Volume One, Chapter 20: The Elder Declared It a Draw

“Big sister, how about... Shiyao gives it a try?”

Shiyao couldn’t help but speak up as she watched Ye Qinghan struggle for a long time without success.

Ye Qinghan had indeed sensed something was wrong. This barrier formation seemed like a closed loop; no matter what, it always led back to the starting point.

“No need. Sister Qinghan already has a solution.”

“Really?” Shiyao clapped her small hands, her face full of delight.

“Who do you think I am?”

Ye Qinghan pulled open her collar, took out her sword case, and slammed it heavily onto the ground, startling Shiyao.

With two loud bangs, the sword case instantly unfolded, and six immortal swords suddenly shot out, floating around Ye Qinghan.

She exhaled deeply, drawing out the three-foot white jade sword. The frost-shining blade’s chill reflected on Shiyao’s terrified youthful face.

Spiritual power and the essence of the Dao swirled around her body. Behind her, a phantom image appeared, not of gods or demons, nor beasts, but sword shadows glowing with golden light.

“The Frostbane Sword Formation…”

Her crimson lips parted slightly, her eyes cold and merciless as she called upon the nearby immortal swords, which responded instantly.

“The Breaking Army Sword Formation!”

Sister Qinghan was always the type to avoid trouble, but because Shiyao was by her side, she had entertained the idea of trying to break the formation.

In truth, in Ye Qinghan’s eyes, solving puzzles was a last resort. Why be shackled by rules?

Rules were meant to bind the weak, but Ye Qinghan was strong and had a better way—brutal but effective!

With a thunderous roar, the formation was instantly shattered. Wherever the sword light passed, stone and metal were cleaved, withered and broken, unstoppable!

Heh, in Ye Qinghan’s eyes, that was the true meaning: if a person is weak, don’t blame the road for being uneven.

“Let’s go, Shiyao.”

She retracted her sword case.

“Big sister, your expression just now was so scary.”

Shiyao looked at the “path” before them and felt a chill run down her spine… If this were outside, the mountain would probably have been blasted open!

“Was it?”

“Big sister, didn’t you just break through the Foundation Establishment stage? You’re so powerful!”

Shiyao bounced happily, grinning like a sly little rascal. Her vocabulary of praise was exhausted, so she simply said, “Powerful!”

“If I weren’t, Master would have beaten me to death.”

Ye Qinghan just wanted to end the topic. Although having her along was no trouble and somewhat entertaining, this little mouth of hers seemed unable to close!

“I heard from the elder that you joined the Lingxian Hall just for this Frostbane Sword.”

“That’s right, but once you enter, you can’t leave.”

“Is this sword very powerful? Is it a Heavenly-grade Spirit Sword?”

“No, but I really like this sword.”

Shiyao’s face fell in disappointment. She had thought it was a treasure, but it wasn’t even a Heavenly-grade one…

“Why?”

Why did she keep talking?!

At this moment, Ye Qinghan wanted to ask Master if there was a magic artifact to sew people’s mouths shut!

If this kid were mute, she’d actually be pretty likable.

But the biggest flaw was that she had a mouth!

“Shiyao, let’s play a game, okay?”

“Okay! How do we play?”

“From now on, neither of us can speak!”

Ye Qinghan cupped Shiyao’s head with both hands like holding a basketball, her murderous intent barely restrained in her gaze.

“But Shiyao wants to talk to big sister.”

Shiyao looked a bit wronged. She liked this mysterious sister who was very kind to her.

She even shared the rare treasures dropped by the skeleton soldiers just now!

“Then do you still want to play?”

“Yes…”

“Before we clear the next level, no talking, agreed?”

“Okay!”

“If you can’t hold it and lose, you have to give me all the buns in your bag!”

Shiyao looked at Ye Qinghan, then at the small cloth bag by her side. It was sewn by the Grand Elder and had been with her since she was eight.

“Okay!”

She could still eat buns when she returned, but big sister couldn’t…

Everyone thought Shiyao was a fool, but she was actually very clever!

Shiyao knew big sister was kind to her.

Though she stopped talking, it wasn’t just because of a few buns.

Ye Qinghan was quite pleased with the quiet. Unknowingly, she found this silent Shiyao to be rather well-behaved!

They crushed wave after wave of monsters and passed through numerous trials. Shiyao always stuck close, truly like a little sister.

And she did have some talent. Ye Qinghan knew that even without her, Shiyao could have made it this far on her own strength.

But the monsters ahead might be beyond her ability to handle.

The shadow before them likely had the cultivation of a late Nascent Soul stage. Even the Second Elder of the Heavenly Dao Pavilion would only have a chance to flee from it.

Let alone a mid-Foundation Establishment stage Li Shiyao?

The circular platform resembled an arena, seemingly a place reserved for battles between the strong.

At the center of the platform stood a blue shadow, not the first they’d encountered. When attacked or approached within a certain range, it would immediately take action.

Along the way, Ye Qinghan had seen many corpses—cultivators who entered the realm at the same time as her, and lost souls from the past.

All yearning for the rare treasures of the secret realm, willing to risk everything, even their lives, to carve a bloody path through the crowd for a chance at ascension.

To stand out, to be admired by all.

Heh, tedious.

With just a glance, Ye Qinghan signaled the little fool to step back. She was ready to unleash her ultimate move!

Ye Qinghan didn’t know if she could kill this soul-like shadow, but she didn’t care.

If not, she’d just use the jade slip her master had prepared to finish it instantly.

Why not use the jade slip from the start? Firstly, Ye Qinghan wanted to test her own strength—that was the original purpose of entering the secret realm.

Secondly, she wasn’t sure if the secret realm could withstand her master’s divine power…

Ten immortal swords summoned, Ye Qinghan prepared to give it her all, trying to kill the phantom in one strike.

“Frostbane Sword Formation, Godslayer Sword Formation, Frostbane!”

She unleashed all her spiritual power. In an instant, countless swords filled the sky, creating the scene of ‘Ten Thousand Swords Returning to the Sect,’ though most were mere sword illusions.

The Frostbane Sword’s intent appeared again behind Ye Qinghan. The immortal swords screamed, swiftly shifting to the Godslayer Sword Formation.

The sword cries sounded like the wails of tormented spirits, the wind like war drums, and the golden sword shadows changed colors as the words ‘Frostbane’ fell.

Shiyao was stunned by the sea of snowy white sword shadows. So that wasn’t big sister’s ultimate move just now?

Huh?

She wasn’t as powerful as big sister? Was it because she had eaten too much?

The elder had said big sister and she were about the same, hadn’t he?

That stinky elder! You call that ‘about the same’? You mean their strength was comparable?

They were worlds apart!

She had just felt sorry for her sister—maybe she really was the little fool they said she was.

As Ye Qinghan drew the Frostbane Sword at her waist, the snowy sword shadows surged forward with the flying swords.

The powerful sword intent twisted Shiyao’s neck so she couldn’t see what was happening on Ye Qinghan’s side.

She was knocked over and flew back. Only now did little Shiyao realize how misleading the phrase ‘comparable strength’ could be!

Is Sister Qinghan really still at the Foundation Establishment stage?

When the fierce, arrogant sword intent finally subsided, and she could hold her head up again, Shiyao slowly lifted her gaze.

She saw Ye Qinghan standing amidst the shattered stones, the battlefield already a complete ruin.