Chapter 5 The Interlayer
Li Xuan pushed open the door and stepped inside. The familiar furnishings came into view. He retracted his gaze and walked directly to the table.
As the jade box opened, a beam of light immediately materialized.
"It seems you've won that wager for me. In return, the Night Emperor can act on your behalf three times. After that, his whereabouts are his own."
The blurry figure's face was indistinct, yet it still conveyed a sense of grandeur and stature to Li Xuan.
"Your background, you likely already know. Regarding the path ahead, you actually have a choice. With your parents' capabilities and your own talent, you could dominate the four-dimensional space. However, if you continue down the path I've chosen for you, you might have to rely solely on yourself."
"Whether you choose to halt your progress or embark on a path with an unknown outcome, the choice is yours. No matter what you decide, your master will respect your decision."
The light gradually dissipated, but Li Xuan remained motionless for a long time.
This time, his master hadn't left him anything tangible, but rather presented him with a choice.
The first option was to return to his parents' side, take charge of the Star Brilliance Merchant Guild, and contend for dominance within this four-dimensional space. With the Star Brilliance Merchant Guild's foundation, Li Xuan believed he would quickly reach the pinnacle.
The second option was to continue on the path of a sword cultivator. As he walked this path, Li Xuan occasionally felt weary. He had also felt lost about the future. After all, the Prison Suppressing Seal only had its first and second layers sealed, and he had only reached the fifth layer so far. Relying on himself, there were times he wished for support.
For a moment, Li Xuan couldn't make a quick decision. Thus, he remained in the interlayer for a long time.
Beneath a starry sky, a woman in a yellow dress watched the man who had suddenly stopped before her, looking at him with curiosity.
"One is the parents and relatives he's been searching for, and they've already established sufficient power for him. The other is an uncertain future. It truly is a difficult choice to make," the man said, looking up at the void and smiling.
The woman in the yellow dress frowned slightly, "Master, if he chooses the former, wouldn't your arrangements fall through?"
The man smiled at her words, but remained silent.
The woman in the yellow dress pondered for a moment, then her eyes suddenly lit up, "Master, I think I've guessed his choice."
This time, the man looked at the woman in the yellow dress with surprise and asked, "What do you think he will choose?"
The woman in the yellow dress smiled and said, "He? He definitely won't choose either one. He's an adult now, why make a choice? He'll definitely want it all."
The man was taken aback, then burst into laughter and turned to continue walking.
"Want it all, hmm, why didn't I think of that earlier?" the man chuckled self-deprecatingly, shaking his head, and then slowly merged into the starry sky, disappearing.
At the same time, Li Xuan, within the Prison Suppressing Seal, had a slight smile on his lips, and then he also walked out.
"Why does Master look so happy?" the Prison Spirit murmured to himself, watching Li Xuan leave, utterly bewildered.
Cultivation.
After leaving the fifth layer, Li Xuan immediately began to cultivate. Half a month in the outside world was nearly a year within the Prison Suppressing Seal.
Time slipped away quietly. In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. The cloud ship also slowly came to a halt. The next moment, Li Xuan's figure appeared on the deck.
Li Xuan glanced around, then put away the cloud ship and, with a thought, brought Xiao Bai out of the Prison Suppressing Seal.
"Big Brother, have we arrived?" Xiao Bai looked around, then asked Li Xuan.
Li Xuan nodded slightly and then said, "Xiao Bai, do you see if we can go in here?"
Xiao Bai looked at the black mist before them, then nodded.
Li Xuan was overjoyed at this. This meant he was one step closer to finding Li Yao.
The next moment, Xiao Bai pulled Li Xuan and walked directly towards the black mist. In an instant, the two disappeared into the black mist.
Soon, Li Xuan and Xiao Bai entered the airspace above the Ghost Realm. For safety, Li Xuan immediately put Xiao Bai into the Prison Suppressing Seal.
After doing so, Li Xuan looked down. The sight was shocking. Vast fissures ran across the earth, and even many towering mountain ranges were broken. Even from high in the sky, Li Xuan could smell the pungent scent of blood.
"I wonder how Yao'er is doing." Li Xuan's expression was somewhat solemn, then he moved and descended.
"Could I have sensed it wrong?" Less than a minute after Li Xuan left, another figure appeared at the spot where Li Xuan had been standing. The newcomer frowned slightly, looked around, and then turned to leave.
"Little Brush, is there any way to quickly find Yao'er?" City after city had become ruins. After three days of rushing, Li Xuan had to stop. Searching aimlessly like this, when would he ever find her? Moreover, who knew if Li Yao might have moved? It would truly be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
The Heavenly Dao Brush replied, "Little Master, there is a way, but it will easily attract attention."
Li Xuan frowned slightly and said, "Never mind, let's try searching first. If it's truly impossible, then we'll consider it."
Li Xuan thought about it and decided against letting the Heavenly Dao Brush act. If they were discovered, the trouble would be even greater.
With this thought, Li Xuan once again shot forward.
"Little Master, there seem to be people ahead!" Several days later, Li Xuan was already somewhat exhausted. As he stopped, the Heavenly Dao Brush's voice suddenly sounded.
Li Xuan's gaze flickered. His divine sense immediately spread out. Soon, Li Xuan indeed discovered two figures.
"Who are you?" As Li Xuan appeared, the two immediately looked at him vigilantly and asked.
Li Xuan frowned. Were the people of the Ghost Realm this cautious?
"I am Li Xuan. Greetings to you both." Li Xuan cupped his fists.
The two exchanged glances, their wariness easing considerably. Li Xuan before them was only at the peak of the Escape One realm, while they were both at that stage. Once they confirmed there was no threat, they naturally relaxed.
"Are you also trapped in this Ghost Realm?" the man on the left asked, appraising Li Xuan.
Li Xuan immediately understood. So these two were trapped in the Ghost Realm during the war. After all, the Ghost Realm had been sealed after the great battle, and Li Xuan wouldn't have been able to enter without Xiao Bai.
It seemed that among the various continents of this four-dimensional space, apart from the Profound Azure Continent which was inaccessible, other continents had many foreign powerhouses. These two before him were clearly not from the Ghost Realm.
"Precisely so. I've been hiding and dodging all these days, it's truly been difficult." Li Xuan nodded.
"My name is Yu Wen, and this is my brother, Yu Wu. Like you, we are trapped in the Ghost Realm and cannot leave. This is not a place to talk, let's find somewhere else," Yu Wen said, looking around.
Li Xuan nodded and replied, "Alright."