Jiang Ziya took his leave of Jade Void Palace and hurried down the immortal steps of Kunlun.
His master's parting warning, every forbidden word of it, was carved into his bones, lingering in his heart, and he dared not forget even the slightest bit. His expression cautious and his mind taut, he walked on in silence, and before long he arrived before the passage between the Immortal and Mortal Realms.
He needed only to pass through this barrier, and he would return to the mortal world's Xiqi.
But at that very moment, a soft, lingering voice suddenly drifted from behind him, piercing through the mountain breeze and landing precisely in Jiang Ziya's ears:
"Fellow Daoist, please stay!"
That sudden call was like a clap of thunder, exploding beside his ear.
Jiang Ziya's entire body jolted hard, and a chill abruptly rose in his heart. In an instant, he remembered the warning Primordial Heavenly Venerate had given before he set out:
Before returning to Xiqi, he must not answer anyone calling out to him, or else great disaster would descend upon him.
His whole body stiffened, and by instinct he suddenly turned his head to look back.
Cloud and mist surged along the mountain path, green pines hung heavy with dew, and a tall, slender figure stood amid the hazy Immortal Qi.
The man wore the Daoist robes of Jade Void, his features handsome and his brows and eyes familiar. It was none other than his fellow junior martial brother, Shen Gongbao.
Shen Gongbao's face carried a look of genuine delight, his eyes curving with his smile, without the slightest trace of hostility.
He strode forward quickly, his steps light, and directly raised a hand to grip Jiang Ziya's wrist tightly, his tone warm and intimate:
"Senior martial brother Ziya!"
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