Butcher couldn't help but say, "You blind old man, you're making decisions on your own—have you even asked Quinn what he wants?"
"I don't need to ask! He's the child I raised—I get to make the decisions!"
With that, Grandpa Blind grabbed Quinn's hand and led him out of the great hall. A herd of flood-dragons hurried after Quinn as he ran outside. Village Chief frowned and said, "No need to chase after them, Butcher. Blind will come to his senses on his own."
Butcher shook his head. "That old guy's got a worse temper than me. Can't believe he actually lost it."
Inside the hall, Sage Nicholas Tranquil sighed deeply and said to Warren Moran and the other two, "The Human Emperor invited us down the mountain to help model the spatial arts for repairing the Divine Bridge. Now that the model is finished, there's no need for us to linger in this trouble-ridden Everpeace Empire. Will you come back with me to Little Jade Capital?"
Ronnie Long and Cindy Mu both hesitated. Ronnie wanted to return to Little Jade Capital, but he wasn't decisive and instinctively looked to Warren Moran for guidance—the three Little Jade Capital disciples always relied on Warren's judgment. Cindy, on the other hand, was tempted to stay; her playful side had enjoyed the chaos of these past few months in the lower world.
Warren Moran was silent for a moment, then said, "Just now, I ran into the Imperial Preceptor of Everpeace."
Sage Nicholas Tranquil raised his eyebrows. Warren Moran continued, "He didn't recognize me anymore."
Sage Nicholas Tranquil sighed. "He's the Imperial Preceptor—of course he wouldn't remember you."
Warren Moran said, "The Imperial Preceptor is leading the reforms, reshaping the world and creating a new order. His Dao and divine arts improve at a staggering pace. Even if I train a hundred times harder in Little Jade Capital, I'd never surpass him in this lifetime. And besides, he's incredibly diligent himself."
"You want to stay?" Sage Nicholas Tranquil asked.
Warren Moran bowed. "I want to step into the era of upheaval brought by these reforms. The signs are everywhere: the Imperial Preceptor's Sword Three Forms, Quinn the Human Emperor's Six Directions Primordial Spirit, the Solar-Shooting God Cannon, astral phenomenon divine arts—all show that Dao and divine arts are changing. If I hide away in Little Jade Capital, I'll miss this era completely, and the Imperial Preceptor will never remember me. Even if I seek revenge someday, he'd kill me in one stroke and still not know who I was."
Sage Nicholas Tranquil sighed inwardly. "Then stay. Cindy, Ronnie, what about you two?"
Cindy Mu smiled. "I'll stay too—otherwise our junior brother will have no one to look after him."
Ronnie Long hesitated, then said, "If my junior brother and sister are staying, as senior brother, I ought to look after them."
Sage Nicholas Tranquil rubbed his forehead. "All right. Hugh Darkriver, let's head back to Little Jade Capital."
The three old immortals of Little Jade Capital rose, saluted Village Chief, Mute Smith, and Butcher, and took their leave.
Once airborne, Sage Nicholas Tranquil said to Hugh Darkriver and Ewan Cloudwander, "I'm not at ease about those three disciples. You two go on ahead to Little Jade Capital—I'll secretly keep watch over them."
Hugh Darkriver quickly said, "The emperor just blasted a High Heaven god—who knows what consequences that will bring? If you stay, you might get caught up in it too. This place is nothing but trouble—best not to linger!"
Sage Nicholas Tranquil laughed. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I've long since let go of worldly attachments—this bustling world won't entangle me." With that, he vanished, shadowing his students from afar.
Quinn sat atop the Dragon-Qilin, following Grandpa Blind as he walked at a steady pace. Quinn invited Blind to ride, but Blind refused, leaning on his cane and heading toward the Great Ruins on his own.
After a long while, Grandpa Blind suddenly stamped his foot and stopped walking.
Quinn told the Dragon-Qilin to halt, and the crowd of flood-dragons around him all stopped as well.
After a moment, Grandpa Blind sighed and said, "Quinn, Butcher asked me to see what you want to do. I never did ask you. So, I'm asking now: do you want to stay here, or go back to the Great Ruins?"
Quinn smiled. "If Grandpa Blind wants me to go back, then I'll go back. But if I say I want to stay, would Grandpa Blind allow it?"
"No!"
Quinn changed the subject. "Did Village Chief ever ask Butcher about the sun, moon, and stars all being fake?"
"Go ask the pig-killer yourself!"
Quinn fell silent. They continued on their way. As night fell, Quinn made a fire and cooked a meal. After eating, Grandpa Blind took his bamboo cane, drew a circle around Quinn, and said, "Wait here. Don't step outside the circle... not that you could if you tried! I'm off to snatch you a bride—when we get back to the village, you'll be married and have kids!"
Quinn jumped in surprise. Grandpa Blind hefted his bamboo cane, leapt into the air, and vanished from sight.
"Snatch a bride? Have kids?"
Quinn's mind buzzed. He hurried toward the edge of the circle, but as soon as he tried to cross, the circle Grandpa Blind had drawn flared with light and bounced him back.
"Grandpa Blind's ward is strong, but Crippled Joe taught me the Stealing-Heavens Leg Art—no ward can stop me!"
Quinn pushed off with his feet and tried to activate the Stealing-Heavens Leg Art, but was bounced back again. The circle Grandpa Blind had drawn was clever—the space was just tight enough to prevent Quinn from reaching full speed with the Stealing-Heavens Leg Art, which needed extreme velocity to break through spatial restraints and ignore wards.
"Grandpa Blind taught me the Ninefold Heaven Eye Art—it's made for breaking wards! Open eyes!"
Layer upon layer of formation patterns spun in Quinn's pupils as he activated the Bixiao Heaven Eye and stared intently—but he could only sigh in defeat.
He couldn't understand it.
As the creator of the Ninefold Heaven Eye Art, Grandpa Blind was known as the Divine Eye Divine Gun. His powerful divine eyes gave him unfathomable mastery over wards and formations.
Even if Quinn opened all nine layers of the Heaven Eye, he might not be able to break through.
"I've still got two big eyeballs here—the Solar Jade Eye and the Lunar Jade Eye. Maybe those can break Grandpa Blind's ward! But..."