The moment Ali Arkman laid eyes on the two figures standing before him, a sense of unease crept up his spine. He could feel it.

They were strong. Very strong. And he was sure of one more thing. That they were up to no good.

Their gazes carried no curiosity, no caution…. only cold intent.

Ali narrowed his eyes. “Who are you two?” he asked, his voice firm. “You’re clearly not from this kingdom.”

At his words, both men burst into laughter.

“Khekhe…” Gazel’s shoulders shook as his grin widened. “You’re about to die. What good would it do knowing whose hands end your life?”

Sirus cracked his neck, his eyes gleaming with malice.

They wasted no more breath. In an instant, both shot forward.

Ali’s pupils shrank. ‘So fast!’

Without hesitation, he flicked the fingers of his left hand. The air warped. Gravity descended. An invisible pressure slammed down on Gazel and Sirus, multiplying the weight around them dozens of times over. The ground beneath their feet cracked as the force bore down upon them.

Their movements slowed — drastically. But they did not stop. Their feet still pushed forward. Muscles bulged. Bones groaned, but held.

Ali’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Impossible!’

Other than Logan, no one in Arcadia had ever been able to move under his gravity magic. He was the strongest mage of the kingdom — this spell alone had crushed countless enemies into submission.

Yet these two… were still advancing.

Pushing his shock aside, Ali raised his right hand.

Sharp arcs of compressed air formed instantly, slicing through the air like invisible blades. One after another, they shot toward the intruders, whistling with lethal intent.

Gazel and Sirus weaved through them.

Smoothly.

Effortlessly.

Each air blade missed by a hair’s breadth, carving deep trenches into the ground behind them.

Ali’s eyes widened further. They weren’t using magic. Not even a trace.

Their movements were pure physical control, augmented by something else. Something deeper.

Internal energy.

Since merging with cultivator bodies, their physical strength had skyrocketed. Though they were still unfamiliar with true spiritual cultivation, internal energy was nothing new to them. They wielded it instinctively, reinforcing their muscles and bones, propelling their bodies beyond mortal limits.

Ali’s thoughts spiraled. ‘How can this be…?

They’re not just strong. They are monstrously strong. And they’re not using magic.’

His mind flashed back to a familiar figure.

‘Wait… are they like Logan? Cultivators?’

But that made even less sense. ‘How could they already be this powerful? Didn’t Logan only recently start training others?’

He didn’t get the chance to think further.

Gazel had already closed the distance between him and Ali. Too fast.

Ali barely had time to raise his arms before a fist slammed into his stomach.

Thud!

The sound was dull, but devastating.

Ali’s body was hurled backward like a broken doll. He crashed through several meters of ground before skidding to a stop, blood spraying from his mouth. Pain exploded through his torso.

Crack… crack…

At least a few ribs had shattered on impact. Ali coughed violently, struggling to breathe.

When he had fought Logan, Logan was only an Ultimate Grandmaster.

But these two…

They had taken over the bodies of Martial Saints. Their strength was on an entirely different level — one Ali could not bridge, even as the strongest mage in Arcadia.

He felt it clearly now. The gap. The hopeless difference.

Still… he clenched his teeth. He refused to fall without a fight. Gritting through the pain, Ali braced his trembling arms against the ground and forced himself upright. Blood dripped from his lips, but his eyes remained sharp.

Gazel watched him rise and chuckled coldly.

“You want to struggle until your last breath, don’t you?” he said mockingly. “No problem. I’ll indulge you.”

In the next heartbeat, Gazel vanished.

Then…

Bam!

________

Far away, within the tranquil silence of the Grand Library, Logan stood up from the table after finishing the second book.

His mind was still reeling from what he had read. Nine deities. Nine Upper Heavens.

One human who broke the balance.

He exhaled slowly and turned toward the shelves, intending to pick up another tome.

Just then…

Knock! Knock!

“Yes?” Logan said calmly. “Please come in. The door is open.”

Chianxu entered the room, her expression polite and calm. She didn’t have the same hostility toward Logan as she had earlier.

“You’ve been here the entire day,” she said. “Aren’t you going to eat anything?”

Logan blinked. Only then did he realize — night had already fallen.

“My father sent me to check on you,” Chianxu continued. “To see if you need anything.”

“It’s fine,” Logan replied. “I’ll stay a bit longer.”

Now that he had stepped into the Martial Saint realm, going without food for days posed no problem at all.

Chianxu nodded. “Alright. I’ll leave then. A guard is stationed outside. If you need anything, just inform him. Your requests will be fulfilled immediately.”

“Thanks,” Logan said before Chianxu turned to leave.

Once the door closed, silence returned.

Logan walked back to the towering shelves, his eyes scanning the countless ancient tomes.

His hand hovered, searching. For his next book.

A few minutes passed as he continued to look. Then Logan was about to walk past another shelf when he came to a halt.

Another title had caught his eye.

‘The Monarch of the Seventh Upper Heaven.’

His gaze lingered on the words. “The Seventh…” Logan murmured softly.

After everything he had just read, the Golden Dragon, the fallen heaven, the human who broke the balance, this title felt anything but coincidental.

Interest sparked in his eyes. Without hesitation, he reached out and pulled the book from the shelf. It was heavier than it looked, bound in dark-gold leather with faint patterns etched along its spine, worn smooth by age.

Logan returned to the study table and placed the book down carefully. The chair creaked as he sat.

For a brief moment, he stared at the cover, as if weighing something unseen. Then he opened it. And began to read.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep