Chapter 289: Rebirth - I Became the Grandpa (Part 13)
On a remote island, Chen Xuan coughed up another mouthful of blood. The injuries he had only just begun to recover from had worsened dramatically.
"Lu Xuewei!"
That was the name of the white-robed woman who had injured him. She came from an ancient and powerful sect.
The humiliating scenes in the Great Wind Dynasty replayed in his mind. When Lu Xuewei attacked him inside the imperial palace, not a single person from the dynasty tried to stop her. Worse, when he tried to flee, a Void Refining realm expert from the dynasty had even blocked his path.
"And the Great Wind Dynasty itself! I, Chen Xuan, swear that if I do not take revenge, I am not human!"
His furious roar echoed across the empty sea.
Gurgle…
Chen Xuan's voice cut off abruptly. A large group of sea beasts had been disturbed by the noise.
Chen Xuan: "..."
...
After relentless effort, Dongfang Yunxing finally broke through to the Spirit Soul realm.
Chen Xuan's cultivation was also at the Spirit Soul realm. Dongfang Yunxing decided it was time to confront him again.
When he arrived at the imperial city of the Great Wind Dynasty, however, he received shocking news.
"What? Chen Xuan has been wanted by the Great Wind Dynasty?"
Dongfang Yunxing was stunned. Chen Xuan had dared to show disrespect toward a Sacred Maiden of a higher sect, enraging her. In the end, he had still managed to escape. Even the experts of the Great Wind Dynasty had failed to stop him.
Inside the Heaven's Mandate Pearl, Su Chen understood that this was the butterfly effect of a series of events. Chen Xuan should have risen smoothly in the Great Wind Dynasty thanks to his system and great destiny, but Dongfang Yunxing had repeatedly thwarted him, forcing him to flee in defeat.
"Master… was that Sacred Maiden the woman from before?" Dongfang Yunxing asked. He still remembered the woman he had shared a fleeting moment with.
Su Chen's voice carried a hint of amusement. "Why? Are you reluctant to part with that little girl? Can't stop thinking about her?"
"No," Dongfang Yunxing replied seriously. "This disciple follows Master's teachings. I… only wish to return this storage ring to her."
He touched the ring he had kept with him.
Su Chen: "..."
Was returning it really that proper? Bah. How could someone as upright and kind as him have taught such a disciple?
Upon learning that Chen Xuan had already left the Great Wind Dynasty, Dongfang Yunxing decided to leave as well and explore the wider world.
From Su Chen, he had learned that this world was vast. The Great Wind Dynasty was merely a tiny corner of it. Beyond its borders lay lofty Sacred Land sects and ancient Emperor clans.
As Dongfang Yunxing departed the Great Wind Dynasty, he encountered an unexpected event.
Under the moonlight, on a distant mountain peak, countless beams of silvery light poured down, bathing a white-robed woman in a sacred, untouchable glow.
"Disciple, your little wife has come looking for you," Su Chen teased. "Here's your chance to return the storage ring."
Dongfang Yunxing's face flushed slightly, but he still walked forward.
Neither spoke. They simply sat together on the edge of the cliff.
"My name is Lu Xuewei."
"Dongfang Yunxing."
"Dongfang Yunxing, remember this: you are my first man, and you will be my last."
Lu Xuewei looked at him. Her pale blue eyes held both coldness and complex emotions.
"Miss Lu, here is your storage ring."
Dongfang Yunxing took out the ring he had kept for so long and offered it to her.
Lu Xuewei paused, then smiled brightly, her expression playful.
"That storage ring is a gift for you. From now on, you are my man."
Dongfang Yunxing suddenly felt his consciousness growing fuzzy.
In a haze, he heard her voice.
"If you ever leave the Great Wind Dynasty, come find me at the Drifting Snow Sacred Land."
Lu Xuewei departed.
When Dongfang Yunxing woke up, he found two storage rings beside him. One was the one he had tried to return. The other was new.
Dongfang Yunxing: "..."
"Master! Master!"
Su Chen floated out lightly, looking at Dongfang Yunxing with a half-smile.
"Disciple's innocence… has been ruined," Dongfang Yunxing said, looking like he wanted to cry but had no tears.
Su Chen rolled his eyes. "Your master needs to get back to sleep. I couldn't sleep a wink last night because of all the noise."
He slipped back into the Heaven's Mandate Pearl.
Dongfang Yunxing: "..."
He continued on his journey with the Heaven's Mandate Pearl and the two storage rings.
"Drifting Snow Sacred Land…"
Dongfang Yunxing gazed toward the direction of the rising sun. Sooner or later, he would go there.
After leaving the Great Wind Dynasty, Dongfang Yunxing continued hunting beasts and raising his strength. In the blink of an eye, years passed.
He began his third Nirvana. His talent transformed once again, reaching a level that was quite respectable even among spirit physiques.
The Heaven's Mandate Pearl and the Undying Nirvana Art gave Dongfang Yunxing limitless potential.
For the sake of avenging his deceased family, he had never stopped searching for news of Chen Xuan.
Finally—
"The Southern Domain Young Prodigies Competition of the Vast Continent?"
This grand event was of great importance to all living beings in the Southern Domain. Prodigies would gather, and powerhouses would converge. Dongfang Yunxing had even heard that young kings from Sacred Lands would be participating.
"What kind of spectacle will it be when all the prodigies of the Southern Domain assemble in one place?"
"Master, how do you think I compare to those young kings right now?"
"Master…"
Dongfang Yunxing's heart surged with excitement. In the three years since leaving the Great Wind Dynasty, he had traveled through many places, witnessed countless geniuses, and truly understood how vast the world was.
There was no response from the Heaven's Mandate Pearl.
Su Chen felt utterly helpless.
It was the middle of the night—couldn't he get any sleep?
He had no interest in some Southern Domain Prodigies Competition.
However, Chen Xuan might appear at this event. Su Chen therefore agreed to let Dongfang Yunxing go and broaden his horizons.
The Heaven's Mandate Pearl had gone a long time without replenishing its energy.
...
Chen Xuan, heavily wounded and surrounded by sea beasts, had nearly lost his life. But he survived.
At the brink of death, he was rescued by a young woman from the Ghost Clan.
Chen Xuan felt he had finally met true love.
The Ghost Clan girl sensed a familiar aura on him—the token he had accidentally obtained from the Ghost Clan ruins. Its aura saved his life.
"The Southern Domain Prodigies Competition?"
Chen Xuan recalled his current mission. He needed to slaughter the prodigies of the Southern Domain. Killing the human geniuses there would raise his favorability with the Ghost Clan girl.
Killing intent flashed in his eyes. He also knew that the woman who had forced him to flee the Great Wind Dynasty came from the Drifting Snow Sacred Land.
Such a grudge could not go unavenged!
Chapter 290: Rebirth - I Became the Grandpa (Part 14)
On the Vast Continent, the Southern Domain Prodigies Competition had begun.
Geniuses from across the Southern Domain gathered, including divine body prodigies who had already reached the peak of the Profound Connection realm despite their young age. War chariots pulled by exotic beasts arrived in droves, while strange phenomena flashed continuously across the sky. The powerful auras filling the air left Dongfang Yunxing's heart surging with excitement.
In the past three years, he had broken through to the eighth layer of the Spirit Soul realm not long ago. This placed him in the upper-middle tier of the competition, though he still fell slightly short compared to those monstrous divine body geniuses.
Dongfang Yunxing felt no fear—only intense excitement.
The Southern Domain Prodigies Competition was not merely a contest of martial prowess. Its true purpose was to suppress a seal containing lingering Ghost Clan souls and hunt them for Ghost Pearls. These pearls could greatly strengthen the soul force of Spirit Soul realm cultivators.
Dongfang Yunxing defeated numerous prodigies with ease and secured his qualification to enter the Ghost Clan Valley.
"There are still some hidden experts in the Southern Domain. Their methods are quite impressive," Su Chen remarked with mild surprise.
Suppressed beneath the depths of the secret realm in the valley was actually a Quasi-Emperor level Ghost Clan expert. In a small universe like this, a Quasi-Emperor was an absolute supreme powerhouse. To have sealed and continuously extracted his cultivation to nourish the world required the work of an extremely powerful figure—likely at least an alternative path Dao Achiever.
Although the Southern Domain was not the most barren region, it was far from prosperous. The many prodigies of the Southern Domain entered the secret realm one after another, and Dongfang Yunxing followed suit.
Su Chen sensed a familiar aura.
Chen Xuan.
Chen Xuan had disguised himself and slipped into the secret realm among the crowd.
"Little Yunxing, this secret realm will not be peaceful," Su Chen's voice echoed in his mind.
Dongfang Yunxing wanted to ask for more details, but Su Chen spoke again. "Your master needs to rest a while longer. Everything will depend on you this time."
No matter how Dongfang Yunxing called out, there was no further response from the Heaven's Mandate Pearl.
He understood immediately. It was time for another test from his master.
Dongfang Yunxing silently swore that he would not disappoint Su Chen.
Once inside the secret realm, he began hunting the lingering Ghost Clan souls. The power contained within the Ghost Pearls was enormously beneficial for Spirit Soul realm cultivators. After persistent effort, his cultivation advanced to the ninth layer of Spirit Soul.
At the ninth layer of Spirit Soul, he was practically unmatched among his peers, except for a handful of true monsters. He continued gathering more resources.
Through a fortunate encounter, Dongfang Yunxing seized a King-grade herb from other prodigies. The herb's power triggered his fourth Nirvana.
...
Chen Xuan entered the secret realm and immediately began a ruthless slaughter. Countless geniuses died at his hands.
"What worthless Southern Domain prodigies," Chen Xuan sneered. Compared to someone with a system like him, what did "genius" even mean?
After relentless hunting, he finally encountered the white-robed woman from before.
Lu Xuewei!
Lu Xuewei was at the eighth layer of Profound Connection, while Chen Xuan was only at the fifth. Yet he showed no fear. Her cultivation had been built through traditional training and was full of flaws. His own cultivation, however, had been directly granted by the system after completing missions—flawless and without foundation issues.
Moreover, Chen Xuan possessed system-bestowed supreme techniques that were instantly perfected, requiring no comprehension, along with an innate divine body.
Lu Xuewei was shocked to find herself outmatched. In just three years, this man had reached the fifth layer of Profound Connection!
She was heavily wounded by Chen Xuan. Just as he burst into triumphant laughter, his expression suddenly froze.
A dazzling sword light slashed toward him.
"It's you!"
Chen Xuan realized that the person rushing toward him was a handsome youth, completely different in appearance from the one he had encountered in the Great Wind Dynasty. Yet he would never mistake that aura.
Lu Xuewei was also surprised. The sudden arrival was none other than Dongfang Yunxing.
"Chen Xuan!"
Dongfang Yunxing's sword intent was cold and piercing. When enemies met, their eyes burned with hatred.
This time, Dongfang Yunxing did not hide his face. Chen Xuan found him somewhat familiar. A figure from his memories quickly overlapped with the youth before him.
"Dongfang Yunhai? No… Dongfang Yunhai is definitely dead! Who is Dongfang Yunhai to you?"
Chen Xuan suddenly remembered. He still had an unfinished mission—the last survivor of the Dongfang. That was a task worth four minor realms of cultivation.
After a brief moment of shock, he burst into wild laughter.
"Hahaha! The last survivor of the Dongfang! I searched for you for so long, and here you are, delivering yourself right to my door!"
Dongfang Yunxing, however, appeared far more mature and composed. He stared coldly at Chen Xuan.
Sword shadows condensed in the void, flickering with dark flames.
A heaven-shaking battle erupted.
Lu Xuewei watched the scene unfold, suspicion rising in her heart. She was a direct heir of a Sacred Land sect with unparalleled talent, yet Chen Xuan had defeated her in just three years. Now this youth—who had once shared a fleeting moment with her—displayed even more terrifying strength. He had only just entered the Profound Connection realm, yet he fought with the power of someone at its peak.
This was a battle to the death.
Chen Xuan discovered that the youth he had once been able to crush effortlessly could now fight him on equal footing. Three years ago, Dongfang Yunxing had only survived by ambushing him while he was heavily injured. Now, despite being at a lower cultivation level, he could match him blow for blow.
Chen Xuan wondered who the real cheater was here. He possessed a heaven-defying system!
Dongfang Yunxing's techniques were endless and varied. His martial skills and divine abilities were even more terrifying than the saint-grade ones Chen Xuan had received from the system.
Chen Xuan had to kill him. Ignoring the warnings of the Ghost Clan girl, he activated the trump card she had given him.
"That's the aura of a saint!" Su Chen exclaimed from within the Heaven's Mandate Pearl. Members of the Transmigrators Alliance truly lived up to their reputation as bearers of great destiny. They were genuinely difficult to kill before reaching the Emperor realm.
Su Chen slowly extended a finger inside the pearl. It touched the barrier, sending ripples across the surface.
In that instant, Chen Xuan felt an overwhelming terror descend upon him. An inescapable, suffocating pressure filled the air. He was certain he would die. But the feeling appeared and vanished as quickly as it had come. Chen Xuan thought it was merely an illusion.
Inside the Heaven's Mandate Pearl, Su Chen withdrew his finger and narrowed his eyes as he looked toward the sky above.
"A Ghost Clan aura… You come from the Ghost Clan outside this world?"
In the Southern Domain, a supreme expert had awakened.