Eli Shan left the village, embarking on his journey toward the city lord's mansion. Along the way, he made inquiries and learned that indeed, the city lord was on the verge of marrying a new, strikingly beautiful woman. This news brought a sense of relief to Eli Shan, reassuring him that he hadn't arrived too late.

After a long walk, Eli Shan and Xie Meng arrived at the majestic gates of the mansion, where two vigilant guards stood watch. Eli Shan approached them respectfully, cupping his hands in a traditional gesture of greeting. "I've heard that the city lord is about to be married," Eli Shan began, his tone polite yet inquisitive. "Am I welcome here?"

The guards exchanged a brief glance, their scrutinizing gazes sizing up Eli Shan from head to toe before one of them spoke, "And who might you be?"

Hearing this, Xie Meng, who was standing behind Eli Shan, couldn't help but smile. Eli Shan turned around, scratching his head before explaining to her, "Y-you are thinking this wrong; I have never been outside of the school, which is why no one recognizes my face."

Xie Meng nodded in agreement, her smile radiant. "Yes, but I didn't say anything, did I?"

Eli Shan shook his head before sighing, "You didn't, but your smile did."

Xie Meng shook her head, maintaining her gentle smile. "No no, I didn't try to make fun of you."

Eli Shan retorted sharply, "You did!"

As they teased each other, the guards also noticed Xie Meng. Previously, they hadn't noticed her because of her veil and her position behind Eli Shan. But now, as they looked at her, they couldn't help but be captivated by her beauty, even though only her eyes were visible.

Sensing a shift in the atmosphere, Eli Shan turned to look back. Xie Meng also noticed their gaze, her brows furrowing in anger. Suddenly, as the guards locked eyes with Xie Meng's fiery glare, a wave of horror paralyzed them. Their blood began to boil, their hands trembling and they felt as if they were being stared down by a predator, who would torture them to death.

In the blink of an eye, the guards swiftly averted their gaze, their eyes turning red with an inexplicable fear. Eli Shan caught a glimpse of their reaction, but by the time he turned to address them, they had already shifted their focus elsewhere, leaving him bewildered and curious about the sudden change in atmosphere.

Setting aside all these things, Eli Shan took out his golden badge and showed it to the guards. "I am Eli Shan, and I want to meet the city lord."

The guards, still sweating profusely, gazed upon the golden badge with a mixture of fear and reverence. This was the strongest youngster renowned throughout the city! If they were to look at his companion with the wrong eyes, even the city lord wouldn't bother to save them! Summoning their courage, they mustered forced smiles and respectfully greeted Eli Shan. "So you are the champion who brought the great honor to our city. We have heard a lot about you." Eli Shan nodded, smiling back at them. The guard continued, "Please wait a bit; I will report that you want to meet the city lord."

Eli Shan nodded calmly, "Go ahead."

With that, he observed as the guard hurried inside. After a brief moment, his attention was drawn to a familiar figure emerging from the mansion.

As the figure approached, Eli Shan turned to Xie Meng, speaking in a hushed tone, "That's my former classmate, Hao Yu. He's the son of the city lord."

Xie Meng nodded in understanding.

After Hao Yu stepped outside the gate, he looked at Eli Shan neither with politeness nor arrogance.

The guy standing before him was nearly as strong as his father! He couldn't be arrogant before this person!

Eli Shan greeted him with a playful smile, "What? Now you won't even invite me into your home?"

Hesitating momentarily, Hao Yu eventually sighed, "Fine, come inside."

Holding Xie Meng's hand in his own, Eli Shan followed Hao Yu into the mansion.

From the start, Hao Yu refrained from meeting Xie Meng's gaze, wary of the possibility that she might be Eli Shan's girl. Though, initially his eyes fell on her, but she was so beautiful that, he didn't dare to even glance in her direction again, fearing that once his gaze landed on her, he wouldn't be able to retract it, potentially offending Eli Shan unintentionally.

Leading the way, Hao Yu continued forward, his steps measured and deliberate. Eli Shan followed behind, casually observing the mansion's decorations with a hint of amusement. "Looks like your father is bringing you a new mother, huh?" he remarked, a playful glint in his eye.

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Hearing this, Hao Yu stopped in his tracks, looking at Eli Shan with anger, "What do you want?"

Eli Shan responded with an innocent smile, feigning ignorance of Hao Yu's reaction. "Nothing much," he replied casually, his tone light. "Why are you looking so scared? Don't worry, I'm just here to meet your father," he added, his smile widening slightly.

Hao Yu felt that Eli Shan's visit was not as simple as it seemed, but what could he do about it? This was the world where strength speaks, and Eli Shan was stronger than even the city lord! Recognizing this cruel reality, Hao Yu just simply nodded and escorted them to a VIP guest room.

As they enter inside, Eli Shan looked around the room with admiration before exclaiming, "What a big and splendid room! It's as if I'm inside the city lord's mansion! Hahaha... Sorry, bad joke."

Ignoring Eli Shan, Hao Yu spoke with a serious tone, "You both can stay here. Tomorrow is my father's wedding. Even the headmaster will attend. You can meet my father two days from now."

With that, Hao Yu swiftly exited the guest room, leaving Eli Shan and Xie Meng to settle in.

Outside the room, Hao Yu stood alone, his hand reaching up to wipe the beads of sweat from his forehead.

Why? For one, the pressure emanating from Eli Shan was even more intense than that of his father! It felt as though Eli Shan could crush him with just his presence alone! And as if that wasn't enough, the woman with him, with her beautiful eyes that could make even the light of auroras blush, met his gaze, and suddenly, he felt as if some kind of force had enveloped him! His blood seemed to freeze within his veins, and he felt as if invisible chains had wrapped around him, constricting his movements and leaving him powerless to break free. The weight of an unseen presence pressed down on him, suffocating and oppressing him. It was as though he stood at the mercy of a bloodthirsty predator, its eyes piercing through him with an insatiable hunger, leaving him paralyzed in fear and uncertainty.

This was the first time Hao Yu truly understood how a deer must feel when cornered by an ancient lion, its primal instincts urging it to flee while its body remained frozen in terror, unable to escape the predator's relentless gaze.

"Where are these people even from?"

......

Meanwhile, inside the room, Eli Shan directed his attention to the luxurious bed before casting a glance at Xie Meng. "You stay here and focus on your cultivation," he instructed her gently. "I need to speak with Big Brother Dragon about something."

Xie Meng nodded in agreement, her gaze determined as she prepared to immerse herself in cultivation.

With a subtle movement of his hand, a spatial force enveloped Eli Shan, transporting him from the room to his soul universe. There, he found himself face to face with a majestic dragon, its eyes closed in a state of deep slumber.

Sensing Eli Shan's presence, the dragon stirred, its massive form shifting slightly as it opened its eyes to regard him with a knowing gaze. "You seem to be seeking me out more frequently these days," the dragon remarked with a hint of amusement.

Eli Shan scratched his head sheepishly, a warm smile gracing his features. "I do have an important question to ask, Brother," he admitted.

The dragon nodded, gesturing for him to ask his questions.

Eli Shan's expression turned solemn as he began, "I want to integrate with my universe completely. How to do it and become its true master?"

The dragon pondered for a moment before casting its gaze skyward, suggesting, "Why don't you ask about this from the former master?"

Eli Shan, too, looked up at the vast expanse above, nodding in agreement. "Yes, if he genuinely wishes to pass on this universe to me, he should share the knowledge of its mastery as well."

With that, the power of the universe enveloped him, transporting him from the familiar world to an enigmatic blank space. Eli Shan found himself surrounded by an infinite expanse of nothingness, devoid of any discernible features or landmarks. "I am still not sure what kind of place this is," he mused aloud, his voice echoing into the emptiness as he surveyed his surroundings with a mixture of curiosity and caution.

Pressing forward, Eli Shan searched for the residual soul of the universe's master. However, after wandering for some time, he still couldn't find any trace of his presence. "Could it be... his residual soul has also dissipated?" he wondered aloud. Just as doubt began to take hold, a figure materialized before him, dispelling his uncertainty with its sudden appearance.

"Oh, you're still here," Eli Shan exclaimed, a smile playing on his lips. However, despite his cheerful demeanor, Eli Shan still couldn't discern any facial features on the figure before him, as it remained completely obscured by the dark aura that enveloped it.

On the other hand, the mysterious man gazed intently at Eli Shan, as though he could see into the depths of his being, rendering him unable to conceal anything. "I know why you are here," the figure spoke, his voice echoing through the emptiness. "But remember, you are already the master of this universe. It's just, you don't understand your universe."

Eli Shan nodded in comprehension but remained perplexed. "And... How do I understand my universe?"

The mysterious figure replied, "It depends on your cultivation. As your cultivation strengthens, you'll gain the ability to control and comprehend your universe better. However, this process may span billions or even trillions of years."

Hearing this, Eli Shan gasped in amazement. Billions or trillions of years? Mortals live a maximum of a hundred years, while those in the origin realm might live a hundred thousand years. Even emperors can't live more than a few million years! What kind of cultivation is needed to achieve a lifespan of billions or trillions of years?

And here, he was just an eighteen-year-old teenager. Compare to his age, the thought of billions of years felt like an eternity!

At first, Eli Shan thought that this guy was making a joke, but upon looking at him, it became apparent that this mysterious figure had never joked in his life! The gravity of his words and the solemnity of his demeanor left no room for doubt!

"Is there no faster method?" Eli Shan asked, though he already anticipated the answer would be negative. Still, he couldn't resist the urge to inquire.

The mysterious figure nodded sagely. "There is."

Eli Shan thought he had heard it wrong. "There is a faster way?"

Once again, the mysterious figure nodded sagely. "Yes! There is."

Eli Shan's eyes lit up with hope at his answer. "Why didn't you mention it earlier? What's the faster way?"

"Reincarnation!"