Chapter 129: The Profound Heaven Domain

Long Yun’s expression changed at once. He hurriedly asked, “Senior Brother Chen Long, what happened?”

He suddenly recalled how Xiao Leng had been dejected during this period. After returning from the Yin-Yang Spring, all three of them had broken through to the Return-to-Origin Realm.

Xiao Leng in particular possessed even greater innate talent than Chang Yi and Chen Long. After being cleansed by the spiritual energy of the Yin-Yang Spring, he had risen directly to the peak of the Return-to-Origin Realm.

Yet Long Yun had always felt that something was troubling him. He had once asked Shangguan Yu about it, and she had told him that Xiao Leng’s past was deeply tragic.

When he had first entered the Jade Sword Sect, he had been no more than twelve or thirteen years old. Covered in blood, he had collapsed at the foot of the sect’s mountain gate. In that respect, his arrival had been somewhat like Long Yun’s own first entrance into the Jade Sword Sect.

According to Shangguan Yu, Xiao Leng had come from a respectable family. But bandits had suddenly raided his home, slaughtering all fifty-odd members of his family beneath their blades.

Only Xiao Leng had escaped, protected by his father at the cost of his own life. In the end, he had fainted at the gates of the Jade Sword Sect and been rescued by its disciples.

Although Long Yun had never asked Xiao Leng about it directly, he understood that the coldness of Xiao Leng’s character was probably the result of the devastating upheaval that had befallen his family.

However, Xiao Leng’s behavior over the past few days had clearly been abnormal. Long Yun had seen him staring blankly into space by himself several times, as though something weighed heavily on his mind. Whenever Long Yun approached and asked him about it, Xiao Leng had refused to answer.

Now, upon hearing Chen Long say that Xiao Leng had disappeared, Long Yun immediately connected it with his recent strange behavior, and an ominous premonition rose within him.

Chen Long panted, “He’s been missing for five or six days. The disciples of the Human Sword Branch all say they haven’t seen him!”

“Does anyone know whether he left any instructions?” Long Yun continued.

Chen Long shook his head. “No. He said nothing at all, and no one knows where he went!”

Long Yun frowned and was about to speak when Yuan Chen walked toward him. In his hand was a letter, and his expression was filled with regret.

“Xiao Leng came to the Heart Sword Branch before. He gave me this letter and told me to hand it to Junior Brother Long Yun ten days later. I never imagined he left so early because he was afraid I might give it to you ahead of time.”

Long Yun hurriedly took the letter from Yuan Chen and tore it open. Only five words were written inside, each stroke radiating a fierce killing intent:

“Xuantian Domain. Avenge me!”

“The Xuantian Domain?!”

Chen Long and Long Yun cried out simultaneously, their faces instantly turning deathly pale.

“Long Yun, arrange things for the disciples first, then hurry to the council hall. I’ll report this to the sect master. This matter is of the utmost importance!”

Chen Long spoke urgently, then vanished in a flash.

“The Xuantian Domain! His enemies are actually there?” Long Yun muttered to himself, his confusion regarding Xiao Leng’s origins deepening.

The Xuantian Domain was the most chaotic place in the entire Dragon Realm. There were no rules there. It was the City of Freedom of the Dragon Realm, and the only place beyond the jurisdiction of the Eight Great Super Sects.

There were experts of the righteous path and experts of the evil path. Even fully formed demon beasts could be found there. The only rule in the Xuantian Domain was that the strong were supreme.

It was a blood-soaked land. Scum from the righteous path, outcasts from the demonic path, and powerful fugitives who had been driven to the ends of the earth all gathered there. After years of relentless turmoil, the Xuantian Domain’s reputation had grown ever greater, and the number of experts within it had steadily increased.

It had gradually become a formidable force in the Dragon Realm. Since it was not subject to the control of the Eight Great Super Sects, the domain was all the more violent and lawless.

Every day, countless cultivators died there. Arson, murder, and looting were commonplace, yet the domain also contained many sects and forces of immense strength.

When Long Yun had still been on Divine Dragon Island, he had once accepted a mission to infiltrate the Xuantian Domain with two companions and assassinate the leader of a powerful sect.

That leader had been in the early stage of the Yin-Yang Mirror Realm. At the time, the strongest among the three of them had been Long Yun, who was only at the Innate Tribulation-Transcending Realm. Yet through extraordinary ingenuity, they had incited another faction to clash with that force.

When the leader was gravely wounded, they had seized the opportunity to kill him and withdraw unharmed.

Thus, upon hearing the news about the Xuantian Domain, Long Yun felt his blood surge hotly through his chest. At the same time, however, a deep anxiety rose within him.

Xiao Leng was only at the Return-to-Origin Realm. In the Xuantian Domain, that placed him among the weakest of practitioners. Moreover, he was alone. Avenging himself would certainly not be easy.

With that thought, Long Yun no longer lingered. He flashed into the air and sped toward the council hall.

Inside the council hall, Shangguan Yu sat with her brows tightly knitted. Several elders of the Jade Sword Sect surrounded her, along with a number of experts whom Long Yun had brought back from the Reincarnation Space.

“When did this happen?” Shangguan Yu asked as soon as she had heard Chen Long’s account.

“I only discovered it just now,” Chen Long replied. “But Junior Brother Xiao Leng must have left at least four or five days ago.”

Xu Xian, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, suddenly sighed. “Yu’er, you know what kind of place the Xuantian Domain is. Given the Jade Sword Sect’s current strength, we are probably still incapable of involving ourselves in its affairs. Give up on this.”

Shangguan Yu was deeply conflicted as well. Apart from Long Yun and Liu Xiaoxiao, Xiao Leng possessed the greatest innate talent, and his cultivation had advanced with astonishing speed.

The Jade Sword Sect had already suffered a great loss when Liu Xiaoxiao was lost in the battle against the Yin-Yang Sect. Now Xiao Leng had gone to the Xuantian Domain as well, a place where survival was unlikely. Even Shangguan Yu, whose spirits had recently been high, could not help frowning.

“Sect Master, Grand Ancestor, I’ll go bring Senior Brother Xiao Leng back!”

Long Yun strode into the hall and spoke first.

Before Shangguan Yu or Xu Xian could respond, he continued, “The disciples of the Jade Sword Sect are as close as family. Senior Brother Xiao Leng’s affairs are the affairs of the entire Jade Sword Sect.”

Shangguan Yu nodded faintly. A trace of shame also crossed Xu Xian’s face, but there was truly nothing he could do. The Xuantian Domain’s fearsome reputation was well deserved. Even if the entire Jade Sword Sect mobilized, its efforts would probably amount to little more than a drop in the ocean.

“I’ll accompany you. Perhaps we can still catch up with Xiao Leng and persuade him to return.”

After a moment of hesitation, Shangguan Yu finally let out a heavy sigh.

Long Yun shook his head with a smile. “Sect Master, the Jade Sword Sect has yet to truly settle into a proper course. It would be best if you did not leave. Qingqing and I will go this time. As long as we are careful, there should be no danger.”

Shangguan Yu nodded. After two months of cultivation, Yan Qingqing’s cultivation had broken through once again. She now needed only to establish a connection with the heavens and await the descent of her heavenly tribulation.

Moreover, Yan Qingqing’s combat strength was more than ten times greater than her own. Having her accompany Long Yun to the Xuantian Domain was indeed safer than going herself.

With that thought, she nodded. “Very well. But be careful in all things. You must travel faster than Xiao Leng and try to catch him on the way. If you fail to reach him in time and enter the Xuantian Domain, then should you encounter danger, find a way to escape immediately and reconsider your course afterward.”

Long Yun smiled. “Rest assured, Sect Master. I will not fail you. There is no time to lose. I’ll make a few preparations and depart at once.”

Shangguan Yu nodded.

Long Yun made a few simple preparations, then left the Jade Sword Sect with Yan Qingqing. Yan Qingqing was naturally delighted. Faint dimples appeared in her cheeks and did not disappear for a moment.

Although she had been with Long Yun throughout this period, as the Seal-Bearing Elder of the Heart Sword Branch, Long Yun was usually occupied with instructing disciples. As a result, she had very few opportunities to see him.

Besides, with so many people around, it was difficult for them to exchange intimate words.

Thus, Yan Qingqing had not been particularly happy during this time. Now that Long Yun had said he was taking her to the Xuantian Domain, she was so delighted that she nearly leaped into the air. Even when Long Yun later described the dangers of the domain, she did not hear a single word.

“It feels wonderful to be outside! This is what nature is supposed to feel like!”

As she hurried forward at full speed, Yan Qingqing narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly, and a trace of contented ease appeared upon her face.

Looking at her familiar, breathtaking features, Long Yun felt a pang of guilt. Yan Qingqing had been born in the Azure Wolf Ravine and was accustomed to complete freedom.

Now she had followed him to the Jade Sword Sect and remained there for more than two months, bound by one rule after another. For someone as mischievous and untamed as she was, it had been a form of torment.

Yet she had never once complained to him.

The thought made Long Yun feel even more deeply guilty toward her.