Chapter 602: Depths of the Dark Sea Region

“Thank you,” Chu Qingqing said.

She looked at Gu Huaying with a complicated expression. As a fellow woman, no matter how unwilling she was to admit it, she had to concede that Gu Huaying’s beauty surpassed her own.

Of course, that wasn’t what was making her feel so conflicted.

The biggest reason was still Ning Jiang.

Although Ning Jiang had helped her, he had only sent Gu Huaying to do it. This made her vaguely understand that he had likely helped her only for Chu Xiu’er’s sake.

‘If only I could turn back time…’

Chu Qingqing sighed to herself.

“Can you deliver a message for me?” Chu Qingqing asked.

“What is it?”

“Just tell him that Xiu’Er misses him very much and often says his name. If he has time, he could go back to the Meteor Sea Region to see her.”

Chu Qingqing reached up and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek.

“You can tell him yourself,” Gu Huaying said with a smile.

“There’s no need.”

Chu Qingqing shook her head. She didn’t believe she was worthy of standing before Ning Jiang now.

Then, she turned and left.

Gu Huaying later relayed Chu Qingqing’s words and asked curiously, “What happened between you and that girl? It seems like she doesn’t dare to see you in person.”

“It’s nothing. We had a small misunderstanding in the past. It seems she hasn’t let it go yet.”

Ning Jiang said nonchalantly.

He had long since stopped holding a grudge. Although Chu Qingqing had been ignorant and offended him back then, he was magnanimous enough not to hold onto such a trivial matter for a lifetime.

If he held grudges, he wouldn’t have had Gu Huaying help Chu Qingqing now.

“If she can figure it out and let go of this mental block, her Sword Technique will improve to the next level.”

Ning Jiang murmured.

…

「Three days passed in a flash.」

During those three days, news that Ning Jiang had single-handedly crushed a Demon Race army of over ten thousand and suppressed more than thirty Kings completely shook the East Sea.

Countless Martial Artists were left dumbfounded by the news.

From the elderly nearing the end of their lives to children just a few years old, everyone on that day firmly committed the name Ning Jiang to memory.

‘It seems the Chaos Alliance has no intention of making a trade for the Celestial Treasure King.’

Ning Jiang’s eyes turned cold.

For three days, the Chaos Alliance had made no move. Clearly, they had no intention of trading the Celestial Treasure King.

“I’m afraid the Chaos Alliance is waiting for your battle with Xuanyuan Bi’an. They’ve likely pinned their hopes on him, hoping he can defeat you,” Gu Huaying speculated.

Although the Celestial Treasure King couldn’t be rescued for now, she was relieved that with the three Kings as bargaining chips, the Chaos Alliance wouldn’t dare harm him.

‘I expect Bai Yuyun and the others have heard the news from here by now. It should be about time for them to arrive.’

According to Ning Jiang’s judgment, although the White Dragon Hall had been annihilated, Bai Yuyun shouldn’t have been in mortal danger. After all, she had Golden Cicada with her. Even as just a wisp of a remnant soul, the methods of a Celestial King were not to be underestimated.

If Bai Yuyun was safe, she would surely head here immediately upon hearing the news.

「On the fourth day.」

Ning Jiang’s guess was correct. That day, a figure arrived aboard a Flying Cloud Ship.

“Sister Bai.”

The Little Dragon Girl’s eyes lit up when she saw the figure from afar. She rushed forward and threw herself into the woman’s arms.

“Sister Bai, I missed you so much! The Dragon God Celestial Palace was destroyed… I thought I’d never see you again.”

The Little Dragon Girl’s eyes were red and brimming with tears.

She had never shown such grief while she was with Ning Jiang, but now, upon seeing someone she was close to, she could no longer hold back.

“Silly girl, the Dragon God Celestial Palace isn’t gone for good. We just suffered a calamity. After it passes, the Dragon God Celestial Palace will certainly rise from the ashes.”

Bai Yuyun hugged the Little Dragon Girl tightly and comforted her in a soft voice.

Just then, Ning Jiang walked over.

Compared to the last time he had seen her, Bai Yuyun looked much more haggard. Her aura was faint, a clear sign that she was injured.

“Where is Golden Cicada?” Ning Jiang gathered a thread of his Divine Sense and transmitted his voice into Bai Yuyun’s ear.

“He’s fine, but he overexerted his power to help me escape our pursuers. Now he’s fallen into a deep slumber and will take a very long time to awaken.”

Bai Yuyun replied.

It was just as Ning Jiang had guessed. With Golden Cicada present, Bai Yuyun could escape any danger.

“Come, let’s go to the Myriad Treasures Exquisite Tower. I’ll help you recover.”

“Isn’t the Myriad Treasures Exquisite Tower closed?” Bai Yuyun asked, startled by his words.

“I made a deal with the Artifact Spirit of the Myriad Treasures Exquisite Tower. From now on, the tower will shelter everyone from the Dragon God Celestial Palace,” Ning Jiang said.

Of course, his deal with the Myriad Treasures Exquisite Tower involved more than just that; there were other, more important components.

For now, the Myriad Treasures Exquisite Tower could serve as their new bastion.

However, its help was limited to providing shelter. Something like restoring the Dragon God Celestial Palace was impossible, as ninety-nine percent of the Myriad Treasures Exquisite Tower’s power was dedicated to suppressing the Demon Race beneath the Dark Sea Region. It was fundamentally incapable of leaving this place.

As they approached the Myriad Treasures Exquisite Tower, a spatial vortex opened up on its surface, and they walked inside.

“Artifact Spirit, I’ll have to trouble you,” Ning Jiang said into the empty air before him.

“It’s no trouble. I have plenty of healing Elixirs here.”

A few breaths later, a rift opened in the space before them, and a Jade Treasure Box dropped out. Inside was a perfectly round Elixir.

After Bai Yuyun took the Elixir, she began to meditate and regulate her breathing to recover.

It was an Ancient Elixir with astounding effects. Roughly two days later, Bai Yuyun’s injuries had completely healed.

“Since the Myriad Treasures Exquisite Tower will shelter us, I’ll send word to gather all the surviving members of the Dragon God Celestial Palace here,” Bai Yuyun said. Although the Dragon God Celestial Palace had been destroyed, many people like her had managed to escape.

Ning Jiang rejected her plan. “That’s not a good idea. Once you send out the message, the Other Shore and the Chaos Alliance will react. They’ll likely set an inescapable trap outside the Linglong Tower. Any members of the Dragon God Celestial Palace who come will just be walking into it.”

“You’re right. I wasn’t thinking it through,” Bai Yuyun nodded.

“Don’t worry,” Ning Jiang said. “On the day of my duel with Xuanyuan Bi’an, countless Martial Artists from all over the East Sea will come to watch. Your people can slip in during the chaos. I also need to make some preparations to lay a grand trap.”

After that, he wasted no more time and set about making his arrangements.

Bai Yuyun and the others had no idea what he was up to.

The days passed, one by one. Ten days, fifteen days, twenty days.

As the day of the duel drew near, by the twenty-ninth day, a boundless, innumerable sea of Martial Artists had gathered outside the Linglong Tower.

Meanwhile, in the depths of the Dark Sea Region.

Within a bottomless Abyss, a figure sat cross-legged!