One Month Later
A small mountain was obliterated by the heavenly lightning tribulation that struck the earth.
Zhang Yong emerged from the rubble. "Ah, damn it, I ruined my clothes this time. And that tribulation was ridiculously strong. What am I going to do later—destroy the entire empire by the last stage?"
Despite this, Zhang Yong had spent around seven thousand spirit stones on this advancement—and still had some extra money left.
(Heaven-Defying Body upgraded to Level 2)
(Strength +250
Speed +250
Endurance +250
Intelligence +100)
The Thief King rushed toward the damage. "What kind of skill is this?! To summon a celestial phenomenon… Is this a forbidden technique?"
Zhang Yong lightly massaged his shoulder. "Well, you're not entirely wrong. How's Su Ming doing?"
"He—" Before the Thief King could finish, a pillar of golden light shot into the sky.
"What's that?" Zhang Yong asked in confusion. This was a new phenomenon, even for him.
His technique usually attracted lightning tribulations, but this pillar shone with golden light.
The Thief King replied, "That kid has real talent. He's broken through to the guru's Realm at fifteen. That's rare even in my time, I only reached it at nineteen."
For someone with a century of experience like the Thief King to praise someone meant it was genuine talent.
Zhang Yong also pondered, "The guru's Realm, huh? If Tang San and the others hadn't consumed those medicinal treasures, they probably would've broken through too around the same time."
They both rushed toward the light. By the time they arrived, the golden pillar had already faded into Su Ming's body.
But Su Ming remained seated, eyes closed, sword in hand.
Zhang Yong asked, "Did something go wrong? Why hasn't he opened his eyes yet?"
The Thief King closed his eyes for a moment, then spoke, "He's most likely entered the Sword Sea."
"Sword Sea? Is that an actual place?" Zhang Yong asked with no clue.
"You know what? You're staying with me another month. I'll teach you everything about this world so you stop asking dumb questions. The Sword Sea isn't a place—it's a spiritual realm every sword cultivator enters. It's said to not exist in this world. No one knows where it truly is, but your consciousness gets transported there when you form your own sword intent. The further you walk in it, the deeper your comprehension. The number of steps reflects your talent in the sword path."
Zhang Yong stroked his chin thoughtfully. 'Seems I've underestimated the sword path. I might try it if I get the chance.' he thought to himself
He turned and sat a short distance away. The area was safe, with no concern of interruption, so there was no need for guards.
Then, he began checking his gains.
"Fusion Card: According to what Yuni told me, I can combine skills to create entirely new ones—but it depends on a few things: emotional points, skill grade, and mastery level. I'll save it for later."
"Next is this black badge I got from those ten guys. I'm not sure what it does, but if it's useless, I can always sell it."
"I still have Gao Qing and Jian Yi's rings… but unexpectedly, all they had was food, a few spirit stones, and no valuable skills."
Zhang Yong took a deep breath and said, "uni, start the draw."
A spinning wheel appeared in front of him.
"Come on… something good, something good…"
The wheel slowly began to stop, eventually landing on:
(Congratulations, Host, you've received: Leather Shoes)
"Are these speed-boosting shoes? Maybe they allow teleportation?"
(Don't get too excited. They're just regular leather shoes.)
Zhang Yong slapped his forehead. "Whatever… just bad luck. Now for the random skill…"
(Host has acquired the Sub-Skill: Tasting)
Zhang Yong's jaw dropped slightly, then he laughed sarcastically, "Hah, what a joke. I already have a cooking-related sub-skill, and now a tasting one? I bet the next skill will be Drink Mixing so I can work at a tavern."
(Would you like me to explain the skill?)
Zhang Yong waved his hand. "No need. It lets me know the ingredients of what I eat, right?"
(It lets you know the ingredients of anything you eat. And by anything, I mean literally anything. Including pills—and if you can somehow eat swords, you'll learn their composition too.)
Zhang Yong chuckled. "Didn't expect that… a weird sub-skill, but actually useful."
He continued checking his loot and found the Spring Water Essence. He took it out, and it began wriggling like a worm around his arm.
"I wonder what this thing does."
"You actually got the Spring Water Essence. Didn't think anyone would go after that," the Thief King said as he approached and examined Zhang Yong's condition.
"You know what this thing is?" Zhang Yong asked with a disinterested look.
"You can plant it somewhere, and it'll produce spring water on its own. It's great for spiritual beasts to train, and also boosts plant growth. Do you have any idea how many sects would kill for that?"
'Huh. So it's that useful. This tomb really is full of rare treasures. I wonder what Su Ming managed to get…'
"Alright, alright, I get it. The treasures here are top-tier. No need to keep repeating it." Zhang Yong stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes.
Suddenly, Su Ming opened his eyes and smiled. "Golden Twilight Sword Intent… it's incredible." He looked at his hand and clenched it with excitement.
Zhang Yong placed a hand on his shoulder, causing Su Ming to flinch. "Zhang Yong! Don't sneak up on me like that."
Zhang Yong helped him up and pointed at the Thief King. "Afraid, huh? Even this ghost is impressed by your talent."
"It's an honor. Breaking through to the guru's Realm… I finally did it." Su Ming clenched his fists again in joy. "I want to test my new strength!"
Zhang Yong smacked his shoulder playfully. "Calm down, tiger. It's just the guru's Realm. You've still got a long way to go. Let's head back. We've been here a month—that makes it about a week or less in the outside world. We've been gone too long."
Su Ming nodded in agreement. Zhang Yong raised the badge, activated it, and the two left the place.
They reappeared in the forest. Su Ming let out a long breath. "The Thief King's Tomb is over. We gained amazing loot. I'm heading to my room for some sleep."
As they walked back to the sect, they discussed future plans.
"Thinking about it, Su Ming… I might give that sword path you mentioned a shot," Zhang Yong suggested.
Su Ming glanced at him and sneered, "You think the sword path is something you just decide to follow?"
Zhang Yong's eyes narrowed. "What's with that attitude? I'm confident I can master it. Why the mockery?"
Su Ming smirked, then frowned slightly. "Fine, answer me this—when you swing a sword, what do you put into it?"
Zhang Yong raised an eyebrow. To him, the question made no sense. Maybe a native of this world could answer, but his modern mind couldn't. "It's just a weapon. What are you supposed to 'put' in it?"
Su Ming smacked his own forehead. "That's why I said you're not fit for the sword path. Just think about the question. When you find the answer, come tell me. You're more selfishness than Star Moon Wolf."
"Star… Moon Wolf? Is that some kind of bedtime monster?" Zhang Yong asked, confused.
Su Ming chuckled. "Expected that. Listen to this story carefully…"
In the beginning of the formation of this world, humans were the weakest of all creatures. They were slaughtered by beasts—and worse, by the barbarians. The barbarians were tyrants upon the earth. Though they were human, they were different—more like savages. Yet they were so powerful, they could hardly be called human.
But everything changed with his appearance.
The Ancestor of Humanity.
With his arrival, all earthly threats to humanity vanished. He was accompanied by four Celestial Beasts and three Mythical Beasts.
The three Mythical Beasts were:
The Golden Crow
The Blood Kylin
The Ruling Lion
And the Celestial Beasts were:
The Fire Phoenix
The White Tiger
The Black Tortoise
The Heavenly Dragon
At first, the Golden Crow left to seek wisdom. And who is wiser than the one who has watched the earth since dawn? The Sun.
The Crow chased after the Sun to seek enlightenment.
The Blood Kylin, however, did not seek wisdom. He was a type of beast that loved strength.
He descended to earth and began hunting beasts—not to save humanity, but to feed on them.
The Ruling Lion was uninterested in such matters. He desired authority, so he roamed the earth, building his own lineage and dominion.
When the Fire Phoenix saw the Golden Crow chasing the Sun for wisdom, envy took hold of her. She spoke to the Ancestor of Humanity:
"My Lord, I feel I won't progress by staying here. The Golden Crow chases the Sun in search of wisdom. I shall chase it to increase my strength and surpass him, by possessing the Sun's fire."
The Ancestor of Humanity simply nodded in response, allowing her to go. She left without a second thought.
Upon seeing this, the White Tiger desired to surpass the Phoenix. He approached the Ancestor:
"My Lord, the Phoenix has chased the Sun and may catch up to the Crow and surpass me. I do not wish to fall behind, so I will pursue the Moon instead."
Again, the Ancestor merely nodded, permitting it.
Then he turned to the Dragon and Tortoise and asked:
"What about you two? Your companions have left in pursuit of their goals. What about you?"
The Dragon responded first "My Lord, the Crow and Phoenix left in search of strength and wisdom. I possess strength, but I lack wisdom. I won't follow their path, for wisdom differs for every individual based on their life. I shall live in the sky and observe from above. Wisdom is born from age."
Thus, the Heavenly Dragon flew into the sky and lived there, observing all living beings.
The Tortoise's answer, however, was different:
"My Lord, I do not care for worldly matters like the others. My heart aches seeing how envy consumes each of them. I wish for an unshakable heart, so I shall live beneath the earth and perhaps gain its stability."
And so, the Black Tortoise dove underground and never emerged again—until this day. It is said that upon witnessing humanity's bloody conflicts, her heart ached so deeply that her tears caused earthquakes.
But even that didn't stop humans from fighting. After enduring such pain, her heart became unshakable—not because she overcame the pain, but because she got used to it. And with that numbness, all her emotions gradually faded.
Decades after that event which changed the course of humanity
There was a young wolf born under the light of the moon, descended from the White Tiger, one of the Seven Celestial Beings.
But this wolf cared neither about lineage nor origins; he saw no one but himself.
Everything around him existed only to reflect his own image.
From a young age, he heard only his own voice and saw only his dreams. When he listened to a story, he only thought about how he could make it his own.
He didn't like being related to the White Tiger, not because he wasn't proud of it... but because he didn't want to be compared.
"I am no one's shadow, even if they are descended from the Stars."
One night, as the wolf sat contemplating the moon, he asked himself, "Why does everyone revolve around the sun and the moon? Why can't I be the sun itself?"
It wasn't jealousy of the crow or the phoenix...
It was a deep conviction that the world lacked a center around which to revolve... the wolf himself.
So he decided to create his own path... a path no one had traveled... to become a new heavenly being... not through humility, not through service, but through dominance.
He left the forest and his family, he left the herd, and climbed the mountains in search of a door to heaven.
He burned the fields to attract the sun's attention.
He raised howls among the mountains so the moon could see.
But he didn't want wisdom from the sun, nor tranquility from the moon...
He wanted to take... to take light, to take glory, to take worship.
When the four remaining beings on earth appeared to him—the dragon, the tortoise, the phoenix, and the ruling lion—they asked him
"What is your purpose, wolf?"
He answered in a steady voice:
"To be the pinnacle... I have no need for the sun or the moon. I want all beings to look at me as I looked at you. I don't want wisdom or power, I want everything."
The dragon looked at him for a long time and then said:
"Your path is foggy, in which you see only yourself."
But the wolf didn't care... and continued climbing until he crashed into the very sky.
And when his spirit exploded with ambition, no one wept for him... because he left no one behind.
He didn't inspire, he didn't sacrifice, he didn't give... he just wanted to take.