The boundless starry sky fell into silence.
"Haha…"
Suddenly, the man who called himself Emperor burst into laughter.
His laughter echoed across the starfield. The golden light faded, and the sky returned to its former appearance.
"You wish to fight this Emperor?"
"Don't rush. There will be a chance — just not now."
As his words ended, blinding golden light once again materialized, swirling in the palm of the man who called himself Emperor.
At the same time, a tremendous golden hurricane erupted from within the Primordial Tomb, warping stars and distorting space.
Chu Xuanyuan did not make a move. He knew the other party had chosen to retreat.
He turned to Song Changsheng. "You should have come sooner. Your Nine Soul Sacred Clan's situation inside the Primordial Divine Domain isn't looking good."
After speaking, Chu Xuanyuan's thunderous form dissipated.
Meanwhile, inside the Ninth Heavenly River, within a modest palace, Chu Xuanyuan stood in the same posture as before, now in his true body.
"Why would such an existence remain there?"
"Why does the Primordial Tomb not appear in any of the historical records?"
Though this was his true form, Chu Xuanyuan wore a pensive expression, as though facing a formidable enemy.
…
Inside the Primordial Tomb, the golden hurricane swept through every corner, yet it did not harm a single person.
In the blink of an eye, everyone found themselves in the same stretch of starry sky — the very entrance to the Primordial Tomb.
And the Primordial Tomb itself had vanished completely, as though it had never existed at all.
Even the power that had been enveloping the Ninth Heavenly River dissipated along with it.
Everything returned to normal.
Though Chu Feng and his companions had concealed themselves so that outsiders could not see them, they remained gathered together.
All of them were still shaken by what had just happened.
"Damn, don't tell me that was all a dream?" Huangfu Zhantian said.
But he knew it couldn't have been a dream, because the inheritance marks on Chu Feng and the others were still there.
Only now, those marks were beginning to fade.
No — not fade. They were dissolving into the bodies of Chu Feng and the rest.
"So you ended up using that power after all, Meow Meow?"
Just then, a voice rang out.
At the same time, Song Changsheng's figure appeared within the sight of Chu Feng and the others.
Even though Chu Feng's massive entourage was hidden from view, Song Changsheng had found them with ease.
"Senior, you…"
Upon seeing Song Changsheng's current state, Chu Feng and the others were alarmed.
Though Song Changsheng was not injured, his condition was plainly terrible.
"I'm fine," Song Changsheng said.
"Senior, why has the Primordial Tomb disappeared?"
"Was it you who did it?" Chu Feng asked.
Although he had completed the Seven Stars Alignment and unraveled the sacrificial formation, he felt that the disappearance of the Primordial Tomb had nothing to do with him.
Then who was responsible?
It had to be Song Changsheng. His current state made it obvious that he had done something — and paid a steep price for it.
"It has indeed vanished."
"But it wasn't me."
"It was you."
Song Changsheng looked at Chu Feng and smiled faintly — a smile laden with deeper meaning.
"Me?" Chu Feng was somewhat surprised, but since Song Changsheng had said so, he could only surmise that the tomb had disappeared because they had passed the trial.
"Don't worry. I'm fine."
After saying this, Song Changsheng walked over to Xian Miaomiao.
Xian Miaomiao was fully immersed in healing, completely unaware of the changes in the outside world.
"I'll be taking Meow Meow now."
"Do you have anything you'd like to say to her? I can pass it along," Song Changsheng asked Chu Feng.
"Senior, there is something I wish to ask." Chu Feng said.
Hum— The moment he finished speaking, white mist appeared around them, and everyone vanished.
Only Chu Feng remained standing in place, with Xian Miaomiao seated cross-legged across from him and Song Changsheng standing beside her.
It was Song Changsheng's doing.
"Go ahead and ask," Song Changsheng said.