"There are records of a man-actually, a legend. During the time when the four friends, who later established the Four Supreme Sects, were still trapped in that danger zone..."

"It is said that he came from another world," Li Han explained, but was suddenly interrupted by Icaros.

"I think I've read that story in the library. Isn't it just a myth, made-up stuff?"

Li Han scoffed. "That's just the version available in the lower-level libraries you visited. The real truth is reserved for high-level cultivators. Even Su Yan and Nelly might not actually know the full story."

All three of them suddenly felt slightly embarrassed.

"Now I'm suddenly interested in being a high-level cultivator," Icaros thought.

Meanwhile, Su Yan and Nelly face-palmed, thinking to themselves, "Must he really point that out?"

Suddenly, it struck Icaros. He asked, "But Su... erm, Senior Su Yan and Senior Nelly are Spirit Realm cultivators, and you are too. So how did you gain access to information superior to theirs?"

Nelly couldn't help but curse Icaros in her heart. "Must that brat expose that?" Su Yan struggled to maintain her ice-cold expression.

Li Han suddenly struck a boasting pose. "Do you really think Young Master Deimos values ordinary Spirit Realm cultivators when he is already at the Extinction Realm? Let alone me being his right-hand man. Don't compare me to the others."

Icaros nodded, while the other two nodded with faces that said they had heard this speech many times before.

"So the next realm after the Spirit Realm is the Extinction Realm," Icaros noted mentally. "Li Han wouldn't tell me directly, but it slipped out of his mouth." However, looking at Li Han's smirk, he thought, "Or maybe not... maybe he did that on purpose."

Seeing that Li Han might take all day, Su Yan reminded him, "Talk fast. Remember that Nelly and I are still maintaining the shield and absorbing spirit qi from the crystal to stay at peak condition in case of battle. We are listening, but our energy is being consumed."

Li Han heard the complaints and said, "Okay, ladies," before getting serious.

"He is remarkable not just because he claimed to come from another world-no one knows his true origins-but because his power completely surpassed the highest cultivation level known at the time. He defeated all challengers, but eventually, he enraged people he shouldn't have. They sent a massive force, hoping to win by sheer numbers."

"However, it was discovered that this man was already seriously injured by enemies from his own world. The process of entering our world-the Jade Continent-had weakened him further."

"This gave the attackers hope of victory. But instead of fighting alone, the man released his creations: humanoid figures, some resembling animals, but all alive. He could synthetically create warriors who fought for him, each possessing different abilities powerful enough to contend with and defeat cultivators."

"He won the battle, but later succumbed to his injuries and died."

"Many years later, rumors spread that his residence had been found, and that he might have left behind an inheritance. Even if he didn't, someone that powerful must have left something valuable enough to turn trash into a dragon. But the fervor died down because no one could enter his resting place. It is located inside one of the most powerful Danger Zones in the world."

"Of course, many powerful cultivators tried, but they all failed and lost their lives. Even the four founders of the Supreme Sects, after obtaining their Divine Treasures, tried. They only managed to escape with their lives; they couldn't reach or enter the place."

"As time passed, it was forgotten. Rumors mixed with facts until it became just a myth."

"However, recently, a lone cultivator stumbled into a weaker Danger Zone and discovered clues to a map-one that can safely lead someone to the inheritance."

"He didn't acquire it, and later died, but the news leaked out."

"The Four Supreme Sects have their eyes on it, but not enough to send their strongest forces. That is why we were sent to acquire it. Our conclusion is that the forces sent by the Battle Force Sect formed a temporary alliance with the Nine Transformation Demonic Sect to eliminate us, reducing the competition."

"Normally, these sects aren't allies-in fact, all four Supreme Sects compete against each other. So this alliance is only temporary, limited to the group they sent. If it were a true alliance between the sects, we would already be dead," Li Han finished explaining. He looked at the three of them. "So, is everyone clear? No questions?" His eyes rested specifically on Icaros, who nodded rapidly, while the others affirmed.

Nelly looked at the attackers outside. "We need a course of action, a plan. We stick to it and get through this."

"And quick," Su Yan added. "Nelly and I can't keep this up much longer. Besides, that female on their ship is probably preparing something to break through this shield, and it won't take long."

Icaros nodded in agreement but didn't suggest any plan. Meanwhile, a terrifying thought struck him regarding what Li Han had explained.

Maybe that legend has some link to my creation... or could I possibly be...

He forcefully suppressed the thought, feeling he wasn't ready to confront it yet.

Li Han sighed. "I guess I will take the lead."

"We have three options. First: We ram this ship into theirs, take the fight to them, defeat them, and ensure the remaining participants are safe. But this requires enough strength to pull it off, and we are outclassed in both numbers and power."

The brows of the three furrowed in thought.

"Second: When the shield goes down and they come to us, we defeat them while ensuring the ship doesn't crash and protecting the participants. This still requires significant power."

"Third: They come to us, we fight for our lives. Win or lose, we just fight to survive. The participants won't be protected. If worse comes to worst, we abandon the ship and regroup later."

Li Han finished. "What do you guys say?"

But Icaros asked with a surprised tone, "And we leave those people to die?" He pointed to the participants huddled in the corner.

Nelly's face was expressionless. "Hard times require tough choices."

Su Yan nodded as she stared at the enemies watching them like hawks.

Icaros looked at Li Han, waiting for his verdict.

However, Li Han didn't take the burden alone. "We'll decide by majority vote. Which option do you choose? Bear in mind the risks."

Su Yan took a deep breath. "Option One is too dangerous. They outnumber us. There are only two Spirit Realm cultivators among us-well, technically Icaros isn't one, though he has the power to match them. So we have a chance, but we must consider that these enemies are not ordinary. They are elites sent by two Supreme Sects."

"I am not arrogant enough to ignore the danger. The chance of failure is high, but I believe we can pull off Option Two. So I vote for that. But if we fail, we must resort to Option Three. It isn't cruelty; it's necessity," she said, looking directly at Icaros.

Li Han nodded. "Anyone else?"

Nelly's face remained blank. "I feel we should go with the last option. We are outnumbered, and we aren't even sure how much help he will be." She glanced at Icaros, who ignored her. "But... we can give Option Two a shot."

Li Han nodded, with a hint of warning in his eyes, then turned to Icaros. "What about you? What should we do?"

Icaros took a deep breath, his thoughts swirling. "What about you, Li Han?"

Li Han laughed. "I'm going with the second one. We will teach these bastards not to mess with us. It's not my first time slaying Spirit Realm cultivators. What do you think?"

Icaros nodded and looked at the enemy ship still firing at their shield.

"We..."

"We take the fight to them!" Icaros declared, turning to face the enemy ship. His mind flooded with memories of the old days when he defended humans on Earth.

"Are you crazy?" Nelly shouted. "Do you really think we can beat them? Or that you can beat them?"

Su Yan signaled her partner to calm down. She was about to speak when Li Han interrupted, his voice sharp and reprimanding.

"Now you shut the fuck up! That brat you look down on-the one who calls you Senior-is capable of casually killing a Grade C beast, and more!"

Nelly's jaw dropped in shock, but she quickly recovered and nodded in understanding.

Icaros wondered to himself why Li Han could shout at and order Nelly around when they were in the same cultivation realm. Even Su Yan didn't seem to mind.

Nelly glanced at Su Yan from the corner of her eye, as if asking a silent question. Su Yan nodded, confirming her suspicion. Nelly's mind went into turmoil.

Li Han continued, "We can't just hide away like cowards. We represent one of the Four Supreme Sects. Let's take it to them. Nelly, Su Yan-lower the shield!"

"No need," Su Yan whispered.

Immediately, she and Nelly ducked down.

Seeing a massive ghost-shaped projectile covered in green, malicious aura heading straight for them, Icaros shouted, "Incoming!" He dove out of the way, unsure of the attack's nature or what it would do to him.

Li Han also took cover. Even the remaining participants huddled together in fear.

A disturbing screech echoed as the ghost face slammed into the blue barrier. Like butter hitting a hot pan, the shield-which had withstood countless bombardments-melted into a huge hole. The barrier flickered and vanished completely, as Su Yan and Nelly had stopped supplying it with spirit qi.

Half of the ghost face melted away, but the rest continued hurtling toward the ship. Everyone imagined the destruction it would cause-huge chunks of the vessel melting away, followed by a catastrophic crash.

Instead, a swirling purple energy sphere, nearly half the size of the ghost face, flew out to meet it. It smashed into the projectile, shattering it into small pieces that faded into nothingness.

All eyes on the ship turned to Li Han. His hands were outstretched, clearly the source of that powerful attack.

The participants couldn't help but cheer at their Senior's awesomeness. Even Su Yan, Nelly, and Icaros had smiles on their faces.

Li Han didn't stop there. He drew his sword, channeling purple energy into it until the blade extended several inches with pure power.

"Their leader is mine!" Li Han declared. His carefree demeanor was gone, replaced entirely by the aura of a warrior.

He roared, took a running start, and exploded into a massive leap, clearly powered by spirit qi-Icaros could see traces of blue energy surrounding his body with his enhanced vision. Li Han landed with a roll directly onto the enemy ship.

The others were not far behind. Icaros ran a few steps, then used his internal flight mechanism to propel himself through the air, landing smoothly beside Li Han.

Su Yan rode her flying handkerchief, circling the enemy ship briefly. She dropped what looked like ice balls that exploded on contact, shattering the enemy cannons.

Meanwhile, Nelly was already locked in combat with the female cultivator who had launched the ghost attack-likely using a magic treasure. Nelly's sword was engulfed in green flames, while her opponent summoned small dragons made of demonic qi, clashing violently.

Li Han had already engaged the enemy leader. His blade, wreathed in purple energy, scorched the ship's floor wherever it touched. His opponent blocked the relentless barrage with his twin axes. Spirit qi propelled Li Han's feet, adding devastating force to every clash.

Icaros faced the remaining three enemies, who stared at him like predators eyeing prey. But just before they could lunge, the one with the shield and sword was suddenly assaulted by exploding white energy orbs, leaving scorch marks on his armor.

It was Su Yan. She flew down to join the fight but was immediately intercepted by the dagger-wielding woman.

Now Icaros was left facing two opponents. One vs Two.

Far from being scared, a grin spread across his face. His only regret was that he couldn't use his full abilities.

Bending down, he ripped a large piece of metal plating from the ship's floor. With superhuman strength, he hurled it at the man with the gauntlets, then lunged at the swordsman.

Boom!

His powerful punch landed squarely on the man's shield, leaving a deep dent and forcing the enemy to stagger. The man was shocked by the sheer force, while Icaros was equally surprised by the shield's durability-though he hadn't used his full strength anyway. It was clearly a magic treasure.

Just as the swordsman recovered, his partner-the man with the gauntlets-shook off the debris and exploded forward with incredible speed. His muscular body twisted as he landed a heavy fist directly on Icaros, sending him crashing into the ship's wall with a loud bang!

Elsewhere, Su Yan fought gracefully. She controlled her sword with one hand to fend off the dagger woman, while conjuring explosive orbs with the other to disrupt attacks.

"How annoying," the enemy woman thought, dodging another orb that slowed her advance toward Su Yan's throat.

Su Yan felt cold sweat run down her back. Her opponent was relentless, but her cultivation method allowed her to keep a calm heart as she struggled to create distance and find an opening.

Slash!

A shallow cut appeared on Li Han's cheek amidst the fierce exchange. The enemy leader laughed. "Come on, Li Han! You can do better than that!"

Enraged, Li Han released a surge of even higher energy. His physical sword actually disintegrated from the power, replaced by a massive blade of pure purple energy extending from his fingers. His eyes burned with determination, locked firmly on his target.

The man laughed again. "Come on then! But you should know-you can't cut through my axes with your method. You'll only end up losing. It's just like last time, isn't it?"

Fuck! That guy's speed is insane-I guess that's the effect of using spirit qi to empower his body. Too bad for him, I can't use super speed while on foot. Still, he's completely screwed. Even with his high strength, enhanced by that magic treasure-the gauntlet-and the physical boost from his spirit qi, he still can't harm me.

Icaros analyzed the situation at lightning speed while tearing himself free from the wall of the ship where he had been embedded.

Just then, the male cultivator wielding the shield and sword charged at him. His movement was undeniably superhuman, shield raised to absorb any impact, sword hand tensed and ready to strike.

Icaros braced himself, choosing to rely solely on his fists and raw, superhuman strength. The cultivator arrived in the blink of an eye, his velocity terrifyingly fast.

But Icaros, who had focused his senses to their peak, had already tracked every motion. He shifted his body, preparing to dodge and then strike back with lethal force.

However, the cultivator was clearly a seasoned warrior. At the very last instant, he leaped upward, evading Icaros's punch. While suspended in mid-air, he frantically channeled spirit qi into his arm and blade. With a blinding flash, he swung down, aiming to cleave straight through Icaros's neck.

In his mind, he already saw the boy's head flying off in a spray of blood.

CLANG!

Instead, his sword struck Icaros's neck like metal against diamond. The impact produced a heavy thud, but the blade failed to even scratch his skin, let alone sever his head.

By the time the cultivator landed, he was standing right next to Icaros. His eyes widened in utter disbelief. The last thing he saw was Icaros grinning at him before a fist moving at superhuman speed shattered through his skull.

Nelly forcefully repelled the two small demonic dragons. She sidestepped swiftly, then snatched something from a pouch at her waist. A green whip materialized in her palm, which she instantly infused with spirit qi. She lashed out, looping the weapon around one of the approaching beasts.

With superhuman strength, she yanked it forward, sending it flying straight onto her waiting sword-which was already coated in roaring green flames. The demonic dragon screeched in agony before dissolving into smoke.

Seizing the moment, the second dragon lunged to finish her off. But Nelly was prepared. She released a pulsating green aura made of pure spirit qi, blasting the creature away for a crucial moment before the field faded.

Her female opponent chuckled darkly at the sight.

"What are you laughing at?" Nelly spat, venom lacing her tone. "Is it because I'm about to beat the crap out of you?"

The woman chuckled again, shaking her head. "My, my... the fight is just beginning."

As she spoke, her neatly trimmed fingernails elongated into sharp, black claws. Her legs tore through her footwear, transforming into powerful, beast-like limbs that gripped the floor with unnatural strength. Scales began to spread across her visible arms and legs, even creeping up her cheeks. Her teeth sharpened into vicious fangs, bared as if ready to tear into flesh.

She had transformed into a lithe, terrifying demon. With a single tap of her foot, she vanished and reappeared atop a destroyed cannon. A wicked grin spread across her face.

"We are just getting started, honey."

Witnessing this, Nelly's expression hardened. She recognized the technique immediately-this woman was definitely from the Nine Transformation Demonic Sect. Nelly steeled her resolve, circulating her spirit qi throughout her entire body, ready to meet this new threat.

With a sharp burst of energy, Su Yan blocked her opponent's attack, allowing the force to push her back and create some distance.

The female cultivator noted this unusual defense but already had a sinister plan. As Su Yan prepared to unleash her qi techniques, she intended to plunge her daggers into her, delivering a fatal wound.

But Su Yan knew better. In combat, speed always reigned supreme.

Instead of wasting time on a grand technique, she simply assumed a stance and fired off condensed arcs of spirit qi. Their destructive power had been amplified by her secret art.

"Fuck!" her opponent gritted out, immediately shifting to defend herself.

I can't cut through his axe? Fine. Let's see how he survives overwhelming power, Li Han thought, deciding to go all out.

Holding up both hands, two fingers on each arm extended, releasing terrifying purple energy shaped like blades. They crossed before him in an 'X' formation, his legs coiled like springs ready to launch.

Without warning, the floor shattered as Li Han burst forward. His first energy sword slammed against his opponent's block, sending the man flying backward in shock.

Not one to be outdone, the enemy twisted his body mid-air and brought one of his axe crashing down, aiming to split Li Han's skull in two.

Li Han raised his other hand to block, but unexpectedly, the axe sliced straight through his energy sword.

However, that was exactly what Li Han wanted.

While the axe came down, his other hand-instead of forming another blade-was now spinning a condensed, drill-like beam of energy. He released it instantly. The projectile shot through the narrow gap in the opponent's defense, piercing straight into his skull and drilling inward with devastating speed.

The axe fell weakly against Li Han's head, but it lacked the force to break through the layer of spirit qi protecting him.

A smile bloomed on Li Han's face. Thankfully, the trick worked. During our clash, I dispersed the energy from one hand to form the drill while using the other sword as a decoy. It cost a lot of energy to hide the fluctuation, but it was worth it.

Meanwhile, moments after Icaros had killed the swordsman, the remaining cultivator saw his chance. He leaped high into the air to maximize the force of his blow, aiming to crush Icaros where he stood.

BOOM!

Icaros crossed his arms effortlessly, taking the hit directly to his forearms. Contrary to the cultivator's expectations, he dealt zero damage. He barely even budge an inch,the ship's floor sinking some inches from the raw power.

Now fully focused, Icaros wasn't about to be caught off guard again. As his opponent's fist landed, Icaros countered instantly with a casual punch of his own.

The force was cataclysmic. The cultivator was sent flying backward, crashing violently into the ship's reinforced walls.

Gasping and spitting blood, the man struggled to stand up. His mind was in turmoil as he scanned Icaros with his divine sense.

How? He shows no signs of cultivation base. He doesn't even look that muscular, yet he sent me flying like a ragdoll. If he were a cultivator, I would sense it, but there is absolutely no trace of spirit qi within him... unless he's using a supreme secret technique to hide it? But that should be impossible once battle begins!

Shaking his head, he pushed the confusion aside. I don't care how he does it! I'll just hit him harder and harder until he falls!

Gritting his teeth, he saw Icaros walking toward him calmly. The cultivator roared, exploding forward with every ounce of speed he possessed. His muscles tensed, core burning, ready to unleash everything he had.

He closed the gap instantly and threw a massive punch. Icaros blocked it, merely shifting his weight slightly.

Enraged, the cultivator continued his assault, trying to overwhelm Icaros with close-quarters combat.

But his confidence shattered completely when their fists collided head-on.

CRACK.

A sickening sound of metal bending echoed. The cultivator's priceless gauntlets were actually dented by Icaros's bare knuckles, sending a jolt of pain shooting up his arm.

The pain broke his rhythm. In that split second of hesitation, Icaros grabbed his wrist, drove his fist forward, and punched straight through the man's heart.

Coughing up a torrent of blood, his body went limp. As darkness claimed him, his last lingering thought was filled with incredulity: My gauntlets... they were used to shatter skulls... yet they were crushed by bare hands...