Chapter 828: Ruo

The golden light was coming from a spear. Its shaft was a pale gold, etched with exquisite engravings of a coiling dragon. The dragon’s mouth opened to form the spearhead, while its tail extended into the base of the shaft.

The entire weapon measured around two meters in length and was about as thick as an egg. It was forged from some unknown alloy Li Xiaofei couldn’t identify. The craftsmanship was so refined it looked more like a piece of art than a weapon.

The red light, on the other hand, was coming from a medicine pouch. Li Xiaofei picked up the golden dragon-patterned spear. It was heavy in his hand, the metal cold to the touch.

He then opened the pouch. Inside were six marble-sized pills, red as ripe betel nuts, and glistening like jade. A faint herbal fragrance wafted out from them. Just a single whiff made his mind feel clear and refreshed. They were clearly high-grade immortal pills and precious beyond doubt.

Li Xiaofei carefully stored the pills and began to refine the spear. Perhaps because the weapon had no current master, the refinement went smoothly and quickly. He could immediately feel the weapon responding to him, flowing with his intent. As he swung it, a faint dragon’s roar echoed through the air.

A fine spear indeed

, he thought with joy.

This harvest was excellent. Spear in hand and dog at his side, he stepped out of the burning wooden building. But he hadn’t gone far when he heard shouting and the sounds of battle from a nearby street to his right.

His heart stirred, and he immediately rushed over. From a distance, he saw the old Chancellor wielding a warblade, locked in fierce combat with two second-evolution Night Fiends. Meanwhile, Luo Ge lay slumped against a burning ancient tree, severely wounded. Her face was pale and bloodless.

The blade in the old Chancellor’s hand was clearly no ordinary weapon, since it could actually harm the Night Fiends. His combat experience was exceptional, but the two Night Fiends fought with terrifying instinct and coordination, pinning him down and steadily overwhelming him.

Luo Ge gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stand despite her injuries. Her greatsword raised, she prepared to charge in and assist. But at that exact moment—

Whoosh!

The sound of air tearing rang out as Li Xiaofei flashed into the battlefield. The spear in his hand surged forth like a dragon leaping from the sea. It was swift, fluid, and unstoppable.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Puff. Puff.

It was the sound of bubbles popping. Both second-evolution Night Fiends froze in place, their bone-plated skulls pierced through with pinpoint precision. A thin stream of blood trickled down.

Before their corpses could even hit the ground, a black gust of wind swept past them. Black Emperor chomped down on the two Night Fiends like they were nothing more than chewy snacks.

The sudden shift in the battlefield left both the High Chancellor and Luo Ge stunned. But when they saw clearly who had arrived, they let out a collective breath of relief.

“Brother Li, thank you,” the High Chancellor said quickly, his voice filled with gratitude as he rushed to check on Luo Ge’s condition.

She had collapsed against the wall, sliding down slowly. Blood spilled from the corner of her lips, but her face showed no regret. In a trembling, broken voice, she said, “My lord... I can’t... I’m done for. Bury me... in front of my home... I’m... satisfied...”

Tears streamed freely from the old man’s eyes. He had lived in exile all his life. Though it seemed he enjoyed power and influence, he had always carried the weight of longing for his homeland. He had dreamed of returning.

Luo Ge had been his one comfort, the only true warmth in his otherwise lonely life. He had never imagined finally returning home... only to face such a parting.

He pulled out every healing pill and reagent he could find, but nothing worked. The Night Fiends’ claws had left behind a faint black toxin. It was deeply corrosive and resistant to purification.

Li Xiaofei’s eyes lit up with an idea. He took out one of the crimson pills he had found in the warrior’s remains on the second floor of the burning building.

“Try this,” he said.

The High Chancellor didn’t hesitate. He gently placed the pill into Luo Ge’s mouth.

Moments passed, and then, a miracle happened. The pale hue of Luo Ge’s face began to flush with color. Her ragged breaths grew steady and deep. Seconds later, she slowly opened her eyes.

The black toxin in her wounds had completely vanished. She was alive. The healing effect stunned even Li Xiaofei. The High Chancellor was overcome with emotion.

“Thank you... thank you, Brother Li, I—” said the old Chancellor, his voice choked with tears.

Luo Ge wasn’t just his student; she was like a daughter, his last family in this world. Now, he had been given a second chance with her.

"Just a small favor," Li Xiaofei replied coolly, putting on a deliberately nonchalant act.

Inwardly, though, he was genuinely intrigued by the crimson pills,

What exactly are they?

They seemed to work specifically against the black toxin found in the Night Fiends. That couldn’t be a coincidence.

“Where do you plan to go next, senior?” Li Xiaofei asked.

He had long been curious about the High Chancellor’s obsession with returning to Heaven. Li Xiaofei wouldn’t be surprised if he had come for the legendary treasures said to be hidden here.

“Nowhere,” the High Chancellor said quietly, a shadow falling over his expression.

He pointed ahead, toward a burning courtyard. “My home... is here.”

Li Xiaofei blinked in surprise. The old man walked slowly forward, stopping in front of a modest, unremarkable courtyard.

“Outer Heaven Street, Lane 28. That’s my house. It’s... still here.”

Hundreds of years had passed, and now he was finally back. The home that lived vividly in his clear and distant memories, was now before him, real and broken. The flames devouring the buildings, the overturned furniture, the trails of blood on the ground... all of it spoke plainly of what had happened.

His family... was gone. The honest, hard-working father. The mother who always wore a gentle smile. The younger brother who ran around in open-bottom pants. The little sister who never seemed full, no matter how much she ate... All gone.

After fighting the Night Fiends, the High Chancellor already knew. He didn’t need to ask. He knew exactly what had happened to them. It was as if time across all of Heaven had frozen at the very instant disaster struck. Many things had been preserved, but countless others had been lost forever.

Back then, he had only been a simple farmer’s son. In its golden age, Heaven was vast and immense. Aside from the Heavenly Emperors, the Celestial Gods, and the War Generals, there had once been countless others who served Heaven in different ways.

There had been producers, like spirit farmers. These cultivators tended to spiritual crops along both banks of the Heavenly River, providing sustenance for all of Heaven and the thirty-six outlying lands and seventy-two blessed grottos beyond.

Their lives were peaceful, serene. It was not unlike those of ordinary mortals in the lower realms. The High Chancellor had once been one of them. A farmer’s son. But he had shown extraordinary talent at a young age and earned a place in the Immortal Academy. He had excelled in his studies, and eventually was appointed to serve in the distant city of Chongque.

He still remembered how his parents and siblings had ferried him across the river to bid him farewell. At the time, he had looked forward to completing his term in office and returning to Heaven, to reunite with his family.

He never imagined... That farewell five hundred years ago would be their last. He had gone through it all. The initial fury, the terror, the confusion, the regret, the unbearable sorrow...

Now, he was calm as a dying pool of still water. He pushed open the door and stepped into the courtyard engulfed in fire. All of Heaven was burning. Wood, stone, metal, ceramics, everything burned. And yet... the flames never consumed. Even a single blade of grass in the yard burned with eternal fire.

“The whole human race once believed it impossible,” the High Chancellor murmured, standing amid the blaze. “We never thought Ruos could breach the gates of Heaven.”

He turned to look at Li Xiaofei, a faint trace of hope glimmering in his eyes.

“Something happened, back then. Something terrible. For so many Ruos to roam freely in Heaven... there must be a Mother of All Beasts hidden within these ruins. Li Xiaofei, could you be the chosen one?”

Ruo? Mother of All Beasts? What the hell are those?

A whole row of metaphorical black lines formed on Li Xiaofei’s forehead.