Return

The group arrived at the foot of a peculiar mountain peak. Though it stood amid snowy mountains, the peak itself was free of ice and snow. Instead, it was shrouded in vast fog, making it seem like an immortal realm. The faintly visible mountain truly lived up to the name Misty Peak. Ren Ze surveyed the scenery around him and could not help marveling at nature's miraculous craftsmanship.

"Welcome back to the palace, Venerable Lord!"

Before long, the members of the Juntian Division hurried down from the mountain. Leading them were four women—the Tianshan Child Elder's personal attendants, Mei Lan Zhu Ju.

The Child Elder had everyone pay their respects to Ren Ze as the new master of Spirit Vulture Palace.

After returning to Spirit Vulture Palace on Misty Peak, the Child Elder carefully questioned Ren Ze about Wu Yazi.

When she learned of the life Wu Yazi had endured over the years, she flew into a towering rage, cursing Li Qiushui as a bitch. Gritting her teeth, she also swore to head to Star-Constellation Sea, drag that brat Ding Chunqiu out, skin him alive, and tear out his tendons. When she finally heard that Wu Yazi had passed on after transferring all his cultivation to Ren Ze, she broke down in tears. Only after learning that Ren Ze had already killed Ding Chunqiu and wiped the Star-Constellation Sect from existence did her emotions settle somewhat.

After that, the Child Elder personally and meticulously instructed Ren Ze, as though she wished to pass on all her lifelong learning to him as well. Though he had learned several forms of the Tianshan Six Yang Palm and Tianshan Zhemei Hand from Wu Yazi, it naturally could not compare to the Child Elder's personal guidance. After all, Wu Yazi had been injured and paralyzed for decades.

Moreover, the Child Elder's understanding of these two palm techniques was far more profound. She could spar with him one-on-one and teach him hand by hand. While she was at it, she also passed the method of the Life-Death Talisman on to Ren Ze.

Every day, he followed his martial aunt in refining his palm techniques, practiced the Life-Death Talisman, and assimilated the internal energy his master had passed down to him. The days went by swiftly enough.

One taught with care while the other trained diligently. Ren Ze's mastery of the two palm techniques grew increasingly flawless, and he also gained many insights of his own.

"Senior Sister, you're living quite comfortably here. You even have such a handsome young man keeping you company."

That day, Ren Ze was practicing the Tianshan Zhemei Hand with his martial aunt as usual when he suddenly heard the voice of an unfamiliar woman. Turning around, he saw a beautiful middle-aged woman. This must be Li Qiushui.

As expected of one of the three elders of the Carefree Sect. Despite all the people from the Nine Heavens and Nine Divisions, not a single one had noticed her or raised an alarm before she had made her way into the training grounds.

"Your little sister calculated that these next few days would be your joyous time of rejuvenation, so I came specifically to Spirit Vulture Palace on Misty Peak to visit you. I never expected you to be enjoying yourself so happily."

Li Qiushui showed no mercy with her words, and her movements were just as swift. She struck at the Child Elder with a palm. The Child Elder's cultivation had yet to recover, so she could only retreat again and again.

Ren Ze had still underestimated Li Qiushui's strength. He had thought he could handle her easily, but only upon truly facing her did he realize how overconfident he had been. Seeing a white blur shoot toward him, he had no time to think. He stepped with Lingbo Micro-steps, appeared at the white blur's side, circulated his internal energy, and fiercely slammed out a palm.

"What?!"

Li Qiushui met it with a backhanded palm. As their palms collided, a terrifying force rebounded directly at him. Ren Ze's expression changed drastically. Even with his physical constitution and deep cultivation, he had to stagger back three steps before dispersing the force.

Though he was not injured, that single exchange made Ren Ze understand just how laughable his earlier thoughts had been.

Li Qiushui, on the other hand, had easily blocked the strike. She stood as steady as a mountain, with only a trace of surprise on her face.

She said nothing. Nor was she in any hurry to kill the Child Elder now. Instead, she turned and attacked Ren Ze directly.

This time, Ren Ze used every skill at his disposal. Unfortunately, the Northern Dark true energy within him had yet to fully merge into one whole. That slight stagnation whenever he circulated his energy left him with only the ability to defend against Li Qiushui, and no means to counterattack.

Seeing that continuing the fight would only get him killed for nothing sooner or later, Ren Ze relied on the protection of the Yijin Jing and Northern Dark true energy to forcefully take a palm strike and open up some distance. His body flashed repeatedly, and with his martial aunt in tow, he moved with the nimbleness of willow catkins in a gentle breeze and the speed of lightning, instantly widening the gap between them and Li Qiushui.

"Who are you? Why do you know Lingbo Micro-steps?"

Li Qiushui did not rush to pursue. Upon seeing Ren Ze use Lingbo Micro-steps, she immediately demanded an answer.

"Hahaha! You still have the nerve to claim the status of Junior Brother Wu Yazi's wife? You don't even know who he is?"

The Child Elder burst into laughter at Li Qiushui's words, then pointed at Ren Ze and asked.

"I have not set foot in the martial world for a long time. Since when did such an outstanding young talent emerge among the younger generation? But why does he possess the Northern Dark Divine Skill and Lingbo Micro-steps of our Carefree Sect? Could he be your disciple?"

Li Qiushui looked at Ren Ze and asked with a smile.

"Then take a look at what he is wearing on his hand."

"The Sect Leader Jade Ring?!"

Following the Child Elder's words, Li Qiushui saw the ring on Ren Ze's hand. Her expression changed, and she blurted out in shock. All her previous composure had vanished.

"Good Martial Nephew, tell me: who sent you here to learn martial arts from me?"

The Child Elder asked with a laugh.

"Ah..."

Ren Ze knew full well that his martial aunt was deceiving Li Qiushui, but he could only cooperate. "It was Master Wu Yazi. He told me to come to Martial Aunt and learn the Tianshan Zhemei Hand."

"You... you are his direct disciple? He... he actually had you come to Wu Xingyun to learn martial arts?"

These words dealt Li Qiushui an utterly devastating blow, leaving her speech somewhat unsteady.

Back when they were young, Li Qiushui and Wu Xingyun had openly and secretly competed over Wu Yazi. Even if Wu Yazi spoke a few extra words to one of them, the other would be unable to bear it. Yet now, Wu Yazi's disciple had come to Wu Xingyun to learn martial arts. Did that not mean Wu Yazi considered Wu Xingyun closer to him?

Seeing Li Qiushui's distraught appearance, the Child Elder felt indescribably delighted from head to toe. She laughed aloud. "Bitch, do you think my martial nephew came to Misty Peak merely to learn martial arts? He came here to help me deal with a bitch like you as well."

"Is that so..."

Li Qiushui was absentminded, as if most of her soul had left her body. Her gaze remained fixed tightly on Ren Ze as she asked, "Could it be... that your master ordered you to come deal with me?"

"No."

In the end, this was a matter between his elders. Ren Ze shook his head and told her the truth. "Master has already passed away."

"That's impossible. Wu Yazi's martial arts were far stronger than either of ours. The two of us are still alive and well, so how could he possibly be dead? What exactly happened to him?"

There was hesitation and fear in Li Qiushui's voice, as though she truly had become a frail old woman at the end of her life.

Ren Ze then told Li Qiushui the entire story from beginning to end.

"Ah, Senior Sister was right. How could I possibly have the face to see him now? Junior Brother was once an elegant, peerless man, yet I was the one who caused him to become crippled. I harmed him... I harmed him! Wu Yazi, why were you so cruel? Why did you leave me behind and go alone? If you are no longer in this world, what reason is there for me, Li Qiushui, to remain in it? What I owe you in this life, I will repay in the next, even if I must carry a ring of grass in my mouth to do so..."

Ren Ze had not expected the news of Wu Yazi's death to strike Li Qiushui so hard. After saying those words, she raised her jade-like hand and fiercely struck it toward the crown of her own head.

"Don't!"

Li Qiushui's actions made Ren Ze's expression change drastically.

But with Li Qiushui's martial arts, if she wanted to kill herself, how could Ren Ze possibly stop her?

Li Qiushui was dead. After hearing of Wu Yazi's passing, she had taken her own life to follow him in death. Though she had done countless absurd things while alive, her feelings for Wu Yazi had been etched into her bones.

Tong Lao did not die, but after hearing of Wu Yazi's passing, her desperate eagerness to teach Ren Ze everything she knew had already seemed deeply wrong. Then, witnessing her lifelong enemy Li Qiushui commit suicide before her eyes, and realizing that among her peers from the same school, only she remained... Tong Lao spent her remaining days despondent. Just over half a month later, she too died of grief.

Observing the proper rites of a junior disciple, Ren Ze handled the funeral arrangements for his two martial aunts. He recovered from this upheaval rather quickly, after all; his bond with the two of them was not as deep as the one he had shared with his master.

However, after personally exchanging a few moves with Li Qiushui, Ren Ze's former arrogance and complacency—his tendency to look down on the heroes of the world—vanished. He handed all matters of Spirit Vulture Palace over to Yu Po and no longer involved himself in the affairs of the martial world. Instead, he immersed himself in martial arts, training diligently every day in hopes of reaching Li Qiushui's level of effortless mastery.

From time to time, he would offer guidance to the four Mei Lan Zhu Ju sisters. His days passed freely and happily enough.

After cultivating for some time, Ren Ze finally completely integrated the internal energy his master had passed down to him, as well as all the enemy internal energy absorbed through the Northern Dark Divine Skill.

Aside from the Life-Death Talisman, which he had only achieved minor success in before tossing it aside, the Tianshan Six Yang Palm, Tianshan Zhemei Hand, and Lingbo Micro-steps had all reached perfection.

Ren Ze had previously considered visiting Dream Lady, perhaps taking the chance to obtain profound martial arts such as the Six Meridian Divine Sword and the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. But a gentle haven was a hero's grave, and he truly could not stay on Misty Peak any longer. Ren Ze had intended to descend the mountain, but the four Mei Lan Zhu Ju sisters insisted on following him wherever he went, leaving him with quite a headache.

What grand scenes had Ren Ze not witnessed in his previous life? Yet at Spirit Vulture Palace, surrounded by a flock of beautiful women who treated him with the utmost respect, and after spending so long with Mei Lan Zhu Ju, all it took was a glance for him to enjoy meticulous service. Other than training, he did not need to worry about anything at all.

Ren Ze felt that even with money in the modern world, he had never seen anything like this. If he stayed any longer, he feared he would sink into this gentle haven and be unable to pull himself free...

Sensing that the Star Map's energy was full, Ren Ze decided that since his foundation had already been established—and since he was worried that if he stayed away from the Devouring World for too long, he might be unable to keep up after returning—he hardened his heart. Leaving behind a letter with a brief explanation, he watched as a patch of silvery-white light flashed in the void and swallowed him whole.

Looking at the somewhat empty room before him, Ren Ze would have almost suspected that his experiences in the Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils World had been nothing more than a dream, if not for the endlessly surging true qi within his body.

Although his time in the Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils World had been comfortable, Ren Ze did not wish to miss the more magnificent sights among the sea of stars.

Ren Ze did not bother reviewing the gains and losses of this journey or assessing his current strength. The first thing he did was go online and check how far the plot in the Devouring World had progressed.

"What?!"

What shocked him was that nearly a year had passed in the world of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, while time in the Swallowed Star World had remained at the exact instant before he had transmigrated!

The Star Map was terrifying indeed!