Villain: My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens.

"Thanks to the help of the elders of our Gu family on the way, this old servant was able to escape, otherwise he would have been a handful of dust in the mine by now."

As he said this, Old Man Ming's voice was full of gratitude, and his eyes were slightly red.

Xie Zheng raised an eyebrow and sneered: "The cultivators in the lower realm all exaggerate the wonders of ascension, thinking that they can reach the heavens in one step. Little do they know that those without a background or support are just sent to do hard labor, not even as good as dogs. In the end, they will either die of exhaustion in the mines or eke out an old age."

Elder Ming nodded repeatedly, deeply agreeing: "Young Master is absolutely right! Those ancient forces in Zhongzhou that claim to have connections with the Upper Realm may look glamorous, but they are all show and no substance. Their proud ancestors might be working in some remote corner of the Upper Realm right now, bending over and digging for minerals."

That's why he's so grateful to the Gu family; if it weren't for the Gu family's help, he wouldn't be alive today.

Xie Zheng leaned back in his chair, his fingers rubbing his cuffs, and said with a half-smile, "I'm going to Zhongzhou in three days. You can come with me and take the opportunity to go back and see how your descendants are doing."

He knew perfectly well that Elder Ming had finally managed to return to the mortal realm with him, and he must be thinking about his family. However, due to his status, he dared not act without his permission.

Upon hearing this, Elder Ming's eyes instantly reddened, and he nearly knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling: "Thank you for your compassion, young master! This old servant... this old servant is deeply grateful!"

Xie Zheng reached out a hand to help him up, his tone dismissive and somewhat nonchalant: "Alright, alright, stop with the act. I was just going that way, it wasn't specially arranged for you."

Although he sees himself as a villain who suppresses the chosen one of destiny, he is not a brainless fool. The old man has followed him for so long and is loyal to him. This little thing can make the old man more devoted to him and also earn him a reputation for caring for his subordinates. How could he not do it?

To put it bluntly, it's a sure-fire way to make money.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. High in the sky outside the Tai Xuan Holy Land, a magnificent flying boat hung there, shimmering with light and colorful runes. At a glance, there were carved beams and painted rafters, pavilions and towers, and swirling immortal mist. Even the floor tiles on the flying boat exuded nobility. It was simply extravagant beyond measure.

This is a special flying boat built for Xie Zheng by the major powers of the Eastern Wilderness. The cost is so high that it could buy half of the Eastern Wilderness. It is no exaggeration to say that every inch of it is a display of wealth.

The disciples of the holy land nearby stared in disbelief, muttering to themselves, "My god, this flying boat is so luxurious! I've never seen such a fine magical artifact in my entire life!"

The other cultivators were so engrossed in watching that they felt incredibly lucky to even touch the object, let alone sit on it.

Xie Zheng glanced at the flying boat, a playful smile playing on his lips: "You all are quite thoughtful, so high-profile, just what I wanted."

The holy lords and sect leaders of various forces quickly smiled obsequiously, their tone fawning: "We're glad you like it, young master. It's just a small trinket; it's our honor to bring a smile to your face."

They knew perfectly well that this young master Xie looked young, but his temperament was unpredictable, and he didn't like to keep a low profile. Compared to the cost of building the flying boat, gaining his favor was the most worthwhile thing.

The Holy Son of Tai Xuan quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said in an extremely respectful tone, "Young Master, please board the ship."

Aside from Su Qingge, he was Xie Zheng's most trusted lackey. Although the term "lackey" wasn't flattering, everyone present envied him.

Being able to follow Xie Zheng, even as a lackey, is better than being the young master of one's own faction.

Xie Zheng nodded slightly, stepped onto the flying boat first, his steps composed and his aura commanding. The others followed behind, deliberately lagging a few steps behind, none daring to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, for fear of displeasing him.

Those who accompanied the group to Zhongzhou this time were all top talents from various parts of the Eastern Wilderness—the Holy Son of Yangxu, the Holy Daughter of Yangxu, the Princess of the Great Sun Dynasty, and the Young Master of the Ancient Xiao Family. Each of them was a prodigy, and they were usually arrogant and haughty.

But in front of Xie Zheng, they didn't even dare to breathe loudly. The sense of oppression was a hundred times more terrifying than when facing their own elders.

Several people tried to speak to him, but their voices trembled as soon as they opened their mouths, and they could only slink back with their faces full of awe.

Xie Zheng glanced at them and muttered to himself: Chu Xuan is much more sensible than these pretentious guys; at least he dares to say a few words in front of him.

He suddenly stroked his chin and muttered to himself, "That kid Ye Chen should be almost done with by me. Who will be the next chosen one of destiny?"

Su Qingge, who was massaging his shoulders, paused and looked up blankly: "Young Master, what are you saying? Who is Ye Chen? What is the Chosen One?" She couldn't understand what the young master was saying.

Xie Zheng turned to look at her, then suddenly smiled, his tone slightly teasing: "Nothing much, just asking if you want to come back to the Upper Realm with me?"

In the past, Su Qingge's eyes would light up whenever the topic of the Upper Realm was mentioned, but today, she was unusually calm. Just as she was about to speak, Xie Zheng interrupted her.

"Boring." Xie Zheng shook his head, reached out and pulled her into his arms, his fingertips lightly stroking her cheek. "Can't you pretend to be really looking forward to it and make me happy?"

Su Qingge blushed and reached out to push him away, but he held her even tighter. A hint of embarrassment and annoyance flashed in her eyes, but she dared not resist.

Xie Zheng couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at her insincere expression. Sure enough, no matter where you are, bullying little girls is always an interesting thing.

Just then, the flying boat trembled violently, and a huge hurricane swept through the void outside. Brilliant rays of light burst forth from the flying boat, and runes swirled rapidly, crushing the surrounding sky as it sped toward the Central Plains, its speed so fast that it left only a blur.

The Central Plains are a land of outstanding people and abundant resources, where dragon veins converge, making it a hundred times more prosperous than the Eastern Wilderness.

This place not only has ancient holy lands and dynasties, but also countless noble families and kingdoms. Even the sacred mountains are home to ancient beings, each with profound cultivation and ruling over their respective regions.

Besides humans, there are many other ancient races in Zhongzhou, whose origins predate some sacred lands, and whose strength should not be underestimated.

At this moment, in the most prosperous Central Heaven Domain of Zhongzhou, inside the Daoji Academy, a group of young men and women are sitting together in a quiet room, listening to an elder explain the precious techniques of cultivation.

The elder looked very young, dressed in a gray robe, yet his stunning beauty was undeniable.

With light makeup, her skin was as smooth as jade, her long, black hair was tied up, and her tall, curvaceous figure was accentuated by a loose robe. It would not be an exaggeration to call her an absolute beauty.

Suddenly, her beautiful eyes darkened, the gentleness on her face vanished instantly, and she threw the jade slip in her hand onto a wooden table below with a "thud."

His tone was icy and chilling: "Lin Tian! You're sleeping in my class again? Do you think my Daoji Academy's classes are places you can just sleep in?"

The boy named Lin Tian was startled awake. He groggily raised his head, his eyes still sleepy, not yet realizing what had happened.

Looking at the jade slip on the table, he was completely bewildered: "Elder... I didn't do that. I was just trying to figure out the precious technique you were talking about with my eyes closed."

"Pondering magical techniques?" The female elder sneered, stepped forward, and tapped him on the head. "I think you're just dreaming of marrying a wife! Repeat what I just said!"

Lin Tian panicked instantly, scratched his head, and stammered, unable to speak. The boys and girls around him couldn't help but lower their heads and secretly suppress their laughter, but no one dared to make a sound, for fear of incurring the wrath of the female elder.

The female elder, seeing his state, was so angry her temples throbbed: "You're punished to face the wall in the back mountains for three days, copying the precious technique a hundred times. If you dare to sleep in class again, I'll skin you alive!"

"Yes, yes, thank you for your mercy, Elder!" Lin Tian quickly got up, lowered his head, and slunk out of the meditation room. His disheveled appearance caused everyone to chuckle again.

The female elder shook her head helplessly. Just as she was about to continue her lecture, her gaze suddenly paused, and she looked out the window at the empty space, her brows furrowing slightly.

An extremely powerful aura is approaching the Daoji Academy, and there is more than one of them, each one formidable.