If anyone had been present, their jaw would have surely dropped to the floor.
The Power Martial Realm, Qi Martial Realm, Spirit Martial Realm, Xuanwu Realm, King Martial Realm... each one was separated by a vast chasm. Only those who reached the Xuanwu Realm could manifest Spiritual Wings to fly. As for those at the King Martial Realm and above, they could travel freely between heaven and earth without needing them at all.
And yet, the woman in red, her face radiating Killing Intent, had no wings. She wasn't using any external aid either. She simply floated there silently in mid-air, kicking up a furious storm.
Below, the frail-looking old fortune-teller was like a lone boat in the midst of the storm, as if he could be torn to shreds at any moment.
"A peaceful life... is that what you want, miss, or what he wants?"
The storm, which was uprooting countless giant trees, did not seem to faze the old man. He maintained a faint smile as he spoke, "Some people are born destined for the extraordinary. No matter how you try to stand in his way, he will eventually walk the path he is meant to."
"What path my young master takes is not for you to decide!" The woman in the air's expression eased slightly, but the chill on her face was like that of ancient glacial ice. "Tell me who you are, where you come from, and what your purpose is. Otherwise, you are not leaving here today."
"Hahahaha! This old man is merely a piece on the great chessboard of heaven and earth, simply fulfilling my duty. I pose no threat to your young master, nor do I have any connection to the Noble Families you might be imagining," the old fortune-teller boomed with laughter.
"Won't talk? Then die!" the woman in red barked. With a flick of her wrist, a dagger appeared in her hand. It was as clear as a pool of turquoise water, and it radiated waves of chilling air.
The next second, in a bizarre move, she seemed to pierce through space itself, instantly appearing where the old fortune-teller stood! The dagger erupted with a frosty light that enveloped a hundred-meter radius. In that single moment, countless giant trees were sliced apart like tofu, crashing to the ground with a deafening roar!
Teleportation!
This was a skill only a peerless expert at or above the King Martial Realm should possess!
Yet this expert, who was likely at the terrifying King Martial Realm, was left stunned after her attack.
For even with her powerful Divine Thought locked onto him, the old fortune-teller who had just been standing there had vanished into thin air, leaving not a single trace behind.
Her dagger had struck nothing but an afterimage.
"Miss, you seem to be a little too cautious. But the wheels of fate are already in motion, and no one can stop them. His destiny is his alone to change. He has the opportunity, and he is worthy of it."
The old fortune-teller's voice echoed from high above the forest. The woman in red spread her immense Divine Thought across nearly the entire Phoenix Mountain Range, yet she still couldn't find a trace of him.
"Enough with the theatrics!" the woman in red snapped, her expression growing even more grave.
Just then, the old fortune-teller's voice drifted in again, its source impossible to pinpoint. "The truth is, you already believe my words, don't you? Ten years ago, you should have died, yet you survived. Why is that? In the last ten years, your Cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds. And why is that? You know these things perfectly well, yet you've remained silent all this time. However, some people are destined for more than an ordinary life. Even if neither of us tells him, he will eventually discover the truth on his own."
Hearing his words, the woman in red felt as if she had been plunged into a cavern of ice. She knew exactly what the old man was talking about.
She had kept these secrets buried for ten years, believing she was the only one who knew. She couldn't fathom how this old fortune-teller could know everything in such detail, as if he had been standing right there, watching it all unfold...
"Who in the world are you! What did you do to Lang'Er!" The cold indifference in the woman's eyes vanished, replaced by fear and unease.
The shock of having a ten-year-old secret exposed was immense, but the greater threat came from the man's unfathomable power.
If this old man was from *that* family, or was connected to them in any way, she and Shen Lang would be utterly doomed, with no hope of survival.
"You need not worry, miss. I am but a pawn in this world; there isn't much I can do. The finger I tapped him with this morning... I merely sent him a memory."
"A memory..." The woman in red hesitated.
"He is on his way to your grave now. Whether or not to enlighten him is your decision alone. This old man will not interfere further. Miss Hong Yu, he is not a prized canary to be kept in a cage. He shouldn't live forever under your wing. You cannot protect him like this for his entire life. And even if you were willing, when you finally face that family you so fear, are you truly confident you can keep him safe? I have said my piece. Farewell..."
"When the Two Lives Flower blooms, the Emperor Star shall appear; the cosmos will be upended, and chaos will reign over the world!"
The old man's voice reverberated through the woods before fading away, not to be heard again.
The woman in red fell silent for a moment. Then, with a turn, her long skirt billowed around her like a red cloud, and she abruptly vanished from sight.
Meanwhile, less than fifteen miles from where Hong Yu had been, Shen Lang was striding quickly down a forest path.
At the end of that path lay Hong Yu's grave.
When Hong Yu had died, it had been less than a month since Shen Lang had transmigrated from Earth. He had still been familiarizing himself with his new world when he was forced into a desperate flight for his life, with Hong Yu as his guardian.
The ones who had sent assassins after them were Shen Lang's own two elder brothers.
Shen hadn't been his original surname, but that no longer mattered. The Shen Lang of today only recognized this name.
An orphan on Earth, he had never known a parent's love. After transmigrating, he was hunted by his own brothers. His experience with family had been nothing but cruel, until he met Shen Haotian in the Phoenix Mountain Range. This was the man who had adopted him, the father who had even given up his position as the Shen Family's Clan Leader for his sake.
Unfortunately, Shen Lang possessed the Celestial Vein Sacred Body and lacked a Martial Soul, which made true Cultivation impossible for him. Thus, despite ten years of hunting Demon Beasts in the Phoenix Mountain Range and enduring a baptism of blood and fire, he had only reached the Power Martial Realm Second Heaven.
In this world, it was survival of the fittest. The law of the jungle reigned, and strength was supreme.
With enough power, one could control anything.
Immense power could shatter all Rules.
The weak had nothing.
Yet Shen Lang had always considered himself relatively lucky. He had a woman who had stayed by his side through a life-or-death escape, parents who doted on him, brothers who would take a beating alongside him, and even the Little Witch, Xue Dangdang, who had done so much for him...
But it wasn't enough. A piece of trash who couldn't cultivate was not strong enough to protect any of it.
Someone as powerful as Sister Hong Yu had still been gravely wounded and died right before his eyes.
His doting father, wanting him to live a good life in the Shen Family, had endured immense pressure and ultimately relinquished his position as Clan Leader, and was now gravely ill and bedridden.
His close friends were bullied alongside him whenever their other friend, Chu Qingcheng, wasn't around...
After receiving that memory in his dream, Shen Lang knew everything was about to change. From this day forward, he would never let anyone bully him again!
His family and his friends would all live good lives!
His enemies would all pay the price!
No one would ever look down on them or order them around again!
His only regret was that Sister Hong Yu's soul had scattered. She could not be brought back from the dead.
The roar he had let out when Hong Yu died still echoed in his mind—a cry of such profound grief that it had made heaven and earth tremble...
The pain was so great he wished for death. It was a fate worse than death itself...
At only sixteen, he, whose heart was like stone, cried for a woman for the very first time.
Shen Lang sat before Hong Yu's grave. He took out a jar of wine from his Storage Pouch, tilted his head back, and took a long drink. Then, in a very low voice, he said, "Sister Hong Yu, Lang'Er is here to see you again..."
Two streams of tears slowly traced their way down his cheeks as the mountain wind whipped his long hair about.
His face was still youthful, but his eyes were deep and inscrutable...
"Even though I'm just a piece of trash with a Celestial Vein Sacred Body, I haven't given up for the past ten years. At Tayun Academy, I practiced the 'Sleeping Arhat Skill' you taught me. After I left, I fought constantly against all kinds of Demon Beasts... It's just a shame... But starting today, everything is going to change completely."
"I know you brought me here hoping I would live a peaceful, ordinary life... But how is that possible? My parents and brothers need my protection, and I must avenge you—the Murong Family will pay the price! No one can stop my will to become stronger! One day, I will raze the entire Murong Family to the ground!"
Shen Lang seemed to be muttering to himself, yet also speaking to Hong Yu. At times his voice was low and deep, at others, impassioned and loud.
An unknown amount of time passed. The sun set, and night fell. Having drained the entire jar of aged wine, Shen Lang patted the dust from his clothes and stood up.
However, as he turned, a chill shot through his heart—
Fifty or sixty meters away, a masked figure clad in black stood before a towering, ancient tree, watching him in silence.
"Who's there!" Shen Lang cried out. Without a second thought, he flicked his wrists, and two blood-red "Lover's Arrows"—a last resort given to him by Hong Yu—flashed with crimson light. They shot toward the masked figure in a bizarre, unpredictable arc.
Instead of retreating, the black-clad figure advanced. With no discernible movement, they simply blurred and reappeared in front of Shen Lang as if they had teleported.
The impossibly fast Lover's Arrows hadn't even grazed the corner of her clothes!
"Burst!" Shen Lang barked. A CRACKING sound came from within his bones as he shot sideways with a speed unattainable for any normal person.
This was a Cultivation Technique for unleashing one's potential, part of the memory from his dream. It could cause a Cultivator's strength and speed to explode, multiplying them tenfold for a short period!
Although the "Burst" Secret Technique caused immense damage to the body, he had no other choice. He was facing an expert so strange that they could effortlessly dodge the "Lover's Arrow," a Profound Artifact.
Shen Lang used the immense power from Burst to shoot sideways. Before he could even register the excruciating pain tearing through his body, he immediately unleashed the Sword Skill from his memory—a skill that, once mastered, could supposedly cleave a river in two!
"Divine Blade Prison Guardian, Star-Picking Moon-Swallowing!"
An unparalleled Sword Intent erupted from within him, and an invisible wave of Sword Qi instantly slashed toward the figure in black!
Unfortunately, Shen Lang had barely any Spiritual Power. Though he possessed the Celestial Vein Sacred Body, his physical form was currently weaker than that of an ordinary Martial Artist. Forcibly activating this powerful Cultivation Technique, which he hadn't even had time to properly practice, not only failed to harm his opponent but also caused the muscles all over his body to tear apart, making him look like a crazed demon straight out of Hell.
The black-clad figure was absurdly powerful. With a flicker of surprise, she casually waved her hand as if swatting a mosquito, and the Sword Qi—which could have minced a dozen Shen Daofengs—was nonchalantly neutralized.
Her figure then blurred. The next instant, she had formed her fingers into a sword and was pointing them at Shen Lang.
At that moment, despite his terrifying appearance with muscles tearing across his face, Shen Lang's eyes filled with ecstatic joy. He let out a soft laugh and said, "Sister Hong Yu, you scared me. You really had me going..."
The black-clad figure stumbled, a look of astonishment in her eyes. Her movements, however, did not slow as she gently tapped her finger on the right side of Shen Lang's chest.
A HUM echoed as a small, azure cauldron appeared out of thin air. It instantly magnified countless times, releasing an overwhelmingly powerful aura.
The black-clad figure hadn't anticipated the Small Cauldron appearing with such speed. Unable to dodge, she was struck by the light radiating from it. With a stifled groan, she was sent flying backward. Twisting her body in mid-air, she vanished into the void...