Chapter 273

Still, Yang Chen put on an air of deep affection and said: “You’re pregnant—how could I possibly feel at ease letting you go alone? I already owe you and our daughter so much. If something happened to the child because of this, I’d have nowhere to drown my regrets!”

“Brother Chen! You’re so wonderful!” Empress Yan’s beautiful eyes brimmed with emotion and tender affection. Unable to hold back, she threw herself into his arms and offered a passionate kiss.

…

According to the ancient map, the two traveled thousands of miles and arrived at a valley. The valley was long and narrow, stretching about a hundred miles. From above, it appeared abruptly on the earth, as if carved out by a sword.

Yang Chen, hovering above the valley, sensed an extremely powerful sword intent. Even though he had now reached the minor completion stage of the Sword Eight realm in his swordsmanship, within the sword intent of the valley, he still felt a sense of danger.

After a million years had passed, for such sword intent to remain, one could imagine the level of strength of the one who had unleashed it. It likely wasn’t even an ordinary true immortal.

“Such powerful sword intent—no wonder our ancestor stopped here back then! But that ancestor too—leaving behind an ancient map without mentioning that such fierce sword intent lingered here!”

Empress Yan’s delicate brows furrowed tightly.

In her past life, she had clashed with many great swordsmanship experts. But such sharp sword intent was something she had never encountered in her life.

Just standing at the edge of the valley, she felt as if needles pricked her back, as though she were surrounded by ten thousand swords, liable to be reduced to ashes at any moment.

“Could this be … a Sword Domain?” After sensing it for a moment, Empress Yan murmured softly.

Her entry into the Fallen Immortal Secret Realm this time was an extremely special case. The Fallen Immortal Secret Realm only allowed cultivators below two thousand years old at the Void Refining Realm to enter.

Though her age far exceeded two thousand years, a remnant of her soul had been nurtured for a millennium, and she had reshaped her body with a Body Reformation Pill, restarting her cultivation from the Qi Refining Realm—essentially living a second life.

Thus, she was able to enter the Fallen Immortal Secret Realm.

However, while her cultivation was at the Void Refining Realm, she possessed the insight of someone at the peak of the Dao Integration Realm.

“Sword Domain?” Hearing her murmur, Yang Chen couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow slightly.

Empress Yan then explained: “The nine levels of swordsmanship are the path by which sword cultivators progress from weak to strong. The Sword Nine realm is the pinnacle of swordsmanship in the Kunlun Realm over the past million years. Without exception, every sword cultivator who reached this level has been a figure renowned through the ages! But few know that there exists a realm above Sword Nine!

“The Yan Clan, as an ancient clan that has existed since the ancient era, holds records of many ancient secrets. I once read in an ancient text that when the Sword Nine realm reaches its extreme, one can condense a Sword Domain! Within a Sword Domain, it is a world of swords—every direction, every corner, all things in heaven and earth become swords! It bears a striking resemblance to the sword intent covering this valley!”

As she spoke, Empress Yan took out a high-grade spiritual artifact and tossed it into the valley before her. Before the artifact could even land, it was sliced into ashes by countless invisible strands of sword intent.

“Brother Chen, let’s forget it! This sword intent is too strong—it exceeds the limits of what a Void Refining Realm cultivator can handle! If we recklessly charge in, I’m afraid it’d be certain death!” Empress Yan said helplessly, her heart filled with regret.

Standing at the edge of the valley, she could already feel a faint stirring in her bloodline. The one buried in the valley was indeed an ancestor of their Yan Clan. For her, this was an earth-shattering opportunity. But with the valley covered by a Sword Domain, let alone a Void Refining cultivator—even a Dao Integration Realm sword cultivator would struggle to break through.

“Above Sword Nine? Sword Domain?” Yang Chen’s gaze sharpened slightly.

This was the first time he had heard of such things.  His swordsmanship had reached the minor completion stage of Sword Eight, and his perception differed from Empress Yan’s—he could sense the valley’s fierce sword intent even more clearly. This sword intent did indeed surpass the Sword Nine level.

After all, Venerable Pure Yang had reached Sword Nine, yet even his swordsmanship couldn’t compare to the ancient sword intent in this valley. What’s more, the ancient sword intent in the valley had endured for a million years.

However, Yang Chen had no intention of retreating. The ancient sword intent in the valley was, to him, a rare opportunity.

“Yan’er, wait for me a few days. I want to comprehend this sword intent here! Though this sword intent is strong, it has, after all, been a million years. As long as I can comprehend its essence and resonate with it, I’ll be able to pass through! Then you’ll also be able to seek out the inheritance of the Yan Clan’s ancestor!”

“Comprehend its sword intent?!” Empress Yan’s delicate brows furrowed.

She felt Yang Chen was being a bit too fanciful. The sword intent left by a true immortal—how could it be so easily comprehended? Even someone with unparalleled talent might need decades to grasp its essence.

The Fallen Immortal Secret Realm only remained open for about two years each time it activated. If they couldn’t leave in time, they’d be trapped here to live out their days in solitude.

“Brother Chen!” Empress Yan was about to dissuade him, but Yang Chen had already sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and begun his comprehension, his body surrounded by swirling sword intent.

“Sigh!” Empress Yan felt a bit helpless, but she still stood by his side to guard him.

In her heart, she couldn’t help but wonder. If they truly ended up trapped in the Fallen Immortal Secret Realm, perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

Though the Fallen Immortal Secret Realm only opened once every tens of thousands of years, and being trapped meant never returning to the Central Region in this lifetime, it would also mean escaping the endless grudges and entanglements of the Central Continent.

She could stay here with Brother Chen, accompanying each other, together for a lifetime.