Beyond the outer seas, the boundless energies of heaven and earth churned in a violent, surging tide. Upon a small island shrouded entirely in thick mist, this immense celestial power moved as if stirred by some unseen, ruthless hand, rendering the very atmosphere chaotic and unstable.

A single, piercing shriek tore through the air from one secluded spot. Yet, within that sound of agonizing pain, there resonated a strange, almost ecstatic sense of liberation.

A man masked in gold walked slowly along the long stretch of coastline, arriving at a particular clearing deep within the island.

This area was normally a paradise, eternally spring-like, boasting rare flora and soft, emerald grasses. But now, it lay utterly ruined, as if a colossal bulldozer had churned it over countless times, erasing every trace of its former graceful beauty.

However, the golden-masked man paid it no heed, his gaze skipping over the land he had once meticulously tended, now holding no interest for him.

Lying upon the ravaged ground was a powerfully built, muscular man, his entire body slick with a fine sheen of sweat. This perspiration reflected a dazzling, almost luminous golden glint off his nearly naked physique.

A subtle aura began to emanate from the man with the striking, bright golden hair. Slowly, this aura merged with the surging ambient power of heaven and earth around him. His body began to change, transforming into what seemed like a bottomless black hole, greedily drawing in the torrent of world energy pouring in from outside.

This sheer volume of power was more than any ordinary person could possibly endure, yet his body grew increasingly ravenous, possessing an almost infinite thirst for the energies of the cosmos.

A full hour passed before the tumultuous power surrounding the island finally settled back into equilibrium, and the awe-inspiring force radiating from the golden-masked man gradually subsided.

"Edwin, you may rise now," the masked man stated in a deep voice.

The golden-haired man’s body gave a slight tremor. He drew a deep breath, savoring the feeling of pure, unadulterated power surging through his frame. A flicker of complex surprise and delight crossed his features. Then, with a single fluid motion, he hauled himself up from the ground.

A white shadow darted past him—a pristine white robe—and settled perfectly over his near-nude, perfectly formed body.

His desperate, full-force struggle against the overwhelming pain had effectively shredded or torn away most of his original clothing. With a nimble twist of his torso, he donned the white robe completely.

He bowed deeply to the golden-masked man, his voice sincere. "Thank you, Elder."

"You owe me no thanks," the masked man replied slowly. "Your ability to withstand such torment proves you worthy of inheriting my power. Heh heh…" His voice retained its signature mystery, possessing a quality that seemed to touch the very soul itself. "How do you feel now?"

Edwin hesitated for a moment. "Excellent. I feel immensely strong. But…" He pointed vaguely toward his head, faltering slightly. "It feels like there is something new inside my mind, something as substantial as myself."

"The power I transferred to you includes my knowledge and experience. What you must do now is strive to digest it all, to make those things truly yours," the golden-masked man instructed calmly.

Edwin’s eyes widened; even hearing it spoken aloud, he could scarcely believe his ears.

Power transfers were rare, yet not entirely unheard of. Records from the Divine Hall mentioned several such occurrences during the Age of Divine Ways millennia ago. Both the Divine Hall and the highest-ranking Divine Way experts within the Dark Council possessed this capability.

However, the transmission of pure experience and knowledge among humans had never occurred. It wasn't merely absent from historical records; it was utterly absent even from legends.

The inheritance of knowledge and experience transcended the known limits of human capability; it was a power belonging to the soul, a legendary force humanity had never mastered.

"You may try it now," the golden-masked man said coolly.

Edwin shivered again. He closed his eyes, quietly immersing himself in the influx of new knowledge and memories flooding his consciousness. His expression grew increasingly animated.

The golden-masked man's voice arrived at the perfect moment. "The transfer of experience and knowledge is not as complex or difficult as you imagine. In truth, many great beings across this world possess this very ability."

Edwin snapped his eyes open, incredulous. "Esteemed Sir, besides you, are there truly others who command this power?"

"Of course. The Ten-Thousand-Year Sacred Tree in the Eastern World possesses this strength," the masked man chuckled. "If you cultivate the power of Light with all your might, perhaps one day you too can grasp this ability."

A brilliant spark of hope ignited in Edwin’s eyes.

Suddenly, the masked man extended his hand, holding a long, golden sword.

Edwin instinctively reached out and grasped the sword. The moment his fingers touched the hilt, a sensation impossible to describe flooded his consciousness. It felt as though he and this blade had been companions for countless ages; he was born its master, and it was born his partner. Together, they were capable of unleashing their ultimate might.

Edwin violently shook his head, understanding clearly that this overwhelming sensation was not his own feeling, but the echo of the transmitted knowledge and experience. Within that inheritance, besides the memories and resonance tied to the sword, lay an entire system of control techniques. Crucially, it contained the true, inherent power locked within the golden longsword.

This was power enough to drive any man to madness. Once unleashed properly, he was certain no one could resist it—not even a Void God realm expert of the same rank.

"Follow me," the masked man murmured, turning and walking away.

Edwin dared not delay. Clasping the sword securely, he carefully followed the figure to the edge of a precipice overlooking the sea.

"This is yours now. Keep it safe," the masked man said, producing a hexagonal rhomboid Divine Way Artifact and offering it.

Edwin respectfully took the artifact. As his fingers closed around the Divine Way Artifact, a thought spontaneously bloomed in his mind: the correct methodology for controlling this item. He hadn't known it before, but now he grasped it instinctively.

Almost without conscious thought, he gave his wrist a slight flick. Power flowed into the artifact along a strange, precise trajectory. The hexagonal shape began to spin rapidly, emitting an extremely high-frequency sonic wave.

This pitch was inaudible to ordinary humans, but to experts who had ascended to the Divine Way, it registered as a faint, tell-tale trace.

Suddenly, an immense aura surged forward rapidly from the distance. The sheer strength of this presence made Edwin, now a Divine Way expert himself, feel a profound chill deep in his heart.

"Hooo..."

The calm surface of the sea split open. A colossal white whale, thirty zhang long, rose from the depths. It did not merely float; it ascended slowly, eventually lifting clear of the water entirely, rising effortlessly to the height of the cliff where the masked man and Edwin stood, meeting their gaze evenly.

Edwin stared, dumbfounded, at this spirit beast.

It was a marine creature without wings—a giant Beluga. Yet, here it hung suspended in the air, small, revolving currents of ambient energy coiling around its massive body, holding it aloft.

"This is the White Whale, my servant," the masked man stated gravely. "He belongs to the Clan of the Northern Sea White Whales, kings of the Northern Ocean. I subdued him a thousand years ago, brought him to the outer seas, and he reached the Divine Way just six months ago."

Edwin’s heart roared with realization—this was truly a divine beast, one that had vanished from the world for millennia.

"You shall depart with him," the masked man's voice resonated softly. "As long as you possess the Hexagonal Dial, you can communicate with him and gain his aid."

Edwin took a deep breath, offering his respectful thanks. Though this divine beast was not human, it had lived for at least several millennia; the knowledge it possessed surely surpassed his own.

"I have given you my power so you may seek vengeance. But before you take that vengeance, I require you to do one thing."

Edwin straightened immediately. "Esteemed Elder, command me."

"I want you to challenge the one who slew the Pope of the Divine Hall. I want every powerful figure from East and West to gather, and in front of them all, you will kill that man," the masked man’s voice sharpened with intensity.

In his heart, he reasoned that no matter how powerful the target was, even if he had seized this opportunity to coincidentally advance to the Divine Way, he could not possibly stand against Edwin, now infused with his power transfer. This was why he set this strange condition: he intended to show everyone that the power of the Western world was the only true, eternal force.

Edwin placed one hand over his chest, his expression one of utter devotion.

"I swear to the Great and Omnipotent God that I will fulfill your charge. In the sight of all the powerful experts of the East and West, I will strike down He Yiming."

The masked man nodded with satisfaction and waved a large hand. "Go now."

Edwin felt his body lift against his will, settling smoothly onto the back of the White Whale.

"Consult with the White Whale further. Only when you have fully inherited my power should you fulfill my promise."

Edwin settled down upon the whale’s broad back. A long time passed before he dared to lift his head again, only then realizing that he had already left the God-Island shrouded in mist.

He looked back, a trace of confusion clouding his gaze. Since arriving here, he had existed in an environment so dreamlike that he sometimes doubted the reality of the entire experience. But looking at the golden longsword in his hand and the massive whale beneath him, his spirit surged with fierce determination.

He raised his head and let out a heaven-shaking, earth-splitting roar that echoed far across the sea.

Ps: There are only a few hours left in the month—if you still have any monthly tickets, don't waste them! I ask for monthly tickets and recommendation votes!