The dining room was decorated in a simple, clean style. Warm lights cast a soft glow over the walls, where a few oil paintings were hung. The gentle melody of a guqin played from a Redfang™ speaker, a slightly mismatched but oddly fitting background to the tranquil atmosphere. Mu Wanxuan, dressed in loose training clothes, had her long hair tied up, which gave her a slightly more mature look. Under the lighting, she appeared especially captivating. For some reason, the half-immortal fox had taken a playful mood today. She transformed herself into an eleven or twelve-year-old girl, revealing her snowy white fox ears and styling her silver hair into a girlish look. She must have seen a few manga featuring fox spirits or fox fiends and had decided to cosplay as herself. Wang Sheng took off his apron and walked over with a plate of roasted chicken wings. As he caught sight of the scene, he suddenly had a strange feeling, as if he had already settled down with Mu Wanxuan and was now raising their daughter. He steadied himself. If Xi Lian ever caught wind of that thought, he'd be in for another whipping. Three wine glasses clinked crisply. The trio sat around a small round table, which was laid with seven or eight dishes that Wang Sheng had personally cooked. Xi Lian seemed rather interested in the wine. After one sip, however, she immediately frowned. "This doesn't even taste good." Wang Sheng smiled. "Back in the Tang Dynasty, exotic wines from the Western Regions were all the rage." "I never had any," Xi Lian replied with a childlike tone, her feet swinging slightly. "Master Santong wasn't the type to indulge. He followed strict commandments and only drank tea. I didn't dare touch wine or meat either." Next to her, Mu Wanxuan tried a bite of Wang Sheng's stir-fried vegetables with a testing expression. Her eyes lit up immediately. Wang Sheng smiled. "Senior Sister, I used to cook in the Wudang Mountains. Don't act like I've never touched a stove." Mu Wanxuan licked her lips. She had indeed been trying to be encouraging since his food, while tasty, wasn't quite gourmet. It was worth noting, however, that perhaps because of his long years practicing swordsmanship, his wok-handling skills were impressively precise. "Big Sister Xi Lian, are you getting used to living here?" Wang Sheng asked. Xi Lian smacked her lips. Sounding quite full of youthful charm, she said, "Much better than that little courtyard you had before. Mortals these days really know how to enjoy life. It's so easy to get lost in distractions with all these manga, anime, movies, and dramas, though. Speaking of, Little Xuanxuan, make sure to share more of those with me. I finished everything you gave me." "Mm!" Mu Wanxuan nodded seriously, while Wang Sheng could only facepalm. It was a common pattern. When cultivators from ancient times lived long enough without strong ambition or purpose, modern entertainment easily drew them in. Gradually, they became recluses. Wang Sheng quickly pulled the conversation back on track. "Do you have any method to purify your devilish qi?" Xi Lian tilted her head in thought. "I think so..." "You're not sure?" Wang Sheng asked, half amused and half exasperated. "For now, I have my devilish qi under control. As long as I don't use my enchanted power or fall into rage, I won't succumb to devilish corruption," Xi Lian said with a slight pout. "But to truly cleanse my devilish nature, I'll need great wisdom and perseverance. I haven't figured out the exact method yet, but I do have a direction." Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan turned to her. Wang Sheng was hoping to eliminate this hidden danger as soon as possible, while Mu Wanxuan was genuinely concerned about her. They had already lived together for about a month, half of which had been spent in seclusion. Still, Mu Wanxuan had already come to treat the half-immortal fox as one of their own. "Maybe if I could see Daoist Master Qinglin again and say a few words to him, my devilish nature would vanish completely," Xi Lian answered a bit uncertainly, then sipped her wine. "I shouldn't think about that, though. He's been gone for a thousand years. If he could have come back, he would have." The martial siblings exchanged glances. Mu Wanxuan nodded a little, and Wang Sheng hesitated for a moment. "Just to be safe, Big Sister, I'd like to ask you a few more questions." "Go ahead. Since you call me Big Sister, that makes you my little brother! From now on, Big Sister's got your back. No need to be so reserved!" "If you feel jealousy, sadness, or frustration, would that affect your state?" "What do I have to be jealous of?" Xi Lian glanced at Mu Wanxuan. "I only envy you two a little. I've never actually felt jealous. Anyway, only anger triggers my violent side and puts me at risk of falling into darkness." In the calmest tone he could manage, Wang Sheng said, "Then you should know that Daoist Master Qinglin hasn't been gone for a thousand years. He's been gone for a hundred thousand. Even if he's still alive, he might not remember you anymore." Xi Lian's chopsticks fell onto the table. She glowed with immortal light, and she instantly reverted to her normal form. Her beautiful eyes widened as she stared at Wang Sheng. "What nonsense are you talking about? It's only been a thousand years." "Big Sister, keep your emotions steady. I'll share everything we know right now." Xi Lian frowned lightly and snorted. "Go ahead. Even if you pulled out Qinglin's bones, I wouldn't fall into darkness." After a pause, she added, "At most, I'd tear this place apart to vent a little." Wang Sheng was momentarily rendered speechless. "Daoist Master Qinglin's fate is currently unknown. In fact, all the immortals from back then are missing or presumed dead." Wang Sheng took out his phone and showed her some prepared photos of the solar system and the universe. He then recounted the full contents of Lu the Progenitor's final letter but left out anything about the Small Immortal Realm, since Xi Lian had yet to become a true immortal. While speaking, he carefully watched Xi Lian's emotional and qi responses. At first, she was stunned. Then she seemingly calmed down, as if it didn't matter much. Amid his explanation, Xi Lian even continued drinking, eating, and clinking glasses with Mu Wanxuan. His mouth went dry from all the talking. Feeling frustrated, Wang Sheng asked, "Big Sister, did you already know this?" "Of course. Back then, anyone with even a bit of information knew the Heavenly Court retreated here after losing the war. They were regrouping to eventually strike back," Xi Lian said with a twitch of her mouth. "I thought you were going to tell me something earth-shattering. What a letdown." Wang Sheng felt his spirit begin to sink. Xi Lian smiled faintly. "That's why I'm not sure if I'll ever find Qinglin again, or whether I can get rid of my devilish nature. "But Fei Yu, you just have to keep cultivating. Once your strength can fully suppress me, I won't have to live in fear anymore. If I lose control someday, just lock me up and let me cool off. Don't actually kill me... I value my life, you know. Come on, Little Xuanxuan, drink with me." "Oh." Mu Wanxuan raised her glass and clinked it with Xi Lian's. The two resumed drinking and eating. Is she really alright? Wang Sheng wondered, but she didn't press further. Xi Lian didn't seem to be faking anything. He shifted the topic to Mu Wanxuan's Golden Core, making Mu Wanxuan light up immediately. She began demonstrating her new techniques. Her strength had clearly taken a big leap forward, once again leaving Wang Sheng behind. Wang Sheng gloomily said, "Looks like I need to start another long bout of grueling cultivation. Big Sister, got any methods to temper a sword cultivator?" "Don't you already have the Sword-Controlling Art?" Xi Lian scolded with a serious face, "Be contented, Young Man. That art is broad and profound. Even the strongest sword arts from the Shu Mountains only barely match it in power." "Junior Brother." Mu Wanxuan lifted a Tai Chi diagram the size of a tray in her left hand. A small black figure appeared in the diagram, holding a white longsword. The figure began to practice sword moves, while white specks representing stars glimmered above. She also made sound effects. "Whoosh—! Whoosh whoosh—!" Xi Lian blinked. "Little Xuanxuan, are you saying his swordsmanship is impressive?" "Mm! Mm!" Mu Wanxuan nodded with a solemn expression, clearly unwilling to let anyone question her junior brother's swordsmanship. Xi Lian gave her a doting smile. "Yes, Fei Yu's swordsmanship is second only to Daoist Master Qinglin's." Wang Sheng suddenly realized that when Mu Wanxuan focused on doing something silly, she could be incredibly cute. Soon, the conversation turned fully to the Dao. Wang Sheng's swordsmanship, Mu Wanxuan's Dao of Yin and Yang, and Xi Lian's dual cultivation of Buddhist and Daoist methods became their main topics. Wang Sheng, being the lowest in cultivation, benefited the most from the exchange. In particular, Xi Lian passed down to him an ancient mental-clearing mantra that far surpassed the ones circulating in the cultivation world. It helped him calm his mind and shield himself from outside disturbances. The more they drank, the more relaxed they became. Eventually, all three were slightly tipsy. None of them practiced that night. They simply celebrated Mu Wanxuan's successful Golden Core formation, which was a rare and special occasion. Wang Sheng told himself this would be the last night of indulgence. Starting tomorrow, he would resume his life of grueling sword training and cultivation. However, once they had all returned to their rooms and fallen asleep, the half-immortal fox pulled the same trick as before. She crept into Wang Sheng's room, wrapped him in enchanted power, and gently delivered him into Mu Wanxuan's room. She then bound him with an immobilization technique. After dusting off her hands, she reverted to her twelve-year-old appearance. Grinning mischievously, she went to the rooftop to stare at the stars for the rest of the night. "One hundred thousand years..." She bit her lip. Her eyes dimmed for a moment, but she quickly shook herself free of the gloom. She waited there quietly, looking forward to the moment Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan would wake up and react. At dawn, the two opened their eyes at the same time. Mu Wanxuan giggled. She had clearly been awake for a while. Calm and composed, Wang Sheng smiled. "Good morning, Senior Sister." Wang Sheng yawned and slowly extended his spiritual consciousness. He spotted a certain someone clinging to the window like a bat, staring in like she had seen a ghost. There was nothing to be surprised about. It wasn't like he and Mu Wanxuan hadn't shared a bed before. Back then, she didn't even bother changing clothes in front of him. Now, she had at least wrapped the blanket tightly around her. "Yo—agh!" The half-immortal fox lost her grip and fell from the third-floor windowsill. Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan rushed to the window in alarm.