Chapter 111

Chapter 111: The White Skirt and Heavenly Destiny!

A breakthrough in state of mind!

　　The sword at Ye Jinghong’s waist trembled and rang without cease, wave after wave of sword cries echoing throughout heaven and earth, and the sword aura on his body surged wildly in that very moment……before long, his sword aura had already reached the level of Grand Sword Emperor.

　　Grand Sword Emperor!

　　A Grand Sword Emperor at sixteen!

　　Witnessing this scene, Zong Lin and the others not far away all wore expressions of extreme gravity. A Sword Emperor at sixteen was already extraordinarily gifted, but a Grand Sword Emperor at sixteen…..even the Guanxuan Sword Master had never reached that level at such an age!

　　There were truly far too many talents in the Guanxuan Universe.

　　Ye Jinghong himself was somewhat surprised. He had not expected to break through simply because a single thought had cleared his mind. He slowly raised his head and looked toward the mountaintop, where Ye Tianming had already arrived.

　　Ye Jinghong fixed his gaze on the mountaintop, his eyes resolute. “Ye Tianming, I will defeat you fair and square!”

　　At the mountaintop.

　　Ye Tianming looked at the scene before him with both confusion and shock. Before him stretched a vast stone plaza of blue-gray rock spanning tens of thousands of zhang, and at its very center stood three jade statues, each lifelike and vivid. The leftmost statue pointed to the sky with its right hand, gazing toward the rightmost statue, while the rightmost statue pointed to the ground with its left hand, likewise gazing toward the rightmost statue.

　　The statue standing at the center between the two held a stone sword in its left hand and cradled an ancient tome in its right, head bowed in contemplation over the book.

　　The plaza stretched wide and boundless, and all around was silence.

　　Ye Tianming walked slowly toward the three statues, and before long he stood before them. Beneath the central statue, a line of text was inscribed: Examine your life.

　　Examine your life?

　　Ye Tianming furrowed his brow, not quite understanding.

　　When in doubt, ask!

　　Ye Tianming thought inwardly, “Tower Ancestor, what does this mean?”

　　After a brief silence, the Little Tower said, “This is something you must figure out on your own. Only what you understand yourself truly belongs to you. Do you understand?”

　　The corner of Ye Tianming’s mouth twitched…….before long, he thought of his teacher. If his teacher were here, he would surely understand.

　　Thinking of Mu Guanchen, his expression suddenly grew somber.

　　The Little Tower suddenly said, “Kid, do you think I don’t know?”

　　Ye Tianming shook his head repeatedly. “Tower Ancestor is vast in knowledge, how could you not know? Tower Ancestor wants me to figure it out myself, I understand……”

　　The Little Tower laughed heartily. “Even though your Tower Ancestor is a tower, let me tell you, your Tower Ancestor has been playing at the highest level since the very beginning.”

　　Ye Tianming was somewhat curious. “Tower Ancestor, how many people have you followed?”

　　The Little Tower said, “Three.”

　　Ye Tianming said, “Can you tell me about them?”

　　The Little Tower smiled. “You’ll find out in time.”

　　Seeing that the Tower Ancestor was unwilling to say more, Ye Tianming asked no further. He turned his gaze back to the three statues before him, staring at them for a long while before finally taking one last deep look at those words: Examine your life.

　　Ye Tianming walked toward the distance. Beyond the three statues stood an extraordinarily grand hall, supported by tens of thousands of stone pillars each hundreds of zhang tall, every pillar carved with intricate inscription patterns. Sunlight filtered through layer upon layer of clouds and fell upon those pillars, causing the inscription patterns to shimmer with a dazzling radiance, making the entire hall appear solemn and sacred.

　　Looking at that hall, Ye Tianming could not help but be struck by its imposing grandeur, and a nameless sense of awe welled up unbidden from the depths of his heart.

　　Ye Tianming surveyed the hall, feeling a sense of curiosity within. Just what kind of place was this?

　　Before long, he arrived at the entrance of the hall. Just as he was about to push the door open and enter, he suddenly seemed to sense something and snapped his head around. He saw a streak of black light fall from the sky at tremendous speed, landing in an instant not far behind the three statues.

　　Boom!

　　The entire ground shuddered violently.

　　The black light dissipated, and Ye Tianming saw a woman lying on the ground. She was dressed in a long black gown, her features peerlessly beautiful, her entire bearing radiating an indescribable air of nobility. Between her brows, a mysterious rune was quietly fading away.

　　The sudden turn of events left Ye Tianming rooted to the spot. He hesitated for a moment, then walked over to the woman’s side. His gaze fell on her right hand, where her index finger bore a ring of a very unusual design, shaped like a temple, with two ancient characters engraved upon it: Divine Official.

　　Ye Tianming withdrew his gaze and asked inwardly, “Tower Ancestor, is she still alive?”

　　The Little Tower said, “I don’t know.”

　　Ye Tianming hesitated for a moment, then walked over and crouched beside the woman. He had to admit, this woman was truly breathtakingly beautiful, her features so exquisite they were without a single flaw. Even his own composure wavered slightly, but he quickly steadied himself.

　　Women would only slow down his sword draw!

　　What use was a woman?

　　Having the Tower Ancestor was enough!

　　Having steadied his mind, he reached out and held his hand beneath the woman’s nose. Feeling that she still had breath, he took out a medicinal pill. It was an immortal-grade pill given to him by Nan Tianqi. As long as one was not dead, a single pill could restore one to full strength. He only had three of them, and though it pained him somewhat, he still administered one to her.

　　Might as well forge a good connection!

　　The pill entered her body, and after a short while, the woman’s eyelashes fluttered, and then she slowly opened her eyes.

　　When Ye Tianming saw the woman’s eyes, his heart gave an involuntary jolt, not from attraction, but from fear. Yes, the moment her eyes met his, a sudden sense of dread rose from deep within him, accompanied by an invisible pressure that made it hard to breathe.

　　Ye Tianming was greatly alarmed. He hastily steadied his composure and looked at the woman with a measure of wariness.

　　After staring at Ye Tianming for a good while, the woman withdrew her gaze and moved to stand up. But the moment she tried to rise, she collapsed entirely. Ye Tianming instinctively reached out and caught her by the arm. Being caught by Ye Tianming, the woman’s delicate brows immediately knitted together.

　　Ye Tianming helped her sit down, then let go of her.

　　The woman looked at him without speaking.

　　Being stared at by her made Ye Tianming feel somewhat uneasy. Fortunately, the woman withdrew her gaze at that moment. She gently touched her brow, her delicate brows furrowing deeply. “Guanxuan Sword Master……”

　　Her voice was extremely cold, like ice that had been frozen for ten thousand years.

　　Ye Tianming could tell she was no ordinary person and had no desire to get involved. He turned and walked toward the door of the hall.

　　”Wait!”

　　The woman behind him suddenly spoke, her voice just as cold as before.

　　Ye Tianming stopped. He turned to look at the woman. She fixed her gaze on him. “Help me up.”

　　A commanding tone.

　　Ye Tianming said calmly, “Miss, I am not your servant.”

　　With that, he turned and walked away.

　　The woman suddenly added, “There’s something in it for you.”

　　Ye Tianming did not stop and kept walking. Something in it for me? You think I’d care about your scraps? Hmph!

　　The woman suddenly added, “One Civilization Ancestral Artifact.”

　　What the hell!

　　Ye Tianming stopped in his tracks instantly. He turned around at once and walked back to the woman’s side, then gently took her arm and said softly, “Miss, please be careful……”

　　The Little Tower: “……”

　　Ye Tianming helped the woman to her feet, but she was truly too weak to even stand steadily.

　　Ye Tianming said gently, “Miss, why don’t you sit down and rest for a bit first?”

　　But the woman looked toward the great door in the distance. “Take me there.”

　　Ye Tianming said earnestly, “Miss, you are too weak.”

　　The woman looked at him. “Two Civilization Ancestral Artifacts!”

　　Ye Tianming immediately said, “As you wish, whatever you say.”

　　With that, he supported the woman and slowly walked toward the door. But because the woman’s body was truly far too weak, even walking was a struggle. So Ye Tianming placed his arm around her waist. The woman turned her head and glanced at him. It had to be said, this woman’s gaze was indeed somewhat unnerving, carrying within it a presence that seemed to encompass all directions, making one reluctant to meet her eyes.

　　Ye Tianming said earnestly, “Miss, I have no intention of taking advantage of you. You are too weak and have no strength at all. If you mind, you can stay here and rest first……”

　　The woman said, “Walk.”

　　Ye Tianming nodded and supported her as they walked toward the great door. When they reached it, Ye Tianming gave it a gentle push and the door swung open. The sight within the hall left Ye Tianming momentarily stunned. Inside the hall was a vast desert stretching as far as the eye could see, with swirling sand filling the sky and a blazing sun hanging overhead, the air hot and humid like a steamer.

　　Ye Tianming was somewhat puzzled.

　　The woman said, “Walk.”

　　Ye Tianming hesitated for a moment, then led the woman into the hall. The moment they stepped inside, the door slowly closed behind them.

　　At the same time, Ye Tianming felt his cultivation being sealed.

　　Ye Tianming looked around, quite bewildered. “Miss, what is this place?”

　　The woman said nothing.

　　Ye Tianming asked no more and continued supporting the woman forward. Though the environment was harsh, it was manageable for Ye Tianming. After all, he was a cultivator, and his physical body had been strengthened, so he could still hold on. But the woman beside him was not faring well at all, utterly drained of strength, and she was growing weaker by the moment.

　　Seeing the woman’s face turn as pale as paper, Ye Tianming said, “Miss, you cannot keep going like this.”

　　The woman looked toward the far end of the desert. “Carry me to the other side, and I’ll give you three Civilization Ancestral Artifacts.”

　　Ye Tianming said gravely, “Miss, your body cannot take it.”

　　The woman turned to look at Ye Tianming. “Walk.”

　　After a moment of silence, Ye Tianming said, “You can’t walk like this. If you don’t mind, I’ll carry you on my back.”

　　After a brief pause, the woman nodded.

　　Ye Tianming lifted the woman onto his back. Feeling the softness pressing against him from behind, Ye Tianming could not help but feel a strange sensation, but he quickly suppressed it. He asked, “Miss, you’re not from our universe, are you?”

　　The woman said nothing.

　　Ye Tianming asked no more. He carried the woman on his back and strode quickly toward the distance. After walking for an unknown length of time, a desert storm suddenly swept in from afar at tremendous speed, filling the sky with yellow sand that blotted out the sun.

　　Ye Tianming was greatly alarmed. He turned and ran in the other direction with the woman on his back, but the desert storm was far too fast and was upon them in the blink of an eye. Feeling the terrifying suction force closing in from behind, Ye Tianming threw himself to the ground with the woman, drove one hand deep into the sand below,

　　Rumble rumble

　　As the desert storm swept over them, Ye Tianming felt himself about to be lifted off the ground. He quickly pressed the woman beneath him and wrapped both arms around her.

　　But at this moment, the position between him and the woman was rather compromising. They were face to face, pressed together, his face pressed tightly against hers, and at the same time, his two hands happened to land squarely on two peaks somewhere on the woman’s body.

　　Of course, at this moment Ye Tianming’s mind was nowhere near such thoughts. All he was thinking about was survival. After all, he currently had no cultivation whatsoever, and if he were swept away, it would surely be the end of him.

　　The woman stared at Ye Tianming, her gaze terrifyingly calm. Then suddenly, her gaze pierced directly through the endless river of future time……

　　”How dare you!”

　　The moment the woman entered that endless river of future time, a furious shout suddenly rang out from within it. “Who dares to disturb the future river of time, do you wish to die…….Ah! It is the Divine Official……The Master of the Future River of Time pays respects to the Divine Official.”

　　By the end, that voice was trembling with absolute terror.

　　The woman did not linger and continued traversing the future river of time and space. But before long, her brows furrowed deeply, for she discovered that within Ye Tianming’s future river of time, there was a blank period.

　　What was going on?

　　She pressed forward.

　　Finally!

　　At the very end, she saw a woman dressed in a plain white skirt.

　　And not far from that woman in the plain white skirt, there was yet another woman.