Early the next morning. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Xu Lai and Ruan Tang were awoken by Yiyi’s cheerful knocking. "Daddy, Mommy, Yun Jin is at our house!"

"We know."

"You have to come out and see!"

"...We saw her yesterday."

"Hurry up, hurry up."

"..."

The couple exchanged glances, both smiling wryly before they got out of bed and dressed.

Just as they were about to open the door, Ruan Tang suddenly touched her belly, her willow-like brows furrowing.

"What’s wrong?" Xu Lai asked anxiously. "Did the baby kick you? Does it hurt?"

"I think so." Ruan Tang’s brows were knitted tightly. "It hurts a little..."

She braced herself against the wall as beads of sweat the size of soybeans formed on her forehead.

Xu Lai’s expression changed slightly. He quickly projected his Divine Sense into Ruan Tang’s body and sensed a powerful fluctuation of Spiritual Energy. It wasn’t the pressure of a cultivator’s realm, nor was it the kind that heralds the appearance of a heavenly treasure or Spirit Plant. It was very gentle, and it made Xu Lai feel a connection through their bloodline...

The Spiritual Energy was coming from the child in Ruan Tang’s belly!

"I know you’ve gained consciousness, but you can’t torment your mother like this," Xu Lai said sternly, gently stroking Ruan Tang’s belly. "If you dare cause any more trouble, when you’re born..."

Before he could finish, the Spiritual Energy fluctuation vanished instantly.

Her brow still furrowed, Ruan Tang slumped into Xu Lai’s embrace. Her forehead was slick with sweat as she said weakly, "I’m afraid I’m carrying a Nezha. That kick really hurt."

"It’s alright. I had a talk with the baby."

Xu Lai sent a thread of Spiritual Energy into Ruan Tang, and the pain gradually subsided. She finally let out a long sigh of relief.

"You should lie down and rest. I’ll go make breakfast for our daughter and you," Xu Lai said gently.

"Mhm."

Xu Lai covered Ruan Tang with a thin blanket before going downstairs.

Downstairs, Xu Yiyi was hugging Yun Jin from behind, the joy on her pretty little face impossible to describe with words.

"Daddy, Daddy, look! It’s Yun Jin! Do you remember her now?"

"Yiyi," Yun Jin whispered, "it was actually Emperor... um, Uncle Xu who found me."

Her eyes shone with a myriad of colors. In truth, Little Glutton had barely slept a wink last night. In the Immortal Domain, any cultivator who could be even remotely associated with a Great Emperor would become instantly famous.

And she... she had been ’fought over’ by two Great Emperors, an event that had even incited a battle of thirty thousand rounds! If word of this got out, wouldn’t it shock the entire Immortal Domain? Wouldn’t her friends be green with envy?

It should count as being fought over... Yun Jin mumbled in a voice only she could hear, then added firmly, Let’s just say it does!

THUMP.

Xu Lai flicked Yun Jin on the forehead, causing Little Glutton’s eyes to well up with tears. "Ow, that hurts..."

"I don’t plan on getting involved with the Empress Alliance," Xu Lai said nonchalantly. "But coercing and luring the descendant of the Tenth Divine General, the Pill Emperor, to steal the key to the Heavenly Court’s treasure vault wasn’t very honorable of you."

"That wasn’t stealing," Yun Jin retorted brazenly. "I was making reasonable use of resources to conquer a kingdom for Yiyi."

Xu Lai was speechless.

This kingdom is mine. The Heavenly Court’s treasure vault is also mine. You’re using my treasure vault to conquer my kingdom for my daughter.

But Xu Lai didn’t plan to dwell on it. Some things only needed to be said once. Besides, Yiyi’s happiness was more important than anything.

"By the way, Daddy, I want to take Yun Jin to visit Chang’an City..." Yiyi’s big eyes twinkled as she spoke in a sweet, soft voice.

Xu Lai waved his hand. "Go on, go on. You can go anywhere you want. Wait—eat before you leave!"

"We’re not eating!" the two little girls yelled as they scampered off.

Xu Lai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Since Ruan Tang’s younger sister was still asleep, Xu Lai didn’t call her downstairs for breakfast. Instead, he brought it to their room and fed her bite by bite.

"I can do it myself." Ruan Tang felt a bit awkward. "The baby just kicked me. I’m not that delicate."

"Just sit still."

"Being taken care of like this makes me feel like an invalid."

Though she complained, her eyes shone brightly and her smile blossomed.

Xu Lai fed Ruan Tang her porridge and then a phoenix egg before nodding in satisfaction. "There, that’s enough nutrition."

"Aren’t you going to work?"

"Not today."

Xu Lai kicked off his slippers, lay down in bed, and wrapped his arms around Ruan Tang’s fragrant, soft body. "Let’s go back to sleep for a bit. Yiyi and the others went out to play."

After a moment’s hesitation, Ruan Tang snuggled into the covers and took out her phone to send her secretary an ’absent from work’ message.

***

「The Moon. Chang’an City.」

With a flash of light, three children stepped out of the Teleportation Array. The nearby Martial Artists paid them no mind at first, as people traveled between the Moon and Earth every day. But when they got a clear look at two of the children’s faces, someone cried out in surprise.

"It’s Xu Yiyi and Qian Xiao!"

"Where?"

"..."

The voices of several Martial Artists were filled with eagerness and excitement.

Not long ago, the Moon Clan, led by the Eight Great Crescent Moon Clans, had assaulted Chang’an City with one hundred thousand elite soldiers. By the time the sword from the Sky Ranking arrived, the city had already fallen. During that battle, Xu Yiyi protected Array Master Ruan Lan, preventing any member of the Moon Clan from getting close. Meanwhile, Qian Xiao guarded the city gate, demonstrating the courage to hold the pass against thousands single-handedly.

And they were only six-year-old kids!

Beyond their terrifying and outstanding talent, their solitary courage and boldness had earned them immense praise, not to mention that many Martial Artists had been saved by them.

Seeing their saviors, a dozen or so Martial Artists gathered around to greet them.

Qian Xiao puffed out his chest and, with his nose in the air, said, "See that, Yun Jin? This is prestige."

Hah. Yun Jin curled her lip. No way... just a few people, and he really thinks he can show off in front of me? When I led thousands of members of the Empress Alliance to thrash the younger generation of the Immortal Domain, now *that* was truly imposing! Saint Heirs, Goddesses, those with Primeval Holy Bodies, Primeval Treasure Bodies, or Chaos Bodies—they all had to kneel and sing ’Conquer.’ If you didn’t sing, you were beaten until you did. If you didn’t submit, you were beaten until you did.

Yun Jin suddenly remembered something and handed a Jade Slip to both Yiyi and Qian Xiao. Engraved on each was the smiling face of a very cute girl.

It was Xu Yiyi’s smile!

Yun Jin had specially asked a powerful member of the Taotie Clan to engrave it. This was the symbol of the Empress Alliance. In times of danger, crushing the Jade Slip would transform it into a streak of fire that would explode in whatever Star Domain they were in, alerting other Empress Alliance members to their location.

"Isn’t this just the Axe Gang? ’A single arrow pierces the clouds, a thousand troops come to meet,’" Qian Xiao muttered.

"Is the Axe Gang a Sect Gate in the Immortal Domain? Why haven’t I heard of it?" Yun Jin asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Ignore him," Yiyi said, taking Yun Jin’s hand. "Yun Jin, I got my Yunxiao Sword from over there." As she spoke, she pointed in a certain direction.

That was the location of the mass grave, the final resting place of Li Qingzhou, the Sect Master of the Yunxiao Sect, and more than three hundred Elders from three other Sects and the Nine Pavilions.

"My aunt told me about the Yunxiao Sword before," Yiyi said earnestly, blinking her big eyes. "So, I want to bring their remains back to Earth for a proper burial."

"Boss, did you forget?" Qian Xiao asked weakly. "When we took the sword, a giant skeleton chased us. Uncle Xu smashed it into pieces. There wasn’t even a speck of ash left."

"..."