Realmspace Stone

As the Cultivation Method dissipated, pain immediately surged into my heart, especially in my shoulders where two ice spikes had pierced through them.

Xu Yuan's body had already acquired some characteristics of the Strange Ghost, but it was not a true Strange Ghost's body after all. Forcibly sealing the wound with the Black Death Fungal Mat was only a temporary expedient. When the creep faded, blood flowed from the wound again, and the repulsion between the creep and flesh caused an unbearable stinging pain to spread.

Xu Yuan gently exhaled a breath of stale air and looked around.

The once neat and orderly field ridges under the moonlight are gone; everywhere you look is a scene of devastation, with the aftershocks of the destructive battle creating countless puddles of varying sizes on the ground.

However, most of these were caused by the aftermath of Xu Changge and Huron's battle. The only damage caused by Xu Yuan and Aurenli was the charred pit with a radius of a hundred feet that was now beneath his feet.

"Splash--"

At the bottom of the charred crater, accompanied by the sound of clothes fluttering, Xu Changge calmly landed beside Xu Yuan, glanced at his injuries, and then let out a soft snort:

"It did better than I expected."

"That's natural."

Xu Yuan wanted to shrug, but the pain in his shoulder immediately made him abandon this habitual action. Instead, he asked with a slightly amused tone, "But Xu Changge, do you know how strong this woman is? In the end, the power of her spell is no less than that of an ordinary Origin Beginning Cultivator."

Hearing this cleverly changed form of address, a hint of amusement flashed in Xu Changge's eyes:

"But you won, didn't you?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Aurenli, who lay unconscious on the ground:

"I did underestimate her strength, but as long as she is wary of me, she certainly won't dare to go all out."

"." Xu Yuan.

He wanted to say something to complain, but after the words reached his lips Xu Yuan only sighed softly.

He has no right to criticize Xu Changge in this matter.

If it weren't for Xu Changge's "strategic nuclear deterrence" preventing Aurenli from going all out and making her feel constrained in the fight, it would have been virtually impossible for him to win on his own.

Of course, if Xu Changge hadn't insisted on teaching him a lesson, this matter would have been over long ago.

As he was thinking this, Xu Yuan saw Xu Changge pass by him and stand in front of Aurenli.

Xu Yuan was slightly surprised:

What are you looking at?

Xu Changge looked at the foreign woman on the ground, who had no other external injuries besides the redness and swelling on her face. With a sword's cry, the longsword in his hand slowly came out of its sheath.

"Changtian, why do you think this Princess of Xien has fallen to such a state?"

"?"

Xu Yuan looked at Xu Changge's actions with slight confusion and reminded him:

"Hey, what are you doing? I still need to hand this woman over to Li Yunqing later."

Xu Changge ignored Xu Yuan's words and continued speaking in a calm and unhurried tone:

"I'm asking you a question: why did Xien lose?"

Xu Yuan clicked his tongue softly and answered truthfully:

"She was greedy."

"Yes, greed."

Xu Changge lowered his slender eyes, his gaze fixed on the woman's flawless face with a hint of disdain:

"They clearly possess the strength to threaten me, but they're too timid and hesitant to take a gamble."

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly:

"You mean you might lose against this woman?"

Xu Changge glanced back at Xu Yuan, the blade of his sword flashing coldly through the air, and said leisurely:

"Changtian, I am strong, but not invincible."

"Every cultivator in this world at the Origin Beginning could kill me, brother. Although the chances are slim, it's not impossible. And this Princess Xien naturally has the potential to defeat me."

Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then asked with a smile:

"Why are you suddenly bringing up all this random stuff? If you want to say something, just say it directly."

Xu Changge pointed the blade downwards at Aurenli:

"What I want to say is that you and Princess Xien are actually the same kind of people."

"You all like to plan before you act. Whether before or after, you always first devise a plan in your mind, and then use various methods to lure the enemy's behavior into your planned trap, so as to maximize your own interests."

As he spoke, Xu Changge's gaze, fixed on Aurenli on the ground, held a hint of a sigh:

"But you should also understand that things in this world always change faster than plans. You can't wait until you're completely cornered to make the decision to take a desperate gamble; by then, it might be too late."

Xu Yuan stared at the sword's edge, frowned, and replied:

"Xu Changge, I have encountered far more dangers than you know, but I have always survived. You and I simply have different ways of handling things, neither of us is superior or inferior."

"Moreover, my father always planned things out before acting."

Xu Changge shook his head, the unsheathed sword in his hand reflecting a cold glint in the moonlight:

"Your father's method of careful planning is different from yours, and I'm not denying your approach. I'm just saying this to tell you that sometimes you need to have the decisiveness to burn your bridges, otherwise..."

Speaking of this,

Xu Changge suddenly thrust his sword towards Aurenli was lying flat on the ground.

Before the cold glint arrived, the blade was already drawn.

"."

Without a sound, the bloodless blade pierced through Aurenli's fair and slender wrist and embedded itself in the soil, crimson blood trickling down her delicate wrist.

At this time,

Xu Changge slowly turned her gaze, her eyes filled with a complex warning:

"Otherwise, Princess Xien now would be you in the future."

"."

The bottom of the charred pit fell silent for a moment, and Xu Yuan's gaze shifted from the sword's edge to Aurenli's slender hand.

Because his wrist had been pierced by the sword, his hand, which had been tightly clenched even when he was unconscious, gently opened.

On that palm, a jet-black gemstone pendant with a gold-plated border lay quietly.

In silence,

Xu Changge bent down and picked up the pendant from Aurenli's hand, then unfolded it in front of her.

The jet-black gemstone, linked by a gold chain, swayed gently.

Xu Yuan frowned and extended his Spirit Sight to scan the gem pendant.

But unexpectedly, he couldn't sense the pendant with his Spirit Sight; all he could see was the slender gold chain hanging on Xu Changge's fingertip.

Everything around the gem, whether it be light or opportunity, was completely devoured by it.

"What is this?" Xu Yuan asked, frowning.

Xu Changge sheathed his sword, looked at the gem pendant in front of him, and gently shook his head:

"I'm not sure, but it should be her trump card."

As he spoke,

A subtle smile curved Xu Changge's lips as she glanced at Xu Yuan and said leisurely:

"Changtian, Aurenli spell that instantly destroyed your willow grove wasn't even her limit, and she also had this gem as a trump card for survival. Yet, she fell into your hands before she could even use any of these things. Don't you find that ironic?"

"."

After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan silently took out the Willowwood Ghost Blade and gently swung it at Aurenli.

As he moved, a rustling sound immediately came from beneath the scorched ground where Aurenli's slender and graceful body lay, followed by four sharp willow vines that burst from the ground and pierced through her tendons in her hands and feet.

An ominous aura belonging to the Yingui surged into her body, causing even the unconscious Aurenli to unconsciously furrow her brow.

Having taken this as an extra layer of protection, Xu Yuan nodded at Xu Changge:

"Okay, I'll be more careful about this in the future."

After saying that, Xu Yuan stretched out his hand towards Xu Changge, indicating that he should return the pendant to him.

Xu Changge glanced at his movements but didn't move.

Xu Yuan frowned.

Xu Changge slowly and deliberately put the gemstone pendant into her pocket.

Xu Yuan couldn't hold back any longer upon seeing this:

"Hey, that thing is mine."

"No, brother, you didn't even notice this thing."

"I defeated Aurenli."

"Without your brother, you would be dead now."

"You really won't give it to me?"

"Just keeping it for you."

"."

"."

"Xu Changge, you m"

"Bang!"

A muffled thud interrupted the conversation, Xu Yuan was sent flying backward, tumbling more than ten feet into the scorched pit before finally coming to a stop.

Enduring the pain in his shoulder, Xu Yuan stood up somewhat awkwardly. He tightened his grip on the Willowwood Ghost Blade, releasing an ominous aura, and stared at Xu Changge not far away with hostile eyes.

Under the moonlight, the two brothers faced each other, swords drawn.

After a brief moment of eye contact, Xu Changge suddenly sheathed his sword and asked in a gentle voice:

"Changtian, what did you just say?"

"."

Seeing that Xu Changge had sheathed his sword, Xu Yuan immediately and silently put away his Willowwood Ghost Blade, and coughed lightly:

"My mother used to say that the older brother should give way to the younger one."

Xu Changge's eye twitched:

"Don't you know who your mother was talking to back then? Wasn't it you who bullied Xin Yao all along?"

"." Xu Yuan.

A hint of embarrassment crossed Xu Yuan's face. He coughed lightly and whispered:

"My mother also said that we brothers should get along well, and that we should never fight when we have disagreements; we should always reason with each other."

Xu Changge took a deep breath and sneered:

"So, aren't I right now trying to reason with you?"

While speaking,

Under Xu Yuan's gaze, Xu Changge brandished the sword in his hand, then said earnestly:

"The pendant's effects are unclear, and your cultivation level is insufficient; it would be too dangerous for you to carry it. I'll keep it for you for now. Do you have any objections?"

"."

Xu Yuan looked up at the sky and said nothing more.

Xu Changge snorted coldly and said in a low voice:

"Since there are no objections, then it's settled. I just used my maternal uncle's sword technique, and those who could sense it dared not come and cause trouble. However, this place is quite close to Di'an City, and unexpected events might occur. We should prepare to leave."

"There will be no surprises tonight," Xu Yuan suddenly interrupted Xu Changge.

Xu Changge paused, his brows furrowing slightly. "What?"

Xu Yuan gestured with his lip towards the void behind Xu Changge:

"Yes."

"."

Xu Changge turned around in silence, and what he saw was a figure dressed in white, as pure as snow, standing quietly in the moonlight.

Feng Jiuxuan looked down at the ravaged land below, taking in everything around him, and then slowly descended towards the two brothers below.

As the white-robed sword saint drew ever closer, Xu Yuan averted his gaze and stood motionless, while Xu Changge bowed respectfully.

"Uncle."

"."

Landing closer, Feng Jiuxuan nodded slightly, looked around, and asked with some interest:

What are you two brothers doing here tonight?

Xu Changge replied without any hesitation:

"Changtian got into trouble outside and can't handle it himself."

Upon hearing this, Feng Jiuxuan's sword-like eyebrows, as sharp as distant mountains, immediately furrowed. He looked at his third nephew, who was gazing at the sky at a 45-degree angle, and asked Xu Changge:

"Then what are you doing here?"

Xu Changge also looked at Xu Yuan, sighed softly, and said with a hint of helplessness:

"Changtian is using the threat of suicide to force me to come and clean up his mess."

"Xu Changge, I'm warning you, don't make false accusations!"

Two sharp, piercing gazes fell upon him, Xu Yuan instantly became anxious.

Although his maternal uncle had only beaten him twice in his life, what if tonight became the third time?

If Xu Changge had said this to his father, there would be no problem at all, because his father would have asked for the reason first. But his maternal uncle didn't have the time or inclination to concern himself with such matters.

Xu Yuan looked at Xu Changge and spoke very quickly:

"What do you mean by threatening to kill yourself? I only notified you; you were the one who wanted to come along."

Xu Changge's expression remained unchanged; he was already used to his third brother's shamelessness, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"Changtian, you're quite confident, so confident that you think you can defeat two Origin Beginning experts with your Body Fusion Realm cultivation?"

"What do you know, you martial artist who only knows how to rely on your cultivation level?"

Xu Yuan, with a clear conscience, loudly proclaimed, "Everything I did tonight was for the Prime Minister's Mansion, for the Great Yan!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Changge instantly gripped the blade of his sword, his gaze fixed on Xu Yuan with eager anticipation.

"What did you say?"

"."

As their eyes met, Xu Yuan relentlessly approached Xu Changge step by step, until he had Feng Jiuxuan shielded in front of him, before continuing:

"I'm telling you, you martial artist who relies on cultivation."

"Alright."

Feng Jiuxuan interrupted the two brothers' bickering, his voice carrying a helpless yet gentle smile, "The matter is over, so the process is no longer important."

As he spoke, Feng Jiuxuan's gaze swept over Aurenli on the ground, finally settling on Xu Changge's slightly tattered blue robe and the scabbed wounds beneath it:

"Changge, are these two people from another region very strong?"

Upon hearing the question, Xu Changge withdrew his gaze from Xu Yuan and replied:

"These injuries were inflicted when I suppressed my cultivation to demonstrate for Changtian. However, these two Xien are indeed quite strong, especially this woman."

A hint of surprise flashed in Feng Jiuxuan's eyes as he glanced at the unconscious Aurenli:

"A mortal body? It seems to be a cultivation method completely different from that of my Great Yan. Judging from the destructive power of the surroundings, it's quite formidable."

Xu Changge shook his head, gesturing with the blade of his sword towards the charred, massive crater:

"The power of this spell should not be more than half of her ultimate killing move."

Upon hearing this, Feng Jiuxuan's eyes immediately lit up with interest, and he murmured softly:

"If it's only half of her power, from Origin Beginning's perspective, this woman is practically invincible among those of the same level. It's a pity her physical body is too weak; she'll ultimately be unable to amount to anything."

"Uncle, Xu Changge is lying to you."

Xu Yuan suddenly interjected, "He has a pendant in his pocket right now. Make him take it out and look at it; that's this woman's final trump card."

If you don't want me, then don't want any of it.

"." Xu Changge.

Feng Jiuxuan turned around.

Xu Changge sighed, then decisively took out the pendant from her bosom and handed it to Feng Jiuxuan:

"I originally intended to hand this pendant over to the Institute of Investigation after returning home. Uncle, you might as well take a look at it first. If you recognize it, it will save you some trouble."

"."

Holding the pendant in his palm, as the Sacred Source shimmered with starlight in the air, Feng Jiuxuan's eyes narrowed little by little.

After watching in silence for a few breaths, Feng Jiuxuan took a deep breath, his tone filled with disbelief:

"This is... Realmspace Stone?"

"."

Upon hearing the name "Realmspace Stone," Xu Yuan was also taken aback, and his gaze towards Aurenli was filled with astonishment.

Xu Changge hesitated slightly as he observed their reactions:

"Uncle, what is the Realmspace Stone?"

"Teleportation array."

Before Feng Jiuxuan could speak, Xu Yuan's voice carried a hint of excitement:

Xu Changge,

"The Realmspace Stone is the only material capable of supporting a teleportation array."