Chapter 410 - 384: The Birth of [Tian Ming], the Unknown Peerless Prodigy and Follower of Jiang Qiu

"We have a prodigy like this in the Human Race?"

Zhu Weiyi was so surprised it felt like he was in a dream. He didn’t think it was an expert from a Foreign Race who had infiltrated. After all, Jiang Qiu himself had repaired and reinforced the Arrays here. It would be difficult for even a cultivator at the Dao Entry Realm, let alone the Half-Step Fusion Realm, to enter undetected.

Since nothing had gone wrong so far, it couldn’t be an outsider. It was more likely that one of their own was having a breakthrough.

But that was the most astonishing part. Even he and Grandmaster Lin Yu, the most senior among them, hadn’t so much as touched the threshold of the Fusion Realm. How could someone else have already broken through?

’Who could it be...’

"Hiss... There is indeed a peerless prodigy," Lin Yu said. After a moment of sensing, he had already identified the person exuding the aura of transformation into the Fusion Realm. His brow furrowed. "However, he isn’t entirely one of ours from Xia Country."

The moment his words fell, with a deafening BOOM, a massive wave surged across the lake’s surface. The sky-spanning white mist was swept away like a cold tide, and an endless stream of Spirit Charm blew forth as a Gale. The once-hazy view of the lake cleared in an instant. A figure, the size of a sesame seed, appeared in the very center of the lake, his aura swelling to new heights.

Seeing this, Zhu Weiyi’s eyes widened. "What Dao is he fusing?!"

Dao Fusion was a massive undertaking. It required a vast amount of resources and was always accompanied by heaven-and-earth phenomena—the world’s resonance with the cultivator.

But the man before them didn’t seem to be triggering the expected phenomena of lightning and thunder. Instead, his Dao Fusion seemed to resonate more with the Dragon Lake itself.

’This is too strange. Did he somehow fuse with the Dragon Lake?’

’How is that possible? The Dragon Lake is part of Jiang Qiu. If this person could fuse with it, what would that make Jiang Qiu? It seems more like a bond... a strange and magical bond he’s formed with the Dragon Lake.’

A faint aura of the Dragon Race could be felt, but it was quickly replaced by the bloodline aura of the Human Race. The two intertwined, alternating back and forth, before finally transforming into a void that coiled around him. He was as dazzling as Polaris, but after the light faded, he merged into the void...

Yes, his body had merged into the void. It was as if he no longer had a physical form. A gust of wind would make his body ripple like waves. A single drop of water could create a ripple across his form. The path he walked was the Void Dao!

"A Dao like this actually exists in the world?!" Lin Yu was stunned. His knowledge of the various Daos was limited. Although he had spent years studying Ancient Inscriptions and Secret Realms, information was too siloed. He had no real idea what the Outer Realm was truly like.

Zhu Weiyi didn’t have deep knowledge in this area either. He only vaguely recalled that the Void Dao did exist, having overheard some cultivators who delivered meals at the Celestial Star Arena talking about it.

The sole King, Wu, who once set the record of ninety-nine consecutive victories, had walked the Void Dao. He was peerless in his generation. Later, he achieved Unity and reached the Peak. It was said he was one of the cultivators in history who came closest to Transcendence.

Of course, no one had actually achieved Transcendence in this era. Whether it was even possible remained a mystery. Many experts who reached the Peak had gone into seclusion, and it was unclear whether they had secretly transcended or simply died.

He had only heard these things through rumors and didn’t truly understand them. However, he had a vague feeling that the state of the prodigy before him matched the descriptions. A body that turned to nothingness was the hallmark of the Void Dao.

This form of nothingness surpassed that of the Soul Race. Even the Soul Body itself was merged into the void. At its ultimate stage, one could become immune to all attacks; not even the Laws could interfere.

Because the void does not permit the existence of Laws.

The more Zhu Weiyi thought about the possibilities, the faster his heart beat. Meanwhile, the man’s aura, after reaching its zenith, slowly subsided. It was like a single leaf drifting down to land on the water’s surface, sending out endless ripples.

The man opened his eyes. His pupils were like stars, and his expression was as gentle as a spring breeze. A resilient power that transcended mere personal will emanated from him. When he spoke, his voice was utterly ethereal, as if echoing from time immemorial. "Grandmaster Lin, who is the person beside you?"

"Leader Tian Ming, this is Zhu Weiyi, Grandmaster Zhu. He once protected War God Jiang Qiu in North Border City on Blue Star," Lin Yu said with a smile. He started to walk across the water with Zhu Weiyi, but before they could even take two steps, the other man was already right in front of them. It was as if he had crossed dozens of miles in a single step, making the world itself seem to fall away behind him. Lin Yu’s vision swam for a moment. "This Dragon Lake..."

"I closed the spatiotemporal distance between us," Tian Ming replied calmly, as if he had merely plucked at the fabric of spacetime without any significant effort. "Now that I have completed my Dao Fusion, I wish to follow in the New Ancestor’s footsteps and see the world outside."

He could never forget the New Ancestor, Jiang Qiu, who had brought new life to the Northern Boundary Human Clan. He was the idol who had driven Tian Ming to cultivate day and night, a man who had dominated an entire generation.

The infant from back then had grown up. From the North Snow Tribe to the Northern Boundary Mountain, from the mountain to its very summit, he too had once set foot on the site of the final, decisive battle in the War of the Chosen.

It was just a pity that his own generation had no prodigy as dazzling as the New Ancestor. As far as he could see, everyone else was still at the foot of the mountain.

For the New Ancestor, he took the time to eliminate all threats and unify the tribes, becoming the new Leader in succession to the old Leader, Hunt. He had the largest statue of the New Ancestor built at the pass of Northern Boundary Mountain, where people could offer prayers and worship daily.

He knew the gap between himself and the New Ancestor was immense. The first time he had met him, Jiang Qiu was already in the Peeping Dao Realm, while he himself had been a mere one-year-old infant who had yet to begin Cultivation.

But time would grant him the opportunity to follow. Now, five hundred years later, he had reached the Fusion Realm!

The flow of time in the Northern Boundary was vastly different from that on Blue Star. For every five years that passed there, five hundred passed here. Tian Ming was naturally no longer an immature infant, but his youthful spirit had not diminished in the slightest. Deep in his heart, he held the image of a young man—a back he would follow forever.

’Inherit his tribes, integrate into his Ancestral Realm’s sphere of influence, enter his Dragon Lake... I want to prove that I am stronger than any Chosen One. I will prove that a world-changing prodigy can be born from among the natives!’

But alas, the Chosen Ones were gone, and all news of the New Ancestor had ceased, as if he had perished in another world. The path he had been following vanished. His greatest desire became to reach the Fusion Realm, cross the void, and find the New Ancestor!

Now, the time had come.

Of course, Zhu Weiyi had no idea what Tian Ming was thinking. This was the first time they had ever met, and he knew nothing about him. But sensing the drive and reverence in the young man’s gaze, he couldn’t help but ask, "This New Ancestor you speak of is...?"

"The Chosen One, Hill. The New Ancestor who brought new life to the Northern Boundary."

That short sentence was like a match lighting a candle; Zhu Weiyi’s eyes lit up. "You want to follow Jiang Qiu?"

"Yes," Tian Ming nodded. "I hope to prove my abilities to the New Ancestor."

’Back then, my father was a genius of his generation. But because of the shackles of our bloodline, he could never break through his full potential. He became a mere foil to Jiang Qiu and eventually died in obscurity.’

’But now, Jiang Qiu has ended the War of the Chosen and shattered those shackles. Natives can finally unleash their Talents. I possess peerless aptitude, so I must naturally display my own brilliance!’

’I will prove that the Northern Boundary Human Clan also has the power to reshape the world!’

"I saw your New Ancestor, Jiang Qiu, not long ago. He has gone to a very distant place, so you won’t be able to see him any time soon," Zhu Weiyi said, his tone growing solemn. "However, I think there may be a way for you to meet him eventually."

’I can already tell,’ Zhu Weiyi thought. ’Tian Ming is a peerless prodigy who has been hidden away in the Northern Boundary. He has no reputation in the Outer Realm, and no one on Blue Star has even heard of him.’

’Even here in the Northern Boundary, most people have probably forgotten he exists—after all, he’s been cultivating in the Dragon Lake this whole time.’

’And this is a peerless genius who has reached the Fusion Realm!’

"What way?"

Tian Ming’s interest was piqued, and his eyes sparkled.

"I want you to join the Human Union. Then, I will recommend you to a place called the Desolate Realm. There, you will enter the Celestial Star Arena and participate in its challenge matches. Once your winning streak breaks the record, your name will be sung throughout all the worlds. Jiang Qiu will surely hear the news of your emergence..."