My Arts Evolve When Perfected

At Yang Lei’s command, Shangguan Yue moved into the most luxurious residence within the territory managed by the Three-Life Race. Previously, such a place was reserved only for powerhouses at the Fusion Realm. What’s more, a dedicated staff was assigned to help her with new clothes, food, and other necessities.

Even though she was in the Thunder Great Realm, a place incredibly far from Blue Star, she felt a level of comfort she had never experienced before. She had finally washed away the filth from her body, and during the bath, she could even feel abundant Spirit Charm coursing over her delicate skin.

Indeed, the bathwater was an infusion of special Treasures of Heaven and Earth. It was somewhat similar to the North Snow Hot Spring in the Northern Boundary, which possessed transformative properties due to the influence of the Dragon Vein.

Places like this could be found in every realm. The Thunder Great Realm, for instance, had springs that were rich in Spirit Charm. After being processed, the precious spring water was turned into bathwater for guests. Of course, this bathwater was incredibly valuable. As previously mentioned, only those at the Fusion Realm could afford such a luxury.

As Shangguan Yue was Jiang Qiu’s friend, Yang Lei had given special orders, so the person responsible for this area immediately gave her the best possible treatment. As she soaked in the warm water, Shangguan Yue’s slender arms cut through the ripples. Her bright eyes, like mirrors, were veiled in a layer of mist from the rising steam, giving her a unique charm.

Her long-neglected hair slid from her head and soaked in the hot water, swaying with the ripples. The impurities tangled within it dissolved in an instant. Her skin, once caked with grime, was cleansed in a flash, as if she had returned to the state of a newborn baby.

In fact, this was the state she had been in over a decade ago on Blue Star. Back then, her appearance was just as young and delicate, and her skin just as pristine. She never thought she would be able to return to that state again.

’This feels like a dream...’

Shangguan Yue gently played with the water. Amidst the rolling heat, unfamiliar flower petals clustered around her modest chest. The rippling water seemed to massage her back, and her entire body relaxed. It had been far too long since she had felt this comfortable, like an exhausted person sinking into a bed of cotton.

And all of this was thanks to Jiang Qiu.

’To think that after crossing such an immeasurable distance, I’d meet Jiang Qiu again here in the Thunder Great Realm. Not only did he save me, but now I’m living this luxurious life.’

It was as if a ray of heavenly light had pierced the endless gloom in her heart. Her eyes shimmered with a brilliant glow. This was pure bliss.

What’s more, Jiang Qiu had even promised to send her back to Blue Star...

’Back to Blue Star from here?’

Shangguan Yue pondered for a long while, her mind conjuring images of what Blue Star must look like now. ’It must be a complete wreck, with all the skyscrapers collapsed. The Human Race has probably regressed to a relatively backward era, and there’s no hope left in society... right?’

After all, the damage inflicted by Zuo Xuan was catastrophic, a clean break with the past. He had practically severed the continuity of an entire civilization. It would be incredibly difficult for Blue Star to recover from such a calamity.

Besides, it wasn’t as if Zuo Xuan would only visit once. When he returned to the Nine Venerable Great Realm and completed his current voyage, he would surely chart a new course. He would head out toward the Yin Yang Great Realm again, which meant he would pass by Blue Star and casually harvest it along the way.

If he came to harvest it again, would they truly have any power to resist?

She had no idea how Jiang Qiu had managed to avoid the purge, but she was sure it couldn’t have been easy. Evading Zuo Xuan was incredibly difficult; he was, after all, a supreme powerhouse at the Peak of Unity Realm, capable of annihilating the Blue Star Realm with a single thought.

At this realization, Shangguan Yue’s desire to return home faded. She knew perfectly well that the cost of returning to Blue Star from here would be immense. Though she had spent more than a decade in despair, she had never lost her awareness of the Outer Realm. She knew just how many countless realms the Eight-direction Reversing Ship had stopped in to replenish its energy.

’In other words, even a fleet as powerful as the one with the Eight-direction Reversing Ship took over ten years and countless refueling stops to travel from Blue Star to the Thunder Great Realm. What makes me think I can go back in an instant?’

’Jiang Qiu probably can’t take me back himself. He’d have to ask that powerful Unity Realm expert from the Three-Life Race to make the arrangements. That would cost him a significant favor, at the very least.’

The thought of Jiang Qiu incurring a debt just to send her home made Shangguan Yue feel awful. She was well aware of her own worth. While she might have been revered back on Blue Star, on the scale of the Primordial world cluster, she was nothing more than a speck of dust. She had been a slave for over ten years and was only free now because Jiang Qiu had appeared.

’Under these circumstances, I really don’t want Jiang Qiu to lose anything on my account. I owe him far too much already. I could never repay even the resources he spent just to rescue me, let alone him arranging such a wonderful place for me to stay.’

The more she thought about it, a stinging sensation pricked at her nose. She wrapped her pale forearms around her knees, letting her chin sink below the water’s surface. She felt like a small, helpless infant—insignificant and pitiful.