This was the Boundless Continent—Boundless City, to be precise.
The so-called ruler of this place, the Boundless Ancestor, was a domineering and insolent man. Though merely a 9th Grade Sovereign, none on this continent could stand against him.
"Little beauty," he drawled, eyes gleaming with wicked desire, "why struggle so needlessly? You'd save yourself much pain if you just surrendered. Once you become mine, you'll reign above all others—save for when you lie beneath this ancestor."
"Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
His eyes roamed greedily over the white-robed woman's figure, taunting her with the smug delight of a cat toying with its prey.
The Boundless Ancestor was thoroughly excited. Throughout his long life of arrogance and indulgence, he had never laid eyes on a woman of such breathtaking beauty—cold, elegant, untouchable, like a flower blooming on a snow-capped peak.
That sense of distance, that purity, only stirred his desire for conquest all the more. Not only did he want her—he wanted to break her pride, to crush her aloofness beneath his feet.
He had already begun imagining the countless ways he would humiliate her, and even the thought sent a thrill of pleasure coursing through his veins.
The white-robed woman held her sword tightly, her delicate lashes casting faint shadows upon her cheeks. She didn't so much as glance at the lecherous old man, her silence colder than any blade.
Inside, however, she regretted coming here. She had only intended to gather information about this world—and to learn where Lin Dong might be. She hadn't expected that even here, she would still encounter scum like this—proof that in every world, the law of the jungle remained the same.
Her power was heavily suppressed in this realm; even a clown like the Boundless Ancestor could easily overpower her. Around them, countless bystanders looked on, yet not one dared to intervene. It seemed she could only rely on herself.
'I have to find a way to escape… Once I recover my strength, I'll look for Lin Dong again.'
Boom!
A tremendous force descended like an ocean tide. In an instant, that unstoppable might obliterated the Boundless Ancestor's Spiritual Energy—and then his body—reducing both to ash.
It happened so fast that no one even saw the attack. One moment he was gloating arrogantly; the next, he was gone—scattered dust beneath heaven's gaze.
A divine-like pressure swept through the city, leaving everyone trembling in awe and terror. When the ashes settled, the shock turned to pure panic.
Screams erupted. Cries echoed. The crowd scattered in all directions, and chaos engulfed Boundless City.
The white-robed woman blinked in dazed disbelief. A heartbeat ago, the man who had exuded such overwhelming power had simply… ceased to exist.
'Someone saved me…'
At that moment, the sky rippled, twisting as two figures stepped forth from the void—Liu Xi and Qing Yanjing.
They looked like an immortal couple descending from the heavens.
Qing Yanjing's expression was gentle as she descended gracefully, her robes fluttering like mist. She reached out to help the dazed woman to her feet.
"We're here to help," she said softly. "Come with us—it's safe now."
"Alright… thank you."
Only then did the white-robed woman truly realize she had been rescued. The warmth in Qing Yanjing's tone and her serene smile banished any lingering fear; it was impossible not to trust her.
Meanwhile, Liu Xi's eyes drifted toward the spot where the Boundless Ancestor had perished. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
So that was all—a pitiful 9th Grade Sovereign? He hadn't even used any strength. That the man still retained a faint wisp of soul was surprising—like a candle flickering in a storm.
That lingering remnant quivered uncontrollably, terrified beyond reason, as though one more breath from Liu Xi could erase it completely.
Liu Xi looked away. A mere ant wasn't worth further thought. If that feeble soul managed to survive, so be it.
But the Boundless Ancestor's mind was already broken. That one indifferent glance—cold and vast as heaven itself—had seared into his soul. Even after countless years, he would never forget it.
Should he ever encounter a face faintly resembling that youth, even if the aura was weak as an insect's, terror alone would drive him to flee.
With a flick of his sleeve, Liu Xi unleashed a ripple of spatial force. The air split apart, and he carried Qing Yanjing and the white-robed woman through the shattered void, far from the city.
---
A tranquil lakeshore on the Boundless Continent.
"You're safe now," Qing Yanjing said with a tender smile. "You ascended from the Lower Plane, didn't you? Your energy… it's not pure Spiritual Energy."
The white-robed woman, who had begun to relax, stiffened again at those words. Having once endured the invasion of the Extraterrestrial Evil Race, she had learned to be cautious of anyone prying into her origins.
"Lower Plane? Who exactly are you?" she asked guardedly.
Qing Yanjing chuckled softly and gestured toward Liu Xi beside her. "This is the Great Thousand Worlds—the center where countless Lower Planes converge. The world you came from is one of them. Because your cultivation system differs from ours, your original energy clashes with Spiritual Energy. That's why your power feels unstable right now."
"I'm not from the Lower Plane," she continued with a smile, "but my partner is. When we saw you, we immediately understood your situation—and came to help."
The woman's gaze shifted to Liu Xi. Even before this explanation, she had sensed the boundless, ethereal pressure surrounding him—vast beyond comprehension, greater even than what she had once known as the Ancestor Realm.
It made her realize just how extraordinary this world truly was. Yet knowing that Liu Xi had also ascended from a Lower Plane stirred a faint sense of kinship within her.
Her voice was calm, cold, but sincere. "Thank you, both of you. My name is Ling Qingzhu. Yes… I did just ascend."
She said no more, her tone hinting that she wouldn't speak further of her past.
Liu Xi merely smiled and nodded, unsurprised. He had already guessed her identity the moment he saw her.
After all—she was a married woman, and he a man with his own commitments. It was best to keep a respectful distance.
That, he decided, was something Qing Yanjing could handle.
Liu Xi clasped his hands behind his back, his gaze drifting across the lake as his thoughts turned inward.
'If Ling Qingzhu is here, then Lin Dong must have arrived in the Great Thousand Worlds as well.'
A faint grin spread across his lips, his eyes gleaming with confidence and power.
'He came ten years later than me… I wonder how far he's come now? The more geniuses that gather in this world, the better. After all—what fun is being unrivaled, if there's no one left worth challenging?'
(End of Chapter)
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