East Gate Miracle

Tianhun City East Gate.

Three days.

Quan Cangtian stood on the slate road outside the city gate, his palm throbbing.

Dark red crystal.

Beat after beat.

Pounding fiercely.

Quan Batian stood beside him, holding the Destruction Dragon Spear in his hand.

The spear shaft was dark red, its tip shimmering with golden light.

"They're here."

Quan Cangtian didn't speak.

He felt it.

The shops around the East Gate were all closed, the street was empty, and the residents had long since evacuated.

There was a smell in the air.

Not the smell of blood.

It was another kind of smell.

The smell of the Dark Soul Cult.

The crystal in his palm pounded even more fiercely.

His genes responded.

Quan Cangtian looked ahead.

Figures walked out from the shadows on both sides of the street.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Six Titled Douluos.

At the lead was a middle-aged man with an unfathomable aura that Quan Cangtian couldn't measure.

Level 98 Super Douluo.

Standing beside him was an old man with a very strong aura as well, though slightly weaker than the middle-aged man.

Level 97 Titled Douluo.

The four behind them were all above level 96.

The middle-aged man spoke.

"Young Patriarch, the Pontifex has been waiting for you for a long time."

Quan Batian took a step forward, the Destruction Dragon Spear held horizontally before his chest.

"Where is the Pontifex?"

The middle-aged man smiled slightly.

"The Pontifex said that once you arrive, he will come."

Quan Cangtian felt the crystal in his palm beating violently.

It was almost about to burst out.

His genes were calling out.

He was responding to the Dark Soul Cult.

Quan Batian.

"Cangtian, let's go."

Quan Cangtian didn't move.

He stood in place, looking at the six Titled Douluos.

Quan Batian.

"Let's go!"

Quan Cangtian still didn't move.

He felt his genes calling to him.

That power surged within his palm, wanting to burst out, wanting to respond to the Dark Soul Cult.

But he didn't yield.

His conviction was clear.

He would not become anyone's pawn.

The crystal in his palm pounded even more fiercely.

Pain.

Yet he gritted his teeth and didn't let go.

Quan Batian sensed something was wrong.

"Cangtian!"

Quan Cangtian closed his eyes.

He was suppressing his genes.

Autonomous Adaptation was operating, the Abundance Power was harmonizing, and the Death Qi was suppressing.

Yet his genes were too strong.

He couldn't suppress them.

Suddenly.

The silver-white star within the Path Rift flickered.

Quan Cangtian felt a new power flowing through his body.

Not Destruction.

Not Abundance.

It was Elation.

The power of the Path of Elation was operating.

It resonated with the Miracle Trait.

He felt he could now summon certain things.

Taunt Miracle.

Probability Distortion Miracle.

The Star God Aha was watching him.

Finding him amusing.

Quan Cangtian opened his eyes.

He spoke.

"You think I'm a pawn."

The six Titled Douluos looked at him.

Quan Cangtian.

"You are the pawns."

The middle-aged man's expression changed.

"What did you say?"

Quan Cangtian.

"The Pontifex wants me, and you are merely tools."

"He won't thank you."

"He will only discard you after use."

The middle-aged man flew into a rage.

"Audacious!"

He struck.

A dark red beam shot from his palm, heading straight for Quan Cangtian.

Quan Batian blocked in front, sweeping the Destruction Dragon Spear horizontally to deflect the beam.

Boom.

A fissure blasted open on the ground.

Quan Batian.

"Cangtian, why did you provoke them?!"

Quan Cangtian didn't answer.

He felt the Taunt Miracle operating.

The enemies' anger was converting into damage against themselves.

The middle-aged man's attacks grew frantic, yet his openings multiplied.

Quan Batian seized the opportunity.

The Destruction Dragon Spear swept across, its tip grazing the shoulders of two Titled Douluos.

Blood splattered.

The two Titled Douluos retreated.

Yet the middle-aged man and the old man kept attacking.

Quan Batian was pinned down.

The six Titled Douluos coordinated seamlessly, surrounding Quan Batian with a formation.

Quan Batian was a level 99 Semi-God whose strength crushed theirs.

Yet he couldn't break away.

Quan Cangtian stood on the periphery.

The crystal in his palm was still beating.

He felt his genes calling out.

Yet he didn't yield.

Suddenly.

An aura filled the air.

Extremely deep.

So deep it was undetectable.

A middle-aged man walked out from the shadows.

He looked completely ordinary.

Dressed in a gray robe with a blank expression on his face.

Yet Quan Cangtian sensed his aura.

It bore a strong resemblance to the Envoy of Elation.

Though not entirely identical.

The Pontifex.

The Pontifex spoke.

"Young Patriarch, you interest me greatly."

Quan Cangtian.

"What do you want?"

The Pontifex.

"The genes within your body belong to me."

Quan Cangtian clenched his fists.

"No, they are mine."

The Pontifex smiled.

"Interesting."

He raised his hand.

A beam of black light shot toward Quan Cangtian.

Fast.

Too fast for Quan Cangtian to dodge in time.

Quan Cangtian felt the Probability Distortion Miracle operating.

Destiny was being distorted.

The Pontifex's attack deviated from its trajectory.

The black light grazed Quan Cangtian's shoulder.

It missed.

His clothes were burned through with a tear, leaving a streak of blood on his skin.

The Pontifex stopped.

He looked at Quan Cangtian.

"Interesting."

"You can distort destiny."

Quan Cangtian didn't answer.

He was panting.

Probability Distortion Miracle drained a huge amount of energy.

Pontifex.

"You have the power of Elation inside you."

"Aha has set his eyes on you."

Quan Cangtian.

"So what."

Pontifex.

"Nothing."

"But you are still mine."

He raised his hand again.

This time, the black light was thicker.

Quan Batian let out an explosive shout, sweeping the Destruction Dragon Spear horizontally to blast six Titled Douluos away, and rushed toward Quan Cangtian.

"Go!"

He grabbed Quan Cangtian by the shoulder and retreated backward.

The black light chased after them.

Quan Cangtian circulated Probability Distortion Miracle once more.

The black light deviated slightly.

It brushed past Quan Batian's back.

Quan Batian let out a muffled grunt, but didn't stop.

The two of them rushed out of the East Gate, running toward the outskirts of the city.

Pontifex didn't chase.

He stood in place, watching the direction where they disappeared.

He smiled.

"Young Patriarch, we will meet again."

Inn.

Quan Cangtian sat on the bed.

His palm faced upward.

The dark red crystal was still throbbing.

But it was throbbing slower.

The resonance between the Path of Elation and the Miracle Trait was suppressing the gene.

It was suppressed.

Quan Batian sat nearby, a wound on his back currently healing.

"What did you use just now."

Quan Cangtian.

"The power of the Path of Elation."

"Taunt and Probability Distortion."

Quan Batian.

"You can use it."

Quan Cangtian.

"I can only use a little."

"And the consumption is huge."

Quan Batian.

"What about the gene."

Quan Cangtian looked at his palm.

The crystal throbbed very slowly.

"It has been suppressed."

"The resonance of Elation and Miracle."

"Can suppress it for a month."

Quan Batian.

"What about after a month."

Quan Cangtian.

"After a month, the gene will go out of control again."

"Unless I grow stronger."

"Strong enough to completely control it."

Quan Batian didn't speak.

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out.

It was getting dark.

"One month."

Quan Cangtian.

"Is it enough."

Quan Batian.

"I don't know."

"But this is your only chance."

Quan Cangtian clenched his fist.

The crystal in his palm throbbed once.

Very lightly.

The Star God of Elation, Aha, was watching him.

He found him interesting.

Pontifex said the gene was his.

The Envoy of Elation said he needed to be stronger than Pontifex.

One month.

He needed to grow stronger.