Against the Gods - Chapter 1500 - The Xiao Family Birthday Feast
Library

Chapter 1500 - The Xiao Family Birthday Feast

Blue Wind Nation, Floating Cloud City, Xiao Clan.

As usual, today’s Floating Cloud City was a little noisy but peaceful.

Floating Cloud City was the smallest city in the entire Blue Wind Nation, but now it was also the most unusual place in the entire Profound Sky Continent. There was no one who cultivated the profound way who didn’t know that it was where Spiritual Master Yun was born.

However, Floating Cloud City remained as quiet and secluded as ever, and no obvious change came over it. Everyday, a large number of profound pract.i.tioners from the Profound Sky Continent or even Illusory Demon Realm would visit Floating Cloud City to wors.h.i.+p the birthplace of Spiritual Master Yun, but they always did it from a distance. No one dared to disturb or sully this quiet city in the slightest.

As for the citizens of Floating Cloud City, very, very few of them truly understood what the t.i.tle “Spiritual Master Yun” truly meant in their world.

Even fewer people knew that the Xiao Clan was attended by the greatest people in the Profound Sky Continent, or even the entire planet today.

“I wish that Great Grandpa will enjoy eternal wealth and peace, and live as long as Mt. Nan… Please drink tea, Great Grandpa.”

Xiao Lie was seated in the middle of the hall. Xiao Yongan was currently kneeling in front of him primly and serving him tea with a serious look on his face.

“Good boy, good boy.” Xiao Lie accepted the teacup with a chuckle and finished the drink in one gulp. He wore a gentle smile on his face.

A long time ago, when Xiao Lie was still in his fifties, he had looked unusually old despite being a Spirit Profound Realm pract.i.tioner. Yun Che’s death especially had turned his hair completely white in almost a single night. Today was his seventieth birthday, but not only did he have black hair and a healthy complexion, he looked at least thirty years younger. His appearance was completely different from what it used to be.

There was no place Xiao Lie loved more than the Xiao Clan. It was a place he wasn’t willing to leave for long even though he had been wounded and disappointed in the past. Yun Che had brought over his wives and daughters, and Xiao Yun brought his wife and his son over in the early morning to congratulate him on his birthday, and serve him tea.

“...Wuxin serves Great Grandpa tea.”

It was Yun Wuxin’s turn to kneel on the ground and serve Xiao Lie tea after Xiao Yongan.

Xiao Lie accepted the tea and let out a sigh. He smiled and said, “To think that even Che’er has a daughter this big already. Time truly waits for no one.”

“But Great Grandpa, you’re growing younger and younger, aren’t you?” Yun Wuxin blinked cutely with a smile on her face. “So there’s no way time can catch up to you. A lot more seventy years are waiting for you down the line.”

“Hahahaha.” Xiao Lie laughed joyfully. “Great Grandpa wouldn’t want to age too quickly with such a good great granddaughter too.”

Again, he finished the tea he was served in one gulp. The warmth in the tea spread to his entire body instead of stopping at just his internal organs.

When the two juniors were done serving tea, Yun Che and Xiao Yun exchanged a glance with each other. The latter smiled at him and said, “You first, Big Brother.”

Although Yun Che’s true surname wasn’t Xiao, it made absolutely no difference to Xiao Yun. Yun Che would always be his brother.

“Alright!”

Yun Che didn’t turn down his offer. He strode forward, poured a cup of tea and knelt in front of Xiao Lie. “Grandson Yun Che serves tea to grandfather. He wishes that grandfather will enjoy a heaven of good fortune and boundless lifespan.”

It was a simple and down-to-earth birthday congratulations from a grandson to his grandfather, but it rang loud and clear in everyone’s ears. Exactly how many people in the entire world was Yun Che willing to kneel to with all his heart?

There were only his parents, and Xiao Lie.

Xiao Lie accepted the teacup, but didn’t drain it immediately. Instead, he looked at Yun Che and let out a sigh. “Che’er… to be honest with you, I once blamed you and even hated you right after Ying’er’s pa.s.sing. But… what I got back from you was a million times reciprocation and good fortune. It is my eternal blessing to have a grandson like you.”

But Yun Che shook his head and said softly, “Uncle Xiao, Auntie Xiao, and grandmother have all pa.s.sed away because of me. You should have blamed me and hated me for my role in their pa.s.sing. But not only did you raise me to adulthood without ever abandoning me or looking down on me, you treated me better than even Lingxi, your real granddaughter. You could never bring yourself to scold or punish me too harshly for the mistakes I made. Moreover, you have had to swallow countless injustices for me, and to heal my profound veins you even bowed and begged countless people for a cure despite your given name, ‘Lie’ (Fierce).”

“You shouldn’t say that this is reciprocation and good fortune, grandfather. It is simply the filial duty that any grown junior should perform… even now, this is nothing but a drop in the sea of kindness that I still owe you.”

“It is my honor to encounter you in this life, grandfather.”

Xiao Lie smiled… he could still remember that delicate, gentle boy that always needed his protection as clear as yesterday, and yet a dozen or so years later he had grown to become a legendary G.o.d that watched over the entire continent.

But the boy had never changed. Despite climbing to such heights, he still bowed humbly in front of him just like before.

Beside Yun Che, Cang Yue also bowed respectfully towards Xiao Lie before saying, “Your granddaughter-in-law serves you tea, grandfather.”

Xia Qingyue might have been the first to wed to Yun Che, but no one had any doubt that Cang Yue was Yun Che’s real first wife. Even the Little Demon Empress had to address her as the older sister.

Cang Yue had ruled Blue Wind Nation for quite some time now, and she was far from the green princess she was way back then. Today, she was a woman who carried the bearing of a monarch with every movement, not to mention that her t.i.tle of the “Queen of Blue Wind” was still far less important than her status as Yun Che’s “First Wife”. It was something no other monarch in the Profound Sky Continent could match.

“Yue’er.” Xiao Lie chuckled while looking at Cang Yue. “The nation is of course important, but you’ve also been married to Che’er for over ten years, haven’t you? I think it’s about time the two of you try and get a child. I’m sure you’d like to continue your royal lineage too, am I right?”

“...Yes. Yue’er will remember this.” Cang Yue bowed her head slightly, but sneaked a glance at Yun Che beside her.

“Urk… Yue’er and I will work harder, I promise,” Yun Che said hurriedly, making sure to keep his worry away from his face.

Ever since he obtained the Dragon G.o.d’s bloodline—and especially the Dragon G.o.d Marrow—his essence remained human, but his body was slowly but surely turning closer and closer to that of a dragon’s, or more accurately the Dragon G.o.d’s. The Dragon G.o.d was the highest existence in the Dragon Race even in ancient times.

A dragon was salacious by nature, and Yun Che was without a doubt a “hardworking” man. Unfortunately, dragons had notoriously low birth rates… the greater a dragon was, the worse their birth rate became.

Yun Che had an inkling that it was something like this many years ago.

Cang Yue was the monarch of Blue Wind Nation, and the Little Demon Empress was the ruler of the Illusory Demon Realm. Both queens wanted very much to have a child with Yun Che, but nothing had come of their hard work despite many years of trying.

In fact, Yun Che had secretly tried a spirit medicine that guaranteed pregnancy one hundred percent of the time on his wives before, but what had been immediately effective on Xiao Yun and Number Seven Under Heaven was completely useless to him!

It was something that had troubled him greatly.

Yun Che thought to himself with renewed determination: I guess the only way left is to try even harder in the future… I wonder who will give birth to my second child? Will it be as cute as Wuxin?

Crack!

The second the thought pa.s.sed through his mind, his body suddenly shuddered with impossible pain… It was as if a poisoned needle had pierced right through his heart.

What… what’s happening...

Since Yun Che was facing Xiao Lie, no one had noticed the flash of pain on his face.

It was the Little Demon Empress’ turn to serve tea after Cang Yue was done. She was the only other woman besides Cang Yue to have officially married Yun Che, but her circ.u.mstances were slightly different. In her family, all descendants must use the surname “Huan” because they were the future masters of the Illusory Demon Realm.

“Caiyi,” Xiao Lie said with a smile, “you have worked to preserve the peace of the Illusory Demon Realm for over a century, and your homeland is finally at peace. It’s time you settle down, have a child with Che’er and focus on raising the next Demon Emperor, don’t you think?”

“As you request,” Little Demon Empress answered very respectfully.

Chu Yuechan came after the Little Demon Empress. Although she and Yun Che hadn’t gotten married yet, she was the only one who gave him a child. Therefore, her status in both the Yun Family and Xiao Family was extremely important. Xiao Lie looked very moved as Chu Yuechan came to him. He said, “Yuechan, Che’er owes you many, many things, and we of the Yun Family and Xiao Family even more so. It is Che’er’s honor to have a lifelong partner like you.”

“Che’er, I know that you and the others are no longer bound by the customs, but the Yun Family and the Xiao Family have always kept to the traditions. Therefore, grandfather still prefers to see you marry Yuechan properly into the family and give her the rightful status she deserves.”

“Hahahaha, you’re absolutely correct, father.”

A loud laugh interrupted before he could give an answer as Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou entered the hall side by side. After kneeling in front of Xiao Lie and congratulating him on his birthday, they said, “Che’er, your grandfather’s thoughts are exactly the same as mine. Yuechan isn’t the only one you haven’t given a proper status yet either. It’s been several years since you’ve been engaged to Xue’er, and Ling’er has accompanied you since the Azure Cloud Continent, hasn’t she? How much longer do you plan to put off their wedding ceremonies?”

Mu Yurou also smiled gently and said, “And let’s not forget about Lingxi and Xian’er. I don’t think I need to say anything about Lingxi, but Xian’er is the famous Daughter of the Phoenix, and there is no one in the continent who doesn’t know that she is your personal servant today. She can’t marry another person even if she wants to, can she? You’re not planning to keep her as your servant forever, are you?”

Mu Yurou’s words immediately jolted Feng Xian’er into full panic. “H-how can Xian’er possibly… It is already the honor of a lifetime for Xian’er to serve young master as a servant, how can she possibly… possibly…”

She bowed her head deeply, afraid to meet anyone’s gaze.

“Xian’er.” Mu Yurou smiled gently. “When Che’er hit rock bottom, you were the one who stayed by his side until he recovered. Your heart is good and pure, and everyone can see how well you treat our Che’er. If you are willing to enter the Yun Family and stay by Che’er’s side, we as parents could only be happy for both your sakes.”

“Che’er, if you find all these customs too burdensome, you may leave it to the rest of us to handle,” Mu Yurou continued. “You aren’t a woman after all. A rightful status is far more important to us than you, you know.”

Yun Che looked at Chu Yuechan, Feng Xue’er, Su Ling’er, Xiao Lingxi, and Feng Xian’er… He could see the changes in all their expressions. Even the least expressive of them all, Chu Yuechan, was hiding a kind of expectation behind her countenance.

And so he nodded gently and smiled, saying, “No problem. I will leave everything to you, grandfather, father, mother.”

Yun Qinghong smiled at his answer, and Mu Yurou was practically blossoming like a flower. “Good boy. Since Che’er and Xue’er’s engagement is the earliest of them all, your wedding shall be set during the warm autumn two months from now. This way, we’ll have enough time to prepare and welcome Xue’er into our family properly.”

“Mother…” Feng Xue’er whispered. She might be the unreachable Phoenix G.o.ddess in other people’s eyes, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t feel embarra.s.sment like a common girl.

“As for Xian’er,” Mu Yurou continued, “you and Xue’er happen to be of the same lineage, so why don’t you join her on the same wedding?”

Mu Yurou clearly had a plan in her mind already. Feng Xian’er was the youngest among all of Yun Che’s women, and her admiration and adoration for Yun Che was almost obsessive. Even when she was facing Yun Che’s wives, she had only ever acted like a servant. In this case, Mu Yurou knew that pus.h.i.+ng a proper marriage on Xian’er would only make her uncomfortable.

“Ah…” Cheeks red, Feng Xian’er groaned as she gripped the hem of her dress nervously. “I… I…”

“Xian’er, maybe all you want in life is to be Che’er’s servant forever, but what about your parents?” Mu Yurou smiled gently at her. “Just think of it as giving your parents a proper reply. Although… I suppose we aren’t doing right by you completely.”

“N-not at all…” Feng Xian’er shook her head strongly. Right now she felt like floating off the ground, and her reason had been almost completely shut down for the past couple of minutes… A long time later, she finally bowed her head deeply and whispered as quietly as a mosquito, “I… I’ll leave everything in your hands, Mistress.”

“Haha, I suppose she’s still the ‘Mistress’ for now, isn’t she? Both you and Xue’er will have to change the way you address her in two months though,” said Yun Qinghong while laughing loudly. His simple remark caused the redness in Feng Xian’er’s cheeks to spread all the way down to her neck, and her heart threatened to jump out of her throat.

“As for the exact date of the wedding, I’ll meet with Brother Feng and speak to him about it tomorrow.”

A mighty laugh burst out of the entrance just as Yun Qinghong finished speaking. “Hahahaha, there’s no need for that. We can settle the date right now.”

“Father!” Feng Xue’er turned around and cried out with a smile.

Feng Henkong strode in and bowed deeply towards Xiao Lie. “Senior Xiao, Divine Phoenix Feng Henkong has come to pay his birthday congratulations!”

Technically speaking, he was at least several hundred years older than Xiao Lie, but because his daughter was soon to marry Yun Che, his seniority was now a level below Xiao Lie’s.

In fact, forget the G.o.d Realm, seventy years old wasn’t old even among the high level profound pract.i.tioners of the Profound Sky Continent. In Feng Henkong’s life, this was the first time he had ever attended an “elderly’s” birthday that was beneath five hundred years old.

But no matter how ordinary Xiao Lie was… he was still the grandfather of Yun Che!

“Why have you come, father?” Feng Xue’er asked.

“It’s not just me,” Feng Henkong said. “Countless important people are making the trip to Floating Cloud City right now.”

“...” Yun Che pressed a hand to his forehead and helplessly snorted. “These b.a.s.t.a.r.ds…”

“Hehe, it’s pretty natural if you think about it.” Yun Qinghong smiled while explaining, “There is no one in the Profound Sky Continent or Illusory Demon Realm who would dare to think less about anything that’s related to you. Although it’s true you didn’t tell anyone about father’s seventieth birthday, there’s no way they wouldn’t know about it, much less miss it.”

Yun Qinghong clearly wasn’t surprised or concerned by this. He immediately moved on to the next subject and asked, “So, you have no problems with Xue’er and Che’er’s wedding?”

“Of course not!” Feng Henkong laughed. “The sects and forces of the continent have been waiting for their wedding for a long time already. Once the news is spread, I’m sure things will get lively for a long while.”

Spiritual Master Yun and the Phoenix G.o.ddess were the male and female representative of the absolute highest existence on the Profound Sky Continent. Naturally, their official marriage was something that was going to be celebrated by all.

“Now that we’ve settled on Xue’er and Xian’er’s wedding, Yuechan, Lingxi, and Ling’er are the only ones left…” Mu Yurou beamed at her future daughter-in-laws.

“Lingxi’s wedding can wait,” Xiao Lie suddenly said with unexpected seriousness.

His comment and his somewhat indifferent tone caused Mu Yurou’s smile to stiffen a little. Even Xiao Lingxi had forgotten her trepidation to stare at Xiao Lie in surprise.

Yun Che’s heart skipped a beat as he chose his words carefully. In the end, he decided to ask honestly and directly, “Grandfather… does our relations.h.i.+p… make you uncomfortable?”

The hall instantly grew a lot quieter. It was true that Yun Che and Xiao Lingxi had grown up together and shared a deep bond with each other. It was also true that they weren’t related by blood whatsoever. However… practically everyone in Floating Cloud City thought that Xiao Lingxi was Yun Che’s little aunt before he was sixteen years old.

“I’m not uncomfortable with your relations.h.i.+p.” Xiao Lie shook his head before sighing quietly. “I just think that I’ll miss her, that’s all.”

“Er…” Yun Che was caught off guard by his reply. “You want Lingxi to stay with you for a couple more years? You have nothing to worry about, grandfather. You’ll never lose Lingxi no matter what happens in the future.”

“It’s not that.” Suddenly, Xiao Lie started laughing with unexpected mischief. “I just want you to call me grandfather for a couple more years. If you call me ‘father-in-law’ now, I don’t think I can get used to it immediately. Hahahahahaha…”

Xiao Lie laughed to his heart’s content when he saw the stupid look on Yun Che’s face.

Finally getting the joke, everyone echoed his laughter for a very long time.

“Daddy, seriously,” Xiao Lingxi chided softly before sneaking a glance at Yun Che. Even she was giggling softly after that.

After Yun Che’s side was done serving tea, Xiao Yun immediately walked up to Xiao Lie with his wife, Number Seven Under Heaven. After the process was done, he said without getting back up to his feet, “Grandfather, Seventh Sister and I have something to inform you of actually.”

“Oh? What is it?” Xiao Lie beamed at his grandson.

On the other side, Su Ling’er’s lips curled slightly upward… she clearly knew what Xiao Yun was going to say.

Xiao Yun held Number Seven Under Heaven’s hands and declared with barely suppressed excitement, “Seventh Sister… is with child again.”

“Oh!?” Xiao Lie’s grip on his seat tightened as he jumped up to his feet. “Are… are you absolutely sure?”

“Mn!” Number Seven Under Heaven beamed before speaking candidly, “I had her for almost two months already. Oh! Brother Yun and I went to check with Ling’er, and we confirmed that it is indeed a girl. Brother Yun was so happy when he heard this.”

“Hehehehe,” Xiao Yun actually started giggling like a fool after hearing that. Ever since Yun Che had found Yun Wuxin, Xiao Yun had wanted a daughter even in his dreams.

“That’s good… that’s good. A daughter’s good, very good.” Xiao Lie was so excited that his legs were shaky, and he didn’t know where to put his hands. “This means… that Yun’er now has both a daughter and a son… I’m sure your father and your grandmother’s spirits are laughing in the heavens right now.”

He was so excited and happy that he was starting to sound incoherent. He even looked like he was about to burst into tears.

For the longest time, his life had been difficult and lonely, but not only was he reunited with Xiao Yun, he was even gifted with a host of grandchildren… There was seriously nothing else he could possibly want from this life.

Yun Che spoke up with a smile, “Grandfather, your granddaughter is the first girl of her generation to enter the Xiao Family’s lineage, right? Why don’t you give her a name?”

Xiao Yun immediately nodded. “That’s right! Grandfather should be the one to name her.”

“...” Xiao Lie didn’t turn down the offer. After taking a number of deep breaths and calming himself down, he mulled it over for a time before replying, “Let’s call her… ‘Yongning’.”

“Yongan (eternal peace)… Yongning (eternal peace)…” Number Seven Under Heaven smiled. “Then I shall name my daughter Yongning. Thank you very much for naming her, great grandfather.”

The Xiao Family was without a doubt visited by double blessings today. The Xiao Clan was small, and the size of the hall was just okay, but it was undoubtedly filled with endless cheer.

Suddenly, the guards at the main entrance rushed in to report, “Zi Ji of Supreme Ocean Palace, the Navy Tide Monarch, and the Divine Incense Monarch have come bearing many gifts.”

Yun Che waved a hand at the guard and said, “Tell them to stay outside and keep quiet… if they’re smart they’ll put down their gifts and beat it immediately.”

There was nothing Xiao Lie loved more than silence, so their grand entrances only had the opposite effect of what they’d intended.

“It’s fine.” Xiao Lie raised a hand and said with a chuckle, “Let them in. They’ve come a long way to meet me, and it’d be improper to turn them away like this.”

Yun Che nodded. “Alright, your wish is my command, grandfather.”

For once, Xiao Lie didn’t mind welcoming guests to his doorstep, and Yun Che wisely left the scene temporarily. If he hung around, he had a feeling that these “honored guests” wouldn’t even dare to draw a deep breath in his presence.

“Yun Che.” Chu Yuechan walked next to Yun Che before saying softly, “I’ve decided to return to Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace. In the end, I think that’s the best place for me.”

“Oh?” Yun Che’s eyes lit up. “Are you going to succeed the palace master’s seat?”

Chu Yuechan had lived in Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace for decades, so her knowledge and feelings for her sect ran very deep. Even back when she was the leader of the Frozen Cloud Seven Fairies, her experience and reputation had been unmatched by anyone. After Yun Che’s Divine Water of Life had carried her into the divine way, she would undoubtedly become the most important core of Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace.

But Chu Yuechan shook her head before replying, “Qianxue and Yueli wanted me to become the palace master, but I’ve turned down the offer. However, I agreed to become the vice palace master for now.”

“That’s good too.” Yun Che smiled at her. Yun Wuxin was all grown up now, and she no longer needed her mother to accompany her at all times. In that case, Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace was the best home for her.

Of course, the return of the Fairy of Frozen Beauty to Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace was bound to shake the whole profound world again.

“Brother-in-law!”

Xia Yuanba’s voice resounded from the distance as an aura locked firmly onto Yun Che’s. His huge body quickly appeared in the sky before landing right next to Yun Che. “Today is Grandfather Xiao’s seventieth birthday feast… I’m not late, am I?”

Yuanba then scanned around for a bit before complaining subconsciously, “It’s too lively.”

“Yeah, it’s way too lively.” Yun Che curled his lips in agreement before touching the necklace around his neck seemingly on purpose.

Xia Yuanba’s eyes followed his movements naturally before asking in puzzlement, “Are those… Glazed Sound Stones?”

Yun Che immediately nodded and held up the Glazed Sound Stones. “This is Wuxin’s gift to me! She searched everywhere and made it for me herself! It’s pretty, isn’t it!?”

“Er…” Yun Che’s sudden burst of excitement puzzled Xia Yuanba a little.

“Listen to this…” Yun Che touched the heart-shaped Glazed Sound Stone at the middle and elicited Yun Wuxin’s sweet voice immediately. “Daddy, Wuxin is thinking about you.”

Yun Che’s lips automatically curled into a wide smile when he heard this. Xia Yuanba’s eyes spread wider before he agreed emotionally, “It is… an enviable little thing.”

“I know right!?” Yun Che beamed. “So Yuanba, go find a wife and make a couple of children already! When that happens, you’ll discover that your entire world has changed.”

Xia Yuanba’s pupils shrank a little and turned Yun Che down without hesitation just like before. “Nah, women are the most troublesome things in the world. Alone is better.”

“Even if you’re not in a hurry, your father will be.” Yun Che flicked Xia Yuanba’s shoulder once and spoke like an experienced person.

“Well… we’ll see.” Xia Yuanba still shook his head despite Yun Che’s persuasion. Ever since his Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins had completely awakened, he had turned into a complete cultivation maniac with almost zero interest in anything else.

“Speaking of which, there’s something I wanted to ask you for a very long time, brother-in-law.”

“Oh?” He could feel Xia Yuanba’s gaze suddenly turning a little complicated.

“I want to know…” Xia Yuanba inhaled once before asking, “You know where my sister is… don’t you? Or should I say you’ve already met her once?”

“...” Yun Che immediately withdrew his cheer and asked carefully, “Why do you think so?”

Yun Che’s reaction was practically a confirmation of Xia Yuanba’s suspicions already. The latter replied seriously, “In the past, you never stopped trying to search for big sister even though you insist that she has the blessing of the heavens, and that you’re not really worried about her. But since you’ve returned from the G.o.d Realm, you haven’t searched for her, or even delegated the task to the sects of the Profound Sky Continent or Illusory Demon Sect as usual. When you told me that my sister is safe and sound, your eyes and tone were also completely different from before.”

Xia Yuanba had experienced many things in his life, and after his Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins had fully awakened, and he had become the Saint Emperor of the Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, he was no longer the inexperienced boy he was before. In fact, he was growing shrewder and shrewder with each pa.s.sing day.

Yun Che fell silent for a long time. Finally, he said, “You’re right. I’ve met Qingyue already.”

“Ah!” Xia Yuanba trembled once before taking a step forward. With an agitated voice, he asked, “Where's she right now? How is she doing? Was she… was she bullied or wronged by anyone?”

“She’s currently in the G.o.d Realm,” Yun Che said. “She’s doing very well, and you don’t need to worry about her at all. In fact, her cultivation and her status are far beyond your wildest imagination. However… she cannot return home.”

“Why?” Xia Yuanba blurted. “What happened to her? How is she? Why can’t she come home?”

“The situation is very complicated. It’d take a long time to explain it all.” It was the only answer Yun Che could give Yuanba. Although Yuanba was among the highest existences in the Blue Pole Star, the strength and laws of survival of the G.o.d Realm were still beyond his imagination. “There is one thing I can tell you for certain though: it’s not that she doesn’t want to return, and she has never abandoned you and your father. It’s just that a special reason is keeping her from returning to you.”

“Oh right,” Yun Che added, “Qingyue also found her mother in the G.o.d Realm.”

Xia Yuanba trembled again, and his reaction was even greater than before. “You said… that sis found mother? Is that… Is that true!?”

“Mn.” Yun Che nodded. “That’s not all. They were reunited, and they were living together.”

However...

Xia Yuanba’s unconsciously clenched his fists as his face slowly turned red from excitement. He had so many questions to ask that he actually couldn’t settle on one to begin. In the end, he opened his mouth and said in a raspy voice, “Where are they right now?... I want to see them. I want to meet them right away!”

Xia Yuanba’s reply was exactly as Yun Che had expected it to be. He shook his head and said, “You can’t.”

“...Why?” Xia Yuanba worked hard to keep his emotions under control.

“Since you’ve consumed the Divine Water of Life, you’ve officially entered the Divine Origin Realm and become the most powerful existence in the Profound Sky Continent. However, the experts in the G.o.d Realm are much scarier than you can possibly imagine. Not only is your sister unable to return to the Blue Pole Star, she hinted several times openly not to tell you anything about her at all… I’m sure you can roughly understand her reason for saying this.”

Xia Yuanba, “...”

Seeing Xia Yuanba’s expression, Yun Che smiled again and said, “Haha, the situation isn’t as serious as you think. How about this: You will spend the next two years stabilizing your cultivation, and once you’re firmly in the Divine Origin Realm, I’ll take you to the G.o.d Realm myself to meet her. What do you think?”

“Okay!” Xia Yuanba agreed without thinking.

_____________

[This chapter is 7k words long. Anyone sense anything strange from this peace and warmth?]