Chapter 2828

Time slipped away like water through fingers. Another five years passed in the blink of an eye.

The sky was a deep, clear blue. A few pale clouds drifted by, light as smoke, yet carrying a faint sense of parting sorrow.

Yun Xi, Wang Lanxuan, and Lie Xuan stood before a mysterious entrance, looking at the crowd gathered there.

Yun Xi smiled gently. "There are many masters of Golden Book Qi in the various nations now. With the cultivation methods I left behind, everyone’s progress will surely soar. Today, Brother Wang, Brother Lie, and I will leave first for the Qilin Realm. If we succeed, I will send someone to fetch you. Remember, cultivators must never stop growing."

"King Yun, we will wait here for your return." The speaker was the former King of Zhenjiang, who now lived in seclusion among the mountains near the entrance. Many Golden Book Qi experts had chosen to retire here.

Yun Xi was now respectfully called "King Yun" by the Golden masters—a title unique to him.

"Since that is so, we shall take our leave." Yun Xi bowed to the assembled experts. Wang Lanxuan and Lie Xuan followed suit, bowing respectfully before turning to leave.

Entering the Qilin Realm from the Vermilion Bird Realm was similar to entering the Azure Dragon Realm from Qilin. There was a staircase that seemed to have no end. No one knew how many steps it held. Some might ascend in a single step; others might spend their entire lives climbing it.

However, for those born with the affinity of the Azure Dragon or Qilin, the journey was simple. They could return to their origin realms just by standing at the threshold and focusing their minds, bypassing the endless stairs entirely.

Looking at the staircase ahead, Yun Xi said to Wang Lanxuan and Lie Xuan, "Keep the items I gave you safe. If we get separated on these stairs, we might end up anywhere. Those items will be your best protection."

Yun Xi had prepared these gifts after learning from the Regent how to enter the Qilin Realm.

Wang Lanxuan and Lie Xuan nodded slightly. Lie Xuan said to Yun Xi, "Be careful yourself. To tell the truth, you are the youngest among us, yet you act like our elder brother."

"Go on, what do you mean youngest? I am only four years younger than you. That hardly counts as young," Yun Xi said with a half-smile. "Well, let us go."

Before Lie Xuan could fully process his words, Yun Xi had already led them onto the path.

As soon as the three stepped onto the staircase, they vanished from the sight of those seeing them off. No one knew if they had successfully entered the Qilin Realm.

Yun Xi walked steadily. After about nine steps, he felt a pressure from the outside world upon taking the first step. He paid it no mind. After nine steps, he said calmly, "This pressure is useless against me. Withdraw."

As he spoke, he found himself in a strange new place.

She stood on a cliff edge by the sea. One more step would send her plunging into the ocean below.

Yun Xi raised an eyebrow. Was this the staircase’s revenge? He found it interesting.

She did not step forward. Instead, she looked out at the horizon where the sea met the sky. The morning sun was slowly rising, creating a feeling unlike any other.

Yun Xi had seen the sea and sky merge in the Vermilion Bird Realm, but this was different.

If the Vermilion Bird Realm’s seascape was harmonious yet aggressive, this one was steady and charming. It was like the difference between a child and an adult.

They say all things have spirits. Perhaps the morning sun, the clouds, and this seascape all possessed spiritual energy.

Humans shaped the world, so everything in the world changed with human perception.

A thought struck Yun Xi, and his state of mind advanced significantly. The bottleneck at the peak of his Foundation Establishment stage began to crack. It seemed that with the right timing, he could break through to the Golden Core stage.

Yun Xi did not force the breakthrough. Instead, he used this time to explore the Qilin Realm.

She was curious about the Creator who had made such a world. Arriving here and feeling its uniqueness immediately made her curious about the Azure Dragon Realm as well. It seemed her planned path was entirely correct.

Yun Xi sat cross-legged on the ground and contemplated.

Most importantly, he wanted to wait and see if Wang Lanxuan and Lie Xuan would also land in this place.

Meanwhile, Lie Xuan had fallen into a cave entrance. She stood up, sensing something inside, and walked in.

She found the cave was bright. Yes, bright. There were no torches, yet the moment she entered, she noticed the illumination.

The call in her heart grew stronger. Unconsciously, she reached the bottom of the cave. Only then did she realize she had forgotten the potential danger of this place.

But as a former soldier, she would not retreat even if danger lurked.

The bottom of the cave remained bright. What surprised her was that, aside from a table with a box on it, there was nothing else.

It seemed the call originated from here.

She walked over unconsciously, placed her hand on the box, and slowly opened it. A bright light appeared, rushing directly into her divine sense. Then, a voice spoke: "Hello, Host. I am Meijing. I have finally waited for you."

"What Meijing?" Lie Xuan frowned slightly. "What are you?"

"I am not a 'thing.' I am Meijing," Meijing answered seriously. After a pause, she added, "I am a guide to help the Host cultivate. Once the Host ascends, I will separate from the Host."

"You mean you will teach me to cultivate?" Lie Xuan never believed in free lunches. "Is there no price?"

"No. I will teach you to cultivate, and you must help me find Liangchen," Meijing said.

"Who is Liangchen?" Lie Xuan asked.

"Liangchen is my partner. We were forged as a pair. He is Liangchen, and I am Meijing. But now we are separated, so you must help me find Liangchen," Meijing answered earnestly.

"Where should I look?" Lie Xuan asked.

Meijing’s voice was calm. "As long as you cultivate, you will eventually find him."

"Alright." Lie Xuan thought for a moment, then said, "Since you want to teach me, what abilities do you have?"

"Host," Meijing began.

"Do not call me Host. Just call me Lie Xuan," Lie Xuan said. She disliked the word "Host."