Otherworldly Desert Dust

"Let me see, what kind of riff-raff Miss Ruan has brought to our Martial God Mansion this time?"

"It's that stench again, the foul smell of inferior human stock. I suppose, Ruan Muhuan, you're so accustomed to crawling out of the lowest echelons of the continent, you don't mind the stench hanging around those people. Back then we governed different continents, but now we're forced to coexist here in Hundred Lakes Mansion. Might I trouble you to think of my nose for once? Every day, I wake up sneezing dozens of times…"

"I even asked the Immortal Families. If I have complaints about living next to a literal mountain of human refuse, I can bulldoze them straight away, and they wouldn't care."

Fei Que Martial God stood amidst the Ten Thousand Demon Soul Formation and laughed like an arrogant queen, viewing the masses as no more significant than filth and dirt.

Ruan Muhuan heard her words and immediately understood that Fei Que Martial God wasn't only expressing dissatisfaction with the Nuwa Divine Race residing nearby; she also sought an excuse to send a warning. This was her territory, Hundred Lakes Mansion, where she ruled supreme—not an upstart Martial God like Ruan Muhuan.

Originally, Ruan Muhuan wanted to let the powerful figures within the Divine Realm give this Fei Que Martial God a lesson, so she'd reign in her antics. But now that things had escalated to this point, Ruan Muhuan decided she wouldn't indulge her anymore.

Such a smug and narrow-minded woman was bound to be slapped eventually. Better sooner than later—it'd free her of frustration faster.

Ruan Muhuan took a step forward. She didn't draw her sword. Dealing with Fei Que Martial God didn't require weapons yet.

But a figure moved ahead of her, stepping in front before she could act.

Ruan Muhuan saw Wu Hen striding toward Fei Que Martial God.

There was a faint, barely perceptible smile on his face as he passed through the intimidating Demon Soul Formation.

"The inferior human stock you mentioned earlier—were you referring to me?" Wu Hen asked sincerely.

"Of course. You reek of the same scent as those in the trash heap. It's no surprise our Martial God Mansion is occasionally plagued by it. Don't think I'm clueless about the repulsive abilities of you Nuwa Divine Race people!" Fei Que Martial God declared.

"Care to say that again?" Wu Hen asked.

Wu Hen enunciated each word clearly, his eyes radiating divine light, and the aura emanating from him was truly terrifying.

Fei Que Martial God stood surrounded by a millennium's worth of Demon Souls.

But Wu Hen suddenly revealed shadows of ten thousand years—a gigantic Demon Blade materialized like a mighty mountain, instantly shattering Fei Que Martial God's Demon Soul Formation!

Fei Que Martial God felt the horrifying pressure, staring in disbelief at Wu Hen, unable to reconcile that this man carried the Crown Radiance of a fifth-class Star God.

Words of disdain had instinctively risen in her throat, but she didn't dare let them leave her lips.

Prideful as she was, she wasn't foolish enough to fail to recognize the level of this person. What puzzled her was why someone of his caliber carried the same scent as the Nuwa Divine Race.

Fei Que Martial God, whose mouth was a venomous whip moments ago, suddenly fell silent, her arrogance swiftly subdued.

In the Modern City, Spirit Awakeners marveled at the scene in disbelief, struggling to comprehend the identity of this formidable figure. Luckily, Guan Li, standing among the crowd, immediately recognized him—it was Lord Wu Hen! Excited and trembling, he could hardly keep still. After all, who else could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Martial God Ruan Muhuan?

"What's the matter? Afraid now?" Wu Hen coldly questioned.

Fei Que Martial God's gaze remained wary, but she wisely suppressed the dissatisfaction bubbling inside her, carefully observing the man before her.

"Do you think shutting your mouth will brush this over?" Wu Hen's aura didn't diminish, even though Fei Que Martial God was already backing down.

Suddenly, Wu Hen raised a palm and swung it—an unassuming strike heading straight for Fei Que Martial God.

Before Fei Que could react, the overwhelming Ten Thousand Souls Formation around her crumbled. Infused with Blood Pattern True Qi moments ago, it was given form and flesh, but in an instant, everything disintegrated to dust!

The palm blasted her grand formation and struck Fei Que Martial God directly, who unleashed all her True Qi to block it, only for it to disperse into nothingness the next moment.

"Thud~~~~~~~"

Fei Que spat blood as she was sent flying backward.

Her body carved a long trench through the high-rise structures of the Modern City, sliding across the ground for over ten seconds, practically traversing the entirety of the cityscape.

As if Wu Hen had calculated the angle perfectly, Fei Que Martial God didn't collide with any buildings while scraping through. Otherwise, with the sheer force behind that strike, even the sturdiest skyscrapers would have crumbled to dust.

Finally, Fei Que came to a halt.

She lay sprawled at the end of the trench, miserably battered. Gazing at Wu Hen from nearly a dozen miles away, her eyes were filled with shock, terror, and reverence!

"This time, I've only shattered every bone in your body. Next time you dare speak insolence, I'll obliterate your flesh and soul together!" Wu Hen declared to Fei Que Martial God.

The shores of Hundred Lakes were now crowded with Martial Artists from the Human Clan, each a prominent figure among their kind. These individuals, who once harbored a sense of superiority when dealing with the Nuwa Lineage, now had their ego utterly crushed. Wu Hen's single strike had obliterated not only Fei Que Martial God's arrogance but also the pride of every Martial Artist present.

No wonder Martial God Ruan consistently advocated for friendly relations with their new neighbors, even welcoming their Human Clan representatives in person. As it turned out, the Nuwa Divine Race hid dragons and crouching tigers. They were far from the backward and unevolved tribe the rumors claimed.

Fei Que Martial God, her mouth bloody, no longer had the strength to utter a single word.

Only when Wu Hen's fury had completely dissipated did a young Martial God from the Martial God Institute emerge, rushing to her side along the trench. He helped Fei Que up, utterly humbled, and cautiously escorted her back to Hundred Lakes Mansion.

None of her bones were intact—not even a single finger could move.

If she hadn't cultivated the Martial God Body, she would've been crushed to death like a mangled stray on the roadside.

Her recovery would undoubtedly require a fortune in rare medicinal resources.

The young male Martial God dared not exchange words with Wu Hen. As he passed by Ruan Muhuan, he bowed deeply, imploring her to speak.

"I asked everyone to coexist harmoniously with our neighbors not to constrain your conduct, but to ensure your safety," Ruan Muhuan said flatly to Fei Que Martial God and the young Martial God.

Fei Que Martial God heard these words and instantly coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood.

Ruan Muhuan could have warned her a grand figure resided among the Nuwa Divine Race, but she had feigned ignorance instead!

Even though resentment and anger festered in her heart, Fei Que dared not act out now.

The young male Martial God bowed once more before carefully carrying Fei Que back to her quarters.

"Too badass!!!"

"That's why Lord Wu Hen is unmatched!!"

"Ah, I was just about to deal with that Martial God myself, but why did Lord Wu Hen have to show up…"

"It's not like we're being pushed to extinction in the Divine Realm. Getting Wu Hen involved was overkill."

"Exactly. Several of us here could easily outmatch Fei Que Martial God. If she'd truly unleashed an all-out attack, we wouldn't have stayed hidden."

"You clearly don't get it. Lord Wu Hen loves putting on a show!"

"Damn it, he stole the spotlight again!"

Wu Hen's listening sense captured these grumbles.

He thought to himself that his fellow clansmen were indeed a little too outrageous.

Couldn't they just give him a few genuine compliments? Instead, they had to turn passive-aggressive. If they were so capable, why didn't they step in sooner?

Still, the feeling of stealing the show wasn't bad. When he arrived in Infinite City and learned of the peculiar neighborly relations among the Human Clan, this moment was exactly what he had imagined.

"Why did you act again? Didn't we agree to let the top Spirit Awakeners among humans handle such matters?" Rat voiced his displeasure and began berating Wu Hen.

"Hehe, it's been so long since I've seen my dear Han Han. No matter what, I had to show off for her," Wu Hen chuckled, a carefree air of satisfaction radiating from him after his display.

"You're just bullying someone weaker, a dimensional reduction strike!"

"I've reached this level through my own efforts. Is it so wrong to dominate in a fishpond?" Wu Hen retorted.

"No, it's absolutely wrong!" Rat vehemently shook its little head, still dissatisfied with Wu Hen's self-serving actions that deprived the younger generation of opportunities to hone their skills.

Off to the side, Gu Luoshui listened to their exchange, her gaze dazed.

What was this?

Our Martial God was just a stinking fish in your proverbial fishpond?

Just how strong did you have to be to think of them that way??

But upon reflection, Wu Hen really had utterly crushed Fei Que Martial God's True Qi and Divine Skills with just one palm strike. Considering the angle of her trench-slide and how every single bone in her body was fractured precisely, the palm strike had been meticulously controlled.

It seemed that this fellow had ascended yet again since their last meeting.

...

"Drip~"

Suddenly, a crisp raindrop splashed into the lake.

Everyone heard this unusually distinct droplet, and with it, a serene ripple extended between Hundred Lakes Mansion and the Modern City. All the noise dissipated mysteriously.

The world seemed to have been muted.

An inexplicable silence enveloped the city.

Wu Hen and Ruan Muhuan simultaneously looked to the sky at the source of the droplet. A milky white figure had appeared without notice.

Clad in snowy robes, immaculate and flowing, even their hair and eyebrows were pure white. The light surrounding them seemed to shed its impurities, exuding a unique celestial aura.

"Ruan Muhuan, your friend here may not be aware of the rules since it's their first time here, but if there's another duel like this without proper notice, I won't be lenient," a man's voice echoed from above.

"What do you mean?" Wu Hen tilted his head, gazing at the celestial figure.

"We allow duels among various races here in Infinite City, but you must notify us beforehand," the celestial figure replied.

"So you're saying, if I want to beat someone up, I need to report it to you celestial officials first?" Wu Hen pressed.

"Precisely. Rules are rules. Since it's your first time in the city, I won't punish you. But as the one responsible for guiding you into the city, Martial God Ruan must bear the consequences in your stead," the celestial figure announced.

"Let me ask you this: if the person I want to beat up is you, do I still need to report to you first?" Wu Hen stepped in front of Ruan Muhuan, a cocky grin curling at his lips. "Oh, and I guess this counts as my report!"