“His Highness has finally made it this far,” Jidu said. “The subsequent actions will be carried on by us.”
“The Old General means we should continue pressing toward the Celestial Sacred Domain?” Sui Yun asked, perplexed.
“Precisely,” Jidu confirmed. “Otherwise, all our previous arrangements will be utterly wasted.”
“I agree completely,” Xiang Tian chimed in. “Now that Ice Pool is severely wounded and has fled, this disruption must have thrown Yue Che and the others’ plans into disarray. This is our perfect chance to seize the initiative and enter the Celestial Sacred Domain.”
The others nodded subconsciously in agreement!
“Since no one objects, we will commence immediately,” Jidu declared. With that, he looked toward Chihau. “Immediately use Heaven and Earth Unification to bring Mo-Mei and the others over as well.”
“Yes!” Chihau accepted the command.
“As for His Highness, General Chiming will escort him back to the Throne City,” Jidu continued.
“Yes!”
Throne City! Ice Palace! Within the Falling Snow Hall!
“Ah! The pain!” A pig-slaughtering scream pierced the grand hall, reaching everyone’s ears. “Spare me!”
“Don’t move, just a little longer,” followed by the tense shouts of Suixin and Yin Shuang.
“Take it away, quickly take it away!” It was hard to imagine that such a gruesome sound belonged to Xingchen!
Every face present shifted slightly!
No one could fathom what method Suixin and Yin Shuang were using to heal Xingchen! It was causing their usually iron-willed father to cry out so miserably! Xingye and Xingzhan’s faces turned the color of fright, and they instinctively rose, intending to rush in and see what was happening!
But Jian Li grabbed them both!
“Grand-Master,” Xingye looked anxiously toward the direction of the sound, deeply worried. “Father is screaming so terribly, I have to see what’s happening.”
“Indeed,” Xingzhan added, equally concerned. “What exactly did Suixin do to Father?”
“Foolishness,” Jian Li chided. “With your mother there, how could anything go wrong? Rushing in rashly might only interfere with their healing.”
“But—” Xingye was frantic, pacing back and forth, unsure what to do!
“Now, all we can do is wait patiently,” Jian Li concluded.
After a long while, the curtain door to the room was pulled aside, and Yin Shuang and Suixin emerged! However, what struck observers as peculiar was that both of them wore expressions of utter strangeness!
“Mother, is Father alright?” Xingye and Xingzhan rushed forward, while Jian Li also looked on with great tension.
“This…” Yin Shuang and Suixin merely exchanged peculiar glances. “You two should go in and see for yourselves.”
Phew! It was finally over! Right now, I was wrapped up like a mummy! I couldn’t even move my dong! Honestly, I would rather fight Ice Pool for another three hundred rounds than endure the sensation of having my insides cut open and bled! Recalling that terrifying scene just now still sent shivers down my spine!
Although the blade was thin, delicate, and small, I have been terrified of this object since birth! It constantly brought to mind the scalpels wielded by surgeons in the modern era. Even after so many years in the Mafa World, that psychological shadow remains perfectly intact!
Back in the modern world, I suffered from needle phobia since childhood! Even a simple injection could scare me half to death, let alone those gleaming, sharp scalpels!
But speaking of which, Suixin’s medical skills were far more extraordinary than I had anticipated. The injury I sustained was extremely severe—in the modern world, it would classify as a Grade A Major Injury—yet under Suixin’s hands, it seemed like child’s play. Of course, the treatment method was still a bit too brutal and harsh! At least, that’s how it felt to me!
Just as I was secretly congratulating myself that my life had been saved, the room door was gently pushed open!
“Father, are you alright?” Xingye and Xingzhan looked on anxiously.
“I’m fine, much better,” I quickly composed myself, feigning calm! But I soon noticed there was another person behind them! Upon closer inspection, it was Master Jian Li, whom I hadn’t seen in ages.
“Master, why are you here on the Snow Domain Continent?” This was both surprising and delightful for me!
“Of course, to see you,” Jian Li replied. Twenty-six years had passed, and Master Jian Li’s appearance was unchanged, though the weariness etched between his brows seemed deeper. The most obvious change, however, was that his aura felt significantly stronger; clearly, his cultivation had advanced and improved over these past two decades!
Reunion aside, Jian Li was also extremely excited, yet his face remained tense. “Is your injury feeling better?”
“It’s fine now,” I quickly assured him. “Suixin said I only need a month of rest to fully recover.”
“That’s a relief,” Jian Li finally let out a breath.
Xingye and Xingzhan, meanwhile, were looking around curiously, as if searching for something!
“We heard Father screaming so terribly outside the door, we thought Father…” Xingzhan trailed off, looking inquiringly at me, who was practically wrapped like a dumpling. “What exactly happened out there, Father?”
“Did Suixin do something to you?” Xingye asked with a hint of mischief. “If she dared bully you, we’ll teach her a lesson.”
“Hehe, no,” I managed a dry laugh. “It’s over, I’m perfectly fine now.”
A cold sweat broke out on my back! Heaven, thank goodness they didn't find out, otherwise my sterling reputation in this life would be ruined! The Qin King of the Demon Dragon Empire, a top-tier expert renowned across the continent, afraid of a few insignificant little knives—if this got out, I wouldn’t have the face to show anyone! I could only pray that Yin Shuang and Suixin would keep this a secret! I prayed inwardly!
“Are you really okay?” Xingzhan asked suspiciously. “You’re still sweating so much.”
“Hehe, it’s all this wrapping,” I quickly covered up. “It’s hot!”
“Oh,” Xingzhan and Xingye finally relaxed, convinced.
Phew! I managed to keep it hidden! Although these two little ones kept me on edge, having someone care for me at my sickbed brought a wave of emotion. No wonder China has always held the saying that having children secures one’s old age. The concern from having sons and daughters really feels different!
Seemingly reading my thoughts, Jian Li let out a strange smile. “Good boy, you are truly blessed!”
Heh! I could only respond with a nervous laugh!
However, at this moment, I was more concerned about Jidu and the others. “Is there any news from Old General Jidu and the others?”
“Don’t worry, Father,” Xingye informed me. “General Jidu and the others have reached the Heavenly Array at the Gate of Heaven. They are just waiting for the array to open to enter the Celestial Sacred Domain.”
“I hope no more accidents happen during this time,” I admitted, having been scared enough. “If they run into that old monster Ice Pool again, Jidu and the others will be in dire peril.”
“No need to worry,” Xingye assured me. “Ice Pool was already injured by Father, and then took a direct hit from the Magic Crystal Heavy Cannon. Even if he survived, he’s half-dead and won’t be making any moves anytime soon.”
“Let’s hope so,” I sighed. “But don’t forget, besides Ice Pool, they also have Youquan and Fengxiao, who are equally difficult to handle.”
Frankly, I still felt uneasy. I had personally witnessed the terrifying strength of Ice Pool; perhaps only I truly understood how formidable he was. Moreover, the alliance formed by Yue Che and the others included two other old monsters besides Ice Pool: Youquan and Fengxiao. If Jidu’s group encountered either of them, the consequences would be unthinkable.
“With Old General Jidu’s caution, they won’t be easily ambushed. Furthermore, learning from Father’s prior lesson, Mother and Sais already devised a solution: General Chihau and General Chiming are continuously wearing the Memory Sets! They maintain the Heaven and Earth Unification state and are ready for spatial teleportation at any moment! Even if they accidentally run into someone like Youquan or Fengxiao, they can escape immediately.”
Damn, isn’t that the escape mechanism using a Town Portal scroll from Legend? I was quite surprised that Yin Shuang and Sais managed to learn this instinctively! But it certainly eased my mind considerably.
“Grand-Master traveled a long way to see you, Father. You should spend time catching up with him,” Xingye and Xingzhan said, now that they were less worried about my condition.
“You two run along now,” I urged them.
The room settled back into quiet once more!
“I can’t believe twenty-six years have flown by, and your children are already this grown,” Jian Li remarked with a sense of the world's changes, the seas turning into mulberry fields.
“Don’t remind me,” I grumbled somewhat dejectedly. “For you, it’s been twenty-six years, but for me, it feels like it happened just yesterday. I woke up, and not only were my son and daughter grown, but I even have a grandson and granddaughter! Being a father like this feels quite bewildering.”
“You wicked boy, don’t pretend you’re suffering after hitting the jackpot,” Jian Li retorted without restraint. “You have no idea how hard it is raising sons and daughters. But look at you—you woke up and instantly had them ready-made, and both these youngsters are so dutiful, I’m envious.”
“Heh heh,” I offered a dry chuckle. “These two are certainly dutiful, but they have no respect for their elder. Being their father feels truly stifling.”
“That’s wonderful,” Jian Li teased slyly. “You maintain your youth! Others envy you; what do you have to complain about?”
“Stop it!” If I weren't currently bundled up like a rice dumpling, I would have beaten this irreverent old man until he was begging for mercy!
“You haven’t changed a bit,” Jian Li sighed deeply, then murmured contentedly. “Seeing you safe, this old man can finally rest