226: Chapter 225 Ambition

"The courtyard? I heard you've taken in quite a few new ones?" Palace Master Mosha's voice remained calm, yet it carried a hint of amusement.

"New is new, old is old; they don't conflict."

Palace Master Mosha let out a soft huff: "You certainly are confident and bold."

"I have always been confident and bold," Xiao Ye replied with a smile. "Once you arrive, you'll naturally get used to it."

Three days later, in the secret underground chamber of the Xiao Mansion, the teleportation array suddenly lit up with a pale golden glow. The array patterns swirled slowly, the air distorted slightly, and several figures emerged from the formation. Palace Master Mosha walked in the lead, dressed in a black gown with her long hair tied up high, her aura steady. After glancing around, her gaze landed precisely on Xiao Ye: "Husband, this place is even more spacious than you described."

Behind her, Zhang Waner, Liu Qianqian, and Bai Susu walked out one after another.

Zhang Waner spotted Xiao Ye at a glance and hurried forward, looking him over for a long moment: "You seem even more spirited than when you were in the Lower Realm."

Xiao Ye spread his arms: "Welcome to the Immortal Realm. This is the Xiao Realm, just finished renovating. Let me show you around."

Bai Susu followed behind Zhang Waner, gazing around curiously: "Is this the Immortal Realm? I heard the Immortal Qi is very dense; standing here is indeed much more comfortable than in the Lower Realm."

"We are all family here, no need to be reserved." Xiao Ye smiled and led them out of the secret chamber, across the newly paved stone path, through the small courtyard, and brought them to a newly renovated compound. The courtyard was neither too big nor too small, enough for them to settle in.

Zhang Waner stood in the courtyard for a moment, then suddenly turned to look at Xiao Ye: "Will this be our home from now on?"

Xiao Ye nodded: "Yes, from now on, the Xiao Realm is our home. Choose wherever you want to live; if you want to plant flowers, plant flowers; if you want to keep birds, keep birds. No one will stop you."

Palace Master Mosha passed by him and said softly: "You have truly put in the effort." Xiao Ye turned to look at her, but she had already turned her back to him and walked into the depths of the new courtyard, her silhouette stretched long in the setting sun.

That evening, the main courtyard of the Xiao Realm was set with three full tables for a welcome banquet. A-Zhu sat at one table with a few of the older children, curiously observing this group of newly arrived "aunties." Zhang Waner teased a toddler who had just learned to walk, then glanced at Bai Susu's belly beside her, laughing softly: "It seems the Immortal Realm is quite lively as well."

Xiao Ye sat at the head of the table, holding a wine glass, looking at the table full of friends, family, and new Faces, feeling an indescribable sense of contentment.

The Immortal Domain Grand Competition was won, the Small World was acquired, and his family from the Lower Realm had been brought up. It would still take some time before the Xiao Realm was truly bustling, but Xiao Ye was not in a hurry.

He glanced at Palace Master Mosha, who was checking the menu with Li Dan beside him, then looked at the Immortal Realm sunset slowly rising in the distant sky, feeling that life was indeed quite good.

Life in the Xiao Realm passed by quickly; it felt as if in the blink of an eye, several more years had passed. The red lanterns of the Xiao Mansion were rarely taken down, the cries of infants echoed in the backyard, Li Dan's ledger grew thicker and thicker, and Xiao Ye's cultivation rose with the tide. The cultivation rewarded by the System poured into his body continuously; every few months, he would go into seclusion to refine it, and his Realm climbed visibly. Golden Immortal Late Stage, Golden Immortal Peak, and then that chasm that loomed over the heads of all Golden Immortals—the Immortal King Realm.

On this day, Xiao Ye slowly opened his eyes in the secret chamber. The Immortal Qi within him had reached its absolute limit; a single step forward would lead to a brand new world. But he did not rush to take that step, instead sitting on the meditation cushion and thinking quietly for a while. A Breakthrough to the Immortal King Realm was no small matter. Once he stepped into that Realm, he would no longer be just a capable Ascendant from the Hengyu Mountain Range, but an Immortal King who could truly occupy a place in the Immortal Realm. At that time, his relationship with the Immortal King in White would undergo a subtle change—would he continue to be a capable subordinate under the Immortal King in White, or would he establish his own sect and rule his own territory?

Xiao Ye had been pondering this question for several days.

That evening, he was sitting under the old ginkgo tree behind the mountain drinking tea, when he happened to see an envoy of the Immortal King in White flying by in the distance, presumably heading towards Wangyue City. Xiao Ye watched the departing immortal light and suddenly figured some things out.

The Immortal King in White had treated him well—summoning him via imperial decree, recommending him for the competition, and gifting him presents afterward; every step had been given with sufficient Face. But ultimately, that was someone else's territory. No matter how much Face the Immortal King in White gave him, he was still just a nail in that Immortal Domain; no matter how deeply driven, he remained a nail and could not grow into a tree. But his Xiao Realm already possessed a Small World with complete Laws, growing family assets and offspring, as well as connections and strength.

He did not want much; he just did not want to be arranged anymore. He did not want to think about "whether the Immortal King in White would mind" every time he went out, and he did not want to wait for the day when the higher-ups changed to someone more difficult to deal with, leaving the Xiao Family to depend on others for survival.

After coming to this realization, he stood up, brushed the fallen leaves off his robes, and walked towards the main courtyard. Palace Master Mosha was drying immortal herbs in the courtyard; seeing that his expression was lighter than usual, she asked casually: "Have you figured it out?"

"I have figured it out," Xiao Ye said, taking the herb basket from her hands. "Once I reach the Breakthrough to the Immortal King Realm, I will carve out my own territory."

Palace Master Mosha did not ask further, simply nodding: "Then does the celebratory banquet in the backyard need to change its signboard?"

"No rush, let's wait until I actually achieve the Breakthrough," Xiao Ye said, putting down the herb basket and loosening his wrists. "I still need to accumulate more; the effort in the waist cannot stop, and the cultivation must keep up."

Palace Master Mosha glanced at him, unable to help curling the corners of her mouth: "Then you shouldn't rest tonight."

Xiao Ye turned to look at her and smiled: "I have the exact same intention."

That night, the lights in the backyard of the Xiao Mansion stayed on for a long time. The next morning, Li Dan even arranged two extra tables for breakfast. Xiao Ye sat at the head of the table, drinking spirit rice porridge while planning the path ahead—first, achieve the Breakthrough to the Immortal King Realm, then find a suitable opportunity to have an honest and open talk with the Immortal King in White. It would be best if they could part on good terms, but if not... He looked down at the slaughtering immortal sword at his waist, silently picked up a chopstick of pickled vegetables, chewed, and swallowed.

"Eat your fill first, then handle your business well," he said as such.