At the peak of the Celestial Mountain, a small group of people were gathered.
Among them was a certain old man, whose sagely aura had been replaced by battle intent due to the recent environment.
Tian Yang stood with his two disciples, separated from the others that joined them on the peak.
"The two of you…you grew your wings long ago, and have been exercising them constantly. Although I have plenty that I still wish to teach you, I think that your paths will flow better if you discovered the rest for yourselves."
His eyes were sentimental as he spoke. Unknowingly, he had gotten far more attached to these disciples of his than he ever thought he would.
"Brat, you've only been here for a year, and most of that time was spent on your own. I'm hardly qualified to call myself your master." He said to Damien:
But Damien shook his head in denial. "Even if the time I spent with you was short, the benefits I gained were still tremendous. Not only my spatial abilities, but even my comprehension of my other facets improved due to your teachings. Plus, my mental development is something you contributed to a lot. Don't think I didn't realize what you did back then."
Tian Yang smirked. "Right, who would've thought the little brat from back then was finally able to grow into a man? However, you still aren't worthy of my little Yue'er. Beat me first, and then I'll consider letting you marry her."
"Master!" Ruyue shouted in embarrassment.
Tian Yang laughed uproariously. "Yue'er, you've been my disciple for many years, to the point where our bond has truly become familial. But even then, I wasn't able to break the wall you put up around your heart. The fact that you were forced to carry that burden alone was one of my biggest regrets.
"Luckily enough, this brat was able to do my job for me. Seeing the you that stands in front of me now, I am immensely proud of how far you've come."
Tears formed in Ruyue's eyes. "Master…"
Tian Yang shook his head. "Don't say anything. Although I wish I could watch over your progress forever, it's fine as long as you just visit me once in a while. Don't leave this old man in the dark, will you?"
Damien nodded heavily. Although their departure from the Cloud Plane didn't seem like it'd mean much, since they would be returning in 5 months, it was far more complicated than that.
In 5 months time, when the extermination plan begins, Damien most likely wouldn't have much contact with Tian Yang anymore. Hell, he might not even have contact with Ruyue and Rose.
In essence, it was a military operation. No matter how much Damien hated being tied down, he would need to obey his superior while the operation is ongoing, lest he messes up the carefully crafted plan that they would follow.
So even if, by some miracle, he ended up on the same team as Rose and Ruyue, he wouldn't be able to chat or joke with them as he usually did.
As for Tian Yang, he was one of the most influential people in the entirety of the Cloud Plane. His position would be far too high for someone like Damien to visit frequently.
The peaceful days would end in 5 months. The days of freedom and carefree life would vanish along with them. And so, Tian Yang gave his disciples an earnest farewell.
After speaking with Tian Yang for a little while longer, Damien and Ruyue returned to the main group, where the Supreme Fairy Paradise Master was saying goodbye to Rose and Elena.
When Damien arrived, the Paradise Master immediately turned her attention to him.
"Hm hm, S-class body, S-class face, I don't know about his personality, but it looks like you've scored yourself quite the treasure, eh?" The Paradise Master said toward Rose and Elena, whose faces immediately turned red.
"Boy, what do you think? How about leaving my disciples alone and playing with this little lady instead?"
Damien smiled wryly, but inwardly, he was vomiting everything he'd ever eaten. The feeling of being flirted with by an old lady…as not pleasant. As expected, none of the old people he met were normal.
But before he could say anything in response, Tian Yang appeared before him. "Old hag, leave my disciple alone. He isn't a man who'd fall for your petty charm."
"Petty charm?" The Paradise Master scoffed mockingly. "I remember a certain someone fell for this so-called petty charm so deeply that he pursued me for dozens of years before finally giving up. What was that man's name again…?"
The Paradise Master pretended to go deep in thought, causing Tian Yang endless embarrassment. But on the surface, he kept his cool. He couldn't show his weak side when he was supposed to be looking cool in front of his disciples.
"That man must've been a lunatic to pursue you. Instead of talking about lunatics so much, how about we properly send our disciples off? They seem quite busy."
Tian Yang gestured toward Damien, who rolled his eyes and stepped forward. The old man was way too obvious in changing the subject, but he decided not to mention it.
Instead, he turned around and faced the three girls.
"Ready?" He asked with a smile.
With three different sounds of acknowledgement, the last and shakiest being Ruyue's, since she was still nervous about leaving the Cloud Plane for the first time, Damien faced forward and put his hand out into space.
Heeding his command, the space in front of him shattered into an oval shape. The chaotic void within slowly swirled until it perfectly moved in a clockwise motion, stably rotating.
Damien smiled to himself. 'The process of creating a portal is far less cumbersome now. Considering the distance between this world and Apeiron, the mana consumption has also decreased heavily.'
As he thought, the three girls turned around and gave one final bow to their masters. Damien observed the portal for a little longer before turning around as well.
"Old man, don't die to the trash infesting this world. Next time I see you, I expect you to be so powerful that I can't even see the wall anymore."
Tian Yang grinned in response. "It's arrogant for you to think you can see the wall even now, but very well brat. I'll accept your challenge."
"Good, then if I win, you let me marry Ruyue."
"Ha! You really think 5 months is enough time to catch up to me?"
"Definitely not," Damien replied firmly. His lips soon curved into a sly smile. "To catch up won't be possible, but I don't believe I can't beat you."
Tian Yang's grin widened. "Brat, you've become more arrogant since the last time I saw you. Though, it's not like I don't change. Now, get going already. The more time you waste, the less chance you have at defeating me."
"Tch." Damien clicked his tongue. '5 months, right? In 5 months, see how I make you lose face in front of Ruyue.'
Tossing Tian Yang one final battle intent-filled glance, Damien stepped through the portal. And the girls followed soon after.
After so many years away, they were finally returning to Apeiron.