Chapter 0452: Return

"I want to become powerful—not to become immortal, but so I can see you again in the mortal world."

The sound of Nannan's voice echoed in the void. As she stared at the figure that had already vanished, it felt as though her heart had been hollowed out. Emptiness replaced all warmth, as if the cold had seeped into her very soul. Her gaze remained fixed in the direction Yi Tianxing had disappeared, motionless for a long time.

No one knew how much time had passed before she finally turned away.

As she did, her appearance underwent a complete transformation, becoming someone entirely different.

"Only my brother is allowed to see my true face. When we meet again, he'll be the first to see it."

Her words drifted through the air as she turned and left.

"I'm leaving now... What will happen to my little sister?"

A heavy sigh seemed to linger between heaven and earth.

Meanwhile, back in Xuanhuang City.

Inside a secluded chamber, the true body of Yi Tianxing still sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, instinctively absorbing the world's spiritual energy in silent cultivation. A jade talisman, shimmering with starlight, floated continuously, radiating an ancient, mystical aura.

Suddenly, the starlight within the Starry Sky Immortal Travel Talisman surged to unprecedented intensity.

As if a Star Gate had been opened.

A figure, identical in every way to Yi Tianxing, stepped through the gate in a single stride.

"At last... I'm back."

Yi Tianxing looked toward the vanishing Star Gate with a sigh. Without hesitation, he turned into a stream of light and merged into the true body.

Boom!!

Clone and true body, fused into one.

In that instant, a massive surge of energy burst from his body.

Within his Divine Sea, droplets of True Essence began to manifest out of thin air, flooding the empty regions of his sea like a divine infusion. The amount of true essence rapidly skyrocketed.

Cultivation is a long, continuous accumulation. The longer one cultivates, the deeper one's power.

Although deep cultivation doesn't always equate to strength in combat, it does determine how long one can sustain battle. The process of accumulating true essence is indispensable at every stage—it requires constant perseverance.

Upon reaching the Life Aperture Realm, stars formed by life apertures illuminate the void above the Divine Sea. Outside the sea lies the primordial chaos. These life aperture stars temper the Divine Sea, gradually expanding its boundaries. The longer the cultivation, the vaster the sea becomes—potentially infinite, so long as its foundation remains unshaken.

But for the Divine Sea to expand, it must first be filled to capacity with true essence.

One droplet after another of true essence flowed in, requiring no refining—perfectly integrating into his own.

This was the power of the clone feeding back into the true body.

Since the clone shared the same body and cultivation technique, all cultivation gains were naturally inherited and fully absorbed. All the fortune the clone acquired became part of Yi Tianxing's strength.

Within the void of the Divine Sea, stars shimmered.

One, two, three...

Upon closer inspection, ten life aperture stars now gleamed in the sky above the sea.

Yin-Yang Aperture, Dantian Aperture, Sea of Consciousness Aperture, Mystic Armor Aperture, Dragon Nest Aperture, Dragon Bone Aperture, Water God Aperture.The Yin-Yang Aperture alone split into two stars—one black, one white.Altogether, eight stars had already been shining.

Now, two more dazzling stars emerged in his body: one in the meridians, another in the flesh membrane, radiating fierce True Dragon Qi.

"Dragon Scale Aperture, Dragon Tendon Aperture. Only the Dragon Heart Aperture remains. Once I open it, the five core apertures of the Heavenly Emperor's Dragon Taming Sutra will be complete."

While teaching Nannan, Yi Tianxing had not remained idle. Over three months, he refined several Life Aperture Pills, naturally opening two new apertures. When a clone opened a life aperture, the true body inherited it upon merging.

The only missing ingredient for opening the Dragon Heart Aperture was the rare herb Seven Apertures Exquisite Lotus. Without it, he couldn't complete the process.

"Truly marvelous—everything the clone cultivated is returned flawlessly. The Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Pagoda has almost reached the peak of the Cave Heaven space realm. Unfortunately, it hasn't broken through. If it had, it might be able to carry life across realms."

He sensed the vast essence coming from the pagoda and felt both joy and regret.

Although the pagoda's internal space had expanded to 2,800 miles in radius, it was still short of the 3,000-mile limit required to reach the ultimate Cave Heaven realm. That last hundred miles required an immense amount of resources—impossible to gather in a short time.

At the Cave Heaven level, the interior was filled with law and dao, unsuitable for living beings. Even if they entered, hidden dangers might arise. Only upon reaching the Small Thousand World realm would the internal laws and yin-yang-five-elements become mature and complete, capable of sustaining life.

At that stage, he could plant herbs, raise animals, fish, and more—a self-sustaining world.

When the pagoda reached this level, Yi Tianxing would be able to carry living beings across dimensions using spirit travel.

"Next time I travel again, I must refine the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Pagoda to the Small Thousand World level, so I can bring others with me—and avoid a tragedy like Nannan's."

Yi Tianxing shook his head, his heart heavy. That little girl would now have to face the cruel, chaotic world alone. A wave of sadness and worry swept through him.

"Live. No matter what, live. I look forward to the day we meet again."

He inhaled deeply and looked up at the sky, as if trying to see through the heavens to that girl in white, still standing on the hilltop. The worry in his heart was beyond words.

Even adults struggle to survive in such times. For a little girl to make it... what kind of trials would she have to face?

Three months had passed. Even with everything he'd taught her, it was only enough for basic survival. The rest was up to her intelligence and adaptability.

But no amount of worry could help now. He could only rely on himself.

"Three months... I wonder what has changed in Xuanhuang City."

He rose slowly, stretching his body after three months of stillness. The bones in his body crackled like beans in a pan. With the flow of blood, divine light surged through his flesh, radiating immense pressure. A single breath of his energy could shake the heavens.

Yet the pressure vanished in an instant, completely restrained, returning him to calm.

He dusted off his robe (though no dust was there), opened the chamber door, and stepped outside.

"Master, you've emerged!"

A palace attendant had been standing guard outside the entire time. Seeing Yi Tianxing appear, he bowed respectfully, his eyes glowing with zeal.

These palace attendants—eunuchs with no future—understood better than most that their fate lay entirely in Yi Tianxing's hands. They had watched him rise from nothing, founding a village, then a town, then this magnificent immortal city. They were loyal beyond question.

To follow a legend—many of them would gladly die at his command.

"You've done well."

Yi Tianxing nodded calmly.

"It's our duty, not a burden. Shall I prepare your bath and meal?"

The eunuch spoke excitedly, as if even exchanging a few words with Yi Tianxing was a great honor.

He felt pride—after all, this was the City Lord's Mansion, built upon a Divine Tree Palace, like a true celestial paradise. Countless people envied those who served here. Even walking through the city, they were shown great respect.

"No need. It's still early. Where is my wife?"

Yi Tianxing glanced at the sky—barely past eight or nine in the morning. He wasn't feeling hungry. More than anything, he wanted to know what had changed in Xuanhuang City over the past three months.

"The lady is out at the market with Miss Mu. Shall I send word?"

"No need. I'll go myself."

He waved his hand with a smile and began walking out.

"That's the City Lord! He's finally out of seclusion!"

"I heard he's been cultivating for the past few months. This is my first time seeing him—he's so young! To build a city like Xuanhuang from scratch—he truly is a hero of our people."

"My heart is racing. If only I could marry him—even without status, I'd be willing. I owe my life to him. We all do. He gave us peace."

Yi Tianxing's appearance was no secret. The moment he appeared, people recognized him at once.