No-Boundary!
Ye Xuan hadn’t expected Xu Wang to reach No-Boundary so quickly—it was a delightful surprise.
Xu Wang suddenly asked, “What’s beyond No-Boundary?”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, then said, “Circle-Breaker!”
Xu Wang blinked, puzzled.
Ye Xuan chuckled. “It’s complicated! Simply put, our current No-Boundary is still within a circle. What we need to do is break that circle and forge our own realm.”
Xu Wang pondered, then nodded. “Got it!”
Ye Xuan glanced at her. “What’s your plan now?”
Xu Wang looked back, confused. “Plan?”
Ye Xuan smiled. “You’ve hit No-Boundary. If you don’t want to stick with me and want to strike out on your own, that’s fine—I won’t stop you!”
Xu Wang shook her head. “I’ll stay with you!”
Ye Xuan grinned. “Why?”
Xu Wang stared at him. “You’re good to me!”
Ye Xuan laughed softly. “You’re my apprentice—who else would I be good to?”
Xu Wang watched him silently.
Ye Xuan smiled again. “Time inside the pagoda flows differently from outside. You can train here to your heart’s content! And remember—you’re free. If you ever want to leave, I won’t hold you back!”
With that, he turned and left the pagoda.
Xu Wang stood there, silent.
…
As soon as Ye Xuan stepped out, Li Jing arrived at his hall and bowed slightly. “Elder Ye!”
Ye Xuan grinned. “What’s up?”
Li Jing nodded. “Wandao Sect’s been acting off lately!”
Ye Xuan frowned. “Off?”
Li Jing said gravely, “They’ve recalled their disciples from outside. For safety, I took the liberty of calling ours back too. Things are getting tense between us!”
Ye Xuan asked, “Because of me?”
Li Jing gave a wry smile. “Partly. But last year we got the upper hand too, and this year they didn’t snag a single recruit…”
Ye Xuan chuckled. “Have they made a move?”
Li Jing shook his head. “Not yet!”
Ye Xuan nodded. “Then we don’t either. But stay sharp—tell our disciples to keep their heads down and avoid going out. We don’t want Wandao Sect pulling anything dirty!”
Li Jing suddenly asked, “What if they strike first?”
Ye Xuan blinked, then grinned. “Then we bloody well hit back!”
Li Jing nodded. “Understood!”
Ye Xuan smiled. “I’m off to Fangcun Pavilion. If anything comes up, send me a message!”
With that, he hopped on his sword and zipped off, vanishing into the horizon.
Li Jing looked up at the fading sword light and murmured, “Do all young folks love chasing skirts?”
…
Fangcun Pavilion.
Nestled in the Fangcun Mountains of the otherworld’s north, it was a dream destination for countless cultivators.
Lean on a big tree for shade!
In this otherworld, if a cultivator didn’t want to vanish without a trace one day, they needed a big tree to back them. The three superpowers were those trees. Join one, and you’d get some respect out there—others wouldn’t dare touch you lightly, knowing a titan loomed behind you.
Every day, people flocked to the Fangcun Mountains, hoping to join Fangcun Pavilion.
Unlike the earlier recruitment, these were local otherworld folks—not the cream of the crop from the lower realms!
Those from below were top-tier geniuses and freaks from their worlds, already at No-Path Realm. With a bit of nurturing, they’d hit half-step No-Boundary. The locals, though? They’d need raising from scratch—tons of effort and resources!
So unless they were exceptional, the big three wouldn’t bother!
As usual, thousands gathered at the mountain’s base today—over ten thousand strong!
Ye Xuan didn’t swoop in on his sword—that’d be too disrespectful!
He was here to make friends, not stir trouble!
And he sure wasn’t about to join some entry test—low-level flexing like that was beneath him now!
He approached a Fangcun Pavilion elder, who glanced at him blankly. “Go join the line for the test!”
Ye Xuan smiled. “I’m Ye Xuan, a friend of Miss An Lianyun. Could you let her know I’m here?”
The elder looked up. “What’d you say?”
Ye Xuan grinned. “I’m An Lianyun’s friend—please pass the word!”
The elder studied him, then smirked. “You’re the young mistress’s friend?”
Ye Xuan nodded.
The elder’s face twisted into a scowl. “Why don’t you just say you’re a No-Boundary powerhouse while you’re at it?”
Ye Xuan said earnestly, “I actually am!”
The elder froze, then snapped, “You take me for a fool?”
Ye Xuan was speechless.
Bloody hell!
Why does no one believe me when I tell the truth?
What’s wrong with this world?
The elder glared. “Cut the fancy tricks, kid. Young folks should keep their feet on the ground and take it step by step. Aim too high, and you’ll trip over yourself—maybe even tear something, got it?”
Ye Xuan: “…”
The elder opened his palm, tossing a wooden token at him. “Line up over there and wait for the trial!”
Ye Xuan blinked. “How about a little magic trick?”
As he spoke, he spread his palm, and a sword light shot into the sky.
The elder frowned. “What game are you playing?”
Then, from the horizon, a sword light streaked back. Moments later, An Lianyun and Uncle An appeared nearby!
The crowd erupted at the sight of An Lianyun!
Fangcun Pavilion’s goddess—gorgeous, kind-hearted, the dream girl of countless men!
Spotting Ye Xuan, An Lianyun hurried over, whispering, “Why didn’t you just come up?”
Ye Xuan grinned. “Didn’t want to barge in!”
Uncle An smiled faintly at that. Polite kid—good lad!
He was liking Ye Xuan more by the minute!
An Lianyun smiled back. “How’s that barging in?”
She glanced around, then said, “How about we move somewhere else?”
Ye Xuan nodded, and they strolled off.
Uncle An tactfully stayed behind. The elder beside him asked, “Elder An, who was that kid?”
Uncle An grinned. “That’s Ye Xuan from Dao Ling Palace—the youngest No-Boundary sword cultivator in the otherworld!”
The elder turned to stone, then started trembling.
Uncle An glanced at him. “What’s wrong?”
The elder’s face went pale. “Elder An, look after my family…”
Uncle An: “…”
…
Ye Xuan followed An Lianyun to the back mountains of Fangcun Pavilion. Cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and they wandered through a sea of petals—picture-perfect.
An Lianyun suddenly said, “Never thought you’d be No-Boundary!”
Ye Xuan chuckled. “When Ghost Cult Sect nabbed me, why didn’t you just take him out?”
An Lianyun glanced at him. “I didn’t want anyone dying because of me!”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
She added softly, “Sword cultivators are rare here. No-Boundary sword cultivators? Just you! Can I ask you some swordsmanship questions?”
Ye Xuan grinned. “Of course!”
An Lianyun nodded. “How’d you reach No-Boundary?”
Ye Xuan thought, then said, “初心—your original heart!”
An Lianyun stared. “Original heart?”
Ye Xuan nodded, smiling. “Reaching No-Boundary hinges on whether you can see through yourself. It’s all about you—everyone’s path to it is unique and can’t be copied!”
An Lianyun went quiet.
Ye Xuan added, “Take it slow—don’t rush it!”
She nodded. “Got it!”
Just then, a man appeared in the distance. White robe, long hair flowing—handsome and dashing.
He froze when he saw Ye Xuan, a shadow flickering in his eyes. But his face stayed bright with a smile!
He plucked a cherry blossom and sauntered over to An Lianyun. “Lianyun, you’re stunning today!”
An Lianyun glanced at him. “Young Master Wan, something up?”
Young Master Wan?
Ye Xuan eyed the guy. Wandao Sect, maybe?
The man smiled. “Nothing much—just wanted to see you!”
An Lianyun’s brow furrowed slightly. “Young Master Wan, I’m busy right now!”
Clearly, she wasn’t thrilled about the interruption!
He turned to Ye Xuan, still smiling. “Lianyun, who’s this?”
Her expression soured.
Ye Xuan suddenly grinned at her. “I know why you can’t break through!”
She looked at him. “Why?”
Ye Xuan chuckled. “Because you keep bending over backwards for others!”
He glanced at the man. “You can’t stand him, right?”
The man’s eyes narrowed, his vibe turning chilly.
An Lianyun blinked, caught off guard by Ye Xuan’s bluntness!
Ye Xuan pressed on. “If you don’t like him, why not say it? Why let others make you miserable? That’s like chaining your sword-heart—how’s a shackled heart supposed to break through?”
An Lianyun froze.
Ye Xuan continued, “Sword cultivators should be straight-up. Like what you like, hate what you hate—don’t twist yourself for anyone. Be decisive, got it?”
The man sneered darkly. “Mate, you treating me like I’m invisible? You—”
An Lianyun snapped her head up at him. “Get lost!”
Get lost!
The man froze.
She glared icily. “Last time—get lost!”
His face twisted ugly. “Lianyun…”
Her eyes narrowed. “Did I say you could call me Lianyun?”
Her sword flew out as she spoke.
His face paled, and he threw up his arm to block.
*Boom!*
The strike sent him flying hundreds of feet!
An Lianyun turned to Ye Xuan. “Feels good!”
Ye Xuan grinned. “Remember—face your heart head-on. Like what you like, ditch what you don’t. Don’t sell yourself short.”
She nodded. “Got it!”
The man snarled from afar, “Who are you?!”
Ye Xuan glanced at him, chuckling. “Ye Xuan. If Wandao Sect’s got a problem, come at me—I’m invincible, bring as many as you like!”
An Lianyun’s gaze lingered on him, a strange spark in her eyes!
…
