Direct instant kill!
Yang Xuan’s sudden attack left everyone present dumbfounded.
Killing someone just because of a disagreement?
Li Youyou’s beautiful eyes widened in disbelief. She was shocked both by Yang Xuan killing without hesitation and by his terrifying strength.
After all, that Young Master Mo had been a Grandmaster realm expert!
Yet he was killed in a single strike?
Was this not the same Young Master Yang who was said to be unable to cultivate, a complete waste?
While everyone was still reeling in shock, Yang Xuan had already walked over to Young Master Mo’s corpse. With practised ease, he removed the storage ring from the body’s finger and slipped it into his pocket.
Everyone: “…”
Yang Xuan suddenly turned to look at Li Youyou beside him. When she met his gaze, her expression changed at once. She instinctively retreated several steps.
At this moment, her heart was in turmoil. The facts before her told her that this Young Master Yang was no waste at all. Not only was he not a waste, his strength was utterly terrifying.
Yang Xuan looked at Li Youyou, his gaze frighteningly calm. “Miss Youyou, there is one thing I do not understand. We have no grudge between us, so why did you incite this Young Master Mo to humiliate me?”
Li Youyou hurriedly replied, “Young Master Yang, please do not misunderstand. Young Master Mo’s actions had nothing to do with me. They were entirely his own doing.”
Yang Xuan stared at her without speaking.
Li Youyou felt a surge of terror. She sensed a terrifying pressure. This invisible force pressed down on her like she was drowning, giving her a suffocating sensation.
Just then, Yang Xuan suddenly withdrew his gaze and said calmly, “Miss Youyou, let us consider this matter closed.”
With that, he turned and walked away.
Seeing this, Li Youyou let out a long breath, feeling as though a great weight had been lifted.
In that instant just now, she had felt a bone-chilling killing intent.
This man had genuinely wanted to kill her!
Was this not supposed to be the waste Young Master Yang?
Li Youyou’s brows knitted deeply.
…
After returning to his room, Yang Xuan sat cross-legged on the bed and slowly formed hand seals.
Cultivation.
Of course he could cultivate. Moreover, he cultivated far faster than others.
In the Profound Realm, martial realms progressed from first to ninth grade. After ninth grade came Grandmaster, then Great Grandmaster, followed by Divine Transformation realm, Heavenly Human realm, and finally Dharma Manifestation realm.
He was currently at the Divine Transformation realm.
The reason his cultivation progressed so quickly was entirely due to a mysterious technique in his mind: the Cosmic Guanxuan Method.
He had cultivated according to this method since childhood, so his progress was extremely rapid.
As for the grade of this technique, he had no idea.
The experts sent by the Ye Clan in the past had been driven away in anger not because he refused to learn, but because what they taught was far too low-level. It was so basic that he had absolutely no interest in learning it.
Moreover, because the fragmented memories in his head were simply too shocking and world-shaking, he did not dare reveal them. He also had to conceal his strength.
An ordinary man is innocent, but possessing a treasure makes him guilty.
Until he possessed absolute power, it was better to keep a low profile.
After all, he was still very weak, and the Yang clan was also weak. Being too extraordinary would only invite great calamity.
As though something occurred to him, Yang Xuan suddenly looked at the Qingxuan Sword before him and fell silent.
That had been his first time killing someone.
Yet he felt no discomfort whatsoever.
Was that normal?
Definitely not.
Yang Xuan’s brows furrowed deeply. Could it be that in the past he had not been a good person?
He shook his head with a faint smile and thought no more about it.
Over the years, he had lived in a daze precisely because he cared too much about the past, wasting a great deal of time.
Now, he no longer wished to let the past affect him.
After dissolving the engagement, he wanted to travel and see the world.
Yang Xuan collected his thoughts and resumed cultivating.
Two hours passed.
Night fell.
Yang Xuan left his room and stepped onto the deck of the cloud ship. Stars filled the sky, the cosmos vast and profound. Faint moonlight spilled down, draping the ship in a thin silver veil.
Gazing at the endless void, Yang Xuan felt his own insignificance, yet he was filled with curiosity about this boundless starry sky.
Was all of this truly created by gods?
He had read the divine scriptures of the Temple of All Gods. Those scriptures claimed that everything in the world had been created by gods.
The Temple of All Gods.
This was the most powerful force in the Profound Realm, without equal. It was the supreme authority. Any clan or sect could only exist in the Profound Realm with the temple’s permission.
Even powerful empires required the High Priest himself to personally crown a new emperor; otherwise, the ascension was illegitimate.
Divine authority superseded imperial authority and everything else.
“Young Master Yang.”
At that moment, a voice suddenly sounded beside him.
Yang Xuan withdrew his thoughts and turned. Not far away stood a woman: Li Youyou.
She wore a pale white dress beneath a snow-white robe. Her long hair was tied high in a ponytail, giving her a valiant and heroic air.
Li Youyou’s beauty was naturally stunning. After all, she was known as the number one beauty of Tianqing City.
Yang Xuan withdrew his gaze and smiled faintly. “Miss Youyou.”
Li Youyou walked slowly to stand before him and looked at him. “Young Master Yang, are you heading to Central Province?”
Yang Xuan nodded.
Li Youyou asked, “To get married?”
Yang Xuan shook his head. “To dissolve the engagement.”
A flash of surprise crossed her eyes. “Dissolve the engagement?”
Yang Xuan nodded again.
Li Youyou was puzzled. “Why?”
Yang Xuan smiled. “With empty sleeves and a clear breeze, how dare I ruin a fine lady’s future?”
Li Youyou shook her head with a smile. “Young Master Yang, there is no need for false modesty. You killed Young Master Mo with a single sword strike, which means you are at least at the Great Grandmaster realm. To reach Great Grandmaster at such a young age would make you a rare peerless genius not only in Tianqing City but throughout the entire Profound Realm.”
Yang Xuan suddenly asked, “Miss Youyou, is there something you need?”
Li Youyou gave a half-annoyed, half-playful glare. “What, am I not allowed to come find you if I have no business?”
Yang Xuan smiled, then turned to gaze into the distance.
Seeing him behave like this, Li Youyou’s brows knitted. What did this man mean by this?
She spoke again, “Young Master Yang…”
Yang Xuan suddenly said, “Miss Youyou, if there is nothing else, I will go rest.”
With that, he turned and left.
Watching him depart, Li Youyou stood rooted to the spot.
Ignoring her completely?
Wherever she went in the past, men had always fawned over her and sought her favour. With the slightest encouragement, they would throw themselves into fire or water for her, desperate to show off.
Yet this man paid her no attention at all.
Li Youyou gave a light laugh. “Playing hard to get?”
Over the years, countless men had pursued her. She had seen every trick in the book, including feigned indifference.
A slight curve touched the corner of her lips. “Interesting.”
…
Yang Xuan naturally had no interest in Li Youyou. He had not interacted with her much, but Young Master Mo’s earlier behaviour had already revealed what kind of person she was.
Young Master Mo had targeted him only to curry favour with her. She could have stopped it at any time, yet from beginning to end she had said nothing, allowing Young Master Mo to provoke him. Only after his death did she immediately distance herself.
This kind of woman was cold-hearted and unkind. She was not someone to befriend.
At that moment, the Qingxuan Sword in his hand suddenly trembled, then vanished completely.
Gone again.
Yang Xuan was rather puzzled. Where exactly did the Qingxuan Sword keep going?
So mysterious.
Without dwelling on it, he resumed cultivating.
The next day, when Yang Xuan awoke, the Qingxuan Sword had returned.
He looked at the sword before him and said, “Qingxuan, can you tell me where you went?”
He was genuinely curious.
The Qingxuan Sword trembled slightly, as though trying to convey something.
Yang Xuan thought for a moment, then pointed at the ground. “Write it.”
The sword flew down and carved a large character into the floor: “Borrow”.
Yang Xuan’s brows creased. “You mean someone borrowed you?”
The Qingxuan Sword trembled again.
Yang Xuan’s face immediately darkened. “Does he not have his own sword? Why does he keep borrowing mine?”
Qingxuan Sword: “…”
After thinking for a while, Yang Xuan said, “Next time someone borrows you, can you ask them to give me some compensation each time?”
Borrowing the sword was not unacceptable, but at least offer something in return, right?
Qingxuan Sword: “…”
Ten days later.
The cloud ship needed to replenish its energy, so it docked at Yuanwu City for half a day.
Yang Xuan disembarked. Naturally, he also needed to restock supplies. With his current strength, he still required food, drink, and rest.
Yuanwu City was far larger and more prosperous than Tianqing City. People flowed like tides, carriages streamed endlessly; it was extremely lively.
Yang Xuan entered a noodle shop in the city, sat down, and said, “Boss, one bowl of noodles.”
The shop owner grinned. “Coming right up!”
Soon, a steaming hot bowl of noodles was placed before him.
Yang Xuan was about to start eating when a fragrant breeze suddenly approached. He looked up. A woman had already seated herself opposite him.
It was Li Youyou.
Yang Xuan was slightly surprised. “Miss Youyou?”
Li Youyou smiled. “Young Master Yang, some friends of mine are holding a banquet at Drunken Moon Pavilion to welcome me. Would you like to join?”
Yang Xuan smiled. “No thank you. I have things to do later.”
Li Youyou blinked. “What things?”
Yang Xuan replied, “Just some minor matters.”
Li Youyou looked at him, her expression dimming. “Young Master Yang does not wish to go with me, so you are making excuses?”
Yang Xuan put down his chopsticks and said, “Miss Youyou, I simply do not enjoy lively occasions.”
Li Youyou laughed. “But some of my friends wish to meet Young Master Yang.”
Yang Xuan replied calmly, “I have no wish to meet them.”
Li Youyou was stunned. She had not expected such a direct answer.
Yang Xuan continued eating his noodles.
Meaningless socialising was inferior to quality solitude.
Li Youyou watched him, complex emotions in her eyes.
She could tell that this man genuinely had no interest in her. This was not an act.
She had underestimated him after all.
With that thought, Li Youyou sighed inwardly, stood slowly, and said, “Young Master Yang, I have disturbed you.”
With that, she turned and left.
Continuing to pester him would be impolite.
After finishing his noodles, Yang Xuan also rose and departed.
He bought some daily necessities in the city, then returned to the cloud ship. He noticed that Li Youyou had also come back.
Yang Xuan was puzzled. Had she not gone to the banquet?
Just as he wondered this, the cloud ship suddenly started moving. A steward emerged and announced, “Everyone, we have just received news that something may happen in the city, so we must depart immediately.”
Something may happen in the city.
Yang Xuan frowned.
While everyone was still puzzled, a loud laugh suddenly rang out from the distance.
Hearing that laughter, the elderly steward’s face instantly turned pale.
Everyone turned to look. Several masked powerhouses were charging toward them. The masked riders all wore black robes with a large blood-red mark on their left chests.
Seeing that blood-red mark, Li Youyou’s expression changed dramatically. “Heretics.”
Yang Xuan also frowned.
The Heretic Cult.
This was an extremely evil force in the Profound Realm, with followers spread across countless regions and immense power.
Why were heretics here?
Yang Xuan was rather confused.
After all, the Heretic Cult was based in Central Province.
He glanced around. Apart from their cloud ship, every other ship docked for resupply had heretics aboard.
There were at least a hundred of them!
At that moment, the leading heretic laughed sinisterly from afar. “Everyone, we only want wealth, not lives. Hand over your storage rings and you may live.”
Hand over your storage rings!
Hearing this, the passengers on the cloud ship, upon learning these were heretics, did not dare resist in the slightest. They immediately surrendered their rings.
Compared to possessions, life was naturally more important.
Seeing everyone obediently comply, the leading heretic grinned widely. These people were truly obedient.
“We only want rings, not lives.” They actually believed that?
How laughable.
Did they not know the saying “to uproot the grass, you must remove the roots”?
After everyone handed over their rings, more than a dozen heretics stepped forward to collect them. When several reached Yang Xuan and Li Youyou, Li Youyou also surrendered her ring.
However, as she did so, she glanced at Yang Xuan, as though expecting something.
Yet Yang Xuan honestly handed over his ring as well.
Seeing this, disappointment flashed through Li Youyou’s eyes.
After taking Yang Xuan’s ring, the heretic’s gaze shifted to the Qingxuan Sword in Yang Xuan’s hand.
The heretic pointed at the sword, his meaning clear.
Yang Xuan glanced at the Qingxuan Sword, then said, “This sword is not for giving.”
The heretic narrowed his eyes. “The sword or your life?”
Yang Xuan thought for a moment, then replied, “Both.”
With that, his thumb gently pushed the hilt.
Shik!
In a flash of sword light, before the heretic could react, his head flew off.
Everyone froze.
After beheading that heretic with one strike, Yang Xuan did not stop. He leapt forward and swept his sword horizontally. Another heretic’s head flew.
Blood sprayed like a fountain!
The remaining heretics finally snapped out of their daze. Just as they were about to act, Yang Xuan charged forward, appearing before another heretic…
In less than ten breaths, all dozen-plus heretics on the cloud ship lay decapitated, blood soaking the deck in a gruesome scene.
On the ship, everyone stared at Yang Xuan in shock mixed with fear.
After killing the heretics, Yang Xuan collected their storage rings. However, he did not keep them for himself; he returned them to the passengers.
Receiving their lost treasures back, everyone was overjoyed.
Yang Xuan then left the ship and walked toward the other cloud ships in the distance.
Seeing this, Li Youyou cried out in a trembling voice, “Young Master Yang… what are you doing?”
Yang Xuan smiled faintly, turned, and pointed at the heretics on the distant ships. His gaze gradually turned ice-cold. “Kill them all.”
If he was not going to kill, fine.
But if he killed, he would eradicate them completely.
If enmity was inevitable, he chose to cut the grass and remove the roots.
Never give enemies a chance to seek revenge.
