Sect Master. This was during the peak of the war with the Cosmic Sect and the Outsiders, as well as one of the events that caused the end of the war. Now, however, the war was over. It had been over for ages. Naturally, there was still resentment between the two. The majority of today''s Sages had participated in the war. They had lost friends and family. Although Yhwh was a part of humanity, he did not necessarily believe that the Cosmic Sect was in the right. Neither side was truly right, as it was not a battle between right and wrong. The Outsiders had been outsiders. Upon arriving at the Main universe from their universes, they were not warmly welcomed by humanoid races, but ignored or shunned. The humanoid races, having ruled for countless years, did not see anyone as their equals and had grown arrogant. Even the Beasts and the Supreme Beasts were simply considered one entity, Beasts, beings lesser than humanoid. The Outsiders fought for a place in the universe, and the humanoid races of the Cosmic Sect fought against them for supremacy. If the Outsiders had been weaker, they would have been decimated, and if the Cosmic Sect had been weaker, they would have been decimated. It had been a war of pride, arrogance, and ownership. Luckily for the entire universe, that war was over. Besides the two biggest forces of the universe, there were also a few smaller forces that had multiple Sages. Yhwh heard of one known as the Caretakers, but they had no plan to appear here. They were a unique organization, and Yhwh did not know anything about them besides the fact that they had Sages and were not participating. Other than them, there was the Opposite group. There were four Sages, and they were the only beings in this organization. They consisted of a Fire Qi cultivator, a Water Qi cultivator, a Light Qi cultivator, and a Dark Qi cultivator. The last organization with multiple Sages was the Beast alliance, having 7 Sages. However, only the leader of the Beast alliance was participating in this meeting. Yhwh finally fully descended, landing on a giant word. The word was "Will". This represented the Writing Sects will to die for the sake of Humanity. They had been a part of the Cosmic Sect back then. Yhwh was not the first to arrive. All the Sages from the Cosmic Sect and the outsiders were here. So was the Sage from the Beast alliance. Just as he descended, the Opposite group arrived, a group consisting of four Humanoid beings. As they arrived, Yhwh stood next to the Ipth patriarch. Ying Xiong, along with someone else became the center of attention. The other being was the leader of the Outsiders, the first Sage of the outsiders. This beings form was like that of a tree limb. Although a tree limb seemed like a laughable form, there was no known being that could defeat the Outsider leader, including Ying Xiong. They were only equals. Naturally, Yhwh had heard stories of other powerful beings, but they were nothing widely known or even confirmed. Of course, there was also the incident that took place not too long ago, but everyone collectively acted as if that hadn''t happened. They couldn''t understand it regardless. They both spoke about the being that attacked the Cosmic Sect, and explained that he was an enemy of all life in the universe. Then, right there, they all formed an alliance against that being. Most of the talking had been done outside of this meeting. This was only to confirm everything in person. The Cosmic Sect, the Outsiders, the Opposite group, the Beast alliance, and a few other organizations with Sages had all sworn to deal with the Unknown. Finding him was out of the question, so they would wait for him to show up, and when he did, they would all be brought to the same place using a teleportation array. They knew by now that it was impossible to hide this plan, so they made it known to everyone. If the enemy dared to come, he better be confident. The meeting ended unexpectedly fast. Yhwh left alone after saying goodbye to the Ipth Patriarch and Ying Xiong. Meanwhile, the leader of the Beast alliance left through teleportation arrays and arrived at a desolate location in space. He stood there quietly. He was a majestic dragon, his size greater than even a galaxy. However, he couldn''t even raise his head in the current universe. A being appeared behind him. "You''ve managed to contact me, but why?" The leader of the Beast alliance looked behind him. "Because we Beasts should not have to live like common animals. I refuse to subject my race to this inferiority any longer." Chapter 561: An Alliance - 561 Chapter 561 - An Alliance - 561 The Beasts were perhaps the most pitiful race in the universe. For countless years, they had failed to produce a being that could truly stand out among others. There were plenty of such humans, and even those like that among non-human beings, but when it came to Beasts, there were none. Their one true talent, Monty, did not even care about their existence, and they did not know of him. You could call it bad luck, or perhaps there were some inferior genes. Regardless, the Beasts had always been merely average at best. The last thing that the Beast race wanted to do was cooperate with a human, but looking at this being, was he truly human? He had a human form, but that was all. In soul and mind, this being was more of a monster than even a Beast. Ye Li held out his hand, his face obscured. "Then the Beasts can work with me. I promise, you will have a place in the universe untouched, even after I am finished with my plans." The giant dragon hesitated. Although Ye Li was countless times smaller than it, it did not even feel like an equal. "You say you have plans. What exactly are your goals?" The Beast asked. He knew of Chaos beasts and the destruction race, both of which had wished to harm everything. They were common enemies for all living things. The Beast wanted to know if Ye Li was like them, especially since Ying Xiong and the Outsider leader had made it seem so. Ye Li slightly smiled. "Isn''t everyone''s goal the same? My goal is to win." The Beast was moved. A deal was made. When the time came, the Beasts would assist Ye Li. Of course, the Beasts weren''t completely united. Some had become used to this sort of life, one under others. They had learned to live with other beings, even if seen as inferior. The Dragon, who found this more humiliating than anything else, formulated a plan with Ye Li. A few million years later, a massacre happened at a Beast alliance meeting. There hadn''t been any sort of big commotion until afterwards. Outsiders and members of the Cosmic Sect showed up, but they were far too late. The Giant dragon flew in space with blood covering it. It was clearly extremely angry. "What happened?" Ying Xiong asked. The dragon spoke. "That being attacked us. He killed three of our sages before leaving. I tried to use the teleportation array, but he seemed to have sealed off the area." Ying Xiong was surprised. He didn''t realize that the enemy could do that. Sealing off one of his arrays was no easy task. He had developed them for countless years. After staying for a while, Ying Xiong and the Outsider leader left. They had wanted to either bring the Beast alliance sages with them or stay and defend, but the dragon refused. His pride would not allow him to be sheltered or protected. Neither Ying Xiong nor the Outsider leader could change this, and they left helplessly. Ying Xiong began to develop a better teleportation array. As everyone left, the Beast alliance sages held another meeting. This time, there was another participant, one who had killed three sages during the last meeting. Ye Li stood alongside the Giant dragon, who had now shrunk down to a smaller size for convenience and to stay hidden. Besides the Dragon, there were three other Beast sages that believed in the same thing as the dragon. They were Beasts similar to a frog, a horse, and an eagle. However, none of them were innocent or kind Beasts, despite being similar to normal animals. They were each truly Beasts, ready to kill at any moment for the sake of freeing the Beast race from subservience and inferiority. While working with Ye Li would eventually make them inferior once again once he reached the peak, they had received a promise to be left alone on their own, and that was all that mattered. This was already the best situation. Ye Li pierced each of these beings with Karma, making them officially part of the Unknown. The Beasts did not learn much. They did not know anything about the Unknown or Ye Li''s power at all, only that they had a piece of it within them. Ye Li had read their Karma during the earlier massacre and knew that they would not attempt to betray him. With this, Ye Li left, intent to grow his power before the next battle. He already had a goal, and that was Ying Xiong. Yhwh also began to increase his power even further. He knew that Ye Li had surpassed him, but he needed to catch up. On the same level, he had actually defeated Ye Li before. Although he seemed like a minor character ever since the Cosmic Sect and the Outsiders got involved, he was actually the greatest hope of defeating Ye Li. He just needed to become stronger. The race of strength continued for tens of millions of years before Ye Li was satisfied in his growth. His strength had neared the peak of the Sage realm. Yhwh too had reached Sage realm level power. With Ye Li''s unique way of fighting, his strength could be said to be even higher. The same could be said for Yhwh. After so long, the Beast alliance received a message through the Karma within them. They went to a location given and found teleportation arrays. As the message had told them, they waited until a signal was received. Meanwhile, Ying Xiong moved through space. He had been leaving the Zhou supercluster more often than in the past due to recent events. He passed by a giant creation that had three flat platforms stacking up, each one the size of a galaxy cluster. As he passed, an attack traveled towards him from the highest level. It was weak. He waved his hand and dispersed the attack, continuing on, but what he failed to see was a Karma spiral within that continued towards him, eventually reaching a small teleportation array on his body. Chapter 562: Full Karmic Shackles - Backlash - 562 Chapter 562 - Full Karmic Shackles - Backlash - 562 The Karma spiral circled around the small teleportation array for a while before entering it. All this time, Ying Xiong did not detect a single thing. Suddenly, from all sides, power rushed towards him. Looking at his wrists, Karmic Shackles had appeared. Without hesitation, he activated the teleportation array, but it failed. Ying Xiong''s face turned grim. He looked around. He saw a Giant dragon, a horse, a frog, and an eagle. They surrounded him on all four sides, attacking him. Suddenly from above, he sensed something. Just as he looked up, a Karma sword fell down onto him. Ying Xiong could not sense it, but his instinct caused him to move and avoid it through teleportation. He wanted to teleport again to move away from the fighting, but he found himself completely unable to teleport out of a certain area. Although he could not see it, a bird cage had formed around this distance. Much stronger than before, Ye Li had specifically tailored this to trap Ying Xiong. As the four beasts closed on from the sides and Ye Li traveled towards him from above, three other beings came out. They were Bad Karma #2, #3, and #4. Bad Karma #2 was at the peak of the Outer world realm, with the power of Karma within him. The other two were still at the peak of the True God realm. Ying Xiong, with countless years of experience, instantly understood that there was a high chance that he would die here. It seemed unlikely for there to be any other outcome. However, he was not afraid of dying. ''Since you want to kill me, let''s see how much I can find out about you first.'' Ying Xiong thought. His upper clothing ripped as a painting on his back glowed. Around him, a giant golden tree appeared with 1000 meditating buddhists around it. The golden tree and the 1000 buddhists seemed to light up the universe, but all of this light stopped at the edge of the invisible cage. Countless buddha phantoms layered around him. He held out his palm, targeting Ye Li. "Million Cosmic Buddha''s palm." A million cosmic Buddha''s palms merged into one that fell onto Ye Li. Yet it was destined not to reach its target. The Karmic Dao expanded and Ye Li appeared elsewhere, completely avoiding the Million Cosmic Buddha''s palms. Ying Xiong was not demotivated at all. He had resolved himself to die today, his first death as a Sage. He chased Ye Li like a madman, teleporting right in front of him. As long as he did not try to escape the cage, he could teleport freely. Spatial locks descended, but who was Ying Xiong? He could not be bound by such simple spatial locks. The four beasts and the 3 Bad Karma''s couldn''t even keep up with Ying Xiong as he chased Ye Li. Ye LI sneered while constantly moving. "Useless." The Karmic Dao expanded even further, completely covering the area of the cage. This cost a lot of Karma, but it was necessary. Now, the area was like a chessboard for him. As Ying Xiong teleported and struck out, the Giant dragon suddenly appeared in front of him through Ye Li''s intervention, snapping out with a bite. The bite and the Million Cosmic Buddha''s Palms collided, knocking the Giant Dragon back, but without injury. After all, it was the strongest known beast in the universe. Ying Xiong sneerted, not teleporting away, but swinging his hands upward. "Scram beast trash." A large gash appeared as Star Qi formed a blade''s edge that ran across the Giant Dragon. Blood fell as Ying Xiong chased Ye Li. Teleporting again, he appeared in front of Ye Li. This time, at a steep cost, Ye Li brought everyone in front of him. The four beasts, the three Bad Karma''s, and Ye Li himself struck out at Ying Xiong. The Million Cosmic Buddha''s Palms met attacks from 6 beings with Sage level power and two with power right below it. The Million Cosmic Buddha''s Palm was torn apart and Ying Xiong was sent flying. The Golden Tree that stood tall in the middle of the cage glowed, healing Ying Xiong from the slight injuries he had sustained. Ye Li looked at the Golden Tree solemnly. This was the reason that Ying Xiong was even qualified to fight him. Even Karma could not directly destroy it. Karma was not omnipotent, after all. Ying Xiong chased Ye Li for hours. Each time, Ye Li would expend large amounts of Karma to harm Ying Xiong. Although it was indeed a large amount, Ye Li''s reserves seemed endless, but so did Ying Xiong''s healing. Eventually, Ye Li got tired of playing around. Every moment this fight continued, there was a risk of someone intervening. He looked at Ying Xiong''s wrist. Just a hundreth of the way to full completion. As the Karmic Shackles got closer to completing, it required more and more Karma, but now, they were reaching their end. When the Karmic Shackles were complete, no foe could possibly resist. Ye Li shot forward, a giant Karma Spiral appearing and attacking Ying Xiong. This power was unseeable, but it directly collided with a Million Cosmic Buddha''s Palm and destroyed it before continuing, causing Ying Xiong to sense its existence. He shot out another Million Cosmic Buddha''s Palm, but the giant Karma spiral seemed unstoppable. It merged many of the powers of Karma into one powerful attack. Ying Xiong defended with a bell, but he was helplessly pushed back, eventually crashing into the Golden Tree before the giant Karma Spiral stopped. He began to launch forward, when a feeling of death creeped up on him. He suddenly looked down at his wrist. Full completion. His face paled. Something within him understood that this was the end. Ye Li stood arrogantly above him, with the four beasts and three Bad Karma''s behind him. "Full Karmic Shackles - Backlash" Ying Xiong felt a crack travel towards his body from his wrist. This was the end. Since it had come to this, sacrificing his life for one more burst of power was worth it. Chapter 563: Life and Death Reincarnation: Even After Death, A New Dawn Will Arise - 563 Chapter 563 - Life and Death Reincarnation: Even After Death, A New Dawn Will Arise - 563 As someone who had died many times before, he had naturally created life sacrificing techniques. After all, he no longer feared death. Among all of these life sacrificing techniques, there was one that stood out among the rest. It was the reason that the High Sage hadn''t dared fight Ying Xiong, and the reason why the outsider leader, even during the peak of the war, had never truly fought with everything against Ying Xiong. The backlash from the Karmic Shackles slowly destroyed his body as he activated the technique. The power of the Karmic Shackles was truly horrifying, even if he did not understand exactly what they were. He could not even muster up resistance as he felt his strength rapidly decline and his body break apart. His body, back up against the Golden Tree, merged into it. At the same time, the thousand Buddhists merged into it as well. The Golden Tree itself was all that remained. Suddenly, Ye Li felt the Karmic Shackles disconnect. Ying Xiong had died, but he hadn''t been able to strip his Karma or find out anything. It had been sudden and unexpected. Even if he had died, there should have been a corpse. That would have been enough. However, the Golden Tree was the only thing left. In an attempt to strip the Tree''s Karma, Ye Li sent forward a giant Karmic Spiral. Just as it was about to collide, Ye Li heard the voice of Ying Xiong somehow ring out. "Life and Death Reincarnation: Even After Death, A New Dawn Will Arise." The Golden Tree swayed, and a black and white power, infused with the full power of the tree, shout out at the Karmic Spiral. The Golden Tree lost its luster, turning into dust. The two powers collided, and to Ye Li''s utter shock, the Karma Spiral was shattered and the black, white, and gold power continued towards him. Ying Xiong, though not a path creator, could be considered a semi-path creator. Of course, he had not created any path, but his path of cutlivation was different from others. He followed the path of rebirth. This was both its own path and the path of cultivation. After countless years, perhaps without even knowing himself, Ying Xiong had somewhat formed something akin to a power. The power of reincarnation. The only way to produce this power was to reincarnate, and not much of it would be created. This power could only be used through this technique - Life and Death Reincarnation: Even After Death, A New Dawn Will Arise. Ye Li, in his shock and surprise, was directly struck with this power and sent flying. This was Ying Xiong, and although he could not truly compare to these once in a nonillion years, or perhaps even longer, talents known as Path Creators, he was still one of the greatest cultivators throughout history. Ying Xiong was experiencing another reincarnation, experiencing his life backwards. It felt as if he was in an endless river, submerged, only vaguely seeing the past. This life was the longest by far. He witnessed all of it, and after that, he began to witness his previous reincarnation. This time, he saw many things he didn''t remember. Each reincarnation, he could only record the most important things to remember later. Although he had recorded strong techniques and important figures, seeing the minor interactions of his life gave a certain sense of peace. This was where he truly belonged, all of his lives as one. Time passed in an instant, but it felt like an eternity. He saw Chaos Beasts and ancient enemies. He saw Zhou Fan. He slowly remembered everything. His old innocence, his journey, and eventually, even his first life. A life of ignorance and excitement. A time when Life and Death still mattered to him. It was as if he had gone back in time, experiencing a new beginning once again. The nostalgia was overwhelming. He saw a fight between talents, the weakness of humans in the past, his mother, his father, his childhood. Everything was just right as it was, he wouldn''t mind dying like this, never to reincarnate. However, he had cast away the peace of death for the sake of life. He felt himself being dragged out of the river. He wanted to stay forever, to die here, to feel peace, but the force pulling him out was irresistable. Ying Xiong could not resist, he was just a soul, and on the back of that soul was a painting that had existed for countless years past. As he began to be dragged up, Ying Xiong gave up on resisting. He questioned himself, why choose such a horrible fate? This cleared his mind. He had chosen this fate, not for himself, but for humanity. He could not die. He had a responsibility. He could suffer, but humanity could not. He would not allow humanity to experience a time like when he was born in his first life. Humanity would never suffer again, it would never fall to the bottom. Every race had a chosen one, and he was the chosen one, chosen to protect humanity, even in endless suffering. If he were to die, the providence of the human race would move on, but could the next person after him be as successful as him. There were countless races in the universe, and they all had providence, so why were they still so weak compared to humans? Providence was not a guarentee of success, but a sort of pity given to each race. Even if they experienced horrible luck, at least one being would have acceptable talent. Ying Xiong could not risk it, so he could not die, and he could not lose the providence of humanity. He swam upwards to escape the endless river. Even if he suffered for the rest of eternity, he would do it, for humanity. Ying Xiong broke through the river, and in some part of the universe, a baby was born. A phenomenon appeared, and multiple human sages instantly descended. They looked at the baby with fear. "This means..." "Ying Xiong has died." Chapter 564: The Caretakers - 564 Chapter 564 - The Caretakers - 564 Inside of the cage, Ye Li panted heavily while blood poured out of his mouth. He looked into the distance quietly, but anger was bubbling up within him. He had lost too much during this battle. He had not been able to read or strip Ying Xiong of Karma, and had instead consumed immense amounts of Karma. He had been severely injured, and Ying Xiong had seen all of his moves. Luckily, Ying Xiong would not be regaining even a bit of his memory for a while. At the very least, Ying Xiong was gone for the time being. He was the one who posed the greatest threat to Ye Li besides Yhwh. Ye Li let the four beasts go back to where they came from as he cleared the battlefield of any remnant traces of this battle. The three Bad Karma''s returned through a teleportation array to the Fog Qi domain. With Ying Xiong out of the way, the next steps were much easier. First, Ye LI needed more Karma, and the best way to do that was to strip sages of it. However, especially after Ying Xiong''s death, the sages of the alliance against him would probably stay together. In that case, it was best to go after the group of sages that weren''t part of the alliance. It was hard to find out, but Ye Li discovered the location of the organization known as the caretakers. They were in the Zhou Supercluster, the same Supercluster that the Cosmic Sect resided in. Although it was a little dangerous to enter that area, he didn''t even fear the entire Cosmic Sect at this point. At worst, he would simply leave. He had the ability to hide with his Karma, so this would not be necessary unless something else happened. Ye Li spent a few thousand years recovering before setting off. It would be best to do as much as he could before Ying Xiong recovered some memories. Hiding his Karma, he quickly traveled through the universe and reached the Zhou Supercluster. This was the most ancient existence known to all. The Zhou Supercluster was the first place to ever have life, as far as everyone knew. Ye Li would love to strip the Karma of this entire place, but he did not have the ability, nor did he dare. He had learned his lesson about doing such things the last time he came here and tried to strip the Karma of a manor. Ye Li was able to smoothly enter, as expected, and reach his target location. The center of the Zhou galaxy cluster, where a Great Attractor resided. The Cosmic Sect was at the top of the Supercluster, while the Zhou galaxy cluster was almost on the other side. The Zhou Galaxy itself, where the origins of life had been traced back to, was near the cosmic sect, and within it was Earth, where all life began. Ye Li moved past the clustered black holes that absorbed all light that came from within. It was not even slightly difficult for him, someone with the same power as a sage. As he slipped past a black hole after many before it, he saw light. Within, no longer that dark and dangerous space of the past, a milky white color filled the entire space. In the distance, a city of white, green, and gold floated around a giant being that was seemingly human. The being stood tall with her eyes closed. Around her were three platforms, each of them with one being on them. These were the three sages of the caretakers, and what they guarded was unknown. Even Ye Li, through reading Karma, was unable to learn what it truly was. Perhaps Ying Xiong had known, but he was unable to ever strip or read his Karma. However, it appeared to be a human shaped Great Attractor. Ye Li stepped forward, three Karma Spirals shooting out, one each at a sage. They sat peacefully until the three Karma Spirals hit. The three opened their eyes, feeling something enter them. At the same time, Karmic Shackles appeared on their wrists. "The unknown." One said. Clearly, they had at least been informed of his existence by Ying Xiong. "This isn''t something we can handle." Two of them said. They looked towards the third one. The third one looked deeply at the Great Attractor. "Ying Xiong also died recently. This is at least an enemy capable of killing Ying Xiong." One of the two said. The third human turned his gaze away from the Great Attractor. "Return to Origin." The two looked at him silently for a moment before solemnly nodding. Ye Li, still hidden by Karma, watched curiously as the two turned into green specks of light that flowed into the giant human. The eyes of the giant human opened. "Mother, please take action to expel the intruder." As he said this, he stood on the shoulder of the Human. Ye Li watched, but as the eyes of the Giant human locked onto him, his eyes widened in shock. "Human? Does he have bad intentions?" The man on her shoulders spoke. "So he is human. However, Mother, he has killed countless humans, and has come to harm you and us three." The giant human''s eyes looked at Ye Li again, now angry. "Audacious. Harming your brothers and sisters. I''ll teach you a lesson." A Karmic Shackles appeared on her wrist and Ye Li activated the Karmic Dao. Her ancient arms moved for the first time in countless years. Her power combined with the power of the sage on her shoulder and the two that had turned into specks of light and entered her body. In addition to this, there was something else, something hard to discern. Anything was possible in the universe. Path creators only represented one of the most well known near impossibilities. However, they were not the only near impossibility that could become possible. As the giant human swung her arm at Ye Li in a slapping motion, he directly shot out a giant Karma Spiral. The hand and the Karma spiral collided, and the Karma spiral was knocked back, as well as the giant hand. Ye Li''s jaw nearly dropped. Two fights in a row, two fights where his Karma spiral seemed to be some common housefly that could be pushed back however his enemy pleased. Chapter 565: Mother - 565 Chapter 565 - Mother - 565 Ye Li had gotten used to his power being unseeable and untouchable by others. Now that his power seemed to be getting less and less untouchable and unseeable, it was hard to get used to it. It wasn''t necessarily unreasonable that his power could be affected. It was actually unreasonable that his power could not be seen or touched in the first place. Ye Li began to treat the giant human as a Path Creator. Meanwhile, the giant human was surprised as well She was the mother of all humanity. Usually she did not have intelligence as she was simply a Great Attractor. However, there were two situations where this could be changed. One, when Zhou Fan gave her intelligence, and two, when she had been slowly taken care of and grown, eventually developing some intelligence of her own. Usually, she remained in a dormant state, but when the two sages used the return to origin, she was awakened and strengthened. She was not a cultivator as she lacked the ability to cultivate, but it was not impossible for her to do so in the future. The caretakers, who had been growing and taking care of her for countless years, were confident that one day, they would be able to transform the "Mother" into a true living being. As for how she had pushed back the Karma Spiral, it had to do with the current state of humanity and the universe, somehow connected to her. The Great Attractor was the origin of humanity. Through some accident, a part of her finger was taken off and fell onto earth. The result was humanity, and after humanity, other life was naturally formed. Being connected to humanity, as humanity grew, so did she. It was something similar to providence, but also different. Providence was a pity from the universe towards species, affected by the history and power of a race, while the Great Attractors growth came from the advancement of humanity throughout the universe. To describe it best, it was a sort of natural reward. If one raised good children, the children would take care of them when they were old, and if a Great Attractor created a race that spanned the entire universe and was immensely powerful with deep history, then they would receive a level of natural power as a result. Thinking deeper, this could also be called a part of Karma, or cause and effect, which showed just how much potential Ye Li''s path had. It was terrifying. If he could grasp all of the Karma in the universe, Zhou Fan wouldn''t even be able to resist. His death would be assured. However, if he could do such a thing, he would already be above the Great Dao realm regardless. At the very least, Zhou Fan would stop Ye Li if he ever managed to begin going that far. This was also Karma. Ye Li was evil, so if he grew too strong, Zhou Fan would stop him to prevent Ye Li from trying to harm him. Zhou Fan shivered thinking about the true depths of Karma as he watched the battle between Ye Li and the Great Attractor unfold. He paid attention to the invisible silhouette above Ye Li. Its true purpose was still unknown. Ye Li flew high as another Giant Karma spiral appeared. Within it were many tiny Karma spirals. The Mother chopped the Karma spiral in half, but failed to see the tiny Karma spirals within it. They entered her body, creating countless Hidden Karma swords. "He is strong, young one. Join the other two." The Mother said. The human on her shoulder bowed and spoke. "Return to Origin." His body turned into green specks of light that flew into the Mother. At this point, Ye LI felt a sense of pressure from the Mother, somewhat even greater than that which Ying Xiong had caused. Ye Li had no wish to experience a draw or defeat, so he backed away and signaled to the Mother that he wanted to stop fighting. The Mother did indeed stop for a moment. Kindness was in her eyes as she stared at Ye Li. "I apologize for my actions. I have been stressed out for a while. I''ve been looking for information on a being that is behind a lot of ancient things, and I was hoping to get them here. I did not know about you, or I would have come peacefully." Ye Li said. The Mother smiled. "It''s alright, young one. Tell me, what do you want to know? I should know it." Ye Li hesitated, looking up at nothing, before speaking. "An extremely ancient and powerful being, perhaps one of the first in existence. He created a manor, and should have existed before Ying Xiong." The Mother thought for a moment, speaking out loud. "Ancient and powerful? Hmm, could you be talking about unfilial child Zhou Fan?" Ye Li did not know. "Can you tell me about him?" The Mother smiled. "As long as it relieves your stress. Unfilial child Zhou Fan was one of the first beings to ever exist, existing on a planet now called earth. When he was young, I used to watch him, but he eventually reached a point where I could not gaze onto him. This was when I more or less had zero intelligence, only "watching" him because he was human, a race made of me, and quite special. He created something called cultivation, does that ring a bell?" Ye Li paused, hardly able to formulate another thought. His shock was like that of Yhwh''s. Creating cultivation? Impossible? Ye Li had created his own path, but to surpass the path of cultivation, could he ever? He had never even thought of cultivation as a path like his. It was like Qi to him, a part of the universe. It was like this for almost all beings in the universe. Even to Ying Xiong, cultivation had always existed. "Do you know anything else about him?" Ye Li asked. The Mother shook her head. "As I said, I didn''t have much intelligence back then. It is hard for me to remember that much. I just know he hasn''t visited." Ye Li nodded. "Then, if you wouldn''t mind, could you let my power into you so that I can see the past?" The Mother hesitated. "I''m not so sure? It seems dangerous." Ye Li shook his head. "Not at all. Trust me, I am human after all." Ye Li had understood the Giant Human seemed to be the creator of humanity and had immense love for humanity. In that case... Chapter 566: What Does Humanity Have to do With Me? - 566 Chapter 566 - What Does Humanity Have to do With Me? - 566 If the humans were still here, then they would have stopped the Great Attractor from allowing Ye Li to do such a thing, but since they were gone and the Great Attractor had little intelligence, it was simple enough. "Haven''t you hurt many humans?" "That''s a rumor. I''ve never hurt humans, though I must admit I have hurt others." After a few moments of hesitation, the Great Attractor nodded. "Fine, but only for a little." Ye Li nodded and a Karma Spiral slowly moved towards the Great Attractor. Without issue, it entered her. It moved around inside of her for a few moments, making her a little uncomfortable. However, this was all she felt. Assuming Ye Li was looking at her past, she relaxed her guard. As for Ye Li, he was not stupid enough to once again try and look into the Karma involving the powerful being. Perhaps he had been spared before, but he did not want to try his luck again. Just as the Great Attractor let her guard down, Ye Li snapped. In an instant, the dormant Karma Spiral activated, stripping the Great Attractor of Karma. The Great Attractor reacted almost instantly, making the Karma Spiral bounce off of her. However, that single moment had provided Ye Li with Karma equivalent to that of fully stripping five normal sages. It was not the majority of the Great Attractors Karma, but it was still an extremely large amount. Her eyes dimmed, clearly losing more than just some Karma. Years of work from the caretakers were reduced to nothing as the Great Attractor seemed to have even less intelligence than before. Green specks of light exited her body and formed a human on her shoulder. His eyes were furious, far more furious than a normal living being should ever be. It was as if Ye Li had just smacked his revered mother in the face. "You disgusting fool! Do you even understand who you''re harming? This is the origin of humanity! No human should even imagine harming such a holy figure, evil or good!" Ye Li looked at him with disdain. "What does humanity have to do with me?" As he spoke, multiple attacks tore through space and came towards him. Ye Li, prepared, disappeared. At some point, the Cosmic Sect had detected him, and he had detected that they had detected him. Most likely, Third Eye Star Seer could directly detect him with such a small distance as long as he did not completely hide his Karma. Regardless, the gain today made up for his battle with Ying Xiong and more. Through preplanned teleportation arrays, Ye Li returned to the Karmic Cage. It had grown greatly over the many years, slowly being honed and grown as Ye Li gained Karma. It had gotten to the point that random beings had managed to stumble upon the Karmic Cage. Of course, they were all cleanly taken care of. Ye Li sat in the center of it all and digested his gains. Everything was going well, as it had always been destined to be. For the time being, he would lay low. Once he reached the peak of the equivalent of the Sage realm, he would act again. Yhwh continued his path smoothly as well. All he needed was the faith of others, and he had long known how to get it most effectively. The entire universe knew of him by now. He had the equivalent of half of a universal sector believing in him. His influence could be described as just below the Cosmic Sect and the Outsiders. He also had more and more powerful believers, though none had touched upon the level of a sage. His strongest believer was at the early levels of the Outer World Realm. Still a cultivator rare throughout history, but nothing crazy. Not much could be said about Yhwh''s path besides that it was simple and easy to follow. There was nobody competing for the faith of these people, as he was the only one that walked this path. He also did not need to kill or harm anyone, he just needed their faith. He could peacefully grow, bringing only joy to others. It was a rare path that not only did not harm, but helped others. All those connected to Yhwh could feel him by their sides at all times. Calamities were avoided, lives were saved, countless people that would have died were saved by Yhwh''s power of faith. As time passed, more and more people would be born and grow to a high cultivation level. Those who would have died early on in life would now be able to fulfill their potential. The lowest death rate in the universe was in the area that Yhwh''s faith had spread throughout. This made it even easier to gain the faith of those outside this area. Even those that didn''t believe in him, such as sages or people in other universal sectors, respected him immensely for his actions and the peace he brought to others. He was a complete opposite of Ye Li, someone who brought only death and destruction. Years passed. It was a tiny amount of time for cultivators, but to Ye Li and Yhwh, it felt like an entire life. The level of the Sage realm was not so easily surpassed. Only after a hundred million years of laying low did Ye Li reach the Peak of the Sage realm. Dealing with some matters and creating different ways to use Karma, he spent an additional 10 million years preparing himself. This included comprehending Karma on a deeper level. Surprisingly, Yhwh was able to actually catch up. It was not only due to increased effort on his part, but on the part of the Cosmic Sect and the Outsiders. Yhwh had completely come clean about his path. Some had been shocked, while others had accepted it. They also understood that the enemy was also like this. With his secret out, Yhwh received the assistance of countless beings to spread his faith. Chapter 567: Old Floating Building - 567 Chapter 567 - Old Floating Building - 567 This included help from the Caretakers, especially the leader of the three, who was incredibly strong. Among all cultivators, he was only below the past Ying Xiong and the leader of the Outsiders. He was on the same level as the current leader of the Cosmic Sect, the one in charge until Ying Xiong recovered. Most of the Mothers strength had come from him. The current leader of the Cosmic Sect was one of the quieter Sages. It was unknown whether he had truly gone all out so far as he was not too interested in worldly affairs. To put it simply, he did not care much about the idea of human unity or the Cosmic Sect in general. He had one desire, to "Replace the Universe with his own". Zhou Fan considered him as one of the cultivators most likely to become a path creator. His possible path was similar to when Zhou Fan created a universe in his chest. A "Universe", though not nearly complete or vast, existed in his body. Though called a universe, it was a technique derivative of Ying Xiong''s Cosmic Support art that he used with his Buddha''s palms. The difference was, his technique would permanently create stars within his body. Changing space, his entire body was filled with countless stars. The final goal of his was to create an entire universe within him and replace the current universe with his own. His name had been long forgotten. He was simply known as "Sage Replacement". However, with or without him, there were still ancient sages in the universe. For example, Sage Fushang. His strength was at the top, and as the first Sage of the universe he was well respected. Although he had long stopped teaching others to help them become Sages due to the existence of Qi beings, he still continued to cultivate on his own. Another ancient being, often ignored, was Heaven, who still did not get involved in anything. Heaven''s cultivation had been raised to the peak of the High Sage realm, and Zhou Fan did not intend to raise him any higher than that. He had talked with Heaven, giving him the goal of creating a path. Heaven had stayed within a certain area, always managing the Heavenborns and growing them. Yoha, a Heavenborn himself, understood this better than anyone besides Zhou Fan. Ignoring Heaven for now, most of the ancient beings throughout the universe were helping Yhwh grow his faith. The result allowed him to catch up with Ye Li. They did not go to any lengths to hide this, though they did not show it off. They simply knew that Ye Li would find out. They had already created a profile of his abilities, including stealth, investigation, and unreasonableness. Both Ye Li and Yhwh were at the peak of the Sage realm. In the entire universe, they could be considered the strongest below fully grown Path Creators. Yhwh and all of those on his side waited for Ye Li. They could not do anything else. Meanwhile, Ye Li, reading Karma, understood everything that was happening. Seeing that Yhwh had caught up, he knew that there would be some trouble. There were two enemies he cared about. The Outsider leader, and Yhwh. Nobody else was qualified to make him consider them. Ye Li had considered many targets, and even considered staying put for a longer amount of time, but he feared that if Yhwh got too strong, Karma would not be able to hide him. He needed a boost, such as the one he had received from the Mother''s Karma. Even with almost all the information in the universe at his fingertips, Ye Li still struggled to find a good target. Eventually, he settled. It would only be one of many targets this time around, but there should be no trouble attacking this species. Yhwh and those against the Unknown had stationed beings at nearly every plausible target, but even they did not consider some. Even if they did, they did not have enough Sages to observe everything. Before they even received word, the destruction race, an ancient race, was destroyed overnight. Only their members outside had survived to carry on the lineage. Nobody cared about the destruction race''s disappearance. They were a scourge, only allowed to live since they had contained themselves. What they cared about was the growth of Ye Li. It was clear that he grew stronger by killing others, especially ancient beings, and killing the destruction race surely had some meaning. Ye Li did not return to the Karmic Cage. His next target had been chosen for him. The entire Beast alliance, now consisting of four Sages, has been stationed at an important target. "Are you sure? With this, our betrayal will be evident." The Giant Dragon asked. "You have no use to me as spies. When I take care of this target, it will all be worth it." Ye Li responded. The Giant Dragon did not hesitate too long. It only cared about succeeding. The methods were up to Ye Li. The target that the Beast alliance was guarding was the home of the ancient celestials. The ancient celestials carried the bloodline of some of the first celestials in existence. However, what Ye Li truly cared about was not them, but what they lived on. The alliance against the Unknown had assumed that only living beings increased Ye Li''s power, a misconception purposefully guided by Ye Li. However, that was only part of it. The ancient celestials lived on top of what appeared to be a floating building. Zhou Fan had stayed in it in the Zhou World for a long time. Ye Li did not know this, but he could feel its immense Karma. It was a desired target. Naturally, the building could not have survived so long naturally. It had been preserved, repaired, and after countless years, eventually lived on as an artifact. None knew its origin, and Ye Li did not have to know. He would strip it of its Karma, strip the ancient celestials of their Karma, and leave. Chapter 568: Banishment - 568 Chapter 568 - Banishment - 568 The four beasts watched as Ye Li took a step forward towards the ancient celestials. There was no surprise. Among the ancient celestials, there was not even a Sage. Ye Li actually spent longer stripping Karma from the building than from the entire gathering of ancient celestials. It was a gain that surprised even Ye Li. He then left with the four beasts. It took a while for it to be discovered that the ancient celestials had been destroyed. By then, Ye Li had already reached another target. Ye Li took Karma from a total of five targets, which included the destruction race and the floating building. He would have done more, but through Karma, he had received news that stopped all of his plans. A legendary being had come out. Yoha, stepping out of his mini-universe, declared that the enemy who had been wantonly killing and destroying everything was banished from the Main universe. Yoha did not usually get involved in many matters, but he too understood that Ye Li was a threat. Since Zhou Fan had not killed Ye Li, he would not do so either, but that did not mean that he would let Ye Li freely move around. He respected Zhou Fan, but they were beings at the same level. He was not a subordinate. Seeing Ye Li''s actions, Yoha personally declared his banishment. He had gone too far. Ye Li had not expected this at all. He also did not know what the outcome of this banishment would be. First, he went into hiding. He did not dare do anything, completely focusing his Karma on hiding. The Karmic Cage in the Fog Qi domain dispersed, leaving those who had lived in Heaven experiencing darkness for the first time, and those who had lived in hell seeing a possible future. Ye Li stayed hidden well. After all, his power was quite good at it. However, in the end, after a million years, he heard a noise and saw a blinding light up above. "You''re quite good at hiding. What''s your power? Concealment? I can''t guess. Wanna tell?" Ye Li looked up at Yoha calmly. "How did you find me?" Yoha responded simply. "There are no invincible powers, only invincible people. It''s a simple difference in level. So where do you want to go?" Before Ye Li could speak, Yoha shook his head. "Nevermind. You don''t get to choose." An unstoppable hand reached down and grabbed Ye Li by the neck. Yoha stepped forward, and his speed increased to unimaginable levels. Within seconds, he was standing in front of a gate. It was a desolate gate. Behind it was one of the universes not covered by Zhou Fan''s Great Dao. Yoha never gave Ye Li another chance to speak. "Off you go. Don''t come back unless you''re confident you can kill me." This was the last sentence Ye Li heard before entering the universe. A few moments later, Yhwh saw Yoha appear in front of him. "He has been taken care of." Yoha said. "And the Unknown?" Yhwh asked. "There''s no such thing. It was all fabricated. He would have surely won if I had not intervened. Become stronger. The next time he comes back, I fear I won''t be able to stop him single handedly." Yoha turned to leave, but Yhwh spoke again. "Why not just kill him?" Yoha spoke without turning around. "Because my teacher doesn''t desire him dead yet." Yhwh could hardly believe that Yoha had a teacher, but Yoha had already left. With Ye Li gone, the universe seemed at peace again. The Sages guarding ancient things such as the Upper realm returned. Such a dangerous enemy had been handled just like that, shocking everyone involved. They were even more shocked when Yhwh explained that the Unknown had been a lie. Everything Ye Li had accomplished was truly unbelievable. The four beasts, who had learned of Ye Li''s banishment, managed to act like they had been attacked and defeated by Ye Li, unable to send out a message before the ancient celestials were killed. It worked well. Beings from the Karmic Cage soon appeared as well. The Bad Karma''s had been killed by Ye Li, as such a thing required only a moment, but other beings from the Karmic Cage survived and found beings from the Cosmic Sect. They explained where they had been and what had been happening. A lot was put together to guess Ye Li''s power, but it was still not so simple. At the very least, they knew how to take preventative measures if he were to ever come back in the future. It was unknown what would end up happening in the Mini-Universe he was banished to. Perhaps he would be unable to progress along his path and stay stuck forever. Perhaps he would come back after reaching the peak. Regardless, when Yhwh reached the peak of his path, he planned to find and kill Ye Li once and for all. No matter what, he wanted Ye Li dead. Yhwh continued to grow his faith, now without worry. He no longer received the direct assistance of everyone, but he had already gained a lot from it. His faith continued to grow, especially now that it was in different areas. However, Yhwh himself soon found issues, not with his path itself, but issues from those who had previously helped him. The Ipth patriarch came to meet him. "I''m sorry, Yhwh, but the Outsider leader has sent me with a message. Please keep your faith out of our universal sector." Yhwh was both surprised and not surprised. No ruling power would want those under them to have faith in a being other than them. Yhwh agreed, and later on, he received the same message from an envoy of the Cosmic Sect. Of the eight universal sectors, he was no longer allowed to spread his faith in two. In other words, a fourth of the universe was now out of his faith''s reach. Chapter 569: Relocated - 569 Chapter 569 - Relocated - 569 Yhwh wasn''t completely sure how to feel about this. On one hand, it was only fair that they did not want his faith to cover the entire universe, but at the same time, there was no harm in his faith being spread. It only helped people. It was only out of pure selfishness that they did not want his faith to spread. Yhwh somewhat distanced himself from the Cosmic Sect and the Outsiders. They had only helped him so fervently because they had a common enemy, not because they truly care about him or his believers. He had almost mistaken them as true allies. Yhwh took his followers out of those areas and brought them with others. Regardless of what the Cosmic Sect or the Outsiders wanted, he was strong enough to disregard them if he truly wanted to. It was only out of kindness that he agreed. Millions of years passed steadily, and Yhwh was content with his rate of growth. That was until he received a message, or rather a request. This request was not only from the Cosmic Sect and the Outsiders, but signed on and agreed on by every major power that controlled at least one creation in the universe. They heavily requested that he bring all of his followers to one Universal Sector and not expand beyond that. The universal sector would be the one where he was born, Universal Sector 6. Yhwh was stunned as he looked at the message. They did not even have the face to come to him directly. Did they really believe that he was someone inferior to them? He stormed out of where he was residing immediately. He traveled to the Outsiders Main Headquarters. There were not many beings here, but all of them were Sages. Yhwh arrived and stood in front of the Headquarters. Without a word, countless golden threads burst out from his body. A giant finger formed that directly crashed down. The Headquarters was destroyed, and the leader of the Outsiders resisted the finger with his full strength. They had been able to see it, but only because Yhwh had allowed them too. The Outsider leader solemnly looked around, but Yhwh was gone. At the Cosmic Sect, Yhwh did things a bit differently. There were too many normal beings in the Cosmic Sect, each of which would perish from a devastating attack. Yhwh found a location in the Cosmic Sect that had multiple Sage realm cultivators. The temporary leader of the Cosmic Sect was not responsible for the request as he did not care about such a thing. Instead, a Sage in charge of outer affairs had collaborated with the major powers of the universe to send it. He was in the building. A golden finger descended. This Sage was not as powerful as the Outsider leader. He was nearly crippled by the finger, and Yhwh left. This was his warning. Don''t make him an enemy. Ye Li could force them into helplessness, and Yhwh could do the same if he truly tried. He was simply a good person. Over the next million years, he used the golden threads to cooperate with his more powerful followers. They gathered a bunch of beings that believed in him and all met up, then being taken to another meeting place by a more powerful cultivator, and so on until they were brought to Universal Sector 6. In the end, Yhwh followed this request. However, this was as far as he would allow it to go. Also, any being outside of the Universal Sector that gained faith in him through various methods left behind could freely enter without being stopped. This was the farthest he would allow it to go. With his warning, it seemed that the others had understood as well. He didn''t want to fight against the universe, but if he was truly forced, he would do it without hesitation. It seemed that this was the true nature of powerful beings. The Outsiders and the Cosmic Sect hadn''t been enemies as soon as the Outsiders came, but became enemies later on. There had not truly been a reason for the Cosmic Sect to be so overbearing. Later, the Outsiders acted similarly. Yhwh sighed and ignored them for now. In a way, this turned out to be somewhat of a good thing. Now, all of his followers were much less spread out. Yhwh created a central point of it all. He called it the Faith palace. All of his powerful followers were able to gather here. Even his mortal followers were within reach. It became a densely populated area, one where you could see both Mortals and Sages. The Faith palace was huge, though the actual palace itself was not that big. It was the gathering point of Faith, and Yhwh had never felt so close to his believers. Ever since leaving the planet he had first been born on, he had usually only gained the faith of his followers and had never personally seen them again, but now he could see all of them whenever he wanted. No longer were they solely connected through golden threads. Yhwh held a meeting. His most powerful followers directly joined him in the Faith palace, but every single one of his followers at this time could see him. This was a live meeting, one where as many beings as were in a Universal Sector were watching, all concentrated on one area. Yhwh discussed many things, sharing his appreciation and goals. One thing that stood out among the entire meeting was his desire to increase his faith even further. Anyone could help do it, Mortal or Sage. How? Reproduce! With more and more beings being born, his faith would naturally grow. The current Faith palace only took up an area equivalent to that of a filament, so there was plenty of space left in the Universal Sector. Since his Faith would be growing for him, Yhwh focused on comprehending Faith to a deeper level. He would always remember how his enemy had been inventing new ways to use his power, especially that power on his wrist. Even now, Yhwh shivered thinking about it. Chapter 570: High Sage Equivalent - 570 Chapter 570 - High Sage Equivalent - 570 A million years passed while Yhwh comprehended Faith and his people focused on growing the population. All of those in the Universal Sector that initially did not have Faith were either converted or expelled from the Universal Sector. This was now a holy land, and blasphemy was not tolerated. This was not done under Ye Li''s order, but by his followers'' actions. Yhwh had comprehended a technique to use Faith, but he didn''t want to use it. It was powerful. If he used it to its full ability, he would be unkillable. But each time it was used, a follower of his would either die or suffer immense pain. Yhwh could not bear to do it, but if it truly came to life or death, he would have to. He nearly regretted comprehending this technique until he realized that not all of his followers were perfect. Once they gained Faith in him, they were influenced to become better people, but still, even with overwhelming good, there was still plenty of evil inside of some beings. There was a system of law and justice everywhere, but Yhwh interfered. Now, all of those sentenced to eternal imprisonment or death for their crimes would be kept away in a hidden location, forced to survive until they could be properly punished by Yhwh. Those who received this punishment were both worried and happy to serve Yhwh. Regardless of their crimes, their Faith was true. With such a dense population, even if rare, there were plenty of beings that deserved extreme punishment. Over the past million years, with the entire Universal Sector focused on increasing the population, Yhwh''s Faith had experienced extreme growth. Even with unexpected events, powerful cultivators having difficulty reproducing, and beings that simply would not accept Faith, Yhwh had experienced a ten times growth in faith. If all the beings in the Universal Sector were replaced by Mortals, his Faith could have multiplied by a million times, but there were naturally issues with such a method. Outside of the Universal Sector, many powerful gazes were focused on the Faith palace. Yhwh was growing, and he was growing fast. He was already at the point of invincibility below the fully realized path creators. Even the Outsider leader did not see any hope in winning in a fight against him. From behind the Outsider leader, a voice rang out. "Was it worth it to offend him in such a way?" The one speaking was the Ipth patriarch. "I didn''t wish for it to happen in such a way, but he needed this push. His followers were too scattered and apart. Only with this can he truly reach the peak of the universe. Besides, I truly did want him out of the rest of the universe. No path creator should have complete control or dominion over the entire universe. Otherwise, what would be left for us." The Ipth patriarch nodded. The Outsider leader had always been the most intelligent, though he rarely showed it. His actions held no true ill will towards Yhwh. It was simply a push to help him grow faster and in a more proper way. To say it was completely selfless was a lie. This was also to guard against the returning of Ye Li. When Ye Li reached the equivalent of the High Sage realm, would Yoha be able to find him? Even Zhou Fan was not completely confident, though he believed that his control over everything would allow him to discover Ye Li. Yet, there was still the Great Dao realm. It was no longer just a possibility, when Ye Li reached the Great Dao realm, he could hide from even Zhou Fan. Of course, Zhou Fan was taking precautions. It was fun to have something to do. A hundred million years passed smoothly. Still a flash for cultivators, but Yhwh had reached the equivalent of the High Sage realm in his path. He was undoubtedly invincible in the universe, with only the fully realized path creators above him. It was impossible to know if Ye Li had reached such a level, but it was unlikely. Yhwh considered going inside the mini-universe to kill Ye Li now, but decided against it. With his past accumulation, Ye Li could have reached the High Sage realm, but with the current situation, Yhwh would reach the Great Dao realm far before Ye Li. To minimize the risk, this was the best way. There was no more adversity for Yhwh to face. Everything remaining was an accumulation of time. Another hundred million years passed. Yhwh discovered that it would not be so easy to reach the Great Dao realm. He continued accumulating Faith, his gains every year only increasing. A billion years passed. It felt like forever to Yhwh, but even a god realm cultivator could more or less disregard it. Yhwh had traveled around for a bit, learning about secrets of the universe. He went to Earth and met the Buddha. They had a pleasant conversation, with Yhwh learning a bit about the Buddha''s path. Like Zhou Fan, the Buddha had always been rather open about his path. He also met Yoha once again, talking to him. Afterwards, he entered the Death Universe, soon leaving without even meeting the God of Death. It was eerie in there, and he did not want to randomly die. He was unable to find any other Path Creators. He felt that either no more existed or the remaining ones were hidden away. Of course, he had learned about Zhou Fan from various sources and even tried to find him, but he was unsuccessful. After all, he had yet to truly reach the peak. Yhwh could somewhat sense when he would reach the peak. When his entire Universal Sector was densely populated with believers, he would reach greater heights. It would not just be entering the equivalent of the Great Dao realm, but reaching the peak of it all. Zhou Fan, looking down, had another slight, sudden enlightenment at this moment. Closer and closer. Eventually, he would surpass even his current state. Chapter 571: Great Dao Realm - 571 Chapter 571 - Great Dao Realm - 571 Billions of years passed as Universal Sector 6 continued to increase in population. It had long reached numbers beyond any of the other universal sectors, but at this point, the population of Universal Sector 6 was greater than all of the other Universal Sectors and mini-universes combined. The sheer numbers of people could overwhelm any foe. Yhwh was approaching the Great Dao realm equivalent faster and faster every day now. There were not really any obstacles in his path, either. He would probably need to comprehend something for a final push, but it was only a matter of time. Nobody could or would oppose him. There was nothing to do but wait. More and more years passed. The population increased, and his Faith accordingly so. One day, he felt it. Using what he had comprehended over billions of years, he simply entered the Great Dao realm equivalent. He reveled in this feeling for just a moment before looking towards a certain Mini-universe. He moved quickly, essentially an instant, before reaching the gate. He entered without hesitation. He had never forgotten about Ye Li. To this day, he was still the biggest threat to not only Yhwh, but the entire universe. He was the first Path Creator that could be called truly evil, only caring about himself. As soon as he entered, he saw something in the distance. A giant wheel, incomparably huge. However, just as soon as he saw it, it vanished. Yhwh stepped forward, reaching that spot in an instant, but nothing was there. He looked around the entire Mini-Universe. "Impossible." He muttered. Ye Li was not here, or at least it was impossible to sense him. Either way, Yhwh could not find him. Yoha had said that he would keep watch over the Mini-Universe gate, but no being had entered or exited since Ye Li''s banishment. If Ye Li was no longer here, and he had left the Mini-Universe, then he was able to move under Yoha''s watch without being detected. Yoha was a fully grown Path Creator, far different from Yhwh. If even he could not sense Ye Li, it seemed impossible to find him at all. Despite all of this, it seemed unlikely that Ye Li had left. Just as he had entered, Yhwh had seen a giant wheel in the distance. It was one of those wheels that had different sections and a pointer, as if it was spinning to choose something. Yet it also seemed different from that, as if it represented something. Yhwh could only guess it was related to Ye Li. Since he could not find Ye Li, Yhwh looked around the rest of the Mini-Universe. His expression changed immediately. He hadn''t noticed the abnormality before, but there were no living beings here. This place was one of the unknown universes that wasn''t covered by Zhou Fan''s Great Dao. Yhwh didn''t know about Zhou Fan''s Great Dao, but he understood that this was one of the unknown universes. Technically, it wouldn''t be unexpected if there was no life here, but there were traces of life. This universe was different from the Main Universe. The Main Universe had planets and galaxies, essentially a structure formed by gravity. This universe seemed to have condensed and colorful rays of light covering it, forming the equivalent of planets to living beings. On some of these rays of lights, there were holes, "Buildings", or other forms of change and movement, obviously not natural. However, there was no life here, and no remains of life. Yhwh went back to the Main Universe after looking around and finding nothing. He half expected some sort of chaos to have broken out when he returned, but it was peaceful and calm as always. Yoha appeared. "Did you kill him already?" Yhwh shook his head. "I didn''t find him." Yoha''s expression changed and he entered the Mini-Universe. Moments later, he came out. "I can''t sense him in the Mini-Universe or the Main Universe." Yoha said solemnly. Yhwh had expected it. Yoha wasn''t that much stronger than him at this point. "Could he have died or been killed?" Yhwh asked. Yoha thought about it as well. It wasn''t impossible for Zhou Fan to have put down a threat early. Even the Buddha or the God of Death could have done it. Seeing as this was such a dangerous threat, Yoha looked up. Yhwh was at the equivalent of the Great Dao realm, so he now qualified to meet Zhou Fan. Yoha did not make any attempt to hide anything. A strand of his Divinity shot up to the top of the Universe. Zhou Fan, who had been watching the whole time regardless, created a circle in front of Yoha and Yhwh. Yhwh looked in awe at the circle that had somehow appeared. Despite being near the peak, he had not sensed its appearance at all. Yoha took a step forward and entered. Yhwh followed. He instantly saw a unique landscape. Near-infinite fields and a mansion. Nearby, there was a tree, and a man under the tree. The tree itself was an interesting sight to see, but the man below the tree didn''t give Yhwh any feeling of power. It was as if he was a mortal. This feeling made Yhwh wary. This was a true master. Could he have surpassed the Great Dao realm? Yoha briefly bowed to Zhou Fan, his teacher, before speaking. "Do you know where that Path Creator is?" Zhou Fan opened his eyes for the first time in a while. "Roughly." Yhwh spoke out suddenly. "Where?" Zhou Fan looked at him. "Why would I say? I don''t want him to die yet." Yhwh was stunned, but Yoha had expected it. "Has he not reached the Great Dao realm yet?" Yoha asked. "Of course not. That''s why I can somewhat sense him. However, I''ve thought about it and made a decision. I won''t kill him even when he reaches the Peak." This time, even Yoha was stunned. "But why let such a dangerous person roam free?" He asked. "Because he has the potential to go past the Great Dao realm. In comparison, everyone else''s chances are low." Chapter 572: Freedom Given - 572 Chapter 572 - Freedom Given - 572 Yoha was surprised. "You can already talk about surpassing the Great Dao realm despite being in it." Zhou Fan nodded. "I can, because as long as I have time, I will undoubtedly surpass it. However, is that the end of my path?" Yoha hadn''t thought about this. Even surpassing the Great Dao realm seemed like a fantasy. "Even if it is the end of my path, I''ll create a new one and continue even further. Ye Li could be of great help." ''Ye Li?'' Both Yhwh and Yoha thought. Yhwh blurted out. "So you would let such an evil and dangerous person live freely for such a small chance of helping you." "It''s more than that, of course." Zhou Fan said. "Why?" Yhwh asked. "That''s none of your business. Let''s just say he will help me at some point regardless. I won''t interfere with any of your actions. If you can kill him, kill him. I don''t care." Yhwh didn''t know what to say to Zhou Fan. Was his way of thinking wrong? It seemed more inline with the enemies, no, Ye Li''s way of thinking. Looking back, Ye Li was evil, but everything he did was not for the sole intention of causing pain or harm to others. He had always used it to help himself. Ye Li was selfish, not simply evil. This Zhou Fan was also selfish. Perhaps it was something that happened after living for countless years. "I heard about you from Ying Xiong. Despite having personally grown the Universe into what it is today, you don''t care if Ye Li destroys all the life in it?" Zhou Fan shook his head. "Don''t misunderstand me. There is definitely a limit to what Ye Li can do until I get involved, but it is higher than I assume you would like. It''s hard for you to understand, but as long as I''m alive, the universe will continue. Not just continue, it will grow even greater." "So you''re selfish." Yhwh said. "If I was selfish, I would take all of your believers and let Ye Li take their... I would let Ye Li grow through their lives. He would instantly reach the Peak and this conversation would be meaningless. If I was selfish, I would let him kill you and grow through that. Then I would lock him up and force him to grow under my control. If I was selfish, the universe would completely exist under my palm and Path Creators such as yourselves would be nothing but a boost to my understanding, killed and tossed away as soon as they were no longer useful." Zhou Fan said, stopping himself from revealing Ye Li''s power. Yhwh remained silent and thought. On second thought, he wasn''t quite like Yhwh. What he had explained is what Yhwh would do if he was in his position. Yhwh''s opinion of Zhou Fan went up again, reaching a level of respect for his elders. Yoha, who had watched, finally spoke. "So you won''t help at all?" Zhou Fan thought for a moment. "I suppose I can on account of you all being good." He looked at both of them solemnly. "The Ye Li now is not the Ye Li you banished. Don''t fight him at the same level, even if you team up. You''ll either completely lose or die with him. If you wish to kill him, don''t let him reach the Great Dao realm, or even worse, the Peak." "Will he reach your level?" Yoha asked solemnly. Zhou Fan thought again. There were multiple Path Creators at the Peak, but every one of them knew that Zhou Fan was the most powerful. "If he doesn''t, he may be close enough to defeat me with some luck." Zhou Fan said. Yhwh asked a question. "Doesn''t that make you worried? He will obviously be a threat to you, yet you''re letting him grow. I can''t understand it." "At some point in my life, I began to feel something. You could call it arrogance if you want. I know I will succeed. No matter what Ye Li does, I will win. That is my confidence in myself that cannot be overshadowed." Zhou Fan said. Both Yhwh and Yoha remained silent. Yhwh even gained a new sort of respect for Zhou Fan. Perhaps he was not simply indifferent or selfish at all. He was giving every being the chance to grow and live their lives, no matter how dangerous they could become. This was the freedom he had willingly given the Universe, something he did not have to give, yet had. Perhaps he himself had been selfish. Perhaps he had simply been scared. Yhwh and Yoha left. Zhou Fan, as always, continued watching them. He naturally also watched Ye Li, who had indeed completely transformed and had reached the High Sage equivalent. Neither Ye Li, Yhwh, nor Yoha could sense his gaze at all. After entering the normal part of the Main Universe again, Yhwh and Yoha began to search for Ye Li. They did not employ any help. Nobody would be able to help them regardless. Meanwhile, Yhwh''s Faith continued to grow. Yhwh had not fully satisfied Zhou Fan just yet. Only when he reached the Peak would Zhou Fan not have to watch him any more. Of course, he was more excited for when Ye Li reached the Peak. He had not been lying or exaggerating earlier. Ye Li was on a different level from the other Path Creators. Zhou Fan could not exactly tell why, but he, like Zhou Fan, had reached a new level of Path Creator entirely. Zhou Fan felt that when he understood this, he would have comprehended the first step in going beyond the Great Dao realm. As for after that, what would be required was unknown. Perhaps he would be able to immediately break through. Perhaps there would be a hundred more steps, each as difficult as this one. His path was endless, and he would surely continue to walk down it until the end. No matter what, he refused to stop walking. Chapter 573: The Supreme of the Universe - 573 Chapter 573 - The Supreme of the Universe - 573 Yhwh and Yoha, as expected, never succeeded in finding Ye Li. They eventually gave up and stopped. Yhwh returned to Universal Sector 6, while Yoha stayed nearby. Yhwh would continue to grow his strength while waiting for Ye Li to make a move. Countless years passed. The two Path Creators prepared for a fight against Ye Li. Billions of years passed. Universal Sector 6 was developing quickly. In the future, when sages arose from Yhwh''s followers, it would become one of the strongest areas in the universe. Trillions of years passed. Yhwh finally did it. Universal Sector 6 was filled to the brim with his believers. He reached the Peak, the limit of the Great Dao realm. Now, his strength was truly at the top of the universe. He could even rival Yoha. More and more years passed. Universal Sector 6''s growth rate had slowed down, mostly due to a lack of space for new beings. There was always more room no matter what, but some places couldn''t be inhabited by weaker beings. Yhwh had spent many years constructing something of a network throughout Universal Sector 6. Technology, something mostly ignored, actually played a role in this network. Naturally, it was also combined with Yhwh''s power of Faith. This was something never done before. Communication was possible between even mortals filaments away from each other. On some mortal planets, technology was a major focus. This was something never really seen before in the Universe. Any possibility of technological focused growth had been snuffed out by the creation of Cultivation. However, in such a densely populated place, some were interested in pursuing technology. Technology had grown rather powerful already. Yhwh had used a bit of it, not because it was more useful than anything else, but because even mortals could freely use it. Universal Sector 6 was the biggest and most connected place in the Universe. After trillions and trillions of years, Yhwh had slowly begun to worry about Ye Li less and less. It seemed unlikely that he would suddenly appear after so long. He had not made any sort of move in a long, long time. However, after many many years, one normal day, the sky shattered. It was far away from Yhwh, yet he could see it from the other side of the Universe. A giant Karma spiral, incomparably huge, shot down onto the 1st Universal Sector. If it fell, everything within it would be gone. However, this attempt was destined to be thwarted. A giant palm shot upwards. This was familiar to many powerful beings. They had seen Ying Xiong use something like this. It was different, however. Ying Xiong used a Buddha''s palm. This was the Buddha''s palm. The Karma spiral and the Buddha''s palm collided, shaking the universe. A battle between two Path Creators. Both of these beings were at the Great Dao realm, but one was at the Peak, while the other wasn''t. Yhwh and Yoha rushed forward immediately. Ye Li was back, and he had attacked without any wait. As they arrived, they saw two beings facing each other in space. Ye Li did not hide his face any more. Any attempts to hide his identity or Karma was unnecessary. Those who could match him were few, and even if they knew things about him, it wouldn''t matter. Ye Li looked over and saw Yhwh and Yoha. His face was indifferent. "Three here, but one is enough." He said. To reach the true Peak, the amount of Karma Ye Li would need is incalculable. Perhaps it would take quintillions of years. He did not plan to wait that long. It was a short time to some beings, but not to him. There was always a possibility of an enemy appearing. Even with his Karma, he could not tell if there was a being above the Great Dao Realm. If there was, he did not want that being to eliminate him. Only by reaching the Peak would he feel as if he could at least survive in this universe. Though facing three Path Creators, he no longer feared them. They were on different levels, and not because they were at the Peak while he remained at the entrance of the Great Dao realm. There was simply a difference in levels, most accurately described as a difference in their created powers. In this comparison, he was above them. He had also changed a lot. Being banished, he had experienced Karmic Retribution. for countless years, he had experienced pain and suffering, all at the hands of his own power. This was his Bad Karma finally reacting. However, he also had good Karma as well. When the Karma finally canceled out, he had suffered for billions of years, but had comprehended something as well. This is what gave him the arrogance to act like this. No speaking was necessary. Karmic Shackles appeared on the three beings'' wrists. The Buddha, not knowing how he had been dragged into this, sighed and began to fight alongside Yhwh and Yoha. However, this would naturally not do. Four beings, each one capable of destroying the Universe, clashing among each other. Zhou Fan was forced to take a step out. Otherwise, the universe would collapse, and the nothingness would come. None of these beings had experienced the true terror of the nothingness. This and breaking through were the only obstacles Zhou Fan faced nowadays. This was a fight that not even Zhou Fan could easily interfere in. The power of Karma shot forward. Towards it, Yhwh''s powerful power of Faith attacked like a waterfall of Golden threads. A Divine golden light shined towards Ye Li. The Buddha also sent out a golden power. It was as if they were made to be on one side. Suddenly, a green river appeared between all these powers. It poured down endlessly. All the attacks that were thrown out fell into the river and sank into the unknown depths. Each being was shocked, and they all looked to the side, where the river began, yet did not begin, because it had no beginning and no end. High above, standing on the river, Zhou Fan crossed his arms and looked down. This image was etched into the minds of all beings watching, especially the Path Creators. This was the supreme of the Universe, and his unmatched invincibility. Zhou Fan did not need to speak, his gaze was enough. Chapter 574: Battle Universe - 574 Chapter 574 - Battle Universe - 574 Ye Li got excited as he looked at Zhou Fan. This was it. That being, however strong, was the true Peak of existence. He felt a sense of similarity. Something about them was alike. Yet, they were also different, much more different than they were alike. Ye Li almost failed to stop himself from attempting to strip Zhou Fan of Karma. He knew that if he did so, he would surpass even the Peak. Zhou Fan had the most Karma in this universe, and it wasn''t even close. Perhaps his Karma alone was greater than everything else combined. The silhouette above Ye Li moved. Everyone here could see it. Ye Li, upon reaching the Great Dao realm, had been able to see it as well. This was something he didn''t currently 100% comprehend. Besides Zhou Fan, nobody here really understood what it was or where it had come from. It seemed ignorable, and even if other fully realized Path Creators had seen it, they wouldn''t have mentioned it. Just as soon as the fight started, it stopped. The silhouette had merely moved a bit, not changing anything. Although Zhou Fan did not need to speak, he did so anyway. "If you all decide to fight here, the entire universe will be destroyed, and all of us with it." Zhou Fan still stood imposingly above the River of Cultivation, and his words shocked everyone. "Try to leave the universe and you''ll understand. In the meantime, I will find a way for you to fight as much as you want without consequence." With this, Zhou Fan left. The four Path Creators looked at each other for a moment before dispersing. Ye Li and Yhwh went to the edge of the Universe. As for the Buddha and Yoha, they had long known such a thing. Zhou Fan, back below Leaf, began to think. Fights between Path Creators were inevitable. Even the threat of death would not stop them for long. He already understood the theoretical ability of solving this issue. One with the Universe. This was an ability that cultivators could tap into, and some Path Creators could touch upon, but once a Path Creator reached the Peak, or with strength rivaling it, this was no longer applicable. Zhou Fan needed to create a space to fight for Path Creators, one imbued with "One with the Universe". This space could not be small. Zhou Fan put everything together for a while before finally having a plan. Around the universe, 100 Mini-Universes not covered by his Great Dao collapsed, the beings within them appearing outside of where the gates once were. What issues this would cause was not his problem. This gave him a bunch of space to work with. A Mini-Universe was the size of a Filament. The Main-Universe had 100 filaments in total. With 100 Filaments of space cleared up, Zhou Fan planned to create something called the Battle Universe. This would be a universe the size of the Main Universe. The very framework that created it would be imbued with the ability of "One with the Universe". Of course, if a Path Creator truly desired it, they could ignore "One with the Universe", but being consumed by the nothingness was something that nobody wanted. Therefore, it could be assumed that a tacit agreement would be reached. Unlike the Mini-Universes, the Battle Universe would not be entered through a gate, but act as a second layer to the Main Universe. It could be entered from anywhere within the Main Universe at any time. Of course, the strength required to sense the existence of such a universe was immense. To enter it required even more strength, though it would be effortless for a Peak Path Creator. The creation of the Battle Universe would be extremely difficult, even for him. It was essentially the same as creating a Universe. If it was him when he first reached the Peak, it would be impossible. However, over countless years, his methods had indeed grown even greater. It was feasible, though it would probably take octillions of years. This was a period of time that Path Creators like Ye Li and Yhwh, who had grown exceedingly fast, would not be willing to wait. In order to speed this up, he would need assistance from all Path Creators. Zhou Fan created the general framework of it all over the span of billions of years before leaving. He stood at the top of the Universe, and the power of Cultivation shined bright. It was invisible to those besides Path Creators. This was a signal, and through manipulating space, even Path Creators in Mini-Universes could see it. It did not take long before every single Path Creator assembled at the top of the Universe. Zhou Fan had thought that he was done with these sorts of things, but alas, here he was again. The Buddha, Yoha, Yhwh, Ye Li, The God of Death, and Zhou Fan stood at the top of the Universe. Wrapped around Zhou Fan was Leaf, as well as Monty. Initially, Zhou Fan had only intended to bring Monty, but Leaf was interested as well. This was the first time that these beings had seen Zhou Fan''s true image, as Leaf had long become a part of his image, and Monty had joined in as well. "As some of us had discussed, fights between Path Creators would cause the destruction of the Universe as we know it, including Mini-Universes." Here, there were 5 Path Creators at the Peak, and two at the Great Dao realm. Ye Li and the God of Death were at the Great Dao realm. "There is a simple solution to this. Creating another Universe imbued with the ability of Cultivators, One with the Universe. I have already created the framework, but to truly complete such a project in a reasonable amount of time, assistance from everyone is necessary." Despite these beings being at the Peak of the Universe throughout all of history, they were still shocked by Zhou Fan''s words. He talked about creating another universe as if it was nothing. When he went into the specifics, their shock only increased. Chapter 575: The Creation of the Battle Universe - 575 Chapter 575 - The Creation of the Battle Universe - 575 The Battle Universe would be as big as the Main Universe itself. Only such a large area would be able to fully contain the might of Path Creators. Everyone seemed to be in agreement over the creation of the Battle Universe. Every Path Creator''s power would also be imbued into the Battle Universe, which meant that no single Path Creator would have control over it. The starting process was simple, but only Zhou Fan could do it. As a cultivator, he had control over various forms of power, while the other Path Creators had fully focused on one thing, such as Death, Karma, or Faith. Zhou Fan manipulated space for a long time, slowly condensing, expanding, and changing the form of it. Eventually, with the framework he had created, acting like an outline, and space, which acted like a sheet that covered it, the initial part was finished. This process alone had lasted a trillion years. However, it was not anywhere near completed. Space, which could be compared to a sheet, had only been roughly thrown over the framework. Now, the hard part began. They had to perfectly fit the sheet over the framework. If it was not perfect, then it would collapse. The Battle Universe, though similar in size, was not like the Main Universe. There were major differences, and this could not truly be called creating another Universe. It was like creating a Mini-Universe, which was just condensed space in a different layer of the Universe, but on a much bigger scale. And so, fitting the sheet began. At first, the Path Creators struggled. After all, they had only focused on one type of power. However, with Zhou Fan''s guidance, they were able to use their power to fit this sheet in their own ways. Ye Li''s Karma formed a thread, somewhat like his Karma spiral, that tied the space together. It was similar for Yhwh''s golden threads. The God of Death imprinted the power of Death onto space, tamping it down to fit. Monty truly could not help here. The Buddha formed giant hands that smoothed out space and moved it around. Yoha''s divinity, like the God of Death''s power of death, imprinted onto the Universe. This was a long process, and every bit of space needed to be taken care of carefully. Of course, Zhou Fan was the most efficient, and by a lot. His power of Cultivation itself was not too much of a help, but controlling the various Qi''s through the Power of Cultivation made his efforts work tenfold. While they all worked, Zhou Fan noticed that the God of Death seemed different from other Path Creators as well. It was only slight, not as much as Ye Li and him, but it was there. Perhaps the God of Death would bring surprises as well once he reached the Peak. Despite all of the Path Creators working together, this period lasted a Quintillion years. Time seemed to pass quickly for everyone, and nobody had to stay on guard against anyone as they were all working together. At the end of this period, the Battle Universe was created. There was nothing but space in this Universe. At most, there was dust. The Battle Universe was indeed stable, and imbued with the power of "One with the Universe", it would forever remain stable unless a Path Creator intended to purposefully cause destruction. Naturally, there were countermeasures for this. Each being had left a bit of their power while creating the Battle Universe. If a Path Creator were to end up in a Life and Death situation and attempted to break the Battle Universe, all of these powers would restrict that being automatically. This included Zhou Fan''s power left behind. Ye Li had been reluctant until Zhou Fan told him that he already knew everything about his power. Only then did Ye Li agree. He would imbue his power once again, along with the God of Death, after he reached the Peak. The Battle Universe was created, and Zhou Fan left. What remained was only natural. The Battle from long ago continued without hesitation, watched by all of the other Path Creators. This was the first battle in the Battle Universe, a piece of history nobody wanted to miss. Three Path Creators stood against one. It was as if these years had not passed, everything resuming after a brief pause. After a moment, golden powers shot at Ye Li. Karmic Shackles appeared as Ye Li pointed out a finger. A giant Karma Spiral appeared, as big as a Filament. In the past, the Buddha had needed to worry about Earth, but in the Battle Universe, it didn''t matter. Each being could release their full power without worry. This was the uniqueness of "One with the Universe". Ye Li seemed to be at a disadvantage instantly. Yoha''s golden halo and his wings shone brightly, revealing a holy power that seemed unstoppable. The Buddha''s power was simple, but extremely powerful and dangerous. Yhwh''s power formed a Golden Palace of threads. Countless attacks were thrown at Ye Li. The Karmic Dao activated, and Ye Li dodged many attacks, but against three Peak Path Creators, he was naturally outmatched. He was not even at the Peak. The fact that he could last a moment showed his uniqueness, even among Path Creators. However, Ye Li did not start a fight where he would clearly lose. He fought because he knew he had a chance. It all relied on one power. As he was pushed back, spitting out blood from three combined attacks, a giant wheel made of Karma appeared behind him. It spun, and as it did, countless spiraling Karma Spiral''s appeared. They gathered, forming something akin to a spear, yet more natural and non-uniform. Ye Li punched forward. "Karmic Wheel: Pierce Through It All" The attack directly faced three powerful attacks from three Peak Path Creators. However, to the shock of the three Path Creators, everyone watching, and even Zhou Fan, these three attacks were pierced through, and the attack continued towards one being. Yhwh saw the gray attack. The walls of his palace were pierced, and so was he. A gaping hole on the left side of his body was made apparent to everyone, a fatal injury. Chapter 576: A Losing Battle - 576 Chapter 576 - A Losing Battle - 576 Every Path Creator watching stared in shock at the gaping hole on the left of Yhwh''s body. The only sound in the Battle Universe was of Ye Li''s panting. Yhwh looked down at his left side. His arm, as well as a third of his torso was gone. It was an attack from a Path Creator. He could heal from a lot, but this would kill him. Yhwh spoke. "So you all will be the first. I will remember your names in my heart." In Universal Sector 6, there were many evil beings locked up. They had been locked up for countless years. Many had died in captivity, but some powerful ones with long lifespans remained. Yhwh was speaking to himself, but his words were directed at a few beings in particular. One, to show his "Faith", had done countless evil things, eventually being captured. Suddenly, he felt a Golden Thread move. He shouted with ecstasy. "Lord!" Then, a gaping hole appeared on the left of his body. He shouted again. "Yes! Anything for my lord!" At the same time, the same injury appeared on thousands of other beings. All died quickly. In the Battle Universe, everyone was shocked once again. Yhwh''s body, once fatally injured, was now magically healed. Yhwh too began to pant. This was not an easy technique to use. Ye Li was annoyed. Of course, how unlucky. Although Yhwh had been healed, all three beings were still shocked at the power of Ye Li''s attack. Without being able to heal, Yhwh could have died from that attack. Ye Li jumped back as Yoha and the Buddha looked at him. The Buddha clasped his hands. Two giant Buddha''s palms appeared, centered on Ye Li. At the same time, Yoha''s wings flapped and he appeared above Ye Li. He pointed down, and a ray of Divinity shot towards Ye Li. The Karmic Dao activated and Ye Li appeared outside of the Buddha''s palms, avoiding the ray of light. However, he still coughed up blood. In his current state, the attacks were not as simple to evade. The attacks continued as Ye Li continued dodging, yet still slowly being injured further and further. Yhwh, who had been left to heal, joined in. They knew of the Karmic Shackles, but they could not simply stop fighting. They just needed to kill Ye Li before the Karmic Shackles were filled. Yhwh and Yoha had taken Zhou Fan''s warning seriously. If it was just the two of them, who knew what would have happened, but with the Buddha, losing was impossible. As time passed, Ye Li struggled more and more to dodge. He was waiting, and everyone here knew why. Finally, the time came, and Ye Li was alive. "Watch out for this." Yhwh shouted. They backed away and focused their power on resisting. Ye Li activated the Karmic Shackles. "Karmic Shackles: Backlash". A crack appeared on the three Path Creators wrists. They felt an immense power trying to erase their existence. This was as a result of their constant actions, an application of Karma that seemed above all others. Unexpectedly, another wheel appeared as they were resisting the backlash from the Karmic Shackles. Yoha watched in shock as the same attack that nearly killed Yhwh was directed towards him. A bright light glowed towards the attack, but it was pierced. Just as Yoha believed he would be hit, a bell appeared around him. The attack hit the bell, causing a loud ring that covered the Battle Universe. The bell too was pierced after a brief moment, but Yoha was able to dodge the attack as a result. The last time, it had pierced through three attacks. Yet three attacks couldn''t compare to two defenses. Ye Li sighed. He had overestimated his current self. He began to fade away, using Karma to hide and leave. He couldn''t erase his Karma during battle as he was constantly creating Karma, but when leaving, it was simple. Suddenly, a phantom covered the entire area. The Buddha stood, looking at Ye Li. "Since you''ve come this far, don''t bother leaving." The Buddha held one hand over the other. The two hands moved towards one another, forming a hand cage. The Phantom did this as well. Ye Li was shocked. He could tell that within this cage, nothing could be hidden. The Buddha could see him right now. Ye Li began to move out of the giant phantom. He was not truly trapped, only slowed down. But the main purpose of this cage was to sense him. The Buddha turned his body and stepped forward, pushing his hand outward. "Eliminate." A buddhist light filled the cage, directly coming towards Ye Li. He was unable to avoid it. Ye Li was pushed out of the cage by the attack, nearly dead. He escaped, using the Karmic Dao to assist him. Before anything more could be done, he was gone. He could not leave the Battle Universe for now unless he wanted to be targeted by the powers imbued into it, including his own, but hiding was something he was able to do. Whether the Battle Universe was empty or not was irrelevant. They could not find him because he hid his Karma. Even Zhou Fan could not find him right now. After a few years, Ye Li was able to leave the Battle Universe. He had failed and lost. His goal had been to take the Karma of a Path Creator, but it was unsuccessful. Of course, they had to team up to stop him, but he would never find a time where he could truly fight a fair one on one. As he left, he saw a being looking for him. He wouldn''t pay attention to other beings, but this one was a familiar one. The God of Death. He was releasing his power. Everyone could see it, but Ye Li was able to see a message inside for him. Ye Li was curious, but naturally did not go. He spent a few billion years healing from the battle before going to the Death Universe, where the God of Death lived. Chapter 577: A Plan - 577 Chapter 577 - A Plan - 577 Although it was possible for others to see the message hidden within if they really tried, Ye Li did not fear such a thing. First of all, he had activated the Karmic Shackles before the fight ended. The Buddha had been able to ignore it for a second in order to send out one last attack, but that was it. Their injuries, while not as serious as his, were not easy to heal from. The power of Karma was able to create a lasting effect. Second, even if they did see the message and attack him at the Death Universe, the God of Death was still there. If they teamed up, they would not necessarily lose against the three from before. Ye Li entered the Death Universe and the God of Death was able to sense him instantly. A giant bone ship appeared, with the God of Death standing at the front. "What could you possibly want to talk to me about?" Ye Li asked. "Path Creator stuff, of course." The God of Death responded. Ye Li waited for him to continue. "You see, our paths seem somewhat similar. I get my power from Death, while you kill beings as well." Ye Li shook his head. "No. They simply die as a result of what I do." The God of Death shrugged his shoulders. "Regardless, it doesn''t matter to me. As you can tell, my Path is not something that any of those in the Main Universe want to see advancing. Our similarities lie not necessarily in our power, but how it affects beings. The outcome, regardless, is Death." Ye Li spoke. "Skip to the part where you want something." The God of Death''s face could not be seen under his cloak, but it felt as if he was smiling. "I want to slaughter Universal Sector 6." Even Ye Li was shocked by his words. Universal Sector 6 was no ordinary Universal Sector. It had more beings than the rest of the Universe combined. If they were to slaughter it, rivers of blood would literally flow throughout the Universe. "Such grand ambitions are not my style." Ye Li said, though he did not reject this plan. "I know. You prefer to stay low and hide. However, this is a chance for both of us to reach the Peak. Even if we split it in half, it should be more than enough." Ye Li agreed. He was tempted, extremely tempted, but such a thing would require immense... planning. Ye Li realized and looked at the God of Death. "Even if we teamed up, it would most likely be impossible to succeed against those three, especially if they fought with their lives. What you need is not my fighting power, but my scheming." The God of Death did not deny it. "So. What do you say?" Ye Li could not stop himself from slightly smiling. "Let''s begin." Years passed since the fight in the Battle Universe and the meeting between Ye Li and the God of Death. The injuries from the Karmic Shackles had been truly terrifying and difficult to heal, but all three eventually managed to heal it without issue. The Buddha could be considered to have joined Yoha and Yhwh in their goal of defeating Ye Li. In order to protect Earth, his place of birth, defeating Ye Li was necessary. Otherwise, it would be an eternal target. The three tried to stay near each other, but they all had things they cared about and wanted to protect. The Buddha had Earth, Yoha had his Mini-Universe, and Yhwh had Universal Sector 6. Each of these things were far away from each other, but they were Path Creators. Even going across the entire Universe would not take too long. They only worried that even a second would be too much. Teleportation arrays would not help much. A teleportation array would have to be immensely powerful to teleport someone across the Universe. That was why there were so many teleportation hubs around. Some only acted as a go between 99% of the time. As always, it was impossible to find Ye Li or destroy something he cared about since he cared about nothing but himself. They could not even protect potential targets as the places where they stayed were the greatest targets possible. Trillions of years passed. Yhwh had not really grown in power or variability during this time. It was impossible to grow his power of Faith any further. Even if he gained more believers, the power of Faith within him had reached a limit and it would not fuse with his beings as the others had. Of course, his faith still technically increased with new living beings, and as a result the quantity he could output was greater, but the quality was still the same. He wasn''t quite sure how to even theoretically go beyond this level. It was a struggle that all Peak Path Creators faced. He imagined that if he had the Faith of another Path Creator, something special could happen, but it was naturally impossible to test that. Not everyone was like Zhou Fan, who could sense new Path Creators as soon as they emerged. He simply had a level of control over the Universe, mostly through the Path of Cultivation, that allowed him to see everything. After all, whether it was in the Main Universe, Mini-Universes, or even Universal Sector 6, Cultivation was practiced. There were few places where it wasn''t, such as Yoha''s Mini-Universe. With Cultivation being everywhere, Zhou Fan could naturally sense things everywhere. It was both hard to understand and easy to understand. While no being cultivated his power of Cultivation, Cultivation itself was his creation, and an integral part of his path. Zhou Fan was also waiting for the emergence of a new Path Creator, as well as for Ye Li and the God of Death to reach the Peak. He had never really cared about the result of the fight for power between the Path Creators. He just wanted to surpass his current realm. Chapter 578: Attack - 578 Chapter 578 - Attack - 578 Trillions and trillions of years passed. The Universe seemed to settle into another finite moment of peace. This peace lasted until one day, Ye Li appeared. A Karma spiral filled the sky. In Universal Sector 6, Yhwh stood up and stepped forward, entering the Battle Universe. On Earth, the Buddha entered the Battle Universe as well. The same went for Yoha in the Mini-Universe. Ye Li did not plan to fight in the Main Universe, the Karma Spiral simply showed his intent to battle. He took a step and entered the Battle Universe. In the Battle Universe, which was made of nothing but space and maybe had some dust, the four beings were clearly visible. Karmic Shackles appeared. Ye Li''s Karma, as if prepared, formed a cube around him, with multiple Karma Spirals moving around the cube. Ye Li did not say a word or attack, simply defending from the start. But nobody questioned his actions. After waiting and preparing for so many years, they were too focused on finally having the opportunity to attack him. In an instant, countless attacks came from all directions. The cube constantly moved through the power of the Karmic Dao. Around half of the attacks were dodged, but half hit the cube. As the three attacked, they noticed that the cube was abnormally sturdy. This was through another usage of the Karmic Dao. Attacks were the cause, damage was the effect. Through the Karmic Dao, Ye Li could make the damage lessen by around half. With dodging and defending combined, Ye Li was only taking about a fourth of the total attack value. As time passed, the attacks of the three grew even stronger and more versatile, trying everything to break the cube. At this point, they had questioned his constant defense, but simply took it as a method to use Karmic Shackles. Yhwh''s golden threads battered towards Ye Li wildly. Yoha''s Divine light hit few, but heavy attacks. The Buddha created countless phantoms, each extremely powerful. None of them worried about using up all of their power. That was impossible, even if this battle lasted a million years. And naturally, with a battle of this level, it would not last even a single year. A fight between sages could continue endlessly, but a battle between Path Creators would likely never last more than a hundred years. The fight still continued, with Ye Li only defending. Yhwh, Yoha, and the Buddha paid attention to the Karmic Shackles that were nearing completion, but they were only halfway there. Meanwhile, Ye Li''s cube was starting to break. No matter what, it was already impressive that it had lasted so long. All three recognized the intelligence of this tactic. If Ye Li managed to use the Karmic Shackles before coming out of the Cube, they would most likely lose. However, the Cube would inevitably be broken before the Karmic Shackles were completed. As the Cube got closer and closer to breaking, they focused on piercing through the Cube and injuring Ye Li. Otherwise, he could simply leave the Battle Universe. Without sustaining a fairly damaging injury, the powers imbued in the Universe would not stop someone from leaving. Naturally, Ye Li had a plan for everything. This was not a spontaneous battle, but one planned over many years, with countless hours of preparation put in. He was the brains, while the God of Death was the brawn. Naturally, he was also the brawn, equally so, if not more so than the God of Death. He had considered not sharing with the God of Death, instead taking Universal Sector 6 for himself, but decided against it. There was a high chance of failure if he did it alone. Both he and the God of Death needed each other''s help. The Cube broke, and multiple attacks shot towards Ye Li. Ye Li dodged using the Karmic Dao, and a Karmic Spiral shot forward directly towards Yhwh. Yhwh battered it with countless golden threads. A wheel appeared behind Ye Li. It seemed that he had no intention of leaving the Battle Universe. The wheel spun and an attack quickly shot towards Yhwh. The Buddha created a golden bell around him, while Yoha attacked Ye Li. Countless golden threads layered to stop the attack. This was a plan they had created against the wheel. Two defend, one attack. The two defenses would give Yhwh more than enough time to dodge. The wall of golden threads was pierced as Yhwh began to dodge. Suddenly, in his heart, he felt a pang. Something had happened, something horrible. His eyes unfocused as he sensed something wrong with the golden threads, or rather, those connected to them. The bell was pierced and Yhwh, who had lost any intent to dodge, was hit on the left side of his body once again. He barely even reacted. Ye Li stepped backwards, exiting the Battle Universe. The Buddha and Yoha rushed over to Yhwh with worry. Yhwh''s body healed through his supreme technique, but his eyes showed clear worry and even fear. He spoke. "What the hell is going on in Universal Sector 6?" The Buddha and Yoha looked at each other. "Heal up, we''ll go see what''s happening." Yoha said as they exited the Battle Universe. Yhwh would have to stay for a few more moments, maybe a minute, but a few moments could be the difference between life and death at the level of a Path Creator. They exited the Battle Universe, and their attention was instantly drawn over to Universal Sector 6. A stench was coming from it. Looking from afar, a Deathly black power and a gray power split Universal Sector 6 in half. They rushed forward in an instant. Ye Li was waiting for them, and the God of Death stood next to him. Suddenly, Yhwh left the Battle Universe. Looking around, he saw nothing but slaughter and Death. He did not even need a moment to react. Golden threads burst out of him like never before, putting fear into the entire universe, including the Path Creators present. He uttered two words. "YE LI!" Chapter 579: Red Threads and Karmic Slave - 579 Chapter 579 - Red Threads and Karmic Slave - 579 It was as if his rage and the rage of all of his followers combined. His hatred flowed like an endless river for Ye Li. Yhwh looked at Ye Li, and only Ye Li. At this moment, he had eyes for only Ye Li in the entire Universe. Both instinctually half merged into the Battle Universe. This was another usage of the Battle Universe. Their fight would technically take place in the Battle Universe, but they would be present in the Main Universe at the same time, only their fight would not affect the Main Universe. Yhwh charged forward, countless Golden Threads wildly moving around him. Ye Li moved to the side, but somehow, Yhwh''s hand found his throat and grabbed it. Golden Threads fused with his body as he gripped Ye Li''s throat, finding a hold on his spine, and pulling. Ye Li could almost feel his spine tear out before he finally managed to appear elsewhere using the Karmic Dao. He looked at Yhwh shocked. This was not the Yhwh he knew. This fighting style was completely different from anything he had seen. Even the way he used his Golden Threads had changed. It was as if he had become a wild beast. Some breakthroughs needed to come as a result of a sudden change in state of mind or comprehension. Yhwh had never used his Golden Threads quite like this, but with his immense hatred and desire to kill Ye Li bursting out, he had instinctually created a new way to use them. Due to only partially merging with the Battle Universe, their fight could be seen in the Main Universe. Plenty of Yhwh''s followers were still alive. Even the God of Death and Ye Li could not kill so many so fast. Connected to Ye Li, they could feel his hatred, rage, and hurt. His emotions were affected by them, and theirs were affected by him. The eyes of countless beings throughout Universal Sector 6 reddened, not with sadness, but rage and hatred. With such an immense amount of beings, the entire Universe seemed to feel a change in the air. As Yhwh chased Ye Li with the pure desire to kill him, something changed. Ye Li watched as the countless Golden Threads dancing wildly around Yhwh changed color. From a golden color to a pure red that produced a feeling of nothing but hatred. The color of Yhwh''s eyes changed to red as he stared at Ye Li. "Even if I die here today, I will KILL YOU YE LI!" He shouted as he charged forward. The Universe seemed to change color as a red hue enveloped it. Something had happened to Yhwh. Ye Li could not even react. Yhwh charged forward, not even able to control his own speed and power. He uncontrollably flew past Ye Li, slashing his finger as he did so. Countless Red Threads instantly aligned and formed a sharp edge. As Yhwh flew past Ye Li, a large gash opened up on Ye Li''s body. Ye Li was sent flying, and Yhwh, who managed to stop moving, charged at Ye Li again. Ye Li was repeatedly hit. The Karmic Dao could not help him dodge, and even using it to increase his defense hardly helped. The God of Death was being attacked by the Buddha and Yoha, struggling to hold on, but all three were watching Ye Li and Yhwh, hardly focusing on their own battle. Countless slashes and imprints hit Ye Li''s body. However, Yhwh could not keep this up forever. Blood was all over his body, not from Ye Li, but from himself. The most intense concentration was the blood pouring out of his eyes. Countless chants sounded out from Universal Sector 6. "KILL" "KILL" "KILL" The people of Universal Sector 6, known across the Universe as kind beings, were chanting as blood poured from their bodies. This was an unprecedented level of connection between them and Yhwh. Their hatred was his hatred, his injuries were their injuries. It did not seem to be one Path Creator vs another, but a truly uncountable number of beings vs one being. Throughout all of existence, whether mortal, God, Sage, Path Creator, or even Zhou Fan, all watched in stunned silence as Yhwh and Universal Sector 6 displayed a unity and power never before seen. However, was Ye Li truly so easily defeated? Ye Li roared out. He too was feeling hatred. Yhwh was never supposed to be this powerful. He thought that he had been the only one holding back, but it seemed that there was an immense difference between a fight and a Life and Death battle for all Path Creators. Never before had they both been willing to die to win. Yhwh was willing, and the only way Ye Li could fight back was to disregard his own life. His hands laid over each other as the Universe cracked. A giant Karma Spiral appeared. It looked the same, but it was clearly different from any other that Ye Li had ever displayed. Above his head, the silhouette moved. Its form was ungraspable. It could seem like a worm one moment, a blade of grass the other, a planet the next, and a human after. Yet at this point, it disappeared. Chains fell from space, appearing suddenly from nowhere. A giant five fingered hand appeared, and the chains were connected to the fingers of this hand. Ye Li was pierced by five chains. "I''ll probably die, using this before reaching the Peak, but so be it." Ye Li said as he focused on Yhwh. At this moment, the only things he saw in the Universe was Yhwh and Karma, Infinite Karma that filled everything, including his entire being. This Karma was not sensed, but always existed. Karma was always present throughout the Universe, as Karma was Cause and Effect, something that had existed since the beginning of time. This was Ye Li''s true strongest technique, something even Zhou Fan had never seen. He was the Path Creator of Karma, but in truth, he was simply another being living among it. The silhouette that had always been above him was not an aid or a friend, but a warden to a prisoner, a slave. This was his strongest technique, "Karmic Slave". Chapter 580: Endless Fight - 580 Chapter 580 - Endless Fight - 580 Karmic Shackles disappeared from all of his enemies, instead appearing on his wrists. Yhwh never stopped for a moment. Red Threads aligned to form a sharp edge as he ran past Ye Li again. Ye Li, now pierced with chains and bound by shackles, moved to the side and raised two fingers. A Karmic Spiral appeared, running along the edge of Yhwh''s attack and negating it. Ye Li turned his body, throwing out a small Karma Spiral that seemed to teleport as it hit Yhwh. Countless Red Threads exploded with power, sending the Karma Spiral back. This simple exchange was perhaps the most powerful in the history of the Universe. And they were just beginning. Ye Li and Yhwh only had eyes for each other at this moment. No person disagreed that either both or one of these two would die here today. Yhwh had gone from a holy god in the eyes of all, to a god of hatred and rage, whose only desire was to kill one man. Ye Li had gone from an arrogant and scheming villain to a slave of his own power. Both had transformed on this day, and neither was necessarily weaker than the other. A wheel appeared behind Ye Li as he stepped forward. Countless Red Threads burst from Yhwh''s body, forming a sword in his hand. Ye Li and the wheel instantly appeared behind Yhwh, as if teleporting. Yhwh did not even look. He swung his red sword backwards, directly colliding with the piercing attack. He then moved. As if he had teleported, he appeared right above Ye Li, slashing down at his neck. A Karma Spiral appeared, wrapping around Ye Li and Yhwh. Ye Li flung himself around Yhwh while Yhwh changed his aim, targeting Ye Li once again. However, Ye Li had tapped into a level of Karma that could not be understood, the true source of all cause and effect in the Universe. He could not truly touch it, and he would be unable to even if he reached the Peak, but for a brief moment, in this state, he could use it to his advantage. Yhwh slashed out with the red sword, countless Red Threads layering onto his body and weapon every single second. As the sword slash completed, a line appeared on his chest, directly spilling blood. He had attacked Ye Li, but somehow, he had received the damage. Yhwh, however, did not care. He charged forward again, disregarding any injury. He just needed to take Ye Li''s head off of his body. Ye Li sent out a giant Karma Spiral, bigger than a filament. Countless Red Threads appeared, wrapping themselves around the Karma Spiral and pulling it, changing the direction. Yhwh appeared in front of Ye Li, his fist already covered in Red Threads and punching forward. Ye Li punched forward as well, a piercing attack coming from the wheel. In this state, the piercing attack could be used multiple times. Yhwh''s fist was pushed back, multiple Red Threads being pierced, but Yhwh spun and hit Ye Li with a backhand, sending him flying backwards. Ye Li appeared behind Yhwh, kicking out. Like a net, Red Threads slowed the kick, and Yhwh appeared under Ye Li, pointing forward with a finger. Red Threads coalesced and formed a single point, shooting at Ye Li like a ray of light. Ye Li''s shoulder was pierced, but he appeared directly in front of Yhwh, responding with a piercing attack from the wheel. Yhwh''s shoulder was destroyed. Yhwh grabbed Ye Li, his rage so intense that he could no longer formulate words. A low growl simply rang out as he bit at Ye Li. Ye Li could also hardly think proper thoughts. He opened his mouth, and a Karma Spiral emerged. Half of Yhwh''s mouth was torn off, but he still hit his target, biting and taking a chunk out of Ye Li''s neck before Ye Li disappeared and reappeared behind him with two fingers pointed forward. A Karma Spiral wrapped around Yhwh''s spine. Yhwh jerked around, causing his spine to nearly be ripped out. Red Threads gathered, forming a sphere that sent Ye Li shooting down, a large chunk of his body seemingly burned off. Ye Li flipped, appearing above Yhwh and stomping down. Karma Gathered. Yhwh was sent flying by an unseeable force, his right arm blasted off of his body and the right side of his body sustaining injury. The Karmic Wheel appeared. The center of Yhwh''s body was pierced. He was unable to move, until his body healed instantly. In Universal Sector 6, trillions of beings received the injuries he had just healed from. Even as they died, they still chanted with nothing but hatred and rage for Ye Li. "KILL!" "KILL!" "KILL!" Their voices filled the Universe, a declaration of death. Healed completely, but drained significantly, Yhwh punched forward instantly, piercing Ye Li''s body with Red Threads. Ye Li was sent flying backwards, reaching the other side of the Universe. He raised a finger high, his body nearly destroyed as Yhwh charged forward. Karmic Sword. Sever my Karma. A Karmic Sword appeared, not aiming at Yhwh, but himself. All of the Karma relating to being injured was cut off by this sword. His body healed instantly. Like Yhwh, he was drained after this, but completely healed. Yhwh reached him. They fought once again, a brutal fight, spilling blood all over the Battle Universe. They could be seen in the Main Universe the entire time, the entire Universe watching their endless fight. Yhwh formed countless red lines that seemed to fill the entire universe. He held his fingers together. Slice. An unavoidable attack, as there was nowhere it was not. Ye Li received countless cuts, but he ignored them. A wheel appeared behind him and Yhwh at the same time. Two piercing attacks shot forward. Yhwh did not bother to dodge either. His top right and bottom left body were pierced. He neither healed nor stopped moving, instead finishing the prepared attack that had stopped him from dodging. His fingers danced. A vertical red line, heavily charged and containing countless Red Threads was formed in front of him. Ye Li found that countless Red Threads suddenly wrapped around him. Chapter 581: United - 581 Chapter 581 - United - 581 Ye Li broke through the Red Threads in an instant, but they provided a slight pause in his movement, and the vertical attack hit him. It pierced halfway through his body. If not for the Karmic Dao, he would have been cut in half. His face down to his waist had a long line of blood and guts that spilled out, but neither of the two stopped moving for a moment. They continued to clash repeatedly. As the fight progressed, Ye Li began to tire. The Karmic Slave technique was not infinite. If he did not stop at some point, he would die. Yhwh felt the same sort of sensation. The Red Threads did not come easily. He was being devoured by them as the fight continued. He was just as near to death as Ye Li. Ye Li looked down at his wrist. It was time. His Karmic Shackles had been completed. Stepping forward, he appeared under Yhwh''s punch. The Karmic Shackles emptied in an instant as Ye Li pointed a finger forward. A formless power hit Yhwh, bursting his body into blood, guts, and bones. Only a bit of the top of his head and one of his feet remained. Throughout Universal Sector 6, countless beings burst, dying instantly. Red Threads appeared as Yhwh''s body was reformed and sewed together. He looked at Ye Li, a river of blood pouring from his eyes. Ye Li punched forward, a Karma Spiral wrapped around his fist. Multiple Red Threads formed a Spiral that wrapped around Ye Li''s fist. Yhwh ducked and uppercutted Ye Li. Ye Li was sent flying, flipping countless times as his chin burst. This fight seemed to never end. Both had immense healing capabilities that rendered them essentially immortal. Like this, it would only be a matter of who could outlast the other until they died from their own techniques. This was not what Yhwh desired. His sanity had slightly come back, and he did not want to risk Ye Li outlasting him. Ye Li naturally had the same thoughts. Neither minded dying, but losing, it was unacceptable. Both of their minds raced, trying to find a way to truly kill the other. It would require an attack that could instantly decimate the other. It would have to reach a level of power that stopped them from healing. Ye Li had almost reached that point when attacking after his Karmic Shackles were filled, but he failed by the tiniest margin. It hadn''t been easy for Yhwh to heal from that at all. Quadrillions, perhaps Quintillions of his believers had died for him to recover, and he had become even more exhausted as a result. Their brutal fight continued, laid bare to the entire universe, but deep within their minds, countless ideas were brewing. Neither of their talents were to be underestimated. They were Path Creators, the most talented existences in history. During this Life and Death fight, they were both growing every second, creating new techniques and ways to use their power, even transforming themselves every second. Time passed for a long time, spanning nearly a day. Although a day was nothing to even the weakest cultivator, this fight constantly required both Ye Li and Yhwh to use the absolute strongest and most draining powers. Yhwh''s Red Threads seemed to become dimmer, and the hand above Ye Li seemed to become fainter. Even a mortal could see that they were weakening and exhausted. Ye Li felt his life draining away, the consequence of using this technique. By all rights, he was going to die. There was a true 50% chance that, even if he stopped fighting now and left, he would die somewhere. But he would not leave. It was a matter of pride and hatred. One of them must die here. They collided, and for the first time during the fight, Yhwh took a step back and appeared just outside of Universal Sector 6, though still half merged with the Battle Universe. Ye Li stepped forward, but did not attack. He did not know what was happening. Yhwh''s red eyes left, becoming a golden color. Ye Li felt a foreboding feeling. Everything seemed to return to how it was. Yhwh let out a deep breath. It seemed to be a sigh of relief. "There it is. Are you prepared to die?" Yhwh looked at him mockingly. Ye Li felt an indescribable feeling. A single Golden Thread appeared. This was not the faith of any of his followers, but Yhwh''s faith. It represented his faith in himself and his followers. Countless Golden Threads appeared, visible to the naked eye. They connected every single being still alive in Universal Sector 6. The massacre by the God of Death had stopped as he, along with Yoha and the Buddha had fully entered the Battle Universe to fight. The God of Death did not want Yhwh to target him. He had no doubt that he would die. As for the Buddha and Yoha, they were perfectly fine with fighting the God of Death in the Battle Universe as they also wanted the massacre to stop. However, they could all see the fight at all times. They could see the current situation as well. They stopped fighting and looked over. This was the climax. All of Yhwh''s believers were connected through Golden Threads, and all of the Golden Threads were connected to Yhwh''s Golden Thread. Ye Li could see through what was happening. He looked at Yhwh mockingly as well. "If you attack me with that, not just you, but all of your believers will perish. I will too, of course. But, are you truly willing to sacrifice your own believers?" He knew that Yhwh dared not do it. It was a bluff. "This isn''t just my idea, but their request. Ask them." Yhwh looked back, his voice ringing across the entire Universe. "Are you willing to die for me?" No voices came from anywhere but Universal Sector 6. However, it was a unanimous answer, without hesitation. "YES!" Ye Li''s mocking look dropped. This lunatic. Was he serious? Chapter 582: Dead - 582 Chapter 582 - Dead - 582 Ye Li deeply looked at Yhwh. Was he prepared, even willing to die with Yhwh? The answer was yes. Otherwise, he would have never been able to demonstrate this level of power during the fight. However, he wasn''t willing to die with Yhwh like this. He could die, but he could not lose this fight. This was his full effort and determination, even willing to die to win. If he lost, he would rather never have been born at all. This was never a fair fight. Yhwh was at the Peak while Ye Li was only at the Great Dao realm. In addition, Yhwh''s current power was not just his own, but the power of a nearly infinite amount of beings put together and enhanced by Yhwh''s own power. Meanwhile, Ye Li had fought alone. The God of Death, his temporary ally, was not even involved in the fight. Even if he was, he would die instantly. Despite all of this, Ye Li did not have anger that it was an unfair fight. It only fueled his arrogance and belief that he was unmatched. In his mind, they were at the same level because he was simply better. Losing would be far too shameful, even in death. Ye Li gritted his teeth as he looked at Yhwh. He had only been a step too short. If he had comprehended a way to kill Yhwh before Yhwh had comprehended this method, he would have won. He was unwilling, but there was nothing he could do. He had lost. Ye Li stopped looking at Yhwh. He put his head down unwillingly. Then... he ran. The Karmic Slave transformation ended as Ye Li hid his Karma and ran away. However, the current Yhwh was not someone that he could hide from, especially after such a long battle. Yhwh had considered this from the start. Ye Li disappeared instantly. Even Zhou Fan could not find him. However, Yhwh turned his head and looked at a certain spot in the Universe. Ye Li''s eyes widened. Impossible. "Give it up. I planted a thread in you. Unless you were to break that thread, I can find you no matter where you hide." Yhwh explained everything clearly, because Ye Li did not have the ability to break the thread right now. A single moment of distraction would let Yhwh kill him. After ending the Karmic Slave technique, Ye Li''s injuries had surfaced. He was in no position to fight. He was simply hoping that the 50% chance would be on his side. He had never even considered being found. Meanwhile, Yhwh was still at his strongest. Yhwh''s technique that would sacrifice his life and his believers'' lives dissipated. It was unnecessary. Ye Li stood up. No matter what, he had to try and survive. He moved a step when a flash of light passed him. Ye Li paused. Yhwh stood behind him, looking directly at him. "You truly were the most talented. But with someone like you, I suppose this is Karma. That is your power, right? Guessing the name was impossible, but during the battle, I had already fully understood it. A version of Cause and Effect, what you named Karma. By the way, you should try not to mumble while fighting." Yhwh spoke. But Ye Li was destined not to hear that he had been seen through in his last moment. Ye Li''s body fell, severed. Yhwh sighed. He took a step forward as his transformation ended. The battle between Yoha, the Buddha, and the God of Death ended in the God of Death''s escape. They would deal with that later. Yhwh appeared at the top of the Universe, below Zhou Fans unseeable Mansion. The entire Universe, whether Path Creator or mortal, saw him. He spoke, his voice reaching the entire Universe. "Good always wins. It is the law of the Universe. I understand it now, this is Karma." He looked around at the destruction of Universal Sector 6. Countless beings, whether believers or not, saw him and felt warmth from him. His believers increased crazily, even Sages included. His words made them feel safe in the Universe. Yhwh sighed as he ignored his increasing power. "This destruction cannot be undone, and neither can the lives of those lost. Even I may end up dying from this fight. I can barely move right now." He looked into the distant stars. "But at least we can rest. Finally. Ye Li..." "Is Dead? Right?" A spiral silenced the Universe. All beating hearts seemed to skip at this moment, no matter who or how powerful, even Zhou Fan. Yhwh collapsed. Standing above his corpse, a disheveled Ye Li. "You didn''t truly think that you could win, did you." Ye Li laughed loudly. He laughed arrogantly. No calmness nor humbleness mattered anymore. Ye Li laughed loud enough for the Universe to shake. No being laughed with him. Dread filled the air. What Scheming? What Planning? None of it was necessary anymore. He was fully healed. He had devoured Yhwh''s Karma. Everything was his. The Karma of the most powerful Path Creator to ever fight had become a part of him. There was no need to strip the Karma of Universal Sector 6. A hundred Universal Sector 6''s could not match one Yhwh. Because all of the beings in Universal Sector 6 also lost a part of themselves in Yhwh dying. After a long time laughing, Ye Li stopped. He had reached the Peak. There was no need for any other Path Creator to exist anymore. Glancing past the Buddha, Yoha, and the God of Death, he looked upward. Nobody else was worthy of his attention now. Only one being was truly supreme. No, it was two now. Zhou Fan sighed as he stepped forward. For a moment, Ye Li had truly controlled the omnipresent natural Karma of the Universe. Nothing else mattered in front of this power. When used, it was unmatched. Zhou Fan came into Ye Li''s sight. "You want to fight." Zhou Fan said. Ye Li did not need to answer. Zhou Fan spoke openly and plainly. "If I lose, I will destroy this Universe before I die." Chapter 583: Peak Power - 583 Chapter 583 - Peak Power - 583 Ye Li laughed. "And you think I can''t stop its destruction." Zhou Fan shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose it won''t matter until it happens. I truly don''t want to fight, but I suppose I must give you another reason to not fight to the death with me." Ye Li waited for him to continue. Zhou Fan pointed out with his finger. "Because you''ll lose." Neither of them wasted any time. They entered the Battle Universe. Zhou Fan''s goal was to demonstrate enough strength so that Ye Li did not want to fight to the death with him. This was not necessarily because he feared Ye Li, but because he needed Ye Li to survive long enough for his plans to finish. Seeing Ye Li reach the Peak had already given him an incredible boost in understanding. However, it was not yet enough. A fight to the death would benefit nobody. Ye Li instantly activated the Karmic Slave technique. A hand appeared and chains pierced his body. It was different from before. If it had been this powerful when he had fought Yhwh, he would have easily won. This technique also no longer risked his life. Zhou Fan released a Cultivation Finger. Its formless form was laid bare to someone at the level of Ye Li, but it was never meant to be invisible. Ye Li pointed forward, and a giant Karma Spiral appeared. The finger and the Karma Spiral collided. This clash instantly became the most powerful to ever exist in the Universe, though only by a small margin. They were just getting started. Both attacks canceled each other out. Ye Li, who had just fought a life and death battle moments ago, was instantly warmed up. He took a step and appeared behind Zhou Fan. He waved his hand and a Karmic Sword slashed at Zhou Fan''s back. Sword Qi appeared and cut through the Karmic Sword, sending Ye Li flying back. He had underestimated Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan was not Yhwh, no matter the level. Zhou Fan''s power could be straightforward or the most versatile. He could use the pure power of cultivation, or use the countless Qi''s and imbue them with the power of Cultivation. Living for so much longer than Ye Li, he had a clear advantage. He was a true Peak Path Creator, and his power would no longer significantly change. Meanwhile, although at the Peak, Ye Li still had a bit of personal growing room. It wouldn''t be enough to significantly enhance his power, but it would be enough to show an obvious difference. Ye Li was instantly surprised by Zhou Fan''s power. He began to think of what Zhou Fan said. Zhou Fan was not fighting with his life on the line, and Ye Li truly did not plan to either. It seemed that this was destined to be a fight without a result, but he did not plan to stop just yet. For the future, it would be best to gain a bit of an understanding of Zhou Fan''s combat power. Zhou Fan had left Leaf and Monty in his residence. Ye Li was not someone he could toy with. Ye Li appeared behind Zhou Fan again. This time, he was striking with much more power. He punched forward, a Karma Spiral Spiraling along his arm as he did so. Zhou Fan pushed his palm out. Buddha''s Palm. A giant palm appeared, something Ye Li was familiar with. It was even more powerful than the Buddha''s, though it was not truly a Buddha''s palm when compared with the Buddha''s. The strikes canceled each other out. Zhou Fan teleported in front of Ye Li, pointing a finger out. Another finger of Cultivation appeared. This one was even stronger than the last, directly sending Ye Li flying. Yoha watched the fight. It seemed that Zhou Fan had been lying to them before when speaking about Ye Li''s power. They did not seem equal at all. Of course, neither were fighting with their life, but it seemed as though Zhou Fan would win regardless. The Karmic Dao appeared. Ye Li moved around Zhou Fan quickly, so fast it seemed as if he was constantly teleporting. Multiple Karma Spirals rotated around him as a cage appeared, trapping him inside. Zhou Fan felt pressure from all directions as the Karma Spirals began to constrict as if they were snakes. At the same time, Ye Li released multiple Karma Swords. The Battle Universe shook as a formless power bursted from Zhou Fan. The cage and the Karma Spirals around him were directly broken as he faced the multiple Karma Swords. An arrow of fire appeared and shot forward. It broke one of the numerous Karma Swords. Following the first, multiple arrows of fire appeared, colliding with the swords. Ye Li appeared behind him as he created the arrows of fire and punched. Zhou Fan teleported behind him and kicked forward, sending Ye Li flying. He was sent in the middle of the Karma Swords and the arrows of fire. Neither moved from this point. Neither one of them was injured, and neither felt the need to fight any longer. This fight had been on the level of a casual spar. Ye Li had thought about it and was convinced. If Zhou Fan fought a life and death battle with him, there was a fair chance he would lose. He still could not see past the shallowest part of Zhou Fan''s power. The Karmic Slave technique deactivated. Ye Li felt tired, but not too tired. "I suppose we should have a talk now." Ye Li said. "It seems so. Let''s go." Zhou Fan exited the Battle Universe and entered his residence, though not near the mansion. Ye Li left the Battle Universe and entered the residence as well. With his power, an invitation was unnecessary. He could enter any time he pleased as long as Zhou Fan was not actively defending against him. He appeared near Zhou Fan and sat down against a random rock. Although he was willing and able to fight, he was indeed mentally exhausted. However, at this moment, he was one of the two beings that could truly control the Universe. He spoke to Zhou Fan, who sat on the grass with his legs crossed. "Don''t you want to rule the Universe?" "No. If I wanted to, nothing could have stopped me, but I have no interest in doing so. Neither do you." Zhou Fan said plainly, neither regarding Ye Li as an enemy or a friend. Chapter 584: Chat - 584 Chapter 584 - Chat - 584 "I don''t?" Ye Li asked. "You don''t. If it was up to you, you would simply make the whole world a Karma farm. You would never be a ruler, maybe a raiser of livestock." Ye Li was surprised. "You seem to know me quite well." "I''ve been watching you all along. From the very start, I was there." Zhou Fan said. Ye Li was even more surprised. "Why? For entertainment?" Zhou Fan was honest. "To break through." Ye Li wasn''t surprised. "And I assume that you know I want to devour your Karma to break through as well." Zhou Fan nodded. "And I am willing to let you live and grow. You have plenty of time to grow in strength. I''m not breaking through any time soon." Above anything else, Ye Li was shocked by Zhou Fan''s honesty. "You must be hiding something. Do you really not worry about me at all?" Ye Li asked. "Why would I fear someone inferior to me? Even if you do grow strong enough to suppress me, I''ll probably comprehend something that allows me to turn the tables. My talent is greater than yours." Ye Li wasn''t sure how to respond. Despite Zhou Fan''s apparent honesty, he was the most arrogant person he had ever met. His arrogance was so great that it was casual. "By the way, even if you devour my Karma, you won''t break through." Zhou Fan said. Ye Li''s attention was drawn back to Zhou Fan instantly. "What?" "Breaking through is not a matter of accumulation, but a combination of understanding and accumulation. Of course, anything is possible. I believe that a certain amount of Karma would indeed break down that barrier, but the amount is far more than you or I can comprehend. Also, you would need at least a shallow understanding regardless." Zhou Fan explained. Ye Li questioned him. "If a certain amount of accumulation could indeed break that barrier, have you been striving towards that point?" "No." "Why not?" Ye Li was genuinely confused. "You control Karma, so why can''t you see the obvious. Breaking through that way is not a true breakthrough. It is something akin to cheating or a shortcut. The result would naturally be inferior compared to a real and deserved breakthrough through understanding." Ye Li didn''t speak, instead falling into deep thought. After a while, who knows how long, Ye Li spoke. "You''ve seen a lot more than me. Let me guess. Leading the way is much harder than following it. You''re looking into the far far future." Zhou Fan nodded. "At least you aren''t stupid. At a time, breaking through to the God realm, or the Sage realm, or anything in between seemed impossible to many cultivators. However, when someone eventually does, the difficulty seems to lower. This is a natural phenomenon observable throughout the Universe. On a mortal planet focused on science, something seems impossible. Teleportation, traveling at light speed, standing in space, etc. Yet as advancements improve, it goes from an unattainable idea to a possible future advancement. This is the natural growth of life." Ye Li''s understanding of the Universe rapidly enhanced as Zhou Fan spoke. He looked at Zhou Fan weirdly. "Why explain all of this to me? I''m your enemy." Zhou Fan shook his head. "No. I''m your enemy. I''ve never had ill intentions towards you. I suppose this is the fate of the strong, hated by those below them for no reason other than being above." Ye Li''s gaze changed. "Perhaps I was hasty. I..." Zhou Fan interrupted. "You can''t deceive me. I know you as well as you know you, maybe better. Your only goal is to grow stronger. I admire you, and this is why I could never trust someone like you." Ye Li paused for a moment. Then he smiled. "I apologize for insulting your intelligence." "There''s no need to compare me to those you have dealt with before. I am the most ancient existence in the Universe. My intelligence is not necessarily below yours. If you want to play a game of trickery and scheming, you''ll lose more thoroughly than you can imagine." Ye Li fell into thought again. "So I can''t defeat you in strength, according to you, and I am less intelligent than you, which is probably true. In addition, you have been observing me all my life. It seems truly impossible to defeat you." Ye Li said. Zhou Fan nodded. "You get it. You can''t win against me. Not alone at least." Ye Li noticed that Zhou Fan seemed to be pointing him in some sort of direction. He listened carefully. "Perhaps if there were some more Path Creators at your level and you teamed up, you truly could eliminate me." Zhou Fan said. "So you want me to wait until there are others on par with me before I fight you?" Zhou Fan nodded. "Now you get it. So, what do you say? How about waiting?" Ye Li could not understand Zhou Fan''s thoughts. He was essentially telling him how to defeat him. "Do you want to die?" "I would only feel satisfied dying to a worthy scheme and worthy opponents." "So you want to die?" "Only to a group of powerful individuals." "So you seek death." "Maybe. If I''m killed by someone powerful." "Then let me kill you." "You''re not worthy... Alone at least." Ye Li was stunned into silence. What was wrong with this old geezer? Did he want to die? It seemed like it. But why was he acting like this? Zhou Fan''s presence seemed to have changed in just a moment. Whatever was going on, Ye Li was confused. Karma would not help here. If this was a battle of wits, he did not even know what direction to face. Zhou Fan waited for Ye Li to talk again. Confusing these young ones was not difficult. His intention was there, and Ye Li had no idea if what he was saying was truthful or not. He had an absolute advantage over Ye Li. After all, he had been watching him all along. Ye Li had lost in terms of intelligence the moment he was born. Chapter 585: Rules - 585 Chapter 585 - Rules - 585 Ye Li shook his head and cleared his thoughts. Scheming against this old geezer seemed more or less impossible. There was nothing he could use against him and his power was probably inferior. It wouldn''t be a bad idea to have a friendly relationship. "Since you''re so interested in teaching, what do you believe is the Path for me to reach past the Great Dao realm?" Ye Li asked. Zhou Fan spoke quickly. He had thought of it long ago. "Truly understanding and controlling the natural Karma of the Universe. With that, even if you didn''t Breakthrough past the Great Dao Realm, no being would ever be able to defeat you." Ye Li thought for a moment before speaking. "Is such a thing truly achievable?" "I sure hope not." Zhou Fan responded. "Naturally, such a method is theoretical. Perhaps even past the Great Dao realm it would be impossible to truly control the natural Karma of the Universe." What Zhou Fan spoke of was not simply some power that existed within the Universe. It was nothing that could be used, not even something that existed in some form. The true Karma, or rather the Cause and Effect of the Universe, was something beyond the Universe itself. It belonged to a realm of imagination. Zhou Fan himself could hardly understand the concept. Whatever it was, it proved that Cultivation had not reached its end. There was something even he could not comprehend. It was the same for many other things in the Universe. For example, time. If he could truly control the natural Time in the Universe, then could he not simply will that Ye Li had never been born. With a thought, he could enter the future. However, entering the future was not something even his current self could do. He could barely affect the distant past, and the past was far easier to affect than the future, it was not even comparable. If one day, he could freely traverse through all time that had ever existed, he would have comprehended the underlying concept of Time itself. This did not stop with Karma and Time. What about Life and Death? Zhou Fan could somewhat create life through the use of his powers, but was that the true concept of Life? No. It was not. If he truly controlled the concept of life, could he not give birth to infinite Path Creators, even someone exactly like him. Could he not completely control any being''s life? In an instant, Ye Li would die. What about Death? Controlling the true natural power of Death, he could instantly kill anything. He could also reverse Death. Thinking about it, Life and Death were quite similar. Ye Li watched as Zhou Fan remained silent. He did not understand that Zhou Fan was currently undergoing an epiphany. It was as simple as casually chatting. Zhou Fan''s understanding was undergoing a complete transformation. His vision seemed to expand, encompassing what he once was blind to. Life, Death, Time, Space, Karma, what else? What about Emotions? Faith? Divinity? Devouring? Buddhism? Some seemed far-fetched, of course, especially Buddhism, but he was able to imagine something for all of them, a natural existence in the universe that did not even truly exist. No, not a natural existence. Something else. A Rule? Zhou Fan''s mind seemed to shatter and reform. An explosion of power burst out of him, shaking the Universe. He stared wide eyed, not at Ye Li, but at everything. He could see the path forward. Rules. The rules that even the Universe itself could not understand or form. He understood why the God of Death and Ye Li seemed different from other Path Creators. Their paths aligned with very apparent and powerful rules. Karma and Death. Why did Ye Li give off a clearer feeling than the God of Death? Because Ye Li had somewhat seen this Path clearer. The God of Death had yet to do so. In that case, why was Zhou Fan the same? What rule could cultivation align with? The power constantly emitting from Zhou Fan''s body finally slowed to a stop. He was close to understanding his path of breaking through. He simply needed to think some more. He was there, inches away. "Zhou Fan?" Ye Li said. Sweat was coming from Ye Li''s body. The power Zhou Fan burst out with, while able to shake the Universe, was not something particularly powerful. However, there was an indescribable feeling within it. "What happened?" Ye Li asked. "I glimpsed a part of the way forward." Zhou Fan responded. Ye Li was shocked, shocked enough to stand up. "What? Don''t hide it now. be as honest as before." Ye Li said. Zhou Fan shook his head. "What? Why not?" Ye Li asked. "I''m scared you''ll break through before me." Ye Li was stunned into silence. The honesty came back. Zhou Fan continued. "I have something of a streak, breaking through before anyone else. Wouldn''t want to lose it now." Ye Li looked at Zhou Fan without speaking for a moment before turning around and leaving. He felt a sense of crisis. He needed to find this path before Zhou Fan did. Otherwise, even if he broke through, he would probably not be Zhou Fan''s match. Left alone, Zhou Fan''s expression turned serious. He understood that he could comprehend the way forward in an instant, but he stopped himself. It was not time. Even if he understood the way forward, breaking through was another thing. He needed to wait. More Path Creators needed to come. Only then would he understand the path forward, and only then would he go beyond the Peak. Zhou Fan closed his eyes and waited. He had plenty of time. Ye Li and Yhwh''s fated battle had ended. Next, he was waiting for other Path Creators to emerge. In the Main Universe, beings were dealing with the loss of Yhwh. To be honest, it was truly Universe changing. Not because Yhwh was important to all of them, but because he represented good, while Ye Li represented evil. For all of time, Good seemed to have the advantage. However, was that not the case anymore? With this, a new era was silently ushered in. An era of evil and selfishness. Who knew what the final results would be? ¡ª------------------------------------------- Author''s note: I''ve had a rough idea about Zhou Fan''s advancement, but had never thought about the idea of rules until writing this. By simply talking to Ye Li, both Zhou Fan and I had an epiphany. Chapter 586: Unparalleled Talent - 586 Chapter 586 - Unparalleled Talent - 586 As years passed, Ye Li seemed to have disappeared. Nobody could find him, not even Zhou Fan. He did not create a race, take over an area, or kill any more beings. He simply disappeared. Zhou Fan had more or less expected this. He turned his gaze over to the rest of the Universe. It was time to begin waiting once again. Monty was awake, slithering around Zhou Fan, and Leaf was swaying. It was quite peaceful for a few sextillion years. Suddenly, Zhou Fan felt something in the River of Cultivation. Looking at it, a large water spout shot out, reaching extremely high before falling back into the water. Zhou Fan''s eyes widened in surprise. A supreme talent had been born. One that could possibly change the current state of the Universe. It was not a Path Creator, but a cultivator. With the emergence of Path Creators, cultivators seemed to fall into the background, but they were the most powerful existences below the Path Creators. It would only take two major breakthroughs for a Sage realm Cultivator to reach the Great Dao Realm. Zhou Fan had seen many droplets fly up, some bigger than others. These usually represented the birth of a potential Sage Realm cultivator. This, however, was incomparable. Even the High Sage from long ago, whose talent was unmatched, could not compare. Speaking of that High Sage, Zhou Fan still didn''t fully understand why he had done what he had done. He had never seemed arrogant or foolish. Perhaps reaching the top of the Universe had given birth to arrogance, but regardless, his downfall seemed sudden. Zhou Fan, in his curiosity, had even spoken to the Buddha about it. For the Buddha to immediately cripple him, it seemed unusual. The Buddha had responded simply. "I had heard of him doing various evil deeds even before he came to me. It didn''t seem fit for someone like that to be so powerful." Zhou Fan felt it a pity that such a talent had been crippled and eventually died, but so be it. Maybe there had been some sort of scheming or planning behind his downfall, but that didn''t matter to Zhou Fan. No matter what had happened, it was unimportant after so long. But now, Zhou Fan could see another cultivator potentially surpass the Sage realm. After thinking for a moment, he stood up and left. Before leaving, Leaf and Monty joined him. Zhou Fan stepped forward and stood on a mortal planet. In front of him was a child, and around him were hospital staff and his parents. It was a newborn baby. Zhou Fan was there, but none could see him. He had thought about it and decided to teach this child. It wasn''t because he valued him or cared about humanity. It was because of the emergence of Path Creators. Other Paths besides Cultivation were making their way into the world, and Zhou Fan felt like, as the Creator of Cultivation, he should teach Cultivators. He would only teach. This being''s Life and Death would be irrelevant to him. After all, there would always be another talent. Zhou Fan waited for the child to grow. He lived an average life, neither too rich nor too poor. He did not have too much contact with Cultivation, nor too little. His planet was average as well. The strongest cultivator was at the Inner World realm. It was better than many planets, but worse than many as well. When the child was 7, he was introduced to cultivation for the first time. With his exceptional talent, he immediately reached the limit in place for Cultivation speed. This attracted the attention of many powerful beings once it was revealed. Zhou Fan wasn''t focused on that. Instead, he was looking at how slow the child was Cultivating. Although he had indeed set up the system of limitations on Cultivation speed, things had changed since then. Cultivation was no longer the sole Path in the Universe. It seemed that these limits needed redefining. It was too bad that he only noticed it now. The next day, the Universe shook. Cultivation 2.0 was put in place. Limits were redefined. They were still released at the Void Traversing realm, but now, the limits on earlier levels had changed. Qi Gathering Limit - 1 day per level. Foundation Establishment Limit - 2 days per level Core Formation Limit - 3 days per level Nascent Soul Limit - 5 days per level Soul Formation Limit - 10 days per level It changed limits while still keeping a certain balance and order to the Universe. It seemed like a small change, but it truly turned the Cultivation world upside down. Perhaps the one to feel this change the most was the talented child. By the age of 10, he was at the Peak of the Void Traversing realm. He was only at that point because he was guided by his elders to slow down. He needed to understand each realm and practice his various powers. Otherwise, he would have a high realm but no combat power. The child did not have a Divine Physique or an Innate Talent. All he had was pure, raw, unparalleled Cultivation talent. The child, while still a child who wanted to have as much fun as possible, listened to his elders. He restrained his speed until one day. While his elders were lecturing him, teaching him what they knew about cultivation, a being descended from the sky. They were in space, so there was not really a sky, but he descended from far above and they could not even see where he had come from. The room, an open structure out in space, fell silent. Zhou Fan spoke. "How far would you like to go along the path of Cultivation?" He looked at the child while he spoke. The elders in the room sighed. They had expected this day. The Child''s talent was truly unparalleled. Finally, a worthy Master had come. Even the Inner World realm cultivator felt the exact same. He had only been waiting for the day when the Child took a real Master. The Child wasn''t sure how to answer. He looked at his elders with apparent confusion. Chapter 587: Mi - 587 Chapter 587 - Mi - 587 The Child stared at the Elders for a while, but seeing they did not respond, he eventually looked back at Zhou Fan and answered. "The top?" "Is that a question or your answer?" Zhou Fan asked. The Child thought for a moment before responding. "The top." "And what is the top?" Zhou Fan asked. The Child thought for a moment. "The Sage realm." He answered the question confidently. "No. The top is far higher than the Sage realm. Ask your elders about historical battles that shook the Universe." The gazes of the Elders shook for a moment before the Inner World realm Cultivator spoke. "In the past, long before I was born, there were records of battles that shook the entire Universe, battles that resulted in the deaths of a nearly infinite number of beings. The Peak we know is the Sage realm, but it is not truly the top." Zhou Fan nodded. The Child, who had intently listened to his Elder, looked back at Zhou Fan. "What is the top?" "Do you want to reach it?" Zhou Fan asked. "Yes." The Child said resolutely. The simple words, "Shaking the Universe" lit a fire within him. He had a new desire, as expected from a Child. "The top is known as the Peak, and no Cultivator besides me has ever reached it." The Elders'' heads snapped over. They looked at him with surprise and suspicion. They were surprised he would say such a thing, and suspicious if he had any ulterior motives. The Child, however, didn''t understand how unbelievable Zhou Fan''s claim was. His eyes lit up. "You''ve reached the Peak?" The Elder wanted to warn him of the scam, but they knew that Zhou Fan was far too powerful. Zhou Fan ignored their suspicion and focused on the Child. They were right to not believe it. Believing it would make Zhou Fan suspicious of them. "I have. You can too." Zhou Fan said. The Child was excited. He believed it as well. Besides pure innocence and not fully understanding everything, he also knew that he had unparalleled Cultivation talent. He had been told this his entire life by everyone. It didn''t seem ridiculous that he could reach the Peak. "How?" The Child asked simply. Zhou Fan held out his hand. "Come with me." The Child looked at his Elders. After all, Zhou Fan was still just some stranger. Although the Elders were suspicious of Zhou Fan, he did not seem to have ill intentions. Besides, he gave off an unreadable air that made them think, just for a moment, that he could be telling the truth. The Elders nodded, not sure where the Child would end up after taking this path. The Child got up and took Zhou Fan''s hand. Zhou Fan walked away with the Child beside him. "You don''t have any attachments here, do you?" "Just the Elders. I''ll come and see them again one day." Zhou Fan nodded. "That''s reasonable." A power shot out from within him and entered the Elder''s bodies. Since the Child wanted to see them again, they didn''t need to die for now. Although they walked, they traversed an unimaginable distance. When the Child even realized he was moving, he had entered a vast landscape. "This is my residence." Zhou Fan said as he sat against Leaf, who planted himself in the ground again. Monty slithered off of Zhou Fan and laid down on Leaf''s branches. There was no need for any complications. Zhou Fan began to teach the Child. The Child, being a Child, did not constantly Cultivate or train. He was not completely dedicated or focused yet. He was a normal child. Leaf seemed to like him. When the Child was bored, he would climb on Leaf or even sleep on him. Monty did not like the Child much. He only occasionally interacted with him, despite the Child''s numerous attempts to pet Monty. Zhou Fan chuckled inwardly. If he saw the true form of Monty, he wondered what his reaction would be. Looking at Leaf, he had recently entered the 1st level of the High Sage realm. Although countless years had passed, he had broken through earlier than expected. Zhou Fan had expected him to take ten or a hundred times longer, but it seemed that he was lucky. As the Child grew, so did his Cultivation and his mindset. He began to focus more on Cultivation, training, and even comprehension. He still held Leaf in high regard, knowing that Leaf was a living tree, but they were no longer close, not that they had ever really been that close. Leaf did not mind, he swayed happily regardless. As long as Zhou Fan was here, what did it matter? He had quite the good mindset. The Child, after so long, had told Zhou Fan his name, but Zhou Fan did not like it. It started with a Y, and he was tired of names starting with Y''s. Ye Li, Yhwh, Yoha, enough was enough. He called the Child "Child", but he also gave him another name. The name was "Mi". Yes, an M looked much better than a Y. The Child, naturally, was confused by Zhou Fan''s recent dislike of the letter Y, but ignored it regardless. He understood more, though not about the outside Universe. At the very least, he knew that his Teacher was most likely the strongest in the Universe. Just as the Child was about to ask Zhou Fan to go out so he could experience the Universe, Zhou Fan spoke to him. "It''s about time you go out on your own and learn some things. You''re not allowed to cultivate while you''re gone. Bye." Without being able to utter a word, Mi appeared in the middle of a street. He was surrounded by people walking past him. Someone bumped into his shoulder, and they were both knocked back equally. "Sorry." The passerby said as he continued. Mi looked at his shoulder in shock. He was at the Peak of the Inner World realm. Under Zhou Fan''s guidance, his combat strength far surpassed others of the same realm. If he bumped into the shoulder of his Elder from long ago, even his Elder would be knocked down without resistance. Where was he? Chapter 588: Casual City - 588 Chapter 588 - Casual City - 588 Looking around, this place seemed quite small, yet filled with people. Even where he grew up, the streets were hundreds of times wider and the buildings were far more elegant. There were screens plastered around, showcasing an interest in technology. Mi could not tell how powerful the people here were. He walked around for a bit. He wasn''t sure if he liked this place. It seemed dim and gray, with rain sprinkling from above. There were many noises and lots of lights. Yet this place also gave off a silent sense of unity among humans. It was not readily apparent, but there were zero signs of any sort of anger or hatred in anyone''s eyes. Mi eventually wandered into a building. It was called a coffee shop. Someone greeted him as he came in. Mi finally spoke, asking a question. "I randomly appeared here. Where am I?" The person tilted her head for a moment before responding. "In what sense?" "Like... what part of the Universe?" Mi said after thinking for a few moments. "This is Earth." Mi did not understand what Earth was, but at least he had an answer. "What''s Earth?" He asked. The girl was clearly confused. "You''re human but you don''t know about Earth? Weird. Here, there''s a library not too far away. You''ll be able to learn more from that than from me." Mi listened to her instructions seriously. "...And one more right. It is the tall circular building." She finished. Mi nodded and looked at her seriously. "Thank you. Now, what is a library?" The girl was stunned. After an hour or so, Mi finally exited the coffee shop. He had bothered the poor girl for so long she had to take a break and hide. But at least he finally knew some basic knowledge about human civilization in general. Halfway through talking, he realized that he had been in a library before, he just hadn''t known the name. The Elders had taken him to pick out some techniques, but he hadn''t liked any at the time. Sighing and saying that it was not yet fated, they left without him getting anything. Mi entered the library and began to look around. The library was quite open, with thousands of books. Compared to the library his Elders had taken him to, it was quite small and with little information. Mi swept out his Divine sense in an attempt to read all of the books at once, as Zhou Fan had done long ago. Since they seemed to be mortal books, he felt that this would not warrant any issue. However, just as his Divine Sense spread out to the first book, he heard a book slam shut. As if a strong wind had blown by, his Divine Sense was shattered. As blood fell from his nose, he looked back at an unassuming old man holding a now shut book. "No Divine Sense in the library. Have some respect, young man." The Old Man said sternly. Wiping the blood from his nose, Mi apologized. "Sorry. I''m new to Earth. I just arrived." Mi said. The Old Man''s eyes showed confusion. "What? You didn''t go through a checkpoint?" He asked. Mi shook his head. "I just appeared here." "Did someone send you?" The Old Man asked. "My teacher did. I was sent out to understand the Universe." The Old Man nodded. "You must have a powerful teacher, for him to send you here like this. Alright. Go to section 1 for basic knowledge on Earth. Also, don''t go using your Divine Sense everywhere. It is seen as disrespectful." Mi thanked the Old Man and left. As he left, the Old Man''s face returned to indifference as he opened a book. "That brat doesn''t realize how lucky he is to have such a powerful teacher." He mumbled. Mi found section 1 and began to read the books quickly. Despite not using Divine Sense, it was extremely easy to read a book in moments as an Inner World realm Cultivator. After a few minutes, combining the knowledge he had learned from the girl at the Coffee shop, the Old Man, and the books, he had a general understanding of where he was. Earth, the origin of all life in the Universe. Unless you have mastered the mythical ability of teleportation or are a True God, a barrier stands in the way of the planet, preventing unauthorized access. His teacher had sent him to the most powerful place in the Universe. He also learned about the area he was in. Movement was much less strictly regulated once you got onto Earth compared to trying to enter it, but there were still some places that a normal person could not wander into. This was one of these places. Everyone here was at least a Space Shattering realm Cultivator. This place was known as Casual city. Here, although everyone was a powerful Cultivator, everyone had an agreement to live as ordinary people. This was the way they wanted to live their lives. There were other places like it. Places where technology was forbidden and only Cultivator methods were allowed. There were also places for Mortals and places for extremely weak Cultivators. There were even places reserved for those at the God realm or above, even higher than Casual city. One such place used to be called the Upper Realm, but it was destroyed long ago during a battle between unparalleled beings. Mi also learned about common information that should have been common sense. It seemed that it was not the first time someone had been randomly sent here without knowledge of Earth. In such a vast Universe, anything was possible. Mi, curious about the past, moved on to a section focused on ancient history. He did not even bother trying to learn about his teacher. That seemed impossible. "If you want ancient history, this isn''t the place for you. Here, our "Ancient History" is limited to the past thousand years." Mi heard the Old Man''s voice from afar. He was disappointed. They were truly living like mortals. No, even some mortals had ancient history longer than a thousand years. Chapter 589: Skymender - 589 Chapter 589 - Skymender - 589 Mi sighed and continued to read the books in the library. In less than a day, he had read them all. Although even the most boring of it was interesting because it was new, Mi quickly found the excitement fading away. He eventually left the library, wandering elsewhere. He did not have a goal or a direction, so he began to think. He was surely sent here for a reason. His teacher would not have truly just randomly thrown him somewhere on Earth. There should logically be a reason for him appearing in this very place. Achoo! In a distant residence above, Zhou Fan let out a sneeze. "I can still sneeze? Huh. You learn something everyday. Anyway, where did that brat land? Hmm... Oh, Earth! What a coincidence." Mi suddenly felt a shiver for a moment before returning to normal. He wondered why he would feel such a thing. He continued to walk and think, eventually finding himself in a Coffee shop. He sat down and saw a familiar woman. At that moment, he began to understand why he had been sent here. He needed to experience an ordinary life before experiencing the life of a Cultivator. Finding a new direction, Mi asked the lady who once greeted him if the Coffee shop was hiring. In the residence, Zhou Fan yawned and looked away. He felt as if he had seen it all over countless years. The process no longer interested him. City this, library that, meeting people, understanding things, it all seemed repetitive at the lower level. Everyone had their own story, and Zhou Fan was hardly interested in watching everyone''s. Mi could survive and learn on his own. Why did he need to constantly watch? For the first time in a long time, Zhou Fan was bored. He had thought he had abandoned such emotions. He hadn''t progressed in Cultivation, only in understanding. Zhou Fan''s sitting body fell as he laid on the ground in front of Leaf. He found himself wishing that he could experience this new era as a newly born being. He had always been above it all. He was jealous of others. He wanted to experience a classic Cultivation story. He naturally would not give up his current position for anything, but he was drawn to this sort of life. If only he could experience these things himself. ...... Wait! Why couldn''t he? Zhou Fan sat up and furrowed his brows. Why couldn''t he? He loved being Zhou Fan, but what if he wasn''t just for a brief period of time. What was a few quadrillion years to him? As Zhou Fan''s thoughts progressed, he began to desire it even more. How fun it would be. To become another person and start another story. Why couldn''t he? Nobody could stop him. Who could possibly stop him. Zhou Fan''s thoughts converged. Nobody could stop him, so he would do it. Zhou Fan waved his hand, and an ordinary body appeared, newly created. It did not have any Cultivation talent, divine physique, or Innate Talent. He began to move his mind out of his body, leaving only a tiny bit in case of an attack from Ye Li. This would wake him up instantly and he could react. Zhou Fan''s mind shook. He locked down his memories. Not a single one would leak through until he reached the Peak or died in this new body. "I, Zhou Fan, am invinicble and unmatched throughout the Universe and all of time. Let''s see if you too, born in a different situation, can also become invincible. Am I Zhou Fan because I am unmatched, or am I unmatched because I am Zhou Fan? Let''s find out." Uttering these words, his mind split. A mere fraction of it, yet one carrying his soul, entered the body. He was an ordinary being. His soul was naturally protected, but no power could be used through it. The new body began to fall down through space, entering an unknown location. As this mortal body fell, a smile could be seen on its face. It began to transform and crush into particles. As he fell, this being was randomized completely. Everything about this body was, like all beings in the Universe, transformed through chance. "Let us see where this future lies." With this, the last bit of Zhou Fan''s consciousness was locked down, and a new being was born. Where this would take him, he did not know. He only knew that this opportunity had the chance to truly transform him. ¡ª------------------------------ The crying of a baby sounded throughout a wooden room. A middle aged woman with golden light softly emitting from her hands held him up. "It is a boy." She said. The woman who was giving birth, the man, presumably her husband, and the other people in the room, probably family, sighed in relief. It had been a dangerous birth, but the baby and the mother had survived. "What is the name you''ve decided on?" The woman with the golden light softly flowing out of her hands asked. "Priestess..." The woman weakly muttered. "I wish for him to be named Skymender." The priestess nodded. "A powerful name. You must have high hopes for him. Skymender it is." As the priestess spoke, the golden light slowly dissipated. Skymenders cries echoed throughout the room once again. All of the surrounding people were clearly happy. "Congratulations Baron Sky. Another potential heir has been born." "You as well Baroness Skyler. This baby is clearly radiant and healthy." Flattery came from all directions. Baron Sky, Skymenders father, put his hand up. "Now now. We appreciate the compliments, but Skyler needs to rest." Turning to the first person who spoke, he responded. "Anyways, he is the 6th son and the 9th child. He will most likely not be an heir." With this, most of the people in the room left, leaving only a few. Among them were four elderly people and 8 children. The eldest child, a daughter, walked over and looked at Skymender. She had a cold face, but in her eyes was softness when looking at the innocent child. Chapter 590: Nobody Can Hurt You - 590 Chapter 590 - Nobody Can Hurt You - 590 After a brief moment of looking into the child''s innocent eyes, she pinched his cheek before walking away and standing against a wall. The other 7 children in the room came and gathered around as she moved away. The Mother, Skyler, smiled wryly. Skybelle had always been like this. After all, she was one of the most talented swordswomen in the entire kingdom. Even her own siblings feared and respected her. Skymender looked up at the faces around him. He was truly not Zhou Fan, and he did not have any thoughts otherwise. In fact, he had little thoughts at all right now. Perhaps Zhou Fan had underestimated his own mind or power, but there were still traces of him in the child. It was indeed completely different from him, but Zhou Fan''s personality would have a slight effect on the child. In addition, the child''s eyes were green. This was something that everyone noticed. All of his siblings stared into his eyes with awe. They were incredible. Only the eldest sister had been able to look away. From afar, even Baron Sky had started looking at his eyes. A normal baby would not be able to see for a while after being born, but it seemed as if the golden light of the Priestess had hastened this process. After a while, Baron Sky and the children left the room, and eventually the building. Only Skymender was left behind along with his mother, Skyler. This is where the true "Reincarnation" of Zhou Fan began. Three years later, Skymender gained the ability to form memories, and as such, his life changed. He had known how to walk and talk from a surprisingly young age. Even though he was only at the age of three, he could speak at the level of a five year old. It wasn''t unbelievable talent, but his parents were excited that he seemed at least a bit out of the ordinary, and in a good way. Skymender looked different from Zhou Fan. He had taken the traits of his family, with only the green eyes being unique, something the women of his family found very charming. He had short brown hair and a slightly above average face. Skymender began to run around, playing with his youngest sister, the 8th child and the youngest besides him, Skytear. She was three years older than him, and she got along with Skymender quite well. Suddenly, Skymender stopped running. "What am I doing?" He asked himself. This was the exact moment his consciousness fully developed. Looking forward, his sister, Skytear, stopped and looked at him in concern. "Is everything alright, Brother?" She asked. "Yep. I was just a little confused." Skymender responded. "Want to keep playing?" She asked. Skymender shook his head. "I am going to look for Eldest Sister." Skytear pouted, but did not complain as Skymender left. He ran around the house looking for his Eldest Sister. As expected, he found her in the yard, practicing with a sword. She was nearly an adult now. Skymender found himself lost as he watched. He was not focused on his Eldest Sister, who countless people throughout the kingdom would find unbearably enchanting, but the movements of the sword. It was as if he was staring at the stars. His mouth unconsciously moved. "Sloppy." He muttered it so quietly that he couldn''t even hear it himself. At that moment, his Eldest Sister noticed him. She stopped and looked at him with a smile. "Want to play?" She asked. Skymender snapped out of his trance as the sword stopped. "Yes. Let''s play with swords." Skybelle hesitated for a moment before nodding with a smile. She tossed Skymender a wooden sword and took one herself. Skymender could barely even walk with accuracy. He "ran" forward and slashed, but Skybelle stepped to the side. He slashed horizontally, but she took a step back. Skymender continuously attacked, but he was effortlessly dodged. As he ran out of breath and his attacks slowed to a near halt, Skybelle met sword with sword. Moving her sword in a circular motion, Skymenders sword flew out of his hand. He panted and sat down. Skybelle kneeled in front of him, offering a piggyback ride. Skymender graciously accepted. As they walked, Skybelle spoke. "You know that nothing could ever happen to you, right?" Skymender nodded. He had heard this countless times. Although Baron Sky was indeed only a Baron, the Sky family was one of the most ancient families not only in the kingdom, but even the empire and the surrounding empires. Though indeed only a Baron, Baron Sky held a high position in the Kingdom. His intelligence was frightening, and his heritage was incredibly long. This, combined with his sister''s status as a future Sword Master of the imperial army, made the odds of Skymender ever being hurt by someone else nearly zero. It was quite good luck to be born in such a family. Skymender fell asleep on his sister''s back, who took him to his room and sat him on his bed. When he woke up, it was dinner time. Though drowsy, Skymender obediently got up as a knock sounded on his door. There was no need for the person behind it to even speak. Skymender struggled to get off of his bed and opened the door. "Dinner time." The old servant said. Skymender nodded and walked down the hall with the servant. He was led to a dinner table, with him being the only one not yet there. "If it isn''t Skymender the independent. Look at you, so mature for your age." His Eldest Brother commented. Nobody could tell if it was a genuine compliment or a backhanded one. His Eldest brother was named Sky the 2nd. He was the heir, and when he inherited the Barony, his name would become Sky, just as his forefathers. But for now, they just called him Eldest Brother. "Thank you." Skymender said as he sat down. Regardless of what his Eldest Brother intended to mean, he took it as a compliment. There was no doubt that his Eldest Brother would inherit the Barony. His scores at the Imperial school were at the very top, the first in many generations of the Sky Barony. Even the King had taken notice of him. There was indeed a royal school, but the King''s own children attended the Imperial School. The Royal school was intended for nobles who failed to get into the Imperial school. Although the highest ranked school in the Kingdom, it was truly just a school for noble failures. Chapter 591: Secret Room - 591 Chapter 591 - Secret Room - 591 After a moment of silence, his Mother, Skyler, spoke. "So, Skymender. There are a few years until you become old enough to be tutored. Do you have any passions yet?" Skymender thought for a moment before shaking his head. "I just like playing." Baron Sky spoke. "All people must have direction in their lives. You should find something you enjoy and dedicate yourself to it." Skymender sighed. "Do I have to?" Before Baron Sky or his mother could respond, Skybelle spoke. "Of course not. If you want to spend your life relaxing, nobody can stop you." Her words effectively stopped Baron Sky and Skyler from responding. After a moment, they gave out defeated sighs while Skymender flashed Skybelle a smile. Skybelle wryly smiled and continued eating. A bit more conversation took place, but the rest of the dinner was relatively quiet. Since it was already late, most of his siblings and his parents went to sleep. Meanwhile, Skymender had already slept and was now wide awake. After waiting in his room for everyone to fall asleep, he stepped out. Waiting for him was the 7th child of the family, his brother, Skymerge. Skymerge was quiet, and had been ever since birth. Even as a baby he had rarely cried. He carried a book and a candle with him. He seemed a bit more tired than Skymender, but he was still far more awake than anyone else. "Are you ready?" He whispered. Skymender nodded. They tiptoed through the halls, soon reaching the family library. All that existed in here were boring information books and other things that they had no interest in. However, in the back corner of the library, Skymerge lit a candle and tugged at a decorative vine. The nearest bookshelf silently turned. As it did, Skymender and Skymerge stepped on the floor below it, which turned with it. Halfway through a 360 turn, they jumped off of the bookshelf floor and found themselves in a smaller room. Though called small, it was bigger than four bedrooms put together. The walls were lined with shelves of books, and the least interesting of these books was more interesting than the most interesting book outside of this room. Skymender took a book off of one of the tables, something he had been reading for a while. "The Tale of the Bug Raising Sky Fairy". It was a fantasy book, one which contained elements considered impossible or untrue. It told stories of beings that could fly or even step through space. They had always hoped that there would be truth to these stories, but there was no evidence of such. The closest thing to fantasy was actually in the same house as them. Skybelle was a future Sword Master, someone who could face an entire army alone. However, even the strongest Sword Master could not compare to the weakest Cultivator in these books. Skymender and Skymerge began reading with relish. This room was hidden from everyone, though it would be a stretch to say that even Baron Sky was unaware of its existence. He merely allowed it. Skymender''s favorite character in this book was not the Main Character, but a side character who could be called a minor villain. He was known as an arrogant young master. He did what he wanted whenever he wanted. He had briefly opposed the Main Character, but stopped after being defeated a few times. Now, it could be assumed that he was still living in the same way, just acting as if the Main Character did not exist. He had only been around for a hundred Chapters or so out of the thousands of Chapters in the book, but he had stuck with Skymender. Glancing to the side, he saw another book. This one was his favorite of all time. "The Plot of a Thousand Years" The book was about exactly what its title hinted at. Over the span of exactly 1000 Chapters, a plot was slowly laid out, everything calculated, until at the end, everything connected and it all came together. It was a perfect plot over a thousand years that ended in a seemingly inevitable victory. It had broadened Skymenders horizons, just as many other books in this room had. Of course, he was only three years old. Even with the intelligence of a five year old, it was impossible for him to understand everything. He could only read it in awe. After nearly an hour, they called it a day. Skymender and Skymerge left the room silently and returned to their own rooms. Although they did not interact much in the day, this was their greatest secret, hidden from all of their siblings and even their parents. They had an unspoken bond that brought them extremely close. Over the next year, Skymenders lazy life repeated. He read many more books, finding out that these so-called "Arrogant Young Masters", were quite the common trope. However, no matter how common, he always liked them. That was because, in some way, he felt connected to them. After all, he was in a similar situation. Today was quite a special day. Skybelle was turning 18. She had recently graduated from the Imperial school, ranking number 9. Although it seemed low for someone like her, this rank was based solely on intelligence, knowledge, and memory. She, who focused on becoming a Sword Master, barely studied at all, yet reached number 9. It was an incredible feat only overshadowed by the 17 year old Sky the 2nd, who was one year away from graduating and still firmly in the first rank. Skymender woke up early in preparation of Skybelle''s return. The whole family gathered outside as a carriage pulled through the gates. Skybelle stepped out, and a huge congratulations came out simultaneously. Skybelle slightly smiled before walking towards them and receiving multiple hugs. She looked at Skymender for a while and gave him a fist bump. "So I guess you two are done having kids?" Skybelle asked. Baron Sky and Skyler nodded. "9 is enough. I am satisfied." Skyler said. Chapter 592: Servant - 592 Chapter 592 - Servant - 592 Skybelle nodded. "I agree." As she spoke, she walked past everyone and entered the house. "I''ve had a long journey. I need some rest before anything else." Everyone nodded as Skybelle retreated inside. Later that day, they held a minor celebration. It could have been bigger, but at Skybelle''s request it was not. Time passed as always in the Sky house. After a month of staying, Skybelle left. She headed to the Imperial capital, where she would continue her training to become a Sword Master. Even for the greatest genius, it was an incredibly difficult process. At the Imperial capital, she would receive assistance from many beings, including other Sword Masters. When Skybelle left, everyone was sad, but as always, time moved on. Finally, at the age of 6, Skymender was forced to make a "friend". His Father and Mother had brought someone to meet him, a 7 year old girl from the Mel family, a noble family that had achieved the rank of Duke. Her name was Melly, a shy girl that had trouble making friends. Standing in the yard alone, he looked down at her sitting on the ground with a mixed expression. Why did his family treat him like he was an outcast because he preferred to be alone or with family. Just because he didn''t have any friends didn''t mean he was incapable of making them. It was a choice, but nobody ever seemed to believe him. So here he was, with some poor girl who had been forced here by her family. Fine. If they think I am incapable of making friends, I''ll show them. "H-Hi." Skymender said. ... He mentally slapped himself before paying attention to the girl again. She was tweedling with her thumbs, clearly not in the right state of mind to notice his stumbling words. Skymender took a deep breath and spoke again, this time louder. "My name is Skymender. What is yours?" She clearly hesitated for a moment before speaking. "M-my name i-is Melly." Skymender held out his hand to her sitting on the ground. "Would you like to become my servant?" ¡ª------------------------- A few hours later, a carriage came to pick up Melly and Skymender. One had Duke Mel, and another had Baron Sky. They had just finished with their meeting. Both of them hoped for Melly and Skymender to become friends. Baron Sky was less worried for Skymender, knowing he was just lazy, but Duke Mel was clearly more worried. They stepped out of their carriages at the same time and glanced at each other, nodding. In front of them was tall grass and trees, so they shouted out loud. "Melly!" "Skymender!" After a minute or so, they heard rustling. Two figures came through the tall grass, one walking arrogantly in front and another with a smile behind. Duke Mel smiled. Seeing Melly smiling was enough for him to be satisfied. "How was it?" He asked. "It went well. Good idea Father and Duke Mel." Skymender said. The Duke nodded, but he had been talking to Melly. Looking at her, she didn''t speak and continued standing behind Skymender. Duke Mel was confused. Baron Sky spoke. "It''s time to go, Skymender." Skymender nodded and walked towards him. Duke Mel spoke. "Let''s go Melly." Melly nodded before walking over. As Skymender stepped into the carriage, she waved. "Bye Lord Skymender." Skymender waved back. Baron Sky abruptly paused, as did Duke Mel. They both looked at each other, their minds somewhat blank. Duke Mel looked at Melly, who was clearly very happy, before looking at Baron Sky again. Baron Sky had regained his mind and was giving Skymender a death glare. Duke Mel hesitated for a moment before speaking. "We''ll have to talk about... this later." Baron Sky solemnly nodded. Although he was considered higher ranked than a normal Baron, a Duke''s daughter calling a Baron''s son, "Lord" was ridiculous. Neither knew how to react at this moment, so they postponed it until a later date. Meanwhile, they would have time to talk to their children. Well, for Baron Sky, talk was a bit inaccurate. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO!" He yelled at Skymender. Skymender put a finger in his ear and twisted it. "What''s the big deal? I didn''t know what to do either. You threw me out in a field with a random girl and left for hours." Baron Sky was so angry that he could hardly formulate words. "You didn''t... do anything inappropriate, did you?" Skymender looked at Baron Sky with disgust. "What do you think of me?" Baron Sky sighed in relief. At least it wasn''t the worst case. Indeed, his son was actually a good person. "I would never lay hands on such an innocent servant." Baron Sky jumped at skymender and smacked him on his head multiple times. "SHE''S NOT A SERVANT, SHE''S THE DAUGHTER OF A DUKE YOU FOOL!" The rest of the ride back was silent. Skymender grabbed his head, silently sniffling. You just wait until Eldest Sister hears about this. Baron Sky did not speak a word either, clearly still extremely upset and conflicted about the matter. In this world, as a noble, having servants was not only not unusual, but expected and even natural. However, even a Duke having another person of noble birth as a servant would be seen as ridiculous and even disrespectful. Yet even this paled in comparison to the complete disrespect of the hierarchy of the Kingdom and Empire that Skymender had just committed. He deserved to die for his crime. As soon as they returned, Skymender was placed on strict room arrest. At first, Skymender napped all day without a care, but after a week, it was starting to get to him. His food was delivered without any human contact at all, and he had not talked to anyone. Even his Mother and Father had not spoken to him. After 2 weeks of imprisonment, he finally heard his door open. With excitement, he got up. Peering outside, he saw his sister with an awkward expression. "You sure know how to push the limits." Chapter 593: Marriage - 593 Chapter 593 - Marriage - 593 Skymender was about to speak, pent up from two entire weeks of isolation and silence, but Skybelle raised her hand in a stopping motion. Skymender did not speak. "We don''t want to keep them waiting." Skybelle said. She was clearly very serious. Even if their mother and father were the ones waiting, it was unlikely for her to be so serious. Skymender had a bad premonition, but silently followed Skybelle as she led him out of the room. Although worried, he knew that his sister would not let anything happen to him. Since she was not taking him away, his life shouldn''t be in danger. Skymender and Skybelle quickly reached a room, one that Skymender had only seen a few times. His father usually had meetings in this room. Skybelle knocked on the door and waited. In just a moment, the door was opened and the scene inside was presented to Skymender. In the large and well furnished room, the familiar faces of the Duke and his daughter were present. In addition was the Duke''s wife. She looked at Skymender with a focused and serious gaze. She seemed even more threatening than the Duke. Melly had her head down and did not look up even when he came in. She had been thoroughly talked to by the Duke. Inside as well were his mother and father, as well as a stern looking man covered with armor and a sword. Skymender nervously walked into the room behind Skybelle. There were four couches in the room, all arranged in a square formation. His mother and father sat on the left, the Duke, his daughter, and his wife sat on the right, and the armored man and now Skybelle sat on the back couch. This left one couch, the closest to the door, specially for him. He nervously sat down and waited. After a moment, his father spoke. "We have talked with the Duke, and with the permission of the King..." His father hesitated for a moment. The Duke took a deep breath and spoke. "You are being betrothed to my daughter." Skymender looked at him with shock. Melly''s head shot up, clearly surprised hearing this as well. It seemed that she had not been informed in advance. Before Skymender could say another word, the Duke spoke. "You can refuse, of course." Skymender sighed in relief. The Duke continued. "But then we''d have to kill you." Skymender''s sigh of relief was caught in his throat. So ruthless? As he spoke, the Duke looked over at Skybelle and the armored man. Even if they wanted to give Skymender the death penalty, would Skybelle allow it? Probably not. She may go so far as to take Skymender and run away. The empire could not afford to lose a potential Sword Master. The Duke''s gaze switched to the armored man. And if he were to assist her... The Duke shivered in fear at the thought. He turned his gaze to Skymender again. "Usually, a marriage between a noble of Baron status and a noble of Duke status is extremely rare, almost unheard of, and has only ever been documented with the male being of Duke rank and a female being of Baron rank, but things can be considered different due to your sister. She has a high possibility of becoming a Sword Master, especially since Master Shang has taken her as a disciple." This was Skymender''s first time hearing of Master Shang. He could naturally assume that this Master Shang was the one in the room with them. Master Shang spoke. "This has interrupted our training. You better be worth it." He said this while staring at Skymender. Skymender nervously nodded. Skybelle spoke with pride. "My brother will naturally be a successful person." She then turned to Skymender. "This is my Master, Master Shang. You''ve heard stories of Sword Masters taking on entire armies, but not every Sword Master can do that, and not every Sword Master can return alive even if they do succeed. Master Shang is the Sword Master you hear about in legends, one that can truly decimate an entire army and return in time for dinner. He is the Sword of the Empire." Skymender was shocked. His gaze instantly changed, looking at Master Shang with admiration. As someone who loved reading fantasy books, he had always liked the powerful characters that were unmatched. This Master Shang was clearly one of those characters. He almost forgot about the fact that his death had been spoken about just moments ago. The Duke cleared his throat, drawing the attention back to him. "As said, you will be marrying my daughter upon turning eighteen. There is no negotiation in this matter." The Duke spoke unwillingly. Clearly, he did not want to marry his daughter off. Sadly, if he did not, it would cause many problems, some involving people he could not afford to get involved with. Master Shang was not at the top of the Kingdom, but the top of the Empire. He was truly below one and above all others. Even the King would have to address him with respect. It would bring shame to the whole kingdom if this situation was not peaceful and properly resolved. Melly lowered her head shyly, while Skymender was still thinking about the entire situation. Was it all bad? Ignoring who he was marrying, he was technically marrying a member of the Duke''s family as a Baron. This would bring him a leap in status equal to or above even his own father. Everybody seemed to be ignoring this fact for now. Had such a simple action had such a complex result? He remembered the book he had read long ago. The Plot of a Thousand Years. Everyone was ignoring him because he was an arrogant child, yet he had achieved great results for himself. Skymender, though just a child, seemed to glimpse a path forward in life. Plotting hidden behind arrogance. It seemed interesting, a style he had rarely seen even in fantasy books. Skymender fell deeper into thought. Chapter 594: Academy - 594 Chapter 594 - Academy - 594 While Skymender fell into deeper thought, the room fell into a momentary silence. After a few seconds, as nobody had anything else to say, Master Shang stood up. "Let''s go. We''ve wasted enough time here." Skybelle nodded and stood up. She said goodbye to everyone and gave Skymender a hug before leaving. Following their departure, the Duke and his wife stood up. After hesitating for a moment, the Duke spoke. "We will leave Melly here for a little bit. You two should get to know each other. Not as servants, but as future husband and wife." After a talk between Baron Sky and the Duke, the Duke and his wife left, leaving Melly behind. Baron Sky sent Melly and his Mother out of the room, leaving only Skymender behind. "I hope that, after today, you learn that your actions have consequences." Baron Sky said. Skymender nodded seriously. He understood very well, far more than a child his age ever should have. Seeing his serious expression, Baron Sky was slightly satisfied. However, for some reason, he kept feeling that something was off. Regardless, Skymender was let off of room arrest for the sake of Melly. They were brought to the yard, under the supervision of servants this time. However, the servants were far away and could only see them, not hear them. Melly walked up to Skymender. "Lord Skymender..." Skymender waved his hands. "None of that anymore. I''m afraid I can''t handle the consequences." Melly''s face turned sad. She looked down at the ground and pouted. "Why not?" Skymender was confused. Was there something wrong with this girl? Well, it seemed that she had wanted to become a servant in the first place. Skymender considered everything briefly and spoke. "You can stay a servant, but it must be in secret. To everyone else, we are now engaged." Melly''s eyes widened in understanding, and she hastily nodded. From then on, an understanding between them formed. And time passed for everyone. Skymender was now eight years old. Melly was nine. Upon reaching the age of eight, children went to school. This was how it was and how it had always been. Both Skymender and Melly would be starting school this year. Melly had been able to start last year, but she had opted out and waited a year so that she could be placed in the same grade and class as Skymender. Perhaps people in this world matured faster than usual, or perhaps Skymender was mature for his age, but now he truly seemed like a young lord. He stood in front of the gates of the Academy. Standing next to him was Melly. It was time to experience school. Waving goodbye to their parents behind them, Skymender and Melly walked through the gates and stepped into the academy. This academy was the top within Baron Sky''s territory. Melly was only able to come because the Duke sent special instructors to join the academy while Melly was here. Whether there were higher-ranking schools in the Kingdom or the Empire didn''t matter until they reached the age of fourteen. Only then would their future begin to be decided by school. But until then, they could learn as much here as in any other academy in the Kingdom or Empire. The performance in the earlier years of school, for nobles at least, was almost entirely dependent on the children themselves. As long as they wanted to learn, someone would be there to teach them. Talent naturally played a large part, but they were not lacking as nobles. Melly and Skymender walked into the first class. They naturally drew a lot of attention. There were only 5 nobles in this school now. Melly and Skymender were two. Skymender''s older sister, the 3rd daughter, Skytear was another. Skymender''s older brother, the 5th son, Skymerge was here as well. Finally, the 6th child of the Sky Barony, Skytore, the 4th son, was in his last year here. You attended this school from the age of eight to the age of thirteen. Skytore was in his last year, and Skymender dreaded having to see him. He was... interesting to say the least. To be more accurate, Skymender could not stand him. He was... interesting, once again. Skymender did not know how to put it without insulting Skytore. The first class took up the whole first day as they were brand new students. They went over rules and regulations, most of which Skymender could break without consequences but probably wouldn''t. During most of the time, they received stares from other students. Skymender and Melly acted as if they didn''t see them. They didn''t have any interest in making friends here. Luckily, this was still the best academy in the Sky Barony. All of these people were rather smart and would not bother them unnecessarily. Skymender did not see any of his brothers or sisters in school that day. The next day, school was different. They received a schedule and had multiple classes. Their classes were the exact same. Even in this school, there were differences between certain classes. They were assigned to the top-tier classes. Only a few students were in the first class, maybe ten in total. This class was math. Throughout the day, the pattern of small classes continued. After math was English, History, Science, Arts, and Basic Physical training. Both Melly and Skymender did well in all of the classes on the first day, and this continued throughout the week, month, and even the first year of school. Both Melly and Skymender were exceptional. During all of this time, Melly stayed in Baron Sky''s house along with the rest of his family. Naturally, she had her own separate room and even her own servants. At the end of the year, Skymender and the rest of his family, including Melly, attended Skytore''s graduation. He had not made it to the Imperial school, though nobody was surprised. He would attend the Royal school only because he was forced to by his parents. Everyone sat through the graduation ceremony. Afterwards, Skytore came up, glad to finally be done with the first few years of school. Skytore was big, tall, and had tanned skin. Simply put, he was an idiot. Chapter 595: Summer - 595 Chapter 595 - Summer - 595 "Hey hey hey!" Skytore shouted loudly, far louder than necessary. Baron Sky went up and gave him a hug, while his Mother was nearly in tears. They would not usually be this excited for a simple graduation, but they had not believed that Skytore would graduate at all. They were surprised to near tears. Skytore, of course, did not think this far. He believed that they were simply so happy that he had graduated that they were nearly crying. Skybelle was not here. She had been so focused on her training that she had not returned in over a year. Sky the 2nd had attended. He watched with pursed lips. Even when he had graduated at rank number one in the Imperial school, his father hadn''t hugged him, only shook his hand. His Mother, however, had indeed cried. Whatever. Idiots get praise, while the truly smart get none. This is life. Sky the 2nd had been preparing to inherit the Barony recently. He had furthered his studies, as naturally there was learning beyond the Imperial school. It was just less systemized and he had to seek it out himself, taking on multiple teachers and learning from real situations. After stopping to see a few of his older brothers and sisters, then some younger, Skytore finally found Skymender, who had been trying to lower his presence as much as possible. Skytore picked him up and hugged him so tight that Skymender felt his soul being ripped away. He was barely put down in time, his life hanging by a thread. Melly chuckled a little. After the graduation, everyone returned home and had a great feast. That night, Melly, Skymender, and Skymerge snuck into the secret room in the library, as always. They had done this almost every night. Skymender had read hundreds of books, as had Skymerge and Melly. Melly had particularly found herself interested in these fantasy books, especially the ones with female main characters, though those were few and far between. There was nothing special about tonight''s reading session, except for an idea Skymender had. He spoke it aloud as soon as he thought of it. "What if we put normal book covers, or blank book covers, over these books so that we could read them outside of the library?" Skymerge shook his head. "It''s a bad idea. If we get caught, we could be in trouble. Most people believe these to be nothing but children''s books and would look down upon us for reading them. Our parents may even be disappointed." "But there''s nothing wrong with it. In fact, we are probably smarter than most people as a result of reading these books." Melly said. Skymender and Skymerge nodded. Reading these books, their imaginations had grown beyond normal limits. What others could not imagine, they considered a low level thought. "What matters is not what we think or even know to be true, but what others think. Even if others did not look down on us for this, would we want them to know about these books and their greatness?" The three shared looks. "Of course not." These books gave them an invisible edge that helped them succeed in many things. Who knew what the authors of these books had accomplished. Perhaps the authors were well-known scholars who simply wrote under an alias. This seemed especially true for books like "The Plot of a Thousand Years". No normal person could ever think or put together such a story. "What if we created a code language?" Skymender said. Skymerge fell into thought, as did Melly. "Theoretically, yes. But at that point, we''d have already read the books now in code language. Plus, reading would be slower." Skymerge said. Skymender agreed. After much thought, Melly spoke. "What about some sort of material that can only be seen under a certain type of light?" Skymender was about to reject this idea, saying they would have to copy the books anyway, but he suddenly had another idea. "What about a liquid that could be put onto these books, completely covering the contents, but could be seen through with a special set of glasses?" This idea seemed feasible to everyone. A normal person in this world may not think of this, but through their readings, their imaginations were beyond ordinary. "Does such a thing even exist?" Skymerge questioned. "If it doesn''t, then I will create it. This would not only help us read fantasy books, but conceal secret messages or documents. If I, Skymender, wish to create such a thing, it will be done." Skymender''s words were arrogant, but he said them convincingly. Since birth, he had never truly put his mind to something, but when he did, perhaps he would never fail. There was only one way to find out. That day, Skymender returned to his room with a new conviction, a goal that must be completed. The next morning, he set out on it immediately. As the first year of school had just ended, he had an entire three month summer ahead of him. However, his Father, Baron Sky, came up to him. "I plan to send you away this summer." Skymender was stopped in his tracks. He looked seriously at his Father. "I have something I want to do this summer." His Father was surprised by the conviction in his eyes, but shook his head. "Whatever you want to do, you can do it in the Imperial capital, I''m guessing." Skymender''s eyes widened. "The Imperial capital?" Baron Sky nodded. "I honestly don''t want you to go at your age, but Skybelle had requested you come. I rejected her at first, but she said that it had something to do with her becoming a Sword Master." Skymender saw the serious look in his Father''s eyes and was confused. How could he help at all? Regardless, he understood why his Father would not allow him to reject. In fact, he would not reject either. He owed his Eldest Sister far too much to forsake her wishes. He nodded. "When do I leave?" "Tomorrow. Melly will also be returning to her parents. They have missed her greatly, even though they visit so often." Skymender nodded. He returned to his room and began to pack. His Father was right. No matter what he wanted to do, it would be more achievable in the legendary Imperial capital. Chapter 596: Li Youcai - 596 Chapter 596 - Li Youcai - 596 Before leaving, Skymender had a few things he wanted to do. He had one day to do them. After packing his normal bag, he made his way to the secret room in the library. He wasn''t fond of using it in the daytime, but there was no way that he would leave without bringing some entertainment, especially with the long journey ahead. He picked out nearly ten books he had not read before and stuffed them in a bag. Although it was only ten books, each one was huge and weighed more than ten normal books combined. Some even had other volumes as big as the first. It was extremely heavy, but Skymender managed to enter and leave the secret room without being spotted. He was able to return to his room and place the bag of books with his packed bags. He then needed to pick out at least one servant to go with him. He only needed to think for a moment before deciding to bring a male servant by the name of Li Youcai. He was different from normal servants. He was not interested in currying favor with Skymender, nor was he too nosy. He was also exceptional at his job. Skymender could read a fantasy book right in front of him without Li Youcai sparing even a glance. He seemed to barely care about his job at all. In addition to all of this, he was quite skilled in combat. Before becoming a servant, he had been skilled with the sword, though not near the level of a Sword Master, as well as a very intelligent person. All in all, he was too qualified to be a servant, yet was. Skymender did not know why, nor did he care to ask. If he was Skymender''s servant, then his father had surely done a deep background check on him. Although Li Youcai was not scheduled to serve Skymender today, since most servants only worked five days a week, Skymender was able to easily find him. In the servant quarters, he had his own room. Skymender knocked on it, and Li Youcai answered. Before he could speak, Skymender was stunned to silence. Li Youcai was dressed in a white robe and had long, black hair. For a second, Skymender nearly mistook him for a Main Character in one of his fantasy books. He did not usually look like this when working. This only lasted for a moment, however. Li Youcai spoke. "Master Skymender? What are you doing here?" Skymender responded. "I am going to the Imperial Capital tomorrow. I want you to be the servant I bring." Li Youcai''s eyes flashed. "Ahh. The Imperial Capital. I remember that..." He seemed to fall into a trance for a moment before snapping out of it. "Apologies, Master Skymender. I would have no problem going with you to the Imperial Capital, but I''m afraid it may not be possible due to my past identity. Please, talk to your father before making this decision." Skymender was surprised, but nodded and left. He indeed did go to find his father. Upon asking him about Li Youcai, Baron Sky had a complicated look on his face. "Yes. Li Youcai. Back when I was in my early thirties, I spent a lot of time in the Imperial Capital. At that time, Li Youcai was also a servant, but not a servant of our Barony. He was a servant of the 4th prince." Skymender was shocked. He had never expected that Li Youcai had been a servant of the royal family. "It was the royal family of the Ergen Kingdom. The 5th prince had fallen in love with a woman, and he confessed to her. She clearly hesitated, but stated that she had fallen in love with another man. The 5th prince was furious and demanded his name. After hesitating for a long time, she said "Li Youcai", the servant of his older brother. All of this happened within the Imperial capital. I believe the 5th prince was twenty at that time, while Li Youcai was only fifteen." Skymender was stunned. "How did he end up serving the Sky barony?" His father clearly hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Well... at that time, I found it hilarious. He was being hunted by the 5th prince''s personal guard, but I protected him and eventually brought him here. As repayment for saving his life, he promised to serve the Sky Barony until he was forty." "How old is he now?" "He is thirty years old, just recently in fact." This stunned Skymender even more than the story. Come to think of it, Li Youcai had always looked young. But even now, he looked 20 at most. "So, can I bring him to the Imperial Capital with me?" Skymender asked. Baron Sky thought for a moment before nodding. "It should be fine. It was ages ago, and the 5th prince should not be in the Imperial Capital anymore. Regardless, the 4th prince knows that he was brought here. Well, I suppose they aren''t princes anymore, but still." The confirmation was all that Skymender needed. He returned to Li Youcai''s room and told him that he could come. Li Youcai bowed and thanked him. "It is an honor to go with Master Skymender. Perhaps I can even show you around." Skymender nodded. That dinner, he said his goodbyes to his family and went to his room. He did not sleep much. He was awoken at around 5 am by his father and some servants. "It is time to go, Skymender. Tell Aunt Skyless that I said hi." Baron Sky said. Skymender nodded and walked to the carriage. Behind him, his servants carried his bags. With this, he departed towards the Imperial Capital. Guards and servants came along with him, and he was the only one being sent. After all, the Imperial Capital was not a safe place, even for lower-ranked nobles. At his young age, it was actually considered a bit risky, though he was much safer than any commoner that lived there. The only person in the carriage with him was Li Youcai, who gazed out of the window with sparkling eyes. Chapter 597: Random Woman - 597 Chapter 597 - Random Woman - 597 This carriage was actually quite big, about the size of a room. It was used for long distance travel by most noble families. Once they reached the Imperial capital, or any royal capital, they would have to switch to a smaller carriage for the sake of the roads. The interior was decorated more luxuriously than his own room. Skymender sat on one of the two couches, while Li Youcai sat on the other. Eventually, Skymender fell asleep. When he woke up, he heard Li Youcai''s voice. "It is time to eat, Master Skymender." Sniffing the air, he tasted egg and some meat. Skymender got up and grabbed the plate from Li Youcai''s hand. Half-asleep, he ate the food. Only after he finished did he fully wake up. Li Youcai asked if he needed anything, but Skymender shook his head. Li Youcai sat on the couch and began to look out the window once again. Meanwhile, Skymender opened up one of his bags. This one contained all of his fantasy books. Using a blank book cover, he began to read. At most, Li Youcai would glance at him to check up on him, but he wouldn''t inquire any further. Time passed in this manner for many days. Sometimes, Skymender would read educational books to make sure he didn''t forget everything he learned over the summer, but most of the time he read fantasy books or stared out of the window. The trip to the Imperial Capital was not a short one at all. Luckily, as nobles, they had access to faster than usual modes of transportation. The beasts they used were bred for long distance travel and could run for nearly an entire day without a break. They alone shortened the time by five times a normal carriage''s travel time. With the carriage made from special materials and surprisingly light, they traveled eight times faster than a normal carriage would. This cut the nearly ninety day travel time to merely ten days. It was an incredible display of advancements made over countless years, though only accessible to nobles. After a week of this sort of travel, Skymender was already terribly bored. It wasn''t necessarily bad, he was just tired of doing nothing but reading all day. After a few more hours, the carriage came to a stop. Skymender''s mind immediately raced. The carriage was not supposed to stop unless the beasts needed to rest, but they rested on schedules. It was not time to rest. He looked outside the window. Ahead, a woman lay on the road, seemingly dead. The servants and guards of the carriage looked at Skymender, clearly asking what to do. "Go see if she''s alive." "Who should go?" One of them asked. "A guard, heavily armored." Like Skymender, almost everyone had thought of the idea that this could be a trap or a set up. After a moment, a heavily armored guard carrying two shields walked towards the woman. He safely reached the woman and checked on her. Nothing strange happened all this time. The guard brought the woman back to the carriage. One of the servants, slightly skilled in the medical field, examined the woman. "She seems to have escaped from being imprisoned. There are many injuries on her body, but it seems that she is merely passed out from hunger. What should we do, Master Skymender?" Skymender thought for a moment. "Bring her inside." "But Master Skymender, what if she is dangerous?" "Li Youcai is here. Give him a sword." The servant nodded without arguing and Li Youcai was quickly equipped with one of the reserve swords. He made food with the sword on his waist while Skymender observed the woman, who was laying on the floor. She had long curly red hair and seemed to be around the age of twenty. "Is Master Skymender feeling sorry for this woman?" Li Youcai asked. Skymender shook his head. "Not quite." He was thinking about how this woman got here. From what he understood after reading many maps of this area, there should not be any place to keep a woman captured. Even if some sort of new bandit fort had been set up, how had she escaped? There was no blood on her except from her own injuries. She did indeed have marks on her wrist, seemingly from chains, but they were relatively light. It was hard to say what was happening, but perhaps they would get some answers from the woman herself. Li Youcai quickly finished making food and fed it to the woman. Naturally, she could not eat unconsciously. Li Youcai had made soup, and Skymender had to hold the woman''s mouth open so that Li Youcai could slowly pour it in. After a few minutes, the soup was finished. Quickly giving her some water, Li Youcai propped her body up. Before she woke up, Skymender continued to study her. Her clothes, though ragged and torn, indicated that she was wealthy, though not at the level of a noble. After a few hours, she moved for the first time. At first, she simply mumbled while her head slightly moved, but after a few minutes, her eyes opened. Skymender closely observed her next actions. As soon as her eyes opened, she brought her hand to her face and scrunched up, clearly in some sort of defensive position. She looked around warily. After a moment, she saw the elegant carriage, as well as Li Youcai and Skymender. "Wh-where am I?" She asked after a moment. "On the road. What is the last thing you remember?" Skymender asked. The woman, clearly seeing that he was a noble, quickly answered. "I was captured by a group of bandits and imprisoned. The last thing I remember was being knocked out and taken somewhere." Skymender looked at Li Youcai, who looked back at him. Skymender had a guess. "Could it have indeed been a trap, but the bandits didn''t dare come out after seeing we were nobles?" Li Youcai found it reasonable. The woman spoke as well. "They were very cautious bandits, so cautious it was a little weird. It would not be ridiculous for that to be the case, in my opinion." She said. Chapter 598: Arrival - 598 Chapter 598 - Arrival - 598 After another brief moment of silence, Li Youcai spoke up. "Regardless of what is true or what is not true, you cannot stay by Master Skymender without it being verified that you pose no threat. We can either take you on board until we reach the Imperial Capital, but you will be under constant surveillance, or we can let you go here. Choose." The woman did not need to think for long. "I would like to stay until you reach the Imperial Capital. Perhaps I can even become a servant of your house?" Li Youcai looked at her weirdly. She spoke seriously. "Our meeting can be considered fate. Perhaps I was meant to be here. It''s not like I have a home." Skymender spoke up. "I don''t believe in coincidences. It may be some sort of fate for you to meet me, but you are not qualified for my fate to be meeting you. If you want to be a servant, consider yourself in training." The woman smiled, although Skymender''s words were harsh. This gave her a chance to turn her life around. Skymender was a noble after all. "Thank you, Master Skymender." Soon after, the woman left. Later, Li Youcai asked him a question. "Why let her become a servant?" "Perhaps she really was meant to meet me here. Who knows, maybe she''ll surprise both of us." Li Youcai shrugged. As long as Skymender was safe, he did not care what happened. The rest of the journey was uneventful. Skymender learned that the red haired woman''s name was Hope. He did not pay attention to any more information. She would be background checked upon their arrival. After less than three days, Skymender saw large, white city walls appear in the distance. There were golden patterns on these city walls, aiding their majesty. This was the Imperial Capital of the Faceless empire. Its history was longer than almost any other known empire in the world. Only the Ancient Empire had outlasted it. Skymender calmly looked at the walls ahead, but beneath his calmness was excitement. He was entering the biggest city in the empire, a behemoth where even commoners could have houses larger than his own. This was a place where everything was more expensive, yet where everyone got more money for their work. The legends of this place were many, and Skymender would finally see this place of legend for himself. The carriage slowed to a halt outside of the city gates. Skymender and everyone else with him unpacked and got out of the carriage. A nearby building, which was very large, would house this carriage until they left. Skymender and Li Youcai entered another carriage, one far smaller than the last. Four people could comfortably fit in this carriage, a luxury given only to the extremely wealthy within the Imperial City. More carriages followed behind them, forming a line of carriages entering the city. The crowded streets parted for the noble carriage, but there was no surprise among the people here. Instead, there was only a slight interest. "The Sky Barony? What are they doing here?" "The Eldest daughter of Baron Sky is a potential Sword Master of the Imperial Capital. Perhaps someone from the family is visiting?" "I suppose we may hear about it. It doesn''t involve us, but I am a little curious who has come." Skymender was able to faintly hear such discussions. His window was open, but a faintly see-through curtain blocked the view, allowing only fresh air in. Skymender could have looked through the tinted windows, but he enjoyed the air more than the view. In the air, there were smells of various foods and treats, as well as the smells of wood, concrete, sweat, and a faint smell of perfume. Skymender was lost in a trance, and only woke up when the smells faded. He briefly smelled a scent of fresh grass and... nobility? "We are here, Master Skymender." Li Youcai said. Skymender shook his head and stood up. Walking out of the carriage, he saw a large, elegant mansion ahead. It was white, only slightly less white than the city walls. Gates were behind him, and in front was a long path with clean bricks inlayed in the ground. To the sides of the path was freshly cut grass, very nice looking. In comparison to his house, it was a different world. However, the yard was far smaller. At the end of the path, near the entrance and in front of a fountain, a familiar woman stood. Skymender had seen her a few times. She bore a resemblance to his father. Skymender waved, ignoring the fact that he was supposed to be acting "noble" right now. He wasn''t dressed in fancy clothes anyway. Aunt Skyless didn''t seem to care, on the surface at least. Who knew what she was thinking. She was a different type of nobility than him, one who had experienced the true faces of so called nobles. To come this far and have such a status, she was surely scheming and secretive. She let out a smile. "Skymender. Welcome to my humble abode." Skymender stopped himself from chuckling after hearing the word humble. "Come in. I''ll show you around." Skymender nodded and walked towards the entrance. Walking around the fountain with Aunt Skyless, he entered the double doors. Ahead was a long red carpet and stairs that parted to the left and right after going up some. A classic mansion. Skymender saw multiple servants, as well as two girls and a boy dressed up in noble attire. Upon seeing Skymender''s comfortable and casual attire, the boy let out an obvious sneer, while the two girls, though well hidden, made a similar face. Skymender did not care at all. In fact, he looked at them, holding the urge to laugh. Li Youcai silently walked behind him, ignored as a servant. He saw Skymender''s faint trembling and slightly smiled. ''Master Skymender is excited. I would be too if I saw a room of people underestimating and looking down upon me.'' Chapter 599: Market - 599 Chapter 599 - Market - 599 The boy gave a slight bow and the girls gave a curtsey. "Welcome to our home, cousin Skymender." Hidden behind their tones was obvious disregard and a faint hint of disgust. A normal person his age would have never caught on to it, but Skymender was not a normal person his age. He could tell in an instant. They underestimated him because of his age, but that would only benefit him. Skymender nodded. "Hello, cousins. I hope all of you have been well." They smiled. "We have indeed been well. I assume you have too." Skymender nodded again. "Of course." Aunt Skyless gestured for Skymender to come. "I''ll show you around." Skymender followed his aunt, and his cousins followed them as well. This house was much larger than their house. There were nearly 30 rooms, just as many bathrooms, and various other rooms, most larger than a normal bedroom. Skymender was led to a guest bedroom, which was far more elegant and fancy than even his parents bedroom back in the Sky Barony. It wasn''t that his parents couldn''t afford it, it was just completely unnecessary. "You can put all of your stuff in here. This is where you will be staying while you''re here." Aunt Skyless said. Skymender nodded and Li Youcai left to bring his bags. Only Li Youcai would be his servant in the house. The rest would do other things while at the capital, though most of it involved him in some way or another. "When will I see my sister?" Skymender asked. Aunt Skyless donned a troubled expression. "Just a few days ago, she said that she had to leave for some surprise issue. She also said that she will return within a month." Skymender inwardly groaned. In other words, he would be on his own for a month in the Imperial Capital. Of course, his Aunt and his cousins would be here, but it almost felt as if they were enemies instead of family. ''I guess this is how families in the Imperial Capital are.'' Skymender thought. It wasn''t necessarily that they were actually enemies, but that Skymender was unused to such inner coldness towards family members. Regardless of their inner thoughts, they were still family, and everyone here recognized that. Of course, that did not stop anyone from looking down on Skymender. Eventually, Aunt Skyless and his cousins left. Li Youcai eventually brought all the bags to his room. He then set up in the room next to Skymender''s. It was much smaller, about the size of the Servant Quarters at Skymender''s house. There was a door leading outside of the room, as well as a door leading to Skymender''s room. For the rest of the day, Skymender stayed in his room and read, with only a brief interruption during dinner time. Eating, he seemed like a true country bumpkin. He did not even recognize half of the utensils. It had to be admitted that the Sky Barony almost completely ignored the teachings of elegance imbued into most nobles, even those outside of the Imperial Capital. Wait, no. Skymender seemed to remember these utensils before. Perhaps they had tried to teach him, but he simply ignored them. Yes. Probably that. It was an awkward sight, seeing Skymender eat so inelegantly. Nobody could even keep a facade when he grabbed a chicken leg with his bare hands and ate it. You''d think they were watching a murder. Well, Skymender was indeed murdering the chicken leg. Aunt Skyless and his three cousins seemed to lose their apetite as he got up and left. Skymender called this Dominating the Battlefield. Or perhaps a hit and run. Regardless, they would look down on him even more now. Night passed and morning came. Skymender was awoken by the sound of Li Youcai entering the room. He looked up and saw him carrying a tray of breakfast. "Am I not eating with them?" Skymender asked. Li Youcai was speechless. He had been there when Skymender had eaten that food. It was an interesting powerplay. Eating the chicken leg with his hands was one thing, even Baron Sky occasionally did that. It was when he began to eat mashed potatoes with his bare hands that Li Youcai had to look away. "No, Master Skymender. They seem quite fearful of you after yesterday. I imagine that you will not be attending any more meals with them for the rest of your stay." Skymender sighed in relief. "Good. All of those utensils were really terrifying. You know me well, Li Youcai." Li Youcai looked down at the tray of breakfast. There was only a fork, a knife, and spoon. The spoon would not be used, nor the knife. After that day of rest, Skymender was ready to go out. His fatigue from the long carriage ride had been washed away overnight. He put on some clothes. They indeed showed his nobility, but they were also much more casual than what anyone in this house was wearing. More importantly, it was comfortable. Skymender stepped out of the house with Li Youcai behind him. "Let''s go make a fool out of myself." Li Youcai heard him mumble, but did not make out the words. He was, however, curious as to why Skymender had said to carry a sword. Stepping out of the carriage, Skymender found himself in a large market. Thousands of commoners moved around. This was the biggest open market in the Imperial Capital. It was said that if you could not find something here, it was almost impossible to find it elsewhere. He instantly stood out among the crowd. His clothes bore the crest of the Sky Barony. A path cleared for him and he received some stares, but the traffic never stopped moving. After walking around for a moment, Skymender bumped into someone. The person was far heavier than him, but unbalanced. The person fell over. Skymender looked at the person as he got up. "How dare you bump into me! My father is the owner of the Fugui chamber of commerce. You better apologize rig...h...t..." The words slowed to a stop as the person looked at the crest on Skymender''s clothes. "A noble. Heh heh. My bad. Forget what I said." Sweat appeared on the person''s face as he moved to the side. Skymender pointed at him. "Show me around, Fatty." Chapter 600: Skymender鈥檚 Plot - 600 Chapter 600 - Skymender''s Plot - 600 The person paused for just a moment before nodding. "Sure. Sure." Skymender walked forward. "I''ll call you Fatty from now on. Is that fine with you?" The Fatty smiled with resignation. "That''s what my father calls me, of course your esteemed self can." Skymender stopped in shock. He looked at the Fatty with sympathy before continuing forward. Besides Li Youcai, there were now a few other servants and guards with them. These were the Fatty''s. He seemed to be from quite a rich commoner family. However, no commoner family was truly equal to even the lowest of nobles. Even with that, the Fatty may not be so kind to any other Baron, but the Sky Barony was different. They had a special status, especially now with a potential Sword Master among them. Skymender walked around for a minute before spotting another noble. "Fatty. What family is that?" The Fatty walked up to his side and spoke. "That should be the Grayn Barony." "Do nobles usually come to these places?" Skymender asked. "You can usually see one or two. After all, even nobles can find things of use here." Skymender began to think. "Fatty, what level of nobles are they?" Skymender asked. The Fatty wasn''t sure. "What do you mean by that?" "Compare them to the Sky barony in terms of status." The Fatty thought about it for a moment before speaking. "Technically, your families are equal. However, the Sky Barony gets special treatment and has a long history. It wouldn''t be unreasonable to consider you a level above them." Skymender nodded. This seemed fair. He walked towards the noble as the noble looked at some items from a shop. This was obviously one of the more popular shops, but everyone cleared the way for the noble. The noble was a bit older than Skymender, probably 14 or 15. As they got closer, Skymender heard the noble speak. "What is this item?" The vendor responded. "That is an unknown badge. There is a design on it, but we aren''t sure where it came from or what the design represents. It could be from some ancient family lost in history, or perhaps some old toy made for kids." The vendor did not hold back any information when dealing with the noble. The noble nodded. "How much is it?" "Young Lord Grayn, you can naturally have it for free if you want it." The noble snorted and spoke. "Do I look so lowly as to take a freebie from a commoner. Give me a price." The vendor hesitated before speaking. "One silver." The noble nodded and reached into his bag. At this time, Skymender arrived. "Hello noble boy." The noble turned around with a frown. He saw Skymender come towards him. The entire area around him was cleared, with commoners leaving a sort of circle around him, but Skymender entered this area. Following behind him was a fat boy and a bunch of servants. The noble looked at the crest on Skymender''s clothes, and his expression lightened slightly. "Who are you? How dare you call me that." Skymender inwardly sighed. He hated forcing himself to cause trouble, but it really had to be done for the sake of the future. Skymender ignored his words and looked at the badge in his hand. "That is mine. I''ll be taking it now." The noble''s frown deepened. Before he could speak, Skymender snatched out of his hand. He opened his mouth, but Skymender kicked to the side. His foot landed on the noble''s stomach. Although the noble was older than him, and their builds seemed similar, Skymender''s sister was a potential Sword Master. He had been beaten up by her a lot, and he was far better at fighting than the vast majority of people. Although he was just a weak small child to her, to everyone else, he was an unnaturally skilled child. The noble clutched his stomach as his eyes widened. He coughed, barely stopping himself from falling on the ground. The vendor''s eyes widened. Not just him, but so did the Fatty''s, all of his servants, and even Li Youcai. Even the surrounding people stopped moving. Such violence among nobles was unheard of. Without a doubt, under usual circumstances, Skymender would face punishment from his family and the noble''s. However, Skymender had a trump card. His sister. "You dare hit me!" The noble screamed. Skymender tossed a gold coin at the vendor while speaking. "I don''t keep money lower than gold. Keep the change." He ignored the noble and walked off, even as the noble''s servants and guards crowded around him. Nobody had ever expected such a thing to happen. As Skymender walked away, the Fatty and Li Youcai regained their senses. They looked at each other for a moment before catching up with Skymender. The Fatty instantly began to praise Skymender. "Your actions are incredible, sir. I am in admiration of you." He spoke but Skymender did not listen. He was thinking about the results of that small action. "You did well, Fatty. I''ll see you again in the future." The Fatty, seeing this as an opportunity to leave, said goodbye and jogged away as fast as possible. This left Li Youcai and Skymender. Li Youcai spoke. "What was that for?" Skymender responded after a moment. "To set the future stage." Li Youcai could not understand why Skymender had done it, but seeing him deep in thought, he felt as though Skymender truly wasn''t some random nine year old noble. Upon their return to Aunt Skyless''s house, they were instantly greeted by her raging face. "What in the hell is wrong with you?! You can''t go around hitting other nobles. If you want to beat someone up, at least find a commoner." "Sorry, Aunt Skyless. He was provoking me." Aunt Skyless took a deep breath, clearly knowing he was lying, before speaking. "It seems you truly know nothing about nobility. I''ve talked with the Grayn Barony and they have let this matter pass on the condition that I punish you. So, for the rest of your stay here, unless your sister needs you elsewhere, I will be strictly teaching you what nobility is." Skymender inwardly sighed. It had somehow worked. To advance smoothly, he needed to get into the "Noble Circle". However, being viewed as a country bumpkin, his Aunt clearly did not want to bring him into it. The only logical way for him to get her to bring him in was to prove that he would damage their reputation even more if he was not brought into this circle. Skymender''s first ever plot had succeeded, and his confidence grew. Chapter 601: Etiquette Training - 601 Chapter 601 - Etiquette Training - 601 Skymender was sent to his room for the rest of the day. As the next day came, he was awoken early in the morning. A servant, not Li Youcai, brought him to an elegant room in the house. It had a large table, and behind were two glass doors that led to a balcony with a nice view of the Imperial Capital. Upon entering the room, Skymender saw an old man and a middle aged woman. It only took a brief glance to see how scholarly they were. Seeing Skymender, they slightly bowed and invited him over. The old man spoke kindly. "Please take a seat, Master Skymender. For the foreseeable future, we will be teaching you the basic noble education of the Imperial Capital." Skymender saw many eating utensils, books, and clothes around the room. He sighed and began. The first lesson was on how to eat. Clearly, his style of eating had left a strong impression on his aunt''s family. Over the next two weeks, Skymender was taught relentlessly for more than 10 hours a day. Although this seemed like a long time, noble etiquette was usually taught over a period of years and ingrained into a noble child from birth. The old man had been kind from the start, while the middle aged lady had been strict and somewhat rude. However, at the end of the two weeks, both were filled with astonishment. Skymender''s learning speed was incredible. They began to deeply respect Skymender''s talent, as well as his newly acquired etiquette. These two weeks had been extremely useful to Skymender. He truly had no idea about the vast majority of what he was taught. Just as his two teachers began to respect him, he began to respect both of his teachers. Their knowledge seemed endless. He had not been able to ask a question that they could not answer from the top of their heads. He did not dare claim that he would ever be able to surpass these two in terms of noble etiquette. However, he had probably surpassed even his cousins. At the end of the two weeks, Skymender''s aunt came to one of their sessions. She had been told by the two that Skymender was ready, but she did not believe it. She came in as a witness to a sort of test. After three hours, she was shocked. Skymender had truly learned everything. She nodded. "You have passed. Now, I shall introduce you to what is known as the Noble Circle." She had not planned to do this, expecting to merely teach him some etiquette before his sister came back and took him away, but since he had come this far and knew this much, it wouldn''t be harmful to show him some stuff. It just so happened that the next day, Aunt Skyless was scheduled to have a tea party with some other noble ladies. They were all able to bring a plus one. As Aunt Skyless had told him, this was an event designed to show off the class of their children. Usually, Aunt Skyless would bring one of her daughters, but this time, she brought Skymender with her. Skymender took a bath, changed his clothes, and got into a carriage with Aunt Skyless. Like this, he really was charming. Most nobles looked good regardless, but what made Skymender even more charming was the slight green glow in his eyes. The tea party was not far away. Nobles lived in the Noble sector of the Imperial Capital, which meant that any Noble was just a short ride away. They arrived at a mansion far larger than theirs. Skymender had learned that certain statuses were required for certain houses. For example, only the Imperial family could have a full palace in the Imperial Capital. This was common sense. It was the same for royal families in royal capitals. The tea party was being held at the house of a Duchess. This was the highest status below that of a member of a king''s family or the emperor''s family. The house looked like an art project. There was a golden gate and behind it a large and clean field. There were fountains everywhere with even a small river flowing through the property. The house itself was glorious as well. It was four stories tall with multiple balconies and a beautiful color scheme. The carriage stopped at the front gate, and Aunt Skyless and Skymender stepped out. There were multiple other carriages around, naturally from other nobles. Aunt Skyless looked at the breathtaking view for a moment before the gates opened. She stepped inside, Skymender closely following behind. In the distance, another carriage was slowly coming towards the gate, but they would only arrive as Skymender and Aunt Skyless entered the building. A large double door blocked their way, but as they walked towards it, it opened. Two butlers pushed open the door and respectfully held them, waiting for Skymender and his aunt to enter the building. Skymender was stunned by the sight inside. Crystals, gems, diamonds, gold, everything elegant was inside. The walls, the floor, chandeliers, each had some sort of shine or sparkle. Inside, a servant waited for them. "Welcome, Baroness Skyless. Please follow me." With a bow, the servant walked to the stairs. Aunt Skyless and Skymender followed behind. They were led up a few flights of stairs to the fourth floor of the house. A balcony extended, larger than any other. There was grass and decorations all around. In the middle was a large table surrounded by many chairs. There were already four people here. One of them was naturally the Duchess herself. She was one of the few women to hold a noble title as the head of the noble bloodline. Like Baron Sky was the head of the Sky Barony, the Duchess was the head of the Vass Dukedom. She calmly glanced over as Aunt Skyless entered the balcony. "Baroness Skyless. How great that you have come. You seem to have brought your nephew that I''ve already heard about." Aunt Skyless smiled and bowed, as did Skymender. "Indeed, he has misbehaved already. Since then, he has been taught the conduct of a noble." Duchess Vass smiled again. Chapter 602: Tea Party - 602 Chapter 602 - Tea Party - 602 Duchess Vass spoke. "It''s of no consequence. He seems to have changed greatly since then." Skymender slightly bowed his head in acknowledgement. The Duchess turned her attention to someone else. Skymender and his Aunt took a seat at the table. Skymender watched as Aunt Skyless engaged in small talk. He noticed that almost every sentence said had some underlying or hidden meaning. Any compliment spoken seemed to be backhanded. This was the Noble Circle. It could be considered a warzone of status and words. Skymender looked at the other people''s plus ones. Besides Skymender, every person here was a girl. As the conversation continued, Aunt Skyless suddenly spoke about him. "My nephew, Skymender, took only two weeks to learn the noble education that most nobles spend their whole lives learning." "How impressive. Though, my daughter had learned such things long, long ago." A noble woman said with a smile. Aunt Skyless spoke again. "Indeed. Being born in the Imperial Capital, children tend to learn earlier. My daughters and my son were the same." After the brief mention of Skymender, the conversation continued. Every remark was passive-aggressive, though there was an unspoken agreement that it would stay that way and not escalate beyond. Skymender began to think how he could take advantage of all of this. This was just a small meeting. Almost nothing could be gained. What could actually be of importance was the yearly Noble Gatherings. In a month, a yearly gathering that all Nobles in the Imperial Capital attended, Imperial Family included, would take place. That was where it was possible to gain something. In addition to nobles, some wealthy commoners would also be able to attend. If Skymender wanted to truly set the future stage, then that would be where it happened. He was just getting acclimated at this tea party. The door behind opened and another noble and her plus one entered. She smoothly joined the conversation without effort. After two hours, three more people had joined. After another hour, food was brought out. Everyone ate just as a noble should, including Skymender. Then tea came out. There was also an entire etiquette to drinking tea. Skymender had naturally learned it. One hour after that, the tea party ended. The nobles took turns excusing themselves and leaving. Skymender and Aunt Skyless were able to leave relatively fast. Back in the carriage, Skymender spoke. "That sucked." Aunt Skyless understood. "I found it quite enjoyable. The tea party today can be considered practice for the Noble Gathering in a month. Unless your sister takes you elsewhere, you are free to attend." Aunt Skyless seemed to approve of Skymender after today. They returned to the house and Skymender was officially free. He first found Li Youcai, who he had hardly seen since that day. "Did you find them?" He asked. Li Youcai nodded. "Let''s go." Skymender said. They departed in a carriage not long after him and Aunt Skyless had returned. They left the noble district and arrived at a large house. It was only slightly smaller than Aunt Skyless''s house. Gates in front of the house stopped them from advancing. Beyond the gates, a butler hurriedly moved, clearly going to inform the owner of a noble''s arrival. Meanwhile, another servant opened the gates for them and welcomed them in. Li Youcai and Skymender stepped out of the carriage. With a nod, they walked through the gates and advanced towards the large house. As they reached the door, someone came out to greet them. He was big, but not too fat. He stood around six foot seven inches, and probably weighed around 400 pounds. Most of that seemed to be in muscle. Skymender almost took a step back after seeing him. However, the man clasped his hands and bowed. "To what do I owe the pleasure of a noble visit?" Skymender spoke. "I''m here to find the Fatty." The man paused for a moment before nodding. "You call him that as well. Very good. It seems he has made a noble friend." He turned around and yelled so loud that Skymender thought his ears would pop. "Get down here Fatty! Put down whatever fattening food you''re eating! Be careful that you don''t fall through the stairs!" Skymender immediately heard steps coming from above, clearly rushed. A fat figure came into view. "Yes, Father!" The Fatty said, standing at attention. Suddenly, he saw Skymender. "Sir?" Before anything else could be said, the man spoke to the Fatty. "Go outside and play with your friend here." The Fatty nodded and ran outside. Skymender and Li Youcai were left with the Fatty outside as the door closed. "Hello again, Fatty." The Fatty smiled. "It is an honor to see you again, Young Lord Skymender." Clearly, the Fatty had done some research since the last time they met. "I told you we would meet again. But first, was that your Father?" Skymender asked. He found it hard to believe. The Fatty nodded. "Yes. He is the owner of the Fugui chamber of commerce, as well as a past potential Sword Master." Skymender was surprised, though it seemed natural when looking at the Fatty''s fathers physique. It seemed that the man had once been a potential Sword Master, much like his sister, but had not fully become one in the end. However, despite his failure to become a Sword Master, he had actually created a successful chamber of commerce. It was no wonder that the Fatty seemed to respect his father so much. It was also no wonder that his father didn''t like how the Fatty was. "He was known as the potential Sword Master closest to becoming a Sword Master, but he sadly failed in the end." Hearing this, Skymender felt slightly worried. If his sister could not become a Sword Master, then all of her efforts would have been wasted. The Fatty, seeing the look on his face, spoke. "Your sister is different, however. No person that Sword Master Shang has taken as a disciple has failed to become a Sword Master, though he has only taken two disciples before your sister." Chapter 603: Savior - 603 Chapter 603 - Savior - 603 Hearing this, Skymender indeed felt a bit less worried. The Fatty spoke again. "So. How can I assist you, Young Lord Skymender." Hearing his words, Skymender remembered why he had come. "I wish to offer you to join me." The Fatty was confused. "As you can see, I am quite young and undermanned. What I need is someone willing to do anything to reach the top to join me and do as I say. As long as they can do that, I can assure them that they will reach far greater heights than they could have ever imagined." The Fatty was clearly confused. "So why choose someone like me?" The Fatty''s question was valid. He was lazy, fat, and unathletic. He had no ambition at all, it seemed. "I was unsure before coming here, but now I''ve made up my mind. How would you like to see your father proud of you?" The Fatty''s face was filled with astonishment at the mere thought. He had never even thought of such a thing. He seemed to make up his mind rather quickly. "I would love to join you, Young Lord Skymender." Skymender nodded. "First, you must do something for me. Then, you will have officially joined me." The Fatty nodded. Skymender began to explain. As he did so, the Fatty''s face began to warp from excitement to surprise, to shock, to dread, to reluctance, and finally to acceptance. The day passed and night took over. It was a normal night, and as always, a beautiful girl took a stroll. Sneaking out had become something she loved doing. The feeling of freedom was something she could never possibly experience at home. The expectations of constantly being a perfect daughter, as well as a perfect noble, constantly pressured her every action. Here, walking in these streets, which were still relatively safe, she felt truly free. Suddenly, from behind, a knife appeared. She stopped moving as she felt it press against her throat. A drop of blood fell down her neck from a cut. "Stay quiet and come with me. If you resist, you will only be killed." The girl''s eyes widened in horror. She froze, not daring to resist as she was dragged away and knocked out. When she came to, she was surrounded by three men wearing black. Two were normal, but one was rather fat. In order to disguise himself, the Fatty had worn extremely tight clothes. He seemed to be more than half as skinny as he actually was. The girl, now awake, looked up in horror at the three men. They simply stood there, staring, for what felt like an eternity. As some time had passed, one of the two non-fat men started circling her. "What a pretty face. It sure would be a shame if it got hurt." Tears poured from the girl''s face. She was completely overwhelmed with fear and regret. Suddenly, he stopped in front of her. "Hold still. I might as well carve that pretty face of yours up." The girl watched as the knife slowly closed in on her. Suddenly, a loud bang, as if glass was cracking, sounded out. A flash appeared in her vision as the man holding the knife fell to the ground. A sword pierced his stomach, and standing on top of it was a young boy. He turned around and looked at the girl with a charming smile. "Do not worry. I am here." The girl stared into his green eyes with shock, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief and happiness. Suddenly, one of the two non-fat men in black shouted. "You never mentioned that we..." His sentence was destined to never be finished as Skymender accurately threw a knife into his neck. Skymender was just a nine year old child, but he was a nine year old child whose sister just so happened to be a potential Sword Master. With this entire thing being a set up in the first place, there was no chance of failure. The Fatty took out a sword from behind him. "You dare intrude and kill my men! Die!" He stepped forward and swung his sword. Skymender redirected it, kicking the Fatty back. The Fatty took a few extra steps backward, adding to the show. From then on, what played out was about as real as a play. However, to the girl, it was an honorable battle in her honor, one that would decide her fate. As the Fatty tired out and gave a signal, Skymender slashed, spilling out blood, and with a pierce the Fatty was felled. The girl''s eyes widened with joy. Skymender came over and cut the ropes binding her, helping her up. "I apologize for not coming sooner, my lady." The girl blushed and could not look Skymender in the eye. "You- You''re Skymender. I saw you at my mothers tea party." Skymender nodded. "I followed some suspicious men and heard noises, so I broke through a window and came in. I''m glad I was impulsive." The girl shyly looked away as Skymender took her outside. He walked her to her mother, Duchess Vass''s, house. They were greeted with great commotion. Duchess Vass came down stairs with a pale face. Looking at her daughter, she nearly cried. She hugged her daughter and repeatedly thanked Skymender. Duchess Vass''s husband had died in war, someone near the level of a Sword Master. Her oldest son had been killed in a freak accident. This left only her daughter. If she had been lost tonight, who knows what Duchess Vass would have done. After her daughter cried herself to sleep, they instantly traveled to the crime scene with countless guards, from both her own house and the Imperial Guard. They investigated, but they only found two bodies. The third seemed to have somehow escaped. Duchess Vass thanked Skymender more times than he could count. She sent him home, and told him to come to her house first thing in the morning. Skymender bowed and began to walk home. As the hustle and bustle of the guards faded behind him and he was left alone on the dark streets, his gaze turned vacant and distant. He looked at the night sky without a word. Chapter 604: The Emperor - 604 Chapter 604 - The Emperor - 604 The next morning, Skymender set out. He had slept quite well, but still managed to wake up before anyone else in his house. As he walked outside, Li Youcai followed him. Li Youcai had been there when Skymender had spoken to the Fatty, so he naturally knew that everything had been under Skymender''s orchestration. The Fatty was no less terrifying, willing to lead two men to their death for this plan. Skymender had chosen a good person. What made it even more terrifying was their age. Skymender was merely nine, while the Fatty was around the age of fourteen. Li Youcai couldn''t imagine Skymender when he grew older. He would be a truly terrifying person. Taking the carriage, Skymender and Li Youcai arrived at the Duchess''s house rather quickly. As soon as they stepped out of the carriage, they saw the Duchess and her daughter waiting for them. They had bags under their eyes, clearly not having slept well, or perhaps not at all considering everything. As soon as they saw Skymender, smiles graced their faces. Skymender returned the smile and gave a bow. The Duchess hurriedly stopped him. "If others found out that I allowed my daughter''s savior to bow to me, I could never raise my head again. Instead, we should bow to you." True to her words, the Duchess and her daughter began to bow. Skymender hurriedly stopped them as well. "Please. I do not need to be repaid. I was simply helping someone in need. Besides, I''ve had one Duke''s daughter bow to me, and I don''t plan to make that mistake again." The Duchess stood straight with a smile while her daughter held in a chuckle. Clearly, they knew about the time Skymender accepted a Duke''s daughter as a servant. The Duchess continued to smile, clearly satisfied by Skymender''s humbleness. "Please come in. You may not want to be repaid, but we could not live without repaying you. As a small start, let''s talk over breakfast." Skymender did not deny her favor. He entered the Duchess''s house with Li Youcai. The last time he had entered, it had been as a plus one without any sort of power or even true respect from anyone. Now, however, he was walking into the same house, just days after, as a savior. Every servant in the house deeply respected him. They walked upstairs and sat on the same balcony. Only this time, Skymender was the most respected person at the table. An extravagant breakfast was quickly prepared. Countless dishes were laid out on the table. Still sticking to noble etiquette, Skymender ate. The entire time, he had a pleasant chat with the two. He could sense the Duchess''s daughter''s gaze on him the entire time. It seemed that she had fallen for him, naturally. Regardless of looks or nobility, he had saved her life in a time of desperation. Perhaps even the Duchess herself would have fallen for him in a similar situation. The Duchess''s daughter, Val, was 12 years old, relatively close in age to Skymender. The breakfast lasted for over an hour. At the end, the Duchess walked him out of the door with her daughter. "This was just a small thank you. If you ever have ANY favor, just call for us. Not just one, as many as you want. We are forever in your debt." Skymender slightly bowed with a thanks and turned to leave. Suddenly, the Duchess spoke. "I nearly forgot. At 3pm, the emperor will be seeing you. Make sure you appear early." Skymender nearly tripped and fell. A meeting with the emperor? Without a doubt, it was because of his actions. After all, he had saved the heir of the Duchess. She was someone whose status in the Imperial Capital was below only that of royals and the Imperials themselves. Anywhere else, he would only meet a king, but in the Imperial Capital, there was no king, only an emperor. Suddenly deep in thought, Skymender returned to his house and got ready. A meeting with the emperor was not something that anyone could take lightly. As he returned, his aunt and his cousins bombarded him with questions. Normally, he would have been forced to sit and answer them, but upon uttering the phrase, "I have a meeting with the emperor at three", they personally guided him to his bedroom at the utmost speed. Skymender dressed in his finest clothes after taking a scalding hot bath. By then, it was two. Skymender set out with Li Youcai. Although the journey was only ten minutes long, he did not know how long it would take to walk through the Imperial Palace, or how long it would take to get in. Upon arriving at the gates, he was stopped by Imperial Guards and inspected. The inspection took five minutes. It was neither too long nor too short, especially considering how deeply they had been inspected. They stepped out of the carriage and began to walk. They arrived in front of the throne room doors at exactly 2:40. Skymender stood still, doing his best to calm his nerves. Li Youcai was hiding his nervousness as well. No matter what he had done to a prince, this was the emperor. If the emperor wanted them to jump, they would not ask how high. If he wanted them to die, they would not be able to consider escaping. Just before three, the throne room doors opened. Skymender saw an elegant looking old lady walk out with a cane, giving a slight nod to Skymender and Li Youcai, before disappearing into a hallway. "Enter." The voice was spoken normally, but it seemed to boom in the ears of Skymender and Li Youcai. They stepped forward. High above was the emperor on his throne. Next to him was a familiar face, Master Shang. Nobody else was here. Upon entering, Li Youcai and Skymender kneeled. It was not a matter of pride, as the emperor was not an enemy nor a friend. He was a ruler, one that commanded even their respect. "Rise." They rose to their feet. The emperor looked at both of them quietly for a moment. "Very good." Chapter 605: Reward and Research - 605 Chapter 605 - Reward and Research - 605 The emperor continued. "To save a daughter of a Duchess is no small feat. It is even greater considering that that daughter was the heir. I''ve heard that you won''t accept the repayment of the Duchess, which is between you and her, but your actions cannot go unrewarded." The emperor waved his hand. A servant entered and the emperor waved his hand again. The servant bowed and left. The emperor was silent, clearly allowing him to speak. Skymender took the opportunity. "Your Imperial Majesty, it was only by chance that I stumbled upon that scene. I truly don''t need any reward." The emperor waved his hand. "Nonsense. Regardless of whether it was chance, fate, or some other thing, your actions are your actions, and you will receive a reward whether you like it or not." Skymender nodded. He spoke again. "If you don''t mind, could I ask where my sister is?" "You can tell him." The emperor said, clearly showing far more respect to Sword Master Shang than the servant and Skymender. Sword Master Shang spoke. "She had been struggling to become a Sword Master. She has nearly arrived at the final barrier, but her progress has slowed down. You are one way to help her break that barrier, but before you came, I found another opportunity. She won''t come back as a Sword Master, but if she comes back, she''ll come back infinitely close." Skymender''s eyes widened. "What do you mean, if she comes back?" Sword Master Shang spoke calmly. "There are no opportunities without risk. In my calculations, there is a 30% chance that she never returns." Skymender lost his good mood, now worried for his sister. However, there was nothing he could do. After adjusting himself for a moment, he returned to calm. He could only let it happen as it was happening. Soon after he calmed down, the servant returned, holding a small box in his hand. The servant presented it to Skymender. Skymender took it out, confused. It was a small badge. It was in the shape of a shield, with the crest of the empire on it. The emperor clearly saw his confused look. "That is a medal of pardon. Upon using it, any and all crimes pinned against you or someone of your picking, excluding direct treason or betrayal of the empire, will be dropped without any further questions." Skymender was shocked. He did not even know about such a thing. The emperor continued. "I heard you like causing trouble, so I figured it suited you." Skymender almost showed his embarrassment. It was as if the entire empire had heard about him kicking that noble. He bowed to the emperor before leaving with Li Youcai. He kept the badge in the chest it came in. It was far more useful than any other reward he could have imagined receiving. He could kill someone, though probably not a noble as that could be considered treason, without facing any sort of punishment. He could do it in the open in front of any amount of people as well. Sadly, it was only usable one time. He would have to make sure he used it to the fullest extent. Skymender returned to his aunt''s house and was bombarded with questions. This time, he was forced to answer them. He only returned to his room an hour after entering the house. Li Youcai joined him for a moment. Skymender spoke quickly. "I need you to find me a lab and books on science." Li Youcai asked for further detail. "What type of science?" "Chemical science. Science creating substances. Stuff like that." Li Youcai nodded. "I will do my best to find such a place, but you will need to be present for any major movement." Skymender nodded. He planned to do so. Li Youcai quickly returned with introductory books. It was stuff that was considered a very specific field with few individuals. Even the Imperial School would only briefly go over it. Skymender studied these books day and night for three days before Li Youcai had found a lab with access to many books. Skymender left with Li Youcai, books in tow. They left the noble housing area, but stayed in the wealthy area of the commoner section. They eventually reached a large, round building with a long piece of metal sticking out of it. Skymender recognized it. It was a telescope. During the night, it was able to see the stars closer. According to what he heard, when it became even more advanced, perhaps they would learn the truth of the universe. It was a big dream, and one Skymender had no intention of pursuing. He would settle things down on the ground before even bothering to consider the skies. He walked up to the door and knocked. The door opened, and an old man was revealed. Upon seeing Skymender, he quickly bowed. "Welcome to the research institute of the Imperial Capital. Who do I have the pleasure of seeing?" Skymender responded without arrogance. "My name is Skymender, 9th child of the Sky Barony." The old man nodded. "I''ve heard of you." "No doubt from when I kicked that noble." The old man chuckled and nodded. "May I come in?" Skymender asked. "Of course, of course." The old man said. He moved out of the way. Skymender and Li Youcai entered. Inside were many papers. On shelves, on the wall, even some on the ground. "Apologies for the mess, Sir Skymender. We haven''t been focused on cleaning, and we haven''t had many interns the cared about cleaning." "Have you considered paying them?" "Haha." The old man laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "We don''t get allocated enough money to spend it like that." Skymender nodded. He didn''t mind the mess. The old man didn''t ask, but Skymender knew that he wanted a reason for his arrival. "I''ve come to research creating a new type of substance." Skymender said. The old man nodded. "What type of substance?" "I can tell you, but you must promise not to let it spread out. This is important and secret research." Skymender said seriously. The old man nodded with a serious face. "I want to research a substance that cannot be seen through unless wearing a specific pair of glasses." Chapter 606: Studying - 606 Chapter 606 - Studying - 606 The old man instantly fell into deep thought. After a moment, he spoke. "Yes. I can see why this would need to be secret. If such a thing could be created, it would change secret messages completely." Skymender nodded. "Do you believe it''s feasible?" The old man shrugged his shoulders. "I don''t know. I just record the movement of the stars. If you want to talk about inventing a new substance, talk to old Lee. He is the expert in that field." Skymender nodded. "That will work." The old man led him to a different area of the building before bowing and taking his leave. Looking around, this place was much different than the entrance. It was clean and tidy, with only two people visible. One was young, while the other was old. "Hello." Skymender said. Both people turned around. One was an old man, and the other was a young woman. They bowed upon seeing Skymender. "I assume you are old Lee?" The old man nodded. "Yes. That is me. Who do I have the honor of meeting?" "Skymender. Ninth child of the Sky barony." Both bowed towards Skymender once again. "Greetings, Sir Skymender." Skymender waved his hand and began to explain to them what he had told the old man from before. They nodded before speaking. "It is feasible, though it would not be easy. We hadn''t really thought about that. Secret messages are usually sent out in a code language, which is much easier than creating an entirely new substance that can be seen through by a certain pair of glasses." Skymender nodded. He knew that it was going to be difficult, but this substance was the best way for him. Old Lee continued to speak. "If you want to research here, we have no problem with that. We can even teach you whatever you want to learn. In return, I only ask that you provide a donation to the research center. It doesn''t have to be now, but when you''re older." Skymender nodded. "I agree." Old Lee sighed with relief. "It''s hard to find a reasonable noble nowadays. We have many materials in the basement, though I don''t believe that any of them will be able to do what you desire without change. How much do you know about this field of research?" Skymender showed him the three books that he had been studying nonstop. He had basically memorized everything already. "You''ve started reading those?" "I''ve memorized most of the information in them." Old Lee looked up and down at him suspiciously. He was only nine years old after all. "Then I guess you''ve been studying since you were a kid." "Technically right. I was indeed a kid three days ago." Old Lee continued to show suspicion. He began to ask Skymender questions. Skymender answered almost all of them correctly. Although he had indeed incorrectly answered a few, Old Lee''s eyes shined. "This is my apprentice, Tara. She is going to take over this field of research when she becomes a master of it." Skymender nodded, though he did not understand why he was being introduced to her. Old Lee coughed. "Anyway, in the basement, you''ll find everything you need. If you ever need help, guidance, or even suggestions, please ask." Skymender thanked him and began to walk down a nearby flight of stairs. There were multiple basements in the large building. The one Skymender went down was naturally the one involving the creation and research of substance. The basement, like above, was neat. There were bookshelves with books, counters with materials, and even a few elegantly designed pedestals with clearly valuable materials placed on them. Li Youcai and Skymender looked around when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. They turned around to see Tara. "I''ve come to give you guidance on where to start learning." She pointed at a bookshelf. "There are three good books there, in rows 1, 3, and 3. Book 4 on row one, book 3 and 7 on row three." She then pointed to another bookshelf. "After thoroughly studying those three, look for four more books. book 1 on row 1, book 2 on row 3, book 9 on row 4, and book 7 on row 6." She then turned around. "If you can thoroughly understand the content in all of those, come see us and we can help you go even deeper, if that''s your wish." Skymender nodded as she left. He took her suggestions, taking the three books mentioned on the first bookshelf and the four following it on the second bookshelf. He then began to study. In this environment, he felt as if he could study even faster. Li Youcai began to browse around as Skymender had no need for him to constantly stand by. A few times throughout the day, either Old Lee or his apprentice Tara came to see if they needed anything. Skymender politely rejected them every time. At the end of the day, he left, and in the next morning, he came back. He seemed to forget about any sort of plans or plots as he fell deep into learning. Before he knew it, it had been a month since he first arrived at the imperial capital. The books he had been shown were much more advanced than the first three he had been given by Li Youcai. After all, the first three were the basics. Still, he had thoroughly learned the contents in all of the books that had been pointed out to him. He came in on this day and asked Old Lee to show him around the lab. He was given an in depth tour. Old Lee had begun to respect him after seeing him study so hard. Although Skymender had known a lot of the information he was told from the books, it was always different seeing it in person. Old Lee was clearly enthusiastic, showing him every small piece of every tool. He also showed long standing theories of further advancements for tools such as the telescope that he had been trying to further research for years. Chapter 607: Deep Research - 607 Chapter 607 - Deep Research - 607 By the end of the tour, Skymender was ready to begin actual research. Granted, he did not have even a percentage of the knowledge that old Lee had. Even his apprentice was a few levels above Skymender. He had been studying for less than a month. He may be talented, but not to the point of surpassing experts in such a short period of time. However, Skymender believed in two things. Luck, and his imagination. He believed that he had the luck to accomplish his goals, and the imagination to try out things that no researcher had tried before. Skymender went down the basement, Li Youcai following as always. He found a few materials that he had marked as interesting and grabbed them. He then returned upstairs. The lab was more than big enough for ten people, so with three, Skymender had plenty of room to work. He went back down to the basement after sitting the materials down. Here, he stored things that he had imagined could possibly cause changes in the materials that would allow them to contain the properties he wished. It was naturally a far stretch, but this is where he would begin. He and Li Youcai returned upstairs with their hands full. Skymender took a seat while Li Youcai stood beside him. Skymender first started by grabbing a pink crystal that could be seen through. He put it in a pot, and opened up a bucket on the table. Inside of it was refrigerated blood. The blood was not from humans, but from a rare species of animal known as echo chameleons. Like normal chameleons, they had the ability to change color to blend into their environment. However, they were also about as large as a small dog and could only see through echolocation. Skymender had been able to gather a bucket of their blood and store it downstairs. The stench of blood instantly filled the surroundings. It was a stench that had never appeared here. After all, who would think of using blood to change a substance? Nobody here had, but Skymender did. He poured the blood in the pot with the crystal, making sure to keep a record of the amount poured in. He then turned on the heat below and watched as the pot heated up. The blood slowly started to produce bubbles. This was a medieval world, but there were indeed a few technological advancements such as refrigerators and using gas to create flames. Of course, these things were only ever found in noble households or research facilities such as this one. When the blood started to boil even faster, and a blood-red steam was being let out, Skymender took the pot off of the heat and fished the crystal out. It was coated with blood. Skymender took a rag and cleaned the blood off. The crystal was no longer pink, but blood-red. Inside, there seemed to be a hint of rainbow flashing. At this time, old Lee and his apprentice came towards Skymender. Old Lee was about to speak when he saw the crystal. He looked at it in amazement. He came up to Skymender and spoke. "What did you do to create that?" "I mixed a pink crystal with the blood of the echo cameleon." Skymender responded. Old Lee looked surprised for a moment before he continued to focus on the crystal. It was a truly astonishing sight. "Blood, huh. Perhaps I had overlooked it." Old Lee mumbled to himself. After all, blood was what maintained the life of every living being. Old Lee and his apprentice soon left, deep in thought. Meanwhile, Skymender pulled out another material. It was a pure black rock that seemed to absorb the surrounding light. This was one of the rarest materials in the world. Skymender had paid quite the price to get it. And now, he was going to use it in an experiment. He put the black rock in a new pot. He poured the unused echo cameleon blood in the pot and let it begin to boil under the flame. Skymender stirred the pot the entire time so that the blood didn''t burn up too much. He let it boil more than the last pot. When it had begun to boil as much as water could, Skymender fished the black rock out. Now, it was not even close to the same. Surrounding the outside of the rock was a see through, multi-colored crystal. Deep inside, the black rock was still visible, though it seemed different as well. Skymender had nearly forgotten about his goal seeing the crystal. It was truly beautiful. However, it would not help him towards his goal, it seemed. Skymender put the crystal in a nice looking box and grabbed some other things from the side. Some were crystal, some were liquids, some were powders. For multiple hours, he began to mix things together that any sane person could never think of. 90% of his attempts ended in utter failure, creating a sort of black substance that stank or some other form of useless goop. However, he occasionally experienced some success, even if they did not seem to help him towards his goal at all. The first two crystals were the best result he got all day. He stayed late into the night and only returned home to sleep. The next day, he came back. There were two weeks until the yearly Noble Gathering. Skymender was focused on research, and had nearly forgotten about it. He needed to make some preparations, but he wanted to focus on research for just a bit longer. Unfortunately, even as another day passed, he did not experience any sort of success that moved him towards his goal. He temporarily had to set it aside and make his way back home. He would go back to the research center after the Noble Gathering. It didn''t seem as if he needed to prepare much, but to have the best chance of experiencing a good result, it was better to do everything possible. Chapter 608: The Temple - 608 Chapter 608 - The Temple - 608 In the afternoon, Skymender met the Fatty at a restaurant. They sat on the second level, entirely reserved for them. This was the first time they had seen each other since the act. The Fatty had thought that Skymender had abandoned him. He worried everyday that he would be turned in or silenced. However, he finally met Skymender once again. "Good job." Skymender said. The Fatty breathed a sigh of relief. Only he and Li Youcai knew how ruthless Skymender could be. "Thank you, Lord Skymender." The Fatty said. "I met the emperor and was even rewarded for my meritorious deeds." Skymender said as he sipped his drink. The Fatty smiled. "Good. Then it seems everything worked out. When will we do it again?" Skymender shook his head. "Once is not suspicious, but twice is. I''m not willing to be suspected." The Fatty nodded in agreement. "So, what''s the next step?" Skymender spoke. "I''ve had someone compile a list of all of the nobles and their values. It doesn''t include royals or those of the Imperial family, but it is comprehensive enough. The next step is to act publicly, aligning with these values as much as possible." The Fatty looked at the list the Skymender handed him. After a moment, he spoke. "I understand the plan, but some of these values conflict. Also, some are very shallow." Skymender nodded. "Indeed. But this is all that we can get. We just have to pick the side with the most people." The Fatty nodded in agreement. There were opposing politics and beliefs even in the Imperial capital. Luckily, there was one side that seemed to be the most popular, and the second most popular did not necessarily completely oppose the beliefs of the first. The first group consisted of nobles that treated commoners well, though not equally. The second consisted of those that believed commoners were nothing more than servants. If they told a commoner to jump, the commoner should not dare hesitate for even a moment. If they told a commoner to die, he should die without a second thought. Of course, Skymender was partial to the first style of thinking regardless, but if it had been the second way that had been the most popular, he would have followed it for the sake of growth within the Imperial Capital. He and Fatty, along with Li Youcai, set out. Of course, they could not help the commoners too much. Regardless, the idea of nobility could only be held up when the nobles were superior to commoners, not equal. Treating the commoners too well could be seen as an attempt to retaliate against the imperial system itself. Skymender traveled to the normal commoner district for the second time since coming to the Imperial Capital. He had first come here when he visited the market. He had also been to the wealthy commoner area, but this was completely different. His first stop was a place he had always been interested in. It was the temple. In the olden days, the temple had been seen as unpopular or simply wrong, but that all changed when the priests and priestesses of the temple gained an ability that could only be called magical. A golden, healing light could emit out of the hands of anyone considered a priest or higher of the temple. Skymender had been delivered and held by a priestess upon birth. Along with Sword Masters, the temple was the most mysterious thing in the world. Skymender walked up the stairs and was greeted with bows from everyone in the temple. There was another temple in the wealthy commoner area, as well as one in the noble area, but he had specifically come here. Before long, a priestess came and greeted him. "Welcome, Sir Skymender. What has brought you to our humble temple?" Skymender spoke. "I am looking for new servants in the commoner area. I have simply come to the temple to learn about it a bit." The priestess nodded. "It would be my honor to teach Sir Skymender about the temple." Skymender nodded his head. "Please, go ahead. Consider me a tourist." The priestess led him around the temple. Li Youcai and the Fatty naturally followed along. Skymender was taken to see praying people, upcoming priests and priestesses, and ancient historical records dating back thousands of years. He even saw murals on many walls, depicting countless praying people and a holy golden light. The tour soon finished, and Skymender had learned a lot. However, he was still curious. "How does this ability of yours manifest, and how did it come into existence in the first place?" The priestess spoke. "Upon becoming priests or priestesses, we can sense a sort of connection. Upon being baptized in the altar, we gain this ability. As for how it came into existence in the first place, it was most likely the divine will of Yhwh." For just a split second, Skymender''s green eyes flickered in its deepest depths. However, it would be unknown to even a god realm cultivator. Nobody around him noticed it, and neither did Skymender himself. It was as if it was an illusion. Skymender nodded. "Would I be able to see the altar?" The priestess shook her head. "I''m afraid not. Besides the priests, priestesses, those higher than them, and the emperor himself, nobody is allowed to see the altar." Skymender nodded. After a little bit more conversation, he left the temple. He had truly wanted to learn about it, and did not dare to plot against it. The temple did not just exist in a kingdom or an empire, but all over the world. The main temple existed in the Ancient Empire, an empire considered to be above all the others. After leaving the temple, Skymender set out to one of the more populated places of the commoner area. It was called the city square. It was equally populated when compared to the market he had been to. There were also shops here, but they were only inside buildings. Outside shops were unseen, but many people stood around doing other things. Chapter 609: Digging for Treasure - 609 Chapter 609 - Digging for Treasure - 609 As Skymender entered the city square, everything slowly came to a halt. At first, the instrument of a person playing a string instrument made an unnatural sound, ringing throughout the square. Others looked over and saw him staring. They followed his gaze, and they soon saw Skymender, causing them to stop what they were doing as well. The remaining people, noticing the lack of noise, looked around. Eventually, they all saw Skymender. Skymender spoke. "Continue on." After a moment of hesitation, everyone in the city square turned around and tried to focus on what they had been doing, though few were successful. Skymender walked to the side and entered a store. It was clearly a nicely created store. After all, it was at the city center, one of the most populated places in the Imperial Capital. As soon as Skymender entered, the owner of the shop personally came out and bowed to him. Skymender raised his hand. "No need for all of that. I am only here to look around." The owner nodded and left, allowing an attendant to handle Skymender. The attendant was clearly nervous, but was able to suppress it quite well. "What can I do for you, Sir Skymender." Skymender spoke again. "I''ll just look around myself for a while." The attendant bowed and stood off to the side. Skymender began to walk around the shop. This shop was essentially a junk store, but much more fancy. It collected ancient relics, or items that seemed old, and displayed them. Looking on the walls, there were articles about legendary finds that had been found here. The selling point was that this shop was essentially gambling. It was nearly impossible to tell if an item had value before you cleaned it and took it to a professional for examination. Although items lined the store, many covered with rust or dirt, it surprisingly did not smell too bad. In addition to this, all of the items were clearly seeable. The shop had three above ground floors and three underground floors, for a total of six. The higher levels were like the first level, but the lower down you went, the more disorganized the shop was. At the lowest floor, you would have to dig through countless old items. Skymender walked around the above ground floor, but nothing managed to catch his eye. He then began to explore the underground floors. The first underground floor, while clearly less organized, was still relatively easy to look through. The underground floors were much bigger as well. Skymender took a while looking through all of the items before going down to the second to last floor. This time, he had to dig. There were plenty of items piled on top of each other, and some even inside one another. Even as Skymender left and entered the bottom floor, he wasn''t confident that he had looked through all of the items on the second to lowest floor. The bottom floor was essentially a junkyard. Shovel''s were hung up at the entrance. This floor was by far the largest. Skymender began to walk over piles and piles of items on the ground. Luckily, the ceiling in this room was quite high. It must have actually cost quite a lot for this building to be built. There was plenty of dirt on the ground, essentially forming a little digging site for finding random treasures. Skymender was here for two reasons. One, he wanted to see if he could find anything interesting. Two, he wanted to be known among the commoners. As long as he was not overbearing, they would have a good impression of him, and as a result, so would some of the nobles. At the very least, there was a chance for them to have a good first impression. As Skymender had said, everything he was doing now was minor. It would be difficult to do anything that could majorly affect his reputation in a good way at this time. That would require luck or an opportunity. Skymender took the shovel, found a random spot, and began to dig. Although he was a noble, he did not disdain this kind of thing. After all, he had not been born in the Imperial Capital. It was a bit different for him. As Skymender dug, he remembered the prices on the walls. The price of getting things from different floors varied. However, no matter what one found, on the bottom floor, it would cost a silver to take out. It seemed expensive, and it was, but it had to be remembered that everything here was old, some even ancient. It was possible to find something invaluable here. Skymender found many trinkets and random items, but none made him feel like taking them out. He planned to go with his gut on this one. After an hour, his shovel pierced the ground, and a clunking sound was heard. Skymender barely reacted to this. He had heard the same noise countless times over the last hour. He bended over and picked up the metal on the ground. It was covered with a layer of dirt, so he wiped it off. Upon doing so, his eyes widened. He quickly wiped it off with his clothes, ignoring the dirt that got on him, and looked at what he had discovered. There was no doubt. Even after inspecting it closely, he came to the same conclusion. This was exactly like the pardon badge he had received from the emperor. Looking around, he put some dirt on it and called Li Youcai over. Li Youcai came. Soon, they met up with the Fatty and left. Skymender tossed the owner a silver coin on his way out. The owner tried to refuse it, but Skymender did not give him a chance. His plans to explore the city square further were put to a halt. He returned to the noble section of the Imperial Capital and looked through the rules. However, even after a day and a night, even with the Fatty and Li Youcai''s help, Skymender failed to find anything mentioning the pardon badge besides an explanation of its use and an illustration. The pardon badge was known to few, so it was no wonder that the junk shop had one. Chapter 610: A New Rule - 610 Chapter 610 - A New Rule - 610 Since he could not find anything in the rulebook, there was only one thing he could do. He put in a request to meet the Emperor, with the subject being the pardon badge. Since he had just received the pardon badge from the emperor, he was most likely going to be able to meet the Emperor quickly. And, as expected, he had a meeting set up the next day. Usually, even for the highest nobles, it would take at least a week to get to meet the Emperor. On average, in fact, the time waited was more than a month. Like before the last meeting, Skymender got ready under the most strict procedures. He went to sleep, and when he woke up, he went under another round of cleansing and dressing, as well as reminders on how to act. Skymender was less nervous the first time, but it was still the Emperor after all. Li Youcai came with him to the Imperial palace. Skymender was checked, then let in without any issue. He brought both pardon badges with him. After all, he did not dare to attempt to deceive the Emperor himself. Li Youcai and Skymender waited outside of the large doors for only five minutes before they opened. They saw someone come out. He wore a scholar''s outfit, and without a doubt, his eyes radiated intelligence and grace. Skymender recognized him instantly. He was the Imperial Scholar, Fei Luzi. He was clearly aged, nearing the age of seventy, yet his age seemed to put even more pressure on those looking at him. This was the peak of intelligence in the entire Empire, someone near the level of status that Sword Master Shang has within the Empire. As he left, he took a glance at Skymender and nodded. Skymender bowed at him. Although he was not a noble, but someone born from a commoner family, not even a Duke or Duchess would dare look down on him. Even a King could only be considered his equal, though naturally considered slightly above. Taking his attention away from the leaving Imperial Scholar, Skymender entered the throne room. The Emperor sat high above, just as before. He looked at Skymender without saying a word. This time, it was not Sword Master Shang next to him, but another person, most likely a Sword Master. He looked like more of a servant compared to Sword Master Shang when standing next to the Emperor, but he was still a Sword Master nonetheless. Skymender did not wait. He first took out his pardon badge. It was inside of an expensive box, treated as a valuable treasure. Then, Skymender took out the now cleaned pardon badge from within his bag. The Emperor slightly sat up. "I see." Skymender spoke. "I found this in a junk shop. Is it possible that I can use this?" The Emperor thought for a moment. Suddenly, the throne room door opened. Coming inside was the Imperial Scholar that had left not long ago. He looked at the pardon badge in Skymender''s hands with annoyance. "Throughout all of history, pardon badges are an extremely rare gift. It is even rarer that they are used. After all, it may absolve you of a crime, but people''s opinions are not so easily influenced." The Imperial Scholar seemed to take over the room. He walked up the stairs leading to the throne, then turned. On the walls, there were booths. These were clearly meant for when multiple guests entered at the same time. In front of the booths was a balcony overhanging even further. Inside of that balcony was a pen and a paper. The Imperial Scholar started writing. "Naturally, with their rarity, it was unnecessary to consider what would happen if a person were to find one. If they stole it, death of course. If they simply found it, return it. However, what if it was one from long ago, from a noble family that had nearly dwindled out and the original owner was long dead." He continued to write. "And what if the finder just so happened to be a noble." At this point, it seemed like he was thinking out loud instead of explaining. "And what if that noble''s sister happened to be a potential Sword Master, as well as the disciple of Sword Master Shang." The room was silent except for the Imperial Scholars ramblings. Even the Emperor watched with amusement in silence. "Naturally, it shouldn''t be given to the finder, but perhaps instead the finder should be given a reward for returning it." "But is that truly fair? Hmm..." The Scholar snapped his finger, and a few servants entered. He spoke a few words, involving testing exactly what pardon badge it was, as well as investigating how Skymender had found it. The pardon badge was soon returned. "As expected. It is indeed from the Poll family''s 17th head. A potential Sword Master as well. But the Poll family is now just a commoner family with a slightly higher status and some riches. This badge is from 400 years ago, after all." The Imperial Scholar mumbled a lot of information from the top of his head. Skymender also heard him mention the Sky Barony. "Not every family can exist as long as the Sky Barony, I suppose." More mumbling, countless codes, referencing back and forth between information in his head. After writing for nearly thirty minutes, the Imperial Scholar drew a horizontal line, signed it, drew another and walked over to the Emperor. A long trail of paper from the scroll followed behind. "See if this is acceptable." The Imperial Scholar said. The Emperor took a single glance and spoke. "I''m not reading all that." The Imperial Scholar, clearly expecting such a response, spoke. "Basically, he can have it and use it, but there should be a condition or price he should have to fulfill." The Emperor nodded. "And what price do you suggest?" The Imperial Scholar seemed to have an answer from before he walked to the Emperor. "In my opinion, it would be something that proves he is not an idiot and is worthy of holding control over two such useful and powerful items. I suggest that it remain invalid unless he graduates from the Imperial School in the top ten." The Imperial Scholar concluded. The Emperor nodded. "So be it." Servants came in and whispered in the Imperial Scholar''s ear. "No foul play." The Imperial Scholar said. The Emperor grabbed the pen and signed the paper. The Imperial Scholar folded it up and handed it to a servant. From now on, there was a new rule in place regarding pardon badges, one that would most likely never be used again. Chapter 611: A Letter - 611 Chapter 611 - A Letter - 611 Taking a glance at Skymender as he walked past him, the Imperial Scholar left the throne room. As the door closed behind him, the Emperor spoke. "You heard it. You can keep the pardon badge, but it will only be usable if you fulfill the condition of graduating in the top ten of the Imperial School." Skymender bowed. "Thank you, your Imperial Majesty." The Emperor nodded and Skymender left. He turned to leave the way he came, when he saw a familiar face leaning against a wall in the hallway. It was the Imperial Scholar. Skymender bowed. The Imperial Scholar looked at Skymender curiously. "Two pardon badges, never seen before in our empire''s history. But is it worth it?" Skymender tilted his head. "Is what worth it?" The Imperial Scholar responded. "Using the pardon badge. Is it worth it?" Skymender nodded. "Of course." The Imperial Scholar glanced at him deeply before turning around and truly leaving this time. Skymender watched him depart with a serious look. The Imperial Scholar was asking if using it was worth it because of unintended consequences. Commiting a crime, then being pardoned for it, does not erase the fact that it happened. You will get into no legal trouble but it is nonsense to expect not to be judged by others. For nobles, this was basically a death sentence if not handled correctly. Skymender had answered honestly. After all, he had no intention to become friends with anyone regardless. No matter what he did, it could be resolved in the minds of others. All that was required was paying a price. There are no eternal friends, nor eternal enemies. Only benefits. This was the theme of Skymender''s favorite book, "The Plot of a Thousand Years." Skymender returned to his aunt''s house and stayed in his room for most of the day, reading. The next day, he returned to the city square and completed what he had initially set out to do. He walked among the commoners, entered shops, bought things, and even conversed with a few brave people or children. After this, he returned to his aunt''s house and read some more. This formed a cycle, and he soon became known to the commoners as a kind noble. Since he was so young, their opinions of him were naturally better. According to what others said, he was extremely intelligent, pointing out flaws in things in just a moment. He was also extremely charming. A few girls his age and a few bold ones in their twenties tried asking him out. Naturally, they were met with a kind rejection. He was also said to be very caring. Upon finding an injured cat on the road, he found the person who had injured the cat, punished him severely, and took the cat to the temple to be healed at a great price. As for what punishment the man had suffered, some said that he was killed, some said that a limb was taken, and some thought that he had been sent away, forced to work for years. Of course, only Skymender knew that he had gotten a servant to execute the man, away from the public eye of course. Harming a human was one thing, but harming a small and innocent animal was a death sentence in Skymender''s book. Such people did not deserve to live in this world. This sort of behavior continued until there were two days before the noble gathering. As he was preparing himself in his room, his aunt knocked on the door. "Skymender. A message from your sister has arrived." Skymender instantly got out of his chair and answered the door. Aunt Skyless handed him the letter, but stood in the doorway with no intention of leaving. Skymender did not care. He opened the letter and read it. "Dear Skymender, don''t tell me you actually worried about me. You know that I couldn''t possibly fail, or do I need to teach you a lesson? Anyways, I''ll talk to you in person soon. From, your sister, soon to be Sword Master, Skybelle." Skymender released a sigh of relief. It seemed that all of his worries were pointless. From the letter, it seemed that his sister was doing well, and was even confident in becoming a Sword Master soon. His aunt read over his shoulder, relieved as well. Skymender folded it up and sat it on his desk. His aunt left and Skymender was left to once again prepare himself for the noble gathering in two days. He did not know when his sister would arrive, but it was very likely to take more than two days. His preparation consisted of studying proper noble etiquette, both rereading what he knew and learning new things, as well as looking through the information on the personalities of some nobles. Naturally, some had more hidden personalities and thoughts than others, but there were a few that openly expressed themselves. These people were quite high up and from lengthy lineages, so they had nothing to worry about. The only thing that could bring them down was themselves. As long as they did not overstep the boundaries of a king or an emperor, they would be fine. As a result, they were quite honest and expressed themselves openly. Skymender only briefly memorized the information he had. The more information it contained on a noble, the less Skymender worried about them. However, he also had to try and see through any false fronts. It took a lot of thinking and time to prepare for the noble gathering. Some simply relaxed beforehand, and some put everything they had into getting the upper hand. Almost before he knew it, the day had come. The noble gathering would start at noon. After getting an early sleep yesterday, he awoke at 6 am. He read some fantasy books for a while to calm his mind, and at 8, he began preparations for the noble gathering. These were physical preparations, such as bathing and picking out clothes. Chapter 612: Chief of the Imperial Guard - 612 Chapter 612 - Chief of the Imperial Guard - 612 He had long been prepared mentally, and all he had to do was clean up his body. He practiced some common gestures in the mirror for a while, and after three total hours of preparation, he set out for the Imperial Palace at 11 am. Each person attending was able to bring one servant along with them. Naturally, Skymender brought Li Youcai. Although Li Youcai was stunningly handsome, like he had normally been in the Sky Barony, he looked like a normal servant. He seemed to be good at disguising his looks. Skymender was glad he did not have to bother making himself look worse, and could focus on making himself presentable. Skymender rode in the same carriage as the rest of his aunt''s family. Luckily, they were able to bring a slightly larger carriage than usual considering the situation. Plus, the roads in the noble section of the empire were much larger than those in the commoner section. The journey was not long. Skymender had taken it multiple times before. In just a short amount of time, they arrived. "You three stay with me. Skymender, you are free to join us or do your own thing." Aunt Skyless said. "Thank you. I will go off on my own." Aunt Skyless nodded and left the carriage with her two children. Skymender looked at Li Youcai, and Li Youcai looked at him. They both nodded and stepped out of the carriage. Their carriage, along with many others, had been parked outside the gates of the Imperial Palace. Ahead was a lit up path, though the sun was still so high that it was hard to notice. There were servants everywhere, both of other nobles and of the Imperial Palace. Decorations were strung up, and riches seemed to be thrown around. Beautiful men and women dressed in elegant clothes walked around. Some families did not bring their children, but some, such as aunt Skyless, had. Skymender, a young child attended only by a servant, was a rare sight. However, in such a gathering place, he did not stand out much. He began to walk along the path towards the Imperial Palace. It was much more welcoming than the previous times. The door was wide open and inside was a true banquet. Red carpet, lights, people, it was a beautiful scene. Even Skymender was momentarily astonished. If he did not know anyone, he would most likely have to sit in the corner and watch from afar, or at least join his aunt. However, he had prepared for a reason. Just moments after entering a room, a familiar mother and daughter, dressed in incredibly expensive clothes, walked up to him with a warm smile. "It is good to see you again, Skymender." Duchess Vass said. Her daughter smiled brightly, clearly happy to see Skymender. Skymender put on his best smile and spoke. "Likewise. How are you both doing?" Val, the daughter of Duchess Vass, giggled and spoke. "We''ve been well. I suppose you''ve been great as well." Skymender nodded. Although Skymender himself would not normally draw much attention, even as a child attending alone, the Duchess was a different story. After all, she was a Duchess, a noble at the top. Above her were only royals and imperials. Of course, this was only if put on black and white paper, but in general, the title roughly determined the status of a noble. Skymender and Duchess Vass, as well as her daughter, received many glances. Some people seemed to even speak about them. "Did you hear what that child of the Sky Barony did?" "Of course, who hasn''t? An admirable young hero indeed. If only my son was as brave as him." Such conversations were rare, but present. Skymender spoke with Duchess Vass and her daughter. Eventually, they took a seat at one of the large round tables in the room. Although the Duchess needed to meet and greet more people, the event had not even officially started yet. As they spoke while sitting, someone came up. He was a middle aged man, with a deep look in his eyes. Duchess Vass stood up to greet him. "Chief of the imperial guard, Sword Master Deyr. It is an honor to meet you." The middle aged man raised his hand. "No need for formalities on such an occasion. I just came over to say hello." Skymender was shocked. He had never expected this man to be a Sword Master, as well as the Chief of the imperial guard. There were only five Sword Masters in the entire Empire. That included Sword Master Shang and the Chief of the imperial guard, Deyr. It also consisted of two of Master Shang''s disciples and another Sword Master. Suddenly, Sword Master Deyr looked at Skymender. "I''ve heard of young hero Skymender''s achievements. Even if you are not talented in the way of the sword, intelligence is just as important. When you get older, consider joining the imperial guard." Skymender nodded seriously, not daring to show the slightest disrespect. The imperial guard was the highest level of policing in the entire Empire. In the past, they even used to serve as the personal guards of the Emperor. However, the existence of Sword Master Shang changed that. Now, they only protected him when Sword Master Shang was not around. This occasionally happened throughout the empire''s history whenever an especially strong Sword Master was born. "I will consider it. It would be my honor, Sword Master Deyr." Sword Master Deyr smiled and, after a moment of conversation, took his leave. Val turned to him and spoke. "It seems that even Sword Masters have become interested in you." Skymender laughed and brushed it off, but it seemed true. Not just Sword Masters, but everyone''s gaze at him seemed slightly different than before. There were a few exceptions, such as the Emperor, Sword Master Shang, and Li Youcai, who had known all along that it was false. Even the Fatty could no longer look at him without some sort of respect. Chapter 613: The Noble Gathering - 613 Chapter 613 - The Noble Gathering - 613 The banquet continued to grow in size every moment. Eventually, the Duchess and her daughter could no longer stay, having to go around and greet others. Skymender did not sit alone. He and Li Youcai moved around the room. Being so small, he managed to blend in and move around without being noticed for the most part. By now, noon was nearing. So many nobles were in the Imperial Palace''s ballroom that it almost seemed crowded. Skymender eventually found his Aunt and sat at a table with her, her children, and a few other barons. Noon struck not long after, and the important people, who had not come earlier, finally arrived. Naturally, such important people could only be those above nobles. The first to arrive was the royal family of those Skymender found familiar. The King of the Still Kingdom, as well as the crown prince, entered the ballroom through the large doors. All of the nobles stood and bowed at their appearance. The King and the Crown Prince smiled as they walked through the ballroom and sat at one of the five reserved tables closest to the ballroom stairs. Four surrounded one that clearly stood above the others. The Still Kingdom was the Kingdom that the Sky Barony resided in. After just a brief moment, the King of the Ergen Kingdom, along with the Crown Prince, entered the ballroom. As they had with the Still Kingdoms royal family, everyone in the room stood and bowed. These were the two most normal kingdoms in the Empire. Not long after the Royal family of the Ergen Kingdom sat down, the doors opened again. The King of the Flower Kingdom, as well as his wife and the Crown Prince, entered the room. It was not unconventional for the Queen of a Kingdom to come, but considering how often these yearly meetings occurred, they usually only attended every now and then. The Flower Kingdom was named as such because of the endless flower fields which covered the majority of its land. It was the number one site of dyes in the world. The Flower Kingdoms name made it seem harmless, but that would be a foolish thought. It was common knowledge among those educated that long ago, before the Faceless Empire ever existed, the area which was now known as the Flower Kingdom was the site of an incredible war, one with the most deaths in history. The flower fields of the Flower Kingdom were stained with blood, and the descendants of those in the war had formed the Flower Kingdom after the Empire rose. Finally, after the Royal family of the Flower Kingdom took their seats, the doors opened again. The final Royal family walked through the doors. They brought with them an air of gloom that seemed to radiate off of their bodies. It was built into their bones. This was the royal family of the Drop Kingdom. It was named as such due to the constant rainfall that stained the land. 300 days out of the year, rain was falling for at least 12 hours a day. It was a unique weather phenomenon that researchers still had no clue about. As the Royal family of the Drop Kingdom took their seats, consisting of the King and the Crown Prince, the doors closed. No more nobles would enter from outside. Still, silence reigned over the room. The most important people had yet to arrive. Just as this thought manifested into the heads of many, footsteps rang out. They came from outside of the stairs. The stairs stood in the back of the room, leading to a door just as large as the door that marked the entrance to the room. That door opened, and the Imperial Family walked through. The current Imperial Family consisted of seven members. The Emperor and the Empress consisted of two of those seven. The rest were the children. The Emperor and the Empress walked out in front. Right to the side and slightly behind his father was the Imperial Crown Prince. The other four, consisting of two sons and two daughters, walked behind the three. This was the Imperial Family. Their clothes, though similar looking to everyone else''s, were somehow simply superior. This could be understood from a glance. The Emperor stood high above on the stairs as the rest of the Imperial Family walked down them, eventually sitting at a table. The Emperor spoke. "Another year has passed, and luckily, I continue to see familiar faces. However, the heroes of the past cannot be forgotten." Saying this, he began to speak again. "Darrell of Sekert, Gruince of Proll..." The Emperor began to speak out names one by one, from memory. Skymender recognized some of them, and knew what this was. Remembering the heroes of the past was a way to give honor to those that had died for the Empire. Even if someone did not sacrifice their lives in a single moment, those who were loyal and eventually passed away would have their names spoken by the Emperor that reigned while they died. Only when the next Emperor took the throne would their name no longer be spoken. However, their names still hung on banners in the Imperial Palace, never to be forgotten. This Emperor had reigned for a long time, obvious from the 10 minutes he spent speaking names. "Remember these heroes, for each one served the Empire that you live in greatly." The Emperor began to walk down the steps to join his family. He would speak again upon reaching the table. However, upon going halfway down, a person leaped at a speed the few in the room could even comprehend. A flash of light could be seen. Skymender barely managed to see it. A human silhouette wielding a sword. A Sword Master was assassinating the Emperor! Suddenly, a single step sounded out clearly. From seemingly nowhere, Sword Master Shang appeared. He put his sword in his sheath, behind the assassin, facing the crowd. His eyes were calm, without even a ripple. The assassin stopped, his body and face now visible. His face was plastered with unbelievable shock. "Impossible. You-you-you, you are no Sword Master! You are a Gra¨C" His words were destined to never be finished. At the same time, his arms, legs, and head separated from his body and fell to the ground. The sight of this happening, as well as Sword Master Shang''s cold eyes, would forever be branded into the minds of all here, including Skymender''s. Chapter 614: Hidden Power - 614 Chapter 614 - Hidden Power - 614 Skymender looked at the Emperor. He was completely calm, with only a look reminiscent of a sneer on his face. However, Skymender''s mind was in turmoil, not because of the assassination itself, but because of the assassin''s last words, which he never completed. Although not many in the Empire would understand them, Skymender''s sister was a potential Sword Master. She had told him information that he normally would have never known. Even among Sword Masters, there were levels, or ranks. It was classified from ranks one to four. Being a 4th rank Sword Master meant that, while you were a Sword Master, you could not annihilate an entire army. At the 3rd rank, you could do so, but only at the cost of your life, whether that be after destroying 90% of it, or dying from injuries afterwards. At the 2nd rank, you could destroy an entire army with injuries, but still remain alive. At the 1st rank, as it was said for Sword Master Shang, you could decimate an entire army and return home in time for dinner. However, there was an even more unknown piece of information, one which Skymender had to beg Skybelle to tell him. Above the Sword Master, there was another level. The Sword Grandmaster. Throughout all of history, there was only one Grandmaster. He was the Sword Grandmaster of the Ancient Empire. It was unknown how long he had been alive, but it seemed longer than any normal human could live. The oldest records of his existence dated back nearly 200 years ago. However, if Sword Master Shang was a Grandmaster, then the entire world would be upheaved by this news. The strength of a Grandmaster, unlike Sword Masters, was simply unknown. However, there was a legend, not confirmed to be true, but stood as a testament to the might of a Sword Grandmaster. Once, back when the Sword Grandmaster of the Ancient Empire was younger, an Empire declared war on the Ancient Empire. The Sword Grandmaster walked through the gates of that Imperial Capital, guarded by perhaps millions of soldiers, and when he walked out, that Empire was erased from the maps. Not just an army, but multiple armies, multiple Sword Masters, and it was done in a single day. Since that day, no Empire had declared war on the Ancient Empire, which led Skymender to believe that the legend was true. Sword Master Shang walked to the side of the Emperor. The Emperor had stopped in the middle of the stairs. "As you can see, our enemies are nothing but fools. Sending an assassin at a time like this, thinking I would let my guard down, is a pathetic attempt at planning." A voice rang out from above. "Indeed. Those bunch of no good idiots are gonna be wiped out sooner or later, even if we don''t do it." Skymender looked up. Leaning on the rails was the Imperial Scholar, as wise looking as ever. Skymender did not even know when he appeared. The Emperor smiled. "Well said. Care to come down and join us?" The Imperial Scholar could not refuse the Emperor in front of so many people. Although unwilling, he came down and stood to the other side of the Emperor. These three, standing in the middle of the stairs, represented the highest authority, intelligence, and power in the Empire. It was an incredible display of dominance for the whole room to see. The Emperor did end up finishing his walk down the stairs. The Imperial Scholar and Sword Master Shang did not sit, but stood behind him. The Imperial Scholar had to pull out a cane, clearly too old to be standing for too long. The Emperor spoke a few words, and the noble gathering officially began. There were few events, but they were not taking place just yet. There was a period of free time to roam around before anything like that. Most of the nobles went to pay respects to kings or the Emperor. After today''s events, the Emperor''s standing increased in their hearts once again. Even as they bowed to the Emperor, their hearts were still filled with turmoil. The body of the assassin and its limbs had long been cleaned up, but blood stains remained in the carpet, being cleaned up by some servants. Skymender himself did not go over. His status was not high enough to get too close to the Emperor right now. Rather, he went to the side and got some food. Few people were doing so at the same time. After all, most of the focus was on talking to others and greeting the Emperor and Kings. Most of them were children. As Skymender grabbed a plate and walked around, someone bumped into him. Skymender took a step forward, while the person who bumped into him fell to the ground. "Oww." Skymender heard someone say. He turned around, and some boy, seemingly around nine years old, was getting up from the ground. He looked warily at Skymender for a moment before apologizing. "I''m sorry. I need to watch where I''m going." Skymender nodded. "It''s alright. Don''t worry about it." He began to move on when the kid spoke again. "You look familiar. Who are you?" "Skymender of the Sky Barony." The kid thought for a moment before speaking. "Yes. I remember. You were the one who saved the Duchess''s daughter." As if she had been receiving a call, the Duchess''s daughter, Val, walked over to Skymender. "Skymender. My mom wants to introduce you to some people." Skymender nodded and walked over with her. The kid did not follow, but seemed to be trying to remember Skymender. Led by Val, Skymender made his way to a circle of nobles talking. They were near the Emperor, but not close enough for him to hear them. Skymender instantly noticed someone as he walked over, someone he had not yet seen, but had been looking for. At the same time, she saw him. Melly''s eyes brightened and she shook her fathers hand off. She walked around the group that was speaking and met Skymender before he and Val reached the group. Chapter 615: Events - 615 Chapter 615 - Events - 615 At the same time as she walked over, Duke Mel sighed inwardly. He had not wanted to come so far for this event, but his daughter had refused to talk to him until she was brought. Considering they were now fiances, it was not bad that she was attached to him, but he couldn''t help but feel he was losing his daughter. However, remembering what he had heard about Skymender after entering the Imperial Capital, he felt that perhaps it wasn''t so bad. At the very least, his daughter would marry someone who had saved a future Duchess. In fact, perhaps it was an opportunity. Melly was ecstatic to see Skymender and instantly gave him a hug. Val, standing to the side, frowned. Skymender half heartedly gave her a side hug back before she got off. Looking around, she felt embarrassed. She also noticed Val to the side, whose expression was back to a normal one. Skymender spoke first. "Melly, this is Val, the future Duchess of Vass." Melly was surprised and gave a slight bow. "My name is Melly, daughter of Duke Mel." Val gave a slight bow herself. "My name is Val, Skymender introduced me already. Are you the fiancee that I''ve heard about?" Melly nodded. Skymender looked off to the side, feeling awkward. After all, Melly was his fiance, but it was no secret that Val had some feelings for him. He could ignore them, but it didn''t make this situation any less awkward. Melly and Val began to speak. Melly was innocently chatting, finding Val pleasing, while Val was secretly upset and inwardly disliked Melly, not because of her personality or actions, but simply because she was Skymender''s fiance. After a moment, they both turned to Skymender, who spoke. "Let''s continue. Your mother had some people to introduce me to?" Val nodded. "Yes. Let''s go." Skymender and Val walked forward, with Melly now coming along. They quickly reached Duchess Vass, who looked at Melly in surprise. "Well hello there." Melly bowed and introduced herself, though Duchess Vass already knew who she was. "Skymender, come say hello to Marquess Gutren." Skymender looked behind her and saw a kind looking middle aged man. Skymender bowed and introduced himself. "I''ve heard a lot about you from Duchess Vass. She has a very good impression of you, though that''s only natural considering the fact that you saved her daughter." Skymender smiled and spoke. "I''ve also heard about you, sir." Skymender spoke of some of the Marquess''s known achievements, information gathered from history books, causing the Marquess to smile. "I''m glad to be known by at least some of the youth nowadays. If you ever need something, you can always come talk to me." His words were only said out of politeness, but Skymender thanked him for them nonetheless. After that, Skymender was introduced to some of the other nobles around. From Dukes to Marquess''s to Earl''s to Count''s and even to a Baron or two. Skymender exchanged polite words with each of them, and they as well to him. Melly and Val seemed to become background figures as Skymender momentarily became the center of attention. He had planned to excuse himself soon after, but all of them appeared to be interested in him, so he stayed for a while. Before he realized it, the first event was soon to start. Skymender was offered to join all of them at a table, but he politely declined and returned to his aunt''s side. Neither Melly nor Val came with him, returning to their family''s sides. The Emperor stood up. As he did, the remaining chatter fell to absolute silence. He snapped his hand, and hundreds of servants entered the room. In front of all of the nobles, an arena began to be constructed. Obviously, many parts had been made in advance to speed up its creation, but in the middle of the room, which was still extremely large, an arena slowly appeared. After around 20 minutes, the servants exited the room, leaving behind a well constructed arena. The Emperor spoke. "Although the most talented among you have already been marked as potential Sword Masters, the talent of those below them, in many categories, may not necessarily be inferior. To showcase these talents to the world, three events will be held today. The first, a competition of technique. The second, a competition of physical strength. The third, a competition of intelligence. Let the first commence." As the Emperor spoke, Sword Master Deyr stepped onto the arena. He spoke to the entire room. "Although there are many ways to test technique, in most of the world, swordsmanship is seen as the pinnacle. Therefore, I invite any youth under the age of 18 to spar among each other. Potential Sword Masters not included." Every year, the first two competitions were the same. A sparring between youths, as well as a lifting competition afterwards. Usually, people hesitated to get on the arena, but this time, an usually eager participant stepped on the stage. Skymender''s face did not change when he saw him, but he inwardly sighed Grabbing one of the wooden swords, the young man spoke out. "Skymender of the Sky Barony. I challenge you." This young man was none other than the person that Skymender had kicked in the stomach. In the Imperial Capital, besides him saving the daughter of the Duchess, this was the most well known event regarding him. It was due to this that nobody forgot the arrogance he held inside. Skymender stood up. There was no chance of him losing. Despite being younger and not having truly practiced the sword, his sister, as always, was a potential Sword Master. It was hard for others to comprehend the benefits of training with such a person. However, not only had he sparred against a potential Sword Master many times, he had also seen one grow. Seeing the changes in Skybelle''s technique after each sparring session instinctually caused Skymender''s Swordsmanship to grow. Although he was nowhere near the talent of his sister, he was above average, without a doubt. Chapter 616: A Play - 616 Chapter 616 - A Play - 616 Skymender made his way to the arena and grabbed one of the wooden swords. There were multiple types of wooden swords, as well as different lengths. Skymender had always used the classic longsword, and he knew his ideal length. He grabbed it without hesitation and stepped into the arena. His opponent looked at him seriously from the other side. Sword Master Deyr watched from the side and spoke. "Let the first battle commence." Many in the room recognized the boy, as well as Skymender. Murmuring sounded out, speaking of what had happened. The few that had been unaware now learned of Skymender''s violence against the noble boy. The boy ran up to Skymender, nearly twice his age. He swung his sword down, while Skymender leisurely raised his up. The tip of his sword cleanly brushed against the edge of his, and Skymender moved his wrist, flinging the sword down to the side, completely missing Skymender. The boy still held the sword, but it was unnecessary to disarm him. Dragging his sword upward, the boy was uppercut by the sword, unable to defend. He was lifted almost half a foot into the air before falling down, knocked out. Skymender did not show off, but ended the battle quickly. Many were astonished, but even more found it natural. His sister was a potential Sword Master after all. Skymender turned around, planning to leave, until he heard a voice. "I challenge Skymender." Skymender turned around again, and saw a boy no older than twelve coming towards the arena. Looking around, he saw many other children with bright eyes, looking directly at him. It seemed they had taken him as a target. The other noble boy was awoken and taken off of the stage, while a new one climbed up. As the battle began, he charged towards Skymender, letting out a horizontal slash. Skymender let his sword hang vertically, blocking the attack, then in a similar motion to before, uppercut the boy, knocking him out. Before he could hit the ground, multiple children spoke at the same time. "I challenge Skymender." Another one, deemed to have been the first to speak, was sent up. He slashed horizontally, and Skymender blocked it the same way. He sent an uppercutting attack, but the boy jumped back before he had even swung. The boy then instantly leaped forward with his sword in a piercing position. Skymender took a step to the side and the boy, who had put too much forward thrust, was unable to smoothly stop himself. Skymender kicked his leg, causing him to fall over, and pointed the sword at the back of his neck. Once again, multiple voices sounded out at once. A horizontal slash, a block, a leap back, a piercing attack, but more controlled. Skymender stepped to the side, but the sword stopped and turned, slashing at him from the side again. Skymender''s sword moved quickly, hitting the opponent''s sword hard. Slightly turning, he adjusted his body and swung his sword at his legs. The opponent fell to the ground, and Skymender pointed the sword at his back. Another multitude of voices. Horizontal slash, block, quick retreat, pierce, dodge, side slash, quick hit away, turning and attacking the leg, blocked by the opponent. Skymender swung up and uppercutted his opponent with the wooden sword. Once again, and again, and again. Nobles watched as their children memorized attack patterns and walked up to the arena. Finally, after so many battles, only one remained that shouted out. Horizontal slash, block, quick retreat, pierce, dodge, side slash, quick hit, leg attack, blocked, uppercut attack, dodge, side slash, blocked, neck attack, ducked, leg attack, jumped, slash down, rolled over... It was as if a play was taking place. Skymender could have switched up his attacks long ago, but he wanted to see how far this farce would go. After around two minutes of attacking, the boy was knocked out. Skymender had been challenged by nearly a hundred children older or as old as him. Some had failed to follow the guidance of those before them, while some had done so and provided a path forward. Slowly, they managed to produce someone who could fight against him for almost two minutes. Skymender felt as if he was looking at the human will directly in the face, saying that it would never give up. It was admirable. Those who had been defeated, instead of being upset, looked happy, as if they had contributed to something greater than themselves. Most of the people in the room were smiling, even the Emperor had a less stern expression on his face. Nobody else challenged him, and Skymender stepped down. A few people entered the arena and challenged others. However, nothing as shocking as Skymender''s performance took place. Some people went up that even Skymender would have struggled to fight against, but they had no interest in what had been happening before. The next few fights were between rivals or people who hated each other. He even saw some people from the same family fighting with great hatred. The 1st event soon ended. Another hour long period of freedom began. Once again, a large number of nobles either congregated near the emperor and the kings, or went and spoke to them. Meanwhile, Skymender was surrounded by children, ages ranging from 7 to 17, who were clearly admiring him. These people were not at the top of intelligence, skill, or strength within their families, but they were all nobles. It was surprising to see the looks of admiration. From that point on, regardless of what he wanted, a group formed around Skymender. When he went to eat, the tables were swept. When he sat down, many tables went without chairs, taken by the children. They asked him questions, and he answered them. He told them about his sister, as well as about some of his other family, such as his eldest brother. Everything he said seemed to have value in their eyes. This continued on, nobody else even being able to get close, for an hour, until the second event started. Chapter 617: Intelligence Test- 617 Chapter 617 - Intelligence Test- 617 The group following Skymender was reluctant to part, wanting to stay by his side, but Skymender shooed them away. He experienced the first moment of peace and quiet since before the first event. He sat with his aunt''s family, who looked at him sympathetically. They no longer viewed him as some country bumpkin with no manners, but as a respectable noble. As the time for the second event came, the room fell into silence. A hundred servants came and disassembled most of the arena, creating a new platform. Loud footsteps sounded out, breaking the silence. The doors opened and a man wielding a greatsword strapped on his back came through. He stood at least eight feet tall, and weighed at least 400 pounds. He was a monster in every way. Although he weighed 400 pounds, it was 400 pounds of pure muscle. This was one of the largest men in the Empire''s history, a Sword Master, and a disciple of Sword Master Shang, simply referred to as Sword Master Gargantuan. Veins bulged all over his body, and it seemed as if every step he took could cause an earthquake. He eventually reached the now platform and spoke, his words ringing out greatly. "I know none of you nobles truly workout to achieve the pinnacle of human strength, but we''ll see who among you are the best." Sword Master Gargantuan''s words sounded rude, but they were completely true. Nobles needed to uphold a dignified image, and it would be impossible to do so looking like Sword Master Gargantuan. Therefore, he spent most of his time among physically talented commoners. A few people, larger than others, all walked over to the platform. This competition was actually for all ages. Skymender did not participate. He had never physically trained. He may be stronger than other nine year olds, but even an average 17 year old would be far stronger than him. The competition did go on for about thirty minutes. Unlike in the last event, there were a few winners, one for each age group. Finally, the second event ended, and Sword Master Gargantuan left the noble gathering. Skymender''s peace was once again taken away as children surrounded him. He was quite popular, and he made good use of this opportunity to make himself seem better in their heads. In the future, perhaps he could use such a thing. However, he was also honing his mind. The third event was one of intelligence, one where he would shine. There was a reward for the winner of the third competition every year. It was greater than the rewards of the winners of the second event. After all, it was rare that there was a truly exceptional individual worthy of a great reward in the second event. It was like comparing a chicken to a dog when there were plenty of lions among the commoners. Soon, the third event rolled around. The platform was extended and desks were brought in. The Imperial Scholar walked out, with multiple servants carrying large amounts of paper and writing utensils. "The third event is one of intelligence. Anyone who wishes to participate, below the age of 18, come now." The third event, like the first, was restricted to those under 18. The second event was the only exception to the rule. Skymender stood up, as well as most of those under 18 in the room. The girls attending, few of whom had participated in the first event and none in the second event, finally got their time to shine. They stood up and moved to the extended platform. It would not hurt to participate in this test, even if one didn''t want to lose face. Only the top 10 would be revealed in the end, though only first place got a reward. As everyone got seated, tests were handed out. The rules were quite simple. No speaking, no hidden gestures, and absolutely no cheating. it would not go uncaught, and the person who cheated would be completely humiliated. Skymender looked over the test questions. Some were basic knowledge about language or science. Skymender had always felt that he had great talent for science, but he wasn''t sure why. Talent was unexplainable, he couldn''t understand even if he wanted to. He flew through the first few sections of the test. Naturally, he was at quite the disadvantage. There were plenty of people participating that attended the Imperial School. However, the points on the test were adjusted for age. Scoring would be completely different for Skymender and someone 17 years old. In addition to this, the standard test questions were not the only ones on the test. There were also logical questions, and some that Skymender had to think about, but did not necessarily require prerequisite knowledge. Some simple questions were worded difficultly and Skymender had to unravel them. He had an itching feeling that something unknown was among the test, but he still tried his hardest. After an hour, a sound rang out. "Writing utensils down. Close your papers." The Imperial Scholar said. Everyone did so immediately. Servants came in and collected them, before leaving the room. The Imperial Scholar left as well. "At the end of the noble gathering, the results will be released." Naturally, it was harder for these tests to be scored compared to the other two competitions. The noble gathering continued on. People went around talking and showing things. The next time Skymender looked at the clock, it was 6 pm. The noble gathering would end at 10 pm. He found a seat and sat down. His group had mostly dispersed. He was tired after so much. As he sat alone and rested, a surprising visitor sat next to him. Skymender opened his eyes and looked over. His green eyes met with a pair of normally colored, yet unspeakably arrogant eyes. "Hello, Skymender." Skymender moved to get up, but the person spoke. "No need for all of that. Let''s talk." Skymender stopped moving and moved back to his previous position. However, he did not lose his seriousness at all. That was because the person sitting next to him was the Crown Prince of the Ergen Kingdom. Chapter 618: Results - 618 Chapter 618 - Results - 618 The Crown Prince continued to look at him for a moment before speaking. "You are very impressive. I''ve heard a lot about you, but meeting you in person feels very different." Skymender did not interrupt. The Crown Prince of the Ergen Kingdom was 15 years old. He was naturally arrogant, as was his right given by birth. If nothing went wrong, he would become a king. It was far more than anyone else could say. Besides the Imperial Crown Prince, of course. If he wanted Skymender dead, then there was hardly anything Skymender could do. Perhaps if his sister got involved, things would change, but unless she became an actual Sword Master, she could not truly stop the intent of a Crown Prince. "I am very curious. Would you mind satisfying my curiosity?" Skymender shook his head. "Of course not." The Crown Prince spoke. "So, your Eldest Sister, as well as your Eldest brother, are extremely exceptional. Even in the entire Empire, they can be considered more or less unmatched in their fields. You seem to be on the path of becoming the third such person. Is there something special about your bloodline?" Skymender shook his head. He did not understand why the Crown Prince was asking such a thing. "Not any more special than any other noble family. Perhaps we are indeed a bit older." The Crown Prince nodded. "Indeed. But if it is not the specialness of your bloodline, then it must simply be luck, right?" Skymender shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose." "Then is that luck simply natural and random, or is it favoring your family?" Skymender did not respond, but looked at the Crown Prince confused. The Crown Prince''s face suddenly changed, and he looked at Skymender with pure seriousness, all of his arrogance vanished. "The sky doesn''t move, but the world still rotates." Skymender didn''t even know how to react. Why was the Crown Prince spouting nonsense? The Crown Prince looked deeply at Skymender''s face before smiling. "Nevermind. Forget about our conversation." He stood up and left. Skymender saw something in his eyes, but wasn''t sure if it was disappointment or relief. He shook his head, doing as the Crown Prince had said and forgetting. Few people seemed to notice their brief conversation. The Crown Prince had been quite hidden after all. Skymender continued to rest and wait. Occasionally, he would greet people or speak to them. Time passed in this manor until the clock hit 9:30 pm. At this moment, the Imperial Scholar came out. SIlence fell and everyone found a seat. "It is now time to report the results of the intelligence exam." The Imperial Scholar cleared his throat before speaking. "As you know, the results are adjusted into points and scored based on age. I will begin from number 10. Duke Vult''s daughter, Vultries, number 9..." The Imperial Scholar began to read names out, many of which were familiar. Each and every single name was of a person at least 15 years old or older. Skymender did not hear his name for the first eight, and the top two came out. "Number two, Crown Prince of the Ergen Kingdom." Surprise filled the room. He had taken the test, and had been expected to win, but had not. He was the only one among all of the royal and Imperial families to participate, but had failed to secure first place. Even some of the kings faces flickered. "First place... Skymender, of the Sky Barony." This announcement was far more surprising than any other. Even Skymender had not expected it. The Imperial Scholar looked at him deeply before continuing to speak. "All top ten, report to the throne room immediately." Skymender did not hesitate, moving out under shocked gazes of disbelief. Before long, everyone had gathered. Coming in with them was the Emperor, as well as the King of the Ergen Kingdom. The Emperor sat on his throne, while the King stood off to the side and listened. The Emperor spoke the person in tenth place''s name, spoke a score, and gave a prize. It was said that the exam was based on 100 points. The person in tenth place scored a 50. This was already extremely high, proving how difficult the test was. In addition, this person had already taken the test before, as had everyone else in the room besides Skymender. Though the test changed every time, this undoubtedly gave an advantage. Skymender watched as he moved through the rankings. 3rd place got a 63, rather high. Finally, two test takers were in the throne room. "Crown Prince of the Ergen Kingdom. 75 points. It is indeed surprising that you did not win." The Crown Prince nodded. "I am no less surprised. I had underestimated my opponent." The Emperor nodded. "To you, I will let your father reward you." The Crown Prince nodded, having expected this. The Crown Prince bowed and left the throne room. This left only Skymender, the Imperial Scholar, the King of the Ergen Kingdom, and Sword Master Shang. Silence reigned over the room for a while, before laughter burst out from the side. The Imperial Scholar was laughing so loud that the sound nearly exited the thick walls of the throne room. The King of the Ergen Kingdom rolled his eyes and turned. The laughter was directed at him. "I''m sorry. I''m sorry. I tried to hold it in. Haha." The Imperial Scholar was grabbing his stomach. The Emperor''s face twitched. It was unknown if he was feeling displeased, or holding back laughter. Skymender found the situation oddly warm. It was as if he was seeing the top of the Empire acting human. Only Sword Master Shang had no reaction, closing his eyes. "That''s enough." The Emperor said after a while. The Imperial Scholar stifled his laughter, though his face was still twisted. "You just won me a lot of money kid." He said before the Emperor spoke. "First place, Skymender. To you... hmmm..." The Emperor fell deep into thought. "I''ll let Fei Luzi reward you." Skymender was surprised. He turned to the Imperial Scholar, who stopped laughing. "Here." As if prepared, the Imperial Scholar tossed Skymender a card. "That will be useful in the future. Don''t worry about it for now." Skymender nodded, bowed, and left. As the doors closed, the amused looks, smirks, twitched faces, and reminiscence of laughter immediately ceased. Chapter 619: Talent Score - 619 Chapter 619 - Talent Score - 619 The King of the Ergen Kingdom was the first to break the silence. "What was his score?" The Imperial Scholar responded instantly. "Adjusted for age, 83." "And the talent score?" The Emperor asked. The Imperial Scholar smiled. "Out of 100, 97." The room fell into a heavy silence. "Did you not say that there was a margin of error of five points?" The King of the Ergen Kingdom asked. "Of course. So either he could be a little worse, which is still incredible, or he could be even better." The test taken at the noble gathering was not only to compete in intelligence, but for first timers, to test their mental talents. Intelligence could be obscure and in many different forms. Someone considered a genius may not learn things the fastest, but their speed of understanding could be terrifying if in the right situation. A score of 97, though with a margin of error of 5, had never once been seen before since the test was developed 400 years ago. The current Imperial Scholar, Fei Luzi, had set the record at 96. This was also with a margin of error of five. However, Skymender had even surpassed that. "So what do you think should be done?" The Emperor asked the Imperial Scholar. The Imperial Scholar only thought for a moment before responding. "I won''t be around forever. If nothing goes wrong, perhaps you''ll have a new Imperial Scholar." Him saying these words would be shocking to anyone who heard them. He had never genuinely praised a person''s intelligence before, much less suggesting a successor. "Then should he be let in on the plans?" The King of the Ergen Kingdom asked. "No. Not yet. It is unknown where his loyalties truly lie as of now. Besides, he does not need to know such a thing for now." The Emperor said without hesitation. The room fell into a silent agreement. Sword Master Shang broke it. "And what if he is not deemed fit to be the Imperial Scholar." He understood that with Skymender''s talent score, they would not let him live freely. "If he simply has no interest in involving himself with politics and focuses solely on something such as research, or perhaps wastes his talent, then he can live freely while monitored." Sword Master Shang did not need to ask a follow up question. Nor did anyone else If he were to show signs of betraying the Empire or even just leaving it, his fate would not be a good one. The only variable was his sister, a potential Sword Master. However, as long as Sword Master Shang took action, even the sun and moon would pale in comparison. Skymender left the throne room looking at the card. There seemed to be nothing special about it. It was pure white with only a few words written on it. "Scholar Ticket." Whatever this was supposed to mean, he did not understand it. Skymender soon returned to the ballroom. It was slowly emptying, but Li Youcai and his aunt''s family were waiting for him. Li Youcai bowed upon seeing him. "Congratulations, Master Skymender." Servants had not been a big part of the noble gathering, only showing up in between events. At other times, they simply stood off to the side, patiently waiting. "Thank you." Skymender responded. He then received congratulations from his aunt and her family. Afterwards, people came up and congratulated him further. Skymender gave a polite thank you to everyone. By the time 11 pm rolled around, he was back in his carriage and on the way back. Upon returning, he entered his room and fell asleep. The next morning, he woke up refreshed. Instead of relaxing all day, he took Li Youcai and returned to the research institute. Now that the noble gathering had passed, his reputation had soared. It would be difficult to grow it any further at his current age. There was no future event to wait for, and it was not necessary to take actions around the Imperial Capital. He had firmly planted his feet within these grounds. Skymender knocked on the door and the old man from before answered. Seeing Skymender, he was surprised. "Welcome back Young Master Skymender. Congratulations on your victory in the intelligence test, as well as your showing in the Sword event." Skymender thanked him. "I''ll go see old Lee now." Skymender said. The old man nodded and let Skymender in. Skymender did not need to be accompanied, soon returning to the familiar division of research. Old Lee and his apprentice, Tara, were still here, doing the same thing as always. Hearing footsteps, they turned around and were equally surprised at Skymender''s presence. They bowed and spoke words similar to the old man''s. Skymender did not care about their praise and soon found himself in the basement, reading books. He studied and studied, and the day soon passed. He found enjoyment in studying, though he was not sure why. Perhaps seeing his results on the intelligence test had made him appreciate his own talent more. It would be a pity to see it wasted. Between the hours of studying, he would also continue to read fantasy books, his still favorite form of entertainment. As night fell, he returned to his aunt''s house and slept. Upon waking, he planned to once again return to the research institute, but found that his aunt had a letter for him. He looked at it, and saw it signed by the Crown Prince of the Ergen Kingdom. He sighed, wondering if he was going to have to deal with annoyances after besting the Crown Prince. He opened up the letter and read it. "Hello, Skymender. Meeting you has caused me to be interested in hearing more about you. Tomorrow, I invite you to attend a small gathering with some of my fellow nobles. Please, feel free to come or not. Signed, Crown Prince of the Ergen Kingdom." Although giving room for refusal, the fact that it was signed by the title of the Crown Prince, instead of his name, showed that he was more or less required to attend. It was a distraction, but perhaps not that bad of one. Chapter 620: It Is Still Fate - 620 Chapter 620 - It Is Still Fate - 620 The date of the small gathering was set for the next day. Skymender did not have to prepare in advance or anything. After all, he was only meeting a Crown Prince and his friends, not an Emperor or a King. As for who his friends were, Skymender did not know. He went out with Li Youcai and returned to the research institute. He returned around 3 pm. He began to relax and rest in preparation for the next day. Before going to sleep, he was given a strict cleaning by the servants of the house. He fell asleep early and woke up early. The gathering was set for noon. After taking care of various things, Skymender made his way towards the Imperial Palace. Where else would a Crown Prince hold a gathering? He set out a bit early, scheduled to be there at 11:30. However, Li Youcai suggested a detour. Skymender questioned him. Li Youcai explained. "That girl you found on the road, Hope, has been training and been through a background check. She came from a wealthy commoner family, but went missing. She has lost a portion of her memory, but everything checks out as it should." "What does that have to do with me?" Skymender asked. "She has been training to become a servant, and her results have been excellent. I believe that we should bring her with us." Skymender wasn''t sure. "You want me to bring an untested servant to a gathering with the Crown Prince?" Li Youcai spoke seriously. "I can attest to the fact that she is just as good as me, with even more potential." Skymender, hearing Li Youcai''s recommendation, reluctantly agreed. They took a slight detour to the commoner district, no more of a detour than 10 minutes in total. Skymender waited in the carriage for a moment before Hope entered. She looked similar to before, just cleaner and wearing better clothes. She bowed to Skymender as soon as she entered the carriage. "Let''s go. We don''t have that much time." Hope nodded and entered. The carriage immediately set off once again. They returned to the route and arrived at the Imperial Palace at 11:45. They did not need to go through many checks as they were not coming to meet the Emperor. After everything took place, Skymender arrived at the gathering location at exactly 12. He did not need to knock on the door, it was opened by a servant. Looking inside, Skymender saw a lavish room decorated with luxurious furnishings and filled with large windows. It seemed more like a lounge than a noble gathering place. Skymender also saw five nobles, as well as some servants. One was naturally the Crown Prince of the Ergen Kingdom himself. However, the remaining people were equally surprising, if not more so. Three others were also Crown Prince''s. In other words, all of the Crown Prince''s, save for the Imperial Crown Prince, were in this room. The only person Skymender did not recognize was an elegant woman, but from the flower embroidered on her clothes, she was clearly from the Flower Kingdom. She looked at Skymender, and he felt a similar feeling to when he looked at his sister. The Crown Prince of the Ergen Kingdom looked at Skymender and spoke with a smile. "Come join us, Skymender. Potential Sword Master Daisy was telling us about one of her travels." The Crown Prince of the Ergen Kingdom''s words confirmed Skymender''s suspicions. This was a potential Sword Master, just like his sister. She hardly reacted to his entrance, merely glancing over. She then turned away and continued to speak in a calm voice with no expression on her face. Skymender came over and sat down. The whole thing seemed suspiciously casual. Everyone was sitting on beanbags, lounging around. Skymender sat on a beanbag as well, but kept the proper posture. He listened as the potential Sword Master, Daisy, continued to speak. She spoke of a journey to an ancient mountain, before she was ever a potential Sword Master. There, she met an old man at the end of his life. He sat on a rock in the middle of a lake with nothing but a sword across his lap. Daisy had come through a clearing, instantly able to tell that he was nearing his last breath. As she became visible, the man looked at her. Although at the edge of death, his eyes were brighter than the sun. He spoke a few simple words. "Though we only met at the end of my life, it still counts as fate. You are my first and last disciple." He then stood up, raised his sword, and the story stopped there. Daisy explained that she would never reveal what happened afterwards, even if she was tortured for a thousand years, or even if all the world''s Kings and Emperors tried to force her. Skymender, like everyone who had ever heard this story, was extremely curious. However, she clearly had no intention to share, as she had said. After she finished speaking, another Crown Prince began to speak. They all shared stories, until it reached Skymender. Skymender spoke of his time saving the daughter of the Duchess, a story more interesting than most of the others told. After he spoke, more conversation went on. Skymender wasn''t sure what the goal of this gathering was, but he didn''t really care to think too much. The sun soon began to fall. They ate and spoke some more before the Crown Princes all stood up. "It has been great seeing you all, but it is time to go." "Likewise." Everyone dispersed quickly, so fast Skymender was surprised. Before he realized it, he was leaving the room. Only Daisy remained behind. Suddenly, she spoke. "Your name. Is it truly Skymender?" She asked. Skymender turned around and looked at her with confusion. "Of course." She looked at him deeply before sighing. "Would you like to hear the rest of my story?" Skymender was surprised, and he did not dare refuse. He walked back over and sat down across from her. Chapter 621: More Baggage - 621 Chapter 621 - More Baggage - 621 Potential Sword Master Daisy waved her hand and sent all of the servants in the room away, including Li Youcai and Hope. Skymender and her were left alone. Daisy began to speak. "My Master only ever spoke one sentence to me, the one you heard me tell. However, as he raised his sword, he uttered another word." She paused, seemingly hesitating, before speaking. "Skymender." Skymender was confused. "Those were the last words I heard him speak before swinging his sword down." Skymender was surprised, but also curious. "What happened next?" Daisy responded. "He destroyed the sky, then mended it back. It was as if nothing ever happened, but he disappeared after that." Skymender did not believe it. Even a Sword Grandmaster could not destroy the sky itself. Daisy, seeing the look on his face, explained in more detail. "As he swung his Sword down, it felt as if it was connected with the world itself. His sword destroyed the sky above as it traveled, and just as soon as it happened, the sky mended itself back together, destroyed, yet recreated instantly. I''m not saying what I saw was the truth. It could have been an illusion, perhaps I never met him at all, but the feeling was absolutely real. That is why I, someone with no talent in the sword, am at the level of a potential Sword Master. As for why I am telling you, perhaps it is fate. Your name was spoken as the last words of my Master. Perhaps we were destined to meet today." Skymender nodded, but he truly found it impossible to believe. However, Sword Master Shang was already a mythical existence that Skymender could not comprehend, perhaps there was truly a being capable of breaking the sky and mending it. And the odds of him saying Skymender were miniscule, but he had. Perhaps, as it was said, everything was fate. Daisy looked into the distance. "I''m not sure if I could ever emulate a percentage of that slash, but if I could, I could die happy. Seeing it, it was as if the earth and the sky were prostrating, as if all living beings lived under its allowance, as if the sky was being punished, and did not dare to retaliate. Perhaps the path of one day recreating that attack lies with you." She looked back at him. "I used a favor with a Crown Prince to create this gathering, all for the sake of meeting you." "So what is the point of all of this?" Skymender asked. "Well, for the future, I plan to follow you. I want to see what fate has in store for me. If I find that perhaps it really was just a coincidence, I''ll leave you alone and that will be the end of it." Skymender nodded, giving his agreement. "Then let''s go." Daisy nodded and stood up. She followed him out of the room where they met up with their servants. Daisy told her servants to go home without her. She left with Skymender, Li Youcai, and Hope in the carriage. Li Youcai obviously had some questions, but this wasn''t the time. Hope was the same. They soon returned to Skymender''s aunt''s house. He entered without knocking and walked to his room. Along the way, his aunt saw him. She opened her mouth to speak when she saw Daisy. She furrowed her brows for a moment before recognizing her. She stood up and walked over. "Potential Sword Master Daisy from the Flower Kingdom?" Daisy nodded. "Yes." Skymender''s aunt nodded before introducing herself. After the pleasantries, Aunt Skyless spoke. "So, what exactly are you doing here?" Daisy spoke. "I''ll be following Skymender around for a while." Aunt Skyless looked at Skymender with suspicion and some worry. "This isn''t another Melly situation, is it? We really couldn''t face the consequences this time." Skymender shook his head with a chuckle. "I can''t say I''m sure why she decided to do it, but I don''t mind. Can you arrange her a room?" Aunt Skyless nodded and called a house servant over. They quickly arranged a room for her. It was near Skymenders. Before they parted ways, Daisy spoke to him very seriously. "If you are going to do anything, make sure you come and get me first." Skymender nodded in agreement and returned to his room. Until he fell asleep, he did nothing but think. The next morning, he woke up a bit early. Li Youcai entered with breakfast, and as he ate, Li Youcai spoke. "What did you think of Hope''s performance yesterday?" He asked. "Good enough." Skymender said. "Why are you so interested in having her serve me? Don''t tell me you fell in love." Li Youcai shook his head. "Of course not. But, don''t you think it could be more than sheer coincidence that we found her that day. Perhaps it is fate." Skymender paused mid way into scooping his food from his bowl. His eyes looked deeply at the soup, but it could be better said that he was unfocused and staring at space itself. "I''ve been hearing that word a lot lately." His true thoughts could not even be thought at this moment, for he feared that they may be heard. Suspicions formed in the depths of his mind. His green eyes unnoticeably flared for a moment before returning to normal. He continued to eat while Li Youcai served him. After finishing breakfast, he went and found Hope, as well as Daisy. Then, he went to the Imperial research institute. What happened there did not need to be explained deeply. He continued to read, studying books everyday. This cycle continued, his knowledge growing deeper and deeper, until a very exciting day. As he walked with Li Youcai, Daisy, and Hope, he saw someone leaning against a wall. In the Noble area, this was a rare sight. Even walking was rare, but it was a nice summer day and he had decided he might as well. He turned to look at the person for a moment before looking away. Suddenly, his eyes shot open and he did a double take. "Hey. It''s been a while." Chapter 622: Skybelle - 622 Chapter 622 - Skybelle - 622 Skymender could not respond for a while, still stuck in surprise, until the person spoke once again. "Don''t tell me you don''t recognize your own sister?" Skymender snapped out of it and smiled before waving. "It has been a while. You couldn''t have made a more normal entrance." Skymender said. Skybelle smiled back. "Why do that when there is an opportunity to do this?" Skymender waved his hand. "We''re going to change today''s plans." Li Youcai nodded. Skymender and Skybelle walked side by side as they walked back to his aunt''s house. They chatted about her events and what had happened in the Imperial Capital while she was gone. Skymender was shocked to hear what she had gone through, and she too was shocked at what Skymender had done. She had heard a bit, but she had not heard even close to everything. Before they realized it, they were back at their aunt''s house. Aunt Skyless greeted Skybelle and they began to talk. As everything settled down from Skybelle''s return, she and Skymender finally ended up alone, no servants anywhere to be seen. Skymender spoke seriously. "I came to the Imperial Capital because of you. What exactly do you need me to do to help you?" Skybelle responded simply. "I kinda don''t need you for that anymore." Skymender didn''t know how to respond. It seemed that the goal of his journey here had been for nothing. "However, it is definitely better for you to be here than to not be here." "Why is that?" Skymender asked. "It is a sense of assurance that my family is safe. I think that is what I may have been missing, being gone for so long." Skymender looked at her with pity. Needing assurance of her family''s safety just to advance must have sucked. He may care about his family, but no matter how long he was gone, he probably wouldn''t miss them to the point of it holding him back. In a way, Skybelle''s emotions were much deeper than his, even if not so on the surface. "I''m just curious, what exactly did you need me for in the first place?" Skybelle shrugged her shoulders. "I''m not sure." Skymender was even more confused than before. "Perhaps, as I had said, I needed assurance of my family''s safety, but I also had a feeling that there was more than that. I kept thinking about what I needed to do to advance, but for some reason, I kept thinking that you could help me. However, with the journey I was sent on, it was unnecessary. I can confidently declare that, with a bit more time, I will be a Sword Master." Skymender nodded. It wasn''t a precise explanation, or perhaps his sister simply didn''t want to tell him, but he didn''t care too much about all of the details. As long as everything was okay. There was nothing else to be said about the matter. He could simply enjoy the time his sister was here before he left the imperial Capital. Skybelle began to ask in more detail about the things that happened in the Imperial Capital. Skymender obviously wouldn''t tell her everything, especially not about the matter concerning the Duchess''s daughter, but he could at least give her more of the details that those who were there knew. He explained how he had shown off in the technique event, how he had won in the intelligence event, and showed her one of his pardon badge''s. The next day, Skymender planned to go out with Skybelle, as they had discussed the other day, but she came to him with annoyance visible on her face. "Turns out I can''t do that now." Skymender sighed. It felt expected since she was a future Sword Master. "Sword Master Shang, knowing that I will inevitably become a Sword Master, has decided to take me for a graduation exam. It is not because I am a Sword Master, but because I am his disciple. He said that the next time I come here, I will no longer be a potential Sword Master, but a Sword Master." Skymender nodded. Beneath Skybelle''s annoyance, there was obvious excitement. This was the moment she had been waiting most of her life for, the time to become a Sword Master. Skymender understood it. He gave her a goodbye, as did his aunt''s family, before she departed. Now that she was gone, it seemed that the rest of his stay in the Imperial Capital would be monotonous. However, he could now put his knowledge to the test and see if his goal could be accomplished. With everything he had researched, it seemed possible, especially because he had been focused on this one goal for so long. Skymender traveled to the research institute with his servants and made his way to the same location as always, the basement. He did not grab books this time, but various materials and substances. Some had already been in the research institute, and he would pay to use them, but the others were personally bought by him. When he first started studying, he had been focused on more classic or orthodox materials. However, as time passed, he figured that if he wanted something unique, he needed special materials. Therefore, the basement of this research department began to look like a shady witchcraft store. Skymender did not plan to study today. In fact, he had studied everything in the field he focused on. There had been very little research in this field, so learning about it was very difficult. He went to great lengths to get some of the books he did. There may be some other research on it elsewhere, but in this empire he had read it all. From now on, he would be pioneering the way forward. For some reason, he felt as if this was a familiar feeling, but he couldn''t quite grasp it. The nostalgia was almost overwhelming but he couldn''t put his finger on it. Eventually, he had to shrug his shoulders and begin. Chapter 623: Research and Leaving - 623 Chapter 623 - Research and Leaving - 623 He started with the blood of various special animals. The Echo Cameleon, along with the Shadow Mole and the Star Bird all had similar traits to one another. They were all masters of disguise. The Echo Cameleon, despite its large size, could blend in almost perfectly anywhere. Luckily, it rarely ate meat, and even if it did, nothing bigger than rats. The Shadow Mole had only ever been spotted at night. As for where it was in the day, nobody had ever discovered it. The Shadow Mole had a completely black body, blending in with the night. The Star Bird could emit a white light that made it seem like a star in the sky. Each of these beings were masters of disguise, and as a result, their blood was valuable. The Echo Chameleon''s blood was not quite as rare since there were methods to find it developed over the years, but the Star Bird and the Shadow Mole could only be stumbled upon by chance. Therefore, the price he had paid for this was not low at all. Yet, even with the high prices, he had only gotten a small amount. It was not only these three species either. It had gotten to the point that his father wrote a letter expressing how ridiculous his expenses were. He naturally understood and reluctantly stopped spending. Skymender did not use only the tools in the research laboratory. He had read historical records of ancient research methods and came to a conclusion that, while the current tools were faster, more efficient, and more diverse, there was a certain ancient tool that seemed better for what he was doing. It was known as a cauldron. Although it was indeed simplistic, when made correctly, it did everything Skymender needed it to do. And it did it better than the scientific instruments in the research institute. Perhaps one day, the cauldron would be completely replaced. But for now, it was still the best option. Skymender had a custom cauldron made for him. In stories, the cauldron was used to concoct powerful pills that could increase a person''s lifespan by thousands of years, or propel their strength into a different category. Here, it would help Skymender create a material for the purpose of hiding information from others'' eyes. This had long stopped being solely about reading books in private even in public. He had thoroughly found interest in this. Skymender began to mix the bloods together, starting with the Echo Cameleon, the Shadow Mole, and the Star Bird. A flame lit up under his custom made cauldron, which was orange in color, and it slowly began to heat it up. Skymender made sure to balance the heat around the cauldron in all areas. He took a clean metal stick and began to mix the blood in the cauldron. It slowly began to boil, ultimately becoming a bad smelling black substance. He had expected this, but he had to try. Luckily, he had used a very small amount. He wasted the black substance and added the same proportions of the same three bloods. This time, however, he threw in a substance that could be both a solid and a liquid. When hit hard, it acted as a solid, but when sitting, it would act as a liquid. There were a few such materials in this world, and Skymender was able to get his hands on plenty of them. They were not really rare, and could even be created if necessary. This section of the research institute, around 50 years ago, was actually responsible for the ability to create it. Everything mixed together under the heat and stirring. The substance slowly dissolved into a liquid under the heat and mixed with the blood. Skymender noted every single change he saw. It had neither succeeded nor failed, producing a substance that did not seem to have any unique use. Regardless, Skymender stored some of it and labeled its properties. Who knew if it would be useful in the future. He continued on for hours and hours until the day passed. He packed up his things, left, and came back the next day. This formed a cycle of research and learning. At some point, Old Lee and his apprentice started to occasionally watch him. They naturally knew the branch of research he was practicing, but they had not paid attention to it beyond the books. Skymender was researching stuff they had never imagined. He was also using an ancient tool, something quite interesting. It was hard to tell if he was actually researching or just playing around. Though, knowing Skymender, they naturally guessed that he was actually researching. A week passed, and another. The end of his trip to the Imperial Capital was closing in on him. He naturally had to leave early and get home early in order to prepare for the new year of school, despite the fact that he had basically already learned everything he would need to learn to graduate. It was a responsibility that he could not ignore, no matter what he was doing or how advanced it was. During his last few days, he did not research, but began to buy stuff from the Imperial Capital. He knew that his father had asked him to stop spending so much, but it was almost impossible to get half of this stuff outside of the Imperial Capital. He also began to pack everything he had already bought, adding a few more carriages filled with materials and tools. He also did not forget to bring some research books with him. Although they were not focused on his topic, it was not impossible for him to learn something from them. Even inspiration could completely change things. It did not take all his remaining days to pack up, but he just decided to leave early. Before leaving, he said goodbye to the Fatty, as well as Duchess Vass and her daughter. The next time he came, things would be different. He would come much older, and his entire experience would vastly transform. As he sat in the carriage, watching the walls slowly fade away, he muttered to himself. "Next time, my visit will not be nearly as simple." Chapter 624: The Emperor鈥檚 Prophecy - 624 Chapter 624 - The Emperor''s Prophecy - 624 Like on their way to the Imperial Capital, a ten day journey ensued. This time, they were coming back with more than they came with. However, not everyone was so lucky. Skymender''s intelligence had allowed him to not only prevent loss, but to gain. In the Imperial Capital, with countless hidden undercurrents, it was a truly impressive feat. As the carriage departed, at the top of the Imperial Palace, the Emperor and the Imperial Scholar looked out the window. "You truly value him that much?" The Emperor asked. "Indeed. If he does not become my successor, then there is less than a ten percent chance I will find someone else I am satisfied with before the end of my life." The Imperial Scholar said. "He is indeed talented, and still young, but to value him to such a level seems excessive, no?" The Imperial Scholar laughed. "Naturally, the talent and potential to grow make me like him more, but most importantly, he is ruthless." The Emperor did not understand. "How exactly? He has done nothing of the sort." The Imperial Scholar laughed again. "The fact that even you can''t find a hint of it is what makes him even better. I can tell you something, but you have to promise to forget about it completely." The Emperor nodded. "I doubt I''ll care." The Imperial Scholar did not laugh, though he could have once again. "You don''t think it was a coincidence that he saved the Duchess''s daughter, do you?" The Emperor stayed silent. His expression did not change, but deep inside, he was putting all of the pieces together. Naturally, there was not any evidence pointing towards Skymender, but it was possible to form speculation. However, even that had been thrown out on account of his age and background. There was no reason for him to have done such a thing. He had grown up peacefully with a loving family. However, with what the Imperial Scholar said, the Emperor could put two and two together. "I see." The Imperial Scholar smirked as he looked out the window, though the Emperor did not see it. From now on, the Emperor would be wary of Skymender, just as he was wary of the Imperial Scholar. Qualifying to make the Emperor wary at such a young age was terrifying. In fact, even the Imperial Scholar wasn''t 100% sure that Skymender had done it. Everything had simply been handled too cleanly. He was only 10% sure, but that was enough for him. He had a feeling that Skyender had done it, and he would trust nothing more than his gut. The Imperial Scholar muttered to himself. "You owe me a favor, brat." He then turned to the Emperor. "If that boy matures before I die of old age and we can work together, the chances of success can be higher by at least 5%" The Emperor''s calm eyes snapped open. "You''re sure?" The Imperial Scholar nodded. "At least 5%. Maybe more." The Emperor took a deep breath before calming himself. "I see." His wariness had transformed into something much more important, desire. From now on, he needed Skymender to grow and become as intelligent as his potential would allow. Because even a 5% increase could change the future of the world. For the sake of his Empire, his people, and most importantly himself, he would not even let a 0.1% increase slip by without grabbing it. He looked into the distance, where the sun stood high. "First, the house. Second, the kingdom. Third, the Empire. Finally, the World." The Imperial Scholar unnoticeably shivered. The prophecy of the current Emperor was known to very few, but those who understood it would feel fear just looking at him. Because he was the one fated to rule the world. Nobody knew how it came about, or where it was found, but those words seemed to take form and travel through the brains of everyone around. First the house. Because the current Emperor was not born of the Imperial Family. He was not born of a royal family. He was not born of a noble family. He was not even born of a wealthy commoner family. Known to less than ten in the entire Empire, the current Emperor was born the homeless child of the lowliest of commoners. That was until he took the house. The house referred to a noble family. Then, the Kingdom. The Ergen Kingdom''s king was nothing more than a subordinate at that time. Finally, the Empire. He ascended to the Imperial throne, silently and without noticeable change. Every step was fraught with danger and the risk of failure. Every breath could have been his last. His journey was the most legendary ever confirmed to be true. Every moment marked by blood and sacrifice. The Emperor could not be manipulated or underestimated, for anyone who truly knew him respected him, and they knew that if anyone could rule the world, it must be him. The Emperor left the room, and the Imperial Scholar thoughtfully looked out the window. "The sky doesn''t move, but the world still rotates. Will you truly stop at the world, fated one?" The journey back was even more boring than the one to the Imperial Capital. After all, he had once been going to a land of mysteries, but was now returning to the place he knew the best. He wasn''t sad to return, there was just not much anticipation. After all, he could have stayed in the Imperial Capital if he had truly wanted to, but hadn''t. He now had Hope in addition to Li Youcai. Honestly, he didn''t care much, but he had indeed gained a new personal servant. Looking at his bag of books, he had basically read them all. Good thing he was going back. it would have been hard to buy them if he was in the Imperial Capital, despite the fact that they should have been easier to find. There were no interruptions or surprises on the way back. There were no bandits or passed out future servants. The most interesting thing to happen was hearing a nearby wolf howl. Chapter 625: Returning - 625 Chapter 625 - Returning - 625 As expected, after ten days, Skymender saw the familiar fields. He once again felt at home. Before long, he arrived at his house. Not long after his carriage pulled into the gates, a bunch of people came outside. Skymender stepped out of the carriage and was greeted by most of his family, or whatever was still living here. An old lady specifically stood out. "How was Skyless and her kids doing?" This was Skymender''s grandaunt, Aunt Skyless''s mother. "She and her children were doing well. She helped me a lot." Skymender said. His grandaunt nodded. "Good. Good." His sister, Skytear, also greeted him. She was now 12 years old and growing steadily. "Welcome back, brother. How was Eldest Sister?" Skymender responded. "She is doing good, even better than we could have imagined." Next, his brother, Skymerge, spoke. "How was your reading?" He asked seriously. "Very good." Skymender chuckled. Skytore was also there, though it was his last day. He was going to the royal capital to enter the royal school. "I heard that you didn''t participate in the contest of strength at the noble gathering. I''m disappointed." Skymender laughed and shook his hand. Finally, his sister, the fourth child of the Sky Barony, greeted him. "How expensive were things at the Imperial Capital." This was the 2nd daughter of the Sky Barony, a girl obsessed with makeup and expensive clothing. However, there was no doubt that she was the best looking in their family. Her name was Skyhue. "More expensive than here, but there were also more things to buy." Skymender said. Skyhue spoke again. "Did you perhaps bring any gifts?" Skymender smiled. Of course he had. He got some servants to bring out a few boxes. One was given to each person. Skytear got a fancy blanket that was so soft it was hard not to fall asleep with it. Skymerge got a book, one with a blank cover on the outside. Though hard to get in the Imperial Capital, it was not impossible. Skymerge, understanding, nodded. Skytore received a dumbbell with a fancy design. It had customizable plates and was made out of a denser metal than most. He smiled and began to lift it immediately. Skyhue opened her gift and was excited to see fancy clothes and makeup. She smiled with glee. Skymender received appreciation from everyone, but this was not all. His mother and father, who had been silently waiting, also got gifts. He greeted them. "Hello Father. Hello Mother." Both his mother and father smiled, clearly aware of his actions in the Imperial Capital. They opened their gifts. In his mothers was a small drawing of Skybelle and him. In his fathers was a mug. This mug could hold hot drinks inside of it. On the side, the words "Number One Dad" were written on it. They both smiled, his mother with appreciation, and his dad with amusement "Alright, welcome home. Let''s go inside." His Father said. Skymender nodded and entered the house. From then on, everything fell back into normalcy. Skymender quickly readjusted, and before he knew it, school was starting yet again. The night before school started, Melly returned. She was greeted with excitement as well, for she had essentially become a part of the family. The next morning, Melly and Skymender set out to the school together. Although they didn''t live in the city where the school was present, as the nobles of this land, they were naturally rather close. It was a ten minute ride on their carriage to arrive at the school gates. Skymender sighed and stepped out, followed by Melly. They talked, but none of it was really important. Although they were to be married upon reaching 18, it felt more like they were friends than anything else. They had most of the same classes since the majority were standard classes, but there were a few that could be chosen before the year started that they did not share. These classes reflected interests. Skymender attended a few science classes, the most interesting thing he had been able to find on the list. Meanwhile, Melly took classes such as etiquette, despite being trained from a young age, and fashion. The first day of school passed, but Skymender did not leave. On the first day, he had registered to create a club. Naturally, as the only noble family in this area, the Sky Barony had absolute say. There was not even the slightest chance of it being rejected. The only person in this club was Melly, though it was open to everyone at the top of the school''s intelligence. Naturally, Skymender had no interest in nonsense such as clubs. The club was just an excuse to use the school''s lab after hours. Although it wasn''t even slightly as advanced as the Imperial Research Institute, it was the best around. Before school started, he had even paid a bit of his parents money to upgrade it. It still didn''t come close to the Imperial Research Institute, but it was acceptable. He had brought his cauldron for this sole purpose. Taking out a notebook, writing utensils, and a bunch of materials, he got to work. Melly was only here to watch, so she sat off to the side. Skymender began to mix the blood of two animals from a dangerous region known as the poisonous swamp. The swamp itself was not poisonous, though it used to be mistaken as such due to the fact that walking through it caused itching, but there were many poisonous animals there and plenty had died to explore it. Luckily, Skymender had been able to get ahold of the blood and corpses of some of the creatures. Most of the creatures in the poisonous swamp were too small to collect their blood, so he would just use their corpses. Scuh animals included variants of mosquitos, butterflies, and flys. He began to note down everything and slowly put it all into the cauldron. This included the corpse of a poison mosquito species, a corpse of a poison butterfly species, and the blood of a poisonous frog. It all fell into the cauldron as a fire burned under it. As the heat made it mix and bubble, a mist began to be released. Chapter 626: Poison - 626 Chapter 626 - Poison - 626 Skymender barely noticed the mist as it was released from the concoction. He was fully focused on observing the mixture inside of the cauldron. Suddenly, he began to cough. It was out of nowhere and sudden. He backed away and coughed, but could not stop. He grabbed his throat, and it was closing in on him. Melly looked over concerned, but as they met eyes, she saw a drop of blood falling from his eye. She panicked as Skymender spoke. "Leave the room!" Melly hesitated, but the look in Skymender''s eyes made no room for refusal. She left, and Skymender knocked the cauldron onto the ground. More mist was released, but he was not concerned at all. He grabbed a nearby vial, his hands uncontrollably shaking, and scooped up a bit before sealing it shut. He then exited the room. As soon as he closed the door behind him, he fell to the ground. His body was weak, and he could barely move and inch. Melly came running from afar, bringing someone with her. By now, Skymender had passed out. The person she brought carried Skymender to the hospital in the city. When he woke up, he saw his father, as well as Melly looking at him. His father was instantly relieved to see him awake, as was Melly. Skymender felt as if he could move, but stayed laying for a moment. A doctor came over. "As expected, your son should be fine, my lord. He inhaled some poison, but it was only temporary. However... the injuries sustained from it may not be so easy to get rid of." Skymender could feel something wrong with his body, and the doctor''s words confirmed his worries. He sat up and took off the mask on his face. He breathed in, and it felt as if he could breathe fine. He opened his mouth to speak, but as soon as words started to form, he began to cough. The doctor came over and put the mask on his face. After a moment, the coughing stopped. He looked at the doctor with confusion. The doctor explained. "As a result of inhaling the poison, your throat has shrunk a bit, and something has changed within it. It was hard to identify it, but it seems that the trigger is the vibrations caused when you speak. The mask filters the outside air and mixes it with a chemical that relieves your throat and allows you to breathe normally, though I would avoid talking too much." Skymender was shocked. In other words, it sounded like he may need to wear this mask his entire life. "Is that all?" He asked. His voice was rough, and sounded muffled due to the mask. The doctor shook his head before grabbing a small mirror. Looking at his face, Skymender saw a patch of skin that seemed wrinkled and aged. It only occupied a small portion of his left cheek, but it changed appearance greatly. He was once again surprised. Were it any other nine year old child, they may feel despair, but to him, the issue with his looks was minor, while the throat injury was much more important. However, deep inside, he felt excitement. Poison! He had never thought about it before. However, now, after thinking about it, poison was incredible. Just a small amount may have killed him without medical assistance. A Sword Master could destroy an army, but so could poison. The doctor took a green vial from the stand next to his bed and spoke. "We need to get this to a lab in the Imperial Capital and have it thoroughly examined. If everything goes well, we..." Skymender interupted. "That''s mine." The doctor stopped speaking and looked confused, unsure of what to say. "Lord Skymender, I understand that you made this, but if it is taken to the Imperial Capital and examined, we may be able to create an antidote that can help others." Of course Skymender understood that. He didn''t want an antidote to be created. "It''s mine and I''ll keep it." His father spoke. "You''re not thinking that you''ll be allowed to continue researching, are you?" Skymender looked over to him. "I will continue researching." His father showed a rare face of anger. "No you will not! You nearly died! I''ll be damned if I let you continue!" He looked at Skymender, but who looked back was someone he did not recognize. "I WILL continue to research, and there is nothing you can do to stop me." His voice took a tone it had never once taken in his life, and it stunned his father, as well as Melly. At this moment, not a single person in the world would recognize this behavior of Skymender. Melly spoke. "Skymender... Your father is right. It''s dangerous for this to continue. There is no need." Skymender''s eyes snapped over. "Who let you talk, girl. Don''t forget who you are." Skymender was not in his right mind, still injured from the poison. His body began to shake as the doctor ran over. His father and Melly were forced out of the room while doctors rushed in. Basically the entire hospital was in that room. Baron Sky''s eyes were angry, but deep inside was shock in disbelief. Skymender talking like that had thoroughly baffled him. He looked over to Melly, whose head was lowered. She finally remembered that she was not Skymender''s girlfriend, nor his wife. They were engaged, but that was only what everyone else said. From the moment they had first met, she had willingly become a servant. Skymender viewed her as nothing but that. In his moment of injury when his mind was not clear, he had finally spoken his deepest thoughts to those around him. His unnatural arrogance finally showed. The doctors remained in the room for an hour before leaving. However, they kept Melly and his father out of the room. "He needs rest and quiet. If he gets angry again, the same thing could happen. Wait until he is healed a bit more." Baron Sky and Melly reluctantly nodded. Outside, they met the rest of the family that had rushed over, but they explained the situation to them. Neither Melly nor Baron Sky spoke of Skymender''s outburst. It seemed as if it would stay between the three of them and the doctor. Chapter 627: Back to Health - 627 Chapter 627 - Back to Health - 627 Hearing about Skymender''s current condition and need to rest, the rest of the family reluctantly left without seeing him. Inside the hospital, multiple doctors watched from afar to make sure he stayed fine. Skymender was able to rest, missing the next few days of school. A few people came to visit him but the doctors turned them away as he had not yet awoken. Finally, on the third day, he woke up naturally. His entire body was sore and aching, and he could feel an acute pain in his body. Most of the feelings quickly faded away, leaving only the feeling of something different about him. He then remembered what had happened before. He remembered his injuries and his conversations. However, more importantly, he remembered the vial. Skymender looked around, and saw a box next to his hospital bed. It was sitting on a desk. He opened it, and the vial was inside. Skymender looked at it with glowing eyes. His mind raced with countless thoughts. This only lasted a few moments before multiple doctors entered his room, alerted that he had awoken. They began to ask him questions. "Lord Skymender, how are you feeling?" "Does your face hurt?" "How is your breathing?" Skymender waved them all off. Speaking wasn''t good, so he just gave a thumbs up, indicating that he was fine. They nodded in relief and began to examine him. Skymender returned the vial to the box as they did so. They took half an hour to confirm that he was in good health. "We''ve already sent the news to Baron Sky. They should be here within the hour." Skymender nodded and continued to rest as the doctors left. His peace and quiet only lasted around forty minutes before his room was burst into by a bunch of people. They surrounded him and asked if he was okay. Skymender repeatedly nodded in confirmation. Eventually, they calmed down from their initial surge and asked some questions. "What exactly happened? We heard a bit, but not everything." Skymender tried speaking for the first time since waking up. "I was experimenting with poisonous materials and accidentally inhaled some poison." His voice was rough and scratchy, sounding dark. It instantly caused surprise. It was at this time that a doctor, who had entered a moment ago, spoke. "It would be harmful for Lord Skymender to speak too much right now, and possibly forever. I would recommend avoiding questions that can''t be answered with a thumbs up or thumbs down." Skymender''s family reluctantly nodded. Skymerge asked a question. "So, when does this mask come off?" Sitting over nearly a third of Skymender''s face, covering his mouth, was a large white mask. It was strapped to his face. The doctor hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Barring any miracles or new medical developments... I''m afraid Lord Skymender will have to keep the mask on for the rest of his life. We can, however, customize it in terms of size, color, and design. Anything we can do to help, we will do without hesitation." His words made Skymender''s family suddenly feel pity. Luckily, his looks weren''t too terribly damaged to the point of being ugly. Only a small part of his face not covered by the mask was affected, looking wrinkled and aged. Skymender and his family were told by the doctor that he could be discharged from the hospital if he felt up to it. Skymender naturally did so. He stood up and was able to move steadily. Unfortunately, it being hard to breathe, he was unable to exert himself to a large degree. Running for more than a minute would cause him to uncontrollably cough for an unknown period of time. Even the mask would only be able to slightly relieve it. He walked to a carriage, being slightly held up by Melly. Melly seemed to have forgotten about his words to her, but it was most likely only an act. Skymender soon reached a carriage, able to walk alone, and entered it. Surprisingly, nobody entered it except his father. There were other carriages for everyone else. His father looked at him seriously with his arms crossed. Skymender was not sure what to say. He did not know why his father wanted to talk to him alone. Finally, his father spoke. "These experiments, you really want to keep doing them?" Skymender nodded without hesitation. "Why?" His father asked simply. Skymender attempted to speak, his voice coming out muffled and rough. "It is simply my passion in life." His father shook his head. "When did it get like this?" It felt rhetorical, but Skymender answered it. "After going to the Imperial Capital." His father sighed. "They say that the person you are when you first enter the Imperial Capital and the person you are when you leave are not the same. It was true for me, it is true for others, and it seems it was true for you as well." Skymender nodded. His father sat in silence for a moment before speaking again. "It seems like I can''t stop you even if I want to, so know this. You have a family that cares about you. Don''t go risking your life or harming yourself, understand?" Skymender nodded. The rest of the short carriage ride was taken in silence. When they arrived, Skymender walked out of the carriage without support. He actually felt good, save for his throat. Breathing seemed as if it would be difficult for the rest of his life. Still, Skymender had things to do. After reassuring his family that he was fine, he went to his room and took the poison vial out of the box. He then had a servant bring all of the other stuff that had been with him in the hospital to his room. This included his notes, his cauldron, and a few other miscellaneous instruments. Skymender looked at the vial, then at the notes. "Might as well play it safe." All of his materials and ingredients were at the school, safely stored in a room, so he would have to wait until tomorrow to do what he wanted to do. However, he was able to prepare. He called a servant in the room and told them to have a few things ready at the school for tomorrow Chapter 628: Antibodies - 628 Chapter 628 - Antibodies - 628 The servant nodded and left the room. The next morning, Skymender woke up and got ready. As usual, he got on a carriage with Melly and rode to the city. Melly seemed as usual, but also a bit quieter. Skymender did not feel bad for what he had said to her, for it was the truth. He didn''t have any feelings for her. He didn''t even really consider her much of a friend. She was more of a close acquaintance, though, to be fair, Skymender had no friends. They soon arrived at the academy and walked inside. The day went on as normal, save for Skymender''s new mask that everyone tried to take glances at. Skymender had never really spoken in school at all, but now, he actually had an excuse to never talk. The day went by and Skymender found himself in the same room as before. However, just outside, there were a few horses waiting for him. Luckily, this room had direct access to the outside, or it would have been awkward to bring the horse inside. He turned to Melly, who was standing in the room as if she was a servant. "Go on and wait outside for me." Skymender said. Melly hesitated. "Are you sure? Whatever you do, I won''t tell anyone. What if you get hurt again?" Skymender shook his head. "Go on." Melly reluctantly left. Skymender rummaged through his bag and took out a box. Inside of it was the vial of poison. He carefully sat it down, grabbed some tools, put on gloves, and opened it. The vial opened, and a faint green mist poured out of it. However, due to it not being heated, the mist was very faint. Still, Skymender held it far away from him. He quickly grabbed a tool, extracted a few drops from the vial, and closed it back up. He looked back at the dropper and began his first test. Corrosiveness. Taking varying materials, he dropped a drop of the poisonous substance on them. However, no matter what it was, the liquid would not corrode it at all. It would slowly release a mist, but other than that, it acted as water. Next, Skymender repeated the process of opening the vial and extracting a few drops from it for the next test. Do the effects happen on contact, or does the mist need to be inhaled? Naturally, he didn''t plan to test this on himself. Therefore, the horses. He walked outside and separated one of the horses from the rest. On its back, he dropped a drop of the poisonous substance. There was no reaction, so Skymender dropped a few more, until all of the drops had been used. He went inside, got a few more drops, and came back out. He took a different horse and separated it. This time, he was testing the poison once again. He held out a piece of paper and dropped a drop of the poisonous substance on it. A mist slowly moved up as the drop soaked into the paper. Skymender held it to the horse''s nose. Just a few moments after inhaling it, the horse yelped and jumped up, its front hooves coming off the ground. It shook its head as it began to back away, but the mist had already entered it. Skymender watched as it began to neigh loudly, clearly hurting. Its hooves soon began to scratch at its face, and a drop of blood poured out of its nose. However, after that, it seemed to stop. Besides slightly rougher breathing and the initial reaction, the horse seemed back to normal, simply laying down as it was tired. This was not unexpected. In fact, if the mist from a drop of the substance could kill a horse, Skymender would not have even made it to the hospital. He had luckily only inhaled a few breaths of the mist before backing away. Otherwise, he would have died. Skymender also had another reason to experiment on the living today. It was because of something called antibodies, a discovery that had shocked the world. It explained something that should have been obvious, but wasn''t. It was like how friction stopped objects from moving infinitely, how could a poison be stopped once it infected someone? The answer was antibodies, something the body produces to resist poison and disease. Theoretically, antibodies could be harvested to create an antidote. In fact, this had been proven. However, it was a complex process, one that very rarely worked. Usually, this was first started by exposing a poison to an animal in small doses, but for Skymender''s purposes, he could not care about the prolonged life of an animal. In other words, he had a better plan. First, he took the entire vial of poison, making sets of different sizes. He skipped the horse that had recently been in contact with the poisonous substance, a sort of mercy for its suffering, and skipped to one that had yet to be experimented on. He tied this one down strongly, making sure it couldn''t even move. It resisted, but Skymender had succeeded. He took a drop of poison on a piece of paper, and let the horse inhale it. It tried to move, but couldn''t. After a while, a drop of blood fell from its nose. Skymender took five drops of blood, put it on the paper, and let the horse inhale the mist. It had a much more violent reaction this time. However, in the end, blood poured from its nose, but it lived. Once all the symptoms stopped, Skymender took 25 drops and let the horse inhale the mist. It struggled violently, resisting on the verge of snapping the ropes that held it down. In the end, it fell, slowly dying. Skymender waited until the exact end of its life before taking a knife and cutting it. He began to collect its blood in a bucket prepared beforehand. Eventually, he filled the bucket. The rest would, unfortunately, be wasted. There was only one more piece of knowledge involving this process, and the rest was classified even for nobles. It needed intense spinning to separate the antibodies and everything else. There was no method mentioned, but Skymender had an idea. Chapter 629: Building Immunity - 629 Chapter 629 - Building Immunity - 629 It was the most advanced thing he could think of, spinning a small tube of blood with a rope. It seemed simple, and it was, but there was no other method for him to achieve this. He didn''t have access to whatever fancy method that the few who had ever successfully used this method had access to. He found two small ropes and tied them to a tube of blood. Using some exposed rafters on the ceiling, he tied the two ropes. With the tube hanging down, Skymender began to twist it so that the ropes wrapped around each other. He then let go. It began to spin fast, but there was no obvious change. Thinking about it, even if it was spinning fast enough, how would he gather the separated antibodies? Skymender sighed. This method... was impossible for him. Whatever sort of advanced tech was used at the Imperial Capital rarely worked, much less any method he could try. After all, the discovery of antibodies was just about as old as himself, and there had actually been no proven success, just rumors. Perhaps the method to get them had been theorized, but the required technology hadn''t. In other words, Skymender would need to come up with his own method. He could not simply blindly attempt to copy what he had heard about. However, at least he already had the blood. This would definitely be the involved, even if he failed to extract the antibodies. It may take a while to create antidotes from blood, but he had plenty of time to study. He was just a child after all. Just as Skymender was about to begin experimenting in an attempt to further his own understanding of blood, he suddenly had an idea. "Diseases have been widespread since the dawn of humanity, yet each time, humans survive. This is because humans build up an immunity as they get infected, and eventually, the disease has no more effect. Perhaps the key to this is the body producing antibodies until the antibodies naturally become a part of the body." He had no idea if this logic was true, it was just a theory. However, in the infinite universe, what idea did not have a possibility of becoming true, even if it initially wasn''t? "Instead of creating an antidote, I can become the antidote." There was only one way to test this theory. On himself. He would have tested it on other animals, but he was convinced that this theory must be true. Therefore, he blocked all of the windows and locked all of the doors. He took a drop out of the vial and dropped it on a piece of paper. He then took off his mask. He held the paper to his nose and the mist entered. He felt an acute pain shoot through his body. His throat began to close, and his body began to tingle. Even a large horse would be affected by a drop, much less the human body. Eventually, the effects began to lessen, and Skymenders body returned to how it had been, save for a drop of blood falling from his nose. He did not go up as fast as he had with the horse. He used one more drop, and experienced similar effects. For around thirty minutes, he continued this process. It hurt, it hurt a lot, but Skymender had no sympathy. To be cruel to oneself, and to be cruel to others. He felt justified in his cruelness to others, such as the horses, simply because he could be equally cruel to himself. He was taught to treat others how he wanted to be treated, so here it was. At the end of the thirty minutes, Skymender noticed that at the end, a drop of blood did not fall. It was slight, but he also noticed that the effects seemed lessened. His theory seemed true, and he felt a sense of victory. He took two drops of the poison and inhaled the mist. He felt the pain again, worse than thirty minutes ago. What Skymender could not see was the faint Qi in the surroundings. This world''s Qi was low, so low it should not be naturally possible. It was on the verge of being a world with no Qi, but if it was, it would have no life on it, and everything would be a shell. However, it did exist, and as the mist entered Skymender''s body, a faint green Qi traveled with it, dispersing into his body as the poison did. This would have no effect on cultivation at all, but it slightly changed his body each time, attuning to the poison that had entered. Slowly, Skymender''s body would gain more and more resistance to this poison. It was the human body''s natural functions combining with Qi to enhance its effects. Skymender inhaled two drops worth of mist at a time, slowly moving to three, before three hours passed. It was time to leave. If he did not do so, he would get in trouble. He cleaned up and left the room, bringing the half empty vial with him. He felt the same as when he got here, meaning he had no more permanent injuries. However, he was now resistant to his own poison, even if he still needed to gain further immunity. He soon found Melly, who let out a breath of relief. Skymender gestured to her and they entered the carriage, soon arriving at his house just before curfew. Baron Sky stared out of his window, relieved that Skymender had returned alive. He shook his head and turned around. Skymender entered the house and walked to his room, soon having dinner. As night came, he entered the library. It had been a while. He entered the secret room and found Skymerge inside. Melly had not come. Skymender looked at Skymerge. "It''s been a while." "All summer." Skymerge said. "Did you get lonely?" Skymender asked. "Surrounded by books, of course not." Skymerge said calmly. Chapter 630: Immunity - 630 Chapter 630 - Immunity - 630 Looking at Skymerge, Skymender had a feeling that he was similar to him in a way, the only difference being their pursuits in life. Skymerge buried himself into books, while Skymender had found an interest in science. "I heard that you''ve begun to study science." Skymerge mentioned. Skymender nodded as he walked around and looked for books to read. "Did you know there is another name for science?" Skymerge asked. Skymender shook his head. "It is also known as comprehending the Universe." Skymender stopped looking for books and turned to Skymerge. "Don''t be confused by its current name. It is not limited by the world, but by imagination. If you fully understand science, then it means you have fully understood the universe." Skymender sighed. "Your thoughts are still deeper than mine, brother." "You can fool others, but you can''t fool me." Skymerge said without looking up from his book. Skymender laughed and picked out a book. For around an hour, he read it. However, he had school tomorrow and soon put it down. Skymerge did not leave. Whether he was going to sleep in here or just stay later, Skymender did not know. The next morning, Skymender once again got up and rode in a carriage to school. Like always, school went by without surprises, and the fun part came after. Once again sending Melly out of the room, Skymender began to increase his immunity to his poison. He continued to go up in doses, slowly reaching incredible amounts. The day passed, and the one after that, and the one after that. Finally, a week passed since he first started to increase his immunity. Today, he stood in front of a cauldron. He heated it up and added the corpse of a poisonous mosquito species, the corpse of a poisonous butterfly species, and the blood of a poisonous frog. Everything began to mix into each other, releasing a mist. Skymender looked down, acting as if the mist wasn''t there. He inhaled the mist, but no matter how much time passed, nothing happened to him. He had become immune to his poison. As the mixture continued to heat up and mix, the mist became darker and darker. At some point Skymender began to feel a tingle. Skymender smiled. His poison had been deadly before, but in actuality, it had not even been finished. Eventually, as he finished, a drop of blood came out from his nose. His throat started to hurt a little, but he had long gotten used to the pain. He collected the poison in the cauldron, which amounted to a total of two vials. As the process had gone on, the amount of poison continued to lessen. When he spilled the cauldron the first time, there was about ten vials worth of poison in total. But now, the complete poison amounted to only 2 vials. Skymender put them in a tightly closed box and kept them on his person. No matter what happened, he now felt as if he had an absolute defense. However, this was not the end of his poison creating experiments. This merely marked the beginning. One only needed to make a single successful poison to be considered a master, but to become the absolute greatest, far more than that was necessary. Skymender had plenty of materials, and after experimenting so much, he felt that his understanding of poison was deeper. After all, it had taken multiple attempts to create his first poison. With his new knowledge, he had a new combination in mind. Bark from the rot tree, the withered corpse of a non-poisonous swamp animal that had been killed by poison after entering, in this case the common grey bird, and finally the mud of the poisonous swamp itself. For some reason, he felt as if this combination would be successful. He put all of it into the cauldron and began to mix it. He first added the mud of the poisonous swamp. It would be hard to make the other stuff a liquid otherwise. Next, after the mud was boiling, he added the bark from the rot tree, a tree which, after existing in the poisonous swamp for several years, had corroded to the point of near death. Yet somehow, this species of tree had evolved to survive in this near death state for as long as normal trees outside of the poisonous swamp. He crushed the bark into pieces and let it fall into the mud. Naturally, as he did this, he took notes of the amounts added. Before he added the withered corpse of the grey bird, he noticed something was off. Before, he wouldn''t have noticed it, but after successfully creating a poison, he was able to at least have a feeling that something was wrong. He waited a few more moments, and the mixture suddenly started to turn dark. Anyone would be able to tell that this attempt had failed. The amounts he had put in were not right. If he had to make a guess, he would add more of the bark. So he did just that. Luckily, the bark from the rot tree was one of the cheaper materials. However, he did not have an infinite amount. Skymender added 1.5 times the amount of bark this time. The mixture seemed stable, though it had changed color a bit. This was expected. Finally, Skymender threw in the entire withered corpse of a grey bird, which had died after entering the poisonous swamp. As it entered, the mixture turned black, but not the black of failure. It was the black of death. A horrible smell was released as the withered corpse mixed into the bark and the mud. Skymender had taken out the bones and the beak before, which allowed everything to dissolve. After a while, Skymender took the cauldron off of the heat and began to study the concoction while it was still hot. He first smelled it, but it did not seem to have any effect. He wasn''t sure if it was even successful, but he began to scoop some up into a glass vial. As the glass vial entered the concoction, Skymender heard a distinct sizzling sound. Chapter 631: Corrosive - 631 Chapter 631 - Corrosive - 631 Skymender held the glass up and was shocked by the sight. The glass vial was completely missing the part of it that had entered the poison. Cracks ran up the remaining part of the vial. It was close to completely falling apart. Skymender looked down confused. If the poison could melt the glass, why wasn''t the cauldron melting? As if on cue, a drop of poison fell from the bottom of the cauldron. Skymender jumped back as the bottom of the cauldron began to dissolve as if it was melting. A few drops splashed onto his arm, instantly corroding his skin. He hit the drops with his other hand, but he felt corrosion on it too. Luckily, the liquid was not unstoppable. The few drops quickly ceased their corrosion properties and were flicked off by Skymender. His cauldron, the table, and the floor were not so lucky. The cauldron had become scrap metal, which hurt Skymender''s heart. It had been very expensive. The table had a huge hole through it. The floor was beginning to corrode as well, though the poison showed signs of stopping. He made sure his papers were okay before studying the situation. The poison eventually stopped corroding the floor. After all, it was a limited amount and did not have the ability to infinitely corrode. There was a large hole in the floor, about as deep as Skymenders ankle, but as wide as two of him. It did not seem like much damage, but the floor was made of pure concrete and even a sledge hammer would have difficulty cracking it. It seemed that, although making it was possible, storing it was impossible. However, as he thought, Skymender had an incredible thought. It seemed difficult, but after thinking of it, he couldn''t help but try it. Unfortunately, he did not have a cauldron to make it at the moment. He left the room, surprising Melly. She had become used to him staying as late as possible. They left and returned home. Skymender immediately found one of the more important servants and requested ten cauldrons exactly like the one he had before. She smiled, but hesitated. "Lord Skymender... The materials to create that are exceptionally expensive. Even Baron Sky may take notice." Skymender waved his hand. "Don''t worry about it. He won''t mind. Probably." He mumbled the last part under his breath, but the servant didn''t hear him. "Alright then. If you say so. However, such a creation can only be made in the Imperial Capital. I can send a few servants out immediately in a noble carriage carrying your order, if that is what you want." Skymender nodded. He had known it would be impossible to create around these parts. It would also be possible in the Royal Capital, but it would be more expensive there and the wait would still be fairly long. Skymender could use his fathers money to some extent, but he didn''t want to push the limits. The servant relayed his orders and he had a wait time of around thirty days. Until then, he sent someone to the nearby city to have a much lower quality cauldron made, but one that looked the same. It would be done by tomorrow. Just in case, he ordered ten of them. Hopefully, his father wouldn''t notice the expenses. He went to sleep and woke up the next day, ready as always. His father did not say anything to him, and Skymender soon found himself in the room after school. It had been cleaned up a little bit from before. After all, this room was occasionally used in teachings. Skymender found a new table and placed a new cauldron on it. It was definitely inferior compared to before, but it would do as long as he did not create anything corrosive. Though, after many uses, it may deteriorate. Skymender began to use different materials, experimenting with amount and timing. He did not plan to have any success, just seeing how different materials interacted with each other and their various changes Most importantly, he continued experimenting with blood. He still felt that it was something with the most potential. After all, it should logically carry the characteristics of the being it came from. The Echo Chameleon''s blood made a gem change color, so by association, it should work with all animals. Skymender tried various methods over multiple days, gaining a lot of information over various subjects. Like this, he was able to steadily progress in this field of study. Thirty days was not a short time, and there was much that he could accomplish in that time. After a week, he began to write a book recording all of the information he had learned. Scattered papers were getting too messy and hard to organize. It would not be published or shared, just a record of his studies and findings. As he wrote, he saw the marks on his hand and arm. It came from the corrosive poison that he had got on him. It was slowly starting to heal, but he wasn''t sure if it would ever be the same. Regardless, he already had a permanent mask. Nothing else would likely change his appearance as much. Speaking of that, it was about time to change how it looked. Since he could customize it, he may as well make it fancy. The next day, after school, he did not go to his "Club", but entered the city. He was familiar with it, having visited multiple times. To be honest, it was on the verge of being a simple village, barely considered a city. A Baron having a city in their territory was already rare. After all, most simply did not have enough care to create an entire city, which would take loads of money and effort. Even if they were planning to live there, making it a city would be too difficult for it to be worth it. The Sky Barony''s city was partially formed through natural migration, and the rest was the pushing of Baron Sky, this one and ones of the past. They were quite lucky to have it. Chapter 632: New Mask - 632 Chapter 632 - New Mask - 632 There were very few tall buildings above two stories, as well as a lack of a central building above them all, as was custom in most cities. However, it still counted as a city nonetheless. Skymender made his way to the hospital, his carriage receiving astonished and excited looks from all who saw it. Here, he was akin to royalty. Skymender quickly arrived and made his way inside. As if expecting him, he was quickly met by multiple doctors. Upon sharing his goal for coming, he was brought to another section of the hospital. He met with someone that was half a doctor and half an artist. He specialized in making better looking medical assistants. For example, a cane could be customized to look elegant or aged. A brace for a broken bone could be designed with tiger patterns. A mask on the face could be recolored or drawn on. Of course for Skymender, the options were much greater than others. In fact, as long as his request did not exceed the artist''s capability, he could do whatever he wanted. Skymender thought long and hard before coming to a decision. His current mask only covered his mouth and nose, but he would design a mask that would cover the entire bottom of his face. It would be white with golden patterns on the outside. He stated his idea to the artist, who immediately nodded. He drew up some sketches, and after slight changes, declared that it would be done by tomorrow. Without a doubt, the artist would put his heart and soul into it, especially since it would be created using real gold, a chance he may never get again. Skymender believed in his abilities and returned home for the day. Skipping school, he returned the next day. He was instantly brought to the artist, whose eyes were clearly tired. He must have not slept at all. However, he was clearly excited. "Lord Skymender. I have completed your new mask to the best of my ability. It has already been incorporated with the same technology on your mask, meaning it is as efficient as your current one and ready to wear." The artist said excitedly. He then opened the box he was holding, allowing Skymender to see inside. Skymender saw it and smiled. It was just as he had imagined it. He gave the artist a nod and spoke. "Very good." He kept his words short since his throat was still injured and always would be. The artist smiled at his acknowledgement. Skymender took off his mask and breathed the fresh air. However, he soon felt his breathing become difficult. In less than an hour, it would be hard for him to breathe. Skymender took the mask out of the box and put it on. For the first time in a while, he felt good. The mask covered more of his face, but it also gave balance. The pure white fabric and the golden patterns made him seem even richer than he was. Luckily, the gold was not very expensive since it was in a very small amount. Skymender paid the artist a handsome amount for his good work and left. Upon returning home, he was greeted by his Mother and Father. They were surprised to see him wearing a new mask. However, they instantly found it more pleasing to the eye. The other mask looked awkward since it was just a circle on the face. This made it look much better. It also looked very expensive, but also worth the money. Baron Sky knew exactly how much money Skymender had been spending, but as long as it was not wasted, he could endure. After all, they made plenty of money. Skymender''s spendings combined were around 1% of their yearly profit. This was definitely a large amount, but it was okay since he was, after all, their son. His mother came closer and studied the mask for a while, but his father continued on with whatever he was doing. His mother soon left, leaving Skymender as the only member of the Sky Barony in the house. There were servants, but nobody else. Even after living so long, this was a rare situation. He returned to his room and saw Li Youcai standing outside of it. "Back so soon, Lord Skymender?" He asked. Skymender nodded. "I like the new look. I received a letter for you from the Imperial Capital." Li Youcai handed him a letter. It was naturally from a noble at least, but it was not marked. Skymender opened it and saw some words written down. "A pity about your injuries. However, it has not knocked you down. Admirable. A master of poison could be greatly useful to the Empire, but there are very few who survive to reach that level. Most either die alongside the way or get scared into stopping their experimentation. Don''t die. Don''t give up. I don''t want to be disappointed - Imperial Scholar. P.S. Have you ever considered becoming a scholar?" Skymender was surprised. He did not expect the Imperial Scholar to have noticed him enough to send him such a letter. Although he had reached the top in the intelligence exam, it had only been because of the adjustment for age. Yet, the Imperial Scholar had clearly been keeping tabs on him. He even knew about him practicing poison, though it was not as if he was trying to hide it. This changed his thinking about the Imperial Scholar. Perhaps he had plans for him. As for becoming a scholar, Skymender had indeed thought of it. It did not seem like a bad path to take, nor an exclusive one. He could still practice poison or research while becoming a scholar. All that one needed to become a scholar was wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge. Of course, to reach such a level, talent and the correct disposition was needed. Being a scholar was about being above normal people. Noble scholars were rare since they were born above others and tended to be arrogant, but commoner scholars were like nobles among commoners. Chapter 633: Success - 633 Chapter 633 - Success - 633 Whether or not he would become a scholar was not something that Skymender really needed to think about right now. He already spent a lot of time learning and knew more than anybody else in his school. To further his education without going deeper into one or two subjects, he would have to wait until he entered the Imperial School. That was where all the deeper knowledge was gathered for the future talents of the Empire, those who would go on to replace the current generation and take on a role as the upholders of the Empire. When he got to that point, whether or not he would become a scholar would be decided. There was still plenty of time before his ten high quality cauldrons arrived, so Skymender began to move on to the next phase of experiments. After school, he arrived at the lab and found multiple different cauldrons made of different materials. This was to test whether or not the corrosive poison would have an effect on some materials, but not others. From the drops he spilled on himself, he already knew that it worked against living beings. However, concocting and storing it was still completely impossible. He would either need to find a metal resistant enough to stop the corrosion, though that would lead to the corrosive properties dying out, or something that simply did not trigger the corrosion. Naturally, with such a metal likely not existing and not being effective regardless, he opted for the second method. Some of the materials could be used to try and create the poison itself, hence them being shaped like cauldrons. Though, most could not. He still had them shaped as cauldrons because why not? This was Skymenders second idea. His first was for if this did not end up working. Skymender started simply. The first few cauldrons were the shapes of various woods. He used one of the metal cauldrons to begin and only poured the substance into the wood cauldrons before adding the third ingredient. In the end, all of the wood cauldrons corroded. Skymender moved through cauldrons of various materials, some metal, some made from various plants, and some made from artificially created substances. However, in the end, without fail, they corroded. Skymender wasn''t sure whether this was a good result or a bad one. What he did know was that it was time to move onto the next plan. That was to keep the poison incomplete and store it. It would be activated by combining it with the last ingredient. The issue was, he would not always have access to heat and a cauldron. Therefore, he would need to make it so that they immediately formed the corrosive poison upon touching. After thinking, he would make the final ingredient the bark of the rot tree. After all, sprinkling some bark would be easier than carrying around a poisoned corpse. So, Skymender used one of his cauldrons and mixed the body of a poisoned corpse with that of the poisonous swamps mud. They mixed together smoothly under the heat. Skymender stored the result in a vial. He then tested it out. With the bark of the rot tree ready, he threw the vial at the wall and it broke. He then threw crushed up pieces of the bark at the substance. But nothing happened. This was expected. The normal result would only be seen under heat. It would be unreasonable for it to work. So he needed to refine the bark in advance. How he would do so required experimentation. Logically, turning it into a liquid should allow it to mix better, but Skymender wasn''t sure what combination of ingredients would allow for such a mixture to work properly in combination with the unfinished poison. After thinking for a while, he used more mud from the poisonous swamp. Water would most likely cause the poisonous substance to spread out and weaken, perhaps not activate at all. It was too liquid. Only the same mud as before seemed reasonable. In a cauldron, he mixed the bark of the rot tree with the mud from the poisonous swamp. He collected the result in a vial. He then made another batch of the poisonous swamp mud mixed with a poisoned corpse. With the two vials, he threw them at the wall at the same time. They broke, and the two substances mixed. Though it was hidden under the mask, Skymender couldn''t help but smile at the result. He clearly heard sizzling, and as the liquid fell, he saw the corrosion left behind on the wall. It was a success. Not reveling in it for long, he left the room. He saw Melly, and next to her were two servants. Li Youcai, and one of hers. Skymender spoke to Li Youcai. He explained a design for a two sided vial. Li Youcai listened and wrote it down, promising to have it made soon. Meanwhile, Skymender returned to the lab and began to produce a bunch of the two mixtures. This lasted until he ran out of rot tree bark and was almost out of poisoned corpses. Even his supply of poisonous swamp mud was running very low. But what he had made was enough for a long time. This was not a poison that could have an antidote. Its effects were instant and deadly. There was no adequate defense against it, and it had a variety of uses. This ranged from simple killing and destruction to tactical invasions or even assassination. From what Skymender understood, even Sword Masters would not be able to resist the effects of this poison. Of course, if he was facing a Sword Master, he wouldn''t have the chance to even throw the vial before being killed. But the fact that no normal adversary was qualified to kill him left him relieved. Skymender stored all of the mixtures in a hidden area and returned home. The next day, after school, many newly created vials were in the room. They had openings on two sides, as well as two lids. He poured one mixture into one side and closed it. He flipped it upside down and poured the other mixture in the other side. Chapter 634: Unbearable Pain - 634 Chapter 634 - Unbearable Pain - 634 After doing it to one vial, he repeated the process many times. Eventually, every bit of the two mixtures he made were gone, placed into the two sided vials. There was actually more than he could carry on him. Luckily, he had brought some chests with him and stored most of the vials inside of them. He also kept some of the vials on him. Naturally, it was quite risky to have a dangerous poison kept in a glass vial, especially since he was not immune to this poison. Luckily, he had made sure that the glass it was stored in was strong. After storing them, he took out one and looked at the wall in front of him. He took the vial and launched it at the wall. The glass broke, and the mixtures mixed instantly. After just a moment, the wall began to corrode and let off a gas. Skymender watched with a smile as it slowly settled down. However, as he watched it, he couldn''t help but feel the desire to become immune to it. It seemed much less logical than becoming immune to his other poison. After all, this was less of a poison and more of a corrosive substance. But he really wanted to try. He watched on silently as the poisonous substance slowly stopped corroding the wall and the floor. Finally, he gritted his teeth, reciting a reference from a book. "Scared money don''t make money." He took out a poison vial, and before he could think or hesitate, he threw it at the wall and stepped forward. As the mixtures mixed, he placed his hand on the wall. A gas slowly started the float as Skymender felt it. He gritted his teeth, but he could not resist letting out an unintentional roar of pain. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!" ¡ª------------------- A few hours later, it was time to go. Skymender left the room and returned to the carriage. Melly sat nearby, reading a book. She looked up and saw Skymender. The first thing he saw was his pale face and bloodshot eyes, but besides that, he looked fine. She had worried long ago, but after seeing him leave tired and weak every time, she got used to it. Of course, worry was still present. However, she couldn''t help but notice the glove on his hand. "Did something happen, Skymender?" Skymender shook his head. "Nothing unusual. It''s just a bit cold today." Melly nodded, though she felt something was off. It was still technically summer after all, even if it was nearing the end. As they rode in the carriage, Skymender did his best to hide his hand, which was shaking beyond his control. He also did his best to hide the pain constantly assaulting him. When they arrived at his house, Skymender walked to his room and locked his door behind him without greeting anyone. As soon as the door was closed behind him, he hurriedly took off the glove and held his forearm while staring at his shaking hand. It was completely devoid of outer skin. Only the layers underneath were somewhat intact. He would have been bleeding, but the poison had corroded the blood as well. In addition to all of this, dark green, almost black, veins were present on his hand and traveling up his arm. He should have expected this and tested it on a living being first, but it seemed that the corrosive poison also indeed contained a poison beyond its corrosive properties. It was obvious, but he had overlooked it. He gritted his teeth in pain. He did not move, only focusing all of his attention on resisting the pain. He was not a cultivator, he was a mortal. A young mortal. It was ridiculous to expect him to be able to completely ignore or resist such intense pain. The vast majority of mortals would not experience something so painful in their entire lives. He stayed like that for an hour before hearing a knock on his door. "Skymender. Are you coming for dinner or not? Are you okay?" It was his mother''s voice. Skymender gritted his teeth and slid the glove back on. It hurt a lot as he did so, but once it was on, the pain lessened. Of course, it was just as bad as it had been earlier. Skymender took a few moments to gather his breath. "Skymender? Is something wrong?" Skymender finally stood up and opened the door. Rubbing his eyes, he looked at his mother. "Oh. I''m sorry. Did I wake you up?" Skymender nodded. "Sorry. Dinner is done." Skymender nodded again and walked outside of his room. He followed his mother as they walked towards the dining room. Soon, they arrived. Everyone still living in the house was gathered, but it was quite empty compared to the past. Only four children, plus Melly, sat at the table. Skymender, Skymerge, Skytear, and Skyhue, who was hardly a child. In fact, she had recently become an adult, turning 18. She was also the only adult living with her parents. Everyone knew she was doted on by their father the most. His oldest daughter could beat him up easily, so his second daughter became the one he treated like most fathers treated their daughters. In fact, he had invited her to come back. As they began to eat, Baron Sky noticed Skymender''s glove. "What happened there?" "Nothing much. Just a little cold." Baron Sky did not believe him for a second. However, he would not question him further in front of everyone else. "I like your new mask." Skyhue said. Skymender thanked her. Naturally, Skymender had to pull down his mask to eat. He was lucky to be able to even take off his mask. If he had breathed in just a few more breaths of the poison, he would have either died or been forced to constantly wear the mask just to survive. Dinner proceeded smoothly and amicably. Skymender began to walk back to his room, but his father met him in the hallway. "Let me see your hand." He said sternly. Chapter 635: Proving - 635 Chapter 635 - Proving - 635 His tone did not give Skymender any room to refuse. "Are you sure? Sometimes, it is better not to see." This just strengthened Baron Sky''s resolve. "If I''m going to let you continue this, I need transparency." Skymender sighed. He did not hesitate. He began to pull off his glove, gritting his teeth as he did so. His fathers face slowly turned from anger and worry to horror as he saw Skymender''s hand. He was stunned, unable to speak. Skymender looked at him while panting. "Are you happy?" His father stared at his hand for a while longer before looking at him in the eyes. "Skymender. This cannot go on." "We''ve already been over this." Skymender said. His father shook his head. "I''m not ordering you or forcing you to stop. I''ve come as a father, not Baron Sky. This is harmful, and you could die. Accidents like this could easily kill you. Look at your hand. Notice your breathing. What has this path brought you besides pain?" Skymender listened to his father before speaking. "You want to see what this has brought me. Then come along. I''ll show you clearly and let you decide if my efforts have been wasted or not." He led his father out of the house. He naturally would not tell him that only one of his injuries had been caused by an accident. This one had been on purpose. It had exceeded even his expectations, but it would heal nonetheless. His father and him quickly arrived at a quiet location. In front of Skymender was a tree. He felt bad using it as a testing target, but it wasn''t special or anything. He took out a vial and threw it at the tree. His father watched on silently. The vial broke, and the tree began to corrode. In mere moments, it began to creak, and slowly collapsed on itself. Skymender turned around and looked at his father, who was staring at the fallen tree in silence. "Indeed. It is powerful, an incredible invention." He paused for a moment. "But what use exactly does it have? What are you planning to do that would require that?" Skymender spoke. "Beyond self protection, I don''t know. What I do know is that if anyone has intentions to harm me or my family, they won''t be able to as long as I have these." Skymender handed his father one. "What do you think?" Baron Sky sighed, and he seemed to age a bit. "I cannot stop you regardless. Just be safe." He pocketed the vial. Even he knew of its value. He would not sell it or research it. Perhaps, as Skymender had said, it would save someone''s life one day. However, it may also take another. Skymender wasn''t sure how his father was feeling, but it seemed he was a bit disappointed in Skymender''s decision to continue researching poison. Skymender knew far more about the dangers and risks than his father did, but he had no plans to stop regardless. With great danger comes great opportunity. Skymender put the glove back on his hand and walked to his room. He spent the next few days going to school, but not staying after. His hand was so messed up that even if he tried to research, it would be impossible. He needed steady hands, or at least hands in general. Just one would not work. He continued to not stay after school until the 10 cauldrons finally came in. At that point, the pain had lessened a lot. He wasn''t sure if he had gained resistance to the poison, but he had definitely gained some resistance to pain. He planned to test out the corrosive poison again, but he wanted to get some research in before he did so. Skymender began to once again perform basic research. He did not intend to create any poisons, but instead gain a greater understanding of different materials and how they interact with each other. He did this for a while, spanning a month of time. Finally, he found himself back in the room with a vial of corrosive poison in his hand. Looking at his empty hand, it had somewhat healed. It was very clearly messed up. In its entirety, it was scarred and deformed. It was as if it was the hand of a 200 year old mummy. In addition to that were the veins of dark green, which neared blackness, that had remained present. Luckily, there didn''t seem to be any negative effects from them. He had already experienced the pain once, over a long period of time, and he was no longer scared of it. It would still hurt, and he was dreading it, but it was going to happen. He needed to see the changes the last round had brought. Now that it had fully healed, if his guess was right, he should have some immunity to the corrosive poison. He looked at his hand, which had stopped hurting, and threw the vial at the wall. He stepped forward and pushed his hand forward. He instantly felt the same pain. It hadn''t lessened in the slightest. He forcefully kept his hand there until the corrosion stopped by itself. He panted as he nearly fell, but he didn''t scream out this time. After all, he had been experiencing similar pain for more than a month. Although the pain itself hadn''t lessened, Skymender looked down at his hand. Through his pain, he saw a pleasant surprise. His skin was not corroded as much as it had been the last time. It was barely noticeable, but it was still proof that he hadn''t been suffering for nothing. Skymender stayed in the room, waiting for the initial pain to die down, before slipping on the glove and leaving. Melly saw his pale face and bloodshot eyes, a sight she had not seen in a while, and instantly felt worried. But seeing as Skymender did not say anything, she did not either. Skymender returned home, and his father, noticing his current state, sighed. Chapter 636: Invitation - 636 Chapter 636 - Invitation - 636 His father walked away without saying anything. His mother asked a few questions, concerned, but Skymender waved them off and said he was fine. She had long been suspicious of his actions, but when she went to Baron Sky he had told her not to worry about it, that it was all under control and Skymender would be fine. She had accepted that, but she couldn''t help but worry. Skymender soon made it alone, where he began to manage the constant pain. Another month passed. Skymender had healed faster this time. Taking it as a sign, he repeated the process. Becoming immune would no doubt take a long time, but Skymender felt as if it would definitely happen. And this wasn''t the same as becoming immune to a poison. That was very specific, and most immunities wouldn''t make you immune to other poisons. This was corrosion, and he was becoming immune to it. In other words, whether it was his corrosive poison or another, he would be immune to the corrosion effect. Of course, this was also not like poison in another way. He could become fully immune to a certain poison, no matter how strong it was, but it was impossible to become completely immune to corrosion. There could always be something more corrosive out there. He could only become as immune as his corrosive poison would allow. Even more time passed. Skymender turned 10 years old. It was hard to remember, but he was only 9 years old this entire time. Suffering to become immune to poison, as well as corrosion, he had battled through pain that no adult could withstand. Yet he was only 9, now 10. Even Skymender felt that his future was limitless. It was clear to see. What other 9 year old could be his equal? He did not know of any. Skymender''s life did not change at all even after turning 10. He continued with the same cycle. Eventually, everyone around him got used to his pale face and bloodshot eyes. It was not even mentioned anymore. As time passed, the school year ended and summertime began again. Skymender did not plan to go to the Imperial Capital, he had no need to. Plus, it was not good to overdo it. However, after receiving a letter in the mail, his mind was changed. Once again, he received a letter from the Imperial Scholar. It had been nearly a year since the last one. "Hello, Skymender. Your devotion to research is impressive. I am inviting you to the Imperial Scholar camp over the summer. What is that, you ask? I just made it. It is for those with the highest potential to become a scholar. It will begin two weeks after summer starts. I warn you, do not miss this opportunity. You may never get it again." Skymender was surprised. However, putting the pieces together, he had indeed heard of the Imperial Scholar''s old age. If he had heard correctly, he had turned 70 this year. It was not surprising that this camp had been created. More than producing scholars, he was most likely searching for a future Imperial Scholar. It would be hard to replace him. Just like the current Emperor and Sword Master Shang were some of the greatest of their roles in the Empire''s history, the current Imperial Scholar was one of the greatest Imperial Scholars on record. There was nobody clearly better than him, just those considered as good as him. It truly was an incredible era for the Faceless Empire. Skymender truly could not ignore this invitation. Simply being taught by the Imperial Scholar was a rare opportunity, experienced by extremely few. Melly had already returned to her parents home, so Skymender immediately went to his parents. They were thrilled to hear the news. His mother nearly wept tears of joy. Skymender''s future seemed as bright as their two eldest children. They really could not ask for more. Nobody even considered the possibility of him not accepting. They would not allow it to happen regardless, even if Skymender wished to reject it. Since there were two weeks until its start, and it took ten days to reach the Imperial Capital, Skymender would depart tomorrow. Before that, however, he returned to the school lab. Though this year of school was over, Skymender naturally had access to the lab. He entered and collected his items. This included his ten cauldrons, his notes, and his most important ingredients. He would leave the less important stuff here. He could always buy more in the Imperial Capital. Most importantly, he looked at a nearly destroyed wall. It had actually already been replaced twice. Luckily, it wasn''t structurally important. It seemed to be on its last legs. Skymender threw a vial at it and stepped forward with his hand out. His hand touched the corrosive substance, but he did not react. It corroded his hand, but only by a single layer. Even patches of the first layer of his skin were not corroded. The pain was intense, but nothing compared to before. In addition, his pain resistance had increased by leaps and bounds. In addition to this, he had noticed something accidentally a while ago. Once, when he had done this, a drop or two of the corrosive substance had splashed onto his other arm. Although it had hurt and had gone deeper than it would have on his other arm, he was able to clearly tell that it was more resistant than it should have been, especially since that was its first time in contact with the corrosive poison. Skymender expected that he had a bit of resistance everywhere, though he did not plan to test it. His testing hand was already horribly scarred, never to recover. Even where that drop had hit was a clear mark. He did not mind scars, but doing so unnecessarily was pointless. Skymender eventually returned home and fell asleep. The next morning, just as he woke up, he found another letter from the Imperial Scholar. Chapter 637: Imperial Scholar Camp Campus - 637 Chapter 637 - Imperial Scholar Camp Campus - 637 Skymender opened the letter and read it. "Congratulations on entering the Imperial Scholar camp. I assume. I will now explain the general design of the Imperial Camp. When you first arrive, you will be taken into the Imperial Capital by people employed by the Imperial Camp. During your stay, you will be in one place, the Imperial Scholar Camp Campus. Everything you need will be provided, but leaving the Campus will not be permitted unless under special circumstances. This is not to imprison you or prevent you from speaking about the Imperial Scholar Camp Campus, but to allow you to completely focus on studies and learning during this time. Further information will be provided at the Campus. Good luck." Skymender put the letter down. Now, with more information, he was ready to set out. He naturally took some books with him, along with a few other things he had packed. He did not bring too much. After all, he did not know how much room he would have. Waving goodbye to everyone, he left the Sky Barony house and began his long journey to the Imperial Capital. He brought less people this time, totaling only two carriages. Naturally, he brought along Li Youcai. He also brought Hope. The ride was calm and boring. Skymender found himself staring out of the window most of the time. He didn''t feel as immature as before. In fact, he even felt aged. He had experienced a lot in the last year. There wasn''t much talking, nor were there any unforeseen circumstances. Ten days later the giant walls of the Imperial Capital appeared in the distance. Skymender prepared himself. They arrived at the gates. They skipped the lines, of course. Skymender stepped out of the carriage and was received by a scholarly looking man. "Lord Skymender. I have been sent by the Imperial Scholar Camp to pick you up." Skymender nodded. "Let''s go." Without another word, he boarded a carriage. Li Youcai and Hope stayed behind. Until it was time to leave, they would stay at his aunt''s house. The carriage moved swiftly through the bustling city. The scholarly man sat inside of the carriage with Skymender while someone else drove it. "Here is a basic list of the rules. If anything needs to be known outside of what is in here, it will be spoken to you. If you have any questions, you can ask them to me whenever." Skymender nodded and began to read the book. There were a lot of rules. Some were written in smaller font, while some were written bigger. Skymender focused mostly on the bigger rules, before focusing on the smaller ones. Eventually, he had a gist of the Imperial Scholar Camp. He understood how it would work for the most part. He looked at the scholarly man and asked a question. "How many people will be at the Camp?" The book had rules, but not anything about the more specific information. "Including you, 16." Skymender nodded. It would be weirder if there weren''t so few people. These were all people with the potential to be the future Imperial Scholar. Skymender asked another question. "How old are they?" "I cannot completely confirm, but you are definitely the youngest among all of them." Skymender nodded. Also expected. He did not have any important questions at the moment, and they soon arrived at a large gate. Inside was a walled area, but it was extremely large. He had never seen this area before. It was in a weird area neither in the commoner area nor the noble area. It was near the Imperial Palace, but not in its sector. Skymender and the Scholarly man stepped out of the carriage. As he looked at the gate, it slowly opened. Inside, a brick path lay. Ahead were multiple buildings, each one multiple stories and clearly very expensive. The scholarly man walked inside, leading the way. "Welcome to the newly created Imperial Scholar Camp Campus, Skymender." Along the path were beautiful trees with falling leaves. If he had come here during the fall, its beauty would have been multiplied. He was led along, and soon reached one of the buildings. "This is the male dormitory. You can go in and choose any room on the first floor. Later on, based on performance, other rooms can be obtained." Skymender nodded. "You have a few days to settle in and explore. There are plenty of restaurants, and all food is free. There are other things around, though not everything is currently accessible. When the time comes, I will come and get you." Skymender nodded again. "What should I call you?" The elderly man spoke. "I am but a scholar. You can call me Scholar Ming. During your stay, I will be guiding you." Skymender nodded. "Thank you, Scholar Ming." Scholar Ming bowed as Skymender turned and entered the building. He walked around the first floor, which in itself had more than 16 rooms. Even if all of the people participating in this camp were male, there would be enough rooms. A few of the doors had indications that they were taken. Skymender found a random one close to the door and entered it. Inside was a simple, but sufficient room. It had a bed, a desk, necessary rooms such as a kitchen and a bathroom, as well as many expensive appliances such as a stove. Skymender dropped the few bags he had brought on the ground and looked around. There was not anything special, but everything was expensive. Skymender changed his clothes and relaxed for a while. The long carriage ride had caused a bunch of built up fatigue, especially since he was still young. He took a short nap before waking up and taking a shower. Wearing new clothes, he stepped out of his room. He looked around the male dormitory, but did not see anyone. He stepped outside and walked further into the Imperial Scholar Camp Campus. He saw many congregated buildings, and as he walked further, he finally saw another person. Chapter 638: The Beginning of Camp - 638 Chapter 638 - The Beginning of Camp - 638 Looking through a window, he saw a woman in uniform. Clearly, she worked at the building she was inside of. Curious, Skymender walked through the wide open glass doors and looked around. The restaurant seemed very advanced and even a bit futuristic. The woman looked up as he entered. "Welcome, young scholar." Skymender nodded. "Hello. What is this place?" The woman explained. "This is a coffee shop. Here, we sell many types of coffee, some of which would be hard to find even in the Imperial Capital. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me, but there is a menu right over there." She pointed behind her, where a counter stood. Above that counter, hanging on a wall, was a menu. It didn''t have prices. After all, all the food here was free, and Skymender was aware of that. Since it was free, he decided to try one. There were a lot of names he did not understand. In fact, the only one he understood was the black coffee. "I''ll try a... Frapuchino." "You mean a Frappuccino? Would you like chocolate or caramel?" "Chocolate." Skymender said after hesitating a moment. "Coming right up." She said. Skymender watched as she took ice, poured something in it, mixed it up with some sort of blending machine, and added some stuff on top. "Here you go." Skymender looked at it. "Aren''t coffees supposed to be hot?" "Not all of them. As I said, even the Imperial Capital may not have some of the drinks here. This campus, obviously, doesn''t count." Skymender nodded and took a sip. It was surprisingly good. He had never liked coffee, but this tasted more like ice cream. Skymender walked out of the shop, drink in hand, and made his way around. He saw a few more buildings, some restaurants, some stores, and some closed down. The streets actually felt quite desolate. Skymender entered a few shops and asked some questions about their products. The non-food stores required something to buy their products with, and not money. He didn''t feel like eating anything, so he did not stay at any other food places. Skymender eventually returned to his room without seeing another person participating in the Imperial Scholar Camp. He stayed there for a while, occasionally looking out his window at the scenery below. Eventually, he did get hungry. Venturing out of his room, he stopped at a restaurant he had inquired at before. This place sold steak, among other expensive meats. Skymender got to sit at the top of the building, a place with a great view of the surrounding areas. He ate steak and drank water, looking down below. Suddenly, someone entered his vision. He was instantly able to tell that she was a participant of the Imperial Scholar Camp. She looked around 16 years old. As if sensing his eyes, she looked up and saw him. Skymender saw a bit of surprise flash in her eyes before she looked away. She was most likely surprised by his age. Skymender did not look at her any longer either. He wasn''t particularly interested in anyone else here. Not unless they proved themselves to be worthy of his attention. He took his time eating, before returning to his room. The few days before the start passed like this. As more time went on, he saw more and more people, though never two others at the same time. He never interacted with them, and they never interacted with him. That was until one morning, when Skymender received a knock on his door. Opening it up, he saw Scholar Ming. "The Imperial Scholar Camp has begun. Allow me to escort you to orientation." Skymender nodded and stepped outside his room. He was led outside of the building by Scholar Ming, and they began to move towards the many buildings. However, Skymender knew that their destination was not the area with shops and restaurants, but the largest building, the teaching building itself. It had been gated off before, but now, it was wide open. Skymender saw many others as he walked along. He thought he would be the youngest by a lot, but surprisingly, he saw someone seemingly the same age as him. When that person saw him, they were similarly surprised. Their gazes met for a moment, but quickly turned away as they neared the largest building in the Imperial Scholar Camp Campus. According to the information he had received, it was known as the education building. This was where all the teaching and learning would be done. This was a place even more advanced than the Imperial School, and for one simple reason. The Imperial Scholar was here, and he would be personally teaching everyone. Skymender and everyone around him were led inside of the building. It was large, fancy, advanced for the current age, and clean. They were all led through a series of hallways until they arrived at a large door. Opening it, stairs went down, with seats on them, and a large podium was at the bottom. There was a large board with writing on it. Skymender saw his name and fifteen other names. Presumably, these were the names of everyone in the Imperial Scholar Camp. There was also a leaderboard with 16 places, though it was empty. On the podium was a desk, and sitting behind it was the Imperial Scholar. "Find a seat. Good luck." Scholar Ming said with a low voice before exiting. Skymender walked down the stairs until he reached the halfway point. Then, he took a right and found a seat. He would be able to see and hear everything clearly, but without being around others. Most of the people, ten in total, sat in the front row despite there being at least twenty rows. The other six were dispersed across the others. Skymender was the farthest back. When everyone was seated and all of the scholars left, the Imperial Scholar stood up. "Welcome to my Imperial Scholar Camp. For those of you yet to meet me, I am the Imperial Scholar of the Faceless Empire. From now until the end of the camp, I will be teaching you in hopes of finding a worthy successor, no matter the age." Chapter 639: Equation - 639 Chapter 639 - Equation - 639 Everyone listened with their full abilities. The Imperial Scholar was the most intelligent man in the Empire, and nobody would dare to forget a word he said. "Most of you are attending or have attended the Imperial School. I could sit up here and teach you for a bit, then send you somewhere with textbooks to read and memorize information, but instead, I want to actually teach you, not just assign you work." The Imperial Scholar began to walk, moving towards the board in the back. He pointed at the leaderboard. "The purpose of the leaderboard is to fuel your arrogance in order to help you learn better. I hope all of you are arrogant enough for this to work." He moved over a bit, standing in the middle of the board. "Up there, across the top, are all of your names. Some of you are nobles, some of you are commoners. It doesn''t matter here. Your status, your wealth, and your rights are determined by your intelligence." He walked to the right and stepped on a movable ladder. This ladder could slide across the board in order to allow all of it to be used, including the parts that no human could reach. The Imperial Scholar kicked off of a wall, sending himself moving to the left side. For a seventy year old man, he moved with surprising ease and strength. He began to write at the top left. Skymender understood some of it, but as he went further on, he had no idea what was happening. Countless symbols and numbers, mixed in with things that Skymender could understand, allowed him to understand one thing. This was a math equation. Everyone watched in silence, their curiosity and interest turning into awe, and finally, complete and utter astonishment. When the Imperial Scholar finished writing, half of the board was taken up. He had only written big enough for them to see from afar. "This is an equation the likes of you have never even seen. That is because I created it. How did I create it? The Imperial Scholar of another Empire challenged me. Annoyed, I created this in one day. You may be wondering what it is for. It is the literal calculation of how much my foot would have to be shoved into his ass, based on his body weight, muscle ratio, and skeletal structure, information that even he didn''t know, in order to send his heart out of his throat." Nobody knew how to respond. Whether it was the complexity of the math equation, or what it was made for, they couldn''t speak. "This is the first lesson. There is always a higher heaven. What I make in a day, others cannot comprehend in their lives. Some of you came in with arrogance, as you should, but you made one mistake. You came in with arrogance not only towards your fellow students, but also with arrogance towards me. There is one person in here, maybe two if I stretch it, with the talent necessary to match me in the future. And that will only be if one of them lives to a hundred and twenty. Assuming I drop dead now. As for the other, I can''t say I''m sure." "Any questions?" He asked at the end. Nobody spoke. "You are dismissed. Nobody will wake you up tomorrow, be here at 8 AM sharp. If you don''t, intelligence points will be deducted." Eventually, everyone left. Skymender included. He thought about the instructor''s words. Intelligence points were not consumable, but semi-permanent. You could not spend them, but you could gain or lose them. For example, if you wanted to live in a better room, and the cost was 100 intelligence points, as long as you had 100, you could live in it. Your intelligence points would not be affected at all. Nobody spoke to each other as they all left. Technically, they were all competing with each other. Of course, some took it more seriously than others. However, nobody had spoken to anyone yet. Skymender returned to his dorm and soon left to eat. It was noon, as the Imperial Scholar''s lecture was longer than it had seemed. He noticed a few more restaurants opened, but he also noticed signs in front of them. They stated intelligence points requirements. The higher the quality, the higher the intelligence points necessary. Skymender returned to the same steak restaurant as before, and managed to find the same seat. Surprisingly, this time, two others entered after him, clearly intending to eat here. Actually, it was not surprising since there were only a few restaurants that did not require intelligence points to enter. Both of them came to the 2nd floor, but they distanced themselves from each other and Skymender. Everyone ate in silence. As it was said, most intelligent people were silent. Like everyone had, they stared at Skymender for a bit. After all, the mask on his face was quite obvious. Even the glove on his hand was unusual. Skymender ignored it and soon finished eating. As he left the restaurant, he walked past someone entering. It was the person similar in age to him that he had seen before. As they walked past each other, the other person stopped. Skymender looked at him. "Hello. My name is Charles. What is your name?" "Skymender." Skymender said. "I see. Skymender of the Sky Barony. I''ve heard a bit about you." "I haven''t heard of you." Skymender said. "Of course not, I''m just a commoner. But I do remember you. I remember everything." He held out his hand, and they shook hands. "I am eleven years old, though if I recall correctly, you should be ten." Skymender nodded. "I haven''t heard anything about your mask. Can I ask what happened?" "Accidentally poisoned." Skymender said. "I see. No wonder your voice is scratchy and you speak in short sentences. I suppose it must have affected your throat, possibly even your breathing." Charles seemed to be going on a rant. "Anyways. It was nice to meet you." He said. Skymender nodded and left. Something was weird about Charles. Chapter 640: Imagination - 640 Chapter 640 - Imagination - 640 Skymender shook his head and walked back to his room. He stayed there until he was hungry again, and left promptly. There were clocks everywhere, and Skymender was able to easily tell the time wherever he went. He went to bed early and woke up before he needed to leave. He spent his time getting dressed and reading before leaving his house. He walked to the Education Building, seeing others along the way. He was early, but not even close to the earliest. Around half of the people were there before him. Skymender sat in the same seat as before. So did everyone else. At exactly 8 AM, the Imperial Scholar entered the room. He looked around for a moment. "Good. Nobody is missing. Let''s begin. Today, you will be receiving your badges." The Imperial Scholar picked up a box from the ground and sat it on his desk. "Everyone come up and get theirs." Everyone stood up and walked towards the box. Due to him being the farthest away, when he got there, there was only one badge left, his. It had his name on it and a number below it. The number was currently two. "All of you start out with two points. One for being alive, and the other for reaching the Imperial Scholar Camp Campus. These are the easiest points that will come to you. Unlike yesterday, you will learn something not philosophical, but more school-like. Everyone take out a notebook and a writing utensil." Skymender reached into his bag, which had been in his dorm, and took out a notebook and a writing utensil. They were different from most papers and writing utensils he saw, the writing utensil being small and compact, while the paper was stacked on each other and connected with rings. It was modern, very modern. The Imperial Scholar spoke. "Everyone here speaks the same language, English, but not everyone speaks it the same. There are different accents, different dialogues, and even different words in different places. Therefore, we will study the most primitive, and also the most original form of english. It will be studied properly, as it was always intended to be." The Imperial Scholar spoke of spelling, grammar, and even new words that most had never heard. He explained ancient myths about the origin of English. "Some say that English dates back thousands or tens of thousands of years. Some say that English did not even originate with humanity. Stories tell of gods giving humans the ability to express themselves, being eventually called English. Other stories tell of ancient beings, making random sounds to express themselves, and over thousands of years creating language." Many had heard bits and pieces of such stories, but the Imperial Scholar managed to make it fascinating. He went over specifics and technicalities until the sun began to set. Finally, he asked a question. "Why is English the only language? Assuming that others can be created, which is proven by the existence of English, why is there no other language? Some say that English is the way of the Universe itself. That it is the truest form of expression. However, I find myself more partial to believing in what some would call a fantasy. Perhaps, this is intentional. Perhaps some truly almighty being altered the thoughts of humans in order to allow just one language. There may be code languages or made up words, but there is only one language of origin, English. I want you to think about this question tonight as you lay awake. What is the most believable to you?" With this, the Imperial Scholar ended his lecture. His words indeed made everyone think, including Skymender. Although he had learnt an awful lot today, the last question stood out, rattling around in his brain. He even skipped dinner, not feeling hungry. He sided with the Imperial Scholar, believing some sort of mythical almighty being could have altered the thoughts and ideas of all humans. However, was such a thing true? It was hardly even believable. There was little evidence of such a being. The most mythical things in the world were the Temple and Swordmasters. Swordmasters were as mysterious as priests and priestesses, but above both of them was the god of the Temple, Yhwh. Perhaps he was that almighty being, or perhaps there was someone even above him. Perhaps he had been another ordinary human at a time, his brain and thoughts long having been altered. These were naturally things that he, a young mortal, shouldn''t be thinking about, but he thought about them nonetheless. He continued further down his thoughts until he fell asleep. He still woke up on time. After all, no matter how deep in thought he was, he was not an idiot. The next day, he returned to class. The Imperial Scholar arrived at the same time as always and spoke. "So, what did you all think about last night?" Nobody volunteered, so he looked around. Finally, he pointed at Skymender. "What did you think about?" Skymender spoke after hesitating a moment. "I thought about the idea of altered thoughts, and eventually, I came to the conclusion that perhaps Yhwh, the god of the Temple, could be behind it, if it was true of course." The Imperial Scholar nodded. But Skymender continued. "Then, I thought that perhaps Yhwh had once been a mortal human like us. Maybe from birth, even his thoughts had been altered. Perhaps there is an almighty being that we cannot imagine living in the Universe." Skymender''s thoughts silenced the classroom for a moment. A few people looked at him like he was crazy. A few others simply seemed surprised. The Imperial Scholar spoke with a smile. "Most stop thinking once they reach the point of Yhwh. However, those who think even deeper will come up with a myriad of possibilities. Just as important as intelligence and talent is imagination. Think about what others can''t, imagine what others dare not, keep going until you reach the end, then go even further. Perhaps there was a being before Yhwh that changed the thoughts of everyone. Perhaps this beings parents were even stronger than him. Perhaps he is dead, perhaps he is alive. Maybe he had existed since the beginning of the Universe. Maybe he will exist until the end. Maybe a being will one day rise up and kill that being, taking his spot. Perhaps that person could be standing in this very room." The Imperial Scholar came to a sudden stop. "Think about what others cannot." Chapter 641: English Test - 641 Chapter 641 - English Test - 641 Although this seemed like a good place to end for the day, class had only just begun. After a moment, the Imperial Scholar spoke again. "One intelligence point to Skymender." He said. Skymender nodded. With this, he had three. Although it didn''t give him access to anything he had not already had access to, it was a starting point. Plus, as of now, he had more intelligence points than everyone else. "If you want more intelligence points, then you should answer questions when I ask them." The Imperial Scholar said. Everyone nodded their heads. The Imperial Scholar started with his lecture, continuing to talk about the English language. This lecture ended earlier than the previous one. Skymender returned to his house, went out to eat, and fell asleep. The next day, the Imperial Scholar came on time as usual. Noticeably, the leaderboard had names on it. Skymender was at the top, with a three next to his name. It seemed that intelligence points would determine the positions of the ranking. "Over these last few days, I have talked about the English language. Today, I have brought numerous scholars from the Imperial Capital to test your knowledge. I hope that none of you disappoint me. Good performances will be rewarded with Intelligence points." As he finished speaking, sixteen scholars entered the room. They were not like the scholars that had brought them and guided them a bit such as Scholar Ming, but were clearly more refined and more scholarly. They all bowed to the Imperial Scholar before lining up and looking at the students. The Imperial Scholar spoke. "Everyone, come and choose someone to test your abilities. Not everyone will test you equally. It is up to your luck, or perhaps your identification skill, whether who you pick is lenient or very strict." Everyone stood up rather quickly as he finished speaking. Many people analyzed it, but Skymender didn''t. He understood that the Imperial Scholar wouldn''t make it easy to guess who was who. There would be many twists and turns to guess who was who. Skymender did not think that he could win against the Imperial Scholars'' intelligence. He looked across the stage. People would probably put on false fronts to make them seem nicer, though they may be strict, but as he had said, the Imperial Scholar could have designed this. Maybe it was a double false front. Those who looked nice were actually nice, while those who looked mean were actually mean. As Skymender had said, it was impossible for him to figure out. It seemed like most of the students would waste their time and energy thinking about how to pick, but a few, such as Skymender, would save all of their time and energy for the test. How did Skymender choose? He simply went up to the first person from the left. The scholar he chose spoke. "Bold choice, young one." Skymender nodded. "No point in wasting time." "So be it. Don''t regret it." The scholar said. "I never regret my decisions." Skymender was the first to choose, and he waited for others to do so. Meanwhile, the Imperial Scholar wrote another ranking list numbered one through sixteen. The big one was for the overall Imperial Scholar Camp ranking, while the one he was creating was for just this test. After a few minutes, everyone had selected someone. "Alright. Disperse." The various scholars began to walk away, the students that had selected them following. Skymender''s chosen scholar actually stayed in the room with him. This would be their testing location. Skymender sat in a front row seat while the scholar sat on the stage in front of him, thought not at the Imperial Scholars desk. He simply began to talk. "So, what is your name?" "My name is Skymender." "Nice to meet you Skymender, you can call me Scholar Tie." "Nice to meet you too, Scholar Tie." Skymender''s throat was already starting to hurt from all the talking, but this was part of his test. He couldn''t simply ignore it. He was just at a disadvantage from the start. "I can see that you wear a mask as well as a glove. What happened? Or is it just a fashion choice?" Skymender responded. "I accidentally inhaled some poison. I can never breathe the same." Scholar Tie nodded with sympathy. "I see. I can tell that even this is starting to get to you. I apologise in advance. So, why do you wear a glove?" "I accidentally touched some poison. It is scarred, never to recover." "I see. What is another word for putting yourself above others?" "Arrogance." "What is it called to enjoy others suffering?" "Schadenfreude." "That word doesn''t conform to typical English. Where did that word come from?" "It is considered to have come from an eastern dialect mispronouncing words. However, it is just a theory." "What is...?" "Scoliosis." "What is...?" "Mend." "One who does that is called?" "Mender." "What is blue and above our heads?" "Sky." "What is one who mends the sky, theoretically, called?" "A Skymender." "Haha." The Scholar laughed. Skymender barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. "What is...?" "Tungsten." "What about...?" "Armadillo." "And...?" "Mellifluous." "What is...?" "Quintessence." ... Finally after over an hour, the Scholar asked one last question. "What is it known as when you experience an unexpected delightful moment?" "Serendipity?" Skymender began to violently cough. "That concludes it. You''ll hear your results from the Imperial Scholar. You can wait here." The Scholar left. As he opened the door, three other students entered. They had been waiting outside. Two of them seemed normal, but one had an unsightly look on his face. Skymender waited for another hour, and everyone had entered the room. As the Imperial Scholar entered, Skymender was barely able to hold in his coughs. He did not say a word, stepping on the movable ladder and starting from the bottom of the board. Skymender watched, not recognizing most of the names, until finally, his was written. Fourth place, Skymender. Considering how distracted he had been by his throat, it was a miracle he had reached that high. Chapter 642: Three Branches - 642 Chapter 642 - Three Branches - 642 In the places above him were some of the oldest people attending the Imperial Scholar Camp. One was almost elderly, at least 40 years old. Another was most likely in her twenties. The last seemed like he had just become an adult, but was still rather old compared to others. Nobody had ever claimed that the Imperial Scholar Camp was fair. It did not care about the gaps in age and the differences that would bring, just the abilities of those in it. Most of the students were indeed not adults, but the three at the top of the list were. The Imperial Scholar spoke. "Number one gets three intelligence points. Number two gets two intelligence points. Number three gets one intelligence point. There are no rewards for those below that." Skymender sighed, but it was not completely unexpected. "That is the end of today''s session. Same time tomorrow." This marked the end of their day, as well as the end of the first test. Skymender returned to his house, eventually ate, fell asleep, and woke up the next day. Class began as usual, but the subject was different. "Since the Imperial Scholar Camp will only last around three months, we will not spend too much time on anything. That goes especially for English, the language everybody already knows. Next, we will begin to understand the fundamentals of science." Skymender perked up. This was his specialty. "Science is one of the most important things to possibly learn about, for it is not simply a category of knowledge, but encompasses the entire idea of human advancement. Every breakthrough, be it in technology, medicine, or war, are all based on science. In a way, everything else such as Math, English, and Reading, all build up to science." The class paid great attention. His words were incredibly attention drawing. "There are many studies of science. You can study space, earth, technology, medicine, and even poison." As he said poison, he looked at Skymender. It was only for a moment before he turned back. "We naturally cannot focus on so many categories, and those five are just a few of the many. Instead, I will teach you the basics of most of them, and as a class, you will pick three to focus on. Let''s start with the study of space, one of the less known categories." Everyone listened with their full attention as the Imperial Scholar spoke. It slowly got late, but he had no intention to stop, still going on as if he had infinite energy. Windows stopped showing brightness, and only darkness remained. The room was lit by a bunch of candles, which a few people came in and set up. On the Imperial Scholars desk was a lamp that gave off the most light in the room. Finally, he stopped. "That covers four common branches of science. We will continue tomorrow. Make sure you study your notes." Skymender looked down at his notebook, which had tens of completely full pages. He sighed and prepared to stay up late. It was already dark outside. He didn''t even return to his room first, instead stopping by a restaurant. As he ate, he went over his notes, doing his best to commit it all to memory. He noticed other people in the same restaurant doing the same thing. In fact, among everyone inside, only one person was not eating while studying. Instead, he was fully focused on his meal. It was the person only a year older than Skymender who had spoken to him before. If he recalled correctly, his name was Charles. Skymender wasn''t sure why he wasn''t looking over his notes, but he also didn''t care enough to think about it. On the previous leaderboard, Charles had gotten sixth place. It was good, especially for his age, but it was still below Skymender. Skymender soon finished eating and returned to his room, where he continuously looked over his notes. After a while, he went to bed. The next morning, he returned. When the Imperial Scholar entered, he did not waste even a second before getting straight into it. Everybody knew they were in for a long lecture, but none dared to slack. That was except for Charles, who Skymender noticed was not even taking notes. He had garnered others'' attention yesterday as well as today. Skymender only happened to notice his actions today. It was odd, but Skymender had an idea pop in his head based on everything he had seen from Charles. "Perhaps he has a perfect memory." It was something he had heard about while studying in the Imperial Capital, but it was truly one in a million, if not rarer. The simple idea that someone could have it was hard to believe. However, it would explain why he was in the Imperial Scholar Camp at such a young age. As for Skymender, he had placed first in the intelligence exam during the Noble Gathering. It was not surprising that he was here. The class continued just as long as the last, and they had covered a total of eight branches of science. The next day, and the day after that, it was the same. Finally, one more day passed. More than a week had gone by since the start of the Imperial Scholar Camp. "Alright. Yesterday, we finished the twentieth branch of science. Although there are more, these are the most well known and researched." Behind the Imperial Scholar, on the board, were the names of twenty branches of science. "Everyone can come up here and put a mark on three different branches. In the end, the top three will be studied." With his words, everyone got up and walked towards the board. Skymender, along with everyone else, had already decided the three they wanted to study. His first mark went on the space branch. It was the most interesting and the branch with the most potential. His second mark went on the physics branch. This studied matter, energy, and motion. A lot of science was deeply rooted into physics. Finally, his last mark went on medicine. He had heard a saying once. A master of medicine is also a master of poison. He felt it was about time to expand on that. Chapter 643: Space Branch - 643 Chapter 643 - Space Branch - 643 Skymender barely had time to reach his seat and sit down before the last mark was added to the board. Although it had yet to be announced, the winners were clear to anyone with eyes. The Space branch, the Biology branch, and the Medicine Branch. Two out of Skymenders three choices won, which meant he would at least be able to study a bit of what he wanted to. "Alright. The first place winner is space. The Second place winner is Biology. The Third place winner is medicine. Medicine and Biology somewhat go together, so we may get through the science segment quicker than expected." As if prepared, the Imperial Scholar began to talk about space. Giving a background of the world''s understanding and further theories. "There are many theories about aliens and other life in the Universe, but despite observing the surrounding celestial bodies, we have yet to see anything that proves such a theory. Of course, we cannot see very clearly or far, but I am 90% confident that there is no life on our moon. Other than that, I have no clue." With that sentence, he finished the brief overview of the Space branch. He had already talked about most of it, but he went into more focused detail. "In connection with that is Biology. Although many people are curious as to what lies beyond our planet, we don''t even truly understand what is on our planet. Be it the land, the ocean, or the skies, we have yet to fully explore them. Whether we talk about animals, plants, or perhaps even entire environments, we have yet to see everything." This was his concluding sentence before sending everyone out. He had spoken solely about the space branch for nearly 5 hours. The next day, he went into deeper detail. As he spoke about space, days passed. Eventually, two weeks had passed since the start of the Imperial Scholar Camp. Only then was the section about space finally finished up. Skymender had learned a lot. In fact, a lot felt like an underestimation. His understanding of space had completely undergone a transformation. Everyday he came to the Education building, he spent at least five hours learning from the Imperial Scholar, often more, and then went home and studied more. The Imperial Scholar began to make an announcement. "Since we have finished the space section, we will now have a mini-test. This one will be worth more intelligence points than the last. It will start tomorrow. Study up." With this, learning about the space branch of science was finished. Honestly, even within the entire world, there was not much more to learn about the space branch. It was still relatively new and undeveloped, much of it simply being speculation. What they hadn''t learned involved math so complex that not a single person in the room would be able to understand it. If he wanted to teach them that stuff, they would have to learn years of math first. Skymender left the room, and for every moment possible, he studied. There wasn''t much else to do here after all. The next morning, he came in prepared. The Imperial Scholar began to speak. "The last test was tested through speaking, as that is the core component of language. This test is about space, and since we can''t take it in space, we might as well have a star map." The Imperial Scholar got off of the stage and walked over to the door. "Everyone follow me." Without hesitation, everyone got up and began to follow him, Skymender included. He led them down a long hallway and through double doors. As the doors closed, Skymender saw a large dome above him. On that dome were stars, though fake. "This is the best that money can get you in the current age. Though it is just a small trick, the stars do really glow." Skymender could tell that most of the blue space was just wallpaper, but the stars did create a glow that lightened the dark room. "Sit around the edge of the dome while you take your test. Take a paper and a pencil with you." The Imperial Scholar had both papers and pencils ready. Skymender took one of each and sat at the edge of the dome. Looking at the paper, it was numbered one through one hundred with blank sections beside the number. The Imperial Scholar walked to the middle of the room, where another small dome was. He walked on that dome and stood on top of it, looking around. That dome was designed to look like Earth. The Imperial Scholar spoke again after everyone got settled. "What is that star known as?" He pointed his finger towards a random star. Since this was an accurate star map, and Skymender had both learned and studied a lot, he was able to answer the first question with confidence. The first twenty-five questions were about random stars and their names. Afterward, the Imperial Scholar changed the category. He began to ask questions about the math of certain things relating to space. "How fast does Agnarions comet usually move?" After another twenty-five questions, the type of question changed once again. This time, he asked open ended questions without a specifically correct answer. "If you had to pick a star to die on, which one would you choose and why?" He gave more time for such questions. Like the first of the category, some questions were weird, but all had better and worse answers, though Skymender wasn''t sure if he was making the best decisions. Finally, the last 25 questions were once again about stars, as well as groups of stars and their names. The final question seemed to be a free point. "What is the largest known body of space called?" The answer was naturally the Universe. As they all left the room and he turned in his answers, Skymender felt more confident than last time. That was because he had a bit of background knowledge on space. It was not intentionally studied, but acquired through reading fantasy books. Chapter 644: Arcade - 644 Chapter 644 - Arcade - 644 The test had barely lasted an hour, and everybody once again entered the lecture room. The Imperial Scholar made an announcement. "It will take longer to grade all of these tests due to open-ended answers and only one reviewer, but I will have it done by tomorrow. In the meantime, consider the rest of today a free day." Without another word, the Imperial Scholar left the room. Skymender got up and left. A free day wasn''t necessarily a good thing since there wasn''t much to do, but after thinking he felt that he might as well do something. Over the past few days of studying space, Skymender had amassed two more points, for a total of five points. This really wasn''t a significant amount and barely opened up any locations, but there was one that Skymender decided to go to. It was known as an arcade. There were games to play there and food to eat. Essentially, it was a lounging area with a lot to do. Skymender had nothing to study and no meaningful activity to take part in, so he wandered around and once again located the arcade. As he stepped inside, he noticed multiple stands with people standing at them. When they saw him, they visibly perked up. "Finally, a new person." "It''s been ages since I''ve had something to do." Skymender heard murmurs from multiple vendors. He looked around as he walked down the middle aisle. These vendor stands had mini-games, and he assumed that the things around them were prizes. He looked at a few, and since he had nothing to do, he played some games. Some of the games were throwing rings on bottles, or catching fish with thin paper on a stick. Some used weapons to test skill. He won a few prizes, and found himself carrying a variety of soft, fake animals. He walked past the vendors and found a larger area with multiple lanes. According to the sign above, this was a bowling alley. Someone stood to the side, and upon seeing Skymender, spoke. "Hello, sir. Would you like to learn how to bowl?" Skymender nodded. He had never heard of this game. The lady went on to demonstrate the goal, as well as how to keep score. "If you want, I can keep score for you while you play. Although this is usually a multiple person game, playing solo is possible." After hearing everything, Skymender grabbed a bowling ball and slid it down the lane. The first throw missed completely, landing in something called the gutter. The second throw landed better, knocking off a few pins. After that, he got the hang of it. Strikes and spares were a common occurrence, shocking the lady keeping score. "You are quite talented, sir." Skymender just nodded. After all, it was hard to talk with his throat injury. Eventually, he completed a game. "Very well done sir, I''ve never seen such high scores on a first game. You should consider being a professional. From what I understand, this game is slowly gaining popularity in the Imperial Capital." Skymender just shook his head. "Thank you for your assistance." With that, he began to move on. Suddenly, he heard clapping. Looking to the side, he saw a familiar face. It was one of his fellow students, a woman with black hair, red lipstick, and a red dress. Skymender looked at her once before ignoring her. However, she spoke, clearly having no intentions of letting him leave peacefully. "You''re good, for a first timer. What do you say we play a game? See who''s better." Skymender looked at her again and spoke. "I''ll pass." He began to walk away when she spoke again, her voice different. "Please just play a round with me. Nobody else comes here and I''m forced to compete with only myself. Come on. Just one game." Her tone was completely different, nearly pleading. Skymender, seeing the distressed look on her face, sighed. He had no interest in playing at all, but he felt that he would be in for more and more talk if he disagreed. "One game. Don''t talk to me anymore regardless of the outcome." She nodded quickly. Skymender turned around and stood at the entrance to one of the lanes. The lady to the side was clearly excited. "Finally, a competition. I thought the day would never come." Skymender started first, bowling a strike on his very first turn. The girl went after him, similarly bowling a strike. On Skymender''s second turn, he hit eight the first time and two the second time for a spare. On her second turn, the girl bowled another strike. They went back and forth, their scores staying quite similar. Finally, the tenth turn came. Skymender was down by 4 points, a tiny amount for his second game, especially since this girl had clearly played a lot. The tenth turn was different than the others. If he bowled perfectly, he could score three strikes in one round. He threw one. Strike. Another, Strike. The last, seven pins. The girl was clearly nervous. She threw one. Strike. Another, five pins. Another, spare. She stomped her feet. She had lost. Skymender began to walk away. The girl wanted to say something, but she had reached an agreement with Skymender. She swallowed her loss and started a new game by herself, determined to practice. Skymender walked deeper into the building. He found multiple games and multiple different sports. He played around for a while before eventually returning to the entrance. He played a few more games at the vendor stands and ate before returning to his room with his hands full of soft, fake animals. Skymender quickly fell asleep from all the games he had played. He kind of had fun, but most importantly, he had passed time quickly. The next morning, he woke up and silently made his way to the Education building. Though everyone arrived, the room stayed in complete silence. Only when the Imperial Scholar came in did everyone begin to focus. He wrote the names from the bottom up. Chapter 645: First and Second - 645 Chapter 645 - First and Second - 645 Skymender nearly held his breath as he watched the names appear. He saw many names, some of which he had become familiar with and some of which he still didn''t know. Around the classroom, he heard many sighs and other noises of disappointment. Finally, he reached the top five without his name being written. He watched with expectance as the fifth place name was written. Charles. Next was fourth place. Not him. Third place. Not him. This meant that he was in the top two. Second place... Not him. He could barely stop himself from laughing. He, a ten year old, outsmarted all of these people. As expected, his name was written in the first place spot. "This test was harder, so more intelligence points will be given. First place, 5 points. Second place, three points. Third place, one point." That put his points at ten total. "Alright. Next, we will begin to study biology, the study of life. This field is far more in depth than the field of space. It should take a little longer to get through it all. Let''s start now." The Imperial Scholar began to lecture. Skymender left the Education building rather late, while the sun was barely hanging on. He considered going to the place he usually ate at, but with ten points, he had new options. He started at a green restaurant. Its walls were made of jade-like material and plants were growing around it. A vine hung down blocking the entrance. In front of it was a sign that said ten points. Skymender brushed aside the vines and walked through the entrance. An elegant looking woman stood at the front counter, wearing a jade green dress. "Welcome to the Jade Tea Manor. Please have a seat anywhere you would like." Skymender nodded and walked upstairs. Up here was a beautiful balcony he had seen before. He sat at the only table on the balcony and looked at a menu. After a brief moment, the woman came up. "What can I get for you?" Skymender pointed at a random tea. She nodded. "Coming right up." She returned downstairs and came back up less than five minutes later carrying a tea cup on a plate. Skymender enjoyed the calming drink as the sun finally fell. He soon left and returned to his room, studying and falling asleep. The next morning, a similar cycle to that of when they were studying space repeated. Skymender learned over a long period of time, came back and ate, then studied, and finally fell asleep. This lasted nearly two weeks. They finally finished after being in the Imperial Scholar Camp for an entire month. Skymender now had a total of eighteen points. Today, the Imperial Scholar announced the end of the biology section. "It has been a while, and we are finally done. I can''t claim that you know everything about biology, but you now have a firm grasp over it that most will never achieve in their entire lives. The medical section would have lasted just as long if we had not already finished the biology section. We can probably cut that down to a week. The biology exam is tomorrow. Prepare." Skymender returned to his room and studied heavily through the night. The next morning, he returned. After introductions, the Imperial Scholar took them to another room. As soon as they entered, it felt as if they had left the building and entered a forest. The roof was open, allowing the sun to shine in, and an entire wild garden took over the room. "Plants, animals, water, all life that can survive in this habitat are here. Note down as many as you can, all the information you remember about them, and where you found them. You will be scored based on this. No cheating, or you will be kicked out of the Imperial Scholar Camp. You may not realize it, but there are eyes everywhere in here. Start... Now." Skymender quickly walked over to the side and began to mark everything he saw and recognized down. He had a bit of advantage in this field as well due to his study of poison, though not much. He had mostly focused on poisonous plants back then. Perhaps in the medicine section he would have an even greater advantage. He spent nearly an entire hour straight writing. He did not know absolutely everything, but he had confidence in his knowledge. After an hour, they were summoned back by a sound. Not a single person dared to write down after they heard the sound. Nobody knew what the Imperial Scholar was capable of. They returned, and the Imperial Scholar collected all of their notes. "On to section two, a more standardized format." He led them back to the room and handed out normal test papers. Some questions had pictures. Some only had words. Some asked for you to identify a plant based on a picture, while others asked you to identify a plant based on its properties. With only two weeks of studying, even if everyone was extremely talented and the Imperial Scholar himself was teaching them, it was impossible to know all of the answers. After another hour, the test was taken up. The next day, they came in again. Names were written from the bottom up. Skymender watched as he made the top five again, then the top three. Just as he thought he was going to get first place, he was written down second. Instead, the name Charles resided at the top of the board. He looked over at Charles, who looked back at him with a serious gaze. It was much less friendly than when they met. Clearly, he felt much less confident than before, even with his possibly perfect memory. Skymender already knew why someone with a perfect memory could fail to get first place every time. It was because there was a difference in memory and comprehension. He only wondered if Charles had realized that yet. If he had, then the rest of the Imperial Scholar Camp would be much more challenging. Chapter 646: Master Chef Garb - 646 Chapter 646 - Master Chef Garb - 646 The Imperial Scholar announced the Intelligence points gained after the test. "First place gets 5, second place gets 3, third place gets one. This changes the rankings on the leaderboard." Getting on the moving ladder, the Imperial Scholar moved over to the overall ranking leaderboard. He changed a few names, but most stayed at the same place with only a point change. It had been a while since he had changed this, a week, so even points gained outside of the test were added. With the leaderboard changed, Skymender found himself in first place with 21 points. Second place had 20 points, a close second. Charles also made his way into the top five of the leaderboard after this test. Skymender had only been in the lead once before, and he had been quickly taken over. This was his second time taking the lead. The Imperial Scholar began to teach about medicine. He went over some plants with medicinal properties, but many of them they had already gone over, even if just briefly. He got far into his lecture before dismissing the class. Skymender, now with 21 points, had a few more options. First, he went to a clothes shop. He only had a few changes of clothes, and they were not very comfortable or even that expensive. Entering a clothing shop, he saw the walls lined with clothes. The necessary Intelligence points to get in was 20, meaning only he and second place had access so far. He looked around and found a sky blue outfit. Considering his name was Skymender, it felt fitting. He adorned it and left the store without any need to speak or even think too much. Next, he headed to a new restaurant. Very few restaurants existed beyond the 20 point range, which meant he was almost reaching the most elite tiers of restaurants present. As he entered, he was greeted by a raging, but controlled circle of fire. A man in chef''s clothing opened his eyes. "Finally. A worthy diner. Your dinner shall be legendary." He picked up a spatula next to him and flipped it in the air, catching it perfectly. He stood up and spun. "Behold." A liquid shot out of his mouth. As soon as it hit the fire, the fire shot up, blocking him from vision momentarily. When the fire died down, there was meat sitting on a metal grill that appeared. He stood confidently. "Take a seat, newcomer." Skymender was stunned to near silence, but still obeyed. There were only a few seats, all made around the fire. The tables were just far enough away to avoid getting melted. Skymender was just far enough away to avoid sweating. "What will it be for you, sir?" The Chef asked, his figure in the center of the fire nearly terrifying. "Chef''s recommendation." Skymender said. The Chef smiled. "Do not regret it." He jumped in the air, spitting a liquid into the fire once again. It raged up, and when it settled down, he held a raw patty on his spatula. The meat previously on the grill was gone, who knew where. He threw the meat into the fire, it landed perfectly centered on the girl. He reached down beside him, an area blocked by fire, and when he lifted his hand up, fresh vegetables flew into the air. He moved a butcher''s knife, cutting the vegetables neatly as they fell onto the grill. Skymender was stunned. This level of swordsmanship was beyond a level any chef should have. "Years ago, I was a potential Sword Master. However, I abandoned that path for my desire to master the art of cooking. In a thousand years, there may only be one chef at my level of showmanship. Revel in the odds of you being born in my era." His words were arrogant and proud, and most likely, true. How many of those that could become potential Sword Masters would be a chef instead. Essentially none. The chef jumped and spit out water. The fire parted, and the chef stepped forward, flipping the patty. The fire began to hastily close in, but the chef did a backflip back onto his area in the center. From afar, he threw vegetables and meat. When necessary, he would part or rile up the fire. Skymender watched, his eyes mesmerized. When any art reaches its peak, it is truly magnificent, a sight to see. It was as if he was watching the equivalent of a beautiful woman painting an unparalleled artwork. Without him knowing, a figure entered the restaurant and sat next to him, staring at the chef. Skymender only noticed when the chef entered the center and looked beside Skymender. "Welcome back second timer. Give it another go. The usual?" The woman beside Skymender smiled. "The usual please, Master Chef Garb." The Chef smiled and spit out a liquid that caused the fire to rage. When it settled, another grill was near Skymender''s, a steak cooking on it. The woman smiled as she watched the chef, seemingly entranced. Skymender recognized her. She was second place on the leaderboard, the only other person qualified to enter this restaurant. After a while, she looked at Skymender. "First time?" Skymender nodded. "The first time is always the best. Master Chef Garb is one of a kind. Another like him may not appear even a thousand years after his death." "So he has said." Skymender responded. The woman shook her head. "You don''t fully understand. Master Chef Garb has lived a life far more tragic than most. Everyone he loves is dead. His family, his friends, all are gone. He is at the end of his life as well. I''m surprised he has lasted this long. He had shut off everything else, leaving only pure passion for the art of cooking. He cooks for orphans for free, giving a spectacular show, yet charges nobles unimaginable amounts for a single show. Someone like him is unique throughout the entire world." Skymender didn''t respond, but asked a question. "So why sit next to me?" "Because it seems we need to work together if either of us wants a chance to defeat Charles." Chapter 647: Combining Efforts - 647 Chapter 647 - Combining Efforts - 647 "You think so?" Skymender asked. "Indeed. Charles has a photographic memory, meaning he can remember everything. Before, he had slacked and relied only on his memory to get this far, but it seems that he has realized the difference between comprehension and memorization." Skymender nodded. He had come to the same conclusion. "But I am confident of winning against Charles alone. Why would I work with you, a stranger?" The woman sighed. "I did not come expecting you to easily agree. So I''ve brought information, and as our alliance progresses, I can give you more and more." "What information?" Skymender asked. "This will be my initial payment. This is not the first Imperial Scholar Camp to ever be held." Skymender looked at her with surprise. "Neither is it my first time attending." She said. "How is this useful information?" Skymender asked. "Because although there was a first place winner last time, he did not technically win. In addition, with my experience last time, I can provide valuable information. Of course, just about everything has been different so far, but the information I can give you is not limited to this. Work with me, and more information is yours." Skymender could tell her thoughts. Whether or not she was confident in winning against Charles, being first place was not the only condition to winning. In that case, maybe she was trying a different method. Regardless, this alliance seemed as if it would benefit him. He was about to speak, when a plate landed in front of him. "We can finish speaking after I''m done." Skymender said. He took off his mask and began to eat. In front of him was a burger with some red sauce on it. He picked it up and took a bite. As soon as his mouth touched the sauce, he could feel the raw spice coming from it. He paused instantaneously, sitting the burger down on the plate. Just as he finished doing so, he began to violently cough. He could barely handle spice even when he did not have breathing problems much less now. The chef looked surprised, as well as the woman. "Did you make it even spicier, Master Chef Garb?" "No. I guess he really can''t handle spice, huh." Skymender did his best to stop himself from coughing, but his throat had been agitated. He got up and walked off to the side, where he took a vial of poison and broke it open. The gas traveled up entering his nose. He suddenly felt as if his throat was cleared and the spice was gone. This was something he had accidentally discovered. After becoming immune to the poison, it began to benefit him whenever his throat was acting up. With a deep breath, all the trouble was gone. He continued to breathe in the gas until it was gone. He returned to the table. "I should probably eat something else." The chef nodded and threw out another patty. The woman looked at him with curiosity. "What exactly was that?" "Old injury, don''t worry about it." She looked at him for a moment before ignoring it. With his mask on, Skymender''s breathing eventually reached a completely normal level. "How exactly do you want to cooperate?" Skymender asked. "It is simple. Study together and combine our knowledge, or simply sabotage Charles. Perhaps we can do both." "Will the Imperial scholar allow such actions?" "In the last Imperial Scholar Camp, I watched two people fight to near death, and the Imperial Scholar never said a word about it." "When exactly was the last Imperial Scholar Camp?" "Ten years ago. The last one should have been the first since the Imperial Scholar had just turned sixty. Before that, he wouldn''t have been old enough to think about a successor." Skymender nodded. "What is the rate at which you will give me information?" "Whenever we successfully beat Charles." "Are you really that worried about him?" The woman looked at him seriously. "A photographic memory is the same as cheating. He can do what we do with just a fraction of the effort. Since he has also begun to comprehend what he memorizes, the odds of one of us coming out on top, even together, is small." At this time, her food came. She stopped talking and began to eat. Skymender watched as his food was prepared, eventually eating a delicious burger. Before leaving, the woman set up a time to meet here again. "Tomorrow at eight. If you show up, I''ll take that as acceptance. By the way, my name is Miria. It was nice to meet you, Skymender." Skymender nodded as he left. When he returned to his housing building, he did not enter his room. Instead, he spoke to a lady at the front desk. "Hello. I have twenty points. I''d like to move my room." She nodded. "Go ahead. You can move a floor up, Skymender." Skymender nodded and returned to his old room, packing everything up and taking it with him as he walked up the stairs. He found a room with a nice view and made it his. Upon entering, he saw a vast difference. There was much more open space, natural light, and even more appliances. He sat everything down and found his bed. It was bigger, softer, and overall nicer. Skymender studied before falling asleep. The next day, as usual, he went to class. He learned a lot. Afterwards, he met Miria at the same restaurant. They arrived around the same time, and both took out their notes. Going over them as the show went on, they found that it was actually quite useful. They were not perfect, and it was natural to miss something every now and then. In addition to that, the way one interprets things can be different from others. By comparing notes and studying together, they essentially had two perspectives instead of one. Whether it would be enough to compare to Charles'' photographic memory or not was yet to be determined. A week passed, and the last day of the medical section was upon them. "This section went faster due to our previous study of biology. The test will be tomorrow. Good luck." Chapter 648: Three Way Race - 648 Chapter 648 - Three Way Race - 648 After class was dismissed, at the same time as usual, Skymender and Miria met up at the restaurant. They studied intensely while Chef Master Garb made their food in the background, as enthusiastic as ever. They eventually ate and went their separate ways. The next day, Skymender went to the Education building. He entered the room and sat down, waiting for the Imperial Scholar to arrive. The Imperial Scholar arrived at the same time as always. "Alright. Everyone follow me." Skymender stood up and the class was led through the doors. They walked through the hallway for a while before entering a room they had never entered before. Inside were a bunch of people laying on beds, medical equipment, and doctors. "For today''s test, I moved a hospital here. You all will take a piece of paper and examine people''s conditions. You will get points based on whether or not you correctly identified what was wrong with the patient. You can also get bonus points for providing methods to cure or help a patient." He handed them all a piece of paper and a writing utensil, sending them off. Skymender went around as fast as he could, identifying conditions and the remedies for those conditions. After two hours passed, Skymender heard the Imperial Scholars voice. The test was over, and they all returned. "You will get your scores tomorrow. Go on." Skymender left. He did not meet up with Miria as there was nothing to study at the moment. Instead, he simply walked around the Imperial Scholar Camp, looking around. As he did so, he ran into a familiar face. It was Charles. They walked towards each other on a narrow street. It was more than big enough for two people to walk side by side, but it forced the both of them to notice each other. Charles spoke. "Skymender. I hope you did well on this test." "Likewise." Skymender responded. "I sure hope that you don''t begin to lose already. Otherwise, the Imperial Scholar Camp would no longer be as interesting." "I''ll hold on, don''t worry." Skymender said. Though some of their words were said nicely, they looked at each other coldly. "I heard you''ve been hanging out with Miria. Do you have a crush?" Charles said. "She''s twice my age. I''ll pass. Besides, she came to me. I guess she''s worried about you. If she didn''t offer me information, I wouldn''t have agreed. After all, I don''t need help to win against you." Charles laughed. "Don''t speak too much. Your throat might act up." Skymender smiled below his mask and took out a vial. "Would you like a throat like mine? I can give it to you." Charles looked at the liquid surprised. He naturally did not dare to agree. Skymender stepped forward, beginning to walk past him. Charles'' leg moved, nearly tripping Skymender. "Oops." Skymender let a double sided vial out of his clutch. "Oops." The vial smashed on the ground, corroding it immediately. Charles backed up in surprise and fear. "Be careful. Next time, who''s to say it won''t drop on you." Charles did not say a word as Skymender left. His impression of Skymender had completely changed. When they first met, he had tried getting to know him. Later, he viewed Skymender as a threat, someone nearly equal to him. Finally, he viewed Skymender as a dangerous enemy. Unknowingly, he had put Skymender and him at equal levels in his mind. The same could not be said for Skymender, who viewed Charles as an arrogant brat relying on his talent to succeed. Skymender continued to look around, but didn''t find any really interesting places. The only one worth noting that he could actually enter was something called a trampoline park. He had a bit of fun there. Eventually, he returned to his room and relaxed. With its increased size and the gentle light of the setting sun that came through the window, Skymender felt at peace. He took a book and read it while there was still light. This did not last long, and the sun soon fell. Skymender went to sleep early, getting more sleep than usual. He arrived at the Education building on time, and the Imperial Scholar entered at 8 AM sharp. He did not waste a moment, writing names from the bottom up. Third was Miria. Only Skymender and Charles remained. However, the Imperial Scholar did not write a name. Instead, he erased the 2 and wrote a one. He then wrote Skymender and Charles. It did not matter the order. "Somehow, two managed to tie with each other this time. The system wasn''t designed for ties, and the odds of it are very low, but whatever, it happened. First place gets five points, third place gets one." Skymender''s points reached 29, while Charles'' points went higher as well. How high exactly, Skymender was unaware. He did not remain unaware for long as the Imperial Scholar, still on the ladder, moved over to the side of the board, where the leaderboard rankings were. He started from the bottom up, changing either names or points. The changes being made were for the entirety of the medical section. Skymender was in first place with 29. Charles was just behind with 27. Miria, though in third, was further behind with 25 points. It felt like a three way race, with only two possible winners. Of course, those behind were not very far behind and should not be completely counted out, but the odds of another contender emerging was very small. The Imperial Scholar began to talk. "English and Science. We are done with both for now. Around a month and a week has passed since the start of the Imperial Scholar Camp, and I have seen great improvement from everyone. Next, we will begin the Math section. Beware, things will get complicated here. Math is the foundation of everything, the language of the Universe so to speak. When we are done, you will have completely transformed. Let''s begin." The Imperial Scholar started from the beginning, with addition and subtraction. Chapter 649: Math Test - 649 Chapter 649 - Math Test - 649 As if they were children, the Imperial Scholar began to explain the very fundamentals of math, down to the existence of numbers. At first, everyone could understand it without even the slightest issue. They barely had to think. However, as the Imperial Scholar went deeper and deeper, people began to focus. Eventually, nearing the end of the class, he was still talking about addition and subtraction, but the depths he went into made everyone struggle to understand it. Class was eventually dismissed, and Skymender studied with Miria at the usual restaurant. Occasionally, others would come in. After so much time, twenty points was not rare to have any more. However, most only came a few times, and nobody really paid attention to each other. That was until a middle aged, nearly old man walked up. "I''m not surprised to see you again, Miria." He said. Miria looked over at him coldly. "Luke. What do you want?" He smiled, though it was clear he was not happy at all. It was more provocative than anything else. "Don''t tell me you''re still hung up on last time. It''s not that serious, don''t you know?" "We''re not friends. What do you want?" Luke moved around and sat on the other side of the circular seating, nearly blocked by fire. "Just eating. Don''t think I''m here to see you." The fire settled down and Master Chef Garb turned his attention to Luke. "Hello again, Luke. You don''t look a day under 40." Although his words sounded rude, he spoke them merrily. Luke smiled back at him. "I''m still only 26. Don''t count me out yet." "Haha! What can I get for you?" Luke and Master Chef Garb began to speak, and so did Skymender and Miria. "Was he also someone who attended the last Imperial Scholar Camp?" Skymender asked. Miria nodded. "In addition to that, he was also the winner." Skymender was surprised. "He doesn''t seem like much. He is the one in fourth place, right?" Miria nodded. "Luke is not someone you should take at face value. He hides in plain sight, unthreatening, but as the end nears, he will attack, and from my experience, he will win." "Is he more of a threat than Charles?" "I''m not sure, but we may see after this next test. If he is going to bare his fangs, now would be a good time to start." After briefly warning him about the hidden threat of Luke, Miria and Skymender once again began to study. Eventually, their food was ready and they ate. Skymender returned to his room. He fell asleep and went to class the next day. The Imperial Scholar moved on from addition and subtraction to multiplication and division. Naturally, this was even more in depth than addition and division were. It got harder to understand much faster than it had yesterday. He talked about these two for the entire class before dismissing them. The next day, he went over something more complicated, and the day after that, something even more complicated. Through his teachings and everyone''s talent, it was quite easy for the class to move quickly for even the most complicated of subjects. They went over math for a while, and when they finished, it had been two months since the start of the Imperial Scholar Camp. There was only a single month left to go. Skymender now had thirty five Intelligence points, and was still at the top of the leaderboard. The test was nearing, and it was undoubtedly an important one. There would only be a single test for the entire math section, and it would most likely be worth more intelligence points than all of the others so far. It would be a deciding factor to the overall winner of the Imperial Scholar Camp. At the end of the last lecture, where everything was wrapped up, the Imperial Scholar announced the test. "Tomorrow, the math test will be taking place. It is very important and will most likely completely rearrange the standing. Come prepared. This will be the toughest so far." With this, Skymender left. He did not meet up with Miria like usual, but returned to his room to study alone. They had already talked about everything he was going over, he was just going over it again. He completely focused himself, not registering anything outside of his mind and what he needed to study. When he came to, it was time to go to sleep. He woke up the next morning ready. He walked to the Imperial Scholar Camp, where he sat down until the Imperial Scholar entered the room. "We will be doing this test differently than a usual test, though that in itself is usual here, I suppose. Everyone follow me." He walked out of the room, and everyone followed. They were led to a room which was filled with Scholars. The door led to the center of a room, which was lower in level than the seats that surrounded the circular area. It resembled a colosseum from ancient times. All around the upper area were Scholars, at least twenty, holding paper and writing utensils. "This test will be held in sections. After each section, your tests will be quickly scored, and the leaderboards shall update. I hope that you all perform well. Take a seat." In the middle of the circular area were enough seats for all of the students. They were equally spaced apart and gave every student ample room. Everything was passed out, including loads of paper and writing utensils. Finally, the test paper was given and the first section of the test began. It felt rather simple, though there were indeed some harder questions later on. After an hour, the test papers were taken back up and handed out to the Scholars in the room. Some students'' papers were handed out to multiple Scholars since there were more Scholars than students. They naturally had answer keys, and by splitting up into sections, the grading was done relatively fast. The Imperial Scholar began to write the leaderboards on a large board. Chapter 650: New Leaderboard - 650 Chapter 650 - New Leaderboard - 650 At fifth was Miria. At third was Skymender. Second was Luke. At first was Charles. They all shared looks between each other. Although someone besides the four had gotten fourth place, it was unknown whether or not they would remain there. With the leaderboard updated, the Imperial Scholar passed out another section of the test. It lasted an hour, and the grading process was relatively quick. The Imperial Scholar soon updated the leaderboard again. Miria fourth, Skymender third, Luke second, and Charles first. Luke glared at Charles for a moment before becoming completely serious. The next test was handed out. It was unknown how many there were, but logically, it wouldn''t exceed eight. This was the third. The questions were definitely harder, with some that Skymender had never even seen and simply had to guess on. While the Imperial Scholar taught a lot, he also placed importance on self study and self learning. Therefore, there were questions on the test that Skymender did not know. This was not simply to cause him to lose points for not knowing it, but to give those who self studied it the opportunity to use what they learned. The third test soon came to a conclusion. Papers were collected up and answers graded. After a bit longer than last time, the Imperial Scholar changed the leaderboard. Miria, fourth place, Skymender, third place, Charles, second place, Luke, first place. Luke and Charles shared a look. It seemed to be a two way battle at the moment. Skymender took a deep breath and closed his eyes. After a while, he opened them. The next sections would be even harder, and what he had self studied were the harder problems. He still had the chance to surpass them in the coming rounds. After the fourth test, the rankings were the same. However, as the fifth test started, there was a clear difference in difficulty. Even on the first question, Skymender had to pause and think. He began to move through the test swiftly, faster than everyone else. It was not necessarily because he knew it all, but because he had practiced what he had already known so much that his speed was increased, and also because he didn''t waste time on questions he didn''t know. After about half of the time passed, Skymender finished. He then went back and did everything he hadn''t known off the top of his head, the number of which had continuously grown until the end. The time soon ended and tests were taken up. When the leaderboards were rewritten, Skymender was in second place, while Luke had actually been knocked back to third place and Charles made it to first once again. Miria stayed firm at fourth. The sixth test was handed out. It was even harder than the last. The rankings did not change at its conclusion. The seventh test was handed out, and after it was graded, the rankings did not change. Finally, the eighth test came. It was the hardest by far. It felt like a test filled to the brim with nearly impossible bonus questions. From the first question, Skymender had a headache. It would be a longshot to get a single question right. He couldn''t even tell if the questions were getting harder as he went on. Everything was simply too advanced. As expected, after the tests were collected and graded, the rankings did not change. Skymender sighed. He had lost to Charles once again. A photographic memory was just too powerful. "The points gained are as follows. 10 points to first, 5 to second, and 3 to third. Let''s return." They all returned to the classroom and the overall leaderboard was quickly updated. Charles in first with 43 intelligence points. Skymender in second with 40. Luke in third with 31. Miria in fourth with 30. It was a close game between Skymender and Charles. However, it seemed that neither Luke nor Miria had a high chance of catching up. It was getting late, and class was quickly dismissed. Skymender walked towards a different restaurant than usual. It was something he had seen many times, a restaurant requiring 40 points to enter. He walked through an archway and entered an enclosed yard. Two streams of water flowed at the sides. Even though darkness was approaching, lamps at the side kept everything bright. He saw fish in ponds and numerous decorations. He soon entered the main dining area, an outside seating with gentle lights and numerous decorations. A woman came up to him holding a menu. "Welcome, sir. What can I get for you to drink?" "I''ll have water." She bowed and backed away. Skymender took a look at the menu. He saw rice, sushi, fish, and many other traditional meals. Just as he decided what he wanted, the woman returned with a refreshing glass of water. After taking a sip, Skymender ordered a variety of sushi and some shrimp fried rice, though he did not believe for a second that a shrimp was actually frying the rice. The woman took his order and was about to leave when Skymender asked a question. "Since Master Chef Garb is one of a kind even in a thousand years, why does it take more intelligence points to eat here?" As if she had already prepared an answer, she responded. "Although Master Chef Garb is without a doubt the greatest cook in the world and it costs a fortune to have him cook here, the intelligence points cost is not decided on that. Instead, it is based on the price of the food itself, the rarity, and the decorations and atmosphere. Master Chef Garb''s food is simpler and far more common, while his decorations are relatively few. That is why only one restaurant is above ours in terms of intelligence points." Skymender looked in the distance, where a tower second in height only to the Education building stood. He had walked past it many times, but he still found it hard to believe the necessary intelligence points to enter. "The Tower. It costs one hundred intelligence points to enter, the most expensive location in the Imperial Scholar Camp. Nobody has ever entered." When she said most expensive, she was referring to intelligence points price, not expensive in of itself. ------------------------------------------- I pay my respects to Lord Lu as the greatest webnovel of all time, Star Odyssey, concludes. Chapter 651: The Great Library - 651 Chapter 651 - The Great Library - 651 "What exactly makes the tower worth 100 intelligence points?" He asked. "From what I understand, the atmosphere alone qualifies it for such a high price. Sitting above everything, looking down on those below. I imagine the food is rare as well, of course. As for what the menu is, I don''t know." "Alright. Thank you." The woman bowed and left. Skymender was soon brought the food he had ordered. It all tasted good. It could not accurately be compared to Master Chef Garb''s cooking simply because it was a different type of cuisine. Skymender did not know if Master Chef Garb knew how to make sushi, but if he did it would probably taste even better. Skymender soon left, returning to his room. The next morning, he returned to the Education building as usual. The Imperial Scholar stood in front of the class and explained the next section. "We have gone over most of the basic sections that need to be learned as a foundation for everything else, and have also gone deeper into certain studies. Now, as we reach the end of the Imperial Scholar Camp, it is time for everyone to individually choose what they want to learn. The remaining month will go as follows: From now on, there is no more class. Instead, for an hour every other day, each student can come to me under allotted times and receive my full attention and teachings. The great library has opened as of now. The final class is dismissed. Meeting times are posted on billboards around the Imperial Scholar Camp." With that, he turned around and left. Skymender had read the introductory booklet, and already knew what the great library was. It was a treasure trove of knowledge and learning. As long as it wasn''t classified information, then everything that the Empire knew was within the great library. Skymender left the Education building, and like almost every other person, made his way to the great library. Along the way, he stopped and saw a billboard with times and names written on it. Reading it, he found that his first one on one teaching with the Imperial Scholar was scheduled tomorrow at noon. After memorizing that important piece of information, he walked the rest of the way to the great library. The building was large and the entrance was wide. Skymender walked through the open doors and found a large map ahead. It had the major sections of study on it. This included science, math, english, and a few more important subsections that could almost be considered major sections of their own. Skymender naturally headed to the science section. There was another map, and in a corner he saw a section on poison. He walked through winding bookshelves before eventually finding the poison section. It was small, but there were at least a thousand books. Like in other sections, he found seats and a few tables, though all of them were small. Skymender walked around, looking at the books. Most seemed to contain information on various plants, animals, and environments. A few had information on certain combinations and theories. However, it was clear that there were no recipes for poison to be found here. After all, poison was a very dangerous thing. Information could not be easily spread. Skymender began to hesitate in his head. He would not be able to make much progress in poison here, simply because it was dangerous. Important information would no doubt be redacted. After a while, he left the poison section. He even left the science section. He headed to one of the biggest sections, a section that was outside of the major sections and stood alone as an important section. It was the medical section. He actually saw a few people here. Books lined the walls, stocked up from thousands of authors over hundreds of years. Although he was not interested in healing or being a doctor, he was interested in poison. It was not impossible to use medicine to create a poison. All it needed was a substance that triggered a reverse response. He wanted to learn medicine for this reason. It could further his poison arts. Skymender found another map within the medical section that pinpointed certain information or minor sections within the medical section. He eventually found an area that covered poisons, diseases, and sicknesses. It was a pretty major section within the medical sections, alongside the likes of broken bones and brain injuries. Skymender went over to the poisons, diseases, and sickness section. Focusing further, he found books based on poison treatment. After looking at titles, he chose a rather large book titled, "Snake''s Across the World". It seemed to be a book about different types of snakes and what could be done about their venom. The book was divided in half, one section being about venomous snakes and the other being about non-venomous snakes. He skipped past the non-venomous section and made his way to the second half of the book. The very first snake had dark black scales and an evil look. "Night-scaled one fang snake." Its name described it quite perfectly. Its venom could be counteracted by adding a mixture of different liquids, harvested from different plants, and mixing them with the venom in a certain ratio. It was very detailed and Skymender was confident in creating the antidote if he had all of the materials in front of him. Next was a brown snake that was similarly evil looking. "Mud Swamp Snapper." It lived in a non-poisonous swamp and hid under mud, snapping at passing prey. It rarely attacked humans, usually by accident, but when it did, it was deadly. Luckily, an antidote to its poison had been researched, requiring mud that a Mud Swamp Snapper had released its venom into over a period of days. This was nearly impossible to find naturally, but it could be made by using a captured Mud Swamp Snapper and some collected mud. Afterwards, the mud would be mixed with healing herbs, liquidized, and ingested. It caused minor diarrhea afterwards, though it also saved the poisoned individual''s life. The book went deep into detail about every single snake. Chapter 652: Researching Disease - 652 Chapter 652 - Researching Disease - 652 Skymender sat down and began to read deeply, doing his very best to memorize every piece of information. If necessary, he would read it twice or even three times. As he went deeper into the book, the information got less detailed. Eventually, there would be at most five pieces of information. Yet, as he got to the back, everything got a little creepy. It would speak of tiny snakes that burrowed into skin and parasitized the human, turning them into a walking, breathing sack of eggs. There were also snakes said to live on blood, residing under houses within large cities. The book seemed to turn into some sort of mythical keepsake of legendary beasts. Nearing the end, with only a few pages left, there were a few pages with giant snakes. One was called a titanoboa. It was far bigger than a human, and lived deep in the wild where humans had barely explored. It was known to have killed even seasoned hunters. Only Sword Masters dared to venture into its territory. It would be a legend, had not a Sword Master from hundreds of years ago brought one''s head. But not all Sword Master''s returned, and other than that one, those who did returned with only stories or without finding it at all. Of course, those Sword Masters who had died were at the lowest level, known as the 4th rank. But even so, it showcased the incredible power of the titanoboa. It was unknown if the titanoboa was venomous or simply extremely powerful, but to place importance on its danger, it was placed in the venomous section. Finally, on the last page, at the very top, the words, Unconfirmed Legend were written in deep, dark ink, as if declaring it a section of its own. An illustration of a snake lifting its head was on the page. However, on that snake''s head was a mountain. This was the mountain serpent. Such a snake was nothing more than a myth or a legend, not fit to be in a scientific book. However, there was a single fact that made it necessary to know. The Sword Master of the Ancient Empire, hailed as the strongest in history, had said that there was a 50% chance that it existed, based on evidence he himself had seen. And even if it didn''t exist, either something similar in size did, or some sort of natural disaster had formed suspiciously logical tracks. Skymender closed the book. This was actually not his first time hearing of such a creature. In fantasy books, legends were usually incorporated in some form. This was one of the ones he had seen before. In that book, it was referred to as the ancestor of snakes, but in the end, there was a footnote about the legend of the mountain serpent. Skymender had memorized a vast portion of the information in the book, and in order to ensure 100% memorization, he read it twice more. With his talent, he believed that he had memorized it all. Of course, in the Imperial Scholar Camp, everyone had similar memorization talent. It was one of the things that set them above everybody else in the world who was not invited. Equally important was comprehension, something Skymender incorporated while memorizing the book. Through his comprehension, everything he memorized was applied to what he already knew. He had seen many venoms that would go well with other poisonous substances. Skymender put away the book and scrolled around for the next. He eventually found an interesting one about diseases. It spoke about major disease outbreaks and how their effect was either diminished or removed through the use of science. As he read through the book, he paid the most attention to a part about how a major disease just a hundred years ago was handled and how a cure was created. It was not created by a Kingdom or Empire, but by a group of scientists unfunded and unlawful. Seeing the disease wreak havoc, they decided to do something that would eventually get them killed, but would save millions. They kidnapped a person infected by the disease. They kept him captured and took samples of his blood throughout the progression of the disease. They took the last sample after his death from the disease. Afterwards, they kidnapped more and more infected people. They took from all sample subjects, men, women, children, and even animals. They were good people, and it had hurt them, but they had done it for the greater good. Eventually, through experimentation after experimentation, they created a cure. It was through the deaths of thousands of men, women, and children that this cure was found. The day they found it and proved its effectiveness, they knelt before their Emperor and asked for death, presenting the cure and stating their crimes. The Emperor, reluctantly, granted them the release of death for their crimes. However, they were respected by more than half of the Empire, and a majority of the world. The other half hated them, but even they understood their impact. Losing a thousand to save a millions was considered a very good outcome. Of course, what intrigued Skymender was not their actions of sacrificing the few for the many, or their courage in asking for death, but what form they managed to take out the disease in. After numerous experiments, they managed to take the disease out of a deceased patient, turning it to liquid form. Of course, it was only a fraction of what was in the body, but it led Skymender towards a new possibility. What if he did not stop at making poisons? Instead, what if he created diseases, plagues, and hereditary defects? He could cripple the entire Empire of his enemy, or seriously harm his entire bloodline. But he did not understand how a disease came to be. So, he began to research it. Since it was related to the curing of a disease, there was a little bit of information on how diseases came to be. Simply speaking, from what he gathered, diseases formed on the molecular level. Molecules were a theoretical existence, small enough that millions or billions formed a single eye. This theory was gradually becoming more and more proven. Newer research showed that the molecular level was where diseases were most likely formed. In other words, to create a disease, he would have to interact with the molecular plane. Chapter 653: One On One Teaching - 653 Chapter 653 - One On One Teaching - 653 In other words, it was impossible for Skymender to even begin to think about creating diseases. Well, diseases designed to his liking, that is. There was already research on how certain actions could affect the molecular plane in a way that affected diseases. Otherwise, how could a cure have ever been created? Of course, such information could not be found here. If it could, it would have been found in the poison section. Skymender had been experiencing many setbacks in the Imperial Scholar Camp, and this setback was one that could be solved by time and research. He just would not be able to solve it now. Skymender moved on from the section about diseases. He continued to look at books that spoke about curing poisons. He gathered a lot of new information. Most importantly, through the books, he realized that there were various methods to cure various poisons. Some methods could only be used on one poison or a certain type of poison, while others could be used with many types of poisons. More common methods of curing included creating a tonic, or an injection. The most ridiculous one he had seen was a method which was not even 100% fact checked. It said that to cure a certain poison, one needed to poison a cow with the same type of poison, wait until it reached the final stage of that poison, and cut it open, sitting inside of its body until it died and its corpse turned cold. Although it sounded ridiculous, Skymender had to admit that there was indeed some logic behind it. The cow used was actually a certain type of cow that, for some reason, managed to resist the poison. However, when trying a normal method which scientists usually used for resistant creatures, the poison curing properties somehow lost their potency outside of the cow''s body. Therefore, the unorthodox method was tried. Whether or not it was the reason the poisoned individual was cured or not was not 100% known, but there was a fair likelihood it was the case, hence the inclusion within the medical book. Skymender found that such unusual things, similar to the ideas in fantasy books, managed to broaden his thoughts and open his mind to new, unthought of possibilities. Skymender traveled around the entire medical section, reading numerous books. The sun fell, but he stayed inside. With class now over, he had no need to care about time. Of course, his meeting tomorrow was an exception. It was invaluable. Skymender studied intensely, only occasionally looking at the clock on the wall. He was the only one left here as 5 AM rolled around. This was where his advantage began. Others would value sleep and rest, but he could continue on until he passed out. When he woke up, he could instantly continue again. He was merely ten years old, but his experiences eclipsed countless adults. When the clock above hit 11 AM, Skymender left the library. At the same time, those who left early yesterday were once again entering. They looked at Skymender with surprise. It was impossible to hide his lack of sleep. He had been awake for more than 24 hours, closer to 28. Skymender walked to the Education building. He sat outside the door of an office. He still had a little bit less than an hour before his arranged time, but he had come early for a reason. He leaned against a nearby wall and closed his eyes. In seconds, he was asleep. He awoke to the sound of an opening door. A student walked out, celery very thankful. The Imperial Scholar came out from behind him. "I hope you had a good nap. It is your turn." Skymender, much more refreshed than before, stood up and walked into the office. The Imperial Scholar sat behind a desk. Skymender took a seat across from him. "What do you want to discuss?" The Imperial Scholar asked. "Can you speak about information not in the library?" Skymender asked. "That would depend on what sort of information and who I was talking to. For example, if you would like to know how to destroy our Empire, I could not tell you. Unless you were the Emperor, that is. Another example, if you want to know how to create a poison that will wipe out an entire Empire. I could not tell you because I am not confident that I know how to create such a poison." Skymender already knew that the Imperial Scholar knew about his research on poison. In fact, he was most likely keeping tabs on all of the students in the Imperial Scholar Camp. "I want to know about poison recipes." Skymender said. The Imperial Scholar leaned back in his chair. "Perhaps for others, I would withhold that information, but for one of the top three in the Imperial Scholar Camp, I suppose I can tell you a few of the nonlethal ones." The Imperial Scholar took out a piece of paper and a writing utensil from a drawer in his desk. "Understand that none of this information is to be shared under any circumstances. Even you would not be an exception to severe punishment." The Imperial Scholar warned. Skymender nodded. The Imperial Scholar began to write down on the piece of paper. It was a list of ingredients. Most of them, Skymender recognized, but others, he did not. The Imperial Scholar began to speak. "As the Imperial Scholar, I represent the Empire''s intelligence. In other words, if I am lacking in something, then it reflects on the Empire. Therefore, I made it a mission to know at least a bit of everything. Now, my at least a bit is much different from yours or anyone else''s at least a bit, but you get the point. You are a genius in the art of poison, but you have yet to surpass me. Not now, at least." The Imperial Scholar began to write directions down after the ingredients. "You surpassing of me in poison is inevitable, but for now, there is much to teach you." He finished writing. Chapter 654: Poison Room - 654 Chapter 654 - Poison Room - 654 The Imperial Scholar pushed the poison recipe forward and spoke. "This is a very temporary paralyzation poison. It will last around ten seconds on most targets, though some will be able to move after seven or so seconds." Skymender took a look at the poison recipe and began to memorize it. He would have to look up some of the plants in the library, as it was naturally impossible for him to have memorized every single plant in the world at his age. "One of these plants is considered classified. You will not be able to find information on it nor purchase it anywhere with the permission of someone with access to classified things. That is where I can help you. In order to assist you in furthering your studies, it is necessary that I give you access to this classified plant. Go to the clothing shop that you got your current clothes from and tell the woman that the Imperial Scholar has given you access to the Yellow Lightning Thorn plant." The Imperial Scholar explained. Skymender thanked him and put the recipe in his pocket. "You still have plenty of time left. I can''t give you anything else today, but I can still teach you." The Imperial Scholar said. Skymender thought for a moment before speaking. "Can you speak on the process of curing a disease, in your experience?" The Imperial Scholar nodded. "There haven''t been any extremely dangerous disease outbreaks in my time, but there have been a few that could have blown up to that level if not handled properly. One of them was a disease that was not fatal to anyone except old people and newborn children. Still, being sick with it was painful and inconveniencing. In order to cure that disease, we had to find those infected with it and study them, especially their symptoms. We could match their symptoms with the symptoms of other diseases. By finding similarities, we can narrow down the methods of curing we try. Sometimes we take blood, sometimes we take skin or bones. It is a very complex process." The Imperial Scholar spoke in great detail of his experiences in dealing with diseases. Eventually, the hour passed. "That''s it for today. I recommend you get at least four hours of sleep a night." Skymender thanked him for his teachings and left the office. He then headed back to the library. He continued to read. He spent another day like this. Eventually, he figured he should get some sleep. He walked back, stopping by a board and noting the next time he would meet with the Imperial Scholar. It was exactly 48 hours from the last time. In other words, in tomorrow at noon. Skymender fell asleep in his room for a total of 5 hours before heading back to the library. Eventually, he had his next meeting with the Imperial Scholar. He spoke in detail about poison and curing poisons. After this meeting, Skymender finally headed to the clothing shop where he would be able to get the Yellow Lightning Thorn plant. Stepping inside the store, the receptionist barely glanced at him before focusing on something else. After all, people usually just came inside and took what they wanted. However, Skymender walked up to the desk and got her attention. "I apologize, sir. Do you need my assistance?" She asked. Skymender nodded. "The Imperial Scholar sent me to tell you that I have access to the Yellow Lightning Thorn plant." The girl nodded and stepped away, going into a door behind the desk. A few minutes later, she came out with a wooden box. "According to the rules, do not open this anywhere besides a certified poison room." Skymender nodded. "And where are the poison rooms?" "There is one under the restaurant of Master Chef Garb, as well as another under the shoe store." Skymender thanked her and left. He headed to Chef Master Garbs restaurant. Seeing it made him remember that Miria existed. He had completely forgotten about her after the Imperial Scholar declared what the last month would look like. To say that he cared about her existence would be a lie, but he had not gotten all of the information he could have out of her. What he had learned could be summed up pretty simply. The true winner is not based on total points alone. Luke is a hidden danger not to be underestimated. There is an Imperial Scholar Camp every ten years. There will not necessarily be a winner, as the true winner would be someone accepted as the next Imperial Scholar. Only a few would be invited once again next year. You only get two chances to participate in the Imperial Scholar Camp. Everything is different after a new year. Finally, the Imperial Scholar had said last year that the conditions for becoming the true winner were ridiculous, almost impossible. This was all the information he had been given. It was useful, especially so for anticipating the next time he came. Skymender did not expect to become the true winner. If the conditions were truly ridiculous, as described so by even the Imperial Scholar, then the fact that he was not even currently in first place meant that he had a low chance of succeeding. Besides, Miria had also said that the only chance one truly had of being a true winner was in the second year. As he entered Master Chef Garb''s restaurant, he also thought of the only current way to gain intelligence points. Every week, the Imperial Scholar would test what you had learned and give you points based off of that. It was completely up to his discretion. This had been information given during his first one on one teaching. Skymender snapped out of his thoughts as he saw Master Chef Garb sitting in the middle of a ring of fire. There were no customers as of now. Skymender walked up to him, and Master Chef Garb opened his eyes. "Hello. I need to use the poison room. How does that work?" Skymender asked. Chapter 655: Different Types of Poison - 655 Chapter 655 - Different Types of Poison - 655 "Huh?" Master Chef Garb said. "Oh right. I forgot about that. You can just enter. The door is next to the bathroom door." Skymender thanked him and walked over. Opening the door, he saw a set of wooden stairs that led down. He began to walk down them, and eventually, they turned, still heading down but in the opposite direction. After a while, he came across another wooden door. He pushed it open and stepped inside. Above was a lamp, and all around was concrete. There was a vent on the side. Against one of the concrete walls was a table with equipment on it. Skymender looked around for a few moments, recognizing the tools as classic equipment. He put down the wooden box with the Yellow Lightning Thorn inside and walked back up the stairs. Taking a few trips, he brought down a bunch of different materials and herbs. All of them, excluding the Yellow Lightning Thorn, were taken from a herb store. It did not get many customers, only those that occasionally cooked for themselves. Surprisingly, they had a great selection of poisonous materials. Skymender imagined that he was the first person to concoct poison in the Imperial Scholar Camp, but he naturally didn''t know. With all of the materials in the basement, Skymender could begin. Although he had memorized the recipe, he took it out and looked over it once again. Now with full confidence, he began. He took a few of the non reactive materials and began to mix them together, as instructed. He made a few different mixtures, storing them in glass vials. This was the first step. The next began by mixing a few of the reactive materials together. Although Skymender did not have a cauldron, he did have a pot and constant heat. As Skymender began to mix the reactive materials together, he saw a mist come up. As it entered his nose, he felt a slight numbing sensation. When all of the reactive materials were in the pot and mixed up, the third step began. Skymender began to pour the prepared vials of non reactive substances into the reactive substance. They mixed together, changing the color from dark brown to a slight yellowish green. Now, it was time for the final step. He opened the wooden box and grabbed the Yellow Lightning Thorn. As its name suggested, it was a yellow plant with thorns. One of the thorns poked him, and he felt that part of his hand turn numb. Skymender quickly threw it in the pot whole and began to mix it. The substance''s color changed, now turning almost clear. No more mist was released, and Skymender was barely sure that he had done it correctly. However, there was only one way to know. He put the substance in vials, a total of ten. He then took one of the vials and uncapped it. Taking a small sip, he felt as if electric had coursed through his body. His body paused and fell. Luckily, he had already known the effects and had instantly capped the vial after taking a sip. He and the vial fell. He stared up at the ceiling for around ten seconds before feeling instantly returned to his body. He was amazed. It would have been one thing if it had been a slow process, but it was instant, both coming and going unnoticeably. Naturally, Skymender''s first thought was to become immune to it. He uncapped the same vial and took another sip, capping it instantly. He fell to the ground and counted. He repeated this process ten times, draining half of the vial. The first time, it had been almost exactly ten seconds. However, the tenth time, he had counted a little bit more than nine and a half seconds. It was hard to be 100% accurate. Continuing on, he finished up one of the vials, knocking the time it took him to recover down to almost exactly nine and a half seconds. It didn''t seem like much, because it wasn''t, but it was progress. Skymender took the nine remaining vials with him and left. He stored them in his room before heading to the library. A day or so later, he once again met up with the Imperial Scholar. "How did it go?" He asked. "It went well." Skymender responded. "Good. You only had one chance. The Yellow Lightning Thorn is both valuable and restricted. Not many know of it, as even a Sword Master would be somewhat affected by it. Don''t be stupid with it." The Imperial Scholar said. Skymender nodded, agreeing. He did not have any plans to poison anyone any time soon. "Alright. Let''s begin." The Imperial Scholar did not even ask what Skymender wanted to learn about, as he already knew the answer. He began to talk about poison. Eventually, near the end, he began to write out another poison recipe. "Now I won''t give you any recipes for killing or extreme harming, but I can show you how broad the study of poisons can actually be. For example, this poison can be used on a plant, rapidly killing it down to its roots. Even this counts as a poison." Skymender had heard of something like that before. Supposedly, farmers used some sort of poison to kill weeds or other plants that were harming their fields. There were also poisons that could be used against tiny bugs that harmed their crops. This was actually a common practice, but Skymender had never associated these things with poison before. "Though difficult, poisons can be made to only specifically target one type of thing, whether that be plants, animals, humans, or even just a single species such as a cow or pig. Throughout the years, competing businesses have researched such poisons to use against their competitors. While there are very few tales of success, and those that do succeed usually face punishment for their dangerous actions, there are no doubt some who have greatly benefited from these practices." He handed Skymender a piece of paper. "Here." Chapter 656: Plant Poison - 656 Chapter 656 - Plant Poison - 656 Skymender quickly looked over it and could tell at a glance that it was different from a usual poison recipe. Both the materials used to create it and the methods used to concoct it were abnormal and very specific. He looked up at the Imperial Scholar. "This particular poison is only useful on the common weeds in this area. Our gardeners use it, though it is created elsewhere. It is not particularly useful, but it is extremely valuable. Many would pay a lot of money for it, not just to get rid of weeds, but because it could give them or those who work for them an insight on how to create similar poison recipes." Skymender nodded. "Thank you." "Of course. Anything to further the knowledge of such a talented individual." Although his words were spoken normally, Skymender imagined that deep inside, it was just empty words. "Now, let me begin to teach you about some of the unusual components in the concoction process." The Imperial Scholar began to describe, explain, and suggest. His focus was on the unusual concoction method included in the recipe. It was more complicated than a normal poison recipe, requiring the heat to be skillfully manipulated and the timing to be nearly perfect. The Imperial Scholar finished up exactly as the hour ended. "Alright. Good luck with your concocting." Skymender thanked him again and left. He headed directly to the herb shop. He had already been told about the few materials on the list he hadn''t known. None were nearly as valuable as the Yellow Lightning Thorn, and neither were they restricted or classified. The uniqueness of the recipe lay in the concoction process, not the materials. Leaving the herb shop with a large bag on his back, Skymender headed over to Master Chef Garb''s restaurant. He entered, and Master Chef Garb looked at him. "Using the poison room." Skymender said. Master Chef Garb nodded. As Skymender walked towards the door, he paused. "Is it safe to have a poison room so close to food?" Master Chef Garb looked back at him. "Is it safe to have a poison room anywhere?" Skymender nodded in agreement and headed down the stairs once again. In the same room, he took out everything and began. He mixed materials, timed additions perfectly, and manipulated the heat, though he struggled to do so. He failed his first attempt, as well as his second. However, after the first, his skill had clearly grown. As he began his third, there was an obvious difference. Still, it was not enough. He failed on his third attempt and his fourth attempt, finally succeeding on his fifth attempt. He produced a few vials of the poison. He didn''t value the poison itself that much. Instead, he valued the practice and experience he had gained, as well as his new insights on different types of poisons. Skymender cleaned up and headed upstairs to test the poison out. As he walked outside, he looked at one of the boards. On it was a test date. The next time that they met with the Imperial Scholar, they would be tested on what they learned through his methods, and be given points as a result. Skymender noted it in his head and walked over to the grass. After looking around for a little bit, he found a patch of the common weeds in the Imperial Capital. Although there were many different types of weeds, these were the most common species around. Skymender uncapped a vial and dripped a few drops on the weeds. He also intentionally got some on the grass. He watched as the poison that touched the weeds was sucked inside of it, but the poison that touched the grass simply slid off, not affecting it. Moments later, he saw the weeds shriveling up at a speed visible to the naked eye. After five minutes, all that remained of the weed patch was a bunch of dry, dead weeds. Skymender was impressed by the effectiveness of the poison. The normal grass and ground was completely untouched, while the weeds were completely eradicated. It did what it needed to do and it did it perfectly. Since he had a test in two days, he decided to head to the library and study. Clearly, everybody had gotten the memo, as the library was just as full as when it first opened. Skymender made his way to the medical section and began to study. Unlike usual, he actually began to study medicine and healing. He had been intending to do so for a long time, but had always focused on poison. Now, he decided it was the right time. As expected, medicine was very similar to poison. From the methods to create a medicine or a cure, to the materials used. All of it was eerily similar. For the first time, Skymender truly understood the saying, "A master of medicine is a master of poison". Even just by accident, it seemed possible to make poison from a few of the medicine recipes. Just a single additional material or one missing could make a concoction go from healing to killing. Skymender stayed inside of the library for more than sixteen hours before leaving and falling asleep. He made sure he got plenty of sleep and went to the library as soon as he woke up. When he arrived it was around 10 PM, or 14 hours before his test with the Imperial Scholar. He would spend all of the time before that studying. In the library, he perused various sections, even stepping out of the medicine section to look at how broken bones were healed. He became curious as to how doctors actually worked, but staved off his curiosity for the sake of the test. It felt like the blink of an eye, but 11 AM arrived. Skymender had an hour before his test. To say he was not a little tired would be a lie. Therefore, he left a bit early and stopped at a cafe, picking up the most energizing coffee that they gave out. Chapter 657: Closing the Gap - 657 Chapter 657 - Closing the Gap - 657 The coffee was loaded with sugar and espresso, an energy enhancing drink. Skymender finished it as he walked towards the Education building. By the time he arrived, he was wide awake and full of energy. Luckily, he was able to calm his mind down before the Imperial Scholar was ready for him. At almost exactly 12 PM, the office door opened and someone exited. It was not someone Skymender had ever paid attention to. The Imperial Scholar walked out and saw Skymender. "I''m ready for you." Skymender nodded and walked over. Entering, he sat on a chair across from the Imperial Scholar. "Would you like to be tested on medicine or poison?" The Imperial Scholar asked. "Poison." Skymender responded. Although he had been studying medicine, it had been almost completely in relation to poison. The Imperial Scholar nodded and took out a piece of paper prepared in advance. "You have up to thirty minutes to complete the first section. If you finish early, we can move on. Begin." Skymender grabbed a nearby writing utensil and began. The questions were basic, but tested a vast array of knowledge. A part of it was naming plants, which was quite difficult. Another involved other, non-plant materials. Another section gave made up scenarios and asked Skymender what he would do in that situation. Skymender flew through it, completing what he was able to within twenty minutes. He handed it to the Imperial Scholar. The Imperial Scholar nodded and placed it to the side. He then began the second portion of the test, where he asked specific questions. These could be whatever he wanted or believed could pertain to what Skymender was studying, which was poison. It was similar to the test, with a few unique questions thrown in. All in all, as he left the Imperial Scholar''s office, he wasn''t sure how good or bad he had done. He returned to the library, where he continued to study. He knew that the final test would be conducted a day later, around 4 PM. Results should come out the same day since most of it was decided by the Imperial Scholar and not some sort of system. The next day, at 10 PM, he began to walk to his room in order to get some needed sleep. That coffee had kept him up for far longer than he should have been awake. As he walked, he passed by the billboard and looked at it. It did not have any sort of test results on it, but simply a paper that said, "See board for results". The board it was referring to was the big board in the teaching room of the Education building. As curious as Skymender was, he was even more so tired. He returned to his room and fell asleep. Around 12 hours later, when he woke up, the first thing he did was get ready for his day. The second was to go to the Education building. Entering the teaching room, he looked at the board. 4th, Miria - 37 Intelligence points 3rd, Luke - 40 Intelligence points 2nd, Skymender - 50 Intelligence points 1st, Charles - 51 Intelligence points In other words, during this round of testing, Skymender was at the top. Ignoring Miria and Luke, Charles had only gained 8 points, while Skymender had gained 10. He had cut the lead down to one point. Wherever Charles was, he was surely unhappy. Skymender did not let it get to his head. He returned to the library and studied with even more intensity than usual. After all, he was coming off of around 12 hours of sleep. At noon, he met with the Imperial Scholar. "Congratulations on your victory. Let''s continue." The Imperial Scholar said. Skymender nodded and began to receive teachings. The Imperial Scholar was truly a terrifying individual, his knowledge gathered over years seemingly endless. Skymender wasn''t confident that, given the same time, he could have as much knowledge as the Imperial Scholar. Eventually, the hour passed and Skymender left. As usual, he had gained a lot. He left straight for the library. As he left, the next person scheduled did not immediately enter, but waited outside in confusion, wondering why the Imperial Scholar had not called him in. Meanwhile, after Skymender left, a person stepped into the room from another door. An arrogant and tall man stood with his hands behind his back. "How is it going so far?" "It is going as well as expected, your Imperial Majesty." The Imperial Scholar said. The Emperor nodded. "Is Skymender doing well?" The Imperial Scholar nodded. "Incredibly so. Say, where did you find that kid with the photographic memory?" The Emperor spoke simply. "I have tabs everywhere. It is simply by coincidence that someone with a photographic memory has been born in this time, and is the perfect age to be a rival for Skymender. No, call it fate." The Imperial Scholar nodded. "Do you want me to change anything? I believe that on his second appearance, Skymender may become worthy of being the next Imperial Scholar." The Emperor shook his head. "Continue on. You are better suited to such matters." The Imperial Scholar nodded in agreement. The Emperor turned around and walked back through the same door. As he left, he left a few words behind. "Make sure that Skymender can really surpass the challenge that is Charles. Otherwise, it might be better to let Charles be the next Imperial Scholar." With that, he was gone. The Imperial Scholar shook his head. He muttered to himself. "It has just begun. Charles may be a one in a million talent, but Skymender is a monster in body and soul. This is still the warm up. When the second time comes, who knows if Charles will be qualified to receive a glance from him." The entire time, neither Miria nor Luke were spoken of or thought of, as if the competition they were participating in didn''t even consider them challengers, simply extras. In the eyes of the Imperial Scholar, they were no different from the other 12 people, not including Charles and Skymender. Chapter 658: I Never Wanted to Defy the Heavens - 658 Chapter 658 - I Never Wanted to Defy the Heavens - 658 Time seemed to pass by quickly in the Imperial Scholar Camp. Skymender spent almost all of his time within the library, and what he didn''t spend inside of it was either spent sleeping or learning from the Imperial Scholar. Even his meals would be eaten within the library. Naturally, Skymender''s progress was astonishing. As more time passed, he felt as if he was finally able to realize his full potential. What he had seen as fast growth before seemed like nothing now. His memory and comprehension seemed to have improved, though he understood it was because of his focused and dedicated state of mind. He began to use the poison room for his own creations as well, adding another location to the few places he ventured. He had created a few poisons, though all of them were relatively useless and weak. It would take a lot of luck to create a poison as good as his first ones. These poisons were not necessarily intended to ever be used, but to help further his understanding. He met with the Imperial Scholar a few times, and eventually, another test came around. In total, there would be four tests. The first had already happened, and the second was tomorrow. Skymender naturally studied as hard as he could, but he had been doing so every single day. No matter how much harder he wanted to study, it was impossible. Skymender made sure to get plenty of rest and arrived at the Imperial Scholar''s office door at 11:45. He waited until exactly 12, when the last person came out. He had a frown on his face. The Imperial Scholar walked out behind him and gestured for Skymender to come inside. "There is no need to waste time. Let''s begin." The Imperial Scholar said. Skymender nodded and began to fill out the paper. It was the same format of test, but the questions were even more difficult to answer than last time. He would have struggled much more a week ago, but after having studied for the past week, and at speeds he himself found hard to believe, he was doing well. Skymender took around 25 minutes to do the paper test. After which, the Imperial Scholar began to ask him questions. Most of the questions were opinion based, or more open questions, and Skymender had to think harder than before. However, as the hour finished, Skymender left the office with confidence. If he didn''t do the best, he couldn''t imagine who would be able to. The Imperial Scholar let out a smile as he did so. "He is finally releasing his true potential. If he continues like this, Charles won''t have a chance of victory. If you can''t win with such an incredible ability, then you don''t deserve to win at all." Skymender entered the library, not very concerned about the results. He studied as usual, moving at an incredible speed. The next day, he continued on. Occasionally, he would get a few hours of sleep. At the end of the day, around 10 PM, he made his way to the teaching room of the Education building. He looked at the leaderboard and read the rankings. "Fourth place. Miria, 44 points. Third place. Luke, 46 points. First place... a tie between me and Charles." Skymender mumbled. He had completely caught up. Both of them were sitting at exactly 60 points. Skymender nodded, satisfied. He imagined that 10 points was the maximum. Although he absolutely didn''t get everything correct, the judgement was made by the Imperial Scholar. In addition, it was not based on correctness but by learning ability. Skymender returned to his room, which had been upgraded ever since he reached 50 points, and slept soundly. The next day, he returned to the library as always. However, as he studied, an unhappy visitor made an appearance. Charles walked up to him, his hair disheveled and his eyes tired. He had clearly been staying up as much as possible. He looked at Skymender with hatred. "What is it?" Charles said simply. It was a simple question, but it was filled with failed efforts and unwillingness. "Are you related to the Imperial Scholar? Are you cheating? What is happening? I have a photographic memory, a memory in which I remember anything and everything. How can I possibly be losing out to you? I can''t understand it." Skymender shook his head. "It''s actually pretty simple." Charles looked surprised. "You actually have an answer? Fine, help me understand." Skymender spoke simply. "You have failed to consider the fact that I am simply better than you." Charles snorted. He hadn''t expected an honest answer. "Do you know the side effects of a photographic memory?" Charles asked. Skymender nodded. Charles explained regardless. "Of those who have had photographic memories, the oldest in history reached 40 years of age and died of natural causes. This alone proves the existence of something akin to a soul or limited memory. Because the common trend is early death. There is no other explanation. Our minds, or whatever, keep all the information without releasing it, forming an unnatural cycle that resists the very essence of the Universe." Skymender nodded. All things exist in a cycle. Memories were eventually lost, only keeping a portion of important ones. Remembering every speck of dust ever seen was unnatural, as all things return to the Universe. The Universe, not receiving enough throughout the life of someone with a photographic memory, ensures that they pay the price early. "This can be considered defying the Heavens and facing the consequences." Charles said, his voice repressing emotions. For the first time in his life, he spoke his truest feelings, releasing everything inside. All of the unwillingness and indignance was released in a simple sentence that accurately pinpointed the deepest thoughts of countless throughout time and space. "I never wanted to defy the Heavens." He felt released. There was no knowledge on this world about Heaven''s existence, but the word Heaven simply referred to that which was above, an almighty existence. That which was untouchable and unimaginable. Defying this Heaven was simply asking for the end of existence. Chapter 659: Cold Heart - 659 Chapter 659 - Cold Heart - 659 Along with his feeling of release, he felt anger. This anger was directed at Skymender. Even after paying the price of such a short life, most likely to die before thirty, he still couldn''t be the best. Charles had a lot he wanted to say, but didn''t say anything. Rather than wasting further time here, it was better to prepare for the next test. Skymender didn''t bother to say goodbye as Charles turned around and left. Skymender continued to focus on the book in his hands. As he read, he felt enlightenment. He instantly left for the herb shop. Gathering what had popped into his mind after weeks of research, he headed to the poison room, herbs in hand. He barely greeted Master Chef Garb as he walked down the stairs, ignoring the person eating. Skymender started the heat and began to mix things together. He chopped some things, slightly burnt others, and simply threw most inside of the pot whole. He began to stir the pot and control the heat. Having experience, he did it well. After a while, an undetectable smell wafted up. Skymender could not sense it at all, but suddenly, the hair on his arms stood on end. He backed away, but he had already been affected by the poison. He felt as if his heart had begun to slow down. Skymender put his hand on his chest, and felt as if the area around his heart was turning cold. He knocked the pot over and stepped out of the room. He could only climb up a few of the stairs as he fell, coughing. He took off his mask and took out a vial from his waist. He broke the vial and inhaled some of the poison from it. He found that this sometimes had magical effects. However, all it did was calm his coughing. Nothing stopped the coldness in his heart from spreading. He couldn''t move. He could only stare at the upward stairs as his vision faded and his heart slowly stopped. Suddenly, his arm jerked. Using the last of his strength and will, he pulled out another vial. This one was double sided. He smashed it onto himself. Immense pain flooded into his body, but he could now somewhat move due to the adrenaline flowing through him. He stayed still as the corrosive poison, which he had smashed onto his chest, worked its way through his body. He had positioned it perfectly, at an area with no vital organs that would kill him to lose. It was extremely close to his heart, however, and a single inch of miscalculation could lead to his death. He was still in extreme pain every second, even worse than when he put his hand into the corrosive poison. This was despite the resistance he had built up after so much time. The corrosive poison burnt a hole through his chest, leaking out of the other side. It was a pain that could not be described in words. Simply unimaginable. Despite everything happening, his heart had not for a second stopped turning cold. Therefore, the second part of the plan took action. He moved his arm and reached his hand into the hole in his chest. Bearing the inhuman pain of reaching inside his own body, and found his heart. Carefully, he began to squeeze it. The coldness did not disperse, but lessened and stopped growing. Major damage had been done to his heart, but if he could survive it would not matter. Everytime he squeezed his own heart, he felt a pain worse than anything else he had ever felt before. Yet somehow, he willed himself on. The only other option was death. Skymender struggled to live, alone, at the bottom of a stairwell. His intelligence, his growth, his strength, his family, the Imperial Scholar Camp, the study of poison, all of it went away as a single thought filled his mind. It was a thought filled with pure selfishness. If his family, or the most innocent, cute animal was in front of him right now, he would kill any of them to survive at this moment. He was not scared of death, but what use was their lives if he was dead. All past emotions seemed to become a mere joke in front of this feeling. What Eldest Sister? What mother? What father? None of it mattered in the slightest compared to his life. As he laid there, pumping his own heart, enduring unimaginable pain, his mind slowly began to change. His heart, which had literally turned cold, began to metaphorically turn cold. Time passed by quickly in this situation. He did not know how much time had passed, when he heard steps up above. At this point, there wasn''t much pain. Well, he was actually feeling a more horrifying pain than that which most would ever experience in their lives, but to him, it was negligible compared to before. Skymender, still pumping his own heart, stared above coldly. A familiar face looked at Skymender. For just a split second, as if curious as to what it would see, the gaze was filled with interest. However, in just a single half of a second, it transformed into horror. Master Chef Garb stared at Skymender, unable to think for a moment. The scene in front of him was beyond horrifying. Below, Skymender''s skin was entirely white, as if drained of blood. Dried blood covered his chest and formed a puddle beneath him. His hand was shoved into his chest, which had a hole in it. Dried blood made the scene only slightly less horrifying. As if he didn''t know what to do, Master Chef Garb rushed out, leaving the stairs. A few minutes later, another familiar face came walking down the stairs. "So, Skymender. You''re facing death, it seems." The Imperial Scholar said. Although his voice was calm, as he looked at Skymender, his eyes were unable to hide the shock. It had been described to him, but this... He had seen such a horrifying scene only a few other times in his life, but all of those had involved the dead, not the living. Chapter 660: Redesign - 660 Chapter 660 - Redesign - 660 The Imperial Scholar eventually fully made his way down the stairs. Skymender only looked up in silence. Honestly, he did not feel like talking at all. Even if he wanted to, it would be impossible at the moment. The Imperial Scholar stared at him for a moment, examining him completely. "I''m afraid that the odds of you living from here on are... slim to say the least." He said bluntly. Skymender didn''t need the Imperial Scholar to tell him that, he already knew. He knew that, at this moment, the only chance of him living was through the Imperial Scholar. The poison was already gone, its effects no longer present. However, his heart had been weakened significantly. If it was not for his hand constantly pumping his heart, he would have died a long time ago. The Imperial Scholar did not speak, but continued to examine him. He was clearly thinking very hard. "At this point, it seems that whatever poison affected you does not matter. All that matters is that your heart seems so weak that you are pumping it yourself, and that at this rate, it won''t be long before you die." After a few minutes, the Imperial Scholar finally spoke again. "I have an idea. It is the closest thing to possibly working, though the odds of success are low. The worst case is you die, which is the only case if you don''t do it. Are you willing?" Skymender nodded his head. "Good. No need to move the location. I''ll be back." Skymender waited for what felt like around twenty minutes before the Imperial Scholar returned. He held in his hands a chest. "Your situation has obviously never really been seen before, so there is no definite possibility, but there is one thing that could possibly work." He opened the chest. Sitting aside a few papers, he took out a vial with a red substance inside. "Since there are poison''s to harm, there are obviously poison''s to heal. Usually, we call them medicine." He uncapped it and began to pour some into Skymender''s mouth. Skymender did not resist, allowing him to do as he pleased. "This is something very valuable. It will increase your healing factor greatly. However, it is still within the logical limits of a human. You would need to remove your hand from your chest to fully heal, but since you pumping your heart is the only thing keeping you alive, that is naturally impossible. Instead, you need to guide the healing of your body yourself. This is nearly impossible, but the only hope. In fact, perhaps it can even help you a bit." Skymender remained silent and unmoving as the Imperial Scholar picked up some papers from the side. "The human body is naturally flawed. All things are flawed. Only through evolution can these things change, but the human race has existed for countless years with minor changes. Therefore, if possible, you must naturally do it yourself." He began to show some of the papers. "While I cannot begin to redesign the human body to more perfect standards, I can change some things. For example, focusing on one thing by lessening another." Skymender did his best to memorize all of the papers shown. They all had the human body on them, the inner and outer workings laid bare. After a while, the Imperial Scholar took them away. He began to write on a blank paper. He soon showed it to Skymender. It was the inner and outer workings of the human chest, but different from before. "This is my masterpiece. Although it seems as if I had just drawn it now, it has been in my mind for years. However, I cannot create a human body, and any attempt to change it has always failed. Design it like this, and though you will lose a bit of lifespan, your body will be healthier than ever before." Skymender looked at the Imperial Scholar and nodded. "Good. Of course, the odds of you even surviving are slim. Well, let''s try our best." This was not a short process. Skymender felt some growth around his heart, and while looking at the papers that the Imperial Scholar showed, he was able to manipulate some of this growth to benefit him. He felt some resistance at some points, as if he was doing something he shouldn''t. As the effects of the first vial wore off, the Imperial Scholar gave him another. "If you would have rejected my design, I would not have given you any more. But since you are going forward with it, then I too will give it my best." The vials lasted approximately three hours before the effects wore off. As a week passed, the Imperial Scholar laughed. "Hurry up and heal before you send the Empire into bankruptcy." It was clear that the value of these vials was even greater than Skymender had imagined. Eventually, Skymender felt his heartbeat grow a little bit stronger. The Imperial Scholar was not always there. He would leave for long periods of time, having someone else deliver the vials of the red substance. However, he was here more often then he was not, clearly changing things in the Imperial Scholar Camp for the sake of this experiment. Regardless, Skymender only focused on surviving. Everything slowly began to come together as the end of the second week, as well as the end of the Imperial Scholar Camp, approached. Master Chef Garb was responsible for feeding Skymender. He made him delicious and healthy food everyday. One of these days, Skymender moved and grabbed the spoon for himself. Master Chef Garb watched with wide eyes as Skymender pumped his heart with one hand and ate with the other. Eventually, with the Imperial Scholar nearby, Skymender began to remove his hand from his chest. There was no blood spilt as all of it had already dried. However, scar tissue was visible around the wound, stopping any further chance of injury. Skymender sat up, and the Imperial Scholar began to bandage the hole in his chest. It seemed as though he was going to make a full recovery. He sat against the wall in silence, only eating food or drinking the vials, until the final day of the Imperial Scholar Camp came to an end. Chapter 661: The Result - 661 Chapter 661 - The Result - 661 In the teaching room of the education building, the Imperial Scholar stood on the stage. He looked down on the crowd of students below and spoke. "As you all know, the final test happened yesterday. Today, the final rankings of the Imperial Scholar Camp will be shown." He began to write on the board, starting at the number 15. Eventually, he made his way up to fourth place. Miria, 4th place. Luke, 3rd place. The Imperial Scholar paused before speaking one more. "Charles, 2nd place, 77 points." Charles, in the crowd, closed his eyes. He seemed calm, but deep inside, he felt rage. Skymender had not been seen for two weeks, but somehow, he had 70 points after the last test. "Skymender, 1st place, 80 points." Charles did not speak. There was only one thing left to say. Next time, I will win, Skymender. "I will now invite Skymender to say a few words." Charles opened his eyes and looked up. The door off to the side opened, and a deafening silence covered the room. Skymender walked through, bandages visible under his clothes. His skin was pale white, as though it had no blood left in it. His hair was completely white, as if all of the sustenance within it had been drained away. Skymender walked on stage. He was essentially fully healed, but he would forever bear the scars of the past two weeks'' events. Although it was covered by bandages and could not be seen, his chest had a visible fist sized scar that covered more than half of his chest. It was on both the front and the back, and was clearly visible. Other than that, his body may never recover its past looks, though it was too early to be certain. In addition to all of this, there were also benefits far exceeding what Skymender had expected, though as a direct result, his lifespan was lowered to an unknown degree. These benefits included increased reaction time, increased strength, increased speed, and the strengthening of instinct, though his instinct had not been strengthened by much. Skymender looked over everyone and spoke. "I look forward to working with you in the future. Everyone here has high talents, and though surrounded by those with similar or higher talents, it is important to never forget that each and every one of you will be an important piece of the Empire''s future. That is all I have to say." Skymender backed away, and the Imperial Scholar spoke again. "This marks the end of the Imperial Scholar Camp. Skymender and Charles, please stay behind. The rest of you are dismissed and can leave the Imperial Scholar Camp." Thirteen people stood up and left, leaving only two behind. The Imperial Scholar spoke to both. "The next Imperial Scholar Camp will be held in ten years. Most likely, it will be the last. I hope that both of you can attend once again, and this time, there will be someone worthy of inheriting my position." Though Skymender had won overall, he was not qualified to become the next Imperial Scholar simply because his knowledge was not perfect. He was also not qualified to begin training to become the next Imperial Scholar simply because he had not demonstrated perfection. If he had, then he would have been anointed on the spot. Perfection was the secret requirement that was necessary to become the Imperial Scholar. Only perfection could be accepted. Otherwise, the Imperial Scholar would rather die without an heir, allowing the Empire''s council to find the next Imperial Scholar. The past Imperial Scholars that could compare to the current one had died in such a way, though there were no more than three, including the current Imperial Scholar. This Imperial Scholar hoped to become the first with a proper heir. "That is all from me. Try not to wind up dying before the next Imperial Scholar Camp. I''ll do the same." The Imperial Scholar said, mostly looking at Skymender. Throughout the history of the Imperial Scholar Camp, these two were the only ones with the true potential to become an heir. Charles had the unparalleled talent of a photographic memory, while Skymender... He wasn''t actually 100% sure what made Skymender special, but perhaps it was his willpower and personality. Regardless, he was special. Skymender left first, going to his room to collect his things. However, Charles remained behind, looking at the Imperial Scholar. "Do you have something to ask, Charles?" The Imperial Scholar asked. "I made sure to check, but during his test time, Skymender never appeared. How could he get ten points if he didn''t even show up?" Charles asked. He was indignant at the result and refused to admit defeat so simply. "I almost admire your gall to come and question me, but alas, you simply seem like a fool. I''ll explain very clearly why Skymender got ten points for not only this last week, but the one before it, without even showing up." Charles nodded, satisfied. "Skymender..." The Imperial Scholar began to tell Charles what he knew about the situation. At first, Charles was calm, but as time passed, his face slowly changed to disbelief. What he was hearing was inhuman. In fact, as the Imperial Scholar finished, he asked such a question. "Are you sure that Skymender is even human?" Charles asked. Pumping one''s own heart to stay alive was simply unbelievable. Among other things, he must have either not slept, or formed some sort of instinct to keep pumping his own heart even while sleeping. The Imperial Scholar shook his head. "How would I know? Let me ask, why are you so confident that you are a human?" Charles shook his head. The Imperial Scholar was getting philosophical. He left, accepting his defeat this time. But next time, he would not lose. Charles'' confidence in himself was higher than any would believe so. Skymender quickly packed everything and returned to his carriage, which was waiting outside. Li Youcai was waiting for him outside the carriage. Li Youcai began to speak, but stopped as he saw Skymender''s current state. His body, hair, and the bandages stood out. However, to Li Youcai, there was something else that stood out. "Lord Skymender, what happened to your mask?" Chapter 662: The Right Path - 662 Chapter 662 - The Right Path - 662 Skymender reached up and touched his face. Indeed, he was not wearing his mask anymore. After all, since the Imperial Scholar knew about his breathing problems and was essentially designing a new chest for him, why wouldn''t he go ahead and fix his throat issue. After all, the hole in his chest gave him direct access to his throat. Skymender spoke. "That problem has been solved with the help of the Imperial Scholar." Li Youcai nodded and looked at the rest of his body. "But Lord Skymender, what exactly happened to you in there?" Skymender did not give a detailed answer. "An accident occurred and I sustained some injuries, but it is nothing that should harm me any longer." Li Youcai nodded. Since Skymender did not want to go into detail, he had no right to continue speaking on the matter. "Your parents will be excited for your return." Skymender nodded and left with Li Youcai. There was only a little bit of summer time remaining. The carriage ride was ten days long, and when Skymender returned, he was greeted by his family. Naturally, he was asked a lot of questions. In the past ten days, his looks had not changed at all. His hair was still white, his skin was still pale, and now, there were a few red spots near his chest. The spots were not like bumps or a rash, but like tattoos drawn in blood red. They formed patterns with lines and curves. However, all of this was hidden below his clothes and bandages. During the trip, he had Li Youcai change his bandages. Though he had questions, Skymender told him to forget what he saw. Li Youcai, being Skymender''s servant, naturally agreed. Although he was loyal to the Sky barony, and Baron Sky by connection, he was even more loyal to Skymender himself, who he was a personal servant of. His parents only saw hair and pale face, along with the fact that he no longer wore a mask. They asked Skymender some questions, but he brushed all of them off. They did not push, knowing Skymender was very mature for his age. What hadn''t changed was the glove on his hand, but that was barely noticeable. Skymender eventually got away with simply saying it was a temporary side effect of curing his throat problem, which they accepted. What got them to truly give it up was when Skymender had said that they could speak to the Imperial Scholar if they had any doubts of what occurred. They nodded, and not daring to bother the Imperial Scholar, dropped the matter. Seeing his room for the first time in a while, Skymender felt a sense of relaxation. He laid on his bed and fell asleep. Surprisingly, he fell asleep for more than 20 hours. His parents were concerned that he was in his room for so long, but did not bother him. Skymender finally woke up and decided to completely get rid of all of the exhaustion that had built up during the Imperial Scholar Camp. Over the next few days, he lazed around in bed, barely willing to walk downstairs to eat. After four days, he woke up fully recovered. He finally left his room. It had been a while since he had thought of his family. He wondered how his sister was doing. Logically, she should have become a Sword Master by now, but he had not heard a thing about her since she left. After all, he himself had been quite busy. Skymender went to his parents and asked about it. "We don''t know either. She''s been gone for more than a year now. We wrote a few letters, but all we received back was "In Progress"." Both of his parents were clearly very worried about the situation. Skymender understood. He moved to the empty backyard. When he was younger, it would be hard to find it empty, as Skybelle was almost always practicing the sword in it. However, she had been gone for a while. Skymender looked around and found a sword. He picked it up and looked ahead. There was a practice dummy. He had seen Skybelle practice a lot. After a moment, he gripped the sword tightly. He pointed it at the dummy and stepped forward. He leaped off of his feet, slashing forward, before stopping, turning, and swinging up. He danced around the dummy, never once destroying it, but knicking it every single time. After three straight minutes, he stopped. However, he was not tired at all. This was something he had never been able to do since his throat injury. After all, he had found it difficult to breathe. As he thought to himself, he heard clapping behind him. His older brother, Skymerge, had a stunned look. "You looked like Skybelle for a moment." Skymender nodded. What he had just displayed was greater swordsmanship than he had ever shown in his life. He had never been so fast or strong, until the Imperial Scholar helped him recreate his chest. It somehow seemed to change everything, vastly improving his speed and strength. Of course, he was nowhere near a Sword Master. He was simply far better than before. Skymerge left after a few words, and Skymender was left with a conflicted feeling. He looked at the sword, and then at his chest. One represented the path of swordsmanship, true and pure, almost beautiful. The other represented the path of poison. Dangerous, evil and looked down upon. Which was the better path to travel down? Skymender could not give the right answer, but he could give his own. He stuck the sword in the ground and walked back inside. There was no need for him to feel conflicted at all. He was not that talented in the sword. His older sister''s talent was so great that it made him seem as if he was somewhat of a genius. And this was just the result of being beat up by her. His talent was shown in the path of poison, one much more dangerous to oneself and to others. Chapter 663: I am Skymerge, but I am Also... - 663 Chapter 663 - I am Skymerge, but I am Also... - 663 For the rest of the summer, Skymender relaxed and occasionally studied. He did not go too hard, but made sure to study for at least six hours a day. At the end of the summer, he once again began to go to school. Melly came once again and they ventured out. Skymender still wasn''t sure how to treat Melly. They were technically engaged, but he didn''t treat her like his fiancee. It felt like he was simply paying the price for his past actions in the form of Melly. Melly acted kind, but not clingy. It seemed that she didn''t view them as engaged either. Skymender barely paid any attention in school. At this point, it was nothing more than a formality. During class, he would simply read books about far deeper subjects than what was being taught. Skymender knew that, even in the Imperial School, there were few that would be smarter than him. He wasn''t arrogant enough to believe he was absolutely number one. After all, not everyone was able to participate in the Imperial Scholar Camp for reasons other than lack of talent. For example, a high ranking noble could not attend. Neither could a member of the Imperial family, or members of the Royal families. There were also other possible exceptions, depending on the Imperial Scholar''s criteria. He was still at the top of the top, but there were definitely a few that he could not yet rule out. Time passed by fast for Skymender. It was a very relaxing time. As he had before, Skymender spent a lot of time after school practicing poison. He did not branch out and study even more poison''s, but studied the ones that he already knew. The one he spent the most time studying was the one that had nearly killed him. He named it the Icy Heart Poison. After all, it had literally made his heart cold. He really did not dare to experiment with it after what had happened. He was not afraid of death, but he had no plans to go seeking it. He wasn''t even a hundred percent sure what method the poison had affected him through. It could have been touch, smell, or some other form of unsensible attack. Instead of studying it by recreating it, which would most likely kill him without someone like the Imperial Scholar present, Skymender studied its ingredients, how they interacted, and its effects on his body. It was much harder to get results from studying it this way, but it was also countless times safer. Besides the Icy Heart Poison, Skymender spent plenty of time studying the other poisons he knew. His corrosion poison, his poison that had injured his throat before, and the new stun poison that the Imperial Scholar had given him. These were the other three he spent time studying. As for the weed killing poison, he would save that for later. Skymender''s days passed quickly, and once again, his birthday came around. He turned 11 years old, which was still young. It really didn''t matter to him at all, as it changed nothing, but his parents got him to skip school and threw a small party for him. He appreciated the gesture, but it didn''t mean much to him. As before, his heart still metaphorically felt cold. It was hard to even act like he cared about most things any more. Luckily, it seemed like his parents didn''t notice. That night, Skymender entered the library. He went to the room behind the bookshelf for the first time since he had come back from the Imperial Scholar Camp. He entered the room, and saw Skymerge, who did not even look up. He was not reading, but writing on a desk. He had many papers stacked up, and a dim light to the side. Skymender did not say anything, and neither did Skymerge. This lasted for a while, until Skymerge turned around. "Look who decided to show up." Skymender still did not speak, simply staring at Skymerge. For some reason, something with him was building up. Looking at Skymerge, he couldn''t find words. There was a feeling around Skymerge that he could not describe. It was as if he was otherworldly, as if nothing concerned him and nothing could affect him. Skymerge seemed to notice how he was feeling. "You dedicated your life to the real world, but I dedicated mine to the fantasy world. There is a permanent difference between us from now on. You have your own path, and I have mine. Don''t get shaken up just looking at my path. Otherwise, it means that your path is too unstable to walk on." Skymender finally managed to speak. "Who are you?" Skymerge shook his head and turned around. "You already know. You could feel the changes over time. I am still Skymerge, but for some reason, I am also not. I feel as if my very soul has been blended into countless stories. I am Skymerge, but I am also Lu Yin. I am Skymerge, but I am also Han Jue. I am Skymerge, but I am also Shang Sword. I am Skymerge, but I am also Lin Fan. I am Skymerge, but I am also Zhou Wen. I am Skymerge, but I am also Huang Xiaolong. I am Skymerge, but I am also Meng Hao. Skymerge listed off the names of countless main characters from countless books. Skymender did not know why, but as Skymerge continued, he continuously felt as though he was becoming more and more distant. "I am Wang Wen... I am Tai Chu... I am Mu Jie..." Eventually, Skymerge stopped. He put down the writing utensil and continued to write on the paper. "Don''t worry about me, Skymender. I will always be Skymerge, that much is certain. So, what do you want to read?" Skymender wasn''t sure how to react, so he didn''t. His heart cold, he walked around the library and picked out a book. "I suppose I can try this. No harm could be done." Chapter 664: Two Returns - 664 Chapter 664 - Two Returns - 664 Acting as though nothing had happened, Skymender sat down and began to read. He left soon after, having his fill. Skymerge continued to write without pause the entire time, as if countless ideas were constantly flowing through his head. The next morning, Skymender continued to go to school as usual, spending almost all of his time studying in some form. He studied poison after school, and everything else during school. At this rate, he wasn''t sure how much more intelligence he would have by the start of the next Imperial Scholar Camp. Eventually, a new year came. The advent of a new year did not affect Skymender much, aside from changing the date he wrote down on papers, but the arrival of someone did. Skymender looked out his window as a woman, holding only a sword, walked towards the house. Nobody else had noticed her, but while laying down, Skymender had felt as if the air had grown sharp. His curiosity had led him to this scene, where his sister, Skybelle, walked towards the house as a true Sword Master. Skymender came out of his room and walked downstairs. Opening the door, he was the only one awake to greet Skybelle as she had come deep into the night. She looked at Skymender, a smile on her face. This only lasted for a moment as she looked Skymender up and down. "What happened to you?" "I was gonna ask the same thing." Skymender said. She shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing that can''t wait until the morning. You aren''t in any immediate danger, are you?" Skymender shook his head. Skybelle nodded. "Then I''ll head to bed. I''m about to pass out from exhaustion." Skymender moved to the side, allowing Skybelle to walk past him. Although she had hardly changed in personality from before, the feeling around her, as well as her status within the Empire, had completely transformed since the last time had seen her. Skymender could do nothing but go to sleep and wait until the next morning. When he woke up, everybody had already been thrown into disarray by Skybelle''s appearance, as well as her advancement to Sword Master. Their parents'' pride could not even be described, while their siblings were also extremely excited. Skymender seemed to be the only calm one, but that was simply because Skymerge had yet to appear, if he even would. Seeing Skymender appear, everyone shared their excitement with him. However, he eventually had to go to school. Melly, who was equally happy at Skybelle''s arrival, unwillingly went to school as well. Skymender''s day continued as normal, but when he returned, there was a party waiting. Skybelle calmly enjoyed the festivities, despite the fact that she was far from young. However, Skybelle would not stay for long. As a Sword Master, she needed to report to the Emperor. She was now an integral part of the Empire and needed to work for it. What a Sword Master did, they could only guess. Skybelle left the next day, and everyone''s lives continued as always. Skymender''s research on poison, and general knowledge, grew every single day. He did not have a single peer within the entirety of the Sky Barony. Surprisingly, a month after Skybelle left, another person returned to the Sky Barony. Though his status was less than Skybelle''s, the effects on the Sky Barony by his return were far greater than the effects caused by Skybelle''s return. That was because Sky the second, at the age of 24, was returning to the Sky Barony to become the new Baron Sky. In the days leading up to his return, his father had indeed been looking happier. He was more than forty years old, and was due to enjoy retirement. He had a suitable successor that he had absolutely no complaints about. In fact, if Sky the second had not insisted on studying for a bit longer in the Imperial Capital, it would not have taken so long. Along with Sky the second was a woman, his wife, who would become baroness of the Sky family. She was not some noble, but a commoner. Although most noble houses would not let commoners marry into their family, they were only a Barony. It was not unusual for someone of a Barony to marry a commoner, though it was uncommon for the heir of the Barony to do so. Sky the second arrived with his beautiful wife at the front gate. He was a complete adult. He had full facial hair and a slightly aged face. His father enthusiastically greeted him at the gate, leading him in. Everyone greeted Sky the second and his wife, welcoming her to the family just as they had Melly. However, for the following days after that, Baron Sky and Sky the second were seldom seen. Naturally, the transference required a lot of information to be passed down, including secrets and important history. After nearly a week of only being seen at breakfast and dinner, an official ceremony took place. Someone from the Imperial Capital arrived and officially declared Sky the second, now simply Sky, as the new Baron Sky. As for their father, he would take his old nickname, Skyblue. Afterwards, another small ceremony took place, making Baron Sky''s wife, who would now be known as Skylight, the Baroness. This greatly changed the Sky Barony. The peace and calm was broken as changes took place. Baron Sky began to implement his ideas thought of over many years, preparing for this very moment. Whether or not these changes would bring great results or bad endings was unknown. A vast amount of these changes seemed to center around the only "City" within the Sky Barony, known as Sky City. It seemed as though the new Baron Sky was much more ambitious than the last and intended to turn this place into a true city, not one that was barely considered a city. The only way this affected Skymender was through the changes made to the school. However, these were all minor and could be mostly ignored. He thought that would be the end of what affected him, but one day, the new Baron Sky pulled him aside. Chapter 665: Make My Own Money - 665 Chapter 665 - Make My Own Money - 665 He got straight to the point immediately. "Father told me many things about the current affairs of not only the territory, the Kingdom, and the Empire, but also our very house. I know that you study poison. I am not Father, and I believe that you can do whatever you want, just don''t endanger anyone else." He said. Skymender nodded. "Also, I''ve found that you''ve spent a lot of the Barony''s money on these studies. As much as I hate to do it, I can''t allow you to continue spending that much, especially during this time of change. Of course, you are still a member of the Sky Barony and can essentially spend as much money as you want, but within a reasonable limit. Otherwise, get your own money, alright." Skymender nodded. It was reasonable. After all, the money he had spent came from the Sky Barony''s earnings, but did not contribute to the Sky Barony in any way whatsoever. Seeing Skymender agree, Baron Sky thanked him and left to conduct more business. Truth be told, Skymender had not spent as much of the Sky Barony''s money as before. His current expenses should be considered reasonable, so for the time being, nothing should really change. However, it was indeed true that he needed to make his own money at some point. He instantly thought about his specialty, poison. With poison, there were only a few things he could do. As of now, it was yardwork and assassination. He had experience involving himself in the criminal world, such as when he had completely orchestrated the kidnapping of a Duchess''s daughter. Skymender had a few ideas on how to get started. First, he needed a few loyal and skilled followers. This could be solved simply. Skymender had a mask custom designed for him through a somewhat hidden channel. It was different from his old mask, in that this one covered his entire face and left nothing to see besides his eyes. He went out into the city a few times. With the changes in place due to the new Baron Sky, the police were cracking down on criminal''s. However, they would never be able to solve all of it. For the first few nights, Skymender gathered information. This was always the first step, and its importance could not be underestimated. Skymender''s desired target''s needed to check off a few requirements. First, they must care about others, best if they have a specific person they care greatly about. Second, they have to be smart and strong. Third, they must be willing to get their hands dirty. Preferably, they would be in some sort of trouble already, but worst case scenario, Skymender could create some for them. He eventually found three people who fit the criteria. Although it seemed like a small amount, in such a small city, he was lucky to have even found three. Skymender approached, the first, which would be the easiest target. As the sun fell and the moon rose, three thugs knocked on the door of a house. The house was only slightly above poor class. A man opened it. He was clearly a bit strong, but he could only take on one of the thugs at most. One of the three thugs spoke. "It is time to pay up. You''ve been stalling for a long time, and the boss is getting impatient." The man who opened the door spoke. He tried to act calm, but was clearly a bit worried. "Just a few more weeks. My Mother is still sick, and everything I make is being used to maintain her health. However, I have a few job interviews lined up for better positions. Once I get paid some more, you will naturally get all of your money back and more. But even if you take everything here, it would barely allow you to break even." His reasoning was so good that it made even the three thugs hesitate, but they quickly shook their heads and snapped out of their thoughts. "Good reasoning indeed, but you''ve been saying that for more than two months. You better hand us the money right now, or be made an example." The man gritted his teeth. He was in a hopeless situation. "What if I join you all? I can work off my debt, just as long as my Mother is able to survive." Without another word, the three forced their way into the house. From outside the small yard, Skymender finally moved. He quietly moved, appearing behind the three thugs. With a single swipe, a head flew off. Another followed it. Just as the third reacted, another fell. The man stood stunned, looking at the three headless thugs. He had never seen such a scene in his life. He then looked at Skymender, who stood short and wore a mask. But the feeling he gave off was something unbelievable. After all, he had just killed three men. "Who are you?" The man asked, doing his best to keep his composure. "The person who just saved you and your Mother''s lives." The man spoke with hesitation. "Thank you, sir. How can I repay you?" Skymender had been waiting for that. "You said you were willing to work for the group behind those men earlier. Why don''t you extend your offer to me?" The man clearly did not want to agree. He wanted to leave the life of the slums and join the middle class. But like this, even if he wanted to disagree... "Of course, sir. What will I do to repay you?" Skymender explained. "You just wait until I give you something to do. Every month, the expenses you need for you and your Mother will be delivered. You can even work a job to earn more. As for your hiring bonus, that will come soon." The man was surprised at his words. "Yes sir. But what about the three thugs? If it is found out that they died in my house..." He did not need to finish his sentence. "That is what your hiring bonus involves. Just live the life of a normal person from now on, blending in. As for the events of today... for the sake of you and your Mother, I wouldn''t spread any information." The man shuddered as Skymender left. He had lept out of the dragon''s mouth, only to end up falling down into a pit of lava. Chapter 666: Dark Sky Gang - 666 Chapter 666 - Dark Sky Gang - 666 As he left the first person''s house, Skymender made his way to the next person. Luckily, each of the three people had some sort of trouble or issue with the same group of thugs. It was one of the bigger groups, though it was impossible to say whether or not they were the biggest. Skymender was unable to get that much information. The next two people, though they were not in any sort of immediate trouble like the last two, were still feeling the ill effects of the group of thugs. This one in specific had to pay an unreasonably high "Protection Fee", though this fee was simply put in place to prevent them from stealing from him or hurting him. He already struggled to pay it, and they increased the fee often, as this was the best way to extort a person. When Skymender knocked on his door, it was not him who answered, but his daughter. Even though Skymender was merely 11 years old, this girl was half his size. With his mask on, he looked quite intimidating. She stumbled out words. "H-hello." Skymender spoke nicely. "I''m here to speak to your father." The girl nodded and ran into the house. Soon after, her father came. He was skinny, clearly overworked, but Skymender knew that he had a surprising amount of strength for his weak looking build. He looked at Skymender warily. It was late at night, and Skymender was wearing an unusual mask. "Let''s talk. Mind stepping outside?" The man cautiously stepped outside. Though he was wary, he had been dealing with thugs all of his life. "What do you want from me?" He asked. "I heard that you are constantly being extorted for money by a group of thugs. I can help you." "No need." The man said bluntly. He could not afford to take such a risk. "Do you really want to raise your daughter in such a dangerous place?" Although the man lived in one of the nicer homes in this area, it only made him stand out as a target. The man paused. "Who are you?" "Someone who can help. Agree, and nobody will mess with you from now on. In addition, you will get paid. Disagree, and I leave, allowing you and your daughter to be extorted until they take everything from you." The man still hesitated. "What exactly do you want from me?" "Work for me. There won''t be one constant task, but various ones. You simply need to blend in and be willing to do just about anything." "Like what? Stealing, killing? I do draw a line." He said seriously. "I won''t make you hurt anyone innocent unless you are willing to." Looking deeply at Skymender''s eyes, the man agreed. A normal person may not even after all of that, trapped by fear, which was why Skymender had sought out intelligent people who could leap at an opportunity. "We''ll be in contact. Just don''t consider betrayal. I know where you and your daughter live. As for the thugs, they''ll be dealt with soon." Only one person remained. He had an entire family, not just one person, who worked hard to survive and pay a protection fee. They were extremely close to each other, and for now, were in a stable situation. However, recently, some of the thugs had been eyeing his sister. She was abnormally good looking in such an area. It had gotten worse and worse, until it was clear that the thugs would soon do something, robbing them dry and doing whatever to their family, be it murder or kidnapping. But at night, Skymender arrived. He was met by not just the man, but by everyone in the family considered an adult. There were seven in total, including the man. "So what do you want?" The man asked. "I want you to work for me. Just you, not the rest of these people." Skymender explained some specific things to the whole family, but did not reveal nearly as much information as he had for the other two. He only knew that Skymender would give him a job, he would not be able to mention it to his family, he would get paid well, and the thugs would be dealt with. Skymender also did not forget to remind them that he knew where they lived as he left, which really was a great threat. The next morning, life went on as usual. Skymender went to school and studied. But after school, he entered the city. The school was in a prosperous and rich area. The slums only encompassed around ten percent of the city, though it contained 50% of the population. It didn''t take him long to enter the slums, and the sun soon fell, leaving only the moon behind. Skymender walked through the streets with the same mask as before, heading towards a specific location. He wore a cloak, and under it were the items he would be using today. A sword, and a few different poison''s of his. There was no need to bring another person, he alone was more than enough. It was finally time to display the power of his poisons. The farther he walked, the more people he saw. Some were leaning against walls, and some were laying on the sidewalk. Eventually, he saw a lit up building, surrounded by nearly a hundred people hanging out. A few had weapons and looked stronger than others, though most of the hundred were weak individuals. Skymender did not blend in, but he did not overly stand out. Inside the building were surely more people. This was the home base of the group of thugs, simply known as the Dark Sky Gang. Their very name was an insult to Sky city, as well as the Sky Barony. Skymender walked up to one of the few people with weapons. He did not hide his approach, and the man soon saw him. "You. Stop right there!" He said loudly and commandingly. Skymender flung open his robe, and a sword flew out, piercing the man''s heart. Chapter 667: Poisonous Massacre - 667 Chapter 667 - Poisonous Massacre - 667 The man''s eyes widened in shock, but he could do nothing more than fall to the ground. Skymender stepped on his body as he pulled the sword out. At this time, everyone in the vicinity was looking at him, stunned and shocked. Then, around seven men in armor and with weapons charged at him. They were all clearly big, but they were also amateurish. Of course, Skymender wasn''t a Sword Master. These seven would pose a threat to him if he only used a sword. But naturally, Skymender''s specialty was not the sword. Skymender backed away as he pulled three vials from his waist. His actions were ignored as the seven men closed in. Skymender threw the three vials out and they broke on the ground. A mist filled the surrounding air. Skymender breathed it in, but it did not nothing to him. However, to the seven charging men and the people in the vicinity, the mist was nothing short of a death sentence. As soon as they inhaled it, they began to cough uncontrollably. Some managed to ignore it for a few seconds, charging closer, but they could eventually no longer stand it. Their weapons dropped, ringing out. The surrounding people began to cough and fall as well, signifying an end to their lives. Skymender ran through the mist towards the entrance of the building. Any person in his path, armed or not, was cut down with a single slash. The coughing and clanging sounds had alerted those inside, and as Skymender ran into the entrance, he was met by around five men. In this closed in area, it was even simpler than before. Skymender threw a single vial at the ground. The five men, confused, began to move towards Skymender. This did not last long, as they soon fell to the ground. Skymender stepped on their slowly dying bodies as he moved deeper in. As he ran through a hallway with surprising agility, a sword poked out from the side, targeting him with a small chance of failure. Skymender dropped and threw his sword. The sword attacking him cut his mask, though it did not reveal anything. His sword merely made a cut in the person''s hand. However, that was enough. Skymender got up and retrieved his sword. A man laid on the ground next to it, his eyes wide. Skymender''s sword was coated with the paralysis poison from the Imperial Scholar. It was less effective when not directly ingested, but around half of the effects could be exhibited in such a way. Before five seconds passed, Skymender''s sword had already ended the man''s life. He moved in deeper. The hallway was not long enough to keep him for long. As he passed by rooms with open doors, he would toss a vial of poison inside. For the rooms with closed doors, he cut a hole through the door and threw it inside all the same. If there were people inside, they would die. If there weren''t people inside, it was whatever. Skymender had prepared fifty vials for this, stored in chests strapped around his waist. He could have prepared even more, but had remembered what his brother had said about using the Barony''s money. Fifty, luckily, was more than enough. Skymender soon found himself entering a large, open room with many people. After the five men that had been sent out, no more had been sent. Naturally, it had been assumed that the situation had been dealt with. Skymender silently observed the room for a moment before tossing out around twenty vials of poison. He then planted a different sword from the one he used. Engraved onto that sword was the name "Skygod". This would be the name of his assassination organization. Skymender left. As the poisonous mist spread, hundreds died, including all the leaders of the Dark Sky Gang. News naturally spread the next day as the sun came up. The Sky city police came and investigated, finding countless bodies. Most notably was a perfectly clean sword stabbed into the ground in front of the entrance to the room. It read, "Skygod". After investigations, using resources sent from the Royal capital, it was discovered that poison was used, killing hundreds in the room. Some inside were innocent people, kidnapped or forced into joining the gang. Most were customers or gang members. Although fear had spread across Sky city for around a day, people soon came to the conclusion that this was an act of heroism in which a notorious gang was taken care of overnight, something even the new Baron Sky had failed to accomplish. Most of the commotion died down within a week. However, for three people, they could only remember the man who had shown up at their door with a mask, and had told them that the Dark Sky Gang would be dealt with. They had not truly believed him, but it seemed now as if no lie had been told. They waited and waited, until one day, one of them received a message. He was the one with the sick mother. Somehow, an envelope with a letter inside had appeared on his table. It was simply labeled, "Skygod". After having heard the news about the sword stuck in the ground, there was no need to think about who it was. Opening, he read it slowly. "It is time to prove your worth with a trial test. If you succeed, you will have officially joined. If failed, there are penalties. Your task: kill old thief ply. Weapon: poison. Usage method: thrown." The man instantly recognized the name old thief ply. He was an old man with an unusual name. However, just because he was old did not mean he was a good person. He killed and stole often and openly, relying on his backing at a retired member of another large gang within Sky city. Inside the envelope, along with the letter, was a glass vial. "Simply throw it, huh." He muttered to himself. After a few minutes of hesitation, his conviction became firm. "Fine. I will accept this task." Chapter 668: Third Moon and Western Guardian - 668 Chapter 668 - Third Moon and Western Guardian - 668 Since he already knew plenty about Old Thief Ply, all he needed to do was wait until night. As the sun fell and the moon rose, the man left his house and moved towards a location he would never have usually entered. He made sure to wear a mask, though his was much simpler than Skymender''s. As he walked, he eventually reached a store. It didn''t have a door, but a wide open entrance. Around it were plenty of thugs, including Old Thief Ply. He was playing with a ring in his hand, obviously stolen. The man positioned himself in an ideal location. He was very far away from Old Thief Ply, but his strength and coordination had always been good. He made sure that he was in an alleyway so that he could not be easily spotted. Finally, he waited. Eventually, Old Thief Ply seemingly got bored and wandered around. After a while, he neared the man''s area. He was alone, simply walking off a few feet. As he walked past the entrance to the alleyway, the man threw the vial directly at his head. He wasn''t sure what it would do, but it was emphasized to make sure that the vial hit the target. Something about the vial was a little weird, however. It contained liquid on two different sides. He turned around as soon as it left his hand and ran away. The vial hit Old Thief Ply directly in the head, and he began to scream in agony. The man barely turned his head to look, but all he saw was a melted face that seemed nothing like the human face it had resembled before. He quickly turned back around and ran even faster, his speed increased by fear. Naturally, the thugs went to check on Old Thief Ply, but what they saw horrified and stunned them. They forgot to even look around and find the cause. It was only after the man was long gone that they began to search around. Naturally, they were unable to find anything. As the man returned home, he took a while to regain his breath. He made sure his blinds were closed and his doors were tightly locked before heaving a sigh of relief. "Well done." A voice said behind him. He turned around in shock, and saw Skymender behind him. He wore a mask, but had decided to take off his glove. It didn''t matter if he wore it regardless. The man looked at Skymender for a moment before beginning to observe him. He was quite short, but the man did not dare to underestimate him. He was, after all, the man known across the city as "Skygod". He next noticed his hand, as it stood out. Seeing it somehow reminded him of the melting face of Old Thief Ply. It was horrifying, non-human even. It was as though it had come straight from a horror story. He finally spoke. "Thank you." "What is your name?" The man hesitated. "My real name, or the name I wish to go by." "Either." Skymender said. "I suppose you might as well just call me... Third Moon." He said after thinking for a while. Skymender did not ask where the name came from or why he used it, but instead continued onto business. "Since you''ve created a nickname, I suppose that you are willing to work for me." "Yes sir, it''s just that, it''s a pretty dangerous job, and I have a mother... As for pay..." The man seemed to hesitate to speak. Skymender spoke instead. "If something happens to you on duty, your mother will be taken care of. As for payment, there are two types. Mission based and monthly. For mission based, everytime you complete a mission, you get a portion of what it is worth. As for monthly, you get it regardless. It is enough to allow you to live stably." It should be noted that although Skymender was still a child, and his height somewhat gave that away, his voice did not. Although his throat was healed, his voice still had a dry and aged sound to it. It had nothing to do with the chest, but his vocal chords which had been permanently damaged. Third Moon sighed. "Good. Do you need anything from me right now, Sir Skygod?" Skymender shook his head. "I just came to confirm your joining and to pay you your mission and monthly payment." He put an envelope on the table and walked out the front door. The next day, another person received a letter. He was given a similar poison vial and told to complete a similar task, in which he would throw it at a well known criminal''s head. This criminal had a hurt leg and could not move very fast, which made the assassination even easier. This man was the one with the daughter. He too saw what the poison had done to the man and was horrified. When he returned home, he shakily consoled his daughter to sleep before sitting in the living room. Somehow, he heard a voice behind him. "Well done." He hastily turned around and saw Skymender. "Thank you." He said, observing Skymender. "What is your name?" "Like a nickname?" "Yes." The man thought for a moment. "Western Guardian." Skymender nodded. He explained a bit about pay and how his daughter would be taken care of in case of his death. "Not to be rude, Sir Skygod, but are you sure that you can adequately have my daughter taken care of and raised well?" He asked. "You don''t know who I am under the mask. I can assure you that she will be safe." The man nodded. Before Skymender left, he asked another question. "Last night, I heard of Old Thief Ply dying after having his face melted. I''m not the only one you''re paying attention to, am I?" "No." Skymender said. Western Guardian nodded and didn''t say anything more. Skymender left and a new day arrived. There was only one person left. The man with the large family. Chapter 669: First Jobs - 669 Chapter 669 - First Jobs - 669 Skymender silently made his way over to the third one''s house. Without being spotted at all, he left an envelope on the kitchen table. However, with so many people living in this house, he was not the one who found it. Instead, it was his sister. She looked at it, saw it was addressing him, and gave it to him. He looked at it for a moment and opened it in front of everyone. He read it aloud to his entire family, even showing off the poison vial. Skymender shook his head. This was not going to work out. These people were a group of close knit family members that would not hide anything from each other. It was unacceptable. Therefore, since this was the situation, there was only one thing to do. Skymender threw a vial in their house through the window. It was the same poison that had damaged his breathing years ago. There were no survivors. This left him with only two people who had joined. The so-called Third Moon and Western Guardian. Skymender had no understanding of where their nicknames came from, and he didn''t plan to find out. With this, Skymender was almost ready to go into business. He had a leader, himself, the assassins, Third Moon and Western Guardian, and only needed someone out on the streets. This would be the person, or people, who would find assassination jobs, as there was no point in creating such an organization if there was no business. Ideally, it would be someone smart and fast, with vast connections. Although it would be ideal to be able to make such a person loyally enter his organization, it would also be nearly impossible simply due to how their status would be. Instead, it seemed that he would have to find a person to make deals with. Someone trustworthy and involved in the underground. He spent a few days and nights doing some digging before finally finding someone. He dealt with information gathering and trading. It was not impossible for him to go around and find people who would pay for an assassination. He was also someone considered to be incredibly smart. Despite his high reputation in the underground, he was surprisingly easy to find. During the night, he sat in his living room reading a book under the candlelight. Suddenly, a shadow appeared behind him. He spoke without looking back. "Who are you and what business do you have?" He didn''t seem to have the slightest bit of fear, as though such a thing was regular. "Skygod." Hearing that word, the once confident man turned around in shock. He saw Skymender standing there with his mask on. "So you are the legendary Skygod. I''ve heard theories that you were a group, or merely a cover up of a police massacre, but it seems that you really are the real deal." His words were laced with deeply hidden caution. "I have a job for you." Skymender said. "How can I help you, sir Skygod?" He asked. "I need you to find people willing to pay for assassination." Skymender said. The man thought for a moment. "That is not impossible, but in such a small city, there won''t be many willing to pay." Skymender had already thought it through. "It won''t be such a small city for too much longer, it seems. During the addition of newcomers, assassination will be a valuable service. Also, as far as I am aware, the assassination market is completely open for takeover." The man nodded. "Indeed." "You will get 5% of the price paid by the person requesting assassination." The man nodded. "Reasonable. Are there any that you don''t wish to accept as targets?" Skymender thought for a moment. "Nobles." The man nodded. "Smart." What Skymender didn''t say was hat Sky city was just the beginning, where he could get an easier foothold. When the time came, he would move on to greater places, such as the Royal capital, and maybe one day, the Imperial capital. "I''ll see what I can do, sir Skygod. How can I find you?" "I''ll find you." Skymender said as he left. The man waited a while after he left before heaving a sigh of relief. Meeting newcomers was always stressful. Skymender waited a week before once again appearing in the man''s house. "Welcome again, sir Skygod. I never introduced myself before. You can just call me the informant." Skymender nodded. "What do you have for me?" "Three tasks. All three are from wealthy individuals and are targeting enemies or those who have offended them. I made sure that the prices were sufficient." He handed three papers to Skymender. The money was high, as expected of the price of taking a life. Skymender nodded. "All three can be completed." "As a middle man, I can give you the money after the task is confirmed completed. Don''t take it personally, it is just what I do." Skymender nodded and left. The next day, an envelope appeared on the counter of Third Moon''s and Western Guardian''s houses. They had been waiting for this day. As they read the envelope, they got an understanding of the situation. For each task, they would be given 35% of the price paid, which could be increased with repeated good work. They would get one vial of poison for free, and more by giving up a percentage of their earnings, that percentage depending on the price itself. The free poison would be the one most suited to the task. They read information about their targets, provided by the customers in exchange for a slightly lower price and a higher success rate. As the night came, the two set out. Skymender did so as well with the third task. He kept the most difficult and expensive one. Although he personally made more money by doing the missions himself, he needed to create a system of assassins for the future. His target was a higher up of some middle sized gang, a little bit smaller than the Dark Sky Gang, and not nearly as infamous. It was a rather simple in and out job. He simply snuck into the man''s room and slit his neck while sleeping. He didn''t even need to use any poison. Chapter 670: Special Request - 670 Chapter 670 - Special Request - 670 Though it was quite simple for Skymender, the other two did not find it nearly as easy as him. Third moon had to track his target down, as he was not exactly where the information had said he would be, and blend into a group to throw a corrosive poison at him. He then snuck away. It had been extremely risky, both because of his situation and lack of experience. As for Western Guardian, his situation was slightly better, only hindered by his lack of experience. But in the end, using the mist poison that had hurt Skymender''s throat, he managed to kill his target in an enclosed room. With this, it was completed. As night fell, Skymender returned to the Informant''s house. The Informant had already received news of his success, and had the money ready. "I already took out the 5% for my fee. I can continue to help your business get customers. I look forward to our future partnerships." Skymender nodded and left. Even the 5% was a substantial sum of money, which explained why the Informant was willing to continue helping. The same night, Skymender left the money on the tables of the two assassins. This was the start of his own money making organization. He had actually thought of a few before this, such as selling poison, but he didn''t want antidotes to be developed against them, so this would be the best way to use his poisons to make money. Over the next month, around four missions were given to each of the assassins. They gained experience quickly, and managed to get into the flow of it all. By now, it became known that assassinations were taking place, or at least widely thought. This not only led to them having to be more careful, but also gave them more customers. Many went to the Informant, who was well known for selling information, and he was able to directly deal with the payments and arrangements. However, this eventually drew the unwanted attention of the police. During this period of expansion and growth, which saw many moving into the city, they wanted to have a good grasp over the crime. Naturally, since everyone on the streets knew about the Informant, the police knew about him as well. They arrived at his large house, and were met by him at the front door. "What can I do for you, Officers?" He asked. "We came to buy information from you, of course." "What kind of information?" He asked with a smile. "Information of the assassinations taking place around the city." "I see. I see." He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. "We can give you a lot of money, Informant." The head officer said. "I''m aware, and you know that any information comes with a price. However, I don''t think any price you can give me will be worth it." He said. "Why not?" The head officer asked. "You see, if I were to say something, I am quite confident that I would be dead the next day." "We can offer you protection." "Not enough." The Informant said flatly. The officer snorted. "So you can''t give any information." "Only one. Unless, of course, you are willing to have a Sword Master personally guard me for the next few years." Naturally, this was a sarcastic request. "How much?" The officer asked. The Informant smiled and spoke. The officer''s eyes widened. "Is it worth it?" The officer asked simply. "Based on everything, this is a fair price." The officer hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Fine. What is it?" "The leader of this organization goes by the name of Skygod." The officer''s eyes narrowed. "I see. That makes sense. Your payment will be delivered soon." Both walked away satisfied. At least now, they had a basic profile of the mysterious one known as Skygod. The Informant naturally did not describe anything else about him, just a name, which they would probably find out at some point due to the consistency of using poison. Meanwhile, back as Skymender, Skymender continued to study. With both his life as Skymender and the Skygod moving forward, the summer once again came. Skymender did not do anything special, he simply had more time outside of school to do what he wanted. He did not go anywhere near the Imperial capital, nor to the Royal capital. Sky city had grown greatly during the past few months to the point where it was now a full fledged city, not just a city by a technicality. And it was still growing steadily. Richer people had moved to see the city, and some had stayed, trying to establish themselves. With more and more people establishing themselves came more and more conflicts, and as a result, more and more assassination jobs. Considering there was a 100% success rate so far, it was almost always money well spent. However, when visiting the Informant one day, besides giving him a few missions, the Informant also had a request from someone unusual. It was the police chief himself. He had already paid the Informant a lot of money to relay this request, and the Informant was holding onto money that Skymender would be paid upon completing the meeting. This seemed like an obvious trap, but Skymender was not scared. In fact, upon hearing the amount of money he would receive, he found it hard to say no. So he said yes. That was because he had another trump card. After all, he had not been idle over these last months. The Informant was surprised to hear Skymender''s agreement. "Are you sure? The likelihood of this being a trap is honestly above 60%." Skymender nodded. "You know what a Sword Master is, right?" The Informant nodded. "I am equal to a Sword Master." Although it sounded like a ridiculous statement, Skymender was honestly confident. Of course, it would only be the lowest level of Sword Master, and head on, he would certainly lose, but he was confident in killing a Sword Master if he was prepared and the Sword Master did not know in advance. The Informant nodded. "Alright then." Chapter 671: Skygod鈥檚 Profile - 671 Chapter 671 - Skygod''s Profile - 671 The Informant handed him a sealed envelope. "All the Information sent by him is in there. As for the payment, he requested it be delivered after the meetup." Skymender nodded and opened the envelope. Inside was a message from the Chief of Police. It had a location and a date, set for tomorrow at noon, as well as a short sentence. "Come and meet me, we can talk business." Skymender crumpled up the paper and threw it in the nearby fireplace. He left the house. He continued as usual, studying throughout the day, until the time finally came. The meeting place was at an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. This was a known area of gang meetups and other criminal activity, but now, Skymender would be meeting the Chief of Police there. A little before noon, he made his way over, stocked and ready. He was prepared to go so far as having an all out war with the entire police force of Sky city. However, he had his own contingency plans, and there should be no fighting, as long as conversation took place first. Skymender found the warehouse and checked around it, but there was nobody around. He entered it, and saw three men standing together. One was the recognizable Chief of Police, while the other two were most likely higher ups of the police force. The Chief of Police looked Skymender up and down. "So this is the legendary Skygod." Skymender did not say a thing, merely staring at him. The Chief of Police wasted no time, beginning to talk. "You see, with Sky city growing, there are many obstacles. One of the most prominent is crime, which along with the growth of the city, is increasing. There are multiple evils to choose from, and I chose to choose from the least of the evils." He paused for a moment. "By the way, half of the police force has surrounded the warehouse by now, just in case you had plans to attack us." The Chief of Police said. Skymender shook his head. "I have no plans to attack you. However, since you so kindly shared that information, then I must inform you that I have two people watching your wife and kids right now." The Chief of Police''s face did not change, though it was unknown if that was because he had a good poker face or because he had expected this. "Let''s get down to business. This is completely off of the books. We will pay you to take out individuals or groups of people, just like you did with the Dark Sky Gang." Skymender nodded. "You can officiate that through the Informant. Why meet me here?" "I want to extend an invitation which allows you to work with the law instead of against it. We can promise you protection, money, and a seat on the city council. All you have to do is enter the light and only assassinate who we want you to." Skymender shook his head. "I''m not doing this because I have to, I have plenty of money. I''m also not worried about living in the dark. I have a perfectly normal life without the mask. I''m doing this simply for the love of the game." The Chief of Police''s face seemed to twist with amusement for a moment before refocusing. "In that case, I look forward to working with you. Oh. Also, I want you to personally handle our tasks, not the other assassins in your organization. Skymender nodded as the Chief of Police and the other two left, the other two not having said a word this entire time. Skymender soon left as well, not encountering any resistance. Although it had seemed like a casual meeting, the two men brought along with the Chief of Police had memorized everything they could about Skymender. His height, the scarring on his hand, his size, his eye color, his hair color, everything. However, Skymender had naturally prepared for this. His mask already made his eye color seem black. His hair was mostly covered, and what was let out was fake hair, a different color from his own. He made sure to stand taller and change his voice more as well. This wouldn''t completely fool the Chief of Police, but it was enough to make their information uncertain. Skymender brought the two assassins back and paid them for their time. He soon headed home. However, as he walked through the entrance hall, he saw three police officers walking around as well. Skymender did not bat an eye. They were surely here to meet his brother, the new Baron Sky. These three were the three he had just met not too long ago. The Chief of Police turned around and looked at Skymender. He squinted his eyes slightly, but soon stopped paying attention. He had seen Skymender''s height, though that was not much of a connection at all. What made him most interested was the glove on his hand, the same hand where the scarring was on the Skygod''s hand. The possibility of Skymender, an 11 year old child, being the Skygod, was naturally too ridiculous to even consider for more than a moment. It was no more than something out of a story. He entered a room with the other two police officers, most likely to meet Baron Sky. Inside, he was indeed meeting Baron Sky. "How did it go?" Baron Sky asked. "It was partially successful, though he did not end up accepting the offer." "It was a long shot anyway. What information did you gather?" One of the two officers took out a piece of paper, and as the two officers discussed, he drew. Eventually, an accurate portrait was drawn. Baron Sky looked at it for a moment, before something seemed to appear in his mind. It was a small possibility, but that scarring was something his father had told him about. He did his best to keep calm and spoke. "Alright. Thank you. Keep me updated, but I must continue with my work, if you don''t mind." The Chief of Police nodded. The three police bowed and left the room. As soon as they left, Baron Sky''s eyes were filled with suspicion. Chapter 672: New Recruit - 672 Chapter 672 - New Recruit - 672 He sat in silence for a moment before a servant entered his room. Before the servant could speak, Baron Sky spoke. "Go bring me Skymender." The servant nodded and turned around. Skymender was sitting in his room, reading a book, when the servant knocked on his door. "Lord Skymender, Baron Sky has requested your presence in his office." Skymender stood up and left the room, nodding to the servant as he did so. It seemed as though Baron Sky had put some things together, though he naturally wouldn''t be certain at all. Skymender arrived at the office door and stepped inside. Baron Sky sat with a serious face. He looked at Skymender''s hand. "Could you take off your glove?" Skymender pulled it off. Baron Sky nearly recoiled. Hearing it described was one thing, but seeing it himself was another. He felt as if the far fetched suspicions he held had become a percentage more possible. He did not hide anything, coming out with his suspicions. "Are you the Skygod?" "Who?" Skymender asked. Baron Sky simply looked at him. "Nevermind. Sorry for bothering you." Skymender left. It was impossible for there to be any sort of reasonable suspicion that he was the Skygod, no matter what his personality was like. There was no more bringing up any idea that he could be Skygod, and Skymender continued his activities in Sky city. Now, however, he had a very good customer. The police would request an assassination at least once every week, and often more. Skymender took these requests himself, not because the Chief of Police had requested so, but because there was a chance that each mission was a trap. After all, no matter what was said, he was a killer. During the next period of time, an assassination request was failed. Western Guardian, while attacking someone, slipped up and alerted some nearby people. He only managed to escape with his life due to a mist poison he had saved just in case. He had actually ended up killing both his target and some other nearby people, but it was considered a failure. One of the things they were taught by Skymender was to avoid killing anyone not a target, for they could become targets later on, giving even more money. Nothing actually happened to him besides the fact that he had nearly died, but it served as a lesson. Skymender considered training them, but after thinking, felt that it was better for them to do it on their own. Any interaction with them increased the chances of bad things happening. With the city growing, and more and more requests coming in, Skymender began to look for more assassins. It was hard to find any like Third Moon and Western Guardian, but not impossible. He just had to look for a while. He did things as usual, while also searching for potential assassins. Like this, the summer eventually came to an end. He had found a few potential recruits, but wasn''t 100% sure what he was going to do just yet. More time passed, and after consideration, he decided to recruit another individual. Unlike the previous two, who were simply the best available at the time, this person seemed like a worthy recruit. In fact, this person had killed before. Skymender knew this because he had been paying attention to her. She used the tactic of seduction to lure in her target and kill him. Naturally, this meant that she was quite a beautiful woman. She had killed this man because he had run over her younger sister in a carriage without remorse, and got off without even a word from the police. This was unusual. Only a noble would get such treatment, but somehow, a simple commoner had avoided all punishment. Skymender knew that the police were not as righteous as they seemed on the surface, but this was surprising. This was not under the new Baron Sky''s reign, but the old one''s. Whether or not his father knew of this or not was unknown. Regardless, Skymender was focused on recruiting this woman. She was currently in hiding. Both the police and the people of the man she had killed were currently hunting her down. She felt it was unjust, but could only live with it. A few days passed, and she was moving through an alley with a hood covering her head, when someone stopped her. "It''s you! Get her!" He yelled. A few more men entered the alley from both sides and ran towards her. She pulled out a dagger, but they did not slow down. Suddenly, someone appeared beside her. He grabbed her and jumped up, landing on a nearby rooftop. This was an inhuman movement. Although the roof was low, and only an athlete would be able to jump on it, Skymender had done so while grabbing a woman. This was an effect of the Imperial Scholar''s chest design. The woman looked at Skymender in confusion, but did not swing her dagger. He had not shown any intention to harm her, and she did not need another enemy at this moment. Skymender did not look at her, first throwing a vial of the mist poison down. As soon as they saw the mist appear, all of the men ran, though some were too slow. Over time, sightings of the mist had occurred when people were assassinated. It represented assassins, and possibly even the Skygod himself. The woman had also heard of the legendary mist. She looked at Skymender differently, not daring to show a hint of ill will. Skymender finally turned to her. "My name is Skygod, and I am inviting you to become an assassin." He kept it simple. Her answer would decide everything. She only hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I am willing." Skymender spoke again. "Then follow me. If you can''t keep up, I don''t need you." Skymender stepped backwards, falling off the roof and shooting off into the distance. The woman ran after him. Skymender was agile and fast, turning sharp corners with ease. The woman struggled to keep up, but did her best. She was not someone physically fit. She had been completely normal prior to her sister''s death. Eventually, she stopped. Skymender stood ahead, someone resisting under his feet. Chapter 673: Serpent Master - 673 Chapter 673 - Serpent Master - 673 She had no idea who the man under his feet was, or why he was under Skymender''s feet. She breathed heavily while Skymender took a vial out of his pocket. He unscrewed one of the ends and poured it on the man. Nothing happened. He then took off the other end and began to drip it down. As soon as it made contact with the liquid on the man, he began to feel immense pain and scream out. Skymender slowly dripped a hole through his head, ending his life. The woman watched with shock and horror. Skymender had ideas for how to use this woman in assassination. But first, he needed to make sure she had a fear of him implanted into her heart. With the man under him dead, Skymender began to move again. The woman gritted her teeth and hesitated, before following him once again. She didn''t really have much of a choice at this time. After a while, she was led to the outskirts of the city. There was no city wall, but there was an obvious marker not far ahead that marked the end of the city. Skymender finally stopped again. "You will have a special position in the organization. You will be tasked with staying near and protecting a valuable individual." The woman was surprised. She had heard nothing about these assassins protecting others. "His name is Skymender, a member of Baron Sky''s noble family." The woman was even more shocked. "You will be found in the woods, injured and unconscious, by Skymender and his servants. You will be taken to the household, and after being helped, you will be offered a position as a servant. You will accept it. Skymender will be in charge of you. Understood?" The woman took all of the information in and nodded. "Good." Skymender moved quickly, knocking the woman out. He took her to a certain location not too far away from the city. The summer had just ended and school would start in less than a week. He had this much time to set things up for the future. The woman was deeply unconscious. The next day, as Skymender, Skymender took a few servants, including Li Youcai and Hope, on a small trip to the nearby woods to fish. However, along the way, they found an unconscious and bleeding woman. She was instantly taken into the carriage and began the process of healing. When she woke up, the first thing she saw was Skymender. Her eyes widened. Skymender waved the surrounding servants outside, including Li Youcai, leaving only him and the woman. She spoke after a moment, her tone uncertain. "Sir Skygod?" Skymender sighed. It wasn''t hard to figure out with so many pieces laying around. The same height and size, the hand, and the feeling. Skymender had not been disguising anything about himself when he met her as the Skygod, so she managed to pick up on all of that information. But he had never really intended to completely hide his identity. That was why he had needed to put fear into her. Even though she knew who he was, she wouldn''t dare to tell a soul even when threatened with death. Skymender put his finger over his lips and spoke. "Quiet down a bit." She nodded, not daring to speak any further. Skymender let Li Youcai come in. "She will become a personal servant of mine in the future. We can take her back to the house for training." He said. Li Youcai nodded. "And about fishing?" "Forget about it. We can do it another day." Li Youcai nodded and left with the woman. Skymender sat back in the carriage and thought, his eyes occasionally flashing with a green color. When he returned home, he studied. He continued the usual cycle until school started. Not much changed. However, after nearly a month, the woman had been completely trained. She stood in front of the carriage as Skymender walked outside, ready to go to school. "Lord Skymender." She said as she bowed. She was much more professional than before. Skymender walked into the carriage. Before closing the door, he asked a question. "What is your name?" "Violet." She said as she bowed. Skymender closed the door without another word. In Sky city, the police received word that the woman they had been searching for had become a servant of the Sky Barony. They stopped their search, pardoning her crimes. After all, based on the entire situation, they were technically in the wrong. Things continued in a semi-regular fashion for a few months. Violet did not participate in any assassinations yet, which confused her. Skymender often looked into the distance, lost in thought. He could tell that something had been off for the past half year. He could feel it in the air. Indeed, on the surface, the Empire was healthy, thriving, and peaceful, but underneath its surface, the Empire was everything but peaceful. In a meeting room, the Imperial Scholar, the commander of the army, and the Emperor all met in one room. Behind the Emperor stood Sword Master Shang. The Imperial Scholar spoke. "Ever since the noble gathering a few years ago, the Ancient Empire has been making hidden moves. It had been hard to detect, as expected of them, but flaws always show sooner or later. We captured a few people planted into the Imperial Capital by them." The Emperor nodded. "Have they said anything yet?" "No, simply enduring without a word." The Imperial Scholar said. The Emperor spoke, taking over the room. "Towards the conquest of the world, the Ancient Empire is the greatest threat we face. Not only their Sword Grandmaster, but their Serpent Master as well. We must find a way to counter both before all out war breaks out." The Imperial Scholar spoke. "Sword Master Shang will naturally face the Sword Grandmaster of the Ancient Empire, and as for the Serpent Master, I believe that I have a worthy candidate." The Emperor, Commander, and Sword Master Shang were surprised. "Someone who can match the Serpent Master?" The Imperial Scholar explained. "His name is Skymender. Right now, he is just a child, but in the future, it is unknown what he may become." Chapter 674: The Weapon God - 674 Chapter 674 - The Weapon God - 674 "And what makes you think that he will be able to match the Serpent Master?" The Commander asked. This was an important matter, one that involved the security of the entire Empire. Such assumptions could not be casually made. "He is following the path of poison, and has already experienced great success. In addition, he has received physical modifications from me, enhancing his strength, speed, and reaction time. If anyone has the potential to match the Serpent Master, then I can only imagine it is him." The Imperial Scholar explained. The Emperor remembered the name. "Isn''t that the boy that you said would most likely become the next Imperial Scholar?" "It is. As well as Sword Master Skybelle''s younger brother." The Imperial Scholar said while looking at Sword Master Shang. After a brief silence, the Commander spoke. "If what you say is true, then should we not assist his growth so that it can progress in the fastest manner?" The Imperial Scholar shrugged his shoulders. "I''m not sure. I believe that we should leave him alone to develop on his own. Interference on our part may end up having negative effects on his imagination and creativity. However, at the same time, perhaps we could provide him with things that he would not normally have access to, allowing him to create a unique poison that can defeat the Serpent Master. It is all one big gamble." The Commander nodded. This was indeed a tricky situation. "Isn''t the Serpent Master also proficient in poison?" Sword Master Shang said, speaking for the first time. "Not nearly as much as Skymender could be. He''s too busy playing with snakes, and all of the poison he uses is naturally made." The Imperial Scholar said. After a bit more discussion, they came to a conclusion. "Since the best poison expert in the Empire is the Imperial Scholar, and the Imperial Scholar said that there is not much more he can teach him, then all we can do is allow him to access rare plants and materials in order to assist his progress. Everything else is up to him." A letter was written and sent out by the Imperial Scholar the same day, but it would take a while for it to reach the Sky Barony. A few weeks passed, and Skymender turned 12 years old. His mother and father held a small celebration for him, but at this point, he was far more mature than most adults would be. Even they could somewhat see that just by looking at him. Skymerge showed up, most likely because he was dragged down. He was glued to a book the entire time, and only spoke once to Skymender. "It won''t be long before my first book is finished. Make sure you come and read it." Skymender agreed. He was very interested in what Skymerge had been up to. Skymender''s assassination business was thriving even more than before. After a while, Violet was finally tasked with a few assassinations, something she was not sure if she was happy or upset about. Regardless, seeing the money she received made all of her hesitations go away, accepting her new life as a servant/assassin. The police didn''t bother Skymender at all in this time, and their organization was slowly becoming more of a legend than a known thing. Even more time passed, and Skymender was summoned by Baron Sky. Entering the office, the Baron handed him a letter. "This is from the Imperial Scholar. Don''t take it lightly." He said seriously. Skymender nodded. To others, the Imperial Scholar could only be called a legendary being. However, to him, it felt as though he was just an abnormally smart person. He opened it and read it. "Dear Skymender, In the interest of your talents, the Empire has opened up the classified material storage to you. For a price, you can obtain just about any material known by the Empire. A catalog is in this envelope along with the letter. Do not read this near anyone, and absolutely don''t share it. From, the Imperial Scholar." Skymender did not take the catalog out, first leaving Baron Sky''s office and returning to his room. He opened up the catalog, and did not recognize a single thing. Luckily, there were descriptions of the materials properties and known usage. He could see at a glance why they were classified. Some were already poisonous enough to take out a small village without any sort of added supplements. He had no need for any of them right now. He would need to perform research and calculations before he spent the massive amount of money required to buy them. Luckily, his assassination business was doing well. Skymender made sure to spend even more time than usual researching poisons. However, he soon realized that he needed to visit Skymerge. His book should be done by now. He waited until night, and entered the secret room in the library. Skymerge was reading, and when he saw Skymender enter, he pointed to the far side of the room. On a shelf were ten books, each thicker than most of the books Skymender had ever seen in his life. It was a series called, "The Weapon God". Skymender did not waste any time, as he knew this would be a long read. It started off classically, in a small mortal village, but as the story progressed, it was learned that there were beings known as cultivators in the world. The protagonist, a boy, slowly climbed his way up, mastering weapons to incredible degrees. Skymender did not read all of this at once. He spent hundreds of hours over many days. Summer came, and Skymender finally turned the last page. "The Weapon God stood tall on the sea of stars below his feet. Pulling back his bow, he released an arrow that combined everything he had ever comprehended into one point, a single arrow tip. The being that considered itself an almighty lord stood shocked as the arrow pierced his forehead, ending his trillion year reign as the god of the universe, and freeing all beings from his tyranny." There was an afterward that spoke of what happened after that moment, but that was the final climax of the story. Skymender sat, stunned. This was the greatest thing he had ever read, only matched by something like The Plot of a Thousand Years. Chapter 675: Bow and Arrow - 675 Chapter 675 - Bow and Arrow - 675 Even ignoring the fact that it was simply such a good book, it gave him an idea he had never thought of before. It started with the issue of range. When using poisons, it was more or less impossible to do so without being close. If you wanted to do it from afar, you would have to set it up in advance. However, as the Weapon God had, why couldn''t he use a bow and arrow? He simply had overlooked it before, as range had never been a major issue. Though not an issue, it would surely help to be able to assassinate someone from farther away, without having to perfectly throw a vial of poison. Skymender stood up and looked at Skymerge. "What did you think?" Skymerge asked. "It was one of the greatest things I''ve ever read in my life." Skymender said honestly. Skymerge lightly smiled. "I know. My new book should be done in around a year. Prepare yourself." Skymender nodded. He would absolutely come back. Nearly a year had passed since he had started reading the book. Everything about him had advanced greatly. This included poison knowledge, money, and his assassination organization. He had two things he needed to do. One was to begin practicing with the bow and arrow. He would not use it unless he was absolutely confident in his aim. The other was to finally purchase some of the classified materials he now had access to. He started with practicing the bow and arrow. He had one specially made, with his own money of course. It was high quality, powerful, long range, and fit perfectly to his current stature. He naturally had it made through an underground channel as he would end up using it for assassinations and being as careful as possible couldn''t hurt. With his current connections, he basically had full access to the underground of Sky city, and could even go so far as to be considered one of the most major individuals involved in it. This naturally included association with those he may eventually assassinate. Therefore, he had recently started a new business, where he was able to make even more money than before, and by a lot. He called it assassination insurance. He would give individuals who were interested an amount, and by paying that amount, they would be safe for an entire year, no matter how much he was offered to kill them. Of course, the amount they paid would either go up or stay the same after a year, depending on how much interest they garnered and how much others would be willing to pay to assassinate them. Along with making him far more money than before, this also actually saved a few lives, even those which the police had wanted dead. They had tried to cause some trouble after his rejection, but the threat he posed made them very quickly calm down. If it happened again, Skymender may have to take action to let them understand that they were the lesser party in their agreement. But for now, everything was once again calm, and they seemed to understand the idea of assassination insurance. Skymender spent a lot of time practicing with the bow and arrow. He practiced both as Skymender and the Skygod. Perhaps it was his experience with weapons, but he progressed rapidly. He felt as if he had much more talent with the bow and arrow than he did with the sword. After around a month, he was able to hit most of his targets at any range. Only extremely far targets had a lower hit rate. However, he did not need to shoot that far. A hundred feet or so was more than enough for a majority of his targets. He would naturally continue practicing, as the further he could attack from, the better. Just as Skymender had felt like testing his new bow and arrow skills by assassinating someone, he received a very interesting assassination mission from the hesitant informant. "I''m not sure whether I should even give this to you, as it may get me involved, but since we''ve worked so well together, here." Skymender opened up the envelope, and was surprised. Indeed, it was a tricky situation. The assassination target was a police officer, and not some corrupt one, but a truly positive aspect to society. Naturally, one would be hesitant to even consider accepting it, but the price paid was something that nobody could ignore. Skymender thought for a moment. The police''s reaction may be an issue, but he believed that they needed to be put in their place regardless. Skymender nodded. "I can take this mission." The Informant nodded. "This is dangerous even for me, as they will know it was I that gave you the mission. I can pay you to protect me." Skymender nodded. "It''s on the house this time, Informant." He breathed a sigh of relief as Skymender left. That same night, in the house of the police officer, an arrow shot through the window, piercing his heart. No poison was necessary. The police were oddly silent about the matter in the morning and afternoon. However, the entire city could feel the tension in the air. Skymender had an idea about their plans. That night, the police gathered and advanced towards the Informant''s house. Since they had no idea who Skymender was or where he could be, they could only make a move on the Informant. The Informant looked out the window for a moment before closing his curtains. He laid on his bed, possibly for the last time. "It is up to you, sir Skygod." The police, silently moving and hidden, soon entered the open yard. The house was surrounded. It was as they neared that they stopped. On the roof of the Informant was a silhouette, the moon high behind him. Without a word, he raised his bow. The police chief yelled out. "SKYGOD! RETREAT!" But he was late. Skymender released his bow. Arrows coated with poison fell as he rapidly shot tens of arrows. Poison mist sprang up as the police fled. Like a god of death reaping the battlefield, tens of police officers fell to the ground, never to get back up. Chapter 676: New Materials - 676 Chapter 676 - New Materials - 676 As the police officers escaped beyond the trees, Skymender knocked one more arrow on his bow. He aimed it at the Chief of Police. "Next time, don''t make the same mistake." He mumbled. He released the arrow. It flew far, exceeding one hundred feet, and scratched the Chief of Police''s arm. "I had planned to bury it in his arm, but that works as well." He did not disturb the Informant, who was laying in his bed, and returned to his house. The next day, a memorial was held for the police officers who had fallen, including the one from the day before. The Chief of Police had a bandage visible on his arm as he gave a speech to a crowd of concerned individuals. "Last night, we attempted to raid a gang hideout. Although we were successful in our goal, it cost us the lives of multiple police officers. For this, I sincerely apologize. I should have never taken them without absolute certainty that there would be no deaths." After he spoke a bit more, and a few more people spoke, the memorial ended. The entire time, the name of Skygod or the mention of assassination did not occur. Neither was the Informant mentioned. That night, Skymender entered a house through a window. The Chief of Police was there, waiting for him. He turned around and looked at Skymender, any arrogance he previously had gone. "So, I suppose you still want to work together." Skymender said. The Chief of Police nodded. "How much for assassination insurance for the entire police force." Skymender smiled a little beneath the mask. "Now we''re talking." He and the Chief of Police had a fairly long conversation, lasting around thirty minutes. They came to many agreements about future cooperations. The Chief of Police indeed felt a bit of hatred and anger at Skymender for killing the officers, but instead of pointlessly seeking out revenge, and most likely getting more killed, he decided to make sure that no more would die, even if he had to sacrifice revenge. For the first time, Skymender realized that the Chief of Police was actually an intelligent individual. Not many could stand accepting defeat in a way that allowed them to gain the most, even at the cost of their pride. Skymender eventually left. Now, he had the absolute upper hand in all negotiations and deals. With everything now settled, he decided that it was finally time to purchase the classified materials he now had access to. He had narrowed what he wanted to use first down to three choices. One was a plant that he hoped could be used to enhance his corrosion poison even further. Another should be able to enhance the mist poison even further. The final one would not be used in the process of creating a poison, but was known as a neutralizer for a vast amount of poisons. With that one, he had a special plan, one he would need to go to the Imperial Capital for. Otherwise, it was far too risky. Skymender made the order, and sent it through the mail. This would naturally be a highly secure and even classified process, as it involved the purchase and transportation of classified materials. Skymender waited around a month before he finally received the materials he ordered. He had ordered more than one of each, besides the last one. The last material alone cost more than the amount he had spent to purchase multiple of the first material. Skymender placed all of them in high quality storage containers and got to work. He first started with using the first material to enhance his corrosion poison. After a few attempts, he finally felt as if he had succeeded. There was only one way to find out. He threw it at the wall of his lab, which he had purchased a while ago, and put his hand on the dripping poison. It began to corrode his hand immediately. It felt just as bad as the first time he had done it long ago, which caused Skymender to nearly smile. The pain was bad, but his resistance to pain was beyond human at this point. Even with the resistance he had built up to the corrosive poison, especially in his hand, he was still harmed just as badly as he had been the first time he had ever put his hand on the corrosion poison. Once his hand healed, he could repeat the process. It was a bit dangerous, considering he was an assassin and using both of his hands was important, but he would survive. After around two weeks, when he could hold his second hand steady again, he began to attempt to increase the potency of his mist poison. He was even more excited for this one, as the mist poison was his original poison, the first he ever created. On his second attempt, he got a whiff of the finished project and smiled. His throat was closing in and a bit of blood seeped from his nose. However, he had essentially built up an immunity before, which meant that it would be unable to kill him unless he was able to increase the potency by at least five times. He barely had a two times increase in potency after finishing up. It was incredible, but could not harm him. Building up an immunity to the mist poison was far easier than doing so for the corrosion poison. As he spent another two weeks planning a trip to the Imperial Capital, he built up a near immunity to the improved mist poison. There was around a month left before the summer ended. He began to make his way to the Imperial Capital once again. The journey was the standard ten days. He entered through the gates without any trouble at all. Without stopping, only changing his carriage to a smaller version, he made his way to the Imperial Palace. Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace, the Imperial Scholar received word that Skymender had entered the city. "What are you doing here?" He asked himself. Chapter 677: Icy Heart Success - 677 Chapter 677 - Icy Heart Success - 677 Skymender''s carriage soon arrived at the gates of the Imperial Palace. This was the first time that he had arrived without some sort of invitation, so before they even searched him, the guards asked what business he had there. "I''m here to meet the Imperial Scholar." Skymender said. The guards looked at each other. "You can''t just meet the Imperial Scholar whenever you want. You need to have some sort of invitation or appointment scheduled." "There are exceptions. Just send a message. He will agree." The guards hesitated for a moment, but since Skymender was a noble, they took his word for it. It wouldn''t be good for the guards or Skymender if he bothered the Imperial Scholar for no reason. Surprisingly quickly, they received a response. "You may enter after being searched." One of the guards said. Skymender nodded, and after a brief search, he was allowed to enter. With a guard guiding him, he made his way to the Imperial Scholar''s office. "Here you are." The guard said before leaving. Skymender knocked on the door and soon heard a voice. "Come in." Skymender opened the door and stepped inside. Behind a desk, he saw the familiar face of the Imperial Scholar. "Hello again, Skymender. What can I do for you?" The Imperial Scholar asked. Skymender explained quickly. "I want to attempt to create the Icy Heart poison once again, and I need your help to ensure that I don''t die." The Imperial Scholar stared at him for a moment before speaking. "And what makes you think that I will help you?" "Regardless, I''ll attempt it. I''m just seeing if you''re willing to help me increase my odds of both success and survival." The Imperial Scholar really did care about Skymender''s survival, but he had no intention to show it. "What will I get in return?" He asked Skymender. Skymender thought for a moment. "How about a poison recipe?" Although he would have never considered trading this before, he had managed to create a much more potent version of the poison he planned to give them. "What kind of poison?" "A corrosive poison." Skymender said. The Imperial Scholar thought about it before nodding. "You''ll have to pay for any materials or medicines I use to help you. I imagine you plan to use that plant you bought to help resist the Icy Heart poison while you make it?" The Imperial Scholar said. Skymender nodded. The Imperial Scholar automatically began to assist in the planning for this poison creation. "I have a recipe to create a medicine using that plant, but you can''t have access to it. In the entire Empire, only I and the Emperor can. I can, however, create it for you and give it to you." Skymender nodded without hesitation. "Even if it is more effective after it is used in a medicine, it is still very temporary. If the effects of the Icy Heart poison weren''t so dangerous, I would recommend only using it after you finish the poison. However, it is risky as I''m not sure how potent that Icy Heart poison is, and if the medicine will have a 100% antidote effect." Skymender listened intensely. "Also, if you have to create a hole in your chest, do it a bit farther from last time so that we can change it even more." "Is there a place here that I can create it?" Skymender asked. "There is. Go ahead and bring everything you need. Also, take this." He handed Skymender necklace with some sort of design on it. Skymender walked out of the Imperial Palace and reached the gates. The guards looked at him with clear surprise as he walked towards them. They opened the gate and moved aside without a single word. The necklace did its job. Skymender was able to take a few trips and bring everything inside without a single question from the guards. He took all of this to a room on a lower level than the ground floor. It was a much more advanced poison room than those at the Imperial Scholar Camp. Unlike before, Skymender would be able to use his cauldron to create the poison, which should both enhance its effect and increase the possibility of success. He and the Imperial Scholar spoke about the Icy Heart poison, and Skymender even told him a bit about the recipe itself. Eventually, someone came into the poison room and handed the Imperial Scholar a vial. Though the Imperial Scholar had created it while Skymender moved his things, it had needed to sit for a while. "Here it is. Whenever you''re ready, I am." The Imperial Scholar said. Skymender nodded. After a moment, the Imperial Scholar left the room, and Skymender began. He got to the point where he had been poisoned last time, and drank the medicine he was given. Nothing happened for a moment, but then, he started to feel a coldness in his heart, as though ice was literally growing on it. Though his emotions were permanently dimmed after the last time, he felt them dim even more. However, he was able to control himself this time. At the very least, it did not feel deadly, just extremely dangerous and harmful. The medicine was doing its job. Skymender continued beyond where he had stopped last time. As he continued, using his masterful control over the cauldron to enhance the speed and quality of the process, he felt the poison slowly growing stronger in his heart. It continued to grow, and just as his body began to shake and he felt as though he would be unable to continue any longer, he finished. He poured all of the liquid into three vials and capped them with a lid. Instantly, the feeling of coldness faded, as though it had never been there. Skymender looked at the poison in the vial. It was a light, icy blue. It was mesmerizing to look at. Skymender stared at it for more than a minute before standing up and leaving the room. The Imperial Scholar looked at him with expectation. Skymender showed him one of the vials. He looked at it. "What a beautiful purple color." Chapter 678: Different Colors - 678 Chapter 678 - Different Colors - 678 Skymender narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Purple? Are you colorblind or something?" The Imperial Scholar narrowed his eyes in confusion. "What are you talking about? I have perfect vision. Perhaps you are colorblind." Skymender knew for a fact that he wasn''t colorblind, as he had been tested at young. He thought for a moment, before walking away. In another area, a servant hurriedly walked through the halls. Skymender opened a door and saw him. "Hey." He said. The servant stopped for a moment. "Yes?" "What color is this?" Skymender asked as he held up the vial. "Red." The servant said as he turned and walked away even faster than before. Skymender turned around, where the Imperial Scholar stood with furrowed brows. "What exactly is going on?" Neither of them had the slightest answer. It seemed magical. "Could it be that every person sees this poison differently?" Skymender asked, though he was not expecting an answer. "In that case, what if what is different for every person is not only the color, but the effects?" The Imperial Scholar said. Skymender held the vial with his bare hands, and he felt a cold feeling coming off of it. He handed it to the Imperial Scholar, who saw it in a purple color. The Imperial Scholar grabbed it and examined it. Suddenly, he felt a headache. It was very light, not enough to really impair him, but it was obvious. "I feel a slight headache coming on." The Imperial Scholar said. "Is it cold at all?" Skymender asked. "Not even slightly. It is completely room temperature." The Imperial Scholar said. After a moment, he spoke again. "The Emperor needs to hear of this. Forgive me, but I will be borrowing this for a moment." Skymender nodded. "As long as you can figure out what it is, you can even keep it." At this point, Skymender was entirely confused. They moved through the Imperial Palace swiftly, soon reaching the throne room. The Imperial Scholar signaled to the guards, who opened the door, and Skymender followed him inside. The Emperor looked up from some papers, and seeing the Imperial Scholar walking so quickly, perked up. "What do you need, Fei Luzi?" The Emperor asked. As always, Sword Master Shang was standing to his side. The Imperial Scholar held up the vial. "What color is this, your Imperial Majesty?" The Emperor looked somewhat confused. "Black, a very very deep black." Sword Master Shang turned his head in confusion. The Imperial Scholar noticed it. "What color do you see, Sword Master Shang?" The Imperial Scholar asked. He answered. "I see the color red, like the color of blood." The Imperial Scholar turned and had the door opened. Pointing to Skymender, he spoke to a servant. "Find the one he talked to earlier." The servant nodded. It was a vague request, but it was enough. As the servant left, the Emperor realized just how important this was. The Imperial Scholar, though he had a calm front, was clearly not calm at all. "Inform me." "Skymender created this poison. It is one which nearly killed him a while back. He succeeded this time, but for some reason, every single person sees a different color. In addition, it also seems to have different effects on those that hold it." The Imperial Scholar said. The Emperor beckoned with his hand. "Let me see." The Imperial Scholar walked forward and handed it to him. As soon as the Emperor held it, he frowned. "Unpleasant." "What do you feel?" The Imperial Scholar asked. "It is as if it is draining something from me, though so uselessly that whatever it is draining is instantly returning. Still, I don''t like it at all." He turned and handed it to Sword Master Shang. He held it and spoke. "I feel something like loss, as if you saw someone slain on a battlefield. It is incredibly faint though, as if it is just something you read about in a short story." Sword Master Shang''s was surprisingly well described, and Skymender realized that he was actually quite good with words. As expected of someone so legendary. It had to be noted that Skymender was currently in a room with the three greatest beings in the Empire. Though he was clearly not on the same level, nobody was treating him like a lower individual. He naturally did not feel like he was lower than them, but for them to somewhat act like that to a 12 year old child was quite surprising. As they discussed for a while, the Emperor and Sword Master Shang gaining interest in it, the servant Skymender had spoken to earlier came in. He was clearly terrified. He hadn''t realized that Skymender was important enough to casually be in this room, and was scared that he had disrespected or offended him. The Imperial Scholar spoke. "Hold this." The servant did so without hesitation. "What does it feel like?" The Imperial Scholar asked. "It is a bit warm, sir." The servant said. "Describe the color better." The Imperial Scholar said. "It is red like fire." The servant said. "Alright, you may leave." The servant breathed a sigh of relief and left in a hurry. At this point, it didn''t seem that there was any further way to understand this poison than testing it. After thinking, the Imperial Scholar thought of a way. Of course, he decided to see if Skymender agreed. Regardless of everything, it was his poison. "If you let me test this, I will compensate you in every way possible, from materials used, including the antidote plant, to labor and danger pay." Skymender nodded. "Of course." This was all the Imperial Scholar needed. He called a servant in. After speaking, it was decided that a prisoner would be used to test this. Skymender and the Imperial Scholar left. Though the Emperor was too busy to personally attend, he requested that the results be brought to him immediately. Skymender and the Imperial Scholar sent the prisoner to an observation room, poison vial in hand. In order to reduce his sentence by half, all he had to do was open the vial for a few seconds and close it. Considering he was in prison for the rest of his life, this was a one time deal that he would never see again. Skymender and the Imperial Scholar stood above, behind a one way glass wall. They could see everything happening inside the room. Chapter 679: Fear Poison? - 679 Chapter 679 - Fear Poison? - 679 The man sat down in the center of the room and looked down at the vial. He naturally knew that what he was doing was dangerous, but it was his only chance of freedom. What he desired most was to finally experience freedom, and all of that was based on this very moment. He took a deep breath, and opened up the vial. After five seconds, he closed it once again. Nothing seemed to happen. He looked around. Excitedly, he stood up. He had done everything he was told to do, and he could now leave. Suddenly, he paused, and his body fell stiffly to the ground. Skymender and the Imperial Scholar looked up from above. Although it was hard to tell exactly what happened, it seemed that the effects were different for the man and Skymender. They waited an hour, hopefully enough time for the poison to disperse, before the Imperial Scholar sent a servant down to retrieve the body. He went in, and without issue, brought the body out. "Imperial Scholar, he is alive." The servant said in surprise. The Imperial Scholar examined the man, and after a moment, spoke. "He is not dead, indeed, but he has fallen into a coma. There does not seem to have been any sort of effect on the heart." Both the Imperial Scholar and Skymender knew what this meant. Not only was the color of the poison different for different people, but effects were as well. Based on the questions they had asked the man before, he had seen the vial as the color of grey. It was still hard to put any pieces together, but based on what they had seen, it seemed to be connected to the mind. Skymender knew that whatever poison he had accidentally created may end up being greater than any other. Because whatever this was, it could not be created purposefully. Neither the Imperial Scholar, nor Skymender, felt as though they could rest until they had an explanation for what was happening. Therefore, they continued the testing. Since they had guessed that its changes in color and effect were based on the mind, they began to ask questions to prisoners before testing it on them. The next person to enter was someone who saw the color blue. It was not the same icy blue that Skymender saw, but the color of the sky. The prisoner sat down and opened the vial. After five seconds he closed it. He stood up, when suddenly, he got dizzy. He held his head, before beginning to scream. His body began to writhe around on the floor, though he seemed unconscious. After around ten minutes, the man stopped moving. A puddle of blood had formed under him. He stayed completely still. They waited an hour before sending a servant inside to retrieve the body. "This one is dead, Imperial Scholar." They had expected as such. The Imperial Scholar sent the servant away, and with Skymender present, began to dissect the man. After around an hour, the Imperial Scholar spoke. "It looks as if his insides were squished. Though nothing abnormal happened on the outside, on the inside, it seems as though he had been crushed by a heavy force, or had fallen to the ground." This made Skymender think. The man had said that his vial was blue like the sky, and the Imperial Scholar said that it looked as though he had fallen or been crushed. "Perhaps the color one sees relates to the effect." Skymender said. Since he saw sky blue, and his insides seemed as if he had fallen, it made sense. In fact, they had previously guessed such a thing, but this made it seem obvious. "But what makes someone see a certain color, and in turn the effect. Or perhaps the effect decides the color." The Imperial Scholar said. They began to go through the man''s data. He had answered hundreds of questions. Skymender eventually stumbled upon a question and answer that made his eyes widen. "Look!" The Imperial Scholar looked at where Skymender was pointing. "Biggest fear, heights." They looked at each other. "Could it be?" It seemed to indicate that the poison''s color and effect were based on fears. This was an incredible conclusion to come to. It meant that the mind could affect the body through this poison. They immediately set up another round of tests. "Red like fire, as the servant had seen before, grey like metal, and green like a plant." They had three prisoners test it all out. The first one began to scream in agony and scratch at his skin, rolling around. When he died and was examined, they found that his insides were hot, but not burnt. The second one began to scream and run around. It wasn''t constant, but around every five seconds, he would scream in pain and begin to bleed from the holes in his body. He eventually died, and when they examined him, they saw that his insides had occasional holes in them. The third one curled up on the ground and slowly suffered until death. Upon examination, it seemed as though all of the nutrients and fats in his body had been used up. "Biggest fears - Fire, being stabbed, and starvation." Everything seemed to line up. This seemed to be a complete conclusion of the poison''s abilities. However, Skymender was confused. If this was the whole truth, then why did his heart turn icy? He simply did not fear such a thing. He shared this confusion with the Imperial Scholar, who agreed. "I don''t fear anything, yet it seems from holding it that I can be affected. If simply not having fear could counter it, then it would be a reasonable conclusion. However, that is not the truth. Or perhaps, it is only a part of the truth." The Imperial Scholar said. The Imperial Scholar''s mind was spinning as he spoke, and he finally seemed to think of the answer. "Skymender. Do you value your emotions?" Skymender didn''t know how to answer the question. "I suppose." "More specifically, your family, right?" The Imperial Scholar asked. Skymender nodded his head. "Yes." Chapter 680: Deprivation Poison - 680 Chapter 680 - Deprivation Poison - 680 "And what do you think these people valued?" "Not facing their fears." Skymender said, understanding where he was going. "So what if instead of making their worst fears come true, it took what they valued. For most, what they value is not having to face what they fear most. But for those like us, whose fear is just about non-existent, it truly takes what we value. You value your family and your feelings towards them. It took some of your emotions and made your heart colder. I value my intelligence most. Hence, the headache I got when holding it. The Emperor also does not fear anything, so what he was losing must be what he valued most." The Imperial Scholar said. This logic applied to everyone that had been in the throne room, including Sword Master Shang, who most likely had less fear than anybody else in that room. If his poison color was blood red, then what he valued most was most likely the lives of his people, and the blood represented the end of their lives. He could also apply this logic to the prisoner from before, the one in a coma. Most likely, what he had valued was his freedom, and as a result, he was trapped inside of his own body. Naturally, calling it a fear poison was no longer accurate. Instead, Skymender gave it a new game. "Deprivation poison." He said to the Imperial Scholar, who nodded. It deprived the poisoned of what they valued most. Skymender had started out with three vials of the poison, but after so much testing, he was now left with two and a half. The Imperial Scholar finally seemed satisfied, as he had found out what the poison did. Of course, its effects were still horrific, but the fear of the unknown was worse than the fear of the known. "As agreed, I''ll send you compensation and another one of the antidote plants that you used. Although the Deprivation poison is incredible, if it can be resisted by the plant, then you should make it even stronger." He began to leave. However, moments before exiting, he stopped. "If you are going to be the Imperial Scholar, then you need a reputation in the Imperial Capital. You already have one, but it is far too low, and has been lowering every year you remain unseen. Only once you have respect will you be able to function as the Imperial Scholar in its most efficient capacity." Skymender nodded. He had already begun to build something akin to a reputation in his past visits. However, if he was going to be the Imperial Scholar, then it was not nearly enough. He needed to not only have some respect, but to command authority. Only then would he be worthy of the position. Skymender left the Imperial Palace and looked around. Although he would eventually begin that process, he was still too young to be taken seriously. He would wait until he grew old enough to enter the Imperial School, which was only around two years in the future. He began his journey back to the Sky Barony immediately. He couldn''t leave for too long, lest someone notice the extended absence of the Skygod and put some pieces together. Skymender''s journey took another ten days, and besides having an absolute trump card on him, everything was as usual. With his aging, he noticed signs of growth. This not only included growth in his already unnatural strength, but also growth in his height and weight, as well as the muscle that showed on his body. School started again, and as he continuously studied, he continued to grow at an incredible rate. At this point, he wasn''t even sure what level his intelligence had reached. It was increasingly hard to find material that he did not already know, so he began to branch out a bit. He looked deeply into topics he was not even that interested in, but seemed as if they could be somewhat useful in the future. Time passed, and he soon turned thirteen years old. Although he aged a lot, he didn''t feel all that different from when he was even younger. Only his body changed, not his mind. The assassination business grew as much as the city did over time. Under the new Baron Sky''s leadership, Sky city had already firmly become a city. It was multiple times the size it had been before. The police force had also grown, but there was still no sort of retaliation against his assassination business. Hopefully, they understood that they simply did not have the ability to do anything. Otherwise, they were most likely plotting under the surface. If that was the case, he would have to kill some more cops. More time passed, and Skymender was relaxing when Violet entered his room. "Baron Sky has requested your presence. Skymender nodded and stood up. He walked through the halls, Violet following behind. He arrived at Baron Sky''s door and knocked. "Enter." He opened the door and walked through, Violet staying outside. Inside was Baron Sky, the Chief of Police, and an unfamiliar man. "Hello, Sir Skymender." The unfamiliar man said. Skymender nodded in greeting before turning to his brother. "What do you need from me?" He spoke. "This here is a detective from the Imperial Capital, here to help find the Skygod. He has worked with the Imperial Scholar before, and upon learning that you attended the Imperial Scholar camp, wondered if you would be interested in helping." Skymender was stunned, though outside he kept a neutral expression. "Naturally, this is top secret." Baron Sky added. They were unaware that Skymender himself was the one they were hunting down. Of course, there had been the slightest suspicions before, but those had been washed away by time and confirmation of Skygod taking action while Skymender was far away. Naturally, this was Skymender''s doing. The detective looked Skymender up and down observing him. "Although I am often busy, I can definitely help if you need me to." Skymender said. "Thank you." Baron Sky said. Skymender turned to leave, when the detective spoke. "Just one more thing. If you wouldn''t mind, could you take your glove off?" Chapter 681: Captured - 681 Chapter 681 - Captured - 681 Skymender stopped moving and turned around. "I''m afraid I can''t do that." "Why not?" The detective said. Skymender did not answer him, instead opening the door and walking out. The detective moved forward, blocking his way. "I must insist, Skymender. Please take the glove off." Skymender looked at the detective for a moment, before slamming his backhand into his face. The detective was knocked down to the ground, a huge red mark on his face. "Who do you think you are, commoner? I could kill you without hearing so much as a breath about it. Don''t forget, this is a noble household, and it will not be tolerated that you disrespect it. Disrespecting a noble is the same as disrespecting the Empire." With this, Skymender walked out. The detective watched him in shock, never expecting such a thing to happen. Indeed, he had forgotten that this was a noble household. He truly did not have the authority to demand a single thing, as he was simply a commoner. Even Skymender''s brother and the Chief of Police were shocked. Naturally, Baron Sky took Skymender''s side. Not only were his words somewhat correct, but he was his older brother. "Don''t go too far detective. Not all nobles are as tolerant as me. Take my brother for example." Baron Sky said. The detective nodded as he got up from the ground. Inside, he was angry, but on the outside, he kept his composure. Skymender walked to his room without caring about what happened as he left. He had every right to do that, as he was a noble, and the man was a commoner. If he had killed him, it would be another thing, but just slapping him would get him in no trouble. He returned to his room and continued to relax for around an hour, before beginning to study once again. Violet, who had seen the whole thing, felt a bit of admiration for Skymender. As expected, Skymender did not face any sort of trouble after slapping the detective. His life went on. Though he had indeed expressed his willingness to work alongside the detective, it was unlikely that it would happen now. He went unbothered for a while. However, he began to watch out for the police as he assassinated, and warned his assassins to do so as well. They treaded cautiously. At this point, Third Moon and Western Guardian had become true assassins. If Skymender were ever to get a new assassin, he could confidently leave any sort of training to them. Of course, there was still the occasional failure. It was only natural that it would not go perfectly. However, there was no harm done to his assassins. It was sometime around February when he received a piece of news. The police had captured Western Guardian. Skymender sighed. He first went to Western Guardian''s house. His daughter had woken up, and was confused to see her father gone. Skymender knocked on the door, and she answered. "Um... Sir?" "I am your father''s boss." Skymender said. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Do you know where my father is?" She asked. "He''s busy right now, but he''ll be back soon. Are you good for now?" Skymender asked. She nodded. "Good. Go back inside, and don''t answer the door unless it is your father." She nodded and closed the door, locking it. Skymender stood up. The sun was high in the sky, but it didn''t matter. Morning or night, the police would have to pay for their actions. Skymender began to leap across roofs. Many people saw him, as it was a bustling time at noon. They saw his mask, and his appearance. Although nobody recognized him as Skygod, they could feel something was going on. Skymender made his way directly towards the police department. This was the best time to attack, as they would never expect him to move in broad daylight. He soon arrived. There were no buildings near it, so he had to walk on the ground. His conspicuous appearance brought attention to the cops nearby. "You! Stop right there!" One of them barked at him. Skymender raised his bow and shot. An arrow pierced his head, stunning everybody nearby. He rapidly fired more arrows, instantly killing a few, while the rest ran inside. A few cops came out, hearing a commotion start, and spotted Skymender. He never stopped firing, but the police also had people with bows. They came out and shot at him, but Skymender was fast. His arrows would either instantly kill someone, or block another arrow as it flew towards him. The police officers occasionally missed, but Skymender was eventually forced to hide behind a tree as arrows stuck into it. He reached into a bag at his side and took out the vials. He tied them to three arrows using some tape and leaped out from behind the tree. In an instant, a mist took up the front of the police station. A few died, while others retreated inside. Not only the cops, but even the bystanders could tell who he was by now. "Skygod." Skymender walked out from behind a tree and traveled towards the entrance. Every person nearby watched as he did so. He passed a statue outside, one which had stood for years and represented the police department. He threw a vial of corrosion poison at it, tearing it down once and for all. As he moved towards the police station, officers outside of the station made their way towards the police station. A red smoke rose in the air, created from lighting a fire with a colored substance. Red meant that an attack was occuring. They had been told to be on guard, but had never expected anything to happen so soon. It would take them a while to arrive, and Skymender was already inside. He walked through the station, Sword in hand. Most of the police officers had moved towards a central point, but Skymender still killed a few. He eventually reached something akin to a cafeteria, where a hundred officers, including the Chief of Police, stood together. Naturally, this should have made it even easier for Skymender to kill them, but in the center of them all was Western Guardian. When he saw Skymender, his eyes finally showed hope. Looking at him, he had clearly endured torture. But even if he had wanted to say anything, there was not much he knew. Even what he knew was not told as he held out, not daring to betray Skymender for the sake of his daughter. Chapter 682: Caught - 682 Chapter 682 - Caught - 682 The Chief of Police looked up at Skymender from below. "Skygod. Who are you truly? Could you really be Skymender of the Sky Barony? I sure hope not." Skyender snorted. "Who I am will not concern you from this day forward. Even if every person in this building lives, you will die today." The Chief of Police seemed resolute. "I am prepared. Anything to get you." Skymender looked at him with piercingly cold eyes. "I hope your wife and children share the same conviction." The Chief of Police''s pupils shrank. "Well, I suppose it''s a matter of the past. They should have already been killed. Don''t worry, I was merciful. They died quickly." The Chief of Police''s mind shattered. His legs wobbled uncontrollably. "Did you think I was lying? Perhaps I was simply messing with you? I told you I knew where your wife and children lived. You can meet them in the next life, I suppose." Within the room, every single police officer heard his words. Any conviction they held quickly faded. It wasn''t just their lives they were risking, but their loved ones as well. Filling the room was immense regret and fear. Western Guardian felt the fear just as clearly as everyone else. He thanked the heavens that he had not spoken a word. Skygod was not playing around. He truly meant every single threat. Without a word, Skymender threw out vials of mist poison. The Chief of Police didn''t even react, while the other officers scattered. As he slowly died, all he felt was regret. If he could turn back time, he would have never agreed to do this with the detective. No, he would have never even become a police officer. Some of the other officers got away, while some were caught up in the poison. Skymender released an arrow. It pierced Western Guardians shoulder, making him bleed. However, rubbed on that arrow was some of Skymender''s blood, which worked as a temporary resistance to the Mist poison. Skymender jumped down and walked towards Western Guardian. Police officers that had failed to escape in time died around him, dropping like flies. Around half died, while half lived and scattered. He imagined there would not be much further resistance. He untied Western Guardian, who stood up shakily. "I did not say a thing, Sir Skygod." Skymender nodded. "You wouldn''t be alive if you had. Let''s go. Your daughter is waiting. Luckily, the next person she sees will be her father, not an assassin." Western Guardian understood the meaning. At this point, he wouldn''t dare to speak even if he was tortured to death. The fear of Skymender was thoroughly imprinted on him. Even in the next life, the name would make him shiver. He followed Skymender out of the police department. They quickly disappeared into an alleyway without getting caught. They met up with Violet, whose emotions were clearly unstable. "I-I did it, Sir Skygod." Skymender nodded his head. "Good. Hopefully, we never have to do something like that again." Naturally, it was Violet who had been sent to kill the Chief of Police''s family. Though all she had done was throw a vial through a window, their deaths were indeed on her hands. "Why can''t the police just mind their own business? Can''t they realize that they''re doing more harm than good?" Violet said to herself. Skymender led Violet and Western Guardian away, bringing Western Guardian to his house and taking Violet back to his. By now, Violet had long known that Skymender was Skygod. She had known from the first day. Skymender did not need to hide anything. She wouldn''t dare say a word, especially not after the events of today. Skymender stepped into his house, Violet behind. However, what met him surprised even him. The detective, as well as numerous Imperial Guards, and his sister, were waiting for him at the entrance. Skymender looked around. "What is this?" The detective spoke. "Skymender. You''ve been caught now. We checked out all the places you usually go to, and spoke to everyone who knows you, but during the time that Skygod attacked the police department, you were nowhere to be seen. In addition, there is suspicion that your scar is the exact same one that the Chief of Police identified on Skygod." He then turned to Skybelle and the Imperial Guards. "Please arrest him until we confirm everything. If I am right, then that girl is one of his assassins. She won''t dare tell us anything if he''s free, but if he''s locked up, we can convince her. Under the special authority given to me by Imperial decree, please arrest Skymender." Skybelle stepped forward. "Skymender... Please just cooperate. I''m sure it is not you, but just let us confirm it." She seemed regretful and unwilling, but this was her duty as a Sword Master of the Empire. Skymender nodded. "I understand. Just one thing." She nodded as Skymender reached into his back pocket. Then, he flicked his hand. Skybelle''s eyes widened. Even though she had the ability to react, at this moment, her shock and hesitation stopped her. A thick needle pierced the detective''s skull, killing him on the spot. Everyone was completely stunned. Skybelle, the Imperial Guards, Violet, even his mother and father watching from above. Skybelle and the Imperial Guards stepped forward, clearly angry. "I cannot defend you right now. You have killed a man under Imperial decree..." Skymender stopped her right there. He reached into his back pocket again, which made everyone tense up. Then, he pulled out a badge. He threw it on the ground. "Any further questions?" Skybelle looked at it stunned. Nobody else recognized it, but she did. "Pardon Badge." She murmured. "I would like to use this to pardon my crime of killing the detective. As for being Skygod, I am simply not guilty." Though he said this, not a single person truly believed him. "Skymender... Just because the detective is dead does not mean that there is no proof." "What proof is there?" Skymender asked. "Eye witness and records of your scar. That is enough to detain you, and when Skygod does not appear, you will be charged with the crime." "What eye witness? What records? Please show them to me." Everyone felt something strange in his words. Chapter 683: No Proof - 683 Chapter 683 - No Proof - 683 Skybelle spoke. "Besides the Chief of Police, there were two other officers at the scene who witnessed the scar on the Skygod''s hand." "Alright then. They can verify it. Bring them here." Skymender said. Skybelle turned around and looked at the Imperial Guards, who moved out of the house. Skymender waited patiently. He was in no hurry. After around an hour, they brought news. Not only had the Chief of Police been killed, but so had the two officers at the scene. They also brought with them further news. All of the information on the scar had gone missing or been destroyed. This included written descriptions and drawings. Everyone who had seen them was also dead. This was the work of Third Moon. Skymender had made sure that he would destroy any records on him while Violet killed the Chief of Police''s family and Skymender attacked the police department. He had made a mistake in ever showing his scar. He simply had never assumed that his identity would be found out. After all, how crazy would one have to be to suspect a child? Skybelle received the news and looked at Skymender. Her emotions were clearly chaotic. "Skymender. Tell me honestly. Are you the Skygod?" She asked. Skymender shook his head. "The fact that you are even asking me that is ridiculous. You can believe what you want to believe, such as the fact that a child could create an assassination organization. In addition, at the time that Skygod first appeared, I was around 11 years old. But sure, it all makes sense because we both have a scar on our hand, and I was out minding my own business while an attack took place." Hearing Skymender''s words made everyone feel as though it was indeed ridiculous. But the scene of Skymender killing the detective made everyone feel as though it was indeed a possibility that a child had created an assassination organization. Regardless of what they believed, they had no proof. If Skymender was a commoner, then even on suspicion they could arrest him. But like this, all they could do was let him go. The Imperial Guards seemed to internally admit defeat in this endeavor. Skybelle spoke again. "Come to the Imperial Capital so that you can formally use the pardon badge in front of the Emperor. Don''t do anything stupid, or you may get yourself killed." Her last sentence wasn''t a threat, but a warning because she still cared about Skymender. Skymender shook his head. "They wouldn''t kill me even if I was the Skygod." Skybelle did not understand, but she did not need to. In the entire Sky Barony, including his mother, father, Baron Sky, and his sister, he was the one that the Imperial Scholar valued the most. As such, it was unlikely he would be killed unless he truly committed treason against the Empire. Killing a detective was nothing near treason. Neither was being an assassin. He would be fine. Skymender made his way to the Imperial Capital, the Imperial Guards following him the entire way. The pardon badge had not been officially used, as only the Emperor could approve its use. But upon unofficially using it, the person was temporarily cleared from any sort of punishment for anything they had done. The usual ten day trip passed by quickly. It was in complete silence that they arrived at the Imperial Capital. Without a single word, he was taken to the Imperial Palace. He was brought before the throne room. The doors opened, and Skymender, along with Skybelle, entered the room. The Imperial Guards dispersed elsewhere. As they entered, the door closed. Inside the room was the Emperor, the Imperial Scholar, Sword Master Shang, Skymender''s sister, and Skymender. Skybelle began to speak. She explained everything that had happened, before explaining how Skymender used his pardon badge. The Emperor nodded at the end. "I see." "So, your Imperial Majesty, what say you?" Skybelle asked. The Emperor tilted his head for a moment. "Oh right. Of course Skymender''s pardon badge can take effect. You are hereby pardoned." "Thank you." Skymender said with a slight bow. His sister looked at him. "You must kneel before the Emperor." Skymender had nearly forgotten that it was customary to kneel. After all, he had been here a lot and had often forgotten to. Just as he was about to, the Emperor waved his hand. "Skymender doesn''t have to kneel. It''s fine." Skybelle was confused. Not only was Skymender not punished for his crimes, and had gotten away with most likely being Skygod, but now the Emperor was saying he didn''t have to kneel. She suddenly realized that she didn''t understand her brother at all. "Skybelle." Sword Master Shang said. Skybelle''s head turned, instantly paying attention. "Try not to be such a stickler for the law. He''s your brother. You can give him some favor." Skybelle was even more shocked. She knew her master well. He wouldn''t say that normally. It seemed that Skymender was even in her master''s good graces. She looked at the Imperial Scholar, wondering if he would also say anything. The Imperial Scholar, who had his pinky finger in his ear, saw her looking at him out of the corner of his eye. "Huh? What''s happening?" Skybelle felt as if the upper echelon of the Empire had to be a joke. She turned around and left the room. The Imperial Scholar awkwardly looked around, wondering what he had done. He was definitely more relaxed than when Skymender first met him. Perhaps it was age, and the possibility of finding a successor. "So." The Emperor said. Skymender paid attention. "Are you really that Skygod guy?" The Imperial Scholar paid attention to this, as did Sword Master Shang. "Of course." Skymender said. The Imperial Scholar nodded. "I had guessed so. Who else would be so proficient in poison?" There was no need to hide anything from these bunch of old fellows. Skymender felt a sort of warmth from them, as if they viewed him as a future member of the Empire, a true member. It was as if they knew that he would be the one to carry their legacy, the legacy of the Empire. Chapter 684: Last Year - 684 Chapter 684 - Last Year - 684 The main reason why Skymender didn''t bother to lie was because he knew that if they wanted to find out, they would be able to. It wouldn''t be difficult, especially if all they wanted to know was whether or not he was the Skygod. Just watching him would suffice. Either he would slip up and show that he is Skygod, or the Skygod would suddenly stop taking action while Skymender was being watched, which was enough proof. Regardless, he had another pardon badge. The Emperor spoke. "As long as you don''t kill a noble or anything, you''re good to continue. I''ll just act as though I never heard you." Skymender nodded, thanking him. "Alright, you can go." Skymender left the throne room, and began to travel back to the Sky Barony. As he did so, Sword Master Shang turned to the Emperor. "Is it time?" The Emperor nodded solemnly. "Just about. Are you sure you don''t want to bring Skymender?" Sword Master Shang nodded. "He may be a powerful asset, but he isn''t prepared for the battlefield. Any mistake can lead to death, and his death is something the Empire cannot afford." The Emperor understood. "Don''t die out there." Sword Master Shang turned around and left through an exit. "I could never lose." After ten days, Skymender arrived back at the Sky Barony. He had not seen his sister since she stormed out of the throne room. Skymender sighed. Both of them had grown older, and being away for so long had caused their emotions for each other to grow thin. This was especially so for Skymender, who had been affected by the Deprivation poison. He continued as always, studying. Even though his schooling had been interrupted multiple times recently, he had long surpassed anything they could teach. Without a single word that he could be Skygod, Skymender''s life continued steadily. Soon, summer came. Skymender did not do anything special. He simply studied and assassinated. His pockets had become so deep that he wasn''t even sure how much money he had. All he knew was that the money he used to take from the Sky Barony''s reserves were nothing in comparison to the money he had now. The same went for Western Guardian, Third Moon, and Violet. They had become extremely wealthy, though nobody around them knew it. They kept most of their money in an underground bank. They would most likely never use it, simply passing it on to their children or someone else after they passed away. They kept a low profile, staying in the same houses as always. Skymender had not only changed their lives, but even Sky City in general had been assisted by him. More than half of the people he assassinated were criminals, and that kept the streets cleaner and safer than before. In fact, seeing the rate at which criminals died, most people avoided committing any crimes, no matter the circumstances. This made Sky City one of the safest cities in the entire Empire. That only contributed further to its growth. Skymender returned home. It had been silent for a long time. He was the youngest child, and all of his brothers and sisters had either moved out, whether temporarily or permanently, or stayed in their rooms all day. Skymerge had left to join the Imperial School a while ago. Others had joined the Royal school or left to simply make a life for themselves. Even during the summer, they only occasionally returned. Skymender was the last to leave the house, and he only had a year or so left. As things continued, his last year of school commenced. After this, he could either join the Imperial school, Royal school, some other school, or never join a school again. Naturally, he had long planned to enter the Imperial School. It wasn''t even a question. He would probably be exempt from any test necessary to enter, simply because his intelligence was so high. He wasn''t even excited for the Imperial school. He felt that there was nothing it could possibly teach him. Even the number one graduates of each year may not know as much as him. It would be a formality, but perhaps Charles would be there. If so, then as long as he had also grown, it may be interesting. The last year of school passed by quickly. Skymender turned 14, the age required to enter the Imperial school, though he had to finish the school year. All resistance to his assassination organization was quelled. The police no longer officially worked with him, but he could tell that they occasionally requested tasks. If he wanted to, he could completely take over the underground of Sky city, and perhaps even the entirety of the city itself. That would never be allowed to happen by the Empire, but if they were to, for some reason, not interfere, then he definitely could. Around the start of the new year, his brother called him into his office. He seemed a bit exhausted, but his eyes were as bright as ever. "As you know, my goal is to expand Sky city, and make it even greater than it already is. I cannot do that alone. Therefore, I wanted to ask you to advise me. I know of your intelligence, as you have long surpassed the knowledge of the academy level." Baron Sky said. Though he said this, Skymender understood what he was really asking. He wanted to work with Skymender, or rather, Skygod, to expand the city. "I can help you, brother." Skymender said. Baron Sky nodded. "Though I want to expand the city, it costs a lot of money. I can tax and tax, but at some point, people get dissatisfied. Therefore, I have considered working with the one known as Skygod to tax the underground. Doing so would benefit everyone. What do you think about this idea?" Skymender nodded. "It makes sense. I''m sure as long as you could show proof of what the money would be going towards, this Skygod person would be willing to help tax the underground." Baron Sky nodded. "I will send him a formal letter then. In addition..." Baron Sky began to talk about many ideas for cooperation with the one known as Skygod. Some, Skymender advised he did not go through with, and some he suggested he did. Chapter 685: New Skygod - 685 Chapter 685 - New Skygod - 685 Their meeting ended with Baron Sky drafting a long letter to the Skygod, and sending it to the Informant. Naturally, it would be impossible for him to send it to Skygod himself. Skymender left, satisfied. He hadn''t agreed to anything that wouldn''t benefit him. Of course, it was impossible for everyone to benefit from this. Since both he and Baron Sky benefited, then there had to be at least some people that did not. In this situation, it was everyone in Sky city. For the criminals, they would have to start paying something akin to taxes. For the common people, criminals would most likely get laxer treatment since they were paying taxes. Of course, they would still be arrested if they committed crimes, but leniency in the punishment could be expected. Overall, their agreements would increase the size of Sky city. This naturally benefitted Baron Sky, as Sky city was his, and it also benefited Skymender, as more people meant more assassination targets and more people willing to pay the price. Also, assassination insurance would be purchased more. Sky city seemed to be going in a completely unique direction, one which had never been seen before. With both the light of Sky city and the Darkness working together, unprecedented growth could be achieved. The next day, Skygod received the letter from the Informant and read it. He agreed with everything inside, and a cooperation began. The underground was initially not happy to hear the news that Skymender intentionally spread, but they soon realized that all of this could somewhat benefit them. After all, no matter what, the growth of Sky city benefited everyone living inside of it. Rapid growth ensued. Over the next few months, Sky city expanded greatly. More and more people came to visit, and more and more people came to stay. Rich, wealthy commoners were no longer a rare sight. There would only ever be one noble family, but the amount of commoner families could infinitely grow alongside Sky city. Skymender almost considered getting another assassin, but everything was still manageable with four. After all, assassination was a hefty action taken rarely, and the price made sure that it was not some sort of common action. In addition, many possible targets had purchased assassination insurance. Skymender made more from assassination insurance than he did from actually assassinating others. After all, the fear of being targeted by assassins with nearly a one hundred percent success rate was widespread. Time passed, with Skymender''s profits rapidly increasing, until he finally graduated from the academy. Naturally, he was first in his class, though it felt as though it was unnecessary to mention. Summer came, and it was once again time for Skymender to head to the Imperial Capital. At the end of the summer, he would begin his journey at the Imperial school. He expected that he would be able to easily run through it, but who knows? Perhaps there are some incredible geniuses out there that have hidden away until now. Skymender''s parents watched him leave reluctantly. Though even they were convinced that he was the Skygod, he was still their son. He looked nearly grown now, as he was 14 years old and matured faster than most. His height was already the size of an average adult''s, and muscle made up most of his body. Surprisingly, it wouldn''t show unless he flexed. In his passive state, he seemed fit, but not muscular. This was the look of a future scholar. Also worth mentioning was Melly. Although she was considered a year older than Skymender, it was actually only by a few months. Due to birthday cutoffs, and most likely a few strings being pulled by her parents, she would start her first year at the Imperial school with Skymender. She had never stopped going to the academy, though Skymender seemed to see less of her. He wasn''t sure whether or not he should feel bad, considering she was engaged to him and he had paid nearly no attention to her. He normally wouldn''t feel a thing, but she gave off an air of darkness, as though she was some ignored wife. Thinking back, it had actually been a month or two since they had spoken at all. Skymender left for the Imperial Capital, Melly with him. He did not bring anyone else, even Li Youcai. However, everyone else was under the impression that Li Youcai was going with him. This was because Skymender had a very important task for him. Until Skymender returned, he would become Skygod. Skymender had actually carefully planned this long ago. Li Youcai was not someone that he completely trusted, but it was rather out there that he was Skygod either way. Besides, Li Youcai had never given Skymender a reason to distrust him. It had taken months of training and explanation, but Li Youcai finally took over. His assassins were informed, but nobody else was. Some may pick up on some clues, but most would not know the difference. Li Youcai had actually been very willing, as though it was an honor. He wouldn''t do much assassination, he was just a figurehead. Therefore, only he, Melly, and the carriage driver took this journey. The carriage driver just so happened to be Hope, who Skymender had picked up long ago. She would keep her mouth shut about Li Youcai not being there, though she would not serve as a servant. Melly has also heard about the suspicions of him being Skygod, but had never mentioned them. Skymender did not feel the need to explain anything. As ten days passed, and the city wall neared, Skymender spoke to Melly. "For the next four years, you must stay with me." Hearing this, Melly''s eyes brightened, and seemed to gain clarity. Looking at her eyes, Skymender had a realization. It made a lot of sense now, though it logically made none at all. Melly had not been depressed or felt ignored, but had been in some sort of dormant state. Skymender''s words had awoken her, and for the first time in a while, it felt as though she had returned to her body. Skymender had to reassess her completely. Were her emotions really so deep? Chapter 686: Place To Stay - 686 Chapter 686 - Place To Stay - 686 Even with all of his knowledge, he wasn''t sure what was going on with Melly. He could only chalk it up to her being a bit weird. With Melly completely changed, they arrived at the wall of the Imperial Capital. As soon as Skymender stepped out of the carriage, the gate guards bowed, clearly familiar with him. He did not need to be searched or have his identity checked. This also went for Melly, who was with him. Hope would not enter the Imperial Capital. She turned away, and began another ten day long journey. Skymender knew the place rather well by now, and soon reached the noble district. Long ago, he had expected that he would end up staying with his aunt during his time at the Imperial school, but he would have never guessed the wealth he would amass. Any noble was qualified to purchase a house in the noble district, though as a member of a Barony, he only qualified to purchase those on the outer ring. If it was Baron Sky himself, it would be different, but Skymender was only a noble through blood, not title. If he wanted a title, he would have to accomplish great things for the Empire or inherit one. Skymender''s wealth over the last few years had reached an unprecedented degree. All he had to do was go somewhere to purchase it. This was not a simple process, as it required not only an immense amount of wealth, but approval from the Emperor himself. There was only one place that sold houses in the noble district. It was at the Inner ring, and though Skymender did not qualify to purchase a house there, he was absolutely allowed to go anywhere in the noble district. He made his way to the shop. It was a large building, as some sales were worth more money than even most nobles would make in a year. Skymender entered, and the woman at the front desk, whose job was essentially to stand straight and look pretty, opened her closed eyes. She saw Skymender, who looked rather young, but he could no longer be described as a child, as well as Melly, who followed behind. "Welcome, sir. What can I do for you?" She asked with a bow. "I would like to purchase a property on the outer ring." Skymender said. She nodded. "Please follow me. I can take you to a room, and will notify someone to come and speak to you." Skymender followed her to a room, which was luxurious. She brought him some tea, and he waited with Melly. As they waited, Melly spoke. "You don''t have to limit yourself to the outer ring." She said. Skymender looked at her with confusion for a moment, before realizing what she was saying. "Are you sure? Would your parents mind?" He asked. She shook her head. "They shouldn''t. Besides, as long as I''m living there, it is not lying." Skymender nodded. Naturally, since she was the daughter of a duke, she had the qualifications to purchase a house in the middle ring. If it was her parents themselves, then they would qualify to purchase a house in the inner ring, where only the greatest of nobles stayed. Although a house in the middle ring was far, far more expensive than one in the outer ring, Skymender could afford it, though just barely. He would spend at least half of the wealth he had painstakingly earned through threats, robbery, extortion, and, of course, assassination. After around 20 minutes, an old man entered the room. "I apologize for the delay, news of buyers was unexpected. What can I do for you?" "I want to buy a house in the middle ring." Skymender said. The man looked surprised. "You are Skymender, right. I apologize, but you only have the qualifications to buy a house in the outer ring. This is not something decided by me, but by the Emperor himself." Melly spoke up. "I want him to buy the house using my qualifications." The man looked at her with confusion, clearly not recognizing her. "I''m sorry, but who are you?" She was clearly not old enough to hold a noble title. "I am the daughter of Duke Mel." She said. The man nodded. "I see, Melly, right. I apologize. In that case, let''s look at the houses in the middle ring." He stood up and opened a drawer at the side of the room, pulling out three papers. "Each paper lists the available houses in the three directions, not including the direction behind the Imperial Palace that is used for other things. There are also plots of land, where you can build your own houses." The old man explained. Skymender looked over the three papers, and focused on the direction nearest to the Imperial school. Each listing had multiple pictures, descriptions, and prices. Of the ten or so houses, Skymender focused on two of them. He wouldn''t mind building his own, but he didn''t feel like waiting, and all of the prebuilt noble houses were designed with incredible skill. He also didn''t have enough money to make a house fulfilling all of his desires regardless. "I would like to visit these two. If neither satisfies me, I want to buy this plot of land." Skymender said. The old man nodded, clearly happy. It sounded like Skymender would be spending money no matter what. "No need to wait then, Mr Skymender. Let''s go." Skymender and Melly stood up. They followed the old man out of the building and into a carriage. They lightly chatted while the journey took place. Quickly, they arrived at the first house. It was two stories tall, made mostly of wood, and had three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It also had a living room, and an entrance hall. It was one of the smaller houses, but something too big would cost Skymender far too much, and he didn''t really need any more than this. After looking around, Skymender didn''t like it much. He kept it in mind while they rode the carriage towards the second house. Chapter 687: An Old Friend - 687 Chapter 687 - An Old Friend - 687 Arriving at the second house, Skymender instantly liked it more. It was slightly bigger, but still within the range of a medium sized house, though it was only considered medium sized because it was in the noble district. Skymender entered. At the entrance was a room with coat hangers and some seats, nothing special. Deeper inside, he saw a dining area, a kitchen, and a few rooms. Though this house was only slightly bigger than the last house, Skymender liked its environment more. It had a grey color palette that made it seem calm and simple. After the tour, and after weighing all of his options, he decided. "I would like to buy this house." Skymender said. The old man nodded. "Then let''s go and sign the papers. If we submit them by today, it should be at most two days before the Emperor approves it." Skymender nodded. He and Melly made their way back to the shop. Skymender signed a bunch of things, and since he was using Melly''s status, she had to sign a few things as well. As for the payment, Skymender gave the man the information of his bank in Sky city. It would take nearly a month for the payment to be received, but since he was a noble, there was no worry that he was lying and did not have the amount of money necessary. If he were to do so, he would be in severe trouble, especially since the Emperor would have given his approval by then. They would have to wait two days before the Emperor signed the paper, so they went to the wealthy commoner area and stayed in a luxurious inn. Surprisingly, when they woke up, they received a letter. The Emperor had already approved it. Skymender figured that it was because he knew him. But perhaps the Emperor had just been putting a bunch of effort into his work recently. Skymender made his way to the house. He needed to put in no further effort. He had acquired the house, and as long as the payment went through, he would never have to worry about paying for it again. Of course, there was a property tax, but since he wasn''t 18 his parents would have to worry about that. It was none of his business. Skymender and Melly quickly moved in, as they did not bring a lot with them. Most of what they could want could be bought. Skymender only brought a few valuable poison concocting supplies, as well as some tools such as his cauldrons. With an entire summer ahead, Skymender relaxed, only studying and laying around in his expensive home. He hired a few servants, but they only came in to clean the house or do a few errands. After a month of this, Skymender finally put an end to it. Relaxing was nice, but succeeding was better. He was not stupid enough to ruin his future with relaxation. Skymender ventured out, and as he did so, Melly naturally followed. He made his way to the commoner marketplace, the biggest one in the Imperial Capital. He walked around for a moment, wondering how to announce his return. He could buy a bunch of expensive things, or do something to stand out. Naturally, he already stood out here, but not many people recognized him, only his family name. However, as he turned a corner, he nearly couldn''t believe his eyes. He saw another noble carriage, with what he recognized as the Grayn family noble insignia. Standing near it, at a shop, he saw a grown man with a beard and a body full of strength. Despite the changes, Skymender recognized him as the same boy he had met long ago. Skymender made up his mind and walked towards him. As the man examined the object in his hand, he heard a voice. "Hello noble boy." His entire body uncontrollably shivered, a sense of deja vu coming over him. He looked around. Indeed, this spot was familiar. It was this place... He had not been here for years, but that voice, those words... He turned around, and saw Skymender. Though Skymender had aged, his face was unforgettable. He would never forget the face of the person who had given him his first taste of indignance. However, things were different now. Skymender was a boy, barely a teenager, while he was a grown man, who had trained nearly every day since then. He looked at Skymender, barely controlling his trembling and hiding the fear in his heart. "It''s been a whi..." Before he could finish, Skymender''s figure flashed. The man instinctively braced himself as a foot hit his stomach, knocking him back. He rolled on the ground, ending up face down, with a pulsing stomach. The guards, who had not even slightly expected such a thing, instantly moved. Half checked on the Grayn family noble, while the other half surrounded Skymender. They seemed hesitant to do anything, seeing Skymender''s noble clothing, but the Grayn family noble suddenly raised his body and shouted. "Ah hell naw! I am not doing this shit again! Guards! Kill that motherfu**er!" He screamed, completely ridding himself of any noble dignity. Hearing his words, they stopped hesitating. They swung their swords down. But Skymender was completely different from last time. He dodged to the side, uppercutting a nearby guard, before throwing his body at two others, knocking him over. A guard leaped at him, but he jumped in the air and stomped on his head. He turned around and kicked an oncoming guard in the chest. He stood on top of a knocked out guard as the other guards stopped moving. "I was just saying hi to an old friend. No need to get aggressive." The noble man, clearly having some sort of episode, banged his head on the ground with pure anger fueling him. Eventually, the guards backed away from Skymender, taking care of their lord. Melly gave him an interesting look. She found it hard to believe that he would greet everyone in the Imperial Capital like this. Chapter 688: Business - 688 Chapter 688 - Business - 688 All around, the commoners were staring in shock. This sort of behavior, by a noble to a noble, was completely unimaginable. It was hard to believe that it had even happened, despite it happening right in front of their faces. A few older people in the crowd felt as though they had seen this before, though they couldn''t remember exactly where. Skymender left the market. Now, even if he didn''t personally announce his return, people would still know. A day or so later, a fat man sitting in an office heard the news and jumped up. "Lord Skymender. Have you returned?" He too had grown, and was different than before, though surprisingly not by much. He was currently in the process of undergoing training with his father, who hoped to have him inherit the business at some point. However, their morning exercises seemed to have no effect on his body. In fact, he seemed a bit bigger than before. His father didn''t even call him by his name. When he walked, he was called an earthquake. When he ran, his father called him a train. When he sat, his father acted as though a meteor had struck the earth. When he simply existed, he was still called Fatty. Regardless, he was excited to hear that Skymender was back. Back then, he had been scared and timid, but after so long, he looked back on then as if it was his glory days, and he would never experience another. Elsewhere, Duchess Vass told her daughter the news. She too was excited to hear about Skymender''s return. Despite so long passing, she had never forgotten about him. She finally admitted to herself that she had fallen in love, and was eagerly waiting to see Skymender again. In another location, the Grayn family simply shook their heads at their son, who was now a grown man. It had been different the last time, as it had been a child beating up a child, but this time, it was a child beating up an adult. They were too ashamed to pursue any sort of action against Skymender. Skymender sat in his room, thinking. He was no longer completely considered a child, and was wondering how he could consolidate his status in the Imperial Capital. He could go the route he had when he was younger, putting someone in danger and saving them, but that seemed as if it would lead to him getting exposed. He could display his abilities, like he had at the noble gathering, but that was a bit away and he did not feel the need to wait. After numerous thoughts, Skymender wanted to create a business. This time, it would have to be legitimate. The Emperor could let him being Skygod slide as it was in Sky city, not even a royal capital, but if he tried in the Imperial Capital, he would instantly be taken down. Regardless, he did not have the confidence to take on a Sword Master at the moment. Even the weakest one could cause a life and death situation. Instead, he would start a legitimate business. As for how he would do that, he knew exactly where to go. He traveled into the wealthy commoner area and found a house he had visited before. Without being stopped, he knocked on the door. The door opened, and a familiar looking large, strong man opened the door. He recognized him. "Mr. Skymender. Are you here for the walking mountain?" Skymender nodded. "Is Fatty here right now?" The man shook his head. "He actually went out looking for you after hearing that you kicked a noble." Skymender thanked him for his time and began a search. He didn''t need to go far. In the same marketplace, he found a fat man, nearly reaching adulthood, walking around. Everyone moved out of the way for him, as anyone that didn''t would be sent to the hospital. His mass had reached an impressive level, even for his size. It was as if his body actually contained a bit of muscle under the fat. Skymender wasn''t sure what to make of him. Skymender turned a corner and stood in front of him. The Fatty didn''t notice him and continued walking. He eventually came so close that it looked as though he would crush Skymender. Skymender''s eyes narrowed in focus as he leaped forward, performing a flying kick. Even using all of his strength, he was only barely able to knock the Fatty down. He was simply too big. The Fatty, now on his back, rolled around in surprise. "What did I hit this time?" Using an advanced technique, he rolled back onto his legs. Looking around, he spotted Skymender, who was breathing heavily. His eyes brightened. "Lord Skymender!" Skymender looked at him with less than happiness. "Screw that. If you want to talk to me again, you better cut off some of that fat. You can''t even see below you." With that, he stormed off. The Fatty was stunned. He had not expected their reunion to conclude so quickly. Taking a look at himself, he was indeed excessively large. In fact, he was literally known as the biggest person in the Imperial Capital, though only horizontally. He sighed. Most of the fat on him was actually excess that he could lose, but had taken pride in it. Seeing Skymender walk off, he decided it was time to return to his peak. He would still be fat, very fat, but he wouldn''t look like a walking pumpkin. Though he wouldn''t be able to see his toes, seeing the ground a few feet ahead would be possible. With determination, he made his way to a nearby training area. Skymender returned to the Fatty''s house. Come to think of it, the Fatty probably couldn''t help him much anyways. His father was much more likely to be useful. The Fatty''s father was surprised to see Skymender again, but welcomed him inside. Skymender explained his idea of starting a business. Finally, Fatty''s father spoke. "Well first off, what are you going to sell?" Chapter 689: Cooking - 689 Chapter 689 - Cooking - 689 Skymender responded quickly. "I''m not quite sure. Hopefully, I can decide after we talk." The Fatty''s father nodded. "Alright. Well let me help you decide then. First, would you rather sell a product commonly, or to the few with vast wealth? If you choose the first, you can, for example, gain a gold from ten thousand people. If you choose the second, you can, for example, gain 1000 gold from ten people." Skymender thought. "Preferably a common product that can be bought by anyone, though perhaps a better version for the wealthy." The Fatty''s father nodded. "That is where most people''s thoughts go, but 99% of the time, they can only choose one of the two. It seems like between them, you would rather have ten thousand people give one gold." Skymender affirmed his conjecture. "Then what are you good at? Food, cleaning, managing? What you are good at will decide what category of product you should sell, even if just at the start." Skymender thought for a while. His first thoughts naturally went to assassination and poison, but he quickly shut those down. Instead, his mind moved towards other skills. He was well versed in just about every type of knowledge available in the Empire, which covered most of what was in the world. However, most of his knowledge was in the area of materials. Naturally, this went with poisons but it could also go with other things. Plant materials were a big part of poisons, and he had studied those deeper than most. Skymender finally had an answer. "I think I want to create a restaurant." He said. The Fatty''s father nodded. "I can''t say I have any knowledge in that industry, but in terms of business itself, I can no doubt help you. Now, I hate to bring this up, but helping you would take time out of my busy schedule." Skymender waved his hand, stopping him. "Naturally, you will be compensated. Money is not a problem." The Fatty''s father nodded. They could discuss exact amounts later. "When you have a product, come back to me and we can start. If you are going to open up a restaurant, three or more products is the minimum to start with." Skymender nodded. Thanking the Fatty''s father, he left. The conversation had lasted a while, and when he left, he saw the Fatty at the door. He was covered in sweat and struggling to walk, but he seemed an inch skinnier. Skymender was astonished. The Fatty nodded his head at him, too tired to speak, and entered the door. Skymender realized why the door was so big. Otherwise, the Fatty would never get through. Skymender shook his head and left. There was definitely something wrong with the Fatty''s body, but it was none of his business. Skymender began to research in his house''s kitchen, combining different plants and meats to make foods. His knowledge on how plants related to cooking was low, but it quickly increased. Perhaps due to his already vast knowledge of plants, he progressed extremely quickly. It took him three days to create his first dish. He had to admit that making poison was far, far harder. Skymender''s dish used steak and a few seasonings and sauces to create a unique, slightly spicy taste. Melly was his taste tester, and she clearly enjoyed it. Skymender kept the recipe with him, though he had naturally memorized it, and continued his study. After another three days, he created another dish, this one using chicken. It was equally good. Another three days, another three days, another three days. Soon, Skymender had five dishes, essentially unique. His cooking skill was mediocre, though his fire control was great. He had thrown in some poison concocting techniques while cooking, bumping up the taste of his food. Most importantly, he was able to make great combinations of plants, spices, seasonings, and sauces to create five incredible dishes. If his cooking skill was better, it would be even greater. He made his way to the Fatty''s house. He knocked on his door, and the Fatty''s father greeted him. "Back already? Have you changed your mind?" He asked. Skymender shook his head. "I''ve already created five dishes." The Fatty''s father looked surprised, and deep inside was some suspicion. "Are they unique and good tasting?" Skymender nodded. "Alright then, let''s make you a restaurant." He invited Skymender inside, who accepted his invitation. The Fatty''s father pulled out some paper and handed Skymender a writing utensil. "Go ahead and draw what you think up." Skymender nodded and brainstormed. Naturally, this would be going in the commoner district. It would be a hundred times cheaper to build there than in the noble district, and a hundred times was a conservative estimate. Skymender began to draw. Eventually, he had a three story building in front of him. The first level was large, big enough to accommodate at least 50 tables. The second floor was big enough to accommodate ten, assuming they were spread out. The top floor was big enough to hold three tables, and they would be spread far apart, giving privacy to each guest. It was not utterly huge, but it was around four times the size of an average shop around the commoner district, and that was not including the higher floors. Considering he was a noble, it was by no means ridiculous, and by far not the biggest building in the commoner district. The Fatty''s father nodded. "I see the vision. Do you have the money to build it?" "I do." Skymender said. "Good. Then let''s decide a location and contact some construction workers. With a good crew, it should take a month to build, assuming you pay well." Skymender nodded. As a noble, they would charge less and work harder. He eventually chose a rather expensive plot of land at a frequently visited area. It was near one of the major commoner marketplaces, though not exactly in that area. With the help of the Fatty''s father, a representative of a construction company came and met Skymender a few hours later. Chapter 690: Opening - 690 Chapter 690 - Opening - 690 The representative was extremely respectful to Skymender as he spoke. He had never even spoken to a noble before. They came to a reasonable agreement, in which they would get paid a bit extra for completing the project in a month. Naturally, the representative didn''t dare to charge too much, barely making a profit after all of the expenses. But simply working with a noble would bolster their reputation and bring in more clients. Overall, it was a great business decision. Skymender had nothing to do but wait. His studies naturally continued. His return spread to the ears of other nobles, allowing his past actions to be remembered by many. Time passed as Skymender lived a steady and unassuming life in the Imperial Capital. Meanwhile, in Sky city, Li Youcai was facing his own changes. Taking over the role of Skygod was by no means something simple. The vast majority of people would be unable to succeed under any circumstances. Li Youcai''s focus was on not making too much contact, keeping things going steadily. He could continue to make money through assassinations and assassination insurance, but only so long as the Skygod remained intimidating. Occasionally, he would make a public appearance dressed like Skymender used to, or he would do an assassination, which consisted of him simply throwing a poison or two. Nothing was too difficult for him. The informant seemed to have picked up on something, but it would remain nothing more than a suspicion as long as Li Youcai continued in this manner. A month passed, and Skymener finally received news that his restaurant had been built and approved. He went to visit it the day it was completed. From afar, it was grand. There were few buildings as big as it around. He entered it, and the atmosphere was nice. Despite it being summer, it felt cool inside. Skymender visited all three floors, as well as the kitchen areas and all of the other preparation rooms. He soon left. Next, he needed to hire people. No matter what, running an entire restaurant by himself, especially one this big, was impossible. With the guidance of the Fatty''s father, Skymender was able to find a company that helped hire skilled workers in all categories. Skymender told them what he needed, and they presented a bunch of options to him. Skymender took service workers, cooks, and managers. The cook''s would be able to make the food better, and he would provide the seasonings, spices, and sauces as what they were made of was considered top secret. Skymender paid special attention to the cooks. He looked into high quality chefs, his mind even drifting to Chef Master Garb, but they were either already hired by high end restaurants, rich individuals, or far too expensive to keep permanently. He had to settle for those considered above common cooks, with the title of chef, but who were below true experts. Regardless, this was just a starting point. If he needed to do so, things could be changed later. The hired service people did not need to be trained. Even managers would be able to figure things out on their own. The only people Skymender needed to worry about were the chefs. There were five chefs in total. Three would be on the bottom level, one on the middle level, and the last on top. Naturally, the higher up a chef was positioned, the better they were. Skymender''s plan for the restaurant was simple. The bottom level would be for even the most average of commoners. It could be active constantly, morning or evening, and make money without end. The middle levels would be for those wealthy commoners, or even just some above average commoners that saved up a bit of money. The highest level would be for the richest of the rich. Only nobles or extremely wealthy commoners would be able to eat there. Of course, though one chef was stationed at the top level, he would only cook when a top level customer actually arrived. Otherwise, he would help out around the lower and middle levels, depending on who needed it. The dishes would be the same on every level, the only difference being who cooks it. Naturally, that could not be the case for long. Skymender had already begun to work on more expensive and exclusive dishes. He was really going out on a limb with the restaurant, and he had no idea if it would even end up working. It wasn''t much of a risk regardless. Skymender spent a few days showing the chefs the recipes, and one day stocking the restaurant, before finally opening. Their opening garnered great attention from all around. After all, it was widely known that the one opening it was a noble, though not many knew his name. Yet the title of noble was enough, and many came to check it out. Upon understanding the restaurant''s situation, many came in and ate, though the vast majority stayed on the first floor. They only had a few customers that qualified to sit on the second floor. While the dishes they were served were the same, the food tasted better overall. This was the opening regardless, and not many formed strong opinions towards it. The first day was a great success, and the profits were incredible, for a normal person at least. Some of it went to the workers and maintenance, while Skymender received the rest. It definitely wasn''t a lot, but it was a profit. At this rate, he would make back everything he spent on the restaurant within a year. His goal was never the profits. Not mainly, at least. Instead, he needed to establish himself within the Imperial Capital, and this was how he would do so. Setting everything up was just step one. Next, he would expand and expand, taking over many restaurants and making chains across the Imperial Capital. Of course, this was just a plan, and he hadn''t even fully finished the first step. However, if everything went his way, this is how his next few years would go. Chapter 691: Meeting Family - 691 Chapter 691 - Meeting Family - 691 Skymender spent the next week running his restaurant and creating new recipes. He focused on the more expensive side of things this time, so that he would have something of a higher quality for those on the higher floors. It was difficult to do so, considering his lack of studying on foods, but after a week, he was able to do so. It was something akin to two burritos with queso cheese on them, but with slightly different cooking methods and some spices. The queso cheese was also slightly altered, making it taste like a completely different dish than its basic variety. He displayed this on the middle and top floors, though he had yet to receive a customer of sufficient status to sit on the top, the next day. Those on the middle floor, noticing the new item and its slightly higher price than the other dishes, tried it. Each and every one enjoyed its taste. After a few more days, popularity died down as it was no longer a brand new restaurant. There was nothing that could really be done about this, unless his food was the absolute greatest from the start. A few days later, the Fatty''s father visited. Naturally, he was qualified to sit on the top floor. After all, he was within the top five richest commoners in the Imperial Capital. When people saw him entering, they were all surprised. Nobody did not know about the Fugui chamber of commerce, which controlled a large portion of the Imperial Capital''s total wealth. They even had some smaller branches in royal capitals. As he reached the top floor, Skymender came out from the kitchen and greeted him. The Fatty''s father bowed and took a seat. Skymender sat across from him. "How has business been?" He asked Skymender. "It''s been going well, though I''m still getting used to everything and expansion is temporarily off the table." The Fatty''s father nodded. "That''s usual. Most people take a year or so to get settled in before considering expanding or opening branches." "Speaking of branches, have you heard about the expansion of Sky city?" Skymender asked. The Fatty''s father nodded. "I''ve heard a bit. From what I know, it has been going well." "Have you considered opening up a branch of the Fugui comber of commerce there?" The Fatty''s father shook his head. "I try to only open a chamber of commerce in areas where money flows often. In addition to that, it would be difficult to establish my chamber of commerce as a giant in such a place. I''ve heard rumors that underground happenings are quite big over there." Skymender understood his concerns. They were reasonable. After all, Sky city was still much smaller than even a royal city, and there were plenty of non-Imperial and non-royal cities that were better than Sky city. Yet none of them had a Fugui chamber of commerce. "I won''t bother you too much. Just know, if you ever consider it, I can assure you that you will be able to smoothly integrate. We could use you, as your chamber of commerce''s presence alone would boost the economy." The Fatty''s father nodded his head. "Thanks for the offer. I will consider it." Skymender stood up and left, allowing the Fatty''s father to enjoy the rest of his meal in peace. As for what would happen in the end, it would be up to the Fatty''s father. A few more days passed, and everything had been going smoothly. A noble gathering would begin soon, where Skymender could make an appearance in an official capacity. Before that, however, he needed to go and meet his Aunt Skyless, who he had yet to see. It was pretty rude of him to not have come by now, and he decided that he might as well while since he had some free time. Skymender arrived with Melly, and knocked on the door. Aunt Skyless did not answer the door, but one of Skymender''s cousins did. Previously a small child, she had grown up to be nearly an adult woman. She was surprised to see Skymender. She welcomed him in, a complete change of how he was treated back when he first came to the Imperial Capital. Back then, he had been new and had not understood a thing about nobility. Now, however, his status was, in some areas, even greater than his Aunt''s. In addition, though her house was nicer than his, it was only in the outer area of the noble district. Since it had been built by a Baron Sky of the past, it could have been in the inner area, but for some reason, it had not been. After all, for a direct holder of any noble title, it was possible to build wherever in the Imperial Capital they wanted. This was true even for the lowest level of nobility, known as Barons. Skymender entered, Melly following behind. Soon, Aunt Skyless arrived. She spoke with a smile. "Welcome, Skymender. I was wondering when you would come and say hello." Skymender gave her a smile back. "Hello, Aunt. Sorry, I had some things to do before coming, but at least I''m here now." She nodded her head. "I understand. You are no longer a small child, and your decisions are your own. Just make sure you don''t forget about your family." "Of course." Skymender responded. He stayed for a while, catching up, and Aunt Skyless invited him to stay for dinner. "I don''t know if you''ve heard, but I recently opened up a restaurant. If you want, we could eat there." Skymender said. Aunt Skyless was surprised. "I had heard of such a thing, but I was unaware that the noble who had opened it was you. Of course we can eat there. I''m curious to see what kept my nephew away from his aunt for so long." Skymender, Melly, Aunt Skyless, and her three children rode a carriage to his restaurant, instantly drawing the attention of many. Openly, they made their way into the restaurant and onto the top floor. Chapter 692: Noble Gathering 2 - 692 Chapter 692 - Noble Gathering 2 - 692 Arriving openly would naturally spread the word of the fact that nobles were eating there, which would increase the popularity and general interest in the restaurant. His Aunt understood this, and they had a sort of unspoken agreement by eating there. Skymender led them to the top floor, where he had his best chef prepare them food. To say it was worthy of a noble eating it would not be completely correct, but it was by no means bad food. Nobody had any complaints, at least. After all, it was still high quality food. After eating, Skymender and Melly returned to Aunt Skyless''s house, where they talked for a while, before finally leaving and returning to his house. Over the next few days, he continued to try and create a recipe. This time, it was different from the others. He had created recipes for the lower and middle floors, but nothing was quite good enough to stand out for those who ate on the top floor. The top floor was the most important floor. The entire purpose of the restaurant had not been to make money, but to create a reputation. While the bottom two floors, where commoners ate, would not make much of a difference, the top floor would. That was where the wealthiest commoners and nobles would eat, and if the food was exceptional, then it would be remembered. Skymender spent the rest of the time he had leading up to the noble gathering working on a recipe. He did not finish before it started, but he was definitely getting there. With the noble gathering tomorrow, he and Melly got prepared. The next day, around noon, they arrived at the Imperial Palace. Although most people his age would attend with an adult, he and Melly did not. It was not something required. As he entered, everything seemed the same as before. Perhaps there were some different people, and some people were more aged than before, but that was all. Skymender and Melly found a table in the room, sitting down while nobles poured in and began to speak. Skymender didn''t have any interest in socializing with others at the moment. He simply sat down and enjoyed the food, occasionally chatting with Melly. Eventually, his Aunt Skyless and her kids came. They stopped by the table to say hello, but eventually found their own nearby. Time passed, and some people came up to say hello to Skymender. He stood up and greeted them. They would talk for a moment before moving elsewhere. Near the start of the noble gathering, Skymender was approached by two familiar people. It was Duchess Vass, and her daughter Val. Skymender stood up and greeted them. "Hello, Skymender. You''ve grown well." Duchess Vass said with a smile. "Thank you. You haven''t aged a day." Duchess Vass''s smile grew. "Hello, Skymender." Val said. She was clearly nervous, but Skymender acted as though he didn''t notice. "Hello, Val. How are you?" He asked. "I''ve been doing well. I suppose I owe that to you." She said. Skymender chuckled. Val and Melly said hello as well, since they were familiar with each other. Although he acted as though he didn''t notice, Skymender could see competition in Val''s eyes. Skymender just inwardly shook his head. She was destined to be disappointed. Eventually, they went off on their own, though Val seemed reluctant. Not long after, the noble gathering began. The Royal families of the four Kingdoms arrived one after the other, their entrances grand. Finally, the Imperial family arrived. Same as before, the four Royal families and the Imperial family sat in a different area than the other tables. Sword Master Shang stood behind the Emperor, while the Imperial Scholar stood a bit to the side, looking around calmly. The noble gathering officially began. As before, many people got up and approached the tables of the four Royal families and the Imperial family. Skymender also moved in that direction, but not towards any of the families. Instead, he walked towards the Imperial Scholar. Although he was one of the most well known people in the Empire, nobody was around him. At most, people looked at him from afar. He gave off an air of not wanting to be approached, as well as an air of superiority that came from his intelligence. However, Skymender ignored it. Although he knew that the Imperial Scholar was still in a different league than him, it was only because of age. If they had lived the same amount of years, Skymender believed that he would, at the very least, be his equal, if not better. Skymender arrived next to the Imperial Scholar, who noticed him. "What do you want?" He asked. "That''s a rude way to greet someone." Skymender said. The Imperial Scholar barely glanced at him. "I''m always in a bad mood during these stupid things. I understand why I should be here for the intelligence test, but is it really necessary for me to stand here the entire time?" "You could also speak to people." Skymender said. "I''ve done more than enough speaking in my time before becoming the Imperial Scholar. I''m old, and I should at least be given the respect of not having to deal with people." Although the Imperial Scholar seemed to be speaking harshly to Skymender, people who watched them were surprised, even shocked at the way that the Imperial Scholar was acting. Usually, he would give disdainful stares and speak with a sharpness that drove anyone who approached away. Even nobles, those who commoners viewed as unapproachable beings, avoided talking to him. However, when talking to Skymender, he merely seemed irritated, and it wasn''t even directed towards him. Among those who noticed this was a person of nearly the highest status in the Empire. She was one of the Imperial Princesses, the youngest. She also happened to be fourteen years old, and would soon be attending the Imperial School. She expected to be number one in her class. It wasn''t just her who expected this, but most people around her. Within the Imperial family, only her father seemed to not believe in her for some reason. As she saw Skymender talking to the Imperial Scholar, she narrowed her eyes. Chapter 693: Beating Up a Child Prodigy - 693 Chapter 693 - Beating Up a Child Prodigy - 693 Although she narrowed her eyes at the sight, that was the extent of it. This was an extremely important event, and she did not dare to act out. Skymender and the Imperial Scholar continued to speak, Melly standing not far off to the side, behind Skymender. They spoke until an announcement was made. It was time for the first of the three events. Everyone under the age of eighteen could participate in these events. The second event was an exception, where anyone could participate regardless of age, but there were different age groups. The first of the events was a sword fighting event. Technically, it was a showcasing of technique, but over time, it had become more of a sword fighting event than anything else. As the Emperor announced the start, a few people jumped up at the chance. As usual, the first to go were the younger ones, mostly younger than ten. After they showcased themselves, it was time for everyone else, the true experts under the age of eighteen. Last time, Skymender had put on a show as a member of the younger children. Now, however, he was fourteen, and had no excuse with his age. A few people went up, their battles showcasing a great amount of skill. Noticeably was a 12 year old child. She defeated everyone she went up against. Skymender saw the potential of a Sword Master within her, much like that which had been seen in his sister long ago. Regardless of whether her opponent was similar in age, or nearly an adult, she won gracefully. The Imperial Scholar looked at him. "Are you not going to go up?" Skymender thought about it, before stepping up. Though he was not someone who practiced the sword very often, he had never neglected it. Walking up, he did not draw too much attention. Only a few pointed out that he was basically the winner of the last Noble Gathering, as he had showcased himself in the first event and won the third. Skymender grabbed a wooden sword from a rack, equally proportionate with his body to the one he had grabbed long ago. He walked on stage, and his eyes focused on the girl. In the crowd of people, near a corner, his sister stood, watching. She had just so happened to be free at this time, and hearing Skymender would be attending, came to watch. She looked at her brother with the same love from long ago, though her eyes were complicated due to the matter of the Skygod. The girl, seeing Skymender, focused as well. She could sense a threat from him. "How old are you?" She asked. "Fourteen." Skymender responded, though he never stopped walking forward. Although he was fourteen, he was about as tall as an eighteen year old. That, combined with his steady walk and his stance, made a pressure weigh on the girl''s heart. She had never felt such a way about someone so close in age to her. Although Skymender was the one walking, she made the first move. She shot forward quickly, slashing at Skymender. Skymender jumped forward and met her sword. In just a few seconds, ten exchanges had been made. Skymender''s strength and experience were greater, but this girl had been training in the sword for a long time. Her overall technique was slightly better. However, to the viewers, their fight was more or less equal. It was a vast discrepancy from the other fights, where she had quickly demolished her opponent. As they fought, a few moves appeared that pushed the girl back. She stumbled, doing her best to regain momentum. She didn''t feel like she was fighting a child, but a veteran that had fought many battles. Yet somehow, she had never even heard of the person before her. Did he not reach the threshold to be a Potential Sword Master? Her inwardly asked questions were valid. Skymender actually probably did have the battle prowess to be considered a Potential Sword Master, but that title was made of much more than just battle prowess. With her smaller frame, she regained her footing and pushed back. Somehow, though, Skymender was even quicker than her. If this hadn''t been a battle of swordsmanship, Skymender could win rather quickly. A single well timed sweeping kick would defeat her. However, this was not about who could win in a fight, but who was a better swordsman. Eventually, both of them were pushed back to the edge of the arena. The girl was panting, but Skymender''s breathing was steady. "One move." Skymender said. The girl gritted her teeth as she shot forward. She moved elegantly and unpredictably. But Skymender was, after all, Skymender. He raised his sword high and slashed it down in a pure, basic vertical slash. The girl, seeing it heading for her head, held the sword to block, but Skymender''s pure strength pushed her to the ground and disarmed her. She had been defeated. Everyone was surprised, as everyone knew her reputation. Meanwhile, Skymender was barely remembered. If it had been a year or so after his first Noble Gathering, it would have been one thing, but it was multiple years later. He had slowly faded away from the minds of many. He fought a few more battles with those that wanted to try their luck or test themselves, but they were all defeated quickly. Skymender had won the first competition, that of technique. He walked over to the Imperial Scholar, who didn''t show any sign of being impressed. They continued their conversation from before, but after a minute or so, a group of kids surrounded them. To call them kids would actually be somewhat incorrect. The oldest among them was in their teens, while the youngest was around eleven, maybe twelve. They all looked up to Skymender. These kids were the ones from the last Noble Gathering who, after putting on something akin to a play, had admired him and started asking him questions. Now, this was happening once again, just a few years later, as they all remembered Skymender, especially after his fight against the girl. Chapter 694: L - 694 Chapter 694 - L - 694 In order to not bother the Imperial Scholar, Skymender moved away, bringing the crowd with him. He sat at a table, and they surrounded him, asking a bunch of questions. It wasn''t simply because of the last fight that they admired him, but also because of the events that took place a few years before. They continued to crowd around him until the second event was announced. As before, Sword Master Gargantuan stepped out. He explained the strength testing event, and described the age groups. One would be for those under eighteen, such as Skymender. The second would be for those between the age of eighteen and forty. The final one would be for those older than forty. Usually, the second group had the best overall results. Unlike the last time he attended the Noble Gathering, Skymender decided to participate in the strength event. With his stature, everyone seemed surprised when he walked up to the transformed stage. Only the girl he had fought didn''t seem to think he was overestimating himself. He had only used his full strength in that last strike, and she knew how strong he really was. Or at least she thought that he had been using his full strength. Along with Skymender were a few bigger people, some fat, some tall, and some muscular. Sword Master Gargantuan had servants lay out weights that got heavier and heavier. In the end, he himself had to pick up the last few weights and move them, as the combined strength of five servants was not enough. "Whoever among you wants to go first, go ahead." Sword Master Gargantuan said, his body towering over everything on the stage. A fat person went first, likely around seventeen years old. He picked up the first few weights without any difficulty, as even a normal person wouldn''t struggle. There were twenty weights in total. As he got to the tenth weight, he struggled intensely. Using every ounce of strength in his body, he succeeded in picking up the tenth weight. He stopped there, not needing to even test the eleventh weight. Next, a tall muscular man went forward. He too seemed around seventeen. In fact, Skymender seemed to be the youngest person on the stage. The second youngest was fifteen years old. He made it to the twelfth weight before giving up. After a few more people, Skymender was the only person who hadn''t stepped forward. There weren''t many people on the stage, and not even thirty minutes had passed. Sword Master Gargantuan looked at him. "Go ahead." Skymender nodded and walked forward, analyzing Sword Master Gargantuan. He was truly a monster among humans. Skymender estimated that the swipe of his hand would be enough to crush Skymender''s body. If he was anything less than a rank one Sword Master, Skymender would be surprised. Skymender made it to the first weight, and effortlessly picked it up. Nobody was surprised until he made it to the tenth weight and lifted it up effortlessly. He wasn''t the first person to do it with ease, but the stature of his body made his achievement shocking. The highest so far was a muscular person who had lifted the sixteenth weight, and had nearly lifted the seventeenth. Despite that, Sword Master Gargantuan had yet to seem impressed. Skymender lifted up the eleventh and the twelfth, shocking everyone watching. Even Sword Master Gargantuan paid attention. After all, his stature was that of a scholar. He lifted up the thirteenth, and had to put some effort in at the 14th. The Imperial Scholar watched with a victorious look on his face. After all, it was he who had designed Skymender''s chest, and that was the reason he was going so far. Skymender lifted the fifteenth and the sixteenth, tying himself with first place. The entire room was silent as people watched with shock and surprise. Even the Imperial and Royal families were impressed by what they were seeing. Whether it was sword fighting or intelligence, neither was as shocking as seeing someone of a small stature pick up something so heavy that someone of a much bigger stature had failed to pick up. And Skymender was that shocking person. One more, and he would be the victor. Skymender stepped forward, and with a bit of effort, picked up the seventeenth weight. However, he did not stop there. He picked up the eighteenth weight and moved to the nineteenth. Unfortunately, he failed there. The nineteenth weight was far too heavy for him to pick up. However, not a single person in the room was unimpressed. In fact, only one person was not shocked, and that was the Imperial Scholar, who knew exactly what Skymender was capable of. As he stood up and stepped away from the weight, clapping filled the room. It was rare for a round of applause to occur, but it did due to Skymender''s actions. Even Sword Master Gargantuan gave a nod of approval before speaking. "Incredible. For a noble to pick up the eighteenth weight, and with such a stature, is something I''ve never seen before. Throughout all of the Noble Gatherings in history, you are tied for first in the youth strength test." Of course, this was only because Sword Master Gargantuan was not a noble and had never participated. Skymender thanked him and stepped off of the stage. A few more rounds for different ages started, and quickly finished up. With this, the second event was over. All that remained was the third event, the test of intelligence. So far, Skymender had won both the first and second event, something which very few had ever accomplished. He next aimed to win the third, which would be a first in the Empire''s history. After a brief intermission period, where Skymender had to deal with even more people that began to admire him, the third event began. The Imperial Scholar stepped forward and began to speak. Meanwhile servants changed the stage and made it larger, bringing in papers, chairs, desks, and writing utensils. "Next will be the intelligence test." The Imperial Scholar said. "All who wish to participate, come now." Skymender stepped forward, along with a bunch of other people, including the twelve year old child prodigy. Surprisingly, even the Emperor''s daughter stepped forward. Chapter 695: New Record - 695 Chapter 695 - New Record - 695 Although there were no rules against members of the Imperial and Royal families competing in the competitions, it was rarely seen. As for those who did participate, the vast majority did so during the third test, the intelligence test. Compared to the last two tests, Skymender was even more relaxed. Of course, he had never been worried or concerned about the possibility of losing during the first two tests, but the possibility of him failing in the third test was genuinely zero. Even if all of the greatest geniuses from the Empire''s history were to compete against him, he was confident that, at the same age, he would not lose. After all, how many could start from an age as young as he had? Skymender found a seat on stage, as did many others. The Imperial Scholar explained the test, and handed out papers. From front to back, it got more advanced as one went on. Skymender did not bother to even look around at the competition, sitting in his chair relaxed. However, the girl who he had beat up from before, as well as the Imperial princess, were looking at him. The Imperial princess, in particular, seemed to have it out for Skymender. She mumbled under her breath. "Daring to stand near the Imperial Scholar. I''ll see if you are qualified." After speaking a bit more, the Imperial Scholar finally declared the beginning of the test. As soon as he saw the first question, he began to write without stopping. For the next few minutes, his pencil could be constantly heard, with the occasional flipping of a page interrupting it. The people watching the intelligence test were stunned. Even those around him were distracted. After all, it was known that he had been the first place winner before, though only because it was his first time and what was being tested was more his talent than his knowledge. In addition, it was also because he was under the age limit for being tested for talent. Otherwise, even 17 year olds participating for the first time would be tested on talent. The second time was always different, but the way he was acting confused everyone. His behavior continued constantly, until he reached the last page, finished writing, and closed the book. His actions surprised everyone. Completing the test was something unheard of. It was not meant to be completed, but for someone to do as much as possible in the time given. After a few more minutes, the Imperial Scholar waved his hand and ordered the end of the test. Everything was collected up, and the Imperial Scholar, along with numerous other scholars, went back to grade tests. Skymender recognized a few of them, as he had seen them at the Imperial Scholar camp. With the intelligence test finished, and the stage dismantled, Skymender found a seat and relaxed with Melly. Unlike before, children did not come up to him, but he did receive a bunch of visitors. Nobles, from barons to dukes, made their way over and greeted him. He respectfully greeted them back and exchanged a few words. All of it was common courtesy. As time passed, everything settled down. People began to get food and talk in smaller groups. Skymender remained with Melly, eating, when the Imperial Scholar came out. "All of the tests have been graded, and it is now time to announce the results." Skymender stopped eating and leaned back in his chair. He already knew the results. The Imperial Scholar began to list names from tenth place and up. At 7th place was the 12 year old that had the potential to end up being a potential Sword Master. Finally, he got to the top two. "In second place is the Imperial Princess." He said. Applause sounded out. The Imperial Princess frowned, though she quickly wiped it off of her face. "Finally, in first place, and for the first time in the history of the Noble Gathering, is Skymender with a perfect score." There was no applause. Everyone felt as if they had heard wrong. Even the children who were attending and did not understand much were shocked. There had never been a thing such as a perfect score in the Noble Gathering. The Imperial Princess''s frown was replaced with shock. It was one thing to lose, but for first place to have a perfect score... Not everyone completely understood how impressive it was, despite the fact that nobody had ever done it before. To compare, she had completed less than half of the test, and at least 10% of her answers were surely wrong. If she tried to answer the questions on the last page, she would be lucky to get a single one right. That was the difference between her and Skymender, which she had never expected. Even the Emperor was shocked, despite knowing of Skymender''s talent. However, his shock quickly turned into a smile of expectance. After a few moments of shock, applause did occur, and it was thunderous. It eventually died down. "All ten of you are to report to the throne room." The Imperial Scholar said. He, the Emperor, and Sword Master Shang left the room. Following behind them were the ten winners of the intelligence test. As for the other two winners of the strength test, they would be rewarded in a different way, at a different time. Skymender found himself in the throne room, in a familiar position. As the Emperor called out names and gave rewards, he eventually found that only he and the Imperial Princess remained. It was exactly the same as last time, the only difference being that it was not a member of a royal family, but a member of the Imperial Family. The Emperor looked at his daughter. "Do you see now why I hadn''t agreed with them?" His daughter crossed her arms. "You already knew about him?" "I did. As you heard, his name is Skymender of the Sky Barony. He is one of the two best fits to become the next Imperial Scholar." Chapter 696: Imperial Scholar Skymender - 696 Chapter 696 - Imperial Scholar Skymender - 696 She turned and looked at Skymender for a moment, giving him a look of disdain. Although he had proven to be smarter, stronger, and essentially better than her in everything, she still managed to look down on him because she was a member of the Imperial family. It didn''t matter any to Skymender. She was of no importance, and most likely never would be. Skymender merely glanced at her for a moment before looking back at the Emperor. The Emperor cleared his throat and spoke. "I will give you a reward later, Daughter." She nodded her head before standing to the side. She didn''t have to leave, as she was the Emperor''s daughter. He turned to look at Skymender. "Well done, as expected. Last time, you received a Scholar Ticket. Do you still have that with you?" Skymender nodded and reached into his pocket, pulling it out. He had nearly forgotten about it, but after thinking about the Noble Gathering, remembered to bring it just in case. The Emperor nodded his head. "Good. Since things are different now, I will tell you what the Scholar Ticket is. It represents the qualifications to become the Imperial Scholar. As I told my daughter, there are two people qualified to have that position. One is naturally you, your qualification received due to your talent. The second is someone I believe you are familiar with, Charles. He received the qualifications because of his talent, a photographic memory." The Emperor paused for a moment. He leaned forward a bit, surprising his daughter. She had never seen her father change his posture when addressing someone. "Now for your reward. Skymender, I will ask you right now. Will you become the next Imperial Scholar." His words stunned everyone except for him and the Imperial Scholar. Whether it was Sword Master Shang, his daughter, or Skymender himself, each of them was shocked. Before Skymender could answer, the Emperor continued. "Of course, it is a bit premature, but I want your answer now. Will you take over the mantle, becoming a leader of the next generation''s Empire, and continuing the legacy we have tried so hard to build?" Skymender did not answer immediately, falling deep into thought. He had not really thought about his future too much. He had always put it off, waiting to see until after he graduated from the Imperial school. However, with an offer like this in front of him, he had to truly consider everything. After a few minutes of silence, Skymender asked a question. "As the Imperial Scholar, am I restricted?" Although it seemed rude to ask questions when offered such an honor, Skymender was not some average candidate. The Emperor took this seriously, as if it was a negotiation. "Not really. You will have duties, but what position doesn''t. In the beginning, you will have plenty of freedom, but as you get older, you will most likely begin to settle down and truly mold into the position. Like Fei Luzi, you will be around the Imperial Palace almost always. Of course, that is just how it usually goes. Even if you are eighty, you are free to do just about whatever you want, as long as you are there when the Empire needs you." Skymender nodded. He didn''t need to ask about the pay, as money wasn''t something he was worried about. "However, you will need to either shut down that restaurant or give it to a new owner." Skymender looked at him with confusion. The Emperor explained. "As the Imperial Scholar, your power is vast. As a precaution, it is a rule that all Imperial Scholars must not own any sort of business, only involving themselves in the Empire level interactions, such as when you purchased classified items. Another example would be trading with other Empires." Skymender nodded. It was not ridiculous. With so much power, he could essentially manipulate entire markets for profit. "As for your other business. I wouldn''t recommend you continue with it." The Emperor said. This was referring to his assassination business. Once again, this seemed fair. Although it would cut off a source of income for him, the Imperial Scholar was surely a well paid position. In addition, the things he could get for free would be numerous. Skymender nodded, signaling his agreement. "Besides that, there would more or less be no major changes." Skymender continued to think. Eventually, he gave an answer. "It would be my honor." The Emperor smiled, as did the Imperial Scholar. The Imperial Scholar stepped forward. "It seems that things are settled then. I will spend the last years of my life passing on everything I know to you. After the final Imperial Scholar Camp, or if I am to die before that, you will officially take my position. You are no longer simply Skymender of the Sky Barony. From now on, you are Imperial Scholar Skymender." No announcement would be made for the time being, but eventually, Skymender would ascend to that position. "Thank you." Skymender said. The Emperor smiled, seeming a few years younger. He turned to his daughter. "Go ahead and greet him. In the future, he will be around often." His daughter hesitated, but eventually did as she was told. She clasped her hands and gave a slight bow. "Greetings, Imperial Scholar Skymender." Skymender bowed back in a similar way. "Greetings, Imperial Princess." As he straightened his back, the Imperial Scholar spoke again. "Tomorrow, come back. We will begin your training. There is no need to go to the Imperial School every day. Just go for tests. There''s nothing they can really teach you anyway." Skymender nodded. He bowed deeply towards the Emperor and the Imperial Scholar, before taking his leave. As the doors closed behind him, the Imperial Princess turned towards her father. "Father..." Before she could get another word out, the Emperor waved his hand. "Go on. We have important things to discuss." The Imperial Princess nodded and left the room. Inside the throne room, the Emperor turned towards the Imperial Scholar. "When should we let him in on everything?" The Imperial Scholar shrugged his shoulders. "That''s up to you. As of now, I am essentially retired. If you don''t need me, I''ll be preparing to train my successor." With that, he left. The Emperor gave a final smile, glad to see his old friend feeling motivated again. Chapter 697: The Challenges - 697 Chapter 697 - The Challenges - 697 Skymender left the Imperial Palace, his status completely different than it was moments ago. When he entered, he was the son of the previous Baron Sky, a noble of the lowest level. When he left, he was Imperial Scholar Skymender, someone whose status was above almost all nobles, only subservient to the Emperor himself. Even Kings could no longer disrespect him, as it would mean disrespecting the Empire. By now, the Noble Gathering was over. He returned home, and met Melly in the living room. They relaxed, Skymender thinking things over, until he fell asleep. The next day, he woke up early and made his way to the Imperial Palace. As he arrived at the gates, the guards stood tall and saluted him. "Welcome, Imperial Scholar Skymender." They said in unison as they bowed. Skymender nodded as he walked past them and entered the Imperial Palace. Although the news would not be announced to the public for the time being, the Imperial Palace was a different matter. Most likely, everyone inside was aware, though they would not dare to spread the information without the Emperor''s approval. Skymender walked towards the throne room, and when he was nearly there, he saw the Imperial Scholar. "Let''s go, Skymender." Skymender nodded and followed him. They walked through the halls of the Imperial Palace until they reached a door and entered it. Inside was a large, luxurious room. Bookshelves covered the walls, and papers were neatly arranged. Skymender looked around astonished. This was very clearly the Imperial Scholar''s office. A large window allowed light to shine in the room, illuminating the large desk in the middle. As Skymender looked around, the Imperial Scholar spoke. "I suppose I should start with the most important things. First, as the Imperial Scholar, you will face many challenges that many Imperial Scholars before you did not have to face. I was the first to face these challenges, and you will be the second." The Imperial Scholar said. "What challenges?" Skymender asked. The Imperial Scholar walked over to the side of the room, where something large and rectangular was covered by a white cloth. He pulled it down, revealing a large and aged map. Skymender looked at it. In one section, he saw the name, Faceless Empire. In another, the name, Ancient Empire. This was the largest map he had ever seen, perhaps the largest map in the world. On the top were the words, Terra Continent. "This is the map of everything we know. Surrounding our lands is a vast ocean, most of which is inaccessible. Some Empire''s have been exploring these oceans, but as we are nowhere near one, we are not one of them. The Ancient Empire, on the other hand, is." He pointed his hand towards the easternmost Empire, the Ancient Empire. Near the center of the continent, but a bit east, was the Faceless Empire. A large amount of the continent was simply marked as unknown or unexplored territory. These were called the wilds. The Imperial Scholar pointed to the wilds. "This is where a lot of the things we don''t understand are. There are legends of mythical creatures, such as snakes as large as mountains, and dragons that soar through the skies. As you can see, a part of the wilds border near the Ancient Empire." The wilds were present in nearly every section of the continent, though the most major section was in the Northwest. Another large section was in the Northeast, which bordered the Ancient Empire. "The challenge we face, however, relates to all of this." Saying this, he took a seat, seemingly unsure of how to put what he was going to say next lightly. "The Emperor''s goal is to take over the world. Perhaps there are lands beyond the oceans, just like our Terra Continent, but even those would be within his plans." Skymender was stunned at what he heard. This level of ambition bordered on mere fantasy. The idea of taking over the entire world seemed ridiculous. Seemingly expecting this thought, the Imperial Scholar continued. "I know it sounds outrageous, but I can personally attest that if anyone can do it, it would be the Emperor. Nobody else qualifies to even be considered." The Imperial Scholar seemed to have a firm belief that the Emperor truly could accomplish this. Knowing how intelligent the Imperial Scholar was, Skymender began to think differently. Perhaps it really was something possible. "The Emperor does not know I am telling you this, but I am sure that he would be fine with it. The reason why it was so important to have a fitting successor is because an average Imperial Scholar would be of no help. Luckily, I found you." Skymender nodded. He hadn''t expected to learn so many secrets today. The Imperial Scholar then stood up. "I cannot give you too much information, as it won''t help you regardless, but I can tell you a bit about the situation we are facing." Skymender nodded. "We have started with the number one Empire, the Ancient Empire. Within which are two beings of concern. The Sword Grandmaster that resides there, and the Serpent Master, who only arose recently. Sword Master Shang will be the one to face the Sword Grandmaster, while there has yet to be someone who we believe can face the Serpent Master. I hope that you will be that person." The Imperial Scholar said. Skymender found it surprising. "Why me?" "Because of your studies in poison. I have faith that you can defeat the Serpent Master, especially after seeing the Deprivation poison." He explained. Skymender thought for a moment, before agreeing. "I can''t be one hundred percent sure of anything, but I can do my best." The Imperial Scholar nodded. "Even that is more than good enough. After all, even Sword Master Shang is not one hundred percent confident in winning against the Ancient Empire''s Sword Grandmaster. Luckily, we also have the Emperor." "The Emperor?" Skymender asked. He didn''t understand what he would be able to do. Chapter 698: Passing Down Knowledge - 698 Chapter 698 - Passing Down Knowledge - 698 "I''ve spent many years working with the Emperor, and yet I still cannot completely grasp him. There is something about him that seems unreal. It''s as if he is the chosen one or something." The Imperial Scholar was clearly struggling to put it into words. Skymender understood what he was saying. "Either way, even if you and Sword Master Shang fail, it is not completely over. He may have some other method of completing his goal." Skymender found it a bit difficult to take in everything that he had learned today, but they had just started. Not long after, the Imperial Scholar changed the subject. "Before you can actually be involved in any of that, you must first become the Imperial Scholar yourself. I taught you some things at the Imperial Scholar Camp, but this will be on a different level. Let''s begin." The Imperial Scholar instantly began to speak, a board behind him. He occasionally wrote something down that Skymender should memorize. From the moment he started, Skymender realized that he had underestimated the Imperial Scholar. Despite everything, him winning the Imperial Scholar Camp, getting a perfect score on the intelligence test, and even being promoted to the future Imperial Scholar, he struggled to keep up with the Imperial Scholar. The Imperial Scholar had planned this lesson the day before, perfecting it to the peak of efficiency. After around five hours, the Imperial Scholar was visibly tired, and was slowing down. Things were different from how they were in the Imperial Scholar Camp. He was older, and the things he was teaching were much more advanced. In addition, he had been going over things fast the entire time. Soon, he had to sit down. "I''m getting old, Skymender. This may be a lot, but I don''t have much time to teach you. You must not get impatient or lazy." Skymender nodded. He could tell how much effort the Imperial Scholar was putting into this. The Imperial Scholar handed him a book. "I wrote this myself not too long ago. Study this as much as you can until tomorrow, and come back." Skymender spoke seriously. "Thank you. I will do my best." He turned and left the room. As soon as he made it back to his house, he sat at a desk and began to study. Although the house was not considered very big, it had plenty of room, including room for an office area. Skymender studied through the day and night, getting six hours of sleep, before waking up and leaving. He left early, not to go to the Imperial Palace, but to go find the Fatty''s father. At this time, he would not be found at his house, but at the Fugui Chamber of Commerce. Skymender made his way over and entered. With his noble carriage and attire, he instantly drew attention. Commoners made way for him as he walked to the front desk. "Welcome, esteemed sir. What can I do for you?" The desk lady asked nervously. "I am here to see Mr. Fugui." Skymender said. "Of course, sir. His office is on the top floor. It is impossible to miss it." Skymender thanked her and began to walk up the stairs. At the fifth floor, which was the highest floor in the building, he stopped. Looking around, there was only one door ahead. To the side was a nameplate that read, Fugui. Skymender walked up to the door and knocked on it. A voice from inside told him to enter. As he entered, he saw the Fatty''s father behind a desk, writing on some papers. As soon as he saw Skymender he stood up. "I apologize. I did not know it was you, Skymender." Skymender waved his hand. "It''s alright. I''m just dropping by because I have some business you might be interested in." The Fatty''s father nodded his head. "Alright then. What do you have?" "I want to sell the restaurant." Skymender said. The Fatty''s father looked confused. "Already? But you just started." Skymender agreed. "It is not what I wanted, but I recently inherited a position, and I can no longer own the restaurant." The Fatty''s father''s face turned serious. "I see." He did not ask any questions, but in his head, he understood what it meant to inherit a position that did not allow him to own any properties. He knew that it must be something high up in the Empire. "In that case, I will congratulate you. Naturally, I can begin looking for buyers." He said. "Please go ahead. I won''t sell it for now, as I won''t be inheriting the position for the time being. I am just letting you know far in advance. Until then, I will continue to work on the restaurant and increase its value." Skymender explained. The Fatty''s father nodded. "Alright. Also, that Fatty has been looking for you. He completed some sort of weight loss transformation. He looks around as fat as he did a few years ago. Better, but not enough to be satisfying." "Alright. I''ll find him when I can." Skymender said before leaving. He then made his way over to the Imperial Palace. He arrived a few minutes before the appointed time, but they started anyway. Skymender spoke for around ten minutes in brief detail about everything he had studied. "Good. Now, from there, let''s begin." The subjects they spoke about covered literally everything. From language, to negotiation tactics, to business management, physics, poison, medicine, construction, even a little bit about cooking. Skymender soaked all of the knowledge up, doing his best to not disappoint the hardworking Imperial Scholar. Once again the Imperial Scholar stopped after around five hours. Skymender returned home and studied. This process repeated five days in a row, before the Imperial Scholar told Skymender to come back in two days, not one. "I''m still the Imperial Scholar, and there are a lot of things I need to do. I''ll get just about everything done tomorrow." Skymender nodded and left. In the meantime, he did not slack. He studied the book that the Imperial Scholar gave him. Chapter 699: First Major Test - 699 Chapter 699 - First Major Test - 699 While studying the book he was given, he did not forget to continue to research the recipe he had yet to finish. In order to increase the value of his restaurant as much as possible before selling it, this was necessary. He would have to sell it before it was officially announced that he was the Imperial Scholar. Otherwise, it would be considered using the position to manipulate the economy. As he studied the book he was given and continued to work on his recipe, he set aside some time to go out and find the Fatty. He first went to his house, where he was informed that neither the Fatty nor his father were there. He then went to the large commoner market where they had first met. It did not take Skymender long to spot him, as despite being less than half as big as when they last met, he was still quite large. Skymender was amazed that he could lose so much weight in a short time, and he wondered if the Fatty had cut it off. The Fatty was looking around, never stopping, but simply searching the market. As Skymender got close, the Fatty spotted him. His eyes brightened. "Sir Skymender!" The Fatty walked towards him as fast as he could, knocking over a few people along the way. He even bumped into a pole holding up a stall, knocking it to the ground. Naturally, as his Father was one of the richest people in the Imperial Capital, nobody said anything to him. Skymender held out his hand to stop him. "Your father said you were looking for me." The Fatty nodded. "I am back to what I looked like in the glory days. Let''s go, we can do anything you want." Skymender inwardly shook his head. He didn''t know what to tell the Fatty. There was no need for them to do anything for a while. However, after thinking for a moment, he got an idea. "I''ve got a mission for you." Skymender said. The Fatty nodded with excitement. "I own a restaurant, and I want you to manage it." The Fatty looked interested. "Your goal is to make it run as good as possible, and when I sell it, I''ll give you a portion of the profits." Skymender said. "How much?" The Fatty asked. "1%" Skymender said. "And you will get paid a wage for your time working before it is sold." Although 1% was a small amount, the Fatty was excited. That was because anything Skymender wanted done, he would do. Otherwise, he would end up lazing around and accomplishing nothing for the rest of his life. "Yes, Sir Skymender!" The Fatty said. Skymender spoke again, giving the stores address. "Go now, and take over the management. Remember, however good you do, the profits you receive will increase." "You will increase the percentage I get?" The Fatty asked. "No, but that percentage will be worth more the higher the value of the restaurant." Skymender replied. The Fatty nodded in understanding and left. Now rid of the Fatty, who he almost regretted searching for, Skymender returned to his house. At the end of the two days given to him by the Imperial Scholar, he had nearly completed the recipe. The next day, he returned to the Imperial Palace, where he continued to learn. Today''s lesson was different from usual, not teaching a bunch of different topics, but one in extreme depth. That topic was the topic of war tactics. The Imperial Scholar poured everything he had learned throughout countless years into Skymender, ensuring that his efforts would not go to waste. All that he wished to do with his remaining life was to mold Skymender into an even better Imperial Scholar than he had been. His only regret was not being able to see the Emperor take over the world. Of course, it was not set in stone that he would die soon, but it was very rare for someone to even live to the age of ninety. The oldest person in recorded history had lived until 93. The Imperial Scholar estimated that he would hardly live past eighty, but that was enough time to pass on the position. Skymender returned home, and came back the next day. Each day he came, he left with more knowledge than he would be able to learn in a week by himself. The Imperial Scholar''s teaching methods, like everything else, were superb. His vast knowledge made Skymender feel as though they were on completely different levels, and that was because they were. As he continued to study under the Imperial Scholar, the Imperial School began. Unlike Skymender had expected so many years ago, he did not step foot into the giant, elegant building, which represented the pinnacle of knowledge in the Empire. However, he could confidently surpass any student that resided there by a factor of ten or more. He was to the Imperial School students as the Imperial Scholar was to him. Even the teachers were most likely, at best, on his level at the moment. And their gap was rapidly widening. Months passed, and finally, the first major test of the year was taking place. There were four such tests, one that occurred one fourth of the way through the year, one that occurred halfway through the year, one that occurred three fourths of the way through the year, and the final exam. This happened for every single year one spent at the Imperial School. For the first time, Skymender rode a carriage to the Imperial School with Melly, who had been attending without him. She did not have a hard time, as she was the daughter of a duke, but she had felt a bit lonely. Luckily, Skymender was coming this time. As the carriage stopped outside large gates, Skymender stepped onto the well carved brick for the first time. He walked towards the building in the distance, passing many residences as he did so. Many of the Imperial School students chose to live on campus, rather than at a house far away. It didn''t take long before they reached the entrance. Chapter 700: First Place Testaker - 700 Chapter 700 - First Place Testaker - 700 Inside were countless sets of stairs, and people that filled the room to the brim. Many of them wore scholar uniforms or noble attire, while others simply wore common, but nice clothes. Some carried around backpacks or bags, while others had a servant doing so. Skymender walked through with Melly, looking around as he did so. Some people looked over at them, recognizing Melly. A few even recognized him, as they were nobles that had attended the noble gathering. Melly showed Skymender the way to the testing site. They entered an extremely large room with thousands of seats, and chose some at random. As time passed, more and more people entered the room, filling it to the brim. Eventually, a few people stood on the stage in front, explaining the test, while around twenty others stood in various areas of the room, clearly there to spot and prevent cheating. After a while, tests were handed out. Skymender received it, and finished it quickly. Others had to stay in the room while waiting for the time to run out, but Skymender was the exception. This was supposed to be a six hour test, but Skymender stood up and walked to the front in thirty minutes. Everyone eyed him as he did so. Even the majority of the proctors did. Only an old man, the one in charge, seemed to have expected this. As Skymender walked towards the stage, none of them said anything. They waited for the old man to do something, but he never did. Skymender reached them, and handed the old man his test. The old man bowed and took the test. "Thank you, Imp¨C Skymender." Skymender nodded his head and left. His actions confused more than just a few people. Some were so distracted they struggled to focus on the test. Skymender left the testing site and returned to the Imperial Palace, where he received instruction from the Imperial Scholar. He did not have time to waste waiting in an exam room. The next day, Skymender returned to the Imperial Palace. At the same time, students of the Imperial School arrived at the Imperial School and looked at the rankings. The score that everybody got on the test was wide in the open. This was the Imperial School, where those who did bad did not have a place. There was no reason to be ashamed of their score. However, when looking at the ranking, most were shocked. At the top of the list, with a 100%, was the name Skymender. Second place had a 93%. However, that 93% represented the limit of the testaker, while the 100% represented the limit of the test. Many commoners began to ask about Skymender, while nobles occasionally spoke about what they knew. All it took was thirty minutes to cause an entire generation of the smartest people in the Empire to remember his name. Skymender continued to receive the teachings of the Imperial Scholar, and one day, he finally finished his recipe. He passed it on to the Fatty, who instantly put it into action. It was only available on the top floor. In addition, they hired a new chef, one with extreme skill. He was on standby, within a mile of the restaurant, and would only come if a noble entered the building. As the restaurant had a small reputation, there were currently no nobles that would go there to eat. Therefore, Skymender had to put some effort into advertising. To do this, he could naturally use the Imperial School, as well as Melly. Skymender had her speak to some of the people she was familiar with about the restaurant, praising the specialty dish. In the next few days, a few noble families, after being convinced by their children, ate there. The food was delicious. Skymender was not surprised that they liked it, as he was also a noble and liked the food. With that, the restaurant was kickstarted. However, a single recipe was not enough. No matter how good it was, people would get used to it eventually. Skymender worked on another recipe in his freetime, as those who had heard about the restaurant ate there. Skymender saw money coming in, though it wasn''t nearly as much as the money he was sent monthly from Li Youcai, who had taken over the operations of his assassination business. He also received weekly reports, which were ten days late due to the transportation, but it explained what was happening. Li Youcai had been doing well, and few people doubted that he was Skygod. There had been more suspicion when he first started than there was now. Since he would have to get rid of his ownership of the assassination business soon, Skymender began to consider Li Youcai as his successor. With how integrated it was into Sky City, simply stopping it would be disastrous for everyone. Even his brother would not want that. Therefore, it was best to have a successor. Although Li Youcai was naturally not him, and would not be able to do everything he could, he could continue to help the assassination business run rather smoothly. It seemed that Skymender''s time as the Skygod was coming to a permanent end. Skymender sent a letter, speaking vaguely of his situation, and lightly suggesting that Li Youcai take a more permanent role. He would not force it on Li Youcai, but would see what he thought about the idea. He continued to learn from the Imperial Scholar, everything going smoothly as he completely focused on it. By now, he had surpassed even the teachers of the Imperial School. Those whose knowledge could surpass his in the Imperial Capital could be counted on his hands. Accomplishing this in such a short time could be accredited to the teaching methods and knowledge of the Imperial Scholar, as well as Skymender''s talent and dedication. There was no other plausible explanation for his rapid growth. As time passed, the mid-year exam rolled around. In just a few days, it would take place. Chapter 701: Natural Empire - 701 Chapter 701 - Natural Empire - 701 During this time, the Fatty had done exceptionally well at managing the restaurant. Skymender was not surprised, as he had seemed like someone who would be good with food. Although he had yet to finish creating another recipe, he was nearing its completion. Most nobles were now aware of the restaurant, which was owned by a noble, and occasionally a new group would come in. Up until the mid-terms began, Skymender received teachings from the Imperial Scholar. Then, once again, he went to the school with Melly. This time, as he entered, the looks he received were entirely different. Off to the side, one person glanced over and saw him next to Melly. He got his friends'' attention and pointed at him. "Look. That is Skymender." Off to another side, a group of around fifteen nobles, all with ranks Marquis or higher, looked at him. Their arrogant faces were replaced, and they looked at Skymender with interest and awe. In a place like this, intelligence was just as important as nobility when it came to respect. On a higher level, looking down below, were two girls and two boys. Each of these three were above nobles. One girl and one boy were members of different royal families, while one of the girls was someone familiar with Skymender, one of two Imperial Princess''s. She looked down coldly on Skymender, but she knew that she was entirely incapable of comparing to him. Next to her, the two others thought no different, though for a different reason than the Imperial Princess. "He got a 100% on the first major test. What a monster." The boy said. The girl nodded in agreement. Elsewhere, even commoners were staring at him. "So that is Skymender, huh. He seems more normal than expected." "I had heard that he was seven feet tall." "I had heard his head was bigger than a watermelon." "I had heard that he was secretly a woman." All sorts of rumors had spread around after Skymender had gotten a 100% on the first test. One thing that, surprisingly, nobody was thinking about, was that he was undeserving of his reputation. In a place like this, knowledge was all that mattered. Even if he was a commoner, with his score on the first test, nobody would be disrespectful towards him. Skymender was not spoken to, only watched from afar by just about every person in the building, including those from higher grade levels. Skymender made his way to the testing site and found a seat to sit down in. Everything happened as it had last time, and Skymender was done with the test, which was equally as long as the last, in thirty minutes. He stood up and walked to the front. This time, nobody was surprised. Most people just ignored it, while some simply looked on. Even those at the front did not say anything, besides the same old man who took his test. "Thank you, Skymender." He said with a bow. Skymender nodded and left, once again returning to the Imperial Palace. As he arrived, the Imperial Scholar gave him a notice. "Tomorrow, we will leave the Imperial Capital. I have stuff to do, and we can use this as an opportunity to further your education." Skymender nodded. "Where are we going?" "To the Natural Empire." Skymender was surprised. "To another Empire?" The Imperial Scholar nodded. "Indeed. Even I rarely make such far trips. However, we need to have a talk with some people there. Don''t worry, we won''t be going without protection. Your sister will be joining us as our escort." Skymender nodded. The Imperial Scholar began to speak about the Natural Empire. "The Natural Empire is the closest Empire to ours, and also quite weak. They only have one Sword Master, and he is of the lowest level. Of course, I would prepare some defenses just in case, but we should be safe with the preparation I''ve made and your sister. The Natural Empire received its name due to the fact that most of it is within a large forest, not to be confused for the wilds." Skymender spoke. "Why is our Empire called the Faceless Empire?" The Imperial Scholar spoke. "Well, until the current Emperor, the Imperial Family had been a mystery, almost never appearing at all. Any events were hosted by representatives or royal families." As Skymender watched the Imperial Scholar speak of this, a bit of fear was on his face, though it was light and quickly went away as soon as it came. However, Skymender noticed it, and most likely, the Imperial Scholar knew that he had noticed it. But nothing more was said. "Anyway, the Natural Kingdom''s citizens are a bit unusual. As though taking their Empire''s name a bit too seriously, a vast majority of them are vegetarians, or at the very least, very fond of plants, trees, and such." "Are they important to the plan of taking over the world?" Skymender asked. "Not really, but it is best to have any potential future enemies and allies scouted out and understood. What we face danger from may not necessarily be the Natural Empire themselves, but people sent by the Ancient Empire. After all, we have both sent plenty of assassins towards each other." "Assassins?" Skymender asked. "Yes, and while I know your history, I wouldn''t be too confident. The assassins sent by the Ancient Empire have peculiar methods." Though Skymender understood the Imperial Scholar''s point, he clearly didn''t understand just how skilled Skymender was in assassination. His first time ever making an appearance, he had an entire city thinking of him as some sort of god among men. However, Skymender did not correct the Imperial Scholar. Despite everything, a man must keep some secrets. It was best to never fully trust anyone, not even your own parents. Betrayal only comes from those you trust, and if you don''t trust anyone, you can never be betrayed. The Imperial Scholar continued to talk about the Natural Empire, giving even more information on its geography, politics, and general strength. Chapter 702: Travel - 702 Chapter 702 - Travel - 702 After a while, he sent Skymender home to get some rest before their long journey. Skymender returned home and told Melly about his trip. Although she was sad to see him go, she knew that he had to. Skymender did not immediately go to sleep, but instead stayed awake. During the night, he left his house and walked towards the commoner district. There, he entered a warehouse. Inside were all of his poison supplies. Although it had been a while since he had created any poison, he had never stopped studying. Since he had left most of his poison reserves with Li Youcai, he needed to make some more. He always carried some with him, including the deprivation poison, but he did not know if it would be enough. Skymender worked for a few hours, rapidly creating his poisons. After around three hours, he returned home with a bag full of poisons. After getting a good amount of sleep, Skymender made his way to the Imperial Palace. Inside, the Imperial Scholar led him to a floor near the bottom. There, he saw a garage with many different carriages. He also saw his sister there waiting for him. He took his bags and put them on the carriage that the Imperial Scholar had pointed out. In his bags were normal travel items such as clothes, shoes, and some medicine. In his other bags, he had poisons, a bow, a bunch of arrows, and a sword. They would not be making this journey with a single carriage, but with three. One of them was filled to the brim with preserved food. Another carried their other items, among which was Skymender''s bags. The final one, as well as the largest, would be for the three people taking this journey. Skymender, Skybelle, and the Imperial Scholar. When Skybelle saw Skymender she greeted him. Skymender greeted her as well. Skymender''s feelings towards her were not complicated, and he viewed her as he always had, his sister. Skybelle, on the other hand, was clearly not the same. She had complicated feelings. The good ones were familial love and admiration. However, after seeing him kill someone, essentially proving himself as Skygod but legally being clear, she didn''t know what to think. She had always been on the just side of things since she was born, yet her brother seemed to be the opposite. In fact, deep in her heart was a bit of fear. As a Sword Master, she should have none, but the completely indifferent look on Skymender''s face as he had killed the detective gave her such a feeling. But now, regardless of what she thought, she had to put it behind her. She was one of the few people that knew that Skymender was the next Imperial Scholar. In addition, this was an important trip, and she did not want to affect it with her personal feelings. After everything was double checked, the Imperial Scholar announced their leave. Through a secret underground road, they left the Imperial Capital. "We can''t let any potential assassins know when we are leaving." The Imperial Scholar had said. Skymender understood his reasoning. As soon as they exited the vicinity of the Imperial Capital, they moved above ground, where the animals leading the three carriages began to run. Although there were three carriages, all were connected, and only the one in the front had animals attached to it. Skymender sat next to the Imperial Scholar, while the Imperial Scholar controlled the animals to run. He hummed a tune, as if he was happy to be on the road. Skybelle sat on top of the carriage. Since they were outside, she had to be as well. With this, their long journey began. The carriage was extremely fast, even faster than the noble carriages. Skymender estimated that they were around twice as fast. "Remember, Skymender. If the people have access to some form of incredible technology or weaponry, then the rulers have access to technology and weaponry a level above it." Skymender nodded. He had seen a bit of the Empire''s advanced technology. It was quite powerful, though nothing incredibly above what was available to nobles. They rode for around eight hours before the Imperial Scholar handed the reins to Skymender and headed inside to rest. Skymender quickly learned how to control the animals and continued on for another eight hours. Then, he heard the Imperial Scholar''s voice. "The animals need to rest, we should stop now." Skymender stopped the animals from moving any further. He hopped down, as did Skybelle. The Imperial Scholar walked out from inside the carriage. "We should set up camp and cook some food. I''m starving." Saying this, the Imperial Scholar headed to the carriage carrying food, before going to the carriage carrying everything else. When he finished, he had a pot, some wood, and some meat. He quickly started a fire and began to cook it. "Don''t just stand around. Get to setting up camp." Skymender nodded and did just that. They had tents prepared, as well as thin mattresses that could be folded up. He and Skybelle set them up, three tents in total. Not long after they finished, the Imperial Scholar had finished cooking the food. They had a surprisingly good tasting meal before heading to sleep. The next day, they woke up and continued to move. Not long later, the clouds above began to gray. "Looks like rain is imminent. Luckily, as long as it isn''t too bad, we should be able to continue." The Imperial Scholar said. Skymender nodded, and as light rain began to drizzle, Skymender pulled the retractable roof over his head. The Imperial Scholar headed inside. "I''m going to perform some weather calculations. I''ll teach you this eventually." As time passed, rain fell even harder, and Skybelle got off from the top of the roof and sat underneath the retractable roof with Skymender. However, the rain neither lightened nor stopped. Finally, as wind picked up and even the retractable roof was useless, the Imperial Scholar spoke. Chapter 703: Arriving at the Natural Empire -703 Chapter 703 - Arriving at the Natural Empire -703 "It seems that this storm is not going to stop anytime soon, and may in fact increase in intensity. We need to protect the animals and stay inside of the carriage for the time being." Skymender nodded. He and Skybelle immediately began to untie the animals from the front carriage and bring them around to the back of the first carriage, where they unfolded some things and formed a shelter that would stop the wind and the rain from battering the animals. Then, they entered the first carriage. The first carriage was elegantly made, as expected of something used by members of the Imperial family. It was quite large, with more than enough room for even five people to comfortably lay down. There was a table, a bed, and a few seats. The Imperial Scholar sat at the table, writing things down on a piece of paper. Skymender looked over, and saw him doing math. It was extremely complicated, though Skymender understood most of what was being written down despite it being new to him. "Might as well teach you a bit about weather calculations while the storm continues." The Imperial Scholar said. Skymender nodded and came over, sitting down next to him. The Imperial Scholar began to explain the basics, such as measuring what needed to be measured and the basic calculations. When the storm had still not stopped, he went deeper, explaining even harder to understand things. Skybelle didn''t even bother trying to understand what was going on, sharpening her sword while sitting down. A few hours passed, and the Imperial Scholar held up the paper. "It looks like the storm should end in five hours." Although it seemed like a lot of work for such a small amount of information, this was basically seeing into the future through math. In addition, he had calculated it with an extremely small amount of information. They waited for five hours, the Imperial Scholar taking this opportunity to teach him a bit, before the storm stopped. They tied the animals back to the front and began to ride. The Imperial Scholar sat in the front, teaching Skymender some things, while Skymender controlled the carriage. Skybelle sat back on top of the carriage. They continued for a few days like this, moving at an incredible speed. If they were to crash or fall off, they would be seriously injured. For someone like the Imperial Scholar, who was old and frail, he would most likely die. After a few days, the constant strong wind in their faces was starting to get to them, and the Imperial Scholar and Skymender put up a windshield, which was just a durable piece of glass connected to the carriage and put in front of them. It had to be said that the Imperial carriages were quite advanced. Their journey continued smoothly. Over the course of a week, they only had to deal with bad weather a few times, and none of it had been bad enough to make them stop. As they moved farther, the roads continuously got worse. Naturally, this far away from the Empire, it was costly and mostly unnecessary to maintain roads. The roads were built with a long lasting concrete, but even that would show signs of wear over time. They were currently in unowned territory. Technically, the Faceless Empire loosely owned it, but nothing had been done here. The only man-made structure was the road. Their journey continued for 15 days in total before they finally entered the Natural Empire. The roads slowly turned from rough to smooth. After entering the Natural Empire, it only took a day to reach the Imperial Capital of the Natural Empire. As their carriage arrived, they were greeted by a group of people. Those surrounding them stared in awe as all three of them were invited to the Imperial Palace. Among those present to receive them was this Empire''s Imperial Scholar. However, just from the look on his face, it was clear that Fei Luzi was on a different level. They were taken to the Imperial Palace, their carriages being brought along. In the throne room, they met the Emperor. Here, they also met the only Sword Master of the Natural Empire. "Welcome, Fei Luzi. It is an honor to have you here." The Emperor said. "Likewise, Natural Emperor." The Imperial Scholar said. Though he slightly bowed his head to the Emperor, he did not kneel. After all, this was not his Emperor. The Natural Emperor spoke again. "We have much to talk about. However, we should let you travelers rest. I''ve set up the highest quality inn for you. While you are here, anything you buy is on us. Please enjoy, and we can talk tomorrow." The Imperial Scholar nodded. They left the throne room. They were led to their carriages, before them and their carriages were brought to a high quality inn. The entire inn was rented out for them. When the servants left, they all checked their belongings in the carriage to make sure nothing was missing and nothing had been tampered with. Luckily, even the doors to the carriages hadn''t been opened. "Since it wouldn''t be safe for any of us to be left alone, do you all want to do anything before the sun sets?" The Imperial Scholar asked. Skymender looked around before speaking. "Maybe we should go see how the Natural Empire is different from the Faceless Empire." The Imperial Scholar nodded. "Alright, let''s go." Taking all three carriages with them, they began to make their way around the Natural Empire. Anyone who was educated and saw their carriage was stunned to see the crest of another Empire. After all, it was extremely rare for an Empire to visit another Empire. The importance of their presence here could not be underestimated. Skymender looked out the windows while they moved along, trying to spot anything interesting. Eventually, the Imperial Scholar pointed at a place, and the carriages stopped. Getting out, Skymender saw a fancy restaurant up ahead. Chapter 704: Quick Dispatch - 704 Chapter 704 - Quick Dispatch - 704 The Imperial Scholar walked with his hands behind his back and his head held high as they entered the restaurant. Skymender and Skybelle followed behind him. As they entered, everyone inside looked over. When they saw them, they all were shocked. News had already spread that people from another Empire were here, and not just any Empire, but the Faceless Empire. In the Natural Empire, the Faceless Empire was considered to be one of the greatest Empires in the world, standing just below the Ancient Empire, while they were barely strong enough to be considered an Empire. The only reason they could exist unbothered was because the terrain was undesirable to others. Otherwise, like the Faceless Empire, the Ancient Empire, and a few other top tier Empires, they would often have skirmishes around their borders with other Empires Skymender looked around as they walked into the restaurant. The design made it seem like they were going inside of a hollowed out tree. In fact, he wouldn''t be surprised even if that were the case, as the Natural Empire had vegetation everywhere. As they were visiting from another Empire, the people with the highest authority in this restaurant came and greeted them. "Hello, friends from the Faceless Empire. Assuming you are here to eat, I would love to show you our greatest seats." The Imperial Scholar spoke. "That sounds fine. Let''s go." All three of them were led by a few people up a set of wooden stairs, and into a room above. Leaves hung from the ceiling, and a lantern let off a warm light. Skymender liked what he had seen of the Natural Empire so far, and this made him like it even more. Of course, this was not referring to the people of the Empire, but to the environment and design. This room was rather open, and ahead was even an archway that had a bridge going across the street and to another building. The bridge almost seemed naturally formed, though upon closer examination, it wasn''t. All three of them sat down at a table, and those who had guided them took their orders. Their food was ready in just a few minutes, and they ate. It was enjoyable, as this was a high quality restaurant in the entire Natural Empire. Even Nobles often ate here. They did not stay in the building for long. As they left, they walked across the bridge to enter the hollowed top of another tree-like structure that may be a tree. This seemed more like a central point of bridges, as they saw eight bridges going in each direction. They followed the bridges back to their inn, where they got off. Supposedly, this was the main method of transportation for nobles in the Empire. An Imperial Servant brought their carriage back from the restaurant, untouched. They stayed in the inn for the rest of the day, only occasionally walking outside to get some fresh air. As night fell, Skymender stepped out of the window with a bag on his back. Their room was on the second floor, so he had to stand on the thin roof area of the first floor. As he stepped outside, he heard a voice. "Where are you going so late?" Skymender was already a step out of the window, but as he heard the voice, he briefly turned around. "Defense." Without another word, he jumped onto the roof of the building, sitting there silently. His sister frowned. This reminded her of the fact that her brother was most likely Skygod. Skymender closed his eyes as he sat on the roof. He honed his senses to the maximum as he probed outwards. He had experienced plenty of sleepless nights, so the lack of sleep did not affect him at all. He stayed still for nearly an hour, before his eyes snapped open. "There you are." He reached into his bag and pulled out a bow, the same one he had used many times. He then pulled out an arrow coated with corrosion poison. He silently nocked it before standing up. On a nearby tree was a man wearing black robes, staring at the inn. Due to the design of the roof, he had not noticed Skymender, but Skymender had heard him. Skymender stepped up and pulled back on his bow. In an instant, he locked eyes with the assassin. In that same instant, he released the bowstring, and his eyes were the last things the assassin ever saw. An arrow pierced his forehead, not only instantly killing him, but corroding him until his head was unrecognizable. A loud thump was heard as he fell from the tree. Imperial Guards, which had been standing watch, were alerted and moved towards where the man fell. They saw him and his condition. Shocked, they looked around, but Skymender had already gone back inside. He went to sleep, waking up a bit late in the morning. He had easily thwarted the first assassination attempt. As for whether that person had been sent by the Ancient Empire, another major empire, or the Natural Empire, he did not know. However, it could be predicted that they would expect resistance the next time, and it would not go so smoothly. Skymender was curious to see what the Imperial Scholar had been talking about when he had said the Ancient Empire assassins were special. On this day, the Imperial Scholar once again led them to the Imperial Palace of the Natural Empire. Here, they met with the Emperor. "It is good to see you again. No need to speak in the throne room, let''s go elsewhere." The Emperor of the Natural Empire said. The Imperial Scholar nodded, and they were soon led to a room with a circular table. All of the important members of the Natural Empire were sitting there. It added up to around fifteen. Once everyone sat down, the Emperor spoke. "It seems that great changes are nearing, and I understand that your faceless Empire is scouting the surrounding Empires and assessing their feelings on the matter." Chapter 705: Dangerous Attack - 705 Chapter 705 - Dangerous Attack - 705 The Imperial Scholar nodded and spoke. "We simply wish to find out who are enemies, who are neutral, and who are friends." The Emperor nodded. "Although I have mostly come to a decision on the matter, please explain to me the pros and cons of each choice." The Imperial Scholar spoke. "If we are enemies, then the Faceless Empire will do everything in its power to wipe the Natural Empire and all knowledge of its existence away from the world. If you are neutral, then you will not be involved at all. If we are friends, then the benefits will far exceed any other choice." "You make a good case, Imperial Scholar." The Emperor said. "However, from what I understand, the main adversary of the Faceless Empire is none other than the Ancient Empire. Although the Faceless Empire is powerful, I can''t see any hope as to how you could possibly outdo the Ancient Empire." "Of course, risks and rewards are a part of everything. Yet, we would not be facing the Ancient Empire if we were not confident in winning." "Which is why a full on war has not started yet." The Emperor said. The Imperial Scholar didn''t move for a moment, before nodding his head. "Indeed. However, it won''t be long before we can confidently move into a war phase." The Emperor had his hand on his head, clearly hesitating to make a difficult decision. As silence fell, the Imperial Scholar had a bad feeling. In the same fashion, Skymender and Skybelle had a similar feeling. They looked at each other, recognizing that they had the same feeling. "Alas, the decision is out of my hands. But I suppose regardless, the Ancient Empire is the inevitable victor." Skybelle''s hair stood on end as she pulled her sword out of her sheath at a speed Skymender could not see. At the same time, a figure flew across the room, slashing upwards, Skybelle was sent flying, crashing into the wall. Among all of the figures present in the room, around half were shocked, while the others were not. Skybelle shot forward, but before she could take a step, a figure appeared in front of her, slashing again. She went flying through the wall, into the throne room. Skymender reached into his backpack, almost instantly equipping a bow and a quiver of arrows. He jumped through the hole in the wall, carrying the Imperial Scholar. Skybelle couldn''t react to the figure''s speed. In just a few seconds, she had cuts on her body, and she was on the verge of losing. Clearly, this was not the Sword Master of the Natural Empire, who was merely a fourth rank Sword Master. This was someone far more powerful. Skymender looked at Skybelle for a moment before running out of the throne room. He kicked open a random door and placed the Imperial Scholar inside. "Go help your sister. If she dies, we are doomed." The Imperial Scholar said, his face twisted with rage. If he was just a few tens of years younger, Skymender wouldn''t have had to waste time getting him to safety. Skymender didn''t even nod, running out of the room at an incredible speed. He had only left for a total of twenty seconds, but Skybelle was far worse than before, her left arm nearly severed. Skymender shot forward, his enhanced body showing its usefulness. From the hole in the wall, another figure emerged. Skymender saw him out of the corner of his eye. He nocked an arrow on the bow and quickly shot it at the person attacking Skybelle. The attacker was surprised, but quickly cut the arrow. However, at the tip of that arrow was a vial, and as the arrow broke and the vial shattered, a mist hit the attackers face. He began to cough as Skybelle seized the opportunity to attack. Skymender turned his attention to the person coming towards him. He knocked an arrow, but this person had clearly just seen what happened to the other person. He dodged, causing a mist to spring up where the arrow landed. Skymender retreated as the person in front of him, who he recognized as the Natural Empire''s Sword Master, closed in on him with murderous intent. As he got closer, and Skymender continuously retreated, the Natural Empire''s Sword Master slashed out. Skymender ducked, unsheathing a sword from his waist and slashing upwards. The Sword Master snorted, blocking the slash and cutting Skymender''s arm in a quick movement. But Skymender was close, and in his mouth was a vial. He bit down and spit at the unprepared Sword Master. What he spit hit the man in the chest, causing smoke to rise up as his chest was rapidly corroded. At the same time, Skymender felt as though his mouth was melting. He ignored it, however, and released an arrow from close up into the Sword Master''s skull. The Sword Master saw it just as it approached, but due to the pain of the corrosion poison, failed to properly react. He moved to the side slightly, but the arrow embedded itself in his head, just barely missing the brain. And yet, coated on that arrow was a paralysis poison. On a Sword Master, it would only last a few moments, but that was all Skymender needed. As the Sword Master fell to the ground, his chest being corroded, pain and shock visible on his face, Skymender released three arrows in succession. One pierced his heart, one pierced his eye, and another pierced his forehead. Skymender, breathing heavily, turned to the side and began to release arrows. He had killed a Sword Master, but it was just one of the lowest rank. A true threat was in front of them. He had already shaken off the effects of the mist poison, now with a slightly dry and closed in throat. It was as expected of a Sword Master, whose body was honed to an almost unnatural degree. It was especially so for one this powerful. Skybelle was once again in a disadvantageous position, but the Sword Master attacking her was clearly distracted after seeing Skymender efficiently kill a Sword Master so quickly, even if it was one of the lowest rank. Skymender''s arrows interrupted his fight, making him back off at times or dodge every now and then. It ruined his tempo, giving Skybelle a chance to survive for a bit longer. However, the Sword Master had not sustained a single injury from Skybelle, while Skybelle was bleeding profusely and cut up in almost every part of her body. Chapter 706: Victor - 706 Chapter 706 - Victor - 706 From the hole in the wall, the Emperor of the Natural Empire was watching the events take place. When he saw the current situation, he was extremely upset. The only Sword Master of the Natural Empire had just been killed. He could hardly describe his rage at the moment. However, the outcome would remain the same. The Ancient Empire had spared nothing in this attempt, sending a rank 2 Sword Master to kill two important people. Of course, they had completely overlooked Skymender. Nobody had expected him to turn the tides of the battle, leading to a slight glimmer of hope. But in the end, there was no chance that a rank 4 Sword Master and some sort of poison specialist could kill a rank 2 Sword Master. As the fight continued, the rank 2 Sword Master was getting annoyed. Everytime he was about to land a fatal hit on Skybelle, he was interrupted by an arrow. After this happened a few times, he looked at Skymender and shot forward. Skybelle tried to intercept him, but she could barely hang on to her life while focusing on defending and receiving Skymender''s help. It took two attacks to send her flying out of the way. The rank 2 Sword Master moved so fast that Skymender could barely react, but due to his increased physical prowess as a result of the Imperial Scholar''s designs, he had just enough time to react and pull out three poison bottles. Snorting at the approaching Sword Master, he threw them on the ground, causing a condensed mist to spring up around him. A single look at it allowed one to understand how dangerous it was. The Sword Master stopped moving just outside of the mist, his eyes flickering in hesitation. "Go ahead and attack me. I''m willing to sacrifice my life to take yours. The question is, are you willing?" Skymender said as he raised up his bow and shot an arrow. The Sword Master easily blocked it and turned around. He shot towards Skybelle. Despite managing to halt the imminent crisis, defeat would still be inevitable at the current rate. Skymender knew that there was only one way to finish this fight in a victory. The pressure was once again on Skybelle as she fought for her life. This situation was a hopeless one, and she could only hope that Skymender had some sort of trump card, because she knew that she didn''t. As seconds passed, her injuries only grew deeper. She simply could not compare to a rank 2 Sword Master. If it was a rank 3 Sword Master, then with her brother here she could possibly turn the tables, but against a rank 2 Sword Master, there was essentially no hope. Skymender''s thoughts moved frantically, as ideas popped into his head. Eventually, he could only think of one, and it would risk his life. However, it was what had to be done. He gritted his teeth and sat his bow aside. He jumped through the mist, charging at the Sword Master. Seeing Skymender charge at him, the Sword Master was elated. In an instant, he was in front of Skymender. Skymender bit down, and corrosion poison was spit at his opponent. "As expected." The Sword Master dodged to the side, stabbing at Skymender. He had seen Skymender do the same exact thing to the Sword master of the Natural Empire. Skymender''s stomach was pierced, and as the Sword master pulled back, Skymender grabbed the sword and pulled. Due to the unexpected resistance, the Sword Master was pulled forward with his sword. Skymender grabbed him, holding him with all of his strength. His and the Sword Master''s immense strength clashed, but Skymender did not need to win. He only needed a moment. His sister was too slow, and before getting here, the Sword Master would have escaped. Skymender gritted his teeth and clenched his hand, crushing a vial of poison. "Stay back Skybelle!" He shouted as an invisible mist entered his and the Sword Master''s noses. Skymender let go, and the Sword Master instantly jumped away. He quickly moved forward, but stopped mid movement. Skybelle, who had retreated at Skymender''s words, watched in shock as the Sword Master''s arms turned limp. Blood began to drip from them. It was impossible to tell from the outside, but every bone in his arms had been broken, shattered beyond any hope of possible recovery. Essentially, he was crippled. Skymender had inhaled the poison too, and had made preparations. However, the expected feeling did not come. For a second, he thought he was unaffected, but he suddenly felt his eyes get wet. He lifted up his hand to touch the wetness, and blood covered his hands. Then, his vision began to blur. Skymender instantly understood. The deprivation poison took what one cared about the most. For others, it was almost exclusively related to fear. But for those who did not have great fears, it truly looked into their hearts and found what it should take. Skymender could instantly tell that it was taking what he now valued most. His assassination abilities. However, due to his previous exposure, the effects were not as great as they were the first time. Due to the strength of the deprivation poison, it was easier to build up a resistance, if by chance a person survived, but even then it was not much. Perhaps only a 33% decrease in strength. Due to this, he could tell that the deprivation poison was taking his eyesight. If not for his resistance, perhaps even more would have happened. However, he was not only suffering from the effects of the deprivation poison. A stab wound was currently pouring blood. It was absolutely nothing light. In addition, corrosion poison had once again corroded his mouth, completely corroding it and leaving no jaw behind. Skybelle stayed in a corner, not daring to get too close after seeing what happened to Skymender and the Sword Master. After a few moments, Skymender spoke. "Get... them." He struggled to speak, but she understood. Skirting around Skymender and the Sword Master, she reached the conference room. Some had begun to leave, but Skybelle''s appearance instantly stopped that. Everyone looked at her with fear as she simply stood there. The Emperor simply sighed, shaking his head with a wry smile. It was over, they had lost this gamble. Such was the fate of an ant stuck between giants. Chapter 707: Western Monks - 707 Chapter 707 - Western Monks - 707 It was clear that not all of the people in this room were aware of what was going to happen. Based on their expressions earlier, only around half were aware of the plan. Skybelle showed no mercy, her rage truly incensed. She killed the Emperor, along with half of the people in the room, including one of the two kings under the Emperor. Only then did she stop. "Anyone who leaves this room will be killed." Leaving behind these words, she left, moving out of the throne room and looking for the Imperial Scholar. It did not take her long to find him where Skymender left him. "You won?" He asked, clearly surprised. "More like Skymender won, but he needs help. If we don''t do something, he will die." The Imperial Scholar''s eyes narrowed. Skybelle helped him into the throne room, where he saw Skymender. He took a step forward, but Skybelle stopped him. "Skymender said to stay away. He used some sort of poison which created this outcome." She explained. The Imperial Scholar nodded, understanding that Skymender must have used the deprivation poison. He looked around and saw the rank 2 Sword Master. He was still alive, but he could not move. Both of his arms had been crippled, and the countless bone fragments caused blood to continuously flow out. The pain was immense, and he could barely stand it. The Imperial Scholar spoke. "Kill him." Skybelle nodded. She took out her sword and threw it. It pierced the head of the rank 2 Sword Master, killing him instantly. At this moment, the battle was worth it. Killing a rank 4 Sword Master of an enemy Empire, as well as a rank 2 Sword Master of their main enemy Empire, was an incredible achievement. The only issue was, the cost of losing Skymender was high, perhaps even higher than the worth of those two Sword Masters. But if Skymender could survive, he would return to the Empire a hero. Even Sword Master Shang rarely accomplished the feat of killing a rank 2 Sword Master. It was not because it was difficult, but because there were extremely few in all of history, much less the current time. After enough time passed, the Imperial Scholar rushed towards Skymender. By now, the deprivation poison had dispersed. He quickly examined him. It was not nearly as bad as it looked. The corrosion of his jaw had actually stopped any sort of future damage through bleeding or infection, and though it looked bad, the damage had already been done and would not worsen. He quickly stopped the bleeding from the sword wound. Although he did not have any medicinal plants on him, applying pressure was enough for now. Finally, there was the injury to his eyes. There was nothing that could be done. By the time the deprivation poison had dispersed, his eyes had been destroyed. They had shrunken and withered, not even connected to his body even more. After a moment, the Imperial Scholar could only sigh. However, he quickly gained some sort of determination. "So what if you are blind. As long as your brain works, you can be the next Imperial Scholar. Forget fighting, forget the Serpent Master. Intelligence can make up for all of these losses." After saying this, he fell silent for a moment. "Western monks." He muttered. He turned to Skybelle. "Let''s go." She nodded. They left the throne room, leaving the remaining officials behind. As of this moment, the Natural Empire was no more. Without a Sword Master, they were worth nothing, and even their Emperor was dead. They were no threat, nor anything to care about any longer. Skybelle carried Skymender, while the Imperial Scholar walked behind. Skymender was currently unconscious. They arrived at the carriages, and the Imperial Scholar began to use some medicinal herbs to heal Skymender. He also pulled out a few vials of medicine, which combined with the herbs and some bandages, quickly stopped any bleeding. Skybelle thought that they would leave and head for the Faceless Empire, but the Imperial Scholar shook his head. "You go, take all of the carriages with you. We, however, will not be returning for the time being." Skybelle was shocked. "Why not?" The Imperial Scholar explained. "In the western area of the continent, there is a group of people known as the western monks. These people have proclaimed to have achieved some sort of ability, where even without eyes, they can still see. This is Skymender''s only hope." Skybelle hesitated for a moment before nodding. "We will leave separately and quietly. Let''s hurry." Skybelle helped the Imperial Scholar, finding a carriage from the Imperial Family of the Natural Empire, and wiping off any sign that it was anything besides a normal carriage. It was still as fast as one of the Imperial carriages from the Faceless Empire, but appeared to be ordinary. Even the animals pulling it seemed more ordinary than the animals pulling the Faceless Empire''s carriage. After packing all of the essentials onto the carriage, the Imperial Scholar said his goodbyes to Skybelle. Skybelle reciprocated, and said goodbye to the unconscious Skymender before leaving. It was necessary for them to split up, as the Ancient Empire surely had people around the Natural Empire. Seeing the Faceless Empire''s three carriages leave, they would believe that all three of them were leaving. This left the Imperial Scholar, who dressed in commoner clothes, taking a carriage out of the Empire. It moved at a normal speed in order to avoid attracting attention. Only when the Natural Empire''s Imperial Capital was out of sight did they take off, moving extremely fast. The Imperial Scholar spent most of his time driving, and for a week, continued to take care of the unconscious Skymender. Creating a true successor had become his last obsession in life, and he would not be willing to die unless he succeeded. After a week, Skymender woke up. He was extremely injured, but he was able to move. Naturally, the first thing he noticed was darkness, endless darkness. Chapter 708: To the Western Desert - 708 Chapter 708 - To the Western Desert - 708 He reached up to touch his eyes, but felt only empty holes. He sighed as the memories came back to him, of how he lost his eyes. This was probably the greatest loss in his life. He could recover from other injuries, but this would remain for his entire life. Even the Temple did not have any sort of way to help. No matter how mythical their "magic" was, it hardly had any use besides slightly increasing the healing speed of someone. It was such a small ability that some wondered if the god they worshiped was even real. Yet somehow, they had always held a stable position in the world, separated from worldly affairs. Skymender could feel the carriage move at great speeds under him. He stood up and spoke. "Imperial Scholar?" He said unconfidently. After all, he did not know what happened after he passed out. After he spoke, the carriage slowly came to a halt. Then, he heard the creaking of the door. "Skymender. You''re awake." The Imperial Scholar said. Skymender turned in his direction, but all the Imperial Scholar saw was the horrifying sight of empty eye sockets. "Where are we?" Skymender asked. "On our way to the western part of the continent." The Imperial Scholar said. "Why?" Skymender asked, confused. The Imperial Scholar sat down. "I never got to the point of teaching you about the western area of the continent, so allow me to start now." Skymender nodded and sat down. "The western area of the continent, as I''m sure you saw on the map, mostly consists of deserts. As a result, only a few Empires exist, and their populations are relatively small. However, unlike other areas, the most famou group there is not any of the Empires, but a group of people known as the Western Monks. These people practice something called buddhism, as well as many ancient arts. It is said that their inheritance can be traced down just as far back as the Ancient Empire." Skymender was surprised to hear this. It was widely known that the Ancient Empire was the most ancient existence in the world. The Imperial Scholar continued. "One of these ancient arts, as told in the small amount of information on them, is an art that allows a person to see without eyes. It is hard to be sure if any of my information is accurate, but from what I''ve gathered, you see through the world, not the eyes." Skymender was once again surprised. "How far away are these Western Monks?" The Imperial Scholar hesitated. "That''s the issue. The Western Monks move around a lot, and have no fixed position. However, to the deserts of the western area of the continent, it will take around two years." Skymender wasn''t sure what to say. He was fifteen years old, which meant the Imperial Scholar was 75. He did not have much life left in him, yet he was willing to spend at least four years helping Skymender, even if the chance of success was small. "During this time, I will continue to pass on knowledge to you. Even if you cannot see, you must learn this knowledge." The Imperial Scholar said. Skymender nodded, determined. If this was the sole wish of someone going so far to help him, then the least he could do was accept. After saying this, the Imperial Scholar stood up. "Come on. If we want to arrive in two years, you must stay up front with me. I can teach you while I drive." The Imperial Scholar said. Skymender agreed. He felt his way to the door, and dragging his hand along the side of the carriage, made his way around and onto the front seat. Luckily, this carriage was not much different from the ones he had spent his entire life riding. And so their journey continued, now far longer than before. If you counted their time from leaving the Faceless Empire, they would be traveling across more than half of the continent. Time passed quickly. Skymender learned from the Imperial Scholar, while also learning how to live with his blindness. He noticed his other senses were slightly enhanced, but not nearly enough to make up for the loss of sight. A year passed, and city walls were nearing. "We are running out of supplies, but a royal capital of an Empire is luckily along our path. We''ll stop here and stock up." The supplies they needed the most was food. For the last month, they had been rationing, just to make it here. Although there were guards at the city wall, the Imperial Scholar simply flicked over a silver coin. The guard pocketed it and let them in without checking them. After all, it was just an old man and someone who appeared to be blind. They had to leave their carriage outside of the city in a large carriage storage area, but there was not much left on there worth anything. Only the carriage itself had value. And it was well disguised to look only above ordinary. The Imperial Scholar helped Skymender through the roads. Skymende had tied a black piece of cloth around his eyes in order to not draw too much attention. He naturally got a few glances, but they seemed to understand his condition. This place was a bit different from the Faceless Empire and the Natural Empire, as it was within the western area of the continent. People were more tan, the weather was hotter, and a lot more relied on strength. The Imperial Scholar eventually led him to a travel supply shop. What they needed was not ordinary food, but well packaged and preserved food. Even if it did not taste as good as meat or plants, they simply needed food to survive, not to have an enjoyable meal. There were only a few people in the shop, but Skymender and the Imperial Scholar drew attention. After all, they both looked haggard after so long on the road, and both wore commoner clothes. In addition, one was blind, and one was old enough to need a cane to walk. Chapter 709: Sunspot Gateway - 709 Chapter 709 - Sunspot Gateway - 709 Some of the looks were filled with pity, others with scorn, and some a mix of both. After all, although this store wasn''t exclusively for rich people, the majority of people who came in were at least middle class. Only those people would need travel supplies, as there was little point in buying any if you could not afford a carriage. Of course, there were people who paid to travel along with others such as merchant caravans, but even they usually had the decency to dress well when entering. The Imperial Scholar and Skymender, however, did not even seem to have showered within the last week before entering. The Imperial Scholar walked up to the front desk, where an indifferent lady stood. The Imperial Scholar reached into the back of his clothes and fumbled around for a while, before pulling out a bag. All eyes were still on them as he placed the bag on the table, making a large clanking sound. "Give me enough preserved food to last two years." He said. Though they did not have two years left in their travels, it was best to have some extra. The woman, clearly not expecting much, opened the bag. However, the shine of the gold nearly made her close her eyes. Her indifferent expression faded away instantly, replaced by shock. Nearby, everyone else looked the exact same. "Yes sir." She said before turning around and snapping at a few attendants. They quickly walked into the back, where they filled up bags with preserved food. The woman began to take a few gold coins out. She moved carefully. Eventually, she had taken ten gold coins out. She then fumbled down below her, where she kept change. The Imperial Scholar waved his hand. "Keep the change. I don''t carry silver. Have those boys carry the bags to my carriage." The woman nodded without daring to refute. As the Imperial Scholar and Skymender walked out, five boys carrying bags as big as themselves walked to their carriage behind them. They placed them inside of the carriage before bowing and leaving. The Imperial Scholar did not waste any more time in this royal capital. With their food reserves filled, they left, once again on the road. Skymender regretted not being able to see the looks of shock in the people''s faces at the store, but he had been able to hear their gasps, at least. They continued on the road, Skymender becoming increasingly more proficient at living blind. In addition, the knowledge taught to him by the Imperial Scholar was becoming increasingly complicated and specific, as if he had almost learned everything. Indeed, he had been taught just about everything. He found it difficult to name anything he hadn''t learned. "I never had a worthy predecessor to guide me, which wasted many years of my life. It was the same for the other Imperial Scholar''s that managed to reach my level. You will be the first with the potential to surpass us all." The Imperial Scholar said. In the past few days, he seemed to be reflecting on life more, as if he was reaching the end of his life. Skymender knew that he didn''t have much time left. Hopefully, he would at least be able to reach the Imperial Capital once again. As for the last Imperial Scholar Camp, it was unlikely to commence. Soon, around another year passed, and the weather got even hotter. Their water reserves seemed to be running thin, though they were able to replenish it with every rain. Unfortunately, as they got closer to the desert, the rain was increasingly rare, and when it did rain, it was light. However, much more would be changing soon. "We are about to reach the Sunspot Gateway. It acts as a sort of hub for those entering or exiting the desert. Although it is called a gateway, it is really just a large city. There, we will store the carriage. After all, we cannot take the animals or the carriage itself onto the desert sands. Instead, we will ride camels." Skymender nodded. Two days later, they arrived. Since this was not an Empire or Kingdom of any sort, but an outpost, there were no guards at the entrance. There was only one figure of authority here, the gatekeeper. He was a rank 4 Sword Master, once a valued member of some Empire. However, for unknown reasons, he had left and taken charge over the outpost, which nobody except criminals minded. After all, it was a criminal outpost before his arrival. The Imperial Scholar and Skymender entered the city. They found a storage place, and rented carriage storage for two years, just in case. Then, they went out and bought two camels. They technically only needed one, but it was better to have more room for supplies. "Out in the desert, you don''t have to worry about much when controlling the camels. Just make sure they go in the right direction. You could do it blind." Skymender nodded. They got a bunch of supplies, among which was a large amount of water. This water was a large barrel tied onto a sled. The two camels would pull it along. After all, the desert was large, and water was scarce. The Imperial Scholar purchased a map of all the outposts and areas with water in the desert. They got a few more things before requesting an audience with the gatekeeper. Skymender didn''t understand why until the Imperial Scholar explained. "If anyone knows where the Western Monks are in this place, it will be him." The gatekeeper agreed to see him. It was rare for anyone to request an audience with him, as nobody dared to waste his time. The Imperial Scholar pulled out a few pieces of gold as soon as the man entered the room. "We need to find the Western Monks." He said. The gatekeeper nodded. He took the gold and spoke. "As far as I am aware, the Western Monks are at oasis four. However, I cannot 100% verify this information." The Imperial Scholar nodded. "That is enough, thank you." It was a simple matter quickly concluded. They set off towards oasis four, following a chain of outposts and oasis''s along the way. Chapter 710: Seeing Through the World - 710 Chapter 710 - Seeing Through the World - 710 On a camel, Skymender finally got to control an animal again. Of course, the Imperial Scholar had to occasionally yell at him to redirect, but for the most part he did alright. Most of their stuff, such as food and money, were on the camels, while their water was on the barrel being dragged. The Imperial Scholar had already drawn a path towards oasis four, in which they should be able to make it safely. They trudged through the desert for three days straight. On the first night, the temperature fell drastically. They had to wrap up in blankets and coats in order to continue, while the camels, used to the drastic change in temperature, continued on steadily. Occasionally, they stopped to make some food or drink some water. On the second day, they had to stop and sleep. Nearing the end of the third day, they saw a large body of water ahead. To call it large anywhere else would be nonsensical, but in the desert, it was the largest that bodies of water got. Arriving at the oasis, they had to pay a fee of one silver. This was the biggest issue with desert travel, as every stopping place had extravagant fees. In normal circumstances, the Imperial Scholar would have just tossed a gold coin, but he seemed to dislike the people who ran the system of stopping points. He specially carried a bag of silver with him just to pay the fees. "These people are the greediest of all. It is better to not give them any more than necessary." He said. Skymender nodded. All that the fee allowed them to do was set up around the lake and refill their water. Anything else had to be purchased additionally. They rested there for the day and left after filling up their water reserve. The next point was five days of travel away. Nothing interesting happened on their way, and they made it safely. They rested before setting off. The next place they reached was not an oasis, but a campground. They had water transported from elsewhere. This was to bridge the gap between two oases, which were ten days apart. Although the fee of one silver for every place they arrived at was a lot, they wouldn''t be able to travel without some of the things set up. Their journey continued for two weeks before they arrived at oasis four. However, the Western Monks were not there. Upon asking some questions and paying some money, they learned that the Western Monks had moved to oasis five just three days ago. After resting a day, they set off for oasis five. Oasis five was farther away than any of the other oases so far, a 15 day ride. Luckily, there was once again a campground in between. After seven days, they arrived at the campground. Skymender had hoped to find them there, but they had stayed for two days before leaving, making Skymender and the Imperial Scholar only a day late. They continued towards oasis five, and eight days later, arrived. As they approached, the Imperial Scholar could clearly see a group of around twenty people, all bald and wearing robes, meditating in a circle. The Imperial Scholar was excited, and when he told Skymender what he saw, Skymender was excited as well. They arrived at the oasis and paid the fee. The Imperial Scholar guided Skymender over, and stood next to the group of meditating monks. He did not speak, but out of respect, waited patiently. After a few minutes, the monks opened their eyes. They turned to Skymender and the Imperial Scholar. One of them spoke. "Hello, friends. How can we help you?" The Imperial Scholar spoke. "Hello, Western Monks. I am Fei Luzi, the Imperial Scholar of the Faceless Empire. This is Skymender, the future Imperial Scholar of the Faceless Empire. In an unfortunate attack, he was blinded. We came across the continent, hoping that you could help." After speaking, the Imperial Scholar pulled out an entire bag of gold. This was everything he had, saving only the bare minimum to return to the Faceless Empire. The monk in charge waved his hand. "There is no need for payment, Mr. Fei Luzi. We have no desire for material wealth. Unfortunately, we cannot heal blindness." The Imperial Scholar spoke. "I heard of a technique used to see without eyes." The monk in charge nodded. "Indeed. In our history, such an art has been passed down. However, it has been a century since anyone has succeeded in learning it. If you truly wish, we can teach you it, but understand that nobody here has ever successfully comprehended it. If you wish to learn it, we can only teach you the information passed down." The Imperial Scholar nodded, as did Skymender. The monk in charge spoke. "Then come with us. I suppose you will be staying for a while." Skymender and the Imperial Scholar bowed, deeply grateful to the monks. It was as the stories told. They were compassionate and helpful. The monks scooted aside, clearing a spot for Skymender and the Imperial Scholar. They sat in the circle, as a monk began to talk. It was a different monk, not the monk in charge. "To see without eyes is something considered magical. Yet it is an ability that can be learned by anyone." Another monk spoke. "This seeing is different from seeing with the eyes. The eyes see with light, but this seeing is seeing with the world." Another monk chimed in. "This seeing is to see using vibrations in the ground. It is much more difficult on the sand than it is on normal ground. However, if you can learn it on the sand, then you can use it on any solid ground." Yet another monk spoke. "This technique cannot be used while in the air, and it cannot see something in the air. It is the same with water. Now take off your shoes." Skymender did as he was told. "Stand on the ground, feel the ground, understand the ground. From now on, if you want to see, you will never wear shoes again." Skymender waited for more, but nobody spoke. Chapter 711: Buddhist Practices - 711 Chapter 711 - Buddhist Practices - 711 The Imperial Scholar similarly looked around, confused. "That is all, young friend." A monk said. Skymender didn''t know what to say. "I am supposed to learn it from just that?" He asked. "That is the basics. We can teach you more, but it will all be our own conjectures, not necessarily factual. You must learn this technique yourself. Luckily, the vast majority of people who learned this technique were blind, so you already have a pretty good starting point." The monk in charge explained. Skymender nodded. Although it wasn''t much, at least he had some sort of guidance to follow. And it was as the monk in charge said, he could still learn from the monks, it would just not necessarily be one hundred percent correct. Over the next day, Skymender stood on the ground, sensing the vibrations, and trying to see through them. However, he never succeeded. He eventually asked a monk, which led to him hearing some conjectures. "Seeing through the world requires one to become one with the world. This is something we monks excel at. If you wish to learn this technique, consider first learning about Buddhism." Skymender thanked him for his guidance and spoke to the monk in charge. "You wish to learn Buddhism?" The monk in charge asked. "I do." Skymender said. The monk in charge looked at him for a moment before shaking his head. "I don''t think it''s possible." Skymender was confused. "Why not?" "Do you know what Buddhism is?" The monk in charge asked. "Loosely, yes." Skymender responded. He had learned a bit about it from the Imperial Scholar. "Well to be short, I can feel a murderous aura on you. You have killed a lot of people, and none of it was by accident. I can also imagine that you do not feel sorry, or for that matter, any sort of guilt or remorse at all." Skymender nodded. This was objectively the truth. The monk in charge continued. "Buddhism, in its original form, is the practice of ending suffering. Naturally, this has branched off into countless forms over countless years, but that basic goal still remains. In order to end suffering, you must not bring it to others." Skymender understood, but at the same time he found it unnecessary. "I don''t wish to truly become a Buddhist, I just wish to understand Buddhism and its practices. My hope is that this will allow me to understand this technique." The monk in charge thought for a moment before speaking. "It may be difficult for you, but it may also be easy. I suppose it would depend on your talent and affinity with Buddhist practices. Alright then, I''ll help you understand Buddhism." Skymender bowed and thanked him. Over the next few days, Skymender was introduced to Buddhist ideas and philosophies. He was shown practices and rituals. He was even told a story so ancient that nobody knew where or when it came from. "The Buddha was born long ago. So long ago, that it is indescribable. Yet his teachings have persisted until today. He saw all of the suffering of the world, and decided that he would dedicate his life to ending suffering. He would not end others'' suffering, but his own suffering. He would teach others to end their own suffering, as the only person that one can rely on is oneself. And that is exactly what he did until he died." The monk in charge explained. "Since you do not wish to truly end suffering, I will teach you that which is undeniably beneficial. I will teach you meditation, calmness, and inner peace. Only then, in a state of true calm, will you be able to sense the world beneath your feet. Do you understand?" Skymender nodded. "Good. Sit down and cross your legs. I''m sure you know how to meditate, so meditate. Think about ceasing all thoughts. Clear your mind completely. When you do so, I will teach you how to sense the world beneath you. Although it is vastly different from truly seeing through the world, it forms a spiritual connection that will no doubt be helpful to you." Skymender did as the monk in charge said. As he was being taught, the Imperial Scholar was also learning from the surrounding monks. Deep in his heart, he had a desire to learn everything. It naturally faded away as he grew older and his knowledge reached a peak, but these monks had things to teach him that he had not known. Specifically, it was Buddhism. Although he, like Skymender, was not naturally fit to practice it, he could at least learn from it. It seemed that, temporarily, the Western Monks had gained two new members. Skymender spent a week meditating, trying to calm his mind, until the monks decided to move. "If you wish to follow us, you may." The monk in charge said. "But be prepared. We do not travel like others." The Western Monks began to pack up what little they had. Essentially, they had clothes, some tools, and large cans of water that they carried in backpacks. Then, without camels, they set off. Skymender instantly saw the problem. First, they were walking distances that would take days. Albeit walking was just as fast as riding a camel, but it was far more exhausting. The Imperial Scholar, with his old body, would not be able to make this journey. "Go on, Skymender. I''ll wait here." Skymender hesitated before shaking his head. "Get on. I''ll carry you." The Imperial Scholar was stunned. "The strain put on your body from carrying me so far would be unbearable. Not to mention me, you wouldn''t make it to the next spot." Skymender shook his head. He owed the Imperial Scholar too much. He would not leave him here. Besides his blindness, all of his injuries from the Natural Empire had long healed. He was physically as fit as before. "I''ll carry you." Skymender said. "I have my pride, Skymender. Don''t think I''m willing to ride on another man''s back." The Imperial Scholar said. Skymender walked towards the camels that they had ridden. He untied the ropes connected to the platform carrying the barrel of water. He removed the barrel of water, leaving behind a wooden palet, and held onto the two ropes. "Sit there." The Imperial Scholar spoke again. "That is even more weight." "Just do it. I''m not leaving without you, one way or another." Skymender said resolutely. Chapter 712: Dragging - 712 Chapter 712 - Dragging - 712 After a bit more back and forth, the Imperial Scholar reluctantly got on the pallet. Skymender began to walk, dragging the pallet along the sand while following the Western Monks. They walked rather fast, forcing Skymender to use his full strength in order to keep up. Luckily, his strength was far beyond ordinary. Everything continued normally until an hour passed. Skymender was exhausted. Constantly using his full strength for an hour was already an incredible feat. Truthfully, the environment made it many times harder than normal. The constant heat pouring down caused Skymender to quickly dehydrate, especially while using his full strength. In addition, pulling the pallet in the sand was far more difficult than pulling it on any other terrain. The sand was constantly fighting against him. He did his best to resist drinking water, as he had a limited amount. The Imperial Scholar had brought more, stored in a backpack on the pallet, but the journey was long and he didn''t wish to use water unless necessary. Another hour passed, and Skymender arms and legs felt limp. He could barely feel his limbs as he struggled to keep up with the Western Monks. They were just a dot on the horizon at this point, since Skymender had failed to keep pace. The Imperial Scholar felt bad, but Skymender had essentially forced him to come. Another hour passed, and every part of Skymender''s body was finished. It was by pure will that he kept moving. The Western Monks could be seen in the distance, but they were far away. They had not helped Skymender, but it was not because they were heartless. Skymender had brought this unto himself, and they had let him accompany them on the condition that he didn''t slow them down. Skymender did not ask for help. He too knew that he was the one who had asked for this. As he continued to pull the Imperial Scholar, his mind began to quiet. His thoughts slowly ceased, and everything within him seemed completely at peace. Suddenly, as he took a step on the ground, something appeared around him. All of the ground around him, and everything touching the ground, including the pallet and the Imperial Scholar, appeared in his mind. It was blurry and without color, but this was the first time that he had seen since the day he lost his eyes. He instantly stopped, causing the Imperial Scholar to look at him. "I saw." Skymender said. "What?" The Imperial Scholar asked, confused. "I just accidentally used the technique that I''ve been trying to learn." He said. The Imperial Scholar''s eyes widened. "Good. Try again. See if it was just a fluke." Skymender nodded and took a step forward. Nothing appeared. He sighed. He could tell that it was only because his mind and thoughts had been completely calm. He shook his head towards the Imperial Scholar, who sighed. "Now that I''ve used it once, it should be easier to learn." Skymender said, pointing out a good part of this. The Imperial Scholar agreed. Skymender felt a bit rejuvenated. He continued onwards, though his high spirits did not last for long. He was getting tired once again. In addition, he could not enter that state from before. Everytime he tried, the thought of entering that state stopped him from doing so. In a way, entering that state had made it harder to enter that state once again. Skymender focused his mind as much as possible as the hours passed, but he simply could not completely calm it. He was extremely close, but the small gap that existed between his current state and complete calmness seemed insurmountable. He would have to wait until the Western Monks decided to stop moving and rest. Skymender pulled the pallet for another ten hours. His exhaustion could not be described. His consciousness began to wane in and out. The Imperial Scholar saw all this, and suggested they stop for the night, but Skymender rejected it. If it wasn''t for his inhuman body, which was as a result of the Imperial Scholar''s design, this would be impossible. Skymender tried to think of this like a training situation. With how much he was using his muscles, he was bound to be much stronger afterwards. As another hour passed, the Imperial Scholar finally saw the Western Monks once again. The moon was in the air, but he was still able to see them setting up camp from afar. Skymender put in the last bit of effort he had in his body to get to the camp. The monks eventually heard the sound of him dragging the pallet, and looked over in astonishment. Skymender''s body was very clearly thoroughly destroyed. He was bruised in many places, and blood had dripped out from ripped portions of skin. The monks could not help but admire him. As he reached the camp, he collapsed on the ground, instantly falling asleep. What he had done today was a feat that may never be replicated by another human. Perhaps only someone much stronger, such as Sword Master Gargantuan, could possibly accomplish such a feat. As Skymender collapsed, the Imperial Scholar got up and gave him water. He put Skymender in a comfortable position before making him some food they had packed. Skymender was not conscious, but instinctively ate the food the Imperial Scholar fed to him. As the food was finished, Skymender fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up, the monks were in a circle. He sat up, his entire body sore. "It''s about time. You''ve been asleep for 33 hours." The monk in charge said. Normally, they would have only rested for, at most, eight hours before continuing on. However, seeing Skymender, they could not help but wait. The Imperial Scholar took care of him while he was asleep. "Whenever you can move your body, we can start again." Skymender nodded. Although it did not seem like the monks were helping him, they had stopped early and stayed in this spot for much longer than normal. Skymender did his best to loosen his muscles before standing up. He was ready. Chapter 713: Meditation Progress - 713 Chapter 713 - Meditation Progress - 713 Since Skymender was ready, the Western Monks did not waste any more time. They set off, and Skymender once again began to drag the Imperial Scholar through the sand. It was noticeably easier than before. However, that sensation only lasted a few hours. By hour five, he was once again exhausted. Used to the sensation, he pushed on as hard as possible, while also doing his best to control his mind. Instead of directly trying to quiet it, he was just hoping to have some sort of control over his sudden thoughts. Ten hours passed, and another ten hours, before they caught up to the Western Monks, who were resting. Skymender made it, and instantly passed out. It was essentially no easier than before. This time, he only fell asleep for ten hours. When he woke up, he was just as sore as before, but was quickly able to stretch and get moving. For around two hours, he kept up with the Western Monks. He spoke to them about his accidental usage of the seeing through vibrations technique. They were surprised that he had accidentally fallen into that state, yet also not surprised. As he was blind, he had a great advantage. "You''ve already progressed along the technique more than anyone here has, so don''t feel discouraged. Once we get to the next checkpoint, we can try and help you a bit more." Skymender nodded. He soon fell behind, and he did his best to keep up. Around 24 hours passed before he passed out in front of the Western Monks. After ten hours of sleep, he once again continued. This cycle repeated, Skymender slowly becoming stronger, for a week in total. Finally, they reached a halfway point. At a camp, which had very few people, the Western Monks set up to restock and rest for a while. Skymender reached it five hours after they had. He once again collapsed, and woke up after fifteen hours. This time, he didn''t have to move again. He sat in the circle with the Western Monks. There were a few new people in the circle. After all, the Western Monks traveled around to spread their knowledge. When Skymender came over, they shifted the focus onto him for a moment. "Continue to try meditation, Skymender. Once you can clear your mind, we will do our best to help you further." The monk in charge said. Skymender nodded and did as they said. After around a week, he made great progress. It was much easier to clear his mind when an entire sense of his was cut off, and it was the sense that humans used most, sight. The Western Monks stayed for a period of two weeks before they began to pack up. By now, Skymender had made great progress, and was nearing a state of completion. They traveled for another week, Skymender suffering every day, before they reached another oasis. Skymender sighed in relief as he bathed in the oasis. There were two sections of the oasis. One was for drinking water, while another much smaller section was used as a pool. It was not free, however. A person had to pay a price and clean themselves thoroughly before being allowed to enter. Skymender floated on the surface, doing his best to ease his exhaustion. After a few hours, he once again began to practice meditation. The Western Monks planned to stay here for a month, as the next journey was far more treacherous. It was an entire month''s travel before reaching the next oasis, and there was no in between point. Even the Western Monks had to use camels. Otherwise, they would just be traveling towards their doom. Skymender spent two weeks practicing mediation, before he was able to semi-permanently clear his mind. "Congratulations, Skymender. This is the first step in practicing Buddhism, and for you, it is a great helping hand in being able to see through vibrations. Next, you must sense the vibrations of the world. Every single thing causes vibrations, it is all a matter of sensing it, amplifying it, and projecting it in the mind. This is what I''ve understood about the technique, though it is only a conjecture as I''ve never used it." A monk explained. Skymender moved forward with this guidance. For the next few days, all he did was stand on the sand and try to feel everything around him. From what he had been told, it was harder to use this technique on the sand than it was anywhere else, but if he could learn it on the sand, he could use it anywhere. For the rest of the month period, Skymender did his best to sense vibrations. By the end, he had a faint feeling, but nothing that could be used to see. He truly could not understand how he had done it back then. It was time to set off, and Skymender didn''t have to drag the Imperial Scholar. Instead, they once again felt the luxury of riding with camels. They also dragged barrels of water behind them, using the camels and pallets. While they spent a month traveling, the Imperial Scholar began to once again teach Skymender. Although he was focused on trying to see, he couldn''t stop learning. It may not seem like it, but Skymender was 17 years old now. After spending so much time traveling from the Natural Empire, he was much older. He was essentially fully grown. The Imperial Scholar was 77. He was nearing the end, though he definitely had a bit more time left than previously expected. During the month of travel, Skymender spent half of his time walking alongside the camels, trying to sense vibrations, and the other half learning. Eventually, they did make it to the destination. Beyond this, there were no more oases, checkpoints, or outposts. Deeper into the desert was the unknown. It was far too dangerous and treacherous to try and find out what was out there. Even the Western Monks would not risk it. Here, they rested for another two months. Chapter 714: Returning - 714 Chapter 714 - Returning - 714 At the end of the two months, Skymender had grasped the most basic form of seeing through vibrations. Images occasionally flickered within his mind, showing him a new world. With more practice, his success was inevitable. He was congratulated by all of the monks. "Congratulations, Skymender. I hope that you can one day see just as well through vibrations as you could with your eyes. Since the world has another person who has mastered this technique, I feel satisfied." Skymender thanked all of them for their help over the last two months. Without their guidance, he would have taken years to reach this point. "We are going to journey back to where we came from, before taking another path. Although I invite you to stay with us permanently, I suppose you have places to be. Stay with us until we return to Sunspot Gateway, and we will part." Skymender nodded. He and the Imperial Scholar were thankful for their help. The Imperial Scholar had learned some new things on this journey. They departed, taking a long journey back. Around half a year passed, and they returned to Sunspot Gateway. By now, Skymender was far stronger than before. His physical strength was off the charts, especially for his size. It was only natural after dragging the Imperial Scholar through the desert. At some point, the Imperial Scholar had begun to teach him while Skymender was dragging him. Finally, it was time for them to part from the Western Monks. Skymender bowed deeply, as did the Imperial Scholar. They did not want to accept it, but Skymender refused to take no for an answer. He was now able to see even more, occasionally making out the figures of the monks. He bowed to each of them individually, which took a while. As they left towards the exit of the Sunspot Gateway, Skymender stepped on dirt for the first time in a long, long time. His vision was instantly magnified. It flickered, but it was much clearer than on the sand. Skymender took a breath, taking in the world for the first time in a long time. He and the Imperial Scholar did not stay long, getting their carriage and beginning their journey back. They had packed up plenty of supplies, enough to take them halfway. Skymender spent the time going back learning from the Imperial Scholar, and occasionally training the seeing through vibrations technique. Less than half a year passed, and Skymender turned eighteen years old. He was now a true adult. "If we rush, we can make it back in time to do another Imperial Scholar Camp, marking your true succession as the Imperial Scholar." The Imperial Scholar said. Skymender nodded. He looked out into the distance, though he could only see fifty feet around him, and there was no color. He could also not see most things in the air, and the same would be in water. However, he had noticed that if something was moving extremely fast in the air, or something heavy was falling, he could sense its existence through the seeing through vibrations technique. Not long later, the Imperial Scholar turned 78. He was well above the average lifespan, and clearly had a bit of life left in him. They continued their journey, eventually reaching the same place they had restocked last time, and without issue, restocked and left. They were on the home stretch. It was more than a year after restocking that they saw familiar roads, and familiar lands. The Imperial Scholar, now 79, was filled with relief and emotion. He had never missed these lands of his so much. In his older age, he was getting quite emotional. Skymender, now 19, felt relief as well. They were finally in familiar territory. After a few weeks, the Imperial Scholar saw large walls in the distance. Skymender sat on top of the carriage, looking out silently. It was only when they were near that he could see the city walls. Now, he could see the area 200 feet around him. He could do so consistently as well. It had been a long journey, but they were finally back. Skymender would remember the Ancient Empire, and he would make sure to pay them back for what they took from him. Skymender and the Imperial Scholar entered through the gates. The guard stared in shock as they passed through. News spread like a wildfire. The Imperial Scholar had returned. Skymender of the Sky Barony had returned. This brought relief to many, though mostly because of the Imperial Scholar. Not many knew about Skymender being his successor yet. Despite being dirty and tired, they did not stop until they reached the Imperial Palace, where they were openly let in. Many noticed the blindfold he wore over his eyes. Only nobles had information on the events. In fact, most of the Empire thought that they were on an important mission. Skymender and the Imperial Scholar stepped off of the carriage. Skymender helped the aged Imperial Scholar walk around, until they reached the throne room. The large doors were wide open, and the Emperor had a relieved look on his face. Most of the Imperial Family, as well as many officials and scholars, were waiting in the room. "Welcome back, Fei Luzi and Skymender." The Emperor said. A few formalities ensued, with officials and scholars welcoming them back. They soon left the room, leaving only the Imperial Family, the Imperial Scholar, and Skymender. The Imperial Family did not speak, but stayed to the side. "Fei Luzi, your absence has had a great effect. Luckily, we have been able to hold on without you, but I request that you take your spot back immediately." The Imperial Scholar had a thoughtful look on his face, but for the first time in his life, he truly disobeyed the Emperor. "No. I am retired. I will host one last Imperial Scholar Camp, condensing everything into the span of a month, before passing on the title." He said. The Imperial Family was shocked at his direct refusal, but the Emperor smiled widely. "A true successor, huh. Well then, go ahead. Make it quick." Chapter 715: The Tower - 715 Chapter 715 - The Tower - 715 Skymender and the Imperial Scholar left the palace as many servants spurred into action. After a brief goodbye, the Imperial Scholar left to plan his lessons. Skymender had a bit of time alone, and for the first time in a while, he relaxed. He went back to his house, which now belonged to Melly. However, he could enter whenever he wanted. Skymender learned that Melly had returned to her parents Dukedom. Most likely, she would return when news spread to her about Skymender''s return. With more than four years having passed, their class had already graduated from the Imperial School. He learned that Melly had impressively graduated 12th of her class. Skymender learned most of this information from Fatty, who was now much older. He was still just as fat. He had been running the restaurant well, and had even paid people to create some new recipes. After he told Skymender about the events since he was gone, Skymender spoke. "It is time to sell the restaurant." The Fatty nodded, but hesitated. "What if you sold it to me, Skymender?" Skymender thought for a moment before nodding. "I can do that. And I can do it at a reasonable price." He and the Fatty instantly began to negotiate, and Skymender ended up with 30% more money than he had ever put into the restaurant, which was quite the gain. After selling the restaurant to Fatty, Skymender headed to the mail office. Although he usually had mail delivered to his house, it had stopped due to his prolonged absence. Once at the mail office, he picked up the mail that had been gathering for more than four years. Opening them up one at a time, he saw many letters from Li Youcai, who had heard about his journey but continued to faithfully send letters and money. Even after so many years, Li Youcai was doing great. He had even hired two new assassins. As Skymender counted up all the money, he was astonished. It was an unimaginable sum. Enough to buy his house three times over. He felt that it was the right decision to leave the assassination organization to Li Youcai. After writing a letter to Li Youcai, explaining that he would no longer have to send any money, and that he was the new owner, Skymender left the mail office. He visited his Aunt in the Imperial Capital, and had a few meals with her family before leaving. Over the next week and a half, many servants were constantly working. In addition, people were sent out to bring people from all over the Empire. After another half week, everything was set up, and everyone was gathered. Skymender once again attended the Imperial Scholar Camp. He once again started in the lowest tier of room. A day passed, and they had their first meeting at the Education building. Skymender saw Charles there. There were also a few other people from last time. Charles was much more refined. Skymender was now an adult, but the blindfold that covered his face was very obvious, and distracted others from realizing that fact. The Imperial Scholar explained the rules. Many of the new students were eager to have the chance to become the next Imperial Scholar. Only Skymender knew that this entire thing was a charade. He could not possibly lose to anyone here. Even Charles was no longer anything close to being his equal. Things were noticeably different this time. Everything moved much faster. Despite that, the Imperial Scholar only spoke for four hours a day, condensing his teachings greatly. For another four, he would teach Skymender personally. There was not much left to teach him, but everything left to learn was extremely advanced or classified knowledge. He was tutored on how to run the Empire as the Imperial Scholar, and how to deal with things such as corruption and war. Everything he needed to know about being the Imperial Scholar was taught to him. The first test came upon them. Same as before, there was a ranking board. As time passed, everyone noticed that Skymender''s name shot up. He was constantly at the top. The Imperial Scholar seemed to be in a rush with everything. A week passed, and surprisingly early, the great library was opened early. It was the Imperial Scholar''s way of repaying the people who were not focused on, as he was too focused on Skymender. Everyone''s growth increased, but none could compare to Skymender, who found that everything they were being taught, he already knew. As the days passed, he noticed Charles growing increasingly maddened. He felt as though he could not even touch Skymender''s coattails. Everything he had prepared for and believed was crumbling in front of him. The second week finished, marking the halfway point. Skymender moved into the penthouse of the dorm building. His points had reached 90. After a few more days, it reached a total of 100. Late one night, Skymender left the dorm building, heading towards the largest building in the Imperial Scholar Camp, The Tower. He stepped into the entrance, and was received by an elegantly dressed woman. Despite having stood here every Imperial Scholar camp, without a single customer, she remained standing with a great posture, and without the slightest sign of exhaustion. When she saw Skymender, she knew that she was looking directly at the next Imperial Scholar. "Welcome, Skymender. It is my pleasure to serve you." She said. Skymender nodded. The Tower was thin, and all that was in the lobby besides the lobby room itself was a spiraling staircase. Skymender began to walk up it. He felt a feeling that was hard to describe. It was as if with every step he took, he was elevated above the common people. Yet, the common people he referred to were also nobles. The majority of nobles could not longer compare to his status alone. Skymender eventually reached the top, which had a single, comfortable seat, and table facing the distance. From here, he could see the entire Imperial Scholar Camp, as well as most of the Empire. He let out a sigh. This was why it was worth 100 points. The feeling of being above everyone else was truly unimaginable. Chapter 716: Winners and Losers - 716 Chapter 716 - Winners and Losers - 716 As he sat there taking in the view, the servant came up behind him. "How do you like it, Sir Skymender?" The image in his head seemed to shatter like glass, replaced by darkness. Skymender chuckled. "It would be great if I didn''t have to imagine it." Naturally, as he was blind, it was completely impossible for him to see the Imperial Capital. He could only imagine how it looked from what he knew. But even that was enjoyable enough. More importantly, the wind blowing in his face let him truly understand the feeling. He only wished that he had come before being blind. Actually seeing it would be a sight to behold. Skymender ordered off the menu, which he could read due to the seeing through vibrations technique, and got his food rather quickly. As he ate, he compared it to Chef Master Garb''s food. It was very good, but not at that level. The whole point of it being worth 100 points was the view and the peace. It didn''t necessarily mean the food was better. Skymender soon left. There wasn''t much there for him. Over the next week, his complete dominance became commonplace and predictable. Everyone, besides Charles, was simply vying for third place. After all, Charles was also doing incredibly well. Provoked by Skymender, he pushed himself to the limits. Unfortunately, even with a photographic memory, it wasn''t enough. Skymender was in a different world. The only person above him at this point was the Imperial Scholar. Skymender''s performance did not lessen as the final week of the Imperial Scholar passed. The Imperial Scholar stood on the stage, leaning on his cane, speaking. "In second place is Charles. Well done. Finally, in first place, is Skymender, with the maximum attainable score of 200 points." Everyone looked at the Imperial Scholar seriously, waiting for the inevitable announcement that would be written in history books. "In that case, it seems that the future role of Imperial Scholar is Skymender''s." The room was silent, but everyone felt anticipation as they looked at Skymender. In the future, they could tell their children about the legendary Imperial Scholar Skymender. "Class dismissed." With that, the final Imperial Scholar Camp came to a close. Most people walked out, but two people remained. One was Skymender, who walked up to see the Imperial Scholar. The second was Charles, who sat in his seat with a resigned look on his face. As Skymender began to help the Imperial Scholar walk down the stairs of the stage, Charles spoke. "Was this anything but a sham?" The Imperial Scholar glanced at Charles before ignoring him. Skymender, however, turned and spoke. "This was the proper process. But yes, it was decided that I would be the Imperial Scholar long before this Imperial Scholar Camp." "My life''s pursuit, my hopes and dreams, ruined before I could even truly compete. I''ve only recently matured fully, but I lost long ago." Charles was speaking to himself, taking a deep look at his entire life. Skymender did not feel sympathy. There were losers and winners. Skymender was a winner. Charles was a loser. However, just because he had lost to Skymender did not mean that he was worthless. Skymender needed to stop thinking like a child of the Sky Barony, and more like the Imperial Scholar. Therefore, he did not completely ignore Charles. "You may not have become the Imperial Scholar, but it is only because I was born in this era. Let me ask you a question. Do you truly care about the Empire?" Skymender asked. Charles looked around for a moment, clearly thinking before speaking. "Yes. I am thankful for everything I have been given." Clearly Charles had some sort of backstory, but Skymender did not bother asking about it. "In that case, become my right hand man. If I die, you can replace me, and if I live, you can assist me. All for the sake of the Empire." Skymender said. Charles, who seemed completely in admittance of defeat, nodded. However, Skymender did not need someone with the mindset of a loser. "Stop being down. Are you really going to give up your ambitions so easily?" Charles looked up at him in surprise. "You were blessed with a natural memory greater than any other, and yet you sit here moping around. If that''s all you are, then it is not surprising you lost." Charles brows furrowed, anger appearing on his face. "In fact, if I knew you were such a loser, I would have never spoken those words before." Charles finally snapped. "Shut Up! I only lost because you cheated! You colluded with the Imperial Scholar! Don''t believe me? I''ll show you. Now that you''ve reached this point, where the Imperial Scholar can''t teach you much else, you''ll see what it''s like to be inferior!" Skymender nodded. "Then accept my offer with some more energy." Charles shouted. "I will join you, and I will surpass you. The Empire doesn''t need some cheater to be the Imperial Scholar, so when I surpass you, I''ll take that position myself." "Good." Skymender said. He turned around and left the room with the Imperial Scholar. "Well done." The Imperial Scholar said. Skymender nodded. He had learned from experience that it was best to have someone who could temporarily take over your position. Both Li Youcai and the Fatty had done this for him, and in the future, Charles would most likely do so. As Skymender and the Imperial Scholar left the Imperial Scholar Camp, rumors spread across the entire Imperial City, moving even further beyond it. "Did you hear? Apparently, the next Imperial Scholar will be Skymender of the Sky Barony." "The Sky Barony? Do you mean that ancient clan far away from here?" "Exactly. A child born there is to become the next Imperial Scholar. How incredible!" Rumors spread, some truer than others, but it all came to a peak when papers were posted all over the Imperial City. Tomorrow, the Emperor would be announcing some important news. It was not hard to put two and two together. Chapter 717: Announcement - 717 Chapter 717 - Announcement - 717 The entire Imperial Capital was in a state of excitement as the day passed. The next day, directly at noon, the vast majority of people within the Imperial Capital, including all of the nobles, gathered in a large crowd. As a bell rang, the Emperor walked onto a large stand. The Emperor was old, but not old enough to have trouble taking action. In fact, for his age, he seemed astonishingly agile. Next to him stood the Imperial Scholar, who had trouble walking, but made it up the stand. When the Emperor appeared, the entire Imperial Capital quieted down. They all looked up with respect and awe. The Emperor looked down below and spoke. "As seasons pass, so must those we hold dear. People who once ran the Empire retire, and new people fill their positions. Today, I am announcing the retirement of the Imperial Scholar." With his words, everyone confirmed what was happening. They all knew what would be said next. "In addition, I will be announcing the next Imperial Scholar." As he finished speaking, a new figure appeared on the stand. Skymender stepped forward, standing next to the Emperor and the Imperial Scholar. "I hereby announce the anointment of Imperial Scholar Skymender." The Emperor announced. The crowd erupted into cheers, extremely happy to see such an event take place. Many knew of Skymender''s genius, and held high hopes for the future. Although he wore a blindfold and could not see, Skymender could imagine the scene below him, with countless people cheering. It did not necessarily make him happy, or give him a feeling that what he had done was worth it. In fact, it only felt natural. He was absolutely qualified to be the Imperial Scholar, and he was no doubt at the top of the Empire. The Imperial Scholar spoke to him while looking down. "Since you can''t see it, I suppose I should let you know about some of the people cheering below. I see the kid you call Fatty, his father, your parents, most of your siblings, your fiance, and countless scholars from all around the Empire." Skymender nodded, thanking him. Soon, they all headed back inside the Imperial Palace. The Emperor turned to Skymender, speaking to him no longer as a child, but as the Imperial Scholar. "Go ahead and do what you need to do. In three days, you will begin your work, and you will be hard pressed to find free time. We have a lot to do. In the meantime, do you have any objections to coming and helping for now." His last sentence was directed at the Imperial Scholar. "I can. It is only natural that I, Fei Luzi, serve the Empire." The Emperor and Fei Luzi walked deeper into the Imperial Palace, while Skymender left it. He did indeed have some things that needed to be taken care of. He quickly made his way to his house, where he found a bunch of people waiting. "Welcome back, Skymender." They said in unison. Skymender nodded. All of them noticed the blindfold on his face, and began to ask questions. When they heard his explanation, most of them, especially his parents, sighed. "First a face mask, now a blindfold. And you still have that glove. If you weren''t able to heal your throat, your face would be completely unseeable." Many laughed. After a while, his family left. Those who had visited him were Skybelle, his father, his mother, and a few other siblings. Unfortunately, Skymerge was nowhere to be seen. In fact, when he asked his parents about it, they had told him bad news. "A few years ago, Skymerge disappeared. We haven''t seen or heard anything about him since." There was no information on the matter at all, as if he had simply stopped existing. He had simply been sleeping in his room, and when his parents woke up, he was gone. Skymender did not focus on it too much. There was nothing he could possibly do about it. Instead, he focused on Melly. It was finally time to fulfill the agreement made many years ago. Her parents and his parents were in the Imperial Capital, waiting until tomorrow. Then, he and Melly would get married. He did not have any romantic feelings for Melly, and merely viewed it as fulfilling an agreement, but she was very clearly happy. With the announcement of him becoming the Imperial Scholar being made, Melly''s parents were thrilled that their daughter would be marrying Skymender, a full reverse to how they felt when it was first mentioned. In addition, his parents decided to make it an open wedding, and spread the news about it. The wedding would be held outside the Imperial Capital, though just a walking distance away on a hill. Everything had been set up, and the next day, Skymender was dressed by servants, sent by his parents, and brought to the venue. The amount of people that showed up was in the thousands. After all, the announcement of him being the Imperial Scholar had happened only just yesterday. In addition, a shocking surprise occurred. The Imperial Family, along with the previous Imperial Scholar showed up. Even Skymender was surprised to see the Imperial Family. He immediately went over to see the Emperor. "How could I miss such an event when my Imperial Scholar is the main event." He laughed. It was a smooth and ordinary wedding, simply with a shocking attendance. In the end, Skymender kissed Melly, sealing their marriage. Afterwards, they went home. Nothing else happened. Skymender and Melly simply relaxed until it was time to sleep. That night, Skymender left the house. He moved quickly, reaching an area of high altitude. He sat in that area and stared at the stars thinking about the events of today. After an hour, he sighed. "It is peaceful, but it is not the type of life that I will live. My ambitions do not stop here. Even if I have to sacrifice everything, I will continue onwards. No complacency, no wife, no family, no loyalty could ever stop me." He felt as if every word he spoke was being etched into his heart, making it even firmer. His eyes grew cold, and so did his heart. "So let''s continue on with this game." Chapter 718: War Room - 718 Chapter 718 - War Room - 718 The next day, Skymender said farewell to most of his family as they left the Imperial Capital. Melly stayed behind. She was no longer just a member of the Mel Dukedom, but the Sky Barony as well. Normally, this would have been insignificant, but now that Skymender is the Imperial Scholar, it had a completely different meaning. Skymender got a good amount of rest, before finally arriving at the Imperial Palace early in the morning, when the sun''s light barely peaked over the horizon. The guards saw him and stood at attention. "Welcome, Imperial Scholar Skymender." Skymendwer nodded and walked past them. Not long after walking past the group of guards, he stumbled upon a group of attendants. "Welcome, Imperial Scholar Skymender. We have been ordered by the Emperor to show you what is now yours." The head butler said with a bow. Skymender nodded. The group of attendants led him towards a higher floor in the Imperial palace, and stopped at a door tall enough for two Skymender''s to fit in stacked on top of each other. Additionally, it was wide enough for one Fatty to fit through. Skymender pulled the doors open and walked in. Inside was an elegant chamber that could only be described as kingly. There was a large, golden bed, red carpet, and desks around the room. "If you''d like any renovations done, simply request it. Also, please look inside the chest." Sitting in the middle of the room was a fairly large chest. Skymender opened it up, and it was filled to the brim with gold. "This is a slight portion of your new wealth. If you want something done, it will be done. Even if you spend all of your money, you can dip into the Empire''s finances." The head butler explained. What was left unsaid was that, while Skymender could access the Imperial treasury, he better have a good reason for taking anything from it. Otherwise, he would have to answer to the Emperor. Although extremely rare throughout all of the Empire''s history, there have been Imperial Scholars who have been executed due to abusing their power, essentially committing treason. Skymender already knew not to abuse his power. Only a fool would. Skymender nodded. He was taken to another room. The walls were filled with books, there were countless blank papers and a large desk. In addition, there was a board and many writing utensils. "This is your office, Imperial Scholar Skymender." Skymender nodded. He was finally led to the throne room, where he met the Emperor. He was able to see everything in the throne room with his seeing through vibrations technique. In fact, many secrets in the Imperial Palace were revealed due to this technique. After all, a wall could not stop his vision. He did not pay much attention to any of it. None of these secrets were truly important to him or in general. At most, there were a few hidden rooms and a hidden tunnel system. Skymender already knew about most of it anyway, as the Imperial Scholar had taught him a lot. In the throne room, he walked up the stairs and stood on an equal level with Fei Luzi and the Emperor. "It''s about time. Now, we can officially begin." The Emperor turned to his head servant, the head servant of the Imperial Palace, and technically, the entire Empire. "Gather all of the officials, generals, and all other important figures. It is time for war." The Emperor''s sudden declaration surprised Skymender, as well as the head servant. The head servant nodded, not daring to waste a second. Servants spread out across the entire Imperial Capital, bringing news to many figures. Meanwhile, the Emperor led Skymender and Fei Luzi through a few halls, and into a large room. This room was one of the most important in the Empire, equal to the throne room. It was the war room. In the center was a large, round table, and on that table was a map. This was the most accurate map Skymender had ever seen. Mountains actually rose up, and valleys actually sunk down, showing Skymender the complete geography of the entire known world. Of course, some places were less in depth than others, and some places in the wilds were completely flat and black, showing that they were completely unknown lands. Skymender walked around the table as the Emperor spoke. "Soon, all of the higher ups in the Empire will gather, and we will begin to form a war strategy on the Ancient Empire. Tensions have grown greatly, and there is not much more time for peace." Skymender nodded. He moved over towards the land of the Ancient Empire. It was vast and diverse, sporting countless resources and more people than any other Empire in the world. Its Imperial Capital was grand, just as grand as the Imperial Capital of the Faceless Empire. As Skymender observed the map, people began to enter the room. Many were dressed in Scholar robes, while others were dressed in battle clothes. There were few in between. Sword Master Shang arrived first, having not been very far to begin with. His sister, Skybelle, showed up next. A few councilmen showed up, before a man with a large body appeared. He was Sword Master Gargantuan, someone Skymender was slightly familiar with. A few more councilmen came in, along with some generals, before Sword Master Deyr, the chief of the Imperial guard, entered the room. More people entered, including the two Sword Masters of the Empire that Skymender had never met before. One was named Zhao Shugang, while the other was named Yi Shuzanhao. Sword Master Yi Shuzanhao was particularly of note, as he was the strongest Sword Master below Sword Master Shang. He was the only other rank one Sword Master. Sword Master Gargantuan was a rank two Sword Master, though his physical power was above that of even a rank one. Sword Master Deyr and Sword Master Zhao Shugang were rank three Sword Master''s. Skybelle was rank four. Of course, it was long assumed that Sword Master Shang had surpassed the level of rank one Sword Master, but it was unconfirmed. Nobody in the world qualified to determine such a level. Chapter 719: Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao - 719 Chapter 719 - Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao - 719 Before long, every member of the Empire that had some sort of say in its affairs was in the war room. This included the Imperial Empress. Naturally, those who were not in the Imperial Capital could not make it quickly, but there were only a few such people, with most consisting of the four Kings of the Faceless Empire. The Emperor took the front, alongside Skymender and Fei Luzi. "I now officially commence the Faceless Empire''s war room meeting." The room quieted down at his words, with everyone paying great attention. The Emperor continued. "After many years, the time to face the Ancient Empire has come. As of now, we are at our peak. We have six Sword Masters, and two Imperial Scholars. If we cannot win now, then we will never win. The Ancient Empire has been playing on the defensive over the past year, and it is time that we finally launch an offensive. I will personally lead an army towards the Ancient Empire. Along with me will be Sword Master Shang, Sword Master Gargantuan, Sword Master Yi Shuzanhao, and Imperial Scholar Skymender. In addition, we will form a defensive perimeter. Block entrance to the Faceless Empire from the east. This army will consist of Sword Master Zhao Shugang and Sword Master Skybelle. Sword Master Deyr will remain in the Imperial Capital, defending it from any other threats. Now, onto the specifics." The Emperor, who had been planning for a long time, already had a general idea in his head. Although in most Empire''s this would be left to military strategists, Skymender found that the Emperor commanded the greatest intellect in the entire Empire, save for perhaps Fei Luzi and Skymender himself. However, most of this intellect was completely focused on war and ruling the Empire, allowing him to have a far deeper understanding of both than Skymender and Fei Luzi combined. Despite that, many great minds were usually more efficient than one. Everyone in the room occasionally chimed in, especially Skymender, Fei Luzi, and a few of the better military strategists. Within three hours, they had a fully formulated battle plan. No time was wasted at all. Within twenty four hours, soldiers were assembled. All over the Empire, armies got ready to march. The Imperial Capital was located on the eastern side of the Empire, so while the main army moved out directly, other armies from the four Kingdoms moved out following them. They would eventually group together. Skymender could not see everything, as the army was far too large. There were so many people that it was impossible for him to see the full extent of its manpower. But with the Emperor''s descriptions, it was sure to be breathtaking. The Imperial Scholar remained at the Empire along with the Crown Prince. They would manage the Empire while the Emperor was gone. "Although you are blind, I am aware that you can see more than most can with eyes, just within a limited distance." Skymender explained. "I can see within three hundred feet of me, which is the maximum limit of this technique. It is quite detailed and steady, but unfortunately, I cannot see anything not touching the ground unless it is giving off a large amount of vibrations, such as an arrow shooting at me." The Emperor nodded with satisfaction. "In that case, I''ll leave the commanding to me. If you want, please go out and fight." Skymender hesitated for a moment, before nodding. He had not brought a bow and arrow, as there was no longer any point, but he did have a sword and a bunch of poisons. He was actually looking forward to fighting while blind. Sword Master Shang sat on a large, open carriage with Skymender and the Emperor. In the distance, Skymender could see Sword Master Gargantuan''s large form. He could not see Sword Master Yi Shuzanhao, but he was told that he was riding on a horse among a few elite soldiers. This was the most awe inspiring army Skymender had ever seen, and it was one of the greatest in history. This march would not be a short one. Despite their fast speed and constant jogging, it would take around three months to reach the Ancient Empire''s defensive perimeter. They moved day and night, rarely stopping. Sometimes, many carriages and horses were used to transport everyone even faster than before, but such movement was only used half of the time, as the size of the army outnumbered the horses and other animals by more than twice as much. In order to move like that, three people had to sit on the same horse, which tired the horses out much quicker. Despite that, they moved an astonishing distance as the three months were up. A month ago, the armies from the other parts of the Empire caught up, bringing with them many more horses and many more men. This allowed nearly constant horse travel, which is the reason it took only three months. Otherwise, even seven months may not be enough. But it had all come to a peak as they approached their destination. Silence reigned over the army, the only sound being that of the ground shaking from so many feet. Suddenly, the Emperor spoke. "Charge!!!" Skymender could not see it, but the Ancient Empire''s army became visible in the distance the moment charge was shouted. Countless soldiers shouted as they charged forward. The Ancient Empire, who had received intelligence of the vast movement, had already deployed a great defensive army, no less imposing than the Faceless Empire''s army. Skymender jumped up and charged forward, shooting across the battlefield. Sword Master Shang and the Emperor stayed still. Sword Master Shang''s job was to protect the Emperor. Only when the Sword Grandmaster appeared would he leave. He sighed. "It has been a while, Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao." Although he had yet to spot the Sword Grandmaster, he could sense it. Only someone like him could sense the familiar aura of a master above masters. He looked at the Emperor. The Emperor looked back and nodded. "Go ahead." Sword Master Shang''s bearing changed. He had always been a calm master of the sword, high above others. However, as he took his first step off of the carriage, it transformed completely. As he moved at incomprehensible speeds, surpassing the entire army in seconds, his aura was that of a wild ancient monster. It was as if his slightest movement could cause mountains to crumble. At the same time that his aura burst out, so did another. This aura was refined and aged. It seemed to be withholding its sword, waiting to release it in one, devastating motion. These two blurs, which most could not even see, jumped in the air and collided between the two armies, bringing a strong wind and the unmistakable sound of sword clashing Chapter 720: Initial Clash - 720 Chapter 720 - Initial Clash - 720 The charging armies noticeably slowed down. Though they were still charging, it was clear that every single person was paying attention to the clash ahead. Skymender shouldn''t be able to see so far, but the immense tremors from the collision created vibrations he could sense even from afar. It painted an unbelievable and incomprehensible, yet blurry picture. Neither of the two Sword Master''s retreated. Their swords scraped past each other. Sword Master Shang propelled himself forward, merely inches away from the body of Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao, as he swung his sword up with immense power. Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao merely stepped back, pointing out with his sword at Sword Master Shang''s throat. This was a simple movement when described, but its profundity could not be understood by even a rank one Sword Master. This simple movement caused Sword Master Shang to shoot back. This was the first time Skymender had seen him retreat in all of his years of life. Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao stood firmly on the ground, his gaze calm, yet powerful. He seemed like a sword being charged up to swing. He took a step forward, his body blurring. They shot around, moving across the entire battlefield. Wherever they went, all that remained was destruction. Before the two armies had even met, multiple people had died on both sides. It was as if a natural disaster was also participating. With this, the two armies sped up again, before finally meeting. Sword Master Yi Shuzanhao charged forward, killing tens of enemies as he moved around the battlefield with ease. However, it was not long before someone stopped him, causing a duel to ensue. Although they fought within a more confined area, it was still a location of certain death for any who entered it, causing a circle that nobody dared to enter to form. Sword Master Gargantuan found himself facing two opponents. Both were rank two Sword Masters, though Sword Master Gargantuan seemed to be holding his own despite only being a rank two Sword Master himself. After all, he was nearing the threshold to become a rank one Sword Master. All of the Sword Master''s from the Faceless Empire were stalled, but there was a rank three Sword Master from the Ancient Empire causing havoc on the battlefield. He was the last Sword Master of the Ancient Empire that had been brought to battle. There were more in the Ancient Empire itself, but they were not present. Regardless, the strongest strength of both Empire''s was being shown. The strongest of each was present, and the rank one Sword Masters of each were present. Although the entire Ancient Empire had two more Sword Master''s than the Faceless Empire, there was only one rank one in each Empire, if you did not include Sword Master Shang, who was unofficially considered a Sword Grandmaster by both sides. It was unknown why he had not been officially called so, but not many questioned it. Skymender, sensing the rank three Sword Master of the Ancient Empire roaming unchecked, charged towards him. He was much more confident than he was of his old self. Meanwhile, the Emperor and some officials constantly directed the entire army. On the other side was the Emperor of the Ancient Empire, who was actually the grandson of Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao. It was known that Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao''s daughter had married the previous Emperor, and their son was the current Emperor. Despite that, the Emperor was no younger than the Faceless Empire''s Emperor, showcasing Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao''s ancient age. Skymender circled around the rank three Sword Master, who did not notice him due to the constant influx of enemies he was killing. Of course, this was not easy on him. Despite being a rank three Sword Master, he was not even close to being strong enough to kill an entire army of this size. The standard used to describe Sword Master''s was not for full on Empire wars, but for small skirmishes of around ten thousand people. Yet, there were more than a hundred thousand fighting on each side. Skymender waited patiently. Although many died under the Sword Master''s sword, their lives would not be in vain. As the battle continued on for two hours, the Sword Master had grown tired and injured. He began to retreat. Although he would not be able to slaughter an entire army, nothing could stop him from retreating. Suddenly, as he retreated, he felt danger from behind. He dodged just in time, though he received a minor scratch from Skymender''s sword. The sword had the paralysis poison on it, but due to how slight the scratch was, he only felt a little numb, but it slowed his reaction time. Skymender broke three bottles of poison, causing a mist to spring out. He would not have attacked if he was unsure of success. Unfortunately, this was the battlefield, where anything could happen and the rules were completely different. Anywhere else, the Sword Master would have surely died. Just as Skymender was about to stab the Sword Master, he lowered his shoulder and moved to the left. Without turning around, his sword stabbed behind him, piercing someone''s eye. This gave the Sword Master time to escape the mist, though Skymender followed. The Sword Master was coughing and clutching his chest, clearly fearful, as he ran towards the Ancient Empire''s back lines. Skymender chased him, but was stopped by soldiers on multiple occasions. This was the battlefield, and he was not above it. Due to constant interference, the Sword Master got away, but Skymender did not care too much. He was surely not to be in any more trouble for now. In that case, Skymender decided to start a massacre. Due to the distance between the Empire''s, heavy artillery was not brought. It would require years to reach this area. Instead, it was almost solely used for defense. Rarely, however, a long planned out attack included them, or perhaps a war between close Empire''s. Due to that, the deadliest weapons present could only harm a few tens of people at a time, not much at all. However, Skymender had developed many devastating poisons. There were no other poison masters in the Empire, and from the information he had, there were none in the Ancient Empire. After all, even with his intelligence, he had nearly died multiple times while studying poisons. Others were doomed from the start. Chapter 721: The Serpent Master Takes Action - 721 Chapter 721 - The Serpent Master Takes Action - 721 Although there were surely poisons within the Empire, there weren''t necessarily any that could cause large-scale destruction, such as the few of Skymender''s poisons. Even if there were, they were most likely being saved for a defensive battle. That way, they could be used the most effectively with minimal losses on their side. Skymender, however, did not have any such concerns. The Emperor could worry about the future battles, as this was surely not the last, but Skymender decided to focus on doing as much damage as possible during this battle. He fought his way into the enemy lines, slaughtering them as they came. Compared to Sword Master''s, he actually had the advantage of sight. He could see in every single direction around himself, allowing him to slaughter enemies at all angles without having to worry about being stabbed in the back. In addition, he noticed every arrow that flew past him. Despite that, the sheer amount of enemies caused him to slowly accumulate enemies. Fighting with all of his might, he managed to make his way so far into enemy lines that he could not sense any allies within the area of his sight. Skymender threw three vials of mist poison into the air. As they hit the ground, mist sprouted all over the battlefield. In just a few moments, hundreds of soldiers were killed. Skymender moved around freely, not hindered by the poison at all. Both sides had noticed the poison sprout up, and even the Sword Master''s began to slowly move their fights over. After all, such large-scale destruction was unacceptable. The Faceless Empire''s Sword Masters saw that the damage was affecting the Ancient Empire''s side, and did their best to restrict their opponents from getting closer. However, there was one fight where this could not happen. Blurs appeared as two figures stood on each side of Skymender. His eyes widened as they exchanged tens of attacks before they disappeared elsewhere. Skymender had been unable to react, and spat out blood. The mere shockwaves had rendered him injured. Luckily, it was clear that Sword Master Shang tried to protect him. Otherwise, there would no longer be a Skymender in this world. Despite his injuries, he was still in the area of mist, which meant that he would not be harmed by charging soldiers. Unfortunately, arrows flew at him from all directions. He began to move around, doing his best to dodge. He was scratched a few times, but was able to remain unharmed for the most part. He began to throw even more poisons around. He had already seen the consequences, and was willing to risk it. On the side of the Ancient Empire, a young looking man stood next to the Emperor. Despite his youthful look, he was actually in his thirties. The Emperor assessed the situation before speaking. "You may need to take action." The young looking man surveyed the land, his eyes spotting Skymender. "Is that the new Imperial Scholar of the Faceless Empire, Skymender?" The Emperor nodded. "It seems so. Beware of him. Since he had been placed in such a position while Fei Luzi is alive, it means that Fei Luzi approves of his talent and skill. In addition, it means that he should already have been taught everything that Fei Luzi knows, even if he hasn''t deeply comprehended it. It would be better if you could kill him today." The young looking man nodded. "I''ll see what I can do." He leaped off of the moving cart and ran forward. Although he was only slightly faster than the average soldier, everyone he passed looked at him with respect. As he got closer to Skymender''s position, which was in the sea of Ancient Empire soldiers, the ground began to shake. Snakes began to slither out, covering his body. The young looking man pulled out a flute and began to play. Although it sounded as if no sound was coming out to a human, the snakes heard it perfectly. They stopped crawling on him, and looked over at Skymender. In an instant, Skymender sensed a multitude of snakes crawling towards him. He sensed around him, and spotted a person with a flute and snakes on his body near the end of his sensing range. He turned his head towards the young looking man, who was surprised to see the blindfold on his face. "They said that the new Imperial Scholar is blind, yet can see. It seems that it is true." The young looking man muttered. Skymender began to run towards the young looking man, who began to back up. If Skymender had relied on eyes, he would have never found the young looking man, but through sensing vibrations, he could easily pinpoint him. The young looking man began to move backwards while playing his flute. Skymender struggled to move towards him due to the soldiers blocking his way, causing him to stop giving chase and continue the slaughter. Potions flew, but from the ground three snakes attacked in unison. Although Skymender easily killed all three with three sweeps of his sword, they had served as a new variable. There was a limited number of people that could attack Skymender at the same time due to the size of human bodies, but with the snakes added, Skymender had more opponents in that same range, causing him to instantly suffer a scratch. Skymender knew that it would be impossible to ignore the young looking man, and began to once again give chase. He knew who this was, as he had already learned from the Imperial Scholar not too long ago. This was the Serpent Master of the Ancient Empire, someone considered equal to Sword Masters. It was said that he had mastered some sort of long lost, impossible to practice art, giving him this ability. Skymender too had learned such an ability, which was the very technique that allowed him to see through vibrations. Despite the constant fighting, Skymender was able to slowly close in on the Serpent Master. Suddenly, he sensed something below him and hurriedly shot to the side, crashing through multiple figures. Chapter 722: Little Venomous Snake - 722 Chapter 722 - Little Venomous Snake - 722 Just as Skymender dodged to the side, a large snake shot up from below where he had stood. This was a snake that Skymender knew of, the titanoboa. An ordinary human would not be able to survive encountering such a monster. The Serpent Master was surprised, yet never stopped playing his flute. Numerous snakes burst out from the ground below, forcing Skymender to repeatedly dodge. What was most annoying was that he could barely sense these snakes. They seemed to be in such a dormant state that their vibrations were nearly unnoticeable. Skymender realized that this battlefield had been set up with traps long ago, the traps being countless snakes slumbering underground. As Skymender continued to dodge and occasionally kill snakes, the Serpent Master began to play his flute even faster, though it still could not be heard by human ears. Multiple snakes began to attack him at the same time. Some were small, while some were large. Some were venomous, and some were not. Skymender never stopped swinging his sword, felling countless humans and snakes. Despite everything, he was only suffering minimal injuries and was still closing in on the Serpent Master. He threw poisons everywhere, which stopped the humans, but did nothing to the snakes. They were naturally resistant to most poisons. Despite his incredible display of power, after a few minutes, Skymender felt a small snake bite into his leg. He quickly decapitated it, but this snake had been venomous. Skymender could feel the venom traveling through his blood stream. However, he ignored it. It was extremely unlikely to affect him due to his resistance, and even if it did, he wouldn''t be able to do anything about it. If he wanted to leave the battlefield in search of an antidote, he''d have to go through the sea of soldiers. He did not have enough poisons to cover the entire battlefield, or even cover the battlefield from one end to the other, which meant he had to save them for dangerous situations. Skymender ignored the venom and continued to slaughter his way through the army. Although snakes continued to attack him, he managed to defend against all of them as he approached the Serpent Master. Despite Skymender getting closer and closer, he had never once shown any sort of fear Skymender suddenly threw a poison in the air, towards the Serpent Master. The Serpent Master blew into his flute. At the same time, a snake shot up from the ground as the poison was about to smash onto the ground. It caught the poison, swallowing it and preventing it from breaking. Skymender did not stop, he threw three more poisons in the air, these looking different than the ones from before. As three snakes tried to swallow them, the poisons burst. The three snakes wailed in agony as they were quickly corroded from the inside out. Skymender took this opportunity to close in on the Serpent Master, whose eyes narrowed. Suddenly, an even larger rumbling sound than before filled the area. Skymender was just a few feet away from the Serpent Master, but was forced to retreat as shock filled his face. A giant snake burst from the ground around the Serpent Master, instantly swallowing him whole. This snake was far bigger than a titanoboa and looked like a snake of legend. It was as big as a carriage. What Skymender noticed through vibration, however, indicated that the snake had no teeth and was not venomous. Despite that, its sheer weight was enough to crush him. The large snake slithered through the battlefield, eventually reaching the Emperor''s side. It opened its mouth, and the Serpent Master stepped out. The Emperor looked at him, and the Serpent Master shook his head. "I was unable to kill him. Now that I understand how he works, it will be difficult for him to survive our next encounter." The Emperor nodded before once again focusing on the battlefield. Skymender began to retreat back across enemy lines. Although he had already killed more than four hundred people, his energy was starting to wane and injuries were starting to build up. A trail of blood followed him as he retreated, a combination of his and his enemies. He finally made his way onto the most chaotic battlefield, where it was most convenient to move around. Every now and then, he heard booms or saw blurs, showing that both of the Empire''s strongest Sword Masters were still fine. Skymender soon made his way back to the Emperor''s side, where he began to heal. "How was it?" The Emperor asked. He had been unable to see Skymender for the majority of his attack. "It was alright." Skymender said. "I killed hundreds and fought that Serpent Master. I even made a Sword Master retreat." The Emperor nodded with surprise visible on his face. "Not many have ever fought against the Serpent Master and lived. Fighting against a Sword Master and the Serpent Master in the same day and surviving is even more impressive." Skymender agreed. Had it been almost anyone else, they would have died today. The biggest threat had actually been that little snake that had bit him, injecting venom into his leg. Even he could feel a bit of heat coming from it, which showed just how powerful it was. Had it been anyone else bitten, they would have died rather quickly. Skymender observed what he could of the battlefield while healing. Occasionally, he suggested some sort of movement, which the Emperor almost always agreed to. Both Empire''s seemed at a standstill, but this was only the first day of fighting. As the sun fell and began to cast an orange glow on the sky, both the Emperor''s shouted. "Retreat!" The fighting slowly began to stop. Some people still died, but the majority of soldiers didn''t swing their weapons after the Emperor''s spoke. None of them were uninformed, and understood that a temporary cease fire had been called due to the time of day. This was usually how war worked. If there was an intense advantage on one side, they might continue without stopping, but in long, even battles like this, the common practice was to stop the fight as the sun fell. Chapter 723: The Battlefield - 723 Chapter 723 - The Battlefield - 723 Many groups of soldiers formed many different camps. The most important camp formed was naturally that which formed around the Emperor. There was only one person missing from the camp, Sword Master Shang. Although the two Emperors had declared a temporary state of non battle, nothing could stop the two most powerful beings on the continent. They merely took their fight elsewhere out of respect for their Emperors. Skymender sat among the most powerful people in the Empire, yet even among them, he was considered to be at the top. Some of them had injuries, while some looked the same as they had yesterday. Naturally, this was because some had fought, while others had not. Sword Master Gargantuan looked particularly injured, but it only made him even more intimidating. It was only to be expected, as he had been fighting two Sword Masters of the same rank as himself. In comparison, not many others attending had major injuries. As the night grew deeper, they began to plan out various methods of attack and plans. Not much changed from before they fought, but they made some minor changes in order to adapt to the Ancient Empire''s tactics. They did not stay awake for very long, as every single one of them needed rest. Skymender found himself a cozy tent and fell asleep. He was awoken by a loud horn. He got up and prepared himself, as did countless other soldiers. Before long, the Emperor shouted. "Charge!" Once again, war began. The Sword Masters found their opponents even faster, while Sword Master Shang and Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao fought within sight once again. It was impossible to tell if either had an upper hand or if either was winning. Due to how long their fight was lasting, it could be assumed that both had yet to go all out, as such a battle would likely end within minutes. Skymender charged into battle as well, throwing poisons far into the enemy''s territory. However, not long after he entered the enemy''s battlefield, he was attacked by two notable people. One was the Serpent Master, while the other was the third rank Sword Master he had injured yesterday. Clearly, the Ancient Empire had decided to stop withholding any forces. Skymender quickly retreated to the main battlefield where both sides met, and began to fight the two enemies. He quickly cleared out an area with a few mist poisons, which stopped both the Serpent Master and the third rank Sword Master from coming near him. However, just as he did so, tens of enemies from the Ancient Empire''s side began to shoot arrows at him. In addition, the Sword Master threw throwing knives, while the Serpent Master controlled snakes with his flute to surround Skymender. Skymender quickly realized that he was at an immense disadvantage and left the poison mist, entering the sea of warriors. This stopped the arrows from being shot, as there was a high chance that it would hit an ally, but it only made his situation against the Serpent Master and the third rank Sword Master worse. The battlefield was truly a different place, where things that would not normally work worked. Skymender did not have any obvious advantage against the Serpent Master or the Sword Master, and when their efforts combined, he struggled to gain the upper hand. Just as Skymender was about to retreat further, the Serpent Master spoke. "Skymender. Me and you should talk." Skymender ignored him. He couldn''t imagine caring about anything he had to say. All three of them played a game of cat and mouse across the battlefield. Skymender knew that he would be unable to kill them, so he simply drew their attention. In this way, they would be unable to wreak havoc. They also noticed this, but when they tried to disengage, Skymender would get aggressive. Essentially, Skymender was locking down two powerful figures of the Empire. The Sword Master had no excuse, but the Serpent Master seemed annoyed, as if he was unable to truly display his full power. He mumbled to himself. "Just you wait. When I have the proper time to prepare, I''ll show you why I am no less of a threat than Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao." The battle continued for hours, hundreds dying often. The armies were both visibly thinning, with nobody clearly coming out on top. Suddenly, in the middle of the battlefield, two figures appeared. One had mid length gray hair, and an ancient face. He held a sword calmly, with the bearing of an elder. Across from him was a man who seemed middle aged. He held a sword, but was anything but calm. He gave off the feeling of an unrestrained beast, and there was blood visible in many places of his body. The ancient looking man spoke, his voice reaching Sword Master Shang, seemingly ignoring the sounds of the battlefield. "Though I don''t mind killing you today, it is not yet the time. For now, we will call this a draw. The next time we fight, I can''t promise you will live." Although it seemed as if they had been evenly matched during their fight, their current states attested to the fact that, though only by a little, Sword Master Shang was indeed a bit inferior. "The next time we meet, I won''t hold back either." Sword Master Shang responded. Though he did not give off the calm and ancient feeling of the man in front of him, he gave off the feeling of a man with infinite potential. It seemed as though, even if the sky fell, he would remain tall. Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao merely shook his head before turning around. "Next time, I''ll show you why I am a Sword Grandmaster, Shang." Sword Master Shang watched as he calmly walked towards the Ancient Empire''s side. Any person that came near him, ally or foe, was cut into pieces in an instant. It was hard to even tell if he was drawing his sword. Not too long after he left, the Ancient Empire and the Faceless Empire began a mutual retreat. Skymender stopped fighting as well, returning to the Faceless Empire camp. Chapter 724: Return and Reports - 724 Chapter 724 - Return and Reports - 724 Skymender returned to the Faceless Empire''s camp and once again saw Sword Master Shang. He clearly had some injuries, but he was standing as calmly as he had when Skymender first met him. The Emperor spoke to everyone in the surroundings, including the soldiers who could hear him. "Although many have died in this battle, it is not a battle wasted. Neither Empire had the upper hand, and to avoid even more deaths, we have mutually agreed to stop here today. Though more battle exists in the near future, do not fear, for you fight not only for yourselves, but for the people you care about in the Faceless Empire. Your wives and children, your mothers and grandmothers, your elders and your neighbors. Never forget who you fight for." His speech declared the end of the battle, as well as reminded the soldiers why they fought. If one looked at the situation closely, and with a greater understanding, they would realize that, in the eyes of the common people, this war would not do any good. It was fueled by the Faceless Empire''s aggression, and the Ancient Empire, so far, had merely fought back. Of course, there were claims that they had been preparing to start a war of conquest for a long time, but in the end, they had taken no action until after the Faceless Empire. Essentially, this war was for dominance over the known world. If the Faceless Empire won, then the world would belong to the Emperor. If the Faceless Empire lost, then the world would belong to the Emperor of the Ancient Empire. This was a war so important that the likes of it had never been seen throughout all of history, and it all began with one man, the Emperor. The Faceless Empire''s army began to travel back to the Faceless Empire. Although many horses had been lost in the battle, so had many soldiers. There were enough horses to carry back everyone at a fast speed. Within half a year, they had all returned to the Faceless Empire. Some had died of injuries along the way, and some had been healed. Skymender returned with the group that went to the Imperial Capital. As they returned, they were welcomed with a festival. Although they had not necessarily won, they had also not lost. This was a good enough outcome. The ordinary soldiers that returned participated in the festivities, while those like Skymender, whose decisions were important within the Empire, merely rode a large carriage through the Imperial Capital towards the Imperial Palace. They gathered in the war room, digesting everything that happened. Most notable was the statements from the Sword Masters. First was the weakest that had participated, Sword Master Gargantuan. Although technically the weakest, he was surely among the greatest Sword Masters in the world. "Those two were definitely difficult to fight together, but I suspect that they have actually worked on their teamwork. Otherwise, it would not have been so one sided. I also believe that it is important to note that I feel like I''m approaching the level of a rank 1 Sword Master." Sword Master Gargantuan explained. It was not completely unexpected, as he had fought back against two rank 2 Sword Masters. What determined a Sword Masters rank was more or less their pure skill using the Sword. Sword Master Gargantuan, though extremely large and strong, was only a rank 2 Sword Master in terms of skill with the Sword. This meant that Yi Shuzanhao could defeat him. Everyone was glad to hear Sword Master Garagantuan''s announcement and gave their congratulations. It was important to know that, even in the entire history of the Faceless Empire, and any Empire in fact, there had never been more than two rank 1 Sword Masters at the same time. It was actually much more common for there to be no rank 1 Sword Masters in an Empire than two. This also went for a large part of the history of the Faceless Empire, though the Ancient Empire had always had at least one rank 1 Sword Master. If Sword Master Gargantuan could become a rank 1 Sword Master, then the Faceless Empire would be the first Empire in history to have three rank 1 Sword Masters at the same time, even if it was only true because Sword Master Shang was technically not a Sword Grandmaster. Regardless, having someone near the level of a Sword Grandmaster, as well as two rank 1 Sword Masters, was even better than three rank 1 Sword Masters. The next to speak was Yi Shuzanhao, who reported his battle with the rank 1 Sword Master of the Ancient Empire. "We are essentially completely even. A winner between us is unlikely, but if it were to happen, it could be either me or him, a 50 50 chance." Although the news was not as good as Sword Master Gargantuan''s, it was still good news. They were even, which was much better than Yi Shuzanhao being inferior. The final one to report was Sword Master Shang. When he began to speak, the room became so silent that a pen dropping would sound as loud as a cannon. Although it had been quiet when the other two had spoken, and everyone had paid attention, this silence was more of a deathly silence than a focused silence, despite everyone being even quieter than before, doing their best to not breathe loudly. Sword Master Shang began to speak. "Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao is still stronger than me, but not by much. If he wanted to kill me, he would most likely die in the process as well. In addition, he is old and his Sword arts have plateaued. I am still young compared to him, and can grow. Within twenty or thirty years, I should enter the level of a Sword Grandmaster." Though this was undoubtedly good news, everybody knew that the fate of the Faceless Empire and the Ancient Empire would be decided within twenty years. By the time he became a Sword Grandmaster, there may or may not be a Faceless Empire left in the world. Chapter 725: Allies and Enemies - 725 Chapter 725 - Allies and Enemies - 725 After the Sword Masters statements, everyone else in the room began to give statements. Some were bland and expected, while others were extremely similar to the reports of others. Few had anything truly useful to say, but all of it was worth something. When Skymender began to speak, nobody expected much, just some average report, but as he spoke more, some jaws began to drop. He began with how he fought a third rank Sword Master, sending him retreating, before describing his massacre into the army. He described his first encounter with the Serpent Master, as well as his second encounter with both the Serpent Master and the third rank Sword Master. Hearing his statement, many failed to hide their astonishment. Some barely believed him at all. However, there were also people who had seen some of his activity and confirmed it on his behalf. To put it loosely, Skymender did more than some of the Sword Masters. He had killed more than a thousand people, and had faced off against two terrifying threats that could each kill thousands. Skymender could even be given credit for the fact that the Faceless Empire hadn''t experienced defeat. If Skymender had not been there, then the Serpent Master and the third rank Sword Master could have caused immeasurable damage to the Faceless Empire army. When he finished speaking, the Emperor clapped. Naturally, he had already reported this to the Emperor on their long ride back, but hearing it once again made the Emperor still give his applause. Skymender thanked him, and the people who began to clap, before they continued on with the statements of others. In the end, the meeting lasted a few hours before most of the people left to rest. Skymender, however, had no time to do such a thing. Most of the Sword Masters who had not participated in the war were forming a defensive line far away from the Imperial Capital. That army was naturally not to defend against a surprise attack from the Ancient Empire, but to deal with any lesser threats that came, as well as to report any suspicious activity. This was involved with what Skymender started talking with the Emperor and the Imperial Scholar about. It was time to bring allies into the war, and likewise, the Ancient Empire would bring their allies. Although there were no Empires like the Ancient Empire and the Faceless Empire, there were a few which were powerful enough to note. In total, there were four Empires with first rank Sword Masters. The Ancient Empire and the Faceless Empire accounted for two of the four. Of the remaining two, one was allied with the Faceless Empire, while the other was allied with the Ancient Empire. The Empire allied with the Faceless Empire was known as the Golden Sparrow Empire. The Empire allied with the Ancient Empire was known as the Golden Eagle Empire. Their names were similar, and for a reason. Years ago, more than two hundred, the Golden Phoenix Empire had been a behemoth nearly equal in strength to the Ancient Empire of the time. In fact, they had been just about equal with the Faceless Empire of today, minus Sword Master Shang and such a great Emperor. However, due to internal conflicts, which were not extinguished by the Emperor of that time, the Empire had a civil war. It ended with the Golden Phoenix Empire being split into two, and eventually falling from their period of glory. Now, both remnants had gained a first rank Sword Master, and had been at for a long time. The war between the Ancient Empire and the Faceless Empire got their attention, and they each allied with one of the two.. These were the greatest allies of each Empire, but there were also smaller Empire''s that had allied with them. Some had a rank two Sword Master, while some only had a rank three Sword Master. Regardless, their forces would be of great help. The Emperor, Skymender, and Fei Luzi each began to work on plans and messages to send to the allied Empires. In the end, it took nearly an entire day, but everything that needed to be sent out had been sent out. M With all of the urgent matters settled, the Emperor gave them some rest time. Skymender had planned to rest in his house, but the Imperial Scholar dragged him across the Imperial Capital towards a familiar restaurant. It was the very restaurant that Skymender had sold to the Fatty. There was a long line going out of it. Naturally, this line did not apply to kymender and Imperial Scholar. They walked past the line, and though some shot them looks of displeasure, they quickly changed their faces when they recognized them. In the Imperial Capital, it was easier to find a bar of gold laying on the ground than it was to find someone that did not recognize the two of them. They calmly made their way to the door, where they were quickly greeted as honored guests. The Fatty himself soon came over, clearly sweating from how he ran, and took them to the top floor. There didn''t happen to be any people eating at the top floor yet, so they had the entire floor. After ordering something to eat, Skymender sent the Fatty away. It was clear that the Imperial Scholar wanted to talk to him about something. In the empty room, the Imperial Scholar''s face turned serious. "Skymender, you are the Imperial Scholar, and as such, I should pass on everything I know to you, and though I have just about done that, there is still one thing left." The Imperial Scholar took a deep breath before continuing. "You need to know about the Emperor and who he truly is." Skymender was completely silent, focusing deeply. "What you first must understand is that the current Emperor is not of the same bloodline as the Emperor''s years past. He was born a commoner, in a time where the Empire was ruled in a far different manner." Chapter 726: Wu Xiang - 726 Chapter 726 - Wu Xiang - 726 "From birth, the Emperor had always been exceptional. He learned to speak, read, and walk at an extremely fast pace. Yet as he grew, so did his ambition. I don''t know all of the details from that time, but I know that he ended up marrying into a noble family of the Ergen Kingdom. They were a count''s family." "That count had two sons and one daughter, who the Emperor had married. Not long after he entered the family, the Count passed away due to a disease, and his eldest son took up the mantle. Shockingly, the second son of the family was murdered by a vengeful commoner as he walked down the street, or that''s what the story tells." The Imperial Scholar said. "But the truth may not be so simple. Two weeks later, the eldest son disappeared mysteriously. No matter how much was investigated nothing was found. Eventually, it was ruled that he had run away somewhere, and the youngest daughter, who the Emperor had married, became the head of the family and the new Count. A month later, she gave this title to her husband, an unknown commoner who had married into the family." "This created quite the stir. Regardless of what investigations went on, she continuously stated that she had done it willingly and that it was for the sake of the future of the family. Although those who served under the family felt that there would be bleak days ahead, the territory flourished, reaching a new peak and an incredible golden age. The golden age was so incredible that even the King of the Ergen Kingdom had taken notice." "After five years of leading the family through an incredible amount of growth, the Emperor, who at that time was merely 19 years old, was summoned by the King. I''m not sure what happened there, but when he came back, he made the decision to go to the Royal Capital and serve the Kingdom as the head of economy." The Imperial Scholar paused for a moment. "This is what I was able to scrounge up from various books and accounts. I had to connect many dots to understand this so far. However, at this point, I, who was already the Imperial Scholar, began to pay attention to the man known as Wu Xiang, or as he is known now, the Emperor." The Imperial Scholar continued. "Wu Xiang entered the Royal Capital, leaving the Count''s family behind, and gaining the noble title of Earl. As the Earl of Wu, he worked directly under the King of the Ergen Kingdom for five years, making the entire Kingdom''s economy increase by 20%, an unfathomable number considering no great changes happened. However, after those five years, something weird happened." "I suppose I should start this part by first saying that not many people had seen the Earl of Wu, even back when he was the head of the Counts family. It should also be noted that the woman he had married died not long after he left for the Royal Capital. Her cause of death was never determined." "Now, after five years of increasing prosperity, the Earl of Wu vanished. At the same time, a long period of time passed in which the Faceless Empire''s then Emperor did not receive any reports or papers from the Ergen Kingdom. Due to their flourishing economy, he feared some sort of rebellion was occurring. He sent a bunch of officials, as well as the young Sword Master Shang, who had only been a 2nd rank Sword Master at the time. When they arrived, they did not find any hint of rebellion at all. Simply that the King had fallen sick and was temporarily in a coma. The officials found the 4th son, who the King had pronounced his successor in the event of his sickness or death, and proclaimed him the temporary king." The Imperial Scholar focused on this point. "Yet, no matter how much I tried to remember, and no matter how many records I looked at, there had been no mention of a fourth son of the King of the Ergen Kingdom. Considering this involved a royal family, I had always found this weird and suspicious. However, most didn''t even notice anything was off, and those who did simply ignored it." "The fourth son of the Ergen Kingdom, who looked quite old for a so-called fifteen year old, became the King of the Ergen Kingdom." The Imperial Scholar looked deeply at Skymender. "If you can''t tell where I am going with this, I believe that Wu Xiang, the future Emperor, was the fourth son of the Ergen Kingdom." Skymender was shocked. "If he took a different identity, how do you identify him as Wu Xiang?" "That is because that is the name of the current Emperor, as well as the name of the Earl of Wu who so mysteriously disappeared. It is indeed simply speculation, but the Emperor has told me that he was not of Imperial blood. In fact, he has never tried to hide any of this from me, he has simply never spoken about it." Skymender understood it a bit better. "Continuing, the Ergen Kingdom continued to flourish under the rule of the fourth son, even as the King unfortunately passed away. Following everything so far, it seems that wherever the Emperor went, the economy flourished. Not much was seen of the fourth son''s family after that. He ruled as the King of the Ergen Kingdom for ten years before dying in an assassination attempt from another Empire. That Empire was soon destroyed." "This is the point where I can tell you something with absolute certainty. Overnight, the Emperor and the Imperial Family were replaced. The stench of blood filled the entire Imperial Palace. I did not dare to leave my room, as one of the most important figures in the Empire had given me a warning as he walked past me that day." The Imperial Scholar was clearly shaken as he spoke of this, but continued anyways. "It was none other than Sword Master Shang. He simply told me, don''t leave your room today." "Although the Emperor of the Faceless Empire had been seen by fewer people than the amount of fingers on two hands, and the same went for the Imperial Family, I had seen them a few times before, and after that night, there was a new face." Chapter 727: Magical - 727 Chapter 727 - Magical - 727 "Not long after, the Faceless Empire changed. From a state of slow decline, it began to grow explosively. Sword Master Shang made his appearance as a once in history genius of the sword, the economy flourished, then the Emperor of the Faceless Empire, for the first time in generations, made a public appearance. From then on, the Faceless Empire changed. Being called the Faceless Empire no longer makes any sense, but it would be a bit much to change the name." The Imperial Scholar finished, taking a drink of water. Skymender was completely bewildered. He had never expected that the Emperor could have such a history. It was truly legendary beyond measure. Although some of the story could not be 100% confirmed, such as the Earl of Wu and the Emperor being the same person, it all made sense. What truly made it a believable story was the fact that the Imperial Family had changed over night. "Skymender. I tell you this for two reasons. One, simply so that you understand who it is you are working with. Two, so that you can understand why I am so confident that we will win this war. The Emperor grew from a commoner to the Emperor of one of the two strongest Empires in the world. It would be hard to believe that we could lose." With all of this information shared, Skymender and the Imperial Scholar ate a meal on the top floor of the restaurant he had once owned. The Fatty did not allow them to pay, and they left without staying for too long. Both of them returned to the Imperial Palace, where they began to work. There was a lot to do to manage an Empire, and as the new Imperial Scholar, Skymender had been slacking a bit. Luckily, with the help of the past Imperial Scholar, he managed to work at twice the speed. Despite that, the work was never truly done. Within an entire Empire, there was always something to do. Skymender also spent a fair amount of time in the throne room, where he would watch and occasionally take place in matters brought before the Emperor. Some involved groups, while some involved individuals. He saw people rewarded and punished, and he himself had spoken about the rules of the Empire more than once, affecting life and death decisions of commoners more than once. He felt like he was like the Imperial Scholar when he had first met him. Time passed as the Empire experienced temporary peace. Before he knew it, Skymender turned 21 years old. Although it wasn''t much of a milestone, he was now firmly rooted in adulthood. He stood tall, around six foot five inches. His body was thin, much like a scholars, yet packed with more power than someone thrice his size. He was blind, but he could see more than most. The only thing to miss was looking at the sky. He could still read, but it was quite difficult in most instances. Thinking about reading made him think about Skymerge. From what he understood, his disappearance was a complete mystery. No matter how much investigation occurred, there were no tracks of him. It reached the point of being beyond abnormal, and reaching the point of being magical. Thinking of the magical also made him think of the girl that he had met long ago, someone that the crown prince of the Ergen Kingdom had introduced to him. She had been a potential Sword Master, and she told him the story of a man she saw, who cut apart the sky and uttered his name, Skymender. He still failed to fully understand everything that had happened around him over his years of life, but he had long put pieces together, and the possibility caused him to not dare even think any further. There was also what the crown prince had told him long ago. The Sky doesn''t move, but the world still rotates. He hadn''t understood it before, but he had an inkling of what it meant now. After hearing the Imperial Scholars story, he realized that the entire Ergen Kingdom was not what it was like before the Emperor. The crown prince most likely knew more than the majority of people, perhaps even more than the Imperial Scholar, about the truth of the Emperor. His words were most likely related to the Emperor, and more specifically, his plan to take over the world. Surprisingly, even to this day, he didn''t fully understand what it meant or why he had said it to him. Regardless, he knew he would find out at some point. Thinking back to the potential Sword Master that the crown prince had shown him, he remembered that she had insisted on following him for a while. She had been gone for a long time, as Skymender didn''t want her following him around. As for whether or not she was still paying any attention to him, he did not know. She was inconsequential to him, unless she became a Sword Master of course. Most interestingly was the old man she had spoken about, who had destroyed the sky and mended it again. It was impossible for him to tell whether or not this was true, but that fact that she was clearly convinced meant that either it was true, or she had been poisoned by some very hallucinogenic plant. If it was a plant, then he could make some sort of poison out of it, and if what she had said had been true, then he could perhaps find something unimaginable. Regardless, he wanted to go to that mountain and investigate. It had indeed been a long time, but Skymender wrote a letter to the one known as potential Sword Master Daisy. It was requesting her to write a letter back, describing how exactly she reached the mountain and where she had seen the old man. Skymender continued to attend to his affairs as he waited for a response. Around a week later, he received one. Chapter 728: The Mountain - 728 Chapter 728 - The Mountain - 728 "Dear Imperial Scholar Skymender. It has been too long since we last spoke, but I am excited to hear that you want to investigate the truthfulness of my claims. Please come to the Ergen Kingdom Royal Capital as the mountain I climbed is nearby. Sincerely, potential Sword Master Daisy." Skymender sat the letter down and thought. He needed to do a bunch of work in order to take so many days off, but since the old Imperial Scholar was still around, it would not affect too much to leave for a month or so. The Royal Capital of the Ergen Kingdom was as far away as the Sky Barony was from the Imperial Capital, so around ten days by a fast carriage. Luckily he would be able to use an Imperial Carriage, so the travel time would be cut down to five days. Skymender focused on work for a few days before setting out. He had the Imperial Scholar''s assurance that he would keep up with the workload while he was gone, but to come back quickly. The journey was ordinary, without anything interesting happening. Skymender was attended to by a few Imperial servants as they moved. After only five days, the servant saw the walls of the Ergen Kingdom Royal Capital. He easily made it inside without having to stop at all. The Imperial Carriage alone signified a status nearly equal to that of a king. Skymender had the servant driving the carriage take him to potential Sword Master Daisy''s house. She was now a grown woman, and lived alone in her own comfortable home. From afar, it looked quite serene. A small house with a garden around it and blooming flowers. There was even a small pond and a tree. Skymender had the servants stay with the carriage as he walked towards the house. When he arrived, he knocked lightly. He heard a bit of movement, and the door opened, revealing the barely familiar Daisy. She was now much taller and completely grown. "Imperial Scholar Skymender." She greeted with a bow. "It is an honor to meet you again." Although it didn''t feel like it, Skymender''s status was unimaginable in the minds of the majority of people in the Empire. He worked directly with the Emperor, his status nearly equal to that of a King''s. Compared to a potential Sword Master like Daisy, he was on a different level. "No need for formalities. You seem to be doing well." He said as he looked around. Daisy nodded. "I gave instruction to some noble kids for a few years and made enough to comfortably live for the rest of my life. Of course, I have never given up on becoming a Sword Master." Skymender nodded. "Well, if you are ready, we can leave now." Daisy nodded. "Give me a few minutes to get ready, and I will leave with you." Skymender walked back to the carriage and waited inside. After around twenty minutes, Daisy came back out and sat next to him in the carriage. She now had on the attire of someone that could be called a potential Sword Master. Looking out the window as they left the Royal Capital, Daisy began to guide the carriage driver towards the legendary mountain she spoke of. Though their carriage was fast, they spent two days moving before they finally saw the mountain in the distance. "We only came across it by accident. I climbed to the top in curiosity while the others set up camp at the base. That was when my life changed." She sighed. Skymender sensed the mountain as the carriage got closer. It could truly be described as a majestic sight. It was far larger than most mountains in the world. It was almost big enough to be specifically recorded in geography books. Their carriage soon reached the base of the mountain, where Skymender and Daisy got out. Skymender told the servants to set up camp here, while he and Daisy explored. Daisy soon began to lead him up the mountain. Although she had only been here a few times, she would never forget the path to where she met her master. It was quite a long walk, taking multiple hours. However, they eventually neared the peak. Just before they reached the peak, Daisy stopped. She turned and walked around the peak, reaching an open pond. A waterfall fell from above, creating a stream that reached the bottom of the mountain. In the middle of the small pond was a single stone jutting out of the water. Although there were plants around, none seemed to have any poisonous properties. Skymender examined the pace through vibrations. "This is where I met my master." Daisy sighed. "It feels just like yesterday." Although it was hard to tell anything with eyes, through vibrations, Skymender could sense a slight dent in the rock jutting out of the pond. This was evidence that somebody had sat on it for a long time. According to what he understood, this must have been Daisy''s master. It was getting more and more unlikely to find a reasonable explanation. Perhaps she truly had seen such an astonishing sight here. Suddenly, his attention was caught by an object in the ground. It was below the pond and a few feet deep into the ground. It seemed like some sort of shard. Skymender jumped in the water, surprising Daisy. She watched from the side as he swam to the bottom and began to dig. Despite his immense strength, he had to come up for breath multiple times before he found his target. Skymender finally grabbed hold of it and examined it. He stood on the bank of the pond, trying to tell what it was. From all of his observations, it seemed to be a shard of a mirror. Suddenly the sun hit the mirror in an angle that shot light at Skymender''s forehead. In an instant, color appeared around him, as if he could see. Everything around him seemed ethereal. He looked at the pond, truly with eyes, and saw an old man sitting on a rock jutting out. He looked directly at Skymender and spoke. Chapter 729: Is Any of This Real? - 729 Chapter 729 - Is Any of This Real? - 729 "Oh fated one, destined for tribulation. Reality and illusion, indistinguishable. Fool the Heavens, fool the Earth, a plan laid out countless eons ago. To reach the peak of all things, to ascend beyond the shackles of mortality. Countless generations of anguish, countless bodies forming a path. One shall climb over the bodies. Will you be yet another body forming the path, or will you be that one who climbs them all, achieving the goal set by millions." The old man spoke without stopping, his words barely coherent. Finally, his eyes cleared and intelligence became visible. He opened his mouth, and as he did so, Skymender sensed a foggy figure appear behind him. It was a young child with golden hair. It was impossible to mistake it, she was Daisy as a child. Though the old man looked directly at Skymender, from the young Daisy''s view, since she could not see Skymender, it seemed as if he was looking at her. "Though we only met at the end of my life, it still counts as fate. You are my first and last disciple..." He briefly paused as he formed a sword from nothing and slashed at the air. "...Skymender." His sword swept the air up and shattered the sky, but despite the slashes power that rendered the Heavens as glass, the sky soon reformed. The young Daisy, who was stupefied and in the process of enlightenment, did not hear the old man''s next words. "This reality is but an illusion, a cage discarded among cages. An endless experiment with no success. The desperation of countless souls to become supreme, to create a path, fruitless. Destined to die alone and in failure, we pass this destiny on to another, who will similarly die without achievement so that one day, our infinite sacrifices aren''t for naught. When you see through this world, return. A single shard does not represent the entire mirror." As he said this, Skymender felt as if the world around him was shattering. "Skymender. Skymender? Skymender!" Skymender''s eyes snapped open, sweat pouring out of every pore in his body. "Skymender?" Daisy said, seeing him move. Skymender struggled to put everything he had just witnessed together. It was as if he had just awoken from an unimaginable dream, yet knew that everything that had happened was true. He understood that Daisy was not that old man''s disciple, but he was. He understood that him saying Skymender was not the name of his sword slash, but simply him saying Skymender''s name. He understood that, according to the old man, everything around him was an illusion. Skymender stood still for a moment before focusing on the outside world. "I am fine. I believe what you say, though it is unfortunate we could not find anything. Let''s go." Daisy looked at him weirdly, but nodded. The mirror shard he had once held was no longer there. They walked down the mountain as Skymender finally began to connect his own experiences with the words of the old man. Countless things had seemed to line up oddly, and with little reason. Things that shouldn''t have worked had worked. He survived things he should not have survived, such as the deprivation poison, which only one person had ever survived, and whether or not he could be considered alive was a debate itself, as he was trapped in his own body for the rest of his life. Being able to master the seeing through vibrations technique was also hard to believe. He was not a Buddhist at all, yet had mastered a Buddhist technique. What else could this be but the work of fate. He felt that there were more things hidden even deeper, that he could not yet see, but was confident that he would eventually learn about it all. Skymender and Daisy returned to the Royal Capital in mostly silence. Daisy guessed that something had happened, but she did not press for information. Skymender soon left the Royal Capital and returned to the Imperial Capital. As he approached it, he couldn''t help but think of how to see through the world, just like that old man had said. It seemed that, for the rest of his life, he would have to ask himself the same question every time he met someone or saw something. "Is this real?" Skymender soon entered the Imperial Capital. He was instantly taken to the Imperial Palace, where he saw the old Imperial Scholar. "How was it, Skymender?" The Imperial Scholar asked. Skymender spoke. "It was alright. I found what I was looking for." The old Imperial Scholar nodded. "Good. You have a lot of work to do." Skymender thanked him for helping and left to do his work. As he did so, he couldn''t help but sense the Imperial Scholar even further. "Is he truly real?" He asked himself. Everything he saw seemed completely real, yet something seemed to hint at him that it wasn''t. He soon made it to his office, where he began to work on various matters. After a few hours, he moved to the throne room, where he weighed in on the Emperor''s various decisions. Every time he saw a new person enter, he asked himself the same question. He did his best to look at every single thing in an attempt to find a single hint, but failed every time. He also examined the Emperor, but found nothing unusual. He also tried to sense Sword Master Shang closely, but when his gaze turned to Skymender, Skymender stopped. Is that sense of danger even real? He asked himself. Skymender felt as if he was in a delirious state for nearly a week straight. After so much time passed, he stopped. "Regardless of whether it is real or not, I cannot find out now. I might as well continue to live, and maybe one day, the answer will come to me." Skymender decided. He gradually fell out of the state, but the question eternally lingered within the back of his mind. "Is any of this real?" Chapter 730: Sickness - 730 Chapter 730 - Sickness - 730 By the time he snapped out of his trance, the Emperor was already preparing for another skirmish. Their allies and the allies of the Ancient Empire were moving in on their positions. However, in order to get to the Ancient Empire, their allies would have to go past the Faceless Empire. Though they would not even be near it, they still had to pass through an area directly adjacent to it. The Emperor planned a surprise attack. Naturally, this would be anticipated, but as long as they could do some damage, it did not matter whether or not it was anticipated. In order to do this, the Emperor did not send an entire army, but Sword Master Yi Shuzanhao and Sword Master Gargantuan. Skymender agreed with this, and gave them a chest. Inside of it were a few mist poisons that would have devastating effects on the entire army if used right. During their first clash, the soldiers had been rather spread out and he could kill at most a hundred at a time with one bottle. However, if they were marching closer together, perhaps even five hundred soldiers could be killed with one bottle. The Emperor thanked Skymender for his contributions and sent the two away. It was best that they moved as fast as possible, so they took an Imperial Carriage disguised as a normal carriage. Though they could run just as fast as the carriage, they would inevitably tire out and would have to rest. While they moved out, Skymender started to deeply research poisons. With all of his knowledge learned from the Imperial Scholar, as well as access to all classified materials and recipes, Skymender was able to advance leaps and bounds. He had long been thinking about creating another poison, and had created an outline in his head. Now he could begin to create it. Time passed, and the Empire received good news. The surprise attack went well, and thousands of soldiers of the allied armies had been killed. Although Sword Master Yi Shuzanhao briefly clashed with the rank one Sword Master of the Golden Eagle Empire, and Sword Master Gargantuan was entangled with two rank two Sword Masters, they managed to get away without any injuries and before the reinforcements of the Ancient Empire could catch up. Although they had killed less than ten thousand soldiers in total, it could still be considered a great victory since they had lost nothing except for a few weapons and some poisons. Nearly half a year passed as Skymender focused on creating a new poison. Although he knew that he would never be able to create another poison on the level of the Deprivation poison, he still designed this to the best of his abilities. In the end, as the six months passed, he accidentally created something else. Instead of being called a poison, it could be called a self enhancer. Skymender opened the bottle and drank what was inside of it. He felt energy surge through his body, and he felt his strength increasing. A few weeks later, he managed to actually create the poison he had been working on, which was the opposite of the enhancer. It sapped the strength and energy away of those who inhaled the mist it produced. It would be much more effective if drinken, but that was a pipe dream on the battlefield. Skymender had two new creations, and he immediately made his way to the throne room, where the Emperor would most likely be staying. However, when he entered, it was surprisingly empty. Only a panicked servant remained. "Imperial Scholar Skymender, we have been looking everywhere for you! Fei Luzi has fallen ill and is being treated by the Imperial Doctor." He said quickly. Skymender did not waste a single moment or thought. He shot over to the Imperial Doctors office, bursting through the doors. He saw the Emperor and a group of high level scholars gathered in the room. When they saw him, they ushered him over. Skymender walked next to the side of the bed and saw the Imperial Scholar. His face was a bit pale, but he was clearly not in risk of dying. The Imperial Doctor stood beside his bed and spoke to Skymender. "We managed to temporarily heal him, but I''m afraid he won''t live much longer." He said with a dark tone. The Imperial Scholar saw Skymender and spoke with a chuckle. "I thought you''d miss my death." Though he made a joke, Skymender was in no laughing mood. There were many people he knew in the world, but the ones he cared about were extremely few. At the very top was the Imperial Scholar, who had taught him almost everything he knew, and had sacrificed years of his life to help Skymender be able to see again. Skymender would never be able to repay his kindness over the years. Before Skymender spoke, the Imperial Scholar spoke. "Everyone leave. Give me and Skymender a moment." Nobody hesitated as they all left the room, including the Imperial Doctor. When they were all gone, the Imperial Scholar spoke again. "Although I can''t say I have many regrets in life, there is still one. I wish I could have seen the success of this plan, to see the Faceless Empire dominate the world." He spoke both to Skymender and himself. "The greatest regret of the Imperial Scholars who were as talented as me was not being able to find a suitable successor. I am glad to see that I can end that trend. I have only one dying wish, Skymender. I hope that you can win. Not just this war, but win in life. When it is your turn to die, I don''t want you to have any regrets." Skymender nodded. "I will." The Imperial Scholar nodded weakly. "They can come back now. I suppose it would be selfish to die only in front of you." Skymender nodded his head, going to the door and opening it. Everyone came in, and a few conversations started among fellow scholars and the Emperor. As always, Sword Master Shang was there too, standing behind the Emperor. Chapter 731: Blood Science - 731 Chapter 731 - Blood Science - 731 As the day passed and their conversations continued, the Imperial Scholar slowly grew weaker and paler. Although his spirits never dwindled, it was clear that he was slowly dying. Skymender watched solemnly as this happened, rarely talking. He was not in the mood. As the Imperial Scholar grew paler and paler, his mind wandered off to the same question he had spent weeks asking himself over and over. Is this real? He truly cared about the Imperial Scholar, but perhaps even those emotions were not real. Perhaps the Imperial Scholar himself was not real. The Imperial Scholar slowly stopped moving, and when there was clearly only the slightest bit of life left in him, Skymender spoke. "Goodbye, Teacher." On that day, bells rang throughout the Imperial Capital. Mourning occurred in all corners. The Imperial Scholar who, along with the Emperor, had brought never before seen prosperity to the Faceless Empire, was dead. This was an event that caused mourning throughout the entire Empire, not just the Imperial Capital. Kings were downtrodden, Nobles were quieter, even commoners were solemn this day. The next day, a grand funeral was held. Around his coffin, countless sticks of incense burned, sending the Imperial Scholar off. Thousands came in person, while others lit incense sticks from home, bowing to the Imperial Scholar. The only death in the entire world that would have more of an impact on the people of the Faceless Empire was that of the Emperor himself. A week passed, and the mourning was over. Most people were back in high spirits. Nobody had forgotten, but they had all paid their respects. There was nothing more to mourn, as it was publicly acknowledged that the new Imperial Scholar was just as intelligent as the last. However, in the throne room, it was clear that the Emperor was still affected. Skymender had rid himself of any emotions that had come after the Imperial Scholars death, such as mourning and sadness. He was once again to his usual self, though he was clearly colder and more indifferent than before. When there wasn''t someone to care about, it was hard to have emotions. The Emperor, who was usually exceptionally lenient to most crimes, had been much harsher since the death of the Imperial Scholar. Even small crimes such as robbery were punished with years and years in prison. "Your Imperial Majesty, I think that you should take some time to clear your head." Skymender said, voicing his concerns. "I know what I need, and it is not to rest. I am still the Emperor, and I still have an Empire to run." The Emperor said. "For the sake of your reputation, as well as the sake of the people of the Empire, I must insist." Skymender said once again. The Emperor looked at him for a moment before sighing. "One day." He got up from his throne and walked away, most likely going to his chambers. "You deal with this stuff." The Emperor said. Skymender nodded. He got off of his chair from the side and sat on the stairs a few levels down from the throne. The next person that came in was confused, but Skymender passed judgement just as the Emperor would. Despite Skymender arranging their punishments or fulfilling their requests, there weren''t any arguments due to the fact that he was representing the Emperor. After all, he was almost perfectly imitating how the Emperor would handle most matters. This lasted for a few hours, until he stopped taking audiences at the appointed time. He went to his office and got his affairs in order before he began to study. This studying was not how he had done so in the past, as there were no more books he needed to read. Instead of reading information written by others, he began to create his own information. After all, there was very little for him to learn from others at this point, and whatever those things were, he didn''t have access to anything or anyone that would teach it to him. In the past, he had received some guidance from the Imperial Doctor on the practice of medicine and a few other things related to being a doctor. He had similarly received guidance on finance from the Imperial Treasurer, who was in charge of all the money in the Empire. Now, he began to create his own insights into a possibility he had looked at long ago. Creating things through blood. He had added blood in a few of his poisons, but when it came to creating unique things from blood, he was lacking quite a bit. He had only ever used them as partial materials or substitutes. However, he knew the potential of blood. It carried the genetics of the creature it came from, and in relation, what made them unique. He had long put in an order to receive countless gallons of blood from most of the known animals in the world. Of the rarer animals, he received just a bit, but more than enough to run a few experiments with them. There was even a bit of blood from extinct animals. All in all, he had plenty to work with and a bit more time before an all out battle took place between the Ancient Empire and the Faceless Empire. Skymender began to experiment day in and day out, recording countless notes and observations along the way. He began to understand how various bloods interacted with each other to create something akin to a new blood. He also began to add external objects in order to see how they were affected. After three months, he seemed to be stuck. He had created some interesting blood compounds, but he felt as if he was missing something in order to give all of this a use. He thought for a few days and eventually came up with an answer. "Perhaps using human blood will give this some sort of new effect." It was an idea that would not be allowed to be carried out, but Skymender felt as if this was a necessary step. Even if he had to do it behind backs, he would get it done. Chapter 732: The Remaining Variable - 732 Chapter 732 - The Remaining Variable - 732 The Emperor would not allow him to conduct experiments with human blood, so he did not seek out the permission of the Emperor. Ignorance was bliss after all. In the dark of night, Skymender ventured out of the Imperial Palace and made his way to the commoner areas of the Imperial Capital. He searched around for some thugs and killed them cleanly, taking vials of their blood before heading back to the Imperial Palace. Skymender continued his experiments with nobody none the wiser. He wasn''t sure if the person the blood came from would have an effect or not, but that was what experiments were for. Skymender mixed human blood with many other bloods under different conditions. Heat, pressure, quantity, all were variable and noted down. Skymender''s experiments were among the most advanced in the world simply because of his extensive knowledge over all subjects. With half the effort, he could produce ten times the results of another person experimenting. Skymender''s experiments continued for a month. He occasionally had to go out and gather more blood. He tried to make it a different type of person every time. The first time it was some thugs. The next time, it was some old men. He did not kill them since he didn''t want to risk his position as the Imperial Scholar, which would be immediately voided if he was caught killing innocent people. Thugs could be excused, but not functioning members of society. The only person he was worried would catch him was Sword Master Shang. Other than that, there really wasn''t anyone who could follow or track him without him knowing. At the end of his month of experiments, he had some minor success, but not anything useful. Unfortunately, he had to stop. The Emperor was preparing to attack the Ancient Empire. Whether or not this would be the final battle was unknown, but it would surely be an important one. All Empires that would participate in the struggle over world domination would be present. This time, everyone was more prepared. Countless soldiers arrived around the Imperial Capital from each of the four kingdoms and some of the larger noble families. They all combined with the Imperial Army as countless soldiers moved out. This time, very little was left in reserve to defend the Empire, as all of the enemies had been accounted for. The only person remaining behind was Sword Master Deyr, who would protect the order of the Empire along with the Imperial Crown Prince. Skybelle had advanced from a 4th rank Sword Master to a 3rd rank Sword Master after intensive training over the past few years. This once again boosted the strength of the Faceless Empire. The Ancient Empire and the Faceless Empire were almost completely even. This was only due to the fact that Skymender had once killed a 2nd rank Sword Master of the Ancient Empire along with Skybelle. Otherwise, this war would be in the Ancient Empire''s favor. Their contribution to the Empire that day could not be understated. It would be recorded in history books, assuming they won the war. Skymender traveled along with the Emperor and Sword Master Shang to the battlefield. The Kings of the Empire did not join the war as they had no use, but instead stayed to keep order over the Empire. The worst thing that could happen while they were gone was a rebellion. Countless horses pulled carriages and carried soldiers, making their movements vastly faster than if they were marching. As they rode on the largest carriage, an open platform without a solid roof, the Emperor spoke to Skymender. "There is only one more variable left in this war." The Emperor said. Skymender looked at him. They had gone over just about everything, but he had noticed that one entity had always been left out. As expected, the Emperor''s next words were in relation to it. "It is unknown whether or not the Temple will get involved in this war, as their headquarters is in the Ancient Empire. The Temple in the Faceless Empire''s Imperial Capital refused to give any sort of assistance during the war, but we must prepare for the possibility that the Ancient Empire''s Temple does not feel the same." Skymender nodded. The Temple was usually overlooked unless one was deeply devoted to it. Nobles or wealthy commoners would occasionally request their services, such as when Skymender was born, but besides that, they were independent entities almost never involved in any matters. "Although their healing would be an important contribution, is it really worth worrying about?" Skymender asked. After all, they could only heal one person at a time with their mythical abilities. The Emperor sighed. "Don''t only look at the surface, think deeper. Why do you believe that the Temple is able to exist in so many Empires, yet remains untouched and respected by all? Do you think that there has never been a greedy King or Emperor that wanted to learn their secrets?" It was indeed suspicious. "It is because every single person that takes action against the Temple, whether it be a single person, an Imperial Army, or a Sword Master, has never been heard from again." Skymender was shocked. Despite all of his knowledge, he had never heard anything about this. "This is not information recorded in books, as that would be tantamount to insulting the Temple, but it is passed down through word of mouth to the Kings and Emperors of the world. Even someone like Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao or Sword Master Shang does not dare take action. After all, their mythical healing abilities prove beyond doubt that something is special about them." Hearing this piece of information made Skymender view the Temple in a new light. It all seemed obvious looking back on it. "But I''ve heard that Emperors are allowed to view the altar." Skymender said. He had suddenly remembered something he had been told by a tour guide on his visit to the Imperial Capitals Temple. "Indeed, I have seen the altar. It is mesmerizing, the clearest water I''ve ever seen. The altar itself is huge and made of pure gold, with a statue of their god, Yhwh, above it. But I have never seen someone baptized in it, and if you think that is their deepest secret, you are sorely mistaken. I myself was not allowed to see anything deeper than that." Chapter 733: Clash of Empires - 733 Chapter 733 - Clash of Empires - 733 The Temple was no doubt full of mysteries, and if they took action, they could most likely change the tides of the war. "Of course, their involvement is extremely unlikely, and even if they do get involved, I have a plan that may be able to nullify their involvement. It would only be around a 10% chance, but that is all that I could come up with after thinking for so long." Skymender nodded. It seemed that there was nothing they could do to prepare in advance except for what the Emperor had come up with. Skymender rode for a few months along with the entire Army. Not long after, they met their allies. An army twice the size of the Faceless Empire''s army waited ahead. This was the combination of more than five Empires worth of troops. The Faceless Empires troops stopped not far from the allied Empires troops. A few people came out, clearly representatives or powerful people. Most notable was a Sword Master from the Golden Sparrow Empire. He was the 1st rank Sword Master that would work with the Faceless Empire. The Empire met with all of these people before they returned. The two armies merged and advanced towards the Ancient Empire with even more momentum. They were fully prepared for this clash. On the Ancient Empire''s side, everything seemed to be going just as planned, except for one thing. "You weren''t able to get it to come?" The Ancient Empire''s Emperor asked. "No. That thing wouldn''t move for anything. It has firmly rooted itself. I imagine I could get it to move no more than a thousand feet from its territory before it would refuse to go anywhere else. Since there was no point in doing so, I just left it as usual." The Serpent Master responded. "Are you sure you can control that thing?" The Ancient Empire''s Emperor asked. "Control? Maybe not. Spur into action? Definitely. Just consider it a last resort. We can retreat to its territory if we lose against all odds." The Serpent Master said. "Besides, I managed to bring some powerful snakes from the wilds. I won''t be at a disadvantage against anyone." The Ancient Empire nodded before turning to the side. "Grandfather, what has the Temple said?" He asked. Sword Master Tianzhao responded. "They have yet to give a concrete response, but we cannot count on their help. Regardless, I can''t imagine a situation in which we lose today. I will not hold back against that brat any longer. Today will decide life and death. It is a pity. I will lose the only worthy opponent I have ever met." He sighed. "As for that snake, if it dares act up, I will handle it." The Serpent Master nodded. The Ancient Empire''s Emperor spoke. "All preparations are in order. Allies have arrived, and our armies have prepared. Whether they want it to be or not, this will be the final battle between our two Empires. Let us begin." With months passed, the Faceless Empire''s army did not have much more to travel before they reached the Ancient Empire''s army. Tension was high and everyone was prepared. A few days later, eyes met over the horizon. Arrows flew and boulders were launched. Creations not seen before were deployed in number, causing massive damage. There were not many of each on either side due to how heavy they were and how much effort it took to bring even a single one, but each was responsible for around a hundred deaths. In an instant, Sword Master Shang leaped across the battlefield and met Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao. Their swords clashed, and Sword Master Shang shot into the ground. His body rolled uncontrollably as Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao pressed onto him. He swung down, and Sword Master Shang barely managed to block it in time, but the force caused him to be forced backwards hundreds of feet. "I told you, Shang. Today I will let you see the difference between a Sword Master and a Sword Grandmaster!" Their fight almost instantly left the battlefield, moving elsewhere. However, the mere moments their battle was seen brought esteem to the Ancient Empire''s army, and left the Faceless Empire''s army with low morale. Regardless, they still met and fought. 1st rank Sword Masters fought each other. 2nd rank Sword Masters met, with Sword Master Gargantuan being double teamed from the start. The rest of the Sword Masters charged the battlefield. Skymender did not waste any time, charging forward. He instantly spotted his opponent, the Serpent Master. The Sword Master from last time was preoccupied by a Sword Master from one of the allied armies. If that was the case, then killing the Serpent Master seemed like it would not be too difficult. Skymender charged towards him, and the Serpent Master spotted him quickly. "Thinking things will be easy? Too bad for you." He said. Skymender saw his mouth move and read his words. He instantly focused, sensing below the earth. He suddenly noticed hundreds of figures tunneling through the ground like moles. They were spreading across the entire battlefield, but many were moving towards Skymender''s location. Among them, some were so huge that he could barely believe it. They were as large as entire carriages. Skymender did not stop his charge, but moved even faster. The Serpent Master played his flute, commanding the snakes. As Skymender got closer, they reached him. They burst from the ground, instantly creating a scene. Skymender threw corrosion poison around him. Although normal poisons could not hurt the snake, corrosion poison was much different. Many of the snakes wailed in agony and retreated, including two of the three giant snakes. The other one bit at Skymender despite the pain, but he managed to dodge and slash at it with his sword. He took out a vial from his bag and drank the substance in it. He instantly felt energy fill his body. His movements were quicker and his strength greater. Around the same time, many people in the Faceless Empire''s Army, especially the Sword Masters, did the exact same thing, their performance improving. Sword Master Shang was currently being one sidedly beaten. Numerous scars covered his body. As he retreated a bit, he took out a vial and drank it. "Not much of an improvement, but perhaps I can hold out for a bit longer." Chapter 734: Luck and Fortune - 734 Chapter 734 - Luck and Fortune - 734 The general tide of the battlefield instantly changed. The two armies had been relatively even at the start, but as a few powerful soldiers and Sword Masters drank the vials, they began to attack with explosive strength and speed. Sword Master Gargantuan pushed his two opponents back, finally putting them on the defensive. Skybelle pushed back a rank three Sword Master who had been her opponent since the start of the battle. This change occurred for every single one of the Faceless Empire''s Sword Masters. Their allies did not have access to these vials, but with the Sword Masters of the Faceless Empire pushing their opponents back, the morale of their side was boosted to new heights. On Sword Master Shang''s battlefield, he managed to begin resisting Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao without receiving any heavy injuries, just an occasional scratch or poke that produced a bit of blood. Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao frowned. "Fine then. I suppose enough is enough." He jumped in the air and swung his sword. However, he was far away from Sword Master Shang, so this movement seemed completely illogical. However, Sword Master Shang instantly dodged to the side, his eyes widening in excitement. "This is it." He had been waiting far too long to see this again. He had once been defeated by this very Sword Grandmaster when he was younger, merely a true 1st rank Sword Master. Seeing his potential, the Sword Grandmaster of the Ancient Empire decided to show him what truly lied beyond the horizon. This was his second time ever seeing it. Despite being far away from Sword Master Shang, his slash seemed to continue outwards, glowing with a white light. Sword Master Shang barely dodged, but more swings followed. This was the difference between the Sword Grandmaster level and the Sword Master level. It was known by many names. Sword Aura, Sword Intent, Sword Qi. It was unknown when or where these names came from, but they all represented the same thing. The mortal turning into the magical. Any person could swing a sword, but only a Sword Grandmaster could do this. Sword Master Shang''s position once again turned completely disadvantageous. He was not even able to fight back this time as tens of sword slashes shot at him from afar, moving so fast he could barely react. After around a hundred sword slashes, Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao stopped. It was clear that doing this left even him exhausted. However, Sword Master Shang was in a far worse state than being exhausted. His left arm was gone, and one of his legs was hanging by a thread. Blood covered his body, but his eyes stared directly at Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao. "You truly are incomparable. At your age, I don''t think I was so strong. Given time, you would most likely become a Sword Grandmaster even stronger than I. Unfortunately, your Empire got needlessly aggressive. All hope was foolishly put onto the possibility of you defeating me. But now, it is all over." He said. Sword Master Shang did not speak. It was hard to do so, but eventually, he did. "The world doesn''t move but the sky still rotates." Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao tilted his head. "Did I beat you silly?" Sword Master Shang laughed uproariously. "You think that all of the hope was placed on me. No, merely a small percentage. Do you know what that term means?" Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao looked as if he was giving Sword Master Shang his last words. "I don''t." Sword Master Shang, despite his numerous injuries, sat down on the ground cross legged. "Then allow me to give you an explanation." Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao simply looked at him for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and sitting down. Sword Master Shang began. "It all starts with Fate..." ¡ª---------------------------------------- Skymender shot towards the Serpent Master at an extraordinary speed. His speed was close to that of a 2nd rank Sword Master after consuming the contents of the vial. The Serpent Master was on guard. He backed away quickly, a large snake appearing under his feet and slithering into the distance. Despite being constantly attacked by snakes, Skymender was able to keep up with the retreating figure. ¡ª---------------------------------------- "When the Emperor was born, the clouds parted and a golden light filled the sky. Singing was heard in the sky, as if angels above were welcoming his grace. This may be seen as mystical, but few saw it in the small area he was born in, and it was later viewed as some sort of mass hallucination." ¡ª---------------------------------------- Sword Master Gargantuan swung his sword fast, decapitating one of the two Sword Masters fighting against him. In a moment of pressure, he received inspiration and became a rank one Sword Master. His other opponent could not resist long, soon being smashed into the ground, his head dented beyond repair. He was no doubt dead. ¡ª---------------------------------------- "One wouldn''t think of the Emperor as some sort of diving being descended from the Heavens. He was born ordinary. He did not have much physical strength, and his talent in just about everything was average. Even his talent for learning was only slightly above average. What was unique above all else was his luck, or his fortune. Everything he wanted to do happened successfully. If this were to happen to any other person, they would grow arrogant and conceited, believing that nothing they did could go wrong." ¡ª---------------------------------------- Sword Master Yi Shuzanhao cut off one of his opponents arms. In just a minute afterwards, his opponent was killed. Sword Master Zhao Shugang forced his opponent to retreat. Skybelle''s opponent was forced to flee as well. Skymender killed the majority of snakes around the Serpent Master, forcing him to retreat with a sorry figure. "Why is everything going out of control?" He mumbled as he retreated towards the distance with a few remaining snakes. ¡ª--------------------------------------- "But the Emperor did not grow conceited nor arrogant. He put all of his effort into everything he did and every plan he made. His luck merely added on to it. So, do you know why this battle has already been lost?" Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao tilted his head, amused. "Please explain it to me." "Because every single opening, every single falter or hesitation, every single accidental accomplishment, every single chance of inspiration, every single possible exploitive thing, even a sword breaking due to age in a critical moment, will occur in the favor of the Emperor." Chapter 735: The Continent of Wu - 735 Chapter 735 - The Continent of Wu - 735 "And what does this have to do with that saying of yours? The world doesn''t move but the sky still rotates?" Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao asked. "It means that even if the world were to come to a stop, the Emperor, who is our sky, would continue onwards. It is used as a secret code to those blessed by the fate of the Emperor." Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao simply shook his head. "Perhaps I did hit you too hard." Sword Master Shang did not respond, but asked a question. "Since you can kill me at any time, do you dare visit the battlefield with me? It has been merely five minutes since I started telling you the story." Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao shrugged. "I''ll take that as your last request." He grabbed Sword Master Shang by the shoulder and ran forward at an incredible speed. They soon reached the battlefield, and as Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao laid eyes on it, his eyes widened. In his moment of shock, Sword Master Shang slashed his sword upwards. It was inches away from Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao''s neck when Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao hit it away with his sword. Enraged, he cut Sword Master Shang''s head clean off. His eyes never left the battlefield, so he failed to notice that, even after Sword Master Shang''s head was removed, his hand grabbed onto his sword and slightly trembled. As his consciousness faded, he had one final thought. "For the Emperor." From the slight shaking of that sword, by some miraculous chance, a slash of Sword Aura, Intent, or Qi, shot out. In his final moments, by a stroke of fortune, he became Sword Grandmaster Shang. Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao was unable to react. The slash hit his neck unprotected, and half of his neck was cleanly cut off. His head literally began to dangle. He was barely able to maintain any sort of consciousness. It was only in these moments that he finally believed everything Sword Grandmaster Shang had said. Suddenly, he heard footsteps. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a familiar man, the Emperor of the Faceless Empire. He did not have his usual expression on his face, one of a benevolent Emperor. Nor did he have any sort of expression on his face. All that existed on his face was coldness. He carried an unconscious woman by the hair. Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao was barely able to stand. He could not move his body at all. If he could, he would have done everything possible to kill the Emperor. "I have heard a lot of sayings in my life, but the one that rings absolutely true to this day is, "Arrogance is the mother of all failures."" The Emperor walked over to Sword Grandmaster Shang and held the unconscious woman over his headless body. He held Sword Grandmaster Shang''s severed his onto his neck, before cutting the woman''s throat open. She awakened shocked. She reached up to her neck, golden light flowing out of her hands. The golden light did not simply begin to heal her neck, but a bit of it flowed into her blood, which fell on Sword Grandmaster Shang''s severed neck. The two disconnected parts slowly began to attach. The woman''s throat would heal, only for the Emperor to cut it again and have the same process repeat. When the woman was dead, light had returned to Sword Grandmaster Shang''s eyes. "Although this is not truly reviving the dead, ordinary power could not do such a thing. Only the power gifted by a god, this so-called Yhwh, could possibly do so." Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao watched with wide eyes as Sword Grandmaster Shang got up from the ground. He soon had to sit and rest, clearly without much energy, but he was once again alive and healing. The same could not be said for Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao, who was slowly dying even now. The Emperor began to walk towards him, discarding the corpse to the side. "I can see what you are thinking. Deep within your pain, misery, and regret, is happiness. You are excited that I have acted against the Temple, thinking me a dead man. What is that word again? Schadenfreude? Yes. However, did it ever occur to you that in order to take over the world, one must also defeat the Temple? This was always going to happen." The Emperor said. He slowly drew a sword from his waist. "Today, I will slay a legend. A Sword Grandmaster. It truly is an honor to do so." Without another word, he cut what remained of Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao''s neck. His head rolled off to the side. After a moment, Sword Grandmaster Shang got up, only to stand in front of the Emperor and kneel. He looked as though he was worshipping a god. "This is only the beginning, Shang. To truly take over this world, to truly break out of this cage and enter the wider universe, we have much, much more to do. And our ticket is just over there." The Emperor looked into the distance, where he could faintly see Skymender. Skymender, along with many of the Empire''s Sword Masters, chased down the retreating Serpent Master, Emperor, and a few other Sword Masters of the Ancient Empire and allied Empires. "I have been waiting so long for someone suitable. So many do-overs and resets. Finally, I can feel the opportunity on this one." Sword Grandmaster Shang trembled. Though he hardly understood what the Emperor was saying, he understood what he meant when he said that Skymender was the one he had been waiting for. "I don''t know how a living being entered this place and became a part of the cycle, but that is related to mysteries of the universe I cannot begin to fathom. Perhaps... Perhaps it is fate." He said with a laugh. He began to walk back to his carriage. He would let the others deal with the stragglers. He, in the meanwhile, needed to give orders. It was time to truly establish the Faceless Empire as a world dominating power. "It shall be named, The Continent of Wu." ------------------------------------------------- Authors Note: Two Year Anniversary Chapter 736: The Ancient Empire鈥檚 Escape - 736 Chapter 736 - The Ancient Empire''s Escape - 736 Skymender was surprisingly fast as he chased down those who were escaping from the battlefield. This was due to the fact that he had many enhancement vials and could constantly drink another whenever one ran out. Due to this, he was only slightly behind the first rank Sword Masters as they chased the escapees. They easily caught up to some of the regular soldiers, but they mostly ignored them as they chased three important targets. The Emperor of the Ancient Empire, the Serpent Master, and the Imperial Scholar of the Ancient Empire. The Imperial Scholar was not someone on the same level as Fei Luzi, just an average Imperial Scholar. Despite that, his intelligence was vastly above everyone else''s present, besides Skymender. The three mentioned people were on the same carriage, one specially prepared in the unlikely event of an escape. Usually, even that would have already been caught up to, but some extremely fast snakes were increasing its speed even more than usual. It would take days to catch up at this rate. They unfortunately had quite the head start, and the difference between their speeds was minimal. As they moved, Skymender noticed something. He shouted to the Sword Masters. "They aren''t heading towards the Ancient Empire, but towards the wilds." Hearing his words, they noticed as well. None of them could understand why they would do that. "If they enter the wilds, they will have to ditch the carriage. There is no way to hide either." Yi Shuzanhao shouted. His assessment was spot on. Their behavior was extremely unusual and hard to understand. Even now, their speed was reduced as they were traveling offroad. It would be possible to escape if they moved towards the Ancient Empire, though extremely unlikely, so what were they doing? They could do nothing but continue to chase. Regardless, it was clear that they had won this war. They would either eventually be found or forgotten forever, never to show their faces. Assuming Sword Master Shang won or tied his fight, of course. Since they had yet to be killed by Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao, it was a good sign. On the carriage, the Emperor was clearly worried, though he put on a calm facade. "There is no way that grandfather could lose. We simply have to stay away from them for a while. He knows where we are retreating, so he''ll come and kill these punks as soon as he kills Sword Master Shang." The Emperor said. The Imperial Scholar completely agreed, not showing too much fear. The Serpent Master also agreed, but felt that he shouldn''t bet his life on someone else. There was a reason they were heading to the wilds, and even if Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao never came, they would be fine. The chase continued on, and soon, an entire day passed. The Emperor of the Ancient Empire was beginning to get worried, but there was nothing they could do about it. Skymender was closer than before, but not nearly enough to reach them even if he had a bow and arrow. The wilds were marked by a clear line of overgrown trees and plants. As soon as the Ancient Empire carriage reached the wilds, all three people aboard hopped off. In mere moments, Skymender and the Sword Masters were about to catch up, when a snake as large as their carriage shot from the ground and "ate" them. They all stopped in shock as the snake burrowed underground. Suddenly, Skymender shot forward. "Follow it. They are still alive inside of it. This is a method of escape." They were all shocked, but began to follow him. Although the snake was fast, they were able to keep up with it. Naturally, this was all due to Skymender, who could sense underground. They followed this snake for an entire day. At this point, most of them were starting to get exhausted. The only people who had been able to keep up were Sword Master Yi Shuzanhao and Sword Master Gargantuan. Sword Master Yi Shuzanhao was clearly struggling, while Sword Master Gargantuan was still moving without difficulty due to his immense physical strength. Another day passed. Skymender was only able to continue by abusing the enhancement vials, but he was starting to run out. His clothes were dirty and his hair was a mess. It was the same for the other two. Moving in the wilds was not easy. They often had to jump off of trees and swing on vines to continue moving. Having to go through large bushes or tall grass was not uncommon. Skymender noticed that the snake was going towards a large mountain range in the distance. Some of the mountains were as large as the one Skymender had visited with Daisy. With so much free time, Skymender had nothing to do but think, and as the underground snake approached the mountain, his eyes widened. "Impossible!" He muttered out loud. A small possibility had appeared in his mind. There was only the slightest possibility that it was true, but everything seemed to line up. Why else would they retreat towards a mountain? Skymender yelled out loud. "Do not let them reach those mountains!" As he spoke, he used every ounce of energy in his body to move. The snake moving underground was slower than the carriage had been, but the issue was that it was underground. Skymender reached the snake''s position and repeatedly stabbed into the ground, hoping to reach deep enough. However the snake was too deep down for his sword to reach. Hearing his urgency, Sword Master Yi Shuzanhao and Sword Master Gargantuan tried as well, but came up empty handed. Although the snake couldn''t go too low due to the ground getting harder and harder the deeper it went, it was deep enough. Skymender stopped chasing after the snake as it entered the mountain range and moved up the mountains. The other two stopped as well, looking at him. "If my guess is right, they aren''t going to leave this mountain range and we will need all the energy we can get. If it isn''t right, we aren''t going to catch them anyway." Skymender said. The other two nodded in agreement, and they began to rest. Chapter 737: Mountain Serpent - 737 Chapter 737 - Mountain Serpent - 737 All three of them took a brief power nap to rest from all the exhaustion from over the days. Although it definitely did not rid them of all of their exhaustion, it temporarily put it off and allowed them to fight at their maximum combat power. Three men, two first rank Sword Masters and a poison master, set off on the mountain range to track down their enemies and kill them. They ran fast, just as fast as before. Skymender was able to sense their tracks through the tunnel that the snake had left. He followed them, and they seemed to be heading towards an exceptionally large mountain in the distance. It wasn''t the biggest of them all, but it was among the biggest. They traveled for ten minutes before Sword Master Yi Shuzanhao stopped and pointed above. "They are up there." He said. Although Skymender could not see them, he received a brief explanation. To put it simply, they were standing on a ledge of the mountain, staring down at them. Though there was a nigh imperceptible trace of arrogance on their faces, they were also clearly filled with uncertainty and a bit of worry. The Serpent Master held his flute up to his mouth and solemnly began to play. A harmonious melody filled their ears. It was not like the usual sounds he made. This was not communication, but a song. It was fast paced and battle-like, giving off a feeling of impending doom. Suddenly, the ground shook. Skymender''s vision expanded tenfold due to the intense vibrations. It was as if the world was shaking. He was now able to see the Serpent Master and the other two, as well as something horrifying within the mountain. It was as he had feared. As the shaking grew and grew, the three people on the ledge began to lift up. The ledge itself began to move higher. Sword Master Yi Shuzanhao and Sword Master Gargantuan were filled with dread as two eyes, far bigger than a house, stared directly at them. "The Mountain Serpent." Skymender said. He had read of this legendary snake in a book at the Great Library of the Imperial Scholar camp. It was said to be a legend, only half confirmed by the Sword Grandmaster of the Ancient Empire. But now, there was not a shred of doubt to be seen anywhere. A giant snake, covered in the mountain it lived under, stared directly at them. They were the only living things for miles, as if normal animals did not dare to come near here. The only exception were those on the head of the giant snake, but it seemed to not sense them at all. The snake did not take action immediately. It looked at all of them, slowly turning its head to examine each one. After around a minute of deafening silence, the only noise being that of the constant shaking caused by the snake, it opened its mouth. ROARRR! A roar that shook everything, causing the ground to shake and crack as Skymender and the other first rank Sword Masters were sent flying back merely from the wind it caused. Its roar was prehistoric, sounding as if it was an ancient mythological existence being enraged. Skymender steadied himself just in time to sense the giant head snapping at Sword Master Gargantuan. He was about to shout out in warning, but it seemed unnecessary. Sword Master Gargantuan jumped high in the air, the snake''s mouth missing by inches. Instead, he latched on to its nose and stabbed it using its own momentum from attacking. This caused the sword to slide past its deep scales and fully stab into it. Since Sword Master Gargantuan carried such a large greatsword, it clearly felt this. Although it was like being stabbed by the point of a toothpick, such a thing still hurt. The snake smashed its head down, attempting to crush Sword Master Gargantuan. Sword Master Gargantuan jumped off just in time and got far enough away to where he was only blown back by the wind, not seriously injured. Were this anyone else, Skymender or Sword Master Yi Shuzanhao, they most likely would have died. It was only due to Sword Master Gargantuan''s unbelievable strength that he was able to survive without any serious injury. In an instant, they all made a decision. They had to kill this snake. Otherwise, it was unknown whether or not it would leave them alone even if they ran away. The three important figures on top of the snake''s head, who were clinging on for dear life, saw this, but were not worried. There was no way for them to survive this fight. It was a mythical being. Only a Sword Grandmaster had any hope of killing it. All three charged at the snake from below. The snake, clearly more enraged than before,smashed its head down on them and swept it to the side. Skymender held onto the snake, though he felt his bones creaking from the impact. He was not a Sword Master, and only even survived the hit because of the enhancement vial. However, he did not give up. The other two also climbed onto the snake and began to run on it. They were heading towards the three people on top, which was also most likely where its brain was. If they wanted to kill it, this would be the best way. Suddenly, the snake began to move. Before, although it had moved its head, its body had remained within the mountain. However, at this moment, it began to slither out and move around. Pieces of mountains, much like islands, stuck to portions of its back. This was much like the area on the head that the three figures were holding onto. Although they tried to run on it, its fast speed gave them a fair share of difficulty. They were shaken off. Sword Master Yi Shuzanhao landed in the trees. Sword Master Gargantuan landed in a lake. Skymender landed on a different portion of the snake''s body, one not covered by earth but by scales. Suddenly, the snake wrapped around, snapping towards him at a speed nearly impossible to react to. In one swift motion, Skymender was swallowed whole. Chapter 738: Deprivation Against Mountain Serpent - 738 Chapter 738 - Deprivation Against Mountain Serpent - 738 If Skymender had eyes, the world would have rapidly darkened. However, his vision was essentially the same as before. The snake''s skin and scales could not stop the immense vibrations occurring from reaching him. He could still see three hundred feet outside of the snake''s body. However, Skymender focused on the inside. He saw an incredible sight, one he could hardly believe. As he traveled down the snake''s throat, he saw none other than a small town. A literal small town. It had houses and shops, but no people. The snake was surely big enough to house people, so this wasn''t impossible, but the fact that buildings existed inside of the snake was unbelievable. The small town clearly had not been inhabited for many years. Few of the buildings still had roofs, and some were eroded to a single wall. Saliva dripped from above like a constant rain. Skymender felt it sting every time he was hit. If he stayed here for too long, he would eventually be digested. Skymender thought of escaping, but before any of that, he wanted to explore this place. He may not have another chance. He walked around until he spotted a relatively intact building. Inside, there was rusty metal and rotten furniture. However, it clearly represented that something humanoid, most likely human, lived here long ago. Skymender saw a book on a table. This was exactly what he had been looking for. It was in horrible condition, but he tried his best to read the words through vibrations. He could only make out a few words. "Serpent. God. Home. Benevolent." These were the important words he had picked out of what remained of the text, which was surprisingly in english. These words seemed to indicate that this Mountain Serpent had once been seen as a god by these people. They lived inside of its home. Clearly, back then, it must have been something akin to benevolent. As for how this small town ended up abandoned, he did not know. He left this house, looking for more information in another. Skymender visited many houses, but few had anything to offer besides signs that someone had lived here many, many years ago. Near the end, he found another group of writings, though these were also barely intact. "Anger. Lightning. God. Fear." These were the important words he managed to pick out this time. Clearly, something had happened. It was obvious that this was referring to whatever caused this place to become damaged. Intense shaking was occuring outside, and Skymender did not waste any more time. He examined everything else, finding nothing of importance. He did not immediately try to cut his way out. Instead, he opened up a small container on his side. Inside were a few vials of Deprivation poison. This was absolutely the time to use them. Skymender had long understood that one did not necessarily have to inhale or drink this poison for it to work. It seeped into one''s very being. Skymender threw two of them far away with a strength that ensured they would break upon landing, before running far away. He then began to slowly carve into the side of the snake with his sword. Clearly, swallowing things was not a very effective method of killing for this snake, against humans at least, so it was no wonder why it had tried to smash them on multiple occasions. Perhaps he was only eaten to temporarily lessen the amount of targets. He had no way of understanding the snake''s intelligence and could only make guesses. As Skymender began to carve his way out, the snake started to act out. However, this wasn''t due to his carving, but because of the Deprivation poison. Sword Master Yi Shuzanhao and Sword Master Gargantuan, who had been struggling to survive, noticed these changes immediately. They began to retreat, and the snake had no intention of following them. It was thrashing around on the ground, obviously in pain. Of course, no matter how far they got, it wasn''t much of a distance to the mountain sized snake. It was after a few minutes of trashing that Skymender escaped the snake through a hole. He climbed on it and began to run on its back. It was quite hard to stay balanced, but he managed to slowly move towards its head. The two Sword Masters saw him and were relieved that he was alive. The giant snake already had a few scars from their attacks. Despite everything else, they were still first rank Sword Masters. If they were unable to at least injure the snake, they wouldn''t be worthy of such a title. On the landmass atop the snake''s head, the three important members of the Ancient Empires were ragged. As the snake trashed around, nothing moved more than its head. They were constantly struggling to even hold on, much less notice Skymender coming towards them. It took nearly five minutes before Skymender jumped on the landmass atop the snake''s head. From afar, Sword Master Yi Shuzanhao and Sword Master Gargantuan noticed this. They also noticed that the snake was beginning to move slower. Blood was pouring out of its eyes, creating a literal river of blood. Suddenly, the Serpent Master noticed Skymender. He was not too far from him anymore. He picked up his flute and began to play. It was a calming melody. Although it would not usually affect the snake, in its current weakened snake, it had an effect. It slowly stopped swinging its head. Suddenly, the Serpent Master blew hard into his flute, so hard that it began to crack. This was not a melody, but a command. In its time of weakness, he was using everything he had to issue one command. And indeed, it worked. A tail as large as a small mountain flung from the back, slamming so quickly on Skymender''s location that he could not react. This was the most dangerous situation he had ever faced. In an instant, he made a last ditch decision, resting his fate on the snake''s response time. He grabbed a vial of the Deprivation poison and smashed it down where he stood. Chapter 739: Awards - 739 Chapter 739 - Awards - 739 As soon as the Deprivation poison hit the snake''s scales and burst open, the snake''s pupils constricted. It instantly regained control of its body, wrestling control from the Serpent Master. As a result, its tail stopped moving. It sensed the Deprivation poison on its back and began to roll around. Even the land on its head was smashed into the ground, injuring all three of the Ancient Empire people. Once again, the snake began to suffer, but so did Skymender. This was his third time feeling the effects of the Deprivation poison. The first time, his heart had turned cold and nearly stopped beating. The second time, he went blind. This time, his skin began to age and his body grew dim. He could tell quickly that this time, he was being deprived of his youth, or time. He quickly aged from a young man to a middle aged man. Perhaps because of his resistance through multiple exposures, he stopped there. Otherwise, he may have very well become an old man today. All in all, this did not affect Skymender much. In fact, he felt as though his strength had grown and his bearing was grander. Inadvertently, he had gained a bit from this use of the deprivation poison. However, if he could decide, he would not have done this at all. He had lost more than fifteen years of life, somewhere around twenty. It was a devastating loss. He shot forward, heading towards the injured Emperor, Imperial Scholar, and Serpent Master. They were unable to truly react as he grabbed the Imperial Scholar of the Ancient Empire by the neck and squeezed. His neck snapped on the spot. Next, he reached the Emperor. With a smooth punch, he was knocked unconscious. Finally, all that remained was the Serpent Master. He simply looked at Skymender. There were so many emotions on his face that it was hard to discern them all. It seemed as if he was looking back on everything that led up to this. Without wasting a word, Skymender grabbed his sword and slashed. As the Serpent Master''s head came off, a small snake jumped out of his clothes and bit at Skymender''s face. Skymender opened his mouth and bit on its neck. It did not manage to move enough to bite him. He soon ended the snake''s life as well. All that remained was to deal with the Mountain Serpent. He carried the Emperor of the Ancient Empire on his back as he carefully made his way off of the raging Mountain Serpent. He soon managed to meet up with the two Sword Masters, Yi Shuzanhao and Sword Master Gargantuan. "Is the job finished?" Yi Shuzanhao asked. Skymender nodded. "What should we do with this snake?" Sword Master Gargantuan asked. "What can we do with it? I say we just leave it be. It stayed quiet for so many years, it will probably do so once the effects of my poison wear off." Skymender said. They nodded, and after committing the mythical snake to memory, turned and left. They ran fast, rarely taking any breaks. They soon made it back to the battlefield, which was now deserted save for a few carriages. Someone came up to them from a distance. "Sword Master Yi Shuzanhao. Sword Master Gargantuan. Imperial Scholar Skymender. The Emperor congratulates your victory. We have a carriage prepared to take you home." Before long, they were on their way back to the Faceless Empire. It took a few months, but they soon returned. The other soldiers had returned only a few days before them, and the festivities welcomed their return. Although the many soldiers had received a grand welcome, it felt even grander when it was focused on three people. The names of Sword Master Yi Shuzanhao, Sword Master Gargantuan, and Imperial Scholar Skymender represented the peak of the Empire. Above them were only really the Emperor and Sword Master Shang, who was now widely known as Sword Grandmaster Shang. They did not waste any time, reporting directly to the Imperial Palace. When they entered the throne room, it was crowded. Generals, scholars, nobles, wealthy commoners, all of the important people in the Empire were present and on the side. Skymender, Yi Shuzanhao, and Sword Master Gargantuan stood in the middle of the room, watched by all. They gave their report to the Emperor, including their testimony of the Mountain Serpent. They especially noted Skymender''s contributions. Skymender''s change had been noticed since he entered the throne room. He now looked similar in age to Yi Shuzanhao. However, it was still clearly him. Skymender simply told the Emperor that it was the work of the Deprivation poison and he understood. "I would now like to award a medal of honor to the three of you, who bravely chased down the Imperial Scholar, Emperor, and Serpent Master of the Ancient Empire, killed two of them, and brought me the Emperor of the Ancient Empire. In addition, you even managed to fight and escape the legendary Mountain Serpent." The Emperor announced. He personally walked down and gave all three of them a medal of honor. There had been an award ceremony before their return, but only one person had received a medal of honor at that time, and that was Sword Grandmaster Shang, who slew the Sword Grandmaster of the Ancient Empire, ending an ancient legend. After handing them their awards, the Emperor headed outside of the throne room, followed by all those who had been within it. The Sword Masters of the Faceless Empire, as well as Skymender, stood next to him. He walked out onto the balcony overseeing the Faceless Empire, and spoke to a vast crowd. Within this crowd were Emperors of allied Empire''s, Kings of the Faceless Empire, messengers, and countless others from all around the world. Naturally, the citizens of the Faceless Empire were also present. Everyone was here to hear the announcement made after the victory. The Emperor stood tall and spoke. "As of today, the Faceless Empire rules the world." Chapter 740: Prisoner Emperor - 740 Chapter 740 - Prisoner Emperor - 740 An uproarious applause came from the vast crowd as many shouted in glee. Their Empire, the Faceless Empire, now ruled the world. It was impossible to not be happy. Noticeably, some in the crowd were not cheering. They stood there solemnly. These were the people coming to represent their Empire''s attendance. Whether it was Emperors, Kings, or messengers, all wondered what this meant for them and their people in the future. The Emperor continued to speak. "I have already sent letters out to the various Empires of the Terra Continent. They can either acknowledge our position as the rulers of the world, and accept the name change from Terra Continent to the Continent of Wu, or they can be eradicated." More cheering was heard. The Emperor''s speech continued for a while, explaining various matters and changes that would be occurring soon. It was clear that he had planned this out long ago. The speech soon ended, though the excitement it caused never died down. Returning to the Imperial Palace, the Emperor began to assign missions. With an entire continent to expand on, there were many, many people who had to go to different places. Some were sent by themselves with only the people they could bring, such as servants and guards, but some were sent with Sword Masters. Different places had different levels of strength and threat, which constituted a different level of force sent out just in case. Luckily, their allies also had Sword Masters which could be used. Skymender had hoped that he would be sent towards the western part of the Empire so that he may see the Western Monks again, but the Emperor had an important task for him. When all of the other assignments were given out, the Emperor took Skymender to a room. Inside of it was the restrained Ancient Empire Emperor. Once at the top of the world, he was now reduced to a mere prisoner. He was asleep, so the Emperor splashed water on him to awaken him. The Ancient Empire Emperor awoke, breathing heavily. When he saw Skymender and the Emperor, hatred was visible on his face. He did not speak. The Emperor began to speak to him. "Light Ocean Kingdom." The Ancient Empire Emperor''s face changed. "What have you discovered in your expeditions?" The Emperor asked. Before the Ancient Empire Emperor answered any questions, he asked one. "What happened to my grandfather?" He asked. The Emperor did not hesitate a moment before speaking. "He was killed by Sword Grandmaster Shang." The Ancient Empire Emperor closed his eyes. After a few minutes, he opened them again. "You want to know about the Light Ocean Kingdom, but what can you give me in return?" He asked. "We can promise to spare some of your people and allow them to live as a Kingdom under the rule of the Faceless Empire." The Emperor said. The Ancient Empire Emperor laughed. "Are you saying that you''d kill all of them if I don''t? There are millions of people there. All of your loyal followers and allies would no longer look at you the same if you committed a massacre of that scale. You would lose far more than you would gain." He clearly did not take it seriously for even a single second. The Emperor looked at him coldly. "Yes, I will." The Ancient Empire Emperor looked at him, about to speak. However, when he saw the infinite coldness that filled the Emperor''s eyes, his confidence wavered. Something told him that if he did not agree to these terms, the people of the Ancient Empire would not live for much longer. He was just about to speak when a roar filled the skies. It shook the entire Imperial Capital, causing the Emperor to nearly lose balance. His eyes widened in shock as he ran out of the prison chamber. Skymender did not need to look to know what was happening. That was the unmistakable roar of the Mountain Serpent. For some reason, it had come to attack the Imperial Capital. Skymender left the prison chamber, finding the nearest balcony and looking out off of it. In the distance, he saw the Mountain Serpent in all of its glory. Its head peaked over the Imperial Capital''s walls, but a figure jumped at it. His slashes left his sword and cut the snake, sending it retreating from the walls. Their battle continued not far from the Imperial Capital. Skymender could still feel the constant shaking. Following Sword Grandmaster Shang and the snake, the first rank Sword Masters of the Faceless Empire, as well as the first rank Sword Master of the Golden Sparrow Empire, went out of the Imperial Capital. Skymender quickly ran to the city walls, where he and many others watched the battle take place. The Emperor, who was now calm, also watched the battle take place. "What could have caused it to come attack us?" He asked. Skymender thought about everything. After ten minutes, he spoke. "I used the Deprivation poison on it. I haven''t had time to tell anyone about it, but I found a town inside of the Mountain Serpent when it swallowed me." He began to tell the Emperor the unbelievable story. By the end, he was shocked. However, Skymender continued. "It was once a benevolent deity of sorts. It watched over the people that lived inside of it, and perhaps outside of it. However, those people faced some sort of disaster and were wiped out. Perhaps what it was Deprived of was its benevolence, or its memories of the people that once worshipped it, which caused it to follow its instincts and begin to attack those who had harmed it. I suppose it only took this long because it was healing from before." The Emperor nodded at his conclusion. By the time he had finished talking, things were not looking good for the Mountain Serpent. One of its eyes had been completely destroyed, while the other was extremely damaged. This was the work of Sword Grandmaster Shang. He was like a god himself. Even if he was alone, the snake would have lost, but with the assistance of three first rank Sword Masters, it was a casual affair. Chapter 741: Light Ocean Kingdom - 741 Chapter 741 - Light Ocean Kingdom - 741 Despite its grievous injuries, it fought with no regard for its life. All of the first rank Sword Masters ended up injured. Only Sword Grandmaster Shang remained the same as always. He eventually destroyed its other eye, and all the snake could do was move around wildly, hoping to destroy its targets. Sword Grandmaster Shang pierced the snake a few times through its eyes, reaching its brain, before the snake finally fell. As it hit the ground, a thud sounded through the Imperial Capital, and even the walls trembled. The Mountain Serpent, a mythical creature once regarded as a legend, was slain. There were no casualties at all, excluding the snake itself. With this, the war was truly over. Nothing remained that could threaten the Faceless Empire. After the Emperor settled everything down, he returned to the prison with Skymender. The Ancient Empire Emperor was still there. "Continue." The Faceless Emperor said. The Ancient Empire Emperor nodded. "In our discoveries, the Light Ocean Kingdom has found evidence of another continent existing somewhere, though it is not one hundred percent certain. They found an island which contains descriptions of a place similar to our continent, but there are also things that are different. This discrepancy, however, could simply be due to how long the papers had been there." He then paused before speaking. "However, I have had a suspicion that they have been keeping things from me. What it is, I wasn''t sure. I was too preoccupied with the war to care about anything else." The Emperor of the Faceless Empire did not seem too surprised. He turned to Skymender. "Your mission is to gather all of the information possible on a possible second continent. Posing as an escapee from the Imperial Capital of the Ancient Empire, you will infiltrate the Light Ocean Kingdom. There you will find whatever they were hiding, and perhaps even help us take it over with the least amount of resistance. Do you now understand the importance of this mission?" Skymender nodded. "I will not fail." "Good. Then get going. There will be a carriage waiting for you. Everything will be prepared within the hour." Skymender nodded and left. Before long, he set off in a carriage. It was extremely high speed. As he left the Imperial Capital, he saw that hundreds of workers were dismantling the Mountain Serpent. Ignoring everything else, just the meat on it was enough to allow the entire Empire to feast on it for a while. It was best to get it now before it began to decompose. Even its scales and skin were supremely valuable. Skymender had made a point to have someone collect and store its blood, for though it flowed like a river, this was possibly the only Mountain Serpent in the world, and its blood was valuable. It was a pity the eyes were destroyed. They could have been studied and had great effects on technological advancement. As Skymender traveled towards the Ancient Empire, he had a master of disguise and infiltration help him prepare. Though he knew a lot about being an assassin, this person''s expertise went far beyond that. He was given clothes, his face disguised with paint and makeup, and even his actions were taught to be more like someone of the Ancient Empire''s. By the time they arrived at their destination, which was farther east than the Ancient Empire, he was completely prepared. Skymender thanked the master of disguise and began to run. He made sure to intentionally fall down, receiving scrapes and bruises, as well as getting dirty, before he saw the city walls of the royal capital of Light Ocean Kingdom. The guards stopped him with drawn bows. Skymender put his hands up. "I am a soldier of the Ancient Empire''s Imperial Capital. Our squad was destroyed and I managed to escape here. Please allow me entry." The guards looked at each other unsurely. After a minute or so, someone began to walk towards him. He was elderly and wore scholar robes. When he was within speaking distance, he spoke. "With our city facing the inevitable conquest of the Faceless Empire, we are in quite a strict lockdown. Nobody in, nobody out. I''m sure you understand. Please just answer a few questions for us." Skymender nodded. "What is your name?" He asked. "My name is Sui Linglan." "Any relation to Count Sui?" The elderly man asked. "A distant relative, but no personal relation. I am a commoner." Skymender said. The elderly man asked another question. "How did you get here?" "As the Sword Masters of the Ancient Empire fell one by one, we were sent retreating. I managed to nab an uninjured horse and run away. I managed to feed him for a while, but he eventually couldn''t move anymore due to lack of food. All that I had, I had to eat. I came here because this is where I was born and raised until the age of nine. You can check the records." The elderly man seemed surprised, and walked back. After having someone check the records, he finally allowed Skymender entry. "At this point, we believe you, but without absolute proof, we will have to have someone watch you. Before we let you get settled in, the King wants to hear what happened during the battle." Skymender nodded. He was taken to a large palace and brought in front of a surprisingly young king. He was an adult, but probably in his early twenties. At his request, Skymender explained details of the battles and how the Ancient Empire lost. His information was accurate and had been studied countless times over the last months. The King fell silent before sighing. "It seems that it is truly over for the Ancient Empire." After a minute or so of silence, he spoke again. "For now, please stay in the Imperial Palace. When we confirm some things, we can have you go out." Skymender nodded. He had gained initial access, and the rest would be easy from here. He was brought to a room and left to rest. Chapter 742: Infiltration - 742 Chapter 742 - Infiltration - 742 Skymender rested for a few hours before he heard a knock on the door. "Mister Sui Linglan. I have brought some breakfast for you." A voice sounded out beyond the door. Skymender opened it and saw a servant. In her hand was a tray with a fairly luxurious amount of food on it. Skymender thanked the servant before asking her a question. "What has been going on in the Kingdom recently?" He spoke in a casual manner, making his question seem insignificant. Despite that, the girl was clearly hesitant. "His majesty said not to talk to you about any information until he was certain you were clean." Skymender let out an exaggerated sigh. "He sure is cautious, as expected of such a great King. However, is it really necessary? In here, I couldn''t leave even if I wanted to. It truly is tragic that after watching all of my brothers die, I''m treated like a prisoner by those I fell back on." The servant girl gave him a glance of sympathy before whispering. "Well I can''t say much, but we''ve been preparing a retreat. If everything goes as planned, we should escape the conquest of the Faceless Empire." Skymender was surprised, but feigned curiosity. "Where could you retreat that the Faceless Empire couldn''t reach?" The servant girl smiled before walking out the door. "Maybe I''ll tell you tomorrow." Throughout the day, Skymender received multiple meals from the servant girl, but despite asking for more information, she said to wait until tomorrow. The next day, when she handed him his breakfast, she whispered to him. "We are going to retreat to an island, and before we go, we will completely destroy any information of its existence." Once again, Skymender received an extremely important piece of information from the servant girl. The next day, she told him more. "That island is supposedly huge and can sustain our entire Kingdom. The only issue is the lack of boats, but they''ve been rapidly building some, and if we all cram on, then everyone in the Royal Capital should fit. Unfortunately, it seems that those who have yet to arrive at the Royal Capital will be left behind." Later that day, Skymender was finally allowed out of his room. The King had cleared him. He would surely not be able to leave the Royal Capital, but he had no need to do so. As she gave him his final meal while in the room, the servant asked a question. "Is there something wrong with your eyes or your face, Mister Sui? You always have that cloth covering it." Skymender shook his head. "It is just that my eyes were injured in the war." She nodded suspiciously before leaving. This was the first time Skymender had been asked such a question. Even when he had met the King, he had not dared ask Skymender, a supposed soldier who had nearly died for their Empire, to be searched. Only this servant had even asked about it. Skymender left the Royal Palace and moved around the Royal City. He instantly saw that it was filled with movement, but with a lack of things. It was as if everyone had been packing up. In the distance, he saw the vast ocean, with tens of giant ships and even more smaller ships lining the coast. Countless things were being inspected, and some were allowed onto the ships. Some things were deemed useless and not allowed on, but anything pertaining to a need was allowed on. It seemed that just within days, they would depart from the Royal Capital. There were also many guards running around. Besides simply keeping order, they made sure that no information of where they were going remained. All of it was burned. Once the libraries were emptied out, they were also burned to the ground. Anyone found hiding information were executed. Houses were charred and tall buildings were torn down. They were taking everything they could and leaving nothing in excess behind. By the time they were gone, perhaps even the Royal Palace would be nothing but ash and debris. A servant came up to Skymender and spoke. "The King has permitted you to retreat with us, if that is what you want." Skymender looked around then nodded. "Yes, that would be preferable to dying at the hands of the Faceless Empire." The servant nodded solemnly. "In that case, you can board now if you want." Skymender shook his head. "I grew up in this city, and though it will soon be beyond repair, I would like to spend at least a few days in it." The servant seemed to understand and left Skymender alone with some money for his troubles. Skymender looked around, and thought of how he would lead the Faceless Empire towards the retreating island. Before that, however, he needed to know the actual location of the island. To do that, he headed towards the port. Nearby was a large tower which held all of the information on ocean exploration. Although he was still on a watch, it was almost exclusively to prevent him from leaving the Royal Capital. Anything else would most likely be ignored. After all, they had other things to worry about. Skymender was expecting some sort of guards to stop people from entering, but though there were indeed guards, they seemed to be ransacking the place. Skymender was able to enter freely. Fires were started outside, and all irrelevant information was burned. Important information was loaded onto the ships. Skymender walked through the tower and was eventually stopped as he neared the top floor. "What are you doing here?" A guard asked him. Skymender sighed. "I had always wanted to work here, but now it seems it will soon be gone, just like the rest of the city." The guard examined him and spoke. "So you are that soldier that retreated here from the war. Thank you for what you''ve done. You know what, come and take a look. There is still some information you can learn here." Skymender thanked him and stepped onto the top floor. Chapter 743: Across the Ocean - 743 Chapter 743 - Across the Ocean - 743 The guard waved at some other guards, who nodded, and he followed Skymender to the top floor. Here, all of the books were being carefully packed. Unlike on the other floors, there was no useless information here. Usually, only nobles or rich commoners would even be allowed up here. Skymender walked around and looked at some of the books. The guard following him spoke. "We found some interesting rooms up here. Since most of the nobles and officials have already boarded the boat, along with all of the library''s workers, we can explore places we never would have been able to. In other words, we can bend the rules like never before." He walked up to an area where the bookcase had been destroyed. "After removing all of the books, we destroyed the bookshelf and found a secret room. Look inside." Skymender walked up to the hole in the wall and looked at it. There, he found a large map. It depicted the entire Continent of Wu, as well as some islands in the ocean off to the right. "That big one is where we are retreating to. Once we fully open this wall, we will take this. It won''t be long before the once famous library is burnt to the ground, though it seems that will be the case for all of the Royal Capital." The guard sighed. Skymender quickly memorized all of the information available and stopped looking. A lucky break indeed. He now had everything he would need. Skymender toured around the rest of the top floor briefly before thanking the guard and leaving. He ventured around the city. Now, all he had to do was figure out how to leave a message. Eventually, he ventured towards the city wall. Even if they wanted to, it would be impossible to burn down the walls. They were specifically fire resistant and made of stone. If they could be burned down easily, they wouldn''t be city walls. Therefore, this was the best place to leave a message. The master of disguise that had brought him said that if something arose and he had to leave a message that couldn''t be found, he should do it on a northern portion of the walls, preferably one that was close to the ocean. He was also taught a special code language to ensure it wouldn''t be read. There was already some writing on the walls, most of them declaring their hate for the Faceless Empire. Skymender had brought a spear he had found on the ground in order to write on the walls. He wrote, "Once my home, now overtaken by filth." Under that, he wrote his fake name, and a few symbols. These symbols were of the code language, and would not attract any attention. A few people who were nearby gave him thumbs up. "Well done brother! Even if we are running away, we should at least throw out some insults." Skymender thanked him for his support and moved on. That was all he could do for now, but in order to ensure absolute success, he would take this journey with the people of the Light Ocean Kingdom. Besides, he was interested in seeing what this so-called island had to offer. Perhaps he could even find evidence of another continent, just as rumored. He had not been able to gather much information, but the information he had gathered would surely lead the Faceless Empire towards the island. At the very least, they would not be able to run anywhere else. Skymender lived out the next few days among the people of the Light Ocean Kingdom, gaining a greater understanding of their culture. Eventually, it was time to depart. Long lines formed as thousands poured into the boats. There were even more already on board than those that were just entering. Many gave last looks towards the Royal City, including guards, nobles, and the Royal Family. Skymender was able to board a smaller boat, which was actually a more luxurious option than a bigger boat. The bigger boats were crowded to the brim, and though so were some of the smaller boats, this one in particular belonged to a noble of the kingdom. They had heard of Skymender, a survivor of war, and had invited him on board. Skymender was quickly able to tell why. This was a noble family with a long history of warriors and soldiers. The founder had received his noble title through his efforts in war, and his descendants had pushed their name to greater heights. It was no wonder that they had invited Skymender, a soldier of the war, on board. An old man sat at a table with some other family members. Others were elsewhere on the boat. Skymender took a seat and played card games with them as they spoke. "Many of our sons, and even some of our daughters participated in the war. Unfortunately, none of them came back." The old man sighed. Although the Light Ocean Kingdom seemed to be in high spirits due to escaping, they had lost much. They had lost their Empire, their children and husbands, and now even their home. Sadness was visible on the faces of many, though some seemed to put hope into their new life ahead. Skymender fit in quite well. Just about every one of the old people at the table were retired soldiers, and they shared many stories. Skymender also shared a few, which were mostly true with a few lies and deceptions. They sailed on the sea for days, then weeks, then months. The ships were loosely tied together with ropes, forming a large formation along the sea. At the very front was the largest ship. It alone accounted for 20% of the population. It was also where the command station was. In the third month since leaving the city, they finally spotted the island in the distance. There had been no lack of large waves, storms, and even occasional shark attacks. Luckily, none of the ships had sunken. Everyone was filled with relief at the sight of land once again. Chapter 744: Island Development - 744 Chapter 744 - Island Development - 744 Skymender observed the island with interest. Not far from the shore were a large amount of stone ruins. There were so many that he could confidently assume that a large city had once stood here. The island was so large that it was difficult to see its ends. At the very least, it was far bigger than the Royal Capital they had departed from. The boats docked and a few people began to depart. These were the heads of the Royal Capital. It included the King, the Royal family, and important officials. On the boat, everyone waited for nearly a day before they returned and began to allow everyone to depart. Guards took stand and made sure that everything was orderly. It was a difficult thing, to move an entire city to an island orderly. Many things were brought off board, and many people began to work. Some set up camps for the next few days, while most began to build houses for the future. Many materials had been brought, as it was quite difficult to get abundant building materials on an island. Thousands upon thousands of tents were set up and filled to the brim with people. Skymender was put in a higher quality tent area, one filled with guards. As a soldier, he still had special rights. It helped that he was the only known survivor of the war. The days passed quickly, and Skymender was quickly tasked with assisting the creation of houses. They were essentially building a city, and all hands were on deck. Those who worked were given slightly better living conditions, while those who refused and did the bare minimum received only what was necessary to survive. Since they were starting from scratch, the Kingdom could only run on a merit based system without any physical currency. After a month, Skymender received a house for all of his hard work. It was small, unadvanced, and made completely of stone, but it was much better than simply living in a tent. A year soon passed since they had stepped onto the island. Large fields took up more than half of the island, houses were built and streets were paved, and a small palace was built on the small mountain in the center of the island. After the last year, they had essentially successfully started anew. There were very few people living in tents, and almost everyone had similar jobs. It was all about building and farming. Naturally, there were also the guards. The only other jobs were government positions. However, the people in those jobs had been in those jobs since before they had come to the island. On this island, where they were essentially in their own world, there was little greed and very little crime. It was expected for about a single crime to be committed a week, and for such a large population, that was incredible. A major part of this was the government''s generosity. They made sure that everyone, regardless of status or working, received enough food to survive. They also ensured that those who worked hard received adequate rewards. Even Skymender could not help but admire the current King and his government. Unfortunately, it was bound to be short lasting. By now, the Faceless Empire had surely marched on the Light Ocean Kingdom and discovered the ash beyond the wall. They would have found Skymender''s code and begun building ships. After perhaps another year, they would probably reach the island. Until then, Skymender wanted to begin exploring the island. The ruins were never fully demolished, and had been explored a bit. In the current situation, most of the information found was public. However, Skymender would not believe anything he had not verified himself. After going through some hoops, he managed to find his way onto a small ruin exploration team. They were ones who had been tasked with trying to find anything about the people that had lived here previously. He had been able to get on so easily because of his work ethic. His contributions were high, and in this society, they were viewed as an indicator of social status. With his contributions, he was welcomed onto the team with open arms. Over the next few months, they carefully explored and examined the ruins. Skymender understood a little bit about ruin excavation, but he learned a lot more while on the team. During a particular adventure, Skymender was rubbing his hand across some stones as he walked, and felt that one was loose. He examined it, and after pushing it with all his strength, which was an extraordinary amount of force, the wall began to move. Some sort of mechanism revealed a dark hallway. His team members were astonished, and instantly dropped everything, lighting torches and walking into the hallway. As they walked deeper, they saw drawings on the walls. This was something rarely seen within the normal ruins, but here, it was everywhere. The drawings depicted gods, sacrifices, mountains and seas, kings and servants, legendary swords, and countless other things. Some scenes were hard to decipher. If given time, they would most likely be able to, but everyone present was far more interested in seeing what was deeper than exploring these surface level drawings. Eventually, the hall opened up. Stepping into the large room, their torches lit up a large portion. Naturally, Skymender could see everything. In fact, he had always been able to see these parts of the ruins, though not in great detail. It had taken him a while to find the method to open the entrance, as the stone these ruins were made out of were, for some reason, hard to see through. It was even harder than seeing through sand. However, now in this hall, he could see everything. What was drawn on the large wall ahead was astonishing, and he forgot to move while the others began to try and light up the entire area. Eventually, the room was fully lit, and everyone noticed that carved onto the wall ahead was a large map. This map was far larger than any of them had ever seen. Chapter 745: Arrival of the Faceless Empire - 745 Chapter 745 - Arrival of the Faceless Empire - 745 At the very center of this map was a small island. From its shape, they could tell that it was the very island they were on. To the west of this island was the Continent of Wu, but it had a different name on this map. "The Wilds." One of the explorers mumbled. However, everyone''s attention was focused on the map east of the island. About twice as far as the distance between this island and the Continent of Wu was a large landmass called, "The Mainland." Skymender was the first to pry his attention off of the map, though the immense shock lingered in his mind. This was complete proof of another continent existing. Skymender''s attention turned elsewhere, looking at the three decayed skeletons in the room. Their clothes had decayed to near nothingness, but Skymender could still tell that there was an emblem of a flame embroidered on all three of them. This was most likely the emblem of the Empire that had occupied this place, or perhaps the Mainland itself. In addition, he spotted some decayed papers. These papers were similar to the papers he had found inside of the Mountain Serpent in terms of decay. He could only make out a few words. "Sword Grandmaster, Wilds, Report." This was one of two papers in front of one of the skeletons. The other was slightly less decayed, and he was able to make out a few more words. This skeleton seemed to have written this one himself. "Danger, Treant, Lightning, Madness, Spear, Sword Master, Retreat." This one was far more ominous than the last. It seemed almost similar to some of the writing he had found within the Mountain Serpent. It was as if some calamity had occurred. As for what the word Treant meant, he had no clue. Perhaps it was part of a word. It was impossible to tell. It wasn''t long before the others found the papers and read them. They were similarly astonished. "We need to report this to the King." One of the explorers said. Everyone agreed, and after examining it all once more to make sure they didn''t miss anything, they all departed from the ruins. They quickly returned to the King and reported their findings. A large team was sent over to confirm everything and make sure that they didn''t miss anything. Over the next few days, a big piece of news spread across the island. There was another continent in the world. This naturally raised the question, should they try to reach this new continent. It was a heated debate for months, but eventually, the common opinion was that staying on the island was much better. They had already gotten used to their new lives, and if they wanted to move across the ocean, they had to ask themselves if they even had the ability. They were no longer on a vast continent with infinite resources, but a small island where everything counted. Even gathering enough food to make such a long journey would mostly be impossible. Despite this shocking piece of information, nothing much changed. Around a year passed, and someone screamed from a high tower. "Incoming ships!" This yell was like the harbinger of death and despair. Everyone understood that it could only mean one thing. The Faceless Empire had come. Looking from afar, Skymender could see a familiar figure, Skybelle, from afar. She was a middle aged woman by now. However, her gaze was sharp enough to instill fear into everyone who looked at her. The people of the island hurriedly got prepared. Most suited up for war, but the higher officials went out to welcome the Faceless Empire. Fighting would only lead to their extermination. Without warning, Skymender stepped out of the ranks of armored people and walked in front of the officials. The King''s pupils constricted. "You..." His tone was filled with rage, yet destitute. Despite all his caution, this had still happened. Skymender had naturally exposed himself for a reason. "I have lived on this island for years, and I have understood how it functions. As long as you all prepare an unconditional surrender, I can put in a good word for you." Although Skymender''s words sounded almost humiliating, they were actually a way to save these people''s lives. This small society had flourished in a unique way, and it would be a pity to destroy them. People had mixed opinions on his words. Some were resentful, especially those whose family members had died in the war against the Faceless Empire. Some were conflicted, not knowing what to think. Some were grateful, seeing this as a second chance at life. "It will be up to you how you all respond. If some don''t agree with the decision made, you can stand out and choose for yourself." Skymender said. With that, Skymender turned and "looked" at the distance. He could barely see the boat due to the water interfering with the vibrations, but he had gotten much better with it in the past years. Even if he was on sand, he was confident in being able to see well. Though he turned his back, nobody dared to attack him. For one, the Faceless Empire was right there, and for two, he obviously was confident in himself. For three, he had just attempted to do them a favor, even if some saw it as an insult. The Faceless Empire docked without resistance, and Skybelle led a small squad of soldiers. She nodded at him. "Brother." "Sister." Skymender responded, nodding back. Skybelle looked at the King. After a moment of hesitation, he knelt on the ground. "Please spare my people. They are no threat to you, and simply wish to live a life on this island in peace." The King said. Skybelle looked at Skymender, who nodded. "Perhaps your people can be spared, but the government must be changed." Skybelle said, drawing her sword. The King nodded and stayed kneeling. Most of the officials were not as calm. Some even ran away, only to be killed by the soldiers. Skybelle was just about to kill the King when Skymender spoke up. "Wait." Chapter 746: A Flower - 746 Chapter 746 - A Flower - 746 Skybelle stopped her sword and looked at Skymender. The King, whose head had been lowered, also looked at him. "The King is the only reason why I''d bother leaving the people on this island alive. Under his rule, they had created a unique society I had never even heard of. If you want to kill most of the officials, go ahead, but the King should stay alive." Skybelle nodded. She turned her gaze from the King and looked at some of the officials. In just a few moments, around half of their heads had been cut off. She had killed the ones that had shown fear or hatred when she looked at them. The others had either feigned indifference, looked regretful, or simply showed resolve in the face of death. Those who had felt regret had simply wished they could have led their people to better peace, while those who showed resolve in the face of death were naturally admirable. She sheathed her sword and looked at the King. "Stand." The King stood up. Although he had knelt just moments ago, his noble bearing was present. He had kneeled for the lives of his people, not out of respect or fear. "From now on, you will no longer be a King. Is this understood?" She asked. "Yes." The King responded. "From now on, this island will be a part of the Faceless Empire. Is this understood?" "Yes." "Upon returning, the Emperor will decide your fate and the fate of this island. Is this understood?" "Yes." "Then I, Skybelle of the Sky Barony, and Sword Master of the Faceless Empire, have now spared this island from death. Welcome to the Faceless Empire." The "King" nodded his head. Skybelle turned to Skymender. "Have you learned anything about a possible other continent?" Skymender nodded. "You should just come look at it. It is hard to describe in words." Skymender led Skybelle to the ruins and into the secret room. When she saw the map, she could barely keep her composure. "So the Mainland is even bigger than the Continent of Wu." She said. It was about 1.5x the size. "Indeed. Also, take a look at these papers." Skymender said. Skybelle was able to make out the same words he was. She wrote them down to take back with her. They could not move the paper, or even allow wind to touch it, else it would turn to dust. She also recorded the map down and they left the ruins. Skymender boarded a ship to head back to the Faceless Empire. His job was done. Skybelle and most of the soldiers would stay behind to keep order and help the island advance. After a few days, the ship departed with a few soldiers on it and some sailors. A few months later, Skymender saw the Continent of Wu once again. After that was another long journey before they reached the Imperial Capital. Skymender was not received by any cheers or applause. His mission was relatively unknown, and though his contributions to the Empire were high, they did not affect the common people. He went to the Imperial Palace and met the Emperor. The Empire sat high on his throne, his old clothes replaced with much loftier ones that better suited his current status. As far as everyone was concerned, he was the ruler of the world. "I was told you have urgent findings to report." The Emperor said. Skymender nodded and began to speak. "I successfully infiltrated the Light Ocean Kingdom and gained their trust. I learned that they had a secret plan to escape, and followed them. The Light Ocean Kingdom dissolved all of its ties to the Ancient Empire, starting a new society on a secret island, leaving no trace of information behind. On that island, I explored some ancient ruins and found a map of the world. This map did not just have the Continent of Wu on it, but another continent. This was called the Mainland." The Emperor nodded and closed his eyes, seemingly calm. "We also found two papers with things written on them." Skymender proceeded to explain what he found written on the two papers. "I also suspect that they have some connection with the writing in the small town inside of the Mountain Serpent." Skymender had seen that all that now remained of the Mountain Serpent was a large skeleton with some pieces missing. There was no town to be seen. "The town was found destroyed inside of the Mountain Serpent. It did not survive the battle." The Emperor said. However, his mind was clearly preoccupied with the discovery of a new continent. After a few minutes, he spoke. "The Faceless Empire must focus its efforts on controlling the Continent of Wu before we can care about another continent. In my estimation, it will take around ten years or so before we can exercise full control. I hereby issue you a mission to complete until then. Research a way to extend our lifespans, so that this world should truly be ours." Skymender nodded. The Emperor was starting to get old, and so was Skymender. The Deprivation poison had done great damage to his longevity. The Emperor stood. "Follow me." Skymender followed the Emperor out of the throne room and into his chambers. Once inside, he cautiously looked around, before pulling a painting off of the wall. Behind it was a locked safe. The Emperor took out a key and opened it. Inside was a glass container with some grass inside. Planted on that grass was a single flower. The Emperor held the container with extreme caution. He then handed it to Skymender. "This is my greatest treasure. This flower has the ability to increase someone''s longevity by a year. I want you to use it to create something which can increase someone''s longevity even further. Can you do that?" The Emperor asked. Skymender nodded solemnly. "I can do my best. I won''t use it unless I am absolutely confident." The Emperor sighed. "Take care of it. There may not be another in the world, this continent or the next." Chapter 747: Gathering Researchers - 747 Chapter 747 - Gathering Researchers - 747 Skymender returned to his house, which he had not been to for many years. For the first time in a long time, he saw Melly. She had aged a bit, but she still looked young. Skymender, on the other hand, looked as though he was middle aged. When Melly saw him, she was clearly surprised. Despite everything, she had stayed here and loved her life. She learned many things, knitting, farming, arts and crafts, essentially spending her life leisurely. There was no need for her to care about money. When Skymender saw her, he wasn''t sure what to feel or say. He had not thought about her a single time while he was gone. It wasn''t that he disliked her, or that she was a bad person, but that he simply did not care about her. However, Melly walked up and bowed. "Welcome home. Would you like something to eat?" Skymender nodded his head. She quickly cooked up a meal and served it. Skymender tasted it, and it was actually quite good. "Have you considered becoming a chef?" Skymender asked. "No, not really." Melly responded. "Well if you ever do, just go ask the Fatty about it." Skymender said. Melly nodded. She naturally knew who the Fatty he was referring to was. "Sky City is growing quite large." Melly said. Skymender was surprised. "Really?" She nodded. "It has a unique sort of situation going on with the underground world and the normal world. It is the third largest city in its Kingdom." Skymender tilted his head. "Well that''s good for my brother." He continued to eat in silence. After finishing, he got up and began to leave. There was nothing for him here. Before he did, however, he spoke with his back turned to Melly. "Marrying me must have taken up several lives worth of bad karma. In your next life, I suppose you will be a lot luckier." He didn''t give her a chance to speak as he left, closing the door behind him. Skymender went to the research institute. He gathered up the most senior researchers and began to request their assistance. As this was at the behest of the Emperor, and as it was such an important project, not a single one refused. Among them was Tara, the student of the old researcher that Skymender had met long ago. Skymender took all of them to the Imperial Palace. Inside, there was a much more advanced lab. Before he took them there, however, he picked up a valuable individual, perhaps more valuable than all of the old researchers combined. His name was Charles and though he had not exactly made headlines, it did not mean that he was some unimportant or average individual. In fact, despite his relatively young age, he was as smart as the greatest scholars of the Empire, excluding Skymender of course. Skymender looked around, and eventually found him in the mess hall, reading a book while eating. He seemed much more mature than before. Although he ate alone, he seemed more exceptional than anyone else inside just from a glance. Skymender walked up to him while the researchers stayed back, waiting for him. He stood across from Charles and spoke. "It''s been a while." Charles looked up at him, his eyes deep and calm. "Indeed, Imperial Scholar Skymender." "Just Skymender is fine." "Sure." Skymender explained why he was here. "I want you to join my research team." "Doing what?" "Researching the possibility of enhancing longevity, under the request of the Emperor." Charles seemed to think for a moment. "Sure." He took one last bite, closed his book, and stood up. Skymender, Charles, and a bunch of researchers went to the lab, which had long been cleared out for their purpose. Everything was prepared for them. Clearly, this was a very important project. Skymender went over everything he could think of, including the importance of the flower sitting in the middle of the room, and a few of his theories he wanted to try first. Before long, they got to work. This was quite the complicated goal, and it would take a lot of trying and failing to find anything that even had a possibility of working. Although only a few people were in the room, people from all over the Empire had been mobilized for this cause. Under Skymender''s orders, some people were looking for rare materials they didn''t have, while others were bringing the top researchers and geniuses from all of the Empire''s on the continent. Some were even going through the Ancient Empire''s records to see if they had anything that could help. Skymender started with calculations. He had a vast understanding of how many things merged and how their effects altered when combined. As he had told the researchers earlier, he felt that the most likely chance of success would be using blood. This was a field he had studied relatively deeply, and he had a lot of confidence in it. While they began to do calculations, the Emperor was speaking with Sword Grandmaster Shang, who had asked him a question. "Do you think that Skymender will be able to successfully use the flower to create a longevity enhancing concoction?" The Emperor did not even hesitate before shaking his head. "I have done this plenty of times, and no individual has ever been able to successfully do it without my intervention. After all, with all my knowledge, I do know of a way, but it is less efficient than I had hoped. Regardless, it should give me an extra ten years or so." The Emperor said. "Then why even give him the flower? What if it is damaged, or they use it and fail?" Sword Grandmaster Shang asked. The Emperor responded. "Normally, I wouldn''t care, but since this Skymender is a new variable, and I don''t know if he will be here in the next cycle, I need to see what he is made of. I''ll give him a chance, and even if he destroys it, so what? There is always another cycle, with or without him." Chapter 748: Blood Research - 748 Chapter 748 - Blood Research - 748 Even with ten years of time, Skymender did not slack or relax at all. For the first months, he dove head first into research with all of his time and energy. The people he had recruited found it hard to keep up with his dedication, but they were satisfactory enough. Months and months passed. Although there was technically no progress, Skymender felt his confidence increasing. There was indeed always something new to learn. Charles was especially helpful, as Skymender had imagined he would be. He and Charles took the leading roles, while the others could only be delegated to background support. After six months had passed, some new people arrived in the lab. These were the researchers from their allies that had fought in the war with them. Most were like the old researchers, delegated to a background position, but two were noteworthy and, though not as helpful as Charles, were still a great help. New materials came in every day from different regions of the continent. A year passed, and another batch of researchers came in. These were not from allied Empire''s but from the defeated enemy Empires. Many of such researchers had been imprisoned or killed, but those who had surrendered were welcome to work on this project. It was a bit of an adjustment, but they managed to get along well with everyone and put aside their past grievances for the sake of research. They were kept under watch and never allowed to go near important things, but could still do their work. With a year having passed since he was requested to begin research, Skymender was focusing on the blood of the Mountain Serpent. It was something incredibly potent and resistant to all manner of things. It also seemed to have some sort of vitality within it, which made Skymender value it even more. It was the focus of more than half of his time. However, although it was far more incredible than any other blood he had ever encountered, it was not enough alone. He had tried mixing it with things, but it was extremely aggressive. If combined with any other blood, it would either not change or completely be destroyed into some black mush. It was simply on another level. Another half a year passed, with a year and a half passing since starting. Skymender was on his last attempts to do anything with the Mountain Serpent''s blood. He eventually got up and took a break from researching. He was still the Imperial Scholar, and he still had to attend to the Empire''s affairs, even if not as closely as before. As usual, he took a look at a map of the continent. The once unknown land of the wilds had been pushed back, revealing new land. After a year and a half, it seemed as though most everything should have been explored, but for some reason, there were very obvious spots on the map still marked as unknown. The most noticeable of these was literally a circle. All of the land around it had been explored, yet not this, and there was no official reason it seemed. He had noticed this before, but hadn''t paid it much attention. This time, he decided to find out. He went to the throne room, where the Emperor was hard at work. When he saw Skymender, he spoke with friendliness in his tone. "Hey. How''s it going?" Skymender shook his head. "Nothing yet." The Emperor shrugged his shoulders. "We have plenty of time." Skymender nodded before speaking again. "I''ve looked at the map and noticed that some areas are deliberately not explored. What is up with that?" The Emperor was silent for a moment before waving his hand. Those in the throne room cleared out, leaving the Emperor, Sword Grandmaster Shang, and Skymender. "I''ve always trusted my gut, and something tells me that exploring those regions would bring danger." The Emperor said. "How so?" Skymender asked. "I don''t know, but I trust my gut more than anything else." The Emperor reiterated firmly. Skymender shrugged his shoulders. "Just curious. Don''t mind me." He left the throne room and returned to his office. After being around the Emperor for so long, he had always felt something was off about him. The previous Imperial Scholar had also thought so, warning Skymender about him. Still, Skymender did not let it disturb him. He was far too busy to worry about something pointless. In the throne room, the Emperor spoke with Sword Grandmaster Shang. "Do you think it is time to deal with one of those things?" He asked. Sword Grandmaster Shang responded. "I''m ready to fight whenever you are ready for me to fight. I don''t need to remind you, but the only reason I could dispatch of the Mountain Serpent so easily is because it was injured by the Deprivation poison." The Emperor nodded. "That poison is something new. I need to get its recipe at some point. How about this? In a year, I''ll dispatch you, Skymender, and a few others to take out the Plains Bull." Sword Grandmaster Shang spoke. "Me and Skymender should be enough. It had always been the weakest of the nine." The Emperor agreed. "Sure. I don''t want any accidents." "That is why Skymender is coming. I''m confident I could deal with it myself." Skymender continued to research, unaware he was going to be sent out on a mission in just a year. He was still focused on the problem of the Mountain Serpent''s blood. As his thought process deepened, he couldn''t help but wonder if there were other animals like the Mountain Serpent. He thought about it, and eventually sent people out to look for mythical records. After all, he had first learned of the Mountain Serpent from a book, even if it was unconfirmed. A few days later, he received piles of books relating to myths. He skimmed over them, throwing out the ones that spoke of obvious nonsense and fantasy. The sun is an eyeball? The stars are different universes? Angels live on clouds? Walking trees? Talking mountains? He didn''t even bother looking them over past those mentions before throwing them to the side. Chapter 749: Sent on a Mission - 749 Chapter 749 - Sent on a Mission - 749 He narrowed the pile down to a few books, which merely spoke of mythical beings as possibilities. Most of the books were like the book he had found information about the Mountain Serpent in, scientific books about certain species or areas. Some were accounts or sightings of mythical beasts. He reads through all of them, doing his best to discern what was most likely to exist and what was least likely. He read about giant birds that ate houses, spiders whose webs filled hollowed out mountains, lizards that lived among each other like humans, and many other things. Although he tried to tell what was legend and what was truth, it was impossible. At most, he could determine how likely it was to exist. Among all the books, the most likely mythical creature to exist was known as bigfoot. It was a human and monkey hybrid animal, said to be part of a species long extinct. It was seven feet tall, and had never shown itself to humans. It had only been briefly spotted and recounted in numerous legends. Skymender wasn''t sure if this could be considered a mythical beast no matter its rarity. Instead, it simply seemed like an interesting animal, perhaps with human-like intelligence. If he was looking at things strictly considered mythical, similar to the Mountain Serpent, it would have to be the amphibian of the Great Lake. The Great Lake was the largest lake on the continent, and it was so deep that no human had ever reached its bottom. A legend told that it existed in those waters, rarely coming up to the surface. Despite it being the most likely to exist, the odds that it was real were quite low. After reading all of them, Skymender set the books aside. He continued to do his daily research, temporarily setting aside the Mountain Serpents blood. Instead, he once again took a look at his specialty, poison. It was commonly known that poison was used in a lot of medicines, and if what he wanted to do was enhance the life-extending properties of this flower, then poison may help out a bit. Skymender continuously researched alongside his assistants. After half a year had passed, a new group of researchers joined them. This group was as big as the current group, doubling their size. This group consisted of researchers from the empire''s recently put under the banner of the Faceless Empire. With their victory over the Ancient Empire, the Faceless Empire''s takeover of the continent was basically guaranteed. Not many chose to resist the inevitable, and many expressed their willingness to join. This solved many issues. Among the new batch were a few useful talents, making seven people in total leading the research, and Skymender heading it all. Their efficiency was terrifying, and on any other project, it would be wrapped up quickly. But this was far more complicated than any other project. As time passed, everyone got to know each other well. This increased their working skill by a little bit. Another half a year passed, and Skymender was summoned to the throne room. He, the Emperor, and Sword Grandmaster Shang were the only ones in the room. The Emperor spoke. "Skymender, I am requesting that you go on a mission for the sake of the Empire, and to possibly further your research." Skymender was surprised. "Further my research? How so?" "I have heard that you lack blood capable of affecting the Mountain Serpents blood in any good way. We have received reports of a similar mythical beast, and I want you and Sword Grandmaster Shang to dispose of it." He said. Skymender was surprised to hear this. "What information is there on this mythical beast?" "Not much besides where it lives." The Emperor said. Skymender did not hesitate before agreeing. After all, even if he wanted to say no, this was a request from the Emperor. Not to mention the fact that he wanted to go. "Then I congratulate you on your success in advance. You and Sword Grandmaster Shang will depart tomorrow." Skymender nodded and left to prepare. The next day, he arrived at a carriage with a box strapped to his waist. A sword was on his back as well. As usual, he had his blindfold and his glove on. With this, he was ready. Only he and Sword Grandmaster Shang were here. He got onto the carriage, sitting next to Sword Grandmaster Shang. Sword Grandmaster Shang began to control the horses. As soon as he gave the command to go, the horses shot forward. Skymender almost couldn''t believe their speed. He lowered the windshield down so that he could speak. "What is this?" Skymender asked. "With the meat and blood of the Mountain Serpent, we were essentially able to create a new breed of horses. Their genetics seemed to have changed. They are much stronger and faster than their predecessors, to a point that this carriage would be too dangerous for an ordinary person to ride. One crash or accidentally falling off would result in death." Sword Grandmaster Shang said. Skymender nodded his head. He remembered briefly hearing about this. For a moment, he had thought about using it in his research, but forgot about it in the face of other matters. "Interesting." He said before quieting down. The horses were twice as fast as before, and despite their destination being quite far, it would take no more than three months to arrive. Skymender recognized this place. The area they were heading to was formerly the wilds, but with the exploration of the continent, the maps had been changed. However, a circle remained unexplored. The Emperor described this as having a sense of danger. Whether or not this was true, Skymender did not know. "Is there at least a description of the area it lives in?" Skymender asked. Sword Grandmaster Shang nodded his head. "It lives in an area surrounded by unimaginably giant mountains. That area is most likely a plain, and it is extremely large." "Anything else?" Skymender asked. "No." Chapter 750: Plains Bull - 750 Chapter 750 - Plains Bull - 750 The journey was a silent one, as neither Skymender nor Sword Grandmaster Shang were the type to speak unnecessarily. Three months passed by without any unexpected events or issues. In the distance, Skymender saw mountains that reached the sky. There were not too many, but they were arranged in a large circle. They perfectly blocked the view of anything within the circle. "Here it is. Let''s go." Sword Grandmaster Shang said before stopping the carriage. He tied everything up neatly and they started to run towards the mountains. He wasn''t worried about anyone stealing it. It bore the insignia of the Faceless Empire, and no person would dare touch such a thing any longer. They moved quickly, reaching the mountains in a few minutes. They began to climb up them. Although they were quite tall, it wasn''t any trouble to either of them. As they got higher, Skymender could sense something wrong with the vibrations in the area. There seemed to be something disturbing them every ten or so seconds. They got higher, and he pinpointed why. There was an unfathomably large vibration being sent out in a rather rhythmic manner. He couldn''t see what was causing it, but he was sure that it was even heavier than the Mountain Serpent. He told Sword Grandmaster Shang about this, and he nodded. "It seems there truly is some mythical beast here." He said. Both of them turned much more serious. They were about to reach the peak of the mountain. The vibrations were getting stronger as they did so, and a picture slowly became clearer in his mind. As they reached the top, they both saw an amazing sight. Sword Grandmaster Shang saw it with his eyes, while Skymender saw it through vibrations that the very thing they were looking at was causing. In the distance, in the middle of these large mountains, was a forest that stretched out into the distance. Walking on it, eating the vast trees as if they were grass, was a bull taller than any building Skymender had ever seen. It was far wider than it was tall as well. It had two horns and fur that draped down its body. If turned into meat, it could feed the world, and if turned into blankets, it could stop any cold. Every step it took shook its surroundings. Sword Grandmaster Shang saw this much better than Skymender, whose picture was still blurry, but both got the gist, and the sight caused them to stop moving for a while. Finally, Sword Grandmaster Shang laughed. "How incredible. Killing this beast will be an honor." Skymender couldn''t help but agree. This beast put the mythical in mythical beast. Sword Grandmaster Shang spoke again. "This seems like it will be easy." "How so?" Skymender asked. "It is just an oversized bull. It doesn''t have many methods of attack other than stomp and ram. If we get on its back, there should be no issue at all." Looking at it again, Skymender couldn''t help but agree. With that logic, it did seem easy. "No need to waste any time, let''s finish this up and head home." Sword Grandmaster Shang said as he drew his sword and shot forward. Skymender followed. The bull was a bit away, and they had to go through the forest in order to reach it. To the bull, this entire area was like a plain, which explained the description of its habitat, but to them, it was a very dense forest. They had to jump on top of trees and other plants just to move. However, they soon reached the bull. Sword Grandmaster Shang and Skymender climbed up the bull using its lush hair. It never even noticed them until they were on its back. Sword Grandmaster Shang found where its spine was the most exposed and stood there holding his sword. He spoke before attacking, as though this was an execution. "You have never done anything to harm humanity, yet here we are. I promise your body will be used to the best of our ability. Hundreds of thousands will eat free, and just as many will be provided warmth. Your blood will be used in world changing research. You have not died pointlessly. I apologize for such a dishonorable death." With this, he swung his sword down ten times in rapid succession. The bull roared, its voice creating a sound loud enough to travel a thousand miles away. Sword Grandmaster Shang did not need any assistance whatsoever. Over the span of around five minutes, he cut through the bulls body and destroyed many of its bones and organs. It finally died, and when it fell over, it created a boom that caused a distant mountain to collapse. The others shook unsteadily. Skymender held on tightly, only surviving the dangerous fall due to the beast''s fur, though he had anticipated this. It was pitiful. Such a majestic beast died for no reason. This was different from when the Mountain Serpent was killed. This time, Skymender felt bad. He didn''t even know if the bull ate meat or would attack humans at all. He collected some of its blood, as well as a bit of its meat and bones. "When we get back, the Emperor will send a bunch of people to collect its body. If you need more of it, you can get it then." Sword Grandmaster Shang said. Skymender nodded. They headed back to the Empire and reported everything. Skymender had gone just in case, but as expected, it was completely unnecessary. "The weakest of the nine has fallen." The Emperor said to Sword Grandmaster Shang once they were alone. "The Mountain Serpent is dead, the Plains Bull has been killed, and the Mainland had killed the Wolf Emperor long ago. Only six remain." The Emperor continued. "Should we attack another?" Sword Grandmaster Shang asked. The Emperor shook his head. "Not yet. They may be mythical beasts, but they are also the deterrent that prevented the Mainland from taking over our continent. As long as the threat of them exists, we will be mostly safe. Besides, I''m afraid we aren''t close to qualified yet." Chapter 751: Tree Root - 751 Chapter 751 - Tree Root - 751 After returning, Skymender returned to the lab as soon as he could. With the blood of the beast named the Plains Bull, he now had something that could possibly affect the blood of the Mountain Serpent. Skymender used both the Mountain Serpent''s blood and the Plains Bull''s blood in different proportions, achieving various levels of success in mixing them. These experiments added to his collected knowledge, and research continued. They did not have any instant success, but Skymender felt as though they had taken a step in the right direction. Some more time passed, and in total, it had been four years since the Emperor had given this mission to Skymender. Although he did not have anything to show for it besides nearly endless research, he was confident that he would be able to do something by the end of the ten years given. He worked tirelessly, and Charles similarly spent most of his time in the lab. The other researchers would come and go much more often, having other things to attend to, but it seemed as though these two could be found in the lab no matter what. Their research had gone so in depth that only Skymender and Charles could understand it. Even the old Imperial Scholar, Fei Luzi, would not have been able to easily understand everything. Of course, if he was here, Skymender would have 100% confidence in doing this. Time continued to pass steadily. There weren''t many surprises happening in the entire continent. With the Faceless Empire in control over it all, there was nothing that could affect the Imperial Capital in the slightest. The Imperial Capital had been expanding rapidly over the years, though it avoided the direction of the Mountain Serpent''s large skeleton. It was slowly becoming worthy of being called the capital of the entire continent. Countless rich people moved from all around. Some were nobles of other Empire''s that had lost their nobles titles when the Faceless Empire took over, but retained their saved riches. With the Faceless Empire taking over, there naturally had to be some changes in the noble statuses of nobles from other Empire''s. Allied Empires and Empires that had willingly become subordinate were reduced to Kingdoms, though the name was more or less the only major change. The Nobles of those Kingdoms underwent review by the Emperor. Some kept their titles as a part of the Faceless Empire, some were demoted a few ranks but remained Nobles, and others were removed from nobility completely. Those of enemy Empire''s and Empire''s that had resisted were directly demoted to common citizens or executed. There was no imprisonment, as there was no reason to take prisoners in this time of great change. It could only possibly bring negative outcomes. With Skymender focusing so much on his research, another year had passed for five in total. He had not left the Imperial Palace a single time in this year. Whether it was his family, his wife, or those he had been close to, he had not seen them in a long time. This thought only slightly popped up in his mind and he did not give it a second thought. The Emperor occasionally checked up on their progress, and some new people were occasionally sent over to help, but nothing much had changed in the lab. One day, Skymender was summoned by the Emperor to meet some visitors. As he walked in the throne room, he saw a familiar group of monks. Some were missing, and some new ones were added, but most of them were simply aged a bit. They all greeted Skymender respectfully. Skymender greeted them with just as much, if not more respect. "What are you all doing outside of the Western Desert?" Skymender asked. "Since the Faceless Empire has taken over the world, we felt that we should report something that may possibly threaten it. We do not hope to see any more bloodshed." The chief of the Western Monks said. He turned towards the Emperor. "Should we start now?" The Emperor nodded. The chief of the Western Monks began to speak. "With so many changes occurring in the world, we decided to try and venture deeper into the Western Desert. We had hoped to find some new checkpoint, but what we actually saw was far more shocking. We saw something akin to a giant tree root shoot out of the ground and move around before entering the ground once again. It was merely a few moments, but it shocked us to our core." The chief of the Western Monks said. The Emperor asked a question. "Just how big was this tree root?" "It was around half the thickness of that skeleton outside of the Imperial Capital, but so long we could not see the end of it. Of course, most of it was buried underground." The room fell into silence for a moment before the Emperor spoke. "I won''t hide it from you, we have found two mythical beasts in the last few years. One, as you know, was the Mountain Serpent. The other, which has been kept a light secret, was named the Plains Bull, and was even larger than the Mountain Serpent. I am saying this because it seems that some sort of advent of mythical beasts is arriving." The mere thought caused the room to go silent. They had resolved the threats rather easily up to this point, but what if multiple attacked at the same time? What if they attacked somewhere Sword Grandmaster Shang was not. It would be a disaster. "If that is so, then we may need to prepare." Skymender said. The Emperor shook his head. "I have a feeling that they will not go out of their way to attack anyone that doesn''t disturb them, but they will most likely be seen occasionally. In the end, it is the exploration of the previously unknown wilds that has started this trend. I say that we don''t disturb them, and if they are intent on disturbing us, then we can take action.". Chapter 752: The Product - 752 Chapter 752 - The Product - 752 The Emperor spoke again. "Naturally, we will need to send someone to investigate this. Skymender is busy, so I''ll find some other trustworthy person." The Western Monks nodded. Skymender was no longer needed, and he returned to the lab to do more research. One of the first rank Sword Masters of the Empire were sent out with the Western Monks to investigate. This would be a multiple year journey, just like when Skymender went to the Western Desert to find a new way to see. A few years passed with almost nothing changing. In Skymender''s life, only the research seemed to change at all. Nine years had passed since the Emperor had given him this task, and Skymender was finally closing in on a final recipe to create some sort of potion to extend the lifespan of someone. This was by far the most difficult project he had ever worked on. The difficulty did not necessarily lie in the complicated nature of the work itself, though it was truly extremely difficult, but that there was no room for error. They only had one attempt at this. Though Skymender had already created more than a thousand theoretical recipes, he had to spend a lot of time simulating the results of using them. Soon, he would have a final product and deliver it to the Emperor. This last year, he put in even more work than before. His understanding of blood science was unimaginable. Nothing could even begin to compare. Charles was second, and was above third by a lot, but even he would not be able to fathom Skymender''s understanding. As nine years and nine months had passed, Skymender sat back in his chair and let out a sigh containing nearly ten years of exhaustion. He had a final product. He wasn''t sure if it would work or not, but he was confident that this was his masterpiece. It contained the blood of over 30 animals in different proportions. 20% of it was made of Mountain Serpent blood, 20% was made up of Plains Bull blood, and the remaining 60% was made up of the blood of other animals. Some were rare, some were common, some were even extinct. He had a bucket of this blood stored and ready to use. The recipe was as follows. Put the flower into the blood and begin to heat them up. As soon as bubbles start to pop on the surface, stop the heat and pour the blood into a glass container. The remaining heat within the concoction would send red steam flowing through some tubes above the glass container, which would condense into droplets and drip into a vial. When that vial was full, the concoction was ready to drink. It seemed simple, but this was the combination of around ten years of effort and innovation. Far more than 30,000 hours of his life had been spent on this one thing. For three months, he went over everything once again. He knew it was unnecessary, but did so anyway. On the ten year anniversary of him being given this mission, Skymender went to the throne room with Charles following behind. As someone who had dedicated ten years of his life and nearly as many hours as Skymender, he deserved to be present. The Emperor eagerly awaited him atop the throne. Skymender appeared, a piece of paper rolled up into a scroll. "This is my creation." He said. It did not need any more introduction. The Emperor received the scroll and read it. After a while, he closed his eyes and fell into a thought. A few minutes later, he spoke. "Prepare everything needed to follow this recipe. We will use it in an hour." As he finished speaking, Sword Grandmaster Shang couldn''t help but speak up. "Emperor, don''t be hasty." He didn''t reveal much, but the Emperor knew what he meant. "We will talk again later, but for now, just trust me. I''m never wrong, am I?" Sword Grandmaster Shang nodded and followed. They arrived at a room where Skymender ordered a bunch of the researchers to get moving. This was the moment of truth. Within an hour, everything was set up and absolutely confirmed. Skymender took a deep breath before completely focusing. A cauldron sat in front of him with a flame heating it up. He took the mixture of blood already mixed and poured it into the cauldron. Making sure every part of the cauldron was evenly heated up, he continued for a few minutes until he saw a bubble pop on the surface. Without hesitation, he took the cauldron off of the heat and poured the heated mixture into a glass container before putting a lid on it and sealing it so tight that even air could not enter it. Everyone, the Emperor, Sword Grandmaster Shang, Skymender, Charles, and a bunch of researchers, all watched silently as a blood red mist traveled through tubes, condensed, and slowly dripped into a vial. The process took merely ten minutes in total before the vial was filled, but it felt like a lifetime. Skymender sealed the vial and handed it to the Emperor. The Emperor looked at it for a moment before looking at Skymender. "Do not disappoint me, brat." His tone was something Skymender had never heard before. It was as if, in that single moment, he had not been spoken to by an Emperor, but by someone who had lived for thousands of years. With the Emperor''s statement, he unsealed the vial and downed it. Everyone watched with bated breath as the Emperor stood still with his eyes closed. Even the usually calm Sword Grandmaster Shang was clearly nervous. Nothing happened for a few minutes. The Emperor simply stood there in silence. Finally, he opened his eyes. "Interesting." He said. "It is impossible to tell exactly how much, but I can tell that my lifespan has indeed increased. Well done, Imperial Scholar Skymender." He said. Skymender let out a sigh of relief. It hadn''t all been for nothing. Chapter 753: The Sea - 753 Chapter 753 - The Sea - 753 "This is a great deed, and it cannot go unrewarded. If you ever need something, anything, just say it, and it will be done." The Emperor said. Skymender nodded. "I shall soon convene a meeting to announce our future plans. In the meantime, read this." The Emperor handed Skymender a few sheets of papers with writing. After looking at them for a moment, he could tell that this was a report written by those who had gone to the Western Desert and had returned only yesterday. The Emperor left, and he began to read through them. They had traveled deep into the Western Desert, far deeper than any had before. As they went deeper, they occasionally saw what appeared to be long roots of a tree, exactly as described. They sometimes moved around, but usually without much speed. They still continued deeper after that, and the roots grew in number. At one point, they saw ten in one area. They had wanted to continue deeper, but had been unable to. Their water supplies were running out as they had not found any sort of oasis, and the heat was growing as they ventured deeper into the desert. They turned around, and after a few more unsuccessful attempts, returned to the Imperial Capital. After going over everything, Skymender received the summons to enter the throne room. When he entered, the only people inside were the Emperor, Sword Grandmaster Shang, and the Sword Masters of the Empire. "It is time to announce what I plan to do next." He said. He led all of them out of the room and onto the outside stand. Tens of thousands were waiting below. They were of different social statuses, yet waited for the same thing. The Emperor began to speak. "Over the last ten years, the Faceless Empire has expanded its control over the entire continent. Although some major danger zones such as the Western desert remain somewhat unexplored, I can confidently say that we have explored more than enough. Now, it is time to move on from the Continent of Wu. Around ten years ago we discovered the existence of another continent, one known as the Mainland. The people of this continent had visited ours many years ago, but it is now our time to introduce ourselves. We have created countless boats, and all brave men and women who dare explore the unknown will leave with us." As his words finished, there were mixed reactions. Some cheered, some fell silent, and some didn''t know how to feel. It seemed as though war was looming once again, and the temporary peace would be broken. With the Emperor''s announcement, the Empire began to openly prepare. Countless soldiers were brought together from all corners of the continent. They did not wear the insignia of the Faceless Empire, nor any other Empire, but the insignia of the Continent of Wu. This insignia was a sword stabbing into the head of a serpent. It represented the moment when the continent''s unification was set in place. This army, more than a million strong and filled with many Sword Masters, proceeded towards the eastern coast of the continent, where the Light Ocean Kingdom''s Royal Capital once stood. Skymender arrived early with the Emperor and a few others. In the distance, he saw the Light Ocean Kingdom Royal Capital completely burnt to the ground, as they had left it when retreating. He also saw countless ships lined along the coast, ranging in various designs and sizes. Skymender boarded the largest ship at the front. So did the Emperor and some of the Sword Masters. As armies poured in one at a time, the ships were slowly filled. It was as if a never ending stream of people came in waves. After six months passed, the Emperor was ready to deploy. They would move out, stop at the island that the Light Ocean Kingdom had retreated to, and then set off for the final journey. They began to sail, and while it was initially smooth, things began to change around halfway through. Massive waves threatened to capsize multiple ships. Lightning struck so close that some soldiers'' hair stuck up. Skymender stood near the Emperor at the head of the boat, looking off into the roaring ocean. "This is not very good. If it keeps going like this, we may lose a few ships." The Emperor said. Though he spoke grimly, he was calm as could be, as if this whole thing hardly mattered to him. He opened his mouth to speak again, when something shot out from the water. It was long and thin, but it instantly drew plenty of attention. It was pink, and undeniably similar to that of an octopus tentacle. Suddenly, it shot down, sticking to one of the largest boats. Before anyone knew it, more tentacles shot up and attached to the boat. Everyone was shocked beyond belief as they comprehended the situation. The Emperor, who was usually an exception, was no different. He was clearly extremely surprised. "The Kraken! Shang, try to scare it off." The Emperor said Sword Grandmaster Shang nodded. He jumped off of the boat and, with a single movement, cut off one of the tentacles. It was no different from butter to him. Seven other tentacles swung at him, but he managed to either dodge or cut them. He did not dare get too close to the water, but fought it off nonetheless. As they fought, Skymender tried to make out the figure of the so-called Kraken underwater. It was really just an oversized octopus if anything. Suddenly, he saw a shadow behind its blurry figure. The tentacles retracted into the water as something breached the surface. A giant sea beast, far larger than the biggest whale, about as large as the Plains Bull, burst from the water, the Kraken in its mouth. The Kraken resisted fiercely, eventually pulling itself out of its jaws before it crashed back into the water. When it crashed into the water, the ships were sent fumbling around. Some instantly sank. Chapter 754: Docking - 754 Chapter 754 - Docking - 754 The two sea beasts seemed to disappear after falling into the water, but the damage they caused couldn''t be forgotten. Four ships sank, and thousands of lives were lost. The surrounding ships tried to rescue those who managed to swim to the surface, which lessened the losses by a large margin, but there were still far too many who had died. The Emperor''s face was grim. "Just like on the Continent of Wu, it seems there are mythical beasts in the ocean as well. Who would have thought that we''d be unlucky enough to come upon two of them so suddenly." Everyone else was similarly grim. They hadn''t even reached their first destination, and there were already heavy casualties. Thousands of soldiers were an extremely powerful force, yet so many had died. After rescuing as many as possible and gathering whatever useful supplies floated to the top, the ships continued onwards. They didn''t have enough time to sit around for no reason. After a few months, they saw the island in the distance. Standing on the dock, looking back at them, was Skybelle and around a thousand soldiers. The island seemed mostly the same as before, with a larger palace in the center as well as some more houses and better looking houses in general. Not all of the ships docked near the island, only a few. The Emperor left the ship to handle some business, while Skymender stayed on it. After around an hour, the Emperor returned and soldiers started boarding the docked ships. However, the Emperor did not set sail. "Skymender, you may want to see what they discovered." The Emperor said. Skymender nodded and followed him. He was led to the opposite side of the island, where there was an uncovered entrance to some ruins. He walked down a long flight of stairs before entering an open room. In that room was an altar. There were also some paintings and murals on the walls and ceilings. One depicted a pair of hands touching a blind man''s eyes, and giving him sight. Presumably, this is what the Emperor had wanted him to see. "This indicates that there is some sort of method to give someone their eyesight back, which I assume you are interested in." The Emperor said. Skymender nodded. He then spoke again. "Furthermore, this altar is extremely similar to the Temple''s altar." Skymender was surprised. He had never seen the altar, and had never imagined that there would be one on this small island. "The Temple has been silent ever since the war, operating as normal. They didn''t even get revenge for their saintess I killed. With their methods, this is unheard of. I''ve thought about it over the years, and came to a conclusion. This discovery is evidence that my conclusion is most likely true. I believe that the Mainland must also have a Temple, and it must be even more powerful than ours. The Main Temple and its subsidiary Temples on our continent must simply be waiting for support." The Emperor said. Skymender agreed with his conclusion. "You''ve done a lot for me, Skymender. If I get the chance, I promise I will get your eyesight back." "Thank you." Skymender said. "No need. Let''s go, there''s nothing else here." Skymender and the Emperor returned to the ship, where they set off towards their destination, the Mainland. This was an invasion, the goal being to set up a camp for the Faceless Empire, which would be used to slowly take over the entire Mainland. Though they did not know much about the Mainland, they would find out after they created their base of operations. Hopefully, they wouldn''t attract much attention from the start. This journey was long, years long. Entire ships were filled with food or farms simply for the purpose of feeding everyone during this long journey. Although they faced occasional storms and large waves, there was not much trouble during their journey. Finally, people began to shout. "Land-ho!" "Land-ho!" "Land-ho!" Tens of shouts filled the air, attracting the attention of everyone on the ships. They all looked into the distance, seeing a landmass so large it seemed to infinitely go on in both directions. Only Skymender was unable to see it. However, he did not not need to. He could hear descriptions of it. The Emperor spoke. "It is time." Skymender looked at the Emperor. He seemed much younger than he had ten years ago, presumably because of the potion Skymender created for him. Although he found it a pity that it cost one flower to make one potion, at least he knew how to do it if he ever stumbled upon another one. The hundreds of ships safely made it onto land, and nothing was in sight. Even on the Continent of Wu, this wouldn''t have been a shocking sight. It was much less so on a continent much bigger than that. The Emperor made an announcement. "Let''s begin construction. I want almost every single person to participate so that this can be finished as soon as possible." Under his command, everyone got to work. Some materials were brought over by ships, but most would be gathered from this large, untouched land around them. Days passed, and then weeks, and then months, and eventually a year. In this entire year, they had never seen another human. Some animals occasionally wandered near them, but after seeing all the activity, promptly left. By now, large walls had been built around the entire camp. Unlike on the island when the Light Ocean Kingdom had moved over, this camp was built with maximum military usage in mind. Everything was strategically planned out even before they reached the island. Some minor adjustments were made, but it looked just as planned. There were no houses, only barracks, and there weren''t any restaurants or shops. Everyone here was on the job, and everything was provided along with their pay. With everything set up, it was time to explore the Mainland. The Emperor wanted to do it quietly at first, sending people to infiltrate Kingdoms or Empires and see how they functioned. Chapter 755: A Large City - 755 Chapter 755 - A Large City - 755 The Emperor planned to send three people out in different directions with the hope of finding something. One would be Skymender, who had proven on multiple occasions that he was capable of it. The other two would be decided after a bit more review. While they did that, the Emperor briefed Skymender. "You will move directly northeast until you find something. It doesn''t matter if it is a city or a town, but once you find it, you will use whatever you can gather to make your way towards the most populated place within a reasonable traveling distance. Gather as much information as possible, and return." The Emperor explained. The only other person present was Sword Grandmaster Shang. This was a top secret mission, and even taking the slightest chance of information leaking was unacceptable. Before long, Skymender departed. He rode a horse and carried a backpack as he traveled. Although the horse looked completely ordinary, it was the breed that had been created by feeding horses the meat of the Mountain Serpent. It was able to travel extremely fast, taking Skymender more than a thousand miles everyday, assuming he rarely slept. It took three days before he spotted smoke rising in the distance. He moved towards it without hesitation. In the distance were no city walls, but an extremely large city. Different from the Continent of Wu, in which every major city had a wall surrounding it, it seemed that this continent was different. Perhaps walls were even seen as a sign of weakness. It was impossible to guess from just this alone, though he felt he was probably right. He could quickly see the general layout of the city as he got closer. In the center was an elegant palace, which was connected to the rest of the city via a bridge over a large body of water. Although there were no city walls, there were clear markings. At each of the four directions, there were arches, representing entrances to the city. There were guards there, just like on the Continent of Wu. Skymender approached on his horse, slowing it down to the movement of a normal horse. As he approached the gates, the guards looked at him, but did not move to stop him or say a single word. Skymender was able to enter the city without so much as a single question. Despite entering the most outer part of the city, it already seemed quite prosperous. The people here were dressed in incredibly nice clothing, so much so that Skymender, in his average attire that even a wealthy commoner of the Faceless Empire may wear, felt like a lower class civilian. He received a few glances, but nothing exceedingly disdainful. He also noticed that everyone else was walking on their feet, he was the only one on a horse. Despite this, nobody said a single thing. In fact, their lack of response was quite confusing, and Skymender became inwardly wary. As he continued down the path, and the people got wealthier and wealthier looking, someone finally seemed to pay attention to him. He was walking alongside another person, who, like the rest of the city, didn''t pay much attention to him. The person paying attention to him walked up to him and spoke. "Get to the Scholar Capital much? Oh, who am I kidding. Of course not." The man said with a chuckle. As if that was all he wanted to say, he turned around to leave, when the person next to him gave him a quick smack on the back of the head. The man instantly grabbed the back of his head confused. "You''re an idiot, but even you should be able to tell that this man is a scholar." The man said. The man holding his head took a deeper glance at Skymender before seemingly understanding. "Oh." He said, losing all interest. Skymender couldn''t be more confused. There was clearly some sort of culture shift. Without any understanding of what to do, he simply continued down the road. Finally, he reached a large wall. Calling it a wall would be slightly inaccurate, as it was more like the beginning of a foundation with buildings high up on it, but it functioned as a wall. There was a stairway up, but as his horse began to step on it, the guards guarding the stairway stopped him. "Don''t step further. Without proper identification, none can enter the inner city." Skymender asked him a question. "I just got here. I don''t understand what all of this means." The guard on the right spoke disdainfully. "You must be from another region. Did they send you to infiltrate the capital? No, they should know that such a thing would fail. Hmmm..." The guard said. Eventually giving up, he spoke again. "Alright, here''s the deal, punk. If you don''t have a Scholar region ID, you need to go get one from the government building. If you want to reach the second level of the city, you need to have an adequate status. Since you seem to have no clue what is going on here, I''ll explain it to you like you''re five. The smarter you are, the more valued you are here in the Scholar region." "I get that the Spear region, Sword region, and Bow region base everything on strength, but don''t go starting fights here. You''ll get killed before you can understand why. Anything else?" Skymender shook his head, and the guards went back to ignoring his existence. To say that Skymender was confused about this place and the people here would be a vast understatement, but he eventually just turned off his brain and began to walk around what he assumed was known as the outer city. He eventually stumbled upon a large building with a sign in front of it. The sign read Government Building. It was literally called "Government Building". He entered and walked to a person at a front desk. She looked up, not speaking, but asking what he wanted with her look. "I need an ID." The woman nodded and took out paper and a quill. "Name." "Skymender." "Birthplace." Skymender hesitated before speaking. "Sword Region." The lady looked at him like he was an idiot. "Wanna be more specific than a fifth of the continent, maybe?" Chapter 756: Scholar Region - 756 Skymender quickly spoke again. "The capital." The lady nodded. "Do you have an ID from the Sword Region?" "Not on me." Skymender said. She nodded and wrote one more thing before sitting her pencil down. "All that you need to do now is take the test to decide what level of citizen you are. Go ahead and wait for your name to be called." Skymender left the front desk and sat on one of the chairs to the side. He remembered what the guard had told him. "The smarter you are, the more valued you are in the Scholar region." This place was definitely interesting, and if he wasn''t mistaken, it seemed that he had stumbled upon the capital of the Scholar region. He had gathered a bit of information from the people he had spoken to, and put it all together. He was in the Scholar region, most likely the capital, one of the five regions of the Mainland. The five consisted of the Scholar region, the Sword region, the Spear region, the Bow region, and another unknown region. As he continued to think, he heard his name called out. "Skymender." Skymender stood up, and saw a man in scholar robes walking towards him. "You must be Skymender. I can already tell that you are a scholar. Please, come with me." He said. Skymender nodded and began to follow him. He was led down a hallway, up some stairs, and into a room. In that room were a few people writing on large packets of paper. The scholar spoke quietly. "Here. Take these and do your best. No speaking." He handed Skymender a packet and a quill. There was already ink at the desk. Skymender opened the packet and began to fill out the questions. He had an easy time with most of the questions. Despite it being a different continent, the laws of physics didn''t change and there weren''t going to be many new plants or materials. The only issue he had was with the history section. Naturally, he did not know the answer to a single question. They were not multiple choice questions, but written responses, and he simply left them blank. Most of the people who had been taking the test when he entered were still taking the test when he got up and handed it in. The man looked surprised. "Done already?" He whispered. Skymender nodded. "Alright, it shouldn''t be too long. You can go and wait in the lobby or leave and come back in around an hour." Skymender thanked him and left. He left the government building, walking around the city. Like in every city, things here cost money, and he did not have any. He could only look around. As he walked around, a man began to grade his test. At first, he was completely calm, having done this for decades, but as he moved through it, his calm face slowly began to change. From the initial calm to slight surprise. From slight surprise to a fair amount of surprise. From a fair amount of surprise to shock. And from shock to alarm. The grader only knew that some of the answers in the later part of the test were correct because he had an answer key. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have a clue. The only downside was a lack of historical knowledge, but this was irrelevant when looking at his score on every other portion. He instantly alerted others, ordering them to find Skymender immediately. He even notified some of his higher ups, the very people who ran the Scholar region itself. Skymender walked along, wondering if he should begin walking back to the building, when an out of breath individual spotted him. "You-you''re Skymender, right?" He asked. Skymender nodded. "Please come with me to the government building. Somebody important wants to see you." Skymender agreed and began to walk along. Though the person was in a rush, he did not dare hurry him. Skymender made it back to the government building and was led to a high level floor. There, he met with the very man who had graded his test. The man dismissed the other person and spoke with Skymender alone. He put down the test in front of him. "Do you know why I''ve requested your presence?" He asked. Skymender nodded. "Because I did well." "Well would be an understatement. To put it simply, very few people throughout history have done better than you, and that was only because of the lost points in the history section. If you had displayed even an entrance level of knowledge on history, you would have been number one in history." "So what do you need to tell me?" Skymender asked. "Firstly, you are being given a Scholar region ID as a first class member. Second, I have a job for you." The man said. "What job?" Skymender asked. "The Ruler''s son, as I''m sure you''ve heard, is a genius of unimaginable proportions. Despite only turning 18 this year, he has already surpassed most of the people who had tutored him. It is hard to find someone capable of doing so, but if you are willing, I can recommend you. The pay is great, and all you have to do is teach. In addition, you will get access to the greatest library in the Scholar region." The proposition was tempting. Skymender was in need of information and money, and this job seemed to have both. He didn''t have to think for too long. "I''ll do it." The man was clearly happy. "Thank you. You won''t regret this. I''ll send someone to contact you when everything is ready." Skymender nodded and left the government building. He still didn''t have any money, so he wandered around town on his horse for a while. As a first class citizen, he was able to travel past the guards, much to their surprise. The second level of the city was much better looking than the first. As night was falling, there weren''t many people, but Skymender still began to wander around and explore the place. Chapter 757: Mora - 757 Chapter 757 - Mora - 757 The inner city was a bit different from the outer city, but not by too much. If anything, there was some more space for things. There wasn''t much to explore at this time, but he still took a lap around it. The only place he had yet to visit in the Scholar Region Capital was the palace itself, which was separated by a large pit. Four bridges connected to it from each direction, and there were guards guarding each one. He did not know if a first class citizen could enter the palace at all, much less this late at night, and had no plan to. He made his way outside of the city, where he set up a small camp. He was used to sleeping outside, and after staying at the Imperial Palace for ten years straight, it was a pleasant experience every time. A poor man hoped for a warm bed and a cozy house, but the rich enjoyed sleeping outside, as they found the warm bed common, and the outside a far more unique experience. Skymender soon fell asleep. When he woke up, he returned to the city. He walked around the inner city, and there was much more to explore than at night. After looking at a few stores, he went to a public library. There, he began to gather a loose history on the Scholar Region and the Mainland itself. Firstly, there were no nobles here. In the Scholar Region, intelligence mattered over everything else. An intelligent person could become the ruler here, and a foolish person could only be a beggar. No matter how important the status of one''s parents, even if they were descended from a ruler, they would be nothing more than a common person without exceptional intelligence. Secondly, he learned that the other regions ran similarly. The Sword Region''s ruler was decided on who was the strongest, the spot almost always being held by a Sword Grandmaster throughout history. This alone was extremely shocking. However, what he learned next only added onto it. There were not only Sword Grandmasters here, but Spear Grandmasters and Bow Grandmasters. Like the Sword Region, their rulers had almost always been Grandmasters as well. This showed just how outmatched the Continent of Wu would be in a direct fight. Thirdly, Skymender learned about the previously unknown region. This region was the only one that didn''t follow the rule of the ruler being the best at something. The name of this region also confirmed the Emperor''s speculations. This final region, the smallest of them all, yet equally feared, was known as the Temple Region. From everything he read, the Temple here was exactly like the Temple on the Continent of Wu, except bigger and better. There was also a terrifying figure there known as the Temple Master. Everything about him was unknown, save for the fact that he alone was enough to cause the Temple Region to be free of war. Skymender intended to learn more, but was interrupted as someone appeared at his side. "Sir Skymender?" He asked. Skymender looked at him and nodded. "I have been sent by the Chairman to invite you to the palace." Skymender stood up. "Let''s go." The man led without any more words. They moved through the inner city and approached the bridge. The guards did not even look at them as they passed. As he walked into the palace, Skymender wondered what made the Scholar Region, a place based on intelligence, able to stand equal to places with Grandmasters. He hadn''t gotten that far before being interrupted. He traveled through many floors of the palace before reaching a large door. The man knocked on it, bowed towards Skymender, and left. In just a few seconds, the door was opened by the man who had graded his test. "Please come in." Skymender entered. Once inside, he saw a young man sitting at a table looking at him. In front of him were writing utensils and papers. The young man spoke. "Come. I shall test if you are worthy of teaching me." Skymender looked at him for a moment before turning to the man who had graded his test. "You can go ahead and leave. I''ll handle things here." The man nodded hesitantly, but soon nodded and left. Skymender turned back to the young man. "What are you called?" He asked. The young man spoke. "They call me Mora." Skymender nodded. "Listen up, Mora. Today, I''ll be seeing if you are worthy of being taught by me." Skymender turned the young man''s words back on him. He was the Imperial Scholar of the Faceless Empire, which had dominated a continent. Whether it was a different continent or not, he was an unparalleled genius with knowledge so far reaching he could be described as the most knowledgeable person in the world. Some young punk wasn''t qualified to play games with him. Mora''s face changed. He didn''t seem upset, simply surprised and curious. Skymender was old looking after so many years. He had a blindfold covering his eyes for some reason, and a glove on one of his hands. By all means, he didn''t seem normal, especially considering how he spoke. "How old are you?" Skymender asked. "Eighteen." Mora said. "How long have you been learning?" "12 years, give or take." Mora responded. Skymender nodded, instantly creating a test in his head. He began to ask questions. "What happens when you mix the blood of a vine mole and a moon mouse at a 4:1 proportion in a pot with a heat reaching 320 degrees?" The young man was instantly stumped. Seeing his face, Skymender did not bother hearing his answer. "What species and subspecies of lizard is known to be mistaken for a crystal on the ground during a full moon?" The young man thought for a moment. "Moon Lizard." "What subspecies?" Skymender asked. The young man did not have an answer. For around an hour, Skymender asked the young man hundreds of questions. He was rarely able to answer one correctly. At the end of it, Skymender made his judgement. "You''re lucky I''m getting paid, or you wouldn''t be qualified. Let''s begin your lessons." Chapter 758: The Ruler of the Scholar Region - 758 Chapter 758 - The Ruler of the Scholar Region - 758 By now, Mora was thoroughly shocked. He had never imagined that someone besides his father would have so much more intelligence and knowledge than him. He nodded at Skymender''s words. Skymender spent an hour teaching him about some basic science principles before leaving. "If you want me to return, send someone with plenty of money and a contract. Otherwise, you are free to find someone else." Skymender said as he left. Mora was still stunned by this prospective teacher of his. The person who had graded Skymender''s test, also known as the Chairman, walked back into the room. "How was it, sir?" He asked Mora. Mora looked at him without speaking for a moment. "I must go see my father now." He said, getting up to leave. The Chairman nervously stepped aside, unsure of what had happened. Mora walked up the floors of the Imperial Palace, eventually reaching the lone room on the top floor. He nervously knocked on the door. "Come in." An old, raspy voice said. Mora took a deep breath and opened the door. A gust of wind blew many papers around the room, but neither of the two figures present paid it any attention. The room was dark, with an open balcony in the distance. The sky was dark. A storm was approaching. A single figure sat on the ground, writing with a brush that never stopped moving. He faced away from Mora, his entire body obscured in shadow. "I found a new teacher, father. He is extremely intelligent, unbelievably so. I would like to request your permission to use resources to have him become my permanent teacher." The figure momentarily did not respond in any way, his brush never once ceasing. Only after a few moments did he speak. "Go ahead." His voice was slow and unstable, as though he had not spoken for a long time. Mora bowed and left the room, not daring to wait around for a moment longer than necessary. The figure sat in the room and looked out at the distant stormy sky. His writing never once ceased. "A great storm is coming." He said. "I wonder how the wind and rain will shake this world?" Even as a lightning bolt lit up the sky, slightly brightening the room, only a pair of smiling teeth, field with infinite interest, could be seen. At the camp of the Continent of Wu, the Emperor spoke to Sword Grandmaster Shang. "By now, Skymender should have reached the capital of the Scholar Region." Although his words seemed calm and analytical, there was something deep in his tone that hinted otherwise. It was something never heard before by anyone, including Sword Grandmaster Shang. Sword Grandmaster Shang spoke. "Is there something there worthy of your concern?" The Emperor nodded. "There is a man there, a terrifying man. No matter how many cycles I go through, he can still find a way to defeat me. If the Ancient Emperor and Sword Grandmaster Tianzhao were likened to no more than fish on a chopping block, this man would be an unsurpassable barrier blocking our way." Even Sword Grandmaster Shang couldn''t help but be surprised. "Are you saying you''ve never defeated this man?" The Emperor shook his head. "No. I can defeat him around 50% of the time, but you must understand that it is with all of my knowledge over so many cycles. Even then, doing the same thing in two different cycles can bring a different result. This time, I have Skymender. If by some miracle, Skymender helps us defeat him, then the rest will be simple." "Who exactly is this man you speak of?" Sword Grandmaster Shang asked. "The ruler of the Scholar Region. Though that is his only name at this point in time, he has been known by many other names in the future. The Seer, the Fate Scryer, the Eye of Time. Each one represents the fact that he is so intelligent and calculative, it is believed he can see the future." "Can he?" Sword Grandmaster Shang asked. "I don''t know." The Emperor said. "But I wouldn''t be at all surprised if he could." The next day, Skymender received a visitor. He brought along a contract and a bag of gold. Skymender read over it and found it satisfactory. He signed it and returned the next day. Mora was waiting patiently at the table. When he saw Skymender, he got up and bowed. "Please guide me." Skymender nodded. "A better attitude. Let''s begin." Skymender spent five hours teaching the boy before leaving. With his down payment money, he was able to buy an expensive house in the inner city and stay there. For the next week, he taught Mora for five hours a day, as per the contract. Should he stay more than five hours a day, his pay would be doubled for that time. Every other day, Mora would speak to his father about what he learned, though he rarely received a response. After a week, however, his father spoke. "What did you say your teacher''s name was?" This question alone caused Mora''s mind to spin. Looking through his entire life, he could never once remember a time when his father had asked a question. Was this... showing interest? He quickly stumbled out an answer. "Skymender." His father nodded. "Bring him to me tomorrow." If the question caused his mind to spin, the request caused his world to collapse. He could barely remember the next few minutes as he agreed and left. The next day, his state was clearly not conducive to learning, something Skymender noticed as soon as he entered the room. "What is wrong?" Skymender asked. Mora looked at him for a moment before speaking. "My-My father wants to meet you." Skymender was surprised. "Meet me? For what?" Mora spoke. "I don''t know, but if he wants to meet you, it can''t be anything usual. Prepare for anything." Skymender saw many emotions in Mora''s eyes, the most prominent being fear and shock. Skymender nodded and began to walk towards the top of the palace. Chapter 759: The Treant - 759 Chapter 759 - The Treant - 759 The walk was not a long one, but it was eerie. At some point, there was no furniture or decorations, just an empty hallway. It was as if nothing dared get too close. Eventually, Skymender reached the only door on the top floor. He knocked. "Come in." He heard. It was an old voice, one that clearly did not speak much. Skymender opened the door. The atmosphere inside was completely different from the hallway. It was dark, and despite it being day outside, the room felt somewhat stormy. Skymender stepped in and closed the door behind him. He stood in the dark room, surrounded by papers. "You requested my presence." Skymender said. The figure ahead had his back towards him, looking out the balcony, and endlessly writing. "You are blind." The figure said. Skymender was surprised, but showed no such thing. He nodded. "Indeed." "You use the lost technique of the monks to see. I believe it is vibrations, right?" He asked. Skymender nodded once again. "There are no monks here anymore, which means you must be from another continent, the Wilds." Skymender nodded. At this point, he was beyond wary. In just seconds, this man had discerned his greatest secrets. He did not fear for his safety, however. He had the deprivation poison clutched in his hand. "The wind tells me that there is a worthy opponent among those who came from your continent." The man said. "A grandmaster?" Skymender asked. "No, nothing to do with strength. I mean intelligence." Skymender spoke. "It could only be the Emperor then." The figure shook his head. "No, you too are worthy, or at least qualified to be. Perhaps you are not quite there yet." "You said a figure. That means only one." "Yes. This Emperor you speak of is not truly qualified." The figure said. "Why not?" Skymender asked. "He is a cheater. I can''t say how, but he definitely is. Using cheats, he is not considered an opponent." Skymender did not say anything, but he inwardly agreed. From everything he had learned about the Emperor, he was indeed most likely a cheater. Skymender changed the conversation. "So what do you plan to do with this information?" "I''ll just prepare for the storm. It is up to the heavens whether or not I''ll come out victorious. However, if I am to lose, I hope it is to you, Skymender." "Likewise." Skymender said. "Is that all you wanted to see me for?" The figure shook his head. "No. I simply wanted to see my son''s teacher. Whether or not it seems like it, I do care about my son. Teach him well. He is the most talented person on this continent." Skymender nodded and turned to leave. Suddenly, he stopped. He had a question he had been meaning to ask. "With the Temple having its mysterious Temple Master, and the other three regions having Grandmasters, how can the Scholar Region stand among them?" Despite looking in the books, he had only found a simple, non-informational answer. It was more valuable to the other regions as it is. Conquering it would be no good. This did not seem likely to Skymender. He had seen much of the world, and understood human hearts. If the Scholar Region was truly just a fish on a chopping block, it would have been taken over by one region or split amongst them all long ago. The figure did not answer his question. "Don''t be in such a hurry to leave. Let me tell you a story. In that story is the answer to your question." Skymender nodded and turned back around, looking at the back of the figure. "Long ago, the rulers of the various regions of our continent, the Mainland, put plans of conquering another continent into motion. The discovery of this continent was the most exciting thing in countless years, and it started a new age among all the people of the continent. Grandmasters set out, even those from the Temple Region and the Scholar Region embarked on a journey. This journey was known as the voyage, and it marked the start of a new era." "Although we ran into some trouble in the ocean, we managed to solve them all. Among those taking the voyage were five Grandmasters, more than enough to solve any threat in the world. Before reaching the continent, we found an island. It was the ruler of the Scholar Region at that time who decided to set up a camp on the island, turning it into a command center. After all, it was hard to tell what they would stumble on upon arrival. Perhaps the new continent was as flourishing as our Mainland." "Expectation soon turned to disappointment, as all we found were some barbaric people, unadvanced, yet showing signs of advancement similar to ours from thousands of years ago. We did not bother interacting with these people much. Instead, we sent various Grandmasters to scour the continent." "This was where things began to change. The first mythical creature we ran into was later known as the Wolf Emperor. It was as tall as our greatest cities walls, and its speed was unimaginable. When it first appeared, there were only two Grandmasters to fight it, a Sword Grandmaster, and a Spear Grandmaster." "Despite being besieged by two grandmasters, the Wolf Emperor held its own for more than ten minutes before fleeing. It ran, and there was nothing the two could do to stop it. This is when we first learned about the hidden dangers. Over the next few years, we carefully explored more of the new continent, marking danger areas and scouting out dangerous mythical beasts. We thought we were cautious enough. We thought that even if we were to be attacked by a mythical beast or two, we would be able to hold our own." The figure paused. "That is when our ancestors first met the god of the new continent. This unholy being was given a name that spread throughout our people like lightning. Just when we thought nothing could go wrong, the Treant arrived." Chapter 760: Exploration of the Wilds - 760 Chapter 760 - Exploration of the Wilds - 760 "It came suddenly, bringing a storm with it. Its form is a tree towering towards the heavens, taller than anything imaginable. Its roots were as thick as a palace, and its majesty was unimaginably vast." "All five of our Grandmasters attacked it at the same time. In ten minutes, two were killed, and the other three were injured. Yet the Treant itself remained relatively unharmed, only a few branches and roots being severed. We were sent retreating, not even having time to take everything with us." "We hastily made our way back to the command center, the island we had discovered, only to find nothing but skeletons remaining. We took some bodies with us, hoping to give them a good burial, and left as fast as we could. We only left a few bodies behind, hoping to warn anyone who stumbled upon them of the dangers of the Wilds. Presumably, you found those bodies." Skymender nodded. However, his mind was not on the last sentence, but everything before it. If his guess was correct, then the Treant was most likely in the depths of the Western Desert, where those giant roots had been found. He also remembered one of the words on the paper he had found in the ruins on the island. It had been the word Treant. The figure spoke again. "The only accomplishment we made on those wilds was killing the Wolf Emperor. However, we failed to even bring back its body. The Treant had come too soon. We even had to leave a bunch of our people behind on the island, though their fates are unknown. My ancestors left few things behind that remain to this day, but the warning to never venture into the wilds is one of them." Skymender took it all in. He did not have an outward reaction, but his thoughts were moving rapidly on the inside. "What does this have to do with why the Scholar Region can stand among the others?" Skymender asked. The figure responded. "Oh yes. Back to my ancestors, they were intelligent. Perhaps not quite at my level, but still very intelligent. They observed and recorded all of the events, and to put it simply, they have passed down the ability to anger the Treant and bring its wrath upon us." "How is that possible?" Skymender asked. "Why would I tell you? Just know that there is a reason nobody has dared to doubt our ability to do so." Skymender remained silent for a moment. "Why tell me all of this?" "Why tell you this? Because I am human and you are human. Although we are currently opposing each other, it may not always be so. You are on the side of the Emperor right now, but it may not always be that way. I have a feeling that whoever you decide to stand beside will win. Regardless, I have my trump card, and if you dare test it, I am more than willing to show you the meaning of terror." Skymender did not stay in the room for much longer. He had a lot to think about after meeting the Ruler of the Scholar Region. To simply call him an interesting individual would be completely inaccurate. Although they had only met briefly, Skymender felt as though he was just as interesting as the Emperor. After thinking about it for a while, Skymender decided that he needed to change things. Right now, he was simply following the currents, but if he wanted to control his fate, he needed to begin making his own plans. Skymender stayed at his house, and continued to teach Mora every day. Mora progressed fast. It was not only because of Skymender''s teachings, but because he studied even after Skymender was gone. His entire life was dedicated to learning, as expected of the son of the Ruler of the Scholar Region. Although some would consider this a fate forced from birth, he took this in stride. It was not a forced fate to him, but a legacy he had chosen to inherit. Skymender did not forget the mission given to him by the Emperor. He learned everything he could about the Mainland. Most of the information was focused on the Scholar Region, but he found bits and pieces of information related to the other regions. One region stood out among the rest as the most mysterious. That was naturally the Temple Region. There was very little information on it, and what information there was mostly consisted of speculation. What he knew for a fact was that the Temple Region is the smallest region by a lot, but by choice. They all believed in their god, and being closer together only made worship easier. While researching, Skymender stumbled upon information of the earliest known rulers of the Scholar Region. He flipped through them, trying to align them with the timeline he had understood from the Ruler of the Scholar Region''s story. Eventually, he narrowed it down to a certain ruler, but when he laid eyes on the ruler, he was shocked. There should be no reason to see a familiar face on the Mainland, especially not a face from thousands of years ago, but here he was. The ruler around the time of the exploration of the Wilds, or the Continent of Wu, looked extremely similar to the Late Imperial Scholar, Fei Luzi. Although this was shocking, it made a bit of sense when thinking about it. He had been told that some of the Mainlands forces had to be left behind in their escape, and whether it was the ruler himself or some other relative, the ancestors of Fei Luzi were almost assuredly related to the ancestors of the Scholar Region. Although this was shocking, and led to further thoughts such as, how many people on the Continent of Wu are related to ancestors of the Mainland, it did not have much relevance to the current situation. At most, it was an interesting and surprising fact. Had the Imperial Scholar been alive to see it, even he would have been shocked. Chapter 761: Father鈥檚 Secret - 761 Chapter 761 - Father''s Secret - 761 Just as Skymender was about to leave, he remembered something. The Ruler of the Scholar Region had mentioned that, upon retreating to the island, they found nothing but skeletons. If that was the case, then how did it happen? Presumably, it had not been long since they died. How could they have become skeletons so quickly? It took years for a human body to decompose into a skeleton. There was something suspicious about that. He could do no research into the subject, but the question of how it could have happened lingered in his mind. Skymender continued on with his life in the capital of the Scholar Region. After another week or so, he told Mora that he was about to leave the capital for a while. "Why?" Mora couldn''t help but ask. "I have business elsewhere. I will come back at some point, but I must go." Skymender said. "Is it possible for me to go with you?" Mora asked. Mora valued Skymender. Skymender was the most intelligent person he had ever met besides his father, and his father would not teach him. It was similar to how Skymender had initially viewed the Imperial Scholar. Skymender thought about it for a while. Although the Empire was the enemy of the Mainland and would most likely end up going to war, especially considering the Emperor''s plans for world domination, it was not impossible to take Mora with him. The Ruler of the Scholar Region already knew about the camp of the Continent of Wu. However, thinking about it from another angle, there was really no benefit involved for Skymender bringing along Mora. It would be charity. Skymender shook his head. "There really isn''t a reason for me to bring you." He was not completely explicit, but Mora understood his meaning. Skymender began to walk away, when Mora spoke up. "What if I promise to tell you a secret about my father?" Skymender paused and looked back. "What sort of secret?" "Something about his origins. Although he never tells me anything, I was able to understand some things he never intended for me to understand. It relates to the blood that flows through his and my veins" Mora explained. "So you would betray your father?" Skymender asked. "I don''t consider this a betrayal. It is just a bit of information. It may not even help you, but you will surely find it interesting." Mora said. Skymender nodded. "Fine. Let''s go." He found his horse at the stable he had left it at. He got on, and Mora rode behind him. He left the capital at a normal speed, prompting Mora to question him. "You know that there are plenty of fast horses and carriages in the capital, right? If you need, I can even buy one." Skymender shook his head. "No. My horse is special." Mora was surprised. "I didn''t take you for the emotional type, teacher." Skymender once again shook his head. At this point, they were outside of the capital and far enough away that nobody could see them. "He''s not special in an emotional way." As he finished his sentence, he gave the horse the signal to run. Without wasting a second, the horse shot off so fast that Mora nearly fell off. He quickly grabbed hold and used all of his strength to not fall off. "Wait! Wait!" He shouted. Skymender stopped. It seemed that Mora was really far too weak. If Skymender didn''t stop, he would have fallen off and been injured. Skymender thought for a few seconds before taking a rope out of the pouch on the horse. In just a few seconds, he tied Mora down tightly. It would be hard to fall off the horse even if he wanted to. Mora felt a little humiliated, but on second thought, it was better than falling off and being severely injured. He held his tongue as the horse shot off again. It took a few days before they saw the large walls in the distance. Mora was clearly surprised. "I''ve studied all the maps of the Scholar Region, but there was never anything here. I''ve also not heard any news. What is this?" He asked Skymender. "This is a secret organization. To be honest, I should kill you just for seeing it, but I assume you can keep your mouth shut, right?" Skymender said. Mora nodded, not daring to disagree. As they neared the walls, Skymender asked a question. "What was your father''s secret?" Mora spoke. "He is not from the Scholar Region. He is from an island off of the Mainland that few people know about. The only residents there are from a group known as the Seekers. To put it simply, they have to hide because they worship the god of knowledge. To those of the Temple, this is the greatest sin. Worshipping other gods has caused countless people to be killed. There is a reason why only one god is worshipped all over the world." Skymender truly was surprised by this information. "I was hesitant to tell you because I feared you might use this information to threaten my father. Releasing it to the Temple would be disastrous. However, I decided to trust you and the fact that you don''t seem like an ally of the Temple." Mora said. "Don''t worry. Nobody from the Temple will hear about this. To be honest, I can almost be considered to be the enemy of the Temple." Skymender said. The Emperor was someone the Temple would surely be willing to kill as soon as the opportunity arrived. Skymender finally entered the city walls. Nobody stopped him for even a moment. Mora was surprised to see people bow at Skymender and welcome him as the "Imperial Scholar". "Since I''m keeping your fathers secret, you might as well keep mine." Skymender said. Mora nodded, deciding not to speak a word of this to anyone, besides perhaps his father. Skymender soon reached the palace in the center of the makeshift city, where he left Mora and his horse with the guards. Chapter 762: Meeting the Emperor - 762 Chapter 762 - Meeting the Emperor - 762 The palace was not nearly as big as the Imperial Palace on the Continent of Wu. Skymender made his way to the throne room. The Emperor sat on a throne not nearly as elegant as before, yet it was still full of majesty. "You''ve finally returned, Skymender. What have you learned?" The Emperor asked. Skymender began to describe everything he had learned about the Mainland, including how he had spent his time in the capital of the Scholar Region. Even the Emperor was a bit surprised to learn that he had begun tutoring the son of the Ruler, though it didn''t seem so shocking when he considered Skymender''s intelligence. "Did you ever meet the Ruler of the Scholar Region?" The Emperor asked. Skymender nodded. "Only once." As far back as he could remember, he hadn''t really lied to the Emperor. However, if he wanted to have any sort of personal success, then he could no longer be a faithful follower. "He simply wanted to see if I was qualified to tutor his son or not." The Emperor nodded. He had no reason to believe that Skymender would lie to him. After Skymender reported a bit more, the Emperor dismissed him. He told Skymender to come back later. Skymender left, and the Emperor began to speak to Sword Grandmaster Shang. "It seems odd. The Ruler of the Scholar Region should have taken an interest in Skymender. Based on his ways of doing things, he should have even attempted to recruit him. However, Skymender says that he merely wanted to see if he was qualified to tutor his son." The Emperor mused. "Perhaps Skymender is not intelligent enough." Sword Grandmaster Shang said. "Perhaps." The Emperor said. "But that is extremely unlikely." "Maybe the Ruler simply hasn''t gotten a chance yet?" Sword Grandmaster Shang asked. "With his way of doing things, he would strike as soon as possible." The Emperor said. "Then perhaps... Skymender lied." The Emperor neither agreed nor disagreed. "It is too late to say that. Even after so long, I still can''t fully understand the Ruler. His actions should not be variable in the exact same situation, yet they are. It is as if the change in the wind made from a single movement can influence his decisions, making them impossible to predict." Sword Grandmaster Shang did not fully understand how the Emperor felt about the Ruler of the Scholar Region, and therefore remained silent. The Emperor changed the topic. "How is the plan going?" Sword Grandmaster Shang''s demeanor shifted. "I can''t say I fully understand what I''m doing." The Emperor nodded. "Naturally. The Death Leech is something even I don''t fully understand. All I can say is that without it, it doesn''t matter if we win against the Mainland or not, we will still all die. You, a Grandmaster, must control it. Even if you can only use it for five minutes at the cost of your life, it will completely shift the tides." Sword Grandmaster Shang nodded his head with a determined look. "I will do everything in my power to not let you down." The Emperor nodded. "I know." After a moment of silence, he spoke once more. "One last thing, go and prepare the agents. It is time." Sword Grandmaster Shang nodded. He quickly vanished from the room. The Emperor waited for a moment, and his entire demeanor shifted, becoming colder and more arrogant. "Skymender. If you dare betray me, I''ll kill you in every lifetime. You are the only hope for a change." It was impossible for Skymender to know that the tiniest lie would cause the Emperor to become suspicious of him. How could he possibly understand the Emperor''s greatest secret? Although he and the Ruler of the Scholar Region knew that the Emperor was cheating, he could never imagine that the Emperor would be cheating in such a way. Skymender stayed in the makeshift city for a day before being summoned by the Emperor again. "So, I''ve heard that you''ve brought the son of the Ruler of the Scholar Region here." The Emperor said. Skymender nodded. "Indeed." "Why?" "I feel like he could be useful to the cause of taking over the Mainland. Although the Ruler of the Scholar Region is his father, he remains at the top of the palace every day, never once showing affection for his son. In fact, it would be more surprising if I couldn''t get the boy to betray his father." The Emperor nodded. "A good plan. But I would give up on it." Skymender was confused. "Why?" "There are many types of people in the world. Some would betray their closest friend for the slightest benefit. Some wouldn''t betray a random person they met for the world. With just a look at that boy, I was able to tell that, although his father may not truly care about him, he is simply a loyal person. No matter what happened, he would never betray his father. I suppose you could say he was born stubborn." "I see." Skymender said. "If you say so, then I suppose there is no need for me to continue trying." The Emperor shrugged his shoulders. "Even the sky can be flipped if someone tries hard enough. Perhaps you can make him betray his father. Feel free to try. I just don''t imagine all the effort would be worth it in the end." With that, the Emperor moved on. "Regardless, I have a new mission for you." Skymender listened. "As the representative of the Scholar Region, I want you to participate in the Mainland gathering, a once a decade gathering held by four of the five regions in conjunction. There, all the greatest people of each region will compete amongst each other. Although the Scholar Region does not fit in as well as the other three, it still participates in its own way. This information was brought back from another one of our scouts." The Emperor explained. Skymender was surprised that he hadn''t heard of this before. Chapter 763: Mainland Gathering - 763 Chapter 763 - Mainland Gathering - 763 "I imagine getting in will be a simple matter of asking the Ruler of the Scholar Region, but if it is not, do anything you need to do to get in. This is important, and failure would be detrimental to future plans." The Emperor said. Skymender nodded. "As you say." "I will explain more later. I''m sure you understand what needs to be done in the meantime." The Emperor dismissed Skymender, sending him back to the capital of the Scholar Region. Skymender took Mora with him as he rode back towards the capital of the Scholar Region. "How did it go?" Mora asked. "Good enough." Skymender responded. "What did you do?" "Just had a conversation with someone important." Skymender said. Mora didn''t ask any more questions, knowing he wouldn''t get an answer. It only took a few days before they once again reached the capital of the Scholar Region. Along the way, Skymender had not stopped teaching Mora. It reminded him of how the Imperial Scholar would teach him while they traveled, even when he was blind. Skymender fell silent as he thought about the Imperial Scholar. Mora asked a few questions, but stopped after realizing that Skymender wasn''t answering. He stayed silent the rest of the way. Once in the capital, Skymender made his way to the palace with Mora. He headed straight to the top floor, Mora following. Mora had intended to talk to his father about the trip, but hadn''t expected Skymender to be a step ahead of him. Skymender knocked on the door. "Come in." The ruler said from beyond. Skymender entered, and Mora followed. Neither the ruler nor Skymender paid Mora any attention. "So you''ve returned. What did that Emperor of yours say?" He asked. Skymender did not waste any time with him. "I need to participate in the Mainland gathering." The ruler laughed. "To think your Emperor would even know about that. Sure. I''d like to see what he plans to do with that." Skymender left, leaving the ruler alone with his son. Mora spoke. "Father. I..." Before he could say anything else, the ruler interrupted him. "You told Skymender about my origins." He said indifferently. Mora was shocked, so shocked he didn''t speak. "It doesn''t matter to me. What annoys me is your foolishness. You seem to disregard the Temple. Do not make that mistake again. The Temple is by far the most powerful force in this world, save for perhaps the Treant itself." Although Mora did not know what the Treant was, he was shocked by his fathers words. He had no idea that his father thought about the Temple so highly. "Now go on. You can come back tomorrow." Mora nodded and left, still not sure how to feel. His "betrayal" was revealed the first moment he met his father. He could only inwardly swear to never do it again. Skymender left. The next day, he continued to tutor Mora as though nothing had ever happened. However, after a month, the ruler requested his presence again. "The Mainland gathering will take place in two months. It will take a month and a half to get there on your transportation. Two others have already been sent and are on their way. You are the only one who remains." Skymender nodded. He turned around to leave, when the ruler spoke again. "Do me a favor and take Mora with you." Skymender turned back towards the ruler, whose back was facing him as always. "Why?" He asked. "I want to see just who my son truly is." The ruler did not elaborate much, but Skymender understood. "So be it." Skymender made a detour on his way out of the palace, meeting Mora. "Let''s go. I''m taking you to the Mainland gathering." Skymender said. Mora hesitated. "I don''t think it is such a good idea." Skymender had already been told by Mora that his father had learned about him telling Skymender his fathers secret. It was clear that he was guilty to this day. "Your father specifically requested that I take you." Mora''s guilty expression was replaced with confusion. "Why would he do that?" Mora asked. "I don''t know. Just stop being ridden with guilt. No successful person has reached the top while feeling overly guilty. It''s just life." Mora thought about it and nodded. Skymender traveled on his horse, which was even faster than the Mainlands fastest mode of transportation. After all, it was specially bred and fed with the meat of a Mythical Creature. Skymender did not know if there were any such beasts on the Mainland, but he hadn''t even heard rumors or legends of such a thing. There were always fantasy books, but nobody took those seriously. Thinking about fantasy books made Skymender think of Skymerge. He still hadn''t found anything out about his disappearance. Skymender wanted to find him. Skymerge was a genius of his own right, and the only family member Skymender was still interested in seeing. He could only wait and see if he could discover anything. Perhaps the Emperor or the ruler would know something. Skymender rode his horse for a month and a half before seeing what the ruler had told him. It was a large, symmetrical mountain with a staircase on each of the four sides going up to the top. This was a symbolic location, as it was where the territory of the five regions met. Skymender rode his horse up to the staircase. Some guards stood there and tried to stop them, but Skymender rode past them at a speed they could not react to, ignoring them completely. They considered chasing him, but didn''t. "Hey. Get down here." One of them mumbled under his breath. "Stop or face the consequences." Another whispered. They then turned around. "Well. We''ve done all we can do." "Sweet gig, big bro Yan." The other guard chuckled. Skymender and Mora quickly reached the top of the staircase. There was a platform with very few people on it. There were already two on the side Skymender and Mora had come up on. Chapter 764: Test of Past and Present - 764 They both looked at them, and after seeing Mora, stood and bowed. "Welcome, Young Master." They both said. It didn''t take much thinking for the others on the platform to realize who Mora was. "So the Ruler of the Scholar Region decided to send his son." "It seems so. However, who is that riding on the front of the horse?" Another person asked. From the looks of it, the other person seemed in charge. The two on the side of the Scholar Region also noticed Skymender. "And who are you, sir?" One of them asked. "My name is Skymender. I was sent by the ruler to participate." This enlightened the other two. Neither of them were young people, and despite Mora being among the most intelligent in the Scholar Region, they would have found it weird if he was sent to participate. "We''ve still got half a month until the competition starts. We can get to know each other during that time." One of the two men said. Skymender nodded and got off of his horse with Mora following behind. The platform atop the mountain was clearly divided four ways. Skymender saw nine others in total, three in each of the three other sections. Mora was the only person on the mountain that wasn''t participating. There wasn''t much conversation between those in different sections. Skymender sat and spoke with the other two people participating. From what he had learned, they were among the most intelligent scholars in the Scholar Region. They were much better than any of the scholars on the Continent of Wu. Only the Imperial Scholar would be able to stand above them. Even on the Mainland, even in a region specifically focused on scholarly attainments, the Imperial Scholar still would have been among the greatest in history. Half a month passed smoothly. They were not always on top of the mountain. They slept halfway down the mountain in a finely designed cave. Food was brought to them three times a day. Skymender could see that in the other sections, they trained their skills with their weapons. Each and every person, whether practicing a Sword, Spear, or Bow, were equal to first rank masters. Of course, it was hard for Skymender to accurately estimate the strength of those from the Spear and Bow regions, but he could imagine it was so. Luckily, there were no Grandmasters. If there were, then it would mean that the Mainland was far stronger than estimated. The Emperor had told him that there should be less than five Grandmasters on the Mainland. However, even he wasn''t sure of the exact number. It just wouldn''t exceed five. Skymender and the other two sat in their seats as the time for the competition arrived. Mora stayed in the cave, not allowed to go to the top while it was underway. A person stood in the middle of the four sections on a stand. "Welcome to the Mainland gathering. This competition has existed for thousands of years. Here, we will not only be comparing each of the regions to each other, but also to the regions of the past." The man pointed to a bunch of stone steles, ten in each section. They sat on top of each other, forming a top ten ranking of each region throughout history. Skymender had looked at it many times. This was the 357th Mainland gathering. The first ranked of the Scholar Region was the 355th. The second ranked was the 3rd. Skymender had already been told that the 355th Mainland gathering had been the only one in which the current Ruler had participated in. It listed the name of two other people, but the other name was crossed out and erased from the stele. Presumably, it was the name of the Ruler himself. "We will first begin with the competition between past and present. Throughout many years, the rule of only participating once has been set for the purpose of absolute fairness. Although the tests change every year, they have been reviewed over thousands of years and made equally by a committee of specially trained people never seen throughout their lives." This applied not only to the Scholar Region, which would be taking a literal test, but those of the other three regions as well, though their competitions would be different. "There will be two ways to conduct the competition between the regions. One will be based on the ranking. Whoever ranks the highest among those on their historical ranking will win in that way. The second way will be in a joint competition, in which all sides have equal challenges to overcome, determining a ranking based on their performance. But for now, let''s begin the test of past and present." As he finished speaking, twenty people wearing masks reached the top of the mountain. They quickly set up things for all four regions. When they were done, those of the Scholar Region had a test in front of them. The people of the other four regions all had something different in front of them, but relating to Swords, Spears, or Bows. Skymender began to take his test. It was an hour long, and with the size of the packet in front of him, it would be impossible to get a perfect score even if he knew all of the answers. It would simply take too long to write it all down. Skymender flew through the pages going as fast as he could. As he reached the later points, he began to have to avoid some questions for the sake of time. Although he knew a bit more about the history of the Mainland now, even more than an average person who had lived here all their life, it was shallow. These were the questions he most often skipped. Others involved rare materials or plants, some of which only grew on the Mainland. Skymender had to skip these as well, though they were notably rarer than the history questions. After an hour, Skymender put his pencil down and closed the packet, as did the others from the Scholar Region. Similarly, so did the others from the other three regions. Chapter 765: Fourth - 765 Chapter 765 - Fourth - 765 The same person from before ascended the stand and spoke to everyone. "This concludes the first portion of the Mainland gathering. Performances will be scored and tests will be graded. By tomorrow, everything will be done. Please return to your cave homes until then." Nobody took their time. Within a few minutes, everyone was in their cave homes. A night passed. Skymender discussed the contents of the test and his answers with the other two competitors as well as Mora. When morning came, they ventured to the top of the mountain. Everyone arrived around the same time. Atop the mountains, there were two ways to determine their ranking. One could either look at their test and see the grade on it, or look at the top ten steles and see if they had changed. Skymender took a glance at his test. It was a 788/1000. He then looked at the other two people''s tests. One was a 434/1000, and the other was a 467/1000. It was a bit lackluster, but satisfactory. When the other two saw his score, they were so shocked that they had no words. Skymender turned his attention to the steles. They had indeed changed. At the top was the same stele as before, number 355. At second place was also the same stele as before, number 3. The third stele was also the same. It was at fourth where there was a change. Skymender''s team took that spot. Skymender was neither happy nor disappointed. The stele ranking took into account his teams scores as well. At the top, the ruler probably did get a better score than him, but may have also had better teammates. In the second and third spots, he doubted anybody had gotten a score as high as him, but if all three had scored around six hundred, they would have done far better than his team. It was a surprise that his team had even gotten fourth. Regardless, his knowledge on the subject of Mainland history was essentially blank, and he didn''t mind only getting fourth. It was still 4/357. The other scholars were ecstatic. This was the honor of a lifetime. They were only average among all of the competitors throughout history, and had only hoped to get in the top hundred. Number four was more than they could have ever dreamed. Naturally, they had the highest historical ranking among all of the other regions. None of the others had even gotten into the top ten. They looked at the Scholar Region with a mix of emotions, ranging from slight anger to surprise and awe. However, the people here were elite among their regions, and would not be petty about this. They quickly regained themselves and calmed down. The same person ascended to the stand. He began to announce the next section of the Mainland gathering. "Now, it is on to the next competition. For this, we have split everyone up into three teams. One person from each region has been put on a team. This was assigned randomly. We will play a game akin to king of the hill. I will now ask everyone to set aside any lethal weapons they have and pick up their wooden variants." Those from the three regions related to weapons all dropped their weapons, while from the Scholar Region, only one of the other scholars took out a pocket knife and set it aside. The wooden variants were brought up by some masked people. After everyone picked a new weapon, including the scholars, the wooden variants were once again taken away. "Thank you. Now, for the teams, they are as follows..." The man on the stand began to list out various names, most of which Skymender had never heard. After he was finished listing names, he pointed out beyond the mountain. "Team one to that location. Team two to that location. Team three to that location. When the signal is given, all three teams will race to the mountain. The first team to thoroughly occupy the top of the mountain will be declared the winner. Individual performances will be judged. Set out." Skymender made his way off the mountain. He did not bring his horse, as anything like that was against the rules. He made his way to stronghold one. His teammates, one from the Sword Region, one from the Spear Region, and one from the Bow Region, shot off fast. Skymender pushed his body to keep up. They looked at him surprised. "So you can keep up, huh scholar boy. I heard you were the best performing among the bunch." The man from the Sword Region said. Skymender nodded. "You have some physical training. How''d that happen?" The woman from the Bow Region asked. It was extremely rare to see a physically fit Scholar. "Before I was a scholar, I was an assassin. With some events, I also gained some unnatural strength." Skymender said. They seemed both enlightened and interested. "Have you ever fought a master?" The man from the Sword Region asked. "I''ve killed a few." Skymender said. They laughed. It wasn''t because they thought he was lying, but because it was something so unusual they couldn''t help but laugh. "Any first rank?" The woman from the Bow Region asked. "No." Skymender responded. "Then make sure you don''t fight too much." Skymender spoke. "Since I am a scholar first and foremost, I should devise a plan to win this." Although they wouldn''t have usually listened to a scholar from the start, Skymender had gained their respect. "Let''s see what you can come up with before deciding." The man from the Spear Region said. Everyone agreed. It didn''t take long to reach the stronghold. They estimated that they had about an hour before they would get the signal to move. "So, what plan do you have?" Skymender began to describe what he had observed over the past weeks about all the individuals, including the other scholars and those on his team. They were all surprised how accurate he was. Chapter 766: King of the Mountain Top - 766 He then began to create a plan based on what he imagined they would do. "There is almost no chance that anyone from the other strongholds will listen to the scholar they are assigned with. At most, he will be able to chime in. Therefore, I can only assume what they will come up with, not perfectly predict it." Skymender said. There wasn''t much to plan in this scenario. It would mostly be about the formation they traveled in and the opponents they faced. The only environmental planning would be how to position themselves on the mountain top, assuming they reached it first. After predicting what the other teams would do, Skymender began to create a plan for their team. He positioned the three first rank Masters and made a plan for when they reached the top of the mountain. After hearing him out, they decided to follow his arrangements. For the rest of the hour they had, Skymender asked them to showcase their strength. It would be best to get used to it in advance, as any plan would only last for a while. Once the time came to wing it, they would be better off prepared. Each of them were strong, worthy of being first rank Masters. After they all showcased their power in various ways, they asked Skymender to do the same. "Since I''m not a Master, I think the best way to showcase my abilities would be through sparring." Skymender said. They all agreed. He unsheathed his wooden sword on his waist. He could have chosen a bow when the weapons were brought out, but felt far more familiar with a sword. Skymender first sparred with the Sword Master. He launched forward and attacked aggressively, but there was not much he could do. In terms of pure strength, he was perhaps equal to a normal second rank Master, but his swordsmanship was most likely around the level of a fourth rank Sword Master or a third rank Sword Master. Although he put up a good fight, he lost within thirty seconds. Even that was surprising to them. "With skills like that, you would have no trouble being an assassin." The Sword Master said. Next up was the Spear Master. As soon as the fight started, Skymender was put into a disadvantageous position. Although the Spear Master was only slightly stronger than the other two, Skymender had no experience fighting against the spear. It only took ten seconds for him to lose. Finally, there was the Bow Master. She fired arrows at him while backing up, but Skymender managed to deflect most of them with his sword. She then put two arrows on the bow and quickly defeated Skymender in around thirty seconds. Skymender was definitely weaker than all of them, but for a scholar, he was extremely exceptional. They had nothing but praise for his skills. Not long later, a loud bell rang. Skymender and the other three, all of whom were prepared, launched towards the mountain at top speed. In just a few minutes, they stepped onto a stairway. They ran up to the top as fast as possible. Around the same time that they set foot on the top, so did the other two teams. However, the other two teams were noticeably missing a fourth person. The other scholars were not as fast as Skymender and were not able to keep up at all. The other two teams were clearly surprised to see Skymender, but didn''t pause in their next actions in the least. The team of the second stronghold shot towards the middle, forming a defensive formation around it. The team of the third stronghold instantly began to attack them. Skymender''s team did not hesitate at all, attacking those of the third stronghold. They hadn''t let their guard down, and a three way battle ensued. Skymender moved around quickly, doing as much damage as possible. Although the weapons were wooden, they could still do some serious damage if handled well. Otherwise, this entire competition would be a joke. The first stronghold to make a temporary retreat was the third stronghold, which had been sandwiched between those of stronghold two and Skymender''s team. They retreated, but the fighting never stopped between Skymender''s team and those of stronghold two. Although it was nearly even, Skymender''s presence gave their team a slight advantage. He occasionally shouted orders out, changing the battlefield to the advantage of their team. Compared to the teams who did not even have a scholar present, much less listen to them, they were on another level. They quickly sent those of stronghold two retreating, and chased them off of the mountain top. Those of stronghold three, who had never left the mountain top, began to attack again. In the middle of their battle, a fourth person joined in. It was the scholar who had finally caught up. Those of stronghold three rejoiced, feeling the odds had been evened. Skymender quickly crushed that hope when he sent the scholar tumbling down the mountain in seconds. He then focused on once again disrupting the flow of those on stronghold three. Before long, they were sent retreating down the mountain top. Skymender''s team was the only one on the mountain top, but victory was not yet decided. They had to hold the position for an hour in total, even if disrupted. That meant that even if they retreated off the mountain and came back later, their total time occupying the top would not reset. After just a few minutes, those of stronghold two and three came up together, forming a temporary alliance. There were eight of them in total, with both scholars having joined up. Skymender looked at their situation coldly. "Fight then retreat." He said. Those on his team nodded. There was no way to win this battle, so they could only do as much as they could. Skymender once again sent both of the scholars tumbling off the mountain while the six masters fought against three masters. He joined in to assist, but one simply broke off of the group of six and forced him to passively defend with all of his might. Chapter 767: Kings Declared - 767 They managed to resist for three minutes, an incredible feat, before having to retreat off of the mountain top. The other two teams began to fight against each other without hesitation, while their team began to heal up. There were only minor injuries, but what they needed to recover from most was exhaustion. After ten minutes, they arrived at the top again. Almost at the same time, the second stronghold was sent retreating. Skymender''s team took the opportunity to quickly defeat the third stronghold team and occupy the top of the mountain. They had a rare opportunity to stay atop the mountain with no enemies. "They are sure to team up once again." Skymender said. "I say we do our best to prevent that from happening." The other three nodded. Skymender considered some possibilities, and had the team set up at the north stairway. They hid themselves and prepared to make a surprise attack. As expected, both teams came up together. Luckily, they had actually come up on the north side. They all launched surprise attacks. The Spear Master managed to knock one of the Bow Masters weapons out of her hands. Within the same moment, he kicked her so hard that she flew off of the mountain top. He took her bow and threw it down the opposite side of the mountain. The Sword Master went for the other Bow Master, similarly taking his weapon off of him and kicking him down. Like the Spear Master had done, he then threw the bow off of the other side of the mountain. The Bow Master shot one of the Sword Masters in the forehead, and the Spear Master next to him kicked him down the stairs. This left an even fight of three on three ignoring the scholars. After all, they were merely cannon fodder. Even Skymender hardly counted as a true fighter. A battle ensued. Skymender''s team instantly gained the upper hand. After a brief fight, they sent the team retreating. The plan had been a success. The only pity was that it was far harder to disarm a Sword Master or a Spear Master than it was to disarm a Bow Master. The Bow Masters would have to spend time searching for their weapons down below, and even if they found it, the odds of them actually finding it within the hour were extremely low. This time, they spent even more time occupying the mountain. All times combined, they had spent twenty minutes. No other team even had one. It was at this point that the eight people returned. From the looks of it, this was to be their last attempt. Skymender attempted to set an ambush this time, but they came up a different set of stairs. He was not omniscient after all. They attacked hard, the Bow Masters taking over the weapons of the Scholars. Skymender faced the two Bow Masters who did not have a bow, as well as the two scholars who were throwing arrows at him. Skymender easily dispatched both scholars while fighting the two Bow Masters. Though they didn''t have a bow, they were still difficult to defeat. Skymender checked the situation of the others. The Spear Master on Skymender''s team, who was the strongest of the group, fought against both of the other Spear Masters simultaneously. Although it was a losing battle and he was focusing on defense, it still gave them a chance of victory. Skymender used all of his available strength to fight off the two Bow Masters. Using Swords, they could at most display the prowess of a third rank Sword Master. Skymender suffered a bit, but after five minutes, managed to knock out one of them and send the other tumbling off the mountain. Since this was their last attempt, there was no willing retreat. He then shot over to assist the Sword Master. Though the Spear Master was in a dangerous situation and on the verge of losing, Skymender''s interference would not help much. It was better to help the Sword Master and then have the Sword Master help the Spear Master. With Skymender''s interference, the opposing Sword Master quickly succumbed to defeat. In order to set their victory in stone, they made sure to knock away his Sword and send it hurling down the mountain this time, not giving him a chance to simply retreat. The Sword Master then ran over to assist the Spear Master, while Skymender rushed over to help the Bow Master. The Bow Master was fighting against the other Sword Master in the alliance. She was holding her position well, only retreating slightly when necessary. After all, the bow was a ranged weapon. When Skymender joined in, however, her fighting style changed. She began to put pressure on the Sword Master, while Skymender proficiently disrupted his flow. Meanwhile, the Spear Master and the Sword Master on Skymender''s team began to push back the two Spear Masters they were fighting. In three minutes, Skymender and the Bow Master defeated the remaining Sword Master, sending his sword flying off somewhere. They then moved over to help the others. In a four against two scenario, it only took a moment for the two Spear Masters to lose. Their spears were hurled far away. They retreated down the mountain, weaponless. Skymender''s team sat in the middle of the mountain top. There was always a chance that most of them managed to find their weapons and organize a proper attack, so they stayed prepared. However, as the hour passed, nobody showed up. Even if two or three could find their weapons, it had been proven that at least five people would be needed to defeat their team. When the hour passed, a loud bell was heard. This signaled the end of the competition, and the declaration of Skymender''s team as the King''s of the mountain top. Not long afterwards, everyone returned to the mountain top. Although most people were only slightly injured, some were more injured than others. The two scholars, for example, were clearly in pain. Skymender was the cause of most of that, but since he had been their competitor, they did not hold it against him. The same person ascended the stand, just as before. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Test discord Chapter 768 768: An Agent - 768 "Before anything else, I would like to thank all of you on behalf of the Mainland gathering committee for your presence here today. With the participation of four regions, we can continue to serve as a bridge between past and present for years to come. We had some notable rankings this year, especially from the Scholar Region." The man on the stand said. "While the ranking for the second part of the Mainland gathering is being made, you all are free to do whatever you want. Thank you." He said before stepping down. The Mainland gathering committee was an organization shrouded in mystery. It had existed for thousands of years, but nobody truly knew where it was or what it looked like on the inside. According to what Skymender had learned, it was created even longer ago than it was believed to be. However, there truly was almost no information on it. Even the people who announced the competition were only ever seen once. A single appearance after a lifetime of training. The Mainland gathering was most likely created to bring the continent together, as well as bring the past and present together. Skymender sat atop the mountain, speaking not only to the other scholars and Mora, who had come back to the top since the competition was over, but also those from the other three regions. Everyone, regardless of whether they had been his ally or foe, were impressed by his skills, especially after taking into account the fact that he was a scholar. And he was not just any scholar, but a scholar who had single handedly placed his team at fourth place. They all talked for a few hours, before the man ascended the stand once again. He gave out the final rankings. Naturally, Skymender''s team was in first place. More notably, Skymender himself ended up tied for first place with the Spear Master on his team. As a scholar, Skymender had performed the absolute best a scholar could be expected to perform and more. However, without the Spear Master in the final battle, there would have been no hope of winning. As he finished giving out the final rankings, the man on the stand bowed deeply. "Thank all of you very much. It has been the honor of a lifetime to officiate this Mainland gathering. I now declare the 357th Mainland gathering over." With that, the man left the mountain top. Everyone said their goodbyes and left the mountain top. Skymender also said goodbye to the other two scholars. Their horses would not be able to move nearly as fast as Skymender''s, and he would leave them in the dust before long. Mora hopped on the same horse as Skymender and they shot off into the distance. It wasn''t long before they reached the Scholar Region capital. Skymender went to his house, while Mora returned to the palace. As he entered, Skymender saw a figure standing in the corner. Skymender did not over react, but simply looked at the figure. "The Emperor had attempted to send a messenger to inform you of the next moves to make during the Mainland gathering, but that messenger was intercepted and killed by an unknown person. Most likely, the one behind this is the ruler of the Scholar Region." The figure said. Skymender remained silent for a moment before speaking. "Who are you?" Skymender knew all of the people working under the Emperor. There had not been too many that had come with them to the Mainland, and he should have recognized any person delivering such a message to him. "I am an agent of the Emperor. Now that we have reached the Mainland, things will start to change a bit. The forces of the Continent of Wu are lacking, but with the Emperor''s agents getting involved, there will be a chance of victory. I have come here today to give you a letter and inform you of the failed messenger attempt. Good day, Imperial Scholar Skymender." The figure said. Its figure blurred, leaving through a window. Skymender tried to sense him through vibrations, but was completely unable to, shocking him. Somehow, this figure was able to escape even his vision. He would have never imagined there was such a skilled person among the Emperor''s people. It seemed that much about the Emperor was still unknown. Since he hadn''t been told everything, it was easy to assume that he wasn''t completely trusted. Otherwise, there would be no reason for these agents to be hidden from him until now. Skymender didn''t know how many agents there were or if they were all as skilled as this one, but it was clear that he could no longer underestimate anyone. Luckily, he had never once stopped his study of poisons and his experiments. He had made many advancements and had created many poisons. There was only one thing that he considered a problem. His age. Although he was technically far younger than the Emperor, it was impossible to tell. After the Emperor had drinken that potion, and Skymender had been affected by the Deprivation poison, he now looked like the Emperor''s elder. He had already entered the range of an old man. He needed to do something about this. Luckily, he had spent more than a decade studying such a thing, and was perhaps the greatest expert on extending longevity in the world. All he needed was that flower. If he was able to find another one of those, he would be able to create another potion and salvage the situation. He thought about asking the Emperor or the Ruler of the Scholar Region, but even if they could find another flower, they would never give it to him or tell him where it was. It was far, far too valuable to be used on anyone but oneself. There were also likely to be no books about such a mythical plant. Therefore, Skymender would have to take things into his own hands. After studying the flower for so many years, he understood its properties better than any other in the world. With this information, and a map of the Mainland, he was able to narrow down where a flower could possibly grow to an area a hundred miles by a hundred miles. Chapter 769: Flower Searching - 769 After thinking it through, Skymender planned to go and visit this area. There was a fairly large chance that there would be nothing there, but he needed to take the chance. Otherwise, he would not live long enough to see these major events occurring to the end. Skymender did not hesitate at all after making his decision. He first went up to the Ruler of the Scholar Region. He knocked on the door. "Come in." The Ruler''s voice said. Skymender entered. "What is it?" He asked. "I am being sent on a mission by the Emperor." "And you feel the need to tell me?" Asked the Ruler. "Not really. I''m just letting you know." Skymender left shortly after. Next, he traveled towards the Empire''s city. It had grown a lot, and was a fully functional city by now. Skymender met with the Emperor, explaining that the Ruler of the Scholar Region had requested his assistance in something. After a bit of thinking, the Emperor nodded his head, giving him permission to take this mission. Skymender left and set out towards the location he had marked. The journey lasted a month, after which he found himself in the marked location. The marked area was within the territory of the Temple Region. Skymender had been unsure whether or not coming here was a good idea, but eventually decided that he had no other option. Even if he had to offend the Temple, he needed to come here. However, there was almost no chance that even a single person from the Temple Region would learn that he had come here. The marked area was entirely in a wild, mostly untouched area, save for a bit of farmland. It was not that most of the location was unexplored, but that it was useless. The dirt here was loose in most places, and the soil made sure that almost nothing could grow here. Only a special species of tree existed, making this place heavily forested. Even more, there were many unstable mountains nearby. At any time, they seemed as though they could collapse, causing worry among anyone considering settling here. With everything being as such, it was no wonder that nobody lived here. Even expeditions into this area were exceedingly rare. Skymender rode his horse into this area and began to look around. Although this place had no value to anybody, it fit everything he knew about the flower well. First, this flower was tyrannical. It most likely sucked up the life force of anything near it while growing. Its mystical qualities were not simply holding a bunch of life force, but being able to devour it as well. Nobody else had noticed this, not even Charles, who had worked just as closely with it as Skymender. He had simply noticed that a bunch of flies had died near it, and tested it out himself. As expected, anything near it, plant or insect, had shriveled up and died within an hour to a few days. This effect was not noticeable on most things, however, such as humans and large animals. Second, the flower most likely grew in mountainous regions. Skymender had made a guess about this flower that he quite honestly had no ability to prove whatsoever. He had guessed that it needed to absorb the energy of heaven and earth, something only spoken about in fantasy books, to grow. The energy from heaven came from the open sky and the shining sun, which this region had a lot of, and the energy of earth came from mountains. He had come up with this after understanding that the flower could only be described as magical. Since it had magical effects, why couldn''t its origins be just as magical? He could only hope that he had guessed correctly. Third and finally, the species of trees living in this area are not affected by the life force devouring properties of the flower. In his experiments with the flower''s ability to devour life force, Skymender had come across a certain plant that, for some reason, was not affected. This discovery was actually a large part in how he was able to create the potion in the end. The trees here and the plant he had experimented with were closely related despite being continents apart. With all of this, it was hard to believe that a flower wouldn''t be here. Even the mountains showing weakness and prone to collapse was a sign that the flower was absorbing the energy of earth from them. However, there was a possibility that all of this was a coincidence. The particular species of tree here were not just immune to the life force devouring properties of the flower, but also unnaturally resilient in all conditions. This could explain their presence despite the barren land. As for the barren land itself, there was plenty of it all over both continents. Everything could be explained with Skymender''s limitless knowledge, but he had hope nonetheless. In reality, Skymender''s guesses about the flower were closer than he imagined. In the world of cultivators, this flower was known as the Devourer of Sky and Earth. It absorbed Earth Qi and Sky Qi to nourish itself, and although its longevity enhancing properties had no effect on cultivators, it had a wondrous effect on mortals if used right. In addition, there was a particular sect, whose strongest cultivator was at the Inner World Realm, who mass grew this flower and some higher level variations of it, using millions and billions of these flowers to produce a powerful poison. On a cosmic scale, this sect was relatively close to Skymender''s current position. The most likely explanation for its existence on this world was a few seeds drifting away into space and landing on the planet. However, Skymender could never know any of this. Despite that, he himself had considered using it as a poison. Its devouring properties would be especially useful on the mortals of this world. However, its longevity enhancing properties were far, far more useful to him than a single poison. Chapter 770: Finding the Flower - 770 Skymender began to comb through every foot of the hundred mile by hundred mile area. He knew exactly what the flower looked like, and with its distinctive red color, it would be hard to miss it unless he wanted to. He moved quickly, not wanting to spend more time here than necessary. However, it was not easy to cover such a large area thoroughly. Luckily, he could ignore the mountains, as the flower would not grow on anything but soil. He could narrow it down further, but did not dare to without certainty. Days passed without finding anything, but he was not discouraged. It was already a long shot to come here. Although the conditions to grow the flower were so perfect that it would be hard to believe there wouldn''t be one, that didn''t mean he would find it. It could have not grown yet, or grown long ago and either died or been picked by someone. Weeks passed as Skymender moved back and forth, sometimes on horseback, or sometimes running. Finally three months passed. Skymender moved past an area near a mountain, not finding anything unusual, when a vibration revealed a petal on the ground in the distance. Although he saw with vibrations, he could still see color, even if slightly more bland. That only made the brightly colored red petal on the ground, which should have been blander, stand out that much more. Skymender instantly bolted towards it. As he got closer, he could sense something underground. The vibrations were a bit distorted for some reason, but he could sense a red flower. Skymenders shock and urgency could not be described as he took his sword out of his sheath and began to carve into the ground. He had never expected the flower to be underground, and had not brought anything to dig with. As he dug, he thought about his luck. Nobody else besides him could possibly find this flower. It was tens of feet underground, to where even he could barely sense it. Combine that with the strange interference occurring near the flower, he would not have spotted it had it not been for the petal that had somehow made it to the surface. Despite everything lining up, and Skymender being confident that nobody understood the flower on such a deep and personal level as him, he had truly expected that, even if he had found where it had been, someone else would have picked it. Both the Emperor and the Ruler had mysterious methods of gathering information that he could not understand. It was to the point it did not follow logic. However, the flower was here, and there was no one to take it away from him, either now or in the past. It was difficult to dig deep with a sword, but Skymender''s endurance was among the top in the world. At one point, even his strength was at the level of a rank one Sword Master. Unfortunately, not physically pushing himself for an extended amount of time caused his strength to wane. Still, it was quite impressive. Skymender spent three hours straight digging, pushing himself as far as he could, before he finally poked into the spherical space that contained the flower. He could instantly tell that it was the flower itself that was obstructing his sense of vibrations. Skymender did not immediately pick the flower, but observed it. Seeing it in this state, it seemed stronger, more full of life. Perhaps it was not that it was still in the ground, but that it was younger, older, or an even stronger variant. Skymender hesitated, but decided that it would be worth it to find out. If he could gain a greater understanding of the flower, he would receive extremely valuable knowledge, knowledge so valuable that a price could not be put on it. He pushed all the dirt he had dug up back into the hole, erasing any traces of his existence, before leaving. He took his horse, and traveling as fast as he could, made it back to the Empire''s city. He did not alert anyone of his presence, but grabbed his tools, which he had not used in a while. Among them were cauldrons, testing devices, and a few other advanced tools made over the years. Some had been developed by others, while some had been created by him, many for the sole purpose of experimenting with the flower. He then left the same day, not waiting a moment. The travel time was long, but he made it back within a reasonable amount of time. He looked around, but everything had remained untouched. Skymender dug once again. It was easier this time due to the dirt being loosened by him. In just an hour, he uncovered the flower. It was just as strong as before. Skymender began to conduct experiments. He first meditated near the flower, sensing his body. After an hour, he noticed the pull that the flower had on him. He had tried this same test with the flower provided by the Emperor, but had not felt a thing. This time, he was able to notice that although very slight, the flower was devouring a bit of his life force. This proved that this flower was better than the other one, though he was unsure why. Next, Skymender began to measure many things around the flower. This included the air pressure, the ground''s firmness, the ground''s composition, and the air quality. He also dug around the flower, finding the end of its roots. Despite it having normal roots for a flower, Skymender could not help but feel it had a longer, unseeable connection with its surroundings. After all, he did not know if this area had naturally been so barren and wasted, or if the flower had caused it. If the flower had caused it, how long had it taken? It would be fine if it was a thousand, or perhaps even a few hundred years. However, if it could cause this level of damage within a hundred years, it was extremely dangerous to allow it to exist anywhere. Chapter 771: Rebirth - 771 Luckily, it would not exist here for much longer. Even after going through all of his tests, Skymender was unable to tell whether or not it remaining in the ground gave it more potency. He decided that, as long as he could use his method while it was in the ground, he would do it. Skymender got all of the necessary tools, and the materials which he had brought with him after going to the Empire''s city to get his testing tools, and began to set up. He made sure to do everything possible to ensure his success and reduce any possible accidents. After doing everything he possibly could, he began. Unlike the last time he had done it, he had made a few adjustments. He had never stopped thinking about the mythical flower, and had come up with a few ways to slightly increase its effect. He also created an entirely new method of consuming it. Skymender first crushed every dry ingredient into dust. He grabbed all of the liquid ingredients, and after sitting a bowl under the flower, began to very slowly pour everything onto the top of the flower, which was able to hold and slowly absorb most of it. With Skymender''s greater understanding of its devouring properties, he was confident that it would work. The entire pouring process took two days. For some of the liquid materials, he kept them in their pure form, while for others, he heated and mixed them up with others. Next, he began to use the dry materials, which had become powdery. At the same time, he took the liquids that had leaked into the bowl and poured them over the roots of the flower. He sprinkled the powder onto the flower. This process did not take long. With all of that done, Skymender sensed the weather once again. Clouds were gathering overhead. Skymender took a look at the sky, though he saw nothing but vibrations, and a look at the flower. He took a deep breath. It was time, this was his only chance. His longevity would be decided by this, whether it was increased or shortened. Skymender sat cross legged around the flower. The flower itself peaked up from between his legs. Skymender took out a match and struck it. "Let the heavens decide my fate." He dropped the match onto the flower. Some of the ingredients coating the flower were highly flammable, and as the match touched them, both Skymender and the flower exploded into a ball of flames. The fire burnt hot in a single moment. Skymender skin was charred black, and the flower was reduced to smoke. Both Skymender and the flowers'' burning bodies created a pillar of smoke. After around twenty seconds of Skymender enduring unimaginable pain in silence, rain began to fall from the sky. It started as a light sprinkle, but in just seconds, it turned into a downpour. The flames resisted, but after just ten seconds, the fire was put out, leaving behind a large amount of smoke that obscured the sight inside. From above, smoke was billowing out of a hole as the rain fell. There was absolute silence. Suddenly, a charred hand reached out of the hole, grabbing onto the ledge. As it did so, lightning struck from above. Against all odds, a lightning bolt struck directly onto Skymender, sending the hand flying down the hole. Not only Skymender, even the heavens and the gods themselves could not have predicted such a thing. The rain fell even harder, as a solemn silence descended. Skymenders charred body, beyond recognition, sat at the bottom. It would have worked, had it not been for that lightning strike. If he could survive, the lightning strike would have brought an unimaginable change to the result, but he was destined to die. His lifeforce and consciousness began to fade away. He thought about what his last thoughts would be. He went through his whole life, but settled on one moment. "If none of this is truly real, then how can I die here?" He thought to himself. He remembered the man on the mountain, and the shattering of the sky. How could he be willing to die without knowing the truth? Without knowing if his entire life had been in a fake world? Skymender tried to struggle, but nothing came out of him. His body would not move. His consciousness was fading away slower due to his resistance, but it meant nothing. The rain continued to pour. Skymender could feel that as the rain poured, the char on his body was being washed away. After a minute. He was able to twitch his body. He saw hope, and struggled to survive. He had been in numerous life and death situations. He was no stranger to them. Skymender focused all of his will on staying conscious and moving. After five minutes, his mind could barely think straight, but he was able to move a little bit. He slowly moved. His still body pushed itself up. He began to climb up the deep hole. His strength was gone, but the stiffness of his body allowed him to plant his fingers into the ground and climb. Even as he did so on instinct, his consciousness began to fade away. This time, it felt as though he was truly over. He focused everything he had on one more moment. From the bottom of his heart, he shouted towards the heavens. It was a culmination of everything he was feeling, and everything he desired. "REBIRTH!!" He screamed towards the heavens as his hand reached out of the hole. He suddenly felt a wave of vitality. For a second, he was confused, until he realized that the flower had taken effect. He began to laugh as he reached out of the hole, pushing himself out. He sat on his knees, every inch of his skin charred, even if less so due to the rain. He stared at the sky. Suddenly, his mind shook. He could see. He could see the sky! "Hahaha." Skymender began to laugh. As the char washed away, it revealed young, perfect skin beneath it. His scars were gone, his sight was restored, his strength was increased countless times. "This is rebirth." He said, staring at the heavens, his eyes never once leaving those skies. Chapter 772 772: Visiting Temples - 772 A few minutes passed in silence before he stood up. The torrent of rain had washed away the majority of the char, leaving only flawless skin. All of the scars he had suffered throughout his life were gone. He had never planned for such a miraculous effect. In his estimations, the fire would cause the flower to fuse with him, and give him a much better increase in longevity, as well as increase his healing from the damage the fire caused. However, the moment the lightning struck him, everything changed. All his plans and estimations went out the window. The lightning caused some sort of much greater effect, essentially causing him to rebirth, completely changing himself. If he had to give it a reason, he estimated that it was not only because of the extremely powerful nature of lightning, which surely counted as a new ingredient, and one stronger than all of the others, but also because lightning was much closer to the energy of Heaven and Earth than rain. Regardless, this was an unprecedented stroke of good fortune for him. Skymender began to walk. His body was much stronger than before. He began to sprint. His speed was fast, so fast he could barely believe it. It was even faster than his horse. If he had to estimate, his speed was even greater than the speed of a normal first rank Sword Master. His strength was most likely just as incredible as well. As for his increased longevity, he had no clue. He seemed around twenty years old, but even when he had been twenty, he had never quite looked this good. His skin was so pure it almost seemed feminine. He seemed almost mythical. Skymender eventually stopped testing himself. All he knew was that everything had changed with this. He wasn''t even sure if he should return to the Scholar Region or the Empire. There was not much for him in either place. He also did not believe that he would be able to conceal his transformation. After thinking about it, Skymender packed everything up and got on his horse. He then began to ride deeper into the Temple Region. Although they were very disconnected from the rest of the continent, they were not so reclusive as to antagonize anyone who entered. Otherwise, why would any new people join the Temple? Skymender rode for a while before finding a city. At the entrance was a statue of their god, Yhwh. He rode into the city. He received looks from most people, as not everyone rode a horse through this small city. He also received many glances from girls, who saw his looks and couldn''t help but admire him. Of course, he was much older than them, but they had no way to tell that. Even his hair was a bit longer, to the point he wanted to cut it. But for some reason, he had an urge to grow it out. In cultivation novels, the best characters usually had longer hair. At the very least, it wouldn''t hurt to see what he looked like when it was grown out. He could always cut it if he didn''t like it. Skymender did not stop until he reached a temple. In the Temple Region, every city, town, or village had a temple, whether it was big or small. Skymender left his horse at the entrance and began to walk up the stairs. He was stopped by someone in priest garments as he neared the entrance. "You don''t seem familiar." He said. He did not physically stop Skymender, merely talking to him. "I''m just traveling, and came to see the Temple." Skymender said plainly. The priest nodded. "Well, have a good time. Remember not to make any trouble." The priest said. Skymender nodded. When he entered, the room was darker than outside. Although the area was lit up by torches, Skymender could simply sense through vibrations if necessary. In fact, he was constantly looking with both his eyes and vibrations. The only difference was that he only used vibrations in areas he couldn''t see with his eyes. It formed a unique vision. Skymender saw paintings on walls, small altars for offerings, and eventually a large statue with many people praying beneath it. Skymender had just stopped here to look around, and see if he could find anything interesting. He turned around after seeing nothing. He left the Temple and continued deeper into the Temple Region. He planned to visit the capital. It only took an hour before reaching another city. This one was much larger. With the Temple Region being as small and condensed as it was, the travel was pleasant. Skymender looked around in this city''s temple, but found nothing unusual. He started to doubt himself. The Imperial Capital''s temple definitely contained a few secrets, and he had never visited the one in the Ancient Empires Imperial City. Therefore, he decided to see what secrets he could find here. Skymender moved closer and closer to the capital, never once finding anything unusual about the temples. He even met a few high priests and priestesses. After three days, Skymender reached the capital of the Temple Region. Such a short travel demonstrated just how small the Temple Region was. Skymender entered the city freely. The first thing he noticed was just how cramped this place was. There was hardly any room to move. Although there were carriages, they had to move extremely slow. Otherwise, they would run over a bunch of people. The houses were also packed and condensed. He imagined that houses here were smaller yet more expensive than houses elsewhere. This place was truly worthy of being called a capital with how many people gathered here. Skymender struggled to navigate through the crowd. As he moved towards the temple, there were even more people. However, Skymender was becoming better at navigating, and since any person he bumped into lost in the brief competition of strength, falling to the ground, he was able to move around much easier. Eventually, he made it to the stairs of the temple. Chapter 773 773: The Apostle - 773 The stairs of the temple were just as crowded as the rest of the city, and Skymender had to fight to get inside the temple. At some point, he simply closed his eyes and began to move solely through vibrations. Using his eyes to see here was pointless. He navigated his way through the temple, sensing all around him through vibrations. At one moment, he noticed an open area below the floor. Most of the temples had areas like these, but there was rarely anything in them, and nothing of importance. But since this was the Main Temple of the Mainland, there were sure to be many more secrets. Although it was hard to see underground with vibrations, it was possible since the floors were not too thick. Skymender walked around the temple, following the halls below it. He saw the hall go deeper into the ground, to the point that he could no longer see it through vibrations. Skymender looked around, and eventually found a way to enter the underground hall. However, there were a few priests nearby guarding it. It would be impossible to get in without forcing his way in. At least, it would be impossible if it was like this. Skymender left the temple and bought some items from the surrounding shops. Individually, none of these items were of note, but when Skymender used a cauldron, a special method, and some heat to combine them, they became extremely flammable and explosive. Skymender looked around the city for a bit, eventually finding a high elevation area with few people. Detonating it up here would cause a disturbance while killing the fewest people possible. Unfortunately, some deaths would occur, but Skymender had already been as lenient as possible. Some people would just be unlucky. Skymender set up a wire and set it on fire as he left. He made his way to the area with the door leading underground. It was still being guarded, and the area was as busy as ever. Suddenly, a loud boom exploded, and a cloud of fire appeared above the city. Screams rang out, and many people began to panic. The priests at the door abandoned their posts, running outside. Skymender stopped one of them, quickly breaking his neck. This went unnoticed amongst the chaos. He dragged him to a corner and took his clothes, quickly entering the door. He began to make his way down at a fast walking pace. Hurried footsteps ran his way. A group of priests ran from the hallway. They saw Skymender, but it was difficult to see his face because of his hood. "What are you doing? We need to head up." One of the priests said. "I have to make a report." Skymender said, not once stopping. "Then stop dilly dallying and run." Skymender nodded and began to jog, though it seemed to them as though he had begun running at a fast pace. "Damn. Indeed worthy of being a messenger." The same priest said. He quickly snapped out of it and headed up. Something major was happening, and distractions were harmful. Skymender quickly descended, following the path with vibrations. Suddenly, he saw an ancient, powerfully designed door. It had spikes coming out of it, looking like the gates of hell. For a religious faction that worshipped a righteous god, this was surprising. However, Skymender was more focused on the fact that his sense of vibrations barely extended a foot beyond the door. All around the room behind it was the same. This reminded him of the ruins on the island, and how his sense of vibrations had been limited there. Either this sort of material had some other use, or the Temple had experience with those who could see through vibrations. It is an art that most likely originated on the Mainland many years ago, after all. Suddenly, the door opened. Skymender backed away, but did not run. He opened his eyes. He saw a single figure standing in the doorway, with an altar of gold behind him. "I don''t know who you are, but since you are so curious, come in." Skymender hesitated, but gripped his sword and began to walk inside. As he did, the doors closed behind him. "No need to hide yourself." The man said. Skymender took off his hood, showing his face. "Indeed, you are not of the Temple." The man said. He stood in the direction of the altar as he spoke. "Do you know who I am?" He asked. Skymender shook his head. "In your understanding, I can be called the Ruler of the Temple Region. But here, I simply go by the title of "Apostle"." He said. Skymender wasn''t surprised. He could tell that this man wasn''t ordinary. "Although you killed some people with that stunt, all can be forgiven. I won''t keep you here. I won''t harm you. All I ask in exchange is that you let me tell you a story." The Apostle said. "Deal." Skymender said. He did not want to become enemies with the Temple. Everyone on the Mainland was wary of them for a reason. The Apostle began to walk with his hands behind his back. Skymender followed. "We believe in the god Yhwh, but do you know how this belief came to be?" Although he asked a question, he did not seek an answer. "Many years ago, before we even began to write things down, Yhwh descended. He helped the people of this world evolve, grow intelligent, and gave them free will. Not everyone repays him, but those of the Temple devote our life to him for what he did for us." Skymender doubted that most of this was true, but listened anyway. "That is the story spread around, lacking a few details of course. But no god has ever descended here, and Yhwh most likely doesn''t exist, not anymore at least." Hearing an Apostle say this was shocking. "I won''t bother explaining too much, I can tell you know a lot about this world already, perhaps more than I do. I''ll keep it simple and get to the point. I revere Yhwh more than you can imagine. My entire being is filled with reverence for him. I believe his spirit has guided me to not become your enemy. Therefore, leave. Do not harm the Temple, and the Temple will never take action against you. Understood?" Everything was so sudden that Skymender took a moment to respond. Chapter 774: Unfettered - 774 The Apostle clearly wasn''t waiting for an answer. He waved his sleeves and turned around. "Now begone foul demon, who so casually murders the innocent." Skymender felt a sense of danger, telling him that if he didn''t leave, he would face a great threat. He didn''t say another word, withdrawing from the room. He made his way through the underground hallways and soon exited the temple. Chaos was still ensuing outside, but Skymender ignored it, quickly leaving the capital. Only then did the sense of danger fade. "It seems the temple truly does have some incredible methods." Skymender mumbled. Only a Grandmaster could possibly make him feel like that. However, there was no Grandmaster nearby, so it could have only been some power of the temple that defied logic and explanation. Skymender''s curiosity had been satisfied. He silently left the Temple Region with his horse. He thought as he rode. The Emperor clearly had some goal he was moving towards, and the Ruler of the Scholar Region naturally had his plans as well, even if it was just defending against the Emperor. Skymender''s goal was different from theirs. He wanted to see whether or not this world was real. The squabbles of the various powers in this world were not of his concern. He had left everything behind upon experiencing rebirth. His future interactions with those people would be minor. Skymender considered everything he had learned. He began to make his way towards one of the tallest mountains on the Mainland, the one nearest to him. It would take a while to get there. In the Scholar Region capital, the Ruler looked out into the distance. Around the same time as usual, his son came up to speak to him. This time, the Ruler had something for him to do. Mora was shocked. His father rarely gave him a mission. The Ruler of the Scholar Region handed him a letter. "Give this to the Emperor that Skymender had served. Tell him that Skymender has deserted the Empire." Mora didn''t fully understand what his father was saying, but nodded and took the letter. He journeyed to where Skymender had taken him before. At the entrance, the guards saw him. At first, they were wary, but after he explained that he had come here with Skymender before and that he had a message for the Emperor, they let him in, with an escort of course. He was brought before the Emperor, who looked indifferently at him. "What do you want, Mora?" Mora was surprised to see that the Emperor knew his name, but ignored it for the sake of his mission. He handed the Emperor the letter. "My father wanted me to tell you that Skymender has deserted the Empire." The Emperor did not outwardly react. He took the letter and read it. After reading it, he slowly covered his face with his hand in silence. Then, he removed the hand. A smile was on his face. "I knew Skymender wasn''t the type to become a traitor. He is simply in pursuit of greater things now. Tell your father I understand his tricks, and that he cannot cause internal conflict in the Empire. Also inform him that, should he try to harm Skymender, the Empire will retaliate in full force. The Imperial Scholar of the Faceless Empire is simply out on vacation." Mora had questions, but two guards dragged him out. When the Emperor was alone, his smile remained. "What do I search for, Skymender? It is true freedom, the freedom to escape this cage. If you can find your own freedom, then so be it. Who am I, someone who longs for nothing more than freedom, to control you?" He mumbled to himself. He understood Skymender''s decision perfectly. Mora returned to his father with the Emperor''s message. The Ruler did not have any reaction, and Mora left. Undercurrents were occuring in all of the important parts of the Mainland, but nothing of it had anything to do with Skymender. He finally reached the mountain. Looking at it from afar, it looked like a pillar holding up the sky. The mountains on the Mainland were more numerous than on the Continent of Wu per capita, and there were many more tall mountains as a result. The largest mountain on the Mainland was occupied by the Ruler of the Sword Region. It was near the center of the continent, near where the territories of the four regions met, which was also close to where the Mainland gathering was held. Of course, closeness was subjective. It would take a few days of travel on his horse to reach the mountain from where the Mainland gathering was held. This mountain was among the tallest mountains, somewhere in the top twenty. Skymender rode his horse up it. There was a path leading to the top, though it clearly hadn''t been used very often. There was some debris along the way, but nothing too noteworthy. He passed by a few houses that had long been abandoned and worn down. The mountain was desolate and silent. However, Skymender calmly journeyed through it, unfazed by anything. He paid attention to everything around him, and in every way possible. He did not look only with his eyes, but also with vibrations at the same time. He remained calm, not showing any emotion whatsoever. Cultivators would call this walking among the mortal world, unfettered. Buddhists would call this attaining peace and understanding. Taoists would call this becoming closer to the universe. Mortals would call this wandering freely around the world without a care. A special air began to emanate around Skymender. It was an air that would make any being mistake him for a higher being. It came from truly having no attachments to the world, wandering around without rhyme or reason. Even if the earth crumbled and the heavens fell, it seemed as though Skymender would remain just as calm as now. He eventually reached the top of the mountain. All that existed was a field of flowers. Skymender''s horse walked through it as Skymender took it all in. Chapter 775: A Respectable Fight - 775 Chapter 775 - A Respectable Fight - 775 Skymender spent a few hours atop the mountain, wandering around, before descending from it. He began to journey towards other locations. A year passed, and Skymender continued on his seemingly infinite journey that had no destination. Skymender had encountered all sorts of things over the years. He had seen incredible sights, faced people who wished to harm him, and ignored people who wished to follow him. He currently found himself in the Sword Region, where he had made quite a legend of himself. After an incident involving a third rank Sword Master, people began to call him the Horse Riding Swordsman. A long story short, a Sword Master had been pursuing a girl for nearly a year, when Skymender arrived in their small city. The girl saw Skymender''s youthful appearance and elegant bearing, and instantly fell in love. She began to pester Skymender, who never once bothered with her. This did not seem to discourage her. She continued to bring gifts and tell stories as he rode around on his horse. He had stayed in that city for about a month, enjoying the views. As he departed the city, the third rank Sword Master appeared in front of him. In this city, he was at the highest level. He yelled some things Skymender hadn''t bothered paying attention to. Skymender''s horse never stopped, ignoring the man as if he was grass on the road. This enraged the man, causing him to attack. Skymender grabbed a dagger from a satchel on the horse and pierced the man through the throat before he was able to swing his sword once. He fell to the ground dead in an instant. The story traveled around, and coupled with Skymender''s otherworldly bearing, stories began to be made up. Some of the stories exaggerated everything so much that people viewed him as a hidden Grandmaster of some weapon. In the next months after that, he was challenged by many, though none were above the second rank. Due to all of them being weak, Skymender had easily dispatched of them. Currently, Skymender was looking at a city''s gates from not too far away. The falling sun painted an admirable view. Skymender entered the city. People looked at him, and after some hushed whispers, they realized who he was. This was a much larger city, with much stronger people than most of the places he had visited. Skymender stayed in the city for a week before someone came up to him while he was riding his horse around the city. The man had an imposing air around him, and a sword at his waist. "My clan''s young mistress had requested an audience with you, Horse Riding Swordsman." The man said. Skymender did not even look at him, passing him directly. The man''s face turned dark. "Sir, I would advise you to reconsider your decision to ignore me." The man said. Skymender moved further into the distance without turning his head. The man grabbed his sword. "In that case, I''ll have to discipline you." He charged forward. Skymender finally turned around, grabbing the sword at his waist. He had been waiting for a good opponent to come by. Since his good looks brought jealousy, he had been faced with the decision to either hide his face or display it openly. Since he wasn''t some coward, he naturally chose the latter. In the past year, he had grown to look even better than before. This was due to his hair growing longer, which truly gave him a mythical look. He wasn''t one to care about looks, but it was hard to ignore it when everybody else noticed, and compared to others, he looked far better. "You pay attention now, but it is too late." The man said as he neared Skymender and swung his sword. Skymender jumped off of his horse''s back, ordering it to retreat. All around, people watched as Skymender flipped off of his horse and met the man''s sword. The man''s eyes changed. He was pushed back to the ground, and Skymender fell down on top of him, his sword swinging down. The man held his sword up in defense, but Skymender was just too strong. He was sent sliding back. Skymender never stopped moving. He seemed like a fish flowing through water as he rapidly attacked the man. Within a few moments, the man cut a sorry figure. It wasn''t that Skymender''s swordsmanship was better, but that his strength and agility were simply too high for the man to counter. The spectators were awed by his fighting style. Skymender eventually knocked the man''s sword away and sent him falling to the ground. The man looked up at Skymender with mixed emotions. Skymender sheathed his sword. "Do you admit defeat?" He asked. The man gritted his teeth, and after hesitating, nodded. "It is admirable to admit defeat." Skymender said, completely putting away his sword. He hopped on his horse. "My name is Skymender. I''ll give you one chance to take revenge. Win or lose, I''ll spare your life. The second time, I''ll kill you." Skymender said as he rode away. The people all around him, who had watched the fight and heard his words, instantly began to scatter and tell stories. The man on the ground seemed dazed. "Perhaps it wasn''t so bad to lose." He had respect for Skymender''s conduct. He eventually got up and headed back to his Young Mistress''s residence. She sat there calmly, but when she saw his cut up figure, she was shocked. "Sword Master Zhesei! Are you okay?" She asked with worry. The man nodded. "I am fine, but I have disappointed you, Young Mistress." The Sword Master began to recount the entire series of events that had taken place. He spoke honestly, not lying about a single detail. "So that Horse Riding Swordsman is truly so incredible." She said with awe. The man nodded. "He truly is. Although he defeated me, I was the one to provoke him, and yet spared my life. I owe him quite the debt of gratitude." Chapter 776: Shaking - 776 News spread around, garnering the attention of even more people than before. Before this event, the Horse Riding Swordsman was merely known within a small area of the Sword Region, and not many powerful people paid him any attention. This all changed when news spread that he defeated a first rank Sword Master with apparent ease. Although not everyone in the Sword Region would know his name or of the legends spread, all of the powerful people in the Sword Region would. He was not only as strong as a first rank Sword Master, but even stronger than one. Skymender did not pay any attention to this. He had one goal, to understand the world and see if it was true or false. It was hard to tell if he was making any progress or not. He could only continue onwards. Another year passed as Skymender traveled around. People rarely fought him now. Those who did were either ignorant of who he was or first rank Sword Masters. Nobody had beaten him, but there were some strong enough to force him to put in some effort. The strongest had made him go all out, though not to the point of fighting with his life on the line. That man had truly been strong. But he had lost in the end. Skymender treated every first rank Sword Master he defeated the same way. He wouldn''t kill them, instead telling them that they had one chance to get revenge. Only one person had taken him up on his offer, naturally losing once again. Skymender had spared him and sent him off. If he tried again, Skymender would kill him. Despite everything everyone knew about him relating to his title as the Horse Riding Sword Master, Skymender shoved all of that to the back of his mind. He was entirely focused on his goal. Only then would he possibly achieve it. One day, an old man came up to him. There was nothing special about this old man, besides the fact that his eyes seemed exceptionally clear. He spoke to Skymender. "Sir, I would like to receive your teachings." He said. Skymender would usually ignore someone, but seeing the clearness in the old man''s eyes, a sign of great wisdom, he spoke. "I do not teach Swordsmanship, as I am no Swordsman." Skymender said. "I do not wish to learn Swordsmanship. I too am no Swordsman. I have observed your state of mind for a while, and I admire it. Clearly, you are someone of great intelligence and wisdom, whose thoughts are deeper than oceans, who can see through the falsehoods of this world and understand the truth. I wish to receive your teachings of your state of mind." Skymender looked at the old man. From his tone, it seemed he was receiving flattery, something rare. This situation momentarily reminded him of the Western Monks. He shook his head. "I am no teacher. I have my goals to accomplish, and I cannot waste any time with nonsense." The man was clearly surprised. His face changed, looking as though he was being insulted. "Sir, I understand and accept your refusal, but what goal could you possibly have, riding around on a horse never staying somewhere?" "If you can''t understand, then you can''t understand. Don''t question me. Question yourself." Skymender said before leaving. The man thought, but eventually shook his head and left. Time passed quickly for Skymender. Although he was still famed in some minor places, the excitement surrounding him slowly faded away. He did not make any large moves, and in fact, nothing had changed since the first time he had been spotted. In such a way of life, three more years passed. This made five years since he had started this journey. The world slowly started to change in Skymender''s eyes. The once natural and pure world seemed to slowly gloss over, as if he was starting to see beyond it. It was so slight it was hard to notice, but it made Skymender''s heart drop. This made it almost certain that this world was fake. There really wasn''t much of an explanation. This fueled Skymender''s ambitions. Another three years passed. Skymender had become less of a legend, and more of a regular. He was like a rare sighting. People would point at him and say his name, but not much else. Even after all this time, there had been no major moves between the Empire and the Mainland. It seemed that the Emperor was preparing thoroughly, perhaps aiming to take everything out at once. The world around Skymender was slowly showing impurities. Skymender continued as always. Two more years passed. It had been ten years in total, a vast amount of time for anyone in this world. Skymender''s vision was far different from before. Every now and then, he saw black spots around him, as if his vision was flawed. Only he knew that it was far better than ever. Although it would remain unknown to anyone, Skymender''s vision changing affected not only him, but the world itself. An imperceptible trembling moved across the vast world, leaving no exceptions. Only one being picked this up. In the deepest depths of the Western Desert, where no life could survive due to the harsh condition, a tree stood. This tree was large, far larger than this world''s tallest mountain, far larger than the World Serpent or the Plains Bull. As this imperceptible shaking occurred, the roots of this tree, spread throughout the Western Desert, began to move around wildly. The world began to shake again, but this time, not so imperceptibly. All around the world, a few select figures'' faces paled. One of them was the Emperor. "Impossible. How could the Treant be triggered this early?" He said loudly, unbecoming of himself. Those around him looked at him weirdly, when Sword Grandmaster Shang appeared. He instantly sent them out of the room, leaving only him in the Emperor. The wide eyed Emperor fell deep into thought. In just a moment, it clicked. "Skymender!" Chapter 777: Fated Meeting - 777 Chapter 777 - Fated Meeting - 777 He looked at Sword Grandmaster Shang. "We need to find him now." Sword Grandmaster Shang nodded. He and the Emperor shot away from the throne room, leaving the city in mere moments. Around the Mainland, many powerful people reacted to the shaking of the world. The Ruler''s eyes widened. "Signs of the Treant awakening. Impossible! I must deduce this immediately." Just as quickly as shock had come, an eerie silence filled the room. In the Sword Region, the Ruler of the Sword Region stood atop the peak of a mountain. When he felt the shaking, his eyes narrowed. "It seems that once again, the world shall suffer." He was calm, but his words left no room for doubt. Great, terrible changes would soon occur. The Ruler of the Spear Region sat in silence, gloom overcoming his face. The Ruler of the Bow Region, sitting in a lively palace, lost his composure. "No way! Alright! Disperse!" He quickly cleared the palace, leaving only a few behind. The Temple Master merely looked at the sky, barely acknowledging it. He was the only one who didn''t show any fear or regard, though it was unknown whether that was because he was confident, or because he was good at concealing his inner thoughts and emotions. Besides the well known rulers, there were also a few other people in the world who understood this sign. On an island outside of the Mainland, though not far away, a group of people known as Seekers existed. They worshipped the god of knowledge. An old man sat in a deep cave. He looked so old that anyone would have mistaken him for a corpse. He seemed moments away from turning into dust. When the shaking occurred, he opened his eyes. They were dark and empty, but a feeling of evil permeated around the man. Without doing anything, the man''s eyes closed once again. Elsewhere, a woman sitting on a golden throne, wearing a veil, sat calmly. When the shaking occurred, those around her seemed to panic, but she remained silent. Her face, covered by the veil, twisted, before returning. "We''ll see." She muttered so that only she could hear it. In another place, a man sat on a boat, fishing. He had a conical hat on his head. When the shaking occurred, the waters raged. The shaking here was much stronger than in other places. After all, he was on a lake within the Continent of Wu. He fell off of his seat. He raised his hat up. "That''s not good." Despite his actions, which indicated he would be an old man, the face below the hat was young, seemingly no older than 25. Skymender himself also felt the shaking. Unlike the others, he did not know what it meant. He could only assume that it meant nothing good. Skymender continued onwards, nothing changing about the way he conducted himself. He was just as he had been for the past ten years. A few hours later, he suddenly felt a premonition. Looking over, he felt as though he saw a vast tidal wave traveling directly towards him. Skymender could tell that this wave was not real, but an effect of him seeing through the false world. This meant that someone or something powerful was approaching, and fast. Skymender did not even bother to hold his sword, simply stopping his horse. Whatever this was, he would not be able to resist if it wanted to harm him. It would be embarrassing to try. After a moment, he saw the fast moving Sword Grandmaster Shang, as well as the Emperor being carried along. He breathed a sigh of relief. They shouldn''t be coming to harm him. Sword Grandmaster Shang stopped after reaching him, the Emperor stopping right in front of Skymender. The Emperor looked at Skymender up and down. After a moment, he smiled. Then, he shook his head, focus reaching his eyes. He looked back at Sword Grandmaster Shang. "Go." Sword Grandmaster Shang nodded and left without hesitation. This left Skymender and the Emperor alone. The Emperor spoke first. "You have changed." Naturally, it was easy to tell that Skymender changed just looking at him. Skymender got off of his horse, sending it away. "I call it rebirth. I too have consumed a flower of mystical properties." The Emperor once again looked him up and down. "Clearly with a better method." Skymender nodded. "Indeed. But that method is one you wouldn''t have survived, and even if I wanted to, it would be impossible for me to do it again." Despite his calmness, Skymender was looking deeply at the Emperor. Ever since he began to see through the false world, everything had looked different. Some areas had black spots, as if space had been devoured, some things were blurry, including humans, and some seemed colorless. However, the Emperor stood as usual, without a single blemish. This amazed Skymender. Indeed, there was something special about him. The Emperor spoke, breaking Skymender out of his short trance. "It seems we both need to talk. I imagine both of our secrets are deep." Skymender was hesitant. The Emperor clearly noticed this. "How about this? I''ll go first. If you feel that my information is valuable enough to hear yours in return, you tell me. If not, I''ll leave." Skymender agreed. The Emperor looked around, and crossed his legs, sitting on the ground. Skymender sat across from him. The Emperor looked at the sky. "In my first life, I ruled the world." The Emperor said. Skymender was surprised to hear such a start, but saved his thoughts for later. "I was unsurpassed. My skills were countless, my luck was unimaginable. My allies were numerous. I took over the Terra Continent, renaming it to what you know today. It was by sheer chance that I learned about the Mainland. Unlike in the following lives, I was told of this by a young fisherman, though he was anything but young." "I sent my people to investigate, and we discovered that the Mainland was real. At that time, I was much older than I was when we set off this time. Despite that, I did not stop for a moment." Chapter 778: The Emperors First Life - 778 "When we first arrived at the Mainland, I was anything but cautious and careful. We spent three days building a camp for some to stay at, and then set off. We soon stumbled upon a city in the Scholar Region. Without meaningful resistance, we took it over. It wasn''t until we took over the tenth location that the Scholar Region noticed, though I know now that the Ruler of the Scholar Region most likely knew from the moment we arrived." "We fought head on against the Scholar Region, and they were naturally no match for us. We took over the capital just a month after arriving at the Mainland, though the Ruler of the Scholar Region was nowhere to be found." Saying this, the Emperor paused. "They say that a concealed threat is more dangerous than a hidden one, but I really wish that the Ruler of the Scholar Region had made his trump card known. As I''m sure he told you, he has the ability to anger the Treant, the most powerful existence in this world." "However, he did not use it even after we took over the capital. We continued on, ignorant of the threat. Naturally, taking over the Scholar Region alerted the other Regions. They understood what we did not, and out of fear that the Ruler of the Scholar Region would resort to angering the Treant, they launched a huge attack on us. In total, they sent ten first rank Masters and two Grandmasters. The two Grandmasters were the two of the five that were not Rulers of their Regions, but that did not make them any weaker than the Rulers. If anything, they were more terrifying, both of them being old and experienced." "As soon as they attacked, Sword Grandmaster Shang was on the defensive, and within ten minutes, he was on the verge of death." The Emperor paused here. "That is when the Seeker appeared. The most ancient existence among a group of people known as the Seekers. The Ruler of the Scholar Region is just one of the Seekers, though he is undoubtedly just as terrifying as the Seeker himself. He was scrawny and old, but he had mastered one of the two unique arts of the Seekers. One is known as, Hear the Wind. That is what the Ruler of the Scholar Region has mastered. The other is known as, The Pen is Mightier than the Sword." "This art put the Seeker on the level of a Grandmaster, and with his intervention, a temporary stalemate was reached. Sword Grandmaster Shang, filled with rage, managed to decapitate one of the Grandmasters, shocking everyone present, even the Seeker himself." "I suppose I should mention that throughout Heaven and Earth, Shang is the most talented person I have ever met. If faced with endless battle, he would achieve endless growth." The Emperor interjected. "The other Grandmaster retreated with the seven first rank Masters who remained. Nobody chased him. We ourselves only had two first rank Sword Masters remaining. We had only managed to survive the onslaught of ten first rank Masters due to some plans I had laid out, but those are irrelevant in the bigger picture." "The Seeker had a long conversation with me. The gist of it was, great changes were destined to occur, and he wanted us to assist each other. He had joined this battle in order to establish a good relationship with us. Though I naturally didn''t trust him, I accepted this alliance." "Defeating the first wave was necessary, but it caused a wave to travel across the Mainland. They couldn''t accept these foreign invaders, and for the first time in countless years, a unified army was formed. All three regions, save for the Temple Region and the conquered Scholar Region, allied together. Their leader was none other than the Ruler of the Scholar Region himself. I had not known how terrifying he was at the time." "Before the allied army could attack, I was visited by another person. It was a woman in golden clothes, wearing a veil. Alongside her was a Grandmaster Spearman, as well as three first rank Masters. She explained that she came from a hidden nation within the Mainland. Like the Seeker, she wanted an alliance. Knowing what was coming, I accepted it. Naturally, I took my precautions as well." "Perhaps sensing the dire situation, Sword Grandmaster Shang trained tirelessly, his strength growing. When the time for war came, the Mainland was still on the superior side. It was only due to some of my tactics that I managed to force a stalemate." "This was not without reciprocation. The ruler''s knowledge and tactics were terrifying. The tides were nearly turned many times. War continued for years and years, before Shang managed to kill a Grandmaster. His domineering bearing struck fear into the enemy. Another year of war ensued, with no winner being quickly crowned. Although both sides had the same amount of Grandmasters now, we had a slight upper hand." "It was not long after that the Empire gained a second Sword Grandmaster, the terrifying Sword Grandmaster Gargantuan. His strength was immense, and his skill with the sword immeasurable. With this new upper hand, we pushed the Mainland''s forces back. Then, the Ruler of the Scholar Region personally intervened. Nobody knew, but he himself was at the threshold of becoming a Grandmaster. With his weapon, a metal fan, he single handedly fought with Sword Grandmaster Gargantuan. He could redirect even the heaviest of attacks, and occasionally counter attack." "His opponent soon changed, becoming the Seeker. I learned then that the Ruler of the Scholar Region had deserted his birth clan, being viewed as a traitor. The Seeker himself wishes to kill the Ruler of the Scholar Region." "Despite the intervention of the Ruler of the Scholar Region, we had a slight upper hand. That was until the Temple Master arrived. Bathed in a golden light, he appeared in front of the Seeker. The Seeker couldn''t even react as a hand pierced his chest and ripped his heart to shreds. By then, the Ruler of the Scholar Region had disappeared." Chapter 779: The Emperors First Life 2 - 779 "The Temple does not tolerate the belief of other gods. Both the Seeker and the Ruler of the Scholar Region believe in the god of knowledge. Even if they wanted to say that they no longer believed in that god, the fact that they are part of the clan that worships the god of knowledge by blood means that the Temple would never let them live." "Both sides lost a Grandmaster level combatant, though the Mainland also lost their strategist. The Temple Master did not make another appearance, simply appearing to kill the heretic. With both sides at three Grandmasters, the battle continued. With Sword Grandmaster Shang, who had seemingly surpassed even the Grandmasters of the Mainland, we had the upper hand. Another year of brutal on and off battles ensued. Eventually, we pushed back the Mainland. Slowly but surely, we began to overtake their territories. First was the Sword Region. When we took over their capital, I found many different sword arts, which I passed on to Sword Grandmaster Shang. Through them, he became even stronger." "Next was the Spear Region. I did not pay too much attention to their inheritances at that time. The Continent of Wu only had Sword Masters, and it would take far too long to bother creating an entirely new regiment of Spear or Bow Masters." "After the Spear Region, there was only the Bow Region and the Temple Region left, though I was unconfident in my ability to oppose the Temple Region after seeing the Temple Master in action." "The Bow Region was where they made their final stand. Although the Ruler of the Scholar Region could no longer make an appearance due to the Temple Master taking notice of his involvement, it was clear that he was directing things. They put up a valiant fight, and although I won''t bother with the details, the Ruler of the Scholar Region set up multiple traps that nearly killed me and Sword Grandmaster Shang. Most of my victory in that battle could be attributed to luck." "Sword Grandmaster Shang killed yet another Grandmaster, which I imagine is the most Grandmasters killed by someone throughout history. We weren''t done of course. The remaining two did not have the chance to escape. Sword Grandmaster Shang levied the finishing blow on the last two, making his kill count five Grandmasters." "He stood invincible on the battlefield. Even the woman in the golden dress and the veil had clearly given up any and all thought of betrayal. Sword Grandmaster Shang was enough to put all such thoughts to rest. The Ruler of the Scholar Region did not make an appearance, but I had learned of his threat. Regardless, I simply continued on." "I visited the Temple Region and spoke to the Temple Master privately. After a meaningful conversation, he promised that he would allow the Temple Region to be ruled by the Empire on just two conditions. One, the Temple must remain an individual, unaffected entity. Two, the Empire must discover and wipe out the Seekers." "I agreed. Some of my people spent a long time searching, and eventually found the island. Sword Grandmaster Shang was in and out within a day. That same day, the Temple announced that the Temple Region formally surrendered to the Empire." "I had won. Both continents, the world, was mine. I became the Emperor of the world. In that way, I lived peacefully for a year. My ambitions did not stop there, however. The same man that told me about the Mainland, known as the Fisherman, appeared before me. With Sword Grandmaster Shang at my side and the world in my hand, I was fearless." "He did not come with any ill intentions. He simply told me about a world beyond the world, a world of Cultivation. He explained to me that in the wider Universe, there are people who can hold stars in their hands, people that can destroy planets with a breath. Giants larger than galaxies. He said he was once a cultivator. He claimed that he could destroy a planet of this size with ease, and that he had been known as a Space Shattering Realm Cultivator. However, his cultivation had been crippled as he fell into this strange world. He was nothing but a mortal now." "Since then, I have had the ambition to go beyond this world. However, it had proved impossible. There is little to no "Qi" in this world, which Cultivators use to cultivate. The Fisherman left after explaining that much." "Not too long later, the world shook. It was much like the shaking felt not long ago. The Ruler of the Scholar Region had angered the Treant. It took exactly three months for the vast figure of the Treant to appear in the distance. Its size was more than enough to instill fear into all living things. Following it was an endless storm." "What happened next is quite simple to explain. The Treant began to wreak havoc. Not only it, but the other Mythical beings of the Continent of Wu came, bringing havoc. Sword Grandmaster Shang, with his supreme power, tried to fight the Treant. Although the Treant failed to kill him, he could not defeat it either. The storm surrounding it was striking lightning at him as well, causing him some minor injuries." "All hope was lost. All we could do was constantly retreat. However, a hero arrived. The Temple Master soared into the air wearing golden armor. He stood on the back of a golden dragon. The dragon was huge, far larger than any of the Mythical beasts, but that did not include the Treant. He fought like a god. I now understand that he was using something known as the Power of Faith." "Unfortunately, despite killing three of the eight Mythical beasts, and cutting off a main branch of the Treant, the Temple Master ran out of Faith Power. He died soon after. The dragon was nowhere near as strong without the Temple Master. It took another Mythical beast down with it." The Emperor sighed. "There isn''t any more suspense. Me and Sword Grandmaster Shang retreated with a few others. The Treant wreaked havoc for years before stopping. Although we had survived, nothing else remained. I lived out the rest of my life contemplating how to escape this world, but failed. I died at the age of 99 years old." Chapter 780: The Treant Arrives - 780 Chapter 780 - The Treant Arrives - 780 "I had died unfulfilled. Knowing of a greater Universe, it was impossible for me to be content. Who would have thought that upon closing my eyes, I would once again open my eyes as a child 99 years ago. My next lives were not so impactful. I rarely met the Fisherman again, as I already had the information he could provide me. I studied a thousand sword arts, and always passed them down to Shang. I have done everything imaginable over so many years and so many do-overs that it would be impossible to keep count." "Few things have remained constant. One of them was that the Ruler of the Scholar Region has always been a formidable foe. Another is that Shang has never once betrayed me, no matter what I have done. I''ve even simply tried my hardest to get him to do so, but have failed. Even if he died, he died with loyalty." The Emperor looked at the ground wistfully. "I have long since seen him as my only family in this infinite loop." He looked back at Skymender. "Everything remained constant, and I tried countless times to free myself of this world. Sometimes I spent lifetimes despairing. Other times I spent lifetimes filled with hope and effort. But I never managed to do so, and nothing ever changed, until I heard the name Skymender." He looked into Skymender''s eyes, hope present. "You are the only exception after countless years. You are the only hope, a new being in this cycle. You are exceptional as well. I have put all my hope into you at this point, Skymender." The Emperor fell silent. Skymender took it all in. It was unbelievable, yet it explained so much. Skymender did not doubt it at all. It had to be true. Nothing else could explain why the Emperor was so exceptional. Skymender took a deep breath. "I will hold up my end of the bargain. I''ll keep it short. A girl named Potential Sword Master Daisy told me a story. She had stumbled upon a mountain, with an old man that slashed the sky and accepted her as a disciple. Yet that man uttered my name. Years later I investigated and learned that the man was talking to me. He essentially told me that this world is false, a fake cage. Ever since then, I have tried to discern whether or not it is true. Now, I can say with certainty that he was speaking the truth." Although Skymender''s words were short and concise, the Emperor took in a deep breath. He had never heard of this. Learning something new after countless years was an extraordinary sensation. "It seems we share a common goal then." Skymender said. "I want to see through this world, and you want to escape it. All of it involves seeing through this illusion we have been presented. I have begun to see through this world, to the point that my vision is deteriorating. I don''t know how many years it will take, but I am sure that I can see through everything eventually. Where this will take me, I don''t know. But I am willing to leap into the unknown." The Emperor nodded. "I would rather die forever than be stuck in this loop for eternity. As long as I can get out of this loop, live or die, I would be eternally grateful." Skymender and the Emperor laid everything on the table, forming a mutual agreement. "If I die before accomplishing my goal, just tell me everything I have said. However, wait until I turn eighteen. Otherwise, I don''t know how it will affect me." Skymender said. The Emperor nodded. "The imminent threat arriving is the Treant." The Emperor said. "Within three months, it will make landfall. It will destroy everything in its path. First, the Continent of Wu will be exterminated and fragmented. There is nothing we can do about that. It is too far away. All we can do is mount a defense in the Mainland. We will still lose, but we might as well fight. Naturally, I have my methods to escape." The Emperor stood up. "You keep doing what you''re doing. I will form an alliance with all of the regions and all of the hidden masters. If you want to join, go ahead. The result won''t change. Even that Deprivation poison of yours won''t be able to win the battle, no matter how much you could make." Skymender nodded. "Hearing your explanation, I never planned to fight back. I don''t even believe I''ll see through the world in this life. I''ll need you for that." The Emperor nodded. Sword Grandmaster Shang appeared before disappearing with the Emperor. Everything Skymender had found confusing about the Emperor made sense now. Whether it was his calmness in almost any situation, or the existence of the agents, or his ability to win despite any odds, all of it made sense. Skymender''s life did not change. He simply continued as he had, slowly seeing through the world. His horse slowly journeyed towards the gathering point of the alliance. With the Emperor''s vast experience and confidence, he was sure to succeed. Exactly in the third month, Skymender arrived. He saw a nearly infinite army with many Grandmasters. The Emperor stood in front of it all. Ever since a month ago, the sky had been perpetually covered in gray clouds. A storm was coming, and a vast shadow in the distance could be seen. Skymender looked out solemnly. It was time to see what the legendary Treant was able to do. He arrived next to the Emperor, who nodded at him. "Be careful, Skymender." Skymender nodded. The army waited, and as the day passed and the sun rose, an infinitely large tree could be seen. Its numerous branches held up a canopy of leaves so large it replaced the sky around it. A storm was permanently circling it, striking lightning down every moment. It had a large face on its trunk. It seemed infinitely aged, its eyes closed. On its largest branches were huge beasts. Fear was struck into the entire army. Just looking at it, Skymender''s face returned to indifference. When the gap in strength was too vast, resistance became meaningless. A single glance was all it took to understand that there was no possibility of victory. Unless a god descended, it would be a one sided defeat. Chapter 781: Pointless Resistance - 781 The Emperor nodded at Sword Grandmaster Shang. Sword Grandmaster Shang returned the nod. He then leaped forward, leading the charge. Eight Grandmaster level combatants followed behind him. Their ranks included Sword Grandmaster Shang, the Spear Master that followed the woman in the veil, the Seeker, The Ruler of the Scholar Region, and the five Grandmasters of the Mainland. Somehow, the Emperor had gotten all of them to temporarily follow his lead, and even display the full extent of their abilities. Behind them were more than fifty first rank Masters. Hundreds of lower level Masters followed behind them. This was the force of an entire world, and it was not yet done. As the army closed in on the Treant, a roar was heard throughout the Mainland. A golden dragon with two wings and a long, majestic body, soared through the air. On top of it was a man bathed in gold. He briefly looked at the Seeker and the Ruler of the Scholar Region, who nearly retreated on instinct, but soon looked away. The Emperor had even forced the Temple Master to put aside his hatred for heretics. Skymender stood by the Emperor as the army charged. They looked into the distance. Despite the power of the army, neither felt that there was any chance of winning. "I have always wondered how defeating the Treant would affect the world, but it is simply impossible. Nothing can possibly kill it. Even fire, a tree''s usual weakness, does nothing to it. If anything, it is more resistant to fire than anything else. Prepare to retreat on a moment''s notice." The Emperor said. Skymender nodded. The golden dragon reached the Treant first. It spat out a breath of golden flames. The flames were so large that the trunk of the Treant was completely bathed in them. Suddenly, a screech rang out. From one of the branches of the Treant, an eagle soared. The golden dragon was under attack, and its flames redirected towards the eagle. The eagle was not a match for these flames, but a root of the Treant suddenly moved at an unimaginable speed. The golden dragon was sent flying backwards, knocking down mountains. It soon got back up and charged, injured. A panther Mythical Beast leaped off of a tree branch, attacking the dragon. Another Mythical beast followed, this time an armadillo. This trio formed an offensive that could not be ignored. Around that time, the Grandmasters reached the Treant. They ran on the tree, slashing, stabbing, or shooting wildly. Their power was immense, but compared to the size of the Treant, it was truly nothing. Mythical beasts surrounded them, causing intense fighting to break out. All the while, the Treant''s roots moved like tentacles, slashing wildly and destroying every piece of ground it touched. It was uprooting the entire continent. At the same time, lightning struck down constantly. Most of it simply dispersed in the air, but a fraction constantly attacked the Grandmasters and the golden dragon, as though it had a mind of its own. The battle actually seemed winnable. The Grandmasters were holding their own, pushing the Mythical beasts back. The golden dragon was slowly injuring the three Mythical Beasts it was fighting. It seemed that there truly was hope. And then the Treant opened its eyes. It was as if it had been sleeping before, moving on instinct. As its eyes opened, one of its roots snapped. In the next moment, the body of one of the five Grandmasters of the Mainland burst like a bubble, exploding into a rain of blood. He had let his guard down slightly, and he had died instantly as a result. Everyone else was filled with dread, instantly stopping and paying much more attention to their surroundings. Some, however, forgot to look up. The Spear Master brought by the woman in the veil was struck by a thick bolt of lightning, severely injuring him. The Treant''s roots whipped around. Now, the Grandmasters had to constantly dodge the roots while being attacked by the Mythical Beasts. The Temple Master also had to fight the wild roots. The situation turned around in an instant, becoming hopeless. It was nearly impossible to do anything while dodging the giant roots and facing the bombardment of the Mythical Beasts. Even Sword Grandmaster Shang was forced to constantly move around. Time passed, and more of the Grandmasters were injured. The Temple Master still managed to push back the three Mythical Beasts and attack the Treant, but the Treant fought back. The golden dragon had no advantage. The three Mythical beasts fought it while it clashed with the roots of the Trent. The Treant continued to move forward. Although it looked slow from afar, it was moving extremely fast. It wouldn''t be long before it reached the Emperor and Skymender. Although Skymender had heard of the Treant''s terror, and had felt its ominous presence, only now did he truly understand how much of a different level it was on. Although the Grandmasters and the golden dragon seemed to be fighting against the Treant with a hope of survival, Skymender could tell that the Treant was still barely putting any effort in. The group of Grandmasters began to dwindle. They started with nine. Now, they had six. The deaths of the six remaining would be sped up due to the lack of combatants. The first rank masters had just about been completely wiped out, while the rest of the Masters taking part formed a sea of blood. There were no further surprises. The Grandmasters were continuously pushed back. Finally, the Temple Master shone with a bright light, as did the dragon. In just a few seconds, it killed two of the three Mythical Beasts and charged at the Treant. It slashed its claws, and three arcs of golden light flowed out, causing the largest damage the Treant had received thus far. The golden dragon rapidly attacked the Treant as it shone with the bright gold light. Skymender could faintly make out the figure of the Temple Master atop the dragon, his body slowly being turned into spots of light that floated away. Chapter 782: Reaper - 782 Chapter 782 - Reaper - 782 The Temple Master truly put on a valiant fight, surpassing the world''s Grandmasters by a large margin. However, this strength came at the ultimate cost. After just five minutes, the golden light dissipated, and the Temple Master disappeared from the world. He had not so much as inflicted a serious injury on the Treant, merely stripping away some of its bark, cutting off a large branch, and making some deep gashes. The Emperor had told him before that the Temple Master had been able to kill three Mythical beasts in his first life, but this time he only killed two. From what Skymender interpreted, this was most likely because he had focused on inflicting injuries on the Treant over killing Mythical beasts. The golden dragon, which had lost much of its luster, roared and charged at the remaining Mythical beasts from the three it fought. They fought for just a few seconds, before the dragon killed it. Then, the Treant attacked. With its large body, the golden dragon was unable to dodge. Without the Temple Master, it was clearly much weaker. It took mere moments for the golden dragon to be beaten to death by hundreds of roots. This, however, had taken the Treants full attention for a moment, causing the Grandmasters to inflict hasty injuries on the Mythical beasts surrounding them, even if it caused them to be injured as well. As a result, two mythical beasts were killed right before the dragon died. This left only two mythical beasts and the Treant. Skymender furrowed his brow. If there were nine mythical beasts, and two remained, why was there only one on the battlefield? Skymender looked around. He looked at the Emperor. The Emperor spoke, as if understanding. "Among the Mythical beasts, there is one that is second to none. I call it the Reaper, though it has no official name." He pointed his finger. Skymender followed it. A small figure on one of the Treants'' many branches could be seen. It was surrounded by a black mist, the only visible part being its red glowing eyes and the antlers coming from its head. "Although the Treant causes the mass destruction of every location on the planet, there are always a handful of survivors. It is during the years afterward, where the Treant stays on the Mainland despite it being destroyed, that the Reaper takes action. It is not strong in one on one combat, but its methods are enough to kill even a Grandmaster. It is like an assassin, striking when you let your guard down. It is by luck that I managed to evade it in my first life. It is also responsible for the skeletons found on the island." The Emperor explained. Skymender nodded. "Do you think I could kill it?" The Emperor looked at him. "Are you sure you want to risk it?" Skymender nodded. "Go ahead. Don''t die." The Emperor said. Skymender flickered into the distance at an extremely fast speed. He hadn''t used his full combat power since rebirth. Even if he wasn''t quite a Grandmaster, he was surely above any first rank Master, besides someone like Sword Grandmaster Shang when he was a first rank Sword Master. He went unnoticed as he ventured up the Treants bark. A lightning strike would occasionally wane towards him, but he would dodge it. Nobody noticed the occasionally stray lightning bolt due to the constant wall of lightning attacking the Grandmasters as they bombarded the last Mythical beast. This battle had already gone far better than planned. At this rate, all of the Mythical beasts would fall. It naturally had to do with the Emperor. The Reaper only noticed Skymender when he was within a thousand feet. It turned its head towards him. Its figure flickered, but Skymender raced to catch it. In an instant, it turned into a chase. The creature would turn invisible, but Skymender found that he could see it in two ways. One, through vibrations. Two, he could see traces of it due to the fact that he could see through the false world. It could disappear, but not from him. Skymender continued to chase it around the branch of the Treant. Meanwhile, the last Mythical beast, not including the Reaper, was killed. The five remaining Grandmasters, the Ruler of the Scholar Region, Sword Grandmaster Shang, the Seeker, and two Grandmasters from the mainland, turned towards the Treant. The Treants'' previously sleepy eyes opened completely, staring at them. The Emperor waved his hand. Smoke flew into the air from many locations, all of it red colored. This was the signal of retreat for everyone besides the Grandmasters. They would only retreat when all hope was truly lost. Such was their pride. Skymender saw it and gritted his teeth, forcing his body to move faster. As he did so, he could feel the branch shaking heavily. It only took him a few seconds to reach the Reaper. He swung his sword, but it went right through its body. It turned around. Skymender could see mockery in its eyes as it moved away. He hadn''t brought a bow, but he took out an arrow. He dipped it into a bottle on his waist, doing it as fast as possible, before launching the arrow with his arm. It moved fast, passing directly through the Reaper. It once again turned around, the same mocking expression in its eyes. Suddenly, its eyes widened. Skymender didn''t bother watching any more. He turned and left. The Reaper would surely fall at the hands of his Deprivation poison. He made his way towards the beginning of the branch, which connected to the Treants trunk. He took off his backpack. Inside were countless vials of Deprivation poison. It was all he could make with all of the material he could find. Just making it was a dangerous process, but it was much safer after beginning to see through the false world. This was because he had learned that the function of the Deprivation poison was connected to the false world. It deprived what someone valued most, but to do this it interacted with the false world. He did not fully understand how. Perhaps he would understand in the future. Chapter 783: Retreat - 783 Chapter 783 - Retreat - 783 Skymender hit all of the vials with his full strength and ran as fast as possible. Behind him, he could see a vast cloud of multicolored light cover the false world. As if it had been attracted by a magnet, the Deprivation poison sank into the bark of the Treant, instantly affecting it. At a visible speed withering made its ways across the branch and trunk of the Treant. Even on its huge body, it slowly formed a visible mark. The Treants'' open eyes revealed anguish. The Emperor watched in surprise as one of the Treant''s main branches cracked at its base. Not able to bear the weight of itself, the branch snapped off of the Treants body. This was the second main branch to be snapped off, and this second one was even bigger than the first, which the Temple Master had cut off. During this moment of distraction, the Grandmasters finally fled. Only four remained. Sword Grandmaster Shang, the Ruler of the Scholar Region, the Seeker, and one of the Grandmaster''s from the Mainland. They soon reached the Emperor. Skymender followed not far behind. They looked at the distant Treant, the few remaining others gathering around them. They watched as a roar came from the Treant, though it did not open its mouth. Lightning shot wildly around, forming a tornado. The Emperor spoke with glee. "I''ve never seen the Treant react like that. How beautiful a sight." It was obvious that over countless lives, he had developed a great hatred of the Treant. He turned around and began to leave at a fast speed. Everyone followed. Skymender, four Grandmasters, a few other Masters, and some others, all left the scene. The slower people rode the horses brought by the Faceless Empire. It seemed that the Emperor had become the de facto leader. In a way, he controlled the remaining forces of the world. Although Sword Grandmaster Shang was the only Grandmaster of the Faceless Empire, he had already struck fear into the hearts of the others. He had shown strength second to only the Temple Master in their battle. They traveled a long way. Eventually, the Treant left their sight. Without the Reaper, the Emperor was confident in surviving this catastrophe. They eventually reached a large mountain. This was the largest mountain on the Mainland and the largest mountain in the world. It was this very mountain where the Ruler of the Sword Region lived. He was the sole survivor of the Mainlands Grandmasters as well, displaying prowess above most others. He and Sword Grandmaster Shang had spoken a bit during the journey, both sharing the love of the sword. When the Ruler of the Sword Region saw their destination, he was surprised. "Why are we going there?" He asked the Emperor. "Because this mountain is not only the tallest point in the world, but leads to one of the deepest points as well." The Emperor explained. The Ruler of the Scholar Region, who had come with them, was surprised. "I thought I would be the only one to know of this." "Although Hear The Wind is a powerful skill to learn, it is not the only way to know something." The Emperor said. The Ruler of the Scholar Region rolled his eyes. When the Emperor first mentioned that he knew of the Ruler of the Scholar Regions ability, he was shocked beyond words. By now, he was used to it. They reached the mountain, and the Emperor pointed at a wall. Sword Grandmaster Shang unleashed a slash that made the mountain wall crumble. Revealed behind it was a long, naturally formed tunnel. The Emperor led everyone down it. They walked for a long way, spiraling down, sometimes going through forked paths, and eventually reaching a cave with a large pool. It was lit up by blue luminescent lights. It was silent, very silent. The Emperor''s group was thirty in number. Besides the Grandmasters, Sword Master Gargantuan was present. The only other person from the Faceless Empire was a battle hardened noble, though he was not quite a Sword Master. He was the only non-Master among everyone. Others of the Faceless Empire who had come had been separated or killed during the battle. They all relaxed in the large cave. Skymender sat silently against a cave wall. He thought about the Continent of Wu. According to the Emperor, nearly everyone who had lived there would end up dead. He was not too emotional about it. He just thought back to his life there. Despite everything that had happened, he was still Skymender. After a few hours of silence and rest, someone spoke out of concern. "How will we survive without food down here?" One of the Masters asked. The Emperor, who had been silently resting, opened his eyes. He stood up and walked over to a wall. He pointed, and Sword Grandmaster Shang slashed. A deep tunnel was torn into the wall, but nothing was revealed. The Emperor walked into the tunnel, Sword Grandmaster Shang following. He pointed again. Sword Grandmaster Shang slashed. He continued deep into the ground, until those in the cave could not see him. They only heard rumbling and the sound of slashes. Finally, the slashing stopped and the Emperor returned. "Don''t just sit in here. Come." Everyone listened, standing up and following him down the tunnel. The Ruler of the Scholar Region was confused. He had the ability to Hear The Wind. If there was something here, he should have learned of it while sitting in the cave. The Emperor responded as though he had heard his thoughts. "If even the wind does not know of a place, how could you learn of it?" This explained the Ruler of the Scholar Regions confusion. They finally reached a dark cave with no light. The Emperor lit a torch and moved it around. There was not much here, no life. Only a milky white liquid filled multiple craters in the ground. "It may not be much, but this milky substance is extremely healthy and nutritious. We could survive years here with this." Chapter 784 784: The Emperors Death - 784 The Ruler of the Scholar Region looked at it for a moment before surprise graced his face. "This is the legendary Dipper Milk!" He said. The Emperor nodded. Dipper Milk was not particularly valuable, but it was extremely rare, hidden in only the deepest, most untouched caves. In addition, it was a major part of one of the oldest legends in the Mainland. In that legend, the first emperor of the Mainland, not yet the emperor, was chased by a Grandmaster. He fell down into a deep ravine, where even the Grandmaster could not find him. He hit the ground hard, causing it to fall apart. He fell into a deep cave, where he landed in the legendary Dipper Milk. Although he was unconscious and on the verge of death due to his injuries from the Grandmaster and the fall, the Dipper Milk nourished him day in and day out. By miracle, the man recovered. He left the cave and climbed out of the ravine. More events happened, and the man eventually killed the Grandmaster, becoming the first emperor of the Mainland, and living a legend. In history, there were only three emperor''s of the Mainland. There hadn''t been any in a thousand years. Most people knew this story, even Skymender due to some research. That was the reason the Ruler of the Scholar Region was shocked. Even he had never seen such a legendary substance. After showing the food source for the foreseeable future, the Emperor returned to the cave. They had food and water, and most importantly, safety. The Treant would not find them here. Its destruction would fail to reach them. Time passed within the cave. At some point, rumbling could be heard above, but there was no major damage to the cave. They stayed for two years in this cave. Some people wanted to go out and check earlier, but the Emperor forbade it. Luckily, they listened without any resistance. This was perhaps due to the fact that the Ruler of the Sword Region had gotten close with the Emperor and Sword Grandmaster Shang. Sword Grandmaster Shang had trained with him over the last two years, leading to growth on both of their parts. Even if three Grandmasters fought against Sword Grandmaster Shang, the result would be uncertain, much less a two on two. In addition, the Seeker and the Ruler of the Scholar Region were smart enough to stay quiet and wait. Skymender spent his time like always, seeing through the world. Although he could no longer journey around, his horse was still with him. It was unbearably boring in the cave, but nobody here was an ordinary person. Everyone endured without much complaint until the two years passed and the Emperor led them out of the cave. As they traveled through the tunnel, which had been blocked off for years, they saw a light in the distance. "Strange. Why can we see light so soon?" One of the Masters asked. The tunnel had been much longer before. The Emperor did not respond. He wore a solemn expression. They soon reached the light, and the sight stunned everyone to silence. There was nothing. No mountain, no trees, no grass. The only active thing was some fire, which seemed to be burning endlessly. Most of what they could see was simply loose dirt and stone. There were craters around as well. There was no hint of what once was. It was as if the world had truly ended, and nothing was left. The Emperor spoke. "The world will eventually recover, but we will not be alive to see it. This is the Treant''s true purpose. To reset the world." Even the Ruler of the Scholar Region was stunned. Despite having the ability to anger the Treant, he had not understood just what it signified. Even he could not help but feel that it was too far. "The Treant should be making its way back across the ocean right now. There is no more threat coming from it. Feel free to disperse or come with me." The Emperor said before walking away. Most people followed him. Skymender was not one of them. He rode on top of his horse. Before leaving, he and the Emperor spoke away from the others. "This is where we part ways, Emperor." Skymender said. The Emperor nodded. "All my hope is in you. Don''t disappoint me, Skymender." The Emperor said. Skymender did not waste any more words, riding away. He soon left their sight. Skymender traveled the world. There were truly no exceptions to the destruction the Treant had caused. The tallest mountains were gone, cities wiped out, and lakes dried up. Of course, there were still some hills, some lakes that had a bit of water left, and an occasional piece of rubble, barely identifiable as a trace of human civilization. Skymender spent years riding. Eventually, his youthful face began to age once more. Skymender had to find his own food and water, but this life was pure, and he enjoyed it greatly. Every five years, he would find the Emperor and give him some things to memorize. These things were meant for himself after the Emperor died, resetting the world. After consuming the flower long ago, he too had begun to age once more. He estimated that, if he pushed himself for Skymender''s sake, he could hold on for twenty more years. This would put him into the hundreds, but he said that it would not be his first time living so long. He had grasped some secret methods to do so. Skymender did not spend any moment of these ten years in one place for more than a few hours. Finally, he looked middle aged again. By now, the world around him was unrecognizable. He barely saw anything any more. It was as if the sun was constantly shining in his eyes. He had to use vibrations to see properly, but even that seemed to be becoming affected by seeing through the false world. He returned to the Emperor, who was now on his deathbed. He gave him some things to memorize and explain once he turned eighteen, some instructions and some that would increase his ability to see through the false world. Skymender and Sword Grandmaster Shang stood next to the Emperor in silence as he breathed his last breath. Chapter 785: Shards - 785 Chapter 785 - Shards - 785 As soon as the last breath escaped the Emperor, the world seemed to freeze. Skymender, Sword Grandmaster Shang, the Treant, all things in the world stopped moving and stopped thinking. It was as if time had frozen. A bright, multicolored whirlwind appeared. It acted like a blackhole, devouring the entire world. Nothing offered any resistance. When everything had gathered, concentrated into a single, small point, it exploded. A multi-colored radiance filled the world as everything reformed. Everything reverted to the day the Emperor was born. The Emperor opened his eyes. He was held in an elderly woman''s arms. "Skymender! This time, we will succeed." He thought to himself. He lived his early life as always, making sure that he remembered what Skymender had told him. When the time came, he proceeded in the best sequence known to him. From a commoner to a noble. From a noble to a king. From a king to an Emperor. He had killed many people to reach this far, some who were his enemies and some who cared about him. As he sat on his throne, he slowly counted. It was soon to be time. In a distant kingdom, the Baroness of the Sky Barony was in pain. Time passed, and a saintess held a baby. Skymender''s eyes opened. "I see." He thought. He had suspected that he might not lose his memories. After all, he could see through the false world. Here he was. His vision was as bad as it had been when the Emperor died. Skymender slowly grew up. His childhood was different this time. He did not form any bonds, besides his bond with Skymerge. He had always wondered what had happened to him. Even the Emperor didn''t know. He visited the Imperial Capital for the first time around the age of ten. There, he went through mostly the same things as before, with some minor changes. Eventually, he and the Emperor locked eyes. The Emperor smiled. He breathed a sigh of relief and sat back in his chair. All he needed was a glance to determine that Skymender had kept his memories. Skymender returned to the Sky Barony after the summer, where his parents received a letter from the Emperor. Saving the minor details, Skymender had been "Chosen" to come and study under the Emperor for many years. There was no way to reject it even if they wanted to. Skymender was finally able to continue seeing through the false world in peace. Time passed fast. Skymender had ordered a few of the Emperor''s agents, people who he had nurtured throughout his early life, to keep watch on Skymerge. One day, he received a report that Skymerge had simply disappeared into thin air. It wasn''t that he had escaped their vision, but that, as their eyes were on him, he vanished. They only remembered seeing a strange envelope in his hands before he did so. Skymender kept it in the back of his mind, but did not pay it too much heed. His vision of the false world was rapidly deteriorating. Only one thing remained constant, and that was the Emperor. He was like a lone figure in a field of light. No matter how badly his vision deteriorated, the Emperor remained as clear as day. His vision through vibrations was becoming similarly bad. He could barely sense anything, and what he could sense was utter nonsense. Skymender wore a blindfold, though that did not affect his vision at all. All he could see were multicolored light, mostly the color white. As his vision completely faded, leaving everything besides the Emperor rendered a field of light, he saw something else. Or rather, multiple something elses. One of them was in a location he faintly remembered. The very mountain where he had seen that mythical man tear the sky and reform it again. The Emperor was his guide, Sword Master Shang their guard. The Imperial Scholar would manage the Empire. Skymender had seen him once again in this life, but had not formed any connection. This also went for Melly, who now lived a much happier life than before. Skymender traveled towards that familiar mountain, eventually finding the mirror shard. No vision triggered again. He simply held the shard in his hand. He went towards the next shard, the Emperor guiding his way. The next shard was hundreds of feet below a swamp. It took Sword Master Shang a few days to dig deep enough, though he himself could not even see the shard. Skymender collected it. He saw a vision this time, of someone slashing the sky. He looked similar to the other man, but also different. Skymender was able to tell what these shards represented now. It represented the waste of power in this cycle, the excess discarded over countless years. It formed a crystalline substance, the mirror. The visions were not real, but manifested from the will of countless people from countless cycles, the will to go beyond the world. Skymender sensed seven more shards. Four were on the Continent of Wu. The fourth was on a man known as the Fisherman. He was surprised to see Skymender, and when Skymender requested the shard, he was shocked. He handed it over. "Perhaps you will break these restrictions. Even at my peak, I could not begin to fathom the mysteries of this place. Perhaps its own power will be what breaks it in the end, just in your hands." Skymender did not pay him much heed, continuing onwards. They headed to the Mainland. They were able to find the shards in extreme environments. One was inside a volcano. Sword Master Shang, once again Sword Grandmaster Shang, had to drain the volcano of lava, destroying a town, before they managed to get their hands on it. Another was in a dark and dangerous swamp. It took a few months to find that one. The other two were slightly easier, but still hard to obtain. With eight in his hands, Skymender turned his attention to the last one. It was far, far away. Neither on the Mainland nor the Continent of Wu, but the ocean. Chapter 786: Death - 786 Chapter 786 - Death - 786 The Emperor frowned a bit. "This may be troublesome." At this point, the Emperor was the only one Skymender could sense at all. Whether it was sight, hearing, smelling, or any of the other senses, Skymender could see nothing except for infinite whiteness, a single remaining shard, and the Emperor. He nodded. The Emperor began to lead away, and Skymender followed. Eventually, they boarded the boat. Skymender''s only job was pointing in the distance, where the shard was. Eventually, they reached the point above the shard. However, a storm was raging, and down below, multiple figures could be seen. "Indeed, it is where the Sea Monsters congregate." The Emperor said. This was an area that the Emperor had never fully understood. For some reason, the Mythical beasts of the ocean, also known as Sea Monsters, mainly stayed in this area. He had spent many lives investigating, but never found anything. Now, he could guess it was related to the mirror shards that only Skymender could see. However, would they be able to reach the shard? The Continent of Wu had its nine Mythical beasts and the Treant. The Mainland had its golden dragon. The Sea had its five Sea Monsters. All five were here. Sword Grandmaster Shang looked at the ocean with a calm gaze. "What will happen if you get this shard?" He asked. The Emperor relayed his message to Skymender. "Something unimaginable." Skymender said. This came from a feeling he had. "Even if you die, we can reset." The Emperor said, understanding what he was thinking. Sword Grandmaster Shang nodded. With a firm gaze, he grabbed Skymender. Skymender felt unimaginable strength grab him and shoot down. Sword Grandmaster Shang dove into the depths of the ocean. He was instantly surrounded by all five Sea Monsters. He gritted his teeth and used every drop of his strength five times. The Sea Beasts were cut deeply. The Kraken lost two tentacles, a large whale lost an eye, a shark lost a fin. It only stopped them for a moment. Sword Grandmaster Shang continued down, but the Sea Monsters were faster than him in water by no small margin. He fought with his life on the line, instantly suffering injuries. Even at the peak of the Emperor''s last life, he may not have won against five Sea Monsters, much less now. It was more or less a death wish, or rather, a sacrifice. Suffering deep injuries that would surely result in his death, Sword Grandmaster Shang threw Skymender where he was pointing. Skymender instantly felt the last shard within his grasp. Time slowed to a halt. This time, only Skymender could move. He grabbed the shard, and it seemed to resonate with the other eight. They all moved together, forming a sword made out of mirror shards. Skymender looked at it. A premonition took him over. If he grabbed this sword, he would gain immense, unimaginable power, but he would also die. However, there wasn''t much of an option. There was no other way to escape this world. He did not have any lingering resentments or regrets. From the moment he had been born, he had pursued his goals without fear. He had become the Imperial Scholar, and helped lead the Emperor to conquer the Continent of Wu. Even the Mainland would have been theirs if nothing unexpected had happened. But it seemed as though this was his fate. Skymender reached out and grabbed the sword. In an infinite field of light, it was one of the only two things he could see. He turned and bowed towards the Emperor. With the sword in his hand, he jumped. A slight movement, but he soared out of the water into the air. The five Sea Monsters were slaughtered, and a healing power filled Sword Grandmaster Shangs body. Skymenders'' ascent did not stop. The Emperor looked at him with a slack jaw and infinite hope. "Break through this cage, Skymender!" He shouted with true joy for the first time in countless years. As Skymender flew through the air, something awakened. The Treant looked at Skymender with open eyes. Skymender snorted and waved his sword upwards. The Treant''s thick, large body was cut through. It exploded, its wood splintering out all around the Continent of Wu. Skymender broke through the sky. Above, he saw an unimaginably large multi-colored cage. It locked down the entire planet. Nothing beyond it could be seen. The mirror sword vibrated with increased intensity. Skymender could feel his life force draining away rapidly. Without hesitation, he swung the sword upwards. An unimaginable force, condensed from the excess of this cycle over countless years, tore open the cage. With that slash, all power left the sword, and it broke into fine pieces. Skymender lost all the power it had given him. He froze in place, unable to move at all. His thoughts slowly faded away. Was this the meaning of his life? Had everything been for this moment? To sacrifice it all or be trapped in an endless cycle? As everything faded away, and the cage trapping the world parted, Skymender''s vision returned. He saw the endless stars above, beautiful galaxies, a place where anything was possible. Although he would not get to experience it, he had given the Emperor, and perhaps the people of this world, the freedom to explore. Despite being a mere mortal, he had accomplished what even cultivators may not be able to do. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------ In a mansion yard, a man opened his eyes. As soon as he did so, he disappeared. The man appeared in a distant region of the universe, where he saw a cage breaking apart. There, he also saw a body. Memories filled his body, but it did not affect him at all. Skymender had merely lived for a hundred years or so. Zhou Fan had been alive around the beginning of the Universe. They were not at all comparable. Zhou Fan looked at the corpse, his corpse. It was a pity. Much less reach the Peak, he hadn''t even stepped onto the path of Cultivation. He had been trapped in a cage from birth, and the only way out was to sacrifice himself. However, this cage itself was quite interesting. Chapter 787: Skymerge - 787 Chapter 787 - Skymerge - 787 Before even getting to what the cage was made of, or what was inside of it, Zhou Fan looked into the distance and disappeared. One of the most well known and ancient places in the Universe, the Cosmic Sect. Zhou Fan stood above the endlessly large sect and looked at the inner section. There, a familiar face sat. In front of him was a powerful man, one of the strongest within the Cosmic Sect. He was known as Sage Yellow Field. He looked at Skymerge with a frown. Zhou Fan could tell that the Skymerge he knew and this Skymerge were slightly different. It seemed that a memory containing art had been used to imbue him with memories, much like what happened to Ying Xiong after reincarnation. Zhou Fan was able to quickly deduce the situation. Skymerge''s talent was enough to receive a letter from the Cosmic Sect, one of the most powerful sects in the universe. However, when the Emperor died and the reset occurred, Skymerge would return. This attracted the attention of powerful individuals, but no matter how strong, they were unable to stop this process from occurring. Eventually, it reached the notice of a Sage, who took a great interest in it. For millions of years, he had tried everything to stop the scenario, but nothing had even slightly delayed it. Once, even Ying Xiong was invited to take a look, but simply shook his head upon seeing it. This pertained to what the cage itself was, and the processes inside connected to it. The cage was something created by Ye Li, surely countless years ago. It was most likely used to farm Karma. However, it had long been discarded, and after being affected by the natural processes of the Universe, changed in an unpredictable way. This gave rise to the Emperor and his ability to "rewind time" after death, though it was a bit different from that. Instead, everything was destroyed and recreated as it had been, the only constant being the Emperor''s memories. Zhou Fan watched as they conversed for a moment, before descending. He did not go fast or make any attempt to hide himself. The Sage looked over, and despite Zhou Fan seeming normal, he couldn''t help but feel as though an unimaginable being was standing before him. He didn''t even speak. Zhou Fan looked at Skymerge and spoke. "You are free now." He said. Skymerge was shocked. "Who are you?" He asked. "My name is Skymender." Skymerge didn''t have time to react when Zhou Fan disappeared. After his departure, the Sage learned that someone known as Skymender had suddenly appeared, not having existed until the last two cycles. Zhou Fan appeared back above the cage. He stepped into it and looked down at the planet. The Treant was dead. It was indeed extremely powerful, around the level of a Core Formation realm Cultivator, though it did not have a Cultivation. With the cage split, Zhou Fan could see great changes going on within the planet. Qi was surging in, replenishing the world and bringing a temporary golden age. It was like a dehydrated flower finally receiving water. Zhou Fan entered the world. Below, he saw Sword Grandmaster Shang, an incredible talent in the way of the sword, and the Emperor, who had talent no worse than Skymerge. The only reason he didn''t get a Cosmic Sect invitation was because of the cage. It was incredibly lucky that Skymerge could receive an invitation, but it was only because the time he turned a proper age to receive an invitation was at the same time as when a temporary weak spot would appear in the cage. Having been abandoned for many years, cracks and imperfections had appeared. It was due to such a weakness that Skymender was able to break through the cage at all. Zhou Fan revealed himself to the Emperor, causing a shocked look to emerge on his face. As he looked at Zhou Fan, he couldn''t help but think of the Cultivators he was told about by the Fisherman. However, when he looked deeper into Zhou Fan''s eyes, he couldn''t help but feel familiarity. "Skymender?" He asked. Zhou Fan nodded. "Somewhat. Skymender is dead, but he was just my reincarnation. I have returned to my true body." The Emperor couldn''t understand, but didn''t ask any more questions. Zhou Fan waved his arm, and the Emperor and Sword Grandmaster Shang disappeared. He vanished soon after. When they reappeared, they were in front of a temple. All around were swords, planted into the ground, hung on walls, floating in the air. As they appeared, the doors opened and a man walked out. He had a sword on his waist. Neither the Emperor nor Sword Grandmaster Shang could feel it, but his imposing presence covered the area around them. Even gods wouldn''t dare stand calm in his presence. His look said all that he wanted to convey. "Who are you? What do you want?" He could naturally tell that Zhou Fan was no ordinary person. "I want you to accept these two as your disciple''s." Zhou Fan said. The man looked all of them up and down. He then looked back at Zhou Fan. "If you can defeat me, then we can talk." Without hesitation, Zhou Fan made a grabbing motion. The man''s sword appeared in his grasp, and he waved it. The man''s eyes widened. He felt as though the very universe was splitting before him. When he regained consciousness, he saw a sword pointing at his forehead. "Any other requests?" Zhou Fan asked. The man numbly shook his head. "Take that slash as compensation. If you spend enough time learning from it, you should be able to enter the True God realm." The man nodded his head, finally regaining his wits. "Thank you, esteemed one." He said. Zhou Fan disappeared, leaving Sword Grandmaster Shang and the Emperor behind. When he reappeared, he was looking at the cage once again. "It''s about time we talk a little bit, Ye Li." He mumbled as he closed his eyes and touched the cage. Chapter 788: Chat With Ye Li - 788 Chapter 788 - Chat With Ye Li - 788 Zhou Fan stood still for years. Ten years passed, a hundred years passed, three hundred years passed. Finally, he opened his eyes. "Found you." He disappeared and reappeared on the other side of the Universe. From the corner of his eye, he saw a figure shoot away. He clasped his hands together, and two Buddha''s palms formed, creating a cage that stopped the figure from escaping. A spiral escaped from that figure''s body, piercing through one of the Buddha''s palms, but a black palm of Demonic Qi was revealed behind it. Though the figure could have continued trying to escape, he stopped moving and turned to look at Zhou Fan. "What do you want?" He asked. Across the Universe, many powerful beings took note of the two giant Buddha''s palms and the Demonic palm that appeared. They took up a tenth of the Universe. The Path Creators of the Universe all left from their locations, moving towards the palms. Zhou Fan looked at Ye Li. "A few things. Why don''t you take a seat?" Ye Li didn''t even bother responding, standing still. "I see. In this state, I don''t think you''ll listen." His body instantly moved into the Battle Universe. The rules of the Battle Universe had long been changed and reformed. At this point, it had simply become another place to fight. Ye Li understood that if he insisted on fighting in the real Universe, he risked being attacked by all of the existing Path Creators. It was a rule upheld by all. Ye Li entered the Battle Universe. He and Zhou Fan once again stood across from each other. "What do you think you''re going to gain with this?" Ye Li asked. Zhou Fan did not respond. He held his arm out, and a green sword formed. "Come." He said, disappearing on the spot. Ye Li vanished as well. They clashed in an instant, as the other Path Creators entered the Battle Universe. The first attack shattered space in countless directions. Zhou Fan appeared once again, as did Ye Li. "It hasn''t been that long since our last fight. Why are you here?" Ye Li asked. Indeed, it hadn''t been that long. However, in living as Skymender, Zhou Fan had changed a little bit. It hadn''t felt long to Ye Li, yet here he was again, a different person, though still the same. Zhou Fan swept his sword created from the Power of Cultivation forward. Everything in its path was destroyed, time and space rendered unstable. A wheel formed behind Ye Li. A piercing attack shot forward. Zhou Fan could feel the power of Karma locking him down. With a flick of his finger, that power shattered, and he flickered. He appeared behind Ye Li, completely dodging his attack, and cutting off one of Ye Li''s arms. Ye Li did not move. His eyes were wide with shock. "That was-" Zhou Fan interrupted him. "I was holding back last time. This time, you''ll either sit down or die." Ye Li did not think long. He sighed and sat down. Zhou Fan sat down across from him. Before Zhou Fan could talk, Ye Li spoke. "You just used Karma." Zhou Fan nodded. "I told you I''ve been watching you since birth. I may not be remotely near your level, but I can still use it and somewhat mix it with my power." Ye Li shuddered inside. Only now did he understand just how terrifying Zhou Fan was. In addition, Zhou Fan was overly confident. He could have just cut off Ye Li''s head. Even if it hadn''t killed him, it would have injured him. However, he hadn''t done so. This could only mean that he didn''t see Ye Li as a threat. Zhou Fan spoke. "Have you thought about what I said last time?" Ye Li nodded. "You want all of the Path Creators to attack you at the same time. Most likely to assist in your breakthrough." Zhou Fan nodded. "Why should we help you?" Ye Li asked. "You don''t really have a choice. Let me break it down for you. If I break through and you don''t try to kill me during that time, I will kill you. After I break through, it will surely be easy. In addition, it is your only opportunity to kill me, which I am well aware you want to do. If you try to kill me, I promise not to kill you when I succeed. And there is always a chance that I fail to breakthrough." Ye Li was a bit confused. "You just want me to try and kill you?" "Not just you, and not just the current Path Creators. There needs to be more. Just all of you cannot kill me." Zhou Fan said while looking around. The Path Creators who had been spying on him understood that he was speaking to them as well. His condition went for them as well, friend or foe. Everything could be forsaken for a breakthrough. Zhou Fan specifically focused on Ying Xiong, the "Path Creator" of reincarnation, though he was not fully a Path Creator just yet, and the Buddha, the Path Creator of the Buddhist path. "I will kill you if you do not do everything in your power to kill me when that time comes." Zhou Fan said. Both of them nodded. "So be it." The Buddha said unwillingly. Zhou Fan thanked him and focused back on Ye Li. "There is one more thing I need to cover. I plan to revive Yhwh from the dead. I simply need your assurance that you won''t act against him." His words shocked Ye Li. "How would you do that? I killed him with the power of Karma. It should be impossible to revive him." "Not for me. Do you agree, or do I need to beat you a bit?" Ye Li''s eye twitched, but he nodded in the end. "Fine. As long as he doesn''t attack me, I won''t attack him." Zhou Fan turned and left. As Ye Li said, it would normally be impossible to revive Yhwh, but with his power of Faith still spread across the Universe, the idea was plausible. Chapter 789: Mi鈥檚 Troubles - 789 Chapter 789 - Mi''s Troubles - 789 He had gotten this idea after his time as Skymender. Since Yhwh''s power existed and could be used even in that world, there was surely a large amount of his remnant power spread across the Universe. Zhou Fan did not have to try hard to find it. Most of the temples built in his name had a bit of his power lingering around. Zhou Fan waved his hands and began to siphon it from every location he could find. It was worth noting that he would be unable to simply go back in time and retrieve Yhwh like he had done with the Buddha. The Buddha had been a mortal, and even then Zhou Fan had struggled a bit to retrieve him. To retrieve Yhwh, he would need to be far, far more powerful than he now is. As the power was taken, a few powerful people took notice. There was no lack of Outer World Realm cultivators among Yhwh''s followers, even if he was dead. There was even a Sage. But they could do nothing to stop it, no matter what they tried. Eventually, Zhou Fan held an orb of Faith in his hand. He then took out a small soul fragment he had collected off of Yhwh before he had died. He condensed the orb of Faith and the soul fragment together, wrapping it in Life Qi. He then put the finished product inside of the Universe in his chest. It would take a long time for it to form Yhwh once again, but as long as no unexpected variables occurred, it should work out in the end. In the meantime, Zhou Fan returned to his mansion at the top of the Universe. As usual, he did not enter it, but sat against Leaf. He occasionally looked at Mi, who was progressing quickly. He was still in casual city, and although his strength had already transformed, he was considered weak inside of it. All that was left for now was to wait. Wait on the birth of more Path Creators, and wait on the maturation of Mi and other cultivators. Although his life as Skymender had been a new experience, Zhou Fan much preferred the life of cultivation. Especially when he sat at the Peak, unimaginably powerful. He could definitely attempt to break through right now, and he may even succeed, but he wasn''t simply looking to reach the next realm, but to do so with perfection. Otherwise, he would not be as strong as he could be. He had a forbidding feeling about his break through, and had for a long time. Whatever effect it had, it was sure to shake the Universe. ¡ª---------------------------------------------- Millions, billions, trillions of years passed. Sword Grandmaster Shang and the Emperor had long made a name for themselves among the stars. Sword Grandmaster Shang had reached the God realm, as had the Emperor. They were not talented enough to reach the Peak or anything, but they were already one among trillions. Mi had already become a peak True God. With the restrictions to cultivation speed almost entirely removed, and Zhou Fan''s path to follow, he had a much easier time cultivating. If he was under pressure, it may only have taken him a million or so years to reach this point. But he had grown up in casual city, a place where even a homeless man could be a God Realm cultivator. Now, he truly fit in, and was even among the strongest in casual city. Despite trillions of years passing, casual city was as peaceful as ever. Everyone knew not to provoke it, as it homed some of the most terrifying cultivators in the Universe. Anyone was allowed to enter, but anyone who displayed their cultivation inside would be cut down without a second thought. Only a Sage would dare cause trouble in casual city, and none of them were free enough to waste their time doing that. It was around this time that Mi left casual city and began to explore the planet known to all in the Universe as the origin of life, Earth. Here, even Sages lived. Zhou Fan watched as Mi began his journey. Many more years passed. At one point, Mi had killed a disciple of a powerful sect, one home to an Outer World Realm Cultivator. That disciple had not just been some Outer or Inner disciple, but one of the three legacy disciples of the sect, someone sure to become at least an elder, most likely higher. For the past ten or so years, he had been constantly chased by the Outer World Realm Sect Master. At first, it hadn''t been so serious that such a long chase would occur, but the Sect Master saw Mi''s talent and found him to be a possible threat. It had long ceased to be about killing a disciple. Without a chance to cultivate in the past ten years, he had made no progress. Even though he was on the verge of reaching the Outer World Realm, he was not quite there. Just as he thought he finally lost him, the skies above him changed. He could instantly tell that he had been trapped in the Sect Master''s Outer World. Everything around him turned dark, and a black lightning strike struck down. Space trembled from the power of the attack. Mi waved his finger and a thread of Destruction Qi appeared. "Go!" He shouted. The lightning strike and the thread met in the air, both collapsing, evenly matched. A figure wearing dark armor, surrounded by black lightning bolts appeared among the dark clouds above. Within his Outer World, there was no escape. Mi jumped into the air. He could only fight directly. Although Mi was confident and powerful, his opponent was no ordinary Outer World Realm cultivator. The Sect Master was at the Peak of the Outer World Realm. Threads of Destruction Qi and Creation Qi wrapped around Mi''s body. This was his fighting style. The Sect Master moved, the spear in his hand directing tens of lightning bolts, each enough to kill an ordinary True God, towards Mi. Mi waved his hands around and formed an arrow from the threads, which launched into the sky. Chapter 790: A Second High Sage - 790 Chapter 790 - A Second High Sage - 790 A great battle ensued. Even on Earth, where some Sages resided, a battle of this level was rare. Many powerful people were drawn out of their sects or residences to watch. Although the Outer World obscured the view, those with enough power could see through it, and those without enough power could sense the rumbling inside of it. The battle continued for an hour, before the Outer World slowly started to disperse. When the darkness faded, a bloodied Mi could be seen holding a head in his hand. He was so injured he was on the verge of passing out, but none dared attack him. He, a peak True God, had just slain a peak Outer World realm cultivator. It was beyond simply rare, it was something you would have to search the entire Universe to find again. Mi was able to leave without anyone stopping or following him. In the following days, he recovered and broke through. Usually, breaking into the Outer World realm would take many more years, but he had done it far, far faster than others. His talent in cultivation was incredible. He spent many millions and billions of years wandering around Earth. Its size was now among the greatest planets in the Universe. He occasionally fought, though his talent was not as suited for combat as it was for cultivation speed. Eventually, he reached the peak of the Outer World realm, and prepared for his breakthrough to the Sage realm. Any breakthrough to the Sage realm was an incident worthy of the entire Universe''s attention, but Mi stayed relatively unknown throughout his cultivation journey. When it was time to enter the Sage realm, he left the planet. He journeyed far away, to a desolate space. Only then did he sit down, cross his legs, and begin to cultivate. In just a million years, clouds formed over his head. A lightning bolt struck down, its power ripping space and causing Sages within the Universal Sector to look over. Mi waved his hand, a thread cut through the bolt and dispersed the clouds. He stood up. He had finally entered the Sage realm. Sages appeared around him, greeting him. Some simply expressed good intentions, as none wanted a Sage as an enemy. Others invited him to join their sect. He returned the greetings and denied the requests, leaving soon after. He understood that the future path ahead of him would be extremely difficult, almost insurmountable. Legend told of only one being ever going beyond the Sage realm, and he too had been cut down. "Have I surpassed Master?" He asked himself. "No. I thought I already told you of the true heights of cultivation." Zhou Fan said, appearing beside Mi. Mi looked over with shock and surprise. "I, well I started to get suspicious." Mi said. Zhou Fan appearing next to him without him knowing was all of the proof he needed. "Since you are about to step onto a nearly untreaded path, I''ve come to assist you." Zhou Fan said, not wasting any time. He pointed out with a finger. The tip of his finger glowed blue, and he tapped Mi on the forehead. Countless images flickered through Mi''s mind, information was processed for years, before he finally awoke from his trance. He felt as though he had received enlightenment. He bowed to the space in front of him. "Thank you, Master." He once again began his cultivation journey. There had long ceased to be resources that could help him cultivate faster, so all he could rely on was himself and the enlightenment he had been given. Zhou Fan watched all of this from his manor. No matter how much time passed, it felt like nothing to him. He looked fondly upon Mi. Mi was the most talented cultivator to have ever been born, save for Zhou Fan himself. Since cultivation aptitude was simply a way of saying, how compatible a being is with Zhou Fan''s path, Mi was the most compatible in history. Even his personality was somewhat similar to Zhou Fan''s. Years passed, quintillions, sextillions, septillions, octillions, nonillions. Mi reached the peak of the Sage realm, but encountered a huge bottleneck. Many had reached this very point, and had never broken through. However, since Mi himself had been called the most talented cultivator of all time, how could he not surpass his predecessors? Nonillions of years passed in seclusion. One day, a storm covered a large portion of the Universe. This storm drew the attention of all beings that could sense it. It was the most powerful tribulation ever seen. Even peak Sages rushed over to see it. A powerful lightning bolt struck down, followed by three more, but a wall of threads blocked them with ease, dispersing the clouds and revealing Mi. For the second time in history, a High Sage had appeared. All those around him could feel his majestic presence, which even the space around him trembled from. Even Path Creators took notice of this event. For ages, they had seen cultivators as beneath them. But now, a cultivator had taken a step closer to them. Some disliked it, others were neutral, and some had anticipation. Deep within a Mini-Universe, where angels resided, a group of three powerful individuals opened their eyes. They could sense a new realm of power entering the Main Universe. At the head of the three was a woman. She looked above her and spoke. "The Main Universe had welcomed a High Sage. Can we leave now, Father?" A man appeared, wings unfurling behind his back. He looked at the gateway connecting Universes and nodded. "Yes. Do not sully my name." "Yes Father." All three said. They immediately shot away, clearly excited. Yoha sighed and left. The three angles, his children, were at the equivalent of the High Sage realm on the path of divinity. He had given birth to them and taught them everything he knew, but they were still stuck at the High Sage realm. He could only imagine it was because of their long restrained desire to explore the Main Universe freely. "And your path can give birth to a High Sage naturally. How inferior I am, Master." Chapter 791: Green Carp - 791 Chapter 791 - Green Carp - 791 Mi was surrounded by the people of the Main Universe. Some were silent, filled with awe, while others were congratulating him. Some even offered to join him, but Mi rejected it all. Although they saw the High Sage realm as the highest attainable cultivation, he was well aware that there was another realm beyond it, and at the end of that realm lay the Peak. Just as he was about to speak, he looked over. In the distance, he saw the gate leading to the Divine Universe. Three powerful beings appeared from that gate. An uncontrollable torrent burst from their bodies, causing everyone present to stop and look over. Golden light covered a part of the Universe as these beings arrived. Mi walked over without hesitation. In just moments, he arrived in front of the three angels. He asked a simple question. "Have you come with ill intentions?" The three angels looked him over, before shaking their heads. "Our father does not wish for us to make enemies out of cultivators." The girl in the lead said. Mi nodded. He turned and ignored them, much to their surprise. "Master. Can we speak." Just as he finished speaking, a figure appeared. The three angels were instantly stunned to silence. They could feel an overwhelming presence coming from Zhou Fan''s body, something they had only ever felt from their father. The three angels bowed. "Greetings. You must be the ruler of existence our father spoke about." The lead angel said. Zhou Fan looked over and nodded. "Just try to behave yourselves. I won''t interfere regardless." With that, he touched Mi''s shoulder, and they disappeared. The three angels, whose faces were filled with sweat, breathed a sigh of relief. "So he was real." "I thought father was just trying to scare us into behaving." At the top of the Universe, Zhou Fan guided Mi''s cultivation. With Mi''s talent, reaching the Grand Dao realm was definitely possible. All he needed was a bit of guidance, nothing much. It would take him a long time, but he should succeed in the end. Zhou Fan soon sent Mi out, allowing him to progress in his journey. He took a look at his chest Universe. Although not much time had passed in his perspective, Yhwh''s remnant power and the fragment of soul that he had combined were under the effects of Zhou Fan''s strongest time bubble. Inside, countless years had already passed, but only a vague fetus was visible. It would take even longer for the process to finish. Luckily, he wasn''t short on time at all. Speaking of time, Zhou Fan turned his attention to a large river on a planet. The planet was huge, almost the size of a normal galaxy, and the river was bigger than planets. It led to an ocean in space that took up a large part of the supercluster. In that river, swimming among the currents, was a fish. It was a green carp, and flowing around it was the power of time. This time was not time Qi, but its own power, created a few billion years ago. However, this power grew extremely slow. From what he had observed, the fish''s power of time could grow in two ways. It could either experience time, a passive growth as time passed, or it could take time. It was much like Monty''s devouring path in that he could take something to grow himself. However, most paths were like that, such as Ye Li''s path of Karma. The fish had potential, although it only had partial intelligence so far, and its strength was at best equivalent to a Soul Formation realm cultivator. It was also noteworthy that the fish seemed immune to the effects of time. Essentially, it was immortal as soon as it had created its power, something even Zhou Fan could only forcefully accomplish. He had watched it for a while, but it was clear it would take a long time to grow, perhaps even longer than Leaf. And with it being immune to the effects of time, even using a time bubble would do nothing. Zhou Fan thought for a moment and became curious. He held out his hands and began to forcefully stop time. He had done this for countless years before. It really wasn''t difficult. A few beings were able to somewhat resist this, all being Path Creators. This included the fish, which continued to swim without any difficulty. It was incredible. Zhou Fan focused the time stopping powers on the fish, causing the Universe to move once again. However, no matter how much Time Qi he used, the fish swam uninterrupted. It was truly completely immune. Zhou Fan laughed and sat back on Leaf again. The Universe could truly give birth to incredible beings. Time passed. Countless years went by. Zhou Fan did not pay much attention to the fish. It would eventually reach the peak. He wouldn''t let it die before doing so, as it was one of the most interesting beings he had ever seen. Decillions of years passed. In the current Universe, a Decillion years was known as a Sage Year. That was because a Decillion years was the lifespan of a Sage. No Sage could exist between Sage Years without resorting to incredible methods. More such methods had popped up, but even if Sages existed in different Sage Years, it was not in a full, complete form. Some Sages ended up as wandering spirits or Zombies. Many more sealed their consciousness in objects. They could either have their lifespan enhanced by their successors countless years in the future and brought back to life, or awoken in times of great peril to defend their Sects. There were naturally even more sinister and difficult methods. Many went to Ying Xiong, who was slowly nearing the completion of his path through numerous reincarnations. To this day, Zhou Fan viewed Ying Xiong with favor. He was truly incredible. With so many Sages willing to be experimented on, Ying Xiong''s path was being created at an even faster pace than expected. He had even seen a successful result, which caused even more Sages nearing the end of their lifespans to search for him. Chapter 792: Grand Empyrean - 792 Chapter 792 - Grand Empyrean - 792 As the Sage Years passed, another Path Creator was born. He was known to those around him as the God of Speed, and the power he created was simply called Lightning. It was much like how the God of Death created the Power of Death through Death Qi. Only this time it was lightning. Naturally, like the Power of Death, the Power of Lightning was far different than Lightning Qi. Although the God of Speed usually used the Power of Lightning to increase his speed to an unimaginable level, Zhou Fan was able to tell that it had much more use than that. The God of Speed simply did not reveal it openly, keeping it as a trump card. The God of Speed was equivalent to someone in the Sage realm on the Path of Cultivation, but he was able to fight even a High Sage with his combat strength. The three High Sage Angels had toned themselves down after seeing Zhou Fan, and hadn''t taken much action over the past Sage Years, simply continuing on the Path of Divinity and exploring the large Main Universe they had longed to see. It felt like stepping out of their small hometown and entering a big city. Sage Years passed and more Path Creators were born. The Goddess of Lust, who controlled countless loyal followers through her power, the Demon King, who had once slaughtered half of a Universal Sector before being suppressed by the Buddha and forced to endure an entire Sage Year of penance under an everlasting Buddha''s Palm, and one more that Zhou Fan paid great attention to. Her name was known to all as the Grand Empyrean. Her power was Yin and Yang, though it was not based off of the Yin and Yang Qi''s like the God of Death and the God of Lightning''s had been. She had studied the cycle of Sun and Moon, and lived a life of brightness and darkness, before comprehending her power. However, even Zhou Fan struggled to find the right words to describe just how incredible her created power was. It had infinite variations, and Zhou Fan saw her as no inferior to Ye Li. Once every Sage Year, she held an event informally known as the Grand Empyrean''s Tea Party. The most powerful beings from across the Universe would be invited, including Path Creators. Within the upcoming Million Years, a Grand Empyrean''s Tea Party would take place. Zhou Fan planned to attend, and he himself extended some second party invitations to the other Path Creators. The true purpose was to host a meeting between the current Path Creators of the Universe, as well as the most powerful people below Path Creators. Mi would be attending as well. He had been at the High Sage realm for a while, but it couldn''t even be considered long enough to call it a bottleneck due to how long it was naturally supposed to take. A High Sage lived for around a billion Sage Years. He had plenty of time. A million years passed quickly, and the Grand Empyrean''s Tea Party began. Countless Sages showed up, four High Sages showed up, Mi and the three angels, and even Path Creators began to arrive. Ying Xiong was the first to arrive. Most expected that he would sit right next to the head of the table, where the most distinguished guests would sit, but he sat so far away that everyone was astonished. Next, the Goddess of Lust and the God of Speed arrived. They sat near Ying Xiong, leaving plenty of room down the table. The next to arrive was the Demon King, the God of Death, and Yoha. They filled in the next available seats, leaving still more room ahead. This shocked even the High Sage Angels. Who would be attending that could be seated above their own father? The next to arrive were Ye Li and the Buddha. The Buddha sat one level lower than Ye Li, who sat at one of the two seats next to the host''s seat. Finally, a man in gray appeared. He silently arrived in the air. Wrapped around him were a snake and a small tree. He sat in the last seat next to the Buddha and the yet to arrive host. Most people sitting at the lower levels, the weakest of which was a Sage, could not even identify most of these people. Mere moments passed before a figure could be seen in the distance. A rain of black and gold lotuses bloomed in the air like seeds flying away from a tree. Every time she stepped, a vast lotus bloomed. Life seemed to wither and grow even greater than it had originally been wherever she walked. Finally, she arrived and sat at the head of the table. Although her progress on her path had only reached the equivalent of the Peak of the High Sage realm, she sat at the head of the most powerful beings in the Universe. She wore a veil on her face, which Zhou Fan did not look through as a sign of respect. "Let this "Tea Party" begin." She said. A screen appeared behind her. Countless names were written on it. She began to read them off one by one. It took her three years just to finish. "These are the names of all the true heroes who have died in the past Sage Year. I thank them for their service." This was one of the things that made not only Zhou Fan admire her, but made her one of the most admired beings throughout the Universe. The next order of business was having everyone discuss their suggestions for a greater universe. The Grand Empyrean''s Tea Party was essentially a Universal Council meeting most times and also served as a way to help cultivators increase their cultivations. However, it also served many other functions, it was just that it hadn''t been necessary yet. When all was said and done, the Grand Empyrean spoke again. "This time, we have a lot of unexpected guests. What exactly is the purpose of your visit?" The Grand Empyrean asked. She looked directly at Zhou Fan, who began to speak. Chapter 793: Fight the Sages - 793 Chapter 793 - Fight the Sages - 793 "I brought everyone together today for the purpose of making sure that the new Path Creators were in the loop. I hope that all of you can do me a favor." Zhou Fan said. The older Path Creators seemed to understand what he was getting at. "I plan to attempt a breakthrough in the future. When that happens, I hope that all of you can attack me with the intention to kill." The newer Path Creators seemed stunned. They had never really interacted with Zhou Fan, and this was quite the introduction. "No need to explain. I''m in." The Demon King said. Some were suspicious of his intentions, and some needed some motivation in the form of threats or rewards. Eventually, only the Grand Empyrean remained. However, Zhou Fan had long understood her disposition. She wouldn''t agree unless she wanted to, regardless of threats or promises. He could only ask her. "Please do me the favor when the time comes." She neither agreed nor disagreed. They moved on. Despite accomplishing his goals, Zhou Fan did not leave. He stayed as the Sages and Mi began to discuss cultivation. "Since the creator of Cultivation himself is here, shouldn''t we ask him for guidance?" Mi said. All of the Sages turned and looked at Zhou Fan in shock. They would have never imagined that he had such an identity. Zhou Fan nodded and began to give them a bit of guidance. He taught them personally, each one receiving guidance tuned to them. The rest of the Path Creators were silent. However, the Path Creators who had just learned that Zhou Fan was the creator of Cultivation were shocked. Cultivation was the most widespread and diverse path in the Universe. They had thought it was something natural, not something created. A few more things happened during the Grand Empyrean''s Tea Party, but not much of it resulted in Zhou Fan''s involvement. Just as it was about to end, the Grand Empyrean spoke. She looked at Zhou Fan. "Why don''t you spar with these Sages and teach them something they can pass down through generations?" Zhou Fan looked at her, trying to discern her intentions. "Are you so interested in helping these people?" He asked. "I am interested in helping humanity, cultivators or not." She said. Zhou Fan remembered a bit of her life when she had been growing up, but nothing explained such a will to help humans. Just as Zhou Fan was about to say something, the Grand Empyrean interrupted. "If you are willing to help them. I won''t mind helping you during your breakthrough." She said. Zhou Fan stopped the words about to come out of his mouth and nodded. He stood up. He suppressed his realm to the Outer World realm and stepped into space. The Sages, who had heard the conversation, were clearly excited. They flew into space, surrounding Zhou Fan. Mi went as well. "What power should I use?" He asked. None of them had an answer for him. He shrugged his shoulders. "I''ll just use Wood Qi." "Come." He said. The Sages did not dare act casually, despite the fact that their realm was above his suppressed realm. Even Mi was serious to the extreme. Zhou Fan waved his hands, and a thousand wooden dragons appeared. They twisted in space, attacking the Sages surrounding him. Each Sage instantly had an opponent to focus on. Zhou Fan took a step and arrived in front of Mi. He chopped down with his hand, but Mi responded with threads of Destruction and Creation Qi. The threads slowed his hand down, but space seemed to fold in on itself as he broke through the threads and sent Mi flying back. He disappeared, sending one of the Sages flying back to the Grand Empyrean''s Tea Party with a severed arm. Despite that, a blue dot could be seen on his forehead, and he was clearly in deep thought. It was such deep thought that he didn''t even notice his injury. One of the angels healed his wound, and all three looked at Yoha. He could sense their intentions. "Yes, go." They shot into space, joining the fray. With three more High Sages joining, Zhou Fan opened his arms. An Outer World appeared. The Sages and Mi responded with their own Outer World, and the angels with something akin to it, but all was crushed as a statue-like figure appeared behind Zhou Fan. The figure held its hand out, covering the world below it. Everyone instantly felt a suppressive force. Meanwhile, trees bloomed across space, forming a dense forest that further restricted the movements of those fighting against Zhou Fan. The trees exploded, sending splinters out and riddling the bodies of everyone below the High Sage realm with thorns. Zhou Fan appeared, a wooden boat underneath his feet. He sailed through space as if it didn''t exist, shuttling in and out of view. Everytime he appeared, a Sage would be sent down with a blue mark on their head. It wasn''t long before all the Sages had been defeated. Zhou Fan stood on the wooden boat with his hands behind his back, not a single hair out of place. He looked at the four High Sages. "You all can come at once." The wooden boat disappeared from underneath his feet and his Outer World dispersed. The four High Sages looked at each other and nodded. They shot towards Zhou Fan, surrounding him from all directions. Zhou Fan held out his hands. A tree shot out from the space behind him, instantly taking up a planet sized area. It shook, and countless fruits bloomed. As the fruits fell off of the tree, streaks of Wood Qi blanketed the stars. Almost every foot of space had multiple streaks of Wood Qi. The four High Sages were instantly put on the defensive. Divinity burst out from the angels bodies, but it could only barely resist the streaks of Wood Qi. Mi burst with countless threads that fought back against the Wood Qi. Eventually, the tree ran out of power. One of the angels raised his head, only to see a palm in front of his face. Zhou Fan tapped his head, sending him falling with a blue mark on his forehead. Yoha and Zhou Fan shared a glance, Yoha thanking him for guiding his children. Chapter 794: Hundreds of Sage Years - 794 Chapter 794 - Hundreds of Sage Years - 794 In mere moments, the other angels were sent flying as well, leaving only Mi. He resisted bitterly with the threads of Creation and Destruction Qi, but in the end, everything was broken through and he too was sent flying down. Zhou Fan descended upon the Grand Empyrean''s Tea Party without so much as a hair out of place. He sat back down, looking at the Grand Empyrean. "Anything else?" He asked. The Grand Empyrean shook her head. "No. Thank you. I will hold up my end of the bargain when the time comes." Zhou Fan nodded. The Grand Empyrean spoke again. "For now, we will end this gathering here. I hope to see familiar faces next time." She spoke to the Sages and High Sages, not really the Path Creators. The Path Creators soon left, while the Sages and High Sages continued to contemplate what Zhou Fan had taught them Time passed, Sage Years flew by, and more Path Creators were born. Some were better than others, though most were subpar by Zhou Fan''s standards, even if they were unimaginable geniuses in the bigger picture. Eventually, Yhwh neared revival. His body had grown considerably, reaching full maturity. All that remained was waiting until he regained consciousness. It was unknown how long that would take, or if it would ever actually happen. Hundreds of Sage Years passed. On average, a Path Creator was born every Sage Year, and now, there were hundreds of them. Some died, some grew to reach the Peak, and some were killed even at the Peak. If it had been like before, Zhou Fan would have made sure to protect them with all of his power, but there were now so many of them that their value diminished. This Sage Year, Mi had broken through to the Great Dao realm, shocking the Universe. Under his direct guidance, Cultivation flourished. High Sages appeared in large proportions. No longer was it the unattainable goal. Now, all cultivators aspired to reach the Great Dao realm. Leaf himself was nearing this realm. He was at the very Peak of the High Sage realm. Zhou Fan started to worry that if he didn''t break through soon, Leaf might beat him to it. Leaf had never once encountered any difficulty in cultivation, only a slow and steady pace. He had naturally begun setting everything up for his breakthrough. He had made deals with just about every Path Creator to get them to attack him. All he was waiting for now was for Yhwh, a Path Creator not necessarily inferior to the likes of Ye Li, to revive. He would be a valuable asset. The most incredible Path Creators Zhou Fan had encountered were very important to this operation. The green fish had yet to reach the Peak after all of this time, only reaching its equivalent of the Outer World realm. It would take countless years for it to fully mature, and Zhou Fan did not feel like waiting that long. He may end up doing so in the end, but he didn''t plan to. Ye LI was still out there alive and kicking, the Buddha was the same as always, Ying Xiong had become a full fledged Path Creator, stepping into the Peak long ago, the Grand Empyrean was overwhelmingly powerful and mysterious, Yoha was among the best Path Creators, the God of Death and the Demon King had potential to reach their level, and there were even a few new beings worthy of attention. One was the Path Creator of Space. It was much like the green fish, except it didn''t grow as slow. Its form was a bird, and it could instantly move across the Universe with no effort at all. It had often expressed its feeling that it was trapped inside of a bird cage, unable to roam freely and display the true power of space. Another was the Path Creator of Despair. It fed off the despair of countless beings. Although its direct attack power was weak in the usual ways, it was extremely insidious and powerful when it used its power against the mind of an individual. A usual Path Creator stood no chance against it in a fight. Finally, there was the Path Creator of Illusions, who was able to deceive even someone like Ye Li, though it was unknown who would best who in a battle of deception. Zhou Fan prepared for many Sage Years, honing himself to the best of his abilities, though there was truly nothing more he could do at this point. Zhou Fan lost track of time, and hundreds of Sage Years passed. Even more Path Creators were born. The green fish arrived at the equivalent of the early High Sage realm. Zhou Fan couldn''t help but notice that it had killed a few Path Creators, depriving them of their time and speeding up its growth by a large margin. It had done this in the Sage realm, showing potential second to none. Naturally, this had taken it Sage Years of preparation, but the gap in strength it had breached was incredible. Of course, its unusual power and the fact that it only targeted the weakest of Path Creators was a big factor, but every Path Creator was a unique genius, none being weak in the slightest. Zhou Fan had to reassess it, estimating its potential above nearly all other Path Creators. One Path Creator that had shocked even Zhou Fan was Ying Xiong. He had created a faction which took up and the entire bottom of the Universe, accounting for nearly ten percent of the Universe''s total area. This faction was known as the Underworld. Countless Sages flocked towards him for his Power of Reincarnation, which gave them a chance to extend their lifespan and even breakthrough. It had quite a few Peak High Sages, becoming the greatest faction in the Universe. Of course, those who could become High Sages without Ying Xiong''s assistance had no need to join this faction, which was why it had yet to take over the Universe itself. Chapter 795: Source of Time - 795 Chapter 795 - Source of Time - 795 In addition, Ying Xiong was the only Path Creator in the faction, which meant it didn''t truly stand at the top. Many Sage Years passed, and Zhou Fan was finally ready. Surprisingly, the green fish had actually reached the Peak of the Great Dao realm. Ten or so Sage Years ago, it had trapped a bunch of Path Creators and slowly stole their time, reaching the Peak in a single bound. Despite that, the fish did not like doing this sort of thing. In his words, "It would have been fine to waste a few thousand Sage Years, but the currents of time hurry me along. Great changes are coming." And great changes were indeed coming. Zhou Fan planned to journey out and start his breakthrough, when he was stopped by the fish. "Mr. Zhou. I am here to request your assistance." He said respectfully. He hovered in the air, looking almost the same as he had long ago. The only difference was a pair of whiskers on his face. Zhou Fan had a good impression of him, so he did not turn him away. "What is it?" The fish spoke with urgency. "I can feel the warnings of time. It is fluctuating to the point I can only imagine it is having a panic attack. I need you to help me do something to strengthen it." Zhou Fan was surprised. "So what can I do?" "I have a plan. I want to create a river of time, something which encompasses time and holds it steady. With this, time can be stabilized not just now, but for all of eternity." The fish explained. "I simply need you to help me tap into the Universe''s rule of time." Zhou Fan nodded. Rules had become common knowledge among Path Creators. Zhou Fan himself had spread this information. It was known as the next level of power. However, after thinking of it, Zhou Fan shook his head. "The rules won''t be enough." The fish was confused. "Why?" "In the path of cultivation, rules are but another step to take. Eventually, it will be left behind. What you need should be called the Source of Time. This would be the true origin of time that exists within the Universe. If the Universe were to grow, this source too would grow. That means that the best time, perhaps the only time to tap into it, is now, before the Universe grows and the Source of Time gets stronger and unattainable." The fish was stunned. It could have never imagined such a thing. "And you can help me find this Source of Time?" Zhou Fan shrugged. "The existence of the Source of Time is merely a hypothetical, something I could not find no matter how much I searched. Contrary to your thoughts, I need you to help me touch into this source. Neither of us would be able to do it alone. We can begin searching now." Saying this, a formless power bursted out from Zhou Fan''s body. He grabbed the fish and held it. The fish did not hesitate, bursting out with the Power of Time. In an instant, he felt as if a star had appeared above his head. Zhou Fan reached out and grabbed it. The fish and Zhou Fan burst apart. In Zhou Fan''s hand was something that seemed like a small green star. Fluctuations of time came off of it, controlling the entire Universe. This was a power even above the Rules. This was the truest and most pure form of time, the origin of it all. Zhou Fan felt as if infinite power was in his hand. Unfortunately, he was simply too responsible. He created a thread and attached it to the Source of Time. He then watched on as it disappeared. The fish stood stunned. "What... What did you just do?!" "I got what you needed." Zhou Fan said. He held the thread in his hands. "No! You had the Source of Time and you let it go. Do you understand how much power you held? You could have done anything! Literally anything!" The fish was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Zhou Fan shook his head. "What I seek is infinite power, but not in the form of external objects. Besides, it was too much power to allow any being to wield. You''re lucky I''m giving you this thread." The fish seemed to calm down a little, and then lit up as if having a thought. "If necessary, we can just sense it again, right?" "Nope." Zhou Fan said. "We found it once, and it won''t let itself be found again." The fish was in disbelief, unable to speak. "Do you want a river of time or not?" Zhou Fan asked. It snapped out of its trance, nodding. Over the next few Sage Years, the fish and Zhou Fan spent all their time creating the river of time and connecting it with the thread. When it was finished and the thread was connected, the thread disappeared, replaced with an invisible connection to the Source of Time that could not be seen through or used in the slightest. The fish was unwilling to let the Source of Time go, but it was lucky to even have gotten a thread, just as Zhou Fan had said. It wasn''t ungrateful. The fish thanked Zhou Fan. "I can feel that time has calmed down. Whatever great changes are about to take place, I am ready." Zhou Fan nodded. As if nothing had ever happened, he continued towards where he would break through, the center of the Universe. Although he had passed up on an opportunity to become infinitely powerful and completely control time, he did not feel bad. Even if the opportunity appeared countless times, he would reject it. He was not a Master of Time, or some Path Creator of Time, but a cultivator. He only desired to reach the peak of cultivation, whether it was stronger or weaker than controlling the Source of Time. Chapter 796: Surrounded On All Sides - 796 Chapter 796 - Surrounded On All Sides - 796 Zhou Fan arrived in front of the Greatest Attractor. He sat on top of it, sinking into deep thought. It was time. He had thought about it for many Sage Years, and the Rule he would comprehend was called growth. In mortal worlds, the word Cultivation did not have anything to do with the path of Cultivation, but was simply used to describe cultivating lands and growing plants. This was like Cultivation as Zhou Fan knew it. Cultivation was growth. Therefore, the path of Cultivation did not just encompass the path of Cultivation, but all aspects of growth, and therefore, all other paths. This was the realization he had been suppressing. Cultivation was growth, and everything that grows, whether it be plant, human, or god, was under the dominion of Cultivation. As he thought of this, he let his Cultivation begin to break through. He began to both create and grasp the Rule of Growth. The Path Creators of now had such a hard time breaking through to the next level because grasping a Rule would not be enough. They would have to assist in its very manifestation, its creation. Had Rules already completely existed, they would have never stagnated for so long. As Zhou Fan''s Cultivation began to break through, power boiled within his body, sending waves that caused the entire Universe to shake. Hundreds of Path Creators turned their heads and looked in his direction. Although even High Sages would have to use assistive means to travel the entire Universe in a short period of time, those at the Peak could wander around it with little to no delay. In just a few seconds, Zhou Fan saw countless Path Creators appear around him. Only a few had not revealed themselves, surely waiting. They were those who truly wished to see Zhou Fan die before breaking through, or those who were hesitant to attack at all. Zhou Fan briefly opened his eyes. "Let''s begin." He could already feel his body struggling with this breakthrough. It was like nothing before. In a way, this breakthrough exceeded the Universe. The power built up was slowly diminishing. He may be able to break through in the end, but it would be just barely. If he wanted to continue forward without slowing down, he needed stimulation. He stood up, hands behind his back, and spoke. "If you don''t all attack at once, you won''t be of any use." With that, he stopped holding back for the first time in countless years. His power shook the Universe. Luckily, with the power of One with the Universe, the entire Universe didn''t collapse. However, everything within it would not be so lucky. Many Path Creators who had yet to show themselves instantly took action, moving everything in the Universal Sector to the edges of the Universe within a few moments, and ordering all powerful sects to assist all remaining things in moving to the edge of the Universe. The Battle Universe was not strong enough for a battle of this magnitude. Zhou Fan''s power thoroughly shocked all beings present. Even Mi, who would not be participating, was shocked to the extreme. Many of the Path Creators who had remained hidden showed themselves. Seeing nobody taking the initiative, Zhou Fan moved. He didn''t have time to waste. With a wave of his hand, an endless river appeared. A being hidden within space was forced out. Ye Li looked shocked as Zhou Fan appeared in front of him, a sword formed from the Power of Cultivation in his hand. He swung it down, and all of Ye Li''s defenses seemed to crumble. He was sent flying back. Everyone snapped out of their trances, attacking Zhou Fan at once. If they didn''t they feared they would be next to be attacked, and feared they would not be as lucky as Ye Li, surviving the attack. Hundreds of powers attacked, causing Zhou Fan to be forced on the defensive. The most powerful Path Creators closed in on him. The Buddha, Yoha, the God of Death, Ye Li, the recently revived Yhwh, Ying Xiong, the Demon King, the Path Creator of Space, the Path Creator of Despair, the Path Creator of Illusions, and a few other Path Creators surrounded him and attacked at once. Zhou Fan raised his hands high in the air, forcing all of his power out of his body. It moved together, forming a tree that reached from the top of the Universe to the bottom. This was not Leaf, as Leaf was left in the Mansion yard, but it looked just like him. The Power of Cultivation was best suited to Zhou Fan, and after that, it was best suited to Leaf! Who else was qualified to have Zhou Fan create a technique in their inspiration? The towering tree shocked the Path Creators, but under their combined attack, it was destroyed in mere seconds. In the time that their power was delayed, Zhou Fan slipped through the cracks of their power. "Prepare yourself." He said solemnly. Sword in hand, he stood above the Universe. He appeared in front of Yoha, swinging his sword horizontally. Yoha burst with divinity, but it was cut through like hot butter. He was sent flying with a deep gash on his waist, and Zhou Fan appeared again, standing on his chest and stabbing down. He fought with the intention to kill, just as he had told them to do. A suit of golden armor covered Yoha''s body in an instant, and a Karma Spiral appeared from the side. Zhou Fan''s sword was slowed, and the Power of Reincarnation appeared above his head as a hand slammed down from above. Zhou Fan moved like a fish in water, giving up on his attack and dodging the Power of Reincarnation. He slipped to the side and raised his sword in one movement, thrusting out. His sword was inches from Ying Xiong''s face when a Buddha''s palm attacked from the side, a Karma Spiral from behind, a burst of divinity alongside the Karma Spiral, a thread of the Power of Faith from the other side, and a scythe from next to Ying Xiong. Zhou Fan was instantly in a dangerous situation. However, he did not hesitate. He burst out with a power he had only used once before. "The Dao." He said, his voice rumbling across the Universe. Combined with the Power of Cultivation, it was unimaginable. Everything seemed to halt in that moment. "The Dao begets one." Chapter 797: The Rule of Growth - 797 Chapter 797 - The Rule of Growth - 797 An endless sheet of Chaos Qi descended, combined with the Power of Cultivation, and broke Ye Li''s Karma Spiral, sending him flying. "One begets two." The sheet split into two, each split piece containing a bit of every opposite, Fire and Water, Light and Dark, Sky and Ground, etc. The God of Death and Yhwh were sent flying. "Two begets three." The two split into three, forming the Earth, the Sky, and Life. The Buddha, Ying Xiong, and Yoha were sent flying. "Three begets all things." Everything turned into countless Qi''s, all powered by the Power of Cultivation, which acted as a tornado, sending not only the remaining Path Creators who were not far behind those who had jointly attacked him flying, but all of the Path Creators present were sent retreating miles away with slight injuries. Zhou Fan remained at the center of the Universe, standing tall. Suddenly, a figure approached from the distance. She was surrounded by countless lotuses, gold and black. Her every step instilled awe into the surrounding Path Creators. Zhou Fan was excited. Everyone was finally here. Only those who were not participating at all, such as the green fish and Monty, remained away from the battlefield. With the Grand Empyrean added, the most powerful Path Creators did not hesitate to attack once again. This time, the Grand Empyrean joined in. All used their supreme techniques. "Karmic Wheel." "Six Paths of Reincarnation." "Divine Descent." "Buddha''s Palm." "Faithful God." "God of Death." "Slaughter." "Spatial Dismay." "Know Despair." "False Universe." "Yin and Yang Lotus." Zhou Fan used the River of Cultivation to its fullest extent, but it was hopeless. He wasn''t even sent flying, locked in place from the attacks of all directions. Even the other Path Creators could not be ignored, launching hundreds of killer moves. The attacks threw everything in so much disarray that Zhou Fan could not even be seen. Everything took place in an instant. When the dust settled, Zhou Fan appeared. Shock appeared on all Path Creators faces. How could he have possibly survived that? He had lost an arm, and blood covered his body. His clothes were destroyed, and his body was filled with cuts, holes, blood, and guts. Even a portion of his face was missing. Despite that, the aura around him shot up even higher, instilling fear and awe in everyone present. "Again!" He shouted, bursting out with even more power than before. In the eyes of the Path Creators, he seemed like a God of War standing atop the Universe. Zhou Fan could feel the momentum of his breakthrough increase from that attack. It felt as though steam was gathering, and the bottle top was about to blow. The River of Cultivation endlessly filled the space around Zhou Fan. Countless attacks came out of it, hitting all of the Path Creators. They defended and launched yet another joint attack. The River of Cultivation was sent flying back inside Zhou Fan''s body, and he was injured once again. He felt the momentum increasing again. Now, all he needed to do was give it his all. Zhou Fan held his hand out, and his Outer World appeared. A statue reached from the top of the Universe to the bottom, suppressing everything below its hand. Divinity filled the space, giving birth to numerous phenomena. Zhou Fan''s Great Dao appeared, adding onto the power of the Outer World. The suppressing power instantly filled the battlefield. It was far, far stronger than before. The surrounding Path Creators were shocked to the extreme. Zhou Fan was finally showing why it had been necessary to wait for so many Path Creators to be born. Under the suppressing power, the Path Creators found it difficult to move and exert their power. Zhou Fan was like the sole sovereign of the Universe as he flickered around, fighting groups of them at a time. He received injuries, but they were unable to prevent injuries as well. Many lost limbs, some even being forced to leave the battlefield. Every punch he threw made it seem like the Universe was collapsing on them. Every sword slash made it seem as though the fabric of reality was being torn. Every wave of the hand felt as though he was commanding the Universe to kill. From complete assurance in their victory, they began to feel awe and fear of Zhou Fan. No matter how much he was injured, he recovered, and no matter how long the battle raged on, he didn''t seem exhausted. However, the battle would be cut off preemptively. Like a tea kettle on the stove, Zhou Fan''s cultivation bottleneck exploded without resistance. In an instant, everything stopped. A formless power began to radiate from his body. He moved his hand, and a thread appeared. "The Rule of Growth." He waved his hand, and the surrounding enemies stopped. Their power seemed to stop existing, but if one looked closely, they would see it was just countless times inferior. It was as if it had never grown at all. This was but a single use of the Rule of Growth, but its wondrous application immediately rendered the surrounding Path Creators unable to even fight back. All of them looked at him in awe. Zhou Fan closed his eyes and felt his entire body. He had undergone a metamorphosis. Time could no longer cause him to age if he did not want it to. His body was nearly indestructible. But the word "nearly" caused him to frown slightly. However, considering how joyous of a day this was, he stopped frowning instantly. "This is the False Immortal realm." Zhou Fan said, speaking to all beings within the Universe. It was not true immortality, as his body was not truly undying. Only if it was truly impossible to die would it qualify to be called Immortal in Zhou Fan''s eyes. However, since lifespan was irrelevant, it at least qualified to be called False Immortality. The leap in strength was unimaginable. If ten of him just moments ago surrounded him, he would be able to kill them in a single move. This was the same for the Path Creators around him. He could kill all of them with a single slap, like swatting away flies. Chapter 798: The Future - 798 Chapter 798 - The Future - 798 Just as Zhou Fan was about to relish in his breakthrough, a river appeared. It covered a large portion of the Universe, and a frantic fish was struggling within it. "Zhou Fan! Time is completely out of my control, even with the thread of the Source of Time! Something unimaginable is happening!" The fish shouted. Zhou Fan did not need his warning. He could tell that all around the Universe, dense clouds created from time were appearing. These clouds were so unfathomable and powerful that Zhou Fan couldn''t help frown in confusion. Just what the hell is going on? Suddenly, a humanoid figure walked out from one of the clouds of time. His skin was pitch black, without the slightest light, and his eyes were dark red. "Where am I? What happened?" He muttered to himself. Zhou Fan looked over in shock. This being had the aura of a False Immortal! Suddenly, the figure''s eyes widened. "I fell into the River of Time! How am I alive?" He looked around, and when he saw the River of Time in the distance, he shrunk back in pure terror. After a few moments of primal fear, he stopped. His being returned to calm as he examined the surroundings. Countless thoughts seemed to flicker in his head as he looked around. Suddenly, he exclaimed. "Could the prophecy be true? This couldn''t possibly be the Origin Era, could it?" He examined every being in the Universe, and his eyes lit up with joy. He turned his gaze to Zhou Fan. "You! You must be the first Immortal! Haha! The prophecy says that if I can get my hands on you, becoming the next Celestial Emperor is no longer a dream!" Just as the being took a step forward, another voice rang out. "The Origin Era! What a conclusion! However, it seems you are right." Another figure appeared in another cloud of time. This figure looked just like an elf. He held a bow in his hand. Multiple figures appeared around the Universe, all having the aura of a False Immortal. They seemed to share glances with each other before looking at Zhou Fan. "Capture him first, and we can talk about dividing him up afterwards." One figure shouted. With that sentence, twelve figures shot at Zhou Fan. Each one was in the False Immortal realm, but something felt off to Zhou Fan. He reached out his hands and pressed down. The twelve figures felt as though the Universe itself was pressuring them to the ground. They stopped in place, unable to move. "I have a lot of questions, but first and foremost, why are you so weak?" Zhou Fan asked. The twelve figures were too deeply entranced in their shock to respond. Zhou Fan waved his hand, and a head flew through the air, reducing the figures to eleven. "Still want to stay silent?" Finally, everything seemed to register with the group. "I am so sorry, sir! If I had known you were so magnificent and lofty, I would have never dared raise my head to you. In fact, I would have begged to be your servant!" "You think you are qualified to be this lofty lord''s servant? I''ll be your dog, sir! Just please spare me this once." The eleven figures, as if planned, all began to spit out such sentences, even arguing with each other. Zhou Fan frowned. Was this really the bearing of False Immortal''s? Why did they seem more like low level thugs? Just as Zhou Fan was about to speak, he heard a rumbling noise. From another cloud of time, a figure appeared. This one let out an aura that exceeded even a False Immortal''s. Zhou Fan was momentarily shocked, before waving his hand. The majestic presence, which was so strong it nearly ripped the Universe apart, dissipated. Before even being able to speak, the figure was suppressed and dragged towards Zhou Fan. "You! You!" The figure could not properly formulate words. Zhou Fan did not think much of it. This man was a Cultivator, and how could a Cultivator go against the creator of Cultivation? Defeating him was as effortless as swatting a fly. Even the Path Creators, yet to become False Immortals, would have taken more effort to suppress. Zhou Fan could tell that this man was above the False Immortal realm, but did not examine his cultivation base, going so far as to completely seal his ability to do so. He had already somewhat understood what was happening, and examining the man would cause disaster to befall his future path. "So. All of you are from the future?" He asked. Everyone present, including the being above the False Immortal realm, nodded obediently. "Explain." He said, looking at the being above the False Immortal realm. The man dared not dilly dally, spilling everything. He was from a place known as the Fire Spirit Universe. He was an elder of the most powerful sect in that Universe. Ages ago, rumors had circulated not only across his Universe, but other Universe''s, about changes in the River of Time, which governed the time of all existence. According to these rumors, a path to the Origin Era, which was known as the first era in history, would open. Nothing like that had ever happened, and few even believed the rumors. Yet, here they were. The man began to go into more and more detail, but Zhou Fan stopped him. He had a deep understanding of time, and learning of the future would do nothing but cause harm. The only additional information gathered was that the man was in the Loose Immortal realm, the realm above False Immortal. This realm had yet to be created in Zhou Fan''s time, but in the future, it naturally existed. Knowing the name would cause no harm, but Zhou Fan made sure to avoid any knowledge relating to what exactly the Loose Immortal realm entailed. Seeing Zhou Fan in deep thought, the man couldn''t help but stutter out a few words. "You... wouldn''t happen to be a God of Creation, would you?" Chapter 799: Preparing for War - 799 Chapter 799 - Preparing for War - 799 "God of Creation? Is that some sort of realm?" Zhou Fan asked. "No, it is a title. Throughout all of existence, cultivators take various paths to achieve and go beyond Immortality. However, some people don''t follow the pre-made paths, but create their own. These rare beings are known as God''s of Creation." The man explained. Zhou Fan nodded. "Not just me, but all of these people are." He gestured towards the surrounding Path Creators, who had been watching the proceedings with shock and surprise. The man was shocked, but quickly calmed down. "They say that the Origin Era was prosperous, with countless incredible talents being born. I suppose it was all true. You are the First Immortal, an unconfirmed, mythical being of the Origin Era." Zhou Fan stopped him before he spoke any further. "Don''t speak about the future too much. It can only cause problems for me." The man nodded. Zhou Fan waved his hand, and all of the captives, save for the man in the Loose Immortal realm, died. "I will allow you to try and return. If you successfully do so, spread my words around. Anyone who dares travel back in time to this era will be killed." The man nodded, thankful that he would be able to keep his life. He quickly left, entering a cloud of time. These clouds were connected to the future River of Time. As the man entered, he sensed the flow of a river nearby. He grimaced in fear, but pushed forward. At least he had a chance of life entering the River of Time again. As he entered the River of Time, he instantly regretted his decision. He could instantly tell that there was no chance of survival. He had left Zhou Fan''s time, now submerged in the River of Time, without a discernible point of origin. Just as he was about to be erased from existence, a large hand pinched him by the head and dragged him out. In a time far, far later than Zhou Fan''s time, a man sat within a palace invisible to those around it. It existed outside of time, where only the most powerful of beings could sense it. In front of him was the Loose Immortal man Zhou Fan had sent into the River of Time. However, he was clearly not himself. His body was constantly changing, some parts becoming young, some old, some disappearing and some turning to dust. The man quickly read the Loose Immortal''s soul, seeing his interaction with Zhou Fan. Moments later, the Loose Immortal faded away. Even the powerful man, who could reach into the River of Time and pull the Loose Immortal out, could do nothing to stop it. "The creator of Cultivation. Ha! It is too bad that I can''t go myself. If I went, the Universe would collapse and the blankness would consume me. Besides, one can travel to the past, but not the future. All those who have tried have ended up like him." The man muttered to himself. "But if I can get the origin of Cultivation, forget becoming a Celestial Emperor, I could rule over existence." The man said with excitement. All across existence, beings began to plot on the past, even if the man who had captured the Loose Immortal was a step ahead. In Zhou Fan''s time, the Path Creator''s finally began to react. First, Zhou Fan had broken into a never before seen realm. Then, beings from the future appeared. It wasn''t hard to tell that the two events were connected, even if not on purpose. "Great war is coming." Zhou Fan said. "It would be best if all of you can break through. None of those beings had mastered a rule, and were so weak they couldn''t even stand before me. Even that Loose Immortal would have been defeated." It perplexed Zhou Fan. The key to breaking into the False Immortal realm lies in understanding a Rule. Without understanding a Rule, how were there beings in the False Immortal realm, and even above it? Multiple ideas ran through his head, but they were all theories. Next time, he wouldn''t suppress anyone with his control over Cultivation. Perhaps they would display their secrets then. He did not want to learn about the future too much. He made this point known to the other Path Creators, and an agreement was formed. They would put a restriction on their minds to avoid losing their path by learning of the future paths. It took only a year to set all of this up, in which nobody entered the Universe again. However, the clouds of time remained. With the restriction on their minds, the Path Creators could begin preparing for war. Zhou Fan also brought in two figures with vast potential. One was Heaven. The other was the mother of humanity. Neither had cultivated in countless Sage Years, but remained alive. Heaven would remain alive as long as Zhou Fan did. The mother of humanity had her own method which impressed even Zhou Fan. As long as a single human lived, so would she. Zhou Fan could already see the beginning of a path within both Heaven and the mother of humanity. He briefed them on the situation, and they naturally agreed to help. At an unprecedented speed, they established their paths. It only took them a year, as they had more or less lived their own paths for ages, only never solidifying them. Heaven''s path was called the Path of Heaven, and the mother of humanity created the Human Path. They were not at the Peak, but were already at the level of a Sage due to their achievements in cultivation and ample experience on their respective paths. All that remained was to let the other Path Creators break through and prepare for enemies to arrive. Zhou Fan placed countless powerful arrays, not daring to take the enemies of the future casually, while Yhwh and a few other "righteous" Path Creators, moved all humans to the central Universal Sector, even moving the gates of the Mini-Universes. Zhou Fan had initially planned to expand the Universe upon his breakthrough, which he felt he could do, but held back after sensing the Universe''s reaction to the Loose Immortal. Chapter 800: Imprints - 800 Chapter 800 - Imprints - 800 It was clear that the current Universe couldn''t handle any cultivation level. At some point, it would simply collapse, and the blankness would take over everything. Using pure cultivation, Zhou Fan was completely unable to resist the blankness even now, as a False Immortal. However, there was one thing he had that others did not. The Chaos Divine Physique. It was the talent he had been born with, which had allowed him to cultivate even during the state of Chaos at the beginning of the Universe. He had already tested it, and he could temporarily enter the blankness. There was nothing to describe about it. Outside of the Universe, there was nothing, it was blank. Zhou Fan could only forcefully keep himself existing within that state of non-existence. He had a few ideas, such as using the blankness as a trap, but it was much weaker when it entered the Universe, to the point that Zhou Fan was able to contain it with ease as long as it didn''t grow enough. If he expanded the Universe, he expected that the blankness''s power within it would grow, just another reason to hold back. Major changes were occurring in the future, with the path to the Origin Era being announced to have opened. Most of this information and changes within the River of Time were currently limited to the Fire Spirit Universe and partially the Universes around it. Many expressed worry about interfering with the past and changing the future as a result, but many people who had mastered the power of time came forward and thwarted these worries. Even if the Origin Era''s Universe was completely destroyed, it would not affect so much as a fly in the future. With all concerns put away, countless beings enlisted under the banners of numerous powerful beings. However, some people did not, knowing the saying that those who went to the past could never return to the future. As armies were formed and strategies were planned, information leaked. Apparently, the Creator of Cultivation existed in the Origin Era, and no cultivator could possibly resist his control. This had been an unintentional leak. Even the man in the palace outside of time had been unable to tell how this information had leaked from beyond his subordinates. By now, nearly every powerful figure in existence had received news of these changes, though not many took action just yet. Many ancient clans and sects had legends of the Origin Era, and if they were even partially true, succeeding would be enormously difficult. Besides, it was known that people of certain cultivations were unable to reach the Origin Era at the current time. Outside of the Fire Spirit Universe, few sects created an army, but almost every sect in existence sent a representative or two. As for the matter of the creator of cultivation, the solution was simple. The Gods of Creation were the answer. With the ability to forge their own path, they were naturally able to resist the control of the creator of cultivation. But these beings were rare, powerful, and usually reclusive. Yet, even among such a group, there were a few willing to lend assistance. One was known as the Blood God of Creation. The other was known as the Sky God of Creation. Both were prominent figures, among the strongest in their respective Universes. They were willing to lend assistance for a price. Considering the fact that the factions involved were fighting for the origin of cultivation, they were willing to pay the price despite its overwhelming cost. The solution was bestowed in the form of imprints. It contained a portion of the God of Creations path, which enabled the imprinted cultivator to resist the control of cultivation. It sounded complicated, but was overwhelmingly simple. Zhou Fan sat, waiting for the invaders. Path Creators around the Universe were stationed and ready. Suddenly, figures appeared in the clouds of time. Their power shook the Universe, but did not destroy it. In total, a thousand figures appeared. The weakest of which was at the peak of the Great Dao realm. Twenty were False Immortals, and ten were Loose Immortals. One Loose Immortal stood at the front. He looked around the Universe, with his hands behind his back. "It definitely could handle one or two people of the ¡ª- realm." Zhou Fan''s mind restriction stopped his memories from remembering the name of the realm, but he was able to tell that the man was talking about the realm above the Loose Immortal realm. After examining the Universe, the man at the lead looked at Zhou Fan. "You must be the creator of cultivation." "Did my warning not get transmitted?" The man didn''t respond, but that was enough of an answer. After a moment of silence, with a tense atmosphere building, the man at the front flickered, a dagger appeared in his hand, and he slashed at Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan stepped to the side and waved his hand. An invisible force sent the dagger wielding man flying back. He looked at Zhou Fan in shock. Without wasting any time, he shouted. "Attack!" All thousand beings moved. The Path Creators appeared, and a war instantly began. From the moment the battle started, it was clear that the Path Creators had the upper hand against opponents of the same level, but each Path Creator was bombarded by around ten peak Great Dao realm cultivators. Some began to be pushed back, while others fought to a stalemate. However, some stood out. The Grand Empyrean took a single step, and the ten peak Great Dao realm cultivators were sent flying with injuries. In a few moments, they died and she charged towards the Immortals surrounding Zhou Fan. Ye Li''s opponents didn''t even know how they died. The Buddha slowly cut down his opponents. A few others were able to kill their enemies after a while. Zhou Fan was rushed at by thirty Immortals. He closed his eyes and held out his hand. "Come." At the top of the Universe, a tree swayed. In the next moment, a branch appeared in Zhou Fan''s hand. Chaos Qi, the Power of Cultivation, and the Rule of Growth all wrapped around the tree branch and Zhou Fan. With a single slash, the light of the Universe dimmed! Chapter 801: Backlash of the Rules - 801 Chapter 801 - Backlash of the Rules - 801 All thirty Immortals were so shocked that their jaws dropped. They hurriedly mounted their best defenses. The defense produced by the combination of thirty Immortals was unimaginable, and Zhou Fan''s slash was neutralized. However, the slash had already struck fear into the hearts of the Immortals. Zhou Fan stepped forward, attacking again, and speaking as he did so. "Clean up the ants. Come fight these Immortals afterwards." He slashed with his full power once again. The Immortals, no longer unprepared, evaded the slash and surrounded Zhou Fan from all sides. A large array, formed by bodies of the thirty Immortals, appeared around Zhou Fan. "Immortal Suppressing Array." The ten Loose Immortals cried out at the same time. Zhou Fan felt the array weighing on his body, restricting his movements, and even slowing his thoughts. The situation instantly turned dire. He raised his free hand in the air, and a light shot down from the top of the Universe. A snake appeared, wrapped around his chest, and his power instantly doubled. However, this was not enough to destroy the array. Just as the thirty Immortals attacks neared, millions of formations emerged, previously hidden in space. They exploded at the same time, displaying power far greater than that of a normal False Immortal. The array was destroyed under the combination of Zhou Fan''s attack and the formations exploding. Zhou Fan dodged the thirty Immortals attacks, though a large chunk of his shoulder was destroyed in the process. The thirty Immortals were surprised, but did not hesitate to attack again. Both Leaf and Monty were with Zhou Fan, increasing his strength by no small margin. "It''s time to show them what a Path Creator truly is." Zhou Fan said. The River of Cultivation appeared. Zhou Fan stood atop it as it flowed down. The thirty Immortals stood below. They looked around in shock. "What is this?" "It isn''t the River of Time. What could it be?" They consulted each other, but not a single one had a clue. They did not have time to think any further. Waves rose as the river churned. Every person felt the Cultivation in their bodies moving uneasily, but for some reason, they could tell Zhou Fan had not even tried to suppress them with his control over cultivation. It seemed as though the imprints had been brought meaninglessly. Regardless, they felt an immense threat assault them from the river. The thirty Immortals gritted their teeth, and something indiscernible began to appear around them. Suddenly, the faint figures collapsed, disappearing. The thirty Immortals spat out blood. Zhou Fan looked on, understanding what had just happened. They had tried to use the power of Rule''s, which it seemed they were able to do. However, it was not like how Zhou Fan controlled the Rule of Growth. Instead of controlling the power, it seemed like borrowing it at a price. But the power of the Rules they had just tried to borrow did not fully exist in a usable form, causing the backlash. They were not nearly strong enough, nor talented enough, to even consider helping bring a rule into existence. Zhou Fan could see everything about these Immortals. He no longer had any use for them, and since they were all so injured that killing them would be easy, he decided to imprison them. Chains fell down, piercing their flesh and tying them together. The River of Cultivation dispersed. The Path Creators, who had just finished killing the attacking Great Dao realm Cultivators, looked over in shock. Once again, Zhou Fan had proved himself amazing. They also saw the captured Immortals. Zhou Fan took five out of the group, giving them to Monty. Monty grew in size, devouring them in a single bite. He then fell asleep on Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan looked around at the Path Creators, and split them into two groups. One of the groups got half of the Immortals, splitting them among themselves to devour with their various methods. These were the Path Creators who could grow by devouring these beings, such as Ye Li and the God of Death. The green fish appeared, and although he had not participated in the battle, Zhou Fan understood how much work he was putting in trying to do something about the breaks in time. He tossed the fish a Loose Immortal to devour. It thanked him and disappeared. The other half of the Path Creators were those who could not grow by simply devouring these beings. This group included the Grand Empyrean, Yoha, and surprisingly, the Demon King. Zhou Fan also kept a Loose Immortal and a False Immortal alive. They had some use. The second group picked apart the False and Loose Immortals, understanding how they worked, and comprehending them in their own ways. They made sure not to remember anything about the future, filtering the harmful bits out with Zhou Fan''s help. The Path Creators did their best to grow, and Zhou Fan woke up the two Immortals he kept alive. They immediately panicked, though they were too injured to struggle. The power of the Rules were far too terrifying to mess with. Even these Immortals, one with a Cultivation higher than Zhou Fan''s, could not resist at all. Zhou Fan naturally understood this. He had long since said that Rules were a terrifying power. Merely slightly tapping into the Rule of Karma had allowed Ye Li to kill Yhwh in an instant. Zhou Fan thought of a question. He wondered who among the Path Creators here would be most likely to be known in the far, far future. The Grand Empyrean was talented and powerful, but he doubted she would stay in the spotlight forever. Ye Li would never willingly be known. Zhou Fan''s thoughts eventually landed on Ying Xiong. He seemed perfect. Zhou Fan beckoned him over. YIng Xiong had been one of the Path Creators devouring an Immortal with the power of reincarnation. However, seeing Zhou Fan signalling him over, he stopped and promptly moved. "Yes?" Ying Xiong asked. Zhou Fan pointed at Ying Xiong. "Do either of you know him?" Ying Xiong released a bit of his power, allowing the two to feel it. The False Immortal was completely stumped. However, the Loose Immortal scrutinized Ying Xiong closely, seemingly feeling that he looked familiar. After a few minutes, his pupils constricted, and unprecedented fear appeared on his face, the likes of which Zhou Fan had never seen before. Chapter 802: King of the Underworld - 802 Chapter 802 - King of the Underworld - 802 The fear stayed on the man''s face for minutes before he spoke. "You! You are the King of the Underworld!" He said, clearly trembling. Ying Xiong didn''t refute it. His faction was indeed called the Underworld. Although he wasn''t currently known as the King of the Underworld, it was not unreasonable to assume that he could be called so in the future. The man eventually calmed down, coming to the realization that he was in the past. The King of the Underworld was not necessarily the same as he was countless years in the future. "Without saying too much, explain the King of the Underworld." Zhou Fan said. The man nodded, not hesitating. "The King of the Underworld is a legendary figure above even the strongest of Immortals. Even the Celestial Emperor must bow down before him. All beings who die throughout all existence, assuming their soul is not captured or used for some other purpose, will end up in the Underworld. Most undergo reincarnation, where they will forget everything and be completely reset. However, some become inhabitants of the Underworld in various forms. Some wander as ghosts, some gain a body, and some are reincarnated as one of the natural races of the Underworld." Zhou Fan did not let the man speak any further. He had already gleaned all of the interesting information that wouldn''t be dangerous to Ying Xiong''s path. Some of the information had been naturally filtered out by the restriction in their brains as well. Zhou Fan brought a few other people forward, but the man recognized none of them. According to him, he shouldn''t have recognized Ying Xiong either. It was only upon chance that he had seen an ancient painting hanging up in a powerful sect he had visited for negotiations. Zhou Fan didn''t have much else for the man, keeping him imprisoned for now. After all, he had assisted them without holding back any information. As for the False Immortal, Zhou Fan had him devoured. He had no useful information that the Loose Immortal didn''t have. Time passed without any sort of action from the clouds of time. It was unknown how the future was reacting to the current situation. After a while, Ye Li entered seclusion. He had requested to see Zhou Fan, and asked him to give him the same sort of pressure that the Path Creators had given him when he had broken through. Zhou Fan had naturally agreed, but he warned Ye Li that he would really kill him if he failed to break through. That was the only way to help him. He should be able to break through rather fast. The Grand Empyrean was the next to go into seclusion after gaining enlightenment. She made the same request of Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan agreed. These were the only two prepared to break through for now, but there were sure to be more to come. It was likely that the breakthroughs would happen at an extremely fast pace. Trends that affected the entire Universe would also affect the people within it. When great wars came, the speed at which people would grow would naturally increase. There was nothing but peace and growth within the Universe. In the future, the factions which had sent people into the Origin era were stunned to hear nothing as years passed. While it was inevitable that communication would be difficult across era''s, they had their methods to do so. Yet it had been radio silence. They had no choice but to assume that everyone they had sent was dead. Plans began to change, and the factions of the Fire Spirit Universe began to convene. "It seems that even ten Loose Immortals and twenty False Immortals was not enough." "How terrifying was the Origin era? Before sending in another group, we need to thoroughly research it." "It is pointless. Only the top factions may have some information from a long time ago, and even then it won''t be much." "What if we send a ¡ª- realm Cultivator?" "We would risk destroying the Origin era''s Universe. We would need to confirm it could handle such a cultivator." "Why not just risk it? Worst case scenario, nobody gets to benefit from the opening to the Origin era. They already said that such an event wouldn''t affect us." "Are you truly that stupid? Would the other factions of the Universe let us off if we did that?" "Exactly, and who is to say that there aren''t powerful existences from the Origin era alive today? If we do that, they may be affected. We couldn''t handle any one of their wraths." A silence fell over the room. They were in quite a dangerous position. Suddenly, a voice spoke from the distance. "Our calculations suggest that we can send one or two ¡ª-- realm Cultivators." Everyone turned to see a man in red. A swaying lotus made of fire was on his cloak. This signified that he was part of the Fire Spirit sect, the most powerful sect in the Fire Spirit Universe. Although he seemed to at most be an elder, nobody present dared disregard him, even if they were the Sect Masters of the most powerful sects in the Fire Spirit Universe. "If there are no objections, I want one of the ¡ª- realm Cultivators sent to be my son. He is at the peak of the realm, and as I''m sure you know, he is almost unparalleled within his realm in the Fire Spirit Universe." The newcomer said. There were no objections, only sounds of agreement. "The next group will depart in five years." The newcomer said before leaving. "He sure is arrogant." "I didn''t see you raising your head." "He has the right to be arrogant. Their founder is the ruler of the Fire Spirit Universe, and although he is not quite qualified to be called a Celestial Emperor, he is infinitely close." "Who cares? Let''s decide who the other ¡ª-- realm Cultivator will be." "My nephew is quite impressive." "Who cares? Let''s hold a tournament." ... Chapter 803: Immortal Technique - 803 Five years passed, but neither Ye Li nor the Grand Empyrean had exited seclusion, while a few more figures had entered seclusion. Although they had been accumulating for countless years, it was still not easy to break through. They did not want to leave any flaws in their paths. As the five years passed, the clouds of time began to emit fluctuations. Zhou Fan''s head snapped over. He could sense two extremely powerful presences. In addition, there were around twenty Loose Immortals and twenty False Immortals. The Universe seemed to bend and warp, but it did not break. It had reached its absolute limit. Two figures stood at the lead, and they both locked onto Zhou Fan. Surprisingly, one seemed to be in charge. And it was the younger one. Contemptuously, the young man at the lead snorted and waved his hand. A flaming phoenix appeared, descending upon Zhou Fan. "A mere False Immortal. I''ll make quick work of you and see if you still refuse to cooperate." This single attack was far stronger than the combined attacks of the ten Loose Immortals from last time, though not quite as strong as when they had used the array. Zhou Fan did not hesitate to explode with power. Leaf appeared, transforming into a sword branch. The sleeping Monty appeared, wrapping around Zhou Fan and empowering him. He slashed at the phoenix, reducing it to sparks. The young man at the lead seemed surprised. "Fine. You go suppress him." He gestured towards the other man and the twenty Loose Immortals. They did not hesitate, moving without utterng a complaint. Attacks closed in, one particularly powerful. A black hole appeared around Zhou Fan, warping the attacks. This was the power of Devouring. Monty gave Zhou Fan complete control over this power while wrapped around him. He, Monty, and Leaf had spent countless years together, and they were so strong when their power combined that even someone above the Loose Immortal realm may not be able to compete. The attacks distorted, and Life Qi exploded, sending the twenty Loose Immortals a few steps back. Zhou Fan took the opportunity to directly face the man above the Loose Immortal realm. The man did not hold back, punching out, his fist surrounded by a golden Qi. Zhou Fan moved to the side and slashed with Leaf. Their attacks collided and equally dispersed each other. Zhou Fan had put everything he had into that. It was clear that the man had not truly used his trump cards. Even Zhou Fan had to admit that this was a losing battle, even if the young man did not get involved. He would have to die killing the twenty Loose Immortals and the man above that realm. He began to suppress the man using his control over Cultivation, but an imprint appeared, fighting back. The Universe trembled, but the imprint ignored it, directly defending against Zhou Fan''s control over cultivation. The imprint was clearly beginning to disperse, but it would last five minutes. The man took the opportunity to punch out, sending Zhou Fan flying backwards. The twenty Loose Immortals attacked decisively. Zhou Fan killed two, but was injured even further. The Great Dao appeared, his Outer World took form, Formations exploded, but it only allowed him to resist for two minutes before they were broken through. Zhou Fan''s stomach was pierced by a punch. Just as the man casually began to withdraw his fist, Zhou Fan''s organs tensed and held his fist in place. He slashed down, and the man''s arm was severed. Zhou Fan began to burn his lifeforce and counterattack. The man was sent flying with a slash. The man looked over at the young man, who was no longer as arrogant as before. "You are a genius of a level never before seen. It is too bad you must die here." The young man joined, and despite Zhou Fan burning his lifeforce, he was only even against the combined force of twenty False Immortals, twenty Loose Immortals, and two people above that realm. The Path Creators who had yet to enter seclusion couldn''t even get involved in a fight of this level. Suddenly, Zhou Fan stopped burning his life force and retreated. He sighed. "It is unfinished, so I didn''t want to display it yet, but if I am forced, it must be done." The young man and the other man frowned, stopping their forward movement. Zhou Fan sneered. "The False Immortal realm is entirely different from the ones before it. Techniques created in this realm should be called Immortal Techniques. I will allow you to witness the first Immortal Technique ever created, even if it is unfinished." Although Zhou Fan had been giving it his all, he had been using techniques below the False Immortal realm the entire time. It had severely hindered his display of the power of the False Immortal realm. Now, he could show them what the False Immortal realm really meant for him. "Immortal Severs the Heavens." Zhou Fan said, pointing his pointer finger and middle finger out. Sword Qi coalesced on his fingertips, and they slashed down. A streak of Sword Qi, enhanced by the Power of Cultivation, shot down from the top of the Universe. The slash directly targeted the two above the Loose Immortal realm. The older man was the first to be hit. He was sent flying back like a puppet with its strings cut, spitting out blood. The young man burst out with a power far stronger than before, forming a red phoenix around his body. The slash hit the phoenix, and it crumbled. However, the Sword Qi dispersed, sending the young man stumbling back a few steps. It was at this time that the older man''s imprint finally eroded, and Zhou Fan suppressed him with a single motion. Seconds later, others imprints, which had been resisting, corroded away and they fell helplessly. The young man was the last left. With only a few seconds remaining, he took out a tiny sword hanging from a necklace. It expanded, and a power enough to crush the Universe exploded out. This was even above the young man''s realm. The walls of the Universe warped and began to crumble under this power. Chapter 804: Universe Expansion - 804 An intense threat assaulted Zhou Fan as the sword pointed at him. This was not a threat he could resist. Without hesitation, he used his final trump card. He grabbed a thread, and the Rule of Growth was activated. Passively using this power increased his strength by a lot, but when he used it like this, it was far stronger. The rules were truly incredible, even unstoppable. However, the sword seemed to resist the Rule of Growth. It slowly began to shrink, and its power waned. However, the sword still moved towards Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan activated the Rule of Growth, using a different method. The first method had been reversing growth. This essentially reverted a cultivator''s cultivation base, or in this instance, the power of the sword. It was now manageable, but he would be severely injured resisting it. The second method was to erase growth. Zhou Fan waved the Rule of Growth, and the sword split in half. One half crumbled, turning into fire and raw materials. It was as if the front half of the sword had never been forged. Half of the sword''s power dissipated. Zhou Fan clasped his hands, catching the sword which had not stopped moving. He was forced back, holding onto the sword firmly. He slid across half of the Universe before the sword finally stopped. The young man watched in awe as Zhou Fan destroyed the sword, which had lost its power after that one attack. Zhou Fan waved his hand, and the young man''s cultivation base was restricted. Zhou Fan gathered all of the restricted beings and chained them up together. He then looked around, focusing on the more pressing matter. Although he was severely injured, he had to attend to the Universe, which was collapsing rapidly. It was not like how it had nearly collapsed after his battle with the Cosmic Dao, but complete obliteration with no hope of recovery. Zhou Fan understood how to solve this, but he really didn''t want to. It would allow much more powerful enemies from the future to arrive. "Since I''m doing this for you, don''t skimp out on helping me." Zhou Fan said. With that, he held his hands out. The Rule of Growth appeared in the form of threads. Chaos Qi appeared in the form of countless sphere''s. They rotated around each other, slowly forming a balance. The River of Cultivation appeared. As the Rule of Growth and Chaos Qi formed a stable core, the River of Cultivation flower around it. Zhou Fan held the creation close to his chest. "Begin." He said, smashing his hands together. An explosion occurred. This explosion resonated with the Universe itself. Zhou Fan used his False Immortal realm cultivation to push out, his power extending across the Universe. Mini-Universe''s appeared, overlapping with the space of the current Universe. Spatial Rings, separate spaces, hidden dimensions, the Battle Universe, all were destroyed as all of space and time gathered within the Main Universe. The River of Time uncontrollably appeared, flowing across the top of the Universe like the northern lights of Earth. As Zhou Fan pushed, the destroyed walls of the Universe, which had always stayed the same size, began to expand. Space and Time were birthed as the Universe grew. An unprecedented phenomenon occurred, and the entire Universe seemed to come to a standstill. Not a single being, mortal, god, or Immortal, made a single sound or a single movement. The locked up Immortals stared in awe at the events taking place. Zhou Fan paid nothing any heed as he pushed with all his might. The expansion started slow, but as the power of the explosion reached the edge of the Universe it began to grow. Chaos Qi fought against the blankness, while Space Qi and Time Qi formed new areas, and the River of Cultivation held it all together. The Rule of Growth assisted the very expansion itself, making the process tens of times easier, smoother, and more effective. The power of the explosion Zhou Fan had caused did not diminish, but grew even stronger until the entire Universe was covered in its power. Half of this power expanded the Universe, while the other half poured into the River of Cultivation. This was the Universe helping him. Although the Universe did not truly have consciousness or a soul, it had a form of spirituality. That spirituality was what made the Universe function. When war came, it was the spirituality of the Universe that allowed all beings to grow faster. This spirituality was on the same level of unfathomableness as the Source of Time, and could be called the Source of the Universe. As the power of the explosion, enhanced by the growth of the Universe, poured into the River of Cultivation, Zhou Fan transformed it into the Power of Cultivation, endlessly fueling his growth. In mere moments, he stepped into the Peak of the False Immortal realm. This would have taken countless years normally, despite the great war occuring. Although the spirituality of the Universe could affect even Path Creators, it could not affect him. He alone was the exception. However, it could help him like this, paying back a slight percentage of what the Universe owed him for its growth under his lead. The Universe doubled in size, then doubled from that size, and doubled from that size. When the explosion finally calmed down, the Universe was ten thousand times larger than before. Almost all of this space was completely empty. Not even stars or dust existed, only space, time, and the Power of Cultivation. Zhou Fan allowed the Great Dao to expand over this new Universe. Although it had not been able to cover the entire Universe and its Mini-Universes before, he had broken into the False Immortal realm. It could naturally grow even larger now. Zhou Fan did not make any changes to the Universe just yet, such as creating Mini-Universes. He had plenty of time to do that later. It could at most be considered a side project, but a war was still in front of him. He did not have time for nonsense. In the future, many of the most powerful beings opened their eyes. "The air has changed. The path to the Origin Era grows wider. It seems it is time to get involved." Many figures thought many similar things. They only had one thing completely in common. "It is time to take action." Chapter 805: Loose Immortal - 805 Chapter 805 - Loose Immortal - 805 Countless powerful sects and individuals arrived in the Fire Spirit Universe, shocking its residents. The Fire Spirit Sect was too weak compared to the strongest of the arriving sects. Only the Founder of the sect, who was extremely powerful even among the strongest of the arriving sects, was able to quell the commotion. However, this was only on the surface. In the Fire Spirit Universe, only the Founder of the Fire Spirit Universe understood just how helpless he was. Even Celestial Emperor''s had shown up. His word meant nothing, only affecting the weaker sects that had shown up on the surface. However, it seemed it would be a few years before anyone took action. In Zhou Fan''s time, he was firmly at the Peak of the False Immortal realm, and his strength had increased many times over. He did not bother testing his strength. He would test it soon even if he didn''t want to. With the Universe expanded, enemies many times more powerful than before would be able to enter the Universe. If he did not grow in time, there would be nothing he could do. With great urgency, he cultivated. After three years, the green fish appeared. Although it was a fish, Zhou Fan could tell that it was completely exhausted. Ever since the clouds of time had appeared, it had been working non-stop. "I''ve finally managed to do something with the power of Time." The fish said. When the clouds of time appeared, the River of Time went wild, and the fish lost its control over time. It had since spent its time trying to fix the River of Time, which would get rid of the gateway connecting future and past. During this process, it had finally managed to regain control over some of its power of time. "Although it isn''t much right now, it can affect a single human. I imagine you know where I am going with this." Zhou Fan nodded. Since even the fish couldn''t use the power of Time, Zhou Fan naturally couldn''t use Time Qi. This was why he had yet to use the Time Bubble, it simply wasn''t possible. He had discussed this with the fish, and the opportunity to solve this problem had arrived. "There is no time to waste, let''s begin." Zhou Fan said. The fish nodded. It waved its tail, and a bubble shaped like Zhou Fan in meditation appeared. Time began to speed up inside the bubble, until it seemed as though the outside world had completely stopped moving. Zhou Fan cultivated strictly as Sage Years passed within the bubble. For every Sage Year that passed inside, a year passed outside. Due to its weakened state, this was all the fish was capable of. Five Sage Years passed. Zhou Fan felt as though a breakthrough was nearing. One more Sage Year passed, and he felt it happening. Without pausing, his cultivation broke through. The Loose Immortal realm was interesting, and his power increased more than ten times, but it was nothing revolutionary. It was more like a foundational step, strengthening his foundations for the future. The Immortal realms seemed different from the realms before them. If the cultivation realms before the False Immortal realm almost all gave something new, then the Immortal realms seemed to be building up to something greater. Knowing what he did about the future, Zhou Fan could only imagine that, within these realms, the goal was to comprehend rules. When one reached the peak of these realms, they should have absolute control over one or multiple rules. This was only a guess, but one Zhou Fan would be willing to bet on. With the remaining time in the Time Bubble, Zhou Fan studied the Rule of Growth, diving even deeper into it. At its peak, it should dictate all rules of growth throughout existence. This was an extremely powerful rule, for all things grew, and if the Rule of Growth restricted that, the Universal order would fall apart. Zhou Fan would have been willing to spend countless years within the Time Bubble, but unfortunately, the Universe had other plans. The clouds of time shook, and time fell into disarray. The Time Bubble instantly popped, and Zhou Fan was released from the effects of time. He looked into the distance. From one cloud of time, he saw a large ship emerging. From another, he saw a large bone dragon with countless people on it. From a different one, he saw a floating island bigger than a Supercluster. Zhou Fan watched in silence as countless beings appeared. Millions, billions, trillions arrived. However, they did not immediately express ill will. After leaving the clouds of time, a representative from each group left their territory, arriving near Zhou Fan. "You must be the first Immortal. It is an honor to make your acquaintance." A man in buddhist robes said. Many others spoke, while some remained silent. Each of them were immensely powerful, the expanded Universe showing signs of unrest. At the very least, they were two realms above the Loose Immortal realm. Zhou Fan did not show any fear. "Have you come in peace?" He asked. All of them nodded. "To be specific, we''ve come in neutrality. Your enemies have yet to arrive, but we figured we''d station ourselves here. For now, we will not interfere in any battles." Zhou Fan looked around, almost amazed by their audacity. They seemed to think they could do whatever they wanted. "I can allow you to stay, but it must be over there." Zhou Fan pointed. His finger pointed at a small marked territory near the edge of the newly expanded Universe. It had nothing in it, but a few Path Creators had already divided the Universe into more Universal Sectors to avoid future confusion. This was a temporary measure and could be altered in the future. Those from the future seemed surprised by his request, those who had spoken seemed the most surprised, while those who remained silent hardly reacted at all. Silence hung in the air for a moment before some of the people moved, heading towards that area. It was more than big enough for everyone here. The more arrogant ones hesitated before moving. Chapter 806: False Immortal Leaf - 806 Chapter 806 - False Immortal Leaf - 806 With all of the newcomers silently agreeing, another brief period of peace was brought. During this time, Zhou Fan had only two goals. One, continue to strengthen his understanding of the Rule of Growth, perhaps even comprehend a new Rule, and two, help leaf enter the False Immortal realm. Although his cultivation had been slower than everyone else''s, the common saying was that the slow and steady win the race. He had never encountered a bottleneck, and he was now ready to enter False Immortality behind only Zhou Fan. "Are you ready?" Zhou Fan asked as soon as he returned to the mansion yard, which existed at the very top of the expanded Universe. Leaf expressed its readiness by shaking its branches. Zhou Fan nodded. Leaf wrapped around Zhou Fan, and he left the mansion yard. Although it didn''t matter where Leaf broke through, it was safer to do it in a place like the center of the Universe. What was once the entire Universe of the past now existed in the very center of the new, larger Universe. At this point, even those at the peak struggled to move freely across the entire Universe. He arrived above the Greatest Attractor, which was in the process of undergoing metamorphosis. With the expansion of the Universe, the things within it would naturally experience great changes. He let Leaf off of him. He then disappeared into the distance. Leaf calmed his mind and focused. In seconds, he began to expand. From a small, unnoticeable sapling, he grew into a tree. The tree grew taller and taller, eventually becoming noticeable to those looking at the Greatest Attractor. But he did not stop. He grew even larger, becoming so large that the Greatest Attractor was entirely under his body. He did not stop, growing even larger. His trunk extended infinitely upwards, while his branches moved out in all directions. Beings were caught in the expanding trunk, but were not harmed. It simply felt as though they had become one with the tree, their vision growing. Eventually, Leaf''s tree trunk expanded to cover the entire past Universe. It reached onwards, expanding to the expanded portions of the Universe. Zhou Fan watched in awe as Leaf''s branches extended to the walls of the new expanded Universe. It was not only him, but all of the Path Creators. Even those in seclusion noticed the phenomenon. Those who had come through time were also in awe. "What in the world is this?" "Are there any records of such a thing?" Some began to wonder if they should let this happen, but the fear of the unknown led them to stopping this thought process. Whatever this was, it was unimaginable. When Leaf''s expansion stopped, his trunk spanned the height of the newly expanded Universe. His branches covered countless areas. It was a majestic sight never before witnessed. Leaf began to shake, and green lights appeared. Countless green dots swirled around his trunk, filling the entire Universe. Just as Zhou Fan had, just as it was intended, Leaf began to create and comprehend a Rule on the spot. Its name? Tree. Zhou Fan was stunned, but it seemed suiting. How else could Leaf be described? The Rule of Tree spread across the entire Universe in the form of tiny green dots of light. All beings touched by these lights felt refreshed. Those with injuries began to heal. Even on the verge of death, they were in perfect condition in moments. Even those with little lifespan left began to feel their lifespans increased. Those from the future stood in awe. Some touched the green lights, though they could not truly be touched. They too felt refreshed, their minds cleared. "This is incredible." Many couldn''t help but comment. They were too stunned to react while all of this occured. After a while, the tree turned into countless specks of green light, which soon vanished. In mere moments, Leaf was once again wrapped around Zhou Fan. Now, he was much more powerful, and the second False Immortal in history. Just as he was about to leave, he saw a burst of power from the distance. Ye Li, who had been affected by the green lights, had finally begun his breakthrough. There was no doubt that Leaf''s breakthrough had assisted him greatly. A giant circle appeared. This circle was constantly rotating, spirals of Karma making it up. Ye Li sat in the center of it all. The attention of the Universe was once again drawn. Zhou Fan and Leaf watched on. From the giant circle, which took up nearly half of the Universe, Karma spirals began to shoot at Ye Li. They pierced through him, disappearing in his body. This process began slow, but sped up. It got to the point that few could comprehend the speed at which Karma Spirals were moving. The circle became indistinct, until it disappeared completely. Ye Li stood up, his body rumbling with power. He had created and comprehended the Rule of Karma. This Rule was unimaginably powerful, something even Zhou Fan had to acknowledge. The False Immortals brought from the future felt immense fear just staring at Ye Li, while the Loose Immortals felt uneasy. Ye Li''s eyes shined with a dark, cruel light, as he held out his hand. Within his palm, lights flickered back and forth. He did not say anything else, holding his words back. He simply disappeared. Zhou Fan finally thought it was over, but from far away, gold and black light bloomed. Like a chain reaction, yet another breakthrough had begun. This time, it was the Grand Empyrean. Like Leaf had given off countless tiny dots of green lights, countless tiny dots of gold and black light began to flitter off of the Grand Empyrean. They formed a tornado around her, spreading across the Universe. She stood there elegantly as the dots of light moved around. Just like that, she broke through. Zhou Fan half expected to see another breakthrough, but didn''t. Those two were the most talented among all of the Path Creators, with maybe one or two exceptions. Chapter 807: De-Aligning Interests - 807 Chapter 807 - De-Aligning Interests - 807 Those from the future were stunned. They had witnessed one False Immortal breakthrough after another, and though the False Immortal realm itself was nothing to some of them, the breakthroughs themselves were unimaginable. It proved that those who were breaking through had unimaginable talent. They had only seen three breakthroughs, but each one was far greater than even the greatest breakthrough they had ever heard about. This did not spur them into action, but made them wary. They decided against future moves for the time being. They had plenty of time. Zhou Fan returned to the mansion yard with Leaf and sat against him, cultivating. Monty was still asleep, and he would be for a while. When he woke up, he would surely enter the False Immortal realm. How could one devour Immortals and not become one themselves? Zhou Fan spent a few years deepening his comprehension of the Rule of Growth. After seeing three new Rules form, even he gained a little bit of inspiration. It took longer than usual for the clouds of time to act up, around ten years compared to the expected five. Like before, many large sects or organizations came out of the clouds of time. Zhou Fan had expected this group to be aggressive, but they weren''t. They also weren''t as friendly as the last group, immediately setting themselves up wherever they wanted. Naturally, Zhou Fan would not allow this. He appeared in front of one of the sects. This sect existed entirely on a large pyramid. Zhou Fan''s appearance instantly became the focus of every member of the sect. Numerous powerful presences locked onto him. Even if he went all out, he was unsure whether or not he would be able to defeat this sect. There were at least a hundred people with cultivations above the Loose Immortal realm, and a few felt even more powerful than that. This did not cause Zhou Fan to back down. "I need your sect to move elsewhere." He said. A voice came from the top of the pyramid. "Scram somewhere before I slap you to death, brat." Zhou Fan snorted and held his hand out. The suppression of the power of cultivation appeared. The hundred figures above the Loose Immortal realm all burst forth with imprints, but none below them had such a thing. They did not take action, merely resisting the suppression of cultivation. "You may be able to kill me, but I can make sure every being in your sect at the Loose Immortal realm or below dies in an instant." His words made even the leaders hesitate. "Besides, there is a reason none of you have attacked us just yet. There are conflicts of interest even among all of you, and you would all fight among yourselves to get what you want, am I on the mark?" Zhou Fan asked. He still wasn''t exactly sure what they wanted in coming back in time, but he could guess that it was related to him. No more voices spoke out. The pyramid slowly began to move towards where the previous arrivals had stationed themselves. Zhou Fan visited all of the newly arrived sects and organizations one by one, passing on the same message. After the first dozen or so, he didn''t have to do anymore. It seemed that the message had spread. His threat was just too high for anyone to ignore. If the entire future of the sect was annihilated, then they would surely fall apart before long. Even those who came individually, or those you could disregard their sects, would not attack. If one person attacked Zhou Fan, everyone would, and a long, harmful battle to the death would occur. Even after the new arrivals showed up, the Universe stayed relatively quiet. Some powerful figures journeyed towards what they called the Origin Civilization. This was the Civilization of the Origin Era. The Origin Civilization mostly stayed within the same space that the old Universe had taken up, with few going out to explore. Luckily, they did not cause harm, just looking around and understanding the Universe of the past. It was not as if every being who had come back in time was evil. But Zhou Fan knew that this peace was temporary. If enough time passed, some would begin to disregard the risks and take action. This situation would almost certainly end up with Zhou Fan''s death and possibly the destruction of the Origin Era Universe. Therefore, he had to stir up the waters, and de-align the future beings goals. A few thousand years passed, and Zhou Fan had investigated the goals of the future beings. It all started with a prophecy. A path to the Origin Era would open up, and whoever managed to capture the First Immortal would gain the Origin of Cultivation. Exactly what the "Origin of Cultivation" was remained unknown, with many theorizing that it would allow someone to cultivate without bottlenecks, and others claiming that it held the true path to cultivation, one without flaws. Zhou Fan didn''t have a single clue what the "Origin of Cultivation" was. Perhaps it was simply referring to him as the Origin of Cultivation, since he was literally the Creator of Cultivation. He could indeed allow someone to cultivate without bottlenecks for the most part, and he could indeed point to a better path, the one that he, Leaf, and the Path Creators were currently following. But he could not do it for these people, whose cultivations were even higher than his. Many things remained unknown, but he could now confidently change things. Another thousand or so years passed, and Zhou Fan released an announcement to all of the beings from the future. This announcement declared that the future prophecy was pure nonsense, and that as long as those from the future helped out, he wouldn''t mind helping them out with their cultivations once he became stronger. Many ignored his words, thinking them a pathetic attempt at defense, but some felt as though his words had some merit. Those who had barely believed in the prophecy, or those who had felt what they were doing was wrong, requested audiences with him. Chapter 808: Allies - 808 Chapter 808 - Allies - 808 Zhou Fan set up a meeting time with all of them. It would be at the same time. Just a few days later, all of those interested discreetly showed up at the arranged location. It was on a planet with mid-level cultivators, the strongest being a True God. They met in a pub that rarely had anybody inside. They sat in the corner, Zhou Fan and all twenty of those interested. Some came as individuals, while some had come on behalf of sects. They did not waste any time. Zhou Fan started the conversation. "As I have announced, whatever prophecy you''ve heard is nonsense. There is no such thing as an Origin of Cultivation. I don''t mind telling you that I am the creator of cultivation, and that I can surely help you, but I can only do so once I''m stronger." Zhou Fan said. One of the people posed a question. "If that''s the case, wouldn''t you be the Origin of Cultivation?" "Not in the way it is described by your prophet." "What if we captured you and made you grow before helping us?" One asked. "If you think you''d be able to force me to help you, go ahead, but I have countless ways to kill myself if necessary." Zhou Fan said plainly. Everyone nodded. This was one of the many reason''s people hesitated to attack upon arriving at the Origin Era. A discussion began. Everyone who had come was willing to form an alliance. It was why they were here in the first place. Eventually, they settled on an agreement. They would help defend the Origin Era, and Zhou Fan would help them increase their cultivations by a realm in the future. Zhou Fan naturally understood that this agreement was fickle, but it would do for now. "Since we have all agreed, I would like to demonstrate an ability of mine." Zhou Fan said. He turned his gaze towards one of the people. The person looked at him in confusion until a sword pierced his chest. He instantly burst out with a ferocious power that sent Zhou Fan flying back, but the other people around quickly suppressed him. He looked at Zhou Fan with hatred. "He had come here to capture me." Zhou Fan said, a bit of blood dripping from his mouth. That man was strong enough to come here, which meant he was strong enough to kill Zhou Fan. He was at least two realms above the Loose Immortal realm, probably more based on his attack. Even if he went all out, without the suppression of cultivation, Zhou Fan could not assure his victory. Naturally, he had countless ways to run away and hide if necessary, but the Origin Era itself would be destroyed. In the Origin Era, Zhou Fan had always been invincible, but compared to those from countless years in the future, he was lacking. He now felt what those who had come after him had felt. He was in a rush of time, and he could not slack off for a moment. It was exciting, being able to truly experience this. It was what he had been searching for as Skymender. Who knew that it would eventually come to him? Zhou Fan did not waste any time. He pressed his hand down, and the suppression of cultivation took effect. An imprint appeared, but it was shattered by one of the people holding the man down. The imprint was indeed made by a powerful individual, but it was not focused on defending against attacks, just the suppression of cultivation. The man was instantly crippled, and died soon after. Seeing Zhou Fan''s power and skill in identifying a hidden enemy made his allies feel much more confident about this partnership. Only one more question was posed to him. "If you''re so powerful, why haven''t we heard of you in the future? You would have surely shocked all of existence." "Have you heard of Ying Xiong?" Zhou Fan said. Without exception, all of their faces paled. "He owes me everything he has." Zhou Fan said. His words finally fully convinced these people from the future, and they separated. A day later, some of the sects began to move towards the Origin Civilization. They stopped once outside of it. This made the other people from the future frown. They didn''t understand what was going on until the sects and a few powerful unaffiliated individuals made a joint announcement. They would be defending the Origin Civilization. This naturally threw things into disarray. Many people openly berated the sects and individuals, but none took action. Some maintained complete silence, while a few more people even contacted Zhou Fan. He was naturally more than willing to gain a few new allies. With things like this, nothing would be happening in the short term. His new allies understood he needed a lot of time to cultivate and breakthrough. Although he could no longer use the Time Bubble due to the presence of those from the future, which caused the power of Time to be outside of the fish''s control, he could at least cultivate normally. Many years passed in peace. Octillions, nonillions, Sage Years... Zhou Fan steadily cultivated and grew stronger. Along with his cultivation, his comprehension of rules grew. He did not seek guidance of those from the future, as they were not taking his path, but a path they had been given by him in the future. Zhou Fan could say with near certainty that he was still alive in the future. How else would these people be able to follow the path of cultivation so far? Of course, there were some other possibilities he could not rule out. Zhou Fan did not bother with all of that. He would take it one step at a time. His cultivation slowly advanced to the peak of the Loose Immortal realm. To those from the future, a mere Sage Year or ten was nothing to care about. They had surely lived for countless Sage Years. Chapter 809: Breaking Through - 809 Chapter 809 - Breaking Through - 809 With everything happening, Zhou Fan noticed that his cultivation speed was actually faster than it should have been. It was the same for most of the Universe, but it happened differently for him. He could only assume that it was a mental thing. It meant that he was finally feeling the pressure. He was surrounded by countless enemies that could destroy the Universe at will, and he would be helpless to stop it. Just a single powerful being would be enough to send him retreating, or even kill him. Zhou Fan looked into the starry sky. "Anyone else would naturally hate this. They would feel helpless, and be scared. However, I have lived a long life with few enemies, and those who qualified to be called my enemies waited for me to come to them. This is a new feeling." Zhou Fan muttered. "Surrounded by enemies on all sides. How could I not feel excitement!" For the first time in his life, Zhou Fan felt the urge to drink. He took a bottle of wine from a distant planet and downed the bottle. He continued to cultivate, more focused than ever. Sage Years passed, and his progress was even more terrifyingly fast than before. In this time, multiple Path Creators broke through, entering the False Immortal realm. They naturally understood how perilous this time was. Zhou Fan began the process of going beyond the Loose Immortal realm. He felt that before doing so, he should completely master the Rule of Growth. Doing so would grant him unimaginable power. He had naturally been comprehending it for many Sage Years, but he was stuck at the threshold of mastery. After emptying his head and thinking for countless years, he decided to seek help. Zhou Fan stood up and turned around. Leaf, in the form of an average Oak Tree, waved. Zhou Fan put his hand on Leaf. "Besides cultivation, what represents growth better than a tree? I have spent countless years with you. I will now relive them." Zhou Fan said. He did not need to use the power of time to accomplish this. He sunk into his memories, and Leaf did the same. For a moment, it seemed as though Leaf and Zhou Fan had merged into one. From the moment Leaf was born, when Zhou Fan found him and took him as a disciple, to now, they relived their time. A Sage Year passed before Zhou Fan opened his eyes. He smiled. Although a vast majority of their time together had been spent quietly cultivating, these were valuable moments to both of them. Their relationship had gone far beyond that of Master and Disciple. Leaf was like his son, and to Leaf, he was like a Father. Zhou Fan understood this now. Sharing blood was unnecessary. Their bond was far beyond such a thing. They had not only grown in cultivation together, but had grown an unbreakable bond. Zhou Fan was almost unwilling to accept that he could form such a bond. It was completely foreign to him, experiencing this. It wasn''t that he hadn''t formed bonds before, but that those were frail and unimportant to him. This was far different. Zhou Fan felt the Rule of Growth being mastered. "Thank you." Zhou Fan said. Leaf shook, as if saying his thanks was unnecessary. In the next second, Zhou Fan felt the Rule of Growth appear around Leaf. He shook his head. Leaf''s talent was truly heaven defying. He had comprehended a second Rule before him. "Just remember I mastered a Rule first." Leaf shook in acknowledgement. It was hard to joke with a tree. With mastery of the Rule of Growth, Zhou Fan prepared to make a breakthrough. During this breakthrough, he wanted to comprehend another Rule. He had thought about it, and had already chosen. Each Rule comprehended should be defined by your tendencies and cultivation journey. His journey started with Chaos, and it would continue with Chaos. Zhou Fan left the manor and journeyed towards the Origin Civilization. He requested protection from interference while he broke through. They were shocked by his cultivation speed, but nodded nonetheless. Zhou Fan began to break through outside of the Origin Civilization. Many formations and arrays were set up around him, with powerful people keeping watch as well. A powerful feeling filled Zhou Fan as his breakthrough began. He did not need any pressure. The pressure faced from the situation within the Origin Era was more than enough. The people surrounding him watched in awe. They too wanted to see how the first person in history entered the ¡ª--- realm. It would benefit them just by seeing it. The commotion also attracted outside attention. Discussion occurred among those who had not allied with Zhou Fan and the Origin Era. "If we don''t attack soon, he''ll reach a strength we cannot contend with. You know how powerful he is within a realm." "So what if he enters the ¡ª-- realm, or even the ¡ª-- realm? We have plenty of time." Differing opinions were made visible, but everyone agreed that Zhou Fan was becoming more and more of a threat. Meanwhile, Zhou Fan''s breakthrough continued. As it furthered, the Rule of Growth appeared. At first, the people surrounding him merely looked at with interest, but the Rule of Growth soon began to give off an incredibly dense light. In mere moments, the Rule of Growth began to pressure all of them. They looked at it in shock and terror. "Is that what I think it is!?" One person shouted uncontrollably. Zhou Fan''s enemies, who were watching from afar, were stunned into absolute silence. "Is-Is that a mastered Rule?!" One of them managed to stutter out. "I thought only a Celestial Emperor could master a Rule?" One said in confusion, doubting everything he knew. "This must be the true path of cultivation, what the prophecy spoke about!" An extremely powerful voice said. Even among all those who had come from the future, the one who spoke was at the absolute peak of strength. "Don''t get any ideas." One of the people surrounding Zhou Fan said. He looked over, and most of Zhou Fan''s enemies stepped back uncontrollably. "I still can''t believe the revered Sword King of Nirvana Gate has joined sides with the First Immortal." Chapter 810: The Rule of Chaos - 810 Chapter 810 - The Rule of Chaos - 810 The Sword King of Nirvana''s Gate was well known even among the most powerful people present. He had gained his title after standing guard at Nirvana''s gate for ten consecutive Sage Years. In that time, countless people had attempted to come through, but he killed each and every one, regardless of how powerful they were. Since this had happened a long time ago, few knew why he had stood guard at Nirvana''s Gate, and why so many people had tried to enter it. It was simply known that even countless years ago, the Sword King of Nirvana''s Gate was a legend. Although some people were tempted to attack, none dared to do so after the Sword King of Nirvana''s Gate''s warning. There was nothing motivating enough for them to do so just yet. Everyone watched as Zhou Fan broke through the barrier, entering a new realm. He felt it, understood its profoundities, and spoke. "I shall call this the Earth Immortal realm." His foundations were as solid as the earth. His power and vitality had enhanced. He felt solid and complete. This was the Earth Immortal realm, which not only represented solidity, but the fact that it is not truly the realm of Immortality, but a lesser version of it. As he spoke the words, everyone around him nodded. This was the name of the realm above the Loose Immortal realm. Even after coming back in time, it seemed that nothing had changed. Just as everyone thought Zhou Fan''s breakthrough was over, a gray light began to shine around him. Turned heads instantly focused back on him. Everyone present could feel an all encompassing, extreme danger originating from that light. Zhou Fan comprehended and created a new Rule on the spot. He reached out his hand, and a gray thread appeared. Although this thread instilled terror into every being nearby, Zhou Fan felt at home. It was as if he was not holding a Rule, but his own parent. He grasped it, and it resonated with him. This was the Rule of Chaos. Chaos Qi had accompanied him at the beginning, and Chaos would accompany him to the end. After comprehending yet another Rule, Zhou Fan''s aura changed once again. Even those two realms above him felt danger. The threat of Zhou Fan was placed on an entirely new level in a single instant. However, nobody attacked. They simply left one by one. Those who had stood guard congratulated Zhou Fan for his incredible breakthrough. Although it did not have any large apparitions like when the Path Creators broke through, it was even more impressive. Many couldn''t help but imagine that Zhou Fan was simply unique, or that no apparition could possibly explain his talent. Zhou Fan took his time and thanked all of them. "As a sign of my side of the agreement, I would like to bestow each of you with something." The Immortals around him were surprised, but nodded. Zhou Fan clasped his hands together, and when he opened them, numerous imprints appeared and shot out. Although they moved slow, for their cultivation at least, and they could have easily dodged them, the Immortals stood still, allowing the imprints to hit them and meld into their body, mind, and soul. Some were naturally more hesitant than others, but as the imprint touched their skin, and they felt their entire being longing for it, they no longer hesitated. As the imprints melded into them, they felt as if an incredible vigor had engulfed their entire body. Even with all their power and knowledge, they struggled to understand what exactly had happened. Zhou Fan took the initiative to explain. "After mastering the Rule of Growth, I am able to increase others'' growth speed. For you all, it should be doubled now." Everyone was astonished. "The Rule of Growth? I''ve never even heard of it." "Neither have I." Many similar words rang out, with some simply shaking their heads. It seemed that even among these powerful individuals, not a single person had so much as heard of the Rule of Growth. One person spoke up among the rest. "There are as many Rules as there are Dao''s in the starry sky. There are surely countless that we haven''t heard of." The man who spoke was known as the Sword King of Nirvana''s Gate, a living legend who had killed numerous ¡ª--- realm cultivators. Even a Celestial Emperor would not dare show disrespect. Hearing his words, everyone nodded in agreement and understanding. Zhou Fan once again thanked them and left. He knew that after this, it was unlikely that his enemies would stay still. His talent had surely alerted them. He could only prepare his counter measures. A few Sage Year''s passed in silence. With the Rule of Growth fully mastered, Zhou Fan was able to increase his cultivation within the Earth Immortal realm rather quickly, though he was still far from the peak. Since he could increase others'' growth speed, he could naturally do it to himself, and it was even more efficient. He also began to increase his mastery over the Rule of Chaos. Due to the fact that he had interacted with Chaos from birth and over countless years, he was able to advance extremely quick, though it would still take a very long time to achieve mastery. It was also worth noting that Monty had awoken and entered the False Immortal realm. He had comprehended the Rule of Devouring. It was extremely powerful. Suddenly, the Universe began to subtly tremble. Zhou Fan sighed and stepped outside of his mansion, entering the starry sky. He saw the sects within the segregated region moving towards the Origin Civilization. Around him, his allies began to appear. "It seems that they can''t hold back." One person said. "It is time to mount a defense. Based on numbers alone, we have no hope of experiencing a victory." Some were calm, while some clearly had doubts. Zhou Fan spoke in an effort to put their worries to rest. "Fear not. I have a method to assure that the strongest among them will not take action just yet." Zhou Fan said. Chapter 811: War is Coming - 811 Chapter 811 - War is Coming - 811 Zhou Fan and his allies made their way towards the Origin Civilization, standing in between it and the approaching enemies. It did not take long for them and their entire sects to arrive. Countless powerful beings were present, though Zhou Fan did not feel as much danger from them as before. That wasn''t to say there was no danger at all, but that he had gotten stronger, and the threshold of feeling danger had increased greatly. With a mastered Rule and the Rule of Chaos, he was confident in fighting three realms above his own. He understood that the strongest beings in the future were known as Celestial Emperor''s. This was not the name of a realm, but a title. He also knew that no Celestial Emperor had come to the Origin Era. Their presence would have destroyed the Universe, just as a few Earth Immortal''s would have done before the Universe''s expansion. The sects stopped not far in front of Zhou Fan and his allies. Some figures stepped out from the sects, while some voices simply traveled from within them. "Move aside. There is nothing to gain by dying with this man." A voice said. It came from a sect located upon a large, demonic skull. Flames filled the air around it, making the average temperature hotter than the sun. None of Zhou Fan''s allies stepped aside. It wasn''t that they were loyal, but that they wouldn''t have come at all if they were going to step aside with a single sentence. None of these people were pushovers, and would not break their agreement without sufficient danger. "Attacking is not going to do anything for you. Simply take back your hostilities, and I''m sure our friend here wouldn''t mind giving you some benefits." One of Zhou Fan''s allies said. "What''s the point in increasing our cultivation if everyone else does as well. This is an opportunity belonging to the one who deserves it most, and that will be me." A figure said. "Nonsense. It will be mine." "I''m afraid I will be taking that." Opposite to Zhou Fan, many voices argued with each other. Zhou Fan finally stepped forward and spoke. "I understand that all of you will be unwilling to back down from this completely, but I would like to help you better understand your situation." Zhou Fan said. All attention turned to him. He was the focus of this entire event. "Since you have all learned that I have mastered a rule, you may understand just how powerful it is. Allow me to explain. If I go all out, I can ensure that you never increase your cultivation by a single realm for as long as you live. Not just you, but your entire bloodline for the rest of eternity. You will be banished from ever growing again." His words caused everyone to be stunned. They had never imagined that he held this power. "How do we know you aren''t bluffing?" A voice asked. "Wanna find out?" Silence reigned over the area. "Perhaps some of you are willing to ignore this threat and attack anyway. In that case, I would like to remind you that the destruction of the Origin Era would not affect most of those in the future. Those who had lived in this time, however, would surely be at least slightly affected. Do you think you will be able to endure their wrath?" Zhou Fan asked. This brought up a thought all of them had been thinking. "Hah! How do you know that anyone from the Origin Era survived to the present day?" A voice asked. "Ying Xiong." Zhou Fan said. It was just a name, only two words, but not a single person spoke again. "Of course, I don''t mean to force you into a corner." Zhou Fan had observed the nature of living beings for countless years. These threats may bring him peace for a time, but there were always some people willing to forego all risks. If someone too powerful disregarded everything and destroyed the Origin Era, Zhou Fan could get his revenge, but he would die, or at the very least, everything he knew would be destroyed. Therefore, he had to give an out. "I only wish to restrict the greatest opponents from interfering. I simply request that all top fighters of the sects do not take action. You can send as many others as you wish." The strongest people who had come to the Origin Era hesitated, but eventually agreed. "There is only one condition." A voice said. Its presence was overwhelming, startling even the top fighters present. "What?" Zhou Fan asked. "The Sword King of Nirvana''s Gate will not participate." Zhou Fan nodded. "That can be done. What do you say?" The Sword King of Nirvana''s Gate nodded. "I naturally have no problem. Since this is a fickle agreement in the first place, I will attack if you are pushed to the edge. I am not one to quit before repaying favors." Zhou Fan nodded his head, and the agreement was formed. Still, although complete annihilation was avoided, great war was on the way. Even he would not be able to end it any time soon. He entered the Origin Civilization and spread the news. War was coming. The Path Creators, who had long entered seclusion, began to come out. Many were deep into the False Immortal realm. Zhou Fan had used the Rule of Growth to ensure that each and every one of them was able to smoothly advance. They had not done much recently, knowing they would have no effect on the overall situation. However, there was now no choice. Mi was also in the False Immortal realm, but had long continued the tradition of passing his knowledge down to generations after him, just as the Sages had done long, long ago. Many cultivators sat at the peak, simply waiting to reach the False Immortal realm. They would be of great assistance in the upcoming wars. Zhou Fan ordered a meeting between all beings within the Origin Civilization, with the goal of preparing for war. Chapter 812: KILL! - 812 Chapter 812 - KILL! - 812 Nobody could skimp out. All beings at or above the Sage Realm exited seclusion, attending the meeting. As for those below the Sage realm, the vast majority listened through screens that transmitted the happenings. Those who weren''t paying attention were truly one in a million. Rather than having the structure of a usual meeting, Zhou Fan stood ahead of everybody, as if he was going to make an announcement. He began to speak, detailing all of the information that many had known, and that many more had been unaware of. Whether they were mortals or gods, the pure truth was passed down to each and every living being within the Origin Civilization. When he was done speaking, he officially declared a state of absolute war. He did not need to do anything else. Those below him would take care of the rest, such as creating armies and preparing weapons. He needed to focus on himself. He prepared himself for war. Standing at the border of the Origin Civilization and the rest of the Universe, Zhou Fan sat on a meteor slowly traveling through space. With him were two beings, Leaf and Monty. They stood back in silence. Zhou Fan stared into space, thinking deeply and honing his mind. Suddenly, movement occurred. The clouds of time, which had remained silent for years, shook. Large, flat pieces of endless land exited. Armies of trillions and quadrillions stood on these pieces of land. Each piece of land was as large as a Universal Sector, and there were ten pieces of land in total. Before the expansion of the Universe, these pieces of land would have covered the Universe. Now, they all fell towards the Origin Civilization. From the sects from the future, powerful beings stepped out. Luckily, the absolute strongest of these sects stayed back. As they approached the Origin Civilization, the pieces of land met and crashed into each other, merging. One large chunk of land larger than the entire Origin Civilization plummeted towards the Origin Civilization. Zhou Fan hesitated no longer. "Come." Leaf transformed into a tree branch shaped like a sword. It fit perfectly into the grip of Zhou Fan. Monty curled around him from his right shoulder to his left hip, biting its tail. The Rule of Devouring entered Zhou Fan, strengthening him. From leaf, the Rule of Tree flowed into him, strengthening him even further. He took the first step, launching towards the large land. His figure appeared in front of the entire Origin Civilization and those from the future. His Earth Immortal realm cultivation burst out, and his two rules displayed their majesty. He seemed like an ant flying towards the sun compared to the piece of land. Even the Path Creators could not help but feel like he would be unable to do anything. Zhou Fan slashed his sword up, officially declaring the start of the war. "Kill!" His sword slash extended infinitely, displaying a power far above the Earth Immortal realm. It directly collided with the piece of land. To the surprise of all watching, when the sword slash and the land collided, the land was cut through like butter. A large slash extended, the sides of it growing with trees, and the debris completely devoured. The armies atop the large piece of land were shocked as well. From the sects, powerful beings shot out to intercept Zhou Fan. He met them head on. These were all powerful beings from the future, each with a higher cultivation than him. There were five in total who took action. One pressed down her hand, and a flower seal appeared above him. Another punched out, and a piercing attack reached him in an instant. Another kicked, sending a condensed circular force towards his head. The remaining two let out similarly powerful attacks. But when Zhou Fan waved his sword, their attacks were reduced to mere shockwaves. He appeared in front of the woman. In front of the entire Universe, he reached into her mouth, which was wide open in shock, and grabbed her spine. With a single pull, he ripped her skeleton from her body, causing blood to splash onto him and float into the distance. He spoke again. "KILL!" This time, nobody dared to stay still. From the Origin Civilization, countless powerful cultivators appeared. They were far more numerous in number than those from the future, but far weaker on average. Zhou Fan did not stop moving after killing the girl. The Rule of Chaos covered his finger as he pierced through one of the attackers forehead, dispersing his body and soul into nothingness. With two sword slashes, the remaining three opponents were completely eradicated. He charged towards the piece of land and his body grew. Using the Rule of Growth, his body became even larger than the Origin Civilization. He grabbed the piece of land and flung it back. At this point, nobody from the future that would be participating held back. Around Zhou Fan, his allies and enemies clashed, with a large portion directly attacking him. Those on the piece of land split into two groups. One group, consisting of a few strong reinforcements, shot towards Zhou Fan, while the rest began to attack the Origin Civilization itself. The Origin Civilization was being attacked by both those from the island and those from the sects that had come long ago. However, they were not helpless. A Path Creator that was known as the Path Creator of Arrays had spent many Sage Years, working with the other Path Creators and even Zhou Fan a few times, and had set up a defense that only now activated. It covered the entire Universe, and its power was unimaginable. It was a masterpiece created by the combined skill and experience of the most powerful people in the Origin Era. It was connected to the Origin Civilization in its entirety, displaying the combined power of every being and thing, Mortal, God, or Immortal. As the Path Creators joined the fray, those from the future were astonished to learn just how powerful they were, despite merely being False Immortals. Chapter 813: Origin鈥檚 Arrival - 813 Chapter 813 - Origin''s Arrival - 813 Every single Path Creator in the False Immortal realm could take on a Loose Immortal. Some could take on those with even higher cultivations, albeit barely. Those who astonished the people from the future the most were Ye Li and the Grand Empyrean. Even among these once in lifetime talents, they stood out as the best of the best. Some were not far from matching up, but those two were the ones of greatest notice. Among the sects from the future, three stood tall above them all. One of those three was based on a large scroll. On a building made of ink atop that scroll, an elderly man stood. He was the most ancient existence among those from the future, one with knowledge of multiple era''s, though his knowledge naturally didn''t extend to the Origin Era. He watched the battlefield, and apart from being astonished by Zhou Fan, who held his own even among the strongest participating, he felt something familiar about a certain Path Creator. When he looked at the Grand Empyrean, he felt something in the back of his mind acting up. "Strange." Eventually, this led to him taking out a pendant. "Akashic Spirit, guide my memories." A strange power flowed from the pendant, entering the man''s brain. Suddenly, something popped up. His eyes didn''t even widen, his face frozen with countless emotions, the most present of which were pure terror and astonishment. He waved his hand, and all those of his sect on the battlefield retreated. This was a noticed movement, as this sect''s members accounted for a large number of combatants, including those attacking Zhou Fan. From the two other top three sects, powerful figures sent their will towards him. "What are you doing, old fool?" A demonic voice asked. The other observed, remaining silent. "I have something to report to the Celestial Emperor. If you dare stop me, go ahead." Nobody spoke another word as his sect retreated. Although going back to the past was something extremely difficult, this particular sect had ties to a Celestial Emperor, and there were certaintly ways to send a will to the past. His retreat still meant that they would no longer be participating in this battle. They sat next to one of the clouds of time, completely dormant. It took a lot of power to send a fraction of temporary will back to the future. The entire sect concentrated its power to best do so. The other two most powerful beings of the top sects paid more attention, but found nothing so incredible they needed to immediately retreat. They warily watched the battle with even more focus than before. Zhou Fan battled enemies far stronger than himself. The strongest of which seemed to be three entire realms above him, and there were many at that level. Anyone stronger than that had stayed in their sects. He had noticed the retreat of one of the biggest sects, and it eased the pressure up on him a lot. He was still battling with his life on the line. Blood had covered him, a mix of his enemies and his own. He and the strongest among the attackers fought on the large piece of land, which was now riddled with holes. Everytime he swung a sword, trees bloomed and enemies were devoured. He was rapidly consolidating himself through this battle, pushing an Immortal Technique he had been preparing to perfection. Days passed, and hundreds of his enemies had died. Many of his allies had as well. After these past days of constant battle, he finally pushed the Immortal Technique to perfection within his mind. This would be the greatest technique he had ever created thus far. He looked back, and two beings he had long given signals to nodded. They shot out of the battlefield, arriving near Zhou Fan in seconds. Each put a hand on Zhou Fan, draining themselves and giving him temporary control over their rules. Their faces quickly paled, and Zhou Fan put them inside of his Chest Universe. "Thank you. Rest up." They nodded, passing out in the Chest Universe from exhaustion. However, Zhou Fan had gained control of two new rules. These rules were perfectly fit to this new technique. They were the Rules of Buddhism and Death. An explosion occurred as Zhou Fan activated his Immortal Technique, sending countless enemies flying back. All eyes once again turned to him, including the strongest of his enemies. A pressure began to radiate out. As the dust settled, Zhou Fan hovered in the air. Behind him, a majestic, infinite tree stood. It was created by the Rule of Tree and the Rule of Growth. At the top, the branches formed something akin to a bird''s nest. Within it was a large sphere, reminiscent of an egg. This was created by the Rule of Chaos. To the left of the tree, a giant Buddhist figure let off a golden light that pressured the battlefield. To the right of the tree, a figure of darkness and death radiated out an equally strong pressure. Wrapped around his body was Leaf, the size of a sapling. Wrapped around his waist was Monty. He no longer held Leaf in his hand, but a river. He did not truly have a name for this technique, but if he had to give it one, he could try. Origin''s Arrival. The pressure radiating off of him was unimaginable. This was less of a technique, and more of a complete transformation. Suddenly, it all disappeared, sucked into his body. This included Leaf, Monty, and the River of Cultivation he had held in his hand. For the first time in a long time, he stood with nothing but himself and the gray robes on him. In an instant, a man attacked from below. Among all of the people Zhou Fan had fought, he had been the strongest. He only wore shorts, and his body was muscular to the extreme. His body was durable, and his attacks had forced Zhou Fan back multiple times. However, when he caught the look in Zhou Fan''s eyes, he was shocked. Utter disdain. "Ant." Zhou Fan said. He took a step forward. A force shot out from his foot, stepping on the man, sending him flying through the piece of land and turning into a bloody chunk of flesh halfway through his descent towards the bottom of the Universe. Chapter 814: The Celestial Emperor - 814 Chapter 814 - The Celestial Emperor - 814 All around him, the war fell silent. The silence lasted a mere three seconds, before countless attacks were thrown at him. Zhou Fan waved his sleeve, and those attacks disappeared without making any sort of scene. He then waved his hand again, and the attacks were redirected at those who had made the attacks. They sent out yet another round of attacks that neutralized the attacks thrown back at them, but Zhou Fan did not stand still. He pointed out a finger, and a force smashed through multiple Earth Immortals. They were killed without resistance. The force of the attacks also hit a few people even stronger than Earth Immortal''s, yet they were killed without resistance as well. The hundreds of enemies aligned into formations and all struck at Zhou Fan, but everytime he attacked, a formation was broken and tens of enemies were killed. Even the weakest was an Earth Immortal. In the two major sects, the leaders'' gazes turned even colder than before. "Go." Both of them said. From each of the sects, one person stepped out. These people were only three realms above the Earth Immortal realm, just as the strongest of Zhou Fan''s enemies, but there was something distinctly different about them as well. "Who would have thought that we would release our Head Disciples at this point in the battle." Both of them were astonished by Zhou Fan''s talent and power. "Should we disregard everything and attack?" The head of the demonic sect asked. "You heard his threat, and I am inclined to believe him. I''d rather give up and retreat for now then attack him." The other person said. She was a woman, and her sect was based on top of a land of ice and snow. The leader of the demonic sect nodded. Zhou Fan completely dominated the battlefield, sweeping his enemies aside one after the other. However, he began to tire. Using this Immortal Technique was naturally draining. If he didn''t end it soon, he would surely suffer major injuries. Suddenly, two powerful figures launched towards him from afar. One had blood and a demonic aura whipping around him, while the other stood on the back of an ice phoenix. Both arrived in front of Zhou Fan in an instant and attacked in unison. Zhou Fan caught their attack with one hand each. He clenched his fingers and crushed them before attacking. As their battle began to take place, Zhou Fan could no longer focus on the others. They went back to battling with his allies, much smaller in number than before. Zhou Fan was one-sidedly suppressing these two, but his transformation was about to start taking a serious toll on him. He went ahead and exited his transformation after pushing them back with a heavy punch. Everything appeared once again. Leaf and Monty were on his body, and he held the River of Cultivation as a sword. He could not use the suppression of cultivation unfortunately. It had gone unsaid, but using it would break the agreement they had set. The fight completely changed. Zhou Fan was being pushed back, though he was just able to resist being completely suppressed. During the fight, the will of the ancient man successfully reached the future. He knew he had a limited time and did not dare wait. Some of his people stationed around the breach quickly sensed him, and after a series of events, he was on a teleportation array. This array was extremely powerful, able to move even between universes. Still, the man took three arrays before arriving at his destination. In the distance was a large palace situated in the middle of a city in space. The palace alone took up half of the city''s space. Flying things and people constantly moved around. There was not a single place without movement of some sort. The old man did not look in awe for too long, quickly making his way towards the palace. At the entrance, he was stopped. "State your business." A guard said. Although merely a guard, he was above the Earth Immortal realm. "I have something urgent to report to the Celestial Emperor. It is something he views with the utmost importance." The guard looked suspicious for a moment before finally realizing who the old man was. "Apologies. If you say it is important, it must be so. Please, continue." The old man nodded and entered the palace. He quickly moved around, going through miles of halls and rooms before arriving at two majestic doors. He knocked three times. Usually, someone would only knock once. However, in times of urgency, knocking three times was customary. The doors opened without hesitation. Inside were a few people, and on a throne, an elegant man. He frowned. "What is it? Why have you sent a will from the Origin Era?" The old man didn''t dare hesitate for a second. "I saw the Grand Empyrean." The Celestial Emperor paused for a moment, before waving his hand. Everyone in the room turned to ash, leaving only him and the old man. The doors closed tightly. The old man felt pressure from the Celestial Emperor, but had expected this response. "Speak. Don''t leave out a single word or speak an unnecessary sentence." The Celestial Emperor commanded. The old man instantly recounted everything he saw down to the last detail. The Celestial Emperor listened in silence. "I see... You can leave." The old man was surprised, but nodded. He left without hesitating, leaving the Celestial Emperor alone in the throne room. He silently stared at the ceiling before speaking. "Master Lu... She has appeared. If you were here to hear this news, I''m sure you would be elated. Where are you, Master Lu? Knowing what I know, I cannot leave things be. You said that heroes could not be forgotten. You are absent, but allow me to go in your stead." In an instant, the Celestial Emperor disappeared. He shot through the Universe, tearing through barriers, before arriving at a crack in time. A voice spoke from beside him. "Do you dare enter?" Chapter 815: Master Lu - 815 Chapter 815 - Master Lu - 815 "Quiet down, lowly ferryman. You know who I am." The Celestial Emperor said. A figure appeared in front of him. It stood on a boat, wielding a scythe. "Of course. You were one of the followers of Lord Lu, who controlled the Nine Heavens and was at one point considered to be the strongest existence throughout history. However, at the end of the last era, he mysteriously disappeared. Now, you are just a Celestial Emperor." The ferryman laughed. The Celestial Emperor looked on indifferently. "Hearing you laugh makes me want to laugh. I still remember the time when Master Lu beheaded the progenitor of your ferryman race in front of the entire Human realm. Thinking of the way he begged like a dog up until the end, it is quite hard for me to take you seriously." The ferryman''s face turned dark as he stared at the Celestial Emperor. "If you go back in time, even you will be forced to stay or die an untimely death attempting to return." "I have business in the Origin Era. When Master Lu returns, he will personally bring me back, and we''ll see if the Master of the River of Time dares take action." The Celestial Emperor suppressed his realm and stepped forward. "You don''t even know if he is alive." The ferryman said. Taking another step, the Celestial Emperor spoke. "During the Race War era, Master Lu single handedly kept humanity from going extinct. From the bottom, he rose to a point that even the most ancient existences could only stare at in awe. You and I both know there is no being in existence capable of quietly killing him. Now that I know the person Master Lu respected most is alive and well in the Origin Era, how could I not go?" His voice faded away as he entered the gap in the River of Time. With a sour face, the ferryman drifted away. In the Origin Era, the battle raged on. It did not seem as though it would be ending anytime soon. The arrays protecting the Origin Civilization held strong. It would not break for a long, long time. Everything was at a stalemate. Suddenly, the clouds of time shook. Everyone looked over. From the sect based on the large scroll, an old man stepped out. A figure stepped out of a cloud of time, and the old man bowed. "Welcome Celestial Emperor." Although his words were quiet, everyone in the Universe could hear them. All fighting ceased. Those from the future bowed towards the Celestial Emperor, while most of those from the Origin Era went pale. To the surprise of everyone except for the old man, the Celestial Emperor waved his hand. "Let the fighting end here today." There was not much hesitation after his words. Here, a Celestial Emperor had the final say, even if he had lowered his cultivation to the same level as the three strongest from the future. He was still invincible. In just moments, everyone from the future retreated. This left those of the Origin Era dumbstruck. The Celestial Emperor headed straight towards the Origin Civilization. His eyes had already found their target. Zhou Fan cautiously watched on as the Celestial Emperor approached the Grand Empyrean. He moved closer, staying only a few thousand feet away. As the Celestial Emperor reached her, he asked a question. "Are you truly the Grand Empyrean?" The Grand Empyrean nodded. The Celestial Emperor took a deep breath and kneeled to the ground. "On behalf of myself, all of humanity, and Master Lu, please accept my kneel." There was not a single person in the Universe who had expected the Celestial Emperor to kneel. Even Zhou Fan was shocked. What had she done in the future to possibly cause a Celestial Emperor to kneel before a False Immortal? "I accept it." The Grand Empyrean said calmly, though even she was clearly a bit shocked. The man thanked her and stood up. "Based on that restriction in your head, I suppose you don''t want to hear about the future." The Celestial Emperor said. The Grand Empyrean nodded. "Then at least allow me to share a quote with you. After your sacrifice, Master Lu wrote it during his mourning." The Grand Empyrean hesitated, but allowed him to speak. "The Grand Empyrean had her own path. No matter what she did, her name was Tai Song, and she would not lose to anybody. Who would have thought that I''d end up missing that crazy woman." Nobody truly understood its meaning, not even the Grand Empyrean. However, the words were layered with so much emotion that it was clear there was story behind it. Even the Grand Empyrean could not help but be curious. "Can you explain a little bit?" She asked. The Celestial Emperor nodded. "The first few times you met Master Lu, it was as enemies, at least from his viewpoint. It seemed as though you had tried to kill him a few times. It was only later he understood you were protecting him. But as time passed, even you could not help but be swayed by Master Lu''s talent and will. In the end, you were the reason humanity avoided extinction. For your sake, I won''t go into specific details." The Grand Empyrean nodded. She seemed lost in thought for a moment before speaking. "I suppose I will learn more in the future, at least if I make it to that future." The Celestial Emperor shook his head. "I''ll make sure everybody knows who you are. Once they learn of your connection to Master Lu, even the Heaven''s themselves wouldn''t dare harm you." "Who exactly is this Master Lu you speak of?" The Grand Empyrean asked. The Celestial Emperor smiled. "He is the Sovereign of the Nine Heavens, and the one who ended the Race War Era." The Celestial Emperor turned around to leave, when something caught his eye. He turned to the side, the atmosphere completely changed. "YOU!" He said. He locked eyes with a Path Creator, the bird known as the Path Creator of Space. Before anyone could react, the Celestial Emperor moved. With the strength to kill any being in the Universe, he punched out, his fury visible. Suddenly, the bird disappeared, reappearing on the other side of the Universe. "What the hell is that maniac''s problem?!" Suddenly, it felt a chill. It teleported across the Universe again, but was constantly chased. Chapter 816: Ceasefire - 816 The bird''s power was the Power of Space, and it had comprehended the Rule of Space. This meant that it could instantaneously move around the entire Universe without issue. However, the Celestial Emperor was able to appear in front of it time and time again. Even Zhou Fan was unable to move this fast, showing just how incredible the scene happening was. Eventually, the bird teleported behind the Grand Empyrean. The Celestial Emperor appeared, but did not attack it. "Why are you attacking him? He is on our side." The Grand Empyrean asked. The Celestial Emperor spoke through gritted teeth. "Do you have any idea what he has done in the future, how many lives were lost due to him?" "It doesn''t matter. This is not the future, and he cannot be held accountable for actions he has not even considered taking yet." The Grand Empyrean said. Despite the Grand Empyrean''s words, the Celestial Emperor hesitated to give up. "Please, just hear me out." "No. I do not want to hear about the future." The Celestial Emperor hesitated, but eventually turned around. "When you regret this in the future, don''t say I didn''t warn you." Although the Grand Empyrean understood that his words had merit, she simply wouldn''t kill the bird for action it had yet to commit. But she would surely pay more attention to it from now on. With the Celestial Emperor leaving the Origin Civilization and the war temporarily over, Zhou Fan had time to plan his next steps. It would take too long to break through, so he needed to think of measures that could be completed in a reasonable amount of time. He first started by strengthening the array that covered the Origin Civilization. Using the Rule of Growth, he strengthened it even more than before. All things inside of the array powered it, and that included the entire Origin Civilization. If Zhou Fan were to enter it while it was activated, it would produce a far stronger power than before. Many other Path Creators took measures as well, but Zhou Fan paid the most attention to Ying Xiong''s measures. He had started it long ago, before Zhou Fan had ever broken into the False Immortal realm, and was only now deciding to complete it. It was not perfect, but it served its purpose. Ying Xiong called his creation the Underworld. It was named after the faction he had created, but it was actually an entire realm that existed at the bottom of the Origin Civilization. Here, the souls of those who had died in the war could be recycled and put to use. Although there were always new souls being created whenever someone was born, Ying Xiong inserted the cycle of reincarnation into this natural process, which increased the birth rate of all beings even further. Although the Celestial Emperor had spoken of a Race War Era, all of the Origin Universe was united in this time. Whether or not it was a human being or otherwise, all were reincarnated after death. This did not mean that they would keep their memories, however. Ying Xiong made sure that every soul that entered the Underworld and went through the cycle of reincarnation was completely wiped clean, essentially starting as a fresh new soul with no connection to its past life. The process wasn''t absolutely perfect, with a few occurrences of memories resurfacing or even completely taking over, but those were far rarer than even one in a trillion. Overall, Ying Xiong''s contributions could not be underestimated in the slightest. He single handedly increased the growth rate of the Origin Civilization''s population by two times. And if he could find some qualified beings to help him out, it could go even faster. It was too bad that none of the current Path Creators were suitable. Ten years passed, when the Celestial Emperor appeared again. "Although I had stopped the war, they are requesting to start it again. Since I don''t want to interfere too much, I must allow them. However, the battle will not be exactly like before. Knowing the strength of the Origin Civilization, they are only sending in those below Immortality, and would hope that you can do the same." The Celestial Emperor explained. Zhou Fan nodded. "It can happen, but since they want to play games, there must be rewards." "That you must negotiate with them." The Celestial Emperor said before leaving. Zhou Fan could roughly estimate their thought process. With Zhou Fan''s contingency plan and the arrival of the Celestial Emperor, who was clearly partial to the Grand Empyrean''s side, they quickly decided that this was no longer worth it. They had little to no chance of obtaining the Origin of Cultivation. And it had reached the point where even a Celestial emperor had gotten involved. They would be stupid to blindly go to war. Plus, with Zhou Fan''s strength and growth, it was quite terrifying to be his enemy. Zhou Fan appeared just outside the Origin Civilizations array, waiting. Soon, two figures appeared. They were the most powerful beings who had come, minus the old man on the scroll. Zhou Fan could clearly tell that he would have no ability to fight them. He could only attempt to run away if they attacked, though he didn''t really have anywhere to run to. Perhaps he could try his luck entering the clouds of time and going through the future River of Time. Although a plan of escape formed in Zhou Fan''s mind, he was outwardly calm. "I heard about your talk with the Celestial Emperor." Zhou Fan said. The two nodded. "We have decided that becoming your enemy is not in our best interest. Consider us not attacking now as a sign of sincerity. However, we must let a bit of battle go on. Otherwise, those from the future would be displeased." The demonic man said. "Aren''t your sects at the top of the food chain?" Zhou Fan asked. "We are at the level below the top." The woman in blue began to say. "There are also the clans that have existed longer than we have records of, and the organizations beneath Celestial Emperors." Chapter 817: Controlled Battlefield - 817 Chapter 817 - Controlled Battlefield - 817 "Due to the fact that there were a limited number of spots available, we were able to bring our sects to the Origin Era. If the Universe expands again, the sects under the Celestial Emperors may take action, though it is not completely certain." The woman explained. "What about the ancient sects?" "It is unlikely that they will participate at all. There are a few which most likely have existed since the Origin Era, and I''d doubt they would come to harm anyone from this time at all." "There are multiple Universes in your time. How many sects on your level are present in each one?" Zhou Fan asked. "There are different levels to different Universes. In the Main Universe, there are many Celestial Emperors, but in other Universes there may not be a single one. On average, there is one sect at our level in each Universe, though there are plenty of Universes without any sect at our level, like the Fire Spirit Universe where the path to the Origin Era first opened up. Only their top sect''s founder is an outlier, which has allowed them to exist even during this chaos." Zhou Fan nodded. "So you want the fighting to continue with those below Immortality?" The two nodded. "How about we make it interesting?" Zhou Fan asked. The two looked hesitant, but let him continue. "I remember a time when a war was happening among two people I watched from above. Their names were Guang Fu and Yao Mun. I want to implement a plan like that. Essentially, there will be targets to take over, and everytime one side takes over a target, the conquering side gets to make a reasonable request. How about it?" Zhou Fan asked. The two looked at each other and nodded. They could naturally imagine the benefits of receiving Zhou Fan''s assistance. After a few more specific details worked out, both sides left. Zhou Fan returned to the Origin Civilization and announced two things. One, those below Immortality would continue to participate in the war. This time it would be different, and there would be many rewards worth all of the bloodshed. Two, those in the Immortal realms needed to begin the expansion of the Origin Civilization with the goal of inhabiting the entire expanded Universe. Despite the fact that those below Immortality were more or less forced to participate in the war, there weren''t many complaints, at least from reasonable people. Zhou Fan had negotiated this from a war where the entire Origin Civilization could be destroyed to a much more structured, reasonable, and beneficial war. In addition, he also allowed Immortal realm beings to participate in the war efforts, they just couldn''t fight. They could get rewards this way as well. On the side of those from the future, they made a similar announcement. This confused many people, but they agreed nonetheless. It would all take place on the large piece of land, which had been destroyed in many parts. Teleportation arrays led to it, and within a few years, a large, bloody war commenced. It was by no means a friendly war. Although the battle to the death had been short, many lives had been lost. A lot of people throughout the Universe had lost family members and people that they loved. Therefore, the battlefield was separated into three portions. One was an area where ordinary war occurred. One was an area where most of the matches were regulated more thoroughly and somewhat in a system of duels. The final area was where the war of hatred was fought. Those on both sides who had either lost people they cared about or simply wanted to kill could be found here. It was also the biggest battlefield and gave the most rewards. The Demon King quickly made a name for himself here. His Power of Slaughter was unusually effective, and he often bestowed others with a bit of it. His power not only increased their strength by large margins, but also increased their killing intent and hatred many times over. Rivers of blood ran rampant in this section. While a deadly war went on, most of the Path Creators began to explore the expanded Universe. Explore wasn''t really the right term, as not much but a bit of dust that had drifted over existed outside of the Origin Civilizations territory. Instead, they expanded the borders. They could do this in many ways. The most common way was headlined by a being known as the Path Creator of Earth, though his true form was that of a mole. He could create large batches of dirt and stone, making him very useful. Luckily, he had recently broken into the False Immortal realm. He wouldn''t have been much use otherwise. Zhou Fan spent all of his time cultivating. The sooner he could break past the Earth Immortal realm, the better for all of the beings in the Origin Era. A time of peace passed for him and most of the Path Creators, though it was very different for those below the Immortal realms. After a few Sage Years passed, the Origin Civilization''s culture had almost completely aligned with the battlefields. All the talents born on any path would one day venture out to the battlefield to prove themselves and earn rewards. Some sects even used sections of the battlefield as training grounds. Millions died everyday, and over the past Sage Years, an unimaginable number of beings had died. Luckily, the natural birth rate of all the people in the Origin Civilization was increasing, and Ying Xiong''s Underworld enhanced it even further. A few legends had been born at this time, among which were some impressive Path Creators. However, none had been great enough to change the balance of the situation. It would be nice if another Path Creator on the level of Ye Li and the Grand Empyrean was born, but that was unlikely. They were talents that transcended the bounds of luck or chance. It was actually possible that nobody like them was ever born again. However, Zhou Fan believed that there would be somebody like that. He was more interested in seeing if someone like him would ever come along. Chapter 818: A Window in Time - 818 Chapter 818 - A Window in Time - 818 Sage Years passed peacefully for Zhou Fan. The war continued on, but all beings had gotten used to it. It was a part of daily life. More notably, Path Creators had started to break into the Loose Immortal realm. It started off with Ye Li and the Grand Empyrean. The third was surprising, with the Demon King being the one to break through next. Not long after his breakthrough, the Celestial Emperor appeared in front of Zhou Fan. He had a thoughtful and unsure look on his face. "Be careful with that Demon King. Although I can''t remember completely, I feel like he is someone I should know. Something about him makes me think of some things Master Lu had told me. Still I can''t quite put my finger on it. Just make sure he doesn''t get the opportunity to harm the Grand Empyrean." The Celestial Emperor said. "I doubt he would be able to do anything to her even if he wanted to, but if you want to ensure her protection, watch over her yourself." Zhou Fan said. The Celestial Emperor shook his head. "I have a feeling that information about my entrance into the Origin Era has begun to spread around the future. Surely the work of that ferryman. Other Celestial Emperor''s may enter as well, though extremely unlikely, and I may not be able to protect her. You may not be human now, but I can tell you were born one." Without waiting a moment, the Celestial Emperor left. He clearly overestimated Zhou Fan''s ability to care about humanity. If he had, the Race War Era he had spoken about would have never happened. He was very open that he would not interfere in the affairs of others. Therefore, even Ye Li, who had technically been a threat to him, had been allowed to live. And if Ye Li had died before maturing, Zhou Fan would not have stepped in to help him. He was not their guardian. It was up to fate. Zhou Fan was around the 5th level of the Earth Immortal realm. His strength had grown greatly. Even if those two head disciples came at him again, he would be able to defeat them. In fact, the only two beings he had any worry about were the two sect masters of the top sects. He would be able to fight anyone else. He continued to cultivate. Suddenly, the fish appeared. Its strength had grown greatly, but it was once again panicked. "Be careful! The future River of Time is doing something again." He yelled at Zhou Fan. Suddenly, something appeared. It covered a large portion of the Universe, looking like a large window. From beyond it, a pair of eyes could be seen. The eyes were filled with ill intent. A power shot through the window, attacking the Origin Era. This level of power was enough to cause the Universe to collapse on itself. Even Zhou Fan could not resist it at all. Suddenly, a voice was heard. "Audacious!" A large river appeared, and Zhou Fan could faintly see a fish inside of it. It looked extremely similar to the green fish. However, its strength was unimaginable. The Universe twisted and turned as the Power of Time bursted out, completely submerging the power that went through the mirror, and attacking the being. Its eyes widened and it backed away. "Weren''t you injured by that Lu brat?" It said in confusion. "Injured or not, you have never been my match, trash." The fish said. Like a bubble, the entire scene disappeared. Everyone, even the Celestial Emperor, was shocked speechless. The green fish, which had just been yelling, looked on in awe and admiration. Zhou Fan merely shook his head. It seemed that the fish had grown much stronger in the future. However, it had for some reason been injured by the man known as Lord Lu. This Lord Lu seemed to be an extremely important character in the future, at the center of many events. Perhaps he was someone even Zhou Fan would see as an equal. He found it unlikely, but the thought of it made him more interested in the future. With the random event over, Zhou Fan focused on cultivation once again. Many events occurred outside of his seclusion, but he didn''t pay them any attention. The Origin Civilization soon grew to encompass an even larger portion of the Universe. The population grew countless times. Cultivation and the other paths were flourishing like never before. However, with invaders residing in the Universe, it was impossible for there to be peace for too long. One day, a figure appeared in front of the two most powerful invaders. They had simply been chatting, but his presence alarmed them. He was merely a False Immortal, someone they could crush like an ant ten times over, but upon laying eyes on him, they straightened their backs. "It seems you two haven''t been taking this seriously at all. You were supposed to take the Origin of Cultivation, but have not at all progressed on that goal. Instead, you seem to have formed an alliance with the enemy." The new arrival said. "I fail to see how that interests the Sword Sect." The woman said coldly. "We are from the same time period. Against another time period, all of our interests align." "We are already receiving benefits. There is no need for us to do anymore." The man said. "If you wish to use us, you will find yourself falling flat on your face. None of your powerful Sword Sect cultivators can come here due to the Universal limits being pushed to the maximum. And even if you could, how many would condemn themselves to staying here?" The False Immortal of the Sword Sect shook his head. "The ignorant are brave. Our Sword Sect had no intention of getting involved at first, but we learned a piece of news that aroused all of our interests." "And what is that?" The man said. "The Origin of Cultivation is connected to Lord Lu of the Nine Heavens." Chapter 819: Another Prophecy - 819 This news shocked the two. If that was the case, then things had completely changed. Anything relating to Lord Lu of the Nine Heavens would cause even the strongest of Celestial Emperor''s to be involved. Even the ancient sects such as the Sword Sect would move out. Lord Lu was not only an extremely powerful being who had disappeared, but the most talented person ever recorded. Even someone like the King of the Underworld, Ying Xiong, could only admit his inferiority. "How could he be connected to the Origin of Cultivation when he hasn''t even been born yet. Besides, the Origin of Cultivation is not an object, but a man with talent exceeding anything I''ve ever seen." The False Immortal from the Sword Sect shrugged. "I''m not powerful enough to know all the details. However, I have been sent to warn you. Do not let the Origin of Cultivation get too strong, and do not take him for yourselves. Even if you instantly become a Celestial Emperor, you won''t know how you died." The False Immortal from the Sword Sect did not give them a chance to reply. He walked off without concern. The two looked at each other before speaking. "We need to consult with the Celestial Emperor." They set out, and in just a few minutes, found him. He was sitting on a barren planet, completely without life. This was one of the planets used in the expansion of the Origin Civilization. When he saw the two coming towards him, he sighed and sat down his drink. "What do you want?" "Someone from the Sword Sect just visited us." The Celestial Emperor sat straight up. "About what?" "According to him, the Origin of Cultivation is in some way connected to Lord Lu of the Nine Heavens." This news made the Celestial Emperor''s eyes widen. "How so?" "We don''t know. He said that he didn''t know that much information. He just warned us and left." The woman said. The Celestial Emperor frowned. "Where is he?" The two looked at each other before speaking. ¡ª------------------------------------------------- Moments after issuing the warning, the man from the Sword Sect entered the Origin Civilization. Being among such weak cultivators made him feel good. It was hard being in the Sword Sect, where he was at the bottom of the bunch. He was just about to have some fun, when someone appeared in front of him. For a split second, he frowned and was about to speak, but as he felt the imposing aura and saw the man''s face, he quickly shoved it back down his throat. "Hello, Celestial Emperor." The Celestial Emperor did not respond, pushing his hand down. The man fell to his knees, unable to move. His gaze changed. Fear filled his face. "How dare you!" He said. "I am a representative of the Sword Sect." "Quiet down before I kill you." The Celestial Emperor said. "You have brought information about Master Lu and expect me not to find you?" Although suppressed, the False Immortal slowly regained his arrogance. "If you dare harm me, the Sword Sect will slaughter you." "This involves Master Lu, and you think your Sword Sect can weather this storm calmly? Do you think the Nine Heavens Universe doesn''t exist anymore?" The man''s face changed. "You cannot represent the Nine Heavens Universe!" "I was a follower of Master Lu. If your Sword sect tries to take revenge against me in a situation involving Master Lu, the Nine Heavens Universe will wipe you from the face of the Universe, ending your nearly infinite lineage." The Celestial Emperor''s words finally got the man to shut up. "Now speak. Tell me everything you know, and you might just be able to leave with your life." The representative of the Sword Sect hesitated before nodding. "Fine. This information came from the same source that the news of the Origin Era''s opening came from." "That Old Prophet?" The Celestial Emperor asked. "Yes. He spread this news around all of existence, making it well known. Even the Nine Heavens Universe should have received this information, albeit a bit later than our Sword Sect. It is not just our Sword Sect that sent me, but a coalition of ancient factions. Nearly the entire Origin Universe has made movements." The Celestial Emperor narrowed his eyes. The Origin Universe was the first Universe to exist, and in fact the very Universe he was standing in right now. It was the most powerful Universe and housed the most ancient and terrifying factions. Only the Nine Heavens Universe, founded by Master Lu, was able to stand up as its equal. "I truly don''t know any of the specifics. Even what they plan to do with the Origin of Cultivation is unknown to me." The Celestial Emperor fell deep into thought before waving his hand. You can go, but don''t make any noise or I''ll kill you. Without a word, the False Immortal left. After thinking further, the Celestial Emperor left. In a single second, he appeared in front of Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan looked over at him. "It seems you are far more important than I believe. You are even connected to Master Lu in some way." Zhou Fan shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose there must be some new news." "Another prophecy has been released. In some way, you must be connected to Master Lu." The Celestial Emperor said. "I doubt it. Explain what you know about him, and maybe I can help a bit." Zhou Fan said. The Celestial Emperor nodded. "Since you have naturally never met Master Lu, I can only explain some of his defining features you may recognize. He had a talent in many forms of Qi and followed the path of Cultivation. He most likely had a Divine Physique relating to the Universe, as one of his most well known moves was called Universe in the Chest..." Zhou Fan stopped him there. "Universe in a chest? As in a Universe inside of his body?" The Celestial Emperor nodded. "It seems there is some sort of connection between us then." Chapter 820: Going to the Future - 820 Chapter 820 - Going to the Future - 820 Explain more about this Lord Lu." Zhou Fan said. The Celestial Emperor nodded and explained in depth. However, no matter how much he spoke, Zhou Fan could not see any other similarities. "Your knowledge about him is full of holes." Zhou Fan said. It was clear that the Celestial Emperor didn''t know very much. "Back then, I was just an ordinary follower, one of trillions and quadrillions. To be honest, it would almost be more accurate to call me a fan. However, I am one of the few from that era that exist today, and have even become a Celestial Emperor." Zhou Fan shrugged his shoulders. It seemed there was nothing else he could learn about this Lord Lu. Seeing Zhou Fan turn away, the Celestial Emperor warned him. "This is far more important than you think. The people coming are far more terrifying than a Celestial Emperor. If I could display my full strength, I could easily kill you, but these people could easily kill me at my peak. They may even have ways to display their strength without causing the Universe to collapse or forcefully expand the Universe." Zhou Fan fell into thought. It seemed that the situation really was becoming perilous. "So do you have a suggestion or are you still useless?" The Celestial Emperor ignored his rude words and spoke. "I can only suggest one thing. You must go to the future, travel to the Nine Heavens Universe, and meet with Shen Ce." "Who is Shen Ce?" Zhou Fan asked. "When Master Lu began to help humanity truly fight back during the Race War Era, she was an extremely important person. Her Innate Talent allowed her to spread eyes all over the Universes and command countless soldiers. She served directly by his side, and if you can meet with her, I am sure she could help you understand your connection to him, and perhaps find a way for you to solve this problem." The Celestial Emperor explained. "There are two issues. One, how could I go to the future? Two, why would Shen Ce help me?" Zhou Fan asked. "For the first issue, I can almost certainly confirm that the reason someone cannot go to the future is not a natural occurrence, but something done by the Master of the River of Time. Master Lu once fought and injured the Master of the River of Time. Perhaps the Master of the River of Time won''t attack you since you are from this era, and I also have a suspicion that that green fish is the very Master of the River of Time I am talking about." The Celestial Emperor said. Zhou Fan nodded. He had somewhat guessed as much. "As for Shen Ce, tell her I sent you and show her the Universe in your Chest. I am sure that she will help you then." Zhou Fan fell into thought. If what the Celestial Emperor said was true, then the Origin Era was on the verge of extinction, even if they were completely unaware. Soon, countless powerful beings would descend upon them. Their fate would then be completely outside of their control. After just a few minutes, Zhou Fan nodded. "I suppose I will take a trip to the future and see what I can do. In the worst case scenario, the Origin Era is destroyed, and I take revenge in the future." The Celestial Emperor nodded. "Good luck. I will watch over the Origin Era while you are gone. For the sake of Master Lu, I do hope you survive this journey." Zhou Fan set off. He first visited the green fish. It was surprised to see him visit. As always, it was struggling to wrest control of the River of Time. "What can I do for you?" It asked. Zhou Fan appeared in front of it. "Forgive me." He grabbed it, and with his finger, carved into its scales. It was frightened and confused, but did not dare to resist. At the end of his carving, Zhou Fan connected a thread to him and the carving. The carving slowly faded away from the fish''s scales, but the fish could feel it was still in effect. "I don''t know if this is necessary or if it will be effective, but know that this formation allows me to instantly kill you, and its power grows whenever I break through. Luckily, it can also serve as a lifesaver for you." The green fish nodded, not understanding what was going on. Zhou Fan did not explain any further, leaving. He headed directly towards one of the clouds of time. He entered it, and in the distance, he could sense the existence of an infinite river. Without hesitation, he stepped into that river. He did not know where it would take him, but it would be some point in the future for sure. After all, it had only recently been created in the Origin Era. He felt as if countless years, yet also an instant, had passed in a moment. Suddenly, it all froze. The River of Time stopped moving, and Zhou Fan stood on top of it. In front of him, a green fish with long whiskers appeared. "Green Fish." Zhou Fan said calmly. The fish was silent for a moment before speaking. "I''ve been meaning to thank you. That formation you carved into me pissed me off for countless years, but just as you had said, it managed to save my life when that Lu punk attacked me." Zhou Fan felt as though he had found an opportunity. "Can you tell me about him?" The fish trembled before speaking. "I really don''t dare. You are all powerful and talented, but he struck far more fear into me. After all, you never attacked me, he beat me to near death. If I speak about him, I fear he might appear and beat me again." Zhou Fan wanted to pressure him, but seeing the fish trembling so strongly, he didn''t. "Then at least send me to the correct point in the future." The fish nodded. "Once again, thank you. And good luck. I took action to protect the timeline once, but there may be many more attacks in the future. I will do what I can." With that, Zhou Fan felt the River of Time move again. Chapter 821: Fire Spirit Sect - 821 Zhou Fan senses were completely blocked off. Only the feeling of drifting along the river could be felt. Before he knew it, a new scene filled his mind. In front of him was space, space so infinite that he could not see or sense the end of it. He instantly came to the conclusion that this was the future. There was no other plausible explanation. And with the fish''s assurance, he knew that this was the future corresponding to his time. Nobody was around. There were a few planets in the distance, but everything else was rather far away. There was a lot more open space than in most places in the Origin Civilization. However, the power level here was also on another level entirely. Zhou Fan was also able to sense that Fire Qi was denser here than any of the other Qi''s. It was only by about double, but it was noticeable to someone like him, who had been living in a balanced environment for so long. "I suppose I should ask for directions to the Nine Heavens Universe." Zhou Fan muttered. Even in this time, he was by no means weak. He traveled around quickly. Before long, he made it to the nearest planet. This place was nothing special. The strongest being was merely a True God. He expanded his Divine Sense and examined every aspect of the world, but there was little information about other planets or the Universe itself. He left, moving towards a large area in the distance that seemed to hold much more powerful beings. It did not take long to reach it with his speed. This place was not a single planet, but a gathering of planets similar to a galaxy. Zhou Fan expanded his Divine Sense to cover it in its entirety. The level of power was much stronger here, with a High Sage existing. It also had much more information about the Universe in its entirety. After spending a few minutes scanning everything, he set off. He was heading towards the strongest sect in this Universe, the Fire Spirit Sect. Its founder, who had survived to this day, was someone at the level below that of a Celestial Emperor. With the restriction on his mind, the name of the realm never so much as entered his brain. It took him a full minute to reach the sect, and although he hadn''t been moving at full speed, this was already incredible. It showed just how much bigger this Universe was than even the expanded Universe of the Origin Era. When he arrived at the sect, he instantly sensed a few powerful people. In his estimations, there were around three people that could truly threaten his life, which meant possibly killing him even if he tried to run away. One was naturally the founder. Zhou Fan suppressed his cultivation and entered the sect. The sect was divided into two sections. One was more like a city, and an extremely large one at that. It held trillions of people inside. The other part was the true sect. After reading a few people''s memories, he learned that only Inner Sect disciples and higher could enter the true sect, while Outer Disciples had to remain in the city, though they mostly lived near the entrance to the Inner Sect. Since Zhou Fan''s goal was to get information about the Nine Heavens Universe, which he assumed was something not commonly known about, he decided to target an elder of the sect. From what he had learned, even the weakest elder should have Earth Immortal realm cultivation. Luckily, someone like that was an ant to Zhou Fan. The only issue was capturing and reading the elders'' memories without being caught. He spent a few weeks traveling around the Outer Sect area, learning about the elders and their connections. He managed to narrow it down to the best target. A relatively seclusive elder, though he had an important role. He was the main pill creator for the sect. Zhou Fan had learned that in this era, cultivation pills were of great importance. The only reason he didn''t see them used in the Origin Era was because it was hard to bring such things through the river of time. Only special artifacts or other unique items could be brought, and they were usually damaged and weakened by the journey. Pills were entirely destroyed almost 100% of the time. Still, although the elder was important, it wasn''t enough for someone to keep constant watch of him inside of the sect, which was extremely safe. This was even less likely to happen due to the fact that he enjoyed his privacy. The elder in question resided on a mountain at the edge of the Inner Sect. Zhou Fan set up a teleportation array just outside of the walls of that section just in case. With enough time to set it up properly, he was able to make sure it would work perfectly. There was nothing left to prepare. Using his Power of Cultivation, he was able to make his cultivation completely disappear. Even if someone far stronger than a Celestial Emperor appeared they would not be able to see through it. He used Clear Qi to make himself completely invisible to the surroundings, and quietly made his way onto the mountains. Since he had created cultivation, and was sensitive to all manner of things relating to it, he was able to tell that all entrances to the mountain were layered in countless arrays, many of which would injure even him. These were not just on the ground, but connected to the air. Only one safe path existed, something intentionally added, though none besides Zhou Fan would be able to casually see through it. He was able to easily make his way to the peak of the mountain following the path. Upon reaching the peak, he saw a cave. It was shrouded in darkness so that even he could not see it. He could only sense a presence behind it. He silently walked up to the cave entrance. He looked closely, and the darkness shrouding the cave was connected to an alarm system. Without some sort of key or token, there was no way to sneak past it. Zhou Fan regretted not bringing the space bird, who would be able to teleport him inside without issue. Chapter 822: An Envelope - 822 Chapter 822 - An Envelope - 822 Zhou Fan considered simply breaking through it and making a run for it, but an idea sprang into his mind. The Rule of Growth appeared on his fingertip. He began to use it to change the darkness covering the cave entrance, essentially compressing its growth. A hole began to open up, when Zhou Fan saw something beyond it. Some sort of sensory array was right behind it. As soon as the gap opened, it was triggered. It was a double trap, something Zhou Fan hadn''t expected. Without hesitation, he smashed the restrictions covering the cave, startling the elder inside. He grabbed the elder by the neck and flew away. He barely took a step before an overwhelming presence could be felt from the center of the sect. It was not the founder, but one of the other two strongest beings. Since there was a spatial restriction covering the entire Inner Sect, Zhou Fan was unable to directly teleport to the array. However, he moved incredibly fast. He appeared on top of the array in moments. At the same time, a hand appeared behind him. However, the teleportation array activated, and Zhou Fan disappeared. The array instantly destroyed itself. A man appeared, a deep frown on his face. Before long, another person appeared. "What happened?" He asked. "Someone just kidnapped the Pill Elder." The other man''s face turned dark as well. "Should we report to the founder?" "He already knows." "Who could have done it?" "Surely one of the sects from other Universes. As for what they wanted with the Pill Elder, I have no idea." Suddenly, another figure appeared. "Drop it." The two instantly quieted down, confused. They couldn''t understand why the founder wasn''t in a rage. The founder spoke. "That person had the aura of the Origin Universe surrounding him. We can''t casually make enemies with anyone from there." His words caused the two to nod in understanding. No matter how big of a loss this was, they could only endure. The Fire Spirit Universe had already become the center of attention across all of existence. It was unlikely their sect would even exist for much longer considering the beings soon to get involved with the release of news mentioning Lord Lu of the Nine Heavens. Zhou Fan appeared far away from the Fire Spirit Sect. Even the sect''s powerful founder couldn''t tell where he had gone, which showed just how far away he had moved. The Pill Elder was bewildered. He looked around, not knowing what to say. "I just have a few questions. Answer them truthfully, and I can even let you go." Zhou Fan said. He had no need to keep the elder if he got what he needed. The Pill Elder slowly nodded. "How can I get to the Nine Heavens Universe?" He asked. The Pill Elder spoke. "You''d have to go through a series of teleportations. I can tell you how to get there, but the Nine Heavens Universe is not something that can be casually entered. Unless you have citizenship or are a Celestial Emperor, good luck. Even our sect''s founder would struggle to get in. As for forcing your way in, even a Celestial Emperor wouldn''t know how they died." Zhou Fan nodded. "Tell me how to get there." The Pill Elder quickly explained the teleportation path he would have to take. Zhou Fan memorized it and left. He put an hour-long restriction on the Pill Elder to ensure that he wouldn''t tell the Fire Spirit Sect''s founder about his soon to be whereabouts. Zhou Fan was able to move rather quickly even in this expanded Universe. Within ten minutes, he arrived at a "Teleportation Hub". He had to admit it, Ying Xiong''s idea was genius. This was something that existed even multiple Era''s in the future. Zhou Fan had never expected the design to last so long, though he was sure that nobody knew who had created it. He arrived, and the area was bustling. Every single person here was an Immortal of some sort. There were surely a bunch of powerful people keeping watch. Zhou Fan observed the area, and he saw two types of payment. One was using some stones, and the other was using a card. He imagined the stones were some form of Spirit Stones, which he did not keep on him. Naturally, he didn''t have a card either. Despite that, he looked around. Before long, he spotted the teleportation array he was supposed to take. This array was extremely advanced and clearly held in higher regard than the others. He assumed it was because this array was used to travel between Universes. He was just about to start considering how he was going to get the money necessary to use the teleportation array, when a man in a suit appeared in front of him. Zhou Fan hadn''t even been able to see how he had appeared. One instant he wasn''t there, and the next he was. The most noticeable feature of the man was a pair of wings on his boots. He looked directly at Zhou Fan. "Excuse me, sir. Are you Mr. Zhou Fan?" Zhou Fan nodded. The man looked through his bag and grabbed an envelope. He then handed it to Zhou Fan. "Here you are. Have a great day." Zhou Fan was naturally surprised at this development, but opened the envelope nonetheless. A letter and a card were inside. "Dear Zhou Fan, I sensed your presence and put some pieces together. Although I have long ceased to participate in any matters regarding them, I am still the owner of the Teleportation Hubs across the Universe. This should help you move around. My regards, Ying Xiong." Zhou Fan chuckled and pulled a card out of the envelope. It didn''t come as too much of a surprise. Ying Xiong was surely far more powerful than he could imagine at this point. Zhou Fan took the card and walked up to the Teleportation array he was supposed to take. "Card or Stones?" An attendant asked. Zhou Fan held up the card. The attendants eyes widened with utter disbelief before he kowtowed on the ground. "My mistake, your highness. Please continue." Zhou Fan shrugged his shoulders and stepped onto the array. Chapter 823: Entrance to the Nine Heavens Universe - 823 Chapter 823 - Entrance to the Nine Heavens Universe - 823 In just moments, the teleportation array activated. Zhou Fan was sent directly to his first destination, another teleportation hub. He stepped out. It was just like the other teleportation hub before he showed his card. The attendants were very casual. Zhou Fan stepped off of the array and looked for the next array he needed to take. He found it, and although this one didn''t connect different universes, it went from end to end of this universe. He arrived, and after showing his card, the attendants freaked out and sent him on his way immediately. Like this, he was able to quickly move his way through around 15 teleportation arrays. He did not feel any discomfort despite the constant teleportations due to his vast experience in teleporting. The next time Zhou Fan appeared, it was not inside of a teleportation hub. He was in a large hall. Lining the sides were banners and statues. The place was almost empty, with just a few people walking around and looking at the statues, most likely tourists. There were also some guards. Zhou Fan walked down the long, giant hall countless times bigger than him. Every single statue he walked past gave off an imposing aura at least that of a Celestial Emperor, and there were hundreds, maybe even a thousand of these statues. And further down, statues that gave off even more unfathomable and powerful auras could be seen. At the very end of the hall was a statue of a man sitting on a throne. The man did not give off any feeling at all, the only statue that did not. However, the detail it was carved with was exact down to the molecule. It was made with the utmost care, and hundreds of beings surrounded it. Ten were guards, each of them unfathomably powerful. The others were all kowtowing to the statue in reverence. An orange halo with points in the four cardinal directions was on top of the statue''s head, though the rest of the statue was carved with grey stone. An entrance was present under the statue, though the guards guarded it closely. Zhou Fan walked up. He made it close to the statue when one of the guards stopped him. "State your intent." The guard''s cultivation was far above anyone he had ever met. At the very least, he was equal to the founder of the Fire Spirit Sect, someone just below the Celestial Emperor realm. "I am here to enter the Nine Heavens Universe." "Stay put, and a representative will be out shortly." Zhou Fan only waited for five minutes before someone came out. Unlike the guard, this woman was very respectful. "Please come with me. I will take you to a private room." Zhou Fan followed her to the side Inside of the room were two couches facing each other. Holding a clipboard in her hand, the woman began to ask questions. "What is your name?" "Zhou Fan." "Where are you from?" Zhou Fan thought about it for a moment, but decided to lie. "The Fire Spirit Universe." "Why do you want to enter the Nine Heavens Universe?" "To seek out an audience with Shen Ce." The woman looked up from her clipboard. "Sorry. What was that?" "To seek an audience with Shen Ce." The woman looked at him in disbelief before shaking her head. "Are you a representative of someone?" "No." "Are you a Celestial Emperor?" She asked doubtfully. "No." "Were you or someone within the last ten generations of your bloodline born in the Nine Heavens Universe?" "No." The woman tilted her head and looked at him. "Do you know how this works?" Zhou Fan shrugged his shoulders. "Well since you haven''t answered yes to the previous questions, there is only one way for you to enter the Nine Heavens Universe. You must take a test designed by one of Lord Lu''s disciples." "I guess that then." "Alright. But just understand that only two people in history have passed this test. It is adjusted to your cultivation level, but that doesn''t mean it is passable at all." Hearing her words gave Zhou Fan even more confidence than before. If it was only crossing realms to fight, then he would do so with ease. Zhou Fan followed the woman outside of the room and to the left leg of the statue of Lord Lu. There was a gate. "Go ahead and enter." Zhou Fan nodded and opened the door. Inside was nothing but darkness. He stepped in, and the door closed behind him. The scenery all around him changed. Suddenly, he heard a voice. "Brought to you in part by the Master of Illusions. Change your closet into a realm of your creation! 10% off for a limited time! OnlyAvailableInParticipatingUniverses." The voice left quickly, and the scenery completely shifted around him. Mountains appeared, and another voice sounded. "Kill all enemies that appear to pass." It was a simple instruction. A power examined his cultivation and determined that he was at the sixth level of the Earth Immortal realm. The ground around him broke, and thousands of ants attacked him. Each and every one had the defense of an Earth Immortal and the attack power of a Loose Immortal. For an ordinary Earth Immortal, dealing with one, two, or even three would be easy. However, once the number reached ten, it became annoying, and at a hundred, it was possible to die. With the thousands here, no ordinary Earth Immortal could hope to survive. Zhou Fan stopped his foot, and spikes shot out of the ground. Each and every ant was pierced, dying on the spot. He heard a clicking sound, and the ground broke once more. A hundred giant mechanisms appeared, each one as strong as fifty of the previous ants combined. This was far harder than the last level. Zhou Fan waved his hand twice, and the mechanisms collapsed into spare parts. A clicking sound was heard. Ten humanoid beings dressed in golden armor wielding golden bows appeared in the sky. Each one seemed strong enough to pass the last round. Chapter 824: The Master of Grass - 824 Chapter 824 - The Master of Grass - 824 In an instant, they released hundreds of arrows. A bubble appeared around Zhou Fan, and all of the arrows within its grasp halted. In the future, he was once again able to use the power of time. He flicked his hands, and the arrows flew back, piercing the figures in gold. A clicking sound was heard, and a crack extended across the entirety of the ground. Three giant dragons appeared from within the mountains. One represented fire, another ice, and the final one lightning. Each of these dragons were enough to kill all ten of the golden figures alone. Zhou Fan rotated his hand, and a ring of fire appeared around him. As the dragons got close, the ring of fire exploded, decimating them on the spot. Everything fell silent for a full minute. Then, a clicking sound was heard again. In the skies, a person appeared. Zhou Fan could tell he was extremely old, but he had a youthful body. "Impressive. Now, take one of my clone''s attacks, and you have passed." The clone readied itself before punching out. The force was incredible, and the illusionary world began to crack. However, it was far too weak. Zhou Fan lightly punched out, and the attack was decimated. The force of his punch continued, sending the clone flying back. Despite that, it had no reaction. It was clearly following instructions and didn''t have any sort of intelligence at all. But since Zhou Fan was still alive, the clone dissipated, and the world followed. A medal appeared, and Zhou Fan grabbed it. The dark room once again appeared behind him. He walked back towards where he came, exiting the door. The woman was waiting outside. "Don''t feel ashamed to have failed so fast. You lasted longer than many others who have come before you." In response, Zhou Fan held out his hand and opened it. A medal hung from his fingers, and when the woman saw it, she fell deathly silent. Not far away, the chatter of guards and the sounds of prayer fell silent as well. All of them looked at Zhou Fan with awe. The silence lasted for a while before an old man ran over. "Esteemed sir! I apologize for the delay. Please, come with me. You are more than qualified to enter the Nine Heavens Universe." Zhou Fan nodded and followed the panicked old man through the gateway below the statue of Lord Lu. Even after he left, no sound could be heard for hours. Into the passageway was not a regular teleportation array, but a bright gateway. "This is a more advanced version of the teleportation array. These are still widely used for short distance teleportation, but it is near impossible to find one that can facilitate travel between Universes. Please, follow me." The old man stepped into the bright light and disappeared. Zhou Fan also walked through. When he exited, he found himself in a vast starry sky. It was mostly just space with some stars, but ahead was an extremely large city. The city was so large that it could not even be described in words. It was far bigger than the entire Universe of the Origin Era. This city was the only thing in this Universe. "Welcome to the Nine Heavens Universe." The old man said. "The city ahead was at one point the last stronghold of humanity. Without these walls you see, there would be no more humanity in this Universe. Eras have changed, but this city remains the same nonetheless. Since you seem to be unfamiliar with all of this, allow me to act as your guide. What is your destination?" "I need to speak with Shen Ce." Zhou Fan said. The man was clearly surprised, but nodded. "Using that medal, you have the authority to request an audience with just about anyone in the Nine Heavens Universe." They began to walk forward, and as they did so, the old man shared some facts with Zhou Fan. "That entrance gate you see ahead was once known as the Eternal Gate. Nobody was allowed to pass through it, save for the three strongest beings of that time. Anyone who had tried was met with a violent and quick death. This was naturally before Master Lu was even born. However, one day, someone visited from a Universe that had existed closely with the Nine Heavens Universe, a Universe seen as subordinate to the Nine Heavens Universe. This man was known as the strongest in that Universe, yet extremely reclusive. So reclusive many even in his own Universe thought of him as a myth. Yet he appeared, and when he walked through these gates, nobody dared stop him. The three strongest didn''t get involved because they had no interest, and it seemed that the man had many secrets. As for those guarding the gate, those who were among the strongest below the three supreme beings, they felt an intense sensation of death at the thought. He is one of five people to ever walk through that gate during that time period. The first three were naturally the three supreme beings, and the last one, much later, was Master Lu. Now, we can freely walk through of course." Zhou Fan nodded. It was a good story, even if there were many details missing. The guide added a note at the end. "Unfortunately, that man, known as the Master of Grass, died in the Race War Era. He was someone that Master Lu respected immensely, even if I only have surface level knowledge of all that. If you get the chance, I recommend you ask Shen Ce about the Master of Grass. She may know a bit more, and perhaps the information you learn can help you out with whatever quest you''re on." Zhou Fan nodded. He would consider it. The old man spoke until they made it through the gate. There was nobody guarding it. Although there were large walls and a gate, the inside of the city was not much different from the outside, the only difference being the existence of many planets, sects, and large natural phenomena. "I''ll guide you to Shen Ce now." The old man said. Chapter 825: The Human Domain - 825 Chapter 825 - The Human Domain - 825 Zhou Fan followed the old man as he guided him towards a teleportation hub. Even here, they were popularized. There were not as many teleportation destinations within this hub as there had been in the many others Zhou Fan had used along the way. "Unlike in the other Universes, the Nine Heavens Universe''s main teleportation hubs are always connected to only five destinations. One leads to each direction of the walls, and the last leads to the Ninth Heaven, the main hub of the Nine Heavens Universe. It is there where Master Lu grew to prominence within the Nine Heavens Universe. It actually did not originally exist, but upon the merging of two Universes, the original Nine Heavens Universe and Master Lu''s home Universe, the one where the Master of Grass came from, this space was one of many formed. It is large enough to hold many Superclusters." Zhou Fan nodded. Since this was the future, even the merging of Universes didn''t seem like anything too special. How hard could it be? From the way he spoke, it may even have been a natural process. They entered the teleportation hub and stepped onto the teleportation array in the center. A light flashed, and when Zhou Fan opened his eyes, he saw a bustling space. There was very little space without anything in it. Flying vehicles could be seen everywhere. In the distance, vast structures could be seen, and most noticeable of all was a particular space. It was about the size of a Supercluster, yet it was much more spaced out than most of the other places. However, it was clear that this place functioned on a different level entirely. Zhou Fan could sense a level of power subtly coming from that direction that he had never felt before. Even a Celestial Emperor was far inferior. And in one part of the space was a sect far larger than many galaxies. "It is hard not to spot the Ninth Heaven Sect even from this far away. Come, that is our destination." The old man said. He waved his hand, and a shuttle moving nearby came towards them. "Need a ride?" The driver said. The old man nodded. "As close to the Ninth Heaven Sect as you can get us." "I can''t get you very close, but I''ll do just as well as anybody else." Zhou Fan and the old man sat in the shuttle, and it began to move at speeds even faster than that of an Earth Immortal. Even Zhou Fan felt he could barely match this speed using every ounce of strength. His shock was evident on his face. "It may seem fast, but every shuttle can move at this speed. This is based on the Universal Network that connects the Ninth Heaven all around. This was originally a creation of some of Master Lu''s enemies, but upon their defeat, he seized it and improved it. Now, even a mortal can move faster than Immortals." Zhou Fan could barely understand it himself. It was simply beyond his level of power. Perhaps even a Celestial Emperor would be helpless to understand. The shuttle quickly stopped just outside of the space Zhou Fan had noticed earlier. "Welcome to the Human Domain." The old man said. "This is where Master Lu first started his cultivation journey, before the Universes merged of course. We need to go to the admissions office." They headed towards a building just outside of the space. There was a large line to enter, but the old man flashed some badge and was able to cut through most of the people. Only a few minutes later, they were at a booth. A man whose cultivation didn''t seem inferior to a Celestial Emperor was working it. "We''d like to enter the Human Domain." "Identification." The Celestial Emperor said. The old man showed his identification. The Celestial Emperor looked at Zhou Fan next. The old man spoke up. "He doesn''t have any identification yet. He just came from outside the Nine Heavens Universe." The Celestial Emperor nodded. "Do you have a qualification to enter the Human Domain?" The old man had explained along the way that there were numerous methods to obtain a qualification to enter the Human Domain. There was a lottery pick, there was the bloodline relation method, there was the cultivation level method, and the special circumstance method. These were the four main ones, with various methods falling under the special circumstance method. "Show him the medal." The old man said. Zhou Fan raised his hand and the medal hung from his fingers. The Celestial Emperor looked at it closely, looked to the side, and looked back at it. His eyes widened. "Why didn''t you show that at first? Did you feel like wasting everyone''s time? Go on." The bar in front of them raised, and the two stepped forward. Zhou Fan instantly felt a difference. It was as if this was a cultivation holy ground. He was surprised. He thought only he had methods to do something like this. This was not some sort of roundabout method, this was pure. In other words, cultivation itself was altered here, not affected by some outside method. Zhou Fan could only imagine that he had been here before and done such a thing. Otherwise, this Lord Lu was far too terrifying to estimate. "The Universal Network doesn''t work inside of the Human Domain. Luckily, it is rather small for Immortals. Back then, no immortals had lived here. Now, of course, that is not the case. We are heading to the Ninth Heaven Sect." As they moved, the old man spoke. "Still present in the Human Domain is the Temple Master. He directly fought by Master Lu''s side. If you get the chance to talk to him, do so. He knows more about Master Lu than anybody else. You can attempt to find him at the Temple of the Human Domain. It is over there." The old man pointed. It was small and far away, but due to the subtle, yet overwhelming presence coming from it, he was able to spot a small temple. In front of it was a figure with a sword on his lap. Despite being in the open, it was clear that no being dared to come near. Chapter 826: Finding Shen Ce - 826 Chapter 826 - Finding Shen Ce - 826 Zhou Fan''s gaze left the Temple Master, focusing on the Ninth Heaven Sect up ahead. They were not able to go too close to it before they stopped. In front of them was a thin, translucent barrier. "We can enter this barrier, but if you have any ulterior motives or bad intentions, you won''t even know how you died." The old man said. Zhou Fan nodded his head and stepped into the barrier. "This is where I should depart. Although anybody can enter the Ninth Heaven Sect, it is still a holy ground. You can go just about anywhere with that medal. Shen Ce, whom you seek, is in the central building. Good luck, young sir." The old man said before bowing and leaving. Zhou Fan thanked him and headed towards the Ninth Heaven Sect. The entire sect consisted of countless different areas. However, the central building alone was far bigger than a planet. He headed directly towards the middle entrance. He wasn''t stopped most of the way. Only when he arrived at the entrance did he see someone. "Stop. State your identity and business." "My name is Zhou Fan, and I am here to meet Shen Ce." Zhou Fan said. He was about to take out his medal when the guard spoke. "She has been waiting for you. Go on in." Zhou Fan put the medal away. He walked inside. It was a vast hall. In the distance, he saw an empty throne, and to the side were a few extremely powerful people doing various tasks. He did not proceed down the large hall, but took a turn into a normal size hallway and walked down it for around half a mile. He eventually happened upon a large door. "Come in." He heard from beyond it. Zhou Fan put his hand on the door and pushed forward. It did not budge. "If you want to enter, you m¡ª" The voice suddenly stopped as Zhou Fan punched the door, causing it to swing open. He saw the slightly surprised face of a woman beyond it, sitting on the ground. "Nevermind then. Come in, Zhou Fan." Zhou Fan walked in and stood before her. "State your business." "I have come to learn about Lord Lu of the Nine Heavens." Zhou Fan said. Shen Ce gestured down. "With that medal, you are qualified to make such a request. Please, sit." Zhou Fan crossed his legs and sat across from her. "What exactly do you want to learn?" She asked. "There is some sort of connection between me and him. Just tell me some stories or something. I''m sure I''ll figure it out at some point." Zhou Fan said. Shen Ce nodded. "Alright then. I''ll start by telling the story of how me and him first met. Back then, we were actually enemies. I worked as one of the seven servants of the Death Lord, Master Lu''s first and greatest enemy. The Death Lord was a member of the death race, someone naturally opposed to the human race during the Race War Era. I am also not fully human, I am half human and half snow elf. My job was to collect information and use it to blackmail humans, eventually forcing them to join our side and betray humanity at critical moments. I had met Master Lu back when he was just starting his cultivation journey, a Space Shattering realm cultivator I believe. Viewing him as a potential rising star, I tried to collect information and blackmail him. Unfortunately, his parents were dead, and his friends were out of reach where I had met him. Therefore, I affected his emotions. The goal was to make him fall in love, then use that love to control him. My plan was ruined when Master Lu, despite falling in love, refused to form a connection with the girl I had chosen. I had considered killing him then and there, but decided that he would be more useful alive. I put a mark on him and left, knowing I could find him another day." "I never would have imagined that he would have taken one of the Death Lords greatest enemies as his master. That man detected the mark I had left and erased it." "Who was Lord Lu''s master?" Zhou Fan asked. "His name was Mie Jie, third disciple of the Mi lord." Zhou Fan stopped her there. "The Mi lord?" "Yes, an extremely powerful being who wielded the threads of Creation and Destruction. His power during the Race War Era was a major part of the reason humanity survived." Zhou Fan was naturally able to put the pieces together. The Mi lord was none other than Mi, who he had taken as a student. He hadn''t thought that the first story would lead him to the conclusion he was looking for already. Shen Ce continued, not paying attention to Zhou Fan''s expression of realization. "Unfortunately, the Mi lord and Master Lu''s master disappeared while assisting humanity in a retreat. Their fate was most likely death." Zhou Fan looked at her. "How did that happen?" "Well the God of Death, Master of the very Death Lord I served, led an aggressive attack on humanity in conjunction with a few other unimaginably terrifying individuals. During that, many of humanity''s strongest beings sacrificed themselves to allow humanity''s retreat. That is when Master Lu''s legend truly began. In the absence of humanity''s strongest, a new hero was needed. Master Lu rose, and when humanity''s location was revealed, he himself stepped forward. He injured the God of Death, severed the River of Time, broke the shackles of Karma, reversed fate, darkened life, and shattered space. Those who once stood as horrifying entities were defeated one by one. Some of humanity''s strongest returned, some did not. We were able to confirm some deaths, and some remained unknown. After that final battle, a power split existence into two. One side had Master Lu and humanity, the other had everyone else. Few who enter that side return, and few who come over live long."