Chapter 48: A Fist That Transcends Boundaries

The sect leader, as gentle as ever, spoke softly: "You’ll be heading that way soon, so do your best to avoid running into them."

"Who’s come?" Qin Yue asked.

"The master of Divine Phoenix Manor, Zhang Taiyue, is hosting a banquet for the illustrious figures from Zhaoyang Sect, Moon Invitation Hall, and Celestial Splendor Palace. Jadeite Pavilion has hired the best chefs from the Northern City, as well as the finest dancers and musicians."

"So they’ve finished exploring the Yandang Mountain catacombs? Judging by their mood, they must have struck it rich if they’re in the frame of mind to enjoy themselves at a brothel," Qin Yue said, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

Behind her veil, Mu Xingruo’s lips curved slightly as she let out a soft laugh. "Not all of them are here just because of the Yandang catacombs."

"There’s something else?" Qin Yue asked.

Feng Qianning, whose injuries had almost healed, added from the side, "Many ancient relics have been surfacing lately. There are places even those in the Dao Realm don’t dare enter lightly. I heard even the Eerie Spirit River has thawed, releasing hordes of terrifying creatures. Combined with that transformed serpent that appeared at Yandang Mountain recently… These people are here to discuss forming alliances."

This was the great advantage of the brothel: news traveled so fast here!

No one would ever suspect that Jadeite Pavilion, outwardly owned by a member of the Jin imperial family, was actually under the control of the Tianluo Sect.

Much less would anyone imagine that Feng Qianning, the infamous demoness of the Devil’s Path whom so many sought, was here recovering from her wounds.

"What’s the Eerie Spirit River? And where else have ancient relics appeared?" Qin Yue’s eyes lit up at this. Spirit stones were consumed so quickly—cultivation was an expensive pursuit!

He’d left the Beast Valley with three or four thousand, Tang Qingxuan had given him over three thousand, he’d gotten nearly twenty thousand from that old evil cultivator, and the red packets from his uncles and seniors added another fifteen or sixteen thousand.

More than forty thousand spirit stones—and in just a few days, he’d already spent a fifth of them.

The benefit was astonishing speed in his cultivation. Judging by the deepening color of the pill in his dantian, he felt he’d reached the twelfth layer of Insightful Void. Of course, that was just his own way of describing it; he’d never heard anyone else mention such a thing.

The downside went without saying: the expenditure was simply staggering.

Neither Sect Leader Mu Xingruo nor Saintess Feng Qianning had expected that not only did this young man cultivate by "visualization," but he was also a bottomless pit for spirit stones.

They both assumed that Qin Yue’s supply of stones would last him at least a year. It was hardly their fault; they themselves were cultivation prodigies who had used spirit-gathering arrays to rapidly advance, but even so, their consumption had never been so outrageous!

Qin Yue didn’t feel comfortable telling them the truth. He missed the windswept Beast Valley and those great demon beasts dearly, but he couldn’t—and dared not—go back and live as an honored guest.

Therefore, he took an unprecedented interest in news of ancient relics.

Feng Qianning said, "It’s said that during ancient times, the Eerie Spirit River was a place where the gods and buddhas of the heavens suppressed the world’s demons and monsters. Its thawing might be related to those previous anomalies. But for now, don’t even think about it. Even those in the Dao Realm would need to be far past the Rift Boundary to dare set foot there."

Mu Xingruo nodded. "Don’t worry about these matters. Before you head to Zhaoyang Sect, just focus on your cultivation. You’re not even at the Subtle Cavern stage yet. Stay as far away as possible from ancient relics that attract Dao Realm powerhouses."

Feng Qianning, though passionate about exploring ruins, clearly disagreed with Qin Yue’s interest. "In the face of profit, human nature cannot withstand temptation. Even if you’re not a disciple of Green Bamboo Garden, even if you join Zhaoyang Sect, should you come across a treasure, they’d have no qualms about taking it from you!"

Faced with the concerns of both his senior sisters, Qin Yue answered obediently, "I was just asking."

He then took the initiative to change the subject, turning to Mu Xingruo. "Senior Sister, may I ask you something? Are there only nine layers in the Insightful Void realm?"

"Not always. Why do you ask?" Mu Xingruo replied gently, but then her eyes sharpened as she looked at Qin Yue. "Don’t tell me you’ve broken through the ninth layer of Insightful Void… yet your core hasn’t transformed, and you haven’t truly stepped into the Subtle Cavern domain?"

Feng Qianning also looked at him with surprise, her beautiful eyes shining.

Qin Yue hadn’t expected his senior sisters to be so perceptive; their reactions left him a little uneasy. He asked cautiously, "What’s wrong? Isn’t this a good thing?"

"Of course it’s a good thing!" Feng Qianning exclaimed. "My own core only began to transform when I reached the twelfth layer of Insightful Void, stepping into the Subtle Cavern domain. I’ve even heard there’s a girl in Zhaoyang Sect, Chu Wanqing, just fifteen or sixteen, younger than you, who’s already reached the thirteenth layer. Who knows how much further she can go!"

"So… the higher the layer in Insightful Void, the better?" Qin Yue asked.

"When I was advancing, I reached the thirteenth layer before ascending to the Subtle Cavern," Feng Qianning said.

"I was nothing special; there was someone in Zhaoyang Sect my age who reached the fourteenth layer, and in earlier years, there are even rumors of some who reached the fifteenth—though who knows if that’s true," Mu Xingruo said softly. "The Ten Holy Lands also have many top prodigies. In recent years, there have been quite a few who’ve reached the twelfth or thirteenth layer of Insightful Void."

Qin Yue asked, "After the ninth layer, does each layer bring significant changes? How does it compare to the Subtle Cavern?"

He judged his own progress by the deepening color of the pill in his dantian. Every time the color darkened, his energy surged and it felt as though he’d taken another step forward.

"At the tenth layer of Insightful Void, if you were to fight someone at the first layer of Subtle Cavern, you wouldn’t just be on even ground—you’d have a good chance of winning. By the eleventh layer, even those at the second layer of Subtle Cavern would basically be no match for you. The higher your Insightful Void level, the further you can go when you eventually enter the Dao Realm. Of course, it isn’t absolute; entering the Dao Realm depends even more on your own insight and the grade of your cultivation method," Mu Xingruo explained, looking at Qin Yue. "Since you’re asking, and you managed to use divine powers before entering Subtle Cavern, you must be past the ninth layer. How about this: attack me with all your strength, and I’ll estimate your current level."

"Isn’t there a clear quantitative standard?" Qin Yue asked.

Mu Xingruo smiled. "There is, actually—but only within the sect. Every major sect has Test Stones. When you attack it with full force, the colors revealed give a precise reading, up to the fifteenth layer. Beyond that, it’s not so clear."

Feng Qianning said to Qin Yue, "Don’t worry about Senior Sister; she’s already at the seventh level of Rift Boundary. Unless you use the little cauldron, you can’t possibly hurt her."

Seventh level of Rift Boundary?

Though Qin Yue didn’t know exactly how old this sect leader was, she couldn’t be over thirty.

And she’d already reached such a level—truly extraordinary!

The Dao Realm was just a broad term, denoting those who had entered the domain of mystical arts and could wield divine powers.

After the Subtle Cavern came the Rift Boundary.

Figures like Zhang Taiyue, master of Divine Phoenix Manor, and other great Dao Realm experts who wandered the world rarely exceeded the fifth level of Rift Boundary.

Those at higher levels almost never appeared in public.

Every step forward at that stage required a staggering, almost unimaginable amount of cultivation resources.

They’d all but weld themselves to a spirit vein, cultivating madly without moving for days on end.

And for someone like him, the only thing that could let him advance quickly at this stage would no longer be spirit-gathering arrays, but the rarest and most precious spiritual medicines!

Otherwise, Beast Valley and the great sects wouldn’t care so much about a successor from Green Bamboo Garden.

It didn’t even matter if he was the successor, as long as he could nurture medicinal plants—wherever he went, regardless of age or status, he could immediately become a favored guest!

"Here, now?" Qin Yue looked at the exquisitely decorated, antique tea room, scratching his head.

Mu Xingruo chuckled. "Right here, don’t worry!"

As she spoke, she waved her hand, and an invisible barrier enveloped the tea room.

In her opinion, even if Qin Yue truly had the power of the eleventh or twelfth layer, he couldn’t possibly damage the room in her presence.

"Very well, Senior Sister—be careful!"

Qin Yue wasn’t skilled in martial arts, but channeling his spiritual energy into a punch was simple.

Sensing that Mu Xingruo’s barrier was extremely solid, he gave a brief warning, then drew upon his inner power.

In an instant.

His gaze sharpened, and the faintly purple pill in his dantian spun rapidly.

He stepped forward and unleashed a heavy punch towards Mu Xingruo.

He held back a tenth of his strength—he knew just how terrifying his full power could be and was concerned the sect leader might not be able to withstand it.

He also infused this punch with a fragment of insight he’d recently gleaned from the inscriptions on the cauldron. Though he hadn’t formed a complete understanding, he unconsciously drew upon it as he attacked.

A deep hum resounded.

A terrifying aura exploded from Qin Yue.

Mu Xingruo’s calm expression beneath the veil vanished; she swiftly raised her hand, palm vertical, and lightly pushed forward—

At the instant fist met palm, a thunderous boom shook the air.

Energy surged and exploded.

Every wooden chair and tea table, every delicate porcelain vessel in the room, was instantly shattered as if torn apart by an invisible, overwhelming force.

Feng Qianning instantly activated her defenses.

A pale blue shield enveloped her, her gaze tinged with shock as she looked at Qin Yue.

How could this punch be so terrifying?

Yet, to Qin Yue, the sect leader was even more formidable—utterly unfathomable.

It felt as if his punch had landed on cotton.

Her palm was unbelievably soft, almost boneless; such a violent strike hadn’t made her retreat even half a step!

Was this the strength of the seventh level of Rift Boundary?

Qin Yue stood, inwardly shaken, dazed for a moment as he truly experienced the might of a Dao Realm powerhouse for the first time.

He didn’t even notice that the fierce wind from his punch had lifted a corner of Mu Xingruo’s veil, revealing half of her breathtaking face.

What he didn’t realize was that Mu Xingruo herself, who outwardly seemed calm and unruffled, was even more stunned than he.

In that moment when Qin Yue threw his punch, she instantly realized something was wrong. She became completely alert, using every ounce of her skill to neutralize the terrifying force of his blow.

Yet the veil was still lifted at one corner, and the room’s furniture could not be saved.

For so many years, no one at the Insightful Void level had ever forced her into such a situation.

It was a difference of two entire realms!

Even Feng Qianning hadn’t managed this.

Feng Qianning herself had once tested her like this. Though it had been difficult to withstand, the veil had not moved.

Now, Feng Qianning looked at Qin Yue with eyes full of delight.

When Qin Yue had saved her from the catacombs with his escape technique, she’d already realized this handsome youth who’d fled the icy abyss was a top-tier genius.

But for her Senior Sister to go all out, for her veil to be lifted, and for an entire room’s worth of furniture to be destroyed—this was beyond her expectations.

Usually cold and reserved, she only ever revealed a softer side before Mu Xingruo, who had cared for her since childhood.

Now, as she looked at Qin Yue, her gaze was gentle, a soft smile flickering in her eyes.