“What a pity.” Ji Chanxi hummed an unknown tune, took out her ancient book, placed it neatly on her lap, and began to read.

After a good while, Ji Chanxi's translucent earlobes twitched slightly. "They are finished."

She did not look up. The slight sounds from the cave in the distance had vanished, which meant that Lin Yi and the others were finished.

"Ghost Sister, tell me… are all men like this?" Ji Chanxi suddenly asked an inexplicable question.

"I don't know." The woman shook her head again.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm…" Ji Chanxi didn't mind and continued reading the Book of Strange Tales in her hands. After happily reading it once, Ji Chanxi felt a bit unhappy.

"Lin Yi, that was his name, right… He is different…"

Ji Chanxi revealed an innocent smile. She tucked the Book of Strange Tales away, brushed off non-existent dust from her black skirt, and then leaped up beautifully, her black skirt billowing like a tide.

Ji Chanxi stood still under the tree. The snow covering the ground stained the soles of her feet, turning her black silk socks white, but because she had used Qi to insulate her soles, there was no need to worry about them getting wet.

Ji Chanxi adjusted her embroidered shoes and looked toward the distant north. "Say, Ghost Sister, he said he has five yin-yang orders… Will he kill me? Hmm… He will kill Father, won't he?"

Ji Chanxi's words were met with silence.

"After all, he killed five Elders and two Dao Lords, so isn't this Young Miss of the Yin Yang Pavilion also on his list?"

"How about… I help him kill Father? What do you think, Ghost Sister?"

"Father is dead, Xier is alive; at Father's funeral hall, Xier must bow to the enemy…" Mixing it with the tune Ji Chanxi had been humming, she began to sing softly.

"Under Father's gaze, Xier must offer herself to Dear Lin; Father died at Dear Lin's hands, yet Xier must share the bridal chamber with Dear Lin…"

The tune was deep and eerie as Ji Chanxi skipped away into the distance.

…

Outside Haiwu City, an old man walked over carrying a sword. The old man walked extremely slowly, yet in the blink of an eye, he had reached the front of Haiwu City.

Within a thousand miles of Haiwu City, there was no sea, but there were vast stretches of stone walls, strangely shaped, with jagged rocks, undulating Peaks, and craggy cliffs. When the cold wind blew on this snowy day, it whistled, sounding as if the ocean tide were sweeping across this land.

Haiwu City was located in the central part of the Northern Domain. To go further north, one had to pass through Haiwu City, and this place… was the territory of the Kuishan Clan.

Haiwu City was a massive formation, and the one presiding over it was one of the Four Great Yao Kings… Chu Jiangming.

That was the origin of the "Wu" in Haiwu City. He was a tree demon. Although the Kuishan Clan called themselves Kuishan, they were merely a group of stone demons.

Old Man Yuan sat down before Haiwu City, carrying his long sword. He placed the sword in his hand across his somewhat thin legs, a smile still hanging on his aged face.

Chu Jiangming stood on the ramparts of Haiwu City, watching the Sword Saint sitting not far from the city with a look of uncertainty and shock. He did not know why Old Man Yuan had come, and he knew he could not block a single strike from Old Man Yuan.

There was no other reason; the gap between the Soul Transformation Realm and the Return to Void Realm was simply too great.

He was merely a tiny tree demon at the Peak of the Soul Transformation Realm; how could he compare to someone in the Return to Void Realm? It was like the light of a firefly compared to the bright moon in the sky.

"May I ask… why has the Sword Saint come?" Chu Jiangming asked aloud.

"Waiting for someone, or perhaps a few people," Old Man Yuan replied with a smile.

"Will the Sword Saint leave once you have waited for them?" Chu Jiangming felt immense pressure and asked again.

"Of course, I have no interest in you lot." Old Man Yuan nodded.

Chu Jiangming felt relieved. Seeing that Old Man Yuan was truly just sitting outside the city watching his sword, he knew that Old Man Yuan had not come for them, so Haiwu City was safe.

"Perhaps the Sword Saint would like to enter the city for a chat? It is cold outside, and I fear it might affect the Sword Saint's spirit." Chu Jiangming invited him.

"No need. If the people we are waiting for cannot see me, they might be anxious." Old Man Yuan flicked his finger slightly, and for a moment, the sound of a sword ringing echoed throughout the land, suppressing the desolate wind for a thousand miles around Haiwu City.

Chu Jiangming was shaken. He suppressed his fear and said aloud, "Then if the Sword Saint has any important matters, please feel free to command me. I will certainly do my utmost to satisfy the Sword Saint's needs."

Old Man Yuan closed his eyes slightly and said nothing more. The thousand-year-old wind and frost of Haiwu City echoed once again between heaven and earth.

…

The next day. Lin Yi and his group maintained a steady pace as they walked toward Haiwu City. Ji Chanxi was inevitably lingering behind them, but since she wanted to follow, let her follow.

Either wait until she couldn't help but jump out, or wait until they rendezvoused with Old Man Yuan, and he would catch her. Regardless, with Old Man Yuan here, Lin Yi wasn't too worried. This was the effect of power!

Lin Yi raised his sword fingers, a streak of sword light flashed, and the Yao Beast was slain.

"We have already walked halfway, so why hasn't Ji Chanxi come out yet?" Su Lingshu said, feeling a bit bored.

"No need to rush. In any case, the initiative is still in our hands." Lin Yi chuckled. Lu Jiajing and Pei Yuhan followed at Lin Yi's side. Perhaps due to Lin Yi's generous teaching over the past few days, their auras had become increasingly profound.

"By the way, Elder Sister Jinger, Elder Sister Pei, how much further do you have to go until the Return to Void Realm?" Su Lingshu asked, looking at Lu Jiajing and Pei Yuhan curiously.

Lu Jiajing glanced at her. Although she felt deep down that this fellow Su Lingshu didn't have any good intentions, she still replied, "We are almost at the half-step Return to Void Realm."

"Half-step Return to Void…" Su Lingshu muttered. "What about Elder Sister Pei?"

Pei Yuhan's brows were cold and clear, and she also nodded. "More or less the same."

"After all, the essence that Elder Sister Jinger and Elder Sister Pei obtain each day is more or less the same, so I understand, I understand." Su Lingshu teased with a grin.

Lu Jiajing and Pei Yuhan glanced at Su Lingshu but said nothing. Su Lingshu didn't feel discouraged when the two ignored her; these two sisters just had that kind of personality. Only when they were with their husband could they show a bit more expression.

"Then can two half-step Return to Void cultivators deal with one in the Return to Void Realm?" Su Lingshu asked again.

"Never tried, not sure." Pei Yuhan pondered for a moment, then shook her head.

"When the time comes, let Grandpa Yuan test you. Then we will have two Return to Void cultivators on our side!" Su Lingshu suggested.

Lin Yi pulled Su Lingshu forward. As for whether two half-step Return to Void cultivators could defeat one in the Early Stage of the Return to Void Realm… Lin Yi felt it was a bit doubtful. He pondered in his heart how to speed up Lu Jiajing and Pei Yuhan's progress… At least one of them needed to break through to the Return to Void Realm…

"Elder Sister Pei, Elder Sister Jinger, how about I give up my share?" Perhaps Su Lingshu felt the atmosphere had been too dull along the way, and the surrounding Northern Domain scenery was more or less the same. Compared to the Xuanyuan Dynasty, it certainly had its own unique charm, but one couldn't help but get tired of seeing it for so many days.

"Your share?" Pei Yuhan's gaze swept across Su Lingshu's eyes, and their gazes met for a moment.

"Uh-huh, my share, let the two sisters eat a bit more. It's fine, I can handle it. Just have the two sisters return it later."

"The two sisters reaching the Return to Void Realm first is what matters most. It's not about not eating, but about adjusting the intake." Su Lingshu spoke as if she knew everything; Lin Yi had no idea where she had learned that.

Pei Yuhan was slightly shy. "No need. We also need time to refine that portion of essence. Xiao Yi can keep up. What is this 'adjusting the intake'…"

"Hehehe… Elder Sister Pei is shy." Su Lingshu looked with a grin at Pei Yuhan, who had a slightly flushed face. Lu Jiajing, in her green dress, also had a hint of embarrassment between her brows.

"Xiao Yi, aren't you going to do something about your wife?" Lu Jiajing looked at Lin Yi, who appeared to be a bystander.

Lin Yi looked innocent. "Shu'er, what you said is quite good. Although it's a bit strange, I find it acceptable. It's not some Evil Path heresy. These are just fun things between husband and wife, and they even relate to our cultivation Realm… If you all couldn't handle it, I would really let you see the scenery of the Northern Region at 4:00 AM."

Lu Jiajing let out a soft huff and ignored Lin Yi, who was standing with Su Lingshu. How could she not want to reach the Return to Void Realm quickly… It was just a pity… She and Pei Yuhan were too incompetent; they could only Cultivate for four hours a day at most before their consciousness would begin to blur…

When night fell, the four of them found a sheltered cave, killed the Yao Beast inside as usual, skinned it, removed its tendons, and roasted it over a campfire.

"Young Miss Ji, are you really not coming in?" Lin Yi asked towards the outside as usual.

No response.

Lin Yi shook his head. He didn't know what game Ji Chanxi was playing, insisting on following behind them. According to the original work, Ji Chanxi was only working hard at this time to send Nan Qing's remnant Soul to Jiang Miaoxuan.

Because Jiang Miaoxuan was gone, but Nan Qing's remnant Soul was with Ji Chanxi, Lin Yi guessed that Ji Chanxi's current goal was to resurrect Nan Qing. The fact that Ji Chanxi held two yin-yang orders was proof of this.

The yin-yang orders could record the Souls of the deceased. As long as the physical body had not been destroyed… it was possible to resurrect a dead body. Although Nan Qing had died a thousand years ago and her body had been devoured by sea beasts, as a Young Miss of the Yin Yang Pavilion, Ji Chanxi might have some other methods.

After all, she cultivated the Ghost Path, and she had Nan Qing's remnant Soul watching over her.

It was just that she didn't expect him to have three yin-yang orders in his hands.

If all five yin-yang orders were combined…

But why did she give those two yin-yang orders to him? Did she need him to do something for her? Then why did she only follow behind without revealing herself?

Was she not afraid that he would run away?

He couldn't figure it out… Ji Chanxi's personality had always been strange; sometimes foolish, sometimes shrewd.

Lin Yi used his spiritual power to spread the aroma of the roasted Yao Beast meat. Ji Chanxi had a "simple" nature. If it were Su Lingshu, she certainly wouldn't run out just for some roasted meat, but with Ji Chanxi, it was hard to say.

"I say, Young Miss Ji, what was your purpose in giving the yin-yang orders to me? Are you really not afraid that I'll take them and leave? Miss Nan Qing is only a remnant Soul; she cannot keep us here. You should understand that." Lin Yi brought up the matter between them for the first time.

Outside the cave, the wind continued to howl. The brilliant moonlight shone upon the earth. It wasn't quite a full moon, as a slight imperfection could still be seen.

Lin Yi took down the beast meat and glanced at Su Lingshu, who had been staring at him longingly. Su Lingshu opened her ruby-red mouth, looking at Lin Yi with her beautiful eyes as a signal. Lin Yi found it amusing but fed her anyway.

Su Lingshu narrowed her eyes in satisfaction. She looked at the slight grease on Lin Yi's fingertips, then gave him a seductive look and leaned in…

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow and withdrew his hand from Su Lingshu's mouth without hesitation. "You really are a little glutton."

Lin Yi's words had a double meaning. Su Lingshu let out a soft huff. "Fortunately, my husband has two big gluttons by his side; Shu'er is only a little glutton."

Lu Jiajing and Pei Yuhan glanced at Su Lingshu but didn't pay it any mind. Their Divine Sense remained shrouded over a thousand miles, ready at any moment to capture Ji Chanxi should she show any slip-up.

Su Lingshu leaned in Lin Yi's embrace, eating the meat. Perhaps because Su Lingshu had been treated a bit roughly earlier, now that their relationship had broken through, she always liked to cling to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi didn't dislike Su Lingshu's intimacy; it was like keeping a small pet.

"Master." After a long while, Lin Yi suddenly called out to Pei Yuhan.

"Hmm?" Pei Yuhan opened her eyes to look at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi's gaze passed through the cave and landed on the distant eastern land, a place far further away than the east of the Northern Region.

"Junior Brother Zhao should be returning soon, right?" Lin Yi turned his head and asked.

Pei Yuhan pondered and calculated in her heart. "Counting the days, it should be about time."

Zhao Nian had left after the winter solstice. Lin Yi and his group had spent over a month, nearly two, on the road before reaching Chengtian City.

It was now close to the end of the year. If converted to the calendar of Lin Yi's past life, it would probably be February.

Zhao Nian's round trip would take about three or four months. Calculating the time, he should be returning to the Cold Palace Sword Sect soon.

"If Junior Brother Zhao discovers that the three of us have disappeared from the Cold Palace when he returns… I'm afraid he'll scratch his head in confusion." Lin Yi said with a smile.

"It doesn't matter, I left him a letter." Pei Yuhan shook her head. After Lin Yi's guidance, she had realized that this disciple of hers… probably had some strange thoughts about her…

Referring to the actions of Han Ningyan and Pei Zhaoji, she was considering… whether to transfer Zhao Nian to another Sect.

After all, the sword path in the Qiongming Domain was in decline, so her actions were quite normal, Pei Yuhan mused.

In the end, she couldn't be as heartless as Han Ningyan. Furthermore, Zhao Nian only had impure thoughts; he hadn't reached the point of daring to take action. When the time came, she would just let him go down the mountain.

Pei Yuhan pursed her lips, her cold gaze landing on Lin Yi, and she nodded slightly.

Lin Yi and Pei Yuhan exchanged glances. Lin Yi's words weren't just to remind Pei Yuhan to let his Junior Brother Zhao go down the mountain…

Lin Yi admired the snowy scene under the moonlight. A few withered trees stood abruptly in the midst of the brightness. Su Lingshu in his arms started to become restless.

"Husband…" Su Lingshu's voice was sweet and cloying, carrying a sense of tenderness. Lin Yi glanced at her, only to find that Lu Jiajing, who had been resting with her eyes closed, had also opened them, and Pei Yuhan's beautiful eyes were fixed on him.

Lin Yi smiled helplessly. "Alright, alright, daily cultivation begins now."

Just as Su Lingshu wanted to strip off Lin Yi's clothes, Pei Yuhan stood up, grabbed Su Lingshu by the collar, and made her float in mid-air.

Su Lingshu's expression changed. "Sister Pei, what are you doing!?!"

"Wasn't it you who said it? It's not that we won't eat, but that we eat with flair." Pei Yuhan looked at Su Lingshu with a surprised expression. She sat down in Lin Yi's arms. Lin Yi didn't pay attention to their clash and wrapped his arm around Pei Yuhan's slender waist.

Pei Yuhan's brows knitted slightly, then relaxed immediately. With a smile on her face, she watched Su Lingshu's expression of daring to be angry but not daring to speak. The originally cold Fairy had now become gentle.

"Alright, alright, I'll let you eat later. Let me obtain the essence first." Pei Yuhan's words made Su Lingshu's expression brighten slightly.

"Wait, Xiao Yi, what are you doing!?!" Pei Yuhan's expression changed slightly. She looked at the smiling Lin Yi in astonishment as a spiritual force, far purer and more massive than ever before, gathered into her Dantian.

"Don't! Xiao Yi!! Don't do this!!!" Suddenly, Pei Yuhan's expression changed drastically.

Chapter 100: I Want to Taste the Flavor of the Return to Void Realm

"I remember… this Yin-Yang Path thing, besides the Righteous Path of dual cultivation… there's also the Evil Path of harvesting and replenishing, right?" Lin Yi smiled as he allowed the spiritual power generated within his body to be absorbed by Pei Yuhan.

Furthermore… he began to transmit his own cultivation along the channel of the Heaven and Earth Hunyuan Art to Pei Yuhan…

Pei Yuhan grabbed Lin Yi's hand and shook her head resolutely. "No, don't waste your spiritual power for my sake."

"My good Master, don't feel bad. I still want to taste the flavor of a Return to Void Realm expert…" Lin Yi's words did not move Pei Yuhan in the slightest, but… a complex, indescribable emotion surged within her heart.