CHAPTER 915: RETURN

Translator: CinderTL

After countless Demon Souls were devoured by the Black Hole, they shattered into soul fragments. These fragments, refined by the Forbidden Divine Art, merged into Song Wen’s Sea of Consciousness, nourishing it.

Simultaneously, Song Wen focused his mind on two tasks. He absorbed the Divine Sense Imprint on the Mount Tai Ring and began refining the treasure.

To his surprise, the imprint on the Mount Tai Ring proved to be a potent supplement for him.

The Mount Tai Ring was a Pseudo-Spirit Treasure, not a true Spirit Treasure, yet far more powerful than a Supreme-Grade Mystic Treasure. Since it wasn’t a Spirit Treasure, Song Wen’s current cultivation level allowed him to refine it, though it would take considerable time.

This treasure combined defense, offense, and the ability to trap enemies, but its true strength lay in its defensive and trapping capabilities. Its offensive power was relatively weak, even slightly inferior to the Twelve Capitals Corpse Formation formed by his twelve black coffins.

Time flowed like water, and ten years passed in the blink of an eye.

Song Wen emerged from his Cultivation Cave with a hint of frustration.

After devouring vast quantities of souls, his Spirit Sense had reached its peak, yet his Three Souls showed no signs of merging. Forced to abandon his seclusion, Song Wen had no choice but to end his retreat.

However, his seclusion hadn’t been entirely fruitless.

Over the years, he had completely refined the Mount Tai Ring. Furthermore, using Dark Orchid Wood purchased from the Liangyi Sect, he had crafted two Cosmic Transformation Bodies and ten Substitute Puppets.

After giving Fang Xian and Shu Niang brief instructions, Song Wen left the Wu Ji Sect and once again headed for the Teleportation Array in the Southern Region.

Song Wen entered the underwater cave housing the Teleportation Array, activated the Mount Tai Ring to conjure a cyan protective shield around himself, and then placed seventy-two High-Grade Spirit Stones into the array.

As Song Wen activated the Formation, the Formation Patterns on the ground gradually lit up with a cyan glow, engulfing his figure.

Song Wen felt his body lighten, and everything before him transformed into a dazzling kaleidoscope of light and color.

A moment later, the solid ground returned beneath his feet. He found himself inside a modest hall.

Song Wen swiftly extended his Spirit Sense, probing beyond the hall’s confines.

He soon discovered that he was atop a small mountain, surrounded by several larger peaks.

Numerous palaces dotted the slopes of these mountains, but all appeared completely deserted.

At the foot of one of the larger mountains, Song Wen spotted a structure resembling a mountain gate.

He had already learned from Xu Geng that this place was the Ten Thousand Beasts Hall, and that it contained nothing of value.

After a quick sweep to confirm Xu Geng’s account, Song Wen rose and flew toward the mountain gate.

A thin membrane guarded the gate. Song Wen released a Third-Tier Shadow Gu, instructing it to pass through the barrier.

Instantly, the Shadow Gu vanished from his sight.

Song Wen lost his connection to the Shadow Gu.

However, relying on the mysterious bond between him and his Gu, he could sense that the Shadow Gu was still alive.

Only then did he step through the mountain gate.

Instantly, countless grains of sand pressed in from all directions.

He found himself deep within the desert, surrounded by nothing but yellow sand above, below, and all around.

Years ago, when Lan Chen, Yang Yu, and the others had sought entry to the Ten Thousand Beasts Hall, they had cleared the sand from outside the mountain gate. But after decades of relentless wind and sandstorms, the gate had once again been buried under a thick layer of sand.

Song Wen channeled his Spiritual Power, pushing the surrounding sand back several dozen meters. Retrieving the Shadow Gu, he burst through the layers of sand above and emerged into the desert sky.

After briefly orienting himself, Song Wen summoned his escape light and flew northeast.

He arrived directly at Bliss City, the capital of the He Huan Sect.

His reasons for coming were twofold: first, to assess the current state of the Tianyuan Continent, and second, to locate Zhou Siyi.

Years ago, when he had been hunted by Gui Ni, Yang Yu, and Xue Mei, he had fled in such haste that he had been unable to care for Zhou Siyi.

If Zhou Siyi was still alive, she was most likely at the He Huan Sect.

As Song Wen approached the city, he noticed that the palace Senior Lan Chen had built for him was now occupied. To his surprise, it housed Hao Kong, Tong Hua, and several disciples from the Nine Palaces Sect.

"Why are members of the Nine Palaces Sect gathered in Bliss City?" Song Wen wondered inwardly. "It seems the situation on the Tianyuan Continent has undergone earth-shattering changes during my thirty years of absence."

He didn’t alert the Nascent Soul cultivators Hao Kong and Tong Hua.

To his surprise, he spotted Zhou Siyi’s figure within a courtyard in the city.

The courtyard was protected by a Third-Tier Formation, but Song Wen refrained from forcibly breaching it.

With a swift movement, he appeared at the courtyard gate.

Two Qi Refining Realm guards stood at the entrance. Startled by Song Wen’s sudden appearance, they quickly regained their composure and greeted him respectfully.

"Senior, this is the residence of Senior Zhou, an outer sect elder of the He Huan Sect. Please state your purpose so we may inform her."

"Tell Zhou Siyi that an old friend, ’Wu Sheng,’ has come to visit."

Unwilling to reveal his return prematurely, Song Wen used the alias ’Wu Sheng.’

During his years at the Beastmaster Sect, Song Wen had always gone by this name. Zhou Siyi would immediately recognize him upon hearing it.

Hearing Song Wen address Zhou Siyi by her given name, the guards immediately understood that his cultivation level was at least equal to hers. Their respect for him deepened.

"Senior, please wait a moment. This junior will inform her immediately," one of the guards replied, turning and hurrying into the courtyard.

Before long, Zhou Siyi arrived, her expression agitated as she descended from the sky.

"Ji..."

She was about to speak when Song Wen interrupted her with a spiritual sense transmission.

"Senior Sister Zhou, please don’t call me by name. Just call me Junior Brother."

Zhou Siyi readily agreed, assuming Song Wen was concerned about being pursued by Xue Mei and her group.

At the courtyard gate, where many eyes were watching, she suppressed her excitement and approached Song Wen, gesturing toward the courtyard.

"Junior Brother, you’re finally back! Please come in quickly."

The two stepped into the courtyard and soon arrived at a secluded chamber.

"Junior Brother, you’re alive! That’s wonderful! I thought you..."

Zhou Siyi could no longer contain her emotions. She grabbed Song Wen’s arm, her voice trembling with excitement, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Song Wen smiled gently. "Senior Sister, why would you think that?"

Zhou Siyi gazed at Song Wen for a long moment, waiting for her emotions to subside before speaking.

"Everyone knows you were hunted by Gui Ni, Xue Mei, and Yang Yu before disappearing without a trace. Though they never claimed to have killed you themselves, the world widely believes you died at their hands."

"I see," Song Wen murmured, nodding slightly. He quickly changed the subject. "Senior Sister, have you become an outer sect elder of the He Huan Sect?"

Zhou Siyi replied, "That’s just a title Senior Lan Chen gave me to protect me. She originally wanted to recruit me into the He Huan Sect, but their cultivation methods don’t suit me. With the title of ’outer sect elder,’ I can freely enter and exit the sect, refine medicinal pills for them to earn Spirit Stones, and deter outsiders from targeting me."

Due to the He Huan Sect’s cultivation techniques, its disciples typically engage in intimate relations with various male cultivators. To protect Zhou Siyi’s reputation, Senior Lan Chen bestowed upon her the unprecedented title of "outer sect elder," a first in the sect’s history.

(End of the Chapter)

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