Cheng Yu who had been roaMing for months finally successfully obtained his second-level alchemist certification. When he reached Shuixun CIty, he was finally caught by Xie Tinglan, who happened to be there to buy medicinal herbs.

He had no choice but to follow Xie Tinglan like a deflated balloon, helping her carry things.

The weather was perfect today, clear skies, and the air was fresh.

Suddenly, a streak of light flashed across the sky, and a person flew past on a sword.

A group of Lingxiang Sect disciples, who were maintaining order in the city, shouted “Stop!” and “No flying swords!” as they chased after the person on swords.

Cheng Yu raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight and eagerly watched the commotion.

Shuixun CIty was under the jurisdiction of the Lingxiang Sect, and the city’s defensive array was linked to the sect’s protective array. It was uncommon for anyone not from Lingxiang Sect to fly on a sword here. Cheng Yu couldn’t help but wonder who the arrogant person was who dared to fly above Shuixun City.

The cultivators’ eyesight was sharp. After a while, Cheng Yu suddenly thought that the person flying at the front looked somewhat familiar.

Unable to resist, Cheng Yu tugged on Xie Tinglan’s sleeve: “Hey, Master, the person who just flew by seems to be Chu Xinghui…”

He suddenly remembered that he still didn’t know who Xie Liufeng was, so he scratched his head and blurted out the fake identity from last time: “Brother?”

Xie Tinglan was packing up the herbs she had picked and turned to look at her unlucky disciple: “Brother? What brother? That kid…?”

Where did this brother come from? Before she could finish her sentence, she caught a glimpse of the person flying by on a sword, and immediately froze, as though she had seen a ghost.

Why was Senior Brother Xie here?

She recalled Chu Xinghui’s connection to Lingxiang Sect, and the more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became. She hurriedly shoved the herbs into her storage bag and yanked her disciple along: “Let’s go, we need to check this out.”

Cheng Yu was still confused about what was happening as his master dragged him, sneakily blending in with the crowd.

*

Xie Liufeng arrived at Lingxiang Sect, slicing through the sect’s protective array with a single sword strike. He landed on the plaza in front of the sect.

The aura around him vanished.

He closed his eyes, and his spiritual sense spread like a net, carefully searching every corner nearby.

…But still, he couldn’t find him.

Xie Liufeng’s usual calm demeanor began to crack with a rare sign of impatience.

The gatekeeper disciples trembled, not knowing who had stirred up such a commotion.

Xie Liufeng glanced at them, not intending to cause trouble for ordinary disciples, so he just said coldly: “Call out your Sect Master and his wife, and that senior brother Qin of yours.”

The gatekeeper disciples finally snapped out of it and immediately took out a communication talisman to call for help.

When the news reached Mu Chengjin and Qin Xueyi, they hurriedly arrived with several elders, followed by the younger disciples Mu Zeqing and Mu Lingxuan.

Mu Chengjin eyes widened when he saw the person before him.

It seemed the speculation from the elders after the last secret realm wasn’t without merit… this person was indeed still alive.

Qin Xueyi glanced at the defensive array that had been tear open and frowned, her beautiful face showing clear displeasure: “Xie Qinghe, our Lingxiang Sect has never wronged you. What is this about?”

Nearby disciples had gathered, but they stayed at a safe distance, fearing they might get caught in the crossfire of a potential fight between these powerful figures.

Cheng Yu, still unaware of what was going on, followed his master, hiding among the crowd. He overheard the name “Xie Qinghe” and was momentarily confused.

Wasn’t Chu Xinghui’s “brother” named Xie Liufeng?

And… Xie Qinghe… that name sounded so familiar.

After a moment of thought, Cheng Yu finally realized, his eyes widening.

Wasn’t that the name of the Sword Sovereign?

Xie Tinglan’s brows furrowed slowly.

She knew Xie Liufeng somewhat, and from the look of things… something big was about to happen.

*

On the other side, Mu Chengjin had already stopped his wife. He put on a practiced smile and cupped his hands towards Xie Liufeng: “Isn’t this the Sword Sovereign? What brings you to our humble sect?”

Although he was displeased with Xie Liufeng’s sudden appearance, he was far more aware of the sect’s strength.

This Sword Sovereign had an exceptional and treacherous cultivation path, not to mention his achievements in slaying gods… With the way things were now, if he wasn’t dead yet, no one here could even begin to match his strength.

Xie Liufeng didn’t have time for small talk with the couple. He directly extended a burst of spiritual power and meticulously checked the auras on both of them.

These two individuals… both show signs of being drawn into a dream.

It is rumored that a divine being once created a secret technique, pulling all individuals within a certain area into the same dream world. Their memories would be reverted to a fixed point in time, and through this, dream-like puppets would be created that were indistinguishable from real people. This was done to simulate different possible outcomes of events.

Time in the dream flows at a vastly different rate compared to the real world, and once the dream puppets are created, most of those drawn into the dream are returned to reality without noticing they have been there. Only those with sensitive minds or weak constitutions might feel drained and need some time to recover.

However, this technique requires an immense amount of energy and spiritual power, far beyond the limits of the cultivators in this realm. It has only ever existed in rumors and has never been successfully implemented.

Xie Liufeng extracted the traces left by the technique, and his expression grew colder.

He glanced at everyone in the room and asked: “Where is Qin Yuwen?”

Mu Cheng, seeing the traces being extracted from his own body, was shocked.

Upon hearing Xie Liufeng’s question about Qin Yuwen, he suddenly snapped to attention, no longer caring about himself, his mind racing as he replied: “Yuwen reported that he went out for training some time ago, he’s not here in the sect. Does Sword Sovereign have business with my disciple?”

His mind was spinning, unable to understand how his disciple had gotten involved with this person.

The only thing he could recall was that Qin Yuwen had once claimed to have received the late Sword Sovereign inheritance from a secret realm — but now, it was obvious Qin Yuwen had lied.

Xie Liufeng was not a petty person. If it was because of this matter… even if he was displeased, he would simply send a warning, not come crashing into their sect.

It was an expected response.

Xie Liufeng didn’t continue questioning about Qin Yuwen’s whereabouts. He formed a complex hand seal and followed the trace to find the source of the spell.

Finally, he raised his head and looked at the “Lingxiang Sect” plaque not far ahead.

Xie Liufeng drew his sword and slashed at the plaque in front of him.

That plaque was the face of their Lingxiang Sect!

Mu Chengjin, both shocked and angry, had no choice but to grit his teeth and ask: “Isn;t that too much, Sword Sovereign?”

Beside him, Qin Xueyi suddenly exclaimed: “Yuwen!”

At the place where Xie Liufeng had struck, a crack appeared, and two figures fell out.

Qin Yuwen had lost a portion of his focus and had been forcibly pulled out of the dream world. The backlash from the technique caused him to spit out a mouthful of blood.

Qin Xueyi, distressed, rushed to catch him, stuffing various healing pills into his mouth.

Xie Liufeng temporarily ignored him and flew forward, catching the other figure.

Chu Xinghui, half-conscious, did not know how long he had been waiting. Finally, he saw a light.

He then fell into a familiar embrace.

He opened his eyes, stunned, and looked at the person in front of him: “…Xie Liufeng.”

Xie Liufeng responded with a soft “Hmm, it’s me.”

He tightly gripped the sleeve of the person in front of him, resting his head on Xie Liufeng’s chest. His voice, rarely full of pouting and grievance, said: “You’re late.”

In the dream, he had no memory. The act of crushing the protective talisman had been a gamble.

Fortunately, he had gambled correctly.

Someone really had come to take him home.

Xie Liufeng’s heart ached, unsure what to do: “Yes, I’m late.”

He glanced at Qin Yuwen, confirMing coldly: “Did he do this?”

Chu Xinghui nodded.

Xie Liufeng gently patted his head: “Sleep now. Leave the rest to me.”

…

Chu Xinghui obediently closed his eyes.

His soul had reached its breaking point, and now that he was in a safe place, he finally let himself faint.

In midair, the crack that Xie Liufeng had opened slowly closed.

As the dream space completely collapsed, something rolled out from midair before the crack fully sealed.

It was a wine-cup-shaped spiritual artifact, glowing white. The cup’s bottom held a large ice-blue pearl.

This was likely the vessel for the dream space.

However, no one present had the energy to pay attention to it.

Meanwhile Xie Tinglan, scanning the crowd, suddenly paused when her gaze landed on the object that had fallen to the ground.

She didn’t know what the cup-shaped object was for, but the large pearl embedded in it…

Xie Tinglan’s expression turned grave.

As the sect leader of another faction, she wasn’t suited to act in this kind of situation.

She needed to communicate quietly… but with everyone on edge, any action from her would immediately draw attention.

She looked around, saw her confused disciple beside her, and an idea struck her. She grabbed him, whispered a few instructions, and then kicked him out.

She couldn’t act herself, but a junior could.

Cheng Yu’s sudden appearance froze the atmosphere for a moment.

He felt the pressure from the many gazes around him.

Xie Liufeng let out a light, emotionless chuckle, slicing the sleeve that Chu Xinghui had tightly held onto. He carefully passed Chu Xinghui to Cheng Yu, while his other hand gripped his sword tightly: “You’re just in time. Help me look after him.”

Cheng Yu, now distracted, quickly caught the unconscious Chu Xinghui and shouted: “Senior Xie! Take the cup!”

Upon hearing the reminder, Xie Liufeng finally split a bit of his attention to the cup that had fallen to the ground. His gaze paused slightly when he saw the pearl embedded in the cup before he took it.

He turned to Qin Xueyi and said: “Cultivator Qin, did you see it? Your beloved disciple carries the inner core of the monster that once wounded you.”

Upon hearing this, both Qin Xueyi and Mu Chengjin expressions changed drastically.

Qin Xueyi, for a moment, didn’t know whether to be more worried about how much Xie Liufeng knew, or why Qin Yuwen had something like that in his possession. She unconsciously loosened her grip on Qin Yuwen.

Qin Yuwen’s gaze darkened for a brief moment, and his voice sounded weak: “Aunt, I didn’t know…”

Qin Xueyi snapped out of her thoughts and quickly hugged him tighter, her heart full of concern: “Don’t say anything! Yuwen is the child I raised. I know his character better than anyone. This item must have been something he got by coincidence.”

Xie Liufeng respected her insistence, but he didn’t hesitate to forcibly take Qin Yuwen from her arms.

Qin Yuwen hadn’t expected that in front of all the Lingxiang Sect disciples, he would be grabbed so suddenly. He quickly called out to Mu Chengjin for help: “Master!”

Mu Chengjin broke into a cold sweat, desperate: “Sword Sovereign, please, just give Lingxiang Sect some face…”

Xie Liufeng’s gaze was indifferent: “When have I ever needed to consider other people’s faces?”

Mu Chengjin, with no time to think, quickly spoke up: “Sword Sovereign, please show mercy. Neither of these two juniors are in immediate danger. Once we investigate, we will surely give you an explanation—”

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening in shock.

Xie Liufeng didn’t hesitate. He raised his sword and swiftly slashed across Qin Yuwen’s neck.

Then, with a casual gesture, he shattered the soul essence Qin Yuwen had tried to use to escape.

Qin Yuwen’s body slowly fell to the ground, his face still frozen in disbelief from his final moments.

After finishing all of this,Xie Liufeng sheathed his sword and turned back to Mu Chengjin, still smiling, but there was no warmth in his eyes: “Apologies, I’m not good with words and don’t know how to ask for explanations. So, I had to trouble your disciple to die for the cause.”

The entire room was stunned by this turn of events, all falling into an eerie silence.

Qin Xueyi’s eyes moved downward. When she saw the body on the ground, she finally covered her mouth and let out an incredulous sob.

The child she had cherished for so many years… just gone like that?

Her cries shattered the silence, and Mu Chengjin, his expression grim, stared at Qin Yuwen’s lifeless body. His mind raced as he calculated the costs and losses.

Indeed, he loved this disciple dearly, but now that he was dead, the most pressing matter wasn’t Qin Yuwen’s life. It was the resources and time he had invested in this disciple, which were now all wasted.

Cheng Yu, sensing the tense atmosphere, held Chu Xinghui and quietly stepped back.

As soon as he moved, Chu Xinghui’s face was fully revealed to Mu Chengjin’s children.

Mu Lingxuan, impulsive as always, couldn’t hold back. She ignored her older brother’s attempt to stop her, her face changing as she shouted: “It’s him! That person named Xie!”

Mu Chengjin was startled, his thoughts interrupted by his daughter’s exclamation. He furrowed his brows and turned to look at her: “What do you mean, someone named Xie?”

Mu Lingxuan, under her father’s piercing gaze, faltered and lowered her voice, explaining: “The one… the one my senior brother wrote to you and mother about.”

Mu Chengjin paused to recollect, and after a moment, he finally remembered.

That… it was the eldest son that he and his wife had abandoned.

Qin Xueyi, upon hearing this, also remembered the matter. She forgot to cry as she stared blankly at Chu Xinghui.

The child’s appearance… indeed resembled her two children to some extent.

As memories flooded back, she suddenly jolted awake, looking anxiously at Mu Chengjin.

Mu Chengjin paused for a moment, then turned back, now looking at Xie Liufeng and Chu Xinghui with a new expression.

Xie Liufeng wasn’t concerned with the brewing undercurrents in Lingxiang Sect. After handling Qin Yuwen, he turned and carefully took Chu Xinghui from Cheng Yu’s arms, cradling him gently.

Mu Zeqing’s expression darkened significantly.

Having been Mu Chengjin son for over a decade, he knew his real father very well.

He could tell from the way Mu Chengjin looked at Chu Xinghui… that it wasn’t just a casual glance.

He was evaluating the worth of something.

Sure enough, Mu Chengjin fell silent for a moment before suddenly changing his attitude.

His disciple was already dead and could no longer provide any value, but the one in Xie Liufeng’s arms…

That was his own biological son.

The bond formed by blood was just as important as the bond between master and disciple.

Since Xie Liufeng was willing to come all the way to his door, their relationship was clearly special.

This was a rare opportunity to align with one of the greatest figures of the age.

Lingxiang Sect had many factions, and Mu Chengjin position as sect leader wasn’t guaranteed. If he could establish this connection…

A gleam of excitement flashed in Mu Chengjin eyes, and he suddenly called out to stop Xie Liufeng: “Wait!”

His voice was heavy with emotion: “Sword Sovereign, Yuwen made a mistake, and the punishment you’ve given him is enough. The grievances between us are now over. But that’s one matter, and this is another. The child in your arms is the son that Xueyi and I lost over ten years ago. We’ve longed for him, and now that we’ve finally found him, we cannot allow you to take him without reason!”

Parents always had the moral high ground when it came to their children. Mu Chengjin didn’t believe that after saying such words, Xie Liufeng would simply disregard blood ties and take Chu Xinghui away.

Xie Liufeng stopped in his tracks and looked back at him.

Had Mu Chengjin not mentioned it, he might have almost forgotten this particular detail.

Chu Xinghui’s attitude toward “parents” had already been very clear. And now, in such a public setting, he wouldn’t mind resolving the matter right here and now.

Xie Liufeng directly revealed the truth from years ago: “As I know it, Cultivator Qin was injured by a demon beast and poisoned with an incurable toxin. To cure herself, she transferred the toxin to her unborn child.”

He sneered lightly and reminded them: “Your eldest son is already dead. This one is mine. It’s not a good habit to just claim a son randomly.”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone who didn’t know the truth gasped in shock.

The couple, who were usually regarded as dignified and respectable elders, were now met with shocked glances from everyone around them.

It wasn’t hard to understand why their attitude toward their lost eldest son had always been so subtle.

In an instant, all eyes in the room were on Mu Chengjin and Qin Xueyi.

Both were taken aback by the directness of Xie Liufeng, and their expressions quickly turned grim.

Unable to bear the weight of the stares from the crowd, Qin Xueyi hurriedly explained: “It’s not like that… it’s not… we didn’t mean for this to happen. At the time, we accidentally acquired a method, and we just wanted to try it. But we didn’t expect the poison to transfer to the child… We never intended for him to be lost, it was all a series of unfortunate coincidences…”

As she spoke, it seemed that even Qin Xueyi herself began to believe her own words, and she covered her face in grief, sobbing: “I am his biological mother. I carried him for ten months, enduring so much to give birth to him. How could I not love him?”

If she truly didn’t love the child, how could she have refused to abort him when her husband suggested it, insisting on giving birth to the child who was destined to have a short life?

She just… hadn’t heard the conversation between her husband and his confidant on the day the child disappeared.

Mu Chengjin, embarrassed, tried to support his wife’s explanation: “Yes, yes, it was all a misunderstanding, and everyone can see how much Xueyi and I love our children. What parent wouldn’t love their child?”

Xie Liufeng let out a cold laugh: “What a nice coincidence.”

Chu Xinghui seemed disturbed by the noise and, still unconscious, frowned slightly.

Subconsciously, he leaned into Xie Liufeng’s chest, and sensing his familiar aura, his brow finally relaxed.

Xie Liufeng lowered his gaze and tightened his hold on the child.

He rarely let his anger show this openly.

Yet Mu Chengjin, still chattering on, attempted to keep Chu Xinghui with them: “Forget the past for now, this young friend is injured. Why don’t we let him rest in Lingxiang Sect for a while?”

Xie Liufeng closed his eyes for a moment.

He had no interest in hearing about the couple’s past feelings, but he knew that Chu Xinghui didn’t want to be caught up in all this mess.

At that moment, his spiritual sword suddenly moved on its own, cutting through the crowd with pinpoint accuracy and resting on Mu Chengjin’s forehead.

Mu Chengjin, frozen in place, felt his blood run cold as he stared at the blade just inches away from him. Finally, he fell silent.

He had believed that since he was Chu Xinghui’s biological father, Xie Liufeng would at least show him some respect and give him face, no matter their personal relationship.

In that moment, he realized that Xie Liufeng’s strength was such that he had no need to even consider this.

The sword hovered for a brief moment before slicing through his hair, neatly cutting off his topknot.

Mu Chengjin stood frozen, disheveled and trembling, as Xie Liufeng’s sword returned to its sheath.

Xie Liufeng’s gaze was cold: “Remember this. This time, it was Chu Xinghui who spared your life. If I hear any more nonsense about father-son or mother-son relationships from you, don’t blame me for being impolite.”

No one dared to stop him now.

Cheng Yu, unable to process all the information in his mind, stood dazed.

As Xie Liufeng passed by with Chu Xinghui in his arms, he glanced at Cheng Yu and reminded him: “Come along.”

After all, he had come to help. He couldn’t just leave Cheng Yu behind.

Cheng Yu quickly snapped out of his trance and followed him onto the spiritual sword.

*

Xie Liufeng found an inn in Shuixun CIty to settle in, taking Chu Xinghui with him.

Chu Xinghui’s condition was not good so long journey would have taken its toll on him.

Xie Liufeng poured his spiritual power into Chu Xinghui to help stabilize the chaotic energy within his body. As he did so, he turned to Cheng Yu, who was trailing behind: “Where is your master?”

Having been suddenly kicked out earlier, Xie Liufeng had a good idea who Cheng Yu had been with.

Knowing Cheng Yu’s real identity, he was a little apprehensive around him. Upon hearing the question, Cheng Yu immediately sent a message to Xie Tinglan.

Xie Tinglan, quick to respond, arrived in less than fifteen minutes.

Xie Liufeng withdrew his hand but kept his eyes on Chu Xinghui’s face: “Cousin, I’m counting on you.”

Xie Tinglan said nothing more and moved directly to check on Chu Xinghui’s condition.

“The soul is severely depleted, he’ll need time to recover on his own. We can only use some pills to assist in restoring his soul. He likely won’t wake up soon,” she said, pausing before looking at Xie Liufeng with a grave expression: “These issues are manageable, but his wounds have triggered the poison within his body. The usual methods won’t work. We can’t afford to wait.”

Xie Liufeng was silent for a moment before pulling out the cup-shaped spiritual artifact: “You asked Cheng Yu to remind me to bring this. Is it of any use?”

Xie Tinglan explained: “You have some knowledge of medicine, so you should know that some toxins from demon beasts can only be neutralized with special pills. However, there’s also the possibility of using the demon core of the corresponding beast to make a remedy, which might absorb the toxins.”

Xie Liufeng finally began to piece the information together: “So, you’re saying…”

Xie Tinglan, with a reluctant look, reminded him: “There is a chance, but we can’t be sure if this demon core is the right one.”

Xie Liufeng carefully separated the demon core from the cup-shaped artifact and handed it to her: “I understand. You do what you must. I’ll ensure he’s safe until we know the results.”

Once he promised something, he would follow through.

Seeing his determination, Xie Tinglan nodded: “Alright, I’ll head back to the sect and consult my master. He’s treated this type of poison before and will be more helpful than anyone else.”

Without wasting any more time, she quickly departed.

*

With life and death at stake, Xie Tinglan didn’t dare to delay. She quickly led Cheng Yu out the door.

She glanced back at Cheng Yu, who had been following her closely, and admonished: “I’ll return to the sect first. You continue your training here.”

Cheng Yu hesitated for a moment, then suddenly said: “Master, I want to go back with you.”

Xie Tinglan was taken aback, then smiled and looked at him: “Weren’t you unwilling to return to the sect?”

Cheng Yu lowered his head, speaking softly: “Chu Xinghui is my friend… I want to try to help him.”

Although his strength was still insufficient, at least he wanted to contribute in some way.

Xie Tinglan patted his head and agreed: “Alright, then come back with me.”

*

After Xie Tinglan and her disciple left, Xie Liufeng drew out a short knife and decisively cut open his fingertip.

He pressed out a drop of pale golden blood and fed it into Chu Xinghui’s mouth.

Chu Xinghui’s complexion visibly improved, and his expression in his sleep softened significantly.

However, Xie Liufeng’s face turned a little paler. He reached out to check Chu Xinghui’s pulse and confirmed that his condition had temporarily stabilized. He gently touched Chu Xinghui’s cheek and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

 

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