Within the great hall, the lingering waves of Dao resonance gradually subsided.
Zhou Yan and the others held their newly transformed magic artifacts. Apart from Black Mountain, that simple-minded bear, all of them wore complicated, unreadable expressions.
They kept feeling that Si Chen was somehow different today.
Si Chen looked at his friends, their expressions varied, words hovering on their lips, and nodded with a smile.
"Head back and get some rest. The road ahead may not be quite so easy."
At his words, Xie Changsheng, Zhou Yan, Song Chi, and the others exchanged glances. Though countless questions and turbulent emotions churned within them, none said anything more.
"All right, Brother Si. See you tomorrow."
With that, they rose one after another and stepped out into the night.
Li Tiezhu kept looking back every few steps, seeming utterly distracted, until his considerate Second Junior Brother "helped" him out with an expression both pained and kindly.
The great hall soon emptied. Only Gray Gray stayed put.
Considering itself Master Si Chen's most loyal, irreplaceable companion, it trotted over to his chair, settled comfortably beside it, closed its eyes, and went straight to sleep.
Si Chen did not chase it away. He merely reached out and gently rubbed its furry head.
"An outside force, huh..."
He had advised Tiezhu not to rely too heavily on an outside force of unknown origin.
Yet as Si Chen looked at his own clean, slender fingers, he shook his head slightly in self-mockery.
Thinking about it carefully...
To Xie Changsheng, to Song Chi, to Luo Hongyi and Zhou Yan, and even to this entire world...
Was he himself not the greatest, most unreasonable "outside force" of all?
Just as the Heavenly Dao of the Lower Realm had said, he transcended every rule.
And just as all