Human Clan Hall, Gatekeeper’s Lodge.
Mr. Qi sat in his chair, engrossed in a storybook.
Suddenly, Lin Chen’s head appeared at the window, smiling slightly at Mr. Qi.
"Mr. Qi, care for a drink?"
Mr. Qi laughed, closed his storybook, and stood up with a smile, "Is it a fine wine?"
"Of course, it is!"
Mr. Qi opened the room door, and Lin Chen entered the room, sitting down at the modest, old square table.
Mr. Qi sized up Lin Chen, "Didn’t your Dawn Camp go to war with the Palace lord? How co you’re back?"
Lin Chen said with a laugh, "It’s over, so naturally I’ve returned."
"It’s over?"
Mr. Qi’s eyes widened with surprise, "You’ve taken over the entire Black Sky Demon Domain?"
Lin Chen nodded, "Yes, now the entire Black Sky Demon Domain belongs to the Great Wilderness Palace. No more cowering in a corner, constantly facing the erosion and expansion of the Demon God Temple."
Mr. Qi smacked his lips, looking sowhat baffled, then ca back to his senses and laughed heartily, "Good thing, a great thing indeed! This surely calls for a drink, a celebration!"
Lin Chen took out dishes and fine wine from his Spatial Ring, already prepared, and set them on the square table.
Pouring the wine, Mr. Qi lifted his wine glass and sighed, "The Great Wilderness Palace was so suppressed by the Demon God Temple that we could barely breathe. I did not expect such earth-shattering changes in such a short ti. It’s really quite emotional."
Lin Chen said with a laugh, "The world is ever-changing. Who could have known before that the Two Realms Passage would beco permanent, never to be closed... At least, for now, it seems it won’t be."
Mr. Qi took a sip of his wine, picked up so stead pickled at with his chopsticks, "If not so, how could the Great Wilderness Palace have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat? It’s best if this passage never closes. If one day it does close again, we cannot guarantee we won’t revert to our forr state, or perhaps even worse."
Lin Chen smiled and asked, "Do you long to return to the Immortal Realm?"
Mr. Qi’s expression was complex, as if he was reminiscing and also pondering, "Of course, I do. Who knows when the Immortal Demon Channel will beco freely accessible. When that ti cos, I will certainly go back to the Immortal Realm. After such a long ti, I suppose there aren’t many people I know left."
Lin Chen, holding his chopsticks and picking up food, spoke casually, "I’m preparing to return to the Immortal Realm."
Mr. Qi suddenly looked up, blinking uncertainly, "Did I hear you wrong? You said preparing to return to the Immortal Realm, not wishing to?"
Lin Chen nodded, "You heard right. I am going back. Mr. Qi, if you wish to return, I can take you with ."
Mr. Qi abruptly stood up, staring straight at Lin Chen, "The Immortal Demon Channel is guarded by the Demon God Temple, with the Little Demon Emperor in command, not to ntion that magical Gray Mirror. How could you possibly return? Are you planning to court death?"
Lin Chen said with a laugh, "I have my ways. Just tell if you want to go back. If you do, we’ll go together. If not, pretend I never asked. But let say in advance, if you go back, it won’t be easy to co back here."
Mr. Qi’s face showed a mix of emotions – excitent, concern, hesitation, "Does the Palace lord know about your return?"
Lin Chen nodded, "The Palace lord knows, and the Saints know too."
Mr. Qi sighed with relief and slowly sat back down.
If both the Palace lord and the Saints knew, then everything would surely be alright.
He had been subconsciously worried that Lin Chen might be thinking of sneaking away.
"Can we really go back?"
Lin Chen confidently answered, "We can!"
After a pause, he added, "So details are difficult to explain, but one thing is for sure, if you’re willing, you can go back with us."
Qi Tian stared at Lin Chen, "All of you, everyone?"
Lin Chen said with a laugh, "We ca here together, so naturally, we should leave together."
Qi Tian thought for a mont, "Do the others know about this news?"
Lin Chen replied, "Are you referring to Senior i and the others? The Palace lord said he would consult them. As for you, I only asked you alone, and this matter should not be disclosed."
Qi Tian understood that Lin Chen considered him a friend, which was why he had co to ask him in person over wine and dishes.
Qi Tian lifted the wine glass and took a gentle sip, then the glass paused at his lips, clearly drinking was only a subconscious action, his mind was not on the wine at all.
Lin Chen did not rush him and continued to eat quietly, peacefully waiting.
After a long while, Qi Tian seed to snap back to reality, his eyes refocused, and his expression cald down.
"I’ll go with you."
Lin Chen promptly agreed, "Good!"
Qi Tian made his decision and imdiately relaxed, gulping down the remaining wine in his cup, his voice tinged with emotion.
"I have no attachnts here, I’m just a Gatekeeper, this place won’t miss if I leave, and going back is, after all, like returning ho."
"I’m tired of the bloodshed of the Demon World. I want to go back and see the blue sky, white clouds, green grass, red flowers, green mountains, and rivers..."
Qi Tian’s eyes shone, and his voice was filled with anticipation.
Lin Chen said with a laugh, "We’ll have to wait for my wife to co out of the Thunder Secret Realm, there’s still so ti. Everything remains as usual for now, and I’ll let you know when it’s ti to go."
Qi Tian nodded, "That’s perfect, I’ll take this ti to visit so old friends, consider it a farewell... Don’t worry, I won’t reveal this to outsiders."
"Good!"
In the following days, the Dawn Camp operated as usual, unaware that they were about to return to the Immortal Realm.
i Mingzhi ca to see Lin Chen once, and they chatted briefly.
The two naturally discussed returning to the Immortal Realm. It was after the Palace lord had spoken with i Mingzhi that he sought out Lin Chen.
"Qi Tian is going with you, right?"
"Yes."
"It’s good that he goes back. Let him represent us. You know, our group here is too involved; we can’t just leave unless the Immortal Demon Channel is free to co and go. Maybe then we’ll co back for a visit."
"Mm, I understand!"
"We will have so items that we’ll entrust Qi Tian to take back, but we won’t bother you with that. Since Qi Tian will have nothing else to do when he returns, it’ll give him sothing to occupy his ti."
"Good!"
Lin Chen truly understood. Though these people ca from the Immortal Realm and may have relatives, sects, and friends there, they had been in the Demon World for too long.
The lengthy ti was enough to wash away the sharp mories in their minds. Now, when recalling relatives and friends from the past, they might only be nas, symbols, with no strong emotions attached anymore. They might have even forgotten nas and faces entirely.
In the Demon World, in the Great Wilderness Palace, they were the forefathers of the eighteen ancestors, the originators of the Human Clan, with living Daoist couples and descendants. Moreover, they held extrely revered statuses here.
What would they have upon returning to the Immortal Realm?
Would they go back to the War God Mansion and continue being soldiers?
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