Li Xuanxiao stayed at the Si Family Mansion for half a month.
Every day he slept until he woke up naturally, then ate and drank to his heart's content, basked in the sun, and spaced out.
Having finally found some leisure time, he only wanted to cast aside all pressures.
Lay down his responsibilities and be himself again!
As a transmigrator, he was the boss; every day was just eating and drinking, nothing else!
Why the hell bother cultivating? Who was he doing it for? Stop the nonsense!
During this time, bathing and such were naturally unavoidable.
Li Xuanxiao discovered that the girl Ya Qin was acting strange! Very strange!
Not only was she becoming more and more beautiful, but her temperament had also shifted from its former greenness and innocence to include a hint of charm and seduction.
Two completely opposite and rather contradictory traits actually appeared in the same person without any sense of incongruity.
Instead, they blended into a unique kind of allure!
They say a girl changes eighteen times as she grows up; was she finally blossoming?
Li Xuanxiao didn't understand why, but then he thought about how the girl had been getting bolder lately, making several out-of-line moves.
He really found it a bit hard to resist.
"If you dare play with fire again, this Young Master will deal with you!"
Thinking fiercely to himself, Li Xuanxiao walked out of the Si Family Residence wearing a loose robe.
Today was the day the army returned!
Li Xuanxiao bought two candied haws, one in each hand, and mingled among the commoners on both sides of the road who were welcoming the army's return.
He took a bite of a hawthorn, so sour that his eyes squinted repeatedly.
Standing in front of him was a mother holding a child; she was currently looking toward the army procession slowly approaching the city gate.
The little girl she was holding, with her hair in tufts, blinked her large eyes and stared fixedly at the candied haws in Li Xuanxiao's hand behind her mother, drool uncontrollably leaking from the corner of her mouth...
Li Xuanxiao found it amusing, gave her cheek a little pinch, and handed her the untouched stick of candied haws.
The little girl's eyes lit up almost instantly, and she accepted it bashfully, her already pink face turning even pinker.
Li Xuanxiao made a face at her, causing her eyes to crinkle into beautiful crescents.
"How Mystic~"
A child's smile has the power to heal the heart, and Li Xuanxiao's mood instantly brightened significantly.
If the royal city had been breached, he probably wouldn't be seeing such a beautiful smile.
What he had done now held a real and concrete meaning.
Then, thinking about his imminent departure, he felt a strange sense of melancholy.
Since his Transmigration, he had indeed achieved various accomplishments that everyone envied.
But in the end, he was just a wanderer without a home of his own.
Home?
At this thought, scenes from after his Transmigration immediately flashed through Li Xuanxiao's mind.
"Ning'an City... that place could barely be considered my home..."
Li Xuanxiao pondered inwardly; it had been a long time since he went back to visit...
No time like the present!
He took a deep breath; with his departure imminent, he couldn't leave any regrets.
He would go back to Ning'an City to take a look right now!
After distancing himself from the crowd, Li Xuanxiao soared into the sky.
With "Star-Chasing Moon-Pursuing" having reached the Transcendent Realm, it carried him toward that border city of Dayu at an incredible speed.
Half an hour later, he finally arrived at Ning'an City.
He landed outside the city and paced silently, walking into this city that was both familiar and strange.
His Transmigration journey started from here!
Slaying rat demons, killing pigs and oxen, defying superiors! Sweeping away all demons and monsters in the surroundings!
Thinking back now, it felt like it was only yesterday.
Well... in reality, it really hadn't been that long; it seemed like it hadn't even been a year?
"I wonder how Head Wang is doing now?"
Did he properly study the Cultivation Technique and Martial Arts insights I wrote for him?
Those were insights comprehended through the System!
Even without the System's assistance, others were destined not to achieve 100% comprehension like Li Xuanxiao.
But with some hard work, reaching 50 or 60% would still make them much faster than ordinary people!
Walking through the gates of Ning'an City, Li Xuanxiao was surprised to find that the Martial Artists guarding the gate were actually at the fifth or sixth level of the Strength Realm!
When did the Martial Artists of Ning'an City become so strong?
When he was here before, the seventh or eighth level of the Strength Realm was considered the first tier of Martial Artists in Ning'an City.
Now, fifth and sixth levels of the Strength Realm were guarding the gate?
If they had been this strong back then, he wouldn't have needed to take action.
Li Xuanxiao was a bit stunned, but he didn't think much of it; once he saw Wang Debiao, everything would naturally become clear.
Entering Ning'an City, he immediately noticed a large crowd gathered around a notice board near the city gate.
Li Xuanxiao silently approached to take a look; it was announcing the news of Dayu's recent victory.
Looking further down, his face suddenly turned slightly red.
Martial God of Dayu—Li Xuanxiao!?
Damn!
How chuunibyou!
Li Xuanxiao felt very embarrassed; the notice not only devoted a large section to him but even included his portrait!
And the face in the portrait did indeed bear a several-point resemblance to him!
However, his current hairstyle had changed, and he wasn't wearing the uniform of the Demon Slaying Division.
His whole appearance had been transformed, his robes fluttering.
He didn't look like the Martial God of Dayu, but rather like a Young Master from a wealthy family.
As long as one didn't look closely, it was hard to tell that he was the Martial God of Dayu, Li Xuanxiao, described in the notice.
Feeling slightly relieved, Li Xuanxiao followed his memory to the Ningan City Yamen.
After the routine inquiry and stating his purpose, Li Xuanxiao was directed to wait in a side hall.
Before long, the sound of footsteps approached from a distance.
Li Xuanxiao turned his head, and a familiar face immediately appeared before his eyes!
"It really is you, kid!"
Wang Debiao's face was ruddy, and he had put on a bit of weight; he looked like he was living quite comfortably.
Li Xuanxiao replied with a smile: "Head Wang, long time no see."
Sitting down next to Li Xuanxiao, Wang Debiao sized up Li Xuanxiao's luxurious attire.
"You've really made it now, kid, wearing such fine clothes. It seems you've been doing well at the Pei Prefecture Demon Slaying Division."
Li Xuanxiao was stunned for a moment; the other party didn't seem to recognize that he was the so-called Martial God of Dayu.
He gave a light chuckle.
This was fine too; a gap in status can sometimes create a distance between hearts.
It might instead cause familiar people to become inexplicably estranged.
"It's alright, but I see Head Wang is glowing; it seems you're doing quite well yourself~"
Wang Debiao laughed heartily: "Speaking of which, it's all thanks to you! The Martial Arts and Cultivation Technique insights you left before leaving Ning'an City were a huge help! I've been practicing according to the insights you left; guess what Realm I'm at now?"
Li Xuanxiao shook his head, showing a curious expression to play along: "What Realm is it, Head Wang?"
Wang Debiao's mouth curled into a Nike-like grin, a faint purple light appearing in his eyes as a thick surge of True Qi radiated out.
Fifth level of the Extreme Realm!
Li Xuanxiao pursed his lips and nodded; to step from the Late Stage of the Strength Realm into the fifth level of the Extreme Realm in less than a year...
From an ordinary person's perspective, it was already considered very fast!
A string of flattery was delivered on the spot, making Wang Debiao beam with joy.
"Not only that, I shared the insights of the other Strength Realm Martial Arts and Cultivation Techniques you left with those in need, as you requested. Now, the overall strength of our Ning'an City Martial Artists has more than doubled!"
Li Xuanxiao suddenly understood; no wonder even the gatekeepers are at the fifth or sixth level of the Strength Realm!