The two armies collided. Corpses littered the battlefield.

  The Heavenly Wind Kingdom's forces collapsed like a landslide. No matter how bravely they fought or how fearlessly they died, a dynasty already in its twilight could not withstand the relentless tide of history. Ever since the death of the Heavenly Wind Kingdom's founding ancestor, its fate had been sealed.

  Not long after Su Chen led his army into the royal capital, a piercing, anguished scream rang out above the city.

  "Heaven's mandate no longer favors Us… this is the will of heaven!"

  "Feng Chen… I hate you! The Heavenly Wind Kingdom was destroyed by your hand. The foundation of my Feng Clan was ruined by you!"

  Su Chen looked up, a cold thought passing through his mind: 'Hate me. The more you hate me, the happier I am.'

  A millennium-old dynasty had fallen by his hand. And on that same hand, a brand-new dynasty would rise. From every direction, gazes turned toward the scene.

  "In the end, that old monster from the Li Clan won?"

  "What a pity. The Li Clan seized the destiny first."

  "Even if that old ghost of the Li Clan emerged victorious, he must have paid a heavy price. Killing a half-step king is no easy feat."

  "The true chaos is about to begin."

  "…"

  Inside the royal capital, Su Chen watched the returning Great Ancestor of the Li Clan with visible concern. Though the Great Ancestor had succeeded in slaying the Heavenly Wind King in that final battle, his condition was dire. His right arm had been severed. His life force ebbed like a river running dry.

  Li Hongwen hurriedly brought forward a pitch-black coffin streaked with crimson.

  The Great Ancestor lay down inside.

  Li Hongwen gazed at the bloodstained steps, a deep sigh rising from his chest.

  "Who could have imagined that the Heavenly Wind Kingdom—founded a thousand years ago by our Ancestor Li Shenhua and Ancestor Wind together—would ultimately fall to the hands of the Li Clan?"

  Su Chen gave a faint smile and replied softly, "Perhaps this can be considered a fitting beginning and end."

  Li Hongwen threw his head back and laughed heartily. "Well said—a perfect beginning and end!"

  As though struck by a sudden thought, Su Chen asked with curiosity, "Grandfather Hongwen, do you know the whereabouts of our Li Clan's founder, Ancestor Li Shenhua? Is he still alive?"

  Li Hongwen pondered for a moment before speaking slowly. "This is one of the Li Clan's deepest secrets. But given your status, Chen'er, there is no harm in telling you."

  Su Chen straightened, listening intently.

  "When Ancestor Shenhua left the Heavenly Wind Kingdom, his cultivation had already reached the Void Refining Realm—a level above Profound Connection, honored as Soveregin. Before departing, he left these words: he intended to leave the Eastern Wasteland, to step beyond the Heavenly Profound Domain, to venture into the outer heavens. He meant to contend… for the throne of Emperor."

  Su Chen's heart jolted.

  Holy shit! Was this man perhaps the reincarnation of some supreme being?

  In any cultivation world, the title of Emperor represented the absolute pinnacle. Born in a minor kingdom, Li Shenhua had dared to leave the Heavenly Profound Domain and climb over the corpses of countless prodigies.

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Su Chen pressed further. "Has Ancestor Shenhua's trail ever been seen in the Eastern Wasteland since then?"

  Li Hongwen shook his head.

  "Ancestor Shenhua once said that as he wandered the world, he would never use his true name, so as not to bring calamity upon his descendants. The Li Clan has no knowledge of his whereabouts. We only know that he is certainly still alive."

  A trace of regret flickered in Li Hongwen's eyes. If Ancestor Shenhua were still here… how powerful would the Li Clan become?

  Su Chen listened patiently. Learning that Li Shenhua still lived filled him with quiet delight. This was a supreme powerhouse. Handled correctly, he would become an unparalleled backer. Perhaps in some future life, their paths would cross.

  Soon afterward, the Li Clan began a grand migration. With the Heavenly Wind Kingdom destroyed, the Li Clan—now in possession of the region's dragon vein—became the new master of these lands.

  After discussion among the elders, they chose a new dynastic name: The Heavenly Origin Dynasty!

  The sovereign was Su Chen's nominal father in this life, Li Jiangqun.

  Not long after the Heavenly Origin Dynasty was established, the other major surviving powers also proclaimed their own states. They refused to yield and continued to vie for supremacy against the Li Clan.

  To the east, the Spirit Martial Hall propped up the Great Martial Dynasty. To the north, the Kong Clan founded the Heavenly Peace Dynasty. Both were formidable forces.

  With the dynasty newly founded, Li Jiangqun immediately ordered Li Yuanfa to lead troops against the Spirit Martial Hall.

  "It seems my dear 'father' still refuses to give up."

  Su Chen narrowed his eyes. How could he fail to see that Li Jiangqun was still trying to groom Li Yuanfa to stand as his rival? But in this life, the throne belonged to him alone.

  Before Su Chen's rise, Li Yuanfa had always been the first in line to inherit the Li faction. His abilities were far from lacking. Soon enough, victory reports flooded in from his campaigns.

  When Su Chen heard the news, he merely smiled faintly and paid it no further mind. He turned inward, focusing on cultivation. Years of constant warfare had caused his progress to stagnate slightly.

  In the thirtieth year, Su Chen's cultivation reached the third layer of the Spirit Soul Realm. Within the Li faction, he already counted as one of the strongest. Many elders who had lived for centuries lagged behind him in realm.

  That same year, Li Yuanfa repeatedly clashed with an unparalleled genius from the Spirit Martial Hall and suffered setback after setback. Under mounting pressure, Li Jiangqun had no choice but to send Su Chen into the field once more—this time to march against the Great Martial Dynasty.

  Su Chen led the army eastward, capturing cities and fortresses with unstoppable momentum. No battle ended in defeat.

  "Brother Song, long time no see."

  Su Chen looked at the familiar face and gave a light smile.

  The peerless genius of the Spirit Martial Hall—the one who had repeatedly defeated Li Yuanfa—was none other than Song Wuxia, the very same prodigy from the Spirit Martial Hall who had traveled with Su Chen to Mysterious Spirit City for the Profound Origin Sacred Land recruitment all those years ago.

  Song Wuxia gave a helpless smile. "After I beat Li Yuanfa, I had a bad feeling. I never imagined the source of it would be you. Brother Li, I'm afraid we won't have the chance to catch up today."

  The great river roared between them.

  On one bank stood the soldiers of the Heavenly Origin Dynasty; on the other, the forces of the Great Martial Dynasty. A million martial cultivators faced each other across the water. Every movement they made stirred the heavens—dark clouds gathered, torrential rain poured, blizzards howled, then clear skies returned in an instant.

  Su Chen threw his head back and laughed. "Brother Song, rest assured. Once this commander crushes Great Martial and captures you alive, we'll have plenty of time to reminisce properly!"

  Song Wuxia's expression grew solemn. He knew exactly how terrifying the man before him truly was.

  A colossal battle erupted along both shores. Nearly twenty Spirit Soul Realm powerhouses clashed in the sky. One after another, the Spirit Soul experts of the Great Martial Dynasty charged forward without fear of death, all aiming to kill Su Chen. Only by slaying him could the scales of this war tip toward Great Martial.

  Facing the onslaught, Su Chen laughed heartily. "Excellent—let this commander stretch my muscles a little!"

  The momentum of hundreds of thousands of soldiers converged upon him. His cultivation surged upward, climbing rapidly until it reached the seventh layer of the Spirit Soul Realm.

  Surrounded and attacked by Great Martial's Spirit Soul experts, Su Chen struck out with a single fist and a single palm. Two of the weaker Spirit Soul cultivators died instantly.

  Watching the scene unfold, Song Wuxia felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

  "He… is simply too monstrous!"

  Song Wuxia understood. The Spirit Soul cultivators of Great Martial were throwing their lives away without hesitation—for one purpose. To create a single opening. A single chance to kill Su Chen in one decisive strike.

  As he watched his former mentors and seniors fall one by one before his eyes, as he stared at that god-like, demon-like figure, Song Wuxia silently warned himself: Stay calm.

  A crescent longbow materialized in his hands. He drew back the string. A delicate blood arrow, condensed from martial dao blood qi, slowly took shape.

  The arrow loosed.