Ye Ming’s heart trembled as he thought of Shangguan Xi’er. She was the first woman who had ever stirred his heart. Even now, recalling those memories, Ye Ming felt immense regret. If he had been more decisive in the capital back then, the subsequent events would not have transpired, and Shangguan Xi’er would not have gone missing. This was a wound that would forever remain unhealed for Ye Ming. Even though he was now certain that Shangguan Xi’er was not in danger, a flicker of unease still persisted in his heart without seeing her with his own eyes. His emotions grew somewhat somber.
“Ye Ming!” Nangong Qianyu, who shared a special connection with him, immediately sensed Ye Ming’s shift in mood, her beautiful eyes filled with concern. Fang Junxue and the others also looked at him.
“Don’t worry! I’m fine!” Ye Ming smiled, then returned to the main topic, “Junxue, are you saying that with the Shangguan clan’s addition, you were able to quickly take down the other three major clans?”
Upon hearing this, Fang Junxue gave him a deep look before nodding, “Yes! The Shangguan clan supported us with almost their entire clan’s strength. Coupled with Qianxue Group and Qishi Pharmaceuticals, it wasn’t difficult to conquer them.”
Listening to Fang Junxue’s explanation, Ye Ming felt touched. The Shangguan clan’s wholehearted assistance, in particular, warmed his heart. “Xi’er, I will find you!” Ye Ming vowed inwardly.
“Ye Ming, when are you planning to establish the alliance?” Bai Qiushui asked. With the addition of the clan’s influence, Ye Ming now controlled nine forces. Once all were united, the power they could unleash would be unimaginable.
“We must be quick!” Ye Ming said solemnly, “We must do it before the forces from the Outer Realm fully enter the current world.”
“Yes, I agree!” Fang Junxue also concurred, “The later it is, the more likely unforeseen circumstances will arise!”
“Precisely! That’s why I plan to gather everyone together during this time to discuss matters!” Ye Ming looked at everyone and said, “I will contact them later. You all just focus on handling your own affairs!”
“Alright!” The women nodded, naturally understanding their roles.
***
After dinner, night had fallen. In the main hall, everyone except Ye Ming had entered the Time Chamber to cultivate. However, for Ye Ming, who had already reached the Heavenly Man realm, further breakthroughs were not something that could be achieved solely through the passage of time. It primarily relied on moments of sudden enlightenment.
“Hm?” At this moment, Ye Ming took out a jade stone emitting a faint green light. “This is… Yan You’er!” He hadn’t expected Yan You’er to contact him at this time.
“What is it?” Ye Ming said solemnly, looking at the jade stone in his hand.
“Master… no! Young Master, I apologize for disturbing your rest!” A voice, tinged with trepidation yet also a hint of excitement and beauty, emanated from the jade stone.
“Get to the point!” Ye Ming’s tone was commanding.
“Yes, yes!” Yan You’er quickly replied, “Young Master, have you heard of the Origin Fiends (Shi Yuan She Nie)?”
Origin Fiends? Hearing these words, Ye Ming’s brow furrowed slightly, a sense of foreboding washing over him. He then asked, “Have any of the Origin Fiends broken their seals again?”
“Yes!” Yan You’er was clearly surprised by his words, especially the word “again,” which implied much more. “As expected of you, Young Master. Nothing can be hidden from you.” Yan You’er said with admiration.
“Explain it to me in detail. What exactly happened?” For some reason, Ye Ming felt a bad premonition.
“Yes, it’s like this…” Through Yan You’er’s description, Ye Ming learned that in addition to the two seals he already knew had been broken, three more seals had been shattered in the past two days alone. With the previous two, five of the eight seals were now damaged. This was incredibly bizarre. No, to be precise, it was highly abnormal. The seals had been intact before, with no unusual occurrences. Yet now, five seals had been broken in such a short period. This strongly suggested foul play. It was clearly a premeditated act.
“Is Xia Baiyi alright?” Realizing this, Ye Ming became worried about his nominal fiancée. Before the second seal was broken, Xia Baiyi had already obtained some information from the soul of a "Ten Swords" divine soul who had escaped from the Immortal Palace. The most crucial piece of information was the existence of a traitor among the eight great super sects. Xia Baiyi had intended to use this opportunity to find the traitor. Now, with three more seals broken, wasn’t this indirect proof that Xia Baiyi’s mission had failed?
“Yan You’er, tell me, besides the breakdown of the Altar of Sealing Origin Fiends, has anything else major happened?” Ye Ming asked in a deep voice.
“Major events?” A questioning voice came from the jade stone.
“For example, have there been any earth-shattering battles?” Ye Ming pressed.
“Battles?” Yan You’er pondered for a moment and then replied, “Naturally, when the Origin Fiends escaped, many battles ensued. People from the eight great powers were almost all dispatched. But if you’re talking about a major battle… there really hasn’t been one.” She continued, “Those Origin Fiends who escaped seemed to have no intention of fighting and were solely focused on fleeing. So, there were only minor skirmishes, nothing too significant!”
After hearing Yan You’er’s words, Ye Ming secretly breathed a sigh of relief. With Xia Baiyi’s strength, a full-blown fight would have surely attracted attention. But since no major battle occurred, it at least indicated that she was likely safe.
“By the way, do you know which direction those escaping Origin Fiends headed?” Ye Ming’s brow was deeply furrowed, as if he might already have an answer in mind.
“Young Master, this is why I urgently contacted you!” Yan You’er’s voice also grew serious. “Since all eight super-powers are currently mobilized, they cannot remain in the Outer Realm, so…” Although she didn’t finish her sentence, her meaning was clear. If the Outer Realm could no longer be their hiding place, they had only one destination. The current world!
“I understand!” Ye Ming’s heart sank to the bottom.
“Young… Young Master, what are your orders next?” Yan You’er asked nervously.
“Are the majority of the forces in your area now preparing to enter the current world?” Ye Ming asked in a cold tone.
“Yes! You are correct, Young Master!” Yan You’er continued, “Currently, all eight super-powers have been mobilized. From what I know, they seem to have established their foundations in the current world long ago.” She added with a solemn tone, “Young Master, please be careful!” This last sentence clearly conveyed Yan You’er’s deep concern. Ye Ming was already aware of this fact. The ancient martial arts sects like the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion and Wushuang Island were living proof of this.
“I know!” Ye Ming pondered for a moment and made a decision. “Yan You’er, you should also prepare to leave the Outer Realm.”
“Leave?” Yan You’er was stunned for a moment, but then she understood. “Yes!” She quickly responded, “Young Master, three days from now, I will lead all the disciples of the Heavenly Pavilion to your side!”
“Mm.” Ye Ming nodded. “If there are any further unusual occurrences, notify me immediately!”
“Understood!”
After severing contact with Yan You’er, Ye Ming’s state of mind became chaotic and complex, like a gloomy, overcast day, creating a suffocating sensation. He exhaled deeply, shook his head a few times, and temporarily pushed away those distracting thoughts. He then went upstairs, intending to take a bath and get some rest.
“Hm?” As he passed Bai Qiushui’s room, a soft voice instinctively echoed in his mind: “Tonight… let’s continue.” Recalling the passionate encounter in the kitchen earlier, Ye Ming felt a surge of heat. Combined with the news from Yan You’er, his emotions had become somewhat suppressed. Both body and spirit required a release.
“This…” However, Ye Ming seemed conflicted. After all, Bai Qiushui was currently cultivating, and barging in seemed inappropriate. Ultimately, Ye Ming shook his head with a wry smile, suppressing the flames within him. But just as he was about to leave, a tender voice suddenly sounded in his mind: “Aren’t… aren’t you coming in?” The voice was clearly laced with immense shyness, even her tone trembled slightly.
“Qiu… Qiushui!” Ye Ming froze. It was obvious that his presence outside the room had already attracted the attention of the person inside. Now that she had extended an invitation, how could he refuse? If he had observed carefully, he might have noticed that the door had a slight crack before he arrived, meaning it wasn’t fully closed. So, she had already left the door ajar for him, why was he hesitating? As Ye Ming gently pushed the door open, he discovered this.
Ye Ming walked in. There was no light in the room. Even the moonlight from outside was ruthlessly blocked by the curtains. With a click! As Ye Ming closed the door, the room was plunged into complete darkness. A profound silence. Of course, if Ye Ming wished, his eyes could see everything in the room. But at this moment, he wouldn’t do that. Otherwise, wouldn’t it be too boring? Now, he had temporarily sealed all his energy, completely as an ordinary person, fumbling through the darkness step by step. After a full minute of exploration, Ye Ming finally reached the edge of the bed. Thump! Thump! At this moment, he seemed to hear a rapid heartbeat. He slowly moved towards the source of the sound, exploring.
“Ah!” But just as he touched the origin of the sound, a soft gasp shattered the tense and exciting silence.
“Caught you!” Ye Ming finally made a discovery in the darkness, saying with a smile, “Didn’t you say we’d continue? What, are you scared?”
“No… no!” The person in the darkness seemed to be feigning stubbornness, not admitting it. However, the rapid heartbeat he felt in his palm was enough to indicate that she was trying to appear calm. With this, Ye Ming smiled wickedly. He had extensive experience dealing with stubborn opponents. The first step was always to pry open their lips.
“Mmm!” He didn’t know how he precisely located her in the darkness. He leaned down, pinning her beneath him, and then launched an offensive that used softness to overcome hardness. Ultimately, due to the vast difference in experience between the two sides, the person in the darkness began to lose her defenses, and the battle was no longer in doubt. Minutes later, the captive, unable to resist, could only submit to his advances, losing herself amidst a series of faint moans. This continued until dawn.
***
The morning sunlight seemed to possess a strong curiosity, and even through the obstruction of the curtains, it found its way through the tiny cracks, bringing a sliver of light into the dark room. With the addition of light, the room instantly seemed to gain a touch of vitality. Even the air was filled with a spring-like atmosphere. Perhaps it was the warmth within the sunlight that awakened the sleeping warrior. However, the moment her eyes opened, she was captivated by the extremely beautiful, delicate face within close proximity.
“So beautiful!” The warrior exclaimed sincerely, leaving a tender kiss on her exquisite forehead.
“Hm?” This action seemed to awaken the sleeping person. Her long, slender eyelashes began to tremble slightly. A few seconds later, a pair of languid, hazy beautiful eyes slowly opened, revealing boundless tenderness.
“You… you should get up and make breakfast!” Bai Qiushui, seeing Ye Ming staring at her, instinctively shrank back, wanting to maintain a certain distance from him. However, she seemed to have forgotten that nearly half of her body was currently pressed against him. This slight movement would only release a series of stimulating signals.
“I’m hungry!” Ye Ming said with a wicked smile, his arm around her waist gradually tightening.
“You…” Seeing this, Bai Qiushui’s face paled. She knew better than anyone that Ye Ming’s mention of “hunger” did not refer to actual hunger.
“Don’t worry, after I’m full, I’ll definitely make something delicious for you.” Ye Ming executed a perfect flip and began to “dine.” Following this, another pre-meal symphony began. Half an hour later, the performance concluded.
***
At the dining table.
“Junxue, how is the sale of spiritual artifacts and pills in Huaguo?” Ye Ming sipped his seafood congee, occasionally glancing at Bai Qiushui beside him while asking. However, Miss Qiushui was completely ignoring him at this moment, her pretty face still burning red. After all, some of her sisters had passed by her room this morning and seemed to have heard the distinctive symphonic sounds, which made her too embarrassed to even look up now. Fortunately, Qingyu, who had just joined the family, hadn’t heard it, otherwise, she would likely be no different from Miss Qiushui, once again turning into a little ostrich.
“Ahem! Currently, the sales volume is quite good, quite good!” Fang Junxue shifted her gaze away from Bai Qiushui and replied with a hint of annoyance.
“Good! That’s good!” Ye Ming’s thick skin was unfazed. Just as the atmosphere became somewhat tense, the doorbell suddenly rang.
“Chu Qingyi of the Chu family, paying a visit to Young Master Ye.”