The White Lotus Divine Continent, Azure Water City. The bustling streets of the West District were thronged with people; most passersby were clad in uniforms or armor, weapons slung over their backs, carrying the faint, metallic scent of blood—clearly men who lived by the sword.

This was a melting pot where every kind of riff-raff mingled. Major mercenary guilds and various associations had established their headquarters here, ensuring that everyone in this district was a powerhouse capable of surviving the wilds.

At this moment, a group of spirited men were hoisting a monstrous beast, weighing several thousand kilograms, carrying it along while laughing and chatting amongst themselves. “A good haul today, minimal casualties—we made a fortune.

I’m treating everyone tonight; let’s have a proper blowout.” “Captain, I can’t join tonight. They’re replaying the Ten Halls Ten Nations Genius Tournament; I have to get back and watch.” “Me too.” Hearing the mention of the Genius Tournament, several people’s eyes immediately lit up, their expressions bordering on manic excitement.

The towering, imposing man leading the group laughed and chided, “Such uninspired souls, still watching a rerun! Fine, I’ll watch it too.

The tournament is halfway through; the finals are coming up. I wonder if that person will participate.” “That person?

Captain, are you referring to the one who, a century ago, single-handedly defeated numerous peerless geniuses atop White Spirit Mountain, the foremost sacred peak of the Ancient Continent?” “Nonsense, who else could it be? Tsk, tsk, you didn't see that battle; it was enough to shake the heavens and make ghosts weep!

Even Feng Wuji of the Wind God Palace, that favored son of heaven, fell to this man. Rumor has it this fellow’s skill amplification reached tens of thousands of times.

Though only a demigod, he could contend with peak Divine Spirits!” “I heard Feng Wuji has an older brother named Feng Wutian, the truly terrifying figure in the Wind God Palace. He ceded that opportunity to his younger brother last time, only for some monstrous anomaly to appear out of nowhere and instantly crush his brother.” “A pity.

One wonders if that person is even still alive,” the imposing man suddenly sighed, a touch of regret coloring his features. Hearing this, the others fell into a sudden silence.

After a long pause, the slender man in the middle shook his head. “They say the Patriarch of the Bai Family, head of the Nine Great Ancient Families, forbade his daughter from marrying him.

This man’s background wasn't nearly as imposing as the Ten Halls Ten Nations. In the final clash, this man gave his own heart to the Bai Family’s Third Miss.

A tragic pair, forcefully torn apart by that Bai Patriarch.” “I hear the Bai Family’s Third Miss was an unparalleled beauty, possessing a grace that outshone all others—even surpassing the Eight Great Beauties of the Ancient Continent. Such a masterpiece paired with such a hero—it was a match made in heaven.

I can’t fathom what possessed the Bai Patriarch to be so calculating and snobbish, driving them apart so they could never meet again. It’s truly… damn it all!” As they spoke, while they dared not openly curse the Bai Patriarch, their words were laced with hidden resentment.

Even after so many years, talking about that battle a century prior, which shook the entire Ancient Continent, still stirred deep memories and profound emotion. That battle was sensational.

Broadcast across the Ten Empires and relayed by every major faction, its viewership rating neared 90%—higher than the Ten Nations' Evening News. The confrontation alarmed every major power.

The mysterious appearance of Ye Chen drew the attention of every major force in the entire Ancient World. What should have been a simple clash between rising talents became an unprecedented spectacle when powerful cultivators from Spiritual Civilization, Buddhist Civilization, and Immortal Civilization rushed to offer aid.

The gathering of Divine Emperors on White Spirit Mountain escalated the situation to a fever pitch. The events that unfolded were somehow leaked later, especially Ye Chen’s willingness to sacrifice his own life for the slim chance of saving the one he loved—a chance where success was by no means guaranteed, where a single misstep could mean total failure.

Countless viewers were left speechless and deeply moved by this magnificent, heartbreaking battle, their spirits soaring and falling. Even a century later, if someone brought it up, none were ignorant of it; everyone knew the story.

Hearing their conversation, a black-clad, white-haired man walking nearby glanced up briefly at the group, then looked toward the sky, a canvas of crystalline blue, and murmured inwardly, “A century later, are you still there…?” The thought stoked a sense of urgency in his eyes. His figure shimmered slightly, and he vanished from the street entirely.

Strangely, no one noticed a person suddenly disappear from thin air, as if he had never been there at all. Azure Water City, Space Warp Channel.

Whoosh! A figure materialized out of thin air, stepping out of a rippling distortion of water.

The surrounding alarm system immediately wailed, emitting a shrill, piercing sound. Bang!

Bang! Bang!

The alarm devices instantly exploded. The eight Pseudo-God Realm guards stationed before the Space Warp Channel saw the suddenly appearing mysterious figure, their pupils contracting in shock.

“Spatial Teleportation! A Divine Spirit powerhouse!!!” Bang!

Bang! Bang!

Before the guards could utter another sound, their minds went black, and they collapsed unconscious. The black-clad, white-haired figure, with cold indifference, casually tore open a vast spatial rift.

A starship, entirely obsidian, equipped only with oversized main cannons and no secondary armaments, flew out. Click!

The hatch opened, and the white-haired figure stepped inside. The entire vessel slowly advanced, gliding into the warp channel.

Simultaneously, guards from the rear rushed over, only to stare dumbfounded at the tail end of the ship disappearing into the space conduit. … Inside the Space Warp Channel, the Rune Ship sped forward.

Because it had been upgraded to the level of a pinnacle divine artifact, it was equipped with a photon propulsion system, allowing it to accelerate even within the channel, adding speed upon the existing spatial speed of light—a concept that only existed in theoretical postgraduate papers on Old Earth, yet was real here. “Little Chen-Chen, where are we going?” the old man in the green talisman robes asked with sickening obsequiousness.

Ye Chen leaned back on the sofa in the main hall, watching the exterior view on the screen. His expression was placid.

He glanced dismissively at the old man. “To the Bai Family in the Brightness Empire.” The old man in the green talisman robes started, “To the Bai Family?

Are you tired of living? Last time you barely escaped death there, riddled with wounds, and you’re going back?” “Relax,” Ye Chen waved a hand, saying no more.

The old man in green robes eyed him suspiciously, hesitating for a moment, but refrained from saying more. He noticed that since the last incident, Ye Chen’s attitude toward him had softened slightly.

In the past, he would have been completely ignored, not even warranted a reply. The Rune Ship tore through the warp channel.

What should have taken about 15 days to reach the border landing port of the Blazing God Empire on the edge of the Ancient Continent was accomplished in just two days. Exiting the Space Warp Channel, the Rune Ship positioned itself silently at the tail of a long queue, awaiting border entry inspection.

Ye Chen frowned and told the old man in green robes, “Use the communication radar to call a few guards over.” The old man in green robes didn’t understand why, but he nodded nonetheless. A short while later, several mechanical soldiers arrived at the hatch.

One of them, with a red light flashing in its optical sensors, spoke in a synthesized metallic voice, “Respected Divine Guest, what are your commands?” This was a perk granted upon entry to the border inspection area for Divine Spirit-level vessels, allowing immediate summons of guards for inquiries. These mechanical sentinels addressed all such guests uniformly as "Divine Guest Sir." In reality, although Ye Chen had mastered the Perfected Law Domain, making his combat power equivalent to a peak Divine Spirit, his physical body remained at the 990,000-level constitution, placing him firmly in the Demigod realm.

Facing these mechanical guards, Ye Chen bypassed pleasantries and took out his Genius Medal. “This is my medal.

I require access to the VIP passage.” The mechanical guards immediately projected several beams of red light, scanning the Genius Medal. After a moment, an alarm suddenly blared: “Alert!

Alert! Fugitive Wanted Level 01 detected!

All departments dispatch forces immediately to coordinates 2384, 84592!” “Alert! Alert…” These mechanical guards instantly broadcast the warning, sending the data directly to the border city’s central intelligence system via radio transmission.

Even the Rune Ship’s signal jamming system could not intercept this information. “Notification: Any party assisting the military in eliminating Fugitive Wanted Level 01 will receive the highest commendation from the Blazing God Empire Royal Family, and furthermore…” Before the mechanical soldiers could finish, they were instantly crushed by a surge of immense energy, squeezed until they exploded.

Ye Chen’s eyes were cold. He swept a chilling gaze over the now-agitated pedestrians, slowly turned, closed the hatch, and returned to his sofa.

He took a sip of the dark red wine resting on the table, musing, “The Blazing God Empire has placed me on their wanted list? According to the empire’s wanted rankings, Level 01 is the top fugitive!

Considering the power of the entire Blazing God Empire, the previous Level 01 was, if I recall correctly, a High Divine Emperor powerhouse. I never expected to become the top wanted criminal myself.” He felt no thrill whatsoever at this dubious honor.

“Force entry. Kill any who attempt to intercept!” Ye Chen commanded icily, draining the blood-red wine in one gulp.

“Aroooo…” The old man in green robes cheered excitedly, seemingly afraid the world wasn't chaotic enough. He manipulated the Rune Ship, veering sharply toward the channel entrance, which resembled a massive space fortress.

By now, the central layer of the channel had received the data from the mechanical guards and entered full defensive readiness. The original passage had been forcefully shut down.

“Damn it, hit ‘em hard, Green Lord!” the lecherous old man shouted in exhilaration, slamming the attack button. The ship’s 3,650 oversized main cannons roared, locking onto the fortress gate and unleashing their fire.

Swish! Swish!

Swish! An endless barrage of lasers erupted, initiating a forcible siege!

The surrounding crowd, caught in the sudden, violent assault, screamed and scattered, watching from a distance. When they saw the ship suddenly go berserk and challenge the castle-fortress, they collectively froze in shock… Has this kid gone completely insane?

… Roar, requesting votes! In desperate need of recommendation tickets—are there no heroes among the green woods to lend a hand!!