God Ancient Clan.
The woman led Ye Xuan to a martial arena, vast, nearly ten thousand feet long and wide, utterly empty.
She turned to him, “You’re at the Guansuan Realm, correct?”
Ye Xuan nodded.
She gave a slight nod, “You need to reach Dongxuan.”
Looking at him, she asked, “Do you know the mystery of the Dongxuan Realm?”
Ye Xuan shook his head.
In truth, he knew. With the Great Dao Pen, he could reach any realm, including Dongxuan.
But he wanted her detailed explanation, hoping for new insights.
He hadn’t used the pen to reach Dongxuan earlier because his instincts told him even that wouldn’t match this woman.
Moreover, using the pen to boost realms consumed terrifying amounts of energy. It was a last-ditch, life-or-death move, and now wasn’t that time.
He could bide his time and observe.
She said, “Sit.”
Ye Xuan sat cross-legged.
She sat too, then said, “Dongxuan means perceiving the way of fate.”
With a wave of her right hand, strange red lines appeared around them.
She looked at him, “Fate lines.”
Ye Xuan frowned, “Fate lines?”
She nodded, “These are the fate lines of countless beings.”
Ye Xuan asked, “Can they be changed?”
She nodded, “Yes.”
He frowned deeper, “How?”
She gave a slight nod, “Only life and death can be altered.”
Her palm opened, a flower appearing, “This flower, without interference, will grow endlessly. But if I act, it wilts now.”
Ye Xuan, after a pause, said, “How do you know killing it isn’t its destined fate?”
A glint of approval flashed in her eyes, “You’re sharp. You’re right—my altering its fate might be its true destiny. That touches another level: the Half-God Realm.”
Ye Xuan said gravely, “Above Dongxuan is Half-God, and above that, Ancient God?”
She nodded.
Curious, he asked, “What realm are you?”
She replied, “Half-God.”
Half-God!
Ye Xuan fell silent, wondering if he’d been too cocky facing that Ancient God statue before.
She continued, “Dongxuan, as the name suggests, materialises these fate trajectories. Most crucially, you can cultivate your own fate power.”
Her palm opened, a force appearing, “This is fate power.”
Ye Xuan asked, “Mastering your fate power means controlling your destiny?”
She shook her head, “No.”
He frowned, “Why not?”
She glanced at him, “Because someone stronger exists. The strong dictate the weak’s fate, understand?”
Ye Xuan got it.
Fate!
It boiled down to might makes right. The strong decided others’ destinies.
Like Qing’er, who could, in a thought, determine the fate of countless universes’ beings!
The woman stood, “If you need anything, contact me. The contest is in one month, so you have that long.”
She turned to leave.
Ye Xuan called out, “Won’t take that long!”
She turned back as his aura surged, rocketing from Zhixuan to Dongxuan in an instant.
She froze, gave him a deep look, and left.
Ye Xuan watched her go, frowning. Wasn’t she shocked? Ruined his chance to show off!
He turned his focus to the Dongxuan Realm, feeling it deeply.
…
Elsewhere, the woman stood atop a city tower, overlooking Ye Xuan.
An elder approached, bowing, then looked at Ye Xuan, “Clan Leader, why not kill him?”
She shook her head, “Killing him would bring calamity to our clan.”
The elder’s pupils shrank, “How’s that possible?”
She gazed at Ye Xuan, “Would an ordinary person wield the Great Dao Pen?”
The elder said gravely, “I’ve investigated him. Two useful findings: one, he’s the young master of the Yang Clan; two, he’s Xianbao Pavilion’s sole super VIP, acquainted with Pavilion Master Qin Guan, though how is unclear. As for the Yang Clan…”
He shook his head, “No trace.”
She watched Ye Xuan, calm, “No trace means two things: either the Yang Clan doesn’t exist, or it’s in an unknown universe with a martial civilization far beyond ours.”
Her eyes closed, “The second.”
The elder’s face grew grave, “How… how’s that possible? Clan Leader, our universe is likely the highest known civilized universe. A higher one?”
She glanced at him, “Your vision’s too narrow.”
Elder: “…”
She looked at Ye Xuan, her expression complex. Having ventured out, she’d seen the vastness beyond and never thought the God Ancient Clan supreme.
The elder hesitated, “If he’s from a higher civilization, why bring him here?”
She said calmly, “Let him face the Di Huang God Clan’s champion. If he wins, perfect. If he loses, he dies by their hand, sparking conflict between his backers and them. Our clan reaps the benefits.”
The elder bowed, admiring, “Brilliant plan!”
She said, “Meet his needs this month.”
She left.
The elder glanced at Ye Xuan, silent.
…
On the plaza, Ye Xuan reverted from Dongxuan to Zhixuan.
He couldn’t help but marvel—the Great Dao Pen was cheating. After using it to reach Dongxuan, he familiarised himself with the realm and mastered his fate power. Reverting to Zhixuan, he could easily reach Dongxuan without the pen.
But the cosmic vein cost was astronomical!
From Zhixuan to Dongxuan burned thirty million veins!
Thirty million!
Even he winced.
He was baffled—why did he need so much? Xiu Fan and others needed only five or six million.
Was it because he rushed?
Xiu Fan had lingered in Guansuan for ages, while he’d barely reached it…
Regardless, he needed to make more veins!
Reaching Dongxuan didn’t make him truly Dongxuan!
Having used the pen, he needed to stabilise and consolidate his realm.
That required more veins!
Watching his storage ring’s veins dwindle, he grew anxious.
He had to earn more!
Besides consolidating, he honed his sword path.
Unlike realm cultivation, sword path training wasn’t easy!
It was about refining the heart—its tempering, its breakthroughs—not achieved by mere meditation or epiphany!
No rushing it!
Ye Xuan forced himself to slow down, stay patient.
Days passed in cultivation.
One day, he opened his eyes. A young man in a tight black robe stood nearby, exuding dignity.
Ye Xuan asked, “Something up?”
The man said calmly, “Spar with me.”
Ye Xuan shook his head.
The man frowned, “No guts?”
Ye Xuan’s brows furrowed, “You really want to fight?”
The man’s face was blank, “Think I’m joking?”
Ye Xuan nodded, “Let’s make it interesting with a bet. What do you say?”
The man eyed him, “Fine. Name it.”
Ye Xuan opened his palm, a storage ring appearing, “All my veins—thirty million. Let’s bet thirty million.”
The man froze.
Thirty million veins?
His face darkened.
How could he muster that?
In the entire God Ancient Clan, only the Clan Leader could.
Damn!
Was this guy that rich?
Ye Xuan said, “Can’t afford it?”
The man glanced at him, silent.
Ye Xuan said flatly, “If you’re poor, don’t pick fights.”
He closed his eyes, resuming cultivation.
The man, after a pause, said, “I don’t have that much. Smaller stakes?”
Ye Xuan opened his eyes, “How much you got?”
The man hesitated, “Three million.”
Ye Xuan exploded, “Only three million, and you challenge me? Insulting me?”
Man: “…”
Ye Xuan added, “Too little. No fight.”
The man snapped, “It’s just sparring. Why make a fuss?”
Ye Xuan said calmly, “Sparring wastes time. Time’s nothing to you, but to me, it’s precious.”
The man opened his mouth, but Ye Xuan said, “Get ten million veins.”
The man stared, “You’re that confident?”
Ye Xuan countered, “You’re that unconfident?”
The man looked at him, then said, “Wait.”
He left.
Soon, he returned, a storage ring in hand with exactly ten million veins.
By now, hundreds of God Ancient Clan members—old and young—had gathered.
The man looked at Ye Xuan, “Ready?”
Ye Xuan shook his head.
The man frowned, “What now?”
Ye Xuan smiled, “Hold on.”
He pulled out a table, announcing, “Folks, I’m facing your clan’s genius. Care to bet? Bet on me, one-to-two odds; bet on your genius, one-to-ten!”
He added earnestly, “This is your chance to strike it rich! Don’t miss out!”
Crowd: “…”
