The sky above Qiankun Mountain was ablaze with crimson clouds, illuminating the entire Glazed Holy Land like a dreamlike wonderland.
In the evening, Ming Qi left the Glazed Hall and watched Su Yuan, whose gait was somewhat unnatural, as a strange smile played on his lips. This woman had finally been punished.
"This is the price you pay for teasing me."
Ming Qi shook his head, putting the previous events aside. Next, he needed to understand the current situation of the Glazed Holy Land and the entire Xilan Province.
A year had passed in the unique space opened up by the stone tablet, and only a little over a month had passed outside. The Glazed Holy Land remained relatively stable, with no major incidents. The Tianzui Camp's troops had not launched an attack on Qiankun Mountain.
However, the information he learned later was not optimistic. The situation throughout Xilan Province was currently dire. Some forces and sects closer to the time-space portal had suffered devastating disasters, and war had broken out in many places.
However, one thing is certain: the Tianzui Camp troops that emerged from the space-time portal on the Central Land have received no further reinforcements, and their numbers are rapidly dwindling. It's believed they will be completely annihilated soon.
Under these circumstances, Ming Qi wisely chose to remain on Qiankun Mountain, not leaving. This was his foundation, and he didn't want to see a repeat of what happened last time.
Everyone was quietly striving to improve themselves. Although the recent crisis had passed, the shadow it left lingered, and this was true across Qiankun Mountain.
Facing the setting sun, Ming Qi ascended alone to the summit of Qiankun Mountain.
From the moment he reached the summit, he could unerringly take in the scenery for a hundred miles.
When the sky was filled with stars, Ming Qi descended and returned to his residence. Although everything seemed peaceful, he felt a strange uneasiness within him, a feeling that occasionally stirred his deeply buried murderous spirit, stirring it to action.
It was a quiet night, but he couldn't fall asleep, even with his eyes closed.
A chaotic stream of thoughts kept flooding into his mind, intensifying his inexplicable unease.
He sat quietly, his thoughts flowing like water, starting from the beginning of his journey to immortality and continuing onward, bit by bit: in the mountains behind Yanzhuang, his chance encounter with Bai Bing, the Biyou Sect, the Valley of Despair, Meng Ling...
His thoughts were like a flood, unstoppable.
The fleeting joys and sorrows of his past now formed a vast net, enveloping him completely, almost suffocating him. He suddenly realized that all his efforts hadn't yielded the desired results, at least not yet.
He felt a surge of inexplicable uncertainty. Since arriving in this world, he had always felt somewhat oppressive, as if countless mountains were weighing him down, suffocating him. Moreover, he had no idea when this journey would end.
The vast immortal path, the deep void, he felt that even the mightiest beings in the universe were merely ants.
…
The night passed silently. When the dawn light once again shone through Ming Qi's window, he slowly opened his eyes, his face shrouded in fatigue.
That night, his state of mind seemed to have grown considerably darker.
His heart, clouded by dust, had been veiled overnight.
As he left the room, Ming Qi even noticed that everything he saw had changed. All the vibrant colors had vanished, leaving only a monotonous black and white. This was truly not a joyous experience.
Then he discovered that his realm had quietly advanced, from the early stage of the Martial King to the middle stage.
This advancement in realm didn't seem to bring him much joy. The gray and white in his eyes hung over his heart like a lingering dark cloud. Without color in his heart, the entire world would lose its color as well.
For the next two days, Ming Qi remained in his room, neither practicing nor leaving. No matter who came, he refused to see them.
His room seemed completely sealed off.
The people of Qiankun Mountain, especially those close to Ming Qi, noticed something was wrong with him and flocked to him, but no one entered his room without Ming Qi's permission.
Seven days passed like this. After seven days, Ming Qi's door opened, and a thin figure appeared at the entrance.
Guarding the door was the Dikui Fox Demon. Seeing Ming Qi, who looked noticeably more haggard, she was startled. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words faltered.
Ming Qi naturally didn't intend to explain. He had the Dikui Fox Demon summon Lao Wu, explained a few things, and then left Qiankun Mountain alone.
Carrying the flaming Fire Emperor Sword and donning the Great Destruction Battle Suit, he descended Qiankun Mountain alone, his sword in hand, and walked across the war-torn Central Land. Although he had already begun walking, even he himself didn't know the reason for his departure, or perhaps it was completely aimless.
He was indeed aimless. The Central Land was vast and boundless, and judging by his current state, he might be walking for a very long time.
…
On Qiankun Mountain.
The Dikui Fox Demon looked at Lao Wu, who was looking up at the sky, and finally couldn't help but speak.
"What's wrong with him?"
Yes, even though she had always been following Ming Qi, she couldn't tell what was wrong with Ming Qi. He was clearly very abnormal, but she didn't know the source.
Lao Wu didn't answer directly. After a long pause, he said, "Perhaps, you will face such a day in the future. But don't worry, he may return soon, and a new and powerful being!"
"I don't want a maybe!"
The Dikui Fox Demon didn't want to hear such an uncertain answer. She was simply worried about why Ming Qi had suddenly fallen into such a state.
"Okay, whether you like it or not, this is the situation. We don't need to discuss it anymore. Don't you think you, or I, should do something while he's away?"
Old Five waved his greatsword, pointing at the dome of the Glazed Palace.
Two days later, Ming Qi left the Nine Netherworld.
On the sixth day, within Xilan Province, he encountered the second group of Tianzui Camp troops. This unit had clearly experienced several battles, with most of its members reduced, many wounded. Only one Martial King remained leading the charge, but hundreds of warriors of innate strength were not to be underestimated.
Seeing this group, Ming Qi drew his Fire Emperor Sword and charged forward without fanfare. A dazzling halo of flames erupted around him, his Flame Battle Body activated.