Hearing the green-robed man’s words, everyone’s expressions turned peculiar.
This terrifying Gu Di was just an ant in his eyes?
An ant!
Nearby, Tian Yan glanced at the green-robed man.
Like father, like son—both loved to show off.
But this father was genuinely formidable!
Ye Xuan felt utterly exasperated. Watching his father strut about while he could do nothing was maddeningly uncomfortable.
In the distance, Gu Di stared at the green-robed man in a daze. “Who… who are you?”
The green-robed man glanced at him, pointing at Ye Xuan. “Do you know he’s my son?”
Gu Di shook his head.
The green-robed man’s face remained impassive. “You knew and still dared to bully him?”
Gu Di’s expression froze. *Didn’t you see me shake my head?*
If he’d known Ye Xuan had such a terrifying father, he wouldn’t have dared touch him—not even if his life depended on it!
He was confident against ordinary foes, but against this green-robed man, he had no shred of assurance!
Just then, the green-robed man raised his hand to strike. Mu Niannian interjected, “He’s one with an entire universe—if you kill him, that universe…”
The green-robed man grinned. “A trifle!”
Beside Gu Di, the black-robed man spoke gravely, “Sir, we’re from the Demon Vein!”
The green-robed man turned to him. “Demon Vein?”
The black-robed man met his gaze. “With your strength, surely you’ve heard of the Demon Vein!”
The green-robed man shook his head. “Never heard of it!”
The black-robed man frowned. “How’s that possible… How could you not know of the Demon Vein?”
The green-robed man smiled. “You’re trying to say you’ve got a powerful backer, right?”
The black-robed man glanced at him. “Yes!”
He knew that unless this man had something to fear, they were all dead!
The green-robed man chuckled. “Having a backer’s nice!”
He paused, then added, “Unlike me— so invincible I don’t even need one anymore. Sigh!”
Everyone: “…”
Ye Xuan’s face darkened.
Bloody hell!
When did his father get so full of himself?
The black-robed man pressed, “You’ve really never heard of the Demon Vein?”
The green-robed man smiled. “If you called for help, how long would it take them to get here?”
The black-robed man stared at him, silent.
The green-robed man shook his head. “Forget it! No more time-wasting. Playing with you lot is just too dull!”
With that, the sword in his left hand unsheathed.
*Shnk!*
A flash of sword light erased Gu Di and his companions!
But two remained—Bi Xiao and the little girl with the tattered doll!
Bi Xiao bowed her head, lost in thought.
The girl gaped at the green-robed man in terror, unsure of his next move.
He glanced at her. “I despise loudmouths!”
With a flick of his finger, a streak of sword light pierced her chest, pinning her into a spacetime abyss!
“I’ll leave you nailed here for a thousand years,” he said. “If you survive, that’s your luck!”
Turning to Ye Xuan, he added, “Let’s take a walk, just us two!”
Ye Xuan hesitated, then said, “Dad, can you do me a favor?”
The green-robed man shook his head. “No—”
Ding Shaoyao tugged his sleeve, giving him a look. He sighed helplessly as she rolled her eyes.
Holding her hand, he turned to Ye Xuan. “Fine, what is it?”
Ye Xuan’s face darkened again. Bloody hell, his father really didn’t want to help!
Without overthinking, he said, “Dad, can you boost Sister Nian’s strength?”
Mu Niannian!
The green-robed man glanced at her, then at Ye Xuan. “Silly boy, you underestimate your Sister Nian! She doesn’t need anyone’s help!”
Ye Xuan frowned. “What do you mean?”
The green-robed man shook his head. “This Nian girl is, so far, the most likely to reach our level.”
Ye Xuan looked at Mu Niannian, who blinked but said nothing.
The green-robed man continued, “She…”
He stopped, shaking his head. “Let’s not talk about her!”
Ye Xuan was puzzled. “Why not?”
“Because your realm’s too low—you can’t grasp certain things. Telling you now would be pointless, got it?”
Ye Xuan: “…”
The green-robed man studied Ye Xuan, noticing the wounds on him. A flicker of pity crossed his eyes. He hesitated, then said, “It’s not that I won’t tell you—it’s just not meaningful yet. Plus, some things are more fun when you discover them yourself. Life’s about living—someone else’s story isn’t the same as your own experience, understand?”
His tone softened considerably.
Ye Xuan nodded. “Got it!”
The green-robed man glanced at Tian Yan and Bi Xiao. “These two your friends?”
Ye Xuan looked at Tian Yan. “She’s half a friend, I suppose!”
Half!
The green-robed man smiled faintly, opening his palm. A streak of sword light shot into Tian Yan’s brow.
*Boom!*
A terrifyingly powerful aura erupted from her!
Ye Xuan blinked curiously. “Dad, what’s that?”
The green-robed man grinned. “She’s a cycle-breaker, but she’d hit the end of her path. I’ve opened a new great road for her—saving her some time. How she walks it, how far she goes—that’s up to her!”
Ye Xuan’s expression grew serious.
This was practically a rebirth!
Not just “some time” saved!
Some people might never find a new path in their lifetime—and a road opened by his father? It wouldn’t be ordinary!
Tian Yan was about to soar!
Bi Xiao glanced at the green-robed man, her thoughts unreadable.
He said suddenly, “Let’s walk!”
Ye Xuan nodded. “Alright!”
They strolled off together.
On the way, the green-robed man chuckled. “Do you know where we are now?”
Ye Xuan hesitated. “Little Pagoda says you lot wander around aimlessly all day!”
Inside him, Little Pagoda froze.
Bloody hell.
Had it said that?
This little master was shameless!
The green-robed man glanced at Ye Xuan, smiling. “That’s your own thought, isn’t it?”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Little Pagoda sighed in relief. Good thing the master wasn’t daft—or it’d be in for a beating!
This little master was too risky! It’d have to watch out!
Ye Xuan spoke up. “Dad, can you give me a hint? How far am I from your level? How many realms between us? Give me some mental prep!”
The green-robed man fell silent.
Ye Xuan frowned. “Don’t tell me you don’t know!”
The green-robed man laughed. “This universe is a bit of a mess, actually!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
He gazed into the distance, murmuring, “Your brother and I once tore through spacetime, plunging into the depths of this endless universe, but…”
He looked at Ye Xuan. “There’s no end! Tear open one universe, and another unknown one appears. Let’s put it this way: from here, there are at least tens of thousands of civilized universes ahead—some pretty decent ones too.”
Tens of thousands of universes!
Ye Xuan’s face froze, feeling a sudden ache down below.
Bloody hell!
This was madness!
The green-robed man grinned. “But it’s kind of nice, you know why?”
Ye Xuan looked at him. He gazed into the cosmic depths. “If we reached the end and found no one stronger, the three of us would have to fight.”
He turned to Ye Xuan. “We all claim to be invincible—but who’s the real deal? That’d take a fight to settle.”
Ye Xuan paused, then asked, “Dad, who do you think’s strongest among you three?”
The green-robed man countered, “What do you think?”
A loaded question!
Ye Xuan didn’t answer!
He wasn’t as brainless as Little Pagoda!
The green-robed man smiled. “My swordsmanship, your brother’s, and Tianming’s—they’re different. She’s not just a swordmaster anymore—she dabbles in everything. Talent-wise, your brother and I can’t match her. But we’ve each maxed out our paths. Her swordsmanship’s the only thing that could threaten us…”
He shook his head. “Honestly, all three of us are confident we could win—confident we could kill the others.”
Ye Xuan frowned. “Why?”
The green-robed man’s lips curled. “Because right now, we’re truly invincible!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
“But we don’t dare fight!” he added. “Or rather, Tianming and I don’t.”
Ye Xuan was puzzled. “Why not?”
The green-robed man looked at him. “Because of you! We need to reach the universe’s end, ensure no one out there can threaten you fatally—only then will we fight! Right now, we haven’t reached the end. That means we don’t know if something as strong as us lurks in the depths. And…”
He frowned slightly. “The uncertain, the unknown—that’s what worries us most! Simply put, the stronger you get, the higher your realm, the more you learn. And the more you learn, the more you might hesitate…”
He shook his head. “Actually, Tianming and I envy your brother a bit. He’s truly alone— a bloody bachelor! He’s got nothing tying him down, always half-wanting to die. I’ll tell you, he’s nearly gone after Tianming a few times! Why do I drag him along? To stop him from picking a fight with her! For him, killing Tianming would be great—being killed by her, even better! And Tianming’s a hothead—if he challenged her, she’d definitely swing!”
He sighed softly. “Your brother’s a lone wolf—death’s a release. He’s got no wife, no ties, no fears. But your old man’s different! I’ve got you and your siblings—I’ve got to think about your future!”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
