Like sand, moonlight spilled over the dance pavilion, enveloping the world as if in a curtain of silver sand, lending a mystical air to heaven and earth.
Beneath the moonlight, by the ancient pines, next to the clear spring.
Feng Lingzhu and Pan Yuming were both present, but neither could hide the bewilderment in their eyes.
Night had already fallen, and the cold moonlight, like an unreal dream, carried their doubts and perplexities.
Here, they had waited for a very long time, yet the one they hoped for did not come to meet them as desired.
Better to meet than not, for when faced with a meeting, Feng Lingzhu didn’t know what to say.
She was conflicted. She knew Pan Yuming was too.
When Zhou Yan arrived, he had already seen the scene from afar.
But he didn’t become as emotionally affected by the scene as he expected, as he felt almost numb.
He thought seeing Feng Lingzhu would bring memories of Feng Lingqing and more moments from the past flooding back. But as he saw them from a distance, he suddenly felt an emptiness and realized things weren’t as desirable as he had imagined.
Before he had understood the whole situation, he felt nothing was trustworthy. But after figuring it out, he knew one thing was certainly not wrong.
That was to diligently cultivate, advance, and reach a stronger realm.
Aside from that, everything else, actually, could be disregarded.
With a detached mindset, he just glanced at the two from afar and then turned away, without meeting them.
"Elder Zhou, why did you choose not to meet them after all?"
When Elder Wan approached, having observed all of Zhou Yan’s actions, he couldn’t help but ask with some astonishment.
"Meeting would only add to my troubles, better not to meet. Moreover, I’ve come to an understanding. Life and death are dictated by fate, which is always a step ahead of Zhou Yan. If fate wishes for them to live well, my meeting or not meeting them, they will still survive.
If fate wishes for them to die, then Zhou Yan will struggle all his life in vain, unable to protect them after all."
Zhou Yan spoke like someone who had seen through the ways of the world, the sentimental attachments beginning to steadily dissipate.
If previously his Heartless Sword Dao was only for show, now Zhou Yan’s transformation in Elder Wan’s eyes was a true letting go and enlightenment—the very sign of ’Sword Dao Great Success.’
"Elder Zhou, it seems your Heartless Sword Dao is nearing completion. Heartlessness can be good, sparing many troubles."
Elder Wan pondered for a moment and sighed.
Zhou Yan nodded slightly and said, "Yes, living without worries is also a path, and the means used are no longer important, for history has always been the game of the victor."
Hearing this, Elder Wan gave a wry smile, nodded, and said no more.
The quiet night passed.
Dawn had not yet broken when the sound of armor being readied and the resonance of cultivators practicing could already be heard in the distance.
These were the signs of departure.
In Zhou Yan’s courtyard, Hou Caixuan arrived like a fairy, soaring through, her colorful skirt fluttering like a butterfly dancing amongst flowers, a joy to behold.
"Elder Zhou, we are all prepared. The Domain Master asks if you are ready as well, and when we can set off together."
Hou Cai Xuan was very polite when facing Zhou Yan.
Her gaze, as if from a chamber of cold ice, still held a fervor and admiration.
But Zhou Yan no longer paid attention to such looks; they were too false.
"What is there to prepare? When you are ready, call me, and that will suffice."
Zhou Yan responded casually.
"We are ready. Since you do not need to prepare, Elder Zhou, please."
Cai Xuan bowed respectfully and said.
Zhou Yan nodded, and as Hou Caixuan took flight, he too ascended into the void.
Outside the ancient array of the Snow Domain branch of the Heavenly Mountain Prefecture, amidst the void, a dense crowd of cultivators stood.
Men and women, a great number.
These cultivators were all whispering among themselves, discussing something.
However, when Hou Caixuan and Zhou Yan arrived, the crowd suddenly fell silent, all looking at Zhou Yan with a peculiar gaze that did not hide their cold indifference.
"So this is the so-called ’Emperor Qi Sword Body’? Doesn’t seem like much, has yet to congeal a Sword Soul, yet dares to boast about the Emperor Qi Sword Body, truly a native who hasn’t seen the world."
One cultivator sneered, immediately casting doubt.
This cultivator, wearing rather odd attire, donned a Spirit Armor Robe that was a dull gray and unremarkable. What stood out was his broom-like hair, which gave him a somewhat eccentric appearance.
And he wielded not a sword, but a colossal curved blade.
The blade was like a crescent moon, emanating a murderous aura.
"Hu Yidao, if you think you’re stronger than him, why not give it a try?"
Another cultivator, with a cold and aloof demeanor, sneered at his side.
"Huangfu Zhan, others may fear you, but I don’t. Hmph! Once we leave the City of No Tears, let’s have a proper fight!"
Broom-head Hu Yidao said arrogantly.
As he spoke, he noticed that many female cultivators were casting their eyes upon him, which made him quite pleased with himself.
What he enjoyed most was the attention of those beautiful cultivators, which made him feel as if he were the center of Heaven and Earth.
"You’re not even qualified."
Huangfu Zhan rebuked coldly and then took a large step forward, facing Zhou Yan. "Zhou Lingzhe, I didn’t expect to meet you again. This time, I hope we can fight side by side."
Huangfu Zhan was more polite this time than he had been previously, clearly feeling great pressure from the current Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan looked at Huangfu Zhan and nodded indifferently, "I didn’t expect that even a powerful person like Brother Huangfu would be drawn to the City of No Tears. It’s an honor for me, Zhou Yan, to fight alongside you."
Huangfu Zhan laughed heartily, "Zhou Lingzhe, there’s no need for courtesy. This time, I, Huangfu Zhan, am just here to observe. It’s said that the City of No Tears is a graveyard for geniuses, but I truly don’t believe in superstitions."
Huangfu Zhan had a good rapport with Zhou Yan, which displeased many of the Outer Realm Cultivators.
Among them, the most impatient was Hu Yidao.
He felt that since Zhou Yan had shown up, the female cultivators’ attention shifted to him, leaving Hu Yidao feeling neglected.
And when he spoke to Zhou Yan, Zhou Yan didn’t even glance his way from beginning to end, which was something Hu Yidao couldn’t accept.
He considered himself a genius who had returned from the Outer Realm with a Three Souls and Seven Spirits Realm and a combat power that could Break Four! What right did Zhou Yan, a mere native who hadn’t even condensed his Sword Soul, have to be so arrogant?
With this thought, Hu Yidao’s voice turned cold, "Zhou Yan, who do you think you are? When I’m talking to you, are you listening?"
As he shouted, Huangfu Zhan’s brows furrowed, but he did not take action. Instead, he just watched Zhou Yan with an inscrutable look.
Not only Huangfu Zhan, but other cultivators, as well as Hou Caixuan and Gongcheng Diewu, turned their gazes toward Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan saw this scene more clearly than anyone else; he knew it was the enemy’s probing. And this so-called Hu Yidao was a person of rough yet thoughtful insights, not as obtuse as he seemed, rough on the outside but also somewhat mindful.
Even though Hu Yidao might be somewhat cunning, he had still been used to test Zhou Yan, and he was oblivious to it.
However, Zhou Yan didn’t show any signs of abnormality. He just looked coldly at Hu Yidao, his gaze showing complete contempt and disregard.
It was like a Grandmaster looking down upon a mortal.
That look profoundly irritated Hu Yidao.
"How arrogant! Let’s see if you have the capability to be so!"
After saying this, Hu Yidao’s blade flashed in his hand, and in the blink of an eye, he was at Zhou Yan’s side with incredible speed. His blade, like a flash of lightning, made its move in an instant, leaving everyone with the memory of a fleeting, cold gleam of the blade.
He was arrogant, but his strength was indeed terrifying.
The strike of his blade was impudent and rebellious, as if it shattered a corner of Heaven and Earth itself, possessing the momentum to annihilate everything.
This same strike, in that instant, also silenced some who had wanted to see Hu Yidao make a fool of himself.
But that deadly strike suddenly halted.
For just as the blade was about to fall on Zhou Yan’s neck, Zhou Yan’s hand casually caught it.
Then, the blade could fall no further.
The blindingly sharp gleam of the blade hadn’t even managed to cut Zhou Yan’s palm, which held the blade as if it were a toy knife.
"Strength, speed, and understanding of the Tao are all lacking. You need to practice more."
Zhou Yan casually remarked, then with a light push, a force as if to topple Heaven and Earth burst forth. Hu Yidao found the storm-like power in his blade repelled back at him, unable to control his movement, tumbling away like a kite with its string cut, knocking over several people and nearly falling from the Void itself.
This move stunned not only the Outer Realm geniuses but also the likes of Gongcheng Diewu, whose gazes on Zhou Yan grew with a mix of awe and uncertainty.
Hu Yidao, reeling thousands of meters away, got up in a pitiful state with multiple scrapes. He looked at Zhou Yan with shock and disbelief, unable to find that unmatched arrogance anymore.
"This... this cannot be. I have reached ’Break Four’ in combat power in the Outer Realm and possess the Three Souls and Seven Spirits Realm! Even against those in the Void Third Realm, I wouldn’t necessarily lose. And Zhou Yan is only in the Sword Spirit Triple Heavens Realm and hasn’t even condensed his Sword Soul. How can he be so strong? This must be combat power at ’Break Nine’ level! That’s impossible!"
Hu Yidao still couldn’t quite believe it.
These revelations were just too hard for him to accept.
He had always thought that in the native land of the Sword Burial Ancestor Star, there might be geniuses with ’Break Three’ combat power, but definitely not many. And as for those who could reach ’Break Four,’ it seemed almost impossible, considering the powerful seal of the Sword Burial Ancestor Star.
But now, he realized, he had been utterly wrong!