The demons’ expressions shifted. This was a direct affront to their Demon Palace! Moreover, it was a direct challenge to the Demon Emperor’s authority.
Under ordinary circumstances, the demons would have attacked. However, in the face of so many rulers, all they could do was silently endure. They glanced at their leader, the horned woman. Ultimately, what they did next was up to her.
However, the way they saw it, she would almost certainly choose to avoid conflict.
As expected, she looked over Ye Zichen’s group as if committing all their appearances to memory, then took a few steps back and nodded.
“It’s a small world. We’ll meet again.” Even now, the woman’s imposing aura hadn’t diminished in the slightest. She turned to her companions. “Let’s go!”
She led her troops away through the chaotic space. At first, they went one step at a time, gradually moving further away, but after a hundred meters, they picked up speed and disappeared in a flash.
“And here I thought they had the ability to back up their arrogance.” Yang Jian watched them disappear. He sneered, waved his lance in a circle, and put it away.
The Howling Celestial Dog snickered too, then barked in the retreating demons’ direction.
“Let’s go.” When the demons disappeared from view, Ye Zichen turned to the others.
To him, this was nothing but a minor interlude. He wasn’t concerned about those demons at all. Even if they went back and reported him to the Demon Emperor, the Demon Emperor was helpless against Yang Jian. Yang Jian had killed a Divine Demon General right in front of him, but Kui Lin didn’t so much as dare object.
Add Pu Jingwan, the gold-ranked bodyguard Han Nan had arranged for him, and twenty rulers, and what did he have to be afraid of?
Even if the Demon Emperor carried a grudge against him over this, so what? Their return to the Third Era was intended to make the already chaotic, tumultuous Upper Three Realms even more chaotic, wasn’t it?
The group advanced, all save for An Lu. She suddenly knelt, and despite Pu Jingwan’s encouragement, she refused to get up. “Thank you! I’m truly grateful!”
After Ye Zichen’s group sent the demons packing, An Lu’s mood changed starkly. She had no idea how to even begin repaying this kindness; they’d saved her life. All she could do was bow and express her gratitude verbally.
Ye Zichen stopped in his tracks, turned around, and took her by the hand. “I told you, it’s nothing. It was no trouble at all. Given your situation, it’ll be hard to return to the demons, huh? How about you follow us back to the Divine Mountains? Don’t worry; with us here, even if you’re a demon, the gods won’t give you any trouble.”
He gently patted her on the head, then glanced meaningfully at Pu Jingwan. Finally, he, Yang Jian, and the Outsider rulers continued on.
Pu Jingwan instantly realized what he wanted. She hugged An Lu and comforted her. An Lu, meanwhile, was an emotional wreck. She hadn’t experienced such warmth since losing her clan.
She bit her lip and wiped away her tears, then glanced up ahead at Ye Zichen. “I’ll repay this kindness.”
She clearly meant every word. Ye Zichen heard her tender cry but didn’t stop. He simply flashed her a smile as he headed straight for the God Realm.
“That’s the Third Era.” Yang Jian stopped, ten pointed at the colorful space ahead.
The others looked over and saw a radiant, multi-colored disc, like a compass.
Of course, it wasn’t really a compass; it was a galaxy.
Countless celestial bodies revolved along their set orbits. Of all the stars, the largest was undoubtedly the one home to the God, Yao, and Demon Realms.
The rest of the galaxy was divided in obvious thirds, one third per Upper Realm.
Perhaps because they were too far away, they couldn’t quite see the God Realm’s Divine Mountains, but they could see the River Styx delineating the barrier between realms like an enormous dragon.
There were countless other smaller stars and planets. These were various lower realms subordinate to the three Upper Realms.
It was largely thanks to these countless lower realms that the current Upper Three Realms flourished today.
This…. Was the Third Era!
It had never experienced the end of its allotted time, so all of its living things were vibrant and flourishing.
An Lu wept throughout their journey, but when she saw this, her tears stopped.
Her pure, beautiful eyes sparkled, reflecting the radiant light of the Third Era.
An Lu wasn’t the only one who was impressed by its splendor. Pu Jingwan was moved too. “Was the First Era like this in the past?” She stared in a daze at the starry sky of the Third Era, not moving her eyes or even blinking. She couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.
“Probably.” Yang Jian nodded.
“Is that so?” Pu Jingwan was someone of the First Era, but she’d never taken so much as half a step out of its bounds. She wasn’t born before it transcended. By the time she grew strong enough to leave, the giant primordial beasts had wrecked most of its territory and made leaving difficult.
Most of what she saw of the First Era was bitterness and destruction, a world in ruins.
Their world was destroyed, a ruined planet abandoned by the Milky Way.
She’d often fantasized about what the First Era was like before the Enders came. Now, seeing the Third Era, she felt like she finally knew. She’d finally seen an undestroyed world for herself.
It was truly beautiful.
Ye Zichen didn’t speak or interrupt their reverie, nor did the others try to hurry them along.
They gazed calmly at the galaxy of the Third Era, taking in the stars’ radiance, imprinting their unrivaled splendor deep into his heart.
But Ye Zichen was different. He wasn’t overcome by the stars’ beauty, although of course, even he had to admit that they were beautiful. Instead, he was more concerned with seeking out a single, specific planet.
Until….
His pupils constricted furiously.
He saw it.
After scanning the starry sky to the best of his ability, he discovered a familiar blue planet amongst the endless sea of celestial bodies.
It was miniscule.
A tiny little speck.
But he’d found it.
He stared at that miniscule speck in silence. It was still vibrantly orbiting its sun. His heart stirred with a sudden impulse. Why go back to the Divine Mountains at all? Why not head directly to that planet?
That was his true home, his roots!
He wanted to go back, but after a bit of a struggle, he gave up on the idea.
The end of the era was near. He had to stay in the Upper Three Realms and fight for celestial fate. He had to fight, and seize his destiny.
But it didn’t matter.
Although it wasn’t yet time to go home, at the very least…
He’d found his way home!
