After blurting it out, Ye Xuan instantly regretted it!
That was a bit disrespectful!
Hearing his words, A Dao Ling paused, then burst into laughter. “Fine, I’ll give it to you first!”
With a flick of her finger, a white light shot into Ye Xuan’s brow.
*Boom!*
His body jolted as a flood of information poured into his mind.
A Dao Ling grinned. “One part’s my inheritance—it’ll smooth out your cultivation. The other’s my insight into your sword. Use it my way, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised!”
As she spoke, she began to float upward.
Beside her, Yan Ban Shan bowed solemnly. “Master, I’ll come find you!”
A Dao Ling smiled, then turned to Ye Xuan. “Kid, can you do me a favor?”
Ye Xuan looked at her. “What favor?”
She said, “Ban Shan’s got my teachings and should soon hit No-Realm! But during that process, she’ll need someone to guard her!”
Ye Xuan hesitated. “No one would dare mess with Spirit Mountain, right?”
She chuckled. “You don’t want to?”
Ye Xuan gave a wry smile. “It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just—if someone dares target Ban Shan, with my strength…”
A Dao Ling smiled faintly. “Do your best. If it’s too much, you can bail. Deal?”
Ye Xuan thought it over and nodded. “Alright! I’ll do my best!”
Her lips curved. “Take care, kid! And you too, Ban Shan—I’m looking forward to you hitting No-Realm!”
With that, she vanished, reappearing deep in the boundless starry expanse.
In the starfield’s depths, A Dao Ling looked up, her gaze piercing countless domains, a smirk forming. “Let’s see who you are!”
Finally, she glimpsed a plain skirt. In that instant, a sword light pierced her brow…
—
Inside the cave.
Yan Ban Shan said gravely, “Master went to find your sister?”
Ye Xuan nodded. “Probably!”
She murmured, “What’s her chance of winning?”
Ye Xuan: “…”
She glanced at him. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
He sighed helplessly. “Let’s just go!”
He turned and left.
No point flexing when it’s family!
Seeing him leave, Yan Ban Shan frowned but said nothing, following behind.
Not long after they exited, a black-robed elder appeared in the cave.
It was Xiao Xiao, the Law Enforcement Sect’s master!
Soon after, a middle-aged man joined him—the Boundary Lord Zong Shou of Cloud Realm, another major power in the Boundary Realm!
Zong Shou glanced at Xiao Xiao, chuckling. “Sect Master Xiao, didn’t expect you’d been keeping tabs on this place too!”
Xiao Xiao replied coolly, “Senior A Dao Ling’s last known spot—how could I not? Plus, the Mountain Lord comes here every so often… I just didn’t think she’d actually get inside this time!”
Zong Shou grinned. “Word is, that kid’s sword can ignore any space-time! Tsk tsk… even Senior A Dao Ling’s setup couldn’t stop it. That blade’s something else!”
Xiao Xiao’s face stayed neutral, his thoughts hidden.
Zong Shou shifted gears. “Sect Master Xiao, I hear that kid’s killed several of your elders!”
Xiao Xiao’s expression didn’t flicker. “If that Mountain Lord got A Dao Ling’s inheritance…”
Zong Shou laughed. “So what? A Dao Ling never hit No-Realm anyway!”
Xiao Xiao shot him a look. “You believe that?”
Zong Shou fell silent!
Deep down, they both figured A Dao Ling had reached No-Realm.
Why had Jun Dao Lin vanished back then?
According to later rulers of Jun Dao Nation, he’d left after hitting No-Realm, finding no worthy foes.
Why had A Dao Ling up and gone?
No-Realm, obviously!
Xiao Xiao added, “Meaning, right now, that Yan Mountain Lord’s carrying a No-Realm powerhouse’s inheritance!”
Zong Shou’s lips twitched. “Sect Master Xiao, that’s a dangerous thought!”
Xiao Xiao glanced at him. “With our talent and potential, can we hit No-Realm in this lifetime?”
Zong Shou paused, then said, “Hard! Hard! Hard!”
Three *hards*!
Xiao Xiao nodded. “Realistically, we’ve got no shot! But if we snag Senior A Dao Ling’s inheritance—then what?”
Zong Shou’s eyes narrowed, thoughts churning.
Xiao Xiao pressed, “It’s our only chance!”
Zong Shou chuckled. “So, Brother Xiao, how should we team up?”
Xiao Xiao murmured, “We strike when she’s breaking through to No-Realm!”
Zong Shou cautioned, “What if A Dao Ling…”
Xiao Xiao paused, a ruthless glint in his eyes. “I’m betting she won’t show!”
Zong Shou asked, “That kid… he’s a wild card!”
A chill flashed in Xiao Xiao’s eyes. “We kill him first!”
Zong Shou pressed, “Should we loop in Jun Dao Nation?”
Xiao Xiao shook his head. “No need! King Zhongshan’s too cautious—he won’t take the risk!”
Zong Shou nodded softly. “Fair point!”
—
Spirit Mountain.
After returning with Yan Ban Shan, she headed for her straw hut.
Ye Xuan suddenly asked, “You’re going for No-Realm now?”
She nodded.
He sighed softly. “Mountain Lord Yan, you’re just diving in like that?”
She turned to him. “Problem?”
Ye Xuan said gravely, “Have you considered what happens if someone attacks while you’re breaking through?”
Her brow furrowed.
Ye Xuan relaxed inwardly. Good—she didn’t brush it off with a dumb “That’s impossible!” or he’d have bolted!
Sure, he’d promised A Dao Ling to guard her, but he wasn’t about to do it blindly!
Without prep, sticking around to help—if trouble hit, could he just walk away?
Yan Ban Shan asked, “Got any suggestions?”
Ye Xuan scanned the area. She cut in, “No outsiders within a million *li*!”
He nodded slightly. “Any strong friends?”
She pointed at Elder Xuan nearby.
Ye Xuan asked, “Anyone else?”
She shook her head.
He sighed inwardly. *Total lone wolf!*
He pressed, “Do the Law Enforcement Sect, Cloud Realm, and Jun Dao Nation know about that secret realm?”
She nodded. “Yes!”
Ye Xuan’s voice deepened. “If I’m right, they’ve already heard we entered it! They’ll be guessing whether we got A Dao Ling’s inheritance! Think they can resist that temptation?”
She shook her head. “No!”
He nodded. “Meaning they might team up to steal it!”
Her frown deepened.
Elder Xuan chimed in gravely, “Young Master Ye’s right! The Law Enforcement Sect, Cloud Realm, and Jun Dao Nation won’t just sit by while you hit No-Realm, Mountain Lord!”
She turned to Ye Xuan. “What’s your plan?”
He thought, then shook his head. “No plan! You’ve got no friends—total lone wolf!”
He paused, then added, “Can you summon your ancestor?”
She shook her head.
Ye Xuan despaired!
*Damn it! Everyone else can summon ancestors—why can’t you?*
She said, “Master told you to guard me!”
His face darkened. “You think I can take on *all* of them?”
She replied, “I trust you!”
He blinked. “You trust me?”
She nodded. “I trust Master, Master trusts you, so I trust you!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
She continued, “I *have* to go for No-Realm! Even if I don’t, they’ll come for us, right?”
He nodded. “Right!”
She added, “Once I hit No-Realm, they’re all ants!”
He asked gravely, “Can you hit it in an hour?”
She shook her head. “At least three million years!”
Three million years!
He sighed. “By the time you’re done, Elder Xuan and I will have grass growing ten meters high over our graves!”
She just stared at him, silent.
He fell quiet too.
She suddenly asked, “You thinking of bailing?”
His eyelid twitched. *How’d she know?*
She said, “If you want to go, go! You don’t owe me anything!”
She turned toward the hut.
He called out, “I’ve got a plan!”
She turned back. He said gravely, “I’ll take you and run!”
She frowned. “What?”
He grabbed her, and they vanished, reappearing inside the little pagoda!
Inside, Yan Ban Shan froze, her expression growing serious. “The time here and outside…”
Ye Xuan looked at her. “Cultivate here—one month tops! Can you do it in a month?”
She nodded. “Yes!”
She asked, “Can you hold them off for a month?”
He paused, then said, “I’ll try!”
Truthfully, he knew running solo was riskier!
He’d entered the secret realm with her—would they let him off?
No chance!
Especially the Law Enforcement Sect—they’d be itching to gut him!
Her hitting No-Realm was their only shot!
Ye Xuan left the pagoda, scanned the area, and turned to Elder Xuan. “Elder Xuan, hold here as long as you can. If it’s too much, don’t die for it—got it?”
Elder Xuan nodded. “Got it!”
Ye Xuan nodded, then shot into the sky as a sword light. At the horizon, he stopped—facing Xiao Xiao.
Xiao Xiao eyed him. “Young Master Ye, where you off to?”
…
