"No worries, Myra. A mere Poison Pill is nothing. I've already figured out a solution," Chase said calmly."What? You…" Myra's eyes widened in disbelief. She was utterly shocked at Chase's claim of resolving such a perilous issue.Chase ignored her astonishment.At that moment, he raised his palm and activated his technique. Immediately, a surge of overwhelming energy erupted from his body, radiating like a blazing purple sun that illuminated the surroundings."This aura…""It's impossible…""This boy is a martial monarch-level expert!"The two martial monarchs from the Secret Sect were dumbstruck.They had assumed Chase's age to be no more than 18. However, his youth belied his extraordinary power, which far surpassed that of ordinary martial monarchs.Even more surprising was the woman standing beside him. Her silent presence alone radiated a unique brilliance that left them in awe. Such prodigies were exceedingly rare, even within the Secret Sect.However, Chase was far fr
"Let me test if I can channel my spiritual power into it," Chase stated calmly.Soul force was the core strength of martial cultivation."No! If anything goes wrong, it could bring you severe harm!" the two martial monarchs quickly objected while shaking their heads. They had no intention of allowing Chase to risk himself."Relax. I'll be fine. It'll only take an instant, and if I sense anything amiss, I'll retreat immediately," Chase reassured them with a faint smile.Although his soul force was not particularly strong—barely enough to condense a single strand of soul sword energy—his resilient physique was powerful enough to handle its destructive potential.As long as he maintained control, Chase could detonate the soul sword energy at will, obliterating any threats to Myra."If you insist, then try it," one of the martial monarchs sighed while reluctantly nodding.With that, Chase stomped the ground and leaped into the air. His fists came together, encircled by faint white f
Chase lifted his foot and pressed it firmly against the old martial monarch's chest. "I've given you a sacred Healing Pill. Now, you'll answer whatever I ask truthfully."Before the man could respond, Chase crushed his kneecap with a sudden stomp. The sharp pain contorted his face into a mask of agony and elicited a bloodcurdling scream."You—" The old man gritted through his teeth."I know what you want to ask," Chase interrupted coldly. "But if you want answers, you'll follow my instructions. Do you understand?"His narrowed eyes carried a chilling threat. "You'd best cooperate. If you don't, I won't hesitate to throw you to the dogs."Not waiting for a reply, Chase turned his attention to the remaining martial monarch. His gaze was icy as he asked, "Now, tell me about the Secret Sect.""Wretched brat! Don't think you'll get anything out of me. Even if it costs my life, I'll never betray the sect!" the old martial monarch snarled as his expression twisted with defiance."Oh?"
"Hmph! He's just a mere insect, yet he dares to insult the dignity of the Secret Sect!" one elder sneered."If the fool seeks death, we'll grant it. Besides, the Secret Sect's forces will eventually arrive," another elder remarked coldly."Agreed. Let's send word to the sect's elders and summon reinforcements. We'll raze this town to the ground if anyone dares to interfere with the Secret Sect's authority. We'll kill them all!" the group of elders discussed among themselves.Their dismissive tone made it clear that they did not take the threat seriously. To them, no ordinary upstart could possibly challenge the might of the Secret Sect.Their sect was a revered martial sanctuary with deep roots and unmatched power within the northern wastelands. No sect dared provoke it.…The night draped the land in darkness, with only the pale moonlight illuminating the mountain paths. Chase sat cross-legged on a rooftop, silently circulating his martial energy.For nearly 15 minutes, he rema
Despite their combined strength, the black-robed elders barely managed to withstand Chase's onslaught for a short while before succumbing to the overwhelming force.Finally, one of the elders was torn apart by the relentless lightning, and his blood stained the valley.In that instant, a massive sword materialized, stretching 15 feet in length and emanating a blue-green radiance. Its blade, razor-sharp and dazzling, was etched with intertwining runes resembling a coiled dragon. The sword exuded an aura of immense killing intent.The sword tore through the air, chasing down the fleeing black-robed elders.The remaining elders were killed on the spot in several explosive impacts.Chase exhaled deeply, calming himself. "My training time is still too short. The progress on the soul-cultivating technique is slow, and advancing it to the second stage's perfected realm will take more time."Glancing at his hands, Chase noticed his skin had become translucent, resembling fine emeralds. T
"Only Matias, who's at the peak of martial monarch, poses a significant threat," Chase mused. "Though he's an early-stage martial monarch in rank, his combat strength rivals late-stage or even perfect-stage martial monarchs. I'll need to go all out."With that thought, Chase retrieved a vial of pills and swallowed one before activating his true energy to quickly replenish his reserves. He sat cross-legged and shut his eyes, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings.In the distance, Matias' pupils contracted sharply.The aura Chase emitted suggested he had just entered the martial monarch realm, yet moments ago, this youth had effortlessly slain four peak martial monarch elders."No wonder he dares to claim treasures left by the Secret Sect," Matias muttered, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "He's got some tricks up his sleeve."Matias inhaled deeply as his gaze remained fixed on Chase, who was seated."Since I've encountered you, there's no escape. Today, I'll personally send you t
The remaining disciples of the Secret Sect recoiled. Their expressions turned pale as they quickly retreated from the area.They had grossly underestimated Chase's strength.Initially, they assumed he was a novice martial monarch with barely any skills. But now, after watching him effortlessly slay one of their peers, they realized the grave error in their judgment."Brothers, attack together and kill him now!" one of them shouted in desperation.The four remaining disciples immediately condensed their martial monarch aura, unleashing an explosive combined attack.A deafening roar echoed through the valley as thick smoke and debris filled the air.When the dust settled, their faces turned ashen. Chase stood unscathed despite their full-force attack, and not even a single strand of his hair was harmed."What is this guy? How did he withstand the full strength of five martial monarchs?""His cultivation… It looks like he broke through only recently!"The disciples exchanged hurr
"What did you say?!""Y-You dare do such a thing to us?!""I'm a direct disciple of the Secret Sect. If you dare insult me, you'll face eternal damnation—"Before the words were fully spoken, Chase flicked his finger, sending out a strand of sword energy that pierced the speaker's forehead.Two direct disciples of the Secret Sect dropped dead on the spot.Although Chase had not mastered any martial skills or divine abilities, he had acquired significant resources. It was more than enough to sustain his cultivation for several days.With a sharp exhale, Chase unleashed a stream of flames. The fire blazed fiercely, instantly consuming the two corpses until nothing remained.Chase then turned to leave. At that moment, he sensed danger.The wooden case strapped to his back popped open on its own. A pitch-black spear shot out from the case, hovering at his side with its tip pointed forward while gleaming menacingly. The spear traced an arc through the air, heading straight into the
As Clive had gained quite a lot, he decided to let it be. He allowed himself to let go of things. However, that being's consciousness began to open up to Clive, and that was when Clive realized how powerful the being was.It was one against the 12 Primal Treasures, and the universe was its target. It had existed for millions of years. The result of allowing it to take over was Clive losing complete control of his body. It was a projected image that vanished after Chase defeated it.However, Clive's body had been modified by it, and Clive's mind and soul were unable to control his own body. This was what had caused Clive to look like he was in a daze right after the match.Rania then used a mystical technique to transmit her cultivation and combine the powers of both parties. It triggered a lost talent within Clive that merged all of the swordsmanship he cultivated to form an unknown sword form that had never been seen before.Clive felt like he had been revived.He looked at the Ni
Inside the halved corpse, faint outlines of Rania and the coachman's bodies could be seen. They were twisted and contorted.Foul-smelling digestive fluid bubbled and hissed, corroding their bodies.Rania appeared to retain a shred of consciousness. "Cli... Clive... Clive... Help me... Save..."Her voice was faint, tremulous, and laced with sorrow. It stirred pity in the heart.In truth, even before she had spoken, Clive had already detected her presence through his spiritual consciousness. He raised his sword. His face was tormented as if he wanted to put a swift end to things. Yet in the end, he let out a long sigh and released a surge of true essence, pulling both the coachman and Rania from River's corpse.The coachman's cultivation was far too low, and his clothes were made of ordinary fabric. They offered no resistance to the corrosive and toxic digestive acid inside River's body.Half of his body was already unrecognizable, with the bones and internal organs exposed. His b
"Pathetic."The Nine-Sea Giant Squid that River had transformed into spoke with a human voice, then opened its gaping maw and swallowed her whole.The coachman, who had leaped off the horse the moment River transformed, scrambled and sprinted away. He was already dozens of feet out.Just then, a dark blur flashed past, and one of River's tentacles shot forward at incredible speed, snatching him back and devouring him in a single gulp as well."Disgusting. That woman tasted better," he muttered while slithering toward the carriage on his tentacles.Suddenly, an explosion echoed from within his belly, and faint glimmers of light shone through the surface of his body."That woman's protective artifact is so weak. Looks like she wasn't treated well in the Norths, after all."River examined himself carefully and found that it was indeed Rania's protective talisman that had just detonated. Yet his body remained largely unharmed. With some minor healing over ten days to half a month, he
Outside Light Divine City, Rania sat inside a carriage with Clive."Clive, say something, will you? You staying silent like this is really worrying me," she said while wiping the sweat from Clive's forehead and letting out a sigh.As a collateral descendant of the Norths, Rania's life had never been particularly easy. She had thought she had finally snagged a golden opportunity with Clive, only for him to fall into a daze after just one match.What was she supposed to do now?Everyone had witnessed their behavior during the tournament. Though some might look down on them, they would undoubtedly see the two of them as a pair by now.If she abandoned Clive at this point, she would surely be labeled a heartless woman.Just then, the carriage came to a halt. They had only left the city less than an hour ago and were still far from Universal Holy Land. Was someone blocking the road? Rania frowned and lifted the curtain.Sure enough, there was someone standing in the way.She looked c
Even though the match had ended, Lisa still could not fully escape the lingering terror.The slimy, wriggling tentacles covered in suction cups and jagged teeth, stretching out toward her… Such images were seared into her mind. The impact had been too great.Though she was a direct descendant of the dragon clan—an authentic ancient lineage and one of the top races in the entire world—she had been completely overpowered then.Normally, her bloodline would exert natural suppression over most others. However, at the time, she was almost crushed by another.She could not even begin to imagine what kind of race could do that."It tried to eat you?" Walter exclaimed in shock.As a great beast himself, he understood just how powerful the dragon clan's pure bloodline was.Even though the incident with the Lightning Dragon kneeling to Chase had dulled some of the mystique around dragons, it remained undeniable that they were a superior bloodline."For a creature to make a dragon feel lik
"Pfft, what Saints or Saintesses? They're just titles. They don't have any real skills to speak of!""Exactly. These so-called Saints who suddenly emerged probably got their status through shady means. The moment they enter a duel, their real strength shows."Amid the chorus of cheers and congratulations, a few jarring voices remained, and one of them was Rania's. Although she was a social climber herself, hearing the crowd ridicule Clive after his defeat made her deeply uncomfortable."That's not true. Clive is not like that," she repeated again and again. Those were the only words she could manage.Several in the crowd recognized her as the one who accepted a gift from Clive earlier and began to mock her."She's the perfect example of a shallow woman. The moment she accepts a gift, she loses her sense of judgment. It's pathetic.""Right? The truth is right in front of her—Clive is just a big show-off with no real skills. And yet she keeps lying to herself.""Hmph. They really a
Later, a certain senior of the sect discovered a secret technique of the Nefarious Spirits.It was to meditate on the image of a divine beast or an overwhelmingly powerful immortal being the embodiment of one's soul. As the level of visualization deepened, one's spiritual soul strength would grow accordingly.This method of cultivating Nefarious Spirits was a hybrid of corpse refining and body cultivation.However, while corpse and body cultivation focused on physical bodies, Nefarious Spirits cultivation trained the intangible—the spiritual consciousness and the mind and soul.After this discovery, they even improved the methods of refining corpses and bodies using it.When refining the body, practitioners would visualize fierce beasts like bears or wolves or celestial warriors, generals, and even gods. The subjects of their visualizations would match with their nature and temperament, making them their own Nefarious Spirits.Fallon's Nefarious Spirit was an ancient giant ape. It
As for Fallon and Carla on the high platform, they clearly sensed that the ominous gaze from above had lessened significantly.Clive, who was facing Chase directly, also felt that his seemingly unstoppable sword strike had suddenly stalled in front of Chase. It could not push forward any further. This shocked him greatly.After all, even when sparring with his own master, he had never encountered this sensation. His master had even praised him for his good fortune after obtaining a peerless sword and for mastering a sword technique unparalleled in this generation. If not for the looming limit of his life span and the need to break through to gain more years, his master would have wanted to cultivate that technique himself.This sword strike, which Clive considered to be the culmination of all his understanding of the sword path, was the most perfect attack he had ever executed since beginning his cultivation journey.Even so, this nameless opponent had forced it back with a single
Tania once attended celebratory events held by other sects, only to encounter top-tier demonic beasts on the road. A brutal battle left her covered in wounds, and she missed the celebration entirely, offending the host.At that time, her master's resentment had already reached its peak.That thousand-year-old wolf demon became the last straw that broke the camel's back.Her master unleashed Emerald Lake Holy Land's most powerful technique—Radiance of Emerald, Eternal Slumber.Heaven and earth changed color the moment it was unleashed. The thousand-year wolf demon gathered all of its cultivation but still could not withstand the strike. It was reduced to ashes in an instant.Tania once thought that the gap between her and her master was not too wide and that she would rightfully inherit the mantle of leadership over Emerald Lake Holy Land within a century.Yet after witnessing that attack, she realized how wrong she had been. From then on, she started training harder and more dilig