"Sigh."
The old man gazed into the distant starry sky and let out a gentle sigh.
The dim red sky cast its glow over the elder's face, revealing a hint of melancholy and regret.
Beside him.
The freckled young boy bounced away with lively steps.
The old man glanced over, shook his head, and said nothing.
From what he knew, a full six Grand Venerables had met in secret countless times, finally forging an agreement to lay an ambush—a pact sworn to strike down the cyan-armored Grand Venerable named Andrew Han. Unless Andrew Han died, the Grand Venerables swore they would never rest.
Or was it a lofty ideal?
Even the old man, for all his experience, couldn't fathom it. Suddenly, a voice called out—it was his great-grandson, born late in his life.
"Grandpa, Grandpa, hurry up and pack!"
The freckled boy urged excitedly, "We're about to set off!"
Hmph.
The blue-robed elder let out a soft snort, hands clasped behind his back as he hummed a little tune, moving mountains and filling seas at a leisurely pace.
Boom, boom, boom—across the crimson-hued planet, a striking pale-blue mountain began to tremble violently, breaking free from the ground and rising upward in a true display of earth-shattering force!
The pale-blue mountain broke away from the earth, soared into the sky, and flew toward the heavens!
This was mountain-moving.
Next came sea-filling.
As if from nothing, massive amounts of water vapor gathered and condensed in the crater left by the mountain, transforming into drops of clear water—a process that would take ages, now sped up countless times.
Condensing water vapor—such a feat was nothing to a Void Rift-tier lifeform!
In less than a moment, the sunken crater had become a crystal-clear lake!
"Should I give him a subtle warning?"
The thought flashed across the old man's mind, and he hesitated for a moment.
Neither he nor anyone else in the cultivator world understood why Andrew Han insisted on challenging the Stellar Honor Roll alone.
To single-handedly defeat Grand Venerable after Grand Venerable...
To overturn the Honor Roll's aura of authority by sheer force of will...
It had shaken the entire cultivator world, stirring countless hearts. Yet from every angle, this act brought no benefit—it only made enemies of all the Grand Venerables.
Was it a twisted mind?
"Heh heh."
The old man grinned, showing off his slightly dark, yet neatly arranged teeth. "I'm taking this mountain with me, so I'll leave behind a clean lake."
Once, he too was a Grand Venerable listed on the Stellar Honor Roll.
But he had ranked at the very bottom, and was eventually defeated and replaced by someone else—a memory from a distant age.
He thought back to those years.
Once, the old man had grand ambitions, believing himself unique and vowing to sweep across the cultivator world.
But every age brings forth new talents, and eventually, a much younger Rift Lord defeated him. The old man lost his fighting spirit, his edges worn down by time, and the glory of his youth faded into memory.
Because of this, the old man knew many secrets of the cultivator world.
For example, in this siege plan, ordinary Rift Lords would never be privy to such knowledge.
"Mountain-lifting."
With those words, the blue mountain soared beyond the sky, leaving the crimson planet behind.
"Sea-falling."
He spoke again...
Though it looked like he was casting spells with every word, the freckled boy was unimpressed, curling his lip: "Grandpa, why are you showing off again? It's so boring. Let's just get going!"
Pfft.
The old man's face darkened, his chest tight with frustration—he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
He was a Rift Lord strong enough to rival a Grand Venerable!
Yet his own great-grandson mocked him mercilessly—it truly stung!
And...
Even when he spoke of his past and admitted he'd once been a Grand Venerable, his grandson stubbornly refused to believe him...
The old man glared. "You brat, what do you mean by 'showing off'? Why use that word? Do you have any idea just how strong, how terrifying, how formidable your grandpa is?"
"Oh." The freckled boy rolled his eyes.
The six or seven boys and girls nearby wanted to laugh but didn't dare.
They were like study companions, but their lives were worlds apart from the freckled boy's privileged upbringing—none dared to laugh openly.
Such reckless behavior...
Could get you killed!
They stood frozen, afraid the old man would vent his anger on them, their bodies trembling slightly.
One timid boy shrank like a quail, only to see the freckled boy pat his friends on the shoulder, chin raised in defiance.
"Grandpa, you say you're strong? Where's the proof?"
"Is moving mountains and filling seas proof enough?"
"Not enough."
Hearing his grandson's stubborn reply, the old man slapped down his hand, evaporating the newly formed lake.
Hmph.
The freckled boy tilted his head. "Don't try to scare me, Grandpa. If you're so tough, go challenge the Cyan-armored Grand Venerable. If you can survive a single move, I'll..."
...
The old man's expression froze.
He was indeed strong, but compared to Andrew Han, the Cyan-armored Grand Venerable, the gap was immeasurable.
At the same moment—
At the edge of a nebula in the Lunyis Star System, six figures gathered together—Grand Venerables meeting face to face.
"Are you ready?"
"Mm, everything's set. We're just waiting for Andrew Han to arrive."
"No more delays—the sooner, the better. I'm ranked fifteenth, and Andrew Han is about to challenge me. Before he comes knocking, we kill him first. If one can't do it, all six of us attack together. I don't care about right or wrong, good or evil—I just want him dead!"
As his words faded—
One Grand Venerable sneered, holding a ten-thousand-meter blade, murderous intent swirling around him like something tangible.
Shrrrk, shrrrk—the nebula's matter split apart like torn paper.
His killing intent became blade intent.
He was, unmistakably, a Fourth-Stage Void Rift-tier powerhouse.
"Come on."
"Hurry up."
"We can't wait any longer!"
In the cold, dark reaches of space, a streak of cyan light slowed and came to a halt, revealing Andrew Han's puzzled face.
A message came through the Stargate communicator.
Andrew Han, who hadn't cared much and only glanced at it casually, was stunned as if struck by lightning.
"Bloodchart has sent word!"
"Brother Howard Gu is in trouble!"
Andrew Han's face darkened as he stared at the Stargate communicator.
The phantom screen shifted, revealing Bloodchart's slightly aged, solitary face. "Other life clans are using the Ten Thousand Clans Order to stir up chaos along the human borders... Brother Howard Gu has gone missing, and the dispute over border sovereignty is intensifying... Andrew Han, seize every moment to grow stronger. This time, it may be up to us Primeval-tiers to step forward and formally represent humanity in this conflict!"
—
[Author's Note: Recent updates have been difficult, and I feel ashamed. The protagonist's strength is in an awkward place, making it hard to write. But things are better now—there are plenty of exciting scenes ahead, still with that hot-blooded style. The passion remains, and I'm fired up to write! O(∩_∩)O]
[Irrelevant passage: Skipped.]