Chapter 20: Unexpected Encounters
Once upon a time, when humans still reigned supreme over the world, a demon beast had unlocked its divine wisdom and surpassed the limits of this tiny realm. All the experts of this world trembled with fear at the thought of what this beast could do. In an effort to stop it, 300 legendary rank experts joined forces to slay the demon, but their combined might was ultimately insufficient, and the beast's wrath was unleashed upon humanity. In its dying moments, the demon beast commanded all its kin to attack and destroy human civilization, plunging the world into darkness and leading to the downfall of humanity.
One might understandably wonder how a demon beast could surpass the limits of the tiny world without leaving its realm. The truth is, there are no true limits to this world, as humans had once believed. They had thought that reaching legendary rank was the pinnacle of cultivation, ignorant of the vastness of the world beyond. But this is understandable, as an expert even stronger than the sage emperor had once placed a seal on this tiny realm to prevent outsiders from detecting it. This seal was formed from 108 powers of the law, and breaking it required one to cultivate beyond the limits of this world. The demon beast had achieved this, and thus shattered the shackles that had once held it back.
However, there are rare cases where one can bypass this limitation, such as Nei Li, who cultivated in an isolated space like the one Nomad experienced in the Desert Palace, allowing him to reach the Heavenly Fate realm. Now, Nomad is using the same technique to create a god beyond anything the tiny world has ever seen.
By combining tens of thousands of demon spirits into one, the resulting entity possesses an almost unfathomable amount of power. A single Blackgold rank demon spirit contains 10,000 soul force, while a Legendary rank contains 1,000,000. Now, imagine tens of thousands of demon beasts combined into one, possessing a staggering 10 billion soul force - equivalent to that of a 9-star Heavenly Fate realm cultivator on the verge of reaching the Heavenly Star realm.
With such an absurd amount of soul force, one could reach the pinnacle of cultivation. And it is Nomad who will create this seemingly impossible entity, as he rushes towards the heart of Glory City.
Following his integration with the golden egg - which he affectionately calls "Chicky" - Nomad has now also integrated with the Shadow Devil. The two entities merged seamlessly, with Chicky now sporting a few black feathers on its body. To any onlooker, the cute little chick bouncing soundly on Nomad's head may appear to be an ordinary creature. However, they would be blissfully unaware that this seemingly harmless entity is already a monster in the Heavenly Star realm - a realm far beyond the Heavenly Fate realm that can crush anyone in the tiny world with just a single thought.
After combining the tens of thousands of demon spirits into one, Nomad then merged it with Chicky. This process was absurd, as even with an ancient bloodline, Chicky was but an ant compared to a Heavenly Star realm demon spirit. However, Nomad had it under his control and was able to get Chicky to consume the demon spirit. Chicky was extremely excited and took a big bite, devouring the entire demon spirit until it was fully absorbed.
Initially, Nomad had planned to leave the demon spirit in the array. However, seeing how incredibly powerful it was, he decided to let Chicky consume it and use the resulting Fate Star that would form when someone reaches the Heavenly Star realm as the core of the array's heart. This would have been an astronomical undertaking for most cultivators, but with the aid of the Ais, Nomad was able to simply speak his wishes into existence.
Furthermore, Chicky did not have to cultivate since it was a part of Nomad, who cultivated the Omni. They were now united as one, and even if Chicky were to die, it would simply revive without using its Fate Star. This was also true for Nomad, making their connection not only spiritual but also physical. Chicky could assist Nomad in reaching the Heavenly Fate Realm instantly by utilizing its Fate Star, but Nomad was not yet ready to reach that rank until he had mastered the Law Energy and everything else he needed to know.
Moreover, they could now teleport to each other and communicate through their minds. Whenever Nomad integrated with Chicky, it would result in a power-up in all aspects, not just by using some of Chicky's abilities. The most significant benefit was that Chicky could now access the Ais, but of course, only with Nomad's permission.
As Nomad arrived at the heart of the Glory City on foot, he quickly noticed a bustling crowd of people gathered in a large clearing. These individuals had come together willingly to assist in the creation of a protective barrier around their beloved home. They chatted away happily, discussing the recent changes and the upcoming auction house, where piles of valuable materials were neatly stacked to one side. As Nomad approached the scene, he spotted Ye Zhong engaged in conversation with his father, Ye Mo. With a quick call, Nomad drew their attention to his presence, causing the pair to jump in surprise. How could they have missed the approach of a mere bronze-ranked kid?
As the sun rose high, Nomad's heart swelled with joy at the thought of embarking on his first invention in this new world, despite the constant pain that he felt from pushing himself to the limit. "Good morning!" he exclaimed, beaming with excitement. His exuberance was contagious, as Ye Mo's heart was warmed by the sight of his young friend's fervor. Ye Zhong, too, couldn't help but smile at Nomad's eagerness to protect their fellow citizens - a trait that he himself held in high regard as the city lord.
With a few words of greeting exchanged, Ye Zhong left Nomad and his father to plan their project, turning instead to address the people of Glory City. He spoke with conviction and purpose, highlighting the importance of their upcoming work and reigniting the hope that had been stolen from the people by past injustices. With renewed optimism, the city was ready to venture boldly into the future, and embrace the opportunities that lay ahead.
On that momentous day, the city was captivated by the stirring words of their leader. The city lord's emotional speech reignited the hope that many had thought was lost forever. The people were moved to the core, feeling their hearts fill with warmth and optimism, as they were reminded that this was just the beginning of a brighter future.
In that moment, the people of Glory City felt a deep connection with one another, not just as fellow citizens, but as members of a greater humanity, united in their aspirations for a better tomorrow. Their shared hopes and dreams were the threads that bound them together, creating a tapestry of strength and resilience that would carry them through any adversity that lay ahead.
—
Later that Day
In a serene pavilion tucked away in the Snow Wind Family courtyard, Ye Ziyun sat beside her dearest friend, Xiao Ning'er. They spoke softly about the plans that Ye Ziyun's grandfather and father had arranged for her to meet with Nomad. Though Nomad had requested some alone time with Ye Ziyun, the young girl's imagination was running wild, and she couldn't resist calling upon her trusted confidante for a listening ear.
Unbeknownst to Ye Ziyun, Xiao Ning'er harbored deep feelings for Nomad, and it pained her to hear the young girl speak so casually about their upcoming meeting. She longed to tell Ye Ziyun the truth - that Nomad was the one who had healed her - but held her tongue, not wanting to disrupt their friendship.
As she sat quietly and listened, Xiao Ning'er couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness in her heart. It seemed as though fate had conspired to keep her on the sidelines, forever watching as Ye Ziyun achieved all that she desired.
Following their reconciliation, Xiao Ning'er came to realize that fate had a funny way of playing out. Rather than placing blame on Ye Ziyun for her past frustrations, she resolved to double down on her efforts to win Nomad's heart - or, failing that, to at least find a way to share him with her best friend.
Recognizing that honesty about her feelings could cause undue guilt for Ye Ziyun, Xiao Ning'er chose to keep the truth about Nomad's role in her healing to herself. She remained steadfast in her devotion to both her friend and the man she loved, letting the chips fall where they may and trusting that the universe would guide them to the best possible outcome.
As Ye Ziyun and Xiao Ning'er shared their hearts with each other, a sudden knock on the gate interrupted their conversation. It was Ye Ziyun's father, Ye Zhong, accompanied by Nomad. Gazing at the stunning orange sun setting in the distance, Ye Ziyun marveled at how much progress they had already made on their project.
Excitedly, she rushed to the gate to welcome the two visitors. In the short time since they had reconciled, Ye Ziyun and her father had grown closer than ever. They even practiced cultivation together, with Ye Zhong serving as a mentor and guide to his grateful daughter.
"Father, welcome home! Is your work finished already?" Ye Ziyun exclaimed, her eyes bright with excitement as she greeted her father. Then, turning to Nomad with a respectful bow, she offered him a warm welcome as well.
"We actually finished it at noon," Ye Zhong replied, a smile on his face as he patted Nomad's back. "But the others insisted on having a feast, so I couldn't leave until now."
Before Ye Ziyun could respond, her father interjected, "Oh, and one more thing - would you mind accompanying Nomad today instead of tomorrow? We'll be celebrating the creation of our protective array ahead of schedule, and it seems Nomad has something important to attend to tomorrow. Is that alright with you?"
With that, Ye Zhong pushed Nomad inside the courtyard and closed the gate, leaving his daughter with a fond "I love you" and a cheerful "goodbye."
"Your father is truly a remarkable man," Nomad remarked with a teasing laugh, his words causing Ye Ziyun's face to turn a bright shade of red. She breathed a sigh of relief that Xiao Ning'er was there to intervene, for had she not been present, who knows what may have transpired between the two of them.
Unlike Ye Zhong's treatment of Nei Li in the future, Nomad was a trustworthy individual with a respectable background. Ye Zhong and Nomad's father were good friends, and their friendship lent credibility to Nomad's character. Moreover, Nomad showed no signs of impropriety or disrespect towards Ye Zhong or his daughter's reputation. While Ye Zhong couldn't help but think of the possibility of his daughter marrying Nomad, he was reassured that Nomad would never do anything to harm her. In fact, with no better suitor in sight, Nomad seemed like a suitable candidate for Ye Ziyun's hand.
Ye Mo, too, spoke highly of Nomad, and lately, the two had become quite close. Ye Ziyun had heard about their growing bond, and at her age, she couldn't help but form a favorable opinion of Nomad. After all, her own views had already been swayed by those around her. As a result, she wasn't entirely opposed to the idea of them being together. However, she couldn't shake off the feeling that Nomad's eagerness to meet her alone was happening too fast. It was as if her father and grandfather were trying to sell her off to Nomad, which left her feeling uneasy.
"Ha ha, don't fret, Ye Ziyun," Nomad chuckled, putting her at ease. "I just wanted to ask you something. By the way, isn't that Xiao Ning'er over there? Hello there!" Nomad called out to the girl who had been staring in their direction from a nearby pavilion. As Xiao Ning'er approached, Ye Ziyun followed meekly behind.
"Well, isn't this a fortuitous opportunity now that you both are here?" Nomad said once they were all seated. Both girls looked at him with quizzical expressions, their imaginations running wild as they tried to decipher his meaning. "What do you mean, Nomad?" Xiao Ning'er asked, giving Ye Ziyun a questioning look as well.
Nomad's relaxed smile did little to ease the growing anxiety that was creeping up on both girls, their minds racing with all sorts of wild possibilities. "Oh, it's nothing much," Nomad reassured them. "I simply want something that only you two can provide." His words, however, only served to make them even more nervous, causing their faces to turn red with embarrassment.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone