Heroes Return

“Of course I know there are many secrets here.” Hearing Dong Xue’er’s words, Lin Jie just smiled slightly: “But so what? Do we have to figure out those ancient secrets? Sometimes, I think it’s precisely because there are secrets that things are interesting.”

"..." Hearing Lin Jie's words, Dong Xue'er sighed helplessly: "As expected, you still lack a sense of urgency. Dong Yang just contacted me. Romanor, who is wanted worldwide, is in the direction we are heading. The eight-family joint team that went ahead to hunt down Romanor seems to have been intercepted by the Salvation Army. But it seems that they are not having any problems."

"I see. It seems we haven't gone the wrong way." Hearing Dong Xue'er's words, Lin Jie didn't seem to care much. "Let's just enjoy this trip now. I think this is probably the oldest scenery we'll ever see."

As Lin Jie spoke, a large group of strangely shaped wild animals suddenly gathered around him. They all followed behind him...

“But are you really planning to let Tian Xiaoshu and Kuror come along? One is an idol, and the other is just an ordinary person! Letting them continue might be dangerous.” Dong Xue’er suddenly said to Lin Jie with a stern face, “Let Xiao Zhan send them back!”

“Yes, when you get there, you can turn back with them.” Lin Jie smiled and said, “I actually just wanted to take this opportunity to enjoy a trip. To be honest, it’s been a long time since I’ve traveled with my friends. Before I became a hero, I stayed at home alone for a long time.”

"..." Hearing Lin Jie's words, Dong Xue'er couldn't help but look at Lin Jie: "Although I don't know your past, you don't seem like a gloomy person who would have no friends."

"You just don't understand me very well."

“I can get to know you slowly. We have plenty of time to understand each other, don’t we?” Dong Xue’er said to Lin Jie, “Since you enjoy traveling, let’s take another trip after this is over and relax properly. Now let Xiao Zhan take Kuror and Tian Xiaoshu away. We must capture Romanor as soon as possible; if he gets the Xuanyuan Sword, things could get complicated.”

'Xuanyuan Sword? Pshaw.' Zhu Xian'er's voice suddenly rang in Lin Jie's mind.

'Xuanyuan Sword? Pshaw.' That was the voice of Luo Xian.

'Trash sword? Pshaw!' That was the voice of the Immortal-Slaying Sword.

"A mere Xuanyuan Sword, so troublesome? Tch." This was the voice of the Immortal-Trapping Sword. Lin Jie's expression faltered. After all, this was the first time Lin Jie had ever seen four immortal swords simultaneously stand up and despise a single sword. At least these four "tch"s clearly showed the four swords' opinions of the Xuanyuan Sword.

However, Lin Jie wasn't curious about the four swords at all. As equally famous ancient divine swords, the Xuanyuan Sword was arguably more renowned than the Four Swords of Zhuxian. After all, the emperor had used this sword to slay Chiyou and establish his rule over this region.

Without a doubt, the Xuanyuan Sword is a legend to humankind, and also a symbol of kingship.

While the Four Swords of Zhuxian are also divine swords, they represent something entirely different from the Xuanyuan Sword. In fact, considering the Investiture of the Gods, the Four Swords of Zhuxian undoubtedly stood on the side of the 'villains' in history. Under such circumstances, it's no wonder that the Four Swords of Zhuxian don't have the same reputation and fame as the Xuanyuan Sword in the legends of the ages.

However, there is no doubt that it would take the combined efforts of four sages to suppress it. The Four Swords of Zhuxian, which can easily kill a Great Luo Golden Immortal, cannot be weaker than the Xuanyuan Sword.

The Xuanyuan Sword is the sword of kings, while the Four Swords of Zhuxian are swords that slay gods. With this comparison, it's no wonder that the Four Swords of Zhuxian could unleash four slashes simultaneously.

"The Xuanyuan Sword? Don't worry, Romanore can't get it." Lin Jie said to her with a smile, "Even if he stays there for his whole life, he will never get the Xuanyuan Sword. This era doesn't need a king, so this era doesn't need the Xuanyuan Sword at all."

What do you mean?

"The Xuanyuan Sword in this world now is just an illusion," Lin Jie replied with a smile. "You can think of it as a 3D image. It's like an image. Because the world doesn't need a king, the Xuanyuan Sword naturally has no meaning. The Xuanyuan Sword without meaning becomes like this. I don't know how to explain it to you in detail. Someone else told me this before."

"Does the world not need a king?"

“Yes, we live in a democratic world now. Aren’t kings outdated?” Lin Jie simply nodded. “So, what Romanoer was pursuing from the very beginning was nothing more than an outdated, unwanted illusion. Human history has actually proven this point: kings are no longer needed.”

"..." Hearing Lin Jie's words, Dong Xue'er couldn't help but fall into thought: "So, you're not in a hurry to find the Xuanyuan Sword? Haven't you ever thought about getting the Xuanyuan Sword? That sword can bring a person everything that is unimaginable to ordinary people."

"I don't want to be a king. What would I need that for? Actually, the most real thing in this world is the life of an ordinary person." Lin Jie smiled, then looked at Tian Xiaoshu and the others on the other side: "If I feel that a battle is necessary, and it might put you in danger, I will send you all back. Until then, I'll enjoy this trip. You know, such scenery isn't something you can see every day."

As Lin Jie finished speaking, he leaped onto the nearby Great Wall. At the foot of the Great Wall, more and more animals appeared around him. They all silently watched him, doing nothing. Even more eerie was the sight of so many enormous, towering ancient trees that had appeared near the Great Wall. The scene here resembled a scene from the primordial era.

"Hey, has he become some kind of cult leader again? Why are there so many strange creatures around him? But why do these creatures all look so familiar?" Xiao Zhan asked the bespectacled guy next to him.

"Who knows!" The bespectacled guy could only sigh helplessly. After seeing so many things, he was completely speechless. After encountering a whole bunch of bizarre creatures, he finally calmed down. Right on his shoulder, a three-legged toad spat a pair of glasses off him...

"Alright, it's time to show you my cooking skills." Looking at the composed bespectacled man and Dong Xiaoye and the others who were observing the animals around Lin Jie, Xiao Zhan suddenly spoke up to everyone: "I rarely come out, so let me show you the cooking skills I've honed over the years! I'll cook dinner tonight! Hahahaha!"

As Xiao Zhan spoke, he actually took out a large pile of very professional seasonings and outdoor cooking utensils from his suitcase.

……

Near the cave on the other side, Wang Sicheng finally arrived. He was carrying the body of a Salvation Army soldier in his hand.

"I didn't expect they could hold me off for an entire night. They're truly a well-trained group!" Wang Sicheng smiled as he looked at everyone present. Almost every family had suffered losses, but not as severe as expected. In fact, the pressure on the entire battlefield had been significantly reduced by the time Lin Qian disappeared.

Bai Yu was only able to stand up with great difficulty, although he wasn't seriously injured. However, he had been lying down all night because his strength had been completely drained.

“It seems Romanoer and his men are near the cave. But why is it so quiet?” the Ouyang family member suddenly said to the crowd.

"This is indeed very unusual." The Shangguan family also nodded.

"Speaking of which, Shi Kong came with Lin Qian, but we haven't heard from him all night," Bai Yu couldn't help but say. "I need to contact the Hero Association. It seems we need their help with Shi Kong's disappearance. Otherwise, we might fall into Romanor's trap."

Bai Yu had already picked up his communicator as he spoke. But at that moment, a rock flew over and smashed Bai Yu's communicator.

"What are you doing?" Bai Yu coldly turned to look at Wang Sicheng.

"Don't forget why we're here. The Xuanyuan Sword is inside. If you notify the Hero Association now, things will get complicated with the Xuanyuan Sword." After Wang Sicheng finished speaking, the others nodded in agreement.

"I don't care about the Xuanyuan Sword, I must make sure Romanore is captured!"

“But we have an agreement!” Wang Sicheng said again, “We may not allow you to make this matter public knowledge.”

Chapter 12

"An agreement is an agreement, but the current situation is quite special, so we can't continue," Bai Yu said coldly. "You should have seen it just now; the Salvation Army is extremely powerful. Although we don't know why they retreated, we absolutely must be careful. Moreover, time and space are still in a state of flux."

"Let's not rush into this. Let's take a look inside first. What do you all think?" The head of the Shangguan family looked at the peaceful cave in front of him and couldn't help but say to those present, "Before making a decision, let's send someone down to take a look."

As soon as he finished speaking, the head of the Shangguan family beckoned to someone behind him. A figure flashed past everyone and rushed towards the cave entrance, disappearing into it.

Through the walkie-talkie, the head of the Shangguan family listened to the news of those who had entered, but his expression underwent a strange change at that moment.

"What exactly happened?" Wang Sicheng couldn't help but ask, noticing the change in the other person's expression.

"Romanor is dead! Besides the Xuanyuan Sword, there's no one else inside," the Shangguan family member said solemnly to everyone present. Without any hesitation, almost everyone present rushed into the cave.

When the group entered the cave, they only saw Romano's body lying alone before the Xuanyuan Sword. They couldn't find any of the others.

"I never imagined that the dignified Romanor would die here so mysteriously! This is truly unexpected!" Looking at Romanor's corpse, Wang Sicheng couldn't help but sigh, "You know, I used to admire him a lot."

"He was killed by the Salvation Army." Looking at the scene before him, Bai Yu's expression turned serious. The disappearance of time and space, Romanor's death—if an explanation had to be given, it could only be that the Salvation Army had done something! Looking at the Xuanyuan Sword lying there, Bai Yu's expression became even more urgent. What could have made the Salvation Army abandon even the Xuanyuan Sword?

Thinking of this, Bai Yu walked outside.

"Where are you going?" Seeing Bai Yu and the Bai family members around him all walking out of the cave, the head of the Li family suddenly asked the group.

"Is there even a need to ask? Of course, we should be looking for clues about the Salvation Army. They should have left not long ago!" After saying that, Bai Yu walked out of the cave.

"Forget it, since he wants to be a hero, let him be! We have important business to attend to now, and his absence might not be a bad thing." Seeing Bai Yu leave, Wang Sicheng didn't stop him. The other families all nodded in agreement.

"Is this the Xuanyuan Sword?" Long Wenfeng couldn't help but ask, sensing the mysterious and immense power emanating from it. However, he didn't rush to touch the sword, because the atmosphere had become strange after Bai Yu left.

"Everyone! Since I was the one who suggested coming here, is it alright to entrust the Xuanyuan Sword to our Wang family for safekeeping?" Wang Sicheng suddenly spoke up to the other five families present, saying, "Don't worry, I will protect the Xuanyuan Sword on the way back."

"Hmph! That won't do." The Ouyang family responded coldly, "Boy, we have some connections with other families, but I seem to know absolutely nothing about your Wang family. Do you think we'd agree to let you, a kid who suddenly appeared, keep it safe? What if you do something with the Xuanyuan Sword later?"

“That’s right. Since it’s to be kept safe, it should naturally be entrusted to the five of us! As for your Wang family, we’ll talk about that when we get back!” The head of the Shangguan family said coldly at this moment. “Don’t worry, the cooperation we’ve agreed on won’t exclude the Wang family, but at least for now, let’s entrust the Xuanyuan Sword to our families for protection! The escort is too important, and we can’t entrust it to people who don’t understand it.”

Bai Yu was naturally unaware that shortly after he left, the remaining six families were already on the verge of conflict. If the records were correct, whoever obtained the Xuanyuan Sword would inevitably receive a powerful boost of fortune, resulting in terrifying growth for both the individual and the family. Moreover, the Xuanyuan Sword itself possessed immense power that was beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

Naturally, no one would willingly give up being the first to come into contact with the Xuanyuan Sword, because being the first to come into contact with the Xuanyuan Sword naturally means being the first to obtain the opportunity to have the Xuanyuan Sword recognize its master!

If one can gain the Xuanyuan Sword's recognition as its master, then the others present will naturally become insignificant.

In this situation, neither side will back down.

"Everyone, it's best if we don't argue about this kind of thing." Long Wenfeng's face was extremely cold at this moment. Looking at everyone present, almost everyone in his inner circle started working.

Of course, it wasn't just him; all the experts present were the same.

"Gentlemen, this isn't quite right! I'm just delivering supplies. If you don't trust the guards of my Wang family, I don't really want to trust you either," Wang Sicheng said calmly. "I provided the intelligence, and I proposed the matter. If I were to agree to even this small request, wouldn't that be a huge disrespect to the Wang family?"

As soon as Wang Sicheng finished speaking, almost all the experts from the Wang family raised their weapons at the same time.

"Hmph! You arrogant brat, now that things have come to this, bring out all the people you've secretly planted. Do you really think we haven't discovered them?" The Shangguan family head sneered upon seeing Wang Sicheng. He, along with members of the Ouyang, Li, and Wang families, simultaneously pointed their weapons at Wang Sicheng.

"Do you really think that the few men you've ambushed can take down so many of our experts at once?" The Ouyang family head sneered, then turned his gaze back to Zhuge Nan, who had remained silent until now: "Zhuge boy, whatever your collusion with this Wang boy may be, I advise you to think carefully. Sometimes, one wrong step can lead to utter ruin!"

Upon hearing his words, Zhuge Nan finally raised his head.

"I apologize, everyone, but this time, the Zhuge family will stand with the Wang family." Almost as soon as he spoke, a large number of Wang family members rushed into the cave. For a moment, the spacious cave seemed rather crowded.

"Hmph! Do you think this rabble can take on the combined forces of our four families?" The head of the Shangguan family said coldly, "Shuai'er, make your move!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a bolt of lightning shot out from outside the cave, heading straight for Wang Sicheng. Almost instantly, Wang Sicheng was blasted away by the lightning.

Shangguan Shuai, Ouyang Zihao, and others, along with four other young masters, also appeared in the cave. They were all carrying the corpses of Wang family masters.

“Perfect timing. This time, none of you from the Zhuge family or the Wang family will escape.” As the head of the Shangguan family spoke, lightning erupted from his hand once again.

"Lightning? That actually hurts a bit!" Wang Sicheng, who had been sent flying, suddenly stood up. His clothes were torn from the electric shock, but there were no visible injuries. His well-defined muscles were particularly striking: "Shangguan Shuai, I heard you're quite strong. Is this all you've got?"

As Wang Sicheng spoke, a metallic golden luster appeared on his body.

"I'd really like to see just how strong your families are." As soon as he finished speaking, several experts from the other families arrived beside Wang Sicheng and attacked him from different directions. However, when they hit Wang Sicheng, a terrifying metallic clang erupted.

Wang Sicheng himself didn't even move much, yet all those experts were blasted away.

"I was originally planning to save them for Bai Yu and Dong Yang. But since neither of them is coming, it saves me some trouble." Wang Sicheng said, charging towards the many experts present. A chaotic battle erupted at that moment.

"Is it external martial arts or internal hard qigong?" After exchanging a quick exchange with his opponent, the Ouyang family head's face showed a solemn expression.

"The golden body is indestructible!" Long Wenfeng suddenly said from the side.

"Young Master Long has good taste! That's right, it's the lost Undying Golden Body." Wang Sicheng sneered. He was simultaneously fighting the four family heads, and surprisingly, he wasn't at a disadvantage at all. Meanwhile, Zhuge Nan and the Wang family's experts were also fighting against the younger members of the four family heads.

After a night of fighting, the remaining members of the six major families of love finally turned against each other.

……

Outside the cave, Bai Yu was naturally unaware of these events. However, what shocked Bai Yu was that he had actually managed to retaliate against the attack from the Bai family's experts.

That's right, Bai Yu's own expert actually launched an attack on him. Although the sneak attack caused Bai Yu some minor injuries, he was not defeated and instead subdued the expert.

"Long live the Salvation Army!!" The expert in front of him simply shouted coldly and then said nothing more.

“You can’t commit suicide. I’ve already sealed off all possible methods you could use to kill yourself with needles. And I don’t need you to explain anything. My people will see for themselves!” Bai Yu said coldly, and several Bai family experts around him began to continuously remove the mental protection devices on his body.

After all the mental protective devices were deactivated, a psychic reached for the Saviors assassin's head.

“It’s confirmed, this person is indeed a member of the Salvation Army.” The psychic nodded to Bai Yu: “Zhao Lei was here! And it seems he was going to find Zhen to meet up with him!”

"What did you say? Zhao Lei!!!" Upon hearing this, Bai Yu was startled! It was clear that Zhao Lei was the leader of the Salvation Army. For so long, the Hero Association only knew Zhao Lei's identity and appearance, but had no knowledge of his abilities. Undoubtedly, since Zhao Lei had arrived, the disappearance in the timeline was inextricably linked to him. The Salvation Army was too troublesome, as they were practically everywhere. Among them were many incredibly powerful individuals.

Bai Yu still couldn't believe that the SS-ranked "Flash Girl" was actually a member of the Salvation Army. But now that he knew Zhao Lei's whereabouts, Bai Yu absolutely couldn't let him go.

"Notify the Hero Association, I have important news! The other heroes need help!"

Chapter XIII

Strolling leisurely through the woods, Lin Jie couldn't help but smile. Looking at the natural scenery, he couldn't help but sigh, "It's been so long since I've traveled. This place is definitely the most interesting."

"Lin Jie, you seem to have changed." Looking at the smile on Lin Jie's face, Tian Xiaoshu suddenly said to Lin Jie, "You seem to have been acting a little strange lately."