When I woke up, I wanted to go home.

Five days later, Zhu Chongjiu arrived in Ruixue's capital!

Zhu Chongjiu stood at the palace gate and shouted to the guards, "Tell King Lai Xun that Ninth Brother has arrived!"

Upon hearing Zhu Chongjiu's words, one of the guards went into the palace to inform King Lai Xun, while the other went directly to Zhu Chongjiu and respectfully said, "Ninth Brother, His Majesty instructed that if Ninth Brother arrives, you may enter the palace directly!"

After the guard finished speaking, he led Zhu Chongjiu into the palace.

After entering the palace, the guards led Zhu Chongjiu to a palace, invited him to sit down, said that the king would be coming soon, and then withdrew from the palace.

Zhu Chongjiu had just sat down in the chair when hurried footsteps came from outside the door!

King Lai Xun disregarded all etiquette, pushed open the door, and strode towards Zhu Chongjiu with a broad smile on his face!

When Zhu Chongjiu saw King Lai Xun striding over, he was about to stand up when King Lai Xun quickly gestured from a distance, indicating that Zhu Chongjiu did not need to get up!

When King Lai Xun hurried to Zhu Chongjiu, he shakily extended his two incomplete arms, his remaining hand trembling slightly, as if he wanted to bow to Zhu Chongjiu. However, just as he was about to perform this gesture, he suddenly realized that his amputated arms could no longer perform such a movement as before. A look of embarrassment crossed King Lai Xun's face, and he forced a bitter smile before slowly lowering his hands, saying softly, "Ninth Brother, you have made me miss you so much!"

He paused, his gaze fixed on Zhu Chongjiu, and continued with a sigh, "I had hoped that after winning this great battle, I could see you immediately and thank you in person. Who would have thought that I would not be able to see you, causing me to think of you day and night, unable to eat or sleep!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Chongjiu merely pursed his lips and said dismissively, "Alright, stop with the fancy words. I've come here simply to see where Old Wei will finally rest, so I can send him off on his final journey."

King Lai Xun quickly agreed, "Very well, everything is negotiable!" Then, as if remembering something important, he hurriedly asked, "Ninth Brother, our Ruixue Kingdom has achieved such a glorious victory this time, even successfully killing that demon lord, thus fulfilling the long-cherished wish of our founding fathers. When I die and meet my ancestors, I can finally hold my head high and feel truly honored! And all of this is thanks to your efforts, Ninth Brother!"

Does Ninth Brother have any requests? I, the King, will certainly use the full power of the nation to fulfill them!

Zhu Chongjiu stroked the little black dog in his arms and said casually, "I don't have any demands. I'm a lonely man, I have no desire for power, and you can't help me with anything in terms of strength!"

By the way, why didn't we see the Duke of the Kingdom during this great battle?

When Zhu Chongjiu mentioned the Duke of the Kingdom, King Lai Xun, who had been all smiles, immediately turned worried.

Zhu Chongjiu's heart skipped a beat when he saw King Lai Xun's expression, and he asked, "Could it be that the Duke of the Kingdom also...?"

No, not at all. Before me, the Duke of the Kingdom ventured alone into the vast icy wilderness and fought a battle with the Demon Lord. He is now seriously injured and recuperating in my inner palace.

"It was after this battle that the Duke of the Kingdom was severely injured by the Demon Lord. He is now only clinging to life with rare and precious treasures. Even so, I'm afraid he won't last much longer!" King Lai Xun sighed.

After listening, Zhu Chongjiu pondered for a moment and said: Take me to see it!

Upon hearing Zhu Chongjiu's words, King Lai Xun immediately stood up and was about to lead Zhu Chongjiu to the inner palace when he anxiously asked, "Could it be that Ninth Brother can cure the Duke of the Kingdom?"

Zhu Chongjiu gave a bitter smile. "I haven't even seen the Duke of the Kingdom yet, how would I know if I can be saved! You're treating me like a lifeline!" Despite saying this, Zhu Chongjiu still followed King Lai Xun towards the inner palace.

On the way to the inner palace, Zhu Chongjiu also learned about the current situation of the Duke of the Kingdom through the King of Lai Xun's account. The two walked and talked, and soon arrived at the door of the Duke of the Kingdom's residence!

Before they even reached the door, the intense, almost overwhelming scent of herbs rushed into Zhu Chongjiu's nostrils like a tidal wave. When the two stopped at the door, King Lai Xun reached out without hesitation and gently pushed open the somewhat heavy door.

As the door slowly opened, the scene inside gradually unfolded before Zhu Chongjiu's eyes. On a large bed lay a gaunt, emaciated old man. His flesh seemed to have been shaving away by the merciless blade of time, leaving only a thin layer of skin tightly wrapped around his bones. His white hair, like winter frost, was scattered haphazardly on the pillow.

Zhu Chongjiu walked quickly to the bedside, his gaze fixed on the haggard-looking Duke of Wangguo on the bed.

Just then, the Duke, who had been in a deep sleep, seemed to sense someone approaching. He used all his strength and with great difficulty, he opened his eyelids, which felt as heavy as lead.

When he saw that the visitor was Zhu Chongjiu, his previously dull eyes flashed with surprise, and his spirits seemed to be injected with a powerful stimulant, instantly becoming much more invigorated.

A faint but clearly visible glimmer of light appeared in his previously lifeless eyes.

Before Zhu Chong could speak, the Duke of Wang Guo said in a hoarse voice, "If Ninth Brother is back, then we must have won!"

King Lai Xun hurriedly stepped forward and said to the Duke of the Kingdom, "Yes, we have won! Not only have we won, but Ninth Brother has also killed the Demon Lord. We no longer need to fear the vast ice and snowfields!"

Just as the Duke was about to speak again, King Lai Xun quickly interrupted him, saying, "Don't speak anymore! You must rest and recuperate!" The Duke grinned, his mouth now devoid of all his teeth, and chuckled as he replied, "What's there to recuperate about? Look at me now, every day I live is another day of suffering. The only reason I've been able to hold on until now is because I've been preoccupied with the fierce battle at the front. Now that the war has been won, I can leave in peace!"

Upon hearing this, King Lai Xun's eyes instantly welled up with tears, which streamed down his face. He choked out, "Your Highness, please don't speak such ominous words! I have already dispatched people to the other four countries to seek renowned physicians for treatment, and I believe good news will arrive soon. We grew up together, and you are the only one who truly understands my heart. I will never stand by and watch you leave me like this!"

Standing to the side, Zhu Chongjiu watched as the two of them chattered on and on for a long time. Finally, he couldn't hold back any longer and blurted out, "Alright, alright! What are you two up to? Two old men dragging your feet and crying like a young couple going through a life-or-death separation."

Besides, King Rai Xun, didn't you just say you'd let me see if I could save him? Now that we've come this far, it seems you have no intention of letting me save him!

If that's the case, then you two can continue. I can't stand watching anymore, I'm leaving!

Upon hearing Zhu Chongjiu's words, King Lai Xun quickly wiped away his tears and apologized, "I'm sorry, Ninth Brother, I got so emotional that I forgot about this."

Since Ninth Brother, you've said so, does that mean the Duke of the Kingdom can save him? King Lai Xun asked Zhu Chongjiu cautiously, his expression revealing his fear that the answer he was about to hear would not be what he wanted!

Zhu Chongjiu spoke softly, "Get out of the way!" With a flick of his arm, a powerful force erupted, shoving King Lai Xun aside. Then, he swiftly raised his right hand, placing it firmly on the Duke's chest, and whispered, "Spring returns to the earth!"

The moment Zhu Chongjiu finished speaking, a miraculous scene unfolded. The Duke of Wangguo's previously pale and lifeless body began to slowly regain its vitality at an astonishing speed visible to the naked eye. At the same time, Zhu Chongjiu lightly flipped his left hand, and a storage ring appeared in his palm. With a thought, the ring flickered slightly, and two rare and precious materials radiating rich spiritual energy flew out from it, which he swallowed in one gulp.

Time passed second by second, and half an hour went by in the blink of an eye. At this point, the Duke of Wangguo's appearance had recovered to about 70% of what it used to be. Although there was still a long way to go before a full recovery, such a remarkable change was already quite astonishing.

When Zhu Chongjiu finally released his right hand from the Duke of Wangguo's chest, the Duke, who had been lying on the ground, immediately struggled to stand up. However, Zhu Chongjiu quickly stopped him, saying, "Don't move around. You're not completely healed yet! You'll have to bear the pain for a while. If I wasn't worried that you couldn't handle it, I wouldn't have used up so many precious natural treasures and my own internal energy to help you recover."

After Zhu Chongjiu finished speaking with a cold expression, he didn't give the Duke of Wangguo any time to react. In a flash, he swiftly delivered a chop to the neck with lightning speed. In an instant, a cold light flashed, and with a muffled thud, the Duke of Wangguo's arm fell to the ground.

The Duke of Wangguo's eyes widened, the excruciating pain almost making him scream, but before he could utter a sound, Zhu Chongjiu shouted angrily, "Hold on!"

The Duke of the Kingdom, who was about to cry out in pain, immediately shut his mouth after hearing Zhu's reprimand!

Immediately following, Zhu Chongjiu's movements ceased. His left hand slammed down with a powerful surge of internal energy towards the Duke of Wangguo's head. Simultaneously, his right hand made a grasping motion in the air, also unleashing a powerful surge of internal energy towards the Duke of Wangguo's feet. These two streams of internal energy, like two roaring dragons, surged into the Duke of Wangguo's body from his head and feet, instantly piercing through his entire body.

The Duke felt as if his veins and flesh were undergoing a terrible torture. First, he was hammered mercilessly with an enormous iron hammer, every inch of his bones feeling as if it were about to break; then, it felt as if he were being crushed by a heavy millstone, his meridians and muscles almost deformed from the pressure. The pain was indescribable; even his newly grown teeth were bitten to pieces with all his might.

Time ticked by, and about five minutes later, to everyone's astonishment, a strange, jet-black liquid, as black as ink, slowly swirled around the Duke's severed arm. The liquid was viscous and thick, emitting a nauseating, foul odor. Even more astonishingly, when the liquid flowed to the severed arm, it seemed to possess a kind of consciousness, clinging tightly to the spot, showing no intention of leaving the Duke's body.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Chongjiu's eyes turned cold, and he exerted force with both hands simultaneously, pushing his inner strength to its limit. Instantly, the previously stagnant black liquid, impacted by this powerful force, shot out from the severed arm at an astonishing speed like an arrow released from a bow, leaving a trail of black afterimages.

Zhu Chongjiu stared coldly at the scene before him, a wicked smile playing on his lips: "Hmph, your original body has already been severed by me. With your insignificant parasite, do you really think you can stir up any trouble?" Before he finished speaking, Zhu Chongjiu uttered two words: "Fire, burn."

In an instant, the black liquid that had been shooting rapidly outwards seemed to be drawn by some mysterious force, abruptly stopping in mid-air. Then, a blazing fireball appeared out of thin air, tightly enveloping the black liquid.

The black liquid trapped within the fireball began to struggle and writhe frantically, accompanied by chilling sizzling sounds. However, no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't escape the scorching heat and confinement of the flames. In less than a minute, the fireball gradually dissipated until it completely disappeared. Everything around returned to its previous calm, as if the terrifying battle had never happened.