On this day, I would turn to the fallen path."
Mingyin began scheming in his head, a doubtful idea forming in his mind like a stone hanging above him.
Mingyun looked at his surroundings.
He saw the dragon-mad elf smiling while staring at the man with dragon features, who looked down in disbelief.
Mingyin looked over—
And suddenly, the jade soul chamber holding the woman's skeleton began to crack across its surface. The man with dragon features froze.
The entire jade chamber exploded inward into pieces!
As the shards shot through the air, Mingyin could not see them, but he could hear them. Blind, he quickly ducked low while the dragon-featured man was struck across the face and legs. He waved his hand forward, crushing the flying shards instantly.
Suddenly, the dragon-featured man looked surprised as he heard a grim and disgusting sound coming from the shattered jade chamber.
The skeleton woman's hand slowly rose from the ruins like a ghost returning from battle.
Mingyin's ears twitched.
He heard it too.
"Hey, old man, mind telling me who that Teinsei Jin guy is and why he's going to join the team?"
Rou Wei looked up and smiled.
Crossing his arms, he stood in a field of grass while waiting for a group of immortals.
He smiled and turned around.
Before him stood the same man with five green jade blades hovering over his shoulders.
"Teinsei Jin is unknown to the world and rarely speaks," Rou Wei said. "But this man possesses the soul of a Blood Lord and is half spirit, descended from a Mortal Ruler."
He looked up with a smile.
"That guy fought a Peak Artist using only his own strength and managed to survive with injuries. Such fearlessness against a Peak Artist has never been seen before."
Shining Sask was shocked.
"How is that possible?"
Rou Wei sighed and looked toward the setting sun.
"If you don't believe me… here, catch."
He summoned a small glass window. Its edges were made of black, ink-like wood. He tossed it into the air, where it floated motionlessly.
Pouring soul-force energy into it, the window glowed brightly.
A large hologram appeared.
Shining Sask took three steps back.
On a battlefield covered in dark soil and surrounded by dead trees stood an immortal wearing a fierce fur cloak with seven rings around his wrists, radiating brute strength.
The man was broad-shouldered with a perfectly trimmed beard and black raven-like hair tied into a knot. His sharp eyebrows made him look intimidating.
Facing him stood another immortal with pitch-white hair and a beautiful black-and-white silk tunic. Beneath his sleeves, liquid suddenly flowed outward before gathering into sharp fragments.
The Peak Artist smiled coldly.
"Only Sage Artist Stage Four," he said quietly. "Yet you dare face me?"
Then he rushed forward with invisible speed.
If this had been any normal Sage Artist, they would not even have been able to follow his movements. The gap between Sage Artist Stage Five and a Peak Artist was enormous. Only those with terrifying soul-force energy could survive such pressure.
Still, the chances of survival were barely two percent.
Teinsei Jin did not smile.
The liquid before him transformed into a burning spear. He grabbed it and stepped back, his sandals brushing against the dirt beneath him.
Suddenly, he launched the liquid spear forward.
The entire ground shook.
Wild winds exploded outward, causing his white raven-like hair and silk tunic to flutter violently.
The Peak Artist smiled.
"A mere Sage Artist against a Peak Artist… like a child facing an adult—what?!"
The spear suddenly split into five arrows midair.
The Peak Artist quickly turned around, aura flashing in his eyes.
He raised his hand to summon an artifact, but the arrows split again into even more projectiles.
Even the Peak Artist became confused.
Then—
Heavy footsteps echoed behind him.
Without hesitation, he spun around and thrust his hand forward.
But suddenly—
Pain.
BAM!
Fifty small arrows pierced into his back at once. He was launched into the air while Teinsei Jin calmly stepped backward.
The Peak Artist crashed into a nearby tree.
BAM!
A loud explosion reverberated through the battlefield.
The Peak Artist slowly rose from the dirt, seeing his fearsome fur cloak torn to pieces. Grinding his teeth, he ripped the remains away.
"Stupid bastard…!"
Teinsei Jin only smiled.
That smile drove the man nearly insane.
The liquid arrows piercing his back dissolved into the air and returned beneath Teinsei Jin's sleeve like living water.
The Peak Artist froze in shock.
"That is… a Liquid Spear Artifact at Peak Artist Stage Five!"
Seven hundred years ago, a genius at Peak Artist Stage Five fought against the Blood Lord himself—an existence equal to Renewal and Sun Tzu.
They battled for three days with almost no rest.
That genius cultivated the Wood Realm and wielded a liquid spear artifact capable of wounding the Blood Lord. Though he eventually died from poison, he still managed to pierce the Blood Lord's body.
The Peak Artist knew the story well.
Yet Teinsei Jin was only Peak Artist Stage One.
The man slowly stood and laughed.
"Ahahaha! You're clearly talented, child. But let's see if you can truly face me head-on with artifacts!"
Teinsei Jin smiled.
The liquid in his hand rose into the air, forming glowing words visible even to the Peak Artist.
"This person here will kill you today… for your stupidity."
The Peak Artist frowned in confusion.
"What stupidity?"
More words formed in the air.
"For destroying a small village simply to refine an artifact. Those who walk the evil path deserve death."
"I am Teinsei Jin, and I will always belong to the righteous path."
The Peak Artist smiled darkly and poured soul-force energy into his muscles.
"Then let us see if you can defeat me."
Teinsei Jin walked forward elegantly.
He would never betray his beliefs. He would never allow the weak to be oppressed. For his entire life, even until death, he would always choose righteousness.
Inside his mind, he whispered:
"I will never fall to the evil path."
Shining Sask watched in shock as Teinsei Jin twisted through the air, battling the Peak Artist from impossible angles.
Teinsei Jin suffered countless injuries while the Peak Artist received only minor wounds.
Still—
The Peak Artist's back was covered in bleeding holes.
Suddenly, the Peak Artist struck Teinsei Jin's chest with his palm.
BAMMMMM!
Teinsei Jin was thrown away like a toy.
He smashed into the ground but slowly stood again… smiling.
Even the Peak Artist looked shocked.
"A genius seen only once in a thousand years… this child should not die by my hands."
The Peak Artist sighed.
"It's not too late. Leave now. If you continue fighting me, I may suffer serious injuries… but it will cost you your life—"
Before he could finish, liquid words formed in the air once more.
"This path has always been broken by heaven itself."
"Even if heaven wishes for my death, I will still punish evil."
"I will conquer hundreds of thrones in this world, even if it kills me."
The Peak Artist sighed helplessly.
A bright light erupted from his body.
"Little genius," he said softly, "if you survive this next attack, then victory will belong to you. Your resolve has moved me deeply. If you survive, I swear I will never again attack innocent villages."
Teinsei Jin smiled.
The Peak Artist raised his hands.
A massive purple dragon formed in the air like a vortex, golden lightning bursting from its eyes. Its roar alone crushed nearby trees.
"Purple Dragon Moving Iron Fist!"
The dragon shot forward like a cannonball.
FLEWWWW!
Teinsei Jin instantly covered himself in liquid armor.
His eyes shrank to needlepoints as he faced the dragon head-on.
He crossed his arms.
BAM!
The ground exploded apart.
Dust rose everywhere.
Even the Peak Artist was pushed backward.
Then—
Ding. Ding. Ding.
The Peak Artist's eyes widened.
The dust suddenly parted.
A figure walked out alive.
Teinsei Jin had survived.
But his left arm was nearly destroyed, several fingers crushed beyond recognition.
Still—
He appeared before the Peak Artist.
Though mute, he forced himself to speak.
"I… am… Te… Teinsei Jin…"
The words were broken and rough, but they were the first words he had ever spoken.
Liquid words formed around him.
"I will always die for the mortal world."
Then—
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
His fists slammed into the Peak Artist repeatedly.
The man's vision blurred as Teinsei Jin struck him again and again.
For the second time, the Peak Artist was sent flying.
He crashed hard into the earth.
Looking up, he smiled bitterly.
"I lost our bet."
He stood, spat blood onto the ground, then bowed silently before turning away and flying into the distance.
Teinsei Jin breathed heavily before collapsing.
What he had done was foolish.
A Sage Artist challenging a Peak Artist was laughable.
Yet somehow—
He had wounded him.
And more importantly…
He had moved his heart.
Shining Sask's eyes widened as he looked at Rou Wei, who crossed his arms calmly.
"And that," Rou Wei said, "is why Teinsei Jin is needed."
Present.
Shining Sask turned and saw Teinsei Jin speaking quietly with a group of immortals.
He smiled.
"You truly are a genius."