Elsewhere in the Wasteland Realm, outside Fengtian City of the Great Zhou Empire—
A powerful contingent suddenly appeared in the distance. Their leader carried an overwhelming presence—it was Ning Yao's second uncle, Ning Wang, whose cultivation was at the peak of the Insight God Realm, equal to Ning Jian's.
Beside him stood a young man—his son, Ning He—whose cultivation had reached the third stage of the Insight God Realm.
"Father, why aren't we going directly after Yang Cheng?" Ning He asked in confusion.
Ning Wang shook his head, a calculating glint flashing in his eyes. "Yang Cheng's strength is unfathomable. If we go straight to him, we may not gain anything. What he values most is his mother, Yun Liyue. We'll capture Yun Liyue instead—use her to force Yang Cheng into submission and make him hand over Ning Yao."
Through the spies they had planted within Great Zhou, Ning Wang had already learned that Yun Liyue would be leaving the city today to offer prayers for the empire's prosperity at Mount Ganye.
On the mountain path of Mount Ganye—
Yun Liyue, dressed in a phoenix robe, was walking gracefully up the path.
Behind her followed Yun Jinghuai and the Golden Corpse Puppet, along with a grand ceremonial procession stretching for hundreds of steps.
Suddenly, Yun Liyue and Yun Jinghuai both stopped at the same moment, their eyes narrowing slightly as they sensed danger.
The entire procession halted.
A split second later, over ten black figures burst out from both sides of the forest. The man leading them was none other than Ning Wang.
"Who goes there?"
A palace guard barked sharply, stepping forward with his weapon raised.
Ning Wang ignored him entirely. His gaze landed directly on Yun Liyue, a faint look of astonishment crossing his face. "I didn't expect that even in this lowly Wasteland Realm, there'd be such a breathtaking beauty as you."
He wasn't speaking to flatter her—it was genuine awe.
Though he wasn't a lustful man by nature, Yun Liyue's ethereal beauty stunned him to the point that even he felt an involuntary stir in his heart.
"Presumptuous!"
The palace guard roared in fury.
"Hmph! My father taking a liking to your empress is your greatest honor!" Ning He said coldly, arrogance dripping from his voice.
Yun Liyue didn't even spare him a glance. Her steps remained steady as she said calmly, "Jinghuai, clean this up."
"Yes."
Yun Jinghuai's voice was low and steady. In the next instant, his figure vanished.
Ning Wang's expression hardened as he prepared to strike—but before he could move, a chilling wind erupted behind him. Startled, he turned and raised his arm to block, but a cyan blur was already in front of him.
Yun Jinghuai had somehow circled around and appeared behind him in an instant. A brilliant glow formed in his palm, the oppressive force of a ninth-stage Insight God exploding like a tidal wave.
"Ninth-stage Insight God?" Ning Wang's soul nearly fled his body. In a panic, he summoned a bronze shield.
Bang!
The palm strike crashed against the shield. Cracks spiderwebbed across its surface before it shattered completely. Ning Wang was sent flying backward, slamming into a rock wall as blood surged up his throat.
He couldn't believe it—a ninth-stage Insight God here in the Wasteland Realm, and one so young!
On the other side, the Golden Corpse Puppet launched itself forward like a released arrow. Its arms morphed into sharp claws that sliced through the air as it lunged toward Ning He.
Ning He swung his sword in defense, but the puppet's immense strength tore through his guard. The shock split the flesh between his thumb and forefinger, nearly disarming him.
The Golden Corpse Puppet felt no pain. Even when slashed by Ning He's sword qi, its movements didn't slow in the slightest. With one vicious sweep of its claws, it tore off the arm of a Ning Clan disciple standing nearby.
"Monster!"
Ning He screamed in terror, turning to flee, but the Golden Corpse Puppet's clawed hand shot out, seizing his ankle and smashing him violently into the ground.
Seeing this, Ning Wang's eyes went blood-red with rage. He roared and surged forward, his true essence flaring wildly. "You insolent wretch, how dare you!"
His hands formed rapid seals, and in an instant, countless thin black threads appeared around him—the Ning Clan's Bone-Corroding Threads, a secret art designed to tear through true essence defenses.
Yun Jinghuai's eyes narrowed slightly. Instead of retreating, he advanced, his palms glowing with boundless power as he reached straight into the mass of threads.
Rip!
The black threads struck his palms but shattered inch by inch under the overwhelming force of his true essence.
"Impossible!"
Ning Wang's expression finally cracked, terror spreading across his face. The young man's strength was far beyond reason. His own cultivation—half a step into the Yin God Realm—felt utterly insignificant before him.
Yun Jinghuai didn't waste another second. He drew out his long spear and thrust it forward.
At first, the movement seemed slow, but the strike carried an unfathomable aura that made it impossible to dodge.
Ning Wang twisted desperately, but the spear's power grazed his shoulder, and his entire arm exploded into a mist of blood. His true essence stopped circulating entirely.
"You… who are you?"
Ning Wang coughed up blood, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Yun Jinghuai."
The young man's tone was calm as ever. With a flash of his blade, he pierced Ning Wang's heart clean through.
The moment Ning Wang set his sights on Yun Liyue, his fate had already been sealed.
By now, the Golden Corpse Puppet had finished off the rest of the Ning Clan warriors. Ning He was pinned beneath its foot, the crunching of breaking bones echoing through the forest.
Yun Jinghuai glanced briefly at the blood-soaked ground, then stepped forward to catch up to Yun Liyue. "Your Majesty, it's been dealt with."
Yun Liyue gave a faint nod and continued her steady pace up the mountain, as if nothing had happened at all.
The news of the two battles spread swiftly, shaking the entire Wasteland Realm.
Inside the Star Sea Chamber of Commerce of the Horn Constellation Realm, the president read the confidential report. His hand trembled slightly before crushing the teacup in his grip. "Mount Reincarnation harbors a fifth-stage Insight God expert, and that mysterious Dao Wuyin whose power surpasses even that. Yun Liyue has a ninth-stage Insight God protector, Yun Jinghuai, and even a powerful physical cultivator guarding her… This Wasteland Realm hides dragons among men."
In the grand hall of the Qingming Sect, the faces of all elders turned ashen. "Even the Ning Clan's peak Insight Gods ended up like this… We'd best prepare gifts and hurry to apologize."
At last, the great powers of the Horn Constellation Realm understood—the Wasteland Realm was no "barbaric land" as they had imagined. Its depths were immeasurable.
Within the Myriad Phenomena Dao Academy—
Yang Cheng was seated in quiet cultivation when a subtle yet regal aura filled the air. It wasn't overbearing, but it carried the weight of one long accustomed to command.
Yang Cheng slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing briefly across them.
"Since a guest has arrived, I wonder what guidance you bring?"
Before his words had faded, the door opened on its own. A graceful figure stepped through the threshold, backlit by the sunlight.
It was a woman—beautiful and elegant, her presence both serene and dangerous.
She wore a long black gown embroidered with golden phoenix patterns. The hem brushed the floor, and every step she took was light, silent, yet filled with a rhythm that stirred the heart.
She appeared to be about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, but not a single line marked her face. Instead, her mature beauty carried the charm of ripened grace.
Her phoenix eyes slanted slightly upward, revealing an innate arrogance, a cold detachment—as if nothing in the world could ever truly capture her interest.
Yang Cheng's gaze swept over her once, expression calm, though inwardly his heart tensed.
Half-step Yin God Realm.
More importantly, he recognized her face. In his previous life, he had caught a glimpse of her from afar.
A member of the Tang Clan—and by seniority, the aunt of Tang Xingyu.
"Yang Cheng."
The woman spoke, her voice clear and cold, like jade striking jade. Every syllable carried unquestionable authority. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Tang Xingyu's aunt—Tang Yurou."
She paused, a faint trace of mockery curving her lips. "As for my true identity, there's no need for you to know. Someone at your level wouldn't understand anyway."
Yang Cheng remained seated, his gaze steady and indifferent, not uttering a word.
Tang Yurou didn't care for his silence. Her tone remained light but cutting. "I came here for a simple reason—to tell you to stay away from Tang Xingyu. She is a member of the Tang Clan, our bloodline is pure and noble. You, a mere native of the Wasteland Realm, have no right to approach her."
Her words were sharp as blades, slicing through any pretense of equality. "Dragons do not live with snakes. A toad can never eat swan meat. I hope you have enough self-awareness not to grasp for what you can't reach. Otherwise, you'll only humiliate yourself in the end."
Her arrogance was absolute, as if Yang Cheng's mere acquaintance with Tang Xingyu was an unforgivable stain upon her clan's honor.