Mingyin pinned the man with a dark, freezing glare. The old cultivator turned around, his frame visibly trembling under the pressure."So," Mingyin murmured, his voice dripping with sudden clarity.
"I was nothing more than a pawn. A masterpiece crafted solely to serve this mortal world."In a flash, Mingyin whirled back around, trapping the man under the weight of another question. "Tell me. How exactly did you transport me to this place?"A faint, knowing smile crept onto the old man's face. "
When I discovered you healing your shattered body, I brought you here. Given your past experiences, you should have effortlessly passed the trial of the Sovereignty Realm. Yet, somehow, you managed to break into an entirely separate realm in a single day. You truly are a foolish, freakish genius of genetics!"
But Mingyin was far from done. He continued to press, refusing to let the old man off the hook. "And those eyes? The ones staring from behind the bubble barrier… what were they?"
The old man let out a heavy sigh. He did not notice that Mingyin was secretly channeling raw soul energy directly into his palm.Hesitation flickered in the old man's eyes. He stammered, searching for words.
"H-hmm… ah… those eyes belonged to my soul. It was the only way I could infiltrate your physical vessel."The moment the explanation left his lips, a fist came barreling down.
Veins bulged violently across the back of Mingyin's hand."Just one more question," Mingyin demanded, his voice cutting through the air. "What does his physical body look like?""Ah, you want a description?" the old man rasped, terrified. "
The old man is draped in a purple robe. He is a soul cultivator native to this realm. Right now, he is deep in meditation, attempting to manipulate a strange—"Bam!The attack connected with full, devastating force. The impact launched the old man backward like a stray cannonball.
He crashed heavily into the dirt, coughing up a steady stream of blood from between his teeth.Mingyin turned on his heel, his back to the broken man. "Now, old man, we are even."…With a sudden burst of speed, Mingyin vanished from the lakeside. He shot through the air like a launched arrow, slamming directly into the surrounding wall.
The barrier shattered under his weight, spiderwebbing with deep fractures as he burst through to the other side.He emerged into a bizarre, hovering cavern—a tunnel forged entirely from massive skeletal bones. Suspended in mid-air, he scanned the eerie landscape for an exit.
I could have forced that old man to guide me out, Mingyin thought bitterly. But he is entirely untrustworthy. He would have undoubtedly trapped me—wait. What is that?
Before he could finish the thought, his feet touched down onto a sloping staircase built from smooth pebble stones. He glanced around, momentarily disoriented by the sudden shift.Huh. Finding the exit was surprisingly simple, Mingyin mused. He had never expected to locate the path out this quickly.I told that man about my regressions.
I have crossed paths with the Sovereign Immortal across trillions of loops I knows this because my future self told me this .That means he successfully defied fate, allowing me to finally grasp a glimpse of a happy ending. But that doesn't mean I can let my guard down
.Mingyin drew a heavy, ragged breath. When he looked back up, his expression had hardened into pure focus. His eyes locked into a sharp, predatory gaze, ready to confront whatever lay ahead.
Even if fate forced him to look upon the brutal truth, even if the heavens unleashed the impossible, and even if reality itself stared him down, he would bend the circumstances to his will.For Mingyin, willpower would always rewrite reality.He took his next step forward—not with hesitation, but with absolute readiness.Bring on the world. Bring on the immortals. Bring on the mythical beasts. Bring on everything.
Ahead, a colossal gate blocked his path. Grasping the heavy wood, he pushed forward. The doors groaned, letting out a massive, echoing creak. He paused for a brief second to assess the hidden dangers, then shoved them wide enough to see into the chamber beyond.
This was the only exit Mingyin knew of that could lead him out of this suffocating mountain realm.
But as he looked inside, the color drained from his face.He was staring into a staggering grand hall, easily the size of a massive football field. Seven ancient lanterns floated effortlessly in the air, casting a bright glow over the shrines below. Each shrine was carved with the exact, flawless precision of a holy temple.
His gaze sharpened as he noticed a few unfamiliar figures standing a short distance away.It was none other than Teinsei Jin, alongside the radiant Shining Sask and their commanding captain, Rou Wei.The moment Rou Wei's eyes met Mingyin's, the captain's face went pale. "
Who goes there?!"Suddenly, a figure stepped out from behind the captain. It was a diminutive skeleton woman with long, vibrant red hair, her entire frame pulsing with a terrifying aura.
Resting on the ground behind her lay an old man dressed in purple robes, seemingly locked in a deep sleep.Mingyin froze. His eyes swept across the massive hall. Within two seconds, his mind had processed every crucial piece of information.
At least ten immortals hovered high in the air, watching the scene from a massive hole torn into the ceiling, where natural light streamed down. Furthermore, the old man on the floor wasn't sleeping at all—his soul had been entirely projected outward.Mingyin instantly realized the truth: the old man's soul was currently piloting the skeleton woman's body.
Thanks to the vast knowledge accumulated across his countless regressions, Mingyin read the situation perfectly.Without warning, Mingyin lunged forward, the veins beneath his eyes bulging with killing intent. "You're trying to hijack my body, aren't you?!"The old man inside the skeleton stiffened. "Mingyin!"He couldn't believe his eyes.
Wait! I thought you were dealt with! Where did you come from, you absolute bastard?The skeleton woman stepped protectively in front of the immortals. "
Step back. Let me handle him. He doesn't have the power to touch me."Shining Sask and Teinsei Jin watched the escalating tension with visible concern, exchanging a silent, respectful nod.The old man thrust his fist forward to strike.
But with speed that seemingly outran light itself, Mingyin ducked low. He twisted his body elegantly mid-air, channeling a massive reservoir of soul energy directly into his legs. Without the enemy realizing it, Mingyin infused the strike with both Vision Path and Sovereign Path soul energy.
The attack exploded forward. Trapped inside the rigid skeleton body, the old man couldn't maneuver in time to dodge. The blow struck cleanly.Crack!A massive fracture splintered across the skull. Mingyin dropped heavily back to the floor, instantly redirecting the entirety of his soul energy into his fists.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
He unleashed a relentless, rapid-fire barrage of soul-infused punches.
The strikes battered her skull and torso, widening the cracks until literal shards of bone broke free and rained down like dust. With one final, definitive surge of power, his fist connected square with the skeleton woman's head.
Bammm!
The skeleton woman was launched through the air like a speeding arrow, crashing violently against the far wall.
The impact shattered the plaster into jagged edges, sending a thick cloud of dust cascading down as the cracks webbed across the stone.She was completely knocked out cold.Rou Wei stood frozen in absolute shock. The sheer power Mingyin had just displayed easily rivalled his own.
Wait... this guy is just like Teinsei Jin. He's capable of fighting peak-tier cultivators and Sage Artists at his level!
Teinsei Jin smiled, a dark look of fascination crossing his face.Shining Sask gasped, shouting out in disbelief, "Wait! Both of them are operating at the Rank Four Sage Artist level? To possess this kind of combat power means they are a once-in-a-five-hundred-thousand-year generation!""No, make it seven hundred thousand years!" another immortal called out.
"Do you remember the legendary clash between the Blood Lord and the Poison Immortal? Their ancient rivalry might be repeating itself right here—and this generation will completely surpass them!"Mingyin ignored the chatter, his eyes locked onto the shivering form of the old man."
Dammit!" The old man shook uncontrollably as he forced himself up from the ground. "The skeleton vessel is completely unconscious.
She won't awaken for at least two hours. We have to eliminate Mingyin right this second—"Before he could finish, Mingyin charged, instantly summoning an artifact into his hand!
He was currently locked out of using his Regression Artifacts. The weapon he held was one he had previously deemed entirely useless against Loki's Thorn within that dream space because its rank was too low. But now, it hummed with deadly potential. This battle would likely be the old man's last."Wait, Mingyin! Hear me out, I can explain!" the old man shrieked, entirely stripped of his pride.
"I only did what I had to do to survive! Please, spare this disciple! Show some mercy! I will do whatever you ask! I'll crawl, I'll eat whatever you—""Old man, I don't hold a personal grudge against you," Mingyin cut him off, his voice flat and emotionless. "
If we had clashed back then, before I truly understood the nature of life, I would have slaughtered you out of pure, blind rage.
But I have spent lifetimes under the constant threat of dying before ever reaching my goal. The only way for me to survive now is to embrace the hunger.
When a tiger is starving, its only option is to kill in this unforgiving jungle. The absolute law of existence is to adapt and strike first.
Now that my hunger is driven by survival, the hunter becomes the prey. I don't just need to kill you to live—I need to devour you."Mingyin's gaze turned entirely cold. "
If you hadn't targeted me, I wouldn't be forcing your hand today. Now, vanish.""No, you're dead wrong!" a voice boomed across the hall. "
Who do you think I am? Do you honestly believe I would let you harm him?!"
Mingyin instantly unleashed a massive wave of destructive energy from his artifact.But in that exact microsecond, Shining Sask materialized in front of him, a freezing aura of pure killing intent radiating from his eyes.
The artifacts of Mingyin and Shining Sask collided, sparking a violent, blinding explosion of power that shook the very foundations of the hall.