Jin Sang remained speechless for a long time before finally letting out a silent sigh, turning away with a lonely air.
Li Xue shrugged. She knew these God Guards hoped she would increase her cultivation as quickly as possible to restore the glory of the ancient gods, but she truly had no desire to be some formidable matriarch. She only wanted to travel with her son and friends, living a peaceful life in the cultivation world.
Ever since her cultivation had leaped across realms to the Tribulation Stage, she hadn't quite adjusted. While increasing strength was important, what was the use if her state of mind hadn't caught up?
Besides, with so many gods enjoying themselves in the God Realm, why were they the ones forced to reincarnate to face some unknown calamity? It was enough to make anyone anxious; it was truly too much.
"Mother, it would be best for us to go out and gain some experience," Li Lin suggested.
"Mm, you're right. Stagnating behind closed doors is no way to progress," Li Xue agreed wholeheartedly.
The two left the Dream Realm and arrived at the Xuedan Workshop on Jinming Star. Li Yuhong was currently in seclusion there; he had already broken through to the Deity Transformation stage. After Li Haoran’s return, his heart demon had naturally dissipated, and with the help of Li Haoran’s secret treasures, he had successfully crossed the Deity Transformation Tribulation.
Looking at his juniors before him, Li Yuhong felt immensely proud. Li Haoran had already ascended, and both Li Xue and Li Lin had reached the late Tribulation Stage. In the entire Hongmeng Star Domain, which family possessed such strength? The Li family stood alone. It was enough to make him laugh even in his dreams.
"Master, we are going out to travel. What are your plans?" Li Xue asked.
"Go on, go on. I won't be joining you; I don't want to hold you back," Li Yuhong said.
"Grandmaster, we are heading to the Fangyuan Star Domain. Do you really not want to go see it?" Li Lin asked again.
Li Yuhong pondered for a moment before saying, "I’ll go with Brother Rui Hua. You two go your own way. We old bones can't keep up with the antics of you youngsters!"
"Pfft, Master, you're looking younger by the day. You don't look old at all!" Li Xue laughed.
"Mm, you're still the one who knows how to talk, girl. I like hearing that!" Li Yuhong happily accepted Li Xue's flattery.
Li Xue and Li Lin bid farewell to Li Yuhong and returned to the Dream Realm to prepare for their trip to the Fangyuan Star Domain. After all, it was a place guarded by an 8th Tribulation Loose Immortal and was rich in resources.
Inside the Haoran Residence of the Tianyou Sect, Lei Yan sat at a desk, book in hand, swaying his head as he read aloud.
Outside the residence, Lan Yiping, a 6th Tribulation Loose Immortal of the Tianyou Sect; Yuan Junze, a 5th Tribulation Loose Immortal of the Tianli Pavilion; and Sect Leader Mu Junfeng stood respectfully to one side, their faces filled with anxiety.
Meanwhile, from outside the Fangyuan Star Domain came a thunderous, world-shaking roar. The Nine-Nine Heavenly Gate Array of the domain was under constant assault.
The corners of Lei Yan's mouth curled upward. He thought to himself: *These little fellows... no wonder they've come here to beg for help.* The Third Prince of the Demon Realm—since when did the Demon Realm start coveting the cultivation world? This was certainly a new development.
A ripple in space shimmered, and Li Xue and Li Lin appeared inside the Haoran Residence.
"Mistress, Young Master, you have arrived!" Lei Yan set down his book and bowed respectfully.
"Eh? What's going on outside?" Li Xue asked curiously. As soon as she and Li Lin emerged, they had sensed the situation outside, as well as the presence of the Loose Immortals waiting beyond the residence.
"The Third Prince of the Demon Realm is attacking the Nine-Nine Heavenly Gate Array. They likely want to call for reinforcements, as many have seen Jin Sang," Lei Yan explained.
"Why isn't the Demon Realm attacking the Immortal Realm? What are they doing in the cultivation world? They must be bored out of their minds," Li Xue grumbled.
Lei Yan smiled but said nothing. The three of them stepped out of the Haoran Residence.
The moment Lan Yiping, Yuan Junze, and Mu Junfeng saw them emerge, their spirits lifted instantly. However, seeing only Li Xue, Li Lin, and a scholar whose cultivation they couldn't discern—and not Li Haoran or the person from the upper realm they had seen before—they couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment.
"Junior Sister Li, where is Martial Uncle Haoran?" Mu Junfeng asked, suppressing the shock in his heart. In just a few years, she had jumped from the Yuan Ying stage to the Tribulation Stage; it surely had something to do with that person from the upper realm. At that thought, hope rose within him again.
"Haoran has ascended. Seniors, Sect Leader Mu, what has happened?" Li Xue asked with a smile.
"Little Friend Li, is the Lord from the upper realm still here?" Yuan Junze was blunt and disliked pleasantries, so he asked directly.
Lei Yan rolled his eyes from the side. *These ignorant juniors. I am clearly standing right here, yet they ask where the Lord from the upper realm is. Truly blind.*
Seeing Lei Yan roll his eyes, Li Lin’s lips quirked. He asked, "Grandmaster Yuan, what exactly has happened?"
Yuan Junze was the great-great-grandfather of Yuan Bugui, so Li Lin still treated him with great respect.
As it turned out, a Deity Transformation cultivator from Tiancang Star had been out gaining experience and had somehow offended the Third Prince of the Demon Realm while the latter was traveling. After using a secret technique to flee back to the Fangyuan Star Domain, the Third Prince had pursued him.
Without a care for the consequences, the Third Prince ordered his four Great Demon Generals to attack Tiancang Star. Since Tiancang Star was one of the components of the Nine-Nine Heavenly Gate Array, the attack drew out all the Loose Immortals of the Fangyuan Star Domain. Although the Third Prince was only at the Demon Monarch realm, his combat strength was already that of a Demon Emperor, comparable to a Heavenly Lord of the Immortal Realm. Faced with such a powerful foe, the Loose Immortals of the Fangyuan Star Domain had unanimously decided to fully activate the Nine-Nine Heavenly Gate Array for defense. The situation had remained in a stalemate ever since.
"Did the Third Prince not say how he wanted to resolve this?" Li Xue sighed inwardly. If the Third Prince was disrupting the cultivation world, was the Immortal Realm truly indifferent?
"To our shame, even when Senior Ouyang Mo, the 8th Tribulation Loose Immortal of Tiancang Star, stepped forward, he did not even see the Third Prince. That purple-clad Demon General stated plainly that he wasn't qualified!" At this point, the three of them lowered their heads, filled with indignation.
"Does the Immortal Realm not care?" Li Xue didn't believe for a second that they hadn't sent word to the upper realm.
"We don't know what trickery that Third Prince used, but none of our messages can get out!" Lan Yiping said hatefully.
Lei Yan looked thoughtful. He tilted his head toward the sky, golden light flashing in his eyes as a solid pillar of gold shot out toward the stars.
Only then did Lan Yiping, Yuan Junze, and Mu Junfeng realize that this man who looked like a down-and-out scholar was also a Lord from the upper realm. They were so terrified they didn't dare make a sound, cursing themselves for their lack of insight.
"Lei Yan, did you find anything?" Li Xue asked curiously.
"Mistress, it is a Primordial Demon Treasure called the Sorrowful Heaven Demon Sway. It originally belonged to the Demon God, Ye Wushang!" Lei Yan explained, withdrawing his gaze.
"Oh? Then let's go have a look!" It seemed she would have to handle this. She wanted to see what the Third Prince's true goal was; a mere Deity Transformation cultivator couldn't possibly warrant the personal attention of a Demon Monarch-level powerhouse.
Hearing the conversation between Li Xue and Lei Yan, cold sweat poured down the backs of Lan Yiping, Yuan Junze, and Mu Junfeng. To hear a Lord from the upper realm refer to her as "Mistress," and to hear mentions of "Primordial Demon Treasures" and the "Demon God Ye Wushang"... it was too staggering. These were not matters a small cultivation world could afford to provoke.
Mu Junfeng, in particular, thought back to when Wang Junyao had wanted to capture Li Xue and Li Lin. Their disappearance had actually been an act of mercy. The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became, and his expression grew increasingly respectful.
