After thirteen years apart, the half-immortal fox had become livelier and more adorable than ever. Xi Lian charged into the venue like a whirlwind. When she spotted Wang Sheng, she froze in shock, then burst out laughing and dashed toward him. Perhaps it was only after spreading her arms that she remembered that, although the two of them were close, they had never had any physical intimacy. A trace of awkwardness flitted across her face, but she instantly came up with a solution. Immortal light flickered around her. Before Wang Sheng could react, a silver-haired little girl about three or four years old lunged into his arms, her tiny hands clinging to his neck. "Awoo!" Little Xi Lian sank her teeth into his shoulder. Wang Sheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "What got into you, Big Sister?" "You're real! You're actually alive!" Xi Lian exclaimed, causing her two little fangs to show, as she jumped back quickly and landed steadily on the ground. She crossed her arms and gave Wang Sheng a once-over. What anime has she been binging lately? Wang Sheng spread his hands and chuckled. "Heaven didn't take me, and Hell refused me, so here I am again." "Really?" Xi Lian blinked. Before she could say anything else, a pair of small hands suddenly reached out from behind her. Mu Wanxuan had launched a surprise attack, scooping up Xi Lian into her arms. Latest content published on novel⸺fire.net "Ah! Little Xuanxuan, don't tickle my armpits! Aaah! Stop!" "Aiya... Hahaha! That really tickles!" Wang Sheng scratched his head as he watched the two mess around. Chi Wen, Hao Ling, Mou Yue, and the others also came over, and the half-immortal fox's childlike form instantly captivated them. They stayed nearby, wanting to get closer but couldn't dare. "Stop fooling around, Little Sheng," his master called from the side. Wang Sheng quickly ran over to see off the departing Daoists. Though the grand celebration was simple, it had the desired effect. It served as an official announcement to the cultivation world that another top-tier expert would soon join the Heavenly Rankings, and that despite being from the younger generation, the expert was already at the Heavenly Abode Realm. Before Chi Ling left, she asked Wang Sheng about his Heavenly Rankings placement. Wang Sheng thought about it for a while, then seriously replied, "Just put me a rank below Senior Sister. I'm her junior, after all." Chi Ling immediately agreed and passed on his request to the Special Investigation Unit. The scope of the Special Investigation Unit's cultivation-world-related duties had already been almost halved. A parallel department of equal standing had long since been established and launched into full operation, though both departments reported to Chi Ling. Before leaving, several Daoist masters offered Wang Sheng a few words of encouragement, more out of courtesy than genuine advice. Gao Shixing and Fei Lianzi also discreetly warned him to keep a low profile and conceal some of his strength. Standing out too much could attract unwanted attention. The atmosphere in the cultivation world these days was completely different from thirteen years ago. As cultivators grew stronger and wielded more influence, many began to demand the respect that they felt they deserved. The cultivation world had become unpredictable, while human hearts remained as dangerous as always. They could never go wrong with hiding a trump card. Wang Sheng was deeply aware of the situation as well. In his past life, he had seen the struggles and brutality among low-level cultivators while mixing with various gangs. Hence, when his fellow swordsmen offered their advice, he naturally took it to heart. He planned to focus on fulfilling his responsibilities and quietly cultivating alongside Mu Wanxuan. He didn't have to interfere too much with everything else. On Earth, the Hua Republic now stood at the top, and its cultivation world overflowed with talent and powerful experts. There was no need for him to constantly be in the limelight. Unless necessary, he would refrain from making a move. By the time Wang Sheng and Qing Yanzi had seen most of the guests off, the city-to-city aircraft specifically assigned to take Wang Sheng home was already waiting on the rooftop. Before Wang Sheng could leave, Shi Qianzhang urged everyone to visit Wang Sheng's parents together. After all, after the corrupt cultivators had been suppressed in Wang Sheng's absence, his seven to eight close friends had taken turns visiting his parents during the holidays. By now, they were all quite familiar with the family. Huai Jing laughed and scolded, "They're about to have an emotional family reunion. We shouldn't barge in and make a mess of it. How about we head to the arcade instead?" "Alright." Shi Qianzhang laughed sheepishly and reluctantly said goodbye to his "brother." Liu Yunzhi said, "I'll pass. I still get dizzy with immersive games." Wang Sheng had no idea what they were talking about. He could only speculate that online gaming had already evolved past keyboards and mice. Since he had never reached this era in his past life, he now had a gap in his knowledge. After bidding farewell to his master and the few friends who were still around, Wang Sheng boarded the aircraft home with Mu Wanxuan and Xi Lian. Back when corrupt cultivators had been repeatedly stirring up trouble in the Hua Republic, a sudden visit from Yaoyun's "corpse" had forced Wang Sheng's parents to assume new identities and move out of their newly settled home. Now, with internal turmoil mostly resolved and the righteous side of the cultivation world swelling in power, most corrupt cultivators had retreated south of the national borders. After Wang Sheng's "heroic death," his parents and sister received generous support from the authorities. Qing Yanzi also visited them regularly. His parents were naturally devastated when they lost their son. Fortunately, with Wang Xiaomiao by their side, they had slowly pulled through and returned to a peaceful life. Wang Sheng had called his father as soon as he had escaped the Small Nether Realm and arrived at the Hidden Earth Sect. Before the seminar, he had also used his master's phone to send a video message to his parents. On the way home, Wang Sheng received word that his younger sister had been temporarily brought back from her boarding school. He could barely contain his emotions. The moment the Special Investigation Unit issued him a projection phone on the plane, he immediately video-called his parents. Soon, 3D projections appeared on both ends. Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan sat side by side, while his aging parents, clearly more wrinkled, sat across from them, visibly moved. "Dad, Mom… I'm back. Please don't cry." Despite his plea, his mother could not stop her tears from flowing. —I can't help it. Can't I be touched that you're back? His father greeted him next. —It's good that you're back. You should stop running around and stay for a while. Come here, Xiaomiao. Don't hide. Greet your brother. Wang Sheng stared unblinkingly at the 3D projection. Beside his parents on the sofa stood a girl in a school uniform. She hesitantly moved into the frame with pursed lips. So that's my grown-up little sister? She looked somewhat like their mother, except she possessed an innate spiritual grace since she had been bathed in primal qi since childhood. Though she was not on Mu Wanxuan's or Xi Lian's level in terms of celestial beauty, she was still delicate and pretty, with refined features and an overall pleasing appearance. Even now, as a teenager, she was already quite tall, though a little slim. She would certainly have no shortage of suitors in the future. Wang Sheng raised his hand and waved at her slightly. His eyes welled up as he took a deep breath. "I'm Wang Sheng. Nice to meet you, Xiaomiao." Wang Xiaomiao's reply came across as a bit awkward. —Nice to meet you… Brother. "Um… I'm sorry I haven't been able to come back all these years. It's a long and complicated story." Wang Sheng sighed and looked calmly at the girl. "I'm sorry I couldn't watch you grow up. I'll try to make it up to you from now on. You're the reason Mom and Dad made it through the grief of losing me." Wang Xiaomiao blinked, and their mother soon pulled her down onto the sofa. She curiously studied Mu Wanxuan, who sat beside Wang Sheng. Wang Sheng smiled. "This is my senior sister—" In her childlike tone, Little Xi Lian loudly interjected, "You can call her 'Sister-in-Law,' too!" Wang Sheng's father hummed thoughtfully. —You already have a child? You two sure move fast! Why's her hair white? My sweet granddaughter, Grandpa will go buy you presents right away. Xi Lian's face darkened instantly, and her mouth twitched uncontrollably. Wang Sheng broke into a cold sweat. He hurriedly explained, "Dad, she's not—" "Grandpa! I want all the newest video games!" Xi Lian replied sweetly. "The globally limited-edition kind! Lots of ice cream, chips, and cola, too!" His parents responded dotingly, rendering Wang Sheng speechless. Mu Wanxuan just sat through it all with a quiet smile, offering no explanation. North of the Hua Republic, an international flight from the capital of Saros flew a full load of passengers to Hua Republic. In the back corner sat two foreign women with exceptional looks and presence. Many male passengers had been quietly observing them. Wang Sheng didn't know many foreigners, but he would likely recognize the two. Dale Cecil, the beautiful golden-haired girl by the window, was the representative of the Gelan Empire delegation. Her angelic face and graceful figure made her stand out.  Not even her thick jacket and baseball cap could conceal her ethereal aura. The slightly more imposing woman beside her was Shelley, the knight who had once challenged Wang Sheng in person. Seemingly on alert, she kept scanning her surroundings. The two had boarded a flight from Saros bound for a northern Hua Republic city. All signs suggested that they weren't on a vacation trip. Once the plane had stabilized in the air, the flight attendants began distributing meals. A handsome blond steward pushed the cart directly to the two women's seats, seemingly having his eyes on them. However, it was simply their turn to be served. Dale, who had been fiddling with her watch, suddenly exclaimed in a foreign language, "Daoist Master Fei Yu is alive!" Stunned, Shelley turned to Dale. "What?" In a slightly raised tone, Dale repeated, "Daoist Master Fei Yu is alive!" Her watch popped up an image of Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan embracing. The flight attendant's hand trembled slightly, but he did not glance their way. While the two women were distracted, he placed a meal box on Shelley's tray table. He then pushed the cart away with his head lowered. A faint ticking came from inside the food tray. Shelley finally realized something was wrong. Her face turned pale as she reached to swat the tray away, but before she could touch it, a burst of flame erupted from within!