ETR | Chapter 110

After returning from that small city in the Thirteenth Heaven, Qin Lou and Xiao Xueman went to Nan An's little courtyard. Before they came back, the courtyard was always cleaned by someone, but after Xiao Xueman and Qin Lou returned, Xiao Xueman personally took care of it.

In front of Nan An's small grave, a tall tree grew, its leaves evergreen, and the pink flowers on it bloomed perpetually. The gentle breeze blew by, and a few pink petals fell on Xiao Xueman and Qin Lou's shoulders, as if a pair of hands were gently patting them.

Xiao Xueman sat with Qin Lou in front of her grave, once again sharing their recent experiences with her. As he spoke, a smile never left his face.

The little tree swayed slightly in the wind, and the leaves rustled softly.

If Nan An could see how happy they were, she would probably feel happy too.

However, after Qin Lou ascended to the Spirit God level, he took on more responsibilities. After the short trip, he slightly shifted his role, still focusing mostly on Xiao Xueman, but his son and the sect still needed him.

Although the sect's affairs were completely handed over to Xiao Wan, who was doing a great job, Qin Lou, now capable, couldn't just sit back and do nothing.

Previously, he did less or nothing for two reasons: first, Qin Lou's spiritual power hadn't fully recovered, and he couldn't rely solely on the title of Wang Tian Dijun to act. Without enough strength, he couldn't command respect.

Secondly, if he had taken over sect affairs immediately upon returning—even partially—it would have been unclear who was in charge between him and Xiao Wan.

The title of Wang Tian Dijun, while light, held significant influence, especially within the Wangtian Immortal Gate.

His relationship with Xiao Wan was improving, and though they wouldn’t have a falling out over such matters, it would naturally cause suspicion among the subordinates.

Now that he’s been back for a while, Xiao Wan remains in charge, which benefits Xiao Wan’s authority and demonstrates Qin Lou’s stance, solidifying Xiao Wan’s position.

Now that Qin Lou's strength and the sect's recognition have stabilized, he naturally helps Xiao Wan a bit, mostly behind the scenes, not directly stepping in.

Xiao Wan, after all, is younger, and the relationships within Wangtian Immortal Gate are quite intricate.

Some of the older generation have many thoughts, and while they are polite on the surface due to Xiao Wan’s strength, they may not truly respect him.

At such times, Qin Lou steps in to help, teaching Xiao Wan the key points of dealing with these people.

Many details don’t rely on strength alone, and neither Yin Ying nor the pavilion masters have reached this level, so they can’t teach him.

Wangtian Immortal Gate’s rapid growth to rival Tian Shu Academy couldn’t have happened without support from other forces.

Qin Lou’s outward demeanor seemed cold, but in fact, he was handling those matters.

Most of the time, it’s not about saying much, but saying the right things.

Xiao Wan indeed benefited greatly, and his relationship with Qin Lou grew closer, resembling a true father-son bond.

Xiao Xueman was happy to see their relationship improving.

Although Qin Lou and Xiao Wan missed the early father-son bonding, it’s never too late to start now.

During this process, there were also some interesting events.

The Blue Sea Competition is still ongoing, and Qin Lou and Xiao Xueman were coaxed by Yu Zhengrong to go watch.

However, they have somewhat retired now, so they didn’t take on the role of chief judge, which is demanding and conspicuous.

Instead, they took on a leisurely advisory role, helping out when there were disputes.

This year’s chief judge is Xiao Wan.

Every year, the Blue Sea Competition brings out some outstanding juniors.

Watching these young people strive and fight, even those who have lived a long time feel a bit of vitality.

During the final match of the Blue Sea Competition, Xiao Xueman and Qin Lou sat in the advisory seats to watch.

Xiao Xueman habitually leaned on Qin Lou’s shoulder, holding a small handful of dried fruits.

Finding them tasty, he fed one to Qin Lou.

"Is it good?" Xiao Xueman asked.

"Good, sweet," Qin Lou replied, taking another one fed by Xiao Xueman, and glanced at the still-empty arena. "The match hasn't started yet?"

There seemed to be a small backstage mishap today, and preparations were still underway, with the arena's drums and gongs yet to sound.

"I bought these casually outside when I entered the arena today," Xiao Xueman looked at the dwindling dried fruits in his hand and gave most of them to Qin Lou. "You eat first, there's still time. Wait here for me, I'll go buy some more."

Xiao Xueman decisively said and left. This was his one indulgence, and Qin Lou was used to it. As he sat waiting, the person next to him quietly asked, "Dijun?"

Qin Lou hadn't really noticed who was sitting beside him. Their seats were quite spacious, with high backs and armrests, so they didn't disturb each other. His and Xiao Xueman's seats were specially connected.

Qin Lou glanced over, vaguely recognizing the person but couldn't recall who it was.

"You probably don't remember me," the person smiled, "In the competition where you were the chief judge, I took second place in the fourth group of the individual competition. During the finals, you gave a speech, and I listened intently, remembering it clearly to this day."

He glanced in the direction Xiao Xueman had left and smiled again, "From then until now, Dijun's true heart has never changed, has it?"

Qin Lou replied, "It hasn't changed. Compared to before, I'm closer to my true heart, and it will never change in the future."

"That's wonderful," the person said, "I've heard a lot about you and Xueman Your Excellency, but seeing is believing. I wish you both happiness."

"We will," Qin Lou assured.

Xiao Xueman soon returned, carrying a large bag of various dried fruits.

“Made it in time!” He happily sat back beside Qin Lou, finding his most comfortable position, trying each one, occasionally commenting on the taste, and not forgetting to feed Qin Lou some to try. He asked, “Who were you talking to just now?”

Qin Lou briefly explained the encounter, and Xiao Xueman found it interesting. He even shared a bag of the tasty, sweet dried fruits with the person beside them as a small gift to thank him for his blessings.

Living on the Spirit Realm Continent, they often encountered memories that brought Xiao Xueman and Qin Lou closer. Each experience was like a rope, pulling them closer together.

Qin Lou took a bit longer to climb back to his Spirit God Tier 9 level from the Spirit God stage. In cultivation, the further you go, the harder it gets, but when Xiao Xueman looked back, it seemed like no time had passed at all. Such a long time felt like it flew by for him.

Being with Qin Lou and Xiao Wan, every day was leisurely and fulfilling, making him forget the passage of time.

Xiao Wan had also reached Spirit God Tier 9, but without the life-and-death experiences Qin Lou had, he was temporarily stuck at this level, seeking breakthroughs over a longer period. With his great talent, there would naturally be many opportunities in the future. Such things can’t be rushed, and Xiao Wan wasn’t in a hurry, maintaining a calm mindset. With the experiences of his two fathers as reference, he still had many paths of his own to explore.

Qin Lou and Xiao Xueman could always return, and their family would never be separated again.

Qin Lou’s journey from Spirit God Tier 9 to breakthrough was smooth, like a natural progression.

At the moment he was about to break through, Xiao Xueman waited for him at the Cosmic Tree.

He saw ripples like water waves appear on the light sphere representing the small world of the Spirit Realm Continent, with a fiery red glow emerging from the center of the ripples—that was Qin Lou’s firelight.

Xiao Xueman didn’t wait long before Qin Lou, having completed his breakthrough, was already by his side, holding him in his arms.

He felt warm.

“Finally…” he heard Qin Lou whisper softly in his ear, “The godhood I promised to exchange with you, Xueman, I can finally give it to you.”

Exchanging godhood was the most eternal and indestructible promise within the Cosmic Tree.

When Xiao Xueman wore the part of Qin Lou’s godhood, he gradually understood the feeling Qin Lou had at that time—a sense of mutual integration, feeling like the other person was a part of his own body. It was truly intimate and inseparable.

Amidst the dazzling starlight of the Cosmic Tree, some people, after several twists and turns, finally touched eternity.

Author’s Note:

The main story ends here. The family will always be happy and never part ways [spinning around]

Thank you all for accompanying me~