BOOM!
The moment Haruto's fist connected with the black stone, sound itself seemed to pause.
Then, the shockwave hit.
A blast of compressed air exploded outward, knocking the nearest disciples off their feet. The entire floating island groaned, tilting dangerously on its axis as the defensive runes flared to life to prevent it from falling out of the sky.
On the face of the Takachiho Ancient Stele, the silver runes went haywire. They flashed red, spinning wildly before settling on a number that burned into the retinas of everyone present.
10,000,000 Kin!
Silence. Absolute, deafening silence.
Ayaka stared, her mouth gaping open, her face draining of blood. 'Ten... ten million? That's double Lord Kenji's record. That's... that's impossible for a human!'
But the Stele was not done.
Crack.
A spiderweb fracture appeared where Haruto's fist had landed. It spread rapidly, zig-zagging up the monolith.
CRACK!
With a sound like a dying mountain, the Takachiho Ancient Stele—an artifact that had survived since the Age of Myths—exploded. Rubble rained down, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"He... he broke it," a disciple whispered. "He broke the unbreakable stele."
Suddenly, the sky above the arena turned a deep, auspicious purple. A voice, ancient and genderless, resonated from the firmament, echoing in the souls of every cultivator in the Empire.
"To break the boundaries of history... To surpass the Ancients and create the Eternal Realm... The Heavens grant their Reward!"
The Will of the World had spoken. Haruto had achieved a physical strength that no one—not the Ancient Emperors, not the Demon Gods—had possessed at the age of three.
A beam of chaotic light descended, landing in Haruto's hand. It was a jade slip: [Chaos Spirit-Grinding Visualization Technique]. A supreme soul-cultivation method to match his supreme body.
"Hahaha! That's my grandson!"
Ryuzaki Kenshin materialized from the void, laughing maniacally. Following him was a clan elder, holding a tray with trembling hands.
"The Eighteenth Ancestor is pleased!" the elder shouted. "He rewards the Divine Son with Three Immortal Divine Elixirs!"
The crowd went wild with envy. Immortal Elixirs could bring the dead back to life. Haruto had just received three like they were candy.
Haruto accepted the rewards calmly, dusting off his robes. "Grandpa, I broke the rock. My bad."
"Who cares about a rock?!" Kenshin beamed. "You are the Eternal Limit!"
As Haruto turned to leave, a figure stepped into his path.
It was Ryuzaki Reika.
The "Flower on the High Peak" was trembling. Her face was flushed, her eyes burning with a fanatic light. She looked at Haruto not as a child, but as a god.
She took a deep breath, gathered her elaborate robes, and knelt in the dirt. She performed a formal dogeza, pressing her forehead to the ground at Haruto's feet.
"This humble woman is Ryuzaki Reika," she said, her voice shaking with emotion. "I beg the Divine Son... please, accept me!"
The crowd froze.
"I wish to become your Retainer! I will be your sword, your shield, your servant. Please, allow me to follow you!"
The arena fell into a deathly stillness. The most arrogant, untouchable woman in the clan was begging to serve a toddler.