As if sensing his intent, the River of Destiny beneath Han Xuanji's feet suddenly slowed its surging momentum. The golden river water rippled, and those originally chaotic phantoms of the future converged in the direction he desired, as docile as a tamed giant beast.
Just then, in the depths of the River of Destiny, a terrifying figure sitting cross-legged within the river slowly opened his eyes. Those eyes were deep, containing wisdom that saw through everything.
His body remained motionless despite the washing of the river water. If others were to see this scene, they would surely doubt their own eyes.
This person was precisely the Master of Fate, a great expert who cultivated the Great Dao of Destiny and a being known as the "Dominator of Destiny." Even the Demon Ancestor, Juntian Merchant Venerable, and others had to treat him with great courtesy.
The Demon Ancestor had also invited the Master of Fate to join the Immortal Extermination Alliance, but the Master of Fate was at a critical moment in his cultivation back then. He felt the fluctuations of the River of Destiny and did not allow himself to be distracted.
"Who has stirred the River of Destiny?"
At this moment, there was a hint of impatience in the Master of Fate's eyes.
This River of Destiny was his domain. No matter what level of Powerful Expert came from the Chaos, they all needed to show him respect and even offer a "tribute" for it to be considered in accordance with the rules.
If an ant stepped into the River of Destiny, they would generally be expelled by the methods he had set up; those with bad luck might even die directly.
Now, someone had actually stepped into it without notifying him?
But when his Divine Thought swept over Han Xuanji's aura, he was suddenly somewhat surprised. It was a very unfamiliar aura, but exceptionally powerful.
"This person's cultivation in the Great Dao of Destiny is not below mine."
A trace of confusion arose in the Master of Fate's heart. When did such a Powerful Expert of the Great Dao of Destiny appear in the Chaos? And he actually knew nothing about it? He suddenly remembered a rumor. It was said that there was an extremely terrifying Physique in the Chaos that existed outside of destiny and possessed infinite potential, called the Destiny Void One.
Could the opponent be of this Physique?
That would explain how they could cultivate to this level right under his nose.
Doubts grew in the Master of Fate's heart, and the power of destiny around him surged quietly. Layer upon layer of waves rose according to his will, each crest entwined with fine threads of Karma, attempting to penetrate the void barrier around Han Xuanji to peer into his past and future and verify his guess.
But no matter how he activated the power of the Great Dao of Destiny, the moment his Divine Thought touched Han Xuanji's figure, it was like a stone sinking into the ocean without the slightest feedback—no past trajectory, no future phantom, and not even a single thread of Karma could leave a mark on Han Xuanji. It was as if the person before him had never appeared in the Chaos, never had any entanglements with any living being, as if he were merely a non-existent phantom.
"It really is the Destiny Void Physique..."
The impatience in the Master of Fate's eyes gradually faded, replaced by solemnity and a hint of inquiry:
"To think such a Physique has truly appeared in the Chaos. No wonder I never sensed your existence."
He slowly stood up, and the power of destiny around him became increasingly dense. The entire River of Destiny in the Chaos trembled along with him. The eternal past and future phantoms reflected in the river water all came to a standstill, as if the entire flow of destiny was under his control.
The Master of Fate's figure seemingly still sat cross-legged in the river, but in reality, he had already crossed the barriers of time and space. In an instant, he appeared a hundred zhang across from Han Xuanji, his gaze like a deep pool, firmly locked onto this mysterious Powerful Expert.
"Your Excellency, stepping into my River of Destiny—isn't that showing me too little respect?"
The Master of Fate's voice was not loud, yet it carried a weight that pierced through the ages, as if every word contained the heaviness of destiny, and the sound of the surrounding river was drowned out by his voice.
Some beings who had been peeking at the fluctuations here were now so frightened that they withdrew all their auras. They didn't even dare to extend their Divine Thought by half a point, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire of this confrontation between top-tier Powerful Experts.
Han Xuanji stood above the river with a calm expression. Faced with the Master of Fate's questioning, he showed no reaction.
[Ni Ming (Master of Fate): Perfected Limitless Primordial, controller of the Great Dao of Destiny, a peerless expert from the previous era who rose from a Small World. He went into secluded meditation after sensing the future changes of the Chaos. Your arrival caused him to end his meditation early, making him somewhat displeased. He suspects you are the legendary Destiny Void Physique and fears you threaten his status.]
Han Xuanji had just finished the Fusion with the Destiny Void Physique and could sense the power of destiny on the Master of Fate extremely clearly. This Master of Fate before him was indeed a top-tier great expert of the Great Dao of Destiny in the Chaos. His cultivation had reached Perfected Hunyuan Wuji, and the power of the Great Dao of Destiny he controlled was unfathomable. His combat strength might even be stronger than the Demon Ancestor and others, and no worse than the Supreme Divine Venerable or the Immortal Ancestor.
But Han Xuanji naturally felt no fear. If he were to say "I am invincible in the Chaos" now, probably no one would dare to come out and disagree.
Han Xuanji raised his hand and lightly gripped it. A long sword, translucent and white all over, quietly emerged in his palm. It was exactly the great dao sacred artifact he had just obtained from the check-in—the blade of destiny.
The long sword felt warm in his hand, yet it emitted a terrifying aura that could sever everything. Just the power coming from the hilt made Han Xuanji realize this sword was extraordinary.
Even the waves of the River of Destiny in the Chaos became a bit more docile.
"I came because I came. What do you mean by showing you too little respect'?"
Han Xuanji spoke indifferently, his voice clear and melodious, yet carrying an unquestionable dominance.
"This River of Destiny is not your private property. I came here to comprehend the Great Dao of Destiny; why would I need to report to you?"
(T/N: Sigh, is out dear Xuanji finally becoming a young master Peng?)
As his voice fell, an invisible wave of Qi expanded from around Han Xuanji, forcefully dispelling the pressure emitted by the Master of Fate.
At the same time, he lightly swung the blade of destiny in his hand. A thin but incredibly sharp golden Sword Qi sliced through the Chaos, heading straight for the Master of Fate. Everywhere the Sword Qi passed, the River of Destiny was severed, and spray splashed into the air.
The Master of Fate's expression tightened. He clearly hadn't expected Han Xuanji to be so overbearing, striking after just one disagreement.
(T/N: Welcome to the world of Chinese novels. Over there, that's the norm. Kill first at the slightest disagreement)
He didn't dare to be careless and quickly formed hand seals. The power of destiny around him condensed into a massive golden light shield, covered in dense destiny runes. Each rune represented the power of the past, working to wear down this force.
"Clang—"
The moment the Sword Qi collided with the light shield, a loud boom echoed. A golden halo instantly expanded, sweeping across the entire River of Destiny in the Chaos.
The destiny runes on the light shield shattered one after another, and countless threads of Karma snapped. The Master of Fate's body shook slightly, and the water beneath his feet surged with massive waves. He was actually shaken by the power of this strike and fell back into the River of Destiny.
"Such strong power... Is this the blade of destiny?"
A flash of shock crossed the Master of Fate's eyes as he stared fixedly at the long sword in Han Xuanji's hand.
"How is this possible?"
The Master of Fate had occupied the River of Destiny for countless years, first to cultivate without being disturbed, and second to wait for the birth of the blade of destiny so he could obtain it.
At this moment, he couldn't understand for the life of him where Han Xuanji had gotten it from.