"He’s finally alright..."

She murmured to herself, her tone carrying undisguised joy and a hint of pride, "Okay, let’s set off."

Without unnecessary words, Duan Shuang acted decisively and efficiently.

Soon, the Water Rat carried Duan Shuang, and together with the Spirit Worm emerging from the earth veins, transformed into three swift Escape Lights, quietly leaving Purple Bamboo Mountain and speeding towards the direction of the Heaven-Suppressing Sect.

...

Half a year later.

The ruins of the Heaven-Suppressing Sect.

The former site of the Heaven-Suppressing Sect had already undergone a significant transformation.

The previously scorched earth and ruins of broken walls were cleared away, replaced by a relatively flat area shrouded in faint spiritual mist.

Several stone halls and meditation chambers, crafted with divine techniques, were scattered elegantly, simple yet possessing an aura of profound mystique.

At the core, a massive array foundation that harnessed the power of the earth veins had been outlined, with countless runes radiating spiritual light, embedded like stars, forming a vast and complex pattern.

Xu Ping stood at the center of this array foundation, holding several array flags emanating powerful waves, his expression focused as he prepared to proceed with the next steps of engraving and linking.

What he was preparing was not an ordinary array but an advanced quasi-fifth-rank composite grand array.

This array integrated defense and Gathering Spirit, designed meticulously by him, combining his own array expertise with ancient array maps collected from various places.

Once this array was established, coupled with the vast energy of the fifth-rank Spirit Vein here as a source, and with that Divinity Transformation specter as the Array Hub guardian...

"By then, even if a true Divinity Transformation Cultivator comes, breaking this array would require considerable effort, enough to hold for a while."

Xu Ping estimated in his heart. This was already the highest level of external protection he could provide himself for his Divinity Transformation tribulation.

As for potential threats...

"Currently in the Nanchuan Realm, on the surface, perhaps only the Nine Nether Elder remains as a Divinity Transformation Cultivator." Xu Ping’s eyes flickered.

He had some guesses regarding the movements of the Nine Nether Elder.

That foe was severely injured by him, with substantial damage to his origin. Nanchuan was no longer a place to linger.

The other party had most likely quietly left this realm, heading to other realms to seek a place to recover."

"Even if he dared to stay hidden in Nanchuan, with his severe injuries, it would take decades of arduous cultivation to recover, posing no threat in the short term."

Having analyzed to this point, Xu Ping felt more at ease.

The external environment had been crafted to be sufficiently safe by him.

At the moment he concentrated and prepared to embed a core array flag in a specific position, completing a key segment of the array—

He suddenly sensed something, quickly looking up into the distant sky, and a slight smile involuntarily appeared on his always tense and serious face.

"Here they come."

Within the edges of his Divine Sense perception, three familiar auras were rapidly racing toward the ruins of the Heaven-Suppressing Sect.

It was indeed Duan Shuang and her two companions.

The most crucial "support" he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

The light receded, revealing the Water Rat, Duan Shuang, and Spirit Worm in their true forms.

"Master*2."

Both the Water Rat and Spirit Worm displayed fawning smiles.

"Xu Lang."

Duan Shuang quickly stepped forward, her beautiful eyes flushed with undisguised joy, along with a hint of relief after enduring much worry.

She carefully examined Xu Ping, seeing that his aura was steady and he bore no obvious injuries, and finally, her heart, which had been tense for months, finally settled down.

"Hmm."

Xu Ping smiled slightly, his gentle gaze falling on Duan Shuang, softly holding her hand, conveying a sense of reassurance.

He first turned to the two beasts and instructed, "Spirit Worm, delve into the earth veins, further sorting and strengthening the Spirit Vein, ensuring a stable and abundant output of Spiritual Qi."

"Water Rat, you’re responsible for patrolling the perimeter, alert to any disturbances, and safeguarding this place’s security."

"Yes, Master!"

The two beasts responded in unison, without any hesitation.

The Spirit Worm’s body flickered, and it blended seamlessly into the ground like a fish entering water, diving towards the depths of the earth veins.

The Water Rat’s body flashed with a purple-blue Escape Light, transforming into a stream of light nearly imperceptible to the naked eye, beginning its patrol around the perimeter of the ruins of the Heaven-Suppressing Sect.

In an instant, only Xu Ping and Duan Shuang were left in the area.

Duan Shuang now had the opportunity to inquire in detail. She pulled Xu Ping to sit on a recently cleaned stone platform, her tone carrying post-fear and curiosity:

"Xu Lang, what exactly happened on that day?"

Though she had received news, she still wanted to hear firsthand from Xu Ping about the process of that world-shaking battle.

Knowing her concerns, Xu Ping briefly recounted the battle.

As for the Nine Nether Elder’s betrayal, manipulating Cloud Thunder Celestial Venerable’s Nascent Soul to self-destruct, and his own use of the Puppet Array and other core trump cards, he merely glossed over these details without delving deep into specifics.

"That treacherous Nine Nether Elder intended to act treacherously at the crucial moment but was heavily injured by me and fled miserably."

Xu Ping’s tone was calm, as if the Divinity Transformation Ghost Cultivator’s plot and backlash were nothing more than a minor incident.

Duan Shuang listened, her emotions turbulent. Even though Xu Ping’s account was vague, she could still imagine the peril and grandeur of that battle.

Desperate counterattacks from Divinity Transformation Cultivators, the cunning and unpredictable ghost cultivator allies... any mistake in any link could have resulted in total annihilation.

"I see... After all, it was your astonishing divine techniques, Xu Lang, that allowed you to prevail in such a precarious situation, remaining unscathed." Duan Shuang gently placed a hand on her chest, a genuine look of admiration and pride appearing on her stunning face.

The Divinity Transformation Ghost Cultivator was extremely difficult to contend with, yet Xu Ping could defeat and heavily injure them, this strength had already surpassed the limits of her imagination.

Immediately, Xu Ping’s expression turned solemn, his eyes blazing as he looked at Duan Shuang, and he said in a deep voice, "Shuang’Er, I intend to undergo seclusion here to break through to the Divinity Transformation Realm."

Upon hearing this, Duan Shuang’s delicate body trembled slightly, her beautiful eyes instantly lighting up.

Divinity Transformation!

This was a realm that many cultivators dream of achieving but fail to attain; her partner had already reached this point.

"This is a tremendous blessing!"

Duan Shuang said joyfully, but then she thought of something, her cheeks reddening slightly, her voice also lowered a bit, "How can I assist you, Xu Lang? Please feel free to tell me, and I will certainly give my utmost support."