historical

Two people walked through a grassy plain in the Empyrean Dragon Realm.

"Come on~ why does this place have to be so far away?" The woman among them complained.

"Considering the size of the Empyrean Dragon Realm, the fact that we can even walk there means we were lucky to be dropped close by." The man beside her answered.

The duo looked almost identical to each other even though they had no direct blood ties. From their piercing blue eyes to the silvery white hair that decorated their heads. If it wasn't for the height and gender differences, nobody would've been able to tell them apart.

"Still, though! My legs hurt, so carry me!" The girl continued.

"You're heavy." The man replied blandly.

"Hey! Did your parents never teach you that you should never talk to a woman about her weight?"

"You're right. They didn't teach me."

"You're no fun~!" The girl pouted.

"You're just annoying."

However, the man's response wasn't any less plain than it was any other time she spoke to him. Considering how badly their personalities meshed, it was a strange sight to see the two together. But oddly enough, their conversations always carried an unknown synchronicity that made it difficult for anyone to disrupt their flow.

"Hey~ aren't we supposed to be trying to kill big sister now? Why aren't we doing that?"

"Xue Yue, do you really want to kill that woman?"

"Why wouldn't I~? From the moment I was born, I was always trapped in her shadow. They didn't even try to hide it, naming me Xue Yue as if I wouldn't notice that it's only a single character difference from her name. It's annoying to have a shadow looming over you all the time that you can never get rid of, you know?"

Xue Feng looked over at her for the first time since they started moving.

"Your mouth speaks these words but it's never reflected in your eyes. It's the most terrifying thing about you."

"Hmm~?" Xue Yue tilted her head curiously as he spoke. But just as he said, her eyes were as indifferent as ever.

It was as if they were detached from the rest of her face, never matching the expressions she made, and forever unchanging.

"You know it wasn't my choice, right~? Still, isn't it fine? I like it better like this!"

Xue Feng turned back around and walked. He was no longer in the mood to converse with her.

'Xue Ruyue..that woman must be strong.'

If she was able to escape the pursuit of the Xue Clan and stay alive for so many years, there was no way she'd be a weak person. Xue Feng felt like immediately turning around and searching for her so they could duel.

But he held himself back. Considering the woman's personality listed in the records the Xue Clan gave them, she should be holding quite a grudge. Even if they didn't go to her, she'd go to them.

And if that was the case, there was no reason to pursue her. Instead, it would be better to gain the benefits of the secret realm instead of wasting time.

'Besides that, I don't know why I always end up traveling with this woman.'

He glanced sideways at Xue Yue. He could never figure out whether to trust her or be wary of her. And with how much they usually interacted, he felt a bit of both.

'Is she strong or not? She has always hidden herself behind those eyes. Maybe I should fight her?'

As if the Heavens were set on making her compete with her elder half-sister, they made her almost a carbon copy of the latter. Even the points that the Xue Clan didn't know about were the same.

Just as Xue Ruyue was born with a set of special pupils, Xue Yue was as well. Even the functions of their pupils were similar.

The only thing she didn't gain was Xue Ruyue's insane talent towards yin. Although she was talented in her own right, it wasn't to a level that would make the Xue Clan obsessed with her.

Nonetheless, her pupils alone were enough to put her amongst the top geniuses of the Xue Clan. With her unknown level of strength as well, nobody knew where she truly ranked. However, all but one were too wary of her to speak.

'What a good guy..I wonder how long it'll take to make him mine? Xue Yue thought inwardly.

If there was one thing she inherited from the Xue Clan, it was her extreme mental illness. Ever since she had met Xue Feng when they were little, she had been unhealthily obsessed with him.

'But this bastard only ever thinks about getting stronger. No matter how much I try to seduce him, it never works. He doesn't even listen to the elders' orders unless it's an order that will increase his strength. How did he even become like this?'

It was quite funny. Although they were so different, they were brought together by the fact that neither of them really cared for the hierarchy of the Xue Clan. They were the two most rebellious geniuses the clan had produced, if one didn't count Ruyue.

The pair continued their walk to the location that was marked on their map. There, something that was more than worthy enough to take Xue Feng's attention off of battle with Xue Ruyue was resting.

'The Empyrean Dragon Sword, the Ancient Sect's crowning artifact. I heard a rumor that it might be a Demigod-ranked artifact.' Xue Feng thought.

His hands itched as he thought about it. He wasn't a naturally greedy person, but he was a believer that treasures go to the strong. The location of the Empyrean Dragon sword would then have a double benefit for him.

Firstly, he would get the opportunity to duel with the most talented young prodigies of the major clans. These were the kinds of people who could know the location of such a place. As for rogue cultivators, the ones who could actually make it to the location itself were all worthy to enter his eyes.

Secondly, was the Empyrean Dragon Sword itself. He didn't lust after the borrowed power of an artifact, he wanted to climb from the bottom with his own strength. However, to Xue Feng, reaching the peak of 4th class or even the Demigod Level was a given.

He believed in his talent and determination.

And when that day came when he reached a point where Chaos-ranked artifacts were as common as drifting clouds, when he needed an artifact that could truly hold his strength, the Empyrean Dragon Sword was a perfect choice.

'I wonder if there is anyone who can truly match up to me? Or maybe it'll be just as boring as before. However, if that man is here..'

Xue Feng thought back to a scene he had witnessed not long ago. Of a single man crushing Wang Tianhe and Wang Chen, and then borrowing the Jade Heavenly Palace's knife to exterminate the Wang Family entirely.

He had never seen a genius like that before. All the noble ladies and young masters he had been forced to befriend were nothing compared to him. Xue Feng's hands itched even more. If he could beat that man, he would truly be worthy of the title of number one genius on the Cloud Plane.

However, when he arrived he didn't see a single trace of that man. Instead, there was someone else he had always wanted to meet.

'Aha, it looks like this time will be fun after all.'