They left.
Leaving without any lingering attachments.
Chen Fan was like that, and so was the Sword Master.
In the chaos, the two met.
"Hahaha."
The Sword Master laughed heartily, "Now I am finally free of all burdens, hahaha..."
Beside him, there was only a young boy carrying a sword.
At seventeen or eighteen years old, he was merely a small, first-order Emperor Sovereign.
The boy had a round, baozi-like face and a constant smile for everyone he met.
Seeing the two approaching, he bowed, "Greetings, City Lord, Senior Chu..."
The two people before him were both individuals he deeply respected.
"Good."
Chen Fan took one look and understood the boy's foundation.
He nodded and said to the Sword Master, "A fine young boy with a sword heart. It seems you have found an inheritor."
The Sword Master did not deny it. "I never expected that upon returning to the Sword Realm this time, I would find a sword heart. I am content."
The boy possessed a sword heart and sword bones. Standing there, he was like a drawn sword... a sharp blade unsheathed.
Old Demon Chu chimed in, "He still needs refinement."
The three understood the importance of returning to simplicity.
The boy was currently a drawn sword.
The day he returns to simplicity will be the day he enters the Heavenly Emperor realm... as for the path beyond that, it would require a new journey.
"Let's go."
Chen Fan spoke.
The four of them, casting aside all worries, traveled freely through the chaos.
The Ninth Land could be found by instinct.
One simply had to walk in the direction of the sun.
In the past, the Lord of Order established the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, establishing order in the chaos. For the first time, order was brought to the chaotic void.
This allowed the weak to survive, and placed some restraints on the strong.
However, later, the Lord of Order perished.
No one knew why, only that he vanished without a trace.
...
The four of them did not rush, traveling through the chaos at a slow pace.
They were like tourists, unhurried.
In the chaos, demonic clouds churned.
Beneath the demonic clouds, the young man Ah Qi pushed through them, advancing with difficulty.
"Ugh."
The boy's face was flushed, but he gritted his teeth and remained silent.
Occasionally, a muffled groan escaped him, but his sword heart remained unwavering as he pressed forward.
Ahead, the Sword Master and Chen Fan conversed.
The idle Old Demon Chu began training the young boy.
After all, he had nothing else to do.
"By the way, Senior Sword Master, what are your plans upon entering the Ninth Land?" Chen Fan asked.
Everyone had their own objectives.
"To seek Dao."
The Sword Master's eyes were filled with longing. "When I first came to the Tenth Land, it was because of the turmoil there."
"The Ninth Land is different. Under the suppression of two great worlds, its order is relatively stable. I expect there will be many opportunities for discourse."
"Indeed."
Chen Fan nodded.
"And you, City Lord?"
The Sword Master countered, "What is your purpose?"
"To borrow a path."
Chen Fan's tone was calm. "The Nine Heavens and Ten Lands form a straight line. If I wish to enter the Upper Nine Heavens, I must pass through the Ninth Land."
"Taking a detour would be too far, and I do not have that much time to waste. Borrowing a path is the most convenient."
"For a strong individual to enter, it will inevitably arouse the vigilance of the Ninth Land, so... I need to borrow a path."
"I see."
The Sword Master said nothing.
He could tell that City Lord Chen had a heavy burden on his mind.
There were some things he could not elaborate on, so he simply nodded.
"We are leaving the Tenth Land..." Chen Fan suddenly said.
Ahead, a barrier of rules seemed to appear.
The barriers of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands were all bound by rules.
Ahead lay the rules, forming a barrier that protected the Tenth Land. Once they stepped beyond this rule barrier, they would have left the territory of the Tenth Land.
*Hum.*
The four stepped forward, directly crossing the rule barrier.
The rules offered no resistance.
*Boom.*
As soon as the four stepped out of the barrier, the chaotic energy immediately became tempestuous.
All sorts of attributes became hostile.
Flames erupted, blades threatened their bodies...
"This..."
It was the first time the Sword Master and the others had sensed such sharp chaotic energy.
The fire attribute, upon touching their bodies, became genuine flames and began to burn... an inferno raged.
Yin and Yang transformed, seeking to engulf them.
"How can this be?" the Sword Master was stunned.
Chen Fan, however, said, "In truth, this is the most realistic chaos."
He had experienced a scene in a dream, and naturally understood what the most authentic chaos was like.
Only where Chaos Beasts resided did the chaotic energy temporarily stabilize.
After a moment of thought, Chen Fan spoke again, "The original chaos was like this. Only Chaos Beasts would receive the pity of chaos."
"This Lord of Order is truly a divine being..."
Chen Fan mused.
The Lord of Order established the order of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.
Without Chaos Beasts, the chaotic energy within the rules was calmed.
Chen Fan spoke slowly, and the others finally understood the true nature of chaos.
"So..."
Old Demon Chu walked over. "We owe our peaceful lives to the Lord of Order."
"Indeed."
Chen Fan nodded. "We truly must thank the Lord of Order."
"Without the Lord of Order, how chaotic would this void become?"
He dared not imagine.
What was even more unimaginable was the power of the Lord of Order.
The Nine Heavens and Ten Lands were equivalent to forcibly suppressing a stable space amidst the chaos.
The four continued forward...
The omnipresent danger was not an issue for them.
Only Ah Qi found the going extremely difficult.
An ancient stone path connected the Ninth Land and the Tenth Land.
"The path is a hundred thousand miles long," Old Demon Chu stated.
The so-called stone path was only relative to the two great worlds.
This path was paved with order as its foundation, and the patterns of the Great Dao flowed beneath their feet, anchoring the stone path in the void of chaos.
The four walked along the path, quickly heading towards the Ninth Land.
...
As the four continued their journey.
In the Ninth Land, mysterious dojos resembling falling galaxies stretched out.
Every thread here was a path into dreams, with three thousand threads of worldly desires cleansing the grand dojo.
Among the three thousand Great Daos, a phantom figure leaped continuously.
It was the spirit of the Dream Dao.
"Hehe."
Joyful laughter echoed throughout the Thousand Thread Dojo.
Suddenly... the spirit of the Dream Dao seemed to sense something.
Almost simultaneously, deep within the dojo, a figure immersed in dreams opened its eyes.
The spirit of the Great Dao instantly returned to its body.
"They are here."
A hint of solemnity appeared on Qian Si's face.
He had entered the Dao through dreams, gathering the spirit of the Great Dao to reach the Ninth Order.
Dreams could reflect reality.
And reality could enter the realm of dreams.
*Hum.*
A familiar five-elemental energy permeated the air.
The voice of the Lord of the Five Elements reached them, "Fellow Daoist Qian Si, are you awake?"
"Five Elements."
Qian Si frowned. "You sensed it too?"
"Mmm."
A touch of gravity entered the Five Elements' voice. "The winds are rising in the Tenth Land. It seems... we must make a decision soon."
Qian Si: "..."
He knew all too well what decision was being referred to.
The Ninth Land was their territory, and with the Tenth Land challenging the ranking of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, the Ninth Land would be the first to be affected.
There was no avoiding it.
Either they would join, or they would drive the challenger back.
How should they choose?
This was a question that required careful consideration.