Chapter 81

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 81: Don’t Be Naughty

When the sword reaches its extreme speed, its shadow cannot be seen.

It used the night sky as a backdrop, flashing several dazzling light beams in an instant, one sword after another constantly striking towards Dao Jie.

Dao Jie was forced to retreat continuously by this fiercely murderous sword, swiftly using his fingers to point all around him, quickly setting up several barriers beside him.

After barely withstanding Su Yuan’s attacks, he countered with a palm strike, saying, "Su Yuan, stop bothering me, I haven’t offended you! What do you want by ruining my plans again and again!"

After slashing down ten swords from the top of the sky, a slender figure twisted in mid-air to dodge Dao Jie’s palm strike, bending his body as he landed. The dust and gravel that had just fallen also scattered with his movements.

He waved his sword, casually using the sword energy to disperse the dust, slowly standing up and stepping out.

This was a sword cultivator dressed in black clothes, standing straight like a pine tree in place, with deep eyes and a slightly puzzled expression, his temples as white as snow, his face showing the signs of time.

Su Yuan inserted the thin black iron sword in his hand into the ground at an angle, looking at Dao Jie with a smirk, saying, "I have taken a liking to you, can’t I follow you?"

Despite his words, there was a strong sense of killing intent on him, it wasn’t as easy-going as he made it sound.

Dao Jie disgustingly spat out, unconsciously pressing on the stump where the man in front of her cut off his finger, feeling a tingling sensation on her scalp.

Searching for treasures in the abandoned realms, or trying to snatch some of the Power of Rules is not something only he does. Everyone is doing the same thing, no one should look down on anyone else. It all depends on each individual’s luck to search in countless abandoned realms.

Unfortunately, a crazy person named Su Yuan appeared a thousand years ago. If anyone encounters him, don’t expect to search for treasures peacefully in the abandoned realms. He clings like a plaster, insisting on driving everyone out of the realms, big and small.

Dao Jie had previously had a finger cut off by him in an abandoned realm, so this time, to avoid this madman, she deliberately shattered the void and walked to an extremely remote corner.

She thought her luck was extremely good this time, as she happened to come across an abandoned realm where the laws of heaven and earth were cultivated. Unexpectedly, not only could these laws not be used, they also attracted Su Yuan, this crazy sword cultivator!

Taking another step back, she scolded, "Are you crazy? These are just abandoned realms. Even if we don’t take anything, in a thousand years, they will dry up and perish. Why are you stopping me?"

Su Yuan, when asked this question, had an expressionless face and continued to advance step by step with his sword.

"Even if it’s an abandoned realm, you can’t act recklessly. If you don’t leave this realm, I won’t give up."

"Grass, don’t let me escape this time, otherwise I will make you, the dog of Dongxuan World, roll back in disgrace!"

Dao Jie gritted his teeth, knowing he couldn’t reason with this crazy person, so he retaliated fiercely with a series of powerful strikes.

Immortal Su Yuan also used a sword to break through Dao Jie’s strikes, causing him to cough up blood, weak and almost helpless, about to be hit in the face.

But at this moment, something unexpected happened!

Su Yuan paused, then closed his eyes tightly, seemingly enduring a sudden pain.

Seeing Su Yuan’s reaction, Dao Jie, who had been knocked down, felt a surge of joy in his heart.

It is said that disciples of Dongxuan World are restrained by a trace of their soul at the entrance, Su Yuan escaped from there without retrieving that trace of his soul, so it is likely that people from Dongxuan World are using it to track Su Yuan’s whereabouts now!

He no longer hesitated, endured his severe injuries, and flew forward, striking fiercely towards Su Yuan’s head, causing him to be pushed back and spit out blood.

Instead of stopping, Dao Jie’s face lit up with joy, attacking with deadly force again, wanting to avenge the severed finger at this moment!

However, before Dao Jie’s hand could come down, a sword came flying from nowhere and hit his hand, causing his palm to land on a nearby small mountain. With a loud bang, the mountain suddenly shattered into pieces.

"Who is it?"

No one answered him, only a figure in white clothes flew towards him like a gust of wind.

The young man holding the sword had a beautiful and extremely young face. Wherever the sword passed, it seemed to echo with the cry of a phoenix, hinting at the daunting laws of the universe that even Dao Jie found terrifying!

Even the laws of heaven and earth are divided into levels. For example, some people comprehend the changes in clouds in the sky, or the condensation of ice, which are powerful aspects of the universe’s rules.

But there are also some laws, such as life and death, time, and reincarnation, which are difficult for most people to comprehend. Ordinary people are unaware of their existence because they are mostly understood by extraordinary individuals in the top sects of the higher realms.

Dao Jie couldn’t determine what kind of powerful rules this was, but he felt extremely frightened.

Wen Yun saw Ye Shubai fly out to save Su Yuan and thought it wasn’t good, but she wasn’t surprised either.

After all, this was their ancestor. They had to save him, and only by doing so could they understand the situation of his ascension. They had to act now, no matter how challenging it seemed.

While Ye Shubai’s phoenix transformed into a semi-real form, Wen Yun tightly held the Dragon Bone Magic Wand and leaped lightly into the air to follow.

The girl’s eyebrows and corners of her eyes were cold and proud, her lips slowly curled up, and she whispered, "Little Hong, it’s time to show your true skills!"

After merging her spiritual power with magic, Wen Yun didn’t spend every day immersed in books. She also studied how to make good use of this golden supernatural power.

It turned out that those who could study forbidden spells found it not difficult to research new skills.

Wen Yun changed her Dragon Bone Magic Wand to a standard sword-gripping posture, following closely behind Ye Shubai. Her hand movements were precise and elegant, unleashing a set of Flowing Mist Swordsmanship right after the Clear Cloud Sword Technique.

She had practiced swordsmanship with the young Ye Shubai in the world of memories for a hundred years, and no one in the world understood his swordsmanship better than her.

With this cooperation, the two sword techniques blended seamlessly, leaving no flaws to be found.

A sudden burst of intense firelight emerged from the Dragon Bone Magic Wand, and the essence of the dragon within Little Hong swiftly merged into that dragon-shaped sword intent, forming its prototype!

The elegant and noble fire phoenix raised its neck and sang clearly, while the powerful and domineering fire dragon raised its head and roared angrily.

There were two very different Sword Intent Transformations, but when they clashed, they fit together perfectly and charged towards Dao Jie with destructive force!

Su Yuan looked up at the two sword intents, his eyes suddenly glinting with focus, staring at them intently, tightening his grip on the sword and making a slight movement.

Dao Jie stared in shock at the attack, swiftly dodging aside, but the two sword intents came as a surprise, and he couldn’t dodge in time, getting wounded by the combined Dragon and Phoenix strikes and coughing up blood!

Even more tragic was Xie Mian, who had fainted on the ground and was inadvertently caught up in the attack. The fire dragon’s tail flicked, burning his body beyond recognition.

Wen Yun: Actually, I made Little Hong intentionally burn that dog.

"Who are you? Why are you getting involved in the fight between us two?"

Dao Jie, injured, took a step back, warily watching the two individuals, his mind filled with chaotic thoughts and guesses.

They possessed a very powerful primal energy, so they were definitely not from the lower realms. Could they be another pair of eagles fighting together for the treasure?

With his level of cultivation, Dao Jie could easily tell Wen Yun’s true gender despite her male attire. Upon seeing that both the man and the woman appeared to be around twenty years old, and Wen Yun’s pure golden aura, he couldn’t accurately gauge their strength.

This is a top-notch talent that may only appear in the upper realm factions!

Dao Jie, previously injured by Su Yuan, did not dare to provoke two enemies with unknown backgrounds and strengths. He took two steps back, suppressing his resentment, and cautiously said, "It seems like you two are newcomers. There are rules when traveling through the thousands of wastelands, such as first come, first served…"

As he spoke, he secretly prepared for an attack.

Wen Yun noticed everything, and her heart skipped a beat.

Keeping a calm expression, and even adding a touch of arrogance, she casually said, "Just a mere wasteland, I am not interested in picking up this trash."

With these words, Dao Jie’s cautious expression slightly relaxed. He slightly bowed and said, "May I ask who you are…"

Wen Yun, realizing she had made the right guess, raised her eyebrow and arrogantly said, "In the name of my master, I am here to capture the traitor Su Yuan and bring him back to Dongxuan World. Don’t stand in my way, get lost!"

While appearing calm on the surface, she was actually anxious inside.

Over the past few hundred years, Wen Yun’s superb acting skills proved effective, and her arrogant attitude successfully intimidated Dao Jie.

He looked at Wen Yun in disbelief, too scared to act because of the reputation of "Dongxuan World." They had just searched for Su Yuan using soul search, and now they had silently found him? Dongxuan World really lived up to its name!

Dao Jie was badly injured at the moment and couldn’t be sure of his ability to fight three people. "Avoiding risks" was his strength in surviving in different realms.

Caring greatly for his own life, Dao Jie quickly picked up the unconscious Xie Mian next to his feet and leaped away into the distance.

Instead of relaxing, Wen Yun cautiously turned her head to look at Immortal Su Yuan.

Ye Shubai stood by Su Yuan’s side at the moment, not saying a word, just gazing calmly at the elder. None of them spoke for a while.

Finally, a young girl with a staff covered her mouth and coughed lightly before scolding assertively, "You, Su Yuan, really know how to escape. It was easy for me to find you!"

Su Yuan looked strangely and remained silent.

Wen Yun scolded Su Yuan as a traitor and a lowlife, then quickly flew away towards the open sea with him. Su Yuan was slow, and as they left, the girl even kicked him.

Dao Jie, who had been observing from the mist, finally dispelled his doubts. He coughed heavily, blood seeping from between his fingers. Dao Jie ignored it, forcefully dragging out the unconscious young man beside him.

Just as Dao Jie and Su Yuan’s fight left a big mess, Xie Mian was already fast asleep. It was a slightly stronger spirit named Mo You that was forcefully summoned this time.

Mo You didn’t know what happened afterwards, but that didn’t stop him from swearing.

Filled with intense hatred and regret in his eyes, Mo You started cursing darkly as soon as he appeared. Dao Jie exerted pressure on him, finally silencing Mo You. However, his spirit still struggled to break free from Dao Jie’s grasp.

"I need to heal for a while, take me to your cave."

Unlike Xie Mian, Mo You didn’t easily back down. He coldly snorted and refused.

Knowing that being in the hands of this person would not lead to a good outcome, and feeling mentally unstable from realizing that the one who usually controlled others’ destinies was now at the mercy of someone else, Mo You felt like life was not worth living.

He harshly taunted Dao Jie, "You? Are you even worthy?"

This sarcastic remark successfully angered Dao Jie. He remained expressionless as he clenched his hand tightly. Mo You couldn’t keep up his facade anymore and started begging for mercy with a hoarse voice.

"Am I worthy?"

In the past, Mo You used to torment others’ souls, but now it’s his turn to be unlucky. He shouted in frustration, "Phew! Shame on you!"

Dao Jie finally let go and ordered coldly, "Take me back to your cave, and capture some healers for me to recover… What? There are no healers in this realm? It truly lives up to being a waste realm!"

He didn’t plan to leave just yet. Since he was already here, he thought it would be a waste not to check if "Qingliu Sword Sect Wen Yun" truly possessed the Power of Rules!

Anyway, the two people from Dongxuan World probably already took Dao Jie back. Now, this realm was under his control!

*

On the other side, Wen Yun, feeling caught after bluffing, ran away faster than a dog.

Her hands were trembling slightly due to nerves, but she dared not relax. Though they had momentarily fooled Dao Jie, she feared he would realize and come after them. Therefore, it was important to escape as quickly as possible – their lives were at stake!

Wen Yun never risked her life, only thinking about launching a surprise attack after her side regained strength – in this aspect, she oddly reached an agreement with Dao Jie.

"Little Hong, bring the people on the demon boat back to Blizzard Island first."

With a command, the little dragon quickly transformed, spreading its huge flesh wings and flying into the deep mist. Wen Yun also hurriedly used her magic wand to emit golden light and fled towards the four continents.

Wen Yun pushed herself too hard, her face turning pale. Seeing this, Ye Shubai instinctively let go of Su Yuan’s hand and supported her, saying, "Let me handle this."

Wen Yun was reluctant, knowing that the spiritual power over the sea was weak. Ye Shubai had just used a powerful Sword Intent Transformation, it would be tough for him to escape with his flying sword again.

She was also worried about her own sword spirit.

Su Yuan, released by Ye Shubai, almost dropped her wand. After steadying herself, she weakly said, "No need to rush, I injured Dao Jie with my sword intent, he won’t catch up soon. We can fly slowly."

Looking at the couple, Su Yuan earnestly advised, "You two shouldn’t show such affection in front of an old man like me."

Wen Yun remained silent.

Su Yuan chuckled, "Perhaps your old eyes are playing tricks on you, it’s just mutual understanding between master and servant."

Although Su Yuan spoke so, Wen Yun’s will to survive was strong. They managed to escape the outer sea and arrive at the coastal city before dawn, coincidentally ending up in front of the same inn they stayed before.

After high-speed flying all night, Wen Yun was feeling extremely tired and unsteady on her feet.

It was early morning and the place was not a busy street, with few pedestrians passing by.

The innkeeper was sweeping the floor at the door when he saw Young Master Yun returning. He immediately dropped the broom and greeted him, "Oh, Young Master Yun! It’s been a few days since we last saw you. Where have you been having fun these days?"

He was about to reach out to help Wen Yun, but Ye Shubai, who was standing nearby, acted faster and gently stopped him, saying quietly, "I’ll do it."

Ye Shubai no longer had the fake beard on his face. The innkeeper was stunned to see his clear and exquisite features. Seeing his intimate gesture with Young Master Yun, he immediately guessed the truth – Young Master Yun was indeed a eunuch!

So, Young Master Yun was really a eunuch!

He politely offered, "Young Master Yun, the courtyard where you stayed before is still ready for you. Shall I go and get a new big bed for you? I guarantee it will be soft and bouncy…"

Upon returning to the separate courtyard, everything inside had indeed been totally refreshed. A large red bed was placed in the room, and pink flower petals were scattered on the lounge chairs and stone tables in the courtyard, giving it a romantic atmosphere.

However, Wen Yun was not one for romance. She brushed away the frivolous flower petals and helped the weak Su Yuan to sit down.

She bent down and said, "I was disrespectful to you before in order to deceive Dao Jie. I hope you can forgive me."

There was no anger on Su Yuan’s weathered face. He glanced at Wen Yun, then looked at Ye Shubai. His pale lips moved slightly.

He asked, "Do you know me?"

Wen Yun and Ye Shubai looked at each other.

After using the Clear Cloud Sword Technique and the Flowing Mist Sword Technique, Su Yuan should have recognized them, right? But from his question, it seemed like he didn’t know them at all.

Ye Shubai respectfully bowed and said, "Senior Su Yuan, my name is Ye Shubai, and I am the current head of the Qingliu Sword Sect."

"Qingliu Sword Sect…" Immortal Su Yuan repeated the name, expecting to feel something at the mention of these words, but he couldn’t recall anything at all.

He could only helplessly admit, "I can’t remember."

Faced with the bewildered looks of the two, he sighed and said, "I was once taken in by the Dongxuan World. Those who are not part of the Dongxuan World will have a bit of their soul taken away, erasing all past memories. I agreed to come here with you because I felt familiar with the sword techniques you used, hoping that you might know about my past."

He casually raised his hand and made a few gentle movements with the sword.

One slash, one strike, one stab, one horizontal cut.

It was the Clear Cloud Sword Technique.

Even though all his memories from his previous life in Dongxuan World were taken away, his hands still remembered this sword technique. Whenever he held the sword, he would instinctively use it.

Immortal Su Yuan lowered his head. The sunlight shone through the window and landed on his frosty hair, stark white.

Holding the black iron sword in his arms, he looked like a confused elderly person at dusk, yet also like a lost child, gazing at the young man and woman in front of him.

"Young friends," he asked calmly, "Am I from this small world? Am I from what you call the Qingliu Sword Sect?"

Wen Yun pursed her lips and nodded solemnly, "Senior Su Yuan, this is indeed your homeland."

Immortal Su Yuan remained silent with his head bowed. Just when Wen Yun and Ye Shubai thought he was about to burst into tears, the old man finally looked up…

He looked at the two people skeptically and said, "I’m not sure. Why don’t you demonstrate your sword skills a few more times so I can see if they’re correct?"

Wen Yun was about to offer comfort but choked up and couldn’t speak.

Wen Yun and Ye Shubai practiced the Clear Cloud Sword Technique in the courtyard hundreds of times until their hands were sore. They sat in the courtyard eating candied fruit and reading the book of Immortal Su Yuan until he finally called a stop.

"Ah, your sword skills are exactly the same as mine. It seems like you didn’t lie to me."

If it weren’t for respecting the tradition of respecting elders, Wen Yun might have wanted to hit the old man on the head with a dragon bone wand.

Immortal Su Yuan picked up a candied date and ate it solemnly before introducing these two juniors, "If one day you can break through the void, you will discover that there are actually thousands of worlds in this universe, some big and some small, some powerful and some weak. Some major powers, like the Dongxuan Sect I was once part of, have the strength to rule the entire world with just one sect. They are so powerful that they can name the world after their sect’s name, and these powers often have complete legacies that span tens of thousands or even millions of years, which we call the Upper Realms!"

"The Lower Realms, on the other hand, refer to worlds with legacies that are not thousands of years old, incomplete legacies, or weak worlds like the one we are in, where the power of the natural elements is incomplete."

"Without the power of the natural elements, it is impossible to draw energy from the heavens and earth to replenish oneself. As more and more practitioners gather and exhaust the energy of the heavens and earth, the world will become a wasteland where cultivation is impossible. The world we are in is already close to depletion, which is why Dao Jie calls it a wasteland."

"The Upper Realms, with the power of the heavens and earth, are like a fruit tree that blooms, bears fruit, sheds leaves, and returns to its roots, endlessly renewing itself."

In the conversation, he reached out and took some dates from the exquisite fruit platter, saying slowly, "The world we live in is like this plate of candied fruit. Once it’s finished, it’s gone."

Pausing for a moment, Immortal Su Yuan raised his hand and formed a light golden ball in his palm, saying, "This is the power of the source."

He looked at Wen Yun again, puzzled, "I also feel strange. There doesn’t seem to be any source power in this realm. How did you cultivate it?"

Wen Yun finally understood.

It turned out that Ye Shubai’s guess was correct. To truly become an immortal, one indeed needed to combine magic with spiritual power for cultivation.

Just like how different gases in the air need to be combined to allow people to breathe normally, if one element is missing in this world, cultivators naturally cannot achieve true enlightenment. They need guidance from immortals to ascend to the higher realm!

She was able to cultivate because her soul had already practiced magic, and now her body was cultivating spiritual power. Through a series of coincidences, she actually managed to merge the two into the power of the source!

Wen Yun realized something was wrong, her expression changing, "In that case, those immortals who come to guide ascension…"

"Initially, ascension was true. There were sects from the higher realm that came to guide people in the lower realm to ascend, taking them as disciples and leading them onto the path of true cultivation."

Immortal Su Yuan looked serious, "After I entered Dongxuan World, I was constantly rejected. They called me a lower realm commoner. At first, I didn’t understand why, but I listened carefully and later found out that in the eyes of some cultivators from higher realms, the lower realms where we live are just places for them to keep us like livestock. The people of the lower realms are seen as nothing more than animals to them, not even considered human."

Dongxuan World, also known as Dongxuan Sect, is actually a Sword Sect.

At that time, Su Yuan was a young and spirited sword cultivator. When he entered the Dark Heaven Secret Realm, he realized that these ‘immortals’ were not right. He tried to resist but failed, and could only quickly throw away the jade slip that warned him ‘not to ascend.’

Because of his amazing talent, Dongxuan Sect forcibly took away the Power of Rules he comprehended, erased his memory, and made him a disciple of the sect.

Even though Immortal Su Yuan lost his memory, his aura was still strong, and he was arrogant in his actions. Additionally, he was too outstanding in the way of the sword, which made some disciples born in Dongxuan Sect jealous of him and ostracize him.

Gradually, some people started calling him ‘lower realm commoner,’ or ‘waste realm commoner.’

Whether called one way or another, it was always with the disdainful term ‘commoner.’

Immortal Su Yuan, without his previous memories, was unaware of the reasons until Dongxuan Sect later took in another new disciple. That person had a blank memory like him and was also called ‘commoner’ by the other disciples. It was then that he realized something was wrong.

He secretly investigated all this and finally learned something that was not considered a secret within Dongxuan Sect: in the eyes of these higher realm cultivators, they were just livestock being raised, mere crops to be harvested.

"What they were seeking was the Power of Rules in heaven and earth!"

"Even in the upper realms, the Power of Rules is extremely rare, only those with exceptional talent can comprehend it. Some powerful forces have set their sights on the lower realm. Whenever they sense the fluctuation of the rules of heaven and earth in that realm, they pretend to take in disciples and then take away the Power of Rules!"

"People from the lower realm who ascend upwards are either cruelly killed to silence them. Or, like me, although they are accepted into a sect, the Power of Rules they comprehend is taken away, their past memories are also stripped away. Instead, they accept enemies as mentors and traitors as their sect leaders."

Immortal Su Yuan spat out a jujube seed and sighed deeply, "If I hadn’t been ostracized in the Dongxuan World, I probably wouldn’t have harbored doubts to investigate all this. After learning the truth, I fled from there, wandering among various lower realms for thousands of years, passing through countless desolate worlds, while stopping desperadoes like Dao Jie from plundering resources in the desolate realms and searching for my own sect."

"You may think this is a coincidence, but it is not."

The old sword cultivator’s white eyebrows drooped, casually throwing the jujube seed aside. The millennium-old landscape tree in the courtyard suddenly snapped, crashing to the ground with a loud noise.

His voice was deep, as if traversing thousands of years of vicissitudes.

"To reach this day, I have set foot in countless worlds."

When Wen Yun heard this, her pupils indeed shrank, and she deeply gasped for cool air, her eyes almost turning red.

Immortal Su Yuan smiled kindly and looked approvingly at his sensible junior, "No need to worry about that, I’ve already returned, haven’t I? Let me rest a bit, and then we’ll go together to deal with Dao Jie…"

"No," Wen Yun looked at the tree that had split in half, and could already hear the footsteps of the innkeeper rushing over. She sounded desperate, "Oh no, how much spiritual jade do I have to compensate for this?"

At the mention of compensating with spiritual jade, Immortal Su Yuan suddenly fell silent, avoiding the topic and pretending to be unconscious, completely losing the boldness he had when discussing the situation in the world of cultivation just now.

"What tree? I didn’t see any tree. Oh dear, I’ve finished my preserved fruit. Hey girl, quickly go and buy another box for me."

Seeing the sadness on Wen Yun’s face, Ye Shubai couldn’t help but smile slightly. Although he also valued spiritual jade, at that moment he found her interesting.

He gently comforted her, "It’s okay, I have some spiritual jade on me."

He could always go back to Dark Heaven Secret Realm to mine some more spiritual jade later. After all, that place was left behind by Dongxuan Sect as a landing spot for ascension, so it was worth digging there.

Seeing the innkeeper approaching with a displeased look, Ye Shubai quickly handed over the compensatory spiritual jade before the innkeeper could confront Wen Yun, saying softly, "Take it."

As expected, the innkeeper’s face lit up upon seeing the spiritual jade, and he said enthusiastically, "Young Master Yun, I actually came here to say that if you like cutting trees, feel free to cut more. If there’s not enough, I can immediately transplant two more trees over for you."

Wen Yun, "…No need."

Although she used Ye Shubai’s special stone, she still felt incredibly sad.

Immortal Su Yuan shook his eyebrows after seeing this, and said slowly, "You two are really stingy. It’s just eight thousand special stones, not like it’s a matter of life and death for you."

Wen Yun and Ye Shubai both caught onto a word simultaneously, their eyes swiftly avoiding each other at almost the same time.

"Senior Su Yuan, you are mistaken," Ye Shubai said with a calm voice as he slightly lowered his gaze, "Wen Yun and I, actually we are…"

"Master and disciple."

"Master and servant."

Both different answers came out at the same time, making Immortal Su Yuan burst into laughter. He glanced at the two with a knowing look.

"I understand, you young people like to have more fun and pay attention to romantic things. Oh, our companions from back then were much simpler…"

Wen Yun really wanted to have a discussion with this not very serious old man about how tricky he was, she felt that she and Ye Shubai were the ones who were truly simple.

However, before she could speak, the man beside her gently held her hand and said seriously, "You’re right, we will go out first and buy some candied fruit for you. The journey back to our sect is far, so you should rest for a while first."

With that, he took Wen Yun’s hand and led her outside, she couldn’t break free and had to follow obediently. It wasn’t until they were out of the courtyard that she spoke uncomfortably, "Why don’t you explain things to him?"

"Immortal Su Yuan is old, and elders like him often have peculiar personalities. If you argue with him, he might get angry and say even more inappropriate things. It’s better to just go along with him."

Ye Shubai calmly explained to Wen Yun, his tone of voice always had this effect on people, making them inexplicably convinced.

This time was no different, although Wen Yun felt the reason was weak, she still believed it somehow. Her attention was diverted by his argument, she had forgotten to let go of his hand and even forgot that she was still dressed as a man.

Wen Yun glanced down at her and Ye Shubai’s hands, pursed her lips, feeling her face heat up. She thought she was being a bit awkward, like an immature and unsteady young girl who hadn’t grown up yet.

What’s the big deal about holding hands? When they fought side by side, they often held hands to share their spiritual energy. In the beginning, when she got dizzy on the flying sword, it was Ye Shubai who held her hand to prevent her from falling off.

Holding hands is totally normal!

Holding hands is common, but when two handsome men walk hand in hand from the inn courtyard to the lobby, and then onto the main street, it will attract lots of people to look back and take notice.

Luckily, the cultivators in the cultivation world are open-minded. Although seeing same-sex couples is rare, it is not discriminated against, and people just watch without any fuss.

Wen Yun, used to being the center of attention in crowds, felt no discomfort and walked forward calmly and confidently.

On the other hand, Ye Shubai noticed the strange looks from others, but he just lowered his gaze and glanced at the hand he was holding. Then, he looked straight ahead and continued walking as if nothing had happened, with a slight smile on his lips.

As the sun rose, the street was bustling with many shops and vendors selling their goods, creating a lively atmosphere.

Wen Yun reluctantly spent a piece of low-grade spiritual jade to buy a box full of candies being sold by mortal vendors. The vendors usually only accepted copper coins, at most a few pieces of silver, so they had never seen someone so extravagant before. They immediately wanted to kneel in worship upon receiving the spiritual jade.

She quickly dodged and said, "I’m not a celestial being, I’m just a wealthy person. Please don’t kneel to me."

This incident made other vendors even more enthusiastic towards her, almost swarming around Wen Yun to sell their products. Unable to refuse these mortals, she had to buy from each of them. After strolling along the street, her space bag was filled with various colorful trinkets.

Seeing that Ye Shubai was about to enter Wanbao Pavilion, Wen Yun felt anxious and discreetly tugged at his hand, saying, "We’ve bought enough, let’s go back."

She has now deeply embraced the virtues of being thrifty and diligent like a sword cultivator, unwilling to spend a single piece of low-grade spiritual jade carelessly.

Just as she finished speaking, her gaze fell upon a row of neatly arranged picture albums newly displayed on the shelves of Wanbao Pavilion. On the cover was a domineering and wicked looking man with red eyes, forcing a delicate and beautiful girl into a corner, clutching her chest. The album was filled with rows of bold printed words – "Corrupted Masterxxxx!"

The Darkening of Masterxxxx!

Because the following four words were too explicit, they were written hastily in an attempt to disguise their meaning. Wen Yun couldn’t make out the content, but seeing the phrase "The Darkening of Master" made her unable to move. Obviously, this secret was supposed to stay in the sketchbook!

Without hesitation, Wen Yun walked into Wanbao Pavilion and confidently pulled out a top-grade spiritual jade, calmly instructing the attendant behind her, "Fetch me a copy of each book."

Just as she was about to receive them and put them into her space bag, a hand suddenly reached over and took all the albums.

Ye Shubai appeared composed and unruffled, as if it was a completely normal thing to do, "Let me have a look first, to ensure the content is appropriate before showing it to you."

If the title of the album didn’t blatantly describe a forbidden romance between master and disciple, he would have directly prohibited the sixteen-year-old girl from purchasing it upon seeing the inappropriate posture of the male and female figures. There would have been no chance given to her.

Wen Yun didn’t see this as an opportunity, "…Then you actually don’t need to have a look."

Because this book is full of bad words, the pictures will definitely be bad too. The main color is yellow, and Ye Shubai decided not to let her see after flipping through two pages.

She realized she couldn’t see the latest picture book, and was thinking about asking the ancestor from the Wan family when she returned to send her a set, or asking Second Master Brother for help to buy one, when Ye Shubai pulled out a beautiful little box from somewhere.

He lowered his head, his eyelashes trembling slightly due to nervousness, then quickly calmed down and said in a calm tone, "Here, for you."

Wen Yun took the box and smelled a familiar fragrance, her eyes lit up as she asked, "How did you know I like this perfume?"

Of course, he knew. She smelled this perfume twice that day.

The frustration of having the bad picture book confiscated disappeared in an instant. Wen Yun happily held Ye Shubai’s hand and prepared to pay, but at that moment, a slightly hesitant voice was heard behind them—

"Wen Yun?"

She turned back and saw a young man in a white robe standing behind her, his beautiful face almost like a girl’s but slightly tired and thinner.

Qian Lishen recognized Wen Yun and Ye Shubai.

Blizzard Island is different from Qingliu Sword Sect. They both prioritize their skills in formations. Qian Lishen, who excels in formations, smoothly takes over as the sect master.

However, since he is still young, and now there are many disputes between Blizzard Island and the Jiang family, he is no longer as free and arrogant as before.

He has heard that the previous "Martial Brother Ye" is actually the current sect master of Qingliu Sword Sect, so he greets Ye Shubai politely, "Sect Leader Ye, hello."

Ye Shubai accepts the greeting and replies politely, "Island Master Qian, hello."

After the necessary greetings, Qian Lishen unconsciously looks at Wen Yun, unsure of where to start the conversation.

Should he mention that he is now the Island Master of Blizzard Island and that Wen Yun can come to discuss formations with him anytime or visit Qianzhen Tower?

Or should he mention that his Spirit-gathering Array has been updated and ask if Wen Yun wants to try deciphering it again?

Perhaps he should bring up how, despite looking down on ordinary people, he has been secretly taking care of the people Wen Yun saved. Though Shen Xinghai is gone, they are doing well, and Wen Yun can stay at The Tenth Peak for a while.

His words get stuck in his throat before he can speak.

His gaze slowly moved down from Wen Yun’s face and settled on the hands they were holding, vaguely recalling the art catalogs they had looked at earlier.

The flush on Qian Lishen’s cheeks faded gradually, leaving him looking even paler.

The boy lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes casting a light shadow underneath under the store’s light.

He politely exchanged a few words with the two people, mentioning that many wanderers had gone missing in the city recently, so he had to excuse himself as he was busy with the investigation.

Upon hearing this, Wen Yun quickly stopped him, "You don’t need to search anymore, there are no demon cultivators left in the city."

She briefly explained the situation where demon cultivators kidnapped the wanderers and asked Qian Lishen, "My spirit pet should be bringing them back soon, they will need time to recover before they can restore their cultivation. Can you help accommodate them?"

Qian Lishen hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Okay."

Recently, he had dispatched many disciples from Blizzard Island to investigate this matter, yet they had found no leads. He didn’t expect Wen Yun to quietly resolve the issue on her own.

Initially, he had thought highly of himself, always looking down on others, but seeing Wen Yun’s accomplishments made him more attentive and realize that she could surpass him in many ways.

But now, it seems that only Sect Leader Ye is truly worthy to be compared with Wen Yun.

Qian Lishen felt a bit upset in his heart, didn’t want to stay longer, so he politely said goodbye and was about to leave.

Just as he turned around, Ye Shubai suddenly spoke up.

"Island Master Qian, please stay a moment."

He looked down at Qian Lishen, speaking gently and seriously, "If I’m not mistaken, a demon cultivator will arrive soon, and the disaster that once struck the Four Continents may happen again. Please be vigilant, Island Master Qian. We will all be staying in this city for some time. If anything unusual happens at sea, you can find us anytime."

No one knows if Dao Jie has truly left this realm, but the ambition of the demon cultivator will not be extinguished, and the Four Continents are in danger.

In the past, Qian Lishen would have sarcastically responded, but this time, after listening to Ye Shubai’s words, he looked serious and respectfully bowed, saying, "I understand. I will go back and have my disciples set up defensive formations at the edge of the sea."

Wen Yun watched Qian Lishen walk away and said with confusion, "I feel like he’s different from before."

Ye Shubai’s voice was clear and cold, "One day, a young man will become a grown man."

She was very curious and immediately asked, "When did you grow up to be a man?"

Ye Shubai stopped in his tracks and, for some unknown reason, the fierce words from the book came to mind.

At this moment, all thoughts of Dao Jie, Dongxuan World, and important matters of the world were forgotten, leaving only the mischievous smirk on the girl’s lips.

What could he do?

All he could do was hold her hand tightly and say softly, "Don’t be naughty."

"Stop it."