An Unexpected Return

Gu Qingshan was observing his surroundings when the system suddenly displayed a line of tiny, firefly-like text.

"You have spent 24 hours in the Otherworld. You will soon return to the real world."

Gu Qingshan froze.

He had entered the Otherworld less than half a day ago. How could it say he had been there for 24 hours?

He voiced his confusion.

The system quickly replied.

"Time lost due to the Time-Space Turbulence was unexpected and beyond control."

"Returning shortly."

Only then did Gu Qingshan understand.

The few dozen minutes he had spent in the Time-Space Turbulence had used up the better part of the day he had left.

He cast a long, lingering look at this world, already reduced to ruins.

A flash of light passed, and Gu Qingshan vanished from the Divine Martial World.

Federation Capital.

Freedom Holiday Hotel.

Gu Qingshan slowly appeared on the hotel's rooftop.

Only an hour had passed since he left the presidential residence and was settled in this famous hotel.

Standing on the rooftop, Gu Qingshan gazed silently at the glittering lights of the Federation Capital.

Suddenly, his mind went blank.

Gu Qingshan frowned.

Whenever he tried to recall past battles or memories from his former life, his mind immediately went blank like this.

"System, how long until I fully recover my memories?"

At his question, a line of text appeared on the God of War Interface.

"You have yet to escape surveillance within the flow of time. Choose your words carefully."

Gu Qingshan stared at the words and sighed deeply.

He felt like an incomplete idiot.

He looked around.

The night wind was calm, and the world was at peace.

After traveling back from a world in ruins, the stark contrast made him cherish this world all the more.

Unfortunately, this world would sooner or later be dragged into destruction, too.

After a long while, Gu Qingshan put away the Night Rain Bow, removed his quiver, and sat on the edge of the rooftop.

A bottle of beer appeared in his hand. He had bought it earlier that evening, but before he could drink it, he had been transported to the Cultivation World.

Gu Qingshan bit off the cap and gulped down the beer.

The beer was cold and refreshing. Its alcohol content was low, so it wouldn't get him drunk easily, but it helped him relax.

Gu Qingshan really needed a moment to catch his breath. Ever since devising the plan for the Seraph, he had been fighting nonstop and hadn't rested in ages.

Gongsun Zhi. Ning Yuechan.

In his previous life, the demons had spared no effort in hunting those two down. After killing them, the demons had swiftly covered up the secret they had uncovered.

Now, with a second chance, a small anomaly like Gu Qingshan had caused their fates to take an unprecedented turn.

But for Gu Qingshan, that change came with the ever-present danger of losing his life.

He had to tread with the utmost care at every step.

"The mission reward is God of War's Divine Power..."

Gu Qingshan murmured, his gaze gradually growing resolute.

He gripped the bottle and drained the rest of the beer in one go.

His break was over.

Gu Qingshan drew his legs back from where they dangled over the side of the building, crossed them, and silently circulated his Spiritual Power.

It was midnight. It would take about three hours for his Spiritual Power to wash away his body's fatigue.

Gu Qingshan quickly settled into his cultivation.

No one would notice the young man cultivating diligently on the rooftop of Freedom Holiday Hotel, fighting to stay alive.

It took a full three hours—six hours—to finally recover.

He opened his eyes and exhaled a stream of white mist.

The mist shot straight out six or seven zhang before slowly dissipating.

"Good. My energy, essence, and spirit are full. I can try to break through."

As he spoke, Gu Qingshan took out the booklet containing the Military Body Refining Qi Method and brought up the God of War Interface, quickly making his selection.

"Comprehending the sixth layer of the Military Body Refining Qi Method: Lingxu, will cost 3 Soul Power. Do you wish to proceed?"

"Yes."

"Comprehension complete. Remaining Soul Power: 27/7."

A warm current flowed from the booklet containing the Military Body Refining Qi Method into Gu Qingshan's body. It coursed through his limbs and bones before finally merging with his Sea of Consciousness.

A sudden understanding arose within him.

Instinctively, he knew how to break through to the next realm.

"My total Spiritual Power is still a little short..."

Gu Qingshan examined his dantian, assessing his Spiritual Power.

If he didn't have enough Spiritual Power, his attempt to break through would likely fail.

The only way to increase his total Spiritual Power was to put in the time and improve through constant cultivation.

Gu Qingshan gritted his teeth.

No. He couldn't wait any longer. The next time he entered the Otherworld, he would appear directly in the lost Divine Martial World. If he didn't grow stronger as soon as possible, he wouldn't even know what killed him.

Gu Qingshan slapped his Storage Bag and pulled out a large sack of snake's blood, then gulped down two huge mouthfuls.

Snake's blood could strengthen his perception and Soul Power, helping him precisely control his Spiritual Power in a short time.

Gu Qingshan wiped his mouth, formed a hand seal, and went still.

He was like a stone statue, sinking into a profound state of concentration.

A moment later, Gu Qingshan suddenly spat out a cloud of blood.

"I failed. I was just a little short. What a pity."

Gu Qingshan murmured a couple of words, quickly steadied his emotions, and began another attempt.

Before long, he spat out another mouthful of blood.

"I refuse to believe it. One last time."

Gu Qingshan gritted his teeth and gulped down another large mouthful of snake's blood.

His body was already stretched to its limit. In the short term, it could only withstand one more attempt.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.

Calm down.

He began his attempt again.

This time, it took much longer.

Gu Qingshan sat motionless in the night until the sky grew bright and the morning frost covered his clothes.

At last, he opened his eyes.

A flicker of joy appeared in them.

Gu Qingshan gently brought his hands together and called out, "Spiritual Power Shield!"

A faint glow of Spiritual Power appeared, enveloping his entire body.

The spell consumed a lot of Spiritual Power, yet its defensive power was pitifully weak. It was practically useless.

In a real fight, cultivators would rather wear armor or activate a defensive magical treasure than cast a Spiritual Power Shield.

Still, it was a spell that only cultivators at the sixth layer of Qi Refining could cast.

Gu Qingshan had finally broken through.

He stood and stretched mightily, his bones and joints crackling.

After cultivating all night, he had finally made a breakthrough. Gu Qingshan was very satisfied.

Once he reached the seventh layer of Qi Refining, he would be able to start trying to awaken his Divine Power as he broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Gu Qingshan returned to his room and rested for a while.

Nine twelve in the morning.

Gu Qingshan woke up.

He opened the blinds, and sunlight flooded the room.

Outside, traffic surged and voices filled the streets.

Gu Qingshan thought for a moment, then suddenly realized why.

The Federation's three-hundredth anniversary celebration was nineteen days away. On top of that, it was the time of year when the latest batch of recommended students enrolled in universities.

The whole city seemed to have sprung into a flurry of activity.

But none of that had anything to do with him. What should he do?

He had nothing to do in the morning. He might as well find somewhere to practice archery.

At noon, he would go to the presidential residence and have lunch with the President.

As for the evening, he would deliver Su Xue'er's birthday present.

Thinking of the delight on Su Xue'er's face, Gu Qingshan couldn't help grinning.

He took out his communicator and typed a message.

"I'm in the capital."

As soon as he sent it, a reply came in.

Gu Qingshan picked up the communicator and pressed the button. Su Xue'er's delighted voice immediately came through.

"You rascal, you were on TV, standing right next to the President, and you didn't even tell me beforehand."

"I didn't know in advance, either."

"Will the President sponsor you through college?"

"Yes. I'll be studying at National Defense University, with the President's sponsorship."

"That's wonderful! I'd been secretly saving Credit Points so I could help—"

Su Xue'er realized she had let something slip and hurriedly stopped, but the words were already out.

Gu Qingshan understood after a moment's thought, and the corners of his mouth gradually lifted.

That was just like Su Xue'er. She had been quietly making preparations for him, yet, mindful of his pride as a man, she had never brought it up.

This time, she must have been too happy and accidentally let it slip.