"Hahaha—Junior Sister Ziqiong, who is this stranger you say you've never seen before?"
Suddenly, a clear, hearty laugh cut through the sky, followed by a figure approaching leisurely from the horizon.
Though he seemed infinitely far away, with each unhurried step he took, he traversed vast distances. In just a few breaths, he had traveled from the distant horizon to the sky above the inner academy, appearing on the training square.
He was a young man of average height and ordinary features, the kind you could find anywhere in a crowd. Yet, he possessed a unique aura. Even with a woman of Ziqiong's stunning beauty present, no one could overlook him. His presence was impossible to ignore.
Upon seeing the newcomer, waves of exclamations and countless cries of admiration rose and fell across the scene.
"It's Senior Brother Zhang Fan!"
"Senior Brother Zhang Fan, the number one figure of our Withered State Academy, has actually appeared!"
"Senior Brother Zhang Fan is the most dazzling figure in the history of our Withered State Academy. With a mere mortal physique, he surpassed all those talented senior brothers and sisters. He's now hailed as one of the top two super Heaven's Prides in the entire Huang Ancient Kingdom, a twin star standing shoulder-to-shoulder with that figure from the Huang Imperial Clan."
"Didn't we hear that Senior Brother Zhang Fan was representing our Withered State Academy, leading the top ten powerhouses to exchange with other Ancient Kingdom academies? How did he return so quickly?"
Countless students' eyes shone with brilliant light, all focused on the arriving senior brother.
Even Ziqiong, for the moment, forgot about pressing Ye Chen further. A hint of shyness appeared on her exquisite face as she said softly, "Ziqiong greets Senior Brother Zhang Fan."
Ziqiong was already breathtakingly beautiful, and now, tinged with that shyness, she seemed even more captivating, making many male hearts flutter with the urge to rush forward and embrace her. Yet, facing Senior Brother Zhang Fan, they could only sigh, feeling inferior.
Zhang Fan laughed heartily. Though his face was ordinary and his build average, he possessed a special charm that made people feel drawn to him.
"Zhang Fan, you brat, how did you return so fast!"
At that moment, several aged figures appeared one after another from within the inner academy, emanating powerful auras distinct from the rest, causing exclamations from the many students present.
For these figures were, without exception, all Elders of the Withered State Academy.
It had to be known that the Withered State Academy had risen and expanded at an unprecedented, astonishing speed over the past two hundred years. It was no longer comparable to its former status as a mere provincial academy; it could now be considered one of the top two super academies within the entire Huang Ancient Kingdom.
To qualify as an Elder, aside from the old, senior Elders from the past, any new additions had to be at least at the Heavenly King level. Therefore, this was equivalent to the appearance of multiple Heavenly Kings.
Usually, these Heavenly King Elders were like dragons—seen only at the head, their tails never glimpsed—difficult to meet even once. Now, they had all emerged because of Zhang Fan's appearance, forcing the many students to marvel at Senior Brother Zhang Fan's extraordinary status.
A full eight Heavenly King Realm Elders had appeared. Only Zhang Fan could stir so many Heavenly King Elders to show themselves.
"We greet the esteemed Elders."
On the training square, Ziqiong and the numerous students all performed respectful bows, not daring to overstep.
They also stole glances at Zhang Fan, who stood and conversed with the Elders as an equal, finding his charm increasingly boundless. Countless female students felt their hearts flutter. Who wouldn't wish for their other half to be such a prominent, dazzling figure?
Especially Zhang Fan, who shone like an imperial star. His future achievements were bound to be limitless; perhaps even the Huang Ancient Kingdom might not be able to confine his growth.
Speaking of Zhang Fan, the world had to acknowledge him as a legend.
Originally possessing a mere mortal physique with some talent—considered average compared to other Heaven's Prides and talents—he was deemed by countless people to have a lifetime achievement capped perhaps at the Saint level. Yet, Zhang Fan stubbornly shattered the shackles of a mortal physique. With that mortal body, over two hundred years of cultivation, he crushed countless hardships, continuously surpassed others, roamed the world, created countless glorious battle records, and broke innumerable records across the original ninety-nine provinces of the Qianwu Ancient Kingdom.
Now, he stood at the pinnacle of the Heavenly King Realm, possessing combat power at the Great Ability Realm. Moreover, it was said he had broken the shackles of the ninth heaven, belonging to the Tenth Heaven Supreme Heavenly Pride level, making him extremely powerful.
It could be said that his current achievements were exceedingly glorious, and alongside Huang Hu, he was hailed as the most dazzling twin star of the Huang Ancient Kingdom.
Zhang Fan laughed cheerfully. "Esteemed Elders, you truly keep this junior in your thoughts. However, this trip to the Anxia Ancient Kingdom is basically complete. The exchanges are finished, and I have not failed the academy's high hopes, managing to win by a stroke of luck."
Hearing this, the eight Heavenly King Elders were not surprised. They had great confidence in Zhang Fan's strength. The so-called 'winning by luck' was clearly just the latter's modest way of putting it.
With Zhang Fan's strength, few among his peers could compare, and his combat power could be hailed as invincible within the same realm. Furthermore, they understood that Zhang Fan had experienced extraordinary events in the past, having once received a reward from that supreme existence—the former ruler of the Heavenly Kingdom and the current Dominator of the Heavenly Realm.
Among the current younger generation, aside from those peerless Heaven's Prides who had cultivated for hundreds of years, few of his contemporaries could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
Within the inner academy, the many students looked up at him as if gazing upon an ancient divine mountain, striving to see his back. This was the number one figure of the Withered State Academy's younger generation, the strongest genius whom all the countless talents of the inner and outer academies needed to look up to.
Below, Ye Chen, seeing Zhang Fan, also smiled slightly. He naturally recognized him. Two hundred years had passed, and the youth from back then had now reached this step. It was indeed commendable.
Back then, he had merely casually gifted him a single strand of hair to settle a karmic connection. He never expected this Zhang Fan to possess such extraordinary perseverance, growing to such heights. Now standing within the Heavenly King Realm, his aura was at its peak, his blood energy abundant, far surpassing Heavenly Kings of the same level.
"Tenth Heaven!"
With Ye Chen's discerning eyes, he saw through all of Zhang Fan's details at a glance, feeling somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected this little fellow to also break the Ninth Heaven shackles and become a Tenth Heaven cultivator. Although not a Great Perfection Supreme One, he was still extraordinary among the extraordinary.
After all, not just anyone had the qualification to become a Supreme Heavenly Pride, even in this era where the Heavenly Dao had been supplemented. For Zhang Fan to reach this step, he must have obtained quite a few opportunities.
With a brief, focused gaze, Ye Chen used a special method to trace back and reconstruct the events. Upon understanding the root cause, he suddenly realized.
All of this was because of that single strand of hair he had gifted Zhang Fan back then. That strand contained a trace of Ye Chen's own aura. It had to be remembered that Ye Chen was the first since the Mythical Era to rely on himself to break the shackles and become a Tenth Heaven Supreme Heavenly Pride. Back when the ten great Dao suns fused into one, transforming into the Heavenly Dao Sun, this strand of hair had resonated with the Tenth Heaven, allowing Zhang Fan to grasp that sliver of opportunity. Seizing that chance, he became a Tenth Heaven cultivator, ascending to become a Supreme Heavenly Pride in one fell swoop.
It had to be said, this was truly a kind of fate. It also demonstrated that Zhang Fan was no ordinary individual. Otherwise, even if an ordinary super Heaven's Pride possessed a strand of Ye Chen's hair, they might not necessarily break the Ninth Heaven shackles to become a Supreme Heavenly Pride.
"This little fellow is indeed quite remarkable. In the future, he might have a thread of possibility to become a Great Perfection Supreme One, truly comparable to Imperial Sons and Daughters, or offspring of the Immortal Dao."
The look Ye Chen directed at Zhang Fan was now, imperceptibly, filled with a sense of appreciation.