Xue Ji's Return

Just as Du Chen pondered this question, a fierce battle concluded within one of the Labyrinth of Life's tunnels!

Hoo...hoo...

Gazing at the Saintess Legion's fallen warriors scattered across the ground, Number Eight Charlemagne heaved a heavy breath, wiping away the bloodstain from his lips, a result of his internal organs rattling. He cursed, "Damn it! Margaret still managed to get away!"

Beside him, Jamis gave a wry smile, "Ah, the artistic life! One must be content! After this battle, we’ve shattered Margaret's body. Even if she recovers, it won't be for another two or three years. During this period, Water's Embrace Lake poses no threat. We'll have ample time to manage everything and gain a dominant position over it!"

Old Bovin grinned, his yellowed teeth showing. "No matter what, today’s kill was truly satisfying, haha! Seeing Margaret smashed to bits truly puts me in a good mood!"

The Requiem Death Knights roared with laughter, their joyful and unrestrained cackles shaking the Labyrinth of Life!

Just then, deep beneath the sea, 'gurgle, gurgle,' a string of bubbles emerged from the sand. Each bubble encased a drop of crystalline liquid. These droplets slowly converged, incredibly forming a humanoid shape that then streaked away like lightning into the distance...

If Du Chen had been there, he would have gasped in a low whisper—"Liquid Automaton? Margaret?! This Secret Technique is truly familiar!"

Alas, some matters are difficult to fully grasp without witnessing them firsthand; merely hearing a description often fails to connect the dots.

Number Two continued to explain to Du Chen, "Margaret’s Secret Technique was initially called 'Verdant Peak, Water's Embrace.' When she advanced to the Eleventh-Tier, she first integrated the two great elements of water and earth. Although she later gradually gathered all five elements, these two always remained her forte! Margaret’s mastery over water and earth has reached a point where she *is* water and earth. In other words, she can transform herself into water or earth, identical in volume to her own body! Against such an opponent, even if we blast her to pieces, she can still recover as long as she reassembles her body!"

Du Chen nodded. "That’s easy to understand. Isn't that just a pauper's version of Dus?"

Number Two added, "There isn’t no way to kill Margaret. As long as a Spiritual Power master directly obliterates her soul, she can be put to death. Unfortunately... Margaret herself is a Spiritual Power master, and none of us can shake her soul!"

Du Chen smiled. "I understand. But even if Margaret escapes, it will likely take a long time for her to recover, right?" After Number Two affirmed this, he continued, "Let’s proceed with our cooperation discussions... Is Margaret’s disciple, Xue Ji, in your hands?"

Number Two gave a knowing smile. "She is. Her several 'Eldest Brothers-in-law' are all taking good care of the 'little sister.' You needn't worry about Xue Ji's safety!"

"Does she know about you all?"

"She knows some things, but she believes we've kept her to resurrect her several elder sisters! In truth, Lord Jamis has another intention—to observe whether the Water's Embrace Sword in Xue Ji's possession has also developed sentience!"

Du Chen nodded slightly, stating flatly, "Xue Ji is my woman. I want her!"

"But Xue Ji seems to dislike you quite a bit!" Number Two cackled mischievously. "Xue Ji is crucial for resurrecting those Water's Embrace disciples, and Old Bovin and his crew of 'Eldest Brothers-in-law' are all eagerly awaiting! Furthermore... we are merely cooperators!"

The implication was clear: cooperation demanded a price before any reward.

Du Chen secretly gritted his teeth, a flicker of anger stirring within him. He loathed nothing more than having his woman used as a bargaining chip, yet he merely smiled and asked, "Have you heard of the Scarlet Army?"

Number Two's expression shifted, though it was hidden by his military helmet!

Du Chen slowly recounted some details about the Scarlet Army, and finally, produced the captive, Sophie. "A Scarlet Army captive, for Xue Ji!"

Number Two fell silent for a moment, then abruptly declared, "Working with you is truly a pleasure! We will share the interrogation results of this captive with you, and the matter is settled! Now, come with me to see Xue Ji!"

Saying this, Number Two stepped forward to take Sophie, but a mere glance at Sophie's appearance sent Number Two into a furious rage. "Damn the Scarlet Army! I shall never coexist with you bastards!"

Glancing back at Du Chen, Number Two roared, pointing at Sophie, "Undoubtedly, like Julie, she must be a Thirty-Six-Bone monster, engineered by the Scarlet Army!"

Du Chen exclaimed, "That’s easily inferred!"

"But could you have imagined this? Sophie’s appearance... is identical to the Moon Goddess, only with added Sea Clan features! Damn them, to imitate the Moon Goddess to create an erotic spy—this is blatant blasphemy against His Majesty, the Divine Emperor!"

The Moon Goddess?

Du Chen shrugged. If they could conjure a Thirty-Six-Bone Julie, another Moon Goddess lookalike wasn't so surprising! He simply brushed it off with a smile, not taking this 'little surprise' of the day to heart...

With Number Two leading the way, exiting the Labyrinth of Life was naturally no issue. After tucking Andy Adams and the others into his Precious Lotus Scripture, Du Chen met with Old Bovin and the rest. They discussed various details, such as 'Number Two will specifically handle future liaison between our two sides, and after Water's Embrace Lake is breached, Xue Ji will assist her Eldest Brothers-in-law in resurrecting her sisters.' Following this, Du Chen accompanied Number Two to the entrance they had used to enter. Number Two called out to Roland, who was accompanying Xue Ji. The two men exchanged knowing smiles with Xue Ji before turning and leaving!

Xue Ji, left behind, was utterly bewildered. "W-what's going on? My Eldest Brothers-in-law are abandoning me!?"

Du Chen, concealed within the flowing sand, watched the stunned Xue Ji, a maelstrom of emotions swirling within his heart. He had finally seen his beloved again, yet he was unsure how to take the first step.

Old Bovin, beside him, nudged Du Chen. "Aren’t you going to meet your lover? Heh heh, here, take this. For its sake, spare my descendants a little face! We're off, won't disturb your reunion now!" With that, he slipped an item into Du Chen’s hand.

Du Chen glanced at it, realizing it was an imperial decree personally penned by Saint Bovin! Without even looking at the contents, Du Chen tucked it into his Precious Lotus Scripture, then continued to gaze blankly at Xue Ji.

Before, he had been forced to separate from Xue Ji, fearing Margaret's power and not wanting Xue Ji to be caught in the middle. But now, Margaret was gravely injured and would take two or three years to recover, so she wouldn't pursue them and trouble Xue Ji. Moreover, with the Precious Lotus Scripture's progress, would Du Chen still fear her once Margaret recovered?! Just now, he had traded for Xue Ji because he couldn’t fully trust the Requiem Death Knights, but now, seeing the woman he had yearned for day and night...

How would he and Xue Ji spend these next two or three years? Marry her? Impossible; his Precious Lotus Scripture had yet to reach grand completion! Not marry her...

Gritting his teeth, Du Chen donned Alex's mask and slowly walked out.

Xue Ji keenly sensed someone behind her. She spun around, and upon seeing the newcomer’s face... tears suddenly streamed down her cheeks. She stomped her foot anxiously and cried, "What are you doing here? My master is nearby! Quick, go! If my master finds you, she’ll kill you!"

"Silly girl!" Du Chen chuckled softly, stepping forward and gently pulling Xue Ji into his embrace. "Your master is gravely injured and won't concern herself with us for the next two or three years. And after two or three years... no one will dare to snatch you from my arms!"

Nestled in Du Chen’s embrace, Xue Ji was startled by his words. Though concern for her master's injuries still lingered, a sliver of joy also blossomed... Spending two or three peaceful years with Alex was far better than endless yearning. And after two or three years... her beloved was right here, who cared what might come then?

Their figures pressed closer. Du Chen lightly inhaled the faint fragrance from Xue Ji’s hair bun, then kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry!"

Xue Ji was momentarily stunned. "Why are you apologizing?"

"There's something I’ve been hiding from you!" Du Chen slowly removed the mask from his face!

Xue Ji’s beautiful eyes widened. "You, you..."

Du Chen suddenly smiled and pressed a deep kiss onto Xue Ji’s lips—his Eldest Brother Steve, the expert, had always said that in such moments, to avoid regret, one simply had to be man enough; both lips, upper and lower, were more effective than anything else!

Xue Ji struggled to push Du Chen away, but somehow, her Eleventh-Tier battle qi was utterly ineffective. Gradually, she sagged into Du Chen’s arms, only managing to mumble two blurred words from her lips: "You pest..."

The deep sea glowed a tranquil blue. Streams of iridescent fish darted past them, and occasionally, a sea crab would poke its head from the sand, its large eyes darting left and right before 'shush'—it burrowed back into the sand. In the serene seabed, only the two of them existed, indivisible, their forms merging into a single shadow beneath the glow of deep-sea shark pearls.

After a long while, their figures slowly separated. Xue Ji lightly pinched Du Chen's chest, "You always deceive me!" Du Chen winced in pain. Then she suddenly extended her small hand. "Give it to me!"

Du Chen was momentarily confused. "What do you want?"

Xue Ji shot Du Chen a faint, disdainful look. "Your Art of Disguise is so brilliant, give me a mask. My master will eventually return in two or three years, and then... sigh, to hide for a moment is to hide for a moment!"

Du Chen chuckled, wrapping one arm around Xue Ji’s slender waist and pinching her nose with the other hand. "Forget about masks! My woman will never live behind a mask!"

The two figures merged into one again, and after another long while, Xue Ji buried her head in Du Chen’s chest, murmuring, "Will you promise me something? Before you have the strength to contend with my master... don't marry me. Otherwise, there will truly be no room for maneuver between you and her!"

Du Chen opened his mouth, remained silent for a moment, then chuckled, "I know. You can wait for me for a thousand years!"

"Mm, Xue Ji will wait her entire life for you to marry me!"

"But before that..." Du Chen suddenly held Xue Ji tightly. A brilliant Golden Lotus blossomed beneath his feet as he burst into ringing laughter, soaring into the sky. "Come home with me!"

The Sword Slave and Dragonfinch had not yet departed the Batuk Family, and Xue Ji wished to avoid conflict with them. So, Du Chen simply didn't return to Emerald City. He had Andy go and report that "the fire-elemental beast is no longer there, and searches yielded no results!" Then, he notified Deboning and the others to return directly to Durkes City!

Meanwhile, Du Chen flew to ten thousand meters in the sky, 'Green Clouds' swirling around him as he carried Xue Ji directly back to his own territory!

Old Man Yonker had originally intended to go all out, helping Francis withstand Margaret. Liana and Arthur had also prepared numerous escape routes. However, with the appearance of the Thunder Cannon, all these preparations seemed to lose their meaning! Had they truly lost their meaning? The core of Liana's escape plan was for Arthur to raise the Lionheart King's banner and unite with the Great Triangle Navy to confront Margaret. These two armies were already poised for battle. However, instead of Margaret, they awaited the allied forces of the other three great Sea Clans. It turned out that Thanes had died, and the Sea Clan's power structure was bound to be redivided. The other three Sea Clans, under the pretense of avenging the Sea King, directly pointed their military might at Gode, the Great Triangle Navy Marshal!

As a result, Liana's unwitting action bore fruit: Arthur's impersonation of the Lionheart King's banner fortuitously intimidated the allied Sea Clan forces. During several clashes, Arthur's strength inexplicably surged again, directly catapulting him into the ranks of Eleventh-Tier powerhouses. Furthermore, by borrowing the Lionheart King's prestige, and cooperating with Little Prince Gode, he drew open the curtain on the chaotic war among the Sea Clans!

In this war, the King of the Great Triangle Sea saw his lifelong ambition fulfilled but his body steadily weakened. Prince Gode, through his military merits, assumed full military authority over the Grand Delta, and the Grand Delta Sea began its transition of royal power...

In this war, Alonso bestowed upon Arthur Reno the title of Prince Suppressor of the Seas, and the legend of the Undefeated Sea God began to circulate within the Reno Navy...

In this war, Liana saw an opportunity, weighed the pros and cons, and finalized a strategy of solidifying her island nation. Leveraging Du Chen's reputation as a Savior, which held sway over the Batuk Family, and with the support of the Grand Delta Sea, Miki Duchy, in the early stages of its restoration, began to swallow up nearby islands in the surrounding seas. Soon, Miki Duchy reformed into Miki Kingdom, embarking on the path of a maritime empire...

This war... whatever else transpired during this war, it was temporarily irrelevant to Du Chen, who was immersed in a profound sense of happiness. Just over ten days after Du Chen left the Emerald Sea, a Secret Convocation was held in Old Man Yonker’s study!

Within the spacious study, only six individuals were present—four men and two women. Apart from Annie, they were all quite old, the youngest among them still over thirty!

Yonker scanned the group. "Have the Saint Baton Family Head and the Cromwell Family Head not arrived?"

A beastman stood up. "My father is occupied setting up defensive lines against the Fiendkind on the Labyrinth front, so he entrusted me to come!" he said.

Another tall, thin elder also rose. "My elder brother has been unwell recently... Alas, he is already one hundred and ninety-three years old!" The implication was clear: the Wind God Family Head's natural lifespan was nearing its end, and he could not attend.

"Alas, we are about to lose another old brother!" Yonker sighed, holding Annie's hand, and declared loudly, "Since that is the case, everyone is here! Gentlemen, today, this old man has called a Secret Convocation of the Godslayer Five Families' Family Heads for only two matters. First... this is Annie, you all know her! From this day forward, she is my heir!"

Annie smiled gracefully. "You are all Annie's elders; I humbly ask for your continued guidance in the future!"

A burly man in his forties gave a surprised chuckle. His appearance was quite similar to that of Galas, the Foremost Assassin under Heaven. "For Annie to gain succession rights at such a young age, she must have received Marshal Batuk's inheritance, I presume?"

Yonker chuckled. "That brings me to the second matter! Annie has not only received an inheritance of power but has also simultaneously gained guidance from our ancestor!"

All eyes instantly converged upon Annie, but she remained calm and composed!

A flicker of triumph flashed in Yonker's eyes. "And the guidance Annie received is... the Savior Prophecy!" With that, the old man recounted the message and the events concerning Francis one by one.

Silence reigned in the study for a long time. The representatives from the other four families wore solemn expressions, silently digesting Yonker's words!

After a full ten minutes, Yonker finally tapped the tabletop, 'Dong dong.' "This old man is also a Godslayer Family Head; I know what you all are thinking. Francis is just a callow youth. Even if he holds the identity of a Savior, is that enough for our five families to surrender the foundation we've painstakingly built over a millennium, to follow him and become his subordinates?"

Everyone laughed in unison: the beastman scoffed, the Wind God representative offered a faint smile, the Starry Sky Battle God descendant smiled, while the Old Matriarch, the Saint Dak Family Head, gave an inexplicable, bitter laugh of regret...

"Damn it, why did I so easily let Francis go when Frinda tried to force a marriage upon him back then? If that forced marriage had succeeded... Alas, what’s lost is lost, the Goddess of Fate truly plays tricks on people!"

The Old Matriarch asked, "Family Head Yonker, since you brought this matter up, what are your thoughts?"

Yonker slowly replied, "If the Great Catastrophe our ancestor spoke of truly descends, we will have to rely on Francis to survive; there is no doubt about that! However, we will not follow anyone blindly! Therefore, this old man suggests that for now, we discreetly provide Francis with some advantages to help him establish himself! Later, we can decide our attitude towards Francis based on the circumstances! As for how to support Francis... what are your thoughts, gentlemen?"

The beastman suddenly stood. "Old Man, this matter is of great importance. I need to consult my father before I can give a commitment!"

The Wind God representative sighed dejectedly. "Although my elder brother... alas, he hasn't breathed his last yet, so I too must seek his counsel before I can give a commitment!"

Yonker nodded understandingly. At this moment, the Saint Dak Grand Matriarch chuckled, "To help Francis establish himself, it is simply a matter of providing him with three things: 'power, wealth, and influence.' All five of our families can provide these, but... we can't give them all to him at once. Old Brother Yonker, you have personally dealt with Francis; tell us what he currently lacks most, and we will first provide him with that!"

The old man gave a peculiar smile. "Can you not guess what Francis currently lacks most? Old Sister, I understand what you’re thinking. Let's stop beating around the bush; tell me, how much and how will we give it?"

The Old Matriarch also laughed. "Old Brother, your eyes are still as sharp as ever; my thoughts can't escape you! You probably also understand precisely what I intend to give Francis, so I won't waste any more words! Today is the fourth of March, and by my reckoning, it's almost time for the grand day when major powers across the Three Continents will stir into action. Even if Francis doesn't go personally, he will surely send someone to join the excitement. Let's give it to him on that very day; it will be logical and reasonable, and Francis won't grow suspicious!"

Yonker nodded with a knowing smile. "Good, let it be so!"