Across the internet, voices denounced Li Xiaotian, branding him a sinner of humanity. Countless netizens pressured Da Qin to punish him, and the matter had fully escalated overnight.
Outside the Qin Palace in the capital, the populace once again gathered, while spontaneous protests erupted in many cities, all condemning Li Xiaotian and urging human powerhouses to deal with him.
It could be said that Li Xiaotian had become a public enemy at this moment!
Many wished to hear news of Li Xiaotian's immediate death.
Among these, a large portion of the public had been manipulated and exploited, but many were also acting of their own accord. Even knowing it was slander against Li Xiaotian, they were happy to see him fall.
Some were Li Xiaotian's enemies, others were resurgent forces that couldn't bear Da Qin's rise, and some were simply jealous of Li Xiaotian.
Humans were like this; they often enjoyed seeing those more outstanding than themselves suffer misfortune.
Simultaneously, the news spread online that various prodigies had gathered in Da Qin, intending to challenge Li Xiaotian and vie for the title of the era's foremost individual.
Especially the battles involving Leng Feng and others in the barren lands, which were uploaded online almost immediately after their conclusion.
In the eyes of many, these young powerhouses were passionate and ambitious youths, and challenging Li Xiaotian was akin to purging humanity of an evil.
However, only those resurgent sects knew that their true aim was to grow stronger and contend for the title of the era's foremost, with Li Xiaotian merely serving as a focal point to draw them to Da Qin.
It was Li Xiaotian's resounding reputation that made everyone consider him a hypothetical enemy.
"The contest of young kings, I feel as though I am seeing myself in my youth, with prodigies rising from all sides to contend for the foremost position, radiating brilliance."
A sect leader sighed, recalling that in ancient times, every few centuries there was a special period where geniuses emerged in abundance, a golden age. They would contend for supremacy, vie for the foremost position of the era, receive the blessings of heaven and earth's fortune, and achieve ultimate strength.
In almost every era, the top ten powerhouses of that time would at least break through to the Heavenly level in their future endeavors.
And the foremost powerhouse, if they did not fall, would become a peak Heavenly level expert, comparable to the invincible.
With this resurgence of heaven and earth, geniuses were also emerging in great numbers, and there were even monstrous prodigies sealed since the end of ancient times, destined to illuminate this era.
"It has only just begun; some ancient geniuses have yet to awaken. They will likely only break free after the complete revival of heaven and earth!"
Someone analyzed that this era was extraordinary, a new grand epoch. In ancient times, the energy of heaven and earth was depleted, forcing various powers into slumber.
It was only with this resurgence of heaven and earth that they began to awaken, a period spanning at least ten thousand years.
Furthermore, many ancient powerhouses speculated that this era might give birth to invincible experts!
This filled many with anticipation, not just the younger generation, but also the older generation of powerhouses were secretly striving, hoping to ascend to higher realms.
"They slumbered from ancient times until now, waiting for the dawn of this era. Invincible experts might return, and some who have long since passed might even return from the void. This is a golden age, and also an era of chaos!"
"Perhaps this will be the final battle, where humanity, the demon race, the alien races from beyond the blood sea, and the powerhouses returning from the void will all gather in this era!"
Some powerhouses made pronouncements; unlike ordinary people, they saw further and deeper.
Above the forest, Caesar looked at Li Xiaotian with apprehension, his heart unable to calm. Just moments ago, he had personally witnessed Li Xiaotian torture the previously arrogant Xue Qi to the brink of collapse and begging for mercy, before finally engulfing him completely with a ball of black energy.
If Xue Qi was evil, then in Caesar's eyes, Li Xiaotian was wicked, a demon!
Yet, at times, Caesar couldn't understand Li Xiaotian. Rumor had it that the man killed without blinking, and the number of people he had killed was beyond count.
But such a Li Xiaotian was surprisingly gentle towards ordinary people. Regarding the mountain village from before, Li Xiaotian had personally arranged for Da Qin to send people to take the villagers away and settle them in nearby cities.
Moreover, Caesar could sense that Li Xiaotian's final murderous intent towards Xue Qi was entirely because Xue Qi had massacred several mountain villages, not because of the slander against his reputation by Xue Qi's group.
That's right, under Li Xiaotian's interrogation, Xue Qi confessed everything. The Nine Sons of the Blood Sea had gathered in Da Qin, all for Li Xiaotian!
What shocked him further was that all of the Nine Sons of the Blood Sea were at the late Emperor level, and Xue Qi's strength was only seventh, just like his name, meaning six of the Blood Sons were stronger than him.
The thought of the Blood Sea Blood Sons' terrifying regenerative abilities made Caesar's scalp tingle. Such enemies were something no one would wish to face.
It was imaginable that once the Blood Sea broke out of the war zone, Earth would fall into disaster, a disaster of annihilation.
"Dragon King, I must depart. I hope that the next time we meet, the power of my golden bloodline will shock you!"
Caesar spoke. Helping Li Xiaotian find Xue Qi was his promise. Now that everything was settled, it was time for him to leave.
He learned about the subsequent great battles that took place in the barren lands where they had fought, after he left the forest.
The gathering of prodigies in Da Qin was a feast, and he too would rise during this feast, compensating for his deficiencies and becoming a true powerhouse.
Caesar already had a plan in mind. He would challenge every prodigy, constantly tempering and perfecting himself, and finally challenge Li Xiaotian again.
"Take care, and I hope you can withstand three of my moves next time we meet!"
Li Xiaotian said indifferently.
Caesar's lips twitched. He wanted to retort, but the fact was precisely as Li Xiaotian said. However, having spent so many days with Li Xiaotian, he felt the man should at least show him some respect!
"Three moves? Li Xiaotian, aren't you underestimating me a bit? Don't be embarrassed when I defeat you then."
Caesar spoke, needing to save some face for himself.
Li Xiaotian glanced at Caesar indifferently, then spoke unhurriedly.
"Three moves are already showing you respect. In our previous spar, if you hadn't lacked hostility towards me, I would have killed you in one move!"
"Cough, cough."
Caesar coughed dryly, his expression a little unnatural. Even if he was not that strong, he was still at the late Emperor level. How could he be killed by Li Xiaotian in one move?
However, judging by Li Xiaotian's demeanor, he didn't seem to be lying, which made him somewhat shocked. Recalling Li Xiaotian's previous achievements, it seemed the man truly possessed such capability.
"Farewell! I hope we can fight side by side again in the future!"
Caesar quickly said, not waiting for Li Xiaotian's reply, and left in a hurry, never mentioning challenging him again.
Because he suddenly realized that as his own strength improved, Li Xiaotian's cultivation speed would likely increase even faster.
After all, his current strength was the result of cultivation from childhood, making him a once-in-a-millennium genius within his family. Yet, Li Xiaotian seemed to have only started cultivating a year ago.
Watching Caesar's retreating figure, Li Xiaotian pondered. Were the prodigies gathering in Da Qin truly because of him?
"Heh heh."
Li Xiaotian sneered, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. Did they want him to be a whetstone? Weren't they afraid this whetstone might shatter their blades?
Then, a murderous intent flashed in Li Xiaotian's eyes. He had learned from Xue Qi that an enemy he thought long dead, Li Wenbo, was actually still alive and his strength was comparable to his own.
"Since you're still alive, I'll kill you one more time!"
Li Xiaotian muttered to himself. Not a single one of the Nine Sons of the Blood Sea could be spared. Each of them posed a threat to Da Qin no less than a major power.
Xue Qi alone had killed hundreds of people overnight; the others likely killed no fewer.
Li Xiaotian vanished from his spot. He couldn't reveal himself easily right now, as he was currently considered a "sinner" of humanity!
Thinking of this, Li Xiaotian gave a self-deprecating laugh. He never had ambitions of conquest, nor any grand aspirations for the strength of humanity.
The reason he merged the Dragon King Hall with Da Qin was firstly because he was a person of Da Qin, and the Dragon King Hall and Da Qin had always been allies. Secondly, it was because of Emperor Qin, the fallen Li Shanhai, and those Da Qin warriors. When he was trapped in the Blood Sea, without their help, the Dragon King Hall would have been gone long ago.
Therefore, he had to repay this debt!
To repay this debt, he was separated from his wife and daughter, and lost his best brother. Who would have thought that just because of some pronouncements, he would become a sinner of humanity? This seemed utterly ridiculous to him!
It was natural to have grievances and dissatisfaction, but what could he do in this situation? He couldn't possibly kill everyone, could he?
Even now, Li Xiaotian could fully disclose everything he had learned from interrogating Xue Qi to prove his innocence.
However, he was unwilling, and unable to do so, because he wanted to draw out Li Wenbo and the other eight Blood Sea Blood Sons. Once they discovered that his initial plan had failed, they might take even more drastic actions.