Chapter 469: A New Crisis

"Little friend Xiao Han, we meet again!"

Tianmu Elder greeted Xiao Han before him with a beaming smile, while secretly feeling shocked in his heart.

Upon entering Langya City, he had keenly sensed a power of scrutiny projecting toward him, which he had easily neutralized; subsequently, upon raising his head, he saw the two great suns hanging above Langya City.

Anyone could see at a glance that there was something suspicious about the existence of those scorching suns, and Tianmu Elder felt even more deeply the powerful force contained within that sun—it was absolutely a Spirit Array no less than the Immortal Grade.

During this period, there had been no news of Langya Heavenly Palace inviting any outside Immortal Array Masters, so it was clear at a glance whose hand the Spirit Array came from.

Tianmu Elder was not surprised; Xiao Han's Spirit Array cultivation was already at the peak of the Spirit Grade, only a step away from the Immortal Grade, and having been in close contact with and manipulating a Saint Grade Great Array, plus the crisis of life and death, a breakthrough could be considered logical.

That would be one thing, but the moment Xiao Han reappeared before his eyes, a heaven-shaking wave surged in Tianmu Elder's state of mind, which had remained calm for a long time.

Heavenly Sovereign?!!

Subconsciously, Tianmu Elder took a few more looks at Xiao Han's cultivation, but the result remained unchanged: Spirit Grade Initial Heavenly Sovereign.

In this instant, Tianmu Elder admitted that he was jealous.

What was this situation?

Advancing side by side?

Tianmu Elder acknowledged Xiao Han's talent; the other party had indeed temporarily encountered bottlenecks in both Spirit Array and Spirit Power, there was no doubt about that, and he did not doubt the other party's ability to break through.

It was just...

This hadn't even been two years, right?

Tianmu Elder was certain he hadn't been in seclusion, and although he was elderly, his mind was still quite clear.

So...

Xiao Han had finished in two years what took others hundreds of years of effort?

"Senior Tianmu?"

Xiao Han's puzzled voice pulled Tianmu Elder's thoughts back on track.

"Oh, this old man was distracted."

Tianmu Elder admitted his absent-mindedness without any avoidance, and Xiao Han did not get to the bottom of it. He knew full well why the other party had stared at him; after all, his achievements were indeed a bit shocking to the world.

"Senior, you have traveled far and are weary; would you like to rest? And perhaps meet a few Elders of my Langya Heavenly Palace?"

"This junior recently happened to acquire some Xianling Mist Tea; would Senior like to taste it?"

"Oh? Xianling Mist Tea?"

Tianmu Elder became interested. Xianling Mist Tea was recognized throughout the Da Qian World as a top-tier tea; the tea fragrance permeated the air, making one feel as if they were in a fairyland, refreshing the heart and lungs. The first taste was extremely bitter, but the second sip allowed one to experience the sweetness that follows bitterness. After the aftertaste, there was even a crispness like mountain cold springs, which was extremely attractive to someone like him who loved tea.

"Then this old man shall respectfully obey."

Tianmu Elder followed Xiao Han to drink tea with a chuckle, while on the other side, the four Great Elders, having been told by the Ice Emperor that they were about to see a legendary Heavenly Sovereign, were trembling with excitement.

"Supreme, is this true?"

The few of them asked over and over again.

The Ice Emperor waved his hand, annoyed:

"This Emperor does not have the leisure to fool you all; to be so uncomposed before even seeing a Saint Grade Heavenly Sovereign."

"Really..."

No one paid any attention to the "hate that iron does not become steel" in the Ice Emperor's words; they remained immersed in their excitement, unable to extricate themselves.

Although they could be considered well-informed, the strongest they had ever seen was only an Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereign. Although they were already tired of seeing one every day now (Xiao Han: Do you want to hear what you are saying?), a peak powerhouse like a Saint Grade, who almost never stepped out of their door, was hard to see once in eight lifetimes!

As for the ugly behavior of the little fanboys when they saw Tianmu Elder...

Anyway, ever since that day, the people of Langya Heavenly Palace saw Xiao Han's face, black as the bottom of a pot, for three consecutive days.

However, the gold content of a Saint Grade Heavenly Sovereign was unquestionable; after Tianmu Elder took action, the Demonic Qi that had stuck to the land of the Huan Continent like chewing gum was swept away in a mere ten days.

Looking down from the sky, the black spots on the Huan Continent disappeared rapidly, replaced by a lush green. Tianmu Elder exceeded his mission requirements, and while dispelling the Demonic Qi, he incidentally added some greenery to the Huan Continent.

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"Little friend Xiao Han, no need to see me off further; this old man still knows the way."

After solving the Demonic Qi problem on the Huan Continent, Tianmu Elder did not linger and soon prepared to leave; Xiao Han sent him directly outside the Huan Continent.

"I welcome Senior Tianmu to visit my Langya Heavenly Palace again."

"That is natural; if there is an opportunity in the future, this old man will certainly come again to taste little friend's Xianling Mist Tea."

Tianmu Elder left the Huan Continent with the Xianling Mist Tea gifted by Xiao Han. He said they would meet again if there was a chance, but in reality, both knew that the chances of meeting again in the future were slim. The Outer Realm Evil Clan would not let the powerhouses of the Da Qian World have it too easy, and powerhouses like Tianmu Elder had to be even more wary of the other side's peak Heavenly Demon Emperors; being able to come this time was already giving Xiao Han considerable face.

The transformation of the Huan Continent was completely finished with the help of Tianmu Elder, and it subsequently entered a bustling construction mode.

······

"You are going to look for that Lower Plane?"

Half a month later, the Ice Emperor looked in surprise at Xiao Han, who was drinking tea in front of him, and then smiled knowingly.

"Indeed, your current strength is more than enough to deal with a bunch of small fry who haven't even reached the Demon Emperor realm."

"Go and return quickly; Langya Heavenly Palace won't have any mishaps for a while."

Although the Great Assembly Battle had come aggressively, its duration was not long—less than two years.

According to the patterns of previous years, within fifty years after the end of the Great Assembly Battle, the Outer Realm Evil Clan had never launched a large-scale war of aggression. As for the small-scale harassment that occurred from time to time, with the Ice Emperor sitting in command, it could not pose a threat to Langya Heavenly Palace.

Moreover, it was not just Xiao Han; the Ice Emperor was also quite covetous of this Lower Plane. This was a gathering place for soldiers, after all.

Unlike the continents of the Da Qian World, where personnel circulation was quite frequent, in the Lower Plane, except for a few top powerhouses who could break through the plane barrier and ascend, others could only end their lives in the Lower Plane.

If there were an opportunity to let them see a broader world, it was believed that few would be able to refuse, and if this person was the one who saved this Lower Plane, it would be even more so.

Even if not everyone was willing to join Langya Heavenly Palace, those who entered the Da Qian World through Langya Heavenly Palace would eventually remember this friendship if they carved out a career here.

······

Outer Realm Evil Clan, Blade Demon Clan.

Inside the gloomy great hall, two rows of demonic shadows with majestic auras stood opposite each other, their gazes occasionally glancing cautiously upward, not daring to breathe loudly.

A tall figure, wreathed in Demonic Qi, sat high upon a chair within the great hall; it was the Blade Demon Clan Leader, Heavenly Demon Emperor Zhantian!

Heavenly Demon Emperor Zhantian's eyes were slightly closed, not looking at the trembling figure kneeling below, as he spoke slowly, his voice calm and unruffled.

"You are saying... the Huan Continent was snatched away by people from the Da Qian World, and not only that, but Duan Ren and Ji You were also killed?"

"Y-yes."

That person answered cautiously.

"Who killed them?"

"I... I do not know. This subordinate does not recognize the two of them; I only know that it was two youths in white who k-killed the two lords."

At this moment, this member of the Outer Realm Evil Clan was filled with fear; he had managed to escape death from that hellish Huan Continent and return to the clan to report the news, never imagining he would be subjected to an immediate interrogation.

"Oh." Heavenly Demon Emperor Zhantian nodded simply and lowered his head in contemplation; his voice was not loud, yet it was just enough for the powerful members of the Evil Clan in the great hall to hear.

"To be able to kill Duan Ren and Ji You, their strength is not bad."

"However..."

"Taking advantage of the moment when our clan is too busy to pay attention?"

The killing intent in Heavenly Demon Emperor Zhantian's voice grew increasingly dense.

"Although Blade Demon City is a mere scrap, only when our clan discards it can the Da Qian World pick it back up!"

"Ji Ying, Ye Sha!"

"Clan Leader!" As soon as Heavenly Demon Emperor Zhantian's voice fell, two figures with powerful auras stepped out from the crowd of demons and knelt on one knee.

"Go and teach that force a lesson, otherwise they will think our clan is afraid of them."

"As for the result..."

Heavenly Demon Emperor Zhantian lightly stroked his chin.

"Just hang the heads of the people who killed Duan Ren and Ji You on Blade Demon City; as for Blade Demon City..."

"Just throw it to the Da Qian World."

"Yes." Receiving the order, Ji Ying and Ye Sha walked out without delay.

"And you..."

Heavenly Demon Emperor Zhantian cast his gaze toward the trembling figure, who knelt even lower.

"Go and keep Duan Ren and Ji You company."

"A coward has no qualification to survive."

He then waved his hand, and before that member of the Evil Clan could react, he dissolved into Xuwu.