Mingyin stood up . A thick fur cloak hung over one shoulder, heavy with the scent of wilderness. His raven-black hair was cut short, stopping at his neck, and a colorful long-sleeved tunic clung to his lean frame.
Standing tall and imposing
They emerged slowly from the bushes.
Beside him walked another Mingyin—unscarred, refined, carrying the kind of beauty that drew admiration without effort. The one the crowds loved.this one wa the one know by the crowd but yet standing proudly
In contrast, this Mingyin's face was marked by a long scar that cut across his cheek. Beneath his sharp eyes, faint traces of dried blood lingered, remnants of wounds long cleaned away. Bandages wrapped tightly from his wrist to his shoulder, hidden partially beneath his cloak.
If I hadn't changed my appearance, I would have been exposed immediately.
A mortal walking among immortals… and Magman still dares to scheme against me.
Mingyin scratched his chin, then exhaled slowly.
He closed his eyes and leaned against the rough bark of a tree.
Fool.
…
Two days earlier
Bronze Holder.
A young am with green lush tunic cloth could be seen walking up a hill as
Magman approached alone.
Bronz hinder could be seen seated on a stone bench, surrounded by immortals deep in conversation. When they noticed him, their gazes slid away almost instantly, dismissive and cold, as though he were unworthy of even a breath of attention.
One woman gave him a weird look as she look uninterested it him
Magman smiled.his lips twisting upward
Outwardly.
Hidden beneath his sleeves, his fists trembled. Blood seeped from where his nails bit into his flesh, rage boiling silently within him.
Damm future overlord !
He wanted—no, needed—to prove that he was not a fraud. That he was someone who could not be ignored.
Bronze Holder tore into a roasted rib, then set the plate aside.
"What do you want?" she asked flatly.
Magman stepped forward, pointing at her.
"I want to join you. With Mingyin."
Her brow furrowed. "And why would you want to come with us to retrieve the Treasure Core?"
Magman halted, straightening his posture.
"Don't misunderstand. Mingyin himself asked me to join you—to assist in obtaining the Treasure Core within the pool."isn't rude to argue with me
A smile crept across his face.
"And Mingyin isn't that strong. Even he is… . But strength alone isn't everything."I wanted to ask if you see Mingyin ever done something ?
Bronz holder wanted to talk backs by rebuke him but she stop and lean ford
Murmurs spread among the immortals.
"He doesn't do much," one of them scoffed. "He just releases his aura and orders people around. He's polite, sure—but I hate him."
Kinda right he sure act tought and strong
I mean isn't he a nice person
Magman's smile widened.living every moment of it
Then a voice cut through the chatter.
"Enough. Stop being childish, Kinging Chin."
Kinging Chin clicked his tongue and looked away, face dark with irritation.
Bronze Holder's eyes narrowed.
"He's shown nothing," she said. "There are many frauds here. He's no different from you."
Magman's gaze hardened, malice flashing through his eyes.
"You—" he stopped himself, inhaling sharplyas he cover his mouth thinking for a moment as he look up with a smile .
"Fine. But even so, he's clever."and is - magman could lot finish his sentence as someone else spoke out loud
Bronz holder wave her hand
Several immortals nodded.
"Let's see what he can do," someone said.
Magman's heart pounded.
At last.
He imagined exposing Mingyin before everyone—imagined the shock, the disbelief. But then another thought surfaced, sour and bitter.
Mingyin was light itself. Calm. Well-mannered. Loved.
Even if the truth was revealed, would the crowd truly turn on him?
Worse still—Mingyin could twist the outcome, claiming he had outwitted an immortal.
Who would look weaker then?
The thought drove Magman mad. His fingers dug deeper into his palm, blood dripping freely.
I can't kill you.
Not yet.
My reputation wouldn't survive it.
Better to force him into a public challenge. To corner him where escape was impossible.
Magman smiled.
"Good," he said. "Then let's begin today."
Bronze Holder didn't care whether Mingyin was mortal or not. She was here only for the Lob Rod Game. Mortals meant nothing to her.
To her—and to every immortal in the region—they were lesser beings.
Magman departed in a streak of light.
Moments later, a young man whose face was concealed beneath a garment stood up.
"I'm going for a walk."
Bronze Holder nodded without looking at him.
The young man left, shrinking into the distance until he was no more than a speck. The immortals resumed their discussion as if nothing had happened.
He stopped beneath a towering tree.
A figure stepped out from the shadows.
Mingyin.
"To think even Bronze Holder would participate," Mingyin said softly. "All for the sake of a game."
The young man removed his garment.
It was Mingyin.
A clone.
Mingyin placed a hand on his shoulder. "Return. Continue watching them."I will prepare. A plan
The clone nodded and vanished among the trees.
Mingyin leaned back against the trunk, eyes half-lidded.
I'll change my face. I already have a plan.
A faint smile touched his lips.
Magman… sooner or later, you'll realize you were never to be my match or rivals your just another one who flaw are know by me
Only a pawn.
…
That night, Mingyin sought out a man whose Soul Core formation belonged to the Animal Path.
The man lived near a cave carved into a jagged cliff. He was large and broad, his body heavy with fat, yet dressed in fine, well-kept robes. His beard was unkempt, reaching his neck, and his brown eyes—though unpleasant to look at—were sharp with calculation. At a glance, he appeared ordinary. At a second, dangerous.
Mingyin placed an object before him.
A massive eagle head, forged from bronze.
The man's breath caught.
"What artifact do you need?" he asked carefully.
Mingyin's voice was calm. "The Rene Slave Artifact."
The man's eyes widened instantly. Shock flashed across his face, followed by hesitation—but Mingyin raised a hand, stopping him before fear could turn into refusal.
"I will return it tomorrow," Mingyin said. "After that, I'll take back my artifact. No loss to you."
Silence stretched.
The man thought for a long while. Then he nodded.
Mingyin retrieved a large sphere of condensed soul energy, light swirling violently inside. The Rene Slave Artifact was crude compared to higher-grade treasures—its power could only be sustained for ten minutes—but Mingyin had prepared extensively.
Experience made the difference.
"Give me your beast," Mingyin said. "The winged tiger. Even you can't control it."
The man didn't hesitate.
The beast had never truly obeyed him anyway. When its time limit expired, it would fall into madness—sometimes even turning on its master.
He led Mingyin to a metal door forged by Wong Shong Tin himself.
The door opened.
Chains rattled violently as a massive tiger lunged forward. Dense crimson fur covered its body, two wings formed of dark, liquid-like matter stretching from its back. Its roar shook the cave, cracking stone and rattling metal.
The man stiffened—but Mingyin merely stepped aside, calm and measured, letting the shockwave pass.
If I were truly near it, Mingyin thought, even a Sage would stumble from that roar.
But I am only a mortal.
Mingyin tossed twenty Soul Coins onto the ground and raised the sphere.
Soul energy burst forth, wrapping tightly around the tiger's neck. The beast screamed, its roar twisting into pain.
The man opened his mouth to speak, but Mingyin shook his head.
"I know," Mingyin said. "This beast only lends its power when fed well and never forced. When I command it to fight, it will resist. That's why I'll pour all my soul energy into it."
The man swallowed and nodded.
Exhaustion weighed heavily on the tiger as it lowered its head.
Moments later, Mingyin and the beast vanished from the man's sight.
…
Later that day.
Mingyin stood inside his tree house. The tiger lay nearby, peacefully devouring the limb of a cow, its massive body relaxed.
Mingyin rose and removed his cloak.
He wore a vibrant tunic as he cut his hair down to his neck. White strands darkened, turning pitch black. Power stirred in his chest—the energy of a Sage sealed within a mortal body.
Pain tore through him.
Using an artifact as a mortal was dangerous. He welcomed the pain anyway.
He drew a blade across his cheek.
Blood flowed.
He wiped it clean, then cut beneath his eye, carving another scar into his face.
Nearby stood the other Mingyin—the flawless one.
Mingyin ignored him.
The blood dripped into the soul sphere, which absorbed it greedily. The Slave Artifact required blood to nourish its soul energy. Within the sphere, a tiny dragon-shaped lightning head writhed, drinking deeply.
Artifacts were living things.
They needed blood to feed, cold earth to rest, and time to sleep.
Mingyin buried the sphere in chilled soil, sealing it beneath the ground.
When he stood again, he no longer resembled the beloved figure admired by the crowd. He looked sharper. Harder. Dangerous.
He raised two fingers toward the clone.
"Go," Mingyin said. "Bring the others. We'll meet near the pool—where Bronze Holder waits."
The clone nodded and vanished into the treetops like a ghost.
Mingyin lay down on a rough blanket, resting his head against stone.
"Good night," he whispered to himself.
…
Present
Mingyin looked ahead, smiling faintly as the tiger's low roar rolled through the land.
Bronze Holder stood nearby. Magman beside her—smiling.
Immortals gathered behind them. Young. Old. Powerful.
As there hear footstep behind them as there gaze back
Then another presence stepped forward.
A young handsome Mingyin that was the clone of Mingyin
Magman smile
Heheheh hello Mingyin where have you been yesterday we be waiting for you magman said waving his sleeve upward
But Mingyin simply as he raised his hand and pointed toward the scarred one.
Ah thanks magman I wanted to bring my fellow brother
"This," he said clearly, he is my brother."
Magman and bronz holder look forward with a simply epression
Before them came a young fierce man with a cool looking eppearance as he welcome himself
My name is
"Ming Jin."
Magman froze.as he gritting his teeth
Don't tell me
That brat—
Before the thought could even finish—
The ground started to trembled.
Behind the real Mingyin, a massive tiger emerged, its aura crashing outward like a tidal wave. Trees bent. Earth cracked. The air itself felt heavy.as the real Mingyin hold his breath
Bronze Holder's smile vanished.as her body shook with fear
Magman's blood ran cold.not liking one bit what was gonna to happen
A Rank Three Mystical Beast!
magman yell out loud holding his head with a crazed epression