54: The ancient lost realm - the realm of heaven and man

“Ji Wuchen?”

A gasp suddenly erupted from the crowd.

Time flowed, and the once slightly naive thirteen-year-old boy at the banquet was now an eighteen-year-old Prodigy with a sharp edge.

In these five years, Ji Wuchen had traveled throughout the Lower Thousand Provinces, challenged thirty-six cities with his halberd, and defeated countless renowned experts.

Even those one or two major Realms above him could not withstand his battle halberd.

His name had long spread throughout the Ten Directions Immortal Court.

But in reality, ever since he learned that Qin Wangchuan was in seclusion here, Ji Wuchen had always, intentionally or unintentionally, lingered around the Li family.

“It really is him!” A young Disciple excitedly pointed at the man in black, seemingly surprised to encounter him here.

Ji Wuchen casually put his bamboo hat back on and turned to leave the place.

Just before leaving, he looked at Li Xuan, a sharp smile curling his lips: “Brother Li, if you don’t believe it, you can also go and challenge him. He should not refuse.”

“Just don’t blame me for not reminding you—for ordinary people, fighting across Realms is already the mark of a top-tier Prodigy.”

“But there are also differences between Prodigies.”

“With your current Realm, seeing him is like a frog at the bottom of a well gazing at the moon; throughout your life, you will never see the full picture.”

As his words fell, Ji Wuchen turned and departed.

It wasn’t to instigate, but simply that ever since then, he had said the same thing to everyone.

No matter how invincible you are, you can’t compare to a single hair of Qin Wangchuan!

He had clearly become half a fanboy.

Li Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze following Ji Wuchen’s retreating figure, his fingertips unconsciously tapping lightly on his sword sheath.

—Qin Wangchuan?

He frowned slightly.

At his age of twenty-five, he shouldn’t be so concerned about a fifteen-year-old junior.

But Ji Wuchen’s words were like a thorn, quietly piercing his Heart-Nature.

“How can a dignified Prodigy be afraid to fight?” He chuckled softly, Sword Intent flowing in his eyes.

What concerned him even more was—that boy had been in seclusion for five years to comprehend the sword, his Realm stagnating; while he himself had made rapid progress in these five years, defeating enemies across Realms as easily as taking something from his pocket.

If it was truly as rumored, that young man’s talent was peerless...

Li Xuan suddenly burst into laughter, his body filled with towering Sword Qi, shaking the fallen leaves within a ten-zhang radius.

“Then this battle—”

“Should not be missed even more!”

“Big Brother?” Li Han noticed his unusual state and was about to speak—

Rumble—!

A earth-shattering roar suddenly came from the direction of the Sword Tomb, and the entire Li family territory shook violently.

Everyone looked up in horror, only to see the family- 鎮族天劍 (family-protecting Heavenly Sword) suspended at the peak of the Sword Tomb, shrinking inch by inch before their very eyes, finally disappearing!

Even more terrifying was the Void Realm hole revealed after the Heavenly Sword disappeared, which was frantically devouring everything around it.

Rocks, trees, and even light were mercilessly sucked into the black hole-like vortex.

That was not merely the Void Realm, but the boundary wall of the ancient myriad worlds!

As the Ten Directions Immortal Court, the Realm closest to the outer domains, once the boundary wall shattered...

“Not good!” An Elder cried out in alarm, “Those things are coming out—!”

Before his words finished, dense, pitch-black sharp claws suddenly reached out from the Void Realm 裂縫 (fissure), each claw tip glowing with a corrosive, eerie light.

Following closely were twisted limbs, backs covered in barbs, and...

Countless pairs of scarlet vertical pupils opened simultaneously in the darkness.

But they had come to the wrong place; this was one of the Three Heavenly Emperor Clans.

“I will block them; you all seize the opportunity to repair the loophole.”

“Don’t drag it out too long, or this area will be eroded...”

Just as an Elder was giving orders—

“Hmph.”

A soft hum exploded like thunder, and the world suddenly solidified.

The ferocious monsters still maintained their pouncing posture, but instantly turned into ashes and dissipated.

A majestic figure stepped through the Void Realm, each step imbued with the flow of Dao.

He stood with one hand behind his back, casually flicking his other sleeve, and the remaining monsters were swept into his sleeve like dust.

“Old Ancestor!” The Li family members immediately knelt in worship upon seeing him.

The figure did not stop, instantly flashing into the Void Realm fissure.

Moments later, an earth-shattering roar came from the fissure, then abruptly ceased.

When Li Heavenly Emperor reappeared, he was holding a monstrous, mountain-sized head in his left hand, and with a flick of his right sleeve—

Boom!

Hundreds of alien creatures, imprisoned in golden cages, crashed heavily to the ground, shattering the blue bricks of the training ground. The monsters frantically slammed into the cages, each impact causing the Dao patterns inscribed on them to glow with dazzling light.

“Take them for the juniors to practice with.”

With that, the figure disappeared again.

Above the firmament, two Heavenly Emperors stood side by side, looking down at the location of the Sword Tomb.

Li Heavenly Emperor sighed softly, “Old Man Qin, the Heavenly Sword is my Li family’s family-protecting treasure. This favor... is a bit too much.”

“Family-protecting treasure?” Qin Taiyi suddenly interrupted, a playful glint in his eyes, pointing down: “She hasn’t left yet, has she? Or, why don’t you go and ask her to stay?”

“...I’m not going.”

Although Yu Niang was not as powerful as a Heavenly Emperor, she was a true ancient deity.

If she wanted to leave today, who would dare to stop her?

Moreover.

Even though the Heavenly Sword was gone, it was still a favor to Qin Wangchuan.

Not too much of a loss.

At the peak of the Sword Tomb, the Nine Dragon Altar.

The giant Heavenly Sword trembled violently before Qin Wangchuan, its gilded sword body shrinking at a visible speed.

In the eyes of others, this family-protecting Heavenly Sword seemed to disappear out of thin air, but in reality, it transformed into a three-inch stream of light, quietly falling into his palm.

When the light dissipated, a small sword, slightly longer than a finger, lay quietly there, its blade adorned with ancient patterns identical to before.

Yu Niang lightly tapped her fingertip, and a silver thread extended from the sword hilt, tying the small sword around Qin Wangchuan’s neck.

Her eyes curved slightly, a half-smile on her face: “Do you need me to call you ‘Master’?”

Qin Wangchuan’s expression remained unchanged.

“Senior is joking,” he said, his fingertip caressing the sword on his neck, “You and I are merely cooperating now, not master and servant.”

Qin Wangchuan’s Heart-Nature was clear.

Yu Niang had not chosen him, but rather, only he could lead her away from this place.

She protected him, and he helped her escape.

That was all.

To harbor any improper thoughts would only seem ridiculous.

“Now...?”

Yu Niang chuckled at his words, the smile in her eyes growing even stronger.

The word he used was very clever.

‘This is rare.’

A hint of admiration flashed in her eyes, ‘Such a Heart-Nature in a descendant of an Imperial Clan is indeed uncommon.’

‘Neither humble nor arrogant, yet with the unique arrogance of a Prodigy, it’s not impossible for him to reach the peak in the future.’

Thinking this, Yu Niang’s gaze gradually softened, and she carefully observed Qin Wangchuan’s body.

“Speaking of which...” She frowned slightly, “Your Eternal Life Immortal Body is very different from what I remember.”

“Comprehending the sword for five years, without Cultivating, yet automatically Breaking through to the Eighth Realm, is truly Heaven-Defying.”

After speaking, she suddenly looked up, a hint of inquiry in her eyes:

“Did you comprehend anything?”

Qin Wangchuan shook his head slightly.

For the past five years, he had been comprehending the sword with the drop of essence blood from the Li family’s progenitor.

But that majestic sword light always flickered in his Sea of Consciousness.

He seemed to have gained something, yet it was like looking at flowers through a fog, always with a layer of separation.

It was hard to say he had gained anything.

As the two spoke, they walked down. The long Sword Tomb Heart-Questioning Path, which had seemed so arduous on the way up, now felt exceptionally light.

“A fifteen-year-old in the Eighth Realm... even in ancient times, it was extraordinary.” Yu Niang floated behind him, her delicate hand gently tucking stray hair behind her ear, a slyness in her starry eyes, “But little one, you can become even stronger.”

“What you all Cultivate now is merely a 阉割 (castrated) version of the ancient system.”

She lightly raised her delicate hand, and a wisp of ancient Dao 韵 (rhyme) condensed at her fingertip: “Not to mention the previous Realm differences, just speaking of this Eighth Realm...”

“In ancient times, after the Eighth Realm was not the current Ninth Realm Heaven and Earth Realm, but rather—the Tianren Realm.”

Before her words finished, she suddenly leaned close to Qin Wangchuan, her dark hair brushing against the sword pendant on his neck, her breath like orchids: “Only by first ascending to the Tianren Realm is one qualified to declare to Heaven and Earth. Otherwise, although one can still Cultivate normally afterward, the combat power will be vastly different.”

“Do you want to know how to reach the Tianren Realm?”

Qin Wangchuan raised an eyebrow slightly.

There was actually a Tianren Realm between the Eighth and Ninth Realms?

Normally, reaching the Ninth Realm Heaven and Earth Realm was enough to declare to Heaven and Earth, but in Senior’s words, it was ‘ 昭告 (proclaim)’.

Just one word different, but it was likely not the same thing.

“Please speak, Senior.”

“First, call me Yu Niang and let me hear it.”

Qin Wangchuan: “...?”