As soon as Yang Cheng's words fell, all the gathered young geniuses instinctively turned their eyes to Tian Congxuan.
In everyone's mind, the only one present with the strength to challenge Yang Cheng was Tian Congxuan.
But what they saw shocked them.
Tian Congxuan looked utterly disheveled, covered in wounds.
What on earth had happened to him inside the Qingqiu Secret Realm?
Even more surprising, after Yang Cheng spoke, the once-arrogant Tian Congxuan didn't say a word.
Ding!
[Host has publicly defied all the Eastern Wastes' Heaven's Chosen in the Imperial Supreme Hall, and not a single one dared to speak back.]
[This moment fully displays the host's supreme might.]
[Host has truly swept aside all the so-called Heaven's Chosen of today—none dared raise their voice.]
[Congratulations to the host for completing the mission. Reward has been granted.]
"Hahaha! Everyone, don't let this little matter spoil your mood. Let the banquet officially begin!" Emperor Qian Yuan laughed heartily.
He didn't care how the other factions were feeling. For him, today had been thoroughly satisfying.
First, Yang Cheng showcased overwhelming power.
Then the Qingqiu Token descended from the heavens—his two sons each received half.
No matter what thoughts the major factions held, they had to temporarily swallow them.
After all, this was Fengtian City, the heart of the Great Zhou.
No matter how scheming they were, no one dared stir up trouble here.
"Chengcheng, come try the dragon blood venison!" Tang Xingyu's bright eyes sparkled, her delicate face full of greedy excitement.
Even though so many major events had just happened, none of it seemed to affect her.
Yang Cheng couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Now that all the major forces were watching him and Yang Xiu, none of them realized there was a little monster hiding in plain sight.
Tang Xingyu was only nine years old and already a second-layer Martial Grandmaster.
That was slightly behind him, but still even more absurd than Yang Xiu, the so-called Heaven's Mandate Emperor.
It just showed how monstrous she really was.
"It tastes pretty good," Yang Cheng muttered as he took a bite of the venison, his eyes lighting up.
The imperial chefs truly had skill.
"The Qingqiu Secret Realm will reopen in a year. It's time to start preparing, but there's no rush yet," Yang Cheng thought to himself.
Before he could think further—
Ding!
[What's going on? The aura of the Ancient Demon That Devours the Heavens has resurfaced in the Wasteland Realm.]
[The Ancient Demon That Devours the Heavens was once a Divine Realm Vast God from the Lingyun Ancient Domain. He was besieged by other Divine Realm gods and killed, only to flee to the Wasteland Realm and seize the body of the Xu clan's live-in son-in-law, Liu Wuji.]
[With the Heaven-Devouring Divine Cauldron and Heaven-Devouring Demonic Technique, Liu Wuji can devour all things, transforming into a terrifying demonic entity.]
[Four hundred years ago, Liu Wuji founded the Great Wilderness Heaven Dao Society. The host, seeking to pursue the Martial Dao, tried to join.]
[Liu Wuji said that if the host knelt and begged, he might consider it. After the host actually knelt and begged, Liu Wuji mocked him, saying a useless waste like him had no right to even dream of joining. Then he kicked the host out.]
[How could the host ever forget such humiliation? The host must now take revenge on Liu Wuji and wash away this disgrace.]
[This is an achievement mission. The more thoroughly the host humiliates Liu Wuji, the more achievement points will be awarded.]
[Note: Though Liu Wuji is not yet at his past life's peak, he is currently a Nirvana God-tier powerhouse. The difficulty of this mission is sky-high. A grace period of thirty years is granted.]
[Mission Reward: Heaven Dao Divine Book (Unlockable from Tier One to Tier Nine).]
"Liu Wuji? So he's been reborn by seizing someone's body again?"
Yang Cheng's heart jolted.
The most terrifying figure among the Wasteland Realm's younger generation wasn't Tian Congxuan—it was Liu Wuji.
Tian Congxuan and the rest, for all their talent, couldn't even be compared to Liu Wuji.
Liu Wuji was the reincarnation of a Realm God.
Unlike the gentle Lin Xinglan, Liu Wuji was vicious to the core. He had forcibly seized the body of the Xu clan's son-in-law.
He cultivated the Heaven-Devouring Technique.
Yang Cheng's own Primordial Devouring Sword Body could only devour sword qi.
But Liu Wuji's Heaven-Devouring Technique, when paired with the Heaven-Devouring Divine Cauldron, could literally devour anything. Saying he cultivated by eating people wasn't even an exaggeration.
Also, unlike Tian Congxuan and others, Liu Wuji was an old demon with thousands of years of experience—ruthless, cunning, and extremely cautious.
Even though he had terrifying power for years, he remained lowkey and restrained.
It wasn't until a century later that he became a major figure in the Wasteland Realm. Only then did he found the Heaven Dao Society, openly recruiting geniuses and seizing resources.
But even Liu Wuji had some fear of Yang Xiu, the Heaven's Mandate Emperor, so he didn't stay in the Wasteland Realm for long.
After two hundred years, he left.
During that time, he completely suppressed Yang Xiu.
But every time Yang Xiu fell, the path of destiny would rise to protect him. Liu Wuji could never crush him entirely.
Eventually, Liu Wuji realized that the price of killing Yang Xiu far outweighed the gain, so he gave up.
In truth, Liu Wuji was even more terrifying than Yang Xiu.
"In the Wasteland Realm's future, Liu Wuji and Yang Xiu are the true main characters. All the other geniuses are just supporting roles."
"If Liu Wuji and Yang Xiu are the sun and moon, then everyone else is just the stars."
"When the sun and moon fight for dominance, all others can only stay far away."
Just thinking about those scenes from his past life filled Yang Cheng with anticipation.
Back then, he wasn't even qualified to sit at the table.
But in this life, he was destined to become the biggest chess player on the board.
"The Heaven Dao Divine Book…" Yang Cheng's eyes burned with desire.
This was Liu Wuji's ultimate golden finger, even scarier than the Heaven-Devouring Cauldron.
The book could evolve techniques and perfect cultivation methods. Its spirit was a woman in a plain dress—a powerhouse reincarnated, no weaker than Lin Xinglan.
Of course, the book was still sealed. Liu Wuji couldn't use it yet.
He would have to gradually unseal it, bit by bit, over time.
In his previous life, rumors said Liu Wuji spent unimaginable amounts of resources just to unlock that book.
But Yang Cheng only needed to earn enough achievement points through this mission to unlock it easily.
"Hu Po's real name is Xu Ruowei—she's the Xu clan's greatest backer."
Yang Cheng suddenly thought of Hu Po.
Don't be fooled by her current status as a maid in Splendid Radiance Hall. Outside, she was a major figure.
The Xu clan used to be completely unknown. It rose to power entirely because of her reputation.
Later in his past life, the Xu clan got lucky.
Hu Po was thrown into the Cold Palace with Yun Liyue, but they still clung to Liu Wuji and stayed strong.
Before he realized it, the Three-Year Banquet had come to an end.
But instead of fading away, the banquet's impact only grew stronger as the various factions returned home.
The Crown Prince of Great Zhou, Yang Cheng, had crushed six top-tier Heaven's Chosen on his own.
Even Tian Congxuan, for some unknown reason, didn't dare speak up against him.
Then, the Qingqiu Token descended from the sky during the banquet, and both Yang Cheng and Yang Xiu ended up receiving half each.
Yang Cheng's name truly resounded throughout the Eastern Wastes.
"The Crown Prince of Great Zhou—no, His Highness Yang Cheng—is an absolute monster."
"He's a born freak. Tian Congxuan was already overpowered, yet he still had to bow before Yang Cheng."
"One years ago, Tian Congxuan claimed he'd make Yang Cheng pay in One years. But now that the time came, he didn't even dare fart."
"This is an era of rising storms, where Heaven's Chosen appear everywhere. Too bad they're unlucky enough to live under Yang Cheng, who shines like the blazing sun."
Such talk filled every street and alley across the Eastern Wastes.
In the Radiant Sunlight Hall…
"Yang Cheng, you've gone too far!"
"And you, Wei Roujia, you shameless woman! One day, I'll make you regret everything!"
Yang Xiu's face twisted with rage.
He couldn't stop thinking about the banquet scene—Wei Roujia sitting close to Yang Cheng, holding her zither as he played, even showing a shy expression.
She was supposed to be his future empress, yet she treated him like air while giving Yang Cheng flirtatious glances.
"Just wait. I haven't lost yet."
His eyes flashed with a sinister chill.
There were things he hadn't wanted to do before. But now, Yang Cheng had forced his hand. He wouldn't hold back anymore.
He took out a piece of ancient jade.
It was green, engraved with intricate patterns.
This was the "Heaven-Granted Jade," a key that could connect him to a place called "Tianyuan."
Over the years, Tianyuan experts had secretly been contacting him through this jade.
Tianyuan was a sealed realm. Its people had been trapped there for generations and couldn't get out.
If he accepted, those experts could be released into the outside world.
Yang Xiu had long known Tianyuan wasn't some benevolent place. It was sealed for a reason.
Letting them out could bring disaster not only to Great Zhou but to the entire Wasteland Realm.
That was why he'd always hesitated.
But now, he no longer cared.
His imperial father had even given the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron to Yang Cheng, making his choice clear.
"Since you're heartless, Father, don't blame me for being disloyal."
Yang Xiu's voice dripped with venom.
In the Splendid Radiance Hall…
Yang Cheng was relaxed.
He returned to his room and chose to claim the Immortal Peach Tree Sapling, then moved it into his spatial domain.
Right in the center of his domain was a floating island.
The island was formed from Qilin Jade and rich with spiritual energy.
All he needed now was some water to grow the tree.
The sapling was only two feet tall. If left to grow naturally, it would take three hundred years to bear fruit.
This was where his stored Xiantian Spirit Liquid came in handy.
One drop of Spirit Liquid condensed every month.
In the past five years, Yang Cheng had gathered sixty drops.
He planted the peach sapling and dropped a single drop on it.
The tree instantly grew taller.
"Normally, letting a person drink Xiantian Spirit Liquid is a waste. It's better used on spiritual plants like this."
Yang Cheng's eyes lit up.
With just one drop, the sapling grew to three feet tall—the equivalent of ten years of growth.
Seeing this, he added thirty more drops.
Whoosh!
In just over a quarter of an hour, the tree shot up to over thirty feet tall.
A hundred peaches appeared on its branches.
Yang Cheng picked one and took a bite.
The taste was divine.
Then the peach transformed into powerful energy that surged through his body.
"A single peach holds the energy of several years of cultivation. For an average cultivator, this would be enough to push them to the next level."
His eyes grew even brighter.
Even for him, his cultivation was now close to the seventh layer of Martial Grandmaster.
Besides boosting cultivation, the peach also held a mysterious power—it subtly enhanced his physique and innate roots.
Yang Cheng didn't keep them all to himself. He gave five peaches each to his mother, his uncle, and Cheng Junyi.
While those three wouldn't benefit much in cultivation, the peaches could still improve their bodies and heal old injuries—a valuable gift nonetheless.
As for his father, Yang Cheng gave him five peaches too, as thanks for the Dragon-Tiger Cauldron.
He told the emperor that the peaches were a gift from Cheng Junyi, so no one else in the palace could come begging for them.
Shen Muxue and Lin Shu each got three peaches, and his Tiger Generals each received two.
As for him and Tangtang, they secretly snacked on the remaining ones like treats.
Seven days later…
Yang Cheng rode the Golden Dragon Chariot to the Divine Machinery Battalion.
Xiao Jingchuan had made another breakthrough with the Divine Crossbow.
In his past life, Xiao Jingchuan created the Five-Star Divine Crossbow around this time.
But with Yang Cheng's help, he'd finished it five years earlier in this life.
Now, after another five years, Xiao Jingchuan had upgraded the weapon to the Eighteen-Star level.
The Eighteen-Star Divine Crossbow could even threaten a Martial Saint.
That was terrifying.
The crossbow didn't require extreme strength to operate.
Even a Martial King could pull the string of the Eighteen-Star version.
Which meant with it, a Martial King could pose a real threat to a Martial Saint.
After leaving the Divine Machinery Battalion…
Yang Cheng slowed his chariot.
"I've been going out every day for the past seven days, but there's been no ambush. Looks like the enemy is more cautious than I thought."
He was fishing, on purpose.
With memories of his past life, he knew Yang Xiu better than anyone.
"Yang Xiu is called the 'Heaven's Mandate Emperor' because he controls Tianyuan."
"In the last life, he didn't begin unlocking Tianyuan until a century later, once his power was great enough."
"After that, Tianyuan experts began serving him, helping him sweep through the Eastern Wastes and become its supreme overlord."
"But in this life, I've backed him into a corner. He's likely already contacting Tianyuan."
For the past seven days, Yang Cheng had waited for someone from Tianyuan to attack him.
But nothing had happened.
"If the mountain won't come to me, I'll go to the mountain. It's time I pay Tianyuan a visit myself."
He made up his mind.
Golden Jade Courtyard.
This was one of the biggest brothels in Fengtian City.
Yang Cheng knew its madam, Jin Yulan, was a descendant of a Tianyuan powerhouse. Her family had passed down a legacy for generations, waiting for Tianyuan's return.
In his past life, when Tianyuan made its first appearance after a century, Golden Jade Courtyard was its base of operations.
If Tianyuan had made contact, this would be their first stop.