But Heavenly Dao didn't feel ashamed. What was wrong with fearing death and clinging to life? What was wrong with just wanting to live?

He looked pitiful, almost ready to jump into the hot spring pool, cling to Xu Lai's thigh, and cry out for his dad to save him.

"No harm done." Xu Lai waved his hand. "It's no big deal."

Heavenly Dao pondered for a moment, then inhaled sharply. "Could it be, Your Excellency The Supreme Emperor, that you have discovered the identity of that palm's owner?" He asked excitedly, "Is it a true Emperor Realm powerhouse?"

If not, that would be expected. If so, it would be terrifying news capable of shaking the entire Immortal Domain. It would light a spark of hope in the hearts of those Quasi-Emperor Realm powerhouses who could only gaze at Xu Lai's back, destined to never leave a significant mark in this era.

If given the chance, no one would want to be a mere backdrop. No one wanted to be the green leaves that set off the flowers, much less live in someone else's shadow from birth until death. At the Quasi-Emperor Realm, who wouldn't want to advance even further? But just because someone had already become an Emperor, they were all destined for tragedy!

"I don't know."

Xu Lai's reply left Heavenly Dao bewildered. "Uh... Aren't you curious?"

"Somewhat interested." Xu Lai looked up at the bright moon in the sky and said, "Besides, they will come again."

Xu Lai had a hunch that the other party would definitely return to Earth.

Whether it's to save No-Face or to get revenge for my interference last time is a matter of perspective.

Heavenly Dao's back was soaked with cold sweat again. His voice trembled as he said, "Your Excellency The Supreme Emperor, I'll be heading home first then..."

Xu Lai didn't say a word, just waved his hand.

Heavenly Dao turned and took a couple of steps, then looked back and said cautiously, "By the way, I plan to go into seclusion for eighty or a hundred years. If Your Excellency has a message, just leave one. I'll reply when I see it."

"Scram."

"Yes, sir!"

Heavenly Dao scurried off, already considering where to undergo a life-or-death seclusion. If he weren't Earth's Heavenly Dao, his fate inextricably bound to this planet, he would have fled deep into the Immortal Domain—preferably to one of the dead Star Domains. That way, even if No-Face had powerful backing, how could they possibly track him to a Dead Realm?

That's obviously impossible!

Sigh, it's all my fault for being too dedicated and responsible to leave Earth. Otherwise... Heavenly Dao lamented as he left Mount Haitang.

About half an hour after Heavenly Dao left, the moon was high in the sky. Ruan Tang walked out from the living room and said hesitantly, "I heard voices in the backyard just now. Who were you talking to?"

Just as Xu Lai was about to answer, he saw his darling wife approaching in a swimsuit. He quickly beckoned to her. "Soaking in a hot spring in the middle of winter is pure bliss. Come over quickly."

"Hmph." Ruan Tang curled her lips and sat down next to Xu Lai. She felt a hand creep onto her waist and her expression darkened, but she said nothing, waiting for him to make his next move before teaching him a lesson.

Unexpectedly, however, Xu Lai merely hugged her and did nothing more, like drawing little turtles on her or anything of the sort.

"By the way," Ruan Tang said, "this afternoon, the gatekeeper at the foot of the mountain mentioned that the East Sea Martial Dao Association sent over a lot of gifts. Do you have some connection with them?" She was puzzled. "They sent things like oil, rice, and flour, plus a bank card they said was the reward for the Dragon Vein."

The East Sea Martial Dao Association?

"Yeah," Xu Lai said nonchalantly. "Where's the bank card? You're not going to confiscate it again, are you?"

"Isn't all your money already with me?" Ruan Tang said, unconcerned. "Even if you had a secret stash, how much could you have saved? I put it in your wallet."

That makes five hundred million. It should be enough for your mother's dowry. As for the Martial Dao Association...

Xu Lai figured it was probably just twenty or thirty million. After all, that was the going rate he had set for Su Daiyi and Old Jiang Ba, so he didn't think much of the bank card.

He held Ruan Tang and watched the moon for a while, whispering sweet nothings that made her earlobes turn red. It was hard to tell if it was from the heat of the hot spring or from shyness.

「Above the Moon.」

The capture of Shang Sikong, leader of the Upper Crescent Second Month Clan, along with its future leader Shang Er, had sent waves of shock and fury through the major Crescent Moon Clans. Although much time had passed, a heavy sense of oppression and fear still permeated their hearts.

Xu Lai. He was the mysterious powerhouse who had obliterated the former Lower Crescent Third Month Clan. Just how strong was he? Was he still holding back his true power? Why was he helping Earth? Was he an Earthling or one of the foreign Cultivators?

One question followed another, yet the investigations over the past days had yielded no progress whatsoever.

Crown Prince Ji Gui still resided in the lavish great hall of the Upper Crescent Second Month Clan. Today, he paced alone within the hall, seemingly waiting for someone as he constantly checked the time.

Finally, after more than ten hours of waiting, a figure silently descended into the hall. It was a man shrouded in a black robe, his features obscured. One could only tell that he was slightly overweight, and his silhouette was exceedingly blurry, so much so that it resembled a projection.

The man in the black robe spoke in a hoarse voice, "Greetings, Crown Prince."

SWISH!

Ji Gui spun around, his eyes fixed on the man. "You've finally arrived!"

The man didn't speak, merely bowing slightly. "Crown Prince, are you truly going to play that trump card on Earth? He is one of the Moon Viewing Clan's few remaining assets on Earth."

"I need Xu Lai dead!" Ji Gui enunciated each word. "As long as Xu Lai lives, I cannot attack Chang'an City with peace of mind."

The man in the black robe hesitated. "But Crown Prince, if we awaken that one, Xu Lai will undoubtedly die. However, Earth might be destroyed in the process. After all, that being is a great evil, something we have no way of controlling."

Earth was the Moon Clan's pigsty. The blood of its billions of inhabitants was far too precious to waste; they relied on those pigs to cultivate the Blood Moon Technique.

"Here in the Moon Clan, I am the one who calls the shots now." Ji Gui tilted his head, a brilliant smile on his face. "Don't think you can boss me around just because you're my father's spy on Earth, do you?"

"I obey all of the Crown Prince's arrangements!" The expression on the black-robed man's concealed face changed dramatically, and he quickly moved to kneel and show his loyalty.

The Crown Prince raised his hand slightly, and the black-robed man found he could no longer kneel.

Pleased that the man knew his place, Ji Gui's attitude softened. "You are my father's right-hand man and a hero of our Moon Clan. You have worked hard laying the groundwork on Earth these past four hundred years."

"You flatter me, Crown Prince," the man in the black robe said solemnly. "I am a member of the Moon Clan. It is only right that I contribute to our people! My only regret is that I failed to kill Xu Yanyang before he reached his full potential."

The man's expression grew dim. He had gone to Earth four hundred years ago with a group of elite subordinates. Their existence was a top secret, known only to the Moon King and the Crown Prince. Their primary responsibilities were to gather intelligence for the Royal Clan and to assassinate any brilliant young Earthlings who began to stand out.

Regretfully, despite three assassination attempts, he had failed to kill Xu Yanyang. Instead, he allowed the man to single-handedly defend Chang'an City with his blade for a century, keeping it safe from harm.

"Things rarely go as planned in this world, and you are not an omnipotent god," the Crown Prince said dismissively, waving his hand. "Find some scapegoats so your actions this time won't be discovered."

"Rest assured, Crown Prince, I have already found the most suitable scapegoats, though none of them are human," the man in the black robe said with a sinister smile. "Who would have thought that our Moon Clan secretly controls a Sea City? Countless Sea Demons are already preparing for the day the Moon Clan will rule Earth!"

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