Early the next morning, Xiao Jietian woke up and glanced at Xiao Huiying, who was still sound asleep beside him with a blissful smile on her face.
He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently, thinking to himself, *A complete Heavenly Thunder Dragon at the Advanced Half-Saint stage? Nothing special. Under my unique skills and massage, she still fell asleep instantly.*
"Young Master."
The door to the bedchamber opened softly. Qing Lin, dressed in a cyan dress, walked in carrying a basin of warm water. "Qing Lin is here to help Young Master wash up."
After being carefully attended to by Qing Lin, Xiao Jietian was fully dressed and refreshed. He immediately rewarded her with a long, deep French kiss.
Qing Lin smiled sweetly, looking every bit the devoted personal maidservant, and followed Xiao Jietian out of the palace.
Once outside, Xiao Jietian saw Medusa and the others exchanging cultivation insights while guiding Xiao Ze and Xiao Meng in their Dou Technique practice on the training grounds. Xuan Yi, meanwhile, was teaching Xiao Ling the basics of alchemy.
Xiao Jietian did not disturb them. He sat in the pavilion with his little maidservant, enjoying being fed while watching the lively scene in Eternal Heaven Palace. A heartfelt smile spread across his face.
This was the most perfect life—the ideal state he had always desired. He had both material abundance and spiritual fulfillment.
What he had always yearned for was never the loneliness of standing at the peak, but rather these warm, joyful sounds of laughter and happiness.
Just as Xiao Jietian was savoring this peaceful moment—
"Why haven't I seen Hui Ying today?" Hu Jia asked with a puzzled expression when she noticed Xiao Huiying's absence.
"Her? Xiao Jietian conducted a thorough 'investigation' last night that probably lasted until dawn," Ya Fei said with a smile after finishing her training session with her daughter. "She's likely still catching up on sleep right now."
Hu Jia was momentarily stunned. She then subconsciously touched her storage ring, a subtle look of determination flashing across her face.
Inside the ring was the "good stuff" she had painstakingly researched by borrowing books from the Alchemy Department.
She couldn't wait any longer. If she delayed further, she didn't know when her turn would come—or if she would even get a chance. Everything depended on this opportunity.
Her close girlfriends always returned with bountiful harvests, but what about her? She hadn't even properly met him or greeted him yet.
She was once known as the Little Enchantress, after all.
If things continued like this, what if Big Sister Zi Yan reached maturity first and got ahead of her? Then she would truly become a complete loser.
She had known Xiao Jietian the earliest, yet others kept getting ahead of her.
Hu Jia couldn't help but grit her teeth. *What a bad guy. He flirts with me like crazy and tries to straighten me out, but once I'm hooked, he doesn't eat? You dog.*
*Just you wait. You'll get what's coming to you later. Hmph.*
Xiao Jietian, who was intimately chatting with his little maidservant, suddenly felt as if someone was staring at him intently.
At that moment, the Little Fairy Doctor, who was guiding Xiao Ze, felt her message stone vibrate. It only rang in urgent situations.
She took it out to receive the message, and her expression changed slightly.
The others noticed and gathered around curiously. It was rare to see the Little Fairy Doctor show such a look.
After processing all the information, the Little Fairy Doctor nodded to the group.
"Mommy, what's wrong? Are bad guys coming to cause trouble again?" A little boy who was just over a year old and bore a strong resemblance to Xiao Jietian hugged the Little Fairy Doctor's leg. His small face was full of indignation as he declared, "When I grow up and become as powerful as Daddy, I'll go to each of their homes and deal with them one by one."
Looking at her son, the Little Fairy Doctor smiled, immediately recalling the time when Xiao Jietian had just returned. "Alright, then Mommy will wait for that day. But you must cultivate diligently, okay?"
"No problem, Mommy. Daddy also told me that once you turn one year old, it's time to work hard. In the future, I will protect Daddy, Mommy, and Big Sister." Xiao Ze nodded heavily, his young face filled with seriousness.
The Little Fairy Doctor and the others felt a headache coming on upon hearing his words. Ever since Xiao Jietian returned, a barrage of gifts and sweet talk had turned Xiao Ze from being upset about not seeing his father for a year into his most loyal little fan.
The Little Fairy Doctor helplessly rubbed her son's head, who had been completely won over. "Oh well, at least he now has the motivation to cultivate diligently."
She spoke softly, "Xiao Ze, go practice your Dou Techniques with Big Sister for now. We mothers need to discuss something with Daddy."
"Okay, Mommy."
Xiao Ze nodded obediently and trotted over to Xiao Meng, who was practicing her techniques.
The Little Fairy Doctor exchanged glances with Yun Yun and the others, then headed toward Xiao Jietian's pavilion. Ya Fei and the rest quickly followed.
Qing Lin saw everyone approaching and quickly pulled her hand away from Xiao Jietian, standing up respectfully.
The Little Fairy Doctor and the others arrived at the table and took their seats.
"What's wrong? Is there an emergency?" Xiao Jietian asked.
"According to the latest intelligence, the ancient ruin in the Beast Region of the Central Region's Southern Domain that you asked me to monitor has appeared," the Little Fairy Doctor said, her red lips parting slightly as she delivered the news that surprised Xiao Jietian.
Xiao Jietian frowned slightly. Under normal circumstances, this ruin should only open in another two years. Why had it suddenly appeared now?
"Is it the location I mentioned before?"
"That's right. It's in the Skeleton Mountain Range of the Beast Region. According to current investigations, a Nine-Revolution Dou Zun and an Eighth-Tier Magical Beast fought there. The Magical Beast self-destructed, accidentally blowing open the entrance to the ruin."
"However, the entrance is still unstable. According to the Beast Region's investigations, because the ruin was forcibly opened, it has begun absorbing the energy of heaven and earth. It is expected to fully open in about half a month."
After hearing this, Xiao Jietian confirmed that it was indeed the Sage of Fortune's ruin—the same one that contained the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit.
He had to go to this ruin. For Zi Yan's sake, he needed to obtain that item. It was extremely important to her.
"Ancient ruin? What is that?" Qing Lin asked curiously, blinking her large eyes. Everyone else—except Han Xue, Han Yue, and Xuan Yi—also looked on with curiosity and eagerness to learn.
"Xuan Yi, you explain it to them," Xiao Jietian said while gently playing with Ya Fei's jade-like leg, which was clad in black stockings and resting beside him. He gestured for Xuan Yi to speak.
Xuan Yi nodded and began to educate them about ancient ruins.
"Ancient ruins, as the name suggests, are remnants left behind from ancient times. They include the ruins of ancient sects and forces, as well as the tombs of ancient Dou Saint powerhouses, among other things."
"Anything that can still leave traces after such a long period of erosion must contain extraordinary items. Many of these ruins were left by Dou Saint-level experts and hold Heaven-tier Dou Techniques, cultivation methods, and various rare medicinal ingredients."
"Dou Saint powerhouses…" Medusa murmured softly, her eyes filled with yearning. The same longing appeared in the eyes of the others.