Immortality: Starting with a grave, I'm invincible when burying corpses.

While the various factions of the Great Qi were locked in fierce fighting, the thirteen demon saints of the Myriad Spirits Domain convened a demon saint conference.

During the Demon Saint Conference, it was proposed that with wars raging among humans and the strongest remaining aloof from worldly affairs, favorable conditions have been created for the demon race to reclaim their homeland.

The demon saints unanimously agreed that now was the best time to reclaim their ancestral land.

In order to consolidate his authority, Cang Yue, the lord of the mountains of the Myriad Spirits Domain and the strongest demon saint, also agreed to the proposal of the other demon saints.

Taking advantage of the situation, eight million demons crossed the Two Domains River, breached the Eastern Pole Pass, and invaded the territory of the Thirteen Eastern States.

The thirteen eastern states serve as a barrier between the northern border and the demon race, and are also the ancestral home of many demon races.

This land borders the northern border, has a generally low temperature, dense mountains, and a terrain environment more suitable for the survival of the demon race.

Even though it has been lost for hundreds of years, many demons still harbor resentment about it and are always thinking about reclaiming their homeland.

In contrast, Daqi did not pay much attention to the management of this land, and always regarded this land, which was losing money and costing a lot of wealth every year, as something dispensable.

In the past few decades, in order to deal with the rebellion in the core area, most of the troops stationed in the thirteen eastern states of Daqi have withdrawn to the interior.

Currently, the thirteen eastern states are only defended by local troops, which is simply not enough to stop the demon race's advance.

The fate of the people is intertwined; if the thirteen eastern states fall, the northern border will have no choice but to face the onslaught of the demon race.

The 1.2 billion people living in the North will be in danger.

Upon receiving the news, Shen Yunwei immediately made a decision to withdraw most of the six million Northern Army troops scattered throughout the Great Qi territory.

The northern army withdrew from Dingzhou, leaving two million troops to garrison the six conquered states within the territory of Daqi.

Four million troops withdrew to the northern border to defend the frontier.

The unexpected situation also gave the Daqi court a breather, allowing it to temporarily recuperate while recovering Dingzhou.

……

Spring of the 87th year of the Qiming era.

The Celestial Legion, built over fifty years in the Southern Frontier, has been born.

Built by the entire Southern Frontier with the combined strength of the Immortal Spirit Legion, this aerial combat fortress combines the technologies of the Nine Realms and the Realm of Ingenuity, integrating cultivation and science. It can soar through the heavens.

The entire legion consists of one main ship and thirty-six escort ships, making extensive use of drone and puppet technology. The legion has a full strength of 300,000 people, and its scale is in no way inferior to the Cloud Legion of the Great Qi.

In the vast Tianqi Domain, only the Southern Frontier and the Great Qi forces can afford to maintain such a massive aerial legion.

The official entry of the Celestial Legion into battle made the Southern Frontier even more formidable. Wherever they went, local prefectures and cities turned against them, welcoming the royal army with pots and pans in hand.

In just one year, the Southern Frontier has conquered seven more prefectures, showing signs of dominating the world.

……

Autumn of the 87th year of the Qiming era.

Under Mu An's guidance, Ao Yun, the true dragon of Linjiang, completely took control of the Linjiang water veins and further extended his authority, connecting it with the East Sea. He thus attained the status of a celestial being and became the fourteenth dragon king in the world.

That winter, Mu Ling'er told Mu An that she wanted a gift.

A world tour accompanied by Mu An, allowing her to be willful.

……

Summer of the 88th year of the Qiming era.

A major piece of news came from Qishan Road and spread throughout the entire Tianqi Domain at top speed.

After ruling Qishan Road for over a hundred years and adhering to a policy of peace, the Five Spirits Mystic Maiden officially retired, and the position of King of Qishan was inherited by her adopted son, Mu Yong.

The True Lord and the Mysterious Maiden will no longer interfere in any matters concerning the Qishan Road.

The news shocked the world.

Among the leaders of various forces, Mu Ling'er is undoubtedly one of the kind-hearted ones.

During her more than 100 years in power, she focused primarily on improving people's livelihoods and maintaining the nation's stability, rarely engaging in external expansion.

This was because Mu Ling'er disliked war, and also because she didn't want to cause trouble for Mu An.

With this philosophy in mind, for more than a hundred years, Qishan Dao has never engaged in any major military operations outside of combating the Demonic Sect.

With the new king's ascension to the throne, the governing policies will inevitably change, and no one knows whether Qishan Road will participate in the upcoming war.

For nearly two hundred years, the Qishan Dao had enjoyed peace and prosperity, and with the Five Elements True Lord, the most powerful being in the Nine Realms, in charge, no one dared to underestimate its strength.

All factions are watching Qishan Road's next move.

Once Qishan Dao gets involved in the struggle for supremacy, it will inevitably have an unpredictable impact on the current political landscape.

……

On the first day of the seventh lunar month, in front of the Mu residence.

Mu An and Mu Ling'er stood together, looking back at the mansion where they had lived for nearly two hundred years.

Looking at Mu Ling'er, who was standing motionless in front of the door, Mu An suddenly spoke up.

"It's not like we're not coming back. We're just going out for a stroll and to see the world. There's no need to be so sad."

Interrupted from her sentimentality, Mu Ling'er pouted and glared at Mu An, feigning anger.

"Please, we're planning to travel around the world! That'll take at least ten or twenty years..."

"I've lived for over a hundred years, and I've never been away from home for this long... What's wrong with me reminiscing?"

Mu An remained expressionless, thinking that Mu Ling'er was making a fuss over nothing.

Now that you've finally unloaded your burdens, why are you feeling sentimental instead of enjoying yourself?

Besides, with him around, isn't it easy to go home and visit someone if you want to?

It's just a matter of opening a spatial passage; you can come back anytime you want.

This little girl is still as silly as ever.

I may think it, but I can't say it like that.

Mu An habitually felt that if he actually said those words, Mu Ling'er would definitely make a scene.

As for why he came to this conclusion, Mu An had never thought about it; it was just an instinctive thought.

Even though Mu Ling'er rarely expresses her emotions anymore, Mu An's memory of Mu Ling'er remains unchanged.

Following his habit, Mu An sat on the steps by the door, and only stood up again after Mu Ling'er finished reminiscing.

"Gone?"

"Okay, let's go."

"Where to our first stop?"

Standing beside Mu An, Mu Ling'er glanced at him and started counting on her fingers.

"I haven't decided yet... Sunrise over snow-capped mountains, erupting volcanoes, surging seawater, floating islands, rivers flowing upstream, underwater palaces..."

There are so many things I want to see. Perhaps we can start from Qishan Road, then head south, first passing through southern Daqi, to see the South Seas, and visit the Dragon Palace in the South Sea…

After we've finished exploring the Dragon Palace, we'll head to the Yin Realm... and see every continent thoroughly, experiencing the different customs and cultures of each place.

Listening to Mu Ling'er ramble on and on, Mu An habitually agreed and patted her head.

"Okay, whatever you say. It's rare that you're completely free now, so you can do whatever you want."

When Mu An's hand touched Mu Ling'er's hair, Mu Ling'er's body stiffened for a moment, then recovered.

Mu An didn't even notice the moment of stiffness.

Or perhaps, in Mu An's eyes, Mu Ling'er had always been this easily startled.

……

As the sun was about to set, Mu Ling'er stopped and looked back at the open gates of the Mu residence.

The gates of the Mu residence were open as usual, and patrolling guards and maids could be seen moving around inside from time to time.

Mu Ling'er was not familiar with these people who lived under the same roof.

After several expansions, the Mu family now has far too many people, so many that she can only remember those who grew up with her.

Like Xiaoping, like Lin Hu.

One of them was her personal maid when she was a child. She was gentle and always helped her copy texts as punishment. She also helped her "outwit and outmaneuver" Mu An.

One of them was a guard who later joined the mansion. Despite his misfortune, he was very strong and always liked to practice martial arts in the snow. He was a very hardworking and diligent person.

The two later became husband and wife. Mu Ling'er personally served as a flower girl, and it took Lin Hu quite a while to finally get him to marry Xiao Ping.

Looking at the mansion filled with memories, and at the somewhat unfamiliar faces, Mu Ling'er couldn't help but smile.

That all happened a long, long time ago...