The sea was calm, the sky still somewhat overcast. In the distance, a few seagulls occasionally flew low over the water. Song Mingyue stood on deck with Ling Xiao, looking at Tiger, who was sitting nervously against the ship’s railing. Song Mingyue chuckled softly and said, "Brother Ling, have you only just left and you’re already missing her? The arms of a beautiful woman are the tomb of a hero! A man like you, Brother Ling, shouldn’t be tied down by a pretty face."

Ling Xiao smiled and said, "Then what ideals do you have, Brother Song?"

"Ideals?" Song Mingyue was slightly taken aback, then said, "To pursue the ultimate peak of the Martial Dao, of course. Everyone says that at the peak of the Martial Dao, one can achieve immortality! We common folk are merely seeking a long life, that’s all."

Ling Xiao asked again, "Then have you ever heard of anyone achieving immortality, Brother Song?"

Song Mingyue thought Ling Xiao was trying to dissuade him. The dashingly handsome man smiled gently and said, "Immortality may be a distant dream, but High-tier Martial Artists can still live for several hundred years, can’t they?"

"Then what is the purpose of living?" Ling Xiao glanced at the boundless sea and said softly, "I’m afraid you’re unwilling to admit it, Brother Song, but the purpose of living is to be able to spend more time with one’s family, lover, and friends."

Song Mingyue shook his head with a wry smile. "You’ve talked me in circles. Perhaps you’re right. But on the path of the Martial Dao, the higher one climbs, the more one desires to go higher... and higher still! As for the family, lovers, and friends you mentioned... perhaps they will eventually be forsaken. When a person reaches that point, I fear they can no longer control their own heart!"

Song Mingyue’s words made Ling Xiao think of two words: mental realm!

With that in mind, Ling Xiao asked, "Brother Song, what was your father’s cultivation level before he tried to break through?"

Song Mingyue said, "He was a Tier One Sword Emperor. While trying to break through to Tier Two Sword Emperor, who knows what happened, but he suddenly suffered a qi deviation. He became completely delirious and nearly hurt someone. If my grandfather hadn’t come out of seclusion in time to subdue him, it might have caused a huge disaster. Sigh... I was too embarrassed to say this before. Please don’t take offense, Brother Ling."

Ling Xiao smiled faintly and said, "Of course not. Your father is very powerful. But... how old is he, to have already reached Tier One Sword Emperor?"

Song Mingyue’s face flushed slightly. Children often feel a bit awkward when discussing their parents’ affairs. He said, "My father should be one hundred and twenty this year. When he tried to break through three years ago, he was one hundred and seventeen!"

Ling Xiao’s expression also grew a little strange. He couldn’t help but ask, "Brother Song, you’re only in your twenties this year, right?"

Song Mingyue gave an awkward laugh. "My father has been obsessed with the Martial Dao his entire life. If my grandfather hadn’t forced him to marry my mother, I probably wouldn’t even exist!"

Ling Xiao had originally thought Song Mingyue was his father’s youngest son, but from the sound of it, he was an only child! ’It seems Song Mingyue’s father is someone obsessed with the Martial Dao to the point of madness,’ he thought. ’While people like that see their strength skyrocket, their mental realm is often much weaker. Without cultivating the mental realm to match their sword techniques and cultivation techniques, suffering a qi deviation is perfectly normal!’

Thinking of this, Ling Xiao said, "In your family, Brother Song, what is the highest cultivation level someone has reached?" He then added, "I’m just asking to better understand your father’s condition. If it’s inconvenient to say, then let’s forget it."

"There’s nothing inconvenient about it." Song Mingyue chuckled. "The Sea Domain Song Family lives on an island, far from the mainland, so we are fundamentally unconcerned with worldly affairs. As long as others don’t bother us, we will never provoke them! The strongest in the Sea Domain Song Family is my great-grandfather. He has currently reached the level of a Sword Venerable and is in seclusion year-round. I’ve only seen him once in my entire life! Next is my grandfather. His current cultivation is at Tier Six Sword Emperor!"

Song Mingyue let out a soft sigh and said, "It may sound like Tier Six Sword Emperor and Tier One Sword Venerable are just one step apart, but in reality, the difference is like that between heaven and earth! My grandfather entered the Tier Six Sword Emperor realm a hundred years ago. Since then, he has frequently gone into seclusion, but he still hasn’t grasped the essence of a Sword Venerable..."

This was the first time Ling Xiao had heard about Sword Venerables. ’If a Sword Venerable were to face a Nascent Soul Stage master, I wonder who would win,’ he thought to himself. ’But if you factor in the Cultivation Realm’s Daoist Skills that can move mountains and fill seas, and world-destroying magic treasures, a Sword Venerable probably wouldn’t be a match for a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator!’

"I heard that Sword Venerables can directly absorb the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth to cultivate. Is there any truth to this?" Ling Xiao asked casually.

Song Mingyue’s pupils contracted. He hesitated for a moment before saying with a wry smile, "It seems Brother Ling knows just as much about the hidden families as I do!"

Ling Xiao shook his head and said, "I only happened to hear it mentioned by someone. I couldn’t be sure if it was true."

Song Mingyue didn’t expose Ling Xiao’s lie. In his view, how could a sect capable of refining such a miraculous Elixir not have a Sword Venerable expert? ’This Ling Xiao is far too cautious. Doesn’t he know that the more he denies it, the more it looks like he’s trying to hide something?’

Song Mingyue smiled and said, "In the family, there are also eight other Martial Artists at the Sword Emperor level from my grandfather’s generation, ranging from Tier One to Tier Five. As for those at the Sword Sect realm, there are quite a few—several dozen at least. Below the Sword Sect realm, there are even more at the Demon Sword Master level. I, your humble brother, am merely a Fourth Rank Demon Sword Master."

’Song Mingyue is quite humble, unlike those who look down on the Mortal World,’ Ling Xiao thought. ’The Sea Domain Song Family is revered as a first-rate family, which must be directly related to these experts. One Sword Venerable, nine Sword Emperors, dozens at the Sword Sect realm, and countless Demon Sword Masters... The family must possess something that allows for rapid improvement of one’s strength.’

The crew piloting the large ship were all old hands who had spent years at sea. They raised the huge sails and rode the wind, advancing at high speed. 「On the night of the third day」 the ship sailed up to a massive island and docked at a pier.

Stars twinkled in the night sky. A bright moon cast its clear light upon the calm surface of the sea, creating a sense of solitary tranquility.

The pier was brightly lit and bustling with activity. They must have received word of Song Mingyue’s return long ago.

It seemed Song Mingyue’s father held a very high and respected position within the family. It made sense. While the family had many masters at the Sword Sect realm, there were only nine experts at the Sword Emperor level in several hundred years. If Song Mingyue’s father could recover, the Sea Domain Song Family would have ten Sword Emperor Level experts!

When Ling Xiao had asked Song Mingyue about the experts of the Sea Domain Song Family, a question had formed in his mind. ’Since they don’t have a technique for Cultivating the Mental Realm, how did their ancestor manage to cultivate to the level of a Sword Venerable?’

In the Cultivation Realm, if someone could advance smoothly all the way to the Nascent Soul Stage without cultivating their mental realm, it would be nothing more than a beautiful legend. They would have likely suffered a qi deviation back at the Golden Core stage.

As a Cultivator’s strength rapidly increases, a Heart Demon will also emerge due to that same power. This is an unavoidable trial that everyone must face!

That was why Ling Xiao, who possessed the Great Freedom Heart Scripture, was so fortunate to be able to increase his strength rapidly without worrying about backlash from a Heart Demon.

’It seems the Song Family’s Sword Venerable ancestor has been in seclusion all these years to cultivate his mental realm. After so many years, shouldn’t he have been able to codify a cultivation technique for the mental realm? That would prevent his descendants from suffering qi deviation due to their strength increasing too quickly. Or... has he not even realized this himself?’ These were all things Ling Xiao had considered.

On the Song Family’s side, the people who came to welcome them were all very polite upon seeing Song Mingyue. There was none of the "friendly to your face, stab you in the back" atmosphere of the Mortal World. Ling Xiao’s current Spiritual Power was quite strong, so he could clearly sense the emotions of some of the people.

In short, he truly sensed an atmosphere of "non-contention" on the Sea Domain Song Family’s territory!

This was exceedingly rare!

Even hidden families needed resources. And where there were resources, there had to be distribution. And with distribution... there was bound to be resentment caused by uneven allocation!

Of course, it was also possible that the atmosphere was simply excellent because their resources were so abundant that anyone could take as they pleased.

When the people of the Sea Domain Song Family saw that Song Mingyue had brought back a handsome youth and a massive man, they didn’t show the slightest hint of disdain. On the contrary, when they saw Tiger, their expressions became cautious and respectful. Although they had learned from Song Mingyue’s letter that the youth was backed by a mysterious and powerful hidden family, the shock of seeing a young man of low cultivation with a Sword Emperor level attendant was still immense.

The island presented a scene of luxury. Trees provided ample shade, and the roads were paved with high-quality granite. Sloped areas had even been specially polished. Crystal Core Street Lamps lined the roads, their light gentle yet bright. Rest pavilions and benches were scattered everywhere. If you looked closely at the flowing streams on the island, you could always see a few beautiful goldfish swimming freely within. The buildings on the island were filled with an exotic charm, beautiful without lacking a natural feel.

Without immense financial resources, it would be impossible to build such a luxurious complex of pavilions.

Song Mingyue smiled and said, "The family has lived here for generations and has accumulated some wealth over the years. I imagine such worldly things might not catch your eye, Brother Ling. If my father can truly recover, we will open the doors to our treasury and let you choose whatever you wish."

Ling Xiao smiled. "You’re too kind, Brother Song!"

’True, I don’t really care for ordinary worldly possessions,’ he thought, ’but a hidden, thousand-year-old family like this must have accumulated some things worth a look, right?’

’Besides, when it comes to things like Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures... I can never have too many!’

The buildings on the island were separated by groves of trees, preserving their individual space. Moreover, the farther inland one went, the greater the distance between the buildings became. It was clear that the status of the residents increased the deeper one went into the island!