The two Supremes battled to the edge of the universe, where even the Great Dao was worn away…

No, not really.

The two sisters fought their way across the sky above Shanghai, in a surprisingly coordinated manner. They didn’t resort to powerful, uncontrollable moves; it looked like they were just exchanging punches and kicks, almost pulling each other’s hair.

Yuan Muyu realized with frustration that even when fighting at this level, she still couldn’t beat her older sister.

When she left home, her sister had just reached the Beyond Grade. Logically, at this level, ten years without any progress is very, very normal. Even a small advancement would be cause for celebration.

But in these ten years, she herself had made rapid progress, also reaching the Beyond Grade. She thought she could be on par with her sister, but it turned out her sister hadn’t been idle either.

Had she reached the peak of Beyond Grade?

This shouldn’t be.

Why could she reach the peak in ten years?

One must know that the Tengyun level was divided into three ranks, and from third rank to first rank were just different stages of the ninth layer of Tengyun. Just going from third rank to first rank, while still in Tengyun, had worn down countless heroes throughout history.

Even Yuan Muyu herself, the youngest third-rank in history, struggled with breakthroughs later on, for reasons unknown. By the time she left home, she had barely reached second-rank, and that had taken many years. At the time, her sister had said that without the sect’s resources, the path to first-rank would be even harder.

However, after meeting Xingzhou, their faction developed smoothly, and her state of mind underwent a unique awakening, allowing her to quickly reach first-rank.

She said from third-rank to first-rank, but in fact, she had spent decades struggling in the Tengyun stage.

She was one of the lucky ones; many others, after breaking through to third-rank, thought they had overcome the hardest hurdle and could now advance rapidly, only to get stuck for life, making no further progress. It seemed even harder than the great Tengyun hurdle, contrary to ancient records.

This was because after Tengyun, the energy required for cultivation far exceeded what it once was. Moreover, in many cases, it required a certain enlightenment or a life-and-death experience sufficient to bring understanding. Relying solely on dead cultivation often yielded half the results for twice the effort.

“Tengyun Jayu, Fengxu Yufeng,” these phrases describe the essence of an immortal, and immortals naturally speak of their state of mind. But people nowadays are immersed in the mundane world, their focus different, leading to a severe disconnect in their cultivation mindset.

Even the so-called immortal sects, isolated overseas, viewed this competition filled with hidden agendas as worldly foolishness, replete with the five poisons. It was poles apart from the “great freedom,” “grandeur of Qianyuan,” “formless heart,” and “supreme intent” attributed to ancient immortals, and thus, they could not achieve it.

To ask people like Yuan Muyu, Gu Zhanting, Ye Tinglan, or Long Qinghuang to speak of supreme freedom or ethereal immortality would be a joke.

Therefore, the more one cultivates, the more one feels disconnected and struggles to make progress.

Severing sisterly affection, severing affection for Xingzhou—these were merely what they perceived as the greatest hurdles on their cultivation path, believing that only by overcoming them could they achieve unity with the heavens.

If Yuan Muyu knew why Shen Tang broke through to second-rank so quickly, her understanding would probably be completely overturned.

Nothing else, just a clear mind, living by her own heart, not cultivating for the sake of cultivation.

Intentional seeking, on the contrary, becomes an obstruction.

Getting sidetracked… In short, Yuan Muyu, hailed as a genius, struggled in the Tengyun realm for decades before finally entering Huiyang. Ye Tinglan’s aptitude was clearly slightly inferior to her own, so how did she reach the peak of the Huiyang realm in ten years?

Why? She clearly had more thoughts, a more cluttered mind, and should have been less able to cultivate with a calm heart.

Was it really because Tianyao Shengzhu had endless resources? Or because of the gains and insights from the war against the demon race back then?

“Do you find my rapid cultivation unbelievable?” Ye Tinglan suddenly asked, mid-fight.

Yuan Muyu said coldly, “It’s nothing special. You said back then that I’d know the difficulty of first-rank without sect resources. Now I’m Beyond Grade, does your face hurt?”

Ye Tinglan: “…”

A little.

But not that much: “You were just lucky to meet Xingzhou. After I met Xingzhou, I went straight from the upper Huiyang stage to the peak. What’s there to boast about, struggling in the Tengyun realm?”

Yuan Muyu gritted her teeth: “Cultivation is my own business, what does it have to do with Xingzhou? How old was he back then!”

“You still refuse to admit Xingzhou’s important role for you. Or perhaps you’re afraid to admit that not only is your career supported by him, but your cultivation is also related to him. What then is truly yours?”

“Nonsense!”

Ye Tinglan parried her sister’s punches and kicks, and said leisurely, “When you were in the sect, your ideas were different from everyone else’s. No one understood you, you were isolated and helpless, which made you even more solitary and extreme. Unexpectedly, as soon as you entered the jianghu, you found like-minded companions who fully supported you. Did that spiritual joy and fulfillment directly make your cultivation much smoother?”

Yuan Muyu fought in silence.

“The reason why rogue cultivators struggle is precisely because of insufficient resources, all of which they have to strive for themselves. Once they are busy working for a few elixirs or spirit stones, how much time and energy do they have left for dedicated cultivation? So you need power, you need to start a business. But starting from scratch, a nascent business, keeps you spinning, leaving no leisure time for cultivation.” Ye Tinglan sighed, “However, you have Xingzhou.”

Yuan Muyu pursed her lips tightly.

“Except for necessary battles, you barely have to manage any trivial matters, and you don’t need to rack your brains over any troublesome issues. And battles are also a form of tempering; your entrepreneurship is even more comfortable than others’ individual cultivation.” Ye Tinglan sighed, “Xingzhou says you saved him, raised him, and taught him, an immeasurable kindness. However, sometimes I wonder, how is it that he seems to be raising you?”

This was clearly a forced smear, not worth refuting, and Yuan Muyu was too lazy to argue with such a detractor.

Then Ye Tinglan’s next sentence was: “Or perhaps I’ve misspoken… This is mutual support, sticking by each other through thick and thin.”

Yuan Muyu’s parrying hands softened for a moment, and she was repelled several zhang by her sister, floating backward in mid-air.

Immediately, she angrily bounced back, striking fiercely with her palm: “Since you know, why did you snatch him! Is that how a sister acts?”

“Snatch?” Ye Tinglan smiled, parrying casually: “Who are you to him? Are you lovers? Someone is good with him, what business is it of yours?”

“I…” Yuan Muyu gritted her teeth for a long time, speechless.

After silently battling for a few breaths, she finally said sharply, “You did it on purpose! You knew about him and me, and you deliberately approached him!”

“Oh? Then tell me, what for?”

“To strike at me, of course.”

“Are you worthy?” Ye Tinglan sneered, “Are you worthy of me using my own emotions and integrity just to spite you?”

With a “bang,” a stunned Yuan Muyu was sent flying several *li* by a palm strike, blood finally spilling from the corner of her mouth.

“You injured him, and I’ll injure you; we’re even.” Ye Tinglan stood with her hands behind her back, her expression cold: “Perhaps in your eyes, he is a tool, and you project that onto others, thinking they treat him the same way. But you’re wrong.”

Yuan Muyu stared at her coldly, not speaking.

Then Ye Tinglan continued, “He is your brother-in-law. Be polite when you see him from now on—”

It was originally a super critical hit, and also the sentence Ye Tinglan most wanted to say to Yuan Muyu. After saying it, a feeling of immense satisfaction rushed straight to her head, as if she was about to break through.

But Yuan Muyu suddenly laughed.

Ye Tinglan frowned, “What are you laughing at?”

“I’m laughing at your self-deception.” Yuan Muyu laughed, “If he’s my brother-in-law, why don’t you dare announce it? Why do you have to use all sorts of excuses, like ‘disciple of Fairy Fuyao,’ or ‘Sect Master cares for her subordinates’… Ha…”

Ye Tinglan bit her lower lip.

“I have a heart devil, and so do you. What kind of virtuous wife and loving mother are you pretending to be in front of me! Brother-in-law? Is he?”

Ye Tinglan’s satisfaction vanished instantly, her face ashen.

“Boom!” A loud explosion echoed from a distance.

It wasn’t the waves caused by their battle, but from the arena.

Ye Tinglan suddenly turned her head: “Something’s happened!”

While the two Supremes were battling, Anuo and a girl from Nuojiao Dao stood on the martial arts arena, staring at each other, both unsure what to do.

The host, Tianyao Shengzhu, was gone; no one was hosting. She had even forgotten to assign someone else to take over.

After a long while, the elders of the “Organizing Committee” jointly announced, “Tianyao Shengzhu must have left to avoid suspicion, hmm. The third match between Tianyao Xianzong and Nuojiao Dao, begin.”

Anuo cautiously said to the girl opposite her, “Sister, how about we play rock-paper-scissors to decide the winner?”

Nuojiao Dao girl: “?”

Anuo said mysteriously, “Sister, look at the one behind you and our family’s relationship. Do we look like enemies?”

The Nuojiao Dao girl also lowered her voice, “Not really. Oh, your master is so handsome and powerful, can you introduce me to him?”