Published: February 10, 2025
CHAPTER 2 - IN ONE!
Crane Flame sat in his seat, fiddling with a silver bracer.
This was one of the ten pieces of silver equipment that Ye Zhongming had made for King Niao when he first came to the Royal City.
Since even King Hongxiang managed to obtain one, it was natural that an established king like Crane Flame would have one as well.
However, despite observing, pondering, and studying this item for so long, he still couldn't figure out why it was so magical. Not only did it have some very special abilities, but it could also perfectly merge with the combat techniques of the posthumous children.
"Another world, huh..."
Crane Flame murmured in a voice only he could hear, staring blankly at the silver bracer.
Don't be fooled by the fact that he had labeled Ye Zhongming as a Wanderer at the previous kings' council, dismissing the idea of coming from another world as absurd.
But Crane Flame had been a king for too long; he understood well that the Blue Secret Realm was not the only space out there.
This realization stemmed from two aspects.
One was the word-of-mouth shared among the kings. Where there are people, there is a world; the kings who rule over the posthumous children were no exception. Relationships between them varied significantly—who was close to whom, who had kin through marriage, and who hunted together… there were bonds and distances even among the kings.
This was true even among kings of the same era, and there were inheritances among kings of different eras. After all, resources such as combat techniques and experiences are limited; a person who can be nurtured can easily ascend to the level of king.
Therefore, to some extent, a king's status is intertwined with such legacies.
Consider two seventh-level powerhouses; who is more likely to become a king? It would certainly be the one with inherited status, the one backed by a super tribe.
Crane Flame was no exception; he inherited his position from the previous clan leader.
And that person who passed the position to Crane Flame had, before becoming a king, been one of the candidates for Guardian of the Sacred Pool, learning from the Guardian of that time.
From that Guardian, the king learned some very secretive matters, including the existence of other spaces.
Thus, it was no surprise that Crane Flame knew of this matter.
In addition, there was another reason, a reason only Crane Flame knew.
He was only one step away from level nine.
Crane Flame had broken through to level eight many years ago, and in terms of body and combat techniques, he was already quite proficient. What he lacked was just that one opportunity.
He had searched for this opportunity for many years but had yet to find it.
Though he was stuck at a bottleneck, Crane Flame had gained insights over the years; even without breaking through, he had sensed a hint of the original power and the ultimate truths of heaven and earth that belonged only to the ninth level.
This was not hard to understand, much like human technology. In ancient times, people would have wild imaginations upon seeing the stars and moon, while later generations could observe their shapes, eventually stepping onto what was once a lofty legend—this was how humanity progressed from nothing to leaving the Earth behind.
Cultivation was the same; above level nine could be likened to outer space. Now, Crane Flame had already stood at the atmospheric layer, vaguely able to see the conditions above, yet still unable to break through.
Though vague and blurry, he could also sense a thread of energy that ordinary people couldn’t perceive.
That was the thread of power that was completely incompatible with the Blue Secret Realm.
Yes, threads—interwoven strands of power, faint yet present.
Crane Flame speculated that this was something that did not belong to the Blue Secret Realm.
In other words… other spaces.
In his heart, he was already eight-tenths convinced that Ye Zhongming came from another world.
Otherwise, how could he explain the glowing weapons he had never seen in all his days of falling sand?