Chapter 975: Unseen, Unheard, Return to Tiannan

"Lord Divine Might, these are two Divine Realm-Binding Jades prepared for you." A powerhouse at the Ninth Heavenly Realm, who had been responsible for safeguarding the passage, approached respectfully and handed over a black wooden box as Chen Chu and the others walked up.

"Thank you." Chen Chu gave a slight nod and took the box.

Among the three main passages of the Blue Planet, Passage One bore the strongest carrying capacity, but even so, it could only accommodate peak heavenly kings. The deep-sea passages could only admit mythical beings.

Although Chen Chu was still only at the late stage of the heavenly king level, his essence was already comparable to that of a demon god. Thus, he needed this kind of divine object that could form a self-contained realm, binding the principle power within his body. Without it, his passage through the channel could cause violent tremors or even collapse the channel itself.

Naturally, such items could only be used by lifeforms native to the Blue Planet. If a pinnacle great demon king tried to forcefully descend by relying on similar divine tools, they would be instantly suppressed by the Blue Planet’s principles. For demon gods, their very foundations prevented them from entering. There simply wasn’t a stable enough world passage available.

This was also why Qian Tian had chosen to place that wisp of primordial origin on the Blue Planet, to avoid it being seized by a more powerful being. If news spread that he possessed a wisp of primordial origin, the two great demon gods of the Purgatory Empire or even Divine King Tarodell of the Alliance of Gods would surely be tempted to strike.

After all, that was a world-creation-level divine item capable of helping them break through into the realm of the Primordial Ancestor or the ancient gods.

Woooo!

Just as Chen Chu and the others were preparing to enter the passage, the silver vortex—over a thousand meters tall—began to tremble. A deep, melodious horn echoed through the air.

Boom!

With a loud rumble, a blue train thundered forth from the vortex, kicking up fierce winds as it surged ahead.

Immediately, Xia Youhui grinned. "It’s the transport train. Looks like we’ve got more newcomers entering the mythical world."

Lin Xue suddenly sighed. "I remember, Chen Chu, you took this train into the mythical world just over half a year ago, and now you’re already a heavenly king."

"Yeah, time really flies." Chen Chu nodded with a hint of emotion.

"Let’s go. Time to head back. Target: the Global Martial Arts Tournament. Here I come!" Xia Youhui cheered excitedly and charged into the passage first, followed by Lin Xue and Lin Yu.

Next was Anstira, who had been curiously observing her surroundings the entire time. The moment the golden-haired girl stepped into the silver vortex, the passage trembled violently. Brilliant silver light rippled through space, forming waves that spread across more than ten kilometers. The spectacle was awe-inspiring.

A gasp echoed among the surrounding cultivators. "That alien beauty is really strong."

They hadn’t expected that breathtakingly beautiful alien girl to possess such power. Judging from the way the passage was shaking, her strength was already on par with veteran powerhouses like Heavenly King Xuanwu.

Chen Chu opened the wooden box, revealing two pieces of silver jade the size of fists, shimmering like miniature galaxies. Blue star-swirls rotated slowly inside each one, glowing with a soft radiance.

Crack!

Chen Chu crushed one jade in his hand. Instantly, a transparent blue energy enveloped him, like a film separating him from the outer world. Feeling the toughness of the barrier layer around him, Chen Chu’s figure flashed and plunged into the vortex.

***

It was January in Tiannan City, and the temperature had already dropped below freezing, and snow blanketed the city in white. In such weather, nearly all flights had been grounded, and many departures delayed.

While stranded passengers waited helplessly inside the terminal, someone suddenly froze, pointing outside. "Didn’t they say the flights were all canceled? Why is there a motorcade heading in to receive someone?"

A wave of agitation swept through the waiting area as everyone turned to look outside. A convoy of over a dozen black luxury sedans and multi-purpose vehicles was driving into the airport. Wherever they passed, an invisible force swept the ten-centimeter-thick snow aside, clearing a straight, pristine path.

"With this kind of snowfall, no plane should be able to land. Clearly, someone important is arriving."

"With a setup like this, could it be a descendant of a king?"

"Damn it. Those with power can do whatever they want. While we’re stuck here, they can just deploy transcendent individuals to clear snow and force a landing."

While many people grumbled in frustration, the distant convoy came to a stop. The car doors opened, and a row of bodyguards in black suits stepped out first.

Then came several military officers in uniform, all stern-faced. Finally, a woman stepped out. She had silver hair cascading to her shoulders, a pair of dragon horns on her head, and a gentle expression with a noble aura.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Although her face was hard to make out clearly, her iconic silver hair and dragon horns were instantly recognized.

"That’s General Yan Ruoyi!"

"They actually sent General Yan Ruoyi to personally greet the arrival? The person coming must be more than just a king’s descendant. Could it be the child of a heavenly king?"

"This is huge!"

Many people were immediately excited. Phones were whipped out as they rushed to the glass to film the scene. Some had already begun posting to social media. Yan Ruoyi, once a global superstar, had her identity as a heavenly king's daughter revealed later on. Now, as a Ninth Heavenly Realm powerhouse and a major general, very few individuals in the world qualified to be personally received by her.

Even the presidents of most nations didn’t hold enough status to warrant such treatment. Whoever was arriving today had to be someone of equal or greater standing, perhaps a descendant of a heavenly king, or even an imperial prince.

Just as the onlookers watched in anticipation, the heavy snowfall above the sky suddenly ceased. The thick grey cloud cover rapidly dispersed, forming a colossal opening spanning over ten kilometers. From the thousand-meter-thick cloud layers above, sunlight burst forth, casting a brilliant golden pillar down to the earth.

Bathed in golden light, a black-and-red fighter jet appeared. Twin engines beneath its frame spewed scorching flames as it slowly descended. What drew the most attention was the insignia on the side of the jet. Inside the terminal, a middle-aged man who recognized it exclaimed in shock, "That’s a king-level fighter jet. A king’s arrived in Tiannan City!"

"So that’s what it is."

"A king’s descended. No wonder Yan Ruoyi and those officers came in person."

The crowd suddenly understood. Some were a little disappointed, having expected some mysterious greater figure. In the end, it was just the arrival of a king. Although kings were as revered as deities among ordinary people and cultivators, they weren’t particularly gossip-worthy. The mystery was gone.

In truth, with Chen Chu’s current status, his personal aircraft should have been upgraded to a fortress-level orbital flagship. Within the Federation, all mythical kings, heavenly kings, and supreme powerhouses had transports suited to their rank. Kings had king-level jets, heavenly kings had aerospace battleships, and supreme beings commanded orbital flagships.

However, Chen Chu’s power had risen too quickly. The authorities simply hadn’t kept up with the necessary upgrades.

Whoosh!

As the fighter jet landed, it released waves of searing air that swept away and melted all the snow on the runway, then settled with a slight tremor.

The lower hatch of the aircraft slowly opened, revealing Chen Chu, Anstira, the Lin Sisters, and Xia Youhui standing inside.

Yan Ruoyi smiled. "Chen Chu, you’re back."

Chen Chu returned a smile. "Had something to deal with, so I came back for a bit. Sister Ruoyi, you’re looking even more beautiful than before."

"Really?" That casual compliment made Yan Ruoyi’s smile even brighter.

Now clearly wasn’t the time for small talk, though. Yan Ruoyi turned her attention to the trio behind Chen Chu. "Hello, Xia Youhui. And these two must be Lin Xue and Lin Yu."

She remembered Xia Youhui and Chen Hu, who had visited Tiannan City once to witness the Tyrannosaur Alien incident. As for the Lin Sisters, although they hadn’t met, she had made quiet inquiries about the people close to Chen Chu, so she certainly hadn’t overlooked them.

"Hehe... Ms. Yan, hello!" Xia Youhui chuckled and nodded cheerfully.

The Lin Sisters didn’t feel intimidated either. Their eyes lit up with excitement. "General Yan, hello. You look even more beautiful in person than on TV."

As seventeen-year-old girls, they had enjoyed Yan Ruoyi’s songs in the past. After hearing about her courageous deeds while they were training in the southern battlefield—how she, as the daughter of Heavenly King Xuanwu, had risked her life to lure out demon cultists—they admired her even more.

After a brief exchange of greetings, Yan Ruoyi’s gaze shifted to the golden-haired girl standing behind them, her three pairs of radiant light wings unfurled, and a white halo floating above her head. A flicker of awe passed through her eyes.

So gorgeous!

Yan Ruoyi was inwardly astonished, then composed herself and said solemnly, "Greetings, Your Highness Anstira. I am Yan Ruoyi, the official in charge of Tiannan City. Welcome to the Blue Planet."

Anstira spoke slowly, using slightly awkward Federation language. "Hello, Ms. Yan. I apologize for coming without notice."

Yan Ruoyi responded, "There’s no need for such courtesy, Your Highness. As the first allied member of an alien race to visit the Blue Planet, we will do everything we can to extend proper hospitality. From now on, I will personally oversee all of your travel arrangements. If Your Highness has any requests, please feel free to inform me..."

As Yan Ruoyi officially welcomed Anstira, a female TV host accompanying the reception team was already excitedly looking toward the camera with microphone in hand. "Hello everyone, I’m Xiaoxiao from Tiannan TV. Today marks a historic moment. I’m reporting live from the airport alongside General Yan Ruoyi as she welcomes the first alien guest to ever visit our world. That sacred figure behind her, with dazzling wings and a glowing white halo, belongs to the Heavenly Feathered Race. This is an ancient mythical species. Their appearance is similar to humans, with the key difference being the wings on their backs. According to what I’ve learned, the Heavenly Feathered Race has three wing colors—white, silver, and golden—and the number of wings corresponds to their strength. For example, the one behind me with three pairs of white light wings may appear young and beautiful, but her strength is no less than that of our human heavenly kings."

This unexpected broadcast was a livestream from the official channel. As soon as it aired, countless people saw it, and all of them were immediately captivated by the golden-haired figure.

"Holy crap, what am I looking at... an angel?"

"Mom, quick, come out and see the angel!"

[Wow! That Heavenly Feathered girl is stunning. I think she’s even prettier than Ruoyi.]

[Shut up! My Ruoyi is the most beautiful, no debate allowed.]

[I hereby declare, from this moment on, that my goddess is this Heavenly Feathered beauty. No one’s allowed to compete with me.]

[Stop posting nonsense. Didn’t you hear what the reporter just said? That angel is as strong as a heavenly king. She might just reach through the internet and crush you...]

The official livestream chat for Tiannan City was in absolute chaos. Barrages of comments flooded the screen. To ordinary viewers, Anstira truly appeared like a seraphic being descending from the heavens. That perfect, sacred figure brought an overwhelming emotional shock the moment she appeared.

Even Liu Feng, Bai Mu, and Li Meng, who had tuned in because the official channel said something big was happening today, were left wide-eyed.

Soon, however, their attention shifted to Yan Ruoyi and the people beside her. "Wait a minute. Didn’t Lin Xue and the others go to the mythical world? Why are they suddenly back?"

"Holy crap! Xia Youhui is there too?"

"Damn it, that bastard really hit the jackpot this time. He gets to stand that close to not one but two god-tier beauties... no, wait, the Lin Sisters are gorgeous too."

The three of them stared at the screen with blatant jealousy, practically wishing they could reach into the computer and punch the smirking Xia Youhui.

Yan Ruoyi’s beauty was universally recognized. After becoming a half-dragon, her looks and aura had only become more breathtaking. As for Anstira, there was no need to even mention it. The Heavenly Feathered Race were already famed for their otherworldly beauty, and as a chief-god-level powerhouse, Anstira's appearance had been perfected through repeated breakthroughs and genetic optimization until it was nearly flawless.

That was only her outer form. Her divine and noble aura as a chief god was something else entirely.

However, whether it was Bai Mu and the others watching from their computers or the reporters on site, none of them saw Chen Chu. All they could see were Xia Youhui and the others. Even the cameras failed to capture him.

Beneath the Yunxiao fighter jet, once Yan Ruoyi and Anstira had completed the formal reception, Chen Chu finally said, "Sister Ruoyi, I’ll leave Anstira’s reception in your hands."

Then he looked toward Xia Youhui and the others. "Old Xia, Lin Xue, since you’re geniuses returning from the front lines, you can skip the preliminaries and directly enter the National Tournament. I checked before I came back. Liu Feng and the others also made it into the National Tournament. They’re in Tiannan now. Later, Sister Ruoyi will have someone take you there."

Xia Youhui blurted out, "Ah Chu, you’re not coming with us?"

Lin Xue and Lin Yu also turned toward him.

Chen Chu shook his head lightly. "Didn’t I say it already? I have other business this time. If I have time later, I’ll come watch you compete. Oh, and by the way, Ah Hu also made it into the National Tournament. If you run into him, go easy."

"What the hell, even Chen Hu made it?" Xia Youhui was a little stunned. He remembered that just over two months ago, when he entered the mythical world, Chen Hu had only just reached the Second Heavenly Realm...

Wait, don’t tell me he’s already at the Fifth Realm?

Thinking back to Chen Hu’s absurd cultivation speed and ridiculous luck, Xia Youhui suddenly felt it wasn’t impossible. After all, the guy had an older brother with terrifying talent, and more importantly, he had Chen Chu’s full backing and resource support.

Xia Youhui patted his chest. "No worries, Ah Chu. If I run into Ah Hu, I’ll go easy. We’ll have a friendly duel before I send him out."

He was an advanced Seventh Heavenly Realm cultivator. Even if Chen Hu had improved dramatically during this time, there was no way he could leap two major realms and defeat him. That was clearly impossible. After all, even Chen Chu hadn’t been able to jump two full realms while he was at the Fifth Heavenly Realm, so Xia Youhui felt confident.

Before leaving, Chen Chu glanced at the golden-haired girl and apologetically said, "Your Highness Anstira, I’m sorry I can’t personally take you on a tour this time."

Anstira shook her head slightly. "Lord Divine Might, your business is more important. I’m only here out of curiosity to get a glimpse of your world."

Chen Chu had already spoken with her before arriving, so she hadn’t thought much of it.

To others nearby, though, Yan Ruoyi and the others occasionally acted a bit strange, talking to seemingly empty air. As a globally known figure who wanted to keep a low profile on his return, Chen Chu was surrounded by a field of space-distorting principle power. No one except Yan Ruoyi, who was granted permission, could see him. That included cameras and any other optical devices.

Whoosh!

Everyone watched as the black-and-red fighter jet stirred up powerful shockwaves and slowly ascended. Upon reaching a height of one hundred meters, it suddenly roared skyward with a deafening sonic boom. The jet pierced through the sky at supersonic speed, vanishing in an instant and leaving behind a long channel torn through the clouds.

Because of Anstira’s visit, the Yunxiao fighter had been given clearance to make a grand landing at the airport as a gesture of respect. Otherwise, knowing Chen Chu’s personality, he would have simply dropped off Xia Youhui and the others at some random spot.

Flying at more than ten times the speed of sound, the Yunxiao fighter jet quickly reached the capital of East Xia and hovered over a massive military base.

There, Xie Chen, who had been overseeing Passage One, was already standing in the sky, waiting for him.

As Chen Chu flew out from the fighter jet, Xie Chen said solemnly, "Chen Chu, you’re here."