Ye Jing's Trip to the Ghost Gate

After a long moment, the Thirteenth Elder finally snapped out of his shock, a flicker of complexity in his eyes.

"Who would have thought that in this Age of Dharma's End, someone could still step into 'Dao Attainment.' A figure like this, even in the era of the Third Heaven and Earth Cataclysm, would be worthy of being called a peerless prodigy."

The Grand Void Li Clan Ancient Clan rose during the Third Heaven and Earth Cataclysm, its heritage stretching far back—far beyond what a mere thousand-year dynasty like the Great Li Dynasty could compare to.

In the eyes of the mundane world, the deeper the Age of Dharma's End, the harder it was to attain the Dao, let alone reach the Heaven and Earth God Realm. To step into the 'Dao Attainment' realm in such an age was truly a heaven-defying feat.

But these thousand-year dynasties, after all, had limited inheritance. They only knew the difficulty involved, not what it truly signified.

As the Thirteenth Elder of the Grand Void Li Clan Ancient Clan, the secrets he knew naturally far surpassed those of the Great Li.

Flourishing to its peak leads to decline; declining to its depths leads to resurgence. This cycle repeats endlessly—an unchanging law of heaven and earth's evolution.

When a prosperous era arrives, the spiritual tides of heaven and earth surge like an ocean, and the Great Dao frequently manifests between heaven and earth. This is the Golden Prosperous Era that cultivators dream of. In such an era, cultivation is as easy as drinking water, and those with even a hint of talent can fall into enlightenment upon sensing the Dao.

But the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is not inexhaustible. Out of a self-preservation instinct, when heaven and earth evolve to their extreme prosperity, shackles begin to appear.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth recedes, and the Great Dao hides itself—this marks the arrival of the Age of Dharma's End.

As the Age of Dharma's End intensifies, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth grows thinner, and the path of the Dao becomes increasingly arduous. This is a scene no cultivator wishes to see.

Yet within great adversity lies great opportunity.

First, in the Age of Dharma's End, the cultivation bases and realms of ordinary practitioners tend to be more solid, making them less prone to qi deviation.

Second, those who step into 'Dao Attainment' can imprint their cultivated Dao onto the Great Dao itself.

No one knows why stepping into 'Dao Attainment' in this age brings such great fortune, but Ancient Texts record that the deeper the Age of Dharma's End when one attains the Dao, the more powerful they become in the Heaven and Earth God Realm, and the farther they can walk along the path of the Dao.

Back then, when the Third Age of Dharma's End evolved to its depths, some peerless prodigies stepped into the 'Dao Attainment' realm. After entering the Heaven and Earth God Realm, these individuals soared forward, their combat power terrifying and unmatched, walking an extremely far distance on the path of the Dao. Ancestor Li, who founded the Grand Void Li Clan Ancient Clan, was one of them.

According to the Li Clan's ancient records, in that era, a peerless prodigy successfully stepped into the 'Dao Attainment' realm when the Age of Dharma's End evolved to its extreme. This person was the strongest among that group, with cultivation capable of rivaling the Ancient Emperors.

Now, with the Age of Dharma's End having evolved to such a degree and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth thinned to the extreme, this Sword Sect Master could still step into the 'Dao Attainment' realm. If he doesn't fall midway, his future achievements will likely at least match those of Ancestor Li.

No wonder the Li Lianying before him was so wary of the Sword Sect. With the Sword Sect Master alone, it seemed no one in the entire Great Li could stand against him.

"No matter. Even if the Sword Sect Master is a Peerless Powerhouse at the 'Dao Attainment' realm, what resistance can he offer before this Seat's Grand Void Li Clan Ancient Clan?"

"You will take this Seat to the Sword Sect. This Seat will personally capture Jian Xuzi and interrogate him about the whereabouts of the Innate Dao Body."

To have successfully stepped into the 'Dao Attainment' realm in an Age of Dharma's End evolved to its extreme—the Sword Sect Master's potential was undoubtedly beyond question.

But potential is potential. To transform it into earth-shaking power like Ancestor Li's would still require a long stretch of time. For the current Sword Sect Master, the Grand Void Li Clan Ancient Clan was a behemoth.

After instructing Li Lianying, the Thirteenth Elder suddenly remembered something and said to him, "Manager Li, this Seat recalls that this Innate Dao Body was a maidservant in a mortal household, raised from childhood with her master, their bond deep. Has this Seat spoken wrongly?"

Li Lianying replied as such, "That's correct. This girl indeed shares a close bond with Ye Jing."

A sharp glint flashed in the Thirteenth Elder's eyes. "Send someone to capture her and keep her under strict watch."

"Since that Innate Dao Body shares such a bond with this person, she surely won't stand by and watch him die."

"If that Innate Dao Body truly is in the Sword Sect, perhaps this person might prove useful."

"No, this is utterly inadvisable, Thirteenth Elder. Such an action would easily alert the enemy."

Li Lianying did not agree with the Thirteenth Elder's proposal.

His proposal refuted, the Thirteenth Elder did not grow angry. Instead, he took the initiative to ask, "Manager Li, why is it inadvisable?"

"What worth does the life of a mere commoner hold?"

Li Lianying naturally did not care about Ye Jing's life. A mere commoner's life was nothing but an ant in his eyes.

"Thirteenth Elder, this servant finds this course inadvisable for two reasons."

"First, Ye Jing is merely an ant at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, utterly powerless to resist. At this point, we still cannot confirm whether that Innate Dao Body is in the Sword Sect."

"If she is, then it's simple—use Ye Jing's life to force the Innate Dao Body to comply. If she refuses, kill Ye Jing and seize the Innate Dao Body by force."

"Second, if the Innate Dao Body was not taken by Jian Xuzi, this move of ours risks alerting the enemy."

Li Lianying continued to explain, "Thirteenth Elder, if the Innate Dao Body did not fall into Jian Xuzi's hands, given her bond with Ye Jing, how could she leave him alone in the Imperial Capital?"

"Thirteenth Elder, you can send men to keep a close watch on Ye Jing. That Innate Dao Body might well return to the Ye Manor in the Imperial Capital, intending to take Ye Jing away."

"After all, Ye Jing is merely a Qi Refining cultivator. Even with wings, he couldn't escape our grasp."

The Innate Dao Body was of utmost importance. The Thirteenth Elder did not want to miss any method that could lead to finding her.

Hearing Li Lianying's analysis, the Thirteenth Elder found it reasonable. He dispatched several Mystic Bird Guards from the clan to the Ye Manor to watch Ye Jing day and night, then set off with Li Lianying to the Sword Sect to demand the person.

Ye Jing had no idea that he had unknowingly brushed past the Ghost Gate.

The spiritual energy within the Perfect Spirit Gathering Array had been completely drained. Unable to continue cultivating, Ye Jing had gone to sleep early.

The next morning, after eating breakfast he had prepared himself, Ye Jing prepared to head to the Hanlin Academy for his duties.

But the moment he opened the Ye Manor gate, a sharp sense of alertness suddenly rose in his heart.

Within several hundred meters of the Ye Manor, several powerful, unfamiliar auras had appeared. Some of them even locked their divine sense onto him.

Ye Jing's heart was filled with shock. These unfamiliar auras were no weaker than Jian Xuzi's.

What had happened to make the Great Li Imperial Family deploy such a grand formation? Had things been exposed?

But that shouldn't be the case! If they had been exposed, these people should have arrested him directly. Why bother watching him like this?

Ye Jing's heart was full of confusion, but his expression remained unchanged. He closed the Ye Manor gate behind him and walked toward the Hanlin Academy as if nothing was wrong.