# 1464
Chapter 1465: Welcome Lingbao Tianzun's Return
"We have no other choice, do we?"
Cao Yuan saw the conflict in An Qingyu's eyes.
Three meteors were approaching the asteroid relentlessly, painting the entire sky in crimson red. The raging wind scattered the floating dust around them, but Cao Yuan's eyes remained calm.
An Qingyu opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something, but nothing came out.
"Just like at the fishing village... do it, Vice Captain An." Cao Yuan slowly walked in front of An Qingyu, reaching out to grasp his hand and place it on the hilt of his Straight Blade. His expression was solemn. "This is my own choice."
The howling wind billowed their Crimson Cloaks. An Qingyu stared blankly at Cao Yuan's eyes. Even with his keen intellect, his mind was blank at this moment.
As Cao Yuan guided An Qingyu's hand, the Straight Blade in his embrace slowly unsheathed...
...
Creak.
Under the scarlet sky, a closed door gently opened on the empty corridor.
A figure draped in a Crimson Cloak stepped out of the room. He raised his head to gaze at the three meteors about to fall, the edge of his cloak swaying slightly, his eyes calm as still water.
But when he turned his head and saw the bowl of cold congee by the door and the familiar sandalwood peace talisman, a ripple appeared in his eyes.
He was silent for a moment, then bent down to pick up the sandalwood peace talisman.
The talisman was only palm-sized, yet it felt heavy. On its front side, tiny characters were carved like ants—countless small words: "Ten Thousand Generations of Peace," "Forever Happy," "Youth Eternal," "Evil Repelled"...
He flipped the talisman over. Four neat large characters met his eyes first.
—Molly Wife (My Dear Wife).
The first two characters were carved character by character with a carving knife, looking rather comical.
Below these four characters were two more lines:
—"I'm sorry."
—"Wait for me to return."
He stared at the talisman in his hand, standing motionless like a sculpture for a long time. Then, the corners of his mouth lifted in a bitter smile.
He raised his palm and brushed over the two lines at the bottom, then tucked the talisman into his sleeve.
Then he bent down to pick up the already cold bowl of congee, lifted his head, and gulped it all down!
The loud sounds of swallowing echoed through the silent corridor. In mere moments, every grain of congee was gone. He wiped the water stains from the corners of his mouth and the tears from his cheeks, then forcefully hurled the bowl to the ground!
Crash—!!!
The crisp sound echoed through the corridor, shards of the bowl scattered across the floor, just like a shattered heart.
He gazed at the fragments on the ground for a long while, then shook his head, turned, and stepped forward.
A flash of primordial energy appeared, and his form vanished on the spot.
...
In the howling wind, a Straight Blade gleaming with cold light slowly unsheathed against the outer wall of Chennan Pass.
The blade reflected An Qingyu's complex gaze, passed by the bewildered Molly and her companions, and the sharp tip was gripped tightly in Cao Yuan's powerful hand, pressed against his own chest.
Threads of crimson blood dripped from Cao Yuan's palm onto the ground.
"Kill me." Cao Yuan said.
An Qingyu gripped the Straight Blade, saying nothing.
Cao Yuan let out a long sigh. Just as he was about to thrust himself onto the blade, a shadow instantly appeared between them!
That figure flicked a finger, striking the body of the Straight Blade with a sharp buzz. The tremendous force jolted the blade free from An Qingyu and Cao Yuan's grasp, driving it deep into the wall nearby.
Cao Yuan and An Qingyu both froze, turning to look.
"Pangpang?!" Cao Yuan called out in confusion. "Where did you just go?"
Baili Pangpang gave no answer. He simply gazed at the three meteors breaking through the atmosphere, falling toward the earth, and said slowly:
"There's no need to release the 'Black King.' Great Xia... has not reached that point yet."
As he spoke, he turned in the two's confused gaze and walked to Molly's side.
Seeing that familiar yet unfamiliar face so close to her, Molly's lips pressed together slightly. She was about to say something when Baili Pangpang took something from his sleeve and placed it in her palm.
"You're right... our story should have an ending." Baili Pangpang gazed into her eyes and said softly.
Molly was slightly stunned. For some reason, she felt that the Baili Pangpang before her seemed... unfamiliar.
"Pangpang, are you okay?"
An Qingyu seemed to sense Baili Pangpang's abnormality as well. After hesitation, a touch of grayness染上 his eyes, wanting to confirm whether Baili Pangpang's body was functioning normally.
But the moment his gaze fell upon Baili Pangpang, he was pricked like by a needle and violently closed his eyes. Two streams of bloody tears slid from the corners of his eyes...
An Qingyu covered his eyes, his expression showing unprecedented astonishment!
"You...!" he said in disbelief.
Though it was only for an instant, he had seen Baili Pangpang's state... and behind that figure, the magnificent primordial Dao shadow!
"I'm sorry." Baili Pangpang smiled apologetically. "Qingyu, please say goodbye to Qiya for me... from now on, Pangpang might not be coming back."
"What are you talking about?" Cao Yuan said in confusion. "Where are you going?"
"...To where I should go."
Baili Pangpang turned around, facing the scarlet sky, and stepped forward!
DONG—!!!
The moment he took that step, a majestic and distant bell toll suddenly emerged from the void behind Baili Pangpang, as if some lock sealed for countless ages had been broken. A figure existing at the end of past and future overlapped with him...
The bell toll swept across the entire Chennan Pass, across the Divine Battlefield, across every city of Great Xia, rushed into the Mist, and echoed across heaven and earth!
The figure overlapped with Baili Pangpang's form. Countless runes flowed from the void, wrapping around him like a massive cocoon. His aura rose steadily!
"This is...?!"
The Great Xia deities fighting against the Olympian Gods all felt their hearts jolt, as if receiving some kind of guidance, and turned their heads to gaze toward Chennan Pass!
"Lingbao Tianzun?!" Nezha's expression lit up with joy. "Lingbao Tianzun has returned from the cycle of reincarnation?!"
In the distant battlefield, Jiang Ziya deflected an Olympian god's attack, turned his head to look toward Chennan Pass, his eyes filled with delight as well!
He clasped his hands together and bowed reverently in that direction!
"Welcome Lingbao Tianzun's return!"
"Welcome Lingbao Tianzun's return!!"
"Welcome Lingbao Tianzun's return!!!"
One voice after another rang out from among the Great Xia deities. As a wisp of primordial Dao intent broke through the rune cocoon, a Supreme God pressure suddenly descended upon the world. At the same time, the countless voices gathered together, ringing like a great bell through the clouds!
"—WELCOME LINGBAO TIANZUN'S RETURN!!!!"