Chapter 667 - 676: 3 Characters

Thousands upon thousands of painted barges and singing boats were lined up in dense, spectacular rows, a testament to the prosperity of the Eternal Night Riverbank.

The epithet "a ten-mile curtain of pearls" was truly fitting.

White cranes flew through a sky full of rosy clouds, their silhouettes swaying like the boats of Gusu.

The constant flow of people moving about added to the bustling prosperity.

It was sunset now. At night, amid thousands of lights and the sounds of song, dance, and flutes, the Eternal Night Riverbank would be at its most enchanting and beautiful.

Majestic and magnificent, a scene of breathtaking grandeur.

This was one of the four great Secret Lands of the Eastern Profound Domain, the Eternal Night Riverbank.

Before he knew it, Wen Qingye had arrived before the Celestial Ascension Stele.

By now, a large crowd had gathered around the Celestial Ascension Stele. Most had rushed over after hearing the news, and every eye was now fixed intently on Wen Qingye.

Lü Xiongjie looked at Gul Lian beside him, his brow furrowed. "Gul Lian," he asked, "where do you think this Wen Qingye will carve his name?"

After hearing Lü Xiongjie’s question, Gul Lian pondered for a moment before answering, "Below the ninety-three-foot mark, but above ninety. I don’t think he can possibly surpass the Little Demon Venerable."

"That’s about what I was thinking." Lü Xiongjie nodded emphatically, as Gul Lian had voiced his own thoughts.

In their minds, the name "Little Demon Venerable" represented an insurmountable existence. Not even Wen Qingye could surpass him. The power of Little Demon Venerable Huangfu Tian was deeply, unshakably ingrained in the hearts of the people.

Nearly every gaze converged on Wen Qingye.

"Let’s see just how powerful this world-shaking, monstrous genius really is," Pan Jieming muttered to himself as he gazed ahead.

In truth, he had deliberately lured Wen Qingye here. He was quite curious about the man from the rumors. The future of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty was his—that was beyond doubt—so the matter of whom the Imperial Dynasty allied with was of critical importance.

Testing Wen Qingye was, in a way, also testing the Celestial Profound Sect.

One could gauge a Sect’s strength not just by its masters, but also by its younger generation. At least, that was how Pan Jieming saw it.

At that moment, as Wen Qingye gazed at the hundred-foot-tall stone stele before him, he suddenly felt a mountain-like pressure bear down on his Primordial Spirit. An ordinary person would have been crushed in an instant.

But he was Wen Qingye.

Azure Wave!

Wen Qingye abruptly drew his One Thought Sword. With a heavy stomp, his body shot upwards.

Ten feet.

Twenty feet.

.....

Fifty feet.

....

Ninety feet.

Even though the crowd had a vague idea of Wen Qingye’s strength, they were still shocked to see him ascend to the ninety-foot mark. After all, above ninety feet, there was only a single name: Huangfu Tian.

Gul Lian watched as Wen Qingye’s speed still hadn’t slowed and couldn’t help but exclaim, "Wait, he’s still rising!"

Lü Xiongjie’s brow furrowed deeply. "Is he trying to place his name alongside Huangfu Tian’s? I suppose that makes sense. A prodigy like him wouldn’t admit defeat easily. But can he actually manage to carve his name there? It’s not a simple..."

Lü Xiongjie trailed off mid-sentence. Wen Qingye hadn’t stopped at the ninety-three-foot mark as expected; instead, he continued to shoot upward.

Everyone was rendered speechless with shock by the sight of Wen Qingye’s relentlessly ascending figure.

Even the usually composed Pan Jieming stared in astonishment. "Wen Qingye... What... what is he doing? Can he even carve his name from that high? Isn’t this far too arrogant?"

At that same moment, Wen Qingye reached the very top of the Celestial Ascension Stele. He held his sword level, his eyes as calm as still water.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!

The sword in Wen Qingye’s hand became a blur of motion. A scintillating, cold light shot toward the heavens as a flurry of sword-images filled the air.

The countless flashes of sword light stung the onlookers’ eyes, forcing them to shut them and take a step back.

The sword light fractured, striking the stone stele with immense force.

Gradually, the thrumming sound subsided, and the crowd began to open their eyes.

Wen Qingye had already landed atop the stele. He stood there, silhouetted against the sky. With a light pat, his sword returned to its Sword Scabbard.

’Huangfu Tian, your reputation as a genius means nothing before me.’

Then, as if he had done nothing more than a trivial chore, he descended and began walking slowly toward the crowd.

As the crowd opened their stinging, hazy eyes and looked upon the Celestial Ascension Stele, they froze as if petrified. It was as though they had witnessed something utterly terrifying, their minds going completely blank.

Pan Jieming murmured to himself, "Wen Qingye truly is a monstrous genius. In a few years, no one aside from Huangfu Tian will be able to keep him in check. And perhaps... not even Huangfu Tian will be able to."

The woman beside Pan Jieming stared wide-eyed, as if unable to believe what she was seeing. She watched Wen Qingye walk toward them, meeting the gusting wind with a dismissive smile.

She could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

She had never seen the Little Demon Venerable, but at this moment, Wen Qingye’s sheer presence was unmatched. No one could compare, not even in the slightest.

The hundred-foot-tall Celestial Ascension Stele—from its very peak to its very base—was now completely dominated by the two words of Wen Qingye’s name.

Each word of Wen Qingye’s name was over thirty feet tall and utterly enormous. From a distance, it seemed as if his was the only name on the stele. Beside it, not only were the other names dwarfed, but even the two words of Huangfu Tian’s name seemed utterly insignificant.

In an instant, the two massive words of his name had stolen all the glory.

Everyone was left with a single impression, as if Wen Qingye was announcing to the world: He had arrived.

"Brother Wen, that was incredible! I, Pan Jieming, am thoroughly impressed!" Pan Jieming exclaimed as Wen Qingye approached.

Wen Qingye cupped his fists and smiled. "I merely left my name. Brother Pan, you flatter me."

Pan Jieming waved his hands in dismissal. "No, no, Brother Wen, there’s no need for modesty! This way, please. I’ve already had my men prepare a fine banquet. We can talk while we eat. In fact, I’d like nothing more than to drink with Brother Wen to our hearts’ content tonight!"

A sharp glint flashed in Wen Qingye’s eyes as he looked at Pan Jieming. ’This Pan Jieming is a deep and calculating one,’ he thought. ’He’s no simple character. I might be able to get some useful information out of him.’

At this thought, Wen Qingye nodded readily and said with a magnanimous laugh, "Since Brother Pan has already prepared everything, it would be a great discourtesy for me to refuse!"

Delighted that Wen Qingye had agreed, Pan Jieming said, "Excellent! Brother Wen is truly a man of refreshing candor. This way, please."

With that, Pan Jieming led Wen Qingye toward the stairs.

Seeing this, Gul Lian and Lü Xiongjie exchanged a look, a hint of worry clouding both their eyes.