A torrential downpour cascaded from the sky. The clap of thunder and the roar of the falling rain overlapped, transforming into a deafening clamor that crashed down upon the slumbering earth and a shattered heart.

"What... happened to her?"

Beneath the umbrella, Zhou Chen stared at the water-splashed tombstone, the girl’s smile and the small moments of their life together flashing through his mind.

Jiang Che hesitated, her words catching in her throat. After a moment, she said in a calm tone, "She injured her Life Origin during a battle. It left an incurable affliction, and she passed away not long ago."

"What a coincidence..."

Zhou Chen sighed softly. "I’d like to be alone with her for a bit."

"Mm."

Jiang Che walked away, holding her umbrella.

The cold rain began to slap against Zhou Chen’s face once more.

"You could have at least left me the umbrella..."

He sighed softly as he watched Jiang Che’s receding figure, then sat down beside the tombstone. He picked up a bottle of red wine that was clearly an offering, twisted off the cork, and began to drink, GLUG, GLUG.

「Spiritual World.」

Within the pure Sea of Silver, a golden radiance was faintly coalescing. However, after gathering into a fist-sized orb, it grew still.

Spurred by his intense grief, Zhou Chen’s Soul had spontaneously condensed a Golden Soul Fragment.

The first step is always the hardest. With this Golden Soul Fragment, he had taken a crucial step forward, and the path ahead would be much easier. The vast majority of Tier Two Ascenders got stuck at this stage, completely unable to condense a Golden Soul, not even an insignificant speck.

And compared to those who hadn’t, a Tier Two Ascender who had condensed a Golden Soul Fragment would experience a quantum leap in power.

This involved a very important Ability: Essence Materialization.

For example, the fugitive Liu Hanyan from long ago, and the Blood Race he had recently encountered, had all more or less mastered the technique of Essence Materialization. At critical moments, they could transform their physical bodies into Extraordinary Essence to evade fatal attacks.

A Tier Two Ascender who had condensed a Golden Soul Fragment could already begin training in the techniques of Essence Materialization for practical application in combat.

Yet, Zhou Chen would rather not have this fragment.

·

Following the slippery mountain path, Jiang Che arrived before a luxury villa at the summit.

The villa’s main gate was open. She closed her umbrella and walked inside, heading straight up to the third floor and pushing open the door to a warm room.

The room was decorated in a warm color palette, brightly lit, and steamy from the underfloor heating, which completely shut out the biting cold of the downpour.

Rain pattered against the window, blurring the view outside.

A tall woman stood before the window. Her shoulder-length hair was cut in a sharp, practical style, and her icy cyan eyes held a piercing, untamed disdain. She exuded an aura of confidence forged through countless trials.

Beside her, a husky lay on the windowsill, its tongue lolling out.

"Why didn’t you go see him?" Jiang Che sat on the sofa and asked the woman at the window.

"Consider it a small bit of revenge."

Through the mottled curtain of rain, the now mature and formidable Li Xiye gazed deeply at the distant scene, her voice filled with a commanding presence. "After all, he did break a young girl’s heart. It’s only fair he gets a taste of the heartbreak I felt back then.

Your payment for helping me lie is on the table. That USB drive contains years of transaction records for Zhao Kungang, the president of the Hong City Star Gathering. It’s enough to get him the death penalty several times over. If everything inside is exposed, even a Grand Councilor will be implicated."

"I will make good use of it." Jiang Che picked up the USB drive and slipped it into her pocket.

She hadn’t intentionally meant to deceive Zhou Chen. It was just that Li Xiye had made her an offer she couldn’t refuse—years of criminal records on Zhao Kungang, the president of the Hong City Star Gathering!

It documented countless horrifying and secret illicit dealings, involving many powerful and influential figures, including the Grand Councilor backing Zhao Kungang. Once exposed, the fallout for those people would be catastrophic.

But for their enemies, it was a conveniently deadly weapon.

"It seems you don’t plan on meeting him," Jiang Che said suddenly.

"That’s right."

Li Xiye turned, sat down on the sofa, and poured herself a glass of tequila. Savoring the drink, she spoke leisurely, "In a few more days, the Pantheon’s Heroic Trials will begin. The materials I need to advance to Tier Four are part of the champion’s reward. Before I pass the Heroic Trials, I need to remain completely focused. Seeing him from afar has already fulfilled a long-held wish of mine. As for a proper meeting, that will have to wait.

Men will only slow my punches."

Jiang Che gazed at the formidable woman before her. Nearly sixty years ago, Li Xiye had shot to fame with her tyrannical methods, swift and decisive style, and immense personal power. In just one year, she became the most dazzling new Ascender star. Two years later, she was given the title "Tyrant," and many believed it was only a matter of time before she would be crowned a King.

She was like a meteor streaking through the long night—dazzling—

—and brief.

No one could have predicted that several years later, she would vanish without a trace, her whereabouts unknown. At the same time, the Li Auto Group was acquired by another massive corporation and pivoted to the flower business—an industry worlds apart from its origins. It has continued this business to this day, becoming the biggest local powerhouse in Hong City.

During that time, one World Garden after another rose up, leaving countless people in awe.

After building the company into one of the world’s top 500, she became a hands-off boss. She used an Alchemy Tool to seal herself and her dog, only awakening for half a month each year or when needed to handle emergencies. The rest of her time was spent in a long slumber until the King of Music officially woke her not long ago. She then began plotting to lure Zhou Chen to Hong City to face his destiny.