Chapter 42 – A Match Made in Heaven

The corners of Hao Chen’s mouth twitched: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye…..doesn’t have to be so honest…..”

“I didn’t want to lie to you,” Feng Ye continued expressionlessly.

Aren’t you already lying to me? Hao Chen thought. In all the time they had been dealing with one another, there had been very few truths spoken by either side.

But if he really said that, he felt that he wouldn’t be able to stick around. Hao Chen didn’t want to part ways with Feng Ye just yet. He couldn’t think of a new topic for the moment, so he was silent for some time.

Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere became increasingly awkward.

After a while, Feng Ye smiled lopsidedly with a slightly roguish air: “I was just joking.”

This joke was a little too real. Hao Chen recalled Feng Ye’s coldness at that moment. If that hadn’t been genuine, he would eat his fan.

But since the other party had given him a way out, Hao Chen agreeably climbed down the ladder. He gave a cooperative laugh, then said with some rebuke: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, please don’t make such jokes anymore….”

He immediately covered his chest and donned a hurt expression: “How sad it makes me, ah…..”

Feng Ye: “……”

He couldn’t see any sadness, only shamelessness.

Hao Chen paused with an expression of hurt and a hand over his heart, raising his head to look beyond Feng Ye, where he could faintly hear raised voices.

He belatedly realized why Feng Ye had stopped just now. It was likely because he noticed that there were people in front of them.

But Hao Chen had been daydreaming, and hadn’t heard the faint sounds at first. Now that the two of them were at a stalemate and those people were getting closer, Hao Chen could finally hear them.

Feng Ye also turned away to look forward.

In a place like the Floating Island Secret Realm, which was completely isolated from the outside world, meeting other people might not necessarily be a good thing.

As humans, cultivators were sometimes more terrifying than the monsters that lived on the floating island. Even monsters wouldn’t attack their companions, but this might not be the case for humans seeking treasure.

By killing the other party, they could monopolize the riches, and as long as they buried the body in a random pit, no one would ever know. The Floating Island Secret Realm was only open for one day. After that one day, the entrance and exit would be closed, and it would be ten years before it opened again. 

In the past ten years, the bones of corpses had long since merged with the soil, and the bodies had become nutrients for the various spiritual plants growing here. Where could any evidence be found?

Moreover, the secret realm’s area was not small. More than 1,700 cultivators had entered, and just like ants in a forest, they generally didn’t run into each other. If something like murder and robbery happened here, the victim would be out of luck. 

However, Feng Ye and Hao Chen had no such worries at all. First of all, they didn’t take seriously these cultivators who were at most in the beginning stages of Foundation Establishment.

Second of all……

A breeze carrying the scent of blood blew from the direction the voices were coming from.

Feng Ye’s nostrils flared slightly, and Hao Chen also caught that fishy scent. It seemed that those coming from ahead harbored bad intentions.

“Fellow Daoist Feng Ye,” Hao Chen suddenly called out.

“En?” Feng Ye didn’t turn his head, continuing to stare at the swaying grass and trees in front of them.

“There’s the smell of blood ahead.” Hao Chen pasted on a frightened expression and leaned slightly toward Feng Ye. “Is it possible that we might run into a murder and treasure-stealing drama?”

Feng Ye immediately moved aside. When he saw the look of fear on this person’s face, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

Although Hao Chen stopped immediately and tried to adjust his expression, he wasn’t a professional actor and couldn’t switch smoothly between expressions. After so many changes, the look on his face didn’t resemble a smile, nor did it resemble shock. If it had to be described, it looked more like a grimace.

Feng Ye: “……”

His lips twitched, and he shook his empty sleeves.

Then he explained to the confused Hao Chen: “I don’t have to worry about someone killing me for treasure. I have no money, so what can they steal?”

“But Fellow Daoist Hao Chen…..” Feng Ye swept his gaze over his clothing. Although he wasn’t wearing any valuable ornaments, the air of frivolity he exuded inside and out made it impossible to associate him with poverty.

So Feng Ye commented: “Fellow Daoist Hao Chen looks like a fat sheep at first glance.”

A fat fish, Hao Chen refuted inwardly. But then he felt that this rebuttal wasn’t right, because he was not fat.

Could tens of thousands of tons be considered fat? Of course not.

Besides, although he was indeed a wealthy local tyrant who didn’t even bother to pick up the valuable (in the human realm) pearls and corals strewn around his territory, his belongings were unfortunately still in the distant heavenly North Sea. He hadn’t taken anything with him.

The only item he carried was a folding fan made from his own tail feathers, which was also his usual weapon. 

As for its value……one feather on his fan was probably more valuable than all of the spiritual plants in the Floating Island Secret Realm combined.

So, he was indeed a fat sheep…..no, a fat fish…..no, no, it didn’t sound right no matter how he said it. In any case, he was worth robbing.

But Hao Chen didn’t acknowledge this. He also shook his empty sleeves: “What a coincidence, I’m penniless too. Fellow Daoist Feng Ye and I are truly a match made in heaven.”

Feng Ye: “……”

He wanted to crack open Hao Chen’s brain to see what was going on in there. How did every topic turn out like this in the end?

He had to say that this was also a type of skill. Feng Ye was once again left speechless by Hao Chen’s words.

He simply ignored Hao Chen, turning his attention to the front. 

The sounds were very obvious to them due to their enhanced hearing, which was inconsistent with their apparent cultivation levels, as the source was actually quite a distance away from them.

But while the two of them were talking nonsense, the cultivators making all the noise were drawing closer to them.

A shout came from within the shaking bushes: “Shixiong, I can’t run any longer…..”

“Shidi, don’t stop! It’s catching up!”

“But I really can’t run anymore. My legs…..”

As the voices grew louder, two people who were being pursued by something unknown rushed out of the bushes. As soon as they jumped out, they noticed Feng Ye and Hao Chen standing nearby. 

Upon seeing fellow cultivators, the two disheveled martial brothers stared blankly for a moment.

Simultaneously, Feng Ye and Hao Chen stared at the two men. Judging from their attire, daoist robes with eight trigram patterns, they should belong to Wending Sect.

That was exactly the top sect in the world, which had been so arrogant when they first appeared circling above everyone’s heads with the Cloud-Summoning Banner.

These two Wending disciples truly lived up to the reputation of their sect. Their cultivation had reached the tenth level of Qi Refining, and they were only a step away from Foundation Establishment.

However, the two Wending Sect disciples appeared to be in a bad situation. The older cultivator looked fine, apart from a few holes in his clothing that had likely been caused by branches as he rushed through the forest.

The younger one was in a more miserable state. The cloth over his left calf had been torn away, and the exposed skin was covered by a bloody wound. Judging from the irregular tear marks, it was likely caused by the claws of a monster.

It seemed the two of them had been overthinking things. There was no murder or treasure-stealing drama, just two unfortunate cultivators who had encountered a powerful monster.

While Feng Ye and Hao Chen were sizing them up, the two martial brothers finally snapped out of their daze.

They subconsciously felt a little happy at the sight of fellow cultivators, because the thing chasing them was an extremely terrifying monster, and the younger brother with an injured left leg really couldn’t run any longer.

If this continued, the monster would catch them sooner or later. But now, the situation seemed to have improved. As long as they could convince these two to help, they might have a chance of survival.

However, before joy could appear on their faces, they noticed Feng Ye and Hao Chen’s cultivation levels. 

One was at the third level of Qi Refining, and the other was at the fourth level of Qi Refining.

With such low cultivation, they couldn’t even think of helping. They would basically just be delivering food to the monster.

“Raawr!”

The moment they stopped, they heard a roar and footsteps approaching from behind.

This roar woke the two men up. The older cultivator gritted his teeth, thinking that although he didn’t know how these people sneaked their way into the Floating Island Secret Realm with such low cultivation, it was still better than having no help at all.

So he opened his mouth and said rapidly: “My two daoist friends, I am Cheng Yiming from Wending Sect, and this is my fellow junior disciple, Lu Xiao. We’re being chased by a monster. I’m begging the two of you for help – I will reward you handsomely later.”

Hao Chen could only scoff inwardly upon hearing this. This Cheng Yiming had a silver tongue. He did not indicate the monster’s cultivation level, because he knew that since the monster was at Foundation Establishment stage, Hao Chen and Feng Ye most likely wouldn’t help. 

In addition, this so-called handsome reward was nothing but a blank check. Only ghosts knew if he would be good for it later.

Besides, even if these two kept their promise and delivered a sufficient reward, Hao Chen would not be tempted. 

Considering the reward money that Hao Chen felt was thoroughly beneath him, lending a helping hand was really too much of a bother. It would be better to stand and watch. After all, they were just two strangers, and it didn’t matter whether they lived or died.

He was the great god who guarded the North Sea, and that was all. He didn’t possess compassion and a sense of equality for all living creatures that mortals thought a god should have.

Therefore, Hao Chen stood in place, unmoving.

Feng Ye did the same, standing beside Hao Chen with his arms folded.

Seeing them like this, the two Wending Sect disciples felt somewhat hopeless, but harbored little resentment. After all, if they put themselves in their shoes, they wouldn’t help either upon encountering such a thing.

Even though they didn’t deliberately point out the monster’s cultivation level, they could figure it out with just a little thought. If two cultivators at the tenth level of Qi Refining couldn’t defeat this monster, wouldn’t it be courting death for these cultivators at the third and fourth levels of Qi Refining to try?

With a crack, the sound of branches being stepped on came from behind them, along with a low, throaty growl.

A monster with bloodshot eyes bared its sharp fangs, staring fiercely at the four humans in front of it.

This monster looked like a mix between a tiger and a leopard, and was about three or four meters tall. If it stood up, it would likely be taller than multiple adult men. 

There were differences between breeds of monsters. Judging from its size, this monster wasn’t as tall as the White-Nosed Demon Bear that Feng Ye had encountered before, but its power in all aspects beat that of the White-Nosed Demon Bear into the dust.

Although the White-Nosed Demon Bear had spontaneously advanced to Foundation Establishment, that was because of the power Hao Chen injected into it to forcibly heighten its cultivation. To be accurate, it was actually only slightly stronger than a monster at the tenth level of Qi Refining. Faced with this tiger/leopard monster, whose cultivation had already reached the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, it naturally couldn’t be compared to the former.

Likewise, these two useless fakes would never be able to defeat the monster with their superficial skills.

Taking no action was the best option. They wouldn’t have to worry about exposing their identities or putting themselves in danger. 

After all, the monster didn’t seem intent on attacking them.

The tiger-leopard stared at the four of them for a moment, before its blood-red eyes finally moved toward the two people it had pursued all this way. Monsters were far more keen than humans.

Very naturally, it also felt that Feng Ye and Hao Chen were complete wastes, and that their pitiful cultivation levels posed no threat to it at all. 

In comparison, the two humans at the tenth level of Qi Refining had richer spiritual energy in their flesh and blood, and would bring greater improvement to its own cultivation.

The higher a monster’s cultivation, the more intelligent it was. It looked down on Feng Ye and Hao Chen, feeling that it would be a waste of energy to hunt these two losers. When its blood-red eyes swept over the two of them, they held a very human air of contempt. 

Hao Chen: “……”

This was outrageous. How dare such a small Foundation Establishment monster look down on him, the Kunpeng?

In his original form, a flap of his wings would blow it away in a blast of wind and break every bone in its body. The ignorant were truly fearless!

However, it wasn’t convenient to teach the creature a bloody lesson at this time. So while the monster was drawn to the two Wending disciples, Hao Chen tugged at Feng Ye’s sleeve.

Leaning close to Feng Ye’s ear, he whispered to him with great comradery: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, let’s escape together!”

His face was full of deep affection, and although he didn’t say it explicitly, his actions and expression said: Look, I didn’t forget to take you with me even while running away. My feelings are so sincere.

It was a pity that the flower fell into the stream with love, but the flowing water was heartless. Goosebumps popped up all over Feng Ye’s body, and he suddenly flicked his sleeve, pulling the corner of it away from Hao Chen.

Then he shook his head with disdain and replied: “Fellow Daoist Hao Chen, escape on your own.”

Hao Chen firmly refused: “No, I’ll never abandon you!”

As he spoke, he tugged Feng Ye’s sleeve once again, performing this drama of deep affection and comradery to the end.

Feng Ye: “……”

It was only because he had no sword that he didn’t simply cut off his sleeve and leave Hao Chen with nothing to hold onto.

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Chapter 41 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 43

Mournful people dressed in black lined up in long queues to lay flowers before Ling Yi’s altar.

The location of the altar had been chosen with ulterior motives. It stood less than one hundred meters from the Prime Minister’s office, as if to remind this wronged soul not to let off his enemy in this world.

The exclusive vehicle belonging to the eldest prince of the empire rolled to a slow stop at the roadside. The Alpha who stepped out of the vehicle had a tall, slender figure, outstanding looks, and an inherently noble demeanor. The only inconsistency was the impatience on his features, as if he had only come here to carry out a political task.

His guard captain followed close behind him with a bouquet of flowers tightly wrapped in black paper, keeping a vigilant eye on the surroundings.

The royal guards cleared a path through the crowd of mourners in front of him. The people who were pushed aside watched His Highness calmly make his way through the crowd, just one red carpet away from a grand ceremony.

“Why is His Highness Oser here?” Those who didn’t know the inside story whispered. “The Prime Minister persecuted Ling Yi. He’s the Prime Minister’s grandson, so he must have had a hand in Ling Yi’s death.”

“I heard that on the day Ling Yi was sentenced, he was the one who put pressure on the judge to impose the death penalty.”

“The weasel pays its New Year’s greetings to the chicken, but has bad intentions!”

The person who spoke the last sentence was perhaps a little overly emotional. When Oser glanced toward the speaker, the chattering abruptly died down.

Oser came to a stop at the altar. The first thing he saw when he looked up was a black and white photo of Ling Yi.

He looked at it heavily for a few seconds, then whispered two words: “Bad luck.”

Next was the name tablet, the name on which had been shortened by two strokes.

“Bad luck.”

Finally, he looked down at the thousands of white flowers and said again: “Bad luck.”

Three consecutive curses were enough to express his dissatisfaction with the scene.

He stretched out his right hand, but Tang De was reluctant to give him what he was carrying.

“Are you sure, Your Highness? If you take it out here, the common people will probably stone you.”

Oser’s attention was focused on Ling Yi’s photo. Aside from the issue of the color tone, the person in the photo was adorable no matter how he looked at it.

“Are you unable to block a stone?”

“……” Tang De had no choice but to unwrap the paper and hand the pre-prepared bouquet to Oser.

A bouquet of vibrant roses was placed prominently in the center of the altar, truly outshining the others amidst the sea of white blossoms. 

Oser regarded his masterpiece with a satisfied smile.

“This is what you deserve.”

Just as Tang De had worried, there was quite a commotion amongst the crowd.

In the eyes of the mourners, Oser’s behavior was a naked provocation.

“This is too much! You killed Ling Yi and you won’t even let him rest in peace!” someone sobbed.

“As expected, no one with Lu family blood is a good person! Even heaven can’t bear to watch. People like this should go extinct!”

A middle-aged man with a strong voice boldly stood forward: “I’ll say this even if you arrest me – Your Highness Oser, you’re clearly here for a political appearance, but won’t you have nightmares after seeing this young man’s photo?”

Oser sneered. He slept with the person in the photo in his arms every night. His sleep quality couldn’t possibly be better, so how could he have nightmares?

“I paid for the altar, so why can’t I come pay my respects?” he said haughtily.

“You built the altar? But are you properly respecting the dead?” The middle-aged man pointed angrily at the tablet. “Even his name is written wrong!”

Tang De: “……”

“Don’t say that. Based on my years of experience, the location of this altar was not chosen casually,” said another older man, drawing everyone’s attention. “As for the name, it’s very likely that the two strokes were omitted intentionally. There are explanations for all of this.”

The masses were curious: “Why do you say that?”

“This is an extremely vicious witchcraft scheme. First, they used the murderer’s place of residence to appease the deceased’s resentment, then they deliberately wrote the name wrong so that whether he goes to heaven or hell, his name will not be found. They intend to trap this young man’s soul here, so that – he can never be reborn!”

There was an uproar. 

Oser lost his temper: “He’s spreading rumors and misleading the people. Arrest him!”

The guards all acted in unison to take the man down.

A stone sailed over. The person who threw it wasn’t very strong, and Tang De caught it with ease.

The thrower was just a little boy around seven or eight years old. He shouted at Oser in a childish voice: “They all say you’re a bad guy! Let go of my grandpa!”

The child’s mother rushed out and wrapped him tightly in her arms, kneeling on the ground with a pallid face.

“Your Highness Oser, please forgive him. He’s just a child and doesn’t understand anything!”

The scene became even more chaotic. Oser paced toward the mother and child, and the mother began to kowtow and beg for mercy.

Oser walked up to the boy. He was still young and couldn’t sense the pressure of the Alpha’s pheromones, but he was intimidated by this person’s royal majesty and stood there foolishly.

Oser peered down from above at this little boy who was only half his height.

“How old are you?”

“…..Seven.” The little boy answered mechanically.

Oser slowly raised his hand. The child’s mother tightened her arms and closed her eyes fearfully.

The hand finally landed on the child’s head, rubbing it with unclear meaning.

No one could guess what His Highness Oser was thinking at this moment.

If Ling Yi were to have a child, they would probably have a lawless personality like this.

Perhaps starting from Royal Kindergarten, the teacher would have to call the parents every day.

Should I reprimand the child or fire the teacher? It would be a tough decision.

While everyone was in a state of panic, no one knew that Oser’s thoughts had drifted far, far away.

Tang De said so that only Oser could hear: “Your Highness, it’s about time to leave. If this situation continues, it’s going to get out of control.”

Oser finally withdrew his hand from the child’s head and waved it: “Let them go.”

The old man was still in a state of shock when he was released, the boy was dazed, and the mother was overwhelmed by the immense pressure. She broke down in tears and hugged her son.

A voice in the crowd whispered: “His Highness Oser – apologize! The Prime Minister – resign!”

The people around quietly echoed that voice, and the fire quickly raced through the crowd, eventually spiraling into a tinderbox that burned with overwhelming force.

“His Highness Oser – apologize! The Prime Minister – resign!”

Surrounded by an impenetrable wall of guards and escorted by the Captain of the Imperial Guard, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince left the Hero’s Altar in disgrace in a move that became a media headline.

Sitting inside the vehicle, Oser could hear the protest slogans outside through the glass.

Tang De envied him from the bottom of his heart for his attitude of treating all human beings like dirt. Although he was bound to be misunderstood while following His Highness Oser, Tang De still found it difficult to bear being cursed at by so many people.

“Your Highness, you’re trying to draw hatred to the Prime Minister, but why does it seem like you’re taking the heat?”

Oser closed his eyes to rest: “Grandfather and grandson are the same family, why differentiate between us?”

A guard came to report that the commander of the Prime Minister’s guard wanted to see him.

Oser rolled down the window. The man saluted, but his tone was not polite.

“Your Highness Oser, please withdraw your troops holding siege to the Prime Minister’s office in the interest of avoiding damage to your relationship.”

Oser gazed straight ahead: “Some ignorant people are holding a large-scale ritual ceremony here. I was worried about Grandpa’s safety, so I sent men to protect his place. How can you say it’s a siege?”

The guard suppressed his temper: “Not only are your people preventing others from entering or leaving the Prime Minister’s office, they’re even preventing us from evicting these people. Were they really ordered to protect the Prime Minister?”

“Protecting the common people is the same as protecting Grandpa. You guys are too tactless. If a conflict breaks out, who will guarantee my grandpa’s personal safety? Please tell my dear grandpa not to go out for the next few days. Even I have been pelted with rocks. He’s old, so even if he doesn’t get hit, the fright might cause problems for him.”

The guard’s face was gloomy, but Oser disregarded him and rolled up the window expressionlessly.

“Send someone to monitor public opinion today. Any further misleading or deceptive statements should be erased.”

Tang De looked back from the passenger seat: “When I get back, I’ll notify all the major platforms that content related to the worship ceremony must be reviewed before publishing.”

“Who would dare curse Ling Yi not to be reborn? He can definitely be reborn.”

Tang De: “……”

Why is this the thing you’re angry about, ah?!

. . . . . .

Ling Yi had something to be happy about today: Nan Ting, having recovered from her injuries, had returned to work and taken over Luo Li’s nursing duties.

“Are you really okay? Why don’t you rest for a while?”

“Thanks to you, His Highness Oser let me use the same kind of repair chamber you used. Not only have all my internal injuries healed, there’s not a single scar on my body.”

Nan Ting showed him her smooth wrists.

“How can you thank me? If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been hurt at all.”

“It’s not like you wanted me to get hurt. That repair fluid costs nearly a million per day, and my skin improved after soaking in it. How is that not a blessing in disguise?”

“You’re quite optimistic.”

“I’m definitely not as optimistic as you. If I had a hairstyle like yours, I’d be embarrassed to go out and be seen in public.”

Ling Yi: “…..Then what can be done? I’ll just pretend it got bitten off by a dog.”

Nan Ting prepared a mask for him.

“We’re going to do a full-body scan later. The equipment is too big to move down here, so we’ll have to go upstairs.”

Several guards followed him when Ling Yi left the ward.

“You guys don’t have to go with us, do you?” Ling Yi asked.

“Our mission is to keep you safe.”

“But don’t you think this makes me more conspicuous? This is a hospital. I’m wearing a hospital gown and mask, so nobody would even spare me a glance, but it’ll be different with so many of you around.”

The guards exchanged glances: “Then we’ll send two people to follow from a distance so that you won’t be discovered. If you go alone, His Highness will definitely hold us accountable.”

Nan Ting brought Ling Yi to the first floor of the medical college, but they were stopped as soon as they reached the stairs.

The one who stopped them was also wearing the uniform of the Imperial Guard, but judging from the details of his garb, he wasn’t one of Oser’s men.

“Apologies, this area is under martial law. No passage is allowed.”

“Why? We’re going to the next floor for an examination,” Nan Ting said.

“His Highness Disi is having a medical examination on this floor today. Please take a detour.”

When he heard this name, Ling Yi’s curiosity was piqued. 

There were two unsolved mysteries regarding the royal family: one was whether or not His Highness Oser was impotent, and the other was the actual appearance of His Highness Disi.

Because His Highness Disi was sent out of the palace when he was young, had never appeared in public, and the royal publicity department had never released any photos of him, no one knew his true appearance, and there were even rumors that he had died early.

Ling Yi had already solved the first unsolved mystery, and now the second one was at hand. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Nan Ting said helplessly to Ling Yi: “I guess we can only take a detour.”

Ling Yi feigned obedience and followed her out of the guard’s sight, then pulled her back: “Have you ever met His Highness Disi?”

“His Highness Disi has a dedicated medical team. With my rank, I’m not able to see him in person.”

“Aren’t you curious what he looks like?”

“Of course I’m curious. But the area is always cleared out when His Highness Disi has his yearly physical examination, so it’s pointless to be curious.”

Ling Yi glanced around: “You know a lot about the medical college. Is there anywhere with a view of the rooms on this floor?”

Nan Ting thought hard, and finally recalled a place.

“There’s an unfinished room nearby where you can see a corner of the lounge.”

“That works. Let’s try our luck.”

The unfinished room not only had a view of the VIP lounge, but it was a very direct view.

There was a man sitting on the sofa. He had golden hair that was similar to Oser’s, but lighter.

Nan Ting: “That should be His Highness Disi, right?”

Ling Yi: “Do you think he looks like a younger version of His Highness Oser?”

Nan Ting: “From a genetic perspective, it wouldn’t be surprising if both brothers looked like His Majesty.”

Perhaps the person on the sofa had grown impatient, because he started to look around.

Ling Yi and Nan Ting crouched down at the same time, then slowly moved upwards until their eyes rose above the windowsill.

After a few seconds, they slowly descended in sync.

One shook her head, and the other smiled. They tacitly understood each other’s body language.

Back in the corridor, they shared their thoughts as they walked.

“I can’t say he looks the exact same as His Highness Oser, but I also can’t say they’re completely different.”

“I imagined His Highness Disi to be young and handsome, with at least the noble aura of the royal family. But he seems a little…..”

Nan Ting was too embarrassed to express her thoughts out loud, so Ling Yi continued for her: 

“Sleazy.”

Nan Ting gave him a look of admiration: “Comparing them like this, His Highness Oser is definitely superior.”

“When His Highness Disi ascends the throne in the future, I wonder if the people will be disappointed.”

“Why would His Highness Disi ascend the throne? Shouldn’t it be His Highness Oser as Crown Prince?” Nan Ting asked in surprise.

The two of them rounded a bend in the hallway, and their mouths snapped shut simultaneously.

Two men wearing masks were silently walking in their direction.

When the four of them crossed paths, none of them looked to the side. Just like cars on opposite sides of the road, they passed in parallel lanes.

Ling Yi walked a few meters, then stopped.

Nan Ting: “What’s wrong?” 

Ling Yi turned around to look at the backs of the two people.

Nan Ting’s intuition was sharp: “Is something wrong with those two?”

Ling Yi continued forward as if nothing had happened: “They should both be Alphas, but strangely, I can only smell one set of pheromones.”

“Is it possible that the other one is wearing a pheromone suppression device?”

“It can’t be ruled out, but if an Alpha’s mental strength is strong enough, no devices are needed to reduce their pheromones to an unnoticeable level.”

“You think he’s the second type?”

Ling Yi didn’t say anything, but he didn’t deny it either.

At the other end of the corridor, Disi also stopped and looked back.

The patient and nurse, a completely inconspicuous pairing in a hospital setting, vanished around the corner.

Du Bin stopped as well. “Your Highness?” he asked.

“Did you smell it?”

“That person smells like His Highness Oser.”

“I really must thank my brother for his unique pheromones. I had thought it would take a lot of effort to find that person.”

“Do you want me to go take a look?”

Disi nodded slightly: “Be cautious. My brother’s men are definitely following them in secret. Don’t alert them.”

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Chapter 22 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 24

Ling Yi looked at himself in the mirror.

There was no change in his appearance after his transformation from an Alpha into an Omega, but he felt like the person in the mirror was different from before.

After thinking about it, the only change was that his hair had grown longer. If his hair had grown to this length in the military academy, he would inevitably be deducted points for appearance.

He found the medical scissors again and measured the length up and down his neck.

Should he cut it all at once to save trouble, or leave some of it and tie it into a small braid?

In his hometown, both men and women grew their hair long. Men liked to cut most of their hair and leave a long, thin braid at the end, and pulling braids with his friends was a happy childhood memory.

Xi Lei came to the ward, but didn’t see Ling Yi. The bathroom door was open, and someone in a pure white hospital gown was holding a pair of sharp medical scissors to his throat.

Xi Lei was so frightened that he rushed over without thinking and snatched the murder weapon, throwing it far away.

The scissors hit the wall and bounced back, spinning across the smooth bathroom floor.

“You want to commit suicide?! Are you crazy?!” Xi Lei yelled wildly.

“……” Ling Yi glanced at the innocent scissors that were still spinning. His expression was calm and steady. “Xi Lei.”

“What were you doing!”

Ling Yi waved his hand, showing him the strands of hair tucked between his fingers.

Xi Lei’s face went slack: “Ah?…..oh……”

“Now do you understand what I was doing?”

“You want a haircut…..”

Ling Yi faced the mirror again with a look of contempt.

“We’ve known each other for so long, and you only know me this well? I’d rather be an Omega in order to live, and you think I’d commit suicide?”

Xi Lei had to admit that he’d overreacted. He rushed to pick up the scissors.

“Can you blame me for misunderstanding? Who cuts their own hair?”

“Who else will do it? You?”

“Me.” Xi Lei mimed cutting his hair. “How short do you want it?”

Ling Yi looked at his hand in disbelief, then back up at Xi Lei.

“Are you sick? Handing my hair to someone who doesn’t like me? How crazy would I have to be?”

“It’s better than cutting it yourself. What kind of dog-chewed look could you make?”

“Come on, let’s see your skills, Teacher Tony.” ^[1]

Xi Lei’s movements were swift and skillful. Strands of silver hair fell to the floor.

“You’ve actually practiced this?” Ling Yi was surprised.

Xi Lei kept a straight face in the mirror throughout the entire process: “I’m the one who cuts everyone’s hair in our dormitory. You don’t know that much about me.”

Ling Yi looked left and right in the mirror: “Not bad, Xi Lei. I didn’t expect you to have this skill. If you open a business, I’ll definitely apply for a membership card.”

Xi Lei didn’t want to talk. Only praise from Ling Yi could sound so sarcastic. It sounded like he was mocking him as an outstanding military student who could only open a barber shop after graduation.

When the scissors reached the last of his hair, Ling Yi hurriedly spoke up to stop him: “Ai, ai, ai, don’t cut the back, I want to keep it.”

“Keep it?”

“Why, do state regulations prohibit the consort from having long hair?”

Xi Lei’s face darkened: “You’ve adapted to your new role quickly, ah.”

“Are you jealous? I’ll applaud you from the stands at the National Day parade…..a little shorter on the left, a little farther left…..you passed it. A little to the right……”

Growing impatient of his commands, Xi Lei threatened him by placing the scissors at the top of his head: “I should give you a Mediterranean-style haircut. See if you can seduce His Highness Oser then!”

Xi Lei was clearly just trying to scare him, but when Ling Yi thought of that scene – Oser’s expression of wanting to eat but not knowing where to start – he couldn’t help but laugh.

“What are you laughing at, ah? What’s so funny about this?”

“Haha, you reminded me, give me a pill, hahahaha!” Ling Yi hooked his finger at Xi Lei with a smile.

Xi Lei’s hand shook, and he almost made a cut: “Another?”

“Yes, hurry, in case someone comes.”

“You just took one yesterday. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours!”

“Do you not believe in my charms, or do you not believe in your idol’s ability?”

Xi Lei’s expression turned serious: “This is still a drug. Is it okay for you to keep taking it like this? Why can’t you just have a good talk with His Highness?”

Ling Yi disagreed with this advice: “His Highness is like a reproductive cancer. All he thinks about is having children. I really don’t understand – does he have to have a family to inherit the throne?”

After saying this, he went momentarily silent.

“Oh. It seems that really is the case.”

“Ai, never mind.” He shook his head and returned to his senses. “Are you going to give it to me or not?”

Xi Lei reluctantly dropped one into his palm.

“Just one?”

“I read the instructions. You only need to take one at a time.”

“Is it reliable? What if it doesn’t absorb well?”

Xi Lei roared: “Just one! Take it or leave it! No more!”

“No more what?”

Ling Yi quickly swallowed the medicine, then looked up to see Oser standing at the door with a curious look on his face. 

“Your Highness, where have you been? You weren’t there when I woke up this morning.” He began with a complaint.

Oser’s gaze swept over Ling Yi, Xi Lei, and the scattered hair on the floor in turn. There was an unfathomable smile in his voice.

“What’s going on? Can someone explain this to me?”

“My hair was too long, so I asked my brother to help me trim it.” He turned his head. “You’re done, go ahead and leave.”

But Xi Lei felt as if he were nailed to the ground, and was so frightened that he forgot to greet Oser.

Ling Yi knew him well. From childhood to adulthood, whenever he did something wrong, his guilt would be exposed at a glance.

How many times had he disguised himself perfectly, only to be exposed because Xi Lei overreacted?

“What do you mean by ‘no more?’ Your Highness must have heard wrong.” Ling Yi blinked innocently.

“I wasn’t asking you.”

Oser just stared at Xi Lei, waiting patiently for his explanation.

Xi Lei stammered: “It’s…..it’s……”

Oser folded his arms. The concentration of Alpha pheromones in the room steadily increased.

Beads of sweat visibly rolled down Xi Lei’s forehead, and his trembling hand slowly reached into his pocket.

Ling Yi stared at that hand intently, waiting for him to take out the thing he shouldn’t have. Then he would decisively knock him unconscious.

Xi Lei finally pulled his hand out of his pocket, and Ling Yi made a knife shape with his hand.

“…..Candy. It’s candy.”

Xi Lei opened his trembling hand, and there was actually a piece of candy lying inside.

“Ling Yi loves to eat them, but there’s only one left. No more.”

Ling Yi: “……”

Ling Yi looked away unblinkingly, his knife hand turning into a fist.

He didn’t want to knock him unconscious; he wanted to beat him up.

Oser leaned against the bathroom door frame with folded arms: “Heh. Giving candy to his brother. What touching brotherly love.”

Ling Yi quickly snatched the candy: “Only one left. Bring more next time, you’re so stingy.”

Xi Lei lowered his head, saying: “Your Highness Oser, if there’s nothing else, I’ll leave first.”

He hunched over, fearfully walking sideways around Oser.

Oser’s eyes tracked him across the room until he entered the bedroom.

“Wait a minute.”

Xi Lei froze, then turned around mechanically.

“Was there something else, Your Highness?”

Oser held out his hand: “Hand it over.”

The two men’ s hearts, which had just settled down, jumped back into their throats.

“Hand over what…..I don’t……”

“Where are you taking those scissors?” Oser asked.

Xi Lei’s legs trembled, and he almost fell to his knees. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the grateful look on Ling Yi’s face behind Oser.

The surface of the silver metal was covered in sweat. Oser frowned.

“Go.”

Xi Lei fled as if his life had been spared.

Oser stood in Xi Lei’s place, gazing at Ling Yi through the mirror.

“You let him get so close to you. And touch your hair.”

Ling Yi thought he was joking: “What are you talking about, Your Highness? He’s my brother.”

“He’s 87.77.”

“What?”

Oser lifted the tips of his hair and saw the teeth marks on the back of his neck, just inches away. His eyes darkened.

“Where has he cut?”

Ling Yi had a sinister premonition: “You don’t have a hidden talent for haircutting, do you?”

In the mirror, Oser’s tongue slowly slid from one canine to the other.

“Right here?”

. . . . . . .

Ling Yi sat on the bed with a brand new hairstyle and an unfriendly expression on his face.

According to scientific statistics, nine out of every ten people who walked out of a barber shop would have such a look on their face.

Oser came out of the bathroom and sat next to him, his expression happy and satisfied.

“Are you angry, ah?”

Ling Yi didn’t even look at him. He replied stiffly: “Who would dare to be angry with you, Your Highness?”

“Are you not satisfied with your new hairstyle?”

“Your Highness asks a question he already knows the answer to. What Teacher Tony would press a customer against the mirror mid-cut?”

“Teacher Tony? What do you mean?”

This touched on a blind spot in Oser’s  knowledge, and he took out his cell phone to research.

“I see. Civilian slang is quite interesting.”

Ling Yi couldn’t stand it any longer, and glared at Oser from the corner of his eye.

When he did so, the slender, upturned corners of his eyes were full of fatal temptation.

Because of the fact that he had seen those eyes red with tears, even the sharpest look from him enchanted Oser.

“You’re cute even when you’re angry.”

“If Your Highness says so, I won’t be modest. I have many ways of losing my temper.”

Oser’s smile reached the bottom of his eyes. “Okay, show me the many ways you can lose your temper.”

Ling Yi jumped off the bed, picked up the haircutting scissors, and returned to Oser with murderous intent.

Oser lowered his eyes toward the scissors that were held near his throat. The point aimed at him was incredibly sharp. If Ling Yi exerted force, it would pierce his trachea in a second.

He was seated while Ling Yi was standing. The two of them looked at each other, still and silent.

The air in the ward seemed to stagnate.

When Tang De came upon this tense scene, he unthinkingly drew his gun and aimed it at Ling Yi.

“Put the scissors down.”

Ling Yi ignored him. Oser spoke first: “Put the gun down.”

Tang De steadied his weapon and took aim again.

“Ling Yi, please put down the scissors.”

“I told you to put down the gun.”

Tang De wavered: “But Your Highness…..”

Oser’s gaze remained glued to Ling Yi’s face.

“Don’t scare him.”

Tang De slowly lowered the gun back to his waist, but he didn’t dare relax for a moment.

Ling Yi finally took action. His right hand moved the scissors gradually upward to the top of Oser’s head, where he cut off a strand of hair.

He tossed the scissors aside and said: “Alright, that’s it.”

Tang De: “……”

Oser turned his head and said: “Who told you to draw your gun?”

Tang De was full of grievances. Who could have thought that you two use weapons in your flirting?

He searched for a topic to ease the awkwardness: “Ling Yi’s new hairstyle is quite…..”

Halfway through praising it, he realized that he couldn’t continue in good conscience: “….Unique, ha.”

Ling Ying scoffed: “Hmph.”

Tang De gulped, thinking to himself that he had good foresight. The urn he’d purchased was going to come in handy very quickly.

Ling Yi looked bored as he played with the lock of hair in his hand, wrapping his fingers around it and letting it go.

That indifferent attitude was a sign that he was still angry.

Oser: “I asked you to find Ling Yi’s phone. Did you get it?”

Tang De: ? ? ?

Oser: “You found it, but you won’t take it out?”

Tang De had originally planned to hand over the phone while Oser was away so that he could curry favor with Ling Yi.

But now, he could only reluctantly hand it over and watched Oser pass it to Ling Yi. Such an action still allowed the middleman to make a profit from the price difference.

“I thought you would be bored, so I told Tang De to retrieve it. Take a look and see if it still works?”

Ling Yi took it, and it lit up as expected when he pressed the power button.

Tang De weakly made his presence felt: “It was me. I charged it.”

After a few swipes, Ling Yi found that everything was the same as before. There were countless unread messages, and it seemed that no one had touched them. Ling Yi’s mood visibly turned from gloomy to bright.

He smiled sweetly at Oser: “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Oser was moved by his smile and his ‘thank you, Your Highness,’ delighted at being able to coax him. It turned out this kid was so easy to coax. Just a cell phone could make him happy.

Tang De: No, I’m here too. I went to find the phone and even charged it…..

Meanwhile, a dozen kilometers away from the medical college stood an old castle. It was evident that it had once been magnificent when it was constructed, but with neglect and the passage of time, it had gradually become dilapidated.

A young blond Alpha was reading a stack of medical reports, and lingered on a particular page for a particularly long time.

“Du Bin, do you think what’s written in this report is true?”

The man called Du Bin was around the same age as him, and wore a stern expression, as if he was attending a flag-raising ceremony.

“This report was printed by the doctor sponsored by His Highness Oser. Based on the data analysis, it is highly plausible. It appears that the medical college has found an Omega who matches His Highness Oser.”

“If this report is true, then that means there is an Omega who’s a 99.65% match for me. This person is currently at the medical college. Aren’t you curious about who he is?”

“What do you mean…..”

“From the looks of this, I’m due for my annual checkup. Go make the arrangements.”

Du Bin nodded respectfully: “Yes, Your Highness Disi.”

---

[1] “Teacher Tony” is a reference to many barbers having English names such as Tony, Kevin, Alan, etc. This sort of barber has wide-ranging skills, from washing and cutting to dyeing. ⮐

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Chapter 21 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 23

Chapter 41 – “You found me.”

His body fell rapidly, and the scenery in his field of vision flashed by equally fast.

Behind layers of waves was the bottom of the sea, where sunlight did not reach.

Feng Ye had readied himself for it upon falling into the abyss, but to his surprise, not a drop of water touched him. He fell straight through the bottom of the abyss and stepped onto soft soil.

Looking down, Feng Ye saw green grass wet with dew beneath his feet. He raised his head. The sun shone brightly through the overlapping branches of the trees overhead, falling between tree trunks to the ground, where the light refracted through dewdrops in colorful hues.

The rustling of leaves in the wind met his ears. When he listened carefully, he could also hear the singing of birds hidden deep in the jungle.

This Floating Island Secret Realm feels like an ethereal paradise, Feng Ye thought as he looked around.

Since he was the first one to jump into the abyss, there was nobody else around. Although Hao Chen had been following close behind him, the space at the entrance to the Floating Island Secret Realm was extremely unstable. Therefore, even if two people entered one after another, the locations where they appeared in the secret realm may be entirely different.

It’s best to stay as far away as possible so that sticky candy won’t bother me! Just as Feng Ye had this thought, he heard the sound of footsteps treading over grass behind him.

Feng Ye’s face went instantly blank. He just knew it would turn out like this.

“Aiya, what a coincidence. We meet again, Fellow Daoist Feng Ye.” Hao Chen pushed aside the bushes blocking his way, then unfolded his fan with an expression of surprise, as if he’d actually run into him by chance.

Feng Ye slowly turned his head and asked sincerely: “Fellow Daoist Hao Chen, do you belong to the year of the dog?”

The smile on Hao Chen’s lips remained unchanged. With hardly a thought, he immediately answered: “I belong to you.”

Feng Ye: “…….”

This was almost like sweet talk between lovers. If it was someone else saying this, Feng Ye would tell them very seriously that he had no intention of finding a partner so that they would give up right away.

But it was Hao Chen who said these words, and with such a frivolous, unserious expression.

Feng Ye never took Hao Chen’s words seriously, and this time was no exception. Adhering to his previous approach, he ignored the situation and let Hao Chen perform alone.

Without regard for Hao Chen beside him, he just did his own thing. He closed his eyes and sensed a familiar aura.

It seemed Fang Yang had also jumped down after him. He could sense that the bamboo slip he had created had appeared in the Floating Island Secret Realm not far away.

However, Feng Ye had no intention of joining up with Fang Yang. Fang Yang had his own purpose, which was purely to obtain elixirs in the Floating Island Secret Realm. And Feng Ye’s reason for coming here was to obtain the second Jianmu seed, which was very likely hidden at the bottom of the sea.

The paths before them were entirely different. Fang Yang only needed to move around on the island, where the monsters he encountered would all be low-level ones below Foundation Establishment. Feng Ye, however, had to go to the sea bed where the seed was hidden, and where there were powerful monsters equivalent to a Nascent Soul cultivator. 

In Fang Yang’s eyes, his Useless Shixiong was clearly at the third level of Qi Refining. Not to mention fighting Nascent Soul stage monsters alone, even approaching the coastline would be seeking death.

So in order to protect his disguise as a junior disciple, as well as for his own convenience, Feng Ye chose to head in the opposite direction of Fang Yang’s location.

This was also the direction closest to the coastline.

Although Feng Ye was inside a jungle with foliage so dense that the sun could barely peek through it, and there were lush green trees with unknown names as far as the eye could see, he knew where the coastline was.

“Where is Fellow Daoist Feng Ye heading?” Hao Chen asked knowingly as he followed behind him.

He knew that this was the direction leading to the coast, and also knew why Feng Ye was heading there. The story Administrator Zhang had told them was very clear: Ling Yun had found the Jianmu seed at the bottom of the sea in the Floating Island Secret Realm.

Feng Ye had a strong interest in Jianmu. When Hao Chen merely mentioned the word Jianmu, Feng Ye had turned hostile and warned him not to interfere.

But who was Hao Chen? As the Lord of the North Sea, how could he stop just because of such a warning?

He’d made the same mistake as Feng Ye. Thinking that Feng Ye’s purpose was to find the fragments of Jianmu from a hundred years ago, he hadn’t paid attention to the Floating Island Secret Realm, the true origin of Jianmu, and was nearly left behind.

Fortunately, he was able to remedy the situation in time and catch up to him.

Feng Ye walked in the direction of the coast. There was no doubt that he intended to go to the bottom of the sea to find out if there was a second Jianmu seed. But Hao Chen was still a bit puzzled. How did Feng Ye know that this direction led to the coast? 

The Floating Island Secret Realm was an island, but it wasn’t a small area. They were located roughly in the center, dozens of kilometers away from the coastline.

How had he determined the direction at such a long distance?

Hao Chen could locate the coast because he was a Kunpeng. As a god born from water, he had an innate affinity for it.

Even in this vast jungle, he could still sense the distant salty, humid sea breeze.

It wasn’t surprising for a fish to instinctually identify the direction of the vast ocean.

But it was very strange that Feng Ye was able to.

As expected, Feng Ye didn’t provide an answer to Hao Chen’s question, but just moved forward in his chosen direction.

Could it be that this fellow’s true form was an aquatic monster? Or was he a god born from water, just like Hao Chen?

Hao Chen stared at Feng Ye’s back, thinking to himself. He had many speculations about Feng Ye’s identity. He suspected that the other party came from heaven like himself, or was perhaps a human with a hidden agenda.

He was leaning toward the former, because he hoped that Feng Ye was powerful.

He didn’t expect Feng Ye to match his strength. After all, even in the heavens, there were very few gods who could rival him.

He only hoped that Feng Ye would be a little stronger, so that he could have more fun when he finally made a move.

This was the loneliness of a master. Hao Chen couldn’t help but tap his fan at the thought of this, his face full of regret.

Following behind Feng Ye, his expression changed over and over as his thoughts progressed. And Feng Ye walked with his head down, completely ignoring Hao Chen and thus unaware of the expressions on his face.

The two walked in silence for a while, disregarding the spiritual plants and herbs growing along their path and moving onward with intent. Suddenly, without any warning, Feng Ye came to a stop.

Hao Chen wasn’t even looking at the path, his mind full of messy thoughts. He had no time to observe what was ahead, and was unaware that Feng Ye had stopped.

Walking straight ahead at the same pace, he was about to run into Feng Ye’s back.

Hao Chen realized this when they were almost touching. Seeing that form coming closer and closer, he subconsciously tried to stop.

But before he could, Feng Ye abruptly turned his head. The look in his eyes was as cold as the unmelting ice of the North Sea, or a blade half-unsheathed, with killing intent just below the surface.

Hao Chen was stunned.

Feng Ye instantly realized something when he caught sight of Hao Chen’s expression. He narrowed his eyes, and when he raised his eyelids again, all of the killing intent that was about to be released was retracted.

Hao Chen’s gaze moved from Feng Ye’s face down to the hand he’d just raised and put down.

“Fellow Daoist Feng Ye…..” Hao Chen took in Feng Ye’s now collected demeanor and couldn’t help but say: “Were you going to kill me just now?”

There was no need to ask – Feng Ye had definitely intended to kill him.

And the reason was that Hao Chen was too close to him.

Although Feng Ye seemed to be walking unguardedly with his back to him, he had never truly trusted Hao Chen, and naturally wouldn’t be comfortable showing any vulnerabilities to him.

He had a perpetually tense wire strung through his heart, and once Hao Chen reached a distance he considered a threat, he would immediately take action to destroy the enemy before danger reached him.

Although Hao Chen’s proximity was completely unintentional, it had touched a sensitive nerve. If he hadn’t caught Hao Chen’s surprised expression, he likely would have taken action at once.

In response to Hao Chen’s question, Feng Ye lowered his eyes and didn’t answer for a while.

He was also aware that he was a little too sensitive, but it couldn’t be helped. He wouldn’t react when he was approached from the front, but if someone touched his back, chest, abdomen, or other vital areas, even if that person had no malicious intent, he couldn’t help his instinct to kill them before they could do anything to him.

This was the vigilance he had developed over the years, as well as an instinct ingrained in his blood and bones.

If someone else were to face him when he was like this, he would say a quiet, “Sorry.”

But this was Hao Chen, so he replied expressionlessly: “So you know.”

Hao Chen: “……”

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Chapter 40 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 42

Chapter 40 – Aspirations

“Zhang-xiong, jump quickly. Everyone else is jumping down,” said an independent cultivator to the person beside him.

Although a large number of people had followed Feng Ye’s lead and jumped into the abyss, there were still some who had yet to take action.

This cultivator called Zhang-xiong was one of them. He didn’t even dare approach the edge of the ship, clutching the sail in the center of the ship with all of his limbs, like a koala. He wanted to cry, but had no tears, stammering: “I, I…..I can’t swim!”

Who knew that the entrance to the Floating Island Secret Realm was actually at the center of a whirlpool, in a bottomless abyss? If he’d known this would happen, he wouldn’t have come!

However, money couldn’t buy future knowledge. He had already come here, and was forced to face such a dilemma.

He really didn’t dare to jump. Not to mention the watery abyss, even a two-meter deep pond would be enough to frighten him. If he didn’t jump, wouldn’t the qualification to enter the secret realm he’d worked so hard for be in vain?

Upon hearing this, his companion glared at him and said: “Zhang-xiong! We are cultivators! We can regulate our breath underwater, you won’t drown!” But the raging waves might break his bones, and at that point, he would surely die no matter if he could regulate his breath.

But he knew that if he actually said this, his companion surnamed Zhang would be even more afraid to jump, so he wisely only spoke half his thoughts.

Cultivator Zhang was silent for a moment, then seemed to come to a sudden realization: “Oh, that’s right.”

For this, he received a look of contempt from his companion.

Cultivator Zhang finally released the sail and touched his head in embarrassment. In order to save face, his gaze wandered until it landed on a nearby cultivator who also hadn’t jumped.

He gestured at the man in black robes with a hand on his chest, whose face couldn’t be seen, and pointed out somewhat haughtily: “We’re not the last ones to jump!”

His companion covered his face. This wasn’t something to be proud of at all! How could he have such a friend!

He followed the direction Zhang-xiong was pointing and saw the black-robed man. Then he walked behind the inexplicably proud Zhang-xiong, kicked him off the ship, and jumped in himself.

When these two jumped into the abyss, only one person was left lingering on the ship.

The masked man finally raised his head. He stared with dark eyes into the center of the abyss, looking toward the figures that had long disappeared.

He held his chest with his right hand, slightly to the left of the middle.

Right where the heart was.

Seeing that he was alone at last, he suddenly spoke into the void: “God, are you excited?”

There was nobody in front of him, and no sound other than the whistling of the wind and the sound of waves. He appeared to be talking to himself.

He didn’t continue speaking after asking this question, and just waited in silence.

Waves roared, and after the soaring waves hit the surface of the sea countless times, another voice suddenly appeared beside him. It was different from the man’s hoarse voice, which seemed to have been scoured by fire. This was a deep, charming male voice.

“Excited?” The person referred to as God echoed. He then answered in the negative:  “No, I’m not excited about any human.”

He put a disdainful emphasis on the word ‘human.”

As a god, he despised these humans who were as tiny as ants.

“But your heart just stopped for a moment.” Although the black-robed man used honorifics when he spoke, his tone was still cold. There was no trace of the warmth of a living person, nor was there any respect that one should show to a god.

There was silence again, but it didn’t last long this time. The pleasant voice spoke again: “It wasn’t because of him. It’s just that…..this scene brought back some memories for me.”

The scene he was talking about was that of the dark figure who took the lead to jump into the abyss, courageously paving the way. Although that figure was miniscule in comparison to the hundred-meter wide abyss, no one would be able to ignore it.

The man in black had naturally seen him as well, and at that moment, the thing in his chest that was beating normally suddenly stopped.

The suddenly inert heart brought on a feeling of suffocation, and he clutched his chest for a long time, unable to recover. 

“What memories?” he asked the man.

The man’s voice carried a hint of mocking laughter: “Ling Yun, that is not something you need to know.”

Ling Yun went quiet.

But although he didn’t continue the topic, the man had not completely lost interest in the person who’d taken the lead in jumping into the sea.

“That seemed to be someone from your Lingxiao Sword Sect.” He recalled the person in the black and white robes, his voice filled with regret: “Why didn’t you notice such an interesting person in your sect when you went back a month ago?”

“God, it was midnight when I went back,” Ling Yun reminded him emotionlessly.

Over a month ago, he had infiltrated Lingxiao Sword Sect in the middle of the night. He used to be able to come and go freely through the mountain gate, but when he went back this time, he could only conceal himself and avoid everyone’s notice.

“Haha.” With a chuckle, the man finally abandoned the topic. He then went on: “You’ve already searched your shidi’s place and found no Jianmu fragments.”

At this point, the man’s voice turned mocking again: “It seems your shidi has completely forgotten you. There wasn’t even a hint of him missing you in his rooms.”

Ling Yun’s expression remained unchanged. Whether it was the face hidden behind the mask or the pair of dark eyes exposed, they were like a pool of stagnant water without any ripples, no longer able to be stirred by anything.

This display was truly dull. The man ceased mocking him and continued with the previous topic: “Jianmu must still exist somewhere in the mortal world. You know this very well, Ling Yun.”

Ling Yun didn’t answer. He just continued to cover his chest.

The man didn’t need Ling Yun to reply, and continued on his own: “Ji Chengyue was the only one who could have possibly had the opportunity to obtain a fragment of Jianmu in the fire and secretly keep it. Since he doesn’t have it, there must be another Jianmu seed.”

“Floating Island Secret Realm,” the man murmured softly, then asked: “Ling Yun, when you came to the Floating Island Secret realm a hundred years ago, did you notice another seed there?”

“I didn’t, God. When I obtained the Jianmu seed, I was so full of joy that I didn’t notice if there was another seed there.”

He spoke of joy, but his voice was still as cold as usual.

Although Cao Zirui had an icy personality, he still had emotions. Unlike the present Ling Yun, whose tone was so flat that it didn’t sound like a human being speaking.

“Then go and seek the answer, Ling Yun,” the man said with a long sigh: “For the sake of our joint aspirations.”

His voice was very soft when he said this, but beneath that softness was an undercurrent more turbulent than the surging waters of the abyss.

An undercurrent of terrifying ambition.

As the man finished speaking, Ling Yun paced to the edge of the ship. He looked down at the roaring waves below with an expressionless face, then took the leap.

His fragile human form fluttered in the strong wind like a butterfly with its wings drenched by the rain, plummeting straight down.

With this last figure leaping into the abyss, all of the cultivators who had qualified to enter the Floating Island Secret Realm were now inside it.

The journey through the secret realm, which everyone embarked upon with various intents and purposes, had finally begun.

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Chapter 39 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 41

T/N: Thank you to Jackile and K for your Kofi donations! Here’s an extra chapter for each of you!

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Chapter 39 – Ocean Abyss

It was less than a quarter to noon. 

Less than a quarter left until the Floating Island Secret Realm opened.

The initially noisy skies over the North Sea gradually quieted.

Those visiting other sects returned to their respective sects one after another. After all, this was a competition. In the end, the elixirs obtained by the disciples from each sect would be used to score them and determine the new top ten sect rankings.

Thus, other than where the independent cultivators were gathered, there was no more mingling of cultivators in different robes. The styles of their robes served as a clear distinction between them.

Wu Wenbo, who had been reminiscing with Ji Chengyue in the cabin of Lingxiao Sword Sect’s ship, had also left not long before. As sect leader, he needed to boost morale before the Floating Island Secret Realm opened.

Similarly, as a nominal disciple of Tiangong Pavilion, Hao Chen reluctantly followed Wu Wenbo.

He looked back every few steps as he left, thoroughly displaying his unwillingness to leave. This drew the attention of all of the Lingxiao Sword Sect disciples.

Feng Ye, whom Hao Chen had looked back at three times and was now being watched by others: “……”

There was nothing he could do but cover his face and pretend he didn’t know the man.

Fang Yang consoled him: “Shixiong, don’t be sad. We’ll meet Hao-dage soon inside the Floating Island Secret Realm.”

Feng Ye: “……”

No, where was he showing any sadness?

Feng Ye was rendered speechless by Fang Yang’s discernment, and remained silent for some time.

And Fang Yang took his silence as tacit agreement. Feeling that his words of comfort weren’t enough, Fang Yang stood on tiptoe and patted Feng Ye’s shoulder.

Feng Ye: “……”

“Cough, cough.” The sound of someone clearing their throat sounded clearly from behind them. It was Sect Leader Ji’s voice.

The Lingxiao Sword Sect disciples who had been whispering together immediately fell silent. Sect Leader Ji wasn’t as approachable as Elder Zhou. He hated those who broke the rules or whispered when he was speaking.

Thus, everyone behaved extremely well and pretended they were mute.

And Feng Ye completely lost his chance to tell Fang Yang that he wasn’t sad, and was even very happy.

Seeing that the scene had completely quieted down, Sect Leader Ji nodded in satisfaction. He stood on the second deck of the ship, higher than everyone standing on the lower deck. And behind him on the left and right stood two people, namely his eldest disciple Xue Ren and his younger disciple Cao Zirui.

Xue Ren stood respectfully behind him with his head lowered slightly, displaying a humble attitude. And Cao Zirui held his sword, still with his usual expressionless face. But compared to Xue Ren, the way he stared straight ahead seemed haughty, making it difficult for people to harbor good feelings toward him.

In the end, he’s a high and mighty favored child of heaven, and can’t be compared with us, a group of junior disciples, many people from Lingxiao Sword Sect thought a bit sarcastically.

“Everyone.” Ji Chengyue organized his words and spoke up at last: “The Floating Island Secret realm is about to open. I believe you all know very well what this one-day trip to the secret realm is for.”

Ji Chengyue gazed down at the people on the first deck, who were looking at him with excitement and expectation, and said in a very serious tone: “This is not only about your personal opportunities, but also about the status of my Lingxiao Sword Sect.”

“Everything you obtain within the Floating Island Secret Realm belongs to you personally. You’ll only need to hand it over briefly during the final examination as proof of scoring. I certainly hope you all obtain a lot and restore the reputation of my Lingxiao Sword Sect, but…..” Ji Chengyue shifted the topic of discussion, and there was a rare hint of softness on his usually stern face.

He looked at the youthful faces of these youngsters. Although they were not familiar to him, and he had never taught this group of disciples personally, he still said softly with a tinge of reluctance: “I also hope that you can come back alive.”

Although he spoke this sentence in a relatively soft voice, it fell like a heavy hammer in everyone’s ears.

Opportunity was always accompanied by danger. In previous years, only half of those who entered the Floating Island Secret Realm were able to come out alive. But everyone who’d chosen to come here was well aware of this, and had already made their preparations.

So after a brief moment of surprise, only determination remained in the eyes of this group of young disciples.

“Good!” Ji Chengyue shouted with a laugh, then continued: “After the entrance to the Floating Island Secret Realm opens, everyone who enters will be sent to a random corner of the secret realm. You will be separated from your companions, and will run into disciples from other sects.”

He abruptly raised his voice, saying in a stern tone that held absolute authority: “You must remember that no matter how things usually are, inside the Floating Island Secret Realm, you are all disciples of Lingxiao Sword Sect. You are sect siblings, and must unite together against outsiders.”

“If anyone dares to harm a fellow disciple within the secret realm, no matter what the reason, I won’t let them off easily!” Having said this, Ji Chengyue abruptly flicked his sleeves.

The pressure of his Nascent Soul stage cultivation stunned everyone, and after a brief moment of shock, they responded loudly and in unison: “Yes!”

Ji Chengyue had said everything that should be said, and had nothing left to say. He waved his hand, signaling for everyone to ready themselves and wait for the Floating Island Secret Realm to open.

However, although he was finished giving instructions to the ordinary disciples, Ji Chengyue still had something to say about his precious young disciple’s treatment.

He returned to the ship cabin with Cao Zirui and Xue Ren in tow.

Ji Chengyue’s gaze swept across Xue Ren and focused on his young disciple, whom he had taught with all of his ability. 

Cao Zirui was presently going to enter the Floating Island Secret Realm, and although Ji Chengyue felt the satisfaction of an elder watching his child grow up, he was also feeling the worry of an elder sending his child off on a long journey.

He had never been one to nag, but at this moment, he couldn’t help but say a few nagging words: “Zirui, with your level of cultivation, the monsters in the secret realm should pose no threat to you. Just remember not to go near the coast, and you shouldn’t experience any problems.”

He had said this before, and was saying it again now.

Cao Zirui didn’t look bothered. He just bowed and saluted, replying in a tranquil voice: “This disciple understands.”

Ji Chengyue thought for a moment before asking: “Have you brought the protective magic weapons I gave you before?”

“I brought them,” Cao Zirui replied.

“What about the medicine?”

“I brought it too.”

Seeing that Ji Chengyue was about to list out everything Cao Zirui had brought with him, Xue Ren suddenly cut in with a smile: “Shifu, don’t worry so much. With my shidi’s abilities, nothing serious will happen to him.”

Xue Ren had been standing quietly aside, and Ji Chengyue had nearly forgotten about him.

However, Xue Ren’s words of comfort touched Ji Chengyue’s heart. When it came down to it, his nagging was simply a product of worry.

Xue Ren was particularly considerate today. After comforting his master, he turned to look at his young shidi. Then he took a bell out of his sleeve and handed it to Cao Zirui.

Cao Zirui accepted the bell with some surprise. This was the first time his shixiong had given him something.

Xue Ren watched as Cao Zirui picked up the bell, and his smile deepened. He explained: “I fortuitously obtained this bell that can be used as an early warning system. It won’t ring unless there is a Foundation Building stage monster nearby. Shidi, take this so that Shifu can rest assured while you’re in the Floating Island Secret Realm.”

Cao Zirui stared at the bell in his palm. Then he tied it to his belt and turned to thank Xue Ren: “Thank you, Shixiong.”

Ji Chengyue watched this scene of friendliness and respect between disciples and nodded with satisfaction.

Time passed slowly until at noon, when the sun was at its hottest, a breeze picked up over the calm sea.

There was only a slight breeze at first, and the sea surged with rolling waves. But all of the cultivators who had come to the Floating Island Secret Realm for the first time realized something when they felt the wind.

When Ji Chengyue felt that breeze mixed with the salty smell of sea water, he exited the cabin and came to the deck again. 

Standing on deck, the gazed down at the relatively calm sea below his feet. Including the large ship of Lingxiao Sword Sect, all of the flying magic tools that were originally parked on the sea’s surface had flown tens of meters above the water prior to the opening of the secret realm.

The wind was growing stronger and stronger, and the cool sea breeze actually caused a slight pain when it blew into people’s faces. More and more people came to a realization, and even the disciples who had come here for the first time understood that these strange phenomena were precursors to the opening of the Floating Island Secret Realm.

The waves became increasingly larger, rising higher and higher. And once the waves crested high into the sky, they crashed back down again. Along with the whistling of the wind, the sound of waves crashing into the sea echoed in everyone’s ears.

Many of those eager to show off their skills in the secret realm were so alarmed by the raging wind and turbulent waves that they took a step back. 

Some ships that hadn’t flown high enough were hit by the tail end of the waves, causing them to nearly capsize and fall into the sea with everyone onboard.

Against the power of heaven and earth, human power was insignificant.

The scorching sun had been hidden behind the clouds at some point, and the sky was once more shrouded in shadow. This time, it wasn’t the doing of the Cloud-Summoning Banner – it was a sign of an impending storm.

The waves stirred up by the wind gradually formed a rapidly spinning whirlpool. And at the center of that whirlpool was a bottomless abyss.

The thin sunlight was unable to illuminate the abyss, and the dark sea rolled and roared at the bottom like a man-eating monster.

A sudden gale rose from the depths of the sea, coming from the center of the vortex along with a scent other than the salty sea breeze – the faint, fresh scent of grass and trees.

This was the entrance to the Floating Island Secret Realm.

Everyone came to the realization that the entrance to the secret realm was precisely the center of the vortex, inside the bottomless abyss.

The entrance to the Floating Island Secret Realm was now open, but no one aboard the ships floating in the air dared to enter it.

Was this a joke? The opening to the bottom of the vortex was about ten meters below sea level. If they jumped in, who knew what might happen? 

The height wasn’t a big deal. The physiques of cultivators were superior to those of normal people, and a height of over ten or twenty meters wouldn’t pose a problem to them.

It was just that they were afraid of being sucked into the whirlpool. They had all witnessed the power of these waves. The usual soft, gentle flow of water had transformed into a violent beast under the power of the storm, and ships had nearly been overturned by just the tail of a wave.

If a human’s miniscule form was hit by one of them, it was likely that their flesh and bones would be broken, and even more likely that they would be thrown to the bottom of the sea as a corpse before having the chance to enter the Floating Island Secret Realm.

Therefore, no one took the initiative to go first. Everyone waited for someone else to take the lead.

Fang Yang stood at the edge of the boat, holding onto the railing. He craned his head to look down, and then immediately retracted it, fearing an accidental fall.

Feng Ye couldn’t help but chuckle at his nervous appearance.

“Are you afraid?” he suddenly asked.

Fang Yang stared blankly when he was asked this. Afraid…..of course he was afraid. Faced with such a terrifying whirlpool, who wouldn’t be afraid of jumping down?

Feng Ye, however, was a ready-made counterexample. There was no fear on his face. On the contrary, there was a slight, joyful smile at the corners of his eyes.

What’s so funny about this, ah? Fang Yang thought wildly.

This Useless Shixiong who usually embodied the term “good-for-nothing” to the end, was looking at this storm and terrifying abyss unwaveringly.

The ship shook in the storm blowing upward from the deep sea, and many people had to hold onto the hull to keep their balance. Feng Ye’s figure stood firmly in place, like an unshakable mountain.

Suddenly, he took a step forward to stand at the edge of the ship.

Fang Yang didn’t have time to warn him that he was in a dangerous position, and could fall down if he wasn’t careful.

“Fang Yang!” Feng Ye called out abruptly.

Fang Yang was stupefied.

Feng Ye sent him a sideways glance from the edge of the ship: “Don’t you want to stand at the top of the world?”

Without waiting for him to answer, Feng Ye turned his head back to look up at the sky, where thunder and lightning crashed through the roiling clouds.

The lightning illuminated his face. His facial features, so ordinary that one would forget them at a glance, contained a proudness that Fang Yang would never forget in his lifetime.

Feng Ye suddenly spread his arms open, and asked Fang Yang amidst the thunder: “If you don’t have the courage to jump into the abyss, how will you be able to soar into the sky?”

Thunder exploded in his ears, and Feng Ye’s words simultaneously exploded in his heart.

Before he could react, Feng Ye tilted forward and jumped from the edge of the ship into the surging sea.

Fang Yang rushed to the edge and watched Feng Ye’s form plummet straight down.

In contrast to the abyss with a diameter of hundreds of meters, this figure in black and white robes was so tiny that it was almost negligible, and seemed like it would be swallowed up by the waves in an instant.

But he had jumped into the abyss without hesitation.

The wind tossed his hair and sleeves, making them rustle.

The smile on his lips didn’t fade as he courageously went where others dared not go.

This solitary falling figure drew the attention of everyone, and suddenly, another white figure joined it, unwilling to be left out.

“Fellow Daoist Feng Ye jumped right in. Why didn’t you wait for me?” Hao Chen’s smiling voice sounded above his head.

Feng Ye was currently in a good mood, and didn’t find Hao Chen annoying for once.

As he fell, he looked up at Hao Chen following close behind him. Their eyes met, and even though they had made no agreement beforehand, they both suddenly laughed at the same time.

The same joy and arrogance was contained in their laughter.

Be it the storm or the abyss, they were unafraid.

As he gazed after the figures that were becoming smaller and smaller, the words Feng Ye had said as he jumped reverberated in Fang Yang’s head. In an instant, he gritted his teeth, swung off the edge, and jumped.

His action brought everyone to their senses. Now that someone had gone first, everyone stopped hesitating and leaped off their flying vehicles.

The solitary stormy sea became lively as people dropped into it like dumplings.

“Shifu, I’m going!” As he saw more and more people jumping down, Cao Zirui said farewell to his master.

Ji Chengyue finally woke up. He had just been staring at Feng Ye’s back. He hadn’t heard the conversation between Feng Ye and Fang Yang, but Feng Ye’s fearless figure made it difficult for him to look away.

Ji Chengyue gave Cao Zirui a slight nod, and Cao Zirui immediately leaped from the cabin, sword in hand.

And Xue Ren, who was standing out of sight behind Ji Chengyue, sent a meaningful look toward Lu Chengye on the deck. Lu Chengye nodded and, following closely behind Cao Zirui, climbed over the side of the ship.

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Chapter 38 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 40

Chapter 38 – Scars

“Hahaha!” Wu Wenbo gave a hearty laugh, not taking offense to Hao Chen’s rebuttal. With such a thin body, he still claimed he wasn’t lean?

His thighs weren’t even as thick as Wu Wenbo’s arms, and in terms of weight, he estimated that he was twice as heavy as this young disciple.

Wu Wenbo just thought this was an issue of a man’s pride at work, and considerately declined to continue the topic.

“Why didn’t you stay on our territory? Why are you on Lingxiao Sword Sect’s ship?” Wu Wenbo asked now that Hao Chen’s identity had been confirmed.

“Because…..” Maintaining his smile, Hao Chen suddenly took a step back and tugged Feng Ye’s sleeve, pulling him back into the matter. He gestured toward Feng Ye and said: “Because my best friend is here. I missed him dearly, and came to visit him.”

“Oh?” Wu Wenbo raised his eyebrows and looked at Feng Ye, who Hao Chen had forcibly pulled over. Those were the unique black and white robes of Lingxiao Sword Sect, nearly the same as the ones Sect Leader Ji was wearing.

The white daoist robes he was wearing were nearly the same as Hao Chen’s, and his purpose for coming over here was nearly the same too.

Thinking of this, Wu Wenbo completely forgot about the fact that Hao Chen hadn’t greeted him at the beginning. On the contrary, he patted Hao Chen’s shoulder and praised him: “Good! This is the way mutual exchange between our sects should be. You fellows keep building your relationship, I’m going to find Sect Leader Ji to reminisce about the past.”

Having said this, he left Feng Ye and Hao Chen and walked straight over to where Ji Chengyue was standing.

Even though a small incident had popped up, Wu Wenbo still hadn’t forgotten about the person he’d been scolding. As soon as he reached Ji Chengyue, he proceeded to curse: “Just wait and see, according to that bastard Xiao Ding’s habits, he’ll ride that cloud around the area once and not land until he’s completed the tour.”

He spoke in an unreservedly loud voice. Not only could Sect Leader Ji hear him, but also all the disciples of Lingxiao Sword Sect on the ship.

Everyone looked toward the dark cloud Wu Wenbo was lambasting. But the cloud was presently rolling onward, and judging from its trajectory, it was about to make a circle.

When the dark cloud floated overhead, all they could see above was a vast expanse of darkness. However, now that it was moving away, they could actually see some of the scenery on top of it.

Quite a few people could be vaguely seen standing atop the dark cloud. Their robes looked quite uniform, and it was likely that they were from a sect participating in the Floating Island Secret Realm.

And as Wu Wenbo had said, this dark cloud should be the heaven-grade weapon called the Cloud-Summoning Banner.

At present, the effect of this magic weapon was not much different than the large ships brought by other sects. Both were flying magical instruments that could accommodate multiple people, but this cloud looked far more majestic and dazzling. 

But since it qualified as a heaven-grade magic weapon, the abilities of the Cloud-Summoning Banner were far more than just this.

As the sect leader of Tiangong Pavilion, Wu Wenbo was different from Hao Chen, who could only comment on the appearance of the magic weapon and had nothing but bad intentions – he knew the characteristics and disadvantages of various magic weapons very well.

Therefore, he was extremely envious of the Cloud-Summoning Banner. The reason he cursed the owner of the weapon, Xiao Ding, was that he truly looked down on Xiao Ding’s grand arrival and felt the need to criticise what he couldn’t have.

Ji Chengyue knew that Wu Wenbo coveted the Cloud-Summoning Banner, so he wasn’t surprised by his words, and even agreed with them. After all, he had no positive feelings toward Xiao Ding.

However, saying such vulgar words in front of this group of young disciples was rather unbecoming of a sect leader. Therefore, instead of replying directly, he motioned for Wu Wenbo to follow him into the cabin to speak.

The two sect leaders walked from the deck into the cabin. Perhaps they set up some kind of magic array to block sound, because Wu Wenbo’s loud voice could no longer be heard.

But even when the two sect leaders left, everyone’s attention was still focused on the circling dark cloud.

Wherever this dark cloud floated, there were exclamations of surprise. People who were chatting happily with friends experienced sudden darkness, and looked up in alarm to see a dark cloud rolling across the sky.

Their reactions were no different from those of the Lingxiao Sword Sect disciples before.

As a result, more and more people stared at the dark cloud. And once it had attracted everyone’s attention, the dark cloud looked as if it was beginning to descend.

Maintaining the same ostentatious style as its debut, it unsurprisingly chose to land right in the center of everyone.

As the dark cloud went lower and lower, everyone could finally see the people atop the cloud and what they were wearing.

Those daoist robes with the eight trigram pattern…..Wending Sect…..

When they realized the identity of this group of people, ships large and small that occupied the middle area immediately moved away to make room for the people of Wending Sect.

There was nothing else to be done. They were currently the largest sect in the world.

Even though they were displeased with Wending Sect’s behavior, they could only keep such displeasure to themselves. Because they couldn’t afford to offend these people.

Wending Sect focused on alchemy, and possessed strong financial resources, which could be seen in the eight trigram robes the disciples were wearing.

They were just ordinary disciple robes, but the symbol of Wending Sect was embroidered on them in gold thread – a small tripod cauldron.^[1]

And the disciples of Lingxiao Sword Sect who had just heard Wu Wenbo’s cursing finally realized who Xiao Ding was.

Xiao Ding was the current sect leader of Wending Sect, a middle-aged man who was presently standing at the forefront of the cloud with his hands behind his back, sporting a moustache and a haughty expression.

The “ding” in Xiao Ding’s name was nearly the same as the “ding” in Wending Sect, which referred to a cauldron used in alchemy. However, everyone secretly gave him the nickname Xiao Ding (萧顶), which naturally meant “to look down on others.”

Who made Xiao Ding act so proud and arrogant, relying on the fact that he was the leader of the largest sect in the world?

He always paid attention to ostentation and extravagance wherever he went, disregarding the feelings of others. He came and found an open space to stop just like the other sects, but insisted on using the heaven-grade weapon Cloud-Summoning Banner to do so. The group of them circled above the heads of the crowd, drawing the attention of the entire audience before landing.

They really…..deserved a beating.

Many people felt this way, but no one dared to point a finger at Xiao Ding’s nose and reprimand him. Even Wu Wenbo only badmouthed Xiao Ding in front of Ji Chengyue. Although he wouldn’t spare Xiao Ding a good look, he wouldn’t be so disrespectful in his presence.

Wending Sect was known as the largest sect in the world. Not only were they wealthy – they were also very strong, with seven elders at Nascent Soul stage.

Elixirs were different from magic weapons, which were, after all, auxiliary. Elixirs were able to actually improve one’s cultivation and spiritual power.

Wending Sect itself was the largest producer of elixirs in the world. Every month, it distributed elixirs to improve the cultivation of its disciples, and it could be said that the cultivation of most of the sect’s disciples had been enhanced by such spiritual medicine.

Although the cultivation gained through elixirs was not as stable as the cultivation gained by oneself, their average cultivation level was much higher than that of the other sects. And those other disciples could do nothing but bite their handkerchiefs and secretly ridicule their cultivation for being unstable.

A hundred years ago, this sect had been second-best and wasn’t as high-profile as it was today. Because Lingxiao Sword Sect, headed by Ling Yun, had firmly occupied first place. It had pressed down on Xiao Ding like a mountain, not even giving him a chance to vie for the position.

However, times had changed, and so had the people. Wending Sect was still the same Wending sect, but Lingxiao Sword Sect was no longer the same as before.

With the failure of the bridge to heaven, Lingxiao Sword Sect had suffered heavy losses, with thousands of dead or wounded disciples, including five Nascent Soul elders. And as for the sect leader, Ling Yun…..no trace of him was left…..

As a result, Lingxiao Sword Sect fell from number one, and Wending Sect succeeded the throne.

The past hundred years had proven the old saying true: when there are no tigers on the mountain, the monkeys reign.

How could Wending Sect, a group of people who rose to prominence by consuming elixirs, become the top sect in the world?

Everyone was unresigned to it, but nobody could shake their number one position.

On this journey to the Floating Island Secret Realm, among the Qi Refining disciples sent by Wending Sect, a rough look revealed that there were at least twenty people at the tenth level of Qi Refining, which was roughly equal to the sum of all the other sects combined.

Although this group of high-level medicine jars often depleted their spiritual power in battle, they were undeniably wealthy. When their spiritual power was completed, they would take more pills and gradually wear down their opponent.

Therefore, although everyone was indignant as they watched the group descend into the middle of them, nobody said anything in front of Xiao Ding. On the contrary, they came forward and greeted him with respect.

Feng Ye, Hao Chen, and Fang Yang, who had little knowledge of the cultivation world, listened to the introduction of nearby fellow disciples. Only then did they understand why they had arrived in such an ostentatious manner.

Unlike the others, who were respectful on the surface but contemptuous underneath, Hao Chen very sincerely admired Xiao Ding’s method of entrance.

What was the point of having money if you couldn’t show it off?

Hao Chen, a fellow wealthy man, sent a sympathetic look toward Wending Sect. He had chosen the wrong identity. Pretending to be a member of Wending Sect would have suited him better.

“What are those people doing here?” Feng Ye paid no more attention to Wending Sect, nor did he care about what Hao Chen beside him was thinking. He pointed at a group of people in different styles of clothing standing in a long line and asked his fellow disciples nearby.

“Those people, ah…..” A fellow disciple looked over. 

“Yeah, isn’t it the case that each of the top ten sects has one hundred spots for Qi Refining disciples and ten spots for Foundation Establishment disciples? Why are there so many people here?” Fang Yang also asked.

He didn’t noticed them when they first arrived, but after following the route of Wending Sect’s cloud and observing the area, he found that far more than ten sects had arrived here.

The enthusiastic fellow disciple proceeded to answer enthusiastically: “The Floating Island Secret Realm doesn’t belong only to the top ten sects. There are so many cultivators in the world. All of the spots can’t be given to just the top ten, right?”

Feng Ye and Fang Yang nodded in agreement.

The enthusiastic disciple continued: “So in addition to the fixed quotas of the top ten sects, an additional five hundred spots for Qi Refining and fifty spots for Foundation Establishment are given to individual cultivators and small sects. The method used to allocate this quota is similar to ours – through competitions.”

“No matter your status, you can participate as long as you meet the cultivation requirements. Then you’ll receive a token from the Independent Cultivator Alliance and be able to enter the Floating Island Secret Realm. The people queuing over there are getting their identities checked to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation. This isn’t necessary for our sects. Our clothing is the best proof of our identities.”

This enthusiastic fellow disciple puffed out his chest as he spoke. Although Lingxiao Sword Sect had declined in the past hundred years, a lean camel was still bigger than a horse. Lingxiao Sword Sect was still much better than those small sects no one had even heard of.

“I see, ah. Thanks for letting me know.” Feng Ye thanked his enthusiastic fellow disciple, then stared at the people queuing for a while before looking away, waiting for the Floating Island Secret Realm to open.

And as Feng Ye withdrew his gaze, among the differently-clothed group of cultivators from various sects, a man covered in black robes suddenly raised his head and looked over.

There were huge crowds of people here, and ships of all sizes were crowded together like a busy market, but his gaze passed through the sea of people and lingered solely on Lingxiao Sword Sect.

His body was covered in loose robes, and his height, weight, and figure couldn’t be seen clearly. The only part of his face visible through his robes was covered with a metal mask.

The only aspect exposed were his deep, unfathomable black eyes.

“Hey, it’s your turn. Take out your token,” the person in charge of processing admissions said to the man.

The man’s gaze finally shifted away from Lingxiao Sword Sect. Without saying a word, he stretched a hand out of his wide sleeves and showed his token.

The person processing admissions took the token and inspected it. After confirming that it was genuine, he didn’t immediately move on to the next person. Instead, he regarded the man in black robes and a mask with some suspicion: “Why are you covering yourself so tightly? Are you some kind of wanted demonic cultivator?”

The man glanced at the inspector calmly from behind his mask, then replied without any emotion: “No.”

But the inspector was not Fang Yang, so it was impossible for him to believe everything the man said, and his doubts were not dispelled by the man’s denial: “Then why do you have to hide your head and show your tail?^[2] Either give me a convincing reason or take off the mask and let me have a look.”

The man and the inspector looked at each other silently for a moment, and the inspector inexplicably felt a chill crawl down his back. Staring into those deep, quiet eyes for any length of time filled him with a sense of horror, as if there was some terrible monster lurking inside them.

The more I look at this fellow, the more something seems off, the inspector thought. He was a little nervous being stared at. Just when he was about to call someone else over to help question this person, the masked man finally moved.

Don’t tell me he’s about to silence me, the inspector thought wildly, and couldn’t help but gulp anxiously.

However, this was not the case. It was broad daylight, and there were numerous people  watching. If the man really tried something, he wouldn’t be able to escape.

Therefore, the man didn’t take action. He stretched a hand out of his sleeve again and raised it in front of him. This time, because of the larger movement, not only the wrist, but part of his forearm was exposed. 

The man’s left hand was relatively normal, with distinct joints. But his forearm, which was gradually exposed from his sleeve, was covered in wrinkled, puckered skin.

Burn scars, thought the examiner.

The man raised his hand to the mask on his face. When it moved away, the left half of the man’s face was finally exposed to everyone.

But it would have been better if he hadn’t exposed it, because his face was just like his arm, covered in ugly scars. They were not just burns, but also straight-line scars from sword cuts.

The wounds were densely packed and covered his entire face. Although they had long since scabbed over and healed, this didn’t stop them from being horrific. This was a face so horrifying that people dreaded seeing it in their dreams.

“No need to lift it any more! I get it!” The inspector hurriedly stopped the man from removing the mask. Although only the left half of his face could be seen and the right half was still hidden under the mask, half was already scary enough!

The inspector had no desire to see the entirety of his face, and understood why he had covered himself so tightly. It was likely because of his wounds that the man wore a mask so as not to scare others.

The man obediently stopped removing his mask, and instead restored it to its original place.

The inspector couldn’t wait to pass by the man and move on to the next person. As he walked, he patted his chest in fright, feeling that he wouldn’t be able to sleep well for the next few days. Whenever he thought of that ghastly face, his hair stood on end.

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[1] This tripod cauldron, a xiao ding (小鼎 ) is pronounced much the same as the Wending sect leader’s name, Xiao Ding (萧鼎). ⮐

[2] To hide your head and show your tail is to conceal part of the truth. ⮐

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Chapter 37 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 39

T/N: Thank you to Cocole for the Kofi donation! Here is the belated chapter, plus an extra!

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Chapter 37 – Lean

“Fate is truly incredible. We just separated yesterday, and unexpectedly met again here. Isn’t this destiny?” Hao Chen marveled pretentiously.

Feng Ye: “…..”

Like hell this is destiny. This is clearly your doing.

The corners of his mouth gave a slight twitch. He’d known Hao Chen wouldn’t be so easy to get rid of. This guy had come back with a surprise attack. 

He’d been wondering why Hao Chen had left so abruptly yesterday. He had probably planned it all in advance, and was waiting to appear in front of him today and scare him.

Judging from the direction he came from, Hao Chen had come from the large ship belonging to Tiangong Pavilion. Hao Chen had likely done the same as Feng Ye and used some means to secure a spot, participating in the Floating Island Secret Realm as a disciple of Tiangong Pavilion.

“Fellow Daoist Hao Chen…..moves so quickly, ah.” Feng Ye gave a heartfelt sigh.

Although Lingxiao Sword Sect and Tiangong Pavilion were on good terms, the distance between them was not short, and it might take ten days of walking to reach the other sect. Flying on a sword would be faster, but it would still take around an entire day.

It had taken a full day and night from the time he and Hao Chen parted ways to when they met again.

And during this day and night, he would have had to rush back to Tiangong Pavilion to reunite with his sect members, figure out how to secure a spot, and finally take the sect’s ship to reach the entrance of the Floating Island Secret Realm above the North Sea before him.

Such a complex process had been accomplished in one day and one night. If he didn’t exclaim over Hao Chen’s speed, he wouldn’t be doing his efforts justice.

So when Feng Ye said this, he was being sincere. This piece of sticky candy was really trying hard to stick to him.

Hao Chen’s smile deepened when he heard this. He naturally knew what Feng Ye meant, so he didn’t pretend it was a coincidence, and just said half-truthfully: “For the sake of being able to follow Fellow Daoist Feng Ye here, it was nothing. After all, you’ve recognized my painstaking efforts.”

He winked at Feng Ye.

There was no expression on Feng Ye’s face as he tried to block this slightly pink-hued sight from his mind.

“Hao-dage, why are you here too?” A youth’s voice, still somewhat immature, cut into their conversation.

Fang Yang approached them curiously, first looking at Hao Chen, then at Feng Ye. He was already surprised when Useless Shixiong appeared on the ship, and he certainly hadn’t expected to see Hao-dage here.

In order to catch Hao Chen off guard, Feng Ye had secretly exchanged his fan for a spot in the Floating Island Secret Realm without telling anyone, including Fang Yang. 

Considering the mouth on Fang Yang, what would be the difference between telling Fang Yang and telling Hao Chen?

Thus, like Hao Chen, Fang Yang hadn’t known that his Useless Shixiong was going to the secret realm until he boarded the ship at the last moment.

Fang Yang was successfully persuaded that Feng Ye had done it as a surprise for him, and he had indeed been surprised.

Although the Floating Island Secret Realm was full of dangers, and Useless Shixiong’s cultivation was completely useless, at least there would be someone he knew with him. Fang Yang’s previously anxious heart calmed slightly.

He just hadn’t expected Hao Chen, whom he’d said goodbye to yesterday, to appear here.

Facing Fang Yang’s naive, puzzled gaze, Hao Chen asked a question instead of giving a straight answer: “What did you shixiong say?”

Fang Yang said honestly: “He said he wanted to give me a surprise, so he secretly exchanged places with someone else without telling me.”

Hao Chen smiled and plagiarized Feng Ye’s excuse: “I wanted to give you a surprise too.”

“I see, ah.” Fang Yang immediately nodded and expressed his sincere gratitude: “Thank you.”

Feng Ye: “……”

He could only hold his forehead. This naive boy really believed whatever people told him.

Hao Chen’s lie was so perfunctory that he didn’t even bother to make up a new excuse. It was likely that nobody in the world would believe it other than Fang Yang.

Just as Feng Ye was speechless, there was suddenly a noise off to the side.

This place was as lively as a market, but at this moment, there were some unified exclamations of amazement. 

Feng Ye and the other two couldn’t help but follow the gazes of the others, looking toward the object of the exclamations.

When they looked up, the first thing they saw was a dark cloud that covered almost their entire field of vision.

The exclamations outside startled Sect Leader Ji, who was sitting inside the ship cabin. He rushed to open the door curtain, walked onto the deck, and put his hands behind his back as he gazed at the dark cloud above his head.

Some people just thought the weather had changed.

Feng Ye, however, instantly realized that this wasn’t the case. The dark cloud pressing down on everyone’s heads wasn’t just some dark cloud. There was no way a cloud could have dropped this low and rolled forward in such a way. It was more like…..

It was being controlled by someone.

As soon as this occurred to Feng Ye, a somewhat rough shout reached his ears: “That old fellow Xiao Ding always does something like this before the Floating Island Secret Realm opens. Isn’t it just the heaven-grade weapon Cloud-Summoning Banner? Is it necessary to show off like this?!”

This voice immediately attracted everyone’s attention, and their gazes moved in unison from the dark cloud to the person who had cursed.

This person was incredibly tall and well-built, with bronze skin and muscled arms that could be seen through his sleeves. At this moment, he glared and cursed at the dark cloud overhead, giving off an inexplicable sense of ferocity.

Who was this? How had he gotten onto their Lingxiao Sword Sect’s ship?

Many people were asking themselves this question.

Feng Ye thought the same, but quickly came to a conclusion based on his own speculations. Looking at the man’s gold-edged daoist robes, he compared them to Hao Chen’s.

Apart from the fact that the man’s robes boasted more intricate workmanship and refined patterns, there was no particularly obvious difference between the two robes. They were basically of the same style.

Sect Leader Ji’s answer mirrored Feng Ye’s conjecture. Ji Chengyue glanced at the visitor and couldn’t help but laugh: “Wu Wenbo, you haven’t changed at all.”

The man named Wu Wenbo^[1] had a personality that didn’t match his bookish name at all. When he heard this, the man smiled heartily: “Ji Chengyue, you also haven’t changed at all.”

The fact that this person could address the Lingxiao Sect Leader by his given name meant that the two were of equal status and position. The man’s identity was self-evident.

Feng Ye suddenly nudged Hao Chen next to him with his elbow. Hao Chen had yet to realize that this was Tiangong Pavilion’s sect leader.

Hao Chen was truly an actor who didn’t put his heart into the show. Not only was he unprofessional, but he also often forgot about his fake identity.

Such a carefree person who treats life as a game and is obsessed with himself is the type to bring misfortune down on his own head, Feng Ye thought.

When Feng Ye suddenly elbowed him, Hao Chen looked at him in puzzled surprise. Feng Ye had always been so careful to avoid him, so why did he take the initiative to touch him now?

Feng Ye saw his expression and immediately understood. This unprofessional guy still didn’t get it.

He immediately grasped Hao Chen’s fan-holding hand and unfolded the fan, covering their faces with it as he whispered: “Your boss is looking at you.”

That face coming so close to him caused Hao Chen to become slightly distracted. He should have no interest in such an ordinary face, and should even dislike it being so close, but he felt no resistance to Feng Ye’s approach.

He stared blankly for a moment before reacting to Feng Ye’s words.

What boss?

Hao Chen belatedly looked toward where Wu Wenbo was standing.

This burly man with a body like an iron tower was staring at him.

Why is he staring at me? Hao Chen wondered in confusion.

Wu Wenbo suddenly changed directions, veering off course from Ji Chengyue to Hao Chen.

Feng Ye gave a wicked, knowing smile and immediately took a step back, leaving the space entirely to Hao Chen and his nominal boss, Wu Wenbo.

He naturally wasn’t kind enough to remind Hao Chen of his fake identity. His inspiration for doing this was an incident where Feng Ye had been eavesdropping on people, and the movements of Hao Chen’s fan exposed him.

Hao Chen was standing quietly aside, and Wu Wenbo hadn’t yet noticed that there was a disciple from Tiangong Pavilion on Linxiao Sword Sect’s ship. But when Feng Ye suddenly opened the fan in Hao Chen’s hand with a swish, the movement drew Wu Wenbo’s attention.

And Hao Chen, this imposter, still hadn’t realized that this was his own sect leader, and didn’t even bow. 

Wu Wenbo looked at him for a moment, and when he didn’t see him move, he approached with the likely goal of punishing him.

Hopefully he would take this opportunity to expose Hao Chen! Feng Ye intended to watch the fun, and didn’t overthink it.

Wu Wenbo stopped a step away from Hao Chen. He was tall in stature. Hao Chen was certainly not short, and had a well-proportioned figure, but he looked rather frail and weak in front of Wu Wenbo’s iron tower-like figure.

Wu Wenbo crossed his arms, muscles bulging as he regarded Hao Chen: “Which sect are you from? Why do you seem so unfamiliar to me?”

Feng Ye gave Wu Wenbo an internal thumbs-up as his attack hit a critical point. It seemed that Hao Chen could no longer keep his fake identity.

And at this moment, Hao Chen finally realized the man’s identity.

At the same time, he realized why Feng Ye uncharacteristically approached him.

I’ve fallen into a trap, Hao Chen thought with some regret.

However, even though he’d fallen into a trap, it wouldn’t be so easy to remove his disguise.

Although Hao Chen’s acting didn’t come from the heart, the identity he had forged could still stand up to scrutiny. So he bowed to Wu Wenbo and answered in a respectful manner: “Answering the sect leader, this disciple is from Lizi Pavilion, and entered the sect three years ago.”

But Wu Wenbo frowned even harder when he heard this. He looked Hao Chen up and down, feeling that his body was too thin and weak, and questioned: “The entry requirements of Lizi Pavilion are extremely strict when it comes to strength. How did you pass?”

Tiangong Pavilion was a sect that focused on refining weapons, and refining weapons always required strength. The disciples who were assigned to Li Pavilion were all physically powerful.

In terms of strength, even if they weren’t as tall as Wu Wenbo, they were very much like him. Hao Chen…..looked like a weak scholar. How strong could he be?

Therefore, Wu Wenbo had some doubts about Hao Chen’s claims.

Facing Wu Wenbo’s questioning, Hao Chen didn’t answer directly. Instead, he extended a hand to Wu Wenbo and said with a smile: “Try it and find out, Sect Leader.”

Was he trying to compete with him in strength? Wu Wenbo raised his eyebrows. This young disciple had guts. Who didn’t know that Wu Wenbo possessed superhuman strength?

He disdainfully took Hao Chen’s hand, and then…..couldn’t move it at all.

Wu Wenbo couldn’t help but get serious, and used all of his strength this time. His face turned red and veins popped out on his forehead, but Hao Chen’s hand remained motionless.

After several attempts, Wu Wenbo was finally convinced. He patted Hao Chen’s shoulders, which were relatively thin compared to his own, and praised him: “Alright, you can’t judge a person by appearance. You look so lean. I didn’t expect you to be so strong.”

Hao Chen retorted with a smile: “This disciple isn’t lean.”

When it came to tonnage, who had the ability to rival him?

---

[1] Wu Wenbo’s name, 武文博, contains the character 文, referring to the arts. Wenbo, 文博, also refers to the study of ancient relics. ⮐

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Chapter 36 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 38

Chapter 36 – Setting Sail

“What is Fellow Daoist Feng Ye whispering about?” With some displeasure, Hao Chen watched as Feng Ye whispered something to Fang Yang.

The two of them had been whispering in the corner for a long time. There was no way of telling what they were talking about, and there hadn’t been a result thus far.

It was like they were having a secret meeting behind his back.

The more Hao Chen thought about it, the unhappier he became. He was Feng Ye’s legitimate dual cultivation partner in name only. Although Feng Ye himself was unaware of this, all of the other disciples other than Fang Yang knew. 

His empress was standing next to him, and this junior disciple from who knows where was stealing him right from under his nose?

How shameless! Hao Chen thought shamelessly.

He had no self-awareness when it came to who the shameless person actually was.

In response to his almost accusatory question, Feng Ye simply glanced at him calmly, then turned his head and continued the previous topic: “Anyway, if you miss this opportunity, you’ll never get it again. Think it over carefully.”

The junior disciple before him was extremely hesitant. He wanted to agree, but also wanted to refuse, and couldn’t come to a conclusion.

Seeing his expression, Feng Ye understood that he was moved by his words.

From a racing heart to action, there was only one spark left, and Feng Ye lit this fire. He feigned regret, saying: “If you don’t agree, I’ll find someone else.”

“Don’t, don’t.” Feng Ye’s fire was lit successfully, and this junior disciple finally made a decision. Gritting his teeth, Fang Yang stretched out his hand and slapped it against Feng Ye’s: “Deal!”

The deal was struck. A smile appeared on Feng Ye’s lips.

He said goodbye to his fellow disciple, and only then did he have time to deal with Hao Chen.

Hao Chen felt that Feng Ye seemed inexplicably cheerful today, but didn’t know the cause, so he couldn’t help but ask: “What has Fellow Daoist Feng Ye encountered to make him so happy?”

Feng Ye bobbed his head inscrutably.

Just as Hao Chen was about to ask further, Feng Ye took the initiative to speak. He smiled and said to Hao Chen: “Isn’t seeing you the happiest thing?”

Hao Chen was stunned on the spot.

Feng Ye’s joy was even further amplified when he saw Hao Chen’s dumbfounded appearance, and he hummed a tune as he walked past the other party.

The floor hadn’t been swept yet after chatting the whole morning, so he took a broom and prepared to get to work.

And Hao Chen stood there, doubting life. They were playing the wrong roles, ah. He should have been the one to say that.

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. There was something strange about Feng Ye today.

With this in mind, Hao Chen hurriedly chased after him. He tried to indirectly ask what had Feng Ye behaving abnormally today, but Feng Ye just smiled. It was a sincere smile.

Hao Chen didn’t know what he was so happy about.

Could it be that he truly is happy to see my charming self? Hao Chen thought shamelessly.

But despite his thick skin, Hao Chen was unable to convince himself. After all, during their confrontation beneath the moon last night, the way Feng Ye looked at him didn’t seem like he was falling for him, but rather like he wanted to get rid of him.

How had he changed so much in just one night?

No matter how hard he tried, Hao Chen couldn’t figure it out. But he couldn’t just pry Feng Ye’s mouth open.

Just as he was at a loss, Fang Yang arrived.

He rushed up to Feng Ye with a look of excitement on his face and shouted: “Shixiong! It’s too bad you didn’t watch the Foundation Establishment tournament today! You don’t know how thrilling it was. They used all kinds of spells, and they were all so strong!”

Feng Ye’s reaction was mild. He just said calmly: “Is that so?”

Fang Yang nodded vigorously: “Absolutely! And Cao Zirui was really strong, ah. He didn’t use any spells the whole time, and just defeated his opponents with swordplay and spiritual power.”

Feng Ye smiled: “Then you’ll need to work harder if you want to surpass him.”

“That’s for sure,” Fang Yang said, clenching his fists.

The two of them were conversing as if there was no one else around. Hao Chen, who was being ignored, became even unhappier. He suddenly cut in: “Shouldn’t you go pack your things and prepare for tomorrow’s departure?”

There were still two days before the Floating Island Secret Realm opened, but because the journey was a lengthy one, all of the disciples who had obtained spots would have to board a large flying ship supplied by the sect and set off tomorrow.

Fang Yang slapped his head when he heard this: “Oh, that’s right. I’ll go back and pack my things first.”

He waved goodbye to Feng Ye and Hao Chen.

Feng Ye continued to sweep the floor once Fang Yang left, and Hao Chen continued to pester him in an attempt to figure out the reason for his strange behavior.

However, his doubts continued through to the next day. When he got up early in the morning with Feng Ye to see Fang Yang off, he still hadn’t figured it out.

“Do you have everything?” Feng Ye asked.

Fang Yang checked his storage bag, which every disciple owned. The space inside wasn’t much bigger than a pocket, and it couldn’t hold much, but it was better than nothing.

Fang Yang counted out his supplies: “Wound medicine, herbs for removing miasma…..”

He counted everything carefully to make certain that it was all there. He also touched the bamboo piece hanging around his neck that housed the Mysterious Big Brother, then replied to Feng Ye: “Everything is ready.”

Feng Ye patted him on the shoulder and said: “Be careful, and do things according to your abilities. Keeping your life is more important than any rare treasure.”

“Don’t worry, I understand,” said Fang Yang.

After saying this, he turned and boarded the large ship that was already full of people.

This ship was actually a magic tool that could accommodate hundreds of people in the air. After all, these Qi Refining disciples couldn’t fly on swords yet, and the journey to the secret realm was long, so the sect prepared such a ship.

The crowd began to grow in increments. In addition to the one hundred Qi Refining disciples and ten Foundation Establishment disciples, there were also some disciples manning the ship, as well as Xue Ren, who was responsible for arranging accommodations and transportation along the way.

And finally, Sect Leader Ji.

Lingxiao Sword sect wasn’t the only sect entering the Floating Island Secret Realm. The other top-ranked sects were also participating.

There was actually an unspoken competition going on between the ten sects. Each sect had the same number of allotted spaces, and the number of elixirs obtained by the disciples leaving the secret realm would be used to determine the new sect rankings.

Rank was not just about face, but also about territory.

Each major sect had its own territory and didn’t interfere with the others. There was nothing to fight about. What they were vying for was territory to recruit new disciples.

After all, only a steady stream of talented disciples could keep a sect alive. And generally speaking, the larger the territory, the greater the probability of encountering good seedlings.

Therefore, this was an extremely important matter. The higher the ranking, the larger the territory allocated to recruiting disciples. All of the sect leaders attached great importance to this, and nearly all of them were personally leading their contingents. Sect Leader Ji was no exception.

At half past chenshi, the crew began to count the number of people onboard. Once everyone was present, they would set off.

Feng Ye and Hao Chen were still standing under the ship. Fang Yang had already boarded, but Feng Ye had yet to leave.

Hao Chen accompanied him patiently for a while, but his patience gradually began to wane. The sun was becoming hotter and hotter. As a fish from the North Sea, he was afraid of heat rather than cold. This sun was making him a little restless. 

He couldn’t help but take out his fan and fan himself. After some time, he suddenly remembered to ask: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, where is your fan?”

Feng Ye was still holding the white jade bone porcelain fan in his hand yesterday. Thinking that it would be a waste not to use it, he would take it out from time to time and fan himself with it. But today, it was nowhere to be seen.

I was waiting for you to ask that! Feng Ye thought.

He hadn’t waited in vain. Feng Ye revealed the smirk he had been holding back for a long time: “It seems I forgot to tell you.”

Hao Chen stared blankly: “Tell me what?”

Feng Ye shook his head, donning a look of regret and distress: “I took the fan to trade it in. As for what I traded it for…..”

While they were talking, the people counting passengers were almost finished. But they discovered that there was one person missing, and shouted loudly: “Who else hasn’t boarded the ship? If you don’t board, we won’t wait for you!”

Feng Ye suddenly turned around and shouted back: “Coming right up!”

He ran up onto the large ship behind him and stood on the deck, waving at Hao Chen below: “Fellow Daoist Hao Chen, I exchanged the fan for a spot in the Floating Island Secret Realm. I’ll be away for a few days. Don’t worry about me!”

Hao Chen: “……”

He finally understood all of Feng Ye’s abnormalities from yesterday through today.

It was a lie for Feng Ye to say he’d forgotten to tell him. This guy had clearly done it on purpose. He’d waited until the last minute to tell Hao Chen in order to catch him off guard and get rid of him.

Feng Ye saw the expression on Hao Chen’s face and knew that he understood everything. However, this didn’t mean that he’d successfully gotten rid of this sticky piece of candy. After all, it was difficult to say what the thick-skinned Hao Chen was capable of.

Perhaps he would shamelessly try to follow him. The probability of this was quite high.

But unexpectedly, Hao Chen remained standing under the boat and said goodbye to Feng Ye: “As it happens, I have some matters to attend to in my sect, so I’ll take this opportunity to go back and deal with them. Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, we’ll see each other again in a few days.”

After saying so, he turned and left without any regrets.

Just like that.

Feng Ye stared at Hao Chen’s back in surprise. He was ready to fight this sticky candy to the end, never expecting that the sticky candy would discover a conscience and leave.

Was it really this easy?

Hao Chen’s straightforward attitude made Feng Ye anxious. He kept feeling like things weren’t so simple.

But Hao Chen indeed left.

The huge ship heading to the Floating Island Secret Realm also set sail, flying into the sea of clouds.

After a day and a night of sailing, everyone finally arrived at the location of the Floating Island Secret Realm, above the North Sea.

There was a North Sea in heaven, as well as one in the mortal realm. But this North Sea was different from the heavenly one, where the sunlight was thin and living creatures rarely dared to tread.

The North Sea of the mortal realm was no different than any other. The water and sky were blue, and there was a cool and comfortable sea breeze.

The ship began to descend, and the obstructing clouds parted like curtains on a stage, dissipating before their eyes. At last, they got a glimpse of the magnificent scenery beneath that sea of clouds. 

Like the other disciples, Fang Yang looked in amazement from their low altitude above the sea. There were magic vessels of all sizes docked here, so many that the vast sea even looked a little crowded.

As the distance narrowed, a swell of voices eventually reached everyone’s ears.

Disciples from various factions and sects were gathered here to usher in the opening of the Floating Island Secret Realm.

This was a rare gathering. There were few events like this that could bring together people from all major sects. Thus, many people were chatting with friends from other sects, whom they hadn’t seen in a long time, and the atmosphere was quite lively.

Lingxiao Sword Sect’s ship found an open place to stop. Not long after, disciples from other sects came over to seek out their friends.

“Fellow Daoist Feng Ye.” A familiar, haunting voice sounded behind Feng Ye.

With a feeling of resignation, Feng Ye turned around to find a smiling Hao Chen. He was really…..not surprised at all.

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Chapter 35 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 37

Under the dim light, neither of them could clearly make out the emotions on the other’s face.

“You want me to leave. Why?”

“His Highness Oser is the future emperor of the empire. If he doesn’t inherit the throne, power will fall into the Prime Minister’s hands sooner or later. He absolutely must not give up his inheritance rights just for you.”

“If His Highness doesn’t inherit the throne, there’s still his younger brother. You’re really looking down on the Fengdi family.”

“You’re talking about His Highness Disi? Don’t be naive. His Highness Disi has never appeared in public, and no one knows whether he’s dead or alive. Even if he does still live, how could he possibly stand up to the all-powerful Lu family?”

Ling Yi put the scissors back where they belonged.

“What if I don’t want to leave?”

“Are you concerned about your family? I will ask His Highness to protect them and send them to reunite with you when the opportunity arises.”

“You’ve thought this through very thoroughly. But why should I give up wealth and glory to go live a life of wandering and displacement?”

“Have you ever considered what would happen if Lu Hulun ever came into power? That there will be more victims like you and me in the future, and more people will be forced to live a life of exile?”

“What does that have to do with me?”

You Lin’s eyes filled with disbelief: “I refuse to believe you’re that kind of person.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m a selfish person.”

“You’re lying! How could a selfish person kill a member of the royal family for a brother who’s not even your flesh and blood?”

Ling Yi was silent for a moment: “I was just repaying his father for adopting me. A selfish person will occasionally have a change of heart, right?”

His performance disappointed You Lin.

“I lived for years in an unfamiliar foreign country. You can’t imagine how much hardship I have endured. The only belief that kept me alive was that I would return to my country to assist His Highness Oser and get revenge on the man who killed my family!”

“I really can’t imagine it. And I have even less desire to go through the same hardships you suffered.”

You Lin’s eyes were bloodshot: “How can you comprehend losing your loved ones and living a life filled with hatred?”

His increasing volume eventually drew the attention of Oser and Tang De, who were separated from them by a wall.

“What is this?” Oser spied the travel bag on the floor at a glance.

Ling Yi hesitated only half a second before throwing himself into Oser’s arms in front of everyone.

“This person suddenly came in to chase me away. I was so scared.”

He buried his head in Oser’s chest, and naturally didn’t see the expressions that appeared on the faces of Oser and Tang De at his words.

Especially Tang De, whose perception of Ling Yi was once again refreshed.

Oser subconsciously hugged him, only to find that Ling Yi was wearing his jacket.

“Have I been too lenient with you?” There was a hint of coldness in Oser’s attitude toward You Lin.

Before Oser could get angry, Tang De tried his best to push You Lin out.

“Leave it to me. Your Highness, please take good care of Ling Yi. I’ll educate this ignorant person for you.”

He then dragged You Lin out of the room, scolding him all the way.

“Don’t you want to live? I don’t even dare to take a deep breath in Ling Yi’s presence, but you actually went to his room in the middle of the night to persuade him to run away? Don’t you know that you almost crossed His Highness’s bottom line?”

You Lin spun around and accused: “You’ve been at His Highness’s side this entire time. Why didn’t you persuade him?”

“Persuade him about what, ah?” Tang De was baffled.

“About the power of pardon, of course! Don’t you know which is more important, an Omega or the throne?”

Tang De rolled his eyes and said helplessly: “The reason I didn’t tell you was because I was afraid you’d leak the information. Why can’t you believe in His Highness?” 

“I really do want to believe in him. But you saw that just now. I’m concerned that His Highness will be blinded by lust and neglect his duties for an Omega!”

Tang De started to say something, but looked back at the door warily and pushed You Lin a few steps away.

“Come here, and I’ll tell you.”

When they were a safe distance away, he whispered: “Have you only studied foreign law these years and forgotten the laws of your own country? Have you forgotten that the power of pardon is subject to revocable conditions?”

You Lin’s heart moved, and it was as if a ray of sunlight had shone into a dead-end alley. “You mean invalidating Ling Yi’s death sentence?”

Tang De expressed his approval with a look and handed him a document.

You Lin: “This is…..?”

“Your new identity, starting tomorrow. You will be an intern at the royal court, and your task is to collect all of the evidence in Ling Yi’s case. If the Prime Minister hadn’t headed this case, the sentence would have been at most excessive self-defense, not the death penalty.”

You Lin held the document in his hand, stunned: “Have I wronged His Highness again?”

The last time, he had questioned Oser for not saving Ling Yi.

“I’ve already told you to believe in His Highness. He is no longer a child.”

Tang De clenched his hand into a fist: “Whether it’s the throne or the Omega, he wants it all.”

After sending You Lin away, Tang De made his way exhaustedly to the lounge, in urgent need of relaxing.

He was surprised to find Pat there, browsing a shopping website on his cell phone.

“I didn’t realize you had the leisure to shop,” Tang De teased.

“I’m trying to choose an urn that suits me.” Pat showed him the page. “What do you think of this one?”

“A bit old-fashioned.”

“You’re right.” Pat angrily turned to the next page. “These urn manufacturers don’t consider the needs of young consumers at all.”

Tang De regained a small portion of his life force by smoking a cigarette.

“Maybe I should buy one just in case. Are there any discounts for bulk purchases?”

Pat said with a sad expression: “Don’t make fun of me, Captain Tang De.”

“I’m serious. Less than half a month ago, Ling Yi was a prisoner on death row, but now he can whisper in the Crown Prince’s ear. Even without this incident, he would have risen from an orphan to a military elite. Could our consort have ever been an ordinary person? If I make a mistake, I might be joining you.”

Pat was inexplicably nervous after hearing this: “I haven’t offended Ling Yi, have I?”

“Well, he did become an Omega because of your research.”

Pat was extremely alarmed.

“What are you afraid of? No one ever steps into the same grave twice.”

“Thank you, ah. I feel much better now.”

“Let’s talk about something light.” Tang De waved away the white smoke in front of him. “Want to bet on where His Highness will sleep tonight?”

Pat’s eyes widened: “Is he not following doctors’ orders?”

. . . . . . .

Oser comforted the “frightened” Ling Yi, and when he went to leave, he was embraced from behind.

“Please don’t leave, Your Highness.”

Ling Yi could now frankly admit that he was greedy for this scent. Rather than defending his face as an Alpha, he would rather follow his body’s instincts.

“I can’t sleep alone without you.”

However, Oser was not as free and easy as him: “Pat said I should keep my distance from you.”

“Forget Pat. He even said my pheromones could only match yours.” Ling Yi said dejectedly.

The balance in Oser’s heart fluctuated for only 0.01 seconds before it tilted toward Ling Yi.

Of course, it was also due to Ling Yi’s following words: “The new bed is very soft. Doesn’t Your Highness want to lay down and try it?”

Ling Yi dropped the uniform jacket he was wearing on the floor and stepped on it.

No matter how good a comfort object was, it wasn’t as effective as the person himself.

The new bed was indeed very soft. Oser came to this conclusion through personal experience.

Ling Yi lay obediently in Oser’s arms, his index finger drawing restless circles on the other’s chest.

“Does what Your Highness said at the courthouse gate still stand?”

“What did I say?”

“That you’d let me choose where my monument would be erected. I’ve chosen the place: directly in front of the Prime Minister’s office.”

Oser was amused: “Why there?”

“The people out there don’t know I’m still alive. I think Your Highness’s previous suggestion is a good idea, to let everyone think I died at the hands of Lu Hulun. Even if I can’t bring him down, I’ll make him suffer.”

“You hate him so much?”

Ling Yi replied nonchalantly: “I hate him to the bone.”

These six words lacked any weight. Oser scratched the bridge of his nose.

“I did promise back then, but it doesn’t count anymore.”

Ling Yi turned over and pressed Oser down: “Why not?”

“Only the dead can have such a monument erected. It’s unlucky to create one for the living.”

Ling Yi’s lips curved: “Your Highness is a highly educated person. How can you still have such superstitious beliefs?”

“You said the same thing once before.”

“I did?”

“Before you went into the operating room.”

He seemed to have some impression of it.

Oser stroked his hair: “You know I want you to get well soon. I’ll take you out to show you off and enrage that old man.”

Ling Yi’s response was more direct – a passionate kiss. “Having a secret lover is much more exciting. This might be your only chance to experience it in this life. Won’t you consider it?”

Oser looked at Ling Yi with blazing eyes: “Your seduction skills are even more impeccable than when you were an Alpha.”

Ling Yi licked the corner of his mouth: “It’s human nature to be lazy. As long as this method still works, I’ll use it again and again.”

“Then I promise you,” Oser said, “From now on, as long as it’s you, this method will always work. You hate my grandfather. I’ll help you get rid of him. One life for another.”

“Whose life is being exchanged?”

Oser gently touched his belly: “You’ll conceive a tiny life for me.”

Ling Yi: “……”

. . . . . . .

As Tang De reported to Oser in the room next to Ling Yi’s, he stole a glance at the bed.

It was the same as it had been when he left last night, with no sign of anyone having slept there.

He feigned ignorance: “You Lin reported to court early this morning.”

Oser lowered his head to peruse the documents: “We should have sent him away earlier. Keeping him here just stirred up more trouble.”

“By the way, I went to the detention center to retrieve Ling Yi’s phone.”

Although he had agreed to get the phone for Ling Yi, he would never dare give it to him without permission.

Oser stopped reading: “He asked you for it?”

“That’s not the case. I think he’s rather bored in the ward, and he needs to be given something to do. Young people these days just love to play on their phones.”

Tang De shook the phone: “It won’t turn on right now. I don’t know if it’s broken or the battery is drained, but I’ll give it to him after I fix it.”

Oser gave a light “hm” and didn’t object.

“Don’t let the news that Ling Yi is alive leak out yet. Keep pressure on the old man through public opinion and insist that he was the one burned to death in the vehicle.”

“Aren’t you planning to announce to the public that he’s still alive and initiate a retrial of the case?”

“Little Weed begged me sincerely, and it was difficult to refuse. Let’s find a random place near the old man’s home and erect a monument for him. In any case, there’s no rush for a retrial.”

Based on Tang De’s understanding of Oser, he was not someone who would easily change his plans.

He became vigilant: “Your Highness, your original plan hasn’t changed, has it?”

“What do you mean?”

“First overturn Ling Yi’s verdict, then retract the pardon.” He asked cautiously, “The unexpected results of the surgery won’t affect the plan?”

Oser heard the hidden meaning in his words and tossed down his pen with a sneer: “What unexpected results? The non-uniqueness of Ling Yi’s pheromone matches? Even if Ling Yi regains his freedom, who else can he choose aside from the wealthy, prestigious, legitimate Crown Prince and top-tier Alpha who’s a perfect match for him?”

Tang De put on a smile, but it was a stiff one: “Your Highness is right. I shouldn’t worry. I’ll go carry out the tasks you’ve assigned to me.”

“Get back here!”

Tang De was still standing there, unmoving.

“Forget about erecting a monument, it’s too unlucky. An altar is easier to tear down.”

Tang De agreed, but was called back again before he could reach the door.

“Don’t write his name correctly. Omit one or two strokes.”

“…..Understood.”

After Tang De left, Oser took Ling Yi’s medical report out of a drawer and looked through the list for the nth time.

This list was like a top student’s report card. The examiners had tried their best, but could only deduct a few points. 

Every name seemed irritating aside from his own, and he wished he could assassinate them all in order.

Oser’s gaze was distant. After a moment, he threw the report back into the drawer.

Assassinations cost too much. He would think of something else.

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Chapter 20 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 22