[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-the-immortals-disappeared":3,"chapter-after-the-immortals-disappeared-after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-76":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","After the Immortals Disappeared",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2283960,4468,"Chapter 76: Closing the Doors to Visitors","after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-76",76,"\u003Cp>He Lingchuan threw two more stones, but they met the same fate. Does this mean \"no visitors allowed\"? It is true that everyone could leave after the Black Dragon died, but the passage connecting to the secret realm closed at the same time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chunhua felt a wave of frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After exhausting every effort, suffering losses of men and officers, and even killing a high-ranking official, there is no telling how much the Thousand Pine Prefecture will offend the Xunzhou Inspector and the Grand Marshal later on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Grand General Nian’s most valued son, Nian Songyu, is dead, and Sun Fuping, who lost his position as Imperial Preceptor for reasons unknown, is also dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The He father and son played no small part in their deaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this is investigated later, will the Royal Court hold them to blame?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought of it made the future look bleak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Chuan'er, what wish did you make to the Black Dragon?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't even know I made a wish!\" He Lingchuan gave a bitter smile and pointed at the soldiers nearby. \"Ask them, did I say a single word to the Black Dragon?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who were listening on the city wall at the time, including Mao Tao and Situ Han, shook their heads like bobbleheads. In such a critical moment, who would have the leisure to make a wish? \"This is the spoils of war,\" He Lingchuan said, pushing the broken blade forward. \"Do you want it, Father?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chunhua looked listless. \"You keep it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After more than ten hours of heart-pounding events, everyone was exhausted. The only good news was that the sandstorm outside the city had temporarily ceased, and the desert revealed its dark, somber base color once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Chunhua ordered everyone to rest in place and head home early tomorrow morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the Great Wind Army had also left the illusion, they were currently wandering through the desolate Panlong City, ignoring the humans and instead driving away or killing the lingering ghosts and resentful spirits within the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these heroic spirits moving about, the humans actually felt much more at ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan pulled He Chunhua to find a sheltered courtyard to rest, and Zeng Feixiong and Situ Han followed automatically. Mao Tao was still hesitating when he heard He Lingchuan turn back to instruct him: \"Bring a pot inside.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, sir!\" Mao Tao was overjoyed; he promptly asked the personal guards for a large pot and delivered it into the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zeng Feixiong gave a bitter smile. \"Young Master, the water has all been drained into the pools; we can't cook anything. I still have half a waterskin of fresh water for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan crooked his finger at Situ Han. \"Come, fill this pot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Situ Han looked slightly embarrassed, but under the gaze of the other four, he took out a waterskin and poured water into the pot with a gurgling sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though the waterskin looked flat, it poured out enough water to fill the pot eighty percent full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan laughed. \"Boss Situ is a bandit leader, after all. Do you really think it’s that easy to strip him clean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Situ Han chuckled. \"Look at you, I’m a regular border soldier now, officially enlisted!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, Mao Tao found plenty of broken furniture and smashed it up to use as firewood to boil the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone pooled their resources; they still had plenty of rice cakes, naan, dried meat, and fish strips, so they simply threw them all into the pot to boil. Besides salt, Mao Tao actually carried seasoning pepper and chili powder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the fierce battle, everyone had a huge appetite and was in dire need of a hearty meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, water began to drip from the roof tiles and walls; it had actually started to rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the rain came fast and heavy, turning into a downpour in the blink of an eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, everyone was sitting under the eaves, sparing them the misery of being drenched. Zeng Feixiong heard the cheers of the government troops outside and beamed. \"A timely rain indeed! We can make it back to Black Water City alive!\" After saying this, he stepped back two paces into the rain to let it wash the dust from his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the resentful spirits and three-corpse insects were not hostile, and there were heroic spirits protecting them as they walked out of the sandstorm zone, the living still needed water to survive. Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu had forced everyone to empty their waterskins to replenish the pools and wells, but the return journey would take over ten days—how could they manage without water?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that heaven had sent this sweet rain, it resolved the greatest hidden danger; how could it not make one’s heart bloom with joy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Actually, if you count the time, the rainy season is almost here.\" The rainy season in the Panlong Desert didn't arrive until September. At this point, He Chunhua paused. \"By the way, what is the date today?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four of them shook their heads. Time in the secret realm was chaotic, and there were no reference points once they were out; who knew how many days had passed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it was already September, making the rain a routine occurrence. He Lingchuan instructed Mao Tao to find all the intact bottles and jars to catch the rainwater. Their survival upon leaving the desert depended on them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no need for an officer to teach them; all the people from Black Water City were doing the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Mao Tao moved an eighty-catty water vat into the courtyard, He Chunhua ordered his son to take off his shirt so he could apply medicine himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan’s wounds were not deep, but they were shockingly numerous, mostly caused by the hooks of the silk-binding rope; there were two on his nose alone, and a chunk of flesh had been hooked off the back of his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan asked a question he already knew the answer to: \"Sun Fuping is dead?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the wounds on Sun Fuping’s body had been healed by Nian Songyu at the time, the magic power he had previously expended would not return out of thin air, and he still had to fight the angry heroic spirits, demon birds, and the Black Water City army. He Lingchuan did not believe he had any chance of survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Great Wind Army commander gave him the final blow—the one who attacked us in front of the temple.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"From beginning to end, he never used the State Decree?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No,\" He Chunhua sneered. \"You were right; he was stripped of his position as Imperial Preceptor and couldn't mobilize the national fortune at all. Otherwise, even if the Great Wind Army heroic spirits had appeared, it would have been very difficult to deal with him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the protection of national fortune, how could ghosts get close? Even in a self-contained secret realm, this law could still exert some influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having lost the State Decree, Sun Fuping was nothing more than a powerful sorcerer; their side had enough manpower to finish him off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Lingchuan rubbed his hands and gave a sly smile. \"Any last words or relics?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This greedy little look was exactly what He Chunhua was familiar with. \"Didn't you get the spoils of war? A gift from the Black Dragon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just a broken blade, and I found it with my own sharp eyes. If I hadn't had a sudden flash of inspiration, we might have been eaten by the Black Dragon one by one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was true; this kid had actually been the number one hero in their escape. He Chunhua took out two pieces of loot, both magic treasures: the silk-binding rope and the beast-head staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These are the main two treasures. Which one do you want?\" There were many other odds and ends, but he didn't bring them out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A man wearing red silk, how effeminate.\" He Lingchuan chose the staff. \"This beast head looks more pleasing to the eye.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's yours.\" He Chunhua put away the silk-binding rope and tied it around his own wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When not in use, the beast-head staff would turn into a short pestle, only a foot long, making it easy to carry. He Lingchuan toyed with the short pestle and asked, \"Sun Fuping had both ability and cunning; why was he stripped of his position as Imperial Preceptor?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If his luck hadn't been so good, he and his father and the Black Water City army would never have escaped Sun Fuping’s schemes and would have all become sacrifices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It seems many changes have occurred in the capital. It is hateful that intelligence is so poor; we still haven't received any news from the central and eastern regions.\" He Chunhua sighed. Without first-hand intelligence, even if they were strong and well-equipped, they would have no chance to march east.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Situ Han couldn't help but interject: \"How could that Black Dragon be Zhong Shengguang? It’s mind-boggling.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1507,"2026-06-20T02:23:30.219Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","0d7d2d0d28a6e7b3e63e9c3f6ee52e63a766bed7c55836343d081d52e68c8cd6","after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-77","after-the-immortals-disappeared-chapter-75",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-the-immortals-disappeared-cover.jpg"]