Worried about the Earth Spirit Clan's powerhouses, Long Chen and Ye Ling rushed back as quickly as possible after rescuing Ye Xue.
Just as Long Chen predicted, many other powerful figures still refused to give up on the Earth Spirit Clan. After observing them in secret for a while, they launched another attack.
However, with Lei Ling'er and Huo Ling'er present, after dozens of immortal experts were killed, these people immediately scattered and fled.
Now, Lei Ling'er and Huo Ling'er are incredibly powerful, especially when the two join forces. Even an ordinary immortal expert can't withstand a single move.
When Long Chen and the others rushed back, the ground was scorched, with dozens of charred corpses remaining—those of immortal experts. The other enemies didn't even leave behind their bodies, all burned to ashes by Huo Ling'er.
"Brother Long Chen."
As soon as Long Chen returned, Xiao He'er immediately pounced on him. Lei Ling'er and Huo Ling'er also completed their tasks and returned to the chaotic space. Although they had gone through a fierce battle, it seemed their strength hadn't been much depleted.
It was clear that Huo Ling'er and Lei Ling'er were now experts capable of holding their own against each other.
Especially Huo Ling'er—her true body split into two: the stronger part was refining pills with the Qiankun Cauldron, while the weaker part followed Long Chen.
But in the chaotic space, because the corpses of immortal experts kept being thrown in, the black soil decomposed and transformed into powerful life force, causing the Fusang Ancient Tree and the Taiyin Wood to grow endlessly.
As they grew, they released vast Lunar Fire and Solar Fire. During this period, Huo Ling'er absorbed their power and rapidly developed. Even though her true body split in two, her strength remained formidable.
If the two clones merged into one, Huo Ling'er's power would be even more terrifying. It could be said that with the Wood of Lunar Moon and Wood of the Sun, her growth potential was limitless.
Although Lei Ling'er was also powerful, she didn't have Huo Ling'er's advantage. Every time, she waited until Long Chen passed his tribulation before enjoying a feast.
Huo Ling'er is constantly "snacking" every day, growing stronger every day, and naturally her strength is astonishing.
However, this time, Lei Ling'er helped the great prodigies undergo their tribulations and absorbed endless thunder power. She couldn't digest it all at once, so she stored it all. Her strength had been steadily improving during this period.
Long Chen collected the huge corpses on the ground and tossed them into the chaotic space. After advancing to Realm King, his chaotic space had expanded significantly, surrounded entirely by empty spaces, but he didn't know what to plant.
With the Lunar Tree and the Fusang Ancient Tree, both provided him with an endless supply of vitality—truly inexhaustible, and he no longer cared about the other trees.
I'd rather leave a vast empty space unused than bring in some mismatched species—better to have none than to have a few in the past.
After confirming that no one present was injured except Huo Ling'er and Lei Ling'er, Long Chen led everyone straight toward Lingxiao Academy.
Several days later, when everyone returned to Lingxiao Academy, Dean Bai Letian personally came out to greet them, deeply moving Ye Ling.
Before she arrived, she was actually filled with anxiety. After all, the Earth Spirit Clan was here to seek refuge, and she felt some resistance, afraid of being looked down upon.
After all, the Earth Spirit Clan has extremely strong pride; otherwise, they wouldn't have chosen death rather than seek help from the Spirit Clan.
But as the saying goes, 'A dragon swimming in the shallows is played by shrimps, a tiger fallen on plains is bullied by dogs.' When a race falls on its ground, it inevitably draws contempt. Countless negative thoughts surfaced in Ye Ling's mind. She didn't know if she could grit her teeth, endure others' disdain, and find a place to settle for her people.
She had considered countless possibilities, but never expected that the dean of Lingxiao Academy would personally come to greet them, which made Ye Ling's eyes turn red.
"Honorable Chief Ye Ling, you have suffered too many grievances and made countless sacrifices. Every member of the Earth Spirit Clan is a warrior and worthy of respect.
On behalf of everyone at Lingxiao Academy, I welcome your arrival. From now on, Lingxiao Academy will be your home. Bai Letian said with a smile.
Bai Letian's face was kind, his tone full of sincerity, instantly easing the anxious hearts of everyone in the Earth Spirit Clan.
Previously, when they approached Lingxiao Academy, all the Earth Spirit Clan members were nervous. Now, many were moved to tears—they finally no longer had to flee.
Long Chen smiled slightly. He had already relayed the message earlier, and Lingxiao Academy definitely wouldn't refuse the Earth Spirit Clan. Since Lingxiao Academy was to rise strongly, they needed to take responsibility.
Helping the Earth Spirit Clan was also a declaration of war against certain forces, so they wouldn't keep testing and get annoyed. If they did, they'd fight with real weapons.
Bai Letian was responsible for welcoming them, while the specific reception and arrangements were left to Long Chen. Since the Earth Spirit Clan belonged to the Spirit Clan and were close to nature, Long Chen directly settled them on the back mountain of Lingxiao Academy.
This is a quiet place, rarely visited by academy disciples, so there's no need to worry about disturbing them.
Most importantly, sometimes seven-colored cranes soar here, and the world is filled with auspicious energy. The Earth Spirit Clan experts fall in love with it as soon as they arrive.
They began building their homes, possessing a peculiar ability to control the vegetation here, making them grow tall and forming dwellings without damaging the local ecosystem.
The trees were growing rapidly. With the arrival of the Earth Spirit Clan, the place became vibrant. Massive trees soared into the sky, and countless Earth Spirit Clan experts danced gracefully in the forest, singing beautiful songs.
As they sang and danced, the earth seemed to awaken. At that moment, Long Chen seemed to hear the heartbeat of the earth and sensed its blessing.
At that moment, Long Chen finally understood why they were called the Earth Spirit Clan. Their faith was the earth, and the earth selflessly provided for them. They gave the earth all their trust and reverence.
Watching the Earth Spirit Clan warriors sing and dance to their heart's content, a smile gradually appeared on Long Chen's face. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, if only the world had no war, living like this every day would be wonderful.
"Dean Long Chen, this time is really ... Thank you so much. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the Earth Spirit Clan experts, Ye Ling's voice choked with emotion.
"No need to be so formal. Actually, I really like the Earth Spirit Clan. I didn't save you solely because of the Spirit Clan." Long Chen said.
"This?" Ye Ling was taken aback.
"You have been cursed to protect the spirit race, and so am I. To protect my beloved, I am not afraid to become a demon.
If one day I really become a demon, that's okay—at least, no one dares to hurt the one I love. Long Chen said with a smile.
Long Chen smiled happily. Seeing the Earth Spirit Clan's expression, he suddenly felt a sudden enlightenment.
In the past, he always feared becoming a demon, but after seeing the spirit clan, he suddenly felt he might have overestimated it. As a demon, it might not be so bad.
"Buzz!"
Suddenly, the void twisted, and a bronze cauldron appeared before Long Chen—it was the Qiankun Cauldron. When he saw it again, Long Chen was startled.