The Seventieth Scene: Triumphant Reunion [Second Update]

Yaslan had encountered many whose violent aura was even fiercer and wilder than the Heavenly Emperor’s, but those people were all several times or even dozens of times older than the Heavenly Emperor. It was truly strange for someone not yet thirty to possess such a bloodthirsty presence. Then he thought of Sang Hongye—her aura was also shadowed with blood, though due to her soul’s innate talent, it appeared pure and crystalline unless examined closely. That, too, was peculiar.

Yaslan chose not to investigate further. Knowing Sang Sang was safe, he turned and returned to his own small planet.

As Sang Sang’s guardian and acting supervisor of Sang Sang’s Interstellar City, Senna accompanied the logistics team to receive Sang Sang, and meanwhile notified the city’s staff to prepare for the installation of the additional asteroid.

The formalities sounded complicated, with dozens of items to be inspected, but in practice everything was automated. Over a thousand people lined up, five meters apart, passing through a hundred-meter detection corridor to collect individual terminals at the entrance. Those who’d already received their terminals gathered in small groups in the hall, curiously checking the information inside.

From the Galactic Civilization to the Temple, the journey had lasted more than eight years, and that was even with shortcuts taken through various civilizations’ teleportation gates. At last, they had reached their destination, and excitement was palpable among them all. They had studied the Temple’s rules, customs, and traditions on the way, yet standing on the Temple’s grounds—and inside its virtual reality—felt entirely different. Even the air seemed fresher and more invigorating, clearing the mind and filling every limb with vitality.

This was no illusion; the longevity of those from advanced civilizations was closely tied to the environment they lived in, the very air they breathed.

By the time Sang Sang arrived, everyone had their terminals. Under Junshi and Xiaolang’s coordination, the group split into several teams, preparing to return to Tiandao Star at the temporary base. Bishop Anthony’s starship had already been piloted away by Knight Commander Kane, fearing the team would be uncomfortable with it. He had left a dozen attendants to assist with communication and any issues.

Junshi, a royal of the Galactic Empire and once the manager of Sang Sang’s gallery, was responsible for strategic analysis, while Xiaolang, Sang Sang’s former bodyguard, was in charge of martial affairs. Both were close to Sang Sang and naturally became leaders of the logistics team—Junshi overseeing administrative and daily life, Xiaolang managing cultivation and defense.

Among the Tiandao group, aside from a few children, White Thorn suffered from mild social anxiety, and Little Jin had assigned him ten years’ worth of coursework. Green Sprout, a long-lived cosmic vine, was hundreds of years old but behaved like a mischievous toddler, sunbathing daily and sparring with Little Dragon Lord. The Little Dragon Lord, once a humanoid weapon from a level-three civilization, now in a purified dragon form, had shrunk to a playful six- or seven-year-old, who would, when excited, reveal small horns and a tail—and was increasingly lively, joining Green Sprout to tease the Heavenly Emperor.

Among the adults, Ye Xiu was a mysterious member of the Time Clan, immortal but otherwise powerless, always positioning himself as a bystander, gentle and reserved, seldom interacting with others. Yet the entire logistics team’s finances—including that of the Heavenly Emperor—were in his hands. Despite the unpopularity of the job, no one ever complained about him; Tom called him a miracle.

Tom’s special ability was healing. Besides being a physician, he also played chef—his domain was the kitchen. As one of the earliest members of Tiandao, after Little Jin and Sang Sang, he initially managed the team’s finances when they were away. But after a few months, he flatly refused to continue unless he could stop cooking for the Heavenly Emperor. The Heavenly Emperor held out for three days before relenting, and thus Ye Xiu became finance minister.

Hu Yang was Tom’s closest friend, but a cultivation fanatic. He spent all day training, even replacing sleep with meditation. Having once been healed by Sang Sang’s art, he became her devout follower ever since.

As Sang Sang stepped into the hall, seeing so many familiar faces, she suddenly felt a wave of unreality.

“Sang Sang!”

Little Dragon Lord’s eyes were the sharpest; the moment he saw Sang Sang, he shot toward her like a cannonball, small horns and tail springing out, eager to leap into her arms.

The Heavenly Emperor instantly appeared in front of Sang Sang, even reversing time to do so, and pressed a hand on Little Dragon Lord’s head, holding him back. “You’re grown up now—mind your manners. Boys and girls shouldn’t be so forward.”

“Let go, let go!” Little Dragon Lord’s tail whipped toward the Heavenly Emperor.

“Sang Sang.” A green blur flashed by—Green Sprout clung to Sang Sang’s chest, rubbing her face against her, giggling with delight.

The Heavenly Emperor ground his teeth, released Little Dragon Lord, and handed him Little Jin. “Here, hold this instead.”

Little Dragon Lord immediately lost his temper, dutifully holding Little Jin and standing beside Sang Sang, shooting Green Sprout a disdainful look in response to her provocation.

“Chirp chirp! Chirp—” A blue shadow swooped down; Ling Xiao, having been separated from his master for years, couldn’t help but come to greet her, spitting a fireball in protest for being abandoned.

“Bang!” Before the fireball could reach Sang Sang, and before anyone else could react—including the Heavenly Emperor—a white blur leapt between them, swallowed the fireball, and with a flick of its tail, sent Ling Xiao crashing to the ground. It padded over, placed a paw atop him, then raised its head to Sang Sang with a docile “Awoo—”

“White,” Sang Sang couldn’t help but smile. Placing Green Sprout in Ye Xiu’s arms, she stepped forward to hug the big white wolf’s neck, stroking its soft fur, then poked Ling Xiao’s head hard. “Fuzzball, you never learn! You’ve gotten fat again—starting tomorrow, you’re on a diet, and White is in charge of supervision.”

“Chirp chirp chirp chirp…” Ling Xiao flapped his wings, teary-eyed and resisting.

“He does need to diet—he eats more than the Heavenly Emperor and is the number one troublemaker. Thankfully, White can keep him in check,” Tom said as he and Hu Yang walked over with a unicorn. White Thorn, seated on the unicorn, jumped down, ran over to Sang Sang, shouted “Sister Sang Sang!” and hurried to Little Jin’s side to chatter away—the God of the Net was his idol, and he’d missed him terribly after years apart.

Sang Sang waved with a smile. “Tom, Hu Yang.”

Hu Yang, restraining his excitement, nodded with a smile. “Sang Sang.”

Tom, with a teasing air, said, “Your Majesty, it’s been a long time. You’re even more beautiful than before.”

The Heavenly Emperor squeezed between them. “No flirting with Sang Sang!”

Tom shrugged.

Sang Sang scanned the room, smiling and nodding in response to those greeting her—whether they called her “Your Highness,” “Holy Painter,” “Miss Hongye,” or “Lady Sang,” she welcomed them all. She patted the big white wolf’s neck. “How did you manage to bring Fuzzball and the others along?”

“The Temple specially set aside this registration corridor for our private use for five hours. The process was quick and simple, and there were no restrictions on species. Apart from Ling Xiao and the others, most people brought their pets. For those without citizen status, they were registered as protected pets. It won’t be this convenient to do so separately in the future,” Junshi explained, coming forward with Xiaolang. They were responsible for all matters outside the Tiandao group.

“Junshi, Xiaolang, you’ve worked hard. The Temple and Galactic Civilization’s star network is already connected, so you can easily video call home from now on.” As she spoke, Sang Sang introduced Senna. “This is Uncle Senna, my temporary guardian—a Xuan-level expert.”

“Xuan-level doesn’t really count as an expert. Besides being Her Highness’s guardian, I’m also her nanny, assistant, and agent. If you need anything, feel free to find me.” Senna smiled, seeing Sang Sang radiating the carefree joy of her age, handing out law candies and feeding the pets energy crystals. “You’re Junshi, right? The one in charge of the logistics team. Her Highness now has her own dedicated Interstellar City. I’ve already had the temporary asteroid towed to the city for installation. Everyone can proceed directly to the central district—Hongye Interstellar City.”

PS: The new book is now available. Please subscribe, dear readers—support the official release! Two chapters for now; the next will be up at midnight. (To be continued.)