Chen Fan returned to the Samsara Realm, as did Zhan and the Evil Lord.
As for Zhan, he was a lone wolf and could be anywhere.
He would be alone in the ruins of the Sixth Land anyway. Now, seeing hope in Chen Fan, he might as well stay here rather than go back. He had nothing else to do.
As for the Evil Lord, he was now considered half a resident of the Samsara Realm.
The time that had passed since their return was not long at all.
Today was the sixth day of the Million Tribulations.
No more spatial rifts had appeared above the Tenth Land.
That was good.
...
The Samsara Realm.
Chen Fan had returned, entered the lower realm, and floated above the Forbidden Sea.
This Forbidden Sea had truly become a forbidden sea now. Legend had it that the City Lord had once sprinkled half a cup of tea here, turning this sea into a land of fortune.
A day of cultivation in the Forbidden Sea yielded better results than a month of cultivation on other lands.
Currently, the Forbidden Sea was the foremost blessed land in the lower realm.
The reason for all this was the half cup of Dao-infused tea the City Lord had sprinkled here in the past.
A lone, small boat drifted on the surface of the Forbidden Sea, carrying two figures who were drinking tea.
*Whoosh.*
Beside the small boat, a young cultivator flew through the air.
Yet, he seemed not to notice the small boat beside him.
Nor did he see the people on the boat.
Cultivators often appeared near the Forbidden Sea, including great demons that occasionally surfaced from the depths.
Battles would sometimes erupt.
"Senior, please."
Chen Fan raised his tea in lieu of wine and drank it down.
Zhan drank his tea and said calmly, "Why is it that upon entering this place, your heart has found peace, fellow Daoist?"
Even Zhan, at this moment, could not bring himself to treat the young man before him as an elder.
A young prodigy, a monster, a genius... no title would be too great for him.
He would accept the respect the youth offered as a senior, but he could not presume to be one. Therefore, 'fellow Daoist' was the most appropriate address.
*Bang.*
Chen Fan lay down on the small boat.
He propped his hands behind his head, gazing at the sky of the Samsara Realm. The white clouds seemed alive, drifting merrily.
It had been a long time since he had known such peace.
He said, "One must always reserve a part of simplicity for oneself."
At this moment, Chen Fan was serene, like an ordinary young man.
He was calm.
This tranquility was reserved only for himself.
"It is not bad either."
Zhan's heart seemed to sink into some memory.
He murmured, "I was like this back then, with the chivalrous spirit of youth. Because I could not bear the injustice of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, I resolutely embarked on the path of rebellion. But... in the end, I was used by others."
This was a knot in his heart that he could not untangle.
He had fought for the ideals in his heart.
To restore justice to the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, to prevent people from being oppressed by the Lord of Order.
But what was the result?
The world had not changed.
Without the Lord of Order, the Son of Heaven appeared. Even if the Son of Heaven were gone, someone else would emerge.
"Why?"
Zhan also lay down. The tea in his hand poured out, flowing into the Forbidden Sea.
His voice gradually faded, and he fell asleep.
A ninth-tier cultivator, as if an ordinary person, slept on the small boat.
The corners of the young man's mouth turned up, forming an arc, and slowly... he closed his eyes as well.
"Sleep."
If he could sleep until the heavens and earth grew old and time ceased, that would be good too.
...
The tea in Zhan's hand flowed into the Forbidden Sea.
It was only half a cup of tea, left over by Zhan.
Yet, this half cup of tea caused a commotion in the Forbidden Sea.
*Boom.*
The half cup of tea instantly made the Dao-aura in this place even more concentrated.
The entire Forbidden Sea boiled. This place seemed to have transformed into an energy source, with surging energy shaking and even stirring changes in the heavens and earth.
There were many cultivators in the Forbidden Sea, as well as demonic beasts.
At this moment, all beings in the Forbidden Sea went mad.
"Is it the Dao-aura left by the City Lord that has erupted?"
"It doesn't seem like it. This Dao-aura is filled with demonic energy. Could it be Senior Demon?"
"But... he is a supreme existence second only to the City Lord..."
"..."
In the eyes of those in the lower realm, Old Demon Chu was an unreachable, forbidden existence.
His status, second only to the City Lord, made his reputation in the lower realm very mysterious.
Those who came before had all become legends.
"Quick, comprehend the Dao-aura."
*Boom.*
Those with powerful talent actually broke through to the Half-Emperor realm.
This was a great opportunity.
A ninth-tier Zhan drinking half a cup of tea, carrying the lingering aura of the Great Dao from the high-level ninth tier, was a tremendous fortune for the people of the lower realm.
Countless people went mad.
However, no one could see the two figures on that small boat.
The two had fallen into a deep slumber, or rather... a memory.
In his dream, Chen Fan saw the Abyss, and the beautiful figure who suppressed it.
"Are you well?"
Tears flowed from his pained eyes.
Chen Fan cried.
He had not slept for a long time. At his level, sleep was no longer necessary.
Normal people slept to replenish their energy, while cultivators could do so through cultivation, thus not needing sleep.
Today, he slept.
The ethereal figure in his dream brought tears to his eyes.
The suppressed longing surged like a tide, engulfing Chen Fan.
That longing, that love, broke through the dream.
*Swish.*
Chen Fan opened his eyes.
Tears still clung to the corners of his eyes, a longing that transcended time.
"I... miss you." At this moment, Chen Fan was no longer strong.
He had a weak side too.
It was just that this weakness was buried deep within his heart.
The Samsara Realm needed his strength, and under his leadership, to fight against all heavens.
Therefore, he never showed his vulnerable side to outsiders.
Energy surged, evaporating the tears.
Zhan woke up, a hint of melancholy in his eyes.
Looking at Chen Fan, he said softly, "What did you dream about?"
Chen Fan: "..."
Zhan did not look at Chen Fan and murmured to himself, "I dreamt of the battlefield of yesteryear, of the glorious battles of the past."
His eyes were filled with memories.
The glorious years were long gone.
"Alas."
Zhan sighed, sat up, and said, "I slept for less than an hour."
The time was short, but in their dreams, the two had experienced a long time, a dreamlike memory.
Chen Fan also sat up and smiled, "The leisure time is over, it's time to go."
Before the Million Tribulations, this was Chen Fan's last moment of stolen leisure.
"Mhm."
Zhan nodded.
He then glanced at the frantic Forbidden Sea, a smile appearing in his eyes, "Perhaps, I can leave my legacy here."
Chen Fan: "???"
Before he could react, he saw Zhan suddenly raise his hand.
*Chii.*
A ray of demonic light merged into the Forbidden Sea.
The demonic light quickly faded, dissipating into the Forbidden Sea.
"Do you think we will lose?" Chen Fan looked at Zhan.
Zhan shook his head, "I don't know."