Daolin Kingdom
The strength of Daolin Kingdom in the Daolin Realm is actually at the bottom tier, but for many years, no faction has dared to target it.
The reason? The royal family of Daolin Kingdom is descended from Jun Daolin himself!
Though Jun Daolin is no longer in the Daolin Realm, he isn’t dead. Who knows when he might return?
**The Palace**
After the morning court session ended, the Zhongshan King stepped out, followed by Gu Chou.
At this moment, Gu Chou had reached the No-Heart Realm!
The Zhongshan King chuckled lightly, “Your brother’s being hunted down right now!”
Gu Chou frowned, “By whom?”
The Zhongshan King replied, “The Law Enforcement Sect and the Cloud Realm!”
Gu Chou said gravely, “Brother Ye is in danger!”
Though he hadn’t been in the Daolin Realm long, he knew it well enough. Whether it was the Law Enforcement Sect or the Cloud Realm, both were top-tier forces!
Two sects chasing one man—Ye Xuan?
Gu Chou suddenly said, “This Brother Ye really seems born with a knack for making enemies!”
The Zhongshan King laughed, “The treasures he carries are too tempting!”
Gu Chou looked at the Zhongshan King, “Senior, are you getting involved?”
The Zhongshan King shook his head, “Daolin Kingdom is small and weak. If not for our ancestor’s lingering influence, we’d have been devoured long ago! So, we’re staying out of this!”
Gu Chou nodded slightly, saying no more.
The Zhongshan King smiled, “Go cultivate! It won’t be long before you reach the No-Mind Realm!”
Gu Chou nodded and turned to leave.
Shortly after Gu Chou’s departure, a shadowy figure appeared before the Zhongshan King, bowing slightly and whispering something.
Moments later, the Zhongshan King laughed, “The Hidden Assassins’ Pavilion is targeting Young Master Ye too?”
The shadow nodded, “Yes! Their deputy pavilion master has personally taken action!”
The Zhongshan King chuckled softly, “Pass the order—have the Daolin Guards secretly monitor Young Master Ye. If necessary, rescue him.”
The shadow hesitated, then said, “Doing this might offend the Hidden Assassins’ Pavilion, the Cloud Realm, and the Law Enforcement Sect!”
The Zhongshan King looked at the shadow and smiled, “A man must have heart and vision! You see a crisis; I see a golden opportunity! First, Young Master Ye isn’t ordinary. That sword of his—no average person could forge it. It’d take at least a No-Boundary Realm expert! In other words, he’s got at least one No-Boundary powerhouse behind him! Second, how many years has it been since Spirit Mountain took anyone in? After Senior A Dao Ling took Yan Banshan, they stopped. But now, Young Master Ye’s tangled up with her!”
He paused, smiling faintly, then continued, “Yan Banshan surely inherited A Dao Ling’s legacy. But everyone’s overlooked something—Young Master Ye entered that secret realm with her and came out together! Afterward, she went into secluded cultivation, and he’s guarding her… Know what that means? He’s joined Spirit Mountain and met Senior A Dao Ling! Someone like her—what kind of eye does she have? Would she acknowledge just anyone? If she’s recognized him…”
He looked skyward, chuckling, “Helping Young Master Ye doesn’t just earn us his gratitude—it earns us Spirit Mountain’s too! It’s a perfect two-for-one!”
The shadow suddenly said, “King, we could just sit back, watch them fight it out, and pick up the pieces!”
The Zhongshan King sighed softly, “That’s not wrong, but you’re missing something—I want to reach No-Boundary Realm!”
The shadow froze!
The Zhongshan King laughed, “If we sit back now and Ye wins, you think he’d care about us? If Yan Banshan gets annoyed, she might wipe us out too!”
His eyes closed slowly, “In this fight, Young Master Ye will win!”
The shadow puzzled, “Why?”
The Zhongshan King smiled, “Because he’s got backing! Fighting someone like him—what if you beat the young one? The old ones come out next—maybe several of them! Don’t you think he’s like a kid his elders sent out to toughen up? You can hit him, rough him up—but you can’t kill him! Try that, and you’re poking a hornet’s nest…”
The shadow: “…”
The Zhongshan King laughed, “Go on, then! I’ll prepare—I’m about to step onto the stage myself! And I’ll play a sob story for Young Master Ye, make him feel how tough it was for us to step in. Facing down several superpowers to help him—he’ll be so moved!”
The shadow’s expression stiffened. He bowed slightly and left.
The Zhongshan King gazed at the sky, where a white cloud drifted lazily.
Moments later, he smiled, then strode off into the distance!
—
In a mountain range, Ye Xuan stopped. By now, he’d used the Qingxuan Sword to mask his aura!
But he didn’t think that made him safe!
He scanned his surroundings, then entered the Little Pagoda.
Yan Banshan sat atop a peak, eyes closed, her aura completely absent!
*Three hundred years!*
The thought gave Ye Xuan a headache!
He knew Elder Xuan of Spirit Mountain wouldn’t hold out long. Soon, he’d be hunted not just by the Law Enforcement Sect, but the Cloud Realm too!
Two superpowers!
Ye Xuan felt like a walking jinx—chased wherever he went!
He left the pagoda, about to move on, when his pupils shrank. The Qingxuan Sword vanished from his hand.
*Shink!*
A cold glint flashed past his throat!
Ye Xuan leapt back a thousand zhang!
Stopping, he squinted—nobody was there! But at his throat, a thin layer of armor shimmered!
Armor formed by the Qingxuan Sword!
His eyes narrowed. That strike came from a No-Path Realm assassin!
Even No-Path killers were after him now!
What puzzled him was—how did they find him?
In his mind, he asked gravely, “Little Pagoda, can you sense that assassin?”
After a pause, Little Pagoda said, “No!”
Ye Xuan frowned, “No? Are you kidding? You’re the Destiny Pagoda—you can’t sense one assassin?”
Little Pagoda replied coolly, “What’s the connection?”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Little Pagoda went on, “Little Master, you’ve got to rely on yourself, got it?”
Ye Xuan’s face darkened…
Little Pagoda continued, “Think about it—Master and Big Sis Tianming are waiting for you to grow up! But if you keep this up, they might never see that day! You… you don’t want to be a spoiled second-gen forever, right?”
Ye Xuan said flatly, “You really can’t sense that assassin, can you?”
Little Pagoda snapped, “Are you looking down on me? I’m the Destiny Pagoda…”
Ye Xuan cut in, “Then where’s the assassin?”
After a pause, Little Pagoda said, “In the shadow behind you!”
Ye Xuan’s pupils shrank. He opened his palm, and a qi sword slashed at his shadow. Almost instantly, a cold edge struck the back of his neck.
*Boom!*
Ye Xuan was blasted thousands of zhang away, the surrounding forest pulverized in an instant!
When he stopped, the assassin was gone!
In his mind, he said, “Little Pagoda, track him for me!”
Little Pagoda replied, “Ten zhang to your right, inside a tree!”
*Buzz!*
A sword light pierced the tree. As it splintered, a shadow darted back tens of thousands of zhang and vanished!
Little Pagoda said, “Thirty thousand zhang out, in a puddle!”
Ye Xuan opened his palm. The armor on him morphed into a sword light, slashing into the puddle!
*Boom!*
A shadow was forced back, retreating wildly…
Left behind was an arm!
Little Pagoda said, “He’s gone!”
Ye Xuan glared into the distance. This assassin was No-Path Realm too, but head-on, his strength was weak!
That made sense—assassins thrived on one-shot kills!
Lose that edge, and they were outmatched!
Suddenly, Ye Xuan said, “Little Pagoda, can you help me hide my aura better?”
He’d relied on the Qingxuan Sword before, but people still found him!
Little Pagoda replied, “Of course! But, Little Master, I’ve got to warn you—even with my help, that guy might still track you!”
Ye Xuan frowned, “Why?”
Little Pagoda said gravely, “Little Soul’s already cloaked your aura completely, but he still found you. That means he’s not tracking you by your aura!”
Ye Xuan grew curious, “Then how?”
Little Pagoda said, “Little Master, remember—I’m just a pagoda! Why do you keep asking a pagoda so many questions?”
Ye Xuan’s face darkened. *Damn it—whenever this thing can’t answer, it pulls the ‘I’m just a pagoda’ card!*
He pressed, “Little Pagoda, if he gets close, warn me right away!”
Little Pagoda hesitated, then said, “Little Master, don’t you want to feel the thrill of life-and-death? Imagine reacting in that split-second and turning the tables—wouldn’t that be exhilarating?”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
Little Pagoda went on, “If I warn you, you won’t grow much. But if you take him down yourself, that’s a whole different story!”
Ye Xuan paused, then said, “You’ve got a point!”
Little Pagoda nodded, “Experience the thrill of being hunted!”
Ye Xuan grinned, “Not a bad idea!”
He turned, lips curling up, “Brother, stop hiding! I saw you ages ago!”
With that, he vanished.
Moments after he left, a black-clad figure appeared where he’d stood.
The figure stared after Ye Xuan, muttering, “What the hell… was he bluffing me…?”
