The Heavenly Pride Competition concluded successfully, with Qingxu Heaven emerging as the biggest winner.
After receiving congratulations from other sect forces, the Red Moon Emperor invited the top one hundred prodigies to the palace for a grand banquet. It was a farewell gathering as everyone was about to part ways and return to their respective countries.
That evening, the imperial palace was illuminated, filled with laughter and joy.
In the distant ancient mining area…
"Why hasn't my sister returned yet?"
"It's getting dark, it's so scary. Where is my sister? Did she forget me?"
Fantian sat on a large rock, anxiously observing his surroundings. Although he was within an array that temporarily shielded him from the冥火 (ming huo, netherflame), which swirled around him ominously, he was still terrified.
Shivering, he curled himself up, afraid to look at anything.
A figure in the distance moved with graceful leaps and bounds, approaching Fantian rapidly.
"Young Master, Young Master!"
Hua Xiangrong flew to Fantian and put away her communication jade pendant. She had finally found her Young Master.
She quickly pulled Fantian up, pried open his jaw, andstuffeda black pill into his mouth, snapping his mouth shut. The movements were practiced and decisive, clearly not the first time.
After the pill went down, Fantian began to writhe in pain.
"Ah—it hurts so much, my head! Sister… save me!" He rolled on the ground, convulsing, his face contorted. Veins bulged on his neck like earthworms crawling beneath his skin, and he eventually curled up like a shrimp.
"Young Master, you will recover soon," Hua Xiangrong said calmly, showing no concern.
Time ticked by.
Fantian finally quieted down, slowly uncoiling his body before sitting up.
The fear on his face vanished, replaced by his usual coldness. Killing intent emanated from him, his pressure steadily increasing, forcing Hua Xiangrong to step back a few paces.
"Young Master…" she said, a hint of unease in her voice.
"Silence!"
Fantian crushed a nearby rock with a crack, his face filled with hatred. He gritted his teeth, saying, "Damn it, to be so utterly humiliated! People of Qingxu Heaven, you wait! This Young Master will kill you all! Especially that Su Luo, she actually took my…"
He also remembered the memories of his primary personality. Su Luo not only stole his Sand Vein Heart but also treated him like a dog!
He had never been so insulted. He swore to bloodbath Qingxu Heaven to avenge this great shame!
"Flower Envoy."
"Your subordinate is here!"
Fantian suppressed his ferocity, speaking word by word, "You will go to the Beiming Empire immediately and make arrangements. This Young Master intends to kill Li Tianjue this time and capture that woman named Su Luo alive."
"This Young Master will slice her flesh piece by piece!"
Hua Xiangrong's heart trembled, and she immediately replied, "Your subordinate obeys."
Fantian's face remained grim as he picked up another rock from the ground. It quickly melted and reshaped in his palm, forming the appearance of a letter…
After the palace banquet concluded, Su Luo, Sun Lulu, and He Bi'er comfortably soaked in a rose-scented bath, feeling refreshed and fragrant. They were then escorted back to their rooms by the palace maids to rest.
"This is so comfortable. I wish I could have this kind of enjoyment every day…"
Su Luo lounged wantonly on the soft, spacious bed, happily sipping juice from spirit fruits and admiring the luxurious surroundings. This was the life she truly loved!
Eating delicacies daily, being waited on hand and foot, and having beautiful attendants—how blissful.
Her recent hardships had nearly worn her down.
Now that the Heavenly Pride Competition was over, she planned to thoroughly enjoy herself during the return journey, as there would be much to attend to once she got back!
Su Luo mentally reviewed the tasks ahead.
The rewards from the competition needed to be properly stored, and the resources in the treasury checked. It seemed she wouldn't be lacking for now.
She had to be wary of retaliation from the Taichu Holy Land and the Demonic Sect. She had been waiting for Hua Xiangrong and Xiao Jingchen to appear, but to her surprise, they had seemingly vanished by the end of the competition. There was likely something amiss.
She also needed to prepare medicine for her Second Senior Brother to help him restore his Pure Yang body…
And for her Fifth Senior Brother's illness, she had left him the fourth dose of medicine when she departed. She wondered how he was doing now. Upon her return, she would examine him again, including his cultivation, paying close attention to his progress.
She also wondered about her Third Senior Brother's deliberations; his body also had hidden ailments, alas…
"At my young age, why do I have to worry about everything like an old busybody!"
Su Luo covered her face and wailed.
She absolutely detested this situation, which was completely contrary to her original intentions when she joined Qingxu Heaven. Back then, she just wanted to latch onto a powerful figure, eat, drink, and play. How had she become so busy?
Yet, she couldn't bring herself to abandon everything and ignore it all.
It was because everyone had treated her too well.
Su Luo sighed helplessly, comforting herself, "Perhaps this is what they call 'the capable carry the burden.'"
Just as she was about to rest, a chilling aura suddenly permeated the air.
Su Luo's heart tightened. She saw a black dot appear in the air before her, seemingly emerging from the void and materializing in front of her.
She quickly retreated, rolling to the other side of the bed. The black dot fully revealed itself to be a pitch-black letter, hovering in mid-air.
There were words on the letter, which Su Luo could see.
"Damn you, you stinking woman, Su Luo, this Young Master has finally found you." Red characters appeared one by one, as if an invisible hand holding an unseen brush dipped in blood was writing.
"You are… Fantian!?" Su Luo quickly guessed, her heart skipping a beat.
Had his secondary personality resurfaced?
The letter flew towards Su Luo, and the writing changed again. Although silent, she could almost see Fantian's gloomy and terrifying expression as he menacingly threatened her, "Stinking woman, this Young Master will not let you go. Prepare the Sand Vein Heart obediently, and wait for this Young Master to claim it…"
Before the characters could fully appear, Su Luo raised her sword and slashed at the black letter.
With a flash of spiritual light, the letter was cut into two halves. The broken edges quickly turned to sand, and grains of sand hovered in the air.
Fantian seemed to have become enraged, the writing appearing rapidly: "Stinking woman, you dare to attack! You won't be arrogant for long. This Young Master swears to carve your flesh piece by piece. You wait."
The writing also split into two halves, one appearing on the left side of the letter and the other on the right.
The broken edges were not entirely clear, but Su Luo could infer the context.
She was a little surprised and curious about what ability this was of Fantian's, but she didn't ask. Instead, she taunted, "Little dog Fantian, you aren't listening to your sister so quickly? Be careful, or your sister will spank you next time!"
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!"
The writing was quite agitated, quickly displaying three instances of "shut up."
"Fantian, I'm waiting for the next time I spank you. Hurry up and come, hahahaha…" Su Luo, confirming there was no danger, lay on the bed and burst into laughter.
"Stinking woman!"
With a bang, the letter exploded, turning into countless grains of sand that scattered onto the ground.