Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.
The elder looked at the sky and said, “It’s almost evening. The night here isn’t too dangerous. If the little girl has recovered, you should leave. We’ve talked a lot, so it’s quite a coincidence. I’ll give you one more warning: if possible, you should leave the Great Vortex as soon as you can. Recently, I’ve had a feeling of dread, as if something significant is about to happen.”
Qian Ye and the two girls exchanged glances, all slightly alarmed. Although Qian Ye had not studied divination, he knew that a strong warrior like the elder had an intuition that could not be measured by ordinary standards. Having lived in the Great Vortex for so many years, any sudden inspiration would surely signify an event.
After a moment’s thought, Qian Ye said, “Old Master Lu, why don’t you come with us? The Tian Sun Grassland may be good, but as long as people are there, resources are infinite. Why stay here for these transient treasures?”
The elder shook his head, “I’m old, and I’ve felt my life force waning in recent years. Why break my promise when it’s nearly over? You go on, I’m used to living here and don’t want to move.”
Ji Tianqing also said, “It’s been fifty years, don’t you want to see the outside world? The Empire has changed a lot. Perhaps you can even meet Grandfather.”
She was doing her best to persuade him. A strong warrior of the elder’s level was only comparable to a few people like Lady An Guo in the Empire. If he were willing to return, it would be a great boon to the Empire.
Qian Ye thought for a moment, then took out Zang Xin and placed it on the table, saying, “Old Master Lu, will this gun change your mind?”
The elder’s face instantly changed when he saw Zang Xin. He leaped up, wanting to grab it, but just as his hand was about to touch it, he swiftly withdrew, as if afraid of being burned.
After several attempts, the elder finally gave up, slumping back down and sighing, “Forget it, forget it! I’ve clung to a delusion for fifty years, only now realizing how far she is from me. Even looking up and remembering her is impossible. In those days, only Ji Wentian was worthy of her!”
Qian Ye had not expected this outcome. He had hoped to ignite the elder’s ambition, but instead, made him even more despondent.
The elder waved his hand, giving them the order to leave, “Go, I want to be alone.”
Before the three could argue, he sent a surge of origin power, pushing them out of the small house and slamming the door shut.
Ji Tianqing, stunned, put the clay jar at the door and said softly, “Let’s go.”
Leaving the Tian Sun Grassland, the three set off toward the Well of the Stars under the cover of night. After they hadn’t gone far, Qian Ye suddenly said, “Tianqing, I’ll carry you.”
Ji Tianqing, already panting, didn’t refuse and hooked her arms around Qian Ye’s neck, jumping into his arms. Qian Ye was taken aback but didn’t dare drop her, so he held her horizontally and walked beside Li Kuanglan.
After the Star Cherry Fruit’s transformation, Ji Tianqing’s body was filled with internal injuries, making her the weakest. Though various herbs helped, the internal damage was not so easily repaired. It would take at least a day and night for her to fully recover.
Qian Ye still had some doubts and finally had the chance to voice them, asking, “Why did Old Master Lu tell us his sad story? Was that cup of Flowing Spring Fragrance really that precious?”
For a true warrior, even the most valuable and rare tea or wine, if it did not enhance cultivation or improve innate abilities, was of limited value. The Flowing Spring Fragrance smelled wonderful, but Qian Ye detected no change in his strength, blood vitality, or origin power when he sipped it. To him, the value of that tea was far less than the two sips of wine the elder gave him.
Those two sips allowed Qian Ye to double his cultivation speed for a week, possibly leading to another breakthrough within days. This was the most tangible benefit for a strong warrior. No matter how good the Flowing Spring Fragrance was, it was merely a plaything.
An elder who had reached the level of a high-tier general, how could he sacrifice his dignity for a mere plaything? If he were such a person, why would he have stayed in the Tian Sun Grassland for fifty years?
Ji Tianqing, however, had found the answer, sighing softly, “His meaning was not just to tell me what happened, but also to warn me about the person who acted back then. With that person’s skills, if they’re alive today, their status in the Empire is likely beyond imagination.”
In the entire Empire, who could be of higher or equal status to the Emperor of the Extreme North? The answer was obvious with a bit of thought.
Qian Ye frowned, asking, “What will you do then?”
Ji Tianqing smiled, her arms tightening around Qian Ye’s neck, whispering in his ear, “What’s there to fear? As long as Grandfather is around, no one dares to do anything to me. Grandfather never mentioned those events, whether he forgot or pretended to. But regardless, the person who acted back then won’t voluntarily resurface and revive those memories.”
Qian Ye nodded, somewhat reassured. Then he frowned, looking at Ji Tianqing’s arms around him. This pose was too intimate, almost like a couple. He didn’t feel that close to Ji Tianqing, and there was Li Kuanglan watching.
With Qian Ye’s understanding of women, after experiencing intimate nights together, they were just a step away from a physical relationship. Their relationship was subtle and ambiguous. With Li Kuanglan’s pride, she should be furious seeing Qian Ye with another woman. Yet, Li Kuanglan seemed indifferent, even smiling, as if encouraging them.
This puzzled Qian Ye, and perhaps only Song Zining could understand the true intentions of the two girls.
But the thought of love only flickered in Qian Ye’s mind. It wasn’t worth much attention now. The elder’s words were the more pressing concern.
With Ji Tianqing’s talent, she might be the highest achiever among the descendants of the Emperor of the Extreme North. After taking the Star Cherry Fruit, her talent had soared. If someone wanted to harm the Emperor, they might start with her. However, worrying about it now was useless. With their current abilities, they couldn’t detect or prevent it until the threat was immediate.
Ji Tianqing tapped Qian Ye’s forehead, saying, “Don’t just worry about me; worry about yourself. Your battleship will eventually surface, and when it does, it will surely cause a stir. But Grandfather loves me, so he might overlook it for my sake. But dealing with others, you’ll have to handle yourself.”
Qian Ye nodded. Now he understood why Ji Tianqing insisted on teaching him the Mountain Splitting Technique. It was likely a subtle hint of their relationship, to avoid the Emperor’s misunderstanding.
The Well of the Stars wasn’t too far, but the path was treacherous, passing through several nests of fierce beasts. These beasts were either massive and incredibly strong, swift as the wind, or traveled in deadly, poisonous packs. In short, they were not opponents for any ordinary warrior below the level of a general.
Fortunately, the Empire, at the cost of countless lives, had mapped out the distribution and movement patterns of these beast nests and charted several relatively safe routes. Qian Ye and the two girls, with their considerable strength and decent stealth, passed through the nests without incident, reaching the vicinity of the Well of the Stars.
The Well of the Stars was actually a canyon in a mountainous area. The outer mountains were gentle, covered in lush forests, home to countless birds and small animals.
As they walked through the forest, Qian Ye felt uneasy. He sensed a heavy, invisible pressure, though he couldn’t pinpoint its source.
His true vision was also greatly impaired, with countless origin power points forming natural barriers, interfering with his perception of the surroundings. Under such intense activity, Qian Ye could only sense up to a few dozen meters, the rest obscured by the points.
These origin power points came from various creatures, even a small insect could create a point. By the measure of contained origin power, an ant here was equivalent to a human second-rank warrior.
Qian Ye marveled at the wonders of the world. The Red Scorpions and other special forces had used second-rank warriors as recruitment standards. He himself had spent years and endured countless hardships to reach the second rank. But here, he was only on par with an ant.
Qian Ye suddenly stomped on a slow-moving beetle. The beetle burst open under his boot, hard as a pebble. In the Great Vortex, this hardness was normal. After bursting, a small light appeared in Qian Ye’s vision, burning and then dissipating, merging with the surroundings.
Apart from their impressive origin power, these insects had no other special abilities and were weaker than the ones Qian Ye had encountered before. Their only skill seemed to be storing large amounts of origin power, though they didn’t know how to use it.
From another perspective, the creatures here didn’t need to worry about food. When origin power was abundant, the need for food diminished. They lived in a paradise, where food was plentiful, and perhaps the most tiring task was eating.
Over time, they didn’t need to develop any fighting skills, only to eat, sleep, and reproduce.
Qian Ye shook his head but didn’t let his guard down. The invisible pressure remained, but the numerous origin-rich creatures made it impossible to locate the source. However, the clear intuition couldn’t be ignored.
Suddenly, a colorful light column shot up ahead! Standing a hundred meters tall, its colors swirled and changed, creating a stunning spectacle.
As the light column rose, Qian Ye’s blood core responded, speeding up slightly. His six origin power vortices also subtly resonated, rotating faster. Both his blood and origin power responded, a rare occurrence.
Li Kuanglan pointed to the light column, saying, “That must be the Well of the Stars.”
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