Immortal Ancient City, Antique Street.
To put it plainly, Antique Street was a place for street stalls.
This place was a mix of all sorts, with every kind of person imaginable. Some could find treasures here, but most were just scams!
It was Zhi Xian’s idea to come here, hoping to find ancient tomes.
When they arrived at Antique Street, Ye Xuan’s brows furrowed slightly.
The place felt somewhat grim.
The street wasn’t wide, flanked by old buildings, dimly lit, with an eerie, oppressive atmosphere.
Ye Xuan glanced into the distance. The street was long, and every few dozen zhang, there was a stall, each vendor cloaked in black robes, as if they couldn’t be seen in the light.
The trio walked down the street. Ye Xuan scanned the stalls, finding nothing of value.
Suddenly, Zhi Xian hurried to a stall where a tattered ancient tome lay, its cover worn, clearly ancient.
Zhi Xian picked it up, looked it over, and beamed, as if he’d found a treasure.
Ye Xuan glanced at it, realizing it was just an ordinary chronicle, like a diary.
Zhi Xian turned to Qingqiu, smiling faintly, “This kind best reflects the true state of that era.”
He turned to the stall owner, “How much for this?”
The owner raised one finger, “One cosmic vein!”
Ye Xuan’s brows furrowed.
It wasn’t worth a single cosmic vein!
But Zhi Xian handed over one cosmic vein without hesitation.
Ye Xuan looked at Zhi Xian, who smiled faintly, “Knowledge deserves respect!”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
Knowledge!
He knew a few learned people—Nian Jie, Qin Guan… They were impressive, but their strength came from their power.
Purely scholarly people, without great strength, would they be respected?
Ye Xuan shook his head with a smile.
The trio continued forward.
Nearing the end of the street, Ye Xuan suddenly stopped, turning to a stall where he saw a rusty iron sword.
Curious, he approached, picked up the sword, and the moment he did, it crumbled into dust.
Ye Xuan froze!
What on earth?
The stall owner looked up at Ye Xuan, “It’s broken!”
The owner was a woman in a black robe, her face veiled, revealing only her eyes.
Ye Xuan said gravely, “It’s broken!”
The owner said calmly, “Shouldn’t you compensate me?”
Ye Xuan: “…”
The owner continued, “Not much, just ten thousand cosmic veins!”
She extended a jade-white, delicate hand.
Ye Xuan understood.
It was a setup!
Extortion!
Ye Xuan laughed, “Ten thousand cosmic veins… isn’t that a bit low?”
The owner looked at Ye Xuan, silent.
Ye Xuan opened his palm, and a storage ring floated to her. Inside, a million cosmic veins!
A million!
The owner’s left hand clenched suddenly.
Ye Xuan laughed, “Miss, is it not enough? If not…”
He placed another storage ring before her.
This one held five million cosmic veins!
Five million!
Seeing this, the owner’s expression changed instantly!
She knew she’d provoked someone she shouldn’t have. She hurriedly pushed the two rings back to Ye Xuan, “Sir, just a misunderstanding.”
Ye Xuan looked at her, silent.
The owner stood, bowing slightly, “A misunderstanding!”
Ye Xuan blinked, “I’m not listening!”
The owner: “…”
Ye Xuan turned to Qingqiu, smiling, “Pick something from the stall!”
He turned to the owner, “No problem, right?”
The owner shook her head, “None at all!”
Ye Xuan laughed, “Qingqiu, choose!”
Qingqiu hesitated, then picked up a small pot.
Ye Xuan laughed, “Let’s go!”
He retrieved the three rings, then left with Qingqiu and Zhi Xian.
At the stall, the owner sighed in relief, “Met a tough one!”
…
After leaving Antique Street, a black-robed figure suddenly blocked their path.
Wealth attracts attention, and Ye Xuan’s display of the three rings had clearly drawn notice.
Ye Xuan looked at the figure, smiling, “Something up?”
The figure rasped, “Leave the ring, and you can go!”
Ye Xuan blinked, “How dare you?”
The figure’s right hand clenched slowly, “I want to take a chance! A gamble might win me a bright future!”
As he spoke, he lunged forward, throwing a punch at Ye Xuan!
But as he struck, a sword pierced his forehead.
Boom!
The figure was pinned in place, unable to move!
Instantly killed!
The figure stared at Ye Xuan, eyes full of disbelief, “You…”
Ye Xuan sighed softly, “Did you think I was weak?”
The figure: “…”
Ye Xuan opened his palm, and the figure’s ring flew to him. He glanced inside—only a few thousand cosmic veins.
Seeing this, Ye Xuan was speechless.
So poor!
Ye Xuan turned to Zhi Xian and Qingqiu, “Let’s go!”
After buying a large amount of supplies in the city, the trio left.
After all, Guanxuan Academy urgently needed resources.
Back at the academy, Ye Xuan went straight to the library and began reading.
Immersed in a sea of books!
As for the academy’s miscellaneous affairs, Zhi Xian handled them. With funds, Zhi Xian began recruiting and rebuilding the academy, which was far too rudimentary.
In the library.
Ye Xuan was reading Qin Guan’s reorganized realms. Over a hundred realms had been reduced to fewer than twenty.
Knowing Mystery!
The Great Dao Pen!
To study this realm, Ye Xuan needed to understand the Great Dao Pen.
The Great Dao Pen could write the fate of the myriad worlds, essentially controlling the destinies of all beings. Though merely an executor, it could indeed alter your fate.
Every cultivator wanted to control their own destiny!
The Great Dao Pen!
With this in mind, Ye Xuan said softly, “Brother Pen, can we chat?”
In the Milky Way.
In a small room, a cold voice suddenly rang out, “Chat, my foot! Are we mates?”
At Guanxuan Academy, Ye Xuan received no response.
Frowning, Ye Xuan said, “How about… I let Qing’er chat with you?”
Boom!
The space before Ye Xuan trembled violently, and a phantom pen appeared.
The Great Dao Pen!
Ye Xuan’s eyes narrowed, then he stood, smiling faintly, “Brother Pen, greetings!”
The Great Dao Pen said calmly, “What do you want to talk about?”
Ye Xuan thought, then said, “I want to reach the Knowing Mystery Realm!”
The Great Dao Pen looked at Ye Xuan, “Then cultivate. Why come to me?”
Ye Xuan thought, then said, “Miss Qin Guan’s book says to reach Knowing Mystery, one must sense the subtle trajectory of fate. Only then can one know mystery… but I can’t sense it.”
The Great Dao Pen’s voice was cold, “If you can’t sense it, keep cultivating!”
Ye Xuan thought, then said, “Brother Pen, maybe I’ll let Qing’er talk to you! You don’t seem very friendly to me…”
As he spoke, he was about to call Qing’er.
The Great Dao Pen suddenly said, “Wait!”
Ye Xuan looked at it. After a moment’s silence, it said, “Is this really necessary?”
Ye Xuan said gravely, “But you… don’t seem friendly!”
The Great Dao Pen fell silent.
It desperately wanted to hit someone!
But it restrained itself!
It couldn’t hit this guy. As the Great Dao Pen, no one knew better than it how terrifying the people behind this guy were!
The Great Dao Pen calmed itself, speaking softly, “Let’s talk, we can talk nicely!”
Ye Xuan blinked, “I’m not threatening you, am I?”
The Great Dao Pen was silent for a long time, then said, “No!”
Ye Xuan nodded, “Good! These days, I’ve read a lot, and I think people should be reasonable. Am I reasonable?”
The Great Dao Pen: “…”
Ye Xuan smiled faintly, “Brother Pen, let’s get to the point. I’ve been trying to sense the subtle trajectory of fate, but I’ve got nothing, which troubles me. As the Great Dao Pen, the operator of fate’s trajectory, you must have a way, right?”
After a moment’s silence, the Great Dao Pen said, “To reach Knowing Mystery, you must first reach Reincarnation Walker, and you’re not even a Time Controller yet. Skipping two major realms… isn’t that a bit much?”
Ye Xuan said seriously, “Brother Pen, you’ve got it wrong! I don’t cultivate realms. I have no interest in that. I just want to understand Knowing Mystery out of curiosity. As for realms… like I said, don’t measure me by realms!”
The Great Dao Pen was silent for a long time, then said, “If you didn’t have an invincible sister…”
It didn’t finish!
It desperately wanted to kill this show-off.
Not cultivate realms?
Was that even human talk?
What nonsense?
Ye Xuan suddenly laughed, “No invincible sister? I’ve got an invincible dad!”
The Great Dao Pen: “…”
Ye Xuan laughed, “Brother Pen, let’s get back to business!”
After a long silence, the Great Dao Pen said, “I can help you, but only once. After this, don’t come to me again. Deal?”
Ye Xuan thought, then said, “No deal!”
The Great Dao Pen: “…”
Ye Xuan laughed, “Brother Pen, don’t be so prejudiced against me. If we become friends, you help me out, and I’ll be grateful in the future. For example… if I tell Qing’er you’re a great friend of mine…”
The Great Dao Pen trembled slightly, and a phantom long pen appeared before Ye Xuan, “My avatar. Wield this pen, and you can use thirty percent of my power. One stroke can cleave ten thousand cosmic galaxies, control all ancient daos and laws, standing above all beings in the cosmic galaxies, second only to the Divine Book and Ancient Words. With this pen, you can move freely through the known universe… From now on, any realm you desire, you can reach instantly, but only for half an hour…”
It paused, then added, “Unless the Divine Book or Ancient Words appear, you’re invincible!”
Ye Xuan asked, “What if the Divine Book or Ancient Words appear?”
After a moment’s silence, the Great Dao Pen said, “Your sister’s invincible!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
…
In the Milky Way.
Deep in a mountain range, a woman in a plain skirt walked. Despite the light rain, not a drop touched her.
The mountains were shrouded in mist, like a fairyland.
Soon, the woman reached the peak, where a stone hut stood. She pushed open the door. Inside, a man sat.
Before him was a desk with two thick books. The left one faintly showed two words: *Invincible…*
Beside the books was a white sheet with six large black characters.
Next to the sheet was an empty pen holder.
In the man’s right hand was a cup of plain water.
Seeing the woman, the man smiled faintly, “You finally found me!”
The woman stared at him. After a long time, her expression turned ferocious, and she roared like a madwoman, “Why are you so weak? Why!”
Boom!
In an instant, all the mountains except the hut shattered.
The hut itself began to disintegrate inch by inch!
The man was silent.
The woman glared at him, “Why? Why can’t you be stronger? Why?”
The man didn’t answer!
The woman slowly closed her eyes, “You’ve disappointed me greatly!”
She turned to the cliff’s edge, looking into the starry depths, her gaze growing vacant, “Brother… I’m so scared… I don’t want to be invincible… I really don’t want to be invincible… Brother…”
Panic!
This was only the second time she’d felt it. The first was when she lost her brother; now, this.
Why the panic?
Because she was invincible… truly invincible, with no one able to threaten her…
The man she’d just met was her last hope. She never thought he could kill her, only that he might pose a slight threat!
A tiny threat!
Even a hint would do!
But she was disappointed!
Utterly disappointed!
Seeing that man, her last shred of hope vanished.
So weak?
She couldn’t fathom how he could be that weak!
A breeze blew, lifting her skirt high.
The rain grew heavier, and she stood alone on the peak, utterly solitary.
Suddenly, she closed her eyes, whispering, “Brother… when you’re invincible, I’ll go kill those two…”
She looked into the starry depths, her expression growing cold, a sneer on her lips, “Invincible? Who dares claim that before me?”
…
