Chapter 677: Return

Whoosh…

The Silver River Sky Shuttle swiftly sliced through the void.

On the flying vessel, two people sat cross-legged: Zhou Qingmei and Ting Tong.

Without warning, He Pingsheng suddenly appeared, his face flushed red, and he involuntarily spat out several mouthfuls of blood.

"Young Master!"

"Young Master!"

The two women rushed forward, stunned beyond words.

"How are you?" Zhou Qingmei frantically helped He Pingsheng to his feet.

"Sigh…" He Pingsheng let out a deep breath. "Indeed, not everyone can subdue the Nine Heavens Mystic Fire. Now I finally understand why that Body Integration cultivator died without ever refining it."

Difficult!

Extremely difficult!

He Pingsheng had just entered the magic treasure's inner space, attempting to refine the Nine Heavens Mystic Fire.

The result? He nearly burned to death.

This thing—forget refining it—even fusing a single thread of it is nearly impossible.

Spitting blood!

To have such a treasure right before you yet be unable to use it—truly maddening.

"Then what do we do?" Zhou Qingmei asked. "This is a treasure we fought so hard to obtain—if we can't refine it, what use is it?"

"Do we really have to wait until you reach Mahayana Emperor Realm to refine it?"

He Pingsheng shook his head. "Not necessarily. I already have some ideas. Let's return to Zhu Que Imperial City first."

The matter was settled. It was time to go back.

When He Pingsheng originally left, he had told Qiao Huizhu he wouldn't be gone long.

Yet this absence had now stretched over forty years!

As for refining this flame, He Pingsheng had no better method—but he had thought of one possibility: body refinement.

Back in the cultivation world, he had enhanced a body refinement scripture and obtained two Heaven-grade body refinement techniques.

One was the Nine Poisons Golden Body Art, which spanned from Qi Refining to Feathery Transformation.

The second was titled the 【Flame Bath Golden Body Scripture】.

Back then, He Pingsheng had immediately chosen the Nine Poisons Golden Body Art, because although the Flame Bath Golden Body Scripture was also a Heaven-grade body refinement technique, it contained only five sections: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Soul Transformation.

So He Pingsheng had abandoned the Flame Bath Golden Body Scripture.

Now, to refine the Nine Heavens Mystic Fire, he intended to revive the Flame Bath Golden Body Scripture.

If he refined his body again using flame, training himself to withstand fire-based damage, it would surely aid in refining the Nine Heavens Mystic Fire.

Whether, after fully mastering the Flame Bath Golden Body Scripture, he could use it to instantly refine the 【Nine Heavens Mystic Fire】?

That remained unknown.

But he had to try.

"Ting Tong, you take the helm of the flying vessel!" He Pingsheng handed over control to Ting Tong, then turned to Zhou Qingmei. "Qingmei, go into seclusion. Strive to unlock the 【Space Wormhole】 technique as soon as possible."

Zhou Qingmei immediately sat cross-legged in seclusion aboard the shuttle.

He Pingsheng did the same.

He no longer attempted to refine the heavenly fire—it was useless.

He waved his hand and pulled out a jade slip.

Array: Heavenly Moon Divine Array.

His array knowledge had fallen far behind his cultivation level—he needed to catch up urgently.

Since his ascension to the Spirit Realm, He Pingsheng's array knowledge had never improved.

Approximately six months later, the Silver River Sky Shuttle finally returned to Zhu Que Imperial City!

…

Near the northern gate of Zhu Que Imperial City, in an ordinary small courtyard.

Qiao Huizhu gazed at He Pingsheng, her face filled with longing.

"Greetings, Young Master!" Hao Cang bowed respectfully, beaming.

He Pingsheng stared in shock. "Hey… Hao Cang… you… you…"

"Void Refinement?"

"You've only been gone eight years, right?"

After Zhou Qingmei reached Body Integration, he had sent her clone back to the imperial city with Hao Cang.

Before leaving, he had crafted a batch of 【Metamorphosis Nascent Soul Pills】 for Hao Cang.

And now, barely eight or nine years later, this man had broken through to Void Refinement?

"Hehehe…" Hao Cang chuckled. "Your servant returned exactly eight years ago, Young Master."

"After returning, I boldly asked Zhu Que Clan's Sacred Maiden Nan Qiqi for the heavenly treasures needed to break through the Void Refinement bottleneck. I reached Level Twelve, then swallowed a top-grade 【Metamorphosis Nascent Soul Pill】 and ascended to Void Refinement Level One."

He Pingsheng nodded.

So that was how.

In that case, Hao Cang's breakthrough wasn't entirely unexpected.

"Greetings, Young Master!" Zhou Qingmei, clad in black robes, also bowed to He Pingsheng.

Though she was not his servant, her original body was—and thus, this clone was one too.

"Come… inside!"

All entered Qiao Huizhu's cultivation hall and sat according to rank.

He Pingsheng's spiritual sense swept over Qiao Huizhu, curious about her cultivation level—only to find himself even more disheartened.

Qiao Huizhu had reached Soul Transformation Level Eleven.

She, too, had hit a bottleneck.

"Husband, who is this girl?" Qiao Huizhu's gaze fixed on Ting Tong.

He Pingsheng said, "You don't recognize her now that she's grown?"

"This is Ting Tong…"

"Ting Tong?" Qiao Huizhu's mouth dropped open. "You—you—you ascended?"

"Yes, Madam!" Ting Tong stepped obediently beside Qiao Huizhu.

Qiao Huizhu joyfully took her hand. "That's wonderful… I never imagined you'd ascend!"

"By the way—who else ascended?"

As she spoke, Qiao Huizhu's eyes fixed on He Pingsheng, her tone tinged with bitterness. "Wasn't that Su Zhen also able to ascend?"

He Pingsheng felt awkward, unsure what to say.

Ting Tong replied, "Madam, when I ascended, none of the others had yet. I don't know whether Madam Su has ascended."

"Hmm!" Qiao Huizhu said. "I'd very much like to meet this younger sister."

"Cough, cough, cough…" He Pingsheng cleared his throat and swiftly changed the subject. He turned to Zhou Qingmei. "Qingmei… I have a question."

Zhou Qingmei understood immediately and bowed respectfully. "What is your question, Young Master?"

He Pingsheng said, "Look… you and your clone are both at Body Integration now. What will become of this clone in the end?"

He already knew the answer.

He had read it in the 【Spirit Realm Customs】, and thus knew it well.

He asked Zhou Qingmei now only to shift focus.

He didn't want Qiao Huizhu lingering on Su Zhen.

"Oh…" Zhou Qingmei said. "If the clone gains sufficient opportunity, it can cultivate alongside the original body, break through together, and eventually reach Mahayana Emperor Realm. If fortune is great enough, it might even surpass Mahayana Emperor Realm?"

"Surpass Mahayana Emperor Realm?" Qiao Huizhu's interest sparked. "So it can ascend?"

"No!" Zhou Qingmei shook her head. "The clone cannot ascend to the Immortal Realm—but it can become a Wandering Immortal, roaming freely through the Spirit Realm, enjoying endless eons."