“Your aura has grown slightly again. Furthermore, I can sense you should have found the key. Try and grow up faster.” A voice reverberated throughout endless darkness.

“Who are you? Why are you constantly rushing me?” Long Chen couldn’t help but roar upon once more hearing this familiar voice.

However, for some unknown reason, his voice was devoured by the darkness. Even he was unable to hear his own voice.

“I can’t hear you. You’re still too weak. Only when you grow can I barely feel you within the ten planar worlds.

“Furthermore, that feeling is quickly growing weaker. Master of the Nine Star Hegemon Body, hurry and grow up. You don’t have much time to waste…”

“Who are you?!”

Long Chen roared furiously and then suddenly sat up, covered with sweat.

“Long Chen!”

Tang Wan-er cried out with shock and then hastily rushed over to support him. “What is it, Long Chen? Are you alright? You’re covered in sweat!”

“I’m fine. It was just a dream.” Long Chen shook his head, but he felt as if a boulder was crushing his heart.

That was definitely no dream, but a voice that managed to pass through boundless space to reach him.

However, some unknown energy was blocking him from communicating with that voice.

That mysterious voice had said he was the master of the Nine Star Hegemon Body, as well as something about the ten planar worlds, as well as some key. That completely befuddled him.

The urgency contained in that voice made him extremely uneasy. Just what secrets were behind the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art? He felt as if he was involved in some immense game.

That voice had already rung in his head multiple times, and he was already completely familiar with it. It was definitely the same voice and fluctuations that spoke to him.

However, more accurately, that voice was like a spiritual fluctuation, and he was unable to tell if it was male or female, young or old.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Tang Wan-er was a bit worried upon seeing how grave Long Chen’s expression was.

Long Chen took a deep breath and temporarily put the matter aside. Food had to be eaten mouthful by mouthful. A road had to be walked step by step. There was no use in rushing.

“I’m fine. In fact, I feel full of energy.” Long Chen smiled.

Looking within himself, he saw that after undergoing the lightning tribulation, his physical body had grown even stronger.

There was also a faint jade-like luster over his bones. That was a sign he had entered the Bone Forging realm. After entering the Bone Forging realm, a person’s bones would begin hardening, becoming harder than steel.

Furthermore, the bones would become a separate reservoir of spiritual qi. That spiritual qi was compressed to an even greater degree and could be released to activate an even greater power.

However, the tribulation this time had been far too dangerous, and even now he felt some lingering fear. He had almost died to the lightning tribulation’s final blow.

That made alarm bells go off in his head. If he wanted to pass his lightning tribulations, then he had to make his body reach its strongest possible state before undergoing it, or next time, he would very likely lose his life.

In truth, if Long Chen had fully activated his thunderforce to undergo a body tempering before his tribulation, then at the very least, he wouldn’t have been forced into such a miserable state.

However, there had been too many things that had occurred almost successively, which hadn’t given him any time to breathe. This time, it really had been too close. He definitely didn’t want to have to undergo that a second time.

“What happened, Long Chen? Who injured you? We asked the sect leader, but he refused to say,” asked Tang Wan-er.

“Wan-er, you’re becoming more and more beautiful.” Long Chen smiled, raising a hand to gently caress her beautiful face.

“How dislikable. Do you have to change the subject so obviously?” Tang Wan-er blushed and pushed aside Long Chen’s hand.

However, Long Chen didn’t want them to know the truth. At the same time, he didn’t want to lie to them. “Wan-er, trust me. There’s a reason I don’t tell you.”

“Which one of us doesn’t trust you? Wait a moment, I’ll help you wash your face. You’re filthy right now,” laughed Tang Wan-er, bringing a washcloth to gently wipe Long Chen’s face.

Long Chen obediently enjoyed Tang Wan-er’s attention, his heart filled with warmth. He smiled.

“What are you smiling about?” After wiping his face twice, Tang Wan-er went to clean the washcloth, taking advantage of that opportunity to ask him why he was smiling so mischievously.

“If I tell you, will I be beaten?” probed Long Chen.

“Why would I beat you? Tell me.”

“I feel today… you really are behaving like a woman. Aiya!”

As soon as he said it, a washcloth landed on his face. Tang Wan-er rebuked, “So you’re saying I wasn’t like a woman before? Well then, you can clean yourself.”

By the time Long Chen had taken off the washcloth, Tang Wan-er had already left. Long Chen couldn’t help but smile.

He knew Tang Wan-er wasn’t actually angry. The two of them were used to bickering, and this was just their style of communication.

He wiped his face, wiping off a whole layer of skin. However, the new skin beneath the dead skin was much more durable.

“Hehe, now let’s see how you pinch me now,” laughed Long Chen. His body was stronger than ever. His face’s skin was something impervious to blade or spear.

Just as he finished cleaning himself and changing his clothes, the sound of footsteps came from outside his door. Tang Wan-er helped Meng Qi walk inside.

“Long Chen!” cried Meng Qi.

Meng Qi was currently wearing an azure dress, and her long hair fell naturally. Even without wearing any cosmetic products, she was still incredibly beautiful. However, her face was a bit paler than usual, and she no longer seemed to possess as much vigor as before.

“Do you feel any better, Meng Qi?” Long Chen hastily jumped forward and helped Meng Qi sit.

Although he had expelled her poison, her body was too weak. Right now, she was an ordinary mortal with a weak body. Just moving was taxing on her.

“Wan-er stays by my side all day, making me good food and helping me to recover. I’m already much better than before.”

Tang Wan-er said, “But of course. Meng Qi and I are closer than real sisters. We aren’t like certain people that are so busy every day that they don’t have any time to visit.”

Although Tang Wan-er did have some intent to make things hard on Long Chen, Long Chen could hear that she was warning him that Meng Qi was unaware that he had been injured.

Most likely, she had been afraid Meng Qi would become worried, which would have been detrimental to her already unstable health. Long Chen couldn’t help smiling and stealthily giving Tang Wan-er a thumbs-up.

“Wan-er, don’t blame Long Chen. After all, he has so many things to handle, many of which are for all of us. He doesn’t have it easy.” Meng Qi smiled, exonerating Long Chen.

Long Chen couldn’t help being moved. Meng Qi truly had a heart of gold, and always thinking of other people. She was truly too kindhearted.

However, Long Chen decided to keep the matter of him destroying the Wind Spirit Pavilion to himself. He definitely didn’t want her to know that, or with her character, she might feel a bit guilty.

In any case, no one had actually seen him do it, and he felt he hadn’t left behind any absolute evidence. Other than himself, anyone that had witnessed it was in another world now. As for himself, he would just refuse to admit anything no matter what.

“Meng Qi, let me examine your body.”

Long Chen gently held her hand, sending his Spiritual Strength into her body. He saw that her meridians were in a withered state now. Most likely, her meridians had already sucked up all her spiritual qi and had entered a stagnant state.

“Your body doesn’t have any large hindrances anymore. Once you rest a few more days, we can try to condense a new soul root for you. At that time, you’ll definitely be ten times stronger than before,” said Long Chen confidently.

Hearing that, the two sisters were both delighted. Although Meng Qi was a peaceful person, she also thirsted for power.

After conversing for a while longer with the two of them, there was a disciple who came to tell Long Chen that the sect leader wanted to see him.

Long Chen hastily went to see Ling Yunzi and saw that Tu Fang was also present. He immediately thanked Ling Yunzi, “Sect leader, thank you for your trouble. If it hadn’t been for you, I would have already died.”

“Come and sit.” Ling Yunzi smiled.

Long Chen sat. He was extremely grateful to Ling Yunzi and Tu Fang. The two of them truly treated him like their own child. For him, Ling Yunzi had risked immense danger and repeatedly killed other sect leaders.

As for Tu Fang, although he was only in the Meridian Opening realm when calamity had struck, he had still come, bringing others who wished to both live and die together. That kind of heroism was truly emotionally moving.

“Little fellow, this time you really were ruthless. The destruction of the Wind Spirit Pavilion is something on a completely different scale from anything else you’ve ever done.” Ling Yunzi couldn’t help shaking his head as he looked at Long Chen.

“What are you talking about, sect leader? I don’t understand.” Long Chen naturally wouldn’t admit to it. He was always the kind of person who would do kind deeds but not leave behind his name.

“It’s alright. In this world, only Tu Fang and I know a bit about your secrets. However, you don’t need to worry, as we’ll definitely help you keep them secret.

“Other than that, make sure not to tell anyone about the matter of your undergoing tribulation. That would implicate them, and in the future, their tribulations will be much more difficult. You have to be cautious,” warned Ling Yunzi.

Long Chen’s heart shook. Ling Yunzi actually knew about his tribulation, and from his tone, it seemed he also knew some other things as well. However, seeing how solemn Ling Yunzi was acting, Long Chen nodded seriously.

Ling Yunzi was warning him not to let others know too many of his secrets. Otherwise, that would invoke karma, and when they underwent tribulations, they might be more likely to die.

Furthermore, he was clearly only capable of hinting at that matter. The heavens would not allow anyone to speak about matters relating to the Heavenly Daos. Anyone who broke that rule would very likely end up bringing down heavenly punishment on themselves.

Previously, all Ling Yunzi had said was the word Divergent, but he had immediately been injured by heavenly punishment. Furthermore, at that time, he had only been in the early Xiantian realm, and he had been more isolated from the Heavenly Daos.

But now that he had entered the mid Xiantian realm, the Heavenly Daos were able to sense him much more easily, and if he said that word again, he might instantly be killed.

“Today, I called the two of you over because I have a few things to tell you. I’m about to leave this place,” said Ling Yunzi.