Not far in front of him stood a suit of armour, crafted from scales, entirely black and radiating a chilling gleam.
The moment Ye Xuan saw the armour, he was thrilled.
Er Ya’s scales!
These were Er Ya’s scales!
Ye Xuan hurriedly approached and gently touched the armour. The moment he made contact, it transformed into a black light and merged into his body!
*Boom!*
Ye Xuan’s body trembled violently. In the next instant, a thin layer of armour appeared around him.
Wearing the armour felt as if it had perfectly fused with his body—he couldn’t feel it at all!
Ye Xuan slowly clenched his right hand, and in an instant, a powerful force rapidly gathered in his right arm.
Looking at his right hand, Ye Xuan’s expression changed.
He realised that his right hand now possessed boundless strength!
Er Ya’s power?
Ye Xuan was a bit dazed.
At that moment, Little Tower suddenly spoke, “Young Master, this armour is made from Er Ya’s scales!”
Ye Xuan said solemnly, “Did Mother pluck Er Ya’s skin?”
Little Tower replied, “How could that be? These are likely scales Er Ya shed after moulting!”
Ye Xuan frowned slightly. “Moulting?”
Little Tower explained, “Yes! Every time Er Ya advances, she sheds her skin and scales. The scales on you are probably ones she discarded after moulting. I don’t know when she shed them, though! If it was recent, these scales would be incredible! Even if they’re from earlier, they’re still terrifying!”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, then, with a thought, he swung the Qingxuan Sword at himself.
*Clang!*
A spark flew from his body!
Ye Xuan looked at his chest. There was a faint sword mark on the scale armour, but it quickly repaired itself!
A slight grin tugged at Ye Xuan’s lips.
Brilliant!
Er Ya was still brilliant!
That sword strike, though not at full strength, was delivered by the Qingxuan Sword!
Of course, it wasn’t that the Qingxuan Sword was lacking. In truth, whether it was Little Tower or this armour, the Qingxuan Sword could break through them—it just wouldn’t be easy and would require his full effort!
What was truly terrifying about this scale armour wasn’t its defensive power, but the immense strength it contained!
That strength was definitely tied to Er Ya!
At that moment, he suddenly realised that Er Ya was a walking treasure!
Just then, Little Tower spoke again, “Young Master, there’s a storage ring in front of you!”
Ye Xuan looked ahead. Where the armour had been, there was now a black ring with an unusual design, shaped like a ferocious beast, baring its fangs and claws as if ready to devour.
Ye Xuan frowned slightly, picking up the ring and examining it closely. Soon, he noticed two characters on it: *Xuan Ring*!
Xuan Ring?
Ye Xuan scanned it with his divine sense and found it was just an ordinary ring, not a storage ring.
He studied the ring again and asked, “Xuan Ring? Little Tower, what do you think this ring is?”
Little Tower was silent for a moment before saying, “If there’s nothing inside, it means this is a ring symbolising status!”
Ye Xuan’s brow furrowed. “A ring symbolising status… symbolising my status as the Young Master of the Xuan Realm? But that doesn’t make sense! I’m already the Young Master of the Xuan Realm. Leaving this ring seems redundant.”
Little Tower said casually, “Maybe it symbolises another status!”
At that, both Ye Xuan and Little Tower froze.
Another status!
Ye Xuan’s expression grew odd. “Could I have another identity?”
Little Tower said gravely, “Young Master, I think you’re going to go further and further down the path of relying on powerful backers!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Little Tower continued, “Though Mistress’s strength isn’t particularly overwhelming, she has Master by her side! And Mistress is incredibly clever. With a little effort, she could create connections with many powerful forces… Good grief, before it was relying on Father and Sister, and now you’re relying on Mother! I’d bet my life on Master’s name that Mistress has founded a force even stronger than the Xuan Realm!”
Ye Xuan gave a wry smile. “Mother…”
Little Tower said seriously, “Young Master, what do you think?”
Ye Xuan put away the Xuan Ring and smiled. “Mother’s intentions are clear, and I can’t refuse them. But I still want to rely on myself.”
That was his honest thought!
Relying on his sister, father, or mother wasn’t as good as relying on himself!
True strength came from within!
Ye Xuan snapped out of his thoughts and glanced around, confirming he hadn’t missed anything before turning to leave.
Outside, he met Zuo Jingsi, who gave a slight bow. “Young Master.”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment and asked, “How many Cosmic Hearts do we have?”
Zuo Jingsi smiled. “Does Young Master need Cosmic Hearts?”
Ye Xuan nodded.
Zuo Jingsi considered, then said, “I haven’t kept track, but I can check immediately!”
With that, he vanished on the spot.
Ye Xuan stepped out of the hall and looked at the distant horizon, where a few white clouds drifted.
The Xuan Realm!
Ye Xuan smiled faintly. This was his world!
As if struck by a thought, he waved his right hand, releasing Shen Zhao and the other demonic beasts.
At this point, Shen Zhao had reached the fifth level of the Cosmic Heart Realm!
It had to be said, her progress was somewhat terrifying, though it was tied to the star veins provided by Little Tower and Ye Xuan, as well as the Cosmic Hearts he’d given her to absorb!
Shen Zhao glanced at Ye Xuan and asked, “Young Master, what are your orders?”
Ye Xuan blinked, slightly taken aback. “Young Master?”
Shen Zhao blinked back. “You *are* my Young Master!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Little Tower suddenly chimed in, “Good grief, this woman’s quick on the uptake, already calling you Young Master!”
Ye Xuan shook his head with a smile. How could he not understand Shen Zhao’s intentions?
Shen Zhao clearly wanted to stick with him for good!
And it made sense. Before following him, what was her level? Second level of the Cosmic Heart Realm. Since joining him, she’d shot up to the fifth level, and more importantly, her future looked bright!
Ye Xuan now had Little Tower, a terrifyingly powerful cultivation ground, and was the Young Master of the Xuan Realm. Following him meant a life of luxury!
Having lived for so long, Shen Zhao had seen through certain truths.
People!
Effort was important, of course, but so was clinging to the right thigh. Hug the right thigh, and you could skip years of struggle!
Many times, a person’s success depended partly on their own efforts but also on who they followed.
Ye Xuan smiled. “Didn’t you say you’d never acknowledge a master?”
Shen Zhao was silent for a moment before saying, “Unless they provide food and shelter!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Shen Zhao gave a slight bow to Ye Xuan. “I’m willing to serve you!”
Ye Xuan smiled. “I’ll have Zuo Jingsi arrange things for you lot.”
Shen Zhao nodded. “Good!”
But her expression dimmed.
What she really wanted was to stay by Ye Xuan’s side, live in his Little Tower, and drink his blood… but she knew that was impossible now.
Value!
She could no longer help Ye Xuan!
At that moment, she suddenly recalled what Little Tower had once told her.
It was truly prophetic!
If she couldn’t keep up with Ye Xuan’s pace, she’d eventually be left behind.
After arranging for Shen Zhao and the other demonic beasts, Ye Xuan arrived at the Xuan Hall, the place in the Xuan Realm designated for meetings.
As he entered, a woman appeared before him.
It was Nan Weiyang, one of the Four Divine Guardians.
Nan Weiyang gave a slight bow to Ye Xuan. “Young Master.”
Ye Xuan said softly, “Can you explain the realm system to me?”
Nan Weiyang nodded. “Of course!”
Ye Xuan smiled. “What comes after the sixth level of the Cosmic Heart Realm?”
Nan Weiyang replied, “The Sacred Heart Realm!”
Ye Xuan frowned slightly. “Sacred Heart?”
Nan Weiyang nodded. “After condensing a Cosmic Heart and reaching a certain level, the Cosmic Heart can undergo a qualitative change, becoming the Sacred Heart Realm.”
Ye Xuan nodded slightly. “Tell me about the Sacred Heart Realm.”
Nan Weiyang explained, “The Sacred Heart Realm, also known as True Saint, signifies that a person has fully refined the cosmic power they’ve absorbed. Such powerhouses possess true cosmic power!”
She paused, then continued, “Cosmic Heart Realm experts are like unrefined iron. We need to temper it with fierce flames to remove impurities, then hammer it repeatedly. Only after countless rounds of forging can it become a peerless divine sword.”
Ye Xuan asked, “Is the difference between Sacred Heart and Cosmic Heart Realm experts just cosmic power?”
Nan Weiyang shook her head. “Not just cosmic power—there’s also mental strength. Those who reach the Sacred Heart Realm are all individuals of unyielding will. As their Cosmic Heart undergoes a qualitative change, their soul and mental strength also transform. From what I know, some Sacred Heart Realm experts condense their mental and soul power, breaking through the cosmic barriers of billions of dimensions, merging their mental and soul power into the chaotic void beyond countless worlds. They analyse the origin of chaos, temper their mental strength, and comprehend how chaos gives birth to worlds, thereby advancing their own realm…”
Ye Xuan looked at Nan Weiyang. “You said ‘from what you know’… You’re not in the Sacred Heart Realm?”
Nan Weiyang smiled faintly. “No, I’m not!”
Ye Xuan frowned. “How’s that possible? Your strength far surpasses the sixth level of the Cosmic Heart Realm!”
Nan Weiyang chuckled softly. “Not quite. Strictly speaking, the four of us Divine Guardians are only half-step True Saints…”
She paused, then added, “In the Xuan Realm, only Mistress is a true Sacred Heart Realm expert—no, Mistress might be beyond that. Apart from her, there’s also the former leader of the Demon Sect, who was also in the Sacred Heart Realm.”
The little demon girl from the Demon Sect!
Ye Xuan fell silent.
He had to admit, that little demon was terrifying. Unfortunately, she first encountered his father’s sword aura and then Qing’er herself…
Without his father’s sword aura and Qing’er, even the powerhouses of the Xuan Realm might not have been a match for her, especially since she had once received help from Er Ya and Little White.
As if struck by a thought, Ye Xuan opened his palm, revealing the Xuan Ring. “Weiyang, have you ever seen this ring?”
Nan Weiyang glanced at the ring in Ye Xuan’s hand and shook her head. “Never seen it!”
Never seen it!
Ye Xuan looked at the ring, shaking his head with a smile. What was Mother’s intention in leaving this ring for him?
Was there yet another inheritance waiting for him to claim?
At that thought, a sense of helplessness rose in Ye Xuan’s heart.
Who could understand this kind of burden?
…
