Something has happened...
"Quick! Quickly get the teleportation scroll!" Xiao Zi anxiously looked at Jing Feng, who paused then fumbled for the teleportation scroll in his embrace.
"Yes! The teleportation scroll! Hurry and follow Miss Bai!"
Given Bai Ling's precarious state, her situation was truly critical.
"You go! I'll notify the Honored One!"
The light of the teleportation array flared, and Xiao Zi, Zhong Zi, Dong Ling, and Zhu Que were teleported to the Nine Heavens.
The teleportation scroll was only enough for four people. Jing Feng quickly took out his communication jade pendant and contacted Long Jin Han.
...
On the other side, Bai Ran, having burst out of the vortex, was high in the sky, her exhausted body utterly depleted.
The vast spiritual energy within her surged chaotically. She finally vomited a mouthful of blood, unable to move another inch.
The whistling wind roared in her ears. Bai Ran gritted her teeth, her weak body falling from a great height, crashing heavily onto the ground.
Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. It felt as if many of her bones were broken, and her spiritual energy was terrifyingly depleted.
In a daze, a hunched figure appeared in her line of sight.
"Little child? What's wrong?"
Her eyelids closed heavily, and Bai Ran fell into a coma...
...
"Are you sure the King is here?" Zhong Zi asked, looking at Zhu Que, who had reverted to its original form.
Zhu Que flapped its wings, soaring over the desolate plains. "Yes, I'm sure Master is here!"
"But this place is..."
Xiao Zi frowned deeply, looking at the bleak environment.
Whether the little ghost went to the Demon Realm, the Monster Race, or the Ghost Race, as long as it wasn't the God Realm, it was good. However, he hadn't expected that the little ghost would come here... Was it a coincidence? Or did the little ghost still have a sliver of reason?
The group traveled across the barren plains, where several dilapidated villages were scattered beneath the ground.
Ren Zhi Zhong (Tomb of Humans). He hadn't expected that the King would come to this place...
Dong Ling sighed softly. It was enough as long as it wasn't the God Realm.
At the same time, in the central region of the Nine Heavens, a massive Linglong Bell began to ring.
"Dong—Dong—Dong—"
The bell's chime was prolonged and extremely penetrating, ancient and solemn, reaching every corner of the Nine Heavens and resonating endlessly.
"The Linglong Bell! The Linglong Bell is ringing!"
"What? The King has arrived in the Nine Heavens!"
"She has finally come, the Daughter of Prophecy..."
Three voices, three attitudes, three races.
The Linglong Bell was covered in vines, showing its age. It had rarely made any sound.
The last time it made a stir was when Bai Ran succeeded the Ghost King.
But the current chime was more prolonged and louder than the last, as if declaring that the world was about to be overturned...
May the beings of the Nine Heavens be prepared...
"The bell? That Linglong Bell again?" Xiao Zi frowned, the ancient bell sound echoing in his ears incessantly.
"Is it because Master has entered the Nine Heavens?" Zhu Que soared through the air, its gaze fixed on the villages below.
Zhong Zi and Dong Ling exchanged glances, as if concealing something in their hearts.
Xiao Zi sensed their solemn expressions. "What's wrong? Anything to say?"
Zhong Zi took a deep breath, hesitating before speaking. "There are indeed some things to say."
He gazed in the direction of the Linglong Bell, his eyes filled with emotion.
"Legend has it that Bai Li Xiao's father once cast a divination for this bell. When the bell rings, it signifies the arrival of the fated daughter."
"The three races that will change the most are the Human Race, the Ghost Race, and the God Race."
"The Human Race will fully revive, the Ghost Race will return to its peak, and the God Race will be transformed. The changes in the other two powers will not be significant."
Xiao Zi rested his chin on his hand, contemplating. "So, the little ghost is that fated daughter?"
The bell rang because the little ghost had arrived?
Zhong Zi nodded. "That is the case. It is estimated that the God Realm is already trying to find the King."
Now that Bai Li Xiao's father was dead, it was impossible to ask for clarification on the exact meaning.
"Little Zhu, how far are we from the little ghost?"
Zhu Que flapped its wings with all its might. "About another hour."
Xiao Zi nodded. They needed to find her quickly, to confirm her condition and whether she was in danger.
...
Vaguely, a fragrance of grass reached his nose...
It was like the scent of earth mixed with the aroma after rain, refreshing and pleasing to the soul...
Bai Ran gradually opened her eyes. The first thing that met her gaze was a thatched roof.
As she moved slightly, her entire body throbbed with tearing pain.
Even more terrifying was that Bai Ran's spiritual energy was completely gone, like a pebble dropped into a dry well, with no response.
"Little child, you're awake?"
An aged voice came, and Bai Ran turned her head with difficulty to look.
An old woman with white hair, hunched over, leaning on a walking stick approached. "Do you feel any better?"
It was then that Bai Ran noticed her body was wrapped in bandages.
The bandages were mixed with a green liquid, seemingly crushed medicinal herbs applied to her.
"Thank you..." It must have been the elder before her who had saved her life.
The earthy fragrance in her nose calmed her mind, and she gradually became more composed.
"Where is this...?" Bai Ran asked, her voice hoarse and heavy.
The old woman smiled kindly. "This place, child, is Ren Zhi Zhong."
Ren Zhi Zhong? The tomb of humans?
"You fell from the sky so suddenly, you startled this old woman."
The woman chuckled softly, taking small steps and slowly sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Little child, where are you from? Why did you fall from the sky?"
Her injuries were so severe, and the young girl didn't look very old.
As soon as she spoke, the image of Qing Feng and the other three appeared in Bai Ran's mind. Her eyes lost their luster, and her heart felt a surge of bitterness.
Seeing that she was unwilling to speak, the old woman simply smiled gently and didn't press further.
"Little child, you've encountered trouble."
Bai Ran looked up and met the old woman's eyes. Though her eyes were cloudy, they were as clear as if they could see directly into one's heart.
"This old one has a granddaughter. If she were still alive, she would be about your age."
Although the old woman spoke of sad things, a smile still adorned her face.
The old woman gently helped Bai Ran up and redressed her wounds.
"Look at how badly you're hurt. Little child, you must cherish yourself."
Bai Ran sat quietly, allowing the old woman to bandage her wounds. Her touch was very gentle, as if she were afraid of hurting Bai Ran.
The earthy fragrance, the simple thatched dwelling, the deceased granddaughter – everything indicated that the old woman's life had not been smooth.
Yet, for some reason, as Bai Ran looked at her smile, she felt that the elderly elder lived a very happy life.