The Dragon Girl was jubilant and joyful, showing no concern for her frailty and exhaustion.
But Li Muyang, gazing upon her radiant, unrestrained smile, felt a pang of sorrow deep in his heart. The purer and more untroubled her joy appeared, the more it hurt him.
To protect the masses of the Northern Land, this simple young girl before him must have endured unimaginable trials and pressures in the past.
And made immense sacrifices as a result.
She was clearly a revered deity, worshiped widely across the Northern Realm.
Yet here she stood, so fatigued and withered—not only gaining no advantage but, instead, worn thin and sacrificing greatly…
Li Muyang let out a deep sigh and said, “You’ve been working so hard.”
The Dragon Girl replied, “Not really hard, just tiring. I stay daily within the Dragon Palace sensing the incense offerings from temples across the lands and providing Spirit Rice to those suffering from disasters.”
“Though I can still manage for now, this situation can’t last long.”
“Disaster victims offer their vital energies to exchange for Spirit Rice, but it’s essentially robbing Peter to pay Paul. Depleting their vital energies for too long will shorten their lifespans.”
Looking at Li Muyang, the Dragon Girl said, “You should quickly head south to the Ancient Resentment Well and put a stop to this climate anomaly.”
“The Blood Lotus Sect sent me a letter, saying you possess the token of the Evil Vein Clan. If you bring this item south to the Ancient Resentment Well, it can halt the Evil God’s rampage.”
“Is this true?”
The Dragon Girl gazed at Li Muyang with anticipation.
Li Muyang nodded. “It is indeed true. The purpose of my journey is to deliver the Red Evil Bell to the Ancient Resentment Well and use it to awaken the Ancestor Spirit within the Ancestor Spirit Garden.”
“Once the Ancestor Spirits are revived…”
Li Muyang began to explain further.
But the Dragon Girl’s apparition hurriedly urged him, “Alright, alright, just get going south.”
“Since you can stop all this, then hurry and go.”
“Once you return safely, I’ll be waiting for you at the Dragon Palace.”
After finishing, the Dragon Girl’s apparition dissipated instantly.
Clearly, even the Dragon Goddess herself was extremely occupied.
After all, she was simultaneously responding to incense offerings from countless temples throughout the Northern Land.
Gazing at the flourishing incense in the temple before him, Li Muyang sighed softly.
Then, without hesitation, he surged forward from the temple, and the colossal Green Saber Mantis floated in the clouds, waiting for Li Muyang to return. Once aboard, it immediately carried him southward.
The Green Saber Mantis, specialized entirely in assassination techniques, excelled in speed and attack power.
It sped along carrying Li Muyang, now utterly unobstructed in the Mortal World, its course clear, reaching unparalleled velocity.
From afar, gazing skyward, it resembled a streak of emerald light rushing by. The ordinary human eye couldn’t even register the flash before it vanished toward the distant horizon.
An hour later, Li Muyang soared over the Yin Mountain range.
Beyond Yin Mountain spread the vast expanse of the Central Plains, emerging into view.
This land was once the most bountiful of the Tianyuan Continent, with endless fertile fields and warehouses brimming with grain.
However, the Central Plains now visible were filled with hollow winds and desolate scars.
Abandoned villages and towns dotted the landscape, as countless refugees, emaciated and desperate, fled toward the horizon.
Amid the ruins of these villages and towns, armies bearing differing banners were locked in brutal combat across the devastated Central Plains.
Among those troops, Li Muyang faintly sensed the presence of Evil Qi.
The Evil Vein power within him made him extraordinarily sensitive to the aura of Evil Spirits.
Unfortunately, there was no time to concern himself with the Evil Spirits below.
Seated atop the Green Saber Mantis, he pressed relentlessly toward the south.
By nightfall, Li Muyang reached the ruins of what had once been the imperial capital of the Tianyuan Dynasty.
The imperial capital was now a wasteland, with dreary clouds and Evil Qi lingering densely in the skies. The resentment of the countless lives that once perished here coalesced and refused to dissipate.
In the mist, faint silhouettes of zombies and wandering ghosts could be seen.
“The Tianyuan Dynasty is in an even worse state than I imagined…”
Li Muyang continued south atop the Green Saber Mantis, observing the earth’s grim scenery along the way.
Several times, as he passed over cities, he faintly felt malicious glances aimed his way from within.
Those glances belonged to Evil Spirits hidden among the mortals. According to Shen Yan’s letter, these spirits were referred to as “异人” (Abnormal Humans).
But these Abnormal Humans dared not recklessly attack Li Muyang. Perhaps the colossal Green Saber Mantis, a terrifying beast at the Purple Mansion Realm, intimidated them.
Such a massive creature traversing the skies was a breathtaking sight on the Tianyuan Continent, where mystical creatures had been extinct for a millennium.
Not to mention, the Green Saber Mantis, receiving all its skill points in attack and speed, boasted combat strength rivaling the Heavenly Eternal Realm.
Thus, Li Muyang, riding atop the Green Saber Mantis, paraded boldly through hostile territories without encountering any assault.
As his journey brought him ever closer to the south, a sudden stir came from the typically silent chatting group.
A new avatar was added to the group member list.
[Heart Moon Fox has joined the chat group]
Immediately, the new member sent a message.
[Heart Moon Fox: Eh? Is anyone here? I’m currently facing some trouble. Could I ask for assistance from the senior members?]
The Heart Moon Fox, previously deceased, unexpectedly rejoined the chat group at this moment.
It was evident that this was a new successor to the Immortal Artifact.
Once, Xin Sulu had been the Blood Demon Dao Saintess. However, she perished in a previous cataclysm.
And now, her successor had suddenly joined the chat group and posted a message.
Li Muyang was slightly surprised and replied with a hint of amusement.
[Cang Su San: What kind of help do you need?]
The Heart Moon Fox, delighted by his reply but seemingly a bit puzzled, responded.
[Heart Moon Fox: Eh? Senior? You’re speaking? Why can’t I see you?]
[Heart Moon Fox: Senior, are you… Cang Su San?]
The Heart Moon Fox’s inquiry was filled with a naive straightforwardness.
The new Immortal Artifact successor… seemed to lack intelligence.
Li Muyang replied again.
[Cang Su San: I am Cang Su San. Are you the new master of the Three Immortals Tower? What trouble are you encountering? How can I assist you?]
Xin Sulu’s Immortal Artifact was the powerful Three Immortals Tower.
Li Muyang had witnessed its might in the Demon Mist Imperial Capital.
Unfortunately, the Blood Demon Dao Saintess herself lacked sufficient cultivation to unleash the full potential of the Three Immortals Tower and ultimately met her end in the calamity.
It was surprising that the Three Immortals Tower had found a new master so quickly… This newcomer likely had no connection with the Blood Demon Dao Saintess, though.
Otherwise, the Blood Demon Dao Saintess would certainly have advised her not to chat so openly in the group and to tread cautiously around [Cang Su San], the enigmatic figure.
[Heart Moon Fox: Yes, senior, I am the master of the Three Immortals Tower. But was there another Heart Moon Fox before me? Did she die? How did she die?]
The newcomer was utterly clueless regarding her predecessor’s fate.
Li Muyang glanced at the dim avatars of other group members within the chat group, knowing none of them were currently online.
But if he continued this conversation within the group, it was bound to catch the attention of others.
He directly asked.
[Cang Su San: Where are you now? I’ll come find you.]