Inside the great hall, silence fell in an instant.
The white stone in the young man's hand stopped in midair.
He raised his head and looked at the messenger. His eyes remained calm, yet beneath that calm, something seemed to be slowly stirring.
"What did you say?"
His voice was soft and faint, yet the messenger felt as though an invisible mountain had come crashing down upon him, nearly leaving him unable to breathe.
"Y-Your Highness, a new name appeared on the Heavenly Dao Stele earlier..."
"His name is W-Wu Wushuang..."
"He... he rose to first place..."
"He... he pushed you down to second..."
As the words fell, the entire hall became so silent that one could hear a pin drop.
The black stone in the girl's hand also froze in midair.
She glanced sideways at Di Cang, surprise flashing through her eyes, along with a hint of... curiosity?
Di Cang said nothing.
He simply sat there quietly, holding that white stone between his fingers without moving.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Three breaths.
"Heh."
Suddenly, he laughed.
The smile was faint and light, yet there seemed to be invisible sharpness within that laugh, freezing even the air!
"Interesting."
Di Cang placed down the white stone. The curve of his lips rose, and a glimmer flickered in his eyes.
"Wu Wushuang?"
He softly repeated the name, as though savoring something.
"Good. Very good."
"A hundred million years have passed. At last, someone has dared to stand ahead of me."
The girl looked at him, a strange glint passing through her eyes.
She knew that the calmer Di Cang appeared, the more turbulent his heart truly was!
That was hardly strange. If anyone had occupied first place for an entire hundred million years, been hailed as an invincible legend, and was suddenly