The Return of Keke

The might of the Fate Twins divine art was evident for all to see. The power to die and be reborn was a peerless divine ability that even the gods would envy.

Chu Xingkuang had endured countless trials and tribulations, encountering all manner of fortuitous encounters before, moved by enlightenment, he had secluded himself for months to perceive this unrivaled divine art. On the day he succeeded, his father, who had long been indecisive, immediately appointed him as the heir to the family head.

Chu Xingkuang's power was plain for all to see. But now, the light of annihilation continuously shattered his body. The terrifying red light, wherever it passed, nearly shattered even the Heavenly Buddha Wheel and the Death Scythe several times.

The golden-haired boy was terrifyingly strong, to the point of being inconceivable!

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

Chu Xingkuang continuously shifted his position, ceaselessly dodging the bloody light, trying to close in. But how could his speed match the boy's ability to simply open his eyes?

The right eye, representing destruction, fired beam after beam of blood-red light, as if possessing an inexhaustible, boundless power. It blasted Chu Xingkuang’s physical body into continuous destruction and reorganization.

A familiar scene surfaced in Xiao Chen's mind. That day, during the sacred beast king battle in the Southern Wastes, the Golden Lion King had wielded one eye of destruction and one of reincarnation, sweeping all before it. Even the old half-god experts might not have been able to suppress it. If not for the snow-white little beast Keke appearing out of nowhere, no one could have stopped it.

Now, the Eye of Destruction had reappeared. How could it not remind them of the Golden Lion King?

Dozens of times Chu Xingkuang was destroyed, and dozens of times he reorganized his true body. Finally, he managed to fight his way to close quarters, bringing the Heavenly Buddha Wheel and the Death Scythe with him.

But at that moment, the boy's left eye opened, as if speaking in a dream.

Two words emerged: "Reincarnation!"

In an instant, space shattered. The yin-sen, hellish gateway suddenly materialized. Black mist roiled, and yin-killing energy surged from the pitch-black portal. The golden-haired boy had actually opened the path of reincarnation!

Boundless nether-mist churned. A tremendous force seized the Good Child, pressing down on him like the weight of countless mountains. He could not move and could only be drawn, bit by bit, into the Gate of Reincarnation.

The killing aura made one's heart quail; the yin mist made one's courage fail. The dark light flickered, and in the end, the Good Child was actually swallowed by the Gate of Reincarnation, sealed within the underworld!

The golden-haired boy's expression was wooden, but the intangible 'presence' he exuded was utterly terrifying. Then, the Eye of Reincarnation opened once more, and he cast the Evil Child into some unknown spatial realm.

The shattered void slowly closed. The Fate Twins vanished from the training ground. The yin mist dissipated, and the scene returned to clarity, as if nothing had happened.

Everyone was completely stunned. The scene was deathly silent.

For a long time, no one spoke a word. The training ground was quiet to the extreme.

Only when a noble lady’s pitiful cry rang out did everyone seem to wake from a dream.

"Chu… Chu Xingkuang has been killed… Wuwu…"

An uproar erupted; everyone cried out in alarm. This was too terrifying! This was only an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy, yet he had destroyed the Fate Twins. It was simply unimaginable…

What exactly was the little boy’s background? His future achievements… were incalculable!

Could it really be the supreme god that the Solar Religion's sacred maiden spoke of? Otherwise, how could he possess such divine ability? Perhaps… only a god, at eleven or twelve, could destroy the Fate Twins.

"Impossible! How could Chu Xingkuang be killed?!"

"Chu Xingkuang cannot die!" Unwilling to accept this fact, many shouted in near-hysteria.

Unlike Xiao Chen's Eight Aspect Worlds, the golden-haired boy had truly sealed the Good Child within the underworld and the other child into an unknown space. Just thinking about such methods made one's blood run cold.

In the distance, Niu Ren’s heart trembled. Dugu Jianmo was expressionless. Both of them recognized the boy's terror.

Xiao Chen was silent. Such a terrifying, peerless divine art was identical to that of the Golden Lion King… If he were to unleash all his abilities and face the golden-haired boy on the training ground, what would the outcome be?

In the distant bamboo pavilion, pots of blooming flowers gave off a gentle fragrance. Third Princess Yin Ying was silent for a long time. That Chu Xingkuang, one of the Four Heroes of Yin Capital, had been killed like this. It was somewhat difficult for her to accept.

Beside her, Zhao Lin'er was also frowning. She had wanted the boy to defeat Chu Xingkuang, but the boy had directly shown killing intent, which exceeded her expectations and made it very difficult for her to explain to the Third Princess.

Both peerless beauties fell into silence, each doing their utmost to avoid a terrible conflict breaking out.

"Sacred Maiden… you have gone too far." After considering for a long time, the Third Princess did not lash out, speaking only these few words.

Indeed, it had been agreed beforehand that this was a friendly match, and no one was to fight to the death. Now, not only had someone died, but it was an extremely important person—one of the Four Heroes of Yin Capital, whose future achievements were boundless. And now he had been destroyed.

"It is my fault. I should not have let him go out. He is an avatar of the Supreme God, retaining very little consciousness, and it is very difficult to control."

Not far away, many people heard the Solar Religion's sacred maiden’s words and were inwardly terrified. This golden-haired boy was merely an avatar, yet he was already this terrifying. If the true body appeared, what kind of scene would that be?

Just at that moment, the calm sky suddenly began to tremble. Then, the void shattered. Thick waves of nether-mist surged, and grim, black energy obscured half the sky. The Gate of Reincarnation materialized once more.

The golden-haired boy seemed to sense something. The vertical eye on his forehead twitched violently, as if it was about to open at any moment, causing a chill in the hearts of everyone outside the arena.

Shua!

A figure flashed. Amidst the churning nether-mist, a human silhouette shot out rapidly. The Heavenly Buddha Wheel floated above his head, illuminating all directions, dispelling the black mist. But the sacred radiance did not increase; instead, killing intent surged endlessly—infinite malice, overwhelming murderous aura. Yet his eyes held an undeniable weariness.

"It’s Chu Xingkuang, fighting his way back!"

"Heavens, Chu Xingkuang has fought his way back from the underworld! Unbelievable!"

"The Good Child has escaped the underworld! A miracle!"

As long as one of the Fate Twins was still alive, the other destroyed body could be revived.

To everyone present, this was a divine miracle.

A Spirit-Treasury realm expert could actually traverse the underworld and the World of Immortality. It was simply inconceivable!

The golden-haired boy ignored Chu Xingkuang. His third vertical eye twitched violently. His eyes were half-open, half-closed, staring intently at the void behind the other. It seemed he wanted to cross through the Gate of Reincarnation and see what was there.

"Thump!" The Good Child, Chu Xingkuang, crashed heavily to the ground.

The crowd cried out in alarm. Many people rushed over to try and rescue him.

Even the Third Princess of the Great Shang Empire stood up from the bamboo pavilion.

The Solar Religion's sacred maiden quickly called out to the golden-haired boy, afraid he would kill Chu Xingkuang again. But the boy did not move. His third vertical eye kept twitching, fixed firmly on the Gate of Reincarnation.

"Ya-ya… Ya-ya!"

From behind the shattered void, within that yin-sen, ghostly gate of the underworld, some sounds suddenly emerged.

"Ya-ya… Ya-ya!"

Then, in an instant, it became clear. From the pitch-black void, a tender voice truly pierced through. It was soft, gentle, as if a child was murmuring, as if a toddler was learning to speak. It echoed clearly throughout the entire heaven and earth.

"Ya-ya… Ya-ya!"

Everyone outside the training ground was stunned. How could such a delicate voice emerge from the underworld? It was beyond everyone’s imagination.

The golden-haired boy was on full alert. His originally wooden expression suddenly became agitated. His eyes were half-closed; the light of destruction and the light of reincarnation did not shoot out, but terrible energy fluctuations surged all around him. The third vertical eye jumped more and more violently. The flesh around it was nearly translucent, and the ceaselessly jumping blood vessels beneath were clearly visible.

Others might not understand, but Xiao Chen knew. To his ears, it sounded like celestial music playing in unison. That was the voice of the snow-white little beast! It was Keke!

Chu Xingkuang must have encountered it, and been sent back by the little beast.

Unable to contain his inner excitement, Xiao Chen soared into the sky. At the same time, Niu Ren and Dugu Jianmo also rushed up. They, too, had guessed who it was. To shield Xiao Chen, to see Keke, the two of them reached the side of the Gate of Reincarnation almost simultaneously with Xiao Chen.

Besides them, there were others at the scene who had deduced the truth. After all, the spectacle when the little beast had fallen three years ago had been far too grand. It was the same scale as the passing of Laozi and the Buddha’s past incarnation—a scene that made heaven and earth mourn together and caused all flowers to wither.

The strange phenomenon of heaven weeping and earth lamenting had been partially recorded on memory crystals. Some images of the snow-white little beast were also included. Many major powers on the continent had spent a fortune to buy the memory crystals and had watched the entire recording from start to finish. The people of great families were by no means unfamiliar with this voice.

First, nine old men from the Third Princess’s side soared into the sky. Then, six elderly knights from the Solar Religion’s side rose into the air. Fifteen old men surrounded the Gate of Reincarnation.

This move shocked everyone present. Those white-haired old men, their expressions grave as they stared at the Gate of the Underworld, made everyone unable to believe that such a tender voice could attract so many powerful elders.

Zhao Lin'er’s expression changed several times. She, too, had realized whose voice that was.

Back on Dragon Island, she had personally witnessed the extraordinary nature of the snow-white little beast. When the Ancestral Dragon Ship was summoned, the little thing mischievously trod on the Dragon Kings, and finally rushed to the very front, facing the sea and crying out, "Aya, aya!" When the little beast fell and shook heaven and earth, Zhao Lin'er had naturally learned of it once the news spread. When she recalled the scene of summoning the divine ship once more, she began to wonder whether it was the snow-white little beast that had summoned the ship, or the eleven Dragon Kings…

Zhao Lin'er understood very clearly that the snow-white little beast's origins were unimaginably vast. Even the Pope of the Solar Religion, whenever he mentioned it, was extremely cautious and never revealed its background.

Beside the Gate of Reincarnation, Xiao Chen’s heart was surging with excitement. Was the snow-white little beast about to return? He wanted to shout out loud, but he had to suppress his inner impulse.

A snow-white little beast poked its head out of the Gate of Reincarnation, looking around with a dazed expression. Its long lashes blinked ceaselessly, and its big eyes sparkled. Its fluffy appearance was exceptionally adorable.

It had to be said, Keke's spiritual perception was terrifyingly acute. Despite Xiao Chen having used the divine art of Forging Weapons into the Body to change his appearance and aura, it recognized him in an instant. But before it could make any move, the golden-haired boy on the ground launched an attack. The Eye of Destruction shot beams of blood-red light, shattering the void, and shot towards Keke.

"Ya-ya!" Having just poked its head out only to be attacked, the snow-white little beast was furious. It casually flicked out a stream of seven-colored divine light. With a swoosh, it shattered seven or eight beams of blood-red light.

"It… it’s the legendary little beast!"

"It’s called Keke. It appeared in Heavenly Emperor City three years ago."

"That’s Xiao Chen’s little beast."

"But… it died three years ago, causing heaven and earth to mourn together. How can it appear again?"

Many people at the scene cried out in alarm. Some were cultivators from the Southern Wastes, while others had watched the recorded images on the crystals.

The snow-white little beast had reappeared in the world, shocking everyone. This was all but… unimaginable!

Xiao Chen’s name was also brought up again. When Zhao Lin'er heard the name, her expression changed several times.

The Third Princess of the Great Shang Empire’s beautiful eyes sparkled with an extraordinary light. She knew best about Keke’s power. Back in Heavenly Emperor City, she had told Xiao Chen that Keke could rank among the top ten young sacred beasts in the world. If she could obtain the snow-white little beast, she would be willing to pay any price. And she had also vaguely guessed the identity of the golden-haired boy.

"Reincarnation."

The wooden-faced boy murmured softly to himself. Dark light flashed. He tried to close the Gate of Reincarnation, crushing Keke within it.

The little beast, still a bit dazed, had just poked its head out. After a brief moment of confusion, it already understood what was happening. In the blink of an eye, it saw through the boy’s true form. Huffing, it muttered: "Ya-ya…"

Beams of seven-colored divine light swept down. Compared to three years ago, its power was even greater, startling even the old experts nearby.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

All the divine light swept towards the golden-haired boy. Zhao Lin'er’s face changed drastically, and she shouted, "Quick! Bring him back!"

But even the few old knights were too late. The seven-colored divine light clashed with the light of destruction and the light of reincarnation, sending out wave after wave of energy turbulence that made it impossible for anyone to get close.

Until finally everything calmed down. The golden-haired boy had fallen backward to the ground. Traces of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. He was unconscious, whether alive or dead. The third vertical eye on his forehead throbbed without stop, but was never able to open.

Everyone was in an uproar. The golden-haired boy who had defeated the Fate Twins had been so easily defeated by the snow-white little beast. That little thing in the Gate of Reincarnation, blinking its bright eyes, was truly terrifying!

Others might find it unexpected, but Xiao Chen certainly did not. That golden-haired boy was undoubtedly an avatar of the Golden Lion King. Three years ago, even the Golden Lion King himself was no match for Keke, let alone an avatar.

"Quick! He must be saved! It was far too difficult to obtain this avatar!" Zhao Lin'er was somewhat anxious, inadvertently revealing some information.

The snow-white little beast let out a lazy yawn, as if it had just woken up. It had no excitement from victory at all, as if it were a trivial matter. This left the thousands in the training ground feeling as if they had turned to stone.

It blinked its big eyes, then looked towards Xiao Chen.

Niu Ren was startled. If Xiao Chen were recognized now, the consequences would be severe. Coincidentally standing right next to Xiao Chen, he hurriedly shouted, "Little thing, come back quickly!"

The snow-white little beast immediately responded. Of course, it was looking at Xiao Chen, but everyone else thought it was looking at Niu Ren.

A tender voice echoed clearly in everyone's heart: "Not yet. I'll be back in a little while. Uncle King Chu Jiang is looking for some Nether Ginseng Fruits for me. He promised to give me five of them…"

Petrified!

Everyone was dumbfounded. What was this little thing saying? Did they hear correctly? It was… troubling the legendary King of the Underworld, Chu Jiang himself… to go… searching for Nether Ginseng Fruits for it.

"I’ll be back very, very soon… I really miss you…"

It was communicating entirely through divine sense. Three years had passed, and the little beast had clearly grown significantly. However, Xiao Chen realized it still had no physical body. It looked fluffy, but that was entirely power condensed from its soul.

"Off to eat some ginseng fruit… I'll be back in a few days…" The snow-white little beast seemed to be getting sleepy. It yawned again, its big eyes barely staying open. Then it waved its little paw at Xiao Chen. Of course, to outsiders, it looked like it was bidding farewell to Niu Ren. Then, the Gate of Reincarnation slowly closed.

The little beast was truly coming back! Xiao Chen knew it wouldn't be long now. The little beast had already emerged from the dark domain and entered the underworld refined by the Ancestral God Suiren. This was undoubtedly a piece of news that filled him with immense exhilaration.

At the same time, everyone at the scene was stunned. The little beast from three years ago had not died… it was about to return!

Even the older figures’ expressions shifted unceasingly.

"Chu Xingkuang was sent back by that little thing… This is practically… bringing the dead back to life!"

"What… what kind of little beast is this? It’s on such good terms with the King of the Underworld. In the past, whoever was on good terms with Xiao Chen… might be able to benefit from this. From now on, even if you go to the underworld, you’ll be well taken care of!"

"I feel like I’m about to faint. Thankfully, although I’m from the Southern Wastes, I never kicked Xiao Chen when he was down in his time of crisis. Otherwise, just thinking about it is terrifying. Once you go to the underworld, someone will settle the score!"

"Do you think Xiao Chen is dead? Given the current situation, I guarantee he’s not dead! That little thing has even the King of the Underworld dancing attendance on it. Would it let Xiao Chen die? I wouldn’t believe that even if I were beaten to death!"

Those of average cultivation could hardly understand what the underworld truly was. They began to speculate wildly, making the training ground atmosphere intensely lively.

When Niu Ren landed, he was immediately surrounded by a crowd.

"Brother Ox-Head! Little brother has long admired your reputation! From now on, I’ll stick with you…"

"Brother Ox-Head, you’re a good man! If little brother here ever gets into trouble, don’t forget to burn some paper money for me in the underworld and put in a good word, alright? My name is…"

Niu Ren was incredibly depressed. What was this all about? A crowd of people was treating him like an envoy of the underworld. The little beast in the underworld knew him, and with his appearance, he looked just like the Ox-Head of the Ox-Head and Horse-Face duo… He was so frustrated he wanted to bang his head against a wall.

"These matters aren’t under my jurisdiction. Go find the Horse-Face."

"Ah… so you really are Ox-Head! We thought you were just some barbarian with an ox head! So you’re actually the Ox-Head of the underworld!"

Niu Ren was so angry he wanted to slap himself twice. It would have been better if he hadn’t made that remark. Shooting off your mouth will be the death of you.

In the bamboo pavilion, Zhao Lin'er was nervously watching the golden-haired boy being treated. "How is he?" she asked anxiously.

"He’s not seriously injured. He is merely an avatar, having collapsed from exhaustion. That snow-white little beast had no intention to kill. Otherwise… even the Goddess of Life herself could not save him."

Hearing this, Zhao Lin'er breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Report, Your Holiness! The third-ranked young expert of my Solar Religion has arrived!" A Solar Knight came galloping from afar to report.

"Good! Hehe…" Zhao Lin'er let out a light laugh.

In the distance, the Third Princess, Yin Ying, murmured to herself, "When will our expert arrive? The old fogies of both kingdoms tacitly agreed to let the strongest of the younger generation test each other. Although it’s nothing more than a friendly duel, if we lose too badly, won’t it weaken the might of the Shang Empire?"

"Reporting… Your Highness! The first of the Four Heroes of Yin Capital has returned!"

Just then, the Third Princess also received an exhilarating piece of news. She softly clapped her jade hands together and uttered only a single word: "Good!"

At this time, the golden-haired boy had fully awakened. He shoved aside the knight beside him and silently charged into the sky. Looking all around, his eyes half-open and half-shut, he shot out beams of fierce light, as if searching for the snow-white little beast.

Unable to find traces of Keke, he let out an enraged, beast-like low growl. It was hard to imagine that sound coming from a child.

Suddenly, he fixed his gaze on Xiao Chen, transforming into a beam of golden light as he lunged forward.

"This is bad!" Niu Ren muttered. Although he hadn't participated in the Southern Wastes sacred beast tournament, he had heard Xiao Chen recount it in detail. He had even watched recorded images of the Golden Lion King's battles on memory crystals.

The Golden Lion King's avatar seemed to recognize Xiao Chen. Unable to find the little beast, it sought to destroy him instead.

Dugu Jianmo, who was beside Xiao Chen, soared into the sky, facing off against the Golden Lion King's avatar. By doing so, he helped to provide cover. He, too, had participated in the beast tournament with the Red Dragon King, and this could lead others astray.

Niu Ren also soared into the sky. After all, the Golden Lion King's divine ability was terrifyingly potent. Fighting it alone would likely be dangerous.

Xiao Chen soared into the air as well. Even if his identity were exposed, it no longer mattered. The name Xiao Shishui would not be used much longer anyway. The Tiger Clan would be coming for Xiao Shishui sooner or later.

Without truly engaging it in battle, one could not know the terror of the Golden Lion King. The Eye of Destruction shot beam after beam of light, forcing Dugu Jianmo and Niu Ren to leave a trail of afterimages in the sky as they ceaselessly dodged. They did not possess Chu Xingkuang's undying divine ability. If they were hit, they would surely be annihilated, body and soul.

Fortunately, the golden-haired boy had already exhausted his power earlier. He had only recovered a portion by now. The speed and intensity of his attacks were far inferior to before.

Unfolding the Eight Aspect Worlds divine art, Xiao Chen charged forward like a flickering shadow. The three of them fought against the Golden Lion King's avatar.

The training ground immediately erupted. Xiao Chen and Dugu Jianmo had both made a grand showing at the Sea-and-Moon Garden, defeating all the experts of Yin Capital and even forcing Chu Xingkuang, one of the Four Heroes of Yin Capital, to admit defeat. Many had long been hoping for them to enter the arena.

They had simply felt it was inappropriate to shout for them since they weren't experts of the Shang Empire.

"Whoa! How is that ox-head so fierce! He just shattered a beam of destruction light with his horns. I've never heard of this guy before. It feels like he's no weaker than Dugu Jianmo or Xiao Chen!"

"This honest-looking little fatty ox is a dark horse!"

"I am Ox-Head! Ox, sir… I just… have a natural gift," the little fatty said while in the thick of battle, not forgetting to 'clarify' for himself.

"Kill him!" Dugu Jianmo's cold voice rang out. He acted decisively and directly. Since he had made his move, he intended to kill the Golden Lion King's avatar. The enmity had already been forged.

"Just what I was thinking!" Xiao Chen vibrated the Lingxi Sword Wave to resist the light of destruction. Seeing that the Golden Lion King showed signs of exhaustion, he was ready to charge forward.

"Hurry!" Zhao Lin'er shouted anxiously from below.

Six elderly knights instantly soared into the sky. But at that moment, the Third Princess, Yin Ying, also lightly waved her jade hand, and nine old men rose into the air, blocking the other six.

"He's exhausted!" Niu Ren bellowed.

Xiao Chen hesitated no longer. Unfolding the Eight Aspect Worlds divine art, he transformed into a beam of light and shot forward. His speed was so inconceivable that almost no one in the crowd could see his figure clearly. They only saw a spray of blood erupt in the sky.

Then, a headless corpse plummeted to the ground. Not far away in the sky, Xiao Chen came to a halt, holding a dripping head in his hand!

Decapitated!

With one strike, he had killed the avatar of the future supreme god.

Zhao Lin'er shot to her feet, pointing at Yin Ying, and said, "This was meant to be a friendly match! Why did you order your men to block our knights and kill such a child, whose future achievements are limitless?!"

"Is that truly a child? Is that a future supreme god? That is the supreme Buddha of the Brahman Kingdom!" The Third Princess, Yin Ying, retorted sharply.

The entire arena was in an uproar. Xiao Shishui had actually slain a Buddha!