The Abrupt Parting

The Southern Wastes and the Tianluo Kingdom each spanned tens of thousands of li, and together with two other kingdoms of no smaller size, they formed the entire southern region of the Eternal Continent. But compared to the true heart of the continent, they were trivial—the Central Plains were vast and boundless, the real center of the whole land.

To the north of the Central Plains lay the legendary Ancient-God Wasteland. No one knew how far it stretched, for those who entered never returned alive. To the west lay the unbroken Million Bronze Mountains, where legends said the Ancestral God Fuxi made his home—immense and without end. And to the east, the Central Plains bordered the Han Sea, its vast Eastern Sea waves stretching without horizon. It was said that even gods could not cross it.

Most terrifying of all was that all this was known territory. Beyond the Ancient-God Wasteland in the far north, beyond the Million Bronze Mountains in the far west, beyond the Eastern Sea's farthest waves, and beyond the countless desolate islands in the far south—what unknown worlds lay there? None could say. Legend had it that even Heavenly Gods found it nearly impossible to enter those uncharted realms.

One could not help but marvel: the Eternal Continent was boundless, its territory without limit. An ordinary person could never travel it all in a lifetime. How many times larger it was than the Mortal World!

Over the past three days, Xiao Chen had fully exploited his resources, using the great families that sought to win his favor to investigate the major threats outside Heavenly Emperor City. Those who wanted to kill Keke were Tiger Servant and Tiger Attendant. They were waiting for a formidable figure named Hu Lie before daring to appear before Long Teng.

It was said they came from an exceedingly ancient family, their bodies flowing with the blood of the White Tiger lineage. Even in the boundless Central Plains, this family was a force of unfathomable power. But what was most terrifying was that they were extremely secretive; very few knew exactly where in the Central Plains they dwelt. This time, Tiger Servant and Tiger Attendant had brought a white tiger cub to the Southern Wastes, not specifically for the Beast-Fighting Tournament—they had merely chanced upon it. They never expected the cub to die here, and their fury was immense.

Tiger Servant had wanted to kill Keke herself, but the old woman had already made a spectacle at the Xuanhuang Arena. Tiger Attendant had wanted to act, but was driven back by Long Teng. When they learned that their family's expert, Hu Lie, had arrived in the Tianluo Kingdom from the Central Plains, they immediately sent for reinforcements. It was expected that Hu Lie would arrive within the next few days.

Such a marriage—Xiao Chen did not want it, could not accept it. The great families had no good among them; he could use them, borrow their momentum. But marriage was a lifetime affair. He did not want to be a fraud in this matter.

But Liu Qingfeng of the Undying Sect gave him no chance to explain. The Hai family simply refused to believe him. Xiao Chen did not want to speak plainly, for those were his trump cards—how could he reveal them all?

What frustrated Xiao Chen most was that Long Teng truly acted like an elder, showing him every kindness, inviting him to drink four times in three days. He was clearly sending the wrong signals to the great families.

Xiao Chen thought he might have guessed Long Teng's intention. Thirty years ago, Long Teng had clashed with the young masters of several great families and had nearly died at the hands of their elder experts. Now, by showing favor to Xiao Chen, he was clearly setting a trap for these families. And Xiao Chen was the bait.

He was a great bubble—a man with no real backing, inflated by rumor. If these great families placed their bets on him, they would end up with empty dreams, a colossal joke. "I'm a pit," Xiao Chen said to himself with a bitter smile.

Three days passed in a flash. Long Teng visited Xiao Chen's residence again. The result was predictable: Keke and the Little Defiant Dragon flatly ignored him. "Haha, I'll give you more time to think it over. That fellow Hu Lie is greedy; he's hunting for treasure in the Tianluo Kingdom, trying to break into that celestial palace. He won't be coming anytime soon."

Another week slipped by. Almost everyone knew that the Hai family was about to marry off their daughter. They were creating a fait accompli. The Undying Sect was equally adamant, denouncing the matter harshly. The other great families made their moves—some fanned the flames, others secretly contacted Xiao Chen.

In recent days, Fatty Zhuge and Hai Yuntian had been visiting more frequently, but Xiao Chen felt uneasy. Such goal-driven interactions could easily shatter the fragile friendships just beginning to form. Fatty Zhuge visited nearly three times a day. "Hey, brother, help me out here. If I can get a connection with that old master deep in the Southern Wastes, I might even sit in the family head's seat! Or at least introduce me to Senior Long Teng—my family head wants to invite him to a banquet."

Even the Reigen family kept sending people to talk with Xiao Chen, saying that all previous misunderstandings were behind them and that they would help with whatever he needed in the future. They even subtly inquired whether he might want to take a concubine.

Xiao Chen found it all absurd. These days felt like a farce—it could actually happen... it was actually happening! If you had an invincible strongman at your back, you could save yourself centuries of struggle. The ugly side of human nature was laid bare without restraint.

Half a month—neither long nor short—was nearly over. Xiao Chen would never agree to such a preposterous marriage; he found it utterly absurd and inexplicable. But then Long Teng made his move. He sealed Xiao Chen's acupoints and accepted the Hai family's proposal on his behalf, even declaring that he would attend the wedding ceremony. The news shook the great families. Long Teng would appear at the wedding—did this mean the Hai family was about to be raised up? The power deep in the Southern Wastes had been too low-key for years; perhaps it was about to act.

This only made the great families more anxious, each trying to connect with the Southern Wastes forces through Xiao Chen. In the Undying Sect, Liu Qingfeng flew into a rage, making his disciples tremble in fear, but Yan Qingcheng remained stubbornly unyielding. "Is Xiao Chen not good enough for you? He is on the brink of claiming the position of the Southern Wastes' strongest youth! Why won't you agree?" "Master... you were not like this before..." Yan Qingcheng's jade-like face was streaked with tears. "I already compromised once. From now on, I swear I will never compromise again, even if I die! I admit his future is bright, but there is truly no affection between us right now. Such things cannot be forced."

In the Hai family's rear garden, Hai Yuntian sighed softly to his elder sister Hai Yunxue, who was admiring the flowers. "Sister, you really didn't need to act. Yan Qingcheng has no intention of competing with you." "Boring. I thought there would be a rival." Hai Yunxue's smile was cold. Hai Yuntian said, "I never expected Xiao Chen to oppose the marriage, and in the end, Long Teng had to bind him with force, or he might have refused outright." Hai Yunxue said coldly, "If he weren't connected to the dragon race, why would I consent to marry him? My heart lies in the Central Plains!" Her temperament was usually warm and gentle, but now she was cold and proud, and her beauty was even more striking.

The Hai family's cultivation technique was known as the Lotus Canon. Both men and women who practiced it became exceptionally handsome and beautiful; it was a demonic art of extraordinary power. In a sense, the Hai family had no ugly members. The technique had a flaw: progress was slow during the Mortal-Shedding realm, but once one broke into the Spirit-Treasury realm, it surged ahead. It was indeed a heavenly scripture of great merit. Few knew that Hai Yunxue had recently broken through to the Ninth Heaven of Mortal-Shedding—she had hidden it well. Once she stepped into the Spirit-Treasury realm, her achievements would be boundless.

In the Mortal World, a fragmented version of this technique circulated, always kept in the royal palace, a secret transmitted among the eunuchs. It was called the Sunflower Canon. The incomplete version's power was not inferior to the true Lotus Canon; in fact, its cultivation speed was even faster in the early stages. But the price was too great: if you wished to cultivate the divine art, you must first castrate yourself.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. The wedding day had arrived. The Hai family sent out invitations far and wide, creating a grand spectacle that was the talk of Heavenly Emperor City.

But at that moment, a change occurred at Xiao Chen's residence. Long Teng laughed loudly, "All right, no more games with those families. Boring!" With that, he struck. He not only immobilized Xiao Chen but also bound Keke, the Little Defiant Dragon, and the Cyan Dragon King in a patch of darkness. His power was so profound that even Keke's rainbow light was suppressed, unable to break free.

Long Teng's aura transformed completely. His eyes turned ice-cold, like frost in the dead of winter. He said grimly to Keke and the Little Defiant Dragon, "The old one asked me to teach you your first lesson: to mercilessly sever your ties with him!" He drew a long sword and laid it against Xiao Chen's neck, continuing, "If you want to achieve greatness, ruthlessness is essential. Who is he? He is only a human. He wants to be your master, to enslave you for life. Cut him off, and you will restore your natural instincts, free from all fetters. As long as he exists, you will never fully unleash your potential!"

Keke and the Little Defiant Dragon could not move but could still roar in fury. The Cyan Dragon King also let out a thunderous cry that shook the heavens. "Enough. I am not so cold-blooded as to make you kill him with your own hands." Long Teng's icy gaze gradually softened. "Do not worry—I will not kill him either. I will leave him here in Heavenly Emperor City to fend for himself."

With those words, Long Teng transformed into a patch of black mist, wrapping up Keke and the two dragon kings, and shot into the sky. Many in Heavenly Emperor City saw a pitch-black cloud streaking toward the deepest part of the Southern Wastes.

They had parted. The day had finally come. Xiao Chen felt hollow inside, as if something had been torn away. He had parted from the two little beasts. Would he ever see them again in this life? He sensed that the one deep in the Southern Wastes was truly heartless.

At that moment, people from the Hai family arrived to invite him and Long Teng to the Hai residence. Xiao Chen stood up silently, unsealing the acupoints Long Teng had closed. He knew the crisis had come. Would the Hai family and the other great powers now turn against him? And outside the city, had Tiger Servant and Tiger Attendant already received word and entered the city to kill him?