"Only my brother!"
Ye Ling suddenly smiled.
Because having her brother was enough!
Beside Ye Ling, the chubby boy suddenly asked, "Is your brother very powerful?"
Ye Ling nodded seriously. "Of course, he's powerful!"
The boy snorted. "No matter how powerful he is, he's not as powerful as my daddy."
Ye Ling looked at the boy. "Is your daddy powerful too?"
The boy immediately perked up, nodding quickly. "Of course! He's the lord of Qianshan City—everyone in the whole city listens to him!"
"The city lord!" Ye Ling blinked. "Wow, that's really impressive."
The boy proudly said, "Of course, our family is the most powerful in Qianshan City."
Ye Ling looked him up and down. "My brother says you should be humble, otherwise, you'll easily get beaten up outside!"
The boy shook his head. "If someone wants to beat someone up, they'll beat up my daddy, not me!"
Ye Ling was speechless—this boy was really throwing his father under the bus!
The boy pointed at Ye Xuan in the distance. "Is that your brother?"
Ye Ling nodded. "That's my brother. Handsome, isn't he?"
The boy snorted. "What good is being handsome? You can't eat it!"
Ye Ling giggled. "Being handsome means it's easy to get a wife in the future."
The boy huffed. "I have money—I can get as many wives as I want!"
Ye Ling shook her head. "Chubby boy, I'm telling you, money isn't everything!"
The boy disagreed. "That's not true. My daddy says that money makes the world go round. If there's anything money can't do, it's just because there's not enough of it. So I want to make lots and lots of money!"
He paused, then looked angry. "You called me chubby! Am I really that fat?"
Ye Ling looked him up and down—he weighed at least over two hundred pounds! She shrugged. "Not fat?"
The boy shouted, "My daddy says I'm strong—just strong!"
Ye Ling shook her head, giving the boy a pitying look. "Your daddy is really 'kind.'"
The boy's expression turned sour. After a moment, he muttered, "Am I really that fat?"
Ye Ling nodded. "Extremely fat."
The boy clenched his fists, furious. "They all lied to me!"
Ye Ling ignored him and moved to Ye Xuan's side. She didn't disturb her brother—she just hugged his arm gently and rested her head against it.
Seeing this, the boy snorted and ran to the middle-aged man chatting nearby. "Daddy, get me a brother!"
The middle-aged man: "..."
The Cloudship passed over Qianshan and arrived above a massive river—its length was unending, and its width was thousands of feet. It was truly a grand river!
And Ye Xuan remained motionless, just as he had before, staring straight ahead, as if in deep meditation.
Thinking!
Recently, Ye Xuan rarely had the chance to think. He had no time for it. But now that he was on the Cloudship, seeing the vast mountains and rivers made him feel something, and his mind filled with countless thoughts!
Thoughts he had never had before!
In a private cabin, an elderly man in plain clothes glared coldly at Han Xiangmeng in front of him. "I heard you let some unknown young man stay in a special-class cabin?"
Han Xiangmeng nodded. "Yes, I did. Why, Elder Gu, is this small matter something you need to concern yourself with?"
The elderly man sneered. "Not just anyone can stay in a special-class cabin. You should know that better than anyone!"
Han Xiangmeng smiled lightly. "He's not just anyone. He's a Great Sword Cultivator. There's no harm in winning him over, is there?"
"A Great Sword Cultivator?" The elderly man laughed derisively. "Are you joking? A seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy is a Great Sword Cultivator? Why not say he's the hero of Jiang Country, An Lanxiu?"
Han Xiangmeng frowned slightly. "Elder Gu, are you deliberately picking a fight?"
Elder Gu sneered. "How could I dare? Miss Han, though you were sent to take over the business between Qianshan City and the Imperial Capital, per family rules, this order will only take effect once you reach the capital. Guards!"
As he called out, two guards entered.
Elder Gu said coldly, "Those siblings have no right to stay in a special-class cabin. Throw their things out."
The two guards bowed respectfully and left.
Han Xiangmeng gave Elder Gu a cold look. "It seems Elder Gu is determined to show loyalty to certain people!"
Elder Gu sneered. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you're saying. I'm just doing my job. If you think it's wrong, feel free to report me."
Han Xiangmeng nodded. "I'll remember this!"
With that, she turned and left the cabin.
Inside, Elder Gu sneered. "You want to win him over, but it won't be up to you!"
He left the cabin as well. He was about to retire, and if he didn't show some loyalty and effort now, he might just end up forgotten. He had been waiting for an opportunity, and now he'd finally found one!
On the Cloudship deck.
Elder Gu approached Ye Xuan with two guards. Ye Ling noticed and let go of Ye Xuan's arm, turning to them. "Excuse me, who are you?"
Elder Gu glanced at Ye Xuan, snorting. With his strength, he could easily discern Ye Xuan's level—only in the Qi Transformation Realm. A Qi Transformation cultivator, a Great Sword Cultivator? Ridiculous!
Elder Gu turned to one of the guards, who nodded and threw the siblings' belongings in front of Ye Ling.
"You..." Ye Ling was stunned, not understanding what was happening.
Many people nearby turned their attention to them.
Elder Gu sneered. "Do you think a special-class cabin is for the likes of you?"
Ye Ling hurriedly explained, "The sister let us stay there. She—"
"Did you pay?" Elder Gu interrupted her. "Do you have a ticket as proof?"
Ye Ling grew anxious. "The sister let my brother and me stay there. You can ask her—"
Elder Gu sneered. "No ticket, no proof—you're just lying. I think you snuck into the special-class cabin on purpose."
His expression turned cold. "Guards, execute these two and throw their bodies off the Cloudship!"
The guards moved towards Ye Xuan and Ye Ling. Ye Ling's face turned pale. She quickly stood in front of Ye Xuan, her voice trembling. "You were the ones who let us stay there! How can you treat us like this? You're bullying us!"
Elder Gu sneered. "You stayed in a special-class cabin without a ticket—that means you have no respect for our Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Killing you both, even executing your entire family, would not be excessive!"
Bullying!
That was the feeling among those present.
But no one dared to speak up—this was the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. No one would offend Elder Gu for two strangers!
One of the guards grabbed Ye Ling and forcefully dragged her aside.
"Ah!"
Ye Ling's right arm was dislocated, and her face turned pale from the pain, cold sweat streaming down.
Still, she struggled to crawl back to Ye Xuan!
The guard frowned and kicked her in the stomach.
Bang!
Ye Ling was sent flying, slamming heavily into the ship's wall, and she passed out!
In the distance, the chubby boy saw this and tried to rush over, but the middle-aged man beside him held him back.
The boy glared at the man. "Daddy, they're bullying her!"
The man shook his head. "Let's see what's going on first!"
Just then, Ye Xuan suddenly opened his eyes.
He stared ahead. "The world is vast, and I am small. But my heart can be infinitely large. The world can imprison my body, but it cannot imprison my heart. If my heart is limitless, my sword is limitless!"
At that moment, Ye Xuan felt his entire body relax. Instantly, the Lingxiao Sword shot out of his body.
Buzz!
The sound of a sword ringing echoed across the sky!
The Lingxiao Sword hovered above the Cloudship!
Everyone on the Cloudship turned their gaze towards Ye Xuan!
In the distance, the middle-aged man beside the chubby boy was stunned. "How could this be... Sword Heart Enlightened..."
What is Sword Heart Enlightened?
It meant clarity of heart, having a clear understanding of one's sword path, not being confused by external matters—it was an elusive state of a sword cultivator!
This state was also known as the "Quasi Sword Dao Grandmaster"!
Throughout history, anyone who achieved Sword Heart Enlightenment would go on to become a Sword Dao Grandmaster. The only Sword Dao Grandmaster in Jiang Country had once been in this state!
Elsewhere, Han Xiangmeng was also stunned, her bright eyes filled with disbelief!
After Ye Xuan snapped back, he looked to the side and smiled. "Ling'er, I—"
The next moment, he froze.
Seeing Ye Ling in the distance, Ye Xuan was paralyzed, as if he'd been struck.
Soon, he rushed to her side like a madman, trembling as he picked her up. "Wha... what happened?"
He roared like a wild beast, "Who did this?!"
The chubby boy immediately pointed at Elder Gu and the two guards. "It was them! They hit her—that guard did it."
Ye Xuan looked up at the guard. In the next instant, under everyone's gaze, he lunged!
Seeing Ye Xuan move, Elder Gu shouted angrily, "How dare you make trouble here!"
He moved to intervene, but Ye Xuan's sword changed direction, targeting Elder Gu instead!
Everyone was stunned!
Elder Gu was in the Skywalking Realm!
Elder Gu narrowed his eyes. "Foolish!"
He clenched his fists, and a wave of energy burst from his body!
The sword arrived!
A burst of sword energy erupted from the blade!
One Sword to Decide Life and Death!
Sword energy!
A Great Sword Cultivator!
So young, yet already a Great Sword Cultivator!
Everyone was petrified!
Elder Gu was also frozen in place.
It was true—a Great Sword Cultivator!
Elder Gu was terrified, but he had no choice now. He clenched his fists, unleashing two powerful blasts of energy.
However, when they met the sword, the energy was instantly torn apart. Under everyone's eyes, Elder Gu's arms were severed!
He screamed, retreating rapidly. The two guards beside him moved to attack, but Ye Xuan moved like a ghost, appearing next to them.
Slash! Slash!
Two bloody heads flew into the air!
Instant kill!
The onlookers were horrified, many stepping back in fear!
The chubby boy was also stunned. "Her brother... he's amazing..."
After killing the two guards, Ye Xuan looked at Elder Gu in the distance. Elder Gu was terrified. "I am an elder of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion! If you harm me, you provoke the Pavilion! You—"
Ye Xuan approached him with his sword. Seeing this, Elder Gu panicked and kept retreating.
Suddenly, Han Xiangmeng appeared in front of Ye Xuan. She said seriously, "Young Master Ye, it's time to stop. If this continues, things will spiral out of control! You—"
Her voice abruptly stopped as Ye Xuan grabbed her throat.
Han Xiangmeng looked at Ye Xuan calmly, without speaking.
Ye Xuan's expression was ferocious. "It was you who let my sister and me stay in the special-class cabin, yet he came to bully us. This has something to do with you, right?"
The mysterious woman had already explained everything to him, so he understood the situation.
Han Xiangmeng met his gaze. "If you keep this up, things will be beyond saving!"
Ye Xuan sneered. "Your internal issues dragged my sister into this, and you did nothing to stop it. You deserve to die!"
He tightened his grip.
He was genuinely trying to kill her!
But just as his hand closed in, Han Xiangmeng silently moved several feet away. An elder appeared in front of her.
The elder looked at Ye Xuan coldly. "Young Master Ye, do not bring disaster upon your backing!"
Ye Xuan glanced at Ye Ling, who had fainted in the distance. His heart ached.
He suddenly laughed—a wild, unhinged laugh. "My sister ended up like this, and you expect me to think about consequences?"
With those words, he unleashed his sword!