The road is very far.

The future is also very long.

The Great Emperors of the current era have only lived for a few hundred years. If nothing unexpected happens, they will remain at their peak for at least tens of thousands of years, with blood full of vigor, in their prime.

Chen Pingping was no longer melancholic, his gaze deep and frightening as he then said, "I am going on a long journey."

Although Guang Xiaoyu already knew, her heart couldn’t help but tremble when she heard this, her snowy peaks rising and falling, revealing a look of sorrow.

She really wanted to go with him.

To travel together, to see the mountains and rivers together, to face strong enemies together, to fight side by side.

"Wait for me here..." Chen Pingping said softly, "Wait for me to establish myself among the Heavens, then I’ll take you there."

Just like when he first stepped into the Nine Heavens from Heaven Martial.

Guang Xiaoyu said nothing, curling her snow-white body into a ball against his chest, feeling his warmth.

She didn’t like goodbyes.

"Be good!" Chen Pingping added, "I will come back as quickly as possible."

As quickly as possible?

How quick is that?

The Heavens are not the same as the Nine Heavens!

Guang Xiaoyu’s expression was complex, and after a long while, she finally said, "Alright!"

The room fell quiet, neither of them speaking anymore, leaning on each other, quietly enjoying the last warmth.

After a long time...

Guang Xiaoyu fell asleep in exhaustion, having a very, very long dream.

Chen Pingping did not sleep, he quietly got up, got dressed, pushed the door open, and walked out, returning to the Wuji Sect ten minutes later.

The construction of the sect had already begun, with work steadily progressing.

A group of high-ranking members were directing the process.

When Chen Pingping found Hongxiu, she was leisurely admiring the scenery: a tall mountain, a pavilion, a few green pine trees, a scene simple and poetic as a picture.

She was the same as always, dressed in a red gown, dazzling like a flower.

She lay on a bamboo rocking chair, with a table next to her, filled with an array of fruits, a feast for the eyes.

Seeing Chen Pingping approaching, she had no intention of getting up, maintaining her leisurely demeanor. She laughed lightly, "Look at that scenery."

The only mountain range left untouched.

It’s quite incredible.

The scope of the battle in the Ancient City was too large, decimating millions of miles of land and mountains, countless ranges, vegetation, and living areas depleted...

Many innocent passersby also died.

Indeed as the saying goes, thousands of mountains with no birds in flight, ten thousand paths with no trace of man.

Everywhere the eye looked was Desolation.

"I am leaving," Chen Pingping said.

"Hmm!"

Just one word, completely as expected.

Chen Pingping forged ahead, while she ensured the sect’s development from behind, providing strong support.

A reasonable division of labor.

Of course, Chen Pingping could not know that she had already begun to infiltrate the Heavens.

"This time is different, I may be gone for a long time." Chen Pingping spoke again.

"The Void God Realm is unlike the mortal world, full of alien races, born with strangeness and all manner of incredible innate abilities, and... because it borders the Heavens, many inexplicable things appear there." Hongxiu said.

"What kinds of things?"

"People, and ghosts." She looked quietly into the distance.

People, of course, refer to the Human Clan.

Ghosts are also human, but not ordinary humans—they are from the Ancient City Alliance faction.

They live by depending on alien races, or on the Divine Clan.

Though still human, their souls no longer belong to the Human Clan.

Such people are the hardest to distinguish.

Maybe one day, the person you befriend might suddenly stab you in the back.

"Though the current Great Emperor is powerful, you are only one person, at least for now, and the Wuji Sect needs time to develop." Hongxiu plucked a grape from the table.

After eating the grape, she slowly sat up straight.

Her expression started to turn serious, her gaze distant: "There’s a big problem on the side of Heaven Martial Wuji Sect. Another contender has appeared for the Investiture of the Gods imprint, from the Human Clan of the Heavens, named Immortality."

Actually, from a lineage perspective, it doesn’t matter who merges with the imprint, as long as it stays within the Human Clan and doesn’t fall into the hands of the Divine Clan.

But this is limited to the Nine Heavens and Heaven Martial continents.

If people from the Heavens come, are they human or ghost?

Later, when rebuilding the Investiture of the Gods, many problems are bound to arise.

"Immortality?" Chen Pingping murmured, "From the Immortality Realm?"

"Yes!

"Is An still in Heaven Martial?"

"..."

Sigh!

Hongxiu was distressed, she only ordered the Fairy to investigate the Heavens; she didn’t tell An to go as well!

After pondering for a moment, she replied, "Went to the Heavens."

Chen Pingping: "???"

"But don’t worry, she is accompanied by the Fairy, Wen Qingshan, Zhang Ziyu, and Mo Lai." Hongxiu secretly wiped a cold sweat: "She is very safe."

"Tell me about the imprint, what do you think?" Chen Pingping asked.

Seeing he no longer asked about An, Hongxiu also breathed a sigh of relief, then she pondered for a while and said, "Don’t give it to them, for now, I’ve already sent Wushuang with Liu Ting’er to Heaven Martial no matter what, to secure the imprint."

She added, "Destiny can only be held in one’s own hands. If those people from the Heavens could achieve great things, the Human Clan wouldn’t be oppressed by the Divine Clan like this."

Very sensible.

Chen Pingping smiled, "You handle this matter then. With Wuji Sect’s current strength, suppressing them shouldn’t be a problem, right?"

Of course not!

Just a group of Quasi-Emperors.

Hongxiu was faintly proud: "After the alliance’s downfall, more than a dozen Emperor Realm experts have been incorporated into the Wuji Sect. Although they are an unstable factor, I have the means to subdue them."

"You just take care of it." Chen Pingping wasn’t good at management, otherwise, he wouldn’t have let Hongxiu manage the Wuji Sect.

And Hongxiu did not disappoint him.

The development of the Wuji Sect over the years was evident to all, and now, it has become the most powerful superpower in the Nine Heavens.

Hongxiu smiled and said, "By the way, about Miss Chen."

"Chen Shixian?"

"Hmm!"

"What about her?"

"How do you intend to handle it?" Hongxiu asked.

"Handle it?" Chen Pingping was somewhat flustered, always harboring an inexplicable emotion in his heart towards this Ancient Divine Body.

The relationship between the two was also inexplicably strange, like friends but not quite, more than friends but not lovers.

Moreover, the two have known each other for hundreds of years, traveling together until now, though they rarely stayed together, but... at least they were under the same starry sky, in the same world.

Does feeling the wind she also felt count as embracing?

Uh!

The main reason, actually, was in the past, he flirted with her, and at one point, he had an ambiguous relationship with Miss Chen.

As a result, when Guang Xiaoyu came to prominence later, the atmosphere suddenly turned awkward.

Yet, Miss Chen continued to stay by his side without leaving, although she said nothing, she was always revolving around Chen Pingping.

Anyone with eyes could see it.

Of course, what Hongxiu meant by handling it also had another layer of meaning, if Chen Pingping was willing, she would bring Chen Shixian into the Wuji Sect.

If Chen Pingping didn’t have that intention, she would not consider it anymore. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

To avoid awkward encounters in the future should the two be in the same sect.

What’s more, with Chen Pingping going far away, the chance of them meeting is slim, so not letting her join the Wuji Sect also cuts off one of Miss Chen’s lingering hopes.

Letting her be free.

"Don’t worry about this matter." Chen Pingping sighed.

"Young people, sometimes you need to make decisive decisions. Your hesitation is only hurting the young lady." Hongxiu looked at him with reproach.

From a woman’s perspective, Miss Chen has given too much, yet Chen Pingping is always avoiding it.

If you don’t like her, just say it.

Why be like this?

"As a man, be decisive. If you want to consider Xiaoyu, then cut off Miss Chen’s hopes. If you care about her, then be a little more proactive." Hongxiu said.

"..."

"A girl not related by blood, endlessly revolves around you, alas..." Hongxiu sighed, "And about Yue Wuxia, what are you thinking?"

"..."

"Are you really waiting for the White Emperor to act?" She raised her eyebrows, "The White Emperor may not be able to beat you, but she can surely act against the talented disciples of the Wuji Sect."

"It shouldn’t be that bad, right?" Chen Pingping broke into a cold sweat, "After all, she’s a senior."

"So? What’s your attitude then?"

"Let me think about it..."

Hongxiu was instantly infuriated, liking or not liking someone is a matter of a single sentence, what is there to think about?

Although this might not be fair to Xiaoyu, but? What else can be done?

The young lady has lowered herself so many times, shamelessly staying here, taking actions for you time and again, what reason do you have to let her down?

If you don’t love her, end it sooner.

The young lady might be disappointed for a while at most, rather than waiting with hope day in and day out.

Chen Pingping glanced at the fruit on the table and said, "Why isn’t there any fruit for clearing heat and detoxifying?"

Hongxiu was incensed and drew her sword directly, "Come! Let’s have a duel to the death!"

PS: What to say?