You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

Without making a sound, Chen Yang picked up a slice of bright green okra and put it in his mouth. After the sweet and crisp taste, a warm and cool, pure aroma, like the morning dew of early spring, quietly seeped into his stomach, subtle and refreshing!

This feeling...

Living Yama and Wang Shengxiong had already begun to enjoy their meal. Living Yama kept serving food to his daughter, his eyes full of affection, and he did not notice Chen Yang's unusual behavior for the time being.

Wang Shengxiong ate until he was covered in sweat, exclaiming how satisfying it was.

"Five-star hotels are really different! Even the vegetables are more tender than those outside!"

Chen Tingting ate quietly, her eyes revealing a calmness she hadn't shown before, and a subtle, unusual charm.

The meal was enjoyed in a harmonious and warm atmosphere.

In the end, Chen Tingting put down her spoon.

She looked at her father with clear and firm eyes.

"Dad, I have something I want to discuss with you."

"Hmm? What do you say, daughter?"

Chen Tianxiong wiped his mouth, a doting smile on his face.

"During my time away, I... I thought a lot. I saw a broader world."

Chen Tingting paused, a resolute longing appearing in her eyes.

"I don't want to be a hothouse flower anymore. Dad... I want to learn some skills! I want to join a... sect for cultivation. The Qingwei Sect."

"Cultivation?"

Chen Tianxiong's smile froze instantly, and his brows furrowed into a knot.

"Why did you suddenly choose to cultivate this path? Aren't those martial arts skills enough? Or... is it because of this experience..."

His tone became stern.

"Daughter! Did those people instill some bad ideas in you?! Tell Dad!"

"Dad! It's not someone else!"

Chen Tingting was very stubborn, and her eyes showed no sign of backing down.

"It's my own desire to become stronger! Only by becoming stronger can I truly protect myself and not be a burden to you!"

She gripped the napkin tightly in her hand.

"Being arrested this time... has taught me so much!"
Those experiences... I want to turn them into my strength!

The father and daughter's gazes locked in a tense standoff in mid-air.

The excitement and blush on Chen Tianxiong's face faded, and his expression became terrifyingly gloomy.

He suddenly looked at Chen Yang and Wang Shengxiong, his eyes so sharp they seemed to pierce through people's hearts.

"Brother Chen... does this have anything to do with you?"

"dad!"

Chen Tingting's voice was pleading.

"It has nothing to do with Yang Ge and the others! I made the choice myself! Please don't ask!"

The atmosphere in the private room suddenly became somewhat tense.

Wang Shengxiong dared not breathe too loudly, keeping his eyes down and his mind focused.

Chen Yang simply drank his tea calmly, seemingly ignoring the argument between father and daughter.

After a long while, Chen Tianxiong let out a long, heavy breath, as if a heavy wall had suddenly relaxed.

He took a deep look at the unwavering determination and longing in his daughter's eyes, then glanced at Chen Yang's calm face with a sense of helplessness and exhaustion.

He was, after all, a ruthless and cunning man who had dominated his life, his mind racing. His daughter, having experienced such a great calamity, would inevitably have a changed personality.

She's determined to take this path; forcing her will only add to her inner turmoil.

More importantly... the Qingwei School? This name seems to be vaguely connected to some fragments of information about "true masters"... Having some knowledge is better than being a headless fly!

"……All right."

Chen Tianxiong's voice was somewhat hoarse and weak, yet it carried a sense of relief after everything had settled down.

"Dad... I promise you."

But you must promise Dad you'll protect yourself! If anyone dares to bully you…

"Okay, Dad! Thank you, Dad!"

Chen Tingting's face melted like ice, revealing a long-lost radiant smile.

Chen Tianxiong shook his head, forced a smile, waved his hand, and picked up his wine glass again.

"Come on, come on, eat and drink! Today is a good day!"

***

Dinner ended. Everyone walked out of the hotel. The island night carried a warm, slightly salty scent.

Chen Tianxiong's convoy of luxury cars came to pick him up.

He insisted that Chen Tingting stay with him for one night, and Lei Tingting couldn't go against her father's wishes.

Wang Shengxiong also said hello, preparing to return to his lively seaside bar to sleep for a few days and nights, washing away the blood and fire of Africa from his bones.

Chen Yang declined the offer of a ride from the "Living Yama" and walked back to his luxurious riverside hotel suite alone.

The heavy solid wood door had just closed, shutting out the sea breeze and noise outside. The suite was now quiet, save for the silent flow of the city's dazzling night view outside the window. Suddenly, the soft bedside phone rang. The crisp ringtone sounded somewhat abrupt in the spacious room.

Chen Yang picked up the receiver.

"Which one?"

"...It's me."

Chen Tingting's voice came from the other end of the phone, carrying a hint of barely perceptible urgency and a firmness that had dissipated after hesitation.

"Brother Yang...I...I didn't disturb your rest, did I?"

"No."

After a brief silence, one could almost hear soft breathing on the other end of the phone.

"Can I go there now? I want to... I want to go to that place... to cultivate."

She omitted the name of that magical place, using only a vague reference.

"I promised you I'd work hard! Let's start tonight!"

His tone became unusually firm at the end, carrying a do-or-die determination.

Chen Yang's eyes flickered slightly.

This girl, rescued from despair and then planted with a seed by Li Rou in that Sumeru space, possesses a steadfastness in her cultivation that far surpasses ordinary people's imagination.

"I'll text you the address later. Remember it."

Chen Yang's voice was deep and serious.

"Under no circumstances, not even to your father or your closest relatives, do not utter a single word about the existence of that place." "I understand! Yang-ge, I swear! Absolutely! I will never tell anyone!"

Chen Tingting's voice was resolute.

"Including my dad!"

"Okay. Come on. I'll be waiting for you at the hotel."

About forty minutes later, a soft knock sounded on the door.

Chen Tingting, who was standing outside the door, had changed out of her hotel bathrobe and was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans. Her hair was still a little wet, so she had obviously just finished showering and rushed over.

His eyes were bright and resolute.

Chen Yang opened the door, stepped aside to let her in, and closed the door behind him.

Chen Tingting stood in the center of the spacious living room of the luxury suite, looking at the neon night view outside the window, yet it was as if her gaze passed through them and landed in nothingness.

She took a deep breath, turned around, and looked at Chen Yang with a searching and longing look in her eyes.

"Brother Yang... I'm ready."

Chen Yang nodded and said nothing more.

His mind stirred slightly.

hum...

Centered on the two people, subtle, transparent ripples, like waves on water, rippled through the air.

The surrounding luxurious furniture, huge floor-to-ceiling windows, and dazzling city night view... are like a frame-out image, instantly blurry, distorted, and faded!
The next second, as if a magician had drawn back the curtain, all the luxury and noise vanished instantly.

Suddenly, everything became clear!
The fresh, vibrant scent of earth and the clean aroma of grass and trees waft towards you, a hundred times purer than the world's finest forest oxygen bars! Instead of city noise, you hear the babbling of streams, the clear chirping of birds, and the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze, all weaving together into a beautiful symphony of nature.

The sunlight was soft and bright, yet not glaring, filtering through the gaps in the branches and leaves of the tall, lush, unnamed ancient tree and casting dappled golden light.

The sky was a pure, deep blue, dotted with wisps of silky white clouds, giving it a lofty and serene appearance.

As far as the eye can see, the earth presents a strange yet harmonious landscape.

In the distance, a white-walled courtyard with an ancient and elegant design, upturned eaves, and resembling an ancient fairy abode, is partially hidden by lush trees. One can faintly hear clear shouts or brief fluctuations of spiritual energy emanating from within.

That was the main peak area where "Fairy Li Rou" and the first batch of cultivators rescued from the trial grounds voluntarily stayed to live and teach disciples.

In the foreground, along the banks of several clear, winding streams that reflect the blue sky and white clouds, a dozen or so villages of varying sizes are scattered in a staggered pattern, like mushrooms after the rain!

These villages are extremely simple and primitive, mostly consisting of huts built from logs and rattan, or simply carved out from natural rock caves.

But upon closer inspection, each small village was surrounded by several neatly cultivated fields, planted with strange, shimmering spirit grains or herbs. Between the villages, there were clearly marked, winding paths worn into the ground.

Further into the gentler valleys, countless simple wooden cabins, treehouses, and even tents entwined with vines of various shapes and sizes are scattered like stars in the sky.

These were clearly temporary dwellings set up by the rescued individuals who were unwilling to join major sects or who preferred to live alone. Wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys, bringing with them the warmth of human life.

You can see people moving around in the middle.

Some were wearing tattered modern clothes and were bending over carefully weeding and removing insects in the fields; others were wearing coarse linen clothes that they had somehow gotten their hands on and were sitting on the rocks by the stream, meditating with their eyes closed and their expressions calm and focused.
Several groups of three or five were gathered together, seemingly practicing some basic boxing or footwork they had just learned clumsily but earnestly in front of a makeshift wooden target; from the depths of the valley, the carefree sounds of children chasing and playing could even be heard!

The spiritual energy was no longer a pervasive mist, but rather flowed like water, nourishing all living things in this space. The trees were exceptionally lush and tall, with abundant branches and leaves. Wildflowers and exotic plants were everywhere, blooming with extraordinary vibrancy, shimmering with a lively halo.

This was quite different from the last time he had hastily thrown people in.

At that time, it was still a primitive and chaotic place, like a place of exile.

In a short time, under the guidance of Li Rou and a few other people with organizational skills, this group of people who had been thrown to the bottom of fate but unexpectedly gained protection and hope have taken root tenaciously in this small, secluded paradise, forming their own order, a kind of nascent paradise full of vitality and a desire for exploration, somewhere between a secluded sect and an ideal home.

Inside the main hall of the Sumeru Space, Chen Yang stepped onto the smooth, polished jade floor, looking at the ancient palaces rising from the ground around him with their upturned eaves and the gold-lacquered window frames shimmering with understated brilliance under the ever-flowing spatial light.

A mountain breeze blew by, carrying the unique pure spiritual energy of the space and the faint fragrance of grass and trees emanating from the newly cultivated spiritual fields. It stirred the bronze bells hanging at the edge of the square in front of the hall, producing a series of ethereal and refreshing sounds.

"Thank you for your trouble, Fellow Daoist Li Rou."

Holding his younger sister Chen Tingting's hand, Chen Yang's gaze swept over the architectural complex that nestled against the mountain, displaying ingenuity and grandeur, and he sincerely praised it.

This place is more like the prototype of a true paradise than he had imagined.

Li Rou was still wearing that simple, moon-white Taoist robe, her temperament as aloof as snow on a mountain peak, and she nodded slightly.

"This place is blessed by heaven and earth. The space was born with spiritual energy from the very beginning. The people gathered here also have a strong will to live and piety. Given time, it will naturally take shape. Fellow Daoist Chen's actions have brought great benefits."

Her gaze fell on the quiet yet curious Chen Tingting, and her expression softened.

"Young friend, please follow me."

Chen Tingting looked up at her brother.

Chen Yang squatted down, gently squeezed her small hand, and said softly.

"Listen to me, and learn skills from Sister Li Rou."

It's safe here. Your brother will come to see you as soon as he's done with his work outside.

"Ok!"

The little girl nodded emphatically, her eyes now holding a different kind of brilliance—a hope for the future truly awakened after leaving that hell.

She obediently let go of Chen Yang's hand and stepped towards Li Rou.

Li Rou took Tingting's hand and said to Chen Yang.

"Rest assured, fellow Daoist, everyone here possesses wisdom, especially after experiencing that ordeal, their willpower far surpasses that of ordinary people."

Lei Ting is now the backbone of the group, leading them in cultivating the spirit fields and spontaneously practicing simple body-refining breathing techniques. Given time, this place might truly become a formidable blessed sect.

She paused, her words carrying a hidden meaning.

"Among those hundred or so women, there may be some with special physical constitutions who are unaware of it. Once their foundation is more solid, I will investigate them carefully."

Chen Yang felt a slight stirring in his heart, knowing that Li Rou was reminding him of the future value of this "asset".

Their value lies not only in their combat prowess, but also in the fact that they are witnesses who survived the Pandora base, and the secrets and potential they carry.

"I understand, thank you for your hard work, fellow Daoist."

After entrusting his younger sister to her care, he surveyed the space again, watching the women who had previously appeared lifeless and with vacant eyes now toiling away in the spirit fields, their faces showing a focused glow, though they were still thin. Lei Ting, in particular, was like a female general leading an army, directing them methodically and encouraging them loudly...

A settlement, sustained by the will to survive and a faint spiritual energy, is tenaciously and steadfastly taking root and sprouting.

Chen Yang finally felt completely at ease, and with a thought, he left the Sumeru Space.

The night in the real world is deep. The humid air of Hainan carries the salty smell of the sea, completely different from the spiritual energy within the Sumeru Dimension.

Exhaustion from the long and arduous journey of the battle washed over Chen Yang, who collapsed onto the soft bed in his hotel room and fell asleep almost instantly.

This is the body's instinctive repair of the aftereffects of his forceful resistance against the gods.

The next day, as the sun rose, Chen Yang reappeared downstairs at the Lina family's trading company.

He straightened the coat he had casually changed into the night before and walked calmly toward the CEO's office area.

As soon as the door was pushed open, John's handsome face, which clearly showed signs of pent-up dissatisfaction and now seemed to have found an outlet for it, came into view.

"Chen Yang!"

John raised his voice deliberately, his tone accusatory and sarcastic.

"You still know how to show up? You were absent from work all day yesterday without a valid reason! You didn't even follow the most basic leave application procedure! (End of Chapter)"