"Additionally, this Secret Sect Library contains numerous precious texts, including manuals on artifact refinement, alchemy, swordsmanship, and even divine martial arts techniques," the old woman explained slowly. "These are the very foundations that sustain a martial sect's existence."'So, that's it! No wonder the people of the Secret Sect are so eager to target me!' Chase realized.Martial techniques, divine abilities, cultivation methods, treasures—Secret Sect disciples who lacked talent could only choose techniques suited to their abilities, limiting their progress to higher levels of cultivation.Only through great fortune or direct inheritance could one hope to obtain advanced techniques and divine abilities. The Secret Sect was structured around this principle, fully aware of the limitations of their methods."You Secret Sect people are far too greedy, daring to set your sights on me!" Chase's anger surged.The sheer value of these cultivation texts was unimaginable. A sin
Blood sprayed through the air, painting it red. The man let out a pained scream as he staggered backward.However, Chase gave him no chance to escape. With Phantom Nine Steps, Chase closed the gap instantly. Swinging his left hand, he released the Slay Immortal Blade, which arced gracefully through the air.Blood erupted as the blade sliced clean through the man's neck. His head flew into the air, spinning before crashing to the ground.Chase extended his tongue and licked his finger, his cold, indifferent gaze locked on the lifeless body."Did you really think I'd be easy to bully?" he muttered.Without sparing another glance, Chase stepped forward.Along his path, corpses littered the ground—each one belonging to Secret Sect elders or martial masters. They were all killed with a single, decisive strike.Chase moved with ruthless efficiency, and his strikes were swift and lethal. Before long, he reached the vicinity of the library.His piercing gaze seemed to cut through all o
Suddenly, the void rippled as if disturbed by waves. Two large doors materialized and slowly opened. A hunched old man in gray robes stepped out from within, leaning on a cane. His presence exuded an air of ancient decay and twilight.Chase's gaze sharpened as he observed the elder."A stage-nine martial monarch," Chase murmured, his tone laced with surprise.The elder's appearance puzzled Chase. He had no recollection of this figure, only a faint impression of his withered and sunken face."Youth is a precious gift. To reach the early martial monarch stage at such a young age is extraordinary. If you're willing, join me, and I'll accept you as my disciple," the elder said as his gentle eyes rested on Chase.The elder's voice was calm and reassuring, as though he had long been acquainted with Chase."Apologies, but I'm not interested in joining any sect or faction," Chase replied flatly.Martial deity-level opponents did not concern him; he could fight them head-on. However, m
A sharp burst of sword energy tore through the air, instantly shattering the purple fire meteor and continuing its relentless trajectory toward the elder."Impossible!" The elder's face twisted in terror.Chase's strike had not only destroyed the fire meteor but also left the elder defenseless against its force. Did this mean he could not even withstand a single move from Chase?"Impressive. A late-stage martial monarch like you truly lives up to your reputation," Chase remarked while nodding slightly. However, this time felt different from his previous battles.During his clash with the Lacroix family, he had been forced to his limits, relying on forbidden techniques and risking his life to achieve victory.Yet now, as Chase unleashed his full power, he felt the energy within his core surging like an unstoppable river, faster and more refined than ever before.His core had evolved into an energy pool, and his body was tempered and strengthened. Every fiber of his being pulsed wi
Moments later, silence settled over the area.Chase rose from the ground and dusted himself off."Huh? Did I just break through?"He suddenly realized that his strength had increased yet again. The sensation was peculiar but unmistakable—his cultivation had advanced to another level.'No matter. I need to leave first,' he thought.Chase turned and began to walk away. Just as he was about to leave, he stopped abruptly."Hmm?" His brows furrowed together as he detected an unusual fluctuation in the surrounding energy. He paused, tilting his head and focusing his senses.After a moment, he opened his eyes and smirked coldly. Through his heightened perception, he had noticed someone—a small fry—spying on him."Haha, you little brat, I've finally caught you!"A sinister laugh echoed, and a man dressed in black battle attire emerged. His expression was twisted with rage.Meanwhile, his eyes locked onto Chase, and they were brimming with killing intent."You killed my senior, Kit L
"The rarer the spiritual herb, the greater its potency. For refining a Spirit Gathering Pill, the primary ingredient is the Three-Striped Purple Sun Herb. In addition to that, six supplementary herbs are needed. If I gather them all, it should be enough," Chase mused before forming a plan."My body has been tempered to a considerable degree. Refining a batch of Spirit Gathering Pills shouldn't pose much of a problem," he said with a confident smile.'Alchemy is indeed effective, but the mental energy it consumes is enormous. At my current state, I can refine, at most, five pills a day. Still, even five Spirit Gathering Pills a day is an incredible fortune,' Chase thought with satisfaction.With that in mind, he sat cross-legged, retrieved his pill furnace and the required herbs, and followed the instructions in the Emperor's Alchemy Codex to begin refining.Everything went smoothly.In just a short while, a perfectly round and glistening Spirit Gathering Pill was produced."This
Time slowly passed.Three hours later, a muffled sound resonated as the energy in Chase's body surged dramatically. His cultivation had advanced to the next stage of the martial monarch realm, and his vitality was brimming with unmatched strength."I've finally reached this stage of the martial monarch realm!"He exhaled deeply and stood up.After stabilizing his current progress, he resumed alchemy, intending to take advantage of his momentum to refine three more Spirit Gathering Pills.Half an hour later, the pills were complete.Chase swallowed one without hesitation. A surge of potent medicinal energy coursed through his body, refining his flesh and bones.A guttural growl escaped him as his pores opened, expelling impurities from his body like a coiling serpent. As time went on, the energy around Chase gradually stabilized, and his complexion regained its healthy glow."Phew... It's finally done," Chase murmured in relief. He then carefully stored the remaining two pills.
"Chase Collins?"Upon hearing his name, the expressions of the man and woman in green shifted dramatically."That's right, it's me," Chase replied coolly."How did you find us?" the man asked sharply.Chase scoffed without offering an explanation. It was clear they recognized him, so he saw no reason to waste his words."If you know me, then answer one question," Chase said, fixing his piercing gaze on the man. He spoke slowly, enunciating each word, "Where is she?"Quinn, Lyana, and his other sisters were his family. Their safety was paramount to him.The man's expression flickered between hesitation and uncertainty."I don't know what you're talking about," he finally said while shaking his head slowly."Heh, so you refuse to answer?" Chase's eyes narrowed sharply. "If that's the case, don't blame me for what happens next!"He raised his arm, and a brilliant silver light began to radiate from his palm.The man's face paled, and he quickly shouted, "Stop! I admit it! We k
"What has this got anything to do with me?"Chase could not understand the woman in front of him. Why would she say all these in the arena?"Before that, allow me to share a secret with you. The male and female phoenixes were supposed to be one."Chase was about to say something when Yara interrupted him, "The Rising of the Phoenix is not only about enhancing power after rebirth; it's a process of a male turning into a female and vice versa."But since the Dragon and Phoenix Calamity, the Phoenix Deity is the only Phoenix Demon Saint left, and he lost his power from the Rising to switch genders. He's unable to recover to his original power as well."However, he predicted that someone would be able to break him out of his suffering while wading in the river of fate."Yara looked into Chase's eyes with a smile."Is that person… me?"Anyone could tell the answer at this point.Chase was aware of what Yara was trying to tell him, but he still found it unbelievable when he asked the
Chase was the only person qualified to judge if there was murderous intent as he was the opponent in the arena.When Yara played the flute, it sounded like a beautiful melody from above the Ninth Heaven at first. If one listened closely, one could identify the vague signs of murderous intent.Chase scoffed at this. He thought it to be childish for one to hide murderous intent that way.He did not know music at all, but even he could tell what Yara was doing. Yara was looking down on him by doing this.When Chase was about to make his move, he was suddenly pulled into an illusion by the opponent. Chase was on a floating cloud above the Ninth Heaven in the illusion. It was just as Carla had said.He was initially flustered. How was he going to defend himself against the next killing move with such a powerful technique?While he was gathering all the vital energy within him, a sweet, melodious voice was heard. "Please don't retaliate, Mr. Collins. I bear no ill will."A tall, slen
"History scrolls don't really help with my cultivation. They make me drowsy every time, so I don't read them," Ford continued explaining without holding back. It did not seem wrong to him.However, his words made an impression on those listening.Ford was able to pick up the dragon clan's mystical techniques after reading them once. He even claimed it was not necessary to read them a second time. Was he even human? Oh, wait. He was a dragon. Tiana stared at him, not knowing what to say next.The Saintess of Emerald Lake Holy Land had not only fought with her talents yesterday but also with her hard work.When Tiana first entered Emerald Lake Holy Land, her master told her that her talents were upper-middle at best. She was considered extremely lucky to be accepted to the sect.Emerald Lake Holy Land was one of the top five sects in this world. It was second only to Sky Dragon Holy Land among the Four Holy Lands. Every disciple was the cream of the crop.Tiana grabbed attention t
Yara placed his flute to his lips and warned Chase, "I'll be making my move, Mr. Collins.""Please go ahead." Chase waved his hand casually and indicated for Yara to go ahead.It was the third round, and everyone at this stage was not to be underestimated. A powerhouse with a musical instrument for a weapon was rare. Chase looked forward to exchanging hands with him.The melodious sound of the flute was soon heard. All of the spectators could feel the atmosphere become more relaxed."Why is this Musical Technique non-lethal?""This can't be right. How did Yara Fries get into the third round? There's nothing formidable about this piece of music.""Is there anyone here who can explain?""He used his flute as a weapon in the previous rounds and knocked out his opponents with a couple of moves. He didn't play any music then.""Is he giving leeway to the opponent?""Could he be hinting at the opponent with his music that they're soulmates? They might end up being taken with each oth
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