"Little one, your body is too weak and requires further recuperation."
"If this old woman guesses correctly, you can no longer utilize your spiritual energy, can you?"
Bai Ran frowned. Indeed, the spiritual energy within her body was completely unresponsive, as if it had vanished.
"Aunt Mei, are you a physician?"
Mei Yi smiled and nodded, "I learned a bit in my spare time, but I'm not exactly an expert."
"Old Mei! Did you hear that Linglong Bell earlier?"
Beside them, another elderly man, limping, approached with a hint of undisguised joy on his face.
"I heard it. Sigh, this old woman no longer dares to hope for a destined one to save the Nine Heavens."
Having lived to such an age, she had long stopped believing in such things.
"How can you say that? The father of that Divine Realm War God was a renowned heaven-peeker!"
"What he says is still worth believing!"
Mei Yi, with her hands behind her back, gazed up at the sky with a hint of helplessness. "One person, just a single person... "
How could one person possibly possess the ability to revive the human race and bring hope to all of humanity?
It's better to rely on oneself than to beg others—
While the two were conversing, Bai Ran felt her own pulse. Her dantian was damaged, her meridians severed.
She took a pill from her spatial ring, wondering when her spiritual energy would recover...
"Who is this young lady?" the old man asked, looking at Bai Ran behind Mei Yi with confusion.
"She's suffering from severe internal injuries and is recuperating here with me."
"Did she appear when the bell chimed?"
"Now that you mention it, it seems so."
A flicker of disbelief crossed the old man's eyes. He limped closer to Bai Ran and, with a thud, knelt down.
"Good heavens! What are you doing? Get up quickly!"
Mei Yi was anxious and rushed to help the old man up. "You're so old, why do you go kneeling at the slightest thing!"
Bai Ran's brow furrowed. She also went to help the old man, but he stubbornly refused to rise.
"Young lady, you must be the destined one! There's no mistake!"
His voice trembled, laced with sobs and bitterness.
"My son died on the battlefield! That accursed Heavenly Emperor! You must kill him—!!!"
Bai Ran's lips parted, but in the end, she said nothing.
If this old man knew that she was the biological daughter of the Divine Emperor, would he still plead with such devotion, asking her to kill her own father?
"Oh dear, how old is this child? How could she possibly be the destined one? This old woman knows you're desperate, but you can't just grasp at straws!"
Mei Yi pulled the old man to his feet with considerable effort.
"That's right... there's no mistake..."
"The Linglong Bell, a woman, she is the destined one!"
Mei Yi looked at the nearly frenzied old man and gave Bai Ran a look, gesturing for her to go inside quickly.
She herself then cajoled the old man and led him away from the thatched hut.
Bai Ran nodded and returned inside to sit down, her heart filled with complex emotions.
Asking her to kill the Divine Emperor...
Outside, row upon row of graves stood, appearing particularly desolate and tragic despite the daylight.
She rose and walked outside, stopping before a tombstone, lost in thought.
Nothing was inscribed on the tombstone. Years of wind and sun had kept it clean and pristine.
Perhaps it was the result of the elders remaining at the Human Tomb, who cleaned it regularly.
'Life and death are trivial matters—'
'Living a lifetime is for the sake of things that matter—'
'What they most desire is for you to live well...'
Bai Ran lowered her eyelids, a faint smile playing on her lips. "If Master were here, he'd probably hit me again..."
A gentle breeze caressed her face, stirring her hair. It was incredibly soft, soothing her broken heart.
She felt a touch on her shoulder and looked up, her eyes widening instantly, her breath catching.
The four people who should have vanished into nothingness were now standing before Bai Ran, unharmed, smiling at her.
An illusion...?
"You...?"
Qing Yue wore a faint smile. He slowly gazed eastward, his eyes gentle.
Bai Ran followed his gaze, and a familiar call reached her ears.
"Little imp—!"
The next moment, she was embraced in a warm hug.
Xiao Zi held her tightly, his body trembling. "You scared me to death... Thank goodness, thank goodness..."
Bai Ran was stunned and instinctively looked in the direction of Qing Yue and the others, but the four who had been standing there had vanished without a trace...
Bai Ran was completely bewildered, then an inexpressible softness and warmth washed over her.
It made her eyes sting, and tears, clear and sparkling, flowed uncontrollably.
"Why are you crying? Does it hurt?"
The four surrounded Bai Ran, checking her injuries with concern.
Bai Ran smiled and wiped away her tears. "It doesn't hurt. I just suddenly... felt like crying..."
After their worry subsided, Xiao Zi's anger flared. "You're quite something, aren't you? Forcibly breaking through your own cultivation!"
"If you do that again, you won't know how you died!"
"Yes, Master, you really worried us this time!"
"Didn't you summon the departed souls? Why aren't you summoning anymore?"
Words of reprimand filled the air. Though tinged with anger, they conveyed the boundless care and sincerity of the four.
Time flowed, and eras changed. The original four were replaced; they were not abandoned.
It was simply their time to exit the stage...
...
Mei Yi, having seen the old man off, returned to the thatched hut, only to find it empty. Bai Ran was gone.
On the table lay a piece of paper, along with some precious spiritual herbs and elixirs.
Mei Yi blinked and picked up the paper, confused. It contained only a short sentence.
—Aunt Mei, thank you.
She sighed and put down the note, looking at the spiritual herbs and elixirs beside it.
"I told you I don't accept consultation fees, honestly..."
...
A clear wind whistled past. The Vermilion Bird carried several people, soaring through the azure sky.
Xiao Zi extended his furry tail and draped it over Bai Ran. "Now that your spiritual energy is gone, you're just an ordinary person. Be careful not to catch a chill."
Bai Ran smiled and nodded. "I know. I'll be careful."
The fiery, colossal figure soared through the sky. Zhong Zi looked down at the Vermilion Bird. "You're flying in the wrong direction."
The Vermilion Bird startled and flapped its wings, making a sharp turn. "Remind me earlier next time."
This Nine Heavens was unfamiliar territory. What if they ended up in the Divine Realm?
"My King, do you know about the Linglong Bell?" Dong Ling asked Bai Ran, his expression grave.
Bai Ran looked up. "Is it related to the destined one?"
Dong Ling's expression was serious, and he nodded slightly. "Yes. My King is the destined one, capable of bringing earth-shattering changes to the Nine Heavens."
He suspected that various major factions were likely scrambling to gather information about their King at this very moment.