As a figure shot out from the ancestral estate of the immortal Chu clan, countless eyes lifted to the sky in amazement.
"Wow! It's the White Jade Dragon Horse!" someone gasped.
"And there are nine of them!" another voice added, awe coloring their tone.
The sight was indeed a spectacle—nine majestic, gleaming-white dragon-like creatures, each adorned with scales as radiant as pearls, and wings like finely woven gossamer threads of light. The creatures glided effortlessly through the sky, each wingbeat stirring the clouds into swirling vortexes of mist. Suspended in their midst was a grand, gem-encrusted chariot, from which an imposing figure gazed down upon the land with a steely, unyielding stare.
Among the onlookers, whispers began to spread like wildfire.
"That's none other than the Heaven Lord of our Chu family, Lord Chu Wuchen!" someone finally spoke up, his voice laced with reverence.
The crowd murmured in agreement, their eyes wide with admiration. Chu Wuchen's gaze held an unearthly brilliance, as if a divine, unbreakable light danced within. Those intense eyes, capable of piercing through all illusions, projected a vision of a being untouched by defeat. Murmurs rippled through the crowd—what they felt was a mixture of reverence and astonishment, the kind that borders on worship.
"Only Chu Wuchen could command such a chariot," one elder marveled, his words filled with awe. "After all, not even the first Heaven Lord could boast of a nine-headed White Jade Dragon Luan."
Yet, amidst the admiration, a few brows furrowed in confusion. "But… Wuchen just came of age," a younger disciple muttered, "he hasn't achieved any battlefield glory nor has he contributed in any significant way yet. Why reward him with the White Jade Dragon Luan?"
Elsewhere, a figure stood watching the scene unfold from afar. His name was Chu Haotian, and his lips curled into a sneer.
"How amusing," he murmured, his voice as cold as iron. "To think he'd ride out on a chariot of nine-headed White Jade Dragon Luans. And if this newly ascended Heaven Lord were to meet his demise so soon… what a grand jest that would be!"
He chuckled darkly. "It would be the greatest joke across the entire Da Luo Heaven."
Among the younger generation, no one else had yet achieved such an extravagant display. To wield the most divine steeds of the celestial realms and then be defeated would be the most crushing irony. The so-called "Invincible Eyes," the rumored undefeated legend of the Double-Pupil, was nothing more than a boast when faced with the raw might of the new Golden Era—an age where kings clashed and legendary figures returned to the world of mortals.
"Chu Wuchen…" Haotian murmured, his gaze narrowing. "Just wait."
Time passed, yet in the short span of a few days, even without the Long-Life Decree being issued, and even though Chu Wuchen's name had not yet entered the Heaven's Prodigy Ranking, whispers of him spread quickly across Da Luo Heaven. Double-Pupil has returned! The phrase echoed among races and realms, rippling through the ancient forests, towering mountains, and sacred plains. Countless beings whispered his name, their eyes alight with wonder and apprehension.
They marveled, "The Double-Pupil opens the heavens; in all of history, he has never known defeat..."
Some murmured to themselves, voices barely audible against the wind, "What splendor will this era's Double-Pupil display?"
Anticipation simmered in the hearts of many.
Indeed, with the twin banners of being both the Chu clan's Heaven Lord and the legendary Double-Pupil, Chu Wuchen's name inspired intense anticipation. Little did they know, however, that another weighty crown lay upon Chu Wuchen's head.
He was a Supreme, born by the heavens.
As he sat in his chariot, flanked by the majestic White Jade Dragon Luans, Chu Wuchen sighed inwardly.
"Another day, plain and dull." A flicker of something like frustration crossed his eyes. How he longed for a challenger, someone foolish enough to try their luck. Yet, with his status, seeking out a challenge himself would only seem unbecoming.
Meanwhile, across vast lands and secretive valleys, the great peaks of Ancient Peng Mountain loomed ominously, their jagged, craggy spires stretching high above the clouds. Somewhere among these sacred peaks sat the young Peng King, exuding an aura of controlled might. Although still youthful, he bore a rare bloodline, one infused with the power of Kunpeng—majestic creatures born from the heavens and oceans. His back displayed the Kunpeng Mark, and through intense meditation, he had inherited a trace of the ancient emperor's might. Yet, he kept to himself, training in silent seclusion, seemingly unbothered by the chaos outside.
Others of the younger generation, however, were far from tranquil. The moment the Heaven's Prodigy Ranking was unveiled, they clamored for the hunt, eager to test themselves against some of the greatest beings.
In their hearts was an unwavering confidence, their pride bolstered by the very name of Ancient Peng Mountain—an immortal lineage, the name of which alone inspired fear across realms. For eras, Ancient Peng Mountain had contended with the Chu family, a rivalry that had endured through countless wars, yet left them still standing, still unyielding.
This sect, the domain of the Great Golden-Winged Roc Clan, commanded reverence. Among them were three ancient royal clans, twelve powerful bloodlines, and countless warrior slaves. The announcement that day brought ripples across the mountaintop: news of Chu Wuchen's emergence.
At the edge of the council circle, a man cloaked in black robes spoke. His voice was gravelly, like the shifting of stones. "With this artifact," he said, raising an object that glimmered with an otherworldly light, "Chu Wuchen's Long-Life bloodline will be powerless, unable to summon even a single ancient war god."
A sinister smile spread across his lips.
Around him stood nine figures, each a picture of youth and strength, their faces set in expressions of steely resolve. One among them, a young man with a mane of golden hair and eyes sharp as lightning, stepped forward. His aura seemed to split the air around him, and behind him, a spectral scene unfolded—a vision of a golden roc tearing through the heavens, locked in combat with celestial beings.
Taking the artifact from the robed man, the golden-haired youth grinned, his eyes filled with raw ambition. "Once we've slain Chu Wuchen," he declared, his voice filled with dark satisfaction, "we each get a White Jade Dragon Luan."
The others nodded in unison, their blood burning with fervor, each of their lips curling in anticipation.
"Defeat the undefeated Double-Pupil?" one of them sneered. "But what if he faces all nine of us?"
None among them feared Chu Wuchen. Each bore the blood of champions, each carried power and pride in their veins. To them, Chu Wuchen was merely a figure of high status, one untested and, thus, vulnerable.
Even Chu Haotian, a member of the Chu family itself, showed no trepidation toward him. But for his grandfather's insistence, he would have sought to cross swords with Chu Wuchen long ago.
For these young titans of Ancient Peng Mountain, their fearlessness was carved into their bones. This generation was as bold as it was fierce; aside from the Young Peng King himself, they were the strongest nine. Respect for Chu Wuchen was granted only in the form of their alliance, their agreement to hunt him as one.
For all their arrogance, none of them were foolish. A Double-Pupil was not to be underestimated.