The World Trembles

One day passed... and the entire world trembled.

News of the Wu Clan's frenzied assault on the Holy Land of the Immortal River spread across every continent like wildfire. It traveled faster than the wind, and what left the world truly shaken was not merely the fall of the Holy Land of the Immortal Feathers but the name Wu Zhao, once hailed as the number one genius of the world, being dragged down into the dirt by an unnamed disciple of the Holy Land of the Immortal River... and beheaded in front of countless witnesses.

At first, no one dared to believe the rumors. But when images surfaced, accompanied by sound and undeniable remnants of the battlefield, the truth became too clear to deny.

What made the uproar even more explosive was the revelation that Wu Zhao had been cultivating demonic arts, absorbing the cultivation of others. All this while, the Wu Clan had positioned itself as a righteous sect, claiming to uphold justice and purge evil from the world. Now, that carefully maintained façade had been torn away completely.

Condemnations came crashing down on the Wu Clan. Some cursed their name. Others questioned everything they thought they knew. Many were left trembling in fear.

But in the end... all voices were silenced when the Wu Clan began its counterattack. They summoned allies from across the continent, gathered a massive force, and began eradicating every power and faction that refused to submit to them.

They hunted down all who did not kneel under their shadow. Even those unrelated, those who merely stood apart without allegiance, were killed without hesitation.

Blood flowed across the Celestial Jade Continent.

And all of this… led to a clear signal that the world was about to split into two dominant powers.

On one side stood the Wu Clan.

On the other, every faction that refused to become their ally.

The world may have been vast. Countless mighty cultivators may have existed. But the Wu Clan's assault was too fierce, too overwhelming. Especially with seven mysterious young women at the heart of their forces, and an army clad in white armor.

Those seven women... each possessed strength at the peak of the Great Emperor level. Their combat power allowed them to crush ordinary Great Emperors as easily as stepping on brittle straw beneath their feet.

With the strength of those seven women and the white-armored army, the Wu Clan swiftly seized control of over 40% of the Celestial Jade Continent. Including the territories of factions that submitted to them, their total influence now surpassed 70%.

No one had time to prepare. Many factions were either coerced, threatened, or simply erased from existence without a trace. Any force without deep roots in the Upper World either surrendered or was completely annihilated.

And yet, three factions remained unshaken: the Holy Land of the Immortal River, the Myriad Ocean Chamber of Commerce, and the Holy Land of the Immortal Flower.

These three held powerful foundations in the Upper World, and their strength was not something the Wu Clan could ignore. It was not a battle they could charge into without careful planning. The forces under their command remained solid and unmoved, unlike those in the rest of the continent.

But this was only the beginning a world now clearly split into two opposing sides. One side was the hunter. The other, the prey.

However, in this war, no one could yet say for certain… which side was truly the hunter.

In the Holy Land of the Immortal River, atop a high mountain veiled in pale blue mist, the summit where the leader of the sect resided was now filled with the highest-ranking figures. The Ten Peak Lords, the Grand Elders, the Guardian Elders, and the current Holy Son and Holy Daughter were all present.

[Name: Mo Yanshen]

[Age: 18]

[Title: Holy Son of the Holy Land of the Immortal River, ???]

[Realm: Nirvana Stage, Level 3]

[Special Body: Golden Emperor Body (Emperor Level)]

[Potential: 10 Stars]

[Comprehension: 10 Stars]

[Fortune: Red]

[Loyalty: 40]

Mo Yanshen, at the age of eighteen, sat quietly to the right side. His face was refined and handsome, with sharp eyes and thick brows. The energy surrounding him glowed with a faint golden light.

[Name: Lin Suhe]

[Age: 15]

[Identity: Holy Daughter of the Holy Land of the Immortal River]

[Realm: Spirit Foundation Stage, Level 9]

[Special Body: Blood Sea Emperor Body (Emperor Level)]

[Potential: 10 Stars]

[Comprehension: 10 Stars]

[Fortune: Red]

[Loyalty: 55]

Lin Suhe, the 15-year-old Holy Daughter of the sect, had striking crimson eyes. Though her cultivation was merely at the ninth level of the Spirit Foundation Stage, the presence she emitted made it feel as if one were seated across from an ancient beast on the verge of unleashing its fury at any moment.

[Name: Mu Nansi]

[Age: 18]

[Identity: Master of the Holy Land of the Immortal River, Villain of Fate, ???]

[Realm: Great Emperor, Level 9]

[Special Body: ???]

[Potential: 10]

[Comprehension: 10]

[Fortune: Black]

[Loyalty: 78]

Han Ming swept his gaze across the room and let out a quiet sigh. This was probably the second time he had seen both the Holy Son and Holy Daughter gathered in the same place. But what surprised him far more… was Mu Nansi.

She had now become a "Villain of Fate," and her fortune had turned pitch black. Just the day before, she had glowing red fortune and no sign of being labeled as a villain. What in the world had happened in just a single day?

At that moment, Mu Nansi cast a glance toward Han Ming. She could clearly sense that his cultivation had reached Level 9 of the Half-Emperor Realm. Yet, even with her special eyes that could pierce through any illusion, she couldn't see through Han Ming's power at all.

She understood that Han Ming's rise in cultivation came from the pills he consumed, combined with his comprehension that surpassed the limits of this world. Because of that, the impurities within the pills had no effect on him whatsoever. She remembered hearing him explain about impurity elimination just a few days ago, but she could hardly understand it. Even if she could grasp it, there was no way she could replicate it because it required a profound understanding of every part of the human body and countless minute details.

But as she looked deeper into Han Ming's being... her consciousness began to sink, as if drawn into an endless abyss. And it seemed Han Ming realized he was being probed, as he turned to her with a slight smile. Mu Nansi, aware she had been caught, averted her gaze briefly, then regained her composure and spoke in a calm yet firm voice.

"In the past day, I've taken time to reflect on many things that have happened. So today, I have something important to announce to everyone."

All eyes turned to her at once. The meeting hall grew so quiet that even the sound of breath could be heard.

"The Wu Clan... has begun to pressure us more and more. Sui Zimeng has just sealed off all pathways connecting this world to the Upper Realm. That means we can no longer make contact with anyone from above. But it also means Sui Zimeng herself cannot step in to fight here either, since she must maintain the seal."

"I believe... my rival for the position of Holy Daughter of the Immortal River's main branch in the Upper Realm... she wants me dead in this world. It's likely that she made some kind of agreement with Sui Zimeng. They won't attack us directly, but they'll move under the name of the Wu Clan instead. However, they probably won't make a move just yet because the Secret Herb Realm is about to open."

"Of course, as usual, we won't be invited to participate. But we'll go anyway. If the other side obtains all the high-grade herbs, they could cultivate several more emperors, and we won't stand a chance anymore. Even if we awaken all five of our supreme ancestors from their coffins, it still won't be enough."

Her voice grew colder with each word, as tension filled the room. Mu Nansi swept her gaze around the table, then curved her lips into a faint smile.

"Honestly, I didn't want to say this out loud... but in the sect right now, there's a traitor. Don't you think?"

Crack...

It sounded as if something had fractured in the heart of the chamber. Every gaze shifted, side to side, eyes quietly observing each other in a silence so oppressive it felt like a mountain pressing on their chests.

Then suddenly, Mu Nansi let out a soft laugh and waved her hand through the air casually.

"Just kidding. Just kidding~"

…

The tension in the room eased slightly, but not a single person laughed. Because everyone knew... when Mu Nansi said "just kidding," it never actually meant she was joking.

It was a warning.

Mu Nansi held her smile for a moment before speaking in a calm voice laced with razor-sharp pressure.

"Then I'll leave the matter of the Secret Herb Realm to the number one idiot, Ji Yiren, and the number two idiot, Mo Yanshen."

Mo Yanshen tried to say something, but before a single word could escape his lips, his body jolted.

Shhk!

"Arghhhhh!"

A clear water bullet pierced through his throat in the blink of an eye. Scarlet blood sprayed across the floor as his body collapsed, writhing in agony. All the while, Mu Nansi continued smiling, her expression unchanged.

"This is an order... not a request."

Her voice was so cold that even some of the elders shivered. No one dared to move a muscle.

"Sending a spy from the enemy is still better than sending one of our own to die, don't you think... Sister Ji Yiren?"

She turned her gaze directly to the woman seated across from her and continued at an unhurried pace.

"I don't really ask for much. Just bring me a single first-grade herb. Consider it a gift... for the years of trust you've received until now. What do you say?"

Ji Yiren fell silent. Her expression was flat and unreadable, but a flicker in her eyes betrayed a shift. She turned to meet Mu Nansi's ever-smiling face, and a pang of guilt flooded her heart.

Just then, Mu Nansi's eyes turned a brilliant, icy blue... so clear yet utterly terrifying.

Ji Yiren clenched her fists tightly before murmuring,

"I'm sorry... but my disciple's family, they were..."

Before Ji Yiren could finish her sentence, Mu Nansi let out a soft laugh, her voice teasing yet laced with an unmistakable edge. The smile on her face never wavered.

"What a wonderful master you are, truly."

"Honestly, I didn't want to say this. But for the sake of a newly accepted disciple—someone who's only been here a few days—you'd go so far as to... betray me for them?"

"Have you already forgotten who pulled you out of that engagement with that old man from the Wu Clan? Or who it was that revived your broken body when no one else could? Who cured your eldest disciple of that incurable illness? Who sent someone to cancel your second disciple's engagement with Wu Zhao!??…"

"It was me!... It was me who did all of that!! I was the one who helped you through everything... and this?! This is how you repay me!?"

Her voice grew heavier with each word. Though the smile on her face remained, every word was a dagger stabbing directly into Ji Yiren's heart.

"Everything I've done for you over the years... it's all meaningless now? All because of one boy who just walked into our sect a few days ago? Answer me!!"

Silence.

…..

…..

Mu Nansi's voice suddenly snapped like a whip.

"Must be itching real bad, huh!!?"

Her words echoed thunderously through the grand hall, and a terrifying aura surged from her body, causing the very ground beneath her feet to tremble.

No one dared move. No one even dared to breathe too loudly. Every gaze turned to Ji Yiren, waiting to see how she would respond.

No one even spared a glance at Mo Yanshen, who continued to writhe on the ground in agony, completely forgotten amidst the storm.