Nodding, Yan Xiaobao felt imnse gratitude; his heart ward, unable to contain his appreciation for his friend.
In Xu Xiao's ho, Yan Xiaobao felt welcod, and the two spent almost all their remaining ti talking recently. As the sun set in the sky, Yan Xiaobao was shocked to realize how much ti he had spent talking.
He quickly visited Ye Ling, Zhu Jun, and old Qiang, telling them what he had ntioned to Xiao Ning. The trio promised to do their utmost to ensure Muchuan City remained safe during his absence. They even vowed to take care of his friends.
Returning ho late, Yan Xiaobao found the mansion aglow as he stepped inside, all his friends gathered in the dining room. The Rong twins were present, Ma Kong was there, and Gao Yan was eating at the banquet table, but when he saw a stunned Yan Xiaobao at the doorway, he laughed.
Seeing Yan Xiaobao's bewildered expression, everyone couldn't help but laugh, Rong Xing stepped forward, placing a hand on Yan Xiaobao's shoulder.
"Though we can't accompany you this ti, we can't let you leave without a proper farewell! You've been so busy today that you haven't had ti to say goodbye to us before tomorrow, but how can we let you leave like that? Who knows how long we'll be apart this ti? If it weren't for our own tasks, we'd join you!"
Rong Xing's eyes reddened slightly, tears welled up. Yan Xiaobao had given them so much. He was willing to sacrifice everything for his friends and always treated them well. Knowing they wouldn't see him for a long ti saddened them all, but to hide their sorrow, wine and beer were poured into everyone's glasses; he drank with his friends on his last night in Muchuan City.
The first to fall asleep was Cai Jie, followed closely by Lao. Sha Yun lasted an hour longer, falling asleep on Wang Julong's leg. Rong Xing and Rong Ming went down simultaneously, and Gao Yan was quick to follow. Finally, Ma Kong couldn't hold on any longer, and even Yan Xiaobao, who was expected to last the longest, gave in.
Only Deng Wu, Qiao, and Wang Julong were left, and soon Wang Julong fell asleep on Snake Woman, leaving just Deng Wu and Qiao.
Both n were drunk, their faces beaming with smiles. They kept drinking with each other, neither willing to give up. They lasted until sunrise, then fell one after the other, Jo lasting a minute longer than Deng Wu.
The group of friends slept for a long ti, none of them waking before noon. When they awoke, many found themselves with pounding headaches, but none regretted the night they spent together.
"I've rented a carriage." Yan Xiaobao said, waking up and washing while changing clothes. Everyone gathered together, even though so of them weren't planning to join him in the adventure, they were still curious about what would happen.
"The carriage will take us to the Sunset Mountains, from there we'll proceed to the Central Palace. Officially, we'll head to the Sunset Mountains to capture magical beasts, and no one should know our actual destination. I don't want rumors spreading. Nobody knows where the General is; if he hears we're going to the Central Palace in Muchuan City, I can only imagine the chaos. eting God is like death for us, so we have no choice but to keep it secret."
Everyone nodded; nobody wanted to misstep, so none would ntion where they were headed, not even to their closest friends or family.
Soon, the rented carriage arrived, and Yan Xiaobao, Cai Jie, Wang Julong, Sha Yun, Deng Wu, Qiao, and Lao prepared to leave. Xu Biao, originally planned to accompany them, decided to stay behind. When they returned with the formation of life, he had a chance to beco God at that ti. Watching Xu Biao and hesitant friends, Yan Xiaobao gave them a smile. "We'll definitely be back." He promised, and the others nodded. Rong Xing's eyes welled up again, but this ti she wasn't looking at Yan Xiaobao, but unexpectedly at Deng Wu. Deng Wu felt her gaze, looked at Rong Xing, and took a big step, pulling her into a warm embrace.
"You heard what Yue said." He murmured as his head rested in Rong Xing's hair. "We'll definitely be back. Wait for ." He continued, and a surprised Rong Xing slowly nodded her crimson head. Yan Xiaobao sat in the carriage, looking around at his family. Though Cai Jie and Deng Wu weren't part of the Hui Clan, these two were brothers to him. Although he wasn't formally married to Sha Yun and Wang Julong, these two won were undeniably his wives.
The carriage they sat in was made of wood and tal; it had two sofas, one on each side, with large cushions up front. The entire interior was made of soft fabric, making it comfortable to sit. Their journey would never be uncomfortable. The carriage he hired was one of the most expensive and also provided the best comfort.
The walls were thick, the driver sat outside unable to hear conversations inside. As they began their journey, all his friends gathered around him.
"The task we're undertaking this ti will be very difficult, and it may very well be more dangerous than anything we've faced before." Yan Xiaobao spoke seriously, but even though he was serious, he couldn't hide the excitent within, as a smile crept onto his face.
"We'll reach the Sunset Mountains within a month, from there we'll proceed to the Central Palace without being seen by anyone. There, we'll have to rely on Deng Wu, Wang Julong, and Sha Yun. The three of you were there before leaving the sacred dungeon, even I don't know the exact location." Yan Xiaobao said.
Hearing their nas, the three friends nodded, looking earnestly at each other. They had indeed been there before, so returning wasn't a big problem for them.
"We don't know what we'll encounter in the Central Palace. So that we're all on the sa page, tell us the last things you noticed there." Yan Xiaobao requested as he looked at his three friends.
"The Central Palace, though it sounds like a bustling place, when we left the sacred dungeon, nothing was in sight. We never directly entered the palace itself, but from where we surfaced around it, no creatures were around." Deng Wu began, trembling slightly. Recalling the scene made him feel odd and uneasy.
"Though no one was present, the palace is indeed the largest I've ever seen. It sits atop a massive mountain and oversees four mountain ranges, separating four kingdoms from each other." Sha Yun added, having left the Divine Dragon Dungeon years ago, deeply pondering these events. Much had happened since then, yet she still vividly rembered it all.
"We quickly fled from the palace." Wang Julong shook his head, looking apologetically at Yan Xiaobao.
"We don't know if the Dragon Army or anyone else guards the area. Escorting the law seed like the most dangerous choice. So, we dashed out. Though we left hastily, every glance inside the palace couldn't fail to evoke imnse terror. It exuded a dark and commanding aura, the palace itself rose atop the enormous mountain peak, overseeing the entire world. It was very terrifying and daunting, so we fled imdiately."
The other two nodded. "If it weren't for the allure of the life formation, I would have quit this entire trial long ago." Deng Wu admitted with a bashful smile. "Entering the Central Palace isn't easy. Even the Divine Dragon Dungeon's route doesn't lead to the actual premise of entering the Central Palace; they all circumscribe it. You wouldn't know because you were forced through one of the vermilion bird dungeon entrances."
"It looks like it might be more daunting than I expected." Yan Xiaobao smiled faintly, but even understanding his friends' words, Yan Xiaobao was not lightly frightened. If he was already scared, how could he lead them through this terrifying and dark Central Palace?
"Turns out the Central Palace is the ho of four Divine Beasts." Lan Feng's voice resonated in Yan Xiaobao's heart. "When I was young, it was a vibrant place full of laughter and happiness. I know the entire layout of the palace, and I've learned a general way to achieve the life formation.
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