Half a year later.
Peerless Nether Heaven, Heavenly Hero Ferry.
"Let us pick up where we left off."
"With the aid of the cultivators who had entered the tower, the great hero Rusty Lion finally reached the Heaven-Ascending Platform on the twelfth layer of the Mysterious Wasteland Tower."
"But who could have foreseen that Goshu Miu was already waiting on the Heaven-Ascending Platform, with the remnant soul of Ancient Demon Chi Yin guarding him? Once again, the great hero Rusty Lion faced a daunting obstacle."
"..."
In a teahouse by the ferry landing, a hunchbacked old storyteller waved a battered folding fan, spittle flying as he recounted the great hero Rusty Lion's ascent to the top of the Mysterious Wasteland Tower.
"Why are even teahouse storytellers telling this story now?"
Xu Taiping nearly spat out the tea he was drinking and muttered under his breath in embarrassment.
"Heeheehee..."
Fairy Lingyue burst out laughing inside the gourd.
"I heard from Bai Yu that the story storytellers across the realms most love telling these days is how the great hero Rusty Lion reached the top of the Mysterious Wasteland Tower."
Fairy Lingyue spoke with a laugh.
"Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland must have deliberately arranged for so many storytellers to recount Rusty Lion's ascent to divert the realms' attention from me."
After his brief embarrassment, Xu Taiping began analyzing the matter calmly.
"Now that you mention it, that certainly is possible."
Fairy Lingyue emerged from the gourd and sat opposite Xu Taiping, resting her snowy cheek on her hand in thought.
No one but Xu Taiping could see her spirit form.
"It seems the Great Emperor did more than release a Wang You Wind to erase my traces within the Mysterious Wasteland Tower."
Xu Taiping felt the might of Great Emperor Mysterious Wasteland