Chapter 776: Huge Harvest

About an hour later, a terrifying cloud of dust and smoke had enveloped everything, making it impossible for anyone outside to see what was happening within.

Only the continuous sound of rumbling indicated that the battle was not yet over.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the rumbling gradually faded away.

A figure emerged from the dust and smoke.

Shen Bai walked out of the dust, Cold Moon in his right hand and two Deceit Transformation Pearls in his left.

As he emerged, the surrounding dust and smoke seemed to be swept away by a fierce wind, rapidly swirling up into the sky.

Shen Bai glanced around and said, “It’s finally over.”

Yang Xiu was dead, obliterated by the Soul-Annihilating Sword, not even his bones remained.

‘His Swordsmanship was strong, but with the blessing of my various Divine Powers, defeating Yang Xiu was only a matter of time.’

A crack appeared in space. Shen Bai tossed the two Deceit Transformation Pearls into the space of his Yin Yang Storage Skill, then surveyed his surroundings.

At this moment, everything around him was disappearing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Starting from the farthest point, it all vanished into nothingness, bit by bit.

‘I should head back. I still need to use the Deceit Transformation Pearls when I get back,’ Shen Bai thought.

He stood patiently, waiting.

Until the nothingness completely submerged him, Shen Bai’s figure vanished from this Forbidden Land.

The Forbidden Land returned to its original state, and everything below began to crumble.

What had been there was originally illusory, including the people, all phantoms born from the rules of the Forbidden Land.

Once the illusions had become real, everything vanished completely.

A hint of a desolate aura emerged. As the Molten Rock Forbidden Land dissolved, it seemed to approach a certain existence.

Shen Bai had not yet completely vanished. In a daze, he seemed to see the Molten Rock Forbidden Land merging with the Desolate Forbidden Land.

And in that daze, he also saw the back of a figure.

‘The Drunken Daoist? He didn’t die in the Desolate Forbidden Land?’ Shen Bai was shocked.

The Drunken Daoist sat cross-legged amidst the desolation, surrounded by an ethereal haze.

Shen Bai wanted to see more, but at that moment, he vanished completely.

…

「Outside, at the campsite.」

A spatial rift suddenly appeared.

Jiao Hong and the others immediately turned their gazes toward it, their faces tense.

Lord Shen had been inside the Forbidden Land for some time now.

They were just wondering whether they should go in and check.

After all, Lord Shen’s current status was extremely prestigious. If anything happened to him in Cangnan Dao and their superiors decided to assign blame, neither Jiao Hong nor even Daoist Si of Cangnan Dao could afford to bear the consequences.

But just then, the rift appeared. “On guard!” Jiao Hong ordered cautiously.

He didn’t know what would emerge from the rift, so it was only natural for him to order the members of the Observatory to be on guard.

Then, a figure stepped out of the rift.

Jiao Hong said with pleasant surprise, “Lord Shen, it’s wonderful that you’re alright!”

With Cold Moon at his waist, Shen Bai walked out. The rift behind him closed automatically, signifying that the Molten Rock Forbidden Land had completely vanished.

“Nothing major. The matter is settled. I need to return to Lingyun Dao.”

Settled?

Jiao Hong was stunned.

Shen Bai didn’t want to waste any time. He still had three Deceit Transformation Pearls to use, and having acquired a new Divine Power, he also needed to continue grinding.

With this in mind, Shen Bai recounted the events in the Molten Rock Forbidden Land, especially mentioning that the leaders of the Three Great Demonic Forces had been annihilated.

Jiao Hong listened, stunned. When he heard the last sentence, a look of shock appeared on his face. “Lord Shen, your actions have essentially guaranteed peace for Cangnan Dao for years to come. This is truly a world-shaking deed.”

The Three Great Demonic Forces, which had plagued Cangnan Dao for so long, were completely wiped out right after Shen Bai’s arrival.

This was something Jiao Hong would never have even dared to imagine, yet Shen Bai had done it.

At that moment, Jiao Hong suddenly recalled another legend from the Jianghu.

In the Jianghu, Shen Bai wasn’t just known as one of the Twelve Unparalleled Young Masters; he was also secretly called the “Reaper of Demonic Forces.”

Wherever he went, the Demonic Forces there were said to not last for long.

Jiao Hong hadn’t believed it before, but now he did.

“Lord Shen, will you be returning to the Cangnan Dao Observatory? Our director will surely want to host a banquet in your honor,” Jiao Hong said.

Shen Bai thought for a moment before nodding. “Alright.”

His initial thought was to go back to use the Deceit Transformation Pearls and grind his Skill Level, but under the circumstances, Shen Bai felt it was necessary to make the trip.

‘It’s all part of the social game, I suppose.’

‘To live in this world, one must understand such things.’

‘He had received a warm invitation, and they were all colleagues. It wouldn’t be right to refuse.’

‘Besides, he could just as easily use the Deceit Transformation Pearls in Cangnan Dao.’

Seeing Shen Bai agree, Jiao Hong didn’t waste any more words and began directing everyone to pack up.

The cleanup went smoothly. In just a few moments, everything was taken care of.

Shen Bai, Jiao Hong, and the others quickly left the clearing and headed toward Cangnan Dao.

Before long, the area was empty, with nothing left behind.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn,

a man in a black robe appeared.

The man’s face was covered with a black cloth, obscuring his features. In his right hand, he held a Luminous Pearl the size of a fist.

The Luminous Pearl glowed faintly, a powerful Qi circulating over its surface.

The black-robed man closed his eyes. A moment later, he opened them and spoke in a hoarse voice.

“Yang Xiu is dead. It seems Shen Bai must be eliminated.”

“I need a scheme…”