The intensity of one's presence was in a sense a symbol of one's strength. It was also a sort of mental power. If one was not sufficiently strong, yet had had the chance to occupy a ruling position for an extended period of time, one would still have a sort of presence—the presence of a king.
That was similar to Xiang Shaoyun's past. As a tiny Basic Realm cultivator, he had large and powerful forces at his disposal, and that had accorded him the presence of a sovereign. At present, Xiang Shaoyun had sunk into his state of visualization. Scenes from his past flashed by in his mind, reminding him of all the top experts he had met before. All of them were far stronger than him, yet they still had to obey him.
The so-called presence can be the presence of inspiration, or the presence of a king, or even a presence of a weakling. It is incorporeal yet omnipresent, something originating from the mind, transmitted through one’s being... Slowly but surely, Xiang Shaoyun comprehended the power of presence through his gift of visualization.
Do I, Xiang Shaoyun, have the presence of the weak, or the presence of the strong? Or the presence of the fearless? No, I once reigned above many others. With a wave of my hand, I graced my subjects with my presence, akin to a god. I was born to be a king. That is the mandate of heaven, for me to become an overlord! I am with the presence of a king! Who can suppress me? An unprecedentedly tyrannical light shone in Xiang Shaoyun's eyes. At the same time, an august presence rose from within him. His mental power seemed to have broken through a certain limit, greatly raising his spirits.
As his presence rose, Xiang Shaoyun slowly got back on his feet. He stood with his back perfectly straight, completely ignoring the old man's suppression.
"I am the king. How then, can you suppress me? Scram!" Eyes glowing with an odd radiance, Xiang Shaoyun looked straight into the old man's eyes. It was almost as if two beams of light were being shot straight into the old man's eyes.
When the old man felt Xiang Shaoyun's oppressive gaze, his body shivered, and the pressure subjecting Xiang Shaoyun slowly dispersed. He could vaguely see an outline of purple qi drifting behind Xiang Shaoyun, which gave Xiang Shaoyun a presence of utmost majesty.
"H-how is this possible?" the old man cried out in alarm. He had never encountered any Astral Realm cultivator who could actually withstand his presence. At most, they would be able to survive, unlike Xiang Shaoyun who had instead beaten his presence into retreat.
More importantly, he could clearly sense the presence of a king on Xiang Shaoyun. It gave him the urge to kneel down and instantly offer his obeisance to Xiang Shaoyun. This was the same type of pressure a person would feel when facing someone who had been in a ruling position for a long time, a pressure that made him flustered like a nervous peasant meeting his king.
"Bring it on, old fart! What do you take me for? I am born to be a king, and I am destined to reign above all others, to awe the nine heavens and the ten worlds with my presence. Those who dare disobey shall all die!" Xiang Shaoyun declared, completely revealing his tyrannical side, the presence of a natural-born king in full display. An incorporeal might twirled around him, making all who faced him feel like kneeling before him.
"Impudent! You dare to scold me?" The old man was furious.
"So what if I scold you? Once upon a time, a person like you was not even qualified to be my attendant. What are you good for? I am only at the second stage of the Astral Realm, yet I am already able to break your so-called presence. What do you have that you can be proud of? By the time I reach the Transformation Realm, I can kill you with just one finger. Before a member of the younger generation like me, what can you be proud of? Do you know what's more pathetic? Even at such an old age, you are not even at the King Realm yet; stuck at a level that is neither here nor there, you don't even have the courage to take that one step forward. How pathetic!" Xiang Shaoyun took a step forward and berated the old man.
The kingly presence innately ingrained in him gave him an immeasurable pride, as if he was the son of a god, his presence too imposing for anyone to resist. The old man was so pressured he took a step backward, his body trembling without stop.
"W-what do you know?" the old man replied in a flustered manner. He could not understand why he was suddenly flustered, but he felt as if Xiang Shaoyun had dug out his deepest secret. It completely shattered his confidence, but he also felt too helpless to even get in tune with his anger anymore.
"A king is destined to soar through the heavens and earth, to rise above the nine skies, to overlook all living beings, to have a heart large enough to contain the world, to establish a connection with the natural world, to allow one's mind to freely roam the world, to traverse the nine skies and ignite one's fate star, to conquer stars, gods, worlds, and everything..." Xiang Shaoyun started speaking, each of his words shocking beyond belief. He shook the very depth of the old man's heart.
The old man stared at Xiang Shaoyun, yet he seemed to have entered a certain state of comprehension. Hit by a sense of enlightenment, he started muttering to himself, "To soar through the heavens and earth, to rise above the nine skies, to overlook all living beings, to have a heart large enough to contain the world..."
"A king should be equipped with the aura of kings. What are you waiting for? Focus your essence energy, sense the natural world, and step into the King Realm!" Xiang Shaoyun took a step forward and increased his voice. At the same time, his presence grew even stronger, and his words stabbed into the old man's mind.
Bang!
The final barrier in the old man's mind was thus completely shattered by Xiang Shaoyun.
Abruptly, the old man had a sensation that he was having an out-of-body experience as an incorporeal mental power rushed out of the limit room straight to the sky above. His stars started pulsing madly, absorbing the spiritual energy around him without stop. An energy storm formed as a result, and the storm eventually formed a connection with the nine skies above, tearing the space apart to finally reach a certain hidden star.
This was an indication that one's mental power had been sent to the nine heavens, igniting the star, and starting the process of breaking through into the King Realm. Outside the limit room, Yang Gaochuan was the first to sense the change. His body shivered as he said, "What is going on? The spiritual energy is congregating here. So rich...and pure...h-has Old Peng broken through?"
The overseer beside Yang Gaochuan also trembled. A shocked expression appeared on his face. "Palace master, are you saying Old Peng is finally going to take that step?"
Yang Gaochuan did not reply. Rather, he rushed away and said to the overseer, "Come with me. We can't allow Old Peng to be disturbed!"
At the same time, many people at different corners of the Martial Hall Palace had sensed the oddity. Numerous elders and overseers started rushing toward the Hall of Limits. The first to arrive was the vice palace master, Qing Xiuhe. When he saw Yang Gaochuan there, he quickly saluted the palace master and asked, "Palace master, what's going on here?"
"I'm not sure myself, but for now, place the Hall of Limits in lockdown. Any intruder will be punished!" Yang Gaochuan said loudly. Every single person in the Martial Hall Palace heard that command, and it halted the steps of the others who were still on the way to the Hall of Limits.
"Everyone, return to your stations and await your orders." Qing Xiuhe immediately acted on the command. Since both the palace master and the vice palace master had given their orders, the elders and overseers all understood that something major must have happened at the Hall of Limits.