Where on earth did this land me

The piercing spatial turbulence and the crushing sensation that tore at the divine soul persisted for I know not how long before finally receding altogether.

Lu Chen's consciousness was the first to clear, his eyelids exceptionally heavy as he forced his eyes open.

The scene that met his gaze was still a deep, dense forest with ancient trees shutting out the sky.

Yet Lu Chen could be certain this was definitely not the place where he and Qian Renxue had previously fought.

Where the hell did this bring me?

Lu Chen propped himself up on the ground to sit, preparing to massage his still-dizzy head.

Yet the moment he raised his hand, Lu Chen instantly froze in place.

What entered his field of vision was a pair of slender, youthful palms that completely did not belong to a sixteen-year-old boy.

A sharp jolt struck Lu Chen's heart, and he hurriedly lowered his head to inspect himself.

His originally slender and tall figure abruptly shrunk, becoming youthful and tender with his height dropping significantly, while the muscle lines and physical aura of his entire body had regressed back to the appearance of his youth.

Too late to be shocked by the changes to his body, Lu Chen checked his soul power at the very first moment, and his expression instantly sank.

The originally thick and majestic vast soul power of a rank-sixty Spirit Emperor was completely gone; the soul power within his body was thin and condensed, and his strength had already dropped to the level of a rank-thirty-one Spirit Zun.

Even his soul rings and soul skills only remained as the initial three.

Damn it, what on earth happened?!

Lu Chen was unable to accept it for a moment.

A spatial collapse not only caused his strength to abruptly plummet back to a rank-thirty-one Spirit Zun, but even his physique and age had been forcibly regressed.

Don't panic, don't panic... It's nothing more than recultivating.

A moment later, Lu Chen—having accepted his regression in strength and physical rollback—took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

Then he chanted inwardly: System.

Accompanied by Lu Chen's voice falling, the familiar pale-blue virtual screen materialized in Lu Chen's field of vision as promised.

[Commodity: Strength Bracers]
[Category: Props]
[Quantity: 1]
[Quality: Blue]
[Flash Sale Price: 10 Gold Soul Coins]
[Status: Sold]

[Commodity: Century Spirit Ring Age Enhancement Card]
[Category: Props]
[Quantity: 10]
[Quality: Blue]
[Flash Sale Price: 10 Gold Soul Coins]
[Status: Sold]

[Commodity: Flash Step]
[Category: Ability]
[Quantity: 1]
[Quality: Pink]
[Flash Sale Price: 2500 Gold Soul Coins]
[Status: Sold]
[Time remaining until next refresh: 7 days 18 hours]

Phew, good thing the flash sale shop is still here.

Seeing this familiar interface, the heart that had been hanging in Lu Chen's chest finally settled.

As long as his cheat was still here, dropping in rank and physical regression were not major matters.

Returning to his peak was merely a matter of time.

Open my attribute panel.

Lu Chen continued to chant inwardly.

Immediately afterward, another familiar panel appeared within Lu Chen's field of vision.

It was filled with all of Lu Chen's current basic information.

[Name: Lu Chen]
[Age: 12]
[Martial Soul: Sagittarius Gold Cloth]
[Soul Power Rank: 31]
[Abilities: Flash Step, Liu Xing'ang's Culinary Skills, Photographic Memory, Intermediate Alchemy]
[Cultivated Combat Techniques: Sonic Fist, Shadow Arrow, Arrow of Light, Light-Speed Fist, Atomic Thunderbolt Light-Speed Fist...]
[Cultivated Cultivation Method: Cosmo (Early Sixth Sense)]
[Props: Magic Scroll-Meteor Volcano (Damaged), Soul Tool-Poké Ball (Damaged), Soul Power Recovery Potion * 10 (Damaged)...]

It seems my age really has regressed to twelve.

Fortunately, though, my cultivated combat techniques are still here, so I don't need to recultivate them.

Looking at his attribute panel, Lu Chen could not help but feel reassured.

Whether it was the Atomic Thunderbolt Light-Speed Fist or the Cosmo, both were combat techniques and cultivation methods inherited from the Sagittarius Cloth, requiring him to comprehend and practice them himself.

However, this was the world of Douro Continent, where whether it was Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill or the Cosmo,

after cultivation, they would both transform into soul power possessing the characteristics of those cultivation methods.

Through these years of cultivation and enlightenment, Lu Chen also had a rough understanding of the division of his Cosmo levels and soul power ranks.

The first five senses of the Cosmo corresponded to soul power ranks 1 through 29.

Early sixth sense corresponded to soul power ranks 30 through 39.

Middle sixth sense was rank 40 to 59.

As for peak sixth sense, it was rank 60 to 79.

Above peak sixth sense, there was also a rank known as the limit of the sixth sense, which was the quasi-seventh sense, corresponding to the soul power rank of a rank-eighty Spirit Douro.

If he could break through the sixth sense to reach the seventh sense, he would also naturally and logically become a Titled Douro.

Before fighting Qian Renxue, he had just broken through to peak sixth sense.

Now his soul power rank was regressed to 31, so the Cosmo that was originally at peak sixth sense had also regressed to the early stage of just awakening the sixth sense.

Wait, what does it mean that these props of mine are damaged?

Seeing this, Lu Chen could not help but panic, instinctively touching the index finger of his left hand.

In an instant, his expression turned dark once more.

The space ring he had worn for many years was still there, but the once-warm luster on the surface of the ring had completely dimmed, covered in fine cracks with all its patterns shattered.

Lu Chen immediately urged his soul power to attempt activation, yet he could not feel any spatial fluctuations.

Damn it, this time I've lost enough to bankrupt the whole family!

The corners of Lu Chen's twitching slightly, his liver aching with a pang of heartache.

Because of the spatial collapse, his space ring had already been completely destroyed.

Inside this thing were stored his accumulated earnings of a full ten years.

Countless medicinal pills, precious materials, and cultivation resources were all damaged and unusable.

A whole decade's worth of family fortune had now been reduced to zero in a single day.

Right, where is Qian Renxue?

She and I were swept into the spatial turbulence together; she should be nearby as well.

He and Qian Renxue had been sucked into the spatial turbulence together, so logically speaking, Qian Renxue should also be nearby.

Yet Lu Chen looked around and found no trace of Qian Renxue whatsoever.

Boom—

A streak of golden holy light broke through the thick foliage of the forest, and violent soul power swept through the surroundings, shaking the surrounding branches and leaves until they rustled down.

Immediately following that, an angry beast roar echoed in the forest for a long time.

Holy Light!

It's Qian Renxue!

Lu Chen's gaze sharpened as he instantly locked onto the source of the sound, transforming into a afterimage as he dashed rapidly toward the direction where the sound had erupted.

Meanwhile, on the other side, a twelve-year-old Qian Renxue was spreading three pairs of angelic wings as she continuously shuttled through the forest.

The hem of her snow-white dress was torn in multiple places, and her forearms and shoulders were stained with dark red bloodstains.

Behind Qian Renxue, a huge Cockscomb Phoenix Snake was hurtling at high speed through the jungle, its scarlet vertical pupils locked tightly onto the girl ahead.

Detestable little thief, if not for him, how could a ten-thousand-year spirit beast have injured me?!

Qian Renxue looked back at the Cockscomb Phoenix Snake pursuing her relentlessly behind, her heart filled with grievance.

In order to resolve the Heaven Dou Empire by gentle means, starting from the age of nine, she had lurked alone within the Heaven Dou Empire's imperial family under the identity of Xue Qinghe.

Yet having lurked in the Heaven Dou Empire for a long time and disguised herself as Xue Qinghe, she wore a mask day after day, scheming and plotting.

Sometimes even she herself was dazed, wondering whether she was Xue Qinghe of the Heaven Dou Empire or Qian Renxue of Spirit Hall.

Therefore, every time she broke through a realm and stepped alone into the Star Dou Great Forest, could she cast off all disguises and be a pure Qian Renxue.

She didn't need to scheme, nor did she need to keep her nerves taut at every moment for fear of her identity being exposed.

This was the brief period of time that belonged exclusively to her, Qian Renxue.

This time she smoothly broke through to the rank-sixty Spirit Emperor, and after absorbing her sixth spirit ring, she relaxed her body and mind at a secluded lake as usual.

Thinking it would be another period of peaceful, solitary time, who would have anticipated a petty thief barging in halfway, abruptly breaking in on her bathing? Out of shame and anger, she had pursued and killed the other party.

She never expected that the other party's age was similar to hers, yet his strength was not the least bit weaker than hers.

The battle between the two caused the space to collapse.

When she woke up, she discovered that not only had her body regressed to the appearance of being twelve years old, but her strength had also dropped back to rank 41.

And what was even worse was that right beside her was a ten-thousand-year Cockscomb Phoenix Snake.

If not for her fast reactions, she would already be inside the belly of the Cockscomb Phoenix Snake.

Yet right at this moment, the Cockscomb Phoenix Snake suddenly mustered its strength, its thick snake body abruptly springing forward with sharp fangs lunging straight at Qian Renxue's back.

Qian Renxue turned around hastily, condensing her soul power onto her arms in an attempt to block the Cockscomb Phoenix Snake's attack.

However, how could the impact force of a ten-thousand-year Cockscomb Phoenix Snake be something she, a rank-forty-one Spirit Master, could resist?

The enormous impact caused Qian Renxue's blood to churn violently, her figure crashing into a tree trunk before plummeting toward the ground.

Cough, cough!

Injury after injury made it impossible for Qian Renxue to even maintain her Spirit Avatar.

A trace of blood overflowed from the corner of Qian Renxue's mouth.

Am I going to die here?

Qian Renxue raised her head, looking up somewhat hopelessly at the Cockscomb Phoenix Snake towering before her.

Having experienced successive exhaustion and plagued by heavy injuries, she currently lacked even half a shred of strength to fight again.

The Cockscomb Phoenix Snake's massive body suddenly sprang forward, carrying a fishy stench straight toward Qian Renxue.

As for Qian Renxue, she slowly closed her eyes as if accepting her fate, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.

Whether it was an illusion or not, at this moment Qian Renxue actually generated a sense of release.

Yet the instant the snake's body was about to draw close, a black arrow shot precisely into the shadow of the Cockscomb Phoenix Snake.

The massive body of the Cockscomb Phoenix Snake was instantly pinned in place.

Immediately afterward, a golden figure appeared before Qian Renxue.