Chapter 2248: Former People Still Wear Red Makeup

The two figures, both clad in light red, stood atop a solitary peak. They moved at the same time, waves of power radiating outwards. Their red figures, like vibrant streaks of light, danced ceaselessly.

"Are they sparring?" Luo Qiqi's eyes lit up as she spotted them. Yu Fei'er was her best friend; she had thought they might never meet again in this lifetime. To her surprise, Yu Fei'er had not only reached the Firmament but had also, like Hu Yaoyao, attained the Pseudo-God realm!

"They're sparring," Du Qingyuan said. "They've been incredibly diligent, cultivating almost every day for the past ten years. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for them to acquire such formidable power in such a short time!"

Zhang Xuan nodded. No one's cultivation was achieved overnight; even he had dedicated countless hours and effort, let alone others.

After sparring for a moment, the two red figures came to a halt, and expressions of profound disappointment settled on their refined faces.

"There's no point in wasting your effort," a voice said. "Without divine energy, you can't break through the Pseudo-God bottleneck and will never be able to enter the God Realm!"

A young man in his thirties walked over. It was Luo Xuanqing. Luo Xuanqing, too, had reached the Pseudo-God realm; his power was no less, perhaps even greater, than that of the two women.

"That's right, we can't break through!" Clenching her delicate fists, Yu Fei'er's eyes were filled with an unwillingness to accept their fate.

"In my opinion," Luo Xuanqing continued, "we don't need to break through first. We should just go straight in. Even if it's dangerous, at least there's a glimmer of hope. If we keep waiting here, it will truly be goodbye forever…"

"Goodbye forever, indeed…" Yu Fei'er murmured.

The God Realm and the Firmament were not like the Firmament and the Master Teacher Continent, where one could travel back and forth with effort. Once a person entered the God Realm, the hundredfold time dilation alone would effectively sever all connections.

"Although we don't know the cultivation tiers in the God Realm, those who can enter are the peak geniuses and cultivators from across all realms," Luo Xuanqing explained. "To cultivate to the point of being able to tear open space and traverse it, a hundred or even a thousand years might not be enough! And a hundred years in the God Realm," he added, "equates to ten thousand years in the Firmament... we'd be long dead!"

Even Pseudo-Gods only had lifespans exceeding a thousand years; anything longer was impossible. With that hundredfold time difference, they would be utterly unable to meet anyone who had entered the God Realm again.

"I understand this," Yu Fei'er nodded.

"Then what are we hesitating for?" Luo Xuanqing pressed. "You, I, and the others have all reached the peak of the Pseudo-God realm, unable to advance further. Our only option now is to find a way to enter the God Realm. No matter how perilous, we must take the risk! If we fail, so be it; death is the worst outcome…"

"I agree…" Yu Fei'er nodded.

"Fei'er," Hu Yaoyao interjected, a frown on her face as she listened to their conversation. "Palace Master Du once said that to enter the God Realm, one must reach the Divine Spirit realm to have any chance; otherwise, it's certain death…"

In the Firmament, reaching the Pseudo-God realm marked a stagnation point. Every cultivator desired to advance further, yet... without divine energy, they couldn't take that final step. Unable to become a Divine Spirit, they were unable to enter the God Realm, creating a seemingly inescapable loop that trapped them in the Firmament.

"We missed our chance then," Yu Fei'er said, clenching her fist. "Unable to keep up with his pace, life feels meaningless!" If they had been like Zhao Ya and the others back then, perhaps they would already be in the God Realm, following him. Instead, they were stuck here, seeing any chance of meeting again as a distant dream.

"Alright, I'll agree to join you," Hu Yaoyao said, a slight smile on her face as she made her decision. "Honestly, that rascal does have a peculiar charm…" Back then, Zhang Xuan's cultivation was far below hers, yet his reactions often left her flustered when she tried to tease him. Past scenes flashed before her eyes. Although she hadn't had a profound connection with him, every action of his seemed etched into her mind, lingering indefinitely.

"Since it's decided, let's find a day and depart as soon as possible…"

Relieved that he had convinced them, Luo Xuanqing was about to continue speaking when a knock sounded from outside the courtyard. A figure then appeared outside. It was Wu Chen.

"Gentlemen," Wu Chen announced, "someone asked me to deliver this to you!" With a flick of his finger, three jade bottles flew towards them.

"For us?" Luo Xuanqing and the two women took the jade bottles in confusion. Just as they were about to speak, they simultaneously felt their bodies grow heavy. The jade bottles were so incredibly heavy that they struggled to hold onto them. This was alarming! They were Pseudo-God realm experts, among the strongest of their time... and they couldn't even steady a single jade bottle? What was happening?

His mind full of questions, Luo Xuanqing pulled out a stopper and peered inside, seeing a single drop of blood resting quietly within.

"This blood is so heavy... is it divine blood?" His pupils contracted. He finally understood why it was so heavy! The jade bottle contained... divine blood! The blood of a true deity.

"The blood contains divine energy; consuming it could allow one to directly break through to the Divine Spirit realm…" Realizing this, Luo Xuanqing trembled slightly as he sensed its power. Yu Fei'er and Hu Yaoyao, standing nearby, were equally astonished. There was only one explanation for someone who could casually bestow divine blood: the sender was a true deity!

"It's *his* blood... where is he?" Unable to contain herself, Yu Fei'er hastily looked up at Wu Chen. Others might not recognize the aura in the blood, but she could feel it distinctly. It was no one else but *him*!

"He just left!" Wu Chen nodded. "He said, 'See you in the God Realm!'"

"See you in the God Realm?" The three of them reeled in shock. His recent departure meant he had just come from the God Realm… They had thought that meeting him again was a distant dream, yet he had gone to the God Realm and returned, taking only ten years for the journey... which was just over a month in God Realm time.

"Oh, and Xuanqing," Wu Chen continued, "this is specifically for you. He also asked me to convey a message…" Wu Chen then handed over an item. Luo Xuanqing took it casually. After a single glance, his entire body stiffened. "This is Qiqi's! Where is she?" The item in his hand wasn't particularly valuable—a light blue hairpin, one he had given his younger sister when she was a child.

"What was the message?" Clenching the hairpin, Luo Xuanqing looked up, his face filled with excitement.

"He said that he has fulfilled his promise to you. If you want to see him or find your sister, hurry and break through, then come to the God Realm!" Wu Chen relayed.

"The God Realm… Alright," Luo Xuanqing chuckled, his eyes red-rimmed. "I'll go find him! That fellow has only been there for just over a month, so his cultivation can't have improved much. Once I arrive, I'll train hard, and then I'll beat that rascal until he's spitting teeth…"

"We'll be there too, soon…" Yu Fei'er and Hu Yaoyao exchanged glances. Looking at the jade bottles in their hands, they clenched their fists, their eyes filled with excitement and hope.

Zhang Xuan, wait for us… We'll be there soon!