Chapter 671: Next World

The elder stopped urging, still calmly said: "Alright, come with me. The lodgings of the inner door disciples are not here."

Ye Qin fell silent for a moment, then slowly walked to the elder's side, preparing to follow him away.

However, after waiting a few breaths, he saw the elder not moving his feet. Ye Qin couldn't help but stare, suspiciously looking at the elder, curiously asking: "Elder, why aren't you leaving?"

We agreed to go to the inner door together, why did you suddenly stop?

Hearing this, the elder fell silent for a moment, his eyes flickering a few times, as if startled by Ye Qin's curiosity.

After a moment, he then slowly said: "Going to the inner door there is no road; only by flying can we get there. In a moment I will envelop you with true qi and carry you flying a distance; once you adapt, you can fly on your own."

"Ah?" Ye Qin was startled by the words, astonishedly asking: "Elder, may I ask where the inner door is?"

He was not very familiar with the Haoran Immortal Sect. After entering the outer door five years ago, he spent most of his time in the wooden hut, at most wandering around and visiting neighbors, but never found any trace of the inner door.

The elder smiled slightly, raised his hand and pointed to the sky, then slowly said: "Above, there is a formation protecting it, so most outer door disciples don't know."

"So that's it!" Ye Qin nodded. This information did not surprise him; it had already been within his expectations. Only after hearing the elder's explanation in person did he suddenly understand.

No wonder he couldn't find any trace of the inner door, nor see any inner door disciples; it turns out they are all in the void above.

Ye Qin did not ask further how the inner door was established in midair. He could understand this situation: if a great formation protects it, suspending a mountain peak is not difficult.

After calming his mind, Ye Qin slightly bowed his hands to the elder, sincerely saying: "Then it will be troublesome for you, elder. Let's set off now."

He could hardly wait to go see his own mansion.

Originally there was nothing under their feet, the ground remained ground. But as the elder swiftly performed a spell seal, a mysterious light-ring pattern began to appear beneath their feet, a circle enveloping both of them. Strange light surged within the circle, rapidly spinning.

It seemed as if a formation was buzzing in operation, but this was merely the effect manifested by the spell seal.

Standing on the circular light ring, after a moment, the light ring emitted strange light circles, layer upon layer of hidden runes emerging from within the light ring outward.

Buzz!

The circular light ring suddenly swayed left and right; inside, the mysterious symbols spun up and down, danced unpredictably. Ye Qin stared wide-eyed at all this, only seeing the light ring burst out with dazzling light.

Immediately the light flashed, and the two figures rapidly vanished.

When their figures reappeared, they were already lifted by the circular light ring, slowly flying toward the void. A gentle breeze blew, their robes rustling, and both of them emanated a distinct immortal aura from head to toe.

Immediately after, the circular light ring seemed to touch something, and a blue light gate swiftly appeared before them.

Ye Qin's heart shook, he muttered to himself: "Is this the formation that separates the inner door from the outer door?"

The elder's circular light ring spell seal was like a key, directly opening the path to the inner door.

Ye Qin watched, envy overflowing, his expression unusually excited.

Afterwards, the circular light ring beneath their feet vanished. Cultivators past the Foundation Establishment Realm can inherently fly through the air, though it consumes considerable energy.

Just as Ye Qin was filled with envy, the elder also put away the circular light ring, smiling slightly: "As you see, this spell seal is the key to opening the main grand formation; only then can one enter the inner door. Originally, inner door disciples at the Foundation Establishment Realm cannot learn this spell seal, after all you have no need to go out. But now I intend to first transmit it to you; perhaps you will find use for it."

Before Ye Qin could refuse, the elder extended his right index and middle fingers, lightly tapping Ye Qin's crown. A strand of pale yellow light instantly sank into Ye Qin's mind.

Hovering in midair, Ye Qin slightly startled, asked in surprise: "Elder, this is..."

He did not understand why the elder treated him so specially.

Who would have thought, the elder flicked his wide sleeve and swiftly took Ye Qin away.

Before Ye Qin could regain his senses, he was casually tossed by the elder and thrown straight into a mountain peak.

Plop!

Ye Qin struggled hard to climb up from the dust. By then the elder had already vanished. He couldn't help but laugh and cry, muttering: "That brown-robed elder looked refined and gentle, who knew he'd be so rough."

Simply disgraceful to scholarship!

Within the inner door territory of the Haoran Immortal Sect, atop the perilous mountain range, thousands upon thousands of white-and-green interlaced peaks float in midair. White is mist swirling, green is lush vegetation. On the peaks stand building after building.

From afar, they look like countless black dots suspended in the air. It seems some mysterious force holds them up, making them extraordinarily remarkable.

Peaks gathered together, summit stones piled up, interlocking and winding. The pervasive spiritual energy drifts like thick mist, with little vegetation covering it. In the center lies an exquisite courtyard, the central hall with two wings forming a three-sided, one-open layout.

The courtyard's steps resemble long strips of white jade, wholly lustrous, as if carved from beautiful jade. Moreover, it is now enveloped by a grand formation, providing shelter and defense for the buildings.

In front of the courtyard is a small training ground paved with bluish stone. This is used by inner door disciples for practice, and one can also spar and train upon it.

As evening approached, the setting sun's afterglow slanted down, casting upon the white jade steps, refracting into a sheet of enchanting rosy light. The bluish stone also reflected rays of color, and spiritual energy gradually gathered.

Standing on the training ground, a breeze blew past. Ye Qin's right hand suddenly flipped, a flash of red light appeared. That scarlet long sword then appeared in his hand.

Immediately after, the long sword thrust forward…

Fine clothes clung tightly to Ye Qin's upright figure; he firmly gripped the scarlet-glowing long sword in his hand. As his body moved, power surged from his feet, he raised the sword and swung, a bewitching crimson flash instantly blossomed, sword moves followed his will, speed increasing ever faster, as if the whole world were covered by his sword silhouette, each stroke like a blade rolling up waves of divine light.

Sword light flickered, red light spilled outward.

Bang!

Ye Qin wielded his sword like flying, akin to a sword immortal descending, he practiced freely on the mountain peak where he resides. At this moment, his mind was utterly clear, finally understanding: originally, out of the thousands of outer door disciples, only a few hundred stood out, and each inner door disciple possesses his own exclusive mountain peak.

This mountain peak, though not vast, has a diameter of roughly one to two kilometers, yet is still quite considerable.

Ye Qin's sword techniques grew ever more graceful, like a banished immortal reborn, his whole body emanated white light, forming a mysterious luminous curtain. Holding the scarlet long sword, as he danced, he seemed to possess supernatural power.

Swish-swish!

On the training ground, he sometimes leapt into the air, sometimes flew sideways, then suddenly turned into a fireball drifting away, ingeniously combining sword techniques with the Fire Escape Technique, greatly increasing power.

"Thus, if launching a surprise attack, relying on the power of my sword techniques, even if I cannot guarantee a one-hit kill, I can still inflict heavy injury on the opponent. If I further combine it with the power of the setting sun, it would likely be even more terrifying. However, I have not yet figured out how to combine them."

One sword after another, the sword techniques are sharp and uncanny. Ye Qin knows well that only by drilling each sword technique into muscle memory, like a conditioned reflex, can he unleash greater power.

Therefore, he painstakingly trains swordsmanship; although practicing swords does not raise his realm, it does enhance his combat power, which he values greatly.

On the mountain peak where he dwells, besides himself there is no one else, not even a daoist child. Thus he can openly practice his sword techniques, unknown to anyone. Moreover, the surrounding tranquility allows him to calm his mind.

On the mountain peak, towering pines and cypresses stand upright, rugged peaks and jagged stones interlace among them, mist swirls. Occasionally an immortal crane cries, occasionally the sound of a sword rending the void echoes, together forming a splendid scroll.

Zhao Mo did not come to cause trouble, Ye Qin also had no friends, and even that brown-robed elder had vanished without a trace, seeming to have no curiosity toward him.

Thus, for three full days, he immersed himself in practicing sword techniques, gradually becoming familiar, forming muscle memory, able to react subconsciously—something he had never experienced before.

"Whoosh!"

At dawn, a strand of purple light flew out from the sun at astonishing speed, arriving before Ye Qin and drilling into his mouth. A fierce sensation of heat transmitted, hot qi spreading through his body. Had Ye Qin not been prepared, he would have thought he swallowed a ball of fire.

"Refine!"

In fact, the solar purple qi and the fire mass are not much different.

True Qi circulated, and after a dozen breaths, Ye Qin finally refined the purple qi from the moment the sun first rose. The solar power mixed within his body grew more substantial; he faintly felt his True Qi filled with a scorching power, extremely special!

His expression remained calm, yet he couldn't help muttering to himself: "Could it be because of the Golden Crow's righteous law that I've begun absorbing solar violet aura as energy for cultivation? Will I eventually turn into a Golden Crow?"

He still shook his head: "I'm a human; how could I become a Golden Crow?"

No matter how fine the Golden Crow, it's still just a bird; he certainly didn't want to become a bird-man.

However, his cultivation so far has been proceeding smoothly. Although the cultivation techniques within the Nine-Grade Dao Art's Foundation Establishment Realm still have many loopholes, they do not hinder his qi refinement or the strengthening of his true qi's thickness.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Ye Qin's face showed surprise; he quickly sank his consciousness into the Vajra Bracelet. The disturbance just transmitted came from within it: "Could Rong'er have awakened?"

Indeed, as his consciousness entered the space of the Vajra Bracelet, he found Huang Rong already opened her eyes. Yet for some unknown reason, she remained seated cross-legged, maintaining her cultivation posture.

"Rong'er, how do you feel?" Ye Qin asked anxiously, "What is your situation now?"

Hearing Ye Qin's voice, Huang Rong came to her senses and comforted him: "Don't worry, Brother Qin, I'm fine. Since the day we ascended, I've been enveloped by a strange energy. A mysterious message arrived, saying I need more primordial power to increase my soul power, only then can I exist in this world."

Huang Rong's words left Ye Qin slightly startled; this was completely contrary to his expectations. He had sensed something was off from the start, and later the primordial power carried by the cultivation method was indeed split off and sent over: "It seems that this message and the situation with the primordial power are due to the Vajra Bracelet, though I don't know what kind of existence it is."

Is it a magic treasure? A spiritual treasure? Or some kind of system-like existence?

Before Ye Qin could ponder further, he heard Huang Rong continue: "Brother Qin, I need more primordial power to be able to leave this place. Can you help me?"

She was worried that Ye Qin might be bothered and unwilling to help her.

Ye Qin's consciousness took on a human form, stood before Huang Rong, tightly embraced her in his arms, and said affectionately: "Rong'er, rest assured, I will never abandon you. I'll handle the primordial power matter; you just stay here and nurture yourself in peace."

"Mm, thank you, Brother Qin!"

Huang Rong leaned comfortably against Ye Qin's embrace, feeling his warmth. These days, although she hasn't awakened, she is fully aware of external affairs. Now she needs to slowly cultivate her soul, after all this is another world.

After comforting Huang Rong for a while, Ye Qin's consciousness withdrew from the Vajra Bracelet.

After returning to his physical form, he began to ponder: "Although the Vajra Bracelet is mysterious and unfathomable, each time it traverses time and space, I don't know where it will go, nor when it will break through the void. Being unable to travel to other worlds, my speed of gathering primordial power will greatly slow down."

In the Haoran Immortal Sect, he was merely an early-stage Foundation Establishment inner sect disciple. The sect hadn't even given him any Foundation Establishment cultivation method; I don't know if they simply forgot.

The surrounding peaks stretched endlessly in the void; as far as the eye could see, mist and clouds wove through everything. Even though he knew the sect possessed secret manuals, he didn't know how to obtain them.

A surge of irritability welled up in his heart; he carefully sensed the Vajra Bracelet, finding it still utterly still, and couldn't help wondering: "I have no idea when this thing will be able to bring me into the next world."

As for the next world, he knew nothing about it.

However, even Ye Qin himself didn't realize that, at the moment his frustration peaked, a mysterious golden radiance suddenly burst forth from within him, instantly enveloping him. In the flash of the golden light's expansion and contraction, he had already torn through the void and vanished without a trace.

All of this happened so swiftly it seemed as if nothing had occurred at all.

Evidently, the next world has quietly opened!

But just what kind of world is it?

Yuanshi Tianzun always felt that something was off, a vague unease welling up in his heart. He tried to calculate the heavenly secrets, but discovered that the heavenly secrets had been thrown into utter chaos by some unknown sage, making it impossible to discern even the slightest detail.

At this moment, Lin Xiao had already left Penglai Island and headed straight to the Mountain Foot of Kunlun Mountain, where he happened to intercept Guang Chengzi, who was about to descend the mountain.

Guang Chengzi secretly gloated within, for Yuanshi Tianzun had just ordered him to go to the banks of the Jiang Shui River of the human race to take on disciples—an opportunity he had long awaited. That disciple was none other than the Earth Emperor among the Three Sovereigns of humanity; if he could help the disciple achieve perfect merit, the heavenly virtue would surely be abundant, perhaps allowing him to step into the Quasi-Sacred Realm thereby. He had cultivated for many years, yet remained stuck at the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm, his several attempts to break through all failing; now that this opportunity had arisen, how could he not be delighted?

Guang Chengzi stepped down Kunlun Mountain with light steps, but before long he froze. Not far ahead stood a figure with his back to him, whose cultivation was unfathomable.

A sense of ill omen rose in Guang Chengzi's heart, and he asked aloud: "Fellow Daoist, may I ask……"

Lin Xiao turned around, glanced at Guang Chengzi, and said lightly: "It's been nearly ten thousand years, and you're only at the peak of Grand Luo Golden Immortal? You might as well go back." (End of chapter)