Li Xue and Li Lin were inwardly delighted. Naturally, they wanted to find Yuan Bugui first; not only was he Li Lin’s master, but having an acquaintance would make things much easier.
Yuan Bugui had long since received Li Lin’s voice transmission. As soon as the three arrived, he immediately pulled Li Lin aside for a thorough inspection. Finally, looking very satisfied, he led the three of them to meet the sect elders.
Master Yuanhui, the Sect Leader of Tianli Pavilion, and the Great Ancestor Yuan Junze, a Loose Immortal, sat in the seats of honor. Clearly, they were treating the arrival of Li Xue and Li Lin with great importance.
Seeing such a formidable lineup, Mu Haihua was startled. He quickly joined Li Xue and Li Lin in bowing respectfully. "Mu Haihua of the Tianyou Sect pays his respects to the Senior Loose Immortal and Master Yuanhui!"
"Nephew Haihua, you’ve been away for over sixty years. Your old man has come to ask about you several times!" Master Yuanhui was very friendly toward Mu Haihua. Mu Haihua was the son of Mu Junfeng, the Sect Leader of the Tianyou Sect. Since there was an extra-territorial teleportation array near Tianli Star, Mu Junfeng had sent multiple transmissions requesting that any news of his son be relayed to him as soon as possible.
Mu Haihua felt a pang of shame upon hearing this and was suddenly anxious to return home. He bowed respectfully once more, then turned to Li Xue and Li Lin. "I must return to the Tianyou Sect first. As for the matter regarding the Great Ancestral Uncle, send me a transmission and I will come to fetch you immediately!" After speaking, he was led out of the main hall by a Tianli Pavilion disciple to return to his sect.
Hearing Mu Haihua’s words, Master Yuanhui was slightly surprised. "You two are also acquainted with the Great Ancestral Uncle of the Tianyou Sect?"
Li Xue and Li Lin shared a moment of awkwardness. They didn't know how to explain; they could hardly say they suspected Li Haoran was actually Li Ran, as that would involve too many private matters.
Yuan Junze spoke up at the opportune moment. "So, Qinglin is the other disciple Bugui took in the Primordial Star Domain? Come, let this ancestor have a look at you!"
Li Lin obediently stepped forward. Before a Loose Immortal, a mere Nascent Soul cultivator naturally had to be compliant.
After an inspection, Yuan Junze said happily, "Not bad, not bad at all. Pure Yang spiritual energy. Bugui, he is several times better than you described! He is prime material to become a Great Grandmaster of Artifact Refining!"
Master Yuanhui and Yuan Bugui were both overjoyed. Although there were many Master Refiners in the Fangyuan Star Domain, those at the Great Grandmaster level were far too few, and refining geniuses were even rarer. No matter the place or the era, talent was always the most important resource.
Once they returned to Yuan Bugui’s cave dwelling, Yu Nanqing was also very happy to see them. Coming from the same star domain and the same sect naturally made them closer than others.
After listening to Li Xue’s description of Li Haoran, Yuan Bugui pondered for a long while before finally saying, "I will investigate this matter further. I truly didn't expect Master Haoran to look so much like Xiao Lin. Had I known, I would have made an effort to meet him sooner!"
Li Xue and Li Lin both twitched their lips, thinking to themselves: *You spend most of your time beyond the star domains, and so does Li Haoran. How could it be such a coincidence for you to run into each other?*
The two returned to the cave dwelling Yuan Bugui had prepared for them. Li Xue began to regulate her breathing and meditate. Then, her hands flew through a series of hand seals as she began to perform a soul secret technique. Li Lin naturally stood guard beside her.
In a certain cave dwelling on Tianyou Star, a young cultivator suddenly snapped his eyes open. His gaze was profound, and a smile slowly spread across his face. Perhaps because he hadn't smiled in a very long time, the expression looked somewhat unnatural.
He stood up abruptly, a wave of his sleeves sweeping away non-existent dust within the cave. He paced back and forth a few times as if struck by a thought, then hurriedly sat back down cross-legged, entering a meditative state with his hands in a seal.
Li Xue’s eyes flew open, wide with shock. Li Lin was startled and quickly grabbed her hand, asking urgently, "Mother, what’s wrong? What happened?"
Li Xue stood up in a hurry, looking somewhat panicked. "It’s over, it’s all over!"
"What is? Mother, don't scare me!" Seeing Li Xue’s frantic state, Li Lin’s heart clenched with worry.
"Xiao Lin, I’ve been discovered. Li Ran found me. What do we do?" Li Xue was frantic. What should she do? She hadn't yet decided how to face Li Ran, so how had she actually found him?
On the journey to the Fangyuan Star Domain, she hadn't avoided thinking about what to do if she met Li Ran, but at the time, she couldn't be certain it was really him. Just now, she had sensed Li Ran’s soul aura—it was so deep, so clear. Li Ran was definitely in this star domain. Moreover, he was very healthy and his cultivation was extremely high; he was undoubtedly Li Haoran.
Li Lin let out a long sigh of relief. So that was it; he had been truly frightened for a moment. Then, a surge of joy hit him. Had he finally found his father? Was the obsession he had carried for hundreds of years finally going to be realized? Li Lin felt a wave of excitement.
He looked up to see his mother still pacing irritably, and he felt quite helpless. Having lived together for hundreds of years, he understood her thoughts well. He comforted her, "Mother, it’s no big deal. You still have your son here. Don't worry, I will definitely stand by your side!"
Li Xue felt slightly more at ease hearing this. She asked, "What if he doesn't recognize me? Xia Xiaoqing isn't coming back!" The moment the words left her mouth, Li Xue regretted it. She had never told Li Lin about the matter involving her and Xia Xiaoqing.
Li Lin’s gaze grew complex, his expression shifting unpredictably. Li Xue lowered her head, not daring to look at him, her heart filled with bitter regret.
"Mother, you’re overthinking it. A soul contract cannot be changed, no matter how many lifetimes one reincarnates. You are my mother!" Li Lin said with absolute certainty, pulling her into an embrace.
Li Xue’s eyes reddened slightly. She had only lost her composure because she was startled by the response from Li Ran’s soul. Whether Li Ran recognized her or not didn't matter—wouldn't it be better if he didn't? She wasn't used to suddenly having a husband; her life as a cultivator was currently very pleasant.
Master Junfeng, the Sect Leader of the Tianyou Sect, sat in the seat of honor holding a jade slip, staring blankly. It took him a good while to recover his wits. Early this morning, just as he had finished handling the sect’s major affairs, his Great Ancestral Uncle Haoran—who had been in secluded cultivation for over three hundred years—suddenly appeared in the main hall. He had handed him a jade slip and said, "I am going out for a while. You must search carefully for the person in this jade slip. When you find her, send me a transmission. She is my wife!" With that, he had teleported away.
The poor Master Junfeng had faced countless disasters and tribulations with composure, but this matter was simply too sudden for him to process.
*Great Ancestral Uncle Haoran’s wife? When did this happen?* Master Junfeng didn't even want to investigate the timing. He immediately ordered his disciples to send transmissions to all branches, instructing them to monitor every teleportation array and ensure the person was found safely.
"Father, I’m back!" Mu Haihua leaped excitedly in front of Master Junfeng, wanting to give his old man a surprise.
"You brat, you actually remembered to come back!" Master Junfeng had already received the transmission from Tianli Pavilion, but he was still happy to see his son. He inspected him carefully, and only after seeing he was unharmed did he truly feel at peace.
"By the way, Father, when is Great Ancestral Uncle Haoran coming out of seclusion?" Mu Haihua didn't forget to look out for his friends' interests.
"Boy, why are you suddenly asking about the Great Ancestral Uncle? He just came out of seclusion this morning and has already left!" Master Junfeng said suspiciously.
***
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Ascended Without Me: Cultivating with a Genius Son | Chapter 160 | A Soul's Connection | Novela.app | Novela.app
