Chu Tianle harbored resentment, regret, and a heavy heart. He blamed Li Shiqing for her poor judgment of people, lamented his own failure to discern his feelings sooner, and felt the sting of his past rashness pushing Bai Shengyi away. As the alcohol took hold, his memories of the past became all the more vivid and clear. "Shengyi… Shenqi… can I ever see you again…"
The next morning, after borrowing a washbasin from the inn, Chu Tianle used a hand seal to draw water and wash his face, restoring his former appearance. "Chu Tianle, you stop right there!" Outside the Celestial Curtain Pagoda, Tang Qiao was already waiting. Seeing Chu Tianle, she extended her hand to block him, indignantly asking, "I called you yesterday, why did you run?"
"Lord Tang Qiao," Chu Tianle addressed her, as most people in Celestial Witch City did. "Since you said that I, Chu Tianle, am not your servant, nor your pet, but a friend you brought back from Shenqi, would you manage what your friend does?" Tang Qiao paused, realizing that she truly wouldn't care what Yue Jun did. Seeing that Tang Qiao had no retort, Chu Tianle once again ventured into the Celestial Curtain Pagoda alone.
Time passed, and fifty years flew by in the blink of an eye. The Celestial Curtain Pagoda, as the iconic landmark of Celestial Witch City, attracted many cultivators not only for trials but also for the opportunity to gain fame by inscribing their names on the Golden Name Stele at its summit. This stele only listed the top one hundred, and countless individuals attempted the pagoda, making entry a symbol of immense honor and renown.
Chu Tianle, having challenged the pagoda daily for the past few decades, had already drawn the attention of many. Furthermore, in the last month alone, he had come close to making the list twice, prompting numerous wagers outside on when he would finally succeed. Chu Tianle paid no mind to these matters. It was only after his third failed attempt at the stele, as he overheard the frustrated curses of some losing gamblers, that he heard something else—
"The Universe Secret Realm has appeared! The Prefecture Lord's mansion intends to select ten cultivators below the Empty Brilliance Mirror to enter the Universe Secret Realm. Birth and age are disregarded, as long as one has successfully passed the Celestial Curtain Pagoda and entered the ranking, they are eligible to participate!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Tianle, thinking it was merely another secret realm, prepared to leave. However, he then overheard snippets of conversation from others. "The Universe Secret Realm? Isn't that where the gods reside?" "The gods perished long ago. Apart from its last appearance, the Universe Secret Realm has been hidden for thousands of years." "Indeed. I heard a rumor from the Prefecture Lord's mansion that the Universe Secret Realm has this time appeared in a lesser world previously unheard of, called… Shenqi…"
"Are you referring to the Shenqi Lesser World?" Chu Tianle's expression shifted slightly, and he turned to grab the cultivator who had spoken. Although the cultivator's cultivation was inferior to Chu Tianle's, he was not good-tempered and shouted, "Hey! What are you doing? Do you want to fight?"
"Calm down, calm down." A cheerful and lively individual nearby interjected, "Brother Wang, this person often challenges the pagoda too. His name is Chu Tianle. He likely means no harm." Chu Tianle calmed himself and bowed to Brother Wang, cupping his fists. "Excuse me, is the Universe Secret Realm located in the Shenqi Lesser World?"
"Yes," Brother Wang replied, puzzled. "How do you know about the Shenqi Lesser World?" He hadn't even heard the name, and when he said it, he had stammered. However, Chu Tianle was already heading outside to wait by the Celestial Curtain Pagoda. The guards guarding the pagoda assumed he intended to challenge it again. Chu Tianle quickly said, "I'm here to queue up. I'll challenge it tomorrow." He waited for a long time, eventually placing his sword on the ground and sitting cross-legged on it.
"This is the first time I've seen a sword cultivator who doesn't cherish their sword like this." Chu Tianle looked up to see the cheerful cultivator who had helped break up the argument. The latter offered him a bright smile. Chu Tianle replied, "I am not a sword cultivator." The cultivator was taken aback, then chuckled, "My apologies, I was mistaken." "No, you are not wrong. I am an unqualified sword cultivator at the moment." He stroked the sword hilt, but his thoughts were on saber techniques.
Xia YuLe found him truly amusing and said with a smile, "My name is Xia YuLe. I also have the character 'Le' in my name. Shall we become friends? I see you also want to go to the Universe Secret Realm, so we can go together." Chu Tianle found Xia YuLe's name somewhat familiar. He looked up and saw "Xia YuLe" ranked seventy-ninth on the Golden Name Stele. "Thank you for your help earlier, senior." Chu Tianle cupped his fists.
Xia YuLe waved it off casually. "No need for 'senior.' I might be a hundred or two hundred years older than you. Just call me by my name. By the way, I watched your previous matches. You were just a little bit away from making the list. You must have run out of spiritual power at the last moment, so the strike that remained on the Golden Name Stele wasn't powerful enough. The Golden Name Stele couldn't capture your true strength and cultivation. I have a method, would you like to hear it…" Chu Tianle, listening to Xia YuLe's familiar and friendly voice, was slightly distracted. He was so similar. He felt as if he saw his past self from over fifty years ago in Xia YuLe. Enthusiastic, carefree, righteous, smiling like the sun, as if devoid of any worries.
Chu Tianle suppressed his thoughts and listened intently to Xia YuLe's method. The very next morning, he immediately entered the pagoda to challenge it. This time, he finally succeeded. Things proceeded smoothly afterward. Chu Tianle and Xia YuLe successfully joined the team to explore the Universe Secret Realm. Due to his higher cultivation, Xia YuLe was even appointed as the temporary team leader. Their group entered the Shenqi Lesser World through a spatial rift opened by Yingwu Prefecture. It was then that Chu Tianle learned that besides the Chongyuan Middle World, there were also the Zihuang Middle World and the Yuexing Middle World, and even a Divine Spirit Great World.
Chu Tianle was gloomy and preferred to be alone, not fitting in with the group. If not for Xia YuLe's care along the way, someone would have already tried to scheme against or bully him. However, with Xia YuLe keeping them in check, the journey was relatively peaceful. Until they entered the Shenqi Lesser World. He never would have imagined that upon entering Shenqi, the first place they would arrive at was Qianlian City. His companions looked down on the cultivators of the Shenqi Lesser World with disdain and intended to occupy Qianlian City as a base. Chu Tianle followed in silence until he saw Feng Wuya, Qin Sanxiang, and others within Qianlian City.
Feng Wuya, as sharp-tongued as ever, angered Xia YuLe. How could the Nascent Soul stage Feng Wuya withstand a single blow from the peak Empty Brilliance Mirror Xia YuLe? Chu Tianle immediately intervened with a saber. Yes, ever since he learned he could return to the Universe, Chu Tianle had replaced his sword with a saber. "Chu Tianle, why are you stopping me?" Xia YuLe, uncharacteristically, argued with Chu Tianle. Chu Tianle replied, "We've just arrived and haven't assessed the situation. It's best not to cause trouble. Let's find the secret realm first."
Hearing this, Xia YuLe thought Chu Tianle's words made sense and put the matter aside for the moment, leading the others to search for the Universe Secret Realm. Fortunately, the Universe Secret Realm was not a blessing but a curse for the Shenqi Lesser World. The vast secret realm was prominently visible in the sky, and soon they found the entrance, awaiting its opening to enter. However, they unexpectedly encountered Daoist Master Qinglan again. He was merely a Great Ascension cultivator, yet he forced everyone to retreat into the Mustard Seed Layer. Xia YuLe was displeased and grumbled all the way, "How could Shenqi produce such a terrifying powerhouse? Could it be that someone from another Middle World specifically came to trick our Chongyuan?" "Exactly! His cultivation is at least late Void Severing Realm. I once had the fortune to witness the Prefecture Lord's出手, but I felt that his blow just now was even more terrifying than the Prefecture Lord's!" "Could it be a hidden master from a Great World?" The others speculated, while only Chu Tianle remained silent, his face grim. Xia YuLe asked, "Chu Tianle, what do you think?"
Chu Tianle was still contemplating Daoist Master Qinglan's transmission, "After entering the secret realm, contact me again. Ensure your safety. Qin Si and Shengyi have been thinking of you." Chu Tianle vaguely replied, "Perhaps." Soon, the secret realm opened. They were tricked by people from the Zihuang Middle World and ultimately entered the Universe Secret Realm. As a result, several people were lost within the secret realm. Chu Tianle intended to persuade Xia YuLe to leave and not get involved in the mess of the Universe Secret Realm, but considering Xia YuLe's temperament, the words couldn't be spoken. However, Chu Tianle did not expect that before meeting Daoist Master Qinglan and the others, they first encountered the Yun family from Yun Shen Prefecture and Yun Youyue. "You don't know yet, do you? This teammate by your side is actually from the Shenqi Lesser World." Yun Youyue, with extreme schadenfreude, directly revealed Chu Tianle's identity. Upon seeing Yun Youyue, Chu Tianle naturally wanted to kill this traitor of Shenqi Academy, but he was no match for Yun Bu Luo and was quickly stopped. As Yun Bu Luo led his people away, those in the Yingwu Prefecture team who were already dissatisfied with Chu Tianle said, "Xia YuLe, Chu Tianle has betrayed us. How do you think he should be dealt with?"
Chu Tianle retaliated, directly finishing off that person. The blade's edge sliced, and blood stained the ground. Xia YuLe pointed at Chu Tianle's face and roared, "Chu Tianle! Do you know what you're doing?" Chu Tianle smiled bitterly, drew his saber, and looked up, his expression returning to its usual silence and aloofness. "Xia YuLe, we are not on the same path. Do you know what kind of situation the great formation that Yingwu Prefecture had everyone set up will cause for the Universe Secret Realm, for the Shenqi Lesser World?" Before leaving, they finally met Mo Qingque and Jiang Liuchen, and learned that their group was not only exploring the secret realm but also traveling to various locations within it to replace Void Beast cores and perfect the formations within. This mission was absolutely confidential and of great importance. The Prefecture Lord's mansion, after making the group swear a Dao oath based on their cultivation path, allowed them to leave.
"Draw your saber." Chu Tianle struck first. The saber light was cold, like the winter in Shenqi Academy, with snowflakes falling. Chu Tianle alone naturally could not defeat Xia YuLe and the many others. However, not long after, Yue Bufan, Lin Qingyu, Bitter Chan Master, and others rushed to their aid. The cultivation was suppressed within the Universe Secret Realm, and coupled with the fact that Yue Bufan and the others were prepared, the Yingwu Prefecture people were soon defeated. In the end, only Xia YuLe, heavily injured, escaped. Chu Tianle wiped his saber clean and prepared to leave.
"Kid, why are you running?" Lin Qingyu teased, but his gaze was scrutinizing. He did not trust Chu Tianle. Chu Tianle offered no defense, only saying, "I have something to do." Lin Qingyu attempted to stop him again, but the other two held him back. "Let him go." Chu Tianle strode forward, but then coughed up a mouthful of dark blood. The Dao oath, how could it be so easily broken? He found Xia YuLe, barely clinging to life, in a cave. Chu Tianle fed Xia YuLe a ninth-tier healing pill given to him by Yue Bufan. After Xia YuLe's condition stabilized, he did not leave.
Xia YuLe woke up and saw him, sneering, "Why are you saving me? Chu Tianle, didn't you say we were going our separate ways?" "When I entered Shenqi Academy, I was merely a scion of a prominent family. Oh, do you know what a prominent family is? It's like the Yun family in Yun Shen Prefecture, or the Xun family in Xunming Prefecture. However, the Chu family was much smaller than them." "At that time, the Shenqi Lesser World was divided into the Shenqi Continent and the Shenqi World. The Shenqi Continent was called the Shenqi Continent, and its destiny was weak. Reaching the Golden Core stage was the limit of cultivation. It was only after entering Shenqi Academy that I learned there were realms above Golden Core, such as Nascent Soul and Spirit Transformation…"
"...YuLe, you were born in Chongyuan and only know how difficult it is to achieve immortality and how difficult cultivation is. You don't know that some people are born without the chance to achieve immortality. Three thousand years ago, Yingwu Prefecture severed Shenqi's stairway to ascension and stole Shenqi's destiny, causing no one to ascend from Shenqi for thousands of years. Now, the Universe Secret Realm has appeared, and Yingwu Prefecture intends to do the same, stealing destiny and spiritual energy through the Universe Secret Realm. What do you think I should do?"
Chu Tianle did not need Xia YuLe's answer. He stood up, carrying his saber. "Your cultivation has mostly recovered. Avoid the surroundings and the center, and you should be safe and sound." This was the first time Xia YuLe had heard Chu Tianle speak so much. He watched Chu Tianle's retreating back and couldn't help but call out, "Chu Tianle, what about your Dao?" After all, they were friends. Even with differing stances, there was still concern. Chu Tianle's footsteps did not falter, but his voice was unusually carefree, "I was never meant to cultivate the way of the sword. If it's destroyed, so be it."
At that time, Xia YuLe did not understand. Centuries later, when Xia YuLe heard Chu Tianle's name again, it was outside the Celestial Curtain Pagoda in Yingwu Prefecture. The Prefecture Lord of Yingwu Prefecture had perished. Yun Shen Prefecture and Xunming Prefecture intended to vie for this territory, but unexpectedly, people from the Shenqi Lesser World ascended one after another. Under the command of His Majesty Rong Ku, they directly established a foothold in Yingwu Prefecture. Yingwu Prefecture was more prosperous than ever. After His Majesty Rong Ku personally visited the Celestial Curtain Pagoda, the pagoda became even more sought after by everyone. Xia YuLe, revisiting the place, heard someone say, "Immortal Lord Hidden Sword has arrived!" "This one is also quite skilled. He uses a saber but wields sword techniques. If not for the fact that the thirty-three layers of the pagoda are now projecting magical treasures, allowing us to watch from the outside, we would never have seen such a peculiar Dao!"
Xia YuLe couldn't help but look with curiosity and saw a familiar cultivator in dark blue robes with wide sleeves, carrying a large saber, swaggering into the Celestial Curtain Pagoda. His saber's edge was heavy as if weighing a thousand jun, yet when it moved, it was as graceful as a dragon, both free-spirited and sharp. As one saber strike landed on the Golden Name Stele, the Immortal Lord Hidden Sword, originally ranked fifth, ascended to third. The first and second places were held by His Majesty Rong Ku and Immortal Lord Shenqi, respectively.