Several days passed in the blink of an eye.
Led by Zheng Wu, the ancestral elder of the Three Lives Sect, the pit-digging team had been dutifully toiling away day after day.
"To think that I, the revered ancestor of the Three Lives Sect, am now digging cesspits—what an utter disgrace!"
Seeing no one around, Zheng Wu slammed his palm into the cesspit in frustration.
Though he groveled before Lu Benwei, that didn’t mean he was happy about it.
The desire to escape still burned in his heart.
"Elder, even for someone of your status, this is beyond humiliating!"
The others chimed in, their faces etched with urgency.
"You’re right. Sitting idle won’t solve anything."
Zheng Wu stroked his chin, deep in thought.
"Very well. All of you, keep working here," he said. "I’ll scout the area and figure out exactly where we are."
"Once I’ve gathered enough information, we can plan our next move."
"Understood. Be careful, Elder."
"We’ll await your triumphant return."
The group nodded solemnly as Zheng Wu strode toward the bustling part of Dark Shadow Island.
Though they weren’t physically restrained, perhaps out of fear of Lu Benwei’s wrath, Zheng Wu had never once slacked in his digging duties—until now.
This was his first real chance to explore the island.
"Hmm, this place doesn’t seem so special after all."
Soon, Zheng Wu reached the main street of Dark Shadow Island.
The thoroughfare was packed with people, bustling with activity.
At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"Wait… something’s off."
Suddenly, Zheng Wu froze.
As his gaze swept across the crowd, a chilling realization struck him—he couldn’t sense a shred of cultivation aura from any of them.
There were only two explanations for this.
Every single person here was far stronger than him—so much so that their cultivation was completely imperceptible to him.
Or, they were all mere mortals, devoid of any cultivation whatsoever.
Between the two possibilities, the answer was obvious—it had to be the second one.
After all, while Lu Benwei had bested him, that was just an exception.
He, Zheng Wu, was the ancestral elder of a mighty sect, a supreme expert at the Fusion Dao Realm!
The idea that every single person on this street—hundreds of them—could surpass his cultivation was pure fantasy.
Absolutely impossible.
If that were true, then the so-called "Three Great Sects" and "Three Heavenly Pillars" of the Nine Realms would be nothing but a joke.
Strangely enough, the sight of these "mortals" lifted his spirits.
After being toyed with by Lu Benwei, he’d begun doubting himself.
But now, faced with these ordinary folk, he remembered—he was a supreme expert, a being who could dominate the Nine Realms (Lu Benwei notwithstanding).
With a mere flick of his wrist, he could reduce this entire town to ashes.
Buoyed by this thought, the arrogance befitting a sect elder returned.
Chin raised, hands clasped behind his back, he strolled down the street with renewed confidence.
Just then, a group of boys came charging toward him, laughing and kicking a small ball.
"Hey, kid, watch where you’re going!"
"You brats are always causing chaos!"
"Can’t you play somewhere less crowded?"
Nearby vendors scolded them half-heartedly.
The boys just giggled, unfazed.
The vendors’ complaints were clearly routine—these were local kids, and this was just how they played.
"Hey, old man, move aside!"
The boys barreled forward, and one of them, unable to stop in time, shouted at Zheng Wu.
A bunch of mortal children? As if they could harm a Fusion Dao Realm elder.
He didn’t even bother to step aside.
But in the next instant, his expression twisted in horror.
The boy crashed into him—and it felt like a mountain had slammed into his body.
The impact sent his organs churning.
With a whoosh, he was hurled hundreds of feet backward, crashing to the ground and vomiting blood.
Gritting his teeth, he struggled to stabilize his injuries.
But his mind was in turmoil.
He, a Fusion Dao Realm elder, had been sent flying by a child—and left severely injured.
To add insult to injury, as he soared through the air, he faintly heard the boy mutter in disbelief:
"How can an old man be this weak?"