All in all, Wang Zhan was certain he had run into yet another pitfall!
The air suddenly solidified.
Wang Zhan looked at the *Volu on Transforming Illusion into Reality* in his hand, sowhat bewildered, muttering in surprise to himself, "Why did I use the word 'again'?"
Wang Zhan, whose mind was utterly fogged to the point of incomprehension, cursed under his breath. Damn intuition! I was just praising you for never being wrong, yet you're always misleading .
...
Just as Wang Zhan was relishing the warm, fragrant jade and attempting to empty out the Sects' Book Collection Pavilion within this mid-air *Small World*, events were unfolding elsewhere.
「anwhile, in the outside world—the Federation.」
「Jing State, at the State Governnt building.」
A graceful, beautiful woman in a red trench coat sat poised at the head table, her legs neatly together, her delicate hands resting on her lap. She appeared gentle and harmless, yet her piercing gaze ensured no one in the room dared to utter a word of rebuttal; they could only remain silent in dismay.
"Where is he? Tell , where did Wang Zhan go!"
Her na was Qin Ying.
She was the external representative of the current Qín Family. Though she possessed not a shred of martial arts cultivation, her imposing aura exuded an endless, piercing chill, like a coat of snow in the dead of winter.
Edward, Yun Tianyi, Wei Daoming, and Mu Dongjun, along with Jing State Governor Shi Zhongming, all sat in subordinate positions to Qin Ying. They remained silent, the atmosphere tense, quietly allowing Qin Ying to vent her frustrations.
Not only is the Qín Family the backbone of the Federation, but it also boasted several great figures who had surpassed the Martial Emperor Realm. Even if Qin Ying wanted their lives, no one in the Federation would dare object.
Of course, Qin Ying had no such intentions. She had co only to find an answer: Wang Zhan.
"Is everyone mute now? Why did everyone else survive, but only Wang Zhan disappeared without a trace?"
Qin Ying sneered, her words sharp and piercing.
Actually, she wasn't the first person looking for Wang Zhan. Yuan ngru had co before her.
As for Wang Zhan's official girlfriend, Yao Yao, and his biological elder sister, Wang Qi, they hadn't received the news yet. This was either because they were being held in a secret location within the Federation and were not allowed to leave, or they were away on a mission and had not yet returned.
Shi Zhongming hesitated for a mont before finally speaking in a soft voice, "Miss, we are still searching, but there are no clues yet..."
"Shut up!" Qin Ying ordered directly, showing no rcy, her gaze severe. "Since you have entered the Federation's governnt, you are no longer an old servant of my Qín Family. Therefore, do you rember my current status?"
A wry smile flickered at the corner of Shi Zhongming's mouth. "I do."
"Then answer , in what capacity am I speaking to you now?"
"Federal Secretary-General, Ms. Qin Ying!"
Qin Ying scanned everyone present. "Good! So, tell , why did so many people survive, yet the Federation lost a genius whose strength was advancing more rapidly than anyone in history? Or rather, can anyone tell
if Wang Zhan is dead or alive? Can you people at the top of Jing State give the Federation an explanation?"
The last words rang out, loud as thunder, deafening everyone.
Everyone present was instantly unsettled. The corners of the four Deans' mouths twitched; it wasn't just Shi Zhongming this ti.
Now they were in a fine ss.
Now that Qin Ying's identity was clarified, matters had to be handled officially. A mont ago, her pressuring them with her authority was one thing—at worst, they could feign indifference. But now, they had to answer truthfully. Otherwise, despite any past contributions, causing such a significant loss to the Federation was undeniably a transgression on their part.
Perhaps it was true what they said: high officials might be reasoned with, but their zealous subordinates, bound by protocol, were the real trouble.
Wei Daoming felt it necessary to save the two old n so face. He and Mu Dongjun were still young and didn't mind a bit of temporary inconvenience, so after a mont's consideration, he spoke softly, "We've never given up; we've been searching for clues. That night, the destruction caused by the level 9 Martial Emperor was so astonishing it completely paralyzed the network, but so local footage was retained... Therefore, we hypothesize that Wang Zhan's disappearance may be because he got lost in a space rift, or perhaps in the boundless world, and hasn't found an exit yet..."
Although Wei Daoming didn't state it directly, his intentions were clear.
Regardless of the possibility, Wang Zhan's disappearance was an established fact. No matter Qin Ying's status, this was the only answer.
As for the boundless world, it was originally a concept propagated from the ancient saying, 'In a grain of sand, a world; in a tree, a Bodhi.' It was later confird that many such *Small Worlds* indeed existed around Earth, moving like bubbles.
This wasn't a secret to Qin Ying.
Therefore, the best-case scenario for Wang Zhan was that he was lost in the boundless world, his return uncertain. The worst-case scenario... of course, was that he had been shredded into pieces by the space rifts.
Obviously, these were not the answers Qin Ying wanted.
But she had to suppress her displeasure. Even if her heart was filled with dissatisfaction, these were not people she could dispose of at will.
Only the solitary silence of her mansion in Zone S3, where she had once shared a night of passion with Wang Zhan, knew her true feelings.
Another night, her tears drenched her collar, her fragrant warmth enveloped in solitude and sorrow.
...
Qin Ying may have just arrived, but Yuan ngru had never given up her search.
"Cousin, we should go back. You've been here for so many days!" Lin Xiaoyin looked with pity at Yuan ngru's sowhat disheveled state, her heart aching.
This foolish woman! she thought. To find a man who might only be the object of her unrequited love, she has hardly left the Jing State Wilderness Area for nearly a month.
The earth her bed, the sky her quilt; by moonlit dusk, she lingered where voices could be heard, ever searching.
But who knew where that fellow Wang Zhan had gone, or whether he was dead or alive?
He had vanished—no sign of him, alive or dead. And yet, he had driven Yuan ngru, a woman once so close, to the brink of madness. One could only imagine Lin Xiaoyin's fury.
"He doesn't even like you, why are you clinging so desperately! Cousin, he might even be dead already..."
SLAP!
Yuan ngru's gaze turned sharp. For the first ti in a while, she exuded the aura of a top-tier Martial Artist of her generation as she said coldly, "Get out! Whether he's dead or not, whether I give up or not, that's my business. I won't allow anyone else to interfere."
Lin Xiaoyin stared at her, utterly astonished. This woman... she actually slapped ? For a man with whom she has no official standing, a man whose feelings aren't even clear?
She refused to give up on Yuan ngru and yelled, trying to continue persuading her, "Cousin, have you gone insane? If slapping
could bring him back, then slap
a few more tis, maybe then he'll turn his affections to you! But you should know that's impossible! And don't we both know he has a girlfriend? What are you going to do then, beco the other woman, or fight soone for him…?"
Lin Xiaoyin spoke her mind freely, but Yuan ngru's fierce deanor gradually weakened.
Although she was still the most outstanding woman of her generation, she had lost so of her vitality and Spiritual Energy, tears now streaming down her face.
"You should go," Yuan ngru said, her tone sowhat bitter. "You wouldn't understand my situation even if I explained it. Anyway, don't worry about . I'm not doing this solely for Wang Zhan. Besides, even if Wang Zhan has a woman, it's none of my business. I like him, and that's all there is to it. Whether he likes
or not... that has nothing to do with ."
Lin Xiaoyin was completely stunned. "You..."
SIGH!
Just then, a long sigh suddenly cut through the air, halting Lin Xiaoyin's urge to speak further. A voice said gently, "You should leave first. I'll watch over your cousin."
With that, the speaker ignored Lin Xiaoyin's frantic calls and, with a sweep of his sleeve, sent her back to the edge of the wilderness area.
"Principal..." Yuan ngru began, then hesitated.
Yun Tianyi smiled, as if he hadn't seen his prized disciple in a long ti. There was no bla in his eyes, only encouragent. "If you like him, then don't talk about whether he likes you or not next ti. Strive to pursue him, chase him with all your heart. Love is sothing that should make both people happy; only then is it worth yearning for."
Although Yuan ngru was in a sorry state, tear stains still on her face, at this mont she wanted to laugh but couldn't, and wanted to cry but couldn't bring herself to. She felt incredibly embarrassed.
Yun Tianyi waved his hand. "Alright, no more needless words. I know you're staying here, holding sothing in, hoping to achieve a breakthrough through this—that's a good thing. But there's sothing you should know: Wang Zhan has another woman. She also ca looking for him, and let
tell you, I really caught an earful today..."
Yuan ngru's expression was odd. Scolding the Principal? Who could be that audacious? If it were possible, she would have joined in the scolding too, but this matter was their own fault for not being careful enough.
Seeing Yuan ngru's surprise, Yun Tianyi gave a bitter smile. "Her background is one thing; if it were just her noble status, we could ignore it. After all, we're Martial Emperors… But she also has real authority; she's the Secretary-General of the President. She ca with the Federation's orders, so no matter how unruly we might be, we must obey."
"Oh..." Yuan ngru understood. But what does this have to do with ? I'm not so important figure, just a student at the Martial Arts Academy.
Yun Tianyi naturally guessed what Yuan ngru was thinking and gave a sly smile. "However, this important person is just an ordinary person; she isn't capable of protecting herself. Moreover, she's a woman. We rough old n can't very well provide close personal protection. So, I imdiately thought of you!"
Yuan ngru's head snapped up, her eyes, sharp as an eagle's, blazed at Yun Tianyi as she enunciated each word carefully, "You, esteed elder, are asking **, a level 5 Warrior, to protect Wang Zhan's VIP girlfriend?"
She bit particularly hard on the words 'level 5 Warrior', emphasizing their weighty aning.
Yun Tianyi spread his hands in resignation. "There's no choice. For the mont, we can't find any female warriors who have been on the battlefield, so we thought of you. Don't overthink it. This only proves the Federation values you highly, and it's also ti for you to contribute to the Federation…"
Heh, planning to wait for news and then kill herself for him once it's confird? Little lass, do you really think your Principal is so naive fool who's only ever eaten plain rice and never tasted the richness of fish?
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