"What just happened? Why did I suddenly appear outside?"
"I don't know either—but hey, we survived! That's what matters most!"
"Yeah! We were saved! But… who helped us?"
"Could it have been the owner of Origin Mall?"
"I doubt it. I didn't sense the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy."
"Hmm… makes sense…"
The cultivators murmured among themselves, their faces filled with disbelief and awe.
To be dragged from the brink of death so suddenly—how could they not be stunned?
The question lingered in all their minds: who had saved them?
Many suspected Luo Chuan.
But at that critical moment, no one had seen clearly what had happened.
He hadn't made any grand gesture, nor had he unleashed a terrifying display of power.
So, who was the peerless expert that intervened in secret?
Back among the customers of Origin Mall, Ji Wuhui voiced what many were thinking.
"Was it the boss who made the move just now?"
"It must've been," Xia Yuan nodded. "I saw him wave his hand, and then suddenly—we were here."
"With his strength, this wouldn't be difficult at all," Yao Ziyan agreed calmly.
To her, Luo Chuan was always an invincible figure, one that couldn't be measured with common sense.
Suddenly, a soft voice broke the conversation.
"Um… I have a question," Gu Yunxi said hesitantly.
Everyone turned to look at her.
She glanced around, then asked, "Did any of you notice… that the boss isn't here?"
A heavy silence fell over the group.
Only now did they realize something important had gone unnoticed.
Yes. Where was Luo Chuan?
"…Could it be that he stayed behind to deal with the World Tree?" Yao Ziyan finally voiced her thoughts.
"It must be." Old Bai nodded in agreement.
No one questioned it.
Only someone like the boss could handle that monstrous thing.
After waiting for a while longer with no sign of Luo Chuan, Murong Haitang let out a light sigh and smiled.
"Well then… everyone, until we meet again."
"You're heading back?" Old Bai asked.
Xia Yuan smiled, his tone relaxed.
"Of course. We brought these students out to broaden their horizons. Now that they've seen what the world has to offer, it's time to go home and report in."
A collective wave of reluctance swept through the students—Gu Yunxi, Jiang Wanshang, and the others all wore disappointed expressions.
There was no Origin Mall back at the academy.
No Coke.
No spicy strips.
No Tower of Trials.
Just the thought of it made them shudder.
Life without those things?
Impossible!
But reality didn't care about their feelings.
Life often forces people in directions they don't want to go.
"Sister Ziyan… when will we be able to come back to Origin Mall again?" Gu Yunxi asked with a pout.
Yao Ziyan smiled gently, reaching out to pat her head.
"Origin Mall is always open to you," she said warmly.
That simple sentence brought a bit of comfort to the group.
And with that, one by one, they said their goodbyes and left.
Not a single person brought up the abnormalities within the ancient ruins, nor the World Tree's strange existence.
It was as if those topics had become taboo, sealed silently in their hearts.
But everyone knew—
Once they returned, the entire Azure Continent would quake.
The shadow of the Abyss was no mere rumor.
The truth of the ancient ruins, now sealed and inaccessible, would soon echo across the land.
Though some stubborn cultivators still lingered nearby, hoping to seize leftover treasures…
The ancient ruins that had lasted several months had now, finally, come to a close.
But the ripples it created had only just begun.
They surged outward, unstoppable—
Spreading terror and awe through the entire Azure Continent.
And at the center of it all…
Origin Mall.
Its enigmatic owner had become a living mystery.
A figure both feared and revered.
Across the continent, countless forces and powerful cultivators began speculating about his identity.
Many set their sights on Nine Stars City, eager to uncover the truth.
They believed—rightly or wrongly—that if they went there, they would find their answer.
But Luo Chuan, the man at the heart of it all…
Remained blissfully unaware.