Chapter 242 - 240: Returning to Harmony Island

Yang Shen didn’t even take a close look at the mission rewards before completing it on the spot.

The massive amount of family reputation he had accumulated over the past six months had finally paid off big time!

So, Yang Shen, who had just started to get up, was forced back down by the system. He checked the time; it didn’t seem like he had delayed any important business.

After the college entrance exams, with the release of various best-selling books and the reputation Yang Shen had built for himself, his family’s reputation had multiplied several times over.

After he left Jianghuai, his family’s development hadn’t stopped. On the contrary, it had grown a lot, possibly related to his battle with Jiang Xin and the "Yang’s Disciples" society.

Back then, Yang Shen had thought that if he could just get a reputation-based main quest, he’d be able to complete it on the spot. Now, his words had become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

’It’s great to reap what you sow, but it’s even better to reap without sowing.’

’No, that’s not right... It’s more like making small deposits for a large withdrawal. Every point of reputation was earned through real effort.’

And the mission reward was what Yang Shen personally considered the highest quality type: "Inherited Family Treasures"!

The "Ancestral Lineage Spiritual Record," the "Heart-Inquiry Stone Mirror," the "Earth Soil Pottery Jar"...

The previous three Inherited Family Treasures were all Marvels of Heaven and Earth. Besides being powerful and mysterious, they were also always closely tied to the theme of "family development."

However, when he saw the option to claim the reward, Yang Shen chose to play it safe...

His experience with the Earth Soil Pottery Jar had left a deep impression. If he got another one like it, or something huge, he’d be totally screwed here in the Noon Realm...

Anyway, the mission was already complete, so a few days wouldn’t make a difference. Yang Shen decided to wait until he returned to Yanhua to claim it. He’d look at the "New-New Main Quest" then, too.

’Sigh... When will I get some kind of storage item? Having to rely on lottery draws for an Artifact Refining inheritance is so hard...’

Yang Shen leaped lightly and headed down the mountain.

It was now close to ten in the morning. Before, the Noon Realm had been constantly filled with dust and sand, making one insensitive to the time. But now, with the River of Calamity and Pestilence flowing in the nearby region, people could actually see a clear sky.

To be precise, it was half azure blue and half violet light. This strange sight made many people look up and stare, and the Noon Realm People were the most fascinated of all.

For most of them, this was the first time in their lives they had ever seen a blue sky...

Yang Shen returned to the temporary camp, his movements light and agile. After reaching the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, he felt as light as a swallow. This wasn’t because his weight had decreased or his Power had increased.

Rather, his Cultivation Realm had given him a higher degree of control over his body.

The temporary camp was divided into zones according to the various clans, but they were very close to each other, separated by only one or two hundred meters. This was something the Noon Realm People found hard to adjust to. Previously, due to the extreme scarcity of resources, they had not lived close to one another.

Combined with the customs of inter-clan marriage and the allocation of the Nameless People, this foothill area had unexpectedly become a massive site for family reunions.

"Hey! Is my mother here? Is she still alive?"

"What’s your mother’s name?!"

"Mo Yun! My mother’s name is Mo Yun!"

"I’ll go back and ask."

Because of the Clan Leaders’ restrictions, none of the clan members could leave their camps. But at such a close distance, they could already shout to one another across the gap.

For the Noon Realm People, the parent-child relationship mostly came to an abrupt end at the age of 13. Those with decent talent were chosen by their mother’s clan, while most of the others were sent back to their father’s clan. After that, unless there was an intra-clan mission, they would basically never see each other again for the rest of their lives.

In Yanhua terms, the single-parent family rate was 100%.

Some learned that their mothers had long since died of illness, while others found their fathers. The Noon Realm’s sky had cleared, and in the same way, the repressed emotions of the Noon Realm People burst forth.

The Clan Leaders of the various clans were a bit uncertain. Their experience couldn’t tell them whether this would affect the clan’s authority or the continuation of their traditions. But things were chaotic right now, and they couldn’t manage it all.

Some had goofy smiles on their faces, while others looked utterly lost...

And this peculiar situation also planted a seed in the hearts of many Noon Realm People.

A seed of change for the rules of survival.

If... if there were enough resources, and the clans were no longer separated, even if they just lived a little closer.

Would children no longer have to leave their mothers? Would husbands no longer have to be far from their wives? Could brothers and sisters grow up together?

But... to achieve such conditions, on this barren land, it seemed they could only rely on the "outsiders"...

Yang Shen walked through the chaotic temporary camp of the Hei Race. Dozens of people were standing at the boundary line, shouting across the gap, searching for their fathers or mothers, children or siblings. A slight smile touched his lips.

As one of the Yanhu People, he was always happy to see the seeds of family affection sprout.

But on his way to Huo Jun’s tent to discuss returning to Harmony Island, he saw a small figure in a corner of the camp, sitting on a handcart with her knees hugged to her chest.

Yang Shen walked over. The shepherd girl didn’t look up, just stared blankly at the figures searching for their relatives.

He took out his translator. "Is your mother in the Xi Race?"

Only when he handed it over did he realize the girl couldn’t read.

But to his surprise, the shepherd girl actually understood it, though with some difficulty.

She then spoke into the translator, "My mother died in the Underground Lake. To clear the underground waterway, many people didn’t come back."

"Oh, right. I’ve learned to read. The common words."

Yang Shen leaned against the handcart and wrote in the simplest sentences he could:

"Thank you for last night. Your suggestion was a great help. I will tell the advance team. You should receive some preferential treatment in the Hei Race from now on."

The shepherd girl took a long time to decipher the text this time, then shook her head. "It wasn’t me, it was my father. This is something only a ’dream-loving Black Text’ could do."

"It was your father’s experience that the River of Calamity and Pestilence is harmless to the human body, but you were the one who suggested I burn that sky. Life in the Noon Realm is already hard enough. You don’t need to be so humble. This will help you."

The shepherd girl thought for a moment, then finally gave a generous nod.

Actually, she didn’t understand most of the text...

Yang Shen didn’t know what else to say, so he got up to leave.

She was a strong girl. She didn’t really need comfort, nor was she lost.

"By the way, what’s your name?"

The girl finally smiled. "I used to be called Mi. Now, I’m called Black Rice!"

"Hm... Black Rice. A very unique name. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Yang Shen waved and walked into Huo Jun’s tent.

And Huo Jun happened to be waiting for Yang Shen.

He remembered that Yang Shen was injured and needed to recuperate. Even for him, a Late-stage True Gang expert, clashing with Overlapping Waves wasn’t something to be taken lightly, let alone for Yang Shen, who was at the Middle Stage of Innate.

Harmony Island was a mess right now, and many injured had already returned. If he went back late, there might not be enough medicine or beds.

Huo Jun said directly, "In fifteen minutes, a team is returning to Harmony Island. They’ll take you to the Gate of the Exotic Realm. The situation there is probably chaotic too. After you arrive, find Shen Juanzhou to arrange for your treatment and recovery."

"You’ve left your flame behind, and Xu Mo’s project is also progressing smoothly. If all goes well, your exploration of the Exotic Realm should be over for now. After all, you’re on loan from Jiangti. It’s not good to stay too long."

In truth, Huo Jun had other considerations. The big three were currently gathered around this mountain foothill, and word of Yang Shen setting the River of Calamity and Pestilence ablaze had already spread.

In terms of Power, a Middle Stage of Innate expert wasn’t enough to make Magna or Europe pay much attention. But the "Rising Sun Flame" meant having initiative over the River of Calamity and Pestilence, which in turn would affect the initiative in developing the Noon Realm.

And sending Yang Shen away directly would increase Yanhua’s initiative...

"What about you, Huo? Are you staying here?"

"Me? I’ll be here for a while. At least until the development of the Noon Realm has taken shape."

Yang Shen thought for a moment and nodded. "Right, the girl who gave the suggestion last night is named Black Rice. I hope you can give her some preferential treatment. She made a great contribution."

Huo Jun nodded. "Don’t worry, I won’t forget. It just so happens that Yanhua needs to use rewards to promote integration. That girl can serve as a prime example. I’ll also arrange for people to teach her the Yanhua language and the Sixth Set."

As they were speaking, the team Huo Jun mentioned that was returning to Harmony Island arrived and asked if Yang Shen was ready to leave.

Yang Shen hadn’t brought much personal luggage to the Noon Realm, so he just nodded.

Before he left, however, Huo Jun spoke without looking up.

"Yang Shen, you did well."

Yang Shen turned his head and smiled. "You too!"

But he realized he had subconsciously bared his steel teeth and quickly reined in his smile.

’The Madman’s corruption is terrifying... I’ll have to be more careful in the future.’

————

There wasn’t much to say about the return journey. Yang Shen followed the team toward the core area of the hills.

Because the Gate of the Exotic Realm had a certain randomness to it, he hadn’t seen the Noon Realm side of it when he first came in.

This time, he saw that it was inside a cave. The cave could even be described as cramped, only about a hundred square meters.

A four-meter-high gate of light floated silently, filled with a viscous, multicolored substance, as if someone had knocked over all the paints in the world inside it.

Just like on the Harmony Island side, it was guarded by people from the big three. However, perhaps because of the strange movements of the River of Calamity and Pestilence, the guards weren’t top experts, just ordinary elites.

As he was leaving, he heard that the top experts of the big three were following the "River of Calamity and Pestilence" to find its source. With the river itself as a "guide," they weren’t afraid of getting lost. He wondered what the final outcome would be.

After completing the procedures, Yang Shen leaped lightly and stepped into the Gate of the Exotic Realm.

Just like the first time, there was a brief feeling of weightlessness, and his vision stuttered for a moment, but it quickly returned to normal.

Traveling through the Gate of the Exotic Realm didn’t have much of a physical sensation; one just needed to adapt to the sudden change in space.

Moreover, returning from the Noon Realm also had a degree of randomness, but the dispersion was much smaller.

Yang Shen landed on a mountaintop. Seeing green again after so long was a beautiful sight, even if it was just low-lying shrubs and moss.

Everything in the Noon Realm was too desolate. He had grown tired of the endless dust and sand.

Yang Shen stretched, took a few deep breaths of fresh air, and looked out from his high vantage point. He was pleasantly surprised to see that the temporary airport on the island seemed to be complete!

’Doesn’t this mean I can take a plane back?’

’Even if it’s just a connecting flight, that’s fine!’

With a trace of joy in his heart, Yang Shen got his bearings and immediately headed for the Yanhua Camp, planning to ask around.

Harmony Island was much busier than when he had left. People carrying supplies were everywhere, and the coastline was packed with boats.

The entire island’s population and the big three were all focused on maintaining the supply line.

On the way, Yang Shen even ran into a few Yanhua Martial Artists who were about to head to the Exotic Realm. They were walking hurriedly, discussing the major events happening on the other side of the gate.

Seeing that Yang Shen was empty-handed, they knew he had just returned. "Brother, did you just get back from the Noon Realm? How are things over there?"

Yang Shen: "Not bad, things have stabilized."

The man laughed. "I made a trip this morning. That River of Calamity and Pestilence is really beautiful! If only my daughter could come see it. It’s so much more beautiful than the aurora."

’Lucky her,’ Yang Shen thought to himself.

’Anyway, I’m already sick of looking at it. Staring at it for too long makes me a little nauseous.’

"I also heard some young guy was a total badass! Burned a hole right through the sky! I don’t really know what that means, though. Is that story wrong?"

Yang Shen chuckled. "Oh, I know about that. The guy is eight feet tall and super handsome!"

"Woah! That’s amazing!"

About a few minutes later, Yang Shen leaped down from the mountains and landed steadily in the Yanhua Camp. Several new buildings had appeared in this village-like place. Clearly, the "Martial Arts Engineers" hadn’t been idle; their efficiency was astonishing.

However, just as Yang Shen was wondering how to explain to Shen Juanzhou that he didn’t need treatment and just wanted to take a plane home, he happened to run into Shen Juanzhou coming out of a building, his face ashen.

Although they hadn’t interacted much, Shen Juanzhou was clearly on the verge of an outburst...

"Uh... Lieutenant Shen, what’s wrong?"

Shen Juanzhou gave Yang Shen a complicated look.

"We just got news. Someone found Liu Xi’s body on the shore..."

Yang Shen froze.

’Long Legs is dead?!’

’On Harmony Island?!’