Within the temporary borders of Jing Country, myriad scattered forces, countless as the sands, held sway. Some were renowned for virtue, others infamous for vice, yet none were of sufficient import to stir the greater powers, least of all Jing Country itself.

Fu Dongxu, Qiu Tie, and Ji Yan Yue, three contemporary True Persons, had fanned out in three directions, while the vast manpower of the Mirror World Platform had likewise dispersed. For three days hence, the forbidden area allowed entry, but no egress.

It was in a swathe of wilderness, amidst his arduous search, that Fu Dongxu encountered the approaching Bitter Awareness. At this moment, the typically flowing sleeves of Fu Dongxu, though voluminous, failed to lend him the aura of detachment he usually possessed. After all, burdened by pressure and heart heavy with matters, a ceaseless search was a bitter task. Even a contemporary True Person could not entirely escape the weariness that crept in. Today, he was forced to concede.

The matter of Mirror World Platform leading the charge to brand Jiang Wang as a demon collaborator had been truly reckless! Jiang Wang’s forced departure from Qi was, of course, an excellent opportunity. Following the Yellow River Meeting, Zhuang Gao Xian, who had always kept a close watch on Jiang Wang, seized upon this discovery by immediately piling on the pressure. Bound by the dignity of a hegemonic nation, Zhuang Gao Xian dared not personally assassinate the now-titled and renowned Jiang Wang. As the lord of a nation, he could not, like those unburdened contemporary True Persons, wander the world at will. Thus, he turned to Jade Capital Mountain. When this opportune moment to test Qi Country presented itself, Zhuang Ting had provided evidence just ambiguous enough to sow confusion, along with the offering of bloodshed.

The Mirror World Platform, in fact, had merely intended to go with the flow, dispatching a team of outer building elites to quietly apprehend him and escort him to Jade Capital Mountain—a small matter that should have been exceedingly simple. Yet, the four outer building elites from the Demon Suppression Army were actually slain by Jiang Wang alone!

On one hand, the losses to the Demon Suppression Army demanded compensation. On the other, Jade Capital Mountain and Mirror World Platform, having initiated action, could not afford to lose face and abandon the endeavor halfway. Furthermore, Jiang Wang, capable of such a counter-kill, possessed even greater value than before. Consequently, his strangulation became all the more necessary.

Thus came Zhao Xuan Yang’s decisive action. What was still unexpected was that even with Zhao Xuan Yang’s personal intervention, a Divine Abode pursuing an Inner Mansion cultivator, it still took an extra day to capture the man. Qi Country’s response was equally baffling. Just days prior, the clamor of Jiang Wang colluding with Equality Country to rebel against Qi had been deafening, yet in the blink of an eye, it was suppressed. Even more unbelievable—Qi Country actually confronted Jing Country directly for an Inner Mansion prodigy who had almost escaped Qi territory.

Fu Dongxu, at this point, had also come to a realization. He had underestimated Jiang Wang’s influence and standing in Qi Country. The changes within Qi Country in the preceding period were far more complex than outsiders like him perceived. The Qi Emperor must have held deeper schemes. Jiang Wang’s border crossing to wander was more akin to stepping out of the vortex rather than a desperate flight.

But what was more than misestimating these factors! He had even underestimated Jiang Wang’s strength itself. A small matter had gradually escalated, evolving into an abnormally complex situation. By now, Fu Dongxu was of course no longer satisfied with merely strangling a Qi Country prodigy and probing Qi Country. He had paid a heavier price, and thus must seek a greater reward!

At this moment, the fatigue on Fu Dongxu’s face was evident, the aura of detachment gone. The approaching yellow-faced old monk, well… he had never possessed a dust-free aura to begin with. The dust-worn, yellow-faced old monk met Fu Dongxu head-on, and without a word, turned and walked away.

“Stop!” Fu Dongxu called out. With a single stride, he blocked the old monk’s path, his tone severe. “Bitter Awareness Master, I already told you to leave this area, did I not? I was not joking with you, nor was I speaking empty words!”

According to Bitter Awareness’s volatile temper, a crude expletive was truly on the verge of escaping his lips, but after a moment’s thought, he swallowed it back. Looking at Fu Dongxu, his aged face blossomed with a smile as if meeting an old friend. “This sealed region is too vast! I feared you all wouldn’t be able to cover it, so I’m lending a hand.”

Fu Dongxu still wore no pleasant expression. How arrogant this fellow had been before, and how amiable now! “I have said what needed to be said. You had best leave on your own.” He warned, “I am not in the mood to deal with you now, but that does not mean I can continue to tolerate you.”

“Speaking of tolerating or not tolerating, isn’t that being too distant?” Bitter Awareness lightly patted Fu Dongxu’s sleeve, complaining with feigned intimacy. “Now you want to find someone, and I also want to find someone. How are we not fellow travelers at the end of the world?”

For reasons unknown, Fu Dongxu felt that the current Bitter Awareness was even more infuriating than the one who had pointed and cursed him. He said coldly, “I have already given you enough face.”

Bitter Awareness blinked his innocent old eyes. “Give a little more, eh?”

Fu Dongxu truly wanted to let out a long howl and summon Qiu Tie and Ji Yan Yue to resolve this old monk on the spot. But as the leader of Mirror World Platform, he had too many things to consider. After some deliberation, he finally said, “Let us make a three-point agreement. First…”

“Agreed, agreed, agreed!” Bitter Awareness nodded repeatedly. “I agree!” He had clearly agreed without listening, fully prepared to break his promise and benefit from it.

But Fu Dongxu still endured, merely saying, “You are not permitted to act alone without me.”

“That feels good!” Bitter Awareness smiled joyfully. “Just right, I was also tired of searching alone, very tired. I particularly trust your Mirror World Platform’s intelligence!”

Fu Dongxu discovered that no matter what he said, the other could connect it, and for every sentence he spoke, the other could return ten… He simply stopped speaking and buried himself in the search.

Within the entire sealed area, the places with the fewest traces of human activity were none other than the Nightmare Capital Mountain Range and the Wind After Dense Forest. The former was a cluster of volcanoes, the origin of its name already lost to time. No one knew the meaning of those three words, nor which language they originated from. In any case, it was a name passed down from the ancients. Perhaps errors had already crept in.

The latter, in contrast, held more rumors. Among the most intriguing was the tale that during the era when the divine path flourished, a powerful individual who achieved the realm of a present-day deity through wind travel, named Wind After, perished and was buried here, the endless dense forest serving as his burial ground. Hence the name “Wind After Dense Forest.” Of course, this legend lacked basis, and no one had ever heard of anyone truly exploring anything within the Wind After Dense Forest. Yet, the name, called thus through the passage of time, had become convention.

After searching many areas without results, Fu Dongxu, accompanied by the restrained Bitter Awareness, arrived at the heart of the Wind After Dense Forest. Calling him “restrained” wasn’t entirely accurate, for Bitter Awareness was also diligently helping in the search. This “restraint” primarily referred to what Bitter Awareness would do after they found Zhao Xuan Yang and Jiang Wang. However, with both Qiu Tie and Ji Yan Yue within this area, Fu Dongxu felt less worried. These two contemporary True Persons, outwardly harmonious but inwardly divided, at least at this moment, shared common goals. Each occupied one side, their divine senses sweeping everywhere, exhaustively searching this place…

Suddenly, a colossal noise erupted, as if the entire Wind After Dense Forest had trembled. The two contemporary True Persons, however, showed no fear. They ascended into the air, their gazes simultaneously fixed on the source of the tremor. They saw a large tree, about three li away, suddenly “rise” up. It was as if an old farmer transplanting rice seedlings had pulled out its two legs—two especially thick tree roots—from the muddy soil. In the center of the large tree, the bark cracked open, revealing human-like features.

Suddenly, a great shout, shaking the trees and scattering birds, rang out: “Where is Fu Dongxu!?”

(Average order has reached nine thousand. Writing a novel is exhausting to both heart and spirit.)