Chapter 715

Chapter 715: Wuding River

By the Wuding River, the laws restricting those below the Earth Immortal realm seemed rooted in place. No matter how time flowed, the rules set by that Heavenly Immortal remained unbroken. The lake lay serene, its emerald waters calm as an auspicious vision.

Ye Yun stared at the river before him and sighed. From the moment he arrived, the laws had constantly covered his body. The immense pressure pressed down on him even without stepping onto the riverbank. Just as Shui Lingling and Shui Yingying had warned, the Wuding River truly barred cultivators below the Earth Immortal realm.

“If that Heavenly Immortal thinks such petty tricks will make me retreat, they’ve gravely miscalculated.” Adjusting his loose black robe, Ye Yun stepped forward. Behind him, the two girls exchanged uneasy glances—they too felt the river’s oppressive laws.

Shui Yingying could rely on her Nine Yin Body to pass through, but Ye Yun had only his physical strength.

The innate spiritual bodies of Shui Yingying and Shui Lingling granted them power rivaling Earth Immortals even at the Nascent Soul stage. Yet after reaching the Earth Immortal realm, Shui Lingling grew more dependent on her Starry Sky methods than her physique. This didn’t mean her body was weak—any innate spiritual body was formidable. But most Divine Arts focused on true qi and spiritual energy, not physical cultivation. Thus, many believed such bodies existed solely to enhance mastery of celestial techniques.

Since Ye Yun lacked an innate spiritual body, the Ancestor of the Sword Path saw no point in explaining further. The Ancestor himself coveted such a physique for his future vessel—a perfect match for his two extremes of the Sword Path, which embodied life and death, yin and yang. Without a body at the peak of the Earth or Heavenly Immortal realms, ordinary flesh would crumble under such opposing Sword Path wills, leading only to madness.

When the Ancestor first noticed the girls’ bodies, curiosity sparked in him—not for possession, but to study their flaws. Innate spiritual bodies were gifts of heavenly fortune. Those who tried to forge such bodies through defiance invited calamity: stripped fortunes, disasters, and early decay.

Countless arrogant experts had died attempting this, dissuading later fools. The Ancestor’s two millennia of experience left him jaded—he knew better than most.

As Ye Yun prepared to cross the river, the Ancestor objected. Ye Yun’s cultivation was unstable—he’d leapt from the seventh-level Golden Core stage to the Fourth Level of the Nascent Soul stage using Immortal Spirit Stones and supreme artifacts. The Ancestor had even carved artifact-derived laws into Ye Yun’s flesh—a temporary fix that risked future growth.

Even Zhang Yanhua, Moon Goddess Palace’s “child chosen by destiny,” only advanced two minor realms after conquering Mental Demons. Ye Yun’s reckless methods paled in comparison.

“Boom!”

Five mountains materialized in the distant sky—a celestial phenomenon mirroring the Five Sacred Mountains. The once-mirrorlike river erupted into raging white waves, a dragon awakened.

Ye Yun’s aura surged as a colossal moon emerged, its purity dimmed by a blazing sun. The combined might of his Sun and Moon Dual Souls suppressed the mountains’ pressure, allowing him to advance.

“Who *is* he?” The girls gaped at the sky. Not even their elder brother could provoke such omens at the Wuding River. The Five Sacred Mountains symbolized suppression, yet the sun and moon defied them—proof the mountains’ power faltered!

“Ye Yun, this is madness!” The Purple Shadow Divine Sword’s will permeated the riverbank. Ye Yun’s eyes glowed Blood Moon-red as agony shredded his body—countless blades flaying him, Thunder Spirit Qi rampaging. The Ancestor barely stabilized Ye Yun’s other energies.

“No Heavenly Immortal rules will stop me!” Ye Yun roared through clenched teeth, defiance fueling evil intent.

“Disaster!” The Ancestor grimaced. The sword’s presence had triggered the Heavenly Immortal’s lethal restrictions. The Five Sacred Mountains’ descent alone surpassed his expectations—let alone the primordial sun and moon manifestations. This was a clash between the Purple Shadow Divine Sword’s former master and the Heavenly Immortal. Ye Yun was a sparrow caught between battling dragons—their mere aura enough to annihilate him.

“No choice…” The Ancestor crushed a golden Dragon Pearl, unleashing ninety percent of his soul power. The sky warped into a sword of black and white—the two extremes of the Sword Path.

“Ancestor hasn’t felt this alive in ages!” He laughed fiercely, driving the sword to shatter the Heavenly Immortal’s rules.

The heavens raged. Five mountains and celestial bodies unleashed divine wrath to crush the Ancestor’s sword intent. Yet as the blade struck, an unseen gaze froze all—the conflicting powers vanished instantly.

“Wasted!” The Ancestor’s voice weakened in Ye Yun’s mind. “Had I known their restrictions… I wouldn’t have acted. Now I must sleep to survive…”

“Thank you.” Ye Yun spoke after a long pause. He understood—the Ancestor had gambled his existence to buy Ye Yun’s survival. A debt etched into bone.

“There’s no need for thanks. A master protecting his disciple is only natural. If I couldn’t even manage that, then my two millennia of cultivation might as well be scrapped today.” The Ancestor of the Sword Path grumbled.

After a brief silence, Ye Yun looked up with a faint smile. “Then I’ll thank you, Master. That was truly perilous earlier. Had I wavered even slightly, I wouldn’t have held on.”

This marked the first time he addressed the Ancestor as “Master.” He might never do so again, but in that moment, he meant it wholeheartedly.

The Ancestor of the Sword Path fell silent, lost in thought.

“Indeed, the danger earlier was excessive. Had I not used my soul power to aid you, your fate would’ve been dire.” A shiver ran through him as he recalled the incident. He’d impulsively unleashed the two extremes of the Sword Path to assist Ye Yun, though he suspected the divine phenomena would’ve dissipated on their own soon regardless.

The timing of his intervention and the phenomena’s vanishing was mere coincidence. Confronting such a spectacle head-on would’ve been futile unless his full strength were restored. Even draining every drop of soul power from his soul’s origin wouldn’t have altered the outcome.

Ye Yun observed the pensive Ancestor, recognizing their narrow escape. The blame lay not with him but with the increasingly erratic Purple Shadow Divine Sword.

“Never mind. It was likely another fluke, like last time.” Ye Yun gave the sword a resigned smile. He couldn’t abandon this Immortal artifact that had seen him through countless dangers. Discarding it now would feel ungrateful.

As Ye Yun moved to leave, he noticed the Heavenly Immortal rules along the Wuding River no longer suppressed him. Delight surged as he sensed his previously obstructed meridians now flowing freely, true qi and spiritual power merging seamlessly to amplify his strength.

“An unexpected boon.” The Ancestor chuckled at Ye Yun’s elation before turning stern. “My earlier sword intent drained your soul’s origin. You’re currently sustained by the heavenly materials and earthly treasures from the Xumi Treasure’s third layer. Once we reach Broken Space, you must secure a soul power relic.”

“Rest assured—this time, I’ve my own reasons to fight in Broken Space.” Ye Yun nodded, feeling revitalized. While Shui Lingling had advanced her Starry Sky methods, his own progress was remarkable.

“Even an Earth Immortal realm opponent wouldn’t daunt me now.” Energy thrummed within him, hundreds of spiritual vortices whirling about. With the Heavenly Immortal rules gone, even Golden Core stage cultivators could traverse the lake to reach Broken Space.

“Ye Yun! Are you hurt?” Shui Lingling’s cautious call carried from the shore, echoed by Shui Yingying’s worried gaze.

“All’s well.” His calm reply drew twin sighs of relief.

Shui Lingling crossed her arms, pouting. “You’re full of surprises! An Nascent Soul stage cultivator triggering divine phenomena at Wuding River—unthinkable!”

“Lingling nearly worried herself sick over you,” Shui Yingying added with an amused glance. “Seems it was unnecessary.”

“Nonsense! I just didn’t want him dying here and leaving us stranded!” Lingling’s cheeks flushed as she glared. “But glad you survived. We won’t pry into your affairs—just don’t get yourself killed. Friends should at least that.”

“I value my life too much for reckless stunts.” Ye Yun’s chuckle held warmth. Though he disliked constraints, their concern wasn’t unwelcome.

Eyeing the remaining stretch of Wuding River, Ye Yun started at twin splashes. “We’re swimming the rest?”

“It’s a trial for Nascent Soul and Earth Immortal realms alike,” Shui Yingying explained. “With the rules gone, even Golden Core cultivators can enter now. Thanks to you, my passage will be smoother. You have my gratitude.”

“Broken Space will drown in low-level opportunists,” Lingling sighed. “Why chase treasures when death awaits?” Her idealism clashed with harsh reality—most would meet spiritual dissolution, not glory.

“Enough dallying. Your elder brother awaits in Broken Space.” Shui Yingying prodded Lingling forward.

“I’m not here for him! It’s to steal playtime with Yingying!” Lingling squirmed from her sister’s tickling fingers, feigning irritation. “Stop! That’s annoying!”

“Hurry up,” Ye Yun called over his shoulder, ignoring how their soaked robes clung to lithe forms. “Enjoy being drenched?”

A peculiar heat stirred in him despite his efforts.

“Heh! Typical male—can’t resist staring.” Lingling thrust out her chest, youthful bravado on display. “Can’t blame you with beauties like us around!”

Ye Yun shot her a deliberately lackluster glance.

“Rude! You leer at Yingying but scorn me?” she huffed. “Must be into older girls. Philistine!”

“Ling’er,” Yingying sighed, “we’re twins born moments apart. What ‘age difference’?”

“Well, kid?” The Ancestor’s smirk echoed in Ye Yun’s mind as he parted the waters with true qi. “Admit it—traveling with them was inspired.”

“She’s a child,” Ye Yun retorted. “Where’s the appeal?”

“A bit green, yet promising.” The Ancestor watched the sisters’ aquatic antics. “Or is it women altogether you disdain?”

“Cultivation leaves no room for distractions,” Ye Yun murmured, steadfastly facing ahead. The path demanded ascent to pinnacles—companions were crutches for the weak. He needed neither comfort nor entanglement.