Yun Ruoyan knew that she was still far from the peak of cultivation. After all, Li Mo had told her that there were nine ranks along the progression of a sword saint, just as there were for a blademaster. This implied that she still had seven more ranks to go.

“What’s the peak of cultivation like?” Yun Ruoyan asked.

“No one knows, because as far as I’m aware, no one has ever reached that peak.”

“Not even those cultivators on the Jiyuan continent?” Yun Ruoyan pressed.

Allegedly, there were such legends in the past, but none that I’ve met with my own eyes.” The demonic dragon forefather reminisced about his past glory. “A thousand years ago, before my mortal body perished, I was a peak eighth-rank sword saint. I had thought myself able to continue breaking through to ninth-rank, but the silver dragon’s treachery—!”

Yun Ruoyan could understand his fury and anger.

“In that case, how advanced is the silver dragon elder’s cultivation? It seemed as though he couldn’t even beat your spirit,” Yun Ruoyan asked.

“A thousand years ago, he had just become one of the elders of the silver dragon clan, and he had just broken through to a fifth-rank sword saint. However, after trading blows with him back on the Mingyuan continent, I found that he was only a seventh-rank sword saint, even after a thousand years! Clearly, he’s been so obsessed with making holy water that his cultivation has fallen by the wayside.”

“A seventh-rank sword saint…” Yun Ruoyan murmured. “Li Mo’s cultivation is the highest among the three of us, but he’s only a third-rank sword saint. I’m barely a second-rank sword saint myself, and my brother isn’t even a first-rank sword saint. Even if we work together, there’s no way we could beat the silver dragon elder by ourselves.”

“That’s why you can’t simply confront the silver dragons. Given your strength, however, your group can easily hide on the Jiyuan continent and search for opportunities to get close to the silver dragon elder and slowly achieve your goal,” the elder replied. “And don’t forget about Qiuqiu. Once it breaks through the silver bracelet’s seal, it’ll have the highest cultivation among all of you.”

“Right, Mistress, don’t forget about me!” Qiuqiu chirped.

“Alright. In that case, if we work together, I’m sure we’ll be able to deal with the silver dragon elder, retrieve some holy water, and revive my mother!” Yun Ruoyan cheered herself on.

Li Mo and Yun Moxiao didn’t dare disturb Yun Ruoyan even though the spiritual energy surrounding her had vanished, because she was as still as a statue. However, when those words suddenly burst out of her lips, they both began to laugh—especially Yun Moxiao, whose raucous laughter echoed throughout the chamber and even spread outside. Su Nan couldn’t resist the temptation to open the door and poke his head in to see what was going on.

When he saw his master, his master’s consort, and General Yun all filled with jubilation, he instantly understood that the closed cultivation had been a success. He immediately stepped outside to report to Li Luo that everything was well; over the past ten days, she had stopped by to visit at least four or five times a day.

“They’re all safe and sound,” Su Nan told Li Luo.

Li Luo stuffed a lunchbox into Su Nan’s hands, then headed into the underground chamber. Before she stepped inside, she could already hear the laughter and snatches of conversation emanating from within, Yun Moxiao’s loudest among them. Li Luo sighed in relief, her hand on her chest.

“Sister, now that you’re a second-rank sword saint, how will I ever catch up to you?” Yun Moxiao sighed theatrically.

Yun Ruoyan was holding hands with Li Mo, celebrating her recent breakthrough.

“Don’t be so modest, Brother,” Yun Ruoyan replied. “After all, a ninth-rank blademaster is already a peak existence on the Chenyuan continent.”

“But I’m nothing compared to you and Li Mo! I hope I won’t drag the two of you down on this trip,” Yun Moxiao sighed, somewhat deflated. His intention for accompanying them was to protect Yun Ruoyan, but she didn’t seem to need his protection at all. Yun Moxiao was happy for her, of course, but he couldn’t help feeling like he should have been able to do more.

“Brother, don’t be like this. When Li Mo met me, he was still a ninth-rank blademaster, and it was only right before entering the otherworld that he was able to break through to become a sword saint. His cultivation has advanced rapidly since then because of the resources available to us on the Mingyuan continent. We’ll definitely help you break through to the realm of a sword saint on the Jiyuan continent.”

“I heard that sword saints live longer than blademasters. Is that true?” Yun Moxiao asked.

There were no publicly known sword saints on the Chenyuan continent, so information about the higher echelons of cultivation was limited. Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo both glanced at each other, having heard about the fact but not knowing precise information about it.

All three of them turned to the demonic dragon forefather.

“Ninth-rank blademasters are able to consume spiritual energy as nourishment, and those cultivators who do so will notice a marked increase in their lifespan. If their cultivation progresses no further, they’ll live about a hundred and fifty years,” the demonic dragon forefather explained. “Once they break through to the realm of a sword saint, their lifespan will double, and every additional rank doubles one’s lifespan once more.”

“In that case, I’ll live to a hundred and fifty?” Yun Moxiao marvelled.

“Indeed,” the demonic dragon forefather replied. “By my best estimation, your inherent aptitude for cultivation isn’t as strong as your sister’s or Li Mo’s, but breaking through to the realm of a sword saint should still be no problem for you.”

Yun Moxiao murmured to himself, “I need to find some spiritual pills for Li Luo.”

If he were to break through to the realm of a sword saint, then he would be able to live for three centuries. On the other hand, Li Luo was still an eighth-rank blademaster, and she would only be able to live for about a century. Yun Moxiao firmly decided that he would hand whatever spiritual herbs and pills he received on this expedition to Li Luo.

Li Luo stood outside the door to the chamber. Since she could hear voices from within, she decided not to enter, worried about disturbing their conversation. When she heard Yun Moxiao murmuring to himself, she couldn’t help but feel touched by his gesture.

When Yun Ruoyan and the others finally walked out of the chamber, they found Su Nan and Li Luo waiting for them.

Li Luo’s eyes were slightly red, clearly just having cried.

Yun Moxiao tugged on her hand. “Aren’t I alright? Why are you crying?”

Li Luo raised her head and looked at Yun Moxiao’s handsome face. Thinking about his devotion to her all these years, his murmured words, and their impending separation, she again began to cry. She wasn’t someone who enjoyed crying, but her emotions threatened to burst out of her.

Love made one gentle: this was true of Yun Ruoyan, and also true of Li Luo.

“Ah, you’re crying again? I can’t bear to leave you in such a state, Li Luo.” Yun Moxiao wiped at her tears with his hand. “How about I stay home with you, rather than head to the Jiyuan continent?”

Li Luo blinked. It took her quite some time to realize that Yun Moxiao was trying to tease her, and she smiled. “Alright, alright. Stop speaking nonsense. You’re all hungry, aren’t you? Let me get you some dinner.”

They looked at each other. Except for Su Nan and Li Luo herself, everyone present could already consume spiritual energy in place of food, and they would never know hunger again.

“Alright!” Yun Ruoyan exclaimed. “Li Luo is an excellent chef, and she’s particularly good at making side dishes. How lucky my brother is to have married her!”

After consuming Li Luo’s dinner and resting for the night, they immediately started the next phase of their plan. Yun Ruoyan again entered closed cultivation in order to help Qiuqiu break the bracelet’s seal. Yun Moxiao prepared to return to the barracks and to delegate his responsibilities to his successor. The demonic dragon forefather remained in the underground chamber, using his soul divination technique to identify Rong Yueshan’s whereabouts.

Li Mo continued staying by Yun Ruoyan’s side, guarding her as she cultivated.

Over the last ten days, Rong Yueshan had been quite confused as to Yun Ruoyan’s whereabouts. She would frequently see Yun Ruoyan and Yun Moxiao while disguised outside the Yun manor and the Slaughtering King’s manor, but Yun Ruoyan had vanished without a trace for the last ten days. Rong Yueshan even wandered outside the Lin manor, but she still found no sign of Yun Ruoyan.

Did they already leave for the Jiyuan continent? Perhaps they had done it secretly so as to paralyze her! In that case, she could act immediately. Her portrait had been pasted all over the capital, and the Mo guards were searching all over for her. Although she was always able to escape in time, she had had enough of living like a street rat.

The silver dragon elder had promised that, as long as Rong Yueshan could capture Li Yan, he would bring them both to the Jiyuan continent. There, she would be able to search for Yun Ruoyan to exact her revenge. With the silver dragon elder’s help, she didn’t have to worry about being unable to kill Yun Ruoyan.

As such, Rong Yueshan immediately used her talisman to contact the silver dragon elder.

“Are you certain they’ve already arrived on the Jiyuan continent?” the silver dragon elder asked.

“Elder, I’ve been keeping track of Yun Ruoyan’s whereabouts all this time, but she seems to have vanished entirely. I can’t think of any other reason why she would do so unless she’s already headed to the Jiyuan continent. Her group’s sly and crafty, and I’m sure they were worried that I would inform you beforehand.” Rong Yueshan thought her argument foolproof.

The silver dragon elder chuckled. “Without the demonic dragon forefather guarding them, these cultivators are nothing to me. However, with the heaven-transcending mirror destroyed, it’ll be somewhat annoying to handle their all-seeing mirror. At any rate, your priority now is to capture Yun Ruoyan and Li Mo’s baby. Do you understand? This is your final chance!”

“Yes, Elder!” Rong Yueshan replied firmly.

At the same time, in the underground chamber of the Slaughtering King’s manor, the demonic dragon forefather slowly opened his eyes. Through his divination technique, he had fully captured the conversation that had transpired.

Not only did Rong Yueshan seem to possess a cockroach’s tenacity for life, she was dead set on getting revenge on Yun Ruoyan. To ensure Li Yan’s safety and to put Yun Ruoyan at ease, he would have to kill her no matter the cost!