The cloud boat was exceptionally fast—even faster than any void-piercing shuttle Li Guanqi had ever seen.
Li Guanqi remarked in surprise, "At such speeds, the boat doesn't tremble in the slightest. Impressive."
Standing off to the side, Xiao Chen gave a cocky chuckle. "Hmph, little bumpkin. How could Wanshu's cloud boat compare to the ordinary ones you've seen? The barrier around this boat alone is enough to withstand a full-power strike from a peak Void Refining realm cultivator. After all, it travels across domains. Safety comes first."
Here, Xiao Chen lowered his voice. "Though the rate at which this thing burns spirit stones is utterly horrifying as well. Whenever I travel, I only ever dare to take a void-piercing shuttle. A cloud boat like this costs way too much money."
Hearing this, Ye Feng sneered from the side, "You didn't set your sights on my sister-in-law just because of her family background, did you? After all, in the Shenbao Domain, probably nobody's richer than my sister-in-law."
Xiao Chen's expression tightened at once. He raised a hand with absolute solemnity and said, "I swear, I definitely don't love Wanshu for her family's wealth! Even if she were an ordinary mortal in the marketplace, I would love her just the same!!"
"Aaargh!"
Lightning flashed under Li Guanqi's feet as he kicked Xiao Chen flying. Xiao Chen crashed right into the light-barrier before sliding down.
"Why does hearing you call her 'Wanshu' next to me get so damn annoying?"
Before Xiao Chen could scramble up, Li Guanqi happily wrapped an arm around Meng Wanshu's waist and led her toward the cabin rooms.
Slumped on the deck by the gunwale, Xiao Chen gazed bitterly at the departing pair's backs. He reached out toward the empty air, clutched his chest with his left hand, and pointed trembling fingers ahead, turning his head toward Ye Feng—clearly hoping this dramatic display would earn some sympathy.
Instead, Ye Feng merely shrugged and said, "Keep acting like that next time, and I'll beat you up myself."
Xiao Chen sprang right up, propped his hands on his hips, and scoffed, "With what you've got? Tsk, tsk. I admit Li Guanqi is strong, but don't tell me you think you can push me around? No way, right? You really think so?"
Ye Feng paused, licked his lips, and turned toward the smug Xiao Chen. "Sounds like you're pretty confident."
Wasting no time, Xiao Chen whipped out the Blood God Spear with a flick of his wrist. Pointing the spear at Ye Feng, he provoked, "Want a fight?"
Ye Feng grinned—an eerie, sharp grin.
Turning to the old man watching the spectacle from the side, he bowed respectfully and asked, "Senior, could we trouble you to open up a temporary spatial barrier?"
Leaping down from the cabin roof, Li Changqing chuckled. "Of course. However... keep your strikes in check. This is just a spar. Stop before taking things too far, and whatever you do, don't endanger each other's lives."
The two nodded slightly. Ye Feng smiled and said, "Don't worry, Senior. I'll be sure to go easy on him."
Xiao Chen curled his lip and replied sarcastically, "Oho, 'go easy,' he says. Like you could beat me to death. Look at you, all puffed up."
Ye Feng could not be bothered to argue further and shot back, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're totally right." With that, he rolled up his sleeves, itching to begin. "Senior Li, we'll trouble you to bear witness for us."
Tucking his hands into his sleeves, the elder gave a smiling nod. The journey back to the Shenbao Domain was long; this would relieve the boredom nicely.
The old man reached out and tapped the air. In an instant, a massive spatial rift tore open before them. Vast spatial power erupted like a primeval beast! As the spatial energy expanded, a stable space spanning ten thousand zhang formed inside the rift. Its structural toughness was countless times greater than the space outside.
Seeing this, Ye Feng could not help marvelling at the old man's strength. Without wasting any words, he plunged straight inside.
Xiao Chen followed with spear in hand. Neither held back; they clashed the moment they met.
Watching out the window, Meng Wanshu couldn't help smiling. "Aren't you worried Ye Feng might take a beating?"
Li Guanqi shrugged and chuckled softly. "Rather than worry about Ye Feng getting hurt, I'm more worried he might accidentally beat Xiao Chen to death."
Here, Li Guanqi paused, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips. Looking toward the rift, he chuckled. "That Xiao Chen is actually quite amusing. Not only does he have a foul mouth, his personality is exasperatingly cheeky too. When I first met him, I thought he was cold and aloof. Who would've thought he was like this?"
Curious about what Li Guanqi really thought of Xiao Chen, Meng Wanshu asked with keen interest, "What kind of person do you think he is?"
Li Guanqi pondered for a good while before slowly answering, "Simple. He loves purely, hates purely, and simply... follows his heart."
Meng Wanshu took a moment to reflect, then nodded in agreement. "You're right! That's a spot-on description! That's exactly who he is: foul-mouthed yet simple."
Dropping the subject, Meng Wanshu sat beside him, resting her chin on her hands as she looked at him. "Coming back with me—are you nervous?"
Li Guanqi smiled and said softly, "Not nervous. It's been a long time since I last saw Uncle Meng and Aunt Li. I really miss Aunt Li's cooking. Haha, just thinking about it makes my mouth water."
Looking into Li Guanqi's eyes, Meng Wanshu covered her mouth and giggled. "Hmph, I remember you used to be terrified of my father. Why aren't you scared this time?"
Li Guanqi said proudly, "Because my wings have grown stiff and my confidence has grown, of course."
Right after, however, his expression turned bashful and nervous. "Cough, cough... Of course I'm still scared... Back in the village, I could fool around and act like a rascal, but not anymore. Back then, I called him Uncle Meng. Now he's going to be my father-in-law, so naturally I'm a little on edge."
At that, Meng Wanshu burst into helpless laughter, rocking back and forth. She was also quite curious about his mysterious grandfather, so she asked, "Right, what exactly is your grandfather's identity? Why is he so mysterious?"
Li Guanqi pondered for a moment, rubbed his nose, and said, "He told me himself that he's the Domain Lord of some Seventh Domain... I don't know whether that's true or false."
At those words, Meng Wanshu frowned slightly. Even she had never heard of a Seventh Domain. Yet from what she knew of Su Xuan, the old man's words were definitely not empty talk. Perhaps this Seventh Domain... was something beyond what she was currently permitted to know.
Meng Wanshu suddenly remembered something and said, "Right, do you still remember that skinny old man in the village?"
Li Guanqi frowned and searched his memories for a good while before his eyes lit up. "The old man surnamed Zhang?"
Meng Wanshu nodded and said conspiratorially, "I heard my father say that the old man is the Domain Lord of the Xuanmen Domain, named Zhang Qixuan."
Li Guanqi felt a chill in his heart, his expression turning solemn. He suddenly realized that Grandfather bringing him to Fulong Village might not have been a coincidence at all! Otherwise, how could a tiny place like Fulong Village have had the avatars of two Domain Lords?
*Could it all... be because of the sword spirit?*
Inside the barrier, the battle grew increasingly fierce over time, and both Ye Feng and Xiao Chen began fighting in earnest. The evenly matched duel grew white-hot until the two separated.
Ye Feng directly unsealed his ghost hand and the Yinming Profound Flame! He activated the Soul Release state of his sword.
Blood trickled down Xiao Chen's forehead. He abruptly released the blazing heat of his heavenly flame, activating the second stage of the Blood God Spear!
Squatting nearby while cracking melon seeds, Li Changqing watched with bright eyes and a chuckling grin.
"Just don't kill each other now."
Chapter 525