Chapter 41: Deity or Demon?

As the system’s prompt sounded, Xiang Nan felt the blood within him circulating at an astonishing speed, propelling spiritual energy from his brow and even driving the violet blood to flow in small cycles. With every rotation of his vital energy, his physical body grew stronger, while true energy gradually coalesced within him.

A first-tier martial artist, no matter how powerful, remains reliant on external skills. But upon reaching the second tier, the body can condense true energy, achieving a perfect union of internal and external mastery.

As Xiang Nan’s body became ever more formidable, streams of potent martial arts knowledge poured into his mind, instantly mastered. All these changes took only a few minutes.

While Xiang Nan underwent his ancestral awakening, the world suddenly grew restless: spiritual energy surged, night mist rose, the wind and clouds shifted. Even those who had been deeply asleep sensed this strange transformation in their dreams, waking and rushing to their windows and balconies.

“What’s going on? What happened?”
“Damn! I can actually feel the spiritual energy swirling around me!”
“Look! It’s a celestial phenomenon!”
“I’ve never seen anything so grand and terrifying in all my life!”

The tranquil, serene night sky, once moonlit and sparsely starred, was transformed. In the deep blue heavens, star clouds emerged, swirling across the universe like two giant dragons—one ink-black and one white—coiling and dancing in the sky. The two star-cloud dragons eventually converged, spinning together to form a vast, moving Taiji Bagua diagram in the night.

The bright moon had long since vanished. The void’s deep blue was topped by the immense Taiji Bagua, radiating overwhelming power and pressure from heaven and earth. As the Taiji diagram formed, thunder rumbled overhead, golden lightning flashing again and again, filling hearts with awe.

“Holy hell! What’s happening here?”
“Is this the legendary high-tier ancestral awakening phenomenon?”
“Damn it! Which almighty could trigger such a commotion with their awakening?”
“I feel as if a demonic prodigy of godlike power is about to be born from these omens!”
“Look, it’s the Taiji Bagua! Someone in our Nine Provinces is undergoing an ancestral awakening!”
“I still think it’s more like a demonic being is being born—oh, I’m shivering!”

All this unfolded unbeknownst to Xiang Nan as he awakened. It took ten minutes for the terrifying celestial phenomenon to gradually fade. Those roused by the spectacle were wide awake, with no hint of sleep left.

The National Security Bureau of Nine Provinces called an emergency video conference, summoning all the nation’s bigshots in the dead of night.

Celestial omens appeared every year, but nothing as horrifying as tonight!

“This is a matter of our Nine Provinces’ safety, and even the world’s! It must be recorded as a top-level event!”
“Contact all high-tier martial artists immediately and investigate the source of the phenomenon!”
“If caused by a martial artist’s awakening, report it and file it in their records.”
“If a high-tier demon has been born, the entire country enters top-level combat readiness. We must mobilize every force to eradicate this demon!”

The Bureau’s chief hadn’t even changed out of his pajamas. The bulging veins and wrinkles on his face bespoke extreme tension and utmost seriousness—along with a touch of fear for the unknown power.

Ten minutes earlier, in the outskirts of the capital.

Pheasant, leading two teammates, was searching the forest at night for the armored Flame Tiger, a beast with formidable defenses.

“We must find the Flame Tiger before Lone Wolf does. That arrogant woman needs to taste defeat,” Pheasant thought as he dashed through the dense woods.

At last, he found traces left by the Flame Tiger, and a smug smile crept across his lips.

“Pick up the pace—the Flame Tiger is just ahead!”

The three pushed forward with all their strength, eager to personally slay the beast that would bring them honor.

Following the tiger’s tracks, Pheasant and his team crossed the forest, only to be nearly blinded by a sudden burst of golden light.

The scene before them left their jaws agape.

In a secluded corner, a young man sat cross-legged on the ground, his entire body radiating dazzling golden light. Around him, fierce winds swirled, preventing anyone from approaching. In front of him lay a four-meter-long armored Flame Tiger—its once proud face now battered and misshapen. The beast paced anxiously, eyes flashing with rage and agitation, roaring at Xiang Nan again and again.

Suddenly, it lunged, its massive form hurtling toward Xiang Nan like a cannonball.

“Careful!” Pheasant called out, but before his words were finished—

A mournful howl from the Flame Tiger as it was rebounded by the golden light, thrown dozens of meters back and plowing the ground before it managed to stand. Its head shook, bloodshot eyes glistening with tears, fur bristling all over.

This was already the tenth time.

Again and again, the Flame Tiger charged, only to be repelled and battered by the golden light. The ground was covered with ruts, all carved by the tiger’s repeated rebounds and attempts to dissipate its force.

Pheasant and his teammates at the forest’s edge were dumbfounded. Moments earlier, they’d worried for the youth’s life, but now, they felt a touch of sympathy for the battered armored Flame Tiger.

This was a genuine third-tier, five-star beast! Even if Pheasant himself fought, victory wasn’t guaranteed. Yet the youth in the center hadn’t moved at all—relying solely on the golden aura to leave the Flame Tiger utterly defeated.

At that moment, Pheasant and his team clearly sensed the rising tide of spiritual energy in the air. The closer they moved to the youth, the more frenzied the energy became.

Above, the star-cloud dragons had already formed a spinning Taiji Bagua diagram. Thunder rolled, lightning flashed. Around Xiang Nan, the wind raged ever more fiercely; only he, seated at the center, remained unmoved, eyes tightly shut, as steady as a mountain. No other creature dared approach. Not even the armored Flame Tiger could get near that golden light.

Though Pheasant was a third-tier martial artist, in the face of such celestial omens, he dared not act recklessly. Being repelled was minor; losing face was far worse!

But the Flame Tiger was different—beast intelligence was always somewhat inferior to human’s. Protected by the golden light, it couldn’t touch Xiang Nan, but as king of beasts, it refused to accept such humiliation and was determined to conquer him.

Once more, the Flame Tiger’s powerful hind legs dug into the earth as it sprang, claws bared, directly at Xiang Nan.

Mid-air, a sudden thunderclap boomed, followed by a streak of lightning.

The enraged Flame Tiger, suspended in the air, looked up in terror for the first time, its eyes filled with despair. Its heart trembled, all four legs quivering, and it crashed heavily to the ground.

However low its intelligence, its senses were keen. The massive, swirling Taiji Bagua diagram pressed down from above, making it hard to breathe.

Instantly, the Flame Tiger became meek.

These celestial omens were clearly set against it—any living creature would be cowed.

Its neck shrank, terror in its eyes as it retreated step by step, hoping to slip into the forest for a chance at survival.

Just as it turned to flee, Xiang Nan, still bathed in golden light and deep in ancestral awakening, suddenly opened his eyes.