When they gathered the next morning, Yellow Chicken was black and blue, but Yun Liu was still in decent spirits.
“What happened to you?”
“How can you even ask? You screwed me over this time.”
Ao Tian looked resentful, holding a small branch with his bundle tied to it. He had been kicked out by his master and had no choice but to leave. Plans couldn’t keep up with changes—better to leave early and return early; delay would only bring trouble.
Yun Liu didn’t understand. The “trouble” Ao Tian referred to was the Boundless Sea, not the Divine Wood Island. He was worried that if he, as a father, wasn’t around, the little yellow hair would end up feeding the fish. He was growing increasingly concerned about the silly child’s healthy development.
And it was precisely this concern that allowed his adopted daughter’s cultivation in East Pole Province to go smoothly, maximizing her experience.
Without Xiao Ran, Ji Shiyu was a bit underdeveloped. Her cultivation and divine soul were online, and she had already reached the second layer of Xuantian Nine Transformations, but it wasn’t fully unlocked, relying entirely on her adopted father’s assistance.
The only tank with the restraining Earth aspect was Lin Shu, and it happened to be a map that restrained Flame Princess. One misstep and they’d hit a wall everywhere.
Ruan Yu was a good Protector Daoist, but unfortunately Ji Shiyu wasn’t interested and gave her to Xiao Ran.
The rainbow omen in the sky had not faded, as if the Sea of Clouds was seeing them off.
The spirit materials dropped by the Nili Magic Golem were enough for two Heavenly Dao Formations. The raw materials had been simmering for months, and the refinement was finally completed last night.
Two were promptly given to Jing Tan’er, while the other was kept by Qin Xiang. The silly daughter would only be fed when she reached Peak Foundation Establishment.
As for the Heavenly Path Soul-Nurturing Pill, they hadn’t even collected half the materials. Yun Liu had “borrowed” a Century Fourth-rank Twisted Root from the national treasury’s betrothal gifts, an unexpected gain.
Ao Tian was tidying up his new bird’s nest, watching the third graceful teammate flying over from the air, his expression strange.
“I can barely understand not bringing those two burdens, but even Yinglong scares me when I see him. Not bringing Qin Xiang, such a powerful Sword Cultivator, that’s inexcusable.”
“So there’s someone backing you up?”
Yun Liu frowned and said, “What do you know? I took all of Shiyu’s protective talismans. What would she do on her own? I left Sister Qin here as her Protector Daoist on purpose.”
Ever since the Heavenly Fate from the Foreign Domain rashly intruded into their territory, the Trial of Fate had begun. The Child of Destiny of the Boundless Sea was deep and scheming, honey-mouthed and dagger-hearted. If discovered, people would die.
Ao Tian’s eyes lit up.
“I didn’t realize you cared so much about Shiyu.”
“Was I ever that bad to her? It’s just cultivating a mother-daughter bond in advance. How is that called caring? Family harmony is the most important thing. You, a chicken hatched from an egg, wouldn’t understand.”
“It seems like you were pretty bad.”
Yun Liu leaned against the entrance of the Illusion Pavilion, recalling the adorable sight of Little Yellow Hair often coming back dirty and begging for food.
“Yes, yes, you know everything. A hypocrite, just like your master.”
“But still, her real mother is still alive. No need to rush to find a stepmother, right?”
Seeing the young man desperately defending himself, Ao Tian scratched his head. In the past, the Oily Boy would never bother to explain.
“No way, it seems… there’s hope?”
“Say that again?”
“N-nothing. Please take good care of me from now on, Mister.”
“One Divine Wood Fruit, no cheating.”
“That depends on whether you’ve been slacking off. If you’re really as amazing as you boast, the Dragon Marrow will be yours.”
“Slurp, leave it to me!”
Yun Liu drew a big pie with his words, instantly whetting the Phoenix Hatchling’s appetite.
Gelan wore a private blue dress, her star-ink green hair tied up high. Her voluptuous figure landed lightly, and she walked over with graceful charm.
“Whatever you want to do, I’ll give you only one month.”
“That’s enough.”
Second Mother’s expression wasn’t good, but she still came to the appointment. She couldn’t just leave this stubborn, rebellious son to his own devices.
How absurd. A dignified Head Seat, for the boast of a Golden Core brat, privately leaves the mountain with her disciple’s husband during the Great Competition. What would the other disciples say if they found out?
Strangest of all, the old man actually approved!
“Here, besides you and me, is there anyone else?”
Gelan looked around and saw only Ji Shiyu’s parrot. She stomped her foot impatiently, treating this as just accompanying this marriage-fearing boy on a trip to relax. She couldn’t let a junior lead her around by the nose everywhere.
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe there is, maybe there isn’t. If there is, there is; if there isn’t, there isn’t. The Yushen Family has a very special way of circulating spiritual energy. Ordinary Sword Cultivators will suffer greatly. Unless you can bring that iceberg out, but I don’t think that’s possible.”
“She’s still angry at you.”
Speaking of that, Gelan proudly puffed out her chest. The vinegar jar was completely shattered. This time, it should cure that perverted son-obsessed bastard’s bad habit, right?
Yun Liu insisted on waiting a while longer. Second Mother had guessed right; no one knew Yinglong better than Aunt Master.
The bait had been thrown. This was the last chance. If Yan Bingling came, that would be the best answer. From then on, life and death would not separate them. Even if she had to give up being Head of Celestial Phenomena Peak, so be it.
“It seems I overestimated her. Let’s go.”
Half an hour later, Yun Liu turned to leave. Just as he exited the Mountain Gate, a burst of cold air attacked from behind.
A white-clad immortal in a simple white dress stumbled and flew over. As soon as she landed, she threw herself into the young man’s arms, knocking him to the ground.
Yan Bingling’s eyes were covered with a Silver Moon Ribbon, and she carried a Jade Sword Case on her back. She was clearly Aunt Master, yet something seemed off.
She cupped Yun Liu’s face and kissed him on the forehead.
“Darling, I’m late. Mwah!”
“Darling?”
Gelan and Ao Tian’s eyes almost popped out. Was this still that iceberg?
“Had she woken up too suddenly and her chastity hadn’t woken up yet?”
“Aunt Master?”
Yan Bingling refused to get off his lap, so Yun Liu had to hold her as he struggled to stand, tentatively calling out.
“What did you call me?”
“Aunt… Master.”
“Call me mother.”
Yun Liu swallowed. It was indeed her, but also not her.
“Mo—”
“Good child.”
Yan Bingling was appeased again. She linked arms with Yun Liu and walked down the stone steps, her head resting on his shoulder, completely ignoring the two dumbfounded electric light bulbs.
At that moment, Yun Liu was absolutely certain that the one who had come was the same woman who had been intoxicated with him.
“What’s going on? How did the Demon-Fallen Foster Mother come out in broad daylight? And the Apparent Master?”
The sweep old man walked out of the Illusion Pavilion, watching the three depart. His eyes were horrified as he stared at this demonic energy-entangled Yan Bingling.
He slowly turned back. On Celestial Phenomena Peak, there was clearly another identical spiritual breath, unconscious and with an unsettled divine soul.
“What the hell? Aunt Master’s avatar actually left its physical vessel and ran off on its own?”
The old sect leader counted on his fingers and looked up to the sky, but sensed nothing. The trajectory of heavenly fate vanished without a trace.
“So happy, Mommy is so happy. Finally, I can go out and play with Liuer. No one can separate us anymore. Not even ‘me.’ Hehe, hahaha… Goodbye, other ‘me,’ our child, I’ll take him without ceremony.”
Yan Bingling laughed softly and panted, muttering to herself, trembling uncontrollably like a mad female beast freed from its bonds.