Chapter 368: No Longer Owed to This World

"Glory of the Nine Heavens (title/technique)"

"You're not bad either!" Winnie beside him was thrilled—Old Wang's method had indeed worked! For a moment just now, Wu Di had shown signs of awakening. Though he hadn't completed the step, at least the indications were there.

"Yeah, totally!" Fanster, still rattled by Wu Di's earlier gaze and killing intent, couldn't help but wonder just how terrifying the guy would be if he fully awakened. "You just now..."

He and Winnie were about to excitedly recount what had happened to encourage Wu Di, but Old Wang swiftly cut them off.

"You were utterly pathetic just now." Old Wang gave Wu Di a dismissive glance. "Getting choked out by Ah Xi in just two or three seconds—didn’t I teach you? When you're being choked, don’t panic! The more you panic, the faster you pass out. What were you thinking? Go practice on your own later, and don’t make such rookie mistakes again. Don’t hold everyone back!"

"Yes..." Wu Di lowered his head, ashamed. "I’ll work harder, Captain!"

The poor kid was bordering on depression... Winnie glared daggers at Old Wang, her lips parting several times, but in the end, she held her tongue.

The storm in the Holy Sanctuary's Light showed no signs of abating. From the moment Xifeng Holy Sanctuary made its move, almost everyone had already foreseen the future.

This was a statement from Sakuman Temple. There was no need to further criticize Rose, as the previous Holy Sanctuaries had already said all there was to say. Besides, for a top-tier institution like Sakuman Temple to nitpick a Holy Sanctuary ranked around 100th would be beneath its dignity—they weren’t even comparable. Their official statement was brief and to the point: "Xifeng Holy Sanctuary speaks the truth. Sakuman is ashamed to associate with Rose!"

To command the front-page headline of the Holy Sanctuary's Light with just one sentence—only a top-five super Holy Sanctuary like Sakuman carried such weight.

Among the so-called "Ten Great Holy Sanctuaries," the rankings from sixth to tenth occasionally shifted. For instance, Xifeng Holy Sanctuary, currently ranked ninth, had only recently squeezed into the top ten. But the top five were different...

These top five Holy Sanctuaries were colloquially known as the *King* Holy Sanctuaries. Since the founding of the Holy Sanctuaries, their rankings had never budged, and each one represented absolute leadership in its respective region. Sakuman Temple, ranked fifth, was founded by one of the Eight Sages, 'Sakuman.' Whether in terms of heritage, faculty, talent pool, or wealth, it was the undisputed king and leader among the 26 Holy Sanctuaries in the southwestern territory of the League of Blades. Moreover, successive headmasters of Sakuman Temple had held a permanent seat in the Holy Sanctuary’s Elder Council, wielding an elder’s veto power for over two to three hundred years!

Honestly, from the original Ten Foundation Holy Sanctuaries to today’s 108, there had been constant reshuffling over the years—some joining, others leaving. Dissolving a Holy Sanctuary wasn’t exactly unprecedented. But for a *King* Holy Sanctuary like Sakuman to involve itself in attacking a struggling Holy Sanctuary—that was far more eye-catching.

By now, everyone already saw Rose’s dissolution as inevitable. The debate wasn’t even about whether it would happen anymore, but rather two other hot topics:

How soon would Rose dissolve? Ten days? A month? Or three months?

And with Sakuman now speaking out, how far behind could Celestial Sanctuary and the final toll from the Holy City be?

The immense pressure was like the last straw breaking the camel’s back. Within Rose Holy Sanctuary, it wasn’t just the privileged students from influential families who began transferring—even a significant number of instructors voluntarily resigned.

The original faculty left behind by Damosi had almost entirely vanished. The Martial Arts Academy was all but collapsed, while the Wizardry, Exorcist, and Firearms Academies each lost about a third of their instructors.

Many of them had originally been part of Karida’s inner circle. They understood the principle of "no egg stays unbroken when the nest is overturned." With families and careers to consider, principles couldn’t put food on the table at a time like this. Fearful of being caught in the crossfire, they fled one after another, leaving Rose Holy Sanctuary suddenly much quieter—and much more chaotic.

The only departments still holding firm were the Rune, Forging, and Potions Academies, where not a single instructor had resigned. These were mostly disciples personally mentored by old-timers like Hawkland and Fanster, who had developed deep personal ties with Rose that went beyond mere work. They were the ones keeping the crumbling giant standing.

Now, the people of Rose could only pin their hopes on one last figure—the legendary figure who had once stirred storms across the entire League of Blades, even the entire Nine Heavens Continent: Thunder Dragon!

This was a man who had once dared to pound his fist on the table in front of the entire Holy City’s Elder Council. A man whose connections spanned the world, who had even challenged the infamous Yaksha King—a true deity!

If not for losing to the Yaksha King in his prime, leaving him with lingering injuries that halted his progress, the Nine Heavens Continent might have gained another Dragon-level powerhouse. Yet even so, after returning to Aurora City in his thirties to take over his family’s Rose Holy Sanctuary, he shifted his focus to runes and potions—and still achieved extraordinary feats in just two or three decades. A truly meteoric career, a genuine prodigy.

With such a transcendent figure, if he truly decided to dig in his heels, even the Holy City would have to think twice before moving against Rose.

Rose’s hopes now rested entirely on this elder, who had stepped back from school affairs. No matter how much undercurrents surged elsewhere, everyone was ultimately waiting for his reaction. And yet, at this very moment, the old man had become hooked on a new game...

Thunder Dragon held a black, round piece between his fingers. Though his hair had grayed, he was full of energy, exuding vigor. He pondered, staring at the board, hesitating over his next move.

This was *Go*, invented by that kid Wang Feng. A simple grid board, 361 pieces divided into black and white, capturing by surrounding—the rules seemed straightforward at first glance. But after learning the basics, Thunder Dragon found it endlessly fascinating. The small board seemed to contain a vast universe, making it utterly captivating.

Thunder Dragon preferred playing black—because black had one more piece than white. To a beginner, this seemed like a free advantage, though he had never actually used the extra piece...

The game had reached the mid-stage, and the board was complex. The white pieces in the lower-left corner were already encircled, and black was leading by three pieces. After days of learning from Wang Feng, this was the first time Thunder Dragon had gained an advantage, so he was naturally extra cautious.

Click!

Thunder Dragon took a long time before placing his stone, the encirclement almost complete. He shook his white beard with a smile and said to Wang Feng, "Better to lose a hand than your life. Wang Feng, I think you should just surrender this part. This area is mine..."

"Not necessarily!" Old Wang chuckled.

*Clack.*

The white stone landed, its clever placement linking two paths. The seemingly surrounded formation instantly collapsed, and the two trapped white stones surged unexpectedly, turning the tables and capturing seven of Thunder Dragon’s black stones, tearing apart the already formed encirclement.

Thunder Dragon’s eyes widened instantly, and he smacked his forehead hard.

"If you can counter and take everything, why bother severing anything?" Old Wang chuckled as he picked up the captured black stones. "Old man, you clearly don’t have faith in me! Let me tell you—"

*Slap!*

The hand picking up the stones was abruptly grabbed by Thunder Dragon. The old man blustered, ignoring whatever wisdom Old Wang was about to spout, and he blurted out urgently, "Wait, that was a misstep! It doesn’t count!"

Old Wang frowned. "Thunder Dragon, they say ‘Three strikes and you’re out’! Besides, I’ve already let you take back two moves."

"But this is only the second time, not the third yet!" Thunder Dragon waved his hands repeatedly. "I finally got the upper hand for once—this move *has* to be mine! Put it back, let’s restart from the last move..."

Looking at his blustering, there was no trace left of the legendary, once-renowned prodigy. Old Wang couldn’t help but laugh helplessly. "If you’re going to be like this, you might as well just ask me to concede."

"You’re young—humor an old man, won’t you?" Thunder Dragon didn’t care at all as he reset the board, chuckling. "This game isn’t like the chaos out there—*that’s* where moves can’t be taken back! Speaking of which, are your preparations finally ready?"

"Almost there," Old Wang sipped his tea leisurely. Say what you will about Thunder Dragon, his tea was truly excellent. Rumor had it the Lei family owned a vast tea plantation north of Aurora City, all private property. With the Lei family’s dwindling numbers, Sister Da was practically guaranteed to become a super-rich heiress. It seemed his "mooching" was destined to continue. "Give it a little more time. Let them exhaust their moves first. When they’ve run out of tricks and the turtles crawl ashore, that’s when we’ll clean them up in one sweep."

Thunder Dragon shook his head with a smile. "You’ve got quite the confidence, kid."

All this time, whether it was Karida’s arrest or the condemnations from various Holy Sanctuaries, Thunder Dragon hadn’t stepped forward to speak up alone. Did that mean he didn’t care? Obviously not.

This was about meeting change with steadiness. As long as Thunder Dragon—Rose’s trump card—remained unplayed, the conservatives wouldn’t reveal theirs either. This was a true powerhouse once renowned across the continent and throughout the League of Blades. No matter how aged he might seem, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. The recent display of Oscar’s might in Ice Spirit still lingered fresh in the minds of the entire Nine Heavens Continent—and that was from an old man long declared half-dead. How much more so Thunder Dragon?

He was buying time—for Wang Feng.

"Even if you don’t trust me, surely you trust your granddaughter?" Old Wang grinned. "Sister Da’s a good judge of character. We just need to conserve our strength, let the storm blow over, and when the time comes, we’ll still need your cooperation, old man."

"Haha, what’s the harm in playing your pawn for once?" Thunder Dragon placed a stone and laughed heartily. "Besides, who says I trust Karida more than you?"

"Don’t butter me up—it always means trouble." Old Wang made a casual move. "I may not have much, but I know my limits. If you claim to trust me more than Sister Da, even ghosts wouldn’t believe it."

"Young man, some moves may escape me, but that doesn’t mean I’m truly old." Thunder Dragon’s smile was equally enigmatic.

Having been in this world for so long, Wang Feng no longer underestimated its people. He hadn’t interacted much with Thunder Dragon before, but these days, whenever he came to teach him Go, their conversations had given Old Wang plenty of insights—even some well-kept secrets, like matters concerning the Celestial Master Sect... This was a crucial move, and though Wang Feng hadn’t spelled it out, he sensed Thunder Dragon had already pieced much together from their talks. The old man was sharp as a fox—on par with Oscar, it seemed.

"Old man, are you planning a comeback?"

"At my age, what comeback? Speaking of spring, I’ve got a letter here for you..."

"From who?"

"That girl Karida. She was being all mysterious." Thunder Dragon chuckled as he pulled out an envelope and handed it over.

"Hell, why’d you wait so long?!" Old Wang was both surprised and delighted, instinctively reaching for it.

Admittedly, Thunder Dragon had picked the perfect moment—Old Wang was holding a white stone, and as he took the letter, Thunder Dragon nudged his finger, causing the stone to land in a losing position.

Just as he was about to pick it up, Thunder Dragon grabbed his hand.

"No takebacks!"

Thunder Dragon's black stone fell without hesitation, swiftly capturing a large group of Old Wang's white stones. By the time Old Wang snapped out of his thoughts, the captured pieces had already been cleared away.

The once-complicated board suddenly opened up, with black gaining a clear advantage. Thunder Dragon was pleased, smiling faintly as he remarked, "Wang Feng, it seems this game is mine after all! Learning chess in just seven days and defeating its inventor—well, chess is all about natural talent!"

With Sister Da's letter in hand, Old Wang had no patience left for the chess match. He threw the game with reckless moves, practically handing Thunder Dragon victory. The old man basked in the landslide victory, eager to gloat after suffering seven days of losses—but Old Wang had already lost interest, quickly tucking the letter away and bolting back to his room.

The letter from Sister Da left Old Wang slightly disappointed. He had half-expected a confession, but its contents still surprised him. It wasn’t long—just a single sentence.

*"Wang Feng, if you're reading this, it means you're still alive. That’s enough. Do what you want—you owe this world nothing anymore."*

Old Wang chuckled. His first instinct was warmth—Sister Da was still so reserved! If she missed him, why beat around the bush?

The letter must have been written early, likely before he emerged from the Dragon City illusion. But upon closer reflection, the phrasing was loaded.

Karida hadn’t written *"You owe nothing to Rose or the Holy Sanctuary"*—instead, she said *"You owe this world nothing."* Truthfully, after spending so much time with her, Old Wang knew she wasn’t one to be careless with words. If she phrased it this way, she must have…

*No wonder she’s the woman I fell for—probably the one who understands me best in this world.* After all, the change in Wang Feng after waking in that dungeon wasn’t just about personality—it was his very thoughts and soul. Karida had been the closest to him, the only one who truly saw him for who he was from the start. The so-called "expanded enrollment," the blurred lines between purity and corruption—none of those were the thoughts of a Nine Gods spy. So even if Old Wang could fool others, how could he fool her? The only question was… how did she view the concept of souls?

This world wasn’t unfamiliar with possession. The Celestial Master Sect’s legends of the *"Supreme Sage Teacher’s reincarnation"* weren’t entirely baseless. Of course, whether their so-called divine realm was real or not hardly mattered—what counted was power. Sometimes, such beliefs brought gifts to this world, but more often, they brought trouble. The staunch opposition and outright extermination policies of both Nine Gods and the League of Blades and Holy Sanctuary toward sects like the Celestial Master Sect made one thing clear: the rulers of this world had no welcome for such people.

Sister Da had suspected this for a long time but never voiced it to anyone. Though she had been harsh with Old Wang before, it could be seen as testing him—just human nature. In truth, she had been helping him maintain his disguise all along. From the very beginning, she likely never truly saw him as a Nine Gods traitor…

Turns out this 'opposites attract' thing wasn’t just in his head. Sister Da was all in this time!