The Heavenly Demon Ancient Realm, home to the Yao family.
This is a formidable power with an ancient heritage and unfathomable depths. Famed for fusing the bloodlines of primeval demonic beasts, their strength is on par with the Qin Family, if not exceeding it.
At this moment, at the summit of the most sacred mountain in the Heavenly Demon Ancient Realm, on a platform shrouded in endless demonic energy and divine chains of laws, a young man clad in golden feathered robes, with a face so handsome it bordered on the uncanny, sat cross-legged. His aura was as vast as an abyss; faint sounds of dragon roars, phoenix cries, and qilin bellows emanated from him. Behind him, the phantoms of countless primeval demons flickered, casting an astonishing presence.
This was Yao Wujiang, the most outstanding successor of the contemporary Heavenly Demon Ancient Realm. He was currently attempting to break through to the legendary extreme state of the Tongxuan Realm, striving for a perfection never before seen in the ages.
But... he had hit a bottleneck. No matter how he circulated his internal arts or how many heaven-sent treasures he devoured, something remained lacking deep within his Divine Sea. He could not achieve true, flawless harmony.
Beneath the platform, one of his guardians could not help but advise, "Young Lord, the path to the extreme state is too arduous; few have succeeded since ancient times. Your current strength already towers over the younger generation. Why insist on this? It would be better to break through now; the Great Dao remains full of promise for your future."
"Indeed, Young Lord, you are already powerful enough! Looking across the various prodigies of the Huangtian Immortal Domain, very few can reach the Peak Tongxuan Realm at your age. Even Qin Tianlong, the strongest of the Qin Family’s younger generation, who carries the Primordial True Dragon Bone and possesses vast resource support, has failed to break through to the extreme state."
"Why must you cling to a perfect realm that exists only in ancient texts?!"
"Qin Tianlong?!" Yao Wujiang, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, opened them and said with disdain, "A counterfeit who only reached this point by stealing someone else's bones—is he worthy of being called a genius?!"
"However, his younger brother, Qin Wudao... his ability to rise after destruction and awaken the Hongmeng Emperor Bone is truly unfathomable."
"It is a pity... his cultivation is too weak. Otherwise, I would truly like to spar with him. Perhaps it might even stimulate me to break this bottleneck of the extreme state."
Yao Wujiang’s expression was arrogant, his tone revealing a sense of absolute self-confidence and pride. His vision was not set on the present age, but on the span of all eternity. He pursued the ultimate; he wanted to be the strongest being in history, and for that, he was willing to pay any price. Even if it meant refining himself in a single realm for a long time, he did not care in the least.
At the same time, the high-level elders of the Heavenly Demon Ancient Realm met in secret with an envoy from the Qin Family. The envoy brought a confidential letter from the Qin Family's First Elder, Qin Yuan, and a generous gift... one that made even the elders of the Heavenly Demon Ancient Realm tempted.
"My First Elder is willing to pay the price of three Undying Grasses and ten portions of Saint Realm essence to invite your Realm to take action and eliminate that cursed obstacle, Qin Wudao!"
Undying Grass! Saint Realm essence! The reward offered by the Qin Family’s First Elder was enough to make any immortal power take notice.
But... when things are abnormal, there must be a demon at work. The elders of the Heavenly Demon Ancient Realm exchanged glances, hesitant. They did not agree immediately.
The Qin Family envoy felt things were going poorly. When he had set out, the First Elder had repeatedly instructed him that he must, at all costs, get the people of the Heavenly Demon Ancient Path to act. If he messed this up, he would have no way to answer for it.
After weighing the situation, he spoke again, "My First Elder promises that once the deed is done, he will add one Quasi-Emperor Dao Fruit!"
Hearing this, the expressions of the several elders of the Heavenly Demon Ancient Realm shifted slightly.
A Quasi-Emperor Dao Fruit! A supreme divine object containing a trace of Quasi-Emperor laws. It was rare and sought after, enough to give a powerhouse at the peak of the Saint Realm hope of knocking on the doors of the Emperor Realm; it was worth a fortune. Even the Yao family, as one of the strongest clans in this region, possessed only a dozen or so. Yet now, the Qin Family’s First Elder was willing to pay this as the price to eliminate a mere junior in the Divine Sea Realm.
The elders of the Heavenly Demon Ancient Path hesitated no longer and immediately agreed. "We accept this task!"
They decided to let their genius Young Lord, Yao Wujiang, make the trip. Under the guise of a sparring match, he would eliminate him. As for any conflict after the elimination, they were not worried at all. A family with such a long-standing heritage would never stake the fate of their clan on a "prematurely deceased" genius! Not to mention, this matter was proposed by the Qin Family’s own people. No matter how they looked at it, this deal was profitable.
When Yao Wujiang learned of this, a flash of disdain for such internal infighting crossed his eyes. But he did not refuse. A Quasi-Emperor Dao Fruit delivered to his door—it would be foolish not to take it. In this era of great contention, the world was inherently cruel. To show pity to others was undoubtedly the stupidest thing one could do!
...
A few days later.
A magnificent, ancient warship shrouded in endless demonic energy crossed the void and descended outside the Ancestral Dragon Sacred Land of the Qin Family.
As soon as Yao Wujiang, Young Lord of the Heavenly Demon Ancient Realm, appeared, he drew the attention of many.
"He is the supreme monster who has vied with the Emperor Son! It is said he reached the Peak Tongxuan Realm long ago and could break through at any time, but he has been suppressing his cultivation to refine it!"
"What is he doing coming to our Qin Family? Is he here to stand up for Qin Tianlong??"
"It’s possible. After all, the First Elder and his faction have always had good relations with the Heavenly Demon Ancient Realm. Qin Wudao... I fear he is in for a miserable time!"
In the Qin Family’s council hall.
Qin Zhan and the various elders received him in person.
Yao Wujiang was the first to speak, "I have long heard that the Qin Family is an ancient imperial clan, a place of extraordinary talent. I have not come for any other reason than to seek a peer among your prodigies for a friendly exchange of techniques."
Qin Zhan frowned slightly, "Is it Tianlong? His recent state..."
"Qin Tianlong? A man who stole another’s bones—what kind of genius is he?!"
Yao Wujiang was unruly and arrogant; he gave no face to Qin Tianlong at all, pointing out the "scandal" once more in front of so many Qin Family elders. The expressions of the several Qin elders instantly turned unsightly.
"Then who do you wish to find?"
"Qin Wudao!"
Qin Zhan’s face darkened, and he refused directly, "Wudao’s cultivation is still shallow. I think we should drop the idea of a spar!"
"The Clan Head speaks wrongly. Since a distinguished guest has come from afar, how can you simply refuse?"
"In my opinion, we should agree!"
"Let Young Lord Wudao spar with him; this is a form of tempering, and it will be very beneficial to Young Lord Wudao’s growth!"
At this point, an elder from Qin Yuan's faction stood up. Upon hearing this, everyone instantly understood. This was not a spar; the First Elder’s faction was using the Heavenly Demon Ancient Realm to eliminate Qin Wudao!
The displeasure in Qin Zhan’s heart intensified. Just as he was about to refuse, he heard Qin Wudao’s voice coming from outside the hall, "Father, I wonder why you have summoned me here?"
Just moments ago, an elder had secretly brought him over from Emperor Son Peak under the pretense that "the Clan Head and the elders request your presence."
Seeing his son, and then looking at that hypocritical elder, a flash of fury crossed Qin Zhan’s eyes. But in front of outsiders, he could only suppress his anger, prioritizing the family.
Yao Wujiang looked at Qin Wudao with a scrutinizing gaze, "I hear you have awakened the Hongmeng Emperor Bone. I would like to spar with you."
"I refuse!"
Hearing Qin Wudao’s decisive voice, Yao Wujiang shook his head.
"Why? Are you afraid?!"
"Do I even know you? Why should I spar with you? Are you sick?"
For someone so lacking in manners, Qin Wudao retorted sharply. Inside the hall, the atmosphere suddenly turned heavy. The expression on Yao Wujiang’s face froze instantly, and a faint, shimmering murderous intent flickered deep within his eyes.