Young Song: The Hidden Sword God, Han Yi and Her Child Arrive at the Door.

The area around the Marrow Cleansing Pool was shrouded in mist, resembling a fairyland.

Xiao Se caught the clothes Su Changqing threw to him. It was a seemingly ordinary blue robe, but it felt incredibly light to the touch, and even had a warm, comforting feel. He knew that this was another good thing that Su Changqing had "gotten" from somewhere.

He stood up, not in a hurry to put on his clothes, but stood quietly in place, closed his eyes, and carefully felt the earth-shattering changes taking place in his body.

The pain had completely subsided, replaced by an unprecedented lightness and clarity. The hidden vein that had once been broken and withered, like a dried-up riverbed, was now like a great river rushing forth again after a long drought. True energy flowed within it, without the previous stagnation and stinging sensation, instead emitting a roaring sound like a surging river.

What shocked him even more was the transformation of his soul.

The "digital maze" that was once built to fight against his inner demons is no longer a maze, but a magnificent palace, a "city of heavenly secrets" that he completely controls! He can clearly sense the frequency of even the flapping of the wings of a flying insect within a hundred feet, feel the trajectory of the spiritual energy flowing in the air, and even... he can vaguely touch the invisible net in this world—the rules.

"Is this... the realm of half-step divine travel?"

Xiao Se slowly opened his eyes. The depth of his left eye and the golden light of his right eye complemented each other, giving his face, which originally carried a hint of languor and nonchalance, an aura of majesty that commanded respect. It was the domineering presence of an emperor, and the confidence of an unparalleled powerhouse!

"A half-step into the divine realm? I'd say that's barely acceptable."

Su Changqing had somehow already sat back down on the flat white jade rock, a toothpick with intricate carvings appearing out of nowhere in his hand. He was leisurely picking his teeth. "Your foundation is too weak. You were crippled once before. Even with the Marrow Cleansing Pool and my mental calculation method, it's a miracle you managed to overcome that hurdle at this point. However, your foundation is still not stable enough. Use that dragon energy less in the future, or the backlash will be no joke."

Xiao Se felt a chill run down his spine; he knew Su Changqing was giving him a hint. The "Imperial Dragon Qi" that had awakened with his breakthrough, while incredibly powerful, was indeed extremely domineering, and he was still finding it somewhat difficult to control it.

"Thank you for your guidance, sir. I will keep it in mind."

Xiao Se put on his long robe and bowed respectfully once more. At this moment, his attitude towards Su Changqing had transcended gratitude towards a benefactor and was more like reverence for a deity.

"Alright, stop with the nonsense and go back to take a shower. Look at you, you look like you just crawled out of a mud puddle, you stink." Su Changqing fanned his nose in disgust.

Xiao Se then noticed that, with the completion of the marrow cleansing and bone tempering, a layer of dark, foul-smelling impurities was expelled from his body. His usually clean face instantly turned bright red, and he coughed awkwardly twice. Like a startled rabbit, he used his newly acquired movement technique and vanished from the spot in an instant.

"That kid, he's pretty fast."

Su Changqing looked in the direction where Xiao Se had disappeared and chuckled softly.

"Sir, His Highness Xiao Se, he..."

Mo Yi, who had been silently standing by as a background figure, finally couldn't help but speak up. His eyes still held undisguised shock. As someone who had been through it all, he knew all too well how difficult it was to break through the threshold of the Divine Travel Realm. Countless brilliant talents had spent their entire lives stuck here, ultimately dying in despair. And Xiao Se, just by taking a bath, had broken through?

"What's wrong with him?" Su Changqing glanced at him sideways.

"The aura within him... doesn't seem to be pure martial arts qi, but rather... the legendary golden dragon of destiny that only founding emperors can condense?" Mo Yi hesitated before voicing her guess.

"Good taste."

Su Changqing clapped his hands and stood up. "That is indeed the aura of the imperial dragon. Although this kid has always pretended to be indifferent to the throne, he is ultimately the blood of the Xiao family flowing in his veins, bearing the fate of the Northern Li. This transformation has completely awakened the destiny within him. Tianqi City is going to be quite lively from now on."

Mo Yi remained silent. Although he lived in seclusion overseas, he knew how fierce the struggle for the throne in Tianqi City was. The return of the Prince of Yong'an, who had recovered his peak strength and even awakened the Golden Dragon of Destiny, would definitely stir up a bloodbath.

"However, that's his business. Let's just be spectators."

Su Changqing stretched lazily. "Let's go, Brother Mo. Now that Xiao Se has emerged from seclusion, and we've stayed on the island long enough, it's time to prepare to go back and clean up the mess. By the way, have you finished preparing the things I asked you to get?"

"Sir, everything is ready."

Mo Yi replied respectfully, then with a flick of his wrist, took out an exquisite jade box from his sleeve. "This is a 'Heart-Protecting Pill' made from the thousand-year-old purple lingzhi and snow lotus seeds from the island. Although it cannot bring the dead back to life, for ordinary people, as long as they still have a breath left, it can keep their heart meridian from dissipating. Consider it... a small token of Mo Yi's respect for you, sir and young master."

Su Changqing took the jade box, opened it, and glanced inside. Inside were ten crystal-clear pills, exuding a rich medicinal fragrance.

"Hmm, it's alright."

Su Changqing casually tossed the jade box into his storage space. "Although you haven't achieved anything great in the past hundred years, your alchemy skills haven't declined. Alright, I accept your kindness. As for your sister, I promised you, and I won't go back on my word. Once things are settled in Tianqi City, I will come personally and bring her back."

"Thank you so much, sir! I, Mo Yi... would gladly die for you!"

Upon hearing these words, Mo Yi's eyes, which had become clear from letting go of his obsession, welled up with tears of emotion once more. Without hesitation, he knelt down and kowtowed deeply.

He knew that the man in front of him was the only person in the world capable of doing this.

"Alright, alright, stop kneeling all the time. It makes me look like some kind of gangster boss collecting protection money."

Su Changqing waved his hand and turned to walk towards the courtyard where he lived. "Go prepare dinner. Tonight we'll have a farewell banquet and bring out all the good food and drinks on the island. Lei Wujie has been talking about that century-old lobster for days, let's satisfy him today."

……

As night falls, Penglai Island is brightly lit.

Beside the white jade beach, a huge bonfire was lit. Golden phoenix flames danced in the night breeze, releasing an enticing aroma.

This was probably the most lively and down-to-earth night in the history of Penglai Fairy Island.

On the long jade table, all sorts of delicacies were laid out. There was a steamed lobster bigger than a washbasin, a crystal-clear snow lotus fruit salad, deep-sea whale meat sizzling with oil, and even Mo Yi's century-old treasured Hundred Flowers Immortal Wine.

Lei Wujie and Wushuang, these two gluttons, had completely disregarded their image at this moment, eating with both hands, their mouths dripping with oil.

"Mmm... This is so delicious! This lobster meat is absolutely amazing! It's a million times better than the gunpowder-grilled fish from Lei Family Fortress!" Lei Wujie mumbled indistinctly as he stuffed lobster meat into his mouth.

"You country bumpkin, that's because you've never eaten anything good. This is a hundred-year-old spirit shrimp, eating it will increase your power!" Wushuang was not to be outdone, his thirteen flying swords transformed into knives and forks, darting across the table, snatching the fattest pieces of meat.

Xiao Se changed into a clean, moon-white robe, holding a cup of Hundred Flowers Immortal Wine, and sipped it elegantly. Although his eating manners were the most refined, upon closer inspection, he was surprisingly fast with his chopsticks, no slower than the two simpletons, and he specifically targeted the most exquisite parts.

Li Hanyi sat next to Su Changqing, peeling crab legs for Xiao Nuomi while watching the lively scene, a gentle smile on her lips.

"Changqing, are we really leaving tomorrow?" she asked softly.

"Um."

Su Changqing took a sip of wine, gazing at the surging East China Sea in the distance. "We've been out for so long, it's time to go back. Those old foxes in Tianqi City are probably getting impatient. If we don't go back soon, I'm afraid they'll smash up our Changqing Tower's reputation."

"They dare!"

Upon hearing this, Lei Wujie slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly. "Anyone who dares to tarnish our reputation, I'll smash their head open with the Fearless Sword!"

"Sit down and eat your food."

Xiao Se glanced at him indifferently, "The waters of Tianqi City run deep, and you can't navigate them with just your enthusiasm. The conspiracies and schemes there are more deadly than the poison in the underground river."

"What's there to be afraid of? With my brother-in-law here, all schemes and tricks are just paper tigers!" Lei Wujie was blindly confident.

Su Changqing shook his head helplessly.

"You little rascal, when are you going to learn to use your brains? I can't keep cleaning up your messes every day, can I?"

He looked at Lei Wujie and Wushuang, and finally his gaze fell on Xiao Se.

"This time when I return to Tianqi, my only responsibility is to keep things in check. The real problem to be solved is yourselves."

Su Changqing's smile faded, and his tone became serious.

"Xiao Se, your hidden meridians have recovered, and your strength has reached the half-step Divine Realm. But remember, the struggle for imperial power is never a one-man show. You need not only force, but also the hearts and minds of the people. You must gather back those who once followed you, those forces that were watching from the shadows. I want you to ascend to that throne with absolute dominance, openly and fairly, leaving no room for anyone who dares to resist!"

Xiao Se tightened his grip on the wine glass slightly, and nodded solemnly as he met Su Changqing's gaze.

"Rest assured, sir, Xiao Se understands. What belongs to me, I will take back with my own hands!"

"As for you, Lei Wujie."

Su Changqing turned to the red-clad youth, "Your fire-burning technique has reached its limit; what you lack is a profound understanding of life and death. This trip to Tianqi will inevitably involve tough battles. I don't care what methods you use, just defeat that Lone Sword Immortal Luo Qingyang's disciple. If you lose, don't call me brother-in-law anymore."

"I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" Lei Wujie puffed out his chest and loudly promised.

"And there's Wushuang."

Su Changqing looked at the boy who was struggling with a crab. "You still have the Great Ming Vermilion Bird sword in your sword case that you haven't drawn yet, right?"

Wushuang was taken aback and stopped what she was doing.

The Great Ming Vermilion Bird is the strongest and most dangerous sword in the Peerless Sword Box. Every time it is drawn, a great price is paid.

"In Apocalypse, find an opportunity to pull it out."

Su Changqing said calmly, "Don't be afraid of the backlash. With me here, you won't die. But if you don't even have the courage to draw your sword, then you will never deserve to be called a sword immortal."

Wushuang took a deep breath, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

"Yes, sir!"

……

The farewell banquet that night was a great success, with plenty of food and drinks.

As the campfire gradually died down, everyone, slightly tipsy, went back to their rooms to rest.

Su Changqing carried the sleeping Xiao Nuomi and walked side by side with Li Hanyi on the white jade beach.

A sea breeze swept by, bringing a refreshing coolness.

"Evergreen".

Li Hanyi suddenly stopped and looked at the distant horizon, her voice low and somber.

"What's wrong?" Su Changqing turned his head and looked at her.

"Who... exactly are you?"

Li Hanyi bit her lip and finally asked the question that had been buried in her heart for a long time.

She knew Su Changqing was incredibly strong, ridiculously so. But the more she learned about him, the more enigmatic he seemed. His endless stream of miraculous methods, his seemingly all-knowing and detached attitude—he simply didn't belong to this world.

"I?"

Su Changqing smiled.

He reached out and gently put his arm around Li Hanyi's waist, pulling her into his embrace.

"I'm just an ordinary man who runs a tavern, is afraid of his wife, and dotes on his daughter."

You're lying.

Li Hanyi rested her head against his chest, listening to his powerful heartbeat. "Can an ordinary person cleave the sky with a single finger? Can an ordinary person make a master like Mo Yi, who is a master of divine travel, bow down in submission?"

"Okay, I'm coming clean."

Su Changqing sighed, with a helpless expression that said, "You've seen right through me."

"Actually, I am a celestial being who fell from heaven. Because I broke the heavenly rules, I was banished to the mortal world. Only by marrying the most beautiful woman in the world and having the most adorable daughter can I return to heaven."

"You're talking nonsense again!"

Li Hanyi was amused by him and couldn't help but pinch his waist.

"Oh my! Murdering your husband?!" Su Changqing exclaimed dramatically, grabbing her hand in the process. "Alright, I'm not teasing you anymore. No matter who I am or where I come from, you only need to know one thing."

He dropped his joking expression, and his eyes became incredibly serious and affectionate.

"In this life, I will only live for you and Nuonuo. Anyone who dares to lay a finger on you will regret ever being born. Not even the Heavenly Dao."

Li Hanyi felt a warmth in her heart, and her eyes reddened slightly.

She didn't press the matter further.

Because that one sentence is enough.

……

The next morning.

As the first rays of sunlight pierced through the thin mist on the sea and shone on Penglai Island, the enormous Kun was already quietly waiting on the shallow shore.

"Little Mo, we're leaving now. Please keep an eye on the cleanliness of the island, don't make it a mess. Also, don't let that parrot starve to death, I'm counting on it to tell Nuonuo stories in the future."

Su Changqing stood on the back of the Kun and waved to Mo Yi, who was seeing him off on the shore.

"Rest assured, sir, I will keep that in mind." Mo Yi bowed respectfully.

"Set off!"

With Su Changqing's command, the giant Kun let out a deafening roar, its massive body breaking through the waves, like a moving island, and headed towards the Central Plains.

Target—Apocalypse City!

And behind them.

The Penglai Immortal Island, which was originally shrouded in mist, gradually became transparent and eventually disappeared completely into the vast East China Sea.

It was as if it had never existed.

Only the parrot with golden feathers on its head circled in mid-air, emitting a series of unpleasant cries.

"Hey, hey, hey! Wait for me! You heartless bunch! Take me with you to eat roast duck!!!"