Who is he?

The moment the man approached him, Wang Sheng instinctively frowned slightly and showed a trace of impatience. Nevertheless, the man still walked over as though he had not noticed the faint killing intent that Wang Sheng had released around himself.

This man...

At first glance, he looked imposing and dignified. His every movement carried natural authority. Swordlike brows framed sharp eyes whose brilliance remained hidden beneath the surface. His hooked nose and thin lips made him look especially cold and dangerous.

Seems to be an expert.

Wang Sheng's spiritual perception trembled faintly, already placing this man among the ranks of dangerous individuals. According to the warning from his spiritual perception, the man posed a genuine threat to him, though not an overwhelming one.

Simply put, Wang Sheng probably could not defeat him, but escaping should not be difficult.

The fact that this man could trigger such a warning from Wang Sheng, who now controlled the Great Dao of Creation and stood at the level of a pseudo–powerful being, proved that the man was undoubtedly at the level of powerful beings as well.

Have I been exposed? Or is something else going on?

Wang Sheng frowned. "Daoist Friend, I dislike sharing a table with strangers."

The middle-aged man smiled faintly. "It's okay, I will not waste much of your time. I simply found you somewhat pleasing to the eye and wished to exchange a few words."

The moment the man spoke, Wang Sheng became even more certain that he was an old monster.

As Wang Sheng silently speculated about the stranger's identity, the tension in his brow gradually eased. He calmly replied, "We do not seem to have a connection."

The man smiled. "We may be strangers, but today, in this place, we happen to sit at the same table. Is that not fate?"

Wang Sheng answered indifferently, "Could you simply have too much free time, Daoist Friend?"

Behind him, Ling Sheng's gaze sharpened with hostility. She could already sense that the powerful stranger was capable of suppressing even her master. Hence, she tried to partly intimidate him.

The man burst into loud laughter. "Hahaha!"

With a casual gesture, he sealed off the surrounding space so that neither nearby gazes nor probing immortal perception could hear their conversation.

Right now, Fengdu City was packed with all kinds of people, but anyone capable of displaying such effortless divine abilities the moment they arrived was clearly one of the true "dragons" among them.

Several people nearby immediately stood up and left the teahouse, unwilling to get dragged into strange trouble.

The man then asked, "May I know your honored name?"

Wang Sheng replied, "Since we are merely strangers passing by one another, why should we exchange names?"

"Oh?" The middle-aged man raised a brow. "I have always respected those with powerful divine abilities. I also understand that many experts walking the path of cultivation possess great pride. Still, this is the first time I've met someone who grows impatient even speaking with me."

Wang Sheng answered calmly, "You speak of my pride, yet the arrogance hidden within your own words seems no less obvious."

"Arrogance? Where?"

"From the moment you approached, you carried yourself like some great figure lowering himself to appreciate talent." Wang Sheng paused slightly before a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips. "Is that not arrogance?"

The middle-aged man froze for a moment. Soon after, he looked Wang Sheng up and down with growing interest, then laughed softly. "It seems I was careless. I should punish myself."

As he spoke, he pulled out a wine jug and two jade cups from his sleeve, then personally poured Wang Sheng a cup of wine.

Still smiling, he added, "Saying I was lowering myself to appreciate talent truly is inappropriate. I merely wished to make your acquaintance."

"Oh?"

Wang Sheng looked at the wine cup placed before him. After a brief hesitation, he accepted it and set it down in front of him.

The stranger laughed again. "What, you won't even give me that much face?"

The sword cultivator shook his head calmly. "I'm afraid you poisoned it."

"Poisoned—Haha! Hahahaha!"

The middle-aged man instantly burst into even louder laughter, even slapping his thigh.

Ling Sheng's eyes immediately widened in anger behind Wang Sheng, but the man paid her no attention at all; he simply continued laughing.

Wang Sheng glanced at Ling Sheng once. In swift understanding, she lowered her head, no longer revealing any emotion.

After laughing for some time, the man gave Wang Sheng a shining stare. "You truly suit my temperament. Allow me to ask bluntly, do you cultivate the Great Dao of Slaughter?"

"I do." Wang Sheng slowly nodded before countering with a question of his own. "Your Dao seems somewhat similar to mine, though it is not a pure Dao of Slaughter."

"That's right." The middle-aged man sighed softly. "When I first attained the Dao in my early years, I failed to fully comprehend the principle that slaughter itself gives rise to life. As a result, I turned toward another Great Dao and narrowly missed the true Dao of Slaughter.

"The Dao of Slaughter is one of the primal origin Daos. It embodies the end of all living beings and stands supreme in conquest and warfare. You have cultivated for less than one yuanhui[1], yet you've already pushed the Dao of Slaughter to such purity. I am deeply impressed."

Wang Sheng didn't answer.

He had merely used the Great Dao of Slaughter to fabricate a disguise. If this man ever saw the Great Dao of Creation, he would probably rush over and fight to take Wang Sheng as a disciple.

"You have spoken at length already. What exactly are you trying to say?"

By now, Wang Sheng's tone had gradually softened; it no longer had the same cold edge as before. Naturally, it was intentional. He did not want to expose himself or create unnecessary conflict with this man and bring trouble upon himself.

Wang Sheng's question made the man fall silent. After a moment, he answered, "To be honest, Daoist Friend, I merely happened to pass through Fengdu City today when I suddenly sensed your Dao of Slaughter. Delighted by the discovery, I took the liberty of coming over to meet you. May I ask for your honored name, and whether you currently have a place to stay?"

"There's no need for titles, and I have no place to settle." Wang Sheng calmly shook his head. "My heart belongs to nomadic life. I wish to drift through the endless space and the Immortal Saint Realm in search of the true meaning behind the Dao of Slaughter. If you intend to recruit me, then I can only apologize."

"Oh?" The middle-aged man smiled faintly. "The world is vast, and the starry skies are boundless beyond measure, yet true opportunities are all hidden within the Immortal Saint Realm. It may have boundaries, but the number of cultivators seeking entry into it is endless.

"Perhaps you have only recently arrived and do not yet understand how dangerous this place truly is. Without the support of a faction, the road ahead will be extremely difficult."

Wang Sheng's brow furrowed slightly. "Are you threatening me, Daoist Friend?"

"No, no." The man's smile slowly faded as his expression turned serious. "I am merely offering sincere advice. The Immortal Saint Realm is indeed full of danger, and experts are everywhere. Will you truly not reconsider? Perhaps if you allow me to say a few more words, another great door may open before you."

Wang Sheng frowned lightly before shaking his head again. "I have no interest in joining factions. I ask only that you stop making things difficult for me."

"Very well." The middle-aged man sighed with some regret. "In that case, consider me overly talkative. Good day."

He cupped his hands, rose from his seat, and walked toward the exit of the teahouse. As he left, his expression gradually darkened.

Once he was gone, Ling Sheng whispered, "Master, I doubt that person will let things go so easily."

Wang Sheng slowly nodded. "Mm."

He closed his eyes, carefully sensing something.

The powerful stranger definitely wasn't broad-minded.

Moreover, because neither side had revealed their names, Wang Sheng still had no idea who the man was or why he was so interested in the Dao of Slaughter.

The more he thought about it, the more absurd the entire situation felt.

Some random, powerful passerby just happened to take an interest in him and wanted to recruit him as a subordinate. No, perhaps not just a subordinate...

Wang Sheng used his immortal perception to follow the man's departure, but after the man traveled several hundred zhang away, he vanished completely. He had most likely used some powerful divine ability.

"He probably isn't one of ours," Wang Sheng telepathically told Ling Sheng. "There's a high chance he's an enemy. Though honestly, infiltrating them as a Dao of slaughter cultivator might allow me to gather even more information. That could actually be a decent option."

"Master, you don't have to take such risks."

"Mm, I know." Wang Sheng sighed softly. "I can still tell what matters most, especially at a moment like this. Other than the King of Hell selection, I won't concern myself with anything else."

Ling Sheng nodded gently behind him and resumed standing quietly.

Wang Sheng was no longer in the mood to leisurely drink tea while gathering information. Carrying Yuan Tu on his back, he left the teahouse.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged man who had just departed arrived within a dense forest several thousand li outside Fengdu City.

The instant he appeared, dozens of shadowy figures rushed out from all directions and knelt at his feet.

He remained deep in thought as his expression gradually turned cold. "Li Yi."

A tall and sturdy figure beside him immediately answered, "Here!"

"Keep an eye on this person." The middle-aged man raised a hand and sent a strand of aura into the man's palm. It condensed into Wang Sheng's appearance along with the Great Dao of Slaughter's aura. "Use whatever methods you need. Before the King of Hell selection begins, make him one of my subordinates. Go handle it now."

"Yes!" the burly man answered.

He concealed the aura within himself, then vanished into the distance after several leaps.

"Hmph." The middle-aged man snorted coldly. "How could I possibly let someone our Black Emperor has taken an interest in escape?"

***

On a planet stationed with a large number of Earth's qi-powered fleets, in the same star domain as the ancient battlefield.

Xiaomiao sneezed. "Achoo!"

Her delicate brow furrowed slightly.

What is going on?

Although much of her cultivation had been forcefully piled onto her, she was still a genuine Heavenly Immortal. So why... was she sneezing?

"Did my brother suddenly think about me?"

Xiaomiao blinked. Nearby, Lishang had just finished a round of inspection and floated over gracefully like an immortal maiden descending from the clouds, all while attracting the unwavering attention of several "immortal maintenance workers."

Lishang was completely different from the old Lishang who once struggled to even break through to the Heavenly Immortal Realm. After fully awakening her bloodline, she had naturally grown tremendously stronger, and she had even undergone subtle physical changes.

Her skin was now fair and luminous, her eyes gentle and full of warmth. The heroic sharpness she once exuded had softened into a more feminine beauty.

When dressed in armor, the change was less obvious. However, once she wore flowing dresses like this and transformed her snake tail into a pair of slender legs, she became truly breathtaking, enough to shake a person's heart.

For bloodline experts like Lishang, their strength was directly tied to their appearance.

Lishang asked softly, "Xiaomiao, what's wrong?"

"I'm not sure." Xiaomiao pondered for a moment. "Maybe someone urgently wants something from me, so I subconsciously sensed it somehow."

Lishang nodded slowly. "I thought you had fallen ill."

I'm a Heavenly Immortal now, okay? Big sister, take a good look at me. I'm a Heavenly Immortal now... Xiaomiao complained weakly in her heart.

Just as she was about to joke around in response, the wristband on her arm trembled lightly. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

1. derived from the Investiture of the Gods cosmology, one yuanhui is roughly 129,600 years. ☜