Superhumans of the Dome City-Chapter 1402 - 15: Family Mission

Present day, Divine Capital City.

As the month draws to a close, the festive atmosphere grows stronger. The Divine Capital City is decorated everywhere with lanterns and streamers, and occasionally you can hear the noise of one or two firecrackers. Many eager merchants have already put up colorful lights in advance, aiming to attract the eyes of travelers and to secure some auspicious good fortune.

In ancient times, the imperial capital’s lantern festival used to be held on the fifteenth day after the new year, during the Lantern Festival. However, as times changed and the Empire’s territory expanded, more and more people left their hometowns for work, not having much time to return home and reunite with their families. They often stayed for a few days around the new year before hastily setting off back to their jobs. The Emperor, understanding the hardships of the common people, ordered that the lantern festival be moved to before the new year. This way, the traveling citizens wouldn’t have to feel regret and could celebrate the new year and admire the lanterns together.

This year in the Divine Capital City, besides the lanterns, there is a new street spectacle. Someone unknown has set up an airborne performer show in the Tianshu District ring. Every now and then, you can see someone dash onto the ring like an arrow, then swoosh up onto the palace walls, hanging there for a whole 24 hours. The knowledgeable citizens of Divine Capital express their understanding of this. It’s obvious just by looking that they’re martial artists! Most likely, they’re a bit mentally stiff. This is probably another "secret manual" or "wondrous method" they’ve figured out. Hanging on the wall all day is nothing unusual; for martial artists, it’s perfectly normal. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Grandpa, look, they never learn," Qin Qianbai said.

She sat atop a tall stone tower, next to a piece of martial equipment resembling a green stone. Qin An’s projection emanated from the stone, watching over the people rushing the ring together with her.

"For martial artists, there’s always a sense of determination in their bones. When they see someone of similar level, they want to test their skills; when they know someone is a master, they want even more to see how far apart they are from the master, and how high the sky really is," Qin An said. "When you were young, if you encountered such a ring, would you go?"

"I would," Qin Qianbai replied, "but only once. Once I see the gap, I would work hard to bridge it. Challenging the sky without wings seems foolish, doesn’t it?"

"You’re indeed clever and smart," Qin An laughed. "These days have truly been hard on you. If you weren’t in the Divine Capital, I’m afraid I wouldn’t even have the energy to speak."

On the night Qin Qianbai first arrived in the Divine Capital, she did not see Qin An, because he was assisting the Emperor in stabilizing the situation in the true imperial palace on the moon using an array. Over these days, Qin Qianbai displayed her power in the imperial capital, deterring many restless martial artists and restoring calm to the Divine Capital City. It seemed even Qin An’s condition improved together with the city’s peace, allowing him to use Heart Phase Weapon to communicate with others remotely.

But her grandpa’s condition shouldn’t be linked to the city’s security; his reduced pressure should have another reason. Qin Qianbai, always having keen intuition, quickly found a reason without much thought.

"What I did doesn’t really matter; what’s crucial is that ’I am in the Divine Capital City,’" Qin Qianbai said. "As long as our Qin family is around the imperial capital, the sealing of the Fan Ding Realm is assured."

Qin An, unsurprised, nodded and smiled, "Well said. Little Qian, you are now a martial artist of the Final Realm; your influence alone here far exceeds the combined power of me and your other grandfather. When you were young, I told you that practicing martial arts is the most important thing for our family, and the reason lies in this."

Qin Qianbai recalled the call in her blood when looking at the moon, feeling a rise of confusion.

"But, Grandpa, for us martial artists who practice Heavenly Return Skill, the most important focus is self-cultivation. Even if I reach the Final Realm, it’s hard to easily affect a nation’s land like Ah Ce does. How come our family’s martial artists can affect the sealing of the imperial capital?"

"Grandpa doesn’t know either," Qin An said.

Seeing the girl’s surprised expression, he chuckled with interest, "Little Qian, think about it, Grandpa is just over four hundred years old today, while the sealing of the Fan Ding Realm has been for two thousand and ten years. How could I possibly know the secrets from the founding of the nation?"

Qin Qianbai dumbfoundedly said, "I thought Grandpa’s grandpa might have told you."

"Some things are not passed down by the elders," Qin An shook his head. "My grandpa only told me a legend, saying that part of our family’s blood comes from the former Emperor Central Spirit. Thus, throughout the world, only the Qin family is naturally long-lived, and the Heavenly Return Skill of the Qin family brings long life and prosperity."

Qin Qianbai pondered quietly upon hearing this, said goodbye, and drifted down from the stone tower like a green leaf, melting into the sky of the imperial capital.

Qin An watched his descendant, his smile gradually fading. The two of them understood without saying another word; neither mentioned another matter. In recent days, the pressure of the sealing on the moon has been decreasing daily, indicating that another strong individual who can stabilize the seal is approaching them.

Qin Ming is on his way to the Divine Capital.

·

"The car is too slow," Qin Ming said.

"It’s just your illusion," Hadrian replied leisurely, "I’ve been a good racer since I was young!"

An orange-red stretch limousine was parked by the lakeside, with clusters of white-grey patches of unmelted snow among the withered grass. Last night’s heavy snow had formed a thin layer of ice on the lake, where Hadrian had chipped out a small hole. With a fishing rod in hand, dressed in a cotton coat, he sat fishing beside the ice hole, like a happy old man in the countryside.

"We’ve been circling around Kongtong Province for five days," Qin Ming insisted, "I could have walked to Divine Capital City by now."

"Hold on!" the old man said nervously.

The float in the ice hole moved a little. Hadrian patiently waited, and only when the fish took the bait did he reel in the line and lift the rod. A big fish leaped out of the ice hole, its scales shimmering gold in the sunlight. Happily, he tossed the fish into a small bucket beside him, marking his first catch after two hours of fishing.