Upon hearing Ye Xuan’s words, both Shen Tong and the Child of Destiny exchanged strange looks.
Invincible?
Was this guy really invincible?
Though Ye Xuan was undeniably powerful, calling himself invincible seemed a bit much in their eyes!
The Defier gazed at Ye Xuan in silence.
He, too, felt a headache coming on!
The fight wasn’t even decided yet, was it?
Why did it feel like he’d already lost?
Frustrating!
In the distance, Ye Xuan walked up to Shen Tong and smiled, “Let’s go!”
The Child of Destiny hesitated, then said, “Brother Ye, what about that star vein…”
Ye Xuan glanced back at the Defier and chuckled, “That star vein? It’s yours now! Remember, you owe me a favor!”
The Child of Destiny: “…”
The Defier’s brow furrowed slightly. “It was already—”
Ye Xuan cut in abruptly, “We’ll meet again!”
With that, he vanished from the spot with Shen Tong in tow.
The Defier’s frown deepened.
After a moment’s hesitation, the Child of Destiny turned and left as well.
Left alone, the Defier stood in silence before muttering, “What the hell?”
At that moment, an old man appeared beside him.
It was none other than Gu Qin, the Master of the Demonic Vein!
Gu Qin looked at the Defier and asked softly, “Why didn’t you kill them?”
The Defier paused, then replied, “I don’t fight for fleeting victories.”
Gu Qin blinked, momentarily stunned, but soon a smile spread across his face.
Not fighting for fleeting victories!
Though he’d hoped the Defier would eliminate the Child of Destiny and the others, this answer brought him unexpected satisfaction.
Why?
Because the Defier’s sights weren’t set on short-term wins, but on the grand path ahead.
As if struck by a thought, Gu Qin suddenly asked, “What do you think of that sword cultivator just now?”
The Defier pondered for a moment before saying, “I can’t tell if that strike he used was truly just thirty percent of his strength.”
Gu Qin pressed, “What if it really was only thirty percent?”
The Defier answered quietly, “That strike was formidable, but the key was that sword. It could tear through my ‘Defiance’ power…”
Gu Qin fell silent for a moment before remarking, “Since when did the Sacred Vein take in such a prodigy?”
The Defier then glanced at the storage ring in his hand. “I’ll be in seclusion for a while. Three months from now, I’ll seek him out.”
With that, he turned and vanished.
Gu Qin looked after him with a quiet sigh.
The inheritance of a Freeform Realm powerhouse!
He already knew it had fallen into the Sacred Vein’s hands. A pity, no doubt!
But thinking of the Defier eased his disappointment.
Freeform Realm?
For the Defier, reaching that level was only a matter of time!
Moments later, Gu Qin departed.
—
In the Sacred Vein’s grand hall.
Ye Xuan, the Child of Destiny, and Shen Tong stood together. Before them were Mu Shen and two others.
They had been monitoring the events in the subterranean world, so they knew everything that had transpired.
All three pairs of eyes rested on Ye Xuan. To say their feelings were complicated would be an understatement. They’d originally believed the Child of Destiny could hold his own against the Defier, but they’d been let down!
The Child of Destiny had been utterly dominated!
A complete thrashing!
If Ye Xuan hadn’t stepped in, the Sacred Vein would’ve lost all face.
At that moment, Xu Chong, the Sacred Vein’s Master, turned to the Child of Destiny with a smile. “Feeling discouraged?”
The Child of Destiny remained silent.
Xu Chong sighed softly, “If this setback makes you doubt yourself and spiral downward, you’ll be abandoned by destiny. Understand?”
The Child of Destiny nodded.
Xu Chong continued, “For a man, defeat isn’t the problem. What’s terrifying is lacking the courage to start over.”
The Child of Destiny met Xu Chong’s gaze. “Rest assured, Master, I won’t give up on myself.”
Xu Chong nodded approvingly, “Good!”
Then he turned to Ye Xuan, smiling, “I must say, you surprised us all!”
Ye Xuan grinned, “Master, I have a small question.”
Xu Chong nodded, “Go ahead!”
Ye Xuan asked, “How can there be a world beneath the earth?”
Xu Chong replied softly, “Not just you—even we were taken aback! We don’t know if that world was carved out by the Heavenly Sovereign God or if it existed before him!”
Ye Xuan frowned, “Does it matter?”
Xu Chong chuckled, “If the Heavenly Sovereign God created it, then it’s not so mysterious. But if it predates him…”
He trailed off.
Ye Xuan understood.
If that world existed before the Heavenly Sovereign God, it might mean someone else had forged it. And that subterranean realm was no trivial place—Ye Xuan had felt its crushing gravity firsthand. To carve out a world down there, against such force, would take unimaginable power.
In other words, the Heavenly Sovereign God might not have been the first Freeform Realm powerhouse!
Xu Chong suddenly spoke again, “As it stands, the Defier’s strength rivals the Comprehension Realm. If he advances further, he’ll have no equal within that realm. And if he takes yet another step beyond that, the balance in our Great Motian Domain will shatter instantly. We’ll be suppressed—or even wiped out—by the Demonic Vein!”
The hall grew heavy with tension.
Currently, the Sacred Vein held a 40-60 disadvantage against the Demonic Vein, largely due to the Defier. If he grew stronger, that split would widen beyond repair!
One person could truly turn the tide!
Just then, Xu Chong’s gaze fixed on Ye Xuan. Ye Xuan’s eyelids twitched. “Master… why are you looking at me?”
Xu Chong stepped closer, his voice grave, “Little one, the fate of our Sacred Vein rests on your shoulders!”
Ye Xuan shook his head with a laugh, “Master, don’t jest with me!”
Xu Chong turned to Mu Shen, who paused before asking, “What can we offer him?”
Ye Xuan’s eyes flickered with surprise. This woman saw things clearly!
What could the Sacred Vein give him?
Did he have any attachment to them?
Not really!
Unlike Shen Tong or the Child of Destiny, Ye Xuan hadn’t relied on a shred of the Sacred Vein’s resources in his cultivation. If anything, he’d salvaged their reputation. His goal was simple: to test himself against the strong and refine his skills. But getting tangled in the Sacred Vein’s feud with the Demonic Vein? Risking his life for them?
He wasn’t that naive!
Xu Chong looked at Ye Xuan, “What do you want?”
Ye Xuan smiled, “Better to ask—what can the Sacred Vein offer me?”
Xu Chong said solemnly, “Cultivation resources. We can provide an endless supply!”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
Truth be told, he was short on resources right now. At his current realm, each cultivation session demanded vast amounts of spiritual energy. Though he had plenty of Infinite Divine Crystals, they wouldn’t last more than a few days in the small tower.
Then Mu Ge spoke up, “Not just resources. We can offer specialized training methods. The three of us can spar with you personally. Beyond that, we’ll bring in old masters to analyze your weaknesses and suggest improvements. In short, we’ll support you fully to push you to your limits!”
Ye Xuan glanced at Mu Ge, “Is that allowed?”
Mu Ge nodded, “Yes!”
Ye Xuan looked to Mu Shen, who gave a slight nod. “The Sacred Vein has centuries of heritage and unique cultivation techniques. We know you’re a sword cultivator with your own path. We won’t force our ways on you—we’ll assist, helping you reach your peak!”
Ye Xuan considered it, then said, “I’ll give it a shot!”
Honestly, he wanted to push himself to his limits. His brief clash with the Defier had exposed flaws. That strike hadn’t used his bloodline power—just momentum and sword intent—but he’d had an edge with the Qingxuan Sword, and the Defier had underestimated him.
If the Defier hadn’t been careless, Ye Xuan wasn’t sure he could’ve broken through that hand!
Xu Chong added, “Time’s short. We’ll start tailored training now. The Sacred Vein will spare no effort to help you defeat the Defier in three months!”
He glanced at Mu Ge, who understood and opened his palm. A token flew out.
In an instant, three black-robed elders appeared.
Xu Chong turned to Ye Xuan, “We’ll begin with combat! That strike you used against the Defier relied on momentum and sword intent, right?”
Ye Xuan nodded, “Yes!”
Xu Chong gestured to the elders, “These are our Supreme Elders: Elder Mu, Elder Shen, and Elder Qiu. They’ll train you from now on!”
Ye Xuan bowed slightly to them, “Thank you for your guidance!”
Elder Mu, the leader, studied Ye Xuan. “Do you know how many types of momentum there are?”
Ye Xuan shook his head.
Elder Mu said gravely, “At least hundreds!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Elder Mu continued, “You’ve mastered your own momentum and sword intent nearly to your limit. Now, we suggest you borrow momentum!”
Ye Xuan frowned, “Borrow momentum?”
Elder Mu nodded, “Your own momentum has a ceiling. Borrowing external momentum can temporarily break that limit! The momentum of space-time, of the myriad realms… If the opportunity aligns, you might even use outer forces to break through again.”
Ye Xuan asked solemnly, “How do I borrow it?”
Elder Mu smiled, “It’s simple!”
Ye Xuan blinked, “Simple?”
Elder Mu nodded, “With centuries of heritage, the Sacred Vein has no shortage of techniques and divine arts!”
He turned to Xu Chong, “Master, I need access to all sect resources!”
Xu Chong smiled faintly, “Granted. From now on, all resources are at your disposal, and everyone—including me—will cooperate fully!”
Moments later, the entire Sacred Vein sprang into action!
