On the other side, in the endless void.
Ye Ling barely stabilized himself amidst the spatial turbulence, taking in the shattered world before him.
Lingering spiritual energy from Jiu Yuan’s explosion still permeated the surrounding space.
"This must be where Jiu Yuan self-destructed… what astonishing power!"
Ye Ling exclaimed, sensing the incredible spiritual energy surging around him.
Even the residual power from the explosion was immense.
If Ye Ling had been engulfed by Jiu Yuan’s self-detonation moments ago, he would have been annihilated instantly!
"From what Master Zi You said earlier… Jiu Yuan was merely a pawn in a larger game. It seems Shan E’s strength surpasses Jiu Yuan’s…"
"What are they plotting? And what kind of beings are their enemies?" Ye Ling murmured, his doubts deepening after his brief encounter with Zi You.
However, Ye Ling had also confirmed one thing…
Even though Shan E had gone into hiding, they were still watching him. Otherwise, Zi You wouldn’t have immediately come to break him out of prison the moment he was incarcerated…
"If Shan E’s enemies are as powerful as Shan E, or even more so, then their prison break operation this time would likely be detected by the watchers. If that happens, all their previous plans, made under the guise of being weak and presumed dead, would become meaningless."
"Am I important enough for them to abandon all their prior schemes and save me?"
"It seems my rash actions have caused them quite a bit of trouble. I need to be more careful from now on."
Ye Ling spoke to himself. Although he still possessed very little information, based on the current situation and what he knew, he could deduce all of this.
Although he had escaped the watchers’ stronghold this time, and the watchers had lost two of their Seven Pillars, in a sense, his side had suffered a loss.
Previously, in the eyes of the watchers, Shan E’s threat level was the same as Ye Ling’s – both were considered disasters, far from reaching the level of the Primordial Seven Kings.
Among the watchers, only Jiu Yuan was slightly perceptive, vaguely sensing something amiss with Shan E, and began to focus on Ye Ling, attempting to draw Shan E out.
In a way, Jiu Yuan’s plan had succeeded.
The watchers now realized that there were beings in the primordial universe capable of threatening them, beings comparable to the Primordial Seven Kings. Their future actions would undoubtedly be more cautious and serious.
Shan E, in essence, had moved from plotting in the shadows to operating in the open.
The difficulty of such plotting was incomparable to before.
"Sigh… thinking too much is useless. That’s not something I should be worrying about now. I need to focus on myself… strength is the foundation of everything."
Ye Ling shook his head, casting aside his chaotic thoughts, and began to circulate his runes, tracking Jiu Yuan’s whereabouts.
According to Zi You, Jiu Yuan had not died after his self-detonation; a wisp of his soul remained…
A powerful being like Jiu Yuan could serve as Ye Ling’s experience points, allowing him to break through further.
Moreover, Ye Ling could also find the Primordial Flame Domain through Jiu Yuan and rescue the World-Destroying Spirit Fire and Nuo Ying.
After witnessing Jiu Yuan’s strength, Ye Ling realized that even with the power of the Three Kings, he still had a significant gap compared to the top experts on the watchers’ side. Rushing into their stronghold would be akin to seeking death.
The fact that the Primordial Seven Kings could be sealed by the watchers indicated that the watchers had even stronger individuals than the Primordial Seven Kings…
Ye Ling’s path ahead was long and arduous.
Just as Ye Ling was contemplating his future path, his tracking runes for Jiu Yuan began to take effect, guiding him in Jiu Yuan’s direction.
Ye Ling snapped back to attention, temporarily putting his scattered thoughts aside, and headed towards Jiu Yuan’s location.
Jiu Yuan was currently in a weakened state, presenting Ye Ling with a prime opportunity to eliminate him.
Once Jiu Yuan recovered, or if his remnant soul was found by the watchers, Ye Ling would have missed this excellent chance to level up.
Even if Jiu Yuan was merely a remnant soul with little power left, as long as Ye Ling could glean even a sliver of information related to the watchers from him, it would be of immense help to Ye Ling.
To become a chess player in this grand game, information and strength were equally crucial.
Ye Ling knew this deeply and was very clear about his primary objective when he went to find Jiu Yuan next.
…
In this shattered space, on the other side.
A small piece of flesh was floating slowly in the void.
Soon, the piece of flesh began to twist rapidly, growing flesh buds, expanding continuously, and finally forming a child.
"Damn it… I almost lost my life!" Jiu Yuan clutched his head, his eyes filled with fear, his body trembling slightly.
This was the first time he had experienced the sensation of being close to death.
"Fortunately, this self-detonation didn’t obliterate my entire body. A piece of flesh remained, allowing my shattered soul to gather. Recovering my strength shouldn’t be difficult. Shan E… you wait for me!"
Jiu Yuan muttered to himself, his residual fear gradually turning into rage and hatred, his entire face contorting.
After uttering his threats, Jiu Yuan immediately sat cross-legged in the void, absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy, his aura beginning to surge.
Ye Ling, following the rune’s guidance, arrived near Jiu Yuan and saw him sitting cross-legged in the void. His eyes shifted slightly.
"Damn it, why does that guy still have a physical body?"
Ye Ling’s expression turned grim upon seeing Jiu Yuan transformed into a child. He hadn’t expected Jiu Yuan to be so lucky that even his self-detonation didn’t completely destroy his physical body.
Jiu Yuan’s cultivation realm was already above Ye Ling’s. Even dealing with Jiu Yuan’s remnant soul would be difficult for Ye Ling, and now that Jiu Yuan still had his physical body and a considerable portion of his soul seemed to be preserved…
Ye Ling was unsure who was stronger between them now.
However, Ye Ling also knew that this was his only chance to deal with Jiu Yuan. If he delayed any longer, once Jiu Yuan recovered his strength, not only would he lose the opportunity to kill Jiu Yuan, but he might even be captured by Jiu Yuan!
"No, I have to act now! I’ll find an opportunity to ambush him!"
Ye Ling made up his mind and no longer hesitated. He immediately used the Ink Between to transform himself back into the appearance of a jailer and flew towards Jiu Yuan, shouting loudly, "Sir!"
"Who?"
Hearing Ye Ling’s voice, Jiu Yuan’s eyes snapped open. He looked at the approaching Ye Ling and, upon realizing it was a jailer, frowned slightly and asked in a deep voice, "Why are you here?"
Ye Ling replied, "Sir, I just notified the other Seven Pillars outside that an explosion occurred in the dungeon, and you were nowhere to be found. So, the higher-ups dispatched us to search for you everywhere. I didn’t expect to find you here."
Hearing Ye Ling’s words, Jiu Yuan lowered his guard slightly and said, "You’ve come at the right time. Help me guard this place and keep any unauthorized personnel away."
"Yes!" Ye Ling quickly bowed respectfully.
"Mm." Jiu Yuan nodded slightly and then began to meditate with his eyes closed.
However, as soon as Jiu Yuan closed his eyes, he snapped back to awareness, sensing something was wrong. He immediately opened his eyes and questioned Ye Ling, "That’s not right! You’re a jailer, why are you looking for me?"
*Hiss!*
As soon as Jiu Yuan finished speaking, Ye Ling’s palm pierced through Jiu Yuan’s chest, grasping his heart.
"You?" Jiu Yuan’s expression changed drastically as Ye Ling suddenly attacked him.
"Yes… how could the jailer you killed come looking for you?"
Ye Ling gradually returned to his original appearance, smiling at Jiu Yuan with narrowed eyes, "Jiu Yuan, you caused me a lot of suffering before…"
Seeing Ye Ling’s true face, Jiu Yuan’s pupils contracted sharply, and he exclaimed in shock, "How can it be you?"