Volume 1, Chapter 475 – Returning Home

The royal carriage turned into a purple long rainbow and sped straight toward the Central Heaven Domain.

At this moment, Qinglan was still putting the Lan Clan in order, and that would take a few more days. Taking advantage of this gap, Shi Lan wanted to go home first.

She had not been away that long, but the succession of twists and dangers she had experienced had left her body and mind somewhat exhausted.

Shi Lan had not exterminated the Yu family to the last. She now possessed enough confidence to withstand pressure from every direction. For her, creating needless slaughter had no meaning at all.

She had given those people a chance for revenge. By the same token, they would have to bear the consequences of choosing that path.

…

The void around the manor had fallen into dead silence. Killing a Heavenlord had been as easy as reaching into a bag. That was genuine Pseudo-Emperor-level battle strength.

With such a leap in combat power, Shi Lan had already become a figure in the Vast Land of Shenzhou who could not be ignored. If the Human Emperors did not personally appear, she was already a peak expert of the first tier, enough to found a sect and stand as its ancestor.

In a corner of the city, an old man gazed toward the Central Heaven Domain. Within his eyes, an entire starry sky seemed to appear and vanish. The aura of Emperor laws flowed around him, and the power in his every gesture was enough to punch through the barriers of heaven and earth, twisting the void.

At his side stood several Heaven-Man Realm experts.

“Holy Venerable, was that… a domain around Shi Lan just now?” one Heaven-Man expert asked softly.

“That is correct. It is the embryonic form of an Emperor Dao domain. She already possesses the foundation to become an Emperor.”

The old man nodded slightly, a trace of emotion surfacing in his eyes.

“If this old man remembers correctly, when the Linglong Great Emperor became an Emperor, she was already over a hundred years old. The younger generation is truly formidable.”

The Vast Land of Shenzhou might soon gain another great lord.

And one who would be the youngest such great lord in the entire ancient history of the human race.

…

News had always traveled quickly. Not many people mentioned what had happened in Huang Ze’s mausoleum.

But the news that Shi Lan had stepped into the Heaven-Man Realm spread without wings.

At the same time, another piece of news shook all three races.

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The Heavenly Prodigy Ranking had changed!

Most of the names on the ranking had not shifted, but Shi Lan, who had originally been ranked twenty-seventh, soared all the way to the top and took first place on the Heavenly Prodigy Ranking.

She had trampled the former number one, Imperial Rakshasa, beneath her feet.

Compared to the rise in ranking, an additional line in Shi Lan’s battle record was even more horrifying.

With cultivation only just entering the Heaven-Man Realm, she had crossed a major realm to fight above her level, defied the natural order, and directly crushed a Demon Emperor who had only just entered the Heavenly Tribulation Realm.

…

Central Heaven Domain, Yisha Prefecture, Liuyuan City.

Shi Lan got off the royal carriage a hundred li away, not alerting anyone. Taking Tian Bai with her, she quietly entered the city and headed home.

There were rarely remote villages or wild towns in the Central Heaven Domain. News about Shi Lan had long since reached this place. As she walked along the road, she could hear countless rumors about herself.

Filtering out that flood of information, Shi Lan went straight to the front gate of the Shi Residence.

It was rather quiet outside the residence, with no visitors calling, which clearly meant that no one knew this was Shi Lan’s home.

“Y-Young Miss.”

The gatekeeper saw Shi Lan’s figure and hurriedly ran out. After hastily bowing, he rushed back inside to report her arrival.

Shi Lan slowly stepped over the threshold. A burst of yin wind flashed before her eyes, and a heavy corpse aura struck her face. A purple figure over ten feet tall appeared before her. It was the thousand-year purple zombie she had left at home before going out.

After giving it a quick glance and finding no signs of battle, Shi Lan walked farther into the residence.

There were not many servants moving about inside the estate. The number of maids was also sparse, making the whole place feel somewhat deserted.

…

Inside the main hall.

Shi Tianlu held the latest ranking list in his hand. The delight in his brows gradually faded, and a touch of worry rose in his eyes.

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“What are you worrying about?”

Su Lanyue, sitting beside him, noticed that something was off with Shi Tianlu’s expression and was somewhat puzzled.

“The taller the tree, the more it catches the wind. With such fame, Aran is all too easily turned into a target for all. Leaving aside the threat from the demon and devil races for the moment, even within the Vast Land of Shenzhou, it is not entirely safe.”

Shi Tianlu shook his head slightly and let out a soft sigh.

“The Shi family is not qualified to serve as Aran’s backing. On the contrary, we could easily become her weakness, even a bargaining chip for others to threaten her with.”

“That is not what you were saying before.”

Su Lanyue still remembered that when Shi Lan first made it onto the Heavenly Prodigy Ranking, the delight on Shi Tianlu’s face had not faded for a long time.

“This is different.”

Shi Tianlu tossed the Heavenly Prodigy Ranking in his hand onto the desk.

“The top of the Heavenly Prodigy Ranking draws far too much attention. That devil from before was once hunted by Human Emperors and Demon Emperors alike.”

When talent became too monstrous and exceptional, it could very easily disrupt the invisible balance among the three races, causing the entire structure of the Lingyang Realm to undergo tremendous change, or even returning to the eras of antiquity and middle antiquity.

Whether humanity alone flourished, or demons and devils ran rampant.

Shi Tianlu had risen from obscurity and carved out a place for himself in the wasteland at the frontier. That did not prevent him from seeing clearly the great currents moving beneath heaven.

The more clearly he saw, the more powerless he felt.

Who could have imagined that the harmless daughter who, only a few years ago, had still lived under his wings was now already capable of sweeping unhindered across Shenzhou?

“The Young Miss is back!”

A loud cry came from outside the hall. Shi Tianlu gathered in the worry on his face and put away the ranking list on the table.

Joy had already overflowed onto Su Lanyue’s face, and she went out to greet her.

Before Shi Tianlu had even stepped out of the hall, Su Lanyue had already led Shi Lan back inside by the hand.

“Father.”

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Seeing that Shi Tianlu looked much better than before, Shi Lan felt somewhat relieved as well. After greeting him, her eyes shifted toward Su Lanyue at her side, and a thought came to her.

Time’s heavenly blade was merciless. Youth faded easily, beauty aged, and the years were like sand slipping through one’s fingers, gone in an instant.

Shi Tianlu had already stepped into the Heavenly Astral Realm and possessed a thousand years of lifespan. Only a tenth of that had passed. But with Su Lanyue’s Innate Realm cultivation, her lifespan was only two hundred years. It was far too brief.

With Shi Lan’s current strength, helping someone forcibly raise their cultivation was effortless, but she did not want to do that. Leaping to the heavens in a single step was often accompanied by a terrible price, and for Su Lanyue, it would instead do harm.

Using pills to gradually nurture her body, advance her cultivation, and nourish her blood and qi was the best course.

Shi Tianlu did not closely question Shi Lan about what she had gone through outside.

Shi Lan, in turn, asked about things at home.

Shi Qinghu was no longer at home. He had already gone out to temper himself through experience and would not be returning soon. A martial artist who had not been tempered by blood and danger could not truly amount to much.

After abandoning martial cultivation for the literary path, Shi Yiming had displayed a talent far beyond the ordinary. Not long ago, he had entered the Sacred Spirit Academy as a disciple and had won the favor of a great scholar.

…

…

Inside the study, father and daughter sat facing one another.

“What plans do you have for the future?”

After a long silence, Shi Tianlu slowly spoke.

“When it comes to cultivation, your father can hardly help you anymore. But your life’s road has only just begun. Perhaps there are still some words of advice that may be of use to you.”

“After I reach the Emperor level, I may go beyond the realm.”

This thought was not something she had come up with on a whim. The shackles of Lingyang were too heavy. As her cultivation rose, some of the assistance she could obtain from beyond the realm would find it increasingly difficult to be of use within Lingyang.

For example, the Supreme remains in the Qiongluo Realm. If she refined them, her strength would surge forward by leaps and bounds.

Comparatively speaking, beyond the realm was clearly better suited to her growth.

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Moreover, the earlier Heaven-Man tribulation had already left a shadow in her heart. She always felt that the world of Lingyang wanted to destroy her.

“Beyond the realm?”

This answer caught Shi Tianlu by surprise. It was a path he had never imagined.

Born beneath this stretch of heaven, even his way of thinking was confined within it, unable to leap beyond.

“I will go alone.”

Shi Lan nodded. The dangers beyond the realm were impossible to describe clearly. She did not even dare bring her family into the Qiongluo Realm.

If she were to die by some mischance, the Qiongluo Realm would collapse with her, and everything would be finished.

For her, the Lingyang Realm was a limitation. For her family, it might instead be a form of protection. With King Xuan’s connection there, they would be much safer.

“Since you already have a plan, then do as you must.”

Looking at Shi Lan before him, Shi Tianlu’s eyes were solemn.

“But there is one thing I hope you will keep in your heart.”

“A truly strong person does not need too much sentimental attachment. No matter what circumstances you encounter in the future, do not let emotion become your shackles and interfere with your judgment.”

Looking at Shi Tianlu’s serious expression, Shi Lan was slightly stunned, then lowered her head and accepted his words.

“I will remember.”

…

After resting briefly at home for a few days, Shi Lan received a response from Qinglan’s side.

Using the spatial coordinates, she directly established a spatial passage straight to the ancestral land of the Lan Clan.

Shi Lan had already obtained the coordinates of the great world from Samsara.

Everything was ready. Only the east wind remained.