It was unclear whether some major event was about to occur in this world, or if the Present Era was truly an age of madness, but prodigious talents and geniuses were emerging one after another like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.
In the third year of the World Little Tyrant Shi Tian's unchallenged rampage across the world, yet another peerless prodigy made a stunning appearance.
This prodigy's surname was Shangguan, given name Yu.
Shi Tian was known for his high-profile, flamboyant, arrogant, and domineering nature—and of course, he possessed the qualifications to rampage across the world.
In contrast, Shangguan Yu was the exact opposite: neither high-profile nor flamboyant, neither arrogant nor domineering, nor was he ever overbearing. Instead, he was a refined and gentle gentleman, as warm and smooth as jade.
Shi Tian possessed both the Pure Yang Tyrant Body and three Present Era Heavenly Destinies, plus one Ancient Heavenly Destiny, making him absolutely worthy of being called the greatest across all ages.
Shangguan Yu, however, possessed neither a Tyrant Body nor any Heavenly Destiny—not even a single one. His entire being held only one Fortune. Yet, it was precisely this one Fortune that caused the name Shangguan Yu to spread across the world almost within a single day.
Because the Fortune upon Shangguan Yu was not only peerless in the world but was also hailed as the hope of the Human Dao—it was the Essence of Taiji.
As was widely known,
if, during cultivation, one gestated a Taiji Golden Core, upon attaining the Dao and becoming an immortal, one might be granted a True Fate. Once granted a True Fate, one became a Human Prodigy.
What was a Human Prodigy?
A hero among men, meaning a true dragon among men, second to none.
And once one achieved the status of a Human Prodigy, having received a True Fate, one would have the opportunity to contend for the position of Human King, thereby becoming the master of the Human Dao.
Shangguan Yu's Fortune was the Essence of Taiji, a mystery ten million times more profound than a Taiji Golden Core. Even more exhilarating was that he had already received a True Fate, making him a true Human Prodigy.
An Edict Fate was received from the Edict of the Great Dao.
A Heavenly Destiny was received from the Mandate of the Heavenly Dao.
But a True Fate was received from true destiny itself.
In other words, Shangguan Yu was already a Human Prodigy destined by fate.
A Human Prodigy.
Moreover, a Taiji Human Prodigy who had received a True Fate. Such a figure had never appeared, not in the Present Era, nor in ancient times, nor even in the primordial era.
Now, the Present Era had finally given birth to a Taiji Human Prodigy.
How could this not excite people? How could it not stir their emotions?
Especially the various major sects of this world. Upon learning this news, they grew as excited as if they had seen their lord, almost immediately rushing to pay homage to Shangguan Yu.
After all, he was a Taiji Human Prodigy.
He was also the first Taiji Human Prodigy of the Present Era.
He might become the overlord who would master the Human Dao in the future.
The leaders of the major sects naturally went to curry favor. Not only the major sects, but even the Immortal Dynasty and the big shots from the Cloud Realm seemed to lower their status and personally went to offer congratulations.
It must be said that Shangguan Yu's stunning appearance completely ended the era that Shi Tian had ruled for a mere three years.
Shi Tian, who styled himself the World Little Tyrant, was naturally very displeased.
Unfortunately,
though he rampaged across the world with no one able to stop him, he alone could do nothing against Shangguan Yu.
And Shangguan Yu, relying on the peerless Fortune of being a Taiji Human Prodigy, along with his personal charisma and noble character, became the world's leader in one fell swoop.
That's right!
The world's leader.
The various major sects, great clans, and major factions almost all willingly pledged allegiance to Shangguan Yu, regarding him as their sovereign.
Shangguan Yu did not become aloof because of his peerless Fortune as a Taiji Human Prodigy, nor did he become arrogant and autocratic because of the universal worship. On the contrary, he was humble, treated others with generosity, and had no airs at all. Since his debut, he began practicing medicine to aid the world, touring the lands, holding forums to preach the Dao, serving the nation and the people—truly noble and great. Wherever he went, the local populace welcomed him warmly. When he held forums to preach the Dao, the crowds were massive, like a grand national festival.
Such a degree of popularity was absolutely unprecedented in history, even surpassing that of the Nine Heavens Envoy, the peerlessly beautiful Fairy Hua.
In contrast, the World Little Tyrant Shi Tian
challenged Shangguan Yu multiple times, but each attempt ended in failure. Every challenge failed to shake Shangguan Yu. What angered him even more was that Shangguan Yu, like a true gentleman every time, only defended and never attacked, causing Shi Tian to lose face repeatedly, yet he could do nothing about it.
Thus, in just a few short years, the brief era belonging to the World Little Tyrant Shi Tian came to an end.
And it was ended by the Taiji Human Prodigy hailed as the world's leader, Shangguan Yu.
However,
Shi Tian did not fall because of this. Although he had never been able to shake Shangguan Yu, it was merely that he couldn't shake him. After all, he possessed the rare Fortune of the Pure Yang Tyrant Body and was endowed with three Present Era Star-Dwelling Heavenly Destinies and one Ancient Throne Heavenly Destiny. He could be said to be uniquely favored by heaven, the greatest across all ages. For Shangguan Yu to defeat him would definitely not be an easy task.
As the saying goes,
The world's winds and clouds emerge from our generation; once entering the jianghu, time hastens.
Heroes are everywhere like a thousand-layered wave; a new generation replaces the old.
The Present Era was a mad age, an era where heroes emerged in great numbers and prodigies ran rampant.
The Present Era was maddeningly dazzling, stupefying, and awe-inspiring.
At the dawn of the Present Era, everyone originally thought that so-called Transcendent Golden Cores, Nascent Souls, and Dharma Forms were the great Fortunes.
Later, when the natural world underwent strange transformations and Color Spirit Fortunes bloomed across the world, everyone also thought that natural Color Spirits were the Fortune of the Present Era.
No one could have imagined that a wave of Present Era Heavenly Destinies directly pushed this world's cultivation civilization to its peak.
The so-called natural Color Spirit Fortunes were thus rendered obsolete, replaced on the world stage by Present Era Heavenly Destinies—the Star-Dwellings.
If the emergence of Present Era Heavenly Destinies ended the era of natural Color Spirits, then Monarch Chixiao ended the era of Present Era Heavenly Destinies.
Previously, in everyone's eyes, a Present Era Heavenly Destiny was a dragon among men who had received heaven's mandate, a future world overlord, a future tyrant who would rampage across heaven and earth.
No one could have imagined that Present Era Heavenly Destinies were so fragile, so weak that they didn't even have the right to stand before Monarch Chixiao.
After Monarch Chixiao disappeared, the Present Era became even more frenzied.
A World Little Tyrant who possessed a Pure Yang Tyrant Body, three Present Era Heavenly Destinies, and one Ancient Heavenly Destiny all in one was already unbelievable.
Now, there had emerged one hailed as the world's leader, a Taiji Human Prodigy who had received a True Fate.
This not only made people wonder: when had the Present Era become so insane?
What was even more puzzling was: where had Monarch Chixiao gone? Why had there been no news of him for so many years?
Monarch Chixiao disappearing was one thing.
But why did the three mysterious giants who were once said to divide the world under heaven also seem to have vanished?
The Great Heir Apparent within the Shangqing Sect's inner sect, who was said to make even reincarnated great powers tremble in fear.
The Third Prince within the Immortal Dynasty's Purple-Gold Hall, who was said to hail from the Kunlun Holy Land.
And the Purple Dawn King of the Chizi Head, praised as 'a gentleman like jade by the roadside, peerless in the world.'
In everyone's memory, since Monarch Chixiao disappeared from the Shangqing Sect, there had been no news of these three in the world.
Even the disciples of the Shangqing Sect's inner sect, the Immortal Nobles of the Purple-Gold Hall, and the Chizi members of the Chizi Head had all behaved very quietly these years, rarely venturing out.
This was truly the case.
When the World Little Tyrant Shi Tian made his stunning appearance and rampaged across the world unchallenged, he began searching everywhere for Monarch Chixiao. Yet, after scouring the world, he failed to find Monarch Chixiao. Afterwards, he began issuing challenges to the three giants who divided the world, but not a single one accepted.