Chapter 60: Born to Be King

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