Sovereign of the Three Realms

“The Great Protection Formation, is it?” Cao Jin smiled faintly. Before he’d arrived at the Regal Pill Palace, he’d seen that formation when he had fully opened his consciousness. But this was also what he found odd—the greatest formation of this fourth rank sect was inferior to a small formation that protected one of its residences. This Great Protection Formation could shield the sect from at most a cultivator in the ninth level sage realm. For Cao Jin who was at the peak of the ninth level sage realm and one step away from the emperor realm, it wouldn’t do much against him. Rather, the formation around the residence was exceedingly complex and offered much higher defensive capabilities despite being smaller in scale. Cao Jin felt that he’d have to use more effort to break through that formation.

However, he was one of the ten great disciples of the Sky Sect and carried countless treasures on him. Naturally, he had treasures that could break through formations. With a wave, a silver-colored awl appeared in his hand. It was but one foot long, but its splendor soared into the skies when it appeared. The exotic silver light flaring out from it was resplendent and glorious, changing the colors of the mountains and rivers and outshining the sun and the moon. This was called the Moonshatter Awl and was a treasure designed to break through formations. Only the true disciples of the Sky Sect had the privilege of owning it.

Cao Jin wielded the Moonshatter Awl in one hand and stuck the other hand behind his back. He arched one blue brow and smiled faintly. “Three moves. If I can’t break apart this so-called Great Protection Formation in three moves, then hail me as incompetent!”

He drew an arc with his hand as he spoke, a faint, careless movement that actually held the feeling of sketching out the land.

Whoosh!

A trail of resplendence akin to the galaxy followed his movement and landed on the formation like an ancient silver dragon.

Wham wham wham!

The Great Protection Formation instantly reacted with a series of fierce rumbles, the countless runes hovering in the air as they shook and trembled. These runes made up the formation as parts of a cohesive whole. Each rune was connected to the others like the links of a chain. If any of them were broken apart, then the entire formation would also be affected.

Cao Jin’s Moonshatter Awl was an earth rank treasure, and normally only emperor realm cultivators had the right to use it. However, the Sky Sect was enormously wealthy. Adding that to his status as one of the ten great disciples meant he had more than one earth rank treasure on him despite having yet to set foot into the emperor realm. Compounding the Moonshatter Awl’s status as an earth rank treasure with Cao Jin’s arts, meant that this blow had been absolutely on par with the full blow from a first level emperor realm cultivator.

The Great Protection Formation wasn’t a bad formation, but its level was still that of the Myriad Domain. Therefore, it was more than enough to defend the mountain under ordinary conditions, but who would’ve thought that this enemy would be so domineering? Parts of it had cracked open under this first blow and the entire formation started shaking severely.

“This is bad! The enemy is strong! He’s broken the foundation of the formation with just one move!”

“Notify the palace head! Hurry!”

It had to be said that the Regal Pill Palace was greatly frightened by Cao Jin’s ability to shatter the formation with one blow. It had been crazy enough that that blue eyebrowed monster had sent Elder Lian Chen flying. But shaking the Great Formation with one blow was even more unheard of!

It wasn’t that the Regal Pill Palace had never faced strong enemies before, but it was the first time they’d come face to face with such an overwhelming one. As the entire Regal Pill Palace shook and trembled, the younger generation in particular was filled with shock and dismay. They had no idea who’d they antagonized for such a terrifying character to descend upon them. Judging from the person’s age, he was unlikely to be over thirty years old. But how could someone who under 30 years possess such terrifying strength? Could it be… someone from the Upper Eight Regions?

The upper executives of the Regal Pill Palace were all alarmed as well. Even even those ancient characters who’d sealed themselves in closed door cultivation emerged due to the disturbance. After all, everyone could feel in every corner of the sect that the Great Protection Formation was shaking. They all knew that it was a matter of life and death for the sect once the formation was attacked. If they didn’t stop him even now, then the sect might very well be destroyed.

At this moment, Palace Head Dan Chi had been assailing the seventh level of the sage realm with all his strength during this time, but he was disturbed as well and had to stop his meditation, bringing large numbers of experts with him into the air. Almost all of the earth sage realm cultivators had gathered, along with some old antiques who’d never revealed themselves.

“Tsk tsk. Isn’t that Venerated Elder Hu?”

“Look over there, it’s Forefather Qi, the junior brother of the last palace head!”

“And look…!”

All of the Regal Pill Palace disciples were pointing and whispering. Though they were worried about the situation at hand, they also felt that there should be no problem after so many hidden experts of the sect had appeared. A cloud of uneasiness enveloped the sect.

Dan Chi approached Cao Jin whilst flanked by a crowd of earth sage realm experts. “Who might you be and what is your reason for arbitrarily attacking the Great Protection Formation of my sect?”

Dan Chi was still one of the preeminent geniuses within the Myriad Domain. Although he was the palace head now, that heroic air and charisma he’d possessed back in the day was still there. However, with his eye, he could tell that this unfathomable young man had yet to fully reveal his full power. Dan Chi was widely knowledgeable and thus knew that this young man most likely had an impressive background and would be difficult to deal with.

Cao Jin’s blue eyebrows twitched slightly as he flicked a glance at Dan Chi. The others seemed as extraneous as air to him, not worthy of even a glance. “You represent the Regal Pill Palace?”

The question was exceedingly discourteous, but the attitude brimming in his tone sent a rush of blood through all the earth sage realm cultivators’ veins, as if a veritable mountain was bearing down on them.

Dan Chi frowned. “I am Dan Chi, the current palace head of the Regal Pill Palace.”

Cao Jin’s brow smoothed out. “You’re the palace head? When did the Myriad Domain become so weak that a mere sixth level sage realm can become the head of a fourth rank sect?”

“How dare you?!”

“Keep a clean mouth!” Loud exhortations travelled out from behind Dan Chi, all the experts exceedingly displeased by Cao Jin’s arrogant tone.

Cao Jin smiled nonchalantly. “What, am I wrong?”

In the Upper Eight Regions, the head of a fourth rank sect was at least peak sage realm, with even stronger ones in the emperor realm. There was no doubt that the Myriad Domain was only a Lower Region since even their strongest sect, the Great Cathedral, only boasted a ninth level sage realm expert as their leader.

As Dan Chi had only recently ascended to sect head, he was still new to his position. Add that to his youth and relative lack of tenure, it was natural that there was a gap between his cultivation levels and that of the other old monsters in the Myriad Domain. However, the heavyweights of the other four sects didn’t dare belittle Dan Chi, because none of them had been even a normal elder in their own sects at Dan Chi’s age. Yet here he was, already the head of the Regal Pill Palace based on his own talents and charisma. He was less than a hundred years old and already at sixth level sage realm. Who was to say that he wouldn’t surge to the peak of the sage realm in another one or two hundred years, or even have the chance to assail the emperor realm? After all, he was simply too outstanding for a region on the level of the Myriad Domain.

Dan Chi kept his head and restrained the Regal Pill Palace from cursing the outsider even further. He responded in a manner that was neither servile nor haughty, “My Regal Pill Palace’s ability to propagate our legacy for a thousand years has never been driven by only a single person. I, Dan Chi, have only accepted everyone’s nomination to take the seat of palace head. Who might you be in coming to instigate trouble here? Why duck and hide, afraid to announce your identity?”

Instead of growing angry when he heard this, Cao Jin maintained his indifferent expression tinged with a bit of arrogance. “Trying to goad me into action through mockery?” He immediately shook his head slightly and stared at Palace Head Dan Chi. “Although you’re a bit weak, you seem to be the tallest amongst a short crowd. Then you’ll do. You have the right to ask me questions if you can take three of my hits.”

The entire crowd erupted in a mass of angry shouts and yells when they heard this.

Three hits?

This brat was much too arrogant! Palace Head Dan Chi’s standing was quite high in the Regal Pill Palace, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he was viewed as the reincarnation of a god. Ever since he’d made palace head, everything he had done had greatly revitalized martial dao in the sect and increased its overall strength in a few short decades. Although there was still a gap between the Regal Pill Palace and the Sacred Sword Palace in terms of martial cultivation, that gap was rapidly shrinking. Therefore, everyone greatly admired and worshipped Palace Head Dan Chi.

This blue eyebrow cretin wanted their beloved palace head to take three hits before he could ask any questions? This insanely cocky attitude thoroughly antagonized the entire Regal Pill Palace. They’d seen arrogant individuals before, but never one on this level.

Dan Chi however, was inwardly paying solemn attention. According to his internal analysis, not only was this blue browed kid not a friendly newcomer, his surefire attitude concealed his supreme confidence. Dan Chi speculated that this person was a supreme genius from the Upper Eight Regions. Based on his cultivation level, he was at least ninth level sage realm, if not emperor realm.

If he’d been an ordinary ninth level sage realm cultivator, Dan Chi might have had some confidence in taking three hits. But if it was a top genius from the Upper Eight Regions, Dan Chi had to take a step back to think carefully because such a person was absolutely someone no Myriad Domain level cultivator could compare to in terms of both potential and resources. If this blue browed youth was ninth level sage realm, then Dan Chi would rather face off against Xiang Wentian’s ninth level sage realm.

“Palace Head, allow me to try his paces.” A venerated elder of the fifth level sage realm walked up. These old fellows were also well aware at this moment that Palace Head Dan Chi represented the Regal Pill Palace. His humiliation meant the entire sect’s humiliated. If Dan Chi was defeated, then the sect would have no more trump cards to work with. The blue browed youth seemed arrogant but was actually deviously calculating. He well knew the theory of needing to capture the leader first when rounding up bandits. The Regal Pill Palace would be at his feet once he defeated Dan Chi!

Palace Head Dan Chi nodded. “Be careful Elder Hu, this person is quite strange. He’s at least ninth level sage realm. Focus on keeping yourself safe if anything goes wrong.”

Elder Hu nodded with a solemn expression and jumped out of the crowd, calling out with an arch of his eyebrow, “I’ll take you on!”