Chapter 163: The Cloud's Departure

Yun Baobao's words left the Phoenix Clan's strongest in silence.

Your body remained tense, still unwilling to relax.

If other races from the Nine Ancient God Clans joined the battle, even Yun Baobao would likely fall into danger.

"Enough, come back."

Only when a voice came from distant space did your tense body finally relax.

Only one person can command the entire Phoenix Clan with a single word: the current Divine Lord of the Phoenix Clan.

As for the Ancient God who created the Phoenix Clan, He will not appear.

Ancient Gods do not participate in worldly struggles; they let the clans they created carry out their will.

Once the Phoenix Divine Lord spoke, it meant the battle was over.

Yun Baobao was the key factor in turning the tide; with her holding the line, the Phoenix Clan ultimately dared not fight the Human Race to the bitter end, allowing other Ancient God Clans to profit.

Besides the Phoenix Clan, the few other restless Ancient God Clans also took no action.

For the Human Race, this was already the best outcome.

Unless absolutely necessary, you also did not want to exhaust the Human Race's reserves in a desperate fight.

The Phoenix Clan left.

All that remained was the Human Race's lands ravaged beyond recognition.

But for the Human Race, this was already a victory worth being proud of, making the Ancient God Clans yield and retreat—something no clan had ever achieved before!

The Human Race has written a new chapter in the history of this world.

You emerged from the Forbidden Domain, but having lingered too long in the Forbidden state, your physical body, primordial spirit, and foundation of Dao have all suffered varying degrees of damage.

The Perfect Body has begun an irreversible decline.

All of this was within your expectations; being able to save your life is already the best outcome.

Several of the Human Race's supreme heavenly pride also survived this battle.

Hong, Chi, and Xi, as the Human Race's First True Ancestors, made outstanding contributions in the great war; at the cost of severe injuries, they continually upheld the stability of the Grand Array and withstood the Phoenix Clan's onslaught.

The one who killed the most enemies was Yi.

He even had time to rescue a beauty, and is now recuperating at the Sangyu Tribe under the care of Great Clan Elder Yue'e.

Cang, Yu, and other heavenly pride also rose to prominence in the great war, delivering a heavy blow to the Phoenix Clan.

As for Sangyu, she did not appear in this battle.

Perhaps she is still dealing with the Moon Clan.

After you finished handling the Human Race's affairs, Yun Baobao found you.

For the first time you saw fatigue on her face; she seemed tired, and the one who had contributed the most to the Human Race's battle was actually her, a non-human.

Yun Baobao said to you, "Chuan, I need to rest for a while."

"Alright."

You have always felt guilty toward Yun Baobao, and you gently embraced her, saying, "You've worked hard."

She said, "This time my sleep may be an extremely long period for the Human Race."

"I want to leave this place and go elsewhere."

"Chuan, will you wait for me?"

All of this came too suddenly.

You stood there dazed, feeling deep reluctance in your heart.

You and Sangyu are a perfect match, but the one who has accompanied you the longest is Yun Baobao; since you met, she has always been by your side.

She is leaving—how could you not be reluctant?

You guessed something and asked, "Is your departure related to this battle between the Human Race and the Phoenix Clan?"

Yun Baobao nodded, "If I stay here any longer, I will bring disaster to the Human Race."

You asked, "Why?"

"Because my existence has been exposed, they will soon deduce my identity; to the Divine Lord who commands the Nine Ancient God Clans, I am likely one of the rarest treasures they most need in the world."

Yun Baobao sighed softly.

You felt immense pain, "I'm sorry, the Human Race has implicated you; I promise that after a while I will definitely bring you back, back here!"

Yun Baobao smiled, "You need not blame yourself; the Human Race owes me nothing, and during these days spent with the Human Race, I have also gained much."

"Do you know why I originally chose to protect the Human Race?"

"Because in the Human Race I saw the hope I wanted; even though the Human Race's initial fortune was weak, it was still far richer than that of other equally weak clans."

"Back then I firmly believed the Human Race would surely rise!"

"I am originally a spirit monster who cultivates by borrowing fortune; accompanying the Human Race's rise has benefited me greatly."

"So you need not bear any burden; I and the Human Race each gain benefits, and neither owes the other."

"But the matter of you marrying me is true."

Yun Baobao said much, her gaze burning as she looked at you, boldly expressing her love, with not a trace of timidity in her eyes.

She said, "Back then I thought I understood everything, knowing what the Human Race calls love, perhaps putting you in a difficult position."

"But at this moment I am certain of my feelings, the depth of my affection for you."

"Being by your side is not for the Human Race's fortune, nor to pass idle time; it is because of you that I do all this."

Yun Baobao originally needed only to silently protect the Human Race to enjoy everything.

Many things, she did not do for the Human Race's sake, but merely because of you.

This straightforward affection made you feel heavy, fearing you were not good enough to bear it.

Moreover, you yourself are now quite lost.

"All right! I'm leaving!"

Yun Baobao waved her hand, "Don't be discouraged, we'll meet again, I'll be fine, you also need to work hard to get through this most difficult period."

Her silhouette gradually turned into mist and drifted away.

You shouted, "Wait for me to come pick you up!"

Yun Baobao gave no further response.

Perhaps for her, time was already pressing; no matter what she said, you always felt you owed her.

Without her saying, you also knew where she had gone.

Only that mysterious blessed land could be her refuge; only there could she escape this calamity.

At this moment, your heart felt empty.

Yun Baobao had accompanied you for thousands of years; you were used to her presence, and when she was around, you didn't feel much.

You just thought it was ordinary at the time!

You sat atop the Sangyu tree, above the clouds, still misty and entwined, yet among the white clouds she was no longer there.

Your perfect body was also gradually deteriorating.

The process of deterioration caused you extreme pain.

You personally saw the flowing light scatter from your body, drifting far away, as if everything was drifting away from you.

You uncontrollably felt sorrow.

Just as you were sinking into despair, a breeze blew, and you saw a blurry figure, as if standing at the end of Shikong yet within arm's reach.

Your pupils dilated suddenly, disbelief filling you, and you exclaimed, "Human Ancestor!"

You sprang to your feet and rushed toward them.

"Human Ancestor! Is it you? Are you there?"

They gazed at you, and their gentle, soft voice slowly came.

"I am here, I have always been here."