Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

Hearing Su Xue's words, Ling Xiao was momentarily stunned. It wasn't that he hadn't considered the issue, just that he hadn't thought about it so deeply. One thing was certain: the Guardians were simply people bound by an ancient contract to protect this land. They didn't necessarily represent justice.

And the Demon Realm, despite its name, didn't necessarily represent evil!

At this moment, Quefeng suddenly spoke. "Master, for the past few days, I've had a feeling… that the Dragon Race and the Elf Race will reappear in this world!"

In the conference room, the few people present all held their breath.

Thirteenth Master looked at Quefeng and asked, "The Dragon Race and the Elf Race? But… haven't they already vanished?"

Quefeng raised his head and said earnestly, "Everyone from the Ice Sea Secret Race can sense it. If Master doesn't believe me, you can go and ask them! During that war, the Dragon Race and the Elf Race only withdrew from human territory. This world is vast; the lands occupied by humans are but a tiny fraction!"

Everyone fell into deep thought upon hearing Quefeng's words. The long-vanished Elf and Dragon Races were reappearing just as the passage from the Demon Realm to the Human Realm had reopened. Could there be a connection between these events?

Just then, a clamor suddenly arose from outside. Ling Xiao's eyes lit up. 'Someone who took a Heaven-Ascending Pill must be coming out of seclusion!' Feeling somewhat anxious, Ling Xiao walked out with the others, only to see a figure standing in the courtyard. He was so stunned he couldn't speak for a long moment. The first one to emerge... was actually Huangpu Yue!

Huangpu Yue gave Ling Xiao a radiant smile, her voice crisp and clear. "What? None of you expected me to be the first one out, did you?" As she spoke, she gazed at Ling Xiao, a silent understanding passing between them. Shangguan Yutong shot Ling Xiao a thoughtful glance before winking at the others. Su Xue, however, let out a soft sigh. 'My silly daughter is still at Nia Academy,' she thought. 'With signs of chaos already appearing on the continent, I should probably call them back!'

When only Huangpu Yue and Ling Xiao were left in the courtyard, two tears slid from the corners of her eyes. She slowly walked to Ling Xiao's side and spoke softly.

"It was so painful. For a moment there… I almost didn't make it."

Ling Xiao looked at Huangpu Yue and placed a hand on her fair wrist, a sense of shock rising in his heart. 'As expected of someone with a natural Spirit Root—she truly is different! The Heaven-Ascending Pill actually pushed her directly to the Late Golden Core Stage!'

The massive Golden Core inside Huangpu Yue's body was dazzling! Moreover, from the outside, none of her True Essence fluctuations were detectable. This was the greatest advantage of being a Cultivator—just as Sikong Yang had been unable to see through Ling Xiao, despite being stronger. If he had, he would never have been so polite, regardless of who in the Holy Sanctuary favored Ling Xiao.

"Excellent, truly excellent! You made it through, didn't you? I knew you could do it!"

Ling Xiao reached out and wiped away the two joyful tears from the corners of Huangpu Yue's eyes, then patted her on the shoulder. With the deep understanding between them, few words were needed.

"But… I don't know how to use any of it."

Huangpu Yue's nose wrinkled slightly, revealing a troubled expression. Then she asked, "Ling Xiao, what's my cultivation level now? Does this mean I'm immortal?"

Ling Xiao was torn between laughter and tears. "Who told you Cultivators are immortal?" he asked.

"Huh? Isn't that what they all say? It's not true? Then what's the point of cultivating…"

Huangpu Yue wore such an innocent expression that Ling Xiao would have been completely fooled if he didn't know how quirky and mischievous she was. He knew she was just being playful with him. He smiled and said, "Your current realm is a bit lower than mine, but you've already surpassed a great many people. In the days to come, I'll teach you a set of sword techniques. You must continue to cultivate diligently and never think that you're already an expert."

Huangpu Yue rolled her eyes at Ling Xiao. "I know, I know. Geez, can't a girl be a little proud of herself?"

It had to be said, only Huangpu Yue could speak to Ling Xiao like this. Although Shangguan Yutong could often be feisty with him, she was now an Elder of the Shushan Sword Sect and had to be mindful of her image, so she naturally wouldn't dare to joke around so freely.

As for the other girls, Song Mingyue was clearly a refined lady, Yisha deferred to Ling Xiao in all matters, and while Ye Zi was quite strong-willed, none of them possessed Huangpu Yue's sense of humor. Thus, among the young women around Ling Xiao, that girl Huangpu Yue was by far the most unconventional.

In truth, Huangpu Yue knew in her heart that after enduring that pain worse than death, she now stood at a much higher starting point. Compared to others, she already had a huge advantage! Moreover, she could tell from Ling Xiao's expression that he was very satisfied with her current state. So, Huangpu Yue made a resolution: 'No matter what I do, I, Huangpu Yue, will either not do it at all, or I will do it to be the very best!'

In the following seven days, everyone in seclusion emerged one after another!

Not a single person had died! This astounded Ling Xiao. If he didn't know that the Alchemy Collection couldn't contain falsehoods, and if he wasn't seeing everyone's significant improvements with his own eyes, he would have begun to doubt it. 'Is the Heaven-Ascending Pill… really an elixir that brings immense pain and even the threat of death upon consumption?'

But seeing the terrified expressions on everyone's faces whenever the Heaven-Ascending Pill was mentioned, Ling Xiao knew they had indeed gone through an excruciating process.

The moment Ling Yun'Er saw Ling Xiao, she flew over and threw herself into his arms, sobbing. "You meanie, Third Brother! That elixir is too scary! Yun'Er is never taking it again!"

Ling Xiao, for his part, was both pleasantly surprised and heartbroken. He held Ling Yun'Er, who had grown into a young woman, and said with a laugh, "You're a young woman now, yet you're still so shameless!"

Ling Xiao could see that after taking the Heaven-Ascending Pill, Ling Yun'Er's strength had actually broken through to the Sword Emperor Realm! And to his great surprise, she had even formed a Golden Core!

'The Heaven-Ascending Pill… it truly lives up to its reputation as a Divine Pill!'

It truly had the power to turn the decayed into the miraculous! It could even elevate Ling Yun'Er, who was born without any Spirit Root, to the Early Golden Core Stage!

In fact, the things that truly surprised Ling Xiao were yet to come. By the end, he was exclaiming in amazement.

Ling Tianxiao, Lady Ling, Ling Su, Ling Yun'Er, Lingzhi, Ling Wu, Meng Li, Mo Qing, Zhang Danian, Uncle Fu, Marshal Qiu Chen, and everyone else had all experienced huge improvements!

Ling Tianxiao went from Tier One Sword Sect to Tier Six Sword Emperor!

Lady Ling, Ling Su, Ling Yun'Er, Lingzhi, Ling Wu, Gaia, and Tang Ming all reached the Tier One Sword Emperor Realm! Among them, Ling Yun'Er had even formed a Golden Core!

Meng Li reached Tier Three Sword Emperor!

Mo Qing and Zhang Danian also reached the Tier Two Sword Emperor realm!

Uncle Fu became a Tier Four Sword Emperor!

Old Marshal Qiu Chen, proving as vigorous as ever, had even broken through to the Tier Six Sword Emperor Peak!

In the past, this would have been completely unimaginable!

At the same time, Ling Xiao finally gained a direct understanding of the Heaven-Ascending Pill's divine efficacy. 'If I hadn't chanced upon countless Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures,' he thought, 'I never could have created so many of these pills!'

What was even more miraculous was that every single person had endured it. This was what surprised Ling Xiao the most.

It wasn't until everyone told Ling Xiao that just when they were on the verge of giving up, his figure had suddenly appeared in their minds, encouraging them to persevere and not wait for the next cycle!

Hearing this, Ling Xiao's eyes widened. 'When did I ever say something like that?' he thought.

Frowning in thought, Ling Xiao suddenly realized a possibility. For the past few days, he had been almost constantly cultivating the Great Freedom Heart Scripture. Now that he had reached the 7th Layer, he was able to extend its aura to envelop the entire Shushan Sword Sect!

'Could that… be the reason?' (To be continued.