When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

Chu Xianlan was breathing rapidly, and he could almost imagine the horrors of that great battle back then. But after sorting out his thoughts, he noticed a logical flaw in Ming Si's words that could not be ignored.

If there were truly no survivors in the Myriad Swords Immortal Realm a thousand years ago, and no cultivator ever left the secret realm.

...How did the demon race that wrote the record know the specific details of "Weilong's desperate resistance" and the fact that they were all wiped out?

Alternatively, Ming Si's words may not have come from direct records from a thousand years ago, but rather from speculation pieced together from scattered clues provided by Zong Lan and the others.

Either... there are still survivors.

Just as Chu Xianlan was about to ask about this point of doubt, Yi Chen spoke first calmly:

"wrong."

Hearing his words, Ming Si seemed intrigued: "Oh? May I ask, Immortal Lord Jixue, is there anything wrong with what I said?"

"Who left the secret realm?"

"Sigh, why doesn't Immortal Lord Jixue show any surprise, or even a little enthusiasm, and ask me about what happened next?" Ming Si suddenly chuckled softly, waving his finger. "Didn't your family tell you stories when you were little?"

Chu Xianlan, standing beside her, silently looked away: "..."

Please, please stop saying these things to my master that you shouldn't say!

Compared to Chu Xianlan's breakdown, Yi Chen remained much calmer.

After all, normally, aside from his disciples, Yi Chen would only selectively listen to and automatically filter out the less important people and conversations he spoke.

"A story is about leaving questions unanswered, piquing the audience's interest, and unfolding gradually to make it interesting."

Ming was completely immersed in his own narrative rhythm, reveling in it and lavishing no words of appreciation:

"Both of you are so quick-witted, adept at synthesizing ideas, and speak to the point. You really are... birds of a feather!"

They're all birds of a feather! They're all birds of a feather!

Chu Xianlan clutched her chest. She was going crazy.

From childhood to adulthood, he had never been dragged down to the same cultural level by someone who was illiterate. Ever since Ming Si praised him, he felt inferior every day, which shows that in Ming Si's eyes, their cultural levels were comparable.

My God, Chu Xianlan felt a faint urge to kill someone whenever she thought about it.

I implore you to stop admiring me; your praise has deeply wounded my self-esteem.

If the Demon King insists on finding a confidant, he should instead choose to journey together with Yan Ling!

It seems that Mikoto has finally had enough fun.

"Alright, now that you've discovered the flaw," he straightened his expression. "According to the written records left by the demon race, someone did indeed leave the secret realm back then. You should have heard of this person... He is—"

"The Venerable Three Phases".

Upon suddenly hearing this name, which was renowned throughout the cultivation world, Chu Xianlan was stunned for a moment.

The Three Phases Venerable is the only known Tribulation Transcending stage cultivator in the cultivation world. He is the mentor of the current Crown Prince Ji Ran, who is backed by the majestic mountains of the Southern Cang royal family, which have stood for thousands of years.

To be honest, such powerful beings are too mysterious; Chu Xianlan has never even seen one.

The Three Phases have been in seclusion for over a hundred years, and throughout the entire cultivation world, very few cultivators have had the opportunity to glimpse their true form.

Yi Chen remained silent. The Three Phases was a person whom the True Man Pointing at the Moon had occasionally mentioned.

Once a cultivator enters the Tribulation Transcending stage, they may attract the Heavenly Tribulation at any time. Cultivators in the Tribulation Transcending stage often choose to go into seclusion for a long time to accumulate power and avoid the Heavenly Tribulation as much as possible.

However, the way of heaven is fair. The longer one stays in seclusion, the more one's lifespan will be lost. Perhaps this is why Zhiyue Zhenren often says "to outlive the three phases."

……

At present, all sects and factions in the Southern Cang Continent seem to be at peace, but in reality, they are all carefully considering the Crown Prince's words from a few days ago.

—The heavens and earth turned against them, and all living beings perished.

Once this argument is made, whether people believe it or not, it will be like a stone thrown into a well, splashing water beneath the seemingly calm surface.

It is an undeniable fact that Beiming's power is gradually growing stronger. Once the other side has the idea of ​​annexing the Southern Cang Continent, war will break out, and the order of all major sects and even the entire cultivation world will ultimately not be spared.

If such hidden dangers are not eliminated, they will be like a thorn, pricking the hearts of those who follow the righteous path.

At this moment, Ji Ran once again arrived at the Mustard Seed Space.

The familiar bamboo path is serene and leads to a simple courtyard deep in the woods. In the center of the courtyard, there is a stone table, two stone benches, and some herbs drying on a rack.

Ji Ran walked into the courtyard, her gaze sweeping over the almost undisturbed scene, her eyes devoid of emotion.

He knew that the person inside had no intention of coming out to see him, so he said, "Thank you, Doctor."

After a while, Xie Qingying came out and numbly used her spiritual power to check Ji Ran's pulse.

Ironically, the renowned Medicine King, Master Gu Gu, was imprisoned in the Mustard Seed Space for months, and every so often he had to treat the person who imprisoned him. Even Xie Qingying, with all her patience, was worn down.

A few months ago, Xie Qingying would still try to persuade the Crown Prince every time, but now she remains silent.

"Humans and demons may go to war," Ji Ran said calmly.

Xie Qingying frowned but didn't say anything.

"Father's death was utterly pointless. His only purpose was to reveal the whereabouts of the Emperor's Sword before he died. Wei Yi is no longer a reliable ally. A loyal dog, in the end, only gave me false information," Ji Ran said to himself. "However, there's no need to worry."

"Once the poison in my fourth brother's body becomes completely incurable and his death is imminent... my seemingly heartless elder sister, no matter how unwilling she is, will eventually return the Emperor's Sword to me in order to spare his life."

Xie Qingying's fingertips trembled slightly, speechless. This man was a complete madman.

He can give up everything, scheme against everything, utilize everything, and abandon everything.

Ji Ran whispered, "Thank you, Divine Physician. The Heavenly Spiritual Root belongs to me, and so does the throne."

Xie Qingying said impatiently, "And then what? What's the point?"

"This is the meaning of my life."