Woosh!
Soaring through the skies of the Bloodforge Continent was a black and white striped horse with majestic wings. Xiao Bai's presence startled those who caught a glimpse of it, and the recent circulation of news regarding Wei Wuyin's arrival was the first thing that popped into their minds.
Xue Yifei and Wei Wuyin sat on Xiao Bai's broad back directly beside each other, with merely a little distance between them. They were idling chatting about various matters and learning a tad bit more about each other.
For example, Xue Yifei learned that Wei Wuyin had originally come to the Bloodforge Continent to recruit members for his developing faction, and Wei Wuyin learned about Xue Yifei's favorite color, food, things she liked to wear, etc. He was quite thorough with his questions, fully wanting to know her particular interests and life.
She was intelligent and honest, and even a little shy with her answers. But as she talked more and more with Wei Wuyin, that thin veil of unfamiliarity between them started to slowly grow thinner. This was especially so at his witty comments and jokes. It wasn't long before she was covering her mouth to prevent her teeth from showing as she smiled.
Her idea of Wei Wuyin had entirely changed. She had thought he was a reclusive eccentric with an explosive and ruthless personality. This was how he had been portrayed by the public. From entering into the sect, to brutally murdering a fellow disciple for injuring his horse, to eradicating a faction for minorly offending him, and causing the downfall of an entire clan.
Mind you, that clan's strength exceeded the entire Bloodforge Continent and was well-established with various elite geniuses. They were mostly captured, hunted, and killed by various individuals.
While they didn't talk about wealth, she was excited when he mentioned taking her to a famous Emporium for shopping. It was generally an unfair and not fully true stereotype that women loved buying pretty objects and things, even collecting them, she was one of these women. She loved jewelry, dresses, and art, especially collecting them from elite and famous architects and forgers.
Before long, they arrived at the Bloodforge Astral Tower that held the Void Gate to the continent. It hung elegantly in the skies and emitting faint light that signaled to the world of its presence. It was also the residence of Qi Lang, the continental Guardian. When Xue Yifei arrived, she was shocked to see a familiar face.
At a platform leading into the tower were four figures, three of which she knew. Xue Duan, her father. Xue Yu, her brother. Shang Han, the old man that protected her since young. Qi Lang, the continental guardian.
Standing at the forefront of the platform was the three and Qi Lang was closer to the entrance. His expression was relatively indifferent and unconcerned.
When Xue Yifei saw Shang Han, she was somewhat surprised. Shang Han had once made a promise to her mother to protect her until a certain point. He had done this and allowed her to grow away from the struggles of the political world, but after that certain point, he had left her alone. It was only after her meeting with Yuan Longshi and various events that he had returned and publicly protected her.
While she owed him, she knew that he was an opportunistic old man that cared about his face more than the lives of others. It was the only reason he kept his promise and even publicly protected her after Yuan Longshi slowly rose to prominence. As for Xue Yu, this brother of hers was Xue Duan's favorite, being spoiled and rotten inside.
"They're here!" Their arrival caused the three to turn their gazes and reveal bright eyes. Each one of their eyes was glowing with expectation, especially Xue Yu. He had never thought he would get the opportunity to visit the Myriad Monarch Sect. One had to know that within the Myriad Monarch Astral Territory, it was the only force that accepted Astral Core Realm experts as full-fledged members, and those below were insignificant.
Considering Astral Core Realm experts occupied a number of five million in the starfield amongst tens of trillions of cultivators, one could tell how prestigious and impressive this sect was. It was truly worth its reputation as a hegemon of this starfield. However, even entering was difficult.
He had attempted to pass the examination process but couldn't earn anything more than a Null Disciple Emblem.
Xiao Bai landed, causing the three to step back in awe. Xiao Bai was a genuine Sky Thunder Pegasus, and it was Wei Wuyin's mount! Its strength was likely equal to Xue Duan and its flight speed could exceed a thousand of him combined. A heart palpitating feeling suffused the air.
Xue Yifei's expression was calm with a hint of indifference. She had barely any good feelings towards this father of hers. After all, her life hadn't been easy despite being his daughter. If it wasn't for their blood relation, she would entirely ignore him. As for this Xue Yu, her half-brother, she was entirely apathetic to him. Her gaze even held a faint disgust.
She knew of his lustful thoughts towards her. If it wasn't for Yuan Longshi and Shang Han's protection, he might've done unsavory things to her. She had half a mind to ask Wei Wuyin to send them packing, but she didn't feel she had such persuasion power yet. This was especially so since they hadn't become intimate.
Wei Wuyin grabbed Xue Yifei's hand and jumped off. A crisp and gentle wind surrounded them as they softly landed. With a calm and relaxed stride, and with Xiao Bai following them, Wei Wuyin walked towards the entrance.
He directly swept a glance over each of these three individuals and walked directly past them with Xue Yifei in tow. Their tongues tied, they could only haphazardly offer their respectful greetings to which Wei Wuyin didn't reply. Instead, he walked to Qi Lang.
"All preparations ready?"
Qi Lang nodded. Then, he walked towards the Bloodforge Astral Tower and entered. Wei Wuyin followed, his silver eyes peering into the entrance with a calm gaze. A flicker of mysterious light entered his eyes before disappearing. The other three followed with various expressions, but they didn't dare slight Wei Wuyin.
Today, Wei Wuyin would take the Void Gate back to the Myriad Monarch Sect. As for Su Mei and Zuhei, they had left to investigate the matter of the ancient Void Gates a month or so ago. He was intent on finding out their origins and what they might lead to.
Just as they walked inside, Xue Yifei's soft body lightly trembled. Her Yin Dragon Soul was suffusing a brief light. It was like a primal instinct that creatures had, sensing dangers hidden away. Wei Wuyin felt this tremble yet didn't say anything as they entered the Astral Tower.
BOOM!!!
Abruptly, without any prior indication, an explosion erupted that shook the world. The entire Bloodforge Astral Tower was engulfed in a fiery blaze of destruction and burning energies. From below, countless looked into the sky to see what seemed to be the fourth sun just below the Sky Layer.
It was beautiful and gorgeous, spanning tens of kilometers. Then, the shockwaves hit and those below and afar felt it. Like a malevolent gust of raging wind and fiery storm, they were impacted. There were those below who were incinerated instantly by the heat emissions from the explosion, and those a little further away were instantly shaken to death by this shockwave.
Those too weak had their entire body blown apart into bloody mist, and the affected area covered a tenth of the Xue Continent.
Far, far away, a hooded figure lifted its hood and gazed at the explosion that engulfed the entire Astral Tower. From within its gaze, a flash of pride could be seen. After a while, the figure turned around and then came to an abrupt halt as a figure stood directly behind them.
Uncertainty and confusion flashed before shock and disbelief entered its eyes. Without hesitation, it turned around and soared through the skies in an attempt to flee!
