Smile

Smile...

Atop a desolate mountain peak, the young man's pristine white robes bore the crimson stain of battle. The frigid depths of his eyes radiated a bone-chilling coldness, causing the temperature around him to plummet.

The chosen ones from Xuan King City would just have to bide their time, waiting for his return.

His figure flickered as he cradled Little Rascal, signaling their departure from this inhospitable terrain.

It was abundantly clear that this place was no longer suitable for them to linger. With Purgatory coursing through his veins, it could rest and cultivate within him.

Qin Wentian couldn't fathom why his ancestral demon blood had suddenly unveiled a new ability. Perhaps this newfound power had awakened when he absorbed the blood of an immortal from the hidden realm's blood pool. The Immortal Vanquishing Swordplay had consumed the lion's share of the blood, leaving only an excess portion for him, thereby advancing his Mandate of Demons insight to the Transformation Boundary of the second level at an astonishing pace.

Bending his head to gaze at the wounded Little Rascal nestled in his arms, he was met with the sight of the snowy puppy looking up at him, its voice almost human-like as it uttered, "Lit...tle... Ras...cal...!"

"Indeed, Little Rascal." Hearing this response, a gentle smile graced Qin Wentian's face as he affectionately stroked the pup's head.

"No... like...!" Little Rascal shook its head in an adorable manner, using human speech to convey its displeasure with the name Qin Wentian had chosen.

"Hahaha, I've been calling you that for so long that it's become a habit." Qin Wentian playfully tapped Little Rascal's head, causing the small pup to pout. Its bright eyes betrayed a hint of grievance. Since gaining the ability to speak, Little Rascal had been acquiring more and more human-like traits.

Together, they soared through the skies, leaving behind the desolation of their previous surroundings and delving deeper into the heart of the Heavenly Mountain's rugged peaks.

Meanwhile, in Xuan King City, numerous rumors swirled through the air. During the Treasure Seizing Assembly, a young man with the surname Qin had made waves. He had not only seized Shang Yue's spatial brush but also subjected Yin Cheng and Jin Zhang to humiliation. This young man's arrogance knew no bounds. And to top it off, he had defeated Grandmaster Qiu, dispatching him with divine inscriptions.

That wasn't all; there were whispers of a hidden realm's discovery. It was rumored to be the resting place of a legendary figure, housing a Celestial Constellation Tree. This discovery had triggered a fierce battle among the city's young geniuses. However, the young man named Qin had emerged victorious, fending off multiple experts and securing over half of the constellation fruits before narrowly escaping the combined onslaught of demon-level geniuses.

What made this all the more astonishing was the fact that this young man's cultivation base was merely at the third level of Heavenly Dipper.

In response to his exploits, the Wind Roc Aristocrat Clan deployed their ten-thousand-mile tracking mirror, and the Yin Clan unleashed their formidable sealing treasure, attempting to trace the elusive young man in white. But they had been met with defeat, forced to retreat with grievous injuries. Even two experts of the seventh to ninth level of Heavenly Dipper had met their end. The exact details of the battle remained shrouded in mystery, but the young man in white had acquired an almost legendary status, as if he were an enigmatic, three-headed, six-armed being.

Little did they know that the young man in white was presently deep within the Heavenly Mountain's rugged expanse.

In the heart of the mountain range, an eerie spectacle unfolded. Qin Wentian perched atop a lofty peak, his gaze fixed firmly on the horizon. There, an endless sea of snowflakes drifted, blanketing the mountain range in an icy shroud, emanating an exceptionally bone-chilling aura.

The environment around him appeared to be divided into two distinct realms. In the distance lay a world blanketed in a pristine expanse of ice and snow, while the space he currently occupied showed no signs of snowfall whatsoever.

Seated cross-legged, Qin Wentian held two celestial fruits in his hands. One was a heart-pounding, dark-red fruit, and the other was the Earth Mandate Fruit.

He refrained from consuming them directly. These Mandate Fruits emanated fluctuations corresponding to the wills of Mandate, serving as excellent materials for gaining insights by meditating on these aura fluctuations. While it was true that consuming them directly would provide a one-time miraculous effect, aiding in Mandate improvement, there would be nothing left afterward. These celestial fruits would prove most effective if ingested at the right moments.

Qin Wentian sat in profound silence, clutching the fruits. His heart raced with a frenzied intensity, yet a potent rhythm coursed through him. Every heartbeat made him feel as though every cell in his body moved in synchronized harmony.

As for the Earth Mandate Fruit, it heightened his ability to perceive the Earth's pulsations. It was as though his heartbeat resonated with the very pulse of the Earth, pulsing with its power.

Qin Wentian soon entered a state of deep immersion, fully concentrating on the pulsating energy. Following the Earth's heartbeat, his awareness extended ceaselessly.

Gradually, his heart rate slowed, aligning itself with the rhythmic throbbing of the Earth's pulse.

It felt as if he had become one with the Earth itself. His mind and heart merged seamlessly with the Earth.

As Qin Wentian's cultivation advanced, he could grasp insights into the Mandate of Great Earth. However, due to the absence of an earth-type astral soul, he couldn't condense an astral nova of this attribute. Even if he comprehended it, the strength he gained would be significantly weaker compared to his own Mandates, requiring a longer period of time for comprehension.

Currently, he employed the Mandate Fruits to enter this wondrous state, allowing him to understand Mandates distinct from his Astral Souls.

As time passed, Qin Wentian's heartbeat slowed to the point where it seemed almost still.

"Hu..." He exhaled, opening his eyes. A sense of revitalization washed over him after the session. This sensation was extraordinary, the feeling of complete immersion, grasping the insights of the Mandate of Great Earth, as if he were one with the Earth itself.

"It's time for my Mandate of Force to break through." Qin Wentian stood up and moved to a snowy mountain's face. His Mandate of Force enveloped his fist as he slowly thrust it into the mountain. A tremendous surge of power radiated from his fist, causing the entire mountain to shudder. Cracks resembling a spider's web appeared on the surface.

"Shatter." Qin Wentian withdrew his fist, and a deafening roar filled the air. The mountain wall before him crumbled to dust in an instant.

A faint smile graced Qin Wentian's lips as he mused, "The Mandate of Force bears a striking resemblance to the Mandate of Great Earth. The second-level insight I've gained for my Mandate of Force, Void Vibration, it's essentially a form of pulsating energy that generates vibrational shockwaves, isn't it? Finally, my Mandate of Force has broken through to the Transformation Boundary of the second-level insight."

At this point, of his four Mandates—Force, Demons, Swords—they had all reached the Transformation Boundary of the second-level insights. As for his Mandate of Dreams, with the Great Dream Immortal Art at his disposal for study and reference, he sensed that it wouldn't be long before it also broke through. Soon enough, all four of his Mandates would achieve the second-level insights.

Snowflakes continued to fall around him as each of Qin Wentian's halberd strikes carried the full extent of his strength.

When Qin Wentian first embarked on his cultivation journey, he delved into the principles behind the Tempered Thousand-Hammer Refinement Technique. It was a well-known fact that any innate technique, when practiced tirelessly, would eventually lead to a profound understanding of its essence.

Currently, he possessed knowledge of numerous innate techniques. Yet, it proved exceedingly challenging to seamlessly merge their essences into one cohesive whole. Take, for instance, his halberd arts; previously, he had crafted some formidable techniques suited to his style. But in his present circumstances, these techniques lacked the power required to contend with Heavenly Dipper Realm experts. However, if he could infuse his Mandate will completely into them, his attacks would gain an astronomical boost in strength, perhaps tenfold or even a hundredfold.

But achieving such a complete infusion of Mandate power wasn't a straightforward task. He needed to create new, more potent techniques. And in the realm of creation, it meant relentless experimentation to determine the possibility of success.

The snowfall brought an arctic chill, yet the young man pressed on as if impervious to fatigue. Clad in a thin white robe, he relentlessly executed strike after strike, relentlessly pursuing perfection.

One day passed.

Seven days elapsed.

In the blink of an eye, nine days had come and gone. The white-robed young man remained deeply engrossed in his world. He had lost count of the number of halberd strikes he had unleashed. But by now, he could attack with his halberd, leaving no trace of his presence. His strikes were eerily silent, devoid of any sound. Such was the speed of his attacks that they transcended the limits of sound—the sound of the halberd's strike would only resonate after the attack had already landed.

The figure of the young man in white flickered, his eyes locked on the snowy mountain ahead. Stepping forward, he swung his halberd, unleashing a force that resembled a rampaging dragon, engulfing the entire mountain.

The halberd struck the ground, yet it produced no sound. Subsequently, the snow-covered mountain before him began to crumble, inch by inch, as his force penetrated its interior. The earth-shaking rumbling echoed, and after some time, the entire mountain succumbed, reduced to dust.

"Not strong enough yet. The ultimate state of my void vibrational shockwaves should merge seamlessly with the great earth's pulsations, instantly obliterating this mountain with a single strike," Qin Wentian muttered, his brow furrowing in dissatisfaction. With that, he swung his scarlet demon halberd once more and again.

Time flowed on, and another seven days passed.

On the snowy ground, Little Rascal lounged lazily, its white fur blending perfectly with the snow.

Behind them, atop a snowy peak, a maiden untainted by earthly concerns appeared silently, her gaze fixed on the white-clad young man honing his halberd skills.

A few hours later, the young man in white came to a halt once again, but this time, a faint smile played on his lips.

"My Mandate of Dreams has finally reached the Transformation Boundary of the second-level insight," Qin Wentian declared with a chuckle. "Now, all four of my Mandates have attained the Transformation Boundary. If I were to encounter the six chosen again, I'm highly confident that I could take them all on, despite their numerical advantage."

It was worth noting that just a few days ago, when he faced off against the six chosen, his most potent assets were his sword and the Seven Annihilations Swordplay. At that time, only his Mandate of Swords had reached the second-level insight of the Transformation Boundary.

In a sudden rush of awareness, Qin Wentian turned his gaze toward the silhouette perched atop the snowy peak. His eyes lit up with joy upon seeing who it was.

"Qing`er!"

Without hesitation, Qin Wentian's figure flickered, and in an instant, he was standing beside Qing`er on the mountain peak. Her eyes, as cold and enigmatic as ever, held an intelligence that seemed to peer into his very soul. She wasn't one to waste words.

"These two constellation fruits are Space Mandate Fruits; they should be useful to you," Qin Wentian offered, extending the fruits toward her. However, Qing`er merely glanced at him, displaying no immediate interest in taking them.

"Qing`er, please take them," Qin Wentian insisted.

"Very well," Qing`er finally responded, her outstretched hand accepting the Space Mandate Fruits. Her expression remained unreadable, leaving her thoughts a mystery.

"I'll be on my way now," Qin Wentian said as he turned, descending from the mountain and venturing across the icy, snow-covered landscape.

Watching his departing figure, Qing`er's countenance underwent a remarkable transformation. Her lips curled into a gentle, sweet smile. This smile was laden with emotions so profound that it seemed capable of thawing all the ice and snow in the world.