Beep... Beep...

"Fei Yu's realm is too high. We can't help at all. All we can do is watch."

"Still, don't just stand there! At least check his blood pressure or something!"

"Little Sheng, Little Sheng!"

A familiar voice reached him and stirred the longing buried deep within Wang Sheng's heart.

His Primordial Spirit was heavily damaged. His immortal perception had weakened.

He used the last bit of strength in his body to open his eyes. What met him was a piercing white light and a familiar silhouette.

Master...

Wang Sheng wanted to speak, but dizziness surged from his Primordial Spirit. He let out a pained groan and fell unconscious again.

It felt like a distant dream where he stood before a sea of stars, unable to look away. It was as if the starry sky was trying to tell him something.

Starry sky... Right, I have already seen so many of them.

Nevertheless, the one above Earth remained the one he was most familiar with. Back in their small courtyard on the Wudang Mountains, he often looked up at it, holding a wooden sword and a practice sword used for plaza dancing.

Later, he traveled far and wide. He even eventually left Earth and saw countless different skies.

The sky within the blood mine was dim and hidden behind layers of arrays. Meanwhile, the one above Fengmo changed constantly. It felt unfamiliar, yet strangely close. It was a pity his senior sister wasn't with him at the time to share the view.

The stars within the array of the divine tree appeared hazy, while those inside the palace seemed almost able to speak. He embraced his senior sister tightly there.

From there, he drifted through space. He visited one celestial body after another, allowing him to see different starry skies.

Gradually, he lost the leisure to admire the sky. He only sat beneath it, absorbing whatever power it gave him.

Did the plan succeed?

Wang Sheng carefully recalled everything that had happened.

Chun Yangzi had told only him that Zhi Bing would disguise herself as a powerful subordinate of Feng Jiu, who had once descended upon the sect master of the Fengli Sect.

This plan served three purposes.

Firstly, it pulled Wang Sheng out of the battle between the Heavenly Court and its enemies. Secondly, it forced an early split between the Heavenly Court and Feng Jiu's faction. Lastly, it exposed Feng Jiu, the faction lurking in the endless space.

Chun Yangzi's plan was truly ingenious.

Xu Zhongliang spent three hundred years setting the stage and making countless arrangements so Wang Sheng could perform this grand act.

Chun Yangzi worked with Zhi Bing to deceive Xu Zhongliang and the other Heavenly Court immortals. This made Wang Sheng's self-wounding stratagem more convincing and firmly established the death of the sacred spirit.

Afterward, Chun Yangzi used the chaos to leave with Wang Sheng.

Once they met with Zhi Bing, Chun Yangzi and Zhi Bing worked together to unseal Wang Sheng's frozen Primordial Spirit. He was pulled out of his faked-death state, and his life was preserved.

That was enough. With two extremely powerful beings at his side, as long as he was not completely dead, he would survive.

Wang Sheng's injuries were quickly stabilized. Afterward, Lishang brought him back to Earth to recover. Chun Yangzi and Zhi Bing remained outside the array, studying the Time-Cycle Grand Array to find a way to break it.

Only then could Earth exist on the same level as the endless space. Only then could Earth's cultivators truly rise.

If Feng Jiu was truly who they thought she was, then in the end, the only thing Wang Sheng could rely on would be Earth's cultivation world.

What he did not know was that after faking his death, a great battle broke out between the Heavenly Court and its enemies.

Xu Zhongliang intervened in time, and the Heavenly Court quickly withdrew. Only Erlang, Wang Shan, and a few others stayed behind, their killing intent raging as they fought.

Once Wang Sheng "died," the pressure that the Heavenly Court had placed on the Immortal Saint Realm vanished. The opposing forces quickly dispersed. Focusing on self-preservation, the experts of the Immortal Saint Realm retreated.

That day, Erlang truly killed ten Grand Dao Golden Immortals, dealing a heavy blow to their opponents.

Qinghua also laid siege to the Black Emperor's city. He fought against the enemy experts for dozens of days. With support from over ten allies, he inflicted heavy losses on the Black Emperor's forces and even severely injured the Black Emperor himself. Unfortunately, the Black Emperor survived, likely with the help of numerous treasures, and did not suffer the Five Heavenly Declines.

Wang Sheng knew nothing of this, though. He had been unconscious. Still, even while pretending to be dead, he felt the aftershocks of the powerful beings' clashes striking him and worsening his injuries. At the time, he had been a hair's breadth from truly dying.

Unfortunately, surviving a great calamity did not guarantee good fortune.

Wang Sheng drifted in a hazy state. At times, he felt as if he were falling endlessly into an abyss. Other times, he seemed to be walking among clouds.

His cultivation realm showed signs of instability. Luckily, he could sense his sword intents working to steady his Daoist realm while repairing his Primordial Spirit.

Gradually, his consciousness returned, but he found himself trapped within his Heavenly Abode.

The world of his Heavenly Abode had been torn open. This was the mark that Zhi Bing had left. With his Primordial Spirit still unable to move, he could not repair it.

If I lose consciousness again, I'm not going to be out for a hundred years straight, am I?

He had vaguely seen his master earlier, which could only mean he was already on Earth. If he lay unconscious now for a hundred years, he would be wasting ten thousand years of cultivation time out in the endless space.

Then again, it did not seem like such a serious loss.

If the Immortal Saint Realm no longer paid attention to him, and the Heavenly Court no longer treated him as their hope, then it shouldn't be a problem for him to sleep for a hundred years back home.

From here on, he would have to walk a different path.

Wang Sheng's consciousness sat quietly within his Heavenly Abode as he pondered the road ahead.

Before the plan began, Chun Yangzi had promised to protect Earth. If necessary, he would seal it off completely and isolate it from everything. His only concern now was whether he would miss his parents' later years if he truly slept for a century.

He also wondered how much his senior sister would worry while cultivating under Qinghua's guidance. Fortunately, before carrying out this plan, Chun Yangzi had already discussed everything with the emperor, who served as the final safeguard of the plan. If Wang Sheng could not endure the injuries he sustained from faking his death, Qinghua would have stepped in at once to save his life.

Qinghua also resented the Immortal Emperor. Chun Yangzi only said that he wanted Wang Sheng to temporarily break free from the control of the Heavenly Court immortals. Wang Sheng would meet up with Qinghua again once he was strong enough.

Hence, Qinghua did not grow suspicious. On the contrary, he promised to fully cooperate with the plan. This also ensured that Mu Wanxuan would not worry too much.

Qinghua and Mu Wanxuan were among the few who knew the truth.

Wang Sheng began to feel anxious. He wanted to wake up, but his Primordial Spirit and immortal body were too weak.

Time passed, though he could not tell how long. Gradually, he began to hear faint voices, medical instruments, and the occasional footsteps.

His immortal perception could not extend beyond his body. His Primordial Spirit was simply too weak.

After all, Zhi Bing had frozen him. His Golden Immortal Realm foundation could not withstand that kind of strain. Only through that did he manage to escape the chaotic situation.

Little by little, faint light filtered through his eyelids.

A trace of warmth rose in his heart. He could hear fragments of voices, as if someone was speaking beside him.

At last, his strength returned.

His immortal body recovered first. After all, it was strengthened over the years through heavenly tribulation power, and his Primordial Spirit had taken the most damage.

The process lasted seven or eight days. Wang Sheng's fingers finally twitched, and his eyelids slowly opened.

His mind was blank at first. Light gradually returned to his eyes.

What he saw was a white ceiling. At the edge of his vision was a light-blue curtain.

The air carried a faint scent of disinfectant. The surroundings were quiet.

Wang Sheng slowly moved and turned his head. Projection screens surrounded him. They displayed his heart rate, blood pressure, and other data. There were also readings labeled in the Hua Republic language, such as "immortal power stability" and "Primordial Spirit fluctuations."

He was truly back on Earth. A sense of familiarity rose within him.

From his master's perspective, he had only been gone for a little over ten years. He had not expected medical technology to advance this far, developing along both scientific and cultivation paths.

Hurried footsteps approached from nearby. Through the curtain, Wang Sheng saw many figures.

Although his immortal perception could not extend outward, he sensed several familiar auras. He tried to call out to his master, but he ended up sounding hoarse.

"Mas—"

Whoosh!

The curtain was pulled open roughly. Qing Yanzi appeared before him, his face worn with exhaustion.

His master was in a blue Daoist robe and looked noticeably thinner. His aura seemed to be at the Grand Immortal-Ascension Realm.

Seeing Wang Sheng awake, Qing Yanzi's hand trembled as he reached out. He tried to keep his voice down, but he still remarked in an emotional tone, "Little Sheng!"

Carefully, he held Wang Sheng's hand and leaned in to look into his eyes.

There was nothing else he could do. Unable to examine Wang Sheng's condition, he could only judge it based on his expression.

Qing Yanzi asked softly, "Are... Are you hurt anywhere?"

Wang Sheng shook his head. With difficulty, he replied, "All over—"

He coughed profusely. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"Don't speak," Qing Yanzi said quickly. He turned and called, "Where are the professors? Bring them over at once!"

Behind him stood several Daoist elders and Daoist masters whom Wang Sheng recognized, along with a few elderly men in formal attire.

"Master, I am fine..."

Wang Sheng took a breath. A trace of immortal power had returned within him. He circulated it gently, improving his condition to that of a mortal recovering from illness. Speaking was now easier.

"How long was I unconscious for?"

Qing Yanzi replied at once, "Three years and six months."

Wang Sheng murmured, "Three hundred and fifty years... What is the situation outside?"

Qing Yanzi frowned. "Don't worry, everything is fine. Focus on recovery. We have heard most of what happened. You have done all that could be done. Now, rest and leave the rest to fate."

Wang Sheng still felt uneasy. "Xiaomiao and the others..."

"They are safe!" Qing Yanzi said firmly.

At that moment, a young Daoist rushed in with a cup of warm water. "Here, have some water. There are healing pills in it!"

Wang Sheng looked closely and smiled. "Brother Yinglong."

Zhou Yinglong, dressed in casual clothing, smiled wryly and gestured for him not to speak. He placed a soft straw at Wang Sheng's lips and carefully helped him drink.

The water had a trace of spiritual power that soothed him immediately. Even so, he had only recovered a small amount of immortal power; he could not yet sit up.

A golden flash appeared outside the window. Everyone stepped aside.

Lishang leaped in through the window, her high heels clacking against the floor. Dressed in a long skirt, her appearance caught Wang Sheng off guard.

She quickly stepped forward and placed a finger on his forehead. After a moment, she said in the Hua Republic's language, "He has begun to recover. There is no need to worry, everyone. Let him rest."

Qing Yanzi and the others turned and ushered the growing crowd out of the room.

Wang Sheng lowered his gaze to his hand. The Qiankun Ring was still there. He could faintly sense that Ling Sheng and Spiritless remained within.

However, Spiritless did not seem to be in good condition.