Outside the gates of the Sacred Academy, clouds billowed and auspicious light filled the sky.
The Pavilion Master of the Sky-Mending Pavilion looked like a child who had just received candy. He cradled the Jade Slip, which still held a trace of warmth, and his hands trembled uncontrollably.
Just moments ago, the Gray-Robed Goddess who had made his very soul tremble had merely glanced at him before turning away, as if he were a blade of grass.
Meanwhile, Ye Xuan had casually tossed him the Jade Slip.
"This is the inheritance you lost."
Ye Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, his hem fluttering gently in the mountain breeze. His tone was as calm as if he were speaking of something utterly trivial.
"Pavilion Master, the Jade Slip contains the complete principles of the Sky-Mending Technique. Today, it returns to its rightful owner. I borrowed the Sacred Academy's inheritance on behalf of the Sky-Mending Pavilion, and in doing so, we formed a good karmic bond."
"Th-the Sky-Mending Technique?!"
The Pavilion Master's voice shot up, nearly cracking.
He hurriedly sent his Divine Sense into the Jade Slip.
BOOM!
A vast and profound torrent of information swept through his Consciousness Sea in an instant.
It contained the supreme laws of turning back time, the ultimate principles for repairing the flaws of Heaven and Earth.
As the head of a sect, he knew what he was looking at.
Though he had only taken a cursory glance, he could tell this was the core inheritance the Sky-Mending Pavilion had lost long ago—the very loss that had caused the sect to decline!
With this art, not only might their Old Sacrificial Spirit, which was on the verge of withering away, be saved, but the Sky-Mending Pavilion's foundations could also return to their former peak and perhaps even restore its ancient glory.
"Heaven has eyes! Heaven has eyes!"
The Pavilion Master was so overcome with emotion that tears streamed down his face, and his whole body shook.
Without a moment's hesitation, he bowed deeply to Ye Xuan. It was a grand formal salute.
"Daoist Ye... no, benefactor Ye!"
"Not only have you brought us a Young Supreme, you've also continued the inheritance of our sect. The entire Sky-Mending Pavilion will never forget such a great kindness!"
"From this day on, you shall be the Sky-Mending Pavilion's Grand Elder! Your status will be equal to that of our Sacrificial Spirit. To see you will be as to see me!"
The elders behind him were also overjoyed, and they all bowed in salute.
They knew very well that after today, the fate of the Sky-Mending Pavilion had changed completely.
And everything was thanks to the unfathomable young man standing before them.
Ye Xuan raised a hand slightly, and a gentle force lifted everyone back up.
"Pavilion Master, you're too kind. We each got what we needed."
Having settled his karmic ties with the Sky-Mending Pavilion, Ye Xuan turned around and looked at the peerlessly independent figure beside him.
Ao Tong.
The Ancient Double Pupils Woman was quietly watching the sea of clouds in the distance.
She had long since completely concealed her aura. She looked like an ordinary woman in gray robes, but nothing could hide her otherworldly bearing.
She was leaving.
This Small World had imprisoned her for countless years. Now that she was free, this golden-scaled being was about to transform into a dragon and soar through the nine heavens.
"Are you leaving, Sister?"
Ye Xuan asked, a rare trace of reluctance in his voice.
After all, she was a truly powerful backer.
With her around, he could practically do whatever he wanted in the Eight Lower Realms.
Ao Tong drew her gaze back and turned to look deeply at Ye Xuan.
Light shimmered in her Dual Pupils, and her expression was somewhat complicated.
There was amazement at the young man's talent, as well as a faint, hard-to-detect anticipation.
"I've been here too long."
Ao Tong's voice was soft, yet it carried the clear understanding of someone who had seen through the vicissitudes of life.
"Now that a great era is about to begin, I should venture into the mortal world and see whether my old acquaintances are still around, and what has become of this world."
She reached out, as if to pat Ye Xuan on the head, but after a moment's thought, drew her hand back and merely pointed at him from a distance.
"Little fellow, don't just focus on looking cool."
Ao Tong's tone grew sterner, like a strict older sister reminding her troublesome younger brother.
"Though your talent is extraordinary and you possess Chaos Heavy Pupils, the waters of the Eight Realms run deeper than you imagine. The Primordial Divine Mountains and those sealed forbidden zones are home to powerful beings."
"Work hard at your cultivation."
"Don't forget our Hundred Year Agreement."
The corners of Ao Tong's lips curled into a dazzling smile, half-smiling and half-serious.
"If, a hundred years from now, you can't even see my back, I really will drag you back to be my little sweeper."
At her words, Ye Xuan straightened his back, battle intent surging in his eyes.
"Don't worry, Sister."
"A hundred years from now, I'll show you what it means to come from behind and take the lead."
"Good. I'll be waiting."
Ao Tong nodded and said no more.
She took a step forward.
There was no ripple of spiritual energy, nor any violent scene of space tearing apart.
It was just an ordinary step.
The stars shifted, and the world turned.
Her figure seemed to merge with the void, vanishing right where she stood.
The next moment, a cloud on the horizon parted slightly, as if someone had just passed through it.
She came and went without a trace, free beneath Heaven and Earth.
This was the bearing of the Ancient Double Pupils Woman.
Watching the empty horizon, Ye Xuan stood motionless for a long time.
He felt a little lost.
My powerful backer is gone. From now on, if I run into trouble, I'll really have to face it on my own.
But...
Ye Xuan clenched his fist, feeling the surging, ocean-like power within him.
So what if I have to rely on myself?
He was no longer the same person he had once been.
"Phew—"
Ye Xuan let out a long breath and composed himself.
His short-term goals in Perfect World had been completely fulfilled—indeed, he had even exceeded them.
In terms of cultivation, he had reached the peak of the Venerable realm, and had even inscribed innate formations within his body. The beginnings of Body Becomes Saint had already emerged.
As for his abilities, he had mastered a series of top-tier divine arts, including the Six Paths Samsara Heavenly Art, Grass Character Sword Art, Vermilion Bird Treasure Art, Suanni Treasure Art, and Sky-Mending Technique.
On top of that, he had Chaos Heavy Pupils as his trump card, allowing him to see through all illusions and break down all things.
"Well, it's about time to head back."
Ye Xuan turned and looked at the still-excited Pavilion Master of the Sky-Mending Pavilion.
"Pavilion Master."
"Does benefactor have any instructions?" The Pavilion Master hurried over.
"I gained some insights in the Sacred Academy and need to go into seclusion for a while to digest what I've learned."
Ye Xuan casually came up with an excuse.
"Don't let anyone disturb me during that time. As for my younger brother, Shi Hao, I'll have to trouble you to look after him."
"Rest assured, benefactor!"
The Pavilion Master thumped his chest in assurance.
"This old man will arrange the highest-grade secret chamber for you at once! As for Shi Hao, I'll personally teach him and make sure he doesn't suffer the slightest injustice!"
An incense stick's time later.
Deep within the Sky-Mending Pavilion, in a secret stone chamber concealed by layers of formations.
The stone door was tightly shut.
Ye Xuan sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion. After confirming that no one was watching, he slowly closed his eyes.
"Activate the Double Piercing Gate."
He silently commanded it in his heart.
HUM!
A familiar tremor came from deep within his Consciousness Sea.
Ye Xuan's eyes snapped open. Within his Chaos Heavy Pupils, that ancient, mysterious Gate of Time and Space appeared once more.
This time, the other side felt heavy and vast, filled with the unique oppressive aura of the Primordial World.
It felt like home.
"Primordial World, I'm back."
Ye Xuan took a step forward.
His figure vanished from the sealed chamber.
Only a faint ripple in space remained, proof that he had once been there.
Beneath Mount Buzhou, in Human Valley.
Inside a rough, ancient stone house, space warped slightly, and a faint ripple spread outward.
Ye Xuan appeared out of thin air.
His feet touched the ground, and he immediately felt a terrifying pressure as heavy as a mountain.
"HUM."
It was the supreme law of Heaven and Earth in the Primordial World, as well as the lingering might emanating from Pangu's backbone, Mount Buzhou.
In Perfect World, he had reached the peak of the Venerable realm. With every move, he could tear through the void and cross the Great Wilderness.
But back on the land of the Primordial World, that power he had once been so proud of was compressed to the extreme.
Ye Xuan tried clenching his fist, and the air boomed dully.
"Venerable realm..."
He furrowed his brow, and his confidence in his ability to control everything ebbed.
"In the Eight Lower Realms, a Venerable might rule supreme. But in the Primordial World, where Great Immortals are everywhere and Golden Immortals are as common as dogs, a Venerable... probably can't even beat a slightly stronger monster."
The disparity felt like being struck by an overwhelming force from a higher dimension.
Ye Xuan sat cross-legged on the stone bed again. He didn't rush out to see Suiren Shi and the others.
He understood perfectly well that if humanity was to establish itself in this cruel Primordial World and stop being reduced to food for the demons, the problem had to be solved at its root.
That meant cultivation methods.
Before you continue