A test?
Ye Xuan fell silent. Was this Qing’er’s test for him?
He shook his head with a smile. If it was, that’d be great. If not, he hoped it was.
He still remembered the words of the Great Dao Pen’s master: establishing an order isn’t child’s play. Creating an order requires guarding it!
Building an order is hard; protecting it is even harder!
Just then, the distant starry sky split open, and a white-haired man slowly stepped out.
Dressed in simple cloth robes, he held a silver spear, standing tall with an imposing aura.
Without a word, he thrust his spear.
*Crack!*
In an instant, the starfield within a million miles collapsed. A terrifying spear light surged like a torrential flood toward Ye Xuan and the others!
Seeing this, a fierce glint flashed in the Dao God’s eyes. She stepped forward, and her Dao Lotus transformed into a thunderbolt, shooting out. As it flew, she pointed with her fingers, and the thunderbolt expanded into a ten-thousand-foot divine lightning!
The spear light arrived.
*Boom!*
The massive lightning shattered, scattering countless sparks across the surroundings!
At that moment, the space before the Dao God split, and a spear light struck!
Her eyes narrowed. She opened her palm, then clenched it. Countless thunderbolts surged from her body.
*Boom!*
The space around her was obliterated!
The spear light was blocked by the thunderbolts, which then surged forward, engulfing the white-haired man!
A moment of silence.
*Rip!*
The thunderbolts were torn apart. Both the Dao God and the white-haired man were forced back!
They retreated tens of thousands of feet before stopping. The Dao God turned to Ye Xuan and Jiang Lian. “Go to the Land of Return to Ruin!”
Jiang Lian glanced at the white-haired man. “Let’s go!”
Ye Xuan looked at the Dao God. “Be careful.”
With that, he and Jiang Lian vanished into the distance.
After they left, the Dao God turned to the white-haired man. Without a word, both disappeared, and the starfield echoed with deafening clashes.
…
Elsewhere, Jiang Lian led Ye Xuan, tearing through space.
Ye Xuan suddenly asked, “How far to the Land of Return to Ruin?”
Jiang Lian replied, “Almost there!”
As he was about to speak, the space ahead trembled violently. A massive finger, ten thousand feet long, shot out, pointing at them, annihilating space in its path!
Ye Xuan looked at Jiang Lian, who remained silent.
He said gravely, “Don’t tell me you can’t fight!”
She hesitated, then said, “I’m really not good at fighting!”
Ye Xuan was silent for a moment. “I thought you were a master!”
He charged forward, slashing with his sword!
*Rip!*
The massive finger was torn apart. With another sweep, Ye Xuan reduced the split finger to nothing!
He looked ahead. A thousand feet away stood an old man, staring at him.
Ye Xuan was about to act when the old man said, “Aren’t you going to the Land of Return to Ruin? Go ahead!”
He stepped aside, gesturing for them to pass.
Ye Xuan frowned.
The old man looked at him. “Go!”
Ye Xuan glanced at him, then led Jiang Lian away.
The old man turned, sneering coldly.
…
At the edge of the starry sky, Ye Xuan was silent.
Jiang Lian said gravely, “They’re so arrogant!”
Ye Xuan turned to her. “Besides your master, who’s the strongest in the Dao Sect?”
She replied, “The Dao Spirit, head of the Punishment Division.”
Ye Xuan frowned. “Can you contact her?”
She shook her head.
After a pause, Ye Xuan stopped.
Jiang Lian looked at him. He said, “This is a trap—a trap targeting the Dao Sect’s powerhouses.”
She asked, “How so?”
Ye Xuan said gravely, “The Land of Return to Ruin is in danger, so all the Dao Sect’s powerhouses must rush there, right?”
She nodded.
He continued, “If the Past Sect dares attack it, they must be fully confident…”
His pupils suddenly shrank. “Damn it! There’s definitely a traitor in the Dao Sect! Definitely!”
Jiang Lian was puzzled. “How so?”
Ye Xuan said gravely, “Think about it. I just got the Dao Token and planned to summon the division leaders to deal with the Past Sect. But they struck first, targeting the Land of Return to Ruin! Why didn’t they dare do this before? Why now? Simple—they know you can’t contact your master…”
He stopped, realizing something.
The issue was clear!
He turned to Jiang Lian, who blinked. “You’re right. Keep going!”
Ye Xuan smiled. “We—”
His voice cut off as he suddenly drew his sword and slashed!
No warning!
But as his sword left its sheath, a fist slammed into his abdomen.
*Boom!*
Ye Xuan was sent flying!
Tens of thousands of feet away, he stopped. The space behind him shattered, blood trickled from his mouth, and his body cracked open, blood spraying!
Third Knowledge Realm!
Ye Xuan wiped the blood from his lips, shaking his head with a smile.
In the distance, Jiang Lian smiled. “Your analysis is spot-on. But I’m curious—how did you know I was the traitor?”
Ye Xuan looked at her. “First, only three people knew I got the Dao Token: Mu Sheng, the Dao God, and you. Second, on the way here, the Past Sect attacked Mu Sheng and the Dao God, but just now, they didn’t attack. So, you were the most likely traitor. Still, I wasn’t sure, so I tested you.”
Jiang Lian smiled faintly. “Your strength may not be much, but your brain’s not bad.”
Ye Xuan glanced around. She laughed, “Don’t worry, it’s just me.”
He asked gravely, “You want to kill me?”
She shook her head. “I wouldn’t dare.”
He frowned. She smiled lightly. “You’re the King of Backers. Even my master avoids your invincible sister’s edge. How could I dare kill you and provoke her?”
Ye Xuan looked at her. “So, you just want to stall me?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
He glanced at her, silent.
She smiled lightly. “Young Master Ye, my target is only the Land of Return to Ruin, not you or your academy. Just stay out of this and watch from the sidelines. How about it?”
Ye Xuan asked, “What happens if the Land of Return to Ruin is destroyed?”
She shrugged. “Countless people will be resurrected.”
He frowned. “Countless people resurrected…”
She laughed. “Yes! No big deal! And it has nothing to do with you!”
The Great Dao Pen suddenly spoke. “Don’t listen to her nonsense! If the Land of Return to Ruin is broken, countless resurrections would be catastrophic! First, the universe’s ecological order would collapse entirely. Strongmen from countless eras converging in this one would drain the universe’s spiritual energy, killing billions of beings. Worse, with so many powerhouses, they’d fight over resources, and the law of the jungle would reign supreme. The weak wouldn’t even have the right to breathe. Second, with all these strongmen revived, all restrictions and order would vanish. Without the limit of death, people would unleash their darkest impulses, knowing they can revive endlessly!”
Ye Xuan’s face darkened.
The Great Dao Pen continued, “Of course, you and your academy would be fine. You have Qingqiu, the Chosen One, your father, your brother… But everyone else… they’d suffer horribly.”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
The Small Pagoda suddenly said, “If Young Master doesn’t act, the Great Dao Pen’s master surely will!”
The Great Dao Pen sighed. “You’re wrong. You don’t know this, but Young Master’s family has been to the Land of Return to Ruin. The first to break order and rules were the Chosen One and the Azure-Robed Sword Master. Their actions set a precedent: strength means you can ignore any order or rule. Our master is helpless. As long as those three are around, his order can never be truly impartial. So, he’s handed this problem to Ye Xuan. You want to build a just order? How do you handle your sister and father? Can you make them follow it? Can you be impartial? If you don’t uphold it, he won’t either—it’s meaningless if your family won’t comply.”
Ye Xuan remained silent.
The Great Dao Pen continued, “Cause and effect. Your sister and father broke the order back then, and now you must resolve that karma. You have two paths: don’t uphold it, and the current order collapses, plunging the universe into chaos. You can forget about building any order then—everyone’s fighting to survive. Would you stop them from cultivating or living? Or uphold it—but can you make your sister and father comply?”
Ye Xuan shook his head slightly. “You’re all wrong.”
The Great Dao Pen asked gravely, “What do you mean?”
He laughed. “Let’s get real. Why should an invincible person follow your order? It’s like an ant creating an order and expecting your master to obey it. Would you?”
The Great Dao Pen fell silent.
Ye Xuan continued, “Why should I make Qing’er follow this world’s so-called rules and order? Why put shackles on her? Honestly, if Qing’er follows my order, she’s giving me face. If she doesn’t, am I supposed to force her?”
He chuckled softly. “Frankly, between the universe’s destruction and Qing’er, I’d choose Qing’er without hesitation. In front of my Qing’er, the whole damn universe is nothing!”
…
