Chapter 283: I Am Back

"Hey, everyone..."

Before Wang Sheng could even finish what he was saying, the Hidden Earth Sect's elders had completely surrounded him, their aged faces blocking his vision.

"Is that really you, Fei Yu? You're actually still alive!"

"Say something, Fei Yu!"

Wang Sheng looked a little unsure how to explain. "I really am alive."

The Hidden Earth Sect elders began to cheer in unison.

An old woman joyfully exclaimed, "The heavens really do protect the righteous!"

An old man laughed heartily. "Glad to know you survived, Fei Yu! It seems even the heavens couldn't bear letting you die young when you leaped and sacrificed yourself all those years ago. It's a blessing you're still here!"

The people around Wang Sheng made quite a commotion. In truth, his sudden appearance had stunned most of the Hidden Earth Sect members. They all naturally knew that thirteen years ago, he had sacrificed himself to assist the princess of the Heavenly Court in preventing the Earth Qi Seal from breaking. Together, they had stopped the Small Nether Realm from colliding with the Mortal Realm, saving billions of lives from catastrophe.

Regardless of his cultivation progress, the leap that he had taken had earned him the title of "Hero." Now, though supposedly deceased, he had suddenly come back without any warning or prior message.

It was a tremendous shock.

The Hidden Earth Sect elders had never been particularly close to Wang Sheng. Their responsibility to guard the Small Nether Realm also isolated them from the broader cultivation world, which they didn't really benefit from.

They were simply genuinely happy that he had survived.

Finally, a middle-aged man shouted, "Quick, tell Fairy Bu Yu the good news!"

"No need to shout! Fairy Bu Yu is right there! She can hear you just fine!"

At last, the Hidden Earth Sect members came back to their senses and turned their gaze to Mu Wanxuan, who was standing quietly at the back of the crowd.

Mu Wanxuan was once known as a peerless fairy who stood proudly above the Nine Heavens. She was usually cold and distant, too, preferring to keep to herself.

Nevertheless, at that moment, her eyes were brimming with tears. She exuded a delicate sadness that could stir anyone's heart. Before Wang Sheng, she stood like a soft breeze brushing against willows—like a silent, gently glowing fairy.

The crowd gradually moved aside, allowing the martial siblings to see each other clearly for the first time in thirteen years.

Wang Sheng had thought that he would rush forward and hold her, but he did not. He had done hundreds of mental rehearsals and made multiple predictions, yet at that moment, his mind was blank.

Countless words reached his lips, but all he could offer was a calm smile. All the longing and worry in his eyes faded into the quiet elegance of the woman before him.

"I'm back."

"

Mm,

" Mu Wanxuan answered softly.

She pursed her lips and lowered her head. Soon after, she dashed forward, making her flicker slightly. The next moment, she was already standing before Wang Sheng.

With a trembling hand, she reached for his face. Her fingers shook slightly as she hesitated, but she still touched his cheek.

Wang Sheng smiled. "I'm alive. Still warm."

Mu Wanxuan immediately chuckled, then threw herself into his arms. Her small hands clutched his flowing celestial robe tightly, as if afraid that he would disappear again. Unable to hold back any longer, she began to sob.

Wang Sheng sighed quietly as he hugged his senior sister tightly. He then looked up at the sky.

One of the onlookers clapped, and the younger and middle-aged members of the Hidden Earth Sect followed. The elders took out their recording devices to snap photos.

Even though the Hidden Earth Sect did not belong to the mainstream cultivation world, they were still cultivators. Everyone had at least a few group chats.

Images of Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan embracing each other on the cliffside were sent out. The group chats immediately exploded. Within minutes, the news had spread throughout the active cultivation groups of all major sects.

Many members of the Hidden Earth Sect opened live streams in their groups to share the moment in real time, allowing more people to witness it. News about Wang Sheng's survival reached more ears.

Thanks to the internet, it only took fifteen minutes for the information to spread to the entire cultivation world. Several elders from the Shu Sword Sect, which was the closest sect to Mount Pingdu, immediately rode flying swords to the Hidden Earth Sect.

However, just as the Shu Sword Sect elders took to the skies, they received word that Wang Sheng had already departed. He had flown north on his celestial sword.

"Fei Yu is not dead?"

"How is that possible? I mean no disrespect, but this has to be fake news. It's probably a fan-made photo!"

"He used his body to seal the Earth Qi Immortal Spring and strengthen the Earth Qi Seal even though he was only at the Golden Core Realm. There's no way he could've survived that!"

"Let us not jump to conclusions. For now, let's wait and see how the situation develops. We should ask the Special Investigation Unit or the Cultivation Affairs Bureau."

***

In the top-floor office of a corporate building.

Interrupted during a remote meeting, Chi Ling frowned slightly. "News from the Hidden Earth Sect? Fei Yu's alive?"

She signaled for her secretary to pause, then glanced at the floating 3D projections of over a dozen high-level officials.

Chi Ling had already stepped down from her role as captain of the Special Investigation Unit and now only worked behind the scenes. Thanks to Qing Yanzi's care, she barely aged over the last thirteen years.

She calmly proposed to suspend the meeting. The other officials nodded, then turned to the young woman who had rushed in with the report.

"Elaborate, please," Chi Ling instructed.

"The third elder of the Hidden Earth Sect just finished a call with the Special Investigation Unit, Chief. According to him, Daoist Master Fei Yu suddenly appeared on the cliff behind Mount Pingdu. He likely returned through the Nether Gate with Lady Meng's help."

A trace of light appeared in Chi Ling's eyes.

"Are you sure it's Fei Yu?" she asked as she pressed a button on her desk. A small projection screen popped up, showing Qing Yanzi's avatar. However, it had a red bar under it, indicating a lack of signal.

No signal?

Twenty years ago, the Hua Republic had already installed millions of signal towers nationwide. Considering all the technological advancements that they had made, there was no way he wouldn't have any signal.

The young assistant whispered, "Daoist Master Bu Yan went northwest to apprehend the Siberian giant wolf, Chief. About ten minutes ago, they experienced a strong signal interference. They probably encountered foreign cultivators again, temporarily cutting off all communications with them."

"What about reinforcements?"

"They are already en route. Please don't worry. We have contingency plans in place, and our enemies are all moving within our expectations."

"Good." Chi Ling nodded and gestured for the assistant to leave quickly.

Fei Yu's alive...

Her stern expression finally softened. She looked at Qing Yanzi's projection softly.

***

Inside a certain Hua Republic television station's live variety show studio.

A web variety program called "Voices of Cultivation" was currently on air.

Thanks to advancements in 3D projection and communications, full-scale remote holographic appearances were now possible. It made long-distance debates just as exciting as in-person arguments.

At that moment, three middle-aged Sakura Island individuals in traditional clothing were loudly accusing the Hua Republic cultivation world of interfering in Sakura Island's internal matters.

Just days ago, the Sakura Island cultivators had launched a "revival operation." In truth, it was an assassination plan that targeted some of Sakura Island's small northern islands, which the Saros Empire had long since occupied. However, during their operation, they encountered several Daoist masters who were simply fishing.

In fluent Hua language, one of the middle-aged men from Sakura Island let out an angry shout.

—You are shamelessly forming alliances with the strong to oppress the weak. How shameless of you to collude like wolves and jackals with the Saros Empire!

"Oh? Colluding now, are we?" someone mocked from the side, each word dripping with sarcasm.

The middle-aged man instantly tensed up, as if facing a powerful enemy.

Across from the three sat a Daoist with spiky hair, legs casually propped up on the table. Keeping a completely carefree demeanor, he lazily stretched and set down the nail file in his hand.

The cameras zoomed in on Shi Qianzhang of the Longhu Mountains, a talisman genius who was now ranked twelfth on the Earthly Rankings. People often referred to him as the Human Cannon.

Shi Qianzhang chuckled scornfully. He then coolly replied, "'Wolves and jackals' isn't exactly a flattering phrase, you know. Over the past few years, the cultivation world of the Hua Republic has done quite a bit to support your nation. Plenty of humanitarian aid, too. If this is how you repay us, then you're nothing but ungrateful.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"If you call yourselves weak, then calling us a 'strong alliance' would be more appropriate. My senior uncle and the other seniors were just fishing at the time. When your ninjas got caught on a hook, they jumped out to fight. You can't really blame us for your defeat.

"How about I teach you a new idiom? 'Officials shielding one another...' No, that doesn't quite fit, since we Daoist cultivators aren't your officials. Then how about this: take back what you just said about 'colluding like wolves and jackals,' and change it to 'daddies teaming up' or 'daddies protecting each other[1].' How does that sound?"

—Shi Qianzhang, you bastard! You're pushing things too far!

Shi Qianzhang's suit had become slightly wrinkled.

"Relax. You're the ones who came to our show to start trouble. Is that not going too far?" He shrugged lazily. "This whole thing is just..."

Bzz, bzz!

His smartwatch vibrated. While still making witty remarks, he glanced at the screen and stopped mid-sentence. It showed a photo of two figures embracing each other tightly.

Shi Qianzhang jumped up in shock, startling the two younger Daoist masters beside him. "Whoa, what the heck?!"

The media crew, who often worked with him, looked completely confused. At a loss, all they could do was watch him leap and dart around like a monkey.

At the height of his excitement, Shi Qianzhang jumped on the table and shouted at the three Sakura Island representatives, "The man is back, you hear?! He

is

back! If you want to fight, then come at us. If not, get lost. I am out! Director, settle my check!"

He stormed out of the studio, laughing and running toward the nearby "cultivator takeoff platform."

***

Deep in a desert northwest of the Hua Republic.

Several figures flew through the air. Below, armored vehicles raced toward a sandstorm.

A fierce battle had broken out in the dust-filled land. From both the ground and the air, over thirty cultivators from the Hua Republic, dressed in Daoist robes and camouflage suits, were launching a fierce assault on a terrifying giant wolf that was more than twenty meters long.

Near the wolf, the sandy ground split open from time to time, making it seem as though the desert was opening wide mouths. From the holes emerged a massive sandworm over thirty meters long.

The two fiends seemed to possess intelligence. They were even coordinating their attacks. However, every time the sandworm tried to strike, a middle-aged Daoist master would appear above it and slam golden palm phantasms onto it, leaving it dazed and reeling.

The Daoist master was unhurried and composed, as if he were merely taking a stroll through a garden. No matter how the sandworm tunneled through the desert, he would always reach the exact spot where the fiend would surface just a moment before the fiend.

While keeping the sandworm at bay, he also kept track of the entire battlefield. He even issued commands to the cultivators and Special Warfare Unit soldiers attacking the giant wolf.

Beyond the core battle group, dozens of foreign cultivators moved through the sandstorm. Special Warfare Unit elites intercepted them, barring them from rescuing the giant wolf.

The middle-aged Daoist's gaze remained calm. Even with communications disrupted, he seemed entirely in control, as though everything was well within his grasp. Only when a sword radiance suddenly tore through the sandstorm did he look surprised.

Reinforcements? Already? Is it an elder from the Shu Sword Sect? That definitely looks like their Sword-Controlling Art. Good. That saves us a lot of trouble.

The middle-aged Daoist master struck downward with his palm, cleaving through the air and once again suppressing the sandworm below. As he once again detected the sandworm's location and positioned himself accordingly, the sword radiance swept close and erupted into a dazzling blaze of light.

Like a flowing ribbon, it stretched and sliced across a hundred meters in the sky. Thunderbolts crackled around it, unleashing a deafening roar that could seemingly overturn heaven and earth.

The celestial sword in the sword radiance easily pierced through the giant wolf's neck, decapitating it. It made the fiend's unimaginably tough hide, which had withstood high-energy laser beams, seem as thin as paper.

The wolf's head, as large as a truck cab, was blasted away as the sword radiance swiftly gathered itself and condensed back into a flying sword. Right after, it cleaved into the sand below like a bolt of lightning, leaving a pale-white trail behind it.

The middle-aged Daoist master, hair streaked with white at the temples, was momentarily stunned.

Did they send the Shu Sword Sect's sect master? Daoist Master Qing Long had only just entered the Heavenly Abode Realm, though. How could he possibly be this powerful already?

Through the rushing wind, someone shouted behind him, "Master!"

The Daoist master trembled. His hands, which had never once wavered even before the strongest of enemies, now visibly shook.

He turned his head. Amid the vast swirling sand and dust quietly stood a young man and woman. The sword cultivator on the left knelt in midair.

1. In Chinese culture, asking someone to call you daddy is a way of mocking them as weak ☜