If Kaelen were to face a Martial God Realm First Heaven expert right now… well, a drawn-out fight would be pointless. He could crush them with a flick of his hand, as easily as squashing an ant underfoot. He retracted his Silver Battle Body, eyes gleaming, pulse thrumming with anticipation.His body had reached the second level of the Creation God Technique’s Silver Battle Body. And his second companion talent—the legendary Ancient God Ring—was about to awaken.Buzz!A heavy, unfamiliar pressure pressed down his spine. Above him, a colossal halo of hazy light formed, glowing like a silver-white moon suspended in nothingness. Its brilliance sliced through the darkness, sharp enough to make the eyes sting.Kaelen felt his senses snap into hyper-focus. Strength surged through his muscles. His vital energy thickened. His thoughts… raced faster than ever before. Then, like a dam breaking, a torrent of knowledge poured into his mind.My second companion talent… the Ancient God Ring… infused

Kaelen climbed the ninth floor of the towering vermillion pavilion, eyes sweeping the grand chamber with a careful, almost curious gaze. Every carved beam, every painted eave radiated centuries of authority—heavy, silent, pressing down like history itself.At the summit, a young woman in flowing white robes waited. Her features were delicate, commanding, and somehow warm, radiating quiet expectation. Recognition struck Kaelen like lightning. His heart skipped.“Valemir?” he whispered, surprise threading his voice.It hit him immediately. This was the high-ranking figure the inspector had mentioned—Seraphina Valemir, Ninth Princess of the Eldravan Empire. Even here, in remote Thornreach Prefecture, her presence demanded respect. A flash of nostalgia stirred—he remembered the clumsy white-clad girl who had quietly watched over him long ago.In a heartbeat, Seraphina leapt forward into his embrace. Instinctively, Kaelen held her at arm’s length. Careful, measured—but not unkind.“Valemir

Kaelen’s mind wandered back to the first time he’d stumbled into the Great Wilderness. A place where forgotten villages clung to life like stubborn weeds, and ancient sacrificial spirits lingered in the shadows, silent and watchful.I have to cross the Cloudsky Wild Forest, he thought. If I’m going to do this, I might as well see what rare treasures hide along the way.The Creation Divine Art stirred quietly within him—a legacy from a forgotten age, unmatched and merciless. Its path demanded sacrifice, far beyond what ordinary cultivators could endure. Each breakthrough drained him like a river emptied into a drought, yet Kaelen’s heart stayed calm. Every grueling step forged a foundation stronger than most could imagine, and with every realm he conquered, his power shot past peers and prodigies alike.Was this not the path his father, Corvin, had walked? Born a mere mortal, Corvin rose above everything, becoming the God-Emperor who united the Spirit Realm after ages of chaos. Kaelen’

“All of this… It’s my fault.”The words slipped from Isolara’s lips, trembling, fragile as the night air that wrapped itself around the caravan. Darkness pressed down like a living weight, suffocating, as if the heavens themselves wanted to snuff out every last spark of hope. She buried her face in her arms. Tears cut silently, glimmering trails down her flawless cheeks.“If it weren’t for this frail, cursed body of mine… Father wouldn’t have to risk everything. If the Stonehart Clan suffers because of me… if they die for my sake… how could I even go on?” Her voice barely rose above a whisper, but it carried a weight heavy enough to pin everyone nearby. Guilt was a shadow that refused to lift.Kaelen stayed by her side, quiet, unwavering. He looked at her pale, tear-streaked face. Words felt useless here. He’d known helplessness before—the bitter sting of utter failure etched deep into his soul from a life long past.Finally, he leaned closer. Calm. Almost serene. “Don’t worry. Even i

“Indeed… It’s a Venom-Eating Bug.”Kaelen’s eyes flickered with recognition. A rare, unrestrained smile curved his lips. Most would have faltered at identifying it. Even the oldest masters might have hesitated. The Venom-Eating Bug wasn’t just rare—it was practically legendary, whispered about in the Spirit Realm as a phantom. People had long dismissed it as a myth.He recalled the tattered texts buried deep in the Fated Divine Dynasty’s palace archives. Tiny, yes—but a creature that had once ruled fear itself. Primordial beasts avoided it. Ranked thirty-seventh on the Ancient Spirit Insect List, it had once surpassed countless so-called “dangerous” creatures. Three thousand years ago, it had nearly vanished—but here it was, in the remote southern stretches of the Longyuan Continent, crawling right before him.The old texts spoke of its body—impenetrable to wind, fire, thunder, and lightning. Any creature it burrowed into faced inevitable death. Even the fiercest primordial beasts ste