The woman walking towards us is someone whose appearance and voice are very familiar to me; it's Xiaoqiao.

At the moment, she's wearing a convenient white printed T-shirt for movement and blue jeans, her look both surprised and confused, as if unsure whether the person she's calling for is the one she thinks of.

Seeing the person I've been looking for appear here suddenly, I couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

"It's me," I said. "It's been a while, Xiaoqiao."

"Senior, it's really you!?" Xiaoqiao said with overwhelming joy, "When I was trapped in this city, I kept pleading with that little flame that looked like a firefly, hoping you could hear it. But the last time I met with Zhu Shi, I heard you were busy for the past few months, so speaking to the flame was pointless, and later, I couldn't even find the flame anymore...

"Dong Che said that maybe even a God couldn't easily invade this city, and I thought you definitely wouldn't come, I..."

As she continued, her voice grew more excited, gradually becoming incoherent.

Realizing her excessive excitement, she quickly calmed herself, then with a confused expression asked, "But... Senior, why have you suddenly become so small? I shouldn't be misremembering, right? I remember you're around my age..."

"There's a reason for it." I skillfully changed the subject. "Dong Che, is the person you wanted me to see her?"

Expecting the answer somewhat, I knew apart from Taoyuan Village Master Meng Zhang and Xuanming as opponents, there weren't any familiar faces for me in this city. Other than the Xiaoqiao I couldn't be sure was alive or dead, there were no other connections for Dong Che and Xiaoqiao, making it hard to be certain.

Seeing my inquiry, Dong Che nodded and said, "I found this lady while rescuing survivors. Since she's related to you, Senior Zhuang Cheng, I gave her special attention. I thought one of your purposes for entering the city was to rescue her."

"Indeed, but how would you know about our relationship?" I asked.

"Because I've been secretly keeping track of your activities, Senior Zhuang Cheng," Dong Che said confidently. "She's a classmate of your fiancée Zhu Shi and your junior; you interacted with her during events related to Taoyuan Village. Some demon hunters secretly investigated her, finding she carried your 'firefly.' I'm well aware of these things.

"I even memorized details like who were in each class you attended from elementary to university, or every mysterious rumor you investigated... It's all second nature to me and I can recite it anytime if needed."

Unable to hold back, Xiaoqiao interjected, "Isn't this stalker behavior...?"

I found it somewhat overwhelming, but to Jiaoshu, it seemed all too natural. "What stalker? Knowing the deeds of Gods is basic for devout believers, and everything that can be verified must be memorized backwards.

"In Luoshan's Demon Hunter Academy, contemporary God's important deeds appear in exam questions. Once Luoshan's faith spreads throughout worldly society, all of Impermanence's deeds will be included in history textbooks, becoming historical knowledge every student must remember."

I recalled Changan is now a disciple of Luoshan Academy, wouldn't he have to hear about my deeds during lectures and answer such questions during exams?

Thinking in reverse, if one of his friends appeared in history classes, the feeling would be unimaginable. Maybe even Changan's name would appear in history exams too, leaving me to wonder how he'd feel.

On the bright side, he's the type that doesn't care much for studying. Such hilarious circumstances might unexpectedly spark his interest in learning.

Dong Che added, "Moreover, Senior Zhuang Cheng, you may not know, but some Zhuang Cheng believers see the 'fireflies' scattered across the country as your materialized watchful eyes. Carrying a 'firefly' signifies your close attention, so she's well-known among our believer community."

"I see..." I turned to Xiaoqiao again, "By the way, I heard your reason for being in this city was to visit family, right?"

Xiaoqiao's expression darkened, "Yes, but the relatives I was going to visit are all...

She didn't finish, but given the city's current state, it was easy to guess that her relatives were likely all killed by Taoyuan Village cultivators and monsters.

Even for her, surviving was incredibly lucky. I had prepared myself for reporting this to Zhu Shi as tragic news about a classmate, and seeing Xiaoqiao alive and intact, I couldn't help but feel relieved.

Xiaoqiao patted her cheeks, forcefully pulling herself from the gloomy, despondent mood, and asked with eager eyes, "Senior, since you've appeared here, does it mean we can finally return to normal society?"

From her perspective, I might seem like an omnipotent God. Even if this city is sealed by the power of another God, I should have no problem saving some ordinary people from it.

This isn't entirely wrong. The barrier blocking the city is designed specifically to prevent external invasion. It's strict for outsiders, but it's a different story for those inside. The difficulty of invading from outside, even daunting for Impermanence, is contrasted by the relative ease of leaving from within.

This "ease" is of course relative to me as an Impermanence. For the supersized barrier enveloping three million people and trapping all demon hunters within, even the previous Great Success Rank I defeated couldn't simply force their way out using brute force from the inside.

However, all this is predicated on my ability to exert full power here, which I currently lack.

"Unfortunately, not yet," I replied.

Xiaoqiao couldn't hide her disappointment, "Why?"

Dong Che asked tentatively, "Senior Zhuang Cheng, I notice your state seems off, like... this isn't your main body, more like an avatar?"

"You could say that." I said, "Right now I can't use all my power, and regarding this, I want to confirm something with you. Let's find a place to sit and talk."

Dong Che led us to a conference room in the pavilion. A luxurious-looking long table was surrounded by neatly arranged chairs. I casually took a seat on one of the chairs, noticing Dong Che was intending to stand, but I gestured him to sit as well. He hesitated slightly before complying.

I explained to him the calls I've been hearing and the difficulties I'm facing.

"I see, you're theorizing that the mysterious prayer-like calls were how you entered this city," Dong Che said thoughtfully.

"Do you think my theory is correct?" I asked.

"That judgement should be correct, and matches my own experience," Dong Che confirmed.

"Your experience?" I inquired.

"Actually, just a few hours before, I sensed your mana fluctuations near the city barrier, Senior Zhuang Cheng," Dong Che said. "It was a vague perception, uncertain whether it was a mere illusion. But our situation was so dire; honestly, even if just a single thread of hope appeared, I yearned to grab it tightly.

"So I assumed my sensing was real, that you might be invading the barrier enveloping the city, and attempted to single-handedly perform a simple summoning ritual targeting you.

"This ritual used the Furnace Slag Impermanence Sword as the medium. The weapon is a magic treasure crafted from 'Furnace Slag,' deeply bonded spiritually to your soul, hence highly effective as a summoning artifact for you.

"The effects of the summoning ritual are still ongoing, although since you hadn't appeared till now, I assumed the ritual failed."

Curiously, I asked, "Then, why did the call I heard suddenly become stronger midway?"

"Perhaps because I saw the Great Success Rank Taoyuan Village cultivator and numerous monsters besieging this refuge, I was truly out of options, and instinctively prayed to you in my heart," Dong Che explained, "just like this--"

With that, he closed his eyes, taking on a silent prayerful stance.

Suddenly, the faint call that had been echoing in my ears grew slightly louder. Likely because the "source" was nearby, I could sense the connection with the voice, linked to Dong Che.

At last, it was clear. Dong Che was the one issuing the calls leading me to penetrate the city's barrier.

After I signaled "that's enough," Dong Che ended his prayer stance.

"You mentioned using a simple summoning ritual... then there must be a more powerful version, right?" I asked. "Could that one bring my entire power into this city?"

At these words, Dong Che immediately showed difficulty, while Jiaoshu spoke up directly, "That would be impossible."