My Core is the Boss

Black Deer was startled. The other Martial Lords also fell into contemplation. Qi Yuan’s voice echoed for less than three breaths. Then, atop the tower, two men appeared. None of the Martial Lords had noticed their arrival.

"The Emperor of the South Sea pays respects to the Divine Lord!"

"The Emperor of the North Sea pays respects to the Divine Lord!"

The two stood before Qi Yuan with lowered heads. Their auras were mysterious yet ordinary, making them seem like common mortals.

Black Deer and the others instinctively focused their gazes on them. Their pupils contracted, filled with vigilance.

How had these two appeared? Black Deer was a Titled Martial Lord. Yet someone had bypassed his perception and appeared less than a hundred meters away without him noticing. Wouldn't that mean that if one of them tried to assassinate him, he wouldn't even have time to react?

A terrifying possibility emerged in Black Deer's mind. The mysterious faction!

Only the mysterious faction that had risen within the Origin Land over the past thousand years could possess such methods. Qi Yuan actually had ties to them!

Qi Yuan urged, "I want to return to Arch Star. Build me a bridge across the Black Sea. Hurry up. I'm in a rush."

Black Deer and the others were confused.

The Black Sea held bottomless mysteries. Even peak Martial Kings could only travel upstream against its current because they had died and merged with the Mountain-Sea Scroll. As for moving downstream, no one in the world seemed capable of such a thing.

The two emperors lowered their heads. "Yes, my lord."

In the next moment, they seemed to extend endlessly toward the Black Sea.

An inexplicable chant resounded.

"Chaos, chaos, before heaven and earth were divided! The Black Sea has no bridge. The opposite shore cannot be crossed!"

"I, Shu, Emperor of the South Sea, willingly become a bridge, crossing the past and reaching the future!"

"I, Hu, Emperor of the North Sea, willingly become a beam, treading upon the Black Sea and supporting the heavens!"

Their voices echoed throughout the Origin Land. Every Martial Lord of the Eastern Alliance involuntarily looked toward the sky. The Martial Kings within the tower were also reeling from shock.

Black Deer’s eyes widened as he trembled uncontrollably. "Chaos... The source of all primordial energy, the beginning of the world!"

It felt like he had just sensed boundless origin power. This was something even Martial Lords could not comprehend—something they had only heard legends about.

As Shu and Hu kept chanting, darkness fell upon the entire Origin Land.

Every Martial Lord became terrified.

"What is happening?"

"Has the Dawn Chime arrived early?"

"Who exactly are Emperors Shu and Hu?"

"Are they Martial Gods?"

Before they knew it, something had covered the sky, plunging the entire world into darkness.

"The heavens have been covered!"

"That looks like a hand?"

All the Martial Lords shivered, their souls contracting in terror. They peered into the endless abyss, knowing it represented only a tiny portion of some unimaginably colossal existence.

Only Black Deer and the others atop the tower managed to remain composed, though their faces were filled with horror.

"Is that a Martial God?"

Just a trace of leaked aura was enough to make him tremble uncontrollably.

"I am the bridge, linking past and future!"

"I am the beam, connecting heaven and earth!"

"The cosmos is vast, the river of time endless. Carve a bridge and cross it!"

A bridge appeared throughout the Origin Land. No one knew how wide or tall it was. The tiny portion visible alone was larger than the Origin Land itself. Mysterious and unfathomable, it spanned the River of Time. Chaos churned above it, while the temporal currents of the Black Sea swirled around it.

A tangible bridge had been erected across history itself!

"Emperors Shu and Hu welcome our lord!"

Their voices boomed across the Origin Land.

Qi Yuan remained calm. With a flick of his sleeve, he stepped onto the bridge.

Everyone throughout the Origin Land saw it. Upon that terrifying bridge, larger than the Origin Land itself, a crimson figure appeared. It had nothing to do with light or vision. The instant he appeared, everyone saw him.

Within the tower, Mu Yan also caught sight of the figure's back, feeling it was strangely familiar. "Who is that?"

The other Martial Lords, even the Titled Martial Lords, stared fixedly at Qi Yuan.

Meanwhile, the recording stone atop the tower perfectly captured Qi Yuan's image. Standing upon the bridge, he took a single step. In that instant, endless years passed. One step across the bridge spanned thousands, even tens of thousands of years.

"This..." Black Deer Martial Lord's expression changed dramatically. His shock was indescribable. "This can’t be the power of a mere Titled Martial Lord!"

He grew excited as a thought suddenly struck him. Could it be that Qi Yuan is a high-ranking member of that mysterious faction?!

Qi Yuan’s strength was obviously immense, beyond that of a Titled Martial Lord. If such a person served Dong Jun, wouldn't their chances of surviving the Dawn Chime increase?

Elsewhere, Fat Egg stared at the sky and furiously rubbed his eyes. "F-Father...?"

***

Meanwhile, on Arch Star, in Qin Yuan.

Inside a villa's second floor, a young man looked at Qi Yuan's latest comment and rolled his eyes. He was the genius that had been replying to Qi Yuan.

Genius: Bro, forget being champion of the Martial Arts Tournament, even being champion of the Cultivation Conference wouldn't help. Don't be ridiculous.

Even while crossing the bridge, Qi Yuan didn't forget to reply.

Qi Yuan: Hey, are you looking down on the Martial Arts Tournament champion? I'm already on the bridge and heading back. You'll soon understand the true value of the title!

Genius: Heh. I just looked it up. The runner-up for the last several dozen tournaments has always been the same old man. You beat up an old man for decades to get your championship and you're proud of it?

As if that wasn’t enough, the old man appeared completely ordinary. How could Qi Yuan not feel embarrassed for beating the same old man for decades? Couldn't he at least go easy on the senior?

Qi Yuan: Forget it, I'm done arguing with you. Just remember to help me think about how to build the underworld palace. I'll be back soon.

Genius: Fine, I won't argue anymore. You're a braggart and completely unreliable, but you're still better than those beauty influencers. Yesterday, Qin Yuan captured a Brilliant Star spy. The spy was injured during the arrest. Some beauty influencers actually sympathized with the spy. Absolutely ridiculous.

Then, he gazed up toward the sky, concerned. "Looks like I need to stockpile supplies and stay in the basement. Hopefully, I can survive this disaster."

Thus, he prepared to head out again, continuing his search through supermarkets and shopping malls to see if any food remained. He was the embodiment of countless ordinary citizens throughout Qin Yuan. Under the tides of history and the shadow of war, every individual seemed so insignificant. Even protecting themselves was a difficult task.