As they traveled in the Limitless Ocean, Ye Xiao improved faster day after day.
The improvement in cultivation was a great thing, but Ye Xiao found that it was weird at the same time. Since he arrived in the Human Realm Upon Heavens, he started to eat a lot every day while he improved greatly. Perhaps, the efficacy of the Anti-starvation Dan which Erhuo made for him wasn’t decreasing, but his appetite was growing. His appetite grew several times bigger, so the Anti-starvation Dan didn’t work so well on him anymore. In the days with the Dark Evil Spirit, Ye Xiao ate like a giant beast. Every day, he ate a lot of food, six meals a day, all meats and drinks. When he swallowed some meat of some spiritual beasts which contained spiritual qi, he didn’t need to digest it. The spiritual qi in the meat directly turned into some pure spiritual energy inside him, running into the dantian.
The Dark Evil Spirit was paying everything after all, so Ye Xiao wouldn’t hold back but ate as much as he could every time.
There was another reason why Ye Xiao wanted the improvement so badly. Since he entered the Limitless Ocean, the East-rising Purple Qi was incredibly energetic. Ye Xiao’s improvement on cultivation was so fast that it surprised and impressed the Dark Evil Spirit. He couldn’t help praising Ye Xiao.
“Brother Ye, what level are you at when you came out to the martial world?” The Dark Evil Spirit asked Ye Xiao.
“I don’t know. I think level six or level seven of the Mystery Origin Stage. I guess I am young, so my family doesn’t push me so hard!” Ye Xiao spoke uncertainly.
‘Damn you, young lord from a great clan. You don’t even remember your cultivation level? Level six and level seven are totally two different levels! There is a big gap between them! You are young, huh? So they don’t push you, huh? Do you think it is just like getting married?’
The Dark Evil Spirit cursed silently in his heart, but said to Ye Xiao, “What about now?”
Ye Xiao blankly shook his head and said, “You beat me with this question, Brother Dark. I have no idea what level I am right now, really… You know, the level system in my family is quite different from the one we use in the world… I am not trying to hide anything from you…”
‘I see.’
The Dark Evil Spirit thought, *’This is more like it.’ *He then said in high spirit, “Of course, I believe Brother Ye. However, you have to know that it is necessary for a cultivator to know his own power. Come on, let me test it. I know how to get your cultivation level.”
And then he grabbed Ye Xiao’s wrist. When he just started to pour his spiritual energy into Ye Xiao’s body, a reverse power suddenly burst out to resist him.
The Dark Evil Spirit was shocked! He said, “Faery Origin Stage? What? How is this possible?” He couldn’t believe it.
Ye Xiao blankly said, “Faery Origin Stage? What does it mean? Am I at a higher stage? Have I broken through the stage?”
The Dark Evil Spirit wanted to hit the wall on his head.
The name of the stage, Mystery Origin Stage, was given by a great figure in history. He said, “The life of a man is like a mystery.”
That point was at the first part of what this great figure said.
In other words, the Mystery Origin Stage was the highest stage a mortal human being could reach!
Cultivators who reached level nine of the Mystery Origin Stage had to go through countless difficulties in the world to break through the limit and get to the higher stage, Faery Origin Stage.
Faery Origin Stage, as it said, was the dividing line between mortal and immortal, humans and gods.
It was the true start of the path toward immortality.
Over ninety percent of cultivators in the Human Realm Upon Heavens stopped upgrading before the dividing line! They could only go no further than the level nine of the Mystery Origin Stage!
That was the best they could do.
The boundary between human and gods was not easy to get through after all!
Those who couldn’t break through the boundary stayed in the Faery Origin Stage. And people in the Faery Origin Stage were in the lowest positions in the Human Realm Upon Heavens—as known as the common people.
Reaching the Faery Origin Stage was such an important thing for all cultivators, and this young man—the young Lord Ye, actually did it without noticing it himself. When he was asked about his cultivation level, he was actually blank. Perhaps, he just didn’t care that much about it. Maybe it wasn’t so difficult for him at all!
The Dark Evil Spirit thought of the day when he was breaking through the boundary between human and gods. He still remembered how much he had suffered for it in those several decades before that day. He looked at Ye Xiao, thinking about how indifferent it was for Ye Xiao…
Envy did kill those who were worse!
The Dark Evil Spirit suddenly came up with an idea of killing himself.
‘This is not fair.’
Ye Xiao was really blank at the moment. He didn’t pretend it this time. He had a clear feeling that the East-rising Purple Qi didn’t reach the upper level. It was definitely still at the third level. However, he could feel his power improved several times.
He had no idea what had happened to him.
However, during the days in the Limitless Ocean, as he was in a dangerous situation, he felt that every inch of his skin was activated.
Every bit of his Jing and Mai, even every pore on his skin, was activated. His entire body was absorbing the spiritual qi from the air between the sky and the earth.
When he walked on the road, he could feel the airflow around him, which made him become like the center of a hurricane.
The spiritual qi kept running into his body.
Was it easier to absorb spiritual qi in the Human Realm Upon Heavens? He didn’t even have to do it himself, and the spiritual qi automatically ran into him!
He knew the answer was no. The others didn’t absorb spiritual qi like he did.
“Brother Ye, you must be the most talented man in your family!” The Dark Evil Spirit said. He was envious of this young lord.
“Oh, it will be presumptuous and unreasonably arrogant to say that myself. However, in my generation, the others, well, many brothers of mine, are all a little bit weaker than me in physical condition. I don’t think I should deny this, because everybody knows it is true. I shouldn’t underestimate myself after all.” Ye Xiao pretended to be a young man who wanted to be humble but was too powerful to stay humble.
The Dark Evil Spirit couldn’t help twisting his lips.
‘So… You are saying… It is presumptuous ad unreasonably arrogant to claim the most talented man in your family, but the others are all weaker than you? What is the difference? Doesn’t it mean that you are the most talented? You can’t underestimate yourself, huh? Full of bullsh*t… It can’t be more topsy-turvy!’
However, what had drawn the Dark Evil Spirit’s attention was how Ye Xiao mentioned his brothers. When he mentioned his brothers, he said ‘many brothers of mine’. That meant the Ye Clan had a flourishing population.
The Dark Evil Spirit was proud that he could learn some truth from the young lord’s words. Other than that, he just ignored the rest of Ye Xiao’s words, because he would never go along with Ye Xiao’s boast. He figured a powerful cultivator should keep some dignity sometimes.
“We are arriving at the Dark Wind Ridge. After that, we will reach the City of Chaos.” The Dark Evil Spirit took a breath and said, “The City of Chaos, the most chaotic part of this city is the disordered forces. However, inside the city, it is the safest area for travelers in the Limitless Ocean. There is always a fragile and terrible balance inside the city. As long as we stay out of others’ business, we won’t need to worry about our own safety.
“The City of Chaos must be one of the most important things in the Limitless Ocean, which had the clearest territory lines. It is the first important city we will arrive at. Normally, when the different forces in the Limitless Ocean wanted to negotiate, trade with each other, and make exchanges, they would do it in one of these cities.
“The City of Chaos is one of these cities.”
The Dark Evil Spirit smiled and said, “In a city like this, you can buy whatever you want, as long as you have enough money. There are only things you can’t imagine, but nothing you can’t buy.”
Ye Xiao was glad, and he said, “Does it mean I can sell one piece of my Star Trace Iron in this city? I can finally get us some money when we sell it!”
The Dark Evil Spirit nodded and said, “That is right.”
He thought, ‘I am broke! Your unbelievable appetite has cost me a fortune. I am not going to make it if you don’t sell one of those things for some money. I am going to be bled white at any second. I am not going to pretend anymore. If your family comes to me for this, I will tell them you sell the Star Trace Iron yourself. I am not taking it anyway. After all, you have been spending my money for everything in the past few days. I have overdone my part as a friend in this relationship. Hmm… When somebody buys the Star Trace Iron, I should go rob him for it afterwards, so the Star Trace Iron will be mine. Good! As long as I don’t take it from you, I won’t do anything wrong!’
While the Dark Evil Spirit kept making his small plan in his head, he warned Ye Xiao and said, “In a place like the City of Chaos, there are people from all the eight great forces. We are safe in the city, but still, we should better stay low…”
“The eight great forces?” Ye Xiao stared with eyes wide open, and said, “How great? Are they more powerful than the five sky kings?”
“Ahem… Cough, cough…” The Dark Evil Spirit nearly go choked to death.
Nobody dared to talk about the eight great forces in this chaotic world. Only the ignorant young man Ye Xiao dared to ask such a question.
However, the eight great forces were too low to match the five sky gods. They were totally in two different grades. However, the Dark Evil Spirit couldn’t say it out. ‘Come on, have some common sense! The five sky kings are at the top of the world!’
“Hmm… The eight great forces in the Limitless Ocean are weaker than the five sky kings. After all, the sky kings are conquerors of the entire world. However, the eight great forces were already unapproachable for normal cultivators. The Xie League is one of the eight great forces. Master Ling owns the Xie League.” The Dark Evil Spirit smiled.
“The Xie League?” Ye Xiao twisted his lips and muttered, “What an arrogant bastard. How could he give such a tacky name to such a big organization? His name is Wuxie, so it is called Xie League, which sounds like bad luck. That’s ridiculous! That man turns out to be such a low-grade person!”
‘Arrogant bastard?’
The Dark Evil Spirit was awkward when he heard what Ye Xiao called Ling Wuxie, and then sweats came out on his forehead.
He was frightened again and felt extremely lucky for what he hadn’t done.
‘It was such a great luck that I didn’t do it.’
‘This man… He dares to call Master Wuxie an arrogant bastard! He actually criticized him and said those words about him… This young lord here must be at a pretty high position! I think it is pretty sure that this young lord is the main inheritor of the Ye Clan. I don’t see doubts in it.’
Ye Xiao casually asked the Dark Evil Spirit and said, “Now I know there is the Xie League. Well, is there a force named the House of Chaotic Storms?”
The Dark Evil Spirit was shocked. He seemed to be extremely astounded. He said, “Yes, there is. The House of Chaotic Storms was founded not long ago. It is a mysterious force. Everything about it is uncertain. The House of Chaotic Storms moves fast. They have a lot of superior cultivators. They only come through two years and has already become one of the three most powerful forces in the Limitless Ocean. It is extraordinary.”
Ye Xiao nodded and thought for a while, and then he said, “Hmm. I thought so. It is reasonable. Bai will never be normal, no matter where he is. Two years, it becomes only one of the three most powerful forces… It isn’t slow, but not as good as I expected… Is there anybody suppressing the House of Chaotic Storms on purpose?”
The Dark Evil Spirit was truly panic-stricken this time.
Many people in the Limitless Ocean knew about the House of Chaotic Storms, and it was well-known that two women were ruling the House of Chaotic Storms. However, only a few of them knew that there was a man behind the two ladies, who truly controlled the House of Chaotic Storms.
The young Lord Ye actually pointed out the truth and said the name of that man directly.
‘Bai!’
‘Bai?’
It seemed to be the family name of the East Sky King. The Dark Evil Spirit was soaked in cold sweats.
‘This doesn’t make sense now!’
‘This young man, Lord Ye, should know nothing about the martial world of the Human Realm Upon Heavens. How could he… Why does he know that the House of Chaotic Storms reached only one of the three most powerful forces because it is being suppressed on purpose?’
‘Only… He said only…’
‘There are many heroes and great cultivators in this world, who have come through thousands even tens of thousands of years, just to become one of the one hundred top-grade forces in the Limitless Ocean. People considered it a great success in the martial world.’
‘The House of Chaotic Storms only spent two years to get to the top three most powerful forces… This young man actually said it was only one of the three most powerful forces…’
‘This is…’
‘I am wordless.’
“Oh, right. I guess the first force, the most powerful one, must be under Meng Wuzhen’s lead. Am I right?” Ye Xiao asked, “What is the force called?”
The Dark Evil Spirit shed cold sweats on his forehead.
“The most powerful force in the Limitless Ocean is called the Hall of Returning Nature.” The Dark Evil Spirit said, “I don’t know what the owner’s name is…”
Ye Xiao actually spoke out the name of Meng Wuzhen so casually. The Dark Evil Spirit was frightened for a reason.
Meng, it was the family name of the West Sky King.
‘Maybe the nature of the Hall of Returning Nature isn’t the actual nature. Maybe the nature means the word, Zhen, as in Meng Wuzhen!’
‘Oh my heavens…’
Ye Xiao revealed some truth of the world that the Dark Evil Spirit didn’t know little by little, and it made the Dark Evil Spirit think,* ‘I am still alive after all these years in the Limitless Ocean… How lucky I am!’*
‘These two forces are obviously supported by some super great cultivators in the world! Ah…’
“The second most powerful force in the Limitless Ocean has the longest history. I should be the most influential one. I guess this force doesn’t have any powerful background. In other words, it is a pure native-born force. Am I right?”
Ye Xiao said.
Although Ye Xiao was just a small figure who had just reached the Faery Origin Stage, the Dark Evil Spirit already worshiped him!
‘That is right!’
‘He is right!’
‘He is indeed the most talented man in the Ye Clan!’
‘How amazing! He is so smart that he can kill with the wisdom in his head!’
‘He is just ignorant about some common sense about the world, but he understands everything so fast. I have only told you a few things about the situation in the Limitless Ocean, and he accurately pointed a lot more things that turned out to be true… That is incredible…’
The Dark Evil Spirit believed Ye Xiao was the wisest man in the Limitless Ocean that he had ever seen!
If he didn’t see it and hear it with his own eyes, how could he believe a young man could be this incredibly smart?!
After some analysis, Ye Xiao kept walking ahead while lost in thoughts.
The Dark Evil Spirit had no idea how deep the connection of Ye Xiao, Bai Chen, and Ling Wuxie. He had no idea how much Ye Xiao knew about the people around Bai Chen. Ling Wuxie was the leader of one of the eight great forces in the Limitless Ocean, then Master Bai’s House of Chaotic Storms must be even better. Ye Xiao wouldn’t hesitate to come to this conclusion.
He still remembered how humble Ling Wuxie was to Master Bai.
Ye Xiao didn’t know the House of Chaotic Storms was one of the three most powerful forces though. The Dark Evil Spirit said it out himself.
Meng Wuzhen was the reason why Ling Wuxie would descend to the Land of Han-Yang to urge Master Bai to return to the Human Realm Upon Heavens. In fact, because of Meng Wuzhen, Ye Xiao and Master Bai made peace in the end. In some point, Meng Wuzhen had helped Ye Xiao a lot. The force that was led by Meng Wuzhen must be more powerful than Master Bai’s House of Chaotic Storms or Ling Wuxie’s Xie League. It was not difficult to get to the truth that Meng Wuzhen’s force was the most powerful one among all.
The second most powerful force, the native-born organization in the Limitless Ocean was the most difficult one to guess. However, as Ye Xiao thought deeply, it wasn’t that difficult either. After all, there should always be three forces to stand up as the top of the martial world in this area. It was reasonable that there was a third party, which was either connected to Meng Wuzhen or Master Bai. Besides, the Limitless Ocean was such a rough area, and the local people in this place should be tough!
The Dark Evil Spirit stared at Ye Xiao’s back, and he was blank.
The young man seemed to be slim and weak, but there were some inexhaustible power and wisdom inside him.
Suddenly, the Dark Evil Spirit had an idea. It came up in his mind from nowhere. ‘This young lord Ye Xiao… Will he become another super powerful force in the Limitless Ocean?’
‘Perhaps… because of his arrival, the structure of the Limitless Ocean will be changed?’
On their way across the Limitless Ocean, they had encountered some small troubles. The Dark Evil Spirit was a Divinity Origin Stage cultivator after all. For him, solving these problems was a piece of cake.
Every time when there was somebody getting over to make troubles, the Dark Evil Spirit would rush forward and kicked them all away. Ye Xiao just kept his hands behind his backs and watched the fight of splashing blood.
He wouldn’t move at all.
The Dark Evil Spirit had a strong feeling… ‘God damn it… I am more and more like a guard to him now!’
The Dark Evil Spirit didn’t want to stand out for him really, but he had to… If anybody killed Ye Xiao, the Ye Clan would definitely blame him. At least he didn’t do his best to protect the young lord after all.
He figured if the Ye Clan blamed him, he would definitely die…
‘The great Ye Clan… I can’t mess with them, can I…?’
‘Well… If… What if…’ The Dark Evil Spirit thought, ‘What if I can become a member of the Ye Clan myself?’
As the idea came up in his mind, it was like a wildfire crawling fast away and burning the entire land in his head. He couldn’t control himself from thinking about it again and again.
As they were closer to the City of Chaos, there were more and more people—and beasts around them, on the ground, in the sky, everywhere… It was more and more crowded.
However, everybody was quiet and peaceful.
In the City of Chaos, there were more than one Saint Origin Stage cultivators watching this area.
The order in the City of Chaos was maintained by these incredible cultivators. Nobody dared to offend the people at the top of the pyramid!
It would bring them some experience that was worse than death to mess with those Saint Origin Stage cultivators!
Ye Xiao finally arrived at the City of Chaos.
Colorful clouds were everywhere in the sky. The entire place was shining in gloss. A big city stood straight up among the cloud and mist.
The gate of the city was about one hundred meters high, and a thousand meters wide.
Every block that was used to build the wall around the city was in a square shape, at least ten meters tall and ten meters wide.
On each side of the gate, there were seven blocks sticking out. On each block, there was a big word.
Cease the chaos in City of Chaos.
Dream mortality in the sky upon heavens.
When Ye Xiao saw the fourteen words, he was shocked. It felt like his entire soul was soaked into the scenario.
The fourteen words seemed to contain some special power. When somebody saw it for the first time, some strange feeling would drag him or her into a scene that wasn’t real.
…
