"Bastard, I'm going to kill him!" Chu Lin's eyes seemed to spew flames.
"Calm down, calm down… You need to control yourself," Fang Zhong desperately tried to stop him.
"Don't stop me! I must have a life-and-death battle with this guy!"
Aside from their initial fight, Chu Lin, who had gotten along well with Mu Chen since then, was now on the verge of exploding.
This was because Mu Chen was currently holding a girl in his arms, dressed in a black long dress, with long silver hair as brilliant as the Milky Way, her hair light and flowing, her skin as fair as snow, and a serene smile on her face.
The girl was Luo Li, the goddess he had always yearned for.
Chu Lin had never seen Luo Li like this. In his impression, she had always been cold and aloof, like a goddess from the Moon Palace.
But at this moment, in Mu Chen's arms, she showed a shy demeanor, like a girl next door.
After killing two Heaven-rank spiritual beasts in Ice Valley and refining his body with their essence blood, Mu Chen continued to advance towards the central area of North Cang Realm with Hun Hunsheng.
After collecting the medicinal herbs in the valley, Chu Lin, Fang Zhong, and their subordinates, whose marks were almost full, also moved together.
They encountered Luo Li's team after nearing the central area, which led to the current scene.
"Ahhhhhh… Mu Chen, I'm going to fight you to the death!" Chu Lin yelled.
"You mustn't, you mustn't," Fang Zhong tried his best to stop him.
Mu Chen ignored the enraged Chu Lin, simply holding the girl, pressing his face against her head, inhaling her fragrance, and saying with deep affection, "Luo Li, I missed you so much."
"I missed you too," the girl responded gently.
"Thank fate for bringing us together again."
"You idiot, didn't you say you were born in Bei Ling Territory and liked 'North'? So I chose Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy," Luo Li said softly.
Mu Chen's eyes only held Luo Li, and Luo Li's eyes only held Mu Chen. Everyone else was ignored.
Chu Lin was raging in vain, Hun Hunsheng was full of excitement, and Luo Li's subordinates showed a hint of envy and blessing.
Mu Chen and Luo Li embraced for a long time before finally separating.
The two introduced their companions to each other.
"You… hello, Luo Li," Chu Lin, who had been saved by Luo Li once in Spiritual Road and followed her for a few days, falling for her, awkwardly greeted her.
Luo Li's Glass-like blue eyes were clear and deep, as if they could see through everything, yet also carried a sense of detachment. She stared at Chu Lin for a while, finally uttering a sentence:
"Who are you?"
Chu Lin instantly turned to stone, his heart seemingly cracking into several pieces, and he fled, covering his face.
"Wahhh, I didn't expect that I didn't even have the right to be remembered by her. I'm so heartbroken."
Fang Zhong, both sympathetic and amused, patted his friend's back to comfort him.
Luo Li blinked, then shifted her gaze to Hun Hunsheng.
"This is Hun Hunsheng, a good friend I met in North Cang Realm," Mu Chen introduced.
"You weren't with her all this time, were you?" Luo Li's cold voice made Mu Chen's expression somewhat stiff.
"That's right, that's right, I've always been with Brother Mu Chen. Before we met Chu Lin and them, we both spent the night together," Hun Hunsheng said with a bright smile on his face.
Mu Chen, however, felt as if he had seen a devil.
Luo Li's gaze grew even colder, and she pinched Mu Chen's small hand fiercely.
Mu Chen hissed, taking a sharp breath.
…
Night enveloped the land, and the two teams merged into one, setting up a camp in an open space.
In the center of the camp, a bonfire blazed.
Chu Lin gulped down wine, drinking and weeping at the same time.
Mu Chen and Luo Li sat alone by a bonfire, very close, almost touching.
Luo Li held the grill, and the golden roasted meat emitted an enticing aroma under the heat of the flames.
"Who took the Spiritual Crown in the end?" Mu Chen was a little curious about the final outcome of Spiritual Road.
After all, those who participated in Spiritual Road were all proud children of heaven from various places, and winning the Spiritual Crown was the highest honor in Spiritual Road, even he yearned for it.
"The Spiritual Crown ultimately fell into Wen Qingxuan's hands. In the end, I kept targeting Ji Xuan, causing him to miss his chance."
"Thank you…" Mu Chen took her hand. He knew Luo Li was getting revenge for him.
"However, Wen Qingxuan is also quite formidable. Even if I hadn't restrained Ji Xuan, she still had a good chance of winning," Luo Li said seriously.
She handed a skewer of roasted meat to Mu Chen: "Here."
"Wow, finally another chance to eat something made by King Luo himself," Mu Chen said in surprise.
However, when he reached for the roasted meat, he grabbed air.
Hun Hunsheng, who was very tactless and smelled the aroma of the roasted meat, had intercepted it beforehand.
She took a bite, her cheeks bulging, and while eating, she commented, "Delicious, delicious, much better than what you make."
Mu Chen's brow twitched, and he said somewhat helplessly, "Can't you tell what the atmosphere is like here?"
Hun Hunsheng ignored the resentment in Mu Chen's words and, without any self-awareness, turned her gaze to another skewer of roasted meat by the bonfire.
"Were you just talking about Spiritual Road? That place seems pretty fun. Too bad Sister Xiao Xiao was visiting us at the time, and I was busy accompanying her, so I didn't go."
Recalling the scene where Hun Hunsheng physically thrashed the Ice Profound Spiritual Flood Dragon, Mu Chen shivered. Spiritual power could not be used in Spiritual Road. If Hun Hunsheng had entered, there would have been nothing left for anyone else.
"By the way, you're from the Luoshen Clan, aren't you?" Hun Hunsheng glanced at Luo Li's sword and suddenly asked.
Luo Li frowned, not speaking.
"It seems I guessed correctly. You two, keep up the good work. If you perform well in the institute, someone might be willing to help you solve the Luoshen Clan's troubles."
Luo Li looked at her with a cold gaze, clearly not very convinced, and also somewhat annoyed that the other party mentioned this in front of Mu Chen.
"Luoshen Clan? What's going on?" Mu Chen could clearly feel Luo Li's body tense up when Hun Hunsheng mentioned this.
Luo Li put another skewer of roasted meat to Hun Hunsheng's mouth.
"Thanks." Hun Hunsheng bit into the roasted meat and happily walked away.
Seeing that the roasted meat could shut her up, Luo Li breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't want Mu Chen to know about this so early, not wanting to put too much pressure on him. She clearly knew how dire the situation the Luoshen Clan was currently facing.
Because Xiao Yan's trajectory was different and had no intersection with the Luoshen Clan, the event where Emperor Yan sent people to congratulate Luo Tianshen on his birthday, as described in the original work, did not happen, making the Luoshen Clan's situation even more difficult.
Luo Li did not answer Mu Chen's question, only bowing her head in silence. After a long while, she said, "There are some things I don't want you to know right now."
Mu Chen did not force her, only saying, "If you have difficulties, just say them. We'll face them together."
Luo Li nodded.
Mu Chen then contacted Nine Nether in his mind: "Nine Nether, do you know about the Luoshen Clan's situation?"
"Luoshen Clan? I seem to have heard of them, but I'm not very clear," she was, after all, just a newly adult Nine Nether Bird, not very knowledgeable.
"Amon, are you there?" Mu Chen then called out to Amon.
"I'm here," a light voice sounded. Amon's figure was still illusory, and Mu Chen could only vaguely see a blurry outline.
"Can you tell me about the Luoshen Clan?" Mu Chen paused, then added, "Of course, if it requires a transaction, then don't say it."
Amon responded: "It's nothing secret. Such common-sense simple inquiries are free!
"The Luoshen Clan is located in the West Heaven Continent, in the extreme west of the Great Thousand World. It is an ancient race with a long history, but in recent centuries, it has gradually declined.
"In the West Heaven Continent, there are four great divine clans. They have multiplied in the West Heaven Continent for thousands of years, constantly attacking each other, with countless blood feuds.
"When one of these clans declines, what awaits them, I don't need to say more, do I?"
"The disaster of extinction…" Mu Chen's expression was solemn, his voice low as he spoke.
Amon nodded, saying softly:
"That's right, the declining clan will be divided by the other three clans, and all their descendants will be enslaved.
"Your little girlfriend's grandfather is Luo Tianshen, the clan leader of the Luoshen Clan. She is of the Luoshen Clan's royal family and is the most talented one of this generation.
"Luo Tianshen doesn't have much lifespan left, and Luo Li is placed with high hopes because of her talent.
"After Luo Tianshen's death, she will take over her grandfather's responsibility and lead the Luoshen Clan to face the cruel war in the West Heaven Continent."
Mu Chen fell silent, his heart clenching, filled with an unspeakable heartache.
"Hehe, do you want to make a deal with me? As long as I make a move, the other three divine clans hostile to them are nothing to fear. Let alone merely protecting the Luoshen Clan, I can even twist off the West Heaven Battle Emperor's head and give it to you," Amon seized the opportunity to promote her services.
Mu Chen shook his head: "Not yet. For a race to exist long-term, it cannot always rely on external forces, and I cannot always rely on you. I will use my own strength to shield Luo Li from wind and rain."
"Good spirit!" Amon gave him a thumbs up, then rubbed her hands and said, "Honored customer, I have a complete plan here: Three Years to Supreme, Five Years to Dominator. Would you like to hear it?"
Mu Chen rolled his eyes, no longer paying attention to Amon, and his consciousness exited the Qi Sea.
He looked at Luo Li, his eyes full of tenderness.
Luo Li's heart trembled. Somehow, she suddenly felt that Mu Chen seemed to know about her situation.
"Luo Li…"
"Hmm."
"Wait for me. No matter what happens, we'll face it together. I will become a peerless expert to solve the difficulties of your clan."
"I believe you," Luo Li did not ask how much Mu Chen knew or how he knew, simply stating these four words very calmly.
…
Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy, Dean's Office, Hun Zheng had his legs crossed, his fingers interlaced behind his head, resting his head on his palms.
In front of him was a light screen, displaying images of Mu Chen and Luo Li.
"Oh, interesting. The little girlfriend even comes from a prominent great clan… Heh, this kid's situation is even more similar to Xiao Yan's," Hun Zheng muttered to himself, a look of keen interest on his face.