Monarch Night

In the pouring rain, the two groups parted ways.

They didn't say goodbye to those refugees, instead transformed into two arrows shot in opposite directions through the rain curtain.

Just as they were about to leave this mountainous region, they heard a rumble from the earth, and rays of light seemed to flash violently above the clouds.

Then came the abrupt sound of the Ningxue Sword: "Fire Demon! Where do you think you're going!"

The five words barely finished, and the word "going" had already drifted far away...

It was above the clouds, where experts were clashing.

Fang Che and his group quickened their pace.

They cleared away once more the hidden dangers exposed by the torrential rain. They kept clearing until they exited the mountain range, arriving at the place where bodies were gathered for burial.

Then they began another search for bodies.

They kept gathering and burying bodies as they headed back.

When they saw the government troops spreading out a large net for searching, everyone finally felt relieved.

They found an inn, started cleaning themselves up, and changed clothes.

Including the women, many found their clothes unwearable, and even more realized their hair was gone without them noticing.

In the perpetual high temperatures, their hair had turned to ashes, wafting away in the demon-like hell of the mountain forests.

Fang Che hadn't gone bald, but he did lose half of his hair.

These issues didn't bother him, as his Phantom Bones, Shifting Forms skill had reached the Third Layer; the realm Qian Sanjiang took a lifetime to reach.

Though he had just broken through to the Third Layer, regrowing hair posed no problem for Fang Che.

However, Jing Xiuyun and the other female stewards were clearly not as skilled. They wore mournful expressions, as if the sky had fallen. Their beautiful hair was gone, and the Guardian Hall would never give them a Regeneration Pill just to grow it back.

They could only practice cultivation silently to hasten its growth...

"Let's return to the Guardian Hall."

Yuan Jingjiang said to Fang Che: "I must request a merit award for you. This time, you can't refuse the reward."

Fang Che smiled faintly: "Alright."

His cultivation had surged, breaking through to the Second Grade Martial Marquis just as he entered the inn.

On this journey of life and death, though the tasks weren't vast, Fang Che felt as if he had undergone a spiritual transformation.

It was like... in a previous life, leading a few brothers, once more wandering between life and death.

Or as if he had uplifted countless lives with his own hands, experiencing a sense of elevation.

He exhaled lightly, feeling a profound peace within.

It was all worth it!

...

Mo Gan Yun and his group were less fortunate.

They had been trekking through the snowy mountains and forests this entire time.

Having already reached the seventh or eighth grade Martial Marshal Level, everyone was full of confidence.

Returning this time, with such significant improvements, Boss Fang would undoubtedly see them in a new light!

Not to mention, we are continuously making intense progress.

"When we return this time, don't any of you dare compete with me."

Mo Gan Yun declared confidently: "I will be removing the red cloth from my head."

"No competition from us. You remove the red cloth first, then we'll take turns expressing our feelings, eventually turning Boss Fang into Youngest Fang among us."

Qiu Yunshang was brimming with confidence.

As he spoke, his two front teeth glistened.

Caught up in endless fantasies, suddenly, not far ahead, a dragon of fire spewed out...

"Damn..."

Yu Zhongge was shocked: "The volcano erupted. In this cold, on this snowy mountain, how could a volcano erupt?"

"Follow me."

Leading the charge, he sped along with Mo Gan Yun, Qiu Yunshang, and Jing Shuanggao, the four of them skimming into a cliffside cave.

As they ran, the snow underfoot melted away.

Upon entering the cave, they saw a silver waterfall pouring wildly.

Initially mixed with icy snow, it soon turned entirely to water.

The four huddled there, clueless about what was happening, bewildered.

Suddenly... the snowy mountain behind them also erupted, causing the cave to heat up quickly.

The four exchanged bewildered glances.

Should they leave... or stay?

Before they could decide, a deafening noise started from somewhere far beneath, and then the entire cliff began to slowly... sink?

Before they could react, the sinking accelerated abruptly, and with a swoosh, they fell down.

Meanwhile, the top collapsed, falling towards them.

"This is bad!"

The four could only desperately support the space; there was no time to escape as they fell with the cliff, a crashing sound echoing as they went down.

With a crash, it hardly felt like an impact; the next moment, massive rocks rained down.

The four fought with all their might, unleashing their last ounce of strength, desperately smashing at the overhead stones, which started cracking.

Yet it kept pressing down relentlessly.

When it had compressed to a certain point, they suddenly felt the ground beneath them give way, beginning to fall once more.

"Damn, what's going on here?"

The four were baffled.

They continued to fall, unsure of how deep, before feeling a crash below as the cave seemed to shatter into pieces.

The massive stones above descended again with a thunderous crash.

The four quickly used Thousand-Pound Fall to probe downward.

Bang...

But it seemed, perhaps, that the cliff had fallen into water?

Soon after, trickling water began seeping through the cracks.

Bone-chilling cold.

Their minds cleared up.

Feeling the pressure above had lessened slightly.

So they continued pressing down. The heavier the rainfall ingress, the more the cliff began to disintegrate.

Struggling continuously, exerting all their efforts, Yu Zhongge finally kicked a stone with resounding force, and with a thunderous noise, endless underground water surged in, submerging all four of them.