An Earth year and a half after Qinghua was ambushed, or over a hundred and fifty years outside, the great Buddha statue in the ancient battlefield had changed completely.

From the outside, it still appeared whole, yet its interior had been transformed into a kind of "spaceport."

Hidden across the seated Buddha were numerous defensive weapons. Inside, alloy frameworks divided the space into layers of residential, cultivation, command, and early warning areas.

A sizable docking port had already been established, complete in every essential aspect.

Before the wormhole, Chun Yangzi and Zhi Bing sat cross-legged.

Those who worked here from Earth all knew the two were extraordinary, though no one knew who they truly were. Fortunately, they had no objections to Earth's large-scale construction as long as no one disturbed them.

Earlier, Xiaomiao, who was considered part of the Pure Yang lineage, had come to pay respects to her forefather. Only after gaining Chun Yangzi's approval did the renovation of the Buddha statue's interior begin.

Now, Chun Yangzi held a jade talisman in his palm, reading the message within with a hint of helplessness on his face.

Zhi Bing, who had been focused on comprehending the Time-Cycle Grand Array, glanced over. Since they were in space, she had to resort to telepathy. "What is it?"

"Hostess Su has sent news again. It seems Emperor Qinghua has been targeted, and the Immortal Saint Realm is conducting a large-scale search for him. Feng Jiu has probably planted many spies within that realm. Even the matter revolving around the two exposed Heavenly Court immortals has somehow faded without a trace..."

Chun Yangzi sighed softly. "I wonder if we should go and assist the emperor."

"That likely will not be necessary," Zhi Bing replied. "His Great Dao of Death may require the sacrifice of other Great Daos. And they are only searching, not hunting him down."

"As expected, you truly see things clearly, Little Bingbing—"

"Mm?"

"I mean, you are absolutely right, Lady Bing is absolutely right!"

Chun Yangzi immediately gave a thumbs up, then drifted over and sat beside her, gazing at the entrance to the Realm of Exiled Immortals.

"I wonder how Fei Yu's injuries are now."

"You might as well go inside and see for yourself. You are not of much help out here anyway."

Chun Yangzi sighed softly. He then said warmly and deeply, "I will pass. After all, an hour in there is a hundred hours away from you. That kind of torment cuts to the bone. I cannot bear it."

Zhi Bing's lips twitched. "Speak plainly."

Chun Yangzi smiled wryly."It is simply more comfortable out here. The moment I think about the Immortal Emperor setting this grand array up, my Dao Heart trembles."

She snorted softly and closed her eyes again, continuing her contemplation of the Time-Cycle Grand Array.

"Give me another thousand years, and I will unravel this array."

"Do not overexert yourself, Bingbing."

"Mm. If you stayed a little farther away, I might finish a hundred years sooner."

Chun Yangzi grinned with narrowed eyes, yet he refused to move. He lingered beside her as he admired her flawless face.

From within the wormhole ahead, a shadow rapidly grew larger. The two immediately shifted to the side as another transport spaceship. They had long grown used to such sights.

Once the vessel, shaped somewhat like a Shadowless Shuttle, landed below, they returned to the wormhole's edge and resumed their contemplation.

The entrance to the Realm of Exiled Immortals served as the core of the Time-Cycle Grand Array. Since the array was nearly flawless, only here could a weakness be found.

Chun Yangzi sighed quietly and started contributing.

As he settled into a state of comprehension, a hesitant figure below paced back and forth several times. Finally, he flew up. In an ancient tone, he telepathically asked, "May I ask, are you my forefather, senior?"

Chun Yangzi looked down and saw a middle-aged Daoist. After a brief thought, recognition dawned.

Fei Yu's master, Qing Yanzi, Daoist name Bu Yan!

He had seen him before through incense offerings.

Chun Yangzi rose and drifted down, a gentle smile forming. His handsome face seemed to glow, a hint of warmth in his eyes.

"That is correct. It is me."

Qing Yanzi trembled slightly, joy filling his gaze. He stepped forward and bowed deeply. "Greetings, Forefather! My name is Bu Yan, one of your disciples!"

"Aish, no need for formalities." Chun Yangzi waved a hand as he helped him up. "So you have come out. How is Fei Yu?"

Qing Yanzi quickly stepped back half a pace and cupped his hands in salute. "He is no longer in serious danger. On behalf of my disciple, I thank you for your concern, Forefather."

Chun Yangzi said with emotion, "That is good to hear. There is indeed a mysterious power hidden there, something beyond understanding. It seems to be connected to Fei Yu."

Qing Yanzi nodded repeatedly in agreement. He then sighed. "Forefather, you saved my disciple before. I truly do not know how to repay such kindness. Even now, Earth's cultivation world relies entirely on your protection."

"Now I see where Fei Yu picked up that stiff and old-fashioned manner." Chun Yangzi chuckled, then continued, "No need to stand on ceremony. Fei Yu does not bother with so many formalities around me anymore. In the future, our Pure Yang lineage will be called the Pure Yang Freedom Sect. We cultivate Pure Yang, and we seek freedom. That is how it should be!"

Qing Yanzi could only smile bitterly.

Wang Sheng had once said their forefather was quite amusing. Now, he truly understood what the sword cultivator meant. With just a few exchanges, their entire Daoist heritage had been renamed.

I should send a message later and have the Pure Yang Sword Faction change its name to Pure Yang Freedom Sect.

"Bu Yan." Chun Yangzi took out several jade pendants from his sleeve and placed them into Qing Yanzi's hands. "These contain some of my cultivation insights. Take them and study them carefully."

"Thank you, Forefather."

Chun Yangzi smiled. "Go and cultivate. If anything comes up, come here and find me. Your foremother and I will remain here to study the Time-Cycle Great Dao and see if we can undo it."

Qing Yanzi quickly agreed with a smile. He was just about to ask if he should go and pay his respects to the foremother when he heard a cold snort beside his ear. The surrounding space seemed to grow colder.

Chun Yangzi immediately gestured for him to leave, then turned and gave Zhi Bing an apologetic smile before drifting back up with a lighthearted laugh.

Mm?

Qing Yanzi tilted his head slightly, thinking to himself that his forefather was quite a man of temperament. After offering a few more respectful bows, he turned and flew down.

A gap slowly opened at the great Buddha statue's massive foot. Qing Yanzi returned to the qi-powered spaceship and set out on a new and unknown journey.

***

On Earth, inside Wang Sheng's home.

Master should have reached the great Buddha statue by now.

Wang Sheng lay on the sofa, listening to Xi Lian in the study room as she instructed Qinglin on how to clear a level. Life felt relaxed and comfortable.

However, when he glanced at the long list of expenses spread across the coffee table, he did not know whether to laugh or cry. Only three "big shots" above the level of common immortals were living in the house, yet they had received a long string of credit card bills. If this were twenty years ago, Earth would have treated any immortal like a sacred figure.

Still, there was no need to worry. A single phone call would settle it. He could borrow a bit from his junior sister Chi Wen and tide things over.

Am I being a little too idle at home?

Wang Sheng yawned, yet his heart remained calm.

Even as his Primordial Spirit absorbed the Great Dao of Creation and he stood on the verge of becoming a supreme expert, he felt no excitement.

In fact, he felt a hint of confusion.

Sometimes, he thought that since the universe would eventually come to an end anyway, he might as well let Haotian do as he pleased.

The Heavenly Court and the order of the Three Realms had lasted for millions of years and seemed to function just fine. A human life, or even the lifespan of Earth itself, would never last long enough to see that final moment.

The thought was somewhat pessimistic, but he was not trying to escape reality. No matter how he calculated it, he could not see how they could defeat Haotian, who already stood beyond all limits.

How are we supposed to win?

Wang Sheng stood up and called toward the study room, "I am heading out for a walk. If you want anything to eat, call me and I will bring it back."

Xi Lian, already irritated by her "student," responded impatiently, "Whatever!"

Qinglin quickly asked, "Fei Yu, do you want me to accompany you for protection?"

"No need," Wang Sheng said with a wave. "It is safe on Earth."

Qinglin shot him a pleading look, but Wang Sheng only smiled. He picked up his coat and stepped out.

They were currently in a northern city of the Hua Republic. Outside, winter was approaching, and fallen leaves covered the ground.

Compared to the time when the primal qi of heaven and earth had just begun to recover, the city had undergone tremendous change. Occasionally, small flying civilian vehicles passed overhead. The sight of cultivators flying freely through the skies, common several years ago, had now become rare for one simple reason: regulations for cultivators had become increasingly complete.

Wang Sheng stretched and wandered toward a nearby park, where he saw elderly men and women practicing basic breathing and qi-circulation techniques.

The average lifespan in the Hua Republic had increased by two or three times. This was the greatest benefit that the resurgence of primal qi had brought to ordinary people. The retirement age had also been extended accordingly, though.

Sitting on a bench, Wang Sheng watched the group absentmindedly.

Even while trying to relax, he could not help but think about the future.

How far can my sword carry our little planet?

Wang Sheng muttered, "The Heavenly Qi Seal and the Earth Qi Seal have been lifted. Nuwa never mentioned anything about the Three Qi Seals. What exactly is the Human Qi Seal?"

His forefather had once said that Ziwei had personally set the Human Qi Seal, though the details were unknown. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

The Heavenly Qi Seal referred to the Small Immortal Realm in the Moon, while the Earth Qi Seal referred to the Small Nether Realm, which was underground. Following that pattern, the Human Qi Seal was likely connected to the present world of the Hua Republic.

Would a mass prayer release more primal qi?

"I doubt it's that simple."

Wang Sheng crossed his legs and slipped his hands into his pockets, continuing to think. Soon, another idea came to him. He took out his phone, called Xi Lian and Qinglin, and then contacted Mou Yue.

For now, he would set everything else aside and go take a look at the six celestial tablets. It could bring an unexpected gain.