Wild Devil Lands.
Dadangar Subcontinent.
The mont Aksai, the Blackblood Lord, and the Frostbound Lord stepped out of the swirling spatial tunnel, they were greeted by a breathtaking sight.
A sea of people—hundreds of low-level Spirit cultivators and junior elders—were standing in neat lines, facing the massive Giant Mural Wall.
This wall, covered in ancient carvings and glowing veins of Spirit light, served as the only known entrance to the Holy Land Torel.
It seed the three demonic sects had not given up. They were still sending in their young talents and Foundation Building elders, hoping to reach their Core Formation Lords stuck inside. No one had expected them to actually co back alive.
But then it happened.
As soon as the two Core Formation Lords stepped out from the fading tunnel, a heavy silence fell over the crowd.
One by one, all the low-level cultivators turned and looked up. Then, as if a silent command had been given, they all bowed deeply.
After all, even though most of the Spirit cultivators had never seen the Core Formation Lords in their lives, the aura they exuded was unmistakable.
"Welco back, Lords!"
Their voices rang out in unison like a wave of thunder, shaking the air with their devotion. No one even looked at the young man who stepped out beside them. To the crowd, Aksai was just another elder who had maybe failed to enter.
Aksai, of course, used this mont well.
With his usual calm smile, he quietly stepped back, slipped into the first row of the crowd, and lowered his head. Just another face among many.
anwhile, the two Core Formation Lords stood still, taking in the familiar air of the Dadangar Subcontinent.
The Frostbound Lord looked at the clouds in the sky.
The Blackblood Lord closed his eyes and placed a hand over his chest.
They both took a deep breath.
Then their eyes t.
In that one look, a thousand unsaid emotions passed between them—relief, exhaustion, disbelief... and gratitude.
They had truly made it back.
Even though the Holy Land Torel was rich in resources, it had beco their golden cage. For a while, they had feared they would never return.
No amount of treasure could replace the feeling of standing once again on ho soil.
It was like two old warriors coming ho after years of war.
The city had its allure, its luxuries, its endless opportunities. But it was the village, the holand, that gave the warmth of comfort... a sense of belonging.
And now, after so long, they had finally co back.
The Blackblood Lord was about to say sothing to the crowd. However, he froze when he sensed a certain soone closing in on him rapidly.
Then suddenly…
A gust of wind stirred the air as a graceful figure shot up onto the platform, her long robes fluttering behind her like silk in the breeze.
It was Jina, a Foundation Building Elder from the Blackblood Sect. Her expression was calm, but her eyes held a quiet excitent. Using her movent-type Spirit spell, she landed lightly on the stone floor and approached the two lords standing near the center.
She bowed politely, her movents smooth and respectful.
Then she raised her head, her lips curling into a soft smile as she looked at the Blackblood Lord.
"Husband, you have finally returned," Jina said warmly.
She took a step forward, her arms starting to move toward him as if to offer an embrace. But before she could reach him, the Blackblood Lord raised one hand, stopping her gently but firmly. His expression didn't change much—only a faint, mirthless smile touched his lips.
"Dea…. I an Elder Jina… please hold on," he said with a light sigh. "Let's just say I'm not in the best health right now."
Jina froze.
She stepped back slightly, lowering her arms, and looked at him more carefully.
Hm? Not in the best health?
There were no visible injuries, no signs of blood or broken bones. But his skin was paler than usual, and his eyes lacked their usual sharpness.
The core pressure that once surrounded him, a sign of a powerful Core Formation expert, had dimd. It was still there, but it no longer had the sa weight. He looked… drained.
She understood imdiately.
Sothing had happened to him during the expedition. Sothing serious.
And yet, he wasn't saying anything. Not in front of all these people. As one of the three giant pillars of the demonic faction, he couldn't appear weak in front of the low level demonic cultivators.
Jina felt a slight pang in her chest. She didn't show it on her face, but inside, she was disappointed.
Their reunion had been sothing she'd imagined countless tis, even if theirs wasn't a marriage built on love.
But here he was, keeping a careful distance from her, as if she were just another elder in the sect.
It wasn't like she had expected so grand display of affection. Their marriage was political, and she knew that. She had accepted it long ago.
That was indeed the case. One could say that Haitin Blackblood was not the only one who engaged in political marriages. It could be labeled as a family tradition at this point.
Back then, she hadn't even wanted to rush into marriage. She was already his third wife. With her Foundation Building cultivation, she had a long life ahead of her.
A delay of a few decades wouldn't have mattered. It was the Blackblood Lord who insisted they marry before he left for the Holy Land Torel.
He told her that as his official wife, she would receive better treatnt within the sect. She'd have more rights, more power, and the ability to silence those elders who looked down on her.
She would have access to resources she could never get on her own. And all of it would be backed by her new title.
Jina agreed.
She wanted those things.
She had her ambitions too. And marrying him gave her everything she wanted.
Still… a part of her had hoped for sothing more.
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AN: Jina was first introduced in chapter 387.
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