He came, he came!
He flew up with a feather fan in his left hand and a gavel in his right!
The various powerhouses didn’t recognize this person, and naturally Jun Changxiao had never seen him either. But upon hearing the words “storyteller,” he immediately thought of the Jianghu Know-It-All that Gu Zhaoxi had mentioned many times but never met.
“Very strong.”
The System said seriously.
This was definitely stating the obvious, because when this person appeared on the scene, though not with overwhelming momentum, the tranquil composure emanating from his entire being absolutely belonged to an expert among experts!
Wait!
Could this be the mother Father was looking for?
Hidden for decades under an assumed name, appearing at the moment of the Upper Realm’s life and death as a savior? Then staging a big family reunion drama?
This won’t do!
He’d better prepare a few teargas smoke bombs in advance. If he couldn’t cry when the time came, that would be embarrassing.
Just as Gou Sheng was lost in wild thoughts, the System said speechlessly: “The host’s habit of trying to latch onto big shots and claim relatives on the spot whenever seeing strong people probably can’t be cured!”
“Facing that Fleet Commander with momentum that doesn’t fall short—do you think he could be a local?”
“This…”
The System fell silent.
Jun Changxiao said: “Since he’s from the outside world, there’s naturally a probability he’s my mother!”
“My son.”
Gongsun Ruoli transmitted: “You know this person?”
Gah!
Jun Changxiao, who had been soaring through the fairy tale he’d woven for himself, instantly stiffened in expression, then collapsed: “Father doesn’t know him?”
“Don’t know him.”
Slap!
Reality’s slap struck, deflating Gou Sheng instantly.
“Hahaha!”
Seeing the host fail to fraudulently claim a badass mother, the System laughed heartily, nearly cackling like a goose.
“This person.”
Gongsun Ruoli said gravely: “His strength is above mine!”
Stronger than someone with half a foot in the Third Step—there was only one possibility. The seemingly plain and simple elder had already entered the Heavenly Mystery Realm!
“Brother!”
Jun Changxiao thought with shock: “This person you mentioned is a hidden great power!”
From when the Ten Great Immortal Sects’ top-tier powerhouses appeared on the scene, he’d already determined they should be at half-step or approaching half-step level. No one had truly entered the Heavenly Mystery Realm—otherwise, they wouldn’t have acted like grandsons when the Fleet Commander appeared.
Reinforcements!
Savior!
“Senior!”
Jun Changxiao cupped his fists: “Do you know Gu Zhaoxi?”
If not mother, no matter—he could still build connections from another angle!
“Gu Zhaoxi?”
The elder stroked his goatee, thinking briefly before saying: “Sounds familiar. Is that the little fellow who fused with the Reincarnation Spirit I gave him?”
Jun Changxiao froze on the spot.
Daoist Tonggu and the Ten Great Immortal Sects’ powerhouses were dumbfounded too!
That Gu Zhaoxi possessed the Reincarnation Spirit was known throughout the Upper Realm, but they didn’t know… the special spirit seed born in the depths of the universe was actually given by this old man!
“My brother’s Reincarnation Spirit was given by you, Senior?” Jun Changxiao asked in astonishment.
“That’s right.”
The Storyteller said: “He pestered me for it for quite a while, so to get rid of him, I just casually gave him a spirit seed.”
Get rid of… casually…
Jun Changxiao felt a bit dizzy.
He’d thought the Fleet Commander was already quite the show-off, but this Storyteller who appeared was even more formidable. Truly, there are heavens beyond heavens, people beyond people!
Convinced!
Totally convinced!
“Sigh.”
Jun Changxiao thought with some shame: “I still have a long road to walk.”
Those shocked weren’t just the various warriors, but also the great traitor, the Demonic Ancestor. He thought with shock: “When did the Upper Realm have such a figure?”
Don’t look at how he’d only just been resurrected after dying a hundred thousand years ago, but he firmly believed the probability of the Upper Realm birthing a Heavenly Mystery Realm cultivator was close to zero!
“Old man.”
The General put his wine glass into his spatial ring, shook off the cape draped over his shoulders, saying: “From your aura, you don’t seem to be a local.”
“No.”
The Storyteller shook his head: “I’m a native of the Upper Realm, born and raised here. But I left in my early years and learned some fairly respectable skills outside. After returning, I dedicated myself to storytelling.”
“Storytelling?”
The General said: “A great hermit hidden in the city?”
He absolutely didn’t believe this elder whose aura was no weaker than his own would truly be a storyteller. The so-called respectable skills must be unfathomably profound. Otherwise, how could he have never discovered him?
“Very strange.”
He Wudi, standing among the disciples’ ranks, was also muttering in his heart: “This person is very strange.”
What was strange, he couldn’t quite say.
“I don’t deserve to be called a hermit.”
The Storyteller said modestly: “I just make a living with my mouth.”
“…”
Everyone was speechless.
Someone who could face a Heavenly Mystery Realm cultivator, face ten thousand Truth-Seeking Realm warriors, face so many flying monsters, and still talk and laugh without changing expression—who would believe he was just making a living in the jianghu? Their head must have been kicked by a donkey.
“Very well.”
The General didn’t plan to probe his identity further: “Since you’ve appeared, let’s have a battle, you and I.”
He’d been quite showy when he appeared, but now he was very serious.
Clearly, he wasn’t like Gou Sheng, forcibly showing off for the sake of showing off. When encountering an evenly matched opponent, he adopted a serious attitude.
“My thoughts exactly.”
The Storyteller’s expression was very calm, showing no cowardice, fully demonstrating what it meant to be a true expert!
“However.”
He paused, saying: “Let’s add a wager.”
“What wager?”
“If you lose, leave the Upper Realm.”
“If I win?”
“My life and death, and the Upper Realm’s life and death—you decide.”
“Good!”
The General said: “This General accepts your wager.”
The Storyteller glanced at the Ten Great Immortal Sects’ powerhouses and various independent cultivators, saying: “All scatter. Lest our fight affects you.”
“Senior, many thanks!”
Jun Changxiao cupped his fists and flew down without looking back.
The others also evacuated one after another, even retreating very far before stopping. In their hearts they muttered: “This should be safe, right?”
…
The Storyteller’s appearance undoubtedly gave the Upper Realm a chance to catch its breath.
However, the various powerhouses still felt anxious, because if this hidden great power couldn’t defeat his opponent, the final result would still be inevitable death.
Jun Changxiao didn’t think that way, but his mood was terrible.
At this critical moment of the Upper Realm’s crisis—a perfect opportunity to show off—yet he could only play a supporting role.
Not shining brilliantly in certain key plot moments was the greatest failure in a xuanhuan novel protagonist’s lifetime!
“Don’t lose heart.”
The System consoled: “I’m here.”
“Then what are you waiting for? Quickly possess me!”
“Sorry, I’m powerless to help.”
“…”
Just as Jun Changxiao was depressed about having no gaming experience, the General casually raised his hand. The surrounding attributes immediately gathered together, various special effects bursting forth, directly making the post-production effects team cry.
“Terrifying!”
“Horrifying!”
The Ten Great Immortal Sects’ powerhouses’ faces changed color.
They’d already realized the middle-aged man’s strength was extraordinary.
Now, with a mere gesture gathering the heaven and earth attributes of half the firmament, they were still shocked to their core.
The more powerful the General displayed himself to be, the less gaming experience Jun Changxiao had.
“Not bad.”
The Storyteller said calmly: “You have some ability.”
“Whoosh!”
“Whoosh!”
Just then, the General casually raised two fingers. The heaven and earth attributes gathered around him rapidly compressed, forming a point of brilliant light. The surrounding space was affected, becoming twisted and folded.
“This is a martial technique this General created himself, called Eight Directions Paying Homage.” He proclaimed proudly: “Today, I’ll make a fool of myself.”
“Whoosh—”
With his two fingers extended, the droplet-like light burst forth.
“Crack!”
“Crack!”
Everywhere it passed, space was instantly torn beyond recognition, leaving behind scorch-like wounds.
This so-called Eight Directions Paying Homage—from gathering to execution, it all seemed quite ordinary. But the aura it emanated made all the Upper Realm’s warriors feel tremendous pressure.
Truth-Seeking Realm, Core Rotation Realm.
Before the Heavenly Mystery Realm, they were nothing but ants.
The Storyteller smiled: “As it happens, I have a martial technique called Eight Directions Welcoming Guests.”
“Swish!”
After speaking, he waved his large hand.
“Whoosh whoosh!”
Powerful heaven and earth attributes flew from even more distant locations, then rapidly gathered and enveloped together, forming a multicolored defensive barrier. From afar, it looked like a rushing waterfall hanging in the nine heavens!
“Too powerful!”
Under the disturbance of these two forces, Jun Changxiao’s heart and spirit shook.
Yes, he often used cheats.
But today, personally witnessing two Third Step cultivators battle—even if it seemed like a probing exchange—still gave him a feeling of his own insignificance!
“Boom—”
Just then, the light and the light curtain collided, producing an eardrum-shattering sound, and… the surrounding space instantly collapsed, like the apocalypse!
“Whoosh!”
“Whoosh!”
The surging, wave-like aura persisted briefly, then gradually dissipated into nothingness.
Jun Changxiao and the various powerhouses hurriedly looked over, but they didn’t discover the Storyteller. So they all speculated in their hearts: “Did he dodge?”
Wait!
When did a big crater appear in the ground?
Everyone instinctively released their spiritual sense and soon discovered the Storyteller in the crater, his eyes rolled back and foaming at the mouth.
Gah!
The atmosphere suddenly froze.
Even the General wore a dumbfounded expression.
“No way!”
After a moment, Jun Changxiao clutched his head and roared: “You appeared so calmly, only to be defeated so calmly?”
“I understand now!”
He Wudi, who’d been unable to figure it out, probed the Storyteller’s aura again and hurriedly transmitted: “Sect Master, this guy is just putting on airs. His true strength is only peak Truth-Seeking Realm!”
—