Having completely departed from the system of the Divine Spirit Realm, Haoyun and his companions were now almost defenseless against the malevolent aura released by Mother Mold. Thus, they could only allow these dark energies to freely invade and exit their bodies, relying on their consciousness to forcibly repel the piercing agony that accompanied it. However, their greatest concern wasn't just enduring this pain; they feared whether their sanctified bodies would be thoroughly eroded and ultimately collapse under the assault of Mother Mold's malevolent energy.
Pain, even if it lasted for just a fleeting second, made time seem endless for those enduring it. Thus, immersed in agony, Haoyun and his companions felt the unattainable desire to escape this accelerated freefall. Their bodies weakened with each passing moment, and they could only hope for a swift end to their ordeal. If they continued to withstand the onslaught of the malevolent energy, their divine powers would be entirely drained, and their sanctified bodies would succumb to the overwhelming malevolence.
"Ah—!" Just as Haoyun's consciousness began to blur, he suddenly felt as if injected with a strong stimulant, revitalizing his spirit. With sheer determination, he forcefully opened his eyes and sat up abruptly, letting out a scream. Startled, Dao Lao and Dream Jia also awoke. Although all three were panting heavily from the shock, they wasted no time in checking their bodies for signs of severe damage caused by the malevolent energy.
Phew! Everything seemed normal.
After a rapid self-examination, they found no abnormalities. Relieved, they glanced at each other and realized how disheveled they appeared. Despite not being their first time using a teleportation array created by Mold's energy, each passage through these portals inflicted considerable pain. However, this time, the agony and fear they experienced were real and intense.
Fortunately, Haoyun and his companions hadn't been crushed by the pain or suffered severe injuries. Following their initial confusion upon awakening, their mental and physical states quickly returned to normal. Moreover, they now sensed an inexplicably powerful energy within them. Yet, they couldn't yet discern its nature or how to harness it.
Despite this unique sensation, Haoyun and his companions had no time to explore the strange energy inside them. Regaining their senses, they found themselves seated in the dining room of Haoyun's parents' home. Similar to their departure when they chased Adam and Eve, the dining room showed no significant changes except for the remnants of their earlier scuffle. However, they could now clearly see through the French windows to witness an astonishing transformation in the neighborhood compared to their previous visit.
The scene outside was a chaotic amalgamation of sunny skies, looming clouds, lightning, thunder, wind, rain, snow, and swirling sand—a spectacle no one could imagine where all these phenomena coexisted simultaneously. Yet, this surreal and chaotic display paled in comparison to the lifeless spatial rifts that continued to appear out of thin air, wreaking havoc on the surrounding space. Clearly, these rifts were the culprits behind the abnormal weather outside. Thus, Haoyun and his companions' top priority now was to find a way to stop the appearance of these rifts and prevent the existing ones from expanding, thereby averting the complete collapse of Earth's spatial fabric under their devouring effect.
Therefore, they immediately left the dining room to closely inspect the situation of the spatial rifts outside and explore potential countermeasures. However, as soon as they stepped out of the dining room, they froze in their tracks. Five heavily armed soldiers of the Divine Spirit Realm's Military Police had appeared in the spacious living room of Haoyun's parents' home at some point. Seeing Haoyun and his companions emerge from the dining room, the soldiers immediately placed their hands on the weapons at their waists, fixing them with vigilant gazes that deterred any movement.
"Excuse me, are you all high-ranking officers of the Inspectorate?" Dao Lao asked respectfully, even before speaking. Even before Dao Lao spoke, he had recognized the identity of these heavily armed soldiers from the insignia of pristine white light displayed on their chestplates.
The Inspectorate, as the name implied, was a special authority within the Divine Spirit Realm tasked with overseeing the daily duties and conduct of internal officials. Additionally, it maintained discipline and upheld the image of various divine departments. If any divine officer was found to have serious issues in their work or exhibited misconduct in their personal lives, this department would step in to criticize or punish them.
Given the perspective from the Divine Spirit Realm, the actions of Hao Yun and his companions leaving the realm constituted a serious breach of discipline by desertion. Moreover, Eve and others likely embellished their encounter with Hao Yun's group, shifting blame onto them and reporting their "misdeeds" to the Dark Realm through special channels even before they returned to the Divine Spirit Realm. Therefore, Hao Yun and his companions were prepared to become significant fugitives of the Divine Spirit Realm even before their return, anticipating immediate arrest upon arrival.
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This explains why Hao Yun and his group weren't surprised to see the vigilance of the Enforcement Brigade soldiers upon encountering them. They had believed that with the help of Mother Mould, they could hide upon their return to buy more time to devise ways to deal with Elina. However, they were caught off guard when the Divine Spirit Realm quickly pinpointed their location and sent soldiers to apprehend them upon their return. It appeared Mother Mould had merely facilitated their smooth return, without intending to offer further assistance.
Despite feeling that Mother Mould hadn't been fully helpful, Hao Yun couldn't blame her excessively. Thus, he asked in a low voice, "What do we do now?"
The five imposing soldiers from the Enforcement Brigade, robust and imposing, were clearly prepared for combat upon seeing them. Seeing this, Hao Yun refrained from drawing his Phoenix Blade, knowing well that his purpose in returning was to deal with Elina and to save the world being devoured by spatial rifts. While saving this Earthly world conflicted with the interests of the Divine Spirit Realm and would inevitably be opposed and obstructed by them, Hao Yun was certain they could reach an agreement with the Divine Spirit Realm on dealing with Elina. Therefore, to avoid jeopardizing cooperation between both sides, Hao Yun naturally felt that confronting the five Enforcement Brigade soldiers was an unwise choice.
Dao Lao, naturally thinking along the same lines as Hao Yun, signaled him not to speak out of turn, but to follow his lead. Then he bowed slightly with his left palm holding his right fist, saying, "Oh-ho-ho! I am Dao Dami, and I have met the five noble Enforcement Brigade gods. Um... may I ask why you five have suddenly descended to the mortal realm?"
Observing that these five Enforcement soldiers did not immediately arrest Hao Yun's group upon seeing them but silently surrounded them at the restaurant's exit, Dao Lao couldn't help but realize that these soldiers likely had received orders to arrest them directly. That's why Dao Lao took the initiative to feign ignorance in asking about their reasons. Of course, Dao Lao's purpose in asking was also to gauge what kind of attitude the Divine Spirit Realm currently held towards them.
The five Enforcement Brigade soldiers did not respond to Dao Lao's greeting but continued to stare intensely at Hao Yun's group with a gaze that could chill one's soul. After a brief standoff like this, faint crackling electrical sounds began to emerge in the living room. Immediately turning to look, Hao Yun's group saw a black teleportation array forming in the center of the room. It was then that they realized the Enforcement Brigade soldiers weren't avoiding confrontation but waiting for more reinforcements to arrive before making further decisions.
After the teleportation array formed, several heavily armed soldiers marched out. Seeing this, Hao Yun's group quickly stepped back and became more vigilant. However, upon recognizing the insignia on these new soldiers, they brightened up. These soldiers were not from the Enforcement Brigade but members of Judge Yan's exclusive guard team from the 13th sector of the Yin Spirit Realm.
"Oh-ho-ho! Brother Dao, you've finally returned! We've been unable to contact you three for so long, it's been worrying us to death!" With the appearance of the soldiers, a hearty laugh echoed from the teleportation portal. Then, before the portal closed, a very familiar figure hurriedly walked out.
"Master Gu? It's Master Gu!" Seeing the familiar figure with a greenish bald head, Hao Yun immediately called out joyfully.
Under the intense scrutiny of the heavily armed soldiers, Hao Yun felt immense pressure, making him barely able to catch his breath. So upon seeing Master Gu, Hao Yun couldn't contain his happiness. Master Gu's rough laughter, like that of a rustic man, had never made Hao Yun feel so warmly welcomed, and it also made him feel that the current situation might not be as dire as imagined. From Master Gu's cheerful appearance, he seemed more like he had come specifically to welcome them home rather than to arrest and interrogate them.
"Master Gu, why are you here?" Dream Jia also asked with relief.
Dream Jia wasn't afraid that she couldn't match these soldiers. As a naturally strong-willed and combative individual, she had never felt fear even facing Destroyers and Elina, who were far stronger than her. So why would she fear a conflict with these soldiers she still considered her own? Dream Jia simply didn't want to engage in conflict with them. Therefore, upon seeing Master Gu, Dream Jia finally breathed a sigh of relief. Because she knew that even though the atmosphere was tense, as long as Master Gu appeared, both sides would definitely refrain from fighting.
"Ah! Since you suddenly lost contact a while back, Judge Yan and I have been searching for your whereabouts. During this time, I don't know how many messages I sent to you, but I never received a reply. It really worried us!" As Master Gu explained the situation, he walked quickly to Hao Yun's group, examining them up and down with a concerned look to ensure they were unharmed.
"Hey! Master Gu, don't mention it! After leaving the Yin Spirit Realm, I wanted to take Dao Lao and Dream Jia back to visit my parents here, but then we..." Hao Yun began to speak but hesitated, unsure how to continue, especially regarding his parents' situation. And now, standing in his parents' home, they could all see what was happening outside. Considering that Master Gu was a senior official in the Surface System, Hao Yun felt it prudent not to continue, to avoid revealing too much about the ongoing catastrophe here and potentially causing unknown trouble for Master Gu.