After leaving the Burning Heaven Continent, Liu Xi wandered westward, roaming freely across the northwestern lands.
At his current level, if he wished to conceal his tracks, none in the Great Thousand World could possibly sense his presence. Thus, he traveled at ease — untethered and unbound.
He had no sect to protect, no family to worry about, not even a foundation to maintain. In other words, there was nothing anyone could use against him.
Even the Ancient Maha Clan, no matter how desperately they searched, could not find a single trace of him.
Along the way, Liu Xi visited bustling cities and ancient ruins alike, collecting countless treasures and Divine Arts — though few were of use to him.
For one who stood at his height, ordinary Saint Artifacts no longer caught his eye. What did, however, was an intriguing quasi-Divine Art he came across — the Great Tracking Technique.
With just a strand of someone's aura, one could locate its owner even across half the Great Thousand World.
"Interesting," Liu Xi had mused at the time, "but somewhat useless."
Then one day, something stirred his curiosity.
Hovering in midair, he looked southeast, a playful glimmer flashing across his face. In that direction, tens of thousands of miles away, a violent spatial fluctuation suddenly erupted over the sea.
"Hmm? A relic appearing… or a battle between experts? Interesting. Let's take a look."
With a light chuckle, Liu Xi stepped forward. Space itself split open before him, and as he entered the crack, it sealed shut behind him.
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Over a vast ocean, the void twisted violently. Spatial ripples surged as Spiritual Energy gathered, stirring storms and thunder. Waves rose tens of thousands of feet, lashing against the sky.
Suddenly, the heavens split open — and a figure fell out from the tear.
The woman's flowing palace gown fluttered as she stabilized herself, her figure graceful yet her aura unstable — Qing Yanjing, the runaway daughter of the Ancient Buddha Clan.
A master of Spiritual Arrays, she had exploited a brief lapse in the clan's defenses to activate a secret teleportation formation. She didn't know where it led — only that anywhere away from the Buddha Clan meant freedom.
But with only a Perfect Earth Sovereign cultivation, she could not completely erase her spatial traces. Several Heavenly Sovereigns had already tracked her through the lingering remnants of her teleportations.
Thus, she had kept fleeing northward — perhaps guided by a faint hope in her heart.
Now, emerging from another spatial fissure, Qing Yanjing's body trembled. Her once-fair complexion was now pale as snow. Her Spiritual Energy was in chaos, on the verge of collapse — if she didn't stabilize her injuries soon, her cultivation might even fall.
But she had no such luxury.
The distorted space behind her did not heal. Instead, the rift expanded further, spiraling into chaos. Lightning roared, storms howled, and in the next instant, the sky shattered.
Out from the broken void strode several figures, each radiating a suffocating Spiritual pressure — the unmistakable might of Heavenly Sovereigns.
A thunderous voice resounded across heaven and earth.
"Qing Yanjing, do you realize the trouble your defiance has brought upon our clan? Return with us at once and repent for your sins!"
Qing Yanjing lifted her head slightly. Above her stood several awe-inspiring figures cloaked in divine brilliance — and yet, she smiled faintly, her lips curling in quiet mockery.
"Xuan Guang, Mo Tong… the heads of the Xuan Lineage and Mo Lineage, two Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereigns. To think you'd personally come just to drag me off to a political marriage. I'm honored beyond words."
Her tone dripped with irony. She was but a Perfect Earth Sovereign, yet they had mobilized two Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereigns to capture her. It was laughable — and utterly shameless.
Despair flickered within her eyes, yet she refused to yield. Even if she were to die here, she would never return.
Xuan Guang and Mo Tong's expressions were frigid, unmoved by her words. Their faces were as thick as fortress walls.
Mo Tong's cold gaze fixed on her. "Everything we do is for the sake of the Ancient Buddha Clan. The Clan Leader has fallen ill from the stress you've caused — his life now hangs by a thread. If we offend the Maha Clan further, would you see our clan fall into ruin?"
His words made Qing Yanjing's eyes dim. She knew her actions had placed her father, the current Clan Leader, in an impossible position — torn between the clan's future and his daughter's happiness.
Xuan Guang sneered. To him, once Qing Yanjing was gone, the Qing Lineage would have no heir capable of inheriting leadership. Then, the next Clan Leader would surely rise from the Mo or Xuan Lineage.
"Enough talk. Capture her and deliver her to the Maha Clan. The marriage must proceed."
With a wave of Xuan Guang's sleeve, Spiritual Energy surged. A massive hand formed from heaven itself, descending toward Qing Yanjing with crushing might.
The void collapsed. The oppressive force pinned her in place, as though she were a moth trapped in amber — unable to move.
Suddenly, symbols flared around her as an immense Spiritual Array ignited.
The world trembled. Destructive energy filled the air, the sheer force nearing the threshold of a Heavenly Sovereign's might.
The enormous hand struck the array. The explosion tore through the skies, releasing waves of blinding light and violent Spiritual shockwaves that rippled across the sea.
Through the billowing smoke, a slender figure was flung backward — Qing Yanjing.
Her eyes were dazed; her body weakened. Without the pre-set array, she wouldn't have survived even a single blow from a Heavenly Sovereign, let alone two Immortal Grade ones.
A bitter smile touched her lips. She began to reverse her Spiritual Energy, preparing to self-destruct — to end it on her own terms.
But in that moment, she suddenly felt herself caught in a warm embrace. A gentle yet boundless Spiritual Energy enveloped her, soothing the chaos within her meridians.
Her turbulent power calmed.
'Who…?' she wondered weakly, lifting her head — only to meet a warm, confident smile.
Liu Xi gazed down at her, his eyes filled with amusement and calm assurance.
She was dressed in a black-and-white palace gown, disheveled but still breathtaking — a beauty beyond compare. And from their brief exchange, he had already pieced together her identity — the runaway daughter of the Ancient Buddha Clan, Qing Yanjing.
The very same woman making headlines across the Great Thousand World.
'Well, isn't this a coincidence,' Liu Xi thought, inwardly sighing in disbelief.
And then, he spoke aloud — his tone light, but laced with unmistakable mockery.
"A whole pack of Heavenly Sovereigns, even two Immortal Grade ones, just to capture a single Perfect Earth Sovereign girl. Don't you all feel even a little ashamed?"
(End of Chapter)
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