A serious problem emerged in Ye Han's mind: with his current strength, he couldn't take anyone stronger than him out of the domain.
"Sigh, strength, it always comes down to strength!" Ye Han shook his head and walked out of the blood pool and then out of the blood mist.
"Brother Ye Han!" Xiaoya saw Ye Han emerging from the mist and hurried over to him, her face smiling at him, but her eyes were filled with concern.
"Don't worry, I'm fine!"
"Xiao Ye, let's go!" Curtis urged.
"I have some bad news," Ye Han addressed Curtis, Ursula, and the others. The old man looked puzzled, while Ursula and Xia Zuo wore expressions of dread.
Seeing the fear in Ursula and Xia Zuo's eyes, Ye Han felt an indescribable sense of pride. To have such powerful god-level powerhouses fearing him was something to be proud of. Who else could achieve this?
They had no choice. The soul branding would follow them for life. Ursula and Xia Zuo's dispositions were gradually being transformed by the soul's subtle influence, rendering them unable to harbor hostility towards Ye Han. Plus, the pain of soul burning forced them to fear and respect Ye Han.
"Did something happen, Xiao Ye?" Curtis, sensing the tone of Ye Han's voice, asked with urgency.
"Although I now have full control over this space, I can't take anyone stronger than me out of here," Ye Han slowly revealed the reason.
"What... how can this be?"
"This is a semi-living domain, newly formed just millions of years ago. It's still in its infant stage and has its own strong protective energy. Even though I fully control it now, the energy protecting it won't dissipate until it reaches maturity. I can't eliminate it."
"So you mean to say that only Xiaoya can leave with you," Curtis quickly grasped the purpose of Ye Han's explanation.
"That's correct!"
"Which means, until you reach the middle-god level, it's impossible for us to leave," Ursula spoke with a tone of reverence. Xia Zuo had returned to his quiet demeanor, simply standing still, not uttering a word.
This wasn't because Xia Zuo didn't revere Ye Han. It was a sign of respect from one swordsman to another. The sword is a weapon of killing, cold and merciless. And Xia Zuo had chosen his place before Ye Han—like a sword in Ye Han's hands.
"That's one way to put it."
"Hehe, no matter. We've waited so many years, a little longer won't make a difference," Curtis said with a laugh, though his laughter sounded more desolate than before.
"Just concentrate on your cultivation here. Since you've chosen to submit to me, I will increase my strength as quickly as possible so that you can leave," Ye Han said, closing his eyes to sense the surrounding space. Being his first time performing space travel, he had to be cautious.
Under Ye Han's perception, his soul force extended unlimitedly through the crystal within his body across the semi-living domain. He familiarized himself with the changes in space, and after a moment, Ye Han had a decent understanding of the domain's space.
Ye Han opened his eyes and looked at Xiaoya, "Xiaoya, do you want to go out with me?"
Xiaoya's face turned red with excitement or joy, "Yes, I've wanted to go out for a long time," she said in a soft voice, bringing Ye Han a sense of relief.
"Then you all find a place to cultivate. I have a way to find you," Ye Han said before walking over to Xiaoya. "Don't move!" With that, his spiritual power was released, instantly covering him and Xiaoya within about a yard's radius. The space around them began to ripple, and in an instant, the figures of Ye Han and Xiaoya disappeared from the sight of the three people.
"Hehe... let's go, don't be disappointed. With Xiao Ye's talent, it won't be more than a few thousand years before he reaches our level," Curtis said cheerfully. Now facing the two mid-gods, Ursula and Xia Zuo, Curtis did not have the same respect as before because they were now equal, all as thralls.
"Let's go. Tens of thousands of years have passed; a few thousand more won't hurt," Ursula said indifferently, though his tone betrayed a clear sense of loss.
Who would have thought? After waiting tens of thousands of years, they ended up being outdone by someone who had just arrived, and in the end, they were the ones who paid the price.
...
"We're finally out!" Ye Han said softly, enjoying the familiar air and the warm sunlight.
"This is the outside world. It's really beautiful!" Surrounded by lush
greenery and the fragrance of flowers, Xiaoya expressed her joy.
Ye Han looked around cautiously and then noticed some rocks not far away. "I didn't expect to have such a fate with this place, to have returned here," he murmured to himself.
"Brother Ye Han, what are you talking about?" Xiaoya, coming down from her excitement, asked.
"Do you remember the Hengduan Mountains Range I told you about?" Ye Han said, looking at Xiaoya. Every time he saw Xiaoya's gentle smile, he felt a profound sense of tranquility and his tone became relatively softer.
"Of course, I remember. Although I don't like cultivating, I have a very good memory," Xiaoya replied with an ethereal and transcendental smile that outshone the surrounding flowers.
"Hehe, this is the Hengduan Mountains Range," Ye Han said as he looked up at the clear blue sky, feeling conflicted about this unfamiliar yet crucial place.
"Brother Ye Han, how can you be so sure? I heard from Grandpa that there are many forests in the world," Xiaoya said, tilting her head inquisitively.
"Do you see those sword marks on the mountain over there?" Ye Han pointed at the distant rocks and spoke softly.
Without cultivation, Xiaoya naturally couldn't see the sword marks on the mountain, but she didn't question Ye Han further due to her trust in him.
"I wonder if returning to this place is good or bad," Ye Han paused for a moment, scanning the surroundings.
"Does that mean there are many people here who are against you, Brother Ye Han?" Xiaoya brushed away the hair on her forehead, a hint of anxiety flashing in her bright eyes.
"It should be fine. If there's danger, I'll send you back to the apocalyptic prison first. Since I brought you out, I must ensure your safety," Ye Han said seriously. Xiaoya nodded slightly, though she was clearly unhappy at the thought, but there was nothing she could do since she didn't like to cultivate.
"Don't worry, if it really comes to that, I'll come back and take you out after I've dealt with everything," Ye Han assured her, seeing her pouting.
"That's a promise, Brother Ye Han. You can't go back on your word," Xiaoya said, her face brightening as she heard Ye Han's promise.
"I won't," Ye Han shook his head slightly. "Such innocence... But isn't innocence sometimes a good thing?" he thought to himself. His experiences from his past and present life had long made him forget what innocence was like. Seeing Xiaoya's innocent smile, Ye Han didn't want this dirty world to tarnish her spirit.
"Brother Ye Han!" Xiaoya's soft voice brought Ye Han out of his reverie.
"What is it?" Ye Han asked, puzzled.
"I..." Xiaoya's face turned crimson, and she struggled to speak.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?" Ye Han immediately thought of the term "acclimatization."
"No... it's nothing! I'm just hungry," Xiaoya hurriedly said, looking down and even her ears turned red.
"Hehe, is that all?" Ye Han chuckled, and Xiaoya felt even more embarrassed, stomping her feet lightly on the ground to express her discontent.
"Alright, you wait here for me. I'll go catch a magical beast." Ye Han's figure flashed and vanished in front of Xiaoya, leaving no trace.
Gregory, filled with rage, had been in Myatt City for over four months. Not only had he not seen that person named Ye Han, but also, on a rare outing to relax, he had encountered a sixth-order magical beast. Just as he and his followers were about to kill it, it was snatched away by the Third Prince. Now after nearly two days out, he hadn't managed to hunt any magical beast above the fifth order, and he had lost several sixth-order swordsmen for nothing, which made Gregory furiously impatient.
As Gregory wallowed in his irritation, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed on a graceful figure not far away.
Beauty. She was truly beautiful...