King Xiuyuan was very eager for Wu Tian to work for him. To have such a powerful individual on his side was worth more than a thousand armies.
Wu Tian’s expression turned cold, but King Xiuyuan did not retreat. Since ancient times, many a king of a One-Star Country had sought to honor the talented. They were not afraid of being challenged by famous personages. Their mantra was simple: "I will get close to you! I will get close to you!" No matter what difficulties were presented, they would persist. Eventually, they would share the same table and the same bed, becoming incomparably intimate.
Wu Tian finally gave King Xiuyuan a proper look.
Thinking that Wu Tian was touched by his dedication, King Xiuyuan immediately declared, "From now on, for your subjects, seeing the State Preceptor will be the same as seeing me, the king! You will have the authority to strike down a deluded monarch and execute corrupt officials! You..."
Too much nonsense.
Wu Tian reached out and grabbed King Xiuyuan’s shoulder. Just as the king wondered what he was about to do, Wu Tian gave a light tug.
"AH!"
King Xiuyuan screamed as his arm was torn clean off, spattering blood everywhere. Wu Tian tossed the severed arm aside as if it were garbage.
"You... Why would you do this?" King Xiuyuan almost wet himself in fear and dared not approach. He valued his life too much and retreated step by step. He had never encountered such an unfathomable person, one who would rip off an arm at the slightest provocation. Staying by such a man’s side could cost him his life. How could King Xiuyuan not try to stay as far away as possible? It seemed as if human life meant nothing in Wu Tian’s eyes.
Everyone present, whether from Xiuyuan Country or Qin Country, was rendered speechless, unable to describe the shock in their hearts!
"In terms of status, I was already on par with Wuliang before I even achieved the Dao. You, a junior from a later generation, want me to be your subject? Isn’t that laughable?" Wu Tian’s tone was placid, as if he were discussing a trivial matter.
The common folk were confused. What did he mean?
City Lord Guang, however, trembled violently.
"What... what did you just say?" At that moment, King Xiuyuan’s eyes were wide with fright, the shock so great that he momentarily forgot his pain.
Some parts of history were unknown to the commoners, but King Xiuyuan and his peers knew of them.
In ages past, a man had achieved the station of Wutian Celestial Emperor. No one knew his origins. It was only known that when he became an Emperor, his old friends and relatives received the protection of his imperial providence, allowing them to lead smooth lives from then on. They knew his identity.
So, who was the Wutian Celestial Emperor? Nobody knew. That is, except for his friends and family. They recorded this history. Of course, keywords like "Wutian Celestial Emperor" were taboo. No matter how they tried to write them down, the words would simply vanish. So, they began to substitute words, barely managing to record the tale in their annals to remind and inform their descendants.
"What am I saying?" Hearing the question, Wu Tian’s lips curled into a deep, mocking smile. "You likely have a guess in your mind. That’s right. The most astonishing guess you can make—that is my answer."
What?
As Wu Tian’s words fell, the nearby City Lord Guang trembled even more violently.
King Xiuyuan’s mind buzzed as if it were about to explode, then went completely blank.
Xiuyuan Country was merely a One-Star Country. But in the past, during the Era of Boundlessness, it had been a Nine-Star Kingdom, bathed in a ray of imperial light. This history was perfectly clear to him.
"No... impossible. You can’t... you can’t possibly be him," King Xiuyuan seemed to have gone mad, staring fixedly at Wu Tian, unable to believe it.
This scene left all who witnessed it—save for the City Lord, who had an inkling—both shocked and puzzled. They didn’t know what King Xiuyuan had suddenly realized, but they were astounded to see him so terrified he looked like he had lost his mind. When others noticed the City Lord was also trembling, they grew even more baffled, their scalps tingling with unease.
"What on earth is going on?"
"Yes, what’s wrong with them? It’s like they found something out and it broke them."
Everyone’s minds were filled with doubts. But they all knew one thing: Wu Tian was no ordinary man.
Escape. We must take this chance to escape.
Although he was unsure what King Xiuyuan and the City Lord had suddenly realized, Ling Han knew this was a golden opportunity. If not now, when? He was curious about the secret, but as a military man, his instincts were sharp. He had a feeling that if he learned this secret, he would be too shocked to even have the strength to flee. Therefore, he had to leave now.
Ling Han prepared to lead his soldiers away.
Ye War God also had the thought to escape, but he feared he wouldn’t make it. He looked to Ling Han and the others, commanding, "Cover me! You draw Wu Tian’s attention!"
Ling Han and the others snorted in unison, refusing to comply. This was the same as them sacrificing their lives to let Ye War God escape alone. Normally, they might have obeyed. But this devastating defeat was caused single-handedly by Ye War God. They would rather see him die.
At this moment, King Xiuyuan stared straight at Wu Tian, his voice trembling. "You... are you really that person?"
Wu Tian advanced with a slight smile, stepping toward King Xiuyuan. Behind him, a Tongxuan phenomenon emerged. He possessed two major Tongxuan phenomena, and the one that appeared this time was his first: The Golden Crow Burns the Firmament!
A Three-legged Golden Crow materialized behind Wu Tian, resplendent and magnificent, radiating a blinding golden light. A blaze of golden flames formed a cape behind him, adorning him with an otherworldly aura that was unlike any mortal.
"This... this is..."
Terrified, King Xiuyuan spat out a mouthful of blood. According to the records, that great figure’s phenomenon during his Tongxuan phase was precisely The Golden Crow Burns the Firmament. This was no ordinary phenomenon and not something an ordinary person could cultivate. A phenomenon represents a person’s potential, such as Ye Qingxian’s Stars Falling Through the Nine Heavens or even King Xiuyuan’s own Iron Chicken Fighting Centipede. Phenomena are manifestations of potential, destiny, and more.
"I..."
King Xiuyuan’s legs went weak with fright. Unable to stand any longer, he collapsed with a thud, kneeling before Wu Tian.
"My Lord... I was wrong... I have the eyes of a dog, blind to your greatness. Please, My Lord... treat this lowly one as nothing more than a fart and let me go."
BOOM!
This scene stunned everyone. They all felt their minds go blank.
How could a mighty king utter such debasing words? How could a mighty king grovel at Wu Tian’s feet, trembling like a terrified mouse?
This... How could this be possible?
The onlookers were so shocked they became numb, unable to even form an expression of surprise.
"To save your own life, you were willing to push your own daughter forward to die in your place. How is someone like you fit to be called human?"
What?
Wu Tian’s words startled King Xiuyuan.
He didn’t want to die. But in the presence of such a being, King Xiuyuan didn’t dare resist or even utter a word of protest.
"Daughters, plead for my life!" King Xiuyuan now pinned his hopes on Si’er and Yi Ren.
Yi Ren was still frozen, not yet having recovered from the fact that her father had just tried to sacrifice her. As for Si’er, she started to speak but was held back by the little one. The little one knew that when Wu Tian wanted someone dead, no one’s pleas could save them.
At that moment, Blood Glow sensed Wu Tian’s intent and shot toward King Xiuyuan.
"NO!"
Blood Glow was unstoppable. In an instant, King Xiuyuan was chopped into one hundred and eight pieces.
Ling Han and the others were preparing to depart.
"Wait," Wu Tian called out to them suddenly. "You’ve annoyed me. Did you really think you could just walk away?"