As the mountain peak, towering like a giant dragon's head, appeared before Wang Nan's eyes, his heart-nature grew even calmer.
Along the way, he had seen many things. The place where he obtained his first spirit ring. The place where he first saw the Star Dou Great Forest with his own eyes. It was there that his memories truly began to connect with this world.
At the same time, he had also witnessed many changes that had occurred across the continent, some of which he had personally brought about.
Now, standing before this place that had allowed him to comprehend the true meaning of the Coiling Dragon Staff, Wang Nan found his heart-nature settling completely. His mental force and spirit power became exceptionally concentrated, and subtle changes quietly unfolded within his body.
After a long pause, Wang Nan lifted his gaze toward the distant southeast.
His sight pierced across the vast ocean, through layers of space, and reached another faraway continent.
Mist filled endless mountain ranges. Streams trickled down the slopes, where several wild beasts lowered their heads to drink.
The village at the foot of the mountain appeared slightly larger than before, with a few additional houses now standing there.
At some unknown moment, Wang Nan's figure appeared in mid-air.
Below him, a sturdy man in his thirties was instructing several children seated before him.
The child named Yi, who had once received guidance from Wang Nan and Yan Shaozhe, ultimately failed to advance further. His talent had never been outstanding, and his spirit power remained stuck at Rank Twenty-Nine, unable to break through.
Even so, that was already enough for him.
The children before him were meditating with proper form, their postures steady and focused.
Wang Nan did not disturb the village's tranquility. He simply descended onto a distant mountain peak.
The surroundings were still saturated with dense mental force. The Mirage Dragon residing on the summit seemed to sense something and slowly opened its eyes.
"You should be able to speak by now, right?" Wang Nan asked.
The Mirage Dragon's nostrils flared, and two streams of white mist burst forth, stirring the surrounding fog.
"Mm." A deep, ancient voice echoed from its throat.
"It must be difficult for you to guard the entrance to the Dragon Tomb."
The Mirage Dragon gently shook its head before speaking again. "I cannot perceive your cultivation, but you should no longer be able to enter Dragon Valley. It can no longer withstand excessively powerful forces."
"I know," Wang Nan replied, nodding.
He sat down quietly, memories of events within Dragon Valley replaying in his mind, thoughts flowing endlessly.
As the sun rose and set, a full day passed.
Wang Nan stood up, a faint light flickering in his eyes.
"I'm leaving."
"Mm." The Mirage Dragon responded simply, unwilling to say more.
Only after Wang Nan's figure swept across the sea and vanished beyond the horizon did massive waves surge in the nearby waters.
A slender figure emerged from the ocean, gazing toward the direction Wang Nan had disappeared.
The fear once present in her eyes had faded, replaced by a complex, unreadable emotion.
After a long while, a wave rolled in, and her figure vanished beneath the surface.
---
More and more people had begun to mention the Sunset Forest alongside the Star Dou Great Forest.
Although the Sunset Forest still lagged behind the Star Dou Great Forest in both the number of Spirit Beasts and their cultivation levels, Spirit Masters who ventured there knew that hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts resided deep within it.
Their cultivation might not be especially high, but the poisonous miasma they controlled could threaten the entire forest. No one dared provoke them lightly.
What most Spirit Masters did not know was that these hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts had never left the central region of the Sunset Forest and were, in fact, rather naive by nature.
When Wang Nan arrived at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the terrifying Spirit Beasts rumored by outsiders were still fast asleep.
This was not a cultivation-induced slumber.
Living within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Youyou and the others did not need to exert themselves for their cultivation to rise naturally. On the contrary, to develop the heart-nature necessary to withstand Heavenly Tribulation, they often had to suppress their own cultivation and endure prolonged tempering.
Wang Nan released a faint fluctuation of spirit power.
Almost instantly, a surge of mental force swept across the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
"It's you!" a voice rang out.
"Long time no see, Youyou."
Having already passed its first Heavenly Tribulation, Youyou's form had grown even larger. Its petals swayed gently as its voice, tinged with excitement, echoed through the area.
"You said you'd visit more often, but it's been so long. Did you encounter some trouble?"
"No," Wang Nan replied calmly. "I just came to take a look and chat with you all."
"That's great, that's great." Youyou swayed again.
Other plant-type Spirit Beasts had also noticed his presence. Spirit power rippled beneath the ground, likely another form of communication among them.
Wang Nan did not stand on ceremony. He sat down casually and recounted some of the events that had occurred after he left.
Back then, his Everdistant Utopia Domain had allowed Xuan Zi and others affected by it to regain their original heart-nature for cultivation, enabling them to achieve breakthroughs.
Now, as he retraced the footprints of his own cultivation path, a unique sensation welled up within him.
Though his appearance had barely changed, the way he wielded the various powers within his body had grown increasingly effortless.
Vaguely, something new was gestating within him.
---
By the time Wang Nan finished speaking and arrived at Qiankun Asking Love Valley, night had already fallen.
Golden and silver light shimmered across the surface of the lake.
Wang Nan did not speak. He simply stood quietly, listening to the singing that drifted from beneath the water.
It sounded like the whispers of lovers, the sighs of border generals, and even the continent itself recounting its memories.
Heaven and earth trembled faintly.
Once more, Wang Nan witnessed the changes of the entire world flash before his eyes.
The implementation of new policies across the Three Great Empires uncovered more Spirit Master talents. The destruction of the Holy Spirit Cult ushered in a brief era of peace.
Among Spirit Masters, even though Wang Nan had not acted for ten years, he had already become the pinnacle all others aspired to reach.
Among ordinary people, the knowledge he brought from another world transformed into Soul Guidance Devices that entered countless households, quietly reshaping daily life.
In the ocean, Sea Soul Beasts would occasionally recall his deeds. The elimination of the Demon Emperor. The safeguarding of entire sea regions. Even without overt praise, Wang Nan's name was unconsciously spoken across the world.
Wang Nan did not release his Spirit, yet his ninth spirit ring quietly manifested beside him.
Like a galaxy, it revolved around him, dragon roars echoing faintly, starlight shimmering in resonance with the night sky.
As night gave way to dawn, Qiankun Asking Love Valley returned to its tranquil state, appearing once more like an ordinary lake.
Watching the sun rise in the east, Wang Nan flew toward the light.
As his figure flickered, a thought surfaced in his mind.
Dragon Valley. Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Qiankun Asking Love Valley.
The three great treasure lands of the Douluo Continent.
All of them had borne his footprints.