Retreat?
Chu Nan froze, thinking he’d misheard.
At that moment, Chu Tianxing suddenly said, “Let’s go!”
With that, he turned and vanished into the starry horizon.
Chu Nan hesitated briefly before hurrying after him.
They came quickly and left just as fast.
Seeing them depart, Ye Xuan and Qin Guan exchanged a glance.
They just left like that?
Qin Guan said softly, “That’s not very logical, is it?”
She glanced at Qingqiu beside her. “Chu Nan’s gaze was fixed on Miss Qingqiu the whole time. Clearly, he sensed her danger.”
Ye Xuan nodded.
He’d noticed it too. From the start, Chu Nan’s eyes had been locked on Qingqiu, evidently aware of how formidable this woman from Ancient Desolation was.
Ye Xuan sighed softly, feeling a tinge of regret.
It was rare for an enemy to not act recklessly!
Qin Guan suddenly asked, “Miss Qingqiu, was that man powerful?”
Qingqiu blinked, about to speak, when Qin Guan quickly added, “I know, not powerful! No one’s powerful in front of Miss Qingqiu!”
Qingqiu shook her head with a smile and looked at Ye Xuan. “Will you stay a bit longer?”
Ye Xuan nodded. “Sure!”
He smiled slightly. “This time, besides missing you, little one, I came back to discuss swordsmanship with you!”
Discuss swordsmanship!
Qin Guan turned to Ye Xuan. “Little Xuan, are you getting cocky?”
Qingqiu gave him a playful, teasing look.
Ye Xuan blinked, then said, “I mean, seek guidance! Guidance!”
Qin Guan rolled her eyes at him, then said, “Little Xuan, I have a grand plan. Come explore it with me! Let’s go!”
With that, she pulled Ye Xuan into the small pagoda.
Qingqiu shook her head with a smile, gazing at the crimson clouds on the distant horizon, feeling utterly content.
Truth be told, this feeling was wonderful!
Long ago, she had lived each day as if it were a year.
Now, she cherished every single day.
…
In a starfield, Chu Tianxing stared at the Guanxuan Universe in the distance, his expression grave.
Chu Nan said solemnly, “Was it that woman?”
Chu Tianxing nodded.
Chu Nan added, “I also felt she was extraordinary, but… if we two join forces, unless the Boundless Lord himself intervenes, no one in this Boundless Universe can match us!”
Chu Tianxing shook his head. “I’ve fought across Ancient Desolation my whole life, and I’m acutely sensitive to danger. When I saw her, an unease rose in my heart.”
His expression grew even graver. “I couldn’t gauge her depths, and that’s the scariest part. Her strength likely far surpasses ours, possibly reaching the Other Shore…”
Chu Nan’s pupils constricted. “Impossible! Absolutely impossible! This tiny Boundless Universe could never have someone at the Other Shore! Even the Boundless Lord hasn’t reached that level!”
Boundless Lord: “???”
Chu Tianxing shook his head. “No! Anything is possible! Just because it didn’t exist before doesn’t mean it doesn’t now!”
Chu Nan fell silent.
He didn’t argue, knowing Chu Tianxing, who had battled across Ancient Desolation for years, was far stronger. If Chu Tianxing said the woman was dangerous, she was undoubtedly very dangerous!
Snapping out of his thoughts, Chu Nan said gravely, “What do we do now?”
Chu Tianxing was silent for a moment before saying, “Investigate! Find out what’s happened in this universe and why the mysterious Boundless Lord suddenly left. We must get every detail!”
Chu Nan said, “But our grudge…”
Chu Tianxing looked at him. “If we can win, we settle it. If we can’t, we back off. Understood?”
Chu Nan’s face darkened. “Our Great Chu has a hundred thousand expeditionary troops…”
Chu Tianxing shook his head. “That mindset isn’t good.”
He pointed to the depths of the endless starry sky. “Out there, in the boundless lands, our hundred thousand troops are less than ants! There are countless beings stronger than us!”
Having seen the wider world, he knew how insignificant they were.
Chu Nan stayed silent.
Chu Tianxing smiled. “I know you’re upset, but right now, we need to understand what kind of enemy we’ve provoked!”
Chu Nan nodded slightly. “I’ll have people investigate immediately!”
Chu Tianxing nodded. “Back to the clan first!”
With that, they left.
Chu Nan suddenly asked, “Why didn’t you take the clan leader position back then?”
Chu Tianxing paused, then smiled. “Whether you or I lead, it’s for the Chu family. No difference, right?”
Chu Nan looked at him, silent.
Chu Tianxing laughed. “Let’s go!”
Chu Nan nodded, and they departed.
…
Inside the small pagoda.
Qin Guan and Ye Xuan sat by a seaside. Qin Guan kicked off her shoes, her feet gently splashing in the water. A sea breeze blew, tousling her short hair.
Ye Xuan also removed his shoes. “Didn’t you say you had a grand plan?”
Qin Guan nodded. “Other Shore Star is just our first goal. After establishing the academy and Immortal Treasure Pavilion there, I want to set up a teleportation array as a springboard to target Ancient Desolation!”
Ancient Desolation!
Ye Xuan looked at her. “Can you tell me about Ancient Desolation?”
Qin Guan smiled. “It’s a place connected to dimensional universes!”
Ye Xuan frowned. “Connected to dimensional universes?”
Qin Guan nodded. “The world we’re in is just a parallel world. Above us are dimensional universes. Some powerhouses, like those who’ve broken through to the Heart Realm, can draw power from dimensional universes! But you know what? They’re only tapping into the lowest-tier dimensional universes, and just a tiny fraction of their power!”
Ye Xuan said gravely, “So, our universe is just an ant compared to those dimensional universes?”
Qin Guan nodded.
Ye Xuan lay back, hands covering his forehead.
Qin Guan blinked. “What’s wrong?”
Ye Xuan sighed softly. “My head hurts! I’ve fought half my life, thinking I was nearing the universe’s peak, and now you tell me I’m still an ant… My mindset’s crumbling!”
Qin Guan giggled. “Isn’t that normal?”
Ye Xuan shook his head with a wry smile.
It was a bit of a headache!
How much longer would he have to fight?
Qin Guan smiled. “I think it’s great! We can explore the vastness and wonders of the universe!”
Ye Xuan nodded. “True.”
Qin Guan added, “My scouts have reached Ancient Desolation, but they’re not very strong, so they haven’t gathered much intel.”
She looked at Ye Xuan. “Our next target is Ancient Desolation, but gaining a foothold there will be tough. It’s not like Other Shore Star—there, the forces are complex, and powerhouses are as common as dogs!”
She shook her head. “I need a tech breakthrough before we go, or we’ll likely get beaten!”
Ye Xuan smiled. “Any progress on the tech?”
Qin Guan grinned. “Almost there! One is speed—space folding. The other is material immortality!”
Ye Xuan nodded. Those were the two points Qing’er had mentioned.
Qin Guan nudged his arm, chuckling. “Next time, let me chat with your sister again!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Qin Guan stood up. “Lend me the small pagoda. I’ll help upgrade it!”
Before Ye Xuan could respond, the pagoda said, “Sure!”
Ye Xuan’s face darkened instantly.
Qin Guan laughed, then said, “Little Xuan, I’ll find you when I’m done!”
With that, she took the pagoda and left.
Back in reality, Ye Xuan looked around, shaking his head. “That pagoda’s got a rebellious streak!”
Moments later, he left for the Guanxuan Academy.
The academy had undergone earth-shaking changes. Now, the Guanxuan Universe had only two major powers: the Guanxuan Academy and the Immortal Treasure Pavilion!
Of course, both were run by the same group, so they could be considered one force.
Inside the academy, Ye Xuan and Qingqiu strolled by a lake.
Ye Xuan said softly, “Our next stop is Ancient Desolation. Little one, do you know about it?”
Qingqiu shook her head. “No.”
Ye Xuan looked at her. “What about dimensional universes?”
Qingqiu nodded. “Those, I know.”
Ye Xuan asked, “The cosmic civilizations there are more advanced than here, right?”
Qingqiu nodded.
Ye Xuan pressed, “Would you become an ant there?”
Qingqiu smiled. “No.”
Ye Xuan was puzzled. “Why not?”
Qingqiu chuckled softly. “Brother, cultivation isn’t that complicated. The hard part is breaking out of the framework. What framework? The one set by the Master of the Great Dao Pen. Only those who break free are true cultivators.”
Ye Xuan frowned. “True cultivators?”
Qingqiu nodded. “In my view, there are only three realms: Practitioners, Seekers, and True Cultivators. Actually, there’s a fourth… those three belong to that fourth kind!”
Ye Xuan asked gravely, “What’s the difference?”
Qingqiu smiled. “Practitioners cultivate within the rules set by the Master of the Great Dao Pen. Seekers understand the trajectory of fate and karma, trying to break free from those rules. True Cultivators don’t follow the Master’s path but forge their own, cultivating their own way. Take the Boundless Lord—he’s found his own path, so the Master’s rules can’t touch him!”
She frowned slightly. “But that’s not entirely accurate. It’s more that the Master’s rules can’t affect him unless the Master targets him directly. If that happens, he’d likely lose.”
Ye Xuan hesitated, then asked, “Why didn’t Qing’er kill the Boundless Lord back then?”
Qingqiu glanced at him, smiling. “What do you think?”
Ye Xuan shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Qingqiu stopped, looking at an ant crawling on the ground. “Would you go out of your way to crush that ant?”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Boundless Lord: “???”
Qingqiu took Ye Xuan’s hand, walking into the distance with a smile. “To her, everyone but you is an ant!”
