The days of cultivation were monotonous, but no matter how dull, cultivation was a must!
After learning about this Boundary Realm, Ye Xuan felt a growing sense of pressure!
The martial civilization here might not have reached the level of his dad or Qing’er, but it was damn close!
Which meant his cushy days as a second-generation bigshot might be gone for good!
Notably, while Ye Xuan was cultivating, Yang Nian Xue had already hit the Life-Knowing Realm!
As he’d expected, Snow Sis’s Life-Knowing wasn’t your average tier. Her current level outstripped even the Twelve Life-Knowing Saints from back then—possibly just shy of powerhouses like the Snow Mountain King or Gu Chou!
On top of that, Xu Wan had also reached Life-Knowing Realm!
But Ye Xuan didn’t let the two women venture out—the outside was just too dangerous right now. What he didn’t expect, though, was that Snow Sis had snuck out anyway!
He was pissed!
Little Pagoda chimed in, “Little Master, instead of fretting over Snow Master, you’d be better off worrying about yourself! From what I know, Snow Master’s the apple of Master’s eye—Master’d never let her come to harm. You, on the other hand… you get it!”
Ye Xuan’s face darkened. *I get your sister!*
If he didn’t need the pagoda for cultivation, he’d seriously consider selling the damn thing!
Ignoring the broken tower, Ye Xuan teamed up with Xu Wan to cultivate!
He decided to mold Xu Wan into a top-tier sword cultivator!
She was one of his own, after all!
He had to nurture her well!
About ten years later, Ye Xuan hit the Life-Divinity Realm!
One day, having reached this milestone, he left the pagoda. He roasted a sheep and brought it to Elder Xuan. He’d noticed the old man did nothing but sweep the grounds every day.
Ye Xuan tore off a leg and handed it over. “Elder Xuan, eat up!”
Elder Xuan glanced at him, didn’t refuse, and started gnawing on it.
Ye Xuan scanned the area, then asked, “Elder Xuan, is it just you on Spirit Mountain?”
Elder Xuan replied, “There’s one more!”
Ye Xuan’s curiosity piqued. “Who?”
Elder Xuan stayed silent.
Ye Xuan grinned. “Elder Xuan, can I ask you a few questions?”
Elder Xuan still didn’t respond.
Ye Xuan pressed, “In the world below, Life-Knowing’s the highest known realm. Up here, could you explain your realm system?”
He tore off another leg and handed it over.
Elder Xuan didn’t refuse this time either. After a few bites, he said, “No-Heart, No-Mind, No-Body, No-Soul, No-Path, No-Realm.”
Ye Xuan frowned. “No-Realm’s the one Jun Dao Lin reached back then?”
Elder Xuan nodded.
Ye Xuan glanced at him. “What realm are you, Elder Xuan?”
Elder Xuan went quiet again.
Ye Xuan took the hint and dropped it.
Soon, the two polished off the sheep in no time.
After eating, Ye Xuan stood to return to the pagoda.
Then Elder Xuan suddenly asked, “That sword of yours…”
Ye Xuan’s lips twitched. *The old man couldn’t resist after all!*
Turning to Elder Xuan, he said earnestly, “You’re interested in this sword?”
Elder Xuan eyed the Qingxuan Sword in Ye Xuan’s hand. “Dangerous!”
Dangerous!
Ye Xuan fell silent.
Clearly, Elder Xuan had sensed Qing’er through the sword after touching it.
What puzzled him, though, was that with Qing’er’s strength, others shouldn’t be able to detect her at all. Unless… Qing’er had been keeping an eye on him?
The thought warmed his heart!
Elder Xuan suddenly added, “Don’t go down the mountain!”
With that, he turned and left.
Down the mountain!
Ye Xuan peered below, soon picking up powerful auras in the distant mountains!
The Law Enforcement Sect!
His brow furrowed. *Damn it, they’re not letting me off!*
He ignored them and returned to the pagoda to cultivate!
Inside, twenty years later, Ye Xuan reached the Primordial Spirit Realm!
He’d cultivated a primordial spirit now!
Theoretically, it was like having two lives—but he knew it meant squat. The foes he faced here were too terrifying!
One strike from them, and he’d be wiped out—primordial spirit or not!
Back in the Burial Domain, against anyone short of the Snow Mountain King or Gu Chou, this realm would’ve been clutch—two lives, after all. But in this godforsaken place, it was borderline useless!
Now, he officially aimed for Life-Knowing!
Once he hit that, he’d rise!
Because he had the Qingxuan Sword!
Outside Spirit Mountain, in a mountain range:
Gu Yi stared intently at Spirit Mountain. Behind him stood three elders, their auras thick—all No-Heart Realm!
He’d been waiting here nearly half a month!
And in that time, Ye Xuan hadn’t stepped off the mountain once.
The Law Enforcement Sect’s orders were clear: don’t go up. They were wary of Spirit Mountain. Who knew if A Dao Ling was still alive? Even if she wasn’t, the current Mountain Lord, Yan Ban Shan, was a fearsome figure!
One of the elders behind Gu Yi said gravely, “Elder Gu Yi, that kid seems to be cultivating up there!”
Gu Yi replied coolly, “No matter. He was just Life-Body Realm down below. Even with a hundred years, it’s meaningless!”
The elder frowned. “If he’s only Life-Body, how’d he kill our people?”
Gu Yi murmured, “Word is, he’s got a supreme artifact—that sword of his… That’s our real target this time!”
His eyes flashed with confusion. “He killed a No-Heart Realm with that sword… and it’s from the lower realm. What does that mean?”
The elder asked gravely, “Any leads on the sword’s origin?”
Gu Yi shook his head. “Only that it was forged by some sister of his. We know nothing about her!”
He gazed at Spirit Mountain. “We wait! I refuse to believe he won’t come down!”
The elder pressed, “What if he never does?”
Gu Yi sneered, “Relax—he will! Word is, Yan Ban Shan’s due back soon. She’s got a short fuse, and this flashy kid? She’ll hate him! Just wait!”
On Spirit Mountain:
Charging toward Life-Knowing!
Life-Knowing Realm was about understanding fate—knowing your blessings and curses. It was a bit mystical.
He knew little about it, but Xu Wan knew plenty!
She was a bona fide Life-Knowing cultivator now!
Back when she was Primordial Spirit Realm, she’d studied Life-Knowing extensively—she knew it inside out!
With Xu Wan’s help, Ye Xuan began his push.
Good thing he had enough Saint Extreme Crystals—otherwise, he couldn’t even attempt it!
Life-Knowing burned through crystals like crazy!
Normal folks couldn’t afford it!
Time ticked by…
Thirty years later!
Ye Xuan sat cross-legged, eyes closed, like a monk in meditation!
Enlightenment!
Reaching Life-Knowing required insight—grasping the threads of fate. It wasn’t easy, but he wasn’t rushed. Inside the pagoda, he had all the time he needed.
Years passed. One day, Ye Xuan’s eyes snapped open. He stood, and Xu Wan appeared before him. “Life-Knowing?”
Ye Xuan grinned. “Yep!”
Life-Knowing!
He’d made it.
Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, he willed it—a sword light shot skyward, piercing deep into the clouds.
He opened his palm, and the Qingxuan Sword landed in his hand. Gazing at it, a smirk tugged at his lips.
Moments later, he left the pagoda.
Stepping out, he headed down the mountain. Elder Xuan, sweeping nearby, frowned at him. “You’re going down?”
Ye Xuan nodded. “Yeah!”
Elder Xuan hesitated but said nothing.
He hadn’t sensed Ye Xuan’s true realm—Ye Xuan was now using the Qingxuan Sword to mask his cultivation!
Hiding his aura was another of the sword’s killer features!
As Ye Xuan descended, Elder Xuan’s eyes flickered with doubt.
*When did this kid get so bold?*
Soon, Ye Xuan reached the base. The moment he stepped off Spirit Mountain, a mysterious space-time field enveloped him, twisting the surrounding space. In an instant, he was trapped!
Gu Yi appeared a short distance away, sneering. “Ye Xuan, you—”
Before he could finish, the Qingxuan Sword flew from Ye Xuan’s hand.
That strike was lightning-fast!
Not just fast—it ignored the spatial cage Gu Yi’s group had set up.
The moment it shot out, Gu Yi’s pupils shrank, dread surging. He moved to defend, but the sword’s speed spiked!
*Shink!*
The Qingxuan Sword plunged into Gu Yi’s brow!
Gu Yi’s three elders froze.
So did Elder Xuan up on Spirit Mountain.
*When did this kid get *that* strong?*
Elder Xuan was genuinely shocked. When Ye Xuan first arrived, he was Life-Body Realm—weak as a chicken! But that strike just now? Life-Knowing!
How long had it been?
The more he thought, the more stunned he became. Less than a month—from Life-Body to Life-Knowing?
*That’s insane!*
Gu Yi, too, was reeling, his mind blank!
*Wasn’t this guy supposed to be Life-Body?*
*How’d he jump to Life-Knowing?*
*Even at Life-Knowing, how’d he one-shot me?*
Gu Yi stared at Ye Xuan. “You…”
Ye Xuan opened his palm. The Qingxuan Sword absorbed Gu Yi’s soul and returned to his hand!
Ye Xuan chuckled. “No-Heart Realm? That’s it?”
The remaining three elders were dumbfounded!
Ye Xuan turned to them. “Where’s the Law Enforcement Sect? Point me the way.”
One elder instinctively pointed right.
Ye Xuan went quiet.
Damn it!
Overplayed my hand!
