Read Novel Full Chapter 279: Return
Chapter 279: Return
Richard could only admit that he didn’t know how to react upon hearing this.
Laughing felt inappropriate. Crying? Why should he cry?
A woman like Rebecca—who didn’t even hesitate to kill her own son—could clearly make any decision for her own benefit.
The Fire Spirit Queen remained silent as Richard fell into silence, waiting patiently for him to speak again.
"Tell me the current state of the world," Richard said, changing the topic.
There was no point in talking about Rebecca any further.
The Fire Spirit Queen then began explaining everything that had happened. This world was not just the Land of Humans.
There were other continents as well, each with their own geniuses and powerful factions.
During his absence, many events had taken place, and conflicts had even broken out between continents.
Richard let out a sigh after hearing all that, realizing just how many rivals he would face if he wanted to emerge victorious.
After finishing her explanation, the Fire Spirit Queen left, leaving Richard alone.
He then took out the Heavenly Wind Spirit given to him by the Ice Ancestor.
Wind Element—even without William Anderson’s soul, with the Wind Element alone, he could become faster.
Shua!
He swallowed the spirit directly, and in an instant, wind surged out from his body.
His body absorbed the spirit, allowing him to feel a direct connection with the wind.
Of course, the process wasn’t that simple. Richard sat down and began meditating. It would take more than twelve hours, as the Heavenly Wind Spirit contained immense power.
DING!
(You have consumed the Heavenly Wind Spirit. You have gained 85% affinity with the Wind Element!)
A notification immediately appeared from the System after his body fully absorbed the spirit.
DING!
(Your affinity with the Wind Element has increased from 85% to 90%!)
[Element Affinity:
(Fire: 93%)
(Lightning: 93%)
(Wave: 93%)
(Void: 90%)
(Wind: 90%)]
Another notification appeared—it was a reward from the System, arriving right on time.
Richard could only feel surprised that the increase was only 5%.
Even if it was due to reaching a limit, the remaining reward could have been distributed elsewhere, such as Energy from the Heavenly Water or the Codex of Celestial Being.
But it seemed that with the reduction in the number of Elements, Codex, and Arcane Arts he possessed, the points given by the System had also decreased.
Richard had no grounds to complain about this.
He then flew into the sky, heading toward the Eastern Region.
What else was there for him to do besides returning home?
He missed the Red Star Empress—their relationship had only just begun yesterday, and it was with her that he had broken through to the Lord Realm, driven by the happiness he felt.
The Central Region—only when flying above it did he truly realize how vast this land was.
There were massive ancient forests, sprawling mountain ranges, and even great cities comparable to Boundless City.
He also saw many powerful human clan bases. Some had declined but were still as strong as the Holy Star Kingdom, while the prosperous ones were true giants.
These giant clans, even if they didn’t always possess geniuses capable of competing for the World Magic Aether, at least had formidable Grand Ancestors—at the very least, First Stage Ancient Sovereigns—who could guarantee their prosperity.
Even at his incredible speed, it still took Richard time to cross the Central Region before finally arriving in the Eastern Region.
Compared to the Central Region, it was truly a remote area, yet it could not be underestimated.
This was where the Order of Crimson Veil stood, followed by the Order of Peak World. Even the famed Dragon Knight originated from the Eastern Region. Recently, it had become even more prestigious due to the presence of the Order of Heaven Emperor.
When he finally arrived at the Holy Star Kingdom, Richard could only frown.
That massive ark was still hovering above the kingdom, making the night even darker with the absence of moonlight and stars.
The children born in these past seven years were clearly unfortunate.
But who could drive them away?
Even someone like Aldric Moonshadow—who had also competed for the World Magic Aether in the previous era—would not dare provoke the Order of Heaven Emperor.
Of course, the capital city remained bright at night.
It was a prosperous city with a large population, where every house was lit with bright lamps.
A faint smile appeared on Richard’s face as he arrived in the city.
This was, without a doubt, his favorite place.
’Only the Empress...’ Richard felt slightly puzzled.
He sensed the presence of the Red Star Empress within a magnificent palace second only to the main palace, located in a prosperous area and guarded by many soldiers.
Without a doubt, it was the Prime Minister’s palace.
Unfortunately, Richard could not sense Lilith’s presence.
He wondered where she had gone.
Of course, he could still sense the presence of his other acquaintances—Sister Lisa, Mrs. Wilson, Augus, and his wife Emma.
Since he didn’t want to reveal himself, Richard couldn’t meet them all.
What mattered was that they knew he was safe.
He stepped into the Prime Minister’s palace.
Even though it was already late at night, there were still officials inside.
Entering the main hall in void mode, Richard immediately saw the Red Star Empress, looking graceful in a black gown, her hair neatly tied up.
There was no sign of aging—she was still an incredibly beautiful and elegant mature woman.
She sat at a table, discussing matters with several high-ranking officials while assigning them tasks.
Perhaps it had become more difficult for her to cultivate, which was why she had taken on this work—though it was certainly troublesome.
Fortunately, she had plenty of experience as an empress.
Richard waited until the officials left, marking the end of her work for the day.
She then ordered the palace guards to close the doors so that no one else would attempt to enter.
Otherwise, there would always be someone coming in with sudden reports.
The Red Star Empress didn’t leave immediately after the doors were closed.
A young maid came from the kitchen and served her a glass of iced tea.
She drank it and instantly appeared refreshed.
Of course, only her body felt refreshed—her mind and spirit were undoubtedly still exhausted.
Mental fatigue couldn’t be cured with just iced tea.
Richard appeared on the chair opposite the Red Star Empress just as she was drinking.
"Mm—" The woman choked in surprise, immediately setting down her cup.
"You?" she said, her expression frozen.
"What’s wrong, Your Majesty? Have you already forgotten me?" Richard asked with a chuckle, touching his own face.
"I believe only a day has passed, so there shouldn’t be any change in my appearance," he added.