The Hospitable Other Shore Civilization!

The elder said gravely, "Girl, that's almost impossible. Betting on that young man based on this groundless guess would be far too risky. After all, his enemies aren't just the sects and clans that want to kill him and seize his inheritance. There's also the Xiao Family and Qingzhou Guanxuan Academy. Helping him isn't in our civilization's present interests."

Mu Qingmiao said nothing. She merely stopped and fell into thought.

The elder asked, "What is it?"

Mu Qingmiao said, "There's one crucial point I overlooked."

The elder asked in puzzlement, "What?"

Mu Qingmiao stared intently below. "Miss Nanling Zhao might have helped him out of a sense of justice, but that can't have been the only reason the Nanling Clan helped him. Most importantly, the academy master in the Central Divine Province accepted him. Why would they rather risk offending the Xiao Family and Qingzhou Academy than turn him away? It can't have been just for justice. It must be because that young man has value. And given the Transcendent Civilization's choice, I'm certain that young man..."

Her eyes narrowed. "That young man definitely isn't a true member of the Ye Family. Second Uncle, break through the void and go to Qingzhou immediately. A few questions will tell us."

The elder said gravely, "Girl, if he really isn't a member of the Ye Family, what does that mean?"

Mu Qingmiao stared into the distance. "They're letting him roam free! That must be it! Perhaps one is in the open and the other is in the shadows..."

The elder was startled. Without another question, he turned, broke through the void and vanished into the distance.

Within the ruins of the Transcendent Holy Land.

Ye Tianming rode his sword through the air, pushing his speed to the limit. Even so, someone soon caught up to him.

A spear came hurtling through the air from afar, swift as a bolt of lightning.

Ye Tianming pointed two fingers, sending an intent sword flying out to slash at the oncoming spear.

Bang!

The strike stopped the spear dead in its tracks, but countless people closed in around him at that moment, numbering in the hundreds.

Ye Tianming's face darkened. This time, he really couldn't escape.

"Not bad!"

A voice came from afar.

Ye Tianming looked up to see a young man carrying a spear walking slowly toward him. It was the same man who had stopped him earlier. He looked to be only seventeen or eighteen, with an edge he made no effort to conceal.

"Of course he's not bad!"

Another voice suddenly came from the side. "Gu Qi, this is the man who made it through the Guanxuan Dao."

Ye Tianming turned to see a man in brocade robes walking slowly toward them, smiling as he sized him up.

The man called Gu Qi was immediately intrigued. He studied Ye Tianming, then smiled. "So you're Ye Tianming, the one who made it through the Guanxuan Dao? How interesting."

Ye Tianming said nothing.

Gu Qi continued, "Honestly, I'm quite curious how you made it through the Guanxuan Dao. Care to tell me? I took the test several times myself and never managed to pass."

"Good luck," Ye Tianming said.

Gu Qi froze briefly, then narrowed his eyes. "Are you messing with me?"

Ye Tianming looked at him. "I really was rather lucky. Otherwise, how could I have made it through the Guanxuan Dao? Isn't that what you actually think?"

Gu Qi stared at Ye Tianming, then laughed. "That is what I think, haha."

Ye Tianming glanced around. Everyone's eyes were on him, their greed undisguised.

Greed!

Ye Tianming fell into thought.

Gu Qi suddenly looked around and smiled. "Everyone, please do me, Gu Qi, a favor. I'd like to exchange a few moves alone with this 'peerless genius' who made it through the Guanxuan Dao."

The crowd fell silent. No one objected.

They already knew where he came from: he was from the Gu Family of the Other Shore Civilization. And what sort of figure had the Gu Family's ancestor been? He had been a great scholar of the Guanxuan Academy and a close friend of the Guanxuan Sword Master.

Just then, the man in brocade suddenly spoke. "Brother Gu, are you trying to keep the Transcendent Civilization's inheritance on that young man all to yourself?"

Gu Qi glanced at him and smiled. "Even if I am, what are you going to do about it?"

The man in brocade laughed. "Then you'll have to ask whether we agree."

Everyone was somewhat surprised to see the man in brocade dare confront Gu Qi so directly. Who was this fellow?

Gu Qi stared at the man in brocade without speaking.

The man in brocade smiled calmly.

Suddenly, Gu Qi smiled. "So you're from there..."

The man in brocade said calmly, "If you only want to spar with him, Brother Gu, there's no problem. But let's be clear beforehand: the transcendent inheritance he carries belongs to everyone."

Gu Qi smiled. "Fine."

He looked at Ye Tianming, who stood not far away. "Come on, let me see what someone who made it through the Guanxuan Dao is made of."

The man in brocade suddenly smiled. "Brother Gu, you're at the peak of the Divine Being Realm, while he's only at the Major Tribulation Realm. Wouldn't fighting him like this be blatant bullying? Besides, even if you won, you'd earn a reputation for picking on someone weaker, and you'd make the Other Shore Civilization lose face."

Gu Qi gave him an indifferent glance and smiled. "You needn't trouble yourself over that."

He looked at Ye Tianming and lightly stamped the butt of his spear, suppressing his realm straight down to the Major Tribulation Realm.

The man in brocade looked at Ye Tianming and smiled faintly.

Ye Tianming, however, was puzzled. He couldn't tell what the man in brocade intended. Was he trying to show him goodwill, or did he have some other purpose?

Just then, Gu Qi suddenly said, "Make your move."

Ye Tianming looked at Gu Qi, who stared back at him. "Remember, you only have one chance to strike. Once I make my move, you're dead. I never show off."

Ye Tianming didn't attack. Instead, he looked up. By his reckoning, Mu Yong's reinforcements should have arrived by now, but there was still no sign of them. If nothing unexpected had happened... then something unexpected had probably happened.

Several possibilities occurred to him at once.

Perhaps Mu Yong wanted the treasure for himself and had fled with it. Or perhaps the faction behind Mu Yong wanted it all for themselves...

Damn it!

Ye Tianming's heart sank to rock bottom. I shouldn't be called Tianming. I should be called Hard-Luck.

He pushed those thoughts aside and looked up at Gu Qi. "Let's fight on the ground."

Gu Qi frowned. "Why?"

Ye Tianming said, "I've been controlling Qi for too long. I don't have enough profound Qi left."

With that, he rode his sword down.

Everyone: "..."

The crowd followed Ye Tianming to the ground, and Gu Qi landed in front of him. Gu Qi stared at him. "Can we start now?"

Ye Tianming nodded. "If I beat you to death, will the faction behind you take revenge on me?"

Everyone: "..."

Gu Qi was so furious he laughed. "You'll beat me to death? What makes you think you can do that?"

Ye Tianming said calmly, "I said if. If I beat you to death, will the faction behind you take revenge on me? The books say that if you beat the young one, the old one comes, and if you beat the old one, a whole nest of old ones comes..."

Everyone: "..."

Gu Qi glared at Ye Tianming, while the man in brocade suddenly said, "I think he has a point. Brother Gu, why don't you sign a life-and-death agreement?"

Gu Qi said, "Why make such a fuss? Since you won't strike first, I will."

With that, he suddenly lunged forward, charging fiercely at Ye Tianming with his spear. As he charged, an incomparably fierce spear force engulfed Ye Tianming.

Almost at the same moment, Ye Tianming stamped his right foot hard against the ground and raised both hands in the air. In an instant, the earth split open, and countless streams of earth-vein power surged up from deep underground, bearing down on Gu Qi like a torrent.

Vast amounts of earth power roared past, shaking the space around them.

Everyone watching was stunned.

Was this fellow really only at the Major Tribulation Realm?

Gu Qi was equally shocked to see Ye Tianming draw on so much earth-vein power at once. Damn it, this is completely different from the Major Tribulation Realm I imagined!

He knew he had been careless and underestimated his opponent. He shouldn't have lowered his realm.

But his spear force was already committed. With no way back, he could only meet the attack head-on.

Boom!

An explosion rang out. Gu Qi's spear light shattered instantly, and he was blasted more than a dozen zhang backward. As he flew back, his body began to crack inch by inch, blood welling out. The moment he stopped, nine swords formed from earth power came flying at him.

Alarmed, Gu Qi paid no heed to his injuries. He swung his spear rapidly, sending out streaks of spear light to fend off the nine flying swords.

But just then, countless streams of earth-vein power suddenly surged up from deep underground again, bearing down on him like a tide.

Gu Qi's expression froze. Damn it, is that the only move you know?

Rumble...

Under everyone's gaze, Gu Qi was blasted dozens of zhang away. This time, he slammed heavily into the ground, and the moment he landed, a sword was already pressed against his throat.

He had lost.

Everyone turned to Ye Tianming in utter surprise. Though he was only at the Major Tribulation Realm, they realized his combat strength was already no weaker than someone at the Dharma Aspect Realm.

The man in brocade also looked at Ye Tianming in surprise.

Gu Qi stared fiercely at Ye Tianming, who had walked over to him. "Your combat strength isn't at the Major Tribulation Realm at all."

Ye Tianming withdrew his sword, turned and walked away.

Gu Qi said angrily, "Are you insulting me?"

Ye Tianming stopped and shook his head. "I only won because you lowered your realm by four levels and underestimated me. If you hadn't lowered your realm or underestimated me, I definitely wouldn't have been your match."

Gu Qi froze at his words. What did this fellow mean? Was he giving him a way to save face?

Clearly, he was!

With a step offered, should he take it?

Gu Qi hesitated.

Then Ye Tianming said, "Once I reach the Divine Being Realm, let's fight again. You won't have to go easy on me then. We'll have a truly fair fight."

Another step offered!

Gu Qi stole a glance around, thought for a moment, then said, "Although lowering my realm was a bit unfair to me, you're actually pretty good too... Let's get acquainted. I'm Gu Qi, from the hospitable Other Shore Civilization!"

Everyone: "..."