Ye Xuan ignored the Great Dao Pen. At this moment, he had only one thought.
Qing’er was emotionally unstable!
Why was Qing’er unstable?
Ye Xuan stood, his brows furrowed.
Yan Bei softly asked, “What’s wrong?”
Ye Xuan looked at Yan Bei, “Do you want to go back and be clan leader? If you do, go back. If not, stay at the academy.”
Yan Bei fell silent.
Ye Xuan smiled, “Whatever you choose, it won’t change things between us!”
Yan Bei looked up at him, “What things?”
Ye Xuan shrugged, “Our ambiguous relationship!”
Yan Bei glared at him, flushed with anger, “Ye Xuan, you’re so shameless, ugh!”
With that, she turned and vanished into the horizon.
Ye Xuan didn’t see the smile on her face as she turned away.
Looking at the horizon, Ye Xuan murmured, “I’m such a scoundrel!”
He shook his head and said, “Pen Brother, I need to see Qing’er!”
Great Dao Pen replied, “Meet across space?”
Ye Xuan shook his head, “Send me to the Milky Way!”
Great Dao Pen said, “On it!”
As its voice fell, the Great Dao Pen at Ye Xuan’s waist trembled. The next moment, the space around him turned illusory!
Ye Xuan suddenly said, “Pen Brother, if I leave and some sect or clan comes to trouble my academy…”
Great Dao Pen cut in, “Your academy? I’ll guard it. If anyone dares cause trouble while you’re gone, I’ll make sure they’re dealt with, crystal clear!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Great Dao Pen added, “You’re too far from the Milky Way. Even with my power, I can’t teleport you there instantly. You’ll need to travel through space-time. And you must return within an hour, because the Milky Way’s time differs from here. If you’re too late, it’ll mess things up on your side.”
As it spoke, the Great Dao Pen trembled violently, and Ye Xuan vanished completely.
…
In an unknown, mysterious space-time, Ye Xuan frowned, moving at a terrifying speed through the void!
Ye Xuan said gravely, “Pen Brother, normal people can’t go to the Milky Way, right?”
Great Dao Pen replied, “Correct!”
Ye Xuan was puzzled, “Why not?”
Great Dao Pen said, “This place is a pure land. My master forbids anyone from disturbing it!”
Ye Xuan grew curious, “Your master?”
Great Dao Pen said, “Surprised?”
Ye Xuan grinned, “A bit shocked. So, is your master powerful?”
Great Dao Pen paused, then said, “That question…”
Ye Xuan pressed, “As powerful as Qing’er?”
Great Dao Pen: “…”
Before Ye Xuan could ask more, Great Dao Pen said, “We’re here!”
Boom!
As its voice fell, Ye Xuan appeared on a beach.
He slowly opened his eyes, glancing around. He stood by the sea, facing an endless ocean. Not far off, a woman in a plain dress stood by the shore!
Qing’er!
Seeing her, Ye Xuan broke into a smile!
Qing’er slowly turned. When she saw Ye Xuan, her icy face melted into a smile, “Brother!”
Her voice was soft as water!
Ye Xuan walked to her side. He extended his right hand, and Qing’er placed hers in it. Ye Xuan gripped her hand tightly, whispering, “Qing’er!”
Qing’er suddenly stepped into his arms, resting her head on his shoulder, eyes closed, arms around his waist, holding him silently.
Qing’er!
She was Ye Xuan’s Qing’er, and his alone!
After a long while, the siblings sat on a large rock. Qing’er leaned her head on Ye Xuan’s shoulder, both gazing at the horizon where a red sun slowly rose, breathtakingly beautiful.
Qing’er whispered, “Pretty!”
Ye Xuan turned to her, “You’ve been unhappy lately, haven’t you?”
She nodded.
Ye Xuan asked, “Why unhappy?”
Qing’er nuzzled his shoulder, murmuring, “I’m invincible, with no rivals left!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Great Dao Pen: “…”
Qing’er looked up at him, “Brother, do you know how strong I am?”
Ye Xuan shook his head.
Qing’er pointed at the sea, “Brother, look at this ocean. It’s hard to say how vast the universe is, but I can give you an idea. One drop of water is like one universe…”
Ye Xuan’s pupils shrank, “This sea is boundless, so the universe…”
Qing’er nodded, “This is the known universe. Beyond it lies another, which I call the boundless universe. It’s truly limitless, with no edge, no end!”
Ye Xuan frowned, “Even you can’t explore its end?”
Qing’er looked at him, “I can!”
She opened her palm, and the Destiny Sword appeared, “No matter how vast or long the universe, it can’t outstretch my sword. To me, whether it’s the known or boundless universe, it’s just a speck of dust beneath my feet!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Qing’er looked at him, “If I wished, I could destroy both the known and boundless universes with one swing of my sword.”
One swing to destroy all!
Ye Xuan smiled, shaking his head, “Impressive!”
Qing’er blinked, “Just standard stuff!”
Ye Xuan’s expression froze. Qing’er was getting cheeky!
Qing’er added, “Brother, you haven’t left the known universe yet, right?”
Ye Xuan nodded, “Right!”
Qing’er said softly, “Then your journey’s still long!”
She smiled faintly, “That’s a good thing. It means I can stay with you longer!”
Ye Xuan grabbed her hand, whispering, “Qing’er, if I ever become invincible, will you leave me?”
Qing’er fell silent.
A pang of panic hit Ye Xuan. He gripped her shoulders, earnest, “Answer me!”
Qing’er smiled gently, “If you don’t want me to, I won’t leave!”
Ye Xuan grinned, “You’ve never lied to me, right?”
Qing’er nodded.
Ye Xuan chuckled softly, “How could I ever let you go?”
Qing’er’s left hand tightly held his. She leaned her head on his shoulder, murmuring, “Brother, thank you!”
Ye Xuan was curious, “For what?”
Qing’er gazed at the warm sun on the horizon, “Thank you for making me feel my life has meaning. Without you, my existence would be pointless… With you, I feel alive.”
She nuzzled his shoulder, her voice soft, “I’ve seen this sunrise countless times, never finding it beautiful. But now, it’s stunning.”
Her eyes closed slowly, a captivating smile spreading across her face, “Having you is wonderful! Let’s let this universe live a bit longer, then!”
Great Dao Pen: “…”
…
