Chapter 125: Leaving the World Behind

Far away in the territory of the White Fox Clan, Silver Yao had no idea what decisions her other two friends had made. She did not know what each of them had encountered, nor what they would have to face in the future. For now, her entire mind was focused on increasing her strength. She did not want to be inexplicably devoured by one of her own kind before she could find her parents.

No one knew what the remaining five grandfathers had used, but they had somehow helped Ji Xuanyu conceal the flame-dragon aura within him. Apparently, Ji Xuanyu did not want the members of the Dragon Clan to discover his existence too soon, which was why he had thought of hiding his aura. Thanks to the efforts of the five grandfathers, his wish had become reality.

Without the aura of the Dragon Clan surrounding him, Ji Xuanyu no longer had to worry about being hunted down by its people and could devote himself to cultivation in peace. Stimulated by Silver Yao and Ji Xuanyu, Bai Ziye requested leave from Bai Ling and entered secluded cultivation. Bai Yun, who loved to play yet had no one to accompany her, had no choice but to enter seclusion alongside Bai Ziye.

Only Bai Yong remained at Bai Ling’s side, helping her manage the affairs of the clan. The five grandfathers were not idle either. Some continued cultivating, while others went out in search of a way to break the forbidden art imposed upon Silver Yao. In short, each of them had matters of their own to attend to.

A month passed.

Silver Yao sensed the state of her power. She had reached the middle stage of the Void Emperor Realm and maintained a balance with the soul sharing her body, each of them controlling it for half the time. Ji Xuanyu naturally refused to fall behind and had likewise reached the middle stage of the Void Emperor Realm.

Bai Ziye, however, did not possess such monstrous talent as the other two. After a month, his strength had merely become more substantial than before, and he had yet to meet the requirements for advancement. Still, he should not be far from breaking through.

No one had ever been able to see through Bai Yun’s cultivation. She truly was not fond of training, and even after entering seclusion, she had gained little. That was probably inseparable from her playful nature. Yet it was also what made Bai Yun so endearing. There was simply nothing to be said about it.

A month was enough for Li Su to leave the territory of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan. During that time, he also learned about Yin’s extremely strange physical condition. It turned out that an accident had occurred when Yin passed through the spatial talisman, leaving her body able to appear in human form only at night. During the day, she generally existed as a small white fox.

At first, Li Su repeatedly suspected that the woman before him was not Silver Yao. Given what he knew of Silver Yao, how could she possibly have allowed such an accident to happen to herself?

Yet Yin understood everything that had happened between herself and Silver Yao with uncanny clarity, leaving Li Su no choice but to believe her. What was more, Yin trusted him just as she always had. This filled Li Su with shame, making him feel that he had wronged her.

The only difference between Yin and Silver Yao was probably that Yin was more meticulous. Li Su automatically attributed this to Silver Yao having grown up after arriving on the Voidless Continent. Naturally, she would have changed.

He liked the present Yin.

After hurrying along for an entire month, Li Su and Yin finally arrived, under Yin’s guidance, at a place resembling a fairyland. It lay at the very center of the boundary where the Four Great Clans met.

The Secluded Li Clan stood there.

The heirs of the Li Clan possessed the most extraordinary restorative power. It was a strength coveted by every clan, and naturally made them the key object of protection for the Four Great Clans. Otherwise, how could their territory have been established at the intersection of the four domains?

If an ordinary clan had tried to settle in such a place, it would have been annihilated by the Four Great Clans long ago. The Secluded Li Clan, however, would not only escape destruction but also receive the full protection of the four powers.

To preserve the balance among the Four Great Clans, every ten years the Secluded Li Clan would send out four experts of comparable strength, assigning one to each of the four clans. None was inherently stronger or weaker than the others; everything depended on the individual.

As the saying went, no one was perfect. The greatest weakness of the Secluded Li Clan was its lack of combat power. Although they possessed restorative divine abilities that defied the heavens, they had no formidable fighting strength. They could only become accessories to the powerful, offering their strength to them when necessary.

Their heaven-defying restorative power was highly sought after. As for why the Secluded Li Clan stood at the intersection of the Four Great Clans, that had been the idea of the leaders of the four clans themselves. They did not want the Secluded Li Clan to be seized by wandering cultivators, so they had devised this arrangement: the Four Great Clans would protect the Secluded Li Clan while also keeping watch over it, preventing the clan from sending those who possessed such extraordinary restorative power to any other faction.

Li Su did not know why Yin was so eager to reach the Secluded Li Clan, but he was extremely curious about his family on the Voidless Continent. He very much wanted to know how highly he would rank within the Li Clan. He believed in his talent, and even more so in his own efforts.

Compared with ordinary members of the Li Clan, Li Su was an anomaly. Yet he was certainly the kind of anomaly the elders of the Li Clan would be delighted to see.

“Yin, how are we supposed to enter the Li Clan? The defenses outside are far too tight! I refuse to believe that openly revealing my identity will allow me to enter without trouble.”

Li Su hid behind a tree and spoke to Yin, who stood nearby.

They had already spent three days lurking around the outskirts of the Li Clan, but the impenetrable defenses had left them completely helpless.

The reason Li Su did not want to reveal his identity and enter openly was that his status as a descendant of the Li Clan was exceptionally unusual. On top of that, his strength had already recovered to its peak. A descendant of the Li Clan possessing such power would never be permitted to wander freely outside.

Li Su could not simply announce his identity, yet the astonishing defenses were also blocking his and Yin’s path forward. It was difficult to decide whether they ought to praise the Four Great Clans for the strength of their defenses or grieve for the Secluded Li Clan.

This level of protection was clearly meant to isolate the Secluded Li Clan from the outside world. Excessive protection had become imprisonment.

Realizing this, anger slowly rose within Li Su. He had never imagined that his extraordinary clan would find itself in such a situation.

Was it simply because they possessed restorative power but no combat strength? Did that mean they could only surrender without resistance? Why could they not carve out a path of their own? Why did they have to be imprisoned within such a small territory?

Li Su clenched both hands tightly, and his aura began to show signs of erupting. In the darkness of night, no one noticed the disturbance in the woods.

“Li Su, calm yourself.”

Yin had naturally seen through the defensive perimeter that was protection in name but imprisonment in truth. She could understand Li Su’s rage. No one would wish to see their clansmen imprisoned and deprived of freedom.

She placed her right hand on Li Su’s arm and used her formidable strength to force him to calm down. Yin had no patience for a long-winded lecture. Besides, she believed that someone as intelligent as Li Su would understand everything on his own once he had regained his composure.

At present, the most important thing was figuring out how to pass through the detestable defenses and enter the Secluded Li Clan.

Li Su slowly exhaled the stale air in his lungs and gradually calmed down. As he watched the patrol team in the distance, a cold glint flashed swiftly through his eyes. However, Yin’s touch had helped him understand many things, and he would not act recklessly.

“Li Su, I know you are a genius. The power you possess is not limited to the strength inherited from the Secluded Li Clan. You are powerful, and by that I mean your combat ability. With the strength of the two of us, we could certainly force our way into the Li Clan, but I do not want to suffer unnecessary losses. Did your father ever tell you that every member of the Li Clan who wanders outside possesses a jade pendant symbolizing their identity?”

Compared with Li Su’s reaction, Yin appeared much calmer, as though she were someone who had weathered countless storms.

Hearing her words, Li Su fell into thought. He suddenly felt that Yin seemed to know many things of which he was unaware. It was strange, yet he had nothing to say. No matter how suspicious he became, Yin always had a flawless explanation.

“I’m not entirely certain. If I’m not mistaken, it should be this blood jade.”

Li Su took a piece of blood jade from his robe. It was the very jade that had once opened the passage from the Secluded Li Clan of the Desolate Continent to the outside world.

Yin took the blood jade and held it beneath the moonlight, examining it carefully. If this was indeed the token they needed, it would save them a great deal of trouble.

The blood jade was crystal clear, with a faint red ribbon drifting within it. When Yin saw that red ribbon, her expression relaxed with relief.

It seemed that this blood jade truly was the token.

Li Su did not take it back. He simply allowed Yin to hold it, because he understood that she knew better than he did how to use the blood jade. At this point, Yin’s knowledge had already surpassed everything Li Su knew about her.

Perhaps this was the opportunity she had obtained from the guardian of the spatial talisman. Otherwise, how could she have suddenly come to understand so many things?

“Li Su, I think I have a way. Come here.”

Yin waved the blood jade in her hand, signaling for Li Su to bring his ear closer. She leaned beside his ear and whispered her plan.

“Do we really have to do this?”

Li Su was clearly astonished. He had never expected Yin to devise such a plan. Yet judging from his reaction, the plan seemed feasible—and perhaps even highly effective.

Yin gave Li Su a sincere smile. She hoped to gain his trust.

Was her plan too dangerous?

Yin did not think so. In her opinion, it was the safest and most time-saving method available to them.

She could not wait any longer.

She especially could not wait any longer for him.

None of them could afford to wait.

Yin had to save every moment she possibly could. Spending three days in the same place had already reached the limit of her patience. She could not continue squandering time like this.

Once she confirmed that method and found the materials it required, she would have a chance to accomplish the impossible.

No one knew what secrets Yin held in her heart. But if anyone had understood them, they would certainly have been shocked. They would have cried out that it was impossible, and shouted that she was a monstrous genius.

The crucial point, however, was that no one knew what Yin was thinking.

Li Su had spent a month with her and still had not noticed anything unusual. Should that be taken as proof that he had not cared enough about Silver Yao, or was Yin simply too skilled at pretending?

Gazing at the Secluded Li Clan so close before her, an intense light erupted in Yin’s eyes.

I will definitely succeed.

Only by accomplishing the impossible buried within those old convictions can I give everyone a chance at rebirth.

I will turn the impossible into reality.