Seeing Jiang Chen still hesitating, Emperor Wushuang once again earnestly advised him, "Young Master, there will be plenty of time ahead. If the Peacock Emperor is blessed with deep fortune, he will naturally have his own means of self-preservation. If his fortune is insufficient, it will already be too late even if you go in now. The current state of the human domain may appear peaceful on the surface, but in truth, it is a powder keg. The balance of the entire human domain rests on your shoulders."
Emperor Wushuang's words were no empty scaremongering.
In terms of strategic importance, the current Jiang Chen was absolutely more critical than the Peacock Emperor had ever been. After all, his position was no longer just about ruling the Glazed King City—it also concerned numerous sects that were aligned with the Glazed King City. At present, the major forces of the human domain were roughly divided into three factions.
One faction was aligned with his Glazed King City. Another was allied with Dan Fire City. And the third remained undecided, having not yet chosen which side to stand with.
If anything were to happen to him now—never mind perishing in the Demon Sealing Land—even being trapped there would plunge the Glazed King City into immediate chaos.
When that happened, his family, friends, fellow disciples, and subordinates would either scatter like monkeys from a falling tree or be ruthlessly crushed by Dan Fire City. There would be no doubt about it.
Jiang Chen stared blankly at the formation surrounding them, mired in conflict for a long time.
To go in would fulfill the personal obligation between him and the Peacock Emperor, but the sacrifice might be the interests of his entire circle.
Not to go in would serve the greater good of the world and the overall picture. And the personal bond between him and the Peacock Emperor might not necessarily be sacrificed.
If the Peacock Emperor were here, he would certainly not want Jiang Chen to go in.
After a long while, Jiang Chen let out a soft sigh. "Brother Mo, you're right. If I went in, the Peacock Emperor would certainly reprimand me for failing to see the bigger picture and blame me for going against his wishes. Let us go. Now that we know the Peacock Emperor entered the Desolate Lands, at least we know where he went. Whether dead or alive, one day, I will find him."
Having made his decision, Jiang Chen felt much lighter in heart.
"Your Majesty, you will surely understand my decision." Jiang Chen bowed toward the Desolate Lands, then instructed Emperor Wushuang, "Brother Mo, take care of these three."
Mo Wushuang said not a word. With one hand on each, he obliterated the three prisoners into ash.
...
The battle that had taken place in the Tiangui Kingdom had been spread like wildfire by the rogue cultivators. Almost like a plague, the news had propagated with astonishing speed.
Within mere days, it had reached every corner of the human domain.
After returning from the sealed Desolate Lands, Jiang Chen passed through the Eastern Kingdom and found that it had been reduced to ruins—utterly devastated and beyond recognition.
There was nothing left of the Eastern Kingdom from his memories.
The only old acquaintance he still had, Dongfang Zhiruo, still lived in the Eastern Kingdom's royal capital.
Ten years had passed, and Dongfang Zhiruo had grown from a scrawny little girl into a graceful young woman.
Over these ten years, following Jiang Chen's instructions, her health had clearly improved. Since she had stopped cultivating, the backlash of her Extreme Yin Body had gradually faded.
The current Dongfang Zhiruo was actually healthier than before.
However, these ten years had not been happy ones for her. The father who had loved her most had long since left her, and the aunt who had doted on her had also departed far from home.
As for her brother, he was now the King of the Eastern Kingdom. But between the two siblings, there was precious little affection to speak of.
Dongfang Zhiruo was now little more than a figurehead in the Eastern Kingdom, her status even lower than it had been during the old King's reign.
This often left her brooding over her lot in life, feeling that her very existence was something of an imposition.
"But I cannot die. Brother Jiang Chen once took a beating from Father just to save me. If I died, I would be letting him down."
At that moment, Dongfang Zhiruo was in her garden, speaking softly to each little plant in turn, her manner gentle and tender—much as she had been at twelve or thirteen, sweetly innocent and endearing.
From a distance, Jiang Chen stood outside the garden, watching Dongfang Zhiruo's innocent demeanor, and memories from those years came flooding back.
Suddenly, he felt that Dongfang Zhiruo was truly pitiable.
"Young Master, is this woman an old acquaintance of yours?" Mo Wushuang asked via voice transmission.
Jiang Chen nodded slightly. "When I first set out into the world, I once saved her life. She is Gouyu's niece. At the time, I felt she couldn't cultivate and didn't bring her along, thinking that leaving her in the mortal world might bring her greater happiness. Now it seems I was terribly wrong."
Emperor Wushuang sighed softly. "She does indeed appear quite melancholy. Such prolonged gloom is bound to harm her health."
It was clear that Emperor Wushuang had also noticed that Dongfang Zhiruo was an ailing person.
Jiang Chen nodded. "I plan to bring her to the Peacock Sacred Mountain and leave her in the care of her own aunt. Having a family member to look after her should make her a bit happier."
As he spoke, Jiang Chen smiled faintly and stepped into the garden. "Princess Zhiruo, don't you find it suffocating to be talking to plants all day long?"
Dongfang Zhiruo's delicate frame shuddered slightly. This was the inner palace—how had a stranger gotten in?
Wait!
Dongfang Zhiruo suddenly realized that this voice sounded remarkably familiar.