All in all, Wang Zhan was certain he had run into yet another pitfall!

The air suddenly solidified.

Wang Zhan looked at the *Volume on Transforming Illusion into Reality* in his hand, somewhat bewildered, muttering in surprise to himself, "Why did I use the word 'again'?"

Wang Zhan, whose mind was utterly fogged to the point of incomprehension, cursed under his breath. Damn intuition! I was just praising you for never being wrong, yet you're always misleading me.

...

Just as Wang Zhan was relishing the warm, fragrant jade and attempting to empty out the Sects' Book Collection Pavilion within this mid-air *Small World*, events were unfolding elsewhere.

「Meanwhile, in the outside world—the Federation.」

「Jing State, at the State Government building.」

A graceful, beautiful woman in a red trench coat sat poised at the head table, her legs neatly together, her delicate hands resting on her lap. She appeared gentle and harmless, yet her piercing gaze ensured no one in the room dared to utter a word of rebuttal; they could only remain silent in dismay.

"Where is he? Tell me, where did Wang Zhan go!"

Her name was Qin Ying.

She was the external representative of the current Qín Family. Though she possessed not a shred of martial arts cultivation, her imposing aura exuded an endless, piercing chill, like a coat of snow in the dead of winter.

Edward, Yun Tianyi, Wei Daoming, and Mu Dongjun, along with Jing State Governor Shi Zhongming, all sat in subordinate positions to Qin Ying. They remained silent, the atmosphere tense, quietly allowing Qin Ying to vent her frustrations.

Not only is the Qín Family the backbone of the Federation, but it also boasted several great figures who had surpassed the Martial Emperor Realm. Even if Qin Ying wanted their lives, no one in the Federation would dare object.

Of course, Qin Ying had no such intentions. She had come only to find an answer: Wang Zhan.

"Is everyone mute now? Why did everyone else survive, but only Wang Zhan disappeared without a trace?"

Qin Ying sneered, her words sharp and piercing.

Actually, she wasn't the first person looking for Wang Zhan. Yuan Mengru had come before her.

As for Wang Zhan's official girlfriend, Yao Yao, and his biological elder sister, Wang Qi, they hadn't received the news yet. This was either because they were being held in a secret location within the Federation and were not allowed to leave, or they were away on a mission and had not yet returned.

Shi Zhongming hesitated for a moment before finally speaking in a soft voice, "Miss, we are still searching, but there are no clues yet..."

"Shut up!" Qin Ying ordered directly, showing no mercy, her gaze severe. "Since you have entered the Federation's government, you are no longer an old servant of my Qín Family. Therefore, do you remember my current status?"

A wry smile flickered at the corner of Shi Zhongming's mouth. "I do."

"Then answer me, in what capacity am I speaking to you now?"

"Federal Secretary-General, Ms. Qin Ying!"

Qin Ying scanned everyone present. "Good! So, tell me, why did so many people survive, yet the Federation lost a genius whose strength was advancing more rapidly than anyone in history? Or rather, can anyone tell me if Wang Zhan is dead or alive? Can you people at the top of Jing State give the Federation an explanation?"

The last words rang out, loud as thunder, deafening everyone.

Everyone present was instantly unsettled. The corners of the four Deans' mouths twitched; it wasn't just Shi Zhongming this time.

Now they were in a fine mess.

Now that Qin Ying's identity was clarified, matters had to be handled officially. A moment ago, her pressuring them with her authority was one thing—at worst, they could feign indifference. But now, they had to answer truthfully. Otherwise, despite any past contributions, causing such a significant loss to the Federation was undeniably a transgression on their part.

Perhaps it was true what they said: high officials might be reasoned with, but their zealous subordinates, bound by protocol, were the real trouble.

Wei Daoming felt it necessary to save the two old men some face. He and Mu Dongjun were still young and didn't mind a bit of temporary inconvenience, so after a moment's consideration, he spoke softly, "We've never given up; we've been searching for clues. That night, the destruction caused by the level 9 Martial Emperor was so astonishing it completely paralyzed the network, but some local footage was retained... Therefore, we hypothesize that Wang Zhan's disappearance may be because he got lost in a space rift, or perhaps in the boundless world, and hasn't found an exit yet..."

Although Wei Daoming didn't state it directly, his intentions were clear.

Regardless of the possibility, Wang Zhan's disappearance was an established fact. No matter Qin Ying's status, this was the only answer.

As for the boundless world, it was originally a concept propagated from the ancient saying, 'In a grain of sand, a world; in a tree, a Bodhi.' It was later confirmed that many such *Small Worlds* indeed existed around Earth, moving like bubbles.

This wasn't a secret to Qin Ying.

Therefore, the best-case scenario for Wang Zhan was that he was lost in the boundless world, his return uncertain. The worst-case scenario... of course, was that he had been shredded into pieces by the space rifts.

Obviously, these were not the answers Qin Ying wanted.

But she had to suppress her displeasure. Even if her heart was filled with dissatisfaction, these were not people she could dispose of at will.

Only the solitary silence of her mansion in Zone S3, where she had once shared a night of passion with Wang Zhan, knew her true feelings.

Another night, her tears drenched her collar, her fragrant warmth enveloped in solitude and sorrow.

...

Qin Ying may have just arrived, but Yuan Mengru had never given up her search.

"Cousin, we should go back. You've been here for so many days!" Lin Xiaoyin looked with pity at Yuan Mengru's somewhat disheveled state, her heart aching.

This foolish woman! she thought. To find a man who might only be the object of her unrequited love, she has hardly left the Jing State Wilderness Area for nearly a month.

The earth her bed, the sky her quilt; by moonlit dusk, she lingered where voices could be heard, ever searching.

But who knew where that fellow Wang Zhan had gone, or whether he was dead or alive?

He had vanished—no sign of him, alive or dead. And yet, he had driven Yuan Mengru, a woman once so close, to the brink of madness. One could only imagine Lin Xiaoyin's fury.

"He doesn't even like you, why are you clinging so desperately! Cousin, he might even be dead already..."

SLAP!

Yuan Mengru's gaze turned sharp. For the first time in a while, she exuded the aura of a top-tier Martial Artist of her generation as she said coldly, "Get out! Whether he's dead or not, whether I give up or not, that's my business. I won't allow anyone else to interfere."

Lin Xiaoyin stared at her, utterly astonished. This woman... she actually slapped me? For a man with whom she has no official standing, a man whose feelings aren't even clear?

She refused to give up on Yuan Mengru and yelled, trying to continue persuading her, "Cousin, have you gone insane? If slapping me could bring him back, then slap me a few more times, maybe then he'll turn his affections to you! But you should know that's impossible! And don't we both know he has a girlfriend? What are you going to do then, become the other woman, or fight someone for him…?"

Lin Xiaoyin spoke her mind freely, but Yuan Mengru's fierce demeanor gradually weakened.

Although she was still the most outstanding woman of her generation, she had lost some of her vitality and Spiritual Energy, tears now streaming down her face.

"You should go," Yuan Mengru said, her tone somewhat bitter. "You wouldn't understand my situation even if I explained it. Anyway, don't worry about me. I'm not doing this solely for Wang Zhan. Besides, even if Wang Zhan has a woman, it's none of my business. I like him, and that's all there is to it. Whether he likes me or not... that has nothing to do with me."

Lin Xiaoyin was completely stunned. "You..."

SIGH!

Just then, a long sigh suddenly cut through the air, halting Lin Xiaoyin's urge to speak further. A voice said gently, "You should leave first. I'll watch over your cousin."

With that, the speaker ignored Lin Xiaoyin's frantic calls and, with a sweep of his sleeve, sent her back to the edge of the wilderness area.

"Principal..." Yuan Mengru began, then hesitated.

Yun Tianyi smiled, as if he hadn't seen his prized disciple in a long time. There was no blame in his eyes, only encouragement. "If you like him, then don't talk about whether he likes you or not next time. Strive to pursue him, chase him with all your heart. Love is something that should make both people happy; only then is it worth yearning for."

Although Yuan Mengru was in a sorry state, tear stains still on her face, at this moment she wanted to laugh but couldn't, and wanted to cry but couldn't bring herself to. She felt incredibly embarrassed.

Yun Tianyi waved his hand. "Alright, no more needless words. I know you're staying here, holding something in, hoping to achieve a breakthrough through this—that's a good thing. But there's something you should know: Wang Zhan has another woman. She also came looking for him, and let me tell you, I really caught an earful today..."

Yuan Mengru's expression was odd. Scolding the Principal? Who could be that audacious? If it were possible, she would have joined in the scolding too, but this matter was their own fault for not being careful enough.

Seeing Yuan Mengru's surprise, Yun Tianyi gave a bitter smile. "Her background is one thing; if it were just her noble status, we could ignore it. After all, we're Martial Emperors… But she also has real authority; she's the Secretary-General of the President. She came with the Federation's orders, so no matter how unruly we might be, we must obey."

"Oh..." Yuan Mengru understood. But what does this have to do with me? I'm not some important figure, just a student at the Martial Arts Academy.

Yun Tianyi naturally guessed what Yuan Mengru was thinking and gave a sly smile. "However, this important person is just an ordinary person; she isn't capable of protecting herself. Moreover, she's a woman. We rough old men can't very well provide close personal protection. So, I immediately thought of you!"

Yuan Mengru's head snapped up, her eyes, sharp as an eagle's, blazed at Yun Tianyi as she enunciated each word carefully, "You, esteemed elder, are asking *me*, a level 5 Warrior, to protect Wang Zhan's VIP girlfriend?"

She bit particularly hard on the words 'level 5 Warrior', emphasizing their weighty meaning.

Yun Tianyi spread his hands in resignation. "There's no choice. For the moment, we can't find any female warriors who have been on the battlefield, so we thought of you. Don't overthink it. This only proves the Federation values you highly, and it's also time for you to contribute to the Federation…"

Heh, planning to wait for news and then kill herself for him once it's confirmed? Little lass, do you really think your Principal is some naive fool who's only ever eaten plain rice and never tasted the richness of fish?

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