Horn Constellation Realm, Hu Clan.
When the news of Hu Ying's death reached the clan, grief and fury swept through every corner.
The Hu Clan Patriarch, an old man with graying hair, stared at Hu Ying's extinguished soul lamp. His eyes were filled with both sorrow and rage. "Yang Cheng! You and I cannot coexist under the same sky!"
A middle-aged man beside him quickly stepped forward to persuade him. "Father, please calm down. Yang Cheng's strength is far too terrifying. Even Kong Shen couldn't defeat him. If our Hu Clan acts rashly, we might end up like the Ouyang Clan—completely wiped out."
The Patriarch fell silent, the anger in his eyes gradually giving way to helplessness.
He knew his son was right. Though the Hu Clan was powerful, they were nowhere near strong enough to oppose someone capable of slaying Kong Shen.
"Forget it."
The old man sighed deeply. "Ying'er, it's your father's incompetence. I can't avenge you…"
In the end, the Hu Clan chose to swallow their hatred and remain silent.
Horn Constellation Realm, Spirit Sword Sect.
When the news of Gu Wenzhi's death reached them, the entire sect fell into a deathly silence.
Gu Wenzhi had been the most talented cultivator the Spirit Sword Sect had seen in a hundred years—their future hope—and now he had fallen in the Wasteland Realm.
The Sect Master was so furious that he spat blood on the spot. Yet he could only clench his fists and endure. Not a single word of retaliation escaped his lips.
The terror of Yang Cheng had already been carved deep into their hearts.
For a time, whether it was the Qingming Sect of the Azure Jade Realm, or the Star Sea Chamber of Commerce, the Hu Clan, or the Spirit Sword Sect of the Horn Constellation Realm—none of these powerful forces dared to act.
In the face of Yang Cheng's monstrous might, they all chose silence and submission.
Yang Cheng's name had become like a massive stone, dropped into a still lake—sending shockwaves across the entire Wasteland Realm, the Horn Constellation Realm, and the Azure Jade Realm.
Ding!
[The host has displayed divine might—surrounded and besieged by eight Insight God experts, yet slain seven, including Kong Shen himself.]
[The result of this battle has stunned the heavens and defied comprehension.]
[Evaluation complete. The host has achieved an exceptional feat. Reward: Three-Star Emperor-Extinguishing Blade Domain.]
"Three-Star Emperor-Extinguishing Blade Domain!"
Yang Cheng felt the influx of information surge into his mind, and an involuntary smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
This domain was domineering beyond compare. With it, his power would take another tremendous leap forward.
'Not a bad reward,' he thought to himself.
At that moment, a figure in red appeared before him—it was the same red-robed woman who had been outside the alchemy chamber earlier.
She looked at Yang Cheng with open admiration in her eyes. "Your Highness, despite your youth, your strength is truly extraordinary. To fight eight Insight God experts alone and slay seven of them—you are indeed a rare prodigy. Your talent commands respect."
Yang Cheng lifted his gaze slightly, his expression calm. "You flatter me."
He paused briefly, then his tone shifted. "If I'm not mistaken, you should be from Mount Dragon-Tiger, aren't you?"
The red-robed woman's expression changed subtly, a flicker of surprise flashing in her eyes. "How did you know?"
Mount Dragon-Tiger had always remained hidden from the world, only appearing during times of great upheaval. Very few even knew of their existence—so how could Yang Cheng possibly recognize their name?
Yang Cheng's eyes glinted faintly. As he thought, it was Mount Dragon-Tiger.
A century in his past life after the great change of heaven and earth, Mount Dragon-Tiger had reemerged into the mortal realm. Of course, he knew of them.
But he didn't explain. Instead, he said calmly, "You didn't come all this way just to praise me, did you?"
The red-robed woman composed herself, her expression turning serious. "To be honest, I came to give Your Highness a word of advice. In the days to come, you would do well to keep a lower profile."
"Low profile?"
Yang Cheng raised an eyebrow.
"Not bad."
The red-robed woman nodded slightly. "Your Highness, though your victory over Kong Shen and the others has displayed unmatched might, it has also earned you many enemies. The Star Sea Chamber of Commerce, Qingming Sect, Hu Clan, Spirit Sword Sect—these forces have deep foundations in both the Horn Constellation Realm and the Azure Jade Realm. If they were to join hands for revenge, the consequences would be unimaginable. And remember, these are not even the strongest powers."
She paused briefly before continuing. "An ordinary man is not guilty, but possessing great treasure invites trouble. The Earth Spirit Heart Pill alone will stir countless greedy eyes. Though your strength is formidable, Your Highness, you are not yet invincible. Being too high-profile will only attract more danger."
Just then, Wang Rou and Xu Qingxue walked in from outside, catching the woman's words.
Wang Rou frowned slightly and couldn't help but speak up. "Senior, you're wrong about that. With Master Yang's current strength, who in this Wasteland Realm could possibly threaten him?"
The red-robed woman gave Wang Rou a calm look. "Your Highness's strength is indeed remarkable, but there are countless hidden experts in this world. He is far from being truly invincible. Forget the old monsters in the Horn Constellation Realm and the Azure Jade Realm—even here in the Wasteland Realm, there are beings he may not yet be able to face freely."
"That's impossible!"
Wang Rou's eyes widened in disbelief. "I don't believe there's anyone in this realm who can surpass Master Yang!"
The red-robed woman shook her head slowly, her tone composed but certain. "You underestimate the Wasteland Realm far too much. Take Kong Shen, for example—his power couldn't even rank in the top 10 among the true experts of the Wasteland Realm."
"What?"
Both Wang Rou and Xu Qingxue were visibly shaken.
Kong Shen was a half-step Yin God powerhouse—and yet he couldn't even make it into the top 10? Just how many terrifying beings were hidden in this realm?
Yang Cheng, however, remained calm and unbothered, as though he had expected every word.
Of course, he knew exactly who she was referring to. Those monstrous beings rarely showed themselves, yet each possessed power beyond imagination.
This was precisely why, in his previous life five hundred years later, even the Heaven's Mandate Emperor Yang Xiu—hailed as the Child of Destiny—was recognized only as the leader of the Eastern Wastes Alliance, not of the entire Wasteland Realm.
Because scattered across other regions of the Wasteland Realm were beings even he could not defeat.
Still, Yang Cheng was certain—those people, no matter how terrifying, were not his match anymore.
Seeing his calm indifference, the red-robed woman frowned slightly, faint irritation rising in her chest. She felt that Yang Cheng was too arrogant, too proud to heed advice.
But she also knew that with someone like him, words were useless.
At last, she sighed quietly. "Forget it. There's no point saying more. Your Highness, take care of yourself."
With that, she turned and left.
Wang Rou watched her departing back with concern and turned to Yang Cheng. "Master, what she said… is it true? Are there really so many powerful beings in this realm?"
Yang Cheng replied evenly, "Don't worry about it."
Meanwhile, in the Wasteland Realm, within the borders of the Great Zhao Empire—
A powerful contingent appeared quietly along the frontier.
At their head stood a middle-aged man with a sharp, stern face. His aura surged with the might of a peak Insight God. He was a top expert of the Ning Clan—Ning Yao's uncle, Ning Jian.
Behind him were several martial experts, each exuding strong cultivation. Among them was a young man in his twenties whose aura was no weaker than a second-stage Insight God. His name was Ning Ye, Ning Jian's nephew.
Ning Jian stared toward the distant imperial capital of the Great Zhao Empire, the corner of his mouth curving into a faint, disdainful smirk. "Who would've thought that useless Qin Mingcheng can't even handle a minor backwater empire in the Wasteland Realm? In the end, our Ning Clan still has to take action personally."
Ning Ye grinned beside him. "Third Uncle is right. But that works in our favor. This gives us a chance to make some achievements. This time, we're here in Great Zhao to take full control of the entire empire. Second Uncle has already taken people to Great Zhou to deal with the royal family and bring back Cousin Ning Yao. We'd better move fast and make our mark—we can't let Second Uncle outdo us."