The Bone Black Ship shattered the last layer of viscous Chaos Mist.
Stone Ridge Mountain's outline abruptly swelled in the field of vision. It was no longer the lifeless barren mountain of old; it resembled a heart growing within the void, pulsing powerfully through its heavy barriers.
Chu Qing stood at the bow.
Barefoot, his toes gripped the protrusions of the Gods and Demons Spine Dragon Bone. The icy feel of bone burrowed from the soles of his feet into his spine, instantly grounding the soul that had grown somewhat unsteady amid slaughter.
"Return to your place."
Chu Qing spoke in a hoarse voice, as though it had scraped across a grindstone.
The black ship released a muffled Dragon's Roar, and its dragon-headed ram smashed straight through Stone Ridge Mountain's defensive layer. There was no expected recoil. The Mountain Body split open on its own, as though welcoming its master's return.
Below.
Nangong Xue stood in the center of the White Jade Plaza, the Array Disk in her hand spinning madly. The tens of millions of Golden Core maidservants behind her bent their knees in unison, pressing their foreheads against the cold bluestone slabs.
"Welcome home, my lord—!"
The shout struck the clouds, exploding into vast halos of Dark Gold light.
Chu Qing leaped.
His entire body became a Purple Gold streak of light, tearing through the sky before crashing heavily onto the plaza.
The floor tiles instantly shattered beneath that crushing pressure of status. When the dust settled, Chu Qing stood barefoot at the center of the crater, the dark-purple Killing Intent swirling around him not yet fully restrained, forcing all the grass and trees on either side to bow their heads.
That solid, feet-on-the-ground sense of reality made his throat shift slightly.
"Nangong." Chu Qing looked toward the