Chapter 349 - Asking

"Where are we exactly?" Dahlia asked. Ning didn't know either as he could be at the edge of any continent. 

"I don't know," Ning said as he looked around at the massive blue ocean with few islands scattered around. "We got teleported so high up too."

He then started to look at the shape of the islands and distance between each other to match them together with the information in his mind. 

"Oh, we're in the Northern Continent," Ning said with a bit of surprise. He then fell into a bit of a thought. 'So the exit formation not only sends the beasts out to the tomb in the central continent, but also the Northern and Southern continent s well,' he figured. 

"It must have been that person's job. He made the exit to a random location in the 3 continents," Ning thought. 

"Anyway, let's go. I will leave you at your home and come back to get your grandmother and others," Ning said. He grabbed Dahlia and teleported once more before appearing on top of the Woodlight Mountain that was home to Anya's family now. 

"Go on, I will come back with your grandmother in a few hours," Ning said and disappeared again. 

When he reappeared, he was outside the tomb. He flew into the tomb with a few people that looked at him in surprise. The people had already came back to claim their tomb and had restarted taking in the guests. When Ning saw that, he couldn't help by shake his head. 

The coin at the center of the formation had already been taken away, but one didn't need a coin to unlock the seal, it could be anything that places the perfect shadow at the perfect time. So, he couldn't let the center exposed like that. 

"Although it is quite unlikely that would happen, let me just place the rock back," Ning thought and moved the rock back into the center. 

Then, without caring much for the people's eyes, he left the tomb. After he was a bit away from human eye, he teleported once more and appeared outside of Ely's home city. 

The city had also grown a lot more than it had last time and was now at least 3 times as large. He walked through the busy streets of the city and made his way to the biggest mansion he had seen in a long time. 

"I wonder how jealous Nilo's child would be if he saw this," Ning chuckled as he thought. The current emperor should have been taught about the fate his granduncle had went through for trying the usurp the emperor, but jealousy was a human nature, and wasn't something one could taught to get rid of, only to control it.

As he got close to the house, he sent out his divine sense and called out Ely. Both Ely and Anya flew out. 

"You took quite some time. Didn't you say it was going to be quick?" Ely asked. 

Anya looked around and asked, "Where's Dahlia?" 

Ning explained everything that happened to him the last couple of days. They ladies finally brought him inside. Ember and Ender along with his wife and children were also in there. 

"Inikaka, you're finally back," Hijaka said. "We've been waiting for you."

"Yeah, I'm back. We'll leave in a day or two now," Ning said, considering how impatient everyone must've been with his lateness. 

Fortunately, Hijaka and his people were well treated by Ender. 

The sun set soon and the people started gathering to talk some more. The entire thing felt like a celebration, rather than a simple grouping of people with how many there were. 

They all say around a small camp fire and talked about different things. People laughed, some told tales others had never heard before, Ning told some of his own from the Souther continent. 

Dahlia would've certainly spoken about the many beasts she had seen today, but unfortunately she wasn't here. 

Slowly, one by one, people started leaving to go and cultivate. Soon, only a few were remaining. 

"Brother Ning," Ender said. "I heard that you are moving over to the Northern Continent, is that True?"

"Yes. I want to just settle down now. I have a few things to do that I can slowly do, other than that, I have nothing to do here anymore," Ning said. 

"I see," Ender said. "Well, I wish the best of luck, Brother Ning. Anyway, I will go back now. You guys should go in as well." With that, Ender walked back into the house. 

"I will go in too, Inikaka," Hijaka said and left. 

"So will I," Anya said with a smile and left. 

In the end, only Ning and Ely were left. "So, what plan do you have now?" Ning asked. 

"I don't know. I was actually hoping…" Ely didn't finish off her sentence. A troubled look arose on her face that was very rarely there. 

Ning racked his mind with multiple thoughts that contradicted each other. It was clear to see how much he cared about Ely, but he feared that asking her to come with him was not something that was good for her. 

Ning would leave someday, and Ely was bound to die unless Ning did something too. So, he feared that he couldn't give her the life she deserved if he called her with him. 

However, this small desire to be with her kept giving him the urge to throw caution to the wind and just ask her. 

And so he did.

"If you don't have any plans, do you want to come with me? I would love it if you did," He asked. 

Ely was surprised, but happy too to hear that. She smiled as that was what she had been hoping for. "Do you really mean it?" she asked. 

"Of course. After all this time, do you still have to ask that?" he asked. 

Ely chuckled when she heard that. "I suppose not," she said. 

"So? What's your answer?" Ning asked. 

"Do you really have to ask it? Of course I will," Ely said. 

Ning smiled brightly, but there was a trace of sadness hidden in that smile.. While he was happy for now, he believed that this was something that would lead him to sadness later.