Mu Ming was a very shrewd man.
Because of that shrewdness, after descending into this world, he didn't immediately go on a killing spree. Instead, he used his mental secret techniques to obtain Chen Yong's memories, especially everything about Dongfang Xiaoyao. Then, when the battle began, he quietly left the battlefield.
This was because he knew this world had powerful individuals. Otherwise, twelve years ago, when the outer realms sent so many experts to war, they wouldn't have been defeated.
After descending, his strength was only at the fifth stage of Three-Star War God. He still had a long way to go to reach the peak experts and couldn't act recklessly in this world from the start.
After leaving Hanshan Temple, he headed straight for the ancient Su family residence to find Dongfang Xiaoyao, without attacking anyone along the way.
If it weren't for the omnipresent Heavenly Net system covering the cities, it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack for the police to find him.
Upon arriving at the ancestral Su family residence, he first obtained Dongfang Xiaoyao's memories and then immediately devised a plan: use the Primordial Spirit Coffin technique to make Dongfang Xiaoyao his puppet. Simultaneously, he would integrate into this world, conceal himself, and begin his grand undertaking in the shortest possible time.
He hadn't expected Jiang Wuming to arrive so quickly, but he had timely formulated the most stable strategy, gaining a complete advantage in the initial battle.
If it weren't for Jiang Wuming possessing a mysterious space that allowed his soul to escape into it and survive, Mu Ming's plan would have succeeded.
Even now, with his life hanging by a thread, Mu Ming still retained his shrewdness. He didn't care about humiliation and was even willing to become Jiang Wuming's servant in exchange for a chance to survive.
This was because, as long as he could possess an ordinary person's soul and survive, even if his soul's injuries couldn't heal, he could use the most miraculous soul-possessing technique of outer realm mental power users, the Primordial Spirit Possession Technique, to possess another person's soul and escape Jiang Wuming's control.
However—
The plan was perfect, but the outcome was cruel.
"Bang!"
"Pfft—"
The next moment, two sounds occurred almost simultaneously.
Jiang Wuming didn't hesitate and directly stomped on Mu Ming's head, crushing it!
Jiang Wuming could guess Mu Ming's ulterior motives.
Even if Mu Ming were to become a loyal servant and offer other value to Jiang Wuming, Jiang Wuming would never allow Mu Ming to possess an ordinary person's soul.
That would be equivalent to assisting Mu Ming in murder!
"I am not resigned!"
Mu Ming died completely, leaving behind a final shred of his spiritual consciousness in his mental world.
He had thought he could make a name for himself in this world and achieve great things, but instead, he died before he could even start, and in an extremely humiliating manner: his head was crushed by a stomp, the very way Mu Ming had intended to kill Jiang Wuming!
Jiang Wuming was unaware of Mu Ming's lingering consciousness, and even if he were, he wouldn't have cared.
*Swish!*
After killing Mu Ming, he flashed forward and appeared before Dongfang Xiaoyao. He intended to shake her awake, but halfway through extending his hand, he changed his mind. He bent down, scooped her up in a princess carry, and headed towards her room.
However—
Before Jiang Wuming could carry Dongfang Xiaoyao into the room, her body suddenly trembled, and she shouted, "Brother Wuming, hurry and leave!"
"???"
Hearing this, Jiang Wuming instinctively stopped.
*Swish!*
At the same time, Dongfang Xiaoyao's eyes snapped open, and her right hand shot out, palm striking towards Jiang Wuming's head.
"Xiaoyao, it's me."
Jiang Wuming didn't dodge, allowing Dongfang Xiaoyao's palm to strike him.
Although he couldn't be a hundred percent sure that Mu Ming hadn't tampered with Dongfang Xiaoyao's mental world, Mu Ming was now dead, his soul scattered. It was impossible for any mental consciousness clones to still exist in the world, let alone control Dongfang Xiaoyao.
He firmly believed that this was Dongfang Xiaoyao's instinct driving her to attack, and as long as she recognized him, she would stop.
Even if Dongfang Xiaoyao couldn't stop in time, with her strength, she wouldn't be able to harm him in the slightest.
"W... Brother Wuming."
As expected, Dongfang Xiaoyao's eyes cleared, and her consciousness returned. She saw Jiang Wuming and sensed his familiar aura.
Her palm stopped less than an inch from Jiang Wuming's head. Her eyes widened, and she froze instantly!
When the girl was found by Mu Ming, she tried to fight back, but the gap in their strength was too great. Mu Ming restrained her with his mental power, rendering her immobile.
As Mu Ming was about to extract her memories for information about Jiang Wuming, the girl didn't hesitate and chose to self-destruct. However, she couldn't mobilize her true qi, unable to even die.
At that moment, the girl was desperate.
Tears of despair streamed from her eyes.
In her despair, Jiang Wuming's aura appeared in the ancient city and was rapidly approaching.
At that moment, the girl felt no surprise or excitement. Instead, she wanted to shout immediately, warning Jiang Wuming not to come to the ancestral Su family residence. But before she could speak, she fainted.
Carrying her lingering regret, the girl fell into a coma. She then had a nightmare, dreaming that Jiang Wuming had come to save her…
In her dream, she uttered the words she hadn't managed to say before fainting. Upon waking, she instinctively lashed out, only to find the person before her was Jiang Wuming, and she was being held by him!
The contrast was too overwhelming for the girl's heart, leaving her completely stunned!
"Xiaoyao, are you alright?"
Seeing Dongfang Xiaoyao looking dazed, Jiang Wuming asked.
"N... No, Brother Wuming, I'm fine."
Dongfang Xiaoyao came back to her senses, instinctively shook her head, then glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw the once arrogant enemy from the outer realms lying dead.
Hearing her reply, Jiang Wuming remained concerned and continued to ask, "What did that enemy from the outer realms do to you?"
"When I sensed him approaching the ancient Su family residence, I concealed my presence, but he still found me. I broke through to One-Star War God and fought back, but I wasn't his match. After he restrained me with mental power, he obtained my memories through a secret technique. After getting my memories, he wanted to turn me into his puppet, but then you arrived, and I passed out."
The girl answered Jiang Wuming truthfully. As she spoke, she lowered her head, and a blush appeared on her usually cold and beautiful face. Her heart felt like a startled deer, darting about. Her hands hung stiffly in the air, with nowhere to rest.
All of this was because it was the first time she had been held in Jiang Wuming's arms!
This scene was something she hadn't even dared to dream of before!
Furthermore, after learning she was unharmed, Jiang Wuming hadn't let her down!
Hearing Dongfang Xiaoyao's words, Jiang Wuming didn't notice her abnormality. Instead, he suddenly remembered something: when Mu Ming mentioned Dongfang Xiaoyao earlier, he not only said she was Jiang Wuming's subordinate but also that Jiang Wuming was Dongfang Xiaoyao's crush!
Thinking of this, Jiang Wuming felt a strange sensation. He avoided looking at Dongfang Xiaoyao and said,
"Um… Xiaoyao, although you seem unharmed, as a precaution, I'll still take you to your room for a more thorough examination."
"Okay."
The girl nodded, then, with a blush and mustering her courage, she slowly rested her head on Jiang Wuming's chest. Her hands, with nowhere to rest, slowly moved to his body, gently embracing him.
Hearing his strong heartbeat and feeling his warm embrace, the girl's heart was instantly filled with happiness, and her soul trembled uncontrollably.
Holding him.
It was as if she embraced the entire world.
…