The Wind Rises

On the arena, Chu Wujiu successively killed three more Alien Race Prodigy who came to challenge him.

He won every battle cleanly and decisively, his Heaven and Earth Law and might undiminished, and his halberd's edge remained unmatched wherever it struck.

But off the stage, Li Xuan's brows furrowed even more deeply.

He could see it clearly—the interval between each swing of Chu Wujiu's halberd was slightly slower than the previous one, almost imperceptible.

The encroachment of the Black Mist is intensifying silently.

Just then, a figure slowly walked onto the arena.

He was a young man from Alien Race, clad in dark blue scale armor, with a stern face and a silver vertical stripe on his forehead.

He didn't act immediately, but instead stared directly at Chu Wujiu between the Dharma Manifestation Image's brows, his voice low and clear:

"Chu Wujiu, you are indeed very strong."

"If conditions permit, I would like to fight you with all my might in your prime."

"But your biggest mistake was killing that That Lord."

"He was kind and benevolent, with a broad vision; he could have become a truly accomplished King Sovereign." A trace of regret flashed in the young man's eyes.

As he spoke, he took a deep breath, his tone shifting to one of admonition:

"Let's leave now, let his remains... rest here in peace. Perhaps this is the last respect we can show him."

"Rest in peace??"

Chu Wujiu almost burst out laughing when he saw the image between Dharma Manifestation's brows.

He suppressed his surging emotions, calmly scrutinized the other person, and suddenly spoke:

"Hey, what's your name?"

The young man from Alien Race frowned slightly, but still answered in a deep voice, "Silver Scale Tribe, Cangming."

"Cangming ..." Chu Wujiu repeated the name, then shook his head, "You're not quite like those idiots from before; at least you have some brains—unfortunately, not many."

He manipulated the Heaven and Earth Law, took a step forward, and his voice suddenly turned cold:

"Perhaps in your eyes, harming one's comrades and killing one's own siblings is commonplace. But here—"

"Absolutely impossible!"

"And... he once said..."

"If he dies one day, I hope he can be buried in the land of the Three Thousand Provinces."

Chu Wujiu's voice was resolute, "Therefore, I must take him away today."

"Who's stopping us--"

He paused, and as he uttered the last word, his Killing Intent was palpable:

"I will kill whoever comes my way!!"

The moment the words fell, the enormous Dharma Manifestation took a step forward, and the floor of the arena, which had just automatically repaired itself, cracked again.

The phantom of the halberd rose high, its blade pointing directly at Cangming's brow. Chu Wujiu's voice echoed through the Dharma Manifestation, carrying a metallic, icy resonance:

I'll give you time to prepare.

"Summon your Heaven and Earth Law-- "

"Then, let's fight!"

The atmosphere on the stage suddenly froze.

Cangming stared at the halberd blade pointing directly at him, remained silent for a long time, and finally sighed slowly.

"Chu Wujiu, at this moment... Non-Self." His voice carried regret, yet also determination, "But if you insist on this—"

He slowly raised his hands and formed a mudra in front of his chest.

The next instant, a terrifying aura, heavy as an abyss and violent as a prison, erupted from behind him!

A dark blue light shot into the sky, condensing into a majestic Dharma Manifestation, also a hundred feet tall, beneath the Eternal Gloom Sky Curtain!

The Dharma Manifestation's appearance was ancient and simple, with a dark blue stone texture throughout, and the muscle lines resembled the undulating mountains and rivers.

The most striking feature is the pair of enormous stone fists with an unusually exaggerated proportion—the fists are engraved with dense ancient runes, and each time they are clenched, they emit a muffled, thunderous roar!

"The Heaven and Earth Law? Mountain-Crushing Sea-Overturning Giant Spirit!"

The six-character True Name resounded throughout the arena.

"The Six-Character Heaven and Earth Law!" Exclamations erupted from the Alien Race camp upon witnessing this scene.

Immediately, this awe transformed into extreme contempt and hostility towards Chu Wujiu:

"Young Master Cangming's Heaven and Earth Law can overturn seas and shatter mountains; this is the ultimate realm of power! No matter how sharp Chu Wujiu's halberd technique is, he will surely die if he gets close!"

"Kill him! Use his blood to appease that That Lord!"

"Human Race always so overconfident, thinking they're something special just because they killed a few useless people? In the face of true powerhouses, they're nothing but chickens and dogs!"

"All Human Race deserve to die! Especially these so-called Prodigy!"

Amidst the boiling clamor, there was undisguised racial hostility and extreme arrogance regarding their own heritage.

In their eyes, Chu Wujiu's blood-blue seven-character Dharma Manifestation was already doomed to defeat.

On the Human Race, many people's expressions changed.

"The Six-Syllable Dharma Manifestation..."

"This is troublesome." A woman in a Daoist robe gripped her whisk tightly, her knuckles turning white. "Brother Chu has fought several battles and is already greatly exhausted. Now he has encountered such a formidable enemy..."

Suppressed whispers quickly spread through the Human Race ranks.

If Chu Wujiu attitude had given them some hope...

The Dharma Manifestation of this "Mountain-Crushing Sea-Overturning Giant Spirit," along with the fanatical and hostile clamor from the Alien Race, was like a bucket of cold water poured over many people's hearts.

The atmosphere on the stage was incredibly tense.

On the Human Race side, anxieties and disputes have yet to subside.

In the shadows outside the arena, unnoticed by anyone, lurked a slender figure.

Tan Lingfei.

He gripped the Stone Chisel, his gaze piercing through the chaotic battlefield, locking onto the two terrifying Dharma Manifestation facing each other. His breathing was so light it blended into the Black Mist, and his eyes held only the Deathly Stillness focus of a hunter.

'These two are strong enough to power the chisel more than enough... but the aftershocks of the clash between the Heaven and Earth Law are not something the physical body can withstand.'

We'll have to wait.

There's only one chance, and Tan Lingfei is waiting.

Waiting for the perfect moment.

As he thought about it, his gaze swept over several seemingly empty shadows—where his mixed-race compatriots lurked, a group of pitiful people who were not truly accepted by either side and lived a life more humble than ants.

Most of them thought that today they would finally be able to travel to the legendary Foreign Lands.

The new home that the That Lord promised.

Only Tan Lingfei and a very few others knew the truth.

The place we're going to next isn't Foreign Lands, but Outer Domain —a place that is unknown, dangerous, but without discrimination.

There is a price to pay to open that door.

--His life.

Tan Lingfei gripped the Stone Chisel tighter, his knuckles turning white.

Death is not scary.

What's terrifying is dying without meaning.

"Those people should have died long ago. If I can exchange my life for theirs today..." he said to himself, a faint smile appearing on his lips, "It would be worth it."

At least this time, his death can give others a chance to live.

Instead of being able to watch helplessly as their companions died one by one, as before, they were powerless to do anything about it.

On the other side.

Ji Wuchen's gaze swept over Chu Wujiu and Yan Wujin on the arena.

"To have held out this long under the corrosive Black Mist is already quite an achievement." His voice was low, carrying a barely perceptible hint of urgency. "Now that the enemy has dispatched their main force..."

"It's time we made a change."

"No."

Li Xuan's calm voice interrupted Ji Wuchen.