Waves surged in fury, peaks gathered like storm clouds!
Joe Di gazed at the awe-inspiring Mad Domain before him. He was tempted to unleash another punch, even believing that a single strike of his divine power could flatten the entire Mad Domain.
But he hadn’t come here to level this place. He was here to restore his cultivation, and what he needed was a vast supply of spirit stones. There had to be countless spirit stones here; with enough, he could quickly ascend to a higher realm and reclaim even greater powers.
With a single punch, Joe Di had slain the Mad Domain’s guard. Yet the other cultivators were not shocked by his strength; instead, they looked at Joe Di and Simon Su with sympathy. In their eyes, these two were doomed.
"That's right, Ah Di, we need to run! If we escape into the void now, there might still be a chance..." Simon Su’s words cut off abruptly as he saw several figures burst out from the Mad Domain, blocking their escape in the blink of an eye.
"Paul Chi, an Ascendant cultivator..." Simon Su muttered these words, losing his composure. Acting on impulse had landed him alongside a reckless guy like Joe Di, and now his own life was at stake.
Joe Di patted Simon Su’s shoulder. "Sorry, Brother Su, I dragged you into this."
Simon Su sighed, "At this point, it doesn’t matter. When my enemies drove me out of Great Abyss Star, I never expected to survive this long. Living to today is already a bonus."
The Ascendant cultivator Simon Su had called Paul Chi now stood before Joe Di. Surprisingly, he didn’t attack immediately, which puzzled Joe Di. Ever since regaining his divine power, Joe Di had wanted to test it out. But since the opponent hadn’t made a move, Joe Di wasn’t about to start a fight without reason.
Even though Joe Di was confident that, even at the Soul Realm, he could kill this so-called Ascendant cultivator with a single punch if he struck first.
"You're not even the slightest bit afraid?" Paul Chi stood before Joe Di, genuinely surprised. By rights, after killing a Mad Domain guard, Joe Di should be terrified. Yet Paul saw no fear in his eyes—nor any intent to fight. It was as if facing a Transformation Stage cultivator meant nothing, like facing an ordinary mortal.
Something was off. Paul Chi’s heart skipped a beat—he sensed danger.
Joe Di frowned slightly. He couldn’t understand what there was to be afraid of.
"My name is Paul Chi, Steward and Guardian of the Mad Domain. You killed one of my men; by rights, I should kill you on the spot." Paul Chi looked at Joe Di and spoke calmly. "In all the history of the Mad Domain, only two people have ever slain a guard. The first was chopped into mince, his soul burned for ten thousand years, tormented until he vanished. You are the second."
Joe Di replied coolly, "I’m not the type to strike first. If you want to fight, get on with it. If not, I’m heading into the Mad Domain."
Gathering his true essence and spirit, Joe Di waited for Paul Chi to make a move. He was eager to see just how powerful his punch technique had become.
"You’re the most arrogant Nascent Soul cultivator I’ve ever met—and you’ve got the strength to back it up…" Paul Chi slowly raised his hand.
The onlookers were growing impatient. Paul Chi was known as the most decisive steward in the Mad Domain, yet he was hesitating with Joe Di, who had committed such a grave offense. It was the first time anyone had seen him act so indecisively.
Only Paul Chi knew the truth—he was starting to regret coming here first. Joe Di was only at the Nascent Soul stage, yet Paul sensed an extreme danger, as if making a move would mean instant annihilation.
He’d survived in the Mad Domain this long thanks to a unique talent: an acute sense for danger and premonition. It was this gift that kept him from acting rashly against Joe Di. He’d escaped countless disasters thanks to it.
Joe Di was only at the Nascent Soul stage, so Paul Chi wasn’t too afraid. He was certain the danger didn’t come from Joe Di himself, but from someone powerful backing him.
A flying sword landed in Paul Chi’s hand. Without even glancing at the message, he felt relieved. He barked, "Let him enter the Mad Domain first. I’ll deal with this when I return."
With those words, Paul Chi vanished from the Mad Domain’s entrance in a flash. Whatever was written on that flying sword was clearly important enough to make him leave at once.
As he left, Paul Chi resolved to investigate Joe Di thoroughly before making a move. Who was this man, to trigger such a strong sense of danger—one that threatened his very life?
The two cultivators who had come with Paul Chi could only give Joe Di a cold glance before turning away. What puzzled them was that Paul Chi had only said to let Joe Di and Simon Su enter the Mad Domain—he hadn’t mentioned stopping them if they tried to leave.
"Ah Di, let’s hurry and escape…" Simon Su said excitedly. He couldn’t believe Paul Chi had left because of something else, without attacking them—this was beyond his wildest dreams.
Joe Di shook his head. "I came here for this. Why would I run?"
Not only was Simon Su baffled by Paul Chi’s actions, so were his subordinates and the onlooking cultivators. Why had Paul Chi let Joe Di go—and even allowed him and Simon Su into the Mad Domain? After all, Joe Di had just killed a guard.
"Ah Di, I really want to run." Seeing Joe Di still intent on entering the city, Simon Su couldn’t take it anymore. He was loyal, but not to the point of knowingly courting death.
"Brother Su, you’re free to go. But before you leave, could you lend me some spirit stones?" Joe Di asked awkwardly—he truly didn’t have a single coin to his name.
Without hesitation, Simon Su handed Joe Di a storage pouch. "Ah Di, this is most of my spirit stones—take them all. I’m leaving now. Until we meet again."
With that, Simon Su turned and fled at top speed.
(This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^, please click next page to continue reading!)
Joe Di made sure no one was chasing Simon Su before strolling leisurely into the Mad Domain.
Once inside, Joe Di understood the origin of the name Mad Domain—and why it wasn’t called Mad City. Everywhere his divine sense reached, there were rugged mountains, with marketplaces, cultivation caves, and gathering places for various factions scattered among them. It was like a planet dotted with sects and cities.
Beyond these marketplaces and faction strongholds, there were also bustling streets lined with shops and rest houses.
Sweeping his divine sense, Joe Di found that all the spirit stones Simon Su had given him were top-grade—at least thirty or forty thousand. It was more than enough to find an inn and settle down.
……
Paul Chi stopped, finally able to check the contents of the flying sword. Whatever the message said, it didn’t change his decision to avoid the danger posed by Joe Di.
As soon as the sword’s message was activated, a furious roar echoed: "Paul Chi, I, Arthur King, have only been gone from the Mad Domain a few days, and you let my son, Gavin King, die here? Do you think I won’t kill you for this?"
Paul Chi shuddered, suddenly recalling that Arthur King’s only son, Gavin King, had been training in the Mad Domain as a city gate guard—supposedly to toughen himself.
Paul Chi slapped his forehead in despair. It was over. He knew better than anyone how domineering and ruthless Arthur King was. The first thing Arthur King would do on his return was flay the young man who killed his son; the second would be to flay Paul Chi himself. Compared to the half-step Domain Stage Arthur King, Paul Chi at Transformation Stage Two was less than an ant.
"Damn it, an Artifact King’s only son, pretending to train—and now you’re dead, you useless fool…" Paul Chi vented, then calmed himself. He knew he had to come up with a plan before Arthur King returned.
Escape! The thought crossed his mind, but Paul Chi immediately dismissed it. He was certain he couldn’t outrun Arthur King.