Chapter 84: Yes, I’m Back

In the Zilin Holy Land, ever since the Zilin Saintess Jiang Qingshang entered seclusion, the Qi of purple clouds above Saintess Peak had grown increasingly dense.

A month later, the purple clouds from Saintess Peak even began to spread outward, gradually covering the entire Zilin Holy Land.

Within it, the dao rhyme fell invisibly like sweet rain, and the Disciples of the Zilin Holy Land could all vaguely sense it.

Many Disciples went into seclusion one after another, thanks to the gift of Jiang Qingshang’s dao luck.

And today, the purple clouds that filled the sky over the Zilin Holy Land had “dissipated,” and the sky was clear once again.

However, the Elders of the Holy Land knew that the purple clouds hadn’t truly vanished; rather, they had transformed from tangible to intangible.

The Great Dao is formless.

As the purple clouds withdrew inward, the dao luck continued to permeate the air.

This indicated that the Zilin Saintess had already stepped into the Late Stage of the Yupu Realm.

Entering the Late Stage of the Yupu Realm at the age of eighteen—from the dawn of time until now, such a person had never appeared!

Yet in recent years, two such geniuses had appeared in succession!

One righteous and one evil, they seemed to symbolize the balance of the Yin and Yang fish.

“Perhaps the Saintess will be the youngest to reach the Immortal Realm since the creation of the world, aside from that Demon Son Lin Xun.”

Atop Chess Peak, the Chess Peak Master Jiang Liuer was playing chess with the Calculation Hall Master Bu Suanzi. Looking at the intangible purple clouds in the sky, Jiang Liuer couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.

“Indeed.”

Bu Suanzi nodded. Taking advantage of the moment Jiang Liuer looked up, he stealthily removed a chess piece and said as if nothing had happened:

“I thought that even for the Saintess, breaking through to the Late Stage of the Yupu Realm would take several years. I didn’t expect it to take only a month.

For our Zilin Holy Land to have Her Highness the Saintess is the blessing of ten thousand years.

When the Holy Lord and the Saintess both reach the Ascension Realm, our Zilin Holy Land will truly become the leader of the Righteous Path.”

Jiang Liuer retracted his gaze. Seeing that one of his pieces was missing from the board, he didn’t mind and made his move as usual:

“Since the Saintess has broken through to the Late Stage of the Yupu Realm, her next step will be to attain the Dao and become an Immortal. Moreover, it likely won’t take too long. We must prepare quickly; perhaps we should send a letter to ask the Holy Lord to return.”

Moving from the Jade Purity Realm to the Immortal Realm is not just a matter of a single Lightning Tribulation; it is a long process of secluded meditation on the Dao, which can take anywhere from forty to fifty years to over a thousand years.

During this process, a Cultivator needs to constantly verify their own Great Dao and cannot be disturbed. Simply put, they need someone to act as a Protector.

Bu Suanzi and the others also knew that if the Holy Lord were present, it would be the best choice for the Saintess to transition from the Jade Purity Realm to the Immortal Realm. After all, no one would truly dare to act recklessly under the nose of someone in the Ascension Realm.

However, the Holy Lord had gone to the Barren Region. Although the Saintess had only just entered the Late Stage of the Yupu Realm, she was a peerless Genius; it wouldn’t be surprising regardless of when she entered the Immortal Realm.

If she accidentally gained some insight during this time and wanted to step into the Immortal Realm, it would be very troublesome.

They couldn’t possibly say to the Saintess, ‘Saintess, please wait a moment. Let’s wait for your Master to return before you attain the Dao of the Immortal.’

The opportunity to move from the Jade Purity Realm to the Immortal Realm is extremely rare. It’s a fleeting realization that might only occur once in a lifetime, and even Her Highness the Saintess is no exception.

On the misty mountain peak, looking at the move Jiang Liuer made on the chessboard, Bu Suanzi couldn’t help but be stunned. He hadn’t expected this Old fellow’s chess skills to have improved again.

“Indeed, you’re right. To attain the Dao of the Immortal from the Jade Purity Realm, the seclusion takes too long. It’s safer if the Holy Lord returns. Otherwise, with just us, it would still be quite troublesome.”

“Quite troublesome? What do you mean?”

“You Old fellow, you still don’t know what I mean?”

“How should I know what you mean?”

“How can you not know what I mean by ‘what I mean’?”

“…”

Jiang Liuer’s brow twitched slightly… “Sigh, Bu Suanzi, you’re overthinking it. The Saintess is the heart of the Holy Land and will inevitably reach the Ascension Realm in the future. She is the reliance of our Holy Land for the next ten thousand years.

Even if someone has ulterior motives, they can only keep them hidden; it’s impossible for them to show it. Even if the Holy Lord isn’t here, it’s impossible for them to strike when the Saintess is breaking through to the Immortal Realm.”

“And what if they can’t hide it anymore? To attain the Dao of the Immortal—I don’t know about Lin Xun, but for other top geniuses, it takes at least forty years. Can you guard against a thief for thousands of days?”

“You’re referring to that person…”

“It’s enough that you and I know.”

“That’s also impossible.” Jiang Liuer shook his head. “With the Saintess’s current prestige, even if she stood right in front of him, he wouldn’t dare to act unless he wanted to be hunted by the entire Holy Land! Besides, the Holy Lord will return!”

“Then what if the Saintess dies in an accident and something happens to the Holy Lord as well?”

“…You guy, don’t tell me you have that ‘persecution mania’ the Saintess mentioned?”

“I’d rather ho—”

Before Bu Suanzi could finish the word “hope,” suddenly, above the Zilin Holy Land, ripples of purple Qi began to spread out like waves on a lake.

Above the Zilin Holy Land, ethereal Fairies drifted down one by one. Celestial music echoed through the valleys; the words were indistinguishable, yet they contained the Dao of the Immortals.

Immediately following that, with the Zilin Holy Land as the center, purple lotuses bloomed out of thin air for a thousand miles around. In the nearby villages and cities, everyone from the elderly to the young looked up at this magnificent scene… “Big brother, big brother, look! Lotuses! So many lotuses! Purple lotuses!”

In a courtyard on Dongma Street in Luo City, Yaya was hopping up and down on her short little legs.

In the room, Lin Xun, who was drawing some strangely shaped clothing designs, heard Yaya’s shout, put down his pen, and walked out into the courtyard.

Lin Xun looked up at the sky and was also somewhat surprised: “This Zilin Saintess is quite something. She’s only eighteen, right? And she’s already about to enter the Immortal Realm? Not bad, this Saintess is pretty impressive.”

“Big brother, what is the Immortal Realm?” Yaya asked, grabbing the corner of Lin Xun’s clothes.

“The Immortal Realm, hmm… it’s the kind where your fighting skills are just okay, barely enough to be a snack for your big brother.” Lin Xun performed his daily routine of rubbing Yaya’s head.

“Then Big Brother is so afraid of Sister Qinger. Is Sister Qinger’s Realm very, very high?”

“Your Sister Qinger…” Lin Xun smiled and picked Yaya up, letting her little bottom sit on the crook of his arm. “Your Sister Qinger has to run all over the yard just to kill a single chicken.”

“Then why is Big Brother so afraid of Sister Qinger?”

“Because…” Lin Xun pinched Yaya’s cheek. “Because even though your Brother Lin is invincible under heaven, the only person he can’t beat is your Sister Qinger.”

“Mm~~~” Yaya lowered her head and thought for a bit. “Yaya doesn’t understand.”

“It’s okay, Yaya will understand when she grows up.”

Lin Xun rubbed Yaya’s head once again.

“Sister Qinger will be back from her business trip today. Yaya and Brother Lin will cook together and welcome Sister Qinger back, okay?”

“Mm~~~~” Yaya pouted her little lips. “Brother Lin said the same thing yesterday and the day before yesterday, but Sister Qinger still hasn’t come back…”

“Uh…”

Lin Xun’s expression was a bit awkward.

According to his calculations, Qinger should return roughly within these four or five days, but he didn’t know exactly which day. After all, this world didn’t have telephones or anything… “Brother Lin…”

“Hmm?”

“What if Sister Qinger still doesn’t come back today…”

“Then Big Brother will wait until tomorrow.”

“What if she doesn’t come back tomorrow either?”

“Then we’ll wait until the day after tomorrow.”

“And the day after that?”

“If she’s still not back by then, it would be a bit late.”

Lin Xun rubbed Yaya’s head and smiled.

“Then Big Brother will go and pick up Sister Qinger. No matter where Sister Qinger is, Big Brother will find her and bring her back.”

In the Zilin Holy Land, the purple lotuses continued to spread and bloom.

Above the purple clouds in the sky stood women formed from dao luck. They watched everything on Saintess Peak as the luck of the Great Dao transformed into celestial music, drifting leisurely through the Holy Land.

On Chess Peak, Jiang Liuer and Bu Suanzi, who were still playing chess, vanished from the spot in the next instant.

They had originally thought the Saintess would have at least a buffer period before attaining the Dao of the Immortal. They hadn’t expected that just as she entered the Late Stage of the Yupu Realm, she would already have gained insight and be ready to charge toward the Immortal Realm!

At the same time! The bells of the Zilin Holy Land rang out from all sides, and the Magic Formations of the Zilin Holy Land were activated one after another. All spiritual energy converged toward Saintess Peak. Many Elders opened their eyes and vanished from their locations.

Around Saintess Peak, half of the Holy Land’s Elders exchanged glances and took their positions in all directions. Their Divine Sense covered a radius of ten thousand miles around the Zilin Holy Land! They absolutely would not allow anyone to interfere with the Saintess’s attainment of the Dao at this time!

At this moment, an Immortal sword also flew out of the Zilin Holy Land to send a message to the Barren Region; the Holy Lord needed to return to oversee the situation.

However, less than half a pillar of incense’s time after the Immortal sword flew out, a woman wearing a purple dress walked slowly out of the courtyard on Saintess Peak.

All the Protector Elders looked at the Saintess, their expressions filled with confusion.

Instead of staying in seclusion to break through to the Immortal Realm, what was the Saintess doing coming out now?

Could it be that the Saintess’s posture for seclusion was different from others, and she needed to walk around and take a look?

While everyone was confused, Jiang Qingshang looked at the sky full of purple lotuses, listened to the echoes of celestial music, and gazed at the Fairies formed by the Great Dao. The young woman spoke coldly:

“Did I ask you to come? The Immortal Realm—did I say I wanted it?”

As her voice fell, the celestial music above the Holy Land grew softer and softer until it vanished. The Fairies formed from dao rhyme were momentarily stunned. They glanced at each other, then bowed to the peerless woman on the mountain before gradually dissipating.

The purple lotuses also shattered one after another, and a rain of purple flowers fell across the thousand-mile land.

“Ah, this…” The various Elders who were preparing to act as Protectors for the Saintess looked at each other, all in disbelief.

“Why would it be like this?”

Why did the Saintess proactively give up on attaining the Dao of the Immortal? What a wonderful opportunity this was!

Moreover, the Fairies formed from dao rhyme had appeared. Historically, if Fairies came to welcome someone, they were certain to become an Immortal! There was no possibility of failure.

In the future, with dao luck entwined around her, it was highly likely the Saintess could step into the Two Lost Realms that no one had set foot in since ancient times!

But why did the Saintess just give up like that?!

Could it be that the Saintess didn’t trust us Old fellows to be her Protectors?

That shouldn’t be the case either. Even if the Holy Lord wasn’t here, with us Old fellows around, who would dare disturb the Saintess’s attainment of the Dao?

While the Elders above Saintess Peak were completely baffled, and even the maid Xiao Chan couldn’t understand why Her Highness would give up on attaining the Dao, Jiang Qingshang’s skirts swayed lightly as she turned and returned to her courtyard.

Changing her appearance, Jiang Qingshang entered the teleportation Magic Formation connected to the Luocheng City Lords Mansion.

Inside the Luocheng City Lords Mansion, Qu Ke was pacing back and forth in her room.

Because Jiang Qingshang had to go into seclusion, her excuse to Lin Xun was that she was going on a business trip with Qu Ke for at most a month and a half.

Qu Ke didn’t think it was a big deal, believing that a month and a half would surely be enough. At most, it would be two months; returning half a month late wouldn’t be something Lin Pei would complain about.

But from the dao rhyme that had just come from the Zilin Holy Land, Qu Ke knew that Qingshang was about to attain the Dao of the Immortal!

Attaining the Dao of the Immortal! This wasn’t a matter of being half a month late; perhaps a hundred years later, when Lin Pei was already in his grave, Qingshang still wouldn’t have come out of seclusion.

“Should I just tell Lin Pei that his wife died on the journey? And that he should quickly remarry?” Qu Ke stopped pacing and muttered to herself, punching her palm.

“Eh? That seems feasible?”

Qu Ke’s eyes lit up.

“Anyway, Qingshang has to return to the Zilin Holy Land in two years, and Lin Pei won’t be able to see Qinger after two years anyway. In that case, doing it two years early is no big deal.

When the time comes, I’ll introduce him to a virtuous and kind young lady from a good family so he can live a wealthy life. It could be considered a form of compensation.

Besides, he’s already been married to the world’s number one beauty. Although Qinger didn’t marry him with her true appearance, how many people want to even touch Qingshang’s sleeve but can’t? What man has such great fortune as him? If it were me, I’d have no regrets in this life.”

Let’s do it!

Qu Ke felt that she was simply too brilliant today.

Just as Qu Ke made up her mind to personally announce this unfortunate news to Lin Pei.

Suddenly, the faint fragrance of orchids wafted into Qu Ke’s nose. Looking up, Qu Ke saw Qingshang standing at the door.

“Qingshang?” Qu Ke was stunned for a moment. “Qingshang, aren’t you attaining the Dao of the Immortal?”

Jiang Qingshang walked up to Qu Ke, her soft palm gently stroking Qu Ke’s cheek as she smiled kindly:

“If I were to attain the Dao of the Immortal, I’m afraid my husband would hear the ‘tragic news’ of my death, and my best friend would be looking for a new wife for him, wouldn’t she?”

“That… Qingshang, I was actually joking.”

Having one’s cheek stroked by such a beautiful girl should have been an extremely happy thing, but cold sweat was already breaking out on Qu Ke’s forehead… “Oh? A joke?”

“Qingshang, you can’t blame me. After all, there’s a difference between Immortals and mortals. If attaining the Dao of the Immortal really took you a hundred years, you couldn’t possibly let Lin Pei wait for you until he’s in his grave…”

“…Fine, I won’t blame you this time.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Jiang Qingshang smiled.

“But Keke…”

Jiang Qingshang’s fair, delicate hand slowly moved down, stroking Qu Ke’s soft lips. Her eyes curved like crescent moons; she was intoxicatingly beautiful, yet her gaze was as cold as a snow lotus from an icy abyss.

“Keke, you must remember: no matter when, I will never leave Lin Pei, and Lin Pei can only be mine. My best friend, do you understand?”

“…”

On Dongma Street in Luo City, Lin Xun was clanging away while stir-frying.

The kitchen was too smoky, but Yaya wanted to help, so Lin Xun had her sit on a small stool in the courtyard.

The Little Girl’s fair and cute little hands were “heave-ho, heave-ho” washing the green vegetables.

Just as Yaya finished washing a head of Chinese cabbage, the courtyard door was quietly pushed open.

Yaya’s ears twitched. She looked up, and her large eyes lit up.

Just as Yaya was about to call out to Brother Lin Xun, the young woman placed a slender, long index finger over her cherry lips and winked playfully.

“Clang, clang.” Lin Xun was stir-frying as if he had a grudge against the wok, afraid the food wouldn’t be cooked through.

He was stir-frying with great focus when suddenly, he felt a soft warmth against his back, followed by a pair of slender arms wrapping around his waist.

“Yaya, don’t mess around. Brother is—”

Lin Xun instinctively thought it was Yaya, but he quickly realized that Yaya could at most only reach the base of his thighs.

“You’re back?”

Feeling the familiar presence behind him, Lin Xun spoke softly.

The young woman buried her face tightly against Lin Xun’s back, greedily inhaling his scent.

After a long time, the young woman spoke in a sweet, soft voice, like the water of a spring stream, sweet and lingering.

“Yes, I’m back.”