At this moment, Mu Chen showed no tenderness whatsoever. He completely ignored the marks the purple flames burned onto Wan Xian’Er’s delicate, jade-like wrist. Wan Xian’Er was a Wood Attribute Martial Artist, and the Fire Attribute had an extreme restraining effect on her. Furthermore, Mu Chen had just broken through two Martial Artist Realms in succession, resulting in a massive increase in his power. As a result, Wan Xian’Er was utterly unable to break free.

"Mu Chen, what are you doing? It’s me, Wan Xian’Er! Wake up!!" Wan Xian’Er cried out in terror.

However, Mu Chen paid no heed to Wan Xian’Er’s terrified screams. A low, crazed roar erupted from his throat once more. The crimson in his eyes intensified fiercely. He pulled Wan Xian’Er’s body close, and with a single leap, pinned her underneath him. Amidst the wild flailing of his hands, the sharp sound of tearing robes echoed through the cavern.

"Don’t!!"

In an instant, Mu Chen had completely stripped away Wan Xian’Er’s robes...

"Ah..."

In that moment, the ethereal Fairy finally fell to the mortal realm...

"ROAR!!"

With a hoarse, low roar, a terrifying wave of Primordial Power suddenly erupted from Mu Chen’s newly-formed arm. A roar from primordial antiquity swept outward with Mu Chen at its center. Three enormous Qilin phantoms materialized out of thin air within the vast cavern—one white, one black, and one gray. They raised their heads high, roaring proudly at the heavens, as if they meant to shatter the very sky.

As if their display of majesty was complete, the phantoms of the Three-headed Qilin Giant Beast charged directly toward the Azure Sky. With a deafening roar, they shattered the cavern’s Seal and vanished in the blink of an eye. A few seconds later, an even more terrifying BOOM resounded throughout the Netherworld Purgatory. High above the Purgatory, unseen by Mu Chen and Wan Xian’Er, a transparent barrier of light rippled violently for a moment before returning to calm.

「Ding Palace.」

An old man sitting atop a rooftop terrace suddenly opened his eyes, from which two sharp beams of light shot out. Without any discernible movement, he merely focused his spirit for a moment before vanishing completely from where he stood.

Inside the Alchemy Room, Wan Xianzhong was absent-mindedly staring at the Medicinal Herbs in the Medicine Cauldron when it suddenly began to tremble violently. Startled, Wan Xianzhong hastily retreated several meters. Just as he steadied himself, a loud explosion erupted from within the Medicine Cauldron, shaking the entire Alchemy Room. Wan Xianzhong’s robes were splattered with a considerable amount of medicinal dregs.

Faced with this scene, Wan Xianzhong ignored the Medicine Cauldron and instead glanced around subconsciously. Only after confirming that he was alone did he heave a deep sigh of relief. A look of embarrassment crossed his face. ’Thank goodness no one’s here,’ he thought. ’If word got out that I, the Palace Master, failed at refining a mere Sixth Grade Elixir, I’d lose all face... My Little Fairy, where are you? Your father is so worried...’

"ZZZT..."

A slight ripple went through the space. Startled, Wan Xianzhong quickly straightened his robes and composed himself. Just as he expected, the moment the ripples ceased, a white-haired old man materialized in front of him.

"Father," Wan Xianzhong called out respectfully. "Does your sudden arrival mean you have news of Xian’Er?"

Wan Xianlin first glanced at the surrounding medicinal dregs and sighed. "You... It seems that girl Xian’Er has you completely under her thumb. But yes, I have indeed found her. Just a moment ago, the Life-Protecting Talisman on her person fluctuated. Though it was only for an instant, I was able to clearly pinpoint her location. She’s not too far from here. I’m leaving now to bring her back."

Overjoyed, Wan Xianzhong’s face flushed red. "Thank you, Father! I’m counting on you."

Wan Xianlin snorted coldly. "You’d better clean this place up. What a disgrace it would be if someone saw this!"

Wan Xianzhong hastily suppressed his joy and nodded seriously. "Yes."

With that, Wan Xianlin flicked his sleeve and vanished from the Alchemy Room...

「Netherworld Purgatory」

After the phantoms of the Three-headed Qilin charged into the Azure Sky, Mu Chen’s newly-formed arm flickered a few times and then went dim. In the next instant, the crimson in his eyes rapidly receded, and the dark complexion and cracks on his skin vanished completely. As if drained of all strength, he collapsed into Wan Xian’Er’s arms. Only now was the re-forging of his arm truly complete...

Taking a shallow breath, Wan Xian’Er gently stroked Mu Chen’s damp, long hair, an indescribably complex emotion in her expression. ’In my heart, I really do have feelings for him that go beyond friendship,’ she thought. ’But going beyond friendship doesn’t mean crossing the line between a man and a woman. What he did to me today... fundamentally, it wasn’t his fault. Thinking about it calmly, this is probably the side effect the Snow Qilin mentioned.’

’No wonder it said I was the only one who could help him.’ Looking down at Mu Chen sleeping peacefully in her arms, Wan Xian’Er gave a bitter smile and murmured, "Of all the people I could have met, why did it have to be you..."

As she gently rose, Wan Xian’Er felt a sharp pain shoot through her lower body. She quickly pulled a long robe from her Storage Ring and draped it on, covering her tantalizing form. She gave Mu Chen a deep, long look, dressed him in his clean clothes, and said softly, "My father once said a good woman is loyal to one person. I don’t know your background, I don’t know how much potential you have, and I don’t know if you’ll be good or evil in the future... but in my heart, Wan Xian’Er’s heart, there is no longer room for another. If we are truly fated, we will meet again. But if we are not... then let us forget this rushed encounter..."

Having gone through this ordeal, Wan Xian’Er seemed to have matured a great deal in an instant. Her exquisite face was tinged with a faint sadness. The Life-Protecting Talisman on her chest began to grow warm, and she knew it was time to leave. It was time to leave this place that held a fragment of her memory, to leave this man who had stirred within her an emotion she had never before experienced...

After smoothing the hem of Mu Chen’s robes, Wan Xian’Er leaned down and gently left a kiss on the corner of his lips. She stood up resolutely, turned, and walked toward the cavern exit. Since the Seal had been destroyed by the phantoms of the Three-headed Qilin, an opening tall enough for one person and wide enough for two had appeared.

As she crossed the threshold, Wan Xian’Er turned her head for one last look at Mu Chen, as if to sear his image into her very heart. Mu Chen now lay on the ground, peaceful and natural, a faint smile playing on his lips. As if touched by his smile, Wan Xian’Er pursed her own lips slightly. The moment she turned away, tears instantly streamed down, tracing glittering trails through the air...

With Mu Chen no longer in her sight, the world around her transformed back into a lush, green forest. Wan Xian’Er walked dazedly in a certain direction. Over there, she sensed a familiar aura—her grandfather’s...

"ZZZT..."

A subtle ripple in space appeared beside Wan Xian’Er, and a white-haired elder materialized. It was Wan Xianlin, who had rushed over from the Ding Palace. Seeing Wan Xian’Er standing there unharmed, staring blankly at him, he said with overwhelming affection, "My dear granddaughter, Grandpa finally found you. Are you hurt? Did anyone bully you? If they did, Grandpa will go beat them up for you."

Seeing the white-haired elder, hearing his familiar, worried voice, Wan Xian’Er felt a sting in her nose and threw herself into Wan Xianlin’s embrace. Shaking her head repeatedly, she sobbed, "Grandpa, I’m not hurt, and no one bullied me... I just miss you, and I miss Father, and I miss home... Sob... sob..."

As if venting all her grievances, Wan Xian’Er cried her heart out, tears streaming down her beautiful face. ’I feel so wronged,’ she thought. ’All I want is to go home and have a good, long sleep. Maybe when I wake up, I’ll find out that everything that happened here was just a dream...’

Seeing Wan Xian’Er like this, Wan Xianlin’s heart ached. He gently stroked her long hair and comforted her endlessly, "It’s Grandpa’s fault, it’s all Grandpa’s fault. Grandpa shouldn’t have let you come out. Grandpa will take you home now, I’ll take you home..."

As he spoke, the elder pointed a finger, and a massive Spatial Rift tore open in front of him. Pulling Wan Xian’Er by the hand, Wan Xianlin took a step and vanished from the green forest in an instant. That lively, beautiful figure could no longer be seen in the woods, but a long sigh echoed in her place.

’Sigh... Foolish boy. I go through all the trouble of Awakening, only to have your master witness a scene like this. Wan Xian’Er... so that’s the young woman’s name...’