Chapter 712: Xi Lian and Qinglin Meet

Wang Sheng looked at Xiaomiao with affection as he ruffled her hair. His smile was so wide that it almost reached the back of his head.

He had not wanted Xiaomiao to come out this early, especially since her cultivation level was still too low to keep herself safe. However, since she insisted, Wang Sheng chose to respect her decision. Besides, he was already strong enough to protect her in this part of the ancient battlefield.

Wang Xiaomiao squinted happily as she repeatedly called out, "Brother! Big Brother! Brother! Big Big Brother!"

Wang Sheng kept nodding in response, unable to stop himself from looking at her from head to toe.

Despite the slower flow of time in the Realm of Exiled Immortals, she had already fully matured. She still looked like she was only sixteen or seventeen, though, likely because of her cultivation. Aside from becoming more slender... she still had not developed much.

Two massive shuttles slowly emerged from the wormhole. The one in front stabilized first, and people immediately leaped out of it. When they saw Wang Sheng, they quickly lined up beside the shuttle, preparing to step forward and greet him.

Looking at the shuttle at the back, Wang Sheng lit up. He gently pushed Xiaomiao into Lishang's arms. "Xiaomiao, that's Sister Lishang. Lishang, help me look after my sister for a moment."

Smiling, Lishang nodded and lowered her gaze at Xiaomiao.

The latter flushed a little as she softly called out, "Sister Lishang."

"

Mm,

" Lishang replied gently. She took out two storage artifacts—a hairpin and a ribbon—and said in a soft, ancient tone, "See if you like them."

She had prepared so many small gifts beforehand that just one storage artifact would not have been enough to hold them all.

A group of men and women dressed in camouflage clothing had rushed out of the front shuttle. Soon after, people in Daoist robes stepped out of the second shuttle. Several white-haired elders also flew out among them. When they saw Wang Sheng, they all raised their hands in greeting.

Among the elders, Wang Sheng recognized Yuan Pu Zhenren of the Wudang Mountains and Qing Long of the Shu Sword Sect the quickest. The others also looked familiar; they were all senior figures who had been cultivating in the Daoist sects even before the resurgence of primal qi on Earth.

Back then, after Wang Sheng had subdued Long Liekong and defied fate to revive Qinglin using the dragon's fiend core, he sent a message back home.

At the time, Zhang Zikuang and Huai Jing discussed the matter and decided not to tell Xi Lian the truth. They only said that help was needed outside and that Xi Lian, who was already an immortal, was required.

The message itself was simple, but those back home misunderstood it as Wang Sheng and the others being in trouble. After discussions among the Daoist sects, they cooperated with the Special Warfare Unit to organize their first auxiliary expedition.

No matter how dangerous the endless space could be and how much stronger its cultivation system was compared to Earth's, they would never abandon someone like Wang Sheng, who had risked his life to carve a path forward.

Now, two large shuttles had arrived, both filled to capacity. Their elite force was composed of over a hundred people from the Special Warfare Unit and the Daoist sects.

Wang Sheng cupped his hands. "Greetings, esteemed seniors!"

The Daoist elders, masters, and disciples who were curiously observing their surroundings all returned the salute.

Yuan Pu Zhenren laughed. "Fei Yu, we have come to rely on you!"

Wang Sheng smiled. "You are too kind, Senior. I am only a precursor. Anyway, there is no need for everyone to come out just yet. We're only at the other end of the wormhole, which is still some distance away from our destination."

The Special Warfare Unit elites who had just lined up swiftly returned to the shuttle. The Daoist masters who were about to come out also turned back. Only four instructors and team leaders on the same level as Zhang Zikuang, along with a few elder Daoists, gathered around Wang Sheng.

"Special Warfare Unit's first off-planet auxiliary division, reporting for duty! Daoist Master Fei Yu, under orders from higher-ups, you may issue any combat or operational commands!"

Hearing the familiar cadence of their speech warmed Wang Sheng's heart. He returned the salute. "Good. Everyone, take a rest for now. Instructor Zhang Zikuang will brief you on the situation out here shortly."

He then looked around, searching for the main person of the day. "Where is Big Sister?"

A female in the second shuttle used voice transmission to speak in a lazy, charming tone. She sounded soft and alluring, teasing the heart just enough to stir it.

"Oh? You still remember me, Little Fei Yu? Surrounded by so many beauties now, yet you still think of me, an outdated fox immortal."

Wang Sheng smiled. "How could you ever be outdated, Big Sister?"

At the shuttle's entrance stepped out a graceful figure in a long dress that fell in layered folds and a jade belt that wrapped around her slender waist. She was alluring and strikingly beautiful.

Dark hair framed her face, blending with her headscarf like drifting clouds. She also had glowing skin, which perfectly matched her soft and delicate hands. Moreover, her bright eyes shimmered with life, and her crimson lips, which hid a wise tongue, were curved into her signature charming smile.

Xi Lian gazed ahead as she prepared to tease Wang Sheng.

At that moment, a sword hum rang out. Yaoyun and Lin Yun flew out from the wormhole, and Yaoyun immediately stood before Wang Sheng, blocking Xi Lian's path.

Xi Lian faltered. "Whatever. You still guard him so closely, Your Highness."

Yaoyun replied calmly, "It is not that I am guarding him. Have you not noticed yet? Look below."

Smiling, Wang Sheng also stepped aside. "Take a look. See who that is."

Xi Lian looked down as confusion flickered in her eyes. Her immortal perception spread outward. Soon, she saw the young Daoist master standing quietly below, looking up at her with his hands clasped behind his back.

She trembled and stepped back twice, unable to say a word. Her eyes shimmered with tears. She rushed forward a few steps, but just as she was about to leap down, she stopped again. She reached out and grabbed Wang Sheng's arm.

Her voice trembled. "Y-you are not tricking me, are you?!"

Wang Sheng patted Xi Lian's hand. With a serious expression, he answered, "I might joke with you about anything else, but never about this. When I first met him, he was neither truly alive nor dead. A celestial gate called the Celestial Wind Sect had turned him into a war slave.

"At that time, to save Lishang and me, he broke free from those corrupt arts and chose death without hesitation, which devastated me. The thought of you never getting to see him again made me feel deeply guilty toward you, Big Sister. After all, I was the one who had injured him gravely enough to eliminate all of his chances to survive.

"But later, things took a turn. To create a war slave, half of a cultivator's Primordial Spirit has to be stored inside a banner. Hence, I had a late-stage Heavenly Immortal Realm dragon steal that banner, then fused half of Daoist Master Qinglin's Primordial Spirit with the same dragon's fiend core, ultimately bringing him back to life.

"I did not tell you earlier because I did not want you to suffer on the way here. You may have only traveled for less than a year, but everything I just said happened decades ago."

War slave... Torn Primordial Spirit...

Xi Lian forced her eyes open, holding back the tears. She asked, "When will the Celestial Wind Sect be destroyed?"

"I wiped them out myself decades ago." Wang Sheng sighed softly, then smiled. "Go on. Do not let my effort go to waste."

He gently shook his arm and loosened Xi Lian's grip. A mass of immortal power then wrapped around her and slowly sent her down a hundred

zhang.

Now, the person she had thought of for a thousand years, waited a thousand years for, and fallen into devilry for, stood less than twenty zhang away.

She stared at him quietly for a while. Finally, she covered her mouth and broke into raw and piercing sobs.

Tears streamed down her face. She had thought she had let go, yet at that moment, she realized the pain remained deep in her heart.

This cry had been delayed for a thousand years.

Qinglin's eyes also reddened, but he suppressed it with his fiendish immortal power. He called out gently, "Little Lian..."

"Why did you seal me back then?!" Xi Lian bit her lip, her chest rising and falling. "I want to hear the answer directly from you. Why did you seal me?!"

Qinglin closed his eyes and sighed deeply.When he opened his eyes again, they had become as clear as ever. He calmly answered, "The Heavenly Court issued an order to wipe out all fiends and devils on Earth, then seal its primal qi in preparation for war.

"Santong and I were both close to you. Our bond was deep. Since I could not bear to see the celestial soldiers slay you, I sealed you under the Shu Mountains first. I was hoping that once the Heavenly Court left, Santong or the Shu Sword Sect's disciples would set you free."

"Then why did you not say anything that day?!"

"When I sealed you, the celestial soldiers had already arrived. I didn't get the chance to speak."

Xi Lian broke into tears again. She slowly crouched in midair and hugged herself, just like back in the darkness of the Devil-Sealing Well, where her small fiend soul had curled up alone.

Many people in the two shuttles felt their eyes moisten as well.

Xiaomiao whispered a few words to Lishang and flew over with her. She wrapped her arms around Xi Lian and softly tried to comfort her.

Wang Sheng rubbed his nose, feeling a faint sting in his chest. He stood with his hands behind his back, a trace of starlight flickering in his eyes. All the suffering he had endured in the blood mine finally felt worth it.

Qinglin sighed quietly as he waited for Xi Lian to release her emotions.

In the distance, Qing Long was already in tears. He wiped his nose and sighed with emotion. "The love and hatred between Forefather Qinglin and Senior Xi Lian is... deeply moving."

"I thought you would say something more profound." Yuan Pu Zhenren laughed as he pulled Qing Long's arm. "Do not go down and interrupt now. You can pay your respects later."

"Do I look that tactless?" Qing Long covered his face and sighed. "To have made it all the way to the resurgence of heaven and earth's primordial qi... I really am fortunate."

Wang Sheng turned to Yaoyun and noticed that his sword spirit's eyes were also red. Smiling, he teased, "Aren't you a sword now? Are your tears just sword oil?"

Yaoyun rolled her eyes in irritation, then kicked him.

Everyone waited quietly for Xi Lian to stop crying, stand up, wipe away her tears, and curve her lips into a charming smile again.

She looked even more alluring than before, and she had a touch less of her fiendish aura.

She smiled at Wang Sheng. In a slightly hoarse tone, she said, "Thank you, Little Fei Yu. If Daoist Master Qinglin still rejects me, I will repay this great favor by giving myself to you."

Momentarily speechless, Wang Sheng forced a grin. "I do not mind you, Big Sister, but I cannot accept being a backup. Now, go on. You two still have a lot to take care of! Why not stay here for a while? I will send everyone else to our base of operations first."

Xi Lian replied softly, "Alright."

She drifted down and landed at the base of the great Buddha statue, standing before Qinglin. With her hands behind her back, she rose slightly onto her toes and pressed her lips together. "Shall we have a proper chat about our feelings?"

Smiling gently, Qinglin nodded. A hint of emotion showed in his eyes. "

Mm.

"

Behind them, Xiaomiao tried to say something, but realized that sound could not travel in space. Her cultivation was still far too shallow for her to use voice transmission, which made her anxious.

Lishang raised a hand and lightly tapped Xiaomiao's neck. "You can speak now."

Xiaomiao had no idea how advanced the technique was. She simply shouted at the top of her lungs, her words echoing throughout the great Buddha statue.

"Big Sister, do not chicken out! Sleep with him!"

Wang Sheng's mouth twitched. Flying over silently, he bonked his sister on the head.

Laughter erupted from the shuttles above as Xi Lian flushed bright red.

Unexpectedly, she could still show such a girlish side.