At the entrance of a pitch-black cave, two little girls in pink padded jackets wrestled and rolled around, their adorable antics filling the air with lively, chirping voices.
"I'm the big sister!"
"I don't want to be the little sister!"
The two little ones sparred back and forth, neither willing to admit defeat. Their occasional slogans made Lucy Han both laugh and cry.
Pure joy.
Carefree.
"Sigh."
Lucy Han took a deep breath.
Once upon a time, she had been like this too. But Earth’s migration, Miles Ning’s passing, and her brother Andrew Han’s long absence in Archaic Hall had forced Lucy to grow up.
But in truth, it was only maturity as she saw it herself.
"Admit it—are you convinced yet? Say it!" came a breathless voice. The girl claiming to be the elder sister had flipped over and was now riding her younger twin, paying no attention to the dust and grit at the cave entrance.
"Enough, you two—stop it." Lucy Han couldn’t bear to watch any longer and strode forward, grabbing a child in each hand.
Suspended in midair, the twins stared in confusion, their little eyes blank as they froze together.
Immediately after—
They instinctively flailed a few times, huffing and puffing, but couldn’t break free. Seeing that Lucy’s expression seemed tolerable, they resumed their mock fight in the air.
Just barely within reach.
Four small, pale hands swiped and slapped like tiny claws, so fast Lucy felt dizzy watching them.
"You two..." Lucy's face darkened a little.
Arms outstretched, one child in each hand, she quietly observed the twin girls.
Now they couldn’t reach each other.
Too far apart, with arms not long enough, the twins obediently let their little hands droop. But with Lucy gripping the collars at the back of their jackets, dangling and swinging in midair felt uncomfortable.
The girls cried out, "Big sister, we were wrong."
Lucy Han raised an eyebrow. "Who just called me Auntie?"
"She did!"
The girl on the left pointed at her sister on the right.
"→_→ It was her!" The right twin shot back, pouting in protest.
These twins had an unusual background. Lucy Han had met them on her previous life planet, where the local governor was murdered, leaving only his wife and daughters. The dying governor’s wife entrusted the two little girls to Lucy.
"Hmph."
Lucy Han snorted twice, brought her arms together, and slowly pulled the two little ones close, making their faces meet.
Pressed together in midair, the twins grimaced and cried out in pain, looking like two identical porcelain dolls swinging together like a pendulum.
Utterly aggrieved.
Their little faces showed utter despair as they paddled their feet like swimmers. "Big sister, we really know we were wrong."
"Now you know to call me big sister." Lucy Han smiled sweetly but didn’t set them down.
After thinking it over, she realized holding them up kept things quieter.
If either dared misbehave, she’d just swing them four, five, six, seven, eight times—always effective.
"Waaah."
Tears welled up in the twins’ eyes.
"Hehe."
Lucy Han shook her wrist but didn’t see a single tear. "Where are those tears?"
"They’re in our hearts." The two little ones stared up with big, shiny black eyes, looking extra sweet and sensible, tilting their heads and pouting. Clearly, being cute worked everywhere in the universe.
But Lucy wasn’t having it.
The self-proclaimed big sister rolled her eyes, then flashed the most sincere, worshipful smile, her gaze practically sparkling with hearts. "Big sister, you’re so pretty."
"Now that’s being good."
So Lucy Han set her down.
The younger twin’s eyes lit up too. She hurriedly bobbed her head, folded her fingers, and clasped her pale little hands in a double bow, gazing at Lucy. "Big sister is the most beautiful person in the whole universe."
Lucy Han blinked. "Thank you."
"Hehehe."
The girl flashed a mouthful of tiny white teeth.
But—
What happened next was nothing like what she’d imagined.
"All right."
Lucy Han kept hold of her. "We need to head to the next life planet, where your mother's relatives are waiting."
???
Dangling in midair, the girl was stunned. She pursed her lips, unable to say a word, and caught sight of her sister on the ground, hands on hips and wiggling her bottom, so angry she couldn’t speak.
The disappointment was just too much...
Her face flushed red with anger, tiny fists clenching and unclenching.
A fleeting expression passed across her face.
But Lucy Han didn’t notice these small details.
After all, facing such adorable twin sisters, Lucy Han just smiled and gently lifted the younger one. "Don’t worry, we’re less than half a light-year from the next life planet. We’ll get there safely in at most a month."
"Thank you, big sister."
They called out together, perfectly obedient.
Then—
The girl on the ground bit her lower lip, looking pitiful and timid. "Why are those people always trying to kill us? I’m so scared."
"Don’t be afraid." Lucy Han reached out and ruffled her hair, certain it was her own fault that those family assassins kept chasing them. Guilt welled up inside her, and she sighed softly.
After being hunted for so long, Lucy Han was exhausted too. So she asked her brother Andrew Han for help.
She’d lost her communicator somewhere during their escape.
And as for 'saving lives,' that meant the twin sisters—Lucy herself was never in any real danger.
Looking up at the scattered stars, Lucy Han thought to herself, "Surviving and escaping are what I do best... Well, my brother too."
More accurately, everyone from Green Mountain Sect is pretty much the same.
Including Earth's only Starlight-tier lifeform, Finch Huang.
"Big Sister Finch is rebuilding the sect."
Lucy Han stared blankly, lost in thought, recalling the days when she left Earth: "Now, besides my brother, Green Mountain Sect finally has a Starlight-tier powerhouse. Unfortunately, Li Gang and Ling Qianyun are still only at the Fusion level..."
Reaching Starlight-tier is just so, so difficult.
Even though Andrew Han is advancing at an incredible pace, he still can’t raise the cultivation level of all Earth. Progress in cultivation and evolution always depends on each life itself.
"Big Sister Lucy." The little girl standing nearby rotated her eyes, cautiously edged closer, and hugged Lucy's legs tightly, whimpering, "I’m so scared, I’m really scared, wuu..."
Lucy quickly comforted her, "Don’t be afraid, it’s okay."
"Wuu..."
The girl bowed her head deeply.
Moments later, as the sandstorm swept in, Lucy grabbed one girl in each arm and soared into the sky, just about to break free from the desolate planet.
Boom!
A tremendous roar echoed in all directions!
The barren, empty planet trembled slightly!
"I am Victor Wu."
A black-haired elder, wearing a ten-meter-tall hat and dark robes, descended from afar: "By order of Human Heaven-King Andrew Han, I, Victor Wu, am here to receive you. Princess Lucy, please come with me."
Lucy raised her head, eyes wary, staring at Victor Wu’s strange hat. "Who are you? Victor Wu?"
The twin girls hurriedly shrank behind Lucy, peeking out with wide eyes, staring at Victor Wu in perfect unison.
Their gazes were anxious, uneasy, and curious all at once.
"Yes."
Landing from outer space onto the planet’s polar region, Victor Wu glanced at the barren land; the sandstorm dissipated on its own, and in the blink of an eye, the skies cleared. His powerful aura enveloped the entire planet.
The pressure of a higher lifeform made the stars in the sky dim.
"By Heaven-King’s command." Victor Wu smiled at Lucy. "I am to escort you to the Spark-Heritage Zone of Archaic Hall."
Spark-Heritage Zone?
Lucy was truly shocked. "I’m qualified to join the Spark-Heritage Zone? I haven’t even broken through to Starlight-tier."
With a swish, sand scattered as Victor Wu approached Lucy, removing his ten-meter hat: "Princess Lucy, you have a special constitution, and with the Heaven-King’s recommendation, why wouldn’t you qualify for Spark-Heritage?"
"I don’t believe it." Lucy stepped back two paces.
She retreated to the cave entrance.
Shielding the twin girls with both arms, Lucy’s body glowed with protective light. She added, "I’ve heard my brother mention the name Victor Wu, but how do you prove you’re really him?"
"Well..." Victor Wu looked troubled, thought for a moment, then lowered his head and took out a Star-Gate Martial Communicator.
"Hmm?"
Lucy became even more cautious, her palm floating a silver bell—an Archaic Hall tech device. If fully powered, even Fusion-tier cultivators would keep their distance.
Seeing this,
Victor Wu’s lips twitched; he shook his head, "Please wait a moment..."
Ding-dong, ding-dong. He tapped the Star-Gate Martial Communicator, seemingly sending a message. In an instant, his expression changed dramatically—his casual demeanor shifted to solemn gravity. His entire bearing and attitude became utterly respectful as he raised the communicator with both hands.
His overwhelming aura was completely withdrawn.
His reverent posture even seemed humble.
The vastness of his arrival and the caution of this moment formed a stark contrast—like night and day.
"?"
The abrupt shift made Lucy frown slightly.
The sandstorm rose again, swirling grandly. The black-haired elder before her now seemed ordinary, mediocre, and bowed deeply.
"The Heaven-King is looking for you."
Victor Wu, steward of the Spark-Heritage Zone of Archaic Hall, spoke softly, as if afraid to disturb anything.
With that,
He tossed out the Star-Gate Martial Communicator.
The communicator hovered, spinning rapidly, and instantly projected a virtual screen.
The dark screen suddenly lit up, revealing Andrew Han’s back—crystalline white hair drifting, his towering figure like the very center of the starry sea, dazzling and perfect. The transcendent beauty radiating from the virtual screen struck the deepest part of Lucy’s heart.
Unparalleled.
Indescribable.
Truly flawless and complete.
Behind the projection, Victor Wu bowed deeply, motionless and silent.
In front of the projection, the twin sisters unconsciously poked their heads out, their dark eyes wide. Instinctive submission made them kneel, unable to raise their heads; their souls and awareness frozen. Even a remote projection of the Heaven-King exerts terrifying pressure.
"Brother?"
Lucy’s eyes sparkled.
She knew this was her brother Andrew Han—there was not a shred of falsehood; no one could ever imitate it.
The Heaven-King’s unique essence cannot be replicated. Perfection is not just power, but appearance, bearing, and gaze—no further proof is needed.
"Little Lucy."
The projection shifted; Andrew Han turned, his deep eyes holding the light of countless dawns: "I’ll be waiting for you in the Spark-Heritage Zone."