The other immortals leapt from the bank one after another, plunging into the pool below. As their bodies disappeared beneath the surface, faint ripples spread across the water.
One by one, they followed, until only a few remained. The Bronze Holder waved her hand toward Ming Jin, offering brief farewells as she descended as well.
Magman was the last to move—but he stopped himself.
He turned his head sharply, his eyes burning as he stared at Mingyin, fury twisting his expression.
"I don't know how you discovered our plan," he snarled. "We were going to expose you as a mortal. Even so, I still have every reason to hate you, brat!"
Mingyun merely smiled. At the same time, Mingyin's copy returned Magman's gaze with an identical, calm smile.
Magman snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, and finally allowed himself to fall into the water.
The clone of Mingyin turned around and spoke in a composed voice.
"Go far from here. When the carp beast arrives, we will only be able to rely on you."
Mingyin nodded and stepped closer.
"I know. You're my clone—we share the same thoughts. We're thinking of the same thing right now."
With that, he summoned another clone.
The clone nodded silently before jumping into the water.
Magman's vision suddenly blurred.
The mask on his face began to emit strange bubbles, forming along its surface. In the next instant, he was engulfed. Small ripples appeared within the bubble as it expanded.
Moments later, he floated alongside the other immortals.
Magman summoned a small artifact shaped like a cloud. Its surface shimmered with crystalline patterns as he infused it with soul energy, letting it support his body at the waist.
He raised the cloud—but then froze.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the bubble surrounding the mask. It began to boil violently, churning like molten lava. The entire group stared in shock.
"Ah—what is that?"
"That looks incredible!"
"Whoa!"
These immortals were only at the lowest level of immortality. They knew almost nothing of the outside immortal world, having spent most of their lives within the academy. Naturally, they had never seen anything like this.
Magman, however, was different. As one of the ten geniuses, he had far broader knowledge.
The Bronze Holder raised her hand.
Magman noticed her gesture as she pointed forward. The bubbling energy suddenly surged, engulfing the mask completely.
The crowd felt their breathing grow heavy. Fear spread across their faces.
Their bodies began to tremble, skin feeling as if it were being torn apart.
A smaller bubble formed above the mask, expanding until it covered the immortals' faces.
Then, as their skin was fully enveloped, the pain vanished.
Warmth replaced it—gentle, soothing.
Relief appeared on their faces.
Magman exhaled heavily and looked up.
"You should have told us it would hurt," he complained.
He shot the Bronze Holder an annoyed glance before sighing and stretching his neck.
The rest of the group soon felt completely normal, as if nothing unusual had happened.
The Bronze Holder heard Magman's complaint and turned toward him, her gaze sharp.
"You truly are an ungrateful brat," she said coldly. "We didn't even get the chance to confirm whether Mingyin was a mortal or not—and yet here you are, making a fool of yourself."
The words struck Magman like a slap to the face.
He lowered his head, then quickly looked away.
The immortals beside him subtly stepped back, unwilling to stand too close to him anymore.
Magman appeared calm, but embarrassment burned in his chest as he screamed inwardly.
I'll prove myself. I'll show that I can truly oppose a mortal among us.
He glanced behind him.
Mingyin's copy stood perfectly fine, calm and untouched, as if everything that had happened was entirely normal.
The sight made Magman feel sick.
He has to be a copy… How did the others not notice? And even if they did, who would dare test him? His aura alone carries the presence of a Sage artist. Attacking someone like that would be a death sentence.
Damn it… The only way to oppose him without destroying myself is to find his true body. But he's always surrounded by crowds, or hiding somewhere unseen—like a ghost.
There are too many reasons to keep him alive.
He might belong to a hidden sect. He even outsmarted a peak artist. A mortal like this is a treasure—one whose value surpasses gold itself.
Magman clenched his fists and turned around.
"You far surpass any immortal I know, Mingyin," he said darkly. "And I want to know—just who the hell are you?"
.....
Far away, in a vast land of sand, a dense river spread across the region. Small stones floated unnaturally in the air above it, suspended as if held by invisible hands.
Numerous immortals hovered above the water, staring upward.
Some were old.
Some were young.
Some carried the aura of long experience.
High above them all stood a colossal pagoda, blazing with radiant light. Countless corpses fell from its heights, crashing downward like rain.
The floating stones shattered one by one, turning into fine powder under the pagoda's glow.
Suddenly, the sea surged forward, swallowing several immortals. Others lifted their heads in alarm.
One immortal shouted in shock,
"Isn't that the Fate Building?!"
Fear rippled through the crowd.
An old man raised his trembling finger toward the sky.
"Don't tell me…"
At that moment, the gates of the pagoda opened.
From within, a massive hand emerged—shrouded in thick, fog-like shadows.
In an instant, the sea surged again, engulfing all the immortals. The water rose only to their waists, yet none dared to move.
An elderly immortal stared upward, his voice shaking.
"Is that… the Overlord of the Regional Continent?"
The crowd turned forward, where a middle-aged man stood frozen in place, gazing into the sky.
He was the same man once outwitted by Mingyin—yet also the one who had terrified an entire group of immortals.
He spoke quietly, as if to himself.
"Oh, Tai Tian… to advance from mortal to immortal so quickly. Truly admirable—a mad prodigy."
Without warning, a massive torrent swept through the area, sending immortals flying in all directions.
Only one remained unmoved.
The Supreme Elder.
Water splashed violently against his face. He looked down at his hand and saw it trembling.
"So… my little nephew was the one behind the Fate Building."
The entire crowd froze.
Their eyes widened as the fog-shrouded hand descended.
The Supreme Elder smiled faintly and spoke aloud, his voice calm.
"I couldn't even witness my daughter become an immortal… hehehe."
A horrifying sound followed—the tearing of flesh and bone.
Blood spread across the sea.
The Supreme Elder collapsed into the water, his face pierced clean through by the shadowed hand, leaving only a hollow cavity behind.
Blood poured from his lips as he muttered softly,
"I'm sorry… for not being there."
His body sank slowly.
He tried to stand, but his strength was gone. His vision blurred, and a vague image appeared before him—a young man, his face indistinct.
The Supreme Elder clutched his throat.
Smiling weakly, he whispered,
"I thought my elder uncle died to an intruder… yet to think the one who built Fate Building was his grandson."
He laughed.
"Ahahaha…"
"Neither proud… nor sorrowful."
"I was never someone who corrected his mistakes. In the end… I was nothing."
Suddenly, he tore open his chest.
An enormous surge of soul energy burst forth, and countless powerful artifacts shot into the sky.
"This is my gift… my daughter."
His vision softened.
He saw a young, beautiful girl smiling brightly at him.
That was the day the Supreme Elder died.
The remaining immortals looked up in horror as the powdered stones suddenly collapsed, swallowing the entire area.
Their faces twisted with madness and rage.
One of them screamed,
"I swear nothing good will ever come from you!"
"You will die a miserable death—your spine shattered!"
"How dare you kill the Supreme Elder!"
Their voices echoed as the pagoda rose higher into the sky.
Another pagoda, glowing with blinding light, appeared.
The massive fog-covered hand struck forward, crushing an enormous structure with its bare grasp. The building twisted violently before being reduced to fragments.
Inside, countless mortals working within were slaughtered instantly—lifeless bodies crushed into torn flesh and pulp.
Blood rained down.
Screams filled the air.
The shadowed hand withdrew and returned toward the radiant pagoda.
Moments later, it vanished, leaving behind drifting corpses.
The crowd gasped in silence.
A colossal tsunami surged forth.
Tears streamed down the immortals' faces as they were swept away, struggling desperately against the overwhelming force.
Mingyun stood by the water's edge.
A deep sense of unease settled in his heart.
He slowly raised his head.
"Fate Building…"
.