Chapter 1448: Dissipation

"Since they've already been released, there's no point talking about it now," Yun Jianyue said, looking towards Baoyuan Mountain in the distance. "Shall we go take a look?"

The others naturally knew what she was thinking.

Zu An said, "The path between heaven and man has just been completely severed. This Spirit Mountain is different from before, and I'm afraid we won't be able to find the Elixir of Immortality here."

"That's right," Yan Xuehen added, "the Ten Witches of Spirit Mountain mentioned earlier that the Elixir of Immortality disappeared because Gu ambushed Baojiang."

"Pfft," Yun Jianyue scoffed, "maybe they're deliberately hiding it. Besides, the place where the Elixir of Immortality is located must have many rare and exotic herbs. Even if the vital energy has disappeared, there might still be some remnants. Finding just a few would make it worthwhile." Without another word, she lightly tapped her foot and shot towards Baoyuan Mountain.

The others were somewhat tempted, and also concerned for Yun Jianyue's safety, so they quickly followed.

However, Yun Jianyue soon wore a disappointed expression. Although the so-called Baoyuan Mountain had some spiritual herbs, they held little value for beings like the Demonic Sect Master or the White Jade City Observer.

"It seems this world has truly changed," Zu An said gravely, his earlier suspicions now confirmed.

He then looked up at another beautiful peak—Goddess Peak:

"Let's go check over there."

The Ten Witches of Spirit Mountain had previously mentioned that Emperor Yan's third daughter, Yao Ji, resided there. Also, just moments ago, while shooting down the suns, he had sensed a unique presence watching everything from Goddess Peak.

"I see you're smitten and can't walk straight after hearing about a beautiful woman, are you?" Yan Xuehen couldn't help but glance at him.

Yun Jianyue chuckled, "This time, I'm siding with the Ice Maiden!"

Yu Yanluo, meanwhile, glanced at Yan Xuehen, thinking, *Shouldn't I be the one saying that?*

*Sigh, these two elder sisters are getting closer and closer to Ah Zu.*

Despite their banter, they still headed to Goddess Peak to investigate.

The peak remained, but the goddess was long gone.

"So this is what the Ten Witches of Spirit Mountain meant by severing the path between heaven and man," Yan Xuehen sighed, finally understanding why, for thousands of years, no talented cultivator had managed to achieve immortality.

Yun Jianyue, however, was more optimistic. "At least we now know that immortals truly exist in this world; we won't be as lost as before."

Yan Xuehen's spirits lifted. "That's right!"

Just knowing this made their journey to the Unknown Land worthwhile.

Zu An's expression suddenly changed. "Oh no, all these mythological beings have disappeared. What about Shun from before?"

The women's hearts sank. Zu An's puppet curse mark hadn't been removed yet. What if Shun had also disappeared, like the Ten Witches of Spirit Mountain and Goddess Yao Ji? What would they do then?

Unable to wait any longer, the group immediately rushed towards Jiuyi Mountain.

Though each of them was somewhat exhausted, they dared not waste any time. Zu An activated his Wind-Fire Wheels, took the hands of the three women, and flew off.

Having faced so many life-and-death situations together, holding hands had long become second nature to them. They didn't even think anything of it.

Now that the path between heaven and man was severed, many unusual phenomena they had encountered earlier had vanished, and even some terrifying beasts and powerful cultivators had disappeared.

The world suddenly became much more normal. The group successively passed through places like the Marshes of Qingqiu, Ferocious Water, the Wilds of Shouhua, the Great Marsh of Dongting, Mulberry Forest, and Weak Water, no longer finding it as difficult as before.

They soon arrived at the south side of Jiuyi Mountain, at the tomb where they had previously met Shun.

Before anyone could speak, a blurry figure appeared. "You truly haven't disappointed me. Not only have you completed Yi's heroic journey, but you've also gained the divine artifact's recognition."

Seeing that he was still there, Zu An breathed a sigh of relief. "Is the divine artifact you mentioned earlier this Sun-Shooting Bow?"

"That's right," the voice replied, somewhat ethereal, not as solid as it had been before.

"But this Sun-Shooting Bow was clearly in the hands of Crown Prince Jinwu," Zu An countered. "He's in this realm now. How could there be two Sun-Shooting Bows simultaneously?" (Zu An had mentioned earlier that he was brought here by the Demon Emperor and his son, and the puppet curse mark on his body was left from that time.) He had personally seen Crown Prince Jinwu use the Sun-Shooting Bow back then; although there were minor differences, it was undoubtedly the same weapon. The biggest difference, of course, was that this white arrow seemed entirely different from the last one, possessing much greater power.

"Who said there are two simultaneously?" Shun smiled. "Given your current cultivation level, it's difficult to explain the reason in a language you can understand. One day, you will figure it out yourself."

Zu An remained silent, frowning. Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue, however, were pensive, vaguely grasping a hint of profundity in Shun's words, though they found it hard to articulate exactly what it was.

Yu Yanluo quickly spoke up, "We have already retraced Yi's heroic journey as agreed, and we've gained the divine artifact's recognition. Now, shouldn't you remove the puppet curse mark from his body, as promised?"

At this, Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue also quickly looked towards Shun's phantom. Yan Xuehen, in particular, felt a pang of shame, realizing her own concern for Zu An couldn't compare to Yu Yanluo's devotion.

But she immediately corrected herself: *He's not my man. Why should I care so much about him?*

"My current condition prevents me from helping him remove it," Shun sighed.

Zu An raised an eyebrow, directly drawing the Sun-Shooting Bow and aiming it at him. "Do you want to test the power of this divine artifact? I just happen to have one arrow left."

Although Shun had held a high status and formidable power in ancient times, he had been dead for many years. Zu An, still imbued with the residual power from instantly slaying nine suns, felt no fear of him now.

The figure visibly stiffened but quickly smiled. "No wonder you were able to complete the heroic journey; your spirit is indeed extraordinary. But you don't need to threaten me with that; I wasn't going to exist for much longer anyway."

Only then did Zu An notice that Shun's voice and figure were much fainter than when he last saw him, as if he could dissipate at any moment.

"The severing of the path between heaven and man has affected me. Of course, even without that, I couldn't have existed forever," the voice said with a self-deprecating chuckle, then addressed the group, "Don't panic. Although I cannot personally remove this puppet curse mark for you, I know someone who can."

"Trying to trick me into doing something for you again?" Zu An sneered, disliking the feeling of being used.

"You're overthinking it; you don't need to do anything for me," Shun's remnant said.

"What about what you mentioned earlier regarding dealing with Yu?" Yun Jianyue asked cautiously. He had clearly told them to bring the divine artifact to confront Yu, but now he wasn't even mentioning it. It felt like a trick.

"Since you have already obtained the Sun-Shooting Bow, I naturally don't need to worry about the rest. You will understand later. Alright, I should enter eternal slumber now." The remnant slowly dissipated, leaving only a faint, distant voice: "Go to a place called Nanchao; someone there can resolve the curse mark on your body."

Zu An frowned. Nanchao? Why did that name sound familiar?