Behind the hill, a big butt sticks out.

Master Roshi craned his neck and stared for a long time before finally coming to a conclusion: This butt is really round!

"Yuanbao, what's wrong with you?"

Changsheng walked out of the spirit garden, his face full of doubt, and asked.

He hadn't seen Yuanbao for a while, so why was he taking off his pants in front of him as soon as he came back...?

Xiao Yu burst into tears, crying, "Waaaaah~~, Senior Uncle, my father beats me every day! You have to stand up for me!"

"That shouldn't be the case. Siwu was quite well-behaved when he was little."

Changsheng stroked his chin thoughtfully, then looked up and asked:

"Yuanbao, has your junior aunt woken up yet?"

"No."

"Oh, it's alright. Once your junior aunt wakes up, your senior uncle will send her down the mountain to seek justice for you."

"Senior Uncle, why don't you come with me?"

Xiao Yu looked at Changsheng pitifully.

Chang Sheng's eyebrows twitched. "You child, with your uncle's physique, if you encounter a monster on the road, one shout from him would be enough to kill it."

"Listen to me, when your little aunt wakes up, she's a professional at bullying your dad."

"Alright then, Uncle-Master, I'll help you with the work. Which spirit fields need watering?"

"Yuanbao is so well-behaved. Those two spirit fields to the north still need to be irrigated with spirit water."

"OK...."

......

noon.

The group sat around a table.

"Yuanbao, eat more! Look how thin you've gotten with all that hunger in your belly."

"Thank you, Auntie Fatty."

"Squeak, Yuanbao, you rarely come back, so make sure you eat your fill. You can have some of mine too."

"Thank you, Uncle Black Rabbit."

Black Rabbit and Little Fatty kept putting meat into Xiao Yu's bowl, and Xiao Yu gladly accepted it.

"Hey! Yuanbao's back!"

Just then, Da Mei skipped in, carrying a small flower basket.

The little girl has big, curved eyes that seem to hold the essence of life.

"Waaaaah~~, Auntie Da Mei, my dad spanked me! Look at my bottom!"

Xiao Yu dropped the pork knuckle in his hand and was about to take off his pants when Qin Shou stopped him. Only then did Xiao Yu realize that he was already an adult.

"Huh? Why did Siwu hit you?"

"Waaah~, my dad forces me to study and lose weight every day, kicks my butt, and even stomps on my stomach. Sometimes he drags me into playing riddles with him, and if I guess wrong, he flicks my forehead. I told him I didn't want to guess, but he said he'd still flick me even if I didn't want to..."

In short... in short... waaaaaah...

Xiao Yu kept wiping away his tears, which made Da Mei feel heartbroken.

"Yuanbao, it's alright. Once Yicheng wakes up, I'll have her talk to Siwu properly."

"Alright, we'll have to wait for my junior aunt to wake up."

Xiao Yu sat back down and started eating meat.

After lunch, Little Fatty and Black Rabbit, following old tradition, lay under the eaves sunbathing with their bellies sticking out.

Luo Yunyan was practicing her swordsmanship on the cliff when Xiao Yu tiptoed over and took out a box of rouge from his pocket.

"Sister Yunyan, Sister Yunyan, I bought you a box of rouge. It's Jinxiu Pavilion's new peach blossom pink this year. Do you like it?"

Xiao Yu jumped up and down and shouted.

Luo Yunyan shook her head, her long sword dancing in her hand, her pale yellow skirt billowing in the mist, sword energy rippling, petals fluttering, and her two braids replaced by a simple single ponytail tied behind her back.

His face was cool and aloof; he had already begun to grow up.

"Oh, okay then."

Xiao Yu sighed, leaned on a stone block not far away, rested his chin on his hand, and watched Luo Yunyan dance with her sword.

It seems that ever since I can remember, Sister Yunyan has always been dancing with her sword, from sunrise to sunset, from the fall of night to the starry sky, and then to the breaking of dawn...

She was different from the others on Turtle Mountain. Everyone on the mountain, no matter how high their cultivation level, would eat two meals a day, but since she entered the Foundation Establishment Realm and could abstain from grains, she had hardly eaten at all.

She seemed to spend all her time cultivating herself.

"Yuanbao, shall we go on a mountain patrol?"

After resting for a while, Little Fatty started calling for Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu shouted in refusal, "Auntie Xiaopang, you guys go ahead. I ate too much at lunch and need to rest for a while."

"Okay, then Black Rabbit and I will go catch some more geese and stew them for you tonight."

"Okay, thank you, Auntie Fatty."

"Squeak—you haven't thanked me yet?"

"Thank you too, Uncle Black Rabbit."

After watching his two younger elders happily leave, Xiao Yu lay back on a stone pier by the cliff, watching the clouds drift across the sky.

Compared to the majestic and magnificent capital, he actually preferred the scenery on the mountain, where he could study or play whenever he wanted, and his master would guide him in cultivation... unlike now, where he always had to learn things he didn't like.

"Little one, what are you thinking about?"

Qin Shou's gentle, jade-like voice rang out from behind.

Xiao Yu stood up, bowed respectfully, and said, "Grandmaster."

"Hmm." Qin Shou nodded, then asked with a smile, "How have you been down the mountain?"

"It's alright," Xiao Yu replied.

He reached out and scooped up a wisp of mist in his palm, watching it transform into various shapes. After a long while, he slowly said, "Grandmaster, my mother says I should cultivate diligently because in the future I will bear the weight of an empire's rise and fall. My maternal grandfather and father also teach me the art of rulership every day..."

Actually... I... don't like learning those things, and I don't want to be that supreme emperor...

Xiao Yu sat back down on the stone stool and swung his legs.

Four years spent at the foot of the mountain had gradually matured his carefree mind.

"Hehe, if you don't want to be one, then you don't have to be one."

Qin Shou stood beside him with his hands behind his back and said leisurely.

"Is it alright?" Xiao Yu turned around, a flicker of emotion in his eyes. "But I was born with royal blood, and there are some responsibilities I must bear."

Seeing this, Qin Shou patted his head and said with a leisurely smile, "Hehe, Yuanbao, life is as fleeting as morning dew. Even the most powerful dynasty will eventually perish. Why be so attached to the troubles of the present?"

Everything in this world is governed by cause and effect. Even the things that trouble you right now can be resolved if you are determined.

"Furthermore, all things in heaven and earth, the passage of time—compared to immortality, these things are ultimately just fleeting visitors. Only by understanding your true inner desires and pursuing the meaning of life can you find happiness on this path, even if things don't go as planned."

"Grandmaster, in your heart, is immortality more joyful, or is happiness more important?"

Xiao Yu looked up and asked.

Everyone on Turtle Mountain knows that their grandmaster, master, and teacher most desire the path to immortality, and for this, they have devoted their entire lives to cultivating on the mountain, never venturing into the mortal world.

"Haha, in my heart, immortality is happiness, and happiness is having the opportunity to live forever."

Qin Shou answered without hesitation.

Whenever the topic of immortality came up, a strange light would always appear in his eyes. This was because Qin Shou desired immortality, and he knew that only by cultivating step by step could he have the opportunity to achieve it. How could this not be the most pleasant and joyful thing in the world?

It's just unknown whether, millions of years from now, when Qin Shou looks back on himself now, he will still feel the same way.

From then on, Yuanbao stayed on the mountain to cultivate.

The emperor and empress in the Vermilion Bird Palace sent people to fetch Yuanbao back several times, but Yuanbao refused each time. He only said that he wanted to relax on this mountain for a while before going back.

However, the Empress only had this one son, and she missed him terribly. She often urged Xiao Xuan to come and bring her son home, but Xiao Xuan said he dared not do so.

Time flies, and soon it was New Year's Eve.

Snowflakes fluttered down on Turtle Mountain, while clusters of fireworks burst forth.

"Yuanbao, look! That's me, the King of Koi!"

Little Fatty pointed to a firework in the sky that resembled a big, fat carp and jumped up and down happily.

"Squeak—, and me too, Black Rabbit! Yuanbao, look, I'm holding a Dragon-Slaying Sword in my hand."

"Haha, the one with the biggest belly must be Junior Aunt!"

"Squeak, squeak, it's an orange, it's an orange!"

"........"

Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, the old year departs, and the warm spring breeze brings new life to the New Year's wine.

Tonight, Qin Shou brewed a jar of Tusu wine and enjoyed it with his disciple and Turtle Immortal under the tree.

"Master, Master, I want to drink too!"

Little Fatty, wearing a red cotton-padded jacket, came running over excitedly.

"Go away, what kind of child drinks alcohol?"

Qin Shou nudged her lower abdomen.

The chubby boy immediately looked aggrieved, pouting and muttering:

"But even Yuanbao can drink it, so why can't I?"

“Yuanbao has grown up.” Qin Shou replied.

"The gold ingots have all grown up, why can't I grow up?"

The chubby boy frowned and shouted.

"Because you're stupid."

"Wow~, big sister..."

Little Fatty cried and tried to crawl into Da Mei's arms, but Da Mei anticipated this and took out two talismans.

"Alright, little sister, don't cry anymore. I've given you two more firework charms here. I've already drawn your image on them."

"Huh! Thank you, sister!"

Little Fatty, holding the firework charm, asked happily, "Sister, do you have any cookies left?"

"There's half a bag left. Here, take it."

Da Mei took out another half bag of cookies, which Xiao Pang happily carried away. Then she lit the firework talisman in her hand. With a whoosh, the firework talisman turned into a huge firework that rose into the sky. Finally, it exploded into a huge light screen in the snowy night sky. Inside the light screen was a picture of a proud little chubby boy with a protruding belly.

Sizzle!

In the brief moment that the fireworks burst open, a long spear pierced the air and hovered above Turtle Mountain.

Immediately afterwards, a figure slowly emerged, with fireworks bursting behind her, creating a dazzling spectacle.

Qin Shou slightly raised his eyebrows and looked into the distance.

A list of subtitles appeared before my eyes.

[Nanning Immortal Phoenix: A cultivator at the ninth level of the Void Realm, a descendant of the Nanning Imperial Clan from ten thousand years ago... Relying on the Emperor Phoenix Spear in her hand to sense the Empress's aura, she tracked her all the way here.]

"Old Song, the heir of the Nanning imperial family has arrived."

Qin Shou suddenly said something to Song Ningsheng, who was standing to the side.

“I know, I recognize that gun.”

Song Ningsheng nodded, his gaze fixed on the golden spear in front of the girl.

The spear is named Emperor Phoenix, one of the Empress's former sidearms. Legend has it that this spear devoured the soul of a fallen immortal phoenix, and a holy spirit was nurtured within it.

"Where is this? Why did my ancestor's sidearm guide me here?"

The Nanning Immortal Phoenix stood in the sky, its body shrouded in a hazy glow, obscuring its face. Fireworks burst behind it, turning the starry sky into daylight, even melting away the fireworks themselves.

At this moment, she could not see the scene inside the mountain beneath her feet, but she knew that a great formation shrouded the mountain, concealing the secrets of heaven.

"Come in."

Qin Shou waved his hand, and a crack appeared in the great formation.

Nanning Immortal Phoenix hesitated for a moment, then her figure materialized and appeared on the mountaintop.

At the same time, he briefly scanned the mountaintop with his divine sense.

A man of unparalleled beauty, yet whose true nature remains a mystery; a celestial tortoise at the second level of the Nascent Soul stage; a wisp of obsession; two carp spirits; a rabbit spirit; a little girl dancing with a sword on a cliff; a large, fat man at the Foundation Establishment stage; and... an old man at the Qi Refining stage... the lotus flower in the spirit pool... that bamboo forest... the Chaos Bamboo Forest!! And what kind of creature is that black and white demonic beast...?

In the blink of an eye, the woman who had appeared out of nowhere had taken in all the sights on the mountain, but she remained vigilant.

"What a beauty!"

Qin Shou chuckled leisurely.

The woman before them was dressed in a phoenix robe, with an exceptionally tall figure and exquisite features. Although her true face was not clearly visible, her breathtaking beauty was still undeniable.

"Guests are welcome, please have a seat."

Qin Shou raised his hand in greeting.

"Fellow Daoist, do you recognize me?"

Nanning Xianhuang's beautiful eyes sparkled, and she spoke in a cool voice.

"Heh heh, there is no longer an empress in this world, so your trip will likely be in vain."

"You know I came here following the Empress's scent!"

Nanning Xianhuang, who is usually aloof, suddenly had her eyebrows twitching, her eyes flashing, and a hint of surprise in her expression.

For a moment, she felt a sense of apprehension towards the mountain before her and the man whose depth she herself could not fathom.

Buzz!

Runes flickered in those bright eyes, as if they could see right through the Qin beast.

"The Eye of the Phantom Phoenix!"

"You are indeed a descendant of the Nanning imperial family."

At this moment, Song Ningsheng looked at those eyes filled with golden runes and muttered something under his breath.

"Um? "

Nanning Xianhuang's beautiful brows furrowed deeply as she looked at that persistent thought.

Seeing this, Song Ningsheng smiled and explained, "Only the descendants of the Nanning Imperial Clan who have cultivated the 'Void Phoenix Scripture' can master the Eye of the Void Phoenix." He then reassured them, "You don't need to be nervous. Come to think of it, my ancestors and your clan were old friends, and my family was once an ally of the Nanning Imperial Clan."

"Who are you?" Nanning Xianhuang asked.

“Song Ningsheng.” Song Ningsheng answered calmly.

"Song Ningsheng! Senior, are you the strongest successor of the Guanyin Temple, who lived in the same era as our clan's Empress ten thousand years ago?"

"Yes, it's me."

"But my grandfather once said that Senior Song died and his soul dissipated during the tribulation of the Transcending Tribulation Realm."

"Heh, so all that's left now is a wisp of obsession."

Song Ningsheng smiled wryly. Now, having seen the Empress for the last time four years ago, he had long since let go of these things.

"How can you prove yourself, senior?" Nanning Xianhuang still had doubts.

Song Ningsheng laughed directly, "You must be a descendant of the Tianhe lineage in Nanning. Speaking of which, I even taught him cultivation for a while when he was a child."

Looking back now, only that little fellow who betrayed the clan rules and was banished to the icy abyss to guard the demon's lair might have escaped this fate.

Upon hearing this, Nanning Xianhuang had no further doubts, because she had heard her grandfather mention this matter when she was very young, and he had also spoken about this Senior Song in front of her, expressing regret in just a few words.

I feel that such a prodigy should not have stopped at the Tribulation Transcending Realm, nor should he have perished so hastily.

"Junior Immortal Phoenix of Nanning greets Senior Song!"

Nanning Xianhuang bowed slightly with her hands folded, and her usually cold eyes softened a little.