Chapter 86: The Meaning of the Strongest, Based on Fact, Not Interest

Wang Quan’s template, the reshaping of Three Thousand Flame Fire, the convergence of countless sword masters’ experiences manifested by the Rat Talisman, and items like the Cracked Jade and Emperor Armor breaking through his own limits.

Too many factors constitute his current strength; talent is merely the least noteworthy among them.

After seeing Morax depart with Zhong Lao, he walked alone to a village near Mount Kunlun and sat down at a random breakfast shop.

Morning mist cloaked this frontier town; steam rose from steamer baskets along the street; Ye Xuan ordered a bowl of soy milk and a few buns, eating slowly and deliberately.

Around him, diners chatted in small groups about last night’s mutated beast surge and the powerful figure in Hangcheng rivaling Zhong Lao—yet no one recognized the young man before them as the video’s protagonist.

After finishing breakfast, Ye Xuan wandered aimlessly, memories of Zhong Lao and Morax’s battle flashing through his mind; his hands grew restless again.

But with his current strength, unless a fourth-rank mutated creature existed within Mount Kunlun, nothing could satisfy his craving for battle.

It was strange—he had never been a warlike man before, so why did he now crave battle so intensely?

Was it because every battle against a strong opponent brought him immense gains?

Unfortunately, the Qi tide had only just arrived; third-rank was the current limit for mutated creatures. Unless he obtained a Celestial Treasure to trigger a transformation into a higher realm, he could not reach fourth-rank in the short term.

To find a worthy opponent, besides the Rat Talisman, he might have to venture into the deep sea.

Unconsciously, Ye Xuan reached a hill outside the town; Mount Kunlun loomed in the distance, glowing faintly golden under the morning sun.

Gazing at the scene, he felt momentarily dazed: since gaining the system, most of his time had been spent training and fighting; now that he was suddenly idle, he didn’t know what to do.

He had intended to give himself a day off, yet when he tried to relax, he still felt something missing—a strange unease.

If so, then train.

His body did not wish to relax; his spirit did not need to relax; neither did he need to force himself to do so.

Ye Xuan sat cross-legged casually on the hill, closed his eyes slightly, and let his spiritual energy flow—immediately becoming a bottomless vortex, drawing in all Qi within a radius of several miles; pale green mist swirled around the area, pouring into his body.

Time flowed quietly like water.

After the beast surge triggered by the Qi tide subsided, the world entered a relatively peaceful period.

Though occasional incidents occurred—flocks of mutated birds gathering or wild mutated creatures appearing in homes—the numbers were few, and the Tian Shu Bureau always arrived promptly upon receiving reports, nipping threats in the bud.

On social media, discussions about psychics and Celestial Treasures grew increasingly heated.

Short-video platforms flooded with new accounts: those who awakened psychic abilities during the Qi tide, pet owners whose mutated animals remained gentle and aspired to become Beast Masters, and creators introducing anime and possible real-world Celestial Treasures from them.

Each video received many comments, especially the latter category.

Though few openly stated it, humanity’s thirst for power had reached its peak since the Qi tide.

The helplessness of facing potential death without the strength to protect oneself or one’s family was unbearable for anyone.

In that moment, relying on anyone was less reliable than relying on oneself.

Surprisingly, the Tian Shu Bureau actively revised the Superhuman Rankings, placing Ye Xuan at the same level as Zhong Lao—the position of “Strongest.”

Frankly, Ye Xuan didn’t understand why they did this; though it meant nothing to him, “Strongest” carried special meaning for a nation and its people.

Before the Qi revival, “Strongest” symbolized a nation’s peak in a certain field—wealth, fame, honor, even the faith of some; after the Qi revival, it now also meant—power.

This had been evident before the Qi revival, but far less profoundly.

Moreover, the public’s faith in “Strongest” after the Qi revival could not be compared to the faith once held for a “Strongest” in any single field before.

Normally, they should not have given this position to someone outside the Tian Shu Bureau; Ye Xuan was neither a representative of any faction nor a member of the Tian Shu Bureau, and granting him the title brought them no benefit; moreover, Ye Xuan himself did not believe he possessed the strength to defeat Zhong Lao.

Su Mengyao called Ye Xuan to explain: it was Zhong Lao’s wish.

“Great Xia is Great Xia for every Great Xia citizen; the Tian Shu Bureau is the Tian Shu Bureau of all Great Xia people.”

“Based on facts, not interests.”

“But Zhong Lao suggested placing your name above his, claiming you wield greater power than he currently possesses; it was not approved.”

“Can you tell me what Zhong Lao meant by you wielding greater power than him? Do you have other Celestial Treasures besides ShaNiu?”

Under normal circumstances, no one would dare oppose Zhong Lao’s will, and his words were correct—Great Xia should act this way; it simply couldn’t before, or perhaps no nation in the world could.

Even now, they could only permit Zhong Lao to place Ye Xuan at equal rank, not above him.

This was already their maximum concession—unless one day Ye Xuan openly revealed power clearly surpassing Zhong Lao’s.

Su Mengyao wasn’t particularly concerned about this, but she was curious about what Zhong Lao meant by Ye Xuan’s greater power.

Besides ShaNiu, did Ye Xuan possess other Celestial Treasures?

“More than that, I didn’t expect you actually never reported ShaNiu’s existence to the Tian Shu Bureau.”

“Why?”

“Don’t you want to progress?”

Although Su Mengyao had previously said she wouldn’t report ShaNiu to the Tian Shu Headquarters, Ye Xuan hadn’t believed her—strictly speaking, they weren’t even friends, merely contractual partners with the Tian Shu Bureau.

That level of connection was insufficient for her to conceal ShaNiu’s existence for him.

Yet he hadn’t expected her to actually do it—until now, the Tian Shu Bureau still didn’t know he possessed “ShaNiu.”

(End of Chapter)