Return

Han Ming stepped forward, his gaze calm as he looked upon the battered and broken figure of Feng Huangjun, whose body seemed ready to collapse at any moment.

"Our fifth junior disciple has arrived, it seems," Rong Lixian murmured gently from the flying ship, her face filled with understanding. She, too, had once been in the same place.

At that moment, Jin Tian, who had been meditating, opened his eyes and looked downward with interest. He was the only one among the eight specially tested by Han Ming, yet he had failed. The memory of the test had even been erased from his mind.

He had once asked Hao Yang, Su Baining, and Rong Lixian what Han Ming's test had been like, but they had only replied:

"If you pass, you'll understand."

None of them said anything more. But Jin Tian could clearly feel it Han Ming's disciples weren't just talented. It was as if they were forged solely to become Great Emperors. The aura they released was different.

Even though their cultivation realms weren't significantly higher than others, the pressure they emitted and the latent power within their bodies far surpassed that of ordinary prodigies.

Back on the ground, Han Ming walked closer to Feng Huangjun, the youth gasping for air as if he had no strength left to keep living.

"Do you still wish to live?" Han Ming's voice was calm and unwavering.

Feng Huangjun slowly raised his head. His lifeless eyes looked up at the man standing before him, confused.

"My life… no longer holds any value… do you intend to kill me too?" His voice was filled with despair.

Han Ming gave a faint smile. "No… I want to give you a chance."

He handed Feng Huangjun a basic healing pill. Instantly, his wounds and injuries vanished. The body that had been on the verge of collapse now recovered slightly. But even so, his eyes remained empty.

Han Ming gazed at him and asked once more in a quiet voice, "Do you still wish to fight?"

Feng Huangjun lifted his head. His eyes held not a trace of hope, but his voice carried an unshakable determination.

"My body tells me to stop… but my heart still wants to fight. I still want to grow stronger. I want to destroy those traitors."

Han Ming gave another faint smile. "Then I'll give you that chance."

In an instant, a golden formation enveloped Feng Huangjun's body. A warm light spread throughout the area. Han Ming's three disciples watched the scene with familiarity from the ship.

Princess Zhao Yueling, standing beside Jin Tian, couldn't help but ask, "Brother Jin Tian, have you gone through that test before? What is it like?"

Jin Tian shook his head gently. "Apologies. The content of the test seems to be a secret… but I failed."

His answer only deepened the curiosity of the other seven. They turned to look at Han Ming's core disciples, but the three of them merely smiled and gave the same reply:

"If you pass, you'll understand naturally."

Moments later, Feng Huangjun emerged from the golden formation. His eyes sparkled as if he had been reborn. Everyone below looked stunned before breaking into smiles of joy and congratulating him.

"Disciple pays respects to Master."

[Congratulations to the Host for acquiring your fifth disciple! You have received 1 Disciple Recruitment Gift Box.]

Han Ming steered the flying ship downward, no longer in the mood to search for more disciples. There was something urgent he had to return to. "Let's go," he said simply.

In an instant, the ship descended smoothly, and as everyone disembarked, Han Ming stored the vessel back into his spatial ring. He then took out a talisman and said, "I'll activate a teleportation seal to return us to the Holy Land of the Immortal River. You might feel a bit dizzy."

Upon hearing that, everyone braced themselves for any possible discomfort. Han Ming gave a faint smile, then tore the talisman.

A brilliant light engulfed the area, and in the blink of an eye, all thirteen of them vanished from the spot.

In the Holy Land of the Immortal River, at the Tower of Spatial Gates....

This was a heavily guarded location, with one hundred Saint Emperor-level elders stationed in rotating shifts to protect the gateways in and out of the Holy Land.

At that moment, the teleportation formation on the eighth floor activated. A radiant light surged as thirteen figures emerged, led by Han Ming.

The elders present immediately bowed upon seeing him.

"Greetings, Grandmaster of Han Peak!"

Han Ming merely waved a hand, his voice calm. "Relax."

The twelve disciples behind Han Ming all felt the overwhelming pressure radiating from the middle-aged men before them. Though most of them couldn't determine their exact cultivation levels, they knew without a doubt that each one was a supreme expert.

Even Jin Tian, usually composed, was stunned within.

"The aura of the Holy Land of the Immortal River… it's far denser than what I remember from ten thousand years ago. They've grown even stronger."

He glanced around and noticed that in addition to the hundred Saint Emperors guarding the tower, there was also someone present who had reached the Half-Emperor realm.

As Jin Tian took all of this in, a thought flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity.

"They called Han Ming… Grandmaster of Han Peak?"

Though questions swirled in his mind, he chose to remain silent.

At that moment, Han Ming turned and issued a command to one of the elders. "Take these twelve to get registered."

"Understood!"

The elders swiftly led Han Ming's disciples away. Meanwhile, Han Ming walked toward the tower's main entrance. There, an old man was lying down asleep. His expression was stern, yet his presence radiated immense strength.

Han Ming came to a stop and spoke with a faint smile.

"What's the matter, Old Man Qi? Are you asleep or dead?"

The old man opened his eyes. His gaze was sharp, as though it could pierce through all creation.

He was Qi Lankong, the Guardian Elder of the Holy Land of the Immortal River.

Qi Lankong looked at Han Ming and chuckled as he replied, "Hmph, that sharp tongue of yours hasn't changed one bit. I've still got tens of thousands of years left in me, brat."

Han Ming smiled faintly and opened his spatial ring, taking out a jade bottle and handing it to the old man. "Then how about I give you another million years on top of that?"

Qi Lankong accepted the bottle with a half-suspicious glance. ""So you're using me as a drug test rat again, right?"

Han Ming laughed. "Not this time. Think of it as repayment for all the test trials you've helped me with."

Qi Lankong furrowed his brows slightly but uncorked the bottle without hesitation. The moment it opened, a sweet fragrance spread through the air, and a wave of Emperor-level aura burst forth, shaking the surroundings.

"This is…" Qi Lankong's eyes widened. "An Emperor-grade Heaven-Ascending Pill? Brat… don't tell me you've already become an Emperor-level alchemist?"

Han Ming smiled. "Almost, but not quite. Unfortunately, this pill isn't mine. I stumbled upon it in a hidden realm while out searching for disciples."

Qi Lankong let out a hearty laugh that echoed across the entire area. "Hahaha! Brat, you've done well! At this point, you can go anywhere you want in the Jade Heaven Continent. If anything ever happens, come straight to me. Even if you die, I'll drag your soul back from the Spirit Realm myself!"

Han Ming laughed too. "Why would you say something so ominous?"

As they spoke, the twelve disciples who had just completed their registration returned. All of them looked at Han Ming with deep respect in their eyes.

Qi Lankong turned his gaze toward Han Ming's disciples and nodded. "Each one of them is exceptional. Your eye for talent is as sharp as ever. And you've even brought back Brother Jin Tian… well then, I'm heading to the Emperor Ascension Arena. Care to come watch?"

Han Ming nodded. "Of course. Bring all my disciples too."

Jin Tian smiled slightly, 10,000 years ago, he had also known Qi Lankong, and he was quite close to the people in the Immortal Water Holy Land, he was not surprised that Qi Lankong would recognize him immediately, since he did not hide anything either, after all, there was nothing that could hide the identity of a Qi Gathering Cultivator from the Half Emperor.

The other disciples, however, were left puzzled as to why this powerful elder would speak to Jin Tian with such respect.

Qi Lankong smiled, then with a single wave of his hand, the figures of Han Ming and his twelve disciples vanished in an instant.

In the Emperor Ascension Arena of the Holy Land of the Immortal River...

When they reappeared, what stretched out before them was a vast and majestic arena. The training grounds were filled with pure spiritual energy, and the entire area radiated with immense power. All around the arena were countless seats, and many disciples and elders were already present, watching cultivators attempt their breakthroughs.

Qi Lankong stepped forward and declared in a thunderous voice, "Where is the core elder? Open the Emperor Ascension Platform for me at once!"