As various rumors spread, the hostility towards Qin Zi across the Upper Realm grew more intense. Finally, they made their move.
On this day.
Qin Zi received an invitation letter, luxurious and prestigious. The invitation came from one of the supreme sects of the Upper Realm—Yin-Yang Sect!
"The treasure land of the Yin-Yang Sect, Sun and Moon Lake, is about to open. We invite all the outstanding talents to come and explore the wonders of the Sun and Moon."
Qin Zi furrowed his brows.
He had heard the rumors circulating outside for some time now, knowing that someone was secretly targeting him. And this invitation seemed to have the air of an ambush.
"Should I go? If I don't, people might say I'm afraid and unwilling to compete with the talents of the Upper Realm. But if I go, things could get complicated."
He felt conflicted.
"What's wrong?" At that moment, Qin Chuan entered from outside, his timing perfect.
"Father!"
Qin Zi's eyes lit up as if he had found a pillar of support. He quickly handed the invitation to his father and asked, "Father, should I go or not?"
Qin Chuan took the invitation, pretending to glance at it, and said calmly, "Since they've invited you, why wouldn't you go?"
"But I feel like they don't have good intentions," Qin Zi said worriedly.
"So what?" Qin Chuan countered.
His tone was calm, but it carried an edge, as if saying, "What can they do to you? Do they even dare to try?"
"This…"
Qin Zi trembled slightly, looking into his father's resolute eyes, and immediately felt more confident. Clenching his fists, he said, "Alright! Since that's the case, I'll go and see what tricks they dare to play!"
"Good, that's the spirit."
Qin Chuan nodded and then added:
"However, as the Heaven Master of Xuanhuang Heaven, you cannot attend in a lackluster manner. The dignity of the Heaven Master must be upheld. Let's have the major factions of Xuanhuang Heaven contribute together to create a grand chariot worthy of your status."
"This matter concerns the face of Xuanhuang Heaven, so they have no reason to refuse. In fact... I suspect they'll be eager to comply."
At the end, his lips curled into a smirk.
No sooner said than done.
Soon, the news that Qin Zi was building a grand Heaven Master's chariot spread throughout Xuanhuang Heaven, causing a significant stir.
At first, the major factions of Xuanhuang Heaven were furious, thinking Qin Zi had become arrogant. But then, one by one, they all started to sneer.
"Heh, asking us to pool our resources to build a Heaven Master's chariot? Truly treating a feather as a military token!"
"But... this works too. The more grandiose he is before heading to Sun and Moon Lake, the more humiliating it will be when he gets defeated!"
"We'll just watch how he gets his face slapped!"
In their view, to destroy someone, you first need to inflate their ego.
And now that Qin Zi was inflating his own ego, why wouldn't they support it?
Thus.
The major factions of Xuanhuang Heaven sprang into action. Not only did they generously contribute valuable resources, but they also gathered together to plan and personally forge an imposing and luxurious chariot for Qin Zi.
The Heavenly Emperor's War Chariot!
This chariot was crafted from eighteen kinds of divine metals, shimmering with brilliance and impervious to damage. Ancient divine patterns were inscribed on its surface, exuding an aura of age-old majesty. A canopy of rainbow clouds floated above, protecting it from all forms of magic, while nine iron-blood spears mounted on the chariot added an air of lethal ferocity.
Such a grand chariot was worthy even of a giant figure, let alone Qin Zi.
And so, Qin Zi happily boarded his magnificent chariot, leaving Xuanhuang Heaven and heading towards the Yin-Yang Sect.
The Upper Realm was vast and boundless.
No one knew exactly how large it was. Just the known regions alone were vast enough that most people couldn't traverse them in a lifetime.
Most forces were difficult to find, like countless stars in the sky, many of which were nameless to most.
But the Yin-Yang Sect was different.
As a supreme power, one of the giant sects of the Upper Realm, its location was a major landmark in the territories, often used as a reference point on maps. The positions of other factions were determined in relation to it.
"Rumble!"
Qin Zi's chariot was pulled by nine divine birds, and the chariot itself was inscribed with divine patterns to enhance speed, making it unbelievably fast.
In an instant, it could traverse vast territories.
"Wow, what is that?!"
"What a dazzling chariot! Such an imposing aura! Even Divine King powerhouses don't travel with such grandeur."
"This must be a true figure of power. Don't provoke them! Quickly bow down and avoid offending them."
The world often has a clear understanding of itself.
It's the people who are sometimes unclear.
But all those Qin Zi encountered along the way were very clear-minded, and none dared to step out to challenge or provoke him.
Thus, two months later, he finally arrived at the Yin-Yang Sect, a place of floating islands!
Each of these islands was comparable to a continent. There were at least ten thousand islands connected together, a truly awe-inspiring sight.
The islands were surrounded by thirteen enormous rings of light, giving off a sacred and majestic aura, with wisps of immortal mist drifting around, making the entire place appear ethereal.
This was the Yin-Yang Sect!
As one of the behemoths of the Upper Realm, no one knew how long their lineage had lasted or how many powerful figures they possessed.
These floating islands were merely the surface. Behind them lay vast worlds, each teeming with countless beings, powerful experts, and even armies of deities!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
At this moment, one of the islands up ahead glowed brightly, beams of light occasionally shooting up and dancing across the sky.
Faintly visible on the island was a vast, azure lake. Around the lake stood grand pavilions and palaces, resplendent and magnificent, where many young figures were gathered, chatting and laughing by the water's edge.
It was lively and bustling!
"Halt!!"
As Qin Zi's chariot approached the floating islands, a stern voice rang out like a clap of thunder.
"Boom! Boom!"
Two colossal figures, wreathed in lightning, descended from the heavens. Each one was a thousand feet tall, resembling stone statues, looking down upon Qin Zi.
"Heaven Master of Xuanhuang, here to pay a visit," Qin Zi said calmly, tossing the invitation towards them.
"So it is the Heaven Master of Xuanhuang! Please, come in!"
The two massive figures immediately displayed respect, bowing slightly and gesturing him inside.
Qin Zi, seated in his chariot, passed between the two towering giants like a boat sailing through a river flanked by green mountains, entering the floating islands.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
As soon as he entered, Qin Zi sensed over a hundred terrifying divine senses scanning him, probing briefly before disappearing.
These divine senses were frighteningly powerful. Each one sent a chill down his spine. Who knew what ancient monsters they belonged to?
Finally, he arrived at the bustling island, the location of the Sun and Moon Lake.
"Hahaha! Such a magnificent chariot, such an awe-inspiring presence. If I'm not mistaken, this must be the Heaven Master of Xuanhuang arriving?"
A cheerful voice rang out.
A dashing young man in a yin-yang robe soared into the air, surrounded by many followers, coming forward to greet him.
"I am Meng Xuanji, Holy Son of the Yin-Yang Sect. I pay my respects to the Heaven Master of Xuanhuang." The handsome young man bowed to Qin Zi, his smile warm and polite, like a gentleman.
"Greetings to the Heaven Master of Xuanhuang!"
The people behind him also bowed respectfully, their attire indicating they were also members of the Yin-Yang Sect.
Watching this scene, Qin Zi felt a twinge of suspicion. Shouldn't there be some sort of intimidation tactic? What's going on here?
Taking a deep breath, he kept his expression calm and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we go down?"
"Please."
Meng Xuanji smiled gently, gesturing for him to proceed.
Qin Zi stepped down from the chariot, shrinking the vehicle and storing it along with the nine divine birds into his sleeve, before flying downward.
At that moment.
He clearly felt sharp gazes from all directions, piercing into him. Some were amused, others mocking, and some were blatantly filled with challenge!
"Heh, it seems... they're not here with good intentions after all."
He smirked inwardly.
He was curious to see how these so-called geniuses of the Upper Realm would measure up.
Did they really think he had spent all these years idling in bed? Sure, he had — but he had been training in bed!