Chapter 1809: The Return of Xuanlan

When Jiang Li Tianwang brought the various Tianwangs of Outer Shenzhou to begin preparations for guiding Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan's return to Outer Shenzhou, Li Luo returned to the House Luolan Manor headquarters in Daxia City.

His current state was rather peculiar, and the matter of guidance was quite tedious and would take no short amount of time, so Jiang Li Tianwang also told him to adjust and recuperate properly first.

Li Luo understood this point as well, so he did not resist, and returned to Daxia City together with Li Li Jingzhe.

And for the time that followed, Li Luo stayed at the House Luolan Manor headquarters. He even set aside his usual daily cultivation, living a reclusive life. Occasionally he would gather with Seeing Yu Lang and Student Xin Fu in the residence, but more often, he would lie on a reclining chair, quietly gazing at the grand temple complex atop the Black Sun and Blood Moon at the edge of the heavens.

Sometimes Princess would also come to visit. She would look at the man lazily sprawled on the reclining chair, and in her mind would recall that dashing, spirited, handsome youth from their first meeting all those years ago.

Unconsciously, that was already something from several decades ago.

The youth of the past had long since become an existence at the very pinnacle of this world. That once youthful, sharp-edged face now bore the marks of vicissitude and depth.

On his shoulders rested the very survival of the entire Outer Shenzhou world.

The ten-year deadline—unconsciously, more than three years had already passed.

This brief peace of just over three years made many people seem to have forgotten the previous terror. The world was filled with revelry, but Princess understood this was merely escapism.

That "Black Sun and Blood Moon" in the heavens no longer emanated world-destroying evil light, yet it truly existed there. How could anyone possibly ignore it?

Princess knew clearly that as time passed year by year and the ten-year deadline drew ever closer, this revelry that numbed the world would be cruelly torn apart.

When that time came, what was to be done?

Princess did not know. With her realm and strength, when facing such a calamity, she could only silently accept it, without any qualification to resist.

And the one who possessed that qualification was perhaps the man lying on the reclining chair before her, eyes closed in feigned sleep.

In the end, Princess did not disturb Li Luo. Instead, she chatted quietly with Cai Wei for a while before quietly taking her leave.

Li Luo was aware of the Princess's arrival and departure, but he still did not open his eyes. His mind sank into his body. It had been over a year since he returned to the House Luolan Manor headquarters, and during this year-plus, the resonances within his body were still gradually dissipating.

By now, only two resonances remained.

The Water Resonance and the Dragon Resonance.

These two resonances were the most important to Li Luo. The Water Resonance was his first resonance—back when he was at his weakest, Li Luo relied on the restorative power emitted by this Water Resonance to gradually recover the trauma brought by refining the Acquired Resonance. As for the Dragon Resonance, it had accompanied him through countless life-and-death blood battles.

Therefore, even after Li Luo's Myriad Resonance Seed was stripped away, these two resonances still stubbornly held on until the end, as if resisting that dissipating force with all their might.

However, such resistance was somewhat inconsistent with Li Luo's deductions.

Because as the resonances continued to dissipate over the years, he had faintly gained some special insights.

Perhaps the stripping of the Myriad Resonance Seed was not necessarily a bad thing.

When the resonances are completely exhausted, only in desperate straits can new life be born.

Therefore, over these years, he had been waiting for his own resonances to dissipate completely. Yet the tenacity of the Water Resonance and the Dragon Resonance was somewhat beyond his expectations.

"Still unable to sever this thread of attachment?"

Li Luo murmured to himself. These two remaining resonances held special meaning for him, so even though he had not deliberately maintained them, he was still tightly binding them, preventing them from dissipating quickly.

Li Luo opened his eyes and gazed at the serene, mysterious temple complex atop the Black Sun and Blood Moon at the edge of the heavens. The flowing black-gold luster upon it seemed like Jiang Jiang Qinge's gaze watching him.

Sister Jiang Qinge transformed her body into a temple, sealing away the Sect Master of the Darkness, buying me the final ten years.

For her sake, what attachment of mine could I not sever?

No matter how heavy the resonances, they cannot weigh more than her place in my heart.

Li Luo exhaled deeply and said softly, "Old friend, it's time to say goodbye."

As this self-murmur fell, his state of mind seemed to change abruptly. The next moment, a low dragon roar emanated from within his body, the roar seemingly imbued with intense reluctance.

But in the end, the dragon roar gradually faded away.

Li Luo's aura began to decline once more.

That was... the Dragon Resonance dissipating.

And with the dissipation of the Dragon Resonance, the Water Resonance was also gradually dimming, like a lake drying up day by day. However, the Water Resonance's bond with him was deeper, so it did not dissipate directly like the Dragon Resonance.

But judging from the speed of this depletion, it would not be long either.

Li Luo sighed softly with a complicated heart. To sever one's own attachments and actively release the bonds with one's resonances truly required great willpower and great courage. After all, resonances were the source of all one's power—who could bring themselves to sever them willingly?

As Li Luo felt a sense of loss over the dissipation of the Dragon Resonance, the void before him suddenly rippled, like a mirror surface, reflecting Jiang Li Tianwang's face.

"Li Li Tianwang, the Guidance Array has been successfully constructed."

Upon hearing the message transmitted by Jiang Li Tianwang, Li Luo's expression slightly froze. Ripples spread through his calm eyes, then he nodded gently, rose from the reclining chair, took a step, and his body merged into space.

The world before his eyes transformed. A grand, massive strange array was reflected in his pupils. Over a dozen Tianwangs stood at various points of the great array, and upon seeing Li Luo, they all nodded in greeting.

"Thank you for your hard work, fellow Tianwangs." Li Luo also nodded in gratitude.

Jiang Li Tianwang waved his hand and said, "You have made such contributions for Outer Shenzhou—how could we not give our all to assist?"

Then, without further words, he said in a decisive manner, "Everyone, activate the array."

All the Tianwangs responded in unison. The next moment, the majestic power of rank permeated the world. This grand strange array was activated, countless divine lights piercing through layer upon layer of void, probing into the deepest parts of the void, as if forming a path of guidance.

Li Luo watched those guiding divine lights, feeling slightly tense. He was also worried about Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan's situation, after all, the spatial turbulence in the deepest parts of the void could easily cause even Tianwangs to lose their way and find escape difficult.

However, his tension did not last long.

Because very quickly, one of the guiding divine lights sent back feedback. The divine light transformed into a great path of rank, with mountains upon mountains upon it. And two figures walked through ten thousand layers of mountains and waters from the depths of the void, finally appearing within Li Luo's gaze.

Those two figures walked hand in hand.

If not Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan, who else could they be?

At this moment, Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan descended upon the guiding divine light. Their gazes fell upon Li Luo at the very first moment, and then their expressions changed.

The current Li Luo had his gray-white long hair tied up. His still young and handsome face clearly lacked the former dashing spirit, and the aura around him was also dim and uncertain.

After only a few short years apart, the Li Luo before their eyes looked like a completely different person from the one in their memories.

Dantai Lan stepped forward quickly and embraced Li Luo in one hug. This woman, who had always been elegant, graceful, and free-spirited, now had reddened eyes as she stroked Li Luo's much-thinner face, full of heartache.

Although she did not know exactly what had happened over these years, no one knew a son better than his mother. For Li Luo's vitality and spirit to have fallen to such a state, something extremely heavy must have occurred.

"Son, no matter what happens, your father and mother will be by your side supporting you." Dantai Lan said with reddened eyes.

A warm current surged in Li Luo's heart. He gently patted Dantai Lan's back and said softly.

"Father, Mother, welcome back."

Li Taixuan stepped forward as well, his heavy palm patting Li Luo's shoulder. He had not seen Jiang Jiang Qinge, nor sensed her aura, and combined with Li Luo's current state, this caused his heart to sink continuously.

But in the end, he still asked in a dry voice the question that made Dantai Lan's body tremble slightly.

"Xiao Luo, where is Jiang Qinge?"