"Elder Xiao Zhen, in three days, the Crimson Water Small World's team will set out," Han Shuang said flatly.
"Good. The night before departure, I'll make sure to get you into the secret realm," Jiang Chen nodded.
"Are you certain?" Han Shuang still felt some worry.
"Absolutely certain. No one can stop it—not even the Crimson Water Divine King." Jiang Chen's words were filled with bold confidence.
"Not even the Crimson Water Divine King can stop you?" Han Shuang was surprised.
"That's right." Jiang Chen was firm.
"Fine. I've already prepared my excuse. I'll say I suffered a deviation while cultivating and have entered a state of closed-door death meditation. The Calamity Star Sect's team will be led by you." Han Shuang's tone carried a hint of complexity, and between her words, there was something like the reluctance of a final farewell.
Jiang Chen didn't know just what kinds of life-saving measures the Divine King behind Han Shuang had given her, but entering the volcanic heartland to attack one of the Five Great Origins—that was truly an incredibly dangerous undertaking.
Asking a woman to do something like this, Jiang Chen felt it was unconscionable.
But there was no other choice. If he could, Jiang Chen would willingly take her place, but he knew he still had more important matters to attend to.
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Chen produced an item and said solemnly, "Sect Master Han, we part ways soon, and I have nothing else to give you. This item is called the Heaven-Measuring Ruler—it is a spatial treasure. Once activated, it allows you to disregard the laws of space and teleport beyond spatial boundaries. When you enter the danger zone, this treasure may come in handy."
Han Shuang was startled, gazing at the Heaven-Measuring Ruler. Sensing its aura, she was visibly shocked, and murmured, "This treasure… it must be a Divine King-grade artifact, right?"
As for what grade of artifact it actually was, Jiang Chen had never bothered to measure it. After all, anything his father had given him was bound to be extraordinary.
"I've never paid attention to what grade it is, but for you, it will absolutely be useful."
"Good!" Han Shuang was decisively straightforward about it. "Then I'll accept it. Elder Xiao Zhen, the night before we set out, we'll gather here."
…
Jiang Huan let out a soft sigh and stepped out from the shadows, muttering to himself, "What a poignant farewell, truly. I'll be honest—the first time I met Sect Master Han, I thought she was nothing but a venomous harlot. Now it seems I was completely wrong about her. Sect Master Han is a heroine with a warrior's backbone and a tender heart—practically perfect. Young Master, if you weren't already engaged, I would absolutely recommend you take her in."
"Take in your head," Jiang Chen said irritably.
"Heh heh, Young Master, don't rush to deny it. I can see it clearly—even though you act indifferent toward Sect Master Han, deep down you truly respect her and care about her. Otherwise, why would you have given her the Heaven-Measuring Ruler that His Majesty bestowed upon you?"
"She's risking her life to save my father. I'm giving her my father's treasure—there's a natural karmic logic to it."
Jiang Huan sighed. "Fine, fine. You can twist things however you want and make it sound reasonable. But I'll say it again—Sect Master Han is a fine young woman. Maybe when His Majesty meets her, even he would think she'd make a wonderful daughter-in-law."
Jiang Chen fell silent, shook his head, and waved his hand.
"All right, all right, I'll drop it," Jiang Huan said with a grin. "Young Master's bloodline fusion is complete—you must be only a single step away from the Divine King realm now, aren't you?"
"Yes. I can take that step whenever I choose," Jiang Chen said confidently.
"Don't rush to cross it. Wait until the Divine King Lords' Assembly, then take that step. If your Creation Token is exposed, our entire plan will be ruined."
"Mm, I know." Jiang Huan's eyes were full of anticipation. "Hundreds of thousands of years… we've finally waited until this day. I can hardly wait. Your Majesty, you've waited so long—hundreds of thousands of years of solitude. Are you all right?"
Jiang Chen's eyes reddened as well, imagining his father, the Heavenly Emperor, sealed in the Eternal Divine Prison for hundreds of thousands of years, enduring countless unimaginable sufferings.
But all of that was about to end.
The turning point of destiny had arrived!