"He's serious... it doesn't seem like a joke."
Hun Qianling's eyes widened, and she couldn't squeeze out a word for a long time.
She had thought Han Xuanji might encounter difficulties within the Restriction, or that they would contemplate the Law of Life and Death here together, or even that he might retreat in the face of hardship and give up on practicing the Way of Life and Death.
But she never expected that this guy wouldn't even step into the Restriction; he just stood at the edge for a moment and then said it was enough.
Enough?
What was enough?
What did you feel?
"You... you're not joking with me, are you?"
Hun Qianling still repeatedly checked if Han Xuanji was teasing her.
"We came all this way, the Secret Realm has only just opened, and you're going back without even entering the Core Land?"
Han Xuanji looked at her and nodded calmly.
"Yes, the purpose of this trip has been achieved. There isn't much point in staying any longer."
Hun Qianling opened her mouth, wanting to ask what purpose he had actually achieved.
You didn't do anything!
But she swallowed her words.
To be honest, over these years, she felt she understood Han Xuanji relatively well; he never did anything he wasn't sure of, nor would he waste time for no reason.
If he said it was enough, then it really was enough.
Even though she racked her brains, she couldn't understand what could be gained from closing one's eyes outside the Restriction for a short while.
"Alright then."
Hun Qianling took a deep breath, trying to force herself to accept this fact.
"It seems I can only continue staying here."
Han Xuanji coughed lightly, also feeling that this wasn't quite right, but who told her she had to come along?
"Don't you still need to contemplate the Way of Life and Death? Don't worry, once I finish my seclusion, I'll help you again."
Hun Qianling gave a bitter smile, clearly feeling that Han Xuanji was truly unreliable this time, but she still nodded.
"Fine, you go first. I'll try the outer perimeter first."
Han Xuanji nodded and took a jade talisman from his robes. That was the "Secret Realm Departure Token" issued by the Hun Family when entering the Secret Realm; crushing it would allow one to leave the Secret Realm immediately.
Everyone only had one of these, and usually, Cultivators would save them to save their lives in times of crisis. Someone like Han Xuanji, who used it right after entering, was probably the first in history.
Snap.
The jade talisman shattered, and a white light enveloped Han Xuanji.
His figure gradually faded within the white light. Before disappearing, he waved at Hun Qianling.
"See you later."
The white light dissipated, leaving only Hun Qianling behind.
...
Outside the Secret Realm, at the valley entrance.
Several Hun Family Elders responsible for guarding the Secret Realm were sitting around a simple Formation platform, drinking tea while monitoring the situation inside.
Their task was to maintain the stability of the Restriction during the Secret Realm's opening and handle any accidents that might occur.
This kind of duty was dull and tedious, but it was leisurely, and the Elders had long since grown accustomed to such boring days.
They were also unable to monitor the situation in the Core Land due to the powerful forces affecting it.
"That Han Xuanji should have entered the Core Land by now, right?"
A grey-robed Elder put down his teacup and asked casually.
"How long do you think he can stay in the Core Land?"
"Yes, he just went in. I wonder if he's gained anything."
Another white-haired Elder nodded and then answered his own question.
"I reckon he won't gain much; I expect he'll be out very soon."
"After all, while this boy has outstanding talent in the Way of the Five Elements, the Way of Life and Death is a different matter. If he can enter the Stone Palace, that would be considered good enough."
"Indeed, the Legacy of the Way of Life and Death requires true comprehension of Life and Death; it's not that easy."
Hun Pojun, however, did not speak; he felt that Han Xuanji was not that simple.
As the Elders were discussing, a white light suddenly lit up on the Formation platform.
The white light faded, and a familiar figure appeared beside the Formation platform.
Han Xuanji.
The Elders were all stunned at the same time. The teacup in Hun Pojun's hand stopped mid-air, as he somewhat doubted his own eyes.
"Han... Han Xuanji?"
The grey-robed Elder was the first to snap out of it and said helplessly:
"How did you... come out? Could there have been some accident in the Core Land?"
Han Xuanji's tone was flat.
"The gains from this trip are already sufficient, so I came out first."
Enough?
The Elders glanced at each other, all seeing the same word in each other's eyes.
Outrageous.
How long has it even been?
What gains could there be?
In all their years of living, excluding accidents, this was the first time they had seen someone leave so quickly.
"Young Master Han, did you encounter some difficulty?"
Another Elder asked tentatively.
"If you aren't accustomed to the dao-rhythm inside, you can first spend a few days adapting at the edge; there's no need to rush..."
"There were no difficulties."
Han Xuanji interrupted him with a slight smile.
"Thank you for your concern, Seniors."
The Elders looked at each other, their hearts filled with a mix of emotions.
They had put in so much effort, and the Family Head had argued strongly at the Elders' meeting to open the Secret Realm early, consuming a large amount of resources, only for Han Xuanji to go in for a quick turn, not even crossing the Restriction, before saying it was "enough."
If word of this got out, wouldn't it seem far too much like a joke?
"This... this is simply nonsense!"
A hot-tempered Elder couldn't help but mutter under his breath.
The Elder next to him quickly pulled his sleeve and gave him a look.
Han Xuanji pretended not to hear and cupped his hands toward the Elders.
"Seniors, I shall take my leave now. I'll leave the Secret Realm in your capable hands."
The Elders quickly forced smiles and returned the gesture one after another.
"Safe travels, Young Master Han."
"Take care on the road."
Han Xuanji nodded and turned to leave.
Behind him, the Elders watched his departing back, and only after he was far away did they finally burst into discussion.
"Nonsense! Simply nonsense!"
The hot-tempered Elder finally couldn't hold it in anymore. "How many resources were spent to open the Secret Realm early for him? And look at him, he came out after just half an hour! Is he making a fool of us?"
"Calm down, calm down."
Another Elder advised.
"He is someone the Family Head values highly; it's not our place to say much."
"So what if the Family Head values him? He can't just waste resources like this! I must report this to the Family Head!"
"Report what? The Family Head already said that the costs for this opening would come from his Private Treasury and wouldn't use the clan's money. He's spending his own money—what's it to you?"
The Elder was choked up by those words; he opened his mouth but eventually shut it.
Another Elder, however, was more open-minded. He stroked his beard and sighed, shaking his head.
"Perhaps this is what it means to be a Genius. Just because we don't understand doesn't mean he hasn't gained anything."
"Think about it, back when he reached the top of the Five Elements Heavenly Ladder, who could have predicted it?"
"This boy's actions have always been unexpected, but there's a reason behind them every time."
"What reason? I think he's just arrogant! He probably thinks the Legacy of the Core Land isn't good enough for him and didn't bother going in."
"Alright, alright, that's enough. He's already gone; what's the use in saying all this?"
The Elders argued incessantly, but in the end, they couldn't reach a conclusion.
On the Flying Boat, Han Xuanji looked at the receding canyon through the porthole and gently shook his head.