Woodfields Province, Camellia Coast.
"Skree. Skree." The mild chirping of Kezani beasts was never-ending. Among the clouds, these ferocious red beasts were flying in circles, numbering in the thousands.
There were several caves situated at Camellia Coast. From within one of the caves, a beautiful scarlet-robed woman was watching the receding waves with a melancholic look.
In a short few months, the once untraversable Secret Legion had fallen to such a pitiable state. Large tidal waves continued to crash against the rocks. Lost in a vivid daydream, Zhi Ruo went through the memories of her other life on Earth.
"Feng Hui…" Enunciating each syllable carefully, Zhi Ruo softly muttered. This black-robed youth who appeared like a sudden strike of lightning, moving her chilled heart with a single glance. In the darkness of the cold villa, her fierce beating heart was far too clear.
Around a week had passed since her two lives merged to one. With a single look, Zhi Ruo had been able to discern that this black-robed youth was her lifelong companion, Long Fengge. From his clear, unique gaze to the bright light of his soul, she could never mistake him.
"Clang." A thick metal door opened. Behind Zhi Ruo, a man dressed in an intelligent attire walked out of a cultivation room. Around this scarlet-robed woman, the man's aura became soft.
With his muscular arms and an apparent stern look, Wei Tanim, also known as Fatty Wei to some, smiled upon seeing the scarlet-robed woman. Chuckling, he greeted, "Sister Ruo."
Regarding the Secret Legion, the majority of its members had gone into closed-door cultivation. Unless an unexpected emergency arose, the members would not be disturbed. To become strong and slaughter the traitors, this was their joint goal.
"Mn?" There was a surprised expression on Zhi Ruo before turning into a smile. Scanning Wei Tanim up and down, she jokingly bowed, "Congratulations on becoming a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator."
"Nothing can be hidden from your eyes, Sister Ruo." From top to bottom, Wei Tanim's appearance had changed. No longer did he have his signature rolls of fat; instead, his fat had turned into firm muscle. In fact, he could even be described as handsome now.
Shaking her head, Zhi Ruo responded, "That's not true."
"Sister Ruo seems a lot happier now." Making a swift observation, Wei Tanim thought.
Having adventured together in the Secret Legion for years, he did not think that Zhi Ruo could ever move on from his best friend, not to mention in such a short time.
Wei Tanim took a deep breath and said, "According to the news I received in closed-door cultivation, Chan Aiguo's transcendental powers have become even greater, and we'll have even more trouble dealing with him now…"
The meaning of his words was obvious. Unless one of them also became a Transcendent like the leader of the traitors, their chance of revenge would become more impossible with each passing night.
"You don't need to burden yourself anymore, Brother Wei. I trust that the traitors will be dealt with in due time." Straightening out her beautiful flowing golden hair, Zhi Ruo added, "I'll make sure of that."
"Sister Ruo, you've become a Transcendent…?" Stunned, Wei Tanim was flabbergasted. Focusing his senses, his eyes became sharp, and he could not see through Zhi Ruo at all.
Comprehending the reason behind this, Wei Tanim quickly became elated, "Haha, who would have thought that the Eastern World would now have another Transcendent? Furthermore, it's also a dear friend of mine!"
Not confirming Tanim's conclusion, Zhi Ruo had a mysterious smile. On the road of cultivation, the talent of one's soul was incredibly important. In the past, her soul was not complete; therefore, her talent had also been limited.
This week, Zhi Ruo's talent had skyrocketed, and she had become a Transcendent the night before. As a peak Nascent Soul cultivator, she had already been close to the next realm, and the fusion only quickened her advancement.
For a while, Wei Tanim was startled due to her smile. Gathering his courage, he opted to ask instead of keeping everything bottled up, "About Brother Fengge…"
In his mind, Fengge had been dead for months, and he had believed that he would never see Zhi Ruo smile so freely again.
Zhi Ruo understood his meaning, and she had not planned to keep it a secret. After dealing with the traitors, she would reveal that the Secret Legion's master, Long Fengge, was alive!
Waving her hand, Zhi Ruo gestured for Tanim to come closer. From her spatial ring, two redwood seats popped out. Getting into a comfortable position, she began slowly explaining her recent findings.
The entire time, Wei Tanim had a disbelieving expression. Nearing the end of her speech, he hesitantly nodded, "I see…"
"It's true." Noticing his skeptical eyes, Zhi Ruo sighed.
"I understand you're feeling lost because of everything that has happened, but…" Wei Tanim did not finish; however, his meaning was clear.
Long Fengge was dead. The departed could never return. After all, Wei Tanim had buried his best friend himself; he could still clearly feel his trembling hands from that nightmarish day.
It was normal for Zhi Ruo's mind to be unstable. For Wei Tanim, this fact was far too clear; he knew that Fengge meant the world to her.
In the face of his distrust, Zhi Ruo pouted her cheeks; Brother Wei made her feel like she had lost her marbles. Ignoring his considerate calls, she opened a portal while not forgetting to retort, "Brother Wei, I'm not crazy. You're the idiot here."
"Just wait and see, Fengge will be back before we know it!" Glaring at Tanim, Zhi Ruo declared with utmost confidence. Teasing him, she added, "Also, I'm going to need some time to get used to your new look. Fengge will be shocked."
With her parting words, Zhi Ruo stepped through the portal, traveling over ten thousand miles in an instant to reach the Long Kingdom.
Time flowed like water. Wei Tanim continued to ponder what Zhi Ruo had said.
"Could Sister Ruo be telling the truth…?" Wei Tanim knew that Zhi Ruo wouldn't lie, but he also recognized that her mind was unstable; it was possible that she could not differentiate between her dreams and reality.
"Damn it." Clenching his teeth, Wei Tanim kicked over the chairs. There was no chance to discover an answer while brooding alone in this humid place.
"Don't just leave me here with all these questions, Sister Ruo!" In the end, Wei Tanim hoped that her words were indeed the truth, but he did not want to have false hope either.
The higher the climb, the harder the fall. Wei Tanim had taken months to rid his mind of the horrific sights, and he did not want to go through the pain again.