Golden sunlight cascaded across heaven and earth. The dark clouds parted, and the heavy rain ceased.
All was quiet.
In the distance, along the horizon, the twenty-odd Celestial Being experts watching from afar were shaken to their core.
"Yin Fenghai... has been defeated..." Pavilion Master Xuanji said slowly after several breaths of silence.
Abbey Master Yunxiao sighed. "Even he could be defeated?!"
Shen Dongming first let out a sigh, then chuckled. "In this world, no one remains undefeated forever. A hundred years have passed since Yin Fenghai first stepped onto the martial path, and though he never suffered defeat, it was only because he had yet to encounter a stronger opponent. What is so strange about him losing today?"
Master Longding chanted the Buddha's name. "Brother Shen speaks the truth. In this world, no one is eternally undefeated. Victory and defeat have always been common occurrences. It is just that Yin Fenghai, who had been victorious for a hundred years, has suddenly suffered defeat; one cannot help but sigh in wistful wonder."
"There is no need for wistful sighs!" Wan Shenyang spoke up. "From where I stand, Yin Fenghai is actually glad to have lost to Huang Tian this time. Would a man like him truly grieve over mere victory or defeat?"
Hearing this, the others exchanged glances and slowly nodded.
At their level of cultivation, victory and defeat were no longer that important; having a fellow traveler on the path was the true blessing.
Especially for Yin Fenghai, ordinary Celestial Being experts could hardly be regarded as his peers. After all, it was difficult for them to withstand even two or three of his moves—it was as though a chasm of an entire major cultivation realm lay between them!
Now, things were different.
Pavilion Master Xuanji remarked wistfully, "After today, the supreme seat of the martial path changes hands. First place on the Celestial Being Ranking now belongs to Huang Tian."
"Number one under the heavens!"
"In under a year, Huang Tian has ascended to the pinnacle of the martial path. It is truly unimaginable."
"Just how does he cultivate? Why is his progress so rapid and his combat prowess so terrifying? How could both be achieved at once?"
"Could he also be an armament master? No, from start to finish today, he never revealed a divine armament. If he truly were an armament master, he could have wielded it against his foe without restraint—who would dare covet a divine armament in his hands?"
"He is certainly no armament master. The divine intents of the five elements and five directions are definitely not the legacy of any single Void Realm expert."
"Then how has his journey been so miraculous? Could it be that Heaven favors him?"
"Haha, what will does Heaven have? If one must speak in mystical terms, perhaps he was born carrying ten thousand years of great fortune of the Five Directions Realm!"
The twenty-odd Celestial Being experts marveled and discussed among themselves. Outside the mountain range, a ceaseless buzzing commotion swelled. Countless martial artists were in shock, laughing wildly, or filled with joyous excitement, displaying every imaginable emotion.
Bai Yuanfu, Yu Jingcheng, and Zhou Tu, who had rushed all the way from Kunyun Commandery, stared with wide eyes and looked at one another.
Immediately afterward, the corners of their mouths curled upward uncontrollably, and hearty laughter erupted from them.
Laughing, Bai Yuanfu said, "Who could have imagined! Who could have imagined! That our Kunyun Commandery Martial Restraint Guard could produce the supreme paragon under the heavens!!"
Yu Jingcheng stroked his beard in excitement. "The moment this old man first laid eyes on Huang Tian, I knew he was a fine seedling. Yet never did I expect this fine seedling would grow into a towering tree propping up the heavens! Looking back now, it feels just like a dream—truly like a dream!"
Zhou Tu praised him as well, though amid his admiration, he could not help feeling a pang of regret that his niece had never developed a romance with Huang Tian. Otherwise, the future of the Zhou family would surely have been boundless and bright...
Rumble—
Beneath the boundless, brilliant golden rays, Yin Fenghai surged in from the far distance, riding a wave of displaced air, and came to a halt before Huang Tian.
He scrutinized Huang Tian from head to toe for several breaths, his expression deeply complex—gratified, regretful, exhilarated...
After a long while, he slowly spoke, his clear voice carrying across the entire wilderness.
"Huang Tian, you have won!"
The moment those words were spoken, heaven and earth instantly fell dead silent. Then, outside the mountain range, countless martial artists erupted in an uproar.
Even though they had witnessed Yin Fenghai's defeat at Huang Tian's hands with their own eyes, hearing Yin Fenghai concede defeat from his own mouth sent an irrepressible tremor through them.
Because this was Yin Fenghai!
The man who had suppressed all five nations under heaven, who had never suffered a single loss, the foremost talent in aptitude and genius throughout thousands of years in the Five Directions Realm!
Such a figure had actually conceded defeat in person!
"The supreme paragon under the heavens! Huang Tian!"
"Has the supreme throne of the martial path finally changed hands?"
"An even higher martial peak has risen!"
Countless martial artists were in an uproar. Looking up at Yin Fenghai and Huang Tian standing side by side in the sky, a sacred awe welled in their hearts. Today, they had witnessed history!
Even after a thousand or ten thousand years, the sight of this moment would be remembered and lauded by countless people in the Five Directions Realm.
Even if these spectators would not be remembered along with it, they had witnessed such a momentous occasion!
Emotions surged in every heart as people shouted in wild excitement. Outside the mountain range, it had practically become an ocean of jubilation.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Across the horizon, over twenty streaks of flowing light flew toward them. The crowd of Celestial Being experts hovered beside the two of them, their excitement hard to contain, each exchanging polite greetings.
The two returned the courtesies. Yin Fenghai laughed heartily and said, "Exchanging moves with Fellow Daoist Huang today has brought me immense insight. Why don't we sit down to discuss the Dao and expound on the future path of martial arts together?"
Huang Tian nodded slightly. "I have also gained much comprehension. I am willing to expound upon it with you all."
Overjoyed at those words, the crowd said in unison, "Thank you, Fellow Daoists. We are eager to discuss the Dao and receive your teachings."
In their phrasing, they positioned themselves as students. In truth, that was precisely how they saw it—compared to Yin Fenghai and Huang Tian, were they not merely junior learners?
Yin Fenghai and Huang Tian met each other's gaze, both breaking into smiles. At this moment, there was neither victory nor defeat, neither superiority nor inferiority—only the meeting of martial paths, scaling the heights together, and mutual respect between kindred spirits...
Leaping forward, they flew down to the peaks beneath the clouds, and the Celestial Being experts descended in their wake.
Huang Tian and Yin Fenghai sat on separate mountain peaks, while the others dispersed across dozens of surrounding peaks. With the mountain winds whipping past, Huang Tian was the first to speak.
There were no wondrous spectacles of heavenly flowers fluttering down or golden lotuses welling from the earth; only plain, unadorned words echoed through the void, yet every word was pure pearl and jade, leaving everyone utterly enthralled.
Outside the mountain range, martial artists scratched their cheeks in agitation, eager to draw near yet not daring to. Finally, a first-rank Great Grandmaster could hold back no longer and took to the sky, flying toward Huang Tian and the others. Still, he knew his place and did not dare get too close; he found a mountain peak far off, touched down, and listened quietly from several li away.
The many martial artists waited for a while and saw that none of the Celestial Being experts drove him away. Consequently, the Grandmaster-level experts took to the sky one after another and landed on neighboring peaks. Throughout the process, not a soul spoke, and they even kept their flight as hushed as possible, moving in absolute quiet.
As for those below the Grandmaster level, they watched with boundless envy. Some gathered in groups and trekked into the mountain range, heading toward Yupan High Peak.
The rest, knowing they would not understand even if they went, remained where they were, looking up from afar. Others departed hastily to pen urgent letters and dispatch hawks and pigeons in all directions across the realm...
In the blink of an eye, more than ten days passed.
The outcome of the battle in the Imperial Capital reverberated across the world, astonishing everyone within the five nations and throwing all into a frenzy.
No one had anticipated Yin Fenghai's defeat, yet once the outcome became known, initial shock gave way to a sense that it was only natural. For Huang Tian's journey had been altogether too miraculous!
Not only did he cultivate at breathtaking speed and possess unmatched comprehension, but his combat strength was formidable, repeatedly triumphing over enemies across realms.
Even before this monumental clash erupted, some had already claimed Huang Tian must be the greatest prodigy in the history of the Five Directions Realm—a history that encompassed the five Void Realm experts from ten thousand years ago!
Hence, Yin Fenghai's loss to Huang Tian did not seem entirely shocking after all...
Qin Province, Kunyun Commandery City.
A continuous barrage of firecrackers suddenly resounded through the city. Many prominent clans and noble families dispatched servants to toss coins in front of their estates and set up open banquets to celebrate alongside the common folk nearby.
A plump woman, beaming with joy, scooped several coins from the ground and flattered an elder in brocade robes at the manor gate: "Many thanks for Master Sun's generosity! May Master Sun enjoy boundless fortune and longevity, and may your entire household know endless joy!"
The other townsfolk collecting coins also piled on smiling congratulations.
Master Sun waved his hand with a chuckle. "Joy for us all! Joy for us all!"
Just then, a voice called out from the crowd: "May we ask what joyous occasion this is? Why is Master Sun's estate handing out coins, and even Master Liu and Master Yu of Zhenhua Ward have sent people to give out rewards?"
Hearing the question, Master Sun clapped his hands, looking thoroughly proud. "You don't know yet? A monumental event has taken place in the Imperial Capital! Do you know of Commander Huang, Huang Tian?"
"Of course we know him!" many townsfolk chimed in.
"In all of Kunyun, who doesn't know Commander Huang's deeds? Thanks to Commander Huang, our commandery's Martial Restraint Guard has risen to tremendous fame. So many families want to send their sons to the Guard Academy, not expecting them to shake the realm like Commander Huang, but even a ten-thousandth of his success would be enough to comfort the ancestors!"
"I heard that after Commander Huang went to the Imperial Capital, he became an immortal in heaven?"
"Bah! A Celestial Being! A Celestial Being, not an immortal in heaven!"
"Hey, what difference is there?"
Master Sun raised a hand to quiet the clamor, circulating his true qi as he called out loudly, "Commander Huang has indeed become a Celestial Being! Not only that, he even defeated Yin Fenghai in combat! He has ascended to the absolute peak!"
"Yin Fenghai?"
Although many commoners had never practiced martial arts, they were not unfamiliar with the name Yin Fenghai. After all, this was a world where martial arts reigned supreme, and Yin Fenghai's name was far better known than those of emperors, provincial governors, or commandery governors.
"The number one under the heavens, that Yin Fenghai?!"
"If he beat him, doesn't that make Commander Huang the new number one under the heavens?"
"Now that Master Huang is number one, will he become the emperor?"
"To think our humble Kunyun Commandery City could produce someone at the absolute pinnacle of the world!"
Amid the buzz of chatter, Master Sun instructed his servants, "Have them bring out several dozens more baskets of coins! Scatter more, let us celebrate properly!"
"Yes, Master!" The servant hurried off to deliver the order.
Upon hearing this, the coin-gathering townsfolk grew even more ecstatic, their laughter ringing out ceaselessly.
"More people have come bearing gifts?"
At the entrance of the alley where Qinghui Garden stood, scores—even hundreds—of carriages suddenly rolled in. Each carriage was adorned with festive red ribbons and laden with priceless gifts, accompanied by a large procession beating gongs and drums, leaving the estate guards at the gates utterly dumbfounded.
It wasn't a festival or a holiday, so why make such a grand and lively spectacle?
It was not until a middle-aged man in brocade robes had the gifts stacked before the manor and explained the reason that the guards understood, followed immediately by sheer bewilderment.
One black-clad guard snapped out of his daze, hurried into the manor to find Aunt Qin, and reported the details. Aunt Qin's eyes went wide as she cried out, "Good heavens!"
How had her young master become number one under the heavens?!
She felt completely dazed, marveling at how wondrous the world was. In under a year, the frail youth of before had ascended to the supreme summit of martial arts!
It was too profound! Too miraculous!
"Mother, is there news of Fourth Brother?" Hearing the commotion, Heng'er came jogging over.
Shaken from her stupor, Aunt Qin explained the matter. Heng'er covered her little mouth, eyes wide in shock and delight.
After quite a while, Aunt Qin slapped her forehead and instructed, "This is a joyous occasion! Everyone in the manor gets a monetary reward today!"
Soon, the entire Qinghui Garden was filled with laughter and cheers.
At the Martial Restraint Guard Academy, Instructor Xu—having just demonstrated the Demon Crane Stance once for the martial students—drew his form to a close. Standing atop an earthen platform, he said solemnly, "Pick one between the Spirit Tiger Stance and the Demon Crane Stance. Practice diligently and never slack off, and you will eventually achieve success."
The martial students below nodded earnestly.
At that moment, from the Martial Restraint Guard government office not far from the academy, an earth-shaking clamor of celebration suddenly erupted, giving everyone a fright.
"W-what is going on?"
Instructor Xu was bewildered. From those cheers, he recognized the voice of Battalion Commander Xia Hong, laughing unrestrainedly with pure abandon.
Not only Xia Hong, but the other two Pacification Commissioners besides Bai Yuanfu were also laughing hearty, ringing laughs.
"What great news could have occurred?"
While he was silently puzzled, a commotion also arose from the other drill grounds within the academy.
Unable to restrain his curiosity any longer, he raised a hand and summoned a martial student. "Go over there and ask what on earth has happened."
The student assented and dashed off. A short while later, he came rushing back, shouting excitedly as he ran: "Senior Huang defeated Yin Fenghai! He defeated Yin Fenghai!!"
The instant those words fell, Instructor Xu felt as though struck on the head with a heavy wooden cudgel. His head spun, his blood and qi churning restlessly.
"Huang Tian... defeated Yin Fenghai?!"
He muttered in disbelief, "Did I... train someone who became the supreme summit of the martial path, the strongest under the heavens?!!!"
He sat down on the earthen platform in a stupor, while the students below erupted into frenzied cheers.
On this day, the entire Kunyun Commandery City was plunged into jubilation...
The sermon on Mount Yupan lasted for an entire month.
During this month, Huang Tian, Yin Fenghai, Wan Shenyang, and others took turns expounding the Dao and sharing their martial insights and realizations. The Celestial Beings gained tremendous benefit, while the Grandmaster-level martial artists listening from nearby also reaped great rewards, some even breaking through their bottlenecks to take another step forward.
A month later, the lectures came to an end.
However, none of the Celestial Beings departed. Instead, they quietly sat cross-legged atop the mountain peaks. Firstly, it was to organize their thoughts and seek the path forward; secondly, they sensed a profound, ethereal spark within Yin Fenghai!
Yin Fenghai's blood, qi, and true qi had long been polished to perfection. Now, after this pinnacle battle, he seemed to have genuinely brushed against the edge of the Void Realm. His aura was wondrous and unfathomable, as though he might step into the legendary Void Realm at any moment!
Aside from this, Huang Tian also closed his eyes in deep contemplation. Faint five-colored radiance flowed around him, appearing exceptionally marvelous, as if he had entered a state of sudden enlightenment.
Out of curiosity and anticipation, these Celestial Being experts were in no hurry to leave. Many of the listening Grandmaster-level martial artists seemed to sense something as well and chose to remain; only the martial artists of the middle three ranks and lower three ranks gradually dispersed after lingering for several days.
The sun rose and the moon set; time slipped away like rushing water, and two months flew past.
Whoosh—
Midwinter arrived, and heavy snow fell in flurries.
Flakes and clumps, like the torn wadding of clouds across the sky, poured downward. The dense, unbroken blizzard blanketed the sky and filled the cosmos.
The Yupan mountain range donned a white robe that stretched for thousands of li. Ravines, fissures, cliffs, and strange rocks were all drenched in white. Snow rustled through the woods, and when the fierce wind blew, snow whipped across hundreds of li all at once.
As far as the eye could see, there was only the vast, boundless expanse of mountains and snow filling heaven and earth.
Whoosh—
At a certain moment, Huang Tian suddenly opened his eyes. Red, yellow, azure, white, and black—five divine rays of light soared straight into the firmament, swaying and shimmering between heaven and earth...
Chapter 147