"It should be so."
Ning Fengzhi's proposal was immediately met with unanimous agreement from everyone.
It wasn't just the federation's council members voicing their approval; those standing behind them also greatly acknowledged it.
No matter what the landscape of Soul Land would become, those invaders must die.
"Next is the time for free speech..."
After Ning Fengzhi took his seat again, Qiandaoliu spoke once more.
The so-called free speech was an opportunity for individuals of the next tier down, like Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, Golden Crocodile Douluo, Yu Luomian, and Fleet Admiral Ge Long, to give their opinions.
Of course, whether their opinions would be adopted depended on the voting results of the council members.
In the end, the first federation meeting concluded late into the night.
Dozens of major and minor items were passed.
Every adopted proposal could satisfy the interests of all parties and benefit Soul Land.
However, implementing these proposals would take some time.
But everyone believed that two years later, Soul Land would undergo earth-shattering changes.
...
For some, more than two years felt like a long time.
But for Qin Xiao, time flew by; more than two years passed in the blink of an eye.
It was as if he had just slept and had several dreams.
Yet each dream was so real that it felt like a lifetime.
For example, his first dream was as if he had returned to Blue Star, except it was a world where spiritual energy was revived, and fierce demons roamed.
In the end, after countless hardships, he became the strongest in that world. He engaged in a fierce battle with the king of the demons and ultimately perished together with his foe.
In the second dream, he seemed to have returned to ancient times, becoming an ordinary villager who married, had children, and led a completely ordinary life with a house full of descendants.
In the third dream, he became a prince of an empire, struggling for power against his brothers. Just as he was about to succeed, he was betrayed by a confidant and ultimately failed, dying by his elder brother's sword.
"The fourth dream..."
He had nine such vivid dreams.
Now that he was awake, he felt greatly enlightened.
"Now I understand why the Thunder Emperor Senior gave me such an opportunity."
"My life has always been smooth sailing, facing little hardship, and my opponents have experienced all the suffering. I have also never experienced utter failure or despair..."
"But these nine dreams have filled the void in my heart, making my mentality complete."
"Rigid breaks easily, wisdom when extreme harms. Only by combining softness with strength, and achieving harmony, can one find the true path."
At this moment, Qin Xiao summarized his experiences from nine lifetimes, his mentality reaching an unprecedented pinnacle of sublimation.
Divine King!
"I see."
Qin Xiao smiled knowingly and slowly opened his eyes.
"In just three short years, your cultivation level has broken through once again. Congratulations."
At this moment, the voice of the Plane Will spoke admiringly.
The young man before it never failed to surprise and delight in numerous ways.
"When I first met you, you were at least human; now, you're hardly related to humans at all."
Qin Xiao: "Are you sure you're praising me, not mocking me?"
"Can there be any ambiguity in what I said?"
"If not, then let's leave it at that. Actually, my achievements today are also a matter of luck."
Qin Xiao smiled slightly, "And for nearly three years, I must thank you for protecting me."
"Hahaha, don't put it that way; what danger could there possibly be for you on Soul Land? To say I'm giving timely help is an overstatement; I can't even claim to be adding splendor to your success."
The Plane Will laughed heartily.
"Hehe." Qin Xiao chuckled softly without dwelling on the topic. He waved at the Plane Will's avatar, the Gold Tree, "I'm off."
"Wait, you've realized the God King realm, aren't you going to break through in cultivation level?"
"Not in a hurry, for now."
Qin Xiao shook his head slightly.
"How can you not be in a rush for such a significant matter?" the Plane Will, somewhat speechless.
Becoming a Divine King is a monumental event! If it were him, he couldn't wait a moment longer.
He would need to break through immediately, right away, now!
"Once I break through to the God King realm, it will cause quite a stir, exposing the Douluo plane directly in front of the Divine Realm."
"The Divine Realm's Deities will not sit idly by while someone threatens their position and rule. That would lead to a bloody storm."
"And having disappeared for so long, let me first enjoy the calm before the storm."
"Let me make up for what I owe to those around me first."
Qin Xiao's voice echoed in the mysterious space, yet his figure had vanished without a trace at some point.
After a moment of silence in the mysterious space, an old voice sounded: "It seems the days cannot remain peaceful."
...
Thunder Emperor City.
In a luxurious courtyard.
A beautiful woman dressed in a coarse robe chased after a toddler about two or three years old.
"An'an, run a little slower, if you fall, mommy will be heartbroken."
"Giggle, giggle, giggle..."
The child let out a tinkling laugh, occasionally looking back at the woman behind her.
However, the next moment, her joy turned to sorrow.
Accidentally tripping on a stone, she fell and cried out loud.
The woman approached, gently picked up the child, and said helplessly, "What did mommy just say? Slow down, don't rush. Being safe and sound is better than anything..."
"Here, here you are..." The child answered between sobs, feeling wronged.
As she looked at the child crying as though raindrops fell from pear blossoms, the woman felt even more compassion and could not bring herself to scold her, "Tell mommy where it hurts."
"It doesn't hurt anywhere, I'm okay now." The little girl controlled her emotions and tried her best to smile.
Her legs hurt too.
But she understood that if she said it hurt, her mother's heart would hurt even more.
So sensible at such a young age, it was heart-wrenching.
"Good girl." The woman gently pulled the little girl's cheek, embracing her in her arms.
"Mommy, does An'an have a daddy?"
"Of course."
"Then why hasn't he ever visited me? Is it because he doesn't like An'an and doesn't want us anymore?"
"Of course not, An'an is so cute, how could anyone bear not to want you? He's just temporarily left to protect us. He'll be back soon..."
"Oh, I see..." An'an thought for a moment before asking, "Mommy, how soon is 'soon'?"
"This..."
The woman truly did not know how to answer.
Just then, the courtyard gate was pushed open.
The woman's expression turned cold instantly, "Haven't I said that matters related to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect are to be managed by my father for now..."
Liu Erlong had plenty of patience for children, but for uninvited guests who disturbed her life, not so much.
"Becoming a mother and you still have such a temper; be careful not to set a bad example for the child."
A voice came from outside the door.
"Who the hell do you think you are to meddle in my affairs?"
Liu Erlong frowned.
"And why can't I meddle?"
Following the voice, a figure dressed in purple robes walked in.
He had sharp eyebrows and starry eyes, with a trace of a smile hanging at the corner of his mouth.
"Qin, Qin Xiao?"
Liu Erlong was stunned on the spot.
Almost immediately, nearly three years of longing burst forth. She felt her nose sting and tears welled up in her eyes, but a smile spread across her face.
"Bully! You're not allowed to bully Mommy!"
An'an struggled to stand up from Liu Erlong's embrace.
Childish minds are simple; seeing Liu Erlong in tears, An'an assumed a bad person was bullying her mother.
Qin Xiao focused on the little girl, his expression turned distant for a second.
From the little girl, he could distinctly sense a feeling of blood connection.
He instantly confirmed, this was his child.
"An'an, don't be rash."
"Mommy, even when a bad person bullies you, you defend him. Are you worried we can't beat him? It's okay, An'an will shout loud and call all the aunties over. With more people, won't he be afraid?"
The little girl puffed up adorably.
Liu Erlong shook her head helplessly, "Didn't you just ask me if you have a daddy? Now he has come back..."
"What?"
An'an froze, tilting her little head, and after thinking seriously for a moment, she asked uncertainly, "You're saying he's my daddy? For real?"
Qin Xiao: "..."
Liu Erlong nodded firmly, "When has Mommy ever lied to you?"
After receiving Liu Erlong's confirmation, An'an's gaze towards Qin Xiao changed.
She opened her eyes wide, staring intensely, looking him up and down as if trying to scrutinize him from every angle.
After some thought, she took out a small mirror from her pocket, glanced at Qin Xiao, then at herself in the mirror, seemingly making a comparison.
Nobody disturbed her during this process.
After a long time, An'an finally concluded, "Mommy, you seem kind of right, this person really looks like me. He should be Daddy."
Qin Xiao: "..."
Do children usually talk about their fathers this way?
It's you who look like me, that's it.
"Kids say the darndest things." Liu Erlong couldn't help but smile.
"Kids will be kids. I was even naughtier than her when I was little."
As Qin Xiao spoke, he walked over to Liu Erlong and An'an, crouching down in front of them, "Your name is An'an, right?"
"Yes, it's An'an, like in 'safe and sound.' Mommy says An'an brings good luck and hopes our family will be safe and well." The little girl's response was crisp and laced with innocence.
Qin Xiao fell silent, gently embracing An'an.
An'an struggled a bit but eventually gave up.
Not because she lacked the strength to struggle, but because being held by this uncle felt very warm to her.
This warmth was different from what Mommy gave her.
In her heart, it seemed she had always longed for such a picture.
Afterward, Qin Xiao talked a lot with Liu Erlong in the courtyard.
For most of the time, Liu Erlong spoke and Qin Xiao listened, only occasionally interjecting with a few words.
He tried to use this method to make up for the three-year absence.
The sun set behind the mountains, and the remaining light was like blood.
An'an had fallen soundly asleep in her arms without her realizing when, until then Liu Erlong noticed how time had passed.
She suddenly said with a bit of guilt, "I didn't notice, and I've monopolized you for so long...you haven't seen anyone else, have you?"
"I came to see you as soon as I got back here," Qin Xiao said, gently pinching Liu Erlong's hand, "This time, there's enough time for me to do a lot of things, seeing others can wait."
"First take little An'an into the bedroom and come back out, I have something I'd like to discuss with you."
Upon hearing this, Liu Erlong didn't think much of it, stood up, and took An'an into the bedroom, then quickly returned.
"What's with the secrecy?"
Liu Erlong asked, puzzled, as she approached Qin Xiao.
Qin Xiao sat there, stretched out his hand, and pulled Liu Erlong directly into his embrace.
He whispered in Liu Erlong's ear, "I want to revisit that muddy old road, is that possible?"
The warm breath made Liu Erlong shudder, her spring heart rippled, and her cheeks flushed with red, but she still reasoned, "Doing it just in the yard doesn't seem quite right, does it?"
This would be utterly embarrassing if someone stumbled upon it...
"Don't worry, I've already set up a barrier around us, even a deity would only be able to fret from the outside."
"But, I've never tried like this..."
"It doesn't matter, there's a first time for everything..."
Qin Xiao did not allow Liu Erlong the chance to resist, his hand slid gently around Liu Erlong's waist, and the coarse cloth dress lost its constraint and slid down her snow-white skin, revealing a pearl white silk belly band.
At this point, Qin Xiao didn't pretend any longer, gently pressing his cheek against the silky fabric, feeling its softness and fineness...
Drought meeting sweet rain.
Always one of life's joys.
Liu Erlong's voice was melodious and flowing, unable to hide her delight and satisfaction.
So their closeness was especially long and enduring.
The stone bench carrying the two of them had unknowingly moved a few meters away.
Accompanied by a muffled groaning, the courtyard fell silent.
Liu Erlong embraced Qin Xiao, her chin gently resting on his shoulder, her eyes closed, seemingly still savoring the lingering afterglow that hadn't fully dissipated...
However, the next moment, she was picked up by Qin Xiao, one arm around her waist, one under her knees.
"Qin Xiao, what else do you want to do..." Liu Erlong's voice was a bit frantic.
"Of course I'm going to do what I want, I'm not satisfied yet," he said as he walked toward the bedroom.
Another intense struggle ensued.
"Qin Xiao, I'm tired... you haven't been back in years, why don't you go see the others? I think they must have a lot of things they want to talk to you about... ah."
After a long while, Liu Erlong pleaded for mercy.
"Hss... Are you really serious about that?"
"Mhm... I am, of course, serious, mhm..."
"Then hold on, hss, just a little longer... I've reached the point of no return. No, I need to stand on the ground..."
"Okay, alright..."
Liu Erlong was very cooperative.
After a while, Qin Xiao released all at once, his face showing utter contentment.
Liu Erlong also used up her last bit of strength.
Her body and soul were incredibly satisfied.
Truly fulfilled...
After a gentle kiss on Liu Erlong's cheek, Qin Xiao knew it was time to let her rest properly.
He then dressed and quietly left.
...
Meanwhile.
Within Thunder Emperor City.
Inside Pope Hall.
No, it should now be called the Council Hall.
"Great Priest, did you hear clearly what Mr. Ning just said?"
Watching Qiandaoliu, whose thoughts seemed to wander far off during the discourse, Ning Fengzhi asked tentatively.
"Huh?"
"What?"
Qiandaoliu responded to Ning Fengzhi's question only after regaining his senses, "What did Sect Master Ning say just now?"
But Ning Fengzhi suddenly laughed, "What I just said isn't important, I'm rather curious, did the Great Priest uncover something?"
It was a casual inquiry, almost a joke.
However, Qiandaoliu answered his question with utmost seriousness, "If my senses are not deceiving me... that person has returned."
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