The dazzling sunlight from the heavens slanted into the small wooden pavilion, piercing through the gaps in the drifting clouds.

Beneath this warm radiance, the pavilion fell into profound silence, as if sound itself had ceased to exist in this world. Ye Chen remained seated on the wooden chair, the wine cup in his hand as still as a mirror, betraying no tremble, no ripple. Yet, deep within his heart, a tempest raged.

The Ancient Realm... a secret scripture circulating from it?

The mere mention of the words [Ancient Realm] was enough to make every powerhouse in the world prick up their ears, their hearts quickening. Upon hearing the phrase "circulating from," their heartbeats would immediately surge further, laced with tension. Gathering all their focus, by the time the final two words were uttered, the pounding heart might very well seize up entirely.

A collective breath held, as if the world paused.

After that brief suspension, the heart would resume its frantic thumping like a war drum, blood threatening to burst through the skin, eyes flushing red, and breath growing heavy and guttural, like that of a wild beast.

Among all the treasures under heaven, nothing stirred the soul more deeply than a secret scripture.

Even the rarest heaven-and-earth spiritual medicine could only strengthen one person.

Even the most indestructible equipment could only protect one person.

Only the secret scripture was the wellspring of civilization; as long as the controller willed it, it could empower an entire lineage, even the whole world!

Ye Chen’s heart rate accelerated, but he quickly regained composure. He was always swift to find calm, whether faced with unparalleled beauties, unimaginable wealth, or overwhelming power; he could always reclaim his center and settle down rapidly.

Thus, his voice did not waver but carried a deep steadiness as he spoke: "This secret scripture, flowing out from the Ancient Realm, must surpass every scripture from the Primordial World. Its value is limitless. Senior, we are not kin; why bestow upon me something so precious?"

"Not kin?" The white-robed youth turned around. There was no wind in the pavilion, yet the long, silken fabric of his clothes lifted and swayed automatically. The breeze originated from beneath his feet. Bright light streamed in from outside, illuminating his back. Perhaps because he faced the sun, his eyes appeared intensely bright, like the most brilliant, glittering starlight in the night sky, holding an enigmatic allure: "The moment you drank my wine, we ceased being strangers."

"Oh?" Ye Chen watched him with keen interest, his bright eyes seeming to hold a hint of joy and expectation.

The white-robed youth offered a slight smile. "Everyone in this world is lonely. However, Heaven has been benevolent, granting each person a companion at birth: their parents. That is the bond of kinship. If two beings, originally unrelated, meet, appreciate one another, and develop affection, that is love. Now that you have drunk my wine, it is impossible for us not to be related in some way. To gain a true confidant in life—that is friendship. Therefore, gifting fine things to a friend is only natural!"

Ye Chen gazed at him, noting the casual, dashing smile playing on the youth's lips, the slight upward curve carrying a touch of devil-may-care amusement. Yet, those intense, deep eyes were filled with absolute sincerity.

He lowered his head, looking into the wine cup in his hand.

His reflection stared back from the small vessel.

After a long moment, he suddenly threw his head back and drained the cup in one gulp.

Then, as if slightly intoxicated, he stood up and looked just as earnestly at the white-robed youth, saying, "May I ask your esteemed name, Senior?"

"My surname is Ye, given name Feng!" The white-robed youth's expression held a quality of lighthearted happiness.

"Ye Ru Feng," Ye Chen whispered the name again, as if embedding it deep within his core. After a moment, he looked up at the youth: "I will remember this kindness."

The white-robed youth seemed unconcerned, waving a hand dismissively, yet his eyes held a hidden meaning: "You only need to remember every single word I have told you."

Ye Chen studied his face, his eyes flickering slightly, but he remained silent.

The white-robed youth seemed to murmur something silently, then stepped towards Ye Chen. His soft voice carried a peculiar, magnetic charm: "This scripture is rather complex; everything depends on your own comprehension." Then he raised his hand, slowly extending a single finger.

A wisp of golden light began to bloom gently at his fingertip.

This golden light was like a dazzling, scorching sun, becoming the sole illumination in the world, overwhelming the light from outside. It was warm and intimate, seeming to stir a slight breeze that lifted Ye Chen's cascade of white hair, causing it to flutter behind him.

This gold light was mirrored in Ye Chen’s eyes, turning them golden as well.

Then, the white-robed youth, as if exerting all his strength, slowly moved his finger toward Ye Chen's forehead. The speed was excruciatingly slow, as though the very air between them were a massive, heavy boulder that required every ounce of his power to push aside.

Finally, his fingertip landed on Ye Chen's brow.

At that instant, Bai Yijun, standing nearby, thought she heard a metallic chime ring in her ears. Then she watched as the golden light from the youth's fingertip touched Ye Chen's forehead, and the brilliant glow slowly began to spread outward from his brow like a spiderweb, enveloping Ye Chen’s entire face, mapping it out like a diagram.

A fierce wind spontaneously whipped up around the white-robed youth's feet, whipping his clothes and long black hair backward in defiance of gravity. His entire arm glowed with golden light, emanating boundless, mysterious energy shaped like golden characters. These characters surfaced from his pale skin like fish breaking the water, floating in the air to form countless ancient and cryptic symbols.

In that moment, the entire pavilion was filled with golden light, filled with golden script.

These golden characters seemed to saturate the entire world, spinning so fast that one could not distinguish east from west, yet they suddenly coalesced into a whirlwind. Using the youth's arm as a conduit, they channeled through the golden light of his finger and drilled into Ye Chen's forehead.

Ye Chen's mass of white hair streamed backward, whipped by the gale. His eyes turned crimson-gold, and his skin shimmered with fleeting golden characters that swam across his surface before retracting towards his mind, like a whale diving deep.

The white-robed youth had lowered his hand at some unknown point and stood before Ye Chen, smiling gently.

Under Bai Yijun’s watchful gaze, Ye Chen slowly opened his eyes. A flash of golden light seemed to streak through his clear, dark pupils before they returned to normal. He carefully assessed the massive influx of information in his mind, finding the contents astonishingly rich. Especially the opening section, "《The Grand Principle of Annihilation Dao》," the explanation of which would leave even the most powerful Divine Emperor stunned speechless.

A sharp brilliance shone in Ye Chen's eyes. Although the scripture possessed an almost magical quality, compelling him to read it all at once, he forced himself to restrain the urge. He cupped his hands toward the white-robed youth: "The favor of receiving this scripture, Ye Chen will surely repay in the future!"

The white-robed youth glanced at him with a faint smile, then turned away, seemingly unwilling to look back. With his hands clasped behind his back, he gazed toward the distant sea of peach blossoms. After a moment, he spoke softly, "You may go now." His voice betrayed no discernible emotion.

Ye Chen stood stunned for a moment, also saying nothing, but bowed deeply. Then, taking Bai Yijun’s small hand, the two of them left that secluded paradise together.

Passing through the barrier that shimmered like transparent waves, Ye Chen led Bai Yijun into the world outside. With a wave of his hand, he summoned the Rune Space, retrieving the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark and swiftly boarding it.

Whoosh!

The Heavenly Dao Divine Ark ripped through the air, blasting toward the distance. In an instant, it left that desolate world behind. No one would ever know that hidden in this barren, silent place lay a perfect world, one free from war.

The Divine Ark arrived near the Ancient Continent shortly thereafter. Using a spatial leap channel established by a nearby Divine Prefecture, it charged directly through. A High-Ranking God Spirit guarding the channel was about to move to intercept upon seeing the Divine Ark, but he detected an energy emanating from it that held a profoundly shocking aura.

He had only ever sensed such an aura on the unattainable Divine Emperors.

So, he quickly cleared the passage and ordered his subordinates to activate the channel. He then approached, bowing and scraping like a loyal animal, his back bent as if carrying a heavy load, preparing to introduce himself and exchange pleasantries.

Regrettably, Ye Chen ignored him completely, not even opening the cabin door, bypassing him entirely.

Under Ye Chen’s silent command, Xiao Zhong Sheng—using electronic signals—invaded and rapidly gained control of the smart system of that spatial leap channel. He then initiated a transfer route and entered it.

Watching the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark vanish into the spatial tunnel, the High-Ranking God Spirit stomped his foot in frustration, sighing inwardly. What a pity to have encountered such a powerful figure yet miss the opportunity to curry favor!

At that moment, the other onlookers looked at him with fawning smiles, their faces and eyes fixed on flattering him. This forced cordiality made their expressions stiff, which annoyed the High-Ranking God Spirit. He waved his hand impatiently, venting his irritation on them, ordering them to restore the spatial channel to normal operation.

Inside the spatial leap channel, the view beyond the porthole was absolute darkness, occasionally pierced by streaks of flowing light—naturally, the faster vessels already ahead.

The Heavenly Dao Divine Ark moved at incredible speed.

Ye Chen also accelerated his focus. He sat cross-legged, eyes closed, adopting the most correct posture for cultivation, meticulously absorbing the insights of the 《Anniliation Dao》 secret scripture within him. This scripture was notoriously difficult to cultivate, detailing and analyzing every movement of the human body, dissecting the underlying principles so that he could grasp the fundamental causes directly.

This was akin to learning the technique of fishing, rather than merely being handed a fish.

Only in this way could one execute techniques with consummate skill when facing an enemy, achieving fluid movements, endless variations, and powerful killing moves assembled effortlessly.

As he cultivated, Bai Yijun stood quietly beside him, gazing at him with concern, as if she could never grow tired of looking at that face with just two eyes, one nose, and one mouth.

Since matters arose today, completing four updates is unlikely, but I promised three yesterday and will certainly deliver. I aim to deliver two updates before midnight, and the third around 1 AM, so brothers can rest early and read tomorrow. (To be continued)