Chapter Sixty-Two: Spatial Rift

Yang Fan watched as Zhou Yiyi hurried away, feeling utterly defeated inside. What was that about? Why did she leave as if she were escaping? He couldn’t see any fault in himself; along the way, he had spoken every kind word imaginable, shamelessly persistent. With all that effort, what could she possibly still be dissatisfied with?

Puzzled, Yang Fan turned to look at Xie Sihua and the others. The four shivered when his gaze landed on them—what did he want now? That was the collective question hanging in the air.

“What’s up with her?” Yang Fan asked them, his face full of confusion.

“What do you mean, what’s up?” Xie Sihua was bewildered, unable to follow Yang Fan’s train of thought.

Yang Fan cast Xie Sihua a glare, irritated by her apparent incomprehension despite his clear expression. He tried again. “I mean, why did Zhou Yiyi run off so quickly? Was she chased by a dog?”

The group nearly burst out laughing. He had guessed it right—she really had been chased by a “dog”! That’s what they thought, but Xie Sihua, Mu Qingshan, Jiang Chao, and Jiang Xiaoyi dared not show it. The infamous “Demon King Yang,” as he was known, had left a deep impression on everyone that he was not to be provoked.

Suppressing her laughter, Xie Sihua’s face twitched. With difficulty, she replied, “I—I don’t know either. Maybe she had something urgent.”

Her words came out in fits and starts. Yang Fan felt increasingly annoyed. What was this? Was she pretending to stutter just to mess with him? Her twitching face—was she making faces at him?

Yang Fan clenched his fists, but ultimately relaxed. This wasn’t the wilderness; it was the Magic City Cultivation Academy. The academy had strict rules forbidding private fights among students, with severe consequences for violations.

Thinking about the school regulations, Yang Fan felt a pang of regret. He realized that not dealing with Xie Sihua and her group on the way back had been a missed opportunity. He’d been focused only on currying favor with Zhou Yiyi, leaving no time to bully Mu Qingshan and Xie Sihua. The matters from Yunnan hadn’t been settled yet.

Loosening his fists, Yang Fan ignored the group and turned to leave. He had barely taken a few steps when he suddenly stopped.

At that moment, a thunderous voice exploded in his ears.

“Boy, come to the Combat Techniques Hall. Hurry up.”

Just one sentence, but it struck Yang Fan like lightning. He glanced back; Mu Qingshan and the others looked utterly confused, confirming that only he had heard the voice.

Yang Fan knew exactly who had spoken. It could only be his teacher, Li Tian—no one else would call him to the Combat Techniques Hall. Yet the voice sounded a bit different. Still, Yang Fan cared little for such details right now. His mind was abuzz.

Transmission across space!

This was the legendary transmission of voice across space. What kind of strength was needed to achieve such a feat? The Combat Techniques Hall was quite a distance from the academy gates where Yang Fan stood. Yet the voice had reached him with crystal clarity.

Without further thought, Yang Fan dashed toward the Combat Techniques Hall.

Mu Qingshan and the others watched from their spot, faces full of confusion. What was wrong with him? He’d barely taken a few steps before stopping, glanced at them with an odd look, stood dazed for a moment, then suddenly started running? What did it mean? Was he chased by a dog too?

This thought darkened their faces. “Bah!” Who would chase him? That didn’t make sense either!

…

Yang Fan raced at full speed to the Combat Techniques Hall, curiosity burning inside him. Although Li Tian was his teacher, Yang Fan had no idea about his true strength, nor had Li Tian ever told him.

He once guessed that Li Tian was no weaker than Zhang Weiguo, at least a Ninth Rank Martial King. But Yang Fan wasn’t certain what that meant in terms of power. To judge the great by the small depended on one’s background, and Yang Fan, coming from the very bottom of society, had no foundation in cultivation. He had never had access to any reliable information—he only knew about ranking, which went up to the Twelfth Rank and above. Anything beyond his own level was a mystery.

When Yang Fan arrived at the Combat Techniques Hall, Li Tian was already waiting by the door, clad as always in a white robe, his hair snowy white. From afar, he looked like an immortal. But Yang Fan knew him well. This old man was no celestial, barely more than a worldly soul. He’d built a huge basement under the hall; Yang Fan once thought it was a secret realm, but Li Tian told him it was merely his collection room.

Building a collection chamber under the hall, hidden from everyone, for his own enjoyment—Yang Fan considered Li Tian a classic introvert.

“Come, let’s talk inside,” Li Tian said coolly as he turned and entered the hall.

Yang Fan curled his lips—what an act. But as he thought this, he felt a pang of anxiety. He’d gotten used to bullying Mu Qingshan and the others lately, maybe grown a bit arrogant! Yet this man before him was his teacher, someone he’d formally apprenticed to, capable of transmitting voice through space. Daring to scorn such a powerful figure—his courage had grown too bold.

He hesitated briefly, then hurried into the hall. By the time he entered, Li Tian had already gone underground.

Yang Fan quickly followed.

…

In Li Tian’s underground collection room, the two sat face-to-face.

“You encountered people from the Dark Realm again this time?” Li Tian asked, looking at Yang Fan.

“Yes, teacher, I did. This time they were stronger than before—one was a peak Second Rank warrior, the other a Third Rank martial artist! And they brought weapons; the material seemed different from our alloy, but the quality was certainly not inferior,” Yang Fan replied solemnly.

He had encountered Dark Realm people twice now. Whether by chance or not, he could afford no more carelessness.

“Hmm, I’m aware of most details of your mission this time. You performed well, very well—especially your perfect timing at the end to reap the rewards. Don’t worry too much about the Dark Realm. They’re just a few stragglers you happened to run into,” Li Tian said.

“Teacher, I want to know how the Dark Realm people get across. As far as I know, the relic passages are guarded. Second and Third Rank types shouldn’t be able to get through, right?” Yang Fan asked, puzzled.

He had heard about the relic passages before, and their guards were no pushovers. If Ninth or Tenth Rank experts broke through, that would be believable, but Second and Third Rank was almost laughable.

“The relic passage connects the two worlds, with large spatial caverns on each end. But occasionally, spatial rifts also appear. Some have attack properties, some can transfer people. No one knows where or when they’ll appear. These Second and Third Rank Dark Realm folk came through such rifts, which allow for two-way travel—anyone can cross, depending on who finds the rift first. The rifts don’t last long, and even the strong can’t easily control them,” Li Tian explained.

“If such rifts appear, is it voluntary entry or are people sucked in? If it’s involuntary, how strong is the pull, and how can it be resisted?” Yang Fan still had doubts.

If entry was voluntary, that would be manageable; involuntary would be concerning. Who could say whether a rift might suddenly appear nearby, sucking him into the Dark Realm? That would be no joke.

Li Tian regarded Yang Fan with a look reserved for fools, but explained, “Do you think Second or Third Rank martial artists would willingly run to another world? At that level, they have little ability to protect themselves. The rifts have strong suction, but how much area they cover depends on their size. Generally, anyone Fifth Rank or above is unlikely to be forcibly transferred.”

Yang Fan felt uneasy. That meant anyone below Fifth Rank could be sucked in. He grew anxious.

Li Tian saw his worried expression and was irritated. He slapped Yang Fan’s head. “Look at you! Scared for nothing. Such rifts are rare; most martial artists never know or encounter them in their lifetime. What are you worrying about? Even if you’re sucked in, it doesn’t necessarily mean death.

The Dark Realm folk have little to gain from coming to Earth. Our spiritual energy has only recently revived, precious materials are scarce, and with unified nations above and Tianwang managing awakened cultivators in China, anything valuable gets protected or harvested at once.

They have little to gain from coming here, but for us, the Dark Realm holds many treasures: Nethergrass, Dark Fragrant Fruit, Qi Sea Fruit... and more, all beneficial to our martial path. Their world has no unified nation, so the search isn’t nearly as thorough, and their spiritual energy is higher. If you end up there and survive, your cultivation will advance much faster. If you get the chance, consider yourself lucky.”

Yang Fan rubbed his swollen head, nodding repeatedly at Li Tian’s words. He felt far from reassured—lucky? If he were really swept away, he’d run for his life, not celebrate.

He rubbed his head and asked, “Is that why you called me here, just to ask and explain all this?”

“Hmph, of course not. Now that you’re back, I have a task for you. You must complete it, or the consequences will be severe,” Li Tian’s gaze was sharp as he spoke.

Yang Fan grew nervous. Though he didn’t know Li Tian’s exact strength, it was certainly formidable. Would the task really be easy?

His own plan was to work his way up by bullying the weak, avoiding risks to life and limb. Yet every time, things turned out different than he hoped. He’d just returned from a crisis, and Li Tian, without delay, was assigning him a mission—something Yang Fan truly wished to avoid.

But seeing Li Tian’s imposing demeanor, he knew if he dared utter a refusal, he’d be beaten within an inch of his life.