After bidding farewell to Canghai, it was time for Yun Liu to return to the Sea of Clouds.
However, the figure of Jing Tan’er surfaced in his mind.
From now on, the heavy responsibility of a country rested on the girl’s frail shoulders.
She had become the youngest monarch in the history of the Zhusheng Dynasty.
‘Next time we meet, should I address her as Her Majesty the Empress?’
The Villainous Young Lady who only knew how to cry and bluster was a thing of the past…
Looking back toward the Royal Capital, Yun Liu’s body stiffened as he saw four beautiful girls.
Qin Xing and the other three stood behind him.
They had rushed over only to see this scene.
Their four pairs of eyes stared at the restless “injured patient” with subtle, attention-grabbing gazes.
It was quite something for someone to sneak out of their sickroom the moment they could crawl out of bed, just to share a sentimental farewell with two men.
“Recovered that quickly?”
Qin Yao narrowed her eyes and smiled.
Those lies could only fool the little girls.
Heaven knew if Yun Liu had secretly entered the palace for an appointment with the Princess or a private meeting with Madam Black Crow.
Yun Liu moved his limbs and said, “Close… close enough. I just came out for some fresh air.”
“You scared me to death! Sister Lin discovered your door was open early this morning and the room was empty. I thought you’d really abandoned us to become a fisherman at sea!”
Ji Shiyu approached and circled him, sniffing suspiciously.
“Why is there a strange smell on you?”
It was like blood, yet it carried a hint of sweetness.
Yun Liu’s hair stood on end.
He almost forgot this girl’s nose was sharper than a dog’s.
He quickly poked the sensitive yellow-haired girl, aiming straight for her weakness.
“You seem quite free. The holidays are over. Where’s your homework?”
“Uh…”
Ji Shiyu looked away guiltily, tapping her fingers together.
“It’s… it’s almost done. Just a billion tiny bits left.”
“Then hand over the finished parts for me to grade first.”
“You’re so annoying! I said there’s still a tiny bit left! Can’t there be more trust and less pressure between people?”
Ji Shiyu hid behind Qin Yao and made a face.
The Yellow Chicken in the crow’s nest on her head poked its head out and rubbed its sleepy eyes.
‘Eh? It’s only been a short while, and the Oily Boy’s scent has changed again?’
Ao Tian scratched its head in surprise but was also puzzled.
The third strand of Fortune had appeared in Yudu, and before it even had time to find the source, Yun Liu was already entangled with it.
‘Even though different strands of Fortune attract each other, this kid is too much of a butterfly magnet. I have to step up my efforts. Even if I have to drag my whole family along, I must stick to this walking Fortune navigation system!’
Xiao Xinran tugged at Yun Liu’s sleeve.
Her Gu poison had just been removed, so her complexion was still a bit poor.
“Young Master, when are we going back? I can’t stay in this ghostly place for another day.”
The Red-Clothed Girl muttered softly, missing her Sect.
The series of unlucky events had left her with no affection for Yudu.
“Yes, it’s time we hit the road.”
Yun Liu patted Xiao Xinran’s head with a gentle smile.
After several delays, the return journey was long, and someone at home must be getting impatient.
Qin Xing smiled bitterly.
“Aren’t you going to say goodbye to the Princess? No… how should we address Tan’er now? It’s a relief that nothing went wrong, or I really wouldn’t know how to explain it to the Grand Elder.”
They had originally thought they were just representing the Divine Radiance Sect for a formal occasion, but the danger of this trip had far exceeded their imagination.
Even a cultivation at the peak of the Golden Core Stage felt inadequate.
No one had expected the Demon Sect’s infiltration to be so deep.
The various families and sects had already left to report the matter.
The various Ling Tian Caves in East Pole Province would surely be on their guard.
The White-robed Youth looked at the sea and shook his head.
Right now, the Princess was likely so busy she didn’t even have time to sleep.
Even with the help of former subordinates like Madam Jing Rui and Geng Zhi, taking over a vast dynasty was no easy task.
Moreover, repairing the Solar Spirit Veins was a massive project.
The group had no extra luggage.
Having left the city, they decided to go immediately, following the coast toward the Desolate Shore to head south.
They didn’t want to pass through Guangming Ye again; the annoying Elder Pu had completely ruined their impression of the Radiant Light Sect.
Because of the previous bad experience, Ji Shiyu and Xiao Xinran refused to board the Golden Crow again.
This slightly disappointed Lin Shu, who was from the borderlands.
Although she held the title of Flower Queen of Silver Sparrow Terrace and “Sect Master” sounded impressive, the Wuling Sect was actually just a run-down martial arts hall with less than 100 years of history and about a dozen disciples.
Most worldly Body Cultivators had mottled Spiritual Roots and low Divine Souls, meaning they had no chance of joining an Immortal Gate.
They could only use inferior methods to temper their bodies.
The inferior Innate Spiritual Foundation constructed this way, even if it luckily formed a mottled Golden Core, would be fragile.
They could never reach the Nascent Soul stage in their lifetime.
In the eyes of enlightened masters, they were still just mortal beasts of burden.
Lin Shu had dedicated half her life to the Varlun Kingdom.
She had only heard of the high-flying Immortal Masters and had never personally experienced Spirit Control.
Now, having the chance to see the legendary Divine Splendor Cloud Estate, she was both expectant and nervous.
“Don’t worry. Everyone in the Shenhua Sect is very easygoing. It’s not like the Radiant Light Sect. The Sea of Clouds isn’t just for Five Peaks Disciples. Just stay by the Young Master’s side from now on.”
“As you command, Miss.”
“I told you, you don’t need to be so respectful when talking to me.”
Xiao Xinran patted her waist.
She was now quite skilled at Sword Riding and could carry a passenger without issue.
The tall and heroic female general was flustered, awkwardly hugging the Red-Clothed Girl.
It was a comical sight.
Yun Liu looked Lin Shu up and down as if checking her status screen through her well-proportioned body, considering what use this tank could have besides logistics.
Body Cultivators weren’t entirely useless.
The strongest could split mountains and part seas, but very few reached that level.
Since he had this free asset, he might as well use it.
She didn’t require wages and was already branded with the Soulbinding Seal.
Yun Liu wondered if he should teach her some Sect Manuals to upgrade “Little Lin” and arm his mountain peak.
Suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine.
Qin Xing said with a smile, “How nice. A little Princess leaves, and a female general arrives.”
“Ah ha ha, wasn’t this… Xinran’s idea?”
“Why do I feel like you’re quite happy about it?”
“Of course I’m happy. If someone helps Sister share the workload, won’t we have more time to spend alone?”
Yun Liu winked, seemingly implying something.
Qin Yao’s face flushed, and she flew away on her sword.
‘Heaven as my witness, this was clearly the yellow-haired girl’s harem, yet Miss Xiao collected her and delivered her to me. Even a biological sister wouldn’t be this considerate.’
***
Before the journey, Ji Shiyu had imagined a pleasant trip back to the Sea of Clouds, sightseeing and leaving only one day to finish her homework—the ultimate deadline warrior.
The reality was several days of sleeping in the wild and living like rogue cultivators.
Occasionally, the inns in the small towns they passed through were extremely crude.
On this trip down the mountain, Xiao Xinran and Ji Shiyu had grown tremendously.
Their progress was so fast it made their senior, Qin Yao, feel ashamed.
The speed of their Spirit Sword Control alone had increased by more than one level.
Ji Shiyu had formally reached Level 4 of Foundation Establishment, and Xiao Xinran’s Spirit Breath was about to enter Level 3.
Each was more terrifying than the last.
Beyond their cultivation, their mentalities had undergone an even more obvious transformation.