Otherworldly Desert Dust

The statue of the Martial God lifted its foot.

And at the bamboo forest outside the city gate, it wiped the blood from its foot with a bamboo leaf.

It returned to the city wall, its pupils devoid of light, blending back into the grand, towering walls of Wudou, like a mountain, overseeing the city that housed millions.

In the Wuting, a man dressed in a golden robe bore a stern countenance, his chest heaving.

He withdrew his mana and slammed his palm heavily on the desk!

"What a fool!"

Jiang Qi's anger was uncontrollable, he had thought his rhetoric had successfully trapped Qin Hefang, that she would lead him to the Nuwa God End no matter what.

East Bright Alliance, they were just a group of skin-covered people, Jiang Qi knew that all their souls resided in the Nuwa God End, only by striking at the Nuwa God End could he possibly obliterate these people completely.

He had put his hope on Qin Hefang, never expecting her to act on her own accord, so presumptuously smart.

Jiang Qi needed the hidden location of the Nuwa God End, not this foolish woman. Who cared what life form she existed as?

"God Jiang need not be angry, this woman may be foolish, but she has still provided us with an important clue," said Western Guardian Monarch Duan Yongle on the side.

"What clue?" Jiang Qi asked.

"She traveled to Wudou, arriving within just a few days, which means the Nuwa God End is hidden in the mountains and seas beyond Wudou. She was shouting at the west city gate, which means the Nuwa God End is west of our Wudou..." Duan Yongle explained.

"Oh?" Martial God Jiang Qi raised his eyebrow, Duan Yongle's words providing him with a good idea. After pondering, he said, "I've inspected her, her true cultivation in her soul is about the Martial Saint Realm. Considering her travel speed, does this mean it is possible that it's in the Three-color Mountains and Seas west of our Wudou?"

"Exactly, I'll have someone inspect the Three-color Mountains and Seas, we will definitely find something!" said Duan Yongle.

"Very good, very good, I want to see what this Nuwa God End looks like!" Martial God Jiang Qi laughed.

...

...

At the wooden loft.

Wu Hen looked up and saw a wisp of light mist floating over a certain area of Wudou.

That mist was a signal smoke produced by his kin, indicating that something urgent had occurred...

Wu Hen glanced at Ruan Muhuan, who was on the verge of breaking through the final realm, and couldn't help but hesitate.

"It must be something big."

"But Han Han is about to reach the Martial God Realm. Once she breaks through the clouds of her cultivation, Martial God Jiang Qi will definitely notice and confirm that it is Ruan Muhuan who stole the hundred-thousand-year Dan Jade. If he attacks Han Han while her cultivation is not yet stable, she might not be able to defend herself."

*Sigh*, let's wait a bit more, perhaps today she might break through."

Wu Hen dared not wander far.

It was a critical moment for Ruan Muhuan, and any external factor could ruin her efforts.

After a whole night of silent vigil, the starlight on Ruan Muhuan's body grew denser; however, the glow expanded outward and then gathered back to her body intermittently, still rather unstable.

"What happened?" Suddenly, Ruan Muhuan opened her eyes, and asked Wu Hen, "Your aura is disordered."

Usually, Wu Hen had no aura, since he could regulate his breathing using the Skin Breathing Technique.

But Ruan Muhuan could sense Wu Hen's breath. Having been together for some time, she was familiar with some of Wu Hen's small habits.

"I don't know the specifics; how about you?" Wu Hen asked.

"It will take a few more days. If the situation is urgent, you should take care of it first," Ruan Muhuan said.

"No, that won't do. You need absolute focus for your breakthrough; hiding your aura is difficult. If Jiang Qi detects an anomaly in the energy on you, he will know you're absorbing the Dan Jade, and no matter what happens, your breakthrough to the Martial God Realm is more important," Wu Hen assertively said.
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After all, Jiang Qi was a Martial God, and even if Wu Hen was anxious for his kin's fate, the best solution was to have Ruan Muhuan become a Martial God to counter this tyrannical Jiang Qi.

"Is it like this again, right?" Ruan Muhuan suddenly gave a forlorn smile.

"What?" Wu Hen was somewhat puzzled.

"It's so similar to back then in Ya City..." Ruan Muhuan said. Sometimes, one had to believe in fate.

"That's not the same," Wu Hen shook his head.

"How is it not the same?" Ruan Muhuan retorted.

The same dilemma, the same near breakthrough in cultivation, the same powerful and suffocating enemy, Ruan Muhuan believed she could definitely become a Martial God.

But just like when she first broke through to the Martial Saint level, she was too late.

She became a Martial Saint, but the person she cared about died!

Fate seemed to arrange such destinies for her, always just a bit short.

"Han Han, don't overthink, when I say it's different, it's different. Listen, focus on absorbing that Dan Jade, don't worry about anything else," Wu Hen said.

"Isn't it the same though? That day in Jade Cave, you also told me the same thing," Ruan Muhuan said.

"Is there?" Wu Hen scratched his head and then awkwardly smiled.

"You go, I can complete the breakthrough by myself," Ruan Muhuan said.

Suddenly, in the distant mountains, a hazy Sky Shadow appeared. Wu Hen activated his Third Rank Spiritual Vision and saw the fleeting silhouette of Nuwa materialize in the True Martial Continent!

This scene struck Wu Hen's heart, making him realize that this time it was not the East Bright Alliance in trouble, but Nuwa God End!

Could it be...

Martial God Jiang Qi, that bastard, was his real target not the East Bright Alliance but humanity's stronghold?

He had discovered the existence of the Nuwa God End!

"Han Han... I might have to make a trip," Wu Hen sighed deeply, realizing the situation had indeed become similar to the past in Ya City.

"Mhm," Ruan Muhuan nodded, not saying much like before.

"Little Bronze, you stay here and protect Han Han," Wu Hen summoned the Ominous Bronze Spear, instructing it.

...

He headed to the East Bright Alliance.

The people inside were already in complete disarray.

Recently, they had been under severe oppression by the entire Wuting, in a very unstable phase, with a pervasive anxious atmosphere of being besieged, now compounded by even more urgent matters.

Wu Hen found the Alliance Hierarch and inquired about the situation.

The Hierarch, a top human figure, who had fought early on in the True Martial Continent, had established a very strong base of power, and his Cultivation had also reached the Ninth Level Martial Monarch, was equally a genius among Martial Cultivators.

"You are…" Hierarch Luo An asked.

"Wu Hen," Wu Hen gave his full name.

"Which Wu Hen?" Luo An instinctively wanted to ask about his origin, since there were Wu Hens even in villages by now.

"What do you think?" Wu Hen glared at him.

Luo An then suddenly realized something and instinctively gave the highest form of respect in the True Martial World.

"Cut the useless stuff, what has happened? Did someone leak the hidden location of our Nuwa God End to the people of True Martial World?" Wu Hen asked irritably.

"That's not the case. Since you helped us escape from Red Port, I believe all of humanity has elevated their consciousness to a certain level. Those who would betray their own kind are probably with Longevity Sect..." Hierarch Luo An explained.

Wu Hen sensed the irony in those words.

For he had almost fallen at the emotional hurdle with Ruan Muhuan. If not for the Ancient Dream Demon enlightening Ruan Muhuan's heart, he feared he too would have been defeated by a fatal weakness.

"What exactly happened?" Wu Hen asked.

The Nuwa God End was giving him a warning, meaning a global event was about to occur.

"That Martial God Jiang Qi is really a piece of trash!" Hierarch Luo An cursed, "In our alliance, a female member recently awakened in a Spirit Mountain Martial Temple. Her host was none other than a woman who had romantic entanglements with Jiang Qi... A few days ago, she informed us of her experiences."

Wu Hen furrowed his brows.

That woman's luck was too good, awakening in the body of Martial God Jiang Qi's cousin?

"Qin Hefang stated that they were in love. She helped him when he was caught in a Martial Arts vortex, stabilizing his heart as Martial God, which allowed him to serve as the Martial God of Wudou these past two years—none of this could be achieved without Qin Hefang's help... It was only at the beginning that she did not know he was Martial God Jiang Qi."

"Jiang Qi uncovered her identity, forcing Qin Hefang to reluctantly reveal her status as a descendant of the Nuwa God End."

"Jiang Qi, being ambitious and viewing us as the Demon Clan, manipulated the Northern Guardian Lady, Ruan Muhuan, to scrutinize our East Bright Alliance, hoping to learn the location of the Nuwa God End."

"After his scheme failed, he used his identity as Martial God Jiang Qi as bait, hoping for Qin Hefang to lead him into our world."

"Therefore, for the man she loved, Qin Hefang confronted him with her real life, trying to prove to Jiang Qi she wasn't from the Demon Clan while also safeguarding our kin's last line of defense—not revealing the location of the Nuwa God End... However, no sooner had she reached the gates of the city than she was ruthlessly stomped to death by Jiang Qi, posed as a statue!"

"Before leaving the Nuwa God End, Qin Hefang publicized her deeds online, and the news of her being stomped to death resonated back to our homeland, causing a massive stir!"

Hierarch Luo An described the entire matter to Wu Hen.

Hearing this, Wu Hen was deeply shocked!

Having just gone through such emotional entanglements himself, Wu Hen knew more than anyone that at the depths of emotion, it was nearly impossible for anyone to maintain that last defense—humanity inherently has such weaknesses.

While Wu Hen wasn't in a position to blame Qin Hefang, what he hadn't anticipated was that Jiang Qi would ruthlessly crush a woman, who had been kind to him and with whom he had spent years, into a pulp!!

What a heart of stone! To think that Qin Hefang came to him with her real life and soul...

She was literally shattered to pieces!

Chief Li propelled the world into the Virtual Era, intending for all human lives to live with dignity in this world. Little did anyone imagine that even virtual passersby would ultimately die such tragic deaths, their lives, souls, and dignity trampled upon like this!

"Hierarch, don't speak for Qin Hefang anymore, her actions still exposed the position of our Divine Realm. The thin world pure land is now under the highest security alert. If a Martial God from the True Martial World attacks our homeland, who knows how many more will die." Deputy Hierarch Zhang Luo said.

"It's not her fault; it just shows what a beast Jiang Qi is, as ruthless as the Demon Clan," Wu Hen's gaze grew colder.

From Jiang Qi allowing the Demon Clan to infiltrate Wudou and using the Demon Clan to frame the East Bright Alliance, it was clear this guy was a beast, but Wu Hen hadn't realized he was capable of such cruelty.

One could not expect such a cold-blooded beast to have any empathy for the human civilization within the Nuwa God End. All of humanity indeed needed to be on the highest alert for an invasion by a Martial God!