The Sword Spirit glanced at Qin Bufan and said, “Even though my main body has suppressed all of you for 100,000 years, haven't I been trapped there for 100,000 years as well? To a certain extent, there’s actually no difference between us.”
Yang Ye’s profound energy was surging within him while he stayed vigilant. After all, Qin Bufan and the other defiant profounders had been sealed for 100,000 years, and it would be impossible for them to feel no resentment.
Qin Bufan glanced up into the sky and said, “Don’t worry, every enmity has a person responsible for it. I, Qin Bufan, know who my enemy is. Out of consideration for the fact that we’ve joined forces in battle, I’ll remind you that not everyone makes such clear differentiation like me. Since you have that ancient sheath with you, countless defiant profounders will definitely attack you in the future. After all, its main body has tortured us for 100,000 years.”
Yang Ye replied, “I don’t like to cause trouble, but I’m not afraid of it!”
“Right!” Qin Bufan nodded, and then he transformed into an arc of light that shot towards the distance.
“You’re leaving just like that?” asked Yang Ye.
“It’s too dangerous to stay with you!” Qin Bufan’s voice resounded from the sky.
The corners of Yang Ye’s mouth twitched while he said to himself, What a pity!
He’d intended to ask Qin Bufan to take him to where the Sword Spirit’s main body was. However, it was obvious that Qin Bufan had figured out his intentions and fled before he could even ask.
“We must find where my main body is as soon as possible!” The Sword Spirit’s voice carried a rare trace of solemnness, and it seemed like her condition was very serious.
Yang Ye pondered deeply for a moment before he waved his right hand, and then Fu Jinxian appeared before him. The thing he’d asked the Sword Spirit to do earlier was to get Fu Jinxian.
“We’ve escaped?” Fu Jinxian revealed happiness on her face, and then she glanced at the surroundings and said, “What about the Fire Spirit Race?”
“It’s finished!” Yang Ye spoke indifferently.
“Oh.” She was stunned for a moment, and then merely spoke a single word before she fell silent.
“Do you know where the defiant profounders are being sealed?” asked Yang Ye.
He had to rescue the Sword Spirit’s main body no matter what. Not to mention that it could improve his strength, it could even allow him to gain true control over the Sword Domain. Moreover, the Sword Spirit had helped him a lot, so he couldn’t just watch as she died.
“What do you intend to do?” Fu Jinxian was shocked.
“I hope that you don’t ask too many questions!” Yang Ye looked her in the eyes while his voice carried a trace of impatience.
Fu Jinxian glanced at him, and then spoke softly, “The place that the defiant profounders are sealed at is called the Pagoda of Confinement. It’s deep within the ground, even deeper than where my Fire Spirit Race resided. Moreover, it’s densely covered by grand formations and countless Half-Saints. To be honest, you won’t be able to enter at all.”
Yang Ye frowned and said, “Do you have a way in?”
Fu Jinxian thought for a moment and said, “There’s one way!”
“Tell me!” said Yang Ye.
She explained, “There are four paradises of cultivation in the Hallowed Halls. They are the Forest of Illusions and Demons, the Netherworld Ocean, the Cloudpool of Lightning, and the Pagoda of Confinement. The Pagoda of Confinement is considered to be the best amongst the paradises of cultivation because it’s filled with abundant amounts of fire element energy. The amount of energy there is equivalent to Firecrystals, and it’s even those that are 500 years old and above. Of course, it’s the most dangerous amongst the paradises of cultivation. Because defiant profounders might appear at any moment. Moreover, if the defiant profounders who emerge aren’t strong, then the Half-Saints of the Hallowed Halls wouldn’t lend a hand at all. The geniuses of the Hallowed Halls would have to deal with them on their own.”
Yang Ye said, “Get to the point!”
She continued, “If you want to get to the Pagoda of Confinement, then you must sneak into the Hallowed Halls. Of course, that isn’t easy. Even the geniuses of the Hallowed Halls wouldn’t be able to enter the 4 paradises of cultivation with ease. There’s only a single way for you to accomplish that, and it’s to exchange the point of the Hallowed Halls for it.”
“Points?” Yang Ye frowned because it was the first time that he’d heard of this.
She nodded, “Everything in the Hallowed Halls requires points. For example, cultivation techniques, combat techniques, treasures, and even clothes or food have to be bought with points. Moreover, even marriages require points to be completed. In any case, you can’t do anything in the Hallowed Halls without points. So, the members of the Hallowed Halls and especially those of the younger generation have to earn points every single day, because only points would allow them to obtain better things. On the other hand, strength is needed to obtain points, so the Hallowed Halls’ strength is the greatest throughout the Hallowed Grounds.”
“Under such circumstances, even the laziest person would have no choice but to work hard!” Yang Ye finally understood why the geniuses of the Hallowed Halls far surpassed Profounder Continent or even the Fire Spirit Race. If one didn’t work hard while one resided within such an environment, then one might starve to death.
“Is there any other way to enter the Pagoda of Confinement?” asked Yang Ye. After all, sneaking into the Hallowed Halls wasn’t a really reliable method. It wasn’t the Fire Spirit Race that he had a chance of escaping even if he was exposed. He would definitely die if he was exposed in the Hallowed Halls.
She shook her head and said, “Unless you want to enter by force!”
“How many Half-Saints are there?”
She answered, “At least 50 in the outer circle, and there might be more now!”
Yang Ye eyelids twitched, “That many?”
She replied, “It’s not only the Half-Saints of the Hallowed Halls that are there, the Half-Saints from my Fire Spirit Race and various other races are there as well. So, it’s impossible for you to enter by force.”
Yang Ye said, “Looks like I have no other choice!”
“But what about your appearance…?” Fu Jinxian seemed hesitant to finish her sentence.
Yang Ye rubbed his face and said, “Don’t worry, I know how to solve that problem.”
She suddenly said, “You won’t kill me, right?”
Yang Ye glanced at her and asked, “Why are you asking me such a question?”
She replied, “Only I’m aware of your identity and objectives. No one would be aware of it once I’m dead.”
Yang Ye gazed at her for a short while and said, “I always seek a clear conscience when I do anything. I wouldn’t be able to keep my conscience clear if I killed you for that.”
She heaved a sigh of relief and said, “Thank you!” Actually, she wasn’t afraid of death, but she was afraid that no one would help her take revenge if she died!
Yang Ye lowered his head and gazed at the Sword Spirit, “Hold on for a while longer. I’ll save your main body soon!”
“Thank you!” said the Sword Spirit.
Yang Ye shook his head, “It’s I who should thank you!”
She said, “I’m too weak now and can’t take human form at will, and I can’t execute Heavenrend with you as well. Be careful!”
Yang Ye nodded and said, “It’s fine. I’ve almost mastered the Mortal Sword, and I might not be able to utilize sword techniques for some time.”
She nodded lightly, and then transformed into the ancient sheath in Yang Ye’s grasp.
Yang Ye took a deep breath as he gazed at the ancient sheath, and then he put it away and said, “Come, let’s head to the Hallowed Halls!”
…
Ancient City of Hallows.
The Ancient City of Hallows belonged to the human race, and it was the place in the Hallowed Grounds that had the most experts and was the strongest. At the same time, it had the most monstrous geniuses as well. Because every single one of the geniuses in the top 10 positions on the Hallowed Rankings could surmount their realms of cultivation to do battle.
As he stood outside the Ancient City of Hallows, Yang Ye noticed for the very first time that he was actually so tiny.
The city towered into the clouds, and he couldn’t see the top of it even with his cultivation at the Monarch Realm. As he stood beneath its city walls, he was tiny like an insignificant speck of dirt.
Fu Jinxian explained softly, “The city was jointly created by all the human Saints of the ancient times. The stones that make up the city walls are Obsidian that come from far in the north. These Obsidians are extremely solid, and even Monarch Realm experts would find them difficult to destroy. Besides that, the city is covered in the energy of the Laws which those ancient experts left behind. So, even Half-Saints wouldn’t be able to destroy the city.”
At this moment, Yang Ye’s appearance had changed. He’d used a medicinal pill called the Transfiguration Pill to change his appearance. He wasn’t afraid that others could discern his identity because he’d merely utilized the medicinal properties of the pill to change the order of the muscles beneath his face. So, strictly speaking, his face was still his face, but the form of the muscles beneath his face had been changed. So, even Half-Saints would find it impossible to discern anything. Because his face wasn’t altered by a human skin mask or illusory techniques.
On the other hand, Fu Jinxian’s appearance remained the same. That was her own request because only then could she return to the remaining forces of the Fire Spirit Race.
Besides that, Fu Jinxian received news from the Fire Spirit Race’s patriarch. Actually, so long as they were still alive, every single member of the Fire Spirit Race received that news, and their patriarch ordered them to immediately travel to the Ancient City of Hallows.
The two of them had just arrived before the entrance yet were stopped by an old man.
The corners of Yang Ye’s eyes twitched slightly because the old man who guarded the entrance to the city was a Half-Saint!
The old man glanced at them, and then his gaze descended onto Yang Ye in the end. He said, “A human? The Fire Spirit Race?”
Yang Ye and Fu Jinxian nodded.
“Do you have points?” said the old man.
Yang Ye shook his head.
“20 extreme-grade energy stones!” As soon as the old man finished speaking, he added, “Firecrystals will do as well. They must be 100 years old and above.”
The corners of Yang Ye’s mouth twitched. It actually costs 20 extreme-grade energy stones just to enter the city! The Hallowed Halls really knows how to do business!
They walked into the city after handing over 20 extreme-grade energy stones. But they were immediately stopped by 3 men upon entering the city.
“Fu Jinxian? I never expected it to be you!” The white clothed man who led the group sized up Fu Jinxian, and then he smiled, “I’d thought that I’d mistaken you for someone else, but I never expected it to really be you. I heard your Fire Spirit Race was annihilated, is that true? Eh, I never expected that you would have gotten another man. Tsk, tsk. How’s his technique? Is it better than mine? Haha….”
“She’s that Fu Jinxian?” A yellow robed man who stood by the white clothed man’s side instantly had his interests aroused, and he ceaselessly sized her up and clicked his tongue, “What a stunner!”
“Isn’t she!?” The white clothed man smiled, “When I encountered her in the Fire Spirit Race’s territory, she pretended to be intimate with me but actually wanted to kill me, yet she thought I wasn’t aware. But I knew from the beginning. Every time I saw her intending to kill me yet being hesitant while I played with her was truly beyond enjoyable. Haha!”
Fu Jinxian’s face turned ghastly pale. She didn’t really care about her reputation because she didn’t have one for a very long time. She cared about Yang Ye’s attitude towards her because she had gained quite a good understanding of Yang Ye’s temper after being by his side throughout this period. Even though Yang Ye didn’t look down upon her, she knew that he didn’t like what she did.
Sure enough, Yang Ye frowned.
In Yang Ye’s opinion, he really didn’t want to be dragged into Fu Jinxian’s problems, but it was truly not nice for him to just abandon her here. He shook his head, glanced at her, and said, “Let’s go!”
She heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly nodded.
Meanwhile, the white clothed man blocked Yang Ye’s path and said, “Brother, let me discuss something with you!”
“Are you sure that you want to do that?” asked Yang Ye.
He chuckled and said, “Of course, I still want to have some fun with her. You wouldn’t refuse, right?”
Yang Ye turned his head to look at Fu Jinxian, and he asked, “Are you willing?”
She quickly shook her head in response while a trace of terror appeared in her eyes. Because her intuition told her that Yang Ye was getting slightly annoyed.
Yang Ye gazed at the white clothed man and said, “You saw her response!”
The white clothed man restrained his smile, and then he tapped Yang Ye’s chest as he said, “I told you that because I was giving you face. Now, I don’t want to give you face anymore. I’m going to do her right in front of you!”
