Chapter 145 In the World

The Master held in his palm something shimmering with a blue light, its texture akin to jade.

Its shape was highly irregular yet translucent. Upon closer inspection, a faint golden thread wound through its center, resembling a tiny dragon twisting and turning within.

Lan Jiuyou's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Just moments ago, he had thought Lu Shengfu was insane; now... he was even more certain of his judgment.

This fellow... was truly out of his mind!

The Tribulation-Water Jade!

This glowing blue piece of jade was unquestionably the legendary Tribulation-Water Jade!

According to legend, this item was a supreme innate treasure.

Its bearer could withstand the great tribulations of the Heavenly Dao and use it to be reborn into a second life.

If one were to debate whether the Tribulation-Water Jade or the Dao Scripture held greater value, many might lean toward the Dao Scripture. After all, that was a supreme scripture; once comprehended, one could become invincible across the realm.

Yet in the eyes of supreme mighty figures, the perspective was not necessarily so.

Beyond the stage of Soul Splitting lay the shedding of the mortal shell; beyond that was perfection, and above perfection... came the Tribulation Crossing.

This tribulation crossing was entirely different from ordinary heavenly tribulations.

A great tribulation existed within heaven and earth, known as the Heavenly Dao Tribulation.

It manifested once every single epoch, with one epoch lasting one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred years.

Those who successfully crossed this tribulation would ascend to become Celestial Immortals, forever immune to the harassment of all tribulations and henceforth taking their place among the celestial ranks.

They would attain supreme freedom and ease.

Of course, these accounts belonged to the lore of the Mythological Era.

For a very long time, no one had successfully crossed the tribulation and ascended to become a Celestial Immortal.

The Tribulation-Water Jade in the Master's hand was precisely an artifact capable of protecting one's body during the crossing of the Heavenly Dao Tribulation.

Even if the tribulation crossing failed, one could rely upon this item to successfully live out a second life!

Such an item—which mighty figure would not desire it?

Even a righteous gentleman with a firm and steadfast Dao heart like Lan Jiuyou experienced a skipped heartbeat at that very instant, nearly losing his composure and giving rise to improper thoughts.

He looked toward the Master, drew a deep breath, and said, "Even with this item, it might not be enough to exchange for the Dao Scripture."

The Master chuckled. "How will we know if we don't try?"

Unable to restrain his curiosity, Lan Jiuyou asked, "Is Daoist Friend Lu not afraid that the appearance of this item will stir up bloody storms?"

The Master smiled. "Had we been anywhere else, I naturally would not speak or act thus. But here, with you, Daoist Friend, what have I to fear?"

Lan Jiuyou smiled bitterly, shook his head, and stood up. "Very well. Since you trust me so, I shall run this errand for you!"

With that, he asked the Master and his wife to wait here. With a flash of his figure, he vanished from the immortal cave.

The Master and his wife sat quietly together, sipping tea.

Peaceful and composed.

Before long, Lan Jiuyou returned, accompanied by another figure who appeared before them.

The newcomer was a primordial spirit.

Nine feet tall with a handsome visage.

A divine radiance faintly bloomed within his eyes. Upon closer inspection, his gaze seemed to contain the sun, moon, and stars, fathomless to the extreme!

Upon seeing this person, the Master stood up with a smile and saluted: "Greetings, Sect Master Mo!"

The primordial spirit that had arrived was none other than Mo Dao, the contemporary sect master of the Tongtian Ancient Sect.

Mo Dao nodded in acknowledgment to the Master, then cast his gaze toward the Tribulation-Water Jade left casually by the Master on the tea table, unable to entirely suppress his emotional ripple.

In a deep voice, he asked, "You wish to borrow the Dao Scripture to read?"

The Master replied bluntly, "Or perhaps to use it."

"To use it?"

Mo Dao gazed calmly at the Master.

"With my Five-Elements Balanced Physique, whether I comprehend or use it, even I cannot say for certain," the Master answered truthfully.

Mo Dao’s reaction was much the same as Lan Jiuyou’s.

He simply did not believe that someone with a balanced five-elements physique existed in this world; even if such a person truly existed, an entity of his realm would not pay it excessive heed.

Do not assume ancient immortals and buddhas never boasted; those great deities bragged more fiercely than anyone else.

Various legendary Daoist physiques and saintly fetuses were dime a dozen, but how many truly stepped into the supreme realm?

Therefore, the only thing he was weighing right now was whether exchanging the Dao Scripture for this Tribulation-Water Jade was truly worth it.

From the perspective of his current realm, it was not worth it.

Even if he successfully achieved perfection, he still had a long and arduous road ahead before reaching the peak of tribulation crossing.

Using the Tribulation-Water Jade to fend off the Heavenly Dao Tribulation was a bit too distant.

As for living out a second life... his current balance of longevity was still abundant, so he seemingly had no use for it either.

Crucially, there was another point: the Dao Scripture was the sect's sacred artifact and its ultimate treasure of suppression. Even as the sect master, using it to exchange for a personal item seemed somewhat difficult to justify.

Unless the ancient sect possessed a mighty figure on the verge of the peak tribulation crossing, mere steps away from entering the realm of Celestial Immortals.

In that case, exchanging the Dao Scripture for an opportunity to elevate the ancient sect into a celestial sect would indeed be worthwhile.

Yet to refuse outright—he truly felt a pang of reluctance.

The Tribulation-Water Jade was far too rare!

One could probably not find more than a few pieces across the entire realm of cultivation.

More importantly, it was not a one-time consumable. Obtaining a piece meant that for every single person within the entire Tongtian Ancient Sect who would face the Heavenly Dao Tribulation in the future, an extra layer of security was guaranteed.

Sect Master Mo Dao's primordial spirit avatar was somewhat conflicted.

He did not ask where the Master had acquired this item, nor did he harbor any thoughts of killing and robbing for treasure.

The fact that the other party dared to produce it openly right here demonstrated sufficient confidence.

Neither Mo Dao nor Lan Jiuyou possessed the identity, status, or temperament to stoop to such actions.

The Master spoke, "In truth, the so-called original edition is merely a sentiment. That Dao Scripture never truly belonged to the Tongtian Ancient Sect in the first place. Over endless years, your ancient sect has produced no fewer than eighty handwritten copies, if not a hundred."

Mo Dao looked at the Master. "One cannot generalize. The supreme true intent contained within the original supreme scripture is something handwritten copies can never possess."

The Master smiled. "Supreme true intent—how many can actually comprehend it?"

Mo Dao remained silent.

The Master's words struck a raw nerve, yet they were by no means nonsense.

That sort of supreme true intent was profound and mystical beyond measure!

The supreme true intent within certain supreme scriptures was perhaps something no one other than the founder could ever comprehend.

Thus, to the vast majority of people in this world, the greater value of an original edition was likely nothing more than nostalgia.

A scripture was not a magical artifact; very rarely in this world did things like a single page of scripture blocking a supreme mighty figure occur.

That was no longer a supreme scripture; that was a sage's will!

Lan Jiuyou looked toward the sect master and said softly, "Actually... Daoist Friend Lu's words are not without reason."

Mo Dao was also moved.

He looked at the Master and finally nodded.

The Master breathed a sigh of relief, a smile blooming across his face. "Sect Master Mo has made the correct choice!"

At this moment, Mo Dao asked, "Does a Five-Elements Balanced Physique truly exist?"

The Master laughed out loud.

Mo Dao let out a dry chuckle as well.

Where in this world was there any such thing as a Five-Elements Balanced Physique?

It was entirely an excuse made up by this fellow Lu Shengfu. In past years, he had been renowned for studying a vast and杂杂 (eclectic) array of knowledge. Now that he had emerged like a trapped dragon rising to the skies, daring not venture rashly into the Nine Passes World for the time being, his old habits had likely flared up once more... and his ambition was truly immense!

He wished to learn the techniques of all under heaven and forge a completely unprecedented, peerless method!

Before long, Mo Dao personally retrieved the original edition of the Dao Scripture.

In reality, it was merely a thin page of scripture. Of course, within the realm of the spiritual plane, this single page of scripture outweighed thousands of words!

After verifying it and confirming there were no errors, the Master finally relaxed.

He handed over the Tribulation-Water Jade on the spot and bid farewell to Lan Jiuyou and Sect Master Mo.

Following their polite attempts to persuade him to stay, the Master politely declined with a smile and departed gracefully with his wife.

Lan Jiuyou and Mo Dao escorted them to the mountain gates. Watching the receding figures of the immortal couple, Lan Jiuyou remarked, "Returning this time, he feels vastly different from before."

Mo Dao nodded. "If he is willing, a brand-new grand sect will undoubtedly be added to the cultivation world in the future, and none other than him shall found it!"

Several days later.

The Bodhi Ancient Sect.

The Master, accompanied by his wife, stood before an elderly monk, produced a piece of Tribulation-Water Jade, and gently placed it upon the desk.

"Great Monk, I wish to borrow your Scripture of Universal Salvation for a time!"

The elderly monk's pupils constricted slightly as his gaze locked firmly onto the glowing blue, thoroughly translucent piece of jade with golden threads winding inside.

After a long pause, he said, "Could it be that Daoist Friend Lu wishes to take refuge in our Buddha gate?"

The Master looked at him. "What kind of talk is that? Aren't you afraid my wife will beat you?"

The monk chanted a Buddhist mantra. "Amitabha. This poor monk spoke out of turn. Since Daoist Friend Lu has no desire to enter the Buddha gate, what use do you have for the Scripture of Universal Salvation?"

The Master looked at the elderly monk with a mysterious expression. "Has the Great Monk ever heard of the Five Elements Balance?"

The old monk's lips twitched, and he looked somewhat displeased at the Master. "If you wish to collect the supreme scriptures of the world and forge your own method, just say so outright. Why bother dragging in the Five Elements Balance?"

The Master looked sheepish. "My intentions were actually seen right through by the Great Monk."

His wife asked calmly from the side, "Will you trade or not? If not, forget it!"

The elderly monk: "Deal!"

Unlike the Dao Scripture, although the Scripture of Universal Salvation was a supreme scripture of Buddhism, it was not exceptionally rare.

It was not obscure, but mastering it was exceedingly difficult. While it demanded an extremely high level of comprehension, it required even more of that innate wisdom root.

Successive generations of Buddhist children possessed complete handwritten copies of the Scripture of Universal Salvation, yet those who truly mastered it thoroughly were vanishingly few.

Legend had it that the original Scripture of Universal Salvation contained the Buddha's supreme true intent, but like the Dao Scripture, since ancient times, no one had ever been able to comprehend it.

Since that was the case, it was better to use it in exchange for the Tribulation-Water Jade.

Because as it happened, within the Bodhi Ancient Sect recently, an elderly monk who had attained complete merit was expected to become a Buddha!

Departing from the Bodhi Ancient Sect, the Master and his wife swiftly vanished from sight.

The teleportation arrays crafted by the Master could be called an absolute pinnacle in this world!

Coming without a shadow and going without a trace, capturing his trail was virtually impossible.

When the two of them appeared once more, they were already in an uninhabited region of the Western Continent, where they built a thatched cottage and lived in seclusion.

"Now that both the Dao Scripture and the Scripture of Universal Salvation are in hand, it is a pity that the supreme scriptures of the demon and devil clans... are far too difficult to acquire!"

The Master sighed, somewhat wistfully. "If only my realm could advance by another level; at worst, I could just go rob them. Right now... it's simply too difficult!"

His wife consoled him, "Such matters cannot be rushed. Being able to smoothly acquire the Dao Scripture and the Scripture of Universal Salvation this time is already an unexpected blessing."

The Master shook his head. "Not unexpected at all. The original editions of supreme scriptures may seem immeasurable in value, but when broken down, they are nothing much. Passed down through so many generations, who has ever comprehended the supreme true intent from them? The Tribulation-Water Jade, however, is a tangible, visible, and touchable treasure whose value everyone recognizes."

With a radiant smile, his wife looked at the Master with beautiful eyes and asked, "If they knew you still have over a hundred pieces of this thing on you, would they be so angered as to vomit blood on the spot?"

The Master considered this earnestly. "Probably not. In all probability, they would want to kill us and seize the treasures."

...

Song Yue and Qian Qianxue were traveling across the realm.

Ever since experiencing the Heavenly Dao laws of the mortal world that day, Song Yue had intentionally slowed down the pace of his cultivation.

He did not wish to enter the cultivation world so early, preferring to allow himself to settle and precipitate.

Speaking of which, despite being born in the mortal world, he had never truly taken the time to appreciate the scenery of this mortal realm.

With the advent of flying saucers and starships, their comings and goings had only ever been hurried.

With the pace too fast, one would instead overlook the beauty right beside them.

Thus, dragging along Qian Ge, who still disliked socializing, he packed up simply and set off in a low-key manner.

The two of them boarded the last remaining vintage green-skin train in all of Huaxia, traversing towering mountains, crossing boundless grasslands, and passing over grand bridges erected above deep abysses. Amidst the rhythmic *clack-clack* of the wheels and the blaring of the steam whistle, they roared all the way westward.

Qian Qianxue had never ridden a train before, and everything felt wondrous to her. Pressing against the window of the soft-sleeper cabin, she watched the outside world with curious, intensely focused eyes.

Song Yue was watching her.

Although Qian Qianxue kept her gaze on the scenery, she could still sense that Song Yue had been looking at her the entire time.

A fair, flawless face gradually grew flushed.

There were only the two of them in this soft-sleeper cabin. Although the Earth today still retained a relatively primitive and ancient charm, the impact of various high-tech extraterrestrial civilizations on Earth's culture grew stronger with each passing day.

In this era of universal prosperity, very few people still chose such an ancient mode of transportation as the train.

Song Yue was still looking at her.

Turning her head back with a hint of bashful annoyance, Qian Qianxue glared at Song Yue with a flushed face and scolded fiercely, "Why do you keep staring at me?"

Song Yue chuckled. "You are the most beautiful scenery in my eyes."

"Flatterer!"

Qian Qianxue shot him a sidelong glance, then mused, "Tell me, in an era where cultivation was impossible, how would people like us choose to live?"

Song Yue replied, "Simple. At our age, we should be attending university. If our family was well-off, we'd take our parents' money and travel everywhere, calling it 'reading ten thousand books and walking ten thousand miles,' eating and playing all over the place."

Qian Qianxue imagined those scenes in her mind and felt that such a life sounded rather nice.

"After graduation, those with capability find a good job, while those without... find an ordinary job. Either way, we'd all end up as corporate slaves, working for black-hearted capitalists."

Qian Qianxue was somewhat speechless, feeling the mood shift instantly.

"Then we'd find an average partner, get married, have children, and live out a mediocre life."

Qian Qianxue frowned. "What about the sweetheart from university days?"

Song Yue said, "We broke up right after graduation!"

Qian Qianxue looked at him speechlessly.

Song Yue flashed a grin. "This is the life of ordinary people. You can't call it good, nor can you call it bad."

"Once you pass twenty-five or twenty-six, you'll find that time passes faster day by day, gradually forgetting what exactly you're busy with, simply being pushed forward by life."

"By middle age, waking up one morning and looking in the mirror, you suddenly realize your hair is thinning, with a few white strands mixed in. Worst of all, your heart isn't prepared yet—you still feel like a child—but when you look back, your own child is already in middle school..."

Qian Qianxue widened her eyes, looking at Song Yue with a somewhat naive and adorable expression. "Where did you read all this? Is it really as terrifying as you say?"

Song Yue said, "I was too mischievous when I was little. My master didn't teach me cultivation stuff back then; instead, he made me study all kinds of miscellaneous knowledge every day. The more books you read, naturally the more you know."

Qian Qianxue felt somewhat emotional and smiled lightly. "People who don't know you would never guess that a young martial artist like you could have such deep insights into life."

Song Yue curled his lip. "Looking down on martial artists, are we?"

Qian Qianxue shook her head. "Not at all. I just didn't expect your perception of life to be like this."

Song Yue said, "Actually, this kind of life is right beside us and not far away at all. You asked what life was like in an era where cultivation was impossible; what I want to tell you is that today, in an era of universal cultivation, it is still exactly like this."

Qian Qianxue fell into deep thought. What Song Yue had described was precisely what she lacked the most.

She understood it, yet did not fully comprehend it.

For she had never witnessed it, let alone experienced it.

"Of course, I'm talking about ordinary people!"

Song Yue leaped down from the upper berth, landing on the floor like a nimble cat without making the slightest sound.

He came over to sit on the lower berth opposite Qian Qianxue, separated by a small table, and looked at her. "After I take you to see all the scenery in the world, I'll focus on making money and make you the happiest princess in this world!"

Qian Qianxue gazed at him with shifting ripples in her eyes and nodded. "Mhm!"

"When we get tired of staying in one place, I'll take you to another!"

"When we're done playing, we'll have babies!"

Blushing, Qian Qianxue spat lightly at him. "Who wants to have babies with you!"

Song Yue continued unbothered, "One is too lonely, two make company, three isn't bad either!"

Qian Qianxue chided, "Why have so many? I've heard that having too many kids makes you age quickly!"

Song Yue asked, "Who did you hear that from? You are naturally beautiful; you wouldn't age even if you had ten! Look here, if there are two kids, and one day I grow old and am about to die..."

"Don't say such inauspicious things!"

"It's just an analogy!" Song Yue imagined it and said, "If there are two kids, they'll discuss: Shall we pull the plug? Pull it!"

"Pull what?" Qian Qianxue wore that naive, adorable expression once more.

"The oxygen tube, of course!" Song Yue said. "When you're too old to move and relying on artificial air to live..."

"That's so unfilial! Why bother having them?" Qian Qianxue seemed to visualize the scene and grew somewhat indignant.

"That's why we need to have three. At a crucial moment, there will always be one who steps forward to save the day, shouting, 'Halt! Whoever dares to pull the plug must get past me first!'"

Qian Qianxue burst into a chuckle, looking at Song Yue. "There's no such thing!"

Seizing the opportunity, Song Yue grabbed Qian Qianxue's hand, parted her slender fingers, and gently stroked them. "You are the reason why I hate the idea of leaving the mortal world!"

Blushing, Qian Qianxue lowered her voice. "I will accompany you!"

The train stopped and went. Neither of these two individuals of supreme realm felt sleepy; chatting and walking all the way, their understanding of each other deepened further.

Finally arriving in the Western Region, Song Yue took Qian Qianxue through the bustling streets and alleys to search for local delicacies.

The two of them also visited the most ancient temples. In that solemn and majestic temple, Qian Qianxue knelt alone before the Buddha and silently made a wish.

When Song Yue asked about it, she refused to tell, merely smiling faintly as she looked at him. "The Buddha says my wish will come true!"

After playing happily in the ancient city of the Western Region for several days, Qian Qianxue asked Song Yue, "Is this what you call traveling through the mortal world? Why do I feel like it's more like a regular vacation?"

Song Yue thought for a moment and said, "Isn't a vacation a form of traveling through the world as well?"

Qian Qianxue thought it over and shook her head. "I want to see what the real mortal world is truly like."

Looking at her with doting eyes, Song Yue said, "Alright, then we'll go see the truest mortal world!"

In the days that followed, the two no longer maintained a touristic mindset, instead diving truly deep into the grassroots of society.

They watched small-town residents dance to square-dancing music, joined elderly men on the streets to play chess, and whenever they encountered injustices, they would transform into the masked heroes who came and went without a trace...

A month later.

Qian Qianxue's social anxiety had virtually vanished.

Being naturally clever, after experiencing many things she had never encountered before, she began to grow more grounded.

The Daoist aura about her naturally grew much denser.

As for Song Yue, for the first time in many years, he completely laid aside his cultivation and earnestly experienced the beauty and ugliness, sorrow and joy, love and hatred of this world.

The spiritual rhythm of his presence began to change drastically from before.

Previously, it was about knowing; now, it was about doing.

With knowledge and action unified, he had grown.

Over the past month, the two had helped those in distress, rescued those in danger, dealt with local ruffians and scoundrels, beaten down street thugs, scammed fraudsters until they spat blood, and ruthlessly handled wicked people.

They had also casually suppressed quite a few minor demons wreaking havoc in the mortal world.

Those individuals and demons, whose realms were completely insignificant in the eyes of the two, were often capable of causing massive panic and distress within a region.

While some of their misdeeds might not have seemed particularly massive, they frequently left many with lifelong psychological shadows and even altered the trajectories of people's lives.

When dealing with such people, the two never showed mercy.

Through this, Qian Qianxue witnessed the truest side of the mortal world.

Not only warmth, striving, ambition, and touching moments, but also cold-bloodedness, laziness, stagnation, and darkness.

No matter how advanced the era, scoundrels were inevitable.

Traveling through many places together, they witnessed the complexity of human nature.

Beauty and ugliness, like a pair of twin brothers, always appeared together.

And this was the mortal world.

In mid-March.

Qian Qianxue sensed the Heavenly Dao laws of the mortal world.

At that moment, Wen Rou, who was far away in Beijing refining pills every day, called over, her voice carrying a trace of panic: "Why do I feel like I'm about to break through? Why haven't the two of you come back yet?"

Qian Qianxue, who had witnessed the true mortal world, was about to break through; Wen Rou, who had一直 hiding in an ivory tower refining pills, was also about to break through.

The realms of Song Yue's mother and elder sister had also been cultivated to an extremely high level.

This group of people had finally reached the point where they had to face a choice.

Xiao Mei did not want to leave.

The immortal world yearned for by countless cultivators was precisely her most reluctant hometown to return to.

Therefore, she began to slow down her cultivation.

Upon learning of her mother's past, Song You made the exact same choice.

For them, the place where they could manifest their greatest value was still this world.

Neither the cultivation world nor the Nine Passes World appealed to them.

Song Yue took Qian Qianxue and piloted the flying saucer back to Beijing promptly.

Having not seen them for a long time, Wen Rou blinked at the two who had noticeably matured a great deal, suddenly feeling a tinge of melancholy.

We agreed to all remain innocent youths together, yet the two of you secretly matured behind my back!

Fortunately, Qian Qianxue was already vastly different from her past self.

In the past, although she possessed the emotional intelligence, she might not necessarily have acted on it.

Now, things were entirely different.

While Song Yue stood by and watched, she had successfully coaxed a little girl who had been abducted by traffickers; dealing with a slightly unhappy little Wen Rou was certainly no difficult task.

"I'll tell you everything we experienced during this time..."

"I don't want to listen!"

"It was so interesting!"

"Really?"

Song Yue: "..."

He quietly departed and arrived at his mother's company. The pretty young front-desk receptionist still lit up with bright eyes upon seeing him.

Later, he met his elder sister's best friend, who had almost completely recovered and returned to work normally.

This matter had caused a huge sensation within the company.

Coming back from the dead—even in this era of universal cultivation, it was enough to shock people.

Many media outlets even wanted to interview her miraculous experience.

However, she refused. What was novel and strange to others was, to her, the deepest fear and greatest trauma in the depths of her heart.

Fortunately, the Song family was no longer the kind of household that even the Zhang family dared to trample upon.

With Song Yue around, absolutely no one dared to come knocking looking for trouble.

In this era, new gossip arrived daily, and trending topics rotated weekly.

Though many remained curious about the experience of returning from the dead, as time passed, fewer and fewer people brought it up.

His sister's best friend knew how she had been "brought back," and naturally treated Song Yue with great warmth upon seeing him.

She even smilingly told Song Yue that under Song You's guidance, she had begun practicing cultivation herself!

Song Yue smiled, congratulated her on her rebirth, and told her not to be afraid in the future; no one would ever come looking for trouble again.

Even if he left, his mother and sister were still here, alongside the Management Bureau, the Qian family, the Wen family, the Elite Martial Arts Gym... he had long since inadvertently woven a massive safety net.

Those high-grade demonic beast meats weren't given away for free; they weren't just favors, but solid, top-tier cultivation ingredients!

After eating them, one's realm truly skyrocketed by leaps and bounds.

There was also the white-browed old ape family who was about to open a martial arts gym in Beijing.

These were all connections Song Yue had left behind for his mother and sister.

Arriving at Xiao Mei's office, Song Yue found his mother busy at work.

Upon seeing him, Xiao Mei beamed with happiness, came over to hug her son, and said, "That Wen Rou child is so obedient. Recently, while refining pills, she researched a formula that can be made into the newest top-tier cosmetics. We've all tested it, and it's amazing!"

Song Yue blinked in surprise.

Xiao Mei said, "You should make it up to that young lady properly later. As a man, you shouldn't be too biased. Dragging Qianxue out to play for so long and leaving her all alone in Beijing—that won't do!"

Song Yue: "???"

"What kind of look is that?"

Xiao Mei glared at Song Yue. "Shouldn't good friends share happiness together?"

Looking at his mother's righteous expression, Song Yue refused to believe this was truly what she thought deep down.

When it came to his dad, it would become—*Son, when you go to your dad's place, probe around carefully and see if any little vixens are clinging to him!*

Well, when it came to him, it suddenly became—*Good friends should stick together?*

This mother of his was thoroughly double-standarded!

"Mom, Qianxue's, Wen Rou's, and my realms probably won't be able to suppress themselves much longer."

"In the near future, the two of us will likely have to enter the cultivation world."

Song Yue looked at Xiao Mei and spoke.

Xiao Mei frowned slightly, let out a soft sigh, and shook his head.

Then she said, "Then go."

Song Yue looked speechlessly at Xiao Mei. So she really was just used to abandoning people, huh?

Xiao Mei said, "If possible, I hope you could stay in the mortal world forever, properly marry two... *cough, cough*, marry a wife and give me a few grandchildren and granddaughters. But is that possible? The destiny of all warriors is hard-pressed to escape that world."

"Since that's the case, Mom hopes even more that you can become very strong!"

Xiao Mei sighed, "And although your sister and I have temporarily halted our cultivation, one day we will still embark on that path. Hopefully, by then, my son will have successfully established a foothold in that world!"

Song Yue smiled. "Don't worry, Mom. By then, I'll have built a particularly gorgeous home for you all! We won't need to depend on anyone."

A joyful smile bloomed across Xiao Mei's face. "My son is the best!"

Not seeing his elder sister, he asked about her, and Xiao Mei told him that Song You had gone on a business trip.

Song Yue couldn't help rolling his eyes, thinking to himself that she was a workaholic, and at this rate she'd never find a boyfriend in eight lifetimes!

At that moment, he suddenly received a call from Xiao Meng. On the other end, Xiao Meng was uncharacteristically stammering, as if he had something difficult to say.

Waving goodbye to his mother while heading out, Song Yue asked curiously, "What's wrong? If you have something to say, just spit it out. Stuttering and hesitating doesn't suit your personality."

Xiao Meng gave a wry laugh on the other end. "Well, it's like this: haven't I been busy preparing the martial arts gym for Mr. Yuan recently? The location has already been chosen, and originally, the rental terms had been negotiated with the other party, and the interior design blueprints were already drawn up, but then they suddenly backed out..."

"And the reason they backed out is simply absurd..."

Through Xiao Meng's narration, Song Yue understood the sequence of events.

The addition of a peak-dan-tier grand demon joining the Elite Martial Arts Gym was a monumental event for Xiao Meng, and recently he had poured virtually all his energy into it.

From site selection to negotiations, he personally handled everything.

After several rounds of screening, the location was finally set in Beijing's core commercial district.

It spanned two floors, totaling around eight thousand square meters.

For a professional top-tier martial arts gym, this area wasn't considered large, but finding such a massive vacant space in Beijing's core commercial district was genuinely no easy feat.

During the negotiations back then, a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl had accompanied the other party. She was quite pretty, eccentric, and fearless.

Xiao Meng hadn't paid her much mind, figuring she must be a child from one of the senior tycoons on the other side.

Although he was only a few years older than her, having dominated the business world for years meant his aura was completely unlike that of his peers.

During the negotiation process, that young girl had proposed wanting to meet Song Yue, the spokesperson for the Elite Martial Arts Gym, intending to take Song Yue as her master.

Xiao Meng had casually brushed it off with a perfunctory remark, and the matter had passed.

As a result, just two days ago when they were ready to sign the contract, he saw the young girl again. Seeing that he had only brought his accompanying team without a trace of Song Yue, she instantly wore an unhappy expression and demanded to know why Song Yue hadn't come.

At that moment, a bit of annoyance had crept into Xiao Meng's heart, thinking to himself: *Whose kid is this? So utterly devoid of tact.*

*This is a business matter, why is a little girl meddling in it the whole time? And the adults don't even care.*

Perhaps his emotion leaked through slightly, for the young girl flipped out on the spot, turned around and walked away, dropping a single sentence: "That commercial property is mine. Renting it is fine, but call Song Yue over to talk to me! Aside from him, I won't rent it to anyone!"

After she had strutted away haughtily, Meng Xudong learned from the equally embarrassed members of the opposing team that she was indeed the true owner, and that property was indeed her asset.

The girl's surname was Duan, hailing from the Duan family, a top-tier cultivation family in Huaxia!

This family, which had always kept an extremely low profile, rarely appeared in the public eye.

However, the commercial sectors the Duan family dabbled in were quite extensive, controlling a massive amount of cultivation resources.

They belonged to that kind of hidden behemoth lurking behind the scenes.

Such trivial matters as renting a commercial space were almost entirely handled by the younger generation of the family, and not even a manager could be bothered to show up.

Everything had been going smoothly, only to finally hit a snag right here.

While feeling depressed and frustrated, Meng Xudong was also unwilling to let go. He had tried his best over the past two days, apologizing and coaxing, but the efforts yielded zero results.

The other party simply said: *You lack integrity. Aside from Song Yue, I won't talk to anyone!*

In the end, with no other choice, he had bitten the bullet to seek out Song Yue.

In truth, Meng Xudong knew that Song Yue probably couldn't stay in the mortal world for much longer.

If he hadn't been completely out of options, he truly wouldn't have wanted to bother this immortal brother of his, whose future was limitless.

Listening to this, Song Yue couldn't help feeling somewhat speechless.

However, thinking of something immediately, he asked, "A girl from the Duan family?"

Meng Xudong replied, "Yes, the Duan family."

Song Yue said, "Alright, wait for my word."

The Duan family—he remembered Lin Huan mentioning before that the Duan family was the connection the Lin family relied upon here in Earth's Huaxia.

This matter wasn't considered a major issue either. He would step out to meet that young girl, and the problem would likely resolve itself.

However, Song Yue didn't want to indulge her rotten temper.

It was the typical willful behavior of a major clan's scion.

Relying on her family background, her nose turned up to the sky, looking down on everyone.

He truly had no interest in meeting such a person.

Logging into the virtual world, he left a message for Lin Huan.

Yet just after sending it, a response came right back.

"Oh my, how does a busy man like you have time to contact me? I thought you'd completely forgotten about me!"

Lin Huan's voice carried a hint of teasing mixed with a faint grievance.

Song Yue gave a dry laugh and replied via voice message, "No way, I've always been holding you in my heart! Can't you even feel that?"

"Bah, scoundrel! I believe your ghosts! Did you have fun playing out there with your Qian girl?"

Lin Huan responded with a smile, then asked, "Did Duan Ye-yu from the Duan family give you trouble? Go meet her; she doesn't have any major flaws, just a bit spoiled and somewhat willful, but her character is actually quite good. She wants to see you out of admiration, nothing else."

"Also, the Duan family plans to develop a mystic realm recently and might want to cooperate with you. Their elders begged me about this before..."

Song Yue understood, musing for a moment, before asking, "Why didn't they just come find me directly?"

Lin Huan chuckled. "Find you? Only if they can catch you! Besides, your fame shakes in all directions; even I, far away in Tianyue, can hear all kinds of glorious deeds about you. They were afraid you'd refuse, so they didn't dare approach you directly. As for that little girl Duan Ye-yu, she probably heard about this too; it's just child's play, don't hold it against her."

Since Lin Huan had put it this way, Song Yue couldn't very well push back further, so he told Lin Huan, "Then have her contact me directly."

Lin Huan agreed, and then told Song Yue, "Right, my realm has been improving very fast lately. Also, I might be leaving the mortal world to go to a very unfamiliar place, and Xiao Mo as well, she also..."

Song Yue: "..."

Ending his call with Lin Huan, Song Yue fell into deep thought.

To think that even Lin Huan and the others, far away in Tianyue, couldn't escape the selection of the Tongtian Stele.

Come to think of it, since the mighty figure who taught him his physical cultivation method could place a Daoist field there, it wasn't all that surprising that the Tongtian Stele chose people from Tianyue Star.

Soon, Duan Ye-yu's call came through.

Her tone was cheerful, entirely devoid of any tyrannical or arrogant flavor, starting right off the bat with an apology.

"I'm so sorry! In order to meet my idol, I had no choice but to resort to desperate measures. I heard your heart is exceptionally broad, so you certainly won't hold a grudge against a little girl like me, right?"

Song Yue chuckled. "Who told you that? You should go ask the graduates of Hangzhou Cultivation Academy about me."

"Oh, whatever, the point is I was wrong! Idol, can we meet? Actually, I get along quite well with Sister Qian too!"

The little girl possessed a sweet tongue and spoke very smoothly.

Song Yue thought to himself, *I believe your ghosts.* Sister Qian's previous social anxiety meant she had studied in Hangzhou since childhood; what kind of intersection could she possibly have had with you?

Following Duan Ye-yu's repeated apologies and entreaties, Song Yue finally agreed to meet her.

Not long after the call ended, Xiao Meng called back—

"Brother, you're still the ultimate boss!"

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The cold has gotten severe... but this chapter is massive, filled with sincere effort.