Lakeside, Before the Hut
A fine drizzle fell from the sky, landing silently on the lake, sending faint ripples across its surface.
Not far from the shore stood a bamboo hut. In front of it lay a woman dressed in a red skirt, one leg crossed over the other, engrossed in an ancient tome she held in her hand.
Suddenly, she set the book down and glanced into the distance. A man approached slowly.
Seeing him, the woman froze for a moment.
It was Ye Xuan.
He walked up to her and smiled. “Misfortune, it’s been a while!”
The woman before him was none other than the Law of Misfortune, who had once caused him no small amount of trouble.
Misfortune eyed Ye Xuan. “I thought you were dead.”
Ye Xuan chuckled. “How could I be?”
He glanced around, then asked, “Just you here?”
Misfortune nodded. “The others are out.”
“Where’d they go?” Ye Xuan asked.
Misfortune shrugged. “Wandering about.”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, then said, “Has Dao Yi been back?”
Misfortune shook her head. “No. We haven’t seen her since.”
Ye Xuan fell silent for a beat, then pulled out a storage ring and placed it before her. He turned to leave.
Misfortune glanced at the ring. “Wait!”
Ye Xuan turned back, smiling. “What?”
Misfortune hesitated, then said, “You…”
She paused, then continued, “Go on, then.”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Misfortune gave him a look. “Xiaodao and Little Misfortune are in Tian Du City.”
Mu Xiaodao!
Little Misfortune!
Ye Xuan smiled faintly. “Thanks!”
With that, he vanished on the spot.
Misfortune stared at the storage ring before her, lost in thought for a long while.
—
### Tian Du City
Ye Xuan arrived at Tian Du City and scanned the place with a sweep of his gaze. A moment later, his brow furrowed.
He couldn’t sense Mu Xiaodao or Little Misfortune!
Had they left?
After a brief silence, he unleashed his divine sense. It spread out like a net, instantly enveloping everything within tens of millions of miles.
Soon, a slight smirk tugged at his lips. In the next instant, he disappeared.
—
### Somewhere Else
Mu Xiaodao and Little Misfortune stood back-to-back, surrounded by dozens of powerful beings from another dimension.
Otherworldly beings!
Dao Yi’s former kin. Back then, these otherworldly beings had refrained from invading this universe because of Ye Xuan, but their enmity with Misfortune and her ilk remained unresolved.
Whenever the two sides crossed paths, a fight was inevitable.
Mu Xiaodao glanced at the otherworldly beings. “Bloody hell, didn’t expect to run into these bastards!”
Little Misfortune said coolly, “So we’ve met them. What’s there to fear?”
Mu Xiaodao’s voice grew serious. “How many can you take?”
Before Little Misfortune could answer, a man appeared in front of them.
It was Ye Xuan!
Both women froze at the sight of him.
Ye Xuan blinked. “Don’t recognise me anymore?”
“Bloody hell!” Mu Xiaodao stared at him, dumbfounded. “You… you’re not dead?!”
Ye Xuan’s face darkened instantly.
Mu Xiaodao stepped forward, patted his face lightly, and muttered, “It’s really a living person!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
She sized him up, then asked, “What brings you here?”
Ye Xuan grinned. “Aren’t you happy to see me?”
Before Mu Xiaodao could reply, an otherworldly being nearby snarled, “Are you lot done? You—”
Ye Xuan spun around. “Did I say you could speak?”
As his words fell, a sword plunged into the being’s forehead!
*Boom!*
The otherworldly being dissolved into nothing!
Everyone was stunned.
Mu Xiaodao and Little Misfortune’s eyes widened in shock.
An instant kill?
Then, another otherworldly being stammered, “You… who are you?!”
Ye Xuan turned to him. “You’re one of them?”
He hadn’t forgotten this race—Dao Yi’s people. Naturally, he held no fondness for them.
Before the leader could respond, Mu Xiaodao shouted, “Finish them!”
Ye Xuan laughed heartily and waved his sleeve.
*Boom!*
A dozen otherworldly beings vanished on the spot!
Erased completely!
Mu Xiaodao gave him a thumbs-up. “Impressive!”
Little Misfortune glanced at Ye Xuan but said nothing.
Ye Xuan chuckled. “Xiaodao, Little Misfortune, fancy coming with me to a new place?”
Mu Xiaodao shook her head at once. “Not interested!”
Ye Xuan frowned. “Why not?”
She shrugged. “This new place you’re talking about—it’s full of people way stronger than here, right?”
Ye Xuan nodded. “Yes.”
Mu Xiaodao smirked. “Then we’d just be the weakest of the weak over there, wouldn’t we?”
Ye Xuan: “…”
She blinked at him. “How about this—you give us some inheritances and resources? Once we’ve powered up, we’ll come find you!”
Ye Xuan’s face darkened further. *You’re really not shy about this, are you?*
Mu Xiaodao grinned cheekily. “No problem, right?”
Ye Xuan shot her a look, then opened his palm. Two storage rings floated to the women. Mu Xiaodao grabbed hers without hesitation, and when she saw the contents, her eyes lit up.
Ye Xuan smiled. “Really not coming with me?”
Mu Xiaodao shook her head.
Ye Xuan turned to Little Misfortune. She hesitated, then shook her head too.
He thought for a moment, then opened his palm again. Two streaks of sword light sank into their foreheads. “I’ve left a wisp of sword qi in you. If you’re ever in trouble, activate it. As long as I’m alive, I’ll be there in an instant!”
Mu Xiaodao glanced at him. “How strong are you now?”
Ye Xuan grinned. “Invincible!”
*Invincible!*
Mu Xiaodao rolled her eyes. “Can you beat your sister?”
Ye Xuan’s expression froze.
She pressed, “Can you?”
He considered it, then said, “Compared to Qing’er, I’m probably still a tiny bit behind! But not by much!”
Little Tower: “…”
Mu Xiaodao shook her head. “You can’t ever tell the truth, can you?”
Ye Xuan laughed, looked around, and said, “I’m off!”
Mu Xiaodao nodded. “Go on! Come back often to visit. We don’t care much about stuff—just bring a little something. Mostly, we just miss you!”
Ye Xuan glared at her. “I’d believe that if pigs could fly!”
He turned to Little Misfortune, hesitated, then smiled. “Little Misfortune, why do I feel like we’re a bit distant now?”
She looked at him. “Are we?”
Ye Xuan grinned. “I think so!”
Little Misfortune fell silent.
Mu Xiaodao cut in. “Of course you’re distant! You vanish for ages—we thought you were dead!”
Ye Xuan chuckled. “My bad!”
Mu Xiaodao nodded. “If you’re leaving, get going! Little Misfortune’s not mad at you—just visit often and bring stuff. If you can’t make it back, send someone with the goods. We’ll understand!”
Ye Xuan’s face darkened again. *Bloody hell, you’re like a bandit!*
After chatting a bit longer, Ye Xuan departed on his sword.
Once he was gone, Little Misfortune gazed at the starry horizon, lost in thought.
Mu Xiaodao snorted. “Little Misfortune, I look down on you!”
Little Misfortune frowned at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Mu Xiaodao said flatly, “You like him but won’t say it. Pathetic!”
Little Misfortune snapped, “Who likes him?!”
Mu Xiaodao shrugged. “Fine, you don’t. Keep waiting then! That guy’s got skin thicker than a wall, insane strength, and he’s a sword cultivator—a damn good one. If you don’t make a move, you’ll never get a shot!”
Little Misfortune fumed, about to retort, when Mu Xiaodao added, “Wait all you like! If I fancied a man, I’d chase him. If I couldn’t catch him, I’d sleep with him. If I couldn’t sleep with him, I’d cut him down. If I can’t have him, no one will!”
Little Misfortune: “…”
—
### Dao Realm
Ye Xuan returned to the Dao Realm.
In the Dao Nation, King Zhongshan came out to greet him personally upon hearing of his arrival.
Seeing Ye Xuan, King Zhongshan laughed. “Young Ye, off to that legendary other world?”
The other world!
A place with true Limitless Realm powerhouses!
Ye Xuan thought it over, then shook his head. “No!”
King Zhongshan blinked, caught off guard.
Ye Xuan grinned. “If I go now, I’d get thrashed. I’ll train to Limitless first! This time, I’m not stepping into the next map as the underdog—I’m going in invincible!”
King Zhongshan: “…”
Ye Xuan added, “Senior, I need to seclude myself here for a while!”
King Zhongshan said gravely, “Fine! I’ll guard you!”
Ye Xuan smiled. “Thank you!”
He followed King Zhongshan to a starry training ground—the king’s personal cultivation spot.
King Zhongshan said, “Young Ye, train here. No one will disturb you!”
Ye Xuan clasped his fists. “Thanks!”
King Zhongshan chuckled. “It’s nothing!”
Ye Xuan nodded, saying no more, and entered the Little Tower.
Inside, he approached Yan Ban Shan, now still as a statue, devoid of breath or movement!
Ye Xuan sighed, a bit exasperated. He hadn’t expected Yan Ban Shan to still not reach Limitless!
This guy had been training in the tower for nearly three hundred years!
Ye Xuan murmured, “Looks like Limitless isn’t so easy to hit!”
He found a spot, sat cross-legged, and called up the inheritance A Dao Ling had left him!
It contained her insights and methods for reaching Limitless, plus some uses for the Qingxuan Sword—though he set that aside for now.
First priority: hit Limitless!
His current strength was still far from true Limitless masters. Even with the Qingxuan Sword, the gap remained!
In cultivation, time slips away unnoticed…
