The members of the Deathwind Mercenary Group had anticipated Yan Jiaojiao's arrival, but not her swiftness.
Even more surprising was her adaptability, which left them all feeling rather awkward.
"They are... very well. Yan Jiaojiao, actually, we..."
Yan Jiaojiao waved her hand. "I know what you mean. You saw how I managed to revive the nearly disbanded Gunan Academy and now you hope I can do the same for your mercenary group?"
The others nodded.
They had learned about Yan Jiaojiao's accomplishments with the Gunan Academy by chance. Gunan Academy was filled with young students, not particularly strong, yet Yan Jiaojiao had brought them up. They desperately hoped Yan Jiaojiao could lend them a hand as well. Of course, pinning their hopes on her was unreasonable, given her youth.
But they had no other recourse. It was a desperate measure, a shot in the dark.
Yan Jiaojiao sighed.
She hadn't expected to become a savior at this point.
"Alright, I promise."
She hadn't witnessed a "ground fissure" before and saw it as an opportunity to broaden her horizons.
The mercenaries, being indebted to Yan Jiaojiao for her agreement and seeing her cooperation, were determined not to betray her kindness. They quickly arranged for Yan Jiaojiao to meet up with Rong'er and Dongfang Xu.
Upon meeting, the three exchanged warm pleasantries.
However, time was short. After a brief reunion, Yan Jiaojiao led the mercenaries towards the ground fissure.
"I don't need you to do anything else. Tell me what each of you is good at, and I will direct you."
Yan Jiaojiao's greatest asset was her experience. Living for a millennium wasn't for nothing; she could turn any scrap into treasure.
These individuals already possessed strong cooperative combat skills, though their individual prowess was lacking. A ground fissure was a place prone to unexpected events, and no one knew what they would face once inside. Yan Jiaojiao could only issue a strict command to each of them: prioritize survival above all else when encountering trouble. Other matters could be dealt with later.
The mercenaries were deeply grateful to Yan Jiaojiao, readily agreeing to her every word. Yan Jiaojiao was indeed remarkable. By the time the ground fissure began, everyone witnessed a completely transformed Deathwind Mercenary Group.
"Is this the Deathwind Mercenary Group? This has the same spirit as when they dared to contend for treasures with the First Mercenary Group. Did they find a new leader?"
Yan Jiaojiao led the mercenaries past the onlookers, striding to the forefront.
When someone spoke disparagingly, Yan Jiaojiao simply had Xiao Hei act. With a few swift moves, she silenced the group.
Xiao Hei was initially displeased at being used as an enforcer, but considering the high probability that Yan Jiaojiao was the one he sought, he endured it.
With a thunderous roar, the ground fissure began.
The entire earth seemed to split in two, with white light continuously erupting from the center. The dense spiritual energy washed over them, making them sigh in awe.
"Such dense spiritual energy! There must be something huge beneath!"
Everyone was ecstatic. They didn't even wait for the fissure to stop or for those on the shore to get a clear view of the interior before leaping in.
Yan Jiaojiao led the mercenaries into the fissure through a relatively safe opening.
"Everyone be careful from now on."
Ever since the ground fissure began, Yan Jiaojiao had felt a vague unease, a sense that something was amiss. This feeling intensified when the spiritual energy leaked out.
It wasn't until she entered the rift created by the ground fissure that Yan Jiaojiao suddenly realized the source of her disquiet.
This spiritual energy was too familiar!
It was the dense spiritual energy found only in her world. She knew something was strange; the ancient spiritual energy within her was surging and churning wildly, roaring to break free!
"Woof!"
While others remained oblivious to Yan Jiaojiao's distress, Xiao Hei, who had been accompanying her, sensed something was wrong. He nudged her with his paw, his eyes filled with concern. Unfortunately, with a dog's face, his true emotions were completely imperceptible to others.
Yan Jiaojiao had no time to pay attention to him.
The ancient spiritual power within her was spiraling out of control. She felt as if she had been tossed into a cosmic washing machine, tumbling and disoriented.
"Ah—"
Yan Jiaojiao let out a scream. She felt as though a breach had opened within her, and spiritual energy from all around was flooding in.
Xiao Hei, sensing Yan Jiaojiao's uncontrolled spiritual energy, let out a howl and lunged forward, intending to use his own power to help her regulate it.
However, he was instantly sucked into the vortex of spiritual energy. The two of them tumbled for an unknown period before coming to a stop in a void.
A colossal ball of spiritual energy enveloped Yan Jiaojiao, rendering her immobile, her eyes tightly shut.
Xiao Hei, in a frenzy, broke free of the constraints and transformed into Dongfang Cangwu.
Yan Jiaojiao felt the strange changes around her and, with great effort, opened her eyes, only to meet Dongfang Cangwu's gaze.
"It's you..."
Dongfang Cangwu gritted his teeth. "What time is it to be playing these games! Concentrate, or your uncontrolled spiritual energy will cause you to explode!"
Yan Jiaojiao smiled faintly. "Then why aren't you escaping? Aren't you afraid of being affected?"
Dongfang Cangwu became even more enraged, but he was speechless. He could only desperately channel his own spiritual energy to help Yan Jiaojiao suppress the influx into her dantian.
Yan Jiaojiao looked at Dongfang Cangwu with immense tenderness.
"I never expected to see you again."
Dongfang Cangwu paused, stunned.
Suddenly, a golden light erupted from Yan Jiaojiao's body. As her soul began to feel light and ethereal, Dongfang Cangwu heard her murmur, "The dog of the Heavenly Dao truly knows how to pick its timing. It caught me off guard by turning me into a cripple, and now it's doing the same by letting me ascend. This cheat is ridiculous."
Dongfang Cangwu couldn't comprehend the meaning of her words, but he saw a familiar figure within Yan Jiaojiao.
"You are—"
Yan Jiaojiao smiled at him faintly. "Dongfang Cangwu, hurry and find me."
The golden light vanished abruptly. Dongfang Cangwu stared at the empty rift before him, his eyes filled with shock.
Yan Jiaojiao had ascended.
This was the first time Dongfang Cangwu, in all his years, had witnessed someone ascend on the spot.
And he finally confirmed it: she was the one!
Those near the ground fissure stared blankly at the vast rift, utterly bewildered.
"Did someone... just ascend?"
Dongfang Cangwu let out a cold laugh and vanished in a streak of light.
That damned woman had left him without a word in the past, and now she had suddenly ascended, leaving him behind again. This time, however, he had pinpointed her. He would search heaven and earth to find her!