Silence fell after his words, with no response from Xiang Haikui.

Jing Ran’s gaze returned to her, finding little surprise on her face. “You guessed it?”

How could Xiang Haikui possibly have guessed?

She was completely dumbfounded.

Shaking her head, she patted the sword case on her back. “No wonder my Tian Kuang suddenly started increasing in wild intent.”

She estimated there was a “switch” on him that had been hidden all along.

These golden lotuses on the sea leading to the Other Shore City were formed from the special power he had released.

With the golden lotuses present, even with a body from reincarnation, these Underworld officials would emerge without any doubt to pay respects.

With all eyes watching, the Underworld Lord was about to approach him, yet Jing Ran turned his head to continue looking at her. “Xiang’s classmate’s reaction is beyond my expectations.”

Xiang Haikui laughed awkwardly. “After cursing you out, what… what else can I do? Take it back?”

Jing Ran laughed. “I’m not talking about you cursing me. I’m referring to my identity.”

“Oh, your identity.” Xiang Haikui frowned slightly, not knowing why, but suddenly feeling confused and unsure how to respond.

She could only say, “Senior, as you just said, I’m now a person of great fortune with a circle full of powerful figures. Your identity doesn’t frighten me anymore.”

However, insulting the Heavenly Race’s Di Jun to his face meant Tian Kuang’s wild intent was growing terrifyingly strong.

She had yet to see Han Qi’s true form, but so far, aside from cursing her boss, this was the fastest growth she’d experienced.

She could almost hear Tian Kuang excitedly shouting, “Ah, another fat sheep! Grab him! Upgrade quickly!”

Jing Ran nodded. “That’s true.”

“I think I’m pretty amazing.” Coming out of her dreamlike state, Xiang Haikui touched her forehead, muttering to herself.

The first time she had a crush on someone, she ended up crushing on a Heavenly Race Di Jun who had undergone tribulation and reincarnation.

The “male god” she called him in jest turned out to be a literal god.

These eyes of hers must have been blessed.

These hands, too, which had even pulled down Di Jun’s pants.

How thrilling.

Jing Ran leaned in slightly. “What did you say?”

She shook her head repeatedly. “Nothing, nothing.”

“Di Jun.” The Underworld Lord Jin Ying stepped onto a golden lotus and came forward, cupping her hands in greeting.

This female lord was from the Heavenly Race, fair-skinned, beautiful, and long-legged. Like Jing Ran, she wore a black robe with only a spider lily embroidered on the sleeve, representing her status as the ruler of the Underworld.

Xiang Haikui had heard from Bai Xingxian that Jin Ying was once one of the Twelve Palace Masters, a colleague of her boss, and had always been at odds with him.

After the previous Underworld Lord died, she successfully took the position and hunted her boss for many years, showing great skill and determination.

“We welcome Di Jun’s return from tribulation…” Jin Ying spoke the formal greetings.

While speaking, her eyes glanced at Xiang Haikui three times.

Jing Ran instructed her, “I have just awakened, my magical power has not recovered, and I need to use the Soul Pool.”

At his level of reincarnation and tribulation, once his soul was unsealed, his cultivation would gradually recover, and he could return to his true physical form at any time.

“This subject will arrange it immediately.” Jin Ying stepped aside to make way. “Please, Di Jun.”

She did not inquire about Xiang Haikui’s identity.

As Jing Ran walked past Jin Ying, he transmitted to her, “Yin Changli has come to the Other Shore City.”

Jin Ying frowned deeply. “This subject will set up formations and defenses immediately.”

“No need,” said Jing Ran. “Remove all formations and use actions to tell him that I am waiting for him.”

Behind Jin Ying, nine of the Twelve Palace Masters had arrived and were exchanging secret messages with those they knew.

“How many years has it been since Di Jun came to the Underworld?”

Since the Crown Prince was banished to the Underworld years ago, the Underworld had almost severed ties with the Heavenly Race, becoming nearly independent and no longer under the jurisdiction of the upper realm.

Luo Yunxiu and Liu Yixing, who had previously gone to Silver Sand City with three small demons to hunt down Yin Changli, were also exchanging secret messages.

The two were discussing Xiang Haikui.

After just ten years, Liu Yixing’s memory was a bit poor. “Isn’t she the Second Young Lady from Silver Sand City? The pawn Long Changli used to draw us away?”

Luo Yunxiu had been examining Xiang Haikui for a long time and covered her mouth to giggle delicately. “I always thought this young girl was extraordinary. Look at my ability to judge people—in such a short time, she’s already at the peak of eighth rank.”

Liu Yixing didn’t care about that. He frowned, “But isn’t she Changli Lord’s person? Why is she following Di Jun?”

Jing Ran had already stepped onto the golden lotus, while Xiang Haikui remained standing on the shore without moving.

Jing Ran turned his head. “Are you afraid of me?”

Xiang Haikui looked back at him and asked, “Senior, regarding my friend circle… should I add a note after your name, or delete the old one and add you as a new friend?”

Jing Ran smiled lightly. “It’s up to you. I don’t mind either way.”

Seeing the hesitation in her eyes, he added, “Xiang classmate, even though my identity is the Heavenly Race’s Di Jun, I cannot control where I will reincarnate. Meeting you was fate, and our past interactions contained not a trace of deception.”

“Now that I’ve awakened today, I won’t deliberately distance myself from you because of my identity. If you no longer see me as myself, that’s your choice.”

Xiang Haikui nodded and followed him onto the golden lotuses, walking step by step toward the Other Shore City.

It was still the familiar silhouette, and even his walking posture was the same.

From high school to university, over the years, what she had seen most was his back.

It seemed nothing had changed.

But why, during the teleportation, had he pulled her away from her boss’s side?

…

At this moment, Yin Changli was still quite far from the Other Shore City.

But he sensed the Twelve Palaces rising from the sea together, a reception reserved only for the Di Jun.

Like Han Qi, he figured it out.

He wasn’t overly surprised, nor did he blame himself for incompetence. After all, this Di Jun was the biggest winner in the ancient war between the two races and now ruled the Three Realms.

Back then, Yin Changli had been just an ignorant young man.

This was Di Jun’s method was to match wits with the mindless and match fists with the intelligent.

He was a master at both.

For years, Di Jun had been unable to catch Yin Changli or prevent him from reorganizing the Mountain and Sea Clan’s old forces and planting agents everywhere, so he handed him over to Han Qi to deal with slowly.

Now believing he had found Yin Changli’s weakness, he wanted to cut the Gordian knot.

Yin Changli took out the “red apple” from the jade box, threw it on the ground, and out rolled Lu Xiqiao.

“Following this path forward is the Other Shore City. Go find Xiang Haikui and help me deliver a message to her.”

Lu Xiqiao couldn’t figure out what was happening. “Senior, don’t you doubt that I…”

Yin Changli interrupted, “No need to test. You are the real Lu Xiqiao, and Meng Nanting must have returned to the upper realm.”

Lu Xiqiao was bewildered. “Then what message does Senior want me to deliver?”

“Just tell her…”

After finishing, Yin Changli left Lu Xiqiao behind and headed for the Land of Nine Sufferings.

It didn’t take much time for him to find the little hamster hiding in a small crevice, trembling with fear.

Bai Xingxian was injured, and upon seeing his uncle, he shed a few tears of grievance.

After spitting out the small black ball, Yin Changli opened the traveling palace.

Bai Xingxian returned to human form, sitting cross-legged in the palace, feeling as if an eternity had passed. “Uncle, you’ve awakened?”

Yin Changli sat down behind the desk. Xiang Heng hadn’t touched his things; everything remained in its original place. “Do I look like I’m sleepwalking?”

“Is the matter with Jin Ling resolved? How is Little Lu? What about Little Kui’s sister?” Bai Xingxian asked many questions at once.

Yin Changli answered none of them. “Recover quickly. While the Di Jun is in his recovery period, we can take advantage to do our work.”

Bai Xingxian persisted in asking, “What about Little Kui sister? Aren’t we taking her with us?”

Yin Changli cleaned the desk meticulously, wiping it once more.

After finishing, he realized that besides Xiao Bai, there were many earth spirits being kept under the black ball. Why was he cleaning up by himself, acting as if it were second nature?

His movements slowed, and a sense of depression spread in his heart. “She was taken by the Di Jun.”

Bai Xingxian stood up in shock. “What?”

Yin Changli explained in a few words: “I always thought I had chosen her, dragging her into this. Now it seems the Di Jun appeared by her side much earlier, which means everything was already her destiny. My so-called changing of fate was merely being led by the nose by destiny itself.”

Bai Xingxian quickly went to him. “Uncle, regardless of fate, you must save her!”

“How? The Di Jun has opened the door, waiting for me to deliver myself to death. Or perhaps he wants to find out my pieces in the Other Shore City.” Yin Changli adjusted his feathered cloak. “Moreover, I no longer dare to let her follow me…”

Just as he had said to Han Qi before parting, Han Qi had hurt her, he had saved her, and he had personally trained her. What right did Han Qi have to compete with him?

But now she was practically childhood friends with the Di Jun, had admired the Di Jun for years—what right did he have to compete with the Di Jun?

Based on a single night of passion?

“She might very well turn against me. The Di Jun may coax her into becoming a spy at my side.”

“Impossible,” Bai Xingxian firmly denied.

“The Di Jun is capable of it.”

“I’m talking about Little Kui sister. She wouldn’t.” Bai Xingxian was certain. “You don’t have those ten years of memories, but I do. Do you know how hard Little Kui worked to help you collect demon power? Once we were ambushed, and an eighth-rank demon beast nearly hurt you. Without a second thought, she threw herself in front to shield you and remained unconscious for several days…”

“Every day, at the slightest disturbance, she would jump up like a grasshopper, eyes watching in all directions, ears listening to every sound to protect you.”

“Uncle, even Xiao Bai can’t do this. What she has given along the way can’t be repaid by a simple transaction. No matter how much compensation you make, you can’t repay Little Kui for this deep friendship…”

Yin Changli interrupted him. “I don’t want to hear it. Recover quickly; we need to leave as soon as possible.”

Bai Xingxian had never disobeyed his orders before.

But after tightening his lips for a long while, Bai Xingxian folded his arms and sat on the steps, with an attitude of refusing to continue. “Uncle, whether you truly can’t remember or simply don’t want to remember, you know in your heart.”

His uncle had always been like this.

Bai Xingxian recalled when he was small and couldn’t yet transform, often lying unrestrained on his uncle’s shoulder.

His uncle indulged and spoiled him terribly.

But once he was caught by pursuers, although his uncle effortlessly killed them all, from then on, his uncle never allowed any intimacy, forbade him from transforming at will, and treated him completely as a spirit pet servant.

His uncle was accustomed to being alone. No matter who he dealt with, he used transactions as the method, settling accounts on the spot, never getting too involved.

Whether he feared hurting others or himself was unclear.

In any case, he had forced himself to become solitary.

Thinking of this, Bai Xingxian began to understand his uncle again.

Feeling his previous words might have been too harsh, he cautiously turned his head to look at his uncle.

He saw that the table was now filled with various items taken from the storage ring.

There was a wooden comb, a portrait, beautiful feathers, exquisite embroidery, and a… kitchen knife.

“Uncle…?”

Yin Changli stared at the kitchen knife for a long time.

Then he closed his eyes.

Bai Xingxian saw his uncle’s deeply furrowed brow and knew he was contemplating important matters. Not daring to make a sound, he quietly went to cultivate.

After a long while.

“Let’s go.”

Bai Xingxian asked, “Where to?”

Yin Changli opened his eyes. “The Other Shore City.”

Bai Xingxian asked, “Are we sneaking in to rescue her?”

“No.” Yin Changli made a hand seal and pointed into the air toward a dragon pillar.

More spiritual mist emerged from the dragon’s mouth.

Within the mist appeared a blurry figure, making a single-handed Mountain and Sea Clan salute. “What are the Clan Leader’s orders?”

Tapping his fingers on the table several times, Yin Changli said, “Prepare your branch. I plan to take the Other Shore City.”

The figure in the mist was startled. “Clan Leader? According to the plan, weren’t we supposed to first unseal…”

“Plans have changed,” said Yin Changli. “We’ll attack the Other Shore City first.”

“But…”

“Back then, even with Elder Qi and the others, we were ultimately defeated, weren’t we?”

“…”

“This battle doesn’t need them. The Underworld is where the Di Jun’s reach is weakest. Just listen to me.”

Yin Changli grabbed at the air, producing a handful of spirit arrows.

Similar to the spirit arrows he had given to Xiang Haikui, but somewhat different, these were command arrows.

With a wave of his arm, the arrows all flew out in all directions.

He didn’t want to wait any longer; the longer he waited, the more unpredictable things might become.

He wasn’t fully prepared, but neither was Di Jun.

The Di Jun wanted to expose his pieces in the Other Shore City? Then he would lay them all out for him to see.

With himself at forty percent power and the Di Jun just awakened from reincarnation, who would lose half a life first?

“The final life-and-death struggle of our Mountain and Sea Clan begins with the Other Shore City.”

A lifetime spent calculating the will of heaven, planning meticulously, yet feeling increasingly powerless.

So this time, follow your heart.

Xiang Haikui’s eyes couldn’t open in the hot steam.

This was an extremely magnificent palace. Inside the hall, apart from layers upon layers of gossamer veils, there was only a pool resembling a hot spring.

The water vapor could nourish the soul; one didn’t need to enter the water but could sit by the poolside and meditate.

As the Di Jun, he enjoyed the highest level of treatment. This soul-nourishing water was naturally of the finest quality. Apart from the Underworld Lord, not even the Twelve Palace Masters received such treatment.

Xiang Haikui had inexplicably clung to Di Jun’s side, riding his coattails, and now sat cross-legged by the pool.

Jing Ran sat to her left, eyes closed, saying, “Focus.”

Xiang Haikui quickly closed her eyes. She had already felt the efficacy of the soul-nourishing water, but she couldn’t settle her mind.

“I think I’m experiencing what Senior felt.”

“Hmm?”

“Your feelings on Earth, that sense of unreality.”

Hearing this, Jing Ran opened his eyes and looked down at her. “How so?”

Xiang Haikui held back for a long time but couldn’t resist asking, “Senior took me away also to use me against Senior Yin, right?”

Jing Ran fell silent, then said, “Earlier you called him an idiot; how come he’s ‘Senior’ now?”

Xiang Haikui: … “Well, since I cursed three idiots, I’m afraid you might remember.”

Jing Ran laughed quietly.

“Senior hasn’t answered,” Xiang Haikui made her attitude clear. “If that’s the case, I hope you can be straightforward like Han Qi and say it directly. I’ll try to convince myself to understand your position. Please don’t…”

She didn’t continue.

“I know you already have your own understanding of the Di Jun identity, because of the Meng family…” Jing Ran said. “I can only say, the Heavenly Race has twice Earth’s population; I can’t manage it all.”

Xiang Haikui opened her mouth.

He continued, “I was the one who reported. I thought the third son of the Meng family was talented and wanted to spare his life. As for the Meng family, after I return, I will certainly give you a satisfactory resolution.”

Xiang Haikui had too many questions. “Did you scheme against the former Underworld Lord…?”

Jing Ran changed his meditation posture and asked in return, “Was one of the Xuanwu Gate Incident a wise ruler?”

Xiang Haikui: “But you dumped your trash on the Mountain and Sea Clan, forced them to strike back, then annihilated them…”

Steam rose, and water droplets gathered on his cheeks, trickling down from his chin. Jing Ran asked again, “There’s a book on Earth called ‘Classic of Mountains and Seas,’ showing that there was originally a Mountain and Sea Clan on Earth as well. Later, where did they go? Why did they all disappear, leaving only some ordinary-blooded beast clans? Have you ever pondered this question?”

This question left Xiang Haikui completely at a loss for an answer. Why would she think about such things?

Jing Ran closed his eyes again. “If they evolved further, no race would be a match for them.”

“What about humans?” Xiang Haikui thought for a moment and asked, “Senior was also a human on Earth; did you gain any insights?”

“Yes.” Jing Ran nodded. “I didn’t realize humans could evolve so powerfully. From now on, not only must we eliminate the Mountain and Sea Clan, but we must also begin to suppress the human race.”

Xiang Haikui’s eyes widened. “Senior?”

“Has Xiang’s classmate seen the movie ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’? If one day, Earth’s apes completed their evolution and could struggle against humans, demanding equal rights with humans, do you think Earth people would suppress them or agree to their demands?”

Xiang Haikui asked, “A bunch of apes?”

“For this world, we of the Heavenly Race are the ‘humans,’ and humans are apes that haven’t completed their evolution.”

He gave resources to humans, which was already like protecting animals.

“When my Heavenly Race can barely eat enough, I’ve allowed some resources to be shared, and they’re still not satisfied?”

After Jing Ran’s words fell, he heard no response from Xiang Haikui for a long time.

He looked at her somewhat dazed expression. “Any questions?”

Xiang Haikui said, “No, I’m just surprised that in Senior’s eyes, I’m an ape.”

Jing Ran paused, then said, “Xiang classmate is naturally different in my eyes.”

Xiang Haikui responded with an “Oh.” “Am I a foreign ape?”

Jing Ran paused again. “No, I never saw you as an ape. I was just using the movie as a metaphor…”

Xiang Haikui interrupted, “If humans are all apes in your eyes, and I’m not an ape, are you saying I’m not human? You cultured people, why so roundabout with insults? Can’t you just say ‘fuck your mother’ directly?”

Jing Ran’s lips trembled for a moment, and his head suddenly began to ache.