Chapter 71: The Ferocious Overlord (Grand Finale)

The shimmering portals that appeared before each chosen candidate seemed almost alive, swiftly moving toward them as if they had legs. Among the onlookers, many had witnessed such scenes before, but just as many did not understand what was happening. Especially the children, and those from remote regions who only dared to visit after three months of peace in Shunan City.

Thus, all watched intently, afraid to blink lest they miss a crucial moment.

Suddenly, as the portal reached within three feet of the chosen, a streak of white light darted forth like a meteor, instantly reaching the center of their brows.

In that instant, all the chosen candidates simultaneously closed their eyes, as if entering a meditative trance. At the same time, their figures appeared within the portals, each within their unique environment.

Witnessing this, many people could not help but recall what had happened months before.

An illusion!

These words surfaced in the minds of the crowd, igniting strong curiosity about how these thousand chosen would perform. They were especially eager to see what stunning feats Mu Tianhen and the other extraordinary young talents would display.

As expected, Mu Tianhen and his fellow prodigies performed brilliantly, emerging from the illusion quickly. In other words, they conquered their inner demons with remarkable speed.

After the first round of testing, four hundred were eliminated, leaving only six hundred to enter the second stage.

To everyone’s surprise, the second stage was not held on the outskirts of Shunan City as usual, nor was it a simple hunt. Instead, the leaders of the Heavenly Pavilion took the six hundred candidates out to sea, selecting a hidden archipelago for them to survive and be tested.

Furthermore, the islands were divided into three tiers: small, medium, and large. To pass, one had to overcome each level, and only those who emerged from the largest island would be considered qualified.

During this process, many lost their precious lives, remaining forever overseas.

In the end, only six emerged from the large island:

Mu Tianhen, Mu Tianxue, Mu Tianxiang, Dai Ling’er, Huang Xiaoshan, and Gu Lingyun.

Over the course of a month of battles, Mu Tianhen repeatedly rescued Dai Ling’er from danger, causing her feelings for him to blossom and take root in her heart.

The six became the contenders in the third stage, vying for ranking. Only five could become official disciples; one would be a registered disciple only. Based on their cultivation, Mu Tianxiang was clearly destined for sixth place. Fortunately, the Heavenly Pavilion’s leader recognized her exceptional talent and made an exception, allowing all six to become official disciples.

All six followed the leader to the Heavenly Pavilion’s headquarters. After enduring the brutal initiation test, Mu Tianhen was crowned this year’s Newcomer King.

His brilliance provoked the native disciples, who began to find fault and even persecute him. Yet the more adversity he faced, the faster Mu Tianhen grew, always protecting those he cared about, like Mu Tianxue.

Huang Xiaoshan and Gu Lingyun, meanwhile, conspired with others to put Mu Tianhen and his allies in mortal danger. In the end, their schemes only elevated Mu Tianhen and Dai Ling’er, while they themselves perished at the Heavenly Pavilion headquarters, becoming a chapter forever closed.

Mu Tianhen relocated both the Mu and Dai families to a major city under the Heavenly Pavilion’s jurisdiction, forming his own power base and reestablishing the Sword Sect.

Step by step, Mu Tianhen became the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Pavilion and the Supreme Master of the Sword Sect, engaging in ever more perilous contests with former powerful rivals.

After resolving the conflicts on the continent of Zhendan and breaking the barrier, he opened the gate to the greater world.

To protect all beings, Mu Tianhen led his followers into the greater world, beginning a tortuous investigation among gods and demons, and initiating a new war between divine and demonic forces.

Because his cultivation methods were so mysterious, many labeled him the Great Demon King, claiming he must be destroyed first. In truth, their accusations stemmed from jealousy and their desire to suppress him.

This infuriated Mu Tianhen: “You immortals never do your work properly, always seeking to oppress newcomers and commit countless misdeeds, devoid of humanity. Very well, I’ll become a demon for you to see!”

Thus, Mu Tianhen became an enemy of both the divine and demonic clans, attacked on all sides. Fortunately, he and his companions were formidable, leaving their adversaries no chance of return.

Ultimately, Mu Tianhen broke through to the Martial Saint realm, becoming the first in eternity to attain the Realm of Creation.

He led the heavens, enshrined the Way, established the rules, and ushered all realms into a true era of unity.

(The End)

PS: As you can see, this is merely a brief outline, not the real ending. There’s nothing I can do—Xiao Zhe simply cannot persist any longer.

To be honest, this book never received any recommendations. No matter how well or poorly it was written, no readers saw it, so naturally, there were no results. Xiao Zhe writes part-time, just to supplement his family’s income and offer them a better life. Without results, there’s no income, and Xiao Zhe cannot continue.

After all, the shoulders of a middle-aged man bear too many responsibilities and burdens; I dare not act on impulse.

Originally, I planned to stop at fifty or sixty thousand words, but since so many invested in the story—probably over a million Qidian coins—I couldn’t let everyone lose out, so I forced myself to continue.

The purpose was to at least finish four key milestones so that those who invested wouldn’t lose their money. In reality, for the author, having investors is a painful thing, as it brings no benefit. The investors are simply business-minded, never caring about the author’s results, only whether their investment can be recouped.

If they break even or profit, they say nothing. If the author abandons the book and they lose money, they’ll endlessly curse the author, saying anything vile they can.

For example, among this book’s investors, aside from Dao Shen and a few longtime friends, the rest can be described as ‘white-eyed wolves.’

I put it on the shelf to guarantee their returns, and they couldn’t even give a first subscription—truly, they’re dogs!

Anyway, I no longer care about this pen name, nor fear their trouble; I simply wish to voice my dissatisfaction.

Of course, no matter how unhappy I am, I will do as I promised, still applying for completion and urging the editor to finalize it so the investors can profit from one milestone.

Not for any particular reason—just for the sake of character. A man’s word must be kept!

That’s enough—I've written so much already, I won’t continue rambling.

As for the new book, it won’t be released on Qidian, but rather on Chuangshi, under a new pen name. I won’t let those madmen know.

Finally, I wish all the bosses who’ve read this far: good health, happiness for your whole family, and all the best!