Chapter 38: Heavenly Spirit Vein

Every word Xiao Che spoke was resolute and firm. He wasn't comforting Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi, nor was he making light of the situation. These were his deepest, most determined thoughts, ideas he compelled himself to accomplish no matter what.

His words left Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi stunned for a long time. After a moment, Xiao Lingxi shook her head, her eyes misty with tears as she looked at him. "Xiao Che, I don't need you to do this. I just want you to be safe and protect yourself... Someday, when I can leave this place, I will come find you... But please, you must not do anything foolish, or anything that puts you in danger."

In her eyes, he was still the young boy she needed to protect and care for. She could hear the resolve in his words, and knowing he had the intention was already enough. How could she ever let him truly risk his life and face danger for their sake?

"Don't worry, of course I'll protect myself," Xiao Che said, smiling at her. "Because Grandpa and Little Aunt are still waiting for me here. And because... I still have a promise to Little Aunt that I haven't fulfilled."

"A promise?" Xiao Lingxi's eyes flickered, and she looked at him with confusion.

Xiao Che offered no explanation. He walked to Xiao Lie, knelt down, and kowtowed deeply. "Grandpa, I am your grandson. I've lived comfortably under your protection for sixteen years; now it's time for me to spread my wings and soar. You are a great grandfather, and your grandson will certainly not continue to be a good-for-nothing and bring you shame... Wait for me, I will definitely return. Before I come back, you must... take good care of your health."

"Good... good!" Xiao Lie nodded slowly, his voice trembling, tears welling up in his eyes. He stepped forward, helped Xiao Che to his feet, and then took out a wooden token with a white tassel from his clothes, placing it in Xiao Che's hand. "Che'er, the Xiao Sect has expelled you, and Floating Cloud City can no longer accommodate you. Your profound veins are crippled, and you've never left Floating Cloud City in your life. Although I'm incredibly worried, your eyes... they reassure and comfort me. If you have no other good place to go, take this token to a city called 'New Moon' and inquire about a person named Sikong Han."

"Sikong Han visited Floating Cloud City a few years ago. Due to certain events, I was somewhat of a benefactor to him, and he gave me this token. After finding him in New Moon City, show him this token and tell him you are my grandson. Perhaps he can arrange a place for you to stay."

While he spoke of "reassurance" and "comfort," the worry and concern in his eyes and expression could not be hidden. His grandson, who possessed almost no profound energy and had never left Floating Cloud City, would now be alone in the outside world, without support. How could he truly be at ease? How could his heart not ache?

Xiao Che grasped the wooden token tightly in his hand, nodded forcefully, and then said, "Before I leave, I want to pay my respects to... Uncle Xiao."

"Mmm," Xiao Lie nodded with a touch of satisfaction.

"Xiao Che!" The moment Xiao Che turned to leave, Xiao Lingxi grabbed him again, holding him tightly with both hands. Her eyes welled with reluctant affection, almost melting Xiao Che's heart.

How he longed to take Xiao Lingxi and Xiao Lie with him... But he had only the ardent desire and impulse, no ability, no qualification. At least in this dark and hopeless place, they were relatively safe.

"Little Aunt," Xiao Che said, gently holding Xiao Lingxi's hand and looking at her softly. "I can't bear to leave you; I'll miss you even more than you'll miss me... So, I will return as soon as possible... I swear, I will fulfill the promise I made to Little Aunt that night..."

Xiao Lingxi's hand slowly loosened, and Xiao Che's grip on her hand also gradually released. Then, he turned and walked straight forward, his steps slow, without a single backward glance. He feared that if he looked back, he would be unable to leave. Even more, he feared they would see the two streaks of tears that finally escaped his control the moment he turned away.

Grandpa... Little Aunt... I will definitely return within three years... Wait for me! Wait for me!

A promise... a promise...

With tear-filled eyes, Xiao Lingxi watched Xiao Che's figure recede into the distance, murmuring distractedly to herself. Suddenly, a sentence from that night echoed in her mind...

"If you weren't my Little Aunt, I would definitely marry you!"

Xiao Lingxi suddenly covered her lips. In that instant, the tears she had desperately suppressed for so long burst forth like a raging flood.

The news of Xiao Yulong's brutal assault shook the entire Xiao Sect, leaving it restless all night. Overwhelmed by rage, Xiao Yunhai fainted for a long time. Upon waking, he frantically ordered the entire sect to search for the culprit, but after a night of tireless effort, not even a shadow or trace of the perpetrator was found.

The best explanation for this was that it was an inside job.

Xiao Kuangyun was also enraged by this matter, but his anger was fleeting. He merely regretted losing a servant who would have been obedient and capable. However, such servants were abundant if he wanted them. It was clear he couldn't take Xiao Yulong, now barely human, back to the Xiao Sovereign Sect. Thus, his choice naturally fell to the person who ranked second only to Xiao Yulong in yesterday's "assessment."

That person was Xiao Chengzhi, the Third Elder Xiao Ze's youngest grandson.

Naturally, Xiao Ze and Xiao Chengzhi were overjoyed.

However, everyone in the sect looked at Xiao Ze differently. Especially Xiao Yunhai and Xiao Li; when they looked at Xiao Ze, a strong murderous intent was clearly hidden deep within their eyes.

If Xiao Yulong was crippled by someone from within the sect, then Xiao Ze was undoubtedly the prime suspect.

These, however, were clearly not Xiao Kuangyun's concerns. In the afternoon, the four from the Xiao Sovereign Sect, accompanied by Xiao Chengzhi, departed Floating Cloud City, seen off by the Xiao Sect and the major dignitaries of Floating Cloud City, embarking on their journey back to the Xiao Sovereign Sect. In reality, with the Xiao Sovereign Sect's capabilities, dispatching a few flying profound beasts would be effortless. However, this time, the Sect Master of the Xiao Sovereign Sect had personally ordered that no flying profound beasts were to be used throughout the journey, to allow Xiao Yulong to gain experience.

After Xiao Kuangyun and his party had departed, Chu Yueli was also ready to take Xia Qingyue back to the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace.

"Master," Xia Qingyue said, returning to Chu Yueli's side after bidding farewell to her father and brother.

Chu Yueli turned around, her snow-like face strikingly cold and peerless. "The Ice Cloud Immortal Palace is extremely far from here. After we return, I don't know when you'll have the chance to come back. Do not leave any unresolved concerns behind."

"Master, please rest assured. Qingyue is fully prepared and can leave with you at any time. Although Father is reluctant to part, he is deeply gratified that Qingyue can enter the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace."

Chu Yueli nodded. "Since that's the case, let's set off now. After I mentioned you, the Palace Master has wanted to see you for many years. I'm sure she'll like you when she meets you."

"Father has prepared the profound horses for us. Please proceed to the front courtyard, Master," Xia Qingyue said respectfully.

"No need," Chu Yueli said, shaking her head. "Profound horses are too slow. I will use 'Profound Void Crossing' to take you back. Moreover, during this process, you must carefully observe the changes in my profound energy; this will greatly benefit your future profound cultivation... Let's go, give me your hand."

Without hesitation, Xia Qingyue extended her slender, fair right hand. Clearly, Chu Yueli was about to take her flying through the air with 'Profound Void Crossing,' which stirred a hint of excitement and anticipation in her heart.

Chu Yueli extended her slightly cold hand and took Xia Qingyue's. Immediately, an icy glow flashed around her, and the powerful, unparalleled Ice Cloud Arts quickly began to circulate. However, just then, Chu Yueli's entire body suddenly trembled. The Ice Cloud Arts she had just condensed instantly vanished without a trace. She turned, her beautiful eyes fixed on Xia Qingyue—a gaze of extreme shock, as if she had witnessed the most incredible thing in the world.

"Master? What's wrong?" Chu Yueli's sudden, strong reaction startled Xia Qingyue, who asked, somewhat panicked.

"Impossible... Absolutely impossible!"

Chu Yueli murmured to herself, dazed. Her other hand suddenly shot out, both hands now grasping Xia Qingyue's right wrist simultaneously. An icy glow flashed around her, and this time, Chu Yueli's beautiful eyes widened again, her body trembling even more violently, her face and eyes filled with indescribable shock, disbelief... and ecstasy. She gripped Xia Qingyue's hand tightly, looking into her eyes, so intensely excited that she was momentarily speechless.

Her appearance made Xia Qingyue increasingly panicked. "Master... what... what on earth is wrong?"

"Qingyue!" Chu Yueli felt her heart pounding uncontrollably. Cultivating the Ice Cloud Arts gradually rendered one's mind cold and serene, making it extremely difficult for emotions to stir. It had been countless years since her emotions had been so out of control. "Tell me, Disciple, what incredible fortune have you encountered recently? Did you meet some extraordinary person? Or did you consume some heaven-defying divine elixir?"

"I..." Xia Qingyue was momentarily speechless.

"A person's profound veins have a total of fifty-four profound openings. Those with ordinary talent can naturally open around ten, while those with high talent can naturally open around fifteen. When I found you, I discovered that you were born with twenty-one profound openings, which is an excellent talent, one in a million! The more profound openings, the faster one's profound energy cultivation and circulation speed will be. Someone with twenty profound openings, both in cultivation speed and profound energy circulation, is twice as fast as someone with ten profound openings."

"The acquired opening of profound openings is extremely difficult. Even someone as powerful as the Palace Master has only managed to open seven acquired profound openings in a hundred years, reaching the supreme realm of thirty profound openings. Currently, throughout the entire Azure Cloud Continent, no more than five people can achieve thirty acquired profound openings! The Profound Opening Powder that the Xiao Sovereign Sect gave to the Xiao Sect can enhance cultivation speed because it can temporarily open three to four more profound openings within a few days, though only temporarily. Even so, the Profound Opening Powder is quite a precious elixir, even within the Xiao Sovereign Sect itself."

"And Qingyue, you..." Chu Yueli gripped Xia Qingyue's shoulders tightly, her beautiful eyes fixed on her. "You have all fifty-four profound openings completely open! And they are all permanently open... Do you know what this means? It means your profound cultivation speed and profound energy circulation speed are nearly twice as fast as the Palace Master's! And more than five times faster than that of ordinary people. Furthermore, you will have no restrictions in cultivating any profound arts or profound skills. When profound energy breakthroughs occur, there will never be a 'bottleneck'!"

"A profound vein with all fifty-four profound openings completely open is known in legends as the 'Heavenly Spirit Divine Vein'—a profound vein only possessed by legendary gods! The Azure Wind Empire has never seen one! Qingyue... what exactly have you experienced during this time?"