Chapter 691: 691 came a long distance just for her
The pattern was identical to the one she saw on the mysterious assassin who had tried to kill her upon her rebirth and on the assassin who had attempted to murder Yan Yuchu.
Mu Hanyan sharply turned her head to look at Yue Ji, and under the hem of her clothes, a few barely visible stars were faintly embroidered.
She understood; the hidden enemy was the temple, from another continent.
But why would they traverse thousands of miles, braving numerous dangers through the Sealing Forbidden Land to assassinate her and Yan Yuchu? With their modest strength, strictly speaking, they were hardly considered true experts on the Holy Court Continent, so was such a great cost justified?
Could it be because of her bloodline? This was the most reasonable explanation Mu Hanyan could think of.
"Have you figured it out?" Suddenly, a gentle voice from her father reached her ears.
"Lord Father." Mu Hanyan raised her head and saw her father’s profound gaze.
After escaping death, seeing her father’s kind face again, Mu Hanyan couldn’t help her eyes welling up with tears, and with so many questions in her heart, she was not in a hurry to ask them.
"Greetings, Lord City Master." Zirong and Jiang Yuzhe both bowed in salutation.
"There’s no need for formalities; let’s leave this place first," said Mu Rui’an, gesturing with his hand.
Having said that, Mu Rui’an sent out a palm strike that turned the black-clothed swordsman into dust, leaving no trace of body or bone.
"This belongs to your temple; take good care of it. Do not use it lightly unless absolutely necessary, or find a way to refine it first to erase the original mark before using it." Then, Mu Rui’an picked up the Demon-breaking Spear, which was comparable to a Divine Artifact, and handed it over to Huayue.
"Mm." Huayue took the Demon-breaking Spear. His eyes were filled with questions, but now was clearly not the time to ask.
"Lord Father, when did you arrive?" Mu Hanyan asked.
"The Lord City Master has been here for quite some time," Mu Cheng poked his head out and answered for Mu Rui’an.
"Have you advanced?" Mu Hanyan looked at Mu Cheng, surprised.
Not only had she ascended to the rank of Sword Master, but Mu Cheng had also reached the Eighth Rank Swordsman.
"His strength had already reached a bottleneck for a breakthrough; he just lacked an opportunity. Just now, the clash and chaos of the Heaven and Earth Power here, while somewhat perilous, were also an opportunity to maximize his potential, which was perfect for breaking through the bottleneck," Mu Rui’an indifferently stated.
"I owe it to the City Master for his assistance," Mu Cheng said gratefully.
The recent collision of the two forces of Heaven and Earth was tremendous. Although it provided him with a breakthrough opportunity, without someone to act as a protector, he wouldn’t have been able to break through and would have been more likely to be severely injured.
Thinking of how his grandfather and the Third Elder used to loathe and shun Mu Rui’an’s family, Mu Cheng felt not only gratitude but also shame for their assistance.
"As a descendant of the Mu Family, this is what I ought to do," Mu Rui’an said, waving his hand.
Hearing these words, Mu Cheng’s admiration for his magnanimity grew.
Afterward, they followed Mu Rui’an back to Heishi City. As they passed by the small mountain village, they saw dozens of Mu Residence guards rushing to arrange for the aftermath of the innocent villagers who had suffered.
Huayue had lived here for over a decade, and seeing the villagers suffer on her behalf filled her heart with unending guilt. Seeing Mu Rui’an sending people to arrange the villagers’ affairs, she felt a deep gratitude toward him.
Soon after, several of them returned to Heishi City, where taking Healing Pills improved their complexions significantly.
"Lord City Master, can you tell me what exactly is going on?" Unable to wait for healing in her room, Huayue asked Mu Rui’an impatiently.
From Yue Ji’s lips, she had learned a bit about her own origins; knowing that her parents, along with Yue Ji, had betrayed the temple and crossed the Sealing Forbidden Land from the far-off Divine Continent to come to the Holy Court Continent. Yet, having suffered grievous injuries, they were attacked and met untimely deaths. Afterwards, Yue Ji, having changed her appearance, had lived in seclusion in a remote village and raised her. However, in the end, she still couldn’t escape the temple’s pursuit.
But regarding the temple and the Divine Continent, she knew nothing. Not only her, even Mu Hanyan, reborn anew, had never heard of the origins of the Divine Continent and the temple.
Thus, it was not only Huayue but also Mu Hanyan and Zirong who looked curiously at Mu Rui’an.
"You’re asking about the Divine Continent and the temple," Mu Rui’an pondered for a moment and then asked, "Have you ever heard of the ancient war?"
The response he received was blank stares from Huayue and Zirong.
"I have heard a little..." Mu Hanyan collected her thoughts and recounted the legend she had heard from Han Jinglun.
Huayue and the others were taken aback. They had no knowledge of such an origin for the Holy Court Continent.
"Uh-huh, what you’ve said is largely correct, but there are some aspects you’re not fully aware of," Mu Rui’an was surprised Mu Hanyan knew so much but then thought of her various encounters and the secrets of her identity that not even he fully understood, and he felt at ease. He continued, "When the continent shattered, it split into countless, vastly different fragments. Some vanished entirely over tens of thousands of years, while others survived. To this day, there are still surviving ancient tribes living there.
Among these, the most vast and with the most complete Heaven and Earth Power are our Holy Court Continent and the Demon Continent, also known as what they call the Divine Continent.
At the beginning of the world’s fragmentation, the surviving powerhouses realized that the incomplete Heaven and Earth Power would restrict the advancement of cultivation. Once their strength reached a certain Realm, it became difficult to make any further progress. The only solution was to travel to another continent.
However, at that time, hatred still lingered from the recent divide, and no one was willing to let strong enemies increase their power on their own territory. That would be like inviting a wolf into one’s house. Therefore, any cultivator who crossed the Sealing Restriction to the other continent was mercilessly hunted down and killed.
To achieve their goals, powerhouses from both sides formed alliances to oppose each other. From the Divine Continent, there was the temple, and from the Holy Court Continent, there was the Holy Court.
Hundreds of thousands of years, perhaps even millions, have passed. The original powerhouses have fallen one by one, and the cultivators of later generations have become weaker with each passing era. However, the Holy Court and the temple have persisted to this day, becoming the true rulers of the two continents."
"Father, are you saying that the Holy Court is the true ruler of our Holy Court Continent?" Mu Hanyan had always thought that royal authority was supreme on the Holy Court Continent, unaware that above all the royal families, there existed an even higher power. She spoke in surprise upon hearing Mu Rui’an’s words.
"Indeed, the Holy Court is intangible, unknown to the common people, but for wealthy families like the Mu Family and the various royal families, it is not such a big secret. It’s just that the Holy Court’s status is so revered and lofty, and so ethereal and mysterious, that even the royal families rarely have an opportunity to get close," Mu Rui’an nodded.
"Then, why did my father betray the temple to come to the Holy Court Continent?" Huayue asked, puzzled. This was, in fact, what she most wanted to know.
As she asked, her gaze shifted uncertainly toward Mu Hanyan.
Zirong and Jiang Yuzhe also looked over at the same time, remembering Yue Ji’s final words.
"So that’s it, so that’s it, I finally understand why my master, despite the vast distance and betrayal of the temple, was determined to come to the Holy Court Continent. I finally understand."
"From now on, stay by his side forever and never betray him, ever."
"It’s not my words, but your father’s wish. Remember, this is your father’s wish, my Lord... He finally fulfilled his wish."
Despite being on the brink of death, Yue Ji’s words were clear—Huayue’s father had defected from the temple and traveled across vast distances to the Holy Court Continent because of Mu Hanyan.