Supreme of the Heavenly Realm
Chapter 267 - 264: Affairs of the Secret Realm

Chapter 267: Chapter 264: Affairs of the Secret Realm

"Ye Xuan, congratulations on winning the competition. I knew I was right about you."

Just as Ye Xuan got off the stage, Zhuo Yanyun approached him, offering a faint smile that was particularly enticing.

"Miss Zhuo flatters me."

Ye Xuan was now rather troubled by Zhuo Yanyun; he wasn’t afraid of her cold words, but rather feared her speaking with this soft tone. He had always been someone who was more susceptible to a soft approach than a harsh one. Zhuo Yanyun’s sudden change of attitude was quite hard for him to accept.

"Don’t call me Miss Zhuo, just Yanyun will do."

Seeing that Ye Xuan remained unmoved, Zhuo Yanyun moved even closer, close enough that they could hear each other’s breathing, "Mr. Ye Xuan, the Ice Moon Hall of Junior Sister Nangong is too small, and definitely uncomfortable to live in. Why not come and stay at my Snowfall Hall instead? I guarantee it’s much better, and the service is more attentive too."

"Uh..."

As he faced Zhuo Yanyun, who now seemed as gentle as water and emitted a fragrance like orchids, Ye Xuan was about to decline when a petite silhouette suddenly appeared between them, pushing Zhuo Yanyun away and glaring at her, "Zhuo Yanyun, if you dare to seduce Brother Ye Xuan again, believe me, you’ll regret it."

"I’m really scared."

Zhuo Yanyun chuckled and patted her ample chest, but clearly didn’t take it seriously, her expression then turned cold, "Nangong Yao, don’t get cocky. I’ve never failed to get what I want. You’re no match for me. Let’s leave it at this for today."

Having her mood spoiled by Nangong Yao, Zhuo Yanyun turned to leave, but not before giving Ye Xuan a significant look and a smile, "Ye Xuan, my offer was not a joke. I hope you consider it seriously. The doors of Snowfall Hall are always open just for you."

After saying this, Zhuo Yanyun turned and left.

"That despicable woman!"

Nangong Yao stamped her feet in anger.

"Let’s head back."

Ye Xuan patted Nangong Yao’s shoulder. Women’s thoughts are always unpredictable. Zhuo Yanyun probably wasn’t actually interested in him; it was more likely a move to antagonize Nangong Yao and snatch away Ye Xuan as her aide.

But such a feud over mere pride seemed somewhat excessive.

...

Unnoticed, half a month had passed since the martial arts competition in the Martial Arts Plaza.

For a long time after the competition ended, Ye Xuan was the hot topic among the disciples of Xuanbing Mansion, having defeated one of the top four genius disciples, Li Ziting, and earning the favor of both Nangong Yao and Zhuo Yanyun—the prized beauties of Xuanbing Mansion. Presently, there was likely no one in Xuanbing Mansion whose popularity could surpass Ye Xuan’s.

Even many elders of Xuanbing Mansion knew of Ye Xuan’s name and approached Granny Ning, expressing their desire to take Ye Xuan as a disciple, but all were refused by Granny Ning.

This was, of course, Ye Xuan’s intention. Apart from Xuanbing Mansion being only a temporary stop, where he wouldn’t stay long, he also didn’t think any of the elders of Xuanbing Mansion were fit to be his masters because they simply had nothing to teach him.

Even when he joined the Heavenly Martial Hall before, Ye Xuan never acknowledged anyone as his master, simply because there was no need.

During the past half month, Ye Xuan wasn’t idle; he had started gathering information about Sky Demon Mountain. For this purpose, he had even made a trip to the Northern Beichen Domain branch of the Heavenly Mechanism Tower to obtain more detailed information.

Sky Demon Mountain was far within the Demon Clan’s territory, and even for the Heavenly Mechanism Tower, the information available wasn’t perfect, but it was much more in-depth compared to what Ye Xuan had previously understood.

Although the entire Chaotic Sea Domain was divided into two major parts by two major groups, with the Storm Sea as the boundary, this didn’t mean there was no interaction between the two groups. On the contrary, their exchanges were very frequent because each required resources from the other, necessitating trade.

However, the relationship between the two groups was not harmonious, with wars frequently erupting over territory and resources. Even within the Beichen Domain, Xuanbing Mansion and Evil Wind Cave Heaven were constantly at loggerheads, let alone on the scale of the Human and Demon Clans.

In Ye Xuan’s view, the power dynamics within the Chaotic Sea Domain were quite straightforward, especially since the continents he knew of had thousands of races, and even within the Human Clan, there were different races constantly at war.

Therefore, Ye Xuan didn’t hold any racial prejudices; in his previous life, when he was a dominant power in the Heavenly Realm, he had many Alien Clan warriors loyally serving under him.

Sky Demon Mountain was home to two Demon Venerables, and below them were even more Seventh Grade Demon Kings, incorporating numerous tribes. Ye Xuan wanted to gather information about Ye Mei, but even the Heavenly Mechanism Tower could not accurately investigate an individual’s identity within the Demon Clan’s territory.

If it were in the Beichen Domain, then there would be no problem.

"It seems if I want to understand more, I’ll have to infiltrate Sky Demon Mountain myself."

Ye Xuan knew that if he continued to investigate, he would probably not find any useful information. The only way to discover more was to personally infiltrate the area. The power of Sky Demon Mountain was immense; the Demon Clan that had dealt with the Ye family over a decade ago was surely just one branch, not the entirety of Sky Demon Mountain.

Even if he couldn’t find Ye Mei, finding his demonic mother, Su Ying, would suffice.

Before that, he had to first concoct a Demon Essence Pill to stimulate some of the demonic energy in his body; otherwise, as soon as he entered the territory of the Demon Clan, others would be able to tell that he was a human. How then could he infiltrate Sky Demon Mountain?

The effects of the Demon Essence Pill were not just that simple. It could make True Qi very similar to demonic power, so even if Ye Xuan had to fight someone, he wouldn’t have to worry about his true identity being exposed. Unless he was facing a top powerhouse like Demon Venerable, nobody could definitely tell the real from the fake.

However, he inherently possessed the bloodline of the Demon Clan, which had just not been stimulated yet. The way of awakening the bloodline differed among the Demon Clan, and since Ye Xuan didn’t even know which specific clan his own demonic blood belonged to, he naturally couldn’t awaken it by himself.

With his current methods, he could only activate a bit of demonic energy to cover up his identity.

Concocting the Demon Essence Pill took Ye Xuan some effort. By the time he emerged from his seclusion, nearly half a month had passed.

Upon leaving Ice Moon Hall, Ye Xuan saw Nangong Yao talking with a gentle-looking unfamiliar woman. He sensed an extremely powerful fluctuation from the latter, much stronger than those he had felt from Zhuo Yanyun and Li Ziting.

After sensing a bit more, Ye Xuan was surprised to find that the woman’s cultivation had reached the level of a Fifth Grade Martial Sect. In terms of cultivation alone, she was at the forefront among the inner disciples of Xuanbing Mansion.

"Brother Ye Xuan has come out,"

As the two were talking, Nangong Yao also saw Ye Xuan coming out of Ice Moon Hall and her eyes lit up.

Descending the steps, Ye Xuan walked toward the two women.

"Ye Xuan, this is Senior Sister Qin Qi. She is one of the most outstanding disciples among many in our Xuanbing Mansion," Nangong Yao introduced to Ye Xuan.

"Nice to meet Senior Sister Qin Qi."

Ye Xuan’s mind shifted. He had already met the other three top talents among the inner disciples of Xuanbing Mansion; this woman must be the last one.

However, Qin Qi was older than both Nangong Yao and Zhuo Yanyun, probably in her late twenties. Therefore, compared to the latter two, her natural talent might be slightly weaker.

"This must be the famously eminent Mr. Ye Xuan, truly a young hero."

The gentle woman looked at Ye Xuan with a ripple of admiration in her beautiful eyes, showing a charming smile.

Although she had just returned from outside, the affairs of Ye Xuan had caused a great stir and were now known almost to everyone. As soon as she returned to the sect, she heard about Ye Xuan everywhere. She was also curious about the man who had moved the hearts of her most excellent junior sisters.

Now seeing Ye Xuan in person, even she was somewhat surprised. She had thought Nangong Yao was the most brilliant talent she had ever seen, but compared to Ye Xuan, the latter surprised her even more.

After all, Ye Xuan’s cultivation was only at the Second Grade Martial Sect level, and he did not have a rare special physique like the Xuanyin Body. To be able to defeat Li Ziting, who was at the Fourth Grade Martial Sect level, with just a Second Grade Martial Sect level, was truly astonishing.

"You flatter me, Senior Sister Qin."

Ye Xuan simply clasped his hands together; he had not intended to make such a big name in Xuanbing Mansion, but circumstances forced his hand, as the disciples of Xuanbing Mansion were too arrogant to avoid confrontation.

"You need not be modest. Even Brother Li Ziting was defeated by you, and he was sincerely convinced. I met him a few days ago, and surprisingly, he holds great admiration for you, which is unusual for him. It seems losing to you has led to a significant change in his temperament," Qin Qi remarked somewhat nostalgically.

"Really?"

Ye Xuan was also somewhat surprised; he hadn’t expected that a casual remark he made back then had left such a deep impression on Li Ziting.

Being among the top genius disciples of Xuanbing Mansion, Li Ziting was no ordinary person. If a small setback had caused him to falter, Ye Xuan would have found it strange.

"Brother Ye Xuan, Senior Sister Qin and I were just discussing the secret realm trial. Are you interested in joining?" Nangong Yao suddenly turned her head and asked.

"A secret realm trial?"

Ye Xuan was taken aback.

"Yes," Qin Qi nodded, "The so-called secret realm trial refers to a Middle-Aged Relic in the Beichen Domain called Suspended Air Secret Realm. Every year, the major sects of the Beichen Domain join forces to open the Suspended Air Secret Realm, allowing disciples to enter and explore the ancient treasures for cultivation. The opening of the Suspended Air Secret Realm is scheduled for the end of this month."

"Ye Xuan, are you interested in this Suspended Air Secret Realm?"

As she said this, a hint of anticipation also appeared in Qin Qi’s clear eyes.