The dispersed clouds drifted over from the distance, and the sky was covered once more with dream-like colors.
He had her arms around her amid the clouds and mist, and she was leaning into him.
“I really thought I was going to lose you again, Wutong, do you know that? That feeling almost made me go insane. From today onward, I will give you my soul and my spirit, along with all the good, the bad, my weakness, and all my bad habits. They are very annoying, but there’s only one good thing about them all: my love for you.”
“You’re such a fool.”
If not for Tai Tan beckoning, they would probably have sat in the clouds until the end of time.
But they had to return to reality in the end, and they returned to Clear Sky Castle. Everything seemed different in Huo Yuhao’s eyes, and the third time seemed to be the charm, as Clear Sky Castle’s ominousness had ceased. He felt like extreme sorrow had turned into overwhelming joy.
Tang Wutong blushed when she glanced at Niu Tian and Tai Tan’s amused eyes, and she pulled Huo Yuhao away and ran away.
Clear Sky Castle’s food was a little drab, but it was delicious in the two lovebirds’ mouths. They had a sumptuous feast, and only then did Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong think about what had happened amid their pulsating love.
“Our martial souls can fuse again, and we can use Haodong power once more. What happened? I could clearly feel that you were sucking me dry! Why has my cultivation not dropped, but increased instead? I can feel that I should be a Transcendent Douluo, and you’re about the same, too. Furthermore, we both have two soul cores now.”
Huo Yuhao asked Tang Wutong a little curiously as she lay in his arms.
Tang Wutong shook her head. “I don’t know what happened, either. Everything was already like this when I woke up. Uncle Tai Tan said that you healed me through some secret technique, and I remember him saying that our martial soul and soul power levels have become identical after I obtained my second soul core. Afterwards, my soul power fed back into your body and formed Haodong power, and it began cultivating by itself. The Haodong power circulated between us for nine days, and then we became like this.”
“Nine days? We’ve been cultivating together for nine days?” Huo Yuaho asked in shock.
Tang Wutong nodded and said, “Uncle Tai Tan said that you’ve taken me back for almost a month. Are you in a hurry to go back? If you are, let’s go right now.”
Huo Yuhao hugged her tightly and said, “No, I’m not in any hurry. I already made up my mind before I came out, and I told everyone that I might not return. I’ve helped the academy repel the Sun Moon Empire’s army, and I’ve fixed sister Xiaotao. The academy probably won’t need me for the time being.”
Huo Yuhao buried his head into Tang Wutong’s shoulders, and he truly enjoyed this feeling. Tang Wutong was well again, and even if he had to live life all over again, he was willing to forget everything that had happened as long as he could live with her for eternity within Clear Sky Castle. He wouldn’t care about all the chaos in the outside world anymore.
Tang Wutong smiled as she caressed his hair. “We can face anything blissfully as long as we’re together! We cannot truly be here forever in peace, because there are still things that we cannot let go of. Humans aren’t meant to live their lives just for themselves. You’ve always been living for others, but do you know how many people will worry about you when you’re not around, and how many people will worry about us? We have to return to the world that we belong to in the end. At least, we cannot run away or escape before the dust settles.”
“Nobody can hurt us now, and we are gradually gaining the ability to change the world. Since that’s the case, we no longer have any reason to shun our responsibilities. The academy and the Tang Sect need our protection. Furthermore, there is still something that you’ve yet to fulfill!”
Huo Yuhao trembled as he looked up at Tang Wutong, and their gazes met. Of course, he knew what Tang Wutong was referring to.
Even though she kept telling him to let this go, could he really do that? That wasn’t possible. At least, that wasn’t possible for now. He didn’t just need time; more importantly, he had to face it.
Huo Yuhao took a deep breath as he nodded gently and said, “You’re right. Since we can’t shy away, then let us face the world. Perhaps our minds can truly face everything peacefully after all that we’ve been through. But we’re not leaving today, because we still have to stay in this bliss for another day. We won’t have to think about anything, and I want to just accompany you like this to watch the sunrise and the sunset. I want to accompany you to watch the drifting clouds and floating mist.”
“Okay.”
They were just sitting down together on Tang Wutong’s bed. Huo Yuhao didn’t do anything, and they were just leaning against each other, and they barely even spoke. They were just admiring the beautiful scenery outside the window, listening to each other’s heartbeats, and breathing each other in. They were just sitting there quietly, and in this moment, there was only bliss in their hearts.
A new day had begun, and there was morning dew all around.
Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong enjoyed some warm soup and had some simple food, as happiness and bliss still permeated their hearts. They were truly different this time, as both their bodies and their souls had sublimated.
Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong’s fatigue, pain, and responsibility that they had accumulated for a long time seemed to have been cleansed over this month, and their eyes had become much clearer and brighter than before.
“Uncle Niu Tian, Uncle Tai Tan, we’re leaving.” Huo Yuhao stood in front of the Clear Sky Sect’s two leaders as he knelt in front of them.
Even though he didn’t know how he and Tang Wutong had managed to recover, or how his strength had improved, he knew that what had happened was closely related to these two sect leaders, who were cold on the outside but warm on the inside.
Niu Tian smiled faintly and said, “Go. The two of you possess the strength to dominate the entire continent now. There are people who can defeat the two of you, but as long as you don’t leave each other’s side, almost nobody in the world can destroy you. Take care of Wutong. Otherwise, I’ll whack you.”
“Yes,” Huo Yuhao answered respectfully.
Tai Tan pouted a little as he said, “You’re no fun at all. Go, go. Wutong, my good child, come back and see your uncle if you have time.”
Tang Wutong stepped forward and gave Tai Tan and Niu Tian a bear hug. Her eyes were turning red as she soared into the sky with Huo Yuhao, and they held hands as they flew into the distance.
Niu Tian’s expression seemed very liberated as he watched them leave. “We have basically completed our task, and we can return.”
Tai Tan nodded. “Yes! It’s time to return.”
Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong flew through the air, and the air seemed like soldiers who were obeying their commands as they propelled them forward like rockets.
Tang Wutong asked, “Where are we heading to first, Yuhao?”
Huo Yuhao was momentarily stunned. “I haven’t thought about that…”
Tang Wutong giggled and said, “That’s not like you. Don’t you always plan meticulously before anything. Don’t you always have a million ideas?”
Huo Yuhao thought for a moment, then said, “Let’s head to the Dou Ling Empire, to Dou Ling City. I wonder how third senior brother is doing handling things over there. More importantly, we don’t know if the Sun Moon Empire is moving against Dou Ling City. The seed that I’ve planted in the Sun Moon Empire’s army should be enough to cause some infighting and chaos within their armies, but I don’t know how much all that will develop.”
Tang Wutong nodded and said, “Yes, let’s head to Dou Ling City. You have defeated Ju Zi, so the academy and the Tang Sect will be alright for now. The Dou Ling Empire is in the most danger. I’m not sure if third senior brother and the others can hold on!”
Inside Dou Ling City.
Military reports were sent continuously into the royal palace’s main hall.
The tall, big person sitting atop the throne was none other than the Eternal Defense, Xu Sanshi.
Dou Ling City’s royal palace had just suffered a destructive attack, and they rebuilt this makeshift main hall within a short period of time. The royal palace’s original location appeared as empty as ever, and there was nothing all around.
The city’s subjects did suggest switching locations, and they mentioned that this place was ominous. However, Xu Sanshi turned down their suggestions and said that they had to pick themselves up from where they fell.
Therefore, the Dou Ling Empire’s royal palace was being rebuilt in its original location, but everything was simple and unornamented.
One month had gone by, and Xu Sanshi seemed very different from before. His lazy smile that appeared on his face every day was gone, to be replaced by dignity and majesty. However, he also appeared a lot older than before, even though only a month had gone by. It wasn’t hard to see how much effort, blood, and sweat he had put into this.
“Report, Prince Regent, Dancing Cloud City has fallen. The city defense army fought to the last man so that the citizens and civilians can evacuate safely.”
Another piece of bad news.
Xu Sanshi’s expression was calm, but his face had turned completely black. He grabbed his throne’s armrest, and his knuckles turned white because he was using too much strength.
Jiang Nannan was standing right beside him. She raised her hand and placed it gently on his shoulder in an attempt to console his riling emotions.
Many things had transpired within the Dou Ling Empire over the past month.
News of the royal palace’s destruction couldn’t be completely hidden after all, and that news swiftly spread throughout the city and the lands beyond. There were many different opinions and voices about that fact.
The Dou Ling Empire was very strict about assigning territories to the royal family, but some from the royal family had branched away back in the early days. There were some who still held some kind of authority.
The royal palace had been destroyed, and almost every single individual directly descended from the royal family had perished. There were some who started eyeing the throne when this apocalyptic news reached them, and everyone was fearful and unsettled within the empire. Several ambitious fellows quickly seemed like they were raring to make a move.
Under such circumstances, Xu Sanshi had the support of Dou Ling Empire’s subjects and soldiers as he swiftly gained control over several cities along Dou Ling City’s periphery. Furthermore, he tried to withdraw his armies as much as possible so that he could concentrate and centralize them as much as he could.
Part of this army comprised the elites who had journeyed to reinforce Shrek City, and the Dou Ling Empire’s internal regions could only stabilize if Xu Sanshi had the support of this elite army. Only then could he suppress those ambitious fellows such that they wouldn’t make a move against him so easily.
