C21 Return

After activating the Fourth Rank Teleportation Talisman, everything went black. When Qin Buyi's vision cleared, he found himself in a barren desert.

The desert was devoid of life, a picture of desolation.

"That was close!"

Had he hesitated even a moment longer, Qingqian would have seized the chance, and the outcome would have been dire.

During the two months spent in the underground cave with Qingqian, their relationship had been one of forced harmony, a product of their circumstances.

Without the star core's restraint, Qingqian's inherent bloodlust and cruelty as a member of the Demon Race would have been more than enough to kill him daily.

Qin Buyi couldn't afford to waste time. There was no telling if the Fox Demon Emperor Qingqian had other means to track him down. It seemed wiser to complete his mission and return to Blue Star sooner rather than later.

He retrieved the star core from his Storage Space and promptly surrendered it to the system.

Ding! Epic Level Mission: Acquire the star core complete.

Ding! Mission Reward: Return to Blue Star, ten attribute points, Third Rank Killing Saber Technique, one entry to the Awakening Secret Realm—rewards distributed!

Would you like to return now?

As Qin Buyi was about to respond, Qingqian materialized before him, radiating malice.

With a mocking smile, Qingqian said, "As an old friend who's shared more than two months of companionship, aren't you going to celebrate my release before you take off?"

When Qin Buyi remained silent, Qingqian continued with a taunting tone, "Am I that frightening? You're the one who didn't flinch at the thought of being blown apart by the star core. Could I possibly be more terrifying than its explosion?"

"Qin Buyi, why so quiet? You spent over two months toying with me in that cave, managing to swindle my treasures for mere scraps of beast meat. Where's that bravado now?"

Qin Buyi met Qingqian's gaze earnestly and replied, "I'm glad you've escaped, but there's no need for celebration. And let's not forget, I didn't force you to eat anything. Have you forgotten how eagerly you approached me, begging to trade?"

At Qin Buyi's reminder, Qingqian's face clouded over as she remembered the less than pleasant exchanges towards the end of their time in the underground cave, where she had parted with nearly all her treasures.

The remaining items were all of subpar quality, things Qin Buyi deemed unworthy of his attention. Yet, in her desperation for food, she had humbled herself and begged Qin Buyi for an exchange on several occasions.

These memories reignited Qingqian's fury. She confronted Qin Buyi, "Despicable! I had every intention of ending your life swiftly, but given your insolence, a quick death would be too merciful for you."

Feigning terror, Qin Buyi asked, "Is there a chance I might still live?"

Delighting in Qin Buyi's apparent fear, Qingqian boasted, "Certainly. But first, return the treasures you conned from me and hand over the star core you've acquired."

After scrutinizing Qin Buyi, Qingqian spoke with the confidence of victory, "Additionally, swear an oath to serve as my slave for life. Rest assured, I'll ensure your remaining days are excruciatingly painful; only then might my resentment be appeased."

Casting off his feigned fear, Qin Buyi retorted with a dismissive sneer, "In your dreams! Fool!"

Silently, he commanded the system, "Initiate return immediately."

"You're seeking your own demise!" Qingqian spat out in rage.

It was blatantly obvious to anyone that Qin Buyi had been mocking Qingqian.

In a flash, Qingqian was upon him, her delicate hand clamping down on his throat. To her astonishment, Qin Buyi's form began to fade, her hand passing through his vanishing silhouette.

As Qin Buyi's figure dissolved completely, he cast her a mocking half-smile. Without uttering a word, his expression conveyed volumes.

"Ah! Cursed human, there's no corner of the world where you can hide from me. I will capture you and devise a myriad of tortures to inflict upon you..."

Qingqian's enraged howl reverberated across the desert.

"Boom!"

Unable to contain her frustration from Qin Buyi's repeated taunts, Qingqian unleashed her fury upon the barren landscape below.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Each impact resonated with destructive force. When Qingqian's rampage subsided, the desert was scarred with craters, as if bombarded by artillery.

After a moment, Qingqian expressed her disbelief, "The human's presence has vanished from the entire Heavenly Desolate Realm! How can that be?"

Recalling Qin Buyi, who appeared out of nowhere in the underground cave and then vanished just as mysteriously in the desert, Qingqian murmured to herself, "Who exactly is he?"

In the Falling Star Mountain Range, Wang Zong and City Lord Nan Tianlong proceeded with caution.

"This is the spot, City Lord," Wang Zong said, indicating the site of the cave that Qingqian had obliterated with a single strike.

"It's the same aura. It hasn't been sensed for three hundred years; I assumed it had left the Falling Star Mountain Range," Nan Tianlong remarked.

"Could it be 'that one'?" Wang Zong ventured a guess.

"Your guess is spot on. It's the holy woman of the Nine-tailed Fox Demon Clan. She arrived here in the Falling Star Mountain Range five hundred years ago for reasons unknown and then vanished without a trace three hundred years ago," Nan Tianlong clarified.

"Let's move on. The Imperial Capital is in turmoil, and even Azure Sun City has seen its share of upheaval. It's hard to say whether these are omens of good or ill," Nan Tianlong said to Wang Zong as they continued on their way.

On their return journey, they came across the remains of the Deification Stage Demon Bear King, with its organs gruesomely crushed, and the decapitated bodies of the Short-legged Beast Demon King and the Wolf Demon King.

"Are these... the three great Demon Kings of the Falling Star Mountain Range?" Wang Zong exclaimed, stunned.

Nan Tianlong simply nodded. Wang Zong went on, "I had to flee when I encountered the least powerful among them, the Short-legged Beast Demon King. Who could have done this?"

"Judging by their wounds and the timing of their deaths, it's likely him," Nan Tianlong suggested, though with some uncertainty.

"Qin Buyi? Impossible. Just over two months ago, Qin Buyi was barely able to defeat Tang Zhentian, and that too with outside assistance," Wang Zong said, struggling to accept the possibility.

He then recalled how Qin Buyi had made a breakthrough to the Middle Period of the Nascent Infant stage shortly after defeating Tang Zhentian, his voice tinged with awe and trepidation, "What kind of creature is he? His advancement is terrifyingly rapid. I remember when he first came to Azure Sun City, he was merely at the Foundation Stage, and within a matter of days, he had ascended to the Golden Core and then to the Nascent Infant stage."

"He's even slain a Demon King at the Deification Stage now. Who exactly is he?"

Nan Tianlong remained silent for a while before responding, "Perhaps he's the reincarnation of an Almighty starting anew, or it's possible he's been taken over by someone else."

With that, he pulled out a Sound Transmission Jade Talisman from his robes and dispatched the message.

In the Royal Capital of the Ming Dynasty.

The Third Prince, Ying Zhi, furrowed his brow as he paced back and forth, murmuring, "The Tang family is truly formidable. It seems my elder brother is leveraging them to initiate his offensive."

Retrieving his own Sound Transmission Jade Talisman, he listened to Nan Tianlong's report. Even with his vast experience, he was taken aback, but after a moment, he burst into laughter:

"Ha! Mr. Qin truly is remarkable. In such a short time, he's dispatched a Deification, and now my worries are over."

Since returning from the Setting Sun Mountain Range, Ying Zhi had been tirelessly dealing with the fallout from Qin Buyi's annihilation of the Tang family's branch in Azure Sun City.

In the Ming Dynasty, those without noble titles were deemed commoners, and commoners who attacked noble families were put to death.

Especially when it involved a prestigious branch of the Tang family from the Imperial Capital—a pillar of the Ming Dynasty.

Ying Zhi had been working diligently to shield Qin Buyi from the Tang family's vengeance.

Now that Qin Buyi had managed to defeat a Deification Stage being, he would automatically ascend to the rank of baron under Ming law, greatly simplifying the resolution of this affair.

...

On Blue Star.

During his teleportation, Qin Buyi felt as though he'd been struck by a heavy blow to the back of his head.

Darkness enveloped him, and when he next opened his eyes, he was in his familiar room.

Months had passed since his last visit, and a layer of dust had settled in the room.

Looking out the window at the unkempt, chaotic neighborhood, Qin Buyi felt a warm sense of homecoming wash over him.

After a quick tidy-up, he was ready to take stock of his recent gains.

Ding! The system detected that the host excelled in completing the Epic Level mission, triggering an extra reward!

Before Qin Buyi could grasp the meaning, a white egg the size of a basketball plummeted from the heavens.

With swift reflexes, Qin Buyi seized the egg, his eyes flickering with confusion.

"Is this some kind of bonus prize? What on earth?"

Ding! A temporary mission has been activated: Hatch this egg within three days or face annihilation!