137: Chapter 137 Wang Ming expresses his gratitude

The Qinghua Mountain range was ancient and vast, its peaks like the spine of a Dragon, stretching across the land.

At this moment, at the exit of the mountain range, the space rippled in circles, as if a stone had been thrown into a calm lake.

Figures stepped out from those ripples, carrying the sharp aura of having shed their vanity and the joy of their gains, returning to this world.

However, before their feet could firmly touch the ground and before the smiles on their faces could fully bloom, they froze in an instant.

An indescribable pressure descended from all directions, like the collapsing firmament or the pouring of a sea of stars, completely sealing off this space.

This pressure was not singular, but interwoven from dozens of auras, each as deep as an abyss and as vast as the sea, carrying the sediment of the long river of time and the dominance of ruling over a region.

In the Void Realm, figures stood silently; they seemed to have been there since ancient times, existing alongside heaven and earth, resonating with the Dao.

The leader, a burly figure with a rustic face, was None other than the Zetian Sect Master, Wang Ming.

Behind him, Chen Heng of the Great Xuan Imperial Dynasty, Zheng Ming of the Great Yu Imperial Dynasty, and the Great Grandmaster Old Ancestors from various Sects and Imperial Dynasties were all present.

Just by standing there, they caused the wind to stop and the clouds to stagnate.

"Old... Old Ancestor!"

"Sect Master!"

The Prodigies who had just walked out of Qinghua Mountain were all shaken to their cores, pale with shock.

They had never imagined that one day they would see so many legendary figures gathered together. This power was enough to overturn the entire Desolate Province!

Especially Ao Ming and the other Demon Clan Prodigies from the North Sea; their faces turned deathly pale, their Yao Race power seemed frozen, and they could barely control themselves from revealing their true forms.

In their perception, the auras of these Human Race powerhouses before them were in no way inferior to the Old Ancestors in their own clans who had been in seclusion for who knows how many years!

Is... is this the foundation of the Human Race?

Usually, a single Great Grandmaster was a presence that appeared like a divine dragon—rarely seen but powerful—enough to suppress the Luck of a nation or a Sect.

But today, they gathered here like ordinary Cultivators. The impact of this scene was far more shocking than any Opportunity obtained in Qinghua Mountain.

Wang Ming's deep gaze slowly swept across the crowd. When he saw the Zetian Sect Disciples, especially Feng Qingyang, and noticed that although some were injured, over a dozen had returned unscathed, a trace of imperceptible surprise flashed in his calm eyes.

He had long prepared for the worst. With the strange changes in Qinghua Mountain and the loosening of the Seal, he was even prepared for all twenty of the elite Zetian Sect Disciples to bleed to death in the mountains to prolong a glimmer of hope for the Desolate Province. If a few out of the fifty Prodigies could make it out alive, it would already be a great fortune.

But the result before him far exceeded his expectations.

Casualties... were only a dozen or so.

His gaze finally fell upon the calm-faced young man in the crowd.

Chen Zhiwen.

In an instant, Wang Ming understood everything. Who else but this unfathomable Fifth Prince could protect so many people during such a disaster, and even make top Prodigies like Feng Qingyang and Zheng Chen implicitly follow his lead?

Meanwhile, Ao Ming and the other Demon Clan Prodigies, under immense pressure, dared not be the slightest bit presumptuous.

They forcibly suppressed the turbulent waves in their hearts, stepped forward quickly, and bowed respectfully to Wang Ming and the other Great Grandmasters.

"Junior Ao Ming of the North Sea... greets all the Human Race Seniors."

Wang Ming nodded slightly without saying much. He knew the intentions of these Demon Clan Prodigies and understood their feelings at this moment.

Receiving tacit permission, Ao Ming and the others felt as if they had been granted amnesty. Daring not to stay for another moment, they bowed again and immediately turned into streaks of light, speeding towards the North Sea without looking back.

The Great Grandmasters of other Sects and Imperial Dynasties, though equally filled with doubts, saw that Wang Ming did not speak and thus did not ask on the spot. They each found their own Prodigies, confirmed they were safe, and then bowed to Wang Ming to take their leave.

"Sect Master Wang, we shall take our Disciples and return first."

"Farewell."

Streaks of light cut across the sky, and soon, only the people from the Zetian Sect and the Great Xuan Imperial Dynasty remained outside Qinghua Mountain.

On the flying boat returning to the Heavenly Spirit Sect.

An old man with the bearing of an immortal was listening with a grave expression to the report of the Disciple before him.

"...That is how it happened. If not for Your Highness Chen Zhiwen's intervention, we would have long since... And the one that escaped from the Seal was from the ancient Remnant Clan!"

"Remnant Clan... Chen Zhiwen..." The old man chewed on these words, a glimmer of deep wariness and killing intent flashing in his eyes. "The Seal has finally developed cracks... The mountain rain is about to come, and the wind is filling the building."

A similar scene was playing out among the teams of all major factions.

When the names "Remnant Clan" and "Chen Zhiwen" were spoken by those Prodigies, the Great Grandmasters, who were usually aloof and calm, fell into a long silence without exception.

They knew better than anyone what the Seal of Qinghua Mountain meant.

It was not just a mountain, but a shackle suppressing a dark age and a bloody era!

Now, cracks had appeared in the shackle, and a trace of darkness had already seeped out. It would not be long before the entire shackle completely shattered, and the Remnant Clan would reappear in the world.

By then, the entire Desolate Province would be plunged into an unprecedented catastrophe.

And the existence of Chen Zhiwen made a strong killing intent sprout in their hearts.

At the Zetian Sect, on a cloud-shrouded mountain peak, a simple pavilion stood quietly.

Wang Ming personally led Chen Zhiwen and Chen Heng to be seated here.

A cool breeze blew, stirring the wind chimes at the corners of the pavilion, making a crisp and pleasant sound, and also rustling the three men's wide robes.

Chen Heng still had many questions in his heart and was about to speak, but he saw Wang Ming slowly stand up from the stone stool, adjust his attire, and then, solemnly bend his waist to Chen Zhiwen, who had just sat down, and bow deeply.

"I, Wang, on behalf of the entire Zetian Sect and the billions of living beings in this Desolate Province, thank Your Highness the Fifth Prince!"

This bow did not use any cultivation power, yet it felt heavier than any Divine Ability.

Chen Heng was completely stunned; his eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape, and he could hardly believe his eyes.

Who was Wang Ming?

The Zetian Sect Master, the recognized number one powerhouse of the Desolate Province! A legendary figure from the same era as his Imperial Father, or even of a higher generation!

Such a presence standing at the pinnacle of the Desolate Province was now performing such a great bow to his Junior?

This... what on earth is going on?!

Chen Zhiwen's gaze was calm, and he accepted the bow with composure. He reached out his hand, making a gesture of support, and a gentle force helped Wang Ming up.

"Sect Master Wang, you are too serious. When the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact? My intervention was for the Human Race, and also for myself."

Wang Ming sat back down, looked at the bewildered Chen Heng, shook his head with a bitter smile, and said, "Fellow Daoist Chen Heng, this Junior of yours has kept us all in the dark for so long."

He looked at Chen Zhiwen, his gaze filled with emotion and admiration: "The mysterious Great Grandmaster who appeared in your Great Xuan Imperial Capital some time ago was him!"

Boom!

As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a thunderclap exploding in Chen Heng's mind!

He turned his head sharply to look at Chen Zhiwen, his eyes filled with disbelief.

The mysterious Great Grandmaster who suddenly appeared in the Great Xuan Imperial Dynasty? It was actually Zhiwen?!

How is this possible! How old is he? Even if he started Cultivating in his mother's womb, it would be impossible to reach the Great Grandmaster realm!

Chen Zhiwen did not deny it, just smiled faintly, which counted as an admission.

Upon confirmation, Chen Heng felt his heart twitching wildly. He had Cultivated for hundreds of years, gone through countless hardships, to finally achieve the Late-stage Grandmaster status today, yet his own Junior...

He suddenly felt as if these past few hundred years had been lived in vain.

Wang Ming ignored Chen Heng's shock. His expression became extremely serious as he continued, "And on this trip to Qinghua Mountain, if not for Your Highness's intervention to kill that escaping Remnant Clan member, he would likely have destroyed the core of the Seal. At that time, thousands of Remnant Clan members would have reappeared in the world, and the entire Desolate Province would have been plunged into misery and rivers of blood!"

"My bow is, firstly, to thank Your Highness for saving the Desolate Province from impending collapse and for saving the common people of the world."

"Secondly, it is for those dozen or so useless Disciples of my Zetian Sect." A look of sincere gratitude appeared in Wang Ming's eyes. "They are all the future hope of my Zetian Sect. Your Highness saved them, which preserved the legacy of my Zetian Sect. This kindness, I, Wang, will keep in my heart."

Listening to Wang Ming's words, Chen Heng finally, little by little, came back to his senses from the tremendous shock.

He finally understood why Wang Ming would perform such a great bow.