[The second matter is rather awkward.]
[When you went missing, the Holy Lands assumed you had died in the Spatial Turbulence.]
[So they initiated a new Saint and Saintess selection.]
[Since it was a backup plan, they relaxed the age restrictions and sped up the process.]
[Just recently, the slots were confirmed, only waiting for the Free and Unfettered God to help them break through to Martial King.]
[But now, you’ve returned.]
[So the question is: should the new candidates take office, or should the old ones? The various inheritances within the Holy Lands are at odds, and this must be resolved today.]
[Saints and Saintesses receive resource prioritization from the Holy Lands, and their affiliated inheritances flourish for a time as a result.]
[So among the eighteen inheritances, no one was willing to concede.]
[Just then, a burly, short man with dark skin spoke up.]
["Seniors! Why all the arguing? Let me fight these old candidates—whoever wins becomes the Saint! What do you say, Saintess?"]
[This burly man, named Xing Rong, was the new Saint selected by the Holy Lands.]
[From his frog-like mouth, garlic-bulb nose, and protruding ears, it was clear that the Holy Lands truly didn't discriminate based on appearance, even for a Saint who represented their image.]
[Xing Rong proposed a martial bout, even dragging the Saintess selected alongside him into it.]
[After some discussion, the master teachers of each inheritance agreed that this was the only way to win everyone's approval.]
[On the arena stage, Xing Rong hefted a Bagua Profound Pattern Axe. It was so heavy that just placing it on the platform cracked the marble floor.]
[Xing Rong pointed at you, Long Yang, and the others.]
["Hey! Which one of you is the Saint from the last selection? Get up here! Let me have a go with you! We're all men here—this kind of thing is settled by fists, not arguments!"]
[Long Yang stepped up.]
[Baili Su stepped up too.]
[All the male candidates who had survived their return from the other realm also stepped up.]
[Xing Rong was baffled.]
["What's this?! With all these seniors watching, you're not going to gang up on me, are you? What happened to one-on-one?"]
[Long Yang and the others didn't go up to fight.]
[Baili Su patted Xing Rong's weapon.]
["Fine weapon... When you left home, your family elders must have given you some life-saving artifacts too, right?"]
[Long Yang straightened Xing Rong's collar.]
["Xing Rong, Xing Rong... How should I put this? Make sure to protect yourself."]
[The other male candidates also gave him earnest warnings.]
["Being the Saint isn't that important—your life matters more."]
["If you can't win, don't bother shouting 'surrender'; he might not hear it. Just run, got it? The Chief Commissioner and the others will save you."]
["Good luck. Last a few moves. Don't lose too badly."]
[Xing Rong was completely bewildered.]
["Are you all crazy?! Are we fighting or not?!"]
[Long Yang, Baili Su, and the others all stepped back in unison, clearing the stage.]
[You walked out from among them.]
["Your opponent is me!!"]
[Xing Rong still didn't grasp the severity of the situation.]
["If it's you, it's you! Why are you shouting so loud?!"]
[A few minutes later.]
["Ah!!! Spare me, big brother! I was just talking too loud!!!"]
[Xing Rong was sent flying by you.]
[He flew far out into the sea, splashing a wave, then was chased back ashore by sharks.]
[The entire venue fell silent.]
[With near-crushing dominance, you had directly defeated the new Saint chosen by the Holy Lands.]
[And any discerning eye could tell you were holding back heavily; otherwise, Xing Rong would have long been separated from his head.]
[Dongfang Shuo smiled with satisfaction.]
[Compared to Xing Rong, you—with your well-proportioned features and tall, slender figure—were clearly a more suitable Saint.]
[What’s more, your overall strength was undeniably the best of the current era.]
[The only downside was that you were a bit old.]
[But that wasn’t a problem. Once you broke through to Martial King and gained two hundred years of lifespan, you’d become young again.]
[Then, Wu Yue walked onto the stage, pointing her sword at the new Saintess.]
["I challenge you first!"]
[The new Saintess smiled awkwardly.]
["Well... what's the point of fighting? I don't want to be chased by sharks either..."]
[The new Saintess conceded, handing the Saintess position over willingly.]
[She thought Wu Yue was as formidable as you were, even speculating that you all might have gained some extraordinary encounters in the other realm that drastically boosted your combat power, so she had lost all will to fight.]
[As for the two female candidates who returned with you, they knew they were no match for Wu Yue and also withdrew.]
[In the end, after years of twists and turns, you and Wu Yue were finally confirmed as the Saint and Saintess of the Free and Unfettered Holy Land for the next sixty years.]
[Standing on the rainbow jade steps of the Saint and Saintess coronation ceremony,]
[You turned your head inadvertently, as if seeing that blushing rich young master. He stood at the base of the steps, waving from afar, congratulating you and Wu Yue.]
["Brother Wang Mingbai, I won't let your expectations down. I will lead the human world through this calamity!"]
[After the ceremony, Dongfang Shuo kept the two of you behind.]
["The Free and Unfettered God is waiting for you both. Come with me to see him at once."]
[You had assumed the Free and Unfettered God would appear for such a solemn occasion.]
[But from start to finish, it was still Dongfang Shuo, the Chief Commissioner, presiding. The Free and Unfettered God, the master of this Holy Land, was nowhere to be seen.]
[Until now, you finally had the chance to meet him.]
"Once I meet the Free and Unfettered God, I'll be breaking through to Martial King, right?"
In the real world, Chen Yi was filled with anticipation.
This time, it would be a genuine Martial King!
And with a longer lifespan, Half-Emperor for a Thousand Ages would kick in again, pushing him straight to Martial Saint!
[Dongfang Shuo led you and Wu Yue to a scenic, lush island.]
[The sunlight was bright here, the climate pleasant, with a gentle sea breeze blowing—truly refreshing.]
[On the shore was a coconut grove, where a handsome young man in green robes lay basking on the beach.]
["Oi—Shuo, over here, over here!"]
[The man remained lying in the sand but waved in your direction, his expression even sunnier and more cheerful than the sky above.]
["Is he the Free and Unfettered God?"]
[You couldn't help but feel a bit skeptical.]
[Dongfang Shuo laughed.]
["Isn't he free and unfettered enough?"]
["That actually makes sense..."]
[You recalled that the Free and Unfettered God's full name was Dongfang Xiaoyao, and couldn't help but glance at Dongfang Shuo.]
["Chief Commissioner, you and the Free and Unfettered God are..."]
["I'm his six hundred and seventy-ninth-generation descendant."]
[So it turned out this Holy Land was a family business.]
[But based on your understanding of the Free and Unfettered Holy Land, there weren't actually many people surnamed Dongfang in it.]
[Among the eighteen inheritances, none of the island masters bore that surname either.]
[This showed that the Free and Unfettered God's descendants hadn't spread out across the entire Starry Domains like Old Shen's had.]
[The Dongfang family was very small.]
[Dongfang Shuo led you to the Free and Unfettered God, bowing respectfully.]
["God, I have brought you this generation's Saint and Saintess. Please take a look."]
