The people hiding in the shadows could not hold back any longer and finally made a move against Emperor Qinghua?

Wang Sheng, who was in a pair of loose shorts and sandals, sat on the sofa at home and stared blankly.

After bringing Qinglin over, Xi Lian went off to find the network terminal that Wang Sheng had set up a few days ago, ready to restart her glorious campaigns once more.

Qinglin, dressed in a brand-new Daoist robe, now discussed the matter with Wang Sheng.

"The news came from Chun Yangzi. He passed it to Earth's cultivators who are in the endless space, and those juniors used special artifacts to send the message back. It should be reliable."

"Mm." Wang Sheng crossed his arms and nodded. "But if it was an ambush, how could they leave behind such an obvious flaw? Maybe it was done on purpose."

"You have not heard the full details yet. The message that came back was very thorough. The Black Emperor and several other powerful beings from the Immortal Saint Realm ambushed Emperor Qinghua first, seriously injuring him.

"While he was trying to break free from their pursuit, five mysterious experts suddenly tried to intercept and kill him. They nearly succeeded. It is even said that there were fluctuations suggesting the activation of a primordial treasure."

Wang Sheng tensed slightly. "Didn't His Imperial Majesty escape safely in the end?"

"He did." Qinglin sighed softly, his eyes filled with awe. "That is also why the news of this battle spread so widely. His Great Dao of Death is truly remarkable. He was already on the brink of death at the time, but at a critical moment, he destroyed his own Primordial Spirit and body.

"His true spirit merged with the Great Dao of Death, and he was reborn along with it. It seems his cultivation even improved as a result. What exactly happened at that moment is beyond imagination."

"Was the Apricot-Yellow Banner not with him?"

"It was not. In his recent appearances, no one has mentioned the Apricot-Yellow Banner."

He probably left it with Senior Sister. Using the Great Dao of Death to reverse life and death... He destroyed himself, then returned to life. From a practical standpoint, that ability is absurdly powerful. However, as long as the emperor is safe, that's all that matters.

Wang Sheng smiled faintly. "The fox tail has finally slipped out. The two Heavenly Court immortals who were thought dead should give the Immortal Saint Realm some clues."

Qinglin muttered, "Fei Yu, why did you deceive my forefather? According to the reports from outside, people believe an enemy called Feng Jiu attacked you. But we know Senior Chun Yangzi escorted you back. Does that mean my forefather... cannot be trusted?"

Wang Sheng said apologetically, "This is difficult to explain, Senior, but I had my reasons. You should not know these matters yet, but I have never doubted Star Deity Wenqu, and I am also deeply grateful to the Heavenly Court immortals who protected me. Unfortunately, the situation forced my hand; I had no other choice."

"Very well." Qinglin sighed softly and smiled wryly. "I have been thinking about this for some time. No matter what, this planet will always be my home and the foundation of the Shu Sword Sect. If you need help, just say the word. I owe you my life, after all."

Wang Sheng smiled as he met his gaze. They didn't have to exchange further words to reach an understanding.

Nearby, a certain fox immortal walked past in a denim skirt and an off-shoulder sweater. She glanced at the two men, who seemed oddly intense, and rolled her eyes in clear disdain.

Setting the matter aside, Wang Sheng spent half the day chatting with Qinglin. He spoke at length about the many changes in Earth's cultivation world and the unusual nature of modern life.

Qinglin tried to understand everything as artifacts. From that perspective, the entire world seemed filled with spiritual treasures. After all, spiritual treasures were simply treasures with awareness. Even the self-driving taxis on the streets could fit that definition.

The most surprising part was that Qinglin managed to explain the idea in a way that made perfect sense. In fact, the use of artificial intelligence in artifacts had already been seen as a possible path to creating what he called pseudo-spiritual treasures.

Xi Lian poked her head out from the study room. "I am ordering food. Do you want anything?"

Wang Sheng immediately replied, "Sure. Get some drinks too!"

Qinglin smiled. "Then I will have a few dishes as well."

Xi Lian rolled her eyes, casually pulled Wang Sheng's phone over, and muttered about being broke. She was clearly in a good mood, though.

With the two around, Wang Sheng felt much less bored.

They spoke of the past and present, laughing as they discussed the world. Wang Sheng also shared a method for nurturing a sword soul with Qinglin.

When they had nothing to do, Xi Lian dragged them into the virtual world to fight together. One of them struggled with the controls, while the other reacted too slowly because his Primordial Spirit was occupied. Xi Lian scolded them both mercilessly.

Thanks to their visit, Wang Sheng's dull days became far more enjoyable.

Yet whenever he thought about how they were relaxing here while the undercurrents of the endless space and the Immortal Saint Realm surged violently, he felt... unexpectedly at ease.

I am finally an observer for once instead of being hunted like a common enemy!

He then quickly remembered that he had left behind two flaws in the endless space.

The first was the soul lamp he had exchanged with his senior sister. It could prove that he was still alive. This could more or less be ignored, though.

The second was Long Liekong, whom he had subdued using the Fiend-Controlling Technique. Just like Ling Sheng inside the Qiankun Ring, Long Liekong was still alive and active, which could easily raise suspicion.

Fortunately, only a few people knew about the Fiend-Controlling Technique, including Yaoyun and Lishang. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

One day, Qinglin sat with a headset on, eyes fixed on the shifting figures on the screen. Holding a game controller, he muttered, "Fei Yu, when do you plan to head out again? Life here is stable, but because of the Time-Cycle Grand Array, a year here equals a hundred years outside. That is not good for your cultivation."

Wang Sheng smiled but did not mention that he was currently absorbing the Great Dao of Creation. He simply said, "I will go once my injuries are healed."

"Speaking of, how's your recovery coming along?"

Yawning, Wang Sheng said, "I still can't use my Primordial Spirit recklessly. Let's keep practicing. We still have to join Big Sister for the team match later. We cannot keep dragging the team down."

Qinglin nodded with a smile. "I did not expect such a small pastime to be this entertaining."

Wang Sheng was at a loss for words. It seemed about time for him to make a suggestion to the Special Investigation Unit about creating a "Cultivators Addiction Prevention Program."

It would have rules like "no gaming until you become an immortal," "no novels until you form a Golden Core," "A set number of days in seclusion each year is required to earn game time," so on and so forth.

It would regulate cultivators properly and push them to improve, allowing them to become pillars of Earth's cultivation world as soon as possible. Those stuck at bottlenecks, in particular, should be cultivating instead of indulging in entertainment.

"Fei Yu! Come take a look! Xiaomiao is on TV!" Xi Lian called from the living room.

Wang Sheng snapped out of his thoughts, thinking something had happened. He tossed aside the controller and rushed out.

In the end, it was just an announcement he had already heard a few days ago, now officially released.

On the projection screen, his younger sister stood with her arms folded, dressed in a light-blue uniform. She gazed into the distance, her cloak fluttering behind her, with a sky full of stars above.

She raised her left hand and pointed toward the starry sky.

「Our journey has only just begun!」

Behind her, massive spindle-shaped qi-powered warships powered up one after another and slowly ascended into the stars.

This was not an actual deployment. It was just staged for the promotional video.

Many of those ships only had their outer shells completed. They were not yet fitted with qi cannons or teleportation arrays and were there to fill out the scene.

Xi Lian's eyes lit up. "Wow. Commander of the first qi-powered warship fleet. That is so cool!"

Wang Sheng smiled as well. His sister had truly made something of herself. If she had been the chosen sacred spirit instead of him, things might have turned out very differently.

From the study room, Qinglin yelled, "Fei Yu, your character is almost out of health!"

"Coming!" Wang Sheng answered and hurried back, diving once more into the grand effort of leveling up alongside Qinglin.

***

In the endless space, on a desolate planet at the edge of the Northern Sky Region, an immortal palace floated quietly above a sea of magma. Inside the palace, however, the air was cool and calm.

Mu Wanxuan woke from meditation and looked at the soul lamp beside her. A trace of helplessness appeared in her eyes. She wondered how her junior brother's injuries were now.

The lamp had never gone out, and its flame had long since returned to normal. That alone proved Wang Sheng had recovered.

The mark on Mu Wanxuan's forehead was nearing completion, and her true spirit was almost fully formed.

"Senior Sister, Master has returned," Lin Feiyao announced from behind.

Mu Wanxuan looked up, finding Qinghua walking in from the entrance. Faint strands of black aura wound around him. He lowered his head and coughed a few times.

Though he was still some distance away, he stopped. His Great Dao of Death was too powerful, while Mu Wanxuan was still stabilizing her Great Dao of Life. The two forces opposed each other.

If he came too close, he could harm her.

"How has your cultivation been recently?"

Mu Wanxuan bowed together with Lin Feiyao as she replied softly, "Going well."

Qinghua coughed again, fatigue showing in his eyes. "I will enter seclusion for several hundred years soon. Feng Jiu's subordinates ambushed me earlier, leaving me with many internal injuries. During that time, I will seal this palace. Do either of you need anything?"

"I do not," Lin Feiyao said at once.

"Me neither," Mu Wanxuan added, though concern lingered in her gaze.

Qinghua seemed deep in thought. Amid his unsettled thoughts, he wanted someone to talk to, but only his two disciples were here.

Lin Feiyao had been formally accepted as a disciple due to her good conduct.

"Haaaa. Only now do I understand why Fei Yu is so wary of Feng Jiu. That person likely has an unclear connection with His Immortal Majesty. Of the two immortals I killed, one had once been a favored general of His Immortal Majesty, and the other had been a deputy commander of the Heavenly River Navy.

"They had become far stronger than before. Behind all this seems to be a vast web, one that has ensnared countless living beings."

Mu Wanxuan whispered, "Mm."

Lin Feiyao could not help but ask softly, "Master, if your earlier speculation is correct, and the Immortal Emperor is truly orchestrating everything, then what would you do?"

"What would I do?"

Qinghua raised his head and sighed deeply. After a long silence, his lips curled into a faint, helpless smile.

"His Immortal Majesty's death caused everything I cherished to turn to dust. If he is not truly gone, then my Great Dao of Death should be used to finish him off. Perhaps that is the only reason I was able to master this Dao."

Mu Wanxuan blinked, not quite understanding what he meant. Lin Feiyao, however, felt some relief.

No matter which choice he made or which side he stood on, as long as he was not lost and had made his own decision, that was enough for her.