Translator: Fate Proofreader: Silavin Xing Zu was not an unfamiliar name to the Elders of the Immortal Academy. The name once represented a terrifying being once upon a time. Rumble! Another disturbance occurred from another direction, followed by the appearance of the most intimidating figures of Immortal Academy. One of them was an old man called Lao Shi. His presence left the white woman in white named Xing Zu stunned, while the rest of the Elders stupefied. They all respectfully greeted him. “Greetings, Elder Shi!” Xing Zu slightly bowed to Lao Shi. “Don’t need to be so courteous, Xing Zu. It’s been so many years, and you’ve grown even younger.” Lao Shi subtly smiled In response, Xing Zu bitterly grinned. “Stop teasing me, Elder Shi. You know I can’t physically do that.” Hearing that, Lao Shi wordlessly smiled. He then turned to the Wondrous Stone and said, “Anyway, the Wondrous Stone and I can be considered to be of the same root since we’re both stones. However, the being inside it wouldn’t come out, and I can’t deduce its actual origin.” “You’re joking, Elder Shi. If even you are unable to identify its origin, how can any of us do that?” Xing Zu helplessly grinned. “I’m afraid I am not joking,” Lao Shi replied with a smile. If it weren’t for the Wondrous Stone, he wouldn’t have come over. Other than Lao Shi and Xing Zu, many Elders of various forces, including many in the Sacred Emperor Realm, were gathered, to witness the rebirth of the being inside the Wondrous Stone. In that instant, everyone was fully attentive as all eyes were on the Wondrous Stone. Crack! The next moment, the brightly glowing Wondrous Stone suddenly shook. Covered in mystical energy and distinctive Grand Runes that were constantly spewing out, the Wondrous Stone appeared extremely mysterious. Cracks slowly occurred on it, revealing vibrant lights and traces of Chaos Qi, which made it seem even incomparably extraordinary. Then, mysterious runes swirled into the air, and instantaneously, the crowd could see a vast, mysterious world surging from within the Wondrous Stone, where mythical beasts and primordial trees dwelt, seemingly extremely ancient. “What a startling rebirth! Could really be the rebirth of a True Immortal…” “Even if it isn’t, it must be someone on par that’s related to the Immortals. The disturbance alone must indicate that its physique is superior to whatever that is known. Is the world within the stone the legendary Nine Realms?” “Speaking of disturbances caused by one’s birth, the Gifted Lady from the Wang Family was the most shocking one yet. It had only been revealed by the Immortal Wang Family recently. They had hidden it exceptionally well.” “She’s the Successor of the Mortal Palace after all. She was born already in the Sacred Realm. It is indeed incomparable.” Gradually, the crowd started conversing as their eyes were all filled with immense shock, keenness, and curiosity. None tried to stop the process before them as they were all anticipating the living being within the Wondrous Stone about to be reborn. Boom! Very soon, following the last crack on the Wondrous Stone, a talisman was shot into the sky. Quickly, only an ambiguous figure whose face was concealed by runes was seen sitting within the Wondrous Stone. Nonetheless, what caught the most attention was the gleaming celestial energy on its body, as if it was an ancient Immortal that had been sealed for a long time. It was distinguishable that the figure belonged to a man. His ancient garments were artifacts of millennia ago, but for now, there was no telling exactly which era they belonged to. “I am finally reborn. This familiar atmosphere of the world, the Principles of the World… I am finally out of that damned Nine Realms. It has truly been three hundred years of hellish torment!” At that moment, the man in the Wondrous Stone seemed to be talking to himself as his face was full of excitement, amazement, and thrill. His intonation, not of the current era, was of an ancient age. It was incomprehensible even for Lao Shi and the Elders. Nevertheless, they could roughly make out that he was talking about the Nine Realms. As such, Lao Shi was stunned. [His intonation seems to originate from the Forbidden Epoch that was buried in the River of Time. Is he from the same era as me?] Lao Shi was visibly perturbed by his complicated thoughts. “I am finally out into the world. Even so, the state of the outside world remains unknown. I have spent three hundred years in the Nine Realms, but that must not be as long to the outside world.” The man in the Wondrous Stone was still muttering to himself, disregarding the presence of those observing him as he was fully immersed in his memories. Once upon a time, his name was Qin Wuya, and he was a renowned senior of Borderless Sect. Possessing excellent Talents, he earned the respect of his Elders and Juniors. He also took in a female Junior who was focused on walking the Path of the Great Dao, and he also had a gentle partner who loved him to the bones. Everything was perfect. Alas, it was not until one day when he ventured out into the world to cultivate that he encountered a crevice and accidentally fell into it. And that crevice was the path towards the fabled, mysterious Nine Realms. Back then, he never expected to be that unfortunate. Nine Realms, a legendary place countless cultivators hoped to reach one day, was so easily found by him. In Nine Realms, he discovered as many hazards as allies, whom he then made his codependent partner to survive. And so, he struggled in agony for three hundred years. Eventually, Qin Wuya found a Celestial Origin Stone and hurriedly thought of a way to seal himself within. As Celestial Origin Stones were the only thing that could break through the barriers of Nine Realms into other worlds, he knew it was his only way of leaving Nine Realms. And only by leaving Nine Realms could he return to his Sect to reunite with his Elders, partner, and Juniors. Thus, Qin Wuya was in awe right now, unaware of the surrounders that were observing him with weird faces. “His bloodline… It’s strange…” A Grand Rune flashed across Lao Shi’s eyes as he frowned. “The aura belongs to a human, and an ordinary human being at that. What is going on? Did I have it all wrong?” Confused, Xing Zu nodded and replied, “Indeed, he’s a human, and his cultivation level is not exactly high either. We might have gotten it wrong…” They were shocked and disbelieving to discover that, upon the dispersion of the vibrant lights, the man in the Wondrous Stone seemed too normal. Except for his ancient garments, nothing about him seemed unique, be it his appearance or body shape, and his cultivation level was only in the Enlightened Noble Realm. No being in the world could be more ordinary than him. As a matter of fact, the anomalies that occurred along his rebirth were only fabricated by the Wondrous Stone, while the grand disturbance was caused by the spiritual materials that Immortal Academy piled up for a long time. “So much for the rebirth of a True Immortal…” “Dmn. How disappointing.” The young female disciples nearby the mountaintop expressed their disconcertment as the result was awfully underwhelming. “I was expecting it to be a man as mighty as Young Master Changge, only to witness this atrocity. This man undoubtedly bears no relation to a True Immortal. In contrast, Young Master Changge is the one who seems to be related to the Immortals, and his title, Avatar of the True Immortal, isn’t baselessly earned…” At that moment, whether it was young prodigies or Elders, everyone was stupefied and in dismay as their built-up anticipation was shattered by this ordinary man. Hence, the disparity between their expectation and the actual event was nothing but drastic, rendering them absolutely speechless. It was as the saying went, ‘the harder they fly, the harder they fall.’ Things would have been easier to explain if the man possessed a higher level of cultivation, yet his aura or qualities were nowhere close to those of an Immortal, as if he was merely a nobody that luckily bumped into the Wondrous Stone for no good reason. “This…” In the meantime, the Phoenix Lady and Prince Shen, who were eager for the rebirth of the Wondrous Stone, were visibly dazed by the massive twist. “Immortal Academy’s Wondrous Stone that was said to have fallen from the sky is quite the let down, huh.” Prince Shen subconsciously shook his head as he grew sceptical towards the term ‘Wondrous Stone.’ On the other hand, the Phoenix Lady remained silent, though her emotions in her eyes betrayed her expressionlessness. She was expecting the rebirth of a formidable foe, only to find out it was a man who was ordinary in every way. Though, to be fair, as ordinary as he was, he would still be perceived as an outstanding talent in the outside world. “By right, things aren’t supposed to be this simple…” Lao Shi was still assiduously observing Qin Wuya, thinking that he must possess numberless secrets. [His cultivation level is certainly suspicious. He has been sealed for so many years and soaked in dense celestial energy. This isn’t right. Is this man deliberately hiding something?] Followingly, Qin Wuya finally noticed the situation around him and the crowd that was peering at him. Instantaneously, he came to a realisation. He could understand the condescension and doubt in the eyes of these surrounders, but he wasn’t bothered by them. Having survived Nine Realms for three hundred years, he came to acknowledge many lessons, and staying a low profile would be the wisest choice ever. Furthermore, his actual strength was definitely not as simple as Enlightened Noble Realm, which was his cultivation level before he fell into Nine Realms. During his time in Nine Realms, he had undergone a tremendous increase in his cultivation level and also obtained numerous celestial treasures that could only be found in Nine Realms. Therefore, he wasn’t concerned by the opinions of the crowd, unless they actually dared to explicitly provoke him. [Now, I must figure out what place this is and how long it has been since I fell into Nine Realms. Those are my priorities now,] Qin Wuya said in his heart, contemplating his next moves. While the depths of Immortal Academy were filled with merriness as many young prodigies and Elders hurried over, Gu Changge appeared at the top of a grand mountain. His limitlessly vast divine sense covered the entire region, and he was only relieved when he finally made sure there was no being that could detect his presence. “I guess now is the best opportunity for me.” Gu Changge revealed a deep grin. With that, he directed his gaze downwards and noticed Ying Shuang, who was cultivating in a sitting posture with his eyes shut, in the cave below him. For now, Gu Changge had no intention of engaging Ying Shuang as the latter could still prove useful for his plans. After all, there was insufficient chaos, and he would need assistance from the dark. Accordingly, Gu Changge set his target on a secluded forest, which wasn’t far from Ying Shuang’s cave, but it was a number of young prodigies’ caves away. The forest was gloomy with absence of light. There were various ancient herbs growing outside of it, emitting dense purplish gleams out of the crevices of rocks which then vaporised in the air. In the forest, there was another cave, in which sounds were barely audible. Perfect for cultivating. Evidently, the cultivator must be at a crucial point in their cultivation. A young prodigy, possessing a unique physique, was cultivating with his legs crossed as mists arose around him. Focused on his cultivation, he didn’t even notice Gu Changge’s glare at him. Whoosh! At the mountaintop, Gu Changge took a step forward and his body instantly vanished into the air. “You—” A shocked, incredulous voice reverberated through the cave, which was then overtaken by silence. Swiftly, Gu Changge appeared once again with an unaffected look. There was nothing but dead silence in the cave, and not even a trace of life or sound. In other words, there were no young prodigy in the cave at all. Then, Gu Changge took a glimpse at the cave Ying Shuang was in and revealed a momentarily, uncanny grin. “Master, the being inside Immortal Academy’s Wondrous Stone has been reborn, but it turned out to be a strange youth. Although his origin is ancient and mysterious, his cultivation level is rather low. He is only in the Enlightened Noble Realm, and that has left the masses disappointed.” After returning to his palace, Gu Changge listened to the reports of his followers and was surprised. [Enlightened Noble Realm? After all the build-up? Such an underwhelming outcome?] He tensed his brows. Naturally, Gu Changge was informed of the news, but he didn’t go to witness the event himself. Essentially, he had to take the opportunity to help ‘prove’ that Ying Shuang was the Successor of Demonic Arts. “Yes, many Elders and Ranked Disciples rushed over there only to be disappointed. Eventually, the mysterious youth was taken away by the Elders, seemingly for an interrogation,” Gu Changge’s follower respectfully replied. Hearing that, Gu Changge nodded with a pondering look as he dismissed his follower with a wave of his hand. For some reason, he could tell that the youth sealed within the Wondrous Stone was more than meets the eye. Besides, Enlightened Noble Realm was quite a low cultivation level to the Immortal Academy. On the day of Qin Wuya’s rebirth from within the Wondrous Stone, a piece of news was widely spread to the world by disciples of Immortal Academy, causing great turmoil. It was pertaining to the unnoticed disappearance of a young prodigy, who possessed a unique physique. Indeed, the young prodigy had vanished into nothingness when he was cultivating in the cave all by himself, leaving no traces of a clash or energy. Even the Elders that went to investigate the site found no oddities and felt helpless. As the news dispersed, many were dumbfounded as a notable panic followed. After concluding the incident, the people immediately tied it to the Successor of Demonic Arts. After all, many precedent cases indicated that the Successor of Demonic Arts tended to abduct young prodigies with unique physiques and leave without any traces. Therefore, young prodigies and Elders came to a conclusion from the grave news. Without a doubt, the young prodigy in the cave was taken away by the Successor of Demonic Arts, which suggested that the Successor of Demonic Arts infiltrated the Immortal Academy and was hiding among the youths under a different guise, hence none could discern his real identity. Thereupon, the conclusion caused another turmoil and panic, whereby unfamiliar young prodigies were treated with hostility. At the same time, the Elders also commenced their investigation in an attempt to find out who the real Successor of Demonic Arts was. “This is very hasty of you. You barely entered Immortal Academy for long yet you’re already starting to move. Although you have done a good job covering your tracks, it’s too reckless to act now. What if you were seen?” At that moment, Mo Lao appeared in a cave with intertwining godly lights, speaking sternly with Ying Shuang out of concern. When he first heard that a young prodigy was attacked by the Successor of Demonic Arts, he quickly thought of Ying Shuang, since he was the one who took Ying Shuang in. Though the latter never displayed any of his Forbidden Demonic Arts. Nevertheless, judging by the past incidents and rumours, Mo Lao thought that Ying Shuang was undoubtedly the Successor of Demonic Arts, and the Successor of Demonic Arts’ appearance this time must also be the doing of Ying Shuang. Thus, he came over to question Ying Shuang, worried that he might accidentally expose his true identity. In response, Ying Shuang calmly answered, “I know my limits. There won’t be an issue.” Despite saying that, Ying Shuang was hiding his tightly clenching fists underneath his robe, feeling immensely infuriated and disaffected. Although he certainly needed the identity of the Successor of Demonic Arts to gain Mo Lao’s support, he couldn’t afford to be innocently framed again and again. As such, he couldn’t help but feel enraged and frustrated as he was wrongly blamed for someone else’s doing. He never even stepped out of his cave once, yet he was framed to be the abductor of the young prodigy. Even worse, he had no choice but to admit that it was his doing. [Is there anything more frustrating and unfair than this!?] “Well, if that’s the case, do proceed with caution. Don’t be too impetuous.” In response, Mo Lao nodded and left after he was reassured. “Dmn it! Another strike!” After Mo Lao left, Ying Shuang’s face was turned grave, one which was filled with immense rage and exasperation.