Something Amiss

Wen Guyan looked at the young man before him, his heart deeply shaken. He had never imagined Li Guanqi would dedicate himself to the Immortal Burial Realm to such an extent! After all, no matter how one looked at it, anyone else with an ability like this would have kept it hidden. If he had reserved this power solely for Ye Feng and his sworn brothers, their strength would have leaped forward by bounds in a short time. Yet Li Guanqi had not done so... Presently, the Immortal Burial Realm was weak. While newcomers were still admitted, their numbers paled in comparison to the hundreds who had populated it during its peak. Li Guanqi's actions were no different from elevating the overall strength of all the Seventh Domain cultivators by an entire tier through his sheer individual effort! Wen Guyan marveled inwardly, his regard for Li Guanqi climbing even higher. *This boy... if he ascends to the Immortal Realm in the future, he will surely become an extraordinary figure.* *Such breadth of mind—even I feel ashamed of my inferiority.* With that thought, Wen Guyan felt an even greater appreciation for such talent. Settling his mind, he channeled his power to aid Li Guanqi without reservation. As time went on, nearly everyone entered an epiphany under Li Guanqi's influence! Even Wen Guyan was astonished by an epiphany on such a massive scale. In truth, he had understood certain things for a while now—whether it concerned the Eight Generals or the Four Kings like himself. From the moment Li Guanqi challenged the Eight Generals, he had realized it. They were all whetstones the Realm Lord had left behind for Li Guanqi! The corners of Wen Guyan's mouth lifted slightly, ripples stirring across his ordinarily placid heart. Just then, however, Wen Guyan's gaze snapped onto Ye Feng. Ye Feng, having already torn through the barrier of laws in his epiphany, unexpectedly opened his eyes at this very moment! *Why would he forcibly exit his epiphany?* Ye Feng's sharp gaze swept toward the crowd, and following it, Wen Guyan immediately locked his eyes on a single person. Wen Guyan frowned slightly and murmured under his breath, "Li Qingchan?" Among the crowd, a woman sat upright and poised, likewise deep in an epiphany. Her presence came as a bit of a surprise to Wen Guyan. After all, nearly everyone seated here was in the late Mahayana realm or at half-step Tribulation Transcendence. What was she, a mid Tribulation Transcendence realm cultivator, doing here? Yet after only a moment's reflection, Wen Guyan understood what was happening. Li Guanqi's resonant power made it much easier for people to enter an epiphany. As such, it was not strictly limited to comprehending the power of laws. A hint of doubt and sharp inquiry lingered in Ye Feng's eyes, along with a deeply buried trace of affection. Wen Guyan smiled faintly, closing his eyes to focus without dwelling on it further. Ye Feng merely took one look at Li Qingchan before slowly closing his eyes again, beginning to consolidate his cultivation realm and insights. Li Qingchan's eyelashes fluttered slightly, but her expression remained serene, and not the slightest ripple disturbed the aura surrounding her. An unknown amount of time passed. Li Guanqi's body swayed, and Wen Guyan abruptly opened his eyes to support him! Li Guanqi's mental strength had reached its absolute limit. In a gentle voice, Wen Guyan murmured, "That's enough. You have done more than enough." Looking at the crowd still deep in their epiphanies, Wen Guyan carried Li Guanqi straight out of the Third Domain. *Whoosh! Whoosh!* Moving at terrifying speed, he brought Li Guanqi directly into the Fifth Domain! Here, Wen Guyan brought Li Guanqi straight into his own sleeping chambers. In the innermost secret chamber behind the quarters, one was enveloped by vaporized spiritual energy the moment they entered. Walking inward, rare and extraordinary spiritual plants grew everywhere. Some of these spirit herbs were even extinct or practically impossible to find in the Human Spirit Realm. Yet plants as precious as these carpeted the ground of this secret chamber like mere weeds. At the very center of the chamber lay a milky-white pool only about a zhang across. From the stalactites overhead, drop after drop of condensed stalactite marrow fell into the pool. Wen Guyan gently lowered Li Guanqi into the jade marrow pool, murmuring with a pained wince, "I've hardly been willing to use this myself... You lucky brat." Having settled him in, he guided the power within Li Guanqi to circulate on its own. Ripples spread across the surface of the milky-white jade marrow fluid as Li Guanqi slowly began to absorb it. If this jade marrow fluid were brought outside, even Tribulation Transcendence cultivators would go mad for it! Ten-thousand-year stalactite marrow offered benefits to cultivators that were simply unimaginable. As Li Guanqi gradually absorbed this energy, his consciousness revived. Awake, Li Guanqi felt himself enveloped by a mysterious and formidable power. The vast energy contained within the jade marrow fluid was more than enough for him to swiftly stabilize his strength and realm in a short time! Back in the Third Domain, cultivators gradually began breaking through their realm barriers. Before long, the entire Fourth Domain turned into a breakthrough ground for cultivators. Quite a few who favored caution chose to forcibly suppress their urge to break through, setting about preparing the resources and safeguards needed to ensure their success. After leaving the Dao platform, many immediately entered secluded cultivation. Nearly everyone's strength ascended by an entire tier! The companions at Li Guanqi's side had almost all reached the point where they could tear through the barrier of laws! Even Tang Ru, who had the lowest cultivation realm among them, touched the existence of the law barrier! Over the years, everyone had witnessed Tang Ru's hard work and diligence. None of his brothers found it surprising that he had touched the barrier of laws this time; they all believed he had earned it! Through several consecutive brutal battles, Tang Ru had danced on the edge of a blade and walked the brink of life and death, gaining profound insights and making tremendous strides. Meng Wanshu's aura pressed directly against the Tribulation Transcendence realm! Had she not intentionally held back, she might well have broken through right then and there. However, she did not wish to advance so quickly. After all, Meng Wanshu knew very well that a major reason her strength had grown so swiftly was the legacy of Realm Lord Bingqi. She needed to comprehend the essence of her existing power for herself; she did not want to rush a breakthrough simply because of the legacy's aid. Upon learning that Li Guanqi had been taken to the Fifth Domain by Wen Guyan, the sworn brothers returned to the White Jade Tower one after another. They all stepped back into the Nirvana Pagoda to stabilize their cultivation. Everyone, that is, except Ye Feng. Standing outside the White Jade Tower, Ye Feng turned things over in his mind and ultimately decided to head out! Once outside, Ye Feng made a beeline for the tavern in the First Domain. When he arrived at the wine shop, however, he found the doors firmly shut. It seemed Li Qingchan had not returned directly to the tavern after leaving the Dao platform. Gazing at the tightly closed doors, Ye Feng narrowed his eyes and spread his divine sense outward to search for Li Qingchan. Yet at this moment, spiritual energy throughout the entire Immortal Burial Realm was in turmoil. Cultivators everywhere were having epiphanies and breaking through, churning the auras of heaven and earth into chaos. Relying on divine sense to find someone under these conditions was simply unrealistic. Ye Feng wandered aimlessly through the Realm of Celestial Spirits, but throughout the entire First Domain, he could not find a trace of Li Qingchan. Stopping in his tracks, Ye Feng swept his gaze across the vast Realm of Celestial Spirits below, his brow tightly furrowed.