Chapter 731: Old Friends, Past Matters

"Where are they?" He Pingsheng asked Zhou Qingmei.

Zhou Qingmei said: "They're waiting outside, requesting an audience with you!"

He Pingsheng waved his hand: "Alright, let them come in quickly!"

After all these years apart, longing was certainly there.

Besides, this time we meet across another world.

He Pingsheng's heart held a flicker of excitement.

After about half a stick of incense had burned, as the formation rippled, Zhou Qingmei led two people into his cultivation hall.

Su Zhenzhen, and his son He Tianya!

"Husband… husband…"

Su Zhenzhen stopped three feet before He Pingsheng, gazing at him with dazed eyes, her gaze overflowing with boundless longing.

He Tianya dropped to his knees with a thud and said: "Son greets Father!"

He Pingsheng stood up mechanically, moved and stirred, saying: "Good, good, good child, stand up quickly!"

He reached out and helped He Tianya to his feet.

At the same time, He Pingsheng's spiritual sense swept over the two of them.

His son was doing well—his cultivation had reached the tenth layer of Soul Transformation, not far from a breakthrough.

"Not yet at a bottleneck?" He Pingsheng patted his son's shoulder.

He Tianya replied happily: "As Father asks, not yet. I believe I'll hit the bottleneck only at the eleventh layer of Soul Transformation!"

"Hmm!" He Pingsheng pulled out a vial of elixirs and handed it to He Tianya: "There are twelve pills inside—five-rank 【Gather Dao Pills】 of different elemental affinities. You'll find them useful."

"Try to break through the bottleneck on your own first. If you can't, come find me—I'll give you one 【Dragon Eye Immortal Lychee】."

Long ago, He Pingsheng had won a Dragon Eye Immortal Lychee at the Sacred Fire Trading Society, later refining it into two pills.

But he had never used them.

"Understood, Father. You and Mother haven't seen each other in ages—you must have much to say. I won't disturb you. I'm off to close myself in seclusion and break through my spiritual barriers!"

He Tianya was quite considerate—he bowed to He Pingsheng and immediately ran out.

Zhou Qingmei also took her leave, carefully inspecting the formations surrounding He Pingsheng's grand hall.

Inside the hall, only Su Zhenzhen and He Pingsheng remained.

He Pingsheng smiled.

This woman looked exactly as she had in the past—no change in appearance—but her cultivation had risen greatly.

Though she still lagged behind He Tianya, she had reached the seventh layer of Soul Transformation.

Very good.

"Giving so many pills to your son… won't you give me any?" Su Zhenzhen pouted, her slightly disheveled hair clinging to her forehead and damp, full lips, adding an unusual allure.

He Pingsheng said: "How could I forget yours?"

"Don't worry!"

"Mmm, mmm, mmm…" Su Zhenzhen took two steps forward and said: "How have you been in the Spirit Realm all these years?"

"Has she treated you well?"

He Pingsheng took a deep breath, reached out, and grasped the hair atop Su Zhenzhen's head: "Whether she treats me well is not the point—first, kneel down!"

"Oh…"

Su Zhenzhen didn't ask why—she simply murmured, leaned closer to He Pingsheng, and gently knelt upon the meditation cushion.

…

Several days later!

A wisp of incense curled upward in the grand hall.

It transformed the once bland hall into a fragrant earthly paradise.

He Pingsheng smiled: "This is a pure, serene place—now you've made it fragrant. How am I supposed to cultivate?"

"Don't give me that!" Su Zhenzhen said: "You came here for the contest—what's the point of cultivating?"

"This is quieting incense, meant to calm your spirit. Don't worry—I won't harm you!"

He Pingsheng reached out, pinching Su Zhenzhen's pointed chin between his fingers: "Aren't you the one who's been tormenting me for days?"

Su Zhenzhen smiled sweetly, radiating charm.

"By the way!" He Pingsheng suddenly flopped onto the ground, rolling over the large meditation cushion, and asked lazily: "Why didn't you go to Solitary Pine Mountain when I asked you to?"

"Why should I have gone?" Su Zhenzhen said: "I'm not alone anymore—I have a son!"

"You live with your wife. If I came with our son, wouldn't that be awkward?"

"I've been doing quite well in the Imperishable Emperor Domain. My son has extraordinary talent—he joined a sect, and I followed him in."

"Now, I'm even an Elder of that sect!"

"Don't worry—it's all fine!"

He Pingsheng nodded: "It was fine before, but not anymore. After this Stone Platform Assembly, you must come with me."

"You're not allowed to leave me again. As for Qiao Huizhu, I'll explain to her myself."

In truth, He Pingsheng had already explained once before.

And Qiao Huizhu seemed to have accepted Su Zhenzhen.

The only issue was Qiao Huizhu's current condition, which worried her.

"Besides Tongtong and Wang Dun, who else among our kin has ascended?" He Pingsheng asked, watching Su Zhenzhen with concern.

Su Zhenzhen walked beside He Pingsheng, then knelt gently beside him—their distance drew even closer.

She spoke: "None of your sect masters or disciples have ascended. Some had limited talent and exhausted their potential; others simply couldn't break through; some may already be nearing the end of their lifespan."

"The only one who ascended is your little sister-in-law."

"Who?" He Pingsheng asked.

Su Zhenzhen said: "The little sister of the Qiao family—she's called Qiao Xiaoqiao, I think."

"Oh…" He Pingsheng understood: So it was her?

Qiao Xiaoqiao?

He wasn't surprised she had ascended—after all, Qiao Xiaoqiao had always been exceptionally gifted.

"Where is she now?" He Pingsheng asked.

Su Zhenzhen said: "She's extraordinary—became a peerless prodigy in the Imperishable Emperor Domain, chosen by the Imperishable Divine Emperor, and now she's one of the Ten Prodigies representing humanity in the Stone Platform Assembly!"

He Pingsheng was utterly astonished: "She's already Void Refinement?"

"Mmm, mmm, mmm!" Su Zhenzhen said: "Qiao Xiaoqiao ascended even earlier than we did—Void Refinement isn't surprising."

"Besides, she has the full resources of the Imperishable Emperor Domain behind her!"

"She's already at the eleventh layer of Void Refinement!"

Hiss… hiss… hiss…

Hearing this, He Pingsheng couldn't help but draw in several sharp breaths.

Qiao Xiaoqiao?

That girl who always seemed a bit unserious—she had ascended, and reached Void Refinement eleventh layer?

Too incredible.

"Your disciple Xiaohe hasn't ascended, but she's now the strongest in the entire cultivation world—her combat power is phenomenal!"

He Pingsheng nodded: "Who's second?"

He assumed his disciple Long Jiao would be close.

After all, he had taught his disciples many extraordinary scriptures and abilities.

But Su Zhenzhen replied: "The second strongest combatant in the cultivation world is Cheng Daocai!"

"That grandfather-grandson pair have become the Holy Masters of Ask-He-Remember-Mountain!"

He Pingsheng was stunned.

Good heavens.

Fate truly is wondrous.

Who could have imagined that a mere mortal old man from the mountains would one day become a giant among the cultivation world?