Netherworld Bone Supreme retreated, yet the oppressive atmosphere hanging in the void did not fully disperse. The divine senses of the Supremes crisscrossed through the air, probing and guarding against one another before slowly withdrawing.
The prodigies of every faction were still shaken to the core. Under the escort of their elders or fellow disciples, they turned into streams of light and hurriedly fled this place of trouble, afraid that the Netherworld Supreme might return—or stir up further upheaval.
Eastern Xuan Academy's ancient tower ship hovered in the void. At the prow, Lu Xuanchen watched Xuanyuan Che and the other three return safely. Especially Xuanyuan Che, who was utterly unscathed and whose aura had somehow become even more unfathomable—undisguised amazement and complicated emotions flashed through Lu Xuanchen's eyes.
With a sweep of his sleeve, a gentle Profound Clear Immortal Light wrapped around the four of them and instantly brought them onto the tower ship's deck.
"It is good that you are back." Lu Xuanchen looked at the four of them, his gaze finally settling on Xuanyuan Che. There was a trace of barely perceptible relief in his voice. "This time in the battlefield, you... did very well."
He had originally wanted to say that they had drawn too much attention, but when he recalled Xuanyuan Che's terrifying strength in directly receiving a Supreme's strike, he swallowed the words. This monstrous disciple of his had long ceased to be someone he could restrain or judge.
"You flatter us, Academy Lord. It was merely our duty." Xuanyuan Che nodded slightly and blinked.
Yun Mengyao, Mu Qingxue, and Thunder Roar Ravine stepped forward as well to pay their respects. Thunder Roar Ravine grinned broadly. Though he said nothing, his face was written all over with: We're really incredible.
Lu Xuanchen nodded and said no more, urging the tower ship onward. The vessel released a long, resonant Dao cry, tore through the void, and sped toward the Eastern Wasteland Domain.
Inside a quiet chamber of the ship.
"Little Junior Brother, you..." Yun Mengyao set up a soundproof barrier and looked at Xuanyuan Che with unprecedented gravity in her beautiful eyes. "Your constitution—is it... the Chaos Dao Body?" After fusing with the Star God Fruit, her spiritual senses had become even sharper. She could sense within Xuanyuan Che a power as vast as the cosmos, like the origin from which all things were born.
Yet she was not certain, because her little junior brother's constitution appeared far more terrifying than the Chaos Body recorded in ancient texts.
Xuanyuan Che glanced at her. He neither admitted nor denied it, merely smiling. "Whatever Sister Mu thinks it is, that is what it is."
He then said, "We made far too great a show of ourselves in this battlefield. The Netherworld Clan will not let this rest. Netherworld Bone Supreme is only the beginning. Those forces in the Central Continent may not do anything openly, but who knows how many eyes are watching us in secret—especially... me."
His tone was calm, yet he had struck at the heart of the matter. The temptation of the Chaos Body was too great, enough to make many ancient lineages risk everything. Moreover, he had offended Burning Heaven Valley and Heavenly Palace Academy, and slain their Saint Kings.
"Why fear the bastards?" Thunder Roar Ravine said in a booming voice. "One comes, we beat one! Two come, we beat the pair! If we can't beat them, Little Junior Brother will handle it!"
Yun Mengyao shot him an annoyed look and pondered for a moment. "Che'er is right. Our top priority is to return to the academy as quickly as possible. The academy is protected by an ancient grand formation, so even Supremes cannot breach it easily. And besides..."
She looked at Xuanyuan Che. "The Academy Lord just sent me a voice transmission. Several ancient beings deep within the academy may wish to see you."
Xuanyuan Che raised an eyebrow, unsurprised. The value and potential he had displayed were enough to draw the attention of Eastern Xuan Academy's true foundations.
"That is fine. Meeting them would be good." he said indifferently.
As Eastern Xuan Academy's tower ship traversed the void and returned toward the Eastern Wasteland, news of the Myriad Races Battlefield swept across the entire Three Thousand Dao Domains like a storm!
"The Netherworld Clan invaded the battlefield, intending to blood-sacrifice the prodigies and welcome the descent of their crown prince!"
"Eastern Xuan Academy's Xuanyuan Che defeated a Saint King with one punch and annihilated the Netherworld Crown Prince Clone with a flick of his finger!"
"The Chaos Body has appeared! He received Netherworld Bone Supreme's strike head-on and remained undefeated!"
"The Earth Ranking has undergone a dramatic upheaval! Xuanyuan Che's name has descended straight to the top!"
"No, Xuanyuan Che's name has vanished from the Earth Ranking again. What is going on?"
Explosive news spread frantically through every possible channel, raising monstrous waves.
The Chaos Body! This was a supreme constitution that existed only in ancient legends, one suspected to have originated from the upper realm! Yet it had appeared in the barren Eastern Wasteland Domain? And it belonged to an unknown disciple from some academy?
Countless great powers were shaken. Ancestor-level figures awoke from their slumber and ordered investigations into every detail of Xuanyuan Che's background at any cost.
The Central Continent, in particular, was a place where wind and clouds churned.
Within Burning Heaven Valley and Heavenly Palace Academy, furious roars from their ancestors rang out. They swore to make Xuanyuan Che pay his blood debt in blood, yet they maintained an eerie silence in the short term, as though brewing something.
True Martial Academy, Ice Snow Holy Palace, Vajra Academy, and other top powers, meanwhile, developed immense interest in Xuanyuan Che, their attitudes ambiguous.
On a floating immortal island wreathed in clouds and mist, where immortal cranes wheeled through the skies, an ancient jade wall engraved with the words "Heaven Ranking" stood silently. Upon the jade wall, names gleamed with brilliant divine light. They represented the true peak existences among the younger generation of the Three Thousand Dao Domains. They had long surpassed the scope of the Earth Ranking; every one of them possessed the terrifying strength to fight across realms and slay Saints. They were candidates for future Supremes, even true immortals.
At this moment, spiritual light suddenly flashed across the Heaven Ranking, which had remained unchanged for a long time. Seven-colored auspicious radiance appeared, then before long returned to stillness...
Several days later, aboard the warship.
Xuanyuan Che had just finished meditating when he stepped outside and saw Yun Mengyao already waiting for him, her expression carrying an unusual hint of something different from usual.
"Second Senior Sister, is something wrong?" Xuanyuan Che asked.
Yun Mengyao nodded slightly and lifted her delicate hand. Two different communication talismans appeared in her palm. One was wreathed in ethereal starlight, while the other exuded a faint, elusive fragrance of peach blossoms.
"First Senior Brother and Fourth Senior Sister have sent messages back," she said with a smile. "They seem to have sensed the changes within the battlefield, especially the commotion you caused, Che'er."
"Oh?" Xuanyuan Che was interested. He had yet to meet that mysterious First Senior Brother.
Yun Mengyao activated the starlight talisman first. No voice emerged from it. Instead, it projected a faint expanse of starlight that interwove in the air into two ancient characters imbued with sword intent:
"Approved."
After that single word, the starlight slowly scattered, leaving no further message.
Xuanyuan Che was briefly startled, then laughed. This First Senior Brother, Jun Moxie, truly lived up to his name—he treasured words as if they were gold and carried himself with lofty bearing. That one word, "Approved," contained many meanings. Perhaps it was recognition; perhaps it was anticipation for a future battle. It fully displayed the aloofness and confidence of a Heaven Ranking prodigy.
Yun Mengyao seemed long accustomed to it and explained, "First Senior Brother has always been like this. He should be in some secret realm, where communication is difficult. This one word already shows that he has noticed you and acknowledged your strength."
Then Yun Mengyao activated the peach blossom talisman. First came a lively, slightly seductive roll of the pipa strings. Then Liu Ruyan's familiar voice rang out, charming yet filled with delight and exaggerated inflection:
"Little Che'er! My dear junior brother! You've truly brought such glory to your senior sister!"
Her voice was bright with excitement, and one could almost picture her in Hundred Flowers Valley, so thrilled that her brows and eyes curved into crescents.
"One punch for each Saint King? Tsk, tsk, tsk. If I had known you were this powerful, I should have made you water every flower in Hundred Flowers Valley with immortal dew! Oh ho ho ho~"
Her words were as wild and unrestrained as ever, full of teasing jokes, but the pride and affection in her tone rushed forth like a tide. It was entirely the voice of an elder sister incomparably proud of her younger brother.
"But being mighty outside is enough. When you come back to see your senior sister, you are not allowed to use that Chaos Qi to block your senior sister from doting on you, understand? Your senior sister has composed a new piece, Rainbow Skirt Dancing Immortal, and I happen to be lacking a handsome listener like you, Little Junior Brother! If you cannot understand it... hee hee, Hundred Flowers Valley just happens to need a little gardener to catch bugs for the flowers~"
Her signature soft laughter sounded at the end, and the communication ended.
Listening to that familiar voice, Xuanyuan Che seemed to see once more his Fourth Senior Sister, whose fragrant presence swept toward him and whose smile blossomed like a flower. An amused yet helpless smile rose to his lips.
This senior sister's way of showing concern was always so... uniquely unconventional.
Seeing his reaction, Yun Mengyao's eyes flashed with amusement as well. She explained, "Ruyan is like that. The happier she is and the more she values someone, the less serious her words become. She always thinks of new ways to tease people. She is overjoyed this time. She probably wishes she could return immediately to see you with her own eyes."
After several days of void travel, Eastern Xuan Academy's tower ship finally arrived in the Eastern Wasteland Domain and slowly sailed into the blessed cave-heaven where Eastern Xuan Academy was located.
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