I transformed into a cute girl and lived a carefree life in the apocalypse.

If Yan Shan were still alive, he could naturally deter some villains, but now that he is gone, some underground forces have begun to stir.

The current situation no longer allows them to continue following the rules...

55. The Royal Palace

"Phew—it's another good day, finally over."

After the second day of the competition ended, Yan Ziming stretched and prepared to go back with Si Mo.

Unexpectedly, Si Mo suddenly became interested in exploring the city, as everything there was still new and exciting for her.

A city floating in the sky—to her, this was a truly magnificent miracle.

"Hmph, it seems that humans aren't so useless after all."

Yan Ziming held her little hand as they walked down the street. They had disguised themselves before going out, so no one could recognize them. However, she was displeased upon hearing this and retorted:

"Hey, isn't it a bit inappropriate to say that in front of a ninth-tier powerhouse, the future Soul Heaven tycoon?"

"Ninth-tier cricket, Resurrection Heaven? We can suppress you with a single hand!"

"whispering sound."

Yan Ziming scoffed. Although it was true that Si Mo was strong, no other ninth-level cultivator would doubt her words.

But Yan Ziming is different. Her pride is second to none, and what supports this pride is her confidence in her own abilities.

"Huh?!" Si Mo drew out her words in an annoyed tone, her face full of malice. "You don't believe me?"

"I believe you, I believe you, Lady Simo is the best!"

Yan Ziming imitated her extremely perfunctory, drawn-out tone, which made Si Mo pout and look incredibly cute with her pouty expression.

But Yan Ziming knew that this pouty mouth was probably brewing a spatial storm, ready to splatter it all over her face! She wasn't as cute as she looked; inside, she was a real dragon!

"Humph!"

Considering that Yan Ziming was now a 'treasure' to her, and she couldn't afford to hurt him, Si Mo had no choice but to swallow her anger. However, she still wouldn't let it go, saying:

"Do you really think reaching the Soul Heaven level is that easy? If it were, that mantis shrimp would have reached the Soul Heaven level long ago! Your uncle is powerful, isn't he? But he still failed at this level, didn't he?"

"You—!" Yan Ziming's almond-shaped eyes widened, and she was about to retort when Si Mo didn't give her the chance: continuing her verbal barrage.

"What do you mean, 'you'? We can say this: even if it's you, you won't be able to even touch the edge of Soul Heaven in less than ten years!"

"Huh? You really dare to say that. It's one thing to not be able to break through to the Soul Heaven realm in ten years, but to say that I can't even get close to it, isn't that going too far?"

Several veins bulged on Yan Ziming's face, but Si Mo remained unmoved.

“If we say so, then so be it. That realm is indeed vast and boundless. You don’t naively believe that anyone who reaches the Void Spirit Realm can hope to touch this level, do you?”

"Well!!!"

To be honest, Yan Ziming did think so, but she still argued:

"Even so, I'm not as bad as you make me out to be!"

"Hmph! Once you reach that level, you'll understand whether what I said is correct or not. In this regard, I'm the most qualified to speak on the matter!"

"Well..."

Yan Ziming reluctantly agreed. Indeed, as Si Mo said, there were only a handful of people in the world who had the right to speak on this matter, and Si Mo was one of them.

"Tch... just a cricket with a few specks of silk..." (whispering)

"We heard everything, didn't we?"

"So what if you heard it? What can you do to me now?!"

"Hmph! The great Simo has decided to let you off the hook. Let's go check it out over there!"

Si Mo pointed to a rather peculiar-looking facility. There were very few people in the direction it extended, and it seemed to be an area that ordinary people were prohibited from entering.

Well, it wouldn't hurt to go and take a look.

Yan Ziming didn't think it was a big deal. As long as it wasn't a top-secret place, he could enter and exit simply by applying and registering, given his status.

Si Mo was teleported directly to the entrance, which was a magnificent palace-like building, a hundred meters away from the entrance, and naturally, heavily guarded.

Upon seeing Yan Ziming and her group's sudden appearance, the guards immediately surrounded them.

"Hello, unauthorized personnel are prohibited from entering this area."

"Not even me?"

Yan Ziming took off his black-rimmed glasses, and his entire demeanor changed abruptly, transforming him back into the Thunder Knight known to the world. The soldiers here immediately lost their composure.

Their captain, the seventh-level ability user, rushed over, a little nervous, as it was the first time he had seen a real person so close to him.

"10. I'm very sorry! Please allow me to consult with my superiors."

"It's alright, take your time. May I ask what kind of place this is?"

"I don't know either. We're only responsible for guarding the entrance here. Not many people usually come and go from here."

"Hey..."

Yan Ziming looked inside with great interest, as if he could see through the walls to the scenery inside.

Da da...

Footsteps could be heard coming from inside, and Yan Ziming could hear them even from a distance of a hundred meters.

Immediately, the palace gates opened, and a figure emerged, escorted by several armed men. Yan Ziming recognized him instantly.

"Ah, it's Speaker Chen."

"Yan Ziming and...Si Mo? What brings you two here?"

Chen Wansheng was surprised. Who would have thought that a legendary figure like Yan Ziming would suddenly visit this place? And with a silk motif at that.

"It's nothing, the child just suddenly wanted to come and visit. If it's inconvenient, then it's better not to."

"Well..."

Chen Wansheng was weighing the pros and cons.

Although the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind has been granted authority that transcends the five nations, it is still relatively new and its foundation is ultimately too shallow. It is certainly inappropriate to so easily offend such a powerful entity...

Although this is a trivial matter and not something that could be considered a serious offense, you can't know what's going on in someone's heart. Who knows if the other person has a little bit of a grudge because of this?

An organization without strong backing, even if granted extraordinary power, is nothing but a paper tiger; the initiative remains in the hands of the strong.

Considering that the authority of the community of shared future for mankind needs to be upheld by these supreme individuals, especially those who are not bound by the state, Chen Wansheng decided to do them a favor and let them in.

This could also be seen as an opportunity to win over this Thunderstorm Knight, and the one beside her...

"It's alright, you can go in, but don't go inside. You can only wander around the outside."

"Thank you, that's enough."

Yan Ziming never expected that Chen Wansheng would consider so much in such a small matter. After nodding slightly to him, she led Si Mo inside.

"Wow... this is the interior. It really looks like a palace in a Western fantasy style."

It has gardens, fountains, unique conical buildings, a training ground, and many other facilities, truly resembling a royal palace.

According to Mu Mu, this Sky City is a relic of a prehistoric civilization. This prehistoric civilization should have been a monarchy, so the existence of this palace would be perfectly reasonable.

But if they're not allowed inside, what's stored inside?

Si Mo's eyes sparkled as she looked around at the scenery, tugging at Yan Zimo's sleeve as she asked:

"When will you build us a building like this?"

"No money? Forget about it for the rest of your life. You might as well live at the bottom of your lake."

Yan Ziming shattered the child's innocent wish, yet felt no remorse whatsoever. Then, perhaps as retribution, a burst of flames erupted in the distance.

boom!

"Ahhhhh!!! You're asking for it!"

A roar came from there, and Yan Ziming's expression changed upon hearing it, for it was Murong Haiyi's voice.

56. The death knell that heralds death.

It was a roar filled with rage, like that of a ferocious beast, that instantly silenced all other sounds in the city, causing widespread panic. At first glance, people thought a powerful mutated species had broken into the city.

Yan Ziming's expression immediately changed when he heard this.

Because she recognized the voice; it belonged to Murong Haiyi.

Is there really anyone who would dare to target Chinese people within the framework of a shared future for mankind?!

This was something Yan Ziming hadn't anticipated, but no matter what, she couldn't let Murong Haiyi be killed right under her nose. She immediately transformed into a bolt of lightning and vanished in an instant.

"Hey, wait for us!" Si Mo reached out her hand, preparing to teleport.

Sa—

Almost the instant she left, a dark and gloomy aura lurked in the shadows, forming a large, pitch-black hand that reached out to grab Si Mo.

Clearly, the opponent's primary objective was not to kill, but to capture Si Mo alive.