That’s why, unlike the excitement that followed Kaien’s earlier matches, this time the surrounding disciples looked almost certain about the outcome already.To them, the battle was finished before it even began.After all—This was Senior Brother Huo.The strongest genius within the outer sect.Even the elders watching from above seemed more attentive now. Kaien remained standing calmly across from him while studying the man again.Up close, Huo’s presence felt even heavier than before.Huo spoke calmly.“So you’re the outsider everyone has been talking about.”His tone carried no obvious hostility. Yet something about it still felt cold.Kaien replied simply.“Yes, I am.”A faint murmur spread through the crowd immediately afterward.“I heard,” he continued calmly, “that you’ve been using forbidden arts within the sect.”The whispers around the arena instantly grew louder again. Kaien’s expression remained unchanged as Huo continued staring at him.“They say that’s how you defeated

And the closer he looked toward the black dome embedded within the mountain, the more violently the fragment inside his body reacted in response.His core pulsed heavily and his blood surged uncontrollably.At the same time—ROOOOAR!The beast of the forbidden trial slammed Lan Su’s sacred beast violently across the mountainside before turning toward Kaien once more with murderous intent.The creature clearly had no intention of allowing him to move any further. Lan Su’s expression tightened as she controlled her summon carefully.“This thing won’t stop chasing you for some reason!” she shouted.Kaien clenched his jaw.Of course it wouldn’t.The closer he got to the dome, the more aggressive the beast became. Almost as though it was guarding whatever was hidden inside.Kaien immediately turned toward Lan Su.“I need to get there,” he said firmly.Lan Su blinked.“What?”Kaien pointed directly toward the black dome above the mountain.“There’s something inside it,” he said quickly. “It

Kaien’s gaze remained fixed on the distant horizon.That faint pull from the next fragment lingered deep within him, growing clearer with every passing second.He wanted to speak and explain things properly to Lan Su and Li Wei.But before a single word could leave his mouth—CRACK.Space suddenly split apart.The sound echoed violently across the mountain as a massive fracture tore open behind him without warning. Everyone’s expressions changed instantly.The elders reacted immediately.“WATCH OUT!”A terrifying force burst out from the crack before anyone could stop it.Kaien’s eyes widened slightly as he felt space itself distort around him.Then suddenly he was dragged in.“Kaien!”Lan Su’s voice rang out sharply.Kaien instinctively reached forward, but the force swallowing him was far too violent. The fractured void consumed him completely before anyone could react properly.The world twisted.Everything around him distorted violently as countless fragments of light and darkness

The Daishi Realm had once been peaceful.Towering sects floated above rivers of spiritual mist while ancient temples rested between mountain ranges overflowing with dense qi. Markets remained lively from sunrise until deep into the night, filled with wandering cultivators, spirit merchants, alchemists, and disciples proudly displaying the symbols of their sects.Children ran through the streets laughing while weaker cultivators trained openly beneath waterfalls and sacred trees.To the people of the Daishi Realm, cultivation was not merely survival.It was life itself and every path toward immortality was treasured deeply.Across the realm, sect bells echoed calmly through the skies while flying beasts soared above flourishing lands untouched by war.No one knew it would end so suddenly.The first sign appeared without warning.The heavens trembled violently as a crack widened further across the atmosphere itself. Clouds distorted unnaturally while spiritual energy throughout the rea

The survivors panicked instantly and Kaien’s eyes darkened.How did they find this place so quickly?One of the soldiers immediately pointed toward him.“There!”“He must be that rogue cultivator!”More soldiers surged toward Kaien at once.Despite his weakened condition, Kaien stepped forward without hesitation while golden qi flickered faintly around his injured body once more.The hidden camp had erupted into complete chaos.Survivors screamed as dark armored soldiers stormed through the narrow pathways between shelters, dragging people out violently while striking down anyone who resisted.Children cried and people begged desperately.One of the soldiers lunged toward him with a blade coated in corrupted qi.Kaien sidestepped smoothly despite the lingering pain tearing through his body before driving his fist into the soldier’s throat hard enough to crush it instantly.The man collapsed lifelessly.Another soldier rushed toward one of the survivors nearby and grabbed her violently