"Alright, you can leave now."
Ji Lingxian, holding the box containing the jade pendant, felt an overwhelming sense of excitement. Though the jade pendant itself held no real practical value for her, she couldn't help but feel happy.
"Lingxian..."
Just as Ye Chen was about to leave, his eyes suddenly locked on the woman he had loved in both this life and his past — Lingxian.
Ye Chen instinctively hid behind a secluded corner.
"Qin Tian..."
Every time Ye Chen laid eyes on Qin Tian, an inexplicable chill ran down his spine. This mysterious figure from the higher realms was someone Ye Chen simply couldn't figure out.
Suddenly, Ye Chen saw Lingxian standing next to Qin Tian, shyly handing over the jade pendant she had just won.
"Is this really happening?"
Ye Chen's face darkened. He now felt certain that Lingxian hadn't bought the pendant for herself — she had bought it for Qin Tian.
Why?
Ye Chen couldn't understand why Lingxian would give such a seemingly insignificant jade pendant to this person from the upper realm.
Had Lingxian discovered the secret of this pendant?
Impossible. In his past life, Lingxian never knew the true worth of this pendant, even when she was in the Mystic Realm of Gods and Demons. So, it couldn't possibly be her.
Then it must be Qin Tian. Ye Chen's mind suddenly snapped into focus. He recalled the way Qin Tian had looked at him earlier, as though he could see right through him.
Of course, Qin Tian was from a powerful force in the upper realm. He likely had some method of discerning the pendant's extraordinary nature.
But why was Qin Tian even here, at this auction?
If Ye Chen had to guess, Qin Tian's presence wasn't because he needed a treasure, nor was it because he was just casually interested in items at the Immortal Terrace. He was from the upper realm, and such a trivial auction, held in a mere mortal empire, couldn't possibly be of much interest to someone like him.
Ye Chen thought back to his time in the Primeval Immortal Domain, where it was rare for disciples of significant forces to pay attention to the lower Realm.
"Why?" Ye Chen furrowed his brow. Qin Tian's aura was so unusual, so enigmatic.
When he first encountered Qin Tian, Ye Chen had immediately warned himself to tread carefully around anything connected to him.
"Could it be that Qin Tian just wanted to experience the auction in the lower realms?" Ye Chen pondered, but the idea seemed far too far-fetched.
"Lingxian..."
Ye Chen stared at the woman he had always loved, now shyly glancing up at Qin Tian. His heart boiled with rage. It seemed that Lingxian had truly developed feelings for Qin Tian.
"I need to focus on my cultivation first." Ye Chen suppressed the urge to take action against Qin Tian. He knew better than to let his emotions cloud his judgment. With his future strength, combined with his understanding of Lingxian from his past life, he was certain that one day he would win her heart again.
"Sigh, the pendant is now in Qin Tian's hands... it seems like it's lost to me forever."
Ye Chen sighed, feeling a deep sense of loss. The jade pendant, in the early stages of his journey, could have given him a huge advantage. Without it, all he could do now was slowly cultivate and improve on his own.
"At least I still have the mysterious ancient Scripture. It's strong enough to support my cultivation, even if it's not as fast as activating my War god Body. For now, it will suffice."
Ye Chen mentally calculated, realizing how powerful the ancient Scripture from the Nine-Tiered Ancient Tower truly was. After starting his cultivation with it, he could forcibly increase his cultivation speed.
This was an unexpected compensation for losing the jade pendant.
"Forget it. I'll just quietly wait for the next opportunity in the Mystic Realm of Gods and Demons."
The thought of the Mystic Realm stirred excitement within Ye Chen. His true rise had begun there, where countless opportunities awaited to change his life forever.
The mysterious Nine-Tiered Ancient Tower... Even in his past life, Ye Chen had never been able to fully understand it.
Mysterious, powerful, ancient... that was the best way Ye Chen could describe the tower.
In Da Zhou's Imperial Palace
"Who is breaking through?"
Powerful figures looked toward the Da Zhou Imperial Palace, where the very air seemed to vibrate with energy. Divine light flashed, golden rays filled the sky.
"A breakthrough to the Human Emperor realm in Da Zhou!"
Among the group of powerful figures, one particularly cold-looking elder exclaimed in shock.
The intensity of the aura could only indicate that a figure from the Grand Void Realm had broken through to the Human Emperor realm.
"Human Emperor... Da Zhou has produced a Human Emperor!"
Many of Da Zhou's powerful cultivators bowed their heads respectfully, acknowledging this monumental event.
This was a living, breathing Human Emperor, the only one in Da Zhou.
"Who has broken through to the Human Emperor realm?"
Someone asked in confusion. There had been no rumors suggesting that any of Da Zhou's experts were close to breaking through to this level.
"Could it be the Zhou Emperor?" someone murmured. The Zhou Emperor, Ji Tian, was the current ruler of Da Zhou and a top-level cultivator in the Grand Void Realm.
In the Zhong zhou, the Zhou Emperor ranked among the top five in terms of strength, barring the existence of any Human Emperors. Despite having been severely injured during an attack by several powerful factions, there was still a chance for him to recover and make a breakthrough.
"It shouldn't be the Zhou Emperor." Someone immediately contradicted this, stating with certainty. They knew that the Zhou Emperor had been severely weakened by his injuries. Simply staying alive was an achievement in itself, so it couldn't possibly be him breaking through.
"Who could it be then?"
"It's the Battle Emperor!" A seemingly ordinary figure, an expert among Da Zhou's ranks, squinted toward the Imperial Palace. He was familiar with the aura of the Battle Emperor, having witnessed his combat prowess firsthand.
Inside the Da Zhou Imperial Palace
"I never expected this gentleman from the upper realms to be so generous."
Ji Kong, his face glowing with golden light, was currently floating in a state of pure ecstasy. The feeling of breaking through to the Human Emperor realm was something he hadn't experienced in a long time, and it felt incredibly refreshing.
Ji Kong hadn't anticipated that reaching the Human Emperor realm would be so easy.
Although his own profound foundation played a part in this breakthrough, he knew that the true catalyst was the royal-grade medicine given to him by Qin Tian.
"Congratulations, Your Royal Highness, for becoming a Human Emperor."
A middle-aged man, dressed in a majestic robe adorned with nine golden dragons, smiled gently despite his pale complexion as he looked at Ji Kong.
The current situation in Da Zhou was tumultuous, with powerful factions scheming and the future of the empire uncertain. No one knew when the winds of change would come and threaten to destroy Da Zhou.
But for now, having someone break through to the Human Emperor realm was a huge boon for Da Zhou.
"Zhou Emperor must take care of his health."
Ji Kong looked at his nephew, Ji Tian, with a look of pity in his eyes. Ji Tian had greater potential than him, but after the previous assassination attempt, his foundation was damaged. It was unlikely that he would ever be able to ascend to the Human Emperor realm.