After entering the library, he rummaged through the shelves. However, he could not find what he was looking for. “Where is it?” He murmured. Standing in the middle of the library, he scanned his surroundings. Then, he noticed a straw mat. He walked over to the mat and sat down on it. Focusing his gaze in front of him, he looked straight ahead. As if he had suddenly realized something, he immediately sprang to his feet and walked toward the shelf in front of him. Once he stood in front of the shelf, he looked at the ground. Sure enough, there were traces of the shelf being moved. He gently pushed the shelf. With an almost inaudible click, a secret door revealed itself. The man’s lips curled in delight. He briskly walked over to the door and opened it. There was a black box behind the door. Upon opening the box, he found an ancient scroll within. A painting of a bamboo grove was revealed when he unfurled the scroll. “The Moonlit Bamboos on Cliffside’s Edge…” The man
In the Cadens’ courtyard… A group of people scrutinized an unconscious James. Tobias furrowed his brows and asked, “Who sent him here?” The guard said, “They were wearing a mask, so we couldn’t see their faces clearly. After leaving James in front of the gate, they simply left without a word.” At that moment, Maxine exclaimed in an alarmed voice, “Grandpa, I’ve just received news that the Johnstons are claiming that I went to the Johnstons’ headquarters along with men from the God-King Palace and took James away.” Tobias hissed in irritation, “Looks like someone is trying to pin this incident on the Cadens.” Maxine asked, “What should we do then? Should we save James?” A conflicted look formed on Tobias’ face. Then he responded flatly, “Although he’s no longer a Caden since his grandfather betrayed the family, the fact remains that Caden blood still runs through his veins. In any case, we should take him in for now.” A few guards walked over to James and carried him int
The events at the Johnstons had also reached the ears of Mr. Gabriel. Mr. Gabriel now knew with surety the God-King Palace was affiliated with the Cadens and that Maxine Caden was the one who demanded James’ release. Mr. Gabriel had a similar plan to Mr. Lee’s. He also planned to visit the Cadens and discern Tobias Caden’s thoughts on the recent events. At the Cadens… Tobias had left the room after using his True Energy to treat James’ injuries. Not long after, James slowly regained consciousness. The moment he woke up, all he could feel was excruciating pain throughout his body. He felt as if his heart had been pierced by a thousand swords. James’ face was twisted into an agonized grimace as he tried to bear the pain. To make matters worse, the Gu venom within his body was actively moving around. He was keenly able to feel the sensation of numerous bugs squirming around his body and slowly eating away at him from the inside. “Argh…” His body throbbed and his skin b
Maxine sighed and shook her head exasperatedly. Then, she walked over to James and crouched down. “Go away…” James raised his arm and tried to swat her away. All he did was aggravate his injuries further and ended up coughing out more blood. The door slowly creaked open and Tobias walked into the room dressed in a suit. “Grandpa…” Maxine raised a hand in greeting. Tobias made a small nod of acknowledgment. He took a seat on a nearby chair and regarded James curled up in pain on the floor. James righted himself with no small amount of difficulty and sat limply on the ground. This alone depleted so much of his stamina. A coppery taste lingered in his mouth and his chapped lips were tinged red with blood. When he saw Tobias, James’ face turned black. “Was it you who burned my home to the ground ten years ago?” “Yes,” Tobias made no attempts to deny it. “I’ll kill you…” His nonchalant response only enraged James further. James’ body stiffened as he tried to lunge for To
Now, because of James, they had gotten themselves involved in the turmoil. “Because of you, the Cadens have now been dragged into the fray. It’s not unlikely that you might have been manipulated from the very beginning. Disposing of the Emperor under the Cadens’ name is certainly a surefire way to get the Johnstons and Cadens involved and cause a rift between the two families.” James simply sat there with his mouth agape. He knew that the Capital had been governed by complex dynamics that hung in an intricate balance, but he had not expected things to be this convoluted. The God-King Palace had really made a royal mess of things. “What exactly is the God-King Palace?” Maxine shrugged. “Who knows? We wouldn’t be sitting here doing nothing if we knew who was actually behind this. Tomorrow morning, we’ll likely be receiving a number of guests who are planning to see where my grandfather stands.” “Actually…” Maxine’s mouth snapped shut for a moment before opening once again
James found himself unable to sleep. He had been repeatedly going through the events that had taken place. He no longer had a handle on the situation. He had no idea what the King or the other forces that were backing the Emperor were plotting. The God-King Palace only served to complicate things even further. What were they aiming for? The night passed silently. The next day… The Caden residence bustled with its numerous visitors. Mr. Lee and the King were the first to arrive. They were here with a single objective in mind─to ascertain last night’s events and what the Cadens’ position was on the matter. Opting to not waste any time with useless mental chess, Tobias simply told the truth of what had happened─James was left at the front door of the Cadens. Mr. Lee wrinkled his nose at Tobias’ explanation. He could not tell if Tobias was trying to deceive him or was actually speaking the truth. Shortly after they departed, Mr. Gabriel arrived. Next were the John
Tobias gave James a once over before letting out a pleased huff. “Not bad, your complexion’s improved.” James’ eyes bored into the elderly man before him. Technically, Tobias was James’ grand-uncle. However, he was the farthest thing from family to James whose anger at the events from ten years still burned furiously in his chest. Ignoring the hateful gaze directed at him, Tobias addressed James, “I’m sure you’ve already heard from Maxinne that they’ll seek to destabilize the situation by killing you. Unfortunately, the Cadens can no longer afford to protect you.” Never taking his eyes off Tobias, James said coldly, “I don’t need the Cadens’ protection.” “Oho…?” Tobias exclaimed in amusement. His lips twitched into something resembling a smile. “You’re courageous, I’ll give you that. However, in your current condition, you don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell against them. Even if you had no injuries and were in peak condition, you’ll still get crushed with extreme ease
James had heard of the painting’s origins before. However, he scarcely knew anything about it. He sat motionlessly in the wheelchair and looked at the painting in awe. Tobias, whose gaze was also fixed on the painting, continued, “This painting was passed down by the Prince of Orchid himself. He was a prince who failed to seize power for himself in the midst of a power struggle. In order to make a comeback, he went to great lengths searching for treasures all over the world. Sadly, he went to his grave unable to seize the imperial throne for himself. On his deathbed, he gave each of his four major officials a painting and told them that the paintings held a great secret within.” James asked in response to the revelation, “What kind of secret?” Bobby Caden once told him that the Moonlit Flowers on Cliffside’s Edge possessed the secret to immortality. However, James found it hard to believe his words. Tobias shook his head morosely. “The Prince of Orchid never revealed what i
The sky was a brilliant blue, accented by white clouds. Vast plains stretched out with rolling peaks, rivers, and seas crisscrossing the expansive land, while an aura of Spiritual Energy permeated everything. This was a new world, brimming with life and vitality, existing independently from the myriad realms.Countless cultivation resources awaited discovery here. Unending adventures beckoned the brave, and limitless opportunities awaited those with exceptional talent.This was the new world James had created, based on the Forty-Nine Daoisms and merged with his own Daoism, to resolve the Leere Tribulation and save countless beings across the myriad realms.In this world, there was no powerful Heavenly Path, no hierarchy of races, no strict rules or oppressions, and no fate governing everything. Instead, actions were judged by karma. Fortune and misfortune, as well as success and failure, were determined by karma.Though it adhered to the principle of survival of the fittest and res
“No wonder,” Lord Goyo finally understood after an extended contemplation.He distinctly remembered that back at the Yin’s Void, Jacopo, the incarnation of Waitara Path’s Soremsia, had abruptly ordered him to move all foundations out of the Dark World. In hindsight, everything now made sense. It was likely that Jacopo had foreseen all of this.Realizing this, Lord Goyo felt a chill run down his spine as cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Despite doubting Jacopo’s identity as an incarnation of Waitara Path’s Soremsia, he had followed his advice. Otherwise, the consequences would have been disastrous.Snapping back to reality, Lord Goyo looked down at the Yang governor and Gladwin from his elevated position.“You fool, do you realize your mistake?”The Yang governor and Gladwin looked up simultaneously, their faces full of fear.“Lord Goyo, I truly didn't notice this. I had no idea when the Dark World was separated.”“Lord Goyo, there is something fishy about this. If James has
At the peak of Mount One in the myriad realms, the Yang Governor, disguised as James, descended with Gladwin. Both looked deathly pale, as if they had just escaped a life-threatening disaster. They were filled with panic.They stopped simultaneously upon arriving beneath a massive platform in a grand dojo.“We need to sort this out first,” the Yang Governor glared fiercely at Gladwin. “Who's going to explain this later, you or me?”Gladwin swallowed nervously. “Of course, it should be you.”“Why should it be me?” the Yang Governor scoffed. “Haven't you always claimed to be Lord Goyo's top confidant and meddled in our alliance's affairs? Now you're chickening out when there's a major issue?”Gladwin's face twitched. “This has nothing to do with cowardice. It's your duty as the leader of the Path Guardian Alliance.”The Yang Governor laughed in exasperation. “You've always been the one gathering intelligence across the myriad realms, boasting that you're better than Yegor from Skyn
That was the first thing he asked after surviving a monumental battle. James patted his shoulder. "The twenty thousand men…" "As long as it's broken," Wyot interjected, staring into the emptiness. "It's a pity the Dark World is gone forever."James wanted to respond, but the other survivors gathered around them. After the battle and the aid of the path source, they had ascended to Path Emperors, becoming top powerhouses in the myriad realms.James nodded, then waved his hand, summoning a path pearl that gleamed with holy light. The light and aura it radiated were enough to make any living being kneel before it.Just as James was about to act, Wyot knelt on one knee, followed by his warriors.James frowned. "Wyot, brothers, you have the right to stand…""We will not be Deified until the Leere Tribulation is broken!" Wyot declared loudly, clasping his fists. His warriors did the same."We will not be Deified until the Leere Tribulation is broken!"Their voices were unified, echo
Then, the Formation of Perception shook violently. When he snapped out of it, he realized that the twenty thousand Doom Race warriors led by Xezal had almost all perished.Among the remaining ones, three were losing their bodies. Hastily, James tossed three path sources into the formation, but it did not stop their bodies from crumbling."Move them out, quickly," urged Zella. "They're under immense pressure inside."James waved his hand and broke the Formation of Perception.Xezal and his remaining warriors—just three of them—appeared in the void. They were tattered and covered in blood. Their hair was unkempt, and they were barely recognizable. These were heroes who had experienced hell.Though wobbling, they stood in battle stances. Their valiance and undying will moved James. He turned his hand and covered them with four path sources, then told them to sit and heal."That's the Doom Race for you. The fact that they survived this titanic battle says a lot about their talent," Z
"Fourth, I have left some treasures for the Yaneiri Clan. They should be enough to establish yourselves in the new world. Fifth, do not be Deified. Never, ever do that. You must keep the Yaneiri Clan safe."Wynton's body contorted, plunging him into further pain. Cracks spread across his skin. "You owe me, James! You owe my clan!" he roared for the last time in his life before crumbling into dust.The light strips that imprisoned him shattered as well, and purple flames lunged at James' light wall, the shockwaves splintering it into fragments before rampaging toward the inconsolable Zella.James flew to Zella, scooped her up, and they took off. The shockwaves from Wynton's self-destruction rapidly spread, obliterating the surrounding formations.But that wasn't the end. Once freed, the shockwave rippled across the Dark World, annihilating everything in its path. Countless universes met their demise.Meanwhile, James protected the remaining Doom Race warriors within the formation,
Wynton was hysterical, but James merely shrugged. “Wynton, they say the last act people do before they die is to be kind. I see none of that in you, and you lost to me.”“And so what?” Wynton roared. “You’re just luckier than me, James! You have a Yin governor as your wife, and she has your back all the time! You would never have come this far otherwise!”James smiled. “Keep going.”“I know you don’t want to owe me any favors.” Wynton glared at him angrily. “You gave me three free attacks to repay me for sparing you in the River of Time.“Now, I’ve given you your children’s past selves back, and you owe me once more. You’re waiting for my terms, aren’t you?”James looked resigned.“Wrong,” Wynton sneered. “I won’t ask for any promises, nor will I give you any chance to repay this debt. Now, you shall owe me a favor you can never repay!”James sensed something was wrong and was shocked. “Wynton!”Wynton, imprisoned, began to burn, flames flickering and licking his body. He roare
"That’s…" The sight of that token filled Wynton with shock. "Y-You’re working with the Shadowborns?""Will you give it to me?" James shot him a threatening look.Wynton shivered, taking a deep breath. Then, a flash of purple light burst forth, and a brilliantly shining mirror flew out from the top of his head.James released Wynton and grabbed the mirror. It resonated with the token, and both items shone blindingly, responding to each other.'It’s true,' James thought. 'The Shadowborn token the master gave me before he left can sense the Nothingness Path Mirror. But why?' Questions swirled in his mind."That mirror will do nothing for you," Wynton said. "I can’t control it, so you can’t either. The only one who can is the Yin governor."He looked at James. "And she’s cleaved in two. Unless you can merge them together, the mirror will not work. However, with just your wife’s half-self, finding Wuia’s current and future selves will be a nigh impossible task."James tucked the mirr
James remained silent. He couldn't muster a response. Now, he finally understood why the Leere Tribulation had been orchestrated and the role his wife played in it.He had initially thought that by destroying the past version of Wuia concealed within the River of Time, he could hurt Wuia. Even if he couldn't stop the Leere Tribulation, he could at least delay it.With more time, he planned to gather additional clues and eradicate all three versions of Wuia, permanently solving the problem. However, his conversation with Wynton had changed his plans.Wynton observed James standing in silence and smirked. "Of course, there's a way to do this."James furrowed his brow.Wynton, brimming with glee, continued, "Kill your wife and the Light Heavenly Path. If they vanish entirely, Wuia will never obtain the Void Spiral. Even if the Leere Tribulation materializes and he returns, his strength will be no greater than before his reincarnation. You'll have enough power to fight him."That was