Leyvi scanned the surroundings, quietly counting how many people from the Cloud Continent had survived the Mystic Realm expedition.
Originally, the expedition was meant to be nothing more than a grand opportunity for young cultivators to seek rare treasures and valuable resources to aid their cultivation. Danger was always part of such ventures, and casualties were expected, but everything had been planned in advance. With sufficient preparation and cooperation, most participants should have been able to navigate the risks and return safely.
Unfortunately, from the very beginning, everything had spiraled out of control. What should have been a structured expedition quickly turned into a brutal struggle for survival, where each individual was forced to fend for themselves in a merciless environment.
By the end of it all, the numbers told a grim story.
Out of the original 7,200 participants, only slightly more than 3,400 remained. More than half had perished. These were the young talents of the Cloud Continent, the very people meant to shape its future. Losing them was not just tragic, it was a devastating blow to the continent as a whole.
Among the fallen were people Leyvi recognized. They weren't close to him, perhaps only exchanging a few words once or twice, but knowing they were gone still left a faint bitterness in his heart.
He could be considered relatively close to the three Great Alchemy Families of the South Region: the Homun Family, the Goldstone Family, and the Clover Family.
Both the Goldstone and Clover Families had obtained two slots through Anda. The Clover Family was fortunate, as both of their members survived. The Goldstone Family, however, was not as lucky, losing one of their participants.
Leyvi couldn't help but think back to Victor Goldstone. If he hadn't encountered him back then, Victor might have continued searching for that crucial alchemy ingredient and ultimately met his end on that mountain.
Yet, among the three families, it was the Homun Family that suffered the greatest loss. Norin Homun, who had placed second in the Alchemy Competition, had secured ten slots for her family. Although some of those slots were auctioned off, they still sent the largest group among the three families.
And in the end, only one of them survived.
What a devastating loss for them.
"Huh?"
Leyvi's gaze shifted as he suddenly noticed a group of people who weren't supposed to be here. Captain Shino stood among them, along with the bow girl and several other Royal Guards.
A thought quickly formed in his mind.
Had they chosen not to return to their kingdoms because their princes had died? If they went back, execution might be waiting for them. It wouldn't be strange for them to abandon their former allegiances and seek a new place to live. That was the most reasonable explanation Leyvi could come up with.
Even within his own group, there were those originally from the Protogaea Continent. Bodo and Cempaka had already chosen to follow him and join his family.
Even now, while she could cultivate and do any other activities without any problem, Cempaka still carried that same eternally emotionless expression, a lingering result of her mental injury caused by trauma. Not even Anda, with her upgraded Alchemy Vision, had been able to find a way to cure it.
In many ways, Cempaka's situation mirrored that of Captain Shino and the other former Royal Guards. The prince she had served was also dead.
Because of that, Anda had decided to keep Cempaka by her side. She planned to find a way to heal her condition first… and once that was achieved, she intended to make Cempaka her second Alchemic Knight.
With the pyramid's incredible speed, it didn't take long for them to arrive at the Cloud Continent.
As expected, its sudden appearance immediately triggered a massive alert. At the edge of the continent, three Cloud Continent Protectors intercepted the pyramid, treating it as a potential threat.
However, the moment Divine Lord Raisho appeared before them, the three Protectors began to tremble uncontrollably. For a brief instant, they truly believed that this might be their end.
Fortunately, Raisho maintained his usual approachable demeanor and calmly explained the situation.
Only then did the tension dissolve.
When the Protectors learned that the participants of the Mystic Realm had returned safely, their expressions shifted into uncontrollable joy.
They immediately contacted the other Protectors, spreading the news without delay.
Among them was one particular Protector who would be overjoyed upon hearing it. For years, she had blamed herself, tirelessly searching for a way to reconnect the portal. The burden had weighed on her so heavily that she had even begun neglecting her own cultivation.
As for the other information, Raisho did not bother telling them. The Dao Manifestation Realm cultivators he had met previously would fulfill this task later.
Not long after, Divine Lord Raisho vanished from where he stood and reappeared inside the pyramid's control room.
"Lin Wei, I will leave the rest to you since this is your home continent. I have other things to do." Raisho said, his tone casual, as if delegating something trivial.
"What do you need to do Senior Raisho? Can I help?" Lin Wei asked, stepping forward instinctively.
"Hahahaha! You can help after you can travel in space like me. I'm just doing a planetary system inspection and survey. If there are cosmic predators around, I'll exterminate them as well." Raisho replied with a laugh, speaking of such dangerous matters as though they were routine errands.
"Thank you for protecting us Senior Raisho." Lin Wei cupped his hands, his respect deepening.
"Haha. I'm just doing my job. Nothing serious. And I'll be gone for about two to three months. In the meantime, you can prepare everything, decide who you want to bring, and say goodbye to your family. When I'm back, we will return to my place." Raisho continued, his words steady, already sounding like someone about to leave.
"Yes, Senior Raisho! I can't wait to go!" Lin Wei said, unable to hide the excitement in his voice.
"Hmm... Let me be clear, it's highly likely that you might not come here ever again. Unless you reach my level of course. So, you have to settle everything as if you won't ever come back. Understand?" Raisho added, his tone turning serious as he looked directly at him.
Lin Wei's excitement dimmed almost instantly. The weight behind those words settled over him, pressing down on his earlier enthusiasm. He gave a firm nod, his expression turning solemn. After all, it wouldn't just be him who would be leaving.
"Good. Is there anything else before I go?" Raisho asked, glancing around as if giving one final chance before his departure.
"Senior Raisho, is there anyone in our world that piques your interest? Someone who made you feel like taking a disciple or something like that?" Lin Wei asked, curiosity surfacing after holding it in for a while.
"Hahahaha! That's what you're curious about? But to answer your question, yes. One person." Raisho replied, clearly amused.
"Can I know?" Lin Wei pressed on, his curiosity growing even stronger.
"I want to bring her with me, but unfortunately, I can't. She's still in the womb. Even I'm not sure when she will be born." Raisho said.
Lin Wei and his wives were stunned.
An unborn child?
For someone like Raisho to take an interest at such an early stage, that child's potential must be nothing short of heaven-defying.
"Well, her talent might be dormant forever. I don't think anyone here knows how to awaken it. In a few hundred years, I will come here again, but she will have wasted her best years or maybe die. Alright. I'm going now."
Before anyone could respond, Divine Lord Raisho vanished.
Lin Wei blinked, still processing what he had just heard.
He couldn't help but feel that Senior Raisho was… a little too kind.
If it were him, he wouldn't have hesitated so much over uncertainty like birth timing. He might have simply taken the mother of that heaven-defying child and brought her along. Once the child was born, he could raise her personally and accept her as a disciple.
A simple solution.
But then again, perhaps it was precisely because of that kindness that Raisho stood where he did now, entrusted with responsibilities far beyond ordinary cultivators.
After that, Lin Wei invited the Protectors outside into the pyramid and showed them the survivors.
Although it was painful to see that more than half had failed to return, it was still a blessing that so many had made it back alive. Given how the expedition had unfolded, even this outcome could be considered fortunate.
Not long after, Protector Alexandra arrived at the pyramid.
To everyone's surprise, the moment she saw the survivors, she broke down. Tears streamed down her face as she apologized repeatedly, blaming herself for failing to protect them.
A dignified Soul Transformation Realm cultivator… reduced to tears in front of them.
The crowd soon learned the truth, that the portal had been destroyed shortly after they had entered the Mystic Realm in the past. Everything finally made sense. No wonder their expedition had turned into such a desperate struggle for survival.
It was clear that she had carried this burden alone for years.
Afterward, Lin Wei took control of the pyramid and began sending people back to their respective regions, starting from the North Region, then the West Region, followed by the Central Region, the East Region, and finally, the South Region.
Since Leyvi was his friend, Lin Wei personally sent him straight to Bara City. After exchanging a few final words, Leyvi left the pyramid.
Its arrival had already caused a massive uproar throughout the city, but what followed soon after stirred an even greater wave.
Leyvi Leyan and Anda Leyan had returned!