Amid the boundless sea of clouds, an Armored Interprefecture Warship a thousand zhang long, built entirely of Dark Gold Spiritwood and Black Iron, hurtled toward the Heavenly Abyss District at full speed. It roared low and wild like an ancient beast tearing open the sky.
At its bow, a black banner snapped in the wind. Two crossed swords and a purple lotus were embroidered on it in gold thread. This was the Heavenly Abyss Battle Banner, designed by Chu Bai himself.
Astral Wind howled, but a zhang from the bow, an invisible layer of protective Purple Abode energy dissolved it without a sound.
Clad in blue robes, Chu Bai stood at the front of the deck with his hands behind his back.
His long hair, black once more, was pinned up with a simple wooden hairpin. Though he released no pressure deliberately,
simply standing there made him seem at one with the vast Laws of Heaven and Earth. He possessed a supreme bearing that commanded awe without anger, as though the universe lay in his hands.
Behind Chu Bai stood Lei Wu and several other Heavenly Abyss generals, attending him respectfully. With them were three cultivators whose faces shone with excitement and whose very breathing seemed cautious.
They were Zhang Cheng, Hu Hao, and Pang Song—the trusted men who had fought their way up alongside Chu Bai in Anping County!
After leaving Great Wall Prefecture and forging an alliance with Qingzhou's three powerful departments, Chu Bai had not returned directly to Heavenly Abyss. Instead, he had used his privileges as Realm Lord and a secret transfer order to bring these three loyal veterans, men he had personally raised through the ranks, from Anping County onto the warship.
"My lord..."
Zhang Cheng gazed at Chu Bai's unfathomable figure from behind. His