"Sister, why are you laughing?" asked the curious Yao Ziyue, glancing sideways.
"Huh?" Yao Ziyan blinked, only now realizing she had been smiling a bit too brightly.
She gave a soft cough, quickly adjusting her expression.
"The boss said he was leaving first," she explained calmly.
"Oh." Yao Ziyue nodded in understanding.
"Wait, the boss already left?" The high priest was clearly surprised. "What about the ancient ruins?"
The rest of the monster beast royal clan immediately perked up, ears twitching as they leaned in to listen.
"He didn't say anything specific," Yao Ziyan said with a shrug. "But with his strength, I'd say it's already been handled."
A ripple of shock spread through the group.
Handled? Just like that?
What realm was Luo Chuan in, exactly?
Could he have surpassed even a Celestial Ascendant?
The high priest frowned at the thought, then quickly shook his head. No… impossible.
On the Azure Continent, even reaching Eminence was a legendary feat. As for Celestial Ascendants, they could be counted on one hand.
And beyond that? That was the stuff of myths and wild tales—nothing more than scripted fantasy.
"But now that I think about it…" Hu Kuang suddenly spoke up, blunt as ever. "We've spent all this time preparing for the ruins. Was it all for nothing?"
The others glanced at each other, uncertain.
It was true. The ancient legacy had promised that these ruins would be the path to glory for the monster beast royal family.
And yet… now it seemed like the whole matter had passed them by.
Yao Ziyan chuckled lightly. "It wasn't for nothing."
The high priest paused, then his expression slowly brightened as realization struck.
"Ah… right. You're absolutely right."
Meeting Luo Chuan—and even more importantly, forging a bond through Yao Ziyan—had put the monster royal clan ahead of every other faction in terms of connection to the mysterious and powerful Origin Mall.
"Sister, are you heading back to Origin Mall now?" Yao Ziyue asked eagerly.
Yao Ziyan reached over and gave her sister a light pat on the head, smiling. "Of course. Don't forget, I'm still a clerk there!"
"Then can I come too?" Yao Ziyue asked excitedly, eyes sparkling.
After a moment of thought, Yao Ziyan nodded. "Sure. The boss won't mind something like that."
The rest of the monster beast royal family exchanged looks, clearly wanting to speak but hesitating.
"What's on your minds?" the high priest asked, raising a brow.
Hu Kuang cleared his throat and stepped forward. "High Priest, the boss said he wants to take me as a mount… So I think I need to go to Origin Mall too."
That... actually made perfect sense.
The high priest gave a slow nod of approval. "Alright."
"I'm going too!" the Demon Ape, Mo Yuan, piped up quickly, unwilling to be left behind.
"What reason do you have?" the high priest asked, puzzled.
"I… I want to see if the Tower of Trials in Origin Mall is really as incredible as the boss described!" Mo Yuan replied after a moment of scrambling.
The high priest turned his gaze to the rest of the group.
"You all have the same idea?"
They nodded—all of them.
The high priest let out a deep sigh… then laughed heartily. "Fine. Let's all go. I admit, this old man is curious too. I'd like to see just how miraculous this Origin Mall really is."
A wave of joyous cheers swept through the monster royal clan.
Origin Mall.
Silence hung in the air, serene and undisturbed.
Then—
A surge of radiant light burst forth in the center of the store, accompanied by a powerful gust of wind.
Luo Chuan's figure materialized amidst the swirling brilliance.
He glanced around the familiar shop, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile.
"Finally… I'm back."
For a moment, he stood still, a distant look in his eyes.
The whole journey through the mission involving Nine Stars had felt surreal—like drifting through a waking dream.
But deep down, he knew the truth.
It had all been real.
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