Crossover anime, and you call this a slice-of-life story?

"Since we've encountered him, let's start by learning about the so-called gods from him."

Shangguan Yun's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. He didn't try to hide his aura and walked towards the caravan at a leisurely pace, just like an ordinary traveler.

His appearance immediately attracted the attention of the mercenaries on the perimeter.

In this desolate wilderness, a lone traveler should not be underestimated.

Several mercenaries instinctively gripped their weapons, eyeing him warily.

Even though he had suppressed most of his aura, his unique temperament gave him a subtle sense of alienation from ordinary people, as if he were not walking on dust, but strolling in another dimension.

Almost immediately, the blond youth's gaze was also drawn over.

His smile remained unchanged, but a very subtle glint, like discovering a new and interesting toy, flashed deep within his deep blue eyes.

He couldn't sense Shangguan Yun's specific level of power, but that extraordinary temperament, that seemingly indifferent calm, instantly ignited his instincts—

An irrepressible, intense desire to test, stir, or even "overthrow" the other party's tranquility.

'An unfathomable person? How intriguing! Is he a powerful individual hiding his strength? Or possesses some special bloodline? In any case, this is definitely the best pastime on this journey!'

As Suo Anxin's mind raced, his smile grew even more sincere and enthusiastic.

He stood up and walked towards Shangguan Yun, laughing loudly, "Hey, friend! It's rare to meet a fellow traveler in this desolate place. Judging from your direction, are you also heading to 'Black Stone City' ahead? Traveling alone is too dangerous, why not join our caravan?"

His words carried a natural affinity, as if he genuinely cared about the other person's well-being. At the same time, he secretly channeled a very weak wisp of divine power, attempting to silently influence Shangguan Yun's mind, making him more receptive to the proposal and developing initial trust in him.

This was one of his usual tricks; if the other party was just an ordinary person, they would quickly lose their mind to him, just like the others in this caravan.

However, Shangguan Yun was no ordinary person. He acted normally, his eyes showing no fluctuation, and replied, "Okay, I also wanted to go to a nearby city."

'Oh? Unaffected? Interesting little guy.'

Suo An's interest in Shangguan Yun grew even stronger; he loved nothing more than teasing such geniuses or powerful individuals.

With his divine status, he was practically invincible in such a remote place. Even if his identity were exposed, he would still be worshipped by countless people!

Humans are merely worthy of being fanatical followers of their gods; there is no human being capable of standing up to the gods.

Although he had heard that the Emperor of the End had suddenly engaged in a great battle with an unknown powerful figure a few days earlier, it was clear that the other party could not possibly be human.

He couldn't afford to offend the Emperor of the End, and he didn't even dare to go and investigate the location where the battle was rumored to have broken out.

But mere humans are only fit to be tools for him to find pleasure.

And so, Shangguan Yun easily joined the caravan called 'Divine Blessing'.

They were escorting the mages of the Blackrock Mage Tower to deliver the potions they needed for their cultivation.

Of course, a potion escorted by a group of ordinary people who, in his perception, were only at the first or second rank was not something precious.

"Speaking of which, I haven't yet asked your name, friend? My name is Soan, a traveling merchant who wanders around looking for opportunities." He spoke casually, as if it were just a casual question.

"Shangguan Yun." Shangguan Yun's reply was concise. Riding a docile camel personally arranged by Suo An, he glanced indifferently at the Gobi Desert landscape ahead, seemingly not very interested in his "companion" beside him.

Suo An's mind raced, and his smile grew even brighter: "Shangguan... what a beautiful and unique name. Judging from Brother Shangguan's demeanor and bearing, he is definitely not from an ordinary family. Could he be from some powerful clan?"

'If it's a family that worships a god, even better. That way, when he reveals his true identity, the other party will be utterly shocked. Then I can convert him into my fanatical follower and send him into my divine kingdom.'

For some talented individuals whom he has chosen, sending them into his divine kingdom is the greatest honor for them!

Shangguan Yun was unaware of the other party's ridiculous and naive idea; he simply wanted to inquire about the situation in the Divine Realm.

He even hopes the other party will quickly reveal themselves so he can easily take them down.

"I am not a member of any family, just an ordinary traveler."

“Brother Shangguan is too modest. I’ve traveled all over the country and I believe I have a good eye for people. Your extraordinary demeanor is not something an ordinary traveler can possess. Even if you are not a great nobleman, you must be a carefully cultivated heir of an ancient family with a long history.”

"Is that so?" Shangguan Yun's voice was calm and even. "Perhaps you haven't met enough 'travelers' yet."

Soan: "..."

What's wrong with this guy? Aren't you afraid of getting beaten up for talking like that?

A sense of dissatisfaction rose in Soan's heart, and he even thought about simply converting the other party.

"I wonder how strong Brother Shangguan is? Judging from your demeanor, you must have reached the strength of an Earth Knight, right?"

"Earth Knight? What's that?"

Even the Emperor of the End didn't tell him.

"???"

Soan suspected that the human boy was toying with him.

Just as I was about to give the other person a little punishment—

Boom!

Suddenly, the ground ahead trembled violently, accompanied by a terrifying roar. A massive, scorpion-like monster covered in hard rock armor burst forth from the sand and blocked the caravan's path.

Chapter 262 Soan Begging for Mercy

"It's a Stone Armored Scorpion! A third-tier magical beast! Protect the cargo!"

The mercenary captain roared at the top of his lungs, and the caravan was thrown into chaos. The mercenaries nervously formed a battle formation, but their faces were filled with fear as they faced the scorpion, whose strength far surpassed their own.

They were only escorting the lowest-grade potions; even the strongest mercenary captain had barely reached the Awakening stage.

Why would this attract a Tier 3 magical beast?!

A barely perceptible smile flashed in Soan's eyes.

But on the surface, he immediately put on a solemn and slightly "panicked" expression, as if he were just an ordinary traveling merchant with some strength but who was also afraid.

"Oh no! How could we have run into such a monster!"

He nervously spoke to Shangguan Yun, taking a slight step back as if subconsciously seeking cover while secretly observing Shangguan Yun's reaction.

He hoped to see panic and fear on the face of this mysterious "Shangguan Yun," or even just a hint of seriousness.

In his view, the other party was so young, even if he had an extraordinary demeanor, he was probably only at the level of a titled Earth Knight. The magical beast he had lured over, although extremely weak, was at the peak of the third tier, comparable to the strength of a titled Sky Knight.

He stared at Shangguan Yun's reaction, wanting to see the other party's frightened expression.

In this way, he could take advantage of the situation to "riskily" repel the monster, thus protecting the caravan he treated as a toy, and also show off his "strength" in front of the human boy he had his eye on, making him dependent on or grateful to him.

However, reality disappointed him.

What he saw was still that overly calm face.

Shangguan Yun didn't even look at the stone-armored demon scorpion that was baring its fangs and claws and exuding a terrifying aura. His gaze seemed to fall on the few pieces of ore that shimmered with a faint earthy yellow luster when the demon scorpion broke out of the ground.

Just as the stone-armored scorpion raised its massive pincers, about to charge into the caravan's formation—

Shangguan Yun seemed to find the farce in front of him a bit of an eyesore, and finally shifted his gaze from the ores, casually glancing at the ferocious third-tier magical beast.

There were no energy fluctuations, no incantations, and not even a raised hand.

I just... glanced at it.

The next moment, the massive stone-armored scorpion, which was emitting a terrifying roar and exuding a menacing aura, suddenly froze!

As if instantly enveloped by an invisible yet irresistible terrifying will, all its ferocity vanished without a trace, leaving only extreme, instinctive fear in its scarlet compound eyes!

It let out a short, shrill wail, a sound completely different from its previous ferocity, filled with terror.

Then, to everyone's astonishment, this powerful third-tier magical beast, as if it had encountered its natural enemy, suddenly turned around and frantically dug through the sand at an even faster speed than when it appeared, almost tumbling and crawling as it tried to burrow back into the ground!

However, it was too late.

bang——

The explosion occurred the moment it tried to escape, sending mud and sand mixed with blood and flesh flying everywhere.

The entire caravan was deathly silent.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the spot where the scorpion had disappeared, then looked blankly at the black-haired youth whose expression hadn't changed at all.

What just happened?

That Mr. Shangguan... it seems he only... glanced at that magical beast?

And then that invincible monster in their eyes just exploded?

How can this be? !

Soan's "panic" expression froze, his mouth slightly open, his eyes filled with unprecedented shock and disbelief!

He knew better than any ordinary person what had just happened!

That wasn't magic, it wasn't martial arts, it wasn't even any form of power he knew!

It was a kind of pure, extreme suppression of status that transcended the level of life!

With just a glance, and a hint of unintentional aura, the third-tier magical beast felt a fear a million times greater than that it felt when facing a natural enemy! It was the most instinctive collapse and flight of a lower-dimensional life form when facing a higher-dimensional being!

The slightest leak of pressure directly crushed the magical beast, which was comparable to a human sky knight.

This Shangguan Yun... he is definitely not human!

It is impossible for a being of such a high level of life to be born among humans!

At this moment, Soan thought again of the news from a few days ago about the End Emperor fighting a strange powerhouse.

A chill ran down my spine and straight to the top of my head.

No way...

But the more I thought it was impossible, the more uncontrollably that thought arose.

Soan felt a chill run through his limbs, as if his blood was about to freeze. He had actually been so reckless as to test, and even contemplate, "enslaving" someone capable of going toe-to-toe with a powerhouse like the Emperor of the End?!

Even the God-King himself wouldn't dare do something like this!!

Shangguan Yun seemed completely unaware of the shock he had caused; his gaze finally left the pit and the scattered ore.

Then, slowly and calmly, he turned to Suo An, who was pale-faced and stiff as a stone statue.

His gaze remained calm, but to Soan, it was more suffocating than an abyss.

"Now," Shangguan Yun spoke, his voice calm and even, yet striking Suo An's mind like a heavy hammer, "Do you think I need anyone's 'protection'? Or do you want to continue 'teasing' me, Mr. God?"

The words "Mr. God" were like a final judgment, completely shattering Soan's psychological defenses.

Pfft!

Soan's legs buckled, and he tumbled off the pack animal, crashing heavily onto the sand.

He didn't care about his disheveled appearance at all, and completely ignored the even more astonished and bewildered gazes of the mortals around him.

Driven by extreme fear, he crawled two steps towards Shangguan Yun, using both his hands and feet, before touching the ground with his head, his body trembling violently.

"Your...Your Excellency! Spare me! My lord, spare me!"

His voice was distorted by extreme fear, with a distinct sob in it. His previous cheerful and confident facade had vanished, leaving only the most primal will to survive.

"I was blind and ignorant! I was foolish and ignorant! I offended Your Majesty's divine power! Please forgive me! Please forgive me!"

He pleaded almost incoherently, his forehead pressed tightly against the cold sand, not daring to lift it even slightly.

He had no doubt that with just a thought, the other party could turn him, this "god," into a cloud of blood mist in an instant, just like that demonic scorpion.

Shangguan Yun looked down at the guy who was crawling on the ground, trembling like a leaf.

"I sense a different aura emanating from you," he said calmly, directly revealing the other's origins. "You come from that so-called 'Divine Realm'?"

Soan trembled and hurriedly replied, his voice trembling, "Yes...yes...Reporting to Your Excellency, I...I do indeed come from the Central Divine Realm."

"Why did you leave the realm of gods and descend here?"

Shangguan Yun's question went straight to the heart of the matter, without any beating around the bush.

He was indeed curious about this. According to Thor and the Emperor of the End, gods did not often descend to the mortal realm in their true form, especially not to such remote places.

Chapter 263 Primordial Spirit Crystal

Soan's body trembled violently, his forehead pressed tightly against the rough sand, the cold touch and unprecedented fear almost freezing his mind.

Shangguan Yun's calm yet ultimate question shattered all his hopes.

"Reporting to Your Majesty!"