In the southern reaches of the Misty Mountain, the air shifted strangely. Mist and fog curled like serpents, thick enough to shroud even the boldest sunlight. Within that haze, a figure appeared—silent, ghostlike, as though the world itself had birthed him out of vapor.
If one looked closely, it was no illusion. The form of Wei Shiyan emerged from countless water particles gathering together, condensing into flesh and bone, until he stood firmly upon the rugged earth. His eyes gleamed sharply as he surveyed the vast mountain range before him.
"This mountain is… enormous," he murmured. His tone was calm, but the awe in his voice betrayed his thoughts. "It should be larger than half of the African continent itself. No wonder the old records called it one of the primordial ridges of the world."
A small grin tugged at his lips as he brushed his fingers through the misty air.
"To think, I could traverse such a place with a single breath… all thanks to one of my best techniques. A supreme law of water, capable of morphing and switching my position with the very vapor that floats in the atmosphere." His eyes glimmered.
He paused, then added in a solemn whisper:
"This technique shall be called—Eternal Water Phantom Shift."
The name itself carried weight, mysterious and domineering, echoing faintly through the mist as though heaven and earth acknowledged it.
Wei Shiyan inhaled deeply. The faint pulse of his spiritual sense guided him toward a location deep within the range. His expression sharpened.
"This is where my mark disappeared… they must have entered a secret space."
A cold light flashed in his eyes.
"If there is air… then there is water," he whispered, reciting a principle etched into his soul.
It was a supreme law engraved within his physique memories. As long as air existed, so too would water vapor linger, unseen yet omnipresent. To Wei Shiyan, that truth was a gateway.
His body trembled slightly as ripples of water aura surged out from him, dancing in concentric circles before vanishing into the void. He smiled faintly.
"Gotcha… hehehe. For the sake of those poor auction organizers who were slaughtered, I'll play the hero today."
With that, his form dissolved into pure liquid light, melting seamlessly into the unseen currents of the world.
He reappeared a heartbeat later.
But this time, the world around him was different.
Darkness stretched infinitely, pierced only by countless glimmering lights above, like a night sky brimming with eternal stars. Shadows and radiance intertwined beautifully, creating a realm that felt both divine and ominous.
Wei Shiyan stood silently at its center, unobserved. His mastery of the Manifestation Realm concealed his presence so perfectly that even if there were other Manifestation experts here, they would remain blind to his existence. To him, such beings were no more than ants scrambling across a battlefield.
Before him, the culprits revealed themselves.
The same group of eleven—those who had arrogantly sealed the auction house, slaughtered its guardians, and looted every last treasure—now huddled together, laughing and bickering as they counted their spoils. Their hands rifled through spatial rings, precious materials, and treasures, their eyes glittering with greed.
Wei Shiyan's lips curled into a mocking grin.
"Pathetic," he muttered. Then his voice rose like a thunderclap, roaring through the secret realm.
"Interpol! Freeze! Don't move!"
The sound was like divine judgment. It shook the space itself, reverberating through the bones of every living thing within.
The eleven culprits stiffened instantly. Terror flashed across their eyes as they coughed up blood from the sheer pressure of the sound alone. Their knees wavered, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
A trembling voice broke the silence.
"Wh–Who are you, Senior? For someone in the Manifestation Realm to bully mere juniors like us… is that fair?"
The speaker's words wavered, his tone halfway between defiance and desperation. Yet even as he spoke, his face was pale, and his eyes screamed with the truth he already knew: nothing is fair in the Desolate Mirage Ridges.
Wei Shiyan arched a brow, faintly amused.
"So this is the same domineering brat who dared to rob my spatial ring?" His chuckle was low and dangerous. "Now you act like a frightened junior?"
He dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand. His gaze, sharp as a blade, swept over them all.
"On behalf of those you looted and killed," he said, his tone flat and merciless, "I've come to deliver justice."
The words cut like steel.
The culprits' faces turned ashen. They exchanged panicked glances. The leader in white clenched his jaw, forcing a hollow laugh.
"Senior, wait… surely we can negotiate. Whatever grievances you have, we can resolve them without bloodshed. After all, strength should be reserved for greater enemies, no?"
Wei Shiyan tilted his head. "Negotiate?" His lips curved into a cruel smile. "So when you butchered those men at the auction, where was this spirit of negotiation?"
Another of the eleven spoke hastily, his voice breaking. "That… that was business, nothing personal! They resisted, we acted. If you want, we'll return what we took!"
Wei Shiyan's eyes narrowed, his expression utterly indifferent.
"You still don't understand," he said softly. "It's not about the treasures. It's about the blood you spilled."
Silence fell, heavy and suffocating. The starry darkness above seemed to dim as killing intent radiated from him like a tidal wave.
Yet he did not strike immediately. Instead, he stepped forward slowly, deliberately, each footfall echoing like the toll of a war drum.
The white-robed leader's face twisted. He spat blood and shouted desperately:
"Brothers! This old monster is toying with us—don't let him corner us like sheep! Together!"
The remaining ten cultivators roared, their spiritual energy surging into the air like blazing pillars. The space shook violently under the eruption of power.
Wei Shiyan merely chuckled.
"Good. At least you'll die with some backbone."
His body shimmered, water ripples flowing across his form as though he were dissolving into liquid again. His aura surged higher, terrifying and immeasurable.
The culprits gasped in horror as the very stars in the dark sky above began to ripple like disturbed water, distorting under his will.
"Do you see?" Wei Shiyan's voice thundered, echoing across the void. "Even heaven and earth bend before the Eternal Water Phantom Shift."
The eleven stared, their faces pale with despair.
One of them whispered hoarsely, "We… we're doomed…"
Wei Shiyan's grin widened, cold and cruel.
"Yes," he whispered. His voice dropped to a chilling murmur, a blade of sound that pierced their souls. "You are."
He raised his hand. Water ripples spiraled outward, growing wider and wider, swallowing light, sound, and air itself.
The culprits screamed in terror as the space around them twisted into a collapsing whirlpool of liquid annihilation.
And just as the first drop of their blood was about to fall—
BOOOOOOOM!
A sudden, deafening explosion tore through the secret space.
The ground quaked. The stars flickered violently. A terrifying new aura surged into the realm—cold, vast, and unfathomably ancient.
Wei Shiyan froze, his expression darkening.
"This presence…" he muttered. His eyes narrowed dangerously.
From the shadows, a voice emerged, low and chilling, filled with disdain.
"So. You've chosen to interfere in matters that do not concern you, law path cultivator…"
The entire realm trembled.
Wei Shiyan's grin faltered—but only for a moment. Then his lips curved again, sharper than before.
"Well," he whispered, eyes flashing with excitement. "This just got interesting."