Inside the main hall of Qingming Sect, the glazed roof tiles reflected the fading sunlight beyond the skies. Flickering candlelight lit the hall, casting shadows on the coiled dragon carvings along the pillars, as if they were about to break through the walls.
Dozens of cultivators stood silently with hands clasped at their sides. Only thirteen were seated on purple sandalwood chairs. At the center sat the Sect Master, robed in pale moon-white, his silver hair gleaming. His eyes seemed to swirl with the light of a flowing galaxy.
Seated below him were six individuals in black battle robes with Vajra command tokens at their waists, and another five in purple robes and jade belts—elders with power over life and death.
Under the Sect Master's gaze, Wang Qing sat down with a carefree air, brushing dust from his sleeve. He spoke loudly, "Sect Master, fellow Vajra Elders, it's not that I was slacking off. On the way, I ran into an ancient divine beast. Took quite a bit of effort to get away."
Before he finished, a cold snort came from his left.
The voice belonged to a golden-haired beauty in a tight red dress, her curvy figure rising and falling like mountain ridges. Faint gold swirled in her eyes, giving off the impression of a lioness ready to pounce.
She was also one of the Eight Vajras, notorious for her violent temper. Her brows arched slightly as she said, "So Huang Longyi really fell?"
Wang Qing's eyes lingered a moment on her figure before quickly pulling back. This woman was not someone to mess with. Her temper was explosive. Once, not knowing better, he'd flirted with her and ended up with a head full of lumps.
"His and Su Lingchen's soul lamps have both gone out."
The Sect Master tapped his fingers lightly on the table. His voice was deep like a great bell.
"Hard to believe. Even if Huang Longyi was trash, he was still a Insight God cultivator. To kill him, you'd need at least a god."
The golden-haired woman suddenly stood, the hem of her dress flaring with the motion. "The Wasteland Realm is just some tiny mayfly world. Its current energy levels can't even support a god's existence. How could those locals possibly kill Huang Longyi?"
Her pupils glowed with a pale golden hue, making her look like a lioness in human form.
"The ones who killed him weren't gods. It was two Martial Sovereigns and one Martial Saint."
The Sect Master's sharp gaze swept over everyone. "The two Martial Sovereigns were Yun Liyue, Empress of the Great Zhou, and Yun Jinghuai, Marquis Champion. The Martial Saint was Yang Cheng, Crown Prince of the Great Zhou."
"And Su Lingchen—was killed solo by Yang Cheng. He's only eleven years old."
Silence fell.
To them, Yang Cheng killing Su Lingchen alone was even more shocking than Yun Liyue and Yun Jinghuai killing a god together.
An eleven-year-old Martial Saint was already absurd. But to slay a peak Martial Sovereign like Su Lingchen? That was just insane.
"Sect Master, you've gotta be joking, right?" Wang Qing cried out. "Even that monster from the Ling Tian Ancient Clan couldn't do that at eleven. How could someone from the Wasteland Realm manage it?"
"This was witnessed by tens of thousands. Several were our own Qingming Sect affiliates."
The Sect Master sighed.
Everyone went quiet again.
"A being like that must be eliminated!" Wang Qing said coldly.
"The Wasteland Realm may be a mayfly world, but it contains remnants of ancient Heavenly Dao origins. Sooner or later, we'll have to take it."
The golden-haired woman added, "If we don't eliminate someone like him early, he might seriously threaten us in the future. We have to kill him before he matures."
"Then the real question is—how strong is he really? What level of power would we need to kill him?"
Another Vajra elder asked.
"Sect Master, are you sure he's not some god or a monster possessing a child's body?" Wang Qing asked.
The Sect Master said, "Every detail of his growth is traceable. He's definitely not a god, nor has he been possessed by some old monster."
"Good," the golden-haired woman replied. "He may be a freak, but as long as we're sure he's not a god, we can kill him."
"Exactly. Given how monstrous he is, he's definitely the Heaven's Mandate Son of the Wasteland Realm. If he were a god, he might've merged with part of the realm's Heavenly Dao power. Then we really wouldn't be able to kill him," said Wang Qing. "But since he's not, and didn't get any power from the Wasteland's Heavenly Dao, then we can kill him."
"Then the question is," said the Sect Master, "who's going to do it?"
"Right now, the guardians of the Wasteland Realm are still strong. We've already used up all our entry slots. Trying to enter again will cost us dearly," the golden-haired woman frowned.
"I think it's simple," said Wang Qing. "Rather than handing money to the guardians, why not use it as a bounty?"
"We don't have slots, but other factions do. And the Wasteland Realm's own martial artists can also try to assassinate Yang Cheng."
"Not a bad idea," the others' eyes lit up.
"Fine," the Sect Master said decisively. "Let's put up a bounty of 8,000,000 top-grade spirit stones—no, make it 10,000,000. Whoever kills Yang Cheng gets all 10,000,000."
The moment Qingming Sect's bounty went public, it caused an explosion across the Azure Jade Realm. Martial artists in the Wasteland Realm soon heard the news too, and the entire realm was in an uproar.
This time, Qingming Sect's move was truly massive.
10,000,000 top-grade spirit stones—enough to make someone consider assassinating a god.
Forget assassins—even many righteous sect experts were tempted.
"Crown Prince of Great Zhou, Yang Cheng?"
Yang Cheng's name appeared in the Azure Jade Realm for the first time, and it caused a huge stir the moment it did.
"He's actually in the Wasteland Realm?"
"If he were in the Azure Jade Realm, that'd be easier. But in the Wasteland Realm, we'll be heavily restricted."
Plenty of martial artists were wary.
The Wasteland Realm was a mayfly world. Martial Sovereign-level experts from other realms would be severely limited once inside. The suppression on gods would be even stronger.
Black Serpent Society.
An underground faction in the Azure Jade Realm, filled with desperadoes.
"Heh, just a little brat who isn't even a god. What's there to be afraid of?" A man with a sinister face and cold aura sneered.
"Ye Xiao, don't take this lightly. He killed Su Lingchen," someone beside him warned.
"So what if he did?"
Ye Xiao scoffed. "I'm going to assassinate him, not fight him head-on. Just wait—once Ye Xiao locks onto a target, as long as they're not a god, they're mine. I'll be heading to the Wasteland Realm today."
"In that case, the Black Serpent Society's entry slot for the Wasteland Realm goes to you," said another.
Ye Xiao smiled slightly. "Let's just hope Yang Cheng doesn't die too easily. Otherwise, this won't be any fun."
What happened in the Black Serpent Society wasn't an isolated case.
Winds were rising everywhere.
Wasteland Realm.
Zhen'nan Pass.
The fortress bore the scars of war. The bricks still carried traces of blood, but today it was strangely lively.
From one of the houses, a figure in a green robe slowly stepped out—it was Yang Cheng, just out of seclusion.
When he opened his eyes, a flicker of radiance shimmered within. His aura was deep as an abyss. Clearly, he had fused the insights from the last great battle into his martial path.
His cultivation realm was now fully stabilized.
As he stepped outside, he noticed the courtyard bustling with noise.
"Your Highness."
Beneath the corridor stood a woman in plain robes—Xu Qingxue.
Seeing Yang Cheng exit, a flicker of joy passed through her eyes, though she quickly concealed it.
"You've been waiting for me all this time?" Yang Cheng looked surprised.
He had assumed Xu Qingxue had already returned to Canglan City.