Chapter 1621: Return
Spirit Realm, Sky Bearing City.
The threat of the God Race had passed by, Tian Qi’s attention had been shifted to the two purgatories, and even the Ancient Beast Race was slowly returning to Ancient Beast Realm.
Ninth Heaven had left from Spirit Realm, and the remaining few Gold rank forces had been defanged after their territories were turned upside down by the two Soul Race princes.
Right now, the Central World was led by the Qin Family, Sky Mender Palace, and the Ji Family. The Ancient Beast Race returning to their homeland was also part of the alliance.
Inside the city, a realm entrance suddenly glowed brightly before an imposing figure slowly appeared.
The second he appeared, the entire Sky Bearing City froze as if the figure’s terrible aura was too much for it to bear.
This phenomenon lasted for only an instant, however. Everything returned to normal immediately after.
“Patriarch!”
“The patriarch has returned!”
A lot of Qin Family martial practitioners exclaimed in pleasant surprise when they saw this new person.
Chen Lin and Dan Yuanqing came out with wide smiles on their faces after hearing his return.
The first generation patriarch of the Qin Family, Qin Shan, also flew out of the main hall while beaming.
“Father,” Qin Hao greeted Qin Shan softly.
“Is it over?” Qin Shan asked.
Qin Hao nodded before excitement climbed onto his face. “Where’s Lie’er?”
“He seems to be trapped in the Eight Purgatories right now.” Qin Shan sighed. “However, his avatar is currently at Boluo Realm, not the Frost Desolation Abyss.”
“I’d like to meet him,” Qin Hao said.
“I can arrange that.” Qin Shan let out a chuckle before continuing, “The Ice Emperor, the Flame Emperor, Hua Tianqiong, and Ji Dan would like to speak with you as well.”
“Tell them to come in,” Qin Hao said.
Qin Hao was taller and bigger than most humans. He was over two meters tall, and his face was sharp and healthy. His outfit was plain and simple.
He had taken care to control his strength when he landed on the ground, but Sky Bearing City still shook during the landing.
It was as if his body was as heavy as a mountain.
“You’ve finally returned.”
One of the five Demon Gods, Ming Xiao came out of nowhere and approached Qin Hao with a sneer.
Abyss devil energy suddenly appeared around his hand, and his fingers elongated in an instant.
By the time his hand was about to land on Qin Hao’s shoulder, it had grown as big as a palm-leaf fan.
Forceful energy surged out of Ming Xiao’s joints and shattered the space around him and Qin Hao, causing countless spatial rifts to appear everywhere.
“Crack crack crack!”
The bones in Ming Xiao’s hand crackled noisily as he slowed down his movement.
In that moment, it was as if every world spirit energy in Sky Bearing City including the unknown light leaking out of the spatial rifts had entered Ming Xiao’s hand.
It was as if Ming Xiao had gathered every bit of spirit energy within a radius of fifty kilometers and the strange energy leaking out of the spatial rifts in his hand in just an instant.
Chen Lin, Dan Yuanqing, and everyone else backed away the moment Ming Xiao had made a move.
Qin Shan smiled faintly before retreating slowly from the battlefield as well. He didn’t want to get accidentally injured by the exchange.
“Fall!”
Ming Xiao let out a cry before his hand finally landed on Qin Hao’s shoulder.
“Boom!”
The entire Sky Bearing City shuddered from the impact, and the defensive barriers etched on the walls and the palaces instantly came to life.
Chen Lin and Dan Yuanqing stood the closest to Ming Xiao and Qin Hao. A dull groan escaped their lips as the special rock beneath their feet suddenly exploded under pressure.
An unimaginable amount of power had been compressed to affect only the small area around Ming Xiao and Qin Hao.
However, the powerful martial practitioners standing the closest to them were still thrown back a short distance as if a heavy chariot had slammed right into them.
A giant ball of light abruptly appeared on Qin Hao’s shoulder.
The ball of light kept expanding as a tinier purple light and a white light clashed against one another frenziedly inside of it.
Qin Hao gave Ming Xiao a smile and put his hand on his own shoulder. Slowly, the expanding ball of light was compressed bit by bit until it was the size of a rice.
Several seconds later, the slightly glaring light disappeared completely from sight.
Ming Xiao’s giant hand returned to normal as well.
After that, the Demon God shot Qin Hao a surprised look before saying, “It looks like you’re ahead of me already.”
Qin Hao declared aggressively, “Since the day I completed the ninth level of my Soul Altar, there was already no one in Spirit Realm who was worthy to be my opponent.”
Ming Xiao stared at him quietly for a moment before asking, “What about outside of Spirit Realm?”
Qin Hao thought through Ming Xiao’s question carefully before answering, “Unless it is someone who has transcended rank ten, no being is safe from my challenge.”
“Not even those two Blood and Soul Mentors?” Ming Xiao exclaimed.
Qin Hao nodded affirmatively.
“But how is that possible?” Ming Xiao’s face was riddled with disbelief, but Qin Hao simply smiled at him without giving him an answer.
He walked towards Qin Shan after that and asked, “Father, can you send me to the purgatory?”
Qin Shan let out a sigh before answering, “I haven’t learned how to build a realm entrance to the purgatory yet.”
“I see.” Qin Hao frowned. “What about the abyss passageway?”
“That route seems to be temporarily closed,” Qin Shan replied helplessly.
“That’s troublesome,” Qin Hao said.
“Why are you in such a hurry to travel to the purgatory? Is it because of Lie’er?” Qin Shan asked curiously.
“That’s part of the reason. I heard that Tian Qi is there right now, and I’d like to have a chat with the guy who caused such a big commotion in our Spirit Realm,” Qin Hao said in a chilling tone.
“I see,” Ming Xiao let out a chuckle in response. “I would head there to check how the Ling Family descendants are doing if I could.”
“Right now, that doesn’t seem like a possibility.” Qin Shan sighed.
“Actually, I believe you can travel to the purgatory…”
An Asura Race clansman suddenly chose this moment to speak up.
“He is?” Qin Hao asked curiously.
“He’s Lie’er’s soul servant. He is connected to Lie’er by the soul,” Qin Shan explained before staring curiously at the Asura Race clansman. “Are you sure?”
“Master has recently obtained the Demon Spirit of Space and Time’s Galaxy Mirror. He actually came to Sky Bearing City not long ago.” The soul servant Qin Lie left behind in Sky Bearing City said hurriedly, “We’ve all reconnected with master after he had obtained the Galaxy Mirror. He can return anytime he wants now, and he can even send a certain amount of people to the purgatory. The purgatory is closed to everyone else, but master is an exception to the rule.”
Qin Shan immediately brightened at the idea. “Then please tell him that a group of experts from Spirit Realm would like to travel to the purgatory soon.”
“Which purgatory do you wish to go to?” the soul servant asked.
Ming Xiao was caught off guard by the question. “You mean, we can choose whichever level?”
The soul servant nodded and replied, “Yes, you can.”
“In that case, send me to the Nine Hells Purgatory!” Ming Xiao declared.
The soul servant turned towards Qin Shan and Qin Hao, the younger saying, “The Nine Hells Purgatory it is. Tian Qi is probably there.”
“Alright, I shall notify master right away,” the soul servant replied with a nod.
Next to a dried up Nether River.
The depressed Qin Lie suddenly received a soul message from his soul servant. At the same time, he also learned of Qin Hao’s return through the soul servant’s memories.
“Father,” he muttered to himself.