"YEHEY!" Cries of excitement tore through the skies as Chen Linlin was carried in her father's embrace while the two of them flew their way back to Glory City.
Her cheerful yell was followed by the sound of hooves galloping in the distance as a white and lilac blur ran across the terrain, chasing after the father and daughter duo.
The wind brushed past Chen Linlin's delicate face, making her vibrant teal-colored hair flutter wildly.
She tried many times to look ahead, to see the land ahead of them, but the gusts of wind blowing right straight through her face made the task impossible.
Chen Linlin shifted her gaze, peering over her father's shoulder as she looked upward. Clouds as large as a hill drifted freely across the sky, carried by the wind as they floated in one direction, casting the land underneath them with their shadows.
Looking down, a wide smile etched across Chen Linlin's face, her round cheeks flushed red with joy as she saw the silhouette of the demon beast donkey running at full speed across the wide open plain as it caught up to them.
Riding on Silver's back was Xue Hui, his small frame fitting the size of his ride, as they gave off an image of a great warrior and his steed.
Currently, the four of them were traveling at full speed toward Glory City.
Chen Linlin was in her father's embrace, enjoying the benefits of having a Legend-rank Demon Spiritualist father who could fly through the skies.
Following them on hooves was Xue Hui, perched on Silver's back as they traveled along the ground, running and jumping.
Their speed was not a bit inferior to that of Chen Zhenlong and Chen Linlin, as they were able to keep up with their speed.
It had been two months since their group left the treasure chamber in Blood Moon Marsh.
Their journey back was noticeably much faster compared to their earlier travels while searching for the treasures.
This was due to Chen Zhenlong breaking through to Legend rank, which made their journey back home far faster and safer.
Two months ago, after Xue Hui successfully obtained the Glaze Blood and gave it to Chen Linlin, she was able to get rid of her withered Soul Realm and replace it with a new physique.
Chen Linlin's body now possessed the Moon Glaze Eternal Lotus Physique.
A mysterious physique that helped Suo Leiyue to become one of the most powerful Demon Spiritualists of her era.
It was an even more mysterious physique compared to Chen Linlin's previous one, the Nine Crystal Yin Physique, which was considered by everyone to be a heaven-defying physique.
Other than needing to rest her body so she could get used to the feeling of having a Soul Realm again, no signs of any complications had been found in Chen Linlin's body.
While Chen Linlin waited for her body to fully acclimate to her new physique, Xue Hui, who had been holding himself back for quite some time now.
had finally reached his limit and ran toward the mountains of treasures they had been pretending didn't exist since they entered the treasure chamber.
One by one, Xue Hui searched through the piles of treasure, looking for something interesting.
All the while ignoring the gold, the coins, and the relics that would make a normal person salivate at the sheer amount.
Xue Hui went for the inconspicuous treasures, the ones that did not seem to hold much value at first glance.
But for someone like Xue Hui, who possessed vast knowledge of different kinds of artifacts, all these seemingly important artifacts were crucial to his growth and survival.
It didn't take long before Xue Hui collected all the items that captured his attention—battle scrolls, Legend-rank armor, soul weapons, and various cultivation resources.
He wanted them so he could use them to increase both his and Chen Linlin's strength once they began cultivating.
After storing his loot, Xue Hui decided to give the rest to Chen Zhenlong to keep.
Obviously, such a mountainous amount of treasure was enough to overwhelm even someone like the patriarch of a major family.
After some deliberate discussion, the two decided to divide the amount of treasure between the two of them.
Chen Zhenlong insisted that with Xue Hui's talent, it was only a matter of time before he would need a large amount of resources to increase his cultivation.
Resources that might cost Xue Hui a significant amount of fortune in the future.
In the end, Xue Hui agreed to keep half of it for himself.
Chen Zhenlong breathed out a sigh of relief after convincing the boy.
Although what Chen Zhenlong said about Xue Hui needing the treasure for his own growth were all true.
There's another reason why Chen Zhenlong insisted on it.
If all the signs he'd been noticing these past months were all right, and all the clues aligned perfectly,
Then with how many times he caught his daughter, Chen Linlin had been sending Xue Hui some meaningful stairs, then there was a high possibility that his daughter was beginning to develop some feelings for the boy.
And the chances of the two of Chen Linlin and Xue Hui ending up together were rather high.
Chen Zhenlong couldn't blame his daughter if she were to fall for Xue Hui.
With everything Xue Hui had done for Chen Linlin, it was not surprising at all. If she found security and comfort with his side.
While Chen Linlin knew that Xue Hui was someone from the future, whose true age was far older than his current appearance suggested, the idea of the two ending up together did not bother Chen Zhenlong as much as he thought it would be.
Based on the boy's stories, Xue Hui is someone who did not have much experience with things outside of being Chen Linlin's attendant.
Due to his duties, Xue Hui spent most of his time taking care of Chen Linlin.
Xue Hui stayed by her side, missing many opportunities in life—experiencing the outside world, making friends, and forming relationships.
Xue Hui was basically a person who was older in age but not in life experience.
Added to the fact that, in terms of Glory City customs, something like a ten- to twenty-years age gap between couples was still acceptable in the eyes of the people.
Even Chen Zhenlong himself was already in his thirties when he married his youngest wife, Chen Yinying, who was only sixteen at the time.
Not to mention that Xue Hui was someone who had taken care of Chen Linlin in both lifetimes.
If there was someone who could prove to Chen Zhenlong that they could truly take care of his daughter, it was the person who went back in time just to save her.
And in terms of talent, Xue Hui had no competition at all. Xue Hui had already reached Bronze rank and possessed vast knowledge of healing and the outside world.
Unless a child who had also been sent back in time, just like Xue Hui, were to suddenly appear, Chen Zhenlong highly doubted that anyone could match Xue Hui's in terms of talent.
If Chen Linlin were to follow Xue Hui, she would not be at any disadvantage at all.
Although Chen Zhenlong made a promise within his mind to make sure to give the boy "the talk" if Xue Hui and Chen Linlin's relationship were to progress to that extent.
It was his job as Chen Linlin's father, after all.
So yes, Xue Hui would need wealth and power comparable to that of a major family if he wanted to convince the public that he was a suitable partner for Chen Linlin.
After storing all the treasure inside the many interspatial rings they had also found in the treasure chamber, Xue Hui and the rest decided to conduct a burial ceremony for Suo Leiyue and Guān Ning as a sign of respect for them.
During the ceremony, Chen Zhenlong asked a question that had been bothering him for quite some time now, ever since he found out about the Eternal Tomb and the Soul Attachment Crystal.
"Say, Xiao Hui, I just thought of something." Chen Zhenlong casted a curious glance to the boy beside him,"Why didn't the Moon Peak Emperor give the Soul Attachment Crystal to Suo Leiyue as well? With the Eternal Tomb, the two treasures could have kept her alive, body and soul."
As he solemnly watched the flame, Xue Hui shook his head at the question. and answered "Because the two treasures are completely conflicting with each other."
Chen Zhenlong knitted his eyebrows as he lglanced at the Eternal Tomb on the altar and the shattered Soul Attachment Crystal on the floor as Xue Hui continued.
"The Eternal Tomb is a tool meant to keep someone's body alive while the soul disperses into the afterlife, on the other hand the Soul Attachment Crystal is used to keep the soul of the dead by attaching their soul to an object."
The four of them gave a salute to Guān Ning and Suo Leiyue as they ended the ceremony.
"While in theory the two treasures should work perfectly in tandem with one another, both the Eternal Tomb and the Soul Attachment Crystal are separate treasures created by two different supreme experts. The enchantment arrays placed within both treasures would clash with each other, resulting in a violent burst."
Chen Zhenlong nodded. "So that's why," he said, realizing that the reason was fairly simple.
"Yup," Xue Hui replied, chuckling.
After finishing the ritual, Xue Hui stored the Eternal Tomb in his interspatial ring as the four of them headed toward the exit of the treasure chamber, leaving the place for good.
Back in the present.
"Ling'er, look ahead!"
As they slowed down, Chen Zhenlong called out to his daughter as a familiar-looking landmark came into view.
St. Ancestral Mountain Range.
The moment Chen Linlin saw the mountain range below them, her heart fluttered with anticipation.
Stretching her neck to get a better look, she waited with bated breath until the mountain slowly revealed the city hiding behind it.
"WOW!" a breath of wandered escaped to Chen Linlin's mouth as her eyes glimmered in excitement upon seeing their home.
Tall imposing walls, tens of thousands of houses, millions of people, and hundreds of thousands of experts all converged in one place to create the only surviving city in the world.
Glory City.
Even Chen Zhenlong couldn't help himself from smiling once he saw the awestruck look on his daughter's face.
Chen Zhenlong himself felt somewhat overwhelmed by the view of the city.
This was the first time he had seen Glory City from such a vantage point. Chen Zhenlong was used to seeing the entire city from atop of the walls or from the nearby mountains.
Seeing the entirety of Glory City while floating in the sky felt surreal even to him.
"Uncle Zhenlong, we're already at the North Gate."
Chen Zhenlong was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Xue Hui's voice in his mind.
"Ready to see your mothers again Lin'er?" Chen Zhenlong asked, which made Chen Linlin smile widely as she nodded in excitement.
With a quick reply, Chen Zhenlong glided down toward the direction of the North Gate, where Xue Hui and Silver were waiting for them.
Glory City Wall, North Gate.
The North Gate had been the Divine Family's assigned post for more than a decade now. Most of the experts guarding the place were members of the Divine Family.
Recently, in order to find the culprit behind Chen Linlin's poisoning, Xue Hui and Chen Zhenlong agreed that it would be better if the news of Chen Zhenlong's breaking through to Legend Rank was kept hidden from the public, at least untill they found the identity of that culprit.
While choosing only a select few to reveal the truth about Chen Zhenlong's breakthrough.
Namely Chen Zhenlong's wives and his father.
Chen Zhenlong believed that as Chen Linlin's mothers and grandfather they deserved to know everything that happened during their absence.
Chen Zhenlong also decided to include Lord Ye Mo and the City Lord in the secret.
This was due to Chen Zhenlong's belief that, as one of the protectors of Glory City, he had an obligation to inform the two leading protectors of their era about the true extent of Chen Zhenlong's strength, easing some of the worries on their shoulders.
Only a few people knew the true state of safety in Glory City.
As one of its strongest protectors, Chen Zhenlong knew all too well that both Ye Mo and the City Lord carried the heaviest responsibilities keeping the people safe.
When Chen Zhenlong told this to Xue Hui, the boy had no issue with his plan, as long as all knowledge about future events remained a secret between the both of them.
With that, with two Legend-rank Demon Spiritualists and the two major families working together, they would be able to increase the strength of Glory City and keep everyone safe.
As for the Sacred Family, Chen Zhenlong had already lost any trust in them.
They were the reason Glory City fell in Xue Hui's previous life, and the reason everyone he held dear died at the hands of demon beasts.
It didn't help that Chen Zhenlong had already formed a bad impression of the Sacred Family even before he learned about their betrayal.
The Sacred Family was notoriously known for constantly suppressing smaller families, bullying, harassing, and even stealing their businesses.
At first, Chen Zhenlong had to turn a blind eye whenever the Sacred Family suppressed another family.
After all, it was relatively normal for families to have quarrels.
And since the issues were usually between two families, he, as an outsider, had no right to interfere in their disputes. Unless things ended in violence, no one in Glory City would openly claim that the Sacred Family was abusing their position.
But now, with everything Chen Zhenlong had learned about the Sacred Family and their betrayal, all their villainous actions suddenly clicked together to Chen Zhenlong, like pieces of a puzzle completing the picture.
The Sacred Family can't be trusted.
Xue Hui thought so too.
Landing on the ground, Chen Zhenlong saw Xue Hui and Silver standing not far from the gate, hidden among the trees.
"Ra~ul!"
Upon seeing the two land, Silver walked toward them and greeted both his master and Chen Linlin.
"Hey, Silver! I saw you and Hui-hui running earlier. You're so fast, it's amazing!" Chen Linlin said excitedly while still being carried by her father, she patted silver.
"RA~UL!"
Silver stood straight, visibly happy with the praise. He loved it when the little one praised him.
"The sun is about to set. Let's all head home. I can't wait for your mothers to finally see you," Chen Zhenlong said.
Chen Linlin giggled hearing the excitement in her father's tone as they walked toward the North Gate.
"I can't wait to sleep in my room. That's where all my stuff is," Xue Hui said leisurely, as he trailed behind the father and daughter.
"No, you don't! You stay in my room like always. You're still my attendant, Hui-hui. I need someone to sneak food for me at night," Chen Linlin said while peering over her father's shoulder.
"RAUL." silver nodded.
"See? Even Silver thinks so too." Chen Linlin added.
Xue Hui simply rolled his eyes and let out a long, exhausted sigh.
Which made Chen Linlin burst into melodious laughter, as she hadn't noticed that they were already standing in front of the north gate.
"L-LORD PATRIARCH! YOU'VE ALREADY COME OUT OF SECLUSION!?"
Startled by the loud voice, Chen Linlin tightened her grip on her father's clothes as she looked toward the source of the noise.
Standing at the entrance of the north gate was a man wearing the crest of a guard duty under the Divine Family clan.
His face was deathly pale, his body visibly shaking, and beads of sweat trailed down his face as he stood in front of Chen Zhenlong.
While he was a member of the Divine Family, most people outside the inner family rarely had the chance to meet the patriarch personally.
Being a normal warrior with zero experience facing such a powerful individual, the guard froze up, unable to follow his words or do anything.
Before Chen Zhenlong could speak to the poor man, another person suddenly appeared from behind the guard, grabbed his head, and pushed it down so they could bow.
"Chen Kuon, greet Lord Patriarch! We are glad to see that Lord Patriarch has come out of seclusion," the old man greeted.
Unlike the younger guard, the old man spoke very casually while addressing Chen Zhenlong.
"I'm glad to see you too, old man Kuon. You're looking great," Chen Zhenlong replied, happy to see the old man.
The old man let out a hearty laugh upon hearing Chen Zhenlong's praised.
This old man used to be the head of the Divine Family's North Gate guards and had served the family for forty years. But due to old age and declining cultivation, he had no choice but to pass the duty to his elder son.
However, that didn't stop him from spending his days patrolling the wall, even when nobody asked him to do so.
"These old bones of mine are still kicking, Lord Patriarch. I thank my wife for feeding me right. Because of her, I'm aging gracefully," old man Kuon replied.
Chen Zhenlong chuckled upon hearing him. He had many good memories with this old guard, so Chen Zhenlong didn't mind if old man Kuon spoke casually to him.
While laughing, old man Kuon finally noticed that his lord was carrying a child, and beside him stood a boy with a white donkey.
Curious, old man Kuon was about to ask Chen Zhenlong the identity of those children with him.
"And thi—"
But before old man Kuon could finish his question, it suddenly dawned on him who the little girl in his lord's embrace was.
"Y-YOUNG MISS L-LINLIN!?"
"H-hi!" the little girl replied, as she nervously waved her hand at the dumbfounded old man.
"Easy there, senior. You're way too old to be getting surprised like this. I can literally hear your heart struggling right now."
Hearing the small voice, old man Kuon shifted his gaze to the boy standing beside his lord, and another realization struck him.
"D-DEAD-EYE BRAT, HO—!?"
"Sup!?"
"Urk."
Before old man Kuon could continue to shout, Xue Hui took out a pill from his interspatial ring and, with great precision, flicked it straight into the old man's mouth. As it traveled down straight to old man Kuon's stomach.
The moment the pill took effect, oldman Kuon's entire body immediately relaxed. His tense shoulders slumped, and his heartbeat returned to normal.
The pill had been prepared by Xue Hui beforehand, in case any members of Chen Zhenlong's family needed help calming down once they returned and saw the results of their journey.
Seeing the calm and relaxed expression on old man Kuon's face, Chen Zhenlong and Xue Hui both concluded that the pill had taken its effect, and proceeded to enter the gate.
"There's no need to alert anyone. I'm going back home. Keep up the good work." Chen Zhenlong said to the other guard.
"Y-YES, LORD PATRIARCH!" the younger guard replied, as bow kowtow to Chen Zhenlong living back, while giving the old man a nervous side glance.
"You think my wife would want a new child?" old man Kuon muttered while looking at clouds, a blissful expression can be seen on his face.
"O-OLD MAN KUON!?" the younger guard yelled in horror.
Both Xue Hui and Chen Zhenlong exchanged a look, before they both burst into laughter.
End of Chapter 29.