Return to the World

A blinding light swallowed them whole.

Jiang Chen, Bai Muchen, and Xiao Dong felt their bodies pulled through space, their very beings compressed into a singular point before—

BOOOOOOM!

The next moment, they stood on solid ground.

The swirling portal of the Temple of Heaven and Earth was gone, leaving nothing but ancient ruins, overgrown with vines, the very spot where they had first entered. The air was still dense with Qi, but it lacked the overwhelming presence of the Temple.

They were back.

Jiang Chen's golden-amber eyes scanned their surroundings. The transition had been instantaneous, yet something felt… off. The spiritual energy was slightly different, the air colder than before. It wasn't just the absence of the Temple's aura.

Time had passed.

A sharp gust of wind swept through the ruins as Qin Tian stepped forward, his spear strapped to his back. Behind him stood the remnants of his warriors, silent as always. His sharp, calculating eyes met Jiang Chen's.

"This is where we part ways."

Jiang Chen nodded. There was no need for excessive words. They had fought together, bled together. A silent understanding had already formed between them.

Qin Tian's gaze darkened slightly. "Things won't be the same after this. Those who watched the trials from the outside will know our names. Some will want to recruit us." His expression turned colder. "Others will want to kill us."

Xiao Dong scoffed. "Let them try."

Bai Muchen smirked. "I hope they do. I could use a warm-up."

Qin Tian exhaled, then reached into his robes and pulled out a small jade slip. He flicked it toward Jiang Chen, who caught it effortlessly.

"If you ever need to contact me, crush that slip. I'll hear it."

Jiang Chen examined it before storing it away. "Same to you."

For a moment, Qin Tian was silent, then he nodded. Without another word, he turned on his heel and strode away, his warriors following close behind. Within moments, their figures faded into the wilderness, swallowed by the mist.

Xiao Dong let out a deep breath. "Damn. Feels weird, doesn't it?"

Bai Muchen crossed his arms. "We went through all that together, and now just like that, we're back in the real world."

Jiang Chen said nothing. Instead, he lifted his head to the sky, his instincts already screaming that something was off.

He reached into his spatial ring, retrieving a time-tracing jade, a special artifact designed to measure how much time had passed since it was last activated.

He infused a sliver of Qi into it.

The jade hummed softly before glowing—

Then, Jiang Chen's eyes narrowed.

Months.

Months had passed since they entered the Temple of Heaven and Earth.

The realization settled in, cold and sharp.

Bai Muchen stepped closer, peering at the jade. "Tch. So it's true. Time flowed differently inside the Temple."

Xiao Dong rubbed his chin. "So what does that mean for us?"

Jiang Chen's gaze hardened. "It means we don't have time to waste. It seems the Secret Realm opens in one month."

Silence fell between them. The Secret Realm, an ancient dimensional pocket rumored to hold countless treasures, lost inheritance techniques, and fortune-defying opportunities. Every major force in the region had been preparing for it for years.

And now, they were late to the preparations.

Bai Muchen exhaled sharply. "So we're cutting it close."

Jiang Chen turned to them. "We leave for the Heaven Sundering Pavilion immediately."

Xiao Dong grinned. "Finally. I was getting tired of walking around ruins."

Without hesitation, the three of them set off, their movements swift, their focus sharp. The journey back to the Heaven Sundering Pavilion would take time, but they couldn't afford any delays.

As they disappeared into the vast wilderness, Jiang Chen's mind raced. The Secret Realm was not just an opportunity for growth—it was a battlefield where only the strong would survive.

And now, with the power of the Sovereign's Court behind him, he was ready to claim his place among the strongest.