This is the Han family living room in Riverford City, Southvale Province, on blue Earth.
"And then?"
Night has fallen, the lights are warm and yellow, and the girl who once wore only princess dresses has grown up. Lucy Han sits beside Andrew Han, gazing at him expectantly.
Some habits never change.
Their closeness remains.
This year, Lucy is fourteen, just entering junior high. Her slender frame is starting to mature, jet-black hair falling to her shoulders, and she stands about 1.56 meters tall. Her progress in martial arts has reached the Martial Lord Realm, making her graceful and poised, like a lotus in bloom.
"Brother, brother, and then?"
Lucy stretches lazily, pressing for more answers.
Her once-short, pale legs have grown into long, straight, snow-white limbs—so pure they seem like crystalline rulers laid out before one's eyes.
"And then what?"
Andrew Han smiles, clearly in a good mood.
"Who won between you and Grandpa Ning? Who lost?" Lucy clings to Andrew's arm, her big eyes shining with playfulness and a hint of cunning unique to teenage girls.
Andrew sighs, pats his sister Lucy's head, and instead asks, "Is winning or losing really that important?"
"Of course it matters!"
Lucy blinks twice and chirps energetically.
As she speaks, her small hands wave in midair, launching a flurry of martial moves—humming and striking in combination—tearing the air like cotton. After all, she's a genuine Martial Lord.
Whoosh.
Whoosh.
Her hands flail energetically, full of bravado, but Andrew can't help but laugh aloud.
"Why are you laughing, brother?"
Lucy pouted, letting out two dissatisfied hums.
(??ˇ_ˇ??:) With a serious face, Lucy glanced at Andrew from the corner of her eye, cheeks puffed and fierce—so much so that Andrew's smile slowly faded.
(????-)??, her lips curled upward. If one looked closely, there was a faint downy softness at the edge, highlighting Lucy's cheerful youth.
"Uh..."
The living room was brightly lit, the quiet night outside dotted with stars. Andrew's heart skipped two or three beats.
Heavens above!
He nearly forgot—Lucy Han's education these past years has been entirely handled by Master Miles Ning!
Andrew's expression shifted.
If he, a gentle and refined person, had raised his sister, she would surely be a fairy untouched by worldly dust. But reality is what it is—Lucy was personally shaped by Miles Ning. As long as she doesn't commit mayhem, Andrew is grateful enough.
Their parents' influence on Lucy's education was minimal.
Lucy was born with Inspiration, her intelligence and wisdom far surpassing her peers—a unique constitution that aided her in cultivating under the Sealed Celestial Path.
"Mhm."
"A lack of proper childhood education, really."
Andrew suddenly felt a misplaced sense of national responsibility.
In the next instant—
Whoosh!
A chubby, snow-white little hand shot out, as if riding clouds and mist, aiming for Andrew's cheek.
With a crisp smack, Andrew caught her hand in midair, turned to look at his sister, and was about to offer a heartfelt admonition—when her small body suddenly lunged at him, claws out, bouncing like a meteor crashing into the sun.
This can't go on.
Andrew quickly flicked his finger, subduing his overly energetic little sister. "Stop right there!"
In an instant, the air grew silent. Lucy was frozen midair for half a minute, like a lifelike sculpture. When Andrew's suppression faded, she unhappily pushed his shoulder—once, twice, but couldn't budge him at all.
"Brother, you're bullying me! I'm going to complain to Dad and Mom!"
"Go ahead."
Andrew laughed aloud. She could complain all she wanted—after all, their parents were currently traveling at the Holy War scenic site in Antarctica.
Besides, his Soul-Will starlight covered a hundred thousand kilometers, almost shrinking the world to the size of his palm. If Lucy tried to set out, he'd instantly create a starlight barrier around Antarctica. Even across the galaxy, there were few beings who could break Andrew's starlight seal.
At that moment—
A graceful figure emerged from the kitchen, her jet-black hair reaching her waist. It was Monica Zhang, dressed in a casual, sky-blue home skirt.
Click.
She set a glass fruit tray on the coffee table.
On the tray were chilled watermelon, Lucy's favorite tropical cherries, and freshly washed peaches.
Monica sat on Andrew's other side, not between him and Lucy. "Enough arguing, have some fruit."
She didn't worry about such trivial things.
She trusted Andrew's judgment—time had proven it.
So when she saw Andrew subdue Lucy with a flick, Monica glared at him, half teasing:
"Look at you, using force now that you're home. Seems your temper and skills have both grown. Will you hit me next time?"
"I wouldn't dare!" Andrew quickly surrendered.
Once, Lucy was the biggest authority in the house. Now, it's his wife-to-be.
Beside them—
Lucy sat pitifully at the edge of the sofa, eyes darting around. "Monica, let's sleep together tonight. My Stellar Fire Crystal Bed is made from cooled star matter—it's amazing for beauty and skincare!"
...Before Monica could reply—
...Andrew spoke first.
"Lucy."
"You're grown up now—not a little kid anymore. Do you still need someone to sleep with you? Aren't you embarrassed? Be good, finish your fruit and go sleep on your own. Monica and I might have a long talk tonight, it's important, so don't interrupt." Every word Andrew said was earnest and persuasive, enough to convince anyone.
Lucy didn't reply.
Mainly because she couldn't.
A flicker of blue starlight—Andrew had muted his little sister.
Starlight-level martial arts truly cover everything.
He lounged comfortably on the soft sofa, arm around Monica, and telekinetically picked up a slice of watermelon, musing, "It's time for my Soul-Will to advance to the Eternal Palace level."
"I've waited months, but my consciousness nodes haven't increased. Ten thousand is the bottleneck—maybe only by advancing to Eternal Palace can my Soul Crystal continue to generate new nodes. If I can elevate my life tier, break through this bottleneck, my consciousness nodes will surpass ten thousand and reach the Primordial tier."
According to his deductions—
And what he had learned from Wu Ershi, the peak Eternal Realm martial artist.
Perhaps the Soul Crystal is innate talent condensed, a phase of accumulated growth. Advancing to Starlight brings immense improvement. Later, with Eternal Palace and Void Cavern, the pattern continues.
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In other words, advancing to Eternal Palace also means reaching the Primordial tier.
Andrew pondered quietly. Lucy sat nearby, her little eyes shooting daggers, as if firing cold arrows his way.
Hmph!
╭(╯^╰)╮
Twisting her fingers, she sulked back to her bedroom.
Now the living room was even quieter, leaving only Andrew and Monica.
Soft yellow light spilled across the room, the curtains tightly drawn. Only the faint hum of the air conditioner and the ticking of the wall clock could be heard.
Outside, it's the blazing heat of July. Night has fallen, and the air swirls with waves of warmth, like a stifling steamer. No insects chirp, no birds sing, no pedestrians pass—just the occasional distant flash of car lights.
They exchanged a glance.
Both couldn't help but laugh.
"When do we leave?"
"Not for a while yet."
Andrew picked up his phone and unlocked the screen.
He scrolled through WeChat and QQ, unused for ages, finding countless unread messages—texts, voice notes, pictures, videos, friend requests, social updates... Job ads, motivational quotes, elegant lifestyle shares, heartfelt photos. Some had married and had kids—their children were old enough to run errands.
Five years had passed, and everything had changed so much.
Though WeChat and QQ had updated many times in five years, Andrew's apps had never changed.
The old style remained.
Still so familiar.
Even the old chat emojis he used were still there.
"This little sprout face is my favorite."
"And this little fox, the white cat—your favorites."
Their conversation drifted between laughter and whispers. Sometimes they browsed old chats, sometimes Moments, glimpsing the joys and sorrows of ordinary life. It felt like returning to their innocent days at Jiangnan Academy.
The living room lights seemed to dim, turning amber.
Turning, their eyes met. The girl's bare lips curled into a smile, her dazzling eyes blinking. He gazed at her, lost, as if seeing the beauty he once pursued, still cherishes, and will forever hold dear.
...
The next morning—
Sunlight filled the bedroom, everything was beautiful.
Knock knock!
Knock knock!
Suddenly, a series of bold, relentless knocks sounded at the bedroom door—super fierce, not stopping for a moment.
"Who is it... courting death..." Andrew muttered. As a Starlight-level cultivator, he rarely needed sleep—he hadn't rested this well in ages.
He blocked out the knocking sound.
Andrew sensed who it was and was left speechless.
Outside the door, Lucy stood, all innocence. "Brother, it's already past six! Why aren't you up yet?"
Andrew: "..."
Forget it!
Time to get up early today!
Time to advance to Eternal Palace-level life!
——
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