"So..."

Ruan Tang paused for a long time, unable to get the rest of her words out. Under the moonlight, Xu Lai saw her fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, her face gradually blushing a charming shade of red. She was so beautiful he wanted to kiss her right then and there.

The scene was set, and the atmosphere was perfect for romance.

Xu Lai's mind raced. He raised an eyebrow and ventured, "So... can our relationship take another step forward?"

"..."

That was indeed what she had in mind.

Through their recent interactions, she realized Xu Lai wasn't the scoundrel she had imagined him to be. On the contrary, he was a doting father who cared a great deal for their daughter, Yiyi, and for her.

But as the words reached her lips, the bashful Ruan Tang just couldn't say them aloud. She couldn't be the one to break the ice, could she?

Faced with Xu Lai's intense gaze, Ruan Tang stomped her foot. "Forget it! Let's just keep things weird."

With that, she turned and ran toward the beach.

Xu Lai was baffled.

What kind of maneuver is this? You can't just leave a conversation half-finished!

"Hey, hey, hey!"

Xu Lai hurried after her, catching her soft hand. "Honey, finish what you were saying."

"What was I saying?"

"Just now."

"What about just now?"

"..."

Alright then. Seeing the twinkle in Ruan Tang's beautiful eyes, he knew she was playing dumb, so he didn't insist. Instead, he sighed dramatically, "Why is love so difficult!"

"You idiot," Ruan Tang pursed her lips into a charming laugh. Seeing Xu Lai at a loss was actually quite amusing.

She looked up at the moon and said wistfully, "The moon is really beautiful tonight."

Xu Lai didn't look at the moon. He looked at Ruan Tang, her hair tied up in a bun.

She's the beautiful one.

After watching the moon for a while, Ruan Tang took off her shoes and carried them in her hands. Barefoot, she walked to the water's edge. The seawater was already a bit chilly in October.

Ruan Tang cautiously dipped a toe into the water, then yelped and leaped back onto the sand. Her adorable reaction made Xu Lai's heart ache with affection.

This woman... how does she keep getting more beautiful?!

"I think I was six years old," Ruan Tang began, pointing ahead as Xu Lai was lost in thought. "It was nighttime, like this, and Grandma brought me here for a walk, right over by that pier.

"I accidentally fell into the sea, and even though Grandma couldn't swim, she jumped in to save me without a moment's hesitation. Later, a passerby saved us both. Grandma was clearly terrified too, but she just held me and said, 'Tangtang, Grandma's here. Don't be afraid.'"

Ruan Tang raised her hands for balance, tiptoed to the edge of the shore, and walked unsteadily along the wet sand. She continued for more than ten meters without saying another word.

Only when she reached the pier did she stop to put her shoes back on. She walked onto the wooden planks, turned, and held out her hand to Xu Lai with a gentle smile.

"The day after tomorrow is the anniversary of my grandma's death. Come with me to visit her grave. Bring our daughter."

She left the second half of her thought unsaid—

I want Grandma to see you too.

"Of course."

Taking Ruan Tang's hand, Xu Lai nodded firmly.

After all, he had promised her grandmother he would take good care of Yiyi and Ruan Tang. And he, Xu Lai, always kept his word.

* * *

Tan Chang had a dream, a mottled and chaotic one.

In it, he was at times a carefree swordsman wandering the lands, at others a lonely emperor upon his throne, and sometimes a pitiful beggar on the brink of starvation. He was also an innocent commoner fleeing war with his son, only to be tragically trampled under the hooves of soldiers' horses...

As Tan Chang opened his eyes, fragments from hundreds of lifetimes flashed through them before converging into a single point of light, burying themselves deep within his gaze.

"Drunken Life... Dreamy Death."

From several miles away, Tan Chang looked toward the indistinct silhouette of Mount Haitang. He clasped his fists in a respectful bow. "Xu Lai... I, Tan Chang, owe you another favor."

As he bowed, an immense amount of Spiritual Energy gathered around him, pouring into his body and causing his aura to surge wildly.

In just three breaths, several soft sounds echoed from within him.

CRACK!

CRACK!

If any other Martial Artist had been present, they would have been shocked to find that Tan Chang had broken through consecutive levels, leaping from the early stage of the Seventh Grade... to the middle stage of the Eighth Grade.

But that wasn't the end. His aura continued to climb, quickly reaching the late stage of the Eighth Grade.

Until—

The peak of the Eighth Grade!

"They say a single conversation with a wise man is worth ten years of study," Tan Chang sighed softly. "For me, Xu Lai, drinking a single jar of your wine is worth more than a thousand lifetimes."

His eyes no longer held their former restlessness but a profound steadiness forged from the experiences of hundreds of lives.

The improvement in his Boundary was secondary. What was more important were the countless insights Tan Chang had gained. He had a vague feeling that he was on the verge of discovering his own unique 'path'—a Cultivation Path that, if he followed it, could not possibly be wrong.

"Why are you still here?"

A cold snort made Tan Chang stiffen. He turned to see an old woman with white hair approaching.

It was the Flower Fairy!

Tan Chang's expression became incredibly awkward. He quickly performed the Martial Dao salute and said apologetically, "Senior, I apologize. I..."

The Flower Fairy cut him off, frowning. "You broke through?"

She had sensed a vast amount of Spiritual Energy here. Although they were near the Mount Haitang Spirit Vein, it shouldn't have been this dense.

"Uh, peak of the Eighth Grade," Tan Chang said, scratching his head sheepishly.

The Flower Fairy was dumbstruck. "...What peak?!"

"The peak of the Eighth Grade," Tan Chang repeated.

She took a sharp breath.

The path of the Martial Dao is incredibly arduous. The journey from the early stage of the First Grade to the peak of the Sixth Grade stops ninety-nine percent of all Martial Artists. Upon crossing that watershed and entering the upper three grades, starting with the Seventh Grade, a Martial Artist awakens a seed within their inner core.

The properties of this seed vary from person to person, but all require constant nourishment with Spiritual Energy—a process that takes a great deal of time. It had taken the Flower Fairy a full ten years to cultivate from the early stage of the Seventh Grade to the peak of the Eighth, and that was with several fortuitous encounters along the way.

How had Tan Chang reached the peak of the Eighth Grade in just over ten days?

Her suspicious gaze swept over Tan Chang again and again, but despite her boundless curiosity, she didn't ask further. Everyone has their secrets.

Just then, Tan Chang silently squatted down and expertly cradled his head, adopting a posture that said, "I'm at your mercy."

"What do you think you're doing!" the Flower Fairy asked, her face darkening.

"Senior, I have tarnished your reputation," Tan Chang said through gritted teeth. "You would be justified in striking me down."

"Actually, it's true that I'm going to have a son," the Flower Fairy said nonchalantly.

True? Going to have? A son?

There were too many things to process at once, leaving Tan Chang momentarily stunned.

Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind. Could it be... the Flower Fairy is pregnant!?

His gaze involuntarily swept toward her stomach. In a horrified tone, he said, "You're over seventy years old! This... isn't that inappropriate?"

THUMP!

The Flower Fairy, nearly apoplectic with rage, kicked Tan Chang on the butt.

"You brat, what nonsense are you thinking? I'm going to the Exotic Realm. Before I leave, I want to adopt you as my godson. Are you willing or not!"

"..."

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