Within this 56th Heaven, the few of us gathered together, catching up and pulling at the threads of old memories. The Earth of today was no longer the familiar homeland we once knew. Furthermore, due to the ascension of my physical form, I no longer possessed any biological bloodline tying me to my parents, and the same was true for Enis and Suōshā. This was the price of becoming pure energy bodies. However, though no bloodline connected us, that profound bond would never vanish. Family affection has never needed a bloodline to prove its existence.
We chatted for several hours and even traveled to the 60th Heaven together to visit my uncle and aunt, gathering around to chat about ordinary family matters. Before we knew it, the day was drawing to a close. "Dad, Mom, Uncle, Aunt, it's getting late. We'll come back to visit you next time, but we should head back for today~" I said with a smile, hugging my mother. "Come back whenever you're free~ just so we can set our minds at ease," my dad said, equally reluctant to see us go. "I've always said Tian Hao is the most successful, and he'll definitely be even more successful in the future. You two don't need to worry about them~" my uncle said, patting my dad on the shoulder.
"Next up, the four of us are going to take a stroll around Earth, so we won't disturb your quiet cultivation any longer. See you all next time~" After bidding a smiling farewell to my parents, I bowed deeply and led my three wives as we teleported toward Earth.
Earth in the Year 2408
By this time, Earth had reached the year 2408. The technological plane had been immensely elevated, and humanity's travel into outer space was now as casual as a daily commute. A segment of the human population that had migrated to Mars had formed a new nation, governing independently from Earth. Due to a crustal displacement that occurred over two hundred years ago, new continents had emerged on Earth. The majority of Japan had submerged, reduced to a smattering of isolated islands. Europe, meanwhile, had been taken over by Arabs. Buddhism and Christianity had declined, replaced by new religions. Furthermore, humanity had officially made contact with alien civilizations; the term "UFO" had long since vanished. With the assistance of advanced extraterrestrial civilizations, humanity had expanded its territory, establishing human residential zones underwater, on the Moon, and on Mars, beginning a massive migration effort while continuing to explore beyond the solar system.
Moreover, artificial organ replacement had become a universal medical practice. Eternal life was no longer a dream, yet no one chose immortality, as it far exceeded the psychological endurance of the human mind. People had even invented time machines, though they required an immense amount of energy to drive, and time travelers were strictly forbidden from disrupting past history, lest it cause anomalies in the future.
Because its internal activity had weakened, the Sun had become unstable. Humanity had launched artificial suns into space orbit to secure a new source of radiant energy. As for the Moon, after it was discovered to be an ancient artificial object, humans utilized and maintained it, allowing it to continue serving as Earth's guardian satellite. At this time, the population of the solar system had reached 9 billion, and only seven nations remained across the globe, as most small countries had been swallowed up and assimilated. Consequently, disputes between nations had decreased significantly.
"We've arrived. It looks like our homeland has changed a lot," the four of us stood in the vacuum of space, gazing down at our native planet which we hadn't returned to in ages. "Mhm, that is the new land born from the crustal movements I saw through the divine sight," I said, staring at an unfamiliar continental plate in the Pacific Ocean. "Let's go down and take a look," Enis suggested. "Alright," everyone agreed, and we flew toward the new plate together.
In an instant, we breached the atmosphere and landed upon this newborn continent. Its surface area was roughly half the size of Australia, and by the looks of it, it had already been thoroughly developed, dotted with numerous coastal cities—though it was unclear which nation it actually belonged to. "Let's go take a look at the urban area," I called out to my wives to resume our journey. To avoid raising any alarms, everyone utilized invisibility flight, bypassing all kinds of high-tech surveillance equipment, and in a flash, we arrived above a certain city. Earth at this time was completely dominated by magnetically powered transport vehicles, with all sorts of aircraft weaving through the sky like a future scene straight out of a sci-fi blockbuster. "It looks even more advanced than my planet," Zi Mi remarked as she looked around. "Yeah, while we were asleep, Earth underwent a Fourth World War. It's truly remarkable that it could still develop to this point," I said, looking down at the booming city. It felt less like my homeland and more like I had arrived on a completely alien planet. "Let's go see how my old home is doing these days," I chuckled softly, leading my wives as we teleported toward the direction of my hometown.
A Sentimental Time Travel
In my distant hometown, we touched down in a place resembling a public plaza. "It looks like my home has been turned into a plaza district; there isn't a single trace left~" I lamented as I surveyed the changes around us. Although people were moving about, none of them could see us. "What a shame, Hubby," Enis said, leaning in close. "Ha, all things in the world are constantly changing; there's no need to try and hold onto the past. If we want to reminisce about the old days, let's go on a reckless trip through time!" I smiled, leading my wives as I unleashed a space-time divine art. The four of us instantly returned to the Earth year 2023.
"We're here," I said with a smile, pointing toward a residential building in front of us. "What is this?" Zi Mi asked, puzzled. "The place where I grew up, and also my parents' home. However, because I have broken free from the old universe and exist independently, there are no longer any traces of me in any time-space or universe. Therefore, I do not exist within this family. Even if I were to knock on the door and visit, my parents wouldn't recognize me." Speaking up to this point, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of sorrow and helplessness.
"Let's go. The world in this period hasn't gone to war yet, so let's enjoy the peace of the past." Releasing my melancholy, I stepped out of the residential courtyard, with my three wives following closely behind. "Does that mean I would cease to exist in the Demon Realm too, Hubby?" Enis asked as we walked.
"No, Sister Enis. Although you and I have ascended into energy bodies, our situation is quite different from Hubby's," Suōshā explained in detail on my behalf. "Our bodies simultaneously retain both The power of the universe elements and new god elements. Even though we have ascended, we still carry the traces of our existence from the old universe. Hubby, on the other hand, as the primordial ascender, endured immense suffering, discarding absolutely everything before he could successfully reshape himself. The current Hubby no longer has any connection to the Original God; he has become a newly self-formed Creator God~"
"Exactly, it's pretty much just as Suōshā explained. The current me doesn't even need to blink to erase the Original God and recreate all things. With a single thought, countless new souls can be born because of me. It's just that doing so is entirely meaningless; I didn't ascend just to do such boring things."
"It sounds a bit complicated, but I can understand the helplessness and the point of no return that Hubby finds himself in. It must be truly hard on you~" Enis patted my head filled with sorrowful affection. To be honest, Enis had always been half a head taller than me, so it looked exactly like a mother comforting her son. "Ha, if this is the price of being the Star Seed, then it's fine for me to bear it alone," I smiled open-mindedly. "Although Hubby has lost things that can never be recovered, you've also gained something incredibly precious—and that's the three of us~" Zi Mi also tried to comfort me.
"That sounds quite sweet. Oh well, it's a rare trip back to Earth, so let's not keep bringing up sad things. I'll take you all to taste some of Earth's signature delicacies~" Steering the conversation away, I set off with my three wives.