339: All parties gathered

Half a year later.

A massive rift suddenly tore open in the sky above the East Coast of the continent, pouring out a vast and ethereal Qi.

The Qi was white, as if from the Nine Heavens above.

The living beings of this world, whether Human Race or Yao Race, seemed to have an instinctive longing for it.

For a time, almost all forces rushed towards the East Coast.

Northern Giant Domain.

Rumble~

A group of long-dormant “mountains” began to move slowly, emitting rumbling sounds, and the mountain bodies on them began to collapse, with trees breaking.

It was as if something was about to break out of the mountains.

Slowly, this group of “mountains” actually stood up!

If viewed from a distance, these mountains were actually ancient giants awakening from slumber; the shortest among them could reach nearly a hundred meters, while the tallest could astonishingly be a thousand meters!

At this moment, their eyes were fixed on the east, as if something there was attracting them, and then they moved their legs, which spanned hundreds of meters, rushing towards that direction.

They were like a group of humanoid bulldozers; wherever they went, they would crush everything that stood in their way.

Western Regions, Hundred Kingdoms Alliance.

On a high platform, a man wearing a veil was solemnly giving instructions to the two men and one woman in front of him.

Below them were the prominent national leaders of the Hundred Kingdoms Alliance, all with excited expressions as they bid farewell to these two men and one woman.

“Wu Yan, Chang Luo, Le Mian, you three are the most outstanding Prodigies our Hundred Kingdoms Alliance has seen in these years, reaching the Peak of the First Realm at such a young age. You are all excellent!”

The man looked at the two men and one woman in front of him with admiration.

Among the two men:

One was short, with fiery red hair and a rebellious smile on his face, looking like a very spirited young man.

Wu Yan, from the Flame Kingdom, specialized in manipulating flame techniques.

It is said that when he was weak, he began to Cultivate in volcanic magma, and now that he is strong, he has claimed the largest volcano in the Flame Kingdom for himself, sleeping in it every day, even requiring the King of Flame to serve him with good food and drink.

Compared to him, the other man was much more composed.

He had a cold face, blue hair, a tall and slender physique, and was unsmiling, like a large block of ice.

Chang Luo, from the Ice Kingdom, contrary to Wu Yan, specialized in manipulating ice techniques.

Ice and fire do not mix, and their respective countries are neighbors, often leading to conflicts.

The two had also fought several times, with no clear winner.

Lastly, there was a young woman with a radiant smile.

The clothing in the Western Regions was more revealing than in Great Zhou; the young woman before them wore a yellow dress, with a graceful figure, bare feet, revealing her navel and slender white waist, showcasing her fiery figure to the fullest.

The crowd below drooled at the sight.

The young woman’s name was Le Mian, from the Daughter Kingdom.

It is said that the entire country is populated by women, and each one is beautiful, but unfortunately, they can conceive and bear offspring without the need for men.

This made many people secretly curse the heavens for being unfair.

“Wu Yan!”

“Chang Luo!”

“Le Mian!”

The crowd below cheered excitedly, because these three represented the future of their Hundred Kingdoms Alliance.

“Cough, cough!” The man on the high platform coughed, signaling for everyone to quiet down.

He looked at the three in front of him and said with a serious expression, “Although you are the most outstanding Prodigies our Hundred Kingdoms Alliance has seen in these years, you must never be careless.

Our small countries are not as powerful as Great Zhou, the Yao Race, or the Northern Giants; we can only band together for warmth, and those places produce an endless stream of Prodigies.”

“Therefore, I find it necessary to impart to you some of my experiences from when I ventured into Secluded Heaven.”

The three immediately became serious, listening attentively.

The man before them was known as Grand Master Shen Zhong, one of only two in the Hundred Kingdoms Alliance to reach the Second Realm, and also the pillar of the Hundred Kingdoms Alliance.

It is said that back then, he was the only member of the Hundred Kingdoms Alliance from that cohort who returned alive from Secluded Heaven, and he also achieved a Breakthrough to the Second Realm.

His experience would be the key to whether they could achieve a Breakthrough to the Second Realm.

“Please tell us, Grand Master Shen Zhong, is it about us needing to cooperate, set aside our prejudices, and jointly resist other forces? Or are there dangerous forbidden zones we must not enter?”

The spirited young man, Wu Yan, asked.

The other two also cast similar gazes.

“No.” Grand Master Shen Zhong shook his head, “These are not the most important things.”

The three were surprised; what else could be more important?

“Do you know how I survived back then and achieved a Breakthrough to the Second Realm?” He said profoundly, with his hands behind his back.

“Exceptional courage?”

“Peerless wisdom?”

“Dumb luck?”

“Wrong!” Grand Master Shen Zhong turned around and said seriously, word by word, “It was by clinging to a powerful patron!”

“Clinging to a powerful patron?”

The corners of the three’s mouths twitched, and they looked disdainful; they were, after all, proud Prodigies, how could they become subordinates to others?

“Hmph! You completely underestimate the gap between us and the other major forces.” Grand Master Shen Zhong snorted coldly:

“If I hadn’t had keen foresight back then and met Moye Chen of Great Zhou, serving him tea and water all the way, and receiving his protection, how could I have survived to the end?”

His eyes showed a proud expression, “Speaking of that Moye Chen, he truly was a ruthless individual. It is said that later he even led an army to battle against the Yao Race, slaying eight Yao Kings along the way, and even fighting the Yao Emperor to a standstill.”

“Who is the Yao Emperor? He alone could easily raze our Hundred Kingdoms Alliance to the ground! If it weren’t for Great Zhou blocking them, we would have been gnawed clean to the bone by the Yao Race long ago!”

Grand Master Shen Zhong said to the three, disappointed that they were not living up to their potential.

The three were not completely ignorant; they naturally knew the power of the Yao Emperor, and a hint of solemnity appeared in their eyes.

Grand Master Shen Zhong continued to offer advice to the three, “Our Hundred Kingdoms Alliance only has three spots this time; you must cherish them. Whether you achieve a Breakthrough or not is not important; returning alive is the most important.”

“Also, Great Zhou is of the same Human Race as us; you can try to cling to their powerful patrons.”

He looked at the three in turn.

“Wu Yan, don’t be so impulsive when you speak; be more amiable.”

“Chang Luo, don’t be like a silent gourd; people who don’t know how to socialize won’t get anywhere.”

“Le Mian, leverage your beauty and figure; wear even less! If you can entice a man into bed, who knows how much easier things will be later!”

“…” The three remained silent.

They felt as if Grand Master Shen Zhong’s image in their hearts had suddenly collapsed.

“I’ve said my piece. Remember to have sharp foresight, find a suitable powerful patron, and quickly cling to them, don’t let others get there first.” Grand Master Shen Zhong said earnestly.

Then, with a wave of his hand, a cloud carried the three, flying towards the East Coast.

“Go forth, and remember to return alive!”

Below, Grand Master Shen Zhong’s farewell voice could be heard.

…

Great Zhou.

A massive flying boat was parked outside the capital city gate.

“Revered Master, we’re leaving.” Su Xiaobai waved to Bing Ling.

Bing Ling smiled and nodded, then turned to Dongfang Qian Yue beside her and said, “Well, Qian Yue, we’ll be going first.”

“Mm, Revered Master, please be careful.” She then looked at Su Xiaobai, “You too.”

Su Xiaobai’s heart warmed, and he was almost in tears; his Senior Sister truly cared about him after all.

For the past six months, she had been in seclusion, and every time he went to Tianji Pavilion to find her, he was met with a closed door.

It wasn’t until she learned that he and his Revered Master were going to Secluded Heaven recently that she ended her seclusion to bid them farewell.

Everyone else from Su Manor also came.

“Commander Su, we should go.” The Empress walked over with a smiling face.

Dongfang Qian Yue’s face immediately turned cold.

This woman would also participate in this Secluded Heaven; she wondered if she would take this opportunity to do something to Su Xiaobai?

The Empress smiled and met her gaze, and there seemed to be an exchange of electric currents between them.

Su Xiaobai was truly afraid they would start fighting again, so he quickly pushed Bing Ling towards the flying boat.

“Well, Senior Sister, we’ll be going first. Goodbye, everyone!”

He waved to the crowd.

Soon, the flying boat started, ascending into the sky.

Destination: Secluded Heaven!