Chapter 636

Soon, another week passed since the Ascension Task was posted at the Task Reception Office.

From Golden Core to Returning to Void, those from the Immortal Sects who had accepted the task had gradually set out.

As for why there were no Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment cultivators…

Isn’t that obvious!

The problems the Ascension Task seeks to resolve concern an entire world; although the Immortal Sect’s Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators may include exceptional individuals, their immature temperaments and shallow experience cannot support them in carrying out tasks of this magnitude.

For example, Ye Zhiwei.

Having achieved Creation Foundation Establishment through the Principle of Concealment, there is no Foundation Establishment in the Tai Xuan Realm more formidable than hers.

Yet her temperament is far from mature—even she does not understand what she herself wants.

Let alone asking her to solve problems concerning an entire world.

…

…

Dawn.

Outer Gate of the Sword Sect.

The pale gray of the horizon had not yet fully faded; faint glimmers scattered across the high sky.

The morning breeze was gentle, carrying just the right chill.

Sword Hall.

A spirited young girl with a black headband tied across her forehead and sharp, refined features appeared at the entrance.

A faint, flickering red aura clung to her body—the lingering malevolent martial energy from her cultivation.

It was Ye Zhiwei.

“Huh~”

She exhaled softly, glanced up at the sword-shaped statue standing not far ahead, then walked briskly toward her quarters.

The Sword Sect truly suits sword cultivators.

After this period of cultivation, she had refined her sword intent into greater purity and successfully entered the foundational stage of the True Law-level sword technique, “Heavenly Net Sword Weave.”

Her realm was now only one step away from late Foundation Establishment!

“Executing tasks…”

According to the Sword Hall Elder, her cultivation at this stage was already quite good; the only thing lacking was real combat experience in life-or-death battles.

This could be compensated for first by entering the “False Immortal Realm” to spar with fellow sect members and accumulate experience.

Once she reached a certain level, she could accept missions involving quelling unrest, suppression, or extermination—to recognize her own shortcomings through actual combat…

She was just thinking about this.

“Zhiwei…”

A voice suddenly came from ahead.

Ye Zhiwei halted, looked up—and froze.

There stood Zhao Ruoming beside a tree by the path, his expression complex.

“…“

After a moment of silence, Ye Zhiwei smiled and softly called out:

“Brother Ruoming.”

After the words were spoken, they simply stared at each other, neither speaking.

Zhao Ruoming’s expression remained complex, yet his eyes held full relief.

Clearly,

After this period of reflection, he had come to understand many things.

In contrast, although Ye Zhiwei wore a smile on her face, her heart was filled with turmoil.

Zhao Ruoming had come to the Sword Sect…

This was something she had never anticipated.

…

…

“What do you think they’ll say to each other?”

Amid thick clouds, Chi Jiu Yu sat atop the blade of a golden-green sword.

In one hand, he held a phone; the screen showed two people—one was Zhao Ruohan, seated before a computer, busy with something unknown; the other was Ye Zhiwei, seated before a dantian furnace, having just finished refining a batch of pills.

Before Chi Jiu Yu floated an arcane mirror, formed by a magical artifact, its surface showing precisely Zhao Ruoming and Ye Zhiwei, who had just met near the Sword Hall.

Before Chi Jiu Yu stood a magical mirror formed through artifact, its surface showing Zhao Ruoming and Ye Zhiwei, who had just met near the Sword-Bearing Hall.

Zhao Ruohan did not answer her question; instead, she asked one of her own.

She had reason to ask this.

Ye Zhiwei was a prodigy seed highly valued by the Sword Hall, adorned with numerous artifacts to conceal and block surveillance.

Zhao Ruoming was even more so.

Yet Chi Jiu Yu could now reveal them through the arcane mirror!

“Of course my magical treasure is more advanced than theirs!” Chi Jiu Yu boasted proudly.

This time, she had really invested heavily.

Didn’t she and Xiao Yunlu once go to Yuyao Star to investigate the cultivation levels of cultivators?

Along the way, they met their senior uncle, who said that if they handled the mission well, he would grant them one wish.

The outcome, needless to say, was obvious!

Under her brilliant leadership, they not only exposed the local guardian’s corruption—his use of “Rat Pills,” i.e., Life-Draining Pills, to damage the foundations of young cultivators on Yuyao Star!

But also repelled the invasion of biological weapons.

The mission was executed so flawlessly that their uncle’s reward was guaranteed.

But at the time, she hadn’t known what to ask for, so the matter was left pending.

Only after returning from her mission as the third batch of Ascension Envoys to the Military Universe did she realize her shortcomings.

With virtually no talent for “divination” and her talisman cultivation still in its infancy, she was severely lacking in “prediction”—that is, gathering intelligence.

To remedy this, she first went to her master.

But her master told her to go to her senior uncle, who had something perfect for her needs.

Thus, in exchange for the unclaimed reward from before, she received from her uncle a bronze mirror named “Tai Yuan Guan Shi Mirror.”

Vast beyond bounds, originating from the boundless, it holds all scenes of the mortal world within a single mirror.

Vast and boundless, originating from the limitless, all scenes of the floating world are contained within this single mirror.

Awesome!

Chi Jiu Yu offered no further explanation:

“Say, little Zhao, weren’t you saying Brother Dog wasn’t important? Why are you watching now?”

The “Tai Yuan Guan Shi Mirror” was indeed awesome, but it was the kind of treasure one could not flaunt lightly.

This was a secret weapon!

“You called me.” Zhao Ruohan said.

Chi Jiu Yu was momentarily speechless, but quickly retorted:

“But you’re watching just as eagerly!”

“Enough, stop bickering,” Ye Zhiwei interrupted. “Just watch.”

“Enough, stop arguing,” Ye Zhiwei interrupted them. “Just watch.”

Near the Sword Hall.

They stood facing each other for nearly a minute.

Ye Zhiwei finally sorted through her chaotic thoughts, took a deep breath, and opened her mouth—

“I’m sorry,” Zhao Ruoming spoke first.

“I’m sorry,” Zhao Ruoming spoke before her.

Ye Zhiwei froze.

Zhao Ruoming smiled bitterly: “I didn’t realize you were only…“

“Ah~” He sighed again. “This should have been cleared up long ago. I’m sorry you waited so long.”

His strange words left Ye Zhiwei utterly bewildered.

That’s not right!

Wasn’t this her fault?

At that gathering months ago, Zhao Ruoming’s sister had come too—he should have known her intentions by then.

So what was going on now?

“Brother Ruoming, you don’t need to say that,” Ye Zhiwei, still confused, managed to form her words after a long pause. “This was my fault.”

From the beginning, this was her fault.

She shouldn’t have made innocent people bear her own inexplicable malice.

She was too young back then, lacked restraint in everything.

Hearing this, Zhao Ruoming did not argue further.

Zhao Ruoming did not continue to argue upon hearing these words.