The arrival of the Fourth Prince and the others had no impact on Fang Hao. He continued his climb, step by steady step. He was the slowest among all the prodigies on the mountain, yet he alone kept his pace unwavering. But as he reached 60,000 feet, an invisible force—like a mountain crashing down—suddenly pressed upon him. His body jolted. His back bent slightly, knees straining under the crushing pressure. The crowd assumed he had reached his limit, expecting him to stop and begin cultivating like the others. Yet Fang Hao did something they didn't anticipate. He lifted his head, eyes deep and resolute, and raised his foot once more—continuing upward. Strange visions flickered in his gaze—signs of his Ancient Desolate Sacred Physique in full bloom. Every step became a struggle, but he refused to stop. No one knew how long it took, but eventually, Fang Hao reached 90,000 feet. At this point, the crowd could only stare—shocked speechless—at his stubborn silhouette. "How... how is he doing this?!" "I've never admired anyone before, but he's one of the few." "I don't know what his physique is or if he'll ever become immortal… but just for this perseverance, he's destined to become an Emperor someday!" Even many Nascent Soul–level prodigies sincerely believed they were inferior to Fang Hao. The top prodigies—like the Fourth Prince—had exceptional talent, vast resources, elite mentors. Their success was natural. An unknown youth with the lowest cultivation present—just the sixth stage of the Manifestation Realm—had climbed to a height most Nascent Soul elites couldn't even dream of. That alone demanded respect. Fang Hao, for his part, paid no mind to the others. At this moment, he had entered a trance-like state of utter focus. Everything in the world faded away—there was only one goal: Upward. Keep going upward. Like the Sacred Physique he bore in this age, he had no choice but to defy fate to make his mark. "Secret Art—activate!" At the very limit of his endurance, Fang Hao invoked his secret technique. His cultivation surged—temporarily jumping to the ninth stage of the Manifestation Realm, just a step from the Nascent Soul Realm. Yet the aura he emitted now rivaled a fourth-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. The height he reached already matched that of many seventh-stage Nascent Soul elites. With newfound power, he pressed on again. Step by step, time crawled. Before he realized it, Fang Hao stood at 120,000 feet. He looked up at the distant peak above. "In the end… still not enough." He had known even before entering the small world that he'd be unlikely to place top ten. The gap between him and those people was too vast. Still, now that he'd truly experienced that failure—his heart couldn't help but feel some disappointment. But this didn't break him. Instead, it ignited something deeper. "If not this time, then next time. One day… I will catch up!" Just as the secret art's effects ended and Fang Hao lost consciousness— A rift tore open in the sky above the small world. In the next instant, every prodigy inside was forcibly ejected—returned to the outside world. The unconscious Fang Hao was caught just in time by Lord Liu, who had been waiting with the other city lords to receive their returning prodigies. As everyone emerged and the rift sealed behind them, reactions varied. Some rejoiced. Others grieved. Lord Wang, who had clashed with Lord Liu earlier, found himself in an awkward spot—his five prodigies had all been eliminated by Fang Hao. Now, while others were surrounded by their returning elites, his side was empty and silent. He said not a word and left immediately—not even riding the treasure ship. Meanwhile, Wu Yuqi—having emerged safely—approached Lord Liu. When he saw the unconscious Fang Hao, he was stunned. "He's still alive? His luck must be unreal…" He had thought it only natural for someone weaker than him to die inside. Back on the treasure ship, as Lord Liu was about to tend to Fang Hao's injuries, a group of prodigies approached. "My lord, may we ask—what is his name?" Lord Liu frowned slightly. He assumed they bore a grudge and didn't answer right away. "We're truly impressed by this brother. We'd like to meet him. If it's convenient, could you let him know that we'll be waiting at the top floor of the Ruyi Pavilion?" These young cultivators had all witnessed Fang Hao's climb with their own eyes. His perseverance left a deep impression, and they wanted to befriend him. With his insight, Lord Liu could tell they weren't lying. "Very well. I'll pass on your message." "Many thanks, City Lord." After they left, Lord Liu glanced at the unconscious Fang Hao, curious. What on earth had he done to earn such admiration from these proud geniuses? But before he could dwell on it, more prodigies came over—saying much the same thing. In the end, nearly dozens had asked to meet Fang Hao. Now, Lord Liu's curiosity grew stronger. He was tempted to wake Fang Hao immediately just to get the story. Standing to the side, Wu Yuqi was also baffled. "What the hell? These guys are all Nascent Soul–level prodigies from major cities. How could they admire a broke little Manifestation brat like Fang Hao?!" "Something must be wrong here!" "Maybe Fang Hao offended them, and this is a trap—they're just pretending to be friendly so they can strike later! Yes, that must be it!" This comforting theory made Wu Yuqi feel a little better. In truth, Fang Hao hadn't suffered any grave injuries—he had simply exhausted himself and suffered side effects from overusing the secret art. Under Lord Liu's treatment, he regained consciousness within an hour. Seeing Lord Liu, Fang Hao instantly understood what had happened and bowed. "Thank you, City Lord, for treating this junior." "It was nothing—just a small effort," Liu replied, waving it off. Though awake, Fang Hao still needed time to fully recover. The backlash from his secret technique was heavy. Previously he had only forced a two-level boost—this time he maxed out at three. Naturally, the price was higher. Lord Liu recounted what had happened while he was unconscious and, unable to hold back his curiosity, asked: ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel※fire.net "If you don't mind me asking—what exactly did you do inside the small world that drew such attention?" It wasn't unprecedented for a little-known genius to explode in fame after emerging from the small world. But Fang Hao's situation was unique—his cultivation was too low. Compared to the other prodigies, the disparity was vast. So why were they so eager to befriend him? Even with all his experience, Lord Liu couldn't figure it out. Fang Hao scratched his head. "I didn't do much, really." "Oh? Still trying to be modest?" "No, I mean it. I just climbed the mountain a bit." And that was the truth, as Fang Hao saw it. "How high did you get?" "I think around 120,000 feet, give or take?" Lord Liu stared at him in disbelief. He honestly thought Fang Hao was making it up. With that cultivation level, it just didn't seem possible—and no one had mentioned it before. Fang Hao blinked, confused. But upon close observation, Lord Liu saw no signs of deceit. If what Fang Hao said was true, then everything—the reactions, the admiration—suddenly made sense. "No problem at all. In fact... very impressive." Fang Hao exhaled in relief. Lord Liu's strange expressions had made him nervous. Liu looked deeply at the youth before him. He never would have imagined that a small backwater like Qilan City could produce such a prodigy. Now, he even regretted not investing more in Fang Hao from the beginning—he might've missed the chance to form a closer connection. Off to the side, Wu Yuqi was completely lost. He couldn't follow the conversation at all. After all, he had done nothing in the small world but hide. He had no idea what had happened inside.