Unlike Orsaga's disdainful attitude—
After examining the forty-nine reliefs on the War God Codex, Wanwan's expression first revealed a hint of confusion, but it gradually turned into one of deep fascination.
In her eyes, the scenes carved onto those reliefs seemed to embody the very essence of heaven and earth. The profound ideas embedded within them radiated an almost transcendent brilliance.
She even felt that the unknown god riding a dragon, depicted in the artwork, moved in complete harmony with the natural laws of the universe.
At the same time, a subtle yet compelling instinct told her that if she could unravel even a fraction of the secrets hidden within these engravings, she might take her martial cultivation to the next level—or even comprehend something entirely unprecedented. It was a feeling born of pure intuition.
Wanwan couldn't help but murmur softly, "It's truly... profound."
To this, Orsaga merely gave a noncommittal smile.
This so-called technique, at its core, was merely a way for the weak to imitate the strong.
To put it bluntly, a way to reshape oneself in the image of the powerful.
But he had no need for such trifling things.
More importantly, the moment he laid eyes on the Codex, he had already perceived the Principles and Resentment it carried, and from that, deduced the strength of its creator—and the hidden truths behind its creation.
At that moment, a calm and unfamiliar male voice responded to Wanwan's earlier comment:
"Indeed... quite profound."
Startled, Wanwan turned to look—and was surprised to see a tall man in a black robe trimmed with gold standing there, as if he had appeared out of thin air.
The man was strikingly handsome, with a relaxed, almost mischievous glint in his eyes. There was something devil-may-care and slightly sinister about his presence.
What unnerved Wanwan the most was that even though he stood there in plain sight, she couldn't sense a trace of his aura—almost as if her eyes were deceiving her and he wasn't real at all.
The unease gripped her instantly, and she unconsciously stepped back, narrowing the distance between herself and Orsaga.
After a moment of silence, the newcomer frowned at Orsaga's indifferent expression and spoke again, tone slightly irritated:
"Are all those from the Upper Realm like you?"
Originally, Xiang Yutian had rushed back to the Central Plains out of fear that his sect's legacy would be destroyed by Aeon.
But after watching Orsaga and Aeon operate for a while in secret, he realized that the real danger he had sensed was merely a puppet-like existence. As long as Orsaga—the one pulling the strings—didn't go mad, things wouldn't spiral out of control.
Especially now that one of the Holy Orders—the Yinkui Sect—had aligned itself with Orsaga, he had even less to worry about.
As long as his ancestral foundation remained intact, Orsaga could do whatever he wanted. Slaughter emperors for all he cared—none of it had anything to do with him.
So Xiang Yutian continued lurking in the shadows, leisurely watching Orsaga stir up trouble across the world.
But when he saw Orsaga force open the entrance to the Temple of the War God, he couldn't resist the temptation any longer and came to join in the fun.
After all, even in his eyes, the legendary War God Codex—recognized as the greatest divine martial art—was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
With its power, he might just be able to push his strength one step further.
In response to Xiang Yutian's question, Orsaga shook his head and said, "I'm not from your so-called Upper Realm. I'm from... another world."
Xiang Yutian froze for a moment, clearly confused. "Another world? You mean, apart from this world and the Immortal Realm, there are... more?"
In his worldview, one ascended to the Immortal Realm after shattering the void of this world. Simple. Direct.
It had never occurred to him that there might be multiple branching paths, and that once he broke through, he might not know which way to go.
"Of course," Orsaga replied casually.
Then he turned to Wanwan and said, "Let's go."
Without waiting for her response, he walked straight out of the palace.
Wanwan, still reluctant to part with the War God Codex, called out regretfully, "You're not going to look at it some more?"
To leave so quickly... it was like sending a thief into an unguarded treasury and then dragging him out empty-handed.
Painful!
"That thing's pointless," Orsaga said over his shoulder, already nearing the exit.
With no better choice, Wanwan stamped her foot and hurried after him, though her face was full of unwillingness.
She had no intention of staying here alone.
———
After they left, Xiang Yutian took another look at the reliefs, then turned his gaze toward a corner of the grand hall.
There, a massive figure sat upright.
Carved into the stone floor before him—hard as forged steel—was a line of words etched with a fingertip:
"Guang Chengzi attained Vajra Shattering here."
Staring at the sight, Xiang Yutian pondered for a moment. Then he ignored the departure of Orsaga and Wanwan, sat cross-legged in the temple, and began to meditate on the martial truths contained in the War God Codex.
As for how he'd leave this place? That didn't concern him at all.
His cultivation had already reached the Voidbreaker realm.
If he wanted to, he could break open the heavenly gate and ascend to the Upper Realm at any moment.
So the idea of being "trapped" here was a non-issue.
At worst, it simply meant he could no longer run wild in this world.
———
Standing atop Aeon's hand, Wanwan looked at Orsaga seated ahead of her and still couldn't hold back her question:
"Why didn't we stay a little longer?"
The Temple of the War God wasn't just a treasure vault to martial artists like them—it represented the culmination of generations of longing within the Holy Orders. It was a dream on par with Voidbreaker itself.
To let such a perfect opportunity slip through her fingers... If her master, Zhu Yuyan, ever found out, she'd probably be furious enough to die on the spot.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became—so much so that her liver ached. She wanted nothing more than to bite Orsaga on the spot.
But Orsaga just shrugged casually and replied, "Didn't I already say it? That thing is meaningless. Studying it is a losing bargain."
Hearing that familiar line again, Wanwan blinked.
Her first instinct was to argue—but before she could speak, she suddenly remembered something:
Orsaga... didn't seem like the kind of person who lied.
So she asked, "Losing bargain? What do you mean?"
Orsaga grinned.
"You'd just get slaughtered, that's what. That Codex? It's a technique designed specifically to raise livestock. Anyone who fully masters it... is probably just about ready for the slaughterhouse."
Wanwan froze for a second. Then a chill ran down her spine as she realized what he meant.
But Orsaga didn't wait for her reaction. He continued:
"Let's say you try a wild game meat one day and it tastes amazing—so good it's unforgettable—but you can't seem to find any more of it.
What would you do?
There are usually two answers:
1. Start breeding more of it to eat.
2. Give up and try something else.
The War God Codex? It's the result of choosing option one. It's meant to cultivate targets—nurture them as food. So calling it a livestock-raising technique... really isn't an exaggeration at all."