Reunion

A spatial rift silently tore open deep within a quiet forest.

Ei emerged, bringing Qian Qizhou with her. The rift behind them quickly sealed shut.

She glanced around, somewhat surprised by the scenery.

Towering ancient trees spread their lush branches overhead. The only sounds in the forest were the rustle of leaves stirred by the breeze and the occasional distant birdcall.

Shouldn't there be lots of Soul Beasts in this small world's forest? It was certainly quiet here.

But there was no time to think about that. This projected clone was almost out of time.

A moment later, Ei stopped in front of a stone wall overgrown with ivy.

With a slight movement of her fingertips, the wall and vines silently crumbled into dust, revealing a cave that offered shelter from the wind and rain.

After settling Qian Qizhou inside, Ei vanished from the spot.

Time passed in silence. The light and shadows shifted outside the cave, and before long, a day had gone by.

Qian Qizhou's eyelashes fluttered a few times. His consciousness, like a sunken ship, struggled to rise from the depths.

But the first thing to return was his sense of pain—agonizing pain.

It felt as if every bone in his body had been crushed and then hastily pieced back together. The pain was so intense that he nearly fainted again.

He let out a muffled groan and, with excruciating slowness, struggled to open his heavy eyelids.

His blurred vision gradually came into focus.

What greeted him wasn't a familiar room, nor anywhere else he recognized.

It was rough, gray-brown rock etched with natural patterns. The air was thick with the scent of earth and moss, along with a faint, indescribably fresh fragrance.

He froze for a moment, recalling the last things he remembered before losing consciousness.

Martial Soul Awakening... a falling-out... destroying the Pope Palace...

But what had happened after that? And where was he now?

Enduring the stabbing pain, he struggled to turn his neck and look around.

It was a small cave. Naturally hanging vines obscured most of the entrance, letting in only a little light to illuminate the dry ground inside.

Clearly, the power he had unleashed earlier had exceeded what his body could withstand. That was why he was in so much pain.

But another, more primal and urgent need soon overwhelmed it—hunger.

Including the day he spent undergoing Martial Soul Awakening and unconscious, he hadn't eaten for over two days.

His stomach was completely empty, and sharp, burning cramps twisted through it.

If he didn't eat something soon, he might not die of pain—he might quietly starve to death in this unknown cave.

He couldn't just sit and wait to die!

Leaning against the cold stone wall, he moved his body with excruciating slowness, inch by inch.

Every movement tugged at his injuries, and darkness flickered at the edges of his vision.

After struggling for what felt like ages, he finally managed to get himself upright. His legs trembled violently, barely able to support him.

But he had no choice. Qian Qizhou took a deep breath and, fighting off the dizziness and stabbing pain, braced himself against the rough stone wall as he inched toward the light at the cave entrance.

His steps were unsteady. Several times, his legs nearly gave out beneath him, and only the determination not to starve to death kept him going.

It was only a few steps, but they seemed to drain every last bit of his strength.

At last, he pushed aside the hanging vines and stumbled out of the cave. The rather bright sunlight made him squint instinctively.

Fresh air filled his lungs, clearing some of the fog from his mind.

He leaned against the cliff outside the cave, breathing heavily as he looked around in confusion at the unfamiliar surroundings.

A dense primeval forest, towering ancient trees, and bushes and weeds blanketing the ground.

Food... Where could he find something edible?

Qian Qizhou leaned against the cliff, his vision swimming from pain and weakness as he searched his surroundings in bewilderment for anything he could eat.

Then a startled, disbelieving cry rang out from nearby.

"Xiao Zhou?!"

That voice sounded familiar.

Fighting off the dizziness, Qian Qizhou turned his head in confusion.

A swift figure raced toward him through the nearby trees, ice-blue hair streaming in the wind.

Who else could it be but Guang Ling Douluo?

In almost an instant, Guang Ling reached him. Shock and confusion filled his face as he caught Qian Qizhou, who was on the verge of collapsing.

"Xiao Zhou! It really is you?! Why are you here? What on earth happened?" Guang Ling's voice was full of disbelief.

Why was Xiao Zhou here all alone? In the middle of nowhere, and where was that person?

Leaning against Guang Ling, Qian Qizhou stared at the man who had suddenly appeared. His mind struggled to catch up. "Guang... Ling? How did you find me here?"

Supporting Qian Qizhou, Guang Ling carefully helped him sit against the trunk of a large tree.

Then he quickly took some water and easy-to-swallow provisions from his Soul Tool.

"Don't talk yet. Eat something first." He handed the food to Qian Qizhou. Watching him devour it almost on instinct, he finally let out a small sigh of relief.

Once Qian Qizhou had slowed down a little and caught his breath, Guang Ling scratched his head and said casually, "Ah, don't even get me started."

He waved a hand. "After that person... uh... took you away, I decided Spirit Hall had lost all its appeal, so I simply packed up and left."

"I was planning to wander around and see if I could find out anything about you."

"I happened to be passing through this forest, so I thought I'd try my luck and see if I could find any decent treasures. Then, if I ever ran into you again, I could help you get your strength back."

He turned back to Qian Qizhou, who still looked a little dazed. "I just didn't expect to run into you here."

Qian Qizhou's ravenous eating slowed. His fingers tightened slightly around the provisions, and he lowered his head, falling silent for a moment.

The wind swept through the forest, leaving only the rustle of leaves and branches.

After a long while, he finally murmured, so softly it was almost swallowed by his throat, "...Thank you."

But before Guang Ling could respond, Qian Qizhou suddenly lifted his head, belatedly asking, "Wait... who did you say took me away?"

Was that something that happened after he passed out?

He had no memory of what had happened between Spirit Hall and this place.

"How did I get here? Who took me away?"

At that, Guang Ling froze, his expression turning startled.

"You don't know?" he asked instinctively, his brow furrowing. "You've never met that person?"

Seeing the confusion and uncertainty in Qian Qizhou's eyes, Guang Ling realized that he truly had no idea what had happened.

He clicked his tongue and rubbed his brow, his expression growing complicated.

"All right. Since you've forgotten, I'll tell you." Guang Ling simply sat down cross-legged and, facing Qian Qizhou, told him everything—from Ei's appearance to her taking him away.

Qian Qizhou froze too. "Lightning? Purple hair? Incredibly powerful?"

That was Ei, wasn't it? Could a god descend into the mortal world? And she had saved him.