Luo Yue's first glance held confusion. At her second, her pupils abruptly contracted, and her heart hammered!
She scarcely hesitated. Her body's instincts outpaced her thoughts, and her little hand shot out like lightning, scooping the fragment of Five-Colored Stone into her palm with perfect precision.
The movement was swift, executed in one seamless breath!
It was so fast that even Luo Qingluan, standing right beside her and patting her chest in lingering fright, saw only a blur.
"What did you just pick up?"
Only Duan De's eyes were sharp enough to catch Luo Yue's movement, and he immediately perked up.
His tiny, mung-bean eyes went perfectly round as he stared unblinkingly at Luo Yue's clenched little fist.
Only then did Luo Qingluan, Luo Qingying, and the others react, their gazes converging on Luo Yue's hand.
They did not know exactly what it was, but anything that could make that fat bastard Duan De lose his composure-and even stir his uncanny Broken Bowl-had to be an extraordinary treasure. Luo Qingluan instinctively moved to step forward and shield Luo Yue behind her.
Luo Yue's thoughts raced. She forcibly suppressed both the Heaven-Mending Stone's violent reaction in her Life Spring and the wild delight in her heart.
"Nothing."
Luo Yue casually lowered the hand holding the fragment and slipped it into her little sleeve. Her voice was flat, betraying not the slightest emotion.
"Just an ordinary bit of source crystal blasted loose by that shock wave. It picked up a little chaotic aura from the Dao principles, so it looks somewhat unusual."
As she spoke, she seemingly adjusted her sleeves without a care. In truth, she was secretly channeling divine power, trying to begin suppressing the Vision caused by the resonance between the two fragments of Heaven-Mending Stone.
"Who are you trying to fool? An ordinary bit of source crystal?!"
Duan De's eyes bulged. He was so excited that spittle nearly flew from his mouth, and his fat face flushed crimson as he pointed at Luo Yue's sleeve and said:
"Heavenly Venerate above! That aura, that Dao resonance of creation's primordial source-that's absolutely a rare treasure of heaven and earth!"
"Little princess of the Luo Family, let this humble Daoist appraise it. I'll only take a look!"
"I'll give it right back!"
In his excitement, he could not help taking a step forward. His bulky body burst into motion with speed utterly at odds with its size, and a fat hand darted out like lightning, reaching straight for Luo Yue's sleeve.
"!"
"Fat bastard, where do you think you're putting that hand?!"
Luo Qingluan shouted furiously.
Luo Qingying stepped forward as well. His Dragon Transformation Secret Realm aura erupted, forming a powerful pressure that enveloped Duan De.
But at that moment, Duan De had eyes only for the fragment of Five-Colored Stone. His movement did not pause at all.
"Hum-!"
Suddenly,
a terrifying pressure, vast as a sea of stars and blazing as the sun, abruptly descended upon them.
It was not an attack, yet it carried an unquestionable authority. Jiang Wei appeared soundlessly in front of Luo Yue, completely blocking the reaching hand.
He did not look at Duan De. He merely raised the Hengyu Furnace in his hand slightly. A Divine Phoenix pattern flashed across its wall, and a wisp of supremely concentrated Emperor Weapon aura crashed down upon Duan De like an invisible divine mountain.
"Ow! This humble Daoist's poor old back!"
Duan De's forward momentum stopped dead.
As though he had collided with an invisible Divine Iron Wall, his entire body pitched forward. With a thud, he fell flat on his face, eating dirt like a dog.
"Daoist Duan."
Jiang Wei's voice was calm, yet carried a chill that could freeze ten thousand miles. "The item belongs to Yue'er. If you try anything else, I won't mind inviting you to the Jiang Family Divine Island and using the Hengyu Furnace's flames to give those thieving bones of yours a thorough refining."
It was a naked threat, backed by an Emperor Weapon.
With a mouthful of dirt, Duan De instantly came to his senses. He stared dumbfounded at Jiang Wei approaching with the Emperor Weapon.
His excitement had made him forget himself!
With Jiang Wei holding the Hengyu Furnace, even several more men like Duan De would not be able to withstand a single strike from the Emperor Weapon.
What was more, that old fellow from the Luo Family still had his Heavenly Dipper Tower hovering above Luo Yue's head.
Snatch it by force? That would be courting death!
"Im... immeasurable... Heavenly Venerate..."
Duan De struggled to squeeze out the words, forcing a smile uglier than a crying face. He chuckled awkwardly. "A misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding. This humble Daoist merely got carried away out of curiosity!"
"Pure curiosity! Please calm your anger, Fellow Daoist Jiang. Please calm your anger, little princess of the Luo Family."
"Heh, this humble Daoist is leaving now. Leaving right now!"
As he spoke, he crawled backward on his hands and feet beneath the Hengyu Furnace's pressure.
Only after escaping the heart of the imperial pressure did he spring up as though granted a pardon. Without looking back, he turned into a streak of earthen-yellow light and vanished into the depths of the wasteland, faster than a rabbit. He did not even dare leave a parting remark.
The Black Broken Bowl's dark radiance swiftly faded as well, and it followed its master in a bedraggled retreat.
"Hmph. That fat bastard was lucky he ran fast."
Luo Qingluan put away her sword, still simmering with anger.
"Jiang Wei, why didn't you just kill him with the Emperor Weapon?" Luo Qingluan asked again.
Jiang Wei shook his head without speaking.
Still, he found it rather strange. When the Hengyu Furnace had pressed down upon that fat fellow, the Broken Bowl above his head had actually offered a trace of resistance to the Emperor Weapon.
"Auntie, calm down. That fatty Duan has extraordinary tricks up his sleeve. There probably aren't many people in this world who can kill him," Luo Yue said offhandedly.
In fact, Jiang Wei had not needed to intervene at all. She could have sent Duan De flying with a kick herself.
Daoist Duan might have thick skin, tough flesh, the finest life-saving methods in the world, and the protection of the Ruthless Man's Skull, but his fighting strength was another matter-he was a weakling with a combat rating of five. After all, this life of his had only just begun, and his cultivation was not very high.
Jiang Wei withdrew the Hengyu Furnace's pressure. His expression softened, and he nodded to Luo Yue.
"We shouldn't linger here. The clash between the Emperor Weapons has ended, but its aftershocks have yet to settle. The various factions are a jumble of fish and dragons, and there may well be others harboring sinister intentions. Little Yue'er, you must leave immediately."
"Exactly!"
Old Master Luo descended as well. The Heavenly Dipper Tower shrank and returned to his hand. He had also gone after the Primordial Goddess, only to return empty-handed.
With a grave expression, he surveyed the devastated wasteland and the groups still prowling through the chaos in the distance.
"The goddess has departed, and the Primordial Ancient Emperor Weapon lies hidden, but the danger here hasn't truly passed."
"Yaoguang, the Ji Family, and the other holy lands are still here. There's no guarantee they won't stir up more trouble. Luo City lies right beside this Primordial Imperial Clan's lair. The territory of Qingyun Province is no longer a suitable place to stay."
"Little Yue'er, return to the Jiang Family Divine Island with Jiang Wei and Qing Luan. Much as I hate to admit it, that is the safest place. Qingying, come back to Luo City with me. We need to stabilize the situation and handle the aftermath."
Old Master Luo sighed.
He had already refined that peerless Medicine King, forcibly extending his life by fifty years and restoring himself to his peak condition.
But advancing any further was utterly impossible...
Luo Yue understood the gravity of the situation as well. She had just obtained a second fragment of Heaven-Mending Stone. This was undoubtedly a heaven-shaking opportunity, and she needed somewhere absolutely safe to study it carefully.
Moreover,
both the glance the Primordial Goddess had given her before leaving and this Heaven-Mending Remnant Stone that had "just happened" to land in front of her filled her heart with questions.
Protected by an Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon and its deep reserves, the Jiang Family Divine Island was undoubtedly the best choice.
With Old Master Luo's approval, Jiang Wei wasted no more time and activated his Miniature Warship, engraved with cloud patterns.
Radiance flowed over the warship as it tore through the void. Carrying Luo Yue and him, it instantly became a streak of light hurtling toward the Desolate Ancient Jiang Family, disappearing into the boundless sky in the blink of an eye.
Old Master Luo looked in the direction his granddaughter had departed, then at the ravaged Luoshui Wasteland and the distant entrance to the Ancient Mine, which seemed to harbor a savage beast lurking there since time immemorial. He heaved a deep sigh.
After tonight, the balance of power throughout Qingyun Province—and perhaps even the entire Eastern Wasteland—would likely be engulfed by towering waves because of that ancient goddess who had emerged from divine source and that unfathomably mysterious Primordial Ancient Emperor Weapon.