You Don't Want to Stay Here Forever Either, Do You?

The carriage slowly traveled through the streets of Spirit City, its wheels rolling over smooth white jade slabs with a soft, steady rhythm. Wang Dong'er lowered the curtain, but her gaze remained fixed on the ever-changing scenery outside, the shock in her heart lingering for a long time.

So this was Spirit City from ten thousand years ago?

Buildings stood in neat rows along both sides of the streets, all constructed from pristine white stone. Their upturned eaves and ornate carvings exuded grandeur and majesty. In the open spaces between the buildings stood statues of all kinds—some Soul Masters wielding longswords, others imposing Soul Beasts. Every one of them was lifelike, as though it might come alive the next second.

What astonished Wang Dong'er most were the pedestrians passing through the streets.

There were no hurried ordinary citizens, no hawkers crying out to sell their wares. Everywhere she looked, every passerby emitted fluctuations of Soul Power, whether strong or weak.

Children occasionally ran past in laughter, and even their small bodies contained Soul Power that could not be underestimated—clearly, here, even children had long completed their Spirit Awakening and embarked on the path of Soul Masters.

"They're all Soul Masters..." Wang Dong'er murmured, her beautiful eyes full of disbelief.

She came from the Clear Sky Sect. As the young sect master of the Clear Sky Sect ten thousand years in the future, she had seen countless Soul Masters, but she had never seen a city with such an astounding concentration of them as Spirit City. Here, being a Soul Master was not a privilege reserved for a few; it was the norm, as though the city itself had been born for Soul Masters.

Perhaps only Shrek City, standing at the pinnacle of the Soul Master world, could be mentioned in the same breath as the Spirit City before her.

No wonder the records said that Spirit City had been the holy land in the hearts of all Soul Masters ten thousand years ago. This pure atmosphere of Soul Masters alone was enough to make any Soul Master yearn for it.

The carriage turned a corner, and a massive square appeared ahead. At its center stood a towering stone stele that reached into the clouds, densely carved with names. Beside every name were the corresponding Soul Power Level and martial soul. Many Soul Masters stood around the stele, stopping to look at it, occasionally breaking into exclamations of admiration or discussion.

"What's that?"

Wang Dong'er looked at the stone stele outside and asked curiously.

"I don't know."

Lu Jing, who sat opposite her, suddenly spoke. Following Wang Dong'er's gaze, he seemed to realize that it recorded something. His eyes narrowed slightly as he swept it with his Spiritual Power.

"It seems to be a Glory Stele!" Li Qing answered.

"A Glory Stele? What's that supposed to be?" Wang Dong'er grew interested upon hearing the name and immediately scanned it with her Spiritual Power.

"If I'm not mistaken, once a Soul Master's cultivation reaches level seventy or above, their name is carved onto it for passing Soul Masters to admire, regardless of where they come from or whether they belong to Spirit Hall." Lu Jing explained, because he had spotted several familiar names upon it, such as the three chief instructors of Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Wang Dong'er nodded in realization, and her understanding of Spirit Hall deepened further. With such magnanimity, it was no wonder it had become the continent's number one force ten thousand years ago.

But... such a glorious era had ultimately been destroyed.

At that thought, Wang Dong'er could not help letting out a soft sigh. The history books from ten thousand years later contained very little about Spirit Hall, most of it limited to fragments of its conflict with Ancestor Tang San, written in a tone full of criticism. Yet seeing it with her own eyes, she realized that behind that simplified history had once existed such a brilliant civilization.

If not for that unexpected spatial turbulence, she would probably never have had the chance to witness all of this herself.

"Since we're already here, don't think so much about it."

Lu Jing's voice sounded again, carrying a hint of gentle comfort. He reminded her, "What matters most now is increasing our strength. Only if we're strong enough can we gain a foothold in this era and have a chance to find a way back."

Wang Dong'er withdrew her gaze, turned her head, and looked at the child before her.

Lu Jing's face carried a steadiness that did not match his age, and his eyes were clear and resolute. Over this period, the two had experienced the spatial turbulence together and arrived in this unfamiliar era together. They could be considered companions through hardship.

She blinked, her long lashes trembling lightly, then nodded. "You're right."

Complaining and lamenting were meaningless. If she wanted to return to her own era, she could only rely on herself.

Seeing her serious expression, Lu Jing inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. However, to be safe and prevent any unforeseen trouble, he felt he still needed to make things clear in advance. "Besides, we're in the same boat now, so we have to help each other. This era is far more complicated than we imagined. Spirit Hall, the Two Great Empires, and those Hidden Sects—danger lurks everywhere. If we start fighting among ourselves and pulling things like sneak attacks from behind, then before we even find a way back, we'll probably already be finished in this era."

He paused and looked earnestly at Wang Dong'er. "You don't want to be trapped here for the rest of your life either, right?"

Wang Dong'er's heart stirred.

She truly did not. Ten thousand years later, she had her family, her companions, and everything familiar to her. No matter how prosperous this place was, it was not where she belonged.

"I understand."

Without the slightest hesitation, Wang Dong'er nodded seriously and agreed. "No matter what grievances we had before, we'll put them aside for now. The most important thing is joining forces to deal with the situation in front of us."

Although she and Lu Jing had not been close before, and had even been in a delicate antagonistic relationship before arriving in this era, after all, she was a new student of Shrek Academy, while those pursuing Lu Jing had been from Shrek Academy.

But now, in this unfamiliar time ten thousand years in the past, they were indeed each other's only support.

Lu Jing smiled, a relieved light appearing in his eyes. "Good. It's a deal."

The carriage continued onward, passing through the bustling streets toward the core district of Spirit City. The scenery outside remained magnificent, Soul Masters flashing continuously past, while the air was filled with dense Soul Power.

Wang Dong'er leaned against the carriage window, watching the sunlight that belonged to ten thousand years ago. The confusion in her heart gradually gave way to determination.

No matter what she encountered in the future, she would survive, grow stronger, and find a way back.

Whether Spirit Hall's glory or its downfall, neither had anything to do with her. She was merely a passerby who had stumbled into this place. Her goal had always been that home ten thousand years in the future.

The carriage finally stopped before a magnificent palace. The driver's voice sounded from outside. "You two, we've arrived."

Wang Dong'er took a deep breath and exchanged a look with Lu Jing. A trace of determination flashed through both their eyes.

A new life had begun.