Chapter 1908 — 1908: A Familiar Face

"Don't worry, I will tell you everything I know about Outer Gods. It won't be much, so don't have any high expectations," Yuan said.

After taking a deep breath, he continued, "I know of two other Outer Gods, but I only know one of their names. Rashara."

Of course, Yuan knew Shura's name, but he decided not to reveal it.

"Rashara? The name is quite similar to the Outer God I know—Rashira. Do you think they're related?" The Sect Leader remarked.

Yuan shrugged. "Who knows? Anyway, while I don't know much—if anything—about Rashara, I do know that they're working with the Celestial Emperor for some reason."

"The Celestial Emperor, huh? Do you know why they exist? Or how powerful they truly are?"

Yuan shook his head.

"It's impossible to tell how powerful they truly are, but they're definitely beyond our comprehension. After all, just learning of their existence could shatter one's soul. That said, they're not invincible and can be defeated."

The Sect Leader raised his eyebrows and said, "You sound like you're speaking from experience. Don't tell me you've fought them before?"

Yuan smiled and said, "Who knows? Maybe I have."

"Jokes aside, do you know how to contact them?" the Sect Leader asked.

"I do, but I'm not sure it'll work for your Outer God."

"So you're saying every Outer God has their own unique method of communication, huh? I wonder when I'll hear from mine again."

Yuan and the Sect Leader continued their conversation about Outer Gods for the next hour, with most of it being just speculations on their existence.

"When do you plan on leaving?" the Sect Leader asked him at the end.

"I need to talk to Elder Sun first. What will happen to them once I leave? Will they forget about my existence until I return?" Yuan asked.

"Something like that."

"Alright. I'll come see you again when I'm ready to leave."

Yuan returned to the Inner Court afterward.

"I plan on leaving next week," Yuan revealed his plans to the others, who had been waiting for him to return after Xi Meili contacted them.

He also revealed that they could return to this world in the future if they wanted. However, he didn't mention anything about the Outer Gods, as he wasn't sure they'd be able to handle the information.

"Ji Ran, have you decided? Like I said, I don't mind if you stay here. Regardless of your decision, I will continue to work on creating your new body in our world."

Ji Ran gazed up at the sky and let out a sigh. "When I was trapped in the Shadow Realm, I spent most of my time reminiscing about my days in the Immortal Monastery. Now that I'm living in it once again, I find myself wanting to stay here more and more."

"Young Master—"

Yuan suddenly interrupted, "Before you give me an answer, I want you to reconsider it without thinking about me."

"I know you want to repay me for getting you out of the Shadow Realm, but you don't need to always put me ahead of yourself. You're not my servant. Live the way you want."

"If I don't go back with you, who will help the Lord recover his spiritual energy?" Ji Ran asked.

"That will no longer be necessary since I will be reconnecting the Nine Heavens and Earth soon, and there's nothing we can do until then since I cannot log out. Relax, it's not like you're leaving for good—unless you plan on staying in this world forever."

"What? Of course not! Although life here is good, I still plan on rebuilding the Immortal Monastery!"

Yuan smiled and said, "In that case, stay here until I finish creating your new body."

After a moment of silence, Ji Ran suddenly dropped to his knees and bowed, "Young Master, I will stay here to brush up my knowledge and memories of the Immortal Monastery so that there will be no mistakes when I rebuild the sect in the future."

Yuan nodded.

"Alright. I'll try my best to finish creating your new body before then."

He turned to look at Tan Songyun and asked, "What about you? Are you also going to stay here?"

"No, I have experienced enough. I'll leave with you."

"Alright, let's return here in a week."

Sometime later, Yuan stepped into the center court. He had never had the chance to explore this place before, and now, as he wandered, he took in the serene atmosphere. The air was thick with spiritual energy, each breath invigorating and refreshing.

As he strolled through the tranquil surroundings, his gaze drifted toward the distance, where he noticed two beautiful female disciples engaged in conversation. Both wore the distinctive robes of Core Disciples, their presence standing out.

When Yuan noticed the disciples, they also noticed him, as he was still wearing his Inner Court outfit.

"Hey, Inner Court disciples are not allowed to be here. Are you lost?" One of them called out Yuan.

"..."

Yuan didn't respond, too preoccupied with staring at the disciple's face. It was undeniably beautiful, but that wasn't why he was fixated on it. There was something strangely familiar about her features, a nagging sense of recognition that he couldn't quite place.

"Hm? You look familiar." The female disciple suddenly said out loud what Yuan was thinking, and she began approaching him.

As the female disciple drew closer, Yuan's eyes widened slightly as a sudden realization struck him.

His expression stiffened, and a flicker of surprise flashed through his gaze. In a low voice filled with disbelief, he muttered, "Meng Lili?"

"How do you know my name? Do we know each other?"

Yuan wanted to speak with her, but then he remembered the incident with Huang Xiao Li.

Without explaining or uttering another word, Yuan turned around and flew away as fast as he could.

'Although she'd matured, that was definitely Meng Lili! But how is she alive?!' Yuan couldn't fathom how Meng Lili was alive, much less a Core Disciple, when she'd died as an Outer Court Disciple in the original timeline.