After Ye Xuan entered the black hole, he found himself in a pitch-black world.
The entire world was shrouded in darkness.
Even when he channelled his mysterious energy, he could see nothing.
Ye Xuan frowned.
What was this place?
It was nothing like he had expected. He had prepared for a desperate fight, but this place was empty.
Silent, deathly silent.
After a moment’s pause, Ye Xuan suddenly swung his sword downward.
Screech!
The sword tore through everything, but no sword light appeared, and the darkness remained.
His frown deepened.
After a while, he walked forward, but the darkness was absolute, and no matter how he moved, it felt like he was treading in place.
Finally, Ye Xuan sat cross-legged.
He began to think.
The Hell Trial Path, where only three members of the Hell Clan had ever passed, was clearly no ordinary trial ground. The trial here was not simple.
This dark world might itself be the trial.
A test of the mind?
Ye Xuan slowly closed his eyes.
Time ticked by, but the surroundings remained silent, unchanged.
Gradually, he felt irritation creeping in.
In such a dead, silent world, even a cultivator would struggle to endure.
But soon, Ye Xuan regained his composure.
He stopped thinking about the trial and began reflecting on himself.
Reflecting on his life, from Qing City to now.
His expression shifted: smiles, emotions, nostalgia, and sorrow.
Regrets.
First, he felt he had let down many people, like An Lanxiu, Lian Wanli, Tuoba Yan, Zhang Wenxiu, and other women who followed him, yet he had never truly given them a proper place.
And Qing’er.
Her kindness toward him, at some point, he had taken for granted, as if she owed it to him.
And Huasha, and Shameless…
And his passion!
As that Heavenly Domain had said, did he still have his passion?
His father, though beaten badly by Qing’er, had he ever backed down?
No!
Had his father ever given up?
Never!
Being beaten didn’t matter, but you had to fight back!
Fight back!
Wu Jun!
The Priestess!
Ye Xuan’s hands slowly clenched as he began to cultivate.
He ignored the dead silence of this place. At the True Self Realm, he focused on his sword techniques, Instant Invincibility, and his Human Sword Intent.
In the dark world, wielding the Qingxuan Sword repeatedly, with countless Cosmic Veins and Cosmic Origin Veins, he had no worry about spiritual energy.
Ye Xuan worked to enhance the strength of his four clones. Most importantly, through his study and cultivation, he discovered he could manifest an additional clone.
Five clones!
This unexpected discovery thrilled him, as it meant Instant Invincibility had vast potential for growth.
Besides cultivating Instant Invincibility, he worked on his Human Sword Intent and Bloodline Power, both among his strongest trump cards, both capable of improvement.
He also began cultivating his Sword Domain.
The Human Sword Domain!
This was his new creation. After reaching the True Self Realm, he could forge a True Self World, his own Sword Domain!
Human Sword Domain, Human Sword Intent!
In the dark world, Ye Xuan was no longer lonely, bored, or irritable. He grew excited, driven.
Time passed bit by bit.
Ye Xuan paid no heed to time; in this place, it held no meaning.
Day after day, year after year.
He cultivated in this dark world, not seeking an exit, treating it as ascetic training, pushing himself to his limits repeatedly, breaking through, then pushing again, in an endless cycle.
…
Outside, in a grand hall, Tianyu, handling affairs, suddenly looked up at an old man, “Where is he now?”
The old man said gravely, “Still in the Dead Silence Land!”
Tianyu frowned, “He hasn’t walked out?”
The old man gave a wry smile, “He hasn’t even tried to find a way out!”
Tianyu froze.
The old man continued, “He’s cultivating in the Dead Silence Land!”
Cultivating!
Tianyu blinked, “Are you sure?”
The old man nodded.
After a moment’s silence, Tianyu chuckled, “How interesting! Cultivating in the Dead Silence Land? His heart’s truly bold. Most would go mad there, yet he’s calmly cultivating!”
She looked at the old man, “How’s his cultivation going?”
The old man shook his head, “We don’t know. Our divine sense can’t penetrate that place. We only know he’s cultivating.”
Tianyu nodded after a pause, “I see.”
She stood and left.
Outside the hall, Tianyu arrived before the Heroic Spirit Temple.
She approached a kneeling woman, looking at her softly, “Sister, why do this to yourself?”
The kneeling woman slowly raised her head, gazing at the temple, “My clan lost thirty-six thousand in battle. If not for me, they wouldn’t have died so tragically!”
Tianyu fell silent.
The woman stared at the temple, “Don’t fall in love. Love gives you weaknesses, and weaknesses let others exploit you!”
Tianyu shook her head, “The fault isn’t yours. You just loved someone unworthy.”
The woman closed her eyes, “When will the war begin?”
Tianyu looked at her, “Sister, are you so eager to die?”
The woman turned to Tianyu, “I’ve lived this long only to fight one day for our clan, to find release in death.”
Tianyu was silent.
The woman suddenly said, “You want to use that boy!”
Tianyu nodded, “With our strength, we can’t face them, especially now with those monstrous talents outside, like Wu Jun and Mu War God…”
She shook her head, “They’re stronger now than ever.”
The woman said, “That boy is from the Known Universe! Even if we ally with him to fight them, we might invite a wolf into our home!”
Tianyu smiled, “That boy’s heart isn’t bad.”
The woman turned to her, “You can know a face but not a heart!”
Tianyu smiled faintly, “Sister, you loved the wrong person, but not everyone in the world is wrong. Have you seen that boy’s sword intent? It’s the purest power of faith. Someone with such pure faith has a good heart.”
She turned to the distance, whispering, “Our Hell Clan is fighting for survival in desperate straits!”
The woman was silent.
Tianyu suddenly smiled, “Sister, I need your help with something!”
The woman said, “Speak.”
Tianyu smiled, “I hope you’ll go to the Known Universe…”
…
In the Dead Silence Land, Ye Xuan, cultivating, suddenly looked up, “Who’s there?”
He had just sensed a presence nearby.
Before he could say more, his pupils contracted, and he slashed his sword.
Boom!
A muffled sound rang out, and Ye Xuan, with his sword, was sent flying, unsure how far, before he sensed the presence again.
Ye Xuan vanished from the spot.
Instant Invincibility!
As he unleashed it, five clones appeared below, each slashing a sword.
Screech, screech, screech, screech, screech!
Five tearing sounds echoed, but the clones shattered instantly.
Shocked, Ye Xuan moved to retreat, but a hand seized his throat. His palm opened, Bloodline Power and Human Sword Intent surging, only to be suppressed the moment they appeared.
Ye Xuan stared ahead, still seeing nothing but darkness.
Without hesitation, he burned his physical body.
Boom!
A terrifying force erupted from him, but it too was suppressed instantly.
His eyes narrowed, about to burn his soul, when the hand released him.
Ye Xuan froze.
A voice spoke from the darkness, “Your sword hasn’t reached True Self!”
Ye Xuan said gravely, “True Self?”
The voice replied, “Yes!”
Ye Xuan asked, “How do I reach True Self?”
The voice continued, “Figure it out yourself!”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
True Self?
He closed his eyes slowly. What was True Self? The true self!
For a sword to reach True Self, the person must first reach True Self!
The real self!
What was his real self?
Relying on himself?
Relying on Qing’er?
Relying on his father?
Ye Xuan shook his head with a smile. Why obsess over such things?
In life, act with a clear conscience. Whether relying on himself or Qing’er, it was still him!
Why couldn’t he rely on Qing’er if he relied on himself?
Why cling to such formalities?
If he could fight, he’d fight. If he couldn’t, he’d call for help. What was wrong with that?
Fighting to the death when he couldn’t win—wasn’t that foolish?
If he had people to call, why not call them?
With this realization, Ye Xuan shook his head again, letting go of the question.
A powerful sword intent suddenly surged from him.
Boom!
The space around him trembled.
True Self!
Whether it was his honest side, his passionate side, or his flamboyant side, it was all Ye Xuan.
His thoughts cleared, his mind bright.
Ye Xuan opened his palm, the Qingxuan Sword in hand, and looked ahead, lips curving, “Again!”
He slashed his sword.
Boom!
A muffled sound echoed, and Ye Xuan was sent flying hundreds of thousands of feet, crashing heavily to the ground, his mind blank.
The voice spoke again, “You think breaking through makes you invincible?”
In the distance, Ye Xuan was silent for a long while before saying, “I don’t want to try anymore! This is too damn unfair!”
