The surrounding Red Phoenix members overheard the conversation and immediately responded with biting sarcasm.Their words not only mocked the speaker but also seemed to indirectly target Green Dragon and White Tiger. As these words spread, the expressions of the independent cultivators present quickly darkened.Being ridiculed in such a way did not sit well with the typically free-spirited independent cultivators. Naturally, someone voiced their dissatisfaction."You Red Phoenix folks are acting high and mighty! Do you really think we need to join you? White Tiger and Basalt are also recruiting. I suggest you watch your attitude, or I'll just walk away and head over to them."The independent cultivators expected Red Phoenix to back down, assuming the organization valued their participation.However, it was as if the independent cultivator's words had struck a nerve. Almost all of the Red Phoenix members present, who had previously shown little concern, now turned their attention t
"Exactly. We should find another place." Chase's words immediately resonated with several others in the crowd.Instantly, many of the martial artists began moving as if they were about to leave. The one who had been singled out by Julie earlier threw Chase a grateful glance as he sensed an opportunity for escape.Acting as if he had not noticed the plea for help, he was the first to turn and walk away as though he truly intended to find another organization to join.His calm departure prompted a wave of movement from the rest of the group, with many others following suit and heading for the exit. The man who had been the target of Julie's fury wasted no time, hurrying to follow closely behind Chase.Seeing so many people trying to leave, Julie could not possibly tell her team to force everyone to stay back.Julie's face turned red with fury as she witnessed the scene. The humiliation of losing her dignity in front of all these people was more than she could tolerate.With a swi
The streak of light disappeared in an instant, and Julie arrived in front of Chase.Without even looking, Chase calmly delivered a simple palm strike. As expected, seeing such an unremarkable attack, Julie, whether out of arrogance or overconfidence, did not take it seriously and chose to block it head-on.In the blink of an eye, Chase's palm landed squarely on target. There was no earth-shattering noise, just a figure flying backward even faster than before.Julie's face was filled with disbelief.That seemingly ordinary palm strike had nearly taken her life."W-Who are you?" Julie realized something was wrong. This power was far beyond what an independent cultivator should possess!"Who am I? I'm just an independent cultivator driven to the edge by Red Phoenix," Chase sneered as he swiftly pursued the retreating Julie.Seeing Chase closing in rapidly, Julie suddenly grasped the severity of her situation—her life was in grave danger."Someone, stop him!" she screamed, her voic
Seeing the Red Phoenix members still standing in front of him, seemingly unaware of the danger they were in, Chase said coldly, "Move aside, or don't blame us for what happens next."As soon as Chase uttered these words, the independent cultivators behind him echoed his sentiment."Yeah, step aside, or we'll kill every last one of you!"This was the power of Chase's decisive action. Without that earlier display, the independent cultivators would not have stood their ground so confidently.They would have either surrendered or fled long ago, but now, they were united, emboldened, and ready to fight.With Chase and the independent cultivators speaking in unison, the Red Phoenix members standing in their way exchanged uneasy glances. Each looked to the other for guidance, as if they had lost their sense of direction and did not know what to do next.At that moment, Chase sensed Duncan's presence inside. Within seconds, Duncan appeared at the doorway."Let them go," Duncan ordered f
Chase remained silent among the group heading toward White Tiger's recruitment drive. The location was in one of the most bustling parts of Capital City, close to the Weber residence, which practically made it part of their domain.The independent cultivators accompanying Chase were well aware of the ambiguous relationship between White Tiger and the Weber family, a connection that was undeniably strong.Upon arriving, Chase noticed that there were more than twice as many independent cultivators compared to those at Red Phoenix's recruitment drive.It was only the first day, yet the turnout was astonishing. Chase could hardly imagine how much White Tiger would expand if this continued for an extended period.'No, this can't go unchecked. Something has to be done,' thought Chase.Looking at the organized recruitment process of White Tiger, Chase's surprise was evident. They were indeed selective, having set three strict conditions for recruits.First, no independent cultivators be
Even though Chase had altered his appearance and aura, the independent cultivators could still discern his true bone age. Because of this, they were fully aware that Chase was genuinely young, still in his 20s."If he's a martial lord, then I must be a martial sovereign!" one of the independent cultivators scoffed, clearly doubting Chase's qualifications.Another chimed in, mocking him further, "Exactly! There's no way this kid is at the martial lord level. He's so young. He's probably barely a marquis."Sure, that makes him a talent, but he's still far from meeting White Tiger's standards. I bet he's just trying to show off. He's probably nowhere near my level and just here to make a name for himself. Later, he can brag about being part of White Tiger's recruitment drive."Chase stepped up to the old man at the entrance. Whether due to the Weber family's proximity or White Tiger's confidence that no one would dare cause trouble, there were no other guards. Even though 50 or 60 i
Moreover, this was an exceptionally young martial artist with boundless potential."I'm Otis, one of the personal guards of White Tiger. What's your name?" he asked, introducing himself."My name isn't important for now. Let's talk after I've passed the test. Until then, it's all meaningless," Chase replied, uninterested in even providing a fake name.Otis' expression grew colder at Chase's indifferent response. He had hoped to engage in a more civil conversation, but this young man showed no respect.The change in Otis' demeanor did not go unnoticed by the independent cultivators standing by, leaving them puzzled."Sir, what's going on? Didn't you say the first requirement was reaching the level of a martial lord? The verification orb didn't show the colors you mentioned earlier," one persistent cultivator asked, oblivious to the growing tension.Otis, already irritated, sighed but still explained."There are two additional colors—white for stage eight of martial lord and black
Chase carefully sensed Otis' divine sense and realized that only a small portion of it was covering him.The source of this power seemed to come from behind Otis, where the faint image of a white tiger loomed, its eyes fixated on him. Chase knew that any slight movement on his part would be instantly detected by the tiger's shadow. He continued to act as though he had not noticed anything unusual."Shall we begin?" Chase asked, keeping his expression neutral.Otis, seeing Chase's calm demeanor, assumed he was no different from the others who had come before. Even if Chase were aware of the White Tiger's presence, Otis was confident that no one could lie under its gaze.Otis began his questioning as usual."Have you ever joined a sect?" he asked, and the moment his words left his mouth, Chase noticed the White Tiger's gaze intensify slightly.Chase remained unfazed, answering calmly, "No.""Do you harbor any enmity toward the Weber family of Capital City?" Otis asked next."No,"
"I know I'm not your match," Ford said, bowing his head. "So, I willingly admit defeat. But I still want to see the Holy Path with my own eyes. That is why... I'm making this shameless request."His explanation actually made sense.Chase and the others already knew that Sky Dragon Holy Land was founded by the dragons who had ascended from the lower realm. It was not difficult to believe that they had the secret techniques needed to transmit battle footage.It also meant that all the rumors about Chase being a mysterious hidden expert were probably a joke among the major Holy Lands and sects. At least, among those sects that had close ties with Sky Dragon Holy Land, they probably already knew about Chase's true strength.Maybe all the Saints and Saintesses who had shown up at this little tournament in Light Divine City were actually here just to test Chase's abilities.Realizing this, Chase chuckled quietly and said, "Of course, you can come along, Ford. But first, I have to actual
After stepping down from the stage, Chase did not waste any time on unnecessary words.He quickly avoided the crowd of onlookers who acted like crazed fans and returned to the reserved inn room with Willow and the others."Tomorrow, your opponent will be the Saint of Sky Dragon Holy Land, Ford," Walter said excitedly."They say Sky Dragon Holy Land was established by the dragons who ascended from the fifth level. You thrashed the Lightning Dragon back on the fifth level the last time, so this time should be just as easy.""Where'd you get such reliable information?" Willow asked, feeling a little surprised.After all, with Walter's rather fearsome appearance—looking every bit like a bandit—most people would not want anything to do with him."I have dragon blood, remember?" Walter patted his chest proudly."Last time, after absorbing the Poison Dragon's core and a good amount of blood essence, the concentration of my dragon lineage became strong enough to catch Sky Dragon Holy La
On the main stage, Chase watched the sea of runes flying toward him. Suddenly, a spark of understanding struck him.He channeled his vital energy into the right index finger that had fused with the divine bone. Recalling the sword manual techniques, streaks of lightning-infused vital energy shot forth as sword energy.He moved his finger through the air, as if painting across the void. Each stroke unleashed a brilliant sword aura, razor-sharp and unstoppable, shattering everything in its path.Jade's rune barrage was broken apart one by one. Fragments of spiritual light and shattered runes drifted through the air.Every slash of Chase's sword aura was executed with such precision that not a single movement was wasted. The angles and trajectories were so perfect that each attack struck the runes at their most vulnerable points, maximizing impact.Among the spectators, only Carla, Fallon, and Ford—who had just rushed over—could truly appreciate the brilliance of his swordplay.More
"But the Light Divine Pearl is a creation-grade treasure. It's still only at the martial god level. It's far from being fully awakened," Fallon said with a frown.While the two spoke, Jade and Chase had already clashed head-on. Jade had unleashed her Thousand Eyes and Flowers.Countless ancient runes, shining with brilliance, shot out from the light screen behind her. Each rune faintly contained the essence of martial arts, distorting the space as they passed.If one's cultivation was insufficient, one's mind and soul would likely be shaken first, followed by one's body being pierced by the runes.As the rain of runes blasted toward Chase like a raging storm, the spectators below gasped as they were finally witnessing a truly grand spectacle.Willow and the others were awed by the sheer momentum of Jade's ultimate move. Although they knew Chase would not be harmed, they could not help but feel anxious."Can Chase block it?" Lisa asked worriedly while glancing at Willow."My mast
Jade gritted her teeth as she gathered all her vital energy, preparing to unleash her ultimate move. It was the very origin of her title—Thousand Eyes and Flowers.Behind her, a vital energy screen spread open like a peacock fanning its tail.The surface was covered with intricate patterns, resembling the eye-like spots on a peacock's feathers.These patterns were not mere decorations. Each one was an ancient rune, capable of releasing a devastating vital energy attack.When Jade unleashed this move, everyone below gasped in shock."No way, this is just a friendly tournament match. Does Jade really need to go this far?""Should we reinforce the arena's defensive array? I'm afraid someone might get caught in the crossfire.""Tsk, tsk, it's been so long since we last saw Jade lose her temper. She's even more stunning when she is angry!""You're such a pervert. If you get hit by that move, there will not even be a corpse left of you!""You don't understand. There are worse ways t
Inside Universal Holy Land, Clive and his master were facing off against the woman suspected to be the Dark Divine Pearl. Meanwhile, at Light Divine City, Chase's fourth round at the tournament's semifinals had already begun.His opponent was Jade, the Saintess of Modest Lady Holy Land, also known as Thousand Eyes and Flowers.It was already extremely rare for two contestants with such a rare same surname to appear in the same tournament. They belonged to different factions yet both were advancing to the final few rounds. Not to mention, if Yara had revealed his phoenix bloodline and inheritance, he might have very well made it to the finals too.The people with the surname Fries were terrifying beyond words!These were the thoughts running through Chase's head for no particular reason. On the other hand, after Jade saluted, she launched her attack without hesitation.Chase, still a bit distracted, was startled by the ferocity of her strike. Such a name and demeanor, paired with
Skyler spoke proudly.Clive kept having the feeling that something did not seem right when he heard Skyler's words."The Holy Path will only open after winning the tournament championship. Only those selected by the champion can enter. I was already eliminated in the second round…" Clive stammered."Won't you become the champion after killing the current champion? Isn't killing Chase Collins what you want to do?" Skyler was frustrated with Clive.Clive finally realized what felt wrong about all of this."You're not Skyler," he said coldly.The Universal Element Priest had also locked down on Skyler with his vital energy at this point. "Reveal yourself. Who are you? What did you do to Skyler?""Oh? How did you know?" Skyler was taken aback but quickly calmed down and asked the question. "What's wrong with my charisma and appearance?"He looked at his body and clothes while asking the questions with curiosity and calmness. This person had admitted to pretending to be Skyler."Fir
"His will is a blur." Clive sounded helpless when he added, "But it's a will that is extremely frightening and evil."He had the right to this opinion as someone who had faced Klondike directly.When Klondike's will was directed at him, Clive could feel unlimited fear and helplessness. Any second more of facing Klondike might make him lose his mind.He could barely take the energy pumped into him. He only managed to get through it because of his guilt for Rania and his desire to live.The thought of begging Klondike was equivalent to seeing death.There was one reason why he was brave enough to talk about Klondike with the Universal Element Priest and Skyler. It was because Klondike was in a stage of being half awake and half asleep. Clive only dared to discuss Klondike when he was asleep.However, speaking of anything that crossed the line would attract his attention, and Clive was not willing to see that happen.The Universal Element Priest and Skyler glanced at each other. The
Both of those disciples thought they could see Skyler lose his temper, but he reacted calmly. The attempts to fan the situation seemed to have failed. Had they lost credibility with Skyler for their misguided actions?They broke into a cold sweat from fear.Those disciples had offended the previous and current Saints. It looked like they had just made life tougher for themselves.They glanced at each other and gave a long sigh.…Inside Universal Element Palace, Clive had placed Rania down on a training mat while he knelt in front of his master, the Universal Element Priest. "Master, please save Rania North. I'm willing to pay any price without regrets!"He spoke with great determination, and there was a grim look on his face."Silly boy." The Universal Element Priest glanced at Clive and sighed."Rania North seems to have been poisoned by a vicious curse and an extraterritorial poison. I can temporarily save her life, but her face…" He shook his head."I'm grateful enough that