Hongchu supported Taichu, who was still regulating his breathing, grumbling and cursing all the while. Yet he could not hide the joy on his face. "Taichu, you old bastard, you really are hard to kill."
Taichu brought the Primordial Qi rampaging through his body under control and slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was complicated as he looked at Hongchu, before finally settling on Zhou Ming.
He said nothing, merely bowing slowly and deeply to Zhou Ming with his hands clasped.
That bow expressed his gratitude for saving his life.
That bow also carried a trace of complete submission that even he had not noticed.
"All right, all right, we're all family here. What's the point of these empty formalities?"
Hongchu casually slapped Taichu on the back, nearly making him cough up another mouthful of blood just after he had steadied his breathing.
Cang Xuan shook his head helplessly and stepped forward, sending a stream of pure wood-element vitality into Taichu to stabilize his injuries.
Zhou Ming watched Cold River True Lord and the others flee in disarray, then glanced at the weakened Taichu and spoke calmly.
"Let's go."
"Go? Where?" Hongchu froze. "Shouldn't we find somewhere to recover first?"
Taichu also looked at Zhou Ming, somewhat puzzled.
Zhou Ming turned his gaze in the direction Cold River True Lord had fled, toward the Cold River Domain.
"To collect a little interest."
Hongchu and Cang Xuan understood immediately.
Taichu paused, then realized what he meant as well.
The Cold River Domain.
As a great domain overseen by a Dao-Fusion Peak expert, the Cold River Domain had always held unquestioned authority among the nearby star domains.
Today, however, it faced an unprecedented catastrophe.
Under the Cold River Domain's jurisdiction were three hundred and seventy mid-tier worlds and one hundred