Investigate the Divine Ruins and set off on a journey to Roc City!

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Task: Proceed to Peng City to investigate the Divine Ruins incident.

During an external operation, Peng City personnel observed what appeared to be a spatial gate to the Divine Ruins outside the city, but since the entire Peng City Dragon Sect’s covert organization was out on assignment, no one was available for dispatch. Thus, personnel from Magic City were quickly arranged to travel there.

This task is now assigned to Minglong for execution; personnel selection is at your discretion. The mission has a time limit of two months! Submit the results after two months.

Action funds have already been transferred to your account!

Note: This journey is solely for gathering information. Avoid conflict with other independent martial artists. Not all martial artists belong to the Dragon Sect—other ancient martial families remain autonomous, each possessing their own Divine Ruins, and their strength should not be underestimated.

The Divine Ruins are suspected remnants of ancient gods, once used as dwellings and cultivation grounds. They contain vast resources and are fiercely contested among martial artists. Some Divine Ruins even hold legendary spiritual energy, which could help one embark on the path to immortality.

“Divine Ruins? Spiritual energy? Interesting… It seems this world isn’t entirely depleted of spiritual energy; perhaps it still exists within the Divine Ruins.”

Fan Qiuming murmured as he read the document.

“Two months in Peng City… Looks like I can travel on official expenses. Two months away—who knows if Fan Qiulin will be pleased.”

After accepting the task, he booked two tickets to Peng City.

That night, Fan Qiuming didn’t plan to sleep but instead sat cross-legged to cultivate, determined to strengthen himself as much as possible in a short time.

Judging from Xuanlong’s earlier words, that scarred man’s strength didn’t seem particularly high.

Now he hoped to find some herbs or pills in the Divine Ruins.

Fan Qiuming knew he was only at the first stage of body refinement. If he could obtain some Purification Pills or Body Forging Pills, his progress would be much faster.

(Fan Qiuming’s cultivation path: Body Refinement, Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Golden Core, Soul Transformation, Nascent Soul, Out-of-Body, Split Spirit, Union, Tribulation Crossing, Great Ascension, Void Return, Spirit Transformation, Holy Spirit, Divine Spirit, and the highest Immortal Spirit which Fan Qiuming hopes to reach.)

As dawn broke, Fan Qiuming exhaled a breath of stale air and looked at the newly defined muscles on his body, shaking his head.

“So slow…”

After a few days of recovery, both old and new injuries had mostly healed, with only a few bruises left on his chest.

He got up and went to Fan Qiulin’s room, knocking on the door.

“Knock! Knock knock…”

“Qiulin? Are you awake? Pack your things, I’m taking you on a trip.”

“Knock knock…”

“Qiulin?”

Fan Qiuming called several times without response.

“Hm? Is it morning already?”

A lazy voice sounded from within.

“Where are we going? I still need to pack.”

There was a rustling from inside, and soon the door opened. Fan Qiulin sat in her wheelchair, rubbing her eyes with her right hand.

“Sleep on the plane! Hurry up and get ready, we’re going to Peng City.”

He pushed her into the bathroom to wash up, then returned to his room to pack. There wasn’t much to bring—everything fit into a single backpack.

“You complain about going out to play; maybe I should leave you behind and go alone?”

He said this while searching for Mian Xiao Miao.

“Where’s Mian?”

“Meow~”

Mian Xiao Miao suddenly leapt out from behind Fan Qiuming, landing on his shoulder and nuzzling him affectionately.

From its expression, it seemed to thoroughly enjoy this.

Fan Qiuming picked it up by the scruff and held it before him.

“Where should I put you? You can’t board the plane, so you’ll have to be checked in. I need to buy a special bag for you.”

He patted its head and set it down.

“Stay here obediently, don’t run around.”

“Meow~” Mian Xiao Miao replied.

It sat there, unmoving, watching him intently.

Once everything was ready, two people and a cat left the house. Fan Qiulin soon fell asleep in her wheelchair.

“Sigh, how can she sleep so much—barely woke up and already asleep again.”

Fan Qiuming pushed the wheelchair, feeling helpless, worried he’d be mistaken for a human trafficker abducting a girl.

Mian Xiao Miao perched on his shoulder, and Fan Qiuming trudged onward.

At the pet store, he tried to buy a pet backpack, but so many options left him uncertain.

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The pet store owner glanced at Fan Qiuming’s tabby cat with disdain.

“A stray cat like that, you’re wasting money on a pet backpack.”

“What I do with my cat is none of your business, is it?” Fan Qiuming replied contemptuously.

“Pick one yourself!”

He set Mian Xiao Miao in front of the backpacks, letting it choose.

Mian Xiao Miao stopped in front of a pink backpack and tapped it with its paw.

“Meow~”

Indicating its preference.

“I should have chosen myself…”

Fan Qiuming rubbed his forehead, but could only buy the pink backpack.

On the plane, the wheelchair and Mian Xiao Miao had to be checked in; Fan Qiulin immediately fell asleep, leaving all responsibility to Fan Qiuming.

“Damn… I’m losing my mind! Working myself to exhaustion, not a word of thanks.”

After sorting everything out, Fan Qiuming also fell asleep on the plane.

Magic City isn’t exactly close to Peng City—nor too far either. The flight took a little more than an hour.

Once landed, there was another round of busywork. Only Fan Qiulin, now awake, was excited—she had never left Magic City before, and her eyes sparkled in this new city.

“Wow! What’s that? I’ve never seen anything like it in Magic City.”

“This is so novel, too.”

They wandered Peng City, looking for a place to stay. Peng City was quite large, nearly rivaling Magic City.

As lunchtime approached, Fan Qiulin’s stomach growled.

“Brother, I’m hungry. I want to go there…”

She pointed to a hotpot restaurant inside a large shopping mall.

Fan Qiuming didn’t object, but Mian Xiao Miao pointed its paw toward a steakhouse instead.

“Meow~ Meow~”

“It seems even the cat is hungry—and wants steak.”

Fan Qiuming was a little stunned; the cat seemed far too clever.

“Well… since Mian wants steak, let’s all go together!”

Fan Qiulin didn’t mind Mian Xiao Miao’s preference; she liked it very much. (Though later, she would regret bringing Mian Xiao Miao along.)

“Settled then, let’s head for steak.”

Fan Qiuming pushed the wheelchair through the mall, passing a maid café where a girl caught his attention.

She was adorable, barely five foot two, with the classic petite figure—like his own sister, evoking a protective instinct.

But he didn’t linger; his sister’s hunger was more urgent. They entered the restaurant, which was bustling.

Fan Qiuming packed Mian Xiao Miao in the pet backpack to keep it from running, but didn’t zip it up tightly, apparently unaware.

Once three steaks arrived, Fan Qiuming was about to serve Mian Xiao Miao, only to find the backpack’s zipper open.

Mian Xiao Miao was nowhere to be found.

“Mian?”

He called tentatively, then saw that Mian Xiao Miao had already darted outside.

“Qiulin, wait here a moment. Mian ran out; I’ll bring it back.”

Fan Qiuming said to her, then headed out.

“Mian, wait for me, don’t run off.”

Mian Xiao Miao ran ahead, Fan Qiuming in pursuit.

He watched as it ran straight into the maid café, forcing him to follow.

Inside, Mian Xiao Miao sat at the entrance, licking its fur.

Fan Qiuming approached and picked it up.

“Mian, why did you come in here?”

He patted its head.

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“Don’t be naughty again, understood?”

When he looked up, he saw three thugs grabbing the hand of the girl he’d noticed earlier. She struggled desperately.

“Let go of me! Let me go, you scoundrels!” she cried.

Her resistance only excited them further.

Witnessing this, Fan Qiuming, holding Mian Xiao Miao, strode forward.

“Hey now, isn’t it a bit much for grown men to bully a young girl? How about you let her go—if you’re so tough, try it with me?”

“Who’s this punk? You think you can interfere with our business? Let her go on your say-so?”

Apparently the leader of the trio, clearly annoyed at Fan Qiuming’s intervention.

“That’s right, I said let her go. Even if you bring more, you’re still not worth my attention,” Fan Qiuming replied with disdain.

The thugs released the girl and signaled for two cronies to take on Fan Qiuming.

Freed, the girl immediately ran behind the café manager, looking as though she’d narrowly escaped disaster.

The three thugs approached Fan Qiuming, one swinging a punch at his face.

Fan Qiuming caught it, twisted forcefully; the thug’s expression contorted in pain. With a shove, the thug fell clutching his right hand.

“Broken… it’s broken…”

Fan Qiuming struck the second thug’s leader in the stomach, making him drop to his knees, doubled over like a shrimp. Then, with a kick, sent the last one flying.

“That’s all? Three grown men, and that’s the best you can do?”

Fan Qiuming’s tone dripped with scorn.

Mian Xiao Miao jumped atop his head, meowing as if to say,

“That’s right, that’s right!”

“Don’t let me see you again. Get as far away as possible.”

Fan Qiuming kicked the leader in the stomach.

“You’ll regret this—I’ll find you, you’re dead!”

Two thugs helped their boss up, hurling threats as they left.

“Bring as many as you want—I’ll take them all. If you insist on causing trouble, I won’t hesitate to deal with every last one of you,” Fan Qiuming called after them, brash and unyielding.

After the thugs departed, the police arrived late; patrons had called earlier, but locating the café took time.

“Thank you so much. May I ask your name?” the girl said to Fan Qiuming, her eyes filled with gratitude.

“Fan Qiuming. And you, little sister?”

Fan Qiuming smiled kindly.

“Meow~” Mian Xiao Miao chimed in, as if declaring, “My name is Mian Xiao Miao.”

“Mao Shiyi. Thank you for saving me today,” Mao Shiyi said, cheeks flushed as she shook Fan Qiuming’s right hand.

“And I’m not that young—I’m almost seventeen.”

“No need for thanks. It’s what I should do—seeing injustice, I act!”

As Fan Qiuming touched her hand, he paused, silently scanning her with his divine sense.

“So that’s how it is…”

He thought to himself, but didn’t release her hand.

“Have you touched enough? Please let go.”

Noticing something amiss, Mao Shiyi glared at Fan Qiuming, her gratitude replaced by contempt and venom.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”

Fan Qiuming apologized sincerely.

The manager, noticing the awkwardness, stepped forward to break it up.

“Thank you for saving my sister. How about a cup of coffee? I’m Ling Ying, the manager here—it’s on me,” Ling Ying said gratefully.

“No, no, my sister is waiting for me. I’ll be off now. If fate allows, we’ll meet again. Goodbye.”

Fan Qiuming waved, hugged the little cat, and pushed open the door to leave.

…