"YEHEY!"
Cries of excitement rang through the skies as Chen Linlin sat in her father's embrace while the two of them flew toward Glory City.
Her cheerful yell was accompanied by the distant sound of galloping hooves as a white-and-lilac blur raced across the terrain, chasing after the father-daughter duo.
The wind brushed against Chen Linlin's delicate face, making her vibrant teal hair flutter wildly.
She tried several times to look ahead and admire the scenery, but the powerful gusts blowing directly into her face made it nearly impossible.
Giving up, Chen Linlin shifted her gaze and peered over her father's shoulder, looking up at the vast sky. Clouds as large as hills drifted freely overhead, carried by the wind as their shadows swept across the land below.
When she looked down, a wide smile spread across her face. Her round cheeks flushed with excitement as she spotted the silhouette of a demon beast donkey racing across the vast plains, steadily catching up to them.
Riding on Silver's back was Xue Hui, his small frame perfectly suited to his mount. Together, they resembled a mighty warrior and his loyal steed.
The four of them were currently traveling at full speed toward Glory City.
Chen Linlin enjoyed the privilege of being carried through the skies by her Legend Rank Demon Spiritualist father, while Xue Hui rode Silver across the ground, running and leaping over the terrain.
Despite traveling on foot, the pair was not the slightest bit slower than Chen Zhenlong and Chen Linlin. They kept pace with the flying duo with ease.
It had been two months since they left the treasure chamber in Blood Moon Marsh.
Their return journey was noticeably faster than their earlier travels, when they had been searching for the hidden treasures.
The reason was simple: Chen Zhenlong had broken through to Legend Rank, allowing him to travel much faster while making their journey home considerably safer.
Two months earlier, after Xue Hui successfully obtained the Glaze Blood and gave it to Chen Linlin, she had finally rid herself of her withered Soul Realm and acquired a new physique.
She now possessed the Moon Glaze Eternal Lotus Physique, the same mysterious physique that had helped Suo Leiyue become one of the most powerful Demon Spiritualists of her era.
It was even more mysterious than Chen Linlin's previous Nine Crystal Yin Physique, which had once been considered a heaven-defying physique in its own right.
Aside from needing time to rest and allow her body to adjust to having a Soul Realm again, Chen Linlin had shown no signs of complications.
While she waited for her body to fully acclimate to her new physique, Xue Hui, who had been restraining himself for quite some time, finally reached his limit.
He immediately dashed toward the mountains of treasure they had been pretending not to notice ever since entering the chamber.
One by one, Xue Hui rummaged through the enormous piles, searching for anything that caught his interest.
He completely ignored the mountains of gold, coins, and precious relics that would have made an ordinary person drool at the mere sight of them.
Instead, he focused on the inconspicuous items that appeared unremarkable at first glance.
With his extensive knowledge of artifacts, Xue Hui knew that many of these seemingly insignificant objects could prove invaluable to his future growth and survival.
It didn't take long for him to gather everything that caught his eye, including battle scrolls, Legend Rank armor, soul weapons, and various cultivation resources.
He intended to use them to strengthen both himself and Chen Linlin once they began cultivating in earnest.
After collecting his share, Xue Hui offered the remaining treasures to Chen Zhenlong.
Even for the patriarch of a major family, however, the sheer volume of treasure was overwhelming.
After some discussion, the two eventually agreed to divide the spoils equally.
Chen Zhenlong insisted that, given Xue Hui's talent, it was only a matter of time before he would require enormous amounts of resources to advance his cultivation.
Obtaining those resources in the future might otherwise cost him a considerable fortune.
In the end, Xue Hui reluctantly agreed to keep half of the treasure for himself.
Chen Zhenlong finally breathed a sigh of relief after convincing the boy.
Although his reasoning was entirely valid, there was another reason he had insisted on the arrangement.
If the signs he had noticed over the past few months were anything to go by, and the clues he had gathered were indeed connected, then his daughter might be developing feelings for Xue Hui.
After all, he had caught Chen Linlin giving the boy meaningful glances on more than one occasion.
There was a good chance the two would eventually end up together.
Chen Zhenlong couldn't blame his daughter if she fell for Xue Hui. Considering everything the boy had done for her, it was hardly surprising that she might find comfort and security by his side.
Although Chen Zhenlong knew that Xue Hui was someone from the future whose true age far exceeded what his current appearance suggested, the thought of the two becoming a couple didn't bother Chen Zhenlong as much as he had expected.
Based on what Xue Hui had told him about his past life, the boy had spent most of his time taking care of Chen Linlin rather than experiencing the world for himself.
He had missed countless opportunities to explore the outside world, make friends, and form relationships of his own.
In a sense, Xue Hui was someone who was older in age but lacked the life experience one might expect of someone his age.
Furthermore, according to Glory City's customs, an age gap of ten to twenty years between couples was generally considered acceptable.
Even Chen Zhenlong himself had already been in his thirties when he married his youngest wife, Chen Yinying, who had been only sixteen at the time.
More importantly, Xue Hui had devoted himself to protecting Chen Linlin in both lifetimes.
If there was anyone who could convince Chen Zhenlong that his daughter would be in good hands, it was the boy who had gone back in time just to save her.
As for talent, Xue Hui was practically unmatched. He had already reached Bronze Rank and possessed an astonishing wealth of knowledge about healing, cultivation, and the outside world.
Unless another child who had also traveled back in time suddenly appeared, Chen Zhenlong seriously doubted that anyone could compete with Xue Hui in terms of talent.
If Chen Linlin chose to be with him, she certainly wouldn't be at a disadvantage.
Of course, Chen Zhenlong had also made a private vow that if their relationship ever progressed to that point, he would have to give the boy the talk.
After all, he was Chen Linlin's father. It was his responsibility.
In any case, if Xue Hui intended to become Chen Linlin's future partner, he would need wealth and power comparable to those of a major family to convince the public that he was worthy of her.
After storing the treasures in the numerous interspatial rings they had discovered in the chamber, Xue Hui and the others decided to hold a burial ceremony for Suo Leiyue and Guān Ning as a final gesture of respect.
During the ceremony, Chen Zhenlong finally asked a question that had been bothering him ever since he learned about the Eternal Tomb and the Soul Attachment Crystal.
"Say, Xiao Hui, there's something I've been wondering about." Chen Zhenlong cast a curious glance at the boy beside him. "Why didn't the Moon Peak Emperor give the Soul Attachment Crystal to Suo Leiyue as well? With the Eternal Tomb and the Soul Attachment Crystal, wouldn't those two treasures have been able to preserve both her body and her soul?"
As he solemnly watched the flames, Xue Hui shook his head.
"Because the two treasures are fundamentally incompatible with each other."
Chen Zhenlong furrowed his brows and glanced at the Eternal Tomb resting on the altar before shifting his gaze to the shattered Soul Attachment Crystal on the ground.
Xue Hui continued explaining.
"The Eternal Tomb is a treasure designed to preserve someone's body while allowing their soul to pass into the afterlife. On the other hand, the Soul Attachment Crystal preserves the soul of the deceased by binding it to an object."
As he talked, The four of them bowed their heads in tribute to Guān Ning and Suo Leiyue before Xue Hui continued.
"In theory, the two treasures should have worked perfectly together. However, the Eternal Tomb and the Soul Attachment Crystal were created by two different supreme experts. The enchantment arrays within them would clash with each other, triggering a violent backlash."
Chen Zhenlong nodded in understanding.
"So that's why."
"Yup!" Xue Hui replied with a chuckle.
After completing the ceremony, Xue Hui stored the Eternal Tomb inside his interspatial ring. With that, the four of them finally left the treasure chamber behind for good.
---
Back in the present, Chen Zhenlong's voice rang out above the plains.
"Lin'er, look ahead!"
As they slowed down, a familiar landmark came into view.
The St. Ancestral Mountain Range.
The moment Chen Linlin spotted the mountains below, her heart fluttered with anticipation.
She stretched her neck to get a better view, waiting breathlessly as the mountain range gradually revealed the city hidden behind it.
"WOW!"
A breathless exclamation escaped Chen Linlin's lips, and her eyes sparkled with excitement at the sight of her home.
Towering walls, tens of thousands of houses, hundreds of thousands residents, and thousands of experts had gathered in one place, forming the last surviving city in the world.
Glory City.
Even Chen Zhenlong couldn't help smiling at the awestruck expression on his daughter's face.
Truthfully, he was somewhat overwhelmed by the sight himself.
This was the first time he had seen Glory City from such a great height. He was accustomed to viewing the entire city from atop its walls or from the surrounding mountains.
Seeing the whole city spread out beneath him as he floated through the sky felt surreal, even to him.
"Uncle Zhenlong, we're already at the North Gate."
Xue Hui's voice sounded in Chen Zhenlong's mind, pulling him out of his thoughts.
"Are you ready to see your mothers again, Lin'er?" Chen Zhenlong asked.
Chen Linlin responded with an enthusiastic nod and a wide smile.
Without another word, Chen Zhenlong glided down toward the North Gate, where Xue Hui and Silver were waiting for them.
---
Glory City Wall, North Gate
The North Gate had been the Divine Family's assigned post for more than a decade, and most of the experts stationed there belonged to the family.
Recently, while investigating the culprit behind Chen Linlin's poisoning, Xue Hui and Chen Zhenlong had agreed that it would be best to keep Chen Zhenlong's breakthrough to Legend Rank a secret until they identified the perpetrator.
Only a select few people would be informed of the truth.
These included Chen Zhenlong's wives and his father.
Chen Zhenlong believed that, as Chen Linlin's mothers and grandfather, they deserved to know what had happened during their absence.
He also decided to inform Lord Ye Mo and the City Lord.
As two of Glory City's leading protectors, they carried an enormous responsibility for keeping its people safe. Chen Zhenlong believed they deserved to know the true extent of his strength, especially now that he had reached Legend Rank. Doing so would help ease some of the burden weighing on their shoulders.
Only a handful of people truly understood how precarious Glory City's situation was.
As one of its strongest protectors, Chen Zhenlong knew all too well how much responsibility Ye Mo and the City Lord bore.
When he explained his plan to Xue Hui, the boy had no objections, provided that all knowledge of future events remained a secret between the two of them.
With two Legend Rank Demon Spiritualists and the two major families working together, Glory City would have a much better chance of growing stronger and keeping its people safe.
As for the Sacred Family, Chen Zhenlong had already lost whatever trust he might once have had in them.
According to Xue Hui, they had been responsible for Glory City's downfall in his previous life, leading to the deaths of countless people, including those he held dear, at the hands of demon beasts.
Unfortunately, Chen Zhenlong's impression of the Sacred Family had already been poor even before he learned of their betrayal.
The family was notorious for suppressing smaller families, bullying others, harassing businesses, and even seizing other family properties.
In the past, Chen Zhenlong had often been forced to turn a blind eye whenever the Sacred Family oppressed another family.
After all, disputes between families were relatively common. As an outsider, he had little reason to interfere in their affairs unless the conflicts escalated into open violence. Without clear evidence of wrongdoing, few people in Glory City would openly accuse the Sacred Family of abusing its position.
Now, however, everything he had learned about their betrayal had cast their past actions in a new light.
All those seemingly unrelated incidents suddenly fit together like pieces of a puzzle, revealing a much more troubling picture.
The Sacred Family could not be trusted.
Xue Hui shared the same opinion.
After landing, Chen Zhenlong spotted Xue Hui and Silver standing among the trees not far from the gate, waiting for them.
"Ra~ul!"
Seeing his master and Chen Linlin arrive, Silver trotted over to greet them.
"Hey, Silver! I saw you and Hui-Hui running earlier. You're so fast! That's amazing!" Chen Linlin exclaimed excitedly.
Still nestled in her father's arms, she reached out and patted Silver.
"RA~UL!"
Silver straightened proudly, clearly delighted by the praise. He had always loved receiving compliments from the little girl.
"The sun is about to set. Let's head home. I can't wait for your mothers to see you again," Chen Zhenlong said.
Chen Linlin giggled at the excitement in her father's voice as they made their way toward the North Gate.
"I can't wait to sleep in my room again. All my stuff is there," Xue Hui remarked casually as he followed behind the father and daughter.
"No, you don't! You're staying in my room, just like always. You're still my attendant, Hui-Hui. I need someone to sneak food to me at night!" Chen Linlin declared, peering over her father's shoulder.
"RAUL," Silver agreed with a nod.
"See? Even Silver thinks so!" Chen Linlin added triumphantly.
Xue Hui simply rolled his eyes and let out a long, exhausted sigh.
His reaction sent Chen Linlin into a fit of melodious laughter.
Amid their playful banter, they failed to notice that they had already arrived at the North Gate.
"L-LORD PATRIARCH! YOU'VE ALREADY COME OUT OF SECLUSION!?"
The sudden shout startled Chen Linlin, who instinctively tightened her grip on her father's clothes and turned toward the source of the voice.
A man wearing the uniform and crest of a Divine Family guard stood at the gate entrance.
His face had turned deathly pale. His body trembled visibly, and beads of sweat trickled down his forehead as he stood before Chen Zhenlong.
Although he belonged to the Divine Family, ordinary members rarely had the opportunity to meet the patriarch in person.
Having never faced someone so powerful, the young guard froze in place, unable to think clearly or even remember what he had intended to say.
Before Chen Zhenlong could address the poor fellow, another figure suddenly emerged from behind him, grabbed him by the head, and pushed it down into a bow.
"Chen Kuon greets Lord Patriarch! We're delighted to see that you've finally emerged from seclusion!" the old man announced.
Unlike the younger guard, the elderly man addressed Chen Zhenlong with remarkable ease.
"I'm glad to see you too, Old Man Kuon. You're looking great!" Chen Zhenlong replied warmly.
The old man let out a hearty laugh at the praise.
He had once served as the head of the Divine Family's North Gate guards, faithfully performing his duties for forty years. However, as age caught up with him and his cultivation began to decline, he had eventually been forced to pass the position on to his eldest son.
That hadn't stopped him from spending his days patrolling the city walls, even when no one had asked him to.
"These old bones are still holding up, Lord Patriarch! I owe it all to my wife for feeding me so well. Thanks to her, I'm aging gracefully!" Old Man Kuon replied proudly.
Chen Zhenlong chuckled.
He had many fond memories of the old guard, so he didn't mind the man's casual manner of speaking.
As they continued laughing, Old Man Kuon finally noticed that his lord was carrying a young girl, while a boy and a white donkey stood beside him.
Curious, the old man was about to ask who the children were.
"And who are th-"
Before he could finish, recognition suddenly dawned on him.
"Y-YOUNG MISS LINLIN!?"
"H-Hi!" Chen Linlin replied, nervously waving at the dumbfounded old man.
"Easy there, Senior. You're way too old to be getting this worked up. I can practically hear your heart struggling right now."
Hearing the small voice, Old Man Kuon turned toward the boy standing beside his lord.
The moment he recognized the familiar face, another realization struck him.
"D-DEAD-EYE BRAT, HO-!?"
"Sup!?"
"Urk!"
Before Old Man Kuon could finish shouting, Xue Hui pulled a pill from his interspatial ring and flicked it directly into the old man's mouth with remarkable precision.
The pill slid down his throat and into his stomach.
Almost immediately, its effects took hold. Old Man Kuon's tense body relaxed, his shoulders slumped, and his racing heartbeat gradually returned to normal.
Xue Hui had prepared the pill beforehand in case any members of Chen Zhenlong's family needed help calming down after seeing the results of their journey.
Judging by the peaceful expression that settled over Old Man Kuon's face, both Xue Hui and Chen Zhenlong concluded that the pill had worked as intended.
Without further ado, they proceeded toward the gate.
"There's no need to alert anyone. I'm heading straight home. Keep up the good work," Chen Zhenlong instructed the younger guard.
"Y-YES, LORD PATRIARCH!" the guard responded.
He immediately bowed so deeply that he nearly kowtowed, then glanced nervously at the old man beside him.
Meanwhile, Old Man Kuon gazed dreamily at the clouds, a blissful smile spreading across his face.
"Do you think my wife would want another child?" he murmured.
"O-OLD MAN KUON!?" the younger guard cried in horror.
Chen Zhenlong and Xue Hui exchanged a glance.
The next moment, both of them burst into laughter.
End of Chapter 29.