novelraw Chapter 434: A Chance Encounter
Chapter 434: A Chance Encounter
Su Zhan's heart trembled, and he couldn't help but blurt out, "City Lord, are you saying... the rumors outside say that in Daxia's history, only three Reforge Fruits have ever been obtained, and those three were precisely consumed by you, Senior Zhang Daoxuan, and the Grand Elder?"
This news was truly somewhat shocking.
Those three were currently recognized as Daxia's three great pillars.
Mo Yuan nodded slightly. "Correct. A divine object like the Reforge Fruit is something one can only encounter by chance, not seek out.
Historically, there are clear records of only three being passed down. Precisely because of this, I, Zhang Daoxuan, and the Grand Elder were able to stand out from the competition among our peers and ultimately reach where we are today.
It didn't just enhance our strength; more importantly, it broadened our future path, allowing us to see possibilities beyond the ordinary Ocean Realm and Calamity-level.
And you, Su Zhan, are the fourth known case.
Moreover, the characteristics you displayed after consuming the Reforge Fruit...
Dual-system cultivation, progressing in parallel without conflict, seems even more special than we were back in the day.
Your future will take you further than we have gone."Su Zhan took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart.
He originally thought he had just been lucky to obtain a heaven-defying opportunity, but he never imagined this opportunity was so closely intertwined with the three strongest existences in Daxia today.
This undoubtedly further confirmed the divine power of the Reforge Fruit.
"Thank you for informing me, City Lord."
Su Zhan said solemnly, "I will definitely not let down this opportunity."
...
Su Zhan's breakthrough in Black City, accompanied by the official's deliberate fanning of the flames, rapidly swept across the entirety of Daxia.
In streets and alleys, teahouses and taverns, what people were heatedly discussing was no longer just his dual identity, but that mind-boggling speed of advancement.
"Have you heard? Lord Su Zhan has broken through again!"
"Ocean Realm Second Stage! And that other thing... Calamity-level, second stage! My heavens, he's only twenty-five! When I was twenty-five, I was still struggling in the Stream Realm!"
"More than just you? The official channels have even hinted that for ordinary Ocean Realm powerhouses, spending thirty or forty years grinding from first to second stage is common! But Lord Su Zhan? Counting strictly, how long has it been since he publicly revealed his Ocean Realm strength? This is no longer a genius; this is a monster!"
...
At the same time.
In the central squares of major cities.
Huge projection screens were looping a meticulously edited video.
In the footage, dark clouds churned above Black City, pale golden spiritual light and gray-black lightning arcs intertwined like two giant dragons.
A deep voiceover accompanied it:
"Dual-colored celestial phenomenon, heaven and earth resonate! This is an omen of unparalleled foundation and limitless potential! Witness our Daxia's guardian deity, Advisor Su Zhan, at the age of twenty-five, ascending to the pinnacle of dual-system second stage!"
At the end of the video.
It was Su Zhan's human form casting a calm glance back, paired with stirring background music, creating an extremely compelling image.
"See that? Even the heavens acknowledge him!"
"Those who were calling him a monster before should shut up now!"
"I knew it! Someone who could save so many people at Panshi Fortress couldn't possibly be a bad person! The stronger he is now, the safer our Daxia is!"
In the forums and communities frequented by Awakened individuals, the discussions were even more fervent.
Someone made a comparison chart aligning Su Zhan's advancement timeline with historically famous geniuses. That cliff-like gap left all skeptics speechless.
"Putting aside stances, Su Zhan's advancement curve has already broken existing cognitive models. His life form may represent a new direction of evolution."
"Forget all that abstract talk! Just based on his upgrade speed and strength, we'll have more confidence when the next Mist Surge comes! The strong are respected, I yield!"
"Celebrating Lord Su Zhan's breakthrough to dual-system second stage! Protecting the best Lord Su Zhan!"
...
The official propaganda painted Su Zhan's image increasingly grand, bordering on deification.
The past controversies and shadows were largely dispelled amidst this wave of forceful praise.
Now, in the hearts of most citizens, Su Zhan's name had become the most dazzling figure of this era.
...
Time flowed quietly by.
Su Zhan, in his cultivation chamber within Black City, focused wholeheartedly on absorbing the top-tier resources continuously delivered by the official channels.
The massive resources were greedily absorbed by his body, which had been transformed by the Reforge Fruit, steadily pushing his cultivation deeper into the Ocean Realm Second Stage.
Because of the Reforge Fruit, he no longer had to worry at all about foundation issues during cultivation. He could just go all out.
The border situation outside, however, had settled into a strange calm.
Perhaps because the previous war between Daxia and the Mist had been too intense, with both sides paying a considerable price, the Mist side also seemed to have entered a period of recuperation.
Along the border, although small-scale skirmishes and harassment by low-level Mist Creatures never ceased.
But incidents severe enough to alarm a Calamity-level existence of Su Zhan's caliber had yet to appear.
For Mist Creatures below the Calamity-level, their Life Essence was now like a cup of water trying to put out a cartload of burning wood—utterly useless to him.
Su Zhan looked inward at his dual-system origin, which demanded energy like a bottomless pit, and understood clearly.
Going out to hunt those low-level monsters was purely a waste of time.
It was far less practical than staying in the chamber, efficiently refining these top-tier resources.
Moreover, with his foundation reshaped by the Reforge Fruit, he had absolutely no need to worry about unstable foundations caused by absorbing resources too fiercely. This allowed him to squander cultivation materials unimaginable to the outside world without any restraint, his speed naturally far surpassing ordinary people.
Since there was no urgent need to go out, he naturally chose the most efficient method.
Secluded, arduous cultivation.
The frenzy about him in the outside world, however, continued to ferment.
His legendary experiences, formidable strength, young and handsome appearance, and the official's relentless propaganda...
Attracted a staggeringly large number of fans for him.
Among them were quite a few fanatical followers who, with a pilgrimage-like mindset, went to great lengths to find out that Su Zhan was stationed in Black City and then flocked uncontrollably to this border city.
But they soon discovered a vast chasm between ideal and reality.
Black City's order was completely different from the prosperous metropolises inland.
There weren't so many rules and regulations bound by law here.
The air was permeated with an aura of chaos.
On the streets, one could often see Awakened individuals with fierce auras, and even...
Some beings maintaining partial Aberrant characteristics swaggering about openly.
The residents here had long grown accustomed to coexisting with Aberrants.
Their sense of rejection towards Aberrants was far lower than inland.
These fans coming from stable environments, upon setting foot in Black City, were like lambs entering a wolf pack.
Their star-chasing behavior seemed out of place here, even laughable.
"Excuse me, do you know where Lord Su Zhan is?"
"Can you take me to see Lord Su Zhan? I can pay!"
"Does Lord Su Zhan live in the City Lord's Residence?"
...
These naive questions were often met with cold indifference from locals, or malicious scrutiny.
Many people, because they showed off their wealth or seemed like easy targets, ended up getting robbed.