Old Master, Times Have Changed - Chapter 704 (Patreon)

Chapter 704: Yuan Arrives at the Tai Xuan Realm

Tai Xuan Realm, Sword Sect, before the Inner Sect Sword Ancestor Hall.

Xu Xing gazed into the distance. Beside him stood a figure in plain robes and a bamboo crown, bearing an extraordinary presence.

It was the Speaker of the Alliance of Righteousness—more precisely, the former Speaker: Chen Shang.

“I don’t know why Sword Ancestor Senior summoned this junior to the Sword Sect. What are your instructions?”

One moment ago, he had still been on the Starfront Battlefield. The next, his vision flashed red—when he opened his eyes again, he was already in the Sword Sect.

“Yuan is coming back.”

A single, simple sentence, yet it made Chen Shang freeze on the spot.

The news hit him so hard his mind went blank.

He hadn’t heard even the slightest rumor beforehand. How could it be that, out of nowhere, the first Speaker was about to return?

“I thought it was necessary to tell you.”

“…”

Chen Shang hesitated, wanting to speak and yet stopping himself.

He wasn’t the Speaker of the Alliance of Righteousness anymore, and he didn’t participate in the alliance’s major decisions. Was it really appropriate to tell him something like this?

…Well.

In a True Immortal Patriarch’s eyes, whether he was the Speaker or not probably didn’t make much difference.

Before the Immortal Sect Grand Tournament, Xu Xing had already mentioned matters related to the first Speaker to him, so this time was likely just Xu Xing grabbing someone he was relatively familiar with…

“May I ask, Sword Ancestor Senior—what is the first Speaker’s current condition? And can I inform the alliance of this?”

He asked the two most important questions.

“Yuan’s state isn’t very good. As for whether you pass the news back, that’s entirely up to you.”

“…” Chen Shang paused. “This junior understands.”

To this day, the overwhelming majority within the Alliance of Righteousness still believed the first Speaker had long since returned.

They all thought the first Speaker was merely in seclusion.

After all, for cultivators of the Soul Transformation realm, a few years of time was far too insignificant.

There was even a group within the alliance who had been in seclusion for a long time; they didn’t even know the first Speaker had ever left the Tai Xuan Realm…

As for the truth that “the Sage Emperor Yuan who appeared at the Martial Arts Ceremony was only a sliver of divine soul,” only a small number of high-level cultivators knew. Even among those in the Integration realm, more than half were still kept in the dark.

Seen that way, even if the first Speaker truly returned, the overall situation within the alliance wouldn’t experience any major upheaval.

“Stay at the Sword Sect for now. I’ll help you arrange things on the Starfront Battlefield side,” Xu Xing said. “When Yuan returns to the Tai Xuan Realm and recovers a bit, I’ll arrange for you to meet him.”

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at Chen Shang.

“When the time comes, what you should do exactly is something you and Yuan can discuss yourselves.”

“Many thanks, Sword Ancestor Senior.” Chen Shang spoke solemnly.

“Go.”

With a casual motion, Xu Xing sent him down the mountain.

There, a Sword Intent Projection of Du Ruoheng had long been waiting where Chen Shang would appear. He would take Chen Shang to the arranged residence, and also discuss matters concerning Yuan with him.

The number one in a thousand years. The youngest Soul Transformation cultivator since ancient times. The curtain-raiser of the age of great upheaval…

Looking back across the past two thousand years, there had never been anyone more legendary than him!

If they still didn’t take it seriously, then something was wrong with their heads.

It was just that they had only just reached a conclusion regarding Xu, and now Sage Emperor Yuan’s matter arrived on its heels…

Being a sect master really wasn’t a job with a single day of peace.

…

…

Not long after.

After sending Chen Shang down the mountain, Xu Xing returned to the Sword Ancestor Hall and walked straight into the place where the Ascension Web core was stored.

As he observed the core’s trajectories, strands of the Ascension Web suddenly extended from the void, weaving and intertwining, and finally forming a curtain of light behind Xu Xing.

Within the image was Ning Ruo, seated behind a silver-gray desk, leaning back in her chair.

Xu Xing paused and turned to look.

“Brother Xu, how is it over there?” Ning Ruo asked.

“Huo’s avatar left behind in the Taiyi Realm split off a thread of Light of Doubt, trying to quietly send Yuan and Yin Ling back to the Tai Xuan Realm,” Xu Xing explained.

“But when it reached the second realm-domain, I still discovered it.”

“So I went with the flow and seized Yuan and Yin Ling. By my estimate, they should be returning to the Tai Xuan Realm very soon.”

He briefly explained what had happened.

That thread of Huo’s Light of Doubt truly was hidden enough—one could even call it coming and going without a trace.

But the Ascension Web had been built with his power as its core. Now he had already touched Dao Source, and he was also paying especially close attention to Huo’s movements.

With multiple factors stacked together, he could seize Yuan and Yin Ling from Huo’s hands so easily.

“I understand. Then I’ll notify them to return as soon as possible on my side as well.”

The “them” here naturally referred to Ning Wanzhu and Mingyu.

“When the time comes, have them go straight to the Sword Sect.”

“Okay.”

Just as Ning Ruo seemed about to say something more—

She discovered more Ascension Web strands extending outward, weaving into another curtain of light.

Along with a crisp chime of music, the curtain displayed the sort of interface usually used to initiate a video call—

Meizu Ya is starting a video call. Accept / Decline.

Meizu?

Come to think of it, if you were making a video call through the Ascension Web, you didn’t really need to do it like this, did you?

Before Xu Xing could move, a strand of the Ascension Web extended out from Ning Ruo’s curtain of light and directly tapped the “Decline” button.

Xu Xing: “…”

The image flickered, as if it had frozen.

Very quickly, Meizu Ya’s figure appeared on the curtain of light. She lay on her side upon a soft couch, one hand over her heart, looking utterly heartbroken.

“You actually declined this concubine’s—hm?!”

When she noticed Ning Ruo, she immediately sat up:

“You were the one who pressed ‘Decline,’ weren’t you?!”

“Childish,” Ning Ruo said blandly.

“You’re the childish one. This concubine calls it ritual—romance. You understand fun, don’t you?”

As she spoke, Meizu Ya seemed to think of something, and her entire figure vanished from the image.

When she reappeared, she had come directly into the Sword Ancestor Hall itself, showing up right beside Xu Xing.

“Forget it. Anyway, you can only watch from far away, so this concubine won’t bicker with you.”

“…”

“Right—this concubine came to ask about Ji Yinxue.”

Meizu Ya didn’t continue provoking her. She stated her purpose directly.

After all, it involved her only disciple.

“On Ji Yinxue’s side…” Xu Xing shook his head slightly. “What I know is limited too. The only thing I can confirm for now is that Fellow Daoist Huo left behind an avatar to guard against the ‘supreme existence’ on the far side of the Chaos Sea.”

Huo was somewhat obsessive, but he wouldn’t be careless about something like this.

“Judging from its current behavior, that ‘supreme existence’ probably doesn’t intend to participate in our conflict with the Cang race. It shouldn’t act against Ji Yinxue.”

Huo’s avatar staying there was more for “insurance” and “warning.”

If that supreme existence came in person, a single avatar of Huo’s wouldn’t be able to block it for long.

But if it truly did so, that would prove it wasn’t “well-behaved,” and it might very well meddle at the most critical moment.

At that point, Xu Xing would not hesitate to abandon the Ascension Web, even the Dao traces left behind in the Ancient Tai Xuan Heaven, and personally go to the far side of the Chaos Sea to attempt to kill it.

That was a Dao-attaining one.

Not the kind of special-state “Heaven’s Will Immortal” like in the Realm of Earthly Immortals.

The role a complete Dao-attaining one could play at a crucial moment was absolutely beyond anyone’s imagination!

Of course, the best outcome was still that the “supreme existence” understood the stakes, behaved itself, and didn’t make any unnecessary moves.

“In short, rest assured. If necessary, the jade talisman Fellow Daoist Kui bestowed will also protect Ji Yinxue and bring her back.”

“Mm, mm. If Dao Brother says so, this concubine is at ease.”

If Dao Brother said so, then it meant he had a certain level of confidence.

It wasn’t that she, as a master, was overly doting on her disciple. It was mainly because she knew there was such an over-spec “supreme existence” on the far side of the Chaos Sea.

Otherwise, with Ji Yinxue’s cultivation, no matter where she went, Meizu Ya wouldn’t worry.

Then Meizu Ya looked at the floating curtain of light to the side.

“This concubine’s done asking—what were you two talking about just now?” she asked curiously.

“Was it about that Yuan your disciple likes, Dao Brother’s fellow townsman?”

She wasn’t that interested, but since she was already here, she might as well ask.

“Yes.”

“Oh, oh. Then you continue. This concubine will listen while you talk.”

“What needed saying has already been said.”

“Huh?”

Ning Ruo ignored her and looked at Xu Xing.

“Brother Xu, then I’ll go notify them, and also adjust the Ascension Platform hub they’ve anchored to.”

“Alright.”

After that, the curtain of light collapsed into strands of the Ascension Web and vanished.

“Dao Brother,” Meizu Ya suddenly said.

“Hm? What is it?”

“Do you think she has an issue with this concubine?”

Xu Xing: “…”

That question was really not easy to answer.

…

…

Late at night.

In the night sky, stars were scattered like ornaments, and the bright moon hung high.

After delivering a small gift, Xu Xing returned from the Sword Sect’s outer sect. At the moment, he was walking up the mountain steps toward the Sword Ancestor Hall at the summit.

Meizu Ya hadn’t gone back, but she had gone to find Bie Xuening instead, so she wasn’t with him.

The evening wind was bleak and cold, carrying bone-piercing chill.

It didn’t take long before he reached the mountaintop—and also saw the figure standing before the Sword Ancestor Hall, plain-featured yet gentle in temperament.

Huo.

Xu Xing didn’t find it surprising at all. He smiled and said:

“Fellow Daoist Huo visits late at night—what can I do for you?”

What can I do for you…

Why I’m here, are you really not clear?!

He had worked so hard to arrange the script, even revising it multiple times midway because of accidents.

Just when he finally stitched together an ending, on the way back he got intercepted and robbed!

Huo’s expression was somewhat complicated.

“Yuan… how is he now?”

Since the matter of him following to the Taiyi Realm couldn’t be concealed, he might as well speak plainly.

“Just like he was when I took him from your hands,” Xu Xing said directly.

He was speaking just as plainly.

“…” Huo fell silent for two seconds. “By the time I count, he should be arriving about now.”

The instant his words fell—

Whoosh!

A line of crimson edge tore through the air and appeared before Xu Xing.

It was only an extremely fine thread, and yet it seemed to encompass vast cosmos within, holding boundless profundity.

With a single glance, Huo found two points of bright light hidden within.

One violet, one blue—Yuan and Yin Ling.

Seeing this, Huo’s feelings grew even more complicated, and he couldn’t help recalling everything that had happened in the Chaos Sea.

“Dao Brother’s methods truly grow more profound by the day.”

Silently seizing Yuan and Yin Ling from him, and only letting him realize it after quite a while.

“You flatter me, Daoist.”

That thread of crimson edge moved like a swimming fish, circling once between Xu Xing’s fingers, before darting into the Sword Ancestor Hall.

“That Yuan could return safely this time is thanks to you. You should also go see him.”

Xu Xing had no intention of preventing Yuan and Huo from meeting.

“Perfect timing. Let’s also see—after your script, what he thinks now.”

Huo froze, then nodded.

“…Alright.”

Then the two entered the Sword Ancestor Hall, all the way into the dao arena.

The thread of crimson edge that had swept into the hall had already dispersed. Under the Sword Ancestor Hall’s Nullification of all techniques, the boundlessly vast Soul Transformation body was completely suppressed, and even the loss of spiritual essence stopped entirely.

All that remained was a blue-haired woman with delicate features. She clutched a young man in a black overcoat who lay unconscious, her face filled with anxious worry.

Hearing footsteps behind her, she immediately turned with alertness.

At once, her eyes widened in disbelief.

“It’s you!”

Though she hadn’t seen everything that happened in the latter half of the journey—

She did remember this bad man deceiving the lord into thinking he was dissipating, making the lord feel heartbroken.

“Bad man!”

Xu Xing looked at Huo with great interest.

Huo: “…”

Be reasonable—haven’t I treated you quite well?

I even seized a whole world’s Heaven’s Will to soothe you. Isn’t that enough?

“Let me introduce him,” Xu Xing said. “He is Huo.”

“Yuan’s friend,” Huo added calmly.

“…” Xu Xing fell silent for two seconds, but in the end he still didn’t expose him. “I’m Xu Xing. Yuan and I come from the same place—we’re fellow townsmen.”

Yin Ling’s gaze was a little lost, but she quickly reacted.

So this was the person the lord told her to wait for back then!

“Hello…”

Her confidence wasn’t very strong.

Back then, the lord told her to wait for someone, but she had followed privately instead. Even though the lord later said he didn’t blame her, now that she truly met the person she was supposed to wait for, Yin Ling still felt a bit guilty.

“No need to be nervous.”

Xu Xing spread his hand. Floating quietly above his palm was a Hun Tian Device with eighty-one layers of ritual tracks.

On those eighty-one layers were complex symbols engraved, locking together ring by ring, advancing layer by layer.

Dazzling spiritual glow streamed out from the very center, soaking the originally bronze-colored tracks until they became translucent pale blue.

As the eighty-one layers of rune-ritual tracks rotated and interlaced, brilliant realm-domain patterns were projected, manifesting immeasurable information at every instant.

It was the Realm-Deriving Device Yuan had left behind in the Homeward Laboratory back then!

As an Integration-grade artifact, if it appeared in the Chaos Sea—or within a world of the Integration realm or higher—every one of these realm-domain patterns could be projected into a “shadow world,” possessing corresponding world traits, while also consuming the Realm-Deriving Device’s energy to bring out corresponding resources and methods from the “shadow world.”

Realm derivation may be illusory—yet with a thought, it becomes real!

Its capabilities were even stronger than the Dao Evolution of the Thousand Realms that He Yunqi obtained in the Realm of Peace!

“You lost your physical foundation. Your spiritual essence is unstable. I’ll return this to you for now.”

For an artifact-born spirit like Yin Ling—born with an extremely high standing—her original physical foundation was the most suitable.

With a light toss—

The Realm-Deriving Device spun as it floated toward Yin Ling, merging into her and giving her a physical foundation once again.

Because of the Sword Ancestor Hall’s suppression, no immediate change could be seen.

After doing all of this, Xu Xing looked toward Yuan.

Next would be Yuan…

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