Garp burst into laughter, completely unconcerned that everyone knew what they had done. To him, forcibly bringing back the woman who had broken up with the King was simply hilarious.
"Hmph. Kidnapping a woman against her will and dragging her back to your country is a disgrace for any man, yet you're all standing here laughing," Boa Hancock's scornful voice rang out, causing the group of old men to chuckle awkwardly.
"She's that brat's woman. Even if he doesn't want to admit it, we can't just leave her wandering around outside," Madara replied coldly, his sharp hearing catching the conversation.
Boa Hancock turned to look at him. "You can be so overbearing with everyone else, but when it comes to me, you keep avoiding me again and again."
Madara merely looked at her calmly before turning his head away, refusing to acknowledge a woman he considered completely unreasonable.
The people nearby exchanged strange looks, struggling to hold back their laughter.
At that moment, Gandalf smiled and lightly tapped his staff against the ground. "Since the three of you have returned, it's time for us to set off for the Shinigami World. As for those who haven't entered the Underworld Realm for Hollowfication yet, hurry up. It's your turn now."
The crowd gathered before the Divine Nation's Tower quickly dispersed. Some flew into the sky on flying swords, others boarded aircraft, while many used their own unique methods of travel.
---
Inside the Imperial Palace...
A woman stood quietly in the grand palace hall, calmly taking in its magnificent scale and majestic atmosphere. She wore a flowing, immortal-style robe with wide sleeves. Her long hair was simply fastened with a jade hairpin, and her delicate bare feet rested lightly on the polished floor.
She was An Yi.
"So you're An Yi? The woman who was with Qin Yi in the Sword and Fairy World?" A gentle voice suddenly came from behind her.
An Yi wasn't surprised. With her cultivation, she could easily sense anyone approaching her. Besides, the woman who had arrived was far weaker than she was.
"So... you're one of his consorts," An Yi replied calmly. Her expression remained serene, like an immortal who had already transcended the mortal world and cast aside all worldly desires, indifferent to everything around her.
"My name is Inori. Welcome." Smiling warmly, Inori walked over. After curiously studying An Yi for a few moments, she extended her right hand.
A trace of surprise flashed across An Yi's eyes before she smiled faintly and gently shook Inori's soft hand.
"Don't worry. I'm not here to compete with you," An Yi said, her voice calm, as though nothing in the world could stir her emotions anymore. "When I was with him, I didn't know who he really was. And after we separated... I stopped caring."
Inori couldn't help finding the woman strange. It was as if she had abandoned all emotion, devoting herself entirely to a single pursuit while losing interest in everything else.
"I don't mind if Sister An Yi competes with me. I just want to know one thing." Inori's warm smile naturally put people at ease. Her voice was soft and pleasant, as clear as a songbird's.
Yet An Yi seemed completely unaffected. She merely glanced at Inori and answered, "I loved him."
Those two simple words caught Inori completely off guard.
Then An Yi asked another question. "Tell me... how can I return?"
Confusion filled Inori's eyes. "Why do you want to leave?"
"Love... feelings... those are merely things mortals cling to. Your cultivation isn't high enough to understand what I've come to realize. There's no point explaining it." She paused, then bit her lower lip, and for the first time, a trace of sadness appeared in her eyes. "And... even if two people love each other, does that mean they'll truly end up together? If you don't possess the strength to protect what's precious to you... what can you possibly rely on to keep it? And something as fleeting as love... or promises... what can truly guarantee them?"
Her words left Inori silent. From those few simple sentences, she realized that the past shared between the woman before her and the carefree man who always laughed like a child had been anything but ordinary.
After a long silence, Inori suddenly smiled. "Would you like a drink?"
An Yi was momentarily stunned. She gave Inori a strange look before finally nodding after a long pause. "All right."
"I can't let you return. Whether you can go back or not depends on his decision," Inori said, leading the way. "Since you're already here, you might as well stay for a while. Don't immortals always say that living in the mortal world is part of cultivation?"
An Yi followed behind her. Hearing that, she asked, "You know about immortal cultivation too?"
"Actually, our world has many different cultivation systems. Immortal cultivation is just one of them," Inori replied with a smile.
An Yi shuddered. For the first time, genuine curiosity arose within her.
Ever since that cold, emotionless man had brought her into this world, she had witnessed one unbelievable sight after another. It was a vast, magnificent world that held an irresistible attraction. And that man... was its one and only king.
Deep down, she didn't want to face this world. Yet at the same time, she couldn't suppress her curiosity about it. The conflicting emotions disturbed the peace of mind she had only just managed to regain.
---
A while later, the two arrived at the Imperial Consorts' Palace. They sat facing each other and quietly drank together. Neither of them spoke.
The atmosphere was strange... yet somehow, it also felt natural.
Only after more than a dozen empty wine bottles had piled up on the table did An Yi finally break the silence, her voice trembling. "...Is he doing well?"
Hearing the question, Inori smiled faintly. She gently set the half-empty bottle in her hand onto the table. "He's doing well. He's a king. If he isn't doing well... then this world won't be either. So he has to be."
An Yi's right hand trembled as she slowly picked up another bottle and drank it dry in one go. "He must have had it hard..."
Inori fell silent.
From that day on, the Imperial Consorts' Palace gained another resident, a woman whose position was difficult to define. Even so, everyone throughout Qin's Nation treated her with the utmost respect.
---
At the same time...
Inside the Nie Kingdom.
This world was completely different from Qin's Nation. On a planet roughly the size of Earth stood countless buildings with architecture resembling that of Europe. Towering mountain ranges stretched endlessly across the land, their peaks piercing the clouds.
High above the planet, at thirty-six different locations, enormous vortices slowly rotated in the sky. Each one shimmered with fluctuating light and was wrapped in a hazy aura, as though it connected to another heaven.
On the ground, powerful humans with muscular physiques and all kinds of hair colors patrolled constantly. A quick glance was enough to reveal one thing: there were no civilians in this world. Every single person was a warrior.
Hidden within the mountains were ferocious beasts, dragons, and countless powerful creatures. Their existence constantly forced humanity to cultivate and grow stronger if they wished to survive.
At the center of the planet, within a vast basin surrounded by mountains on all sides, stood a colossal gate that reached into the heavens. Dark light flickered across its surface.
It was the Realm Gate of the Nie Kingdom. An endless stream of soldiers was currently lining up, marching toward it.
Then, all of a sudden... the thirty-six vortices suspended across the sky began to tremble.
Something... was about to emerge.
(End of Chapter)
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