No more face!
As soon as Shen Zhao finished speaking, the Wind Soul Beast and Shenhou immediately nodded, indicating they, too, were done with face.
As Ye Xuan had said, what use was face?
None!
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, then asked, “Are you sure?”
Shen Zhao nodded.
Ye Xuan grinned. “Welcome to the Shameless Alliance!”
The Shameless Alliance!
He had ultimately decided to cultivate some powerful allies, and these demonic beasts were perfect candidates. With Little Pagoda and his unique bloodline, training them up wouldn’t be too difficult.
Once these beasts were strengthened, he’d have several formidable helpers!
As if recalling something, Ye Xuan suddenly asked, “What realm was that old man just now?”
Shen Zhao said softly, “Cosmic Heart Realm!”
Ye Xuan frowned. “Still Cosmic Heart Realm?”
Shen Zhao nodded. “Including the divine king from before, also Cosmic Heart Realm, though stronger than the average.”
Ye Xuan said gravely, “So Cosmic Heart Realm has varying strengths, meaning it’s divided into sub-realms, right?”
Shen Zhao said softly, “Cosmic Heart Realm is divided into six tiers!”
Six tiers!
Ye Xuan rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
Shen Zhao looked at him. “What’s wrong?”
Ye Xuan gave a wry smile. “Every time I hear about realms now, I get a splitting headache.”
Shen Zhao was puzzled. “Why?”
Ye Xuan shook his head. “Just tell me about the Cosmic Heart Realm.”
Shen Zhao said gravely, “You should know that to reach the Cosmic Heart Realm, one must absorb an entire cosmos and refine it into a Cosmic Heart!”
Ye Xuan nodded. “Yes!”
Shen Zhao continued, “Cosmic Heart Realm experts can keep absorbing. Some who reach this realm double their cultivation by absorbing another cosmos, reaching the second tier. The strongest I’ve seen was a fifth-tier Cosmic Heart Realm expert who absorbed five super-cosmoses. His Cosmic Heart wasn’t just one—it was five fused together! Incredibly terrifying!”
Ye Xuan frowned. “It works like that?”
Shen Zhao nodded.
Ye Xuan suddenly felt a pang of regret.
When he killed earlier, he had destroyed the opponent’s Cosmic Heart!
Normally, a Cosmic Heart is nearly indestructible, but his Qingxuan Sword was no ordinary weapon!
One slash, and what Cosmic Heart could withstand it?
If he hadn’t destroyed their Cosmic Hearts, couldn’t he have absorbed them?
At this thought, Ye Xuan’s eyes suddenly lit up.
For others, absorbing a Cosmic Heart to boost cultivation was nearly impossible—it required a powerful physique, a strong bloodline, and the Cosmic Heart’s compatibility.
But his unique physique and bloodline made him capable of absorbing them!
His lips curled into a slight smile.
Shen Zhao suddenly said, “What mischief are you plotting?”
Ye Xuan laughed heartily. “Nothing! How could I be plotting anything bad?”
Shen Zhao glanced at him, then said gravely, “Lian Chi’s death will soon draw the Demon Sect’s attention. If I’m not mistaken, they’ll likely send a third-tier Cosmic Heart Realm expert soon!”
Ye Xuan asked, “Was Lian Chi second-tier?”
Shen Zhao nodded.
Ye Xuan looked at the Qingxuan Sword in his hand, silent.
Could he kill a third-tier expert?
He was a bit worried. His *One Sword to Sever the Future* had a major flaw: after unleashing it, it took time to take effect!
During that window, if the opponent attacked him, he was in trouble!
If he didn’t use the Qingxuan Sword for *Sever the Future*, he could use it to defend. With the Qingxuan Sword, he wouldn’t fear a third-tier Cosmic Heart Realm expert. But without it, killing the opponent was difficult—some Cosmic Heart Realm experts had terrifyingly resilient bodies!
Ye Xuan felt a headache brewing.
Shen Zhao suddenly asked, “What’s your plan?”
Ye Xuan looked at her. “What’s your realm?”
Shen Zhao said, “Second-tier!”
Ye Xuan frowned. “You’re second-tier, and Lian Chi was second-tier. Why…”
Shen Zhao said lightly, “They ganged up on me!”
Ye Xuan’s expression turned odd. So she’d been overwhelmed by a group! No wonder she chose to abandon face!
Shen Zhao asked again, “What’s your plan?”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, then said, “Cultivate and wait for them!”
Shen Zhao frowned. “Cultivate?”
Ye Xuan nodded and glanced at the Wind Soul Beast and Shenhou. “They’re first-tier Cosmic Heart Realm, right?”
The two beasts nodded.
Ye Xuan said gravely, “Our top priority is to boost our strength. Shen Zhao, you must reach third-tier. Wind Soul and Shenhou need to hit second-tier!”
Shen Zhao frowned. “In such a short time…”
She paused, suddenly remembering the Little Pagoda!
Ye Xuan looked at her. “My blood can help you, right?”
Shen Zhao nodded. “Yes! Your bloodline is extremely special, highly tempting to demonic beasts!”
Ye Xuan asked, “How much blood do you need?”
Shen Zhao was silent for a moment, then said, “I don’t know!”
Ye Xuan opened his palm, and a white jade bottle appeared before Shen Zhao. “Use this for now. See if it’s enough!”
Shen Zhao nodded. “Alright!”
With that, she returned to the Little Pagoda.
Inside, Shen Zhao sat cross-legged, opened the jade bottle, and swallowed a drop of essence blood.
*Boom!*
As the blood entered her body, her pupils contracted. Her blood suddenly boiled, and powerful auras surged from within her.
*Boom!*
In an instant, the spacetime around her boiled.
At that moment, Little Pagoda’s voice rang in her mind. “Miss, you must reach the third tier as fast as possible, or even the fourth!”
Shen Zhao frowned. “Why?”
Little Pagoda said, “Because only then can you stay by Young Master’s side! If you progress too slowly, he’ll soon leave you behind. Then, you’ll be left out. Before you, he had many women by his side, but none could keep up with him. Most fell behind and left.”
Shen Zhao was silent.
Little Pagoda continued, “You might be thinking, what’s so special about following him, right?”
Shen Zhao nodded.
Little Pagoda said lightly, “Young Master himself is a bit of a mess, but he has this pagoda! Know me? In my pagoda, ten years of cultivation is just one day outside! If you cultivate here for a while, heh…”
Shen Zhao was silent.
Little Pagoda went on, “If you want to stay by his side, you need to be strong or keep up with him. Otherwise, you’ll soon be forgotten!”
Shen Zhao suddenly asked, “If you think he’s a mess, why do you follow him?”
Little Pagoda was silent for a moment, then said, “Stop asking so many questions!”
Shen Zhao: “…”
Outside the pagoda, Ye Xuan gave the three demonic beasts some essence blood and sent them into the pagoda to cultivate.
He glanced around, then vanished from the spot.
…
Not long after, the space where Ye Xuan had stood trembled. A moment later, it was as if scissors had cut through the fabric of space, and a man in a white robe stepped out.
The man scanned his surroundings, his brows furrowing slightly.
After a long while, he opened his palm, and a token appeared. The next moment, the token vanished.
As it disappeared, the man said softly, “Come out!”
No response!
He turned to his right. “Come out!”
Still no response.
The man shook his head slightly. “The sword-wielding youth in a cloud-blue robe.”
At that moment, a figure slowly emerged.
It was none other than Ye Xuan!
He hadn’t left. He’d been waiting—waiting for the Demon Sect’s powerhouses to arrive, because he knew they would come!
Ye Xuan looked at the man. “You found me!”
The man studied Ye Xuan. “Your realm is low, but your strength is great. You don’t walk an ordinary path!”
Ye Xuan smiled. “Indeed!”
For him, stalling was key—his sword needed time to fly.
The man was silent for a moment, then said, “I won’t survive this, will I?”
Ye Xuan’s eyes narrowed.
The man glanced at the empty scabbard in Ye Xuan’s hand. “You dared to wait for me here, which means you’re confident you can kill me. Your scabbard has no sword, meaning you’ve already struck! Right?”
Ye Xuan’s face darkened.
Damn it!
He’d met a true expert!
If the opponent was prepared, his *One Sword to Sever the Future* might not kill them!
If it failed, he’d be in serious danger.
The man suddenly smiled. “You’re silent, your gaze lowered, and your left hand tightened on the scabbard… signs of wariness. You’re now cautious of me, meaning you’re not confident that the sword you unleashed can kill me!”
Ye Xuan looked at the man and smiled. “The moment you arrived, you took out a token. If I’m not mistaken, you were calling for backup. You did that because you’re afraid. Now you’re saying all this, which means you’re even more afraid!”
His lips curled slightly. “Before you came, I did unleash a sword. Let’s make a bet—bet whether my sword can take your life. Want to wager?”
The man looked at Ye Xuan. After a moment, he smiled. “What’s the stake?”
Ye Xuan blinked. “Your life!”
The man laughed. “Just my life? What about yours?”
Ye Xuan grinned. “A third-tier Cosmic Heart Realm can’t kill me!”
The man studied Ye Xuan, then nodded slightly. “A third-tier can’t kill you… but what about a fourth-tier?”
As he spoke, a powerful aura surged from his body!
Fourth-tier Cosmic Heart Realm!
The man smiled. “Your eyes narrowed! And there’s a trace of gravity in your gaze. Clearly, you’re not as confident anymore!”
His lips curled. “Brother Ye, I bet your sword can’t kill me!”
…
