Chapter 2635: Home

After all these years, nothing much had changed at home; the furniture and decorations were exactly as they were before his last campaign. If not for the small tree in the courtyard having grown taller, its branches and leaves denser, he would have thought time truly stood still here.

The chess game under the tree remained frozen from five years ago. But the board and pieces were spotless, with hardly any dust.

Clearly, someone had wiped them clean and then carefully returned each piece to its original place, without mistake.

He could not think of a second person so meticulous.

After strolling around, He Lingchuan walked back to his own room, flung himself backward onto the bed, and lay sprawled in a "big" shape.

So comfortable, truly comfortable.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw a spiderweb hanging in the corner of the ceiling.

The web was new, because the spider had only spun half of it, now circling the axle round and round, spinning silk.

On the wooden edge where the spider wove its web was a small hole, left by a money dart. He Lingchuan knew, because that dart was one he had fired himself out of boredom.

His gaze then moved downward to the low table beside the bed, where a carved wooden column stood, as thick as a bamboo tube, its iris and orchid carvings extraordinarily fine; though aged, it was clear someone often wiped it, free of dust.

This was a flower vase with pink roses and globe amaranth, swaying gently in the soft breeze.

He Lingchuan certainly remembered this vase; it was one he had picked out with Master Sun long ago from an antique shop, said to be an old relic from some ancient royal palace. When he brought it home, it was merely a solid pillar, which he himself hollowed out and turned into a wooden flower vase.

He stared fixedly at the vase, drew a deep breath:

"I'm back!"

After all these years, he had finally returned.

Back to his home in Panlongcheng!

At this very moment, his heart was utterly at peace. It seemed that as long as he stepped into this place, basked in the warmth of sunlight streaming through the window onto his body, all agitation and worry would be shut out, unable to follow him inside.

He Lingchuan slowly closed his eyes.

He was the Nine Nether Great Emperor, possessing the most luxurious palace in the world, but even if that "Dragon Bed" were piled with countless feather quilts and soft pillows, it could not compare to the peace of this hard wooden bed in Panlongcheng.

He had not even counted to five before falling asleep.

For a very long time, he had not slept so relaxed.

￥￥￥￥￥

When He Lingchuan stepped out of the southern gate of the Panlong ruins in Nancheng, the little stone figure was waiting for him by the wall.

"Hey? Where did you just go?" How did you look so refreshed and clear-headed?

"Secret Realm." He Lingchuan answered casually, glancing at the Fate Divine Sigil on his wrist.

The little snake lay still, its eyes no longer glowing. But He Lingchuan knew in his heart that Fate bore him no goodwill.

"No, that's not right." The Panlong Secret Realm lies on the back of the Earth Mother, and it sees everything inside clearly: "You entered the Secret Realm, leapt into the Blessing Pool, and then vanished. Don't tell me there's another Secret Realm inside the Secret Realm?"

Strictly speaking, it is not a Secret Realm expert; Guan Biao and this fellow before you are.

"No, this is not a nesting of two Secret Realms." He Lingchuan turned to gaze at the towering ancient city gate, filled with emotion: "It's merely that the Great Vase has reopened for me."

After more than ten years apart!

The Earth Mother gasped: "You just walked into the Great Vase?"

That famed divine artifact—she truly wondered what this vessel actually looked like.

"The inner space of the vase." The Panlong World exists within the vase's inner space: "What's wrong?"

"Oh, do you still need to return to the Secret Realm lately?" The little stone figure kicked aside a pebble at its feet: "I still have other places to go."

"No need to return." He Lingchuan told it: "Your mission for Cangyan is complete; after taking the Xuanzhu, you may leave."

This return to the Panlong World required him to manually activate it with the Fate Divine Sigil, so he had to enter from the Panlong Secret Realm himself.

But after this, it would no longer be necessary; just as he entered the Panlong World before, he would continue to do so, without needing to go through the Secret Realm.

He also often recalled his conversation with Zhao Manshu the Great Shaman.

Zhao Manshu had said the same as Zhenhuan True Person: that the interchange of emptiness and substance requires breaking boundaries. But He Lingchuan had no idea how to shift the Panlong Secret Realm.

This Secret Realm had been forged by him too solidly.

Fortunately, this matter was not urgent; he could slowly figure it out later. For now, he would first let the Earth Mother depart.

Speaking of which, he casually asked: "By the way, where are you headed?"

"Kunlong Cave."

"What place is that?" The world is vast; when the Earth Mother casually mentioned a place, He Lingchuan might not know it.

The Earth Mother gestured, and the ground swiftly rose and fell, stacking into a sand table.

The little stone figure pointed at the sand table: "Here."

"Within the Baoling realm?" He Lingchuan nodded: "Baoling has been unsettled lately; you'd better be careful yourself."

The Earth Mother chuckled hehe: "It's they who should be careful."

He Lingchuan patted the little stone figure's head.

The Earth Mother wanders the world—today in the Endless Sea, tomorrow possibly rolling in the desert. The Nine Nether Great Emperor manages myriad affairs; there's no need to constantly monitor the Earth Mother's movements.

It may go wherever it wishes; that is its freedom, and it need not regularly report to He Lingchuan, as stipulated in their mutual contract. He Lingchuan was merely asking in passing.

This big fellow is capable of taking care of himself, and of the Panlong Ancient City on his back.

The little stone figure muttered: "The sunset on Kunlong Cave is especially beautiful; when you have time, you should go see it."

"Alright, when the chance comes." He Lingchuan patted its head, then strode away from the Earth Mother's plains.

The Earth Mother was currently resting in the wetlands west of Chengxi of Ju City. It had just completed the task for Cangyan, and according to their agreement, transportation and labor fees needed settlement.

Thus, from afar, the convoy heading to Ju City looked like a busy ant colony, transporting supplies to the Earth Mother's plains. But they could only reach as far as the southern gate, where an invisible barrier blocked them, preventing entry.

The goods were then taken over by the residents of the Earth Mother's plains and the Night Wanderers.

The spirits and people on the plains were fairly ordinary, but the merchant convoys from Ju City often saw cargo wagons hitched to strong oxen, then proceeding orderly into the city gate, feeling inexplicably strange. This was because the Night Wanderers of the Earth Mother's plains had also come out to work, but ordinary mortal eyes cannot see them.

This massive material transport lasted a full two days before ending.

Then, the Earth Mother, carrying its city on its back, slowly sank into the earth.

At the same time, the mirage in midair also vanished.

This unprecedented mutual gaze between the Panlong World and Ju City ended after lasting two days, leaving He Lingchuan with endless reverie.

In Ducheng of Cangyan, it did not need to emit its signature long howl to announce its arrival and departure, but its descent was a major undertaking; the tremors were felt throughout Ju City, and even the underground transport system had two spore carriers halt operations due to the shaking.

With such a grand spectacle for the Earth Mother's departure, the news of her visit could not be kept secret.

(End of chapter)