The other old fellows stood up one after another as they entrusted Yu Huang to him.
Moved, Sheng Xiao quickly stood up and bowed to the elders as he promised, "Elders, don't worry. I can give up my own life, but I definitely won't give up Yu Huang. In the future, I will support Yu Huang."
"With Young Master Sheng's assurance, we're relieved. It's getting late. Yufu City is still waiting for you to go back, so we'll send you off now!"
"Alright!"
After Sheng Xiao left, the elders looked at each other and smiled in relief. After knowing that Yu Huang was fine, they could finally be at ease. Even if they died, they would have no worries or regrets.
Sheng Xiao only returned to Yufu City when the moonlight shone.
Just as he had expected, Yufu City was decorated with lanterns and colored banners=, as if there was going to be a festival, but the city was surprisingly quiet.
The city gate was wide open. The moonlight and lights in the city shone out of the city gate and illuminated Sheng Xiao's pathway.
It was the way home.
The saying that one would feel homesick when one was near one's hometown was true.
Sheng Xiao curled his fingers a few times before saying to Eternal, "Let's go."
Eternal followed behind Sheng Xiao in silence as they passed through the city gate and walked along the stone road in the ancient city. In the city, the doors of every family were open. The citizens were wearing their best clothes as they stood in the courtyard and stared at Sheng Xiao with tears in their eyes.
He stepped on the stone path that he had walked from childhood to adulthood and looked at the faces of the residents in the city. When he saw the tears in their eyes, his heart ached.
This was the hometown where he lived and was their greatest attachment in the Great World. Eternal could feel Sheng Xiao's sadness. When he looked up at the unfamiliar ancient city, he felt a sense of belonging as well.
"Young Master." A little girl in a down jacket rushed out of the courtyard. She held a headband filled with pear blossoms and cherry blossoms in her hand as she looked up at the Young Master of Yufu City and said softly, "Young Master, you're too tall. Can you squat down a little?"
Sheng Xiao didn't know which family this young lady was from, but he still squatted down obediently.
The little girl pursed her lips and smiled shyly. The little girl stood on her tiptoes and put the garland on Sheng Xiao's head as she said to Sheng Xiao, "My grandmother said that Young Master and Young Madam like to eat cherries from Yufu City the most, but Young Master will be leaving soon and won't be able to eat this year's cherries, so I picked the cherries and weave them into a garland for Young Master. This way, Young Master will be considered to have eaten this year's cherries."
"The cherries planted by our family are the best in the city. When Young Master and Young Madam come back next time, I'll pluck them for you guys personally." The little girl looked to be in her teens. She was eloquent and her gaze was sincere, so Sheng Xiao felt touched.
He held the little girl's hand and asked her, "What's your name?"
"My name is Sheng Yingzi."
"Yingzi." Sheng Xiao scratched Sheng Yingzi's nose and said to her, "Thank you. When I come back next time, I will bring Young Madam to eat the cherries you picked."
"Alright!"
Seeing that her parents had been waving at her, the little girl turned around and returned to her home.
Sheng Xiao stood up and walked to the Patriarch's residence under the gazes of the people in the city. After he walked through the most crowded street in the ancient city, the wide stone road outside the Patriarch's residence was at the end of the street. When Sheng Xiao walked to the end of the street, he saw Sheng Yang running out of the door to welcome him.
Sheng Yang was wearing a light gray double-breasted suit jacket with a long umbrella dress of the same color. The waist design was tight, so it made her waist look slender. She was wearing high heels as she stared at Sheng Xiao silently from across the street with a serious gaze.
After seven years, the beautiful and aloof girl from back then had already grown into a graceful woman. All these years, she had been learning to manage the affairs of the Sheng clan from her parents. At such a young age, she actually gave off a regal vibe.
Sheng Yang crossed the street in a few steps and took the initiative to pounce into Sheng Xiao's arms for the first time.
Sheng Xiao caught Sheng Yang, who was flying towards him. Then, he suppressed his affection and stroked Sheng Yang's hair as he teased her, "It's been seven years since we last met. You've grown taller." Sheng Yang was 169 centimeters tall, but in Sheng Xiao's eyes, she was still petite.
When Sheng Yang heard this, she smiled through her tears.
She let go of Sheng Xiao and wiped her tears. "I'm still a little shorter than Yu Huang."
"It's not embarrassing for a sister to be shorter than her sister-in-law."
The siblings didn't talk about the seven years they had been separated for. They chatted as they walked towards the Patriarch's residence side by side. When the guards at the door saw Sheng Xiao, they knelt down to receive him.
After entering the Patriarch's residence, Sheng Xiao felt that the residence was too quiet.
Sheng Yang told him, "Many esteemed guests came tonight. Our parents and esteemed guests are waiting for you in the reception building at the back."
Nodding, Sheng Xiao said, "Let's go."
That night, almost all the experts of the major families on the Holy Spirit Continent, as well as the seniors who had self-destructed their beast hearts in order to build the Sky Penetrating Bridge seven years ago, came to Yufu City. Even the king and queen of the Elve Clan, who lived in the Light Sea overseas, took an aeroplane to Jingdu immediately.
The butler outside the house shouted, "The Young Master is here!"
Everyone turned to look at the open door.
After Sheng Xiao brought Sheng Yang and Eternal into the reception building, he stood in the middle of the entrance of the banquet hall on the first floor and lowered his eyes to look at the familiar but much older faces in the room. Di Ruofeng, Dino, the Elven Queen Daiya, the old patriarch of the Mo Clan, Mo Yunyan…
After powerhouses became civilians, they all aged.
Then, Sheng Xiao looked up at Sheng Lingfeng and Lan Yao, who were sitting at the head of the banquet hall. When he saw Sheng Lingfeng's pale hair and the wrinkles on Lan Yao's face, for the first time, Sheng Xiao realized that his parents were getting old and would leave him sooner or later.
Everyone looked at Sheng Xiao silently. At that moment, their eyes were filled with tears.
Bang!
Sheng Xiao knelt down and kowtowed as he said, "After seven years, I have fulfilled my mission and returned as a Divine Master. I am ashamed for making you guys wait so long!"
Staring at the young man kneeling on the ground, everyone turned around and wiped their tears silently.
"It's good that you're back," Sheng Lingfeng said in a choked voice, breaking the silence in the room. After Sheng Lingfeng stood up and walked to Sheng Xiao with heavy footsteps, he squatted down and held Sheng Xiao's arms as he said to him, "Xiao'er, raise your head and let me take a good look."
When looked up slowly, Sheng Xiao had already lost his composure and his eyes were red.
"Father." As Sheng Xiao reached out hesitantly to stroke Sheng Lingfeng's dry white hair, his heart ached. Sheng Xiao suddenly hugged Sheng Lingfeng tightly and his Adam's apple bobbed a few times before he held back his tears as he said, "Father, in the future, you guys can just retire with peace of mind. We will protect the Holy Spirit Continent!"
"Alright!"
"Alright!"
In the past, big shots like Sheng Lingfeng and the others could always protect Sheng Xiao and the others from all harm. Now, those weak children were already powerful enough.
They had inherited the power of their predecessors, so they naturally had to shoulder the heavy responsibility of protecting the Holy Spirit Continent.