If Li Xuanxiao had to sum up Zhenren Hongyun's family in one sentence.
Li Xuanxiao would only say:
“Immortals everywhere, thick as weeds!!”
Li Xuanxiao suddenly found himself missing Di Nü Feng.
He realized that the Tribulation Stage opponents were actually the easiest ones he'd ever faced.
Li Xuanxiao drew a simple relationship chart.
At the center was Sun Chengshan.
His biological son was Zhenren Hongyun.
Technically his son, but officially his younger brother—Sun Chengmai.
In fact, she was Sun Chengmai’s daughter, which made her his granddaughter.
However, Sun Miaozhen wasn’t actually Chengmai’s biological daughter.
She wasn’t a blood relative of the Sun family...
Li Xuanxiao let out a deep breath.
Sigh, what was I supposed to be doing again?
Suddenly, it hit him.
At that moment, in the Sun household—
After who knows how long of silence, even the air seemed frozen.
Everyone looked at each other.
Only Sun Chengmai was glaring viciously at his wife.
You're the real savage here!!
Auntie lowered her head in shame, not daring to meet her husband's eyes.
Eventually, the steady patriarch of the family, Sun Chengshan, spoke up.
“What’s done is done… Let’s just wrap dumplings.”
Everyone nodded silently.
In the Sun family’s main hall,
Everyone sat around the dinner table.
The atmosphere was a little awkward.
Sun Chengmai’s face was especially dark.
First, he discovered that his older brother was actually his biological father.
Then he found out his wife had cheated on him.
Weren’t they supposed to be each other’s fish people? Never cheating forever!!!
But after a few drinks, emotions started to flow.
Sun Chengshan hugged Sun Chengmai.
“It’s not that I didn’t want to acknowledge you—it was for your safety,
To protect you and your late mother.
I loved her, but I failed to protect her.
That’s why I had to protect you!”
Sun Chengmai burst into tears.
Auntie hugged Sun Miaozhen.
“Daughter, I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, sob sob sob...”
“I had no choice, Chengmai, I wronged you!” Auntie cried uncontrollably.
“That Nascent Soul old devil forced me to give him my body back then.
Otherwise, he would’ve killed you!”
Sun Chengmai was shocked.
He remembered once, before he married his wife,
While traveling, he ran into a Nascent Soul old devil.
He was defeated and injured.
When he woke up, the old devil had already left.
Turned out, they were spared because...
“Wife, you’ve suffered. I wrongly blamed you!”
“Husband, I’ve let you down.”
“No, don’t say that. You did it all for me.
It was I who was too weak to protect you.
From now on, I’ll treat Miaozhen as my own daughter!”
Zhenren Hongyun gazed at Sun Miaozhen with deep affection.
Sun Miaozhen bit her lip, her expression shy.
“...Brother… no, Uncle?”
“No! We have no such relationship!”
Zhenren Hongyun grabbed Sun Miaozhen’s hand.
Her face flushed as she turned away.
Just then, the fake Sun Miaozhen burst into tears and tried to run.
“So I was the one deceived all along.
I’m just a real maid.”
“No! From now on, you’re my daughter too,” said Sun Chengshan as he pulled the fake Sun Miaozhen into an embrace.
“Of course!” everyone responded in unison.
Everyone raised their glasses.
And so, lovers finally became family.
What began as a tragedy turned into a warm and joyful reunion.
Outside, the servants were already lighting fireworks.
Xiao Ran sat in the corner: ..........
No adjective could describe how he felt right now.
It wasn’t until Sun Chengshan reminded them that everyone looked at Xiao Ran—
The benefactor who had helped their family.
Zhenren Hongyun patted Xiao Ran on the shoulder.
“This old man has decided to take you as a disciple.
You truly are my lucky star.
By the way, didn’t you say you’d gone through some terribly humiliating incident?
Sun Chengshan chimed in too.
“Yes, tell us. Little friend, you’ve helped our family so much.
Let us help you brainstorm.
If it comes down to a fight, we’re good at that too!”
Xiao Ran was silent for a moment.
“No, I just realized my issue is nothing. It’s really nothing.
Compared to what you all went through, my little drama is sh*t.”
Xiao Ran kept shaking his head.
He couldn’t even bring himself to talk about being dumped.
Such a petty thing, really not worth mentioning.
Really not worth mentioning.
Look at how strong these people are—
They went through all that in one day and still managed to sit and eat dumplings together.
“Zhenren Hongyun, actually, there’s something I’d like to ask.” Xiao Ran said.
“May I borrow your treasure—the Purple Gold Gourd?”
Zhenren Hongyun raised a brow.
That Purple Gold Gourd was a Postnatal Spiritual Treasure,
And also one of his life-bound magical artifacts.
He couldn’t just lend it out easily. But...
He glanced at Xiao Ran, then paused in thought.
Xiao Ran raised his hand.
“I’m willing to swear a Great Dao Oath that I will never use it to harm you,
Or endanger the people of the world!”
Zhenren Hongyun nodded.
“You’ve helped me and my family. I trust you!”
Then he chanted the incantation to the Purple Gold Gourd,
Ensuring that when Xiao Ran used it, it wouldn’t harm him due to the master-bound nature of the treasure.
Afterward, he taught Xiao Ran the control incantation.
Li Xuanxiao took mental notes.
Soul Elder instructed Xiao Ran to hide the Purple Gold Gourd in a secret place.
Then Li Xuanxiao dispatched a clone and puppet—
The puppet retrieved the Purple Gold Gourd.
So its original master couldn’t sense its presence and trace it back to Mount Shushan.
He even deliberately took a few extra detours.
Only then did Li Xuanxiao return to Mount Shushan with peace of mind.
The critical step of his plan could finally begin.
Li Xuanxiao looked at the last two items on his plan sheet.
One: set up a formation.
The final one: break through to Nascent Soul.
Only after reaching the Nascent Soul Stage
Would he stand a chance at battling the old emperor.
After all these years of effort,
It was time to unleash it all.
Plan completion progress: 85%.