The old woman's thoughts drifted back to that night sixteen years ago. It had been a night of violent wind and heavy snow when Shi Wa was only two years old, and the old couple was still healthy.

Just as they were about to fall asleep, whooshing sounds suddenly rang out from outside. Startled by the disturbance, Shi Wa's father quickly climbed out of bed and put on his clothes, only to find a figure standing outside the window. But the moment he grabbed the woodcutter blade and prepared to go outside, that mysterious figure vanished without a trace.

When Shi Wa's father opened the door, he found a swaddled bundle lying outside. Inside was a baby girl whose little face had reddened from the cold, and she looked as though she had only recently been born.

Shi Wa's father carefully picked up the infant and glanced around, wondering who would abandon a child at their doorstep at such an hour. They also hadn't heard of anyone in the village giving birth recently, meaning the baby girl had come from elsewhere.

A blanket of white covered everything outside, yet not a single footprint marked the snow, as if the infant had descended from the sky. The figure he had seen earlier had also flickered in and out of sight.

Even now, as the old woman recalled that night, she still couldn't say for certain whether it had been a person or a ghost. If it had truly been a person, footprints should have remained on the ground after they left.

After daybreak, Shi Wa's father had carried the baby from door to door and asked around, but no one had lost a child. Moreover, Shi Wa had been the youngest child in the village at the time, while the other children were already several years older.

Liu Wuxie sank into deep contemplation after hearing the old woman's account. He could now confirm that Xiao Qian had an extraordinary identity, but he couldn't understand why someone had sent her to such a remote village.

According to the old woman's account, Shi Wa was still nursing at that time. The other children in the village were far older, meaning Xiao Qian would have died soon after being abandoned if no one had nursed her. Liu Wuxie suspected that the mysterious figure had noticed this, which was why they had left Xiao Qian at Shi Wa's doorstep.

"Does Xiao Qian know about it?" Liu Wuxie asked.

"She doesn't. Not many people in the village know about it either," the old woman replied.

"From this moment on, you're not allowed to speak of this to anyone. Xiao Qian's identity isn't ordinary, and I will take her with me to the Azure Flame Dao Hall to cultivate. I'll allow her to return once a month, but she will spend the rest of her time cultivating," Liu Wuxie said, issuing a gag order concerning Xiao Qian's origins.

"Young Master, thank you for taking them in. I can't repay you, and I can only hope to serve you as an ox or horse to repay your kindness. I'll leave the two children in your hands now," the old woman said as she wiped the tears from her face.

The old couple knew Shi Wa had lost an arm while searching for food, and today, he had returned home drenched in blood. Until moments ago, they hadn't even known whether he would survive the night. With someone now willing to take in both children and teach them cultivation, the old woman was overwhelmed with gratitude. To her, Liu Wuxie's kindness was no different from saving their lives.

"Here are two pills. They can treat your injuries, and the two children won't return anytime soon," Liu Wuxie said. Without Xiao Qian and Shi Wa around, the old couple would struggle to live on their own.

If he wanted Shi Wa and Xiao Qian to cultivate in peace, he naturally had to settle their worries first.

In his previous life, countless people had surrounded him, yet he had died alone at the Soul-Severing Cliff. To make up for that regret in this life, he intended to nurture his own people. He had too many enemies, and he knew he couldn't deal with them by himself.

"Thank you, Young Master!" the old woman said as she carefully accepted the pills from Liu Wuxie.

When Liu Wuxie stepped out of the house, he exhaled deeply.

Xiao Qian and Shi Wa immediately rushed over to him.

"You two can go in. Pack your things, and we'll be leaving tomorrow morning. You two will only return once a month after today," Liu Wuxie said before leaving and walking toward a distant mountain peak.

Ye Linghan quietly followed him. When she saw Liu Wuxie's lonely back, she felt as though he carried countless secrets within him. She wanted to ask him about them, but she didn't know where to begin.

Standing atop a lone peak, Liu Wuxie gazed into the star-filled sky as meteors streaked across the heavens.

"What's the matter?" Ye Linghan asked softly as she sat down beside him.

Ever since leaving the house, he hadn't spoken a single word.

"I don't know if what I'm doing is right or wrong," Liu Wuxie replied. He sat down, and for the first time, a trace of confusion appeared in his eyes.

"Of course it's right. We saved Shi Wa's family," Ye Linghan replied firmly.

Without them, Shi Wa would have died today. Without them, Xiao Qian would have had to care for their parents after Shi Wa died, and anyone could imagine the fate awaiting her. They had given Xiao Qian and Shi Wa a new life.

Liu Wuxie said nothing and continued staring at the sky. He naturally knew he had saved Shi Wa and Xiao Qian, but he had also pushed them into the heart of a storm.

He had his own motives, and he planned to nurture them so they could fight for him in the future. But that was a path he had chosen for them, without giving them the right to refuse.

Ye Linghan naturally didn't know what was going through his mind, but she could sense the pain he was feeling. A strong urge rose within her to pull him into her arms and comfort him.

What Liu Wuxie could do now was raise their cultivation as much as possible. Only with sufficient strength could they survive what awaited them.

Xiao Qian and Shi Wa differed from Xiang Rulong and the others. Xiang Rulong and the others had their own clans, which inevitably bound them together. Shi Wa and Xiao Qian had nothing holding them back. Since Liu Wuxie had saved Shi Wa's life, they would surely obey him without question.

Liu Wuxie drew a deep breath, and his mood instantly improved. When he turned his head, he found Ye Linghan looking at him.

"Is there something on my face?" he asked.

"The way you looked earlier doesn't resemble a young man at all. You looked like an old monster who has lived for countless years. Who exactly are you, and what are you doing in Fourfold City?" Ye Linghan asked. This question had troubled her for a long time.

Yet even after investigating him, she had discovered that Chen Ping was an orphan with no relatives. That meant Chen Ping had lied back in Moon Reverence City.

"There are things that it's best if you don't know. We have to handle our own affairs," Liu Wuxie replied, closing his eyes to cultivate.

Ye Linghan could only pout in displeasure. She didn't understand why Liu Wuxie wanted to conceal his identity. The more he acted this way, the stronger her curiosity became.

As the Desolate Devouring Art circulated, the surrounding immortal energy rushed toward him like a tidal wave. He took out the Fire Spiritual Pill and swallowed it in one gulp. With Ye Linghan guarding him, he didn't have to worry about his safety.

As soon as the Fire Spiritual Pill entered his body, it transformed into a terrifying cluster of flames that erupted within him. Driven by that energy, Liu Wuxie's aura began to rise, as he had long tempered his cultivation at the pinnacle of the Heavenly Immortal Realm to perfection.

With the help of the Fire Spiritual Pill his breakthrough would proceed smoothly.

Immortal energy throughout the mountain range gathered from every direction and swirled above Liu Wuxie's head.

This sight secretly shocked Ye Linghan. She couldn't believe Liu Wuxie could trigger such a terrifying commotion while merely breaking through to the High Immortal Realm. She couldn't imagine how terrifying the scene would become once he broke through to the True Immortal Realm.

Liu Wuxie took out five thousand immortal stones and threw them into the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron, dissolving them into liquid before pouring them into the desolate world. Nourished by the immortal energy, the desolate world slowly began to expand.

The expansion wasn't fast, but it had widened considerably since Liu Wuxie had first arrived in the celestial realm. His muscles bulged, producing rumbling sounds like war drums.

Liu Wuxie's meridians also tensed like drawn bowstrings. His blood roared through his meridians like a surging river. Whenever he inhaled immortal energy, rumbling sounds echoed from his chest. Every sign proved that Liu Wuxie's foundation was extremely stable.

As the night deepened, a few demonic beasts occasionally raced across the mountain range, but they all fled immediately after sensing his aura.

Ye Linghan could no longer describe what she felt. She had seen many prodigies in her life, especially as a mentor of the Azure Flame Dao Hall. But this was the first time she had ever encountered someone like Liu Wuxie.

Sometimes, she even suspected that Liu Wuxie wasn't an ordinary person, but a monster. After all, even old monsters could only look up to him in terms of theoretical and practical knowledge. None of it made sense, and it shouldn't have been possible even if Liu Wuxie had started cultivating inside the womb.

As time passed, Liu Wuxie's aura gradually calmed down.

The village lay silent, with only the occasional bark of a dog breaking the stillness.

Inside the house, the old couple experienced rebirth after consuming the pills. They instantly appeared a decade younger. The old man now appeared only to be in his fifties, and his strength returned.

"Shi Wa, Xiao Qian, you two must learn well from your mentors starting from tomorrow. Listen to whatever they say."

Shi Wa and Xiao Qian nodded, as they had waited far too long for this day. They couldn't sleep that night due to excitement.

"Father, Mother, who will take care of you two once we go to the Azure Flame Dao Hall?" Shi Wa asked.

"My body is in excellent shape now, and I don't need anyone to take care of me. Cultivate well and don't embarrass your mentors," the old man scolded, reminding the siblings to cultivate properly and cherish this opportunity.

As the night grew deeper, Liu Wuxie completed his breakthrough at midnight. When he opened his eyes, two cold beams shot out from them. The mystic yin energy inside his body had grown even denser, indicating that the Divine Mystic Yin Needle's power had also risen.

His cultivation stabilized at the pinnacle first-level High Immortal Realm, with immortal runes hovering around him. At this moment, he appeared to have fused with heaven and earth. This was the effect of the unity with heaven and earth.

After expelling all the turbid air from his chest, Liu Wuxie felt completely refreshed. When he rose to his feet, his bones crackled like fried beans.

"That feels great!" Liu Wuxie stretched his body and loosened every joint, feeling immortal energy roar within him.

"Congratulations on your breakthrough to the High Immortal Realm," Ye Linghan said as she stepped forward.

Liu Wuxie could already defeat a ninth-level High Immortal while he was still at the ninth-level Heavenly Immortal Realm. Now that he had reached the High Immortal Realm, ordinary first-level True Immortals would no longer be his match.

This would also make it easier for him to teach students in the future. After all, if his cultivation remained too low, convincing others would prove difficult.

"Thank you for protecting me during my breakthrough," Liu Wuxie said.

He then took out the mysterious cauldron he had bought from the Myriad Artifact Pavilion in the afternoon.