"That's no surprise. They're human too and have emotions. It's normal.""Aren't cultivators supposed to develop noble hearts as part of their cultivation? How can they allow such raw emotions to control them?""Well, not everything looks like it seems. The way they vent their emotions is different from us common folk."Chase looked exasperated while listening to the discussion below. He did not want to listen in on them. However, there was something about Clive.When Chase tried to sense Clive with his consciousness, he could sense an ordinary cultivator and an unfathomable cultivator who was as mysterious as a deep, black hole. It got him curious. Could this man have a split personality? Or was he possessed?Chase released his consciousness completely to be safe. This way, he could watch over every move Clive made.This move had also caused him to hear every unnecessary voice below the ring.Clive had no idea what Chase had done. All he knew was that a pair of mysterious eyes s
"Kid, if I hadn't deliberately transmitted my voice to you, do you think you could hear me?"Chase flinched. That voice had clearly echoed within his sea of consciousness. Could it be that Zacharias Crane had awakened?He quickly recalled the Seer of Whitepeak—the former elder of the Shadowless Sect whom he had subdued—and hurriedly searched within his sea of consciousness.Zacharias' soul still lay dormant."Heh, just as I thought. That old fellow is suffering too, hiding out inside you." The voice sounded pleased.Chase was completely stunned."Let me be honest with you. I'm the Nine Sea Holy Sword, Gideon. That Zacharias kid always bragged about being a peerless divine seer. But it turns out that even he couldn't escape his fate."As he spoke, a translucent figure materialized within Chase's sea of consciousness. He wore a gray robe and carried nine long swords on his back."Sir, and you are…"Chase was shocked. This man had entered his sea of consciousness silently. If he m
"Could they be rigging the match?""The reward for the Holy Path is at the martial god level. Would they fake a match for that?""It's exactly because it's a martial god-level reward that they'd rig the match, got it?""No way. I object. City Lord, these two are definitely up to something!"As Clive and Chase remained motionless for longer and longer, Fallon and Carla also noticed something was wrong.However, after scanning the arena with their spiritual consciousness, they did detect a clashing of energy between the two.After a brief moment of thought, Fallon spoke up. "Everyone, please calm down. These two prodigies are currently engaged in a rather novel type of battle—a spiritual consciousness duel. The fight between them is currently in a deadlock. A single misstep could mean complete annihilation of their souls."Only those whose spiritual consciousness is highly refined can perceive what's going on. So please, be patient and wait for the match to conclude."The crowd im
Fallon was a little speechless when he heard Ford's words.He had made up the whole "spiritual consciousness duel" thing on a whim, yet this kid delivered his commentary with such confidence and flair. It looked like he was a seasoned show-off too!Truly, the younger generation was not to be underestimated. Fallon could not help but let out a snort of laughter.Carla, standing beside him, transmitted a quiet message via spiritual consciousness, "Ford… isn't wrong.""What?" Fallon was stunned.In terms of soul and spiritual consciousness, Carla was undoubtedly one of the top experts in the nether realm. As someone who focused on physical cultivation, Fallon had always respected her spiritual skills.However, this so-called "spiritual consciousness duel" had just been something he made up.Even Carla had believed it was a lie earlier. Yet now, she was suddenly vouching for Ford, saying he was telling the truth?It really gave Fallon a scare."I made this up on the spot. Are you s
Chase had been wondering why it took Zacharias so long to wake up. Now that he was finally awake, why was he still so weak? More importantly, why did he immediately turn against his old acquaintance?What exactly had happened in between?"He's a fraud. The Nine-Sea Giant Squid and the Nine Sea Holy Sword are all projections or incarnations of that evil deity. All that nonsense about being fated with me was a setup—just a ploy to steal my divine foresight," Zacharias said as his spiritual form twisted like wisps of smoke, looking unstable and on the verge of dispersing completely."Evil deity? Projection? Are you talking about Klondike?" Chase asked, recalling the Nine-Sea Giant Squid he encountered on the fourth level among the Worthingtons as well as the so-called expert they summoned. He remembered they had mentioned someone named Klondike.Upon hearing Chase speak that name, Gideon visibly flinched in shock."So, you actually know?" he asked with a dark expression."My soul has
As soon as Zacharias spoke of Klondike, Chase's sea of consciousness suddenly darkened.Chase was startled. He sensed a presence—some sort of power—watching him. He released his spiritual consciousness and swept the area but found nothing."That's Klondike's power. Just mentioning him will make you a target and draw his gaze," Zacharias warned. "I no longer have anything to lose, but you must be careful. If his true body takes notice, there's only one outcome—death.""It's too late. My master already has his eyes on you. Kid, did you not see what happened to Zacharias? I suggest you learn from it and—"Before Gideon could finish his sentence, an invisible chain shot out, binding his soul and sealing his mouth, leaving him completely unable to speak."You'd better behave. This is my sea of consciousness," Chase said coldly.The last time he struck Gideon with a bolt of lightning, it obliterated his soul, but Gideon had reformed using a portion of Zacharias' spirit. If Chase destroy
Clive finally seemed to snap out of his daze."You brat, did you drug me?" he barked angrily, vaguely aware that something felt off. It was as if he had just taken a nap in the arena. His first thought was that Chase must have slipped him some kind of drug."If I had drugged you, would you still be standing there?" Chase scoffed at such a ridiculous accusation.That was true. If Chase truly had drugged him, Clive would probably already be lying unconscious in the rest area.Clive reluctantly accepted Chase's explanation for now."Let's settle this once and for all!" he shouted, raising his Heaven and Earth Sword as a boundless sword aura swept across the arena.Huh? His strength felt even greater than before. Clive grew smug with pride.Chase appeared completely unaware of his incoming strike.Rookie move, he thought. Chase must have been stunned by his sword intent and was now completely frozen.Clive was imagining it all in his head.Then, he shouted, "Boundless Heaven and E
Chase, who was standing directly in front of that sword strike, was equally stunned.Zacharias had been right!From that sword, he sensed the same divine intent as the one he had felt earlier in the clouds from that figure that resembled the Nine-Sea Giant Squid. It was evil, filled with pain and oppression, spreading boundlessly.Clive was indeed a projection—or a fragment—of Klondike!Chase's rage simmered down, replaced by a cold gleam in his eyes. This was the one who wanted to kill him?He was ready to strike back with full force. He summoned Greedy Wolf from the void, and his killing intent surged across the arena. The moment the blade appeared, it once again drew gasps from the audience.The overwhelming sword intent Clive had released earlier was instantly compressed and forced back by half as if it were afraid of Chase's blade. Then came the killing aura of Greedy Wolf. It was nearly tangible, sweeping across the hearts of every spectator.Earlier, Clive's sword aura had
"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