"May you also be like my name..."
The wind howled, quickly blowing away Mo Changli's figure, vanishing into the distant clouds and sky.
Though the words were a bit abrupt, Ming Qi understood perfectly. May you also be like my name, Mo Changli. Her name was Mo Changli. May you also be like my name. May you always be Mo Changli!
Looking at the golden bridge gradually fading into the sky, Ming Qi shook off his faint thoughts. This mysterious girl from the Celestial Clan had left a deep impression in his heart, one he could never forget. Perhaps, without realizing it, he had already fulfilled Mo Changli's words: May you also be like my name...
After watching Mo Changli depart, Ming Qi sat cross-legged on the mountaintop and began to carefully contemplate the Golden Bridge of the Heavens that had just imprinted itself in his mind.
He let the cold winter wind blow, oblivious to the impact.
Time ticked by, the cold winter sun quickly fading away behind the mountain.
As the sky dotted with stars, Ming Qi's statue-like form suddenly moved.
He stood abruptly, then extended his index finger and gently swiped the air before him!
A streak of gold rapidly rose from his fingertips, and a golden bridge spread out, stretching into the distant, dark night sky.
He could barely wield the Golden Bridge of the Heavens. While he couldn't wield it with the same ease as Mo Changli, with it, his journey home would undoubtedly be infinitely faster!
The cold night wind howled from all directions. After resting and recuperating on the snowy mountaintop, Ming Qi immediately activated the Golden Bridge of the Heavens and flew towards the distant Yanzhuang.
The vast night sky, dotted with stars, felt like Ming Qi was walking among the stars, a dreamlike feeling that filled him with a deep sense of wonder.
However, Ming Qi's mind was swirling with an inexplicable question. The Celestial Clan possessed divine blood within them, allowing them to unleash the divinely endowed power, the Golden Bridge of the Heavens. But what about him?
He was clearly not a Celestial Clan member, yet after Mo Changli had passed the Golden Bridge of the Heavens to him through such a strange method, he had actually been able to comprehend and understand it. Furthermore, Ming Qi believed that Mo Changli must have known the secret but simply kept it to himself. Perhaps there was another crucial factor at play.
Could it be the passionate kiss Mo Changli had given him after he had made up his mind?
Recalling Mo Changli's sudden passion earlier, Ming Qi's mind was once again stirred by a wave of emotion.
Every action of Mo Changli's seemed to have a special reason. From their appearance in Fengxian City to their separation atop the snowy mountain, although Ming Qi couldn't discern much romantic affection, he had a vague feeling that his inference was correct.
As a Celestial Clan girl, what kind of responsibilities did Mo Changli bear?
Ming Qi's thoughts were fragmented, jumping from Mo Changli's somewhat unnatural behavior to the question of the responsibilities of Celestial Clan girls she'd mentioned before leaving.
What exactly is the responsibility of Celestial Clan members?
Is this responsibility solely for Celestial Clan girls? What about the men of the Celestial Clan? What are they doing?
Ming Qi was baffled. As he repeatedly activated the Golden Bridge of the Heavens, his mind was almost completely filled with the image of Mo Changli, the mysterious Celestial Clan girl.
The night passed in a flash, and as the morning light began to shine, Ming Qi finally landed, exhausted, and found a quiet place to rest.
After a long night of traveling, even with the replenishing elixirs and Yuan Crystals, Ming Qi's Yuan Energy hadn't been replenished. His Yuan Energy was now completely depleted, and his entire body felt hollowed out.
By the time they left Fengxian City, only three days remained until the New Year.
After a fierce battle outside Fengxian City, the two men fled, contemplating the Golden Bridge of the Heavens atop a snowy mountain. With only two days left until the New Year, Ming Qi hadn't yet completely left the Bailing Tan Mansion's territory.
After a brief rest and adjustment, Ming Qi once again activated the Golden Bridge of the Heavens, expediting his journey.
The technique for activating the Golden Bridge of the Heavens was extremely strange and complex, rendering it only a means of transportation and ineffective in combat. Its only real use on the battlefield was likely during the initial attack.
Ming Qi had no time to ponder these matters; he simply unleashed his energy without reservation, accelerating his return.
At sunset, Ming Qi finally left the Tan Mansion and entered the Jinchuan Bai Mansion's sphere of influence.
Entering the Jinchuan Bai Mansion's territory, Ming Qi didn't immediately find his way and expedited his journey, instead seeking a city he passed by and entering.
He wanted to see how far the Jinchuan Bai Mansion had gone in their recent hunt for him, and then inquire about any recent activity from the Biyou Sect.
Otherwise, if he rashly appeared on the Jinchuan land and encountered a master cultivator from the Bai Mansion, his arduous journey home would be completely ruined.
Entering the city called Xuanshi, Ming Qi had already changed his disguise and donned his Great Destruction Battle Suit underneath, completely masking his presence. This way, if the Great Destruction Battle Suit couldn't be recognized, Ming Qi would appear to be an ordinary person with no experience in cultivation.
His purpose in entering the city was purely to gather information, and Ming Qi's every move was extremely low-key. Arriving at a restaurant in the downtown area, Ming Qi chose a discreet spot in the first-floor lobby, ordered some food, and while he drank, he closely monitored the conversations of those around him.
After listening for a while, Ming Qi felt somewhat relieved. While many ordinary mortals had undoubtedly been preoccupied with New Year celebrations, the cultivators, moreover, were focused on the grand event to be held at the Bai Mansion in Jinchuan at the beginning of the new year.
As for the cultivators who paid attention to the Bai Mansion's lavish wanted poster, very few seemed to be interested. This suggested that Ming Qi's journey home would be quite peaceful.
Meanwhile, Ming Qi had also heard some news about the Biyou Sect. Three or four months had passed, and the sect had remained very low-key, its policy of sealing off its gates and refusing visitors remained unchanged. Consequently, no one had access to any internal information about the sect.
After dinner, Ming Qi wandered around the city square again. The massive wanted poster was still prominently displayed, but few noticed it.
Ming Qi only stayed in the square for a moment before purchasing some New Year's supplies from a shop in the city and leaving the city. Arriving outside the city, Ming Qi wasted no time before casting the Golden Bridge of All Heavens.
After a day and a night of repetitive practice, his familiarity with the Golden Bridge had clearly increased significantly. While the tedious and slow casting still remained, the bridge's speed and stability had noticeably improved.
Soaring through the skies, riding the wind, Ming Qi truly felt the exhilarating feeling of an immortal cultivator roaming the mountains and rivers of the land.
Looking down, the vast mountains and earth resembled winding snakes, while the rivers and cities seemed tiny and pitiful. This commanding view of the world gave Ming Qi a sense of déjà vu.
In his previous life, he had reigned supreme in the dark world, where any prey he targeted had no chance of survival. The feeling of being above all others once drove him mad.
Now, he had entered the boundless world of immortal cultivation, from his initial painstaking training to solidify his foundation to his current state of ascending to the innate realm, soaring through the skies.
The experiences of the two lives seemed somewhat similar, but Ming Qi knew full well that there were fundamental differences between them.
In his previous life, he had reached the pinnacle of the Dark Realm, virtually uncontrollable. He could confidently believe that even a supreme artifact like the Law of Time would have to pay a heavy price to restrain him.
But this life was completely different. The world of immortal cultivation had no laws; its iron rule was the survival of the fittest, and the strongest prevailed. Furthermore, although he had reached the Xiantian realm, he was still countless levels away from the legendary peak. The more his strength grew, the more he discovered that the peak of the immortal world became increasingly terrifying, reaching depths beyond comprehension.
In the eyes of mortals, he was already a lofty immortal, commanding the wind and rain with unfettered ease. But in the face of even greater powers, he was still no more than an ant!
Ming Qi was well aware of this, so even among mortals, he maintained a low profile. He even bargained with the shopkeeper earlier when buying New Year's goods in Xuanshi City.
Night had already fallen, and Ming Qi was still using the Golden Bridge of the Heavens to fly towards Yanzhuang.
The Jinchuan Bai Mansion's sphere of influence was significantly larger than the Tan Mansion's. Ming Qi roughly calculated that at his current speed, he would have to travel at full speed without any rest to reach Yanzhuang before the New Year.
So, during this short journey, Ming Qi generously consumed various energy-restoring elixirs and consumed large quantities of Yuan Crystals.
At nightfall the next day, Ming Qi floated in the sky, his eyes flickering with an inexplicable expression.
Below him lay a city.
Glancing at the city below, Ming Qi, without hesitation, activated his Yuan Energy and descended.
Xiandu City. On the eve of the Lunar New Year, Ming Qi finally arrived at Xiandu City, the closest city to his hometown, Yanzhuang.
Xiandu City remained much as it had always been, with not much having changed. Ming Qi briefly concealed his presence before entering.
From the streets to the square, Ming Qi made a circuit of Xiandu City. Seeing no one was paying attention to the Bai Mansion wanted order, he quickly departed.
Yanzhuang was now not far away. Ming Qi did not use the Golden Bridge of the Heavens, but instead relied on the swift movement of an innate cultivator to rush back.
Familiar mountains, rivers, and streams flashed by, stirring Ming Qi's heart.
A year had passed. Was everything still going well in Yanzhuang?