The soft glow of dawn embraced Eli Shan as he appeared on his bed, his surroundings revealing the lateness of the hour. "I'm running behind schedule; I must hurry now," he muttered to himself.

Springing on his feet, he swiftly changed his attire and bolted out of his quarters. The passageway, once bustling with crowd, was filled with loneliness now. Looking around, as his eyes fell on Feng Qiang's door, a fleeting thought of informing her about his imminent departure to the palace crossed his mind, but on second thought, he was uncertain about what would happen after meeting the king. He didn't want to make others worry for him. After pondering for a moment, he decided to keep it to himself and quietly made his way towards the palace.

Exiting the arena swiftly, he spotted the tall towers of the palace not far away. Initially, he thought about asking around for directions, but the sight of the grand white towers made it clear where he needed to go. "Sigh, one day I'd like to live in a place like that."

He walked through the bustling market crowd, looking at the expensive artifacts and pills on display. Amidst the vibrant spectacle, a peculiar green pill encased in a glass jar caught his eyes. "This pill feels different than any other in this market," Eli Shan murmured, looking at the pill intently.

The seller, noticing Eli Shan's interest, hastily stood up and called out, "Sir, you have got some discerning eyes. This pill here contains the sign of law of nature."

In genuine curiosity, Eli Shan inquired, "Law of nature?"

The seller sized up Eli Shan from toe to head, a condescending smirk playing on his lips as if he were scrutinizing a country bumpkin. "Sir, you don't know the law of nature?"

Eli Shan shook his head, admitting, "No, I don't"

With a knowing nod, the seller began to enlighten him, "I believe you know about the unique forces like world force, the law of time, and the law of space, right?"

Eli Shan nodded, "Yes, I'm familiar with them."

The seller continued, his nod confirming Eli Shan's awareness. "These are all unique forces that are nearly impossible to comprehend. Throughout millions of years, only one or two prodigious geniuses manage to grasp them."

Eli Shan was taken aback by this revelation. While he knew these forces were beyond the understanding of ordinary individuals, but he didn't know it was this much exaggerating.

The seller, wearing a mysterious smile, continued, "There is not a single power that couldn't be comprehended by a human, no matter how much exaggerating it is, except... the law of nature! The origin of creation and destruction! The most formidable power of all time!"

Eli Shan whispered in disbelief, "Power of creation and destruction?"

The seller nodded solemnly, "Yes. It is said that creation, life, and destruction originated from the power of nature."

Eli Shan nodded in understanding and questioned, "If what you're saying is true, then why does a normal seller like you have such an important pill? And why are you treating it as if it's an ordinary pill?"

The seller sighed, approaching Eli Shan and whispering, "Because if others were to discover this pill, they would kill me to snatch it."

Eli Shan took a step back, casting a wary gaze at the seller. "You're trying to swindle me, aren't you?"

The seller met Eli Shan's eyes and replied earnestly, "No, I am not."

Eli Shan shook his head, "Even though I don't know much about the power of nature, I understand the basics. The power that created everything exists everywhere, in every place. Every pill needs this power to be created. It's just that your pill has an exceptionally high amount of this power, which is why I was examining it closely too."

The seller glanced in another direction, muttering, "Tsk. I need to close my store. I'm not seeing any customers anymore." With that, he closed the door, attempting to hide from Eli Shan's gaze.

Eli Shan shrugged with a smile, saying, "I was just spouting nonsense. He's the one who admitted he was trying to swindle me." Then, remembering he was on his way to the palace, he hurried forward, exclaiming, "I need to run," he mumbled, hastening his pace.

Dashing forward, he arrived before a resplendent golden gate after the passing of half an incense stick's time. Two guards, standing vigilantly, caught his attention. Sensing their formidable cultivation, Eli Shan's eyes widened. "Just the gatekeepers of the palace are in the realm of the first stage of Zun? They are strong enough to lead a prominent clan outside of this city!"

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Approaching the guards, Eli Shan respectfully cupped his fist, "I am Eli Shan. Yesterday, I was invited by the king."

The guards appraised Eli Shan from head to toe. "So, you are the winner of the king's school competition, Eli Shan?"

Eli Shan nodded, presenting his school token, "Yes, that's me."

The guards inspected his token and nodded, "You may go inside," they declared, opening the gate to allow Eli Shan entry.

Stepping inside, the opulence of the palace left him awestruck. The central walkway was crafted from rare ores he had never seen before, while on both sides, a breathtaking garden boasted trees and fruits that seemed to have witnessed centuries. "The king must have spent a fortune on these," Eli Shan mused.

Continuing his walk, he observed disciplined soldiers, all with cultivation realms at the seventh stage of the Zun realm. "Sigh, they are just the king's guards, huh?"

After a while of walking, he finally stood in front of the main palace gate, the room of the throne. But looking around, he was a bit confused, because there was not a single guard at this place.

Before he could think about anything else, he suddenly heard the voice of the king in his mind, "Come inside."

Eli Shan, unfazed by the imposing voice in his mind, nodded respectfully and entered the palace.

As he walked in, he saw a vibrant red carpet led to a towering set of steps where a man sat casually on his throne, emanating a formidable aura. His aura was so intimidating that Eli Shan was feeling a bit pressure even though he was still far from him.

Undeterred, Eli Shan advanced, reaching before the king.

The king looked down at Eli Shan from his throne, waiting for him to kneel down before him.

However, Eli Shan, unaware of the palace customs, simply cupped his fist and offered a confident smile. "I am here by your invitation, King."

The king nodded but found dissatisfaction in Eli Shan's demeanor.

Eli Shan also did not waver, showing no signs of nervousness.

Looking down at Eli Shan, the king cut to the chase, "I can offer you twenty thousand gold coins and a place for your family to stay in this empire. In return, you will give me your sword technique. How about it?"

Eli Shan was already aware of the king's intention. It's just that he didn't know that the king would make an offer to him. So, after a brief pause, he responded firmly, "I apologize, my lord, but I am not allowed to give this technique to anyone."

Twenty thousand gold coins and a place in the kingdom? Is this technique worth only this much? This was the sword cultivation technique that he obtained from the cave of an expert who had surpassed even the emperor's realm! This technique alone is worth buying this whole kingdom or maybe even more!

Looking at Eli Shan's blunt rejection, the king was taken aback. This guy dared to reject him on his face?

Except emperor, no one ever dared to reject him no matter who it was! Be it the other king or a leader of a big sect!!!

Unable to contain his anger, the king glared at Eli Shan, questioning in an enraged tone, "Are you sure about it?"

Undeterred, Eli Shan met the king's gaze and explained, "I am sorry, king. But I have obtained this technique from a cave. If that expert were to discover that I am sharing this technique without his permission, I don't know what consequences I might face."

Without caring about Eli Shan's explanation, the king asked him once again with a heavy voice, "This is the last time I am asking, you are giving this technique or not".

Eli Shan was not really afraid of the king but he was afraid that the king would do something to his family. He closed his eyes and was lost in a deep thought. If he were to give this technique to the king, it doesn't really matter to him. He could get stronger and after surpassing the king, he could take his revenge. But... If he were to really give this technique, would the king let him go? This technique was so strong that, no matter what, the king won't let him go with it. He won't let another person have this strong technique! And the king's reputation was also at stake. If others were to find out that the king has forced a kid for his technique, it would degrade the king's name. The king will surely not let him go even if he were to give his technique, he would do the same to him like what he did to those villagers!

Meanwhile, on the throne, the king remained patient, waiting for Eli Shan to make the right decision.

After a brief moment, Eli Shan opened his eyes, fixing a confident gaze on the king. "I am sorry, king, but I really can't... Huh?"

Just as Eli Shan was about to reject the king's offer, he saw the king waving his hand, and two soldiers at the peak of the Zun realm dragged Eli Shan's parents forward.

His parents' hands were bound by a special chain, blood flowing from their lips, and their bodies bore the marks of cruel blades.

Looking at his parents in such a dire state, Eli Shan's pupils shrank, and a red hue began to tinge his gaze as the boiling anger inside him transcended all boundaries.

"Mother, Father," Eli Shan whispered, tears started to flow from Eli Shan's eyes unconsciously as he looked at his parents in this situation.

Without warning, Eli Shan, who stood near the king, abruptly vanished into thin air. His speed was so astonishing that even the king couldn't follow him with his eyes.

In the next instant, Eli Shan materialized right before the soldiers holding his parents. Consumed by anger, he clenched his fist so tightly that his nails pierced through his skin, unleashing a devastating punch with a force beyond his usual capability.

Before the soldier could even blink, he witnessed his comrade disintegrating into a gruesome meat paste.

In horror, his eyes widened as he tried to flee, desperately begging for help, "King, please sa-."

Boom!

Before he could even finish his sentence, he saw that except for his heart and face, every part of his body had been destroyed.

Eli Shan's face turned crimson with blood as he looked at his parents through tear-filled eyes.

With a concentration of sword intent, he compressed it in his fingers and cut the ropes binding his parents' hands. Kneeling down before them, he whispered, "I am really sorry, Mother, Father. All of this happened because of me."