Background

"Mu Xue, did your sister tell you what we should do if something went wrong?"

Gu Sheng asked cautiously, not wanting to frighten the little girl.

Mu Xue bit her lip and pulled an ancient talisman from her robes.

"My sister gave me the Great Teleportation Ancient Talisman. She said that if something happened to her, I should take you and leave. She made arrangements outside."

Gu Sheng accepted the talisman and sensed the immense spatial power contained within.

He recalled his agreement with Miao Muqing: once he helped reignite the Southern Emperor's remnant soul, he would be free to leave.

Now that the Southern Emperor had awakened and was fighting the ancestors of the Seventy-two Divine Sects, this was indeed no longer a situation he could interfere in.

"What about the others?"

Gu Sheng asked.

"Did your sister prepare an escape route for them?"

Mu Xue shook her head, tears welling in her large eyes.

"My sister said they had all long been prepared to die for the Southern Emperor's lineage. Only me, because I'm still young, Sister only..."

Gu Sheng fell silent.

He understood their choice. In the Cultivation World, some beliefs mattered more than life itself.

But now, he had to ensure Mu Xue's safety.

"Let's go."

Gu Sheng rose and took Mu Xue's small hand.

"Get the Great Teleportation Ancient Talisman ready. I'll take you out of here."

Mu Xue nodded, then took another ancient ring from her storage ring and handed it to Gu Sheng.

"This is the Southern Emperor's Secret Treasure. Sister said that if she died, and you were willing to protect me and leave, then I should give these to you."

Hearing the girl's words, Gu Sheng's pupils contracted slightly before a knowing smile curved across his lips.

"So that's how it