Xu Yuan had harbored the desire to travel abroad for some time; he simply had never found a suitable pretext.
Now that Jingjiang Manor had been reduced to ruins, Ran Qingmo's arrival handed him the perfect opportunity.
His cultivation speed was already exceptionally fast, but the time granted to him was far too brief.
Even with the same abundant resources, it had taken Xu Changge twelve full years to reach the third-rank Grandmaster realm. Even if Xu Yuan's Innate Dao Body allowed him to advance faster than his brother, just how much faster could it be?
He had no cheat codes to slay monsters and level up as in *Cangyuan*. After ten years, the daylilies would have gone cold—everything would be far too late.
He needed to journey to certain locations, claim certain treasures, and explore certain secret realms. Only with these could his cultivation improve at an even faster pace.
Having his father's subordinates trailing him would be terribly inconvenient, yet traveling alone would be perilous. Xu Yuan's original plan had been to seize the old mentor inside Qin Mo's soul ring, but Ran Qingmo's sudden appearance resolved the dilemma perfectly.
Moreover, Xu Yuan genuinely yearned to explore this world.
The current landscape was merely the calm before the storm, with all factions exercising relative restraint.
Having crossed into this world, leaving it unexplored would be an utter tragedy.
Yet upon hearing Xu Yuan's request, Xu Changge's response was brief and clear.
Two words.
"Permission denied."
"..."
Xu Yuan frowned and stared at Xu Changge. "Why?"
Xu Changge's voice was very soft. "The situation is volatile. It is dangerous."
Hearing this, Xu Yuan sighed, glancing over at the ruins of Xu Manor. "Where isn't dangerous?"
He grinned. "Returning to the Imperial Capital wouldn't be dangerous, but can you actually take me back right now?"
Xu Changge stared at Xu Yuan for two seconds, a strange trace of amusement in his eyes. "Why you cannot return to the Imperial Capital—do you truly not know the answer in your own heart?"
Xu Yuan searched his memory a little. "I was bewitched back then."
With an amused, leisurely look in his eyes, Xu Changge said unhurriedly, "You might indeed have been bewitched at the time. But Changtian, do you know? There are countless methods in this world to seize control of someone's body, yet not a single one can completely dominate a person's soul and mind. Even the bewitching soul seed of the Bewitching Soul Fiend Physique can only make someone fall in love with her, swaying their judgment.
"When you made that choice back then, wasn't it because you wanted to do it yourself?"
"..." Xu Yuan was struck entirely speechless.
In his memory, he had indeed been bewitched, but the decision had ultimately been his own.
Princess Mu Zhiyun was simply too gorgeous—it had been a classic case of his lower brain overriding his upper brain.
Knowing he couldn't argue his way out of it, Xu Yuan asked bluntly, "Fine, you're right. But the question remains: can I go back to the Imperial Capital right now?"
"..."
Xu Changge let out a wry, exasperated chuckle and cast a sidelong glance toward Ying'er.
Noticing his glance, Xu Yuan immediately pointed once more to the ruins of Xu Manor. "Xu Changge, I know you have my best interests at heart, but it's practically the same no matter where I am. Anyone capable of killing me can kill me anywhere.
"You saw these ruins yourself. An Origin Realm expert can come and go as he pleases within Jingjiang Prefecture. If Ran Qingmo hadn't stepped in, when he attacked earlier, had he targeted me—"
"He would have had no chance to attack," Xu Changge softly interrupted.
"You were pinned down by her," Xu Yuan countered, glancing at the blood-stained cloth bundle containing the severed head.
Xu Changge gazed at his self-assured third brother for several breaths. Without offering an explanation, he merely repeated in a quiet voice, "He would have had no chance to attack."
"..."
Xu Yuan fell silent. Sweeping a slightly skeptical gaze over him, he reluctantly nodded. "Fine. If you say so, let's assume he wouldn't have had a chance."
"..." The corner of Xu Changge's eye twitched.
Xu Yuan chose not to provoke him further, asking in a lowered tone instead, "Then can you remain here in Jingjiang Prefecture indefinitely? Or could you arrange for an Origin Realm expert to watch over me? If someone of that caliber wants me dead, doesn't it make no difference where I stay?"
"..." Xu Changge remained silent.
A heavy silence descended between the two brothers.
Amidst this stillness, a middle-aged man's voice, carrying a deep, resonant timbre like a built-in subwoofer, rang out:
"Young Origin Realm brat, if you fear for your brother's safety, this old man can protect him."
The Saint's remnant soul, which had retreated into the soul ring of its own accord, slowly drifted out. In an even tone, he said, "As long as you provide enough soul-nourishing natural treasures, this old man is confident he can take this lad and escape from the hands of any second-rank Origin Realm cultivator."
Xu Changge looked entirely indifferent, offering no immediate reaction.
Xu Yuan cast a glance at the old mentor.
He had the appearance of a handsome, middle-aged scholar, looking remarkably similar to his character portrait in *Cangyuan*.
With that in mind, Xu Yuan chuckled softly and remarked, "Old man, we literally just killed your disciple, didn't we?"
The Saint's remnant soul shook his head at the remark.
Regarding Qin Mo's tragic demise, he merely replied with offhanded indifference: "You did indeed kill him. However, all this old man desires is a successor to carry on my mantle. Who that successor is matters very little."
Hearing his cold-blooded response, Xu Yuan was not surprised in the slightest.
This remnant soul's innate ruthlessness and singular sense of purpose were precisely among the reasons Xu Yuan dared to claim the soul ring in the first place.
Only children fussed over feelings; adults cared strictly about mutual benefit.
Besides, whether this Saint's remnant soul could even be considered human was up for debate.
Expecting an ancient monster who had lived for countless ages to pour his heart out over emotional attachments—wouldn't that be an insult to the sheer length of his existence?
There was no way this Saint's remnant soul would ever seek vengeance on Qin Mo's behalf.
Pausing for a moment, Xu Yuan smiled. "A successor to your mantle? So you wish to take me as your disciple?"
The Saint's remnant soul scrutinized Xu Yuan intently before a flicker of astonishment surfaced in his eyes.
"An Innate Dao Body?"
With that, a smile curled at the corners of the soul's lips. "If you are willing to switch to cultivating the technique I created, then naturally, I would be more than willing."
Xu Yuan couldn't help but laugh outright.
This Saint's remnant soul was hardly the typical helpful old mentor found in common tropes. While he truly treated his disciples well, such generosity was merely an investment designed to foster their growth.
Staying by Qin Mo's side had never been a helpless necessity imposed by his soul form; it had been a meticulously calculated cultivation scheme.
After all, he had been capable of manifesting in spiritual form to clash directly against a third-rank Grandmaster. Wouldn't leaving Qin Mo's side have been as easy as turning over his hand?
Qin Mo was merely one of many disciples across his interminable lifespan. Now that the investment had failed, he needed only find the next one.
Of course, since an investment had been made, the Saint naturally expected a return.
And the return this Saint's remnant soul desired was quite straightforward:
Soul possession rebirth.
Once the disciple cultivated to level ninety—the first-rank Transcendent Realm of this world—the Saint's remnant soul would initiate his plan.
*I guided you all the way here in your cultivation; wanting your body in exchange could hardly be called excessive, could it?*
With those thoughts in mind, Xu Yuan reined in his emotions. "I have no intention of changing my cultivation technique for the time being."
Hearing this, the Saint's remnant soul showed a hint of disappointment, though he wasn't overly discouraged. He merely sent a voice transmission:
"If you are unwilling to switch techniques, we can still make a deal..."
Chapter 84