The barrier was as unremarkable as ever.
If they hadn't personally witnessed Si Jian Ye step into the barrier, they would never have believed anyone could enter it.
"Daddy's gone."
Si Xin Xin's bright eyes stared directly at the barrier before them, a trace of loss lingering in her gaze. "Mother, when will we go to the Dragon Realm to find Daddy?"
Feng Ning He's eyes flickered, her gaze falling upon Si Xin Xin. "Xin Xin, the Dragon Realm is too dangerous. I dare not take you there until I understand it better."
She didn't want Si Xin Xin to be in danger.
Even Si Jian Ye hadn't planned to bring Si Xin Xin, let alone her.
Si Xin Xin had already overheard their conversation, her expression dimming slightly. "Mother, you don't plan to take me to the Dragon Realm? Are you going to leave me here alone?"
"I'm still here."
A Xi sighed softly. "The King of the Underworld doesn't plan to take me to the Dragon Realm either. I'll stay in the Lin Kingdom with you."
Feng Ning He explained softly, "Xin Xin, the Dragon Realm is full of human puppets. Even I don't have absolute confidence in protecting you. I will send you back to the First Sect first, which will be safer than Jin Ling."
Si Xin Xin pondered for a moment, as if she had understood. She nodded obediently. "Mother is right. Then I will obediently stay at the First Sect and wait for you. You must return to the First Sect quickly!"
Seeing her obedient demeanor, Feng Ning He smiled. "Don't worry, Mother will return as soon as possible..."
*
Dragon Realm, Border.
Cultivators were fighting bravely.
They didn't notice the barrier not far away loosen slightly.
A figure stepped into the barrier at this moment.
Si Jian Ye turned his gaze to his surroundings.
Many cultivators were gathered here. Some were meditating and resting, while others were killing human puppets within the border.
The human puppets continuously charged forward, as if wanting to cross the barrier.
Si Jian Ye deliberately suppressed his aura and stepped forward.
With his aura suppressed, the human puppets no longer bowed. When their gazes fell upon him, they hesitated for a moment, as if contemplating something, and remained frozen in place.
Si Jian Ye ignored the human puppets and continued forward on his own.
"What's wrong with that person? Why did he barge in?"
"Yes, that person looks very unfamiliar."
Outside the border, some cultivators noticed the anomaly and exclaimed, "Isn't he afraid of death?"
The cultivators fighting the human puppets within the border also noticed Si Jian Ye's presence.
Pu Yin raised her eyes slightly and looked at the tall, solitary figure. "Perhaps he's a disciple from some academy, venturing out for the first time. He'll retreat soon enough and come out obediently."
The deeper into the border, the more human puppets there were.
No one had ever been able to reach the depths. Even if someone dared to step into the border, they would either die or flee in panic before long.
Si Jian Ye ignored the cultivators and continued to advance on his own.
He could feel something calling him from the depths.
The human puppets saw him and froze in place, not attacking him, as if puzzled by his identity.
In the depths.
Within a spacious ice pool.
A man was quietly soaking in the water. He seemed to sense something and opened his eyes excitedly. His red pupils were strangely filled with excitement. "A Ye, I'm here, come find me quickly!"
Several hours passed quickly.
Pu Yin raised her eyes slightly and watched the interior of the border. "It's been half a day, and the person who entered the border earlier hasn't come out yet. Even the Dean only stayed inside for three hours."
A cultivator closest to Pu Yin said dismissively, "Senior Sister Pu Yin, that person is overestimating himself by daring to enter the human puppet nest. He's probably already dead."
"Senior Sister Pu Yin, you are the pride of our academy. Even you only stayed inside the border for two hours. I don't believe anyone can stay inside for so long."
"Yes, if you ask me, that person has probably become food for the human puppets."
The cultivators echoed in agreement.
Pu Yin withdrew her gaze and changed the subject. "You all work a bit harder for a few more days. In seven days, our academy will have guarded this place for a month, and it will be another academy's turn to guard. We can go back."
"Senior Sister Pu Yin."
A female cultivator looked at her with admiration. "It's thanks to you that we've been able to proceed so smoothly. Otherwise, we probably wouldn't have been able to last this long."
Pu Yin smiled and looked at the cultivators before her. "The academy belongs to everyone, and it still depends on everyone's efforts."
Seven days passed quickly.
Pu Yin, along with her disciples, handed over their duties to other disciples.
"Look, there's a man coming out of the border!"
A sharp-eyed cultivator in the crowd seemed to notice something and exclaimed.
The other cultivators raised their eyes and looked in that direction.
A tall, solitary figure stepped out of the barrier.
The man's handsome face was like an iceberg, and his thin, cold eyes were arrogant and untamed.
"That man... isn't that the man who entered the border seven days ago? He's still alive?"
"So he stayed in the border for a full seven days?"
The cultivators erupted in excitement, like an overturned pot, chattering incessantly.
A man not far from Pu Yin raised his eyes slightly and stepped to her side. "Someone can stay in the border for seven days?"
The border was filled with human puppets.
The deeper one went, the more human puppets there were.
No one in the Dragon Realm had ever been able to stay in the border for even a day, let alone seven.
Pu Yin looked at the man beside her and nodded affirmatively. "Si Yi, it's true that someone entered the border seven days ago. I thought that person was dead, but I didn't expect them to still be alive."
Si Yi furrowed his brows slightly, a hint of surprise on his face. "Who is he?"
To be able to stay among a horde of human puppets for seven days and walk out unharmed, this person was definitely not ordinary.
Pu Yin shook her head gently. "I don't know either."
Si Jian Ye stepped away from the border, his thin, cold eyes slowly scanning his surroundings. His flawless face was exquisitely perfect.
This face was bound to cause a stir wherever it appeared.
"This person is really good-looking, but how come I've never seen such a figure in the Dragon Realm?"
"Someone so good-looking could never be unknown, especially since he stayed in the border for seven days!"
The cultivators discussed animatedly.
Si Yi pondered for a moment and stepped forward, approaching Si Jian Ye respectfully. "Brother, I heard you stayed in the border for seven days."
Si Jian Ye looked up at the man before him, his thin, cold eyes devoid of any emotion. "Time flies so fast. It's already been seven days."
This statement indirectly confirmed that he had indeed stayed in the border for seven days.
Pu Yin quickly came forward, her female voice tinged with urgency. "Human puppets are a menace. Did you see anything in the border? Do you know where the human puppets actually come from?"
"Indeed. If we could enter the human puppet nest and investigate, perhaps we could capture them all."
A thoughtful expression appeared on Si Yi's handsome face.