Arrogance leads to downfall — Zhao Xuan knew this better than anyone.
He didn't let pride consume him just because he had managed to slay a Tier Four creature while still being Tier Three.
Because in his mind —
if he could do it, then surely someone else out there could too.
After all, those descendants of powerful families…
They had been eating spirit herbs since childhood, training under professional tutors, and cultivating with family-exclusive secret techniques.
How could their strength possibly be weak?
Take Di Ruqing, for example.
Back in his second year of high school, Di Ruqing had already awakened Armament Haki.
And the Di family of Tongcheng wasn't even one of the great clans of Kyushu — not even close.
In fact, within the entire Nanjiang Province, they were barely mid-level.
After all, Di Ruqing's father, Di Wenbin, was merely a regional commander — a small-town governor-level figure at best — and only a Tier Four Minor Grandmaster.
In the hierarchy of cultivation:
Tier 4s were known as Minor Grandmasters,
Tier 5s as Grandmasters,
Tier 6s as Great Grandmasters,
Tier 7s as Venerables,
Tier 8s as Kings,
and Tier 9s as Emperors.
Once Zhao Xuan's excitement faded, he immediately began searching for the second reward that came from clearing a relic trial —
the Relic Heart.
But—
Even after circling the entire area multiple times, he couldn't find a trace of it.
"Hmm? What's going on? Don't tell me it's under that four-tier golem's corpse?"
Muttering to himself, Zhao Xuan rolled up his sleeves and began searching the remains.
Sure enough—
after some digging, he uncovered the Relic Heart, buried beneath the giant's shattered body.
But that wasn't all.
Along with it, he found a small, rhombus-shaped crystal, roughly the size of a fingertip.
The crystal shimmered faintly in a dull amber hue.
Even holding it in his palm, Zhao Xuan could feel the immense energy pulsing within.
"What's this…?"
He frowned, curiosity piqued.
"It came from inside the golem's skull… Could it be something like the Beast Cores you see in fantasy novels?"
"There's definitely powerful energy stored inside… no idea what it does though."
He shrugged after a moment's thought.
"Forget it — I'll just bring it back and ask President Lian later."
With that, Zhao Xuan tucked the crystal safely away, then turned his attention back to the real treasure —
the Relic Heart.
"According to President Lian," he muttered to himself, "I just need to inject my spiritual energy into it, mark it with my essence, and it'll bind to me completely…"
He pressed the smooth, glowing core against his forehead —
and then unleashed his spiritual energy.
Like a thick black spear, his mental power shot forth, stabbing fiercely into the Relic Heart.
Not everyone could bind a relic heart.
Each one was protected by a spiritual barrier, and to claim it, you had to break through that layer first.
Zhao Xuan concentrated his will.
Pierce. Pierce. Pierce.
Seven or eight powerful thrusts later —
after expending nearly twenty points of spiritual energy —
he finally broke through.
His consciousness surged into the Relic Heart like a flood, imprinting his essence within.
Moments later—
the Relic Heart pulsed brightly, reshaping itself with a faint outline resembling Zhao Xuan's silhouette.
Binding complete.
And the instant it was done—
Zhao Xuan's expression froze—then erupted into wild excitement.
"Holy—! I struck gold! It's a special-type Relic Heart! A spatial one!"
His entire body trembled in exhilaration.
A spatial-type Relic Heart… meant only one thing.
Its entrance portal was not fixed.
In other words—
Zhao Xuan could open this relic's gateway anywhere, anytime.
Wherever he stood, he could summon the door and step directly into the desert relic world.
Which meant—
he now possessed a massive portable pocket dimension!
A private world—entirely his own.
"Just how big is this place, I wonder?"
His grin widened as a spark of curiosity flashed in his eyes.
With a burst of motion, Zhao Xuan leapt to his feet, exited the trial space, and returned to the relic proper.
Tap—tap!
He stomped on the sand, propelling himself upward.
Using Moon Step, he climbed higher—ten meters, twenty, thirty—until he hovered dozens of meters above the dunes.
Looking down at the endless, sun-baked wasteland below, Zhao Xuan couldn't contain himself.
A wide, manic grin spread across his face—
the kind that teetered between brilliance and madness.
"Hahaha… this is mine. All of it."
The desert winds howled in response, carrying his laughter across the boundless golden sands.
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