Zongfeng and Zonglong returned to the Western Wilds. The Iron-Winged Divine Eagle circled for a long time above the ruins of the Liuli Holy Land on Qiankun Mountain before transforming into a streak of light and descending to the ground. Beyond the light and shadow, a tall, thin, black-haired, black-robed young man emerged from the ruins.
He was a Savage Divine Beast, his name was Changkong.
As the guardian of the ancient Western Wilds tribe, Changkong firmly adhered to his mission. Zongfeng was the future Lord of the Western Wilds, and since this was Zongfeng's will, Changkong naturally had no intention of disobeying.
However, he was also curious about what kind of person could deserve such courtesy from the illustrious Lord of the Western Wilds.
The night was deep, and Changkong sat alone on a huge rock amid the ruins, quietly sitting there.
Zongfeng told him to wait here until that person returned, or until he summoned him back.
Time had long become insignificant to Changkong. His long life had made him indifferent to its passage. Whether it took ten or a hundred years, he could wait. As long as Zongfeng didn't call him, he wouldn't return.
Late into the night, something began to linger restlessly among the ruins. Its irritable, low roar startled Changkong.
Changkong stood up, his eagle eyes scanning the surroundings. The endless darkness held no meaning for him. Dark corners were invisible to the divine eagle's gaze, and he quickly spotted the source of the roar.
It was a lone wolf with scarlet eyes. Its massive body looked ferocious and terrifying, its blood-red eyes fixed intently on Changkong, who stood in the center of the ruins.
Changkong took one look and lost interest. The wolf was too weak, not even reaching the Heavenly Spirit Realm. What good was such a weak wolf doing here?
Just as Changkong was about to sit down again, he was surprised to see the lone wolf let out a shrill howl and charge towards him!
"Interesting."
Changkong muttered a few words calmly, his figure shifting slightly. The next moment, he appeared above the lone wolf. He grasped the air with his hands, his ten fingers instantly transforming into ten three-foot-long black blades.
Changkong slashed downward, sending a crisscross of sharp winds sweeping through the surroundings.
Changkong's hands slashed down with the flick of a dragonfly across the water, and then his entire figure vanished like a lone goose. His attack was understated, yet its power was immense. The lone wolf was vastly inferior in both speed and strength, leaving him with no chance of evasion. Several horrific wounds immediately appeared on his back.
Knowing he was no match for this powerful being, the lone wolf suddenly leaped back a few steps, his voice uttering, "My master will not let you go!"
"Master?"
Changkong was surprised to hear this address. This place had been abandoned for so long, and he had no idea there was still a lone wolf loyal to its original owner.
"I'm waiting for him, too."
Changkong didn't beat around the bush on this question, stating directly the reason for his presence.
After hearing Changkong's explanation, the lone wolf remained silent, lying on the ground, quietly licking its wounds.
This lone wolf was Dahei.
Dahei's talents were limited, and he had experienced many setbacks. Although ten years had passed, his strength hadn't improved much. He wasn't on Qiankun Mountain during the Liuli Holy Land's catastrophe, and knew little about the events of that day. All he could do was remain on Qiankun Mountain, awaiting Mingqi's return.
After a long moment, Dahei suddenly spoke, "I don't believe my master will die."
"He's a friend of the Lord of the Western Wasteland."
Changkong simply said this, but he didn't elaborate on what the consequences of being the Lord of the Western Wasteland's friend should be.
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, a month had passed. Changkong and Dahei remained on Qiankun Mountain, with no intention of leaving. They each had their own obsessions, a fact both were well aware of.
…
For a month, a whole month, Ming Qi was immersed in the boundless energy onslaught. His body was like a lone leaf swaying in the wind, poised to collapse at any moment. The long-suppressed energy flowed out continuously like a volcano erupting, connecting to the boundless power of the underground abyss.
He had already pushed his full potential to the limit. He only knew that his strength was rapidly increasing. As for the ultimate realm he would reach, even he himself had no idea.
On the first day, he had fully recovered to the mid-stage Martial King strength he had before entering the star field. Then, on the third day, he successfully broke through the Martial King realm, condensing Martial Saint True Essence and his third Martial Soul, entering the Martial Saint realm.
The Martial Saint realm is a realm where the body, spirit, and soul are fused into one. Attaining the Martial Saint realm achieves true immortality. As long as the spirit and soul remain immortal, he can rely on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to transform Martial Saint True Essence into a new body.
Ming Qi was fully aware of his realm advancement. Having reached the Martial Saint realm, he knew the energy surge was far from over and would intensify.
Though time had become incredibly real upon arriving in the Tianhuang Great World, Ming Qi remained oblivious to its passage. He simply mobilized every available function and vitality within his body, seizing every opportunity to elevate his realm even higher.
Although this hasty advancement in realm would bring many hidden dangers, Ming Qi completely disregarded them. As long as he remained alive, any danger could be eliminated!
The Wuxiang Boy assumed the responsibility of guarding the cave. Under his control, the Supreme Diagram formed a natural barrier within the entire cave, impenetrable to anyone but a Martial Emperor.
Ten days, fifteen days, twentieth day, and twentieth day, Ming Qi finally integrated the essence of the Celestial Phase Transfer into his power and, drawing upon the stellar power of the Tenglong Nebula, broke through to the Martial Emperor realm! During this period, he was nearly crushed to ashes by the sudden catastrophe! But he ultimately managed to pull through. Every step on the path of immortal cultivation is filled with twists and turns. Without experiencing the horrors of life and death, advancing in realms would be wishful thinking.
At the Martial Emperor Realm, mastering the mystical laws of space and understanding its power is the foundation for transcending the limitations of boundaries.
At this point, Ming Qi clearly sensed that the impact of that force had weakened, so he stopped striving for higher levels and instead concentrated all of it, consolidating his existing strength.
At the end of a month, when the last of the energy had depleted, Ming Qi felt as if he had just woken up from a dream. He opened his eyes and saw Xing Yun idly playing with her small dagger.
Seeing this stunning woman, Ming Qi's heart suddenly filled with joy. He smiled and pounced on her.
A sharp, high-pitched, yet melodious and inspiring voice suddenly echoed from the cave, filling the room with a vibrant, spring-like atmosphere.