Li Zhexian smiled and said,

"Sister Yanyan and the others are all doing well in the Divine Realm. The clouds and mists there are brilliant, and the star-rivers are within reach. Seniors, please rest assured."

He deliberately refrained from mentioning the imminent crisis of the spacetime storm.

There was no need for the elders to know of it—aside from adding needless worry, it would serve no purpose.

"Hahahaha! With you looking after them, Zhexian, how could we not be at ease?"

Dugu Bo lifted his wine jar high.

"Tonight, the drinking is too spirited—no one leaves sober!"

These peak experts of the continent clutched their wine cups and drank deeply, unconcerned even as the wine soaked through their robes.

For a time, the fragrance of wine overflowed, and heroic spirit filled the courtyard.

Li Zhexian drained the wine in his cup, seeing the yearning that was difficult to hide in the aged brows of the elders.

"Rest assured, seniors. Aside from the predetermined Divine Realm quotas, I will ensure that all of you will one day behold the scenery of the Divine Realm."

Under normal circumstances,

they would have worried that Li Zhexian would once again have to bear unimaginable burdens for such a promise.

But tonight, with wine running freely,

those concerns were cast far beyond the heavens.

Laughter rang out as everyone readily agreed.

Glowing Feather swayed over to Li Zhexian, belched drunkenly, and said,

"The affairs of the Divine Realm aren't urgent for now."

"Zhexian, how is it that you didn't bring any food from the Divine Realm for this old man?"

Li Zhexian set his wine cup down.

Ripples spread across the surface of the wine.

A wisp of sandalwood smoke rose from within the cup, condensing atop the table into a small plate of pastries.

"Senior Glowing Feather, this is Jade Dew Cake from the Divine Realm."

"It's a pity you can only taste the flavor for now. When you head to the Divine Realm in the future, I'll accompany you on a proper stroll."

"You really understand this old man, Zhexian!" Glowing Feather happily cradled the pastries. Falling Devil reached out to grab a piece, only to have his hand slapped away with a sharp pa.

After several rounds of drinking,

the crowd grew increasingly intoxicated.

Suddenly, a sharp sword light shot straight into the sky.

Chen Xin's hair fluttered wildly as sword qi coiled around him.

"Everyone has been busy with their own affairs, and we haven't met to spar in two years."

"Today, since Zhexian is here, why don't we perform martial arts and discuss the Dao before the God King, to see if there has been any progress in our martial paths over these two years!"

As his words fell,

he was already standing atop the Seven Kill Sword, gazing down at the crowd below.

"Who will battle Chen today?"

Golden Crocodile, Dugu Bo, and Qian Daoliu were about to rise when a figure moved faster than all of them.

"Hahahaha! This old man loves nothing more than a good fight—I still wasn't satisfied after the last Heavenly Ridge Martial Tournament!" Although Yu Yuanzhen had an aged face and white hair, he remained as domineering as ever, rising atop thunder. "Chen Xin, let me face you!"

In an instant, sword light crisscrossed and thunder roared.

Chen Xin had reached the peak of level 99, while Yu Yuanzhen, after years of bitter cultivation, had also reached level 90.

As the two clashed, sword radiance and lightning intertwined, stirring wind and clouds alike.

Seeing the two fighting heartily, Dugu Bo let out a long laugh, golden light flared around Golden Crocodile, and Feng Bailong had already merged into the wind.

Li Zhexian lightly waved his hand.

An invisible ripple quietly spread outward, enveloping the entire courtyard and the sky above, forming an independent pocket of spacetime.

No matter how violently the energies raged within, they could not affect the mountains, stones, or vegetation outside.

He stood quietly beneath the plum tree,

raising his gaze toward the figures battling and weaving through the air.

To be frank,

with his current strength,

this contest appeared exceedingly frail in his eyes.

With a single thought, he could bring it to an end.

However—

as his gaze continued to wander,

what Li Zhexian saw subtly began to change.

Beyond victory and defeat,

he glimpsed something more fundamental behind their techniques.

And so,

the scene reflected in his eyes gradually transformed.

Beneath Chen Xin's peerlessly sharp sword light, the red tassel wound around the hilt remained firmly held in his grasp, telling of an unspoken tenderness.

From Dugu Bo's struggle upward—from the weakest Titled Douluo to this day—the hissing cries of the Ten-Headed Jade Red Serpent Emperor carried a perseverance that had never been ground away.

And in Feng Bailong's posture as he roamed the wind, waiting patiently for the moment to strike, was an unwavering resolve to follow his own path.

Li Zhexian's eyes grew ever deeper.

His gaze pierced through the surface of the techniques.

It directly touched the very foundation that sustained the existence of those powers.

"A sword has its trajectory, thunder has its form, strength has its source…"

He murmured inwardly.

"All of these belong to the realm of 'existence'—still within the framework of laws derived from the Primordial."

At the instant his thoughts turned,

it was as if ice within his sea of consciousness shattered.

A sliver of spiritual light flashed forth!

Yet before he could grasp it, the insight seemed to be veiled in mist once more.

So close at hand, yet worlds apart—driving him nearly mad.

"Sword comprehension is far too difficult!"

"Of the eleven Qinglian swords, every single one was forged through tribulation!"

"That the twelfth sword cannot be achieved in a single bound is only natural!"

Yet there was no trace of dejection in Li Zhexian's eyes.

On the contrary,

his gaze was bright, and his mood rather good.

After this experience,

he was now certain—

above the eleventh sword, there was indeed a more transcendent sword strike.

The realm of that sword lay even above the Primordial Sword Intent.

This thoroughly satisfying banquet lasted a full day and night.

By the time the moon rose and the sun set, and dawn light appeared once more, Dugu Bo and the others, still eight-tenths drunk, supported one another as they took their leave.

They were all perceptive people.

Naturally, they could tell that Li Zhexian's descent to the lower realm and his deliberate return to this courtyard meant he had matters to attend to.

Even though one day felt far too short, they refrained from lingering further.

There was no rush—

the young man had already promised to let them behold the splendor of the Divine Realm, and there would be plenty of time in the days to come.

After seeing everyone off, the courtyard returned to silence.

Just as Li Zhexian was about to focus his mind and continue contemplating the sword, his sword-shaped brows suddenly twitched.

With a single thought,

he vanished from the courtyard.

In the next instant, he appeared amid the clouds outside Heaven Dou City.

"Senior Di Tian, why have you come looking for me?"

The man in jet-black robes was startled when Li Zhexian appeared soundlessly before him. But recalling Li Zhexian's current realm, he quickly regained his composure.

After a moment of silence, he knelt on one knee and said respectfully:

"Greetings, my lord."

"Your sister requests your presence in the Great Star Dou Forest; she says she has a gift to bestow upon you."

The Silver Dragon King had once said that seeing Li Zhexian's statue was no different from seeing her true self.

And now, the bloodline pressure emanating from Li Zhexian was identical to that of the Silver Dragon King herself, making Di Tian tremble uncontrollably.

This title of "my lord" was fully deserved.

Li Zhexian reached out to support him.

A gentle force lifted Di Tian back to his feet.

He pondered briefly.

Considering that one day in the Divine Realm equaled one year in the mortal world, there was still time to spare.

"It has indeed been a long while since I last saw the old friends of the Star Dou Forest."

As his words fell,

the surrounding clouds rippled like water.

By the time Di Tian steadied himself,

they were already standing by the Lake of Life at the core of the Great Star Dou Forest.

"Brother Zhexian!"

Li Zhaixian smiled as he chatted freely with Da Ming and Er Ming, carefully recounting the news of Xiao Wu being safe and sound in the Divine Realm.

After the conversation ended, Di Tian led the way. He once again came to the underground palace.

After playing for a while with the Divine Butterfly and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, he finally lifted his gaze toward the nest deep within the palace, shrouded in draconic might.

At this moment, compared to his first visit here,

Li Zhexian felt something subtly different.

He sensed a warm, intimate resonance born of bloodline—a mystery profound beyond words.

"Let's go."

Li Zhaixian slowly walked toward the dragon nest.

With every step he took, the golden blood beneath his skin became visible by one more degree...