Two people stared at each other across a table—one nearly reaching true immortality and the other already within it—both looking at a map and a board where a name was fading into nothingness.
—In the end, my daughter and your niece have won this battle—he said calmly, letting out a faint breath.
Yao Ming Bing drank the tea before her with a contemplative gaze.
—That dragon she encountered… wouldn't it be angered by this transgression?—she said calmly, looking at the face of her unwelcome companion.
Gu Yan Wu looked into his sister-in-law's gray pupils with a faint smile.
—It would simply come to attack the empire. The Dragon Compass in Jian Long's hand—if he uses it well, he could find my position—he said, taking another sip of his drink.
Yao Ming Bing's gaze returned to the map.
—You're not going to move anymore, are you?—she said in a simple tone, examining the expression of the man before her.
—There's no need. Besides, although it was amusing watching all your sect girls tremble every time I walked through the door, I have things to do in the empire—he said calmly, raising his hand deliberately.
—Fine. I'll deploy an investigation group. If they encounter anyone other than yours, they will kill them. Is that clear?—her tone carried a restrained killing intent beneath her flushed cheeks and pale skin.
—Hahaha, see you later, dear sister-in-law. Hopefully you won't provoke a wounded dragon—it'll show you its fangs—
In an instant, spiritual energy materialized, and with a single step, he left the room.
One of the younger disciples approached the emperor's teacup.
—Burn it like the others—
With a snort, she grabbed strands of her white hair, trying to calm herself.
In anger, she left and walked toward the inner hall.
—The Ying Ice Coffin… when will it be ready?—
A small ice orb from her storage ring shattered into thousands of pieces and shot toward one of the lower peaks of the sect.
Yao Ming Bing looked toward one of the middle peaks of her mountain range and, mounting her silver sword, flew toward it at high speed.
Within seconds, the ice sphere reformed midair, and a female voice burst forth.
—The modification you requested has been implemented, but the life-expenditure reduction matrix is not ready yet. There are not enough materials, madam—
Yao Ming Bing let out a soft sigh as she stored the ice orb.
—Ah, Hui Cao… you truly won't forgive me if you find out about this—
Continuing her path, she arrived at the cabin at the summit.
A beast similar to a wild stag, its antlers generating faint arcs of electricity, was devouring low-grade spiritual herbs greedily.
The door burst open, and like shadows, a group emerged.
In an instant, five figures dropped to their knees before her.
—We present our respects to the sect leader—
—Clear Ice Team, there is a personal mission for you. You must enter the Forbidden Border. You will be given a map of the area you must investigate—she said, taking out the map where Jian Long's presence had last been seen.
—Understood, madam. It will be done immediately—said the oldest man in the group, appearing around thirty, dressed in a white robe with a carved jade token at his waist.
—If you encounter anyone besides Hui Cao, my niece, kill them—
With a single motion, she descended from her sword onto the cabin's ground.
—You must use these artifacts—
In her hand appeared five small white stone beads engraved with the word "sound."
—Sound Ice Beads! Madam, these artifacts are treasures beyond what beings like us could ever deserve—we wouldn't even dare touch them with silk—The leader trembled slightly.
—Gang Jian, this is not up for discussion. Everything you hear must be heard by me. Even if I hear your death, I must extract all possible information. All the information. If you return, it must be of the highest quality—
She tossed them to the ground carelessly.
—My lady, we will not fail your mission, even if it costs our lives. Isn't that right, Clear Ice Team?—
—Our lives are nothing more than tools for the Bright Moon Sect!—
Yao Ming Bing gave a simple approving glance, as if looking at corpses ready for burial, and flew off on her sword toward the lower mountains.
The five members remained in position for several minutes.
—Boss… they're sending us to die, huh—said the youngest as he stood up.
—Sheng Hu, everyone knows we're the best reconnaissance team. Don't get foolish ideas. We'll do a superficial survey—Gang Jian walked toward the cabin.
—I'll take the lesser fire eagle or the galloping thunder stag—said a woman with a bandage covering her eyes in a calm tone.
—Ling Shou Nu, take the galloping thunder stag. We need the lowest profile possible—
Gang Jian turned to a man in a kasaya holding prayer beads.
—Wait, let me calm my doubts about this journey, captain—he said, pressing his palms together.
—Wang Shu Ming Yan, can you divine our future?—Gang Jian asked with restrained frustration while looking at the last of his men still kneeling.
—The Forbidden Border is the final abyss. Even if I sacrificed my entire lifespan, I would see nothing—he said calmly as his violet eyes opened.
—Qian Jing Bu, you may stand. Prepare your equipment for the journey—
Gang Jian spoke as the man dressed in dark gray robes stood and walked into the cabin.
Glancing briefly at the ice beads on the ground, Gang Jian's heart skipped slightly.
Still, he continued, picking them up with unease.
The air grew heavier as storage rings filled to their limit.
Food pills, healing elixirs, detection talismans.
Each item carried a clear intent: survival.
In an instant, all members mounted their swords.
The wild stag shrank to the size of a fingernail and slipped into Ling Shou's pocket.
Flying at full speed toward the edge of the world, they disappeared into the horizon.
---
Elsewhere in the Xian Dao world…
—Damn bald donkey, can't you leave me alone—
A man in blood-red robes, covered in wounds, stood exhausted, his eyes filled with resentment.
A Buddhist monk, holding prayer beads, looked at him with disdainful pity.
—Xue Dao Zun, if you hadn't studied the forbidden art, your life would be peaceful—
In an instant, one of the beads exploded into fragments and shot toward the man.
A crimson wall rose from the ground, blocking them with Dharma energy.
—You're a fool, Kong Yan. You believe in Dharma just because of your name? Ha—
The blood wall split into countless spears aimed at the monk.
They shot forward, but another monk blocked them with a polished wooden staff.
—Do not insult the master, filthy blood artificer—
—Chen Xin, I told you to wait until the criminal reaches his final moments—
Kong Yan spoke calmly, moving his beads.
Xue Dao Zan covered his eyes with the blood from his hands; a faint, thin layer wrapped around them.
In an instant, he noticed veins and blood vessels of countless human shapes beginning to surround him.
—Damn bald donkey, you brought all the monks of the Bai Zhue Kingdom just to kill me— the sleeves of the blood master began to sway with excitement.
Not a single monk moved from their position as the man in red robes slowly began to rise.
—Today the heavens will witness the death of a man and the end of an era. A man who believes himself immortal—yet beyond his life, nothing remains! Anyone who has the courage to face me, come!— he spun in exhilaration while sensing the faint fluctuation of Kong Yan's Dharma.
A tiny, almost invisible needle pierced through the air, shooting out from his sleeve and leaving a minuscule cut on Kong Yan's neck.
And with just that—
All of his blood burst outward, crashing against his protective technique and leaving behind a thin trail of blood stretching two meters.
In a single second, the defensive technique of the master of the Buddhist monks collapsed into nothing.
A dry, hollow corpse fell to the ground.
All the monks stared at their master—or what remained of him—as he fell, and in that instant their confidence faltered, whether from grief or shock.
Those seconds were enough.
Xue Dao threw himself forward, rolling straight into Kong Yan's blood, forming a spherical barrier of blood around himself.
In an instant, a grotesque roar erupted from all the monks as they launched their attacks against the barrier.
—Now I've really screwed up, haven't I… this blood barrier from a Core Formation should last for a while— Xue Dao glanced calmly at Kong Yan's dried corpse beside him, searching for anything useful.
Grabbing the kasaya from the corpse, he gave it a light shake—
A small scroll, no larger than a doll, fell out.
—This must be your trump card… it doesn't feel like Dharma, it doesn't carry that energy— he said, holding the prayer beads in his hand as he compared them.
The barrier began to crack as Xue Dao read some of the symbols on the scroll.
—Distance… movement… some kind of escape technique. Maybe I can move a few meters. I'll have to wait until the barrier breaks… seriously, don't these bald donkeys carry healing pills or some kind of restorative elixir?— he let out a sigh as he watched the cracks spread.
Each strike against the barrier echoed like an unrelenting drumbeat.
As if guided by that rhythm, the blood master began snapping his fingers—turning the moment into a twisted symphony that signaled his end.
Waiting for the exact moment to inject his spiritual energy, while the distant shouts outside began to seep through.
—Blood artificer! Even your life won't be enough to repay what you've done!— one of the monks roared with overwhelming fury.
—Damn blood master! I'll rip out your tendons and hang you from my staff!— tears streamed down Chen Xin's face.
In an instant, the barrier opened with a hole—
And shattered into thousands of pieces.
Hundreds of monks surrounded him, all their attacks about to strike the body of the man in red robes.
And then—
He vanished into a streak of white light shooting toward the sky.
In a forest at the edge of the world, Xue Dao reappeared in a relaxed stance, his fingers still poised in a snapping gesture.
The scroll in his hand turned to dust.
In that moment, he noticed the difference in the trees between the two regions, and with a simple motion, he rose to his feet.
—Hahaha! Damn foolish monks! Not a single one of you could defeat the great Xue Dao! I've finally escaped the western region!— he looked at his body as if it were a gift fallen from the heavens.
—Even soul masters… no, not even ancient dragons can stop me—
As if divine punishment descended—
A five-year-old child fell from the sky.
A light kick, as soft as a feather, struck the man in red robes.
Xue Dao collapsed unconscious.
Xuán Lián looked around the forest, scratching his head as he stared at the unconscious man on the ground.
His horns gleamed under the sunlight as he began poking the man with his finger.
In that instant, a cougar watched from the distance, its gaze sharp and piercing toward the child.
Xuán Lián recognized the gaze in less than a heartbeat and spoke.
—Leave—
His voice resonated through all things like a command.
The unconscious body of Xue Dao trembled slightly.
The cougar of the wild west looked at the being beyond its comprehension with fear and caution—then fled at full speed.
Xuán Lián grabbed the man in red robes with both hands and rose into the air, crossing it swiftly as if his primordial nature had awakened.
Upon reaching the barrier, the moment he crossed it—
He fell face-first to the ground along with Xue Dao's unconscious body.
He tried to speak—
But nothing came out except silence.
His expression twisted in annoyance as he stomped the ground with all his strength.