374: Ximen Yun fell into the Yin-Yang Domain

Inside the Ancient Secret Vault world.

Mu Zun collected all the treasures that caught his eye.

Fragments of Imperial Weapons, ancient Jade Slips, singular Immortal Plants, broken Pill Furnaces, and more.

He wrapped them all in Chaos Qi and sent them into a specially carved-out treasury area within his Inner Universe for storage.

These items had limited benefit for his own improvement, but they were excellent for accumulating the future Foundation of the Qin Imperial Clan.

Or perhaps for use as rewards and trades.

Having finished this, he did not leave immediately.

In the deepest part of this strange world, where Laws were chaotic yet subtly orderly...

Mu Zun found a relatively stable node with the purest energy.

This place seemed to have once been the core hub of the Ancient Secret Vault's Formation.

Although long since destroyed, the residual Formation patterns could still gather energy from all directions, forming a peaceful "vacuum" zone.

The chaotic Law fluctuations from the outside were effectively isolated.

“I need to enter secluded cultivation for a period of time to digest what I've gained and comprehend the Qi of Return and Concealment,”

Mu Zun said to Qin Tianhai and Qin Xinghe, who were guarding the perimeter.

“The two of you shall act as Protectors here. Unless there is an urgent matter, do not disturb me.”

“Yes! Imperial Son!”

Qin Tianhai and Qin Xinghe solemnly accepted the order. They knew well that the Imperial Son's harvest this time was immense.

Being able to act as Protectors for the Imperial Son was a matter of great trust and honor.

Mu Zun sat cross-legged in the center of that energy node, waving his hand to deploy a barrier of Chaos Qi that completely enveloped him.

First, he took out the sumeru bell he had obtained from Ximen Yun.

Then, he took out several treasure fragments containing special Law Concepts that he had just collected.

Finally, his mind sank into the Qi of Return and Concealment within his body.

He intended to use this special environment to further construct his Inner Universe.

By penetrating deeper into the mysteries of the Qi of Return and Concealment, he would allow the evolution of the Inner Universe to advance another step.

Chaos Qi billowed around Mu Zun.

He had already entered a deep state of comprehension and transformation, oblivious to the changing winds of the outside world... Meanwhile, the scene shifts to Ximen Yun, who had narrowly escaped with his life from Mu Zun's hands.

When he was possessed by Li and forcibly activated the last of the nine-layered immortal pagoda's power to tear through the void and flee, his consciousness—already heavily injured and on the brink of death—fell completely into boundless darkness and Chaos.

He only remembered that final glimpse: Mu Zun's eyes, calm to the point of indifference, and the sight of the sumeru bell flying out of his hand.

Infinite hatred and unwillingness gnawed at his last bit of sanity like venomous snakes, followed by total nothingness.

He knew not how long he floated in the darkness; it felt like centuries, yet also like a mere instant.

His consciousness was like a person sinking into a cold, deep sea, occasionally pushed to the surface by undercurrents, vaguely feeling broken fragments of sensation.

The intense sensation of space tearing, the stinging pain of chaotic Law fragments slicing through his Soul, and a gentle yet resilient power enveloping him like a fragile eggshell.

Finally, there was a violent impact and a feeling of falling... and then, total silence.

Until a warm, cool liquid with a faint fragrance of herbs was carefully passed into his throat—as dry as cracked earth—flowing down his esophagus and turning into strands of gentle warmth that nourished his nearly withered Meridians and viscera.

This warmth was not powerful, even somewhat weak, yet it was like nectar after a long drought, tenaciously awakening a sliver of vitality in the deepest part of his body.

“...Water...” Ximen Yun's cracked lips moved slightly, emitting a hoarse syllable that was almost inaudible.

“Ah! He's awake!” A crisp female voice, tinged with surprise, rang in his ear.

The voice wasn't loud, but it was as clear as spring water dripping on jade, exceptionally distinct in this quiet environment.

Ximen Yun struggled to lift his heavy eyelids little by little.

His vision was a blur at first, with only hazy shadows. After a good while, it gradually came into focus.

What met his eyes was a simple but clean wooden roof.

Several thick beams were exposed, emitting a faint scent of pine wood.

Sunlight spilled through the half-open window, casting dappled shadows on the uneven floor.

He turned his head slightly and saw the source of the voice.

It was a young girl sitting on a wooden stool by the bed.

About sixteen or seventeen years old, she wore a light green cloth dress that was a bit faded from washing, simple in style but very clean.

Her almond eyes were clear and bright, currently filled with a bit of concern and curiosity as she watched him without blinking.

Seeing Ximen Yun look over, the girl looked away in embarrassment for a moment, but then she plucked up her courage to look back and asked softly.

“You... how do you feel? Are you better? You've been unconscious for three days and three nights.”

Three days and three nights? Ximen Yun was shocked.

He struggled to sit up, but it aggravated his severe internal injuries.

A wave of sharp pain instantly hit him; he couldn't help but groan, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

“Hey, don't move!”

The girl quickly stepped forward, carefully pressing down on his shoulders; her strength wasn't great, but her movements were gentle.

“You're badly hurt. Your Meridians are damaged, and your Divine Soul... it also seems very weak. You need proper rest.”

Ximen Yun took a few breaths, enduring the sharp pain, and asked hoarsely.

“Where... is this? Was it you... who saved me?”

The girl nodded, sat back on the stool, and picked up a coarse pottery bowl from nearby, which contained half a bowl of clear, warm water with a medicinal fragrance.

“This is the east side of the Liangyi Domain, a small village near the Qingyuan River called Qingxi Village.”

“My name is Lin Wan'er. I'm a herb gatherer in the village.”

“Three days ago, I went to the river to gather herbs and found you lying on the riverbank, covered in wounds and with a weak aura, so I carried you back.”

Liangyi Domain? Qingyuan River? Qingxi Village? Lin Wan'er?

Ximen Yun quickly processed this information.

The Liangyi Domain—he seemed to have heard of it in his past life. It was a large domain in the Immortal Realm that was relatively remote and where the Dao of Yin and Yang prevailed.

It wasn't the most top-tier prosperous place, but it was quite vast, home to many Sects and Ancient Clans.

The most famous among them was the Tianyou Ancient Clan.

He had actually been thrown here by the spatial turbulence?

He inspected his own body, and his heart sank to the bottom.

The internal situation was absolutely terrible; his Meridians were broken and blocked in many places.

The magic power in his Dantian was almost completely gone, leaving behind traces of erosion from chaotic spatial Laws.

His Sea of Consciousness was like a ruin; his Divine Soul was withered and dim, almost impossible to mobilize.

And what made his heart palpitate the most was the nine-layered immortal pagoda deep in his Sea of Consciousness.

At this moment, it was dim and lightless, floating silently.

No matter how he called out, the artifact spirit Li gave no response at all, as if she had fallen into total silence.

To save him, Li had likely exhausted her last bit of strength and might have even suffered unimaginable backlash... An indescribable sense of grief and powerlessness welled up in Ximen Yun's heart.

But he quickly forced it down; now was not the time for sentimentality.

That he was able to survive was already the result of Li giving her all.

He had to survive and become stronger to be qualified to talk about revenge!

“Miss Lin, thank you for saving my life.”

Ximen Yun squeezed out a sentence with difficulty, his tone sincere.

Although the other party was just a seemingly ordinary herb-gathering girl, he would remember this kindness of providing help in his hour of need.

Lin Wan'er waved her hand, a bit embarrassed.

“No need to thank me, I just happened to come across you. But...” She hesitated for a moment, looking at Ximen Yun, and asked cautiously.

“Young Master, you aren't an ordinary person, are you? Some of your injuries are very strange; they don't look like they were caused by an ordinary fight or falling off a cliff.”

Ximen Yun's heart tightened. This girl seemed ordinary, but her perception was quite keen.

He was silent for a moment and didn't answer directly, instead asking back.

“Miss Lin seems quite familiar with the Liangyi Domain? I wonder if there are any powerful forces or gathering places for Cultivators nearby?”

Lin Wan'er didn't seem surprised by Ximen Yun changing the subject. After thinking, she said,

“The Liangyi Domain is very large; our Qingxi Village is just a very remote little place in the east. As for powerful forces... the closest one to us is probably the Xuan Yin Ancient Clan.”

The Xuan Yin Ancient Clan? Ximen Yun's heart stirred.

In his past life's memories, there seemed to be several extremely ancient and mysterious hidden Ancient Clans in the Immortal Realm.

Their Foundations were unfathomably deep; they rarely participated in outside conflicts, but their strength was absolutely not to be underestimated.

Could the Xuan Yin Ancient Clan be one of them?

Lin Wan'er continued,

“The Xuan Yin Ancient Clan is one of the three hidden Ancient Clans of our Liangyi Domain. The other two are the Shaoyang Ancient Clan and the Hengdao Sect.”

“They are all very mysterious. Their mountain gates are said to be in some independent Secret Realms or Small Worlds; ordinary people simply can't find them, nor can they come into contact with them.”

“Our Qingxi Village is said to have been a settlement for an outer branch of the Xuan Yin Ancient Clan a long time ago, but it has long since declined. Now the villagers are all ordinary people, with only a few elders who still know a bit of crude health-preserving breathing techniques.”

As she spoke, she seemed to think of something, and a trace of gloom appeared on her face.

“My parents used to be the ones in the village who knew a bit of pharmacology. Unfortunately, they went into the mountains to gather herbs a few years ago, encountered a powerful Yao Beast, and didn't come back...”

Looking at her, Ximen Yun didn't feel much empathy.

This bit of trouble was nothing compared to the sea of blood and deep hatred he carried.

“My condolences, Miss Lin.”

But out of gratitude for saving his life, he still offered a low-voiced consolation.

Then he changed the subject.

“Then, I wonder if there are any towns nearby, or places where Cultivators trade for resources?”

Lin Wan'er collected her thoughts and reflected: “Going west for about three hundred miles, there is a 'Pingyang City,' which is considered a relatively large gathering place for Cultivators nearby. There is a market in the city where one can buy and sell Medicinal Pills and Materials, and there are also some small Sects and Families there recruiting people or posting tasks. But...” She looked at Ximen Yun's weak appearance and said worriedly, “Young Master, in your current state, I'm afraid you can't even walk out of the village...”

Ximen Yun smiled bitterly in his heart. Indeed, in his current state, he wasn't much stronger than an ordinary Mortal, perhaps even weaker.

It seemed he had to lay low here for a while, at least to stabilize his injuries and recover some basic mobility and self-protection ability.

“Miss Lin, I wonder... if I could stay here with you for a while? Once my injuries are slightly better, I will certainly leave and repay your kindness,” Ximen Yun requested sincerely. He had no other choice now; this remote little mountain village was perhaps the most suitable place for him to hide and begin his recovery.

Lin Wan'er was stunned for a moment. Looking at Ximen Yun's pale and weak yet determined face, she hesitated but eventually nodded: “Alright. It's just me here anyway, and there's one spare room, though it's a bit simple. Just focus on recovering; there aren't many people in the village, and they're all very kind and won't ask many questions.”

“Thank you, Miss Lin!” Ximen Yun felt a slight relief.

In the following days, Ximen Yun stayed in that simple but clean little wooden hut of Lin Wan'er's in Qingxi Village.

Every day, Lin Wan'er would go to the mountains to gather some ordinary herbs, come back to brew them into a medicinal soup for him to drink, and sometimes she would use a bit of meat shared by the village hunters to cook some light meat porridge. Although these mundane medicines and food had a negligible effect on his injury recovery, that warmth and care gave Ximen Yun's cold and desperate heart a rare trace of warmth.

He spent most of his time lying on the bed, utilizing the properties of the herbs Lin Wan'er gathered and combining them with some crude healing methods remaining in his mind to carefully guide the tiny bit of residual magic power in his body. Like an ant moving house, he slowly combed through and reconnected the broken and blocked Meridians. This process was painful and slow, and he couldn't afford any impatience, or it would easily cause his injuries to worsen.

In his spare time, he would ask Lin Wan'er for more information about the Liangyi Domain, Pingyang City, and even the Xuan Yin Ancient Clan and other forces. Lin Wan'er didn't know much either, mostly fragments she had heard from the village elders, but Ximen Yun still noted them down carefully, slowly sketching out the outline of this region in his mind.

He knew that he was too heavily injured this time, and his Foundation was almost destroyed. The time and massive amount of resources needed to recover to his previous level, let alone go further, would be unimaginable. But the flames of revenge had never been extinguished in his heart.

“Qin Zun... just you wait... I, Ximen Yun, will not fall just like this!” Whenever it was late at night and the pain from his injuries was unbearable, he would grit his teeth and silently repeat this name in his heart; that bone-deep hatred became one of the driving forces supporting his perseverance.

He had also tried countless times to communicate with the nine-layered immortal pagoda in his Sea of Consciousness, but all attempts were like stones sinking into the ocean. Senior Li's silence made him feel lonely and helpless, but it also made him understand that for the road ahead, he would mostly need to rely on himself.

“Liangyi Domain... the three hidden Ancient Clans... Xuan Yin Ancient Clan...” Ximen Yun lay on the bed, staring at the simple roof, his eyes gradually becoming deep and firm.

This place was far from the storm at the center of the Immortal Realm and also far from the Qin Imperial Clan's sphere of influence. Although remote and impoverished, it might just be the new starting point for his Rebirth.

He would stay here like a dormant venomous snake, silently licking his wounds and gathering strength. Starting from this tiny Qingxi Village and Pingyang City, he would step by step re-enter the cultivation world. When he became strong enough, that would be the time to demand everything back from Qin Zun and the Qin Imperial Clan!

Develop low-key, accumulate strength, and wait for the opportunity.

This was the most realistic and cold-blooded plan Ximen Yun had set for himself after experiencing the crushing defeat in the Origin Secret Realm and ending up here heavily injured.

The sunlight outside, passing through the window frame, quietly fell on his pale and determined face. Days in Qingxi Village were peaceful and slow, but a Seed of revenge and rise had already been quietly buried in this remote corner.