Where Did This Kid Come From? Out of My Way

Waves surged through the sea of clouds, arcs of lightning flickering amid a thunderous din like a divine being beating a drum, deafening all who heard it and chilling their hearts.

At this sudden change, everyone looked up in unison, then turned toward Xiao Yuanjun.

Was she actually going to attain Heavenly Being status here?

Dongfang Caibai and Chu Miaofu were startled.

What cultivator at the Nine Turns of Qi Refining did not make every possible preparation for the final trial? With Xiao Yuanjun acting so rashly, was she not afraid of seeing all her efforts destroyed in an instant?

Li Houjin, who had already recovered, furrowed his brows.

He remembered all too clearly how Xiao Yuanjun had made a fool of him before everyone.

Although he dearly wanted to strike her down on the spot, the [heavenly punishment trial] now loomed overhead. If he killed her, he would inevitably become entangled in the karma of Heaven and Earth carried by its tribulation lightning.

He aspired to become a True Lord. He absolutely could not let this obstruct his Dao Path and ultimately rob him of that chance.

After weighing the gains and losses, Li Houjin decided not to attack.

It would make no difference if he killed her after she attained Heavenly Being status.

Boom!

A bolt of lightning abruptly descended.

The pillar of lightning was thick and powerful, plunging like a rampaging dragon.

Unhurried, Xiao Yuanjun gently swept a sleeve of her Glazed Robe. Clear qi and foul qi interwove into a net above her head, blocking every last bit of the pouring lightning.

Moments later, the lightning dissipated. Xiao Yuanjun stood unharmed, without even a single scorch mark on the Celestial Azure Glazed Robe Dongfang Caibai had given her.

[Heavenly punishment trial], passed!

Then clear qi and foul qi spiraled around Xiao Yuanjun as she rose into the air, drawing every gaze and covering for Zhang Yuan.

With tenth-turn qi refinement and [heaven-sundering four absolutes immortal domain] raising her Dao Status, she had already been only one step away from becoming a true Heavenly Being. Now that she had passed the [heavenly punishment trial], her Dao Status smoothly broke through its shackles, attaining the rank of Heavenly Being.

"I am Xiao Yuanjun. For eighteen years, I have captured baleful intent and refined Gang. Now my body and spirit have reached their utmost, my qi refining has reached perfection, all my divine abilities have manifested, and all three trials have been passed. Today, I attain Heavenly Being status, with the Daoist Name [Perfect Self]."

Perfect: ultimate perfection. Self: the truest body and spirit.

Xiao Yuanjun's voice was not loud, yet it reached the ears of everyone present with perfect clarity.

She had actually done it?!

Watching Xiao Yuanjun attain Heavenly Being status with such ease, everyone present felt differently: some bowed in admiration, some were shocked, and others yearned to follow in her footsteps.

"She did it. An eighteen-year-old Heavenly Being. Truly a heaven-bestowed talent."

Dongfang Caibai, her head covered by a red bridal veil, murmured to herself.

Although she was the youngest Foundation-Building Heavenly Being in the Bian Kingdom's history, that title was somewhat inflated.

After all, her Empress Mother, a Golden Core True Lord, had pulled at the seedlings to hasten their growth, and her origins as a fox of Qingqiu far surpassed those of ordinary mortals. Only those two advantages combined had allowed her to attain Heavenly Being status at nineteen.

Xiao Yuanjun, however, had relied purely on her own talent. Her aptitude and comprehension were unimaginably high.

Li Houjin's gaze was icy, and his displeasure was plain on his face.

She has only just attained foundation establishment. Without a completed Dao Domain, she cannot yet count as a Heavenly Being.

Li Houjin's gaze shifted as that thought crossed his mind, and his Dao Domain came crushing down.

His enemy had attained foundation establishment. He absolutely would not let her continue to grow—he had to snuff her out before she could!

[Eternal present tranquility domain].

Meanwhile, using the mounted divine ability [Severing Past and Present, Leaving No Trace], Zhang Yuan finally inched his way out of the Third Princess's Residence without alerting anyone.

The streets and alleys of the Capital City were deserted, the cold wind bleak.

Standing before the residence, Zhang Yuan glanced up at the plaque of the Third Princess's Residence and exhaled.

Finally, I'm out. Once I leave this capital of the Bian Kingdom, the sky will be high enough for any bird to fly, and the sea wide enough for any fish to leap!

As for what would happen to Xiao Yuanjun after he left...

[Myriad coexistence] had no distance limit. As long as its connection remained intact, that proved Xiao Yuanjun was safe.

Besides, Xiao Yuanjun had already proved her Dao and become a Foundation-Building Heavenly Being. Even though she had only just broken through, her combat strength certainly would not fall far below the likes of Li Houjin. As long as no True Lord intervened, she should have no trouble protecting herself.

Zhang Yuan had considerable faith in Xiao Yuanjun's strength.

At that thought, he could not help recalling what Xiao Yuanjun had said when she attained Heavenly Being status.

"For eighteen years, I have captured baleful intent and refined Gang. With the Daoist Name [Perfect Self]..."

Xiao Yuanjun was only eighteen? She was younger than him.

The corner of Zhang Yuan's mouth twitched.

Though those who achieved mastery deserved precedence, he still felt a little uncomfortable at the thought of calling someone younger than himself Master.

Forget it. Among cultivators, those with higher cultivation take precedence. I'll swallow this little loss.

Besides, after all these days together, Xiao Yuanjun had indeed fulfilled her responsibilities, exhausting herself to seek out heavenly dipper and earthly baleful forces for him. Aside from being somewhat rash, she was a qualified Master.

Zhang Yuan gathered his thoughts, took one last look inside the residence, and prepared to leave without further hesitation.

"Where are you going?"

The question came out of nowhere.

Looking toward the voice, he found a cloaked figure with the label [Li Patriarch's Illegitimate Daughter] above her head.

Zhang Yuan froze, bewildered and uncertain.

Li Zhongshuang removed her hood, revealing her true appearance.

Crystal still covered her right eye, but something had changed: her long black hair had turned white.

The person beneath that cloak was Li Zhongshuang?

Zhang Yuan blinked, a little surprised.

So that was it. Everything fit together now.

No wonder he had never seen the Li Clan Daughter betrothed to him while at the Li Residence in Cloud Province City. If she was the patriarch's illegitimate daughter, and her appearance was unsuitable for public display, that made much more sense.

In other words, Li Zhongshuang was the Li Clan Daughter to whom he was engaged.

Fate truly was wondrous beyond words.

Before leaving Cloud Province City, he had even stolen a strand of [stolen-life baleful intent] from her.

Zhang Yuan's expression settled back into calm as he looked at Li Zhongshuang as though she were any ordinary woman.

"Fellow Daoist, did you stop me for something?" Zhang Yuan asked.

Li Zhongshuang fell silent for a moment, then said, "Nothing. Please, go ahead."

She possessed a divine ability that could see through all phenomena, and she had kept her eyes on Zhang Yuan throughout their time in the Main Hall. Thus, the moment he left, she noticed and followed him.

In truth, she did not know why she had followed him. That was why she said it was nothing when Zhang Yuan asked.

Baffled, Zhang Yuan cupped his hands. "Farewell, fellow Daoist. If fate allows, we'll meet ag—"

"Where are you going?"

The same question, even more abrupt this time, cut Zhang Yuan off.

Who was it now?

Was running away really this difficult?

Zhang Yuan looked around but saw no one. Only when he caught a strand of colorful light from the corner of his eye and lowered his head did he spot the speaker.

[Dust Realm Sub-Lord] Li Huixi stood there expressionlessly.

Hiss... why was it him? Did I really have such a strong bond with the House of Li?

Zhang Yuan put on a stern face and said bluntly, "Out of my way, kid! I don't have time to take you home today."

Li Zhongshuang's head snapped up.

Cold as frost, Li Huixi fixed his luminous eyes on him and repeated, "Where are you going?"

Zhang Yuan glanced at him and said indifferently, "Wherever I please. Just not to your House of Li."

With that, Zhang Yuan simply went around him, unleashed [Golden Chariot], and drove his Golden Carriage away, making a break for freedom.

Li Huixi narrowed his eyes slightly. After a little thought, he decided to leave him alone.

Whether Zhang Yuan went to the House of Li was not his own decision to make. Whenever Li Huixi wished, he could seize him at any time, from anywhere.