A Worthy Opponent

As dawn approached, Wu Wang sat cross-legged on a wooden platform facing the east sky on the mountainside.

Behind him, the Flame Emperor Token, floating and slowly rotating, guided the energy within his body through a peculiar route. Each circulation made Wu Wang's aura infinitesimally thicker.

It couldn't be helped; his cultivation foundation was too weak.

This set of cultivation methods had no name. When he asked Senior Shennong about it, the senior told him to name it whatever he pleased – Burning Heaven, Destroying Heaven, God Slayer, Dog Killing Technique, anything was fine, as this method could only be learned through the Flame Emperor Token.

Originally, Wu Wang thought he was the only one...

Just thinking about it made him angry!

Hearing the name 'Shennong,' Wu Wang's heart filled with respect, which led to him being tricked into becoming free labor before.

If he wanted a nice big house, couldn't he have just said so? Told him it was difficult?

Why did he have to torment him this way, forbidding the use of the Star Invocation Technique and even the meager magic power of the Gather Qi Realm!

Just then.

Creak—

A window on the third floor of the wooden hall opened. An old man stretched and yawned, his sleepy eyes blinking open. He mumbled, "Ah, this is nice. This house, built purely by hand without magic power, is really good."

A cross-shaped vein instantly popped out on Wu Wang's forehead.

If he hadn't been unable to defeat this old fellow, he would have shouted "Take care of my mother" yesterday and flown up with his Star Wings!

A streak of orange-red appeared in the eastern sky. The Sun Goddess's chariot was ready to escort the Sun Star on its journey.

Wu Wang immediately focused his mind, facing the sunrise in the east, and calmly circulated the Flame Emperor Art, absorbing the first wisp of fire element energy from heaven and earth.

By the wooden hall window, Shennong Shi watched Wu Wang's figure with a smile, but a hint of thought flickered in his eyes. He murmured, "The little fellow's comprehension is quite good. He's adjusted the circulation trajectory so quickly."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Wang suddenly yelped and jumped up, frantically patting the flames on his backside.

The cushion he had been sitting on had already turned into a fireball.

Shennong Shi stroked his beard and burst into laughter.

Wu Wang glared at Shennong Shi, about to ask if the incantation had a problem, when he suddenly felt something strange about his body. He glanced down, then immediately hunched over and rushed away in a hurry.

Shennong Shi's voice drifted from behind: "Young people have a lot of fire."

Wu Wang turned his head and roared, "Weren't you a young man when you first started practicing this cultivation method!"

Shennong Shi's calm voice drifted back: "I became a Heavenly Immortal at a hundred years old and was favored by the previous Human Emperor to inherit his position. When I first practiced this method, I directly entered the eighth level. I was very calm."

Wu Wang blinked, stopped running, and a small lightbulb lit up behind his head.

"The lifespan of ordinary humans is four to five hundred years. A hundred years old is still considered young and strong... Ah, Senior, you lost your 'fire' at a hundred?"

Huh? Why was there no more movement?

Wu Wang turned to look at the wooden hall and suddenly saw a black cloud slowly drifting over, crackling with lightning and containing immense Wood Element power.

Crack!

A bolt of lightning struck directly down. Wu Wang dodged it just in time by moving his foot. He glared at the pit that had been blasted into the ground, his entire body swallowed by black lines.

Can't play fair? I'm asking if you can't play fair!?

Wu Wang bared his teeth at the wooden house and rolled his eyes, then turned and sprinted towards the densely wooded area.

The black cloud pursued him!

For a time, the forest echoed with a cheerful symphony of thunder and lightning, a male soprano that was sometimes high-pitched and sometimes cracked, reverberating through the mountains and valleys.

No! I can't keep being so passive!

I need to take the initiative, I need revenge!

He, Wu Wang, was born into the Northern Plains Clan. According to Northern Plains tradition, it was [Heaven and Earth are vast, fear no one; when the wife calls, come home immediately]. The people of the Northern Plains feared no one.

Besides, Shennong Shi was so old, and he hadn't heard him mention having any daughters. The probability of him becoming his future father-in-law was astronomically low.

What was there to fear?

What was there to be wary of?

He was the Human Emperor of the Human Domain, and Wu Wang was the Young Master of a Great Clan in the Northern Plains! The Human Emperor of the Human Domain was equivalent to the Co-Lord of the Northern Plains. Their statuses were only about three or four tiers apart.

Rounding it off, they were practically the same!

—Although, in reality, they couldn't be compared like that.

He declared war, he would declare war directly on the current Human Emperor!

By the small river, Wu Wang, wearing a tattered short shirt and shorts, with a messy, smoke-blackened bird's nest of hair, a face covered in charcoal black, wore a cruel, sinister grin.

And so...

"Senior Shennong, do you know the difference between ice made by the Star Invocation Technique and ice that freezes on its own?"

"Oh? I haven't studied the Star Invocation Technique before."

"This is a special cooling tea from our Northern Plains, good for reducing internal heat."

Wu Wang carefully placed two cups of cooling tea, each with square ice cubes floating in them, in front of the elder. "This is the recipe for the internal heat-reducing tea you taught me yesterday. I've made it with Northern Plains methods. Please taste it and tell me the difference between the two types of ice cubes?"

Shennong Shi smiled slightly, observing the ice cubes and the tea water closely. Finding nothing unusual, he nodded with a smile, picked up the cups, and took a sip from each, savoring the taste.

Soon, he chuckled, "This cup is a bit sweeter, and this one is more pure and refreshing."

Wu Wang blinked and smiled, "Can you tell which cup's ice cubes were made using the Star Invocation Technique?"

"Are you testing me? Hehe, let me taste again."

Shennong Shi took two large sips, closed his eyes, and concentrated, tapping his fingers on the table. He then smiled, "This won't stump me. The slightly sweeter cup should have ice cubes made with the Star Invocation Technique. Hmm? Why are you going to the window?"

"Ah," Wu Wang chuckled, "Actually, the ice cubes in both cups were made using the Star Invocation Technique. You guessed wrong, Senior."

"If there's no difference, why did you have me taste them?"

"It's the water used to brew the tea," Wu Wang said earnestly. "The sweet cup used collected dew, and the slightly salty cup used ordinary spring water."

Shennong Shi couldn't help but smile. He picked up the sweet cup and took a few more sips, saying, "Oh? You've put a lot of thought into this. Then why did you retreat?"

Wu Wang muttered softly, "Aren't you going to ask where the dew was collected from?"

Shennong Shi's old face darkened. Wu Wang suddenly leaped out the window, spread his star wings, and flew towards the horizon, letting out a burst of unrestrained laughter.

"It was from the tiles of the outhouse behind the mountain! Don't worry, old man! Absolutely clean! Hahaha!"

"You scoundrel! You little brat! Get back here!"

A roar from the Human Emperor echoed from the wooden hall. The old man, carrying a wooden staff, leaped out the window, leaving afterimages in his pursuit, which abruptly silenced Wu Wang's laughter.

A few days later.

Wu Wang was meditating in the mountains when Shennong Shi slowly approached, leaning on his wooden staff.

"Wuwang, I see your cultivation has progressed rapidly, but there's still a slight imperfection. I have a cultivation secret here. Do you want to learn it?"

Wu Wang blinked and said seriously, "Senior, cultivation should be steady and gradual. One should not be overly ambitious or rush ahead. A shortcut in cultivation may seem like a shortcut, but it's only a temporary one."

"Don't worry, this isn't a shortcut. It's a small secret passed down by Senior Fuxi."

Shennong Shi said slowly, "Although I usually like to joke with you, I would never trick you when it comes to cultivation. After all, you carry a part of the future hope of the Human Domain."

"May I ask how many portions of hope you've scattered so far?"

"About a few hundred."

"Then I'm relieved," Wu Wang smiled. "Then I'm even less in a hurry. I'll just cultivate slowly."

A hint of sadness appeared in Shennong Shi's eyes. He tilted his head up slightly and said slowly, "Except for you, they have all perished."

Wu Wang was taken aback.

"Why?"

"There are many reasons, but ultimately, they couldn't withstand the Human Emperor's destiny," Shennong Shi sighed. "This is also what worries me the most. The Heavenly Emperor has set up layer upon layer of restrictions, making the Human Emperor's successor a persistent problem. After all, it's too difficult to find someone like me, who reached Foundation Establishment at ten, Golden Core at fifteen, became an Immortal at thirty, a Heavenly Immortal at a hundred, and even found time to compile the Classic of Herbs – someone with such immense fortune."

Wu Wang: ...

He felt utterly defeated, defeated by a tone that could use sadness to show off. You're still the master.

"Then what is the secret?"

"Come, first take these two pills I specially refined for you, and then circulate this incantation."

And so it went.

A moment later, streaks of crimson appeared all over Wu Wang's body. His aura was rapidly condensing, and it was incredibly pure. However, he felt restless and instinctively covered his waist with his robe.

Shennong Shi said slowly:

"The method of Refining Essence into Qi is both the fundamental basis of cultivation and the key point of this secret. Your entire body's Yang energy has been stimulated, making it a good time to advance your cultivation. Don't worry, even if you can't refine all this Yang energy, you can find a woman and place your palms together, circulating the incantation I taught you simultaneously. This will achieve Yin and Yang harmony, benefiting both parties. Oh dear, oh dear, I suddenly forgot about your peculiar illness that prevents you from touching women. It seems you'll have to endure some hardship."

Wu Wang was covered in sweat and gritted his teeth, but he immediately took a deep breath and began to frantically circulate the Flame Emperor Technique.

Shennong Shi floated away and placed another pill behind Wu Wang, saying, "If you can't bear it any longer, take this pill. If you can endure it, you will refine the vital essence. This is considered the benefit for a virgin cultivating this method."

His old face was filled with a joyful smile.

That day, Wu Wang entered the second level of the Flame Emperor Technique.

In the following three months, in this quiet, deep mountain forest, one after another, contests of strategy and wisdom unfolded.

"Is the Young Master not coming back?"

On the great ship sailing south, a graceful figure leaned against the bow, gazing quietly at the horizon where the sea met the sky.

Fuzzy spirit butterflies would occasionally appear around her, and as the spiritual energy floating on the sea passed by, it would circle around her, actively sending some pure spiritual power.

Not far away, True Man Zuo Dong's old eyes were filled with emotion.

Was it really that simple to reach the peak of the Core Formation Realm, about to form a Golden Core, with all the insights for forming a Golden Core already abundant, and a success rate of nearly ten out of ten?

Who was that old senior from that day?

With just one pill, his disciple, who had already undergone one transformation, underwent another!

"Young Master..."

Lin Suqing called out softly, her eyes full of determination.

I will definitely cultivate to the Golden Core and Nascent Soul realms as soon as possible and rush to serve the Young Master as soon as I hear his name in the Human Domain.

"Suqing, you don't need to worry," True Man Zuo Dong said gently. "Young Master Wuwang has a profound background and extraordinary talent. That old senior must have taken a liking to him and accepted him as a disciple, teaching him profound techniques and marvelous methods. He should be happily cultivating in some remote mountain forest right now, so don't worry about him."

"Mhm, our Young Master has always been well-liked by elders. He'll surely get along well with that senior expert."

Lin Suqing said, then turned and floated towards her cabin.

Contemplate the Dao, cultivate!

One day.

Wu Wang, under the scorching sun, bare-chested and carrying a large square stone, stood in a horse stance by a clear pool, with two gleaming blades placed beneath him.

A ball of mist floated in the air. This mist would irregularly condense into an air hammer, smashing onto the giant stone from time to time, making Wu Wang's legs tremble.

After months of this torment, Wu Wang had indeed become a bit more robust than when he left the Northern Plains.

If Xiong Han could see this scene, he would probably be so excited that tears would stream down his face.

A certain old senior sat by the pool, rolled up his trousers, and soaked his feet in the cool spring water. A wooden bucket floated in front of him, containing several fruits.

A leisurely afternoon was meant for comfortably eating fruit, drinking tea, tormenting young people, and finding some fun.

"Rest for a while when you're about done," Shennong Shi said gently. "Haste makes waste, and physical training is not accomplished in a single day."

The ball of mist then dissipated.

Wu Wang grinned, holding the large stone, and took two steady steps forward before placing the stone down steadily by the pool, letting out a soft breath. He took off his clothes and plunged into the pool, splashing around. After he had his fill, he jumped ashore, wearing only a pair of brightly colored shorts, freely displaying his young and strong physique. He then sat down obediently next to Shennong Shi.

"Senior, I think this mutual torment between us doesn't really have any meaning."

"Isn't it fun?"

"Mainly, it goes against your dignified image," Wu Wang chuckled. "How about this, let's each show some sincerity first. This green fruit of yours can't be eaten."

After speaking, he broke open the green fruit beside Shennong Shi, revealing the small fishbone hidden inside.

Shennong Shi smiled calmly and took out the telescopic bamboo sections that Wu Wang had placed under the two blades when he was in his horse stance.

Wu Wang coughed, fiddled with something for a moment, and took away the water-spraying mechanism from the wooden bucket, as well as the small, pale green waterskin.

Shennong Shi's lips twitched slightly as he removed the itching powder that was still lingering beneath Wu Wang's buttocks...

Then, the old and young man looked at each other and smiled, revealing relieved expressions. They both got up and moved a few yards to the side, reseating themselves.

"Senior, is being the Human Emperor very idle?" Wu Wang asked curiously. "It seems you've been here guiding my cultivation recently."

"I delegate tasks to my subordinates and only make decisions that affect the entire Human Domain," Shennong Shi sighed. "The Human Emperor of the Human Domain is more of a symbol. Their most important role is to offset the pressure of the gods on the Human Domain. Therefore, the Human Emperor must be strong enough."

Wu Wang asked again, "Did the Heavenly Emperor place many restrictions on the Human Emperor?"

Shennong Shi said slowly, "Indeed. Di Jun dares not show himself in the Human Domain, but he can use the Great Dao. His Grand Astrologer, who controls the lifespan of all beings, has placed a lock on the human race's lifespan."

"Can gods live forever?"

"They are born with the Dao and will eventually perish."

Wu Wang pondered for a moment, nodded slightly, and asked again, "How long can I cultivate here?"

"Until you reach the Core Formation Realm and your cultivation method reaches the third level," Shennong Shi said, looking at the Flame Emperor Token floating behind Wu Wang. "At that time, this item will enter your body and accompany your soul. It has many miraculous uses and can also protect your soul from death once."

Wu Wang scratched his head. "Won't that be soon then?"

"It will be soon," Shennong Shi smiled. "After taking the benefits the Human Emperor has given you, you should do something for the human race. Later, I will send you directly to a marvelous country in the Western Plains, where you will surely be very pleased."

"What place?"

"The Women's Country, not far from here."

Shennong Shi directly provided the answer. "A rebellion is about to occur in the Women's Country, and the environment there is also somewhat special. You can go and observe. If you don't want to intervene, then don't."

"If you want to help them, use your Star Invocation Technique.

The decision is entirely yours. I'm just taking you there. If you feel a surge of anger or dissatisfaction, you can fly away directly."

"Could this be some kind of strange trial?"

Wu Wang muttered, "I'm not interested in trials like yours that can kill people."

Shennong Shi raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "Kill people? What do you mean by that?"