Chapter 389: Xuan Yi

Even the creation's swirling rosy light in the air seemed to freeze for an instant.

Deep within the secret realm, only the faint Tiandao resonance emitted when the Holy Law Origin rose and fell, and the still‑unsettled spatial fluctuations in the distance remained.

Time seemed to stretch at this moment.

One breath.

Two breaths.

Three breaths.

After a full five breaths, the Void that Ye Wuque was staring at finally changed after a full five breaths, the Void that Ye Wuque was staring at finally changed.

It was as if a stone had been thrown into a calm lake, sending concentric transparent ripples across the Void.

At the center of the ripples, a vague figure slowly materialized, shifting from insubstantial to solid, like a character stepping out of an ink painting.

"Hehe…"

A light, bright laugh rang out, its tone warm and gentle yet imbued with an indescribable penetrating force, as if it could strike straight into a person's soul.

"Truly worthy of being the Saint Son of Great Thousand Divine Universe, Ye Clan Young Master…"

The vague figure fully manifested, yet remained shrouded in a hazy aura, its features indistinct.

All that could be seen was that he wore a plain gray robe, his build slender, standing with his hands behind his back, naturally merging with the surrounding world.

That innate, effortless aura was not a contrived disguise, but a true embodiment of having attained the Dao‑following‑nature realm.

"…Truly a dazzling talent, crushing countless foes with a single hand."

The gray‑robed figure continued, his tone laced with unabashed admiration, "The Nine Heavens branch… you are to be revered."

Ye Wuque's expression remained calm, his eyes flashing like two unsheathed divine swords as he stared at the other: "Who are you?"

The aura surrounding the gray‑robed figure rippled faintly, and he seemed to smile.

"My name… Xuan Yi."

"From the Xuanhuang World."

As the words fell, the hazy aura around him finally dissipated slowly, revealing his true form.

He bore a youthful face, about twenty‑seven or twenty‑eight, features refined, skin fair, with a faint Xuanhuang bicolored mark beneath his left eye corner, like a natural tattoo yet also resembling a seal of some Dao.

His eyes were especially striking; deep within his pupils, Yin Yang Dual Qi seemed to circulate, shaping the Taiji, ever‑lasting.

What stood out most was his aura.

Though standing before them, he gave an illusory, indeterminate impression, as if he simultaneously existed at past, present, and future temporal nodes, and as if he did not truly belong to this world at all, merely a projection.

"Xuanhuang World?" Ye Wuque's eyes flickered.

He knew that world.

It is one of the oldest and most mysterious great worlds among the Zhutian Wanjie, alongside the Nine Heavens Ten Earths and the Other Shore World.

Legend says the Xuanhuang World formed from fragments of the origin lands of the Zhutian Wanjie, containing the most primal Chaos mysteries; its cultivators practice the orthodox Xuanhuang Tiandao, similar yet fundamentally different from the cultivation system of the Nine Heavens Ten Earths.

"Indeed." Xuan Yi nodded, his expression composed, "The Ancestor of my clan expended fifty million years of cultivation, forcibly glimpsed a thread of heavenly insight, and deduced that this place harbors a world‑shaking destiny… I, by the Ancestor's command, crossed realms and came here specifically for this opportunity."

Ye Wuque was silent for a moment, then said slowly, "This is the Nine Heavens branch, a branch of the Ancient Path belonging solely to the Nine Heavens Ten Earths. Your crossing of realms, sir, likely violates the rules."

"Rules?" Xuan Yi chuckled lightly, shaking his head, "Ye Saint Son's words are off. The Star Sky Ancient Road is, in fact, a trial path common to all of the Zhutian Wanjie. Though the Nine Heavens branch bears the name 'Nine Heavens', its essence is an evolution of the Ancient Path's regulations. I used legitimate means, borrowing the Xuanhuang ancient command to open a passage, and did not break the Ancient Path's rules, so where is the notion of breaking rules?"

He paused, looked at Ye Wuque, and continued, "Moreover… the Creation Saint Method Origin, such an supreme treasure, is obtained only by those with fate. Its ownership has never been defined by region, but by who can take it and refine it."

Ye Wuque heard this, and a ripple finally flickered in his eyes.

From the other's words, he discerned an absolute confidence—not arrogance, but a natural outflow rooted in great strength and deep foundation. This Xuan Yi was certainly no ordinary person.

"So, you've been lurking until now—do you intend to be that fisherman?" Ye Wuque asked.

"No." Xuan Yi shook his head, "I originally intended to take the Holy Law Origin outright, but upon seeing Ye Saint Son unleash such divine might, crushing myriad foes with a single hand, I felt admiration and thus manifested to meet him. Moreover—"

His gaze turned to the chaotic light sphere deep within the secret realm, a mysterious glow flashing in his eyes: "The Creation Saint Method Origin cannot be seized by brute force. It contains the subtlety of birth and death of creation, requiring a special technique that aligns with its Dao Rhythm to truly approach and refine it. Otherwise, even if forcibly taken, it would be merely a stubborn stone, possessing only its form, not its spirit."

Ye Wuque felt a stir in his heart.

He too vaguely sensed this. The nearer one gets to the Holy Law Origin, the more one feels that profoundly mysterious creation Dao Rhythm, which possesses its own will and selects its master. If its approval is not earned, forcibly taking it could indeed backfire.

"What are you trying to say?" Ye Wuque asked.

Xuan Yi withdrew his gaze, looked back at Ye Wuque, and said earnestly, "I observed Ye Saint Son's recent strike; though overwhelmingly domineering, his heart held benevolence, unwilling to cause further slaughter. Such a disposition aligns with the true meaning of the creation Dao's 'ever‑lasting' principle. Therefore, I wish to make a pact with Ye Saint Son."

"A pact?"

"Indeed," Xuan Yi said, "In my possession is a fragment of the secret 'Yin Yang Creation Technique' passed down in the Xuanhuang World, one of the refining methods most attuned to the way of creation. I am willing to share this technique, allowing Ye Saint Son to jointly approach and refine the Holy Law Origin."

He paused, then continued, "Of course, the Holy Law Origin can ultimately belong to only one. When the time comes, you and I each rely on our own abilities; whoever truly refines it and claims mastery will possess it. In this way, needless conflict is avoided, and the Holy Law Origin is most securely preserved. Ye Saint Son, what do you think?"

Ye Wuque listened quietly, thoughts racing in his mind.

This Xuan Yi was deeply calculating. The deal he offered seemed fair and reasonable on the surface, even benevolent. Yet Ye Wuque knew clearly that the other's willingness to share the technique stemmed from recognizing that he would be hard to defeat, and that a forced grab could lead to mutual ruin, even damaging the Holy Law Origin.

The so‑called "shared opportunity" actually shifts the competition from overt martial confrontation to a contest of understanding and alignment with the way of creation. And this is precisely Xuan Yi's advantage: he hails from the Xuanhuang World, cultivates the Xuanhuang Tiandao, and is thus intricately linked to the way of creation.

However…

A sharp glint flashed in Ye Wuque's eyes.

He never feared any challenge.

"Fine," Ye Wuque slowly uttered, "but the technique must first be shown to me."

Xuan Yi seemed to have anticipated this, giving a slight smile: "It should be so."