Invincible Dad-Chapter 450 Is There a Next Time?_1

Of course.

Besides the Emperor’s Weapon, I’m probably no match for Fairy Qing Yuan either, Taotie admitted to himself. That woman was once on par with the Supreme Emperor and was even considered a contender to become a Great Emperor. It’s a shame she was stuck in the Quasi-Emperor Realm for three hundred years. If it hadn’t been for Xu Lai, who reached the Quasi-Emperor stage after her but became an Emperor first, the Immortal Domain would have welcomed a true Empress. This remains a long-standing regret for most female cultivators in the Immortal Domain.

On top of that, there’s another important reason: the Supreme Emperor owed Fairy Qing Yuan a favor. Although he never explained the details, my respect for Fairy Qing Yuan has always outweighed anything else.

So, I’m getting out of here! Taotie decided.

"Then, Fairy Qing Yuan, I shall leave the Supreme Emperor in your care," Taotie said solemnly.

"Since you came with the Supreme Emperor, you can both be guests at the Green Sect," Qing Yuan said indifferently. "My residence has room for one more."

Taotie was speechless.

Wait, does that mean she’s not taking us to the Green Sect proper, but directly to her personal residence?

Although he was a straightforward man, a brute who knew nothing of romance and poetry, he still said awkwardly, "That... doesn’t seem appropriate. There should be a distinction between men and women."

Qing Yuan tilted her head to look at Xu Lai. "Qingfeng, what do you think? Don’t pretend to be drunk if you’re awake."

Xu Lai opened his eyes with a sigh, his gaze toward Taotie filled with helplessness.

This brute. He just had to fly directly over the Green Sect. Couldn’t he have taken a detour?

Taotie understood the look in the Supreme Emperor’s eyes and felt incredibly wronged. This is the fastest route back to Earth! What could I do if she sensed us? I’m desperate too!

MEOW, MEOW, MEOW.

A small orange cat snuggled affectionately in Xu Lai’s arms.

Xu Lai’s head began to ache. So it was this little one. He had been wondering how they were detected, but he had forgotten about this little cat.

Back then, after Xu Lai pried away a piece of Chaos Cloudstone, he and Qing Yuan fought seventy-seven times. Each time was declared a draw—though in truth, Xu Lai always held a slight advantage. To protect Qing Yuan’s pride, Xu Lai publicly claimed they were evenly matched.

Later on, when Fairy Qing Yuan realized she couldn’t defeat Xu Lai, she gave up pursuing him and instead sought to learn his cultivation techniques and divine skills. As they spent more time together, their relationship gradually grew strange. Because Xu Lai had mastered a killer move from a certain Emperor Scripture, Qing Yuan, who wished to learn it, was tricked by him into returning to her sect to pry away another piece of Chaos Cloudstone...

It was said that the Supreme Elder of the Green Sect was so enraged that he coughed up mouthfuls of blood.

To celebrate the smooth acquisition of the Chaos Cloudstone and the successful artifact refinement, Xu Lai and Qing Yuan drank together.

The moonlight was beautiful that night. So beautiful that the drunken Xu Lai found the madwoman who had hunted him for a thousand years to be somewhat pretty. It also made Fairy Qing Yuan—a woman as serene as a green lotus, yet who gnashed her teeth at the mention of the thief Qingfeng—reaffirm that Qingfeng Xu Lai was, indeed, a thief.

Otherwise, why could her Dao heart no longer find peace?

And so, the two battled once more. But this battle was different from the others—it was the kind fought without clothes.

Later, while traveling the Universe, Xu Lai happened to visit Earth and discovered that its inhabitants were particularly fond of a creature called a cat. Although the Immortal Domain had cats, those on Earth were a bit more docile and pleasing to the eye. So, he crafted one from the evening clouds—Wanxia—and gave it to Qing Yuan, never expecting that casual gesture from the past would become the pitfall of the present.

"Qing Yuan, I’m afraid today won’t work," Xu Lai sighed softly. "I promised my wife and daughter I would spend the New Year with them."

Wife and daughter? The Supreme Emperor has an heir?! The maid’s jaw dropped in shock. An Emperor Realm powerhouse actually has a child? How is that possible! As for the wife... The maid dismissed her completely. It must be some new fox spirit who has captured his favor. It’s probably that Fox Coquette from Qingqiu!

In her eyes, there were only a few threats to Fairy Qing Yuan’s position as the Heavenly Court’s matron. The greatest were the pair of Twelve-winged Archangel sisters who served as Domain Masters in the Western Immortal Domain. Her only other serious rival was that Fox Coquette from Qingqiu. All other women could be ignored!

"Then you should go back," Qing Yuan said with a hint of regret. "The Chaos Purple Lotus in the Sea of Myriad Flowers is still blooming. I had hoped to watch it with you this time."

Xu Lai let out a long breath. "Next time for sure."

"Will there be a next time?" Fairy Qing Yuan asked with a faint smile.

Xu Lai answered solemnly, "There will."

Qing Yuan beckoned, and a snow-white hairpin appeared before Xu Lai. "This is my gift for Yiyi."

Xu Lai paused, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Anna has communicated with me via Divine Sense before," Qing Yuan said calmly. "Don’t overthink it. No third person knows about this."

"I see," Xu Lai nodded.

Anna had been to Earth and had met both Yiyi and Ruan Tang, so it wasn’t surprising that Qing Yuan knew. Still, his expression was a bit strange. "I recall you and the Anna sisters never got along very well, did you?"

Qing Yuan didn’t answer him. Instead, she called out, "Wanxia, come back. It’s time for us to leave."

The cat formed from evening clouds reluctantly nuzzled Xu Lai’s face before leaping back into Qing Yuan’s arms, and together they vanished into the horizon.

"Domain Master, we finally ran into the Supreme Emperor! Why did we have to leave? And who is this woman he can’t forget?" the maid asked, unable to hold back her questions.

"She... is very different," Qing Yuan said, her gaze fixed forward. Otherwise, Anna wouldn’t have viewed her as such a formidable rival and set aside past prejudices to seek my help.

The maid didn’t dwell on how she was different. Instead, she asked, "Domain Master, the Chaos Purple Lotus that blooms once in a million years has been in flower for four months now. Are we going to see it?"

Even for an Emperor Realm expert, one might only see the Chaos Purple Lotus bloom once or twice in a lifetime. For a Quasi-Emperor, whose lifespan was merely two hundred thousand years, missing this opportunity likely meant there would never be another.

"No," Qing Yuan said, her voice light as the wind. "Without the right person, even the most beautiful scenery loses all meaning."

The maid looked visibly downhearted.

Fairy Qing Yuan handed her an Identity Token. "I know you want to see it. Take my token and go. Elder Qiu of the Green Sect has a grandson whose talent is nearly on par with yours. I approve of the match."

The maid’s cheeks flushed red. "Domain Master, he and I... we’re just friends."

Qing Yuan patted the maid’s head, her words seeming to be for the girl, and perhaps for herself as well. "If you like someone, don’t let the chance slip by. Otherwise, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life."

"Yes, yes, yes!" the maid replied, not fully comprehending. "Domain Master, I’ll record the scenery and bring it back for you to see."

"Go on."

* * *

「On the way back to Earth.」

Taotie looked at Xu Lai, wanting to say something but hesitating.

"Speak your mind," Xu Lai said. "Since when did you become so hesitant?"

"Supreme Emperor, a marvel like the Chaos Purple Lotus last appeared two million years ago. Why did you refuse Fairy Qing Yuan...?" Taotie asked, confused.

Xu Lai sighed. "Taotie, do you know the origin of the Sea of Myriad Flowers?"