The silence in the Sanmiao City arena was so profound that even the sound of settling dust particles could be clearly heard. The jubilant celebration that should have followed the victory over the invaders had been replaced by a crushing pressure, emanating solely from the presence of Elder Wang Shen. The aged warrior, whose life spanned centuries, stood in the center like an unyielding ancient mountain.
City Lord Wang Long was shaken to his core by the terror and awe he saw on his father's face. He had never seen the Elder so disturbed. Stepping forward tentatively, he asked in a grave tone, "Father, what is this turmoil in your eyes? What energy could possibly force you out of your deep meditation?"
Elder Wang Shen narrowed his eyes, his senses sifting through the arena's air. He tried to steady his voice, but a slight tremor remained.
"Wang Long," the Elder spoke, his voice low yet resonating, "the power I just sensed... it is no ordinary energy. It does not belong to the common cultivators of this continent. It is the exact same energy I felt precisely 300 years ago."
At the mention of '300 years,' whispers broke out across the arena. Wang Long's face turned pale. "What are you saying, Father? 300 years ago? I wasn't even born then. Our clan's history mentions no event from that time so terrifying."
Elder Wang Shen let out a cold sigh, his memories pulling him back into the distant past. He looked toward his son and his granddaughters, Wang Mei and Wang Ling, who had now gathered near their grandfather.
"I wasn't even married then," Elder Wang Shen began, lost in thought. "I was a young, ambitious cultivator seeking to break my limits. During that time, I entered a Sacred Realm that exists beyond the laws of this mortal world. That mysterious portal opens only once every 500 years. There, I saw the ruins of a battle where the energy levels were so high that the ground remains scorched black to this day. The Residual Energy left there was exactly what just echoed through this arena for a fleeting second—destructive, ancient, and a unique confluence of divinity and demonhood."
The Silent Suppression and the 'Madman's' Exit
At that very moment, standing in the far corner, Ye Fang had no clue what the Elder was searching for. He was just standing there in his own world, completely unaware that his God-Demon Physique had stirred such a massive storm.
Elder Wang Shen closed his eyes, and an invisible eye awakened at the center of his forehead. His Divine Sense spread across the arena like a tidal wave, scanning every brick, every stone, and every human soul. His consciousness surged rapidly toward the corner where Ye Fang stood.
In that exact millisecond, Little System kicked into gear.
[Ding! Aura Suppression Activated!]
The System silently draped a veil over Ye Fang's true energy. The process was so subtle and fast that even Ye Fang didn't realize his energy had been suppressed; he simply felt a slight drop in his body temperature.
Elder Wang Shen's Divine Sense passed over Ye Fang. For a moment, his focus lingered. He saw a boy who looked completely ordinary—his energy scattered and disorganized, exactly like the 'madman' the crowd took him for. The Elder found nothing unusual.
Opening his eyes, Elder Wang Shen's expression shifted from surprise to deep frustration.
'How is this possible?' he thought. 'I sensed that massive energy just moments ago. It was so powerful it should have been impossible to hide. And now... it's gone. Are my senses deceiving me? Or is that power so intelligent that it dissolved itself into nothingness?'
The World Tour Begins
Meanwhile, behind the clouds of dust in that far corner, Ye Fang was miles away from these serious discussions. Seeing everyone's attention fixed on the City Lord and the Elder, he grinned to himself.
'Alright! Mission accomplished,' he thought, clenching his fists. 'System rewards are in my pocket, and this bloody drama is over. No point staying here to listen to these old men's boring lectures.'
He brushed off his tattered sleeves and began to backtrack stealthily. 'Time for little some Gallivanting ! A world tour. Let's see what other fun things this city's streets have to offer.'
Without a word of goodbye or a glance back, he walked out of the arena's back exit, humming a tune. Anyone who noticed him simply thought the 'crazy boy' was wandering off again in his own delirium.
Inside the arena, Elder Wang Shen suddenly glanced back at the corner where Ye Fang had been standing, but he found only an empty space and swirling dust. A frown creased his forehead, but he said nothing.