At the exit of the Realm of Exiled Immortals, Chun Yangzi unfolded a slip of paper in his hand, his gaze making him look lost in thought.

"Capture... star?"

Xiaomiao had sent the note through Qing Yanzi. It contained just two words from Wang Sheng.

A trace of contemplation flickered in his gaze as Chun Yangzi murmured to himself, "Fei Yu's plan really is..."

Zhi Bing looked over. "What is it?"

Chun Yangzi smiled and passed her the note.

Before long, she frowned slightly. "What does this mean?"

He shook his head. "No idea."

"Then why were you sighing just now?"

"Well, not understanding it feels a bit embarrassing," Chun Yangzi said with an embarrassed chuckle. "What does 'capture star' even mean? Bingbing, can you make sense of it?"

Zhi Bing pondered briefly. "Why not just ask him directly?"

"Wouldn't that make me, their forefather, look rather undignified?" Chun Yangzi chuckled, edging a little closer to her.

Zhi Bing, who was focused on the note, did not pay him much attention. Although she had been keeping him at arm's length, she had followed Wang Sheng's earlier advice. While maintaining that distance, she would occasionally give him small rewards.

Soon enough, Zhi Bing shot him a glance. Chun Yangzi quickly withdrew his hands and stood upright at the side. He now looked composed and serious, his eyes gentle.

Zhi Bing tossed the note back to him. "Go ask and come back quickly. I will stay here and keep watch."

"Bing'er, I do not wish to leave you even for a moment—"

"Then I will go ask."

"No, no." Chun Yangzi smiled. "I will go. I really cannot let you get in touch with that junior disciple of mine again. If he gives you another piece of advice, forget my heart being tied to you, even my soul and body would not be able to leave your side."

Zhi Bing snorted softly. Wang Sheng's forefather turned, stepped forward, and slipped into the wormhole above.

As soon as he left, Zhi Bing quietly breathed out and sat in space, momentarily lost in thought. Before long, she closed her eyes again and resumed comprehending the Time-Cycle Grand Array. She also spread her immortal perception across the area. With Chun Yangzi gone, she had to remain vigilant at all times.

***

"Capture star?"

Xiaomiao sat in her antique-style room, her soft eyes seemingly lost in thought. She stood from behind her desk and stretched lazily.

Her little princess-style nightdress clashed with the surrounding decor of screens, bed, patterned carpets, and carved wooden windows.

Still, comfort mattered most.

The female immortals outside were still wearing dudou, which were nowhere near as comfortable as the tight-fitting clothes from Earth.

What does my brother mean by this?

Xiaomiao kept thinking it over, pacing behind her desk with a puzzled look.

He has become rather unfathomable lately.

She hummed softly. Soon, she had a faint realization.

Could he be trying to make a fake Earth?

Her eyebrows rose slightly. She quickly sat back down, her mind racing as she seemingly glimpsed her brother's plan.

It was not that hard to decipher that the two words were meant for Chun Yangzi. Few matters would require him to act personally.

"Capture star" likely meant finding a celestial body similar to Earth or even recreating its solar system.

Xiaomiao muttered, "I wonder if Forefather can follow my brother's train of thought."

Realizing what she had just said, she quickly tapped her own lips. Some things should not be said out loud.

There were layers of arrays outside this place, and she had made some progress in her cultivation now. Still, powerful beings with great divine abilities could have ways to listen in.

Fake disciples from the Qiling Immortal Sect also showed up at our doorstep recently. I have to stay cautious.

Leaning back in her soft chair, Xiaomiao thought for a while, then gazed at another sheet of paper.

Hostess Su had sent someone to deliver this letter from Mu Wanxuan. The word "Personal" on the letter made Xiaomiao grin foolishly for quite some time.

Since they could not reveal that Wang Sheng was still alive, there was no signature on the envelope.

Maybe she addressed him as "husband," "my lord," or perhaps...

"My little darling?" Xiaomiao giggled to herself. "Hehehe."

According to Hostess Su's messenger, Mu Wanxuan intended for the letter to be sent home. Xiaomiao knew right away that it was meant for her brother.

Of course, she knew she should not open a letter that her sister-in-law had written for her brother, but the letter would have to be telegraphed. Its contents had to be converted into electronic signals, sent through a wormhole, and delivered to Earth.

It will be opened sooner or later. If I don't open it, someone else will. So... Well...

Xiaomiao eventually took a peek. By the time she finished reading, she had nearly melted.

These two really write literally anything, huh...

At first glance, the letter seemed ordinary, but once one understood the hidden meanings and coded phrases, it became clear just how bold they were.

Even she, who had seen all sorts of things but was still an inexperienced young cultivator, ended up blushing furiously.

Still, every line revealed Mu Wanxuan's longing for Wang Sheng.

They were now separated by vast distances. Wang Sheng was on Earth recovering, while Mu Wanxuan was cultivating somewhere unknown. Though they were safe for now, danger still lurked around them.

I wonder when those two will finally see the clouds part and the moon appear together.

Xiaomiao sighed softly to herself as she drifted into thought.

After a short while, she picked up her pen and wrote down a few names. She then used a fountain pen to sketch and jot notes.

Since Wang Sheng could not show himself in space right now, she had to handle everything. There were simply too many things to consider.

The Xinghai Sect was unstable at the moment, and Fengmo was affected as well. Lin Yun, a golden immortal, supported the defenses here. At critical moments, Zhi Bing and Chun Yangzi could also step in to assist her.

There were plans not only for Earth's cultivators, but also for the Xinghai Sect's eventual relocation and dispersal. She also had to think about the construction of an intelligence network between celestial bodies, along with the Spirit Stone supply and material consumption of their starship fleet.

All these problems pressed down on her, forcing her to devote all her energy to them even though there was no real reward for it.

Still, Xiaomiao quite liked her life now. It felt full and meaningful, and it did not leave her feeling exhausted.

When she was young, she had grown up listening to stories about her brother being a righteous sword cultivator with a strong sense of justice. After all, at the time, Wang Sheng had just leaped into the Earth Qi Seal and was hailed as a hero who had saved the world. She had always admired him.

Xiaomiao did not even know how fate arranged it. Somehow, in a daze, she had become the younger sister of such a hero.

When she was in primary school, as she walked along the road, a Daoist master in a Daoist robe would sometimes appear in the air on a flying sword, smiling kindly as he asked, "Do you want a ride?"

People in uniforms would also quietly observe her from outside her classroom or home.

From that moment on, Xiaomiao understood that because of her brother, many people were watching her from the shadows.

It was also around that time when something seemingly clicked in her. She started to think constantly, analyze everything, and gradually forge the mindset she now had.

Back then, she had been under quite a bit of pressure. She did not know if she could live up to being the sister of a hero. Moreover, she knew they had tested her aptitude, and their expressions had shown disappointment. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

She was not suited for cultivating toward immortality.

Still, that did not mean she could not work hard in other areas. If she lacked strength, she would rely on her mind.

The moment she saw Wang Sheng after he had come out of the Earth Qi Seal, the resentment in her heart quietly faded. Bound by blood, she understood his nature. She knew he would truly sacrifice himself for others, and that he deserved the honors and praise he received.

When Wang Sheng tried to close the distance between them and ease the sense of unfamiliarity, Xiaomiao found herself endlessly amused by the traits he had kept hidden.

At the time, she was already quite mature for her age. Watching him struggle, she could only step in and help him a little.

As memories about her brother surfaced, Xiaomiao could not help but laugh softly.

The time they had spent living in the villa later became her most carefree days. Her brother guided her cultivation, while Mu Wanxuan and Xi Lian played and joked around every day. Unfortunately, those happy days did not last long.

Now, she had already spent six to seven hundred years outside, and her mindset had gradually changed. Even so, when she met those same people again, she would still find that old feeling.

Knock knock knock.

Xiaomiao looked to the side, where the knocks were coming from. Her immortal perception swept over, detecting Fan Tuantuan outside the door. She pressed the jade talisman on the table and let her in.

Fan Tuantuan hurried in with a sheet of paper. "Xiaomiao, another message just came from Earth!"

Xiaomiao frowned slightly. "Didn't we just receive one? Why send them separately? The time gap on our side may be slightly longer, but over there, it should only differ by a dozen minutes or so, right? Honestly, conserving energy is important. Our current Spirit Stones and primal qi cannot even support a localized war."

Fan Tuantuan quickly explained, "The previous message was encrypted. Judging by the signature, it came directly from the Special Investigation Unit, while this one was sent in the name of the research institute. It gives us a suggestion."

"What is it?"

"Cultural diffusion. Erase Earth's distinctiveness, then gradually influence cultivators through culture," Fan Tuantuan said as she placed the paper in front of Xiaomiao. "If we spread it in the form of entertainment, it could actually work."

"Mm?" Xiaomiao paused, then took the document and read it.

Soon, the corner of her mouth twitched.

My brother's doing it again.

"This doesn't even come with a detailed plan!"

"They trust us to explore it ourselves, to find patterns through trial and error and summarize experience along the way."

Xiaomiao sighed softly, then set the paper down. "I will think about it for a few days. It sounds simple, but actually doing it will be troublesome. Oh, right, bring me a message encryption device. I have a letter to send to my parents."

"Mm, alright."

***

At the same time, on the streets of a city in the Hua Republic.

A doorway opened in midair, and a figure stepped out, hands behind his back as he looked around at the surroundings.

Wanting to return to Zhi Bing as soon as possible, Chun Yangzi followed his memory to a forest he had once stayed in, then used a spatial technique to move straight to this place.

However, all he got was gazes from all around.

Chun Yangzi cleared his throat, kept his hands behind his back, closed the portal, and walked off to the side as if nothing had happened.

The pedestrians who had been staring in shock quietly pressed the street-side emergency button meant for reporting cultivator disturbances.