"But still, most of your Empire has been destroyed." Long Xiaotian sighed, looking at the surrounding desolation.
Mu Chen pondered this for a moment. After collecting all the visible Magical Beast corpses into his Storage Ring, he said, "Fortunately, the Imperial Capital wasn’t destroyed. Besides, I heard the Xuanling Empire was going to be rebuilt anyway, even if the Magical Beasts hadn’t wrecked it. So there’s no need to be too sad. With an ’out with the old, in with the new’ mentality, doesn’t this just save you guys a lot of manpower?"
Long Xiaotian was taken aback. "You’re quite optimistic. But you’re right. We didn’t just come to fight back the Beast Tide at the border. We also have a mission: to rebuild the Xuanling Empire. My father places great importance on the Xuanling Empire, so the Earth Attribute architects he sent are all at the Emperor Realm or above. There are even a few master architects at the Venerable Realm."
"Hmm, I kept hearing the elders mention architects. Aren’t all Earth Attribute Martial Artists architects?"
In Mu Chen’s mind, Earth Attribute Martial Artists were people who could condense Earth Attribute Power. Since their skills allowed them to manipulate sand and stone, construction should be a piece of cake for them. Suddenly hearing about "architects" made him curious.
"Huh? All Earth Attribute Martial Artists are architects?" Long Xiaotian pursed his lips. "Well, actually, I used to think so too. But then Uncle Mu Ya gave me a harsh lecture and I learned that being an architect isn’t just about controlling a certain power. More importantly, you need a deeper understanding of the Attribute’s structural composition, as well as a sense of aesthetics and creativity. Otherwise, even if he’s an Earth Attribute Martial Artist, he could never create a beautiful palace. At best, he could make something you’d call a cave. By the way, speaking of Earth Attribute Martial Artists, I bet you don’t know that Fire Attribute Martial Artists actually... huh? Mu Chen, where are you going? Hey, hey, I’m not finished... Mu Chen! Mu Chen!"
"..."
Walking ahead, Mu Chen broke into a cold sweat. ’How did I not realize at first that Long Xiaotian is such a chatterbox? Doesn’t he look like the arrogant type?’ Wiping the sweat from his brow, Mu Chen collected the last visible Magical Beast into his Storage Ring, a relieved smile gracing his lips. That was because this last Magical Beast was none other than the Venerable Realm beast that Mu Ya had killed—the Dark Kui Ox!
’With this Magical Beast, Little Tiger’s Martial Artist Realm should skyrocket!’
After this thought, Mu Chen turned and walked back, running right into Long Xiaotian, who had chased after him. Mu Chen asked, "Don’t you need to go back?"
Long Xiaotian gave an awkward smile. "Actually, I never planned on going back."
"Hmm?"
"Do you know when to go to Holy Tomb Mountain? Do you know the way to Holy Tomb Mountain? Do you know what information you need for Holy Tomb Mountain?" After rattling this off, Long Xiaotian saw Mu Chen’s confused expression and chuckled. "See? You don’t know, but I do. That’s why I’m here—to tell you these things. Plus, my teammates came with me. We need to look out for each other on the way to Holy Tomb Mountain. After all, we’re from the same Dynasty. And Holy Tomb Mountain is no place where one person can stand firm on their own."
"So you’re saying you know a lot about Holy Tomb Mountain?" Mu Chen asked after a moment of thought.
Long Xiaotian chuckled. "What do you think?"
"Alright then. Welcome to the Xuanling Empire. But since my family clan was destroyed, I don’t have a place to host you right now. You’ll just have to stand for a while. Don’t blame me for being rude." With that, Mu Chen started to walk back. But as he passed Long Xiaotian, he glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. Seeing the helpless look on Long Xiaotian’s face, he smiled faintly.
’Looks like this guy isn’t a hypocrite... He’s worth befriending.’
Mu Chen had, of course, taken Long Xiaotian’s words to heart. The reason he was being deliberately distant was to judge whether this True Crown Prince of the Dynasty was an arrogant and condescending person. But as it turned out, the guy’s personality wasn’t bad.
Little did Mu Chen know that while he was sizing up Long Xiaotian, Long Xiaotian was also secretly evaluating him. Watching Mu Chen’s retreating figure, Long Xiaotian pouted and muttered, "He’s got way too much personality. Still, for some reason, even though I’m Prince Yanlong, I’m not the least bit angry. When did I become so shameless? Hey Mu Chen, wait for me!"
’The boss is so cringey...’
’Yeah, super cringey. But a boss like that is kind of endearing. Let’s head down too.’
’Let’s go.’
「...」
"Chen’Er, wasn’t that a bit... inappropriate?" As soon as they returned, Mufeng pulled Mu Chen aside and asked awkwardly.
"Huh? What was inappropriate?" Mu Chen feigned ignorance.
Mufeng broke into a sweat, giving Mu Chen an exasperated look. "Still playing dumb with me? You ran out in front of all those powerful experts and Great Powers to harvest Magical Beast corpses. Won’t that make them angry?"
Mu Chen smiled. "Oh, you mean that. It’s not a big deal. If they complain, I’ll just give the Magical Beast corpses back to them. But if they don’t say anything, then I’ll just pretend I don’t know any better. In any case, these Magical Beasts aren’t of much use to them, so they’re better off with me."
Hearing this, Mufeng said with resignation, "You’re so grown up, yet you’re still acting like a rascal. But I suppose it’s a valid method. You have to seize your own opportunities. If you hadn’t collected them, someone else might have snatched those Magical Beast corpses up already."
After saying this, Mufeng glanced around. Seeing that no one was nearby, he asked, "But, shouldn’t you tell me what’s going on with that Ninth Princess, Mo Qing, now, kid?"
"Er... Don’t you already know?" Mu Chen really didn’t know how to begin explaining this, so he just rubbed his nose and replied.
Who knew that upon hearing this, Mufeng would reach out and smack Mu Chen on the head. "Know my ass! You little punk, have you done something to wrong Bing’Er? Don’t think your old man won’t teach you a lesson just because you’re a Sect Master now. Even if you become a Martial Emperor, I’m still your father. But... why don’t I get the feeling Bing’Er is angry?"
Mu Chen rubbed his head, a warmth spreading through his heart. He had originally been afraid that after his arm was restored and his strength increased, the way his family looked at him would change. But now, it seemed no one was thinking that way. Of course, he had only interacted with Mufeng and Mu Gu Tian so far. As for his peers, perhaps things really would be different than before.
Hearing Mufeng’s words, Mu Chen said, "Bing’Er doesn’t blame me. In fact, Bing’Er was involved in the matter with Mo Qing." As he spoke, Mu Chen shifted his gaze to Mu Bingling, only to see her chatting with Mo Qing, a smile even playing on her face.
Mufeng, of course, also saw this scene. He looked at Mu Chen in surprise, then slung an arm around his shoulders and laughed. "Not bad, kid. You’ve actually fulfilled a dream your old man had when he was young."
"Huh?" Mu Chen was stunned by Mufeng’s words. This was the first time he had ever seen Mufeng joke around. Usually, Mufeng had a calm and detached demeanor. He would offer an occasional smile, but his expression was always composed. He rarely showed such affectionate gestures or words.
"Heh heh."
Mufeng naturally knew what Mu Chen was thinking, but he didn’t explain. Who could have known that the Mufeng of the past was actually a lively and cheerful person? But ever since Mu Chen was born, Mufeng’s brow had been constantly furrowed from morning till night. He worried about Mu Chen, fretting over his physical condition. But now, everything was fine. Not only had Mu Chen shed the label of a cripple, but even the severed arm that had plagued him for so long was restored. Mufeng, who had long felt suffocated by the pressure, could finally feel a sense of relief.
"However, if your mother finds out about this, she’ll definitely give you a good thrashing. But after she does, she’ll also be the happiest one."
"..."
Mu Chen could only respond to this with silence. As time passed, the Emperors and Venerables above all descended. Following Mu Ya, they walked over to the Xuanling Empire’s forces who had been defending against the Magical Beasts.
"May I ask which one of you is the Emperor of the Xuanling Empire?"
Mu Ya’s tone was relaxed, and he wore a faint smile, so it didn’t seem like bad news. Hearing this, Xuan Yin stepped forward, cupped his fists in a salute, and said, "Lord Venerable, I am the Emperor of the Xuanling Empire, Xuan Yin."
At this moment, having endured the dust storm from the Magical Beasts, Xuan Yin was covered in grime. His golden Dragon Robe was coated in a layer of dull gray, making him look rather disheveled. However, his expression was neither servile nor overbearing.
Mu Ya looked Xuan Yin up and down and nodded in satisfaction. "You’ve done very well. The Flame Dragon Dynasty has ignored the Xuanling Empire for so many years, yet you’ve managed to cultivate so many talented people in a place with no resources and no geographical advantages. You’ve even reached the Sixth-Ring Martial Emperor Realm yourself. It must have been difficult for you."
Hearing Mu Ya’s words, Xuan Yin looked at him with some surprise. After all, people from a Dynasty were supposed to be arrogant and look down on everyone. But the old man before him not only lacked any airs but even seemed a little guilty. This made Xuan Yin feel a sense of goodwill toward him, and he quickly said, "It wasn’t difficult. It’s just that everyone’s lives were a bit harder."
The simple phrase "lives were a bit harder" summed up all their problems. Life means survival, the act of living. For survival and living to be "a bit harder" showed the true difficulties the Xuanling Empire faced.
But Mu Ya looked at the experts behind him and felt quite emotional. He said in a heartfelt tone, "You should properly thank the young ones from your Empire who went out into the world. They are the ones who have helped push the Xuanling Empire to the top. From now on, the Xuanling Empire will no longer have to worry about anything. Furthermore, it will become the Flame Dragon Dynasty’s first Peak Empire in the most remote region!"