"Do you expect me to take action?" Xu Lai raised an eyebrow.

"No, no, no." The Heavenly Dao shook its head repeatedly. "I am tied to the fate of Earth. If possible, I would rather The Supreme Emperor not intervene in this matter."

Xu Lai looked deeply at the Heavenly Dao before him, which appeared as a three-year-old child.

He vaguely understood that this was probably related to its personification.

"This war with forces from beyond our domain is an opportunity. If seized properly... I am confident that Earth's Spiritual Energy can be fully revived, although the price may be somewhat steep."

The Heavenly Dao paused for a moment, then continued, "At that time, Earth will no longer be an abandoned Cultivation Planet. The level of life will evolve further, and it might even become the most dazzling star in the universe!"

"Planetary evolution? Even if it evolves, it would be because of the star core. For you, as a Heavenly Dao, to say this..." Chong Yang frowned her beautiful, willow-like eyebrows, feeling that the Heavenly Dao was a bit too arrogant.

"I am the star core," the Heavenly Dao said softly.

Chong Yang: ???

The star core. It is where the essence of a planet's life coalesces. Once a planet perishes, its star core dies, at which point it transforms into a Starfish that roams the universe.

The Heavenly Dao is an unconscious executor of laws, while the star core is an unconscious planetary life form. They are completely unrelated!

But Earth's Heavenly Dao had not only personified and gained consciousness, but it was also the star core... This kind of thing was completely unheard of, enough to shock the entire Universe!

Xu Lai looked at the three-year-old boy before him and sent a mental transmission to Chong Yang, "This Starfish should be delicious."

"..."

Chong Yang covered her face. Earth isn't dead yet... She also sent a mental transmission, "Brother, rather than eating it, I think we should focus on why the star core and the Heavenly Dao have merged. This is a huge deal."

"Has the sky fallen?"

"...No."

"Has it killed any ordinary people or any of the Chongming Bird Demon Race?"

"No, it hasn't."

"Then what does it have to do with us?" Xu Lai said earnestly.

His indifferent attitude left Chong Yang slightly speechless. But on second thought, it seemed true. However Earth's Heavenly Dao 'mutated,' it had little to do with them.

What are they talking about? Why do I have this inexplicable sense of crisis, as if I'm about to be eaten...?

The Heavenly Dao carefully took half a step back.

After a moment of hesitation, it clasped its hands in a fist, a skewer with only two hawthorns left on it sticking out of its mouth. It declared loudly, "Please, The Supreme Emperor, do not interfere!"

"We'll see," Xu Lai said with a wave, dismissing it.

The Heavenly Dao choked, shot Xu Lai a dejected look, and vanished in a streak of light.

Xu Lai's eyes were calm.

Earth was the birthplace of his daughter, Yiyi, and his wife, Ruan Tang. He naturally couldn't stand by and watch it be destroyed. But it was also unlikely that Xu Lai would proactively help.

He was the Supreme Emperor of the Heavenly Court. If he so wished, he could easily relocate Earth to the Immortal Domain. Furthermore, with a single Imperial Decree, no one would dare lay a hand on Earth for as long as he lived. This included any race, powerful Tao Lineage, or ancient existence from a forbidden land in the entire Universe!

But what would be the point of that?

The cultivation world had always been about the survival of the fittest. Constant protection wasn't kindness; it was a curse.

Once that protection was lost, an Earth exposed to the Immortal Domain would become a coveted prize for countless powers. It would be devoured within a day, with not even the bones left to spare!

However, if Earth could carve out its own path, just as its Heavenly Dao claimed, it could lead all beings on the planet to evolve and become the brightest star in the Immortal Domain...

At that point, Xu Lai would only need to add the finishing touch, and Earth would have a completely different fate. After all, the principle of 'give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime' applies everywhere.

He didn't dwell on it. Xu Lai and Chong Yang chatted for a while longer before he returned to his room to rest.

「In the following days」

Ruan Lan completely let herself go. She skipped three consecutive days of class to take Chong Yang out to eat and play.

When Ruan Tang learned of this, her face turned as cold as ice. But she didn't lose her temper, since Chong Yang was still there. She had to give "Xu Lai's little sister" some face, didn't she?

However, Chong Yang only stayed for five days before leaving due to clan affairs.

After all, as the matriarch and clan leader of the Chongming Bird Demon Race, Chong Yang was incredibly busy. Being able to rest for five days was already a luxury stolen from her hectic schedule. She was nothing like Xu Lai, who could be a hands-off leader without any psychological burden.

When she heard Chong Yang was leaving, Ruan Lan was particularly sad. She grasped Chong Yang's hand and choked out, "Come play again when you have time, Yangyang. Send me your address later, I'll get China Unicom to set up an internet connection for you."

Xu Lai: "..."

China Unicom? Forget them. What internet provider would dare to take on the massive project of laying cable all the way to the Immortal Domain?

Despite this, Chong Yang still nodded, full of anticipation.

"Without Yangyang here, even gaming has become dull and tasteless," Ruan Lan sighed.

"Hurry up and wash your face! You're going to school!" Ruan Tang grabbed her sister's ear and ushered her into the bathroom.

After breakfast, the residents of Haitang Court went their separate ways, some to school, some to work.

「At the Dongli University medical office」

Only Liu Nanwei and Zhou Feng remained. Without chess masters like Zheng Zong and doctors like Li Shouzhong, the medical office seemed empty and unusually quiet.

This allowed Xu Lai to become completely engrossed in the geography magazine he was reading. He eventually picked three destinations for this year's family winter trip.

"Director Xu, Eighth Master is here to see you..." Liu Nanwei gently tapped Xu Lai's arm.

As the young lady of a traditional Chinese medicine family in Hangcheng, she had met many important figures, from politicians and officials to famous socialites and wealthy businessmen. Among them, the infamous Old Jiang Ba had left the deepest impression on her.

After all, nailing an enemy's entire family—young and old—inside a coffin... what kind of cruel and domineering person does that?!

Xu Lai looked up. Looking at the old man, whose pale face was etched with deep fatigue, he smiled and said, "First, have a seat. Drink some tea."

Liu Nanwei, ever so perceptive, poured the tea. Old Jiang Ba said gratefully, "Thank you, miss."

"Oh, it's nothing." Liu Nanwei shook her head and whispered, "Director Xu, I... I have a family emergency, so I'll be taking my leave now."

Zhou Feng wasn't afraid of Old Jiang Ba, but he held him in awe. He took the hint and left, giving the two some space.

Once the room was empty, Old Jiang Ba dropped to his knees with a loud THUD. "Mr. Xu, you have to save me!" he cried, his voice trembling with emotion.

"Drink your tea first," Xu Lai said.

Though the tea wasn't from the Immortal Domain, it was some of the finest on Earth. After a few cups, Old Jiang Ba's emotions finally stabilized.

Xu Lai said calmly, "Tell me what happened."

"Mr. Xu, I've encountered something bizarre," Old Jiang Ba said, his face filled with terror. "I'm in the funeral business. About half a month ago, I took a case to cremate a young woman who had died in a car accident, but..."

He paused, his eyes bloodshot. "But no matter what we did, the body just wouldn't burn!"

"And what's more, the night-shift workers at the funeral parlor heard a woman's ghostly singing coming from the morgue..."

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