Invincible Sword God

"Big brother should be like this!"

Ye Xuan hadn't walked far with his sister on his back when he suddenly stopped. Not far ahead of him stood three people!

It was Jiang Nian and the other two!

Jiang Nian and the others walked up to Ye Xuan. Jiang Nian smiled slightly, "We three old men have come to see Young Master Ye off!"

Ye Xuan put down his sister and cupped his hands toward the three, "Thank you!"

Jiang Nian smiled and took out a white jade bottle, handing it to Ye Xuan. "This contains thirty Nourishing Spirit Pills. It's a small token of goodwill from our three families. We hope you'll accept it!"

Nourishing Spirit Pills!

Ye Xuan glanced at the three, somewhat puzzled.

As if understanding Ye Xuan's confusion, Jiang Nian smiled and said, "I'll be frank. We three old men wish to form a good relationship with Young Master Ye. Although you are no longer a member of the Ye family, you are still from Qingcheng. If you leave here and make a name for yourself in the future, we might be able to bask in your glory!"

Ye Xuan accepted the white jade bottle and bowed slightly, "Thank you!"

Although he didn't want to owe favors, he truly needed these Nourishing Spirit Pills. For his sister, he was willing to owe any debt!

At this moment, Li Yu suddenly said, "Is Young Master Ye heading to the capital?"

Ye Xuan nodded, "I am indeed going to Cangmu Academy in the capital!"

Li Yu smiled slightly. With a wave of his right hand, a carriage soon came rushing from the city.

Li Yu smiled, "The journey to the capital is long. If you travel on foot, it will take at least half a year. You and your sister can take this carriage to Qianshan City first. From there, you can take an airship to the capital. Coincidentally, the enrollment period for Cangmu Academy is in one month, so you should arrive just in time."

As soon as Li Yu finished speaking, Zhang Lie handed Ye Xuan a money bag and a scroll. "Young Master Ye, this is also a small token of goodwill. The journey to the capital will require various expenses. This amount isn't much, but it should suffice for emergencies. As for this scroll, it's a map. It marks some dangerous areas—be sure to avoid them."

Ye Xuan looked at the three of them, then cupped his hands and said, "I will remember the kindness you three have shown me today. There will be time in the future to repay you. Farewell!"

After saying this, he put away the items, picked up his sister, and entered the carriage.

Soon, Ye Xuan and his sister disappeared from the sight of the three men!

Watching the siblings disappear into the distance, Li Yu suddenly said softly, "Will he remember this kindness?"

Jiang Nian smiled, "Did you see his sister?"

Hearing this, the three immediately understood.

Jiang Nian looked at the increasingly distant carriage and said softly, "This young man is decisive and never hesitates in his actions. He's a formidable character. If the Ye family had him, we would likely have to keep our heads down for countless years to come. Thankfully, the Ye family is full of fools. They chose to elevate some so-called 'Chosen One,' and in doing so, they suppressed another genius! Now, they've driven him to sever ties with the Ye family! That Grand Elder and the family head of the Ye family truly have the brains of pigs!"

Li Yu smiled, "For us, this is a good thing, isn't it?"

Jiang Nian smiled, "Naturally!"

Zhang Lie suddenly laughed, "You two, how do you think we should divide the Ye family's 'pie'?"

Li Yu laughed heartily, "We'll divide it however we want! Let's go back and carve up that pie!"

The three turned and left.

Elsewhere, on a mountain peak, a woman holding a spear watched a carriage moving along the road below.

This woman was none other than An Lanxiu!

Behind An Lanxiu stood an old man holding a withered wooden cane.

An Lanxiu said, "Elder Ling, what do you think?"

The old man glanced at the carriage and said, "From his earlier exchange with you, it seems this young man has experienced countless life-and-death battles. As for his swordsmanship, it's hard to tell where he learned it, but one thing is certain: he is already a sword cultivator."

At this point, he hesitated for a moment before adding, "Miss, although he is talented, he and you are from two different worlds. After all, you are already on the Martial Ranking!"

Martial Ranking!

The entire Qingzhou region had hundreds of small nations, four or five large nations, and hidden aristocratic families and sects. The disciples of all these powers shared a common goal: to make it onto the Martial Ranking!

The Martial Ranking was the most prestigious and authoritative ranking in all of Qingzhou. Those who made it onto the list were geniuses among geniuses, prodigies among prodigies!

In the entire Jiang Kingdom, only two people had made it onto the ranking!

One of them was An Lanxiu!

An Lanxiu glanced at Elder Ling and smiled slightly, "Elder Ling, are you worried that I gave him my jade pendant because I have feelings for him? Are you afraid I might fall for him?"

Elder Ling hadn't expected his young mistress to be so direct. He lowered his head slightly and said nothing.

An Lanxiu looked at the carriage, which had now disappeared into the distance. "Elder Ling, you've misunderstood. When I asked you earlier, I wasn't asking about his talent, but about his character."

Hearing this, Elder Ling frowned.

An Lanxiu chuckled softly, "To have a brother like that..."

After saying this, she turned and left gracefully.

In the same spot, Elder Ling stood in silence for a long time before finally turning and leaving.

...

Ye Xuan drove the carriage forward, with Ye Ling clinging tightly to his arm.

Ye Xuan glanced into the distance and then took out the map Zhang Lie had given him. After looking at it, his brow furrowed. Having never left Qingcheng before, he suddenly realized just how vast the world was!

They had been traveling for nearly two hours, but they were still within the boundaries of Qingcheng. Moreover, at their current speed, it would take at least four or five more days to reach Qianshan City!

Ye Xuan decided not to continue traveling, as it was already late at night, and he didn't dare to drive deep into the mountains with his sister in the dark.

If he were alone, he wouldn't have hesitated. After all, he had often fought life-and-death battles in the mountains. But now, with his sister by his side, he couldn't afford to be reckless!

Above, the sky was clear, with a bright moon and sparse stars, vast and profound.

By the campfire, Ye Xuan and Ye Ling sat close together. Over the fire, a half-roasted pheasant was cooking—a provision Li Yu and the others had prepared for them in the carriage.

Ye Ling glanced around. Apart from their campfire, the surroundings were pitch black, as the moon was now obscured by dark clouds.

The area was eerily quiet!

Ye Ling clung tightly to Ye Xuan, who smiled and said, "Don't be afraid."

As he spoke, he scanned the surroundings. "How familiar this feels!"

Familiar!

Ever since he became the family heir, he had often represented the Ye family in battles with disciples from the other two families over mining rights. Their battlegrounds were often deep in the mountains and forests. For Ye Xuan, the forest was no stranger, and he was accustomed to fighting life-and-death battles in the dark.

Ye Ling tilted her head and looked at Ye Xuan. "Brother, as long as you're here, I'm not afraid!"

Ye Xuan gently rubbed Ye Ling's small head. "That's good. Remember, if the sky falls, your brother will hold it up for you!"

Ye Ling smiled sweetly.

After the siblings finished eating the pheasant, Ye Ling soon fell asleep.

Ye Xuan carried Ye Ling into the carriage and then sat down cross-legged, entering the Prison Tower.

His earlier battle with An Lanxiu had given him many insights!

After witnessing her speed, reflexes, and combat awareness, he realized that he still had many shortcomings.

Ye Xuan didn't spar with the shadow this time. Instead, he replayed every detail of his fight with An Lanxiu in his mind!

At first, he was simply recalling the events, but gradually, he began to imagine himself in An Lanxiu's position... or rather, he started learning from her, while also reflecting on the timing and angles of his own sword strikes.

After an hour, Ye Xuan suddenly stood up and began practicing his swordsmanship!

He practiced alone!

Well, not exactly alone. He imagined an opponent, and that opponent was none other than An Lanxiu!

After an unknown amount of time, Ye Xuan suddenly sheathed his sword and sat down on the ground, a faint smile on his lips.

"Did you gain something?" the mysterious woman's voice suddenly rang out.

Ye Xuan nodded. "When I fought her earlier, I shouldn't have struck with that first sword move. It was that move that put me at a disadvantage and allowed her to suppress me. If I hadn't immediately abandoned my sword, I might not have been able to fight back at all!"

The mysterious woman said, "It's good that you understand this."

Ye Xuan looked up. "You knew this all along, didn't you?"

The mysterious woman replied, "What does it matter if I knew? Some things only have meaning when you realize them yourself. If someone else tells you, it won't have the same impact."

Ye Xuan nodded slightly. "I understand!"

After practicing for a while longer, Ye Xuan left the Prison Tower. He glanced at Ye Ling, who was still fast asleep, smiled, and then stepped out of the carriage.

It was now deep into the night!

At this moment, Ye Xuan's brow suddenly furrowed. He turned to the right, where the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard!

Soon, a woman appeared in front of Ye Xuan!

The woman was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a fox-like, alluring face. She wore a tight, revealing dress that exposed a fair expanse of skin at her chest. Her body bore several wounds!

When the woman saw Ye Xuan, she was momentarily stunned. Then, she suddenly ran to his side. "Young master, someone is trying to kill me. Please, save me!" As she spoke, she wrapped her arms around Ye Xuan's, and he immediately felt a soft pressure against his arm.

At that moment, three people appeared not far away. The leader was a middle-aged man holding a long blade, while the other two were elderly men.

Seeing the three, Ye Xuan's heart tightened. Judging by their aura, the middle-aged man was at least at the Qi Refinement Realm, while the two elderly men had reached the Qi Transformation Realm!

The three men also noticed Ye Xuan, and their brows furrowed as they saw him.

The middle-aged man stared directly at Ye Xuan. "Who are you?"

Before Ye Xuan could speak, the fox-like woman suddenly said, "I've got the item. Hold them off, and we'll meet at the usual spot!"

After saying this, she turned to run, but at that moment, Ye Xuan suddenly lashed out with a whip kick toward her.

The fox-like woman's face changed drastically. She hadn't expected Ye Xuan to attack her so suddenly. She quickly crossed her arms in front of her to block.

Bam!

The fox-like woman was sent flying several feet by Ye Xuan's kick.

On the other side, the three men who had been about to charge at Ye Xuan were stunned.

Ye Xuan glanced at the fox-like woman and said seriously, "You didn't specify where the usual spot is. Be clearer, or I might get lost and not find it!"