Chapter 765: Protection

Zhao Qian stepped out of the pool, drenched all over, yet she felt better than ever—her body brimmed with endless strength; even a casual clench of her fist shattered the air.

"This power… is unbelievable," Zhao Qian widened her eyes. Had she not experienced it herself, she could never have imagined such feats achieved by sheer physical strength alone.

Rong Niang, beside her, was also closing her eyes, sensing the changes within her body.

Years of arduous cultivation now paled beside this single transformation.

"Master Brother's arrangement must be right— I just never expected the change to be this immense," Rong Niang murmured, stunned by the power surging through her own body.

"This is merely one transformation. Your current realms are too low. If you grow stronger and undergo a few more transformations, then you'll truly understand what power means," Li Yi's voice came, and he stood still at the doorway.

"Little sister, since you're both safe now, I must leave. I've nearly settled affairs across the Four Seas and Eight Zones—I'm due to return to Earth and deal with the crisis there."

"Big Brother Yi, wait!" Zhao Qian panicked inside the room, flung open the door, and appeared before Li Yi, her clothes disheveled, hands clutching her chest.

"Big Brother Yi, I—I want to go back to Tianchang City with Sister Rong."

Zhao Qian's face flushed faintly; she shrank back, hiding behind Li Yi, afraid others might see her in such a disheveled state.

Li Yi immediately refused: "No. Earth isn't what it was before—order is gone, dangers lurk everywhere. Your strength is decent, but you still need to grow. Besides, the Four Seas and Eight Zones can't be left unguarded. Our Master has gone to Liangzhou to spread the Dao—someone must hold this place."

"And don't even think about sneaking back to Earth. This is a matter of life and death—no joking around."

"Fine, since Big Brother Yi says so, I'll stay in Sanyang City and watch over the martial arts school," Zhao Qian muttered, head bowed, clearly reluctant.

Li Yi turned to Rong Niang: "Rong Niang, as your senior, keep an eye on her. Don't let her act recklessly. Wait until Earth is somewhat safer before you go—current conditions aren't like before. If you mishandle things, it won't just be a few lives lost—perhaps the entire Four Seas and Eight Zones will be destroyed."

"Yes, Master Brother. I understand," Rong Niang nodded solemnly, seeing Li Yi's grave expression.

"I'll give you both a gift—might come in handy later," Li Yi then handed each of them a vial of Divine Blood and a vial of Water of Life—things that could save their lives in critical moments.

He also left them a Crimson Golden Divine Sword.

Though their current strength couldn't fully unleash the Crimson Golden Divine Sword's power, it could protect them in emergencies—and holding the Four Seas and Eight Zones required formidable means.

"I'm off. Take care, little sisters," Li Yi said.

"You too, Master Brother," Rong Niang's eyes showed reluctance; Zhao Qian's mood was also deeply low.

Seeing this, Li Yi had no way to comfort them, only said: "It's not a farewell forever—why be so sad? When I return, we'll gather just as before."

Hearing this, their moods lifted somewhat.

Soon after.

A blessed cloud rose from Li's residence, then shot across the sky at incredible speed, vanishing above the Four Seas and Eight Zones.

When the blessed cloud reappeared, it had returned to Ghost Street.

No.

This place could no longer be called Ghost Street—it was now an underground ruin.

Shadow soldiers wandered the surroundings, while the Yin Spirits of the Four Great Families stood guard.

Upon seeing Li Yi arrive, they all bowed respectfully and stepped aside to clear a path.

Li Yi merely glanced around; seeing the tight defenses, he nodded slightly. The Four Great Clans were truly willing to contribute—no half-hearted compliance here.

"Hold this place well," he said, then stepped onto his blessed cloud and advanced swiftly along a path through the ruins.

Soon after.

Li Yi fully left the ruins behind; towering buildings rose around him.

Thick celestial energy, tainted and polluted, washed over him.

At this moment, Li Yi crossed back into Earth.

Having dealt with these trivial matters, it was time to see what Earth looked like now. He hoped he wouldn't be so unlucky as to encounter a Demon King the moment he arrived—he had no confidence facing one yet.

He didn't rush elsewhere; instead, he turned back toward Tianchang City.

Tianchang City now felt strange—it still stood, even had residents living within, appearing orderly, not abandoned.

Yet even the Investigation Bureau's Zheng Gong and others had been forced to flee across realms with Liu Guzi and Daoist Qian. Logically, Tianchang City should have fallen—why was it still intact?

Had the situation changed after they fled?

Or had those who stayed become slaves, bound by some mighty demon?

With these questions, Li Yi rode his cloud to Tianchang City's skies.

Standing atop the blessed cloud, he was on full alert, sensing the surrounding aura.

If a Demon King remained here, its aura could not be hidden.

"There's some demonic energy, but not at the level of a Demon King," Li Yi's gaze shifted, scanning the city's corners.

Some minor demons from the Demon God Realm hid in abandoned buildings.

But they posed no threat.

Suddenly,

Li Yi noticed an unusual terrain.

It was a great river cutting through Tianchang City's old and new districts. But since the Heaven's Tilt Incident, all bridges had collapsed, and with the appearance of transcendent beings, the river had become dangerous—few dared approach.

Yet somehow,

An island had suddenly appeared atop Tianchang City's river.

Li Yi stared at the island.

He remembered clearly—there had been no island there before. This must have been built by human hands.

With his current strength, constructing such an island was trivial—he could do it with a wave of his hand.

"Go take a look."

Li Yi leapt forward, drawing the Crimson Golden Star-Shattering Spear, ready for battle.

Yet as he neared, he sensed no danger.

The island was spacious and clean, with only a few structures. At its center stood a pagoda—unremarkable from afar, but up close, it was extraordinary: glowing softly, absorbing and exhaling cosmic energy, containing its own universe, protected by a grand array that concealed its aura completely.

That was why Li Yi hadn't sensed it at first.

"This is a… Immortal Artifact," Li Yi's gaze sharpened as he studied the pagoda.

Only up close could he identify it.

He remembered clearly—when the Immortal Realm cultivators invaded Earth, an Immortal Artifact had appeared in Tianchang City: the Eight-Pronged Immortal Gold Pagoda.

This pagoda was undoubtedly another Immortal Artifact, strikingly similar to the Eight-Pronged Immortal Gold Pagoda.

Almost like a replica.

"So it's you who's come," a woman's voice rang out, sounding familiar.

Li Yi turned.

A tall woman in battle armor strode forward, radiating martial vigor, her long legs moving gracefully, her high ponytail unforgettable.

"Ning Wu," Li Yi stared at her, his tone far from warm.

After all, they had many past grievances.

"You've returned to Tianchang City?" Li Yi frowned, then realized: "You're here—that means Yang Wei is here too?"

"He's not here. He's out fighting enemies. I'm staying behind to guard," Ning Wu glanced at the glowing pagoda beside her.

It was precisely because of this pagoda that the area remained secure.

"So that's why Tianchang City is safe—Yang Wei protected it?" Li Yi asked.

Ning Wu smiled: "Isn't it obvious? In this chaos—demon kings sweeping through, immortal cultivators invading, enemies crossing realms—Earth is utterly broken. I truly don't know why Ah Wei chose Tianchang City. I urged him to flee across realms—he insisted on staying."

Li Yi said nothing, scanning the surroundings.

Several cultivators now emerged from nearby buildings.

Among them was Ning Wu's cousin, Yu Chuan.

The others Li Yi didn't recognize, but they were clearly Yang Wei's followers.

He liked saving the world—it was natural he'd have followers.

"Since everything's fine here, I'm leaving," Li Yi said. His blessed cloud reappeared beneath his feet, ready to depart.

"Wait, Li Yi," Yu Chuan called out.

Li Yi said: "Is there something else?"

Yu Chuan said: "Ah Wei asked me to pass on a message—he said the coordinates for World 36 are in the hands of a man named Wang Dongtian. If you want to cross realms, you must find him first."

"World 36 coordinates… Wang Dongtian?" Li Yi's expression shifted slightly.

He remembered this man.

He was a coordinator at the Cross-Realm Base.

But now, with Earth in this state, finding Wang Dongtian wouldn't be easy.

And he understood why Yu Chuan warned him about securing the World 36 coordinates.

Because Yang Wei had promised to resurrect his mother.

"Understood. Thank you," Li Yi nodded. Since Tianchang City was temporarily safe, he could now attend to his own matters—and deal with some of Earth's enemies.

(End of Chapter)