The Woodcutter Sage gazed across the plaza. Opposite him, several demon gods arrived, each flanked by their proudest disciples. These young demon elites radiated a savage, overwhelming aura—their bodies monstrous and honed by brutal life-and-death trials. Every one of them was a battle-hardened specialist.
He’d tangled with the demon race before and knew firsthand how formidable they were. When it came to pure physical strength, even High-Emperor Heaven’s most gifted cultivators—those with true god aptitude—were still a notch below the demons.
High-Emperor Heaven was always at war, locked in endless clashes with the demon race. There was no chance to build Everpeace-style academies or large sects. Instead, the gods themselves would handpick promising youths and train them personally.
This system had its upsides and downsides. The good: with gods and demons teaching directly, their disciples grew incredibly strong—each one a razor-sharp weapon. High-Emperor Heaven’s divine arts were passed down without interruption, and even god-level techniques survived. Take Rain He, for example: her father Pang Yu personally mentored her.
But there was a catch: every disciple learned only what their master taught, rarely touching on other lineages’ unique techniques. Rain He, for instance, cultivated Pang Yu’s arts and divine abilities, but never studied anyone else’s methods. Even if she picked up a few outside tricks, none were taught with her father’s care.
Specializing in one master’s teachings did mean greater focus, but it also stunted growth. In Quinn Shepherd’s eyes, High-Emperor Heaven’s divine arts had barely progressed—they lagged far behind Everpeace’s hybrid system.
Quinn Shepherd could see this—and so could the Woodcutter Sage.
The Woodcutter Sage glanced over at Quinn Shepherd, still hammering away at his forge, and wondered to himself: "I watched him struggle on the battlefield, so I unleashed a move he could grasp. He learned it instantly and escaped. By all rights, my disciple should be a once-in-a-generation talent, mastering my arts to perfection—so how did he turn out so unreliable? Did I misjudge him?"
Just then, another god strode over and bowed. "Heavenly Master, I’ve brought the Seven Stars realm prodigies of High-Emperor Heaven!"
The Woodcutter Sage nodded lightly as the young talents from High-Emperor Heaven approached. "Let them in."
Sabrina scanned the crowd, her eyes suddenly lighting up. She nudged Quinn Shepherd beside her, whispering, "Grainboy, that girl over there is Rain He—the number one Seven Stars realm cultivator!"
Quinn Shepherd pulled a sword from the wall of flames, inspected it, judged the timing wasn’t right, and shoved it back into the furnace.
Sabrina was bubbling with excitement. She turned to Quinn Shepherd: "Rain He is True God Pang Yu’s disciple—she passed the God-Binding Tower trial, and in the battle at Master City, she slew three demon prodigies at the teenage True God level. She’s famous as the top Seven Stars realm expert! That’s her—the girl with her hair piled high like a little pagoda, and she’s really pretty!"
The Black Tiger God glanced over. The girl called Rain He wore a cool expression, calmly removing her earrings and bracelets, adjusting her clothes—clearly ready for a fight to the death at any moment.
"Not bad at all—a real expert."
The Black Tiger God nodded approvingly. "She’s stripped off all unnecessary jewelry, so nothing will hinder her movements. She’s seen her share of battles."
Sabrina suddenly burst out, "Grainboy, look! All ten Seven Stars realm prodigies are here—wait, two are missing. Did they fall in battle?"
Quinn Shepherd focused on his forging, then abruptly shifted form—his hair flared red, his body coiling into the true Water Star Lord shape. He drew a cloud of steam to cool the flying sword, then grabbed it, injected vital energy, and rolled it between his palms until it shrank into a shining sword pellet.
He nodded in satisfaction.
Sabrina was practically bouncing. "Look, that’s Shu Yao! His master was True God Yan Shuo, but last time Yan Shuo fought Furylo, he died in battle… Still, Shu Yao is seriously strong, just like his teacher—his cultivation is fierce, his divine arts are brutal, and he’s on the body-sanctification path!"
The Black Tiger God looked at Shu Yao. This youth was steady as a mountain—unshaken even in the presence of so many gods and demons. He praised, "Far steadier than Grainboy—Grainboy’s face changed a dozen times on the way here. Shu Yao is a true expert."
Shu Yao and his companions approached. He was an exceptionally calm and composed young man, his bearing extraordinary.
The youths at his side were also remarkable—each, male or female, carried a dense aura of killing intent. They’d clearly just come straight from the battlefield.
Sabrina, practically bouncing, turned to Quinn Shepherd. "Anyone who’s made it out of the God-Binding Tower is a legend! Over there—that’s Royal Halberd, a veteran of countless battles! He’s also one of True God Pang Yu’s disciples, and was the fastest to clear the God-Binding Tower—though he’s ranked third now!"
Quinn Shepherd collected the finished flying sword, stuffed the rest of the sword pellets into the flames, and kept working nonstop.
The Black Tiger God glanced at Royal Halberd. The young man was clearly a martial fanatic—even now, he continued cultivating as he walked, vital energy swirling above his head in drifting clouds.
His cultivation method was unique; he’d already refined his Primordial Spirit. Though it hadn’t yet left his body, it could already breathe in and out vital qi.
The clouds above his head were the outward sign of his Primordial Spirit condensing and swallowing qi.
"This one’s cultivation is truly formidable!"
The Black Tiger God’s eyes lit up. "Another martial maniac, but his mind is pure—no distractions. With a single-minded focus like that, his heart-realm is naturally strong! Grainboy, and you too, braid-girl, you both should learn from them."
Sabrina realized he meant her and nodded quickly.
The Black Tiger God looked at Quinn Shepherd, who was once again pulling out a pile of flying swords, thrusting them into the fire, and hammering away to burn off impurities.
The Black Tiger God’s face darkened.
Rain He walked over, her gaze settling on Quinn Shepherd as he worked the swords, her brow furrowing slightly. She turned to Sabrina. "Sabrina, who’s this?"
Sabrina looked at her with admiration and smiled. "This is Quinn Shepherd, from another world. Quinn, as in Grainboy. Senior sister, you were famous after the battle at Master City…"
Rain He’s face turned somber. "But Master City still fell to the enemy. The demons really are stronger than us, but the cultivators of High-Emperor Heaven aren’t weaker—there’s just too many of them!"
Shu Yao walked over and gave Sabrina a gentle smile. "Sabrina, you haven’t entered the God-Binding Tower yet, have you? I can tell your cultivation’s advanced a lot since before—you’ll definitely pass the trial."
Sabrina was encouraged.
Shu Yao glanced at Quinn Shepherd, frowning slightly and lowering his voice. "And this is?"
"Grainboy Quinn Shepherd."