Open up and break into another world

The next day, early morning.

A drizzle was falling from the sky, and the sky was somewhat gloomy.

Xu Ming's room was slightly messy.

Not from fighting, but because Xu Ming didn't control the power within him; he broke a stool when he sat down, crushed a teacup while drinking tea, and smashed a hole in the bed when he turned over while sleeping.

However, after a night of tossing and turning, Xu Ming finally adapted somewhat to his suddenly increased strength; at least, his every move was no longer as clumsy as it had been the previous night.

“If I were to face Lin Han again now, I wouldn't be completely helpless, right!” Xu Ming pondered.

If there were no accidents, Lin Han should be coming today.

Knock, knock, knock!

The sound of knocking on the door rang out.

“Who's looking for me so early in the morning?” In the capital, Xu Ming didn't know many people at all. “Could it be Lin Han? — This running dog is too eager, coming so early to run errands for his master!”

“That's not right!”

Xu Ming immediately realized: “Lin Han would never knock on the door; he would just kick it open and come in!”

Who could it be?

Filled with doubt, Xu Ming opened the door.

Standing outside the door was a maiden in white robes, beautiful as an immortal; the hem of her dress fluttered in the wind, like dancing snowflakes. She stood in the drizzle, yet not a drop of rain touched her.

Seeing this maiden, Xu Ming's heart couldn't help but throb; Xu Ming's residual memories erupted instantly.

“Chi Xue!”

She was the reason Xu Ming had traveled thousands of miles to come to the capital, and the reason Xu Ming would rather die than leave the capital.

Past memories flowed through Xu Ming's mind.

From the time he could remember, a girl named “Chi Xue” had always been present in Xu Ming's life.

When she was a child, Chi Xue was dark and unattractive; the other children ostracized her, and some even bullied her.

At that time, Xu Ming protected her like an older brother, not allowing her to suffer even the slightest grievance. For Chi Xue's sake, Xu Ming often fought with the other children, sometimes even getting his head broken and bleeding.

Xu Ming would also take Chi Xue to the hillside to pick wildflowers and catch butterflies…

The days passed, and the ugly duckling gradually transformed into a white swan. At the age of fourteen, Chi Xue not only possessed an ethereal beauty and temperament, but also bloomed with unparalleled talent in martial arts; even Elder Li Ruobing of the Flying Cloud Martial Pavilion had somehow heard of her and made a special trip to take her as her personal disciple.

But at this time, Xu Ming was still mediocre.

“What, aren't you going to invite me in to sit down?” Chi Xue said with a smile.

How could she know that, upon their reunion, Xu Ming had already become Xu Ming.

Xu Ming took a deep breath: “Please come in.”

Chi Xue's arrival was already within his expectations; more precisely, it was within Xu Ming's expectations. It was just that Chi Xue was late.

This was because of Xu Ming's residual obsession—Chi Xue probably knew that Xu Ming had come to the capital long ago, but Xu Ming hadn't been able to see her face to face until his death. How could this not make his heart cold?

“You knew I came to the capital long ago?” This was one of the questions that Xu Ming's obsession wanted to ask.

Sure enough, Chi Xue replied: “I knew the second day you came to the capital; but at that time, I was at a critical moment in my breakthrough, and my master pulled me away to seclude myself, so I couldn't come to see you. I only came out of seclusion the day before yesterday.”

“Then why didn't you come to find me the day before yesterday?”

“I had something to do the day before yesterday, and I couldn't leave the Martial Pavilion; but I heard that Lin Muqing often asked people to make trouble for you, so I went to warn him.”

“No wonder Lin Han didn't make a move the day before yesterday; it turns out his master had just been warned!” Xu Ming muttered to himself, “So it seems that Lin Muqing has never intended to kill me, probably because he was worried about Chi Xue! It's just… fate is a trickster; although Lin Muqing didn't want to kill me, Xu Ming still died! If I hadn't transmigrated over, I don't know what Chi Xue's attitude would be now; would she become mortal enemies with Lin Muqing from now on, or would she just let it go?”

Seeing that Xu Ming hadn't spoken for a long time, Chi Xue said again: “Could it be that someone really came to make trouble for you again?”

“I broke the things in this room myself.”

“You broke them yourself?” Chi Xue was stunned, and then seemed to realize something, staring at Xu Ming for a few moments. “Xu Ming-gege, you've broken through to the second level of External Training!”

“Xu Ming-gege” was what Chi Xue had always called Xu Ming.

“I just broke through yesterday,” Xu Ming said.

“No wonder,” Chi Xue said with a start.

When one's cultivation breaks through, it's easy to lose control of the surging power.

Especially from the first level of External Training to the second level of External Training, because it's the first breakthrough in cultivation, many people aren't used to this feeling of surging power; however, the more times they break through in the future, the easier it will be to adapt.

“Yunqi City is thousands of miles away from our hometown; now that Xu Ming-gege has broken through to the second level of External Training, I'm much more at ease about your journey home.” Although the security in Flying Cloud Country is good, and there are few bandits, it's still quite dangerous for a martial artist at the first level of External Training to travel thousands of miles; but the second level of External Training is much better.

“Go home?” Xu Ming looked at Chi Xue in surprise.

Xu Ming knew that most of the images in Xu Ming's memory were about Chi Xue; Xu Ming also knew that the relationship between Xu Ming and Chi Xue was only separated by a thin layer of window paper, and as long as they poked through it, they could very likely become lovers.

So Xu Ming didn't expect that, upon seeing him, Chi Xue would directly mention the matter of “going home” after only a few words. And judging from her appearance, persuading him to go home was probably the very purpose of Chi Xue's visit this time.

“Yes, go home!” Chi Xue was somewhat afraid to look directly at Xu Ming's surprised gaze, but gritted her teeth and still said resolutely, “It's too dangerous for you to stay in the capital!”

“Because of Lin Muqing?” Xu Ming asked.

“Yes!” Chi Xue said, “You also know that Lin Muqing is one of my pursuers. Although I have no feelings for him, I have to admit that Lin Muqing has great power in the capital—his status in the Flying Cloud Martial Pavilion is no less than mine; I'm a personal disciple of the elder, and so is he. Moreover, the Lin family's power in the capital is also very great… Although I warned Lin Muqing, if you continue to stay in the capital, he might not hesitate to anger me and still try to kill you.”

“Because of one of your pursuers, I have to flee in disarray, back to my home?” Although Xu Ming had only transmigrated over recently, he deeply felt the sorrow of insufficient strength at this time.

“To put it bluntly, that’s indeed the case…” Chi Xue said.

The two were silent for a long time.

Go home?

Damn it, I can’t even leave the capital! — Xu Ming shouted in his heart. He knew the dangers of the capital and wanted to run away, but that damn obsession wouldn't allow him to be a deserter!

Suddenly, Xu Ming’s heart stirred, and he asked, “Chi Xue, will we be together in the future?”

This was the answer that Xu Ming most wanted to know in his obsession.

Chi Xue’s expression changed several times, and finally, she sighed softly, “Brother Xu Ming, you should go home as soon as possible! Your aunt and uncle must also want you to come home.”

Chi Xue didn’t answer Xu Ming’s question, but the answer was already self-evident.

“Answer me!” Xu Ming shouted.

Shouting out Xu Ming’s swan song.

Chi Xue’s heart trembled, and after a while, she said, “If it were before I met my master, I might have answered you: Yes!”

“What about now?”

Chi Xue’s eyes gradually became firm and ruthless: “Brother Xu Ming, I want to tell you that the path of martial arts is very difficult and very long!”

“The External Refinement stage alone is divided into six revolutions; each revolution is a transformation of life; when we finish the six revolutions of External Refinement, our bodies will seem to have transformed from ants into giant elephants! — This is just External Refinement!”

“After External Refinement comes the even more difficult Internal Refinement! If we can take Internal Refinement to the extreme, the power that our tiny bodies can unleash at this time is simply unimaginable! And if we can reach the Innate realm above Internal Refinement, then the body will be transformed to be as pure as unpolished jade between heaven and earth…”

“I know all this!” Xu Ming interrupted.

“Then do you know which step I’m at now?” Chi Xue asked.

“Sixth Revolution of External Refinement?” Xu Ming’s tone was somewhat self-deprecating.

He also knew that he was now like an ant asking a giant elephant: Will we be together in the future?

“I have already reached Internal Refinement!”

Without waiting for Xu Ming to say anything, Chi Xue said again, “Master said that my talent is very good. If I am single-minded and pursue martial arts wholeheartedly, then it is very likely that I will reach the Innate realm in the future! — Brother Xu Ming, we were indeed very good in the past, and living with you was also very carefree, but now, I don’t want to live this mediocre life! I don’t want to squander my talent. I want to pursue my own martial arts. I want to reach the Innate realm and see what kind of scenery that is! So…”

“I can wait for you!”

“No!” Chi Xue shook her head, “The path of martial arts is extremely difficult. Even with my talent, it will take ten to twenty years, or even thirty to fifty years or even longer, to reach the Innate realm! And if one day I really reach the Innate realm, I will still be as young as I am now, but you will already be an old man — do you think we will still be suitable then?”

Xu Ming was silent.

Chi Xue continued, “Brother Xu Ming, we are destined to not be the same kind of people; in the future, even if I really want to find a partner, I must find a martial arts expert of the same level as me! I am very grateful for the past you gave me, and I will always regard you as my brother; but, please let me go and let me freely pursue my martial arts!”

Destined to not be the same kind of people?

Let you go?

Pursue martial arts?

Xu Ming laughed uncontrollably. He laughed like a madman.

He felt that Xu Ming’s obsession with Chi Xue was growing and erupting.

“Brother Xu Ming? Brother Xu Ming?” Chi Xue finally managed to wake Xu Ming up.

“You go.” Xu Ming said without a trace of emotion.

“Go?”

Hearing this sentence, Chi Xue should have been happy; but when she saw Xu Ming’s eyes, she felt a strange heartache — Xu Ming’s eyes used to be full of doting and care; but now, it was still the same pair of eyes, but there was no longer a trace of emotion.

“Then I’m leaving, Brother Xu Ming.” Chi Xue felt a little lonely.

“From today onwards, don’t call me ‘Xu Ming’, call me ‘Xu Ming’!”

“Huh?” Chi Xue was confused.

“Xu Ming — ‘Ming’ as in ‘to remember’!”

Chi Xue didn’t say anything else and left silently: “‘Ming’ as in ‘to remember’, is it to remember this moment?”

If Xu Ming knew what Chi Xue was thinking, he would definitely say: Remember my ass, I’m not familiar with you, why should I remember? I just don’t want to live under Xu Ming’s shadow anymore, so, from today onwards —

“This world, Xu Ming has arrived!”