As she spoke, the elderly woman had already placed a hand on East Sea’s shoulder, her tone softened slightly, and she murmured, "I can’t bear to see so many of the Ghost Race die either, but... I have no other choice. On this matter... I’ve discussed with Guen, so even though his ideas are quite radical, I agreed."

"Is ’that person’ really in such dire straits?" East Sea asked, frowning.

"Him..." The elderly woman thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "That guy is very stubborn; he pretends to be relaxed and tells me he’s doing well, that he can endure for a long time.

But after knowing him for so many millennia, I naturally understand him. I’m afraid his situation is indeed not looking good."

"Understood!" East Sea took a deep breath, his tone solemn, "I will go to the City of No Return and fully assist Guen in accomplishing this endeavor! During this journey, I will make sure to bring back a few Great Demons’ heads to give more momentum to your plan."

"Be careful not to die." The elderly woman laughed, "Among those Demon Race, a few individuals have shown decent strength."

An evil glint flashed in East Sea’s eyes, "They’re mere creatures with fur and horns; I shall cleave them with a single sword!"

The elderly woman watched East Sea’s back for a moment, then suddenly switched to a relaxed tone, "After the affairs at City of No Return are over, you should visit the Gu Family.

I’ve already sent a message to that Ancestor Saint of the Gu Family; after the City of No Return battle, you should go to the Gu Family and bring back the Heart Demon you have defeated.

After three hundred years of ascetic cultivation, this Heart Demon should be well nourished by now. If you can completely eliminate this Heart Demon this time, your cultivation and realm could advance.

Otherwise, being stuck in the Celestial Human Realm for three hundred years, with your talent, it’s truly a waste." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

East Sea shook his head, though his tone was somewhat cold, "It’s nothing but an illusion.

The number of Saints is set in stone; whether it’s Golden Body Realm or Primordial Spirit Realm above Celestial Human Realm, they’re just carrots in front of a donkey.

Whether stuck for three hundred years in Celestial Human Realm or stuck in Golden Body Realm, Primordial Spirit Realm for three hundred years, what’s the difference?

Moreover, since I cultivate a single sword, even facing Primordial Spirit Realm, I am confident I can cleave it with my sword!"

"It’s not the same; yours is a fighting style where life is exchanged for life."

The elderly woman suddenly chuckled, and the hand that was originally on East Sea’s shoulder moved to the top of East Sea’s head, gently rubbing his childlike hair, her tone also becoming gentle, "My little East Sea is so precious; his life is far more valuable than one or two Primordial Spirit Realm beings."

East Sea’s eyes shifted slightly, his body gently shivered, and his eyes became increasingly red as he struggled to smile, biting his teeth, "Since it’s your wish, then after the battle, I’ll go to the Gu Family to cleave the Heart Demon and achieve Realm Breakthrough. In the future, I can move away a few more blind stumbling blocks for you."

The elderly woman smiled, but within her eyes, a hint of sorrow crossed, she chuckled softly, "Little East Sea, you’re only a few hundred years old, yet your words carry a hint of death, they don’t sound nice!

You must live well, follow me, work hard for me, give your life to me for hundreds and thousands of years."

East Sea also laughed heartily, he raised his hand and flicked lightly at the corner of his eye, laughing loudly, "Naturally, I’ll follow you for a lifetime, labor for you. When I live for hundreds or thousands of years longer, grow old and unable to move, then you can find a candle to consecrate me, where I can accompany you for a few hundred years more within the candle."

After speaking, East Sea slowly turned around, looking at the elderly woman with a respectful gaze, he gave a slight smile, bowed, and slowly left.

East Sea walked for a long time before the elderly woman, standing within the gradually thickening mist, finally let the smile on her face fade away little by little.

She lowered her head, looking at her right hand, raising her fingers one by one, muttering to herself.

"I count one, Shanxiang counts one, that old bastard from Gu Family counts one..."

Subsequently, she muttered a few more names.

Upon completing the recitation, the elderly woman looked at her hands and sighed with a bitter smile.

"Still too few... compared to that side, still not enough..."

·

Chen Yan took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

The cold air turned around in his lungs, giving a chilling yet refreshing sense of alertness.

He looked up at the gloomy weather, wrinkling his nose to sniff the air.

In his arms, a small white cat named Big White tried to push its head into the front of Chen Yan’s outer garment.

Chen Yan stroked Big White’s head gently and smiled, "It’s going to snow, isn’t it?"

Then he looked down at the thing held in his left palm—that ring.

He had just returned from that familiar feeling of weightless tugging, transitioning from the Domain Realm back to the real world.

But almost simultaneously, Chen Yan sensed something unusual with the ring in his hand.

Indeed! He tried to inject a thread of Primordial Qi into the ring, but this time, the ring, which had always been like a bottomless pit accommodating his Primordial Qi, suddenly generated a force of resistance, keeping his attempted Primordial Qi injection entirely outside!

At the same time, Chen Yan tried to sense the ring’s Primordial Qi fluctuation, but there was no response.

This ring appeared as though it had "died!"

No longer responding to his Primordial Qi!

—This thing has been stopped!

More accurately, this thing has been sealed.

Chen Yan could feel that the force keeping his Primordial Qi out did not seem to be the original Primordial Qi fluctuation of the ring itself but a wave of unfamiliar fluctuation he had never felt before.

It was a new, foreign mana attached to the ring.

So...

It was done by the elderly woman!

Chen Yan immediately thought of the answer.