Chapter 111: From the moment I first saw you, I had already accepted you.

A smile blossomed, enchanting with a hundred charms; the beauty, as graceful as jade, stood poised and elegant.

The elder’s pupils contracted sharply, and for a long moment, he remained lost in thought.

The young girl before him gradually merged in his mind with the delicate figure from memories long past—an image that had never faded despite the years.

“Great-Grandfather, you’re back,” a clear voice interrupted the girl’s quiet reading, pulling the elder back from his reverie.

“Xiyu, come here and pay respects to Great-Grandfather,” Gu Bin said.

The Lakeside Pavilion was a structure built on the spirit lake, surrounded on all sides by water merging with the sky. The rippling waves shimmered in green, lotus flowers swayed gently in the breeze, and swans, wild ducks, and mandarin ducks played freely—a vibrant and lively scene.

From head to toe, not a single part escaped that gaze, making Su Ren tremble all over as an inexplicable chill swept through her body.

Two Western-style lattice floor-to-ceiling glass windows faced the large bed; outside was a terrace, and beneath it, the lawn was as green as jade.

This pillar stood about ten meters away from a previously broken one, with another pillar between them, so its collapse caused little impact—only the “ceiling” suffered a little more damage.

However, after Su Ren’s series of battles, the subsequent sparring seemed rather ordinary in comparison.

“Who knows? I don’t even know who lives down there or what all these arrangements are for!” I snapped irritably, turning back to retrace my steps. Each corridor had two doorways; if one was blocked, I’d try the other.

That was a completely foolish viewpoint—only a simpleton would think that way. Who was Lü Bu? A man who dared to face three Bodhisattvas alone would not simply be swept away by a gust of wind. Anyone with even a shred of reason would realize how extraordinary it was for Lü Bu to be in such a “half-dead” state, his skin cracked extensively.

Suddenly, I understood—the spear was the “key” to opening the pit. Without that spear, the pit could not connect the two worlds.

Along the way, Su Ren’s mind kept dwelling on the sudden shutdown of the great formation by the elder, and the many golden arcs of electricity yet to be absorbed.

They had traversed many worlds and encountered numerous Outer Universe players, yet none had ever been heard to enter this place.

“Fellow travelers, I seem to have no enmity with any of you—why target me?” Zhou Jinyu asked in a low, measured voice.

Had I not left a note, had I not casually taken his knife, had I not toyed with it in the sunlight, would I have realized this truth?

The Norsans, however, appeared unaffected. Their greatswords whistled through the air, then descended upon the deep-blue warriors before them.

Lu Saibu drove the carriage they had arrived in away, while the group of young women was called onto Yan Jie’s carriage. This time, the journey was short, feeling like a mere detour.

These societies had poor relations with the English Puritans; from her perspective, this was indeed the most plausible explanation.

The Sea-Heaven Secret Realm was a large Mustard Seed Domain, filled with spirit fields and lush green mountains and trees. It was said to have existed within Sea-Heaven City for millennia. The last time it was triggered, a vast quantity of millennia-old spirit herbs was discovered, believed to be the remnants left behind by a fallen Da Neng cultivator.

Zhao Hu immediately cried out in astonishment. Zhang Long tried to stop him, but it was too late. Yuan Yong also looked on in surprise at Zhao Hu.

A cold chill rose from the soles of her feet as she gazed in horror at the courtyard full of snakes—hundreds upon hundreds strung up like sausages on horizontal lines stretched between the eaves.

Following Liaoyuan through the gate and along a tree-lined avenue, they came upon a broad plaza. At its center hung a massive signboard inscribed with a grand, commanding character: “Martial.”

Hua Jiusuang’s eyes snapped wide open, devoid of any spark, as she felt only darkness before her—no glimmer of light anywhere to be found.