Chapter 578: Chapter 13: She’s My Wife, Small Village in the Southern Continent (Third Update)

Rumble rumble——!

Huge waves surged towards the giant ship.

The powerful force activated the ship’s defense mechanisms.

A transparent light shield emerged from the ship’s hull, forming a large arc, resisting the impact of the waves.

The activation of the defense mechanisms relieved Mu Qingge of some pressure.

Seizing the opportunity, she turned back towards the horizon; the Dragon Tooth Guards were already far away. Suddenly, she heard a crisp ’crack’ in her ear.

Mu Qingge quickly turned her head and saw that the transparent light shield had developed fine cracks. The once solid defense had become incredibly fragile...

Crack crack——!

Crack——!

The cracking sounds increased, with the cracks rapidly spreading over the entire light shield at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Rumble rumble rumble——!

Waves from the Bitter Sea surged, layer upon layer, with exponentially increasing force continually crashing forward.

Even those far away Dragon Tooth Guards were being closely followed by massive waves.

Boom——!

A loud noise destroyed the ship’s defense.

Countless seawater, as if falling from the sky, seemed determined to swallow everything in the world!

"Go!" Mu Qingge grabbed Xie Ya’s shoulder, pulling her body to retreat backward.

The seawater poured like a torrent into the giant ship. The massive hull was torn by the water, breaking in half and sinking quickly. A clear cry sounded from the sea as a green light shot out, flying towards the sky.

"Qingniao, go quickly!" Xie Ya shouted to the green bird.

The green bird flapped its wings and sped up.

But behind it, a huge wave crashed down, engulfing the spot where it was just a moment ago.

"Circle around from the right." Mu Qingge’s peripheral vision caught sight of the relatively weaker waves on the right and said to Xie Ya.

Xie Ya nodded silently and commanded the green bird.

The green bird tilted its body, making a sharp turn in the air, heading toward the right.

In this sudden swerve, Xie Ya collided into Mu Qingge’s arms.

The unexpected closeness left Xie Ya little time to think, as she immediately leaned forward, creating a distance between them.

Without resistance, the tsunami grew fiercer, relentlessly advancing.

The green bird desperately flew forward, the tsunami chasing relentlessly behind.

In a sequence of near-misses between chase and escape, they steadily approached the continent ahead...

"The tsunami seems smaller..." Xie Ya glanced back at the receding waves, speaking with lingering fear.

Suddenly, her expression changed, eyes filled with terror: "No! It’s brewing an even bigger tsunami!"

As her words fell, the Bitter Sea emitted a massive roar.

The sound was akin to the sky collapsing and the earth cracking, terrifying as the entire Bitter Sea’s waters were stirred up.

Mu Qingge turned back to see, only to find the Bitter Sea’s waters seemingly being pulled from the ground by a giant force, surging into the sky and forming towering water walls, advancing rapidly.

"Faster!" Mu Qingge’s eyes turned cold, gritting her teeth as she spoke to Xie Ya.

Xie Ya bit her lip, desperately urging the green bird to speed up!

However, no matter how fast the green bird went, it was just a Spirit Beast. In the face of the forces of heaven and earth, it appeared incredibly small.

The green bird let out a clear, spirited cry, pushing its speed to the limit.

But the giant wave behind it loomed like an invincible giant, striking down fiercely.

In a daze, Mu Qingge seemed to see the Bitter Sea’s water being sucked into the sky, forming a towering giant where the tsunamis were their descending giant palms!

Boom——!

The giant palm fell, obscuring the sky and striking hard at Mu Qingge and Xie Ya on the green bird’s back.

In an instant, Mu Qingge’s vision turned into a world of turquoise seawater...

The sun set, stars sunk, and after an unknown period, the Bitter Sea gradually regained tranquility. The tsunami had swallowed everything, yet seemed to send everything away, leaving only the purity of the Bitter Sea.

Beyond layers of mist, the outline of a continent gradually became clear.

Connected to the Bitter Sea was a beach covered in rubble, and beyond the beach, there was a forest with smoke rising. On the shore, a simple dock had a few fishing boats stranded.

It seemed to be a small fishing village.

Night had fallen, and the place was long deserted.

The seawater gently lapped the shore, incredibly gentle.

In the crevices of a few rocks, two bodies squeezed together, soaked by seawater, looking very wretched.

Beside them was a large green bird—

Suddenly, the green bird transformed into a streak of green light, diving into one person’s forehead.

"Mmm..."

A muffled groan came from one of the bodies.

The woman in red lying on top stirred slightly, her hands sinking into the sand as she pushed herself up.

Mu Qingge awoke from her daze, leaning back against a rock, the salty sea scent making her uncomfortable. She gazed at the stars in the night, struggling to recall the scenes before she lost consciousness.

She remembered riding the green bird with Xie Ya, only to be struck down by the giant waves.

But, just as they were about to fall into the sea, Xie Ya suddenly squeezed out a bit of her heart blood to feed the green bird. Instantly, a blinding green light erupted from the green bird, increasing its speed several fold, and they broke free from the sea, soaring far away.

They had been chased by the waves for almost a whole day and night, eventually exhausting the green bird, causing it to fall from the sky. They both supported themselves with Spiritual Power, fighting against the tsunami for a long while. After the green bird slightly recovered its strength, it resumed their escape.

Afterwards...

Mu Qingge shook her dizzy head, the events afterward somewhat blurred; in any case, before fainting, they saw the shore.

Mu Qingge ended her recollection, turning her gaze to the present scene.

Beside her was the unconscious Xie Ya.

The sea had soaked her clothes, her hair was slightly disheveled.

With the cover of night, Mu Qingge noticed her pale complexion.

Furrowing her brow, Mu Qingge checked her pulse, finding it was the aftermath of forcibly expelling her heart blood, she relaxed a bit.

’So this is the Southern Continent region of the Middle Ancient Realm?’ Mu Qingge glanced around, speculating in her mind.

Thinking for a moment, she carried Xie Ya on her back, her footprints sinking into the sand soaked by the sea as she walked towards the shore.

Mu Qingge did not rashly approach for help, instead, she found a cave in the forest where they could temporarily rest. The cave wasn’t large, just enough to hold a few people, and inside it was pitch black but dry.

After putting Xie Ya down, Mu Qingge noticed changes in her own form.

Raising her hand, she touched the earring on her left ear, which had a crack, slowly repairing itself.

Taking out an Elixir and feeding it to Xie Ya, Mu Qingge waved her hand, and Bai Xi appeared beside her.

"Mu Qingge, if you do this again next time, I’ll be angry. Facing such danger all by yourself!" Bai Xi, upon arrival, sharply reprimanded Mu Qingge with a childlike voice.

Mu Qingge, however, was in no position to argue with her at that moment.

She pointed to Xie Ya on the ground and said to Bai Xi: "Give her one of your sets of clothes, I’ll go change mine first." With that, she disappeared into the cave.

Bai Xi stomped her feet in anger, but there was no helping it.

In other households, the master escapes first in danger, leaving subordinates to buy time. But in Mu Qingge’s case, it’s the opposite, with the master staying behind and the subordinates leaving first!

Bai Xi felt both frustrated and moved.

The longer she spent with Mu Qingge, the more she understood the loyalty of the Dragon Tooth Guards towards her wasn’t without reason. Mu Qingge genuinely cared for them, and naturally, they reciprocated with sincerity.

With a helpless sigh, Bai Xi obediently took out a set of her own clothes and dressed Xie Ya.

When she had dressed Xie Ya, Mu Qingge reappeared, free from her previous disheveled state, yet with a trace of fatigue still lingering between her brows.

"Why aren’t you resting properly?" Bai Xi chided begrudgingly.

Mu Qingge slowly shook her head, glanced at Xie Ya, sat cross-legged, took out a Jade Token, tapped it a few times, and closed her eyes to sense. After a while, she opened her eyes, and a hint of seriousness appeared in her clear, bright eyes.

Bai Xi leaned over and asked, "What is it? Can’t you get through?"

Mu Qingge barely nodded, "I initially thought that while in the space, communication with them was impossible. But now, it seems that’s not the reason. I can sense their presence, yet they don’t respond to me."

"Maybe they’re unconscious or just not paying attention," Bai Xi awkwardly comforted Mu Qingge.

In truth, she excelled at killing, not at comforting!

Mu Qingge gave a faint smile, looked at Bai Xi, and said, "Let’s hope so." She knew she couldn’t rush things now and could only wait patiently for news to return.

After a brief silence, Mu Qingge said to Bai Xi, "You should head back first."

Bai Xi hesitated, shaking her head immediately, "No! I want to stay by your side to protect you!"

Mu Qingge explained, "If I’m not mistaken, we’re now standing on the soil of the Middle Ancient Realm. We are unfamiliar with the situation here, and you’re my trump card, not to be revealed lightly. Besides, do you remember what ’he’ said?"

The mention of ’him’ caused Bai Xi’s body to tense.

He naturally referred to Si Mo.

Before leaving Linchuan, Si Mo told both Bai Xi and Yin Chen. The spiritual pressure of the Middle Ancient Realm differed from that of the Linchuan Realm, and their cultivation would receive a comprehensive enhancement upon entering the Middle Ancient Realm, an opportunity not to be squandered.

Mu Qingge pressed her lips together and said, "This space, which Mengmeng created, is quite strange. In the Linchuan Realm, while the spiritual energy inside the space was more abundant than outside, the spiritual pressure was the same as the Linchuan Realm. Upon entering the Middle Ancient Realm, I found the spiritual pressure within seemed to have changed. I asked Mengmeng, and she said the space’s spiritual pressure automatically adjusted to match the outside after entering the Middle Ancient Realm. So, you and Yin Chen should stay inside to cultivate. I’ll naturally let you out when I need you."

Bai Xi gave her a longing look but didn’t persist further.

She said to Mu Qingge, "Alright then, I’ll go back to cultivate and try to awaken more of my cultivation." Then, she admonished, "But if you encounter danger, release me immediately without trying to be brave!"

"Don’t worry." Mu Qingge smiled faintly.

In the end, Bai Xi reluctantly returned to the space.

After Bai Xi left, Mu Qingge, under the moonlight outside the cave, looked at the unconscious Xie Ya, lost in thought.

Having finally entered the Middle Ancient Realm, the first task on the agenda was—the Le Family!

Mu Qingge’s clear eyes gleamed with cold light.

...

The night gradually passed.

Sunlight dispelled the darkness, casting its rays into the cave, illuminating its entrance and enveloping the slumbering Xie Ya.

Perhaps it was the warmth of the sunlight that caused Xie Ya’s long eyelashes to twitch slightly, rousing her from her deep slumber.

She opened her eyes to the sight of a dark cave. Yet she lay within the sole patch touched by sunlight, enveloped in warmth.

’Where is this place?’ Xie Ya thought, startled.

She looked down at her clothes, which were no longer her own but a white dress that seemed familiar, as if... she had seen Bai Xi wear it before.

"You’re awake." A voice came low and hoarse.

Xie Ya was taken aback, "Who?"

She looked toward the dark cave and finally saw a shadowy figure sitting cross-legged in a dark corner.

"Young Master?" Xie Ya tentatively asked.

Since she was with Mu Qingge, she naturally assumed it was Mu Qingge when she woke to find someone with her. However, the voice seemed both like and unlike his.

"Yes." Mu Qingge replied from the darkness.

She didn’t give Xie Ya much time to think, saying directly, "I’m about to break through, you need to protect me."

Another breakthrough!

Xie Ya was shocked. If she remembered correctly, Mu Qingge had just caused a huge commotion with a breakthrough on Duole Island, hadn’t he? How come just three months later, another breakthrough was approaching?

"Understood, Xie Ya responded." Though puzzled, she obediently stood up and headed outside the cave.

Outside the cave was a forest, where sunlight filtered through the branches, bringing warmth and comfort.

Bathed in the sunlight, Xie Ya dispelled the shadow in her heart.

After Xie Ya left, Mu Qingge slowly closed her eyes. She hadn’t slept all night, and her Illusionary Artifact wasn’t yet fully restored. Most importantly, she felt she could no longer suppress the spiritual power within her.

The spiritual power which she had compressed countless times was, after a night of adaptation, finally about to erupt.

Gathering her concentration, Mu Qingge began cultivating.

Inside Mu Qingge, purple-gray spiritual power surged wildly. Her Dantian formed a vortex, drawing back all spiritual power from her limbs, her entire being, into her Dantian.

When all the spiritual power was drawn back, the purple-gray spiritual power began to change color, with purple diminishing and gray increasing. Initially, the gray was almost ink-like, deep and thick.

Gradually, the gray lightened, its color becoming paler.

The gray, from the initial ink-like concentration, gradually lightened toward white. Ultimately, the color of Mu Qingge’s spiritual energy stabilized at a pale gray.

When the color of her spiritual energy stabilized, Mu Qingge’s Dantian released burst after burst, impacting her body, washing over her meridians, bones, skin, and muscles over and over again.

Boom boom boom——!

Inside Mu Qingge, it was like a volcanic eruption. Compressed spiritual power burst forth, impacting her realm—

Spiritual Movement Stage Peak!

Crack!

Gray Realm First Layer!

Crack!

Gray Realm Second Layer!

Crack!

Gray Realm Third Layer!

Crack!

Gray Realm Fourth Layer!

Crack!

Gray Realm Fifth Layer!

Outside the cave, all was calm. Mu Qingge’s breakthrough did not cause any disturbance outside. The breakthrough seemed to occur only within Mu Qingge’s body.

Xie Ya waited silently outside until afternoon twilight before footsteps approached from behind.

Turning around, she saw Mu Qingge walking out.

There stood the impeccably handsome red-clad gentleman, exuding an air of wildness and defiance. It was as though nothing in the world could make him bow his head.

Xie Ya momentarily lost herself, seemingly entranced by Mu Qingge.

As Xie Ya turned to face her, she gasped, "Young Master’s cultivation level!" She found she couldn’t clearly perceive Mu Qingge’s cultivation anymore.

Mu Qingge’s eyes glinted, cold and clear.

In that moment, realization dawned on her that despite everything, regardless of her progress, there would always be a stage beyond her current level. It seemed that every step of growth only led to the unveiling of yet another level to surpass.

Seeing Mu Qingge’s reaction, Xie Ya tempered her astonishment, nodded, and said, "Once Young Master reaches the Golden Realm, you will naturally understand."

At this moment, Mu Qingge’s eyes shone brilliantly. This was indeed the most gratifying outcome since the trials on Duole Island.

Mu Qingge thought, now that she had finally arrived in the Middle Ancient Realm, the first thing to do was—Le Family!

"""

Gradually, she also got used to this kind of waiting.

Without questioning Xie Ya, Mu Qingge said to her, "How do you feel? Is there any sign of a breakthrough?"

Xie Ya lived in the Bitter Sea, her cultivation was restricted by the spiritual pressure of the Bitter Sea. Now entering the Middle Ancient Realm, she should also have some breakthroughs. Moreover, Si Mo had clearly told her that there is no division of realms in the Spiritual Movement Stage.

To give an analogy, the Spiritual Movement Stage is like a large water tank.

Its function is to continuously fill with spiritual power.

Gradually, people divided the different water levels in the tank to define the boundaries of the Spiritual Movement Stage.

The Spiritual Movement Stage is just one stage; when spiritual pressure changes, it will breakthrough into a new field, and the water in the tank will be transformed into new spiritual power.

The difference lies in that the more spiritual power you accumulate during the Spiritual Movement Stage, the higher the chances of consecutive breakthroughs.

Generally speaking, breakthroughs can reach the First Layer of the Gray Realm. If the spiritual power accumulated during the Spiritual Movement Stage is abundant and pure, it may break through to the Second or Third Layer.

Someone like Mu Qingge, who broke through to the Fifth Layer all at once, is practically unheard of.

The main reason is not only her talent but also her serious adherence to Si Mo’s words, which she executed strictly.

Mu Qingge’s words made Xie Ya nod lightly.

In fact, she had long felt the sense of breakthrough, but because Mu Qingge was in a breakthrough, she had been suppressing her own breakthrough.

"If that’s the case, go in and cultivate. I will protect you," Mu Qingge said to her.

Xie Ya did not feign modesty, and after nodding slightly to Mu Qingge, she entered the cave.

Standing outside the cave, Mu Qingge raised her hand to touch her left ear.

The purple earring automatically restored itself after her successful breakthrough. Naturally, she also returned to male attire.

Regarding her true gender, she did not deliberately hide it from Xie Ya. Instead, she felt that the Yi Tribe was still hiding things from her, seeming to have hidden truths behind their inexplicable attachment to her.

Before those hidden truths were clarified, Mu Qingge did not want too many of her things to be known by Xie Ya.

Simply put, the level of trust was not yet sufficient!

"Middle Ancient Realm! I finally arrived. I hope my arrival can solve some puzzles troubling me, troubling my grandfather, and also troubling my aunt," Mu Qingge muttered to herself.

Sifting through her thoughts, Mu Qingge took out the jade token and tapped on it a few times.

Then she watched the changes on the jade token.

This time, it didn’t take long for flashes of light to appear on the jade token.

This made Mu Qingge’s eyes burst with delight, and she immediately tapped on the jade token.

She used code to inquire about the whereabouts of the Dragon Tooth Guards, as well as You He and Hua Yue.

The other side of the jade token quickly responded.

It turns out they were also scattered, each dispersed and separated. You He and Hua Yue were also separated, following different Dragon Tooth Guards.

Fortunately, no one was injured or lost.

The bird eggs they brought from the Trial Space, which hatched flying spirit beasts, played a significant role, carrying the Dragon Tooth Guards and them out of the Bitter Sea and into the Middle Ancient Realm.

Before, they hadn’t responded to Mu Qingge because they were all undergoing breakthroughs.

Nearly a year of cultivation, continuous compression and accumulation, plus the help of top-grade spirit stones, they all successfully advanced to the Gray Realm.

But most of them were at the First and Second Layers.

The only one to reach the Third Layer was Mo Yang.

You He and Hua Yue, the two little girls, were still at the Purple Realm Peak, but they were confident they could enter the Gray Realm before long.

After understanding the general situation, Mu Qingge instructed them to first move individually in the Middle Ancient Realm to understand its situation.

Once she found the location of the Le Family, she would notify them to reunite.

With the news of the Dragon Tooth Guards, Mu Qingge finally felt at ease.

"It’s just a pity that I cannot reassure my grandfather," Mu Qingge sighed, gazing at the starry sky.

After a while, she lowered her head and looked at the palace bell hanging at her waist. Lifting it with her hand, Mu Qingge smiled slightly and gently shook the palace bell twice.

The sound of the palace bell transcended time and space and fell into someone’s ear.

Shortly, Mu Qingge’s palace bell rang out, the crisp sound echoing and filling Mu Qingge’s ears.

This reminded Mu Qingge of what Si Mo once said, ’If the bell keeps ringing, it means he misses you very much.’

Memories of the past softened Mu Qingge’s brows and eyes, and she held the bell tightly to stop it from making sound.

After she calmed down, she picked up the palace bell and slowly shook it once, and then quickly shook it three times.

This was her agreement with Si Mo.

One long and three short, indicating she had safely arrived in the Middle Ancient Realm. Telling him not to worry!

Soon, Mu Qingge’s palace bell gently rang twice.

This meant ’safe’.

It was Si Mo’s exhortation to keep herself safe.

An indescribable sweetness surged from Mu Qingge’s heart. As the night wind blew, lifting her clothes and hair, she took a deep breath, suddenly feeling she missed someone’s embrace.

Putting down the palace bell, Mu Qingge began to seriously admire the night sky of the Middle Ancient Realm.

...

One night passed, and Xie Ya did not come out of the cave.

At the break of dawn, Mu Qingge twitched her ears, hearing footsteps coming from the woods.

She turned her gaze to the disturbed weeds, and soon, a delicate-looking boy around eleven or twelve years old emerged from the weeds. He carried a hatchet in his hand, a bamboo basket on his back, and a fat rabbit tied to his waist.

The rabbit’s head drooped, it seemed dead for some time.

The boy emerged from the weeds, and was startled to see someone standing outside the cave in front of him, wielding the sickle in his hand and shouting, "Who is it?"

Mu Qingge looked at him, raised an eyebrow slightly, and did not answer.

Receiving no response, the boy gathered his courage and took two steps forward, seemingly wanting to see Mu Qingge’s appearance more clearly.

When he finally saw Mu Qingge’s face clearly, his eyes widened, and he dropped the hatchet in his hand. He said dumbfoundedly, "Brother, you’re so beautiful!"

Dressed in male attire, receiving a compliment on beauty...

Mu Qingge slightly frowned.

Her frown seemed to awaken the boy, and he frantically waved his hands like a little beast that had barged into another’s territory, awkwardly explaining, "No, no, I mean... Brother looks very good, I’ve never seen someone as good-looking as little brother!"

His eyes were clear, filled with sincerity, and an untainted purity.

Mu Qingge slightly lifted the corners of her lips and said faintly, "Thank you." Thank him for his compliment.

Uh...

The boy, perhaps not expecting Mu Qingge to speak, was momentarily stunned and did not know how to respond.

Mu Qingge looked him over, seeing he was dressed simply and plainly, possibly even considered poor. However, his clothes were washed clean without any dirt. His bamboo basket contained some firewood and some ordinary medicinal materials.

"Are you from this village?" When she first woke up, Mu Qingge had speculated that it was a small fishing village, not very large.

At the moment, encountering this boy was a good chance to investigate.

The boy showed a genuine smile, nodded, and said, "Yes! I grew up in the village since I was little. Brother, you must be from another place, right?"

Mu Qingge smiled and nodded.

Seeing Mu Qingge nod, the boy said cheerfully, "I thought so. The village is so small, I know how many people there are, but I’ve never seen you, brother."

"Brother, did you come here for something?" the boy asked enthusiastically.

Mu Qingge responded simply, "Passing through."

The boy understood, nodding comprehension, and did not continue to ask.

He just looked at Mu Qingge and then at the cave behind her, suddenly said, "Brother, are you planning to take a break in this cave? There’s nothing to eat nearby, and no water source either." He glanced around and then said to Mu Qingge, "Brother might as well rest at my house." After inviting her, he scratched his head embarrassedly, "However, my house is very simple, brother, don’t mind."

The boy’s invitation made Mu Qingge seriously consider it.

The young man in front of her, even though he was just in a small fishing village. But his understanding of the Middle Ancient Realm was definitely far superior to hers. Since the other party gave her an opportunity to gather information, how could she waste it?

"Then I’ll be imposing on you." Mu Qingge looked at him with a smile in her eyes.

Hearing Mu Qingge accept the invitation, the young man exclaimed in surprise and quickly said, "It’s no imposition, no imposition at all. I’m more than happy that brother is willing to come to my house."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Qingge heard a sound behind her.

Soon, Xie Ya walked out of the cave, appearing like a goddess bathed in moonlight.

Seeing the young man, she couldn’t help but be taken aback.

And her sudden appearance also left the young man staring in a daze.

Xie Ya looked at Mu Qingge, seemingly inquiring about the identity of the young man.

However, before she could speak, the young man snapped out of his astonishment and said to Mu Qingge, "Brother, is this beautiful lady who looks like a goddess your wife?"

The words ’wife’ promptly made Xie Ya instinctively want to clarify.

But her wrist was grabbed by Mu Qingge.

She looked at Mu Qingge with confusion, while Mu Qingge smiled at the young man and said, "Yes! She is my wife. We came out to travel and ended up here by accident, getting a little lost."

Mu Qingge’s words made Xie Ya immediately understand.

She no longer thought about explaining, but instead smiled faintly at the young man, as if she truly were Mu Qingge’s wife.

"I see! I thought as much, such a good-looking brother must have an equally beautiful sister-in-law!" the young man smiled innocently, a youthful and tender emotion bursting forth on his handsome face.

Mu Qingge looked at Xie Ya and said gently, "This little brother invited us to his house as guests."

This sentence made Xie Ya even more aware of Mu Qingge’s intention. She shifted her gaze from Mu Qingge to the young man and nodded slightly, "Thank you for the trouble."

"No, no, don’t be so polite with me. I’m Jing Hai, you can just call me little Hai," the young man Jing Hai said to Mu Qingge and Xie Ya.

"My surname is Mu," Mu Qingge said to Jing Hai.

She didn’t mention her full name because she felt that to Jing Hai, she was just a passerby, a moment in his life, unnecessary to remember too much.

"So it’s brother Mu," Jing Hai didn’t mind Mu Qingge not giving his full name, and his eyes curved into crescent moons, the light in them like twinkling stars, dazzlingly bright.

"Let’s go, I’ll take you home," Jing Hai said. Then he picked up the rabbit tied to his waist and gave them a bright smile, "We’re lucky today, I’ll make braised rabbit for you when we get back."

"Brother Mu, sister, I can tell you, my braised rabbit is really delicious..." On the way, Jing Hai’s voice was constant.

He talked about various trivial matters related to himself, as if trying to express his enthusiasm and welcome to Mu Qingge and Xie Ya.

Jing Hai’s home was in the small fishing village.

However, it was somewhat remote, quite a distance from the nearest neighbors.

His home, indeed as he said, was very simple.

So simple that there were only two dilapidated rooms.

Mu Qingge noticed the houses here were elevated, leaving some space underneath. One needed to climb a few steps to enter the house.

Such houses seemed to be built to guard against the coastal damp.

Because of its remote location, Jing Hai’s bringing two eye-catching strangers didn’t alert the villagers.

"Brother Mu, sister, please come in. Although the house is simple, I keep it very clean," Jing Hai led the way ahead, turning to Mu Qingge and Xie Ya.

Mu Qingge and Xie Ya followed him up the rickety steps, onto the corridor, and into the house.

After a glance around, Mu Qingge took in Jing Hai’s home in her mind.

There were two rooms, one a kitchen, the other served as both a bedroom and dining area.

Inside, there was hardly any furniture, just a bed, a desk, a dining table, and a wardrobe.

Though simple, it was indeed as Jing Hai said, very clean, with not a speck of dust. Everything was neatly arranged.

After bringing them inside, Jing Hai turned to get water, carrying it to them with an apologetic expression, "Sorry, brother Mu, but there’s no tea at home, just this plain water."

"Plain water is more than enough, thank you." Mu Qingge smiled, taking the bowl from Jing Hai’s hand without a hint of disdain.

Xie Ya also followed suit and took the bowl of water.

Seeing that they were not bothered at all, Jing Hai’s heart, which had been on edge, quietly settled down.

"You guys rest for a while, I’ll go cook the rabbit first." Jing Hai grinned, speaking to Mu Qingge and Xie Ya.

"No rush." Mu Qingge stopped him. When Jing Hai gave her a puzzled look, she continued, "We came here by accident and don’t know where this place is. If you know, why don’t you give us an introduction?"

"Ah! Sure!" Jing Hai responded and immediately nodded in agreement.

He invited Mu Qingge and Xie Ya to sit down, as there were no chairs left in the house. He casually brought over a round log used for chopping firewood and placed it under himself.

After sitting down, he said, "Our little fishing village doesn’t have a name, because it’s really small with only a dozen or so households. However, not far from our village, I know there’s a city called Haiyu City. Haiyu City is quite big!" Jing Hai said, spreading his hands wide in front of him to form a big circle to describe the size of Haiyu City.

"Haiyu City." Mu Qingge silently memorized this name in her heart.

She realized that Jing Hai’s knowledge was also limited. If she wanted to quickly learn about the situation in the Southern Continent and gather information about the Le Family, she definitely needed to go to Haiyu City.

Only by going to a large city would she have a chance to find the information she wanted.

"Little Hai, how do we get from here to Haiyu City?" Mu Qingge asked.

Jing Hai said, "Brother Mu wants to go to Haiyu City? Haiyu City is hundreds of miles away from our village, and there’s a road right outside the village that leads directly to Haiyu City."

Then, Jing Hai also told Mu Qingge and Xie Ya about the local customs and practices. When his stomach started growling, he sheepishly took the rabbit to the kitchen.

After he left, Xie Ya whispered, "This child’s cultivation is only at Purple Realm Initial Rank. People in the Middle Ancient Realm are born at Purple Realm Initial Rank, so his cultivation remaining at the level he was born at only shows he has never practiced cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Mu Qingge’s heart was filled with boundless emotions.

People in the Middle Ancient Realm are born at Purple Realm Initial Rank, while so many people in the Linchuan Realm work hard in cultivation just to reach the Purple Realm. This disparity really makes one feel disheartened!

Suddenly, Mu Qingge seemed to understand why people from the Le Family who came from the Middle Ancient Realm regarded all the people of Linchuan as ants.

In their eyes, those in Linchuan who hadn’t even reached the Purple Realm couldn’t even compare to babies here!

Mu Qingge looked at Xie Ya, with a glimmer in her eyes, "Gray Realm Fourth Layer."

Xie Ya immediately lowered her eyes and whispered, "My talent is not as good as the Young Master."

Mu Qingge chuckled, "Why belittle yourself?"

The two chatted for a while, and soon an enticing aroma of meat wafted through the air.

Before long, they saw Jing Hai smiling beamly as he brought in steaming braised rabbit meat.

"It’s time to eat!" Jing Hai warmly invited them.

As Mu Qingge tasted Jing Hai’s braised rabbit meat, she casually chatted, "Little Hai, I noticed you seem to live alone."

Jing Hai nodded while chewing on the rabbit meat. "Yes! I’ve lived alone since I was young."

His words made Xie Ya put down her chopsticks and look at him. Something was sparkling in those bright eyes.

Mu Qingge also glanced up at him, "Where is your family?"

Originally, Mu Qingge was worried this topic might be too abrupt and might touch upon something painful.

However, Jing Hai’s response was very calm.

He swallowed the rabbit meat in his mouth before speaking, "When I was born, there was only my mother. She told me that my father left the fishing village to become stronger. Later, when I was five, my mother left too. She said she wanted to find my father and bring him home to see this son of his."

After saying this, Jing Hai took another piece of rabbit meat for himself.

But Mu Qingge and Xie Ya noticed that he picked pieces of meat that were attached to the bones. He hadn’t touched the complete pieces of meat, seeming to intentionally leave them for the two guests.

"Little Hai! Little Hai——!" Suddenly, a voice called out from outside.

Jing Hai swallowed hard, put down his bowl and chopsticks, and walked towards the door.

After a while, Mu Qingge and Xie Ya heard the excited conversation between two boys outside the door.

"Little Hai, did you know? The Dou Family in Haiyu City is hiring house servants, let’s go together! If we can enter the Dou Mansion and become house servants, we’ll have the chance to practice cultivation techniques and become strong!"

"Really? That’s great! I’ve been waiting for this day for so long! We’ll go together tomorrow!"

Then, Jing Hai ran back with an excited look on his face and said to Mu Qingge and Xie Ya, "Brother Mu, aren’t you going to Haiyu City? I can take you there tomorrow! I’m going to Haiyu City too!"