In the vast expanse of the sand sea.

Jiang Wang, with Long Xiang Si held firmly, stood facing Tian Chang, whose grip tightened around Tide Letter. Though Tian Chang’s eyes were downcast and his brows furrowed in apparent defeat, Jiang Wang harbored no doubt. Should he choose to strike the killing blow, this man would assuredly fight to the death, taking a piece of him in the process.

Jiang Wang possessed the certainty of killing Tian Chang; this much was clear to both of them. Otherwise, Tian Chang would not have felt the need to eliminate his own comrades. He had to admit, Tian Chang was a profoundly dangerous individual.

He also had to concede the validity of Tian Chang’s words. Letting Tian Chang live at this juncture was indeed the path of least future trouble – assuming one did not consider Tian Chang himself a source of future trouble.

A moment of silence hung in the air. Jiang Wang’s gaze shifted, settling on Tian He, who had stumbled closer at some point, his movements slow and halting. He looked at the heavily injured, silent middle-aged man. A sudden thought struck him, finding a strange sort of amusement in the situation.

“For the sake of your secret, you won’t kill him?” he asked Tian Chang.

“He is a house-born son, his loyalty absolute,” Tian Chang replied, adding, “Gong Yang Lu is my sworn brother, equally trustworthy.”

Jiang Wang nodded. “Then, I trust your ability.”

He did not trust Tian Chang the person, but rather his ability to resolve the matter. He believed Tian Chang capable of setting things straight. Jiang Wang’s deliberate question was, in fact, a subtle cover for Tian He. Given Tian He’s intelligence, he would undoubtedly understand the implication. This single sentence was sufficient.

With his words delivered, Jiang Wang turned and departed. This time, no one moved to obstruct him. The yellow sand filled the sky, the world stretching endlessly. There was no need to explore further.

The first thing Jiang Wang did after leaving the sight of Tian Chang and the others was to retrieve the nameless flower from his storage space. This bloom, resembling a three-petaled jade lotus, pulsed with vibrant life, an object of covetous desire. Without hesitation, Jiang Wang consumed it in swift gulps. As for the letter Qing Xi had sent him before he entered the Seven Star Tower, which mentioned a life-extension pill formula to maximize the medicinal effect… it could go to hell! He had no idea what thoughts Qing Xi harbored, and he was too lazy to guess or to know. Having finally acquired such a life-prolonging treasure, there was absolutely no reason to use it as leverage in negotiations, much less in a simple business transaction.

As the flower entered his mouth, it transformed into a stream of jade-like liquid, flowing down his throat, warming and moistening his limbs and skeletal structure. His spine sea brightened, his torso sea became transparent. From within, a profound sense of peaceful satisfaction settled upon him, as if basking lazily in a courtyard on a quiet afternoon, with a gentle breeze caressing his skin and white clouds drifting and dispersing.

There was no immediate enhancement of his combat prowess. The enhancement was of confidence, of foundation, of a more distant future. Jiang Wang genuinely felt that the nagging sense of a shortened lifespan, which had plagued him since the upheaval in Maple Forest City, was finally made whole. His narrow sense of life essence was, from this moment on, free of “regret.”

If his cultivation path were a tangible road, he had previously walked a narrow, winding sheep track. While it offered a possibility of reaching the end, the journey was arduous and fraught with difficulty. Now, he had returned to a sun-drenched main road, his heart filled with delight and his spirit clear and refreshed.

His harvest from this journey to the Hidden Origin World was extraordinary. Not only had he achieved his predetermined goals, but he had also witnessed two remarkable individuals from the Tian family. Both Tian Chang and Tian He were truly fascinating characters. Though currently overshadowed by the glory of Tian An Ping, Jiang Wang believed that with time and opportunity, both possessed the potential to soar to the heavens. The reason he emerged as the sole victor today was his absolute strength.

Tian Chang possessed intellect, cunning, depth, a sharp perspective, and decisive action. Tian He, while deeply enduring, was not one to show mercy. Of these two, Jiang Wang could not confidently claim complete control over either. But what harm was there in trying? At the very least, he now held a handle over Tian Chang, which might be used later to counterbalance the Tian family. Simultaneously, he held a handle over Tian He, which could be used to counterbalance Tian Chang. From any perspective, he held the upper hand. Should the day come when he opposed Tian An Ping, these two would be two excellent chess pieces.

As he calculated these matters in his heart, he walked further and further into the sand sea. Jiang Wang’s silhouette disappeared into the distant horizon.

Tian Chang retracted his gaze and looked towards Tian He, concern etched on his face. “How are your injuries?”

Tian He’s expression was one of苦涩 (bitterness), and he offered an apology. “Not good. This small one is incompetent and has implicated the young master.”

“Speak no such words,” Tian Chang said. “The failure of this mission is solely due to my lack of skill. Instead, I have implicated the two of you in this perilous venture.”

Gong Yang Lu remained silent, simply putting away his array tools. The bond between him and Tian Chang had long since surpassed the need for winning hearts. Only with Tian He was further trust necessary.

Tian He, of course, understood this point and wisely expressed himself. “Wherever the young master goes, this small one will follow. Even if one day the young master wishes to be an enemy of the Tian family, this small one will also…”

“Where are you speaking of?” Tian Chang interrupted him. “The Tian family is our home. How could we be enemies of our own home? I, Tian Chang, was born a Tian family person, and I shall die a Tian family ghost. My entire life is dedicated to the Tian family.”

“Yes, this small one spoke wrongly,” Tian He immediately apologized. “This small one will surely follow the young master’s lead and exhaust his heart and effort for the Tian family.”

“That is for the best,” Tian Chang nodded, his gaze returning to Tian He’s wounds. This was the final check, Tian He thought. His face remained expressionless, a deliberate hint of unease in his eyes as he looked at Tian Chang.

Tian Chang observed him for a while and indeed found no issues, as Tian He’s wounds were entirely genuine. Thus, he spoke, “Your injuries are severe; you need blood creation and muscle growth.”

Saying this, he took out a brown pill from his bosom and casually swung his knife, cutting a piece of flesh from the body of the Tian family disciple who lay dead at his feet. He held the Tide Letter knife horizontally in front of him, a piece of bleeding human flesh resting on the deep blue blade. Using three fingers, he ground the pill into powder, sprinkling the brown powder onto the bloody flesh. He then extended the Tide Letter knife towards Tian He.

“This medicine is effective for blood creation and muscle growth, but it is best aided by fresh blood and flesh.” Tian Chang looked at the seemingly wooden middle-aged man. “Eat the meat. Do you understand?”

While grinding the pill to powder was indeed best aided by fresh blood and flesh, assisting it with human flesh was by no means necessary. For any normal person, consuming human flesh was a transgression of the human bottom line. The talk of absolutely loyal house-born sons was merely empty rhetoric, a means to secure advantage and win hearts. He did indeed trust Tian He greatly, but not to the point of complete abandon. On this journey to the Hidden Star World, he needed to weave a convincing lie. Merely his and Gong Yang Lu’s testimony might not sway the family elders. He desperately needed someone like Tian He, a house-born son loyal to the Tian family for generations, as corroboration. This was his reason for not killing Tian He. Eliminating fellow clansmen was too great a crime, and he simply could not bear the slightest risk.

Now, he needed a hold over Tian He. He needed Tian He to swallow and consume the blood and flesh of a fellow clan member, to ensure his complete control over Tian He. This would reduce the risk to near zero.

Tian Chang watched him. Gong Yang Lu also watched him.

Tian He was silent for a moment. “I can, young master.”

He took the piece of meat from the tip of the knife, chewed it raw in several mouthfuls, closed his eyes, and swallowed it down.