Resources.
Manpower.
Even the identity token signifying status as an emissary of the outside.
He’d obtained them all.
But their unconditional willingness to satisfy his demands only increased the weight on Ye Zichen’s shoulders.
Transcendence!
What he had to do, both for his own sake and as a condition of obtaining those resources, was transcend before the end of the era.
If he failed, then after the barrier the Lord of the Stars left behind shattered….
Everyone would truly come to an end.
The Outside had granted him their entire net worth. They’d done so much that he had no choice but to help.
That’s why, despite obtaining so much, Ye Zichen couldn’t bring himself to smile.
His burden was so heavy, he felt as if he couldn’t breathe.
After leaving the office, Ye Zichen stood by the side of the street motionlessly. The twenty rulers Han Nan had promised him stood around him.
It’s worth noting that these rulers were all elites Jing Wan had chosen personally. All of them could last at least a dozen or so rounds with her.
This gave Ye Zichen an extremely direct understanding of her power. When ordinary rulers faced her, she could obliterate them without so much as activating her domain.
She wasn’t just extremely good-looking; her strength was astonishing to behold, too.
Even Yang Jian couldn’t help but gasp. He whispered furtively into Ye Zichen’s ear, warning him not to touch her.
A few dozen people gathered on the street with Ye Zichen at the center. The pedestrians couldn’t help but look over and wonder just whose young master this was to travel with such an over-the-top entourage.
Especially when they saw Pu Jingwan. Quite a few men secretly clenched their fists. They glanced at the rulers standing around him and thought to themselves, She’s wasted on him.
“Hey, handsome ancient costume guy! What exactly do you do for a living? You’re even acquainted with officers!” Jing Wan’s eyes flashed with curiosity as she approached.
As she drew near, Ye Zichen took in her delicate fragrance. It was enough to make a man’s heart itch. He could no longer immerse himself in his own little world.
“Back then, you really milked him for all he was worth, huh? But that official didn’t even blink. High-ranked officials like that are usually stingy as can be; when they pay us for our work, they come up with all sorts of excuses to hold back or delay. Yet this time, they paid me properly, and generously at that.”
Pu Jingwan’s eyes lit up at the thought of money. When he saw this, Ye Zichen couldn’t help but shake his head inwardly.
The difference was a little overly large. Back in the Modern Realm, Pu Jingwan hadn’t been so greedy.
Ye Zichen wasn’t in a particularly good mood and didn’t want to talk. He simply glanced at her and ignored her. She pursed her lips and looked at him appraisingly. “You’re awfully cold and proud, aren’t you? But I like that. But don’t keep silent; you’re my boss now, so I ought to at least know your name, right?”
“Ye Zichen,” said Ye Zichen.
“That’s a decent-sounding name!” Jing Wan laughed, but she couldn’t say what exactly was so decent about it.
This was obviously nothing but polite nonsense. Ye Zichen was used to it and didn’t take it to heart. To his surprise, Pu Jingwan kept on dragging out the conversation…
“Then aren’t you going to ask me my name?” In response, nevermind Ye Zichen, even Yang Jian shot her an exasperated look. She noticed, and rubbed her nose awkwardly. She knew pushing harder wouldn’t get her anywhere, so she got back to the point.
“Then where are we going now?”
“Didn’t you ask when you accepted the mission?” asked Ye Zichen.
“I really didn’t ask. I saw that they were giving me an awful lot of money, so I agreed. Besides, no mission is too difficult for me. So long as you pay me enough, I can even kill the primordial giant beasts outside the barrier,” said Pu Jingwan, puffing up her chest proudly.
Yang Jian gulped to himself, while Ye Zichen laughed. “Are you sure?
Hearing him question her in response, Pu Jingwan suddenly fell silent. Her confident face was suddenly awash with shock. “We’re not really going to fight giant monsters, are we?”
“You’re hardcore, aren’t you? You accepted the mission without even knowing what it was.” Ye Zichen shook his head in exasperation but didn’t explain. Based on Pu Jingwan’s undisguised horror, the beasts outside were more than a little vicious. If even someone as strong as her made that face at the thought of them, what would happen if they attacked his era?
He had to transcend as fast as possible!
Ye Zichen narrowed his eyes, then glanced at Yang Jian, only to discover that he was peering at Pu Jingwan’s chest out of the corner of his eye. From time to time, his Adam's apple bobbed in his throat.
Ye Zichen elbowed him, startling him back to his senses. “Let’s go!”
Yang Jian glared at him, but then laughed despite himself and nodded. “Let’s go!”
A stone fell from Yang Jian’s hands and clattered onto the ground, summoning a mid-sized wormhole. When she saw it, Pu Jingwan’s expression froze in place. She stood there in abject terror...
“You’re not serious, are you?” She stared, wide-eyed. The other twenty rulers had already entered the black hole.
“Are you going in or not? If not, hurry up and return to your own affairs.” As they spoke, Yang Jian and Ye Zichen walked side by side into the hole.
Soon, Pu Jingwan was the last one left. She bit her lips and recalled that Ye Zichen wasn’t even a diviner yet.
“If all of you dared, what do I have to be afraid of? I refuse to believe those giant monsters can eat me!”
She followed them inside, and the black hole disappeared after her.
When the pedestrians saw this, they stopped and put their hands to their chests in silent prayer. Finally, they bowed deeply.
Because...
When someone opened a black hole to leave the safe zone, they generally had only one possible destination: the quarantine zone, where they’d fight to the giant beasts to the death.
“Have they all left?”
Han Nan stood by the window, watching Ye Zichen and the others leave. At that moment, a low, gentle voice appeared in the room.
Han Nan turned around. When he saw the man sitting in his chair, he hurriedly bowed. “They’ve all left.
“That’s good.” The man in the chair laughed calmly. “Call Yin Shang and the others, and Gu Li, too… Call him back, and tell him I’m not dead. I can use my last few slivers of celestial fate to condense his soul a new body, and help him revive An Lu too. Don’t just leave him to muck things up out there.”
“Yes, sir. But there’s something I don’t quite understand.”
“What is it?”
“Why didn’t we help Ye Zichen open his celestial eye? He’s carried his celestial fate all this time to no avail; he still hasn’t figured out how to use it.”
“It’s not yet time!” The man in the chair laughed. “Get back to work!”
“Yes, sir! Well then, your subordinate shall take his leave——Your Excellency, Master of the Stars!”