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"My… Your Majesty, why have you brought us here?" Xia Wen probed nervously, a bad premonition welling up inside him.

"You're now my guests, are you not? This is my home, and from now on, it'll be your home too."

"What do you—"

WHOOOSH!

A massive wave of energy suddenly washed over the Aquafire Supreme and the millions of soldier cultivators that came with him.

Under the influence of this energy, the minds of everyone from the Aquafire Empire were branded. These brands, impossible to break by anyone below the Dantian Formation Realm, were spiritually infused and made all of whom were branded little more than obedient slaves.

However, for the brand's effects to completely go through, there had to be no resistance on the end of the one being branded.

"You resist, you die."

That was the ultimatum Jin gave to the Aquafire Supreme and the Aquafire Army.

It wasn't too much of a surprise what they all chose…

After confirming that every single one of them was under his control, Jin walked up to the terrified Xia Wen.

Laying a single hand on the Martial Supreme's shoulder, Jin said, "Even though you're only a Martial Supreme now, if you prove your worth, I can guide you toward a higher Realm."

"!??"

"'Only' a Martial Supreme?? It can't be… Have you—!?"

Jin put a finger up to his own lips. "Don't ask questions above your paygrade. Just nod if you agree to working for an opportunity to advance."

Xia Wen nodded. A million times, he nodded!

If what the Martial Dao Emperor was saying was true, then there was a Realm above the Martial Supreme Realm! He would be a fool not to grab onto this thick thigh!

"Good, then from now on, you'll be the Grand Chancellor of the Martial Dao Empire, equal in standing to my personal attendant," Jin said.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Xia Wen cupped his hands, his excitement hard to contain.

"Xiao Han," Jin called out.

FWIP!

"Yes, Lord Sovereign?" A well-dressed figure appeared, as respectful as ever.

"Take our new friends here and get them accustomed to the Empire and how we do things around here," ordered Jin, causing astonishment to filter through his attendant's expression as he observed the vast army spread out before him.

'So this is why I was commanded to block out all information from the west of the Continent to here…'

Around half a month ago, Jin sent a message to Xiao Han, demanding that the flow of information originating from the west be cut off for a while. Xiao Han was confused by the order but followed it nonetheless.

Never would he have expected that order to be given for the sake of assimilating the whole Aquafire Army though…

And the old man at the forefront of the army; his presence was oppressively powerful!

'C-Could he be the rumored Martial Supreme??' Xiao Han looked between Xia Wen and Jin, quickly connecting the dots together. 'Then that means the Lord Sovereign is already…'

Strength talked the loudest in every world.

If Jin managed to reign in the Aquafire Martial Supreme, then he too must be a Martial Supreme, and an even stronger one than Xia Wen.

Absolutely unbelievable.

…

23 years later.

Five years ago, Jin had already achieved the Peak Dantian Formation Realm. Since then, he had been trying to chart out an even higher Realm for himself and the Martial Dao Evolutionary Path, but to no avail.

Perhaps if he had more time left in the World of Huaxia, he could better understand what came next in this path he was carving out for himself. But unfortunately, the 30-year deadline on residency time was rapidly approaching; it was impossible to go any further.

All techniques, every mystery, and just about everything the couple-thousand-mile-wide world had to offer had been assimilated by Jin and Against-Heaven's Understanding. However, with the previous worldly limit being the Martial Supreme Realm before he came along, it was already a divine miracle that he could break through to the Dantian Formation Realm, let alone figure out what lay beyond it.

"It's unfortunate, really, as even while relying solely on myself, I still would have reached a higher Realm if given enough time," Jin sighed, his youthful appearance still present.

Looking out the bedroom window of his renamed Martial Dao Palace, Jin observed a boundless world currently on the rise. His Empire was expanding at a very fast rate, with the whole world unified and at peace.

Whether it be the Aquafire Empire or any other major world force, all bent the knee to the Martial Dao Empire. They even converted over from their inferior practice of the old cultivation system to the superior Martial Dao Path, paving the way for future generations that would experience first-hand how much better the Martial Dao Path was.

Jin successfully left his mark in Huaxia—a mark that would likely never fade away.

"Lord Sovereign, the information you wanted on the previous Thousand Rivers Sect Leader has arrived!"

"Master?"

Xiao Han, with Jin's permission, came in and informed him of recent developments involving Li Que.

Some years ago, he finished his decade-long seclusion, emerging as a reborn individual in the Martial Supreme Realm. And though he ultimately learned that he was neither the first nor the second Martial Supreme of the current era, the blow still wasn't as hard on him as Jin originally assumed it would be.

For the following decade, Li Que, under Jin's subtle guidance, converted from the Inferior Path to the Martial Dao Evolutionary Path.

Fortunately, Li Que had already become a Martial Supreme, else it would've required at least ten times the duration to recultivate from the beginning back up to the Martial Supreme Realm.

Nevertheless, from upwards of a decade's worth of recultivation, Li Que attained a Martial Supreme Realm at least five times better than his first time achieving the Realm. Now, with his continued resolve in cultivation, he was well on his way to the Middle Martial Supreme Realm.

This was the same goal as Xia Wen, the Grand Chancellor, as they were both racing toward the Middle Martial Supreme Realm.

Jin pointed them in the direction they needed to go; they simply had to reach out and grab their destiny for themselves.

It was unknown if they'd ever touch upon the Dantian Formation Realm, or if they'd die of lack of lifespan first, but only time would tell.

"Copies of my insights into the Martial Dao Path have been spread all around the world. A feat that came just in time for my departure from this world."

Jin only had a few more months left in his stay, but he was glad the spread of the Martial Dao Path met his expectations.

As for why he was so pleased:

One: The propagation of the Martial Dao Path ensured that Jin and his pioneering would be remembered and revered for thousands of years to come.

Secondly: As the Founder of the Martial Dao Path, Jin possessed a deep connection with it that couldn't be properly explained in words. This connection, which allowed him to glean into the insights that every follower had with the Martial Dao, would generate untold benefits for him in the close and distant future.

That connection wasn't merely limited to just Huaxia either, as similar to the Myriad Worlds Door, the connection was burrowed in his consciousness and true self. It couldn't be discerned by anyone other than himself, and would only cease to be when everyone, including himself, stopped practicing the Martial Dao Path.

"I've accomplished everything I've wanted to do in this world. It's about time I tie things up in a nice bow."

For the next few months, Jin retraced the steps he took in Huaxia.

He had his last conversations with his Master, the young genius grandson of Xia Wen, Xia Wen himself, and every other notable person he encountered during his long 30-year adventure.

Until eventually… he found himself back where it all began.

In that empty courtyard in the Yang Sect.

In that shabby hut hidden inside the Great Yang Forest.

While sitting on a cracked bed, similar to the one he had in District F-73, Jin's thoughts stirred with a mix of the past, the present, and the future.

'That childhood sweetheart of yours has already married, bearing three children. Can you believe that?'

'And what of the 4th Yang Sect Leader's fate, dying eight years ago to a rogue Magic Beast attack.'

'Even the ring powerhouse sealed in your keepsake ended up having evil intentions, having planned to guide you and then seize your body for himself.'

'Life is often full of twists and turns…'

For a while, the shabby cabin was engulfed in silence.

Yang Kai's body gradually sank into the soft, fertile soil that lay beneath the shabby cabin… until just as quietly as he arrived, he left this world in silence.