The muscular shadow's eyes narrowed dangerously as he stepped forward, ready to kill or be killed.
"What are you smiling at?" he asked, his voice low and hoarse.
But his opponent merely brushed him off with cool indifference—an insult more cutting than words. Rage surged within him, flushing his face red.
"You—!" he snarled through clenched teeth, but his rage had barely taken root before it was devoured by something far more terrifying.
His opponent closed his eyes, utterly unfazed by the army of trillions before him. Then, in a breath, his aura exploded—an overwhelming force that turned the very air heavy and suffocating. The muscular shadow's breath caught. Just standing in its presence felt like being crushed beneath an invisible mountain.
The overwhelming pressure radiating from his opponent left him with no choice. Instinct took over him. He spun around without wasting a breath and roared, "Everyone, attack! Use everything you have—kill him now!"
The figures behind him weren't fools. They felt it too—a shift in the air, a tremor that rippled through reality itself, as if something ancient and monstrous had awakened within Eli Shan. It wasn't just fear—it was instinct. A primal warning that thundered in their bones: act now, or be annihilated.
In unison, they moved. Weapons flashed into their hands—daggers, swords, chains, and tools of death as varied as the shadows they emerged from. Their eyes sharpened, bodies wound tight like drawn bows, ready to unleash chaos. They were killers, after all, and hesitation wasn't in their nature.
But the moment they lunged forward, their eyes widened in disbelief. Why? Because before them stood only Jian Wu and Wen Lun.
Eli Shan was gone.
Vanished.
As if he had dissolved into the very air itself.
A chill crawled down their spines.
"W-Where did he go?" The thought raced through their minds—except for the few.
One shadow, standing at a random position, caught a fleeting blur in the air.
And then—his world flipped upside down.
Before he could even comprehend what had happened, another shadow felt a strange, twisting pain in his stomach. His breath hitched. Instinctively, he looked down—But there was nothing to see.
A gaping hole had replaced his stomach, as if his very existence had been erased.
His eyes trembled in sheer horror. A single drop of blood trickled from his lips.
And then—he crumpled, vanishing into the void.
Suddenly, one after another, the shadows met the same fate.
They had no idea how—or even why—it was happening. Or perhaps it was simpler than that. They never realized they were already dead.
In the blink of an eye, everything changed. The instant Eli Shan disappeared, time itself seemed to stretch and warp, leaving the air thick with an ominous presence. Not a single moment had passed, yet the muscular shadow and Yin Wuying, both among the strongest cultivators, felt it—a cold shiver creeping down their spines.
Instinct screamed at them, and their eyelids trembled as they turned to look behind. Shock. Fear. And something far worse swelled within them.
Behind them, there was nothing.
Nothing—except for a few remaining shadows, streaking toward the portal like meteors, their bodies flung helplessly through the void.
"W-What's happening? Where did our army of trillions go?"
Disbelief clawed at their minds, sharp and unrelenting. Their eyes strained against the impossible reality before them, but there was no time to think—no time to process the horror unfolding in front of their eyes.
Because there he stood, as if he had never moved, as if time itself had bent to his will. Eli Shan. Their nightmare, given flesh and form.
And he was smiling.
An innocent, almost playful smile. But to them, it was the grin of a devil.
"Y-You..." one of them stammered, their voice barely more than a rasp. Their thoughts were in chaos. They had no idea what had just happened, but one thing was certain—this man, this monster, was behind it all.
And the aura radiating from him... it was overwhelming. It wasn't just powerful—it was suffocating, eclipsing even the might of their sect master.
Their eyelids twitched, and their throats went dry. They wanted to speak, to beg, to scream—
But before they could force a single word past their lips, Eli Shan tilted his head slightly, his gaze filled with something almost... amused.
"Guess it's time for goodbye."
The moment Eli Shan finished speaking, Yin Wuying and the muscle shadow saw only a blur—before they were hurled through the portal like meteors. The force sent them spiraling into the unknown, their consciousness fading into oblivion.
Eli Shan exhaled lightly, surveying the now-empty battlefield. "Looks like the cleaning is done," he murmured. Then, his gaze shifted upward, his eyes gleaming with determination. "But... it's time I depart for the higher universe—and find Xie Meng."
A moment later, his gaze shifted back to the distant horizon—to his home, resting thousands of miles away. Yet, the moment his eyes settled on it, a peculiar sensation gripped him.
It was as if, across the vast distance, someone was looking back.
His heart stirred.
There, in the backyard of his house, stood his father. Still. Silent. Watching.
A breeze swept past, carrying an unspoken understanding between them.
A smile slowly formed on Eli Shan's lips. "You are the most mysterious person I have ever encountered, Father," he whispered. "I wish I could spend more time with you... but my journey isn't over yet. I have to go."
He exhaled softly, his expression unwavering. "But I'll return soon."
Far away, in the backyard, his father gave a slight nod, his gaze calm—almost knowing.
Eli Shan chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. No matter how powerful he became, no matter how far he ventured, his father would always remain an enigma beyond his understanding.
Then, turning back, Eli Shan glanced at his brothers and gave a silent nod. No words were spoken—but they understood his true intention.
They had seen his strength firsthand. They knew now, without a doubt—this small universe could no longer contain someone like him.
Without another word, without a trace of hesitation, Eli Shan soared toward the portal.
Jian Wu and Wen Lun stood in silence, a quiet sadness settling over them.
They watched Eli Shan's broad back, now towering like a mountain, radiating a strength that felt beyond their world.
They exchanged a glance—one filled with unspoken memories, as if something ancient stirred in both their hearts. A time long past, a bond forged through battles and lifetimes.
Then, their attention snapped back to the sky.
Eli Shan had stopped. Just before stepping into the portal, he stood still, unmoving.
"Did he... change his mind about going to the higher universe?" Jian Wu muttered, uncertainty flickering in his eyes.
Above, the colossal portal rippled and shrank with every passing second, its edges glowing with celestial light. Time was slipping away—but Eli Shan didn't move.
Instead, he seemed lost in thought, staring into the vast expanse as if weighing something deeper.
Then, he whispered slowly, "Shadow. Can you do something for me?"
The air shivered in response.
A moment later, space twisted—and from it emerged a figure wreathed in flickering black flames, its form shifting like smoke and starlight.
It tilted its head slowly, eyes glowing faintly.
"Nu?" it asked, voice soft as wind yet heavy with power.
Eli Shan's gaze lingered on the shadow, the voidfire dancing along its formless edges. His voice came low, contemplative.
"Perhaps it's too early... but is there anyone in this lower universe worthy of being my disciple?" His eyes narrowed slightly. "Someone whose potential surpasses all others?"
The shadow didn't answer.
Instead, it stepped closer—though it had no feet to walk with—and its glowing eyes locked onto his.
Eli Shan inhaled sharply.
A strange sensation washed over him, as if something ancient had brushed against his very soul.
A current of primordial energy surged through his core, and suddenly, it didn't feel like he was merely facing the shadow.
It felt like... he was the shadow.
"What is this feeling...?" he whispered, dazed. "It's as if we've become one."
Before he could gather himself, pain lanced through his mind.
Not physical—but spiritual. Deep and twisting, like a thread of fate pulled taut to its breaking point.
Then—images.
Vivid. Familiar.
Two faces emerged, glowing in the darkness of his mind.
Jian Wu. Wen Lun.
His heart clenched.
Of all things to surface—of all people—it was them.
The ones who had stood beside him without question, through flame and storm, through victories that had nearly broken them.
His eyes flew open, and he stared at the shadow, stunned.
"You're trying to tell me... that Jian Wu and Wen Lun... they are the best choices?"
His voice wavered—not with doubt, but awe. "To become my disciples?"
The Shadow gave a slow nod, a gesture so subtle and alien it seemed to echo through the very air. And yet, in that moment, Eli Shan felt it—an understanding, raw and profound, as though the shadow could see through the veil of his soul.
Eli Shan's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"Maybe... using the universe's strength, tapping into its source... maybe that's what's awakened something between us," he murmured. "Something deeper. A connection."
But he left it at that. Some truths didn't need chasing—yet.
He turned his gaze back to the shadow, his tone sharpening.
"Let's return to the main topic. Jian Wu and Wen Lun—they are like brothers to me. We've bled together, laughed, grieved... If there's no significant reason for me to take them as disciples, I won't."
His voice was resolute, edged with protectiveness. "I won't risk turning our bond into a hierarchy."
The shadow remained silent, yet its flickering form shimmered with a strange, almost respectful energy.
Still... no answer.
"...Sigh." Eli Shan looked into the shadow's glowing eyes. "I'll ask once more: is there any significant reason I should take them as my disciples?"
This time, the shadow responded.
Its eyes glowed brighter—"Nu." A nod.
And then—chaos.
A pulse of dark aura burst forth from the shadow, swallowing Eli Shan in an instant. He gasped as the air thickened, the world around him vanishing into pitch-black void.
"What is this!?" he shouted, startled, his body suspended in emptiness.
The darkness twisted. Shifted. Warped. But it didn't settle—it just waited, like something holding its breath.
Eli Shan spun, tense. "Where am I? What is this place?"
From the stillness, a small shadow emerged—less imposing, almost playful. It drifted forward and hovered before him. Without words, it beamed a thought directly into his mind.
"This is a battlefield... but don't worry. What you're seeing is only a projection—your soul walks here, not your body."
Eli Shan blinked, stunned by the clarity. No voice. No sound. Just raw intent—implanted as if the thought had always been his.
He frowned. "But... I didn't hear anything. Not a word. I just knew what you meant. What kind of technique is that?"
The shadow tilted its head slightly, unreadable. It gave no answer—only shimmered faintly, its body curling like slow smoke.
Eli Shan sighed and waved a hand. "Forget it. It's not important right now."
Then he asked aloud, "A projection, huh? So I can observe freely?"
The shadow bobbed in the air, nodding rapidly. Sparks of excitement crackled through its form like stormlight. It looked eager—hungry—for what was to come.
Eli Shan turned slowly. Around him stretched nothing—just darkness. Vast. Infinite. Silent.
There was no battlefield.
Not yet.
And then—something flickered.
A distant light.
No... not light. A figure.
A silhouette, faint at first, emerging from the black like a phantom.
Eli Shan narrowed his eyes. "That... that's not just light. That's the outline of a man."
The silhouette moved closer, its form sharpening into the figure of a perfect man. Gold armor clung to his body, gleaming faintly under light that had no source. In one hand, he held a longsword, and from it pulsed a torrent of sword qi—so immense it slammed into Eli Shan's senses like a tidal wave.
The man didn't speak. Didn't move much. Yet his presence alone was heavy. Dense. As if the void itself bent to accommodate him.
A chill crept down Eli Shan's spine.
This aura... it might even rival—or surpass—two percent of my universe power!
But it wasn't just the power that shook him.
The figure stepped fully into view, and under the flickering aura, his face was revealed.
Eli Shan froze.
His eyes widened.
His heart skipped a beat.
"...Brother Jian Wu?"