It sounds quite reasonable, but something still feels off… Meng Qi looked at Gu Xiaosang’s smiling face and slowly walked over, his thoughts racing as he scrutinized and analyzed the hidden implications.
Just then, he suddenly caught a whiff of a delicate fragrance as a figure swiftly approached. His elbow brushed against something soft—Gu Xiaosang had already wrapped her arms around his left arm, appearing shy and timid on the surface, yet her eyes sparkled like stars. Her voice, clear and melodious, carried a playful tone as she said, “Husband, this journey has been a success. I’ve attained the Legendary realm. It’s time for us to return home together as husband and wife.”
Meng Qi stiffened abruptly, completely unprepared for this turn of events. It had been so long that he had nearly forgotten the feeling of warmth and softness.
At his clumsy reaction, Gu Xiaosang lowered her head as if suppressing a laugh. But suddenly, she felt Meng Qi’s left arm pull away, breaking free from her embrace.
Just as she was slightly stunned, a large hand reached out and grasped her slender, jade-like fingers, interlacing them tightly. Then, Meng Qi’s deep voice sounded in her ear: “You’ve attained the Legendary realm, and the past is now behind us. From this day forward, we’ll have a brand-new future. In this future, I have the Demon Buddha as my sworn enemy, and you have the Golden Emperor as yours. The mighty figures supporting us from beyond the shore may change their minds at any moment—Heaven’s will is unpredictable. So, we’ll face this perilous and ever-changing future together.”
“In this journey, it’s not about you relying on me, nor is it about me shielding you from the Golden Emperor’s gaze to assert superiority. It’s about moving from shared suffering in the past to mutual support in the present. Rather than you clinging to my arm like before, I prefer this—fingers intertwined, moving forward hand in hand.”
After speaking, Meng Qi felt a pang of nervousness, waiting for Gu Xiaosang’s response. Being within the Origin Point, they didn’t have to worry about discussing the mighty figures beyond the shore.
Gu Xiaosang remained with her head lowered, her aura restrained, making it impossible to discern her thoughts.
Just as Meng Qi was about to break the silence, Gu Xiaosang chuckled softly.
“Who would’ve thought my silly husband could say something so profound?”
Then, covering her mouth with her left hand, she giggled quietly. “If you wanted to hold hands, you could’ve just said so. No need to dress it up with lofty words…”
Hand in hand, the two left the Origin Point of Life and Death and returned to the Jade Void Palace on Mount Kunlun.
At this point, Gu Xiaosang retreated once more into the miniature universe within Meng Qi’s left acupoint. The accumulated innate virtue from the Chaos Green Lotus Seed had been fully depleted, and from now on, her cultivation would rely more on refining parts of the Origin Point of Life and Death. Thus, she had no choice but to enter seclusion to stabilize her gains—after all, the last stretch of the journey is often the hardest.
Of course, this was also to avoid detection by the Golden Emperor. Although breaking through from Legendary to Creation wouldn’t be achieved through seclusion alone, and Gu Xiaosang would eventually reveal herself, with Fengdu dead and True Martial’s promise not to disclose the matter, it was best to delay exposure as long as possible. By the time the Golden Emperor discovered her, she would have further improved, and Meng Qi would have stepped into the Creation realm, becoming a pivotal piece below the shore.
Back at the Jade Void Palace, passing through the gatehouse and the main hall, Meng Qi returned to his quiet chamber and sat cross-legged on the cloud bed. He, too, began digesting and consolidating his gains, refining the Four Symbols Seal, Void Seal, and Seventy-Two Transformations to approach the Dao, integrating them into the Chaos Undifferentiated, laying the strongest foundation for the Creation realm.
In the gatehouse, Da Qing Gen set down the All-Knowing Token and rubbed its trunk with a vine in confusion.
“Master seems quite happy. This trip must have been very fruitful!”
Meanwhile, the Heavenly Hound, who had taken the opportunity to wander back while Xuanbei preached to the vengeful spirits in the Pure Land, nodded emphatically. “Yeah, I feel like my eyes are about to be blinded.”
……
Chugging along, the Mohist mechanical train traversed mountains and valleys before coming to a stop beside a city at the foot of Mount Kunlun.
The head of the Sun family adjusted his robes and stepped out of the carriage with Sun Wu, his expression now solemn.
This was the legendary Mount Kunlun, a land of immortals!
This was the sacred Jade Void Palace of the Daoist tradition!
Suddenly, beams of light flashed without warning, dazzling the Sun family head and Sun Wu, who instinctively raised their hands to shield their eyes.
Immediately after, they realized a crowd had gathered around them, thrusting all sorts of strange devices toward them.
“Patriarch Sun, I’m a special correspondent from the Martial Arts Post. How do you feel about your child being accepted into the Jade Void Palace?”
“I’m the host of Face-to-Face Live. Sun Wu, on this important day, do you have any words for martial artists across the world?”
“May I ask what exactly the Immortal Venerable Yuanhuang saw in Sun Wu?”
“I’m the head of a video tutorial platform. Could Patriarch Sun and young Sun Wu share your success story? How should one cultivate oneself to be accepted as a disciple of the Jade Void Palace on Mount Kunlun?”
……
By now, the Sun family head and Sun Wu were utterly bewildered, completely unprepared for this situation and plunged into total confusion.
—When the All-Knowing Token first appeared, the Sun family head was already of a mature age and struggled to adapt to its novelties. Thus, he limited himself to browsing important news and using the Southern Wasteland’s tutorial platform for martial training. The concept of being interviewed was entirely foreign to him. As for Sun Wu, despite his memories and consciousness from a past life, he had only been exposed to the All-Knowing Token for a few years. While he knew about live streams and interviews, he had never imagined himself becoming the “center of attention.”
After a brief flurry of chaos and with the help of onlookers, the two finally regained their composure. Facing the barrage of questions, the Sun family head coughed lightly and said, “To be honest, I have no idea why the Immortal Venerable Yuanhuang took a liking to my son. He is an elusive figure whose actions are unfathomable—how could mere mortals like us speculate?”
“As for my thoughts… A person’s fate in life certainly depends on their own efforts, but one must also consider the role of opportunity. Since my son has earned the Immortal Venerable’s favor, he must not squander this tremendous chance. He must seize it through relentless hard work…”
After the interviews, the Sun family head found himself somewhat intoxicated by the experience—the feeling of being in the spotlight was a joy he had never known before. If not for the fact that the hour had come, and Sun Wu, now ten years old, had to ascend Mount Kunlun and enter the Jade Void Palace, he would have gladly continued.
Mount Kunlun was shrouded in mist and clouds, its immortal aura vivid and palpable. After standing at the foot of the mountain for a while, the Sun family head sighed, a mix of joy and nostalgia in his voice. “Wu’er, from here on out, the path is yours to walk.”
Sun Wu tightened his grip on the Jade Void Palace’s entry token and nodded lightly. Then, with a deep bow, he bid farewell to his father and stepped onto the mountain path, leaving behind the crowd of reporters and onlookers.
After taking just one step forward, he suddenly saw the mist ahead surge wildly, parting to either side to reveal the lush, verdant peaks in their full splendor. Along the winding path, nestled among the emerald slopes, stood a simple Daoist temple bathed in golden sunlight—magnificent and majestic, yet exuding an ancient, weathered aura.
“The Jade Void Palace…” someone behind him murmured almost reverently.
This was the immortal sanctuary hidden deep within the clouds!
This was the abode of the Immortal Venerable Yuanhuang, Su Meng, of the present age!
Sun Wu strode forward, ascending under the gaze of countless eyes.
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