"Impossible! Third Elder, if that is the purpose of your visit, then please go back!"
Heavenly God Hao Han waved his hand and immediately rejected Heavenly God Leng Yan's request.
"I knew you wouldn't agree, but Fourth Elder, do you really think you can keep hiding forever?"
Heavenly God Leng Yan spoke in a deep voice. "Some things must be faced. If you want to prove that you were right, then go back and prove it yourself. There isn't much time left for you."
"Don't forget the oath you made back then!"
Heavenly God Hao Han fell silent, saying nothing.
After delivering his words, Heavenly God Leng Yan turned around and left without clashing with Heavenly God Hao Han.
Yi Tianyun and the others exchanged glances, unsure of what Heavenly God Hao Han intended to do. They understood part of what Heavenly God Leng Yan said, but not the full picture.
"It seems… it's about time for me to go back," Heavenly God Hao Han let out a deep sigh.
"Master, what happened?" They were all confused.
"It's actually about an oath," Heavenly God Hao Han said. "Back then, I swore that I would cultivate a disciple strong enough to shock them all—proof that my decision was not wrong, but correct."
"What kind of disciple would that require?"
Heavenly Venerable Jian Si asked in confusion. "Senior Sister isn't she already qualified?"
"I'm not," Heavenly Venerable Yue Qian said softly, her gaze dim and somewhat dejected.
"Then what kind of conditions are required?"
They were all stunned. If even Heavenly Venerable Yue Qian wasn't enough, who could be?
"The requirement is actually very simple," Heavenly God Hao Han said.
"A disciple I personally cultivate must be able to defeat all the geniuses of the Xiu Heavenly God Domain. Yue Qian is strong, but she's still lacking a bit."
"I want to prove that even those with average talent can still achieve greatness! True strength doesn't rely solely on talent—it also requires effort in all aspects. It's not some absolute 'genius-only' theory!"
"Yue Qian is excellent. Given more time, she might reach the standard. But time is running out… it's time to make that trip."
Heavenly God Hao Han sighed, feeling unwilling.
He then explained the situation in general terms. The core of it was simple: a clash of philosophies.
Within the Xiu Heavenly God Domain, those who were not exceptionally talented were deemed unworthy. At best, they could become ordinary disciples—but core disciples had to be top-tier geniuses.
Heavenly God Hao Han argued the opposite:
Even those with average talent could surpass everything through hard work. Diligence could compensate for shortcomings. With enough effort and comprehension, they could still soar. It might be slower, but that didn't mean there was no chance. These people deserved an opportunity.
It wasn't that he rejected talented geniuses—having extraordinary talent was, of course, a good thing. But completely denying those with average talent was wrong. Sometimes, perseverance really could create miracles.
Unfortunately, his arguments were completely rejected. No one was willing to accept them. With the same amount of resources, investing in geniuses produced far better results. Investing in average talents yielded mediocre returns—no one wanted to do that.
Rather than betting on so-called miracles, it was better to focus all resources on those with outstanding talent. That path offered greater hope.
Extraordinary talent didn't guarantee reaching the pinnacle, but it undeniably provided more opportunities than average talent.
For example, many geniuses with astonishing talent still ended up stuck at late-stage God Monarch, unable to break through to Heavenly Venerable. Such cases were common—but Heavenly Venerables did indeed come from this group.
On the other hand, those with average talent rarely produced even a single success. From a cost-benefit perspective, it simply wasn't worth it.
In the end, Heavenly God Hao Han completely fell out with the Xiu Heavenly God Domain. He left, declaring that he would do it himself and prove that he could cultivate a disciple who surpassed all their geniuses.
The Domain Lord of the Xiu Heavenly God Domain gave him one chance—up to ten thousand years, roughly the duration of one God Domain War.
Now, one God Domain War had already passed. The agreed time was nearly up. The promise had to be fulfilled.
Could he deliver?
At least in his eyes, Heavenly Venerable Yue Qian was still not strong enough. Against even more monstrous geniuses, she still fell slightly short.
"Even so, we'll have to face it head-on…"
Heavenly God Hao Han wasn't lacking confidence in Heavenly Venerable Yue Qian—the problem was simply that time was too short.
Founding an independent sect required an extremely long time. Even casting a wide net, it was difficult to recruit many disciples.
The Heavenly Venerable Path was his idea—seeking out cultivators with astonishing perseverance. His only requirement was unwavering determination.
Talent alone was useless. What mattered was perseverance.
Perseverance did not equal talent—but without perseverance, talent meant little.
"Who says there's no one?"
Heavenly Venerable Jian Si suddenly spoke up.
"Isn't Junior Brother exactly that person? Junior Brother can absolutely crush anyone at the same realm!"
"Hm?"
Everyone turned to look at Yi Tianyun, including Yi Tianyun himself.
Thinking about it carefully, Yi Tianyun truly could dominate those at the same realm. He had even defeated Heavenly Venerables—let alone God Monarchs. Even against peerless prodigies, he still stood a chance.
"Me?" Yi Tianyun pointed at himself in shock.
"Yes!" Heavenly Venerable Jian Si said excitedly.
"Junior Brother is Master's disciple, cultivated from the Outer God Domain. The Xiu Heavenly God Domain probably wouldn't even want cultivators from the Outer God Domain, right? That perfectly aligns with Master's philosophy! In their eyes, those from the Outer God Domain are worthless, talentless trash. If Junior Brother defeats them, they'll have nothing left to say!"
The proposal was sharp and clever.
"This… actually makes sense?"
Heavenly God Hao Han's eyes lit up as he looked at Yi Tianyun.
"Are you willing to help your Master with this?"
"Of course," Yi Tianyun said with a smile.
He was very interested in a fourth-grade God Domain anyway. It would be a good chance to visit the Xiu Heavenly God Domain and see its overall strength. Since he had nothing better to do, stirring things up there sounded quite appealing.
"Good! Good!"
Heavenly God Hao Han laughed heartily.
"When the time comes, everyone will take the field and fight with everything we've got! We'll prove to them that my disciples are absolutely not inferior! Fundamentally speaking, all of you came from the Outer God Domain—you all meet the conditions."
He narrowed his eyes.
"But Tianyun is different. With power capable of contending against Heavenly Venerables, defeating God Monarch–level monsters will be no problem at all!"
If Yi Tianyun participated, he would naturally be judged at the God Monarch realm. Sending Heavenly Venerables to fight him would obviously be unfair.
Originally, Heavenly God Hao Han had little hope. But now, hope surged within him once again.
He had always been thinking about bringing Heavenly Venerable Yue Qian back—never realizing that Yi Tianyun was the true key.