"Then I'll leave Liyue's affairs to you!"
Pierro the Jester did not suspect anything. After all, the Harbinger standing before him had handed over a Gnosis. Even if Rosalyne wanted to rest for a while, he would not object in the slightest.
After leaving the palace, Rosalyne felt hollow inside. She did not even spare a glance at the aurora shimmering above her head, walking forward alone.
Snowflakes slowly drifted down from the sky. The sudden chill awakened the witch.
She raised her head to gaze at the heavens and murmured to herself, "In the end… I still have to face it."
Even if she was unwilling, fate had already forced her to this point. No matter what, this time she could not escape.
…
"Big Brother, Qiqi is amazing! She really learned the Golden Light Mantra!!!"
In the small courtyard behind the comic shop, Yaoyao could not help but exclaim when she saw Qiqi's body glowing with golden light.
She had thought Qiqi's memory was poor and that it might take countless repetitions to teach her. Who would have thought that Qiqi would grasp the basics in less than half an hour? That was truly incredible.
Su Han checked her condition and, after confirming she had not gone astray in her practice, praised her with a smile. "She has a special constitution blessed with immortal affinity. It's only natural that she could learn the Golden Light Mantra. But you can't slack off either. Big Brother will check on you from time to time!"
"Mhm! Big Brother, don't worry. Yaoyao will work hard!"
The little girl was very sensible, practicing diligently almost every day. Although her aptitude was not as good as Shenhe's, that level of perseverance was something most people could not match.
If they were to compare purely in terms of Golden Light Mantra cultivation, even Keqing was not progressing as fast as she was.
Seeing both little girls immersed in cultivation, Su Han naturally did not fall behind either. He now had to set aside time every day to convert his inner energy into spiritual power, otherwise his reserves simply would not be enough.
He cultivated all the way until the afternoon, when Shenhe finally woke him.
Opening his eyes, he discovered that Qiqi was actually sitting together with Hu Tao. Although fear still lingered on her face, the fact that she had not run away was already a huge improvement.
"Don't worry. Yesterday, Su Han already told me about your situation. What happened before was this Director's fault. Since you possess immortal affinity and want to live properly, I naturally won't bury you anymore!"
Upon hearing that the other party no longer intended to harm her, Qiqi immediately asked, "Really?"
"Yes, yes. This Director keeps her word and will never go back on it!"
Seeing the seriousness on Hu Tao's face, Qiqi chose to trust her for the time being.
At this moment, Su Han walked over and said, "Since the misunderstanding is resolved, that's great. From now on, we're all friends. Director, would you like to eat something? We've been cultivating all morning and haven't had a meal yet."
"That sounds perfect! I haven't eaten either. Oh right, has the comic been updated yet? I'm dying of anticipation…"
Even with an empty stomach, Hu Tao could not forget her comic. The Sky Island arc had just begun. If she could not read it, she would probably sleep poorly again tonight.
Su Han smiled and replied, "Yes. It was just updated."
"Then hurry and let me see it. I want to read while I eat!"
"No problem."
Su Han then handed the latest two volumes to Hu Tao.
Looking at the brand-new arc, Hu Tao immediately beamed with joy and began flipping through the pages.
The story picked up directly from the previous chapter and was incredibly exciting. Not only were there islands in the sky, there was even a heavenly realm with its own inhabitants. However, the moment Luffy and the others arrived, they were declared wanted criminals.
They were then forced into the Trial of God. The divine priests there were overwhelmingly powerful, each one fierce and formidable. And of course, the strongest of them all was the god himself, Enel, making his entrance.
Amid the nonstop battles, another faction quietly appeared. Their clothing was simple and their weapons crude, yet their combat strength was astonishing.
Even with these people's help, Luffy and his companions still fought with extreme difficulty. Enel's power was terrifying. He could predict everyone's attacks and even transform into an element, making him nearly invincible. By the end of the volume, there was no sign of hope at all.
It was only in the battles of the next volume that Luffy, relying on his rubber body and bizarre tactics, managed to turn the tide slightly. Even so, the fight remained brutal. In the end, when Luffy gave everything he had, the god finally fell with a thunderous crash.
When the bell of Shandora rang out once more, the people beneath the clouds finally understood that the City of Gold truly existed. After that came the most touching chapter of all.
The past of Noland and the great warrior Calgara.
Noland, who had been mistaken by everyone as a liar, had truly discovered the City of Gold. He had even clashed with the local people there.
As the saying goes, no fight means no friendship. An adventurer and the chief of a primitive tribe met and went through many trials together. Despite their misunderstandings, Calgara was ultimately won over by Noland's character. Before parting, he gifted Noland a vast amount of gold and promised that the next time they met, he would welcome him with even greater hospitality.
However, due to tectonic upheaval, that part of the island was blasted into the sky. The two sides never saw each other again for the rest of their lives.
Even so, the great warrior Calgara never gave up. Even on his deathbed, he still wished to ring the light of Shandora for his friend, yet his wish was never fulfilled.
And thus, the Sky Island arc came to an end.
After finishing the comic, Hu Tao was deeply moved and commented, "This plot is incredible. I guessed that Uncle Cricket's ancestor probably wasn't a liar, but I never imagined there was such a hidden story. The Sky Island arc is amazing…"
"I'm glad you like it…"
Su Han said shamelessly. After all, this was far from the first time he had been praised.
In the subsequent story, Luffy and the others left the Sky Island and happened to encounter a Marine Admiral. Facing power so overwhelming that it crushed them completely, they did not even have a chance to escape.
Fortunately, the other party did not wipe them out completely, and Luffy's group survived. However, perhaps because their previous adventures had been too intense, the Going Merry could no longer hold on. In order to repair the ship, they arrived at Water Seven.
There, after an inspection, they received a despair-inducing verdict. The Going Merry could no longer continue the journey. As captain, Luffy made the painful decision to replace the ship, which led to an internal conflict with Usopp.
The comic ended there.
Hu Tao stared at it with a face full of despair and said, "Did I just climb out of one pit only to jump into another? Oh Archons, I shouldn't have read it. I'm definitely not sleeping well tonight."
Before, whenever she closed her eyes, she imagined the story of the Sky Island. Now it had been replaced by Luffy and Usopp's clash, and thoughts of what the new ship might be like.
In short, everything about it was far too captivating.
Seeing this, Su Han laughed and said, "Stop thinking about it, Director. Just wait a few days and everything will be revealed. Xu Er, start spreading the word. The Sky Island arc of Adventure King is out."
"Yes, Boss. Everything's already prepared…"
Very soon, the sound of gongs and drums rang out from outside. The long-awaited Sky Island arc of Adventure King had officially gone on sale.
Because the previous comics had been such a huge success, many customers had chosen to pre-order. Now Xu Er not only had to promote it, but also urgently arrange deliveries. None of this could be delayed.
Inside the Northland Bank, Tartaglia looked at the latest comic in his hands with anticipation. "Let me see what unique combat techniques I can learn this time!"
Although he had been tricked by Su Han before, he was not angry at all. After all, not long ago, the comic had helped this Harbinger successfully grasp the mystery of cutting steel.
If the Regrator had not recently restricted his funds, Tartaglia would have dragged Su Han out for a lavish feast right now. As long as he could learn new combat techniques, money was of no concern at all.
That was the life creed of a true battle fanatic.
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