509: Return to Xucheng

At the entrance of Zhengyuan Holy Palace, several Disciples only felt a blur before their eyes, and the mysterious figures had already vanished. They rubbed their eyes, looking around, but could no longer find any trace, as if it had just been an illusion.

At this moment, Xu Qing was already holding Xu Xie, strolling on the ancient bluestone path of Zhengyuan Holy Palace.

Disciples passed by all around, yet no one could perceive their existence. With every step Xu Qing took, faint Dao patterns emerged beneath his feet, completely concealing their figures and Auras between heaven and earth.

"Uncle, why are they all so weak?" Xu Xie, lying on Xu Qing's shoulder, looked around curiously.

"Because our Xie'er is a True King by birth!"

Xu Qing said with a smile.

Xu Xie had stayed in his mother's womb for a full three hundred and sixty years before being born. He was a Saint Monarch Realm Cultivator upon birth, possessing a Innate Sacred Eye, an Innate Five Elements Dao Body, and an Indestructible Sword Body.

He was born with control over the Indestructible Sword Dao and the Innate Five Elements Great Dao. Although he could only unleash his Origin power now, his strength was far greater than that of Zhengyuan Holy Palace.

Without lingering in the Holy Palace, Xu Qing took Xu Xie to Cangwu Academy.

"Have you heard? The 'Sword Mark Cliff' in the back mountain is opening again. It's said that the traces left by the Great Emperor when he practiced his sword back then are still there..."

"Which Great Emperor?"

"Who else could it be! It's the current Great Emperor, Ancestor Xu!"

Xu Xie's eyes lit up, and he tugged at Xu Qing's sleeve: "Uncle, are they talking about Daddy?"

Xu Qing smiled without answering, his figure flickered, and he had already brought him to the back mountain of Cangwu.

On the steep cliff face, crisscrossing sword marks remained undiminished after thousands of years of wind and rain.

The central sword mark, which ran through the entire mountain wall, was left casually by Xu Yuan during his Breakthrough back then.

Xu Qing raised his hand and gently stroked the sword mark, a familiar Sword Intent fluctuation coming from his fingertips.

He looked down at the little fellow in his arms: "Want to try?"

Xu Xie eagerly stretched out his small hand.

Just as his fingertips touched the mountain wall—

"Clang!"

A faint Sword Qi suddenly burst forth from the sword mark, circulated around Xu Xie's small hand, and then quietly dissipated.

"Oh!" The little fellow exclaimed in surprise, "It recognizes me!"

Xu Qing's gaze was gentle.

Bound by Bloodline, this Sword Qi naturally had a resonance with Xu Yuan's son.

As the sun set, two figures, one large and one small, quietly left Cangwu Academy.

The gate Disciples suddenly felt the scent of plum blossoms floating in the mountain breeze, but when they looked back, they found nothing.

Only on Sword Mark Cliff, a new, shallow little handprint was quietly left beside the giant sword mark.

Three Thousand Boundary Gates, Ming Domain.

The borderland, once scarce in Spiritual Qi, was now vibrant with new developments. Spiritual springs gushed between mountain ranges, flying boats traversed the skies above cities, and occasionally, figures of King Realm powerhouses could be seen soaring through the air.

Xu Qing, holding Xu Xie's small hand, stood above the clouds, overlooking this familiar land.

"Uncle, is this where Daddy grew up?" Xu Xie asked, looking up.

"Yes." Xu Qing's gaze was distant, "Back then, there wasn't even a decent Cultivator here."

Before his words finished, the two had already appeared above Xu City.

This small city, which once only covered a few dozen li, had now expanded to tens of thousands of li.

The city walls soared into the clouds, inscribed with complex defensive array patterns; shops lined the streets, and the Cultivators passing by were at least of Marquis Realm cultivation.

"Look, it's Daddy!" Xu Xie excitedly pointed at the statue.

In the center of Xu City, a thousand-zhang white jade imperial statue stood majestically.

Xu Yuan in the statue wore a star robe, standing with his hands behind his back.

His eyebrows were like swords, his eyes like cold stars, a golden sword pointed diagonally at the sky, with nine stars impaled on its blade. As his robes fluttered, Sword Qi seemed to flow, and even falling leaves were automatically pulverized three zhang away from the statue.

What was most unsettling was the Aura.

Even though it was just a statue, it still exuded a sharp edge that looked down upon the world, as if silently declaring: "I am in this Domain, no enemy shall enter!"

"This was spontaneously carved by the Cultivators of the Ming Domain after your father achieved the Imperial position." Xu Qing said softly.

Compared to Xu Qing, Xu Yuan was more famous on the Eternal Continent because Xu Yuan was the current Great Emperor. In the Lower Realm, these four words were much more famous than anything like Dao Severing King or Immortal Dao Lord.

Xu Xie watched, engrossed, his small hand unconsciously mimicking the statue's sword-holding posture.

Xu Qing smiled and led him to the front of the City Lord's Mansion.

The once simple mansion was now enveloped by a Saint-Grade array, with eight Heavenly King Realm guards standing at the entrance, and several King Realm Auras faintly discernible in the shadows.

They seemed to be oblivious to the two people walking past them.

The Saint-Grade array rippled slightly, but obediently parted when it touched Xu Qing's robes.

Inside the courtyard, time seemed to have frozen.

The sword marks on the old locust tree were still mottled, but had been enchanted with an Eternal curse; the stone table and chessboard were still in their original places, but the chess pieces had been carved from star nuclei; even the wild plum tree in the corner, which had been cut down back then, had now become a Saint-Grade medicine exhaling spiritual mist, yet it stubbornly grew in its original spot.

Xu Qing merely glanced, and he could discern methods that did not belong to this world.

Someone had been here.

Xu Xie curiously ran to the locust tree and found the words "Xu Yuan" carved on the trunk.

He stretched out his small hand and touched it, then suddenly turned his head: "Uncle, this is Daddy's name!"

Xu Qing couldn't help but laugh; he knew who had returned!

During the time he was in seclusion, Xu Yuan must have returned.

A gentle breeze blew, and the locust leaves rustled.

Xu Qing looked around. Although everything had been renovated, the layout of the courtyard and the positions of the plants stubbornly maintained their original appearance from back then.

Even the wild plum tree in the corner, now a Saint-Grade medicine, was still blooming in its old spot.

Only someone familiar could have arranged this layout.

On the long street of Xu City, Xu Qing walked hand in hand with Xu Xie.

Shops lined both sides of the street, and hawkers' cries rose and fell, far more bustling than it had been back then.

As they reached the corner of the city's east, a nine-story wooden building came into view. The black plaque with golden characters read "Mortal Dust Tower."

"Uncle, this restaurant is so old!" Xu Xie looked up at the slightly mottled eaves.

Indeed, in this newly renovated Xu City, this restaurant appeared particularly ancient.

Although its scale had expanded considerably, its blue bricks and dark tiles, and carved window lattices, still retained their original appearance.

The gilded couplets at the entrance were even old items.

"A pot of turbid wine to exhaust the remaining joy, tonight's separate dream is cold."

Xu Qing smiled.

The waiter enthusiastically greeted them: "Welcome, esteemed guests! Our Mortal Dust Tower is a place the current Great Emperor often visited in his youth."

Xu Qing's lips curved slightly.

They ascended to a private seat on the third floor, where the window offered a perfect view of the City Lord's Mansion.

The patterns on the wooden table were polished smooth, and the carvings on the window frame still held traces of accumulated time.

Xu Qing ordered several of the most famous dishes from back then: Drunken Immortal Chicken, Braised Spiritual Bamboo Shoots with Pork Hock, Eight Treasure Spiritual Rice Porridge, and a pot of "Mortal Dust Brew."

"Excellent taste, esteemed guest!" The waiter said with a smile, "The recipe for this Mortal Dust Brew has never changed in two thousand years!"

Xu Xie's eyes lit up: "Is it good? Then I want some too!"

"Children drink spiritual fruit juice." Xu Qing lightly flicked his forehead.

The dishes were served quickly.

The Drunken Immortal Chicken was tender and flavorful, the spiritual bamboo shoots were crisp and refreshing. With better ingredients, the taste was indeed much more refined than he remembered.