That night, Ethan and Jasmine fled for hours until daybreak.As the eastern horizon lightened to a fishbelly white, they walked side by side along an icy beach over a thousand miles from the lake.Clutching the Grade Seven Water Spirit Flower, Ethan's expression hinted of a smile. In any case, obtaining it marked a big step towards saving his brother."Jasmine, do dragons still exist in this world?" Ethan asked.Other than her orphan status, he knew next to nothing about her. Over the past half year, his questions were always evaded. To Ethan, Jasmine remained an enigma."Dragons? Are they real?" Confusion filled Jasmine's beautiful eyes.Ethan had no reply.While walking, his gaze suddenly focused ahead.Twenty yards off, the White Ring Snake was coiled atop an icy boulder, head raised proudly like a haughty swan surveying its domain, glancing left and right, even twisting backward occasionally.It seemed unafraid of Ethan and Jasmine's slow approach, making no move to flee."Heh." E

"Hmm?" Ethan paused, gazing gravely at the black-clad youth blocking his path less than thirty feet ahead. What was with these Swords Sect disciples barring the exit?There were twenty Meridian Training experts here, all bearing the Swords Sect name. The Swords Sect was one of the nine supreme powers in the Primordial Chaos, boasting a heritage spanning hundreds of thousands of years. In the Western Realms, they were absolute overlords!This was evident from the twenty Meridian Training experts guarding the mountain gate here - ordinary Meridian Training masters able to establish a sect in a small county would be nothing but gatekeepers in the Swords Sect.A hint of strangeness flickered in the cold youth's eyes. His nose twitched slightly, yet his face remained impassive as he calmly stated, "Leave half your medicinal herbs behind, then you may leave."Leave half the herbs behind?Ethan frowned, his expression immediately darkening.The audacity of the Swords Sect truly knew no bound

Ethan's expression was blank, but his hand imperceptibly grasped a small black bottle.It contained Fountain of Time diluted a hundredfold.He hadn't used it in the bloody battle with the Swords Sect disciples since it wasn't yet the final moment. Not because he was reluctant, but because Ethan wasn't confident he could wipe them all out in one go. If even one Swords Sect disciple escaped, it would bring endless trouble.But now?If Jasmine made a move, so would he!Ethan was very reluctant to see this happen. In truth, he still held Jasmine in high regard. After all, she had saved him at Ruoshui River. And through their time together, her personality had proven quite simple and guileless, their interactions smooth.However! If Jasmine attacked, Ethan would decisively hurl the black bottle at her. Even if it might not injure Jasmine given her Bone Sacrifice strength and their vast disparity, plus the many secrets of the blue bloods, Ethan had no absolute confidence of killing her!Yet

The mountain village paths were rugged and overgrown. Amelia dragged her sister away at full speed, not daring to stop for a moment.Soon, some villagers below also noticed the disturbance up the mountain, gradually hurrying over."Sister, let's split up and run! Don't go back no matter what." Amelia gritted her teeth and said.Jasmine silently nodded.With many small paths in the deep mountains, they couldn't match the stamina or speed of pursuers. Running together made them too conspicuous a target. If caught together, it would truly be over.Amelia anxiously said, "Sister, if we get separated, let's meet here every year. No show means no go!"Seeing people surging up the mountain less than three hundred yards below, Amelia didn't dare hesitate. With a wave, she hurried away.Jasmine watched her sister leave, then shrank down and crawled into the roadside bushes.Heavy footsteps passed less than seven yards from Jasmine. She held her breath without a sound.For seven days, enduring

The next day, Jasmine built a thatched hut here, planning to stay for a while.Ever since the night Jasmine spoke of her origins, she seemed to have grown even more silent, occasionally spacing out in contemplation. Ethan did not disturb her, mostly cultivating silently to the side or practicing his Blade Technique.By now, the Swift Shadow Blade Technique had fully matured, with his speed even surpassing the technique's benchmark of thirteen blades in a single breath, reaching fifteen blades per breath. In terms of swift bladework, Ethan was probably unmatched amongst his peers in the entire Western Realms.Yet Ethan was focused more on integrating footwork with Blade Technique, as speed alone was insufficient. After all, Meridian Training cultivators were no match for those at the Strong Blood Realm, let alone the Bone Sacrifice Realm, who could fly by propelling qi. Traversing a hundred yards in a breath, no matter how swift the Blade Technique, it would still fall short!To advanc