"Uncle Long~"
Only after Zhongli Wu had severed his own arm did he hear the familiar voice.
He looked toward its source and found the person he had been longing for: Long Xiaoyao, the Holy Spirit Cult's supreme Worshipper.
Kong Deming, Jing Hongchen, and the others saw Long Xiaoyao descend in an instant in his true black dragon form, intent on breaking Kong Deming's encirclement of Zhongli Wu.
But Kong Deming was no pushover. In an instant, the Silver Moon Divine Light Shield gathered the power of hundreds of Royal Soul Engineers and unleashed a mighty strike, matching Long Xiaoyao blow for blow.
At that, everyone gained a rough sense of Kong Deming's strength.
Long Xiaoyao was equally shocked by Kong Deming's power. Their exchange had appeared to end in a draw, but in truth, he had not even broken through Kong Deming's defensive shield.
He also sensed that Kong Deming's cultivation had advanced considerably again. He seemed not far from the legendary Rank-10 Soul Engineer.
Facing Zhongli Wu, who had already severed an arm, Kong Deming finally waved the Royal Soul Engineer Corps aside to open a path. Long Xiaoyao landed beside Zhongli Wu, but with another wave, Kong Deming had the corps surround them once more.
Long Xiaoyao's face was cold as he demanded, "Kong Deming, don't you owe me an explanation?"
From afar, Long Xiaoyao had sensed a violent clash here. By the time he arrived, he found Ye Xishui's son, Zhongli Wu, under siege.
He had rushed to Zhongli Wu's aid, but still failed to stop him from severing his own arm.
Fury surged through him. He wanted to confront Kong Deming head-on, but the Holy Spirit Cult still depended on the Sun Moon Empire to grow.
Forget it. Better not stir up more trouble.
I'll do what I can to keep Zhongli Wu alive.
What he did not know was that the moment he called out, the feud between Zhongli Wu and Mingde Hall had already been "settled" for the time being.
He had arrived too late. What was done could not be undone.
Beside him, Zhongli Wu was in agony and seething with resentment. "Uncle Long~"
"Boss, you're finally here."
The speaker was the fourth Worshipper. At the sight of Long Xiaoyao, his despair and humiliation vanished without a trace.
In their place came the pride of having someone to back him up.
Myriad Souls, Minglei, Mask, and the other Holy Spirit Cult experts felt the same.
At the sight of Long Xiaoyao, Kong Deming thought, Good thing I pushed him to the limit. If that old rascal Long Xiaoyao had gotten involved...
I might not have been able to do a thing to Zhongli Wu today.
Outwardly, Kong Deming showed Long Xiaoyao no fear. "Brother Long, your timing is perfect."
"I was just saying I ought to teach young Zhongli Wu a lesson for you."
At that, Long Xiaoyao turned his gaze on Zhongli Wu and the others.
Zhongli Wu's eyes flickered. He did not dare meet Long Xiaoyao's gaze.
As his "stepfather," Long Xiaoyao could hardly say much to him.
He could only turn to the fourth Worshipper. "Fourth, you tell me."
"Boss~"
"Here's what happened~"
The fourth Worshipper recounted the whole affair to Long Xiaoyao from beginning to end.
Long Xiaoyao grew furious as he listened.
Kong Deming, Jing Hongchen, and Mingde Hall's other Super Douluo stood quietly to one side, watching the spectacle unfold.
When the account was finished, Long Xiaoyao shot Zhongli Wu, Feng Ling, and the others a vicious glare.
The others held up well enough, but Zhongli Wu and Feng Ling both flinched.
Strictly speaking, Long Xiaoyao was their stepfather.
In name, each of them had to call Long Xiaoyao "Dad~"
Once Long Xiaoyao had heard everything, his earlier temper faded.
He sent Kong Deming a private message. "Brother Kong, on Ye Xishui's behalf, I apologize to you and Mingde Hall for what Zhongli Wu did today."
Kong Deming was not surprised.
After all, strictly speaking, the Sun Moon Empire was the Holy Spirit Cult's patron.
Kong Deming sent a private message back. "Pass a few words on to Ye Xishui for me..."
Only then did Kong Deming order the Royal Soul Engineer Corps to open a path for Zhongli Wu and the others.
Even so, Kong Deming could not resist rubbing salt into Zhongli Wu's wound. "Zhongli Wu, remember the oath you swore today."
"Otherwise, next time it won't end with just one arm."
Ashamed, Zhongli Wu hurried away, nursing his hatred in his heart. Just you wait, Kong Deming. When my Holy Spirit Cult unites the continent, your Sun Moon Empire will fall.
With the matter settled, Kong Deming swept his hand, ordering the Royal Soul Engineer Corps behind him to return the way they had come.
He then motioned for Jing Hongchen to lead the way. "Jing Hongchen, take me to see that troublemaker Ye Fan."
Jing Hongchen said, "Teacher, Ye Fan seems to wield some kind of spatial power."
"I'm afraid he's hiding in a mysterious space somewhere right now."
"I don't know where he is, either."
"Oh~"
That only piqued Kong Deming's interest further.
As the saying went, time reigned as emperor, space ruled as king; when fate stayed hidden, causality claimed supremacy.
The other three powers were all things one could only hope to encounter.
Yet Ye Fan possessed spatial power at such a young age. How could Kong Deming not be delighted?
Kong Deming himself was also researching spatial power.
If he could study it alongside Ye Fan's mysterious space, he might make another breakthrough on the path of space.
What Kong Deming did not know was that Ye Fan also possessed the power of fate, another of the four mysterious powers, though he had yet to master it.
"I see! Then I'll stay at Mingde Hall a few more days and take the chance to guide Meng Meng and Xiao Xiao in their cultivation."
As he spoke, Kong Deming looked toward Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen.
"Thank you, Teacher!" Jing Hongchen beamed.
Inside the Undead Demiplane, Ye Fan sat upright, planning to swallow all his remaining pills in one go.
And so he began a long stretch of cultivation.
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, the Ice Empress, the Dark Demon Ape, and the Soul Beast Embryo stood guard beside him.
In the real world, the Ice Bear King barreled through Mingde Hall, but he knew this was Ye Fan's home and did not attack anyone.
In the end, Jing Hongchen went to speak with him. "Ice Bear King, what are you doing in Mingde Hall's storeroom?"
The Ice Bear King looked at Jing Hongchen and recognized him as Ye Fan's teacher. "I'm hungry~" he said obediently.
"Uh~"
Only then did Jing Hongchen realize the big fellow was hungry.
For Ye Fan's sake, and because the Ice Bear King did not seem very bright and never attacked anyone unprovoked, Jing Hongchen eventually assigned people to feed him.
The Ice Bear King liked this carefree life so much that he volunteered to guard Mingde Hall.
Just like that, three months flew by.
Kong Deming was beginning to doubt whether Jing Hongchen had told him the truth.
"Jing Hongchen, did you really see Ye Fan fly into a spatial plane?"
"Yes, Teacher!" Jing Hongchen said.
"I can vouch for it."
"Ye Fan wouldn't have..."
Just as Jing Hongchen, Xiao Hongchen, and Meng Hongchen were all worrying about Ye Fan, a faint spatial ripple appeared somewhere inside Mingde Hall.
"I've finally absorbed all those pills. I wonder if this time I can soar straight to the heavens."
Before you continue