Naked Sword Art

Chapter 466: Divine Presence

"Thank you."

Xun Wei nodded. She had learned from Xiao Fang that Yuan Fei had been stuck at a bottleneck for some time now, so she knew there was no better gift to give than this.

Yuan Fei had no classes, no clubs, and no friends outside of the guild. She spent nearly all her time in the guildhouse cultivating or making scents. Xiao Fang had tried to help her over the past few days, but even with his Yang Qi assisting her, her progress had slowed significantly. So when Xun Wei asked what kind of gift she should bring, he told her exactly what Yuan Fei needed.

"Good. Then you should use them soon," Xun Wei said with a gentle smile. "But before that—do you have anything we can use for him? We’re going somewhere important, and he needs to look and smell nice."

"Ah, yes, I do! Please wait here!" Yuan Fei replied, scurrying off.

"I think I figured it out," Su Yun suddenly said.

Xun Wei turned to see Su Yun carefully slipping the blindfold off Xiao Fang’s face.

The moment she did, his incredibly handsome features came into view—but more importantly, they could now feel his presence. It was strong, heavy, and undeniable. In the blink of an eye, Xiao Fang’s aura shifted from that of an ordinary mortal to something nearly divine, distant, and awe-inspiring.

Without realizing it, even their postures began to straighten.

’Turns out it wasn’t an accessory I was missing, but my presence itself,’ Xiao Fang thought.

His presence was palpable. For a moment, it felt as if they were standing before a Supreme Elder—or the Matriarch herself.

Xun Wei’s eyes widened slightly as she stared at him. She had seen him fight, seen him cultivate, seen him make a woman tremble with a touch—yet even she had never felt his presence like this before.

"What... is this feeling?" she muttered under her breath.

Only two months had gone by, but she felt like she was in the presence of a completely different person.

Su Yun didn’t answer, too stunned to speak. Her fingers hovered where the blindfold had just been, uncertain whether he was releasing his overwhelming presence on purpose, or if the blindfold had been the only thing keeping it contained. Regardless, the Xiao Fang in front of her now, wasn’t the same Xiao Fang she recognized a moment ago.

’Just how much stronger did he become during seclusion?’

Jiang Mei, silently watching, stared at him with wide eyes—her expression edged with something close to fear.

In that moment, Xiao Fang didn’t just feel strong; he felt untouchable, like someone she could never hope to defeat. And yet, that made no sense. She was certain no one in her realm could make her feel this way.

There was only one realm above hers before the Heavenly Realm.

’Could it be... has he already reached the Di—’

Her thoughts halted, the rest of the word too blasphemous to even complete.

Xiao Fang turned to them slowly, his right eye calm and unreadable, yet carrying a weight that made it hard to meet his gaze. The air around him shimmered faintly, as if space itself were bending away from him.

He recognized the look they all gave him. It wasn’t just awe. It was reverence.

And it wasn’t only them. Every living thing in the forest surrounding the guildhouse—beasts, birds, even the trees—seemed to pause, subtly turning toward him.

Because what was a Divine Realm cultivator, truly? To walk the path of cultivation is to defy the heavens. To reach the Heavenly Realm is to transcend—not through grace or divine favor, but through one’s own will. And the Divine Realm... was just one step below that. It is the threshold, the great divide that separates mortals from heaven-defying beings.

As Xiao Fang’s grandfather once said:

"It’s not the end of your journey. It’s the true beginning of what it means to be a cultivator."

Xiao Fang was used to suppressing his cultivation, and he’d already done so before Su Yun removed the blindfold. But the idea of suppressing his presence hadn’t even occurred to him—until it was too late.

It was the first time he had removed his blindfold around others since breaking through to the Divine Realm.

The color drained from everyone’s faces. But in the next instant, Xiao Fang’s overwhelming presence vanished—almost entirely.

Almost.

Because at his current strength, trying to hide his presence completely was like trying to fit a dragon into a bottle.

"I figured what might be missing wasn’t an accessory, but my presence," Xiao Fang said to break the silence.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Truthfully, even if Xiao Fang were to dress like a beggar, they still felt he would’ve been okay with that overwhelming presence of his.

"Surprisingly, You don’t look like a delinquent anymore."

"I’m pretty sure I still am," Xiao Fang said, smirking.

A few moments later, Yuan Fei returned, but froze in place once she saw Xiao Fang without a blindfold on.

"Are those all for me?" Xiao Fang asked.

Yuan Fei nodded—her eyes never leaving his.

"I-I wasn’t sure what would suit you, so I brought everything I could think of... oils, powders, herbs for the bath..." Her voice trailed off as she slowly approached, clutching the items to her chest like offerings before an altar.

"Thank you," Xiao Fang said gently, his voice softer now, as if sensing the lingering weight of his presence on her. Although it wasn’t nearly as intense as it had been moments ago, Yuan Fei was so accustomed to feeling nothing from him at all that even this subtle pressure came as a surprise.

His calming tone brought some color back to her face, and she nodded quickly.

"I’ll put them all in a spatial pouch for you," Yuan Fei said.

After gathering everything they needed, they waited for Xiao Hei and Li Xiang to return.

When the two finally stepped into view, they looked like they had just stepped out of a formal Li Family Clan ceremony.

Xiao Hei wore an elegant emerald green robe trimmed with delicate gold, the fabric soft and flowing with every step she took. Though clearly borrowed, it fit her surprisingly well. The sleeves flared gently at the wrists, and the waist was cinched with a golden sash that subtly emphasized her figure without being too revealing. Intricate floral patterns—plum blossoms and curling vines—were embroidered along the hem and collar, giving the robe a refined, almost ceremonial air. Over her heart, the Li Family’s signature emblem was stitched in silver thread: a single white blossom with gold-tipped petals.

"How do I look?" Xiao Hei asked while doing a little twirl.

"Mn, it looks good," Xiao Fang nodded approvingly. "You too, Li Xiang."

The two of them looked at each other and smiled.

"Let’s go."