Huang Baiwu had never admired anyone in his life. A thousand years ago, he had entered the Saintly Forest Ranking. At the time, he had the strength to suppress all of his generation. During the thousand-year period, he had advanced with an unstoppable momentum, reaching his current cultivation of fifth-stage God Realm.
He had gone far beyond the level of those from his generation. If he was one or two hundred years younger, he might have even qualified to participate in the competition for the young guild master position. Unfortunately, he was slightly older than the minimum requirement.
After Xiang Shaoyun killed Xie Lou, Huang Baiwu stepped forth and said, "Young Master Xiang's combat strength is incredible. It is an eye-opening experience to watch you fight."
"I wonder who you are, lord?" asked Xiang Shaoyun doubtfully.
Although Huang Baiwu was someone who had made his name a long time ago, Xiang Shaoyun had never met him.
"I'm Huang Baiwu."
Xiang Shaoyun immediately knew who the other party was. He smiled and said, "So it's Lord Baiwu. Pleasure to meet you."
Xiang Shaoyun might have had some unhappy experiences with the Dusk Dynasty, but along with the dynasty's destruction, the little conflict he had with them no longer mattered.
"Young Master Xiang, you should be busy competing for the young guild master position. Why do you instead have the time to come fight the devils here?" asked Huang Baiwu.
"There's still plenty of time. As I have only recently broken through into the Rebirth Realm, I'm planning to temper myself for a bit here," answered Xiang Shaoyun truthfully.
"That's good to hear. If you can kill more devils for the Dusk Dynasty, I, Huang Baiwu, will owe you a personal favor," said Huang Baiwu solemnly
The Dusk Dynasty had fallen, but there were quite a lot of humans defending the dynasty's former territory. Unfortunately, apart from the few Gods the Guardians Guild could spare, the other major organizations had not sent over any God Realm helpers. Huang Baiwu had been rather disheartened when he realized that.
However, he was also aware that a calamity was coming for the entire dominion, so everyone would be busy protecting themselves. It was understandable that few would be willing to lend them a helping hand.
Xiang Shaoyun's appearance had given him hope that they could avenge their fallen kingdom. He did not dare to dream of killing every single diabolic dragon in existence, but he still hoped to make them pay a painful lesson.
"Even without that promise, I'm still planning to stay here for some time," said Xiang Shaoyun with a nod. "Can you tell me about the situation here?"
"Sure. Let's talk somewhere else. With that diabolic dragon dead, a stronger diabolic dragon will arrive soon," said Huang Baiwu.
Xiang Shaoyun did not refuse the suggestion and left alongside Huang Baiwu. Xiang Shaoyun, Little Azure, and Little White were brought to a quiet place that was, surprisingly, the Saintly Forest Courtyard.
The place was protected by an extremely powerful formation. Not even the diabolic dragons had been able to gain control of the courtyard. One could only imagine how extraordinary the place was. The Saintly Forest Courtyard existed in an independent space separate from the main world. Only those with the courtyard's highest-level token could gain entrance.
At the moment, the courtyard was housing the Dusk Dynasty's remnant army. These soldiers weren't the masters of the courtyard. After all, the courtyard was an existence independent from the dynasty. Regardless of the relationship between the two, the courtyard had provided the dynasty a place of shelter during the invasion.
Entering the Saintly Forest Courtyard once again, Xiang Shaoyun discovered just how extraordinary the independent space was. In the past, he had completed his Desolation mantra from the Saintly Forest Ranking; thus, the courtyard held a special place in his heart. If possible, he did not wish to see this place be destroyed. The people in the courtyard were astonished to see Xiang Shaoyun arriving with Huang Baiwu.
"You're Xiang Shaoyun, the one who's ranked first on the Saintly Forest Ranking?"
Xiang Shaoyun was immediately recognized.
Naturally, after leaving his name on the Saintly Forest Ranking, his information had also been collected and stored in the Saintly Forest Courtyard.
Xiang Shaoyun nodded. "Yes, This kid is Xiang Shaoyun."
Even after advancing into the God Realm, Xiang Shaoyun still maintained an approachable demeanor, leaving a fabulous impression on all the people around him.
"Haha. It is good to see the person ranked first on the Saintly Forest Ranking here," said the elder of the courtyard with a hearty laugh.
Many people stepped forth to get a better look at Xiang Shaoyun. They were curious as to how special this person, who ranked first on the Saintly Forest Ranking, was. They couldn't help but exclaim inwardly when they saw how handsome he was, What an outstanding young man!
"Everyone, I still have something I need to discuss with Young Master Xiang. You can spend some time with him later," said Huang Baiwu when he saw how popular Xiang Shaoyun was.
Everyone knew who Huang Baiwu was, so they gave him the space he needed, allowing Xiang Shaoyun to be brought to the Dusk Dynasty's place without interruption.
The courtyard had treated the Dusk Dynasty well and given them a decent residence that housed the dynasty's remaining imperial family and some major officials. The other members of the imperial household had all perished under the hands of the devils.
With Huang Baiwu's prestige within the Dusk Dynasty, an entourage came out to welcome him not long after he returned. "Greetings, Imperial Uncle Baiwu."
"Be at ease," said Huang Baiwu with a wave of his hand.
When Xiang Shaoyun saw the struggling members of the fallen dynasty, a complicated emotion filled his heart. Just several years ago, the Dusk Dynasty was still a dazzling kingdom. In a few short years, the kingdom had fallen, and the princes and princesses had become no different from commoners. The air of arrogance previously around them was no longer there.
"Xiang Shaoyun!" a feminine voice suddenly rang out.
Xiang Shaoyun looked over and saw Huang Xiaoyue staring at him. Complicated emotions welled in her eyes. Evidently, she had not expected to see him again under such circumstances.
She was no longer the same child from all those years ago. She was now a peak Saint. She had grown rapidly, and she now carried an indescribable temperament about her. Worry seemed to have become a permanent fixture on her face, giving her a pitiable look.
Xiang Shaoyun nodded. "Hello, Huang Xiaoyue."
Many years ago, there was a minor conflict between them. However, none of it mattered anymore. Looking at the increasingly handsome Xiang Shaoyun, Huang Xiaoyue had a bitter feeling in her heart. It was understandable that a man like him would win the hearts of countless maidens. Unfortunately, it did not seem likely that anything would happen between the two of them.
When Huang Baiwu saw the emotions Huang Xiaoyue was leaking, he smiled and said, "If it wasn't for Young Master Xiang, I would not have been able to return with my life."
His statement alarmed many of the Dusk Dynasty members. After all, Huang Baiwu was their main source of confidence, and they wouldn't know what to do without him.
Even the way they looked at Xiang Shaoyun changed, and they now had more gratitude in their eyes.
"Baiwu, patience is important in all endeavors. How can we hope to rebuild the Dusk Dynasty if you remain so impatient?" an ancient voice suddenly rang out from deep within the residence.
"Emperor Emeritus, what's the point of living on like a dog with my tail between my legs?" replied Huang Baiwu indignantly. "I brought Young Master Xiang back because I hoped to do something major with him!"