Genius Beast Tamer

[Read the full text of this error-free, first-release novel – your best choice!]

Tianfeng looked deeply into the sincerity in Han Wuxie's eyes, remained silent for a long time, still somewhat suspicious.

He said in a low voice, "If you really are Xie'er, shouldn't you hate me, your father? I'm the one who wrote the divorce papers, drove away your mother, drove you away, and drove away your brother! I'm a sinner; you should hate me!"

Han Wuxie hurriedly shook his head, "No, we know Father's difficulties, and Mother knows too. Uncle has already told Mother everything about you and analyzed your thoughts. Mother knows you're doing this to protect us, and that's why you're pretending to be a villain!"

Tianfeng's eyes lit up slightly, and he said in a hoarse voice, "She understands me? Does Rou'er really understand me?"

"Father, Mother understands. Mother has been looking for you. Come back with us!" Han Wuxie looked at Tianci and said, "Tianci, say something too. Don't always keep your head down."

Han Tianci slightly raised his head, but before he could speak, Tianfeng looked at him affectionately and asked softly, "Tianci? Is your current name Tianci?"

Han Wuxie nodded and said, "Grandpa changed our names. I am now called Han Wuxie, and my younger brother is no longer called Tianmiao. He is called Han Tianci."

"It was meant to be a gift from heaven!" Tianfeng looked deeply at Han Tianci, but then said nervously, "Child, you must be a stranger to me. I failed in my responsibilities as a father. I left you after your one-month celebration. You probably don't remember me at all, do you?"

Han Tianci lowered her eyes, took small steps forward, acting coy like a young girl, yet with a hint of stubbornness, and said softly, "Is it really as my sister said? Was Grandpa's guess correct? Did you become the villain to protect us?"

Tianfeng sighed deeply, feeling ashamed of himself. "If I weren't an incompetent father, if I had the strength to protect you, why would I have been the villain and driven you away? Ultimately, it's all my fault! I originally wanted to infiltrate the Tian family, kill my father with my own hands, and self-destruct, taking them all with me. That way, you would no longer be in danger. With me dead, Miss Cheng wouldn't bother you, and with my father dead, the Tian family wouldn't bother the Han family. But I never expected that in the end... sigh..." He sighed again.

Han Wuxie smiled slightly and said, "Father, do you believe us now? Do you believe we are your children?"

Tianfeng looked at Han Wuxie and sighed in a deep voice, "I really want to believe that if you are truly Xie'er, then you have the ability to protect your younger brother and your family! But your cultivation at the mid-stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm fills me with trepidation. Is such a master really that little girl whom the Tian family considered a good-for-nothing back then? Is she really my daughter, Tianfeng's daughter? Am I truly so fortunate to have such a promising child? It's all too unbelievable!"

Han Wuxie looked at Tianci, as if trying to prove something, and said with a playful smile, "Father, for us, cultivation is no longer difficult. If you don't believe me, and think that my becoming a mid-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal in just ten days is too incredible and unacceptable, then let Tianci prove it to you and let you witness with your own eyes how our cultivation has become stronger!"

"Proof?" Tianfeng hesitated.

Han Wuxie asked, "Tianci, can you also make the Root of God obey, just like my sister?"

Han Tianci nodded and said, "Yes, but it won't emit mist like my sister's Root of God."

"That's because we haven't eaten enough." Han Wuxie narrowed his eyes and sneered, "Shall we go find Nan Yu's enemies?"

"A Celestial Lord?" Han Tianci seemed to understand, narrowing his eyes and grinning mischievously, "Sister wants my Divine Root to devour a Celestial Lord's cultivation, right?"

Han Wuxie nodded meaningfully.

Upon hearing this, Tianfeng asked in surprise, "The Root of God can absorb the cultivation of others?"

Han Wuxie smiled proudly and explained, "The divine roots we cultivate are not innate, hence the mutation. They can absorb the cultivation of others and transform it into our own. In Father's eyes, my mid-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal cultivation is very difficult to achieve, but for me, it only takes an hour. My divine root once devoured the cultivation and root of a Netherworld Lord in the mortal realm. If I hadn't asked the divine root not to give me all its cultivation yet, but to let it refine and grow on its own, I could have even become a Celestial Lord within an hour!"

"Immortal Lord?" Tianfeng stared in disbelief, speechless for a long time.

Han Wuxie knew that these things were too difficult for his father to accept and too unbelievable. Others would spend tens of thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of years, or even a lifetime, and still not become an Immortal Lord until they died. But he told him that he could become an Immortal Lord in just one hour. If it were his past self, he probably would not have been able to accept it if someone told him this.

Only by letting Tianci testify and letting Dad witness it can we make it work. If we need to explain these things to the Han family in the future, we can let Dad, who witnessed it, talk to them. It is indeed difficult to explain to them one by one. Having a witness will make things easier in the future!

Han Wuxie thought slyly, while Hua Qianye had already summoned Nan Yu from the ring.

Nan Yu, who is now in the mid-stage of the Immortal Lord realm, has an extraordinary demeanor and unintentionally reveals the aura of an Immortal Lord.

Looking around, Nan Yu sighed with emotion, "Has the Immortal Realm finally returned?"

"Immortal Lord!" Tianfeng stared wide-eyed in disbelief. For family members like them, seeing a Grand Luo Golden Immortal was not difficult, but seeing an Immortal Lord was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which made Tianfeng excited.

Han Wuxie smiled slightly and said, "Father, this is my friend, named Nan Yu."

"Senior!" Tianfeng respectfully cupped his hands, showing his admiration and respect for a Celestial Lord expert.

Nan Yu paused, then looked at Han Wuxie. Hearing her call this man "father," he said somewhat awkwardly, "Don't be so polite. I should be calling your daughter 'Palace Master.' If you call me 'senior,' the hierarchy will really be a bit confusing!"

"Palace Master?" Tianfeng asked, somewhat bewildered.

Han Wuxie smiled wryly and said, "I'll explain this to Father later."

"Nan Yu, isn't it time to avenge your Nan family's past grievances?" Han Wuxie narrowed his eyes with a playful smile, raising an eyebrow as he said, "The only son of the Nan family, who fled to the mortal realm, was still hunted down, with the sole aim of wiping out your entire Nan family. Such a vicious person deserves to be punished, doesn't he?"

……

At the secluded peak, by the clear waters, in the southern part of the immortal realm, lies the largest sect, the Firefly Sect.

Nan Yu stood in front of the mountain gate, followed by Tian Feng, Han Wuxie, and Han Tianci.

"Is this the sect leader here?" Han Wuxie asked.

Nan Yu frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Before I descended to the mortal realm, it was just a small sect."

Tianfeng said, "I know a little about this. After the famous Nan family was wiped out, a large amount of their family's wealth flowed into the Firefly Sect. The Firefly Sect grew stronger day by day. Over time, no one remembers that this sect gained its current status by plundering the Nan family."

Nan Yu asked in a low voice, "That guy Yinghuo was already at the early stage of Immortal Lord back then. Do you know what his cultivation level is now?"

Tianfeng replied, "I don't know what his cultivation level is now. He went into seclusion a hundred years ago, seemingly preparing to break through to the mid-stage of the Immortal Lord realm. If he succeeded, he should be at the mid-stage of the Immortal Lord realm now. It's impossible for him to surpass the mid-stage of the Immortal Lord realm in such a short time."

"So, it's either the early or mid-stage of the Immortal Lord realm?" Nan Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold glint flashing in his pupils.

Han Wuxie laughed and said, "We won't stop you from dealing with your enemies, but don't kill them too quickly. Leave them alive."

"Why?" Nan Yu said in a low voice, "I wish I could kill him immediately. Why should I leave him alive to eke out a living? When he killed my father and humiliated my mother, he left no room for maneuver at all."

"Keeping him alive is not the same as letting him live." Han Wuxie looked at Han Tianci and said, "As you know, those of us who are born without spiritual roots, after defying the heavens, all grow mutated spiritual roots with strange devouring abilities."

"I know that. Just like Yuqiong's current spiritual root, not only can its level increase along with her cultivation, but it can also devour the cultivation and roots of others." Nan Yu smiled knowingly, "Could it be that you want to devour his immortal root and immortal lord cultivation, turning him into a cripple?"

Han Wuxie narrowed his venomous eyes and sneered, "Wouldn't this be more satisfying to vent your hatred than killing him?" Han Wuxie despised and loathed those who would not only wipe out an entire family but also insult a woman. Although he had never met Nan Yu's enemy, since Nan Yu had joined the Heavenly Star Evil Palace, he considered Nan Yu a relative. His relative's relative was also his relative. Since his relative had died, especially one who had been humiliated, Han Wuxie would not easily let Yinghuo go.

Nan Yu's gaze turned deep, as if he were lost in those endless painful memories.

At that time, he was in seclusion, preparing to break through his bottleneck. When he heard the screams outside the dark room, he wanted to rush out, but he heard his father, who was blocking the dark room, transmit a message to him, telling him to endure it. No matter what happened between him and his mother or the Nan family, he was not allowed to come out and had to hide in the dark room.

He was unwilling to listen to his father, but his father made him swear a poisonous oath and forced him to endure it, saying that as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn. As long as one member of the Nan family survives, someone will surely avenge today's grudge. If no one in the Nan family takes revenge because of his impulsiveness, even if he dies with his parents and goes to the underworld, they will no longer recognize him as their son.

Outside the dark room, the mother's screams, the father's wailing, the sounds of swords clashing—everything seemed as clear as ever. Even after thousands of years, everything from that day remained vivid in memory.

"Because he wanted to obtain our Nan family's most precious treasure, he became so ruthless. Let him become a useless piece of trash without any immortal roots or cultivation, and slowly wait for his lifespan to run out, enduring endless scorn. Only when someone who covets other people's treasures for the sake of cultivation ends up with nothing, even all the cultivation he originally possessed, will he truly feel deep regret!" Nan Yu's fists gradually tightened, and the fierce light in his eyes intensified.

……

Upon entering the Firefly Gate, the four of them made no attempt to conceal their abilities, openly displaying their cultivation levels. Before the Firefly Gate disciples could even observe Han Wuxie and the others' cultivation, they were already intimidated by Nan Yu and retreated, not daring to approach.

"His disciples are just like him, cowards who fear death and bully the weak!" Nan Yu sneered, grabbing a Firefly Sect disciple and coldly asking, "Where is your sect leader in seclusion?"

"Th-that...that..." The disciple pointed tremblingly to a place that was suspended in mid-air, the highest point in the entire Firefly Sect.

Nan Yu flung the man aside and leaped toward the floating pagoda.

How could he not recognize this pagoda? This was the treasure that Firefly had snatched from the Nan family back then!

Han Wuxie, Han Tianci, and Tianfeng followed Nan Yu into the pagoda.

"Who goes there, daring to trespass on this important place!" A long, drawn-out voice, filled with hostility, rang out.

"Heh heh, Firefly, aren't you going to come out and greet your old friend?" Nan Yu's smile was sinister and terrifying.

"Nan Yu?" The man recognized Nan Yu's voice instantly. After a moment of confusion, a man in black flew over.

The man was dressed in a tight black leather jacket, with wild, reddish hair and fluorescent green eyes.

The man coldly glanced at Nan Yu, Han Wuxie, and the others, and sneered, "Didn't you escape to the mortal realm? You lost several valuable subordinates, but you still couldn't be caught. You've delivered yourself right to my doorstep. I won't ask how you got back, but your cultivation is quite impressive. You've already reached the mid-stage of Immortal Lord in such a short time, haven't you?"

Nan Yu's expression turned surprised at the appearance of this person.

Han Wuxie said in a low voice, "Wasn't he supposed to be at the mid-stage of Immortal Lord? Why has he already reached the peak of Immortal Lord? And there's even a possibility of him breaking through!"

Han Tianci frowned and said, "How could someone's cultivation advance so rapidly in just a hundred years? A day in the Immortal Realm is equivalent to a year in the mortal realm. Nan Yu became a mid-stage Immortal Lord because he spent tens of millions of years in the mortal realm, but this person has only spent a hundred years and is already close to breaking through to the peak of the Immortal Lord? Could there be something strange about this tower?"

Han Tianci was extremely talented in weapon crafting and possessed an ancient talent similar to the Eye of Wisdom, yet he still couldn't decipher the mysteries of this tower.

Han Wuxie carefully examined the tower and asked in a low voice, "Tianci, even with your ancient talent, you can't comprehend the mysteries of this tower?"

Han Tianci nodded, looking at Han Wuxie's ring and saying, "Just like my sister's ring, I still can't fathom its mystery! It might be something like my sister's ring!"

"You mean..." Han Wuxie's eyes lit up, he hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Like my ring, it's an ancient artifact?"

"That should be right!" Han Tianci nodded and said, "Perhaps Hua Qianye would recognize him."

Han Wuxie squinted at Yinghuo and said in a low voice, "This Yinghuo must know something, otherwise she wouldn't have wiped out the Nan family just to get this tower."

Seeing Nan Yu's surprised expression, Ying Huo couldn't help but chuckle, raising an eyebrow and saying, "What? Regretting coming to find me? A mid-stage Immortal Lord coming to seek revenge, do you think I'm also a mid-stage Immortal Lord now?"

Nan Yu's expression turned grim as he looked at Han Wuxie behind him.

Seeing Nan Yu's pleading look, Han Wuxie nodded and said, "Tianci, why don't you go and play with that person?"

"Is Tianci going?" Tianfeng asked nervously. "Is Tianci capable?"

Han Tianci smiled calmly and nodded to Tianfeng, saying, "Father, just watch and witness my sister's and my cultivation levels!"

That "Father" was so pleasing to the ear, but it only made Tianfeng more nervous. He said in a low voice, "Is it really not dangerous? It's a peak Immortal Lord expert."

Han Wuxie chuckled, "Father, it's alright. If there's any danger, I won't let my brother take any risks!"

Nan Yu stepped back, and Han Tianci stepped forward, staring directly at the fireflies.

Firefly paused for a moment, then looked up at the sky and laughed mockingly, "Nan Yu, you're getting more and more 'ambitious,' stepping down yourself and letting a teenage brat take your place! Your father had such high hopes for you, and before he died he kept telling me that his son would definitely avenge him in the future. Now look at you, hahaha, actually letting a thirteen or fourteen-year-old brat stand in front of you!"

Nan Yu's face was grim. He wanted to rush forward, but Han Wuxie held him back, saying in a low voice, "You're no match for him. Think of Sister Yuqiong. Your life is meant to continue for her. If you want to kill your enemy, then wait until Tianci has had his fun and is tired of him before giving that piece of trash to you!"

Nan Yu took a deep breath and nodded.

Han Tianci raised a sly, cunning smile, and said with a playful tone, "Am I a brat? Then what kind of immortal lord am I, losing to a brat? Am I inferior to a brat?"

"You've got a silver tongue!" Firefly sneered. "Killing you would be a matter of moments. If you know what's good for you, you'd better back down. Considering your young age, I can spare you!" His eyes narrowed, and he said grimly, "But while you may escape death, you won't escape punishment. Leave your hands behind, and I'll let you go!"

"He wants my hands?" Han Tianci mimicked his earlier loud laughter, then sneered, "How ridiculous, sister! He wants my hands? He actually has the audacity to ask for both of my hands! What do you think, should I give them to him?"

Han Wuxie narrowed his dangerous eyes and coldly looked at Yinghuo, "Tianci, whoever wants your hand, then take their hand!"

Like a well-behaved child, Han Tianci turned around and gave a sweet smile, "Yes, ma'am!"

Turning back, Han Tianci's eyes instantly blazed with fury. He raised a terrifying smile, like that of a demon from hell, and chuckled softly, "Little Fire, you must be starving, right? Then eat your fill!"

"Little Fire? You brat, who gave you permission to call me by my nickname!" Firefly roared, full of self-righteous indignation.

Han Tianci smiled sarcastically, offering no explanation. In that instant, Yinghuo understood that Xiaohuo was not herself, but the terrifying thing before her!

Firefly's pupils contracted in fear. A small, fiery red seed-like object flew out from Han Tianci's dantian. Firefly, who had some knowledge, recognized it as the Root of God. But to his utter surprise, this terrifying Root of God opened its mouth—it was a mouth! The Root of God actually had a mouth!

This terrifying, mutated Root of God opened its massive maw, revealing a spiraling, fiery red vortex within. It tried to escape, but was locked in place by the Root of God and unable to move.

Firefly stared in horror as she watched helplessly as the immortal root within her body was forcibly sucked out and flown towards the vortex. Her cultivation was also gradually being sucked away and disappearing, and she was powerless to do anything about it, like a weakling unable to resist such a terrifying suction force!

"This...this...how is this possible!" Firefly collapsed, sitting helplessly on the ground, watching the fiery red, seed-like Root of God spin contentedly before finally returning to Han Tianci's body.

Han Tianci didn't even glance at the firefly once from beginning to end. After the firefly had eaten its fill, he sat cross-legged and let it release its cultivation to help him advance.

Firefly almost went mad, shaking her head violently, sometimes laughing foolishly, sometimes crying bitterly, "I...I'm a cripple? How could I be a cripple! It's a dream, it must be a dream! Nan Yu is in the mortal realm, he can't possibly return to the immortal realm, and how could I be defeated by a thirteen or fourteen-year-old child? Impossible! The Root of God couldn't possibly have such power, how could it devour my immortal root and cultivation, it must be a dream! Haha, it's a nightmare! I'll be fine when I wake up! Waaah, I'll be fine when I wake up!"

Looking at the person who had suddenly gone from the peak of the Immortal Lord to a useless person with no cultivation and not even an immortal root, Nan Yu's eyes were filled with mockery.

Han Wuxie said with a faint smile, "Tianci has already swallowed his immortal root. You can decide what to do with him afterward."

Nan Yu nodded, and step by step, heavily, he walked towards the foolish firefly.

"Firefly, for the sake of cultivation, for the sake of advancement, you didn't hesitate to annihilate my entire Nan family, all for this tower. Today, I will grant your wish and let you die here!" Nan Yu took out a gourd from his storage pouch and whispered to it, "Inside are the ashes of three hundred and seventy-eight members of my Nan family. Today, I will cut off your head before them, to appease their spirits in heaven!"

"Kill me, kill me, kill me..." Firefly didn't beg for mercy, but dragged her body, which had aged instantly, forward, hugging Nan Yu's leg, pleading, "Kill me, kill me..."

Tianfeng snapped out of his shock and finally began to believe that the woman was indeed his daughter. His own divine gift had actually appeared before him without him even lifting a finger. With a casual gesture, the Root of God had instantly crippled a peak Immortal Lord. If those who had once called his children useless knew that their children had come to this day, would they regret what they had said back then?

Tianfeng even thought excitedly, if those who ridiculed his children back then still dared to laugh at his Xie'er and Tianci today, then he would let those people taste the days of having no immortal roots, no spiritual roots, and no cultivation, the days of being ridiculed and looked down upon!

Tianfeng calmed his agitation, looked at the firefly on the ground that was determined to die, and said in a low voice, "He is already a cripple. Living may be worse than dying."

Nan Yu originally intended to cut off the man's head, but changed his mind because the man was determined to die. He kicked the man away forcefully and said in a low voice to the gourd, "Father, Mother, do you also want to see him live like a rat crossing the street, suffering a torment worse than death until his lifespan is exhausted?"

"No...don't go, kill me, please, kill me, I don't want to live, please..." Firefly growled, trying to reach out and end it herself, but found that she had no strength left.

Compared to the Underworld Lord in the mortal realm, Firefly has lived much longer, having lived for hundreds of millions of years. Therefore, after the Underworld Lord had his Underworld Root and cultivation devoured by Han Wuxie's Divine Root, he could still barely stand up and still have some strength. However, Firefly, who has lived for hundreds of millions of years, is too old. Having lost his cultivation and immortal root, he no longer has the strength to end his own life.

Nan Yu gave a cold laugh, his eyes narrowing eerily as he snarled, "Back then, my mother begged you to let her die so she could end her suffering. Why didn't you do that? Why did you still humiliate her? Today's retribution is the consequence of your many evil deeds! I won't kill you, I'll let you live a good life, a wretched existence, a life worse than death, until your lifespan is exhausted. Even then, I won't give you a complete corpse; I'll still cut off your head to offer as a sacrifice to the souls of my 378-member Nan family!"

"No!" Firefly screamed, coughing violently and spitting out mouthfuls of blood. He was still clinging to life, but the aging of his body, the decay of his internal organs, and the blockage of his meridians caused him immense pain and suffering. No longer a celestial being, he pleaded desperately, "Please, kill me! Kill me! Please..."

Nan Yu coldly kicked him off the tower. Ying Huo closed his eyes, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. Falling from such a high tower should have been an instant death, but what angered him was that Nan Yu stood atop the tower, looking at him mockingly. Just as he was about to crash to the ground, Nan Yu used cloud manipulation to catch him, gently lowering the cloud so that he could land safely on the ground.

"Nan Yu, you despicable person, you bastard..." Firefly roared angrily.

Nan Yu sneered, "Compared to you back then, I've already shown you mercy! If you dare to utter another word, I'll cut out your tongue, chop off your hands and feet, smash you into a jar, and torture you with the most terrifying tortures in the mortal realm, just to keep you alive and make you suffer all kinds of pain!"

The firefly trembled with fear, dared not speak again, and obediently lay on the ground.

Seeing their sect leader being knocked out of the tower, some disciples surrounded him. When they discovered that their sect leader was powerless to fight back and was like a cripple, those greedy disciples stepped forward and took all the immortal pills, immortal artifacts, and immortal stones from his body, and even took off his clothes.

"The sect leader is dying! Everyone, run! Don't get implicated by his enemies!"

With a disciple's roar, tens of thousands of disciples nearly hollowed out the entire mountain. They dared not enter except for the tower suspended in mid-air, because they knew that the immortal lord who had defeated the sect leader was still there. Apart from the tower, they took everything they could with them.

The entire mountain instantly became empty. In just one hour, the fireflies were filled with sorrow. A single wrong thought, caused by greed, led to the annihilation of the entire Nan family. His friends, who had cooperated with him, went to the mortal realm to hunt down the only survivor of the Nan family, but all of them met untimely deaths. He thought he had luckily escaped a calamity, relying on the ancient divine tower he obtained from the Nan family. Within the tower, he could manipulate time in the outside world, with the maximum multiplication being a hundred times greater than outside time. His own lifespan could be calculated according to outside time, thus ensuring his successful ascension to the divine realm.

Unexpectedly, in the end, he ended up in such a miserable state. He did evil things for the sake of cultivation, but in the end, all his cultivation was gone in an instant. Is this the consequence of his evil deeds?

If I had cultivated my original cultivation level properly and hadn't coveted the ancient divine tower of the Nan family, wouldn't everything have been different?

It may take me a long time to reach the peak of the Immortal Lord, but that's only a matter of time, isn't it?

In the end, he had nothing left. He had no cultivation, no immortal roots, and everything he possessed had been taken away by his disciples. He, who had taken everything from the Nan family back then, finally tasted the bitter fruit of having everything taken away from him.

Is this retribution? Even as an immortal, one cannot escape the laws, fate, or retribution?

"Hahahaha..." Firefly laughed loudly, his face full of tears. His laughter stopped abruptly as he clutched his chest, his face contorted in extreme pain. Yet, a relieved smile appeared on his face as he closed his eyes and breathed his last.

Han Wuxie, Tianfeng, and Nanyu all noticed that Yinghuo was dead.

Han Wuxie sighed and said nothing.

Nan Yu flew out and, as instructed before, severed Yinghuo's head. Looking at the aged face, Nan Yu said in a low voice, "Not humiliating you one last time is already the greatest favor I can do for you!"

Holding a gourd in one hand and a severed head in the other, he hoarsely said to the gourd, "Father, Mother, your son has finally avenged you. If the souls of the immortals can be reincarnated like those of the mortals, then where are you now, Father and Mother?"

Han Tianci suddenly let out a long howl, his eyes widened sharply, and a proud smile appeared on his lips.

Han Wuxie stepped forward and laughed, "Your Divine Root has released all of your cultivation?"

Han Tianci smiled brightly and said, "I let it keep some for itself to refine; I just raised my cultivation to the same level as my sister."

"Mid-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal?" Han Wuxie asked.

Han Tianci nodded obediently.

Han Wuxie smiled helplessly and said, "You don't need to learn from me. You can let it spit out all its cultivation to you and break through to the Immortal Lord realm! I left some cultivation for that little thing because I wanted to see what it would grow into! Because it ate the Nether Root, I wanted to see what changes would occur after it ate it! Your Divine Root ate the Immortal Root, so there shouldn't be any abnormalities."

"But... I don't want to be stronger than my sister. She's the Palace Master, and a Deputy Palace Master can't surpass her cultivation level." Han Tianci said mischievously, "If I surpass my sister, I'm worried the Palace Master will expel me from the palace!"

Han Wuxie shook his head with amusement, raising an eyebrow and jokingly saying, "With a capable deputy palace master, the palace master can have less to worry about, right?"

Han Tianci's eyes darted around, and he quickly sat cross-legged, laughing, "Becoming a Celestial Lord will allow me to protect my sister and the Han family, relieving the Palace Master of any worries. That's what I should do! I'll become a Celestial Lord right away!"

Han Wuxie smiled knowingly and looked at Tianfeng.

Tianfeng dared not doubt it at all now. If he saw it with his own eyes and still doubted it, it would be considered deliberately making things difficult for the two children.

Tianfeng sighed with some self-reproach, "As your father, I was unable to provide you with a stable life. It is my incompetence. Now that you have such great power, I am gratified, but even more ashamed."

Han Wuxie shook his head and smiled calmly, "Let's not talk about the past. As long as Father doesn't really want to divorce Mother, we children have no right to criticize him."

Han Wuxie became somewhat serious and said, "My eldest uncle has a son named Han Xingyu, who is currently in the Demon Realm. Until he returns to the Han family, we will not reveal our strength, nor can we allow Father and Mother to meet. I wonder if Father could wait a little longer?"

Tianfeng sighed, "We've waited for so many years, there's no rush. I don't know how to face her. When I gave her the letter of divorce back then, those words I said against my will hurt her heart."

Han Wuxie smiled bitterly. She could only play along with her parents' affairs from the sidelines. It would be too much to interfere completely. She could only arrange for them to meet. As for what they would choose after the meeting, that was not her business.

Han Wuxie looked at the tower before him and asked, "Nan Yu, what are the secrets of this tower?"

Nan Yu replied, "I don't know the specifics. I only know that this is a family heirloom of our Nan family. Only those who have reached the Immortal Lord level can use it. I have never touched it before; it was always kept by my father."

Han Wuxie nodded and said, "Your current cultivation level should be high enough to use it. If I'm not mistaken, it should be an ancient artifact, a magical treasure like my ring!"

Tianfeng asked, "Xie'er, if this ring is a divine artifact, could it be the most precious heirloom of the Tian family?"

Han Wuxie nodded slightly.

Tianfeng narrowed his eyes and sneered, "No wonder no one could find it for dozens of generations. It's so inconspicuous, yet it possesses extraordinary power. So what Xie'er obtained back then was a treasured heirloom, while those people thought it was worthless. Those blind people would be astonished if they knew one day that the girl they thought was useless, the baby they thought was useless, has such cultivation today!"

Han Wuxie smiled faintly. At this moment, Nan Yu was already on the pagoda. Indeed, the pagoda's previous owner, Yinghuo, was dead, and it was now ownerless.

A flash of golden light appeared, and many new consciousnesses appeared in Nan Yu's mind.

He closed his eyes, focused his mind, and after a long while, opened them, exclaiming in surprise, "This is a time-manipulation artifact!"

"A time-manipulating artifact? Can it control time?" Han Wuxie asked, somewhat puzzled.

Nan Yu smiled and said, "Exactly!"

"Is there really a magical artifact that can control time?" Tianfeng said with a wry smile, "No wonder the Nan family brought such a disaster upon themselves. This is a treasure that even reclusive experts at the Immortal Emperor level would covet!"

Nan Yu sighed, "No wonder, Father always said that the pagoda's efficacy could only be known by the successive sect leaders. If anyone else knew, disaster would surely follow! If Father hadn't been so fond of drinking back then, he wouldn't have spoken carelessly while drunk, and such a disaster wouldn't have happened!"

"How do you control time?" Han Wuxie asked curiously.

Nan Yu answered truthfully: "When cultivating in the tower, as long as the tower owner has a thought, the time inside the tower will be different from the outside world. It can slow down or speed up. At most, it can be a hundred times slower or a hundred times faster than the outside world. Moreover, the person cultivating in the tower can cultivate according to the time inside the tower, while his lifespan will be fixed at the time when he entered the tower."

Tianfeng exclaimed in astonishment, "Doesn't that mean he stopped losing his lifespan and cultivated inside the tower for over a hundred years, while only a year has passed outside? No wonder Yinghuo has already reached the peak of the Immortal Lord realm in just a hundred years!"

Han Wuxie narrowed his eyes, touched the ring, and called out, "Hua Qianye, you're probably watching me, come out!"

Tianfeng asked in confusion, "Xie'er, is the ring spirit you mentioned out yet?" Tianfeng looked around.

Nan Yu chuckled, "The first time I learned about the existence of artifact spirits was the same. We can't see them. Only the ring's owner, the talented Han Tianci, the transcendent Han Xingyu, and the contracted beasts of Han Wuxie can see them! Don't bother looking!"

Tianfeng gave a somewhat embarrassed smile.

Han Wuxie smiled and said, "Father, he looks like a man."

"What does a man look like?" Tianfeng looked at his daughter with some suspicion. Little Xie'er's smile seemed rather ambiguous. She was looking right where the spirit of the artifact was, right? Looking at the spirit so ambiguously, could it be...?

Han Wuxie asked, "Can Nan Yu unfold the pagoda within the ring's space? And can he also manipulate the pagoda's time?"

Hua Qianye took a deep look at the pagoda, smiled and nodded, saying, "Although it is also a divine artifact, it is not an ancient divine artifact. It may be very ordinary in the God Realm, but it is rare for such a thing to exist in the Immortal Realm! It can be used in the ring space, and the ring space can accommodate its level."

"Can he still operate the pagoda's time as usual, adjusting it to be a hundred times slower than the Immortal Realm?" Han Wuxie asked with some concern.

"Yes, that's fine." Hua Qianye nodded confidently.

Han Wuxie narrowed his eyes and curled the corners of his mouth into a slanted smile.

Seeing the calculation in Han Wuxie's eyes, Hua Qianye smiled playfully, "If we capture all those Firefly Sect disciples and let the people of the Heavenly Star Evil Palace devour their cultivation and immortal roots, plus the hundredfold time inside the pagoda, they should all become experts above the Great Luo Golden Immortal level within a year!"

"Oh?" Han Wuxie's narrowed eyes widened with a deeper smile. He raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Those guys who, upon seeing their sect leader in trouble, ran off with his belongings, are indeed a menace even in life, aren't they?"

"If you think he's a menace, then arrest him, shall we?" Hua Qianye's smile was also dangerous, and he chuckled wickedly, "He hasn't gotten very far yet. This pagoda in Nanyu should also be able to trap people. Within a thousand miles, with a thought, he should be able to imprison anyone with a lower cultivation level than him inside!"

Han Wuxie smiled mischievously and exchanged a glance with Hua Qianye. The two understood each other perfectly, their eyes flashing with a cunning and playful light.

Han Wuxie looked at Nan Yu. Nan Yu saw the cunning look in Han Wuxie's eyes and subconsciously trembled. Facing a Great Luo Golden Immortal, a Celestial Lord should not be afraid, but Nan Yu subconsciously felt a sense of awe towards Han Wuxie. Perhaps it was because he had personally witnessed her instantly turn the Underworld Lord into a cripple, or perhaps it was because after joining the Heavenly Star Evil Palace, he subconsciously developed the idea that he was a subordinate. When he saw the Palace Master, he naturally felt such fear.

"What is it?" Nan Yu asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"Hehe." Han Wuxie chuckled mysteriously, "The pagoda should be able to recruit people, right?"

Nan Yu was taken aback, scratched his head and said, "It is indeed possible, but it can only be used to recruit those of lower level than me. In the process of combat, it is not of any practical use. I don't need the pagoda at all for those of lower level than me; I can just kill them instantly."

Han Wuxie shook his head, raised an eyebrow and smiled, "It shouldn't be difficult to put all those Firefly Sect disciples who just escaped into the pagoda, right? Those with decent cultivation levels seem to be Grand Luo Golden Immortals already. They should be good cultivation supplements for Sister Yuqiong and the others!"

"You mean...?" Nan Yu was somewhat shocked, but her eyes cleared instantly, and she asked in a low voice, "Can the pagoda be used within the ring?"

Han Wuxie raised an eyebrow and smiled, then nodded.

Nan Yu sighed, "It seems that the Heavenly Star Evil Palace won't be able to suppress the entire Immortal Realm for long!"